Thursday, August 31, 2006

answers to prayers

well readers i've recently received an answer to a prayer and i thought that i would share it with you.
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ever since i found out that i was pregnant i've had the desire to quit my job and be a stay at home mom. the only problem is that i work and if i quit my job we would not be able to pay all of our bills. this concern and desire has been on my mind ever since.
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two saturdays ago (August 19th) i was asked to babysit for some friends. they have a three year old little girl and another on the way (she's one month ahead of me). well, we were sitting there talking while they were waiting for the couple that was going out with them. and heather asked me if i was planning on being a stay at home mom. well my answer was: that is what i want, but it doesn't look like an option at the moment. she then asked me if i would be interested in doing day care for their kids, and threw out an amount of how much i would be paid (just about how much i am getting paid now).
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after they left i could think of nothing else. i wanted to call my mom that instant and talk to her about it (that is how my own mother supplemented their income as i was growing up, we always had other people's children in our home) but she was in utah, and i didn't want to bother her. but the more i thought about it, the more i realized that it was the perfect solution, and it had just fallen into my lap.
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even now, when i think about it, i only have the most peaceful feelings. you would think i would be terrified. going from no kids, to having a four year old and two newborns. that's crazy right? okay, i'm a little nervous. but i've always been pretty good with kids. and what's one more poopy diaper when i'm already changing a ton on my own kid? i spoke with my sister about it, and she was very reassuring, telling me i'd be a great mom, and this is right up my alley.
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i can't help but think that the Lord truely does work in mysterious ways. i've been racking my brain with a solution, and here one falls right into my lap when i needed it.

lesson learned at girls camp

sorry that it's been a while readers, this past week has been a roller coaster. from last monday to saturday (august 21 - 26) i was up in the mountains with the girls that i teach in church at a "girls camp". it had it's ups and downs, as anyone who deals with youth should know.
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let me tell you a little story about what the girls (and i) learned up there last week -- it will be long.
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on wednesday we had a special guest speaker, and she talked about the parable of the 10 virgins, 5 were wise and 5 were foolish (you know, matthew 25:1-13 ... if you dont know go read it ... i'll wait ... http://scriptures.lds.org/en/matt/25)
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you finished it? okay, then i'll continue ... she read a poem about 10 princesses, and made the parable come alive. the girls actually listened intently. towards the end she challenged the girls to write down their testimonies. she passed out papers to everyone to do it on. The heading on the paper read: "My Testimony - The oil in my lamp". And she told us that our testimonies were the oil that the scriptures were talking about, and that writing them would strengthen them. it was an amazing talk.
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the next day, thursday, we had another guest speaker. he basically did a review on what the first speaker talked about, he even re-challenged the girls to write their testimonies. he then past out little replicas of the lamps that they used during the days of Jesus. after his talk i just had this feeling that i really needed to get the girls in my cabin to write their testimonies down, and i could not stop thinking about it all day. after campfire the feeling was stronger. on our way back to our cabin i ran into one of the leaders up at camp, and she looked me straight in the eye and said "be prepared" i tried to ask her what she meant by that, and she would only keep repeating the phrase. the prompting was stronger, and i knew what she meant.
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when we got back to our cabin before my counselors started their devotional, i asked all the girls to take five minutes and write their testimonies. and none complained, they all did it right then and there. it was amazing. then my counselors talked about choosing the right. then i called my husband. when i was talking to my hubby the camp director walked into our cabin, i quickly got off the phone, as i wanted to hear what she had to say. she told us that they were moving flag from 8am to 9am. this was unprecidented, and in my 7 years of going to girls camp as a youth they had never done this. i then knew that something strange was going to happen tonight and they wanted to let us sleep a little more.
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well, we got ready for bed, and everyone went to sleep (except my counselors who were outside looking at the stars, talking and giggling). i was almost asleep when i felt someone tap me on my shoulder. i took off my eye mask, and pulled out my ear plugs (yup, i am the lightest sleeper in the world and i wear those every single night -- hmm... i wonder what will happen when baby pops out and wakes up in the night) anyways, back to the point, so i look at cassie and she looks totally freaked out. "something's going on, all of the priesthood are walking around with suits on and kicking everybody out of their cabins" i mean, she's acting like they are evacuating the camp or something.
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so like seconds later, a leader is in our cabin and calmly says, "the bridegroom is coming, the bridegroom is coming, get your oil and come with me" well, my girls were sleeping, and it took a few seconds to wake them up and register in their brains what in the world was going on. i told them to put some pants on (you know girls and sleeping in shorts) and to grab their testimonies that we wrote. the leader was trying to rush us, and i got kinda attitude-nal and said, "it's midnight and its cold, you can wait 30 seconds for my girls to put some pants on." she quietly waited the 30 seconds.
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when we got out of the cabin everyone else was out too, and they were ushering us up the hill. at the top of the hill the camp director was sending some girls down one path and some girls down another. we still basically didn't *really* know what was going on. when we got to the front she asked to see our oil. we showed her our testimonies and we took the path to the left. the pathway had christmas lights all along it and led to the craft cabin, inside all of the walls were covered with white tablecloths, pink streamers, flowers, etc. there were two tables, one had two huge cakes on it, while the other had a huge bowl of red punch. there were soft hymns playing. it was very peaceful and calm. there were already girls sitting down waiting, and we were the last group let in (besides the leaders).
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once everyone was seated, and it was confirmed that no one was coming, the speaker walked to the door and locked it. she then told us why we were there (obedience, etc.) and talked more about the parable of the 10 virgins, and congratulated us. then she asked what we were feeling. i was the first to speak, "i'm shocked! there isn't very many people in here" (there were only 20 people in that room -- out of 120 people at camp -- not counting the leaders) the girl sitting next to me spoke, "i'm sad that my sister isn't in here", and a girl down the row said, "that was the first thing i checked, that my sister WAS in here" etc. it was kinda bitter sweet though. because we were happy to be in there, but sad for the people that we loved who weren't.
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on the flip side (and i'm not telling this first hand because i was not there) everyone who didn't write their testimonies were sent to the lodge and got a similar but different talk. when they got to the lodge it was dark and there was no cake waiting for them.
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over all by the end of friday i think the girls got the message. that you never know what is going to happen and you should always be prepared. it took some longer to learn the lesson, but they all came around, and it was a positive experience.
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now, not to toot my own horn or anything. but, i was the only adult in that room who didn't have prior knowledge about what was happening (believe me, there were other adults, and they were not too happy that 1. they didn't know about it, 2. that they didn't go and 3. that they didn't get their girls to go -- alot of them felt like failures at first) and our cabin was the only cabin where the entire cabin was there. other cabins had one or two, or none, we had everybody. and i think that's something to be proud of.
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overall, i will never view that parable in the same light anymore. it is no longer just a story in the scriptures, it has now come alive and i will never forget that. i have the lamp replica sitting on my mantle to remind me to never forget and always be prepared.
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the other lesson that i learned very clearly is to never doubt those promptings that i have. i am soooo thankful that i listened when the spirit told me to have those girls write their testimonies. it was sooooo good for them to be in that room, i think that they really needed it. i'm so grateful that i listened and following the heedings and did what it told me to do.
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the other thing that kinda of stuck out to me, was the next day one of my girls, who was in another cabin came up to me and said, "how come you didn't warn me?" i could see in her eyes sadness. she wanted to be there, and i wanted her to be there too. how come i didn't warn her? why was i only thinking of my cabin, and not of any of the other girls up there whom i've grown to love so much? when i get to the other side i want them all there. i need to be better at preparing them for life, and after. i need to think more of others more often.
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there you go, hope it wasn't too long winded.

Friday, August 11, 2006

no touchy!

i don't understand how when you are pregnant people lose all sense of decency and boundries. while it is unacceptable in society to pat a bald man on his head or rub a fat woman's stomach, apparently it is acceptable to touch a pregnant woman's stomach with no question, and not have to ask first.
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the first time that i witnessed this phenomena i was with my preganant sister, and it happened to her. i was mortified, and vowed that when i was pregnant i would not let that happen, and joked that if any woman rubbed my belly i would grab her boob. yes people you read that right. if you feel me up, i will feel you up. if you ask first i might be more complant. it's especially crazy when you aren't even "showing" yet. yes people, why do you feel the need to rub my fat? you are not in contact with the growing child hidden behind said fat.
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and yes i have already grabbed someone's boob, full on grabbage. i was not ashamed, she felt me up, so i felt her up. i seriously do not see the difference. i usually warn people first, "next time you touch my stomach i WILL grab your boob, so ask first, please" but this time, i went straight for the boob, and i think it got the word across.
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a body is a body, boundaries ALWAYS apply. regardless of whether you are preganant or not. it's a violation of personal space.
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so please, do not rub my belly, don't even think about it (at least not until i'm showing) and then ask first, and if the thing decides to start kicking me i might even invite you to feel, but until then ... look but don't touch.
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on a related note, when i start getting really fat please do not ask me, "are you sure you're not having twins?" yes, i'm sure -- thank you for calling me fat.
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pregnancy update, all of the answers to all of the questions that you want to ask:
yes, we're very excited.
i'm due february 7th.
no, i don't know what we're having. ask me again in a month.
i don't care whether it is a boy or a girl, it's not like i have a say in the matter anyways.
i'm feeling fine, seriously almost no morning sickness, except when i have a headache.
seriously, please, no touchy!

Friday, August 04, 2006

pictures

here are some pictures of some of the people who i enjoy in my life (notice, not everyone is included and there will be other posts)


This is a picture of me and some of the girls that I teach at church. Markie, Callie, Me and Brittany. yes those are twins and they are awesome. Callie thinks she's a twin, thereby making them triplets, and they have brought me into thier little club and say we can be quadruplets. It amazes me that these girls think i'm cool enough to hang with, despit our age differences (although, yes i know i still LOOK like i'm 12) . they call me to go shopping, and hang out. great great great girls. love them. and the other day they invited me to a sleepover. unfortunately because of my "delicate condition" i have to go to bed by 10 o'clock or else i die, so i declined. but it's nice to be invited.

Hannah, Isabelle, Abigail, and Claire (also known as: Hannah, Belly (Izzy if i feel like making her mommy mad at me), Biga and LaLa). My neices, love love love them. I only ever really see Hannah, the others live too far away, so it only about once a year. Hannah is my favoite neice, big sister to the goober you see pictured below. Yes, i do have favorites, but only because I see them more than the others. Plus, Hannah gave me my favorite nickname. If i ruled the world, I would make everyone else call me that... although come to think about it, it might not be as special that way. She's a freaking cutie, and i love her to death.


Adam ... my only (for one more month) nephew, cutest smile in the whole world. he won't say my name yet, but he smiles everytime i say it, plus the only word i have ever heard him say is "woah". love love love this boy.