Turning 48

I turned 48 a week ago. I was so excited leading up to this day. However, when the day came, I was not as happy. There is so much behind a birthday in my world. 

Starting with my 44th birthday, I dedicated that I would celebrate it more than I had for a while. Starting with that birthday, I had officially out lived my mom. (I feel like that is not a normal thing to say for people in their 40s, but that's the life of a daughter who lost their mother at a young age.) Now, I can celebrate reaching milestones my mom looked forward to that she didn't get to see. I have been able to see all of my kids graduate high school. She didn't see any of us graduate. I will be able to be there when my kids get married, have their own kids, and anything else that is connected to them becoming full adults. My mom was gone before my sister and I did any of these things. Each year brings more experiences she was unable to experience in this life. I am so lucky to be able to live long enough to experience life in this way. How could I not celebrate this? 

On the other hand, being another year older and not accomplishing what I wanted to achieve in this time is frustrating. I wanted to be working on getting out of debt, but medical bills and car repairs have raised my debt instead. The frustrating part of this is that if we were able to save instead of paying credit card payments, I could have probably paid for these things without payment plans and more credit card debt. I wanted to lose weight and thought Chad's necessary change to his diet would help me. I didn't go on his highly restricted diet. It's hard, and I don't end up in extreme pain when I eat things like red meat, red meat, or fried foods. Plus, I work from home and am not as limited on what I can eat during the day. I wanted to be using my degree by now. I think I am in a way with my second job (Magic Club), but it's not how I imagined using it. Also, I don't need the degree to do this job. Most jobs I have found using my degree don't pay as much when starting as I get paid now. I can't take a pay cut, and I can't add anything else to my schedule right now. I think it is normal to think about what we haven't accomplished as we age. My husband has been doing it for years. The problem is that it is depressing to look at birthdays this way. I want to go back to being happy and excited that I am one year older and get to experience life longer. 

Over the past year good things have happened, too. I have continued to grow my relationships with my children. I was able to help them financially and emotionally (hopefully) when needed and asked. I have become so good at my job that I am actually bored even when I am so busy that I feel like I will never complete my spreadsheets and other tasks. My husband and I have worked on our relationship by doing things like taking walks (until it got too hot), camping, fishing, going to the gym, working in the temple together, and other things. (It's amazing how much better marriage is when both people are all in.) I have a bigger garden this year than I have had in the past. Not all of it has survived the heat we are experiencing this summer, but it's exciting to have so much growing still. I made my best batch of hand soap and have a request from my daughter to make more for her to take with her when she moves out. (I love that she loves my soap.) The biggest accomplishment I made since my last birthday (less than a week after it) was getting my bachelor's degree. I was a 10-year process, but it is an accomplishment that I made that changed me for the rest of my life. 

I have no idea when the next year will bring, for the most part. I have do have some hopes that I would like to turn into goals. I want to be back to being a person to makes and reaches goals. I am in the process of figuring out what I want to accomplish over the next year that is achievable. So far, I know I will be keeping both of my jobs and continue working in the temple one night a week. I will also definitely be planting a garden next year using what I have learned from my accomplishments and failures to make it more successful. I will also continue to read, crochet, and knit. I am thinking that what I need to add to my life is a more regular workout routine. Chad and I have yearly passes to the local rec center, and I want to get enough use out of them to make the money we paid back in December worth it. While doing that, I would like to get back into running in some way. I just don't know what that looks like right now because I am not going to wake up any earlier to run before work. (I get up at 5:00 to have time to do my Miracle Morning and shower before I start work at 6:30.) I think the workouts will be my main focus on top of the other things I am already doing. I just need to refine what I want it to look like. 

Mother's Day 2026

 

I used to have a hard time with Mother's Day. My mom died a month after I turned 18, so I never had a Mother's Day with my mom as an adult. In 2020, I was finally able to take my time, celebrate my mom, grieve experiences I felt robbed of, and be celebrated by my husband and kids without having to go to celebrate someone else (I know this part is selfish). This was what I needed to heal and finally be able to enjoy Mother's Day. We still send my mother-in-law a gift, and my husband calls her. However, I am allowed to spend time a lone to think of my mom, and my husband and kids celebrate me. 

This year, we had a plan. Chad was going to make homemade fettucine noodles and alfredo sauce with broccoli and a cherry cheesecake for dessert. I made rolls the day to go with it when I made bread the day before. This dinner didn't happen. 

After church, we had lunch; Eric came over; and Chad started on the cheesecake. Then, Eric, Sean, and I planted some shrubs and flowers that I had bought not long ago. When we were finishing up the last shrub, Chad came to the back door and told me he was in pain and may need to go to the ER. He was having a diverticulitis attack from eating too much rice. We made the decision together that he would lie down, take some Tylenol, and drink some water as he monitored his pain. If it got worse, we would go to the hospital. It started to get better, but there was no one to make dinner, and we didn't have anything for a backup out of the freezer. The kids and I ordered from Red Robin instead of having the planned dinner. On the way to pick up our order, we stopped at the gas station to get soda for us and apple juice for Chad. (Apple juice was his dinner because that was what we were told to do before he was discharged from the hospital in March.) We still had the cheesecake for desert after we played a game. I continually checked on Chad through the night. He eventually felt well enough to come out of our room and spend time with everyone before Eric left. 

Mother's Day didn't exactly look like we had planned. The dinner I dreamed of was not able to be made. That didn't matter. I was able to spend my time with my children, and they all got along. We laughed, we played, we ate good food. What more could this mama want?

Seeing the Good When Life is Hard

 This past month has been hard. Chad was in the hospital with diverticulitis, one of my children has lost their voice and has to see specialists for it (did you know there is a such thing as a vocal cord specialist), our dog, Dexter, passed away, the politics in this country are horrible causing contention on all sides (I don't handle contention well), and AI is making my main job feel less and less secure. Here's the thing through; I feel like I have been prepared for this difficult time. 

Many years ago (possibly when I was a teenager because I am just that weird), I decided I wanted to memorize as many church hymns as I could. I can't say that I have memorized all of them, but as I paid attention to those that were commonly sang, I started to remember at least the first verse more and more. I have found this talent to be very helpful. When things are hard, I often have a hymn or primary song come into my head. It is a comfort knowing that my weirdness has given me this gift. 

Last month, I watched the Relief Society broadcast. Sister Camille Johnson's talk struck my heart in a special way. The quote that will forever stay with me was, "You can do hard with Jesus, or you can do hard alone." This small sentence from this wonderful talk is exactly what I needed to prepare me for what was coming sooner than I had expected. 

I am choosing right now to do hard with Jesus. I am still praying and studying my scriptures. The scriptures give me hope as I read the Book of Mormon and learn about what it was like right before Christ's birth and resurrection. As I pray for miracles, I am seeing them unfold in front of my eyes and am reminded of the miracles I have experienced in the past. This morning as I prayed with gratitude for the miracles in my life, the line from a hymn came to my mind, "There is hope shining brightly before us, and we know that deliverance is neigh."

Life isn't going to get easier just because I can see this glimmer of hope through the clouds, but I know that the Lord wants me to be happy. I know He prepared a way for me to do this as I work my way through this with my family. Will things get better soon? I don't know. Does it still feel like my family is being hammered on with hard things? Yes, but I am choosing to do hard with Jesus. 

My Body Relaxed

Lost week, Chad was in the hospital very sick. He went to the ER under the advice of his primary care and ended up being admitted for a few days. I had just taken a week off of work and was worried about taking more time off. Each day, I would work in the morning until visiting hours began. Then I would head over to the hospital for a few hours, come home and work the rest of my hours for the day. After work, I made dinner and headed back to the hospital until visiting hours were over. Then, I would go home, spend time with the kids, and go to bed. I called out for my shift at the temple and my magic job. Everyone was very understanding. I was exhausted but more worried about him than me. 

Thursday afternoon, he was sent home with antibiotics and a special diet as well as instructions for if this issue happened again. The next few days were a bit difficult because he didn't have as much energy as usual. 

This morning, he was able to do his regular exercise and eat a normal breakfast without pain. It was such a relief! All of a sudden, I felt like I didn't have to check on him continually. During my lunch break, I took a nap as usual. Then, I sat at my desk watching my email for invoices to process. I ended up lying my head back and falling asleep for another hour. I have never done that before! (Thankfully, I work from home , so no one noticed.) I hadn't realized how the events of last week had affected me until I woke up from my unintentional nap. I hope I don't have to go through that again for a long time. 

Anniversary Florida Trip

This year for our anniversary, Chad and I went to visit friends that moved to Florida a little over a year ago. We were hoping that we would be escaping the cold when we booked the flights about 6 months ago, but that was not the case. In Colorado, we have had a fairly warm winter with a few exceptions. We left nearly 60-degree weather to go to temperatures in the 40s and 50s. When factoring in the humidity and the breeze, it felt cooler than that, and we were not prepared. The good news is that there are fun things to do even in cooler weather. 

On Sunday after church, we went to Blue Springs state park to see the manatee. They congregate around the springs which are consistently 72-degrees because they can't be in water less than 68 or they will die. With Sunday being in the 40s, there were over 800 manatees in and near the spring. This made for great viewing! It was fun to watch them swim around and see the groups of moms and babies. 

Monday, we went to Sea World and Disney Springs. We had a lot of fun at Sea World. We went to all of the shows, viewed the aquariums and habitats, and rode the few rides they had going. (It was too cold for most of the roller coasters.) This was my first time going to anything like this. I haven't even been to the Denver Aquarium. The shows were amazing! I clapped and squealed in excitement multiple times. Going to Sea World was not on our original list of things to do. I'm glad the weather didn't cooperate to do the other things because I loved seeing everything there. 

Disney Springs wasn't that big of a deal to me. This part of Disney has no entry fee. It is kind of like an outdoor mall area with shops and restaurants lining the "streets." We went to a cookie shop, hat shop, the Star Wars shop, Marvel shop, and a chocolate shop along with the restaurant we ate at. The restaurant was way overpriced for what we got. I had a club sandwich with fries and a Cherry Coke. Chad had a grilled grouper sandwich with fries and a coke. It was good, but not something particularly memorable. Of course, we may just have a problem with fancy food. Who knows? The cookies were ok. Again, they were a bit overpriced for something that wasn't particularly memorable. At the chocolate place, we got a big s'more to share. That was fairly good. It was definitely fresh and had a hint of cinnamon. This was the only Disney type thing we really saw, too. I would say, I'm glad I went to know what it was, but it's not something I would really seek out now that I know what it really is. 

Tuesday morning, we went to a French bakery, bought a variety of pastries, and brought it back to the house where we all shared them. They were so good! It was a wonderful breakfast!

Then, we ended our trip with a boat tour of De Leon Springs where we learned about a lot of different birds. We say how the trees adapt after storms and how interconnected the water systems are. I wouldn't say it was the highlight of the trip, but it was fun to learn about the vegetation and wildlife in Florida. It was a good, calm way to end our trip before heading to the airport for the long trip home. 

Trying to Write Mission Statements

Chad and I have been reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People together. He has it on his Kindle, and I bought a 30th Anniversary Edition on Ebay a few months ago. Since we were each in the middle of other books, we agreed to wait until January 1 to start. Since then, we have been reading about 10 pages a day. At times, I have to read more because the anniversary edition has some bonus material at the end of each chapter, but I don't mind because it gives more clarity to the concepts.

Earlier this week, we read about mission statements when reading about the second habit, begin with the end in mind. The point of a mission statement to give you, your family, or an organization direction. It helps set priorities that will guide you. We both read this concept and just kept reading on thinking we could get to this step later. As we moved on to reading about the next habit, put first things first, and it became obvious that we needed to work on our personal mission statements. I finished mine but was not completely happy with it. Chad didn't finish his because he got overwhelmed and didn't know what direction he wanted to go with it. As we talked about our issues with trying to wright our personal mission statements, we realized that we have similar values and goals (no wonder we are so good together). We have decided that tonight or tomorrow after church, we will sit down and decided a couple's mission statement. The hope is that aby working on a mission statement as a couple, we can make personal mission statements that we are happy with for a while. 

I'm not sure if we are doing this properly. All I know is that we need to have focus as we continue on our journey self-improvement. We let so many things go in the wrong direction over the years (finances, cleanliness of the house, our weight). It is time to get things cleaned up our lives and environment. 

Christmas 2025

 

This year, we had a good Christmas. Eric came over around 9am, and we opened presents together. I think everyone was happy with the gifts they received. I know that I worked hard to try to make sure to buy things that Eric, Sean, Noel, and Chad wanted or needed. We also do a not-so-secret-Santa, and I think everyone did a good job finding something for the person they needed to buy for which was decided in a drawing of names on Thanksgiving. My favorite reaction of the day was Noel when she opened her ironing board. I got her a small tabletop ironing board that she could easily tuck under her bed or in her closet because she doesn't like mine when she is sewing. Who knew that was exactly what she was wanting. Eric seemed to be most excited about the Dune box set. He lost his love of reading in elementary school, but he has found it again now that he can really choose which books he reads. Sean was happy about the video games he opened, but he also got a chuckle out of the shirts I gave him. Chad was excited about the cookbooks he got because they are not only filled with recipes, they also have the historical content behind the recipes. One of them even has the historical recipe and modern recipe. I was most excited about getting Elenor Roosevelt's autobiography. After presents, we played Clue for a while and ate a roast dinner before we went our separate ways. (Eric went home. Sean and Noel went to their dad's house. Chad and I took a nap.) 

Learning New Things

Last week, I watched a YouTube video about developing a personal curriculum. The idea is that people are meant to continually learn throughout our lives. We don't have to follow a curriculum set by a school and pay the money required to do so. We can learn about anything from the resources provided by the library and online. After watching this, I got so excited that I sent the link to my husband and my sister. Chad texted me back a little while later asking me what I wanted to learn and when I wanted to get started. I decided that I want to relearn French and finally learn how to play the ukelele. 

I learned French in middle school and high school. I knew enough that my friend and I used to speak to each other in French when we didn't want my boyfriend (her friend) to know what we were talking about. They were simple conversations, but it was fun at the time. I wouldn't say I was fluent, but I was on my way there. Since then, I have not used French at all except a few phrases here and there. Because of this, I have lost almost all of the knowledge that I had in this subject. It is one of my biggest regrets. I am determined to relearn as much as I can over the next year. 

Me wanting to learn to play the Ukelele came about in a slightly odd way. In 2021, Chad and I were on our way to church, listening to the radio, when John Tesch chimed in with his "Intelligence for Your Life" segment. This one was about the power of music. I don't remember everything he said, but I do remember that he said the ukelele was the easiest instrument to learn. For Mother's Day that year, I asked for a purple ukelele and got one. I learned to play a few songs that summer, but I haven't played it since. I am going to learn more about it and learn more songs this year. Maybe I can be as musical as my kids. Who knows? 

Of course, we will continue the learning paths we have been on for the last few years. We have a concrete plan for our spiritual learning together. It is the actual curriculum provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "Come, Follow Me." We have worked on it off and on separately and together every year since it started. We have committed with each other to study it each night we are home. I think this will elevate our spiritual study and bring us closer together. We, also, will continue to read our ever-growing pile of lifestyle/self-help books/biographies. Our interests haven't changed. We just want to have more directed learning. 

I'm excited to get started on learning and relearning skills that I have wanted to work on for a while. This coming year will be my year to do so!

How has personal revelation drawn you closer to the Savior and to others?

(Talk given in church October 26, 2025)

As I think about this question, the one thing that comes to mind is that revelation is kind of a cyclical thing. As we grow closer to the Savior, we are more apt to be in tune with the revelations we are being given, and as we listen to and follow revelations, we continue to grow in this relationship. In my life, I have waxed and waned in my faith, but one thing has always remained true: when I have made the effort to reach out to my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ, I have been given peace and direction when needed. In the scriptures, we are told more than once, “Ask, and it shall be given unto you…” In fact, when I searched this exact phrase in the Church Library app, I found it in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. I have found comfort in knowing that my Heavenly Father loves me so much that He is willing to help me as needed and as He sees fit, and all I have to do is ask. In his conference talk, Hear Him, President Nelson said, “...when we seek to hear - truly hear - His son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance.” I may not always understand why I am being led in a specific direction, but I have been blessed when I have depended on the personal revelation I have been given. 

When my daughter, the youngest of three children, was a baby, I felt the need to further my education, but I thought that sending my husband at the time to school was more importan since he was the breadwinner. A little over a year later, I sat in a General Relief Society meeting at the Denver North Stake Center (I even remember where I was sitting) and felt this prompting stronger than I ever had as I listened to President Monson speak. His talk, “Three Goals to Guide You,” spoke to my soul in a way no other talk has before or since. The words that penetrated my heart were, “Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties…I urge you to pursue your education…that you might be prepared to provide if circumstances necessitate.” I was denied the opportunity at the time, but a few years later, as I was facing divorce,  I signed up for online classes and eventually earned an associates degree. That degree eventually led me to a job that better suited my family’s needs and allowed me to work from home at a time when my teenage daughter needed me the most. There was no way for me as a young mom to know that this sweet little girl, who was almost 2 when I heard President Monson speak that Saturday evening, would need me in the way she did about 14 years later, but I am thankful for this revelation that persisted in me for so long. I am thankful for that degree as well as the bachelors degree I have received since then, and I don’t think I will ever stop learning whether it be formally or informally. 

For me, personal revelation is rarely this obvious, but when I am listening, it is clear. President Nelson said, “...our Heavenly Father communicates simply, quietly, and with stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him.” I have learned that as I am diligent in doing the simple things such reading my scriptures, going to church, attending the temple, and going to the Lord in prayer, I am more in tune with the Holy Ghost and ready to listen to His promptings. In Doctrine and Covenants 64:33, we read, “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” We are not asked to know everything all at once. We aren’t even asked to believe everything at once. In his book, The Rock of Our Redeemer, Elder Bednar tells us, “Obtaining answers for ourselves is the pursuit of a lifetime.” We are asked to do our best to learn by doing as it says in Doctrine and Covenants 88:118, “...seek ye out the best books words of wisdom; yea, seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” As we seek for spiritual knowledge and grow our testimonies, we grow closer to our Savior and are more open to the personal revelation He sees fit for us to receive. 

About a year and a half ago, I felt prompted to read a book I had heard about but never wanted to read: The Miracle Morning. I am not really a morning person, and I knew that if I tried to follow the habits laid out in this book, I would have to get up even earlier than I already did. However, I ordered the book as I told my husband that it was worth a shot to read about habits other people use to further themselves in life. As I worked my way through each chapter, I found myself getting excited and thinking about how I could implement these habits into my life. I started getting up earlier and quickly decided that for the mediation part of the morning, I would start with prayer. I had been wanting to read my scriptures more regularly, so that was the obvious choice for reading material. As I did these things, my journaling became more meaningful and a regular part of my morning routine as well. As I searched for daily affirmations, I found myself adding scriptures to the list. Visualization has always been difficult for me, but I have found that the more I am focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the more I spend this time thinking of ways to grow closer to Him. This morning routine that I was sure I was not going to fully implement in my life, has blessed it in immeasurable ways. For example, a few months after starting this process, the call went out for temple workers. Chad and I felt strongly that we needed to work in the temple. Through this calling, we have learned more about the covenants and ordinances performed in this sacred place, drawing us closer to the Savior, and I know we, and all who serve in the temple, have grown closer to the people we serve on both sides of the veil. 

One last story I want to tell happened just a few weeks ago. I have a dear friend who I have been friends with since we were pregnant with our oldest children. She has since moved from state to state over the years, and our correspondence has lessened as time has gone by. We, now, mostly send messages through Facebook Messenger here and there. On a random Wednesday, she sent me a message saying, “Hey! God put you in my head. How are you?” We exchanged quick updates about our families and let the conversation go where it needed to go. After a while, it led into a conversation about the influences of angels in our lives. I told her about feeling my mom, grandma, and other ancestors in the temple. Then, she told me of some small miracles that had happened in her life in which she knew it was the influence of God’s angels. She also sent me a conference talk and song about this topic. This may not have been the conversation that either of us expected when she sent that simple message that morning, but it was the conversation that I needed in a year that I have struggled with the death of my mom and brother more than I have in a while. We had not talked in over a year, and there was no way that she knew I needed this talk and song to comfort me. I am thankful that this dear friend listened to the personal revelation she was given that morning to reach out to me. 

President Nelson taught, “As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, and His truths... We…hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now.” As we strive to learn of Jesus Christ, we become closer to Him which allows us to feel the Holy Ghost more in our lives and receive personal revelation that can bless us and those around us. Elder Bednar said, “To face the future with faith, hope, and power, our lives need to be anchored to the ‘rock of our redeemer’ (Helaman 5:12). We are connected securely to and with Heavenly Father and the Savior as we worthily receive ordinances and enter into covenants, faithfully remember and honor those sacred commitments, and do our best to live in accordance with the covenant conditions we have accepted. And as we accept the invitation to ask, seek, and knock for the spiritual gift of faith in Christ and strive to learn for ourselves eternal truths, we further strengthen our bond to God and the Savior. And it is through that bond that we receive spiritual strength and stability." 

The Lord wants to bless us. He asks us to do so little compared to the blessings we are given. I know as we do the “small and simple things” he has asked of us, we will be blessed with the personal revelation brings us closer to Him and those around us. 

Grand Junction Weekend

On September 20, Chad and I took a trip to Grand Junction for the weekend with the plan to do two main things: go to the temple open house and see some waterfalls. 

On the way up, we stopped at Rifle Falls and hiked around to see the water falls and caves. It was beautiful! We loved it so much that we decided we will go camping up there next year. 

Next, we headed to the Grand Junction Temple open house. This temple did not disappoint. It was filled with decor based on a desert flower known in that area (I don't know what it was called). It was slightly bigger than the Fort Collins temple (our home temple) but smaller than the Denver Temple (the temple we grew up going to). Going to this open house made the trip completely worth the drive across the state!

Then, we went to our Air B&B, walked around the area to take in the scenery and get food. The following morning, we went to church before heading home. The ward we attended was small but had the nicest people I have met in a long time. We waited until about 5 minutes before sacrament meeting started and sat in the back hoping that we didn't draw attention to ourselves. At least 10 people walked up to us and introduced themselves and welcomed us. I have never had this experience, but it was nice. I hope that more people have this kind of experience when they attend any church. 

Searching for Peace

There is no way to ignore what is going on in this country.  People are hurting and angry and want someone to blame. In doing so, they blame people who are non the opposite end of the political spectrum. They do this with so much hate that they don't seem to care who they trample in their path to prove their point. In reality, all this does is create more anger and more hate on both sides. Sometimes, I wish they would sit down together and actually listen without cameras or the goal of proving their own point. I think they would see what the rest of us see if they did this. They are two sides of the same coin. 

This morning I woke up and opened Facebook before starting my day. (This always seems to cause more harm than good.) The first thing I see is someone's "fill Facebook with..." post which of course spewed hate in one direction. As I scrolled down, I see something just as bad spewed in the opposite direction. Both memes hurt my heart. I know there is nothing I could do or say they would change their minds. 

Then, I went to do my Miracle Morning as I should have done before opening anything on my phone. For the meditation part of it I prayed as I always do. This time I prayed for the comfort I needed from the hurt I have been feeling that has been growing over the past however many months or years. Then, I sat I silence and opened my scriptures to 2 Nephi 32. This short chapter gave me direction starting in verse 3. "...feast upon the words of Christ; behold the words of Christ will tell you all things what you should do." This tells me I need to change my focus away from the world and towards Jesus Christ, my rock and redeemer. Then in verse 9, we are told, "But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint..." This tells me that I need to pray more often. I am so thankful that this chapter happened to be the next chapter I was going to read!

As I took my short, morning walk, I thought about this chapter and considered what I need to change to draw closer to the Lord so I can feel His peace. I will be off of Facebook for at least a week, maybe longer. I will not be on TikTok longer than needed to continue my streak with my daughter. (I know it is silly to make that streak important, but it's just something to share with her.) I will watch conference talks in the morning. When Chad get home from work tonight, I will ask for a blessing to calm my mind. I hope that by doing these things, I will be able to heal my mind, body, and spirit. It at least won't make it worse. 

She Scared Us

 

A couple of nights ago, Aqua scared us a bit. It was a hot day. Even with the widow air conditioners and the swamp cooler going, the house was warmer than I would have liked. Chad and I took Sophie for a walk as part of our daily exercise. When we returned, he decided to take the other dogs around the block. A little while after he got back with Aqua, she came into our room panting heavily, drooling, and whimpering. We thought maybe she got hurt on the walk. She has had issues with her paws on the back porch in the past. He took her after dark, but we didn't think of checking the temperature of the sidewalk especially since the other dogs didn't have a problem. As we observed her more closely on the bed, we realized she was overheating. I sent the kids to get the frozen meatballs (we keep them on hand in the summer to help the dogs keep cool). She seemed too disoriented to even know we were holding it in front of her. Then, we all got more scared. I laid next to her on the bed to try to keep her calm. Sean and Noel turned on the shower, and Chad tried to lead Aqua to the bathroom. She wouldn't budge and seemed to be getting worse. Then, he grabbed a towel, through it across the room to the kids, and told them to bring him a cold towel. Sean came back with a cold, wet towel and tried to cool down her paws knowing it is center for temperature regulation for dogs. When that wasn't working fast enough, Noel soaked the towel even more and draped it over her head and neck. Her breathing started to clow quickly and the drooling dissipated almost right away. A few minutes later, Chad went back to the kitchen to get the meatballs. When Aqua heard the freezer open, she shook off the towel and ran to him. Our girl was better! 

I don't know how to prevent this completely in the future. I will be giving the dogs meatballs periodically the rest of the summer when it is close to 100F. Chad will wait until later to take her for walks knowing she is more sensitive to the heat than the other dogs. If she starts acting disoriented, we will get her in a cold shower before she starts whimpering. Hopefully, these things will help her. (For anyone wondering, the water was full of cool water, and she drank some of it after the meatball.)

Graduation Trip - Third Leg

 On Friday, Chad and I headed on our way to Provo to visit with my parents after doing an endowment session at the Rexburg temple. I wish I had remembered to take pictures at this temple. I loved it there! Going to Provo from Rexburg was our shortest drive (about 4.5 hours). This stop was also the most relaxing of all of the stops. We mostly stayed at the house hanging out with my dad and stepmom. The first night, I just laid on the bed exhausted for an hour or two waiting for a migraine to subside. Then, I got to talk to my dad for a few hours before going to bed. 

The next morning, my dad made us breakfast before we headed to the Provo City Center Temple to do another session with my dad this time. I love this temple. It is so unique because it was a historical building that had fire damage. There are elements of this building that are original to the building making it one of the most beautiful buildings I have had the pleasure to be in. 

Later, Chad and I finally had ice cream at the BYU Creamery. It was ok. Ice cream is always good, if you get the right flavor. I just didn't understand the hype. Now, I know it is just like any other ice cream place, so I don't have to keep wondering.

We left to go home on Sunday and stopped to see my dear friend at her new house on the way. We finally arrived home around 6:30pm, just in time for dinner. 

I am so thankful that I was able to make this trip! It was a long trip. The stops were further apart than I would have wished them to be, but I don't regret doing it. It was a good way to celebrate me receiving my Bachelor's degree. 

Graduation Trip - Second Leg - Day 2

Thursday was graduation day! Upon arriving at campus, I put on my cap and gown and found the perfect spot to take pictures: the chapel. 

The next step was graduation! I got to have my name called as I walked across the stage. It was such a surreal experience. I had worked on this goal for almost 10 years. I couldn't believe I was finally on stage getting my degree. As my name was called and I shook hands with various professors, tears welled up in my eyes. I deserved this. I officially have documented proof that I am smart!

After graduation, we took pictures and went to lunch before Marleah and her kids made their way home, and Chad and I headed back to the hotel room to rest a bit and plan the rest of the day. 

Later in the day, Chad and I went to Bear World. We heard of Bear World from my sister's co-worker. Originally, we were supposed to go with her family, but it was too pricey for them. It sounded like fun, so we went before dinner. Bear World is a sanctuary of sorts in which we drove a windy path at 5mph and watched the bears sleep and play. It took about 5 or 10 minutes to driver through. When we were done, we went to the petting zoo and gift shop (we are suckers gift shops). Overall, I would say that it was fun, but it was not worth the price. If it had been about $30 per car, it would have been totally worth it but charging that much per person was a bit of a rip off. I'm glad we didn't have anyone else with us, making it cost even more. 

Graduation Trip -Second Leg- Day 1

 Our next stop was in Rexburg, Idaho, which is a small town that really only has BYU-Idaho and a few other things in it. We stayed in a hotel just on the other side of the highway from the town. It was nice, simple, small town. 

The main thing in Rexburg is the university. That was ok because the main reason for our visit was to visit the BYUI for graduation activities. On Wednesday, we started the day going to the school to pick up my cap, gown, and sash as well as verify my address. This was my first time on campus. I was so excited to see it and walk around the campus!

After leaving, we went to a place that I have heard of many times and wanted to see what all of the hype was about: Swig. We don't have places like this really other than a coffee place that sells dirty sodas. I ordered a Cherry Bomb which was a Pepsi with coconut water and cherry syrup. It was ok, but I was a bit disappointed. For something called "Cherry Bomb," it tasted nothing like cherry. There was so much coconut in the soda that it was all I could taste. I'll go back to Ziggy's any day before I go back. I guess it would have been wonderful had I wanted something specifically coconut flavored. 

Around lunch time my sister and her kids arrived in Rexburg, and we went for pizza. Then we went to the Legacy Flight Museum.

We were there for about an hour before heading back to the hotel to nap before dinner. We had a quick dinner at Applebee's before going to Grad night in which the president and his wife spoke to us and answered questions. At the end, we were able to get a picture with them. As we walked out, Chad got a big cinnamon roll that was almost as big as his head! Then, we headed back to the hotel. I dropped him off and picked up Marleah to have dessert and one on one sister time. 

Marleah and I went to Chocolate Plunge, a cute little dessert shop in which you can order a variety of things dipped in chocolate and covered in things such as nuts and drizzled with sauces like caramel or marshmallow. I had a soft serve ice cream cone, dipped in chocolate, rolled in peanuts, and drizzled in caramel. It was very good! Unfortunately, it was so big that I had to throw some of it away. Marleah had cheesecake dipped in chocolate. I'm not sure what else she had on it. We agreed that we wished there was something like this in each of our towns. When we were done, we went back to the hotel and agreed on what time we would meet for breakfast in the morning.