Chipping Away at Things

For the past couple days I have thinking a lot of life. Perhaps you can tell from my latest posts. Anyway.... this post comes after my visit with my visit teachee.  I visit the Relief Society President who's life parallels mine right now as well. While she is not in school, she is working and is trying to juggle a large calling, and has a few kids. She is also caring for her parents as they are getting older. She is quite the lady! We were talking about the goals we set and how we achieve them one day at a time. She talked about her nephew who just completed dental school. He worked so hard to get through school as he is not a natural born student (like myself) and needs to work extra hard for good grades. She reminded me that as we seek the help of the Holy Ghost as we are working toward our end goal that he will help us immensely. Yes! True! There were nights when I was studying Anatomy/Physiology that I pretty much pulled up a chair for the Holy Ghost to sit right next to me. It was so hard soaking in and memorizing all of the information. I only made it through the class because of the help from my family, friends and the Holy Ghost. So, as a reminder (mainly to me), whatever we set our mind on to accomplish, we can do it with the guidance and support of the Holy Ghost. Just as a sculptor chips away the rock or clay, eventually he creates a beautiful piece of art We too can also chip away at whatever we are doing, day by day, and in the end create something beautiful and/or accomplish a very difficult goal!

Frosting Face

Last night we were decorating our individual cakes with frosting. I got a little bored with it and asked if I could draw on Erica's face. Yes, it is such an older sister thing to do :) Katie and Kellen loved the idea. Here are a few photos of the final outcome. We all look great!

Our Callings

I am super tired right now and yet my body and mind feel that I should be up and writing in my "journal". I am going to blame the fact that my writing is not that great on the fact that I am really tired. For some time now, two months really, I have been primary president. The week that I was called was a very interesting week. I accepted the call and went to work praying about my counselors. Crazy thing, when the adversary does not want you to do something he makes it known! That week was an extremely dark week. I thought that when they called my name to be sustained, I felt people would laugh. I am younger than my counselors and a lot of people in the ward. They have so much wisdom and I really think I should be learning from them. I honestly stood up and waited for the laughter to begin. Luckily, nothing! That day my ward was extremely supportive and gave me such great encouragement. I had nothing left to fear, right? Wrong! Yet another week of darkness. I have never had more people tell me to give up and tell the bishop that because I was starting nursing school in the fall that I needed to be released. I would serve for three months and do the best I could but that I needed to give it up. The pit in my stomach grew larger and again, darkness. As soon as I prayed again about this calling, I knew it was the right thing to do. I would have to tell the "peanut gallery" that I was grateful for their wisdom but that I trusted Heavenly Father's faith in me and that's all I needed.

My poor counselors! The first meeting we had I burst into tears thinking that I could not do this. Seriously, they probably thought I was going to cry like this at every meeting. Luckily for them, it has only happened once! At this point I had yet to be set apart. That next Sunday, I marched myself to the bishop's office and asked to be set apart. I needed it! My friend told me she saw how nervous I was to accept this calling with all I had on my plate and yet after I was set apart she said that she saw the mantel of president on my shoulders and things changed. Yes, things did change. I was less nervous and I had the determination to go forward with faith. The darkness was completely gone and I was now sustained and set apart as the primary president.

It's interesting how Heavenly Father gives you different challenges in life and allows you to either accept the challenge, allow Him to mold you and make the best of it. He wants us to succeed and gives us tools in order for us to do so. I have amazing counselors. I tell them almost everyday how grateful I am for their support. Their attitudes of selflessness often puts me to shame.

As I was reading the scriptures tonight I was thinking of how we often accept callings or are given trials that are hard. At the beginning we moan and groan about how difficult our life may be. Yet after a few weeks, months or years, we realize that our lives would be less fulfilled without everything we have faced. I tell ya, after all that our family has faced, I am ready for my challenges to slow down. However, I know that Heavenly Father knows what He is doing. I know that he calls us to do things at times we didn't think were the best. Such as now. I am a mom, a wife, a friend, a primary president, and a nursing student. It's a little over whelming to think about it. However, after a beautiful blessing from Tom, my eyes have truly been opened to Heavenly Father's merciful hand in our lives. I am more grateful for everything! For every meal, for every pay check we receive (we have been without that before and are very happy when it comes every two weeks!), for every extra job that Tom is doing to build up his Landscape Architecture Firm, for every break through that I have with one of my primary kids, for every super great sharing time that I have with all the primary kids, for every minute I have with my family and for every time or conversation I have with a great friend. We are truly blessed!!

Callings are for our good. They make us grow. They shape us. They help build our character. I still wonder sometimes, "Why me?" There were/are several women in the ward that would have rocked it as primary president! However, I know that our Father in Heaven knows what we need in our lives at the exact time that we need it and then I think, "Thank you for choosing me!" I have loved every minute of it and I am truly grateful for the blessings that we have received because of the calling. I know that this calling can and will help me to be a better mom, teacher and student. For this, I will always be grateful.

Kellen lost a tooth...again!

Before Kellen starts kindergarten, he will have already lost two teeth. We were just sitting at home and Kellen announced that he lost his tooth. He was watching Yoggie Bear and was messing with it. Our little man is growing up so fast! Don't you love the picture too?!

Tom's Masters Graduation

On June 30th, Tom graduated with his Masters in Business Administration (MBA). We are very proud of him. Here are some highlights from that day.

 Well, highlight number one, Martha Stewart was the main speaker. Here she is giving her speech. She gave a pretty nice speech and did not forget to plug her new show on PBS in the fall. That was kinda funny.

Kellen is so proud of his daddy.

 Tom looks so studious as he thinks about the complexities of life and the universe.

 Tom with his proud parents, Ann and Ted.

 Here we have everyone (except my mom) who came that day: Shannyn, Ann, Tom, Ted, Stephanie, me, Katie and Kellen.

 Everybody, this time with my mom on the right.

 Yay, finally done with homework forever! What is up with the tongue?!

 Kellen's happy pose.

Yay!

Friends

A couple of weeks ago our friends went to Florida and left their daughters here with us for about three days. We had so much fun! They slept in different places every night, we saw a movie, made smores in the back yard, and set up the tent in the family room. I know my kids had a blast with their friends!

 Here we are making smores using ice cream cones, chocolate chips, marshmellows and cookie dough. Then we put them in the fire (and later oven) to get them all gooey.

 Kennadie building her smore.

 Yummy, Katie!

 Here they are, all snug in the tent.

 Hi there! They like to bring in the flashlight and tell ghost stories.

Hi Reese!

Fathers and Sons Camp out 2012

Oops, I totally forgot to put the camp out on the blog. Sorry, Tom and Kellen. Anyway, here are some highlights from the trip SANS the quad ride that Tom took Kellen on without a helmet!!! I was mortified when I heard about that. Especially since someone in our ward broke their collar bone on a quad that same day at the camp out. 

 Kellen eating his yummy breakfast.

 Kellen loves to go and play with the old beat up cars. He looks forward to it every year.

 Kellen loved the rock behind them. He thought it was so cool that it has not fallen down yet.

 Woo-hoo!

Picture of the view around their campsite.