All The -lands

A few weeks ago, I had this great idea. Since I love to travel (if this is news to you, you do not know me and we should become better friends), I decided I want to make it a lifelong goal to visit all the countries that end in -land. So I did a little google search, which resulted in this list:

*England (check)

*Poland

*Iceland (check)
*Greenland

*Switzerland (check)

*Finland

*Ireland (check)

*Thailand

*New Zealand

*Scotland

*Netherlands

*Swaziland

I was totally pumped for this until that last one - Swaziland. I'm not sure I really want to go there. Can any of you convince me why I should?

Also, I am hesitant about New Zealand after the earthquake. (I feel so badly for all the people there. I can't even imagine what pain and emotions they're feeling right now. What a shock to have all your necessities, family/friends, etc. taken away from you completely unanticipated. My prayers go out to all of them.)

Who wants to join in on the fun?

Say Wha?!?!

Tonight, after a lovely girls' dinner at Clinton St. Baking Co., I saw a shirt that said this:

"I roll with God, Killas and Drug Dealas."

Awesome. It makes me think, "One of these is not like the other..."

Love is in the Air

I may or may not have signed up for an earring of the month club. It's kind of great. I get a cute pair of earrings every month. Sounds like it's right up my alley, huh? Yep. I love it!

So today, I had a cute pair of red flowers (dainty, very girly and appropriate for Valentine's) sent to me.

Along with those purdy little studs was a sheet with a bunch of quotes about love. I just wanted to share some of them on this day of celebrating love - in all its forms:

* "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." ~ Mother Teresa

* "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

* "All you need is love." ~ John Lennon & Paul McCartney

* "Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I wish you all love today!

The Mad Family

Lately, I've been feeling especially grateful for my family. A few weeks ago in Sacrament Meeting, we sang "Families Can Be Together Forever", and it just hit me how blessed I really am that my family can be together for eternity. What an amazing blessing!!

Now, I know a lot of you out there claim to have the best family, but I beg to differ. The Madsen family of which I am a part gets the award for "The Best Family". I am so grateful for each of my siblings, in-laws, nieces, nephews and parents. We love to be together and always have so much fun! We might get a little crazy when we're all together, but that just adds to the fun. I feel so lucky and blessed not only to have good relationships with each of them, but also that they have them with each other.

Now if only I had a picture in digital format that I could post for all of you to check out their lovely faces. Hmmm...I'll have to work on that.