Twenty-Five

Today I turn 25 years old. I don't feel old by any means, but 25 years means I've lived for a quarter of a century! Kind of fun to think about. Well, I've been thinking a lot about all of the things that I've learned throughout my 25 years, and there are a lot! In honor of my birthday I will share 25 of them with you :)

1. Don't bug your big sister in the bathroom- you'll get your teeth kicked out and your eyebrows shaved off.
2. Families are forever.
3. "Home is where my Mother is"
4. Playing kissing tag only results in being punched in the nose.
5. You can have more than one best friend.
6. Working as a team can accomplish so much more than working alone.
7. It's ok to cry when bearing your testimony. Nobody remembers anyway.
8. The Atonement is real.
9. Yes, if you stick an M&M up your nose, it will indeed melt.
10. If you have a thought to serve someone, follow it.
11. When you're sad about something, have a good cry and let it all out- then move on. Holding it in is too much work and too painful.
12. Laugh at yourself when you make mistakes.
13. You don't need an ACL. After replacing it 3 times, you learn to live without.
14.Treat your family better than anyone- they are the ones you'll be with forever.
15. Having a frosting fight is worth the clean up- most of the time.
16. Being a Mom is the greatest job and reward!
17. NEVER eat a spoon full of cinnamon!!!
18. Live in the moment, not in the future. Don't continually wish for things in the future, enjoy what you're doing now.
19. Going to the temple regularly is essential to spiritual self-reliance and happiness.
20. Go on regular date nights- especially after you have children.
21. Communicate! In every way, especially with your spouse. It takes more than a lifetime to learn to    communicate well.
22. When your daughter poops in the bathtub, don't try to shove it down the drain. Scoop it out.
23. If you're going to start a tickle fight or wrestling with your husband, remember he's much stronger than you are... is it worth it?
24. Take time to play with your children. Time passes way too quickly.
25.  Come What May and Love It

September Happenings

Some blog posts don't have a theme to them. This is one of those posts. I have just taken a couple of fun pictures of Brynlee the past few weeks and thought I'd share and document. We were excited to get all dressed up in our BYU attire for the big BYU Texas football game last week. I think she makes a pretty cute lil' cougar if I do say so myself. 

 The past few weeks Brynlee has decided that one of her new favorite things to do is pull my shirts off their hangers in the closet and carry them around, and sometimes put them on :) This is one she did all by herself. She has also put on one of my sports bras and wore it for a few hours before we took it off to eat. What a hoot :)

 And this last picture is one I've been meaning to take for quite a while. Brynlee's room is very unique. Why, you ask? Well, b/c I made it myself. She sleeps in the storage room! Our apt only has a master bedroom, and though it worked to have her in with us for 6 months or so, Mom and Dad wanted lil' miss Brynlee out. I bought some fabric and hung it along the wall to cover up as much of the cement walls as I could. The B on her dresser is something I made for her before she was born. We were even able to fit in a cute purple rug (not pictured), and I made some tissue pom poms to add color and decor. I am quite pleased! And the best part is Mommy, Daddy, and Brynlee all sleep SOOO much better at night!

Camping

We had so much fun going camping as our last hoorah before school started again for Rob. This was also Brynlee's first time camping. We were going to get down and dirty in tents, but b/c of the heavy rain forecast we relocated to some quaint little cabins in Coalville. We stayed perfectly warm and dry :)

 Brynlee had no shortage of fun or attention. She had people begging to walk around with her. It was quite relaxing for Rob and I- no complaints here. And I think that smile is evidence of how much fun she had.

 We also had fun playing all sorts of games with the football, soccer ball, and frisbee. We have an inkling that Brynlee will be some kind of baller- soccer or basketball. She is always carrying around a ball if there is one available.

My favorite part of the trip was roasting marshmallows and making Reese's s'mores! Yum! If you've never tried it... shame on you! Go get some supplies and try it before the weather gets cold! You will be converted to a new way of s'mores. 

Reaching Out

I came across this quote by President Hinckley tonight while reading a book I have, "One Bright Shining Hope."

"Reach out to help one another. All of us need help from time to time. We need encouragement. We need friends who will stand by us through thick and thin. I ask each of you to be that kind of friend."

I love this! I could not go through this life on my own. I am so grateful for the people in my life who lend helping hands. Especially at harder times in my life, I am so grateful for my family and friends who do so much for me. Whether you live around the corner or across the country I am blessed by all you do for me! I have felt all the prayers in our behalf at this time, and the love I feel from those in my life is so powerful. 

I truly believe that the Lord at times sends specific people into our lives at the perfect time to help us through something. I have a friend that has been that person for me through the past few weeks. She knows very little about me, yet she has been the first to offer to take Brynlee, to bring me remedies for sickness, to be a listening ear, to hug me when I cry, and to spread her contagious happiness for life. 

I am so grateful that the Lord is so mindful of us, and knows exactly what we need in times of trial- even before we know the trial is coming. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be strengthened through tribulation. And he doesn't want us to feel alone. I hope every single one of my family and friends knows that at one time or another, you have been the friend that the Lord has sent me to help me. I feel so blessed!

Increased Faith

This past week has been quite the ride for our family. I'm not one to post all of my sorrows and woes publicly, but I am pretty sure the only people who read my blog are those that I would tell anyway.

After being thrilled and full of joy and happiness to be expecting another little baby in March, we were shocked with the unfortunate news from our doctor that our little one has no heart beat. As she talked to us about our options I felt like I was somewhere else. "This can't possibly be happening to me. What do they know? It's probably too early to see a heart beat. I'm not suppose to have a miscarriage, that doesn't happen to me." These were all thoughts to go through my mind.

Once I finally realized and accepted that there was nothing I could do to change the situation I took a couple days to simply be sad. To grieve and cry as hard and long as I wanted. I also, thanks to friends and family close by, was able to send Brynlee to play while I had a Mommy day and reflect on the situation spiritually. I had no idea what to do so I knelt on my knees and expressed my feelings to my Heavenly Father. I knew that through the spirit he would tell me what I needed to hear and he would comfort me. As I read my scriptures, listened to conference talks, and listened to music, I learned so much about myself.

I had no idea how to explain how I was feeling, and I had no idea how to deal with the heartache. I listened to a particular song by Hilary Weeks that put my feelings into perfect words:

"I believe that everything happens for a reason... But sometimes life sends a storm that's unexpected and we're forced to face our deepest pain. When I agreed that God could put this heart inside me, I understood that there would be a chance that it would break. But I know he knows exactly how I'm feeling, and I know in time he'll take the pain away. I've felt joy- the kind that makes my heart want to sing, so my tears are not a surrender. I'll feel that way again."

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. When we agreed to come to this earth we knew we would feel heartache and sorrow, but we accepted that b/c we knew His plan is perfect. In order to feel joy we have to feel sorrow. What is the reason for this? I don't know. But I do find comfort in the fact that someday I might be able to lend help and understanding to someone going through the same thing. That is what our Savior does for us. He has experienced everything we do. Along with all the other women who know how I feel, the Savior is my strength and place of peace. 

I am also grateful for the added strength to my testimony. Elder Andersen said, "With faith comes trials of faith, and increased faith." I have faith that our Heavenly Father's plan is perfect, that b/c I have faith it will be tested and tried, and in the end is strengthened and solidified.  The Plan of Happiness allows me to know that someday I will be able to be this child's mother and get to know him. Though hard and heartbreaking, I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for giving me a way to strengthen my testimony.

Together Since 2011

I am in love with this picture! As fun and silly as it is, it has also been inspirational to me. In the world we live in today, marriage is not viewed to be as sacred as it once was. People think they can get out of it whenever they are unhappy or things aren't coated with sugar just like they wanted. Many couples are deciding to forego marriage and simply live together with a mutual agreement that they will be faithful. What kind of a life is that?

I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of eternal families and a commitment and covenant that lasts for eternity. I will never forget my wedding day and our sealing ceremony. As I looked at Rob I knew there was no one else I want to spend my life with, and eternity. He is my best friend, my confidant, my partner in crime, the father of my children, and the only person in the world that I confide in and tell everything to.

I know I'm not perfect, and I don't always treat him as he should be treated- especially on those rollercoaster emotional days, but he is so patient with me, and loves me more and more every day. It's easy to let the sparks and twitterpation feelings we had when we were dating die down, but the love I feel for him is deeper than I ever knew it could be. So in 50 years, I know you'll see us walking down the street, holding hands, wearing shirts that say, "Together Since 2011", and we will be more in love than we ever  were.

Burrup Family Reunion 2013

Well, another family reunion has come and gone, and we are so sad to have had to say goodbye to all our wonderful family, but we LOVED the week were able to spend with them. Everyone traveled from Utah, Colorado, and Minnesota to gather at a cabin in Silverthorne, Colorado. We did lots of fun things! On the 4th of July we got up for a morning hike- this seems to be a tradition we have started with Brynlee. The rest of the day was spent playing games, eating lots of great food, and watching fireworks over the lake from the balcony of our cabin. 

 Friday we had a pool tournament and a fooseball tournament. Rob and I got out in the first round of pool, but made a huge come back in fooseball taking 2nd place to Erin & Jared. They were just too good for us! The girls did some fun crafts thanks to Erin, and I now have my one and only Valentine's Decoration! Can't wait to put it up.

Saturday was a really fun day b/c we got to go white water rafting! It was a blast. Carrie was a trooper and took pictures for everyone. So I will have to post those pictures once I get them. Half of the group rode in the big raft boat, and the other half rode in Duckies! They are small two man boats, and they were Rob and my favorite. The rest of the day was full of relaxing and enjoying each other.

Brynlee and all her cousins

The reunion was a great one, and a big thank you to Erin, Jared, Laurel, and Seth for putting the whole thing together! We love our family and are so sad to say goodbye!