Picnik

My new fav site. Picnik allows you to create your own headers or change your pictures etc. I was able to crop pics and add text after putting it into a collage, since I seem to be somewhat html challenged I think it is pretty cool. Not so sure why html escapes me, I probably just don't care enough to invest the time to learn...maybe someday.

The Evergreen State College

Love this school. We went to Olympia mid-week for Chad to take some tests for work. What a delightful area and a gorgeous campus nestled in the middle of the the forest. I did take a bunch of pictures but of course left my cord at house, so these have been pirated from google.

We booked a room at the Red Lion and LOVE IT! First floor, king sized bed, with a sliding glass door that goes out into a big lawn just off of a small lake and the swimming pool area. How cool is that! Also they allow dogs so we were able to bring the pups who are loving the non-snow walks and more green grass then they can cover in a week. We tromped all over campus checking out their soccer fields and outdoor facilities and made sure we knew where Chad needed to go tomorrow to take his tests.

Looking forward Trader Joe's tomorrow and to a hopefully peaceful/non-snowy drive back over the pass.

Merry Christmas

Our Moving truck 25 ft and a car trailer...way too long, we have way too much stuff!

After over three long months of moving we are finally kind of settled in Yakima. I am not sure I have recovered from packing the house and being separated from my honey, but this last few weeks of tons of time with him has really helped! We are so thankful for the blessing of two good jobs in this struggling job market and know that it is all thanks to our Heavenly Father. We just need to sell our house and get a lot more patience...


So want this Nativity!!

We have had a great Christmas break we have gone to a few movies, spoken in church, done some Christmas shopping, been out to eat and learned some things about are new little town. This Christmas Eve we went to see the lights in the area and it is amazing how much work some people have done on their homes! I can't wait to make our own attempt next year! After 12 years of marriage I think this is our first Christmas just by ourselves and not someones guests, I know we are weird and even though we don't have kids (since apparently that is when you get to have your own Christmas...)it has been really fun to have a chance to start our own traditions.

One here's to one more week off of work and to a happy new year! Lots of love to all our of our families and friends we are a little homesick and miss you all!

Apparently we are "those" kind of people...

Happy Days

Conference weekend was amazing! I am so thankful we are led and guided by a Prophet who listens to the Lord! We are so blessed. I had a wonderful weekend in Yakima with Chad and the pups. I left on Thursday and Chad picked me up from the Yakima airport and we drove out to the high school to watch a Soccer game and I was able to meet all the wonderful people that make Highland our new little home.

All along I have been worried that this could possibly not be the right fit and my honey would be disappointed, see we had a great deal at American Fork, amazing friends, teachers and even more amazing students. I guess I would refer to them as the cream of the crop, thanks to many amazing programs such as drama and choir we have been able to rub shoulder with some of the best. After this weekend, I really think that Highland could be just like AF, different, but a new fresh and shiny apple start with many different opportunities for both Chad and I to grow.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still in limbo, moving from day to day in denial I suppose...denial that I am actually leaving my family and our sweet friends and starting over, new life, job, location, and hopefully new home some day.

Don't forget we are having another Open House on Saturday from 1-4, we have lowered the price to $169 and are leaving all kinds of stuff, it's a great deal, tell you friends!

Just can't get enough...

Ice Cream...also known as Therapy. See I used to think I consumed a moderate every once in a while amount of ice cream, then you take the spouse away, the constant companion puppies, and add a for sale sign in your front yard, stress, and a job that is beyond frustrating...and all of the sudden you can easily replace dinner with moon pie flavored ice cream. I don't even like Moon Pies! Just thought it was Big Bang, Mee Maw funny...

Voice of the Spirit

I could listen this a hundred times. Oh how I miss President Faust! His patient, loving voice breaks through the chaos of a busy overwhelming day. I'm fighting against the lump in my throat and the enormous desire to jump in the car and drive the 11 hours to my sweetheart. He's overwhelmed, exhausted and very much in need of a partner to share his load with, thats me...and I'm very much feeling like I am wasting my time in Lehi. Thankfully I know his parents are amazing and are super capable at picking up the pieces that he cannot get to, and I am so thankful he has their assistance.

Stake Conference

Spoiler alert, you may get offended…you have been warned

This last weekend we had a regional stake conference for Utah county combining 150+ stakes. Sunday night we had the evening session which is always one of my favorites and which was themed I know that my Redeemer lives. It was wonderful and once again I came away soul nourished and goals for things to work on, mostly patience, which if you read my blog or facebook with any regularity you know I need patience and I ….suck at having patience. One of the speakers chose a section from Preach my Gospel on developing Christ like attributes, in this section it details Patience as the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry frustrated, or anxious. Wow…now we know why it is a Christ like attribute and thus why I suck at having patience.

Along with gaining attributes we were challenged to share and bear our testimonies with others, find the sunshine in our souls, overcome trials, being careful about letting our decisions cloud our judgment, and learning that through our trials we need to be steadfast and immovable and allow the opportunity (aka trial) to increase our Faith in our Heavenly Father and His plan.

On Sunday we met in chapels nestled along the Wasatch front, ready to be fed by men and women called of God (remember this part as this does mean something…) Elder Steven E. Snow encouraged us to remember Him, that in all we do remember the Savior. And that we must remember to Renew our relationship with Him through journaling, going to the temple, partaking of the sacrament.

Elder Holland shared several pioneer based stories and asked if we were still seeing that Pioneer loyalty to the work, faith in God and Faith in the Savior, that times were hard then for the Pioneers and that they are much harder now. That we need to nourish ourselves physically and strengthen our personal faith, and that we need to shut out the noise and conform our will to the Saviors.

President Packer invoked a blessing upon us, telling us that the easy times are past but we are not left with out the strength and power of the Gospel. And that the adversary can only affect us if we allow him into our lives.

Sister Julie B Beck also spoke, now this was one of my favorite talks, she started out with love and conviction telling us “You’re doing better than you think you are”. Have I ever needed to hear these words more than now?? It took all I could do to now just sit there and cry like all the other 2 years olds in the building. I so needed to hear that. Then she said “We’re not doing as well as we could be”. Gulp. So you’re doing good but there is still work to be done….is how I took it.
She said that live is hard, but we were promised a hard life, we even fought the great fight up in Heaven for this experience. She said that the spirit is the key to knowing the mind and will of our Heavenly Father. That miracle will take place if we just exercise our Faith and that with that Faith you put your hand in His and move forward to your miracle. She also said we need to prioritize, pray always, read and study scriptures, and to no spend too much time on distractions. And that after all we can do, He will bless us. She warned us about spending too much time online and even commiserated that she has to found herself online and all the sudden realized that she has been on there for over 3 hours.

Now this is the interesting thing, this is where many individuals in the area in which I live became offended. One even shut down her Facebook account, in my OPINION, if you are offended or bothered by the online comment it is because you need to spend less time on Facebook/blogging/blog stalking/Facebook/my space….need I say more? Remembering that Sister Beck is one of our Heavnely Father's servents called of God to to help the sisters in the church, out of any leader we have she was called to help US.

Yes, the internet is a great resource and tool, in fact Sister Beck said much like your washer, or stove the internet is there to be used as a tool in caring for your home and children. For those of us that work everyday it is wonderful resource to be able to know if your next door neighbor had a baby/kicked the bucket/fell down the stairs. But if it keeps you from making dinner for your family, caring for your children, cleaning your house, doing your visiting teaching, doing your calling, caring for and loving on your husband, it is a distraction. Yeah I know, I don’t have kids I just “can’t” understand what is like. Really, I wasn't aware of that...

Just keep swimming...

So lucky!

With this new transition in our life we are moving to Yakima and closer to Chad's parents. Have I mentioned I have the most amazing in-laws? They have allowed us to take over their lives, impose our two fluffy terrors on their home and backyard (believe me I do know how much work they are!), and are letting Chad stay with them until we sell our home. It is so nice to be making our first big move in life and have built in support and immediate friends when we get there! We feel so blessed to have their support during a big change and a brand new job for Chad (which he LOVES!!) I am also so blessed to have a mother-in-law that rocks!

Would I listen?

I have been reading through the Book of Mormon again and have just reached my all time fav chapter 3 Nephi 11. This is a chapter we shared with investigators on the Mission, and is the chapter that Heavenly Father introduces his Son Jesus Christ to the other sheep of His fold. I love that when they heard Heavenly Father's voice that it pierced them "insomuch that it was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn" I always tend to wonder if I would have heard the voice... and how would it have felt, beautiful, wonderful, beyond overwhelming? I spend a lot of time praying for help and inspiration and wondering if I am really listening to Him or just my own line of crazy.

Rock star Chad

Yep, he is a rockstar. Chad has jumped into a brand new job and is very doing well. He is working at Highland High School in Cowiche (cow-witch-ie) Washington. He is the new Athletic Director and Dean of students in charge of Attendance and Discipline and really enjoying this new school.

To answer the question on all minds still no bites on our house, we feel strongly that Heavenly Father is going to bless us with a buyer when the time is right, and are hoping that that "right" time is sooner than later. It is hard to be away from your honey, I know I am a wimp there is a women in our ward who has a husband in the military and he is away from home all the time, I think she is amazing for how tough she is, and how she truly keeps the home fires burning.

In the meantime while Chad is bringing home the bacon in Washington, I am cleaning carpets, working on the the honey do list of things we haven't fixed in a while, and packing up our life, and throwing away non-essential parts of our life here in Lehi. I cannot believe we have collected as much junk in the past 12 years!

As I sit tonight chatting the distance away on MSN with my sweetheart, windows open, enjoying a cool end of summer evening I think of all the things I will miss about Utah, the definite 4 seasons, Indian summers, and the lovely mountains that help me know my directions, and don't even get me started on the friends and family! It is amazing how we have prayed for this for so long and now that it is happening it still feels surreal and I know will be much harder than anticipated to leave!

All by myself

I never quiet appreciated the lyrics of that song before now. I have not been by myself for any kind of extensive time for a long time! As I sit pondering our life and whats to become of it, I am passing the time in the Seattle Airport. I am on my way home to pack up our life in Utah, sell our home, and move on to a new adventure...that I prayed, begged, and asked for...

Yep, I'm scared, but as I watch mass groups of people pass me here in the airport I cannot help but thank my Heavenly Father for everything I have, for the knowledge of the big plan and to know that sometimes the layovers are not as pleasant in our lives as we would like, but they are only layovers, never does he leave us to fail and be lost.

I am so thankful for my amazing husband who takes such good care of me and truly completes me, so blessed to have both of our families who have been so supportive and loving and helpful in getting us to the places we need to be and who have allowed us to stay with them at the drop of a hat! Super grateful to the kind airport guard in Yakima who made me take extra Kleenex as I started to sob while going through security. And grateful to all the friends who have helped us in getting ready to move and who we will definitely call on when the time comes to pack the truck.

We are so blessed to have the gospel and to have the connection with the Spirit in order to know what plan our Heavenly Father has for us. I am so grateful for that, without that I would be lost!

I just found a property and wanted to share it with you!

I just found a property and wanted to share it with you! This is our wonderful townhome in Lehi, Utah. Please help us spread the word to any and all interested parties! Thanks!

New Fav!

Check this out website . She is so amazing we are going to use her for pictures this Fall, I can't wait!! This is a picture I stole from her website it is of Karen and her cute hubby Danny.

Happy Birthday Chad!

When we were dating, I played a song for Chad that summed up exactly how I felt about him, how much I loved him and how being with him truly felt like being home. I still feel that way, the feelings have grown even stronger and deeper with each passing year. I'm not normally a Bonnie Raitt fan but one of her songs "Feels Like Home" I found on some random soundtrack shortly after meeting Chad found it's way into my heart, and it still makes my heart burst with love when I hear it and think about Chad. This song still reminds how glad I am to have Chad in my life and how he really does complete me. If you haven't heard it, you should. Happy Birthday sweetheart! I am so grateful that you are mine!

Feels Like Home

Something in your eyes makes me want to lose myself in your arms

There's something in your voice makes my heart beat fast hope this feeling lasts

The rest of my life

If you knew how lonely my life has been and how long I've been so alone

If you knew how I wanted someone to come along and change my life The way you've done

Feels like home to me feels like I'm all the way back where I come from

Feels like I'm all the way back where I belong
If you knew how happy you are making me I've never thought I'd love anyone so much

Be of Good Courage

I recently downloaded this last conference/church meetings and have been listening to talks on my way back and forth to work and during some lunches. Today while the sun shined I sat in my car and listened to a talk by Sister Ann Dibb given during the Young Women's general broadcast. While I know she was talking specifically to the young women of the church, I knew it was also for me. Granted I know I am not 100, but I feel super old and worn out this week. As I sat in the car she told me things my spirit needed to hear, a gentle daily reminder to be patient...
Her talk was focused around the Youth motto for the year : Joshua 1:9: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Right before that verse in verse 5 the Lord promises Joshua, “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Sister Dibb said "We can find courage and strength in this promise that the Lord will always be there for us and will never leave us alone. "
Sister Dibb also reminded us that King David said these comforting words: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1).
She also said that "No matter what you may face in your personal journey, the first guide found in Joshua reminds us to pray, be patient, and remember God’s promise: “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Joshua 1:5)."
I need to have be patient tattooed on my forehead...

My New Life - Amazing!

Can you call a General Authority a Rockstar?

I loved General Conference! I felt like it was specifically for me. I downloaded the mp3 files and listen to it while I am in the car, at times I sit in the car once I have arrived at work, just trying to get a little more. One of my favorite talks was by President Uchtdorf titled "Continue with Patience". You need to read it, I think I could read or listen to it everyday and still learn more!

I loved these quotes:

"Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can - working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our heart are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"

"But eventually I learned that God's promises are not always fulfilled as quickly as or in the way we might hope; they come according to His timing and His ways."

"Brigham Young taught that when something came up which he could not comprehend fully, he would pray to the Lord, "Give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself." And then Brigham would continue to pray until he could comprehend it."

"Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can't see the Lord's hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness."

"Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon us, even as a child doth submit to his fathers."

"The work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments; trust in God, our Heavenly Father; serve Him with meekness and Christlike love; exercise faith and hope in the Savior; and never give up."

Manna

What does your manna from Heaven look like? Mine this week was a "mistake" made by the University of Utah. As a favor to a Chemistry teacher I complied a list of Chem 1010 students for someone at the school and they sent all the Chemistry teachers $50 in Amazon gift certificates. I'm not a teacher, but I create lists for them? The teachers all told me to keep the certificates, and I did not hesitate!

Immediately my mind went to my lovely little Amazon wish list of cook books and Forensic/Criminal mind based books I have had saved forever. Unfortunately, my first focus had to be towards my next textbook, which even used was over $100...with great regret and complete revolting disdain I purchased a Math book....I know, the shock, the horror! My last Math class in what I hope to be the rest of my eternal life...(yeah, in my world we will not be using Math). And I had to use my stinkin certificates on it! I sure hope it's worth it.

Anyway, trying to see life through my dirty glass half full theory, my possibly undeserved certificates were put towards a good cause.

That's my manna for the week. I hope your manna is extra cash found in a pair of jeans or a misplaced dark chocolate candy bar that you forgot about.

Whew!

Wow! After a wonderful Christmas trip to Atlanta, things have been nuts around here ever since! We both work very hard all week and keep busy on the weekends with church responsibilities. We have, not that it is our preference, that we need to stay put in Lehi for the time being. Between the terrible economy and budget cuts all around us, it just didn't make sense to do anything drastic at this point in our lives. We know that we are where we need to be right now and we are excited about whatever opportunities or lessons may come our way. This week marks the beginning of the State Tournaments for Basketball. Both the Lady Cavemen and the Miners won their Regions and enter the tournament as #1 seeds. If all goes to plan, we will play each other on Friday night in the Semi-Finals. Go Lady Cavemen!!! Luckily, I can always talk Amy into wearing AF Red instead of Bingham Blue!