Thoughts....

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I figure it's time again. I don't really know what I'm going to say... so apologies if my thoughts run all over the place.

Thought #1: We put up a bookcase! Yay for organizing chaos in the front room!

I put this together. It made be feel so... constructive.

Thought #2: Dave was impressed with one of my meals! Yay! He said, "Wow, this looks famous!"

This is before I cooked it... Salmon with carrots and oranges, cooked "tin-foil-dinner style."

Thought #3: Spring?! Think again.... It was probably 50 degrees the day before this massive snowiness. There were about 2 feet of snow on my car in the morning. I felt like I should have been using a shovel instead of the snow brush which suddenly became measly and useless.

It was raining like no other about 30 minutes before this picture... 

Would you guess it had just been raining?

Bundled up, wearing Dave's boots to go take out the trash. There's a lot of snow out there! I was also going to  take a picture of me making a snow angel for Brooke... but alas, my camera would have died because Dave wasn't home and the stairs were covered in snow... (I was going to set the timer and put it on the stairs to take the picture.)

Thought #4: Life is fairly crazy. Not that I'm super busy, it's just crazy. Making sure the financial, physical, and spiritual aspects of life are where they should be seem so much more complicated than before.

Talking with my dad the other day I commented that it's stressful to actually know what's going on with family finances! I think he just kind of chuckled at my shock and confirmed that, yes, this is true. Even as a single college student I did not realize the magnitude of paying for life; although I lived away from family and was fairly independent, it was nothing compared to now. I was pretty much penniless, but had no debt and really no bills to pay aside from buying groceries. Now... I don't even want to think about what we have to pay for and pay off. Shucks... it's stressful!

Keeping physically fit is also a huge challenge. We have spurts of working out and eating well... and then, we break. We want it so bad... but do we really? I keep thinking, if we REALLY want this, we would be consistent. Why do we let our physical appetites and passions get in the way? Stinkin' rotten natural man....

Life questions and decisions also seem to be staring us in the face, just taunting us to make a decision. Full-time teaching job? Keep substituting? Children are in the plans someday... how do I know when they'll show up? Do I really want a full-time job if they show up in the middle of it? We could use the money. Would substituting be enough extra?- it sure would be more flexible. aaaaaaahhhhhhh! I keep telling myself, just apply, give your all, do your best, then let the Lord take care of the rest!

Despite the anxieties that come and the refining process experienced, which throw my emotions all over the place.... MARRIAGE IS SO WORTH IT.

Thought #5: I LOVE church leaders and the counsel of the Spirit.
We were privileged to attend the BYU-Idaho President's Club Banquet last night. President Clark spoke along with President Uchtdorf. I didn't receive any stellar answers to my life questions, but the Spirit reminded me of important pieces of life.
              a) I need to write in my journal more often because it helps be positive about life. We live in a cynical and pessimistic world, anything we can do to keep that out of our lives is well worth doing. I don't know what it is, but writing in my journal always seems to calm me down and focus on what's most important.
              b) I need to have the courage, persistence, and patience to make the dream of a better world become a reality. Usually when I hear things like this I think of "world peace" and big huge acts of service.... last night I thought specifically about my own life. I need to have the courage to communicate with my husband about life matters that might be sensitive to either of us, but which weigh on my mind; I need to be persistent in living a righteous and healthy life; and I need to have patience to see the blessing of the Lord come. Life will work out.

Thought #6: Quotes from Elder Uchtdorf at the Banquet that I really liked.
               a) We can't always build our future for the youth, but we can build our youth for the future. -FDR
               b) The illiterate of the 21st century are not those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and re-learn.
               c) Be unafraid of new ideas for they are stepping stones to progress. Be unafraid to differ when you are informed.
               d) Have courage, persistence, and patience to make the dream of a better world a reality.

Thought #7, which comes with a goal: I played my flute in ward conference today. Practicing and performing reminded me of how much I love playing the flute, how I've always wanted to play with the orchestra on temple square, and how I actually live close enough to qualify.
                GOAL: Practice every day so I can play as well as I used to and be confident enough to audition. I've made it public, check up on me and help me be accountable!

Thought #8: I could go on forever, but I think I'll leave it at this:

I love my husband. I love experiencing life with him. I'm so glad the Lord blessed me with a man worthy to go to the temple with me to enter into eternal covenants together with the Lord.