learning and knowledge

Good luck to both our girlies whom each
have a final tomorrow!
*mwah*
{photo, i think, by flickr Clifford}

Remember this--
very little is needed to make a happy life.
~Marcus Aurelius
{flickr photo}

celebrate the earth

"The materials of wealth are in the earth, in the seas,
and in their natural and unaided productions.
~Daniel Webster

{photo I took on the beautiful North Shore of Oahu}

for my oldest, with love

Emily,
You have climbed a mountain the past few months
--such a full plate
{all amazing}
and accomplished it well.
Now, sleep, sleep, sleep until Monday morning.
Shhhh.
We will not text nor call.
Sweet, restful dreams.
LLL
[google image]

number crunching

Today is a "numbers" day.
Lots of numbers swirling around in pretty heads.
Tax day, yes, for all in America.
For me...
it's my birthday!
Thanks to my Mom and Dad for having me,
loving me, teaching me right from wrong--
not just when it's easy but {hopefully} always or most of the time.
And to be thoughtful, kind and compassionate.
I have much to learn but am grateful for
what I have experienced thus far in this journey of life.
I hope I can continue to find and fulfill the measure of my creation--
whatever that may be.
Celebrate each breathe, day and moment
as each one is a miracle!
{photo by Anthony Peters}

I adore spring everywhere, but my favorite spot
to welcome and enjoy it each day
is just outside our bedroom window!

goodbye spring {temporarily}

This is what we saw and heard on our
local television weather/news last night at 10:30.

We were told we would be awoken in the night by these
four elements of the severe weather forecast.

It had been a whopping 85 degrees
so the house was quite warm and due to the impending storm
we could not open the windows.
Who is going to crank on whole house air conditioning
for one evening? No one I know.
So the night was uncomfortably warm and unsettling.
Luckily, when we awoke, the storm had fizzled
on cue over our area, which is just fine!

As I mentioned, it was 85 yesterday; currently 45 degrees,
which is a little chilly after the past few days.
I came home from school, promptly opened the windows for fresh air,
and with that, I am going to take a nap!
[photo three by flickr sakura*aya]

and today...

A neighborhood flower fashion show!
Pinks were well represented as well as the
show popping oranges.

The first tulips of the season=joy!

And amazingly, the daffodils did not freeze in last weeks snow.
There is beauty all around!

a blossom a day

I could not believe my eyes!
This photo I took this afternoon is the same tree
I posted first yesterday.
{evidently, warm temperatures induce rapid flowering.}
Beautiful!

Also on today's walk, I discovered fresh, pink buds on these trees.
Spring is blooming!

new beginnings

On my walk this afternoon after school
I kept stopping and admiring the tree buds,
in all their varieties.

We are experiencing unusually high {I think record breaking}
temperatures in the 80's and it has been a joy to be out in the sun!

going for four

How we loved being Cameron Crazies for two years
while Mr R was in grad school at Duke.
Tonight...
Goooooooo D-U-K-E!!!
{although J had Butler in the final four--congratulations!}
[graphic from duke passion crazy site dukeblueplanet.com]

Dark Friday, Bright Sunday

"Each of us will have our own Fridays--those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
But, Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, in this life or the next, Sunday will come."

"I think of how dark that Friday was

when Christ was lifted up on the cross.
On that Friday, the Savior of mankind was
humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.
It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow.
I think of all the days since the beginning of this world's history,
that Friday was the darkest."
"But the doom of that day did not endure.
The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death.
He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.
And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruit of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence."

"We will all rise from the grave.
Because of the life and eternal sacrifice of the Savior of the world,
we will be reunited with those we have cherished. On that day we will know the love of our Heavenly Father and will rejoice that the Messiah overcame all that we can live forever."

Death is not the end of existence.
Because of our beloved Redeemer, we can lift up our voices,
even in the midst of our darkest Fridays, and proclaim,
"O death, where is they sting?
O grave, where is they victory?"
{1 Corinthians 15:55}

"May we live in thanksgiving for the priceless gifts that come to us as sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and for the promise of that bright day when we shall rise triumphant from the grave."

"No matter how dark our Friday, Sunday will come."

"He is Risen!"

This message was shared in our home this past week
by our "Home Teachers",
in our case a father and son from church who every month
visit with our family, see how we are doing and share a spiritual thought.

Of course the message is not new.

But it sure gives us an anchor of faith and hope
and redeeming love, doesn't it?
Happy, glorious Easter!

{material from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, october 2006}
[flickr photos by photomato; bpbp Brian Peterson; F-2]

oh happy day!

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

Skiing upon fresh powder today!

And a concert tonight~
celebrate!
Happy Birthday!!!

{flickr photos by butaho, McMormick Kitchens, and trondjs}

I won?! No fooling

I could hardly believe out of 275 entries
I won a gift certificate for a purse
from designer Aki Takada of Oktak.
To say I am thrilled is an understatement!
Her bags are limited edition, handmade and beautiful.
The question posed:
"What is the most interesting thing one might find
if they snooped inside your handbag?"My response?
"Notes I get to keep when students pass them.
I never read them but they are saucy, I am sure!"
Now the difficult part...
which handbag should I choose?
Which would you choose?