This has been one of those weeks! Very trying, very testing, very strengthening. Interestingly enough I had a dream last Friday night/Saturday morning and I didn't know it at the time, but it seemed to be foretelling of my week to come.
Dream Friday/Saturday February 10th/11th
I dreamt that I was standing near an interesction (Elkhorn & Durango) and I was brushing my teeth or something...lol. This intersection is near a freeway that separates a large part of Northwest Vegas. I looked off to one side where I could see these pink clouds starting to rapidly swirl around, and then to the other side where the same was happening. The clouds started to look more like vapors coming up from the ground off in the distants. I kept telling myself that I must be having some kind of vision and that it just couldnt be real because I had never seen anything like it. The vapors then changed to a dense liquid matter, splattering up from the ground (somewhat like lava, only not red). I still could not believe my eyes. That liquid began to rise in the distance on both sides of me and began to devour the land and everything on it as it rushed over top of everything towards me. I had nowhere to turn so I just stood there hoping that this vision would go away. At one point, I even thought "I must be dreaming!" but that still didn't make things any better. I knew that this flood of somesort had already wiped out my house, my families houses and most of my friends houses and was coming right for me. I watched as it poured over top of the freeway sound barier in front of me and finally got to me. I was screaming and crying. The matter was dense enough that I was able to stand on top of it if I moved fast enough. It was hot and sizzling and rising while I was on it, popping like lava would be in the rim of a volcano. I knew that I would die unless I got some sort of help from above. I looked up to the sky screaming for Heavenly Father to help me because there was nothing I could do to help myself. This was out of my hands. At that point, I woke up. Even in my waking life at 2:30am, I felt like my soul was being attacked. I had to pray for help and comfort, because I couldn't fall back asleep. My dream left me feeling very volnerable, weak, scared and disterbed. After my prayer, I quickly fell back asleep and I was on to my next VERY strange dream, but I will get to that one later.....lets talk about this one a bit....
The next night I got the stomach flu...boooo! I was up all night. I still got up and went to church because I thought it was just food poisoning and I wanted to sing in choir. Jordan is having separation anxiety and did not want to go into class. My frustration was getting the best of me and my family. Without going into detail, over the next few days, my faith was challanged from many different direction. I got to a point that it was more than I could handle and by Tuesday I was crying and praying for help and guidance. Over those few days I saw that challanges were rushing at me from different directions, more than they've been in a long time. At many points I realized that it was out of my hands and I felt helpless. All I could do was pray for help. I began to see that my dream was preparing me for the week to come. I will continue on with is after telling of my next dream.
Another Dream Saturday Morning, February 11th
Now unless you are very interested in the meaning of dreams and dream interpretations....you might wanna skip over this one cause its weird, but I know there is definitely more than meets the eye....
I was driving with my mom and my sister. We were not in any place I recognized. We passed by this hill that had these tall gargoil-like gravestones, and the sun was setting behind them and they looked pretty cool all silouetted (good picture op). We continued driving down this path that turned into a riverbank, but rather than being all rocky and bumpy, it was smooth! We quickling glided over it as if we werent even touching the ground. All of the sudden, my mom had to quickly stop the car because there was a strange circular shape warped into the water. By the time we got close enough to look, the water rushed over top of it and it was gone. We decided to look around because it seemed to be a really old, untouched land. There were lots of cool rocks and petrified wood. We kept going down the river and in the middle of this wide river stood a tall solid giraffe! It was as if it was frozen solid and not living and next to it, was a wooden tree-ish thing that was shaped like the giraffe. It was kind of prehistoric. Of course being a photographer, I took out my camera and started snapping some pictures while my mom and sis were looking at some other stuff up ahead. I started to get closer so that I could check it out, and get this.....there was a tall skinny dead blue alien sitting in the chest cavity of the giraffe as if it had been controling it like a spaceship! Yes you heard me...what the heck! So then, I was like..."OH MY GOODNESS!! We have made one of the most amazing scientific finds ever!" I got even closer and realized that there was another smaller toddler blue alien near the other!! I thought it was dead too, but then it started stretching like it was waking up! I freaked out and ran to my mom and sister to tell them to come check out what I had seen. When we got back over there, the toddler alien had turned into my oldest son Tony...But the alien version of him. He was acting shy and not talking to me as I asked him why he's here and how did he get here. Then I woke up. Um weird. For some reason this dream slightly continued a few nights ago....
Dream Tuesday, February 14th
This dream was really interesting because it had some similarities to the one a few nights earlier. I just have to start by saying that I asked for a meaningful dream that I could interpret in my prayer the night before, so when I get a good one that I can remember, I really try to think a lot about it. Ya, I'm a total hippie, WHAT? You got a problem! Anyway :-).....
Once again my mom, my sister, and I were on a river, but this time we were on a raft. It was a beautiful, really green area. The river was nice and smooth. We were just relaxing and hanging out but all of the sudden, we hit some rapids. The water got really rough and we started getting really scared, not sure what to do. We were having a hard time holding on and then Shelsi (my sister) got thrown off and landed really hard on her tailbone on a boulder in the water and then rolled off onto the ground. There was a 30ish year old women near by and this person wasn't lifting a finger to help Shelsi while we were struggling to get to her. I was screaming at the lady to "HELP HER PLEASE, HELP HER!!!!!" I kept screaming and when I got to Shelsi on the ground, I knelt down and picked her up in my arms. She wasnt really moving. I was crying so hard and I was yelling at the lady still saying "She is fragile! She's been through so much! Why weren't you helping her? She's fragile!!" The lady never replied, but Shelsi ended up standing up and being fine. She was limping a bit cause her back was hurt, but other than that she was fine. Then I woke up.
If you know my sisters history, this dream was a bit unsettling, but the fact that she ended up fine at the end of the dream was quite a relief.
The next day (yesterday) I got a text message from her to our family saying that while she was at work, her hand, arm and left side of her mouth went numb for 5 min. She immidiately went to the doctor where they did a few tests and said that she could go home, but would need to make sure and go to the ER if it happened again cause it could be very serious. She is for sure in our prayers and hopefully it was just a fluke migraine or something.
So anyway, I thought I was going to write about more things on this post, but this took up a lot of time and energy, lol. Until we meet again!!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Multiple topics!
Work!
This week has been incredibly productive! I have blogged so much for my Kandylane Photography Blog! I still have quite a bit to totally be caught up, but it is really coming along!
Cleaning & Kids
Yesterday I had a thought come into my head about cleaning. We have been doing pretty good, but we just cant seem to stay on top of some things. My kiddos are great and they do help out a lot, but I don't feel like anyone is ever offering to help out without being asked. I want them to learn how to willingly contribute as they grow up. I want to make sure that when they are married, they know that asking if their wife needs any help or even just to start to help without asking could make her a very happy women. We decided to switch things up a bit yesterday. I cleaned their (NASTY) bathroom from top to bottom and they cleaned the entire kitchen, living room and entryway......I promise it was a fair trade and took about the same amount of time. Even though we were all working, they were SO grateful that I did that for them and I was SO happy not to have to do down stairs. They both gave me big hugs and told me how amazing their bathroom looked and I did the same for them.
Changing things up a bit really helped us all see and appreciate the work each one of us does normally for each other. I am a big believer in teaching kids how to be active members of their family rather than just observers. Sometimes its easier to do it ourselves and get it done right the first time, but that's not doing them any good. It normally takes a lot of motivation and reminding....over and over and over and over again, but it'll be well worth it when we watch them grow into helpful, sustained, service oriented, hard working members of society and of their families!
Nutrition!
Some of you may know that over the past few years, I have become very interested in health and nutrition. Having many chronic issues like post nasal drip, aching bones, hyperactive nerves, irritated bladder (sorry, I know, TMI!), and a few more things, I have made it a goal to to figure out why I'm having these issues and kick them out the door! I am definitely not perfect and I often fall back into bad habits, but overall I think I have been much better off. Those issues have significantly reduced since I have been more cautious of what I put into my body. I don't go totally crazy on organic stuff, although I know there are many benefits, but that can get very expensive....so I figure until I'm makin bank or have a large fruitful organic garden....I'll be sticking to the usual.
Back in September, after we moved into our new home, Andrew and I built a garden! I used the points I earned from using my Chase debit/credit card and was able to get $125 worth of Lowe's gift certificates! Boo-ya!! That was able to help with a the majority of my cost! Although its been 5 months and still have nothing large enough to harvest besides herbs, I have learned a ton and think I will be much better off this coming season. Unfortunately I bought treated wood (bad advise lumber guy!) and one day I will trade it all out. Composting has been on my mind for a while now I just haven't done anything about it. This week I have started to throw food away separately, and I'm determined to get that going soon. I think my garden might just be malnourished. Please don't send me to GPS (Garden Protective Services)! Haha....I'm a dork.
I have really become a fan of juicing!! I drink all kinds of weird juice! Right now I'm drinking, romaine, cucumber, celery, carrot, apple juice. Its really good, I promise. I cant wait til I'm using my own garden for it! but for now, I buy most everything in bulk from Sams Club. I did some of my own research today to help figure out the cost and amount of a couple good-juicing fruits and veggies. I'll throw it in here just cause.....
Pricing based on Sam's Club prices Feb. 8, 2012. (Not held responsible for prices changing)
I added the amount of pulp in there so that you can see that quite a bit can be wasted. BUT you can save a lot of it in freezer safe bags and use them in breads, muffins, cakes, lasagnas, sauces, salsas, etc! OR if you don't want to get all fancy with it, you can always put it towards your composting. I have found that spinach does NOT juice well. It spits almost everything back out. I will be updating this chart as I to more of my experiments :-).
OK I'm sure I could go on forever about this stuff, but I will save it for later :-)
Thank you so much for reading! Be back later!
This week has been incredibly productive! I have blogged so much for my Kandylane Photography Blog! I still have quite a bit to totally be caught up, but it is really coming along!
Cleaning & Kids
Yesterday I had a thought come into my head about cleaning. We have been doing pretty good, but we just cant seem to stay on top of some things. My kiddos are great and they do help out a lot, but I don't feel like anyone is ever offering to help out without being asked. I want them to learn how to willingly contribute as they grow up. I want to make sure that when they are married, they know that asking if their wife needs any help or even just to start to help without asking could make her a very happy women. We decided to switch things up a bit yesterday. I cleaned their (NASTY) bathroom from top to bottom and they cleaned the entire kitchen, living room and entryway......I promise it was a fair trade and took about the same amount of time. Even though we were all working, they were SO grateful that I did that for them and I was SO happy not to have to do down stairs. They both gave me big hugs and told me how amazing their bathroom looked and I did the same for them.
Changing things up a bit really helped us all see and appreciate the work each one of us does normally for each other. I am a big believer in teaching kids how to be active members of their family rather than just observers. Sometimes its easier to do it ourselves and get it done right the first time, but that's not doing them any good. It normally takes a lot of motivation and reminding....over and over and over and over again, but it'll be well worth it when we watch them grow into helpful, sustained, service oriented, hard working members of society and of their families!
Nutrition!
Some of you may know that over the past few years, I have become very interested in health and nutrition. Having many chronic issues like post nasal drip, aching bones, hyperactive nerves, irritated bladder (sorry, I know, TMI!), and a few more things, I have made it a goal to to figure out why I'm having these issues and kick them out the door! I am definitely not perfect and I often fall back into bad habits, but overall I think I have been much better off. Those issues have significantly reduced since I have been more cautious of what I put into my body. I don't go totally crazy on organic stuff, although I know there are many benefits, but that can get very expensive....so I figure until I'm makin bank or have a large fruitful organic garden....I'll be sticking to the usual.
Back in September, after we moved into our new home, Andrew and I built a garden! I used the points I earned from using my Chase debit/credit card and was able to get $125 worth of Lowe's gift certificates! Boo-ya!! That was able to help with a the majority of my cost! Although its been 5 months and still have nothing large enough to harvest besides herbs, I have learned a ton and think I will be much better off this coming season. Unfortunately I bought treated wood (bad advise lumber guy!) and one day I will trade it all out. Composting has been on my mind for a while now I just haven't done anything about it. This week I have started to throw food away separately, and I'm determined to get that going soon. I think my garden might just be malnourished. Please don't send me to GPS (Garden Protective Services)! Haha....I'm a dork.
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| Las Vegas Garden September 16th 2011 |
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| Las Vegas Garden September 28 2011 |
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| Las Vegas Garden November 23rd 2011 |
February 8, 2012- The Latest
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| Las Vegas Garden |
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| Las Vegas Garden |
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| Las Vegas Garden |
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| Las Vegas Garden Giant Peas |
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| Las Vegas Garden Nappa Cabbage Flowers |
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| Las Vegas Garden Romaine Lettuce |
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| Las Vegas Garden Marigold |
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| Las Vegas Garden Parsley |
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| Las Vegas Garden Cilantro |
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| Las Vegas Garden Mint |
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| Las Vegas Garden |
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| Las Vegas Garden Broccoli |
I have really become a fan of juicing!! I drink all kinds of weird juice! Right now I'm drinking, romaine, cucumber, celery, carrot, apple juice. Its really good, I promise. I cant wait til I'm using my own garden for it! but for now, I buy most everything in bulk from Sams Club. I did some of my own research today to help figure out the cost and amount of a couple good-juicing fruits and veggies. I'll throw it in here just cause.....
Pricing based on Sam's Club prices Feb. 8, 2012. (Not held responsible for prices changing)
I added the amount of pulp in there so that you can see that quite a bit can be wasted. BUT you can save a lot of it in freezer safe bags and use them in breads, muffins, cakes, lasagnas, sauces, salsas, etc! OR if you don't want to get all fancy with it, you can always put it towards your composting. I have found that spinach does NOT juice well. It spits almost everything back out. I will be updating this chart as I to more of my experiments :-).
OK I'm sure I could go on forever about this stuff, but I will save it for later :-)
Thank you so much for reading! Be back later!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Bringing in the new year!
So here it is, 2012, and I am really ready to make some new big changes in my life. So far we are doing great! We've hardly missed a night this month of family scripture study, family prayer and we haven't missed doing one Family Home Evening! The reading is tremendously helping our kids learn how to be faster readers and even Jordan (age 3) wants to get in on it every night. They are comprehending so much and that makes me so happy! Since the beginning of the year, I have prayed and read a chapter in the scriptures each morning and wrote in my journal each night. For 2 weeks now, I have done a vigorous 10 minute workout each day of the week along with an extra 10 minutes of warm up, cool down and stretching.
I've always had a hard time finding out how to live a balanced life, as with all of us. I always make up excuses that there isn't enough time in the day. But I have really begun to grasp the idea that there are 24 hours in a day for a reason. I can honestly say that I highly doubt we'd do any better at accomplishing more if there were 34 hours in a day instead. We'd just have another 10 hours to goof off and procrastinate. My goal is to accomplish my life long goals every day before anything else and since I have began to practice this goal, life just seems easier.
"Give us this day our daily bread......" Matthew 6:11. As I read in January's issue of the Ensign my eyes were really open to the simplicity of life. It doesn't say...."Give us this month our monthly bread" or "yearly" or even "weekly", it says "daily". ONE STEP AT A TIME! Editing pictures, facebooking, mopping the floors, doing laundry, scrubbing toilets, grocery shopping, paying bills, etc are NOT daily tasks! They may be frequent tasks, but they aren't something I want to do everyday for the rest of my life. BUT there are a few things that I can say I'd like to do almost everyday if not everyday for the the rest of my life. Those things for me would be: Morning prayer, morning scriptures, making my bed, quick exercise, being of service to someone, nightly family scripture study, nightly family prayers, nightly journal writing & nightly personal prayers. For some reason when I focus on just completing these morning and nightly routines, everything else falls into place. My house stays cleaner, my work gets done, my errands get done, my social life is still active, my brain is more clear, I'm happier, I feel better all together, my marriage is stronger than ever and my kids are behaving better. Its pretty miraculous! My morning prayers are focused more on the day I have in front of me and my nightly prayer is focused more on giving thanks for the day I got through and asking for guidance on how to do things better tomorrow. Stress seems to be almost entirely alleviated because all I have to do is get through today.
The moral of my story today is that yes, we can and should plan for the future. Get those goals and tasks down on a paper. Know where you want to be in the future and have that in your head, but today, live as if you were being tested on today and today only. Past issues will begin to be resolved and the future will begin to smoothly unfold with the grace intended. I cant say that I will always be able to take this advise myself, but I CAN say with a surety from past experiences, that this is the best way to live.
I've always had a hard time finding out how to live a balanced life, as with all of us. I always make up excuses that there isn't enough time in the day. But I have really begun to grasp the idea that there are 24 hours in a day for a reason. I can honestly say that I highly doubt we'd do any better at accomplishing more if there were 34 hours in a day instead. We'd just have another 10 hours to goof off and procrastinate. My goal is to accomplish my life long goals every day before anything else and since I have began to practice this goal, life just seems easier.
"Give us this day our daily bread......" Matthew 6:11. As I read in January's issue of the Ensign my eyes were really open to the simplicity of life. It doesn't say...."Give us this month our monthly bread" or "yearly" or even "weekly", it says "daily". ONE STEP AT A TIME! Editing pictures, facebooking, mopping the floors, doing laundry, scrubbing toilets, grocery shopping, paying bills, etc are NOT daily tasks! They may be frequent tasks, but they aren't something I want to do everyday for the rest of my life. BUT there are a few things that I can say I'd like to do almost everyday if not everyday for the the rest of my life. Those things for me would be: Morning prayer, morning scriptures, making my bed, quick exercise, being of service to someone, nightly family scripture study, nightly family prayers, nightly journal writing & nightly personal prayers. For some reason when I focus on just completing these morning and nightly routines, everything else falls into place. My house stays cleaner, my work gets done, my errands get done, my social life is still active, my brain is more clear, I'm happier, I feel better all together, my marriage is stronger than ever and my kids are behaving better. Its pretty miraculous! My morning prayers are focused more on the day I have in front of me and my nightly prayer is focused more on giving thanks for the day I got through and asking for guidance on how to do things better tomorrow. Stress seems to be almost entirely alleviated because all I have to do is get through today.
The moral of my story today is that yes, we can and should plan for the future. Get those goals and tasks down on a paper. Know where you want to be in the future and have that in your head, but today, live as if you were being tested on today and today only. Past issues will begin to be resolved and the future will begin to smoothly unfold with the grace intended. I cant say that I will always be able to take this advise myself, but I CAN say with a surety from past experiences, that this is the best way to live.
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| Tony- 10, AJ- 7, Jordan- 3 Taken December 26th 2011 |
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