LEAVE IT IN HIS HANDS....

Honestly, life has been kicking my behind lately.  I got sick.  And I've been a bit down.  If you read my blog often... about a year ago I described my struggle with depression.  I still struggle sometimes.  But I'm trying to be positive.  I've pulled out all the inspirational quotes I can think of to help:

My dad used to say, "When you do good, you feel good!"

Amy and I saw this quote the other day at Hobby Lobby and laughed.

I gotta try to make yesterday jealous.

I'm currently accepting smiles and words of encouragement.

Dumbledore is wise!

This quote is the focal spot on my living room wall.

Sunshine and yellow make me happy...

Soooooo... I bought myself some happy flowers.  It helped a bit.

It also makes me smile that Kiara and Cody are being creative.  They are currently working on creating a board game based on the Stormlight books by Brandon Sanderson... but my picture of the game won't download....  :-(

And I've been making lots of heart chocolates for my daughter's wedding reception:

I got to go out with my girl friends (our tribe) last night for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.  Yum!

And I've been enjoying teaching these talented young men how to cross stitch.  I LOVE cross-stitching and it's fun to teach them a new skill.  They learned fast too!  I'm impressed!

Bubblegum, Licorice and Banana Cream Pie

SICK OF BEING SICK

LIFE IS FRAGILE... HANDLE WITH CARE AND LOTS OF SLEEP

Soooo... Scott and Kotten Kandy spent two days last week sleeping due to being sick.  Then my mother ended up in the hospital due to complications from influenza A and pneumonia.  So when I started feeling sick a couple of weeks ago, I chalked it up to having a horrible cold.  It didn't go away.  I decided to bite the bullet and go to the doctor yesterday.  Yup.  I have the flu too.  So I'm feeling icky and lazy and miserable.  I hate not being productive.  I'm telling myself that I am letting my body heal by sleeping and being "lazy."  But my mind is fighting the arguments.  What I really want is a big, new teddy bear to be sick with, Lipton noodle soup with Club crackers, and Diet Coke.  (And Criminal Minds in the background....)

Last week, Pistachio made us homemade potstickers for dinner.  YUMMMMMM!  He's such a great kid!  And he made amazing cookies a few days later.  Delicious!  I'm getting spoiled not having to cook much.

I've also read two books this year so far.  Trina recommended Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.  I couldn't put it down.  But my opinion after reading it is 50/50.  I loved lots of it.  And I really didn't like lots of it.  Let me explain:  The book was elegantly written.  Kristin Hannah is descriptive and writes beautifully.  I also felt that she really was able to communicate the stories beautifully.  And I was fascinated by the mother's "fairy-tale" as she descrived the Siege of Leningrad in Russia so well.  The back story of Russia and the modern story of the two sisters were woven together expertly.  And I really related to the elder sister and her stage in life.

BUT I struggle with reading bad language and about immorality.  There is both in this book.  And I was disappointed by her modern-day view that living together before marriage, sex before marriage, etc. are normal and OK.  I also really struggle with her throwing the "F-word" into the story 5 times.  So I struggle with recommending this book.  It really was 50/50 for me.  I didn't want to put the book down.  And I was upset.  

I also read Grandpa Mac by my dad.  I LOVED this book.  My dad writes: "One of the interesting things about humans is how they can so greedily soak up everything they can find about the most boring ancestor, yet continue to believe that no one would want to know anything about themselves.  When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they ran to hide.  When God came, he called out, 'Adam, where are you?' Now it has always struck me as strange that God, who knows everything, wouldn't know where Adam was.  Then I realized that He didn't ask the question because He didn't know.  God asked Adam so that Adam would have to account for himself and take a position.  'Here I am. Over here.'  Sometimes, in each of our lives, we must all stand up and state where we are in life, what we stand for, where we are, how we got there.  I hope this will tell you a little about where I am."

My dad is one of the wisest men I know.  And I am SOOOOOOOOOO glad he wrote this book for us.  I am "greedily soaking up" everything about my dad!  He's one of my heroes!  And I hope I can grow up to be like him!  This book is FABULOUS!  Because my dad is AMAZING!

SHE SAID "YES!"

Kiara texted me and said:  It's officially officially official!

It looks like they are happy!

We are working on the details... but the Louisville Temple is reserved for a live endowment on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:00 P.M. and at 8:00 P.M. for the sealing!  The reception will be on Thursday, April 19th at 7:00 P.M.

I am one happy mom!

And we are so excited to get a son!

A CHILD OF GOD

I am so glad that this little girl chose to be baptized on Sunday.  And I'm glad we got to share in Apple Muffin's special occasion.  She made a wonderful choice!  And we are so happy for her and her joy!

Maeva - Ben

Apple Muffin

Maple - Maeva - Ben - Taffy

Apple Muffin

I really love this wonderful family!

Some fun moments - that I didn't blog about yet:

Kiara loved Apple Jacks and Lemonbalm.

They loved her too...

I have a saying posted in my kitchen:  Don't leave dead bodies in the kitchen.

So when Banana Cream Pie was taking out the Christmas tree... Kristie took this picture and wrote "Banana Cream Pie is taking the dead bodies out to make sure they don't end up in the kitchen..."

Most of our New Year's Eve crew.  The little one's weren't tall enough for this selfie...

Kiara - Cally - Karmel - Kotten Kandy

CODY'S VISIT

This week was WONDERFUL!  We had a special visitor: Cody Lillywhite (aka. my future son-in-law!)  We loved spending time with him and getting to know him.  He's AMAZING!  Everyone asks me if I like him.  I do.  And so does Scott.  When people ask, I quote Tevye from Fiddle on the Roof: "I like him.  And what's more important, [Kiara] likes him.  [Kiara] loves him."  He's amazing!  And I'm excited to have a son!

Lunch Date at Hibachi - for sushi

And they posed for a picture for me!

Playing games with friends!

Look!  No chairs!  It's magic!

Tyler, Jawbreaker, Cody and Pistachio

Temple Selfie

...but the sun was sooooo bright

and the wind was so hard

and the cold was so freezing....

Fondue Tradition

YUMMMMMM!

Quite possibly my three favorite guys of all time!

The guy in the middle is by far the cutest,

but Cody and Tyler are GREAT!

Just me and my girls!

I love them sooooo much!

Being silly with my besties!

Kotten Kandy, Amy, Kiara and Me

The "love birds"!

Cody

Cody saw the picture of my husband in the big chair.

So we decided to go take pictures there with them...

It was absolutely freezing.

We managed to take all these pics in about 15 seconds

so we could get back into the warm car.

Kiara

Kotten Kandy

And Kiara wanted Cody to have Chueys for dinner.

Another YUMMMM!

We already miss Kiara and Cody and can't wait to see them again in April....

Y'ALL ARE MY INSPIRATION

These three ladies ROCK!  (Erin, Breahna and Liz)  I'm so grateful they chose to join the Church.  Kotten Kandy gave a beautiful talk on baptism.  And we all celebrated with joy!

Elder McHenry, Erin, Kotten Kandy, Scott, Breahna, Me, Liz and Elder Iglinski

ALL IN THE DeTHORTENHAUSEN FAMILY

We celebrated Christmas with our DeThorntenhausen family!  And we had a BLAST - literally - with an epic Nerf battle.  We really do LOVE these crazy "relatives!"

The Assassins

Scott and Chris are holding Kotten Kandy hostage

My husband is happier than a 3 year old with a balloon....

I LOVE this look of pure joy on my friend, Amy!

Chris was moving the couch as he shot behind it.

Hammond was loud as he put everyone in his sights.

Kiara Lea decided to forgo the battle to talk to Cody...

and Raisin flirted with Kiara's boyfriend too!

She is ready for battle!

And she's deadly!

Juice loved the thrill of the combat!

Nuts was all about the intensity!

Cadet Apple Pie 

Not sure how the cardboard shield helps when bullets are pounding down around you...

but Jelly Bean's enjoyment was contagious!

Waving the gun of victory!

Raisin slayed us all with her cuteness!