Day 46: The Relief Society

Tonight, I visited a Relief Society sister who just lost her daughter.  The Relief Society president, Sheryl, and I were able to provide support and friendship to a woman in need.  The visit really made me thankful for the Relief Society.  Founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, the organization with the motto "Charity Never Faileth," includes more than 5.2 million women in over 170 countries. All Latter Day Saint women age 18 and older, as well as women younger than 18 who are married or are single mothers, are welcomed into the sisterhood of Relief Society.  Relief Society assists priesthood leaders in carrying out the mission of the Church by helping sisters and families come unto Christ. The Relief Society helps sisters and their families receive all essential priesthood ordinances, keep the associated covenants, and qualify for exaltation and eternal life.

The Relief Society Declaration states: We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

• Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
• Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
• Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.
• Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
• Delight in service and good works.
• Love life and learning.
• Stand for truth and righteousness.
• Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
• Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.

The following objectives of Relief Society show the vastness of its purpose and the breadth of its mission, setting it apart from all other associations:

• Build faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and teach the doctrines of the kingdom.
• Emphasize the divine worth of each sister.
• Exercise charity and nurture those in need.
• Strengthen and protect families.
• Serve and support each sister.
• Help sisters become full participants in the blessings of the priesthood.

I am proud to be a member of such a great sisterhood of women and am thankful for the influence and guidance it gives to my life.

Day 45: Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day.  Valentine's day reminds people to appreciate the people they love (which really shouldn't be necessary, but since it is, I'll enjoy it).  I love the candy, the colors (who doesn't love pink, white, and red), and the sentiment.  Over the years, I've had great Valentine's days: first dates, great dinners, and fun times; and bad Valentine's days: fights, bickering, or no appreciation.  As a single female, Valentine's Day can be rough.  People always ask "Are you spending time with your boyfriend or significant other?  Do you have a date?  What are your plans?" and it's tiring saying "No, I don't have any plans for Valentine's Day."  

This year, some girl friends and I decided to have a different type of Valentine's Day...let's call it "Galentine's Day." The night started at Smashburger with Barbie, Emerald, Ashleigh, and Jenny for some comfort food (hamburger and fries) before a movie.  Dinner was full of fun conversation and I look forward to getting to know these girls better.  Next, we headed to Mission Valley Mall for a viewing of "The Vow."  What could be better on Galentine's Day than watching a chick flick with a group of girls?  We brought treats, talked, got teary eyed, and laughed our way through the cute little movie.  "The Vow" follows a husband (Channing Tatum) as he endeavors to win back his new bride's (Rachel McAdams) heart after she loses her memory in a car accident.  I liked the movie, but the ending left me wanting more (I like movies when all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed in the end).  After the movie, those of us who weren't tired, headed to Amy and Tasha's house for dessert (yummy food): The Black Beast (a flourless chocolate cake) and an Almond Cake...both equally delicious.

Thanks girls for making Valentine's Day a blast!

Day 44: Caesar Salad

Tonight, for the first time, I hosted Book Club at my apartment.  As the host, I provided dinner and dessert for the group.  Initially, I planned on making "breakfast for dinner," but I realized I had some frozen tortellini in the freezer, so decided to use that instead.  The meal turned out great...tortellini in garden vegetable marinara sauce (thanks Target), rolls, and a huge Caesar salad. 

My favorite part of the meal was the caesar salad (completely gone by the end of the dinner).  I love caesar salad because you always know how it's going to taste.  The salad is really difficult to make wrong since it only consists of a few things: lettuce, Parmesan cheese, dressing, and croutons (no anchovies for me).  In restaurants, I don't order it often (since I usually only eat at places I know I like), but when I do, I am rarely disappointed. 

Day 43: Homemade Dessert

Tonight, I attend Temple Shift Coordinator Training at the San Diego Temple.  As coordinators, we help make the temple run smoothly each day.  The temple presidency and matrons ran the training and we learned a great deal about how to deal with challenges while coordinating our shifts.  
After the training, we adjourned to the cafeteria for refreshments (desserts) made by the matrons (Sisters Finnegan, Gill, and Jaegar).  The desserts were absolutely fantastic: chocolate covered strawberries, brownies, cookies with candy hearts, and my favorite...bite size strawberry cheesecakes (I had three of them). It was really sweet of the matrons to make the food because we know how busy they are with temple duties.  Homemade desserts take love, time, and energy, which is why they taste so delicious!!!

Day 42: My Bathroom

I love spacious, cutely decorated bathrooms.  For over 6 years in the Alexandra house, I didn't have a cutely decorated bathroom because my bathroom was already decorated (when I lived downstairs) and when I moved upstairs the bathroom was TOO big and didn't need a shower curtain, since the shower was enclosed in glass (a shower curtain really pulls the room together, don't you think?).  I always just used bright rugs and whatever else I found for cheap at Kohl's.  

Before the Alexandra house, I had a lovely tan and lavender bathroom set (tan background, lavender orchids) for years.  In 2005, when I moved home, I packed the towels, shower curtain, pictures, etc away.  I thought I would move out a few years later and use the bathroom stuff again....fast forward to August 2011.  Victoria and I were getting ready to move to our apartment and I was sorting through boxes.  I found my bathroom set and donated it to charity.  I still liked it, but I wanted to go another direction with my bathroom.

Tonight I cleaned my bathroom from top to bottom (what an exciting Saturday night, but I am really tired and just wanted to get some chores done).  My bathroom looks amazing all spic and span and I love all the colors I decided to use: black, red, gray, and white. 

Bathroom from the Hallway

Black, White, Red, and Gray Floral Shower Curtain

For me, it's the perfect bathroom:

1. Large tub for soaking after long hard days at work
2. Lots of shelves in the tub for all my bath products (face wash, shampoos, conditioners, etc)
3. Shower head is really high, so I don't have to bend down to wash my hair
4. Drawers in the vanity allow me to separate stuff according to function
5. Floor space for lots of rugs and an extra storage unit

 Extra Storage Unit (I put it together myself)

6. Lots of counter space

I'm also very thankful for indoor plumbing.  I wouldn't deal well going to an outhouse and only bathing once a week :)

Day 41: Las Quatro Milpas

As a San Diego native, I grew up on hole-in-the-wall Mexican food.  Usually, we ate at places near our house (Spring Valley and National City), but we also ate outside our comfort zone.  One day, my dad came home from work (while he was in the Navy) raving about a place in the Barrio called Las Quatro Milpas, or as we call it Milpas.  Milpas is off Cesar Chavez Blvd between downtown San Diego and the Coronado Bay Bridge.  It's only open 11am-2pm because the neighborhood is so bad.  It's always packed with military, police, fireman, and persons of Mexican descent (which sounds bad, but that's how you know it's good!).  My family has been eating there for over 20 years.

Today, I took my coworker, Eddie, to Milpas for his first time.  Eddie offered to help me buy our Walt Disney World tickets on 32nd St ($135 for a 4 day park hopper...a great deal, we saved over $840), so I decided to take him to lunch (Milpas is on the way). My dad could have bought them in Texas, but it's a two hour drive, so I volunteered to buy them through one of my many retired Navy friends.  

If you want to try Milpas, head down there around 11am, otherwise the line can get a little long.  I always order five rolled tacos with no lettuce (sour cream, salsa, and cheese included) and a Diet Pepsi, while Eddie chose two chicken tacos, a Chorizo,  Beans, and Rice bowl, tortillas, and a Coke...all for $12.75 (a bargain for two people).  Today, Milpas did not disappoint.  As soon as we left, Eddie wanted to go back for more food :)  I love authentic Mexican food.

Day 40: Company Computer Support

This morning, when I booted my company laptop (which I use every day at work), an I/O error appeared on the computer screen.  Not exactly what I wanted to see on a Thursday morning.  Being slightly technically savvy, I did what every IT person would do, I rebooted my computer.  Unfortunately, a reboot didn't solve the problem, so I called (and e-mailed because I couldn't wait for a return call...I am not very patient) our company computer support, Joey.  Joey asked me to bring my computer to the Nimitz office for diagnosis.  I explained the situation to my client, who was very understanding, and left work. 

Joey tried a couple different things: putting the hard drive in a different computer (didn't work), putting a new hard drive into mine (worked), and then viewing the hard drive on his computer (didn't work), so we determined the hard drive was bad.  Having a corrupt hard drive is very bad news because without access to the drive, the data could be lost (recreating some of the data could prove difficult).  I back up my files every month, so I wouldn't be starting from scratch, but having to recreate anything is not fun.  Joey asked for a couple hours to run some diagnostic tests, so I left for Soupplantation for lunch with my coworkers. During lunch, Joey called with more bad news: he was completing the last diagnostic test, but so far the hard drive had failed them all...it was not looking good for data retrieval. 

About an hour later, Joey called again, but this time with good news...he could see my file structure, but he needed my password and a thumb drive to get any data off the computer.  I gave him my password and drove over to Fry's to pick up a large (32GB) hard drive.  Joey was able to get all my data (including e-mails) off the drive :) and set me up with a temporary laptop.  My new computer hard drive should be in Monday or Tuesday, so I should be fully running again by the middle of next week.  I am so thankful all the data was retrievable.  Number ONE lesson: Back up your files weekly, so if your computer crashes, you'll only have to recreate a couple days.

Day 39: Jamba Juice

I absolutely adore Jamba Juice smoothies.  I've loved smoothies since I was small when we only made smoothies at home or had Orange Julius (yummy yummy) at Plaza Bonita.  When I was in high school, Jamba Juice was installed at Grossmont Center next to Rubio's (I've already professed my love for Rubio's).  I love strawberry, banana, and orange in my smoothies, as does the rest of my family, so the Citrus Squeeze and Orange-A-Peel became favorites quickly.  I still order those smoothies now even though they aren't even on the menu anymore.  My current favorite isn't even a smoothie...it's like a parfait, but with smoothie ingredients...the Chunky Strawberry Topper.  It's made with strawberries, bananas, peanut butter, and granola. I eat it at least once a week.

I buy Jamba Juice gift cards at Costco every couple months...$50 worth of gift cards for $40, so a 20% discount.  I also love the smoothie kits available at local grocery stores and Costco (my favorite store...a blog coming soon).  I actually don't even make smoothies with them, I just eat the frozen fruit straight out of the bag.  

Day 38: Young Parents

A series of deaths has been steaming through work.  Late last year, my friend Rita lost her Mom after a year and a half of bad health (Rita was dealing with a lot of stress).  In the past 4 weeks, I've had two employees lose parents and another lose a grandparent.  I am really thankful I have young(ish) parents still.  I don't know what I would do without my parents.  I talk to my mom often (every day or every other day...sometimes more) and my dad a couple times a week.  I enjoy hanging out with them when I visit (or they visit me) and I know I can talk to them about anything (good and bad).  The worst thing about living in California is knowing if something happened to either of them, I may not be able to fly to Texas in time to say good-bye (this is a huge fear of mine). 

My parents were born in 1956, so they just turned 55 last year.  To put it in perspective, I work with a number of people my parent's age or older.  My parents had Ashley and I when they were relatively young (they had me at 24 years old), so we haven't really dealt with any major health issues.  My mom has suffered through migraines for years (way too many to count), but Ashley and I have finally convinced her to try a new treatment.  Based on initial feedback from her, she does seem to be feeling better.  My dad has high blood pressure, but takes a prescription to help control it.  I'm really thankful my parentals are young, in good health and see doctors regularly, so I don't need to worry about death quite yet.

Day 37: Online Banking

When I was younger, we went to our Mission Valley bank branch before every vacation to pick up Traveler's checks (does anyone even use those anymore?).  Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) were non-existent until high school, so when my mom went grocery shopping, she wrote checks over the amount, so she could get cash without going to the bank. 

Online and mobile banking makes money management SOOOO much easier.  Not going to a bank branch saves me time throughout the month, which I can then use to do things I enjoy more (reading, shopping, cleaning, etc).  The only time I ever go to the bank is to deposit change into my account.  I accomplish all my other banking online or through ATMs.  I balance my checkbook 3-4 times a month online, but I also look up my balances on my iPhone.  I deposit checks and pull out money at ATMs (there are quite a few ATMs near my house and work, but I can also go to 7-11 ATMs without any fee).  I barely even need checks anymore since I can manage payments online.  My family can transfer money amongst each other online.  Online banking just rocks!

Day 36: My Testimony

Today, I taught Lesson 3: Our Testimony of Jesus Christ from The Teachings of George Albert Smith to the Relief Society women.  The lesson had a ton of great information...I didn't have near enough time to talk about everything I wanted to because we were having some great conversations.  My favorite portion of the lesson was the following story:

In his travels as a General Authority, George Albert Smith occasionally met those who thought Latter-day Saints do not believe in Jesus Christ. This misconception amazed and worried President Smith, and he tried to correct it by sharing his personal witness of the Savior.

On one occasion, in Cardston, Canada, he spoke at a Church meeting, about the life and mission of Christ. The next morning he went to the railway station to buy a train ticket.

While he waited in line, he overheard a conversation between a woman and the ticket agent. The woman mentioned the evening before she had decided to attend a Latter-day Saint worship service.

The ticket agent looked surprised. “My goodness,” she said. “You do not mean to say you went to church there."

“Yes, I did,” the woman answered. “Why not?”

The ticket agent said, “They do not even believe in Jesus Christ.”

The woman replied, “Only last night I listened to one of the elders of the Church speaking of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and I have never heard anybody who seemed more profoundly impressed with a knowledge that Jesus was indeed the Christ, than the speaker on that occasion.”

As I prepared for the lesson, I thought a lot about my own testimony. I was pretty nervous about the lesson because I think I have a very young testimony. I've gone through periods of inactivity, but I really never stopped beleiving, unfortunately I did makee some bad choices.  I have a testimony of my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, the living son of God.  I know Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon through the power of the Lord and he was the first prophet in this dispensation.  I beleive in and have felt the power of tithing in my own life.  I know Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet today.  The church leadership does receive revelation for the church and leads it to the best of thier ability.  I beleive families can be sealed together forever in the temple (and I am so thankful to work there each week).  I know I am happier and more content in my life when I follow the commandments and continually think about the eternal perspective.

Day 35: "Big Miracle"

Tonight, Sonja and I had a little girl's night out.  We had great Thai food at The Bangkok West Thai Cafe, which is a couple blocks from my house (love the yellow curry with veggies and tofu).  During dinner, we decided to see a movie.  Currently, there aren't any particularly girly movies out, so we decided to see "Big Miracle."  Neither of us knew much about the movie, except it was about whales.

I think we were both pleasantly surprised by the movie.  "Big Miracle" stars Drew Barrymore, as a Green Peace official, and John Krasinki, as a reporter.  The film is based on the 1989 book Freeing the Whales by Tom Rose, which covers Operation Breakthrough, the 1988 international effort to rescue gray whales trapped in ice near Point Barrow, Alaska.  After reading about Operation Breakthrough online, I know the movie took a number of dramatic liberties, but I really enjoyed the it anyway.  Sonja and I realized actors are always better looking than the people actually involved in true stories (they showed pictures of the real people during the credits).  By the end of the movie, I was really rooting for the whales (in real life, no one knows if the whales actually survived) and all the people involved with the rescue effort. 

Day 34: The Broken Yolk Cafe

This morning, we had a Going Away Breakfast for my coworker (and friend), Julius Jones, or as we like to call him Mr. Jones. He just became a government employee and is moving to a different building.  Julius loves bacon (as evidenced in a previous post), so we decided (mostly me) a breakfast was the perfect way to say "See You Later, Alligator."

7 AM comes early every morning, so this morning was no different.  I rushed through my morning ritual because I didn't get out of bed until 6:20AM.  I drove down to "The Broken Yolk Cafe on Midway Dr (in Point Loma) and was only a couple minutes late.  The Broken Yolk Cafe (BYC) just opened in Point Loma on 11 January, so it's still pretty quiet in the morning (I don't think many people know about it yet).  I've always heard good things about the BYC, but I'm usually not around any of the other locations during breakfast or lunch hours. 

I've been to the BYC twice now and I wasn't disappointed either time.  The first time, I ordered a 4 egg omelet (bacon, avocado, tomatos, mushrooms) and home fries...I didn't quite finish it, but I loved the freshness of the food.  This morning, I ordred my favorite breakfast food...french toast with strawberry sauce.  The chef made some delicious food.  I don't think anyone was disappointed.  I love finding good breakfast food near work, so I can go for lunch whenever I feel like breakfast for lunch :)  I would recommend the BYC to everyone in the Point Loma area. 

Day 33: My Laundry Room

When I was in college, going to the laundrymat or apartment complex laundry rooms wasn't a big deal because I had a lot more time (between classes, at night, all those hours I wasn't working, etc). As soon as I started working fulltime, I realized how much time laundry takes to accomplish.  If you have a laundrymat nearby, it's easy to do a number of loads at once, but it will still take 2-3 hours every couple weeks (at least it would for me). 

Since 2003, I've lived in apartments/houses with laundry rooms.  Now, I couldn't live without an in house laundry room...it's non-negotiable.  When I lived in the Alexandra house, the laundry room had front loaders, which I still miss (they got the clothes really clean) and have stored in our storage unit.  My current laundry room is pretty good sized, with a full size washer and dryer, and shelving for linens and cleaning supplies.  Having a laundry room allows me to start a load of laundry whenver I have a couple minutes free.  I usually do a couple loads a week, more if I am washing sheets and towels :)  Sometimes, I even forget I started it and I LOVE being able to forget about my laundry. 

Day 32: Connecting with Old Friends

Keeping in contact with friends and family is not a strong suit. I've never been good at writing letters, emails, making phone calls (I don't really like talking on the phone much), facebooking, texting, etc. Years ago, when I graduated from high school (1998 was a long time ago!!!), e-mail and cell phones weren't ordinary items yet, so I lost touch with most of my high school friends (and even more so my middle school and elementary school friends). 

In 2007, I gave into peer pressure and created a Facebook account.  My first major experience connecting with old friends happened a few years later.  In December 2009, I received a friend request from Kim, one my good friends in high school.  I was really excited to see the request  and wrote her a message immediately. We started catching up over Facebook, but both of us wanted to catch up in person. With the holidays, vacations, work, family, church, and just life in general, we weren't able to get together until March 2010.  It was so great to connect with her again and just like old times.  Now, I see Kim about once a month (and usually talk to her more than that over text) at Book Club.

Last Saturday, my friend Lisa got engaged and posted a picture on Facebook.  I was reviewing what everyone was saying to her and about to add my Congratulations when I saw a familiar name and face...Teresa Carmody.  In middle school, Teresa and I were good friends, but we lost contact when her family moved to Utah.  I didn't know if it was the same Teresa Carmody I knew, but I wrote her a message anyway.  A couple of hours later I received a response and a friend request...it was the same girl.  It turns out Lisa and Teresa were roommates at BYU, isn't it such a small world?  Teresa and I have been sending messages back and forth getting to know each other again and it's been really cool. 

Day 31: Water

I wake up a lot during the night (sleeping issues)...usually 2-3 times on average.  During one of my awake periods, I usually get up to go to the bathroom, but the reason I usually wake up is because I'm thirsty.  I always have water next to my bed and must be in a bottle with lid.  If it's not, I have a tendency to spill water everywhere because I don't always look when I am reaching for it (I really hate having to clean up water in the middle of the night...it's almost as bad as bag balm). 

During the past year, I've become a huge fan of water.  I challenged myself to drink more water during the day, so now I drink around 64oz of water every day at work. Our water mess is only $2 a month for unlimited filtered water (awesome!).  At restuarants, 9 times out of 10, I'll even choose water over Diet Coke (especially if the restuarant only serves Pepsi products).  I think water is the most refreshing beverage in the world. 

Day 30: Chex Mix

When I arrived home from San Francisco tonight, I was starving (even though I ate a huge meal about 5:30PM...Yellow curry...yummy).  I couldn't decide what to eat because I didn't want to eat anything too heavy.  I had just about given up the idea of food when I remembered my Chex Mix.  As a child, I used to hate Chex Mix because it wasn't potato chips, but as an adult I love the original Chex Mix because it isn't too salty, has delicious textures, and mixes some of my favorite things together:

1. The Pretzels

2. The Brown Bread-like Chips

3. Chex (2 different kinds)

4. Salt mixture (I have no idea what's in it, but I like it!!!)

5. The slim crackers

Thanks Chex Mix for always being there when I need a quick snack!!!

Day 29: Sleeping In

I work Monday-Friday (7:30AM-5:30PM on average), work in the temple Saturdays (6:15AM-12:15PM), and have church Sundays (9AM-12PM), which means sleeping in past 7AM is not something I accomplish very often.  Sometimes I feel like I never have a day off because my alarm is constantly going off each morning. Today, I was lucky enough to sleep in.  This weekend, I'm visiting the Murphy's and we didn't have anything exciting to do today (just planning on playing with Liam and catching up), so Meg and Dave let me sleep in until 10:30AM.  It was so luxurious because an alarm never went off.  Usually, my alarm goes off every day, whether I am on vacation or not.  I love sleeping in and am so thankful I got a couple hours extra sleep this morning.  Unforunately, tomorrow my alarm will go off, but at least I don't have to go to work :)

Day 28: Mini-Vacations

Until I was in high school, I went to a year around school.  Year around schools are schools where classes met year around.  Ashley and I started each school year in June, 10 weeks of class, 3 week break in September, 10 weeks of class, 4 week break in December (basically the whole month off), 10 weeks of school, 3 week break in March, 9 weeks of class, then 3 weeks off before the next school year began.  What does all  this have to do with mini-vacations?

My family took mini-vacations during every break (except in June because too many other kids were off school at the same time).  Mini vacations were great as kids...usually 2-4 days in length, not too much time in the car, and we saw/experienced some really cool stuff.  As a kid, we had adventures at amusement parks (Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Knotts Berry Farm), went camping (Grand Canyon, Yosemite), visited family (hello, Blythe!!!), took in local scenery, and sometimes just hung out around town, but pretended we were tourists. 

As an adult, I've grown to love mini-vacations.  Short vacations allow me to take only a couple days off work, but still have the feel of getting away from the world.  In the past few years, I've been to Las Vegas (girl's weekend, anyone?), Seattle (Barbie, let's go back!!!), Utah, and this weekend, I'm in lovely San Francisco visiting the Murphy's. 

My best friend, Meghan, and her husband, Dave (also a good friend), had Liam Micheal, in October 2011.  An opportunity to visit sooner was nonexistent, so a couple months ago, I found a cheap flight on Southwest and booked a ticket.  I love visiting the Murphy's because it's guaranteed to be a nice relaxing weekend.  It's a pretty quick trip...only today through Monday night, but I know I will be less stressed when I go home than when I arrived.  I love talking to Meghan in person about everything in my life and getting her perspective.  Thanks to the Murphy's for faciliating a great start to another fabulous mini-vacation.

Day 27: Pedicures

Over the years, I've grown to love pedicures. My love blossomed while I was at UCLA, where pedicures were only $10. My roommates and I would treat ourselves before big events and get pedicures (we were poor college students). As I've gotten older, pedicures have gained a spot in my monthly routine. I love going to the salon, sitting in the spa massage chair, having my toes done, and forgetting about the issues in my life.  This afternoon, I got my first pedicure in over a month (I got a pedicure right before I left for Texas for the holidays). Over the past week, my toes were looking really ragged because I've broken my toe nails, as they have gotten longer (for me, three weeks in the optimal amount of time between pedicures).  I went to a new spa/salon near my house, which was nice, and I plan on going there again.  I love bringing my own nail polish, too, which allows me to touch up my nails between pedicures (it's a money saving venture).  I love sitting in a spa chair, reading all about the latest celebrity gossip, and getting a lower leg massge (so relaxing...).

Day 26: Diet Coke

I love Diet Coke. Some people might say I am addicted to Diet Coke. Tonight, I went to a work sponsored happy hour at a local restaurant...Jimmy's Famous American Tavern. I don't drink, so my coworkers always order me a Diet Coke :) If I am not drinking water, I am usually having a room temperature Diet Coke (I don't really like ice with my soda). For as long as I can remember, I've been a Diet Coke drinker. My mom introduced me to the deliciousness of Diet Coke at a very young age. Ashley and I were always taught to drink diet soda rather than regular because of the sugar in regular soda. My mom said if we drank diet, then we could have dessert, which is a mantra I still live by (who doesn't like dessert?). When I am at a restaurant with Diet Pepsi, I feel a little sad inside because Diet Pepsi isn't Diet Coke (but I will drink it in a pinch :)). I even love the fizzing sound Diet Coke makes when I pour it into a glass. Cheers to you, Diet Coke!

Day 25: Heating Pads

Heating Pads are a necessity at my house.  I've suffered from migraines since I was 8 years old.  My migraines trigger back and neck pain.  I take over-the-counter and prescription medicine to combat my headaches, but that medicine doesn't always help right away (if it helps at all...sleep is actually one of the best medicines for me).  Years ago, I learned heating pads ease the tension in my head and neck when I have a headache.  I think heat helps keep my mind on something other than the headache (plus I love being warm).  I usually use  herbal heating pads with rice or grains that heat up easily in the microwave (2-3 minutes).  I also have chemical heating pads (you pop a little disk and the liquid becomes a hard gel) that stay warm for about an hour, but you can't reheat them easily (they turn back into liquid by boiling them in hot water).  Every few years, I buy new heating pads at the San Diego County Fair (great deals). I also love massages using heating pads...it relaxes me so much.

Today was a really long day at work (11 hours, including a manager's meeting).  I was feeling good until I started driving home.  I decided to eat something and lay down, but my headache kept getting worse.  Around 8PM, I took some of my prescription medicine (I use Imitrex because it works for me, but I try not to take it often since it makes me really tired) and heated up a heating pad.  I felt really sick, but just having the heating pad on my head makes me feel like my headache is getting better. 

Apparently, I could also use my heating pad during Yoga...



Day 24: amazon.com

As a bargain shopper, I have grown to love online shopping.  It isn't always as fun as the real thing, but you can find some great deals.  In the past few years, I've become a huge fan of amazon.com. 

In 2009, my parents bought me a Kindle (EReader) for my birthday.  I loved it and started buying all my books through amazon.  Buying books may not seem like a huge deal, but I read a lot (roughly 1 book every 3 days).  Originally, I started browsing amazon a couple times a week for bargain ebooks.  Now, I pretty much visit amazon daily.  When I moved last summer, I ordered many of my organization tools (drawers, jewelry boxes, etc).  This past November, I bought myself the Amazon Kindle Fire, which is a cool little tablet, and very integrated with amazon.com.  I joined Amazon Prime, which gives me free 2 day shipping, and I've bought something every day this week (Jewelry Cleaner, a Duffle bag for my 72 hour kit, and DVD holders).  I love how convenient amazon.com is for all my shopping needs.  I can literally think about buying something and within 5 minutes buy it on my phone (the wonders of technology).

Day 23: Facetime

When Monroe was born, I was very much a part of the experience (Thanks again Ashley...I love being part of Monroe's life).  I was at the ultrasound where Ash and Stu found out they were having a girl, in the delivery room for the birth, spent a lot of time with Ash and Stu after the birth, and really bonded with Monroe. 

Little Boyd wasn't a surprise, so I knew I wouldn't be able to be able to be at the birth or meet him immediately, but my head and my heart were saying conflicting things.  My head was saying "You have a plan to meet him on 8 March (airline ticket booked and paid for) and you get to spend 11 days with him.  That's soon enough."  My heart was saying "Book yourself on the next flight to Dallas and see the little guy."  Needless to say, my head won out and I have been in San Diego the past few days waiting for pictures to arrive and Ashley to get home from the hospital with the little bundle of joy.  Officially, I haven't even seen Boyd, except in pictures, so I was excited to do a little video chatting with Ashley and the family tonight. 

First, I had the opportunity to do a little IPhone Facetime with Monroe (my favorite niece...my only niece, but still my favorite :)).  She was taking a bath and told me all about her day.  It was so great to see and interact with her in a way not possible a few years ago.  As Monroe gets older, Ash and I use Facetime more and more because Roe likes to interact with me on the phone.  She enjoys showing me her clothes, toys, and whatever else tickles her fancy at the moment. 

Then, I got to meet Boyd for the first time.  He had just peed all over his outfit, so he was only in a diaper...so adorable with all the rolls.  Boyd has a head full of dark hair and the chubbiest cheeks I've seen in a while. He wasn't too happy to be on display, but I think he'll get used to talking to me over the phone or computer (at least I hope so).  Ashley thinks he looks a lot like Roe when she was born, but I think he's distinctly himself.  I can't wait to see who he looks like.

Day 22: Stake Conference

For those of you who don't know much about the Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the church is separated into different areas called Stakes.  Each stake has approximately 6-8 wards, also divided up by area based on the number of priesthood holders in the area.  My ward, San Diego 12th ward, is in the San Diego North stake. All 88 stakes in Southern California had Stake Conference this weekend.  It started yesterday with a Priesthood leadership meeting at 4pm, the adult meeting at 7pm, then today's broadcast at 10am. Stake Conference is always a great opportunity to hear some wonderful guidance from leadership in the church and this weekend was no exception.

Yesterday, I was really tired when I got home from the temple (not very shocking since I had to wake up at 5am.  Around 2:30PM, I feel asleep, but didn't set an alarm, since Stake Conference didn't start until 7pm.  I woke up in a panic hours later because it was dark outside and I thought I had missed the meeting.  Luckily, it was only 6pm, so I got dressed and headed over to the Mt Abernathy building (typically buildings are named after the street they are on). Last night's session was great.  The stake presidency spoke on charity and keeping our hearts open to our ancestors.  The stake has been asked to work on geneology.  A lot of my family work has been completed, but I know I could help with my mom's family....looks like I need to start learning how to use ancestry.com. 

This morning, I met up with friends about 9am to get seats on the comfy pews (plus we brought each other snacks...best row ever!!!!).  Today's broadcast started promptly at 10:15am, with opening prayer, song, and a little stake business for 15 minutes prior to the broadcast.  Elder Steven E. Snow, Sister Barbara Thompson (2nd counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency), Elder Paul V. Johnson, and Elder L. Tom Perry all spoke and it was fantastic.  The importance of family prayer was a major focus of the conference and Elder Snow's talk.  Below are the highlights:

- Family prayer should be scheduled at a regular time
- Assignments should be rotated amongst family members
- Prayers don't need to be long
- Whoever is giving the prayer should really think about what to say
- Ask for specific blessings
- Be specific in gratitude (which fits really well with my thankfulness blog)
- Take time to listen for an answer

I also really enjoyed Elder Johnson's talk about faith.  Faith is the power of God and can only be used to do his will, so we must make our requests in harmony with his will. 

Overall, stake conference was really uplifting and I am looking forward to working on the guidance we all received. 

Day 21: Rain

San Diego is known for it's absolutely gorgeous weather.  Most days the past few weeks have  been in the 70s and it's seemed more like summer than winter.  Today was a major exception, since when I walked out of the temple rain was falling.  Rain is a normal January occurance, but has been noticably absent this year.  Today, I am thankful for the rainfall, so hopefully we aren't stuck in another drought this year.

I love rain! Especially, when I can stay at home snuggled in my bed and just chill.  I love the smell of rain...everything smells so clean after a good rain.  Rain also gives San Diego some of the most beautiful sunsets.  My friends have been posting pictures all week.  I also love rain when my car is dirty (which it is right now).  I feel like I have a few more weeks until I need a wash now :)  What I dislike (hate is a strong word) about rain is having to drive in it.  San Diegans don't know how to drive correctly in rain because we don't need to often enough.  The drivers slow down, stop, speed, etc, so accidents occur all over the county. 

P.S.  My new nephew is named Boyd Mason Keller.  Boyd after Stuart's Paternal Grandfather, Mason is my mom's maiden name...family names all around. 

Day 20: Brand New Nephew

Around 8AM this morning (10AM Texas time), I received a call from my mom, Judy.  My mom is not normally awake at 10AM, so I knew something was up if she was calling...Ashley was being admitted to the hospital.  If you don't already know, Ashley is having a little baby boy (name TBD before birth) due January 22.  Apparently, he decided he wanted to arrive a couple days early.  This morning, Ashley had her normal OB appointment and her DR said her amniotic fluids were low, so they were inducing.  Stuart immediately grabbed Ashley's stuff and left to meet her at the hospital, while my mom and dad stayed with Monroe until closer to the delivery. 

Ashley called me about 9:30AM: 4 centimeters dialated, IV in, and getting ready for the epidural.  As I tried to work throughout the day, my mind kept wondering to Ashley in labor.  I hoped and prayed everything would go smoothly for her and little baby boy (please, have a healthy baby).  I texted her around 12:45PM to see how everything was going and received a response 15 minutes later..."8 centimeters dilated, so getting close. Today is definitely the day.  I will keep you posted." I called Ashley again at 1:36PM, Stuart answered the phone and said "Congratulations, he was just born."  I cried a little and told all my coworkers like the proud Auntie I am. 

The pertinent statistics: Born 1/20/12; 3:13PM (CST); 8lbs, 13.2oz; 21 inches; dark brown hair; Blue eyes

Baby Boy Keller Right after birth (No name as of yet)

Baby Boy Keller Being Held By Mama

Papa's first grandson...finally a boy :)

  

He already holds a little piece of my heart.  I talked to Ashley tonight and Mama and baby are doing great.  Monroe was very excited to meet her baby brother and told me all about how he has BIG eyes :)  I can't wait to meet him in March, but hopefully I can call him by an actual name soon! 

Day 19: Chili

Today, my thankfulness is for chili.   You may be thinking I am thankful for the country (which I guess I am , but I've never been to it), but I am actually giving thanks for the food...you know that delicious stew-like concoction made with beans, meat, and whatever else you throw in :)  Chili makes me think of cold, windy days (some would say blustery).

I've always loved chili.  As a young girl, I remember eating Stagg chili covered with shredded cheese along side my dad.  He always told Ashley and I the reason he was so tall was from eating Stagg chili every day growing up (and milk makes you smalled).  Chili is always in my cupboard and I always have a can at work I can eat in a pinch (like today).  I usually buy vegetarian chili because I don't trust canned meat (is that weird?).  Whenever, I eat at Soupplantation (yummy!!!!), I always eat the chili and cornbread. 

Day 18: Rubio's

For those of you who know me, you know I love to eat out.  Eating is one of my favorite pasttimes :)  Growing up in San Diego, I've always loved Mexican food, but I didn't always love the chain fast food...until Rubio's.  I absolutely adore Rubio's.  I've only ever eaten 2 things there...fish tacos and nachos (and I usually order the Nachos: no guacamole or Salsa frasca, substitute sour cream because why ruin a good thing). 

Ashley and I hit Jamba Juice and Rubio's (can you say massive amounts of calories????) at Grossmont Center at least once a week when I started driving.  In November, Ashley was in Anahiem for a work function, so I drove up and all she wanted to eat was Rubio's. 

I think it may be in my blood now.  Good thing I live 3 blocks from a Rubio's, so I can eat it whenver I want....

Day 17: My Sister Ashley

This morning, I was feeling a little bit down about life.  Work is good, church is fulfilling, great friends, awesome family, but I still feel like something is missing.  I am not unhappy with my life, but I know I could be happier (Thanks Happiness Project for showing me everyone could be happier).   On my way to work, I called Ashley for a little pep talk.  I am so thankful I have a good relationship with my sister.   

Ashley and I have always been close.  One of my earliest memories is playing with my mom while she was pregnant with Ash and I wanted to be pregnant, too, so I stuffed my shirt with a towel (apparently I've always wanted to be a mom).  We were always each other's playmates, best friends, and worst enemies growing up (anyone with sister's can understand that one).  I was the Maid of Honor at her wedding and am a pretty rocking Auntie Coco to her daughter, Monroe (if I do say so myself).  I miss her like crazy since she moved to Texas, but I know it's where her family is supposed to be right now.  I can't wait to meet my new nephew currently cooking in her belly.

At Ashley's Wedding

The Bickmore/Keller Girls at my 30th Birthday Dinner

I love you Ash! Thanks for always being a great sister.

Day 16: College Basketball Games

I've always loved college basketball.  I clearly remember watching March Madness in 1995 when UCLA won it all, which may have been when I started loving my Bruins.  I loved the drama and artistry in college basketball, which was/is definitely missing from professional sports.

When I was accepted to UCLA, I was very excited to buy season tickets to the football and basketball games.  Imagine my disappointment when I was told only 1,000 freshmen receive tickets each year by lottery.  I figured there was no way I would get tickets, but luckily, I won and continued to buy tickets each subsequent year).  I didn't miss a basketball or football game my entire time at UCLA.  I have so many fond memories of the student section (8-clap anyone?).  More than once, I slept outside, so I could be courtside during our most highly anticipated games (Hello, Arizona & USC).

Tonight, I had the opportunity to attend the BYU-USD basketball game with some single friends (Thanks for the invite Michelle).   It was really fun and reminded me how much I love live sports and miss my UCLA games.   

 

P.S. BYU dominated the game and won by 19 pts :)  Go GOUGARS!!! (And yes, I can say that since my sister graduated from there!!!)

Day 15: Fresh Sheets

Since I've been sick (sinus infection, running nose, coughing) for the past few weeks, I decided to wash all my sheets, blankets, and duvet cover.  All the washing and drying basically took all day, but everything is now clean.  I am really thankful for my nice comfy bed, but today is all about fresh sheets.  I love the feeling of climbing into a fresh set of sheets.  Whenever I travel, I always allow a few minutes before I leave to change the sheets on my bed, so they are fresh when I get home :)

My current bedding is very floral and mostly matches (the sheets are whatever color I happen to like at the moment...I have light blue, red, and lavender).  I bought this DKNY duvet cover and pillowcases when I moved.  I thought I needed a lighter duvet, so my bedroom (really small compared to my old room) looks bigger.  I still need to buy some more accent pillows, but overall I like the look. 

Day 14: The BBC's "Pride and Prejudice"

After working at the temple this morning, I decided to really rest this afternoon and catch up on some DVR (The Big Bang Theory was particularly hilarious).  Later in the day, I checked the mail and was super excited to see Netflix envelopes...the second DVD in the BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" had arrived.  How did I neglect watching this masterpiece for 16 years?  Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is one of my favorite books and I love movies depicting that time period (BBC's "North and South," "Sense and Sensibility," "Little Women," etc).

The BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" is approximately 5 hours and one of the best book adaptations I've ever seen.  I tend to be pretty disappointed in book adapatations, but as a miniseries, this adaptation could take the time to get the details right :) 

Jennifer Ehle is superb as Elizabeth Bennet.  She captures her frankness, kindness, and change of heart concerning Mr. Darcy perfectly. 

Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy.  I completely understand why women swoon over Mr. Darcy because I love Colin Firth (I always have...hello "Love Actually").  Now if only I could find my own Mr. Darcy...

Day 13: Hilarious Coworkers

Today, I've had a hard time narrowing down what to write about. 

I spend 45-55 hours at work each week, so I am extremely grateful for hilarious coworkers.  I work with Sentek coworkers, government clients, and other contractors (BAH, CSA, Intellisolutions, etc).  My current work environment consists of a large cubicle with 5 men....needless to say I hear surprising things each and every day. 

One of my coworkers, Julius, is slightly obsessed with bacon.  He talks about bacon daily.  You may ask "how does someone talk about bacon every day?" Well, it's actually quite easy when we egg him on every day (we all love how obsessed he is).  I've visited Denny's with him for Baconmania, seen him eat multiple bacon burgers, and continue to try to persuade him to try the Bacon brownies at Slater's 50/50.

Then there is Brian, who is one of the smallest men I know (5 ft 6 in, 120 lbs wet), but can eat more than 3 men.  This afternoon, my boss (Tom), Justine (a fellow manager), and I threw a Thank You Lunch  for our employees. Brian ate a stacked 1/2 pound hamburger and probably a pound of potato chips.

My boss, Tom, or Clubber (his call sign from the Navy...he was an aviator and a retired Naval Captain) is a joy to work for.  Whenever we meet, he cracks me up because he seems constantly amazed by Justine and I (we are pretty amazing).  He is the classic Harley rider, gun toting, Republican and totally reminds me of my dad. 

I am really lucky to work with great people.

Day 12: Long Hot Showers

After a great catch-up session (including dinner, shopping, and laughs) with Barbie at Fashion Valley, I was feeling a little chilled as the weather dropped to below 60 degrees (living in San Diego has it's perks).  All the way home, all I could think about was taking a nice long hot shower.

I love long hot showers...I always have.  I used to get up a half hour earlier than I needed just to take a 30 minute shower in the morning.  As I've gotten older, my showers have become shorter and shorter in the morning because I love sleep, too.  I usually have just enough time to shampoo my hair, wash up, and clean my face (on a good day, I'll even shave my legs). At least once a week, but usually more, I take my shower at night where there isn't a deadline and the water can't get HOT enough. It's absolutely fantastic!!!!

If you haven't taken a nice long hot shower in a while, take a half hour and give it a try...you won't regret it :)

Day 11: Monthly BUNCO

As a single female, I like to stay busy and make new friends by joining different groups around town (like Book Clubs).  Today I am thankful for one of my favorites…my monthly BUNCO group.  Founded in 2008, my girls-only BUNCO group grew from girls who played BINGO together in another group (at least that is how I was brought into the group; others are family members, soccer moms, school friends, etc).  I’ve grown to love every one of the girls because they are each individuals with their own talents and quirks.  We have 11 standard members (Amber, Andrea B, Andrea L, Beth, Heather, Melissa, Roberta, Sonja, Stacey, Toni, and myself) with the option to bring a substitute each month.

For those of you who don't know what BUNCO is...take a look at wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunco (Wikipedia can explain it a lot better than I can).  Basically, it's a game with 3 dice played in multiple rounds. 

My BUNCO group rotates homes the second Wednesday of every month (we create the calendar every December).  We each pay $10 a month (except January, when we pay $20, and December, when we don’t actually play). The hostess provides dinner, dessert, and snacks for the girls, then we play 24 BUNCO rounds (6:30-9:00PM).  Each month, I track most Buncos, wins, etc and give out monetary prizes ($5-$40).  At the end of the year, I add up all the statistics from the year and give out whatever extra money is in the pot (usually around $150).  Every June, we hold a Birthday party with gift exchange (White Elephant, but classy gifts).  In December, we have a Holiday Potluck (with a theme…potato bar, cheese, etc), ornament exchange, and holiday gift exchange (in November, we pick names out of a hat and buy for a specific person).  We always have a really good time talking and laughing throughout the night.  If you would like to join us at any time, let me know.

P.S.  I am also really thankful for the opportunity to see friends in random places (I loved seeing Chad and Heather Spring at Panera Bread tonight!!!!).

Day 10: The Container Store

I've been pretty down on myself about my lack of motivation to get everything unpacked and put away in my apartment.  After living there for 4.5 months, I'd say 85% is unpacked, but I need to get the last boxes out of the garage, so I can actually park there :)  As I look back at the move, I probably should have taken some time off to unpack and settled, but I didn't realize it would take me this long.  In the past, I've only had to move a couple rooms (bedroom, bathroom, some kitchen items), so I didn't realize the time it would take to unpack a whole apartment.  I haven't made unpacking a high priority in my life, but it does seem like if it wasn't one thing, it was another...the holidays, church, temple, travel, work, sickness, etc. 

The bottom line...the unpacking just needs to get done, so I need to get in gear and finish marking it off my perenial To Do list.  To help with my goal,  I am making a trip to one of my favorite stores for some inspiration.  Today, I am thankful for The Container Store.

Located in Fashion Valley, The Container Store houses an organizer's dream...boxes, labels, gadgets, hangers, ideas, etc to make organizing easier.  If I allowed myself to spend the money, I could spend an armful at The Container Store.  I usually just roam the aisles for ideas about future organization (I know, I'm weird, but tonight was no different).  Where else can you find a $99 trash can?  Does it look that special to you?

When I moved to my new apartment, I donated, gave away to friends, or threw away a lot of stuff.  I lived in the Alexandra house for 6 years, so I acculated and adapted to the space I had available.  The new apartment is a nice size (for an apartment), but it isn't a house, so I've had to adapt and purchase more organizational items as I have unpacked. Here is what I bought tonight :) (Can you tell what everything is?  A couple cute floral storage boxes for keepsakes, a tall boot box, a short boot box, 3 travel size shampoo containers, a bag blam container, and a luggage tag...mine broke on my last flight)

P.S.  Thanks for the Facetime Ash and Roe...You crack me up!!!!

Day 9: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"

Today, I am thankful for this month's book club selection: Rebecca Skloot's "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." Before reading the book, I had never heard of Henrietta or HeLa, the cells which changed science forever. Below is a short synopsis from Amazon.com:

"From a single, abbreviated life grew a seemingly immortal line of cells that made some of the most crucial innovations in modern science possible. And from that same life, and those cells, Rebecca Skloot has fashioned in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks a fascinating and moving story of medicine and family, of how life is sustained in laboratories and in memory. Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue, taken without her knowledge or consent, as was the custom then, turned out to provide one of the holy grails of mid-century biology: human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. Known as HeLa cells, their stunning potency gave scientists a building block for countless breakthroughs, beginning with the cure for polio. Meanwhile, Henrietta's family continued to live in poverty and frequently poor health, and their discovery decades later of her unknowing contribution--and her cells' strange survival--left them full of pride, anger, and suspicion. For a decade, Skloot doggedly but compassionately gathered the threads of these stories, slowly gaining the trust of the family while helping them learn the truth about Henrietta, and with their aid she tells a rich and haunting story that asks the questions, Who owns our bodies? And who carries our memories?"



This book really made me think about medical testing legalities, cell preservation, and what is owed for a family member's contributions to science.  What should a doctor or hospital do with a removed appendix or tumor?  How acceptable is it to perform research on blood or tissue not needed for testing?  "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" is a great non-fiction book.

Reading the book also made me think about starting another project...a book review blog.  I read a lot of books (approximately 400 in the past 2.5 years...no wonder I don't have a significant other), I'm a member of 2 book clubs, I'm not a horrible writer (I don't think), and I would love to pass along my recommendations to friends, family, and whoever else wants to hear my opinions.  I'm not exactly sure how I will proceed with the idea, but it's definitely percolating in my mind now :)

Day 8: Teaching Relief Society

In late October 2011, I was asked to be the 1st counselor in my ward's (San Diego 12th) Relief Society.  I was very apprehensive since I just moved into the ward in August, but I've always been taught to accept whatever callings are offered.  Since my call, I've had the blessing to teach 2 lessons to the Relief Society sisters, so today I am thankful for teaching Relief Society.

I've always had a fear of talking in front of large groups.  I always cry and make myself sick from all the worrying.  My last calling was teaching 6 young women (ages 12-18), which was a mixed blessing.  I learned a lot about the gospel from the lessons I prepared, but getting young women to talk is sometimes like pulling teeth.  Teaching Relief Society is very different because there are women 18-90 years old with lifetimes of different experiences and most of them aren't afraid to share :)

Today's lesson was "Living What We Believe" from the George Albert Smith manual.  When George Albert Smith was 34 years old, he made a list of resolutions called his “personal creed”—11 ideals he committed to live by:

1.   Be a friend to the friendless; find joy in ministering to the needs of the poor

2.   Visit the sick and afflicted; inspire a desire for faith to be healed

3.   Teach the truth to the understanding and blessing of all mankind

4.   Seek out the erring one and try to win him back to a righteous and a happy life

5.   Not seek to force people to live up to my ideals, but rather love them into doing the right thing

6.  Live with the masses; help solve their problems, so life may be happy

7.   Avoid the publicity of high positions and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends

8.  Not knowingly wound the feelings of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do good and make him my friend

9.  Overcome selfishness and jealousy; rejoice in the successes of all the children of my Heavenly Father

10. Not be an enemy to any living soul

11.  Know the Redeemer of mankind has offered to the world the only plan that will fully develop us and make us really happy here and hereafter, I feel it not only a duty but also a blessed privilege to disseminate this truth

If I could live the above ideals, my life would be pretty happy, but I know I am there yet.  Preparing for the lesson really made me think about how I am living the gospel in my daily life.  Some gospel principles come really easy to me...tithing, family, prayer, temples, etc. While other items are personal trials and I need to gain a stronger testimony, so they aren't as diffcult for me.  I do want to be known as different from my neighbor for all the good things I am accomplishing.  Being middle of the road isn't good enough.  In the coming weeks, I am going to think about my own life ideals and what it will take to live them.