A Week of Treasures

Well, I guess I am influenced by Nie. I mean, I knew I was inspired by her, but this week I started doing some interesting things. You'll see what I mean in a minute.

I got the most beautiful apron this week. Sorry, Rachie, but I was in love. I'll get one of yours soon, too! It was a whole week of treasures, actually. I also was lucky enough to find a beautiful casserole dish, traditionally used in the Allison family to make green jell-o with grated carrots in it- because it's pink. It was my great-grandmothers. In fact, if you look closely, you can still see bits of "Thacker" written across the side. It's wonderful. I already made jell-o in it, but decided to forgo the carrots this time. :)

Another treasure I found was my great-grandmother's brooch. My mom had it in her jewelry box but hadn't ever worn it. I had a great idea to put it on a necklace, but haven't found a chain small enough to fit through the holes on top yet. Anyway, I wore it last Sunday, much to Allison's dismay (she thinks I'm turning into an 80-year old). It felt so good to be wearing something that's been passed down through the generations like that. I'm proud to have such a great legacy, on both Jefferson's side and mine, of men and women who were so strong in their faith and accomplished great feats- raising families, serving missions, etc. I love that my mother taught me things that her mother taught her and that her mother taught her. Who knows how far-reaching our influence can be? Even small things like the songs I sing to my little niece and nephews. There's "this is the way the lady rides....," which they now affectionately call "The Hobble-dee-trop," and the "Two Little Boys" song... and a scary one about a hunter that shoots a rabbit, but it turns out that it was actually a nice song to which my dad changed the ending. I love that my grandma taught me to crochet like her mother. And one day I hope to have a cookie jar and to make homemade popsicles for my kids and grandchildren. And I hope I can serve others the way my great-great-grandmother, great-grandmother, grandma, and mom have done. (Isn't it funny how other things are passed down, too- back problems, flat buns.... think I'll focus on the cookies and songs instead :) . )

Ok, sorry this is so long, but this is the last thing about this week. This one I took right out of Stephanie's entries. She paints beautiful silhouettes of her children and updates them every year. She's even taught classes on it. Well, I decided to try my hand at it! Now for those who know Carie & Robby, make sure not to spoil the *surprise!*

Here is my sweet little nephew Tommy. Painting this was so easy and so much fun! It made me feel way more talented than the talent it actually took! :) You just take a picture of someone's silhouette, cut it out, trace it onto the canvas and paint it one color. Next time I see him, I want to do his handprint on a smaller 5x5 canvas and his footprint on another one to put on either side of the silhouette.

How does this all tie together? Well, I think a lot of it is because I've been reading Stephanie Nielson's blog, Nie Nie Dialogues. Stephanie is a beautiful beautiful woman who really enjoys life. She and her husband were in a plane crash last August, where they sustained burns- Mr. Nielson over 35% of his body, and Stephanie over 83%. Since that time her blog has become famous. Tons of people read it and feel inspired by what she sees in the "little" things of life. She loves finding vintage things and making whole wheat pizza for her family on Friday nights. She loves to watch her kids play and sing and jump on the couch. The Nielsons make messes. They dance in the evenings before Mr. Nielson comes home. It's been fun to read about their lives- her toddler eating his sister's tooth, eating in the rain, wearing red lipstick, launching balloons to commemorate each birthday, and finding lessons in things that I would just find annoying! It's very refreshing to look through her archives. Here are a few of my favorite posts. Try reading through some next time you're feeling down!

That Old Familiar Smirk

Perfect Day

Nicknames & Being Irresponsible

Merry Christmas Love Mantis

That Should Hold Em

Re-Posted Treasure

The Man

Summer, Skin & Other Warm Images