The Mother of all Worriers

I know you are all thinking that the title of this post is describing me, but guess what!? There is another mother who is even more gifted at worrying than myself! It's really about MY mother!!! Bless her little heart. I get a phone call a few times a month to let me know about the most recent freak disaster that is sure to occur to my children due to neglect or oversight. I do appreciate her motivation, but it doesn't help my anxiety. I try and take the casual, calloused, "yeah, thanks, mom, I'll think about that," approach, but internally I feel my stomach begin to churn and I lose sleep for days afterwards. Her latest call came tonight to let me know about a story that would be shown on the ten o'clock news. It was about a family who had recieved all kinds of demeaning and threatening comments on their blog. I know nothing else. I try and stay pretty disconnected with the world by not watching TV. Ok, truth is I am too cheap to pay for it, and I like not having it, so there! Anyways.... of course, I began worrying as soon as I non-chalantly hung up the phone. I have no idea about what kind of wackos are out there. I tried to set all my profile things to highest security. I don't know. I have been tinkering with the idea of going private. After all, I'm sure there aren't that many people who read this thing anyway! What do ya think? And if I do decide to go private, I only have two questions..... who wants to be invited, and how in the world do I do any of this???

Tagged.... six quirks

Thank goodness we can limit it to only six! Hee hee! More like six hundred for me. Here goes...
1. I can't stand a noisy eater. Especially carrots.... I like all veggies steamed!
2. I don't like to be breathed on.
3. I can't stand my own feet. I will touch, pedicure, look at, smell, etc. anybody else's, you MAY NOT, look at, touch, see, etc. my feet.
4. I like the toliet lid shut!!!! Please shut it!!!
5. I am a complete germaphob. WASH YOUR HANDS!!! Use santizer, whatever! Bleach the counters if you use raw meat! Aack!
6. I know there is something else that especially drives Louis bats, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it is! Well, one other thing... I load my dishwasher just so. If I open it and it's not the way I like it, I redo it. Crazy, I know.

I tag... Amme, Amber, Jessica R., Jessica B., Isabel, Katelyn

Edified

Today was amazing. Have you ever had one of those days where you just can't stop smiling? Even if it's through joyful tears? I had one today. I hope you'll allow me to share. For the first time in about a year and a half I went to "early morning meeting" with a smile on my face and no dread in my heart! I came from the meeting feeling hopeful, cheerful, and filled with purpose. I came home and only briefly lost the "glow" while trying to coax two children out the door. I thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful testimony meeting. I had a small, but powerful insight while sitting pondering during the sacrament. I enjoyed a wonderfully enlightening, and uplifting lesson on the Holy Ghost during Gospel Principles. In Relief Society I witnessed a miracle of the spirit teaching. I had to teach a lesson today and though I had prepared by reading the material and thinking about it for a while, I felt no definite direction. I went to church hoping that all would come together nicely. I felt no panic, no rush, just a calm hope. The room was so full today! It has been a while since we've had so many sisters there! It was wonderful! As the lesson began, I just felt a clear picture of how to proceed and what to touch on and what to focus on. Most of the discussion was led perfectly from point to point by the wonderful sisters in my ward. I witnessed the power that comes when the sisters bring the spirit with them and participate together in teaching one another and I felt such a feeling of love and unity. It was a humbling thing to have the sisters comment on the wonderful lesson and to realize, "It wasn't me, it was the Spirit, and all of you!" And that is the truth! It was so wonderful!!! After the lesson, a sister handed me a sign up we had sent around. We used to have such a difficult time getting people to sign up for anything. I was so touched to look at this list of sisters willing to help. I just sat with my counselor and shed tears of joy and gratitude for the bond of sisterhood we have now! I can't believe that just a few short months ago I would have done almost anything to stay out of Relief Society! I just didn't understand what it was for. I am so grateful for this opportunity I have had to really understand what it is all about. I am so glad to have the opportunity to live in a transitional place where I can meet so many wonderful women who have taught me so much! I hope I can retain this knowledge well so that I don't have to learn it again! I ended the evening by attending a wonderful fireside with my Grandma, cousin, and her daughter. It was put on by Jenny Phillips for the Young Women. I just love the Young Women and it was a wonderful program!!! Thanks, Katie and Alex for letting me come "home" for a bit and enjoy the evening with you!

A Month of Birthdays!

Because this month is escaping me so rapidly and there are so many birthdays.... I am going to do three of them now! Tacky you say? I say ingeniously smart to use time so very practically! So, here we go..............

Today: Happy Birthday to my oldest niece, Cierra! I can't believe she so grown up! She was so little when I first became aquainted with their little family. We went to see the movie Monsters, Inc. In the theater! Hope you had a fabulously hip birthday today, Cierra!

Tomorrow: Happy Birthday to the best dad ever! My dad is the most amazing person. I appreciate his example so much more than he knows. This is because as I was growing up I would constantly make it a point to be irritated by his goodness and opinions. Well, I was either really dumb or bluffing. For the sake of my pride I'll say I was bluffing. Deep down I'm sure I knew he was right, right? You know someone's close to perfect when you really think about the movie that you want to watch with them or the lyrics to all your favorite songs or the way you speak and think, "Hmm, would dad be ok with that?" Goes right along with that question, "What would Jesus do?" Dad will most likely roll his eyes when he reads this, but what can I say? He's my hero.

Tuesday: Happy Birthday to my favorite, and only I might add, Sister! Tressa is still my favorite even though she left me in Logan and moved to Perry. I am very excited for her and Jake to be welcoming a baby boy to their family at the beginning of the next new year! Tressa and I didn't really get along growing up, but most of the time we do now. Again, this probably has more to do with my own shortcomings than hers. Good thing I got so smart in the last few years. I am excited to watch her begin the motherhood adventure. I truly do wish I could be closer to do some of that "payback." I really do owe her more than I will EVER be able to repay in time she has spent loving and tending my children! Oh, dear!

Well, there you have it folks! What a month for birthdays!!!

Happy Belated Birthday!

This birthday wish is long overdue! Happy Birthday to Danielle! Danielle is married to Louis' younger brother, Jon. They live out in California where Jon is attending school. Danielle graduated a couple years ago. She spent some time teaching at a junior high in Spanish Fork, I'm pretty sure. I just love Danielle because we are both English geeks! Hee hee. If only we lived closer we could begin a revolutionary bookclub for english geeks only! At the beginning of each meeting we would pull out our red pens and start marking up sentences! YES!!! Happy Birthday, Danielle! I miss having you here in Utah!

For Con... I was tagged

One word answers to the following questions:
1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? Louis
3. Your hair? blah
4. Your mother? Sandy
5. Your father? Todd
6. Your favorite thing? freebies
7. Your dream last night? forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? cocoa
9. Your dream/goal? exaltation
10.The room you’re in? loft
11. Your ex? huh?
12. Your fear? failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? settled
14 Where were you last night? church
15. What you’re not? rich
16. Muffins? poppyseed
17. One of your wish list items? car
18. Where you grew up? Woods Cross
19. The last thing you did? email
20. What are you wearing? jeans
21. Your favorite TV? new
22. Your pets? NEVER!
23. Your computer? beautiful
24. Your life? full
25. Your mood? mellow
26. Missing someone? hmmm
27. Your car? broken
28. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
29. Favorite Store? Target
30. Your summer? boring
31. Like someone? sure
32 . Your favorite color? pink
33.When is the last time you laughed? today
34. Last time you cried? today
35. Who will/would re-post this? nobody
37. Bath or shower? bath
38. Holiday? Christmas
39. Writing utensil? pen
40. Vacation activity? beach
41. Bedding preference? soft
42. Pet peeves? chewing
43. Cookies? sugar
44. Eggs? scrambled
45. Favorite thing to do on a rainy day? snuggle
46. Your biggest strength? unknown
47. Favorite thing about school? grades
48. Most awesome gift received? lots
49. Neighbors? many
50. What do you collect? coupons
51. Oldest kept item from childhood? bear
52. Greatest indulgence? food
53. Your house? nice
54. Fruits or vegetables? fruits
55. Quiet or loud? quiet

Say it ain't so!!!

I am super sad! I need to be able to let this go, and because blogging is free therapy for me, here goes. I love Shutterfly. I get lots of free things from them. The most recent was a free 8x8 photo book and 75 free prints! Wow!!! That is a lot of free stuff!!! Love it! Of course, these things have deadlines, and I have become very bad at just doing things when they first show up. I guess I've been in this calling too long of dealing only with emergencies. I have forgotten what it feels like to "catch up" on anything. I don't know. At any rate, I was down to the wire and needing to clean my house, shower, buy a gift, order my book and be ready by three o'clock to travel down to Park City for a reception that night. I barely was able to get my photo book put together in order for my dear friend, Amber, to finish placing my order before midnight! What a friend! Thanks, again, Amber! At any rate.... I reminded myself that I would need to spend the next day uploading my pictures for my 75 free prints. Guess what? I COMLETELY FORGOT!!! WAAAAAAHHHH! Look out! Here comes the Waaambulance. It's already been to Amber's! Thanks for the shoulder to cry on. I can't believe I let 75 free prints slip through my fingers!!! What was I thinking?!?!? To console myself, I imagine I will eat some chocolate while soaking in my jetted tub and holding my $10 Darth Vader costume. Sigh.