... It's not only a river in Egypt!

DE-NIAL

Ok. It's official. I'm slow to put up the final photos of Hawaii because I can't face the music! But it's not right because it was a happy ending to our Hawaiian fairy tale! So I have A LOT of photos to post! I will do as much as fast as i can. Derek had his parents show up to support his GRADUATION! Yup, haven't posted that yet! :( Hard work paid off, so let's celebrate! Enjoy December! * and yes I did cry looking at these.

Waikiki

MY old store in Hyatt! Saw that for the last time! Fond memories! 

Bye Bye Sunglass Hut!

My LOVES

More of those SiLLi WiLLi'S

Brian & Astrid Williams

It was SO NICE having you come visit! 

Thanks for spending time with us! 

We had a lot of fun!

JoJo got a gingerbread cookie & LOVED it, Thanks Grandma Williams

\

deep thoughts...

WEEE!

Hide & Seek

Partners in Crime

She got pooped from running around and having so much fun! 

Had to lay down for a minute!

I love the diversity of Hawaii! XOX Aren't they all darling!!!?

Swings: where a kid can be a kid

... no matter your age!

Is there such a thing as too much love? We don't think so!

Jocelyn is SO relaxed!

xoxox

Luck of the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

xox

Chair tutorial by HiLLmark

Due to popular demand, just kidding! ... Here is a break down of what I did to transform these chairs! 

Enjoy. If you have questions let me know! So check out craigslist or KSL and don't over look those old pieces of furniture. They just need a little face lift!

(pull not put)

Old wood color and new black...

These are the other 2 chairs and the dining table that my mom & dad did! 

The china hutch is NEXT!!!

Simpleness

MY LIFE IS BUT A WEAVING BETWEEN MY GOD AND ME.
I DO NOT CHOOSE THE COLORS, AND HE WORKETH STEADILY.
OFT TIMES HE WEAVETH SORROW, AND I, IN FOOLISH PRIDE,
FORGET HE SEES THE UPPER AND I THE UNDERSIDE.
NOT TILL THE LOOM IS SILENT AND THE SHUTTLE CEASE TO FLY
WILL GOD UNROLL THE CANVAS AND EXPLAIN THE REASONS WHY.
THE DARK THREADS ARE AS NEEDFUL IN THE SKILLFUL WEAVER'S HANDS
AS THE THREADS OF GOLD AND SILVER IN THE PATTERN HE HAS PLANNED.



With all that happens in life and especially to my dear friends and family recently, I have been brought to deep reflection. I know this life is filled with love and laughter, tears and sorrows. There is a time and a season for all. I have so many reasons to rejoice! I am blessed with so much! I have a husband that loves me, that serves me, and sacrifices so much for me! I have a beautiful healthy daughter that is brilliant and angelic in my eyes. I have parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles that teach me so much by their examples of service and courage. They have sacrificed for ME... and I am grateful. I have cousins and friends that build me up and inspire me! I have a peace inside me that guides and teaches me. I love Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Redeemer. I love my God. He is all knowing and forgives us despite our follies. I know God loves me. I know He has a plan. I know He wants us lead back to him and so we have a prophet to guide us. Thomas S. Monson is a man of God. He is not a perfect man but as a prophet he is perfect in his counsel. He speaks the will of the Lord. And the even smaller ways God communes with us is by sending dear, tender mercies. So often unexplainable, so precious, so rare. It's their simplicity that empowers me to remain full of hope. They are so dear to me.

Today we read about Abraham and Isaac when Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son. I can not even begin to imagine being asked to do such an act. What a test! To fear God more than self or sorrow. I see that Isaac symbolizes us, that Christ was the lamb to take our place... that he died and was resurrected. The atonement is so sacred and precious. I hope to better understand it! I know I have much to learn ... wisdom to gain. Today I learned how necessary it is for me to attend church. To be strengthened by others... even those I do not know. To have time just as a sisterhood and feel of the Holy Spirit. What a blessing it is! I have a passionate belief in this Relief Society I am a part of. I know that being independent at BYU-Hawaii helped me lean on those around me. To grow and not depend on my family as much as was comfortable. To reach out and see that there are other ladies going through the same things I am. To let them support me. And in turn lift them up in their struggles. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church. That it is led by God. It is here for our happiness! I need all of your examples and friendship. Thank you for being you. For standing tall and immovable. I love you!

My most recent project...

Before & After

THANKS MOM! My mom was here for a week! It flew by fast!!! One of our projects was for her to teach me how to redo the dining room chairs she gave us. She had 2 done, we did this one and I have 3 more to do. I will have one more with this same fabric and then the other 2 are a different fabric. I'm so excited! I can't believe that  it was that doable! It's a lot cheaper than buying 6 new chairs!

If I can do it, you can do it!

Pray for HAWAII

Tsunami Warning expected at 11 A.M. today!

They have to evacuate to higher ground!

Please pray for them!

I've Never...

... been to a concert. Michelle Branch at the Fresno Fair is the closest thing! It was great fun. I had tickets to go to Kelly Clarkson in like 2004 but she got sick and it was canceled the DAY BEFORE! I have to thank Laura for at least getting me that close! :> I don't know why I've just never made enough of an effort to go to one.

I know this isn't a music concert so that will still remain an "I've Never" but I am just as excited for my BIRTHDAY GIFT! Don't panic! We've got a whole month til that day comes but Derek is treating me to ...

BRIAN REGAN LIVE!

If you don't know who I am talking about PLEASE youtube his name or google him! He is a stand up comedian and he is CLEAN!

"Comedian Brian Regan keeps his routine clean Rick massimo, The Providence Journal
It’s easier to explain what Brian Regan’s comedy isn’t than what it is. It isn’t self-consciously bizarre; it isn’t angry; it isn’t raving; it just plain funny in the old-school, post-vaudeville fashion. Fellow comedian Patton Oswalt wrote, “Brian Regan’s comedy stuns me … because he can start down the road with a premise that every comedian knows has not one scrap of flesh left on its bones, and find a new angle of attack that yields prime cuts of comedic meat.”

It's so true!

So the tickets have been booked! And I am almost as excited just to go into the Abravanel Hall! (don't ask me how to pronounce that) It looks amazing! I LOVE CHANDELIERS!

 Sorry I couldn't contain my excitement! Had to share! :D
What a great present! Thanks, sweetheart! I wuv you!

A little Valentine's Day fun

Derek & I have been spending our evenings trying to find new things to do. 

We don't have a TV which has its pro's & con's but we are having a good time getting creative! 

So we spent Valentine's Day and the weekend playing : 

And I thought FOR SURE I'd be winning. Cocky? No, just confident. 

Why? Because Derek is always asking me how to spell words. 

So I thought this would be to my advantage. But how dare I underestimate my competitive husband! 

He has not had large words. Nothing complex but he has a skill of PLACING his words in the RIGHT place! It's pretty disturbing! He is undefeated. He just text me:

"0-3 Do you know what that represents?"

The nerve. 

Thanks, LOVE, for a fun Valentine's... REMATCH! :>

Yee-HA!

Derek's DREAM come true!

Just click on the photo to view the album!

Horseback Riding in the MOUNTAINS

YES! We did!

Packing, Unpacking, Packing, & Unpacking

Believe it or not we are still in business! ;> The SiLLi WiLLi'S have not left you! We have been on the go! And to be honest, I put all our photos on my hard drive and it's packed somewhere! :> OPPS! So as soon as I find it I can update you on everything!

Until then, I thought I would share with you a couple photos of Jocelyn today! I thought she was just looking so big! AND CUTE! I have to share...

Since Derek got the job offer we visited Derek's family in Camarillo California then he drove out car straight to Utah alone! We spent our 3rd anniversary apart. Then I got to go thru piles of things! and PACK up what we had just unpacked! We had already purchased a ticket for me to come to Utah for my cousins wedding, so that's when JoJo & I flew in. We were here for 2 weeks without our things-just 1 suitcase full... then a trailer full of boxes... just arrived TUESDAY NIGHT! Our family friend, Joel, had planned a skiing trip this week and offered to attached a trailer to the back of his TRUCK! What a blessing! THANKS JOEL! So, I have been unpacking again. :> But I do love it! Most of the things we are unpacking are our wedding gifts! They have been sitting in Fresno just WAITING to be opened and used for 3 years! So it's nice to feel like we just got married! I know that we sent out thank you's but this makes me want to some them out again! I love all that we have! It's so nice to have great friends and family with great taste! I have a kitchen full of appliances aka gadgets! I better get on it and have some fun using them! I can NOT wait!

Speaking of, I gotta get dinner cooking for the King of the House!

Loves & Hugs to all!

We love Bountiful Utah!