What I Learned This Week

Birthdays are fun.

Especially since the invention of Facebook and texting.

Sooo many birthday wishes and love was sent my way thanks to these technological advances.

Not to mention all the actual phone calls and cards sent by loving family members.

I also have a wonderful husband who made my day very special.

He even baked the cake I am holding and organized a yummy dinner and fun celebration with many of our great friends here in O-H-I-O.

All in a days work for that guy.

Also, having a birthday on April 1st is optimal for two reasons:

1. No one plays tricks on you (the HORROR some of my friends have to endure)

2.  The beginning of spring is a perfect time to be the recipient of birthday cash.

Hello new spring wardrobe!

***

Conference is awesome!

Okay, I have known this for a few years now, but really doesn't the weekend of General Conference just get better with age?

I love the evolution of looking forward to Conference simply because it is a weekend full of no church and utter relaxation; to actually hungering for the words and inspiration that are going to be heard from our church leaders.

Each time I actually feel sad when the last talk is finished and the MoTab bids us farewell with their final hymn of praise.

I also learned/remembered that I cry a lot during the talks.

The spirit definitely manifests itself through tears in my life, and hearing so many inspired words of comfort and motivation makes me weep with gratitude.

I truly felt the love of my Heavenly Father and Savior as I listened to the words that they wanted me to hear.

I was reminded, yet again, that they know me.

They know my sorrows, my struggles, my temptations, and my questions.

I am actually listening to one of the talks I missed right now (we do have a toddler running around this place, you know.)

Elder Oaks on desire.

Awesome.

That is the second best thing about Conference: it is the gift that keeps on giving.

We can review, re-listen to, and study out all of the words spoken as often and as intently as we wish.

So thankful.

***

So I took Stella to the doc this week to check out this rash/bumps/no-one-has-any-idea-what-they-are thing she has had going on for the last couple weeks.

Our normal doctor was out, and although the doctor we saw could not give me an answer for the problem at hand she did inform me my daughter had an ear infection.

Huh?

I had absolutely no clue that she was even sick.

She had a small cough and runny nose throughout the week prior, but had been sleeping and eating great.

Every time I have ever thought she had an ear infection I was wrong, but when I am least expecting it- BAM!- ear infection.

I would never have known and she would never have gotten the meds if I hadn't gone in for the rash.

Mother of the year right here, I tell ya.

***

Remember how Stella had a little "surgery" on her eye a couple months ago?

I hesitate to even call it that seeing as how the entire process took less than ten minutes.

Well, we got the bill for that quick little procedure this week.

If you were wondering, three and a half hours spent at Nationwide Hospital's outpatient surgery center will run you just a quick $6,000.

Thankfully (THANKFULLY!) we have great insurance and will only have to foot about 10% of the bill, but still.  Ouch.

***

Today I learned that my child will be one of those children who have meltdowns in public.

I mean let's be honest, every child is one of those children at some point or another in their life.

I just really, really hoped I might be the lucky one and miss out on that gem of an experience.

And can I tell you that the reason she was freaking (well, besides that fact that it was well past her nap time) was that I wasn't letting her keep the shoes I had thought about purchasing. 

I am sure it was more the fact that she couldn't keep trying to chew on them and I wasn't still trying them on her feet (which she thought was hilarious), but still.

Let's just say I was a little embarrassed as I rushed through the store and to the check out line with a SCREAMING baby.

Plus I lost my favorite watch in the process.

This is again my own fault as I had let Stella play with it mid-shopping trip (prior to the meltdown of the century) in an effort to keep her happy just a little bit longer as I scavenged the clearance racks.

I noticed it was missing on my short drive home and knew I had to go back and look for it.

So I drove in a giant circle, past my apartment complex, and back into the Target parking lot to discover it was not in the cart like I had hoped/thought it would be.

I then locked Stella in the car (you can call child protective services on me now) and retraced those last, flustered steps in an effort to reclaim my treasured pearl watch.

No luck.

Let's just say it is a good thing that trip ended with me taking home a few new items of clothing joy thanks to my birthday money.

That was the trip's only redeeming quality.

***

I also learned that my child likes to wear things around her neck.

She also likes to wear them on her head (as long as it is not a ponytail or a bow).

This led to the wonderful look below:

She wore this little number for approximately an hour one morning.

She makes me smile; Target shenanigans and all.