There is a difference between humility and being humiliated. Two years ago on December 16th, I was humiliated. But, it doesn't even begin there. Rewind to November 2014, we had some huge changes coming our way. I was in my first trimester with Scotti and Jordan quit his job and started his own business. To keep a really long story short, we were sent to court for breaching a non-compete clause. While this was going on, Jordan was unable to work. We had my income which was just fine for what we needed. Then, on December 16th, I was forced to resign from ICCU for no reason other than I was "no longer a fit". Being humiliated is just a sliver of how I felt that night. I instantly lost all self-esteem I had when it came to my job and myself as a person. I was one of the top loan officers in the CU and I had just broken a few records in my department the month before. My boss knew that Jordan was not working and knew that I was pregnant as well. As humiliated and hurt as I was, I felt at peace. That night was when we truly put all our faith in the Lord. We still hadn't gotten anywhere with court and Jordan was still not working. Everyday we prayed. We thanked the Lord for everything that we had and prayed for Him to know that our hearts were true and that we had been doing everything we could to please Him. I was able to start taking over on my dad's bookkeeping which not only helped us make a little bit of money but it ended up relieving my mom of stress that she was carrying so I immediately felt relief for her. It wasn't until February that Jordan was able to return back to work. In those couple months that we were out of work, not once did we have to take money out of savings or ask for help with anything. Not only did we never have to use money we didn't want to, but Jordan was able to return to work with no restrictions considering what he was accused of during our time in court. We received so many blessings and tender mercies during our trial we endured and my testimony is stronger than it has ever been because of that. I am forever grateful to Heavenly Father for giving us that trial because it made us rely on Him and it also made Jordan and I's relationship even stronger because we had to rely on each other. I have a strong testimony in paying tithing. I know that if we can just give our 10% to the Lord, we will be blessed and we will have all that we need to survive. I also know without a doubt that He hears us. His answers don't come exactly when we want them or how we want them, but He does answer our prayers and helps us learn patience.
There is something unique about being back in the place where your husband served his mission. I was able to go to Costa Rica in September and not only go with Jordan but also with my mom, dad, brother, sister and brother's girlfriend. We stayed more south in Dominical which is not even where Jordan served. However, the feelings I felt while I was in that country were indescribable, but I'm going to try and describe them anyway.
As we were making our descent into Costa Rica, I had this overwhelming feeling of love and pride that I couldn't help but get emotional. This was the place that Jordan came to love. This was the place that Jordan served the people. This was the place that Jordan's testimony of the Gospel grew even more. This was the place that Jordan changed lives and this was the place that changed Jordan's life forever.
The last day of our trip, we drove back into San Jose to stay closer to the airport as our flight departed early the following morning. As we got into San Jose, we went to their "city center" that was basically a strip down the city of shopping, food, and lots of people. We went to a touristy souvenir hut to get some goodies to take back to the kids. We went to a pizza joint that Jordan used to get pizza at (it was terrible by the way). But, seeing him light up and get so giddy made my love for him grow even more. Those who know Jordan, know how genuine and sincere he is.
I really wanted to be able to see the temple while we were there but I didn't think we would be able to make it happen. But, right before it was getting dark we decided to set out and try and find it. As we pulled into the parking lot, the stake center right behind it was open and we kept seeing a couple people going in and out. Then it hit me... It was the women's broadcast for general conference. Something overwhelmingly pulled me into that stake center, not caring that the boys would have to stick around. We walked into the building and saw the chapel full of women and daughters watching the broadcast. Kids were running in and out and it wasn't incredibly reverent but it didn't matter. Then Jaquel, my brother's girlfriend, said she could hear the words in English somewhere. We set out to find the words being spoken and then there they were, about eight women sitting there watching the broadcast in English. We were not dressed for the occasion, but honestly, it didn't matter. The session was almost over but we were able to listen to Elder Uctdorf speak very last. What a powerful and incredible experience we had in that room. Something about being in Costa Rica where Jordan served, in a church building, listening to an apostle, with my sisters and mom, really made the spirit feel so strong. How incredible was his talk on faith? I truly feel like there was a reason why we didn't find the temple the first day and why we showed up at the time that we did. We all needed to hear that talk. We needed to feel the spirit and have our hearts and minds opened.
I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life. I am grateful that Jordan was able to serve the people of Costa Rica and have such an influence on their lives. I truly feel like it helped mold him into the man he is today. I am so grateful that I found him to be my eternal companion. We are not perfect and I get frustrated easily with him, but not once has it ever taken away the fact that I love him with all my heart and I am grateful for him and the type of person that he is. I truly am blessed.
I used to always wonder what SAHM meant whenever I saw it. For some odd reason, once I became at stay at home mom, I finally realized what it meant. I looked at the acronym and it just hit me. One thing I have also come to realize is how hard it is. This post isn't about to be how hard it is to stay home and how easy it is to work full time because I have now experienced both sides.
I used to sit in church on Sundays just angry and annoyed at all the stay at home moms thinking to myself, "You have NO idea what it's like! NO IDEA!" But yet, in all reality, I had NO idea what it was like to stay home either. I have so much more respect for a mother who stays at home raising her children and so much respect for all the moms who work full time.
When I worked full time and hated those stay at home moms, I almost wanted to tell them how hard it was so that they would feel bad for me. Here was my routine: I would wake up early enough to get myself ready and Reggie ready for wherever he was going that day. I also had to give myself enough time to take him to his destination and be to work 15 minutes early. I was told when I first started for ICCU that if you aren't 15 minutes early, then you are late. For the 5 1/2 years that I worked there, I can honestly say that I was 15 minutes early about 90% of that time. The latest my shift ever ended was 6:30 (rarely). But by 5:30, 6:00 or 6:30, I would get home, either cook dinner or go get dinner (yes, we eat out too much). Once dinner was over, I would try and spend little time with Reggie and then do school work. I never felt relaxed when I was sitting on my couch watching TV because there was so much that needed to be done.
Once I finished school in October or November (I already can't remember), I thought things would slow down and I would be able to relax. I honestly never felt relaxed at all. Granted, last year in November, Jordan quit his job and started his own company in competition with his previous employer. So you can only imagine what hell that was. In November, he was served with court papers for breaching a non-compete. I will go into more detail about our year in another post. So, as you can imagine, there was no time to relax. Jordan was always on edge and ansy because along with breaching the non-compete and being sent to court, the judge also signed off on a restraining order so Jordan and his partner were not able to perform work with their new company until court was settled. Then there was me, trying to work, do school, spend time with Reggie, brighten Jordan's spirits, keep my house clean, and relax. It was tough and again I envied the stay at home moms because they could do anything and everything they wanted.
Then, to my surprise, on December 16, 2014, I became that stay at home mom I always thought I wanted to be. Now, I wanted to be a stay at home mom but I thought I would be able to prepare myself for it. You know, take my time quitting my job and things like that. But, it didn't work that way. The events that went on that day told me that I would no longer have a job at the end of the day. Sure enough, my "friend" led me down the stairs at 5:30 and sat me down with the regional manager. Long story short, I was no longer a fit for my position and I could either resign or they would basically fire me. Being offered two weeks paid and a pay out on all my sick and vacation days, I resigned. I quickly wrote my one sentence resignation letter and I never worked full time again.
Let me briefly explain the position I was put in. I was told I was no longer fit for my position at the Credit Union anymore. However, the month previous to this, I broke a record in my department for loans closed (as I was always a top performer and broke other records previous). I was given a Target gift card and a couple packs of Diet Coke. Within a months time, my numbers didn't decrease, I was never late to work, and I continued to work hard. That is just a small piece showing you how political a company can be. If just one person doesn't like you and you aren't the type of person that will change who you are to be liked, you will not succeed. I definitely had some great years and enjoyed my job at ICCU, but the last nine months were complete hell.
Back to what really matters here... That night, my parents drove down and my in laws came over to be there for me. I sobbed. Working was really all I have ever known, what was I going to do? Then finally, my dad said, "The Lord knows where you need to be and that is home." My mom also said that the Lord knows I wouldn't quit anytime soon so he made the decision for me and this was how it turned out. As upset as I was, I felt a feeling of relief and a weight lifted. I didn't know how hard staying at home would be, but it just felt right.
Fast forward to today: two kids, a husband who is rarely home by 5:00 and me, a stay at home mom. It is TOUGH! I have caught myself telling people that if I would have known it would be this hard, I wouldn't have quit my job. Then I remember, I didn't really quit my job. Right, I could have gone and easily found another full time job, but I knew that home is where I needed to be. My dad tells me very often that Reggie needs me and how glad he is that I get to be there for my kids. Being grateful that I get to stay home does not mean it's easy.
Working full time and being a stay at home mom are two different kinds of hard. When I think of the acronym SAHM, I not only now think of "stay at home mom" but I think selfless, attentive, heavenly, and mother. Let me elaborate as to why I think of those four words.
Selfless. You think that when you stay home you can do things you have been wanting to do like be on top of your cleaning, be the perfect housewife and have dinner ready and laundry done, or even as little as have some time to yourself when the kids are napping. Right after I "quit" I was able to nap when Reggie was napping and kind of chill. That was before Scotti came and before I started doing my parent's and Jordan's bookkeeping. When you stay home, very little of the time you have is spent on yourself. I am constantly getting Reggie a drink or a snack, playing, trying to potty train, feeding Scotti, trying to keep the house clean and laundry done etc. It's exhausting. I think the Lord knew that I needed to be home, but I also think he knew I needed to learn a little more patience and this was the only way. My patience is tested every. single. day.
Attentive. Reggie is such a character. I have realized that I missed so much during the day when he was at daycare and I was at work. When Jordan gets home I often tell him of the things Reggie did today and quite often, he may not do them for Jordan that night. It's the little things. It really is right down to the little sarcastic strut Reggie might do following me around or something silly he might say. My ears are listening to Reggie always. When I am on the phone, listening to music, whatever it may be, I hear Reggie's voice over anything. I also teach things when I don't even realize that I am doing it. I tell myself that I want to set a time in the day where I sit down with Reggie and teach him stuff; words, Jesus, writing etc. But what I didn't realize is that I am constantly teaching him. I take every opportunity I can to teach him something. It's funny, a month ago we were in the car and Reggie counted from one to 10 without skipping or mixing up a number. I was stunned. Not that Reggie is no smarter than any other kid but I have never heard a two year old count all the way to 10 before. I was so proud and the first thing Jordan and everyone else said was that he must have learned it from YouTube (yes, Reggie loves YouTube). I can hear pretty well the things Reggie watches and I know he never watches counting videos. So I thought back, I always count Reggie's train or toys whenever we are playing with them. I taught him how to count!
Heavenly. My house seems far from heavenly the majority of the time but there are so many different ways to use that word. My house may always seem like it's a mess or kids are often yelling but staying at home is truly a gift. I get to be the one with my kids all day, raising them, teaching them, and loving them. I find great comfort knowing that both Reggie and Scotti chose me to be their mom. They knew before they came that I would get impatient and raise my voice but they still chose me. They knew that no matter how impatient I get, that I will never stop loving them. If I ever get mad at Reggie, I still always tell him I love him because I do. I want him to know that even if he bites me and it's not okay, I still love him. Harold B. Lee once said, “The most important of the Lord’s work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own homes.” I try to remember that often when I am upset, frustrated, and ready to give up. I know that the things that happen within our home, will reflect my kids' lives forever. Our home is a place to teach our kids how to get back to our Father in Heaven. That alone makes everything worth it and makes my home a heavenly place.
Mother. Of course this word is self explanatory. However, I know every mom out there has doubts, insecurities, faults, etc. I am always wondering if I am good enough. When I raise my voice at Reggie for something stupid, I wonder why I did that and then tell myself to have a little more patience. I have so many insecurities now being a stay at home mom that I didn't have when I worked. When I worked at ICCU, I was a loan officer. I got so much satisfaction in completing a loan and having high loan numbers. But, I got more satisfaction in getting compliments on a job well done or when members raved about me because they liked ME. You don't get that as a stay at home mom. I feel like my role is so much bigger now that it used to be. Funny thing is, the role didn't change, I did. I went from working as a loan officer to working on my patience and being a better mom and wife. I still feel like I am failing profusely at both. I try to clean the house and have it clean when Jordan gets home. What can I say, I have a two-year-old who has to have every toy out but only play with one. I try to cook more instead of always eating out because I am home all day. It's really not that easy. One day I wrote down every thing that I did to the minute because I wanted Jordan to know what I did all day. I stopped at 1:00 because I already had a page written down. I will sit down at the computer to work on my parent's books and Reggie will need a snack or Scotti will need her diaper changed. So I will do that, then something else needs done and next thing you know, it's 5:30 and you wonder where the time went.
As hard as staying home is for me, I thank the Lord every single day that I am able to do so. My family is right, as much as I wanted to quit my job and stay home, I wouldn't have unless I was forced. Now that I am here, I want to give up a lot but it doesn't take away from the fact that I truly am grateful. Despite my own faults and doubts, I know that Reggie still loves me and no matter how many times I want to just send him to my mom's I love him and would sacrifice my life to save both his and Scotti's life if I had to. I would give up anything for them. Because I am a mom and I don't come first anymore.
Last week was a very eye opening week for me. I have always known that I should not take life for granted and make the best of every situation but that doesn't always seem easy when you are in the heat of a moment. But as of last week, I will always take a step back and look at all my blessings before getting angry about something; most likely the littlest of things set me off.
My friend Jessie was diagnosed with gastric cancer last year and kicked it's ass. She went through chemo and just a few months ago she was told the fantastic news that she was cancer free. Later she then started struggling keeping food down and some other things I believe. She went back to the doctor and had some tests ran. They let her know that her scans and X-rays look good but thought maybe there was scar tissue build up causing these issues. She went in for surgery the second time only to have some scar tissue repaired. When the doctors went in for surgery they were not expecting to see what they saw. When Jessie was starting to wake up a little more a couple days later, she wasn't expecting to hear what she heard. The cancer has returned and was not caught in time. I went and visited her yesterday at home and what she told me I will not be able to get out of my mind. I didn't know what to say and all I wanted to do was break down in front of her but I knew that was probably the last thing she wanted to see.
Here is the thing about Jessie and I's relationship. She was my absolute best friend growing up. She lived just a few yards away from me and we would play at each other's houses, meet up halfway at the "haunted house", stuff our bras with water balloons, play kiss tag with boys at school, and everything else you would do with your best friend. As we got to high school, we started hanging out with different groups but always continued to have good times when we played softball together and occasionally got together. Then as we graduated, she went away to Twin Falls and I stayed in Pocatello. I still hung out with her a couple times but it isn't the friendship we used to have. People change, get busy in their lives, find new friends, but I have come to realize that no matter what path we are in our lives, nothing will ever change the fact that Jessie is and always will be one of my best friends.
I have many heroes in my life but I can truly say that Jessie is my biggest hero. She is a fighter and I know she will continue to fight as I will continue to be a support for her as much as possible. I admire her continued faith in God and the fact that I know everyone including herself prays for a miracle. God has a plan for us all and I know He knew that Jessie was strong enough to fight this battle. I believe that through this, she is changing peoples lives and has already been an inspiration to many including myself. Thank you Jessie for being my hero and true inspiration. I love you forever!
Since January 1st I have completed five classes. My term started in October and from October to January, I only completed one class but was studying for a science class during those months. So, when the new year hit I decided I was going to really push myself to get classes done and I have been doing just that. It is not even the end of January and I have completed those five classes. Some have taken me a week, some have taken me two, and some have taken me about a month to study but I have done it. I am feeling so accomplished and motivated lately that it makes me want to just keep going. The next few classes are going to be tough but I know I can do it. My term ends on March 31st and I plan on completing three more classes. I am currently working on an accounting and finance class that will have two tasks to them. There is also another accounting and finance/IT class that I will take a test to pass. If I can get those two out of the way, I will be super excited. The third class I am looking to accomplish is a marketing and business communications class. Reviews have said that it is pretty tough, but I think I can do it. I have about a month and a half to get these classes completed or at least get the tasks submitted and tests scheduled. They make you schedule them at least by the 15th of the month prior to the end of the term. I hope to have them scheduled by the beginning of March so that I can have enough time to retake them if I need to.
It feels so good knowing that I am getting so close. I love knocking a class out because it makes me that much close and more motivated to just keep going. I told Jordan to get ready for a vacation because we are planning one when I get done.
Now that I have Reggie, I tend to revert all my thoughts and posts back to him. I want to say I am sorry but I'm not. As I sit here late at night, home alone with Reggie, I am tired. I am tired because I worked all day, came home and played with Reggie until it was time to put him to bed, and since then, I have been doing school. But it is okay that I am tired. It is okay, because the more I study, the sooner I will be done. When I think about finishing school this year, a little bit of stress is lifted off my shoulders. The more I think about finishing, the more I think about my free nights to be care free (not teenager carefree cause that doesn't exist anymore) but carefree in the sense that I can come home, cook dinner (or go buy dinner), play with Reggie, watch a TV show, workout, read a book and know that I do not have to study for a test or worry about a paper. I am ready for that.
I am currently going to school at Western Governor's University and what a blessing it has been. Each semester is 6 months long and you have to take a minimum of 12CU's (most universities just call them credits). You pay your tuition for the semester and you have the full 6 months to get those 12 CU's done. The most incredible part though is that you can add additional classes to that same semester without paying a penny more. I have not been super successful in this because of all the things that have been going on in my life since I started with Western Governors last fall but since the new year, things are different. A fire started within me that has really got me going. I have one class left to complete my 12CU's for the semester which ends March 31st. Yeah, I should have had it done weeks ago but my first two classes were science and I loathe science. My performance assessment was cake so that was completed within the first two weeks of the semester. The objective assessment was the absolute hardest worst class ever. Every science possible was combined into this one class; earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology etc. And yes, you had to know what things belonged with what, what was a joule, etc etc. Annoying to say the least. But I am done with science forever and I am FOREVER grateful.
Just to sidetrack: a little bit about the performance and objective assessments; Each class is either a performance assessment or objective assessment. If the class is a performance assessment then it includes a project/paper of some sort. Most of them are just papers which could have just one task or five tasks for that class. You have as long as you want to get it done. You then submit those tasks(papers) and if they pass, then you are done with the class. Just like that. But if there is something wrong with the tasks, then the graders send it back and ask you to change what was wrong. You don't have to redo the paper, just change the mistakes. Once you have done so, you submit it again. If there are more errors, it gets sent back and you just keep fixing mistakes and submitting until you pass. There is no failing at WGU. The objective assessments are tests. If a class is an objective assessment class, then you just study your heart out, take the pre-assessment and if you pass, schedule the test. There are no weekly assignments, quizzes, tests…nothing. If you are ready, take the test. If you pass… you are done with the class.
I have failed over half of my objective assessments but passed them the second time around. You have up to three free tries until you have to start paying. But, you go until you pass. If you keep failing, you get help from course mentors. People are there to help. They want you to gain a knowledge and not base your education off of just assignments, tests, passing and failing. They want you to pass and they want you to understand.
My next class I have to complete for the end of the semester is an Econ class which is an objective assessment. I took the pre-assessment before starting the class to see what my knowledge was like before diving in head first. Yeah, I definitely need to study. While I have been studying and during slow times at work, I have been working ahead. I have another ECON class that is a performance assessment. I had to have my mentor add that class to my semester because I completed the four tasks which were four papers within three days. Three days! That means for the first time in three semesters, I will be getting more classes done then just the minimum.
Right now, my brain is hurting from my Quantitative Analysis for Business tasks I am working on. (Sidenote: If anyone is good at probability, business statistics and all the gross stuff, let me know! I could use your help) Which is why I am now sitting here letting my fingers type and mind unwind. When I look up from my computer, I can see the baby monitor and Reggie's cute little face sleeping like an angel. He is my motivation to keep going. He is the reason why I want to finish this year instead of my projected 2016. The amazing part about this whole thing, WGU let's me do that. It is up to me and my dedication and commitment to finish. My brother-in-law worked graveyards, slept three to four hours a day, watched his three kids, detailed cars, and managed to finish I wanna say 92 CU's in one year. If he can do it, so can I! I have about nine classes left and I am starting to see a light. It's not a big light and actually a very tiny one at that, but I can see it. I can see it because my motivation has kicked into high gear.
What an awesome opportunity we have to get an education to better ourselves, our future, our families etc. I am excited to finish. I am excited to be able to tell Reggie that I stuck with it. That I am the only one in my family that got their degree. I am excited to give all my school time that I spent, directly to my family. I am excited for tomorrow.
I would have to say that 2013 was the best year yet. Along with the challenges there brought great blessings.
Reggie has by far been the greatest joy and blessing to Jordan and I. It has made us learn more about each other, love each other more and appreciate the life that we have. Working full time, feeding my family, going to school, working out, and spending time with my family is not easy. But at the end of the day when I kiss my boys goodnight, I am indeed grateful for the life that I have been given.
I am grateful for a husband who loves me even at my worst; which is a lot of the time it seems. I am also grateful for the father he is to Reggie. It is so fun seeing the changes in Reggie and the fact that he is getting to an age to play. The highlight in my day is seeing Jordan push Reggie around on his new motorcycle that Santa brought him. There is so much joy on both of their faces that it is priceless. I am also grateful for the handy and talented man that Jordan is as well. We have a beautiful home that means the world to me for the fact that Jordan has put many hours of work into finishing our house. He was able to make our entertainment center downstairs, build shelves for the storage room, work bench in his garage and much more. Not to mention all the finish work he did to make the house complete.
I am eternally grateful for the gift Heavenly Father sent us on May 14th. When I am burnt out with school and stressed to the max, I sit back and think of the joy that Reggie brings to my life. We could have waited to have kids so that I could finish school or travel the world but we chose this life. We chose to have a baby and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I couldn't imagine my life without Reggie in it. He is 7 1/2 months old and so close to crawling. He is such a busy body and can never sit still. He doesn't like to miss out on anything so he has a hard time settling down or going to sleep when people are around. He jabbers a lot and says dada but we all know he doesn't know what that means. If he knew, he would be saying mama. Just kidding. He loves his dad very much.
I am also grateful for my family. What a blessing they are to me as well. I have the best parents in the world who help me more than they know. I love that I can call out to them for any advice, humor or simply just love. They love watching Reggie and I love that about them. I love my brother and sister so much and wish many great blessings to them this year, they have been great friends to me and are always there. Which bring me to another blessing in my life. I am grateful for Lindsey. She has always been the one friend I can turn to and rely on. She is one of those true friends that are hard to find and I am glad I have her in my life.
I am still working at Idaho Central and I am grateful for that. It has been such a great job for me and I love what I do. I have great co-workers and a great boss. Idaho Central is a great company to work for so it has been a blessing. As much as I would love to spend my days with Reggie, I am content with my job until the day comes to stay home. I like the fact that I contribute to the family and it boosts my self-esteem when I have good commission months. It drives me to be better at what I do. I am looking forward to what the future will hold. Focusing on one thing at a time, we will see what the future holds once I am finished with school.
In 2014, may we all learn to let go of the past and live in the present. We can't change the things that have happened but we can learn from them. Life is too short to hate those that have wronged you. We all witnessed tragedies in 2013 where loved ones left us too early. It's better to live our lives filled with love then to live our lives with hate and regret. Forgive, forget and live on. May our 2014 resolution be to show respect to everyone no matter who they are or what they've done. We have no idea what they are going through.
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter issued the following statement today regarding the recent vandalism of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints buildings in Chubbuck. “Defiling or defacing houses of worship – of any faith or denomination – is an attack not just on religious beliefs or even our law, but also on our culture and our values. It disturbs the sanctuaries of our spiritual well-being. These are not merely the acts of misguided individuals. They speak to a more fundamental disregard for sacred places, social order and the freedoms that generations of Americans have sacrificed to protect.”
Over the past couple of weeks we have witnessed one of the most incredible acts of kindness and yet one the most disrespectful acts. I have seen vandalism before but this time around, I was angry. I could not let go of the anger I had for the cowards that defaced and vandalized my church, my stake center and another stake center in the area.
I am angry for a few reasons. 1. I am angry because vandalizing property especially a place of worship is just wrong. It is wrong in the fact that this coward is either a member of the church and is angry for something he brought on himself or he is just someone who has been offended by someone who happens to be a member of the church. He is not just taking it out on one person, he has to take it out on the whole church. If he is a member of the church and he is angry with us for something WE did. When people are angry with the church, most of the time it is because they did something that resulted in discipline which could be something as lightly as repenting yourself or it could go as far as being excommunicated from the church. YOU make your own decisions and YOU decide the path that you will take. It is not the churches fault if you make wrong decisions that put you in a bad place. If this coward is not a member of the church and they are doing this people they have been offended, shame on you. You are letting one person determine your entire perspective on the Mormon church. 2. I am also angry because this puts on the wrong message to those who are not members. It makes them ask the questions "What did they really do to make this happen" or "Why would someone go this far"?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has over 15,000,000 members of the church in the entire world. If you think about it, that's not THAT many compared to the 7 billion in the world. BUT, our religion is out there. We have over 80,000 missionaries, 141 temples, 4 universities/colleges and people know about us. They know that we judge and that is what we do. Anytime someone associates with a Mormon and are offended by something they say, all Mormons are bad because all we do is judge. What people don't understand is that everyone in the world whether they are Mormon, Luthern, Catholic, Atheist, etc. we all judge. Do we judge on purpose because we know you are not Mormon and that is what we want to do? No, I can guarantee anyone reading this cannot sit there and say they have never judged in their life. In fact, I judged the coward who defaced our church. I made assumptions as to why someone would be so angry to vandalize property. I judge because I am not perfect. No mormon is perfect. Our Prophet, Thomas S Monson, is not perfect. He may be close to the Lord but he too makes mistakes. We all make mistakes. It is unfortunate that people feel this way.
I grew up with the most amazing group of friends I could ever ask for. They were all such good examples to me and we had fun. We had fun when we were just being stupid. We had fun hanging out and doing nothing. Does the fact that we were mormon have an advantage? Maybe. But the thing about it is, not all of my friends are mormon. I would not have had it any other way either. These friends are GREAT people. They new how to have fun and they didn't let our religion play a role in our friendship. The thing that breaks my heart, we never forced or encouraged mormonism on these friends and once high school was over, I heard that they hated Mormons because they have been judged. How were you judged? Were you judged because you weren't a mormon or did someone judge you in another way? The common misconception is that we judge people because they aren't Mormon. I will be honest, there are Mormons who think they are perfect and do judge other because they are not perfect. Well Mormon or not, I too hate those who think they are perfect. I also think that Facebook and Instragram gets misinterpreted. People can post everything about their life and make it seem like they are just perfect and happy but deep down, it is not even close to that. They may have just posted a picture of their husband but the day before that, they were yelling at each other. Everything is just a misconception. We are read the wrong way and because of that, the Mormon religion and people are bad people.
It's just like the Provo "Mormon" doctor that was found guilty last week of murdering his wife a few years ago. The fact that he is a Mormon, the media of the case just escalated because we are supposed to be perfect. Well, I hate to tell you that there are bad people out there. It has nothing to do with their title or religion. It has everything to do with who they are as a person. You don't see newscasters putting Catholic at the beginning of a trial for someone killing their wife or because they are running for President. People judge us as Mormons because we are held to a higher standard.
One of our main focuses are about families. We are all about family and togetherness. Who doesn't want their family to be their main focus. Even if you have no interest in joining the church, do a little research of what we are about before you judge us. If you have been judged by someone who is a member of the church, don't assume the religion teaches us to be that way or that all mormons are that way because we aren't. Do we judge? Yes. Do we purposely judge nonmembers? No. If I have ever judge anyone in one way or another, I apologize from the bottom of my heart. It is never my intention to hurt someone or attack someone because of what they believe.
I will say this though, after having Reggie, I am grateful for eternal families. I love Jordan more than anything but now that I have Reggie, my whole perspective on life has changed. I want more than anything for Reggie to live a great life and for him to be happy. More than anything, I want to be with my family for eternity. I am grateful for the church and do have a testimony of it. I believe that Jesus Christ atoned for my sins. I also believe that our Heavenly Father loves every one of us no matter who we are and what we believe. As long as we can believe in Him and know that he wants nothing but happiness for us, nothing else matters. He wants us to return to him.
I love my friends and family and everyone I have had the chance to come in contact with...
That being said, I live in a great neighborhood. I wish so much I could have been apart of the light extravaganza last weekend but it has been awesome to see this go viral.
The Long family has four children. Their oldest is on a mission and their second oldest in in college. Their two younger boys are 15 and 10 I believe. They both have the disease called muscular dystrophy. This is a disease in which muscles damage easily and weaken which eventually confines one to a wheelchair. Those with this disease also have trouble breathing and swallowing as well. Konner, the 15-year-old, asked his dad if they could have Christmas lights this year. They had the lights do to it but before they could, the neighborhood banded together to deck their house out in Christmas lights. Watch the video below.
We had our primary program last week. Those children just have sweet little spirits and to listen to the shout the primary songs, just brought a warm feeling to my heart. The younger Long boy, Jaxson, was in my direct line of sight. I had an emotional Sunday. As I sat and watched him, he just had a smile on his face the entire program. I did not cry because I felt bad for him, I cried because no matter what life has thrown at him, he still has a smile on his face. I look up to the strength that those boys have or anyone for that matter that struggles with a disability.
Over the length of this week I have never felt the Spirit so strong in my entire life. I have had some promptings that I have tried to shake because I was scared and didn't know how to go about them. I did not want to upset anyone or make them feel angry with me. Finally last night it got to the point that I was forbidden sleep until I acted on the prompting. I am in no place to share the experience but I want to express my gratitude for this Gospel. I know that the things I shared last night were not my actual words. The Lord was working through me to help someone else in need. Whether it will make a difference in their life or not, it was a definite testimony builder to myself. I said things that I know I couldn't have made up by myself. All I wanted to do today was read conference talks, the ensign and watch Mormon Messages.
Earlier this week, a talk from general conference came to mind. This is horrible to admit but I remember very little from April's conference except for one talk in particular. It was the talk by Elder L Whitney Clayton titled "Marriage: Watch and Learn". I read this talk out loud to Jordan and was reminded of the blessing that I have to be married to him. I also sat back and realized that we both have things to work on. I definitely have more to work on because of my many flaws but nobody is perfect. No matter how many times we can read that talk and think that we have these principles down, we never will. A marriage is never perfect and a marriage is never easy.
The five principles Elder Clayton speaks of are:
1. A priceless marriage
2. Faith
3. Repentence
4. Respect
5. Love
1. A priceless marriage: So many times we take things for granted. Having a priceless marriage to me means that no one else matters but me and my spouse. Yes, people can hurt us, hate us, talk bad about it, belittle us, not forgive us, underestimate us etc, but at the end of the day, Jordan (besides Reggie of course) is the only thing (besides what could be more important. If there is something, then you need to ask yourself why and what you need to do to put your spouse first. It reminds me of the MasterCard commercials...
Nice truck: $17,000
New phone: $299
Relaxing vacation: $1,000
Being married to your eternal companion: Priceless
2. Faith: I know that a marriage would not survive without faith. When things are hard, I know that I need to have faith to endure through the challenges and differences that Jordan and I have. We have to have faith in the Lord knowing that there is a plan for us and if we have faith and do what we should be doing, we will continue on the path to live and love each other for eternity.
3. Repentance: Even for the little things such as eye rolling, snapping, and simply getting angry when the plate was put in the sink and not the dishwasher, we need to repent. Repentance to me always comes across so negative. I feel that if I have to repent it is something so horrible but it's not. When we repent it gives us the opportunity to ask for strength. It gives us the ability to ask for patience. If we continually ask for help, we should be able to reduce to amount of times we need to repent.
4. Respect: When we respect each other, that means we are treating each other as equal partners. The most horrible thing we can do in a marriage is belittle one another. I will admit and my family can atest to this that I used to be disrespectful towards Jordan. I would talk him down in front of my family and it was 100% wrong. If anything, I should be talking highly and uplifting Jordan; not making him feel like he is worthless. If we continue to encourage, uplift, and praise one another not only in front of others but while we are alone, I know that we can continue to build on the love that we already have for one another.
5. Love: This word is self explanatory. We as spouses need to love each other with all our hearts. All women want in a marriage/relationship is for the man to love them and fight for them. Love each other as if no one else exists. Love each other as if there was no tomorrow because in this crazy world, there really could be no tomorrow. Too many times we get caught up in the real world and the negative things surrounding us that we tend to lose our focus on each other. The love never fades but the affection and attention can which makes a spouse insecure and question the love. Never get to a point that your spouse has to question love. Never go to bed without telling your spouse you love them. If you are having a disagreement, always no matter what, tell each other "I love you". When you wake up in the morning, you will wonder why you were so angry in the first place. Love is the most treasured.
What do these principles mean to you? Journal it, talk about it, pray about it.
Well, I made it through my first two days back to work. I think I cried enough Monday and Tuesday that I did not cry much on Wednesday. I dropped Reggie off at Jacque's house and left as quick as I could. She asked how I was doing and I knew that if I stuck around I would break down.
I have the best co workers. They are what made coming back so much easier. When I got to work my desk had been sticky noted. There was a note on my screen that said, "Welcome back Kayla! We have missed..." And then every sticky note had something they missed about me. Some were priceless and definitely made me laugh. They also got me goodies to replenish my snack drawer since I am always snacking. As much as I want to just eat it all, I resist the temptation for now anyway (diets suck but it is so worth it). As much as I missed being with Reggie all day, I was glad to be back. No that doesn't mean I'm okay to stay full time or stay working forever but it definitely helps when I work for an amazing company and have the most amazing team.
I am so blessed at the fact that Reggie is in good hands. I love that I can just go home on my lunch break to snuggle him. Today when I went home, he was just cooing away, telling me about his day. Seriously, the best thing to come home to. I'm so grateful for all that I have and the blessing I have to go to work everyday. Yes, it's hard. I now have to worry about work, coming home to cook, clean, spend time with Reggie, run and do school. But right now, work is what I need to do and I know it will be worth it in the end when I can eventually spend all day with Reggie. The Lord has a hand in all things and for that I am grateful.
Well, now that my whole pregnancy plus 11 weeks of Reggie's life has gone by, I guess I will blog. I am horrible at this just as I am horrible about writing in my journal which is more important. I always say I am going to get better too but I never do. So, I will just be me and blog when I blog.
Where to even start... Pregnancy sucked. The only awesome part about it was feeling Reggie move around inside of me and labor. Everything else about it was miserable. People have their own horror stories about labor but I was seriously so lucky. I'm never lucky either so I'm sure my next deliveries will be hell. But here is how it went down...
On Monday, May 13th, my due date, I was at work and just not feeling up to par. First of all, it was my due date for hell sakes and I was still at work and not having a baby! I was so sick of people making annoying comments about still being at work and looking like I should have been due weeks ago. Anyway, I wasn't feeling Reggie move much which was not normal. He was always so active during the day so it made me really nervous. Being this far along all I could think about was the umbilical cord and seriously no room in there for him. Around lunch time I told my boss I was going to go to the doctor just to check things out. My next weekly checkup was not until the next day. So I went to the doctor and they checked the heartbeat and ended up doing my checkup right then and there. Everything was normal and of course, nothing had changed for the last three weeks either. The doctor asked if I wanted to schedule an induction date but I was so indecisive he just told me to schedule one more weekly checkup and if I hadn't gone into labor he would have to induce me. I just kept hearing both sides about being induced I was so unsure about it and it totally stressed me out. I did a nonstress test while I was at the doctor as well and like I said, everything was normal. It took forever while I was there and I was so emotional so my boss told me I could just take off for the day and not go back to work. I was so grateful because I was such an emotional wreck. My boss was seriously so awesome through the whole thing. I can't even begin to describe how grateful I am for him and how much he actually cared for me, my well being and my feelings.
That night, Jordan and I talked about being induced and we had decided that we would call the doctor in the morning to get a day set. I started having pains Monday night but I didn't know if they were contractions or not. They weren't like people had described contractions so I had no idea. We tried timing them but they weren't consistent. I know now, they definitely weren't contractions. Anyway, just to be safe, Jordan took me up to labor and delivery and they hook me up to the machines again. I wasn't really having contractions and wasn't dilated much further so they sent me home. I did not want to start my maternity leave too early because I wanted as much time with Reggie as I could. But, Jordan and my mom both thought it would be best to just start my leave and not go back to work. I text my boss and told him what I had decided and he was fully supportive and agreed that it would be best not to come back. Thank goodness I made that decision.
I woke up Tuesday morning and took a long bath thinking that these days are going to drag being at home. Jordan decided the go ahead and take the day off as well because we need to get our yard ready. We were having sprinklers installed Tuesday night that Jordan was going to help with. Around 10:00, my contractions began. They were pretty far apart so I didn't get to excited. Around noon, Jordan and I went to get some lunch and run errands. By that time, they were about 10 minutes apart and quickly getting closer. Jordan went back to working outside and was getting so dirty with all the dirt flying around him. By about 1:30, I went outside and told him to get showered because we need to go. When 2:00 rolled around my contractions were so painful that I couldn't hold my tears back. Jordan's brother Derick came over and assisted Jordan in giving me a blessing and then we were off to the hospital. When we finally got there, my contractions were about 3 minutes apart. The nurse got me into a room, checked me, and said, "You definitely are not going anywhere because this is the real deal." Even though I was in so much pain, I was seriously so happy knowing that I would be holding a precious babe in a matter of hours.
The nurse was able to give me a pain reliever through my IV to get me through the contractions until I got my epidural. It didn't necessarily take away all of the pain but it made me tired and not really care much about them. At 4:00, Dr. Cox came and broke my water and told me he was going to go have dinner with his family and spend time with them and that he would be back. In my mind I was wondering why in the hell he was leaving me! I was in labor duh! But, now I totally understand and didn't blame him for leaving. Around 5:00 or so, the anesthesiologist gave me my epidural and it was heavenly. I have heard how horrible the epidural is but I was seriously almost sleeping through the whole thing. Once I got the epidural, I slept for the most part while Jordan and my mom watched my contractions go off the paper. The nurse would check me every so often to see how I have progressed and things were going pretty great. Finally around 9:15, the nurses had me push here and there to make the actual delivery go super smooth. At about 9:40ish, Dr. Cox and the staff were there and it was time.
Reggie arrived in my arms at 10:04 p.m. and it was the most amazing moments of my life. As I sit here and reminisce about it, I can't help but cry. He was perfect! As he was screaming in my arms, I did not know what to do so I just held him and watched as he screamed At that moment, the world stopped and all the mattered to me was Reggie. He weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. Perfect as can be!
We were blessed to have things go so smoothly that we were able to go home 24 hours later. How great it was to be in my own home with my family. There is nothing better. Reggie has been such an amazing baby so far. He has been gaining weight great, sleeping through the night, smiling, cooing and just being happy. Never in my entire life have I thought something could bring so much joy. Being a mom is tough but I would never talk negatively about it as I have heard from other people. It is the most rewarding experience.
I tell Jordan all the time how I can't believe we got so nervous about this and talked ourselves out of having a baby. I would always ask myself if I was really ready to give up my body, being able to just go out, and really being care free. We really didn't know what we were missing because it has been totally worth it. I feel bad for those who care too much about their vacationing and other material things because they have no idea what they are missing. I also cannot believe that some people don't believe in God. Being pregnant and having Reggie in my life has been such a testimony builder to me. I know that Heavenly Father has a hand in all things. I know that Reggie was waiting patiently for his time to come and that the Lord was counseling him up until the moment he came. I know that he is constantly watching over us. I can't believe how grateful I am.
I go back to work in a week and it is tough on me already. I have amazing people watching Reggie that I know he will be in good hands. I already can't wait for the day that I will be able to be with him all day again to watch him grow and teach him everything I know... and more of course. What an amazing summer this has been and I have many more to come.
I will just say how grateful I am to have family close. I was so grateful Derick was next door that he could run over and help give me a blessing. I am grateful my parents are so close as well that they can come over often. I always love having them here even though I know it is only to be with Reggie. :) However, I wish that Sammi and her family lived back in Idaho again. I hate having them so far away and wish everyday they were here. I am also grateful to have such an amazing boss. Like I said, he was so supportive from the get go and has been such a great friend as well.
Life is amazing! I couldn't be happier to have Reggie around. He brings so much joy and love into our home. Jordan is such an amazing dad and I love to just sit and watch him with Reggie. My heart is full!
The word is out! Jordan and I are expecting our first bundle of joy around May 13th. We are so excited and already can not wait for the time to come to meet our little one.
On September 7, I was not sleeping very well so I ended up getting gout of bed about 4:30 and starting a bath. I wasn't feeling well and assumed it was just because I was nervous about selling the house and what to do next. I had a pregnancy test under my sick so I thought, what the heck. Well I got in the tub forgetting that I had even used the test, and just relaxed as much as I could. My mind was running a thousand miles a minute because of what we were doing later that day. I got out of the tub and saw the pregnancy test sitting on the counter. I looked at it as if it was nothing because we had been off protection for about 4 months. I saw the lines and had to check the box... Positive? I didn't know what to do. Do I wake Jordan up now or should I wait and tell him later? Well, I waited and I think that was the worst thing I could have done. I went to work that day and was just sick to my stomach. My nerves and excitement were just out of control that it was literally making me sick. I wanted so bad to just tell Jordan but there was no way I was just going to send him a text. So, at 4:30, we went and signed papers to sell our house. After getting home, we were ready to start packing so that we could get most everything moved through the weekend. I decided that before I said anything, I wanted to take one more test just to be sure. So, I took another test and it was positive. Jordan asked me, "Are you ready for this?" I played dumb and asked him what he was talking about. Of course he was talking about the house and moving. I simply said yes and then asked him the same question. He said yes he was but I asked the question again. I pulled the tests from behind my back and just looked at him. It took him a second but we both shared our excitement and how we couldn't really believe it. Then Jordan said how the Lord really does work in mysterious ways. The timing of how things have happened couldn't really have been better. I mean, in some sense, they could have been better since I have been so sick and having to be sick while living at my in laws sucks. But we will be in a new home and have a new little one to love to pieces. We are excited to find out the sex and be able to decorate the baby's room from scratch.
It's been amazing seeing the difference it has already made. I can tell already that Jordan is going to be an amazing father who will constantly love his family and do all he can for us. I'm so grateful that he has been by my side through thick and thin. With being sick and dealing with other things in my life, he has been right there to bring my soup, wipe my tears, and just let me know how much he loves me. So grateful that we have each other and taking this journey together. I really couldn't ask for a better person.
Within 9 days we sold the house and were completely moved out. Crazy! On Friday, August 31st, we had an older gentleman come and look at our house. Our realtor called us later that afternoon saying that he loved it and was going to sleep on it and possibly put an offer in Saturday morning. A few hours after that, we got another call from out realtor saying that the man decided to put in an offer that night. Friday night was the first night of college football and Boise State was playing Michigan. Jordan and I met up with some friends at Buffalo Wild Wings long enough to order our drink. We met with our realtor soon after, signed a counter offer and then it was done. The guy signed Saturday without problems. Come to find out, this man had lost his home in the Charlotte Fire so he had cash. There was no waiting 30 days for a mortgage to be completed. We closed on the house the very next Friday, September 7, and was completely moved out by Monday morning. What a blessing it was to have this happen so smooth and quick. We are now living in Jordan's parent's basement until we build our next home. We have found a floor plan so we should be starting within the next couple of weeks. I wish we could be even more blessed to be in by Christmas but I highly doubt that will happen. Which is okay. I really can not complain with where we are now. This has been a crazy year so far and we have so many different adventures to come as well. We are excited to start this next chapter in our lives together. Jordan was building our Marinus home when we were dating so I didn't have much say in it which I didn't care to say much anyway. But, building this new home will be a different experience for us for sure. We are excited though for what is to come.
It's going to be a busy next few months that is for sure. Jordan will be doing all of the finish work on the house again and I should be able to help some too. I will also be starting school with Western Governor's University here in October. I'm pretty dang nervous for that. It will take a lot of studying and discipline but I think I can do it for sure.
There really hasn't been anything else going on lately but I will be updating with pictures and progress on the house for sure. Jordan and I are so grateful for our family and friends and the effort they gave to help us move out of our house. We have the best family anyone could ask for. We love you all and appreciate all you do.
Well, I guess you can say, after a week back to work we have recovered from our nice family vacation with the Keller family in California. Jordan and I had a blast together and with the family. It was so much fun being with all of the nieces and nephews seeing their excitement and love for every single ride at Disneyland and Sea World. I thought it was going to be hard staying all together and what not and was surprised at how much we were together through out the week. There were definitely some interesting parts that I will keep aside but it was easy to ignore, laugh about, and enjoy our time even more. I'm not going to lie and I know my family and maybe even Rick and Alene can agree with, but I can be very negative and have an attitude quite frequently. I was so surprised with myself the entire week. I hardly complained if I really did any complaining at all and I don't think I was ever really grumpy that whole time. Okay maybe one day was really rough but I had a good excuse and I will explain later.
Day 1: Me, Jordan, Derick, Jacque and their three kids got to California a day early because we had bought tickets to the Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays game. It was so much fun. Albert Pujols is known to have the best batting average in the league but since he was traded this year from the St Louis Cardinals to the Angels he has been struggling terribly. He had not hit a home run yet that season so we were hoping we would get the chance to watch that happen. After three or so innings he had struck out and hit but never got on base. So when he stepped up the to plate the next time, Jordan and I both got out our phones to record him, just in case... then WHAM!!!! Pujols hit his first homer of the season right down the left field line and over the fence. Our seats were right down left field so we saw it close up. We got it all on video too even though you can't even see the ball it still counts. So that was a fun time and loved it!
Day 2: This was our first day at Disneyland all together. We had a ton of fun and the weather was seriously perfect. It was hot but not super hot that we couldn't stand it. Like I said before, it was so much fun watching how much fun the kids were having not skipping out on any ride. The park was not busy at all so the wait for lines were super short. I think the longest was walking through the queve lines just to get to the ride. By the time were were through them it was time to get on the ride. The longest actual wait though was Toy Story Mania in California Adventure. It is a 3D ride where you shoot targets and play against your opponent. It's much funner than it sounds.
Day 3: Second day in Disneyland and just as fun. Rick and Alene wanted family pictures taken so every family was dressed in a different color. It was a challenge just because it is Disneyland and people are walking everyone and your not supposed to sit on the wall yada yada who cares right? They still turned out pretty good but not as great as a professional would have done in another location. I will post the family pic and not individual families because I don't want to drown the blog with too much. Which usually I already do by typing so much but oh well. Tuesday was a short day at Disneyland because I surprised Jordan with tickets to the Laker games against the Denver Nuggets. It's playoffs now so this game was crazy. I have to admit, I actually enjoyed this game a lot even though I am far from Laker lover. The atmosphere there was un real. Lakers played like crap and ended up losing but they did catch up from a huge Denver lead but just couldn't pull it off. Our seat were complete nose bleed but the Staples Center does not have a bad seat in it. Their screen above the court is high definition and so huge that it wasn't bad watching that either. I think Jordan had a good time even though they lost but did end up winning that series. Let's just face it, Lakers are struggling and we may watch them get put out by OKC too... haha shhh don't tell Jordan.
This little guy is a true Laker fan. He went to the game and as we were walking out the owner said he was pissed too that Lakers lost. Too funny
Day 4: Hooray for sea creatures! This hump day was full of Sea World fun! We watched the Shamu Show, Seamore and Clyde (sea lions), and the Dolphin Show. Shamu was lame! The trainers used to get in the water and swim and do sweet things with the whales but apparently those "killer whales" really do kill people. Now the trainers can no longer get in the water. Lame, we have soldiers sacrificing their life for our freedom, why can't the trainers who supposedly LOVE their job so much sacrifice their life to entertain people. Seriously! Okay, totally kidding but really, Shamu just splashes people and swims around. Seamore and Clyde is always fun and entertaining. It's amazing how they can train these animals to do this act everyday of the week. The dolphin show was awesome as well. Last time I was at Sea World with my Gardner family, the dolphin show was closed because they were building the new stage and show. There were dolphins swimming and leaping, trainers diving and swimming with the dolphins, and birds flying over our heads. And yes! The birds were actually part of the act. So, Sea World was fun and ended up being a great day.
Day 5: This was an interesting day to say the least. This was Universal Studios day. Universal Studios is in Los Angeles, we stayed in Anaheim all week, and San Diego is the opposite direction. So we were at Universal Studios riding Jurassic Park when I was getting phone calls and texts from my mom. Long story short, my cousin Jeremy is living in San Diego and his cute pregnant wife was back in Idaho with their cute daughter London because they plan on spending their summer here and having her baby in Idaho. Jeremy stayed behind due to finals week at school and if Kate waited for him it would be too late for her to fly. Jeremy had gone to the doctor earlier that week because of a lump he had felt. The results came back Thursday and the doctor told him that he has cancer and needs to have surgery that day. So with no time to prepare he was alone. Luckily, Jeremy had an awesome friend who helped Jeremy out all day and stayed at the hospital with him while he was waiting to go in for surgery. At this point in time, his wife was stuck in Idaho and my aunt and uncle took the first flight out which was 5:00 pm. My mom thought it would be nice to have a family member there while my cousin is going through this tough situation. So, of course, I am going to drop everything I am doing to support my family because that is what family does. It was so hard seeing Jordan's disappoint the longer the drive felt as we were making our way to San Diego. He was upset and frustrated due to the fact that my cousin was to have surgery at 2:00 and by the time we got there he should have been done already. But, a three hour drive later,r we walked through the hospital doors at 4:15 and he was rolled into the operating room. The operation was to take two hours and then one hour in recovery. I can definitely understand the frustration in this but this is family. Would you do this for your family? Jeremy's surgery went well and after he was in recovery long enough for the drugs to wear off he was able to go home. As Jordan and I were headed back to Anaheim, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and the love I felt from my family for the sacrifice we made. My cousins, aunt, uncle, parents, and sister were so grateful for being there for Jeremy when they were unable to be. Family truly is the greatest blessing. I am so grateful that Jordan and I were in California that week and this is something that I will never forget. It is a peaceful feeling to me knowing that our family would do anything for each other. I think Jordan had a humbling experience as well and I am grateful for that as well.
Day 6: Last day of the vacation!!! Booooooo... The last day we spent the day in Disneyland. Of course we had fun again that day because 1. Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth and 2. We are on vacation! There is no limit to fun and no reason why we shouldn't have fun. This day was a little annoying though because there were tons of schools there and then at night, all of the season pass holders started showing up too so it was packed. We went from no wait time at the beginning of the week to 45 minute wait times Friday night. YUCK! We did though stay at the park late to watch Fantasmic which was fun. Then it was time for bed so we could pack up and head home early in the morning.
All in all, this trip was a blast. It always sucks to come home from having fun and not worrying about anything. But then again, it's nice to come home to your own home. The other downfall... work. :( It is definitely hard taking a week off especially being a loan officer. I missed out on a weeks worth of loans so I have to work twice as hard to catch up. My motivation is always gone as well after getting back from vacation. But, I love my job so it just takes a couple of days to get back into the swing of things. I seriously could not be any happier right now. I don't know what I have been feeling over this passed month but something has come over me and I can not help but be happy and have fun with Jordan. I think I have been annoying him just a little bit because I have been a little hyper too often. I honestly think my job has been a huge change in the way my days are. But the is off topic. I already can't wait for our next adventure. I love Jordan, I love all of the Kellers and had so much fun! End of story!
Here are a few of the other pics from Disneyland... I won't post them all but if you have Facebook you can look at the rest there. :)
