A MAN NEEDS A MAID

The first time I truly considered the great importance of having a maid was when I heard Neil Young sing about their handiness.

Lyrics (to actually hear the song visit http://listen.grooveshark.com/)

My life is changing
in so many ways
I don't know who
to trust anymore
There's a shadow running
thru my days
Like a beggar going
from door to door.

I was thinking that
maybe I'd get a maid
Find a place nearby
for her to stay.
Just someone
to keep my house clean,
Fix my meals and go away.

A maid. A man needs a maid.
A maid.

It's hard to make that change
When life and love
turns strange.
And old.

To give a love,
you gotta live a love.
To live a love,
you gotta be "part of"
When will I see you again?

A while ago somewhere
I don't know when
I was watching
a movie with a friend.
I fell in love with the actress.
She was playing a part
that I could understand.

A maid. A man needs a maid.
A maid.

When will I see you again?

Unlike Neil I don't want anything from a maid other then to have it (not gender specific) keep my house clean, fix my meals and go away. When Laura and I would arrive home after long days on campus with the house a mess and dinner barely an idea I would comment about the luxury of having a maid and how I would love to come home with everything effortlessly clean and a hot meal on the table.

I am pleased to report that as of yesterday I officially have a maid! Barrick is turning out to be a more fantastic company then I originally thought. They have placed me in a newly furnished double wide trailer with my own room and master bathroom, I never thought of living in a trailer as luxury but Barrick is changing my mind slowly. But the best part is that every week a group of ladies show up and clean the whole house, they change the sheets, clean the toilet, wash the towels, mow the lawn, dust the lamps, and make our place smell real nice.

Please let me know how you like the song and yoru general thoughts on having a maid.

Thinking about Mom's

I just got finished reading all of my blog posts for Mother's Day.  With this weekend feeling like a complete whirlwind AND getting the amazing oppurtunity to spend Mother's Day with both my mother's (birth and in-law) I am feeling particularly thankful.  Though Mother's Day has passed, I just wanted to take a moment to share with the rest of the world how much I love all the mother's in my life. 

My mom is amazing. . . words fail to adequately describe the love I feel for her and the gratitude that is overwhelming.  Matt was right, when he said that whenever he calles to talk about her life she always has a way of bringing it around to ask talk about mine instead.  She does this with everyone.  After anyone I know meets my mom, I always hear for days about how amazing and wonderful she is.  It's the truth.  Thank you for teaching so much, being patient while I learn or experiment, and finding joy in life and in me.  I love you mom.  It is the indelible impact that you have had on our lives that is the reason we look forward so much, to passing on your name to our daughter.

My mother-in-law is also, by in every sense of the word, a mother to me as well.  I love her dearly.  She is so thoughtful, so generous, and so fun to be with.  We love living so close so that we can come up any time and spend time with you and your family.  Your family has been such an increadible blessing to me as I have lived up here in Logan for the past few years.  Thank you for sharing your heart with me to, just as you do with all your daughters.  I love you.

My grandmothers as well are such fundamental parts of my life.  From the way you raised my parents to the individual time you have taken with me over the years, to grow, learn, share your talents, and life with me.  I have always loved our days and weeks we spent together growing up and carry many of your habits and talents on.  My mom even noted, that our kitchen smelled like Grandma Virginia and our bed skirt is made from Grandma Howe's special cloth.  Thank you for sharing your lives and hearts with me.  You are both women with some of the biggest hearts I know.  I love you two so so much!

My sisters!  How could I ever imagine life without you three?  I am grateful for all your "mothering" as I grew and that time washes away the years between us a bit, so that we can share so many of the same experiences together more as peers, now.  I look to each of you for so much.  I like my cell phone most of all because it means I can call you all throughout the week to share embarrassing moments, fun things, hear your advice, and make me tell you all that you are my favorite sister.  I love you three!

And my sisters-in-law.  I have so much to be grateful for from you three too!  Thank you for bringing me right into the family, even when Jared and I weren't married yet.  Thank you for giving me a home (Estee), for studying together (Sadie), and for making jewelry and talking about cupcakes on the beach together (Lindsay).  Each of you make time together full of laughter and I just love that!  You are all talented, gorgeous women, I look up to so much.

And lastly, to our sweet little baby girl that will soon be arriving, making us parents!   I have waited so long to see you again.  We can't wait to hold you precious one!

Hot Mommy Walks as Magna Cum Laude

She Did It!

USU hase given me a lot in the four academic years that I have attended like knowledge, experience, good friends, and lots of fun. That being said the greatest thing I gained during my time at USU was my sweet wife Laura. Yesterday her undergraduate journey came to an end as her name was called and she walked across the stage to get her diploma as a public health education major. She finished her last semester with a GPA of higher then 3.75, a great accomplishment especially with the difficulty of her classes. The ceremony was short and sweet (under an hour with lots of hooting and hollering) and the rest of the day was really special as family and friends combined together to celebrate Laura and her great accomplishment.

Everyone who attended the ceremony

Spiritual Leah, silently meditating over her scrumptious food

Backyard festivities, the weather was perfect for a barbecue!

Little Cooper chillaxin at the party

The Sherry Clan

Today I wanted to honor my beautiful wife Laura. Laura has been preparing to be a mother her entire life and now that we are expecting our first child her love for our future children really shines. Every time we go shopping she always seems to find a cute baby outfit and holding it up so I can see it says, "Jared its adorable, and it's only a dollar plus I have a coupon that will take off another 25% so really after taxes we are only spending about 81 cents." And I would think to myself, "we are grocery shopping sweetheart how do you find baby clothes when were grocery shopping?"

Laura is the women of my dreams! From the very moment that I saw her I knew that if this world were perfect I would end up with her as my wife one day and it only took four years for that to happen. She is loving and selfless, charitable and kind, she seems to see people as heavenly father does, always viewing their potential and strengths and not their weaknesses and faults. I love her with all of my heart and count myself blessed to spend each day with her on this eternal journey.

Laura I love you!

Happy Mothers Day!