Determination--Pass It On! And, a Big Piece of Humble Pie for Me!

Thanks for all the well wishes for Brecken. She's officially enjoying being a teenager! You all are so sweet!

I know you'll be inspired by this story--and learn from my attitude adjustment!

Last year Collin made the 9th grade basketball team at the junior high he attended. We were a little surprised--we are a football family, not so much a basketball family. He had a great season and was one of the star players. Steve and I had so much fun watching his games twice a week--it brought a lot of joy during the long winter months.

This year Collin tried out again--this time for the high school team. He made the sophomore team and I was so happy. I knew it would again bring me joy especially with Kade leaving.

This is a photo of all of us at his first game. We could hardly wait for the season to begin. We were a little surprised when Collin didn't even get off the bench this first game.

The second game was the same, and the third and the fourth. He'd get in once in a while for a minute or two then be yanked right back out. I'd grumble under my breath that they should put Bearnson in!

About eight games into it, Collin looked up at me in the crowd. Afterward he pulled me aside and said "If you're going to look so sad about me not playing then please don't come to the games. Of course I want to play but so does every boy on that team. They all deserve to play. Plus, Mom, basketball isn't my life. As long as I'm making correct decisions in my life and living the best I can, that's more important than playing in a game, right?" Okay--at this point I was eating humble pie. Yes--Collin does make great choices in his life and he's right--it doesn't matter if he plays in the game. He ended the conversation by saying, "Plus I'm having a lot of fun and love being on the team." You can't argue with that!

The next several games Collin still did not get much playing time. I decided to change my attitude and truly be happy at the games even if my kid wasn't playing. One of our neighbors, Rob Clauson, watched him at a practice. He called him aside after and said "If you'd make just one small adjustment to your game, you'd go from benchwarmer to star." Rob took Collin to the gym and practiced and practiced with him. Rob was a great teacher--Collin was eager to learn and make the proper adjustment to his game.

Now fast forward to January 27th, 2010. The team was down and the coach suddenly pointed at Bearnson and told him to go in. Collin played the game of his life:

In fact he played so well the JV coach saw him and asked him to play in the next JV game (right after the sophomore game). He said: "I don't know who you are but you're tearing up the court." He then began starting for the sophomore games.

Pretty soon the varsity coach asked him to practice with the varsity team. We all were a little shocked and amazed. From benchwarmer to practicing with the varsity team. Wow!

Who knows what the future holds in the way of basketball for Collin. But I do know that I learned these things from my 16-year-old boy:

1. Never give up. 2. Sometimes making a small adjustment to your game (and in life) makes all the difference in the world. 3. Keep a good attitude. 4. Be teachable.

Thanks for the life lesson learned this season, Collin. And go Lone Peak Knights!

By the way, this is my cute step-daughter, Stefyn. She graduated from Louisiana Tech in Ruston last Saturday. Just had to show off this beautiful girl. Great job, Stefyn!

Hope you're having a great week. And, thanks for listening!

Lisa

Sweet 13, Brecken!

Brecken is officially a teenager today! I love this picture of her with Sage. What cute friends (most of the time!).

The day started at the crack of dawn. Steve went and picked up two of her friends at 6:30 a.m. and they came back to the house and "kidnapped" Brecken. Steve took the girls down to IHOP and he was a sweet dad and sat out in the parking lot while they ate so they could have "girl time." When the girls got back to the car, Steve tried to start the engine and nothing. He'd been listening to the radio and the battery was dead. Thanks to our neighbor, Rob Clauson, who jumped in his car and then gave them a jump! The girls were all an hour late to school and needless to say were thrilled!

After school, Brecken got a manicure and right now is at a birthday party for another friend. Love having this girl in our family.

Thanks to our friends, the Pasleys, who were guests in our home last night. Hope you got home safely to Idaho Falls.

Tomorrow I'm heading off to Ruston, Louisiana. My cute stepdaughter, Stefyn, is graduating from Louisiana,Tech on Saturday. So if you're in that neck of the woods, please honk and say hi!

Have a great weekend! And if you get a chance, leave a little birthday message for Brecken. You'd make her day!

Lisa

I Do Believe in Fairies!

Today the sun is shining bright! I LOVE IT! I'm still going to light my candles, bake cookies and write in my gratitude journal--even when the sun's out!

Here's how we celebrated the first day of warmer weather (last Saturday). My pal, Robin Johnson, is an amazing photographer. She hosted a fairy day at her studio and just check Miss Sage out!

Sage went with two of her friends: Brynlee Ashton and Alix Banks (Kristy's daughter). From the moment we got there, magic happened. There were flower petals leading up to the front door and three different stations where the girls were transformed into beautiful fairies. They got their fingernails painted, hair curled and sprinkled with stardust (and completed with twigs and leaves) and face painted in exotic designs. They each were then outfitted in a fairy costume that they got to take home.

After the makeover, each girl walked into "fairyland" where there were gigantic rocks and flowers. Robin did an amazing photo shoot with each little fairy. I can't wait to see all the pictures.

Robin has another fairy day coming up in a couple of weeks. It's a day your little girls will never forget. If you live in Utah, it's definitely something you've gotta do! Go here for a little movie about the event.

Hope you're having the most terrific day ever!

Talk to you soon!

Lisa

Beating the Winter Blues Idea #3!

I've been working today on my new web site. The countdown is on--It won't be long until I'll unveil it to you. I can't wait to share some cool new things I've been working on.

So--I woke up this morning and it was kinda sunny outside. And--it's actually been in the 40s today--so a lot warmer. But--winter is still here so I've got to continue sharing fun ideas.

Today I did something that made me soooooo happy! Sage got home from school early and I taught her how to made these:

Peanut Blossoms might possibly be the most heavenly cookies on the face of the earth. And--they are so easy to make.

Brecken learned how to cook at a very early age. But, somehow Sage has slipped through the cracks in learning this skill. So today Sage put on an adorable apron (thanks, Carrie Heaphy), played her favorite "happy music" (Enchanted) and we danced, sang, measured and baked our way through these cookies.

(The darling photo above would have the ugly vanilla bottle in it!)

I know your probably already have the Peanut Blossoms recipe, but just incase:

Peanut Blossoms

Beat well:

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

Add the following and beat well:

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

1 t. soda

Form balls and roll in sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes.

Put an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss

on top and cool.

Enjoy. Until tomorrow, stay warm!

Lisa

P.S. It would be fun if you shared your "Beating the winter blues" ideas with us. Leave me a comment!

My Fun Missionary Idea, Beating the Winter Blues Idea #2, Plus Hurry--A Fun Contest to Enter!

The response for my missionary idea was a lot more than I anticipated. I was so excited about this! Some of you left a message that you'd love the idea for an overseas military husband or a child who's an exchange student in a foreign country. Well--this got me to thinking that this is a perfect idea to do for any person who is gone for an extended period of time.

I will tell you the idea like I sent to Kade. But--please know you can adapt it for anyone.

So here's the idea. I sent a small box to Kade with 12 different colors of thread, fiber, twine or ribbon tied around the outside of the box. (I sent this the week after he left.) It looked like this:

I included a note on a tag that said:

"Red, yellow, pink, green, purple, orange and blue.

Then there's black, brown, white, gray, and don't forget Fuchsia too.

Every month (for the next 12 months) a package you'll receive,

Where every item in the box the same color will be.

Enjoy all the stuff but be sure to remember this one important thing.

You must cut a ribbon from the box; the color of contents will be the key.

In one year the ribbons will be gone,

and you can finally open the box.

A special something will be revealed,

No--I promise it won't be a pair of clean socks."

So--once a month for the next twelve months, our family is sending Kade a package that's all color coordinated. He got all green stuff in the month of February (new missionaries are called "greenies" so I had to do green first!).

For March we chose the color orange. Here's some of the stuff he's getting (Peanut Butter Captain Crunch, Cheetos, an orange tooth brush, dried mangos his favorite acne lotion which happens to be in an orange box, etc.). Next month will be purple, May will be red, and so forth--you get the picture.

I've been collecting fun tins in all the colors. This will have notes from our family tucked inside (of course written in orange pen).

This card will also be included. I added a chalked sun.

The really great part of this idea is it provides a fun theme to send in packages. We already are gathering stuff in all the other colors--and my girls are always on the lookout in stores for fun stuff. And, it's fun for Kade to look forward to a color-themed box each month with the anticipation of opening the small box after a year.

So, what's inside the box? For Kade's box, I cut out a small picture of Christ and matted it on white cardstock. (It fit exactly inside the box. Just measure the box size and cut down your picture accordingly.) On the back, I wrote Kade a note as if from Christ Himself, thanking him for his service during the past 12 months, telling him of His love for Kade and reminding him that he only has a short 12 months left. So--to keep working hard.

You could adapt this idea and write a note from a family member, a relative that's passed on , an unborn child, a hero, etc.

Okay--so there's my idea. Thanks for letting me share. It's been a super fun family activity.

So--here's idea #2 for Beating the Winter Blues. (We got so much snow today--BLAH!) I got this cute journal for my birthday (thanks, Stephanie) and decided to write in it every night.

Instead of writing the normal journal stuff, I write some type of service I did for someone that day (outside of the norm--no laundry can be recorded here). Maybe it's as simple as a text message to someone who needs cheering up or more elaborate like surprising the mail man with Krispy Kreme doughnuts! I also record five things I'm grateful for. I've LOVED this--it's easy to keep up on, reminds me to serve and makes me realize what a wonderful world we live in.

So here's the fun contest. Just check these out:

All it takes is your Silhouette, heat transfer, an iron and the item you want to add heat transfer to. And--a roll of this amazing stuff will be sent to FIVE lucky winners. But--you must act fast. Kerri is choosing a winner at around 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. Go here to enter. Hum--I just might have to round up Kerri to help make girls camp sweatshirts!

Tomorrow I'll be back with another "Beating the Winter Blues" idea. I'll keep doing it until I see some serious sunshine!

Sincerely,

Lisa

The Legacy of the Sack Lunch. Plus, Beat the Winter Blahs Idea #1!

I went to the most uplifting funeral yesterday. Brent Pribil, a wonderful man who lives in my neighborhood, passed away at the young age of 44. He left behind a beautiful wife and three children. The entire services was very upbeat and I left feeling spiritually fed and like I could conquer the world. This was the front of the service program:

And this is the back:

While there were many incredible things said and I learned so many things I'd never know about Brent, this is the thing that has stuck most in my mind. In the foyer of the church, a memorabilia memorial was set up that consisted of different aspects of Brent's life. I loved it all but this one thing really hit me hard. In fact, I had to run home and get my camera to share with you.

Every morning, Brent packed a lunch for each of his children. And every day, he wrote a note, quote, word of wisdom or a little joke on a note card and stuck it to the front of the bag.

This is an original quote from Brent. In fact, it also was printed on the program.

I think he wrote this just recently--right after he was diagnosed with cancer.

Thanks, Brent, for the wonderful example you were to many people in this life. And thanks for reminding me that the simple things really are the big things.

Okay--so I've really got the winter BLAHS! This is what it looks like outside in my backyard today! It's hard to see but it's been snowing all day!

But--I can always get myself in a chipper mood despite what the weather's like outside. For the next few days, I'm going to give you a few tips for beating the blues and getting into a happy little mood.

Tip number one? Light those candles! Really--lit candles around my house just puts me in a great mood. I love the ambiance, smell and it really just makes me happy. I used to save candles for special occasions, but now I light them all the time!

This is one of my new favorite candles. It's from my favorite store, Pier One Imports, and the candle scent is Ember. Love this--it's clean and yummy. And--the Ember pillar candles are on sale right now!

Just one more thing. I had such a great response to my last blog posting that I decided to share it on my blog. I realized that it's such a fun idea, anyone could use it for a loved one who's away. So--look for the great idea tomorrow. And--another way you can beat the winter blues.

Sincerely,

Lisa

Nope--I Shouldn't Have Done It!

I made a couple of mistakes today. Last night I was at one of my favorite scrapbook stores (Heartland Paper in Bountiful, Utah) with this cute gal, Marcella Ryan from Orlando, Florida (here we are posing in the tabernacle where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs) when . . .

I saw this kit (made by Pebbles, Inc.) and Sage convinced me to buy it. It's a fun way to countdown the day Kade will come home. All the letters have a countdown number where the sticker dots are placed. (There's also one for female missionaries.) I got the stickers out today and put them on the 31 days he's been gone. Hmmm--I just don't think this is going to work for me for a while. Looking forward it looks like a long time and made me feel kinda blue. But--stinkin' cute concept I'll resume in about a year!

Then I went up to Kade's room and made the mistake of opening his closet. "His" smell is still on some of his clothes--a combination of cologne, deodorant and probably a little sweat.

Then I made the mistake of listening to one of my favorite CDs by my pal and fellow scrapbooker, Hilary Weeks, called "If I Only Had Today."

Here are the lyrics to the song "If I Only Had Today":

It seems like I've watched a million sunsets

And stared at a thousand full moons.

Sometimes it feels like I've been here forever

And sometimes it all feels brand new.

I could never count the heartbeats

From the day I was born until now.

But not a single one goes unnoticed

By Him who breathes life in me somehow.

But if there were no more tomorrows

If I knew that I could not stay.

I know how I'd spend every moment

If only I had today.

I'd hold you and listen

And I'd let the dishes sit in the sink.

I'd tell you I loved you over and over

And for once I'd just let the phone ring.

The I'd remind you of forever

And how our love would never change.

If I only had today.

I'd wake up before the sun did

And I'd watch as you quietly sleep.

I'd pray for time to move slowly

Knowing the moment won't keep.

All the gifts that Heaven has given

Every blessing that's come my way.

Wouldn't mean anything without you

So if I only had today.

I'd hold you and listen

I'd memorize every detail of you face.

I'd tell you I loved you over and over

I wouldn't let excuses get in the way.

Then I'd remind you of forever

And how our love would never change.

If I only had today.

There's no time like the present.

Life doesn't come with any guarantees.

The sun will set and time won't wait

So while I have today:

I'll hold you and listen

And I'd let the dishes sit in the sink.

I'll tell you I loved you over and over

And for once I'll just let the phone ring.

The I'll remind you of forever

And how our love would never change.

If I only had today.

The only recording I could find on the internet was from a funeral that Hilary recently sang this song at. You can go here to hear the song.

Okay--so after all these "I shouldn't haves" today, I was feeling a little down about Kade being gone for so long. But then I realized the last verse goes to the present--"I'll" rather than "I'd" in the previous verses. Although Kade isn't here for the next two years and yes I do miss him, I do still have three other kids who I'll let the dishes sit in the sink for and I'll let the phone ring while I'm engaged in activities with them. It was a good reminder that we do have today and lucky for me I still have three other children at home!

Hope you're living in the now and enjoying today rather what was or could have been.

Happy Weekend!

Lisa

P.S. If you have or soon will have a missionary "in the field", do I ever have the neatest idea for you! It's a super fun thing I'm doing for Kade that I thought of during a sleepless night. Leave your e-mail address on a comment on this post and I'll share this cool idea with you at the first of next week!

Love Idea #7!

Tonight was a wonderful ending to a wonderful week. I invited my parents, Steve's parents and our good friends, Pam and Myron Gebhardt, over for a Valentine's Day meal. Brecken and I were in charge of the menu:

Italian Chicken

Vegetarian Lasagna

Strawberry and toasted almond tossed salad

Raspberry Fluff

Freshly Baked Italian rolls

Cherry 7-Up slush

Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream smothered in hot fudge sauce

We all wore red, white or pink and took pictures of this love note for our missionary (Kade is called Elder Bearnson while on his mission).

I'm sad Valentine's Day is over. It's truly one of my favorite times of the year. But now I have something else to look forward to! Spring!

Thanks for joining me this week!

I'll write again soon.

Lisa