Thanks Mom!

Well my mom, is so good for me! She always knows what to say, so all is well and I am doing so much better today!
Thanks to all for your kind comments and telephone calls and yes JaLae, that Chocolate donut, fabulous idea!

On a phone conversation with my mom she said this scripture to me to help me through the stress of things that are totally out of my control, as I try to balance family, life and the needs of a growing Branch. This scripture she said to me is my newly adopted motto for this year:

D&C 82: 10
"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

Well in my setting apart blessing for my Branch missionary calling and in hubby's as well, all the things I have been stressing about that are out of my control will fall into place, if I do my calling. So I have to have faith and just as that scripture says, He is bound when I do what He says. So I have and have always put my church calling first. I petitioned the Lord in prayer and today I have peace. Who knows if all will fall into place or if I will drop every ball I am juggling BUT I do know I am being watched over and if I put Him first as I was instructed in my setting apart blessing I will be blessed! So that scripture hasn't left my mind since mom said it to me and I share it with each of you in hopes that if you are feeling the same feelings here is your promise and you too can pray for those things he has promised you!
Love to all!

Where do I begin?!

***Disclaimer: I am about to complain, if you don't want to read complaining I suggest you not read this post and wait until I post a happier one!

Ok, so this is not my picture nor is a picture of any of my kids but when I walked out of our bedroom where I have been doing taxes and paperwork for the finalization of our house I had a headache the size of the United States, yes that bad, only to see my kiddies in a mess the size of Texas! This is the not so pretty part about being a busy busy mom still in a large life changing move/transition.
I don't even know where to begin to start to list what all we are doing and how we just run, run, run! I am so exhausted and if I get in bed before 1 a.m. it is a good night! My boys are so good to just play when I am so busy but that comes at a cost too...the house blows up into a incredible mess...here is a little what this week alone has looked liked:

• 6-10 hours this week of Branch Missionary/Church Service (We have one baptism this Saturday and this doesn't not include I have to take cookies and drive an hour and a half to the church that has a font) ***This probably doesn't count because I do receive so many many blessings from it but it is all part of my juggle!
• 6-9 hours per week of Cleaning Jay's office at Cargill (yes I clean his facility, a perk for "knowing" the manager and that my friends is how I can afford to add a lot of upgrades on the house)!
• 3++ hours per week setting Jay's school schedule, proof reading assignments, and any other little thing I can help ease the burden towards his 12 credit hours he is taking this semester!
• 2 hours per night Saturday, Monday, Tuesday painting and staining a house finishing project I opened my big mouth and took on!
• 15++ hours doing our taxes...they were really really complicated this year too but they are off and completed today!
• 6-8 hours per week on final paper work and phone calls to our loan officer and builder and title companies and appraisers!
• 3+++ hours searching for the perfect foyer and dining room lights, oh and the pendulums for the Kitchen....
• 6 hours watching a friends kid who Jayson just loves to play with so it was more like having a friend over and not babysitting (about an hour of that I had to run off and do missionary work so Jay finished off-even with all his school)!!
• I have no clue how long I spend doing my blogging and facebook stuff but that is my one escape so I am not counting that time...
• 24/7 wife, mom, cook, house cleaner, personal assistant to a very busy manager, 1st counselor, student, dad and husband.

(Sigh, sigh, sigh, sigh.....) I know life is so crazy I am missing something but my head hurts too much to think what it is.... I keep thinking we are on the last lap and it is the sprint to the finish and that as soon as the house is done life will slow done and just maybe come back to our normal pace.............................maybe not, did I fail to mention I have sister that is getting married and so as soon as the keys are handed over I throw everything into our new house and we leave to Idaho for two weeks for a wedding??? (breathe, breathe, breathe)

Silver Lining:
At least I am not bored out of my mind and that my end product is a beautiful house that we have designed and put our whole hearts into....it has been sweat, blood, and tears into this house! And then I get to see my family that I miss terribly, especially my mom, my dad, and my sisters and brother; especially when things get crazy I so miss my mom (mom knows how to settle me down, and so does dad). Also, I have a wonderful husband and when things have gotten so crazy he has taken a day or two and helped me finalize and pick up things I could not pick up without him. Yesterday when things hit the height of stress, he just showed up and took Jayson to pre-school for me and I got 72 minutes before Carson got up to take a shower and make myself look like a girl! It was so nice, I have been so busy to take care of myself it has been a serious distraction I can't afford to have, even to remember to eat. He is a good man that watches out for just me!

So all in all I am blessed and stress but ever so blessed. Even though this post seems like one big fat complaint I am just taking 5 to breathe, think and restore a little...

My Big Boy!

***WARNING*** I am about to lament... a little.....

Just last night I was cutting "J"'s finger nails and I was holding him on my lap and I notice how big he is getting! : ( It seems like yesterday he was just a little guy and poof it is gone! I can't believe how fast time has flown and how he is getting so old. Next year I send him to Kindergarten and they don't even break them (or me), not even a little. Kindergarten here in the Midwest is all day, yes, all day! I like the idea of half day and it gets me broken in before I completely lose him to school. There is enough time spread from "J" to "Mr. C" that he was my little buddy and loved going everywhere I went. We have had a lot of fun together...

Tonight when I was hugging and kissing him good night I thought to myself there will be one day when he won't want a hug and a kiss, there will be one day that he will want to say his prayers all his own, there will be one day he will read his own book by himself and I hope that one day isn't too soon!

We are packing the "house!"

Aah-yeah! We had almost 60 people at church today and we are just thrilled! Considering our first Sunday in this new land we only had about 20!! It is amazing to have a full room and other than where those that bless the sacrament sit there is zero available seating! I couldn't be more thrilled!

I also thought I would attache these beautiful pics, I was just playing around with my camera hubby bought me, and I have no clue what it does! I love the Midwestern sunsets....

BTW don't forget my other blogs, the house one, it is private and the recipe one, it isn't private.

My sister posted her favorite salad and I LOVE IT! You all should try it and it is full of antioxidants too!

Being Watched Over...

Well 2009 is just off to a splendid start...everything keeps breaking and we cannot seem to stay out of the doctor's office! It all started out with two ear infections, left ear in both my boys. So into the doctor we went, and we were sent home with an antibiotic. Great-right!? I always breathe a sigh of relief when I get an antibiotic, I don't know if we are all conditioned to think medicine is the cure-all for what ales a child... I have just always felt confident in medicines, they make us better or so I always thought...

Two days ago "J" woke up with a rash under his left ear, left side of his neck and left jaw line. He was lethargic the whole day and just a real grouch. I thought the rash came from some bedding we had changed on his bed in the night so I thought nothing of it. I changed the bedding back to his clean previous bedding thinking that would be the cure all and shrugged off the tiredness and grouchiness. I did however, listen to the nagging voice in my head to take the boys off their antibiotics. (I never do this, I always listen to the instructions and because I don't have a medical degree I tend to stick to the doctor's direction- besides it has always worked in the past).

Then yesterday morning he woke up and his face was covered with the rash from the previous day. Nothing had changed in his environment dramatically enough to cause it to spread, I knew something internally was causing this. Immediately I called the doctor and the nurse and I discussed what was going on. I was instructed to give him something like Claritin, which all I had was Claritin so that is what he got. He was given the adult dose. They thought that his rash was a sign of an allergic reaction.

However after catching him dipping his hand in my granulated sugar bag for the 3rd time this week, I started thinking something is wrong here, stories of children with type 1 diabetes popped into my head and all the signs. You see my dad had been diagnosed with diabetes and part of his signs started with a mysterious rash. So I called back the nurse and after telling all the similar signs he was having she said he needs to be tested today for it and got me the "first available" appointment...4:00 p.m. (which we were late to but hubby was so busy yesterday and he arrived a little late but he arrived).

After that call I just sat down and cried...I looked at my little bug and I thought to myself "could I have given him a diseased body?" I felt so bad, I didn't want this for him, no one else either but not my boys, please not them!

Onto the treadmill I went, there was nothing else I could do but continue on with life. As I walked I prayed, in my mind I pleaded and then I listened. I felt peace...but still nerves soon took over again. Finally at the appointment, we had to wait in the waiting room longer then any other visit and then the doctor checked him out and really felt that all the signs were a reaction to the antibiotics. He then checked his blood sugar to see if a fasting diabetes test would be ordered up and all came out normal. It was then certain he was allergic to the antibiotic that he was on. These things are still really scary and are life threatening. The doctor said that one can never predict what the body will do when it reacts, and we are still not out of the dark. We have to rush him in to the hospital if we see other problems such as breathing problems that can happen until the antibiotic is out of his system.

Even with the scar of further allergy related symptoms I was so thankful it was not a life-long threatening, life altering disease. I felt like even in the midst of a rough start to our new year we are being watched over and I rushed to offer a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude. I am glad it was a rash, yes we will have to watch him for the rest of his life and when the doctors ask "are there any allergies to medicine?" I will always remember to tell his story and I will worry every time I have to administer an antibiotic, hoping this time will not bring on the more severe side effects with allergic reactions.

The culprit: Cefdinir

A medicine that "J" and I will always have to

keep fresh in our memories!

I have been tagged...again...

I have been tagged again, by my sweet newly engaged friend from high school, Melissa, and I am actually quite excited to do this tag. It is all about my husband and I love talking about my husband! (If you haven't already noticed) ; )

1. Where did you meet your husband?

Well I came home for the summer after graduating from college to look for jobs while working some piddly summer jobs. My friend from USU, Loralee, was home in Idaho Falls and we were hanging out while she was on break too. She called me one day at the hotel I was front desk clerk and asked if I wanted to go out with this guy that works for her dad. She told me that he had seen a picture of me and that he was interested and that he was just like a brother to her and a son to her dad. So I figured it would be fun at least, we were set up, me totally blindly going into the situation and him seeing a picture and wanting to meet me. Immediately we hit it off and from there a great friendship and relationship was built and would later blossom into an engagement.

2. How long did you date before you got married?

We dated through the summer of 2000. Then I got a job in Logan and we decided to cool things off while I figured out life. In November or 2001 the relationship was rekindled and we picked up where we left off! When I first saw him after such a long time in between dating him I thought to myself how did I ever let this hottie loose on the streets, I could have lost him to another girl. Lucky for me I didn't and we dated, we had fun and on March 22nd, 2002, in front of the Logan Temple on "our" bench Jay proposed to me. We were married after his grain harvest, September 14th, 2002. (Yes, we dated way too long and I would never recommend it to anyone, it was HARD)!

3. How long have you been married?

We have been married 6 years. I have loved every minute of being married to this man! He is my perfect match, his strength has been my weakness and his weakness (if he has any) have been my strengths (if I have any). When I get all stirred up about things he starts cracking jokes and before I know it I am rolling in laughter. I love that man!






4. What does he do that surprises you?

He LOVES to surprise me! He is always thinking of ways to surprise me, like getting the computer monitor early and sneaking in the house to set it up and surprise me. Like sneaking jewelry boxes out at dinner with sweet earrings or necklaces in them on Valentines Day. Like handing me an envelope on our anniversary, when I said not to get presents, and it is a spa pass. Or when I say in passing my running shoes are getting old and they are hurting my feet and new shoes just appear because I am too cheap to go buy something for myself; I guilt trip myself even if I did buy new ones and take them back! He listens and sometimes when I call him at work and I am frustrated with my day and how the kids have acted, he will just show up and take care of everything give me 5 and then turn around and head back to work...never says what a failure I am as a mom, or "are you kidding me, you should see what I have to do." He just comes in quietly and sweetly takes care of our 5 year old tornado and our 1 year old Mr. Mischief, and settles the scene and is then gone, all is well and peaceful with just his quiet soft presence!

5. What is your favorite feature on him?

Well my mother and father-in-law read this, so modestly and tastefully I will say that I am very very attracted to every inch of my husband! He is so handsome from face down! I just love to look at his face as we drive long drives and he is looking at the road ahead and I just take in his very handsome face! I love love his soft spirit he brings into our home, and I love how he is a man but when you get him around his boys, he softens and he is so tender with our little babies!

6. What is his best quality?

I know this sounds so generic, "fluffy," and "gushy," which he would totally and absolutely hate, but he has so many qualities, I cannot narrow it down to one. He is so kind, something he has learned from good parents, he is slow to anger and when he is angry or frustrated, one should know you have pushed him to his limits. He seldom ever talks unkindly about people. When I am all "bugged" about something he listens quietly and then asks things like "did you think to pray" or "have you thought of doing this...." He calms my spirit! He is a rock I can count on and one I have enjoyed the journey with! We have progressed together and have come so far. All we do together, we done with fabulous communication and I just love talking with him! I love how he makes me laugh! I love his sense of humor! He keeps things light and always cuts the tension with his quick wit!! He has always put his family first and works so hard for us! He is like a little boy again when he plays with his boys and I just love how he is such a loving, caring and wonderful father.

7. Does he have a nickname for you?

Yes, but it is what most people call me casually, Hol.

8. What is his favorite food?

He is loves it when I call it this but anything "heart attack" food! Pizza, Little Irish Burgers, Breaded and fried shrimp, steaks (well-done).....

9. What is his favorite sport?

It depends on the season, football, basketball, baseball....he is really good at golf but gets really mad on the coarse and hasn't done it in years until he started working for Cargill and this is what all the management does in the summer time so he had to dust off his clubs and give it another whirl. All his fellow managers and bosses think he is pretty good too!

10. When and where did you first kiss?

Oh gosh, I hope this doesn't make me look like a hussy to my mother-in-law but....on the first date he kept looking at my lips and I could tell he was really interested in me... well I got presumptuous and told him I don't kiss on the first date! He then informed me that was great and that he doesn't either.... So a month later I was ready and waiting and I dropped all the hints and signs that a poor girl ready for the kiss could give, "Hello kiss me now!" Well he was teasing me and he knew I was ready but because of what I said on the first date he was holding out...he just loves to tease-espeicially me! So finally one night after a walk around the green belt at the Falls in Idaho Falls, we decided to sit on a bench off the falls and I finally grabbed him and went in for the kill.... He held out on me too long I had had it! He just loves to tease me about that too!

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple?

We love to drive and talk, we love to talk about everything. I guess just being together, we went out on a date the other night, to dinner, and we just talked and laughed and that is what we just love to do.... of course we love to snuggle and watch movies but just watching movies is not relationship building, he feels and he seldom takes me to movies because he feels it take that part of a date away, the getting to laugh, talk, plan, rekindle...

12. Do we have any children?

2 boys! We love them both and they are both a great mixture, one looks just like him, which I just love but acts just like me, which I don't love, and the other looks more like me (still with a lot of his features though) but acts just like him. Either way we love our boys! They are both so precious and we have thoroughly enjoyed being parents together and look forward to one day having more, if we can.









13. Does he have any hidden talents?

Because my husband is shy, somewhat, not many people really get to know him like I do but he is so funny and can impersonate people (Donald Duck is a family fav), we have movie lines that we repeat for life's funny little happenings sometimes and he has these voices he can impersonate and he will sometimes do for the kids. He is a hoot!

14. How old is he?

He is old enough to know better but young enough to still have fun! ; )

15. Who said I love you first?

Hmm.... I remember this coming up on our long distance phone calls at about 3:00 a.m and I think it was something mutual...no one first... but I think we felt and realized it together and haven't stopped saying it!!

16. What is his favorite music?

He like the old 80's rock music, and I really love the flashbacks when he buys a new song off i-tunes for his ipod he will play if for me and it reminds me of the good ole' 80's.

17. What do you admire most about him?

Wow, the list could go on and on...he is a hard worker, he has never been afraid of any job. When he puts his mind to something he does it all the way. He doesn't give up, he backs me 100% and has been such an awesome provider. He is always worried about me and the boys and our needs and could careless about himself. He is so selfless and serving. He has gone against all odds and has come out smelling like a rose and even with a job, kids, wife and everything else life throws at you he went back to school to better further his career and was a Honors Student to boot! Need I say more...


18. What is his favorite color?

Hello, big, huge Oakland Raiders fan, BLACK and SILVER baby!

19. Will he read this?

Yes, he likes to read my blog! Will he enjoy what I wrote??? No he will be embarrassed because he is modest and hates the attention but I love doing it! I love you hubby!

20. Who do I tag now.....

I tag whoever wants to, this was really fun to reflect on the man I married and love! So if you want to take on a fun tag about your good husband do it!

Don't Miss Your Chance!

This is my favorite contest of all times! OK I know what you are thinking....another contest! BOOO! Well this is so much fun and it is a contest I look forward to every January 1st. Yes, I am a HGTV-aholic and I have been a faithful entering fan of the HGTV Dream home for the last 5 years. I have never won but hey, it gives me something to dream about in the boring month of January...instead of the real life realizations like...I spent way too much on Christmas, bills, January blahs and my all time favorite the January 1st diet I always put myself on because the holidays were way too good to me! So check it out and enter today...if you win per my suggestion though, I get to be the first guest in your dream home! ; )

A good husband and a little help from Dell...

Sorry my very long post was up for way too long, more of a sole searching post, but I am sure long and boring to many! ; ) Anyway I shouldn't have said anything to hubby about really working hard to save more this next year, as a New Years Resolution. The following day our monitor, and my social world and the way I conduct most of my daily business...started to smoke and making crackling sounds and poof gone. Great! I know, I know, I shouldn't have said it, because just as soon as you say things like that you might as well start writing the checks and kissing your money goodbye...things start breaking down and bills poor in.
So my fast thinking husband got online and found a fabulous deal on Dell.com (this is not an advertisement for Dell but I am quite thankful they had a sale) and got me a new monitor coming before I could even think of suggesting it! They said it would take a week to build and then they would ship so we could see it within the next couple of weeks. Well my monitor arrived today and I am back and going again! I have soooo much to catch up on, since my main way of working with the bank on our new house, finalizing all the last minute odds and ends with the house, and helping my little sister with her wedding plans are happening all via the internet.
Anyway it came today and he somehow got into our room with me in the house on the treadmill and got it set up and surprised me at lunch today!! What a wonderful husband!! This is one of the many reasons why I love that man...it may not be important to him or anyone else but it was to me and he always always makes a point to keep my silly needs in mind and makes things happen just for me!
Thanks Hubby!!!

PS I don't know if you noticed Kimri but I did my own picture this time...I am trying to be brave and figure out photoshop! You did a much much better job on the other photo's it is all I can do to send it too you again and have you help... your fonts look so cute compared to mine!

Happy New Year My Friends and Family!

2008, wow, how it has flown! Blink and you seriously missed it...last year we were living comfortably in our beautiful home in Treasure Valley. Life was good, it was very comfortable and I was starting to feel it. (First big mistake, right ; ) )? We had just welcomed a beautiful baby boy into our waiting and wanting home, we were enjoying all of him, and of course we were enjoying "J" as well. Hubby was embarking on another semester at BSU via the internet and doing so well, he is a smarty! We were both working-out on a regular basis and hubby even beat his high blood pressure by April.

Yep, life was good....however back in November of 2007 we had noticed that orders were becoming less, prices for things such as corn for cattle feed at Western Stockmen's (Simplot) were becoming costly and orders were dwindling those effects. Hubby came home one evening and we discussed the situation for several late hours and even the next day the signs of that division of the company really slowing due to such huge inflation and ranchers finding cheaper ways to feed their livestock verses custom feed started to become more and more of a reality. It had been almost two years there and we were so happy and loved our new life we had made in the area. As I decorated for Christmas in our gorgeous home in 2007, I had impressions and feelings as if this were the last Christmas in this home and to enjoy. So we did and from November 2007 we were in the application process and began the process of looking for a new job.

Fast forward to March, we were contacted by Cargill that hubby was a perfect match for a position in the Manger, cattle feed division, we were thrilled since things at Western Stockmen's were pointing towards possible layoffs. Hubby went through the extensive process, it is all a blur now but I remember it was phone calls, e-mails, physical interviews and so on! We travelled to the interview and he felt so good, and when he shakes their hands to leave the hiring manager told him that he will be calling him with an offer within the week... Well each day went by and nothing, almost a week from when he interviewed we got an e-mail, we were stunned, hubby was informed he didn't get the job and that's it no explanation nothing. We were shocked, mad, frustrated and egos bruised! We thought for sure he had it- we were told he had it....so we thought and we were so excited that this job could have taken so close to the "Land of Milk and Honey" and other family! We had been looking at the area and things at hubby's work were really starting to point to layoffs coming and it was becoming clearer that hubby's whole crew was expendable.

As you can imagine I was really burned out so I just stopped applying and keeping up with other applications we had in, I was done in! Then we got an e-mail from a recruiter at Cargill, the e-mail that changed our life. The recruiter was contacting us to let hubby know that they were very interested in him joining the Cargill Management team and to please be patient while they find the right fit. He has taken a look at his resume and wanted him to break away from the feed mill area he had only two years experience in and go to Managing elevators, which he had 8+ years experience in. So we got the e-mail the next day to apply to a job in the Midwest! So after great deliberation we decided we had nothing to lose and things at hubby's current job were starting to worsen. So we applied.

Calls, e-mails and a flight to the Midwest for an interview later, hubby was offered the job! Happy and sad, it was a bittersweet moment but our decision was made in the temple and through fasting and pray we knew. (While hubby was interview at the facility he could possibly manage I asked him to clear his mind to listen to the impressions given him and share with me all these things that came to his heart and mind. I was hoping secretly that an offered wouldn't be offered, and when it was I was hoping for feelings that would force our hand to stay and figure things out but all fell into place, we were moving to the Midwest). Heartsick but full of peace, we began to settle our affairs in the area and prepare for a 1600+ mile journey. Remarkably things fell into place, small miracles happened that made the move fast and easy. All ties were cut off fast and with the help of family and friends all was final. I loved my life that we had worked so hard to make in Treasure Valley and now I had to say goodbye to a home I loved, Ward and friends I adored and move so much farther from the "Land of Milk and Honey." It was hard, so hard but I had peace.

The first morning in our new town I was wakened by a call on the hotel phone. We were exhausted from our long day of flying the day before and were all still sleeping. Groggily I got the phone to hear on the other end, "Is this Sister Pilgrim?" What Sister, what, it must be a member of the church, I thought immediately... "Yes this is," I replied rather surprised to the very friendly yet mysterious caller on the other end of the phone. "Welcome, Sister but if you don't mind I have a story I need to tell you...from there this lady was a member of our little Branch, in our new area. She shared with me a story that day that confirmed that all had taken place, every miracle that fell into place to help us move there and fast, every peaceful and pulling feeling to come here, the story had explained it ALL!

You see this faithful sister and her family and a small handful of other members were keeping this area going, a couple years prior Stake officials were coming here to close the Branch down. Because of this lady, my now mission companion and dear friend, the Branch was not closed the members were instructed to fast and pray for new members. With in 5 months time, 4 new priesthood holders and families moved into the Branch, including ours. She then stated to me on the phone that day,"Sister, you were prayed here by us and that is why you are here, we need you and your family!" I cried, I had gotten my answer, we had made the right decision, and yes our peace, our miracles all came from the Lord. This was the direction that we were to travel. I then called my dear mom and cried with her and told her of the phone call and she had peace too. One can only imagine what it must feel like to have a daughter, a child move so far, especially since my mom and I are so close, it was her peace now too, that we had made the right decision. I called hubby's mom too and the same story relaid and the same feelings of peace as well.

Since then it has been a whirlwind of events, we have gone from a 20 something regular congregation to hitting the 50's last Sunday!! Our small little building is bursting at the seams. I have been called and set apart as a Branch Missionary. During that blessing it was told to hubby and I that we have the privilege of being called on a mission in a different way and by only the will of the Lord are we here. When Jay was interviewed by the Stake President to be a counselor to the Branch President the same amazing statements were made to him.

So it is happening, during this economic turmoil, people are having their jobs threatened and even losing them and are required to move to areas of the United States or maybe even the world in order to sustain a livelihood. Many of us "comfortable," Latter-day Saints are being sent on our "missions" throughout the land. We are having to establish ourselves in these lesser LDS populated areas and we are bringing strength and numbers to areas were the work can grow. It is a new kind of mission, 20, 30, 40 and 50 something year old people moving from stronger LDS areas and serving their missions while working and sustaining their family.

What an amazing experience! So it is today, January 1st, 2009, I want to be thankful, not egotistical, not puffed up, but thankful for the blessings, the very many that we have been given.

I know that we are living in a time of much turmoil, where many are nervous about various things especially the economy. I know that we are so blessed, hubby missed a layoff by 1 WEEK!!! It was so close for us and I know had we not had the impending layoff we would have never left our comfort zone. I know that sometimes being in a hard place we are compelled to do WHATEVER it takes to sustain and live. I am so thankful we have been spared what some have already had happen. I am so thankful I am having missionary experiences. I am so thankful my sons are being raised to serve and to not ask what is mine, when is mine, where is mine (my BIGGEST pet-peeves). I am so thankful for a smart, capable, unselfish, amazing husband. He knew the signs, he is obedient and he listened to the promptings and warnings early and avoided what could have been a huge financial tragedy in our lives. He amazes me every day as his capacities and capabilities are used, he is so very very amazing! He has stepped up to the plate and is doing so well even in times of adversity he has been a rock, a rock I could count on!

I am so thankful for flexible and helpful sons, both have been amazing through this experience and I am so thankful they keep smiling and see this as an adventure. Their little worlds were upheavaled in this and I feel so sad sometimes they are not going to have the never moved same stability that hubby and I grew up with. They seem to seize the adventure and love to join in on the ride. I am so thankful for the peaceful impressions and for the words that have confirmed that we are to be here. It has given me purpose and direction and has helped me to never look back, even though sometimes I do miss things, I have been happy and very busy and I am thankful for that.

My list can go on, my cup runneth over! By no means has all this been easy but it has made us strong, united, thankful and most importantly closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior. I am thankful for the journey to serve our mission, I look forward to more. I hope that I can live up to what Heavenly Father sees in me and hopes for me. I hope I can repay one day all I have been blessed with! May each of you know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, I hope whoever reads this finds themselves a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and if not contact me, I will tell you how. Come to the happiness, don't miss out!

I love and appreciate our dear friends and family! Our hope from the Pilgrim Village is that each of you has prosperity, health, happiness and the gospel! Enjoy the ride, it is but once we get to do this and may you count your blessings even through the tough times now and possibly ahead.

Love to all! Have a Happy and joyous New Year!