Baptisms

Baptisms are beautiful. They are a symbol of rebirth. A new beginning. A fresh start to our frazzled, sin-stricken lives.

I was able to attend my sweet little cousins baptism yesterday. She was so cute in her beautiful white dress and her nerves getting the best of her. The ceremony was short and wonderful. A little talk from Grandma Max about baptism bears, and a little talk about the Holy Ghost from Grandma Kathy. Musical numbers from the family and cousins. It's truely amazing the way the spirit can touch us in such simple ways at very simple, but important times.

The day was perfect for that brand new perfect little girl.

I love you.

Beneath the Sheets

I love it in the morning when my hubby rolls over, cuddles up close, puts his arms around me and says, "I wish I could just stay here all day in bed."

I love him. He's so wonderful.

Memorial Day

It was a beautiful Memorial Day. Colorful flowers everywhere. Food. Fun. Celebrations. And a rushing of emotions.



Remembering the fun I had with my cousin. The laughs. He taught me to drive on the Freeway ya know. I wasn't there to say good-bye. I wish that I had been. I love and miss him.

Temples!

Today the Relief Society Lesson was on Temples and the improtance of attending.

I just love going to the temple.
It's beautiful inside and out.
It's Peaceful
It's Quiet
I get the best sleep EVER (I know we're not supposed to sleep, but you know ya'll do it)
I get to think to myself
And just escape the busy life.


I'm really glad that I can go to the temple. I guess I shouldn't put off or neglect the things that I have right in my own backyard. I will go more often.

(just in case anyone was wondering, the Manti temple is my favorite. President Hinckley said it was the "princess of all temples")

Remembering when. . .

I have been thinking about something that some wonderful friends did for me and my hubby three years ago. I don't know if I ever gave a shout out then, but thought I would now.

I was getting married and I had my best friends flying/driving into town to come. They were wonderful. We played before the wedding and they took care of me after too. While we (me and the hubby) were still at our wedding reception, my wonderful women took our keys to our apartment and went to "straighten up." (I really wanted to go home together on our first night as a couple, not a hotel room)

Now, I thought that straighten up meant move all the boxes, furniture, washing machine, and pieces of table out of the way to make a walking trail on the floor. That is apparently not what it meant. They managed to pack everything (all my two bedroom apartment stuff crammed into a one-bedroom) into the laundry space, and two small closets. Trust me they packed well.

Anyway, we returned to our apartment to find a home. Everything in it's place. Nothing on the floor and the heavy washing machine in the laundry room. It was perfect. The Best Wedding gift we received. Wonderful.

The Power of Forgiving

This weeks lesson at church was from the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church-Joseph Smith book. I have mixed emotions (like most topics for me) when Forgiveness comes up. Mostly because I have had to really focus on this for the last four years. (Something I never really struggled with before)

Anyway, the lesson started with our teacher admitting that she had forgotten that this was the third week in the month and so had not prepared anything. (I felt mostly sorry for her cause now she had to throw something together without any prep time. And that really sucks.) But she reads a story from the beginning of the chapter and then asks the standard questions of "why do we need to show forgiveness?" "How does this story help you forgive others?" etc. etc. (Really not as terrible of a lesson as I would have expected with no prep time)

The comments were all about how important forgiving others is and how it will eat at your soul if you hold onto this "poison." How wonderful it was that (after relaying a couple of stories from the NEWS) that people immediately forgave the person who injured/killed them or the ones they loved. And of course, 10-15 minutes were spent on road-rage.

point #1
Okay this is all wonderful. I know that it's important to forgive. I do. I know we need the reminder to forgive, but do we need to spend over 30 minutes reminding each other in as many different ways as we can possibly express ourselves? Let's talk about how hard it is to forgive. What made it hard? What are some ways to overcome the heartache? How much time it can take. How we need to give ourselves time. How we need to be patient and loving with ourselves as well as the other person.

point #2
Where is the separation between when you should immediately forgive and when you should lovingly bring to attention the wrong doings of someone else? You would NEVER just forgive your child for doing something without bringing to their attention and teaching them the fault they have committed. Why do we step on eggshells around other adults?

At what point did we decide it was offensive to tell another adult about a problem between you and them? Especially if they did not know they did it and it would effect others later on. (if not already) We turn away and make up excuses for why they might be doing something or devise in our own minds a justification.

We, as adults, are NOT to old to be corrected. I hope I am corrected by a loving heart. How will I ever learn to better understand others if I am not called out on things sometimes? I also hope I correct with a loving heart. I truely don't want to hurt anyones feelings permanently. I just pray that I can have compassion when teaching.

Just so none of you misunderstand, I would have brought these things up in Relief Society yesterday, but under the lack of preparation circumstance I didn't want to totally ambush a lesson/teacher that was already overly stressed. So, I'm bringing them up now. What do you think? How do you feel about Forgiveness? What has worked for you? What hasn't? What things mend your heart the best?

Amish Friendship Bread

Okay, I know that some people cringe when others bring over this little bag of grossness (I discovered when I took it to a couple of people), but I hadn't ever heard of it before and I thought it was an interesting idea. I didn't think I would get very good bread out of it, but I'd give it a try anyway.

Here is the bag of good stuff when you first get it. . .


Here is the batter when it's all mixed. . .


Here is the finished bread. . . YUM!


The bread worked out better than I thought it would. It tasted great and my hubby loves it. So, every ten days (until I get tired of doing it) I will be making bread. If anyone wants a starter just let me know

Mother's Day Late

So, I dropped the ball in expressing my appreciation for my mother; however, I found this expression on my friends blog to say just what I would have.

Check it out. Maybe your mothers went to the same school that our mothers went to?

The Week I just Don't Understand - Part #2

So, the accident. The car is totalled (the spelling just doesn't look right. sorry).

Pros to the week:

-my car is payed off
-we have another car
-I'm okay
-I don't have a job that I have to get to
-we'll be spending less gas money
-I get to relax for a few days


Cons to the week:

-we don't have money to buy a new car(financing hard for everyone right now)
-I can't get to the temp job that was helping with the bills
-My baby is gone (I loved my car; I still cry)
-I just don't know how I feel about all of this

I really don't. Why aren't we supposed to have two cars? Maybe just not that car? My payment is gone so maybe it was a blessing to get out of that particular debt. So, do I try to finance another car? I can't work without a way to get there. (I know I could ride the bus, but it's just not as reliable as you would think; I've done it. And I like convenience) And carrying a large table, cd player, lotion, etc on a bus just isn't realistic.

I feel as though God really lays the smack down when He doesn't want me to do something (usually how it works between us). So, what am I not supposed to be doing? Which variable is it? (fyi. I don't even have a car to go to the temple for some one on one time)

The week that I just don't understand completely

This week this happened. . .





Since then, I have been stuck taking it easy in my house, wondering why now, what do I do, and many more things that I will get to explain probably later today or tomorrow. I need to gather my thoughts, but I did want to tell you why I have not posted as much this week.

A little fittery... I mean jittery.

I was going through withdrawals for the last 48 hours. No blogger. aarrrgggg.

I didn't turn the TV or the Computer on yesterday at all. I attacked my apartment. It now smells like pine-sol, papaya (the candle burning), and looks beautiful. It took me all day long, but it is done for the week. The laundry-check. The dishes-check(although probably not for the whole week). The bathroom-check. The vacuuming-check.

It's heavenly. I got to read my book for a whole hour last night. Undisturbed. Beautiful.

Claustrophobic

Today was not a good day for me. My emotions were running away from me (no, I'm not pregnant) and there was no way to drag them back into submission. I wanted to yell and scream at everyone and everything in my sight. This is hard because I was at church. (not the easiest place to let it out, ya know?)

It's been a long time since I felt so claustrophobic. I couldn't breathe, sing, listen, focus, or yell and scream the way I wanted to. So, immediately after the Sacrament I darted out of there. (understanding husband knew I needed space) I went out the wrong door, walked all the way around the building to my car and drove right home.

At home, I ran inside for a bathroom break, to pack my hiking bag, change, and ran right back out the door. I drove up the canyon to clear my head. The outdoors always seems to lighten my load. I parked in an area that I was not too familiar with and then started hiking up the trail.

I walked, listened, enjoyed the scenery, and took pictures.







I wasn't there for very long because I didn't want my hubby to worry or spend the rest of the day alone (no one likes a Sunday afternoon by themself). So, I came home.

I don't really feel much better, but I do feel less strained.