Tuesday, January 29, 2008

52 Blessings ~ Week 4

Ok, so I know I'm late this week! But it's not really my fault. I had to go on a business trip & just
got back this afternoon. So, after much pondering, I'm going to express gratitude for something different this week than I had planned. On Saturday, Josh & I had the opportunity to attend the Rexburg Temple Open House. I hadn't planned to go, just thought I'd attend a session at some point. But Josh wasn't able to go with the youth trip & really wanted to go. So I told him I would take him. How glad am I that he wanted to go! It was absolutely beautiful & a wonderful opportunity to attend. I came away awed again at the beauty of the temple & with a renewed gratitude for the blessings available to us within those walls. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have to attend the temple & pray for greater worthiness of the blessings I receive there.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

I'm Cool...

....no really, I am! I even took a test to prove it!

NerdTests.com says I'm a Cool Non-Nerd.  What are you?  Click here!

I stole this off Jen's blog--I couldn't believe she actually registered on the test as a nerd...I never would have picked that one. Josh will never, ever believe that I am cool!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Game #3

Game #3 in 8th grade basketball was tonight. I wasn't able to go, as it was an away game & I had some work obligations I wasn't able to get out of. But, the Panthers were victorious! They won 44-26, which puts them at 2-1 for the season...Josh had 4 points tonight, which he was very excited about! That makes up for the fact that the Celtics lost tonight!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

52 Blessings ~ Week 3

I had a lot going through my mind this week, trying to decide on what I was going to post this week. I finally decided that this week, I am grateful for something a little bit different. I am thankful that my life didn't happen the way that I planned it. When I graduated from high school, I had my life all planned out. I was going to go to school to become a veterinarian, move someplace where I could make a name for myself as a vet & go from there. However, something strange happened. As I started taking my courses, I found that I didn't enjoy them. I loved my time at UI, but had some roommate situations happen that ended up bringing me home to transfer to ISU & move home to save costs. As I approached my 21st birthday, I began contemplating serving a mission. As I prayed, I kept getting the feeling that a mission was not for me. I wasn't sure why, as I was not at the time dating anyone that I would have considered marrying. After discussing the situation with my Bishop, he told me that if the answer I was receiving was "No", then that was what I should follow & not serve a mission. About 6 months after I would have left on a mission, James & Josh needed me. That June, James & Josh came to Idaho to live with us. Had I left on my mission, my mom is not sure she would have been in the position to be able to care for the two of them, with the particular needs they had at the time. I have no doubt that the course of my life was led by the Lord's hand so that I would be where I needed to be, when I needed to be. Regardless of the plans that I had made for myself, the Lord ensured that the plans that He had for me would be met. I am thankful every day that I was fortunate enough to be blessed by having James & Josh in my life.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Game #2

So today was game #2, against Preston. Today did not go nearly as well as yesterday. Both 7th & 8th grade lost their games. The Preston team is very, very good. They have a player who is 6'6" and is already being looked at by colleges! Our guys tried hard, but they couldn't even touch him! They did not play well at all the first half, but came back and scored 18 in the second half & played much, much better. Josh scored the first points of the game, got another basket, had 2 assists & a couple of steals. Next game is next Wednesday!



Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Game #1

Josh's 8th grade basketball team had their first game today. They played Malad. I got there in time for the last quarter & half of the 7th grade game. The Snake River 7th grade team won their game & then we were on to Josh's game! Of course, I took photos....

This is the two teams before the game, in the last minute huddles. Josh's team is in the white & purple.Josh is the taller one standing in the middle

This is Josh being tutored by Coach Carter after he got pulled out of the game at one point. I asked Josh after the game what he was talking to him about & he said that Coach was explaining to him some points of a play he hadn't been doing right. These kids really like Coach Carter & seem to be really responding to him.

During half time, the cheerleaders did a very nice dance.



The Panthers(Josh's team) won the game 35-26. They did very well, especially considering it was their first game & they've only been practicing for about a week & a half. I would expect that they'll only continue to improve & play even better as a team. Game #2 is tomorrow, so hopefully there'll be another great report!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

P.S, #29


Oh yeah---how in the world could I forget? Today was my birthday--the big 29. I absolutely cannot comprehend how I got to be this old! Didn't I just barely graduate from high school? I somehow feel closer to high school than to being another whole decade older--at least I can put off thinking about it for another year!

52 Blessings ~ Week 2

*****The 52 Blessings Project About 52 Blessings--Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now a days instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.*****

Already, I'm finding that this is going to be a very good yearly challenge for me. I've been spending the week thinking about the blessings in my life. I find that, especially with the challenges I've had the last few months, I tend to focus on the bad things & the problems that I've got. I fail to pay a whole lot of attention to the good things & the gifts that I've been given. So, for this week, I have chosen my family. I think I have the best family! We may not always get along & they may frustrate me sometimes, but they are the best. I love them dearly! My immdiate family consists of my mom and two of my nephews. James, in the middle, is the older & just left on his mission. James is who I wrote about last week. Josh, on the left, is 14. He is an amazing young man! He has this huge love of life & this wonderful, huge personality--Josh makes friends with everyone he sees. He makes me laugh every single day & I just love him to death. I am so thankful for my family & for the blessing that it is for me to have them as my family!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

New Temple

After Christmas, James, Josh & I went to visit a good friend in Boise. Marlene is like a grandmother to us. We just love her. James really wanted to get to see her again before he left so that he could take a picture of them with him on his mission.


On our way home, we stopped in Twin Falls so that we could drive by the new temple. I went by it a few months ago on the way back from a business trip, so it was really fun to see how much more of it is done now! It really is beautiful!

Monday, January 7, 2008

Basketball!

Now that soccer is over & the long winter has set in, Josh's focus in life has shifted from soccer to basketball...well, basketball & girls. But for today, the main focus is basketball. Josh spent Thursday & Friday trying out for basketball & anxiously waited through the weekend for the results, as the team was not posted until noon today. After spending a large part of the day Saturday waiting with his good friend Cooper, either at my house or at the church shooting hoops, Josh was very, very excited today to find out that he did indeed make the 8th grade basketball team! I'm excited for him & have the feeling that this is just the beginning of 4 years of jumping from sport to sport, depending on the season.

Josh & Coop playing ball in our church gym. Coop is in the brown shirt, Josh in the blue.


Sunday, January 6, 2008

New Year, New Page

Wow--it's been a really long time since I've posted on here. It's been a tough few months for me & this blog has been one of the things that I've dropped. I'm still having some tough times, but I've also come to realize that things are going to work out the way they work out & I just need to keep on living, keep my chin up & take things as they come!

So, while I've not posted on here at all, I've still occasionally checked out other blogs, mainly Jen's. When I went onto Jen's blog today, I found this post from her & it touched me! Maybe part of it is that I'm really starting to believe that today especially, the Lord has been ensuring that I have heard the things that I needed to hear to get through the wall of self-doubt & lack of faith that I've had surrounding my heart for the last few months. Maybe there is hope for me after all.

So, here's what I'm going to steal from Jen for 2008. I've decided to start the year off the right way & this will help me to remember the many things that I have been blessed with.


*****The 52 Blessings Project About 52 Blessings--On a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now days instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.*****



So, after much internal debate, I have chosen what I am thankful for in the first week of the new year. I am grateful for a nephew who made the decision to serve a mission for our church. He has not always had an easy life & he made the choice to join the church against the wishes of his father. He has brought the sweetest spirit into our home since we were privileged to have him move in with us. I will miss him greatly while he is serving the Lord for 2 years in Puerto Rico, but I am so proud of the choices that he has made in his life & the strength that he has shown. He is a special spirit & I am grateful for the blessing of having him in my life & family. We had the privelege of taking James to the MTC on Wednesday, the 2nd of January. what an amazing experience that was!