WOW!! Look what I did!!


OK, Seriously! I am beyond thrilled! For real! Whenever I think about coming home and seeing my handiwork, I get a big smile to my face!! Can't believe I was able to do this all on my own! (Well, I had to wait for Soni to come home so she could hold it up while I connected the wires and then connected it to the base.) Following are the 'before', 'during', & 'after'. YAY! ( I said at least 5 prayers to Heavenly Father while I was doing this!!)
I couldn't find the before picture. It was in my phone, and I never deleted it, but now it's gone!! So click this link and then click on the pic to enlarge it. In the mirror you can see the gold accents! It was UGLY!!

This is the during. Putting on the blades.



This is the after... see how nice and bright white it is!! And nice frosted lights instead of the gold ones with black lining the inside!

Lent update 2...


It's still going really well. I can't believe I haven't gotten on FB since March 9!! It seriously feels like it's been FOREVER!! I can't wait until I can read people's statuses again! The thinking positively has been going great! I have my 3 thankful things that I do everyday, the Ensign's for 2010 only have 2 left in the pile (started with 6), the prayers have continued daily without fail as have the scripture readings. The only thing that's kinda hard for me is the complaining... You see, I work with only 1 other full-time girl in the back office at my work... and she is not a hard worker. She sometimes hides out in the bathroom, she has told me that she does nothing on Wednesday when she is supposed to be stocking the office... so basically, I get left with picking up her slacking off. I try not to let it get it to me. I just try to do my job, but a lot of times b/c she hasn't done her job, I get stuck with double duty. I've talked to my boss, but he's a wuss and won't really talk to anyone about anything, so I've decided just not to worry about it, since he doesn't seem to care, but I still feel the need to vent every once in awhile, which comes across as complaining. I have to say, though, it's a lot less than it was before! Anyway, 4 1/2 weeks left!!

Lent update & Honesty


So far so good. My boss is out of town right now, so it's been SUPER easy not to gossip or complain. :) The Facebook give-up, I'm not going to lie, has been HARD!! After the first 2-3 days it felt like it had been weeks already!! I kept wanting to jump on and check on everyone's statuses! Since then it's been getting easier. I've finished a whole Ensign and am more than half way through a second one! YAY!
I'm not sure if this Lent thing has gotten me thinking or if it's been the Judgement, Second Coming & Exaltation Lessons we've been getting in church, but I have been thinking a lot lately at how bad I am at scripture reading and praying.
Not many people know this about me, but several years ago I was going through a health scare. I was having UTI's every other month, lots of back (kidney area) pain & I was tired a lot. For those of you who haven't heard, I was born with 4 kidneys & 4 ureters one of which wasn't connected to my bladder. After YEARS of testing, peeing in cups, IVP dyes, x-rays and exploratory surgery, I finally went in for major surgery at age 6 to 'fix my leak' so to speak. It was pretty traumatizing and now as an adult, I have a slight freak-out now and then if my back aches or I'm getting UTI's constantly.
So, I went in and consulted with my Doctor, who was concerned too, and sent me to a Specialist. During this time, I received multiple blessings, was praying constantly that they would be able to figure out what was wrong.... even if it was cancer I at least wanted an answer and to know I wasn't crazy. The specialist referred me out for a VCUG, which stands for Voiding Cysto urethrogram basically, they catheterize you, fill your bladder, and then stand you up and take x-rays while you void. (Fancy way of saying pee). They wanted to see if I had reflux of my ureters since I have 4 going into my bladder. This test showed nothing. Grrr...
My next test was a Cystoscopy... I'm not even going to explain this one... just look it up. All you need to know, is it hurts and I cried. Again, this test showed nothing. When the Specialist told me this, I was devastated. I had been praying so hard for comfort and when I got home I fell to my knees and .... nothing. I had no words. I felt abandoned by Heavenly Father. All I had wanted was an answer, a name for my pain. Ever since then my praying has gone by the wayside, scripture reading came to a stop. I still had a testimony of a lot of the principles and doctrines of the gospel, but felt like my faith was slightly shaken.
Lately, I've really felt the promptings/desire/need to get it all back. Yesterday, I added some stuff to my Lent give-ups. Not really give-ups, but just things I need to do. So, I pledged to set aside one hour of each day to study my scriptures and write in my 'liken' journal (you know how Nephi said to liken the scriptures to ourselves? That's what my 'liken' journal is for), to write in my thankfulness journal and read my Ensign. I just put in my earplugs so it's quiet and go. I also pledged to say my prayers morning and night without fail!
Last time I went to the dentist for a check-up, they said everything was fine, but then noted some areas they wanted to keep an eye on. I have to admit I'm not the best flosser... even though I work in the dental field... then and there I decided to make sure I brush and floss EVERYDAY. And I haven't missed a day since. Why is it so easy to make that a daily habit but the scriptures and prayers (which I've tried to make a habit before) are so hard? I'm hoping this new plan will make a difference. I have to admit though, it's hard to feel close to my Heavenly Father after being away for so long. Anybody have their own tricks or tips to getting that relationship back? Or making scriptures and prayers daily?

Oh.... Dear!


Have you ever spilled hot wax all over? And I'm not talking "oopsie...I spilled a little." I'm talking an "OHMIGOSH-MY-SISTER-IS-GOING-TO-KILL-ME" kind of spill!!
Well, I did. And the wax is a brownish-reddish color. Of course the hardest color to get out!!

A candle we have was not burning well, so I thought I would help it and dump out some of the wax. Got it in the trash can on top of something sturdy so it wouldn't leak into all the trash and start a fire. Well, then I looked at the candle and realized I dumped too much. (I just couldn't leave well enough alone!) Pulled the stupid stuff out of the trash and was making my way (a very short distance) to the candle when it started to drip... ALL OVER OUR NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD CARPET!! I panicked and aimed for the sink. (I wish I had gotten a picture, but I was in a total panic at this point and could only think of how I should end it all before Soni came home and ended my life for me!!



Let the clean-up process begin. I brought out all the cleaning products I could find and spent the last hour or so cleaning the wax off the counter, the tile, the sink, the cupboards, the dishwasher and, of course, the carpet. I cleaned to a steady mantra of "I am so dead-I am so dead-I am so dead" going through my head! Finally, hot sweaty and totally sure I haven't missed any, I am pretty stoked about the outcome... call me crazy, but I don't even think you can see where I spilled!! AMAZING!! You be the judge!!


The carpet is still a little wet, but I think it looks great!! And so does the sink! YAY for cleaning products!! Just 1 of the 3 things I'm thankful for today!!


40 days & 40 nights


Ok, Let me just preface this by telling you I love my religion. (I'm LDS) I know deep down of its truthfulness and have a strong testimony of EVERY ONE of its principles and doctrines. That being said, today started the Catholic season of Lent. Being that almost everyone at work is Catholic I hear about Lent frequently. This year, I decided I didn't want to be left out. Just because I'm not Catholic doesn't mean I couldn't benefit from giving something up... only I decided just giving something up wasn't enough. In addition, I would replace the 'given up' with something good. That way, I may even develop a good habit at the end of the 40 days!
I decided to give up 3 things! I recently got a smart phone that is FB enabled which makes it sooo easy to hop on all the time!! (Which is what I find myself doing)! So,

#1. I'm giving up Facebook and going to replace it with reading more often from my Ensign magazines (that I'm behind on... cough-cough!)


Recently at work I've had a rough couple of days... I get frustrated when people do not communicate. It seems we all beat around the bush because no one wants to step on any toes. If you know me, you know I'm a blunt, to the point, speak my mind, spit it out type of person. Even if it hurts feelings sometimes. I get frustrated with no one communicating so I find myself complaining A LOT!! (Also with other co-workers lack of working and feeling like I do it all) So,

#2 is to STOP COMPLAINING!! I am to find 3 thingsI'm thankful for each day.

Actually, this is something I used to do on a regular basis because of an article I read in an Ensign- I filled a whole journal with a years worth of 3 Thankful Things! I've been wanting to start up again and this gives me the perfect excuse/reason!

Finally, and this really goes hand in hand with the complaining, working with all girls there seems to be a great deal of gossip/smack-talk in the office, and I'm sorry to say, I find myself participating more often than not. (What a bad example!!) Anyway,

#3 is NO GOSSIPING!! I have to look for the positive if I catch myself speaking/thinking negatively.

I already had to do that one today... Our schedule at work was a scheduling nightmare and I found myself thinking negatively about the girls who schedule!!! But, I stopped and reminded myself that I was LUCKY to have a job! Day 1 went well... Wish me luck for the 39 remaining!

Here are the 3 things I'm thankful for today:
  • My Job (got to go Uniform shopping today courtesy of my boss.)
  • My smart phone... I have that GasBuddy app and since I've started eagle-eyeing gas prices I pay less attention to how people are driving! (I need to give up my road rage next Lent!)
  • Only having to work half a day!! (YAY!)