Something I can't live without - 5.20.12

I team teach the 12-15 year old Sunday School class with one of the best ladies I know.  She and I have been great friends and have done a lot of crazy things together.  I sure do love her!  But, sometimes I worry I flake on her to much.  It's probably because I do.  Like last Sunday when I was supposed to teach the lesson and I text her Sunday morning to tell her I sick and not be able to make it.  I felt so bad about it that I decided there was no way in China I was going to do that to her this week.  Even if I didn't feel good and had been sick again this morning (too much sun, not enough fluids or food make for a sick me).  But I made it to teach the lesson.  I walked in thinking this is going to be one of those lessons....The one's that everyone is going to just look at you and not say a word.  The one where all of the kids are going to be thinking, will this woman please just shut up. Well, I had just got started giving my speal about how if I ran out throwing up that Myndi would take over the lesson when the Sunday School President came in to ask her to go to some teacher development class.  So I didn't have a backup plan, but sweet little Amanda, one of my most favorite young women in the whole world said a really sweet prayer that I would make it through the lesson and that they would learn something.  Bless her!

So I get started with the lesson, and in walks Brother Someone, (not sure who he even is, but I am pretty sure he is in the Sunday School Presidency).  I LOVE TEACHING TEENAGERS, but I don't like teaching adults so much, and I am not really sure why, but this guy made me nervous.  Probably the biggest reason was because I had only looked at the lesson one time and that had been just a quick glance through to see what the lesson was on and if I needed to prepare anything special.  Not my best lesson!

Anyway, the lesson was on our Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ.  Isn't it amazing how when you are thinking about something there is a little parting of the clouds and an amen comes down.  Today lesson was a case in point... I had been thinking about the picture today "Something I can't live without" and as I was teaching that amen came.

I can't live without my testimony.  I have tried, trust me I have.  There have been several moments in the last year that I have thought I could just throw in the towel and be done with everything I knew.  But, it always comes back, usually full circle to that sweet reminder that I know better.  I can't live without the knowledge that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me, and that He loves me enough to give me opportunities to grow and become a better person.  I can't live with the knowing that I have a kind and loving older brother who was willing and able to come live a cruel life and atone for my sins and pay my price to return to live with my Heavenly Father, and because of his atonement that I ALWAYS have someone who knows exactly what I am going through.  I can't live without the knowledge that Joseph Smith as a young man went into a grove asking a simple question and there He saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  I can't live without knowing that President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God who leads the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today, and that He receives revelation directly from Heavenly Father.

And more importantly to me today... I can't live without the knowledge that Families can be forever and that because of everything else that I know as a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I know I will see my Dad again.  It's what keeps me going on the days I don't want to.  It is what gives me the desire to be a better person.  It is what gives me hope.  It is what gets me out of bed every morning. Today, I can't live without that.

A place I went today - 5.19.12

First of all...happy birthday to my sweet sister Heather Delyla! D I hope you know how much I love you! Wish I could be there to celebrate with you.

Next of all...todays picture. So I sell jewelry, kind of. Honestly haven't had the time to sell it as much as I want but still. Okay no long explanation tonight. Just getting to the point because I am falling asleep typo this!

Today I spent all day at a yard sale fund raiser for my wards youth conference. One of the best parts because her Mommy had to work and her Daddy was sick I had tons of cuddle time with miss Alex! Thanks Megan, Amy, Allison, Stacey, Jana and Amanda for all of your help with her. We spent most of the time with her sound asleep just like this picture. Loved every second of it!

I also remembered today just how much I LOVE LOVE working with teenagers. Such a great day!

Wish I was there and You were here.

Wishing I was home tonight. Somedays the distance from here to there might as well be the moon.

Thank you to all those who are there helping my Mom this weekend. I am sure there is at least one angel up there smiling down on you. In my mind he misses times like this. Times spent with his family, working together. I think he even misses arguing with Uncle Kim. Maybe...but He could be to busy doing his thing too. Or he could be thinking that He has a crazy daughter that is way to emotional and thinks about the things she has no clue about WAY TOO MUCH! Who knows!!

Tonight I just know that I am extremely blessed to have such a wonderful family and friends who are always so willing to serve. Whether its building a garage or siding a house or getting some sad people out of the house to enjoy a day sledding... They gladly do it. A great example for sure.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It means more to me than you know!

One more thing I know tonight..I miss my Dad...a lot. It's going to be one of those cry yourself to sleep nights. But hasn't science proven that tears are good for your skin? Maybe they are still working on that one.

Something I made 5.18.12

When I was home for a few days in march Kris an I decided to attempt to learn to make cinnamon rolls.

I (as normally happens) just had to spend some time playing with Gracie and the kids because I was leaving to go home the next day while Hannah and my Mom made the dough. But they really didn't need me, and let's be honest...I don't bake so I am pretty sure it was okay that I skipped that part.

When it came to the actually cinnamon rolls...well let's just say probably a better name do these would have been chocolate with a little tiny bit of bread and some cinnamon and butter. Our family (thank you Dad) likes chocolate chips instead of raisins in our cinnamon rolls and Kris and I might have went a little overboard on the amount we used...just a bit! But...they turned out divine, not big and beautiful like other cinnamon rolls other people I know and love make, but put chocolate with almost anything and I am going to scarf it down! (as a side note I will not eat limes dipped in chocolate again, they were not so good).

And Amy...you can be proud of me, I did remember from that one time in YW's when we made cinnamon rolls and you said to use dental floss to cut them...I remembered...we had the ...um...the best...um...we ha some really great cinnamon rolls that night!

Ps...this is another picture of me that you will see VERY FEW and far between...me. In.the.kitchen. And not because I was eating. It happens, not very often, but sometimes.

Snack 5.17.12

Oh my heck!!

Today the songs in my head were:

Giselle from Enchanted singing the happy working song (confession I might have wanted to turn some mean people into bugs today)

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger - thank you Kelly

And of course.... I'm trying to be like Jesus...(trying and failing the majority of the day)

But... It wasn't all bad ;) and to preface the explanation I just need to say that I thoroughly appreciate the people I work with and for. I absolutely LOVE that there are only 4 females that work in our office and we all get along well. LOVE IT!!!

And back to today's picture...and amazing co workers...dear sweet Miss Tayler (who is absolutely gorgeous inside an out) made a comment during one of the five seconds that I was away from my desk about how she needed chocolate...of course my automatic response....me too! So that sweet girl showed up at my desk less than three minutes later with a bag of peanut M&m's...they hit the spot! A great snack, even if I was way to busy to eat them until almost four hours later.

You know you work with great people when she starts sending you instant messages every 5 minutes to remind you that you haven't eaten lunch yet and when you finally decide that there is no possible way that you can take a break to get lunch she goes and gets it for you. Thanks again Tayler! You rock girly.

I need to learn to do nice things for her though...we decided we are going to a hostile takeover of the company and she is going to be the new CEO. Always good to be on the CEO's good side right? From the receptionist to the CEO...I feel really good about it!

What I am reading 5.16.12

I am not much of a reader. I was actually surprised when I realized I was reading this many books! But just to set the record straight there is only one of these that I read for more than 15 minutes at a time.

It's not that I don't like to read I usually just don't make the time for it.

Love 5.15.12

So I was going to do an ode to my car air freshener - which I do love but I had a humbling experience that changed my mind. I could list a bazillion things that I love right here right now but for the sake or your time I am just going to list one (ish)

I love that Heavenly Father knows me well enough to put the exact people I need in my life at exactly the right time. I love those people who fit this category...well most of them. - there might have been some of them that I prayed would get attacked by spiders but still... I love that they look past my imperfections and weaknesses to see a better person than the one I see looking back in the mirror at me. I love how patient they are with me. I love that they encourage me to do things I dont think I can, or may not want to do. I love that they don't give up on me, even when I give up on myself. I love that when I hurt or disappoint them they care enough about me to help me pick up the pieces and keep going...sometimes on a daily basis. I LOVE that they love me for me. Someday and hopefully that someday is soon I hope to Love me that way too.

This Lovely was sent to me by one of those sweet people I love tonight...it was a great treat to come home from work to find.

Thanks to you all for everything you do to help me love more.