Perspective

Its no secret that I've been struggling the last few months.

Struggling in the fact that Jace's career is taking much longer to jump start than anticipated.

...in the fact that I'm not doing ANYTHING related to my chosen career.

...in the fact that we don't like our apartment and need to move.

...in the fact that sickness is inevitable this time of year.

...in the fact that we cant get a home of our own.

...in the fact that we cant have a baby.

...in the fact that both our families are going through tough times and i feel the weight of them as if they were my own.

cue perspective.

Life is a trial out of God's presence.
Where would the growth come from if we didn't have to go through tough times?
How would we know how to get down on our knees and plead for help from a loving Heavenly Father?
How would we learn to ask for help, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, and strength?
How would we learn to rely on others?

I'm not the greatest at asking for help. And it is SOOO easy to get bogged down with the nitty- gritty, the everyday woe's...everything!

I realized that I'm not doing enough on my part. I need to put my trust in the Lord and that all will work out the way it needs to.

For NOW:
I promise to make the best of my situation.
i HAVE a home, plenty of food, clothes on my back and way too many in my closet, and more than adequate transportation.
i have a job.
i have a loving husband.
i have a great family.
i have adorable nieces and a nephew...one of which is a newborn <3
i have a loving Heavenly Father.
i have the knowledge of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

THE STORK ARRIVED!

Okay, okay. So i was in the next room during the actual birth, so i know that a stork didn't actually deliver my BRAND NEW NIECE!
(the mis-shapened head from her entry would've given it away anyways)

Shes beautiful!
I'm so proud of Melanie and Jeff--both were so calm--so not how i would've been.
She came Thanksgiving morning at 12:25 AM and weighed in at 6Lbs 3 Oz.
She is so super tiny!

mom is finally a grandma!
and we finally have a baby on our side of the family!
halleluiah.

Grateful and Thankful

Thankful-

1. Pleased and relieved: "they were thankful that the war was finally over"; "I was very thankful to be alive".
2. Expressing gratitude and relief: "a thankful prayer".

Grateful-

1. feeling or showing appreciation of kindness.

I feel...both. So much. I have so much to be thankful for...but more than that i have so much that i am grateful for (to me being grateful is a more intense expression, more sincere...if you will).

Here is my list that i am GRATEFUL and THANKFUL for today:

(in no particular order...)

UM and real quick...the last 4 pictures?? Yeah.
I pretty much have the cutest nieces and nephew around.

I'm "blank" because...

LMM did this on her blog...and it made me start thinking. What makes me me?
Here are my answers!

I’m weird because…
I can’t sleep with my hair down.
I drink pepsi like its water.
I have a no shoes policy in my home.
I like Doritos with my PB&J sandwhiches.
I love to smell the smell of gasoline.
I prefer to NOT cuddle when I sleep.
I can only pop my neck one way.
I will eat chips and salsa as a meal.
I can’t sleep uncovered--no matter how hot it is--part of me is always covered.
I'm scared of drowning and scorpions.
I prefer the pizza crust to the actual pizza sometimes.
I drink from over 10 glasses a day.
I have a love/hate relationship with our dishwasher.
I love decorating, but i'm always changing something.
I start my shopping in the sales section of every store, and most times I never leave.
I think my biggest pet peeve is when house numbers are not visible.
I absolutely LOVE pythons and great white sharks.
I do a happy dance when I get a package in the mail.--which is not often.
I make a mean pasta dish.

I’m a bad friend because…
I sometimes take days to check my voice mails.
I am terrible at returning phone calls and emails.
I don't always word things the way I want to.
I sometimes forget activities that I've committed to until last minute.

I’m a good friend because…
I want to see those I love succeed.
I love and cherish friendship.
I love my friends kiddos like they are my own.
You can show up at my house at midnight to talk about your bad day. Or call at 3 in the morning.
Me being slap happy is hilarious...you should see it.

I’m sad because…
I wish I didnt have to work, so i could spend more time doing things with family/friends.
I too often get consumed with guilt. (especially the not wanting to work thing...)
I sometimes let little things get in the way of the big picture.
I need to be better at letting things roll off my back.

I’m happy because…
I just finished stuffing and addressing ALL of my Christmas cards for this year.
My moms surgery went well and nothing was cancerous.
My friend Lauren's surgery went well and shes okay.
Its 75 degrees today
I'm inching ever closer to getting something else off my 25 before 25 list.
My brother is going to be having a baby in the next few days!

I’m excited for…
Christmas. period.
Starting an annual Christmas party.
Cooler weather.
Christmas lights.
Seeing family.
Eating yummy foods that i dont make for just me and jace.
Becoming an aunt again!
Movie watching.
Family time.

its all about choices

So Jace and I had a fast courtship...2 months till we got engaged and 4 more till we got married. In today's standard that's insane.

well...so be it.

the engagement was fast for me, but the wedding couldn't have come sooner. once i made the decision to move forward, dang it! i wanted to move forward!

Anyways...there were some nights where we just sat outside and asked each other questions. What was our fav color (mine is blue, his is green), fav breakfast food (both of us prefer french toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon!), place we wanted to go to the most (its IRELAND for both of us!) fav animal (mine is either a great white shark or a flamingo, and his is a bear (koala to Kodiak) ...etc.

After we got married we decided to write up a list of things every couple should ask each other. Amazingly enough such tiny differences really can make it or break it for someone! I know that sounds ridiculous, but i've talked to a few people about it and they are they ones that told me that! In my head...if i really liked/loved the person, not one of these things would make me break up with them or assume that the relationship would be a dud or too hard to accommodate both choices.

We wrote our first list about a year ago...and lost it. So last night we started a new list...its not done, but here it is! Enjoy.

AND i would love to hear what your answers are to these! Comment and let me know!

Jace and I dont match up on alot of them. LOL

1. Pepsi or Coke

2. Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

3. Creamy or Crunch peanut butter

4. Mountains or Beach

5. City or Small town

6. Winter or Summer

7. Nsync or Backstreet Boys

8. xbox or playstation

9. Firm or Soft Mattress

10. Liberal or Conservative

11. Fruit or Vegetables

12. Public or Private Schools

13. Hot or Cold (weather)

14. Boneless or Regular Wings

15. Cats or Dogs

16. Team Angelina or Team Jen

17. DC or Marvel

18. Halo of Call of Duty

19. Nuts or No nuts (in desserts)

20. Team Sparkle or Team Heartbeat (Edward or Jacob)

21. Board Games or Video Games

22. Hugs or Kisses

23. Diamonds or Gemstones

24. Applebees or Chilies

25. Brittney or Christina

26. White or Yellow Gold

27. Travel or Homebody

28. Winter or Summer Sports (snowboarding/wakeboarding, etc.)

29. Football or Baseball

30. Mattas or El Charro (if you are not from Mesa...you wont have an answer on this one)

Not the Hunt Home...

It started with these two people.
Moving their family of 6 from their long-time home of Utah...
to this house here in Mesa Arizona.

This is the home where my husband really grew up.
Where he played with friends and his siblings.
Where he got into trouble.
Or hung out having fun.
This is where he learned how to play his favorite instrument.
Because he lived here, we were able to go to the same Jr. High (where we met).
Because he lived here, his best friend ended up being one of my very good friends (who actually ended up getting us together)
This is where he lived when he left on his mission, and where he lived up to the day we got married.
This is where we woke up on our first Christmas together.

Where all of the siblings and their spouses (plus some kiddos) hung out and played games.

And now...its not the Hunt home anymore.
Its someone elses.

But dang. I'm grateful they moved there.
Thanks house, you served your family well!

i shall call this "i'm a loser today"

Wanna here how my morning went?

1. Woke up late (cold morning+warm bed=LAZY BONES)

2. Remembered to grab the lunch i made last--score!

3. Substitute mailman put the mail through the door yesterday resulting in in me stepping on it and slipping.

4. Me slipping on said mail=me falling very hard onto my back

5. Alarm at the store going off before i could disable it.

6. Receiving calls from the alarm company making sure everything is okay and then having to walk me through the steps to turn it off.

7. The police showing up, and having to give a tour of the store to make sure nobody was hiding in the back making me say everything was okay.

brilliant.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE:

i'm blogging at work! on MY laptop! something went right today...hallelujah.

Time out for Women

AMAZING!!!!

"Choose to Become"

AWEOME!!!!

All the Speakers and Musicians?

WONDERFUL!!!!

Oh my goodness...i've never gone before. I went with my mom, my SIL melanie, my aunt, and 2 of my cousins.



Its a Friday night/Saturday conference for women! In 2 words?
UPLIFTING AND INSPIRING!

Both Musicians truly spoke to me...they were fantastic. On Saturday it was Hilliary Weeks. Shes hilarious and so talented. "A songwriter/singer/pianist. A mother. A mormon."

Not a great picture...but the only one i have.

Want to learn more? Go to the Website! www.tofw.com
You'll love it!

October 2011

Seriously, i need my computer back. LOL its my own fault for not having it at the moment, but geez! You really cant blog at all when you have no internet access.

I have some catching up to do! and guess what?! PICTURES! (miracles do happen, see?)


I know i have posted in October, so its not like you havent heard from me. But lets just recap.

Ran in the Race for the Cure again :) 5 years that mom is cancer free! got some news at the end of oct saying that she tested positive for a cancer gene and now has to have a hysterectomy. We're sure that all will be well, and have great faith in her surgeons.

I have been working long days and to make sure i dont die, jace has been making me lunches. isnt he just such a cute mom?? ;)

Baby sat the 3 musketeers one night while my BIL Josh was in a play! We watched lots of movies, snuggled with aunt Andrea's stuffed animals, ate mac n cheese, read some books, and they all crashed on our bed. It was so cute.

I made Jace a mission shadowbox! Nothing fancy of course...but hes really happy with it.

Our pumpkins! This year Jace chose a smaller one because "it wouldnt take so long to clean out"...he realized his mistake later when he couldnt carve what he wanted to. He had to settle for the good old standby of "scary pumpkin face".

I on the other hand carved Frankie. :) Not my best...i like my mummy and tarantula better, but it was fun carving him!

My costume! Who am i? If you say Dorothy i will punch you in the head. I'm Wendy from Wendy's! I later added freckles and a wendy's bag.
(Jace was Jack from Jack in the Box--hilarious.)
I dont have a picture currently of Jace...but you could check out the busybeelauren blog... she had a good picture and Jace has some on his phone.