A NEW Bloggity Blog!

Well everyone...  I've decided to jump ship. 

...
I'm jumping ship on THIS blog, I mean.

This has been somewhat of a chronical (albeit quite inconsistent) of my life as a single woman.  I'm excited to start sharing updates about our new family-life with my husband, & wanted a new place, all our own, for that.

That said, I'm glad to announce a NEW BLOG, where you will find our Darby Family Fun!

http://www.ourdarbydaze.blogspot.com/

I decided to keep it private though, so if you'd like to follow Our Story as it keeps on going, send me your email address in an email, or post a comment, or send a text, or somehow let me know you'd like an invite, & as soon as I can, I'll get you hooked up!  ;o)

I haven't decided yet if I will let this blog fade to oblivion, or if I might still use it somehow, but either way I'm excited for the fresh beginning of our new blog!

Figured out the WHY...

I just looked back, (not very far since I haven't posted much at all since moving to Yuma & not having internet) & I re-read my post about moving to Yuma.  It kinda melted my heart just a little bit.  Here's why!  This is what I typed, WAY back, last summer ;o), & some of the reactions that touched my heart today:

"I don't know WHY I'm going to Yuma, ...  But I am pretty sure that I'm supposed to go to Yuma."

People really did ask me "WHY Yuma???".  All those question marks in their voices & everything.  I really, REALLY didn't know WHY. 

Just because I couldn't understand what was bringing me here, I wasn't coming here blindly.  The only thing I really had was the strong feeling that I was doing the right thing with my life.  I stepped forward into the darkness with faith, & although it sometimes falters & I know I'm so weak, I have found great blessings awaiting me.  God is great, & I love to feel His love.
I've discovered the answer to all those questioning words.  By coming to Yuma, I met the man I'll spend the rest of my life & forever with.  He loves me for me.  He loves me despite ALL my faults & quirks & struggles.  He loves me when I cry, & especially when I laugh.  He has ALWAYS been so patient with me, ALWAYS supported me, & loves to be my adventure buddy!  I want to spend my time with him, & he loves to be with me.  He even reserves the Zelda marathons for when I'm so occupied with other things that I'm not much fun to hang out with anyway.  ;o)  I love him.  I love so much about him, especially his great heart.

When I was moving to Yuma, I never, ever imagined that Yuma would hand me a piece of my Forever... a VERY important piece of Forever!  But it has.

More that I read: 

"To be perfectly honest, changes can still be hard for me. ...  I'm scared, but excited! Yuma may or may not melt my brains out, that is yet to be determined. BUT, I know that Yuma will hold many adventures & hopefully a lot of growing experiences!"


Well, changes are STILL hard for me, & this coming year holds more than I can count right now! (I only teach 2nd grade, we don't have to count THAT high...)  I find myself again scared, but most definitely excited!  Has Yuma succeeded at melting my brains out??  Well, It's easier to say no right now, when our temperatures have actually been dropping below freezing, but NO.  I still have pretty good brain power, despite the early & strong allergies I'm fighting at the moment.  Is it hot? A resounding YES!  Will it kill me?  NO, especially knowing that by the time the rest of the world is remembering what FALL is like, we'll be moving somewhere new.
 
Has Yuma presented me with adventures & growing experiences??  HECK YES!  The adventures I/we have had already, have been fantastic, & I'm sure what's coming right around the corner is going to be even more exciting & adventuresome!  As for growing, I know I've got SO far to go, but if preparing to join your life with someone else's, & planning for Forever, & talking about your very own home & family doesn't stretch you & help you learn more about yourself & that special one you love, then I don't know what will.  AND, if that doesn't do it, then the kids I love to teach, even the most "Special" of them, will most definitely stretch me, & require me to learn, to grow, & to become a better me.
 
So, to sum up these rambled thoughts,  I guess I just have to say, Here's to Yuma!  & Here's to all kinds of new & exciting changes!

Our Story - Bedtime Story Style

So, after not posting for so long, here I am, ready to post again.  Jonathan & I have had fun telling each other bedtime stories, & a LOT of them go a little something like this....


Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Princess who moved away from home.  She felt lost & alone, & a little scared, but only on the inside, because she was trying to have a great new adventure!  Then, on her travels she met a Warrior.  Now, this new land she called home was HOT, very very hot.  But the Warrior was hotter than even the hottest day.  He was strong & brave, & very happy to meet the new Princess.  And she was happy to meet him too.  The Princess was admittedly hesitant, having dealt with some major spells of heartache & several 'idiots in tin foil' in the previous year.  But she decided to give this Warrior a chance... or two.  As she kept getting to know him she began to fall in love with him, because he knew he loved her a long time before he told her so.  The Warrior fell more quickly & easily than the Princess, but he was patient with her.  She went away on a voyage to far away lands that she loved, & while she was gone, she began to understand the tender feelings in her heart for this brave Warrior who was already in love with her, (even knowing the good & the more difficult things about her).  When she returned from her voyage, she told him that she loved him too.  And when she did, he was so happy, that this brave Warrior's smile shone like the smile of a little boy on Christmas morning!  :)


He always knew what he would do next.  So late one night, he got down on one knee, told the Princess of his love for her & how it would last forever, and asked the beautiful Princess to be his Queen.  The Princess knew what the Warrior was thinking before he asked that big question, but she was still a little slower, dissappointing him that night, & requiring his patience again as she made him wait.  So while he waited, the Warrior prepared all his armor, as spiffy & shiny as could be, & took the Princess to a special warrior ceremony.  He took the Princess to a ball!  The Princess was so excited!  But... they didn't dance at the ball.  Good thing for the Warrior that the Princess was satisfied with dancing in her cottage, instead of at the ball.  In fact, it made her smile.


Then they went to a big, white castle.  They planned this voyage with the Warrior's visiting parents, & with a handmaiden or two.  The voyage was for all of them, but the Princess went with a special quest.  She looked forward to their visit to the great white castle, & decided that there she was going to answer that warrior's proposal, even though she wasn't yet SURE of the answer, like she hoped to be.  As they traveled upon the Warrior's white stallion to the glorious castle, the Princess kept seeking the guidance of her kind, wise Father.  Even as they arrived, the princess was seeking the answer.  


As they went into the castle to be instructed by the kind, wise Father, & the Princess was indeed taught!  First as they entered, one of the guards spoke to the Warrior of great blessings and answers to be found in the Father's castle that day.  Next, a kind guide in the castle spoke to the Princess & the Warrior of how he could see their sweet love, & how great it was for them to be visiting the kind Father that day with the Warrior's parents.  The Princess hear those words deep inside her heart, as his words stirred her tender feelings, & the Warrior held her hand.  The same guard also spoke with the Warrior's parents later, before the instructions were recieved, & the Princess again overheard, feeling sweet & tender feelings repeated as the guide spoke to the parents.  As they were instructed, the kind, wise Father spoke to the heart of the Princess.  Her emotions overflowed, & her tears made the Warrior worry.  But the tears weren't sad tears.  Not at all!  They came from being reminded of the kind Father's infinite & individual love, & from words that seemed to be spoken just for the Princess in response to her quest, by guides & helpers who didn't even know there WAS a quest.  


As the Warrior was waiting for the Princess in the Grand Hall (& worrying about her tears & what her answer might be), he talked with his parents, & the Princess tried to dry her tears so she could go talk with her Knight in shining, white armor.  When at last the Warrior & the Princess were reunited, they embraced, & sat together.  As the Princess laid her head on the Warrior's shoulder, she calmed down, & turned to whisper in his ear, one word. A simple word that would effect forever.  "YES."  She started crying again, & the Warrior wanted to shout for joy right then & there, but instead he just kissed the Princess & hugged her tighter.  


The Princess had a hard time containing her emotions, & at this point was worried she'd pass out from lack of nourishment... which brought her emotions that much closer to the surface.  The Princess & the Warrior told the Warrior's parents & they all embraced, then the parents left- the Warrior's Father strutting proudly from the room.  He was so pleased that everyone could see it.  As soon as they left the castle, they began to spread the word of their upcoming marriage!  Some of the carrier pidgeons though, weren't very fast, or effective, & some of the royal court became offended at their slow announcements.  Still they continued to tell their courts & handmaidens & neighbors, & friends!

But that, my friends, is just the BEGINNING.  ;o)

I'm Engaged!

It's been ages & ages since I've had internet, so I haven't blogged in that long & longer, though I do have a draft or two that got started sometime during bouts of internet connectivity, but I do have a connection now, & I have some news!......

I'm getting married!

Here's some of our story...

Jonathan is in the Marine Corps, & has been stationed in Yuma for a couple years.  

Earlier this year, I knew I was moving to Yuma, not really having an answer to the question I heard over & over "WHY Yuma??"

Jonathan & I met at a YSA activity, where we quickly became acquainted, thanks to Quelf, the game that is King of Random.  I don't have a picture of us, but it went pretty much like this.....

 Everyone had to take turns sitting on Jonathan's lap & telling "Santa" what they wanted for Christmas.

"I want a super deluxe tool kit."  hahaha!

Good to meet you!

Jonathan asked me out, but we actually kind of had our first date a night or two before that day came.  One night he brought over a couple pints of ice cream & we sat up all night eating ice cream & talking & watching TV.  When our date night came, we went out to a movie & then sat and talked over more ice cream at my house afterward.

Fast forward.   Jonathan & I are dating, though one of us is a little slow, & so we're not calling it that.  Jonathan had to go to Corporal's Course in Miramar for a few weeks, & I went for part of the weekend to visit.  We had a fun time playing at the beach.

Also on a weekend while he was at Corporal's Course we went to Mesa to go to the Temple & visit my sister & her family.  That weekend brought changes for us, & the next few weeks were a lot different.  We weren't dating anymore, but we were talking everyday, & getting to know each other more & more.  (FUNNY how that worked out....)

Just before Labor Day, Jonathan started talking about taking a trip to the Snowflake Temple.

I love northern Arizona, & I love visiting Temples, so when Jonathan invited me to go,  I decided it was a great excuse to visit with my family & with my dear friends, & so I went with him.  The brother of the friends that we stayed with thought that we were dating, & I just laughed.  But being in a car with someone for 12+ hours...  can get you talking, can open you up even more to each other, & for us it did.  Again our weekend getaway brought changes to our relationship, & within a day of getting home from that trip we were dating again.

We went to the Marine Corps Ball together, & by now Jonathan knew he wanted to marry me!

3 days later we went to the Mesa Temple, where we spent a little time with his parents & some friends, & where I was able to give him the answer he'd been hoping for .....

YES!

We're getting married!  We're getting maried! 

March 29th is the special day!

St. George, Utah is the special place!

We'll have a reception in Washington (where Jonatha is from), on April 2.

The next weekend will be our Northern Arizona reception, in the Prescott Area, on April 9th... (right, the 9th, or is it the 8th?) ;o)

We'll also have an open house in Yuma later in April, or maybe even in May, but we want to let our friends & ward families here celebrate with us! :)

That's the big news for now!

101 Things I Can Count On...

I've been working on this post for a long while, & it's been fun to think of new things to add!

101. Life is BeAutiful. (Even if it may not always seem that way-It is a Beautiful Disaster!)

100. The love of family.
99. I can do & be better. 98. I've been blessed with wonderful friends.

97. My puppy wanting to give (me) kisses.

96. You can't live life afraid.

95. Change is CONSTANT.

94. Reading old journals can bring back all the same emotions.

93. My friends being simply AMAZING!

92. People come for food.

91. Wanting to learn MORE.

90. Taking kids to a park is fun!

89. Falling in love is always a little bit scary.

88. Wanting to be a Mama.

87. Studying God's word brings answers & peace.

86. Kids saying the most wonderful things!

85. Learning more about myself.

84. When I pray, He hears me.

83. Always already Knowing at least part of the why when life feels CRazY.

82. Sunsets make me happy.

81. Seth & Croix make me SMILE.

80. Being "bold" can be uber scary.

79. Finding a new song that I LOVE.

78. Listening to old favorite songs brings those memories back.

77. Being an Auntie is one of life's great treasures.

76. Tomorrow will come.

75. I am awkward.

74. A good book reels me in.

73. Having "Besties" who I can talk to about anything.

72. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

71. The Temple bringing joy.

70. Wanting to eat that piece of Chocolate.

69. Loving some hot chocolate in a mug.

68. Enjoying cuddling.

67. Things will be funnier when I'm tired.

66. There will be more laundry to wash, fold, & put away.

65. Music speaks to my soul.

64. Loving to sing.

63. My hammock making me happy.

62. Catching a gorgeous sunrise is worth getting up that much earlier.

61. Occasionally finding that competitive streak in me.

60. Cheese is yummy.

59. Hours can be wasted online, if I'm not careful.

58. Addictinggames.com can actually be addicting, given the opportunity.

57. Reading other people's blogs helps me keep up with their lives.

56. If something's scary, it might not be if I try again.

55. Sometimes what I want & what I need are not the same thing.

54. Lindt Milk Chocolate with White Cream is the best chocolate I've ever had.

53. Prescott holds amazing Christmas traditions.

52. Christmas will feel more like Christmas if I go to the Courthouse Lighting & the Walk Through Bethlehem.

51. Family brings happiness.

50. Family relationships can be tricky.

49. Tastes change.

48. A picture can be worth a thousand words.

47. Painted toe nails make me feel girly.

46. A hug can make it all better, at least for a moment.

45. Sometimes I just need to cry.

44. Some things, & some people, may never change.

43. Feeling inadequate.

42. Needing to change for the better.

41. "I can do hard things." (Even if I don't always believe it in the moment...)

40. The urge to "straighten" that desert.

39. Being stronger than I thought I was.

38. Finding joy in the journey.

37. The continual realization that I am a "work in progress".

36. RandomNesS can be so fun & exciting! & it makes me happy!

35. It can be surprising who your best friends are.

34. The people who pass through my life touch me & leave an impression, whether they're there for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.

33. God's hand is in my life.

32. Moving is a lot of work.

31. After night comes day, always a new day full of promise.

30. Flowers can brighten up a room, or a difficult day/week.

29. Someone LOVES me.

28. Life will be full of the unexpected.

27. People are beautiful, no matter their "body type" or the color of their skin.

26. Beauty lies in who a person is, & not in what they look like.

25. "I need more chocolate in my life."

24. Time is one of life's very best gifts.

23. Wanting to hike/run/etc, even though I'll probably end up wodering (again) WHY I love it!

22. Time goes so quickly.... When it's running out.

21. Sometimes when a day feels like a week, weeks race by like days.

20. Finding friends in random/unexpected places.

19. Wondering where that bruise came from.

18. Trenton helping me out without complaining.

17. Finding miracles every single time I look for them.

16. Wanting to buy new shoes, but having a heck of a time finding shoes I like.

15. My phone will eventually give up on me.

14. Laughter is the best medicine. I love to laugh!

13. Fighting the shy in myself when I'm in new situations.

12. Being able to get by just fine without TV.

11. Drinking ice water in restaurants with ceiling fans = goosbumps.

10. Recognizing all the beauty in the world if I stop to look around.

9. Going to church each Sunday helps me face the coming week.

8. Distractions. (They don't have to be evil to be effective.)

7. Never getting enough sleep.

6. Wanting to capture the moment, to keep it forever.

5.Learning, growing, slipping, repeat.

4. Being me, & knowing that I am good enough because I'm doing the best I can.

3. I am a daughter of God, & have within me all the potential which that implies.

2. Jesus Christ is my Savior, He loves me, & will always welcome me with open arms.

1. God is my Father, & Loves Me more infinitely than I can understand.

My New Toy!

For a while now I've been thinking about buying myself a nice camera. When I found that I had the funds, I also suddenly found a sweet deal on this. My New Nikon D5000! It came as a camera kit with both the 18-55VR & 55-200VR lenses. I LOVE it!


I love taking pictures, & would love to actually become GOOD at it! So, of course I need to practice! ;o)

"What to do with all the pictures I'm taking as I practice?", you ask.... Well, I'm glad to announce a New Blog! foto-mia.blogspot.com

You can find the best-of-the-best/my favorites & fun pictures there! Some will have thoughts/quotes/songs along with, but others not. I'm hoping I can keep it updated often!

Enjoy my new FOTO Blog! And feel free to leave comments. :D

The Joy of New Life!

My Newest Nephew! :D

Croix James Maldonado was born yesterday, August 24, 2009 at 5:26 pm. He is perfect at 6 lb. 9 ounces & 20 inches long!

Terina, Brent, & Croix are such a happy beautiful family! Click here to see more of their pictures & Croix's story.

June 26

Today is a special day! I am celebrating my wonderful boyfriend's birthday! I am so glad for that day that he came into the world, & for the unexpected ways he has changed my life. Today also marks 2 1/2 years since we started dating, & I can't imagine my life without Mac in it! Life certainly hasn't gone the way I thought it would go, but it's been better than I could have imagined. Even though you're not reading this today, I love you Sweetheart and Happy Birthday!

General Conference

Today I've already had the chance to watch 2 sessions of General Conference. I love this chance, twice each year, to listen to Prophets & Apostles, & other leaders in Christ's church. They share messages of hope, peace in a turbulent world, & guidance to strengthen families & individuals. Listening to these inspired men & women, & through them the words of the Lord, inspires me to do & be better, & gives me strength.
I LOVE it!
Tomorrow I get 2 more sessions!

The Sweetest Baby

My nephew was born on December 1, 2007. Seth Lee Mcelmurry was welcomed to the world by friends & family, and especially by his proud Auntie Crystal-lynn. I just love this special, beautiful, baby boy. I've been dying to put pictures of him up here since I first started this blogging thing, but now I can. (Because today we celebrated Christmas, and I got a digital camera with computer connectors and everything!) These are pictures from this morning. Isn't he just the cutest!??