Author Archives: Meredith

About Meredith

Meredith is a native Texan who is currently living in Salt Lake City, UT. She graduated from the University of Utah in 2002 with a B.A. degree in Psychology and a minor in Human Development and Family Studies. She has been married for almost 10 years and has three beautiful children who consume most of her time. However, she started blogging in 2007 and has fallen in love with the idea of becoming a writer. She started scrapbooking over 10 years ago, and has become obsessed with that as well. She also dreams of the day when someone will pay her to scrapbook for them! When she is not scrapbooking, or blogging, she loves to people watch, and analyze what makes people tick. Meredith is proud to be a Mormon, and even served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where she fell in love with the Latin culture and learned to speak Spanish. Visit Meredith on her personal blog at www.fakingpictureperfect.wordpress.com

What If We All Showed Love for God and Neighbor?

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Another question that was posed in our relief society lesson on Sunday that really stuck with me was, “What would the world be like if everyone showed love for God and Neighbor?” One mom raised her hand and said something along the lines of, “I would not live in fear anymore. I wouldn’t be scared to drop my kids off at school everyday. There would be no fear.” As I sat there thinking about that, I couldn’t help but think, “What would MY life be like without fear?” It was an interesting thought. As a parent, we can’t help but … Continue reading →

A Baby Will Turn You Into Someone Different Than You’ve Ever Imagined

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My youngest sister has her first baby now. And, as a result, I think I have become her go-to person when she is wondering anything about motherhood. From breastfeeding, to “what’s that!”, to “should I worry?” questions, it has brought us a little closer as sisters. We are 8 years apart in age, but now it seems like now that she is a Mom, we have plenty to talk about. I look at her reaction to things and smile now that I have have survived 3 newborns. She texted me the other day to let me know that she had … Continue reading →

The First Great Commandment

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In the October 2012 general conference, Elder Holland gave a great talk titled, “The First Great Commandment.” That was the talk we discussed in Relief Society this past week. It was a great reminder that we can all be doing more to love God. What really impacted me was the following interpretation by Elder Holland regarding Peter’s exchange with the Lord, who asked him three times, “Lovest Thou Me?” When Peter responded in the affirmative the third time, Elder Holland says, “To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why … Continue reading →

My Baby is a Screamer

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I think that I have a screamer on my hands. No wait, I know I do. Neither of my other children ever screamed like my little guy is doing. Yesterday, we took our little guy to church as usual on Sundays, and we were sitting in class and he was playing with some crayons. He was getting frustrated because he was not able to take them in and out of the bag that they were in easily. So, he started screaming. I am not talking about a cry, but I am talking about a scream of frustration. It seems this is … Continue reading →

Serving Others Despite A Busy Life

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I have been thinking a lot lately about serving others. At this stage in my life, it feels impossible to reach outside the needs of my own little family that demands so much, to others that might be in need. However, I believe that the Lord expects so much more of each of us. In the book, Daughters in My Kingdom, there is a quote by George Albert Smith that states, “Our eternal happiness will be in proportion to the way that we devote ourselves to helping others.” When you really think about that statement, it is hard not to … Continue reading →

Coping with Loss

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It is difficult for anyone when they lose someone they love. It can be even more difficult to watch those that you love struggle with their loss when they do not have the knowledge of the Gospel to help them through their loss. At times, I don’t give much thought to the fact that merely knowing what happens after we die is a huge comfort to me. Since I was raised in the church, it has always been a part of my understanding of God, His Plan, and What happens after this life. But, for many, they do not have … Continue reading →

They Broke My Stroller!

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I learned a valuable lesson this week. Never take your nice stroller on an airplane. My family and I had to take an unexpected trip to California for a funeral. Flying with a baby always presents challenges, but when you are traveling with a baby, you need as many hands free as possible. So, it is always a good idea to take a stroller with you. My husband and I purchased a stroller when our third was born that was a very expensive brand. We bought it used to save on costs. It has been a great stroller and a … Continue reading →

Preparing a Talk: Where to Start?

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I was asked to speak this Sunday in sacrament meeting. I knew it was probably coming soon because my husband recently had to speak without me. But, there is always a little bit of that, “Why did I answer the phone?” kind of feeling when you get asked to speak. I really don’t mind speaking that much, because in recent years, I’ve written down  my talk practically word for word, and I find that helps me to ease the nerves. However, the worst part for me is just figuring out what I want to say, and organizing my thoughts. So, … Continue reading →

The Bath Time Circus

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Giving my kids baths has always been a fun experience when they are babies. They love to splash and kick, the warm water soothes them, and my babies have all loved bath time. But, recently my little guy has become Trouble with a capital “T” at bath time. It is driving me a little crazy. Gone are the days when he would just lay in the water, kick his legs and smile up at me happily. Now, he is a crazy man all over the place. He wants toys to entertain him (understandable since he sees his older siblings with them) … Continue reading →

Letting Go

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It is interesting to watch a person learn to walk. That is one of my favorite parts of child development. It is such a huge milestone to see your child take those first steps. I love it. My daughter walked just a couple of days after her first birthday. I just couldn’t believe how quickly she progressed from that first baby step, to full blown walking everywhere. My middle child walked a few days before his first birthday. And, his walk was hilarious. He would hold one arm out to the side and sway it back and forth wildly, while … Continue reading →