Is it worth it??

Ok, so I am going to vent. I don't want this to sound rude or the "poor me" kind of stuff, but I am frustrated, VERY frustrated!! Ok, here it goes. Lately, I have really made the effort to try and reach out to those in my Family as well as certain Friends that are in my life. I am the one who calls to ask them how they are doing, ask them if they want to get together, ect. SO, I was thinking the other Day, and I thought to myself, When was the last time someone called Me to see how I've been and so forth, and very few have done so. Am I really not that important?? I mean, I understand that life gets busy and crazy and that it IS hard to keep close relationships outside of your own Family, But still, I just have felt gipped with certain relationships that have been in my life. So I ask myself, is it worth it? Do I just keep chugging along and make the efforts? Or do I end ties with those that have not been as close with me and move on? It's really hard, because a lot is my Family and i just don't know what to do anymore. Am I the only one who feels this way or what?? Anyways, just thinking...

2 Week Iron Man!!

At the South Jordan Rec Center where I work out, they are doing a 2 week Iron Man where you have to swim 2.4 miles, bike 115 miles, and run a full marathon (26.2 miles!) You can alternate the days how ever you like, as long as you complete them in the 2 week time frame. It started today and goes until November 15th. I thought it sounded like a fun experience, so I'm all signed up and ready to go!! I will be blogging about what I do to track my distances on my training blog, so have a gander if you'd like :) What a fun way to get motivated in working out!!

Fall, Costumes, and More!!

These past few weeks have been BUSY!! Let me just tell ya what's been happening!

During Conference Weekend and last Weekend, Douglas' parents visited. It is always so much fun to spend time with them. Just this last visit, Susan and I enjoyed playing with the Kids at Wheeler Farm and making watch bracelets. I am so lucky to have such a great Mother In Law. She is always so helpful when she visits and has taught me a lot, especially with cooking :)

This Last Sunday, I sang in my first fireside since joining Jenny Phillip's choir again. I just cannot get over how AMAZING her program is!! The spirit is so strong and I seriously have to hold back my tears while performing. I most likely will do one once a month, so I invite anyone who would like to come to one! My next one is on Nov. 14th in West Jordan if you're interested. You will absolutely love it!! Oh ya, and she just put out a new cd called "Sabbath Morning." It is beautiful with hymns to bring in the spirit, especially on Sundays. You can check out her music on www.jennyphillipsmusic.com.

Douglas and I have have been anticipating for our first cruise in December!! We'll be going on the Mexican Riviera cruise with some of Douglas' Family and a couple of our friends. I just can't believe it's almost here!! I am sooo excited and can't wait! Leaving the kids for 10 days will be a bit hard, but so nice and relaxing too!! Such a great Christmas Present!!

With this Halloween season, we hosted the Elders Quorum Halloween party last night. It was tons of fun! We sang karaoke, ate yummy soups, and chatted. We have such a great ward with awesome people!! I was so thrilled to have Douglas dress up!! We did a Peter Pan theme where Haiden was Peter Pan, Mekenzie was Tinkerbell, Douglas was Captain Hook, and I the Crocodile!!

I tried posting pictures, but for some odd reason, they aren't pulling up :(

I'll keep trying, but for now, you can go on my FB page!!

Women's Conference

Last night was such an amazing experience for me!! As I've said in previous postings, I got to sing in the choir for Women's Conference. At 1 pm, we all rode in buses to the Conference Center where we got settled, ran through our songs with the camera crew and lights, ate a lunch they provided for us, and before we knew it, we were ready to go out and sing. Sitting there and looking out at all of the Women who attended was so neat! It's crazy how quickly it filled!

In the choir looking at us, I was the third row from the top on the very far right side. I really liked where I was! That is the side President Monson walks in from. I was immediately overcome with the spirit when he entered. It was so neat to see Him that close!

I'm sure most of You will agree on how good the Conference was! Being able to sing for the world, was an experience I will NEVER forget!! I felt the spirit so strongly! There were so many times while singing where I had to hold back my tears due to the power I felt from the songs! I am so so blessed to have had the opportunity and will always cherish that time I had, not only while performing, but with the weekly practices we had, the spirit we felt as a choir, and the wonderful friends I made! I wish everyone I know to have an experience like I had!!

3 Times A Charm

Today, Douglas and I wanted to go to Temple Square with the kids, since He didn't have to work. When we got there, we decided to go over by the reflecting pool by the temple. Not even 5 minutes of being there, Haiden was running, tripped, and fell on a rock ledge that gashed his head open!! I was sitting right where he fell and could hear the horrible sound it made when He hit. Instantly, it started bleeding everywhere! Some guys were walking by and called security to come and get a first aid kit to bandage it up until we got to the hospital. When he hit it, he started crying and was upset, mainly with the bleeding, but once we got to the doctor's, he stopped crying and was such a brave boy through the whole numbing process and stitching. He ended up having to get 4 interior stitches as well as 5 exterior stitches. What a Day!! For us, we have had to deal with this 2 other times, just about a month ago, when he got a little gash above his eye at the park, as well as during Christmas of 2008 when he got 4 staples in the back of his head from falling off a chair and landing on a window ledge at Deseret Book! What is up with that? 2 of the times we are somewhere involving the church, and this happens to us!! Kind of funny actually!! Anyways, I am just so impressed on what a trooper Haiden is!! He is one tough cookie I tell ya!! Not sure who he gets that from! I am the biggest baby with things like this, same as Douglas!! So here are some pictures from his previous wounds and today. Just to warn you, they are quite gory!!!!

Christmas 2008

A Month ago

Today

Shocked!!!

Ok, so if you know Douglas, when it comes to Halloween, he doesn't want to have anything to do with it! He doesn't like to dress up, do the trick or treating stuff, and all the in between. Well this Year, I offered to have the Elder's Quorum Halloween party at our house while they were having a meeting about it a couple weeks ago. Douglas hadn't really said much about it, but when we got home from church Yesterday, he started asking me questions on what we wanted to do as well as what our costumes should be. I was SHOCKED!!! Really? My Hubby is going to dress up? It probably is because of us hosting, but I will take anything for him to be involved with it, because I love Halloween!!! So, any ideas on what we could do? I am so excited!!!

Overcoming the Destroyer

This week has been a rough one. To be honest, the worse I've had in a long time! I feel that lately, I have been able to pull away from negative thoughts that come to mind as well as feelings of low self worth. These are things that I have struggled with in my teenage years as well as early marriage, but something I feel that I have slowly been able to overcome. Then this week hit, and all of it started pouring on me again. I was getting angry about things for no reason. I started self doubting myself. I was being distant from Douglas and impatient with the Kids. What made it even more frustrating for me, was that I had tried so hard this week to read my scriptures, pray daily, write in my journal, as well as keep up on all of my daily responsibilities as an employee, Mother, and Wife.

Then it hit me Yesterday. After having an argument with Douglas, I was sitting alone in my office. I had all of these nonsense thoughts running through my head. I looked over on my desk and saw the music I had been practicing for Women's Conference. I grabbed the music, and while reading the words, remembered on what our Choir director, Sister Jolley had told us that Sunday. She encouraged us to go above and beyond with our scripture study and prayer, which I had, but the thing I forgot, was her saying, that even though you'll be involving yourself with all of these spirtual things, it will most likely be a trying and hard time in your life this week. Satan doesn't like the efforts you'll be making, and will do all He can to bring you down. I then realized on what had happened!! I let Satan get a hold of me!! With all of the good things I've done in the week, He was piling on the bad that finally let me forget the good! Then and there, I fell on my knees sobbing to Heavenly Father and apologizing for how weak I'd become in letting the destroyer over take me. After my prayer, I felt this huge burden leave me and all of those negative feelings I had minutes before, left.

I know this is more in depth than on some other things I usually blog about, but I wanted to share this experience with whoever reads this. First off, Satan is there, I know it, i have felt Him, but most importantly, Heavenly Father and His Angels are right there with You to fight Him off, especially at your lowest.

I now am continuing my goals, but also having a better outlook and power to overcome the Destroyer. I am grateful to have had this realization and look forward with a better peace and understanding of life's adversity.