New adventures

It's been awhile since I have updated my blog and a few things have happened.

First of all Nick is finally practicing law. He currently has received 7 clients from the Public Defenders office. It has been exciting to see how excited he is to be working again and doing what he loves.

Second Nick's son, Liam will be living in our home. This is a big change for me. I have not had kids living with me for 3 years, since I moved to Idaho Falls and Ashlee decided to stay in Utah. Like Nick Liam struggles with Bi-Polar, but I feel very blessed to be able to have him in our home.

Last weekend we had the priviledge of having Megan and Mackenzie come for a visit. Kenzie is such a sweetheart. It was if she didn't know that she had not seen us for several months. She showered us with lots of hugs, kisses and fun memories.

I have been blessed with serving as a primary teacher in our little branch in Stevens Point. Our primary president was released today as they are moving to Tucson. It makes me a little sad as her son Jace was the only Sunbeam in my primary class. This put my class down to only 2 boys. However the Lords provides changes and with those changes the new primary president has divided the classes up a little bit differently. Now I will have 4 active children and 2 inactive boys. Looking forward to teaching these children that their Heavenly Father loves them.

Sunday June 30th Thoughts

It's a quiet Sunday here. I am going solo for a week. Nick left yesterday morning with Katie and Lydia to Idaho Falls. They will packing up the rest of our belongings, as well as Katie and John's, and bringing them home. Finally!

I will keep myself busy with work and getting my cards for card swap done. I also hope to work some on Mackenzie's quilt. I know it is my trademark to procrastinate, but I figured that I will have it done in time for the winter.

Today in Sacrament Meeting the Minneapolis Temple president and his wife spoke, along with our stake president. The topic was Family and living worthy to attend the temple to bind our families forever. I know it is an old topic, but I heard new thoughts or thoughts that are not so new but that I just needed to hear again. The stake president reminded us of one of the talks giving last week in stake conference on prespective. He said that in living worthy to return to our Father in Heaven we need to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father and Christ. We need to put into prespective our daily schedules that allows us to give our time in our relationship with Heavenly Father and Christ. We need to set aside the time to pray sincerely, study our scriptures, and give service daily. I am grateful for this reminder. I know that I need to strive to do better at this as I know that if I am doing these few things that I will be able to accomplish much more in my other routine things.
It's been awhile since updating my blog here. Been busy at work and moving into our first real place as a married couple. We moved into our duplex on May 25th, our 3 month anniversary. With most of our things still back in Idaho Falls there was not much to unpack and organized until we discovered garage sales and how much fun it is to get a lot of things for really cheap. We now have a fully stock grandkids toy room, kitchen is completely full (we still have a complete kitchen in Idaho Falls), and a queen size bed thanks to those in Waupaca County, Wisconsin that have so generously sold or given us their wonderful items.

During the first week and a half we did not have the internet and therefore no phone service. We know that several of our kids, family and friends were concerned on how we were as the tornados that had been touching down in our area. We apologize for this little mishap but all is well with us here.

I am trying to enjoy my job in the family & pediatric clinic but I am struggling. I was told that my job would be to check in patients when I am at the front desk, to schedule appointments and to answer questions when in the phone room, and then do re-appointments, schedule labs, x-rays... while at the re-appointment desk. I gladly accepted the position looking forward to working back in the medical field with patient contact. I also looked forward to the different areas of my job which meant that I would be busy. I guess I was wrong. I have only been at the check in desk for the last 7 weeks and was looking forward to start the training in the phone room this week and today I received a call from my manager letting me know that I will not be training again this week and will be back at the check in desk, as we are short staffed. As frustrating as this is I am trying to see the positives. One in that I have a job that is providing and income for our family. Two I must be doing a fantastic job at the front desk that they really need me to stay there. I really do like work in this area but I think that my frustration has been that I am not busy all the time and get bored. When I left First Call Jewel in Idaho Falls I was extremely busy and did not have time to just sit. So right now I think that is the problem. So tomorrow when I go into work I will search for things to keep me busy in between the patients checking in.

Okay reality check I am really doing well and am happy with my life. I am grateful for all that the Lord has blessed me with.

There is Sunshine in my Soul

What a beautiful Sunday afternoon it has turned out to be. I love the sunshine. We haven't had much of the sun since we arrived in Wisconsin but when it do show itself it is beautiful.

It's been a few weeks since I last updated my blog so I thought I would catch back up.

I have ow been working for 2 1/2 weeks and am loving it. I am back in the medical scene. I am working in the Family Practice and Pediatrics Clinic checking in the patients. I will also be trained to set up appointment and answer phones. So pretty much doing some of the same things I have done in the past. Most of my co-workers have been with Ministry Health for 12 years plus. So I feel that Ministry Health will be a great employer to work for.

This week I taught my first primary lesson in the branch. I am teaching the Sunbeams thru CTR5's. Right now there are 4 kids that attend my class. Their were a total of 13 kids in primary today. Last week when I sat in after being sustained their were only 10 kids total. So drasticly different from the primaries I have served in before. But I already love the kids. There are 3 boys and 1 little girl in my class. Today we talked about being thankful for our ears. As I taught the lesson that I prepared I felt more thankful that I was able to hear the spirit to able to teach more. See I prepared everything that was in the lesson manual but finished in less than ten minutes. So now my challenge will be better prepared for next weeks lesson so to take the full 40 minutes of time.

Being here in Wisconsin is so different from living in the Rocky Mountain region where the church is so strong.One of the things I am getting use to is that I am in the minority here. I always heard of people being the only member of the church in their high school or place of employment but could never imagine how that would be nor did I dream that I would find myself in that place. It is helping me become a stronger person and strengthening my testimony of the gospel.

I struggle at times as everything is all new to me all at same time. But I know that with the Lord's help I will make it thru. I am grateful that I have a husband that keeps reminding me that everything is going to okay. Then to have the Lord confirm that to me with such a sweet spirit in all our meetings today.

Easter Sunday

It's Easter Sunday and I am not feeling well. I am all congested. But still have a grateful heart for the atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful for the Lord's hand in my life. Most recently with being with me as I searched for employment and have now obtained that employment. I will be working as a PSR at St Michael's Hospital in Stevens Point. I will begin working on Wednesday April 27th.

Nick also will begin working a temp job at Wal-mart on Monday evening. He will be working on the remodel job for the next 6 to 8 weeks. He will continue to get his law practice up and going during this time also.

Again I can't put into words the gratitude I have in my heart for the Lord's hand in my life.

Happy Easter!

Temple Trip

This past saturday we went on our first temple trip with a few of our branch. We met at the church building at 7am and were on our way with at total of 6 adults and 5 youth. We had the opportunity to have Brother Marts ride with us. It was fun getting to know him and hearing about the different temple trips he had made over the years. After a little over 3 hour drive to Minneapolis we attended an endowment session. What a wonderful experience it turned out to be for me. Yes I have been to several different temples over the years but I don't think I have ever appreciated going and taking part as much as I did saturday. I think now that I am about 200 miles away from any on temple and can't just at a drop of the hat attend the next session it is more meaningful. I look forward to many more of these trips.

Struggles and Blessings

It's been a long week of struggles and accomplishments. Struggles keep creeping into life. I know that Heavenly Father does not give us more than we can handle. But today I feel like everything is crashing down around me. I started to see a little light at the end of the tunnel with a job interview on Wednesday. Then a little bit more light was shed when I received a call on Friday to schedule a 2nd interview for the job I was interviewed for on Wednesday. Saturday a little more light was shed but comes with more struggling feelings. Been the sessions of conference on Saturday we went and looked at a duplex for rent. This unit is located on a pensula on Lake Iola. It will meet our needs. The struggle is with the deposit, rent, and utility hook-up we need to come up with around $1200. Currently that is $1200 more than we have.

Today in the afternoon session of confernce Elder Pratt spoke about tithing. Before that talk I felt like I was good in paying a full tithe. However, I had questioned Nick on how we should be paying tithing with him being self-employed and receiving advances on his services. That lead to more contemplations on what we should pay tithing on. We are currently receiving help for food from the state and then help for rent and auto insurance from the church. We have some different views. But after hearing the talk on tithing, I feel better at ease at the decission Nick and I came too. But now I pray that I can have enough faith that the Lord will provide for our upcoming urgent needs...Gas for the car to get to interviews, to work when it is offered until the first paycheck comes in..and money to do the laundry so that we have clean clothes for the interviews, work and church.

I know that I am sounding whiney. I do have lots to be grateful for even in my time of struggles. I have a husband that is loving and caring to share in my burdens and I am not doing this on my own. I have children that are a blessing in my life. I have grandchildren that make me smile each time I think of them. I have friends that have always and will always be there to give that boost of encouragement. I also have parents, siblings and their spouses that are also their for those encouraging boosts. I also have my Heavenly Father that will love and help me if I give him my struggles and faith.

I will continue to be faithful and do what I can to live up to what my Heavenly Father wants me to be. I know he is always there.

I am so grateful for the gospel in my life! Only great things come from the Lord.