The Holy Ghost

I am so thankful for the Holy Ghost! I feel the help and guidance I need daily with my husband, my children and with my work. I needed to say this publicly and since it has been so long since I posted here I thought this would be grounds for a new post! I don't know what I'd be without God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost in my life. I am so thankful for the guidance and support I feel on a daily basis from them.

I have recently been reading a book called 'the infinite atonement' by Tad Callister. I highly recommend it! I am grateful for the love of the Godhead. Yesterday I read a passage about how it took faith for Jesus Christ to complete the atonement, just like it takes faith for us to believe and trust it. I am thankful for my faith and know that God watches over me and ALL of His children.

These are some of my thoughts today... maybe they can help someone else, if not atleast they help me :)
peace and love,
Marilla

Meet the Happy Couple

Sometimes people deserve a second chance :)

This was the 4th of July.

I started to see the change was real...

We had a lot of fun :)

He has definitely made some changes.

We went to Disneyland, went running on Corona Del Mar beach, went to the beach, went to church and shook hands with Elder Ballard, and then decided to leave it in fates hands on July 24, 2011.

We got to Las Vegas 30 minutes before the Courthouse closed Sunday night on the 24th of July.

Then we went over to the drive thru wedding chapel.

It was actually a nice place
The minister who married us talked about how it was a privilege for her because we are choosing each other again and now we know the grass is not greener over there.
She said this is true love :)
We got matching t-shirts.

At the hotel when we stepped out of the elevators, this is what we saw.

(pretty cool mirrrors, huh?)

I Love this guy! I am grateful for the chance to do this again!

Things have been really great! I am excited and we are having fun learning together again!

Fathers

(Please excuse my sorry attempt to rhyme, this is my heart feelings...))

As I sit here in church I feel him close to me.
So close in fact I have to dismiss myself to get some tissues.
I stepped outside to release some emotions...

I think of so many people on this day who are missing their fathers.
Some miss a father they never had.
Some miss a father they once called dad.
Some miss a father far greater than the rest,
they may feel they have wronged Him and he has left.

I KNOW our father in heaven loves each of us and Never leaves us!
I am thankful for this day, though it may be hard,
to reflect on the men who some discard.
I am thankful for the name my father left me
and for the man he showed faithfully.
He was not perfect by any means
but he was perfect just for me.
I love you dad!

Love your forever Roo!

St. Geo

Saint George, Dixie, St. Geezy, San Jorge, St. G, and The George,

I LOVE You!
I could die a happy woman any day now just because I am in your presence.
I AM HOME!
I love your freaking hot summer!
I love running the trails. Especially the ones by the river with the lizards, jack rabbits, ants, birds, and all the other little unseen creatures. I even saw a deer one day and a duck another.
I love it here!
I love to see the lit up "D" at night and the lights at the temple as well as the "DIXIE" lit up.
I feel at welcome and at peace in this place!

I LOVE ALL of my family here.
I love my cousins, who are some of my best friends.
I love that my kids get to have their cousins be some of their best friends.
I love to feel the sweat dripping down my back and get into a car that is blazing hot, because I have missed you town!
I like that I am now closer to all of my Cedar City friends.
I love that I will get to be here for Holidays and not have to travel to get here.

I have my dream job here working in a private practice.
I have fulfilled a life dream and now get to be here living this dream.
I hope this lasts forever!
I love my family!
I love the support and love I feel here.
The history. My history!
I love the mountains, red, black and gray.
I love the camping, the outdoors, the nature that is so beautiful.
Thank you for being here and being a strong home for me to come to.

Forever yours,
M-

Provo...

I'm not sure if it is correct terminology, but I am calling this post "Ode to Provo"...

Provo, I will miss you.

You were a huge part of my life.

You were with me through life changes I never imagined.

I will always have you in my memories.

I enjoyed hiking the "Y".

I enjoyed so many wonderful people.

I enjoyed learning in this cozy little bubble.

I enjoyed Seven Peaks in the summers and snow in the winters.

I enjoyed Professional experiences.

I enjoyed the fall colors.

I will miss the dear friends I made.

I will miss the random runners everywhere.

I will miss the cool shopping places you have.

I will miss all the BYU people.

I will miss my ward(s).

I will miss all the visitors, but know I'll have others in St. Geo.

I am grateful for all the opportunities you gave me.

I am grateful I was able to re-create myself.

I am grateful for even more understanding of GOD.

I am forever grateful I fulfilled one of my life dreams,

and became a therapist here.

I am grateful I was able to learn more about others.

I am grateful for my kids friends.

I am grateful for this time in my life

and Provo you served your purpose.

Thank you for everything.

Goodbye on Tuesday.

Just some babbling. I will probably revise this eventually... these are just my thoughts for now.

Spring Holidays

Well I never got around to posting St. Patrick's pics, or Easter pics and now Mother's day. So here they are :) Life is crazy, but still good!!!

Green eggs and french toast for breakfast.

Green pancakes and sausage for dinner.

I love breakfast foods!

Happy St. Pattys...

Then Easter baskets, hidden in the tub...

and in the dryer :)

Coloring Easter Eggs was fun!

And Finally the Sunday Easter outfits... :)

David Jr.

Joey Truman

I love those Boys!!!

Mother's Day in St. G was fabulous!

These boys love the mother's in their lives.

Happy Mother's Day to two outstanding Mothers and Amazing grandmothers!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day in St. G!

I Love the heat and I love my family!!!

These boys teach me SO much!

I am so thankful to be their mother and go through this life with them!!!

less of me :)

I have been dying to tell someone this, but I don't wanna brag or seem like a show off, so I'll put it on my blog... :)

It has been a year since I graduated, and after graduation I got a job in a career that was all about others. The focus was more on them and less on me :) well I lost almost 40 lbs in 9 months, less on me, right?

I never took any measurements or before and after pics cuz I wasn't really concerned and besides the fact that I feel more healthy, I feel the same, I feel like I look the same, not prettier or smarter, still just me.

So the point I'm getting at is... I started training with a trainer at the gym with a friend cuz she wanted me to, and of course we took measurements and body fat etc. Well the results are cool. In the last 3 weeks I have lost over 3 inches and 1.5% body fat. Cool, huh? Less of me :).

Funny

David and I were talking about his teachers today and he asked about some of mine from Elementary school... then he said "are they all dead?"

Silly son, I'm not that old!!!

Festival of Colors!

I love my Friends!

We have so much fun together.

They remind me what life is all about!

Life is about being happy, having fun, and relationships!

My friends add SO much color to my life!

Lindsey Loo

Anna Poo

Rilla Roo

Happy St. Patrick's!

Today was a fun day. Last night the boys got their green ready for school and Joey even got his green underwear out.

In the morning I made them green French toast and green eggs.

Then after work I made green pancakes, sausage and peaches.

We are going to go to Trafalga and play like little green leprechauns.

I'll post pictures when we get back.

Love my boys!

Wedding Details

Before the wedding,

waiting inside the house for the guests to be seated.

The backyard, with the bishop.

(Rose look how cute Emily decorated the gazebo)

The lovely couple.

Gil proclaiming his Happiness!

He shouted "I am Happy!"

My boys and their Grandma.

My mom and her siblings and her mom.

U. Thaniel, U. Ben, U. Jeff, U, Ed

A. Lanie, Mom, Grandma, A. Drana, A. Margie

The sibs with Gil

And more spouses that were present.

Some of my family besides the kids who already escaped outside to play.

Me and my sibs, minus Rosa in Brazil.

Me and my sistas.

Me and the Bros.

Miss you Rose!

I Love My Madre!

Thank You!

I have recieved so many thoughts and comments (emails) from my post that I wanted to say thank you to you all. I really do have great friends and family that care about me. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. I feel your support and love!

Hopefully you all know that I know there is a God in Heaven who watches out for each of us and loves us all SOOO Much! Through all of my life I have felt His Love for me, but most especially during difficult times. In the last six months it is amazing how much strength and peace I have felt. It doesn't mean this has been easy, it just makes it more bearable.

Thank you all.

-Marilla

MOM & GIL

Just a quick photo from the wedding this weekend.
I am so happy for my mom and Gil!

I'll post more pics later.

Life = Change

I have been thinking about how to announce changes in my life...

I don't know how one does it.

Since things are final I guess it is time for me to face the facts and put it out there.

Dave and I are divorced.

I have been very sad about the whole thing.

I do not have anything bad to say about him.

I love him!

We are friends.

This has been a very difficult change but since it is final as of February 28, I feel it is time I face the change and move forward.

I hate that he is not in this picture, but it is my reality.

I am learning to accept and embrace change.

One thing I know for sure, these people will ALWAYS have my back!

I Love My Family!

I have WAY more family than this, this is just the immediate. The Leishmans will, in my opinion, Forever be My Family!

For the past 6 months I have been careful in my blogging as I was unsure what would happen and what to say in regards to the situation. Now it is out there and that is enough said.

Love to all!

Details of Brazil...

These flowers grow all over Brazil naturally.

It is such a beautiful, green, tropical country.

First Day we went to finish last minute wedding details...

Shopping with Rose's step-mother-in-law Eleana, Rose and mom.

Jean came later after she tried on the wedding dress.

My mom is marrying a guy named Gil Saturday March 12, and she had to have a pic of this sign in Brazil :)

The next day we got up and started getting ready for the wedding. This is Rose at the salon before they got her hair and make-up done.

The after at the salon. Two BEAUTIFUL women,

my most favorite women in the whole world!!!

The three of us at the civil registry.

I love all the colorful buildings in Brazil!

The cutest little ring bearer ever! His name is Allison. He is 5 years old and he was my buddy. We blew bubbles together and ran around at the reception. He made me miss my boys. He was fun and adorable.

The Hot Brazilian Elias, that my mom and I got to dance with :)

(He's not attracted to women so it was ok:)

All hot & sweaty from the fun dance party at the reception.

He teaches English with Rose at a school.

He is Brazilian, but one of the few who we could actually speak to.

The Campinas temple crew. Members of the branch and friends.

The guy on the end, Pedro, speaks English and he interpreted for us a lot.

He is married to Rose mission companion.

Mom, Jean, Rose, Me.

Me and my Sis!

This is a shot of the hotel room they got for me and my mom.

Mirrors everywhere, even above the circular bed.

Turns out it was a 12 hour hotel where people go for sex:).

They did not know that, at lest that's what they told us the next day :)

We went to a DELICIOUS all you can eat meat and pizza restaurant.

They even had Delicious dessert pizza.

Ohhhh it was SOOO Good!

Newlyweds, so cute!

Then they redeemed themselves because we stayed at this gorgeous property the next night.

This is the "servants" home.

Such nice people that I will miss!

Alex was a great host.

One of the many rooms in the main home.

Pool #1.

Pool #2.

The back patio with my momma.

Jean's step-dad, mom and sister.

Mom, Fernanda (Jean sister), Me, and Bruna (Jean niece)

Rose and one of her SWEET mission companions.

I'll miss her!

Silly girls, in Rosa's room.

Where we stayed most nights.

Just before we headed to the airport.

They even have Narcotics Anonymous in Brazil.

(I work with addicts:)

At the airport. It was sad to say good-bye.

Even Jean cried. I thought it was sweet!

It is definitely nice to be home with my boys, but I'll miss my sister. I would not have missed the experience for the world. So grateful I got to be there and experience a little bit of Brazil. My mom has way more pics to share from her camera so when I get those I may share more...

The pictures in the next blog post go with this one, but I did not want to post them twice as this post was already so long!

Hope you enjoyed.