A happy thought

How can you not smile at a face like that? Seriously!

Look Mom! I'm a big kid now!

It's been a few weeks since the semester has started and I have decided I need to find one of those people who wakes up before you leave to work to make you breakfast and lunch. And then when you leave they do your laundry, run your errands, and have dinner on the table by the time you get home. What are they called again?.....oh yeah! A wife! oh boy....I don't know if that is going to work out for me.

I started my internship at Family and Children's Services of Central Maryland as a therapist last week. And I started meeting with clients without shadowing this week! (I was totally on my own! I should say client. I've only seen one. There will be three more next week.) It seems like it's been much longer since our first session, but maybe that is because of all the studying I have had to do on my client's specific issue. Tonight as I came home I caught a glimpse at myself in the mirror.

I was bringing home all my notes from work to read over so I can create a treatment plan over the weekend. Yep. All those papers, notebooks, and books are for one client. Well the word of the Lord is for me, but how can you really get far and help much with out it, right?

When I saw my reflection I thought...Actually, first I thought, "You're a hot mess." But then I thought, "Wow! You're actually doing it! You're the real thing!" Well kind of. I feel like I have at least moved up to pull ups. One step away from being all on my own. It's all a matter of time before I will be wearing big girl panties! Who would have thought huh?

Videos for Grandma

In August I took two weeks to go to Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. It was busy trip! While there I visited friends, dropped Tressa off at the MTC, spoke at the Families supporting adoption conference, played with my nephew, Sold grandpa's toys (well....I tried), explored caves, discovered abandoned houses and mills in the forests of south eastern Idaho, discovered there were forests in south eastern Idaho, went to court with my old probation buddies, etc!! Then I came home and went straight to work and school. I feel like I haven't been able to catch my breath! There are so many people who I need to email, mail things too, and return messages for. If you are one of those people, I am SO sorry. I actually run down the list of what I need to send to whom every day, hopefully get one done, get stressed out, and do something else. Don't worry, it's coming! However, there was a request for me to post some of the pictures and videos I took of my MES. I took hundreds of pictures! Don't worry, I wont submit you to them. But here are just a few videos of the quality nephew time I got in.

This video cracks me up every time I watch it. It's one of those "you have to be there" type things but I am still posting it. Imagine me sitting at my sister's house on a Sunday afternoon. To me Sundays mean excitement. To me Sundays mean busy. To me Sundays never have a dull moment. To me Sundays mean the 6 boys family! At my sister's house Sundays are quiet. At my sister's house Sundays mean just Mark, Liz, and MES. I love them....but I was bored out of my mind. So this is how I got a little entertainment.

Then This next video was after my aunt and uncle had taken Tressa, Me, and Liz out to dinner. (They sure are good people). They had to make a quick stop before going home and the MES was a MESS! He was so tired and cranky we were doing anything we could to keep him from screaming. Finally we found something that worked! Peek-a-boo.

Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together (errr....or apart) today.

To keep with the theme of my last two posts I'll just start out with, God answers prayers. Then I will add the old cliche, (say it together everyone) Be careful what you pray for! This latest prayer answered is actually a good thing but it kind of stinks a little bit.

A strange thing has been happening to me. I have been making and receiving a lot less phone calls. Not to mention skype calls. I have a theory. (Sorry to those of you who have already heard said theory). You see for the last....eh....6 or 7 years I have had my own army of knights in shinning armor. They are my good good friends (usually male) who are ready and willing to ride in and save the day what ever the circumstance. All I need to do is call and for the most part I have their undivided attention. Oh how I have been blessed with good friends. I really am a lucky girl. At different times through out the years my army has changed sizes as warriors have joined ranks and others have moved on to new adventures. Generally, however, it has consisted of the same knights and their trusty steeds. This cavalry of friends is really good at fulfilling pretty much all of my emotional needs. If I need to vent, cry, cheer, or laugh I can call any one of my dear friends and it does the trick.

My theory is a two parter.

The first part is that I have become so accustom and comfortable with my life and my cavalry of friends taking care of me that I haven't had much of a desire to look in other places (i.e. a romantic relationship) that would force me to be vulnerable or commit in order to have my needs met. I mean really. Why would I do that? These people know just about EVERYTHING about me and I can say whatever comes to my mind and they love me just the same. Who wouldn't want to stick with that?(and just to set the record straight, I am talking emotional needs. Not the "needs" some of you may think of....keep it clean people. keep it clean!)

Well here's the second part of my theory. Last April at general conference when the brethren kind of came down on the young priesthood for putting off important things like...uh...ehem...marriage. There. I said it. I felt a little of that chastisement as well. Although I don't hold the priesthood, I may be guilty of enjoying my single young adulthood a little to much. Yes, some times I get lonely and think it'd be nice to get married, but for the most part I am happy with life. As I listened to the prophet's voice I thought, "but I don't really have the desire or motivation to get married". So I decided to pray. That's what always gets me in trouble. Kidding! **looking up to the heavens**

Anyway, I decided to pray for a desire to get married. After that, I decided to be more open to dating, blind dates, and the like. (If there is interest I wil post a little more about those blind dates in future posts. LOL or maybe I should say HOHOHO!) I have struggled a bit and may have lost sight at times of my goal but heavenly father had his own plan to answer my prayer in the works. Suddenly those members of my army I talked about before....yep. Those friends who gave me their attention whenever I needed it started to, well, allow their attention to be diverted.

You know how on those action movies there's are a list of secret agents and one by one they have the red letters over their pictures saying TERMINATED? Yeah, it's kind of like that. 

 

All worthy things to divert these friend's attention. I am actually happy for every single one of them. Getting back to the theory, Heavenly Father is removing every last thing or person that may be holding me back. Tricky tricky.

Who's left in my little army? Just me. Is that desire I prayed for coming? Little by little maybe. But until then I am trying this suit of armor on for size to come to my own rescue when need be!



What do you think?
I guess we will see what happens in the future. Do I think I will get married right away? Probably not. I still have at least a year or so in me, but I have made a few goals. The first one is to be a little more open with that facet of my life. So that means I will keep you better updated......(Maybe. This is gonna be a hard goal for me). The other goal is to embrace romance and all it's mushiness a little better.

You see, I am NOT a romantic. Yes I get twitterpated when a guy I am dating does something sweet for me, but when it starts getting to ooey gooey I get really uncomfortable! When it is clear a man is trying to be more romantic to win my affections I sometimes panic. I am going to get over that. I also am going to try to be a little more mushy my self. I realized when talking to a trusted friend that I have a really hard time saying mushy things. It is all because I hate to be in situations where I lead people on. And romantic situations are definitely in that category. OK. enough of that. I am going to be better. The end.

So the moral of the story? My phone bill is going to be AWESOME! Oh. And always floss. You never know when you are going to have to flash those pearly whites. (Don't judge. It's 2 AM)

I am sitting in my room blogging on my adoption blog and I heard one of my favorite noises so I had to stop and share.

It is something that always makes me smile when I hear it. The house is usually still and quiet like the calm before a storm and then all of a sudden there is the sound of a herd of unknown animals above my head running from the door to the refrigerator followed by the cheers of 6 boys and then westling and runnning. Usually I jump up to greet my favorite visitors but this visit was unexpected to me and I had a few plans. (Ehem, you wouldn't know by the fact that am still unshowered in my pajamas at 1:30). But I know if I go up stairs I wont get a thing done. So here I sit finishing my blog posts before I go hug and play with my favorite sunday visitors. 

 

(I wish I had pictures of the other boys on Tressa's computer, but this is all I've got!)

BAHAHA I was about to hit publish when I heard a thud right above my head sounding like it was going to come through my ceiling on me. Heck with it. I am going upstairs!

The Lord really does love me!

After reading the following email all I have to say is neener neener!

Bishops,

Due to the upcoming weather conditions, we are cancelling Sunday church services for all units in the Columbia Maryland Stake.  Please encourage members to be safe and hold a devotional as a family on Sunday.  As discussed, once the storm passes, please report to me how your members weather the storm, conditions of missionaries in your unit, and the condition of the meetinghouse.  This storm may provide a great opportunity to serve others.

Thank you.

James Mitchell

And here's a picture of milo and me to celebrate my canceled talk!! YEHAW!

Thank heavens for rain!

I am laying in bed thinking that I have to write my latest tender mercy from the Lord down. Since I am to lazy to get out of bed and my cell phone is right here, you blog readers get the pleasure of hearing about this simple answer to prayer.

It is a well known fact that I am ALWAYS busy. (But really now a days who isn't?) Usually I am able to handle all that I take on, but there are times I find myself on over load. Tonight just happened to be one of them.

I have a lot to do in the next two days and I knew it is impossible. I got ready for bed tonight and started saying my prayers asking for heavenly father to help me be able to slow down a little bit. No sooner did I get off my knees and read my emails did I find the answer to my prayers. I had been put in charge of the activities for the ward party on Saturday and the chairmen of the committee were expecting great things. Was I ready? No. Had I even thought about it in the last few weeks? No. I had been out town and it was the last thing on my mind. I am working all day tomorrow playing catch up from my trip and then the very next morning the festivities were scheduled. There was no way they were getting done. But when I checked my email, there was one sent at the same time I ended my prayer that said the ward activity had been canceled.

One more reason to love the rain!

It's a silly little thing but a huge relief for me and tender mercy from the Lord.

Now, if he'll find a way for me to get out of my sacrament meeting talk.....