Singin' and Dancin' in the Rain

I recently learned a resplendently beautiful quote at Relief Society and just knew I should share it with you.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain."
-anonymous

So let us toss our umbrellas away and tilt our faces to life's raindrops. We'll let them cleanse our souls as we kick up our heels and jump in the puddles!

Much Love,
Zanny ~ xoxo

Six Years Down...Eternity to Go!

(One of our engagement pictures)

The night before Jerald's and my wedding day, I could NOT sleep. No. It was finally 4:30 in the wee small hours of the morning before I entered Dreamland City. The excitement and enormity of it all insisted I stare at the ceiling in wonder. After my two hours of "beauty sleep", I arose feeling amazingly rested. Oh, what a lovely and perfect wedding day it was! Cinderella would have been proud. We were married at 9:40 am in the Bountiful temple on a surprisingly warm March 13th in 2003. The sealing was so spiritual and beautiful - truly the highlight of our lives. Our photographer and family/paparazzi took pictures outside the temple after the ceremony. We then we hurried to our wedding luncheon, and later spent four hours grinning while we stood in our receiving line to thank our guests for coming to our red rose-filled reception - and no our facial muscles didn't hurt from smiling all day because, hey, we're always smiling anyway!

Happy anniversary, darling! You're still the hottest.

Happiness Headquarters

This is called "The Happy Six Tag". Here are six things that happened today that made me unabashedly happy.

1. For a mere ten minutes this morning, the sun shone through our front door's window, casting a colossal sunbeam across the family room, as well as a dozen tiny rainbows on the floor and walls. That was a moment of speechless proportions.

2. At lunch, Jerald and Summer and I downed a plate of sumptuous cheese fries and dipping sauce from the Training Table restaurant. Pure, golden, culinary delights.

3. After lunch, we perused our favorite antique shop, and as usual, I felt swept away with the history surrounding me - vintage jewelry, 200-year-old furniture, and interesting knick-knacks, but my most esteemed item ... a still-in-its-box Peaches and Cream barbie from 1984! Its price was $90, so the miser in me wouldn't let me splurge. My mother had purchased one for me when I was little and it was ALWAYS my favorite barbie, and now one is being sold at an antique store? Am I old? No, please, no.

4. For dinner, we dined like British royalty with a traditional English meal - roast beef, mashed potatoes, yorkshire pudding, and peas with almonds. There's nothing faster or easier to prepare than a crock pot roast, is there? Five minutes prep time of seasoning and browning, and we let the slow cooker do the rest! Oooh, I should post my simple recipe sometime soon! Boy, I think about food a lot, huh?

5. I sit here, relaxed with my laptop on my laptop multi-tasking. I'm blogging and taking care of my American Idol needs. At this moment, we're waiting to see who is going to be eliminated from the show. Oh, the antsy anticipation. I'm just glad I don't have to be on that stage awaiting my fate, but rather, writing to you about happy things.

6. I periodically looked over at Jerald feeling thrilled that on Friday we will have been married for six years. Hot man...

I tag anyone who wants to find themself happier by finding the happier moments in THEIR day!

A Tag! 45 DEEPLY odd things about me...

Well, I was tagged on Facebook to fill out this questionnaire of random questions. Such thought provoking inquiries indeed! I thought I'd post it on my blog as well. This is a tag, so if you want to, you may fill it out and post it on your own blog. Here we go...

1. Do you like blue cheese? No! It's blue! There's something psychologically disturbing about that. I love all other cheeses, though.
2. Have you ever smoked? Never.
3. Do you own a gun? Alas, no.
4. What flavor Kool Aid was your favorite as a child? All the red ones - cherry, strawberry, and pink swimmingo. They couldn't be watery, though. That's just depressing.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No, I think they're kind of exciting.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? I like the natural kind with no nitrates. They're best toasted on an open fire and served on a warm bun with mustard. I also add a little sour kraut sometimes, but those ones taste best from one of those kosher New York City hot dog vendors!
7. Favorite Christmas movie? "The Bishop's Wife", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Home Alone", and "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus".
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Organic milk with ice or homemade hot chocolate.
9. Can you do push ups? Yes!
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I have a man who buys me diamonds! My favorite, though, is my wedding ring.
11. Favorite hobby? Cooking, reading, writing, playing with Summer, and kissing Jerald.
12. Do you have A.D.D.? Well, I change subjects A LOT in conversations.
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I would never say because... A) That would hurt my own feelings, B) The negative thoughts and words about myself would depress me, C) I believe we become whatever we tell ourselves we are, and D) You'd all begin to notice those traits! There's just no purpose in tripping and falling down that road of self-loathing and pessimism. Wow, you can tell I have a lot of thoughts on that subject!
14. Middle name? Leilani. It's a Hawaiian name because I was born in Honolulu!
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. 1. Jerald sounds really good on the piano right now. 2. I need to slather some more Vaseline on my lips. 3. Speaking of lips, I want to go smooch Jerald!
16. Name 3 drinks you drink regularly. Water, organic milk with ice, and apple juice.
17. Current worry? I try not to think about things like that!
18. Current hate right now? The word hate. Oops, I guess I just used it!
19. Favorite place to be? I love to be home.
20. How did you bring in the New Year? Jerald and I spent a cozy evening at home watching movies.
21. Where would you like to go? I would love to take Jerald to Hawaii and Europe.
22. Name three people who will complete this? Liz, Cindy, and Crystal.
23. Do you own slippers? Yes, but I never wear them because I prefer to be a "Barefoot Contessa"!
24. What shirt are you wearing? A white one.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Oh. My. Gosh. YES! I'd NEVER go back to the cotton variety now! It's like swimming in cool and silky waters. Ahhhh, now you ALL want to buy them!
26. Can you whistle? Why, yes.
27. Favorite colors? I love garnet red, iridescent pale pink, and cool lavender.
28. Would you be a pirate? For Halloween, maybe.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower. I just think REALLY hard.
30. Favorite girl's name? Summer.
31. Favorite boy's name? Preston.
32. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets on me!
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Summer. She's a walking comedian!
34. Best bed sheets as a child? I had some pretty white ones with pink flowers and green leaves.
35. Worst injury you've ever had? My C-section incision. Yes. But SO worth it!
36. Do you love where you live? So much!
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? We have 2.
38. Who is your loudest friend? It's a cross between Jill and Katie.
39. How many dogs do you have? No dog now, but we'll get one in the future.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? Jerald! A powerful, crushing crush!
41. Who is your favorite author? I love Marion Chesney and Lynn Austin for novels and Norman Vincent Peale and Dale Carnegie for self-help.
42. What is your favorite candy? Well, hard candy doesn't produce much excitement in me, but chocolate...Mmmmm...I love it best refrigerated because then you get that CRACK when you bite into it!
43. Favorite Sports Team? The team of "Dancing With the Stars"!
44. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping and swimming in my satin sheets!
45. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Summer. As I mentioned in a precious post, she's our pretty little alarm clock, calling out, "Mommy, Daddy! Please get me up!" It's nice she said please!