Carless

What I have learned from living over a month without a vehicle:
-the world has NOT lost chivalry
-the Lord is always watching out for me. For example, it will snow on Monday, be really nice on Tuesday so I can walk to preschool, rain on Wednesday, be really nice on Thursday for preschool. Little things, but huge to me. And the cost of getting the car fixed has just gotten higher, but somehow the Lord adds a little bit here and there to what we have so we can pay for it (well, we haven't seen the bill yet, but we have faith)
-it is the quickest weight loss program I have ever been on
-everyone is so kind and generous, we have borrowed so many people's vehicles. Thanks Mom and Dad, Beck and Trent, and Nicole and Burke. Oh, and Kathryn. And thanks to everyone else that has ran errands for me. Seriously, everyone has been SO nice.
-I have way more friends than I thought I did
-patience
-sometimes, it is okay to ask for help
-I really like our van and can't wait to get it back, but I am really thankful for everything I have learned. And I am so thankful for every one's help and kindness during the our car-less state. :)

Spring

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"
-1 Corinthians 15:55

I feel like that is what the weather today is shouting. It is so perfect, so beautiful: slightly overcast, but warm, with a slight breeze. Every tree is budding, daffodils are out in full force, little birds are tweeting and nests are being built in the crannies of trees. Even though I get slightly frustrated, I am so thankful that I need to walk everywhere. It is such a perfect excuse to enjoy this weather. It is a time of renewing and life. Nothing could be prettier.

I love that I have a little baby at this time too. Matthew is 6 months old now, but just at that age where he is reaching for me and just adores me. It melts my heart. Babies have such a newness and a love and curiosity for everything. I wish I could be more like my little Matthew. So forgiving, so loving of anyone and everyone. I had several people at church today just want to hold him. How would that be, that people just want to drop everything to be around you because you are so loving and kind? I need to be more like that.

So yeah, that is what we are doing today, loving spring.

I'm Wishing...

Wishing I was here with a certain someone right now...

Blessed

Life has been pretty crazy lately. I have been babysitting lots of different kids, getting involved in lots of clubs and activities, working with the girls in my calling, preparing lessons, not to mention taking care of my house, housework and my own kids and squeezing in time to help Tyson know I love him too. I used to think stay-at-home moms had so much time on their hands and were so lazy.

Well, it is true that I stay in my pajamas most days, but I have a lot of reasons for that. I don't have very many pairs of pants and I don't want to ruin them and they get holes in the knees way too fast when you spend most of the day on your hands and knees, cleaning and playing. Plus, pajamas are much more comfortable and it is less laundry to do. I conserve a lot of water by not showering everyday. And I conserve energy by sitting on the couch as much as I can.

Hehe, but no seriously, life has been crazy, and I know as the years continue, they will only get busier. I have been watching one little boy, we will call him "D", who is almost a year old, 3 times a week. It has been fun, a little bit of a challenge, but fun. This month is my month to teach preschool though, so I have been trying to exlpain to D's mom that babysitting D on preschool days is really hard and yet still let her know that I am capable of watching her kid. Anyways, so yesterday was the first day I taught preschool and so I had to get D and Caleb to a friend's house so they would be taken care of during preschool.

However, our car is still in the shop. Without my mom and dad and my visiting teachers, I would never have made it so long without a vehicle. So anyways, I took a long walk yesterday morning with four little kids. Matthew (almost 6 months) was attached to my front in the snuggly, D (9 months) in the stroller, Caleb (2) and Josh (4) walked alongside until Caleb got tired and he sat on the handlebar of the stroller. The walk was about 15 blocks, most of it slightly uphill, so no small stroll. I felt like I looked like one of those foreign families that somehow fit an entire family on a bicycle. It was hilarious.

I was pouting before I left to Tyson and he said that I would look back and laugh. It didn't even take that long, I laughed the whole walk. It was so funny and so good for me. Here I am thinking I life such a difficult life and how tough I am because no one else could do this. Ha.

Well, this morning I wake up to pouring rain and super loud thunder. Wow the Lord loves me and was watching over my whiny self. It was a gorgeous day yesterday and pretty warm for a February morning. None of the kids were sick, they were happy and obedient. And one of the other preschool moms let me borrow her car so I could get to preschool from where I dropped the kids off and back again. Then she squeezed us all in to take us home. Wow.

It is interesting that I think my life is so complicated and I look back and realize how fortunate I am and how few challenges I have. It was rather humbling this morning, seeing just how much the Lord's hand was in my life yesterday. It is true He loves us, each of us, and knows our challenges. He doesn't leave us alone in them. Even with the little things.

So, I am thankful for the thunder and rain this morning.

True Love

"Who shall separate us from the

love of Christ? shall tribulation,

or distress, or persecution or fa-

mine, or nakedness, or peril, or

sword?

As it is written, For they sake we

are killed all the day long; we are

accounted as sheep for the slaugh-

ter.

Nay, in all these things we are

more than conquerors through

him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that nei-

ther death, nor life, nor angels, nor

principalities, nor powers, nor things

present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any

other creature, shall be able to se-

parate us from the love of God,

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

-Romans 8:35-39

Found this just in time for the Valentine's holiday. What a wonderful way to remember not only does my fabulous husband love me, but so does the Lord.

Here is to the brain of mechanics

I just have to say, I have never had so much respect for mechanics in my life. Our brother-in-law, Chris, used to help fix our cars all the time and we all knew he was pretty smart. But pretty much all day yesterday Tyson has been trying to fix our van. (Josh claims I broke it, and somehow it is true, whenever the car breaks, I am the one driving). So Tyson has been looking at youtube videos and talking to people and figuring out how to test the car to figure out what is the problem exactly. Good thing he understood what they were saying. I listened to a few videos and I thought my brain was going to collapse. It sounded just like calculus again. Numbers and words I have never heard before. I guess it takes a genius to fix a car and to understand all that lingo.

So to all you mechanics out there, thank you for being smart. I just hope we can find one that knows how to fix our car and doesn't charge an arm and a leg.

(Our car is overheating, even in the freezing temperatures outside. Sometimes it will be fine, and then suddenly spike to the red line, then cool way down again. Then spike again. Whatever it is, it is not cool, haha. So if you know what that might be, please pass on your genius)

Tyson's diploma came in the mail today. I can't believe he is done with his Master's degree already. It is even weirder that I am married to a guy with a master's. I'm so proud of that hunk of loving I married! :)