Really??

This is funny, too funny!  I am watching the elction returns tonight :( and see Anderson Cooper talking to a hologram.  The caption actually reads, "Will.I.Am via Hologram."  Really?  I had to check the channel to make sure that I wasn't watching Star Trek.  What has news come to now to get ratings?  

Be Kind!

One of my friends just forwarded me a story about the kindness of a group of people to our soldiers.  This reminded me of the kindness of my soldier/airman in my life.  Because Marc never reads my blog I feel that it is alright to tell about him!

Last spring he traveled to a base in a remote area of California for some traning.  Next to the base wa sa small town where he and his coworkers would go to eat lunch and dinner.  While eating lunch one day Marc noticed an elderly woman eating lunch alone in the restaurant.  When he went to pay for his lunch he also asked to pick up the cost of this woman's lunch as well.  He wanted it to be anonymous, but the waitress informed the woman who had paid for his lunch.  She approached Marc to thank him, but also informed him that that very day was the anniversary of the death of her husband and every year she came to that particular restaurant where they had come often when he was alive.  

Marc only told me this to explain why his lunch appeared to cost so much when the charge came up on our account.  I could not have been prouder of my husband or more honored to have such a great example of kindness and service in my life.  If only more of us, myself included, would look for ways to help others, to notice those who arms hang down, those who are lonely and need only a kind word to keep them going.  Maybe we could just smile more today and be more courteous!

Goals

Do you ever have a great idea of something that you would like to accomplish that is a larger task than anything in your normal routine?  Having a goal and accomplishing it is an awesome feat.  The people I admire most in my life have had concrete goals that they have worked hard to accomplish.  One of those people is my little brother, Rob.  He is in medical school right now after many years of hard work to get there.  Ever since we were teenagers I remember that he wanted to be a doctor.  He will see his goal fulfilled in a short year and half.  

I love running for precisely that reason:  it gives me something to work toward, to reach a personal best in something tangible!  I have signed up for another race and training for it feels good.  I hope to someday be faster than I am right now and I will get there if I continue to be consistent in my pursuit of it.  

Now I have made a new personal goal for myself.  This goal I don't want to tell anyone about right now in fear that I won't follow through.  I am excited to do it and am hoping to keep my enthusiasm for it as time goes on.  This goal will help me in more ways than almost anything else.  I have great faith and hope in this one!

Barbie Cakes!

I just have to add the following pictures to my blog of Abigail's birthday cake that I made for her party! It was fun to make such a pretty cake and see how excited Abs was about it. Everyone thought it was hilarious when we cut her "bottom" out first. This has definitely inspired me to be more creative with every birthday!  

If anyone needs a Barbie cake I am here to help!

Uphill battles

When we face trials we are tempted to ask the question, "Why me?" I don't think that I necessarily have asked this question in relation to difficulties that I have faced, but now I find myself asking it. "Why?" I have had such a great time the past six months. My depression had been under control and gone. Then slowly the symptoms return, so soon, too soon. I don't want to be a burden to anyone my family, my friends. I don't want to have this for the rest of my life and yet I feel somewhere that this is to make me stronger.

Abi just had a blister on her foot and to empathize I showed her the blister that I had gotten a few weeks ago. She commented that the skin was still red and so it must hurt. I told her that no, there was no pain anymore and touched it to show her that the skin that had been hurt by the blister had grown back and was stronger than the skin around it that hadn't been hurt in the first place. Maybe I just need this experience as one to make me humble enough to discover gospel principles that I otherwise may have missed. Maybe my skin needs to be toughened up as I have become a little too soft lately. Who knows? What I do know is that I must continue forward with a "perfect brightness of hope" that "all these things will give [me] experience and be for [my] good."