Smith Family Ice Cream Scoop: October 2011

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Lovin' This Fall

This post might be a little bit about photography... apologies in advance. ;)

I am loving my new camera. LOVING it. I felt a little bit sad that I was abandoning my first camera love... but I got over that pretty fast. ;)

I love love love when I get a chance to shoot family. Felicia wanted me to do some Halloween Minis of her three cute boys, and I was so glad that we could make it work, and that we found such a great trade. :) This pose above? I have to tell you the story. We shot a whole bunch of cute poses and when we were done, Allston said, "I've got one more pose for you"... and this was it. Cracked. Me. Up. Anyway... I really do love capturing those that I love with my camera. I wish I had the chance more often... but I do know that Vernal is a bit far to drive for pictures. ;)

This fall has been gorgeous. Beautiful. Every day is near perfection, and I feel like each day is a gift. I wish I could store a few of these days in a bottle to pull out in the middle of the dreary winter, but I'll just have to look back at my photos and remember. :)

Brandon and I went to the Matt Nathanson concert this last weekend. We might be a little bit old to stand in a club for an entire concert and get beer spilled on us... but the music was fantastic. We loved the opening band, Scars on 45, and haven't stopped listening to the cds we bought there.

Sigh... too many great things to write about them all... but it has been a really good fall season. :)

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Overhearing Something Good

"overhearing someone say nice things about you"

I saw this on pinterest this morning... and it really got me thinking. Of course it's nice to overhear someone say nice things about you. How amazing is that? To know someone is saying nice things because they really think them, and not just to your face because they feel like they should. But then, I got thinking...

How many times have I said something nice about somebody that they've overheard? I hope it's happened a lot. What if I gave opportunity for it to happen more by saying more nice things? I like that idea. :) Especially with my kids... my kids should be overhearing the most nice things.

New goal for my 4th quarter comeback. :)

Monday, October 03, 2011

Memories

When Tyler was born, Brandon found this cute little stuffed dog and brought it to his first baby boy while we were still in the hospital. We've all cherished it for almost 14 years... but it has been falling apart, and disintegrating as the years go by. (I had to work hard to get pics that you don't see the ear falling off and the huge holes... there might have been scotch tape involved. ;) I decided that photos can help us remember as well as the real thing, especially when there won't be much of the real thing left soon. :) Sweet little dog, huh?

To Do Today

* Embrace this day with an enthusiastic welcome, no matter how it looks. The covenant with God to which you are true enables you to become enlightened by him, and nothing is impossible for you.
* When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair, steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them, in gratitude and love, toward God.
* In your life there have to be challenges. They will either bring you closer to God and therefore make you stronger, or they can destroy you. But you make the decision of which road you take.
* First and foremost, you are a spirit child of God. If you neglect to feed your spirit, you will reap unhappiness. Don't permit anything to detract you from this awareness.
* You cannot communicate with God unless you have first sacrificed your self-oriented natural man and have brought yourself into the lower levels of meekness, to become acceptable for the Light of Christ.
* Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.
* Pause to ponder the suffering Christ felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the awareness of the depth of gratitude for him, you appreciate every opportunity to show your love for him by diligently serving in his Church.
* God knows that you are not perfect. As you suffer about your imperfections, he will give you comfort and suggestions of where to improve.
* God knows better than you what you need. He always attempts to speak to you. Listen, and follow the uncomfortable suggestions that he makes to us--everything will fall into its place.
* Avoid any fear like your worst enemy, but magnify your fear about the consequences of sin.
* When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him.
* Never judge anyone. When you accept this, you will be freed. In the case of your own children or subordinates, where you have the responsibility to judge, help them to become their own judges.
* If someone hurts you so much that your feelings seem to choke you, forgive and you will be free again.
* Avoid at all cost any pessimistic, negative, or criticizing thoughts. If you cannot cut them out, they will do you harm. On the road toward salvation, let questions arise but never doubts. If something is wrong, God will give you clarity but never doubts.
* Avoid rush and haste and uncontrolled words. Divine light develops in places of peace and quiet. Be aware of that as you enter places of worship.
* Be not so much concerned about what you do, but do what you do with all your heart, might, and strength. In thoroughness is satisfaction.
* You want to be good and to do good. That is commendable. But the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do.
* The pain of sacrifice lasts only one moment. It is the fear of the pain of sacrifice that makes you hesitate to do it.
* Be grateful for every opportunity to serve. It helps you more than those you serve.
* And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better.

from "Unleashing the Dormant Spirit by F. Enzio Busche