Memorial

Memorial day is very special to me. its the day we honor the men and women who served our country. It's a day when we should thank the soldiers still out there, serving us as Americans.
It's always been a day for me to remember some of the soldiers closest to my heart. Especially my Grandpa; Grandpa Tickle.
You may wonder why I call him that. well I'll tell you.

Grandpa Frank Larsen Barney had a stroke when I was about a year old. From the time that I could remember him he always had slurred speech. He always lived with one of my Aunts, he always sat in the same chair, he always had a blanket over his legs, and he was always watching a movie. I loved him immensely and still do. Whenever we went to visit him he would always give us a big hug and a big whiskery kiss on the cheek. He had a mustache. That's why we called him Grandpa Tickle. (my dad doesn't shave everyday so we always tease him that he should then be called Grandpa Itchy.)
Along with a hug and kiss there is one sentence he would always say, and I hate to admit (as I get all emotional here) that its the only one I can remember him saying clearly. He would always say "good man, good man."
Its my opinion, now, that it was his way of saying "I love you, and I am so proud of who you are."


Grandpa served in the army; PFC Frank Barney. He served in the Battle of the Bulge and was shot in the head. His helmet probably saved his life. I still remember the dent in his forehead, the one he had for the rest of his life. He came so close to never coming home, but I truly believe that the Lord had a hand in the saving of his life.
Grandpa was a history teacher; I think I have him to thank for my love of history.


Most of all his service to our country makes me proud to be an American. Proud to live in a place where I get to be whomever I want, and to worship God in whichever way I would like. This truly is a Promised Land.

So here's to those who serve and have served. Thank you.
Thank you for leaving your friends, your families, your wives and your children. Thank you for being in places that are strange and often hostile. Thank you for suffering out there for all the freedoms that we take for granted. Thank you for getting shot at so that we are safe. Thank you for your courage and bravery. We love you.

emotions run high

I've been really emotional lately.
Its been a little ridiculous. Crying over what seems like nothing now.

At least I have AJ. He is so good to me. I love him so much.
He is the most amazing husband anyone could ask for. I love that when I am being crazy and emotional he will listen to me and let me know how crazy I'm being.
He always makes me feel better though. He'll hold me and make me laugh, which is part of why I married him.

I'm just really lucky that he chose me, and amazed about it too. This amazing man chose to love me.
Its just a wonderful feeling.

That face

Apparently there is one thing that I can cook very well. It is a recent discovery and one that makes my dear hubby very happy in his tummy.
We have decided that the coming of hard times is a big deal and that because of impending doom followed by wonderful millennium we need to learn to make things from scratch. So I can't just go buy the ready made dough at the store. Our first experiment was pizza, which i made with my own two hands.
This is the wonder dough that my husband has loved so much. Its a Garlicy Herby type pizza... and I can't give the recipe because i make it different every time... and i eyeball everything after using a recipe that i can't find anymore. However AJ can't get enough of it!

So today i was really excited to spend the day on the couch doing nothing and hopefully getting away with not making anything since i did rolls yesterday (and rolls are so much harder than they look). But then he made that face.
You know the one... the I know you really don't want to do this but I would love you forever if you do is for me face. I'm pretty sure that at some point while the woman is planning out invitations and venues and everything else for the wedding... the men are taught this face, and the knowledge of sweet talking that comes with it. Because they always know exactly what to say to get you to do whatever it is.
This morning it was dough. Tomorrow it might be laundry or a back rub.
However it really got to me. I CAN MAKE PIZZA DOUGH! Something I'm good at that he actually will request of me. THIS IS THE MOMENT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR OUR ENTIRE MARRIAGE!
Not to be confused with the request for Brownies.. which is AJ's favorite dessert (instead of cake at our wedding we had brownies) because he will eat those no matter what. Even if they're not great (but who can go wrong with the box stuff anyways right?)
Ego boost for the Leola. He actually likes something i make.. and the best part is that I like it too. Little known factoid about me is that I am in fact a picky eater though i have grown into some foods since becoming a married person.
Anyways i just thought that i would share that little exciting tidbit with you since it was like this fantastic HIGH for me.

In other news

I got my tax return today! and though it wasn't much (being an independent contractor means you get to pay taxes instead of getting any back) it was enough to get a small slice of cake and a dr. pepper! I got one for AJ too but i didn't think i needed to take a picture of both of them.







this book is a miracle! kind of. it is at least inspiration for my new awesomeness goal.









these rolls are from that book







this is what they look like before they are cooked






they have to rise for like..... forever



but they lay out a whole week of meals for you. each meal has a main course. one or two sides or one side and a salad and a desert. it even has tips like on the first day cooking twice as much chicken because you can refrigerate it and use it for another meal later in the week. some of them i really don't like but it was a great idea to get me on track!

I can't cook

So I have learned in my marriage that I am not very good at some things. Cleaning, keeping up on laundry, being patient, and yes.. cooking. You know ... all of the things that make you a fantastic housewife.
Maybe by cooking I mostly mean baking. Like cookies - they are either paper thin/flat, or waaaay to fluffy... more like muffins. And lets just forget all about rolls or any type of bread altogether, they just turn out really heavy and not fluffy at all... except pizza dough which always turns out really fluffy... even when its not supposed to.
It has been really discouraging to me to not be able to do some of these simple things, but my goal as of late is to practice until i get good at it.
Most of the other stuff, I can blame on laziness, and I know that its not a good habit. So I am repenting and learning to become a better housewife, so that I can be a great mom someday. ( and no this is not me hinting that i am pregnant... cause i am so NOT pregnant.)
so this i promise you... blog people.

• I am going to cook dinner most nights, and most everything will be made from scratch
• I am going to do the laundry 3 times a week at the very least!
• I am going to be more patient with my adorable hubby who likes to annoy people just for fun (which mostly just ends up being me as we're around each other almost 24/7; you see where I'm going with this right? I'm not perfect and he doesn't help, so please don't blame me for not always being able to live up to this.)
• I am going to work harder at keeping my house clean, so that when my visiting teachers ask to come over I don't have to say "Can you come next week? My house is embarrassing"

So we'll see if this actually works out or not. I am however asking you to help keep me an honest woman. I will try and make a weekly update on how this is all going.

Also as long as I am here I might as well let you know how my Personal Progress thing is going.
I know I posted a blog about what I learned about Faith but along with that experience is that you make a habit of daily prayers for 3 weeks. I am having a really hard time with this. My goal is to remember to pray when I wake up and before I go to bed. and I'm really good most of the time with the Nighttime prayers. Its the morning ones.
My first thought when I wake up are as follows: What time is it, and is the bathroom open. After that morning prayers are long forgotten. I am hoping that by taking it slow and by keeping track in my journal I will get better at this. Also the other part of said goal is that after a week of 100% morning and evening prayers I can add a couples prayer with my husband. We were really good at this for a while but have fallen into bad habits all around. I really feel that couples prayer is SO important. After all, we covenanted with each other AND God when we were sealed. Should he not be involved then?


Other news in the life of our little Sovine house: we are looking forward to summer vacations and warm weather, assuming, of course, that warm weather is in the forecast eventually. All of this rain and stormy weather is getting me a little depressed, I won't lie.
Lake Powell is coming up soon, though, and we have been told that it will be hot. SO excited for that. AJ and I both plan to take it easy this year and just enjoy the down time, as opposed to going crazy on the wave runners and such.
I am also looking forward to our trip to Nebraska to visit some friends of AJ's that he met on his mission. We will also be going to a Brad Paisley concert while we are there, which we committed to right before they announced that said artist would be starring at the Stadium of Fire this year.
Also I am really, really, really excited to go to Yellowstone later this summer with Jake and Amanda Zufelt. We have been granted use of one of Amanda's grandma's time shares there. Yellowstone was one of my favorite vacations when I was little and I'm very excited to repeat.

This I will promise all of you as far as vacations: PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES.
I am terrible at this I know, so I will be better, and you WILL get pictures.

Personal Progress : Faith; value experience #1

Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therfore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true (Alma 32:21)

I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me. I have faith in His eternal plan, which centers on Jesus Christ, my Savior



Value Experience #1:
The requirements of this experience were to express my feelings about faith and prayer in my journal but as I requested some of you to join me in this journey of Personal Progress I figured that maybe you'd like to hear what I learned, and that maybe it might do more good if I share those feelings here.
I have always loved the scripture in Matthew 17:20
A man brought his son, who was "sore vexed" to the Lord and the disciples can't heal him so they ask Jesus "why could not we cast him out?"
"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you"
Faith is not some large grand gesture, at least not to me. Faith is just a feeling, a spark. Its our desire and our strength to act on faith that makes it so grand.
Faith is a seed. You MUST nurture it for it to grow. You can't just say that you have it and then act like you don't.
To me, faith is knowing that even though I make mistakes, there is a plan. Faith is being a little more careful with my life because I know that I should. Faith isn't just a word to me; its that feeling inside when someone puts down my religion. I can't prove that its true, but I have faith that it is.
This article really inspired me and I hope you check it out.

Poems

here are just a few poems that i find enlightening and important in my life


Do it Anyways
Mother Theresa

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyways

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway

One Flaw in Women
Women have strengths that amaze men.
they bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy

they smile when they want to scream
they sing when they want to cry
they cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous
they fight for what they believe in
the stand up to injustice

they dont take "no" for an answer
when htey believe there is a better solution

they go without so their family can have
they go to the doctor with a frightened friend
they love unconditionally
they cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards

they are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding
their hearts break when a friend dies
they grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left
they know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart

women come in all shapes, sizes and colors

they'll drive, fly, walk, run, or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you

the heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning

they bring joy, hope and love
they have compassion and ideas
they give moral support to their family and friends
women have vital things to say and everything to give

HOWEVER, if there is one flaw in women, it is that they forget their worth.

update about toys

So this is our new tv and my new laptop

Barbecue Spare Ribs

3 to 3 1/2 pounds pork ribs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large onion, sliced
2 (16oz) jars barbecue sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. place ribs on cookie sheet. place under broiler 15 minutes to brown. drain. cut ribs into serving pieces. place onions in slow cooker. in medium bowl combine barbecue sauce, syrup, and sugar. mix well. arrange ribs over onions. pour mixture over ribs, cover. cook on low 8 to 10 hours

makes 6 servings

this is the recipe that i am currently working on. of course i made a few adjustments. i hate onions so they are not there. and pork ribs were really expensive so i used 3 pounds of pork rib tips instead. update later on how it tastes.

Learning

I have been having the hardest time making a real habit of
reading my scriptures. Why is it so hard to pick up this little
book for just 15 or 20 minutes? I guess that's part of life is
that the simplest things in life are so hard.
Well I finally figured out what my problem is. I have been
trying to read and understand cover to cover when what
I need to do is separate study from reading. You study
the Book of Mormon for the doctrine; you read it for the story.
THAT HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING FOR ME!
the Book of Mormon has suddenly become this amazing
story to me! It has made things so much easier in my life

and it has made it that much more real to me. I can not put it down.

Birthday wishes and cool new toys

So A.J. recently had his big 24Th birthday ( I say big but really what's so special about the 24Th right? We just call it big because his birthday is special to me).

Not many of you will know or understand this but my husband is very special. He is really, financially stable. We don't have a credit card and we don't spend more than we make ever. We're not exactly doing well on saving up money unless there is something that we really want, and mostly that category is Travel. Lately, though, we have been saving up for some very special things that have caught my wonderfully picky husbands HIGH DEFINITION eyes. Its called a TV. Not just any TV though. This is the mother of all TVs. Coming in at 82 inches with 3D compatibility (which of course we had to have) we are now the proud owners of this cool new toy. Isn't it wonderful?
this is of course not a picture of our actual TV (like the one physically sitting in our living room) but it is the exact one that we have.
and the reason that this is in our house right now is because AJ sacrificed his favorite DC collection of toys (that i spent hours traveling to Walmarts in the Utah County and Salt Lake County searching for PS [but I'm not bitter or anything]) selling them to would be collectors all across eBay country in order to earn money and save up for this TV.
i love it because all my Disney Princess Blu-ray movies look and sound (because what's a TV without a killer sound system) AWESOME.


all that aside though i think AJ enjoyed his birthday. we watched cool movies, had yummy dinner. Just a good night at home.
When my living room is cleaner i promise that i will put a better picture up for you all to gawk at. :)

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across of fields into your lovers arms can only come later, when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip
-Johnothan Carroll

Happy Birthday AJ