Dear family, friends, and stalkers,
It seems to me that when I need to use my time wisely the most it actually happens the least. I have so much to do and yes, I only checked one thing off my list today. This month of December has FLOWN by while jam packed with big exciting events. There have been temple trips, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and silliness all before Christmas! It's late and I am too tired to write about them all (they each deserve their own post). Therefore ladies and germs I give you:
My life according to a camera phone!
"I love to see the temple!"
Me and my fellow camera hog!
Someone stole my camera! But secretly I love it!
My office Before
My office after (still in progress. I've spent less then $100 and it feels good!)
When life seems to be always moving it is so easy to get distracted and caught up in the rush. I know that is an all to often occurrence for me. I begin to think about the next thing I have to do or meeting I have to attend. And then, when I am in that meeting I am thinking about my to do list and mentally adding more things to accomplish then is humanly possible. I mean I am good and I know it, but I am not that good. ;) This kind of life makes it hard to live in the present and enjoy the here and now.
Everyone has been talking about Elder Uchtdorf's General relief society talk. Yes, it was good. Yes, it was historic. And yes, it was exactly what I needed to hear on that very day. I needed to be reminded by an apostle of the Lord to be patient with myself, to be happy now, and that my heavenly father loves me. He spoke about a few other things and for those of you who missed it, here is a highlight from his talk that summarizes the whole thing. Enjoy!
And in the spirit of being happy now, here is a list of things that have made me happy this week.
1. Hearing my name said by anyone one of those six boys. I love that they know my name and I love that they want to say some thing to ME! I taught Mr. Super when I ask, "Who's the best?" to say, "Deborah's the best" and I love it! Really having them come up and sit next to me makes me happy and helps me be in the moment cuz they are just so great!
2. I love watching and listening to my clients figure out their own problems and accomplish things that move them forward. I have one girl in particular who when we begin our session becomes her own therapist. She literally will answer the exact question I had just opened my mouth to ask before I ask it. I think she just needs a couch to sit on, but it is wonderful and it makes me SO happy!
3. I love love love getting letters from Tressa! I don't think I have one letter that I haven't started laughing after the first two sentences. Seriously. It is the highlight of my week.
4. Talking to Rachel about...School and the ACT and how great she is doing makes me happy. I love building a relationship with her.
5. Getting calls from a friend who just wants/needs to talk makes me happy. I love that she knows she can and feels comfortable enough calling me to tell me about her life. I love making and having girl friends! I don't have as many close girl friends as I do close guy friends but I treasure them greatly!
6. Feeling the spirit and getting explanations for certain questions I have makes me happy. I finally have a little bit of clarity!
7. Driving alone at night to a friend's house makes me happy. It takes me back to days with less responsibility and worry.
8. Feeling fall coming on makes me happy. To me, it is a very romantic time of year. I think it's the one time I feel particularly mushy.
9. Learning I am going to go back to El Salvador in January! Oh yes, this is going to be great!
10. Chillen with the rents makes me happy as well. (holy moly! I haven't heard or used that term in a loooong time!) I really do like them. I like that I am an adult and have a more developed frontal lobe to help me realize.....they do know what they are talking about and they are people I can relate to. Take that human behavior 101! I did learn a thing or two!
Saturday was the day! I finally met my cute little nephew after five months. I pretty much adore him. My sister and her hubby are out here visiting for the next few days and because the babysitting fee would be ridiculous, they decided to bring the MES along. He took one look at me and started screaming bloody murder! Yeah, I think this is the start of something beautiful!
My dad is a real Mr. Fix it kind of man. For example, about two weeks ago he was told that his rental property needed a few shingles replaced. It would have only cost $200 for the roofer to take care of it, but alas the next Saturday I found myself in the roofing isle of lowes picking out shingle nails. He and I climbed to the roof of the three story town house and got to work.
This last week my father decided the deck needed to be stained. So Saturday morning I was awaken early and the Allred family got to work staining the deck. Here are some pictures of all the fun!
We aren't quite finished because my sister and her family showed up and I'd much rather spend my day with her and my hot MES! But you better believe I already have some hot plans for next saturday. It starts with "Finish" and ends with "the deck".
Today Tressa's mission call came!!!! It was a blast! Watch and see! Pay very close attention.
And Take two:
So basically, I made a fake mission call for Tressa. I decided to do it about an hour and a half before she came home to open the real one. Elizabeth read her mission call to me over the phone and I typed it up. I had a little trouble with the envelope because it was to big for EVERY printer we had in the house! I think it turned out ok!
I have so many comments on the video. I was so nervous that everyone laughing in the video before she even started reading would give things away. And the second thing (probably my favorite) is that Mr. Right was in the video in footie pajamas! HA I love it!
Tressa is going to the California Carlsbad mission!
I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY To my wonderful cousin Isaiah.
He's the one in the middle
I wish everybody knew Isaiah because I know they would all love him. I wish that I lived closer to their family because then I could hang out with him more. But seriously people, he is one of the coolest people I know! Every time I see him I am blown away with the new thing that he is doing and mastering. He is smart, funny, a good brother, and a wonderful uncle.
But I think he's the best at being a great cousin! He totally humors me during all my shenanigans and I LOVE it! (Thanks for dancing with me at Aaron and Tessa's wedding Buddy!) So many good memories with this guy!
Isaiah, I just love you! I am so glad I get you as a birthday buddy!
Currently I am tending a cute little 1 1/2 year old boy. I thought it would be a piece of cake.....apparently I needed to learn a thing or two. He is the only child and so he doesn't play well by himself. That means he is constantly crawling on me or trying to get my attention. I LOVE his nap time! It is my....well the only word I can think of is precious! It is precious time to me like I am sure it is to other mothers and caregivers. Lately it has been a fight to get this little boy to sleep. And. I am selfish. I want to put him in his bed and GO! I work as fast as I can to get as much done as I can before he wakes up. But it turns into me putting him in his bed and him crying until he wins.......Ohy!
Because I am watching him at my house my mother has started to help do her thing to get him to bed!! Mommy, can I keep you forever? I don't know if I can raise kids on my own without her.
Umm...I wonder if my husband will be up for living with my parents once we have kids? .....I think not. Anyway, the point is my mother is VERY good to have around. Maybe except when she feeds the boy cookies for lunch after he refuses to eat his other food.
Not the little boy I babysit, but an even cuter one wanting a cupcake!
I thought for those of you who are interested but don't get to see many pictures of my cute little Nephew I would indulge you and post some for you.
Dear Sister who will go unnamed,
I know you know but here is a reminder. Now that you're a mom your main and first responsibility is to blog more and share pictures of the baby with family and friends alike.
Love,
Your son's favorite Aunt.
PS. I am just kidding of course.....But really.
I don't know what they are doing to this poor kid, but he looks like an elephant.....well kinda
He is for sure my nephew! Throwing gang signs already!
I think he looks like my sister.
If I hadn't bought that outfit for him I'd think Liz gave him hand me down maternity pants. (don't they look like it?)
What a cute kid!
When I was in FL he was the only one in their cute little family I bought a gift for. Ops. (I love you mark and liz!) It's a good possibility I am going to spoil this little boy....... A very good possibility.
I don't know if any one noticed but day 24 was missing. When it came time to write the post I could not think of one blasted thing "I had learned!" I had just graduated from college for goodness sakes. Haven't I learned something? May be it was the lack of direction. Some thing I had learned from what? What arena was I supposed to draw my nugget of knowledge from? I digress. I have thought of something and am ready to dispense this something now. I hope I can express it adequately.
Something that has been on my mind recently, and has been apparent through out my entire life, is the fact that Heavenly Father always puts the right people in my path at the right times in my life. It is either to help me through whatever challenge I face or for me to help them. I was reminded of that tonight after I got off the phone with my best friend. I just spent the last hour and a half pouring my soul out to my her. She had a lot of others things she needed to do tonight but she sat there and listened to me and now I feel a little more healed.
I am grateful for those people who take the time to serve me and to love me. I am grateful that Heavenly Father knows me well enough to know what I need and sends me someone who can provide that.
So this is what I've learned.
I have learned that it is so important to allow other people to serve you. It can be challenging as well as very humbling to accept help, but there are great benefits and blessings that come for everyone involved. When you accept help from others in a way you are sharing your troubles and sharing your burdens with them. When you do not allow others to serve you you are isolating yourself and saying, "Nope. I can carry this huge load on my own." Who wants to be isolated anyway.
When I serve others I develop a love for that person. I create a bond with them that I value because of service they allowed me to give them. I also feel good about myself and I am better able to feel the spirit. When one does not accept service from others they are denying other the opportunity and blessings of feel those things and showing them love. So really, you are providing a service to them by allowing them to serve you! ;)
What a great plan heavenly father has! He did not put us on this earth to go it alone. We have wonderful people around us to help lift us and carry the burdens we have. It makes life so much easier when you distribute that weight. What a happy and fulfilling way to live your life!
I've posted a TON of pictures of my family! But you want more? ok. I think though, instead of my immediate family who you all are very familiar with I will post pictures of my cousins! I love them! They are my favorite people! I have many more fabulous cousins (over 30) but it turns out I don't have many pictures of them and I am to lazy to go get some and scan them to the computer. They are all wonderful though!
Spencer loves his picture taken! Especially if it's with me (his favorite cousin)
When they're around the party NEVER stops! ;)
Cutest picture of all time!
This is my Grandpa. Not my cousin. Just in case you were wondering
