Tis the season/Out of the mouth of babes

Tis the Season
So, I was STILL packing and moving out of my apartment. I was going to pick something up from the grocery store to cook at the apartment while I was packing. Then I realized...I didn't have any utensils to cook with. So, I decided to go to Chic-Fil-A and pick something up. I sat in the drive thru for what seemed like FOREVER, then I finally got to the window. The employee gave me my food. Then she gave me change. But wait, I still had my money in my hand. I told her that I hadn't paid her. Then she responded..."Oh, I know. The car in front already paid for your food. Here's your change." So, I made a profit going out to lunch. I decided to pay it forward (which is an AMAZING movie, by the way) and did the same the next time I went out. I love this time of year. People get that special spirit of giving and for a brief time, people are actually nice to each other.

Out of the Mouth of Babes
So I babysat last night and had kind of a funny experience. First of all, when I told the kids it was bedtime, the little 3 year old, Audrey, sat down on the couch, folded her arms, pouted and started crying.
Audrey:"I don't want to go to bed. I'll have scary dreams."
So, we discussed the type of dream she wanted to have.
Audrey: "I want mommy to sing songs with me."
Me: "I can sing songs with you."
Audrey: "You don't know the right songs."
Me: "Yes I do, remember, we sang the daddy song together just a little while ago."
Audrey (with big wide eyes): Gasp "That's right, we did. Let's go sing then."
So, we proceeded to go upstairs, get the kids into jammies, sing the songs, then crawl in bed. On to the prayers:
Calee (eight years old): "Please help me be a good learner. Help me to be a good example." (made me think about what I was saying in my prayers.)
Clark (five years old): "Please help me be good and have fun tomorrow."
Audrey (three years old):"Please bless that I won't have scary monsters in my dreams."
Just goes to prove, you can pray about anything.

Dedicated to My Grandfather

As I was cleaning my kitchen (yes, I was actually cleaning)...I thought of my grampa. There were a bunch of crumbs on my counter. Who needs a cutting board for bread...right? Okay, there were quite a bit of crumbs on the counter. So, instead of trying to brush them off the counter into the trashcan and thereby spilling them all over the floor, I followed my grampa's example. I whipped out my vacuum and sucked up every last crumb. For those who aren't family members...let me explain. When my grampa was newly widowed, he was dealing with bachelor life. He was eating toast. Toast makes crumbs in the toaster, right? Well...just how are you supposed to get the crumbs out of the toaster? Vacuum is clearly the only option. Later it was explained to him that there is a removable tray meant for that very purpose. Don't worry...he has since remarried and has learned A LOT!!!! So grampa: that was for you!

Trials

Ever since I decided to go on a mission, I've been striving to really strengthen my testimony and grow closer to Christ. It's amazing how hard the adversary tries to stop you from doing something that is so right. I was reading a book entitled 21 Days Closer to Christ and I got to this paragraph that really struck me. So, I decided to share it with everyone.

"There is a moment of epiphany after the soul has doubted all it knows, when it begins to reach out for solid answers and firm ground. This moment is defined by one emotion that sustains and creates a desire for change. Before faith or knowledge is found, before joy or happiness is experienced, before the healing begins, one emotion starts to stir from deep within the depths of despair. It is hope. Hope is the light that will begin to lead through the darkest hour, which will enable us to move forward along the darkened path."

So keep hope in your life and blessings will come. It will get you through.

Peer pressure

Well, I did it. I wasn't going to. NO, I wasn't going to be one of those people. It was a book about vampires for crying out loud. How ridiculous is that? I wasn't going to waste my time. I finally got sick of now knowing who Edward or Bella were. Maybe, just one chapter and I'll know enough about the characters to carry on a conversation and understand what all the flair people are sending me on facebook is about. Like a drug, as soon as I started, I couldn't stop. I just finished the first book of the Twilight Saga. Last night, I was lying in bed, reading...only 50 pages left. Then it happened, all the words on the pages started blurring. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I thought. I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to turn out the light (Jasper must have been making me tired...for those that don't know what I'm talking about, read the book). I gave in and fell asleep. If only I were a vampire and didn't need sleep...I could get SO much done. Anyhow, I got up this morning, got ready for work. I got to the station and did all the morning duties, then I curled into a ball in the chair and sat down, determined to finish reading. First cardinal rule, never make plans when you work at a fire station. Just as it was getting good...my pager went off. A person was in booking at the jail and the police officers thought they might be "under the influence of something" (usually this means they are drunk as a skunk.) So, I made my way to the ambulance, taking the book with me (you never know when you'll be back to finish, so I could always read at the hospital when my partner writes their report.) We get to the police station, and there is my patient. Doesn't speak a lick of English (at least not to us anyway.) Boy was he surprised when I started speaking Spanish to him...then he answered. A totally different dialect then I'd ever heard. He would only answer or "understand" certain phrases, we call this "selective cooperation." You wanna know what was going through my mind?!?!?! I need Edward here to read this guys mind...Maybe I need to take a break from reading...hehe. We decided that he did NOT need to go anywhere by ambulance and the officers were fine with us leaving. I got in the ambulance and, as it's my partners turn to drive today, I picked up my book and tried to finish...as we got closer to the station, he asked me "do you want me to drive around the block a few times so you can finish? Now that's just silly...or is it? (insert mischievous laugh here). Anyways, if you haven't read this book, on one hand DO IT it's SOOOO good. On the other hand DON'T DO IT, you won't be able to stop.

Ugh...school...still

So, I am STILL in school...and STILL at the Community college (yes, this is going on my 4th year at the 2 year school.) This semester, I am taking 3 classes. Weights...the teacher is hilarious, but can make the best athlete cry with just 3 lb dumbells. I end that class with running stairs. THEN, I have 10 minutes (if we end on time) to run almost a mile and up 4 flights of stairs for my Biology class. This class is killer. I love the subject and the textbook isn't half bad. But, the teacher lectures for the full 80 minutes and he's all over the place. Have you ever had a class where you leave thinking "huh?" Luckily, he hands out all the objectives at the beginning of the semester and SUPPOSEDLY uses those to make his exams. We'll see, next week is the first exam. Then, I have a 4 hour break before my next class. This initially was killer, but now, I have it down. The first hour or so is for lunch...to go pick it up if I need to, and then I ALWAYS get back to campus with at least 2.5 hours before my next class (otherwise I would spend the entire break looking for a parking spot.) I want to know who the genius was that decided to redo the parking lots right outside of all of my classes, blocking off HUNDREDS of spots, but not decreasing the numbers of students. Okay, so in the last 2 or so hours of break, I have just enough time to read the chapter for my last class of the day. Sociology. I LOVE THIS CLASS! I don't know if it's because I'm pretty much guaranteed an A or just the subject matter in general. The teacher is young (I mean can't have been teaching for very long.) Every Tuesday, you start off class with a 15 question quiz over the chapter you should have read. THEN, she collects the scan tron and lets you keep the quiz. The questions on the exams are directly from those quizzes. Then, the essay questions are given to you at least a week before the exam. SWEET! And, I actually love reading the textbook. This is amazing!!! I also got extra credit in the first class for reading a question on the quiz out loud. A CLASS WHERE YOU GET EXTRA CREDIT FOR TALKING?!?!?!?!?!?! That's my kind of class.

There are no words to describe the week I've had

Okay, so I think anyone that is reading this blog has already heard my big news. I'm planning on submitting my mission papers in about 8 months. While I was a counselor at EFY, I just KNEW that that was the next step in my life. So I made the VERY VERY difficult decision to move back in with my mom in order to save up money and I've slowly been coming across different solutions to possible problems with going on a mission. I've been weeding through in my apartment. I'll be first to admit that there are times where I am doing things on sheer hope that the sacrifices will all be worth it. Then, I have weeks like this week. Weeks where it's impossible to believe that I doubted that decision. Once I knew that I was supposed to go on a mission. I started ACTING on that inspiration, revelation, or whatever you want to call it. OH MY GOSH!!!! It is so amazing how many blessings you get when you show your faith in God and act on even the littlest glimmer of what you think might be whisperings of the Holy Ghost. I've learned that some of the greatest blessings come from not necessarily KNOWING you need to do something, but doing it because you believe it's right. (does this make sense to anyone but me...I'm trying to put it in words, but it is just so difficult) Over this past week, it has become VERY clear to me that God knows exactly what we need and He sees that it is done. God acts through ANYONE. Whether it is through a stranger at a bookstore, or through someone that you have had several brief encounters with. My session director the first week of EFY (like the "dad" of everyone there) said that if you write down all your questions or concerns, then forget about them and just lose yourself in living righteously and serving others, all those questions and concerns will eventually be taken care of. This has been made crystal clear to me. I am SOOOO thankful for the great blessings brought into my life by people that may think that they are doing nothing or that they are just doing a little favor. What may be "nothing" to us may be, and often is "everything" to others. More often than we know, those little acts that may seem little or small, are answers to long hours of prayer and pleading for help or answers.

More manna...or laundry from heaven

Just to add to my last post...I finished the post and then went to change laundry loads...AGAIN!!!(it's never ending...especially with uniforms). In all the loads of laundry I've done today (and my washer and dryer have been going non-stop with 2 more loads still to go) I found $14.76. Maybe there is more to this whole laundry thing afterall! Let's just say that "that whole tithing principle" is becoming very clear today...

Gas from heaven (it's kinda like manna)

Okay, so maybe being a broke college student was getting to me, but this morning, I was stressing out over money (as most of us do). First, a little background. I was denied financial aid because I have too many credits. So I filed an appeal. Because I was too slow in dropping two classes, my grades were down last semester and my appeal was denied. SO, this means I pay for everything...fun! So, as I was on my way to the college bookstore to sell a kidney in order to get a textbook for this semester, the dreaded event happened...my gas light came on. Almost on the verge of tears trying to figure out how I was going to make it to the next payday and seriously considering dropping out of classes, I pulled into my parking spot. I kept telling myself "everything will work out, just have faith" and then one of the other voices in my head would beat up that voice. So, I walked into the bookstore and stood in line at the cash register. The worker rung up the person in front of me and told her "we have a drawing everyday for a 150 dollar gas card." So the lady drew her 'ticket' (or whatever you want to call it) and the worker says "You got it! Congratulations!" Another worker looks at me and says "how does it feel to be right behind her and watching her win?" How are you supposed to respond to that? So, I congratulated the lady and she went on her way. I had jokingly made some comment to one of the workers that "that was too good to be true, my gas light just came on" or something to those effects. The same worker that asked me how it felt to lose said "She doesn't know you from Adam, she doesn't care" (speaking of the woman who just won...I'm not sure what that worker thought I was saying...don't you love it when people come in half way through a conversation, but whatever) I removed my kidney myself (because of course I couldn't afford a surgeon), traded it in for my books and I was on my way. When I got just outside of the store, the lady that had been standing in front of me was waiting. She handed me the gift card! I told her that she had won it, and I was fine. But she looked at me and said "I'm fine, you can probably use this more than me." I tried to politely refuse (knowing full well she was right) and she insisted. So, I started crying...in front of a perfect stranger...told her she didn't have any idea how much that meant, and gave her a big hug. All I know is her name is Linda. She drove off in her Lexus, she probably has no idea of what she had done. I sat in my car for a while just thinking about what had just happened, and gave thanks to the mastermind of that whole plan...my Heavenly Father. Sometimes I kick myself for doubting Him because as this story shows...He knows what we need and makes it happen.

Finally...another post

Okay, so this summer has been amazing...but extremely busy. Three weeks of EFY, 3 days alone with 1-year-old twins, adjusting back to work, and making some pretty big plans. I PROMISE that I will post more later...just wanted to let everyone know that I didn't fall off the face of the earth...

I love my job

For those of you that don't work with me, I have a curse. Anytime I've been at a station for more than a few shifts, then get transferred, something catches fire. I don't know why, but that is just the way things work. The guys in Leawood didn't believe me. In fact, I think the exact phrase was "there is no force strong enough to get a fire in Leawood." Well, my first shift in Olathe, they got this 2-alarm fire (Laman's terms, big fire, lots of fire trucks, lots of damage). LUCKILY, no one was hurt. A little dog was found outside. We shortly thereafter found out that he had a brother inside. With the amount of fire and smoke, nobody expected to find the dog alive. HOWEVER, Russ, tough guy firefighter that he is, found this little guy and brought him outside, where nearby paramedics gave him a little oxygen and the puppy perked right up. Before long, he was running around with his brother (the dog, not Russ). It's experiences like this that make it worth putting up with the 2 am "whiner." (photos Courtesy of David Bram, Johnson County MedAct;))

For those of you that don't know already, I GOT MY BRACES OFF!!!! WAHOO!!!! I have no idea what I'm doing on this picture, but its a great shot of my teeth. Thanks Witterz!

Okay, so I gave in and finally created a blog. After several requests from friends and family. SO here it is. Pictures to come soon