BIG goals.

"No success can compensate for failure in the home."

-President David O. McKay

WARNING: Major information overload. This is mostly for my own sake... ;)

I am sitting here after an AMAZINGLY uplifting night at the adult session of our stake conference.

It was by FAR the most uplifting meeting I have attended in a long time. 

Everyone is gone to bed, and here I sit with the dishwasher running in the background, and the spirit is still on fire inside me!

I have been doing A LOT of thinking lately.

About me, about what I want, about the goals I want to pursue and things I would like to achieve. I started feeling discontented with my job, and where I was at. I've been wanting more.

I decided after much deliberation and a year on the job, that it is time to pass the baton on my Group Fitness Coordinating position. I also felt the need to downsize on the amount of classes I was teaching (I've been teaching for 3 years).

After a few months of trying to get past my boss begging me to stay, I am now officially just a grunt again. So, this gave me room to think about bigger goals. I started thinking about school and my potential degree. I didn't want to pursue broadcast journalism anymore. What about dental hygiene? Good money, good job security and great schedule with kids.

BUT then I researched programs and found only one in the area that is an hour away and highly competitive. What about nursing? I looked into programs. I really would only want to do labor and delivery and they work three 12 hour shifts a week and it's usually graveyard the first 3-5 years.

Ugh.

I started putting all this pressure on myself to get it done before my life gets crazier, cursing my parents for not pushing me to get my degree before having kids (wasted 2 years dental assisting!) etc.....

And so you see where I have been the last few months.

Then I attended the meeting tonight. My entire thought process changed.

For the most part, I have always tried to follow the Spirit in my life. My choices have lead me to a great school where I was able to influence others through my calling (I recently found a NOW member from USU that I invited to a RS activity almost 9 years ago, and got baptized later). Then, a few plans that fell through lead me home to meet my husband. My dad lead me into dental assisting; A great certification and a job that I love. And then a surprise in life lead me to the greatest calling of all, being a mother.

I had the strongest, most undeniable feeling that right now, this is the most important thing I can be doing.

NOTHING is more important than teaching these kids the fundamentals of the gospel. 

NOTHING is more important than raising my children to be strong, self sufficient leaders and examples. 

NOTHING is more important than helping them form testimonies to build on with their own experiences.

The member of the seventy that spoke to us tonight gave us an amazing promise.

He bore testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, that if we do these three things:

#1 family prayer morning and night

#2 daily family scripture study

#3 family home evening

that if we ever have a child go astray, that they will return. And that's a promise.

WOW.

Immediately my mind went straight to a certain part of my patriarchal blessing that says that if I magnify my calling as a wife and mother, that I will feel like I have been successful and have done well in life.

Now there's the success I'm looking for!
I want to kiss my kids as they get out of the car for school. I want to be there to hear about their day. I want to cook for them. I want to read with them, I want to answer their questions. I want to have those important life talks.

Is it important to strive for higher education? Yes. Is it good to set goals? Of course.

I still have goals and plans to finish school, but I realized tonight that there is no rush. I know what Jon and I still have lots of time together. I will probably start picking away at classes still. But I know in my heart where my main focus should be.

I am so grateful to know that I am a daughter of God. He loves me and He knows what's best for me and when. I know He lives and hears the pleadings of my heart, and leads me in the right direction.

I am so grateful that he lead me tonight.

I'm an Aunt! (for the 24th time on my side)

I had the opportunity given me to shoot the birth of my sister and brother-in-law's 5th baby!

There is nothing more miraculous to me than the birth of a new little spirit... it brings tears every time.

Thanks Andrew and Cassie. I was blessed to be a part of this experience!

Baseball Boy

There is just something about little boys and baseball that makes them All American cuties!

This summer Cade played his first season of coach pitch t-ball.

He did so great, and we were so proud of him.

He only had to hit off the tee ONCE the whole season!

Our Ump, Gavin, also happens to be our boys' babysitter for the last 4 years. :)

Jay made friends with a fellow little brother, and they passed game times racing each other...

Tyce, already a ladies man, walked around seeking attention and clapping when the crowd did. :)

I love having boys!

Couple's Retreat Version 3.0

We love the Bastedos and Holdings. :)

This was our annual getaway with them without kids. We went to Priest Lake and boated all our stuff into an exclusive campsite right on the lake, and hit the water at dawn and dusk right when it was PERFECT glass. I wish I had my camera, but these are the only ones our friend snapped on his phone.

 These were taken at amazing natural rock slides we hiked into. You put on plastic sacks and you fly down the granite in the creek!

 There were water falls all over the place!

Tim, a literal chef, made us gourmet meals every meal!

Great 3 days!!

Coeur d'Alene Triathlon

I did the Cda Olympic Tri (1 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 6.2 mile run)  this year all by my lonesome! Nobody else did it with me (except for my cousin and his wife who happened to be there). 

They call it the scenic challenge for a reason! It kicked my butt after being on priest Lake the three days prior wakeboarding, waterskiing, and hiking my butt off! It's a tough course.

Finished in 3:02. Missed my PR by 4 minutes, but I'll take it! 

Do It Yourself!

I have been pretty freaking crafty lately.

Thanks to my new-found-love of pinterest, it got me back into the crafty/decorating mood.

I go in spurts... and here's my latest.

Cade recently upgraded to his own room, and these were leftovers for the guest room of our old house.

I wanted to transform it into a cute little boy room.

BEFORE:

 My idea scheme:

 First step, refinish the side table:

 Add new textiles and a palm and voila! 

 I have a friend who is making me the cute white and aqua "surboards" sign on the idea palette above. :)

Next project: Frame my mirrors!

BEFORE:

(kinda boring, huh?)

I had little tabs holding this smaller mirror, so I had to remove the tabs and used liquid nails to glue it to the wall:

 Next I hit home depot and bought some cute floor boards...borrowed my friend's skill saw and measured and cut 45* angles (I was bad at math, but I DO know two 45's makes 90! ;))

Then I glued and L bracketed them together.

Next, I used liquid nails to glue the frames to the mirror (this mirror didn't have tabs)

 Then I sanded, painted, and here is

AFTER:

I am really happy with the results! I'm proud of my not-so-crafty self!