Isn't the fact that we can sit at a screen in our own home and connect with people and stories and experiences from all over the world pretty incredible? It's mind boggling if you actually think about it, but I just wanted to share some things I've read lately that have inspired me and changed me for the better.

The first is from a friend of mine from Snow College. She is pretty amazing if you ask me and her little family has taken on an adoption adventure that is completely inspiring. Read there story here. You can go back through her blog to read older posts up until her newest posts. I'm so excited to see their journey unfold. They remind me that you can do GREAT things in this life, even when you are young and that if you will follow the whisperings in your heart miracles will follow.

Grab This!

The next is another adoption story I came across. It's written so beautifully and brought a perspective and understanding that my heart and mind hadn't considered before. Read it. It's amazing. Start here and then click on "newer posts" to get the full story. It has 5 parts.

And finally, I came across this post on a blog I frequent. It's a story that speaks a lot to my heart. I get it. And I love it. She explains so much in a simple story and I'm grateful I had the chance to read it. Go ahead and check out her entire blog and story. You won't regret it. She is an amazing person who has been through and overcome so much. I don't even know her, but I want to be more like her.

Oh...and this is pretty awesome too: )

What have you read lately (or not lately for that matter) that's inspired you, changed you, reached you? I would LOVE to know, so seriously go ahead and share! : ) Love you all whoever and wherever you are.

These little moments.....

Emyri encouragingly says, "Brin you want to try?!" as she hold her arms out to her little sister. Brinley excitedly smiles and ever so trustingly lets her big sister pick her up and lift her little body onto the rubber swing in the Boondocks play place. By the look of anticipation on their faces both of them know Brin is in for the ride of her life. Em pulls her back slowly, then lets her go with a burst of joy. Immediately they both giggle in delight as one sister steps back to watch the other twist and turn and swing. Neither of them can stop the ear to ear grin from spreading across their faces nor the abundance of happy little girl noises erupting from inside of them somewhere.

And I sit and watch in awe through the net barrier between us and soak it all in; the love, the trust, the sharing in each others delights. The smiles, the sounds, the look on their faces and in their eyes. I wonder how this simple moment can mean so much to me, but realize that's what being a mother is all about. These simple moments that reach to your core and speak a million thoughts and feelings all at once.

Heavenly Father knew what He was doing sending us here to families, letting us be parents. My soul has deepened and widened in ways I never even knew existed before I held one of my babies in my arms. My view has grown and grown and only continues to grow. My eyes are opening into His eyes, what He sees and how He loves. And I'm so thankful for the chance.

Baby Bump

So I entered Z103's baby bump photo contest and didn't make it to the finals, but thought I'd share our pictures anyway: )

They were fun to make.

And can you believe it? Only 9 weeks left 'til little bro-man makes his grand entrance!

Craziness.

I've officially entered nesting mode and am currently taking on reorganization of our entire storage room.

Yeah, pretty sure our front room is a disaster zone, but ahhh the satisfaction of de-junking and organizing.

I think I'm an addict.

And if you wanna go check out the baby bump finalists and cast your vote, you can see them

HERE.

Lest I forget.

Favorite moments from today....

-Emyri with no forewarning nor hesitation walking straight up to the pulpit and retelling her talk from the Primary program for her testimony during testimony meeting: )

-The content and spirited look on her face as she walked back. priceless.

-Getting to sit by Chad during Gospel Doctrines class for the first time in a year. I just got released from my Primary calling. Loved being able to razz him, poke him when needed, and run thoughts past him. Love that kid.

-Sitting back and watching Brin's hyper self after church.

Good night that girl was on one and it was good stuff: ) I should have been filming. She's into cool head gestures, talking in funny slurred hick accents, and saying things like, "rock and roll!", "big daddy", and "tooter-ma-goots".

(The latter being said almost continually in response to anything. It's her catch phrase. In fact, when she randomly called out "tooter-ma-goots" during dinner at Wingers the other night, Em rolled her eyes and blandly said, "Knew that was coming." We do Brin; know it's coming. And we somehow still think it's hilarious every.time. And the best part is you do too.)

-family dog pile on dad turned into "pretend we're on a mountain".

-Baby brother's continual kicking fest on my ribs all day long.

It's no 60 minute spa massage, but I love knowing he's there, moving, living.....working on his field goal kicking.

-Walking in the front door, home from church, to the smell of my very first crock pot roast cooking away.

mmm,mmm...

Mom, it smelled like Sunday: )

-Tonight, eating a grapefruit with sugar sprinkled on top; just the way my old friend Frank would make them for me when I was little and sitting across from him on his rickety two person table.

Loved every bite.

Can't get enough grapefruit nor the memories: )

-Seeing my two girls take a quick break from playing to cuddle on the couch with their daddy while he rested; smiling and thinking to myself, "Their first love really is their daddy."

This.....

Favorite moments from the last few days....

-Hearing the girls laugh uncontrollably from the other room as they rough housed, climbed on each other, and were thrown about by 'daddy'. They didn't get to see him all day. Pretty sure they missed him: )

Pretty sure I missed him too.

-Brinley consoling Emyri when she was scared in bed tonight. Brin kept patting her on the back and looking her in the face while saying, "But Sisser, Brinley's here." All of this followed by kisses on the hand and cheek.

-The other day Brin hurt her arm and was crying. Em has a hard time when she knows her little sister is hurting. While Chad and I were comforting Brin, Emyri went down stairs and got Brin her favorite puppy and care bear....then a soft blanky...and then the kindle fire: ) She knows how to make a little sister feel ALL better: )

-Me: "Brin, do you love Sisser (Emyri)?"

-Brin: "She's my best friend."

I look at these two little girls and am amazed by the love they have for each other. Of course they don't get along all the time, and sometimes they bug the bu-jeebees out of each other, but when it all comes down to it, they love each with a depth and a fierceness that is incredible to be a beholder of.

I feel so blessed that Chad and I were able to bring them together in this life, to be sisters forever.

So blessed that I get to be their momma: )

Seriously love their guts.

I know it's late.....like 12:18 am too late. But I said there would be some "gems" from the binder today (technically yesterday) and by golly I need to stick to my word more this year...so here are a quick few.

Chad and I on his high school graduation night: )

The next couple need some background. Chad thought it was hilarious to paint me random water color pictures to give me a taste of his fine art skills.

Robert...he's my dad.

And Big Duck.....well, he's a big duck.

I'm sure this is one I got with my Christmas presents the year before he left on his mission.

Check out the tiny arms and boots....two of many special features with this Big Guy: )

And this is the card Chad gave me right before he headed out for his mission to Mexico.

Fitting right: )

What Once Was Lost....

2012? Seriously. Time has this incredible way of speeding up. It's insane and amazing all at once to take a step back and realize where you're at and remember from where you've come.

Can I just say I love this life and it's simultaneously inching yet rapid way of changing us.

I got the chance to step back and realize and remember when an aching prayer I've been praying for years was answered last night.

When Chad left on his mission I started keeping all of his letters and pictures and my own thoughts and journal entries in a binder. A plain old green binder. And that binder got so full I started filling a plain old black binder.

I know those things may not seem life shatteringly significant, but for me, we're talking about precious, precious stuff here people.

Those binders started me, and really us, in one place and ended us in another. From first page to last carried a story and a process of a thousand defining moments, life altering realizations, changes, soul searching experiences.

A huge record of our love, the process of it's unfolding, and who we've become were held in those two binders.

See what I'm saying?

Precious stuff.

It wasn't until around two years of marriage and six moves that I realized those binders were missing. I looked everywhere....through all of our storage, my family's storage, Chad's family's storage, under beds, in closest, garages, anywhere I could think of that might be hiding them.

No such luck.

Those two binders were one of those things that I've lost that actually brought me physical heartache to think about.

I've prayed about finding them many times over the years, but it wasn't until a few months ago that I randomly thought of them again, felt the twinge of wishing I had them back, and prayed more pointedly,

"Heavenly Father, I know you are able to know where those binders are. I know they are not that big of a deal....(By now I'm feeling somewhat like a little kid who has lost their favorite blankey and can't stop crying)....and I know life will go on without them, but to me and to Chad and I, they mean a lot......if they are anywhere on this planet in a form that I can have them (I'm picturing them lying under layers of garbage in some landfill somewhere) can you please lead me to them? Can you please bring them back to me."

And that was that. I prayed and then forgot about that simple prayer.....that was until a few nights ago when we met Chad's family at a restaurant over the holidays and his sister Katie said, "Oh Vandi, I was going through some boxes that I thought were mine and found these two binders. They looked like they were filled with letters from Chad's mission. I thought I'd tell you about them in case you wanted them."

Say WHAT?!

I couldn't believe it.

I am not a crier, but I felt like I might have myself a happy cry. right there in the restaurant.

I'm sure she thought I was a little crazy with my instantly embracing her and excited overreaction.

But I couldn't help hugging her for finding what I thought was long lost.

And then I suddenly remembered that little prayer....

along with this feeling;

a gentle "hug" and "smile" and "just wanted you to remember I love you"

from the One who brought them back to me.

Chad and I have been pouring over their pages today. Smiling, laughing, feeling, remembering.

It's been nine years since that time in our lives. A time with so many questions, uncertainties, so much to learn, so much to discover, so much ahead of us.

We have grown so much in those nine years.

We and our lives and our love and our experiences together have gained so much; three of the greatest being two amazing little girls and one much anticipated and precious little boy.

We were just two little kids, best friends, and all we knew was that Heavenly Father had brought us to our friendship and we cared about each other and had helped and healed each other more than we could say.

I can't thank Heavenly Father enough for bringing those binders back to me.

I hope someday they will mean something to our kids; tell a precious story more intricate than we could describe to them.

Life is amazing.

Especially when we choose to make it that way.

I'm so thankful for all the experiences I have had that have brought me to this time and place in my life. My life is filled to the brim with love and I am given more than I have ever deserved.

To me, Chad really is proof of that.

2012 will be a huge year of change for us; another chapter in our adventure together.

It's exciting and terrifying all at once to wonder where we will be by the end of this year, but I will embrace the curves and turns....

because isn't it all really just amazing, this experience of life.

I think so.

p.s. some "gems" from the binders to come tomorrow.....