A plug for a friend...

Hi guys!  Two posts on one week--that is a record!
Since a growing family is a topic that is close to my heart, here is a link my friend asked me to share:

Adoption Fundraiser

This is for a friend of hers that has been trying for years to adopt.  I know many friends that have the same struggle, and I know they appreciate all the support and financial help they can get to help their family expand.  Please take a minute to check it out, even it's only to spread the word to others that might be interested.
Happy Friday to you all!  Have a warm, cozy weekend! 

You're going to be here a while--lets start with just a few pictures...

Here are some of the fun memories we made this summer:

My Honey with sweet little Logan

One of my favorites: reading time!

Time to run a race!  We made it through 2 this summer, me as the runner, Trent as the official photographer

Fun times babysitting our cousins!  

A Trip to Invesco field--go Broncos!

The boy whisperer (seriously, not even kidding)

Grammy and Harry--the day of his baptism

Cooking with Eden and Nan--two of the coolest girls we know!

Special Olympics Baby!  LOVE cheering for our friends!

Boys will be boys!

Kate and her "boys"

Special moments with Grammy

Fun at the pool at the Grasteit family party!  

Our visit to the Church History Library in Salt Lake--a personal tour from one of the best tour guides on the planet!

Listening to Grandpa Powers

Now, there were many more good times and memorable moments...we'll just spare you the photo album. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of this post.

5 months, 20 days, and a few hours later...

Dear friends,
We are one busy little family.  Ask me what we do everyday that takes up all of our time and energy...and I couldn't give you a very good list.  However, here are some of the highlights from the last few months that I *should have* blogged about:
1. Our move!  We moved over to the other complex in our ward and we love it!  We are now surrounded by our ward friends and feel a little more a part of things.  We are still trying to fit in...but that will come, right?
2. We got released from Nursery.  After 2 years and 3 months, we were released from the BEST calling in the world.  Good thing the Lord helped get my heart ready to move on, or it really would've been awful.  We've been adjusting back to Relief Society and EQ the last few weeks and so far, so good.
3.  Our jobs are seriously busy.  Like--crazy busy.  We both have so much to do in our respective positions that it keeps us busy from 7 am until 4ish in the pm.  I could personally take up living at work until I got caught up...but I honestly don't know if that would happen.  Just for those that are interested, Trent is still working in receiving--and I'm officially in Marketing.  I've been in the Marketing department for the past several years...it's just in the last 5 months that I've actually been doing it.  Good thing I'm a good eavesdropper...don't know what I'd do if I didn't learn from the previous person that did my job.  (Oops...I really did just say that).  As I was saying, don't know what in the world I'm doing, but I'm just trying to figure things out as I go.  Luckily I have 2 good bosses (count it, two) that are helping me to learn where I fall short.
4. School is good.  Time consuming, but good.  Trent is up to his neck in school work (had to wrestle the computer away from him tonight, *hee, hee*) and is loving it.  It's been a while since I was going through my first years at college (I shouldn't admit how long...), so to see him finally getting to those generals that are actually interesting is way fun.  You forget the *bad stuff* until you see someone else in the thick of it...so glad he's on a *good stuff* run with his classes ;0)
5. We took a trip to Colorado this summer, just to surprise my mother.  Her birthday was at the end of July and my sister came up with the great idea of getting everyone together to celebrate.  So...we drove out with Grandpa Williams and snuck into the house while they were gone at the movie.  The surprise was genuine--and she loved it (and hated it--Mom's not one for surprises; can't say that I blame her).
6.  I passed up #30 and went to #31.  CRAZY!!!! I forget some days that I'm this "old" but some days I feel even older.  The thought of bringing a child into our family is exciting...but makes me realize, things will have to change so that we can have enough energy.  Totally doable.
7. Still not pregnant.  No further comment.
8. I feel officially like a domestic wife.  What do I mean you might ask?  Well... I canned food this year!  Let me rephrase that, Trent and I canned food this year!  We canned peaches from my grandpa's tree and tomatoes from our garden.  We also made freezer jam.  After I got done with the first batch, I was wondering--why in the world did we wait so long to try this?  TOTALLY easy.  EVERYONE should do this.  EVERYONE.
9.  As of this last Saturday, our craft room is functional!  Can you believe it?  For all of those that have seen it--yes--you can walk in and use this beautiful space!  It definitely needs some fine tuning, but people--I am excited!
10. I am becoming a crafting fiend.  I love to sew, I love to make homemade gifts, and I love to see what we can come up with next!  Granted...this crafting is not be the most precise of sewing, but goodness--it makes me happy to finish something!  If you are one of the *lucky* recipients of our gifts, and you don't like it, it's ok.  Just wait until I leave and you can file it away or give it away--c'est comme tu veux :D
En tout cas, ladies and gentlemen (pretty positive my husband is the only guy that reads this, so maybe I should say gentleman--because he rocks my world :D), je vous laisse (that's all for now).  Hope that you are happy, healthy, and looking forward to the holidays with the same anticipation that we are!  Love you all!

Catching up...or something like that

Dear Friends,

Oh, how I have missed you (like seriously, missed you!).  I have missed staying caught up with your lives, living vicariously though your dreams and being there with you on your best days and and also on your hardest.  Life has handed me a bit of a challenge--and that challenge is to learn how to focus on what is most important.  Unfortunately, that doesn't involve perusing blogs, it doesn't involve looking for much inspiration in the colorful creations of others...rather, it means relying on the essential.  It also hasn't found time for me to develop many talents (including writing; keeping up on the blog), as I either don't have time or just need some time to rest and be still with my husband.  

That said, please forgive me for late birthday wishes, congratulations that needed to be spoken for the end of finals and graduation events and basically the overdue cheering on your most important milestones.  To some, these things may seem small...and perfectly acceptable to be forgotten (or even mentioned late), but it BUGS me that I can't be super woman.  It really eats at my self-worth that I can't do everything right, and oftentimes totally fail at making up for times when I just do it all wrong. 

Oh...wait.  You didn't come here for a pity-party OR a laundry list of faults (because trust me...I was just getting started.  I could keep you here all day...).  You came to see how we were doing, and let me tell you--life is good.  Stressful, yes.  Hard, yes.  A struggle sometimes (especially to get out the door to exercise, or to peel ourselves out of bed at 5:40-something-am for work), oh yea baby!  However, there really are the best of rewards.  There is much love in our new home.  Yes, that is right, we moved into a town home.  A place we call our home, and we love it.  But mostly, we love each other most.  We are constantly trying to work on making our communication better, on saying the little things more, and on trying to understand the bigger picture, rather then just getting upset at, for example, the jerk that cut us off (I'm mostly still working on that one!) and applying that to work/school/family/etc.  We would love to have our family grow, but are realizing that will happen in the Lord's time.  At the end of the day, we are especially grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that helped us to find each other, so that we can continue to work on the hard things together and be made stronger together too--all so that we are ready to help those around us.

Work is good--so busy, and such a time of growth, but it is good.  I was feeling sorry for myself the other day, and in doing some self-talk, started to have the following conversation:

-"Megan, exercising is sometimes hard, and sometimes you really just try to avoid it"

-"well, yes..."

-"Well, what if Heavenly Father is trying to prepare you for something?  What if He is trying to get you ready for the marathon you'll need to run as a mom...what if there is something else coming that you need this spiritual muscle growth for...did you think of that?"

-"Well, I do enjoy the results of a good work out program...and the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering something with hard work...hum, I wonder what is coming..."

Who knows...but for now, I will do my best not to avoid the exercise, but to embrace it.  I will try to look for opportunities to be better, instead of slipping down to the comfortable and missing the toned muscle in my heart and mind.  Can you tell I've been thinking a lot about exercise lately?  Might have something to do with Biggest Loser...and my own personal goals...yea, probably something like that.  In anycase, I need to sign off for now.  My sweet husband is ready for our study time.

Sweet dreams to all of you as well.  I am not M.I.A. Promise.  Just trying to find my place so that I can tell you more about it soon enough.

Hugs,

Megan

Goals

So this week, I went on a pretty strict "internet fast" at work.  This was in an effort to show my boss (and those around me) that I was really serious about the wanting more work.  I didn't want there to be anything deferring them (or even myself) from knowing that I am ready and willing to work.  It really seemed to help...I'd do all the work I was responsible for, alert a few people that I could help, and then read the book I'd brought with me (A Heart Like His: Making Space for Gods Love in Your Life).  I really feel like this time in my life is a learning time--a time for testing, a time for a little more faith and a little more work, and especially a time for loving and forgiving, which is why I struggle with the lack of work  (Among a few other things...)I think.  Anyway--in leaving myself available to help others when I finished with what I needed, it seemed like there wasn't a ton of time to read.  Along with that, it helped me remember things I might normally forget if I was distracted by something else.  Anyway...I think I need to continue this for a while, just to help me be a little more in control (or actually, let Heavenly Father be more in control) of what is happening in my life...really, it did seem to affect my attitude for the whole week. 

In going along with my internet fast, I also have been striving to find peace with certain things (in particular, certain relationships) in my life.  I don't remember times when I've struggled with being patient or forgiving of others...until now.  There are a few things in my life that bring out deep-seated emotions, that sometimes surprise me.  Usually my poor husband (and my insides of course) bear the brunt of these emotions, but as a result some of my relationships with others have begun to wear down as a result.  Fortunately, I've been blessed with excellent reading and listening material (The Peacegiver, A Heart Like His, and For all Eternity) that has helped me understand certain principles, some of which include the following:

1. The problem starts with me, and especially, how I choose to react to the situation

2. It doesn't matter what the other person does to me or my family; rather, it is (returning to the above) how I choose to respond that counts

3. I need to let the Saviors suffering be enough...He doesn't expect (or even want) me to hold onto any hurt or pain I might feel at the expense of others

4. Efforts at real communication=multitude of blessings

5. Never ask why, or even offer why--rather, take responsibility for your actions when apologizing, and ask the people you've hurt/offended to help you change your course (in other words, repent)

Now, I know that the above might sound harsh...and I'm probably getting into too many details, but please know that many would think my current set of worries pretty harmless, and maybe even dumb.  However, these were things I needed to hear lately that pertained to me and helped me understand myself, as well as those around me.  I just wanted to share in the hopes that maybe they will peak some thought in you as well...just if you needed it ;D.  Anyway, I just learned I need to keep moving forward...whether at a turtle's pace, or at a rabbit's pace.

Speaking of turtles, I went running outside for the first time this year...very slowly...and my goodness, not the best day to do so.  Then again, maybe it was, because it is a start!  I did the loop around town, and even stopped in a new little boutique, and then headed towards home.  Before Trent and I got married, I ran a lot more (well in the 2 years before we got married...it was a new thing) and I'm hoping to find my way back to that place.  I think it will help me in many ways.  

Other then that, things are somewhat mellow around here.  Last week I took Amanda to the Orem Fitness Center to work out on the elliptical.  I think I wore her out :D but it was good for both of us to be there together.  That child...sometimes I think we are making real progress, and sometimes not.  However, I had a revelation the other day--I think I just need to figure out what "real progress" with her really is.  After all, she is living in a completely different environment then us, with pressures I NEVER had at her age.  If she succeeds at school, is kind to her peers, avoids a fight because someone was calling her names, etc...THAT is certainly progress.  Outside of that (i.e. other life skills)...those are the ones we need to keep working on :D  She really is a good kid...we just want to see her get out of the rut her family has been in for years.

Also, we got to go spend some time with 1 of my o-so-adorable (I have 2 of them!!) nieces, as well as her 2 wonderful brothers.  Her birthday is at the end of the month, and so she and I spent a few hours making her birthday present (a book with her favorite pictures :)  It was great fun!

Well, now that I've made this into an official journal entry (really am sorry if this is too personal...), I'll stop for now.  This week coming up will be crazy with all kinds of fun...Southtowne Expo.  It will be fun to see the friends we've made the past few years, and hopefully sell lots of stuff for the company.  Have a great week friends!

Need a pick-me-up? :)

Try this...

Life Lessons

Just when I think you have things under control, when I think I've buried the hatchet and have moved on...bu-BAM!  Nope, sorry!  Try again.  Sometimes it's hard to learn the same lesson again, and again, oh, and again.  When that happens, I think "not caring" is the answer...just so that I don't have any feelings to one side at least.  However, I realize that won't solve anything, as one must have feelings about certain issues that are close to the heart, either one way or another.  All thoughts of not caring really only leave me feeling guilty or a bit like a scallywag. So, I process the moment; feel the guilt that comes with my actions, give myself a "talking to", pick myself up, and try to keep moving forward as gracefully as possible...even if it's at a turtle's pace. I know learning is part of life--I just wish my heart and (especially) my pride would learn a little bit faster!