Stupid Phone

So switching to Straight Talk was great, saved me lots of money, I don't have a phone bill again until March 2013. However....what happens when a phone stops working? There isn't exactly a store to take it into. Well thats what happened with my phone. Its shot. I can still text and make calls, but if I want to switch screens I have to completely shut my phone off and turn it on again. And if someone calls me, it won't even go to voicemail. Soo irritating. Makes me wish I would've just stuck with my good ol' cheapy phone. Or bought a cheapy phone. The rep I talked to was sure that resetting the phone would work, but it doesn't. And now all of my data has been lost (including contacts, pictures, etc) and my phone STILL doesn't work. UGH. So if anyone tries to call or message me, I will not be ignoring you on purpose. This is not what I need right now and I pray that Straight Talk will get me a new phone or something. I don't have the money to buy a new one.
Ok end of rant. I have a headache so I'm going to bed. Here's hoping for a happy Sunday.

I'm exhausted

This has been an ultra crazy week. I've loved every second of this ultra crazy week for the most part, but I am exhausted. Yesterday after work the girls in the Carlile family went on a camping excursion. For one night. And it was great. Mom ended up getting sick and couldn't go, so it was myself, the sister in laws and all the kids. And I'll tell you what, we had a blast. We did all the awesome camping activities like Hobo dinners, s'mores, and staying up late around the campfire (which we made sure to dowse well with pretty much the entire state being on fire and all). In the morning we had some awesome pancakes, eggs and bacon then cleaned up camp and played in the creek a little. With the cows. Boy there was a whole lot of fascination around the cows. Then lunch and home. That was it in a blur. But there were a few very priceless moments that even though I can barely see straight because I'm soo tired....I HAVE to share.

SIL Betsy was picking up the boys to take them up early and I got a call letting me know that they had stopped by the house to grab a few things. Jackets and such....then she made me literally laugh out loud and almost fall off my chair. "...we grabbed some pillows...but I use the term pillow very loosely as there is a duck involved."  The reason this was funny to me is because Nate has a GIANT duck that he sleeps with....so I wasn't too surprised. However I think she was rather surprised based on the tone of her voice and I couldn't stop laughing. Too funny.

Ryder had to go potty shortly after we got there and I figured if he had to go pee, there were plenty of trees around. So he goes down by the adult tent to pee on the tree. Except I hear "Momma! I pooped!" (remember this is like right outside the door of the tent we are sleeping in). Gross. He also got the guy back arch thing down really well....he could stand on the tarp under the tent and arch his back enough while he was peeing to hit the tree. He was rather excited. The best potty moment...this morning he was peeing on a tree and Jack (cousin) decided to join him. So I look over and there is my Ry with pants to the ankles and little J pants down peeing right along side. Only a boy could do that. Ty however didn't quite get the art of peeing mastered as he just stood right in the tent doorway and let it rip. Good times.

The boys also almost got a lesson in the birds and the bees as we were sitting by a little stream with a herd of cows right across the way....and two of the girl cows decided to get it on, like 4 times. No need for health class anymore, just go to the mountains and watch the cows.

I know there were PLENTY of other funny moments but I'm soo tired I don't even have the energy to post pics (I'll do that later). I didn't get as many as I wanted seeing as how my phone died during the night but I still got a few.

So long post short, we had a blast. It was fun being able to spend time with my SILs and have our own little bonding experiences. I can't wait to do it again. Maybe next time the whole fam can join in the fun too! But now it is time to go to bed. Ry is snoozing on me (not a shocker considering he fell asleep at Sonny Boys...which was also pretty humorous to watch), and the other two boys are cuddled on the couch. So happy weekend ya'll...have a good night.

Insta-Wednesday!

Today is random Instagram day since I have a bunch I want to share. From over the past week or so.

Why the random car asking for direction pic? Well because I was attempting to turn and they sat there chatting about directions to somewhere for THREE light cycles. This particular light has LONG light cycles. And there was no room to go around the stupid car. Grrr. Only in Cedar.

Practicing tent set-up for our family campout this weekend. Good memories in this tent.

Happy birthday work! Woot Woot! We know how to celebrate right. That was the yummiest carrot cake.

And...more cake. This was at the ward party. Bottom layer: chocolate with chocolate pudding filling. Middle layer: white with vanilla pudding. Top layer: strawberry with some funky filling, but it was good. Just dunno what it was. And of course chocolate and strawberries EVERYWHERE. Can you believe a girl in the ward made this? It was HUGE.

The boys playing games at the Ward party tonight. This was a water balloon throw. They also played frisby golf. Very fun night.

Fires are raging in Utah...a bunch up north and a ton down here. The latest started this afternoon around 2 pm and is about 20 miles outside of town but the wonderful Chicago-esq wind we get in Cedar is blowing the fire right to us. Freeway closed. No commuting to St George tomorrow. Scary too....evacuations of New Harmony and surrounding areas. Saying prayers for everyone (in Utah and outside of Utah) that are being effected by these fires.

Random

I just have rambled thoughts today that will be all jumbled in no particular order.
Work is good. I finally have a good pipeline going which makes me happy. The record for quickest loan processed is 21 days. The average is 60. My average is around 45. I think I can beat them all. I'm sure going to try.
I'm still a little worried about getting into housing in St George. I have limited funds and I am grateful that I've gotten a recapturable income coming in until my pipeline gets going, but its just barely over what I'm making now and I really want to be able to reap the benefits of my compensation when it comes in. I'll be happy when I can soley rely on the loans. Until then.... this next month is going to be TIGHT. Super tight.
We have had a busy busy week. And it's only going to be busier. But all of the busy stuff is very fun stuff so I am not complaining at all. :)

And that about wraps it up. I'm exhausted, so I'm going to arrange my day for tomorrow and get my butt to bed. Have a good night ya'll.

Mormon Messages Monday

I needed this video today. Its wonderful. There really isn't much more to explain it except to say watch it and take the words to heart. And you will have a little chuckle along with the sweet message.
Come What May and Love It...

Frustrated

Just as an FYI, this post is geared more towards the adult readers and is serving the purpose of a vent more than anything else.

Why...why oh why...is it that our society has taken such a relaxed stand on...lets put it as... "intimacy"? Anyone who knows me, has been a reader or read past posts knows I went through a heck of a time for a long time but realized that I wanted to better my life and started the long and hard journey to became worthy (via my religion) to get married in the temple. I stopped even talking to any male person who wasn't LDS (unless they are good friends who are truly just friends...grand total of 2 people). I have tried really hard to be prepared and ready. I still have a little ways to go until I'm all the way there, however I feel like I've come a long way.
So it is REALLY REALLY frustrating when I work soo hard to be a better person, knowing full well the selection of men would be slim but jaded in thought that they would have the same principles as me. I get my hopes up for a (rare) person I am talking to who claims to be actively LDS....shows interest....blah blah blah and then BAM the subject of intimacy comes up and EVERY SINGLE ONE I've talked to has the same opinion....its not really that bad...the need just can't be controlled so it's okay. You can always just repent later or get sealed later on.  Especially the ones who have been divorced. Every single one has had the theory that because they were married previously and know what its all about...that for some reason gives them some sort of immunity towards the teachings of the gospel in regards to intimacy now that they are single again.
Am I missing something here? Is there a change in doctrine somewhere that says that it's only the young people who need to choose to be pure until marriage? That anyone who has been married and divorced has immunity in regards to staying pure?
Call me crazy (and I would've called myself crazy just a couple years ago to be honest) but waiting to share such a private and intimate experience with someone you have an eternal commitment with has become extremely important to me. So why do I feel completely alone in this thinking? Why is the matter of intimacy so nonchalant these days? It has made me pretty much all but give up hope...it  seems that even the "good guys" have fallen prey to society's mindset of do what makes me happy now, not what will provide me the best life later on. Its depressing. Its frustrating. It makes me want to cry. I feel defeated.
What has brought this on you may ask? There have been a few recent experiences with "LDS" men... but more recently a debate tonight via one of my social media sites about this very topic.
Also...I've noted that when I get really frustrated, my filter comes off and I write exactly what my brain thinks. That probably isn't winning me any dates....however in the end I wouldn't want to date someone who didn't share the same morals and values as myself anyway...right? Unless that doctrine has changed. And if so, please someone let me know.

Ok thats all for now. Sorry for the rant, but I feel better now. Funny how writing does that.

Later.

RAK and another birthday!

I was going to blog last night but got wrapped up in another blog, Labor and Deliverance that I saw a link from on Facebook. It's written by a male OB down South and rather humorous. He gets bashed on quite a bit and has actually stopped blogging because of some issues going on (all because he is one of the old school "listen to the patient, not the medical book" types of docs. Apparently they don't fly down South). But...catching up on his old posts are humorous. He is not everyone's cup of tea though so if you do hop over there, just know that you may find him a bit brash. He talks about a variety of issues, but my favorite being the funny pager calls he gets. Here are a few examples:

06:31 Surgery question. "What time am I supposed to be at the hospital for my sturgery." 31 minutes ago. "That can't be right." My bad, I'm just the surgeon ma'am.

22:44 Three min long contractions aver 1.5 minutes. How many weeks pregnant are you? "I'm not pregnant." Excuse me? "My daughters pregnant." How far is she? "Fo months." And she is contracting? No I'm contracting and its been going on for weeks." When is the last time I examined you? "Oh, I ain't never seen you before. Can I get some pain pills for my cramps?" Click

Pregnant 17 y/o called today hysterical because she had swallowed her tongue stud. The reason for such drama? "Scared the baby might swallow it."

It makes me laugh. He is a nice doc. Some think he bashes on certain social groups but I think it's more Jeff Foxworthy material personally. Plus, he accepts scrap iron, cool shirts/sweaters from your place of business/school/etc, pies or cake as payment if someone can't afford the care. Thats pretty awesome.

Anyway. The RAK (Random Act of Kindness) that happened to us the other day that I forgot to blog about was pretty awesome. We stopped to get some gas on our way home and the boys had a quarter so they went in to see if there was anything they could get for their meager money. Needless to say, they hit a gold mine. They all walked out with a soda, Nate had a little bag of Cheetos, and Ty/Ry had airheads. The sweet lady working gave them all a free small fountain drink and "helped" them buy a little treat. It really made their night. When I tried to give her some money to cover the cost, she refused and said it was her pleasure. You don't see that often anymore. Makes me remember that I need to perform more RAKs.

And the birthday! A little bird told me that today is the very special birthday for Megan in Alaska! I wish we were closer so that we could get to know you better! Nate really enjoyed his time up in Alaska and told me all sorts of fun stories about the adventures you had with him. You are growing up to be lovely (you look a whole lot like your mom when she was your age!) and have wonderful talents that I get to enjoy from afar. Your such a special girl and I really look forward to seeing the wonderful things you do with your life when you get older! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and we send all of our love to you today! :)

Liquidation and more birthdays!

As time goes on I realize that I need to get to the great town of St George sooner than later. Commuting is no bueno and I won't have a ride down forever. However, I also have to have money to do so. My reserves are gone thanks to the lower paying job and some choices that I regret making with the money (funny how that works huh). So...I'm in the business of selling stuff. If anyone wants a treadmill, let me know. I paid $900 to buy it and am asking only $400 now to sell it. It's nice, runs lovely, super high tech and connects to iFit and a whole bunch of other iPod health apps...also connects to the internet to track progress and download treks like the Boston Marathon that you can run. But don't ask me how, I can't remember. But I know it does. So...let me know if your interested. For real.

On to fun stuff....

More Greenshow tonight. It was fun. Nate dragged feet at first but after the show he told me he wanted to go back again soon. This is probably why....

My lil ladies man doin his thing

After the show, we did our usual play in the fountain deal and spotted a dad and his two girls doing in the same. We ended up leaving around the same time and as I was walking behind them I couldn't help but think how waiting for the right person to come along is hard, very hard, but totally worth it. You could tell those girls were very loved by him, it was neat to watch.

Adorable daddy

Like I said before....this is the month of birthdays! Today is a pretty special day because it is both my sister in law and her daughter's birthday.
I have a whole lot of fond memories with you Valena. I think my favorite was when you tried to teach me how to drive a stickshift. We were going maybe two blocks total, but I'm pretty sure I stalled the little Mazda at least 15 times. I think we were laughing so hard we were crying! I've loved that we can get together and chat, do some Zumba. I appreciate the wonderful influence you have been on my boys. Nate and Ty still reminisce about the fun they had during daycare there. I have a whole lot of respect for you, I can't say enough how grateful I am for your love and support. I love you very much!
And Melissa. I remember the day you were born. We were freaking out because you were soo early and soo tiny. I have a picture of your dad holding you and I don't think you were any bigger than his hand. But you were a trooper and pulled through wonderfully. I cannot believe how big you have gotten! It seems like only yesterday you were Addie size and now your in Young Womens. Your growing up to be a beautiful girl and I think the world of you! I know your going to do great things with your life, just keep your head held high and remember your a very special person. I love you bunches! I hope you both have had a wonderful birthday today!

So that was our day....
And for real....if  any of you are interested (or know someone who is) in a treadmill, let me know.

Productivity

I had a very productive day. It feels good to be productive. I got another file and finished the beginning work without more help than just a question here and there....and my numbers matched up exactly (which is a really big deal and has been causing me stress...). On to St Geo tomorrow. It will be nice to move down there eventually so that the commute becomes obsolete. But until then, I'm grateful for a riding buddy. It would be a lot more mundane making the drive alone.
I'm also grateful for small but not so small to me blessings like my mom cooking us dinner this week. It's saved me money (on tired days I give in and get fast food) and it's made us eat healthier (than fast food or quick meals like hot dogs and chips).
Not much else to report on....slow news day I suppose. Have a good one ya'll.

Lesson learned

To go along with my Mormon Message, I learned a valuable lesson. To slow down. We went to St Geo today to work and I was grateful for the opportunity to shadow another processor. I just wasn't picking things up like I wanted, and I hoped that being able to see someone work without interuption would help. And boy did it ever. He went slow, step by step, to the point it was driving me crazy.... until I realized that I needed slow step by step instruction to really understand. It was a beautiful thing I tell you. I feel ready to take on as many loans as they can give me. I don't discount the fact that I said a very long and pleading prayer last night that I could be given the ability to soak up the information and understand so that I feel confident about my job. Prayer answered.

I also learned something extremely valuable from another blog I read. This girl is amazing. I love reading her posts. She recently went to NY and was able to have a walk and talk with a couple who blogs about love. Not oozy gooey love, the real deal. The ups and downs. And they gave her a bit of inspiration. I have taken on that inspiration and there is nothing more I can possibly say that would do this justice....so just read:

"...there's a handful of messages from our walk that still ring in my ears, but the biggest being happiness is not found in the accomplishment of a task, it's found in the virtues gained in pursuit of it. a girl won't be happy when she loses ten pounds {cabbage soup dieters, are you listening to me?}. happiness comes through the mastery of discipline and diligence. or the pursuit of it anyway. a husband won't make a girl happy, but conquering patience and faith and prayer or learning to love herself or gaining an independent spirit will. mara won't suddenly be happy when she gets pregnant, but her strength will come by relying on her heavenly father as she understands his timing and master plan.

things won't make us happy, but the things we learn while we pursue them will."

How beautiful is that? Something I fully intend on reciting every single day....

And to finish the post....some pictures from our Utah Shakespearean Festival Greenshow kickoff. I love the Greenshow and I am VERY excited that they are doing some Romania themed shows this year. LOVE!

I love the furry hat, so awesome

The boys kickin it up

The lovely ladies dancing

The whole crew

The cousins. Where is Nate you may ask? He went to Parowan. But has returned now much to the delight of his mother and brothers. We missed him :)

Mormon Messages...Tuesday

I didn't post yesterday, so my Mormon Messages is a day late. Sorry folks. Yesterday was kind of a crazy day. Anyway. I don't know if I've shared this video before (it kinda sounded familiar but not really....) but it served as a good reminder for me to SLOW DOWN. I've noticed that I have a tendancy to speed past the more important things in life in hopes to get to the "greener grass" when really...I have beautiful grass right here if I would slow down long enough to see it. This video is rather powerful to mine, one of the more powerful ones that I've watched. Let it be a good reminder to not let the hassles of life get to us....just SLOW DOWN and enjoy the little moments that make life happy. So here goes...Moments That Matter Most.

Sunday, Fathers Day and a Birthday

It's been a rough day. I think that once things settle down on the outside, things will also settle down on the inside. I hope. I feel the two are directly related. I've never considered myself someone who gets stressed easily so when I do feel stress, I hate it. The littlest things bother me and that is also when I know that I've let my spirit slide a little as well. When I feel the spirit, the little things don't bother me. I have hope and faith that everything will be okay and that we will be taken care of. And I know that life will eventually go the way I hope it will. But today, that spirit is gone. Who am I kidding, it's been gone all weekend. And things just keep piling on that drive the spirit away further because of how I handle them. Its a vicious cycle. A cycle I hope to someday break because it's exhausting to constantly feel worn down and feel discontent for every aspect of my life, when I know that there are good things going on that supercede the bad. Ugh. Anyway.

Today should really be focused on Fathers Day, not my blah day. I have a wonderful father. He has taught me alot about compassion and serving others. He has stepped in and done so many things to teach my boys good values. He has shown us the value of hard work and dedication. I love my dad and couldn't think of a better person in the world to have as a father. Happy Fathers Day dad!

June is full of family birthdays as well and today is my brother's birthday. So Scotty I have appreciated your kindness towards me and my boys. They think you are just the most wonderful person ever. I have appreciated your kindness towards them and care for all of our well-being. They all have wonderful memories of snacks and rides, visits to the firehouse, and every birthday they all look forward to getting to go choose a present with you, not so much for the present but because they get to go hang out with you all by themselves. I have appreciated the kindness you have shown me as well. You have touched my life and shown me the true power of the priesthood. Thank you for all that you do for myself and my family. I love you and I hope you have  a wonderful birthday!

A little of a vent post

Ok not a little, this will all be a vent post. I love that I get feeling awesome about life and things look like they are really truly improving....and then BAM it hits and everything crashes. And I know its going to be okay, I know it will get better but in the interm I am not happy camper.
Today was hectic. We had a file that went south really fast and it was semi out of our control but at the same time I can't help but think what I could've done better to prevent it from happening. Learning curve I suppose, but I hate learning curves. I wish I could get everything perfect every single time. It has really worn down my confidence in my abilities in a major way. And it sucks because it effects others, not just me. So it was a very hectic, time consuming and uber stressful day.

But....the thing wearing on my mind most is what happened with my current job. We were supposed to have until the end of June until my time there was done. However....today I got an email from the district manager that in a nutshell said "Hey guess what, we said you were going to have until the end of June....but instead we've decided your last day is today. Good luck with that." (ok it wasn't that straight forward but it was a very long winded way of saying that)

This has pros and cons. The pros are that I can focus all of my time towards the new job which is great, I really need to focus so I can get all of the new processes down and become a rockstar. It will also be nice to get settled into the new job instead of trying to master two jobs in the same work period.
The cons, instead of having two checks from the old job to tide me over until my deals start closing with the new job, I have one. So that means after the 25th I will have no income coming in until my deals start going through with the new job, which could be as early as 20 days but more likely will be about 40 days from now. This is going to be a LONG 40 days. With many Many MANY prayers that everything will somehow stretch and that I will able to make one paycheck stretch as far as two or three should've. Which will be impossible. Which also means the move to St George will be delayed even longer until I can get some reserves settled to actually be able to move. Which will take even longer as I will eventually be commuting myself instead of sharing rides and that will get extremely expensive. I need a miracle. A giant huge ginormous miracle. Ugh.

This too shall pass. This too shall pass. This too shall pass. This too shall pass.

Holy Busy Day

I am beyond exhausted. Its been a crazy busy day....there wasn't a second of free time from when I woke up to this moment. Like I had about a gazillion texts waiting for me from everyone under the sun when I paused for a second to grab some lunch....then a gazillion more when I got in the car to go home (no I didn't text while driving....just at stop lights hehe) I love being busy at work. It makes the day go by really fast. However it's also exhausting. I'm also not so confident about my abilities to pick up the new data system at the new job. Its confusing. I've been through 2 trainings on it, however I'm still struggling. I know that I will get it down eventually....but until then there will be many many after work figuring out moments on client files I think.

The shining light was the DoTerra class tonight. Learned all about cleaning stuff with oils. It's kind of interesting. I got to make a whole ton of cleaning product (all from home products that are not chemical woot woot!) and it was really good. I really enjoyed it. Speaking of which...they are super duper easy to make and work wonderfully. If you want to try out some oils or want some recipes, let me know...I know a great girl who sells them :)

Ok time for bed....tomorrow is going to be another busy busy day so I better Serenity up and get to bed. G'nite all.

Reality shows

The reality shows out there right now are pretty hilarious. More specifically, dating reality shows. I don't generally watch them but I've had more than my share the last couple weeks.
My personal favorite (sense the sarcasm) is The Choice. No not The Voice....Fox's spinoff of that called The Choice. Same spinning chairs, same idea....however it's a dating show. Take single celebs and walk about girls who try to convince them they are worthy to date in like 30 seconds by only their voice. They each get to choose 3, then have a speed round (15 seconds) of asking questions (because you can find sooooo much out in 15 seconds) and then eliminate 1. Then...have a Ms America style question portion to see how they would answer...then eliminate one more so they can choose their date for the night. Seriously? Ugh
I have actually enjoyed The Bachelorette this season (the little bit I've watched) becuase the girl is a single momma and really down to Earth. And...booted a guy off for being a jerk. Good girl.
I just catched a glimpse of Love In The Wild...and it's pretty ridiculous as well. Throw people together in forced relationships then let them pick and choose from other peoples relationships if they aren't happy. Yeah.

So on that note...I want to go on a LDS version of The Bachelorette. Wouldn't that be awesome? Instead of having absolutely NO luck finding a guy who shares the same values as I do AND is actually interested in me given my many downfalls....I could have a plenty of choice. In my dreams I suppose. I guess I should probably put myself out there but remember my last experience going to a singles dance? It kind of makes me not want to try again.

Another random fact....commuting is for the birds. For some reason it makes me really tired and worn out. I'm ready for bed. And with that....bring on the Serenity (and hope I don't oversleep again). Good night all.

The Challenge

Jacqui from Extreme Makeover: WL Edition. 207 lbs in 1 year using diet and exercise.
MY INSPIRATION
via google images

I've decided to do individual posts for this challenge deal I'm doing, it will help me keep things seperated. These will for the most part be really boring, they are more for my own tracking purposes than entertaining purposes.
I love My Fitness Pal, however it freezes my phone so I had to find something new. I tried another one but they didn't have a phone app, and thats just no bueno. So I've finally settled on SparkPeople (thanks Staci!) and I really like it. The app doesn't kill my battery or freeze my phone, and it's really easy to use. And I LOVE the recipe ideas. Anyway.

Goals:
My goal is to lose 30 lbs in 3 months.

To get there:
Caloric Goal: between 1200-1550 cals/day
Exercise: at least 90 mins/week
Burn: 307 cals/day

Now that that's out of the way....
Today was good.
Cal intake: 1273 cals
Exercise: 30 minutes
Burnt: 437 cals

When I was walking, those horrible negative thoughts kept creeping in. Like...."Why are you even trying? Your never going to change how you look" and "You might as well give up now, what makes you think you can actually do this?"
I hate those thoughts. I combat them and push on. However I do give in to them a lot too. How do you not? Positive affirmations over and over until they leave?
I dunno. I am finding out that this is going to be more of a mental challenge than anything else. I know I can do it physically....but I need to find a way to combat the emotional side. I can do this. I've done it before, I can do it again.

Ok thats all for now. Challenge on. :)

As a side note...I 100% plan to get back on Herbalife eventually. I love the program, but it's a little bit too spendy for my budget right now. Until then, I work at it this way.

Mormon Messages Monday

I've been struggling a little bit with some personal issues. Issues that I unfortunately am not able to blog about. Unfortunate, because this has always been a wonderful outlet for me to work things out. But, such is life. I will say, however, that one struggle is feeling like I'm praying and praying and praying for answers but don't ever get a response. Yet, I know that I will always get answers, just in their own time. Its hard to remember that when times are tough though. So that being a preface to today's Mormon Messages.....He Will Give You Help.

Weight loss and a birthday

Today was not a great day...I woke up feeling like crap and I know exactly why....popcorn and donuts last night before bed. Typical movie night for us. Yet it's catching up to me. I look in the mirror and am not happy. But after watching Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition tonight, I realized that it is doable. The girl tonight lost 207 lbs in one year. The healthy way. I related to her in many ways. She described her old self as drowning, feeling hopeless. Avoiding the mirror because if she didn't look, then she couldn't see how ugly it was getting. And....I do that. I don't look at myself or pictures of myself because if I don't look it's not real right? And then I do see myself or pictures of myself and realize that I don't even remotely recognize the person looking back at me. How did this happen? So, it's time. So June's challenge is going to turn into a 3 month challenge. I am giving myself 12 weeks to see what I am made of. I don't have a whole lot of faith, but why not try? So bear with me. Its going to be rocky. But worth it. So there it is. Challenge starts tomorrow. Going to focus on eating healthy, exercising every day and getting proper sleep.
On to the birthday. I was a horrible sister and missed my brother's birthday on the 6th. So I'm making up for it now. To Tony...you have been a wonderful example to me of someone who through adversity keeps your head held high and tries to make things right. I've seen you make decisions that I never would've had the courage to make. There are many people that think very highly of you, and I am one of them. I see you struggle and I wish I could make everything all better because you deserve to be happy, but I know that you will be okay. You pull through with your head held higher. I'm sorry I missed your birthday, but I hope that you had a wonderful day and that this next year of your life will be wonderful! I love you and I am proud to be your sister. Happy belated birthday!

Random

Boys at the creek splashing rocks

The boys and I went to the park yesterday and had a dinner picnic. We had a good time, we need to do that more often...they slept sooo good last night. Things are finally getting back to normal and the kids are themselves again which is nice. It's a lot less stressful when they get along.
I found out some good news today that I hesitate to share just yet, for many reasons but one being that I don't want to jinx anything. It is one of those things that I will be definitely be doing a kick in the air about when everything is final and through. More on that later.

The weekend is coming and I'm pretty excited about that. I love weekends, I can get caught up on things and we have some potential BBQ plans with some friends that we are looking forward to if it all works out. And...thats about it. Slow news day today I think. But I kind of like it.

House Dreams! (pic overload)

As I've been contimplating the move to St George, I have been looking at real estate down there. Shocker I know. Me and my house dreams. However, this new job is allowing me to actually make that dream a reality, sooner than later. So shall we take a peak at what I have been scoping out? Okie dokie here we go. All properties are from ReMax listings.

First house is 5 bed/2.5 bath in St George. 3400 sq ft and listed at $170,000. A bit too big for us I think, but you will see below why I love this house. Listing and more pics here.

Kinda like the cottage look

You can tell its an old person house hehe

Needs a little cosmetic work inside

BUT LOOK AT THIS!!!

It's a grotto. Like a floaty boat thing would fit inside (see other pics on the listing), a hot tub, and a slide

Gardening area

Next up....
I don't understand how they determine property type down there, because this next one doesn't seem like a condo but whatever. 3 bed/3 bath in St George, 1962 sq feet. $149,900. Listing and more pics here.

Awesome patio entrance

Big family room (needs a paint job but LOVE the floors)

Love the kitchen (but needs a paint job too)

I'm assuming the Master (the whole house needs a new paint job)

backyard

And then....
The possibility of a townhouse that has everything you could ever want....pool, play area, etc. There are a few in this area for sale but this one had the best pictures :) 3 bed/2.5 bath at 1486 sq ft. $154,600 (there is another for $145,000). Find the listing and more pics here.

Entry

Neighborhood

Pool

Play Area

Dining Area

Living Room

Bedroom

And last....for now.....
Another "Condo" that isn't connected to anything (seriously...dunno why they would say this is a condo). 4 bed/2.5 bath 1802 sq ft for $134,900. Find the listings and more pics here.

The front, need some landscaping (or weeding of Xscaping) but I think it's cute

Not fond of the TINY backyard (also needs some yardwork)

Living room with FIREPLACE!

I've always wanted a giant tub :)

Kitchen

I had to include this one because I LOVE that it has a lowered counter. Perfect for kid projects :)

So far these are my top favorite ones. All have things that I love about them, but if I were to chose one I was leaning towards more than the others it would be the townhouse for $154,600. Mostly because the neighborhood looks nice, it has a rec center close, play area, and pool. I'm sure the selection will change when the time actually comes....but for now these are what I'm drooling over.

Mormon Messages {and the new job!}

It has been a very long day....but a very good day. We headed to St George and was able to train for the new job. Business is booming and its going to be a very profitable move for us to make as a team. I can't say enough how much I just absolutely appreciate my manager and everything he has done for me. I'm very excited to get going with this company and feel like I am almost starting a new life. I am even more excited that this job provides me the opporunity to knock out three of my biggest life goals: Become financially stable, stop using state assistance, and buy a home.

On to Mormon Messages Monday. In light of the recent financial blessings I have been awarded with, I think it's important to remember how many blessings come from living within our means. I definitely have not always been good at this, but I've learned the value of saving for what you want and buying cash, making sure you have a cushion in savings and putting money towards retirement. Those lessons have saved me in very rough times, ensuring that we have the money we need even when we are living very tightly.
This message is a great reminder of such.  Becoming Provident Providers.

The boys are back!

It is sooo nice to have the boys all back with me now. Yes they are going through their adjustment period (I don't miss that at all) but their picking at each other is worth every second to have the family together again. We went for a walk up the canyon and got to enjoy the beauty that is around us.

Ty and Ry throwing rocks

Nate and Ty throwing rocks

Grandma and Grandpa

Grandpa and Ry

Coal Creek from one side of the bridge



Coal Creek from the other side of the bridge

I have Instagram now and LOVE the filters. All pictures above were filtered from my phone through instagram.

Overjoyed

I am sooo incredibly happy to have Nate home. It has been a very long week and I have missed him like crazy. Its been exciting to hear all about his fun times with the cousins and how much he loved playing with them. They are all his favorites he says. They had quite the adventures and I wish we could've all gone but maybe someday soon we can. Tyler is still gone, sadly, but he will be home tomorrow and I can't wait. It will be nice for the family to be all together again. And I'm not letting either of them out of my sight (well except when I go to work) for a very long time.
I stole borrowed these pictures from my sister....I thought they were adorable!

Nate on the train with Uncle Les and Megan

Nate again

Nate with Katie and Megan in the caboose I believe

Nate and cousins in Willow Creek which is apparently freezing cold as it's fed directly from a glacier (?)

My very favorite picture....Nate's future blackmail :) Thanks Steph!