why do I do that?

I have decided that I just need to keep my mouth shut sometimes. I have this desire to be right all the time, and it bites the big one when I find out that I am wrong, or both parties are correct, but arrive at different ends.

I sincerely apologize if I have ever offended any of you readers with my need to be right all the time. Whether through this blog, or in person.

Its a constant journey to perfection, guess this is just one of those things that I need to work on.

politics....

Ok so I have to say I am seriously getting tired of all the calls I get on my phone trying to get me to vote for this or that candidate. I am getting tired of all commercials on the TV, especially as it gets closer to election day. It seems like every other commercial is for so and so, and then instead of showing what they stand for, they completely trash the other guy that is running for the same office. If I wanted to hear trash talk I would go back to High School. I want to hear what you stand for, not what your opponent has done wrong.... ok maybe a little history is alright, I don't want to vote for someone who cares more for himself (and his pocketbook) than for the people he represents. But do you have to make every one of them trash talk?

I don't want to vote for people who make trash talking the opponent their main priority. If you want my vote you need to show me the good stuff about you, not the fact that you know how to be rude.

Anyways I will get off my soap box, now.

catching up

While reading the blog I realized that I have forgotten to mention R's new calling. He is the 11 year old scout leader. And since he doesn't have an assistant yet, I am acting as his assistant until they find someone.

Also I have been called to help out with the Relief Society Meeting board.... or what used to be Enrichment board. I loved this calling in the last ward so I look forward to being able to help plan meetings and such again.

Also I have been asked if I am still running or not. As for now I am staying indoors, and doing workout videos, and most Fridays friends K, M, R, and I are doing kick butt water aerobics at the time we were running. I am still not seeing much change on the scale, but my pants are fitting much looser and I can see muscle in my abs, arms and legs. I think my legs are getting close to the pre-pregnancy size, from before I had A... or it could just be wishful thinking. Either way I am loosing inches and for now, I will just have to be happy with that. I can't wait until it starts cooling down out here and I can run again. I am finding that the workout videos I used to do are too easy now. Amazing how they were once very hard to do, and now they aren't hard enough.

I think that is all... or at least all that I can remember at the moment.... I am rather forgetful these days for some reason. I think all the stress of life is getting to me :(

Thankful for Tender Mercies

After a long rough day with children all I felt done. Done with kids. Done with housework that I can't get done. Done with fighting, screaming, yelling, hitting, and pushing. R was going to be late coming home from work. We were out of milk and all the easy dinners required it. I was in no mood to make a more complex meal, nor would the kids let me, I am sure. All I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and stay there until the kids grew up.

Don't get me wrong. I love them to death, and I am excited to watch them grow up, but this terrible twos thing is kicking my rear. Some days I just wish that we could skip this stage, especially since A is still in it (and getting worse by the day it seems), and G has just started it.

After too many close calls of being close to tears I was at my wits end. Then thankfully R called me to tell me he was on his way from work. Followed by more screaming and fighting children who didn't like the dinner that I was making them. I was so relieved to see R come through the door when he got home.

After talking for a few minutes R decided that I needed a chance to get out of the house. So I left to go get some milk. While at the grocery store I wandered around for a while... not a good thing for me to do while I am upset. I am a major emotional eater, and with trying to loose weight... well lets just say there are lots of things that tempted me. I was good though, I didn't put anything bad in the cart... until I called R and he asked for some Flamin' Hot Cheetos and some Ice Cream. Which I am sad to say I bought, for as I write this I am eating some of those yummy Cheetos with some sour cream and milk (so bad for me, I know, but at least I haven't touched the ice cream).

Leaving the store I was still feeling pretty frustrated. The fact that it was raining made me a bit happier (for those of you not in the area, that is a rare thing out here where I live during the summer). As I am driving home I see a near blinding light to my right. The Sun had come out from behind the clouds to make an amazing sunset. Then I look to my left and there is a beautiful rainbow. Above me it is raining, something that I love. And then to top it off there was a song that came on the radio, Just another day in paradise (or I think that is the name). All that added together started to make me cry yet again... for the umpteenth time today.

I honestly believe that it was a tender mercy that I was able to see those things, and then hear a song about how things can go wrong but how your life can be paradise despite it all. And who needs all those tempting foods when you can see a beautiful sight like that to make you feel better.

I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who sends me things, just as I need them to make my life brighter, even if for a second. Things like this let me know that I'm not alone, that I have someone who know exactly how I am feeling at the moment and knows exactly how to make me feel better.

feeling a bit sad...

As I was looking at Facebook last night. I saw a post from a friend from High School. In this post she had a clip of a video of her and her husband being baptized into a new church. In this clip she talked about how she had been baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as she reached adulthood (due to her mother not giving permission). She then started to say things, not so nice things about the LDS church. Normally it would make me rather upset to hear those kinds of things, but instead it just made me sad. Maybe it was because this was someone I knew and not a random person saying these things. I don't know, but I do know it made me very sad for her.

This friend is not the first friend that I had from H.S. or Jr. High that was once a member of the LDS faith who have turned away from it. It makes me so sad to see how their lives have changed so much from what they were. I am sure that they feel that the changes have been for the better, but a part of me hopes that they realize just what they have LOST because of those choices that they have made.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints myself. I LOVE the gospel and the precious truths that I find in it. I don't know where I would be or what I would do with out the knowledge that I have now. I hate to think of what my life would be like if I were not a member of this wonderful gospel.

As a youth I was inactive in the church (along with my whole family), I had some wonderful Young Woman leaders who started pulling me to church, helping me with rides and letting me sit with their families during church so I wouldn't feel so alone. I will be eternally grateful for those women and the way that they helped change my life for the better. I worry when I think of where I would be now if those wonderful women had not come along.

As I see the friends that I had from school, and think of where they are now, I can't help but wonder where I would be if I hadn't moved to Phoenix for College. Those times in college were the times that made me gain a testimony of my own instead of relying on those of my Y.W. leaders. Those times are when my testimony was set in stone. Where I grew the most spiritually. Where I had to rely on the Lord the most, and I learned that I would never be truly alone.

Its funny how I don't realize just how much I have grown since my H.S. days until I have something open my eyes to it. I am so grateful for the changes that have happened, and I hope that I will continue to change for the better.

G's second Birthday

I find it hard to believe how fast time is flying... G is 2 years old already!

G the day he was born

one year old

Two Years old! Such a big boy!!!

The Birthday Cake
since he loves cars he got a car cake.

The spoils from his Birthday, Cars, a Ball, and some cards.

Fourth of July.

We had decided that since the 4th was on a Sunday we were just going to stay home, and maybe watch the fireworks on the TV instead. Then we found out that our town was going to be celebrating on the 3rd instead. We changed plans and decided to go celebrate at the local H.S.'s ball fields instead. After a wonderful dinner made by Friend M (yummy bbq ribs!) we headed out to get some seats. After arriving and setting up we realized we didn't have anything to do... or mainly things for the kids to do, for the 3 hours until the fireworks started. So R and friend A went and got some stuff to do.....

Boffer Swords!!!

G was having fun with friend A.
He wouldn't let anyone use the big sword.
He would say "mine" anytime that someone
grabbed it

A fighting with Daddy

R and I fighting.

I think they had fun!
somehow we missed get a pic of A at this time...
but at least you can see G's big smile.