Baptism anniversary

Today was Jake's anniversary of his baptism. So we had a BBQ to celebrate. Bunch of people came to help celebrate. The 2 elders who did the discussions for him came- one being Eric and his current companion (who is so weird) and Pittman who is now home from his mission and engaged to Chelsea. Chelsea also came. Then Matt and Julene also came over. So quite a few people in addition to the 6 of us. We had hot dogs out on the grill with baked beans and I made mac & cheese. With raspberry white chocolate cheesecake for dessert. It was all so tasty and I think we all had fun. it was great to sit outside and soak up some of the sun and the slight warmish weather we've been having. It was such a good day. Glad we were able to have everyone over! :)

Trip to Holland

Went to a RS activity tonight and one of the speakers shared this poem and I really like it. It's a poem about raising a child with a disability but the way she put it, it can be applied to any circumstance and in any position in life. So I share it here.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

(Poem: Welcome to Holland by Emily Kingsley)

Interview

So today I had a phone interview with Primary Children's. I am so excited because that phone interview has turned into a personal interview next week. My stomach has all kinds of butterflies in it but I'm excited. I don't know what I'll do with a job that I work more than 12 hours a week.

Elders

Back in April 2013 I started writing this missionary. Fast forward a few months, still writing him and I move to the area in which he's serving. Totally thought it would be weird and it was the first couple of times that we ran into each other. Technically we shouldn't be writing each other right now because I'm living in his mission area but that's just a technicality. Anyways, the elders came over for dinner tonight. I was supposed to leave and go down to Provo and have dinner with 2 of my best friends but I was in so much pain from snowboarding I couldn't sit, let alone sit in a car for a 40 minute drive.
Needless to say, the elders came over. It was fun to sit in the same room as Eric. I tried to stay out of the same room as much as I could, which wasn't hard because I was having to sit on a butt pillow and in a comfy chair. Everyone eventually made their way into the living room where I was for a spiritual message mostly directed to Jake.
Shawn was about to take the elders home and Shara asked if I wanted a blessing. Yes, a blessing for my butt. I decided that probably wasn't a bad idea and so Shawn grabbed some oil. Eric did the anointing and Shawn did the actual blessing. It was so good. I love how strong I can feel the spirit during a blessing.
Today was his 2 month mark. But who's counting?... :)

Snowboarding

So this one time when a boy thought it would be a good idea to take me snowboarding... it happened. I also happened to break my tailbone. I'll never go snowboarding again. Once was enough for me. Oy. It was probably the worse time to go snowboarding, late in the season, after some rain showers had moved through the area, the snow was no longer snow, it was ice and it was hard. I fell towards the top and I knew I was hurt. To make matters worse I fell a couple more times. But I made it down the hill and I survived. I was also in one piece, hurt, but in one piece.

Too much to bear

Lately there has been many things on my mind. In particular why are certain things happening to me? Why did I choose to come out to Utah, even further away from my family, by myself? Why did I choose to leave a job in hopes that another was better? Why, why, why?
Then a thought popped into my head- one that I'm sure many people have heard before- He doesn't give us more than we can bear. Then I thought, why does He trust me so much to put me through these trials? Why these ones? Why would He think I could handle these?
Then I started thinking- that isn't true. As nice as it is to think that. He does give us more than we can bear. When it comes to heartache, trials, burdens, pain- He does give us more than we can handle. It's not because He is a mean God or wants to see us suffer. It's so that we can learn to go to Him. Matthew 11: 28-30 states, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
This is for anyone that is carrying a burden too heavy for them to carry alone. That is why I believe that we are given burdens that are too heavy and for trials that are very difficult. It is then that we are more likely to come running to Him. When things are bad in our eyes, we want help.
Now I've been fortunate to not have any terminal diseases come my way, I still have both my parents that I can lean on, I have siblings that I can lean on, I have friends, I have my health, I have a career, etc. But I still struggle from time to time. There are times that I would change a number of things in my life. But I wouldn't be where I am personally, emotionally, spiritually today if I hadn't had those times where I've gone running to Him in prayer and pleading. I've had times where I have actually said I can't do this, take this load from me. I can't do it anymore. There have been times that I felt utterly alone and silence was too much to bear.
Am I where I thought I'd be at the age of 26 as member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? No. But in all honesty- would I change it? No. I've had trials, I've had hard times but they've made me who I am and they are helping me become a better person.

Happy New Year

2014!
Wow, can you believe it. It's already 2014.
I feel like 2013 was just starting.
I hope that 2014 holds so much more in store for me than 2013 did.
I'm looking forward to a new year and a somewhat new beginning.
Most of all I'm looking forward to being better. There are things that I do that I can be better doing. I hope that 2014 is a year of progression and doing better.

Happy New Year!!