New Year's: Look Not behind Thee

Look not behind thee. There is hope smiling brightly before us. The future is as bright as your faith. There are good things to come. Come what may and love it. Cast not away therefore thy confidence. These are a just few of the words that give me hope for the future. These powerful words have led me closer to the Savior. Thought I'd share them with you today. Looking forward to a year of new opportunities, beautiful moments, hope, and love.

With hope,

L

Stephanie and John

Stephanie and John are getting married in just over a month! They got engaged a year ago on Christmas Eve and finally their big day is approaching. John was here for Christmas and despite the busyness of the day, we were able to sneak out for about an hour to snap a few photos. The sun was rapidly going down and I was nervous about the lighting, but I think we managed to get some nice shots. Phew! The sunset was really quite a gift--gorgeous!

I love seeing Stephanie so happy! Marriage didn't come quickly, but faith gave her the strength to endure. Faith led John to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and faith led them to one another. I am so impressed with John. He treats my big sister like gold. He is one of the kindest people I've ever met, and I trust he will take good care of Stephanie. Watching them interact, it was evident that they are deeply in love. Words really can't explain how beautiful it is to have witnessed their love story thus far. Wishing them all the best.

With Love,

L

Ps: Now I better get busy on that guestbook I'm working on for them! Can't wait to share!

With Hope

Our First Christmas

They were competing for my attention, but I loved every bit of it.

Blessings Journals

Christmas Day

Christmas Carousel

Christmas 2o1o was wonderful. While I feel a bit sad it's over, I am looking forward to finishing my December Daily album and enjoying a little reminiscing. We made journals for each member of our family with the talk "Remember Remember" by Elder Henry B Eyring printed in the first few pages. The talk encourages us to write down the blessings we see in our lives daily. I believe it will be a source of strength to us in the coming year.

Something about the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of a new year makes me rather introspective. 2010 was quite the year. It began with a memorable trip to San Diego to visit my dear friend Whitney. We had so much fun galavanting around the city taking photos and soaking up the sun. It was just what I needed. When I left, Whitney said she hoped I would let her know some good news soon... She got her good news much sooner than expected. I knew Danny would propose sometime early that year, but didn't expect him to do it promptly after picking me up from the airport! He took me directly to the Salt Lake Temple grounds and proposed that afternoon. We began happily planning our wedding and were married April 16th in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. It was a very special and beautiful day. I treasure the memories of our temple sealing and the spirit that attended that sacred ceremony. We spent the following week in Mazatlan, and I learned why Danny loves it so much there. It is a truly beautiful place.

The following months were filled with lots of busyness keeping up with work, callings, home, and family. My health wasn't doing too well and something needed to change. After a great deal of prayer and consideration, Danny and I decided it was best for me to quit my job at Close to My Heart. Soon after beginning to work from home the Bishop pulled me aside at a ward party and asked if we could talk. I knew what he wanted to discuss before he said a word. I was called to be the Young Women President. I must admit the responsibility has felt rather overwhelming at times. However, the Lord had been preparing me for the calling in many ways, and I am now seeing the blessings of fiery preparatory experiences.

While the year held its fair share of challenges, the blessings were innumerable. I'm grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who has blessed me so richly with his love. I'm grateful for a wonderful husband who sacrifices so much to make my load a little lighter, who knows how to calm my troubled heart. I'm grateful for a loving family who support and encourage Danny and I in all we do. I'm grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ who has the power to mend that which is broken. This morning during much prayer and pondering, the words, "There is hope smiling brightly before us" came to mind with great resonance. I believe they will be my motto for the coming year! Anxious to continue sharing the little moments that inspire hope here with you.

With Hope,

L

PS: Can't wait to share the photos I took of Steph and John on Christmas day!! They are so cute together!

Gifts of Love

I'm not sure why such a flood of emotions has swept over me, but this Christmas season has been a time of deep reflection. I've been involved in helping Sub-for-Santa recipients for many years. I've seen terribly sad situations and tried to make just a little difference. The idea of a family going without on Christmas simply breaks my heart. This year my eyes were opened to more than I alone could possibly do. Adjusting to working from home added another element of helplessness. What I used to be able to contribute financially has changed, and the energy to give of myself is not what it once was. I've sought to focus on simple gifts of love, yet the voices of perfectionism and pride tell me my efforts are not enough. Perhaps I am writing today just to remind myself that the best gifts truly do come from the heart. My mom taught me this fitting little poem when I was young.

What can I give Him,

Poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,

I'd give Him a lamb.

If I were a Wise-man,

I'd do my part.

What can I give Him?

Give Him my heart

Satan will always try to tell us that our best gifts are insufficient, but he is a liar. Our simple efforts to lift others with love, are in fact what matter most. I am eternally grateful for the gift of love our Savior has given me. I have come to know him better through accepting his gift and atoning sacrifice in my own life.

With Much Love,

L

Tradition

Danny loves going to the old market in Mazatlan every year on Christmas Eve. He rides the bus into town and goes to the cathedral to see the nativities and lights. While on our honeymoon we rented a cute yellow scooter and rode into town one night. The cathedral is beautiful! It's yellow, which of course I loved! Just across the street is a charming little gazebo surrounded by tropical trees and flowers. We found a local ice cream store and I enjoyed a delicious non-dairy mango popsicle. I could really go for one of those right now! I hope seeing a glimpse of our time in the city will bring a bit of that tradition to him today.

With love,

L

Home for the Holidays

To my dearest Danny, who is staying home for a plain old traditional Utah Christmas, and missing out on his annual trip to Mexico. Gosh, one of the hardest things about marriage is adapting to each others traditions. This year is a Dowdle year, so we will be home for Christmas. While I love the beach, I must say there is nowhere I'd rather be than home for the holidays. I just hope that he'll feel at home too. I know it must be hard to know that he is missing out on the things that make it Christmas for he and his family. I hope it will be a great first Christmas together for both of us. I hope he isn't too homesick for his home away from home where the palm trees sway. I have a few things up my sleeve to try and bring a little Mexico to Utah this week. Thought a glimpse of our honeymoon in Mazatlan would bring a smile to his face today.

With Love,

L

Little Stinker

Uh-oh! A cute little stinker found his way into our home! (No, I'm not referring to the mouse that crawled across my feet in my parents garage earlier this week!) As previously noted, I've been on the lookout for a little gnome to come and live with the woodland creatures in our Christmas village. My sister Stephanie, who I shall refer to as the giver of gluten free goodness and garden gnomes, found him at Barnes and Noble. I think he might be a bit mischievous and I'm excited to see what naughty things he does when he thinks nobody is watching. I'm sure this is not the last you'll see of him. Any ideas for a name?

L

She Looks Like an Angel

She looks like an angel. I really have no words. I was editing photos and when I pulled this one up it seriously took my breath away! Not because of my photography, but because of the beauty and innocence of my sweet little niece. Mauri has such a happy disposition. She loves life and is so pleased with the simplest things. It's magical when a photo really captures the beauty on the inside. You can just see her goodness and light. Enjoy!

L

1+1 is Love

Guess what?! It's official...I changed my name yesterday, finally. I had a hard time deciding if I should give up either my middle name Jill or my maiden name Dowdle...So allow me to introduce myself: Lynley Jill Dowdle Johnson. Yup. It's a mouthful, but it's me.

It's so fun being able to share my own artwork here on my little blog. (Something I didn't really get to do when working for a corporate scrapbooking business.) As an artist it feels so liberating to choose my own projects and showcase my own style and the trends that appeal to me.

Trending right now:

butterflies

doilies

vintage cameras

pennants

vintage flash-cards/school supplies

Yellow and grey with a hint of teal is such a fresh color combination. If I had lots of money and could redecorate on a whim, this would definitely be a look I'd love to translate into home decor. I've been saving a set of flash-cards for the perfect project and think the 1+1 card works nicely here as the title piece.

Creatively Yours,

L

PS: Mauri helped me print the journaling for this page. When I read it out loud she informed me that bees and honey don't go together...Pooh and honey do. Silly me!

Farm Chic

One boot folded up and one folded down, it's a new trend. So Stylish.

My lens needed cleaning so sadly these photos are a bit blurry. I like them anyways. I love all the great photo spots at Danny's parents home, old farm equipment is so trendy. I may have no interest in how it works or what it does, but I can respect the aesthetic value. Enjoy!

L

Giving With Joy

Feeling much better today...thank you heating pad and muscle relaxers! We had the Johnson Christmas party on Saturday. It was awesome! Danny's mom went to so much work preparing gingerbread houses for us to decorate in the afternoon. The great thing is, we didn't keep the houses for ourselves; we shared them with others. Danny and I visited a friend of mine that I thought would really enjoy the gingerbread house. I had no idea how perfect it was for her, but I am certain Heavenly Father did. He knew it would be a meaningful gift and prompted us to share. I won't share the details of our visit because I think they are personal, but I felt truly inspired and grateful to be part of an answer to someone else's prayer. I taught a lesson yesterday in Young Women's based on Elder Eyring's talk "Giving with Joy" . It's one of my favorite talks for the Christmas season, focusing on both how to give and how to receive. It was just the reminder I needed to really get me in the right spirit this season, the Spirit of Christ.

"I pray that we will freely give. I pray that we will be touched by the feelings of others, that we will give without feelings of compulsion or expectation of gain, and that we will know that sacrifice is made sweet to us when we treasure the joy it brings to another heart." Elder Henry B Eyring

With Love,

L

A little cheering up

Today I'm pretty much immobile. I get terrible muscle spasms that attack the right side of my body on a frequent basis. I've come to the conclusion that Dr's are useless in determining why such bizarre things happen to me. Paying to have a doctor shake his head and say "Hmmm, I just don't know what to tell you" has become far too expensive. For the most part I've laid here on the couch today feeling rather frustrated and wondering what more I can do to be healthy again. There are so many good things I want I to do but feel limited energy and strength. I hope I can rise up to meet the challenges of my new calling as young women president despite these little set-backs.

Alas, I needed to smile this afternoon so it was time to look at my pictures. This sweet photo cheered me right up. Mauri fast asleep in my lap, snoring. Her best friend Dolly quite concerned. Dolly kept getting right in her face and tuning to look at me to see if I was worried too. She's a sensitive little puppy, just what I didn't know I needed so much. I'm so grateful to be an aunt and to have such a special relationship with Mauri. These two are good medicine, they give me a chance to nurture and love. I'm blessed.

With hope,

L

Christmas Decor and More

my dear

also my deer

my squirrel

glittery goodness

old school 50's holiday party

Wanted to share a few glimpses into our holidays so far. We've had such a fun time decorating our home together. Every night we add a little something else to the decor! It's quite convenient that Danny is so handy. He's got all the lights systematically coordinated to turn on at the same time. It's very impressive! I love my woodland creatures scattered about the greenery. I'm on the lookout for a little gnome friend for them; gnomes are so creepy and yet lovable all at the same time. It's a mystery.

Happy day!

L

So Very Me

It's so very me. I just love this page I made over the weekend. It makes me happy, all full of my favorite things: yellow shoes, purple coat, vintage buttons, houndstooth, and cherries...I could go on, but I'll spare you.

Here are a few things that are so very me right now:

I am so very overwhelmed and thrilled all at once to have a new calling as Young Women President (deep breath) for the 12-17 year old girls in my church. I love them dearly and hope to serve them well.

I am so very tied up with way to many projects and ideas all at once. You'll just have to wait till tomorrow to see a glimpse of my December Daily album so far. I'm loving how it's turning out!

I am so very disgusted with the fact that my precious Dolly has taken to drinking out of the toilet. Yuck! (We now keep it closed at all times!)

I am so very excited about the fabulous purple skirt I found for my sister Stephanie's upcoming wedding! (Less than 2 months and counting!)

I'm so very in love with my Danny who is my greatest support. Oh how he puts up with all the things that are so very me! (For example, the year long search for that purple skirt and my lack of patience with ziplock bags and tubes of toothpaste...)

I am now so very hungry so it's time to finish this post and go eat a sweet potato for lunch, which is also so very me and gluten free.

Happy Day, L

A Quiet Heart

I've had a lot on my mind lately. I wrote a nice fluffy post about decorating gingerbread-men, but I couldn't ignore the urge to share something a little more personal instead. Have you ever been through challenges or growing experiences so personal and poignant that the very nature of them requires endurance that is quiet and inward? Elder Maxwell explains it so beautifully like this,

"...we sense that something special is happening in our lives but are not able to sort it out with sufficient precision and clarity that we can articulate it to someone else...We know more than we can tell! Sometimes the things we know take the form of knowledge about what is happening to us in life in which we sense purpose, in which we sense divine design, but which we cannot speak about with full articulateness. There are simply moments of mute comprehension and of mute certitude. We need to pay attention when these moments come to us, because God often give us the assurances we need but not necessarily the capacity to transmit these assurances to anyone else." But For a Small Moment, Elder Neil A Maxwell

There was a time when life changed dramatically for me. Answers to prayers and revelations were clear and strong. I knew the direction down the right path and was determined to follow. Opposition seemed to face me on every side and it has been a great test of faith to see things through. Throughout some of them most difficult days there was often the tendency to want to explain myself, to rid myself of the frustration of feeling misunderstood. The Lord blessed me with the opportunity of learning to meet such trials with a quiet and open heart. Endurance and faith continue to see me through. I've learned things I never could have known without experiencing a measure of suffering. While I wish I could convey them in an adequate manner, it is enough to have the assurance of these truths myself.

I'm not sure if anyone else has felt like this or if it even makes sense, but these are the things my heart wanted to say, so I listened.

With hope,

L

It was Magical!

Last night was Danny's work party at The Grand America Hotel in downtown SLC. I'm so in love with the elegant decor and ambiance of this posh hotel. Everything was absolutely stunning and not a detail was missed. It made for a perfect night out with my Danny!

The party was lots of fun and the dinner was amazing! They even made a special gluten and dairy free dish just for moi! Salmon, roasted potatoes, asparagus, and carrots...YUM!! I felt spoiled. I was so appreciative of the extra work they went to just for me! A thank you note is definitely in order.

I may or may not have even done a little karaoke in front of Danny's whole company. Let' s just say though I thought my karaoke days may be over, "Oops, I did it Again." Danny was a good sport and I sure hope I didn't embarrass him too much in front of his coworkers.

Did I mention the decor?! Oh the decor! It was magical. The chandeliers, architecture, and landscaping are just exquisite. The holiday displays made me squeal with delight! Glitter, lights, apothecary jars full of Christmas goodness...Ah, it was a happy place for Lynley!

I'm off to work on my Daily December album and totally inspired! Can't wait to share:)

With love,

L