Thanksgiving and Birthday

Thanksgiving was so great this year! We got to spend time with family and enjoy a great meal. I feel so blessed this year. Even though this has been one of the worst years of our lives. The other day in the car Chantry and I were thinking of ways that our trials have still been blessings. We were trying to see the good in all of the rough situations. I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband to help me see the good in our trials. It was a great Thanksgiving!
The monday after Thanksgiving was my birthday so I got a whole birthday weekend..or was supposed to. Friday night we celebrated at my parents because my sister and her family was in town. It was so nice. The next night we went to Chantry's parents. It was a nice relaxing night. I got plenty of baby snuggles from our niece Ellie, which I loved. On sunday I was supposed to go to my Grandmas and then on Monday Chantry had the day off so we could catch a movie and go shopping.
Sunday morning I had to get up early because Chantry had a meeting right before church and we only have one car. I got up and felt a little sick but that is not unsual if I don't sleep well. I started to feel better and went to church. During sacrament I started to not feel well and then in sunday school I had to leave because I really didn't feel well. Chantry took me home and I started to throw up. I was so sick ALL day! I was hoping that it would be better for my birthday the next day. The next morning I woke up and could keep some food down but still didn't feel good. I was really bummed that I was sick on my birthday. At least Chantry was home to take care of me, which was a HUGE blessing. It took me 5 days but I finally felt well enough to get off the couch and be normal. It was one nasty stomach bug.
Since I didn't get to do anything on my birthday Chantry took me out on Saturday. I had the best day. He took me shopping where I found fabulous boots and lots of clothes. He then took me to dinner and we saw Tangled. It was such a great day. Even though it was not the birthday I had originally planned it was a such a good day. Thanks babe for making it special!

New Posts

There are 3 new posts below so enjoy!

Yellowstone 2010

For vacation this year we went with Chantry's family to Yellowstone. It was so pretty and so much fun. We were supposed to go for five days but my Aunt passed away right before so we could only go for three. It was still a nice trip. There is just something about the beauty of nature that brings me peace. We stayed in a cute little cabin in Island Park.








Our Cute Niece Ellie

Halloween 2010

For Halloween this year my mother-in-law had a family party. She asked that Chantry be Capatin Jack and I be his wench. We decided to change our costumes a little so I was a blond. It was so much fun! We had a great time with the cousins and their cute kids!

Grandpa, Rest in Peace

For those who haven't heard my Grandpa Mitchell passed away. It was about two weeks after my Aunt passed away so again the Mitchell family is mourning. My grandfather was a great man. He was 94. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a gentle spirit. Even though it was a blessing for him to pass I will miss him dearly. I will miss his smile and laugh. I will miss how sweet a couple my grandparents were. It was wierd seeing my grandmother by herself. I don't know if I have ever seen her without my Grandpa. They were married for 65 years and still held hands. We even have kissing pictures from last Christmas of them. He served in WWII for four years. He had a military funeral with the gun salute and taps playing. It was really nice but hard at the same time.As I reflect on these last couple of months and all of the loved ones I have lost I keep coming back to the gospel and it's meaning in my life. The thing I keep getting asked all of the time is, "Are you okay? You have had a lot of losses in your family and that can be hard". Am I okay? I can look at myself and say, "Yes I am". I have my good days and my bad days. Some days I am both good and bad. I have learned alot about death and the life after in the last couple of months. It has been hard but I have had alot of peace and comfort given to me and my family. Our family has a closeness that we did not have before. I know that the only reason I am doing so well is the knowledge I have in my life of the gospel. I also have the love and support of a good husband. He has been with me at every viewing and funeral. He has held me as I have cried many, many times in mourning. I feel as if the rug keeps getting pulled out from under my feet but he is always there to set me back up. This year has really sucked. Hopefully next year will be better.

Plan of Salvation

It has not been an easy time for the Mitchell family. Two months ago my Uncle Rick passed away. He had cancer and had been sick for years. Even though it was expected it wasn't easy when he passed. We gathered together as a family and hoped that we would not have to go through that again for a long time. Two months later something so totally and heartbreakingly unexpected happened.
My sweet Aunt Arlette passed away. She had double pnuemonia but the hospital sent her home with antibiotics. She went to sleep that night and never woke up. I had a special place in my heart for this Aunt. Every time I saw her I got such a warm hug and smile. She was honestly one of the sweetest women that I knew. She worked with mentally and physically disabled children. She raised seven children and had a deep testimony of the Savior. I will miss her dearly. Especially during the holidays. She made the best cinnamon rolls.
It is during times like these where I reflect on this life and the Plan of Salvation. My Uncle Craig (her husband) spoke at her funeral. He reminded everyone how we chose to come to earth. We did not know all that we would go through in life but that it would be hard at times. He reminded us that life has a distinct beginning and end here on earth. We agreed to that before we came here. He also reminded us that once we leave here we still live on. We cannot see Arlette anymore but she is here and one day we will see her again.
It was a wonderful talk and I loved it. It definitely had the potential to be a very sad funeral ( she was only 56) but it wasn't. I am so grateful for the knowledge and truth of the gospel. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to deal with death and not know that we will see our loved ones again someday.

This Time of Year...

I love this time of year. I love that it is so pretty with all of the changing leaves. I love looking forward to the holidays.The only thing I don't like is that it gets dark out earlier. Other than that it is really perfect. I love this time of year so much I have had my halloween decorations up for about two weeks now. I also put up a few fall decorations just because I like all of the colors. There is just something about this time of year that gets me excited.

Blogging Break

I'm back! I took a short break from blogging. It seemed like things were just piling up and I was having a hard time dealing with everything. I just needed to take a little break. So let me tell you what we have been up to.

There was a fire at our apartment complex last month. It wasn't in our building. It was a new lady in our ward. No one was home or hurt but much was lost. While watching this situation unfold I was talking to another sweet lady in our ward. We were discussing how traumatic things like this are and yet how blessed they were that the children or the mother were not hurt. The only things that cannot be replace are people. It put things into perspective about what really matters in our lives. What I could lose and what I couldn't stand to lose.

My uncle passed away at the start of August. It was very hard because he was just 51. I really hate funerals. I always end up bawling and have a huge headache and it just seems so hard for everyone. This one was no different. I am so thankful for the gospel! It really does take the sting out of death. Even though it is hard to say goodbye for now I know that we will see him again and that he is whole and well now.

My calling has still been crazy but I am learning how to balance it better. We had alot of illness in our ward. Several people have been in and out of the hospital. We also had a young father have a bad motorcylce accident. At first they thought he wasn't going to make it. Thankfully he will recover and be fine. I find that one of the hardest part of my calling is dealing with the emotions. I was honestly scared to death for these wonderful people in our ward. Even though it can be hard I do love my new calling and have really enjoyed getting to know and love the sweet ladies of our ward. It is a very demanding but rewarding calling.

We had our 4th anniversary this August 16th! Time sure does fly by fast! I love my sweet husband so much. He is really truly my rock. I do not know what I would do without him. We decided to just stay around here and do a few things that we like but don't usually have time. We went to Rainbow Gardens and had lunch at the greenery. Went to dinosaur park, Dave Matthews Concert,Red Butte Gardens and Lagoon. It was so much fun!






Even though things sometimes seem crazy and that alot of bad things happen in this world (just watch the news) I love my life. I love my husband and family. I am thankful for my good friends. I am so glad to have the gospel! The Spirit has strengthened me and comforted me many times this month. I have seen miracles and felt inspiration. Even when life seems so dark, the gospel is the light to lead me out. Life is good!

Bound, Bound, Bound, and Rebound. Sometimes Your Up...Sometimes Your Down.

Sometimes you are both up and down. That is the only way to put what is going on with us right now. I feel like lately every time I write on here it has a sad undertone. Today will be both sad and yet really happy at the same time. I know it seems a little weird but that is how it is right now.

My mother-in-law had surgery on her thyroid a couple of weeks ago. They found cancer. Luckily, it is a very treatable kind of cancer with a very high survival rate. She might have to do radiation and that is all that we will know for a couple of weeks. We feel good about her and her treatment. Hopefully all goes well.

We got some other bad news this week. My Uncle Rick's cancer has spread and there is nothing else they can do for him. He was sent home to be made comfortable. We pray for him and his family at this time because that is all that there is to do. It is truly heartbreaking.

Now for some of the really happy things in our lives. We went to the temple groundbreaking yesterday. Since it would be so hot and really crowded around the site (there were 7,000 people there) we decided to go to the stake center and watch the broadcast so we could hear and see better. It was amazing! The spirit was so strong there. It is so exciting to see a temple here in Brigham!

I can't help but think of how blessed we are to have the Gospel in our lives. That is why we are really happy , even when things in our lives are stressful and not going the way that we would like. In Relief Society today the lesson from our presidency was Relief Society: A Sacred Work. It was a great lesson on the purpose of Relief Society. She also read a book about filling our buckets. Everyone has a bucket that needs to be filled. To fill our buckets we need to take care of each other and lift each other up. Smile, say hi,and stop by to give cookies are just some examples. As I was pondering this book we sang our closing song, As Sisters in Zion. This is where the spirit testified to me the great work of Relief Society. We need to love each other and take care of each other.

Our lives may not be perfect but we can still be happy. We can have peace when we are faced with heartbreak. We can be blessed with courage and strength when we feel we cannot even lift ourselves off our knees. We can know that even when we lose our loved ones we will see them again. I love the Gospel and the truths it has taught me. It truly is a calm in the center of a storm. That is what I learned this week.

Chantry'S 3 cents:
The question "Why did this have to happen?" or "Why dose it have to be this way?" can be a haunting one. I think it's better to live life with the understanding that part of life is that stuff happens, even tough, hard, frustrating stuff. I prefer to not constantly ask 'why did this have to happen?', but to just move forward with the knowledge that no matter what happens, through the Lord, everything that happens to us, will be consecrated for our good, if we put ourselves in His hands.

Things Are Looking Up....

Things seem to have settled down a bit. I was so thrown off by all that was going on that some days I didn't know what was up and what was down. It doesn't seem that any of the things going on in our lives have changed, though. I feel like I have been blessed to handle it better. Isn't it great to have a loving Heavenly Father who sees us struggling and instead of taking away our struggles blesses us to be stronger to overcome them? Sometimes I wish he would take some things away but I see myself grow into a better person so I am grateful for them.

Some good things have happened this week. First, I got to see my best friend Amy. We have been best friends since first grade and she now lives in Wyoming and I miss her and her darling little family. She had a beautiful baby girl last week and I am so happy for her!

We got to see our friend Katrina in the hospital. She is doing really well considering all that she has been through. I have a deep respect for her and her husband. They were talking, joking, and laughing. To be going through all that they have and still be able to do this is amazing to me. They choose to live in the moment and go forward with courage and strength. Again, I feel the love of our Heavenly Father when I see this couple. I have seen prayers answered again and again.

Being in the Relief Society Presidency is an eye opening experience. There is so much that these wonderful women do that no one sees or knows about. They truly are loving women and I never realized how much love there is behind all that they do. I am getting excited to be able to get to know the sweet women in our ward. It will not be easy and there will be many, many meetings but I feel more up to the challenge than before.

I am so thankful for the blessings in my life. I feel so blessed. I am so thankful for a wonderful and supporting husband. He truly supports me in all that I do. Whenever I am stressed or anxious he is there to make me laugh and calm me down. He is the greatest blessing to me right now. Even though there is alot of things happening I am glad to have the life that I do. It is a good life!

RollerCoaster of Emotions

Things have gotten pretty crazy around here. I have been up and down and all around in my emotions it seems. I don't even know where to start. Does it ever feel like life is taking you for a rollercoaster ride and you just want to be on solid ground? This last month has seemed alot like that. I am not trying to be whiny. I know for a fact that there are people that have it worse (read on in this very post). Sometimes I think one of the hardest things in life is watching others go through trials.

A few weeks ago we got devastating news about one of Chantry's best friend's wife. She was feeling sick and dizzy and couldn't keep food down. They did an MRI and found a brain tumor. We love this couple and their children and were absolutely devastated by this. She ended up have surgery within 2 weeks. They found the tumor was malignant and that she needs to have radiation and possibly chemo. To see others that we care about having to face this and all the possibilities that come from cancer is hard. We fast, pray,and hope for the best.We just wish there was something more we could do.

While all this was going on we also had the worry about my uncle. He has cancer also and has had a bad infection. He has been in and out of the hospital but hopefully doing better now. My mother-in-law also had surgery this morning. She had cancer in one side of Thryroid that they removed and few years ago. They found some atypical cells a few months ago in the other side and she was getting that removed this morning. Cancer is such a dirty word to me right now.

Not everything crazy has been due to illness. My sister was in town around the 4th and we had a great time seeing her and her family. We love all our nieces and enjoy spending time with them.

I have been crafting like crazy. I have had to do alot of boxes for the hospital. For those who don't know I make boxes for mothers that lose their babies and they put keepsakes from the hospital in them. I enjoy helping others and hope they feel love and comfort when they see them. I also have learned how to make cute flowers and headbands ( I will post pictures lately) for a fundraiser for medical bills for Katrina.

I am also learning how to sew. I feel like it is a disaster right now. Hopefully I will get better at it. I just wish I could sew something and have it turn out right and fit right. Oh well. I just need to be patient at learning this new skill.

Last but not least, I have a new calling. This was quite a shock because I have only been primary chorister for about 9 months and we have the program coming up. I am the new second counselor of the Relief Society Presidency. I have really never been to Relief Society and feel so lost right now. I also feel overwhelmed and sad at losing all of my little children. This is going to be a huge change and I am not sure I am prepared for it.

Needless to say I feel very emotional right now. I feel all stretched and worn out.

Baby Quilt

My best friend Amy is having a baby girl in July and I wanted to make a quilt for her. I am learning how to sew right now so I picked an easy tied quilt and then I sewed the edges. It turned out pretty well for my first quilt.

It is finished!

The Wedding was yesterday and it went to well. The only bad thing was the weather. The ceremony was taking place outside and it was SO cold and windy. The bride and groom didn't seem to mind so out we went and we set up all of the decorations making sure they were wired and weighed down with rocks. Luckily the wind died down right before the ceremony but it was SO SO cold. Below are pictures of the flowers that my mother-in-law and I did. I did forget to take a picture of the corsages.



This was an arch that the bride was supposed to walk through but it would not stand up in the wind so we put it up for the reception.


These flowers were all down the aisle.


This was where the happy bride and groom were wed.


One of the tall centerpieces we put together.


These are the centerpieces that we put together. I added the tulle and rocks last minute to give it a little more color and it turned out nice.




Bridesmaid Bouquet


This is the throwing bouquet for the reception.


This is a picture of one of the Bridesmaid bouquets that I made. I love the colors together.

It was so much fun to do these flowers and set up all the decorations. I was so happy to help this bride and I hope that her day was so special.

Captain Jack and His Lady Friend

Chantry and I went to an elementary school tonight to attend a pirate themed literacy night. Since Chantry does such a good impression of Captain Jack Sparrow he was asked to come and read a book and talk to the kids. He asked me to come along and dress up with him. It was really fun to see how excited the children were and to make reading fun. Here are some pictures we took right after ( I forgot to take my camera to the school).

Random Thoughts

I have been having alot of random thoughts this week that I would like to share. So here goes nothing. I hope that these thoughts make sense to more than just myself.

First of all, my heart goes out to my friend Heather and her family. After 3 months of being in a coma her father has passed away. She has been through so much in the last three months with not only her father but soon to be father-in-law, grandfather-in-law, and being robbed by gunpoint. All the while planning her wedding that will take place in about a month. She has shown a great strength through all of this and I hope she knows how much her Heavenly Father loves her along with all of her friends and family.

Sometimes life sucks. It can suck the big one. Things don't always go the way we plan. Unexpected things happen in our lives, but there is one thing I have learned in the last few months while watching others struggle and dealing with my own struggles. LIFE ALWAYS GETS BETTER! It may suck right now but it will get better. We have been struggling with an issue in our lives for a year and a half now. It is not something that I feel able to share with many others at this point. Maybe one day soon but not now. Somedays I have felt like climbing into bed and never getting out. Then it got better because I got down on my knees and prayed for strength. I immediately started to feel better. It has taken many months and not much has really changed in our situation but I feel the strength of the Lord. He has blessed me to have new projects and goals that have helped make my life better. I can see that Heavenly Father definitely has a hand in our life.

Stress is a funny thing. Some people it makes them eat or lose sleep. Lately I have realized that stress makes me do one of two things. Either want to sleep all day or clean. Since sleeping all day messes me up really bad I look to cleaning. I find it very therapeutic. Whenever I tell people how much I love to vaccuum I get the wierdest look. I love to scrub the heck out of my tub when life is stressful. I may not be able to control life but I can control that shine. I am so wierd I know.

I am so grateful for the gospel. To know that there is life after death. To know that we will see our loved ones again. It truly is a blessing in my life.

Also wondering, where is the sun shine? I miss being able to go outside. Oh well.

Memorial Day Flowers

Since my mother-in-law has been so busy with her new grandbaby I was asked to do the flowers for Memorial Day for their family. I did five this year. One for each of her parents, father-in-law, grandmother-in-law, and baby boy. This is how they turned out. I think that they look pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Continue in Patience

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a talk about patience in the last conference. This is one of my absolute favorite talks. Since it was given at the priesthood session I did not hear it live but Chantry came home and told me to watch it online because it was so good. Not only did I watch it online but as soon as I got my Ensign I opened it directly to this talk. Apparently Heavenly Father wanted to make sure I was paying attention because my visiting teachers also picked this talk for me. So here are some things I learned from this talk:

Waiting can be hard
" Patience-the ability to put our desires on hold for a time- is a precious and rare virtue....Nevertheless, without patience we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace." What really spoke to me with these sentences is that sometimes I think that I know what is the best for me. What I struggle with is that sometimes what is wanted is not always the best for me at that particular time. My desires could even be righteous desires but the timing is all wrong. That is why waiting can so hard. The timing doesn't always match my plans...but what about Heavenly Fathers plans. He wants what is best for me and knows what I can handle and when I can handle it. He also wants me to be the best I can be. Why would I not want that? I will be happier and more peaceful.

Patience isn't merely waiting
"Patience means active waiting and enduring. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well.". Patience is all about attitude. How can I possibly grow if I am angry and brooding all the time about not getting what I want? It can be so hard. The only way to overcome these feelings is through prayer, forgiveness, and staying close to the Lord. If I do all that I can to be patient and pray to the Lord for help I can be strong. I can overcome all of my negative feelings. In essence, I can endure well. I can be happy while being patient.

Patience requires faith
"We must learn that in the Lord's plan, our understading comes line upon line, precept on precept. In short knowledge and understanding come at the price of patience.". I may not always be able to understand why I have to wait for my righteous desires. In fact, I believe most of the time we don't understand until the trials and waiting have passed. That is when we can most see the hand of God guiding and shaping us. That is why I must have faith. I must trust Heavenly Father to help me through and know what is best for me.

Patience, a Fruit if the Spirit
"Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. Patience is a process of perfection.". Patience makes us more like Heavenly Father. It is also a choice. We can choose if we want to perfected and become like Christ. I can choose to be upset or I can have courage, grace and faith.

The Lord Blesses Us for Our Patience
The Lord does hear and answer our prayers. It may not be the way and when I want him to, but he always does. If I am patient I know that I will be blessed. I will grow in ways not imagined and become more Christlike.

I learned so many things from this talk. It has helped me to know that Heavenly Father does care about each and every one of us. He hears and answers prayers and wants to help us and comfort us when down. He truly wants what is best for us.

The Primary Funnies are 1,2,3...

I am not sure that I have mentioned this before but I am Primary Chorister. I have been for about 6 months. It has been one of the hardest callings for me. I don't like to sing in front of other people and I have a hard time being in front of other people sometimes. Even though I have struggled I have really come to love the calling because of the growth I have seen come from it. I have also had prayers answered on how things should be done. It has truly helped me grow and now I can say I truly love it.

The best thing I love about being Chorister is the children. They warm my heart. They give me the best smiles each week and I love to see each and every one of them. They also give me the best stories to tell each week. This week is no exception. I will start with one that the sunbeams teacher told me happened in class.

There is an incredibly personable 4 year old in our primary. She is outgoing, so cute, and at times a little adult. She says the funniest things in earnest. Most of the time it is towards the end of primary she yells out " are we done yet?". This week her funny story came from the prayer she gave in class. She started out like a normal prayer and then she goes on to say, " please bless my dad that he may have a good day so he won't be so pissy all of the time...". Her teachers said she was absolutely serious and not joking at all when she said this. What a character!

The second funny I have for this week was during sharing time when we were talking about how Joseph Smith translated the Book Of Mormon. The counselor asked the primary what tool he used and the answer that was shouted out was " The Urine and Thummin".

It sure was a day for kids saying the darndest things!

Underwear Brothers

I heard the funniest story the other day of something that happened at a family members house. I will change to names to protect the "underwear brothers" as they are now called. We will just call one, little boy, and the other big daddy. If you are a visual person and need to see this, picture big daddy as Kevin from the Office and little boy as that short kid from The Middle.

Little boy loves to come and stay over the weekend at big daddy's house. They play video games, watch movies, and laugh all night long. Well on one of these nights big daddy got little boy laughing so hard that the unthinkable happened. He peed his pants. This was the only pair of underwear little boy had brought so it was quite the dilemma. So little boy and big daddy put their heads together and decided what to do. They took the underwear to a sink and rinsed them out ( or so we hope, no one really know for sure). Then they decided to put the dirty underwear on the space heater in big daddy's room to dry off (gross, I know). They then fell asleep. A little while later big daddy's daddy was upstairs and smelled something funny and burning. He went down to big daddy's room to investigate. There he found a pair of little boys underwear burning on the space heater. He woke up little boy and big daddy to ask what was going on. They told him the story and then he asked the question we were all thinking. If little boy's underwear was burning on the heater then whose underwear was he wearing? Big daddy loaned him a pair (hopefully clean, no one knows about that for sure either). I feel I must explain the height and weight of these two. Little boy is about 4'2" and about 54 pounds. Big daddy is about 5'6" and 280 pounds. I guess it was quite a sight to behold seeing little boy wearing big daddy's underwear. Apparently, he had tied the top off with a pair of shoelaces. After he got done laughing, big daddy's daddy took little boy to the store and bought him some underwear. It was now time for little boy to go home so he was told he could take the new underwear home. His response, " I think maybe I should keep a couple pair here for the next time I come over, just in case."

When these two get together it is always an adventure.

New Project Anxiety

I have a new project! I love new projects but I always start them with anxiety. I wonder if I can really do this and if they will turn out okay. For those of you who don't know, I do flower crafts and have done several weddings with my mother-in-law. Chantry's step cousin is getting married and asked us to do ALL of the flowers for the wedding. This is something that we have not done before. We have done centerpieces and flower arrangements and one bouquet but never all of them. It is a really big project. We are doing the centerpieces, all of the bouquets, extra flower arrangements around the tables, flowers for the arch, boutonnieres, and the hanging arrangements that go down the aisle. It is not that it is a big project that worries me. It is the fact that my sister-in-law is pregnant and due with her first child three weeks before this wedding. My mother-in-law is going to be FULLY preoccupied with helping her so I told her to let me do more this time then I have before. Hence, the extra anxiety. This week I am going to start on the boutonnieres, bows, and bouquets. I have never done boutonnieres and bouquets before so I am really excited but nervous. I love helping with weddings. They are such a special day and I love to help. So a'craftin I will go this week. Wish me luck!

Birthday Weekend

Chantry is now 29! Last weekend we celebrated Chantry's birthday. It all started on Friday night when we went to his parents house for dinner and games. We played Planet Earth ,which I thought was going to be boring, but it was actually really fun.

The next day was his actual birthday and we decided to spend the morning with just each other and that night with some friends that we have not been able to see for awhile. For brunch we went to Logan and ate at IHOP ( Chantry's favorite breakfast place). We then went shopping at the mall and some local stores. We love spending time together and it was just perfect. That night we went to Maddox for dinner with Chantry's friend Scott and his wife Becky. Then we played the wii and talked. We just had a great time!

The good thing about being married is you get alot of birthdays. So on Sunday we went to my parents for dinner. It was relaxing and fun. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! I have the best husband in the world and hope that he had the best day!

EA Sports Active...oh how I love thee

We have recently found a new workout on the Wii system that we absolutely love. It is called EA Sports Active Personal Trainer. We had originally wanted to get Wii fit but it is so expensive and sometimes it feels like I am not really getting a workout. We researched other workout systems and sports active was moderate in price and seemed to really offer good workouts. So, out we went and got the game. It comes with a leg strap ( for the nunchuck to go when you are doing squats, running, walking, lunges, and some sports) and a resistance band. The fun thing about this is you can buy another pack to go with it and work out with your spouse.

We started last Thursday and I can honestly say that it gives you an excellent workout. I was so sore for a couple of days. It has a trainer that shows you how to properly do all of the moves and it provides a profile to help meet your goals. It does cardio along with toning and strenghtening. We absolutely love this new workout and have a great time working out together. Hopefully it will help me reach my goals for weightloss this year. Swimsuit weather here I come! Public pools I am not so sure about because they are kind of nasty....

Happenings of the Month

This month has been pretty crazy! We have had a lot of things happen this month and it has been hard to keep up with it all. It started out with an Elders Quorum party. We helped plan this party and put everything together. It was pretty fun to plan with another couple in the Elders Quorum but the night of the party the wife of the other couple was sick so I had to make sure everything was organized and decorated all by myself. It was a big job but it turned out great and everyone had a good time.

The next week turned out to be very difficult. A former coworker and friends father became very ill and ended up in a coma. He has been in a coma with brain swelling for about 2 weeks now. The family has had their world turned upside down and it is hard to see people go through trials of this magnitude. We hope and pray for the best in this ongoing situation.

Valentines day came upon us very quickly this year. We celebrated on Saturday this year because Valentines fell on a Sunday. Chantry got me beautiful red roses and yummy chocolates. He also took me to see a chick flick. We don't have alot of extra money so we hadn't been to a movie in so long. It was great! We then went to Bajio ( our favorite place to eat) for our traditional Valentines lunch. I was so happy to spend the day with my sweetie. He is so wonderful and I love him so much!

We went from Valentines to Christmas. Chantry's grandmother has a bowling party at Fat Cats for Christmas each year but last Christmas is was postponed due to snow. It was moved to last Saturday. She sent out invitations that said " Come to my Christmas Bowling Party". So we celebrated Valentines day and then Christmas again. I told you it was a crazy month! Right before the bowling my very generous Dad took us to see the new Percy Jackson movie. I loved the books and was excited to see the movie. It was not really like the book at all but I still liked it.

Last night we helped some of our neighbors move. The joys of living in an apartment complex is people can just up and move really fast. These people had moved in the same day we had over a year ago. Then out of the blue about a month ago (after resigning the lease) they had a strong feeling they needed to buy a house. So a month later here we are helping them move. They just bought their first house and we are so happy for them! Maybe there is a little bit of house envy on our part.....

Those are the big things that happened this month. There were some pretty exciting other things that happened. The Ogden Temple is going to be redesinged. This was a complete shock. We were married in the Ogden Temple and love the new look but it will be hard to say we were married there because it looks nothing like the temple we were wed in. I would like to go and get family pictures there after it is done and hang them next the the ones we have already.

The Olympics have been on and I have been in so happy. I love watching the Olympics. Ever since I was small I would watch the skating and skiing and anything else I could. Now that I am an adult and home all day I can watch til 11 o'clock at night. I absolutely love when the Olympics are on and I go through withdrawals when they are over.

It has definitely been a crazy fun filled rollercoaster of a month!

Fond Farewell to Old Friends

This is the hardest time of year for me. The time of year when I have to say goodbye and farewell to some of my favorite things. Yes my friends, I am talking about cleaning out the closet. I hate having clutter in my closet. It just drives me nuts. Yet, when the time comes to get rid of some of my clothes I have the hardest time letting go. All the memories. All the fun times we had together and the places we have seen. Truth be told I have been putting this off for a couple of years now, but the clutter cannot be ignored any longer. So today I started the sad task. The pile that is to throw away and the pile that goes to another home. I haven't told them yet what is going to happen to them. No need for them to feel my pain. So I shall say farewell to the pants I wore when I was 20 and had no curves. Goodbye to the shirts that I used to be able to wear before I blossomed into womanhood ( I was a late bloomer). It is time for us both to move on. Now that I have all of this extra space I think I need to go shopping. Just kidding!

Answers to Prayers and Goals Update

Answers to prayers can be funny things. Why is that you ask? They are funny things because they always seem to come in ways that we never expect. Sometimes they don't come as fast as we expect them to and we get frustrated. Sometimes they are not the answers we want to hear but they are indeed answers. Lastly, sometimes answers come in a way that is so totally unexpected that you are left speechless and with a feeling of awe. The last is the one which I have been noticing lately. I have been struggling with my new church calling and prayed about the best way to approach this and what to do that would be the best. I felt like I had got an answer and was struck with inspiration. I went to church confident and happy. Things did not go very well at all that week. In fact I came home and was almost in tears. How could this be? I had inspiration. I knew this is what I was supposed to do. Then why did I feel like such a failure? I persevered and went forward with the inspiration that I had. The next week I went and lo and behold things went really well. Extraordinary well. I thought how could this be? The next week the same. Now I have a feeling of awe. The Lord knew that things would work out even when I had doubts. It is a pretty good feeling. Now that I have had this experience it has helped me have hope and faith for the other areas in my life where I struggle. I have been struggling with a few things for a while and sometimes out of the clear blue I read a blog or talk to someone and the light goes off in my head. This is an answer to my prayer for help and strength and guidance. I have had several of these things happen lately and it has helped me to know that Heavenly Father knows and loves me. He is sending me messages of hope and love. It is truly awe inspiring.

Now for the goal updates. Things are going really well. We are halfway done with the month of January and have already met some of our goals. My hubby and I went to the temple last week and it was wonderful. I am so glad to be able to feel the spirit in that special place. It really it such a blessing. I have also been doing pretty well with the exercising. I feel myself getting stronger every day. I haven't done so well with my scripture study but I am trying. It is a challenge to sit down, read, and understand the scriptures. I often let myself get distracted. It is a work in progress. That is how things are going so far this month. I hope that everyone else is doing well with their goals. Things can be hard sometimes. Motivation is not always easy but the end result is worth it! This is a quote I found that was by President Gordon B. Hinckley about growth:

I come to you tonight with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we try to 'accentuate the positive.' I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. Now I am not asking that all criticism be silenced. Growth comes of correction. Strength comes of repentence. Wise is the man or woman who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his or her course. "What I am suggesting is that you turn from the negativism that so permeates our modern society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom you associate, that we speak of one another's virtues more than we speak of one another's faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that or faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my wise father would say: 'Cynics do not contribute. Skeptics do not create. Doubters do not achieve.' "

Thankful

As I was sitting and reflecting today I was thinking about all the things in life that I wish we had and how much easier things would be. Then I had a thought. Why can't I be thankful for what I have right now? This is how my life is right now and I could sit here and wish some things were better or I could be happy with everything I have right here right now. My husband has a good job, we have a nice apartment, food to eat, clothes to wear, and each other. What more could we really need? We have been really blessed to get what we have. Not everyone is as blessed as we are. This year I am going to be happy and more thankful for all that I have been blessed with!

Goals Support Group

I was chatting with my friend Amanda last night and she made a great suggestion. She suggested that since we have some of the same goals for this year that we could help support each other to keep our goals. I thought that this was a great idea and wanted to expand this to anyone. If any of the readers of this blog would like to form some type of goals support group just let me know. It is a whole lot easier to reach your goals with support and that is exactly what friends are for. There won't be pressure to do anything in a certain time period. Just friends helping each other. If any of you would like to do this or have suggestions just let me know.

New Year Goals

This time of year is always a time of reflection and change for me. For the new year I (Briana) have decided to make some new year goals. I don't really like to use the word resolutions because it seems people use the word for something that they don't intend to do. I prefer to use the word goal so I am more likely to do it. Some of the things that I would like to do this year are: get in better shape, do more scripture study, go to the temple at least once a month with the hubby, keep in better touch with friends, and learn how to sew. This list seems a little bit daunting to me. I struggle with confidence in myself so setting goals and accomplishing them is hard for me. Luckily for me I have a wonderful husband who always believes in and encourages me. This year is going to be a good one for goals and I am excited to see what happens!