Today in Stake Conference the visiting Area Authority, Elder Crittenden, shared an excerpt from Sister Okasaki's book, Lighten up. I had never read or heard quotes from this book before, but when I heard this excerpt shared today, I thought I might share with the rest of you. I'm sure not all of you will read it as I have friends and family both Christian and non-Christian, God-fearing and Atheist, but for those of you who do take the time to read it, I hope it touches you as deeply as it touched me.

"We know that on some level Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It's our faith that he experienced everything- absolutely everything. Sometimes we don't think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we do not experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That mean Jesus know what it felt like when your mother died of cancer- how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked, and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virgina. He experienced napalm in Vietnam. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism. There is nothing you have experienced as a woman that he dose not also know and recognize. On a profound level, he understands about pregnancy and giving birth. He knows about PMS and cramps and menopause. He understands about rape and infertility and abortion. His last recorded word to his disciples were, "And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20) What does that mean? It means he understands your mother-pain when your five-year-old leaves for kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth-grader, when your daughter calls to say that the new baby has Downs syndrome. He knows your mother-rage when a trusted babysitter sexually abuses your two-year-old, when someone gives your thirteen-year-old drugs, when someone seduces your seventeen-year-old. He knows the pain you live with when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children who ever come are visitors, when your fiftieth wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all of that. He's been there. He's been lower than that.

The door to him is always open, but the door to you can be closed and stay closed - if you choose to close it. If there is one great constant in the universe, it is the unfailing love of the Savior, the other great constant is his unfailing respect for human agency. He will not override your will, even for your own good. He will not compel you to accept his help. He will not force you to accept his companionship. He leaves you free to choose. I beg you to open the door and let him out of that room. Give him your whole heart, all the pieces, and let him heal you. He promises, "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all of your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13.) With all our hearts. That means we don't have pieces of our hearts that he doesn't touch or that aren't relevant to him. He's not waiting for us to be perfect. You know that people who live in a certain latitude and experience long winter nights can become depressed and even suicidal, because something in our bodies requires whole spectrum light for a certain numbers of hours a day. Our spiritual requirement for light is just as desperate and as deep as our physical need for light. Jesus is the light of the world. We know that the world is a dark place sometimes, but we need not walk in darkness. The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, and the people who walk in darkness can have a bright companion. We need him, and he is ready to come to us, if we'll open the door and let him in."

5 Random Things

In my BlogStalking adventures today, I came across a Blogger that listed 512 Random Things about herself. It inspired me to do my own version of Random things....if only to get something New posted up on "dis here" Blog!! :D So here we go (by the way, I'm not doing 512, I'm only doing 5...I'm "underambitious" that way)~

5 Random Facts About Ardis Kanani Cardejon Weight

1. I have TWO middle names. As I signed my Marriage Certificate, my mom stood beside me and convinced (or coerced...depending on the day....hahahaha) me that I should keep my maiden name as part of my name. I don't like hyphenated names so I made my maiden name one of my middle names.

2. My dad will eat ANYTHING! What that has to do with me you say? Well, he got me hooked on Tuna & Honey on toast Sandwiches! Don't hate on it until you try it! The people who have, have thanked me for it ; D! (p.s. make sure you make a tuna salad spread...just plain ol' tuna outta the can with Honey WON'T work! Tuna mixed with mayo, salt, and pepper on one side, and honey slathered on the other ~ Mmmmm, Mmmmm GOOD!)

3. I served an LDS mission in Sendai, Japan{ *moment of Silence for the great people of that region who are still suffering the aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami in March*} but I had high hopes that I would get sent to Venezuela. I loved EVERY MINUTE of my mission in Sendai, Japan and learned that Heavenly Father truly does know Best!

4. I took Piano lessons from age 13 or 14, to age 18 ~ if you asked me to play today, I'd ask you to play the bottom line since I only remember how to read and play the top. In truth, this fact is so Random, I often forget it exists. My poor Mom paid $20 a month for her daughter to NOT be able to play the piano for her *SOB*!!

and last and MOST Random...

5. I am totally ADDICTED to, not only Facebook, BUT also to watching make-up/fashion gurus on YouTube! Pathetic I know, and not something you'd think just by looking at me (I'm not the most FASHIONABLE gal around, but I try a lot more since watching the videos), but I absolutely enjoy watching em! It's BAD...no seriously~my YouTube Subcription box is totally FULL! A few of my favorites are annershine,BEAUTYQQ,emilynoel83,MichellePhan,kandeejohnson,wendyslookbook, & lisaeldridgedotcom, just to name a few!

AnyHOO, I hope you enjoyed this Random Post about Random things about Random Ol' Me...if you're currently going through a "Blog Posting Brain Fart" then go ahead and Tag yourself in this! I'd love to learn some Random things about you all!!

sidenote: I thought a TOTALLY RANDOM photo of me would be appropriate for this post! :D

I Love My Mom because {Day 3}...

If ever there was a time when my mom felt like I wasn't listening to her counsel, she made sure to repeat her counsel during Family Prayer ~ {the same thing applied to the rest of my siblings} ~ "Please bless Ardis, that she'll make righteous decisions 'cause she sure is being a hellion right now"..I kid of course, but you all know what I mean...well, at least those of you who knew me in my High School years. I love my Mom because she knew that if I didn't listen to her, God would listen to her pleas and help her steer me aright!

I Love my Mom because {Day 2}...

One thing my mom did that I look back at and think "Thank goodness she did that!" is feeding the missionaries. I know ~ such a simple thing, and not anything that really portrays her love for her children, BUT if you think about it, it really shows her children how to serve and love others. What loving Mother doesn't want to teach her child that? Growing up, we ALWAYS had the missionaries over for dinner. We didn't have much, but we always offered our best and made them feel like family. When I grew up, my mom said to me "I like to feed the missionaries because I hope that if you guys ever decide to serve a mission for the church, I hope there is a Mom who cares enough to make sure you guys are fed!" You never really think about those kinds of things until you are a mother yourself, OR when you observe mothers who have children out on their missions...how much they worry for their child and pray that they are being taken care of. I'm glad that my mom was able to be the answer to some mother's prayer.

I Love My Mom because...

I probably should've started these at the beginning of the week but I didn't so there ~ Better Now then Never eh? :D AnyhOO, I wanted to share some stories I remember about my Mom and why I love her, so here's one for today ~

When I was 11, my mom decided that we (my sister and I) should play club volleyball, which was great because it taught me sportsmanship and kept me active. It also taught me that I am NOT very athletic at all and I probably should've signed up for sewing classes or something. :D There was one practice that was particularly hard for me, not just physically, but also mentally. The coach kept yelling and going on and on about how I needed to move my lazy butt (not just at me of course, but when you're 11, that's what you assume). I finally decided that I was done! I proceeded to tell my mom about how I felt in the car ride home and she seemed to be okay with it and said, "Well, it's your decision", but she also seemed really sad about it. The next day my mom sat me down and said, "Ardis, today I heard something on the radio that I thought would be really good for you to listen to. I went to the radio station and got a copy of the tape for you." (I wonder if my mom still has it or if she even knows where it is?) It was a guy talking about NOT giving up, about how things can and WILL get hard but to not give up and to keep trying. After listening to that tape, I decided to stick it out. Not because of what the guy on the tape had said but because I felt in that moment that my mom believed in me. I'm sure she knew that I didn't have the natural born skill of a star volleyball player, BUT she also knew that I needed to try Hard Things and to follow through and Finish what I started (oh how I wish that attitude had stuck with me through college!!). I went on to play high school volleyball and sucked really, REALLY bad (I only played my Freshman year) ~ I was the sub to the Sub for goodness sake....seriously pathetic!! It's alright though because I have a fond memory that comes from my days with volleyball~ I will always remember listening to the tape with my mom and thinking "Wow, she went to the RADIO STATION for me?", but more importantly, that she Believed in Me!

Interesting Things to Note about the Top Three Happy States (circa March 2009)

As I was going through my Notes section on my Facebook I decided that there were some Notes that should be moved to my Blog....so here's one for your Thursday reading Pleasure! HaHaHa! Some things have been revised because I realized that it's the state of Wyoming with ONE Season (Winter) and not Utah...unless you live in Logan or Park City that is :D Enjoy!

So when I read on Yahoo this morning that I was moving to yet another Happy State, I had to giggle at what they had listed as number 1..."Why?" you ask, because Utah was number 1 (a March 2011 report states that 2010's top 3 Happy States are Hawaii, Wyoming, and North Dakota). I know, I've baffled you all even more, but the thing that made me laugh so hard is that just last week it was announced that Utah was also the Top State in subscriptions to Porn (incidentally, Hawaii was ranked Number 2)!! I know there's no correlation people (really?), I just found it awfully funny! It also made me Google around to see what the other two States might have that's not so redeeming...just for fun.

So here is what I found for Hawaii ~ On the downside for that state is the fact that they bear the nations highest Tax Burden...if you ask me they bear the Highest Priced Everything! The only reason I know this is because I grew up there and unlike my children, having C.A.N.D.Y. for us, was a treat, NOT an everyday snack! And the reason why I think I Love Skim Milk is because I grew up eating my cereal with Mr. Milkman (for you people who've never had it before, that would be Powdered Milk). Despite all that, the children there grow up to be Happy Hawaiians, so THERE, you Gov't People who inadvertantly impose big taxes on us!

As for Wyoming, it's the Least Populated State....What this means to me, you ask? Why, I'll have to search Hi and Lo for friends since on average, one site stated, that would equal to about 5 people per square mile...I won't survive people!! But eh, I'll still live among 5 Happy People who either don't have the internet or have no interest in Porn, so who cares right?

And as for Blessed Utah, although statistics say that I may have at least 2 neighbors that have Subscriptions to "special" websites, I am still dang happy and that's saying a lot! "Why", you say? Because it's not the Porn thing that's a downside for me, it's the fact that there is only ONE Season here in my part of Utah {Logan to be exact} and it's,...You Guessed It....WINTER (with much more sprinklings of Spring/Summer-esque weather than where I live now, I might add)!! And who can claim blissful happiness in that (besides Polar Bears)??? Apparently myself, and a whole lotta Northern Utahns!

Crafty, Crafty!!

Have you stopped by my blog and noticed that every couple of days there is a new button in the sidebar? I know, I know, it's getting a bit out of hand, but I can't help it!! I love, love, LOOOVE perusing craft/marvelous decorating/repurposing idea sites!! But, let me be honest with y'all ~ I Can't Craft/Decorate Worth a Darn!! This is what would happen if I tried to do something crafty ~ What should look like this {a super cute refinished wicker chair}:


Could EASILY turn into this:

Yes, I'll admit that I'm THAT awesome at failing {I'd only be able to produce the failed chair of course, not the "awesome" cowboy sitting in it!} Anyhoo, I just wanted you all to bear with me and my crazy obsession over all these awesome blogs AND of course stop on by and visit if you'd like, I'm sure these Crafty Peeps would love you for it!!

Flying Kites

A couple of weekends ago, Aaron's mom and stepdad came out for a visit. It was a sunny day (albeit windy and cold) and Nana (A's mom) had brought kites for the kids to fly ~ perfect for Windy Wyoming! We put the kites together and off to the park we went. The kids had so much fun flying their kites but Hannah's princess kite wasn't quite able to take off and truly FLY...at first we thought it had something to do with the tail that was on the kite. If it is too long, it can drag the kite back down. The other kite that was flying really well had a tail that was just as long though, maybe even a little longer so it couldn't have been the tail. Upon further research, I found that it was because her kite was missing it's bow ~ a string (or long skinny plastic piece in this case) that goes from side to side and keep the edges of the kite bent back so that it can properly catch wind and take flight. Of course, I didn't realize this until a few days after we had flown kites so Hannah took turns flying her brothers' kites.

Now I'm not one to draw parallels or make analogies ~ I'm just not that much of a deep thinker...well, at least I don't think so, but this activity had me thinking aaaaall week about how life can be that way sometimes ~ Some of us are able to easily take flight and others just can't seem to take off.....at times there are those who are flying high and then "the bow" breaks because "the winds" are too strong and they come crashing down. It made me ponder and think, "What is it that we can do to help us take flight? What can I do, to help those around me that seem to be struggling to fly?"

Oh that life were simple and that I could "borrow" others kites at times when I might need to, or that others could borrow mine...Of course it isn't though, so I hope that we all take the time to check our "Kites" ~ do we have "holes" that need to be fixed? Do we need a new "bow" to ensure that we can take off? Have the strong "winds" of adversity and trial broken vital parts that need to be fixed? Although we can't just hand somebody our "Kites" we can still share what we have to help those who need it ~ through our example, or service, or even just a kind word.

For the kids, it was just a fun day of Flying Kites with Nana & Boyd, but for me, it ended up being one of those poignant Life Lesson days.

What Makes You Smile?....

Today, this picture makes me smile!

Last week was a HeckOfAWeek! With the winter weather that we have to deal with just about year round here in Wyoming, it's easy to give in to Winter Blues. But last week sure was a doozy! We've actually had more sunny days with bouts of snow in between but I don't get out as often as I should..it's a mix between being Lazy and not liking the whole "driving in snow" thingy (yes, I said THINGY!). My Dad has also been dealing with some pretty serious health issues recently so I was thinking about him and just missing my family in Hawaii. For any of you who follow me on Facebook you probably saw that my status last Wednesday read:

"you ever have those moments where you wish you could walk across land and ocean to go visit with your mom & dad?

i do."

Long story short, my dad called me the next evening with some not so happy news...his oncologist told him that he had Stage IV cancer and it had spread to his bones (mainly in his spine and chest right now). I had called him earlier in the day and we talked quite a bit and I was able to grieve and come to peace with what my Dad would have to deal with from this point on.

Little did I know that the next morning was only going to bring more sad news...my sister called to let me know that there was a tsunami warning for the state of Hawaii and that the tsunami was being generated because of an 8.9 earthquake that occurred off of the coast of Sendai, Japan. I started shaking and my heart started racing. Yes, for the tsunami that was heading towards Hawaii where all my family lives, but also because of the devastation I knew I'd see if I turned on the news. And I did..turn on the news that is. You see, I served in the Sendai Japan mission and have a great love for that area and a love for all of the lovely people that live there and in the surrounding areas. I didn't think my heart could take any more sad news, but I guess the heart is a stronger muscle than I give it credit for...thank goodness for that!

This is what I've decided to keep in my strong little heart after everything that's recently happened ~ Love your family! Though this lifetime may not be Forever, our families definitely are FOREVER! Also, when you're prompted to do something good, do it! I'm prompted to send what little money I can give to the American Red Cross, and since this is all I can do right now for my brothers and sisters in Japan, I will do it! Life is too short and too precious to sit and be sad {right Dad? :D} so go out and Love More, Give More, Live More! And definitely...most definitely...SMILE MORE!

Darn you, Broken Video Capability!

If ever there was a day that I wished I had a little point & shoot camera OR that I owned a FliP video camera, today would have been that day!! Today we had dental appointments for all three kids down in Roy, UT. We knew we were in for a long day when we were told that it would take at least an hour for just ONE of our children (I won't say who) and that two of them would require anesthesia because of all the work that needed to be done. Well, needless to say I was a bit nervous heading down, not just because the roads were slick from the heavy snowfall the night before, but I was unsure of how my children would react to anesthesia since the two that were getting put under had never been put out before. Little did I know the "treat" that I was in for....yes, get ready to give me the Mean Mommy of the Year Award!

Aaron had taken the day off to go down with me today so he went in with Child #1 to get the anesthesia work done. They went back to get the child ready because I didn't want Child #2 to see that there was a shot in the arm that happened BEFORE they put Mr. Sleepy Mask on. Well, when Aaron came back to the lobby he looked a bit shaken and said "Whew, that was kinda scary!" to which I replied, "You mean that was Cool right?" since Child #2 was sitting right next to me. About 40 minutes later, Child #1 was done and it was Child #2's turn. I went back with the child and Aaron stayed with Child #1 in recovery. As I sat in the chair with Child #2, they had the child pick some toys to distract said child...a poke later and the child is still pretty chatty and we start talking about all the cool Pixar paintings on the wall...then all the sudden child's head pops up and the child says in a panicked voice, "My eyes can't see right?!?!" The poor child says this, then starts zoning out while staring at it's own hands in awe and wonderment....Cue laughing fits from Mean Mommy of the Year!!!!

I had never seen a drugged child before (except for that infamous YouTube video of the boy talking to his Dad after his trip to the dentist) and I probably should've been more scared or worried or at least a bit concerned as opposed to Humored, but Gosh Darnit I could NOT stop Laughing! If y'all had been there you might have questioned WHO was on drugs ~ that's how much I was laughing! OR, you all might have given me the "Stink Eye" for laughing so hard but let me just add that I was laughing so hard that I had the receptionist and all the rest of the medical assistants that were up front with her in laughing fits!! The Nurse Anesthesist came to get the child and took the child back to start the Treacherous Hour!

In the meantime, Child #1 was waking up from the anesthesia so I took my turn to go sit with the child. They had me sit the child in my lap so that the child would start waking up and as I sit the child up, said child's eyes FLEW open and the child start's saying "what the?? what the?? what the??" over and over and over...do I Dare? Yes, I dare'd....more laughter ensued and said child pretty much gets shaken awake (albeit gently) by Mommy's Laughter! Needless to say there were a few moments "caught on tape" by a loving Aunty who shall also remain Nameless. There were Mini-Drunken-Master-Walks "filmed" as poor child tried to walk across a friends living room to grab some toys; even moments when Child #1 is leaning against a hallway wall in "pause mode" on his way to get MORE toys! The child had no idea really that Dizzy was the state it was in...so sad, so sad, and yet...the moments that were "caught on tape" has the child's mommy laughing hysterically in the background.

In the end, all three children came out okay. They were All Smiles and Chipmunk Cheeked on the drive home and they even got to have chocolate shakes once we got to Evanston. Besides having high hopes that they recall this day with "fondness" and aren't frightened by The Dentist, I hope the parts where their Mean Mommy laughed at them remain Foggy! (Of course, when they are old enough to read this blogpost then it's all over for me!)

Speaking of Hair...

Do not be afraid blog followers ~ the picture in the Header is incentive to get an updated Family Foto...we can't help the windswept look that we've got going on in the pic...Kaua'i Winds were high that day! :D

Alright, alright...and Aaron had a hat on before pictures were taken, and Austin's hair was "brushed in a rush", Henry has unruly hair and gel doesn't work on his head o' hair in humid conditions, and Hannah doesn't LIKE for Momma to touch her hair, and I...well, I didn't wanna be vain and crop myself out of the family pic and post a solo up of just ME in the Header now did I? BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!

stay tuned...

Care About Your Looks Much?

As most of you may know, I have 1 Girl & 2 Boys. What surprises me the most is that it isn't my girl that cares much about the clothes she's wearing {well, maybe just a litle bit}, or the way her hair looks {serioulsy, you'd think her mom didn't brush her hair before she went to school and honestly her Mom DIDN'T...Hannah likes the "rolled outta bed" look just fine}, it's my middle child, the boy we affectionately call Bubba that "needsta get his hair did" just about every morning.

This is the child that cried when Aaron cut his hair {he was only 3 or 4 at the time} because it wasn't cut to his liking. He likes his hair to be juuuust so, and even if that "just so" style looks like he slept on the right side of his head, so be it! As long as my Bubba thinks the kid looking back at him from the Mirror looks Handsome, then Handsome he Shall Be ~ at least in this Mama's Book! Love you Bubba!

OooOOh Pick Me, Pick MEEE!

If there's anybody that likes a good Giveaway it's me, so here is my second post ~ it's a Link to a Giveaway done by the Sweet Corrine P.! It's for a Cookbook and all of you know that I love to Eat & Cook (yes, in that order!) so hop on over and Enter and give this Mom of 4 Cutie Girls some Bloggy Love!


http://curlygirlstimes3.blogspot.com/2011/02/spread-little-joy-giveaway.html

p.s. I'm not a "techie" by any means so it looks like y'all will have to copy and paste that link..until a kind soul emails me with the "trick o' the trade" on how to do a clickable link that redirects you to the page, etc., etc., yada, yada, yada! :D

update: I Won! I Won! I Won!! Ladies, I would be happy to share recipes..especially my Sisters in CAD that hopped on over to give some Bloggy Love to Corrine so, I shall copy my favorite recipes to the Blog when I get it! :D

Blah Blah Blah

I haven't posted since last Christmas!!! Pathetic I know, but blame it on Facebook! I find it easier to use my brain in little Sentence Spurts as opposed to a whole Blog Burst. Call me lazy, but I like to call it Efficient.

I do need to start Blogging again though because I know that there are family members who check my Blog rather than my Facebook and they'd love to see the Lil Monkeys before they turn into full grown self sufficient Gorillas or Apes..I'm crossing my fingers for Decent Human Beings! :D