Life is Good

Hey all, thought I'd just give you an update on life.

As I mentioned, my newest niece, Leah Kristen Crooks, arrived on the 17th at 7:45 am. She was 7 lbs 9 oz, and I think 20in, maybe 21. Anyway, Leah got to spend some quality time with Aunt Lydia a couple times last week. I'm so glad that Sarah was just up in Orem for the delivery, because I was able to go up a couple times and just hold Leah so she and Matt could get a break to nap and shower. I loved helping out, because who wouldn't love holding a beautiful bundle of joy, just arrived straight from heaven. Leah's usually asleep when I hold her, but it's still super special, and she is certainly adorable!

Today I stopped by for a while and got to spend some time with big sister Evelyn! She is growing up so fast, I can hardly believe it! I taught her a new animal sound today; the elephant! We're still working on it a little, but she got it pretty well. Next goal: teach her how to say my name. Kids often struggle with mine, so it'll probably take a while, but we'll get there. I also went with Evelyn and Grandma(aka my mom) to the store to pick out some brand new footie pajamas for Evie. I'm so jealous! They were adorable, I need to find some that fit me!

I did have some great finds for myself tonight though, at Honks! I seriously love that store just for the $1 necklaces I find there. Today I bought 6 necklaces for $4 because three of them came together. A couple of them I like as are, but you better believe I'm taking the rest apart for use in future projects of my own.

I also got an increase in fabric today because my mom brought down a bunch of the scraps from my projects in my high school sewing class. I am super excited to have more fabric to make accessories with, but I'm even more excited to use it for my newest project: A baby mobile for baby Leah! I found a great idea for one on a blog(I can't find the blog again, so I've got to off of one from an etsy shop) and it turns out that Sarah needs a new one they can hang from the ceiling because Evie still uses the crib and Leah will be in a pack 'n' play for a bit. I am so excited to provide them with one! It will look something like this but not as color coordinated since I'm working with what material I have. I'll try to show you the finished product when I get it done though!

That's pretty much it. Jacob and I are staying busy with school and work, and I'm definitely looking forward to graduating in April. I'm not looking forward to finding a real job or a good, paying, internship, but I'm sure things will work out.

Call for Pictures and an Announcement

Hey all! Remember when I told you about the awesome magazine I'm working on? Well, I have another favor to ask of you: I am currently co-writing an article about great places to stop along I-95. Only problem is, we can't actually make the drive along I-95 to get pictures of the locations we've picked. It's a long shot, but we're asking friends and family if they happen to have pictures of the awesome places we've picked.

They include:

Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon, Massachusetts
Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington, Delaware
South of the Border in South Carolina
Historical sites, especially Civil War related in Richmond, Virginia
Tybee Island in Savannah, Georgia
and the historical Spanish sites in St. Augustine, Florida

If by any chance you do have pictures you think could be useful to us, please let me know ASAP.

Thank you muchly for reading this.


Also, She is here! My newest niece Leah was born this morning, 7lbs, 9oz, and 20in long. I hear she's adorable with lots of hair! I can't wait to go see her this afternoon. Don't worry, pictures WILL be posted at a later date.

We bought a glue gun yesterday . . .

and I already have a blister.

We also bought more DI fabric today. The bag had some felt in it. And by some I mean actually a lot. It will be useful. I've already put backs on all of the different flowers I've made so far. Now I just need the hair clips and headbands to put them on. Speaking of flowers, I've made five different kinds now that I can use for accessories. It makes me feel cool.

However, I've felt kind of crappy lately. As in my back keeps aching for no reason, or maybe because I bend over to work on crafts too much. It hurt all day today, and I felt so tired and grumpy because of it. I was supposed to be working on getting my portfolio ready so I can hopefully get an internship with the Church Magazines. I didn't really work on that today. However, I did do some organizing today! At the beginning of Christmas break I organized our nice big closet and it looked all pretty, but it had become a disaster again. Well, today it looks nice and pretty again, and I have a shelf for my newly acquired craft supplies. Woohoo!

Anyway, this post ended up being longer than I intended, I really just wanted to let you know about the glue gun blister, cause I'm super tired. So, I'm going to bed now.

p.s. Next time I blog, I may be telling you all about my newest adorable niece, who I am very impatiently awaiting the arrival of. But not as impatiently as my sister Sarah. Please keep them in your prayers so baby Leah can arrive safe and healthy!

Want to be published?

Okay, so here's the dealio,

As you may or may not know, I am an editing minor and I'm graduating in April. For the editing capstone class that I'm in right now, we students basically become the staff for a magazine that will actually be printed and published! Awesome, right?

Well, the magazine is a travel magazine, and always includes a section called "Tales from the Trip" where we have people submit their funny or interesting stories about their vacation experience to be included in our magazine. I'd love to have one of my family members or friends write wonderful story we choose to include.

You won't be paid, and it's not like we're a famous magazine, but you'll be published! And you'll be helping me and my classmates out. If you're interested type up a 150-250 story about your experience and e-mail it to me at lydia.hirschi@gmail.com before February 22nd.

Hope to get some fun stories from you!

P.S. There is also a photo contest! You can check out more about that and the magazine at our website: stowawaymag.com

Still Craft Crazy

I'm still in a crazy crafting mood!! I've even added a couple of craft blogs to my list. You can see them to the left, they are Ziggy Crafts and Homestitched. Homestitched is even having a giveaway right now. I don't know the people who make the blogs, but they have both supplied me with even more craft ideas and I just wish I had the time, materials, and therefore money, to make all of them!!

Also, I did have a craft night with my sister. It was so much fun! She reminded me how to crochet and taught me how to make a crochet flower headband! I love it. And I gave her some tips on jewelry making. I want to have another craft night with her soon, but hopefully baby Leah will arrive soon and delay that second craft night.

I also bought a big bag of material at the DI (thanks to Catherine for mentioning doing the same thing on her blog! I didn't even know they had material!) And I discovered that Honks, the dollar store behind my house, actually has some beads and other jewelry supplies! Jacob was even more enthusiastic about getting some bead supplies than I was! So we got a whole bunch. Usually I just find jewelry there to take apart, seeing as it only costs a dollar.

Now I just need a sewing machine. Anyone have one they want to donate? But really, thanks to Jacob's friend Alicia for letting us know there are smaller craft sewing machines, we're going to start keeping an eye out for one at a good price.

But I'll seriously take any craft supply donations you might want to make. Or you know, money donations to buy said supplies with works too.

This weekend was my stake's Relief Society Super-Saturday activity. I learned how to do some new crafts, and now I am being taken over by a desire to be crafty, crafty, and more crafty. I want a real house I can decorate. I want more money to buy decorations with. And to buy crafting supplies with. And I want the time and knowledge and skills to make every cute crafty thing that I think I like in the whole world!

I need someone to remind me how to crochet, and then teach me more than the basics so I can make cool things, like hats and headbands and scarfs and blankets and lots more.

When all of the flower type things first became fashionable, I thought they were ridiculous. I made fun of all of you who wore them. But now, I like them. A lot. Possible simply because I want to be fashionable. But who cares why, I just do. And I learned how to make some yesterday. And I want to learn how to make more and just make make make them.

And I wish I could sew better. And that I had a sewing machine. But possibly that latter wish should come first.

And I want more beads and chains and necklace supplies! And more ideas, and more colors. Currently I'm working on a necklace that's mostly blacks and whites and silverish. But I want to make a purple necklace really badly. And a red one too. I wish that beads weren't so expensive. However, I did buy three necklaces for a dollar each from Honks. I took them apart. Eventually I'm going to use the beads to make necklaces I like better. And maybe one day I'll actually make a post full or pictures of the jewelry I've made. I've made at least 5 necklaces now and altered at least one. And usually I make earrings and/or a bracelet to match.

AHH! I just want to craft! I think I'm going to have a girl's/crafting/chick flick day or night in a week or two. So if you by chance want to come and perhaps share some crafting skills and gain some others, let me know. And, if you just want to teach me how to do something, that's always cool too. :)

I'm getting craft giddy now. I better stop. And besides, I have a necklace to work on! Craft on!

Just Give Me Back My Pieces

Today I was reading my one of my really really boring text books for my Visual Rhetoric class (which I hate, btw) when I came across a true gem in a sea of boring information. In a journal-type example of visual rhetoric from some artist named Sabrina Ward Harrison I read these words in reference to a conversation she had with her grandmother:

"She said I should take care of the pain I am feeling. the same way I should take care of the scrap[e] on my knee. She said, Give it air, and sun. Don't pick at it. Let it heal."

Those words really made me start thinking, a lot. About how often I haven't taken care of my emotional pain the way I would a physical pain. So many times in my life I have felt that I wasn't loved, that I wasn't good enough to love, and have had things happen to me that I felt proved that feeling. Feelings and events and thoughts that have brought so much pain. And I have been horrible at giving my emotions air, and sun. At not picking at them, at letting them heal. For a long time, and even still, I've focused on the bad things that have happened to me, on my negative thoughts and feelings, and by dwelling on them, by "picking at them" I never allowed myself to heal. It took me many, many years to realize that I was still in so much pain in large part because I would not let myself move on. In fact, letting go is still a slow process, like breaking out of a shell because I have to give up my habit of holding on. But it's a process that is slowly working.

Strangely enough, shortly after I read this, my ipod played the song "Be OK" by Ingrid Michaelson, which is all about wanting to put broken pieces of a heart back together and be okay again. This song expressed what I have felt so many times. Wanting to be okay, but now knowing where my pieces have gone so that I can put them back together.

But something I've realized lately, is that maybe I don't need all of those pieced. Maybe it's time that I learn over again how to become a person, how to mold a personality, a character. Maybe I need to figure out again how to be Lydia. But not the old Lydia. A new Lydia, a better Lydia, a happier and healed Lydia. Sometimes I think I'm getting there. For a long time I would complain to Jacob that I had nothing that was "mine," nothing that was "me." But I think I realized you can't just go about your life hoping you can find those things, I realized you have to search for them. You have to look at something and decide, I want that to be a part of my life, to be a part of me. I want to make that change. Lately I've had this desire to be crafty. Maybe I feel like I'll fit in with the wives in Provo if I am. But even if that was my first motivation, it doesn't matter, because I've discovered at least one thing that I'm beginning to make mine. I love my latest experiments with making my own jewelry. I'm starting to feel more confident in my abilities to create something beautiful, and I'm starting to feel more confident about myself in general.

And it's a wonderful feeling, because that confidence is real. So often I've lied to myself and said I felt confident. But that was just to hide from my insecurities. And sometimes I still do. But I think finally I've begun to find my own special way of building confidence. I think for the first time in a long time I'm remembering how to love myself completely, and to do so just because I'm me, not because someone else sees worth in me, or because I've accomplished something big. No, just because I'm Lydia, and I'm doing my best to be my best in this life. I think I'm finally beginning to realize that I hold the pieces to creating the best Lydia, me, not anybody else. And it doesn't matter what they say or think, as long I, and the Father, am happy with what the end result is.

I still have a long way to go, and I still have some scars that need healing. But today, I'm feeling hope. I'm still terrified about the changes the future holds for me. Terrified about graduating, about having to find a real job, about failing to do so because I may not have enough experience on my resume. But right now, I'm okay with that. I'm okay because I know that I, Lydia, will be able to make it through, as long as I know who I am. And I think I've finally began to do just that.

Our bad Car luck

So, Jacob and I bought a new car. It's pretty, and newer than our 91 Geo, and not falling apart, so we liked it. Supposedly. But then this weekend happened, and I and the new car were NOT friends. But it's okay now, I think we're friends again. Here is our story, and some other car adventures thrown in.

So, we bought the car knowing that it needed some repair, mainly a couple of new tires and the alignment fixed. So we decided we would head up to my parents for part of the weekend and go to my dad's trusty mechanic in Layton. Well, I guess we should have had a warning when we had to get the car jump started before we left. We weren't too worried though because we knew that might be the case since the car had been sitting around for a few months before we bought it. So we got on our way, hoping that the 1/4 of a tank of gas we had left would get us all the way, because if we stopped the battery would die. To our surprise and horror though the car died just before we would have passed the Alpine/Highland exit, so we pulled over(luckily we were able to make it to the exit ramp, so we weren't off the main highway).

We called my dad and then waited in our cold car for about an hour until he and my mom pulled up in the truck. At that point we hooked up our car to the truck and my dad towed us all the way to the mechanic shop in Layton. Jacob had to sit back in our car with not heat and not lights to control the steering wheel and hit the break when we needed to slow down. Needless to say, it was probably the longest drive up he's ever experienced. I got to sit in the nice warm truck and chat with my mom, and I certainly love Jacob for being willing to let me do so while he had to deal with the nerve-wracking job of keeping our car where it needed to be. However, we made it safely to Layton and even did so without getting pulled over, which was pretty lucky considering the fact that my dad shouldn't have been towing our car that far without it's own lights.

After we dropped the car and key off at the mechanics for them to work on it in the morning, we went out to dinner and my dad jokingly said maybe our gas gauge reads wrong and we had really just ran out of gas. We all laughed and figured that couldn't be the case but that it had to least been the battery dying again. Well, when the shop called in the morning it turned out my dad was right, our gauge was wrong and we had ran out of gas! If we'd had enough gas we maybe could have made it up to my parents, but possibly not because our battery also needed to be replaced, and we needed more oil. But after we got all that fixed, and some new tires, and the alignment fixed, and we paid 440 bucks, everything was good! And we made it safely back to Provo. However, we do still need to replace one sensor before we can get the car inspected and registered, and maybe then I'll post a pic or two .

That wasn't all though. Apparently when Jacob and I have car troubles it's contagious because while we were up there we also discovered my mom's car had a flat tire and my dad had to get that replaced. When we left we promised my dad no more car troubles, but he called us last night to inform us that we were in big toruble because when my mom tried to leave for church yesterday the battery in her car was dead. But hey, they say bad things come in 3's. So we should be fine now, right?

Catch Up

Wow, I have been such a slacker when it comes to blogging lately. Shame on me. I'll try to do better, but I make no promises. For now, I'll just try to briefly catch you up on my life.

Jacob and I went to the Scarlet Pimpernel and it was amazing! Thanksgiving break was good as always, though I think I literally gained 5-10 pounds that weekend. Jacob and I got to enjoy TWO Thanksgiving Dinners, one on Thursday and one on Friday, and if that wasn't enough food, on Wednesday Jacob's family took us out for my birthday dinner, and on Saturday my parents did the same thing. So much food! But I felt so blessed that we can spend time with both of our families.

The same thing went for Christmas Break. We spent a few days with Jacob's family, and then a few days with my family and I really am so glad that unlike many couples at BYU we don't have to pick who we're going to see that year for Christmas. This year we spent the actual holiday with my family and it was so wonderful to be there again for Christmas Eve, Morning, and Day. I love traditions and although I enjoyed last year with Jacob's family, it just felt right to be back with my family this year, and playing games with all of us there was a lot of fun.

On another note, I've started making more of my own jewelry lately, which has been a lot of fun. I've meant to post some pictures here, but I haven't. Maybe I'll get around to it eventually. This means that for Christmas I got some supplies for jewelry making, but most special was the pendant that Jacob made for me. It's a beautiful dark wood that he worked on in his dad's wood shop, and I look forward to making a necklace with it.

Our New Year's Eve was a fun evening spent with our friends Jesse and Catherine. It also included an adventure. Jacob and I decided it was a perfect opportunity to pull out the Fondue Pot we got for our wedding. We were just going to use the cheese packet that came with it (don't worry we checked the date, it was still good) until I checked out the ingredients after Jacob had already put it on the stove to warm. Lo and behold, it had two alcoholic ingredients in it. So, we had to scratch that plan and quickly find a non-alcoholic cheese fondue recipe to use. Luckily we already had some Swiss Cheese on hand and didn't have to run to the store. After that was taken care of though, we enjoyed a fun and relaxing evening with Jesse and Catherine while eating good food, playing Cribbage(thanks to Jacob's dad for teaching us and giving us a Cribbage board) and watching How to Train Your Dragon. All in all, it was a great evening.

In last minute news, Jacob and I bought a new car, I got an internship for this semester, and Jacob and I started our last semester at BYU. We both graduate in April! And also, my best friend Sara K. G. is finally back in good old Provo which makes me so happy!

The End.

Discovery

Jacob and I have discovered a new favorite treat place. For a while we always went up to Coney's because we love their frozen custard. But, we have discovered somewhere much closer, healthier, and more delicious.

I'll even tell you where it is so that you can all enjoy it too. Drumroll please . . .

Earth Fruits Yogurt.

That is our new favorite place. They have like 6 or 7 flavors of frozen yogurt, all made using real fruit. Then they have about 20 or 30 different toppings you can add on top. Fruit, candy bar pieces, Cheesecake bites. So tasty!

Just one problem. The more you pile on the deliciousness, the more it costs because the cost is based on the weight of what is in your bowl. But, if you can control yourself, it is so worth it.

Delicious! You should all try it. (Those of you in Provo who can get there anyway.) It's right by Fat Cats, HogiYogi, and Teriyaki Stix.

And now I'm craving some.

Just in case you care

I added a new post to my writing blog for the first time in over a year. It's just a short poem I wrote, because I felt like it.
It's certainly not amazing, and I felt really rusty while writing it, but please, feel free to enjoy and comment.
You can check it out Here

Happy Fall. Watch out for the possible snow on Monday.

When Fall comes

I remember.

Raking up leaves in the old house in Layton. It was pretty much my job every year. And then, when I was done, I would lay down in a the big pile and just smell the leaf smell and look up at the sky. Until Aussie came and licked me in the face.

I miss having leaves to rake. But more than that, I miss have Aussie attack and lick my face.

But hey, at least it IS fall. And I get to walk through crunchy leaves.

If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops

It's fall now.

I walked home in the rain today. Good thing my husband lets me use his umbrella because the last two I bought died within a week of the purchase.

However, I still got wet. Especially my feet. I decided I need some of these:


And possibly one of these:


And my own one of these:


Or maybe this one to cover my backpack


Or maybe another of the options on this website here

Only problem is, such things cost money. But, you can feel free to donate to the "Lydia needs to stay dry Charity". It can even be your birthday present, since my birthday IS coming up.


Speaking of birthdays, Jacob and I are going to see this

for our combined birthday presents. I'm super excited! This will be my first time seeing a musical at an actual playhouse, so far I've only experienced them at a high school level. And my high school had a great musical program, but still, not the same. Now I just have to wait till November 15th!

That they may be light.

So, I'm taking an LDS Literature class this semester, and I absolutely love it. It makes me think a lot about things I wouldn't have before. But one thing about it is bugging me.

Everybody in my class keeps talking about how people in the LDS culture are rarely willing to admit that they are going through a hard time or that their life is not going perfectly. I can understand the basis for this statement because often people are worried that they will be judged by others if something is wrong in their life. However, I do not feel like this is entirely the case. And even when it is the case, I feel like it should not be the case.

I'm not saying we need to tell everybody about all of our problems, or that everybody in the ward should know about the issues a family might face, because some things simply don't need to be shared. I'm just saying we shouldn't be ashamed to admit we aren't perfect. Only one person who has ever lived has been perfect, and we certainly shouldn't expect everybody to be Christ. But I think that sadly, sometimes within the Mormon culture, perfection can be expected, or that we at least think it is expected of us. This simply should not be the case.

In the book of Mosiah we read about Alma teaching at the waters of Mormon. When the people are baptized they covenant that they are "willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light . . to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:8-9). The baptismal covenant that we make in latter days is the same that those faithful members made at the waters of Mormon. God wants his children to help each other, in fact he asks us to do, and by doing so we show our love for him.

How can the children of God fulfill this commandment if we do not let them. If we do not admit that we need help, how can God send us the answer to a prayer in the form of a faithful neighbor, visiting teacher, friend, or family member? If we refuse to be helped, how can our loved ones be given an opportunity to find their lives through losing their lives in service. God has always wanted service to be an essential part of his gospel. It knits his people together, and gives them an opportunity for progression.

I have seen this in my own life. My family has been through their own problems, and at first I often felt ashamed of the problems I and my family faced. However, as time passed, I recognized how important it is to accept help when you need it. It is only through loving support of friends, family, and ward members who knew of our family's needs that we were able to pull through some of our rough patches. Today, I have a stronger testimony of the gospel, of prayer, and of God's love because of the service our family was given. And this never would have happened if my family had kept our problems to ourselves because we wanted everyone to think we led a perfect life.

Anyway, this post ended up being a lot longer than I meant for it to be when I started out, so I'll wrap it up. I just want to say that it saddens me that in the LDS culture there may be a tendency to hide our weaknesses and difficult times. I believe that through sharing our burdens we can be built up spiritually, and help those around us to do the same.

Ingenuity

So, this weekend was Conference weekend; so wonderful!

But between conference sessions on Saturday, we went on an adventure.

To Honks.(A dollar store)

It happens to be really close to our apartment, so we headed over there. In search of crayons and a coloring book! Because I desperately needed something to do while listening to conference. But, apparently you can't find good coloring books at Honks. Or maybe they just don't exist anymore, because Honks had coloring books, but they were lame. So we decided to wonder around and see what they might have to do, or small items we've been meaning to buy lately. And then just as we were going to check out, we found the jackpot!

Necklaces. That would normally be retailed for like 20 plus bucks. For one dollar. Actual nice necklaces that I would want to buy and wear. So, I bought some. My favorite one though(because it's green) was shorter than I would like, so at first I was just not going to bother about it. But then, Jacob had a genius idea. Buy two of them, and combine them. So we bought two of them.

And then I came home and wondered how I could make two necklaces become one, without looking weird. So, I tinkered around, removed some pieces, connected others. And processed to create this masterpiece:



I am quite proud of myself. I really do want to learn how to make my own jewelry in hopes it will be cheaper than buying it. And this gave me another idea of how I can find jewelry for cheap, and get practice at working with the pieces.

Also, we finally stopped by the little bakery that is also right by our apartment. We got some delicious eclairs. Mmmm.

And today, my parents took us for drive to see the beautiful fall leaves.

Such a great weekend.