Wednesday, February 24, 2010
John's Eye
John finally had his eye appointment last night. I thought he might need glasses. He's been complaining about eye pain lately. A 45 minute appointment turned into two hours. We were so sad to find out the doctor is sending us to a pediatric specialist because one of his eyes turns out significantly. Adam has a lot of empathy for our little man. Adam had to have eye surgery when he was little, so the doctor is assuming it is genetic. Surprisingly, John has been functioning well and continues to get good grades. I asked if John needed glasses, but the doctor said if he were to wear glasses for this problem, they would be extremely thick lenses. SO, we'll see what's next. We're assuming eye surgery and therapy. Until then, John's tired eyes will continue to work overtime. This was written with sloppy grammar, but I don't even care because I have to write two essays today. I need to save my good english for school. Back to life!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Concern for the One
There have been more dramatic events this week than I can count. Family members, friends, and acquaintances have had incredibly difficult or challenging events happen over the past two weeks. Some of these events include devastating deaths, disabilities, difficult life choices, and the trials of life. Our phones and emails have been flowing constantly. While some have been asking for our prayers, others suffer from a distance alone and in silence.
It seems as though everyone is struggling in one way or another. I came across this quote today by Joseph B. Wirthlin. "I know that each of you bears a concern for a loved one. Give encouragement, service, and support to them. Love them. Be kind to them. In some cases, they will return. In others, they will not. But in all cases, let us ever be worthy of the name we take upon ourselves, even that of Jesus Christ."
I've been trying desperately to keep a prayer in my heart to have "concern for the one". I only hope I can live worthy of the name of Jesus Christ which name I have taken upon myself at my baptism.
Adam and I had the opportunity to go to the temple last week. It was a wonderful experience. The temple has been a great refuge for me when the storms of adversity whirl around. When I come out of the temple, I feel more grounded. I know the temple can be a refuge for any who seek for peace. We went to the Chinese Cultural Center over the weekend. The gardens were beautiful. Still, I have yet to find a place on earth where there holds a fullness of beauty and joy as I have found within the walls of the temple. It is not an elaborate palace, but a quiet and meditative place for worship, instruction, revelation, and redemption. As I came out of the temple I realized Heavenly Father's "concern for the one" and I can't wait to go back there again. He really does care about everyone...even you...even me.
It seems as though everyone is struggling in one way or another. I came across this quote today by Joseph B. Wirthlin. "I know that each of you bears a concern for a loved one. Give encouragement, service, and support to them. Love them. Be kind to them. In some cases, they will return. In others, they will not. But in all cases, let us ever be worthy of the name we take upon ourselves, even that of Jesus Christ."
I've been trying desperately to keep a prayer in my heart to have "concern for the one". I only hope I can live worthy of the name of Jesus Christ which name I have taken upon myself at my baptism.
Adam and I had the opportunity to go to the temple last week. It was a wonderful experience. The temple has been a great refuge for me when the storms of adversity whirl around. When I come out of the temple, I feel more grounded. I know the temple can be a refuge for any who seek for peace. We went to the Chinese Cultural Center over the weekend. The gardens were beautiful. Still, I have yet to find a place on earth where there holds a fullness of beauty and joy as I have found within the walls of the temple. It is not an elaborate palace, but a quiet and meditative place for worship, instruction, revelation, and redemption. As I came out of the temple I realized Heavenly Father's "concern for the one" and I can't wait to go back there again. He really does care about everyone...even you...even me.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Chinese New Year
We went to the Chinese Cultural Center over the weekend. We have been planning this for about a month. Ella's preschool is studying the Chinese New Year. We celebrated with the preschool and Nana came too. It was a blast! Yummy food and a beautiful cultural experience!
John and Ella looking into the koi pond. It was a quiet garden...why is John plugging his ears?
We also got two turtles:
John named this one Greenie
Ella named this one Sally, although it might be a male...so we're calling it Sal.
I love Chinese New Year!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Prioritizing
Is anyone else swamped with obligations? I sure feel swamped. There's lots of places to be and lots of work to get done. One thing I've heard several people say is: Mormons think their service will get them into Heaven. It's true, we do serve a lot. Some days I'm overwhelmed with the responsibilities lying in front of me.
I'm so glad though for the agency to decide what activities I will participate in. Adam and I have been focusing on prioritizing lately. I've had several opportunities to learn about prioritizing in the church. As things become increasingly busy, I find great comfort in prioritizing something like this:
Placing me with God first (This means strengthening my physical, spiritual, and emotional self)
Placing family second
Placing work responsibilities third (For Adam, it's his career. For me, it's my responsibilities to nurture the family in the best ways possible)
Placing church responsibilities/callings fourth
Placing hobbies last
Some might disagree with this pattern. However, I have found a lot of comfort when I follow this outline. Gordon B. Hinckley once said, “You have to establish in your life some sense of prioritizing things, of giving emphasis to the important things and of laying aside the unimportant things that will lead to nothing. Establish a sense of justice, a sense of what is good and what is not good, what is important and is not important; and that can become a marvelous and wonderful blessing in your lives” (devotional, Utah Salt Lake City Mission, 15 Dec. 2001).
Prioritizing is helping me determine between good, better, and best. When I haven't even showered for the day, I know my priorities are mixed up. If I'm working on a Relief Society lesson and the family hasn't had dinner yet, I know my priorities are mixed up.
I'd love to hear what everyone else has learned about prioritizing. I'm trying to conquer that "swamped" feeling and replace it with a feeling of gratitude. Life balance is such an interesting topic to me.
I'm so glad though for the agency to decide what activities I will participate in. Adam and I have been focusing on prioritizing lately. I've had several opportunities to learn about prioritizing in the church. As things become increasingly busy, I find great comfort in prioritizing something like this:
Placing me with God first (This means strengthening my physical, spiritual, and emotional self)
Placing family second
Placing work responsibilities third (For Adam, it's his career. For me, it's my responsibilities to nurture the family in the best ways possible)
Placing church responsibilities/callings fourth
Placing hobbies last
Some might disagree with this pattern. However, I have found a lot of comfort when I follow this outline. Gordon B. Hinckley once said, “You have to establish in your life some sense of prioritizing things, of giving emphasis to the important things and of laying aside the unimportant things that will lead to nothing. Establish a sense of justice, a sense of what is good and what is not good, what is important and is not important; and that can become a marvelous and wonderful blessing in your lives” (devotional, Utah Salt Lake City Mission, 15 Dec. 2001).
Prioritizing is helping me determine between good, better, and best. When I haven't even showered for the day, I know my priorities are mixed up. If I'm working on a Relief Society lesson and the family hasn't had dinner yet, I know my priorities are mixed up.
I'd love to hear what everyone else has learned about prioritizing. I'm trying to conquer that "swamped" feeling and replace it with a feeling of gratitude. Life balance is such an interesting topic to me.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Update!
We decided to make our blog private. Mainly, we wanted added security for our family. As Adam and I continue our education, things are getting increasingly busy. We wanted the opportunity to post personal information about our goals and whereabouts without added concern for privacy. There may have been a few people we left out of our list. Please let us know if someone is hoping to view our blog!
Many thanks to you all!
Now, here's a few things that we've been endeavoring. Adam still works for G.B. and loves his work as an electrician. His going back to school will be exciting and scary. We hope to maintain balance while BOTH of us are in school.
I look forward to transferring to ASU's pre-med program. I have not decided on a medical program yet. I am, however, very interested in a Naturopathic school here in the valley. It is one of the top Naturopathy schools in the country and people travel from around the world to study there. It is a four year doctoral degree with internship and residency opportunities. When I started school I thought I would LOVE teaching. And I still do. I just realized the politics and limitations within school systems were really overwhelming. I will continue with a minor in early childhood education, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my research in autism, neuroscience, and nutrition. Working with children is still my goal...just on a different level. There are also some OT and PT programs I have been looking at.
John continues to receive services as outlined in his IEP. He's growing so fast, but it's been a difficult few months. The ups and downs of life I guess. John is looking for more independence and it's hard to know what's appropriate for him. The high functioning autistic symptoms come and go and we never know what John will be like when he wakes up in the morning! I thought he might enjoy the OM (Odyssey of the Mind) program, sponsored by NASA. Here, children are able to experience a variety of problems and use creative thinking skills to solve them. For example, some teams are supposed to build a robot that can open a lid without human contact, etc. We'll see what we can find!
John and Ella are waiting for acceptance at a nearby Charter school. It's been 6 months, so we hope their turn comes soon! Either way, we're pleased with their current status and we'd love to offer them extracurricular activities that engage their minds.
Ella is still at her Montessori preschool. She loves it there! She is learning to read and she will be turning 5 in April. She continues to take dance classes (ballet and tap). She's an amazingly patient sister and is very understanding.
There's still SO much more to our lives right now, but I'm running out of blog time. Adam and I are always on the fence about having more children. We are incredibly torn about what having another child will require. Some people might think we are being selfish if we don't have any more kids, other people might think we're crazy to have another baby. We pray, read church talks, scriptures, fast, and we still haven't felt impressed to have more kids. It's a bit frustrating too. My health has been up and down, and John needs SO MUCH attention. Not to mention, we have a beautiful daughter who needs constant support while she endures the trials of sisterhood. We ask for your prayers and personal stories. This is a HUGE test of our agency and we want to do what is BEST. It's not easy to see friends and family with their growing families, and knowing that might not happen for us. Still, I'm so glad for two beautiful children...a miracle blessing. In the meantime I'll keep going to school to learn how to help children...whether they're mine or not.
Much love to you all!
Many thanks to you all!
Now, here's a few things that we've been endeavoring. Adam still works for G.B. and loves his work as an electrician. His going back to school will be exciting and scary. We hope to maintain balance while BOTH of us are in school.
I look forward to transferring to ASU's pre-med program. I have not decided on a medical program yet. I am, however, very interested in a Naturopathic school here in the valley. It is one of the top Naturopathy schools in the country and people travel from around the world to study there. It is a four year doctoral degree with internship and residency opportunities. When I started school I thought I would LOVE teaching. And I still do. I just realized the politics and limitations within school systems were really overwhelming. I will continue with a minor in early childhood education, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my research in autism, neuroscience, and nutrition. Working with children is still my goal...just on a different level. There are also some OT and PT programs I have been looking at.
John continues to receive services as outlined in his IEP. He's growing so fast, but it's been a difficult few months. The ups and downs of life I guess. John is looking for more independence and it's hard to know what's appropriate for him. The high functioning autistic symptoms come and go and we never know what John will be like when he wakes up in the morning! I thought he might enjoy the OM (Odyssey of the Mind) program, sponsored by NASA. Here, children are able to experience a variety of problems and use creative thinking skills to solve them. For example, some teams are supposed to build a robot that can open a lid without human contact, etc. We'll see what we can find!
John and Ella are waiting for acceptance at a nearby Charter school. It's been 6 months, so we hope their turn comes soon! Either way, we're pleased with their current status and we'd love to offer them extracurricular activities that engage their minds.
Ella is still at her Montessori preschool. She loves it there! She is learning to read and she will be turning 5 in April. She continues to take dance classes (ballet and tap). She's an amazingly patient sister and is very understanding.
There's still SO much more to our lives right now, but I'm running out of blog time. Adam and I are always on the fence about having more children. We are incredibly torn about what having another child will require. Some people might think we are being selfish if we don't have any more kids, other people might think we're crazy to have another baby. We pray, read church talks, scriptures, fast, and we still haven't felt impressed to have more kids. It's a bit frustrating too. My health has been up and down, and John needs SO MUCH attention. Not to mention, we have a beautiful daughter who needs constant support while she endures the trials of sisterhood. We ask for your prayers and personal stories. This is a HUGE test of our agency and we want to do what is BEST. It's not easy to see friends and family with their growing families, and knowing that might not happen for us. Still, I'm so glad for two beautiful children...a miracle blessing. In the meantime I'll keep going to school to learn how to help children...whether they're mine or not.
Much love to you all!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Going Private
Our blog will be going private, meaning you will have to sign in with an email and password. This will begin January 18th. Sorry to all for the inconvenience. I will do my best to invite all friends and family. If we do not have your info, you can leave a comment with your email address (I will not post it to the blog site). We will do our best to welcome any friends who love visiting our site!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Bringing in the New Year 2010
We went up to the Heber cabin for the New Year. It was very eventful. The weather was beautiful and it was nice to escape the valley. John somehow managed to get another concussion (this time sledding right into a ditch). It gave us quite a scare. Luckily, Grandma Chris (Alli's mom) was there to help. He played video games the rest of the trip and played Legos. I think this was his 5th or 6th concussion, and each one puts us in a panic. We ate Mexican food every night and went down the zipline. Treslee caught a stomach bug and had to hide in her room for a day. We had a family evening and shared testimonies and love on the last night. The cabin trips always bring out a bit of family drama and our "true colors" aren't always radiant, but we somehow keep going back and have belly laughs that are out of this world.
Our nephew Bastian enjoying a snack.
Adam's brother Brian and niece Andi.
Cousins and the snowman.
A wonderful walk on a snowy dirt road.
The kids just wanted a walk in the snow.
Adam's brother Devin likes to get friendly with brother-in-law Ryan.
Adam chopping our firewood.
Anya chopping too.
Adam in front of the fireplace.
When we got to the cabin John was THRILLED to finally see snow.
New Year's eve cousins Elle and Ella (born a day apart and dear friends).
Our nephew Bastian enjoying a snack.
Adam's brother Brian and niece Andi.
Cousins and the snowman.
A wonderful walk on a snowy dirt road.
The kids just wanted a walk in the snow.
Adam's brother Devin likes to get friendly with brother-in-law Ryan.
Adam chopping our firewood.
Anya chopping too.
Adam in front of the fireplace.
When we got to the cabin John was THRILLED to finally see snow.
New Year's eve cousins Elle and Ella (born a day apart and dear friends).
Here's to a fabulous 2010!
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