Fruit Pizza…a delightful treat!

Each month in our department at work, we have a birthday party. My dear friend, Gabby and I have placed ourselves in charge of this type of festivity. If anyone else was in charge, there wouldn’t be any celebrating. This month as we were discussing the delicious treats that we might provide for the birthday celebrations, the thought popped into my head…FRUIT PIZZA!!

I had been visiting with my dear friend, Pini. Pini is my new best friend that keeps me company on my insomnia nights. We visit quite frequently with each other. She is amazing. She provides so much insight and entertainment. I am so glad that I have gotten to know her. She has been a true lifesaver. While I was visiting with her, I came upon a delicious recipe for fruit dip. Along with this recipe, came the most amazing idea…A Fruit Pizza Bar.

Sorry…I get side-tracked sometimes.  Back to the story….for March birthdays, we had the most delectable treat. A sugar cookie covered with a delicious spread (cream cheese and marshmallow crème), bananas, blueberries, strawberries and pineapple. They were simply divine.

My creation.  I really wanted to add bananas but a trip the hospital was not in the plan today. 

This is Wade’s creation…sugar cookie, cream cheese spread, sugar cookie and fresh fruit. 

It was a lot of fun.  Everyone was able to pick and choose their own toppings.  What a fabulous birthday celebration!!

~Michelle

HOPE!

I have been pondering a conversation that I had last week and still haven’t been able to resolve it.  I was standing in the chapel of the Stake Center where I had finished watching the General Young Women broadcast.  I was feeling this great amount of peace.  I felt that it was extremely inspiring.  Young women and leaders were approaching me to hug me and to say hi.  I was greeting each one of them and while doing this my heart was being filled with an indescribable sense of peace and warmth.

Then, a young woman and her mother approached me. 

“Sister G?” 

I respond by cheerfully saying, “Hi.”

She said that she had been thinking about me during one of the talks and had discussed it with the sweet ladies sitting around her. She felt that she needed to share this profound thought that was discussed with me.  (Oh great…who were the people around her?)

She referenced Sister Mary Cook’s talk. The conversation went something like this…oh, before I share with you the conversation…I would like to note that several people were standing around me to hear this profound conversation.

She continues while motioning to a group of mothers and young women, “As Sister Cook was speaking, we were thinking about you.  You are not 37 are you?  Because you can still have hope.  Please have hope. There is someone out there for you. See, Sister Cook is proof.”

I wasn’t sure what to say or how to react.  I could feel the tears starting to well up in my eyes.  I took the easy road and started giggling.  I told her thank you for letting me know that I still can have hope and was grateful for her concern.  (Secretly, I was thinking…are you serious?  You really are telling me this in front twenty or so people and wanting me to react in a positive matter.  Serious?)

Proud that she was able to instill hope in me with her kindness and words, she hugged me and walked away.

I was mortified.  My greatest goal in life is to be married to a wonderful man and have amazing children.  Why did she have to remind me of something that I didn’t have.  Interestingly,  I am approached by people who feel the importance of telling me things of this type of nature.  Do they enjoy to see the panic on my face or hear the quiver in my voice.  I should be used to this but I will let you in on a little secret…it hurts.  It hurts…an indescribable hurt.  I hope…ha ha…there is that word…I hope that I am starting to get really good at spontaneous giggling. 

By the way..let me share another secret…I haven’t given up hope.  I have faith that all will work out in the end.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me just as much as he loves this dear sister (who has been blessed with a husband and lots of children). I know this…I truly do.

~Michelle

It is Quick Quote Thursday!

Enough said!

~Michelle

It is quick quote Thursday!

When I read this quote, I felt that amazing feeling inside that touches every fiber of my being.  This quote is so powerful.  I pray each day that I will be this type of person.  A person who nurtures and builds.  A person who has an understanding and forgiving heart.  A person who looks for the best in people.  I pray each day that I leave people better than I found them.  This is the type of person I want to be.

~Michelle

It is quick quote Thursday!!

As I was browsing through my computer files today, I came across this quote.  I remember when I first read it and the warmth that filled my heart.  Tonight as I read it again, I am grateful for that same warm feeling.  I truly know the importance of this statement.  It truly has impacted my life.  I have received plenty of hugs this past week and given out plenty of them.  Nothing means more than the “tighter” hug that you receive back.

~Michelle

I am blessed to know them.

I was able to spend and hour (or two) with four amazing young women.  We are serving on the Spiritual Activities Committee for Young Women’s camp together.   I am so grateful to serve with them.  They have so much energy for life and their laughter is contagious.  They are such amazing examples to me and I am so blessed to know them.

 

After we had a short meeting, we made PIZOOKIES and laughed and laughed.  AW…they are such adorable girls and I love them so much. I am truly blessed to know them. 

~Michelle

A sweet tender mercy.

Have you ever been focused on something or someone that you lose sight of everything else or everyone else?  Then, many days, months, or years from that certain realm of life, your thoughts turn to why or why not?  Well, this has happened many times to me.  Would I go back and change my focus? Maybe and maybe not…I am not sure.

These types of things have made me ponder about certain events and people in my life.  I am sure that we have all experience the “what if”  or the “why” game.  For some reason, I have been thinking about a certain event that happened in my life.  Now  many days, months, and  years later, I wonder if I shouldn’t have been so focused on this certain event or people. All sorts of questions seem to be plaguing my mind. Did it affect my relationship with people that I didn’t realize were important in my life?   Was I in the right place at the right time?  Was I in the wrong place at the wrong time?  If I had made a different choice, would I have impacted more people for the good? 

All of these questions plus many more have been gathering in my head with no sense of peace.  I chatted  with a few friends about this and have valued their  positive feedback.  But…the more I thought about it, the more worrisome I became.  I prayed for understanding and resolution.  I felt peace but I didn’t understand the peace that I received. 

As I was walking out of a meeting tonight, my phone chimed.  It was a text from someone that I haven’t heard from in quite sometime.  As I read her text, I FINALLY understood the peace that I had been feeling.  I did make a positive impact on people’s lives and NO...I didn’t neglect them.  Even though I was focused on other things…I was in the right place at the right time. 

I am grateful that she followed a prompting to contact me and share what she felt so strongly about.  I know that this was an amazing tender mercy from our Heavenly Father.  I understand the peace that I felt when I prayed for understanding and continue to feel when I look back on a particular situation.

~Michelle

I love St. George!

I love St. George.  I wish I could go at least once a month and just relax.  Oh, I love it.  We headed out this past weekend to enjoy some sunshine and softball.  It was a lot of fun and a much needed break from everyday life.  Miss B was my constant companion.  I loved every minute of it—even when we watched Tangled for the 8th time. 

I had planned on taking lots of pictures.  “Planned” being the key word.  I had good intentions. HA HA…I only took one.  It was of Miss B eating her donut that Papa bought just for her. 

~Michelle