Forget-me-nots

i REALLY should post more often.  i've been busy with school.  hooray for more school in my life!  i got my first math test back - 102% thank you.  :)  but i'm not posting to brag right now.  in fact, what i want to post has nothing to do with school - that's just my excuse for not posting much. 

last night was the rs general broadcast - sooooo loved it!  one of my friends shared this picture on facebook and it seems like the perfect sum up of my favorite talk.

Gardening adventures

So far our garden is doing great. We have to eat about 4 tomatoes a day to keep up with it. We've picked one delicata squash and endless chard. We've eaten about 6 green beans total and lots of yummy beats. Red onions didn't do well - too small - but the carrots have been perfect.
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Goodbye beloved couches

Well not for good. They are being taken away today to get recovered. I believe my parents purchased then in 1991. Back then they were sea foam green. Then in 1994 or 5 she got them covered in this pretty blue floral stripe. I'm not a huge fan of change and I worry I will miss this pattern. The new one is floral and blue and yellow (greenish yellow). Very pretty. I hope nothing goes wrong. They should be gone a week.
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School

Not sure I mentioned this before but I'm back in school. Taking some math and economics this time in case I want a business degree somewhere down the line. Mostly I just needed classes to get credit to keep my teaching license current. Anyway, so far so good, but it just so happens I discovered an old student in my math class. Seriously. He was in my reading class. English is his second language so he struggled with reading it. Luckily he was one of my favorites. Now I have a friend at school!
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Weeding

While the family plays volleyball lizzy weeds. She takes after her grandma.
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Bret and I spent last week in Orem with his parents.  We were attending Education Week.  Can I just say I LOVED IT.  Yep, I did.  I also celebrated my bday about a week ago.  We celebrated by walking around Silver Lake and having a picnic then driving to Orem and having dinner at IHOP and then playing bocce in the park and then going to see "The Drowsy Chaperone"  at the Hale Theater in Orem. I loved that play.  I loved the lake and bocce.  The rest was so so.  :)  It was a grand day, though.

Here's a pic taken at my mother's on my bday.  My sister made the cake.  The numbers Mom had on hand weren't quite accurate, but we made do.

Fancified tuna helper

Bret came to our marriage with an amazing food storage. One thing I wasn't thrilled about, though, was his small collection of tuna helper. Tonight I took one and fancified it up. First step was to hold the tuna. Then I added fresh basil and used butter instead of margarine. Pretty yummy! I plan to chop some garden tomatoes and throw them on before serving.
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Friday night fun

We're just chillin' in our basement on our new reclining couches sporting our matching Snuggies I got us for Vday back when we were dating. We are going through the Education Week schedule trying to pick classes we want to attend. It's rather difficult since there are so many good ones!
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Grilled Pizza

This is today's cooking adventure. Delicious! Maybe it's just in my head but I think it has a slight burger flavor. Yummy! I'm also learning that Bret is the Glen Beck of pizza. He has a very rigid definition - tomato sauce and lots of cheese that gets golden on top. Grilling pizza does not make for a golden top. I don't care. It's good!
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St. Charles

Apparently the sculptor of Mt Rushmore was from the small town of St Charles right by Bear Lake. I love this miniature version.
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Mt Rushmore

Look what else I visited on my Pioneer Day holiday!
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Bear Lake

This is how I spent my Pioneer Day holiday. Very nice!
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Holiday in Cali

It's been way too long.  I hate it when I let my blog go so neglected - it makes me feel behind in my life in general.  Or maybe being behind in life makes me neglect my blog.  Well either way, I finally transferred photos from my camera to my computer and now you get to see some of them!

First, about a month before our trip, we participated in a yard sale.  I made just about 100 dollars.  The best sellers were my scarves I've collected since college.  You can see them in a blue basket right in front of me.  They went for a buck each.  Luckily the ones I loved the most went to women I felt would really appreciate them.

Then I went to Girls Camp.  Our theme was "Guardians of Virtue" - you can see the big "V" on my t-shirt.  I let my girls take my camera around to document what they saw.  I guess they saw me.  You can tell we were in nice digs.  Heber Valley Camp, to be precise.  They call it the temple without a roof - very nice.  It was a great time and a great experience, and as everyone tells me, it only goes downhill from there.  Meaning, every camp I go to in the future will never compare.  Probably true.

This is one of my girls doing what I called the "Bug Spray Dance."  There were tons of mosquitoes and so the girls were constantly spraying themselves with repellant.  I think we went through three or four cans.  In the other shots of her you can see the spray actually coming out - you know how action shots are, you get what you get.

One last shot of camp - so you can see just how beautiful the area was.  This is from our "long hike" which took longer since we were constantly waiting for each other.  I like hiking in big groups where you keep track of everyone - it allows for more breathing time.

This is the main reason we went to California - to spend time with these folks - family!  We're sitting on a patch of Astroturf on an island that was built out of a landfill.  It was really rather beautiful, and we were grateful for the Astroturf since the natural vegetation was dry and dead looking.

Here we are again, hanging out at a playground nearby.  We pretty much all congregated and hung out on this disc watching the little girls play and just chatting it up.

We had a pretty good view of this spiral thing and one by one some of us took turns climbing up.  I couldn't do it by myself.  Stephen tried to help, and finally Marshall just push from the rear.  I made it up - but will spare you that picture.  Bret preferred this action shot anyway.

In San Fran we went to the Legion of Honor Museum.  It's free the first Tuesday of the month so we took advantage.  We LOVED all the Rodin.  I highly recommend visiting there.  We spent a lot of time posing for cheesy pictures in the courtyard, though, before going in.  Don't worry, we didn't have strangers take the pictures, the brother and family came along and did their own cheesy posing.  This is our favorite.  Notice Bret's cuffed jeans.  He felt silly when at the end of the day he noticed he hadn't uncuffed them.  He does that in the morning when he's walking around the house barefooted, so the jeans don't drag on the ground.  Then when he puts his shoes on he's supposed to uncuff them - but unfortunately he doesn't always remember. 

Nearby the Legion of Honor Museum was a really great park. Here's Stephen's family having a great time.  Later he wore the pink hat.  I think he was the only father who could get away with playing on the equipment with his girls while wearing a pink hat.

 

 On our way back to Sacramento we stopped by the Oakland Temple and did a session.  Loved it!  This time we did bug a stranger to help us out.

 

 One of outings in Sacramento was to go to Old Town where you see and learn all about the original city and its history.  I'm posing by the school house.  I think people were really short back then.

I'm afraid I didn't take very many interesting photos after that.  We did more visiting - going back to the bay and then back to Sacramento.  We have great family!  The Sun Oven I wrote about in earlier posts was one of my best souvenirs!  I made more bread in it, different recipe, that has more rise to it and it also came out great.  Loving it!  Plus the proceeds from the sale of it go to helping people in less developed countries have them.  I remember from my Sub-Saharan Africa Geography class in college that having enough fuel is a major issue.

Okay, well I need to get to bed now.  Hope Mom enjoys all the photos!

Success!

Here's the finished product. Just like out of the oven. Even used my own sour dough starter.
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Cookit at Work

Last week my good sister gave me an early birthday present. It's a Cookit Solar Oven. It is amazing! I baked bread in it today.
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Holiday in CA

I haven't posted much, but I'm just wrapping up a holiday in california. I'm on highway 580 heading to Sacramento and there's a bit of traffic. That allows time for checking out the neighbors. On my right I noticed a red Subaru with a bumper sticker pleading to keep Lake Tahoe blue. Very typical Cali car. Then I saw the driver, Jack Sparrow - you know - the guy from Pirates of the Caribbean. Wish I had snapped a picture.
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Young Women

Here are a few of my yw as we went to the temple for the first time. Very exciting!
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Father's Day Dinner

Bret made it himself. It's cheesy!
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Quadrants

Finally they are together again after 14 years. Sure miss the good old days.
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BYUtv - The Generations Project: Rachel

Some of you may have heard of my good friend Rachel. She helped me cut down a few Aspen trees last year. She appeared on BYUTV last night - pretty exciting. It was actually at the cutting down of my Aspens when she was in the middle of recording this project. I think you should watch it - pretty interesting!


BYUtv - The Generations Project: Rachel

couches

there has been plenty of exciting stories from my life lately, but for some reason blogging about them has been more of a chore than a pleasure so i haven't made much of an effort.  today, though, it's rainy and i don't feel like filing (which is what i should be doing) so i'll share some recent good news.

last weekend my mother gave us her old reclining couches.  if there is anything in this world my husband loves it's a recliner.  this is the next best thing.  we managed to find space in our basement and are rather pleased with the new set up.  it did require, though, hauling out our old one.  i did that by myself one morning.  i was surprised by how light it was, especially once all the cushions were removed.  unfortunately reclining couches are NOT light.  i think poor bret may have strained his back moving them in.  anyway, the exciting thing that happened today was getting the old couch removed from my property.  i advertised on ksl and freecycle and i had quite a few interested parties, but none with trucks at their ready disposal until today.  yep, today, in the rain, a little family showed up and took it off my porch.  now i'm ready to do some grilling!  maybe i'll go sit out there and read a book while listening to the gentle rain.  that sounds nice.  or maybe i should look at my long neglected chore list and see about organizing some odd closet.


Anyway, here's a bit of nostalgia regarding my old couch.  it was a sectional.  i love sectionals.

so long old couch.  i loved you for many years.  this couch came with my old apartment, left by a previous tenant.  dona and i recovered it using bed sheets - now that was a fun project, dying them pinkish.  she did all the work.  this is where my group of closest friends was first formed - evenings after working on a tree for the "festival of trees" as well as after swing dance class.  we planned quite a few camp outs and hikes while reclining on this couch.  it was on this couch that i first became a "buffy the vampire slayer fan."  we had cats cover it in fur that gave my good friend ed an allergy attack that lasted months.  in fact i was sitting on this couch the first time i "met" ed, while watching "dante's peak." over the years, when it was less valued, it got makeup on it from the various halloween party goers.  and who knows what else was spilled on it.  and i can't forget all the many many many naps taken on it.  really it may have been one of the most comfortable couches ever.  so long.  may you get a new covering and bring your new family joy.

catching up

has it really been a month? for the last couple weeks i've had ideas of things i should share on here, and then.... well, as you can guess, i don't do it and then i forget. i'm going to try to make a list of the random things that have happened in april.
1) my young women are doing awesome! i love young women. just this morning i even worked on my own personal progress value experience.
2) bret's thumb is nearly totally healed. he wouldn't let me share photos, but just a couple weeks ago he nearly lost his entire thumb print to a mandolin slicer. we now own a protective glove. and we are now the new spokespeople for neosporin and the power of band-aids.
3) i've mastered the art of sourdough baking. today i made pitas and they are perfect! luckily bret loves all things sourdough.
4) last week i went on a hike, that wound up being a snow shoe excursion.  we went to doughnut falls and the snow was seriously four feet deep.  it snowed down on us the whole time and it was wonderful!  there were quite a few bugs out, which i thought was odd.  i wonder what they will morph into eventually - they looked like the morphing kind.  are there morphing bugs?  i don't know, but i killed a few - couldn't help it - snow shoes are big!
5) i'm a fan of drying my clothes outside on the line. so much so that even in this crazy utah weather i risked it on monday. they got rained on. oh well. today i've seen rain, hail, and sunshine. seriously.
6) my new favorite quote: we become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day. - richard g. scott.

Attack of the geese

This picture doesn't do it justice. We went to the columbia river to feed ducks and these huge geese were there instead. They eventually came up on the higher ground and chased the kids around. They even grabbed bread right from their hands. It was pretty scary.

Just so you know, bret and I came to washington state (tri cities) for the week to visit his brother's family. We have had a great week but have to head home tomorrow. We have his uncle's funeral to attend saturday morning.
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The New "Secret"

Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was alerted to this book by a friend on Goodreads.  As an optimist I couldn't help but want to see what it was about.  My husband, the pessimist, thought I was strange for wanting to read it.  I couldn't help but hear his voice throughout the book.  I once read and was moved by "The Secret."  This book bashes it, along with other motivational books and speakers I've admired.  It gave me reason to really think about the pros and cons of positive thinking.  In the end (she did a good job of bringing it together at the end - but I did struggle through a couple chapters wondering at her negativity) I realized that there must be something out there better than just having an optimistic outlook.  As she said, it's not about being negative either, at least I like to think she said that.  I remember advice my father used to give - you don't have to like it you just have to eat it.  I guess in life you don't have to think all is rosy and you don't have to think the sky is falling, you just have to work.  A willingness to work hard may be what's undermining America, and the trend toward positive thinking is a nice way to justify our laziness.  Anyway, it was a quick read and gave some added insight into the recent market crash, as well as a renewed desire to be hard working and realistic.  But I'm still determined to be hopeful!



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Gardening

I worked in my garden today. I finally pulled up the last of my carrots. They weren't all this ridiculously small. Now hopefully I will get around to planting my peas and onions this week.
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Pumpkin salad

I made it again. Bret can't get enough of it.
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roasted pumpkin salad

it's another recipe post!  a few months ago i was reading a blog where a woman was talking about her family's new food addiction.  i can't remember exactly what her kids were inhaling, but she said it was inspired by a recipe she found on 101cookbooks.  it involved a pumpkin and since i had two in storage i was pretty determined to try my hand at it.  finally, yesterday, i did.  while searching for the blog i had read, i instead came across the recipe on 101 cookbooks, so i did that one.

sorry i don't have pictures, but i do have a link to the website where i got the recipe and that has pictures. and hers are pretty!  much prettier than how my dish turned out, but according to bret, taste is what matters anyway, and this was a winner.  he nearly ate the whole bowlful by himself!

By the way, what I'm posting here is my version of the recipe.  Feel free to follow the original.

Roasted Pumpkin Salad

3 cups of diced and peeled pumpkin (obtained from Mother's garden last fall)
2 large onions cut into large chunks (basically quartered)
olive oil and salt - no measurement - enough to coat the pumpkin and onions.

Toss the pumpkin and onion in oil and salt and then bake on a lined cookie sheet for around 50 minutes at 375.  Every now and then try to stir it up a bit so they can bake on new sides.  The goal is to have them caramelize a bit.

While that is baking, make two cups of brown rice.

While rice is cooking, blend the following in a food processor to make the dressing:

1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

When everything is done, mix them all together and enjoy!

Guess where I went today

Last free day of the season. Bonded with nieces and nephew. Good times!
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In other news

I went short! I think it's been 10 years. My how time flies. So far I love how it is out of the way. Wonderful!
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Finally it is finished!

I started this afghan over Easter break on a trip to California visiting my sister's family. My niece, who is an expert crocheter, showed me how. I made a goal to have it finished by Christmas, but you know how things go. Bret went with me on the trip and on the drive home we read a book about finding the mate of your life. Well, it was productive and we finally got married, thus delaying my afghan work. When I got back to it I didn't have enough yarn. You can't tell, but it has two different whites. I'd like to point out that this is only the second afghan I've ever made and both wound up being made with two yarns that are slightly a shade off. You would think I would learn my lesson. Always buy way more than I think is necessary. At least I figure this way I won't be afraid to use them. Mother always says a mistake or two shows it is hand made.
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Guess where I am

Yep I'm at monster jam. We got free tickets through the tightwadinutah blog. Bret refused to join me so it's a girl night. So far it's pretty fun. Right now someone named bobo is telling us how much horse power (1600 hp) his truck has. Thankfully some neighbors had extra earplugs to share. I'd be miserable without them. Take note - when you get free tickets to monster jam remember to bring ear plugs!
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making dinner

do any of you struggle to have just the right ingredients on hand for the recipes you want to make?  i plan a menu, i shop accordingly, and yet i still find myself, time after time, missing an ingredient when it is time to make dinner.  take tonight for example.  i've wanted to try this thai beef noodle recipe for a while.  it called for sprouts, cucumber, and cilantro.  not to mention noodles, beef, and flavorings.  anyway, i couldn't find sprouts for sale in the stores i normally go to so i finally decided to grow my own.  i bought cucumbers and cilantro.  well, by the time the sprouts grew enough to make me give up on having them be long tall sprouts like i've seen at salad bars, i decided i needed to make the dish.  i dove into the crisper only to discover the cucumber was slimy.  yep.  well, by this time the beef was thawed and i was determined to make it.  i decided i could use celery and carrots in their place - after all, it's basically a noodle stir fry type dish - all vegetables are good.  as i got making it i discovered it also called for fresh ginger.  i had some on hand at the time i first decided to make this recipe, but apparently somewhere in between it went bad and i threw it out.  so guess what i used instead?  pickled ginger - like the kind you eat with sushi.  i figure it's just a bit more flavorful, and being pink won't matter much since there are carrot shavings in there too.  it all blends.  and truth be told, it's rather delicious.  i just hate thinking of the fresh produce i wasted.  i really need to be better organized with my menu planning i think.

beauty

in my last post i said i was going to floss my teeth and clean the bathroom.  but then i remembered i had a good experience last week that bret said i should blog.  he's not big on blogging, so if he suggests it i figure i better.

last wednesday i got home from grocery shopping feeling totally defeated.  my bad mood continued on through the night.  i think i'd also been listening to too much news about the egyptian revolution and that added to my depression.  i figured after a good night's sleep i'd feel better, but the next morning i still felt grumpy and sad.  since it was bret's day off we were scheduled to go to the temple.  i knew that would do me some wonders, but i wasn't feeling very motivated.  luckily with bret's motivation we headed down town.  while in the session all was fine, i felt fine, i wasn't sad, but i wasn't exactly feeling great either.  about half way through the session, after changing rooms, the woman who sat next to me turned to me and said, "you are just beautiful, absolutely gorgeous."  or some such excessive compliment.  it really made me smile.  in fact, it made me feel so good i couldn't help but notice every other person in the room looked beautiful to me.  i mean seriously - they were all beautiful.  after that, the rest of the day was great.  there was beauty all around me.  it's amazing how much difference a random compliment can make.  if anything it was a lesson to me on how important it is to tell people how beautiful they are.  compliments are miraculous.  i'm still feeling good from it!

gardening

i planned my garden last week. planning is the easy part. luckily i get to put off the real work for another couple months. i decided to write a blog post about it for my other blog - tightwadinutah.

by the way, i still haven't flossed today.  maybe i should do it right now!  then i'll clean the bathroom.

flossing

i just want to report that i flossed today. went to the dentist earlier this week. again i was painfully reminded of why i should floss. i brush with no trouble why is it so hard to also floss? i figure if i've learned to brush twice daily then i can learn to floss once a day. right? and yet i forget like the wind. any tips on how i can make it more of a habit? i have the floss sitting right next to my toothbrush so i can see it and yet i've managed to see it - much like the dust in the house.

if you haven't flossed today - maybe you should. it only takes a minute. now to exercise. something else i've managed to learn to do despite many many many years of not wanting to.

behind in blogging

i don't seem to make enough time for blogging anymore. not sure of my excuse - i feel like i sit at the computer way too much as it is and i don't know what i have to show for myself. yesterday i finally made myself put together a post for the "tightwadinutah" blog i contribute to and the thought occurred to me that i should get credit for blogging over here too. so, here's a link to my latest post. i'm a bit pleased with it if i do say so.

Vision

Look what I finally finished! It has a list of our values and goals along with pictures so we can visualize all we want to accomplish in 2011. Bret found the pictures and together we wrote the goals then today I glued it all together and hung it in the office.
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hope

i was talking to an old friend today. we were talking about hard things. when i got off the phone with her i felt really sad that i was unable to lift her burdens more. i immediately sat at my computer and searched for some message of hope. i intended to find something i could share with her, instead i realized i needed a message of hope. i needed to be hopeful for her and trust that god would care for her where i felt i had failed. anyway, i watched this clip on god's "tender mercies" and it did my soul some good. maybe it will do you some good too. we can always do with a bit more hope can't we?

navel gazing

that title makes me a bit uncomfortable. maybe it's the word navel.  anyway, i'm afraid i got caught up a bit in doing just that this morning.  i've heard the phrase used in terms of doing absolutely nothing.  i'm using it in relation to too much purposeless self reflection.  i went looking for a blog post on being frugal for something related to my tightwadinutah blog when i got distracted by a bunch of my old posts.  it's strange going back in time of your own life.  i got busy looking at all the posts related to my bunion surgery a couple years ago. my husband and i had just barely started dating.  our second date was on the weekend i got home from surgery.  so it was fun just remembering a time long ago.  anyway, later this morning i came across a blog post from my good friend julie - my ultimate blogging hero.  she used to be my teaching hero, but now i don't teach so she is my blogging hero.  she's still the best teacher i know, though.  for the record.  anyway, i decided i needed to follow the lesson she gave her students.  i decided i need a sentence for my new year.  i came up with "she made her family's progress a priority."  last week my husband helped me come up with about five basic values.  then we generated a few activities related to each one that we wanted to work on this year - trying to be specific.  i decided that i really need to make those values and activities a priority in my personal life to see true progress in our lives.  i love having someone to share my "visions" with and i love that he is so supportive. 

yummy cheap dinner

i'm not sure if i've mentioned it on here before, but i've become a blogger for tightwadinutah.  it's a kick in the pants since i enjoy being frugal.  the trouble is coming up with posts that are about saving money that don't go something like "stay out of the stores."  good posts use pictures.  there aren't a lot of pictures that go with staying out of stores.  anyway, my mother says i don't blog on here enough.  this post is an effort to please mother (even though she is out of the country and won't see this for weeks anyway) and also a way for me to make record of a really delicious recipe.  maybe it will be on tightwad some day but i have to take photos before that happens.

so anyway, i should first mention that i got this recipe from a book from the library called "dinner for a dollar" - what a great idea for a cook book!  but keep in mind i think it takes the approach that it's a dollar a serving.  i don't know - math isn't my thing.  anyway, this is a cheap yummy recipe.

sweet potato and peanut stew
3 large sweet potatoes (2 1/4 pounds) peeled and cut into bit size pieces (1"ish)
1 Tb olive oil
1 crushed garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp red pepper
2 cans garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz) broth
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 c peanut butter (creamy best)
1/2 c loosely packed chopped cilantro (optional)
1) Place sliced potatoes in 2 1/2 qt microwave safe dish.  Cover and nuke until they are tender, about 8 minutes.
2) In 5-6 qt pot heat oil over medium high heat.  Add garlic, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and crusehd red pepper, and cook stirring, 30 seconds.  Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter until blended; heat to boiling and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute.
3) Reduce heat to medium-low; add potatoes to bean mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.  Stir in cilantro if using.

thoughts of happiness

i have two unrelated thoughts.  but both have made cry and smile.

i think i've written before about the girl i tutor as a volunteer at my local elementary.  last week she was in a terrible mood and did even less than she usually does during our session.  it was frustrating and i'm afraid i left in a huff and a bit rudely when our time was up.  so monday, when i went to tutor again i strained my brain for some way to make a connection with her.  i had taken her a sticker the day i got fed up and she was disinterested in it totally.  i couldn't take another sticker - i wasn't up for further rejection.  i finally decided that all kids like gum.  i took a stick of my favorite gum, not knowing for sure how or when i would give it to her.  for one thing it was boring silver paper wrapped kind of gum - nothing that would make a kid smile.  finally i had an epiphany - but really it was revelation.  really, i truly believe that the holy ghost prompted me in coming up with that solution.  i decided to tear the piece of gum in two and let her choose a half, all the while explaining that we needed to work on her math together - i couldn't do it without her and she couldn't do it without me - we had to share.  well, she took the gum and slowly did her part.  for all of about two minutes.  then her mother came to take her to a doctor's appointment.  well, this morning i was really dreading going in.  i was worried she wouldn't be happy.  i was worried that the gum idea wouldn't work a second time.  i was worried that i would come away feeling like a failure again - for really, that was the overall feeling last week, and that doesn't do a body any good.  i took a piece of gum, but i put it in my pocket, deciding i would pull it out when it felt right.  well, she came out with her workbook, sat down as happy as could be, and willingly and easily did everything.  she even smiled and kept trying when she got stuck.  she was excited to do her math.  she asked about a sticker, so i found the one i had given her last week (it was in her math bucket) and she put it on her hand.  (i just have to interject a funny thing about the sticker.  i don't own a lot of stickers.  when i got called to teach sunbeams at church i bought a bunch of little christian type stickers at the dollar store.  i found one that had a picture of a lamb on it and it said "love."  i figured that was not too religious and would pass for a school sticker.)  by the time i left she had laughed and made friendly conversation and had done her work and felt proud of her accomplishments and she told me she would miss me.  she even gave me a hug on my way out.  now i'm tempted to say it was the magic of the piece of gum.  they say when you break bread together you create bonds of friendship - maybe with a fifth grade girl breaking gum is just as effective.  really, i think she felt love.  i think she felt the spirit - the same one i felt when prompted to share a piece of gum and give a sticker that said "love."  the tutoring miracle of today far outshines the beautiful sunrise miracle of yesterday - but both were gifts from god.

okay, now in other news.  i've been discussing gift giving with a few people lately.  after all, tis the season, right?  in processing my mixed feelings of yesterday with bret he suggested i do some reading and pondering on service.  how can i have the right feelings in relation to service.  well, this evening i came across an excellent talk by president eyring, forwarded to bret from his father who got it from his sister.  i love being a part passing on such good talks.  maybe you'll enjoy it too.  http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6756&x=-47&y=-85

beautiful morning

it was one of those mornings where i woke up on the wrong side of the bed.  i was way grumpy and whiny and even more mad that i was in a bad mood.  i headed to the gym - knowing it would help but mostly because it's part of the routine.  on my way, though, i totally mixed it up.  the sunrise took me by such surprise i couldn't bring myself to arrive at the gym so i kept driving.  finally i pulled into a random parking lot so i could watch it without being a hazard on the road.  it went from the pretties of all pinks to a light golden color - like the hair of some princess.  it was perfect.  i was lucky to see it.  while watching, there was a christmas hymn playing on the radio - something about mary eating cherries, i think.  anyway, it was a really nice touch.  i love christmas hymns.  i did make it to the gym, and it did help.  well, it added to the goodness anyway.  when i got home i finally decided to tackle the pile of leaves in my yard.  you know how procrastinating a chore can only add to a bad mood, well finally facing it is the best feeling.  and it really didn't take that long!  when i went inside the house, though, i discovered that despite my great efforts to pick up the dog poop in my yard before raking, i somehow stepped in some.  it was nearly enough to return me to my grumpy mood, but then i realized the leaves had stuck to it and protected me from getting any of the poop on my floor before i was able to wipe it all off.

i know - pretty exciting stuff.  my point is, when i look back, it was a really good  morning. 

time well spent

some might say blogging isn't time well spent, but i do it anyway.  this is the last of my gratitude posts.  i wasn't sure what i would write, but then after a conversation with my mother on the phone i decided on a topic. i was telling her about our relief society lesson on sunday.  it was based on a talk by president uchtdorf in conference this last session.  a lot of people liked his talk and refer to it as the "simplify" talk.  it's true, he does talk about simplifying our lives.  what got me, though, was how he directed us to do so.  he said we should focus on four relationships: god, family, others, self. our teacher on sunday pointed out that it should be in that order.  i'm a to-do-lister and often those things on my list don't get done or don't get done in a timely manner.  lately i've been trying to make myself plug tasks into time slots - to help pace myself.  that hasn't really worked all that effectively, though, since i'm the boss and often tell myself i can do what i want.  anyway, after the lesson on sunday i got wondering if maybe i should try organizing my list into those four categories: relationship with god, relationship with family, relationship with others, and relationship with self.  i think it's easy to tell myself that a certain task is not important or just something making me busy.  if i look at a particular task, though, from the perspective of how it might improve one of those four relationships, then i think/hope that the task will take on new meaning and significance.  i'm pretty socially motivated.  if a task is all about bonding with someone then i enjoy it a lot more. i think if i can see a lot of my tasks as bonding with "someone" then i'll enjoy it more.  when president uchtdorf gave the talk i was initially drawn to the idea of having more charity for myself as i improve my relationship with myself, but really, i think when i work on my relationship with god or others or family i really am feeling better about myself and in effect i'm strengthening my relationship with myself.  i think that's why putting it in the order he did is so significant.  anyway, i haven't started organizing myself according to those categories yet, but i intend to next week (i try to schedule myself a week at a time).  what do y'all think?  really you should check out his talk yourself, if you haven't for a second or third time.  so anyway, today i am grateful for my many relationships - all of them!

grateful for inspiration

i was stumped all day today - wondering what i'd be grateful for. then i read julie's blog.  she's the one who got me started on this.  apparently her post today is in gratitude to the fellow that inspired her to do her own posting.  funny how things can spread.  i'm grateful for him too, i guess.  but mostly i'm grateful for julie who is and will probably always be my hero teacher.  have i already posted gratitude for her?  i can't remember.  if so, well, she deserves it doubly.  or we can just say i'm thankful for the guy who inspired her.

Gratitude

Today I was grateful for a good book to read while Bret took a much needed nap.
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Gratitude never ends

Well, it shouldn't anyway, just because Thanksgiving is come and gone.  Thinking of things to be grateful every day is a good exercise.  I like that it gets me to post more - maybe if I keep that as my general objective in blogging it will help me do it more often.

I failed to post yesterday, but I had a good excuse.  I spent the entire day with my oldest niece.  She's in college right now and needed to work on an assignment that involved coming to SLC and visiting the Family History Library.  My good friend works there so I'm somewhat familiar with the place and since I've always wanted to learn more I was happy to spend the day with her looking for dead relatives.  As she pointed out, though, it's a lot easier to look for people who have already been found - we were just reworking the problem to find out how they were found in the first place.  I learned about the microfilm and microfiche and even the books they have there.  The microfilm and microfiche machines brought back lots of memories as that's one of the ways we had to do research back in the dark ages before the internet.  She was surprised that I had used them before and was familiar with them.  The computer and internet are amazing inventions, but I think the micro machines were pretty amazing too - considering the amount of data they contain in such a small size.  There was a lot for me to feel gratitude for yesterday, but in the end I settled on being grateful for the millions of people who have slaved over the thousands of years to record information.  One of the books we found looked like it was hand written and individually typed using what I think was onion paper.  I vaguely remember that type of paper from my days of learning to use a type writer.  The book was a just an index of a bunch of graveyards in Kansas somewhere.  It's not the sort of book that brings glory or fame or money.  But it is useful to those who seek to find their connections to the past.  It certainly reminded me of how every little act of service no matter how small it may seem can have lasting repercussions. 

So today is a new day and I haven't done much other than eat breakfast.  I had chocolate pecan pie for breakfast.  I don't think I've said it yet, but I am grateful for pie.

finally rest!

i spent half of today trying to find some craft thing for a rs activity coming up.  i am NOT  a crafter.  then i spent the other half baking pies.  they didn't work out as perfectly as i planned.  then it was time to make dinner.  bret got home and after we ate we headed for a party (dessert first - pretty clever if you ask me). and now we're finally home and getting ready for bed.  i love bed.  especially after a long day like today. and even better tomorrow is a holiday!  i love holidays!

and i'll go ahead and express tomorrow's gratitude.  am i allowed?  i think so.  i've been waiting all month to say this.  i'm grateful for my good husband.  being married is wonderful.  i highly recommend it.  but bret's taken.

Safety

Tonight's is easy. Big blizzard warning led to fear for husband's safety driving home. Both turned out to be no big deal. Now hopefully tomorrow goes well.
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flying

i've been "flying" for at least a year now and thinking about it for a few years.  i figured it was time i proclaimed my gratitude.  i'm not perfect at it, but it has changed my life for the better.  i seriously recommend you checking it out for yourself.  look over the old lady cheese of it and find some gems that will make a difference in your life.  this is what i'm grateful for today as i just finished "blessing my house."
http://www.flylady.net/

happy endings

today was one of those church days where i anticipated a lot of hard things.  i'm always amazed at how in the end things turn out really well.  much better than expected.  in particular i had to visit someone and apologize for an off handed comment that was taken wrong.  i hate it when i put my foot in my mouth, and this was one of those incidents that reminded me i probably do it more often than i'd like.  i'm sure i need to apologize to many people, but at least i learned about this incident.  i having been worrying about it for over a week, but was finally made amends today. i am grateful for happy endings, or maybe i should say resolutions.

Cool weather

Today was one of those utterly cool fall days where the leaves are fascinating as the race all over in the wind. I also just discovered it has snowed. I'm glad I was indoors for that. I'm grateful my days of driving to work in snowstorms is over but I'm also grateful I could enjoy being out among the leaves today.
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Hymn

I know I missed yesterday. It wasn't the best day. Bret was sick and so all our plans went out the window leaving me grumpy. I felt bad that my reaction was selfish. But apparently not bad enough to change. Poor husband. He still isn't 100% better but I wasn't as bad. Hooray for improvement.

Tonight we went to the temple and the whole time I had a Sacrament hymn stuck in my head. One line in particular: "In the midst of affliction my table is spread.". Isn't that a great line? I love hymns. I love how they can realign your thoughts to where they should be. My table really is spread and I am grateful.
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More gratitude for church leaders

I'm finally getting a leg up on this gratitude posting thing.  It's not even noon and I already came up with something I want to share.  I have been trying to follow a routine in the morning, to make sure I get the essential things done first, and one of those things is to spend some time reading and pondering the word of God.  Today I decided to read out of the General Conference edition of the Ensign.  I thought for sure I had the perfect thought to share after reading President Uchtdorf's talk, but then I read Elder Christofferson's and I couldn't help but want to share something from it instead. So I decided I could just be grateful for them both.

President Uchtdorf talked about slowing down and focusing in on the most important things in life when things seem to get hectic and out of control.  I figured with all the hub-bub gearing up with the holidays it was a perfect message.  I loved that he quoted Elder Dallin H. Oaks, from his talk about Good Better Best (one of my all time favorites), “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”  He lists three key places to focus our energy: "First, our relationship with God is most sacred and vital....He desires our happiness....Our second key relationship is with our families. Since 'no other success can compensate for failure' here, we must place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together....The third key relationship we have is with our fellowman. We build this relationship one person at a time—by being sensitive to the needs of others, serving them, and giving of our time and talents."  And the fourth was my favorite when I heard him speak because it was something I had been pondering a lot at the time:  "The fourth key relationship is with ourselves. It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do. Some people can’t get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential."  And in his summary he said, "Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light."

Well, now that I've shared highlights from his talk you won't have to read it yourself - unless you can't help yourself.  It really is good.

I'm not sure it will be as easy to paraphrase Elder Christofferson's, but I'll try.  He talks about living a consecrated life.  He shares the scripture about the purpose of life being happiness.  He also praises hard work.  I've recently been thinking about the original 12 apostles (Bret and I have been reading the New Testament) and I'm amazed at the degree of sacrifice they made for the gospel.  Not to mention the sacrifice Christ made himself.  Elder Christofferson quotes Joseph Smith at one point and I was again reminded of the sacrifice and work offered by men who have lived consecrated lives.  Somehow that sacrifice is tied to joy.  It certainly seems like a contradiction, but in his talk he manages to explain and show how true it is.  I'll just share his conclusion and hopefully if you need more clarification or inspiration you'll just go directly to his talk:  "A consecrated life is a beautiful thing. Its strength and serenity are “as a very fruitful tree which is planted in a goodly land, by a pure stream, that yieldeth much precious fruit” (D&C 97:9). Of particular significance is the influence of a consecrated man or woman upon others, especially those closest and dearest. The consecration of many who have gone before us and others who live among us has helped lay the foundation for our happiness. In like manner future generations will take courage from your consecrated life, acknowledging their debt to you for the possession of all that truly matters. May we consecrate ourselves as sons and daughters of God, “that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope” (Moroni 7:48; see also 1 John 3:2), I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I am grateful for wise leaders who know how to expound the scriptures in ways that make them all the more precious to me.  I have loved reading the New Testament and I love that through the ages God has blessed his children with comforting words of truth and hope.

Relief Society

Tonight I went to RS presidency meeting. Usually it goes way too long and I come home way too impatient and discouraged and frustrated. Tonight, though, it was different. I felt like we truly had a spirit of charity. That felt good. I am grateful for the good sisters in my Relief Society but especially for the good women with whom I serve. They are good examples to me of hard work and true charity.
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Grateful for health

Today I took a woman to the bishop's storehouse to get some food. She told me some of her stories. Our ward has a lot of people that struggle with mental as much as physical health issues that keep them from being self sufficient. In her case she sounds like she was perfectly fine until due to some unpredictable moment she wasn't. For her sake of privacy I won't say more but I AM learning that there is a fine line between well and ill and sometimes there's nothing you can do to control which side of the line you're on. Today I am grateful for my family's health.
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gratitude proclamation

tonight for our family home evening lesson my sister-in-law had us all write a "gratitude proclamation" - basically a list of things we're grateful for.  then she had us roll it up and tie it with a string and told us next time we're feeling discouraged or frustrated we can pull it out and proclaim our gratitude.  it was pretty cool.  she also showed us the mormon message about gratitude that's been circling the nets these days.  i like it.  i might as well do my part to pass it on.  enjoy!

Forgetful

Apparently I'm forgetful, since I am just now realizing I didn't post anything yesterday.   Maybe I wasn't feeling especially grateful.  I spent the day with my friend cooking.  I had a couple sacks of pears I received from another friend whose tree is exploding with winter pears.  They don't can that well and aren't the best for eating raw (maybe a bit unripe) but there were  a ton of them and they made a delicious pie!  Somewhere in between everything I went to another friend's house and got a haircut for next to nothing.  She did it for free last year as a sort of wedding gift.  It just occurred to me to actually go back and pay her for another cut.  I really like what she did - but so far not even Bret noticed - and I think it's pretty different!  We'll see if the ladies at church tomorrow have anything to say about it.  But anyway, I think I can say that for yesterday I am grateful for generous friends.  I spent much of today peeling and cutting more pears - for future pies.  I also made a couple quarts of pear juice.  I still have another sack full.  Maybe pear sauce next week?  I don't need any more jellies or I might try my hand at pear butter.  I did find a recipe today for pear honey - basically really thick but viscous pear puree.

Okay, now for today.  Today was great!  I spent the morning attending  a World Wide Leadership Training for church.  I LOVE our leaders. They are not only funny, but also very wise and in tune.  They get it.  They get it all.  They totally know what reality is like and yet they still believe in doing our best and believe we CAN do our best.  They really do have an eternal perspective and a Christ like approach to leadership.  I am grateful for good leadership and I hope to be a better leader myself.

grateful for holidays

now that i don't work full time i guess you could say holidays don't matter so much.  but since my schedule is so closely tied to bret's i still enjoy days off.  today was one of those.  i know - lots of people had it off - his was just a normal non-work day - sam's club doesn't celebrate veteran's day.  neither did my school district for that matter.  but anyway, today was really nice.  lots of hanging out around the house wearing comfy clothes.  the only thing on the schedule was ward temple night - and we're about to head out for that now.  pretty nice.

one thought i had, though, while others were expressing gratitude for veterans they knew  - as far as i know i am not close to any veterans really.  i mean i have a few friends who served.  and it's not like i necessarily need or want to be especially close to a veteran, it's just that i noticed this holiday seemed to matter a lot more to those who were closely connected to veterans.  either way, i am also grateful for the service and sacrifice so many veterans have made over the years.  and by the way - if you are one yourself, bret says sam's club is giving away free foldable canes to all veterans, yesterday today and tomorrow.

Hooray for health

Today I have felt grateful for my health. For the past week I've had a slight cold. Not much, just enough to stuff me up and leave me with a general headache. I've used it as an excuse to take it easy at the gym each morning and to take a benadryl at bedtime which has allowed me to sleep soundly all night. But it did slow me down yesterday and has left me generally grumpy and unproductive all week. But today I finally felt myself getting better. My sinuses are draining and I actually had energy all day. No headache. It's like I'm a new woman. Hooray for the return of health!
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I'm thankful for my freezer

Last night I baked bread and rolls.  Actually, I only baked half my rolls.  The other half went in the freezer.  I plan to try baking them later and see how it works to freeze dough.  I hear it can be done.  I want to do it myself.  Today I made sandwiches and froze them.  I meant to make cookie dough.  Instead I went to the freezer and checked my supply and decided it was enough to last another week. Then I ate some.  I did finally make a bunch of pie dough blobs and put them in the freezer.  I've wanted to do that forever.  We'll be testing the experiment later in the month.  Finally, I went to my freezer and pulled out a bag that said, "Thaw and bake at 350 for 30 minutes."  I put it in the oven for an hour and had dinner ready and waiting for Bret while I was gone to two different meetings.  I love my freezer.

Stuck

I'm sitting in my car at a train crossing. Why are trains so slow?
I'm on my way home from cleaning at the church cannery. They made applesauce this morning. I basically spent the last hour spraying a large power hose rinsing off some mystery foamy chemical. Next time they offer me galoshes I will say yes, thank you. Best part was walking home with a jar of hot off the presses applesauce. Oh, and a case of raspberry jam I couldn't help buying.
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Double the Gratitude

Yesterday I failed to post anything I was grateful for.  It's not because I was feeling especially ungrateful, it's just that I had no alone time to post anything.  So for yesterday I'd like to say that I'm grateful for my vision group.  A few friends and I get together monthly to work on various personal goals.  I learn a ton from my vision sisters.  It's been one of the best things I've ever done.  We've only been meeting for about two years - actually, two and a half, but I feel like I'm a new woman because of them.

As for today's gratitude.... I'm grateful for Fall.  I just got back from my tutoring shift.  I walked there in the rain and walked back in the snow.  Normally that wouldn't be so fun for me, but the trees are still so golden and being outside just feels magical.  I remember when I first moved to Utah years ago and walking all over campus was the most exciting thing.  I loved watching the seasons change before my eyes.  That was the best Fall ever, but I'm still reminded of it each year and it makes me smile.

Grateful for in laws

I just barely posted for friday but I noticed it's now saturday so I can post again. Bret and I are spending some time with his parents. We do it about once a month since they live so close and we have the time.

Growing up I heard all the jokes and negativity about in laws so I was prepared for some real challenges when I got married. Well I must say I am blessed. Besides having quality mother and father in law i also have good brothers and sisters in law. It's been easy to get along with them all. They're the sort of people you'll be happy to have your kids spend time with. I think having such good in laws has just made being married that much easier and enjoyable.
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Grateful for the gym

I haven't made it to the gym all week. Until this morning. I woke up achy as all get out. I got up gathered my things and then curled up on the couch for an hour. Finally I went to the gym. It always pays off. I came home ache free. Besides physically I came home feeling great mentally and emotionally. It always amazes me how it makes me feel better.
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I'm grateful for lettuce

This morning I took someone to the bishop's storehouse to get some food. I was grateful for that opportunity since in our morning family prayer Bret asked that we would have the chance to serve someone. When we got home I was hungry for a snack and saw this bagged salad in the fridge. I was struck not only by the ease and convenience but also by my own blessing of prosperity. I don't know how long I'll be blessed in such a manner but I am mindful of what a great blessing it is.
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Pizza pockets

Why is it whenever I try to make "pocket" type food I always fail? My dough circles come out too thin and then they are weird awkward shapes and even worse they bust out and leak all over the pan. Sadness. They're such a handy freezer food I am determined to make them work!
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not related to gratitude at all

on my way to volunteer at the elementary school this morning i saw and overheard an unfortunate interaction.  the sort of thing that just worries me about our next generation.

i saw a little boy with his arms wrapped around a little girl from behind - like in a wrestling move or something.  she was saying, "let go," and he was saying, "but i love you."  they seriously looked no older than kindergarten. where or where did he learn this behavior.  what happened to tether ball and hopscotch?

grateful for learning

i've recently begun volunteering at an elementary school.  the best thing about this is that i only stay for an hour at a time and i work with kids in small groups - or just one on one.  i'm not their main teacher and i don't make the assignments, nor do i have to grade them, i just have to sit with them and help them get it done.  so far i've worked with a girl from tanzania and a boy from cuba and a boy from some other african country, but i'm not sure which.  all speak english as a second language.  i'm amazed at how much they know and how well they can communicate.  they have friends and they are attentive (as far as i can tell) and do their best.  they're only about 10 or 11 and are still young enough i can sense their innate goodness.  they seem happy to work and i've actually seen the cogs in their brains working to figure things out.  it's like seeing learning in its purest form.  when i taught high school i didn't get to see that very often - way too many distractions if it was happening at all.  i wonder if i'm as open to learning as they are.  to be teachable and fresh... is that possible after so many years of being bounced around on the rocks of life? (ha -i say that as if i've had such a hard life - but you know what i mean.) i get to go again today.  i'm looking forward to it.  maybe they'll teach me a thing or two.

Second day of gratitude

oops - i nearly forgot about doing this.  and it's only the second day!  i hope i can keep it up.

this morning i've been feeling a little harried trying to make plans for the coming month.  there are a few friends i'm trying to get together with and it's being difficult to coordinate our schedules.  not only that, there are some friends i have a few projects going with - cooking, goal setting, writing/editing, not to mention the tutoring i've recently begun at the local elementary.  when something gets a bit frustrating i try to remind myself what life would be like without it.  i am MOST definitely grateful for friends, but today i think i'll focus more on being grateful for friends that are anxiously engaged in good work and motivate me through their examples and encouragement and just plain inclusion.  i like keeping busy with good things, and i can't imagine a life without so many good people in it that make all those good things possible.  now the trick is to make sure i stay true to my values and don't just get busy for busy's sake.

now back to the kitchen with me where i'm attempting to make mock crab cakes using shredded zucchini.  yep - i found it on the web.

First day of gratitude

i have a good friend that blogs more regularly than i do.  she's long been a hero of mine, mostly because when she lived here she was a high school english teacher and i thought that was an impossible job.  she wasn't just an english teacher, though, she was an exceptional english teacher.  i may have finally had that job myself, but i know i wasn't as dedicated and academic and hard working as she was.   i still admire her, even though i'm no longer teaching.  she's the sort of teacher that makes me value public education and want teachers to be treated as professionals. probably because she is so professional.  anyway, she won't be so comfortable with all this praise so i'll move on.

yesterday she pointed out that today was the beginning on november and apparently, for the last few years, she's done a daily gratitude post in the month of november.  sort of a thanksgiving day/month celebration.  she was feeling a bit less than grateful, though, and i thought one thing i could do to support her was maybe do my own list.  you know how doing things with others is easier - at least it is for me - so i'm joining in the thanksgiving celebration.

for my first post i could list all sorts of things, like being grateful for julie and her good example, or i could say something about this being the month i was married in last year - but i figure gratitude for julie is implied by doing this whole shebang anyway, and gratitude for my good marriage will be saved for my actual anniversary.  :)  instead i've got a good story for today to express my gratitude for prayer.

yesterday was a hard day for bret and me.  we were both pretty down and sad most of the afternoon and into the evening.  some friends of ours in the ward are separating.  well, we heard that she's leaving him.  i'm not sure what all that implies for the future, but it was heavy news, just that bit.  when it was time for bed we were also worried about the burdens of today.  bret went into work an hour and a half early to take care of all the extra stuff he knew would pile up on a monday.  he usually doesn't work at this particular pharmacy on mondays, but he does on tuesdays, and when he gets in on tuesdays there's usually a pile up of stuff that got put off, and he doesn't feel right about doing that, so he figured he better get in and get to work before the store actually opens.  i'd like to point out here that his normal shift is already 10 hours so with an extra hour and a half he's in for a killer day. he has a hard job. but that's just me complaining - not him. so anyway, back to our story.  last night we said our family prayer and specifically prayed for our friends and for bret to be able to sleep soundly and be ready for today.  we even went to bed about an hour early in anticipation of the longer day.  it just so happens i can sleep like the wind.  i must have gone straight to sleep, but then i woke up with a start at midnight.  according to bret i was shaking him.  all i remember, though, is hearing him say, "good, it's not quite midnight, if i can just fall asleep now then i'll still be able to get 6 hours of sleep."  i guess he had not fallen asleep at all; he had lain there for two hours trying to fall asleep and still hadn't.  he's the sort that usually needs nine hours of sleep - six was not ideal but i knew he needed that.  so i decided it was time for serious prayer on his behalf.  i did it quietly because i didn't want to talk to him and keep him up longer.  lately we've been reading the gospel of luke together and it's chock full of miracle stories.  in our combined priesthood and relief society meeting yesterday we had a lesson on the power of the priesthood in performing healing blessings.  part of the discussion mentioned that even when the priesthood is not available there is great power in the prayer of the faithful.  i knew god can perform miracles and i felt like bret needed one and i knew that faithful prayer could work.  so i prayed and kept praying and kept consciously reminding myself that the miracle could happen.  after 20 minutes i heard the tell tale sounds of his breathing/snoring.  i knew he was asleep.  i said a quick prayer of gratitude and put my ear plugs in and went back to sleep myself.

it is not often i am the witness of such miracles.  it seems when god answers prayers it often comes in the "fourth watch" so when this prayer was answered i felt i had seen a miracle.  in the morning i asked bret how he had slept.  apparently he hadn't dreamed and he hadn't woken up a bit.  that's pretty rare for him, so i feel like that prayer was answered and then some.  not only was he able to fall asleep, he managed to stay asleep.  i am grateful for the power of prayer.

now i need to continue to pray for our friends who are going through such a hard time.  i only wish i knew how to reach out and be a support when the problem is so sensitive and private.