Adoption Update

This is a quick scan of our photo collage, it looks much better in person.. trust me...

We are so very very close to getting our paperwork done... had my physical last week, and I go in for another Insulin Resistance test on our birthday, and our photo collage is done. All we have left is our financial statement, and our background checks, we have put off the background checks because of $$ every time we had set aside the money to do them, something comes up that needed to be taken care of.. most recently new tires... they were badly needed. Then we need to set up interviews and a home visit. We feel really pushed, and I finally got the collage done because I had a day this week where all I could think about was finishing our collage, I had gathered photos, and thought about it lots but didn't do it, and finally since my mind would go no where else, I had to. Then once it was finished, and I liked the final product, I could move on and get other things done. So there it is enjoy

-S

Cake in the face....mine!

Please excuse the bulky sweatshirt, I had one a few layers, I slept downstairs, and it's cold!
My totally fake smile, I couldn't breath, thanks to a nose plugged with frosting!! She may have gotten my nose but I got her ear!!! ha! Good times.... and funny pictures!

Apparently my little sister Val felt that there was a serious lack of the feeding cake wedding pictures, Joe and I didn't do it, and Alisha and Marc didn't either, so that morning I left she did this to me...keep in mind that usually I would have caught on to something like this, but I just got up and I was seriously sleep deprived!! But it was fun anyway!

-S

Aaaaaaahhh!

My Brasilian dinner is tomorrow!!! I am looking forward to it, a little nervous, but it should be fun... and it's for a grade... international foods.

-S

Disappointed

I wanted to express my disappointment with the members of the church who have blatantly chosen to act in a way contrary to the counsel of our prophet. I am speaking specifically about prop. 8. We are all entitled to our own opinions, but we should be striving always to be obedient to those things that are asked of us... lets get back to the basics, ask yourself these questions:

Q1: Do you believe The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church?

Q2: Do you believe that the church is lead by a prophet who speaks to God?

Q3: If you answered yes to Q 's 1&2, shouldn't we follow the prophet? Do you follow the prophet?

I personally look forward to hearing our prophet when he speaks to us, and I will follow the prophet, no questions asked. He is there to lead and guide us in these latter days, I believe he is the true prophet and he speaks to us and tell us what our Heavenly Father wants us to know and do. I do not always understand the "whys" but all I need to know is the origin. If the prophet says,then I will go and do. You should too! I am ashamed of some of our members in California, it matters not what your personal opinion is, if you believe that we are members of the true church lead by a prophet, why won't you do what he asks, we are asked to do so little, is it that hard? What matters most in this troubling time is where you stand and how you acted... are you willing to follow the prophet in faith??

Follow the prophet, he knows the way.

-S

Another personal exercise

This is an assignment for Old Testament, we are doing personal practicums, we make up our own. I am doing one on self-esteem.

I am going to use the next three weeks to improve my self-esteem. I will be more positive about myself and I will recite a mantra out loud at least once a day, possibly in front of a mirror.

My mantra: I am a BEAUTIFUL daughter of God, and I CAN do hard things.

This might have slight variations, but it will basically stay the same. I will be keeping a journal to track my progress, if anyone would like they can join me!

-S

Lessons learned....

Mother's are NOT photographers, and should stay out of the way...
Think of it not as losing a daughter but gaining a bathroom....
Grandfather's tend to act out when grandchildren get married...

My parents are cute!

Alisha's Wedding

It was a beautiful day at the Columbia River temple and these are some of the wedding pics. which proves that even "non-smiley" people are happy on their wedding day.

To better myself

I have been doing something on my own for while, kind of an experiment. It is a kindness and politeness experiment.
1.NO GOSSIP I do not say anything behind anyone's back that I would not say to them. I think I started this when we started the adoption paperwork, I want people to talk to us not about us, and my job required me to talk about my residents and co-workers in complete honesty. All of this got me in the practice of not talking about people or when I do I tell them, really. It is interesting how this changes your thinking.
2. SAY PLEASE This is a word that helps a lot. In our primary class I get a little impatient, but we are sorely out numbered so I have started to use please A LOT! I ask them to PLEASE do quiet PLEASE be reverent. But when you use please you must use thank you.
3. SAY THANK YOU. I thank our primary kids for being good, they are shocked and proud and it makes a difference. I am also making an effort to vocally thank those nice guys that hold the door open for me at school, their faces say it all, they don't get thanked very much and this isn't good. I also say thank you at compliments, it's such a bad habit of us girls to say "thanks...but so and so" when recieving compliments, I have been just saying thank you when anyone compliments anything towards me, it's a good exercise.

-S

Our Little Buddy

November what?!

Update on Joe and pills:
Things are going great, this month Joe is on one pill a day! This is what he has to say about his progress:
I feel better and have more feeling I can't wait to be free of medication. Thank you for your prayers

What Shaylee has to say:
I have noticed that his balance is a lot better and his energy level is up, we haven't had any MS incidents since we started reducing his pills. He is challenging himself everyday, he rides his bike and he is working on walking down stairs with out relying on the hand rail. I am so proud of the progress that he has made and so happy that things are going well.

we love you all !

- J & S