Today at work I looked up from a looming stack of paperwork to see my incredibly handsome husband standing at my window! Just seeing him there was enough to make my day, but then from out of no where he hands me a dozen beautiful roses!

Sigh... I am SO lucky!

 

Lol! Yes, they are in a Dr Pepper cup - but being at work I had very few options for vases! :)

 Thanks to Matthew's work tonight we attended A Night with the Stars -  a fundraiser for the American Lung Association held at La Caille.

It was a dream to be there. I felt like I had literally stepped into a fairy tale. Everything at La Caille is vibrant and colorful as if we had walked right into a painting. From the bright blue peacocks to the colors of the food we were served, everything had a life of its own. It felt so good to just relax - especially while supporting a great cause!

A silent auction was help before dinner and although we place several bids, we came home empty handed. Some of the items up for auction were just amazing. One in particularly unique item was an oxygen tank that had been used to climb to the top of Mt. Everest and back by Apa Sherpa. He was one of the many  -"local" celebrities that joined us for the fundraiser.

One of the best things about tonight was meeting a hand full of the great people Matthew works with. Including us there five couples from the company and I was surprised to see that we were all about the same age.  For the most part I was the only new comer to the group, so there was lots to talk about and I really enjoyed getting a chance to watch and listen to each personality and the dynamics of each couple before jumping into the fun. (I know it makes me a nerd but I love to study people) They were such a fun group and I loved getting to know them a little better. One of them was nice enough to snap a few pictures for us on the way out.

I had such a great time! and while I wouldn't ever want to trade all of our Arctic Circle/Spanish Fork Theater date nights with fancy dresses and expensive dinners its was a beautiful evening out!

Are any of you mineral makeup junkies? If so - ring in your words of wisdom -  because I absolutely positively do not understand mineral powder foundation! I ordered some the other day with high hopes - but tonight I look a lot more like this than anything else. ----------------------> :)

these are the ones we practice on

while we wait for our own to come

Do you do something special to let your love know you love and appreciate them?

I've been trying to think of little nice things to do for Hottie Honey to let him know I love him. Unfortunately  - he doesn't "do" cards or candy. I can't tell you how many  forgotten unopended cards I have found fallen under the bed or still stuck in the hiding spots that I giddily placed them in- hoping he would find them and feel loved. Maybe he thinks cards are girly? I'm not really sure.. But whatever the reason I have learn not to write in cards when I do buy them and under no circumstances will I ever put something inside one again! (Somewhere floating around our house is a $25 gift card to Cold Stone in an unopened Valentine's Day card... sigh... we may never find it.)   :)

So I've been looking online for other suggestions and I found these! HERE

How cute! and what a great idea - Matthew does LOVE sugar cookies and since my message is right on top - he'll have to read it! ;)

I'm not however made of money and can't bring myself to spend $60 + S/H on 16 little cookies, so I figure I had better make them on my own.

It shouldn't be too hard...right?

I'll let you know.

Do you have any suggestions for quick "hey lover I lover you!" ideas?

Yesterday I mentioned my concern about whether or not a principle still has value if your the only one who cares about it.

Yesterday I was sure that it did. Today has been a little bit harder.

I promised my department that I would stay with them for 12 more months in return for a retention increase -which they gave it to me.

Then I got offered a better job. Not just a better job, but a job I've been working towards for almost five years now.

What do you do?

Here are the questions I asked myself.

Where would I be most happy?
Is it breaking my integrity to leave?
If my boss got a better job offer - wouldn't he leave?
Is it smart to show loyalty to my department when chances are minimal that they will show loyalty to me later?
Are my goals more important than my integrity?
What do I get out of staying?...a pat on the back...by myself? what good is that?
Does God have plans that I don't know about?
Am I getting in the way?

I turned down the job. My dream job.

Yesterday I felt like it was the right thing to do. Today I feel heart broken. Crying at work is very unprofessional. But I went in the bathroom and cried.

I cried and cried and cried until my sides ached and I got hiccups and my head hurt. Personal Principles vs. Personal Goals. (Hash that one out for yourself. You'll cry too.)

Then, in between hiccups and more tears I had a funny thought:

"If integrity isn't important  - why is it one of the Young Women Values?"

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.
We will "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,
and in all places" as we strive to live
the Young Women values, which are:
Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
Integrity and
Virtue.
We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,
we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants,
receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

 My thought process continued.

But it IS one the Young Women Values... so it must be important.

I repeated this thought several times in my head.

But it IS one the Young Women Values... so it must be important.

But it IS one the Young Women Values... so it must be important.

So...

even though this really hurts.

and I want to make it different.

Its going to be okay.

and that's the final conclusion. It's going to be okay. :)

"If there is one thing I have learned it is that when God can not give us what we want, He will give us everything He can. And we make it easier for Him to do that by making good choices and being good people."
- Carole Ann Faust

When is it okay to put your goals before your integrity?

If no one values a principle but you, is it still valuable?

Should you show loyalty, when none will be shown in return?

These are the questions I'm working on. 

Today I picked 

Never

Yes

and 

Yes

Here's hoping I made the right choices.

no, wait.

Here's knowing I made the right choices.