34 b4 35

(click here to see it large)

It's about 6 weeks past my birthday, but I've never been one to do things on time. It's the New Year that spurred my goalishness.

I thought:

wow!!
2010!
I'm going to turn 35!!
So just for fun I decided to do something I've seen around the web. I started out thinking I had all the room in the world and then around #10 I realized that half the page was taken up and I had 24 to go! So I squeezed them in:)
Here's the list if you can't read it.

1.run a race
2.practice yoga
3.climb a mountain
4.be creative every day
5.do some back flips on a trampoline
6.get a family picture taken
7.save more money
8.take the kids into Boston
9.plant a vegetable garden
10.volunteer at a soup kitchen/shelter
11.make an article of clothing
12.make granola
13.swim in the ocean
14.vamp up my barn
15.organize “safe keepings” for the kids
16.remember birthdays of family members (so sad!) I think I only missed one.
17.bring a piano in the house
18.50 paintings  <--not even close:(
19.represent in a gallery
20.throw a party
21.write a book    Now I need to finish it...
22.buy an instant-film camera
23.go to a concert
24.take a class
25.learn a new skill
26.children’s bedrooms
27.wander aimlessly
28.surprise Jake at least I tried
29.see an original Monet
30.get a bicycle
31.bake a really cool cake
32.learn to shoot in manual<---practicing, but I don't think I should cross it off...
33.get published
34.find some boots I love

listing it

How are you all doing? What are you up to?



I've been going pom pom crazy. I'll take a picture of our favorite pom pom project so I can show you the happiness.

We are making lists of things to do during vacation.

Things like:

ice skating
playdates
getting crafty
making and erupting a volcano
eat homemade pizza and chicken salad sandwiches (a new favorite of the children)
paint
watch a movie (maybe several)
make some more pom poms
find a great read-out-loud book
ride a new scooter on the driveway that is newly melted




and pick our belly buttons.

I've been...

crazy busy around here. But here are some visuals for you of the past week in the life and times of Brittany Soucy.



Still loving the love notes from #3: Even moms can b queens.


(Sometimes he needs a little reminder.)


making some happy cookies. and eating them. and then deciding not to eat them because #3 asked: "Is part of getting big getting fat?" Translation: when I grow up do I have to get fat like you?




decorating a gingerbread house




feeling the winter chill


lots of kisses. and booger brain noses. we've been through like 4 boxes of Puffs Plus in the past week. yikes, that's a lot of boogers.




making stuff




puzzling.
(if #3 looks like she's overcompensating, it's because she is. This picture was taken right after a big fight between the girls ensued. Crying and hitting and yelling was part of said fight. I yelled "I'm taking the picture! One! Two! Three!" and this is what I got. For the record, the Puzzling was very fun and peaceful.)


(Sometimes he needs a little reminder.)

Hope you guys are doing well! Happy holidays!

Here's to peace on earth.

Recieving Christ

{This is a talk I gave in church yesterday so it's a little more "religious" than I usually get on this blog, but I thought I'd put it out there anyway--it's from my heart. kisses, B}


This week as I was having a hard moment, I wondered whether I was receiving my Savior into my life. I thought about his birth that we are going to celebrate on Friday. The juxtaposition of the rough hay and the softness of his newborn skin; of the joy of the birth of a child, the savior at that, and the harshness of the circumstances Joseph and Mary were in during that time.

As I drove down the street, my heart heavy, the bright sun was shining in my eyes and then was blocked by the trees, and this pattern of brightness and darkness was happening so quickly as I drove down the street that it seemed that there were both brightness and darkness overlapping. I thought about how that is like life. We can be in the midst of darkness and yet there is such a brightness that can be ours when we receive the gifts that Jesus Christ has given us. Hope and joy can live among our troubles.

When I was in college I took a sculpture class. At the end of the course, we were assigned to sculpt a self portrait of our face and head that was to be about life sized, and we had several weeks to do so. It counted as our final exam, and as I worked through my three hour class times adding bits of clay and blending them in, and taking bits of clay away carefully, I realized that it would take many more hours than I had during class time. I went at nights to the studio and watched as the clay received impressions from my hands and tools. I was reminded of this recently and have reflected on the process of adding and taking away. Of stroking the clay and making it smooth and watching the form take shape.


Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved. 2 Ne 10: 23-24


Is this what it is like to receive Christ? To let Him sculpt us into masterpieces? Am I palatable as my Savior adds substance and takes away pieces that detract from my beauty? Do I resist as he tries to make impressions?

A huge and important aspect to being human is the freedom to choose. Whom will we receive? We cannot be forced, so Christ has continued to persuade us to come to him; to believe in Him; to choose Him; to receive Him.

The sun rises and gives light to my little corner of the world.
I receive it joyfully and I see my savior in its beauty.

My children greet me in the morning
their faces full of innocence and hope.
I receive them with open arms
and see the Lord in their divine potential.

I pray that my weaknesses will not be so overwhelming
as to make them question my love
or their goodness.


I find that I need to choose to receive my Savior not only daily, but hourly and sometimes by the minute. Sometimes this gets me down that my weaknesses are so apparent and that I have so many blessings, yet I struggle in my trials.

Ye cannot behold with your natural aeyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the bglory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much atribulation come the bblessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be ccrowned with much dglory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.
D & C 58: 3-4


In the Book of Mormon we read about the prophet Nephi. He is one of my very favorites. He is so straightforward and simple. He seems to be the very example of obedience and integrity. A prophet who has seen angels and acted with the authority of God says:

My heart exclaimeth: O bwretched man that I am! Yea, my heart csorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily abeset me…Awake, my soul! No longer adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the benemy of my soul. Do not aanger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions. Rejoice, O my aheart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the brock of my salvation.
2 Nephi 4:17-26

The Lord says to us:
Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may cheal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will acome unto me ye shall have beternal life. Behold, mine carm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.
3 Nephi 9: 13-14

If I receive Christ in my life He will heal my wounds. If I choose Christ, He will show me truth. If I receive my Savior, He will show me joy through my trials and strengthen me in my weakness. If I receive, He will continue to sculpt me into a masterpiece even though I yield to sin.

These things, which I know to be true, I am ever grateful for.

reason number 276 that two is more fun than one:

december views

today

Today I put the babies in their new little fleece teddy bear snuggie suits and we all went to Sams Club. It was really cold so I was thankful for those little hoodies (with the ears on top to make them cute as all get out) because they couldn’t pull them off their little bald heads. (It took us a long time to get anywhere because people kept stopping me to talk about how cute my little twin teddy bears were. Then they would try to get the little teddies to smile, but the little teddies have a secret pact to never smile at strangers.) When we were walking out after making our purchases, the woman checking my receipt smelled like 3rd grade. Just standing next to her made me feel like I was in elementary school again.

Today I ate chocolate chip cookies and tasted comfort.

Today I listened to a random selection of songs. One of them was Longer by Dan Folgelberg and while I sang as loud as I could I remembered listening to this song when I was a child, sitting by my parents’ stereo and feeling love. I feel blessed for having the kind of love that I knew was waiting for me.

Today my ankle ached from twisting it yesterday. That’s right, I twisted it and fell. It was ridiculous.

Today I kissed my kids goodnight after coming home from being somewhere special and I whispered into their ears while they slept. Things like: Mommy loves you. You’re my favorite. I love you the most. Dream about happy things.

Today I had a million things to do. The babies were very fussy and my 10 year old was home sick and I had a really bad headache. I didn’t get a million things done. But I’m okay with that. I’m going to bed and I feel blessed and lucky and happy and spent.

Dear Fellow Visiting Teachers,

First, I apologize for not posting a message last month. We were supposed to pick what we wanted out of the General Conference addresses and quite frankly, it was too hard!! I read almost every talk again, and there were so many messages that were inspiring that I did the thing that I do when I’m overwhelmed—shut down, walk away, turn it off, don’t look back and then feel guilty. (What do you do when you’re overwhelmed? Is it more productive? Do you make a list? Scrub the floor? Seriously, I want to know.)

However, this month they made it a little easier on me with my ADD brain and gave me a limited amount of information and let me run with it. It is a message of action. It is something I always see in those who I admire. Read this quote by Elder Uchtdorf:

"Disciples of Christ throughout all ages of the world have been distinguished by their compassion. . . . In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance.

Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts,

notice the loneliness and despair;

let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."

To me, this is the foundation of what Christ teaches us; this is the example he was trying to set. This is what I hear: Brittany, get out of your own head. Stop worrying about yourself. Look at those around you and love them. Love them by helping them and strengthening them. Take action. Do it now.


Succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees. (D & C 81:5)

Have a great month and happy visiting!

Love,
Britt


Feel free to download the quote(s) and print it out for your personal visiting teaching pleasure.

For this month's message, click here:
www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,2044-1-5012-1,00.html


For more information on what Visiting Teaching is, click here. www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,4691-1,00.html

Presenting: Compliment No. 3

I was in the hospital with a brand spanking new baby girl plopped right onto my chest and all the feelings of motherhood and humanity were spilling out uncontrollably and messy-like. One of my first compliments to my child was, “You are such a pretty girl.” I have said it a million times since then. (I do have four girls, you know.) It’s a compliment that I never tire of saying. It’s a compliment I never tire of hearing. It doesn’t matter how old I get, or what mood I’m in, it can always make me feel a little better. Let’s spread the goodness, what’d ya say?

Here is my third daughter.



How can I resist? What a pretty girl.



Okay, now I’m going to go eat her up.

the search for beauty

As the color has faded
and left the skies grey
and the trees bare

I search for beauty.

I look deeper,
closer

I look upward,
inward

I use the senses:
Feel the warmth
Touch the softness
Hear the joy
Taste the familiar
Smell the love
See the beauty

Surrounding me
On every side

Blessings abound

getting my Christmas on