"I don't know how the story ends, but I'll be alright cause you wrote it."

Alright Kids, I actually wrote this post a little while ago and it was too painful to post. I feel a little childish and dramatic posting this, but I guess that is how I roll. Everything written below is so absolutely true. I continue to be incredibly blessed by my past and present. You live, you learn, you move (or you try really hard to.) I really do enjoy blogging, so I am starting fresh on a brand spanking new one. If you are crazy enough to still follow my world the new blog is called justchuggin.blogspot.com This is mostly for my wonderful grandma who i think is the sole reader. The End...but not really.

Each Life That Touches Ours for Good (Hymn #293)

Each life that touches our for good

Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;

Thou sendest blessings from above Thru words and deeds of those who love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow,

What great goodness can we know

Than Christlike friends, whose gentle ways

Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

When such a friend from us departs,

We hold forever in our hearts

A sweet and hallowed memory,

Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim

Devotion to the Savior's name,

Who bless our days with peace and love,

We praise thy goodness, Lord, above.

I am so grateful for those people who have, and will be such a great influence in my life. I have been very blessed to be in the presence of, what I believe to be, The Lords elite. I know that these people have helped me to become closer to the person My Heavenly Father needs me to be. No one else could have taught me what they have taught me. They are one of the biggest blessings in my life and I have felt My Saviors love through their care.

I know that I am one of the most stubborn and faithless servants of Him, but I know that he is constantly and carefully guiding my path (even when that path is the most painful.) I don't know how my story ends, but I am grateful to have lived, and continue to live, the way He wrote it. (well... let's be honest. I am just trying my best to do so, and needing to be put back on my path all the time.)

D&C 122:7 "... all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."

P.s. The picture is called "My Child" by David Bowman (my favorite ever!) and the title comes from a song by a christian artist that who I cant remember the name of. Sorry!

Ordinary Miracles

The other day I was driving to work and the song "Hello World" by Lady Antebellum came on the radio. If you haven't really listened to this song you are really missing out (watching the dramatic music video is even better!) Sitting there in my neon green zebra striped car I bawled at how The Lord had once again tried to tell me how I need to re-evaluate my perspective.
Lately due to all the major opportunities that are staring me in the face and how terrifying yet incredible they are, I have buried something that is so important, perspective.
My perspective has been so introverted lately that I have missed the amazing miracles that are happening all around me. The moments and scenes in my world that are gentle hints that I am loved and am being constantly cared for. I have been carefully reminded of this important key to happiness and want to slow down and simplify like and "find reason for rejoicing" like Pres. Uchtdorf suggests.
Here are a few miracle moments that I have had the past few days:

• An amazing child opened her eyes wide and smiled when I called her name.
• Only the tips of pink mountains peeking through the clouds.
• My BFF sister and friend wanting to talk to me.
• Giving someone advice on how to hold a s hand.
• Cute deer footprints in my front yard.
• Sending my best friend out on the adventure of a lifetime, having the opportunity to pray for her.
• Whistling at wal-mart and receiving a sweet smile from a stranger.
• A determined seagull flying into the wind.
  
• Having my best friend in the entire world be so excited to see me he can't stop giggling and staring at me.

It is incredible how much out there bares testimony of divine love and care, if you are looking for it. There are so many people around me who have such clear perspectives I am inspired to be more like them. I am blown away by how blessed I am and how much true joy is in my world, sometime I just have to remind myself to look. P.s. The title of this post comes from another very inspiring song called "Ordinary Miracle" by Sara McLachlan

The Perks!

Honestly I couldn't really think of a title of this post cause "I better write something before I loose all interst in this blog or get so far behind i dont want to write" wouldn't fit in the allotted space. so I titled it "The Perks" because of two perks that have been in my world. Perk one: Spending all your time with an elementary school teacher means that at least one of you will be sick all the time. Perk Two: If you work in a medically fragile classroom your moral conscious tells you not to go to work if you cant stop coughing, but feel a ton better! well kids a I am currently benefiting from both of those wonderful facts! So because i am a useless lump at the moment lets give you a quick catch up on our world.

Christmas break was a much needed deep breath. Brandon was sick most of the break and i was sick on and off, but we did make some time to just be us. This was SOOOO needed and we made the most of it. It is so crazy how chugging through the mundane can make you take for granted the most incredible blessing that is right in front of you. We have been so focused on helping 30 podunkers meet ayp (ha ha i love to use jargan...this means adequate yearly progresss.) and getting the needed 6 hours of sleep each night that we haven't really had time to just be with each other and let all the realization of admiration catch up with us. it definatly did this break. AH! (Ok, I will attempt to stop being so sappy.)

It was also a great time to be with my family. I love them so much. My little brother just got his mission call so we decided to take a short family trip before he leaves. Yes, we know he doesn't leave until April, but anyone with a family like mine know that it is almost impossible to get everyone together. So this past week we went up to midway and stayed at a cute resort. It was great to go on a couple adventures together and just laugh with eachother. I also realized that the wisdom of my years has not helped my ability to ice skate. I am still as terrible as I was in junior high.

Now here is the most important part of this post. here is the story. Once upon a time my dear sweet father brought home this plastic light up nativity scene. I told him that i thought is was really tacky and he didn't believe me. For the next couple years he put it up teasing me all the time how now the house was tacky...white trash...etc. He kept it up asking everyone he knew if they thought it was tacky and most people told him that it was (yay for honest people.) finally he stopped putting it up cause he says that i shamed him into it. realistically we all know that he is embarrassed cause other people don't like it as much as i don't. This year i told him to embrace his inner tacky and put it up. I got this....

The next day I turned on my car and found this (dont worry, he rigged it to light up when i turned on my car.)