True Confession Tuesday

Hi. I added to Tuesday's possible subject. Today is True Confession Tuesday. I just may start making an alliteration theme on a whim. I am so whimsical. 

True confession is where you are brutally honest about yourself. It is very freeing!! Thanks to MBCB, a former roommate and amazing friend, true confession came into my life and changed it forever. 

True Confession:

1. I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting tonight, and then went to a pizza buffet. I guess I'll start tomorrow. 

2. I hate Jane Austen, but LOVE Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Add zombies to Victorian Brittish literature and I like it. I love zombies. 

3. I take too hot and too long of showers. 

4. I sometimes wear clothes more than once without a wash in between. 

5. I love facial hair. Not on me, but Reuben looks great fuzzy. Too bad he isn't a fan of sporting facial hair. 

Have a great day. You know who's fault it is if you don't!  

Cheers. 

Mommy Monday

Being a mommy makes me tired. That's all I have for tonight. 

Spiritual Sunday

Sometimes when I go to church these days, I don't get a whole lot out of it.  I am often feeding Ellis or helping him not cry.  So, it is sometimes hard to take away a whole lot from church.

Today, Sunday School was really the part of church that touched me and the hour where I felt like I actually was able to focus.  The discussion in the class was all about family history.

I think the way The Church of Jesus Christ focuses a lot on the family is in many ways unique.  Yes, most religions see the family as important and that we should treat our families well, but I feel the focus in our church is pretty unique because we don't only focus on our immediate family but we also extend our focus to those of our family who have gone before us.  We are encouraged to keep a record of our ancestors and to find out more about them.  We are tied to them and have a responsibility to know them.

The spirit of Elijah is real.  In the Old Testament, Malachi writes: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smile the earth with a curse."  (Malachi 4:5-6)  We believe that Elijah came to the prophet Joseph Smith and restored the keys of the sealing power which was mentioned here in Malachi, this power helps us all be sealed to one another eternally.  And each of us can have the feeling of closeness and care for our ancestors through this spirit that Elijah has established. 

With shows like, Who do you think you are?, where celebrities are looking for their own ancestors, you can also see that people are having their hearts turned to their fathers.  This is really happening.  

My dad has always been into family history and has done an amazing job in finding information about our ancestors.  He has the Spirit of Elijah in his heart as well.  This isn't just something that is claimed only by members of my church.  

I love hearing stories about my family.  I find pride in knowing that Henry came over from Germany to build a better life for himself and that actually had an impact on my life.  It's fun to know that one of my ancestors had many children and that he was left alone to raise them, but then married another woman who stepped in and took care of those kids as if they were her own.  

We are truly tied to our family and it is important to honor them and remember them.  

Reuben and I went to a little Dia De Los Muertos(Day of the Dead) celebration yesterday. Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday where people honor their dead.  They have a big celebration to remember those who have gone before.  They also create little altars to honor their deceased loved ones.  The altars are filled with things to invite the spirit of that particular loved one back.  Food, items that that person owned, things that represent their hobbies and interests, and pictures are included on the altar.  Seeing all these altars made me want to learn more about my ancestors so I would know what I would put on an altar to honor each one of them.  I wonder what would have been on Henry's altar.  What did he like to do?  What were his favorite foods?  What was he really like?  Wouldn't it be cool to meet him one day and talk about how he got to America and what made him leave Germany.  

The cool thing about that is that I know that I will be able to see him again.  That is what is cool about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Christ died so that we may live together eternally.  Cool stuff.  It will be fun to get to hear all the stories of those who came before us.  Each of us has so many experiences and what a blessing it will be to sit down in the afterlife and hear everybody's stories. 

What an amazing blessing to have this faith and to be able to look forward to dying not as an ending but as a transition to eternity.

And there is my spiritual thought for this Sunday.  Here are a few pictures of Dia de los Muertos. 

And this is how Ellis enjoyed Sunday School. 

Stupendous Saturday

Some people have a thing where they write down something they are thankful for everyday.  That is a good tradition but I would forget to do it everyday, so I am glad I am doing stupendous Saturday which is all about good things that happened this week, which really is a grateful list.

I really need to start writing down what happens each day in my life because it is all still a blur day to day.  I get up, go to work, come home, hang with Ellis and then wake up and do it all again the next day.

Here are good things that happened this week:

1.  We played floor hockey in class.  I join in on occasion and it is fun to do. We even had a staff against student game after school one day this week.  It was way fun.
2.  I started working out in my weight training class.  It has been a long time and I am glad to start moving again.
3.  Ellis was a cute pumpkin for Halloween.
4.  I dressed as the cowardly lion from Wizard of Oz for Halloween. It was awesome when kids would figure out who I was instead of saying "Pocahontas."
5.  I had dinner and hung out with friends on Friday.  Afterward, I was able to catch up with my friend Kari.  It's weird not to work with her and see her everyday.
6.  Reuben and I went to Thanksgiving Point last night and saw a Dia De Los Muertos celebration.  I think I actually like that as much as Halloween.  Celebrating our dead is a cool thing. It was interesting and fun.  Then we ate Indian.  YUMMY.
7.  Left overs.  Hello, Indian two days in a row....Heavenly.
8. Ellis talking(we have great conversations...okay so it's just cooing and stuff) and kicking.  That kid is growing fast and I love to live in the little fun moments.
9. A Halloween card in the mail from my seester.  She is just so dang cute.  She also made it which makes it all the more special.  And seriously, hand written letters are awesome.
10.  A phone call with a friend from Wisconsin.  It is fun to have friends to reconnect with and it is awesome how we never miss a beat.

I will try harder to make sure I write a note everyday of a good thing that happened.  Life is so much better when we focus on the good!

Fitness Friday: Five Fitness Goals

Happy Friday. I teach my health students that you must write down your goals and that those goals must be specific. So here are five of mine:

1. Obviously, I want to get back to pre-pregnancy weight. I tried to go back to Weight Watchers this week, but my favorite leader was not there and the others weren't much help getting me set back up, so I've been a rebel and this is my final week of gluttony. I will attend WW meetings every Tuesday night. 

2. Exercise at least 3 times a week. This is sweaty cardio burn. I will also be lifting in my weight conditioning class. 

3. Run a 5k in either April or May. I have missed the running lots. 

4. Get back to benching 110 pounds. 

5. Have the ability to say no to crap food. I can do hard things. 

I have noticed lately that I am squishy and out of shape. I also am noticing that my food choices make my body not run at its best. It's time for a change. I look forward to this new journey!! I'll need support so thank you to you all in advance!!!

Cheers.