So you've been married for 4 years, and you don't have kids?

In case you really wanted to know...
        
     Ever since I first got married, I was so ready to have kids.  I've always wanted to be a mom.  Greg and I have always wanted to have kids.  But as we were both in school for the first several years of our marriage, we  Greg thought it would be best to wait until at least I graduated.  Okay, most of the time I agreed with him.  Living in Utah was kind of hard for me.  EVERYONE has kids, and the pressure to have them is like the pressure for the unmarried to marry (okay, not everyone, but plenty of people my age have kids to create some pressure).  However, I don't think Greg was ready to have kids, and honestly, I don't think I was necessarily ready to take on another role at that time.  Most importantly, I wanted and still want to have that okay from Heavenly Father (and Greg).  I mean, I want direction about one of the most important roles we can fulfill.

     Lately, I have been nagging, I mean, asking my Heavenly Father about kids in concordance with money, time, etc. again and again (you know, to see if He'll change his mind or to really be sure this is the correct information).  Today, I had the fortune of going to the temple with Greg and a friend in our ward.  It was  a last minute plan, but I can't tell you how thrilled I was to have the chance to go especially since it has been several months since I've been.  As we prayed in the session, I silently asked if I should try for kids this month.  I had a stupor of thought (which as most of you know means no) followed with a "Not yet."

   I was disappointed with the answer so much that I stumbled through my way through the rest of the session.  But when I entered the celestial room, and I saw Greg waiting there, I felt a very peaceful feeling with a comforting assurance that everything was going to work out.  And I've had other revealing thoughts from the Lord, but I want to keep those private for now.  At this point, I know that Heavenly Father does speak to us still today, and that He is looking out for us.    

  So, there you have it.  We don't have kids yet, but things will work out.

יהיה טוב

Books and Music

I live about a kilometer from the public library, and I love it.  I should say, this has been a good thing because I have been reading so much lately!  I wanted to take a few moments to share with you some of latest reads because I love recommending books.

Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery
(Go here for more information.)

I loved this book a lot, but I dislike the grandmother so much because she is so controlling and so unloving that sometimes my dislike for the grandmother overshadows my love for this book (okay, maybe she does care, but she has a strange way of showing it!).  I love reading about Jane, though, because over time she blossoms into this confident and strong girl.  She is a leader in her family like her grandmother, but unlike her grandmother she is also kind.  I also love that this story shows how fathers play an important role in their children's lives.  I've recently read a few other stories with strong women/girls in the stories, and I recommend these titles as well: Green Willow, Little Women, and Moon Over Manifest.    

Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH
(Go here to buy it off Amazon.)

I recommend this book to every woman out there because it is such an insightful book!  I want to buy it so badly some day because of all the wonderful and beautiful wisdom it has.  I wanted to read this for a couple of reasons.  Lately, I've wanted to track my menstrual cycle better because I want to have kids someday, and I wanted to be more aware of what is happening to my body.  So, I looked around online for things I should do, etc..  However, I never understood why I should do these things when I read about them, and this book finally gave me all the information I needed to know.  This book teaches the fertility awareness method or FAM as a way to prevent or create children or just be in charge of your fertility as the title says.  I love this method because as the author says both the husband and wife can work together whereas in other birth control methods the women has to be the responsible 'gatekeeper'. I also feel so impressed with the human body now!!
Go read it now!!!

The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale
(Go here.)

This is another book I want to buy because some of the solutions to negative feelings were wonderful yet practical.  Many of the solutions come from reading specific scriptures or praying to Heavenly Father.  I loved this book because I honestly felt confident that I could be a more positive person in my daily life. Maybe supplemental reading?    


I've also picked up a few CD's from the library because I don't have access to a number of sites like Pandora.

I love classical music, but I've found I prefer listening to the cello and violin.  (In another life, I'd be a cellist.)
So when you need some moving music, I recommend both of these soundtracks: "Schindler's List" and "The Last of the Mohicans".  Also, Yo-Yo Ma has a beautiful collection of cello music.

I've also listened to a lot of Alison Krauss and Union Station because I love Alison's voice and blue grass music.  However, I can only take so much of her music because most of the time their music is SO depressing.  For example, go listen to "Ghost in this House."

What have you been reading lately?  Any song  recommendations?



 

Awkward

For my birthday, I will give you a gift.

A few photos of me.

Number one.
Sorry, sis, but this has to be shared.  Awkward family photo.  
Fairy princesses. 

We were at the Western Idaho County Fair...
Every girl wants to be a cute fairy princess, but we look a bit too old to be cute...
Cos-play here we go!
But seriously, this is just a bad photo.

 The rest of these are my senior photos.  When I saw them I was practically in tears because they were so bad and horribly embarrassing.  The worst part is that one of these photos landed itself into the yearbook.  I didn't care to get an actual photographer because the schools in the area did a uniform yearbook photo where girls have this 'shawl' thing pinned to you and the guys have this fake tux. But I wish I did get an actual photographer for my senior photos. You go into this thinking these guys will help you out a bit, but no.  No help at all.  You walk in like a lamb to the slaughter.  Okay not that dramatic, but for high school purposes, it feels that dramatic. 

I didn't really understand the pose here.  And the pink back light makes everything worse.
  Am I at a club?  

I hate my wispy hair so much!  Seriously! (I didn't realize what I did with my hair until after they took this photo.  No do overs.  

Wispy hair take two.
I almost have an emo look.
I'm pretty sure this is the one that made it to the yearbook. 

I am a chameleon! 

I had a few other photos from this photo shoot, but they got "lost."
 I am glad photography is becoming a fun hobby for so many to enjoy.  Next time I have an important event, I'll hire someone.

You are welcome.

Birthday Memories

Tomorrow I will be twenty four years old.  Hooray. 

My dad wanted to know which birthday was my favorite birthday thus far, but I always have a difficult time choosing. So, I thought instead I'd share a few of my favorite birthday memories.
  *My dad loves to be adventurous with cake decorating.  He would buy plastic dinosaurs or cowboys and Indians and stick them all over the cake.  
  *We never bought wrapping paper for birthday presents.  Instead my family would use the cartoons from the Sunday paper as wrapping paper.  Best wrapping paper ever.
  *Flowers.  I love getting flowers for my birthday (tip for next year).  My mom once got me this cute little yellow bowl with a bunch of red and white carnations for my birthday.
  *Birthday parties at school.  One of the best reasons to avoid schoolwork in school.
     
Okay last weird birthday favorite memory took place on my fifteenth birthday.  I didn't do much that day except for go to school and hang out with my family afterwards.  My step-sister, sister, and I hung out together that evening.  We ate chips and salsa and watched the movie "Two Weeks Notice".  But I think I liked it so much because of the sisterly bond strengthened that day.  Or perhaps it was Hugh Grant. ; )

No pictures were taken that day, but I thought you'd like to see a cute picture of me taken right before my Homecoming dance which took place a couple of weeks after my fifteenth birthday.

I did have a date for this Homecoming even though I wasn't 16.
Most awkward feeling was dancing with him in front of my bishop.
I may have been a rebel.
My date may have needed a mint.

 

What's Cooking?

      I love home cooked meals, and right now, I'm interested in making my meals from scratch as much as possible.  Recently, I've made a couple of attempts to make cooking from scratch a bit easier.  Not that I don't have time to cook--I just want to make life easier so I can do things like be on the computer doing...stuff.  So here are two tips I will share with you.
The first is to make a rotisserie chicken in your crock pot such as the recipe found here.  I do things a bit differently, however; I buy chicken breasts with the bones and skin attached because meat is really expensive (like $4.99/lb for boneless, skinless chicken breasts).  I cook the chicken in the same fashion as the Busy Mommy blogger, and usually end up using the chicken in curry or soups.  Or I even just leave the chicken as is, and serve it with roasted vegetables.  
My second tip is to use your crock pot to make a lot of broth.  I made broth earlier this week/last weekend, and I got perhaps 25 cups of broth doing multiple rounds of broth.  I found this recipe here that explains the routine/recipe.  However, sometimes I just cook the broth on low for twelve hours instead of an initial twenty -four hours, and then leave it on warm to cool down for a few hours.  When the broth has cooled, I'll strain it and then place it into two- or four- cup containers that'll then be placed into the freezer until I need it. I've loved doing this because now I always have broth on hand which has been especially helpful since Greg has been sick.
I hope these tips help especially now that we are moving into a busier time of year.  What do you do to make cooking from scratch easier?

Update on our House

It's still weird for me to say "house" instead of "apartment", but anyway, I promised I would give an update on what everything looks like.

No longer in boxes, this is our improved second bedroom:

We got this beautiful dresser from one of Greg's professors.  I love the blue front!

I love this little detail!  This is a little ring holder on the inside of the dresser.  Pretty nifty!

I wanted to make this room really bright and cheery!

Cool ledge on the way to the downstairs.  I thought it would be a great place for pictures.  I need more pictures of Greg's family...

We shifted the room around with the help of the missionaries. C:

I love that my kitchen table isn't against the wall!  

New, but used china hutch also from Greg's professor!  Finally I can display the china I got before I was married! 

We should just call this a party hutch.  Okay lame joke?  Come play games with us!

Journals

The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sometimes reminded to keep a journal.  I've sometimes heard the joke that some people have tried to keep a journal just like Wilford Woodruff, but after a couple of days, they forget to do so after a week or so because it can be overwhelming.  I mean, to keep a daily history is an overwhelming task just like any habit you want to gain.

But why keep a journal in the first place?

Perhaps, one reason is that we can follow the order of the Church which has had a historian and record keeper since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized.  From the beginning, Joseph Smith was asked to keep a record of the Church.  Through revelation, Joseph Smith called John Whitmer to "keep a regular history, and assist...my servant Joseph, in transcribing all things...(D&C 47:1)"  John Whitmer was also asked to "keep the church record and history continually (47:3)."  So, certain men were called to keep a record of the Church and take turns transcribing for the Prophet Joseph.  And when we go back and look at further accounts of the dealings of Christ with His people, such as Nephi, we are told why he and other prophets kept a record as well (1 Nephi 9).  The records are for their posterity and for us.  Think of all that we have because these men fulfilled their callings!

Another reason, I often think that our journals can be like that of the accounts of Nephi and other prophets.  Sure we don't receive revelation for a large congregation of people, but we can have personal revelation touch our lives, and record that revelation as reminders  President Eyring gave a talk about his experience of keeping a journal.  When he was recalling the day, he said that he learned to recognize the hand of the Lord in his life, and he recognized that the Lord blessed him.  Essentially our journals can be reminders of ways the Lord loves us, and like scriptures of old.  Wouldn't that be something you would want on hand?  I mean, to recall how Our Heavenly Father can touch our lives. Our daily accounts may not always have revelation intermingled, but I think of how much you can gain from recalling and recounting your days in a journal.  What can you learn as you look back on your life and your experiences?  What can your children learn?

So, here is what I do: I have a day planner with small sections for each day for me to record the day's activities, and my thoughts.  I also like to write down my goals for the day or even the week.  Now, I don't always record everything right away-generally it's a once or twice a week recollection of my days and account.  But I highlight the most important events.  I also have an extra section to scribble in some thoughts as well.  And this is so easy!  I also have another journal that Greg gave me last Christmas.  I keep this one on my night stand for my scripture study and I try to take it to Church with me so that I can record other thoughts and ideas.  I also like to use this to make longer entries and expound on things in my life that I can't fit in my day planner.

So, my question is do you keep a journal?  If so, how often?  What insights have you gained from one?

Perspective on Work

Today, I started my first day at my new job.  I work at a local grocery store now.  Is this the job I've always dreamed of?  No.  But finding a job in this area is pretty hard.  Not just saying that, but honestly, everyone I talk to says the same thing.  I found it really frustrating to realize that even jobs like teacher's assistants in an elementary school require certain certifications!  I know that it is difficult to find full-time jobs elsewhere, but here I feel like I am having the hardest time finding a full-time job!  I hear wonderful things about benefits for full-time employees, and I've learned that employers have to shell out a lot of money for their full-time employees because they have to provide so many benefits!!  But I must say that I am grateful for this job for a few reasons.

1. Money.  Of course money is necessary for living.  And one thing that I learned today is that if you put a reasonable request for pay when you fill out your application, then that company will generally give it to you.  The minimum wage here is $10.50/hr, and I asked for $12.00/hr.  And I get $12.00/hr which I am truly grateful for because honestly, it's expensive to live here!  (So next time you fill out an application for a crappy job and they ask what you want for pay, don't necessarily ask for minimum wages!)

2. Location.  I knew that I wanted a job near by especially since I don't get paid much.  This job is a 10-minute walk from my house.   I don't have to take pay for the bus or drive (gas is $1.32/Liter here which means about $70 to fill the tank).

3. I have a different perspective as U.S. citizen working in Canada.  See, I don't think I would get paid vacation time as a part-time employee, but apparently I do get paid here. It probably doesn't add up to much, but heck, I'll take what I can get.

4.  The people are generally nice.  Funny story, however; when I went in for training, it seemed like everyone was saying, "Don't let the a__holes get you down!" or "I realize there are some real a__holes here, but just ignore them."

5. I also get to work with produce and make a bunch of healthy foods for people.  Of course, work still sucks, but it's work.  Not fun time.  See Red Foreman's speech on work here:

6. I can and I am looking for other jobs out there, but for now, this will do.  Honestly, lying about and doing nothing is horrible.  So yes, I am grateful for this wonderful, crappy job.

Recipe: Pizza

Since I've been in Canada, I've had the opportunity to cook from scratch more often.  A big part of this has been to see if I could make healthier and cheaper food items.  Plus, I've also had a lot of time on my hands to make meals from scratch.  I've pretty much enjoyed this.

Anyway, I thought it was about time for me to share one of my favorite pizza dough recipes with the world.  I first learned this recipe from another gal when we were volunteering at an after school activity.  This pizza dough recipe is really wonderful because it can be whipped up in 25 minutes or so, or you can take your time with it (15 hrs!).

Dough-
Ingredients:
1 packet yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
3 cups of flour, plus extra for rolling out dough
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt

In a bowl, combine yeast, water, and honey (sugar), and leave it to sit for five minutes to twelve hours.  Now, as this yeast mixture is sitting, I like to start preparing the toppings of the pizza.  For a while, I used lunch meat (I know this sounds weird, but it actually isn't too bad) such as ham, and I've been cutting it up into small pieces for the topping, but when I moved to Canada, I was inspired.  I tried bacon on my pizza.  You might be thinking, "Why didn't you use pepperoni?", but honestly I just don't like the pepperoni you buy from the store.  So, I fried up a few slices of bacon for this pizza, and I cut it up into small pieces for the pizza.  So, if you are going to try bacon on pizza, I recommend doing it after you've created your yeast mixture for the dough.  At this point, go back and add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture, and allow the dough to sit for 20 minutes to 3 hours.  I then work on the sauce. Really, your taste buds will determine the flavor you want, so add as little or as much seasoning you want.

Sauce-
Ingredients:
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
Italian seasoning
salt
8 oz can of tomato paste
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
oil or butter

So, remember that bacon?  Well, here is a good use for that bacon grease.  Now, you can wipe up some of the grease because there is a lot in the pan, but use it.  It adds flavor the sauce, and honestly, what's the point of wasting it all?  Add grated garlic to greased pan, and saute it for a few minutes.  Then stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes.  Add seasonings, and allow the tomato sauce to thicken.  Cook for five or so minutes on medium heat.  At this point, you can prepare the rest of your toppings for the pizza, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. I like use mozzarella cheese, add bacon (of course),pineapple, onion, mushrooms, and green bell peppers to mine.  Roll out your dough onto a pizza stone, and add sauce, cheese and toppings.  Cook your pizza for 20 minutes or so (check the edges/bottom of the crust to see if it's lightly brown), and voila!  Delicious food made from scratch.

Side view. My favorite pizza now!

Aerial view. Delicious!

Chicken Pot Pie

    It has been quite chilly here in Waterloo the last few days--in the 60's!  This makes it perfect weather for chicken pot pie!  I haven't always been a fan of dessert pies (I had an unpleasant evening after a pie eating contest when I was a kid...), but I have always been a fan of pot pies.  My family would get those single-serving frozen pot pies from the supermarket occasionally, and I would be in heaven that night.  The crust of those pies were my favorite parts as they are like a prize for eating all of the delicious filling.  (In fact, the crust of most pies is my favorite part which is perfect because Greg doesn't care for the crust on pies, but I do like the filling for this pie--don't get me wrong.)  Anyway, here is my recipe for chicken pot pie.  I hope you do get to enjoy this pie when the weather has cooled down sufficiently in your area!

I recognize that my photography skills aren't fantastic, but at least you have a realistic picture of food, right?

This recipe is adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Ingredients:

*Filling:

1 medium onion, diced

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 small potatoes, cut into thin slices 

frozen peas and corn (about a 1/2 cup of each)

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup half and half or milk

2 1/2 cups shredded chicken (For the chicken, you can bake the chicken and then shred/chop it, buy a rotisserie chicken, or boil it in water and seasoning like I did--I was making chicken broth anyway!)

I don't measure seasonings, but I used chili powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. 

*If you want to put your own twist on this, the original recipe adds diced red sweet pepper, leeks (instead of onions), celery, and mushrooms to the filling.

Crust:

(Makes enough to cover the top, but you could always double the recipe to add crust to the bottom as well)

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

4-5 Tbsp cold water

Combine butter, potatoes, carrots, and onions into a large saucepan over medium heat until vegetables are tender.  Stir in flour and seasonings.  Add in half and half and chicken broth, and allow it to thicken.  Once the filling has become bubbly, add in chicken, corn, and peas.  Cook for a few minutes, and then pour the mixture into a casserole dish.  

The guts will look like this.  Yum!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, placing a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf (so the pot pie doesn't spill onto your oven by accident!), and cover the filling with a lid to keep it hot.  As the oven is preheating, prepare the crust of the pie.  Combine the salt and flour into a small bowl.  Add the butter into the bowl and mix until the dough resembles peas.  (At this point, you can mix the dough as much as you want, but after you add the water, you want to mix it as little as possible to make the crust flaky!)  Add water in 1 Tbsp at a time, sprinkling it over a part of the mixture.  Kind of push the moist dough together and flip it so as to gather more dough.  Shape dough into a ball, and roll out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll out dough into a rectangle a bit larger than your casserole dish.  Using a sharp knife, cut slits into the pastry to allow steam to escape.  Or if desired, use a small cookie cutter to cut shapes from pasty. Place crust on top of pie, and shape edges if you'd like. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown, rotating pie half way through.  The book recommends waiting for 20 minutes to serve, but I probably waited 3 minutes to serve. 

The crust is edible wrapping paper.  

And there you have it; homemade chicken pot pie that is super yummy and really easy to make.

Gratitude

        I've been a bit stir crazy because I don't have a job, or money, or actual friends here.  Because of these problems, I've been grouchy, idle, and feeling sorry for myself.  (I've been working on getting a job part, but that always feels like a super slow process.)  But of course I've realized that I just need to change my attitude and be more grateful for everything I do have, put myself to work, and allow myself time for things.
      Today, I want to focus on gratitude--specifically things I am grateful for.

1. I am grateful that Heavenly Father knows and cares about me, and recognizes things I would like, even though I didn't actually ask for them in a prayer.  Two instances occurred today: the first was I got some more tubberware for free.  (I've wanted extra tubberware because I have planned on making and freezing spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, and other foods.)  The second instance is that I was able to borrow an air pump from a friend to bring my therapy ball back to life.

 2. I am grateful that I was invited to have dinner with some friends today.  I was so happy to spend time with other people (like I said before--cabin fever), and I didn't have to cook dinner.

 3. Last night, Greg and I received some delicious desserts from our neighbors--they didn't stay over and talk with us or anything, but I can't tell you how thoughtful it was to get them.  I also like that we have international neighbors for the cultural aspect.  I'm excited to exchange recipes. C:

 4.  I am so happy that we do not have a heat wave any longer!!  As someone said the other day to me, "People always comment on how cold it gets in Canada, but they fail to mention that it gets really hot up here, too!" Last week the weather was awful: 90 degrees plus humidity.  Remember, I don't have real A/C to keep the whole house cool!  Our bedroom is on the top floor, so we had a difficult time going to bed at a decent hour because it was still really stuffy outside at night.  (Greg found sleeping upstairs so repulsive that he ended up sleeping on the couch under the cool A/C window unit breeze for a few nights.)

Anyway, hopefully these small things will help me to remember that life is good.  Now back to job hunting.

Oh Canada!

    Anyway, so this blog post will just be an update on our travels and new adventure in Canada.  It took us four days of driving, but we stayed in South Bend for a couple of days with some really amazing friends because we couldn't move in to our place until 1 July.  Crossing the border was kind of a pain because of all the traffic (A lot of Canadians went to the States to enjoy their long holiday weekend.  Oh the irony.  It's Canada day, but I'd rather go to the states to celebrate!), but we arrived in Waterloo just as the fireworks were finishing up.  Thus far, we've liked the area.  Waterloo is so green, beautiful, and humid!  I didn't realize how humid it would be--the weather is not like living in D.C. again where it was hot and humid, but it is still stuffy outside.  We ended up buying a nice A/C window unit because our house doesn't keep very cool.  Since we've been here we've had nice rainy weather on several occasions, but it still gets to be about 85 degrees Fahrenheit (thank heavens!).  

I really wanted to share what our new place is like.  Sometimes, I think it's like a beautiful hotel that I have to clean up myself, and then sometimes I remember that we are going to be living here for a while, and that it's ours for now! I love our new house; it's spacious and comfortable.  However, I am having a difficult time decorating and utilizing all of the new space (except the kitchen cupboards have been filled out nicely!), so the following pictures won't do justice to new home.  I'll probably take pictures of this place again before we move out so that I can remember how nice it was staying here. 

This is the foyer.  Ahead is our living room and to the left is our basement.

Kitchen!  I love the counter space. C:

I love that I have windows over the kitchen sink!  (The bear on the left says "Suzy's room".  I got that when I was baby, and now I put it in the kitchen as a half joke, but really the kitchen is MINE!)

I laughed that they made this weird island of mini-drawers in the kitchen.  The only thing I do not really like.

Our living room is small, but at least I have a place for my rocking chair!

   

Our cute little patio.  

Basement!  I thought it would be great to turn this into a library/study area, but it is also Greg's 'man cave.'

Greg 'studying' Star Craft 2--it was a Saturday!

Our laundry room!  This part of the basement is strangely unfinished, but that's okay; I still love it.

Our bedroom.   

Creeper view from our bedroom....the blinds are not very co-operative. 

Upstairs bathroom sans yucky cabinet like Provo apt. C:

Second bedroom.  Yes, we have still have unpacked boxes.

     Honestly, I hope you liked the little walk through of our house sans decorations and beautiful furniture.  Our house looks nice and it is pretty much perfect.  My favorite part is that I get to share it with Greg.  While I was taking all of these pictures Greg came up to me and said, "Are you thinking about how this will be the first home we'll get to raise our kids in while you are taking all of these pictures?"  My heart melted inside with these sweet, sweet words.  My husband is an adorable, smart, handsome man. 

   (And no-- we are not expecting...)  

Bed Time

   

 

  

Update:

  Life is going well for Greg and me.  We just found out that we can move in graduate housing in July instead of August because Greg has a prerequisite class he has to take in August.  Our new apartment looks so nice, and it has a washer and dryer and two bathrooms.  Heaven!! I'm excited because we won't have to move twice--Greg wants to move up early so that he can start working, but we can't move into graduate housing until a month before Greg actually starts class.  So I was naturally excited to learn we can move into our new home in July.  So our moving truck is coming on 25 June, and we will be off to Canada shortly thereafter.

But this post is really a tribute to my dad...just in time for father's day. 

Latest picture of my dad and me after my graduation. 

Looking back, my dad was great.  He took time to play ball, and went to our baseball/softball games. Sometimes he would turn up radio in the car, and we would jam to KISS, The Who, or Guns 'N' Roses. He, as many of you know, loves watching movies.  So my siblings and I would watch movies quite a bit with him.  Most of the time, he would end up falling asleep because of his crazy early work schedule, and we would tease he because he sounded a bit like Darth Vader.  But I always look back fondly at all the times when my dad would tuck my sister and me into bed at night.   When we were younger, we had cute little pet names like "pumpkin head" or "little pumpkin head".   My dad would say good night to my sister and me every night. I felt safe and secure, but most importantly, I felt loved.  

One night, I was afraid because the next day I had to go to the doctor's to get a wellness checkup.  I'll be honest; I despised shots as a child (and I still kind of do today).  I told my dad I was afraid that even though this was a checkup, I was afraid I would have to get a shot.  I asked if he could be there to hold my hand.  He said that he probably couldn't because he had work.  I then asked my dad if he would pray for me because I was so anxious and scared.  He was little surprised by my request (my dad isn't really religious), but he did, and I remember feeling so comforted from my dad and his prayer that night.  

Well, I went to the doctor's the next day, and I'll be damned, I had to get a Tetanus shot.  The worst part was that my little sister was A-okay, but I was thirteen and in the corner of the doctor's office having major anxiety. (You can tease me all you want, but last time I was at the doctor's before this particular doctor's visit I almost threw up because of the sight of blood....They were checking my iron levels.) Anyway, after a few moments of being so scared to get a stupid shot, my dad made it just in time to the doctor's appointment.  The best part, of course, was when he held my hand.

My dad is sweet; later on in my life, I lived with my mom in North Carolina, and my dad would call once a week in the evenings to talk with my sister and me.  At the end of every conversation, he would add, "Good night.  I love you, pumpkin pie!  Sweet dreams."  

I love you, too, dad!  

  

Army Half Days

Lucille: "What are you doing home?"
Buster: "Army had a half day."
                                                                      *  *  *
I'm not sure how many of you have seen the show "Arrested Development", but it happens to be a excellent show.  Anyways, this is a quick post about what has been going on since we've graduated.  I'm starting to feel like army has had a lot of half days...

Basically we are stuck with our housing contract until the end of July, and we are trying to sell it.  I thought we were going to be lucky at the beginning of the month because someone did stop by, and  they said would take up our contract.  (Thus, that facebook post about us leaving by the end of May... just kidding!!)  But I think our plan for the moment is to leave mid-June if we don't hear anything soon as Greg would like to start working on projects at University of Waterloo and get paid.

Now what have we been doing since we graduated?
Greg has playing video games quite a bit as well as auditing a class at BYU.

I have been reading to my heart's content, and I have been working on a project transcribing and scanning my mom's letters while she was overseas, in the army-- away.  This is a project that is dear to my heart as those letters carried me through some rough times, and they comforted me very much.  The reason I'm transcribing them is so that my siblings have access to them as well.

We have also had many game nights since army half days have started.  Our favorite games are Elder Sign, Pandemic, Dominion, Settlers of Catan, and King of Tokyo.  I highly recommend Elder Sign and Pandemic; both are excellent.

Until something exciting happens...

Reflection: Good Parents Teach Hard Things

        As someone who is not a parent, you probably think I do not have the right to discuss something I know so little of.  But as someone who has had five parents (mom, dad, step-dad, ex-step-mom, ex-step-dad) in her life, I think I have some right to discuss good parenting.  I have watched and learned from five different parents in my life; some experiences were good and some were bad.  Now I'm not writing this to necessarily put all of my parents down and to tell them they were bad parents.  From my perspective, I believe that as people gets older, we occasionally say to ourselves, "When I'm a grown-up, I want to do things this way" or "I like the way dad would do this for my sister and me; I want to do that for my kids."  This post is a reflection on something I deem very important, but learned very little about it from my parents: sex.  Yes, I want to discuss the importance of talking with children about sex; I want to talk about the importance of teaching hard things to children. 

     Now, this viewpoint is from a Latter-day Saint; as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that people should wait until they are married to have sex.  I wholeheartedly believe in this because intimacy in marriage is sacred.  As someone who has been married for almost four years, I have learned how beautiful sex is between two people who truly love each other.  Now, at this moment, some may dread the topic because sex is something you don't want your children to know about for whatever reason.  Or others may giggle because they are feeling slightly embarrassed by the topic.  To both of these crowds, get over it.  Grow up.  Sex is not just something we can shove under the rug any more.  Sex is increasingly displayed on television, discussed in songs, etc.  If you want your kids to have a good understanding of sex, then sit down with them.    

    First of all, I would like to share an experience for those who are uncomfortable with the idea that they have to teach their kids about sex.  See, I once was uncomfortable talking about sex, too.  When I was in high school, I was harassed by another student--the content of the unwanted conversations this person had with me were sexually driven.   I'm sure this is more intuitively recognized, but I didn't know or understand well enough to see this person was harassing me at the time.  I was SO naive, thoughtless, and embarrassed!  When this person would made these remarks, I wondered, "Why are they giving me attention?  I'm not pretty, etc., etc. .... I'm not even interested in them.  Why won't they just leave me alone."  And then I would ignore them because I didn't know what else to do, and I was so consumed with my ideas like "I'm not pretty enough" (low self-esteem is a topic for another day).  I didn't say anything about what was going on to anyone, and you know what?   I wish I had because this person would have realized what he was doing is inappropriate.  Now, I'm not making this story up, but I am bringing this up because it is a hard lesson for a parent to learn.  This could have been a more difficult or painful experience than it already was.  (If you are wondering, I didn't get them into trouble, but I do remember asking my teacher to move me away from them.)

        Now, I will tell you why I was uncomfortable discussing sex or anything concerning the subject of sex: my parents didn't talk with me!  When I was about 10 or so, I received a book from my parents called, What's Happening to my Body?: Book for Girls a Growing Up Guide for Parents and Daughters.  On the inside cover, I found a note that said something to the effect of "If you have any questions, ask me."  Of course, this was given to a girl who is not very assertive, and already had a difficult time approaching this parent!!  Now, as a curious child, I read through the entire thing, but again, as a child who was not assertive, I couldn't bring myself to ask questions from particular parents I was uncomfortable around.  And when I did share this book with another parent, they just giggled at the pictures inside!  The other thing my parents did was sign me up for the very uncomfortable sex education class the elementary school has for fifth graders which unfortunately does not help.  I mean, I'm in a room filled with girls that I'm not necessarily close to, and I don't want to ask a stupid question and embarrass myself.  (Again, I wasn't very assertive, and this problem became even worse around people I didn't know.)   Later, in middle school my health class addressed STIs because if teenagers can't be stopped, then warnings should be given to make them stop their dirty acts.  By the end of the discussion, I was convinced I would die from a horrible sexual disease if I ever had sex. Fortunately, later on in my sophomore year of high school, I learned quite a bit more about sex and abstinence (and that I wouldn't die from sex!).  But unfortunately, teachers can really only say so much about sex!! Now, I'm telling you about my education about sex because I honestly feel like the sex education I learned as a child, pre-teen, and teenager was lacking.  
     
     Now, I think it is great that schools have sex education for people like me, but for important topics such as this, the parents should be the ones teaching their children.  First of all, I didn't have conversations with my parents about what was happening to my body or sex.  Whether or not I was comfortable around the parents who originally gave me the book about sex,  I still should have learned about sex from them.  The feelings of the child being comfortable or uncomfortable should not change your mind about whether you should teach your kids about sex.  From my parents, I could have learned the learn proper terminology of body parts from my parents, and I would have been more comfortable with my body.  I could have been more knowledgeable when I started menstruating   I didn't even learn about sex in a good light; this I had to find information on.  Lastly, I didn't learn to say something to an adult when someone would say something sexually inappropriate to me.  

    Before, Greg and I got married, we read the book And They Were Not Ashamed by Laura Brotherson because we learned it was a good resource, and we both wanted to be on the same page when we got married.  We also attended a class at the BYU Health Clinic to be more informed about birth control options, etc.  As an adult, I've tried to remain very open about sex (that is, I'm willing to discuss this topic openly while, of course, keeping many things private).  I have reasons for being so open: I believe that intimacy between a man and a woman who love each other is beautiful and wonderful.  While sex is a sacred between spouses, there should be information that should be understood by their children such as what is sex (purposes, etc.) and why should sex be treated with respect.  I don't want my children to look for explanations of sex in other places.  I've learned to be open and I'm practicing this because I want to be able to say things my parents weren't able to say to me.  Sex isn't something to be embarrassed about or ashamed of.  Sex is sacred because by it you have the opportunity to procreate.  Sex is also a wonderful experience between two people. I want my future kids to feel comfortable when asking me questions, and I want them to be safe from the people around them.  I want to arm them with knowledge so that they might understand.

   Now, my questions for you are when are you going to start teaching your children that there is such thing as inappropriate behavior?  When are you going to say, "Son/daughter, we need to discuss something that is very important"?  I've had the sad experience of being unaware and afraid to say something about another student harassing me as a teenager, and many other children have also had difficult experiences that they didn't have to go through if their parents did teach them hard things.  And by the way, both of these books I mentioned in this post are great resources to teach from.   

Introduction

      When Greg and I got married, I decided it would be a good thing to start a journal to give an account of our marriage.  However, Greg has always teased me that my handwriting is difficult to read (actually a lot of people having commented on my sloppy handwriting). He thought that the title of the journal should be called "The Chronicles of Chicken Scratch" because of my sloppy handwriting.  Of course, I protested with "But my handwriting is easy to read!  Look at your handwriting!  I can hardly read it--it's so small!"  Anyway, the title stuck because it was so amusing.  Of course, the irony is that this is much easier to read. 

      The ultimate goal for this blog is to allow myself to stay connected to my family and friends while we are in Canada for the next five years.  I hope that I continue to provide an adequate account for our adventures as well as help my family stay connected.  

     

     We are so excited to begin a new adventure.