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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Yes. I am going to coupon!

OK. So I have definitely had serious shock when it comes to grocery shopping. I had no idea what it took to feed and take care of a family of six. Its even more complicated when the family of six isn't always under one roof. Some weekends it takes more food than others. I didn't know it was possible for a washer to run non-stop either. I had been thinking about the whole couponing craze and wondering if I could figure out how to do it. A new friend of mine recently told me that she saves 60% on her grocery bill. . . 60%???!!!??? I was in the process of going to her for help when my ward had an Enrichment Night centered around couponing. For my non-member friends, Enrichment night is held about once a month and it is a night for the women (member or not) to get together and learn something new (like couponing) or do a service. Food and chatting are also a huge part. It's nice to get out and get together with the women in your neighborhood!
So after last night, I am even more excited about this whole coupon thing!!! I am bound and determined to be one of those people who gets paid to shop! I'd also like a little more moola in my shoe fund. I feel like I just might get the hang of this and be able to save us some money. I'm getting us a few newspaper subscriptions and starting my filing system this weekend. We are due for a grocery shop and I want to hold off til I get the paper, that is how excited I am about this! I will go to the store, I don't want to make Brandon starve. Needless to say, I am excited!
Feel free to make fun of me all you want. I apologize now if I take longer in the check out line, sometimes it takes me a minute to learn new things. S o if you see me maybe try a different line, or grab yourself a coke while you wait. If it saves me money, I'm all for it! Let the saving begin and the growing of my shoe (and mission) fund begin!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Soul Mates? I don't think so....

I don't believe in soul mates. I never have. I could get all technical about why they don't exist but I guess it is my common sense. Why on earth would God (or whoever your higher power is) create only ONE person on this earth for you to exist with? If you did believe in soul mates, then I think you would have to believe in a God and that everything is predestined. If everything was predestined, then why do we have agency? And what are the odds of you ever really finding your soul mate? I know I am seeming very negative but I do have a point in my ramblings so bear with me.
Now I am a fan of the Twilight series, but if you are die hard you might want to skip this portion...A few years ago I had the fortune of being in some classes with some pretty extraordinary women at a very special place called Safe Harbor. In one of our classes, we looked at addictive relationships and why they are bad. Twilight was used as our "non-example". Whether you look at Bella and Edward or Bella and Jacob, the relationship screams of red flags. The concept of not being able to live without one another, while sounding romantic, is a really scary thing and something all of us should avoid. Giving up things that are most important to us are not what a good solid relationship requires. I'm grateful that I was raised to be an independent woman. That I have lived on my own with no room mates and that I have an education. I have experienced an "addictive" or destructive relationship before and while I am grateful for the life experiences gained from it, I am grateful to not feel dependant on someone. It isn't fair to either person in the relationship. So while I have never believed in soul mates, I also learned that it is very important to be my own person. To have my beliefs and my dreams and strive to be who I want to be. If I met someone along the way, then great.
Over the past year or so, my views on soul mates has changed a little. I still don't believe in them, and I still stand firm on being able to live without someone but I have experienced souls connecting. I've always believed in marriage and being committed but I think I might understand the concept of a soul mate a little more. What I wonder, is if we choose our soul mate? We choose to love, we choose to have faith, we choose to be mad, we choose to hurt, we choose to cheat, we chose to be kind, we choose to help others. So what if we choose to love and give of ourselves completely? What if we focus on giving instead of what we are receiving? What if we lose our self in service of those we love? I am experiencing this. I realized the other night that I am with a man who puts all of his focus on me yet still maintains who he is. I put my focus on him while maintaining who I am. What I've found is that we are still our individual selves, we still have our goals and dreams and fears, but I've found that along with the commitment we made to one another in marriage, we've made a deeper commitment and I feel like our souls are connected, like we are one. Does any of this make sense? I don't think Brandon and I are soul mates. I think we met and had fun. I think despite how afraid we were we both saw something in one another and in us that we liked. We chose to love. We chose to take a leap of faith. Amongst those choices I have felt a connection of our souls, of our spirits. I know Brandon and I could be ok without one another, but I know that because we started our relationship on a firm foundation of our beliefs it opened a door to a kind of connection I never knew existed a kind of love I have never experienced.
Brandon, I love you. I love who you are. I cherish you. I've found in life that honesty and communication are two of the hardest things to learn, I am grateful to have found it with you. I'm grateful for how hard you work and for all you do outside of work. You spoil me beyond measure. I know that you truly adore me and us. I am grateful for a man like you. Fun, silly, serious, calm, spiritual, honest, loving, the list goes on....I get so excited about our future together. I love the moment we are in. If I do get to chose my soul mate, I chose you.

I'm just well rounded....

Last weekend was a lot of fun. I was telling someone about our adventures and they sort of had a funny look on their face...Friday night there was a tri-stake dance (Ward's are assigned to stake's for organizational purposes). It was a Valentine's Dance with a "Sock Hop" theme to it. I had been excited about this for weeks, as I love to dance. Brandon and I went with another couple in our neighborhood, Katie and Matt. We went to dinner at a FANTASTIC restaurant in Layton (Way to go Katie!!) called Gabarro Brothers. Its a quaint place. The food is amazing and the portions are huge. I could have sat and ate the bread sticks all night long. When we got to the dance, we got our picture taken on a motorcycle. I really wished I had a poodle skirt and an "up-do". We missed the initial dance lessons but I asked for a mini lesson for the four of us and we got a quick run down. We now want to take dancing lessons!

On Saturday night, we went to a Piano Bar. Maybe this is why they had the weird face?? Church dance one night, piano bar the next?? I dunno. We went with Rand, Crystal, Tara and Dustin. I could sit and sing and people-watch all night long. On Saturday morning, the universe was out of balance. I woke up, wide awake, at 6:37 a.m. and we went out to breakfast. Brandon loves the morning. I do not. I'm not a night owl either. I'm a 9-hours-of-sleep girl. We went to breakfast at Granny Annies and I have to say it was totally worth it. When we pulled up, Brandon counted the number of white pickup trucks in the parking lot. There were 9. At the counter sat who I assume were the owners of the pickups, a bunch of men in wranglers, plaid shirts, cowboy boots and hats. Oh that made my heart so happy!! There was one stool open at the counter and I wanted to go eat with "the boys" but didn't want to leave Brandon out. After breakfast I picked up Katie and we went to my cousin Katie's for a dance class. After that, we ran up to watch Laura dance at a basketball game. I remember seeing her dance last year, she has come a long way. We are so very proud of her!

So there was a quick rundown of last weekend. Maybe it's weird we went to a church dance one night and a piano bar the other, but I like to think I'm just well-rounded.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

A Cannibus Disability

Today, I remembered a story that I will never get to live down. At the beginning of each school year, I help with the intake information of all the students. I meet with each student and enter in information about them on an Emergency Card. While filling out this card with a student, I asked what their disability was, and they replied they had a "Cannibus Disability". I just typed away. I hadn't heard of cannibus and didn't know what kind of disability it may be. A few months later, the school psychologist and my boss pointed out that we have a student with a cannibus disability. Everyone laughed except for me.

Apparently cannibus is marijuana. Who knew?? Not me. That particular student must have had the best laugh that day. My co-workers will never let me live it down.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

What would it be like?



A student the other day told me that he is thinking of joining the military. It led me to think of my brother Paul. Paul joined the army in 2005 shortly after Papa passed away. I remember he and I talking about him joining the military, but he was needed at home at that time. I remember being excited for him when he eventually joined. Later, I started to miss him. Shortly after he was out of training, he was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas. Before leaving he was home for a bit, and oddly enough Brian was home for surgery from his mission. As a result, they got see each other one more time. My brother Paul is a neat guy (did I just call my brother "neat"?). The first time he went to Iraq I heard from him often. We wrote letters and he called. The time he was away from home was a really hard for me, and writing him letters was such a source of comfort. I remember him calling me during a particularly bad time in my personal life and I could tell he felt bad he wasn't there. The truth was, I needed him. My brothers may not the touchy feely type, but their presence is calming.

When I think about my life, the things I have done and been through, it just does not compare to my brother Paul. Paul was a Cavalry Scout. During his first tour, he left for a mission that was supposed to be a few days. He was gone a few months living out of his tank the whole time. I guess there is a lot I could write about his deployments, but I just want to recognize his sacrifice. I think the oddest feeling was going to a drive-thru for a Coke knowing he did not have that kind of luxury where he was. My brother has been around the world and seen things I know I can not comprehend. I have learned a little more about his second deployment last year when he came to talk to my students about what it is like to be in the military. On one occasion, he rigged a satellite outside his tent so he could simultaneously play video games with my brothers. I think my mom managed to mail him a box every week. I wonder what he did with all that food? I'm grateful to Paul for his service and for his sacrifices. I'm grateful to everyone who serves and supports our military and country.


What would it be like?
What would it be like to sleep in a tank for a few months?
What would it be like to have GINORMOUS spiders in your shower?
What would it be like to sleep in quarters that resemble a tough shed?
What would it be like to be in 100+ degree weather in full gear?
What would it be like to wonder if the small child running towards you was excited to see you or going to throw a bomb at you?
What would it be like to eat your meal out of a bag?
What would it be like to not shower for weeks?
What would it be like to get diarrhea in the desert?
What would it be like to pull into a town and have it be deserted in minutes because people are afraid?
What would it be like to see things and people blown up?
What would it be like to order McDonald's from a trailer?
What would it be like to not be able to get a Cokewhen you want?
What would it be like to live in a bombed-out home?
What would it be like to be shot at?
What would it be like to have your friends die?
What would it be like to watch your friends die?

What would this world be like without my brother, men and women like him? I'm glad I don't have to know. I love you, Paul.

Hidden talents...

This weekend went by way to fast! We were invited over to Brian and Andrea's on Friday for games and dessert. I can not tell you the name of the game we played nor how you really play it. I can tell you that I have not laughed like that in a very long time. You have to do random things throughout the game. Brian had to sit with his left hand in a bowl of water til it was his turn again. Lilly had to give a eulogy to her dog. Liz had to be a cowboy. We had to take turns doing sign language til someone couldn't any more. Liz, Luke and Andrea had the upper hand at this. Brian and Brandon got creative. We had to end all our sentences in "izzle". Are you confused? Good. Me too. I have however discovered that my dear husband and my brother both have hidden dancing abilities! Here I thought it was just me. Brian pulled a card that said he had to dance like a show girl. A fter much confusion, Andrea, Laura, Lilly and I were able to help him out and we got to watch him do the can-can and perfect his jazz hands. It turns out that Brandon can belly dance. He drew a card that required him to perform a belly dance. I read the card over his shoulder and was consumed in a fit of giggles. Brandon hops right up without a second thought and pulls up his shirt and starts dancing around wiggling his belly. I laughed so hard I cried. Certain people couldn't watch, I could not look away. I love that he knows how to be silly and let loose with us. It was a lot of fun for all 8 of us to play. My mom was there to watch us be goofy and we all got turns to hold baby Lincoln. He is such a darling baby and Liz and I got him to smile and laugh.

Thank you Brian and Andrea for such a fun night!! We need to do it again. I am grateful for you two. Our family has so much fun with you. Next time though, I want a video camera handy!

The rest of our weekend went like this:

*Saturday morning was a blast doing chores (note the sarcasm)
*Lilly and Laura played at the cousins while Liz and I went skating
*Brandon and Luke made a trip to Logan with Paul to move some of his furniture
*I made lasagna! Not the kind from a box! HA!
*We made cupcakes and the kids decorated them. My frosting was questionable...
*Church (Man have I got to write about our calling....)
*Super Bowl Game at Lincoln's (Laura was the only one cheering for the Steelers, but she did a great job rooting for them!)

This past Monday I took the day off to see an Ear Nose and Throat doctor. For those of you who are not blessed to be around me all the time, I have had sinus issues for the past two years. In September of 2009 I had a surgery that really did not improve things except for a few months. The kids enjoy watching me do nasal rinses. Brandon just laughs at me as water shoots out my nose and mouth. I've been put on prednisone, once again. I hate that medication. And have a medicated saline rinse. Lovely, huh? I go back in four weeks to talk about surgery options. UGH. I'd rather talk about summer shoe options.

A date with Liz


So the kids and I have somehow spontaneously started to have what I'm going to call dates (one on one time with the kids). Last Saturday Liz and I went on a date. She chose to go ice skating. I had taken ice skating lessons as a kid but hadn't been in YEARS. Liz had me help her around the rink once and then promptly asked me to sit down while she tried it on her own. I did. She did great! We spent the afternoon skating around the rink. She tried to learn how to go backwards and did pretty good as well. I t was a lot of fun going skating with Liz. After, we went to Iceberg and got lunch and took it over to my mom's. Liz was astonished at the size of her cookie dough shake!! I t took her all weekend to eat it. After lunch with my mom, Liz and I headed home. It was a fun afternoon. On Sunday, it took her a while to walk downstairs due to her legs hurting. We were sore. My shoulders ached from holding her up!

Liz was eager to tell me she wants to bring Luke and teach him how to skate. I love her enthusiasm about life. She jumps right in and just goes. A lot of kids would have a hard time and falling on the ice would be a setback, but not for Liz. She is an independent girl. I love that about her. Her attitude and independence is going to take her far in this life.



A comdeian in the making...

Brandon attended Laura, Liz and Luke's Parent Teacher Conferences the other week. All the kids are doing great, but one funny story was told to Brandon. While trying to quiet the class down, the twins' teacher said, "Silence is golden". Luke promptly replied, "Duct tape is silver". She found this so funny that she had to write it down. We find it funny too. I have giggled much over this.

Luke is one of those kids who is always thinking of ways to have fun. I'd like just 1/4 of his energy some days. He went with Brandon to help Pookie move some things into his new place in Logan. I received a text shortly before dinner from Pookie that Brad had given Luke "the Dew" and that Paul was teaching him "the song that never ends" Paul later said that he and Brandon were going to drop Luke off before going out. I was quick to reply, "What kind of uncle are you?". All Pookie had to say was, "the good kind". I lacked a sufficient response. Needless to say, Luke was fine. I'm glad he's there to take care of his dad and my brothers.