Sabbath day notes

Here's just some ideas from today's meetings, thoughts I had, and notes I came across as I keep plugging away as putting my physical house in order.

• Eternal life is a choice. Our choice. (2 Nephi 2:27)

• Ultimately we are the final judge at the judgment day. Kind of like when you have a temple recommend interview and are asked if you are worthy to have one. Our choices on this earth will affect where we eternally end up. In my opinion Christ isn't going to sit at the judge's bench in a long black robe and pronounce judgments of one kingdom or another. Instead, I think it will be more like a father/daughter interview where we sit together and discuss my life here on earth, and at the end of the discussion I will know where I belong without being told.
  
  
• Tithing is a commandment but also a choice. It is also a hard commandment for many to follow, especially when finances aren't in the best shape. It's easy to say I'll catch up next month, but so hard to do. When you make the decision to pay tithing, NOT KNOWING HOW YOU'LL MAKE ENDS MEET, that's when the blessings come. Blessings come after the trial. Like Malachi admonishes: PROVE THE LORD, try Him out and see if He won't send the blessings. Miracles happen when the Lord is involved.
  
  
• You can't borrow your way out of debt. (Proverbs 22:7)
  
  
• To get out of debt, to improve finances, pay more fast offerings, one that is a sacrifice to you. It isn't a sacrifice if it doesn't hurt and you make you stretch a little.
  
  
• We are commanded to love the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. Heart = emotionally, mind = mentally, might = spiritually, and strength = physically.
  
  
• We had home teachers for the first time in 5 years. I think my kids were a little unsure how to behave because the boys took off upstairs to play on the computer before I even realized they were gone. I had to apologize and get them back for the lesson which was on being a missionary. How thankful I am for home teachers.
  
  
• Nate partook of the wheat bread for the sacrament today and then kind of moaned. So I looked over and asked him what was wrong. He said, "It isn't white bread." My kids cherish any kind of white bread, so much that that's what we got them for Christmas . . . their own loaf of white bread.

How am I feeling today?

Uh, really sore. I mean really sore. You should have seen me hobble around the store. I felt like I had aged 50 years and I was even good and stretched after running yesterday. Definitely need to run more.

My one and only resolution for the year

I used to love to make new year's resolutions, but I made too many and rarely accomplished them within the year. Therefore resolutions have slowly gone out the window. I tend to make them when I need to; and so today when I woke up and the sun was shining and the air wasn't bitter cold, I resolved to start running again. It has been many months since I've been and I even surprised myself by doing 3 miles: it felt great.

Last August my mom and sisters went to Logan to support my sister Katie in running a half marathon. It also gave us a good excuse for a girl party. Judging from this photo, I need to be running. I knew I put on a lot of pounds with Alex, but I didn't realize how fat I looked. I remember running about a month after Alex's birth and thinking how much harder it felt with all that extra weight on. I had greater sympathy for fat people who are trying to work out. It is much more difficult. Five months later I've lost the majority of my baby weight, but there's still a few pesky pounds that don't want to leave. I'm hoping that starting to run again will help with that problem.

 Resolution for Year 2011:

Run a half marathon.
Whew. I've said it.

And after today that's only another 10 miles.

Catch 22

I'm computerless, or I should clarify, I'm internetless. Still got the computer . . . at the old house with internet. But no internet at the new house yet and who knows when that will happen. We decided last weekend was the the move date. Hired some movers to move the big stuff; they showed up with a very large truck so they ended up taking more than they bargained for I think. We spent more money moving than I was anticipating, but in the end I believe it was worth it. How nice not to have to haul all those heavy appliances and furniture. We've slowly been setting up home in Lake Point and gradually moving stuff over. I miss having my computer but love the time it allows me to get things done. I've realized how much time can get sucked away on a computer. I'll have to be more diligent about that when we finally move it over. For now I've got more boxes to move.

The appraisal is in

and is wasn't good.

I thought we had it in the bag since it was the same appraiser who did our construction loan and that rarely happens since banks no longer have the power to pick who they want. I thought there was no way he would come in that much lower than his original appraisal. But he did and now we're trying to figure out how to come up with $40,000 in extra cash.

It will all work out . . . somehow, but today was kind of a stinky day. It looks like we might be putting our house on the market sooner than we wanted to.

Now in the spirit of Thanksgiving,

not a day goes by where someone in our family isn't thankful for Alex.

We all love him for the smiles and the giggles and the stories he tells and his overall happy nature.

But I think most of all we love being able to dress him up! 

 

 

A somewhat eventful week

Last Sunday kind of felt like the city of Enoch in our ward . . . if you weren't there, you missed some pretty big stuff. We got a new bishopric. Quinn Howard is the new bishop; Ty and I have speculated often that he would be bishop someday.

Three kids sick this week and several days of missed school. Wish they could all be sick at once instead of one after another.
Wednesday Ty and I got a call while we were at the house in Lake Point that the home two doors down from our Stansbury home was on fire. I thought it might be a little kitchen fire. No, it turned out to be the real deal. Burned in 20 minutes and we live a half a mile from the fire station.

Kiersten was the only home at the time and she got evacuated. I was grateful it didn't spread to other homes. While all the neighbors were congregating outside, one lady who lived several doors down came frantically down the street trying to find her daughter. After about 20 minutes the daughter was found at a friend's home. It made me realize how important it is to have a meeting place other than the mailbox (the mailbox is just too close). Ever since I was a child I've thought of what things I would throw out the window if we had a fire. This fire made me realize there is absolutely no time. Fireproof box is probably the only way to go with valuables.

On Friday and Saturday we set up the sport court at the house in Lake Point. We may not be able to move in if our appraisal on Tuesday goes south but we will be able to play hoops.

Our hairy not-so-little wolf spider friends (one had a 4-inch span). We've killed 22 so far, too many of those in the house. My poor kids living in the basement. Just glad my bedroom isn't down there. Maybe my girls will keep their clothes off the floor.

I also started the Book of Mormon again, trying to read it in 60 days and finishing up Christmas Day. So far I'm amazed at how a people can have spiritual experiences and then forget the Lord so quickly. It is so fundamental to our testimonies to daily remember Christ because it is so easy to forget Him. That's why I enjoy reading my scriptures. It helps me to not forget.

About that last post . . .

Yah, not feelin' so free.

This is what has taken just about every minute of every day. I'm so ready to be done.

And this is Ty's first rodent catch in our yard. He was pretty excited to find him dead in the trap he set.