A few of my favorite things: Numero Dos :)

I just wanted you all to know that I am one happy girl. A very, VERY happy girl. :) And although I could drown you in reasons, I'm going to try to narrow it down to just a few. It's hard keeping these lists short though - so if I go a little longer than anticipated... then just have fun reading it, because I'm on a roll and I don't think I'm slowing down!! :) So here's Numero Dos of the ongoing list, A Few Of My Favorite Things:

1) Cacti. Majestic, stately and seemingly-full of wisdom, I am in love with these and have been since I was little. I remember crossing over the Arizona border when I was younger and we were making the move here, and seeing a saguaro for the first time. My nose was pressed to the window as we drove by, I just couldn't get enough of their curious frames and physical features. Their structure and life span fascinate me! It is illegal to cut down a saguaro here - part of the reason being that they take many years to mature fully, as a full-grown saguaro can inch on 200 years. For my friends not from Arizona - did you know that if you cut open a cactus, you can find water that is stored inside the plant?? And that the fruit produced on a Prickly Pear is actually quite delicious - especially in candy or ice cream? Despite their prickly appearance, I love cacti because they are a part of Arizona and its gorgeous wildlife - therefore, they are a part of me. :) A recent reminder of why I love them: while driving up to my friend's cabin this weekend, my breath was taken away by the beautiful "forests" of cacti spanning the desert scape on either side of the highway. There were literally hundreds - maybe even thousands? - of these incredible creations crowding the rocky foothills of the mountains that lay ahead. I made us pull over to take pictures, because I will love and miss them when I leave!!

2) My second family. Technically, the family I am staying with already IS a part of my family - they share my last name, and are actually my third cousins. But Robert, Nanette, Heidi and the rest of their family have become a real second family for me since I've been living here. I absolutely LOVE them!! I love how Robert will crack puns just like my own dad, and I love his down-to-earth approach on life. I love how Nanette and I will talk late into the evening when I get home from dates or being out with friends, because she loves talking about things together and is a night owl like me. I love that Heidi and I are just like sisters, and that she will let me in on her life and is addicted to doing her nails like I am addicted to doing mine. :) I love how adorable and fun the grandkids are, and how they all call me "Big Abby". :) I love that the rest of the siblings are always so ready to help and are so easy to talk to, and that I've felt like I belong because the whole family's been nothing but wonderful to me. I love the Sunday dinners and the siblings dropping by with their kids, I love the funny family discussions and the laughter shared. I have grown in my appreciation for families and have a stronger recognition of their importance from my time spent here. Thank you, family. I love you all so much.

3) Finding fun in the unexpected. This weekend, I spent time up at a beautiful cabin in the small town of Show Low with friends. It was absolutely perfect... even more so with the unexpected twist towards the close of our stay. :) We started out our vacation with a dinner at the local Branding Iron Restaurant - quaint and locally-owned, boasting of the best prime rib in the White Mountains and complete with a full line up of trucks in the parking lot. (I felt like I was a little more "accepted" in the eyes of the locals since I was wearing my Montana sweatshirt - something that was at least a little more Western than your typical flats and a dressy sweater.) :) Later that evening, we went hot tubbing at the club house of the development where the cabin was - and ended up getting caught and kicked out by the security guard for being there after hours. :) (SUCH a great memory!! What a fun experience.) The next day we all watched General Conference together, played out on the golf course behind the cabin, and then packed up to head home. Half of our group left early, but Carli, Sarah, Dave and I opted to stay a little longer - so that Dave could attend the Priesthood Session broadcast at a local Show Low ward building while Carli, Sarah and I could have a girls' night on the town! We intended on getting back to Mesa that evening so that we would be able to watch the rest of General Conference and spend Easter at home. Fast forward a couple of hours, and we are on the road - all packed up and beginning the trek back down to Mesa. Dave's car had been acting up all evening, and as we were heading out Dave knew that we wouldn't make it. The clutch was slipping - and Dave told us that he had vowed to either drive the car until it had reached 200,000 miles (which it was dangerously close to reaching) or until the clutch gave out, which was the pickle we now found ourselves in. We all started laughing because we had joked earlier how funny it would be if we had to spend Easter together for one reason or another up at the cabin - little did we know how much fun it would be!! :) Not knowing when we would be back to Mesa for certain, we stopped at the Family Dollar to get Easter items to pump up the festivities. We then came up with this brilliant idea: each person being in charge of supplying an Easter basket for one other person in the group, and buying things without the other seeing so that it would be a complete surprise. The only catch was that we set a $5 limit on the basket, which made the shopping trip a lot more interesting! :) We came back to the cabin, unpacked partially, played games together (during which we all laughed so hard that we either cried or could not BREATHE! I absolutely love laughing like this!!), went stargazing on blankets out on the golf course out back, opened Easter baskets... and then found ourselves back on the road all too quickly the next morning. We didn't expect to be staying an extra night in Show Low... but it made the weekend even more amazing than it already was. :) I had such a blast!!

4) General Conference. I'm not jumping on the band wagon and saying that I love it just like everyone else says they do, because I really mean this: I love General Conference. I love that it helps me view life from a different perspective, take a step back to re-evaluate where I am and that it gives me a little extra boost to help me continue in working to make myself a better person than I am. I look forward to it every time it comes around, and am amazed at how spiritually recharged I feel after every session. Sometimes I wonder if twice a year is really enough...

I have to head for Easter dinner for the family... there's so much more I could say... but can you tell why these things are some of my favorites?? Man I am a happy girl!!

I am so blessed. :)