Lookin'up

Over the past few months I know I haven't been very "enthusiastic" in my blog entries. BUT, this week I had a "glimmer of hope" come through when I was at the conference center. I didn't have any exciting tours, or anything like that, but I think I was finally able to 'find myself', as I lost myself in service. I serve with some of the coolest people there and I LOVE that I have like 5-10 extra sets of parents/grandparents who LOVE me and area always telling me how "great" I am. It's so nice to know that someone things you're okay every now and then... Anyways, it was the beginnings of me being able to finally let go of some thoughts that have been bothering me, and to share my life with someone else.
(This is a picture of us in the break room... it's where the food is, and therefore where the half the people on our shift are too:) )
Then, this weekend, Paige invited me to to attend some social events with her - they didn't sound super exciting at first, but to my surprise they turned out to be quite fun... I learned how to play poker (I don't know if I am very good at poker, because I laugh too much and am not a very good lier... people can see right through me! It's depressing) but I almost won a game of pool... it that stupid white ball wouldn't have gone in the pocket... stupid pocket!

In other exciting news, Paige and I (I know it's like we are a married couple... always together!) attended a Riverdance concert at Kingsbury Hall a few weeks ago. It was really really COOL. I didn't know the company was so varied in their talents. There were tons of different styles of dance, and singing, and instrumental playing... I thought it would all be the same style of dancing but they had singers, dancers, etc. We really enjoyed it... shows in our faces, doesn't it! I recommend that you all catch a show if they are ever in your area... its worth the bucks!


(OH, and thanks to those of you who have been leaving your comments... For those of you who are unaware of how to do this, I will be posting an online "comment tutorial" later this week... I will take most of the tutorial material from my sisters blog. It was very effective in helping her friends and family leave their feedback for her, so I am hoping the same will occur for my friends... we have the same family, so if they didn't get it the first time, there's just no hope for them... its rather tragic!) :)

Random Thoughts

I thought I'd write down some of the jumbled thoughts that have been running through my head over the past week or two...

Life isn't fair and it rarely makes sense. But that doesn't mean that it has to be bad or that it isn't what it is supposed to be. I have been able to enjoy additional "disappointments" in the past few weeks, and I have been REALLY sick for the past 8 days - even missed work! (it takes a lot for this teacher to actually get a sub when sick... its more work that going in on my own... but this week one of my kids actually told his mom that his teacher was too sick to be at school! Guess that's a sign that I should be at home.) I am finally starting to feel better (YES!!!)... so I'll be back to work on Monday (can't wait to get back to those wonderful children... did you hear the enthusiasm?) HOWEVER, despite the fact that nothing seems to be going my way over the past month or so (except yesterday the washer/dryer man came before I had to go to work & I got primo parking at the conference I went to for work...) I have had ample comfort from the Lord that everything is and will be fine and have found that I have had additional time to really think about my life and what I am doing with it... and to think about my faith - which I have decided is very weak! So, I've become better at trusting the Lord with my life - since in reality I don't have any control over it anyways - and have found that though the disappointments seem to still come, there is great comfort in knowing that the Lord knows what he is doing with my life. I really loved the scripture that I have heard from President Hinckley's bio's on TV where it says, that if you find your life you loose it, but if you loose your life in the Lord's work, you'll find it - OKAY so I know that's not exactly right, but you get the idea. I am really doing my best to try to LIVE that, though i have a lot of work to do.

To continue with some random thoughts, today I was able to attend Pres. Hinckley's funeral at the conference center. They gave tickets to all of the hosting department (from my service mission) and so I was able to attend it in person. This week it has really hit me that the Lord really prepares us for the missions we are to lead on the earth. Pres. Hinckley's whole life was full of experiences that were in preparation for him to be the leader of Christ's church on the earth. It has made me reflect on what the Lord is preparing me to become. Maybe I'm just supposed to be a school teacher, or maybe the best aunt that ever lived (...that would be awesome!) or perhaps something that I haven't even thought of before. But, I have to do my best to be DEDICATED, and really consecrate my life to the Lord in ways I don't think that I am doing right now if I am to fulfill my mission... I've definitely got some work to DO! But, I've still got time to do it - so I better get hoppin'! Guess I just thought I'd share that with the world... I promise to be less serious in the near future and will post some pictures soon. (I just found my camera! I lost it at Christmas time but found it this week!)