Taking a Moment to Brag, Just Because I Can

The past several months as I've been preparing for the birth of my first baby, I've had a lot of time to spend scrolling through pintrest and tagging my favorite things.  I've come across everything from recipes to how to best organize my shoes, but there are some posts I continually see that I never end up pinning, and these are the posts on "how to make your marriage better."  I guess bragging isn't the best way to put it.  The best way to put it would be to say that I am very blessed, and I am so grateful for it. 

A little over a year and a half ago I married my best friend for time and all eternity in the Rexburg, Idaho temple, and it was by far the best day of my life.  I was excited to get married, but I also had the worries of how long it would take before our first real argument, or how long it would be until we "drifted apart."  I know it's only been a year and a half, and that we haven't faced the new trials that will come with having a child quite yet, but I'm happy to report that every time I read thorugh a sugestion pin on Pinterest on how to make a marriage better, I can honestly say that Erik and I already do all that is suggested, and I'm so grateful for that.

We communicate, we laugh, we disagree, and we forgive one another.  We realize that neither of us is perfect, and that we have flaws.  We know that at times we need to say we're sorry and that we were wrong, but we both do so and take responsibiltiy for our mistakes.  We spend time together whenever we can.  We hold hands whenever we get the opportunity, and we are constantly reminding the other of how much we love each other and how happy we are that we are fighting this life battle together.

It's been a scary eight months.  Moving out to Illinois and preparing for our first child has not been easy on us, but it has brought us closer together and has shown us even more why we love each other.  Every day we seem to teach one another something new, and when things get really hard, we just grab the other's hand, and push on through it.  We have still managed to find time to go on small dates, on walks, or even just drive to target to walk around together.  We know that these oportunites will soon be much harder to come by once our little one gets here, so we are taking advantage.  We never yell at each other, and we are willing to admit when we make mistakes and then we move on together, hand in hand.

The day you get married many things happen and it's impossible to remember them all, but the one thing I do remember the most and very vividly, is right before our sealing ceremony, when the sealer sat us down in front of all of our friends and family, and asked us three questions.  He asked, 

-Is this the right person?

-Is this the right place?

-Is this the right time?

I remember the peace I felt as Erik an I calmly and honestly answered yes to all three.  The past few days I've reflected on that experience, and have been reminded that once again, these three questions are the key.  It is worth waiting for the right person in your life no matter how long it takes to find them if it means that you can answer "yes" to all three of these questions.  Find the right person, make sure you marry in the right place, and make sure that it is done at the right time.  If you do, you will truly find happiness, and no matter how hard life gets, you will never regret making that decision.

A little over a year and a half ago I knew that I loved Erik, but as I compare those feeling of love to the feelings that I feel for him now, I can't explain how they have strengthened, and I can't imagine how much more they are going to strengthen within the next coming years.

So why post about this?  Because I'm grateful.  Grateful for amazing parents who raised me and taught me about the values to look for in a husband.  Grateful for in-laws who raised a worthy son of God who had been taught the same values, and grateful for the man in my life who has chosen to experience with me every hardship that life throws our way, and for the friend that he is to me.  Every time I read a "pin" about strengthening one's marriage, I say a small prayer of gratitude for Erik Miller, and for the marriage that we share.  I love you Erik, and forever will.

Lacey

The Best Baby Shower Ever!

So on Saturday September 15th my visiting teachers put on a BEAUTIFUL baby shower for me, Erik, and little Elijah.  I was shocked at how many women from my ward here in Naperville came to support us!  It was amazing, so I'm going to post all about it now!

The decorations were spectacluar, the food was great, and the company was perfect!

 Here the women are filling out games, we had two sheets of paper to fill out, one with random pregnancy facts and the other with incomplete nursery rhymes, our job was to complete them

 The lady in pink is Denise, she was the master mind behind the shower

There's also a lady in my ward who bakes and decorates cakes profesionaly, and she made these adorable cupcakes for the shower!

After the nursery rhyme game and the random pregnancy facts game we played an awesome game involving candy bars.  The idea is that the person in charge says a few words that are synonyms for different kinds of candy!  Here are a few

baby laughs-snickers

twins-twix

triplets-three musketeer

epidural-life saver

umbilical chord-red vines

sweet children-sugar babies

labor and delivery-rocky road

boys names-mike and ike/heath

women-hot tamale

hospital bill-100 grand

college tuition-payday

 there were a lot more but I can't think of them right now, but it was a great game!  Whoever guessed the candy right got the candy bar.  It was awesome!

 

After the games it was time for the gifts, and holy cow were Elijah, Erik, and I spoiled!!

This is the pile before I started

 This is a penguin bowling kit!!!!

 This book is Cristina Katerina and the box, one of my ultimate favorites from my childhood, and it's impossible to find!  Impossible for everyone except my mother in law of course!!!!!!

 The diaper genie.  This was also from my in-laws Kevin and Heidi.  It will be nice to have so that we don't share the lovely diaper smell with the whole house!

The next gift made me cry!  My amazing husband Erik was very sneaky and got a present to the shower from him, I was so emotional about it!  This is what he got!

It is so cute!!!!!!  Can't wait to put our little man in it!!!!

This was my face throughout most of the shower, I was so happy and overcome with gratitiude for my amazing friends and ward!!!!

And no blog about a baby shower is complete without a picture of the belly!!!! 

Another amazing thing about the shower is that my dear friend Lisle Bates drove down from Detroit to be there for it!  There are no pictures of her because she was manning the camera, but she definitely deserves an honorable mention!  It was a wonderful day, and I send out a BIG thanks to all who made it possible!!!!!


Lacey

 

Just a bit of sillyness

So I've been going through lots of old documents saved on my computer and back up hard drive and found some old poems that I wrote in my first few semesters at BYU-I.  I love writing poems, and must have a knack for it because they flow very easily for me.  Most of them are so silly and full of nonsense I've chosen not to share them, but there are a few that I've decided to post just for fun.  They are pretty silly and immature but they are funny, so here they are.

This first one I actually wrote as a senior in high school.  In order understand it you have to be familiar with Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Truth of Annabel lee.  I'll post it here for reference.

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Edgar Allan Poe

 

Now here's my version

 

The Truth of Annabel lee

Annabel Lee, who use to live by the sea,

Finally found out, life’s actual key.

Life’s not about things like love and death,

But really is about, her best friend Beth.

Beth was a good friend, who knew the right way,

She liked to sing, and to go out and play.

Beth made Ann laugh; she sure made her smile,

She helped sort out her feelings when they became a great pile.

Then along came old Poe, with his poetry and rhyme,

He spoke real sweet words, and always spoke in time.

Annabel ditched Beth, to be with old Poe,

That’s when Beth, stole Poe’s big Bow.

She was jealous of Poe for stealing her friend,

So she put an arrow to the bow, and pulled the string bend.

The arrow it flew right in to Ann’s heart,

Then Beth got away, in Poe’s new white golf cart.

And that’s the truth of the death of Annabel lee,

The maiden who once lived out by the sea.

Now Poe is depressed and cries though the night,

While Beth is now pleased, to be done with her spite.

-Jaylene Riley

(Jaylene Riley was my pen name in high school, and it's just kind of stuck since then)

Here's another one, I must have wrote this on a day when I was not feeling to well. :)

Blah to Girlhood

There’s a song that says, “I enjoy being a girl,”

Whenever I hear this, all I want to do is hurl. 

For what a lie this song is, line after line,

It makes my finger twitch, to give a nasty sign.

For what is so great, about the feminine race?

Who wants to “dress up,” and practically choke themselves with lace?

Doing your hair, now that sure is fun,

Until you go out, and to your surprise, there’s no sun.

So instead of the straight, smoothness on your head,

The rain, wind, and snow, turns your “good” look into dead.

And what about makeup?  Now that sure’s a curse,

But If you go without it, the boys will call for you a nurse.

There are so many expectations, so many dos and then don’ts,

And I’m sick of it, I tell you, and living like this I wonts.

Don’t chastise me now, because I was grammatically incorrect,

For if I was a boy no criticism I would get.

Now talking about boys, there’s a whole other issue,

They can be jerks, yet they’re perfect, and you wonder if they miss you.

You ponder if they’re real, do they like me or not,

Will he ask me out again, because I think, indeed, he ought.

But it’s sure not up to us, if going out again we will,

But if it happens, we’re required to put on lots of stupid frill.

And what about mood swings, we have no control

When those awful tings hit, I want to hide in a hole.

For they truly do suck, Blah to the world,

I’m under so much stress, I’m becoming uncurled.

It’s pathetic I tell you, I hate being a girl,

Excuse me, now, I need to go hurl.

-Jaylene Riley

 

I know, it's special, but it still makes me laugh. 

 

And here's the last one that I've deemed worthy to be posted, this is one is probably one of my favorites.  I'll never forget this day.

 

My Mistake

Sitting in English, with my mind a racing,

I’m resisting the urge, to stand up and start pacing.

Who cares about formalists, alliterations, and Shakespeare?

I have no desire to rhyme, ready Macbeth, or King Lear.

I just want to write, to show my sarcasm,

To make up my own words, unique, like tourgasm.

The meaning, unknown, to all but of course me,

Oh blah, right now, I’d rather be stuck in a tree.

Now don’t get me wrong, English is my love,

But this book of poetry, over I cliff I want to shove.

No, not because of reasons you might think,

Ok, so the truth, right now my situation sure does stink.

You see, before leaving home to come to class today,

I forgot to use the latrine and left right on my way.

Planning to use the facilities that are here,

But on my walk, a friend I met oh so dear.

We got to chatting, my time was then gone,

I hurried to class, running faster than a fawn.

And now here I sit, fighting this sudden urge,

Because creating a mess, I’m close on the verge.

But yet here I sit, writing to relieve stress,

At least I’m not wearing, a nice, pretty dress.

It’s ironic to think what this poem is about,

But yet here I sit, starting to fill with doubt.

Will I make it, to the end?

-Jaylene Riley

 

By the way, I did make it, but barely. :)

 

Hope you all enjoyed!

 

 

 

Lacey

An Attitude of Gratitude

Thomas S. Monson April 1992

As I've been going through things the past few days and getting my nursery ready for little Elijah William (pictures to come soon) I've been overwhelmed with gratitude for all of my friends and family that are helping me along this new road that Erik and I are on.  I decided to look up some talks given by general authorities on gratitude and found one that inspired me so much I want to share it all with you.  As you can see from the title of this blog, the talk was given by Thomas S. Monson.

This is the first quote I really connected with.  “This is a wonderful time to be living here on earth. Our opportunities are limitless. While there are some things wrong in the world today, there are many things right, such as teachers who teach, ministers who minister, marriages that make it, parents who sacrifice, and friends who help.”  As many of you know Erik and I have been on quite the rocky slope the past few months.  We packed up all we had to move out here to Illinois only to find that the job we had lined up fell through, and then we were left with nothing, or so it seemed.  Over the past weeks though I've been able to see things differently.  We were out of money and had no leads on jobs, I was pregnant and very sick and therefore unable to work, and Erik was starting grad school in a few weeks, but we had so many things I never even realized, like Kevin and Heidi, my wonderful in laws, and my parents back in Idaho rooting for us and also doing everything in their power to help us pay for medical bills that we weren't able to afford.  

President Monson's talk breaks down several different individuals we should be grateful for, and I love how he does so.  The first person he mentions is our mother.  “Mother, who willingly made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to take us by the hand and introduce us to birth—even to mortal life—deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up our love for mother when he declared, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.”  I couldn't agree more with President Monson, and I am so thankful for my mother.

She has done so much for me, and is always there for me.  I know I can call her with anything, and she will do all in her power to help me.  I know she prays for me, loves me, and cares for me immensely.

 

President Monson also mentions fathers in his talk.  “Father, like Mother, is ever willing to sacrifice his own comfort for that of his children. Daily he toils to provide the necessities of life, never complaining, ever concerned for the well-being of his family. This love for children, this desire to see them well and happy, is a constant in a time of change.”  This description fits my father perfectly.

 

 My dad is a very quite man, but is one of the most sincere men I have ever met. He has also always been there for me.  Above is a picture of a fishing trip we took after my mission.  I'd had a rough couple of weeks up at school, and so I asked him if I could come home and go fishing with him. It was one of the best trips of my life.

 

My parents also sacrificed this summer and found a way to fly me home for a vacation.  I was able to relax with them, go fishing, escape from the hot humid weather in Illinois, and make baby plans.   They did anything and everything I wanted to do during my stay, and that meant the world to me.

Not only have I been blessed with wonderful parents, but also with wonderful in-laws, who have quickly become just like my parents here in Illinois. 

Kevin and Heidi have been Erik's and my saving grace.  We were planning on staying with them for just a month or two, until we got enough paychecks backed up to pay for our own place here in Illinois, but after Erik's struggle to find a job that would work with his schedule, we soon realized that a month or two was soon to change into several months.  Kevin and Heidi have been with us through it all though.  Never complaining, and always doing whatever needed to be done to make sure that we are comfortable, well fed, happy, and content.  They even took apart their office, painted it, and moved out half of the furniture in there to make room for a crib and dresser.  The office has now become our little nursery for Elijah.  I am so grateful for their outpouring of generosity and their intense love that they show Erik and I every day. 

 

Along with gratitude for my amazing parents there is also gratitude for my family.

 

I have the three most amazing brothers who have always been there for me and have always loved me.  I have dear memories of all of them, from Bradley comforting me when I was young and my parents weren't home, to Nathan and I working at Elk Creek ranch and trying to chase racoons out of the kitchen, to sharing a lunch with Brandon at a time when my heart felt so broken I feared if it would ever be able to mend.  They have always shown me love and support, and as this picture shows, they are all very uplifting. 

I've also been blessed with the most amazing brother and sister-in-laws and nieces and nephews.

 

 

 This is where my gratitude thoughts began, but as I continued to read through President Monson's talk, my gratitude swelled within me and went beyond my parents.  President Monson also talked about the blessings of great teachers in our lives.  I have had numerous teachers that have inspired me to become a better person, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most is Edward Jackson.  Sadly I don't have a picture of him, but he was my fifth grade teacher, and also my cross country coach.  He pushed me past my known limits, and thanks to him and his belief in me, I was able to run a full 26.2 mile marathon, and I crossed that finish line with my head held high.  Many other teachers have also had amazing influences on me, including the entire Psychology faculty at BYU-Idaho, and also Marcia McManus, an education teacher I had my second semester of college when I was an English education major.

President Monson then talks about having gratitude for our friends.  I have been blessed in my life to have many great friends who have helped me through many hard times.

There's Tiffany Bull, my first missionary companion in the MTC and one of the truest friends I've ever had.  

There's Brittany Clark, who was always there for me after I got married to listen to my stresses and trials.  As you can see form the picture, we also met on the mission.

Amy Sawaya, also a missionary companion who taught me about loving being me and being happy no matter what God puts in my path

Breanne Sumsion, who taught me that sacrifice is always worth it, and nothing takes care of a bad day better than a waffle cone full of ice cream.  (In this picture we were doing the play beauty and the beast, I was the wardrobe, she was a rug.)

Amber Feigleson, who taught me the power of testimony and faith, and that Christ really does get us through all of our tough times

Emily Head and Shannon Butt, best friends since I can remember, who grew up with me and always accepted me for who I am no matter what

Synthia Simonsen, yet another mission companion who got me through one of the hardest times in my life as I battled my depression in the mission field and greatly debated if I had the strength to continue on and finish my mission or if I should just go home.  Thanks to her and her influence, I stayed. :)

Lisle "Pata" Bates, one of the silliest people I've ever met, and also one of my closest and dearest friends.   She taught me how to enjoy life no matter what the circumstance, and I will forever be grateful for her influence in my life.  

Valerie Ball, the roommate that fully embraced me for me with all of my craziness.  Dang, we sure knew how to have fun together!

Apartment 102 at Royal Crest, plus the family brother Joshua Paul Munns.  These people taught me how to laugh and how to love, and how to accept everyone exactly how they are, no strings attached.

There are many other friends that I have had, Jessica Larsen, Sydney Hutchison, Elisa Canales, Tatiana Cardoza, Isabel Enamorado, James Hill, Erica Penrod, Kwani Winder, and other roommates and friends that have influenced my life.  I know I've forgotten several, and I apologize for that, but everyone of these people has greatly influenced me in my life, and I am so very grateful for them all.

Among all of my friend though, there is one that i am most grateful for

My husband and eternal best friend, Erik William Miller.  This man changed my life, and continues to do so every single day.  I love him with all of my heart, and will forever be grateful for him and all he does for me every minute of every day.

President Monson then talks about feeling gratitude for our amazing country, and I couldn't agree more.  Many people complain about how America is in a downward spiral and that we're headed to the end, but I like to look at everything we have.  That's definitely one thing living in Uruguay taught me.  I was born in an amazing country, and it truly is the promise land.

 

President Monson then finishes off by saying that the person that we need to have the most gratitude for is our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  “Let us reflect gratitude for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His glorious gospel provides answers to life’s greatest questions: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where does my spirit go when I die? His called missionaries bring to those who live in darkness the light of divine truth.”  I am so grateful for my Savior and Friend Jesus Christ.  I know that without him I would be nothing, and that I owe all of my thanks to him, because through him I have been able to associate with all of the people above and have been able to find my true happiness.

 

So for today instead of thinking about how hard it is to be here in Illinois and to not have my own apartment and so on, I am focusing on what I do have and how grateful I am for it.  I am truly a blessed and very loved person, and that is much more pleasurable to focus on instead of what I feel my life is lacking at this moment.  I love my life, I love the people in it, and I am so truly grateful for all that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with.