A Better than Irish Blessing

In the Spirit of St. Patrick's Day I wrote a fun Limerick about how Nick and I met.

There once was a lad who loved to sing

About the love fate one day would bring

God led a lass to his door

In need of hope to the core

So he rescued her with a better than Irish Blessing.

Limericks are so fun right! I challenge you all to write your own.

If you're new to this blog here is the full story of how I met my darling husband Nick

How Reb met Nick

Also for fun here is an actual Irish Blessing

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everybody

With Love REB&NICK

The Five Most Important Traits to Look for In a Spouse

About a month after I had met Nick I was on the train heading back to Ogden from Salt Lake City when I had a conversation that changed how I viewed dating and marriage.  The conversation was with a lady named Elissa from Logan who has ten kids and has been married for 32 years.  When I asked her what her secret to be married for so long she said it was choosing the right spouse.  I  asked her what made him the right choice. She replied with giving me the Five Most Important Traits To Look For In a Spouse. These traits helped me to know Nick was the right choice for me and our future family. I am so excited to share them with you today.

THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT TRAITS TO LOOK FOR IN A SPOUSE

1. They love God with all their heart. You will know this because they love and talk about the gospel and they really listen and follow the promptings from the spirit, as well as obey God's commandments.

2. They Like Old People.  You and your parents will grow old one day. You need to know your spouse will love and care for the elderly. Watch how they treat their parents, that is how they will treat yours.

3. They Like Little People. If you want children it's important to know your spouse loves children, and enjoys them and will love to help you take care of your own. When you get married you will not only be choosing a spouse but also choosing a future mother/father.

4. They Like to Work. They don't think work is a dirty word. If you and your spouse like to work you will have a much happier and secure life. There are always opportunities for people who work hard. Their work ethic is your job security no matter what their skills are.

5. They know how to be happy and positive. When they are depressed they know how to get out of it.  They know how to choose happiness for themselves.  They are comfortable and know themselves well enough to be able to be happy.  This is the most important trait of all and the most difficult to achieve.  Mara Kofoed addresses this topic so much in her "A BLOG ABOUT LOVE" if you would like to start learning about how you can make yourself happy.
 http://www.ablogaboutlove.com/2012/08/depression-choosing-happiness.html

The most important principle with these traits is to develop them in yourself while looking for them in a spouse.  By developing them in yourself people with those characteristics will be more attracted to you and you will be able to have a deeper connection. Be the type of person you wish to marry.


Working on yourself is the most important thing you can do for yourself while dating. It will help you learn so much about the person you are and the person you want to become, and the type of person you want to marry.  You will find out what really means the most to you and you will have so much fun in the process. I married a man with those five characteristics and we are both still developing them more fully every day.  It has been the best part of my life to enjoy that journey. So work on these traits whether you are married or single and  have so much fun, that's what life is all about.

With Love  REB&NICK

Happy Birthday Grandma Jeanie

I'd like to take some time today to honor my beloved Grandma Jeanie whose birthday it is today. Although she passed away in May 2012 I will always hold her close in my heart. A few days before she passed I was able to have a beautiful conversation with her about love and life. I would like to share some of that last conversation on this blog today in her honor.

This conversation took place on May 10, 2012.

Jeanie- "I was born a poor white child.  March 08, 1947. 12:00 noon! High noon, at one of the Last Indian Hospitals in Phoenix Arizona. Amen! I was the first child to my mother and father. My mother was a very tiny woman, a lot like Cathy (my mother).  I was very proud of my little girl panties. Mom took me downtown, I was two and we took the bus.  I got on the bus and the first thing I did was lift up my dress so the bus driver could see my panties.  They were pretty with the ruffles on. In front of god, and everyone I showed them my panties."

Jeanie- "A relationship is like a keystone it takes two people to hold your relationship together. Too many people grow in different directions.  Bloom where your planted. I have relationship issues my dad abandoned us, my first marriage fell apart, Roger was a hound dog, Archie raised those kids.  The priesthood save our marriage.  He was always good to me I had trust issues built in relationships, that I think I'm going to be abandoned.  Some of us aren't made for relationships.  I wanted my cheaper by the Dozen House six kids, pets, crocheting, canning, cooking."

Jeanie- "Don't pine over anyone, because it's just going to happen.  If it doesn't you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it! listen to the impressions around you, follow them. Wait until your heart says its right, and don't do it in two days, get to know the person, know how everything works."

Jeanie- "I was pushing 20 when I got married and that was considered old then.  I worked at Moterola after school, they made stuff for computer, I helped send people to the moon. Then I got my car and then I met Jack. Marriage is not freedom. Listen to Me and Bobby Magee. It is hard work time and selflessness same with children, you need to know you're ready to do that.  I wasn't supposed to be with him (Jack) but if I hadn't I wouldn't have had your daddy.

Jeanie-"I'm not afraid, what I'm afraid of is leaving you guys, I don't want to suffer I don't want to hurt."

Jeanie-"No one can be a saint, you'll always step on somebody's toes, just make sure it's a light step, use your ballet shoes.  I'd rather be stepped on by ballet shoes than tap shoes. Life is rough and you're not just going to float by like cream."

Her stake President then walked into the room and we talked with him for a while about the Lord's timing and about faith. I remember him telling me "Faith is the power, obedience is the price, love is the motive, the spirit is the key and Christ is the reason."

I will never forget that day, that one last afternoon I spent with my Grandma Jeanie, it was the last day she was really conscious. The spirit was so strong, I remember when I left she told me she loved me and was so proud of me, and I was able to tell her I loved her too.  She gave me her get well teddy bear as I would have to leave to go back to school soon. A couple days later on May 16th she passed.  I was the only one in my immediate family not there when she left. That was so hard for me. So that wonderful afternoon on May 11th was our goodbye and I will always remember it.



I will end this post with a poem my grandma had written for the newspaper at her care center which was called "Hunter Hollow Happenings."  She was in charge of a column called Jeanie's Gestures.  This poem was in the May 2012 paper, the last one she would write.

"We are dealing with spring time and coming into summer, where the time we can feel young and spry; like the flowers and plants that are springing out of the ground.  We should take advantage of the energy that a new spring day can bring.  Enjoy the garden and the flowers of life, enjoy our families and our friends and be grateful for them! You never know what can happen! Or what stranger could be  a best friend until you get to know them.  Too many people are closed off to getting to know each other (not growing like spring flowers). We need to open our hearts to every experience we face. We have the good, flowers and sunshine; the bad, the storms and wind.  Without a little bite of the bad we don't enjoy the good.  Just like without a little bite of salt, the dish won't turn out; even chocolate chip cookies have a little salt to make an amazing dessert."

I hope you will learn from these words as much as I have
With Love REB