I am grateful for my life. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for a roof over my head, money in the bank, food in our pantry. Since returning home from Peru, I have learned to be grateful for carpeted floors, running water, hot water, toothbrushes, air conditioning, a solid roof over my head and easy to prepare meals ( I have never had to kill my own chicken.) I am grateful for opportunities to serve and love people all around me. I am grateful that my husband can continue his education so easily, and by his own freedom and choice. My gratitude list could go on for years.
I am grateful that things take time, God's timing. His timing has always ended up being a lot better than my own timing, albeit I rarely thought that at the time.
I am grateful for the challenges and trials, because I know that they could always be worse and a lot harder. I am grateful that my Heavenly Father is always there for me. If I could tell my 19 year old self what I know now, ten years later, I would tell her to be grateful for everything, no matter what. Sometimes I have caused myself my own trials in the past, thinking I was worse off, or that life was harder than ( now looking back) it really was.
Gratitude can change how you see your day and week ( and year), even if the tasks seem mundane at times. Gratitude can make a "bad" day, be a good day with quite a few frustrating moments. I am grateful that Heavenly Father has given me trials to teach me to be grateful and to realize that they are really manifestations of how much He loves me and desires for me to be better.
I truly love finding the blessings in the midst of a trial, albeit not always easy, it is always humbling and I always feel blessed and watched over.
I am grateful. And I am grateful for that feeling.
Onesie Cupcakes...
So my creative juices are finally flowing lately, mostly because I was dealing with a lot of stressful issues in my life right now and realized that I was forgetting to let myself de-stress. Which to me translates into crafting. Since this semester Bryan is in class on Tuesday and Thursday nights, Tuesday has become my "Kara" night. I absolutely enjoy it and look forward to it! It's nice to have that time again.
So this evening I made something else. We have 2 women in our branch/ church that are expecting boys this month. ( I know, alas, no excuse to go into the girl clothes section.) So I thought I would try to make their gifts a little fun.
(I really like Pinterest because instead of me buying and looking through several magazines for ideas and then cutting those ideas out and putting them in a binder to take up more space in my closet, I can look for ideas for free online and organize them without making a single mess.)
So I made these: Onesie Cupcakes.
All it is, is a onesie wrapped into a receiving blanket. Then kept together with a rubberband, coffee filter, and ribbon. I am hoping to get some free bakery boxes and put them in the box for an overall presentation. I think it should look pretty fun:)
So this evening I made something else. We have 2 women in our branch/ church that are expecting boys this month. ( I know, alas, no excuse to go into the girl clothes section.) So I thought I would try to make their gifts a little fun.
(I really like Pinterest because instead of me buying and looking through several magazines for ideas and then cutting those ideas out and putting them in a binder to take up more space in my closet, I can look for ideas for free online and organize them without making a single mess.)
So I made these: Onesie Cupcakes.
All it is, is a onesie wrapped into a receiving blanket. Then kept together with a rubberband, coffee filter, and ribbon. I am hoping to get some free bakery boxes and put them in the box for an overall presentation. I think it should look pretty fun:)
Cupcake Bouquet...
A few weeks ago I pinned an idea on Pinterest. Then one of my dear friends had a birthday this past week and it gave me more reason to try it. :)I think it turned out pretty good for a first try. I think this would be a cute idea for showers and receptions...just pick your cupcake out of the bouquet:)
I am His daughter...
A good friend of mine sent me a link to this song today. It is a wonderful reminder of the fact that we are daughters of a loving kind Heavenly Father :) Just thought I would share.
A day of to-do's...
...are DONE! I think the best part is that our email inbox only currently has 11 messages in it that Bryan will have to go through tonight. Sometimes it is really good to feel somewhat getting on top of things. Actually for me it is always good to feel that way:)
Back in the saddle again....
...well, my summer vacation is ending.
Bryan starts back up with summer classes tomorrow. Sometimes it feels like it is back to survival mode:) But it also means that he is so much more closer to finishing :) I will miss the 2 and 1/2 week break from school we have had this last little while. I was spoiled to have a husband home and just working full time. But here we go again on another fun adventure:) Wish me luck!!!
Bryan starts back up with summer classes tomorrow. Sometimes it feels like it is back to survival mode:) But it also means that he is so much more closer to finishing :) I will miss the 2 and 1/2 week break from school we have had this last little while. I was spoiled to have a husband home and just working full time. But here we go again on another fun adventure:) Wish me luck!!!
New Job....
Well, after a little over 3 and 1/2 years Bryan finally got promoted at Blue Cross. We are so grateful to receive that answer to prayer. Bryan started yesterday, and I am so grateful that he is actually loving what he is doing! It is relieving in so many ways. He has some awesome people that he gets to work with. He leads a group of people or a team in one of the claims departments, which is awesome because he know how to lead so very well. Now this will help him actually get some managerial experience under his belt before he finishes his MBA next year. We feel so very blest that he has this opportunity.
Picture and post overload...
...Okay so on our picture blog I just did and picture/post overload because we had a lot going on this past week. One of which was our little dude's birthday! He turned 2 years old this past week and we have loved every minute of him. We also enjoyed having family time on Mother's Day. Go on over and check it out!
Hello friends:)
Well, I know we haven't been great bloggers as of late, but I just updated the photo blog with what we have been up to in the past month of April...so hopefully that will satisfy until we can post a decent post here:)
The Why of the Priesthood
"There are times when we have to step into the darkness in faith, confident that God will place solid ground beneath our feet once we do" -Elder Uchtdorf
What Thinks Christ of Me?
Elder Neil L. Anderson
I watched this talk during lunch today and typed up a few of Elder Anderson's words that struck me and that I wanted to remember...
-Does my life reflect the love and devotion that I feel for the Savior?
-The Lord blesses us with customized direction through the gift of the Holy Ghost
-Discipleship is not a competition at all, but an individual invitation to all.
-His invitation is a call to daily duty
-What would Jesus do?
-Discipleship is believing Him in seasons of peace and believing Him in seasons of difficulty, when our pain and fear are calmed only by the conviction that He loves us and keeps His promises.
-Miracles are not always so immediate. At times we thoughtfully wonder why the miracle we have so earnestly prayed for does not happen here and now. But as we trust in the Savior, promised miracles will occur.
-Whether in this life or the next, all will be made right. The Savior declares: “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
-As you love Him, trust Him, believe Him, and follow Him, you will feel His love and approval.
-As you ask, “What thinks Christ of me?” you will know that you are His disciple; you are His friend.
-By His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
-In a future day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is the Christ. On that day, our concern will not be, “Do others consider me Christian?” At that time, our eyes will be fixed on Him, and our souls will be riveted on the question, “What thinks Christ of me?”
My day...
Today was a today but a new and different day. I woke up early to do Zumba Wii. Glad I did because I needed the energy for the rest of my day. Bryan didn't have to leave until 8:30 which blessed me with not only time to really finish getting ready, but to finish getting the details done for our presidency meeting scheduled at 9. Our little dude went with me this morning to our presidency meeting at the second counselor's home. I prayed he wouldn't be too fussy, especially since he woke up early and didn't sleep through the night. I have a hard time concentrating and focusing during presidency meetings when he is fussy, especially with the new whine he has invented as of late.:) Overall, he did pretty well. He had his crying bouts when he thought that someone was taking his cars away from him, but a hug and being held was able to console most of it. Then after the 2 hour pretty successful presidency meeting, we headed home. It was then around 11:30 I realized that I had only eaten a banana for breakfast, which helped me recognize why I was starving, and I had forgotten to take something for my allergies that the insane but beautiful early spring brought that we have been having as of late, which explained the headache I was dealing with. So after a glass of water, 2 ibprofen, and a zyrtec, I changed out of church clothes and got our little dude some lunch. Then I had a knock at the door and one of my sweet visiting teachers showed up at my door with some delicious bread and a hug. A very much needed treat and a tender mercy. Sometimes when you try so hard to care about others, it is nice to be surprisingly cared about yourself.
Then it was naptime for our little dude and I actually got to breathe for a moment. I got myself some lunch and sat down and watched President Monson's talk from the recent General Conference (see below). I then had a thought to talk with someone via phone and was glad to hear she was doing alright. Then I decided to take a pleasure of all pleasures for myself....I took a nap.:) It was a lovely hour in length. Then our little dude was up for the afternoon and I dropped him off at one of his grandma's , and went and got my yearly hair cut. ( I say yearly because I always seem to cut it short, then grow it out and by the time to cut it comes again it has usually been a year:) Then I went back to my mom's and had an emotionally sustaining conversation with her while playing with my son Then little dude and I went on a walk with my sister. We then loaded up in the car, headed home for dinner. After dinner it was little guy's bedtime and my time. Bryan had class tonight, so I heated up some leftovers and watched the news and even pinned a little to pintrest:).
A wonderful day. A perfect day to me. A day full of joy. No my house isn't cleaned and there is still laundry to be folded, but we lived lives of joy.
Ready to find the joy in tomorrow.
Then it was naptime for our little dude and I actually got to breathe for a moment. I got myself some lunch and sat down and watched President Monson's talk from the recent General Conference (see below). I then had a thought to talk with someone via phone and was glad to hear she was doing alright. Then I decided to take a pleasure of all pleasures for myself....I took a nap.:) It was a lovely hour in length. Then our little dude was up for the afternoon and I dropped him off at one of his grandma's , and went and got my yearly hair cut. ( I say yearly because I always seem to cut it short, then grow it out and by the time to cut it comes again it has usually been a year:) Then I went back to my mom's and had an emotionally sustaining conversation with her while playing with my son Then little dude and I went on a walk with my sister. We then loaded up in the car, headed home for dinner. After dinner it was little guy's bedtime and my time. Bryan had class tonight, so I heated up some leftovers and watched the news and even pinned a little to pintrest:).
A wonderful day. A perfect day to me. A day full of joy. No my house isn't cleaned and there is still laundry to be folded, but we lived lives of joy.
Ready to find the joy in tomorrow.
Easter Egg Hunt....
So Friday I took our little dude, with my mom and sister, to his first Easter egg hunt, that was very close to our home. Little dude seemed very excited about getting to pick up colorful eggs and putting them in his blue basket. I think it would have been fine, except for before it even started the Easter Bunny came up to him and shook his hand. Our little dude went ballistic and wouldn't really calm down. He was so upset that when it came time to start the Easter egg hunt to start, he was still very distraught. I picked up a few eggs fro his basket and then we were done. Oh well, maybe next year. And needless to say the picture with the Easter Bunny didn't happen this year. Check out our photo blog for the pictures we did get for posterity.
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