When Life Throws You A Curve Ball

Well. I know it has been a LONG time since I have blogged about anything. A lot sure has changed in our lives since my last post. I am not even sure where to begin. Work began to slow down for Peter shorly after my last post, and we struggled a bit to figure out what we were going to do. I continued to stay fairly busy at work, but we both felt it was time for a change, so after many hours of discussion and days and days of PRAYER, we decided to make a MAJOR change and we moved back to Utah near the majority of my family.

We are living in Eagle Mountain, right next door to my sister Angie and her husband Brad and their four kids. My brother Shane and his wife Tiffaney are only 20 minutes away and my sister Kimbie and her husband Joey are about 45 minutes away. Braden and Carly are moving to American Fork, so they will only be about 20 minutes away as well. Dustin and his kids ara about an hour away. It has been nice to be closer to family.

Austin has about 2 and a half months left of his mission. I can't believe it. He has grown so much and become a very spiritual young man. He is having a lot of success and has been very blessed to baptize a number of converts. I can't wait to see him, but I know he is doing the Lord's work and needs to continue to do so.

I am currently in the process of getting my Massage Therapist license in Utah so I can begin to build up my massage practice here. Peter is still looking for work and hopefully finds something soon. The kids LOVE it here. They are having a lot of fun being closer to their cousins and getting to see family more often. It is a new experience for them to be able to just go outside and ride their bikes or go play with friends in the neighborhood. It is also a new experience for me to be able to let them do this and I need to let go of the ropes a little bit. I still find myself holding on a little to tight at times. It is so different when you live in an area where they can do that. We didn't really live in a place where that was a possibility in Washington.

The kids attend a really great charter school here and I am really excited about the education they will be getting and the opportunities that they will have this next year. We are enjoying our new home and the area we are living in. I am still adjusting to the climate change and don't know how I ever lived in this heat before. And this is actually a milder summer than most.

I have really been missing my last church calling and look forward to new horizons. I'm sure that the Lord has many things in store for us here or he would not have directed us to move here. I just hate the anticipation and the waiting game. I guess that is just a sign of my lack of faith and that I need to work a little bit harder on strenghtening it. I wish I had the faith of Nephi who never questioned the Lord's command but just did as he was instructed to do. I would be a much better person if I were that way. I have so many faults and weaknesses that I need to work on to become more like my Savior Jesus Christ and feel very inadequate in being able to do all that He desires me to do. I wish I was a better mother to my children and a better wife to my husband. I need to make so many changes in my life and I don't know where to begin. I need to be of service more and reach out to others around me. I'm sure that my questions will be answered when the Lord is ready to answer them and that I just need to be patient. Sometimes patience is just such a hard thing to have.

I am truly grateful for my Savior and all He has blessed me with. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and desire to be a better person and to live the gospel more fully and be a better example to those around me.

We Have Been Blessed!

Well, we truly have been blessed this past year as a family. We have had many opportunities to learn and grow. We have connected with friends old and new. We have been priviledged to spend time with family, and to make some changes in ours.

As the new year begins, we have many new goals and challenges ahead. As many of you may already know, we have had difficulty getting pregnant. In August, I finally saw a specialist that is working with me to get some hormonal things balanced. After those have been remedied, we are hopeful that we will be able to bring a new little one into our family. The kids want a little brother or sister (depending on which one you ask) so desperately, and I truly hope to experience the miracle of childbirth.

Peter has been blessed with work. In times when the construction industry has had a major slow down, Peter has been working full time and then some. We are truly grateful for this blessing in our lives. He continues to work for a wonderful company that really makes him feel important and valuable. I am truly grateful for this. Peter is the cub scout master, a responsibility he takes seriously. The boys really seem to love him, and so do the parents. That makes it nice. Peter also serves as a ward missionary. He has done this for several years now, and loves every minute of it.

Alexandra turned 11 in November, but it seems like she is going on 16. The things these kids face today. I don't envy them at all. She has had to stand by her beliefs and convictions several times. At her young age, she has had several boys ask her to "go out" with them. When I asked what that meant, she told me that it means they go places together, hold hands and kiss. "You know mom, they go on dates." I was so shocked at how young these kids are starting to participate in grown up things. But, bless her, she told them that she was not allowed to date until she was 16 and that she is to young to have those kinds of relationships. I am so grateful that somehow, somewhere, she is developing her own sense of a testimony in the gospel in a world that would teach her otherwise.

Jaysen is... well, he is Jaysen. A peculiar child at times with a unique sense of humor. He likes to make up jokes that make absolutely no sense to anyone but himself. It is quite entertaining. He is finally starting to do better in school and his attitude seems to be mellowing a bit. His anger seems to be more under control and as a mother, I am EXTREMELY thankful for this. He is beginning to appreciate the things he has in life. He is gaining an understanding of what it means to be responsible for ones actions. He loves spending time with Peter learning to do "man of the house" things, and working on earning his scouting merit badges.

Both of the kids have recently picked up one of my favorite hobbies.....Scrapbooking. We enjoy spending time together doing this. Even Peter has started to participate. Peter used to call it "crapbooking" because I have so much scrapbooking "crap." I am glad he now calls it by its proper name. He spends time putting together his mission scrapbook while the kids work on their own and I try to catch up on the last 10 years of life.

As for myself, I have been very busy at work. I continue to try and balance work and home and all of the responsibilities that come with both. Some days I am more successful than others. I am also very busy with my church calling, which I love. I am still learning a lot about what it entails and all of the responsibilities that are a part of it as well. I am truly grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and all that He has blessed us with.

As the new year begins, I hope that each of you look forward to all that it has to bring and face any challenges with a positive outlook. There is always a silver lining somewhere... you just have to find it. May the Lord bless you and may you find peace and comfort in His atonement.