The Cutest Conversations

Saturday morning, Grig had to work.

Kevin, who had randomly woken up at 4:20 a.m. said to me, in an imploring manner, "Why can't I go to work with Daddy?"

Which began one of the cutest conversations ever.

Kevin really loves his daddy.

Kevin: Why can't I go to work with Daddy?

Mom: Because Daddy's work is dangerous.

K: Oh. There's big rocks? And sharp knives?

M: Basically. You're too little, but Daddy is big and strong, so he's safer.

K: Big rocks can hurt your toes, and you shouldn't touch the ends of knives. They're sharp.

M: Yep. And there's also bright lights that can blind you. (Grig is a welder)

K: Oh.

M: Daddy uses the light to make two pieces of metal into one.

K: And he takes three pieces and makes four?

M: Maybe. If he's cutting them.

After that, the conversation kind of petered out, and we both fell asleep.

It was super cute.

Then, at church yesterday, we had just finished primary, and one of the primary kids was standing out in the hall when an older man came walking toward him.

The child was between four and five, and the old man had a long white beard and walked with a cane. As the child caught sight of the older gentleman, his eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "Santa!"

Without batting an eye, the older man asked, "Have you been good this year?"

The boy nodded eagerly and said, "Yes! Do you have presents with you?"

I didn't hear any more of that conversation, but I was left with the distinct impression that this older gentleman was the coolest person ever.

People can be pretty awesome.

Update on Job Search

Many of you have been wondering how Grig's job search has been going.

Really, there isn't much to say yet. He's been busy applying, working 55+ hours a week, and taking night classes. My husband sure is a trooper. He's also very tired.

He's had a few interviews and weld tests, but so far nothing has panned out. They all seem suitably impressed with his skill, but they haven't been calling him back. We've been praying that if he's not supposed to get the jobs, that they won't call him back, and if he is supposed to get the job, that they will call him back.

It seems so far, he wasn't supposed to get those jobs.

We still have a lot of peace about it, and we're hoping that something happens soon. We are grateful for the extra income that Grig is making right now, though we wish he could get a little more sleep.

Kevin is adjusting to being home. He's been a bit grumpy, but he is happy to be home and with his uncles and aunt. There have been some adjustments, but things are going pretty well. Kevin is sure happy to be around his dad again. They've been having a pretty good time.

I'm struggling a bit with balancing my time. I'm still in the "work mode," and it's hard for me to stop working and play with my son. I think that's not helping his mood. Tomorrow I plan to schedule more time to play with him. He's a good kid and he deserves more attention from his mom. I've gotten a lot accomplished, but Kevin is my top priority, and he should come first.

I'm still learning how to be a good mom. Life can be tricky, but we're learning.

Personally, I've sure enjoyed having my husband around. I really missed him. He is my best friend, and I wouldn't wish to spend my life with anyone else.

MM: Lessons from my Grandparents

Yesterday at church, we had one of the funnest lessons that I have had in a while. I don't know if I've ever laughed that hard during a lesson.

The lesson was about the elderly and how valuable they are. The older sisters in the ward I was in were a hoot. They teased the sister in charge and in general were quite witty.

The teacher, who is a friend of mine, asked me to share something I had learned from my grandparents. I missed the cue, so I didn't end up sharing my thoughts.

I wanted to share my thoughts here, because I felt they were worth saying.

Each of my grandparents have taught me valuable lessons.

My paternal grandmother has taught me to be respectful and kind to everyone. I have very seldom seen her get upset with someone. She is really great at making all of her grandchildren think they are her favorite. She listens carefully and really cares about what we think and what we are going through. She is a great listener, and I want to be more like that.

My paternal grandfather has helped teach me how to work. Though he is nearly 80, he knows more about computers than I do, and he still is running his own business. Since I was 11, he has given me the opportunity to work at his apartments every summer. He has taught me to be a good worker and how to maintain and repair my own home. I have learned a lot from him.

Kevin and his paternal grandparents

My maternal grandmother has taught me the value of service and homemaking. She has been teaching me how to do my own canning. She takes time our of her busy schedule to help me whenever I need it. She is constantly looking for ways to help other people, and whenever anyone comes into town, she is always ready to feed and let them stay at her home. I want to be more like that.

My paternal grandfather has taught me the importance of saving and managing money. Though he has never been rich, he has saved up his whole life and now is able to go on trips with his wife to different parts of the world. He has also served three missions with his wife. I have also learned how to fish from my grandfather. It is something that I enjoy doing with him and with my husband.

This picture was taken at their 50th wedding anniversary. The cupcakes each represent one of their posterity.

Possibly the most important thing I have learned from my grandparents is how important family is. Everything they do is because they loves their children and grandchildren. They helped me stay debt-free throughout college, and I can never repay them for that. They sacrifice to have a family reunion frequently so we can stay in touch with our family. It's not always easy (because they have so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren), but they keep doing it.

I have also learned about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each of my grandparents have shared their testimonies to me about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Often, they haven't done it in words, but through their actions. I love and respect each of them.

As they get older, I am grateful for the time I get to spend with them. They know so many things that I have yet to learn. I hope they continue to stay around for a long time.

I am blessed to live in a church where God has called older men to lead it. The elderly have vast reserves of experience and examples to draw upon, as well as strong testimonies that have endured many trials. We can learn something from everyone, and I hope to continue to learn from those that are older than me.

Grig's Back in School!

Grig started school this week! That's been kind of exciting, but it also means that my poor husband has even less time to himself.

Grig had been thinking about applying at some other places a few months ago, but when he prayed about it, he had been told to stay with his current employer for now. However, he felt really directed that he should focus on schooling.

After a very long story and many prayers, we found out that he was supposed to go to the community college here in town and get his welding certificate. That was not the answer we had been expecting, but so far it's working out really well.

It's been well within our price range, and so far, Grig has really been enjoying it. He's getting to learn the basics of welding from an actual teacher, and not just from the guys at work. Hopefully, this means that once he has a couple of  years of welding experience at his work and his welding certificate, he will be able to get a better paying job that has more stability and fewer unpaid days off.

We know the Lord has a plan for us, and it is so much better than any plans we might have had for ourselves.

I never would have imagined that we'd be living in our own home with a large yard. It is so great to have people over and have room for everyone. There's more to clean and take care of, but it is SO worth it.

I never would have thought that I'd be so happily married with a wonderful son who is nearly two and a half.

I thought that by the time I was 28 I'd have five or six kids and be married nearly a decade, but I wasn't ready to get married by 18. I needed to experience some things in life before I met my wonderful husband. I'm not disappointed at all. I've met so many wonderful people over the course of my life, and I wouldn't change any part of it.

Life isn't going the way I planned, but it is so much better.

Grig's at class right now, and he's a trooper, because essentially he's doing thirteen hours of welding a couple of days a week. That's a lot of welding. He should be pretty good at it by the time he's finished with this beginning welding class. He has a great eye for detail, and he's careful. He's also becoming faster as he works on it.

I think his employers like him quite a bit. I sure do.

Ain't life grand?

Working

Over the past week, I have re-entered the work force. I'm working on apartments during the break between semesters.

It has been a change. The physical nature of the work was exhausting at first, but I am getting better at it again.

Kevin has been having a hard time. He's been staying with my mom while I work, and he does really well all day, but the moment when I leave in the morning is difficult.

Last week, Grig's job didn't have enough work for their employees, so Grig came up and helped. Sunday night, he drove back to Utah. That was difficult. We miss him a lot. Last night, we skyped, and Kevin cackled with delight the whole time. He kept kissing his daddy's face on the screen as well.

I enjoy working though. I enjoy seeing improvement, and manual labor makes me feel like I've actually accomplished something. It also allows me time to think, especially when I am doing meticulous tasks by myself.

I've been working on these family-owned apartments since I was 11 (with a few short breaks here or there). That's a long time. However, I am grateful for the work-ethic it has given me. I have to go now, but I know that a lot of the good qualities I have came from working with my family.

I want to give my child(ren) the same experience. 

Imminent Separation

Starting next Monday, Dakota, Kevin, and I will be traveling to Idaho to work on apartments for a month. These are apartments that my grandparents own, and I have been working on them since I was eleven.

We'll return in September. Grig will, for the most part, be staying in Utah to continue working at his job.

The current plan is that he will stay here Monday-Thursday, and then come and spend the weekends with us. Even though it will only be a few days a week, it will be difficult to be separated from him for so long.

When I'm stressed about something, I have a tendency to try and avoid thinking about it by being busy or getting sucked into things. I have found myself doing that this week. I am not worried about leaving Grig. We trust each other completely and I'm sure he'll be just fine without me. We will miss him a lot though.

We always have a lot of fun.

My mother has kindly agreed to watch Kevin while I'm working. It will be difficult to be apart from him so much as well. I'm not worried about him either. My mother is an expert at child-raising.

I think the next month will go quickly, but I still am not looking forward to being apart from my family so much, though I am excited to work on apartments. I have a good time working with my family, and I haven't been able to spend as time with them as late.

This weekend we have another reunion, and I'm pretty excited about that. It's with my paternal side of the family. We usually have a fantastic time.

I don't know when the next video will be published. I won't have access to my video editing software, so we'll see.

I'm sure everything will work out, and it will be nice to be able to put money away to savings.

I'm sure Kevin will enjoy playing with his cousins too. There is a lot to look forward to.

Hopefully Grig doesn't get too lonely during the week. We plan on skyping every day, so it shouldn't be too bad.

Kevin's going to miss his daddy.

Mormon Monday: Lifting Others

Today, Grig and Kevin are sick with the stomach flu. Luckily Grig didn't have work today anyway, but after being thrown-up on all night, I don't have much energy today and I almost didn't want to blog. However, I realized that since they are both sleeping right now, I don't have much in the way of excuses and there were somethings that I wanted to share.

Saturday, I went to visit some amazing friends of mine. We were able to go to the 1st semi-annual General Women's Meeting for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was amazing! It was so much fun to see my friends again (it's been a couple years) and I really enjoyed listening to the talks and watching the videos (even if I still have a really hard time sitting still). If you didn't get a chance to watch it, and had the desire to do so, here is the link:

It was a historic moment where women age 8 to infinity were able to sit down and hear talks from our leaders. Elder Eyring spoke as well, and I loved his message. Something in particular stood out to me.

He talked about how when we lift those around us toward God, that brings our Heavenly Father joy. We are all sisters and daughters of our Heavenly Father, and He loves us. Sometimes I wonder how I could ever pay him back for all the blessings that we have received and when I heard Elder Eyring's words, I felt joy shoot through me. It is possible to bring joy to our Eternal Father. By becoming more like Him, and by helping those around us become more like Him, we can make Him happy and proud of our efforts.

I love women. They are incredible beings with a lot of love that they share unselfishly. Some of my greatest role-models are women in my life who devote their lives to serving their children and families.

I want to be better at lifting those around me to greater heights. I guess before you can lift other you need to be standing on higher ground yourself. I am going to try to be a better friend and neighbor. I want to be more Christ-like so I can bring joy to my Heavenly Father.

I  think that's going to be it for today. Please pray that my family gets well soon!

Missing School

I've almost been out of school for a full year. That's quite strange for me.

Some children, especially lately, seem to abhor school. They long for summer vacation and when it ends they groan in reluctance as they're forced to trudge back to the dreariness of the prison called school.

(That was a good sentence. Congratulatory pat on my own back.)

I've never understood that. I was always excited for school. When I was younger, they used to post the class listings on the front door of the school as summer was coming to a close. I eagerly anticipated when my teacher would be chosen, and I remember riding my bike to the school every day during summer so that I could to read my name and my class over and over.

We only lived a block from the school, but still! I was excited for school. I loved learning and I loved my teachers. The social aspect wasn't always fun for me, but it didn't really matter either. I excelled at my classes because I enjoyed it so much.

When I graduated, I immediately entered into a study-abroad semester that took me to the east coast of the United States. I immediately loved college. The other students were a ton of fun and I became part of a group of very close friends.

We actually met during a painting class. We were drawing some historic buildings and we struck up a conversation. Soon we were laughing and talking so loudly that we were bothering some of the other students. We tried to quiet down, but we were having a great time.

I spent the majority of the semester in their company and the time flew by. I began college the spring of 2006 and continued with only a small year and a half break for an LDS mission until the spring of 2013.  I could have had a Master's by then, but my mission caused some serious reflection and I decided to change from an Animal Science Major to a Teacher's Eduction Major. I love animals and kids, but the killing (or putting them 'to sleep') aspect of being a veterinarian didn't appeal to me.

Continuing school did. I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life in a classroom. I love seeing kids' eyes light up when they figure out something new, and I love learning new things myself. However, after we were married and I found myself pregnant, I had a decision to make, and it was a very easy decision for us.

When I was a baby, my mother was working and trying to rear three children while my father was going to school. It was hard, especially with a baby like me. I was an absolute fountain after I nursed, and I wouldn't nap unless I was being held.

My mother and Father weren't sure what to do, until President Benson spoke up in conference and said the following words:

Brethren of the priesthood, I continue to emphasize the importance of mothers staying home to nurture, care for, and train their children in the principles of righteousness.

As I travel throughout the Church, I feel that the great majority of Latter-day Saint mothers earnestly want to follow this counsel. But we know that sometimes the mother works outside of the home at the encouragement, or even insistence, of her husband. It is he who wants the items of convenience that the extra income can buy. Not only will the family suffer in such instances, brethren, but your own spiritual growth and progression will be hampered. I say to all of you, the Lord has charged men with the responsibility to provide for their families in such a way that the wife is allowed to fulfill her role as mother in the home.

 

At these words my mother and father decided that my mom needed to stay home to be with their three children. It was hard, and they were very poor, but they were able to get by as they followed the counsel of the prophet.

Though my school was hiring new teachers and I was on the top of the list because I had been student teaching there, I wanted more than anything to be a stay-at-home mother. My own mother had told me this story many times and so Grig and I prayed about it and asked the Lord what we should do.

We felt very strongly that I should stay home. I was grateful, because I couldn't imagine allowing anyone else, including my family, to raise my son. I wanted to be there when he took his first steps, said his first words, and learned to be excited about nature and animals. I wanted to be there when he climbed on his first chair and fell off for the first time. I wanted to be the one to comfort him when he was sad or sick, and the one that he laughed and told his first joke to.

So, I finished my degree and then I left the world of jobs behind me. Being a stay-at-home mother has been everything that I dreamed. Sure it's hard sometimes and sometimes I miss school and helping my husband monetarily, but Kevin is worth it to us, and the Lord has provided as we followed his commands.

However, after having worked so hard to earn my teacher's certificate, I am not planning on letting it expire. I am excited because I have to take some college credit before I renew it, and that means that I get to continue learning and going to school. I'll probably end up doing online classes.

Once the kids are out of the house, I plan on becoming a teacher again, but for now, I'm being a different sort of teacher. I do miss school sometmes, but I'm learning an awful lot in the school of how to be a good mom. Kevin is a great teacher, and the classroom never ends.

Christmas Songs

This blog is late today because Kevin and I were singing Josh Groban's "O Holy Night" with him.  We were belting it out at the top of our lungs and it was so much fun that we had to do it a couple of times.  Hopefully our neighbors (downstairs and sideways) weren't too annoyed.

I love Christmas music.  Not as much as my cousin, who plays it in the middle of May and every other month, but quite a bit.

I worked at a gas station/farm store a little while ago.  It was a really nice place to work, and I enjoyed my time there.  However, every day they played country music.  I like some country songs, but not very many.  I learned to ignore it so that I could continue to enjoy my job.  My only respite was during the Christmas season when Christmas music would be turned on.

My coworkers hated it.  They quickly became sick of the same songs being played over and over.  I told them, "Now you know how I feel the rest of the year."  There were a few others who felt the same way that I did, but not very many.

Christmas music makes the excitement of Christmas come alive for me.  It takes me back to my childhood and fills me with a familiar sense of wonder.  Some songs can even make me cry.

There are a few that I dislike and probably always will, but for the most part I find Christmas music wholesome and uplifting.  Kevin really seems to like it too.

I was talking to Grig yesterday, and we were listening to some music that was kind of depressing, and afterward I had tears in my eyes and I said, "Okay, yes I do like depressing music."  It's not because it's depressing though, it's because it makes me "feel".  I go throughout a lot of life in a happy state.  I'm not super happy or miserable; I'm content.  So, songs that help me to feel or cry can be very powerful for me.  They make me happy and refreshed.

Sometimes a little bit of cry does me good.  Christmas songs help me to feel refreshed and clean, like my emotions got a bath.

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?  Do you even like Christmas songs?  Let me know.

A Little Poverty Never Hurt Anyone

Being poor isn't much fun.  When Grig and I moved recently, we were doing pretty well financially.  However, previous to this move, we had been blessed with an apartment that was owned by loving family, and they didn't require us to pay rent.

Thanks to their generosity, we had been able to save up a bit of money, and had reduced our college debt by quite a bit.  Before we moved we weren't rich, but we weren't really poor either.  We'd been able to pay all of our baby bills (which were pretty substantial considering that I had a c-section).

Since we've moved, however, we've joined the world of the grown ups.  Our money that we saved was mostly spent in those first few weeks when Grig wasn't working as many hours and he was signed up through a temp agency.  For a while, we didn't even know for sure that he was going to get the job full-time.  However, we had faith.  We knew this is where we were supposed to be.

We had decided to get a three bedroom apartment so that Grig's brother Havelock could come and stay with us.  It was decided that once he arrived and found a job, he would be able to help with the rent a bit.  The rent is a decent price for a three bedroom apartment, but it is still quite a bit of our income.  However, he couldn't find a job for a few weeks, so we've had to pay the rent on our own.  (As a side note, he found a job, and he starts today!) 

We've had to become very careful on how we deal with our money.  I created a budgeting system on Excel that works great for us, but with all of the finances we've had and a few surprise bills, our money nearly disappeared.  We couldn't buy groceries because we didn't have money for it.  We didn't have any furniture when we moved, and though we were able to buy a bed, we couldn't buy anything else.  We have been dirt poor, and it hasn't hurt us at all.

We've learned so many wonderful things because of it.  We budgeted our money before this, but never with the same caution that we do now.  We only buy what we absolutely NEED, and we're still working on discerning what groceries can wait until we have money.  We have given up a lot of things that we wanted for a later time when we can afford them.  Neither Grig nor I have credit cards, and aside from a (comparatively) small college debt that we are working on, we don't plan on ever going into debt.  We only want to buy things that we have saved up for and can afford. 

We've also been so blessed!  Every piece of furniture that we've really needed, someone has given us.  When we started, we had a tiny end table, a rocking chair, a lawn chair, a desk, and entertainment center (with no t.v.), a book shelf, a bed, and a tote that we use for a desk.  We didn't have a couch, a bed for Havelock, a table, or a microwave.  As the weeks have gone by and we've been trying to stay within our means, others have stepped in and given us furniture.  We've been so grateful as we've learned to rely on the Lord and on friends and family.

We've had enough, but no more.  As Havelock starts his new job and Grig continues to work, we should be able to begin saving again, and move past the poverty line.  It's been tough, but really, it's been okay.

A little poverty never hurt anyone.  It's only made us stronger as we've come closer to each other and to the Lord.