How do they do it?

Every wonder why there are just certain people who just feel good to be around? Like spirituality and purity and Godliness and comfort just ooze out of every part of their being, and yet they are the relatively same age (22) as you? Even just thier presence on blogs! Its almost intoxicating. Are these people really just more enlightened than I? Or do they just have a better, stronger grasp at God's word than I do? How? How do I get to that point? I want to one of those people that minister by just, well... living! There is a warmness about thier presence that is a comfort, the World would probably label them as goody-two-shoes, but hey, whats wrong with that??

I know I'm not too awful good about studying scripture on a daily basis, but then these people I am talking about, they are just normal people that read scripture and pray and go to church on Sunday. I know they take pride in living holy, and yet they are still sinners in some sense. I don't know what else I can do to live like that! I love my Lord, I read scriptures every night, I pray in the morning, the evening and with my husband every day, I stay away from worldly things that are sinful, I am a good person who tries to help out, I live a profanity-free and modest life, I go to church on Sunday.... Dont get me wrong, I feel Gods presence in my life at all times, and I know that He is there helping me and I am so thankful for it!! But these people just seem to be radiating Him. How do I do that? Maybe I am just thinking I am seeing greener grass. I do know that I need to try harder to live His word. Something to mull over I guess.

Gettin' all political-like on y'all...

Gas is now $4.00 for the cheap crap. Olive oil is going to go up 60% in price because of "bio-fuel" from stupid corn. They are only just now releasing hydrogen fuel cells as a "green alternative" fuel when they've had this technology for years. It's like complete lack of foresight. It's like lighting a candle an inch away from a curtain and then looking at the burnt down house and saying "oh, i guess I shouldnt have had the candle so close."

Sometimes I wonder why God granted some people brains. Its obvious they aren't using them.

Darn.

Ive discovered that no matter how many times or how hard you try... Ramen noodles will never taste like shrimp scampe.

Goal #2

Ok so I've found that this whole "working out" thing is much easier if I set goals for 4 weeks at a time. Starting in May, I set the goal of I would work out every week day until May 23rd, because that is when we were leaving for California. And ya know what? It worked. I did it. And then it felt really wierd taking 4 days off. So starting 4 days ago on Monday, I started again and my goal this time is until June 12th, which is when we leave for Salt Lake. FINALLY! Something that works. Yes, if you couldn't tell, I'm proud of myself. :)

Inspirations

I've been inspired by two lovely people, one of whom I have never met. The first being my best bud Cecelia at Oh Cecelia! . She just found out she is pregnant and usually when my sis-in-laws or others were pregnant or just gave birth I got "baby fever" but then within the hour I had myself talked out of it cuz I realized...uh, yeah right. But this time it is different. I feel different about it. My marriage is awesome, never better... but I know that adding on is the way to add sweetness to life. I am inspired and motivated to work my little tush off to get to Alaska and get settled so we can start a family. We were going to last year and just stay here, but our plans for that got pushed aside for Alaska. Half of it is that I want the security of knowing that we own a house and that there will be no more dang moving so if i were to get pregnant by chance, there would be nothing to worry about.

The other reason I am inspired was because of a blog I was directed to...Brin at My Messy Thrilling Life . She is a single gal who is a great homemaker!! She has inspired me that even though I don't have kids or a house of my own, it doesn't mean that I can't expand upon my efforts to be a good wife and work on my goal of being a homemaker. I dont have to be a decorating diva or have up to the minute styles of whatever wherever I live. I have learned through her that home is where you make it and even if it is a little room in the back of a big house I can still make it a little piece of Heaven on Earth.

So thank you ladies for being you!

Midday delight

This hit the spot:

1 toasted eggo waffle
Hickory Farms Apple Cinnamon Jelly
Butter

Put as much butter and jelly on as you please and chow down. I think what makes it special is the Apple Cinnamon Jelly. Gives just the right "Christmasy".

Warm Fuzzies

I am calm. It is overcast and damp. There is little wind this morning. Reminds me of Alaska. The good side of Alaska, not the stress it is giving me. It reminds me of the last time Zac and I went and we both woke up at 3:30 in the morning and since it doesnt get very dark, decided to get up and take a walk around the quiet town. We walked and went and got hot chocolate with cinnamon and big, hot cinnamon rolls at 5 am. It is those moments that bring me peace and fill me with warm fuzzies.

I've always wanted a big, new farmhouse with a wrap around porch in the shadow of mountains or foothills, with a white fence and lots of aspen and maple trees. We would be a white fenced drive off the road, with lamp lights on either side mingled with the trees. To the right of the house would be the barn and the horses and to the left of the house would be my apple and pear trees and my garden. We'd have two dogs, labs or something, and a few cats and maybe a couple kittens. It would be beautiful in the fall when it is slowly closing in on winter, and Zac and our children could come in from playing and working outside for homemade mulled spiced cider and a hot apple pie just pulled out of the oven that I had spent the late morning fixing. I can just imagine what Thanksgiving would be like. I think I imagine this place in Wyoming or even South Dakota. Somewhere where winter gets snow, fall is crisp, and spring never really turns into summer. I could bake to my little hearts content, and it would be quiet and peaceful. Fall football games in the yard would be a family affair and taking the horses out riding in the snow covered fields just because we could would be fun. The kids would be able to walk down to the end of the drive to catch the school bus, and I could enjoy a hot cup of tea before getting my day started. Christmas would be a flurry of baking and eating, I'd have a big enough kitchen to fit my family. Sundays would be a day of church and just family time spent together. Early in the mornings would be spent on the porch with a hot cup of something with my husband, watching the sunrise over the treetops.

I know this will only ever be just a wish and a daydream, but I think I can make Alaska feel the same way. Your home is only worth what you put into it, so I know that it doesn't matter where you live... at the risk of sounding cliche... home is where your heart and family is. (are?)

Check out this blog...

My friend Cecelia found an awesome new blog I must share! http://messythrillinglife.blogspot.com/
Its about the life of a girl named Brin who lives a sweet and simple life in Texas. Check it out!

Back to reality.

We arrived back in Idaho at 7:30pm yesterday. Looonnggg car ride in a Ford Focus with 4 people, one of which is 6 feet tall... It was so nice to be in California again. The Bay Area is one of my all time favorite places. Especially in May, the weather was wonderful. It was definatly a jam-packed weekend, but it went at a very nice pace. We got in Friday evening at about 5pm and just slugged out with the family. Saturday we got up early and Zac, myself, Shannon, Mom and Dad drove down to San Fransisco and spent the better part of the morning driving around and eating. Zac had never been to San Fran so this was pretty cool for him. We ended up a Golden Gate park on the south side of San Fran and ate lunch, then walked over to the Japanese tea garden. You gotta hand it to the Japanese... it was gorgeous!!!! We probably spent around an hour and a half just walking the trails and looking at flowers. I was going to get a cup of tea there since it was a tea garden, but a wedding party came in and there wasnt a seat. Oh well. Just being there was a stress reliever. Hard to believe that a huge international city was surrounding it. The best part was that you never heard the city. We went back at about 4 in the afternoon to Grandmas house and had a big, yes BIG spaghetti dinner. We had 16 people and mom decided to make 16 pounds... yes POUNDS of sauce. We ended up with about 14 pounds left over. It was good though. Then Sunday we had Grandpas birthday party, catered mexican food was awesome! and then from 4-9pm all us cousins took the BART train to San Fransisco. We toured up through China town and got Sushi, went through the lobby and up the 32 story glass elevator of the St. Francis hotel, and walked around Union Square. Was a blast!! Then we left at 7:30 in the morning on Monday and had a 12 hour drive cuz we stopped a few times to stretch and eat. I will get photos posted when my sister emails them. Now Im back at work and trying to get my head wrapped around what I left behind last Thursday. Ouch.

Gonna buy me a horse.

$3.85 a gallon for gas now. We're turning into communist Russia. Soon all the people who are already rich will remain so or get richer, and the working-middle class and the poor will soon be equals in poverty. Let them eat cake... ha!

California here we come!!

WOOT! We are leaving for Cali tomorrow morning! Which means I've got to get my butt in gear and finish packing. Tonight's going to be a late night. Gotta run home after work and get church clothes, do church stuff until about 8:30, get to Wal Mart, run home and shove everything in a suitcase (if my dear husband hasn't done it by that time), then run to mom's house to sleep. We leave EARLY Friday. I'm looking forward to it. I'm really looking forward to the Mexican food on Sunday at the party. My family is catering in food from the best Mexican place in town. Oh yes... I'm drooling as we speak.

I'm interested in seeing how my cousins (all 3 of them) are faring. All I know is Jessie is 2 years younger than I am and on her own working, Marc is 19 and plays World of Warcraft, and Alyssa is 9 and is a pretty good figure skater. I wonder if they would be up for another yearly round of tag-hide-and-seek-in-the-dark as is cousin tradition at Grandmas house. We haven't played in 5 years cuz no ones really gotten together since then. I'm certainly not too old. :) The weather doesn't look like it will be much warmer than where we are now... I'm hoping for some good ol' California sunshine at least though. I might be able to get on the computer to blog a bit and get some photos up while I'm there, but no promises.

Color therapy.

I am on a color rampage. Im sooooo tired of browns and greys and whites and blacks. All the clothes I just bought I was attracted to the bright jewel tones, I switched my makeup to colors instead of brown and gray. So thus my blog got a bright makeover. Im not sure I really like the background, but I need the color so its good for now.

I am thankful for Him.

So we saw the new Narnia movie last night. Pretty powerful movie when you view it from a Christian perspective. Really made me think about recent events and just how easy it is to go to the darkness rather than forge ahead and work towards the light. But that is Satan for you... the easy way out. Of course its going to be easy to fall into darkness! Satan is the master cheater and liar, if he made it hard to get to him no one would fall! God is the light and He gave us His light that we might prove ourselves worthy of it. The more we go ahead and fight for the light, the stronger we get against giving up and giving in to Satans will. In the movie, Peter asks Lucy (paraphrasing here cuz I dont remember exact verbiage)"Why wouldn't Aslan give us some proof that he's here?" and Lucy answers "Maybe its us that needs to prove ourselves to Him." That is how it is with God. We need to ask of Him and to make ourselves worthy and prove to Him that we are on His side and have no intention of slipping back in with the Adversary. God wants to know that even if He doesn't show Himself at whatever moment, that we are still listening and we are still faithful servants and not doubting Him ever. The moment fear and doubt come into your mind, that is Satan reminding you that he is there ready to snatch you up as soon as you fall out of faith.

Satan is always so close, that we must remain so strong in the presence of trials. We are only human and as mortals Satan does know that we are weak without some power-source in our lives. God is our ultimate power source as we gain knowledge and strength through his awesome power. But Satan also is a power source and we can glean just as much strength from him. He will give us much at once and tell you its ok to use it as much as you wish, because you are all-powerful. But the difference is Satans power will waste you away and he will take back his power for himself and leave you rotted spiritually, mentally and sometimes even physically. If we choose to have God as our ultimate power source, He will give us the strength we need when we ask, we gain light and enlightenment, we gain faith that He is there to catch us if we do fall, and He will restore us through His love. The power we gain through God will never be taken away from us, He gives it to us for the asking and it will never leave us wasted.

How close we let the Adversary come to us! It is scary, but the moment you feel weak perhaps a financial problem arises and you get a bit depressed, or the death of a family member and you dont know what to do with yourself, Satan is just sitting and waiting for you to ask "God, why have you forsaken me?" It is at that moment Satan will say "Your God has left you, let me comfort you." And thus he does showing you alcohol, drugs, sex, suicide... sin. All things that cover things up temporarily, he promises they will make you feel good... but you must keep doing them and end up killing yourself to continue to feel good.

Our God is a God of truth. When you cover things up with the sins of the devil, you are just covering things up. Gods light and His amazing power will show you the truth of all things and when you accept that you are a sinner or have sinned, and are sincerley sorry for following the Adversary, He will warm you with such a love you have never felt before. He is our only constant in troubled times.

Some fine words.

Where there is discord may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. Where there is despair, may we bring hope."
St Francis of Assisi

Thank you.

Oh how uplifting some people are! If you ever get a chance, go read Anna's blog at hoperoadblog.com. Such an uplifting spirit!! I have been going through pangs of anxiety all morning and afternoon from some not so great circumstances and a not so nice phone call...and I got back from lunch and sat down and there was His silent nudging in my mind to read her blog. I ofcourse said to myself "later, ive got to put this file away". (keep in mind my stomach was in knots and i was on the verge of tears) And His voice got louder, so I listened to His voice and her last entry was the exact words I needed to hear. My anxiety is cleared through His good graces and Anna's faith in Him. God is good!!!

So thank you Anna at Hope Road, for your sweet spirit, your kind words, and your "sturdy joy" that brought my faith back to where it should be. I think it is a wonderful thing how God uses other people to influence faith and ministering, even if it is over a blog and not at a church sermon or in a church like setting. I find so much joy in reading the ministerings of others, even if they don't intend them to be of a sermon-like post.

So thank you to all who minister through their posts, and especially thank you Anna, for reminding me that through all trials He is there to catch us.

Dig me a hole.

Ever just want to die? I wouldn't mind right now.

Recital was great!!

The actual performances went great! Saturday Matinee was pretty good, but my girls pulled themselves together by the evening show and it turned out wonderfully!!! I am sure feeling the pain of it though... I've got shin splins and bruises from running up and down hallways and in and out of dressing rooms, my poor little feet were swollen up so much Saturday night...it looked like I was pregnant. I couldnt walk on them the rest of Saturday night and went to church in flip flops and could still hardly walk. The swelling has gone now, but the aching pain is still there... and I am spent. Exhausted. But it is soooo much fun and quite rewarding. I know Zac wants to get out of here as soon as possible, but I would love another year to teach... actually its only 5 months. We'll see. I am supposed to start working out again this week before we leave for Cali, and one day I need to go shopping and get some summer clothes that work with garments. I was thinking since I am so sore I would go shopping today, but the store I plan on going to restocks on Wednesdays.... I guess I have about 3 hours to figure it out. I need a foot rub. Again.

What happens in rehearsal stays in rehearsal..

Well dress rehearsal went as planned....badly. They were trying to get every class in for photos the same time that the rehearsal was going on, but the photographer was taking her dear sweet time so a few dances got rearranged which made it fun trying to run all over trying to find each and every girl to re-update them as to when they were doing what. The performances were marginal, but they always say that a bad dress rehearsal means a good performance. In our case tomorrow should be GREAT. Not to mention it was hotter than u-know-what in there. A bazillion little girls, half a bazillion big girls, a ton of frantic, fussy mothers.... holy cow it was chaos as usual. And hot. Im going to bed now. Im pooped.

Dress rehearsal jitters

Oh man. I've danced and performed for 20 years, and yet now that I teach... Im not even going on stage, I get worse stage anxiety than I did performing! I know it's cuz I want my girls to do well, and I know all but 1 will. We had a mini-dress rehearsal for just my older girls last night at the studio, costumes looked great, everything is coming together nicely... I'm just a bundle of nerves. Definitly not the day to have another 64 ounce diet coke. (that was yesterday, i was WIRED)

The studio offered positions for me to teach two more classes in addition to my 2 pointe classes in the fall. Just the regular ones not pointes. I'd have the older competition team and a beginner middle school class. I hope my husband lets me do it!! If we make it to Alaska by October then I cant, but if we stay for another winter then I can... I guess we'll see what happens. Sigh.

I want one.

Man, I wouldnt have to deal with traffic jams ever again!

A good old fashioned journal entry.

I just feel like writing right now, so enjoy my ramblings. Its hot. And getting hotter. It is supposed to be in the 90's this weekend and guess who has like 2 short sleeve shirts??? Ya. Me. Need to go shopping. My poor husband got up and started mowing at 6:30 this morning (for some reason its light out at that time). So I followed suit (getting up, not mowing) and now at 8:30 in the morning I'm dragging. Doesn't help I went to bed so dang late, but that could not have been helped. I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around the fact that it is indeed Thursday and not Wednesday. That means I have to wake up at least before 6:30 tonight since I have to teach. Oooouuuch. This is hurting my tired little brain. I've got some things I need to get done today but have to wait. I can't call mom until 10am because she is incoherent before that, then I have to wait for my lunch break at 12 so I can go exchange some things at the distribution center, then I have to wait until 5 so I can go home. Zac is going to help his dad out at Scout camp Friday and Saturday. Which is ok for me, I have dress rehersal Friday right after work, and then all day long on Saturday. He is coming to watch the matinee on Saturday, I hope he enjoys my choreography. My intermediate pointe class is dancing to one of his favorite songs. Went through the Temple last night...WOW. What an experience. Got home LATE. Holy Crap I am fading. Where's a diet coke when ya need one? Where's breakfast when you need it? I got up early enough to eat, but I wasn't hungry until now. I need to start keeping things at my desk. I wish I could go home and curl up with a hot pad. O well... The ibuprofen I took better kick in fast as my patience level is very low due to pain. I hope my girls do well the weekend at the recital. My younger ones have it down no problem. My older girls I had to extend practices to Saturday mornings to get them to learn anything. I think half the reason is because most of them are 14-15 years old and wont shut up. Oh well, I wont worry too much. I'm just nervous because if one or two girls mess up alot then it just looks like they hadn't been paying much attention throughout the year, but if all my girls don't know the dance then it looks like I didn't teach very well. Man, its only 9am. Can this day go any slower? For some reason stuffed crust pizza sounds GREAT right now. I cant even eat pizza, but it sounds good. I'm trying to imagine the ramen noodles I'm eating is actually shrimp scampi with a creamy white wine and butter sauce and stuffed ziti. So far it just tastes like pork noodles, but whatever I guess. I ate like crap yesterday... 8 meatballs for breakfast, a 270 calorie cup of noodle, 1 double cheeseburger and 7 jalapeno poppers from Jack in the Box. Oh and about 7 sticks of gum and 12 cups of tea. Crap. Complete crap. But ohhhhh soooo good. So my ramen noodles are just to tide me over and keep me from puking from pain, but other than that I think I am going to take it lightly today. I hope I get a workout in. The distribution center wont take very long, maybe 30 min. max, so that would give me a 15 minute run and then 15 min for weights... I hate waiting to do things that need to be done (on my agenda that is). Ok, I'll shut up for a bit...

HOLY CRAP!

ITS HERE! Tonight!! Holy Crap!! (If you dont know what I am talking about, either email me or be content with not knowing) EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooookaayy.....

I knew Star Wars was big, but I didn't think it was that big. The Jedi Church is now an official religion. Wow.

Wow.

Ok so making a list of just the things that i need to get done just in May was a GREAT idea!!!! Going month by month is such a nice way of doing things. That way I only focus on the things at hand and nothing else...it eliminates sooo much worry and anxiety. And the best part is....drum roll please.... as you check off things, your list gets smaller until there is nothing left to do in May!!! What a sense of accomplishment!! I think I will do this every month for the rest of my life! Man... woooohoooo!!!

Little things I find satisfying...

Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer started a list of simple things that satisfies her. I liked the idea so much that I am following suit:

(in no particular order)

My fuzzy cat

Garlic Bread

Clean Laundry

Rainstorms

Perfectly folded towels

A clean car (inside and out)

Beefstick, cheddar and Ritz

A hot cup of tea done up British style

Fuzzy robes (especially the ones that feel like baby blankets!)

Being inside during a big snowstorm

Finishing paying bills for 2 weeks (I can breathe!!)

A good upbeat country song


Man, I could go on and on and on.....

Count how many times I say "excited" in this post...

This month has been an exciting, nerve-wracking, stressful, joyful, most wonderful month all in one. We are getting ready to go on a trip to California to see my moms side of the family for a reunion and my grandpas 80th birthday. We used to go every summer to see my family, but I have not been since 2003!!! I was 18!! (Holy Crap. Im old.) Throughout the years I have seen Grandma and Grandpa and one of my aunts intermittantly when they came up for my wedding, or for my sisters graduation, but the rest I havent seen in a long time. Especially my cousin Jessie, we used to be awesome pen pals. Im looking forward to seeing her the most!! I have no idea what she has been up to or doing or how she has changed... I'm excited to find out. It is also hard to believe that my dear grandpa is 80!! God bless him!

This is the latest photo I have of my cuz Jessie. Looks the same, but different that I remember. Older.

We are also getting excited to go because the day after we get in, we are spending the day in San Fransisco. I love going to San Fran, even was trying to move there... then I saw the prices. OUCH!! My husband has never been to California or any other big place aside from a short stint in Seattle, so he is excited to go and I'm thrilled to show him around. And this will be a vacation we, no... I will be sorely needing. I'm excited.

WE DID IT!!!

I cant believe my husband and I have gotten to this point. We both got our Temple reccomends yesterday!!! We have been together for a very, very long time and up until last October, this just didnt seen possible. It always looked to me that it was something that we both were never going to be worthy enough for, so I didn't bother. But God had it in His cards that we are to go and we are becoming a righteous couple in God... I can't tell you how much it means to us that we as a couple have come so far. I am so proud of my husband! Praise be to the Lord!!

I love the weekends!

Especially Sundays. Sundays I am able to devote my whole being to God and family and I don't feel guilty about not thinking of the things that "need" to be done, or (lately) the stresses of the week. I've learned to do this on Saturdays too. It is nice to be able to set aside your problems for a day or two and recuperate before the Monday blues start up again and I have to actually be responsible...

May resolution update

Oh yes. I almost forgot... heres a quick update on how my "May Resolution" is going...

Well, I'm getting up on time on the week days... check.

I'm showering and blow drying and curling in the morning and not at night on the weekdays...check.

I'm applying makeup that doesnt look like a 4 year old did it...check.

My clothes are set out before I go to bed the night before...check.

I know where my purse is and everything I must take to work is in one spot... ha, ha, ha.

Still working on that, but hey! 4 out of 5 isnt bad! And its working out pretty well. God blessed me with being able to sleep 8 hours a night, and I do and feel soooo much better for it! That I can actually do the 5 steps above! Yes I am tootin' my own horn here, but hey! I'm darn proud of myself. And ofcourse most of the credit must go to Him, for without His help with my prayers to get this going, I still would be looking like quite the unsavory creature. Amen.

I feel better now...

So I'm feeling better. I talked it out, reasoned it out, wrote it down. And I went to bed early. I am doing considerably better today. A wonderful reader wrote me and told me that I dont need to worry, and not to think too much about things becuase 9 times out of 10 I make it out to be something worse than it really is and then I wear myself down and out because of it. So heres what I am focusing on for May:

• Temple classes, bishop interviews and stake stuff done by Thurs the 15th.
• Temple before May 23rd
• May 23rd-26th vacation!!!!
• Dance season ends with recital May 17th.
• I've decided to start praying in the mornings too. I should be doing it anyways, but I'm going to start.
• Get the ball rolling with lenders to see what we qualify for as in home loans.
• Selling the truck and buying a $400 scooter that will save MUCHO gas.

And that is it for May. Unless something else becomes dire, I will not focus on anything else until June starts. It's feeling like things are starting to be put in place a bit. I'm still a little jittery, but thats ok. Thank you all who have emailed me with your prayers! God Bless!

Stinky cat

This is our cat Stinky. It was kinda cute, he got himself all wrapped up in there, I had nothing to do do with him getting under the blanket...

.

And then he got hot being under the blanket so he moved to the bed....

Why can't I get this comfy?

Pray for us.

Had another Alaska anxiety dream last night. Where's the money going to come from? Will we be able to pay off what we owe down here first? What if we cant get a $40,000 home loan? Funds dont just fall into your lap, how are you going to get this put in motion? Are we being realistic in the timeframe we are setting for ourselves? We'll have kids there, is the church strong enough to raise them how we would like? What if our kids never see thier grandparents? And on..and on...and on....

Talk about not a restful 8 hours. Please pray for us that things will all fall into place, and of course I understand that we are working on Gods time. I guess just pray for my peace of mind.

Time Management

I calculated this out and am dismayed:

I work 9 hours a day, 5 days a week with a one hour drivetime (normal 40 hour work week)

That equals 46 hours a week I am away from home and family.

I spend 30 minutes in the morning to get ready and then at night I've got from 5:30-10pm to spend at home with my husband.

That equals 30 awake hours a week I am at home with family.

I've got Saturday and Sunday off. (48 hours)

That 48 hours combined with the 30 that I am home equals 78 hours total I am awake and at home.

I am only awake at home and with my husband for a total of about 3 days a week.

The rest is sleeping. There is something very wrong here.

Speaking, thinking and doing.

It has come to my immediate attention that my mouth has been going off at quite innapropriate times and using quite un-Christian like statements. This is my new exercise and challenge to myself. To shut my mouth if I have nothing good to say, and if I do have something that needs to be said, to try to present it in a say that I wouldn't be ashamed if Christ heard it. Also, to try to keep my thoughts as nice as possible, as if Christ were to read my thoughts at every second.

A clean tongue helps to garner a clean mind. A clean mind helps to garner a clean spirit. A clean spirit helps bring you closer to Christ.

And so it begins...

Ok....(deep breath).... October is 5 months away. My stupid TO DO list is ever growing, and so is my stress... however so is my pocketbook..(slowly..yay!) I have decided to take it one day at a time. I am no longer allowed to be lazy and put things off for tomorrow. We have done marvelously at not spending money. We did splurge $1.98 on a snickers and a coke last night though... It's funny, after you stop consumer-izing just how much $1.98 means when you are trying to scrimp and save. It means that your $498.00 account could have been $500 instead. Every penny does count. And it is nice not making multiple trips to the store to get things you forgot, then waste gas on a trip for something trivial. Gas is up to $3.65 where we live. I can only imagine when it gets up to $5. I'm going to have to start walking to work. (joking..its a long way to work)

I've got to get my ducks in a row here soon, and fast! Right now all my thoughts and to do's feel like they've been mushed in a ball of playdoh and I have to pick out each and every single one. Although a few big to do's and worrys are going to pass here soon... our temple classes end on the 11th, and then our meetings with the bishop and stake president are the 13th... and then our endowment session will be the next week, and after all that is over it will be a load off my mind because then we will have it over and done with and can go anytime. And then all we have to do in that facet is get our own temple clothes and go to Salt Lake, which is more of a vacation that anything else. And then with those things checked off the list, I can focus a little more clearly on the rest of the things that are muddled up in my gray matter.

...because its all rocket science.

Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world. ~T'ien Yiheng

I have decided that aside from the warm arms of my husband, there is nothing more comforting and relaxing than a properly prepared cup of tea. (ask Emily at Unfurling Flower for info on how to prepare) To get lost in a hot, sweet cup of tea is complete bliss. For those moments of sips, your worries are drowned out and you can breath. What a great thing.

I love this....

There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’”

-C. S. Lewis