It's a Great Day to be ALIVE!

Well it has been an interesting two weeks!  And I promise, I have a perfectly good reason for why I haven't posted the past two Wednesdays.  I've been...shall we say...indisposed.  It's kind of a long story so I'll just give you all a short synopsis.
On Wednesday the 17th I left work with the best of intentions; I would write my blog post later that night as soon as I thought of an interesting topic.  But alas, my plan was foiled by my getting in a car accident on the freeway that evening.  I don't actually remember anything from Wednesday night from about 7pm until midnight or so when I woke up in the hospital because of the concussion I received in the wreck, and even the memories from that night are somewhat foggy.  Needless to say, I spent the next two nights in the hospital with a fractured pelvis and various cuts and bruises all over the left side of my body.  I worked with a couple of physical therapists over the next day and a half to start walking with a walker and was released from the hospital that Friday afternoon.

Luckily, after going home I had lots of people to take care of me including my wonderful boyfriend as well as my mother and aunt who drove through the night on Friday to get here.  I was out of work for a week and a half, which almost drove me crazy!  But now I am back to work in full force, and I've started to walk without the assistance of a walker or cane in the past couple days.  For having a broken pelvis I'm doing quite well!

Although I would definitely not recommend an experience like this to anyone, it's definitely been an eye-opener.  We were in a car accident that could have - and probably technically should have - killed us and yet we are both alive and well (mostly), with injuries that were minor compared to what they could have been.  I know it's super cheesy, but it has helped me appreciate the little things that make life awesome.  There are so many blessings granted to us that go unnoticed until they're almost taken away before we even acknowledge their existence.  It's a sad fact of life.

Sorry my post is short and very very late, but to anyone who happens to be reading, I hope that you'll take a second today to remind yourself of one little blessing that you don't usually notice.  And once you've thought of it, thank your Father in Heaven for that blessing!  He has given us so much to be grateful for, and all too often we forget to thank Him.  So take some time to do so today, and hopefully every day from now on!

My Life May Not Be Pretty, But It Sure Is Beautiful!

So, I know I'm a day late with this post...but maybe after you read it you will understand why.

This was me this morning...

My kitchen is a complete disaster from trying to make, and can, homemade applesauce with wormy apples and broken equipment last night.

I have big bags under my eyes from being up until midnight to do the aforementioned task, and feeding/snuggling my fussy baby the rest of the night.

I am in desperate need of a SHOWER!

Make-up?  Does left-over mascara from yesterday count?

The drawers in the background are open because my 2-year-old daughter prefers them that way. (I'm sure that some of the cupboards not visible in this picture are also open....if not all of them.)

I am eating a delicious, nutritious bowl of...you guessed it....fruity pebbles, since I had 2 minutes to eat before I needed to be somewhere (and, as a nursing mom, it is kind-of important to eat).

The counter behind the sink is covered in junk...because no matter how often I clear it, it seems to magnetically pull things onto it.

Under my feet, the kitchen floor is covered in crumbs, sticky applesauce drips, stuck dried cereal, and all sorts of other treasure.

As I sit to write this, I am constantly interrupted with fits of screaming or a dirty diaper to change.

It's not a very pretty sight!

Such is the life of a mom.  Working mom, stay-at-home mom, single mom, married mom, or even a stay-at-home dad!  Life is messy.  Life with kids is even messier!  Wanna know what keeps me going?

The beauty of life.

The pure and utter joy found in these eyes as they learn to take their first step, write their first letter, or just when they notice you noticing them.

The love of a devoted husband, who works so hard every day, and still makes time to wrestle on the floor with his kids that have been anxiously waiting for him ALL DAY!

The peaceful calm that comes from quality time spent with those you hold most dear to your heart.

God's daily "tender mercies", like a home, food on the table, the love of family and friends.

The pure, unending love of a Heavenly Father and a Savior that sacrificed so much for imperfect me.

These are the things that life is made of.  Sure, exploding kitchens, late nights, rough days...they are all part of it, too.  I don't believe that will ever change.  Even when my kids are grown and gone.  When that day comes there will be trials that are different from those I'm experiencing today.  But I believe there is beauty to be found in every stage of life, and in every circumstance.  Sometimes we just have to look past the chaos that is so easy to see, and find the moments of gold.

May we all take more time to notice the things that are truly important.  Let us hold onto and cherish those things to get us through the pandemonium created by everyday life.  Let the world tell you what it wants to: you need expensive clothes, perfect children, more money, or maybe a nicer house to make you happy.  But more and more I am finding that lasting happiness comes from worrying less about the world and what we don't have, and worrying more about the things that are right under our noses that God has blessed us with.

Happy Tuesday to you all!  I'm signing off to clean up a potty accident and tickle my son until he cries... ;)

First Week of School Adventures with my Biggest Fan!

In case you are wondering how my first week of school is going, I can tell you in one word- humbling and enlightening. Okay, that was two words, but let me elaborate. Every day, I wake up at 5 AM (quite honestly more like 5 thirty...), shower, choose an outfit (which can take a while!), do my hair and makeup, go downstairs and eat a rushed breakfast, grab my pathetic little gluten free lunch and I'm out the door (hopefully) by 6:15 to be at Seminary on time by 6:30. Many people may ask, why would any teenage kid get up to go to a church class at 6:30 AM!? Sometimes I wonder myself, but then I remember why I go to seminary. Seminary is by far the best part of my day. It is one hour where I can feel the Spirit and discuss the scriptures with my peers. What better way to start the day off than with the Spirit? If you know any youth that are struggling with getting to seminary, please encourage them! Seminary changes lives and once they feel the beauty of the gospel they'll want to be there!

In my short experience as a junior in high school, I have learned so much about the gospel. Every day, my one mission is to follow the Spirit. I've found that when I have the Spirit with me everywhere I go, I get excited about learning and I want to be there. I can see the worth in others that I could never see before, and I can see ways in which I can help them. Each day I try to live with no regrets. Every time I refuse to follow a prompting, I regret it. I always wonder, "you may have changed their life if you had the courage to say hi to them. But now you'll never know because you were too afraid." It is the worst feeling in the world knowing that you have "feared man more than God." If you are ever blessed with a prompting of the Spirit, take the opportunity! Don't let those blessings pass you by as I have done on far too many occasions. No regrets!

I have also learned that life truly is an adventure! I had the wonderful opportunity to go white water rafting with some of the other youth in my ward last weekend. I had never been before, and so I was understandably nervous about the prospect of flying down a white frothing rapid with absolutely no control, being led by the will of merciless water. Images of the headlines the next day flashed through my mind: "16 YEAR OLD GIRL KILLED IN RAPIDS LABELED 'EASIEST RAPIDS IN OREGON'." I just knew I was going to die! But I said a prayer that everything was going to be okay and as we shoved our raft off the shore my fear washed away and faith took over. With faith, life is fun! I stood on the front of the raft going down incredible rapids and flipped of a makeshift slip 'n slide and did every crazy thing I could. I'm not saying that if you jump off a cliff and just have a lot of faith everything is going to be okay. (Please don't try it!) But I am saying that with God on your side, you don't have to be afraid of everything. You can have fun and be calm knowing that everything is going to work out. I am a rafter! I am also a treasure hunter! Talking with one of my friends today, we discovered that life is a treasure hunt. God had created this beautiful plan in which everything works out and He leaves little nuggets of spiritual gold all over the place. He guides us to find it and celebrates with us when we take pride in our accomplishment. He put the gold there, and he brought us to it, but we still celebrate our victory! He wants to find all the pieces and see the beauty in every day life. We just need to follow the path he has put us on and we will find the goodness in everything.

Beautiful view of the river rafting last weekend!

So, as a super adventurer, of course I must have fans. There is one fan in particular that with every passing day I see more and more how much she is not only a fan, but my biggest supporter. Let me tell you what her morning schedule looks like...
Wake up at 4:45, go into Chara's room and try to make her stir a little bit, 15 minutes later do it again, get ready for a rushed shower, go back into Chara's room and use a little more force in my voice. Take a shower, choose an outfit, and check on Chara to make sure she didn't fall asleep in the shower, expertly do hair and makeup, try to wake up my 13 year old son, James. Repeat as many times as needed. Run downstairs and make a beautiful breakfast for the children, run Chara's lunch out to her car before she drives away without it again. Stuff a few bites in my mouth and then off to work.
If you haven't already guessed, this is my mother. She does so much for our family, I don't even know how she does it. My mom isn't perfect, but she loves us so much. As we get back into our morning routines, please take an extra second to remember the many long hours spent by your mother. The world may say that taking "the mommy track" is a cop-out or something that only uneducated, weak women choose. I can say right now that I know two mothers very personally who work harder than a lot of women out there and they are anything but dumb or weak! This week I have realized that someday when I become a mother, I can only hope to be as amazing as my mother and my older sister. The examples of righteous mothers are all around us. God has emphasized the importance of mothers in our world today. Take a moment to appreciate all that your mother has done for you. I don't mean to sound preachy, but they truly are our biggest fans. Thanks for everything Mom!

One thing my Mom does that makes her the very best mom EVER is she makes this stuff called Polenta. It's basically corn meal, but polenta just sounds fancier. It is one of the best gluten free, dairy free, soy free etc, breakfast recipes out there!

Adventurer Approved Polenta
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 Tbls. butter
1 cup polenta

Boil water, butter, and salt. Add Polenta on medium heat. Whisk together until it starts getting thick. Cover, reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. While cooking, add a couple of tablespoons of agave or honey. A double batch makes a loaf. Put the mixture into a loaf pan and refrigerate. When it has fully cooled and the loaf has a kind of jello-y texture, take it out of the pan and slice it up.

From there, it's your choice!
I like to fry it in a little bacon grease and serve with agave on top like syrup. When frying it, be patient, it takes a little while to get it crispy on both sides. You can also top it with honey or maple syrup.

James likes to mash it up, add a little water on low heat and put some coconut milk and agave in it after it's heated so it's like gluten free cream of wheat! You can also heat it up in the microwave. Both ways it's delicious! It's great for school mornings because you can make the loaf ahead of time and just store it in the fridge and use a few slices every morning. If you have any questions, just make a comment below.

Kid approved and fantastic!

Thanks Mom for a great polenta breakfast every morning!