As the Semester Closes

One more semester down, one to go. And I have great news! Well little background first.  (In case I've forgotten to mention)

I have a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and am now working on my Masters in Mathematics.  A lot of things overlap, but there's a few things I am missing, aka 3 prerequisite classes from the Math department.  Unfortunately, the math department failed to tell me this when then sent my acceptance letter.  But from talking with my adviser I found out I'm missing the 3 classes.  And those 3 classes can't count towards the master's degree.   So really, my degree needed to take an extra semester, and it usually takes a math major 2 years.  Somehow I had the marvelous plan to finish in 1 year.  My adviser and the graduate school agreed if I got A or B in the classes that required the prerequisites, they would wave the 3 classes I was missing. The husband wants to start his next fall and so I wanted to be done.  Well, I was told I can do that but essentially I'm crazy.  I had multiple people at the school tell me it would be a lot of work, I'd never see my husband, I wouldn't sleep and probably would go insane.

But my family was completely opposite.  They told me that if I wanted to do it, I could do it.  They had faith in me. Plus the husband is an extra great guy and fully supported me in whatever decision I made.  So I went for it, I registered for 15 credit hours and started this fall. (9 credit hours is full time for grad school).  My adviser would ask every so often how things were going, and they went well.  Not as much stress as everyone scared it out to be.  I wasn't any more busy than when I was an undergraduate.  (oh I was also teaching 2 college algebra classes at this time too)  I did a lot of school work at school.  When I came home it was time spent with my husband, teaching piano, or youth activities.  I every so often did hw on the weekends, but usually only when I had a take home exam.  School was for school work and home was for home life. (lesson learned... be productive with your time) Every once in a while, like the week before finals, I got a little stressed because everything seemed to come at once.  But that's normal for school.  For having 5 graduate classes, things went smoothly in my mind.

And now for the exciting part..... are you ready....

GRADES ARE IN! Finally, all my grades have been posted, and the exciting part..... I got good grades! Actually excellent grades, better grades then some semesters as an undergraduate.  And the most exciting part.  The 2 classes I needed the best grades in to waive my prerequisites ..... A and A-!!!!!! What a relief. Because of this, I will be graduating in May with my Masters Degree.  And I will be finishing in 1 year. 2 semesters of 15 credit hours and 1 summer class.  I'm so glad that I decided to do it this way. And so grateful for all the family and friends that supported me through it all.

Now, I have to tell you the reason why I was able to do this.  It's not because I'm some super smart human.  It's not because math grad classes are easy (some are way complicated to understand) I'll let you on a little secret.  It's Heavenly Father. He's the reason I made it through. It's because of Him I got these grades.  When I decided that I was going to push and get it done in a year, I essentially made a plan with Heavenly Father.  I asked for His help. I knew if I did everything that I was supposed to do and served in my church callings.  While I studied and did school, Heavenly Father would help me and make up the rest where I didn't completely reach it.  I serve the Youth in my church.  Teach Sunday lessons and go to activities every Wednesday.  We also have some weekend trips.  I am also a Ward Missionary.  I go out with the missionaries to visit people and teach them.  I was able to go out a lot more this semester and share my testimony with others.  I also teach piano lessons to 4 amazing little girls and 1 fabulous Young women every week.  Teaching them to share their talents with others.  I'm pretty busy woman when you start to put it on paper.  But I made it through this semester and am going to make it through next semester with the help of my Heavenly Father.  I'm so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge I have.  I'm so grateful for my Heavenly Father helping me make it through grad school.  I know that He wants to help you to, whatever your "grad school" may be.  It just takes faith.  One day while driving I had this thought.  "If I don't gain anything else out of grad school except an increase in my faith, that's okay"  I've learned to have more faith.  I've felt the comforting spirit more. And I know what I'm doing in right and will bless me someday.

N*SYNC

My cousin has probably been my best friend.  We're always together, and for some reason our (probably mostly mine) mom's decided we need to be in matching outfits growing up.  So it shouldn't be a surprise that my first concert was with her.  She would come out to Vegas to visit (where I lived) for weeks at a time.  And on this particular visit in 2002, we went to my first concert, N*SYNC. We spent all afternoon doing my hair. It was fabulous, and we have yet to recreate it.  And then me, my cousin, and both my parents headed to the N*SYNC concert.  I remember my parents making a point how we just sat and listened to the concert. (I'm pretty sure I didn't know any of the new songs)  I don't remember much, besides through our binoculars we saw Brittany Spears in the audience.  We got blue suckers that turned our mouths blue.  And it was fun.

Concerts I've been to
N*SYNC
N*SYNC (at the Olympics ceremony)
Yellowcard
Celine Dion
Rascal Flatts x3
Brad Paisley

First Job

So my first "job" was technically working as a sales clerk at a scrapbook store. But I think that my first job was before that.

The summer before 6th grade when I started babysitting.  I was a nervous wreck at first.  I remember crying the first time I went babysitting.  But soon, it became a routine.  I babysat this same family from 6th grade all the way until the summer before my senior year when I moved away.  6 years.  CRAZY! And now the kids I babysat are dating, in high school, and growing up.  Also, I look at the 11 year olds I know, and wonder, would I leave (my hypothetical) children with them.  Some, yes I would, but others, probably not.   The family must have a had trust in me.  I am so thankful for them, the steady job they gave me growing up.  I've stayed close with this family, and they even traveled 400 miles to come to my wedding.

Oh Happy Day

Happiest Day of My Life.... Day I got engaged or the day I got married.  Both were fabulous days and were days I spent with my husband.  Sometimes I feel like I've been married for a long time.  But really it's only been a year and half.  But a fabulous year and a half.  And I'm excited to spend eternity with him.

Blogember

So I wasn't doing that bad with blogember, well too bad, until recently.  Thursday I was supposed to take a 10 pictures at 10 past the hour. Ya didn't happen. So I tried again Friday.  I got 2.  Obviously, remember to take pictures was very hard. So I'm just going to skip that one.

Friday: Favorite Halloween Costume.  1st favorite. as a little girl I was Cinderella. I got this fancy dress from Disneyland, and I remembering wearing lipstick.  I do remember it was cold so I had to wear a jacket over my dress, I wasn't so happy.  2nd favorite.  This year when the husband and I dressed up at Google Maps.  I like this one because it was creative and unique (aka thank you pinterest)

Saturday: Six Word Memoir: Crafts Disney Music Pandas Gospel School

Sunday: Favorite Year in Elementary School and Why:  1st and 2nd Grade, and probably my favorite because I had Mrs. Kilberg both years.

What A Thought

Today's post is about an epiphany I had this summer..... did I even have one? Summer seems so far away right now, and trying to remember what I learned, well that's hard. But after going back and looking what I posted, I think my epiphany had to be "Have Faith."

We have to have faith in life or else it's really hard.  Don't get me wrong, life is hard, but faith makes it easier.  An epiphany I had this semester was "If all I get our of grad school if faith than it's worth it." I really think that grad school has strengthened my faith. I've had to rely on the Lord as much as faith in myself that I can actually do this.  So life needs faith.  That's it.  Pretty simple.

My First Pets

Growing up I had lots of pets.  And I would now if my apartment let me.

One of the first that I remember that was mine was BJ. BJ was a sheep dog.  We got him as a puppy.  According to my parents, he got the name BJ because he threw up on the way home. (B=Barfus).  I don't actually remember him a lot, but from pictures it looks like he was my real life doll.  I would put him in my stroller and push him around.  Sadly, BJ outgrew our backyard and we gave him away.

At this same time we had a cat, sadly I don't remember it's name. But we moved it thousands of miles away with us.  And first thing it did when we got to the new home, hide under the front porch.  I don't have many memories with that cat.

So first pet I actually remember is Sparkle. Growing up, my dad and I would go to this Garden store, and they had cats you could adopt.  We adopted Sparkle.  His name became Sparkle because I couldn't pronounce the name I actually wanted to name him.  I remember giving him a bath.  My dad said he went from black and gray to grey and white.  Must have been a dirty cat.

Along with Sparkle, I had a orange tabby named Fluffy.  We also got him as a kitten. So cute....or maybe I should say "HE'S SO FLUFFY I'M GOING TO DIE!".  Any who.  He was a funny cat.  He would chase the laser pointers, and oh I just loved him so much.  But sometimes he wasn't the best, like when he used to undecorate the Christmas tree by climbing up it.  Crazy cat.

Sadly, Sparkle ran away one year during fireworks and we gave Fluffy away when we moved.  They were great cats.

Note: I did have birds some time between all these cats, but they flew away one day when my dad was cleaning their cages.  Here's all the pets I can remember

Cat #1
BJ - Dot
2 Birds
Sparkle - Cat
Fluffy - Cat
Einstein - Beta Fish
Albert - Beta Fish
Domino, Cesar - Fish
Sir Isaac - Snail
Throw in some other fish

Now I have a pet rock. :)

Lonely Music

Picture this..... you are stranded on a desert island, but lucky you, you remembered your iPod with only 3 albums on it. What would you have on your iPod?

Here's mine....

#1 "Grateful Praise" by Eclipse, my Aunt and Uncle gave this to me for high school graduation and I LOVE IT! It's an A Capella group that sings hymns and it is wonderful.  It brings such a peace with it and it's amazing music.  It's what I listen to when I start to feel anxious.

#2 Best of Celine Dion, my cousin made me this CD. And it's what stays in my car.  Bad day, Celine has a song for that, nothing on the radio, Celine can cure that, favorite movie song, oh ya Celine sang that. It's just awesome! She is awesome.

#3 Husband's Birthday Mix, because all these songs have meaning to memories with my husband.  And if I'm stranded I might as well relive all our memories.  Plus they are pretty great songs, seeing I put the mix together.

Unstoppable

Some days, I'm not a good blogember blogger and forget/don't blog.

So yesterday I was supposed to blog about a time I felt unstoppable.  Well I'm hoping it's this headcold, but it's hard to think of a good example.  So here's one for now.

Thursday mornings I spend at home before teaching piano and going to school.  It's nice not to have to spend ALL day on campus.  And sometimes I am super productive.  One in particular, I cleaned the house chores and I believe did my hw, started dinner all before piano.  I felt unstoppable (haha).  I think that's when I feel unstoppable, when I just start doing chores and just keep going and soon the house is all picked up, laundry is done, and I feel great.  I wish I was like that every day. So productive, but it doesn't happen.  Like this week.

A week ago the Husband was sick with stomach flu, then since Wednesday I've been fighting off a cold.  Definitely doesn't help us be productive. Along with all the other things that come before laundry and dishes.   Luckily, I have an amazing husband who still did chores while he was home sick, ya he's great.

Well hopefully this headcold isn't unstoppable and life can become more productive.  Happy Monday!

Online Shopping

So today I'm supposed to write about my 5 Favorite places to shop online.  Well that would have to mean that I shop online.  I actually only have two, and almost everything can be found at these two.

#1 Amazon
#2 Groupon

I love Amazon.  It's my go to place for piano books, textbooks, I even looked up school supplies there. I usually always check Amazon.

Groupon.  You can get some steller deals on Groupon.  Husband and I went to Florida for our anniversay with a trip from Groupon.  Definitely worth it.  We've bought a few other things on there, camcorder, video grames, cute yogurt tupperware, and so much more.  Some of our great dates nights are deals on there too. Defintiely check it out.

#3 DoTerra

This one makes this list just because I put an order in every month, so technically speaking I buy more often from them.  But I love my oils and it's the way I get them.

Happy Shopping!

Time

Time.  Doesn't it seem like we never have enough time. Or we wish we had more time in the day?  Time is a funny subject for this post because it's a timed post.  I have 5 minutes to write about time. Then hit publish.  Sometimes I like to believe that I'm good with my time. I get all my studying done at school for the most part so that I can enjoy my time at home with my husband.  But then other times, I am a huge time waster.  Like last night for example, what did I do productive with my time. Eat. That's it and sleep.  Granted, I've had a head cold this week, but still.  But on the other hand.  Enjoying being lazy, or lounging around is sometimes what we need to refuel ourselves.

Now besides wanting more time, aren't we always "waiting" for that "special time".  I'll wear this dress in a time that's a special occasion.  I'll be happy when this happens at this time.  And on and on.  I know I've done it, save my favorite outfits for occasions I deem worthy of their stylishness.  Be happy once all my exams are over (aka next Friday).  But that's not how it should be.  There's a conference talk from a few years back where this was the topic.  I don't remember who gave it, but he talked about a lady having a fancy dress and saving it for a "special occasion" and I think she never wore it.  That's sad.  So we should wait until the time is right to wear our favorite shoes, or the time is right to be happy.  We should be happy now in our favorite outfit.  We need to enjoy the journey.

Your time is now.  Enjoy it! Use it well! And look fabulous too!

A Day in My Life

Average day in my = Busy

Wake up around 6:15 (give or take), get ready for the day and have breakfast with the husband and pack lunches. Then its off to school for about 8-10 hours. Between taking 15 credits and teaching 2 classes, there seems to always be something due, a test to take or grade. Then depending on the day, its either piano, mutual, or missionary splits after school. Sometime between all that theres dinner with the husband and a show or two on Netflix to end the night. My life  is busy but its good. I still have time to enjoy doing things with friends and the husband. I rarely do hw once I get home which is nice. And not every weekend is filled with hw.  I guess I've had practice prioritizing and can still have fun. I'm not always thankful for busy days, I enjoy being lazy.  But I know that it will all pay off in the end. (Though I don't enjoy leaving in the dark and coming home in the dark.)

Top 5 Apps

Top 5 Apps

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Google Chrome
Email
Calculator (honorary)

Ya this probably means I'm on social media way too much. But it is nice to be connected everywhere.

I Love Cookies

One of my favorite recipes I s for cookies of course. Cookies are my weakness. But here's an amazing recipe from Dwanna Buxton's Worldwide Ward Cookbook Secret Recipes. (Picture also from her book)

Grandma's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups oatmeal,  blend to fine powder
4-oz chocolate candy bar, shaved
12-oz chocolate chips
1/2 cups nuts, chopped (optional)

In large bowl, cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; bear well. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, oatmeal. Add shaved chocolate, chocolate chips, and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Makes 36 cookies.

Mmmm so delicious. Some changes I makes. No shaved chocolate or nuts. But still so good. Especially since the oatmeal is blended. Makes it awesome. Also, 10 minutes makes perfect cookies. I actually set timer because its that perfect.

Free to Worship

Articles of Faith
11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

Freedom. I live in the land of the free. I have the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of my heart. Isn't that beautiful. Also, I believe is allowing others to worship God in their own way.

I've seen in the media lately about fighting for our religious freedom. My county was founded on religious freedom. The pilgrims came here to escape persecution for their religion. Time and time again, the early pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints moved from town to town to find religious freedom.

Don't we all derserve the right to serve our God according to the desires of our hearts? I am so grateful for a country where I can pray when ever I want. Where I can talk about my beliefs anywhere. And where I can serve and worship my God. I'm thankful for these freedoms and for all those who have fought and continue to fight to keep my country free.

Favorite Blogger

So I blog stalk. But there actually aren't many blogs I regularly stalk besides friends and family. But one of my favorites is Elise over at Elise's Pieces. She's a friend from college and I love blog stalking her and I think you should stalk her too. She has inspiring messages and it seems she knows how you feel too. Plus she's pretty awesome.

Someone's Thinking

"Somewhere there's someone who dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life if worthwhile.  So when you are lonely remember it's true. Someone somewhere is thinking of you."

Growing up as a teenager this was one of my FAVORITE quotes. (I'm not sure who said it).  I already wrote yesterday about my other.  

I think as a teenager we can get down.  Feeling lonely because the cute boy likes our best friend, the girl next door has a date to the dance while we sit home alone eating ice cream.  And growing up it doesn't always get easier.  Your roommate has a boyfriend but you don't.  And it seems everyone on Facebook is getting engaged but you. But I think if we remember this quote, we remember that someone is thinking about us we just don't realize.  Maybe that cute boy in Chemistry class is just to shy to ask us out.  And even if it's not our crush that is thinking about us, our parents ALWAYS are.  Even after we move away. (My mom and mother in law do for sure).  So even when we are feeling down, we need to remember all the people who love us and are constantly thinking about us and praying for us.  If we just stop and think about all the wonderful people we have in our life, we should be happy, not sad.

So remember, someone loves you! Never forget that!

Life's Lesson

ISo I was blog stalking and came across this blog A Happy Girl and she has this idea of Blogember. I decided I wanted to try this. I think I sometimes let life get in the way and I get lazy and don't blog. Even if I have things to blog about.

I think of the greatest lessons in life is faith and trusting in God. (As you can see from my many faith posts)  Faith isn't just hoping for something. Its acting on the faith and that's hard sometimes. Especially when that faith requires you to trust in God's timing and not your own. I remember multiple times this year I questioned myself on whether graduate school was the right decision. I couldn't see the full end result. It took faith to quit my full time job to go back to school. Faith and trust in the Lord. Thinking back on the times in my life where I've had to have faith in the Lord's timing I realized, Those situations didn't end bad. They are happy endings. The Lord provides ways to happy endings not sad ones. If we knew that we would always have a happy ever after following the Lord's plan, then why wouldn't we always follow His plan. One I think because we're human and we think we know best. (Not always true) and two, yes we will get the happy ever after, but the journey is tough.

I have a quote hanging in my house that my aunt made, which previously hung in my Grandpa's family room. It has Jesus Christ and says "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." Life is hard, and it was meant to be. If it was easy would we learn anything? No.  But even though life is rough, it's worth it. The hard journey that's makes us strong is worth it for eternal life.

So I guess what life teaches me is to have faith and trust in God. It's not always easy. But how great is my joy when I act in faith. I hope I can continue to act in faith and trust God. Trust in His timing. Trust that He knows what is best.

Comfy Pants

Today while perusing Instagram I came across a blogger who posted a picture of a cute outfit she wore.... with a dirty secret about it.  She cut her waistband to her leggings. (Read her whole story here)  I love that she was so open how she needed this to be more comfy.  Yet she is comfortable with who she is.  It takes confidence to air our little secrets for the whole world to read.

This got me thinking.... I wish I could cut the waistband to my jeans.  Here I sit at school in my nice jeans and sweater, looking all pretty.... but really, I just want to be in sweats. My equivalent to cutting my waistband.

I want to be comfy.  I wish it was totally okay to go out in public every day in sweats and a pony tail.  And let's add no make up too.  Now most of you will be thinking, isn't that what people wear every day to college? Well not this girl. I actually think I can count on one hand how many times I wore sweats on campus. In all 4.5 years of college I've completed so far.  It may have all stemmed from a good friend in middle school telling me that hair should only be in a pony tail once a week.... and this sometimes translates too, only wear a sweatshirt and jeans once a week. (I'm totally weird and know it)  And also, since I teach I probably shouldn't show up in sweats (not too professional).

So this post isn't really about any thing in particular, just me thinking out loud how nice it will be when I get to go home and put on my comfy clothes.  And tomorrow I'll think about wearing my "Comfy" jeans.    

A Nugget of Faith

I would not be where I am today without the gospel. With faith in Jesus Christ, I have overcome trials and pain in my life.  It is with Faith in Jesus Christ that I can do my best, and Christ makes up the rest.   I am studying mathematics for a masters degree. Before school started I made a plan that if I did all I could in my spiritual life that Jesus Christ and Heavenly father would help me succeed in my school life.  I am going to graduate in May and I know that this would not be possible without faith in Jesus Christ,  faith that He will help me. It is faith that helps us want to be a better person today than yesterday.  And that is all Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father want.  I know that faith in Jesus Christ leads to miracles, but first we must have faith.

Why do we go Camping?

When I think about girls camp, so many memories come to mind. From getting lost as a first year to getting lost my last year as a leader (with the same person might I add). At girls camp I went hiking, fishing, canoing, quilting, rappelling, zip lining, did crafts, learned first aid, star gazed and did so much more. But girls camp is more than the activities, more than a week without electronics, more than a week without a flushing toilet or shower. Girls camp is about knowledge, relationships, and our testimonies. From Young Women Camp: A Guide for Priesthood and Young Women Leaders

it states that “Camp is essential to the Young Women Program. Camp is challenging but worth it!” The only things that we take with us when we die is our knowledge, our relationships and our testimonies. And that is exactly what girls camp is all about.

At girls camp, young women are given the opportunity to gain knowledge about the world around them. Girls camp is usually is the middle of nowhere. But this middle of nowhere place, gives us the chance to learn more about God's creations and truly enjoy them. We also learn to recognize the promptings of the spirit and learn more about ourselves. As I mentioned, my first year at camp I got lost. First day in fact. Me along with 4 other first years went on a hike with 2 of our junior leaders, without telling anyone. As we started this hike, I remember thinking that we should go back. I expressed my thoughts, but they were dismissed as I followed along the other girls. Many hours later past dinner and once it was dark we finally returned to camp, finding out they had been looking for us. Looking back, I can see that the spirit was whispering to me that we should turn around. I was able to learn to recognize the spirit speaking to me. Now 6 years later, I went to go on a hike with one of the same girls. As I got this feeling again, I listened to it and we turned around, saving us from getting even more lost than we were. When we put ourselves in opportunities where we are free from the sounds of world (tv, books, facebook, music) our ears can be more in tune with the spirit. We need to be able to recognize when the spirit is speaking to us to navigate through life.

In the Ensign in 1971 an article stated that “Life’s greatest joys and also its greatest sorrows come from the relationships we have with others. In fact, our existence is quite dependent upon this interaction with individuals and with groups of individuals.” Where is a better place to strengthen relationships with friends than where we are free from the noise of the world. At girls camp we can truly see people. We're not trying to impress people, we're there to have fun and feel the spirit. As a young woman in my ward I would sometimes feel like I didn't have very many friends, and feel as though I was left out. But as I remember girls camp, I was able to come closer to the girls in my ward. It was at girls camp that I realized that my relationship with one of my friends in my ward was a blessing to a prayer I had for many years before. The friendships I've strengthened at girls camp are those who I am still friends with today. But the most important relationship that gets strengthened is our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Everything we do at camp should lead us to come closer to Heavenly Father and Christ. The best example of this is looking back on girls camp this year and the Iron Rod activity. The spirit felt by the girls was so strong and showed them how our life should lead us to the Tree of Life or to Christ. As we come closer to Christ we strengthen our testimonies. Some of the most spiritual moments I had growing up took place at girls camp. All one needs to do is attending testimony meeting at girls camp to understand. The spirit felt is amazing. And a spirit that only exists at girls camp.

As we look forward to girls camp every year, we really should be looking forward to the spirit overflow that we are going to receive, the strength that our testimonies are desiring. The reason we have camp is to confirm our identity as daughters of God, recognizing and cultivating the spirit, keeping our covenants and preparing for our future roles. So as you help the young women prepare for girls camp, remember they are just camping in the woods for a week to come home dirty and sleepless, they are spiritually uplifting themselves to know who they are so they can live the covenants that they have made and stand as a witness of God at all times, in all things and in all places.

Perspective

Today I got an email from a good friend of mine. As she sat I'm her broken down car she was sent this story.

Love Bank account
 
 A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. 
 
  His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. 
 
 As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window. 
 
 I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.   
 
Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait..' 
 
 'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied. 
 
 Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time.   Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is  arranged .. it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it.  It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up.' I have a choice:        
 
I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful  for the ones that do. 
 
  Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away.. Just for this time in my life.. 
 
  Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. 
 
 So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!  Thank you for your part in filling my bank account.
 
I am still depositing.             
 
Remember the five simple rules to be happy: 
 
 1. Free your heart from hatred. 
 2. Free your mind from worries. 
 3. Live simply. 
 4. Give more. 
 5. Expect less. 

Life is full of ups and downs, but that shouldn't determine our happiness. We have a choice to be happy or not. Why would we not chose to be happy? I hope that more often than not I can make the choice to be happy as I deposit memories into my love bank account.

Marriage is Ordained of God

What is marriage?

In “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles proclaim that “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” 

I could leave this post at that and make my point. Marriage is between a man and a woman.  That's it. Nothing more.  No sub definitions.  There is just one definition.   This is completely contrary to what the world believes, where we argue and vote and petition about what marriage should be, not what it already is and forever will be.

The definition of what marriage is has been around since the world began.  When God put man Adam on the Earth he gave man a help meet, and equally yoked partner to journey through life and that partner was Eve, woman.

Moses 3

 19 And out of the ground I, the Lord God, formed every ^abeast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and commanded that they should come unto Adam, to see what he would call them; and they were also living souls; for I, God, breathed into them the ^bbreath of life, and commanded that whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that should be the name thereof.

 20 And Adam gave ^anames to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but as for Adam, there was not found an help meet for him.

 21 And I, the Lord God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and I took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof;

 22 And the rib which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, made I a ^awoman, and brought her unto the man.

 23 And ^aAdam said: This I know now is bone of my bones, and ^bflesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.

 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall ^acleave unto his ^bwife; and ^cthey shall be ^done flesh.

There is so much confusion in the world of what marriage really is. 

In 1995 Gordon B. Hinkley, Prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, along with the Quorum of Twelve Apostles issued "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." 

Almost twenty years ago the prophet declared what marriage is.  It sad see a worlds standards falling from the Lord's. 

Marriage is a wonderful thing.  I am so lucky to be married to my husband.  I honestly don't think there is a better man out there for me than him. And what is even more wonderful is that I get to spend eternity with him.  It doesn't get much better than that.

I'm sad to think they are peoples who are missing out on this wonderful marriage.   Marriage and family is central to God's plan. Children need a father and a mother to teach them and set examples for them. Parents to love them and care for them.  Family is so important in life. 

The world is out there to believe that we need to change the definition of marriage because the world is changing.  We need to change our standards to fit the worlds. Dress to fit in the world. Act to fit in the world. Everyone needs to be equal.  All need to be treated the same.  To the world is doesn't matter what God's laws are.  But to me it does matter.  I dont want to let the world tell me what to believe.  I know what's true and I'm going to fight for it.  I'm going to stand up for what I believe and I'm going to tell the world.  And this is what I believe.  

For questions on more of my beliefs here are two great sites.

http://mormon.org/faq/stand-on-homosexuality

http://www.lds.org/topics/same-gender-attraction?lang=eng

Becoming a Woman of God

How do I become a woman of God? By living the values that each of us is taught as a Young woman: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity and Virtue.

I have faith to know that there is a God who knows me personally and loves me. Faith in His plan for me. And faith that by following his plan everything will work out.

I know my divine nature by listening to God and leaning on what He thinks of me as a woman and not what the world believes. I know I have worth, for the scriptures state “how great is the worth of souls in the sight of God” Oh how great is worth worth in God's eyes, and so it should be in your own eyes.

D&C 131: 6 It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.

Knowledge is key. Knowledge to understand the world around us. Knowledge to understand ourselves.

As we progress through life with knowledge of our divine nature with faith we make choices and then become accountable for those. By acting with faith and following the Lord's commandments we are blessed.

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

The world would have you believe that integrity and virtue are things of the past. But the world is wrong. I believe that the time is now in which the world needs integrity and virtue more than ever. Life will be blessed by living a life with integrity and virtue.

There's one value I missed. Good works. I saved this for last because it is so important. What is faith if you don't act on it. What is knowledge if it stays within the textbook? You can't take the textbook to heaven. And what is virtue if it's only a thought and not the actions of how you live your life? They mean nothing without action. Good works is the action behind faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice & Accountability, integrity and virtue.

Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (3 Nephi 12:16).

Through your good works, friends, family and strangers will see what values you stand for. They will see that you are a witness of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places. They will see that you are truly a woman of God.

Becoming a woman of God doesn't happen over night, it's a life long journey. A journey where you will be taken into many different roles: Teacher, Student, friend, Coworker, wife and mother. But no matter what role you are in, you can always be a woman of God. So make a promise today to live your life every day that you can stand tall and proclaim to the world that YOU are a WOMAN of GOD. You know it. You live it. And you Love it!

I Am A Woman of God

The husband asked what I was going to blog about.  I replied with "being a woman." He commented, "that sounds complicated."

I am a woman. I'm also a daughter, a wife, a friend, a sister, a granddaughter, a niece, and a neighbor.  But first and foremost I am a woman of God.  Throughout my life, this knowledge of who I truly am has been taught to me repeatedly.

It started young when I learned, "I am a child of God." 
As I became a teenager I learned more about who I truly was, "I am a daughter of God, who loves me and I love Him."  (Words in italics changed from plural to singular)
As I progressed from teenage to woman, the emphasis of learning who I was as a daughter of God never stopped, "I am a woman of God striving daily to be all that He wants me to be."

"We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

"Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.
Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
Delight in service and good works.
Love life and learning.
Stand for truth and righteousness.
Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation. "
~ "The Relief Society Declaration," The Family: A Proclamation to the World, (2008)

I am a Woman of God. I know it.  I live it. And I love it.  I love that the Relief Society Declaration states that my life as meaning, purpose and direction.  I really don't think that it could be said any better that this.  This is truly a woman of God.  

There is a lot of confusion in the world today about what roles a woman should have.  The world gives a skewed view on what truly makes a woman successful.  The world believes as a woman I need a college education, high profile job, fancy house, successful husband, expensive clothes, and a perfect life.  Oh, and don't forget I'm a size 0 with manicured nails and wind blown hair that falls perfectly.  Wait, I just described Barbie.   The world believe that as a woman I need to essentially be a beautified man. Powerful and successful with a feminine touch.   There shouldn't be anything that a man has that I don't.  Well wake up world. I don't want to be a man.  I want to be a woman.  And not just any woman. I want to be a woman of God.

 What has really saddened me, is this world philosophy of treating everyone completely and entirely the same has now reached all aspects of my life.  Even into church.  Men and woman are different. We are all different.  We are not all the same.  Do you know how boring life would be if we were all the same?  I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I am a Mormon.

In recent media, I've seen woman feel they deserve the right to hold the Priesthood.  The priesthood authority is given to worthy males in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  This is how Christ set up his church and this is how he set up our church.  The priesthood doesn't make men better than women; it doesn't give them power to control woman.  It gives a man the proper authority, if they live and act righteously to "act in all things necessary for the salvation of God’s children."  As my husband explained it frankly, the priesthood power is service.

I love that my husband holds the priesthood.  He has the power to "act in all things for the salvation of God's children".  And I'm one of God's children.  I am not denied any blessings of the priesthood because I am woman.  If I live righteously I can enjoy all the blessings of the priesthood. As I attend the Temple, all the blessings that my husband receives as a man, I receive as a woman.  In God's eyes, we are both His children equally.  It does not bother me one bit that I, as a woman, do not hold priesthood keys. I have a different role to fill.

I am wife to my husband.  I support my husband in his job, his church callings, and in our home life.  I lean on him for strength and direction, and together as an eternal couple we make decisions for our family.   We walk side by side in our marriage relationship, not one behind the other.

"Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord." I Corinthians 11:11

Someday I am going to be a mother.  Oh how I look forward to that day.  I don't look forward to the day of long meetings, being a powerful CEO, working late and barely seeing my family.  I look forward to the day of little feet scampering around the house.  Children so excited to see you every day because you are their mother.  When I grow up, I want to be a mom.

This is the role I am here to fulfill.  Not one of leading congregations of people, and making decisions for everyone.  I am here to be a mother to my children and a wife to my husband.  I'm here for my family.  This is what my divine role is as a Woman of God.

We all may have different paths that lead us to this, but ultimately, it's all about family.  Everything is.

Also. I love how this woman put it. I agree with her.  Thank you for writing this Hannah.
 http://familiacabrerafairbrother.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/a-letter-to-sisters-of-ordain-women.html?m=1

I Survived: Part 2

Well I am on day 7 of grad school.  And I have survived.  It's been tricky getting back into the swing of being a student. But its good.  Most days I like it (Some days I question again why am I doing this).  But the positive ones do out number the negative ones.   Here's some things I've learned so far.

Complex analysis is more confusing that real analysis
I am truly an engineer by heart
Colored pencils are not just for elementary school
Grad school - easiest diet (not really planned, just happened)
Back at grad school = college dinners

All in all. School is good. I really enjoy some of my classes, the people I've met are great and helpful.

Here's to a great year!!!!

Here's a sample of what I'm learning! (I get to draw pretty pictures)

I Survived: Part 1

You may call me Professor.  Okay. So I'm not "really" a professor, but my students call me professor. And it feels pretty cool.  I teach 2 undergraduate classes while I'm getting my master's degree. Pretty cool right? I get to practice being a real life professor. (That's one reason I want my Master's).  I did tell my students I was a graduate student, but some still call me professor. And I'm okay with that.  :)   

Here's some things I learned from my first day teaching.

1.  7:30am class is even earlier if you're the instructor and live 30 min from campus
2.  You get a better parking spot if you have a 7:30 am class
3.  I like the husband making breakfast (So sweet of him)
4.  It's a great idea to pack your lunch the night before
5.  Copy extra syllabi. You may run out.
6.  Chalk is yuck! It gets all over your hands. 
7.  College students are just as quite when I teach as my Young Women
8.  Plan more than you expect to teach

All in all it was a good day.  I got a lot prepared and I'm excited for the year!

Naked Peaches

I love peaches! Yummy! They are so tasty.  My favorite peaches are my Grandma's canned peaches.  I can eat an entire jar in one sitting. She's given them to me as birthday presents because I love them so much.  I used to be horrible at sharing, aka I didn't share them AT ALL. But now, well, I still am probably horrible at sharing, but at least sometimes I offer.  Well, now my Grandma lives over 1000 miles away. And trying to get some of her peaches out here is a little tricky.  I decided to try my hand at canning peaches.  So that's what I did.  I bout a bushel of peaches, picked out the best, found a recipe online for non-pressure cooker canning recipe, bought some jar, and made a mess. And what did I end up with. 14 gorgeous looking jars of peaches! I am so excited! I did have two little jars for leftovers that wouldn't fit in the quart sized jars, so we've already eaten some. Even as good as they are, they are still not quite like Grandma's.

I found that canning peaches is easier than freezing corn.  My last bulk project a week ago was buying 8 dozen ears of corn, husking them, blanching them, cutting the corn off the cob and freezing them. And that makes a HUGE mess.  Corn kernels everywhere. But now we have 18 gallon bags of delicious corn to eat all year.  After finishing 2 dozen, I thought to myself "What was I thinking getting 8 dozen?" But I'm glad I did. The fresh corn is so much better than anything I've tasted. And I'm excited to be able to eat it all year long.  And now I have peaches.

What I thought was going to be the worst part of canning was peeling the peaches.  I made peach crisp earlier in the week, and had to peel 10 peaches.  You look a lot pealing them with a knife, or at least I do because I don't get very close.  Luckily, when reading about canning, I found the easiest way to peal peaches.  It's so great I'm going to use it again on Sunday when we make dutch oven peach cobbler. YUM!  Here's the trick.

Heat a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
Fill sink or bucket with ice water.
Place whole peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds (more the higher altitude you are)
Take out peaches from boiling water and place in ice bath for a few minutes (I kept them in there while I put all the peaches in the boiling water until I slice them all)
Skin will rub right off of the peaches.  I suggested cutting the peach in half before pulling all the skin off.  Most of the skin will rub off just by cutting in half.

This was so easy to do, and not that hard.  The weirdest part.... naked peaches.  Sometimes all the skin would come off a whole peach.  Peaches feel weird naked.  Plus my hands were wet and the peach just came out of an ice bath.  But naked peaches are beautiful.  And I'm all for no skin on my peaches.



Here's the link to my instructions I followed for canning my peaches.  I'm sure it works the same for other fruits. (I did light syrup and didn't sprinkle anything on my peaches to prevent them from turning brown, and they didn't)

Happy Canning!

http://www.pickyourown.org/peachescanning.htm

PS. Right after I finished my first batch, I found out 6 jars of my Grandma's peaches were on there way to me via some one moving out our way.  So EXCITED!!!!! So many Yummy Peaches to Eat!

Pinterest Challenge

So I would have thought with no work and no school for two weeks I would have been AMAZING at blogging. I was wrong.  My lazy self took over. But I did do quite a few pinterest projects.  Didn't not succeed in doing one every day (but some days I did two, that counts for something right)  So here's a review of my pinterest challenge.

Day 1: It took my friend and I forever to decide what to do.  This actually occurred most days. Food vs Project was mostly the case.  Since friend and I were having dinner together, we decided to make a dessert, and boy was it scrump-dili-umptious!  We made Chubby Hubby Bars! So yummy.  It's pretty much a cookies with Reese's and pretzels inside with caramel and chocolate on top. SO GOOD and pinterest Success!

Pinterest: 0  Me: 1

Day 1: I also tried to do my hair from a pin earlier that morning. No so much a success. One I was trying to hurry, two, I'm pretty sure my hair is too short and it would call for a lot of bobbypins. So after trying it once, I gave up. Pinterest fail.

Pinterest: 1 Me: 1

Day 2: It was another friend's birthday coming up so I decided to make her something and I used an idea from pinterest.  An owl picture made from buttons.  I probably needed more buttons, but it turned out cute, and actually looked like an owl. Success!

Pinterest: 1 Me: 2

Day 2: Part 2, I wanted to paint my nails. So looked for ideas on pinterest. In my opinion, some are way to hard to do on your own.  So I opted for pink with flowers.  They looked like flowers, but were messy when you go close.  But I'm going to call it a success.

Pinterest: 1 Me: 3

Day 3: Back again to the thinking what to do.  Well, really we went to the store with multiple projects in mind, but Wal-Mart did not have anything that we needed.  So we sat down in the aisle at Wal-Mart searching Pinterest for an idea.  Skirts. We made skirts.  And what is awesome about these skirts, the have POCKETS! So amazing! The skirt was pretty simple to do. And they turned out cute. Sadly, I haven't really liked mine yet. I decided the shapre of the skirt is not what I'm used to, but my friends looks way darling on her.  So definitely a success story all the way.

Pinterest: 1 Me: 4

Day 3:  The yw in my ward came over to make cookies for the court of honor that night. We made these corn flake peanut butter balls (AKA Deliciousness) that I actually pinned awhile ago. They were AWESOME! So Good. Messy, but good. Success!

Pinterest: 1 Me: 5

Day 4: Tub cleaning.  My tub looks dirty and I can't find anything to fix it. I've tried all sorts of cleaning products, lemon oil.... nothing works. So I tried dish soap and baking soda.  Now, it didn't get the dirt out, but it took all the hard water stains off the fixtures.  They look so shiny.  So this is a lose/win situation.

Pinterest: 2 Me: 6

And this is where the challenge went downhill.  My friend and I didn't see each other as much, my lazy side came out and well.... I failed at completeing the challenge.  I still tried to do something every day, but  I didn't make it every day.  Here's some other things I tried.

Day 9: Peach crisp. Total success.  Husband is already asking for more and it's not even gone yet. I did double the crisp part, mostly because it's my favorite!

Pinterest: 2 Me: 7

Day 10: Cookies in a cup. Interesting. Needed ice cream, but it worked.

Pinterest: 2 Me: 8

So all in all, I think my friend and I did pretty good. We didn't manage to do something every day, but what we did do was definitely an accomplishment.  Even the things that didn't turn out so well, still can be attempted again.

And of course, I didn't take a lot of photos. :( But find me on Pinterest and most of the things are Pinned on my completed Board.

Happy Pinning!

Challenge Accepted

Pinterest. I was on the bandwagon. Then I got off.  Decided not to do it. Well then I jumped back on the band wagon. Why did I stop?! So much goodness to look at and pretend that someday I'm going to bake that delicious meal or make that cute sweater.  Well enough with the dreaming.  Since I have now quit my job and finished my first semester of graduate school, I am taking on a challenge.

The Challenge: Every day complete some project (food/craft/organization/fitness/etc) that I have pinned on Pinterest.  Every so often blogging about my experiences (and hopefully not Pinterest Fails)

Timeframe: August 5 - August 16. My 2 weeks with no obligations but to relax and enjoy summer.

Who: Me and occasionally my friend.  She's great. You'd love her.

The Verdict: Challenge Accepted

Homemade At It's Finiest

Think back to a while ago.  July 2 to be exact. When I blogged about eating baby food.  I promised it was for a project and not that I'm weird. (okay, I'm weird) Anywho, I said I would explain why.... well here I am a month later finally explaining.  I made homemade bath stuff for my cousin for her birthday.  Sugar scrub, coconut lotion and bath salts.  And it all was super easy and fun to be able to make her gift for her.

I actually found the recipes from other blogs.  I tried to link to the ones I used, but couldn't remember them exactly.

Sugar Scrub (http://unbailefor5.blogspot.com/2011/05/homemade-sugar-scrub.html)

1 1/2 cups of Sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
A few drops of essential oil (I did balance, it's a calming blend from DoTerra)

Put everything in a bowl. Stir. Put in cute container (aka baby food jar) I tied a ribbon around mine to add some cuteness.

To use the sugar scrub, take a little bit and wash your hands, feet, or use it in the shower.  It's an exfoliating scrub.  You knows that scrubs from bath and body stores that are about $10-$15 each.  This works the same way. Your hands (or feet or arms for that matter) will feel so soft afterwards.  Worried about the olive oil in it. Don't be.  A little bit of oil is good for you. And olive oil is good for your skin. (Read about it here)

Coconut Lotion (Can't remember if this is the correct link - http://www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2012/02/homemade-whipped-coconut-oil-body)

Spoonful of coconut oil (found in baking aisle at grocery store.  It is solid at room temperature)
A few drops of essential oil (I used Wild Orange by DoTerra)

A lot of recipes online also call for vitamin E. You can just squeeze the contents of vitamin E pills into the bowl.

Using a hand mixer whip the coconut oil until it is a creamy texture. Similar to homemade whipped cream.  Put in cute container (aka baby food jar) I tied a ribbon around mine to add some cuteness.   The lotion is harden after letting it sit for a bit.

Because this lotion is based from coconut oil it will feel more oily than normal lotion.  But it nourishes your skin and hydrates it.  Coconut oil is also very healthy to eat and for your skin. (I know cook with it).  A little bit goes a long way with this lotion.  When I was sun burnt I used this so often.  A side note.  Coconut oil goes from a solid to a liquid at about 76* F. So if you keep your house warm or accidentally leave it in the sun like I did, it will melt.  To prevent this from happening you can keep it in the fridge.  If by accident you melt it.  Just re-whip it.  There are multiple recipes for whipped coconut lotion. I chose one with few ingredients.

Bath Salts (http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/HolidayandParty/Pages/homemade-bath-salts.aspx)

Epson Salt
A few drops of Food Coloring (I used blue and red = purple)
A few drops of Essential Oil (I used lavendar by DoTerra)

Put all ingredients together in a zip-lock bag. Shake Shake Shake. Shake Shake Shake. Shake you baggie. :)  I then poured mine in a mason jar. Start with fewer drops of essential oil and food coloring than you think.  You  can always add more later.

Grad School Makes You Cry

Remember yesterday's uplifting post all about having faith. (If not, here you go) Well today another Debbie downer  moment happened..... I blame graduate school. It makes you cry.  At least it does for me.

Life's plan got a little rearranged.  I decided that I could finish my masters in 1 year. Yup 1 year. At first this scared me when it was suggested, but then I was totally excited about it! 1 Year!!!! WooHoo! Beats that 4 years I spent on undergraduate work.  Well today I met with my adviser to discuss my new brilliant plan and

WHAM! Down I went.  Okay, that may be a little bit of exaggeration.  But still, I didn't hear everything I wanted too.  Long story short.  I'm waiting for a very important phone call from the graduate school that it in itself will determine how long my graduate degree will take.  Just when I think everything is going my way, something comes up.

Maybe I should go find some dino chicken nuggets.

Thanks for listening to me. Next post I promise will be uplifting.... pinkie promise.

PS On a positive note.... I got a 100% on my final for my summer class :) take that grad school

Faith of a Zucchini

Do you ever map our your life and hope that it turns out that way.  For instance.... as a little girl, did you already have your life planned. You knew when you'd go to college, get married, how many kids you'd have (in what particular order), where you'd live, what your husband's job would be, where you would go on vacation, and what would have for dinner every night.  Now how often does life happen exactly as we planned.  Not often.

If you asked me 2 years ago if I'd be living the the middle of the great plains, I probably would have thought you were crazy.  No I didn't have life "Planned," but living here.... definitely not in the plans.  Seriously, I cried at the mention of turning in a resume to maybe even consider moving out here.  But as life takes unexpected turns, we learn to adjust.  I LOVE it out here.  It's beautiful, flat, so green, but flat, the people are wonderful, nice and so welcoming, living in a flat place. Seriously I love it! I pretend there's mountains (thank you big fluffy clouds).  We learned to adjust and our plans adjusted. (My Home) 

Our plans didn't change.... the timing of our plans changed.  The husband was set to go to graduate school while I worked. Moving out here, well the opposite has now happened.  Today I was my last day at my job and I start graduate school in 3 weeks.  Not in the plan.  The plan was the husband going to graduate school.  But here we are adjusting and learning.

Sometimes I have this grand plan in my head, down to the particular timing everything.  But sometimes that timing I have in my head isn't what my Heavenly Father wants.  And that is what's hard.  It's a struggle to understand the timing of things in life.  Why some people marry young and others when they are older.  Why do some people have kids super easy, and others struggle and it takes time.  Why am I going to graduate school now and not the husband.  Timing.  It's all about timing.  We think we know ourselves so well and can see everything perfectly.  We know the plan best for us.  We know the best timing.  But truthfully, we don't. 

Heavenly Father knows the best timing because only He can truly see everything.  So why when I know that His plan is best is it still hard.  It's life.  It's something that I have to learn.  Learn to have faith.  Faith in His plan.  Faith in my decision.  Faith in myself.  That's what it all comes down too. Faith.  And sometimes, faith is hard to have.  But all we need is a little ounce of desire to have faith and from there it grows.  There's a primary song that compares faith to a seed. "Faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow."  Isn't it amazing that HUGE zucchini grow in my garden, and they all started from a little seed.  I want faith of a Zucchini.

As we strive to increase our faith, Heavenly Father gives us encouragement along the way.  He is always there.  He knows we struggle to understand His planning, so He's there to help us along the way.  Heavenly Father sends us tender mercies to let us know He's there.  Plans change, and we adjust, but we can make it through with Heavenly Father's help.  As we strive to follow His plan, we'll learn and we'll grow.  Remember, everything will work out, just havefaith in His timing.

What's for Dinner?

That was the question on our mind last night. What's for Dinner?  Seemed like we had no food in the house. Or at least nothing I wanted to cook. I wanted real dinner but didn't want to spend a lot of time on it. I remembered a cook book "101 things to do with _______"  I have the potato one, but wanted a ramen recipe.  So to google I went. I found one for an Asian dish. I tweaked it based on what we had and it turned out delicious. Here is a rough idea of the recipe.

Cook ramen noodles for five minutes and drain.
Cook veggies (red and yellow peppers and peas) in coconut oil with garlic until tender.
Add soy sauce and terriakyi sauce to veggies. (Maybe 2 tbls each, use best guess)
Add small scoop brown sugar to veggies.
Add ramen chicken flavoring to veggies.
Add drained noodles to veggies and mix all together.
Enjoy! 

Brown sugar is becoming my secret ingredient. Adds a little sweetness ro dishes.

Here's the finished product.

Happy cooking!

Life is A Garden

We have a garden. It's a pretty good sized garden.  We don't have room at our house to put it, so we have a plot at a community garden.  We are growing (trying to grow) all sorts of vegetables.  Here's what we planted this year.

Peas
Corn
Onions
Potatoes
Garlic
More Onions
Carrots (nothing grew... at all)
Spinach
More Onions
Cucumbers
Zucchini (5 plants, hence all the zucchini growing)
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Pumpkin
Sunflowers (died in the freeze)
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Peppers
Jalepanos


It's been so fun to have meals knowing that all or most of the food we are eating came from our own garden.  We started everything from seed. Some things, like the carrots didn't do so well.  Others, like zucchini and pumpkin.... Just took off and are growing great.  You know what else is growing great.... WEEDS!

It has been raining a lot here lately, which is great for the crops, but that means the weeds grow crazily. Life has gotten busy and so the garden is usually one of the first things to get neglected.  What does not going to the garden for week plus rainy weather for a week equal.  A garden full of WEEDS! They are almost as tall as the zucchini plants.  It was crazy! The husband and I went to the garden tonight to try and control what we could of the weeds.

We didn't prep our garden plot (tested not tilling the whole plot) and prairie grass grows great there, so weeds are well, always a part of your garden plot there.  As weeds started to pop up, we tried to control them, but eventually the weeds got more crazy and we (aka I) got Lazy and well, we let the weeds cohabitant with some of the vegetables. We were keeping the weeds at bay so the vegetable plants were still in control.  Well, as you read, soon the weeds seemed to take over. This is when I realized, Life is like a garden.

Sometimes we let things, that aren't the best for us, co-habitat in our life.  Those things can be anything from bad language, getting frustrated easily, missing our scripture reading, etc. What ever those weeds are in our life, we keep that at bay, while we are still in control.  But happens when we start not paying attention to those weeds in life.  They get out of control and become CRAZY WEEDS!  Before we know it, those weeds in our life are taking over.  We thought we had them in control, but as soon as we get comfortable, they take over.

We have to keep trying every day to be a better person.  Yes I may still let little things frustrate me, but if I realize that, and keep trying every day, I'm slowly killing those weeds in my life. Every day is a new day.  A new day to go and pull those weeds out of life.  But soon it rains, and they pop up again.  And when it rains, sometimes it pours and those weeds grow fast.  We always have to be on the lookout.

I guess the point is, we may think we have our weeds under control, but as soon as we get comfortable and forget to maintain our garden, that is when those weeds creep up on us.  So let's try everyday to be better than we were the day before.  We will all make mistakes, but the great news is, there's tomorrow, when we can try again.

Remember....