Going Out

I've been thinking about my little sister, Mackenzie. This is nothing new, as I think of her frequently. But on the 14th anniversary of her death (February 11th, 2016), I was actually in a pretty good place about her—especially considering how sad I've been on anniversaries past. Because of my recent strength, I was surprised that my thoughts have drifted back to Kenzie in my familiar, missing, nostalgic, wishing ways.

My thoughts became more intense this past weekend when Greg asked me to go visit his sweet mom's grave. It's been eight years since Anne passed away, but it feels much more recent. Anne and Mackenzie are both buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery, so when we visit one, we visit the other.

It was a beautiful, clear, chilly day in the cemetery. The sun shone so brightly! As we stood at Anne's grave, the birds were very twitterpated, they made me laugh! I told Greg that his mom would have loved seeing those happy, feisty birds! :) We stood there for quite a while, holding hands, just looking and thinking...Anne was a marvelous woman!

When a huge wind came up, I hid behind Greg. As I buried my head in his back, I looked over and saw a family driving slowly in a station wagon. They were silently watching us, so I closed my eyes and hugged Greg. Yes, cemeteries are thoughtful, speechless places...probably one of the few spots on Earth I'm without a lot of words.

As we drove up to Kenzie's grave, I read several names. Even though I've been to the Salt Lake City Cemetery more times than I can count, I never tire of wondering who those souls were and what their legacy is. I wonder if they feel good about how they left this world? I wonder what they would tell everyone if they had one more day on Earth? One thing I don't wonder about is their happiness now. I have zero doubts in my mind that they're all smiling and at peace! :)

I spent time staring at Kenzie's headstone, remembering all the times I've visited. No, I don't remember the exact number, but I recall portions of every visit. It's strange to think her years are far past 18—she would be 32 years old now! Yet in my mind, she is still that young adult, a recent high school graduate, barely able to vote. I wonder who she would vote for in 2016? I wonder what she would think of our world's current state of total chaos?

The thought that keeps coming back to me is that Mackenzie doesn't belong to this world anymore. Of course, we'd take her back in a heartbeat(!), but life has moved on so drastically since she left, I think she'd be shocked at the state of our society. I mean, she's only four years shy of having been gone for as long as she was alive—which is mind boggling. My oldest son is only two+ years younger now than Mackenzie was when she died. I truly cannot believe how much time has passed! Yet for me, she is frozen in time. That said, I'm positive Kenz would totally be able to handle whatever this crazy world might throw at her. :)

So today, I want to share a poem Kenzie wrote when she was in elementary school. My dad shared it with me over a year ago and I've had his permission to publish it here, but I just kept hanging onto it privately. I'm glad it feels like the right time to share Mackenzie's words (below). I've kept the basic idea of her poem—font, border, colors—the same, I've just jazzed it up a bit! (I use PicMonkey for my typographic designs.)

When I first read her poem, I was instantly struck with how much I relate to it. Yes, it was a school assignment, but I think her young mind created something lovely! Mackenzie definitely had a wonderful way with words. Our other sister shared with me that their teacher had them create a poem based off a famous poet's poem—she had the same project two years earlier. Kenzie chose "The Pasture," by Robert Frost, and titled it, "Going Out."

Going Out
By Mackenzie Jessica Fullmer

I'm going out to sail the sea;
I'll only stop to clear the clouds away
And wait to feel the breeze, I may:
I shan't be gone long.–You come too.

I'm going out to fetch the little star
That is so delicate. It shines so bright.
It burns throughout the night.
I shan't be gone long.–You come too.

Ever since I read this poem for the very first time, I envision our darling Mackenzie out at sea. She loved the ocean every bit as much as I do—which is A LOT! And whenever I miss her, I think of her words, "I shan't be gone long..." One day, I will be where she is—with our beloved family members. Until that day (which I hope is FAR in the future), I will imagine Mackenzie in the sky, high above the seas, clearing the clouds away, fetching the delicate little stars and saving them for a fantastic light show when she greets us! :)

I'm so grateful for Mackenzie, her precious words, and her heavenly support—which I know she freely and continually gives to our family members and me!

I took this photo from the balcony of my aunt and uncle's beautiful condo in Florida. I will never forget our glorious vacation there! Yes, the Treasure Coast will be a part of my heart forever! :)

His Grace

Yesterday, I was given the wonderful opportunity of teaching the lesson, "What is Grace?" to "my" Mia Maid class. (I'm the first counselor in my ward's Young Women Presidency.) While I won't go into all of the lesson details, I want to share a smidgen of my experience. I found the following to be highly interesting:

• The young woman in our Mia Maid class presidency who chose this lesson is named Grace.
• Grace wanted to learn more about grace. :)
• Grace specifically wanted me to teach the lesson.
• There are four leaders who teach the Mia Maid class (we have many active members in our ward!), thus, we rotate through a monthly teaching schedule and never know where we'll fall on that schedule, due to others being out of town, etc.
• As I prepared our class' lesson schedule, I was amazed that my turn to teach happened to fall on the "What is Grace?" lesson, :)
• Yesterday just so happened to be the very last Sunday that Grace's family attended our ward because they are moving to a new home.

I didn't know that last bullet point was happening yesterday. I knew her family was moving, yes, but I thought it wouldn't be for at least another month. Thus, even before I went to church yesterday, I was simply excited that "our" Grace was able to have the lesson she wanted taught, by the teacher she wanted to teach it!

When I heard that Grace would be leaving our class, tears came to my eyes. This darling and mighty talented girl has contributed so much to the fun factor in our Young Women! The tears were also there because of the fact that Grace was able to have her very last lesson in our ward be taught about the topic she wanted to know more about: grace! Thus, I was so happy I prepared well for our lesson. I spent a lot of time researching, listening to the talks and creating my handout (below).

Late Saturday night, I felt inspired to print out g r a c e in very big, bold letters to put on our classroom's chalkboard. (Actually, it was very early Sunday morning, due to Daylight Savings, but to me, it was still Saturday night!) Before I created it, I thought, "I've never done a chalkboard printout like this before, why should I do it now? I already have the beautiful handout I spent so much time designing. Why should I do more? And I have my cute little easel to put my handout on, and my favorite picture of our Savior to display. Isn't that enough?" (I wish I could share my picture here, but due to copyright restrictions, I can only share the name: "Christ and the Rich Young Ruler," by Heinrich Hofmann.)

But the thought of g r a c e wouldn't leave my mind, so I knew the chalkboard sign was supposed to be a part of my lesson. I logged back onto my computer and began creating g r a c e. I made the font as big as would possibly fit one letter to a page and cut out the letters so they were almost circular. They were simple, but looked pretty cute—if I do say so myself! :) I packed everything up in my "Time Out For Women" tote and got ready for bed.

So it was really no surprise when we found out it was Grace's last Sunday. I thought to myself, "Ah ha! Now I get it!" I knew right then and there that Heavenly Father was giving Grace (and the rest of us) a little sign {g r a c e} that He is very aware of each and every one of us! I knew that He wanted Grace to feel just how loved she is by Him and our ward's Young Women organization. He wanted Grace to know that He knew of the importance of the lesson she wanted taught...by the teacher she wanted to teach it...on the very last day she would be able to attend the ward she was raised in!

This event was no small matter, and I made certain my Mia Maid class understood that as I was putting g r a c e on the chalkboard with magnets—Grace loved seeing her name up there! :) Of course, I made sure that all of my Mia Maids know they are equally loved and important! (But none of them will be going through as huge of a life change this week as Grace—leaving the only home she's known since birth.)

Here are the amazing talks I listened to this past week—I'm certain I'll listen to them again!

The Gift of Grace

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease

By Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Each of those talks brought tears to my eyes as I thought about the eternal love our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ have for each and every one of us! It blows my mind! :)

While I wasn't able to delve into the above-listed talks in class as much as I wanted (due to time constraints), I felt happy that (I think!) my Mia Maids left our class with a better understanding of His Grace. I also found no coincidence in the fact that the closing song of our sacrament meeting was "O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown"—it was meant to be! I shared these lyrics with my Mia Maids, for they went along perfectly with our lesson!

"No creature is so lowly,
No sinner so depraved,
But feels thy presence holy
And thru thy love is saved.
Tho craven friends betray thee,
They feel thy love's embrace;
The very foes who slay thee
Have access to thy grace."

Yes, we all have access to His Grace, and for that, I'm incredibly grateful! As much as I understand grace (sorry, I won't write more about it here because I need to go eat dinner with My Gregor!), I know my soul will only fully comprehend the magnitude of His Grace once I get to the other side. I expect that to be true for everyone. Until then, I'll be focused on this glorious scripture that is beloved across eternity!

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." – Philippians 4:13

I love it!!!

A Mother's A

Tonight's quick post was spurred by an article I feel the need to share, "The Price We Pay for an A," by Katie Stirling. I recommend reading it if you have the time so you'll better understand where my opinions are coming from. :)

Before you continue reading , please know that I mean no offense to anyone who has made different life choices than me. I'm simply sharing my thoughts because I think every mother can learn from Mrs. Sterling's choices. It's a good read, but also hard to read because all I could think about were her crying children! #bustmyheart! :(

I find it fascinating that even though the author ultimately made the right decision to sell her business (Good for her! Seriously!), she admitted she's not yet cured of her A-seeking "illness." I also find it sad that she considers herself to be "just a mom." :( Yet I wonder, did she mean that phrase in a sarcastic way? I admit I'm not a great in the ways of interpreting or delivering sarcasm, so I'm not sure.

Her article definitely makes me wonder what her children will say when they're grown...

I wish Mrs. Sterling could have the attitude of desiring nothing more than to be a top-tiered mother (until her children are grown), for there are many ways to gain a "Mother's A"—trust me, they are enough!! :) I'm constantly evaluating myself as a mother, and many days, I totally give myself a big, chunky-font A with a happy gold star! Ha ha. And when I don't deserve a Mother's A, I take a step back, review the objectives/expectations of my job description and mentally rewrite my goals for the next day/week/month/year(s). While we're at it, let's remember that every person's definition of success is different!

The amazing gift of motherhood is the ability to know immediately how we're doing. Our children give us instant feedback, so there's no need for a quarterly review. We'll never have to wonder where we land in our children's end-of-the-year performance ranking! Ha ha.

Reading things like "The Price We Pay for an A" instantly reminds me how happy I am that Greg and I have absolutely done what was needed (every time!) to keep me home with our children—despite the fact that we've been endlessly tight on money. The choices we've made as a happily married couple are worth every missing penny because we know our kids were played with, cared for and raised by their own engaged and available mother! :) Meaning I'm engaged with my children, and I'm available anytime they need me! Well, as close to 100% of the time as a person can get.

I sincerely hope every mother decides that earning a Mother's A is enough! For the good "grades" we receive from raising our children well are worth much more than any reward a college, university, boss or bank could bestow upon us. :)

P.S. I'm thinking I could categorize this post as a sort of follow-up to "Hiring Out Our Future." :)

Exercise Prosperity

If you can believe it, I originally began writing this blog post in August, 2014! I decided to wait to publish it because I wanted to compare myself before and after I began working out continuously. Now, I feel more than ready to share my thoughts on the boundless importance of physical exercise! :)

I'm guessing many of you have heard the old saying, "It takes six weeks to get into shape, but only two weeks to get out of shape." If you haven't heard that information before, let me assure you that it's true. My amazing junior high gymnastics coach told our team those words when I was in the seventh grade and I've never forgotten them! I've exercised off and on throughout my entire life and this six week/two week rule has always proved correct. :)

In 2012, I began seriously working out to exercise videos with one of my Texas friends at our ward's (church) gym (a full-sized basketball court), three days per week, for six months straight. We missed a day once in a while, but it wasn't very often. I was in the best shape of my life since I'd been a gymnast!

After Greg and I found out we were moving from Texas, my official exercising times vanished. Sure, I was getting plenty of exercise because of packing our rental house and moving to Utah, but after we settled into our new/old house, I fell out of shape. Remember it takes only two weeks to get out of shape? Well, that's exactly what happened to me after our exhausting move. Don't get me wrong, I was still a very active mama, but I only officially exercised maybe once or twice per week and it wasn't consistent.

So, a year after our big move back to our beloved Utah, I was finally ready to rejoin the fit world and really commit myself to exercising consistently. Yet I absolutely did not let myself feel like a failure for becoming less-than-fit, I simply decided to change my lifestyle! :) I made an exercise plan and committed to it 100%!

I'm so happy to report that tomorrow begins my 48th week of exercising consistently! I'm humbled and excited to write that number. That information means I'm officially in shape! Yay me! (I'm not being prideful, just super happy!) By the way, as much as I would have really liked one, I didn't receive a certificate for working my hiney into good shape. Ha ha. Maybe I'll just have to create my own! ;)

Even though I have a gym membership that gives me unlimited use of their machines and weights, I'm not great about going there because I love exercise classes oodles more. Exercising with people totally motivates me.

(On a weird side note, last week, our local gym randomly moved locations to merge with another gym. This news was totally unexpected, so Greg and I will definitely be canceling our memberships and finding an alternative {like our basement!} because there's no way we're driving 15+ minutes just to get to the gym! I know that's a short commute for many people, but the gym used to be less than five minutes from our house—which is why we signed up for it in the first place.)

To get my hiney into shape, I chose to workout to varied exercise videos. I already owned the New York City Ballet Workout 1 & 2 DVDs; Pilates for Weight Loss DVD; and one yoga DVD, but I decided I needed a few more options. I have a bunch of additional exercise VHS videos, but our player broke in the move and we never bought another one.

When my sister-in-law asked what I wanted for Christmas (2013), I suggested Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I was thrilled to open 30 Day Shred on Christmas day because it's a great workout! A few months later, I purchased the entire P90X program (including the chin-up bar, minus the bands because I use my own weights), I was so excited! I got a fabulous deal and it has been worth e-v-e-r-y penny! (Sadly, the deal I got in 2014 isn't available anymore.) *I'll be writing about my P90X experience another day...I can't wait!

Because I've stayed true to my fitness goals over the past 10+ months, I can pretty much do any exercise or physical activity I desire—which feels amazing! I can't even begin to express the joy my heart feels when I decide to quickly run somewhere (while I'm running errands, or trying to escape the rain, or helping wrangle the neighbors' escaped dogs!) and do it without any huffing and puffing! I know my heart is stronger; my lungs have greater capacity (which also helps with singing in my ward's choir!); and my muscles have increased endurance! I just love that my body is so much more efficient than it used to be!

*Might I add, in regard to my physical shape, several people have said things to me like, "Oh, you're so lucky, you don't have to worry about your weight!" or, "I'm just not naturally skinny like you are." etc. While well-intentioned, those comments drive me crazy!

What those people don't realize is that even when I wasn't working out as consistently as I am now, I was still trying to stay active and watched what I ate. Even after I've been exercising consistently for all this time, I continue to watch what I eat. Yes, on occasion, I do eat whatever I want (like tonight's pizza and peanut M&M's) and it tastes awesome...until I get a stomach ache, then I totally regret that I ever overate!

Basically, I listen to my body. I try to eat healthily. I don't drink soda unless we're at a party or some special event. When I have treats one day, I limit them in the days to come. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I allow my body to get hungry, for I believe hunger is our bodies' natural way of communicating to us if we need food, or not! I think a lot people in the world have messed up their bodies by continuing to eat when they're not hungry, so their bodies are confused and they don't know when enough is enough. But enough about my food ideas. ;)

I simply wanted to clarify that I'm not just naturally skinny. And, hi! I wouldn't even define myself as skinny! I guess would define myself as not big. :) I treat my body as well as I possibly can, which includes exercising and eating healthily.

Sorry for my tangent, I just had to clarify those points...

My fit self was especially evident when I went to BYU Women's Conference April 30th–May 1st, 2015. As I walked all over campus, I couldn't help but reminisce about my experience in 2014. I couldn't believe the overwhelmingly positive difference in my 2015 body, compared to my 2014 body!

In 2014, I was tired at BYUWC. Walking all over campus for two days straight was very wearing on me and I nearly fell asleep in a couple of classes. Thus, I was beyond excited to realize that my 2015 body was literally ready to bound all over campus! Can I get a holla?! Every time I started walking to my next class, my body just wanted to get up and RUN! My body was unstoppable at BYU because of all my exercising and training during the previous 10 months.

By the by, my fluorescent yellow and white striped shirt is actually from the girls' section at Target!  I found it one day while shopping with my daughter, and I couldn't leave the store without it! :)

I'm guessing there are many people in my life who are tired of hearing me gush about how incredibly happy I am to be in good shape—and readers of my exercise blog posts are probably sick of my exclamation points and smiley faces—but I simply can't help it!! Being fit is such an amazing feeling that continually surprises me when I least expect it. I have great satisfaction in knowing my body is not only healthier, but my clothes fit better, too! Okay, I'm just going to say it, it feels awesome! :) Truly, looking good is one of the happiest side effects of exercising! The very best benefits of exercising are increased energy, strength and stamina!

All of that said, is my body perfectly sculpted like a fitness model? Oh, my goodness, no! I don't have "thigh gap,"never have, never will! My thick/loose stomach skin definitely shows that I've given birth three times, and my stomach muscles can occasionally be seen under my post-baby-10-years-ago skin (ha ha). Those things don't bother me in the slightest! And I would never exchange my three babies for a flat stomach—no way! I have cellulite throughout my body and I'm not ashamed to let it show. I'm not even looking to drop 10 pounds—although, if it happened, I wouldn't complain, either. :) My life's forever goal is to be healthy and fit!

I will continue following my church's Word of Wisdom, which, if followed, promises that I will run and not be weary, and walk and not faint! My simple desire is to be able to move my magnificent gift-of-a-body (for it was given to me by our Heavenly Father!) in all the ways I wish, and have the stamina needed to participate in any activity I want—for my entire life. The glorious thing is, I feel I have finally achieved my goals!

While I still haven't learned how to surf or snowboard (both are goals of mine!), my heart is so happy knowing I'm absolutely strong enough to accomplish my desires—were I given the opportunity! :)

In terms of my health and overall well-being, I feel extremely prosperous! And just like in the business world where nothing great is ever achieved by cheating, the only way our bodies will ever truly prosper is by being honest in all of our actions. There are no shortcuts in life that bring significant and lasting results—especially in exercising!

P.S. Another thing I love about being fit is that when I exercise or do other activities, I can see my skin (and fat) moving all at once because of my muscles! There's not some huge cellulite wave that continually ripples back and forth across my body—it's just a little one! It might seem silly to some, but seeing and feeling my individual muscles move with purpose is immensely gratifying!

P.P.S. Did I mention how much I love looking good and being healthy/fit for my husband? Well, providing those benefits for the love of my eternity is the greatest feeling!

Even Though I'm Not a Millionaire...

I have wished I was a millionaire many times during my life. As a child, I remember watching a scene from Little House on the Prairie's episode "At the End of the Rainbow" when Laura fantasizes that the Ingalls family becomes very wealthy. I related to that episode because I, too, had daydreamed that my family would one day be rich. :) (By the way, I think this episode has a lot to do with my love of white dresses! Well, that, and staring at my mom's gorgeous bridal photo nearly every day during my childhood!)

I took this photo of the Little House on the Prairie DVD case. I could copyright it, but since it's not my original photo, I won't. I just wanted to clarify that I indeed took this photo...of a photo. ;)

In fact, when I was 11 years old, my dad thought about purchasing the very grand house on 335 E. 5th Avenue in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Back in the late 1980s, the house was in not-great shape which is why it was such a great deal. It would have required a lot of labor and money! Still, my dad drove our family to 335 E. a couple of times and asked what we thought about possibly moving there?? My head instantly filled with thoughts of living in my very own princess tower room! Oh, it was a grand daydream for a couple of weeks...until my dad wisely decided against it. As an adult, I'm glad he didn't purchase the house for I believe the financial burden would have been too great for our family, but as a child, that decision was a very sad one for me. No, I wouldn't get to be a white-dress-wearing Princess Adrie after all. Boo. :'(

Side note: from the research I've done through various real estate websites and the county assessor's office, 335 E. 5th Avenue was renovated in 1988, and remodeled in 1996 and 2000. It was converted into three separate apartments, which makes sense, but I would have loved to have that impressive mansion remain combined for one blessed family! :)

Throughout my childhood, and until I left my parents' nest, my family was never rich in the worldly sense. Thankfully we were never poor, either. We always had enough, which is a great blessing! Thus, it wasn't a hard adjustment for me to be so amazingly broke when Greg and I married (young). We truly lived on love, prayers, and tithing blessings—but we had our plans! :)

As many of you know, when we first married, I worked and put Greg through college so I could eventually become a stay-at-home mom. Greg received two bachelor's degrees in three years (economics and Japanese), while I worked full-time (until our oldest son was born) and he worked part-time.

After Greg had worked for a couple of years in a full-time and steady grown-up job, he began his first master's degree program. I made him take the slow route so he could still be an active and involved husband and father.

Over the next several years, things did not turn out the way we expected or planned, so he was never able to complete his first master's degree. Shortly after we realized he wouldn't be able to finish his master's degree in time—before his classes started "falling off" and he would have had to retake them—Greg decided to get his MBA. Happily for all of us, he graduated in a year-and-a-half! :) Greg's graduation day was one of the happiest days of my life!!!

In terms of education, I think Greg and I prepared very well! I was certain that because of Greg's amazing and dedicated diligence in working and gaining an education (three awesome degrees!), he would be greatly compensated. Don't get me wrong, we have been greatly blessed over the years by the companies Greg has worked for, but our efforts have not yielded the financial results we expected.

I used to think our financial struggles were due to the fact that the companies Greg worked for simply didn't appreciate him enough, but I was wrong. Then I blamed our misfortune with layoffs on the terrible economy—which is partially true. But after gaining the proper perspective over many years, I've determined that Greg's and my path is not supposed to be one that's paved with gold. I've come to believe that we are to live a modest life.

Like my childhood family, my little family has always been blessed to have enough. Whenever Greg and I have anything extra, we now completely understand that it's for a reason: we are to save it for the next financial burden that's just around the corner. This way of thinking/behaving is most definitely not sad, it's actually served us very well and has helped us stay financially afloat during times when we shouldn't have made it!

All of that said, there are times when I wish my little family had unlimited funds:

• When I see others in true need. I would love to give money wherever I go!
• When I receive requests for me to donate to "Go Fund Me" websites. I feel badly that I can't contribute.
• When people I love are gravely ill...it hurts my heart to see them suffering physically and financially. I literally wish I could afford to pay all of their medical bills.
• When I want my little family to go on an amazing vacation (Or I want to learn how to snowboard!), and I don't want us to go into debt for it! :)
• When our house and/or cars have expensive problems to repair.
• When my husband longingly looks at Cadillac Escalades on Auto Trader for years. How I wish I could just go pick one up, put a humongous red bow on the hood, blindfold My Gregor and grandly reveal his present!
• When my children ask for various iDevices because they want to fit-in with their friends. Hey, I'd love to buy iDevices for all of my children's friends, and my friends too! Ha ha.
• When I want to buy everyone I love (That's a lot of people!) grand presents for their birthdays and Christmas.
• When I want to bleach my teeth with the special supplies from a dentist. I know, first-world problems!

I'm guessing there might be some critics that look at my silly woes and say, "If they'd just quit being members of that darn church of theirs, they'd get a pay raise post haste!" Well, readers, I assure you, quitting our church is not ever going to happen. :)

I love my church with my whole heart. I love what it represents. I love that my family history is inextricably linked with Church History! I love what it gives to me and my family. I love the service my family and I are able to render because we're members of it. I love how our tithing funds and fast offerings benefit others. I would love to be able to contribute financially to more of The Church's charitable causes one day! I love being instantly connected to endless amazing people across the entire world—and into eternity! I love feeling the Spirit each and every Sunday while participating in sacred ordinances. And the temple? Well, there is nothing that compares to the temple!

So. Even though I'm not a millionaire—and probably never will be—I'm truly, honestly, and sincerely okay with that. And even though I probably won't ever be able to endlessly give money like I desire, there is one thing I can do for myself and others: I can pray. I know that sounds like an oversimplified response, but it's true and prayer works!

For as we learn in Alma 34:17-27,

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren [and sisters!], that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

Yes, I pray for myself and everyone I care about. My prayers are pretty lengthy! :)

In addition to praying, I can also fast. And you'd better believe I fast! I usually fast on Fast Sundays, but when someone I know is suffering, or otherwise in great need, I will do a full fast for them any day of the week. I've seen miracles come from fasting and praying!

This past Fast Sunday, January 4th, 2015, Greg and I fasted for our children's well-being, and for our family's finances. Again, we're technically totally fine financially speaking, but we're still digging-out from our move in 2013 (read: credit card debt); our mortgage is increasing this year due to rising property taxes and homeowners' insurance costs; we're starting our two oldest children in braces next month; we have two 17-year-old minivans with needed repairs; and our garage door is broken. The great news is, we finally paid back the loan Greg's wonderful dad provided for us when we sold our Colorado house at a loss in 2008. Yay us!! Yes, it's always fun to pay off a loan on a house you haven't owned in six years! (Not really. I don't recommend it.)

Anyway, I felt the need for inspiration on how to make all of our endless ends meet—without me re-entering the workforce or Greg getting a new job (because we're settled and we don't want to have to move again!). So, we fasted for help. :)

That lovely Fast Sunday, I "broke" (completed) my fast with my children. (Greg was still at church serving in his calling for our bishop.) I prayed while we held hands around the foot of my bed. It was a sweet, warm and marvelous moment. The Spirit was very strong. I can still envision that lovely experience in my mind! I was so pleased my children willingly participated and listened to my l.o.n.g. prayer, even though they were tired from church and wanted to relax!

I felt such peace that following week. My children were very happy and doing so well in school and their other social activities. And even though our money will be stretched even farther this year, somehow I just knew that everything would work out all right! That said, my husband and I were totally amazed at the email he received Wednesday, January 7th.

I won't go into too much detail, but suffice it to say, my husband was contacted by a recruiter for a position that's a step above his current position. It would have easily covered our financial burdens and then some. The only problem was, the job is located in another state. Still, Greg and I saw this opportunity as a direct answer to our fasting and prayers, so we discussed our options. Not only would Greg have received a nice raise, wonderful recognition and a job title he loved, but the overall cost of living would have been less than what we're currently experiencing. It was quite the amazing prospect!

In the end, we decided to have Greg stay put in his current position because we love our family's stability, adorable city, great friends, and fantastic schools. Plus, his current position allows him to work from home, which is such a priceless blessing to our family. Basically, my family's overall happiness is worth more than money!

What blew me away is the fact that Greg received this email a mere three days after we completed our fast and prayers. It's like Heavenly Father was saying, "Yes, Adrie, I absolutely hear you. I know you're concerned, and I love you! Does this job opportunity help make you feel better?" I just can't get over the fact that Greg and I were given a legitimate option of a way to change our financial circumstances if we so desired. And in the end, we decided we are okay with our lives the just the way they are! We are truly so happy living in our 1970s house—even though it needs umpteen repairs and updates! :)

But that's not the end of our story! Read on!

This past week, Greg was working in Texas. I missed him terribly! I was such a busy mama, which is why I haven't blogged in a while. During the long hours of Greg's absence, I've had a lot of time to think of ways I can cut our budget. I was feeling so positive because as we all know, it's not how much money you make, it's how much money you spend! Thus, I've made many plans I know will help our family make it financially through these next few tight years. :)

And any time I begin to feel picked on because of our tight finances, all I have to do is remember that amazing email Greg received from the recruiter that gave us the legitimate opportunity to change our circumstances, and how we absolutely chose to stay put and live our lives simply! :)

Thus, you can imagine my total, complete, and utter surprise when, yesterday, Greg received some really wonderful news during his year-end review at work. I love that his review was filled with praise, for I fill him with praise every day! Ha ha. What I love even more is that he was given a small raise—for the first time in six years(!)—and a bonus that will help us finally recover from our move from Texas to Utah!

Anyone can say this experience was all just a coincidence, but I firmly and pleasantly disagree. For I know my family's fasting efforts were absolutely recognized. Our prayers were heard and spectacularly answered!

All of that said, just because Greg and I have been given a little financial respite, that doesn't mean I'm going to abandon the inspiration I received in regard to the ways I can cut back my family's spending and save money. Like I said before, anytime we get a little break, I know that means something else is coming around the corner. I'll make sure we're prepared—I won't get sidetracked! :)

Yes, friends, even though I'm not a millionaire, I am so very rich in all of the ways that truly matter: love, family, health, faith, knowledge and friends. And to top off my delicious sundae of life, I positively know that our Heavenly Father knows me, hears me, and answers my prayers!

P.S. I know He hears and answers your prayers, too, I just got caught up in my moment of happiness. :)

Children Don't Wait

I looked at my blog last night and realized I haven't posted anything in over five weeks, which has to be some kind of non-posting record for me! That doesn't mean that I don't have anything to write about. I literally have pages of ideas in my little blogging notebook. I also have several notes on my smart phone's note app. My mind is constantly swirling with things I'm just "dying" to write about on my happy little blog! I've just been busy volunteering at my children's school, vacationing, spending time with my little family, and doing many household chores. The end of school and start of summer is a very busy time for me. :)

Even though I have this intense desire to write on my blog until my fingers ache, I've consciously chosen to spend my time mainly on/with my little family, and I feel like I'm making the right decision. A few days ago, I was talking with my amazing mom and we got on the topic of motherhood. (Surprise surprise!) She told me a delightful little story that helped solidify my aforementioned feelings.

One day, when I was about 10 years old, my mom was busy doing many important tasks. We (my mom and I) had recently bought a sew-it-yourself doll. (I loved dolls so much when I was little! I still love dolls, but don't display them like I used to.) I asked my mom, over and over, when she was going to start sewing the doll for me? My mom kept saying, "Not now, I'm busy." (Or something like that.)

She ended up talking to her mom on the phone that day, and mentioned her frustration at my consistent pestering because she had so many other things she needed to accomplish. That's when her mom said, "Shari, children don't wait." My lovely grandma continued to explain her thoughts about the great importance of children, how quickly they grow up, that my mom should take the time to sew my doll, and then she could complete her other tasks. My mom said she learned a very valuable lesson that day—one that she's never forgotten!

The interesting thing is, I absolutely remember watching my mom stay up late that night, sewing my doll's dress. Her actions meant the world to me! But I never knew the story behind her selfless service.

I am utterly grateful for my grandma's words—not only because they benefited me when I was young, but because I totally relate to them now as a mother of my own three sweet children! I think my grandma's words can benefit any caregiver of children. Plus, I have always felt a special connection to my grandma, and this is just one more example of how we agree with each other. Yes, we are most definitely on the same wavelength when it comes to spending our time on mothering our precious children. :)

While I could endlessly gush about my grandma and all of her amazing, wonderful, and inspiring qualities, I'm going to follow her example and go spend time with my children. :) But before I go (I know, I'm such a chatterbox!), I want to share my typographic design of my grandmother's words. I had such a delightful time creating it! I tried to get a 50s feel going with the font, border, and colors, for my grandma was in the prime of her mothering in the 1950s. I feel so happy knowing that my grandmother's wise words will (hopefully) be shared with many people!

Resurrection

No, this post is not referring to the new TV show "Resurrection". ;) I just had to clarify that point, lest people think they were about to read a review of the show!

This afternoon, I happily gave the lesson in my church's Mia Maid class. I was privileged to be able to teach the darling young women of my ward about Jesus Christ's glorious resurrection, and what it means for all of us.

After reading through all of the lesson material earlier this week, I chose to focus on Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk "Resurrection," from General Conference, April, 2000. Today I had each of the young women read a scripture that Elder Oaks referenced in his talk, and we discussed each one of them as a class.

Here is a list of the scriptures we read: Mosiah 16:7; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Mormon 7:5; Mosiah 15:8; Mosiah 16:7–8; Alma 22:14; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 2 Ne. 9:22; Helaman 14:17; Mormon 9:13; D&C 29:26; D&C 76:39, 42–44; John 14:19.

Additionally, we read aloud and discussed all but the last section of his talk. I was sad we didn't get to finish discussing his talk, but we simply ran out of time. (Actually, I think I went over my class' time limit by a few minutes!) That said, I was greatly pleased with the way the lesson turned out, and I know the Holy Ghost had everything to do with it. :) I dearly hope the Mia Maids in my class enjoyed the lesson as well!

Instead of only linking to Elder Oaks' wonderful talk on our Savior's resurrection, I've chosen to share the video here. I feel his words and personal delivery are that important! I highly recommend watching it. :)

This morning, I created a typographic design of Alma 34:32 (the first half of the scripture) for the young women of my ward to take home. Not only is it one of my all-time favorite scriptures (okay, I have a lot of favorite scriptures), but Elder Oaks also referenced it in his talk. :)

Yes, my design is visually very simple this time. I created it in only black and white because for me, everything in life really is the simple contrast of black and white! Either we're on the Lord's side, or we're not. We're either willing to give our wills (the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action) completely to our Heavenly Father, or we're not. It really is so simple. For one day, all of us really will be taken home to that God who gave [us] life. (Alma 40:11)


Alma 34:32 is the challenge I give myself every single day, and I advised "my" Mia Maids to do the same. I know I've said it so many times, but we really must not have any regrets in life! We must not leave anything undone, or left to chance...because if we really think about it, there is no chance. We will absolutely face the consequences of our actions—or inaction, for that matter! We need to be prepared for the day of our own glorious resurrections, so we will not fear our final judgment—nor debate the final outcome of it! :)