Gratitude Brings Happiness--or So They Say

I ran across this video today:

So, falling in line with what Mr. Anchor shares here, I would like to offer my three gratitudes for today….

**ONE**

I never really knew what Mission Presidents and their wives did before #1's mission. I mean, I knew what I saw of my Mission Presidents and their wives, but really I only caught a glimpse of them from time to time when there was a Zone or Sisters Conference. My last area was the area that contained the mission home. It was about the time our new Mission President arrived to the mission. Ironically, #1 has just been transferred to the, guess where….Yes, the mission home area, and guess what….Yes, the new Mission President is just about to arrive.

I must make it public here that I am DEEPLY grateful to #1's Mission President and his wife. They have served for the past three years. They have sacrificed and missed out on things in their own children's lives to bless the lives of a bunch of strangers' kids--one of those being my own.

They have relocated missionaries to better, safer apartments. They welcomed a whole bunch of new missionaries every six weeks or so and helped them acclimate to their new surroundings and mission life. They have said good-bye to missionaries as they've ended their service and returned home. They took in missionaries from the typhoon-stricken Tacloban Mission--found them housing and companions and saw to many of their basic needs which were left behind. They then saw them return to their former mission once it reopened. They have supplied temporal and spiritual support for hundreds of young people.

I feel that I owe these people so much. My gratitude just isn't nearly enough. It will be sad to see them go. President and Sister Querido, the Hess family is truly thankful to you and appreciates your tireless sacrifice and prayers for our daughter.

**TWO**

I have been desperately lacking in motivation lately. I have shared this before, but the whole brushing teeth while eating Oreos thing is just so MY LIFE! UGH! I clean my house, and within five minutes, it's a mess. I remind. I nag. I do everything but….No, I do…I holler. I just want a clean, orderly house. I know this doesn't sound like gratitude, but wait….

I've been hearing a lot lately, just by chance (yah, right) about people who couldn't handle life and decided to pray. Funny thing is that I tried it this morning. Whenever something seemed like too much, I'd get on my knees.

It wasn't until AFTER I tried this that I ran across two things that solidified my need to do this. First, there was a video about addiction recovery about a young man who had terrible trouble with drugs. It talked about his struggle and his way back--prayer was VITAL. It was his turning point. I'll have to see if I can find the video to share here.

Second was this:

I didn't go from zero motivation to 60 in 3 seconds or less, but I was a bit more motivated than I've been in the most recent past--I got most of my bedroom closet cleaned out today and one bag ready to donate. I figure that requires some amount of motivation. I also prayed more than usual.

I am grateful for prayer. I'm glad to know that there's a greater power that I can tap into when I need it. I plan on tapping in much more often than usual in the coming days.

**THREE**

I am grateful that kids grow up. I walked through Target yesterday and walked past the little tiny baby clothes. For just one moment, I missed my little babies, but not enough to want one. I'm also not wishing away their childhood--I will miss these phases too when they've grown up.

Today, though, we went to the dollar movies and watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. This is the first year in a long time when I've been able to sit through an entire movie without my children dancing in the aisles. It gave me great hope that maybe someday ]they will grow to the point where I will have the clean house that I so desire. Maybe, soon enough, I'll be ready to stop eating Oreos. I am grateful for that little glimmer of hope.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Lessons in Hindsight

When I served a mission all those years ago, I wondered if I was doing the right thing. Now that my daughter is serving, I'm beginning to see some new lessons the mission experience taught me. Here is what I'm starting to see….


First of all, serving a mission gave me experience. As a mother of a

missionary, this is priceless. I don't worry about my daughter. I know about travel for missionaries. I know the basic schedule, and more importantly than any of those, I know how I was protected and guided. I knew I was in the Lord's service. There are experiences you can't share with everyone because no one could really understand unless they were inside your heart, but there were almost daily experiences that reminded me that Heavenly Father was close and was watching out for me, my companion, and others.

Second, I learned about agency--the ability to choose. A missionary experiences excruciating situations with this topic. You grow to love the people you teach. You watch them draw closer to the Savior and you encourage and challenge them to draw even closer. When they take what you say or ask and choose not to do it, it rips your heart all up. You quickly learn that, want to as you might, you cannot take another's agency away. You cannot control what another chooses to do. You learn, over time, that your right to choose is yours only. You learn where your limits are. Painful as it may be, you learn to respect what others choose good or bad.

Third, I learned to fight through exhaustion. Mission life taught me to be low-maintenance. I realized that what I looked like didn't matter as much as what was in my heart and the more I sacrificed, the bigger the blessings. I learned that being tired didn't matter. You just went and did, and believe me, NOTHING holds a candle to mission exhaustion…NOTHING!

Fourth, I learned to step outside myself. Going up and talking to complete strangers isn't an easy thing for most people. I was among those ranks. One day, I finally decided to make a game out of it….I told myself that I owned the street. Anyone on that street was visiting me, and it was my job to introduce myself to him/her. My job was to make the lives of those who visited happier even if just for the moment I introduced myself. Of course, no one knew they were visiting my street, but it got me to step out of my comfort zone and made me take risks.

In hindsight, I can see what a life-changing experience 18 months dedicated to serving the Lord was. I am thrilled that my daughter and so many young women and young men are now getting that same opportunity. What a difference it will make on their outlooks on life!

Let's Start with Spaghetti

Before you read the post below, read this.




Just before heading to the MTC, #1's friend had a family move in with them. It just so happens that that family was from the Philippines.

Random? Okay, yah, I agree.

Wait….It gets better.

They were living with this friend's family until they could find a place of their own, and they did….In our ward boundaries (for those who may not know, a "ward" is an LDS congregation. What ward you are in is determined by where you live). At one point, I had heard that our ward has the smallest geographical boundaries in the state of Oregon. Whether that's still true or not, I don't know, but for them to just happen to find a place in our small boundaries?….Yah, random.

Then, okay, maybe not so random….I am made the wife's visiting teacher (in the LDS church, a visiting teacher is assigned to each woman to check in and make sure everything's good for the family. It's kind of like an assignment to be someone's friend. Strange? Yah, okay, but you really do end up being friends, and it's a lovely thing). So, you kind of get the picture of what my assignment is here. Well, my assignment has turned into a joy.

I have to admit, the first time I visited with her, I was nervous. We had chatted back and forth on Facebook a few times, but I really didn't have any experience with her, and I had to take #7 with me.

From the moment she opened her door, it became SUCH a SWEET visit. She even embraced my lively and wiggly four-year-old in her kindness. I couldn't wait to go and be with her again. I am grateful that I was the one who was chosen for this assignment. She has become my good friend.

The other night was her birthday. I went to take her a little something. The Warden waited in the car while #6 and I ran it in to her.


This woman invited us in and sat us down and fed us spaghetti. Not like American spaghetti or Italian spaghetti, but Filipino spaghetti. It was SO DELICIOUS!

We left with a big bowl full for the Warden. She had to share.


Knowing what I know now, is it any wonder #1 loves who she serves?


Yesterday we got word that #1 has been transferred to a new city. I received a letter stating the facts of her transfer. I want to share a line from that letter.

We were told where she will be serving and that it is a wonderful place, and then it goes on to say this:

"…The people are loving and kind, and you will also find the people to be hospitable….The members there are supportive with regards to missionary work and they are always excited to work with the Missionaries and involve themselves to the work."

These are the kind of people my daughter rubs shoulders with, and these are the kind of people I now rub shoulders with as well.

Can you see how this is not random? This is a small part of a much bigger picture. This is my life now. It's so different from what it once was.


There is one more significant detail to this story…..

Before you send a child to a foreign country, people tell you about the culture, the food, other little details. You don't really know what to expect.

So, in my first email to #1 after she arrived in the Philippines, I asked her about the food. Her response?…


"Sister E made spaghetti for us! Oh it was the best spaghetti I've ever eaten. reminded me of home."


Funny our parallel lives on opposite sides of the globe. Best spaghetti I've ever eaten. Reminded me of her.


People said there would be great blessings for sending #1 on a mission. I just had no idea.

Maybe you begin to agree with me….None of this is random.

Bumping into Blessings

You know….Life is AMAZING right now. Wish I could capture in words the fulness of my heart--Just SO grateful!

On Thanksgiving, I was driving in the car with my dad. I was sharing with him all of the incredible things going on, and he asked if I'd written them down. Oh, how I love that man!

image: supportblueridge.org

Things have been happening so fast and furiously that I really haven't taken the time. I want to. I really do, but the other thing is so many of these recent experiences have an interesting cumulative effect. If I write about them piece by piece, you might not see the full picture. It's all just astounding.

image:
italiangirlingeorgia.blogspot.com

I was talking to the kids in senior Primary (ages 8 to 11) last Sunday, and I asked them if they ever have the experience where they get an idea and then that idea is like a magnet, and it seems like everything they see or hear or do is pulled into that first idea with its magnetic pull. I was surprised at how many nods I got from those kids. Even at their young ages, they knew exactly what I was talking about.

image:
juliashinklephotography.com

People told me, when #1 left, that there would be great blessings to our family. You know, to hear that, you just kind of nod. I mean, how else do you respond to words like that? But, honestly, I had no idea.

Crazy how much my life bumps into the Philippines these days…..I mean even to the point of walking in the grocery store yesterday and having people walk by me on their cell phones speaking Tagalog….There are little reminders (and BIG reminders) EVERYWHERE….every day.

I honestly think you'd be shocked to walk in my shoes right now. My life is truly blessed, and I am extremely grateful.

At this point, I'm not sure where to begin with recounting the experiences of these past few months. I know that the things I publish will become too long for a simple blog post, but I'm going to give it a go. I have to. I mean, my dad's expecting me to write them down.

#1's Weekly Email: Week #21

I wrote something yesterday about the fact the missionaries don't have TVs, computers, newspapers, or radios. They are pretty much cut off from all kinds of news. You just go do the work at hand and leave all the rest behind. I was commenting, when I wrote this, that #1 was probably just out working and wasn't even aware of what had happened in other parts of the Philippines. I guess, in this email, we see that that is partially true. It sounds like she heard, but has no idea just what has happened. All she knows is that it was bad news.

By the way, as of this evening, most of the unaccounted-for missionaries' parents have been notified that they're safe. Last night, there were 72 unaccounted for. Reports are that all of them are safe and accounted for, but in reality, not all of the parents have been notified yet. So, it's just a matter of time until the report will be that all have been contacted.

I'd like to thank those who took the time to send messages and emails to #1 for her birthday. Sounds like she loved that little bit of extra attention.

So, without further ado, here's this week's letter.

Enjoy!

Man, I am so happy right now. Thank you for all the birthday wishes and prayers. This past week has been hard and rewarding all in one. There is always room for improvement, and there are always opportunities to improve. I'm so thankful for that. 

image: wikipedia.com

I'm also thankful that Heavenly Father protects his missionaries. In case you didn't know, there was a super typhoon going on in the Philippines, but it wasn't in my mission. The other day we were at a signal 1 which means that there's only really, really strong wind. In other places in the Philippines it's at a signal 4... Super scary stuff. 

So anyways, this week has been fun. As we've been striving to be as obedient as possible, we've been able to notice the little miracles that Heavenly Father has seen fit to bless us with. I've realized that my ability to keep a positive attitude is a great blessing in this work. 

This last Saturday, we went to teach Sister I again. Her nephew, R, has been listening to the lessons too but it's like pulling teeth with him because he always goes and hides from us because I'm white and "scary" haha so we haven't taught him in a while. But he has a girlfriend named, M who is 18, and we've never taught her before. When we went there on Saturday, Sister I told us that M wants us to teach her. I was pretty shocked, let me tell you. So we taught her the first lesson and she was super receptive. Sister L, because she's awesome like that, invited her to be baptized and she accepted. Whaa?! No concerns or anything. I was shocked again. Heavenly Father definitely prepares people for us. 

We've taught her two more times since and every time Sister L has reextended the BGD just to make sure that she was still willing to be baptized and every time she's said yes. Whoa. And! She came to church on Sunday with Sister I. I love being a missionary :)

There are many other little miracles that we've seen here every single day. Sometimes it's hard to count all of them, but when we do, we become more grateful and really just a lot happier. 

I am so grateful to be here on my mission and to know that Heavenly Father loves me. I can tell by the little ways he takes care of me. 

Hmmm what else can I tell you. Yesterday was super fun because both Sister H and Sister E worked with us. Sister H is 57 and a branch missionary here. Sister E is her 20 year old daughter. Sister E is going to serve a mission hopefully next year, and she's gonna be amazing. I keep teasing her that she's gonna get called to America and then she's gonna have to perfect her English. She is actually really good at speaking English but she thinks she has bad grammar, so she sticks to Tagalog most of the time. But her testimony and her mom's testimonies are so strong. Sadly, they can only work with us on Sundays because they work every other day of the week. I know that members are so important to the work. They are essential. 

I know that Heavenly Father is preparing people all around us for the gospel. All we have to do is open our mouths and try to help them come unto him. Remember, if you share the gospel in the spirit of love, people won't get offended. 

I love you all. Thank you so much for all your prayers and love and support. Have a great week!

Until next week,

Mahal ko kayo!

-Sister Hess

p.s. Let's add "Taylor Swift" to the list of names people have called me here haha

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

What Happens in the Closet

Tonight, I had a chance to sit and talk with our Bishop for a bit. He's a great guy! As I spoke with him, I suddenly remembered something that had happened awhile back that was somewhat miraculous. I didn't share that story with him, but as it came into my mind, I thought, "Oh, I hope I wrote that down somewhere." But, I don't think I did. DARN!

Now that I'm home, I can't even remember what it was.

Just after that experience came into my mind, there was another that I remembered as something I hadn't written down. I've had the chance to share it with my family, and I think I shared it with the Primary kids in my ward, but I don't think, like the other experience, that I ever wrote it down anywhere, so tonight's the night. Here we go.....


Let me preface this with some details....This took place in what I recall was January of this year. #1 had been in a bit of a fender bender. It was enough of a fender bender that our beloved Suburban was going to be totaled. We had to pay a $500 deductible because of the accident. I think we were taking it easy on her because she was preparing for a mission, but because #1 was involved, we felt that she should pay at least half of that deductible.

Here was the snag, though. #1 was nearly ready to turn her mission papers in. We had figured that all the money she had earned, to this point, was dedicated to her mission, and she still had a bit more to earn to reach the amount she needed to cover the entire 18 months. If she had to pay that deductible, she would have to work longer. The concern: Would she have time?

Okay, now onto the story....

One morning that January, dark and early, I got up and got in the shower. When I was done showering, I threw on some clothes and then went to comb my hair, but....there was no comb to be found.

I considered turning on some lights and looking around for a brush or comb, but then thought better of it. Plus, the scriptures were waiting, and knowing myself as I do, I knew if I allowed myself to be sidetracked, that time would be gone for the day, and it wouldn't happen. I wondered what Heavenly Father would want me to do. I didn't have to think on that long to know the answer.

I grabbed my laptop and found a spot on my bedroom floor. I sat there with the laptop on my lap and opened the Internet to the scriptures. As I read, I came across this verse in 3 Nephi:


"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly" (3 Nephi 13:6).


My mind got stuck on this verse. I couldn't leave it without doing something about it, so I went just a few feet away and climbed into my closet. Now, I don't have a fancy walk-in closet. I have one that's roughly 2 1/2 feet deep and about seven feet wide. It has two sliding doors. It's a bit snug in there with all the clothes hanging down and the shelves, but it's not terrible. I shut the doors, and nobody knows where I am. It's pretty sweet. No one would imagine that I would go in there.

While there, I knelt and prayed. I prayed about a bunch of stuff. It was all very important to me at the time.

After I finished praying, I felt that I should jot down some of the things I'd felt. I needed a pen and paper, so I quietly opened the closet door and headed toward my bedside table on the far side of the room. As I headed toward the bed, I felt that I should grab my computer bag that was sitting there, but then talked myself out of it because I felt sure that there was a greater chance that the things I needed would be on the table.

It ended up that they were not, so here I was again in the quandary about turning on lights.

I rounded the side of the bed again, and again, felt that I should grab that computer bag....What did I have to lose?

I snagged it and sat down on the floor. I opened the flap and slipped my hand inside. The first thing I felt was a plastic package. I pulled the package out and there, to my surprise, was a bag full of combs. Combs of all sizes. What?! Combs in my computer bag? Why? Had I put those there? If so, when? Very strange.

I grabbed a comb out and ran it through my then partially dried hair. As I did so, I realized that a comb had been just what I'd needed that morning. I had sacrificed orderly hair without snags for doing what I felt God wanted me to do.

Sound silly to anyone else? I kind of chuckled to myself when I realized what had really just happened, but said a little silent prayer of thanks as I worked to detangle my hair.

How strange that He knew such a simple need and then provided it. The location of those combs made it that much more significant. I mean, I may do some pretty bizarre things, but I just can't figure out where those combs would have come from or how they got there.

I reached further into the bag and pulled out a small pile of random papers. I thumbed through them. About three or four pages in, I found something that again, gave me reason to pause and consider.

Amongst those papers was a check. The check was dated March 22, 2011. Weird. Certainly, I'd been through this bag since that time, but maybe not. My purse was stolen on March 21st that year, so I must have placed it in there because I had no purse to place it in, and I wanted to make absolutely certain that that check was put in a safe place.

Here's the extra strange thing....The check was for $225, and it was made out to....#1!

#1 was all signed up to run track that year but because of an injury, shortly after the season started, she had to bow out. That check was her reimbursement from the school. It would be what she would need to give her an enormous leg up on paying off the insurance deductible.

Again, a prayer of thanks and a great understanding that even though those weren't things I had prayed for that morning, just the little bit of obedience of climbing in that closet to pray brought about things that were needed most.

Let me just tell you, prayer works.


"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly" (3 Nephi 13:6).

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

General Conference Thoughts: My Mom's Journey

 It's been 183 years since the Church was restored--in 1830. There were six members. There are now 15 million.

 Last year at this time, there were 58,500 full-time missionaries. Today, there are 80,333. It's astounding to think that last year, it wasn't even a thought in our home that we'd have our own missionary out in the world, but here we are, a year later, and she's been gone for some time now. Someday soon, I'll share the miracle that that is.

"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19).

"After all that's been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the gospel." --Joseph Smith

 It is to fulfill these words that missionaries are out, all over the world, searching for those who are seeking the truth.

I got to thinking yesterday about my family's history in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It was not a "family tradition" to be a member of the Church. I do not have many pioneer ancestors who joined the Church back in or around 1830. I have one--the Riddle (my paternal grandmother's maternal) family. My paternal grandmother's father joined the Church later on as did my paternal grandfather and my mother.

Specifically, I got to thinking about my mom yesterday. And even more specifically, her search for truth. I got to thinking about the remarkable person she was (and is).

I have shared this before, but my mom's mom died when my mom was six. It was 1934. This has always been an astounding fact to me. The world was at war. The Great Depression was on. A very unsure time in our world, and a little girl loses her mom to cancer. In my mind, a great tragedy.

I have often wondered what it must have been like for her. Yesterday, my mind retraced these thoughts but from a different angle. What was it that made her so wonderful?

I had concluded, a long time ago, that these experiences from her childhood, played a huge role in that. But, yesterday, I thought of her journey....of her faith.

When she was a teenager, she attended a Lutheran summer camp with a friend. While there, she stood at the meeting when the pastor announced, "If you desire to follow your Savior, Jesus Christ, please stand." Before the end of the camp, she became Lutheran. She became very active in the youth activities of the Lutheran church. I find it ironic that most of my dearest friends are practicing Lutherans. She continued to attend Lutheran services throughout her teenage years.

I don't think it was until she met my dad that she even knew what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was. Her dad, when he found out that she was dating a "Mormon," was very unhappy. He got so he wouldn't let my dad step foot in his house.

When they married, to appease her father, they did so in my dad's parents' home. It was NOT to happen in an LDS meetinghouse.

In 1959, my mom joined the Church. When I asked her why, she shared with me that it was because my dad and she wanted to be able to answer my sister's questions as they knew she would have them as she grew. They wanted to be united in their answers. They felt that they were to be had in the faith of my dad's family--the LDS faith.

I never knew my mom as a new member of the Church, but I know people who did. I have met people who loved and helped her as she "got her feet wet" in her new faith. I am grateful to those people. It's been so fun to cross paths with them and learn a little about what it was like for her back then.

My mother was a very happy person. She was solid in her faith as long as I knew her.

The Church provided her with answers she sought for herself and for her family. She found that she could be bound to her family through the ordinances in the temple. I believe those are the things she searched for more than anything else--to be tied to her family eternally.

As I look back on these things, I have to chuckle when I reminisce on the fact that, just prior to his death, my mom's dad was listening to the missionaries. He passed away, before he could have baptized himself, but my, how his heart had softened. He saw the good it did in my mom's life and the great things it did for our family. He wanted that for himself as well.

I am grateful for the faith of my mom, and I'm so thankful for those who taught her. I am so pleased to watch my daughter change lives and give back a little of what our family has been given through this wonderful church.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

My Heaven-sent Birthday Present

I had been feeling the push to get out and exercise, so last year, for my birthday, I wanted only one thing....a Nike+ Sportband. #1 had one, and I thought it would be so much more encouraging to exercise if I was able to track my progress.

The birthday envelopes limit how extravagant a birthday can be, and I knew this, but that was the ONLY thing on my list.

If you're not aware of just what a Nike+ Sportband is, let me give you a quick illustration.....

image: sportshoes.com

It's basically a watch. You wear the band on your wrist, but there is a chip (I don't know what it's officially called, but for now that will do) that is oval-ish in shape. The chip needs to attach to your shoe in order to keep track of your workout.

image: reodeekay.wordpress.com

They have shoes in which you can place the chip. They have a little compartment under the insole in the actual sole of the shoe. You slide the chip in, and voila. You're ready to go. But, you can also place the chip in a little pouch you can purchase and attach it to your shoelaces.

When you leave on a run, or in my case a walk, you hold down the
button on the band. The chip tracks how far you've gone, how many calories you've burned, and other important information while you exercise.

When you return, you slip the actual watch unit from the band itself and slide the USB into your computer. It reads the information and reports it to you in the form of a graph. It also keeps track of such things as how many workouts you've done during time periods, how far you've gone altogether, and how fast you were moving during your workout.

image: watchreport.com

Can you blame me for wanting one of these?

Well, this was going to cost the entire birthday budget. I would just attach the chip to my shoelaces. That was the plan, but I have to be honest, I was fearful the chip would fall off, and I'd be unable to use the band anymore without going out and buying a replacement chip.

My birthday is in April. I told the Warden my desire in February. In early March, a friend approached me. She said she'd cleaned out her closet and found a number of pairs of shoes, some of which had never been worn. What shoe size was I, and would I be interested in the shoes?

Of course!

A few days later, she brought me a few pairs of brand new shoes. I pulled them out and tried them on. Among these was a pair of tennis shoes. With my goal to exercise, I was very happy for these.

When #1 got home from work that evening, I showed her the shoes I'd inherited. She turned them over and looked at the sole...."Mom, do you know what this means?" She pointed at a symbol on the bottom of the shoe.

It looked like this:

image: thestrengthinside.com

"These are shoes that are set up for a Sportband."

In other words, these shoes I had just so kindly been given had the spot in the sole for the chip. No WAY!

So, here I was awaiting my birthday and a VITAL part of using the only thing I wanted had just showed up. My friend had no clue what I had asked for for my birthday. After talking to her and thanking her for the shoes later on, I shared with her why these shoes were so significant. It turns out that she wasn't aware of just what that symbol meant or that these shoes had that capability.

I had received what I felt were gifts from heaven before. I think with this many chance occurrences that happen in my life, luck is no longer a practical reason for this kind of thing to happen. 

I got the idea that I wasn't the only one who wanted me exercising. 

We went out later and used the birthday budget. I've been exercising ever since.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Hurry! Count Your Blessings!

Here are my gratitudes for today:

image: louisville.com

1. Summertime - I'm having a lazy morning. It's payday, so I'm getting the budget all set for the month. I'm grateful for the chance to just sit here and get it done and not have to hurry about getting kids out the door. That's coming sooner than I'd like. It's been a great summer. We didn't plan a big vacation because of our Spring Break trip, but we've done little jaunts here and there. There have been lots of trips to the fountains in the area, a couple runs to the beach, a trip to Seattle for the Warden and me, and the vacation will end with the Portland to Coast relay for me and something yet-to-be-determined for Labor Day. #3's birthday is the day after school starts. For her, that means, the first day of school. The Freshmen go on the actual first day. She and #2 will go the day after. Happy birthday to her!

   

   image: theskinnyms.com

2. Good food - I've been struggling with stomach problems for months now. I believe I've mentioned that before. It's not been fun. I started by cutting out white flour, sugar, and other processed foods. It helped quite a bit. I'm now down to whole foods. It makes me happy to be at least trying to get healthy things into my body. I'm hoping it will pay off over the long run, and I'm sure it will. Cooking so simply is a bit of a challenge. For some reason, in my mind, I feel like making dinner has to be so complicated. Chicken breasts, broccoli, and quinoa just doesn't seem like it can be difficult enough to be considered dinner.
3. People who say it how it is - Maybe I live in the wrong culture, but I LOVE people who will just come up and tell you what's up even if it's something they know you don't want to hear. My brother that was just here is that way. I love that I never wonder where I stand with him. If there's ever a problem, he'll tell me, and we'll work it out. I love people like this.

For today, I need to take a three mile walk and get some new socks for this weekend's face. The budget is almost done, but of course, it doesn't quite add up, so I have some more slicing and dicing to do. I need to go get the cash and set up the kids' accounts for the new school year.

We, in the next couple days, will all write to #1, and I need to start getting her birthday package ready.

Our temple is now open, so I want to get over there.

I think for this new school year, I'm going to undertake a plan to have a freezer cooking day once a month or so. I've read about this but have never done it myself. Now that we're eating so much simpler, maybe this is something I can do.

Good Things Going On

I've been working so long on that cleaning post that I refused to do my gratitude post until it was done. Well, this is long overdue, so here we go....

1. An exercise buddy - I'm getting ready to walk the Portland-to-Coast next weekend. Am I ready? Not even. I'm getting slower with every trip out. Whatever! I'm just going to go for it and hope it all works out. I have a great team, so I hope they'll make up for my lack. Regardless of all this, I have some great workout buddies. One night, #4 went with me on his roller blades. It was my fastest time so far. Other times, #3 has gone with me. We went seven miles the other night. KILLER! It is so fun to go with them. We, by the time we get home, have all the world's problems solved. So GREAT! So glad I don't have to search very far to find someone to go with me.
2. The recent visit of my brother's family - Wow! So many great times this past few days. I was sad to see them leave. There is so much gratitude all wrapped up in that five days, I don't know where to begin. Here's a short list--having cousins spend the night, barbecue with the family, Seaside and lots of time in the sand and the water, Lost Lake and pedal boats, raspberries and gravenstein apples, impersonations in the back seat of the car that had me laughing to the point of tears. This list could go on and on and on. I look forward to their next visit.
   
3. My presidency - Oh wow! These three ladies are SO wonderful! Last night, although we've been planning this for a long time and were hoping to do it to celebrate the year being half over, we met up at Moonstruck Chocolate for milkshakes and held our meeting right there. I love working with these women. Each brings something different to the table, and we seem to complement each other so well. I couldn't ask for better. Being with them is one of the highlights of my week every week.

So, here's the scoop for the day....

• #2 gets his senior portraits taken tonight. We'll be taking a trip out to beautiful Dallas, Oregon to meet up with Julia Shinkle. We love her!
• #5 has a soccer tournament this weekend, but because they've moved him to a different team, I need to go get the appropriate jersey and shorts today. **Sigh**
• I've got to get some groceries.
• I have some articles to finish up.
• Maybe a trip to the fountain is in order for the day as well. It's a bit overcast, but it's still plenty warm.
• I've also set a goal to have each family member write #1 a Dear Elder letter once a week and then write her an email on the weekend. We'll see if I can persuade them to do that.
• I started reading the Percy Jackson series to #5 and Sideways Stories from Wayside School to #6. I'm looking forward to moving to the next chapter with both of them today. Fun times!

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Overjoyed

This gratitude list thing is kind of magical.

My list, this morning, will be SUPER easy. I feel overjoyed. I'll share why in a minute.

image: flickr.com

Over the weekend, I had an interesting experience. I had an opportunity to get hung up on something negative and useless. For some reason, my gratitude list popped into my head just at that moment, and I realized that with so much good in my life, why should I give time to something so negative? What good would it do me? So, I chose to let it go and dwell on the good.

Magical, huh?

Okay, as promised, here is my list of gratitude for this morning (easy, breezy):

My siblings and me

1. Family - my brother and his family are in town. I picked them up from the airport on Saturday evening and they spent the night here. We spent Sunday afternoon at my oldest brother's home having a barbecue. Most of us were there. Yesterday, we went to the beach together--three brothers, their families and me and my kids (the Warden had to work--it's go time in the world of a school administrator). It was so great to be around them all.
2. Being wanted - I thought, after spending so much of their vacation time with us, they'd want to have just some our-own-family time. This morning I got a phone call. My brother said they'd meet us at a certain exit on the freeway. It wasn't a question of did we want to go or anything. It was a "we'll meet you." I LOVED this. This was the happiest thing I could have heard. He WANTS us to be there. Oh, how I love to be wanted. With a big family, that is a rare occurrence--something that hasn't happened in a long time.
3. Missions - We received #1's email a day late. The town she's in was experiencing some flooding, so she and her companion spent their P-Day indoors. It was great that she was able to get out and write us. In the email, she mentioned "struggles." I will share here what I shared on Facebook. I figure there are people who read my blog who aren't my Facebook friends, and I think people need to know this fact. For those of you who are my Facebook friends, forgive me for the repeat:

image:
juliashinklephotography.com

A friend just wrote to me about receiving an email from #1. He mentioned "struggles" that she'd mentioned. I love #1's honestly and frankness, but for those who haven't served a mission and see those happy, smiling missionaries out there, this might come as a surprise--that they struggle. Here's what I shared with him....

"Love it! So glad she wrote back to you. Thank you for writing to her. Every missionary goes through a rather brutal tough patch in the beginning. She is no exception, so I'm sure your email was a HUGE lift for her--knowing that there's someone else out there rooting for her. Thanks...."

***

Having served a mission, I know how tough those first few months can be as you adapt to the job at hand. She is definitely having to step outside her comfort zone day in and day out. Learning a new language, adapting to a new culture and weather conditions all hit you at the same time.

I have no doubt she'll come through with flying colors, but she, like every missionary out there, has to learn to look past herself and her own needs and learn to fill the needs of those around her. So different from the life of most 19-year-olds out there.

She isn't unusual. She's just like every missionary you meet on the street. That's what they go to do--
struggle, stretch, and serve.

I have shared with her many times as she was growing up just what that was all about. I didn't want her to get the impressing that a mission was all sunshine and roses. You only ever hear the missionaries who have returned home tell you all the wonderful experiences they've had, so you get the impression that that's all that happens. It's not. It's totally different when you're actually living it. The successes come, but not without a lot of struggle and sacrifice.

She will struggle, and it will be great. That means she's not holed up in her apartment reading books. She's actually out there living it and doing it and pushing herself and reaching out and seeking to serve. YAY!!!

Although I hate to read that she's struggling, that really ends up being the happiest news of the day.

image: pacificcreststock.com

I will post her latest email later today. For now, I've got to get ready to go to the lake. I'm wanted there. YIPPEEEE!

Life is Good

Like my new look? I thrive on change....Absolutely LOVE it. That's one thing I love about blogging--I can change the layout and look any time I want to. It's better than painting a room or rearranging furniture. It's just so great to have something different.


Three things I'm grateful for today....

That's him to my left.
We may have changed just a touch
since this photo was taken.

1. Air flight - grateful that my brother and his family were able to arrive here safely this evening and that they are in my very house at this very moment.
2. Grocery stores - seriously, could you imagine having to produce all the food you eat? No WAY! It's so great to be able to walk in, pick stuff up off the shelves and pay a few dollars for it rather than going out and milking the cow, sowing the seeds, etc.
3. Inspiration - had a chat with three of my kids in regard to the use of their time. I love it when words come out that I haven't planned that end up teaching me some important lessons too.

It's been a good day, but tomorrow'll be an even better one. Tomorrow, #1's email will come in. I hope no one plans anything for 7:30 on Sunday nights for the next year and a half cuz I won't be there.

Potato salad's all ready for tomorrow night's family get-together (Did I ever tell you? I make one mean potato salad), and things are all set and ready for church.

My house is clean--yay for guests, and I'm feeling good!

Just Happy

image:
juliashinklephotography.com

My second daughter is turning 16 soon--actually, the first day of school. To avoid the first of school craziness, especially in an educator's family, we decided to have her "sweet 16" party tonight.

She wanted to have a murder mystery party. This is the third one we've done. My favorite, by far, was the one we did a couple years ago for our son. There were all kinds of extra activities you could do. One of the things the kids did was make up a rap. It was just so entertaining. I wish I could remember the company that produced that party. I'd buy from them again.

image: oregon.gov

This morning, before we went and prepared the last of the things for the party, #3 and I ran out to the DMV to get her permit. She was successful. While we were there, we ran into one of her good buddies from EFY who was also getting his permit. It was fun to sit and talk to his mom. It's funny how some people you can meet and feel like you could just sit and talk for hours? Well, that's how this was.

After we finished at the DMV, we ran to the mall to return a pair of jeans #3 had purchased. It was so fun being with #3. We went and got the food for the party and returned home.

image: photos.oregonlive.com

The Warden took the younger kids to dinner and to the park with the fountain. #5 stayed and played "servant boy" for the party. He did a nice job serving everyone.

Tomorrow night, my brother and his family fly into town. I'm so excited to see them and to get to spend some time with them.


So, here's tonight's list of things I'm grateful for:

1. My kids' friends. They really do pick great people to hang out with. With some of my kids, I marvel at just how perfect their friends are for them--almost like they're hand-picked.
2. The ability to drive and to have other drivers in our home. As I've been walking more and more
   
   in preparation for the race coming up, I'm learning how much I value my car. I drove #1's car with the top off this evening to take one of the girls home from the party. The sky was super gray, and I was pretty sure I was going to get a bit wet. Sure enough....just after I dropped her off, it started. It was funny, though, as I drove I didn't get wet at all. When I'd have to stop for a light, I'd feel a few drops on my forehead. I just tilted my head back and enjoyed the rain--just like a born and raised Oregon girl, I guess.
3. My supportive husband. #3 and I were able to clean the house without little ones running around. It was great. I love that he will step up and do whatever's necessary to help all of the rest of us in our home be successful. What a great man!

Tonight, I'm wanting to write to #1 and tell her all about life. I'm so looking forward to hearing from her Sunday evening. I had a chance to chat with one of her friends who came to the party this evening. Made me not miss her quite as much.

I'm so glad my kids have such good friends, and I love having these people in my home. It was a really fun night.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

What I'm Learning About Cheerfulness

I believe I wrote in my gratitude post this morning that I've been struggling lately. But seriously, what would life be without struggles, right? Anyway, I took a different stance this morning. I got up and felt the same as I have for days. I decided to pray about the specific things that are concerning me--yet again. There have been no answers lately, but when I got up off my knees, I decided that maybe I needed to keep better track, so this post is a compilation of today's thoughts and lessons. These are the impressions that popped into my mind and heart as I went about today's work.

Looking back now, I'm surprised at just how many answers there were.

I kept my laptop on the counter in the kitchen as I did the dishes and made pancakes for breakfast. As I did something that made me happier, I jotted it down quickly and then got back to work.

The things listed here are what occurred prior to 2:00 this afternoon. After that time, I decided to run the kids to the park and let them run through the fountain. I guess we could add run around and do fun stuff  to the list, but life got to bustling after that, so here's my list of cheerfulness:


A little lesson for myself.....

• Music matters. Something peppy--sing along and sing loud. Dancing's even better.



image: vinylartsa.com

• I decide the weather. It doesn't matter what my situation, but in my home, it is of particular importance. You know the old saying, "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Well, that's true. The converse is also true. If momma's happy, everyone's happy.

image: wobm.com

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate.It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming” (Haim G. Ginott).

• Appearance matters. Wear something that makes you look good. Today, I wore a blouse and my happy green sweater with the white polka dots. I put my hair up and now I'm in search of some happy earrings.
• Have a routine.
• Pray--on your knees out loud.
• Pray more--in your heart ALL the time. Any time you speak with someone, pray in your heart right before.
• Don't get sucked in. Stick with your routine. Don't get caught up on the small stuff--like finding those happy earrings. If you can't find them, put on a glittery necklace or bracelet and call it all good. Now, on the other hand, if a child wakes up or one leaves the house, leave what you're doing to be there to greet or send him/her off.
• Tell yourself "It's good."
• Keep counting your blessings. When you see something good, cling to it.
• No excuses. Recognize those excuses and rationalizations for what they are.
• Insist that the kids help out. If they've left a mess and you know who left the mess, make sure they clean it up.
• Don't get overwhelmed. Use a timer.
• Don't fall into the habit of yelling across the house for any reason (unless the house is on fire, of course).
• Don't EVER let them see you sweat. NEVER raise your voice. Keep calm and give logical choices.
• Have a list. Prioritize. First things first.
• Know when too much is too much. Don't be afraid to ask for help or delegate.
• Let them handle their own problems, but again, pray.
• Low tones.
• Enlist the energy drain mentality.
• NEVER let a tender mercy pass you by--like those happy earrings that just showed up, literally,

  

  See 'em? Thanks, Gayla!

  on my doorstep. Recognize every little blessing for what it is and give thanks for it.
• Clean as you go. If you make the mess, clean up the mess, no matter how small.
• Surround yourself with happy people and happy things. Don't seek out icky things--I find myself looking at pictures of Ariel Castro's house. STOP!
• Don't return to your bedroom during the day--except to use the bathroom because who wants to use a bathroom where the kids have been? Wow, am I snobbish or what?
• Be nice to yourself. Give yourself a break every once in awhile. But remember, breaks are like dessert, not the main course.
• Be in control--stop something you like doing just to prove to yourself that you can--control the situation.
• Feed your spirit.
• Sing through the jobs you hate--sing even when, and especially when, you don't feel like it.
• Listen to lots of Taylor Swift and as you do so, be SO grateful that the dating days are long gone and that you got the guy you did. Phew!
• Wear an apron to cover those cute clothes--you don't want to have to change.
• Look at everyone who talks to you. Restate what they say to let them know that you're really listening and for clarification.
• Lower your voice. Do the opposite of what your urge is.
• Enforce respect--have little people clean up after themselves, help them/remind them to look into your face when they talk to you.

Inspirational messages of the day:

• "Courage is fear that prayed." --Thanks, Julia!

  

  image: tumblr.com

• "This is a time of faith, not fear" (Ensign magazine)
• "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36)
• "Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness" (Boyd K. Packer)
• "Look up" (Thomas S. Monson)
• "God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face" (Jeffrey R. Holland)
• "Rapids are a part of our journey." They're the best part of the trip and add a sense of

  

  image: movingforward.net

  accomplishment and exhilaration.
• "Answers to prayer and the solutions to our problems generally come as we begin to act, not while we are on our knees praying."
• "There is nothing in this world that can defeat us."

image: fanpop.com

In short, this list is a lesson to me that answers come continually in many ways. If I seek for them, they will be found. And if, next time, I'm not looking in the right places, I can always come back here.