Unfinished Thoughts

I feel like the title says it all.

I am really struggling with putting my thoughts into words because I feel like I'm in the middle of figuring so many good things out right now.

Moving away from "home" has been a good experience. I have had to grow, I have had to become more open minded when I already thought I was open minded, I have had to just accept things the way they were and work on making them better, I have had to withdraw from being in the drivers seat of life and I have had to learn to be content to let my Heavenly Father take the wheel and guide me when I had no idea which direction to turn.

We have a new family in the ward. We'll call the wife Tracy. Tracy and I have a lot in common. She is struggling with many of the same things I struggled with when we first moved here. In talking to her, I have been able to realize just how much I have grown. It makes me so appreciative to be where I am now, instead of in her place where she is still trying to figure herself out in her new environment. It also makes me want to reach out and help her struggle not to have to be as hard as my own by just being a good friend to her. I have often wondered why I have struggled so much with finding friends out here but at the same time I knew, as in all things, that Heavenly Father had a bigger plan and purpose than I could/can see. There is always a purpose to our trials.

You may have noticed lately that I turned off my comments on this blog. I love comments. Dearly. But I think I was putting too much stock in them. Knowing that my friends and family care enough to want to read the little updates of our lives is enough for me right now. I love you all and really appreciate your care and concern for me and my family. I am trying to be a better me, and part of that is not being tempted all day to check my blog, or Facebook to see what the latest comment or  status update is. I feel happier. My kids are happier.

And in other news, I have recently discovered humidity can be your friend in the winter when you're running outside. In the west, I could never run in cold weather. Today it was cold outside but I ran 2 miles and when I got home I didn't feel like my lungs were bleeding. It was awesome!

**Post Edit** I forgot to mention, on my run at 1 pm in the afternoon, on the way back to our apartment, I came across a woman in front of me weaving her way down the sidewalk. At first as I watched her I thought she was doing it to be funny, going from one side of the sidewalk to the other as she walked, but after a few minutes I noticed that she really didn't seem to be able to control what direction her body was going. So sad. I gave her a very WIDE girth as I ran by her and also looked at her face to see if maybe her lack of balance wasn't drug related. She had this look on her face that told me she was pretty high on something. This is at least the 2nd or 3rd time I have come across this on my street. It's so sad to see people waste their life away like that. **

I've Got a Little Secret . . . .

I know where you can view the Downtown Abbey 3rd Season episodes! ! ! ! And it's not hard or anything - you just have to know the right connections.  :)

If you wanna know, you will just have to call me. I've realized, I need to call more people and more people need to call me and we need to be less in the habit of using technology as an excuse not to talk to each other on the phone. At the very least. Or I could just send you a nice handwritten letter if that's your preferred mode of communication.  : P

Ballerina Girl - Halloween Style

Aftyn and I had a fun afternoon today. We went to the nearby mall where they were having some fun halloween crafts and activities. We met up with a few of our friends and had a great time! Here is the only picture I took of the whole thing. :) Go me - I took a picture!
 By the way, this is NOT her official halloween costume, it's just one we threw together thanks to some fun dress-ups that my sis-in-law Kamber shared with us before she moved away. Thanks Kamber!!

*Bronwyn has had a fever for 2 days, refuses tylenol and hardly has been eating or drinking so she stayed home with Reed. Luckily, she's feeling better and we've been able to sneak some tylenol into the drinks she occasionally drinks which helps her to feel better.  She is going to be the cutest little Bronwynnie for Halloween!! She's already tried on her costume and loves it.

As Requested - A Video!

You should definitely go here.

Just a moment of our day - in pictures

Aftyn was so proud of this necklace she had just strung with ALL the beads it came with! Thanks Grandma Bishop!!

Bronwyn was just needing a nap. And is also getting in a molar. I think she may have been feeling a might sensitive? :)

Proof of the Pudding

Bronwyn found the pudding Reed thought he put up out of her reach . . . . Ha!

  Reed greatly lamented the fact that she had just gotten clean clothes on too! :) I should have taken a picture of myself, I laughed and laughed and just let Reed deal with it. Welcome to what my life feels like every day. . . .

Aftyn wanted a picture of herself too, except she didn't get into the pudding like Bronwyn. Chocolate cheeks! Sorry for the blur, close one eye and tilt your head - you know the drill. :)

Life

It's a funny thing, life is. 

Sometimes it's hard. 

For a good long time it can be hard. 

And then suddenly the things that seemed hard before aren't so hard anymore. 

And you kind of settle in and find that you start to enjoy the things that felt hard before. 

And you start to like most everything that is happening in your life. 

Maybe it's because it's fall? 

Or maybe it's because I've just had a good long phone conversation with a friend. 

Either way, I'm glad to be feeling the way I'm used to feeling. 

Pretty close to perfectly happy.