Well, that's embarrassing...

So I have been having horrendous allergies. HORRENDOUS! I tell you. The worst.

I have been taking Zyrtec. Let me tell you what- NOT WORKING!

So I go to Zumba tonight, and my eyes are pouring out waterfalls basically throughout the entire thing. So I'm rubbing and wiping, but nothing feels unusual.

I get home and look in the mirror and BAM! I look like an alien! Not joking! My nose/eye area is SWOLLEN and I am DEFORMED looking. Oh my. How embarrassing! I'm just glad that I complained about my allergies to my friends. That way they probably made the connection but were kind enough to just pretend I looked normal.

Wanna know something else that is embarrassing? This note:
Yep, stickin to our door when I got home from work.

You'd think I'd be embarrassed for myself. But no. I'm not. The fact is, we are on great terms with our neighbors to the right. Neighbors to the left, not so much. We wave, they pretend they didn't see us. They park their truck in-front of our mailbox, things like that. Whatever, we don't really care...there's just no actual relationship there...no problem. But the point is, our backyard DOESN'T stink (Clay even just went outside and smelled it), and we "pick up" Dante's poop in a perfectly proper and timely basis, EVERY week. If they HAPPENED to be outside when Dante actually let poop freshly fall to the earth, then yeah...they may have smelt it. But this is life in suburbia. People have dogs, who poop in the privacy of their OWN BACKYARD! It's not in the front! My goodness. Do they expect me to follow my dog outside every time he goes out there with a baggie in hand? No thanks. And I love how they tried to keep anonymous when it's very clear who it is. Especially when looking at the spelling errors. Sorry. But it's true...our other neighbors wouldn't misspell those words. I decided we probably shouldn't pick up the "po" for a few days. I know, I still live in junior high world.

But...Clay is at a whole other level. He said, "If they say one more word about this I am going to take this note, wrap it around Dante's poop, and put it on their doorstep. And then I'm going to put 'NO TRESPASSING' signs all along our fence ONLY facing their house".

And as he let Dante outside, he said, "Go poop Dante!"

I seem to talk a lot about dog poop these days. I'll try to keep it at a minimum from here on out.

One last thing- they have dogs on all 3 corners of their yard. Meaning...they might be smelling someone elses dogs poop! Especially since the neighbors behind us completely neglect their dogs...leaving them outside for HOURS and HOURS. They bark incessantly.

New Goals

It doesn't have to be January to make new goals, so I am stepping up and making some new goals...and I HOPE you'll join me. Here is what I am doing:

1. Zumba twice a week (1 hour long sessions)

2. Walking Dante everyday I'm not doing Zumba

3. No sugar until Thanksgiving

4. Drink at least 64 oz water a day. I think. Basically drink at least one of my big water bottles a day, which I think is 64 oz...cause it's ginormo.

5. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit. Lots and lots and lots.

Yep! I am going to be so healthy. Here's the deal- I know I shouldn't be having sugar anyway...but this whole cheat day business is no good. It makes it so I crave it still and cave multiple times a week. This is NOT okay. AND, I know I swore off sugar a while ago! But I caved and said, oh I'll keep my cheat days. Cheat days turned into multiple days. Anywho, I feel like I am much better at reward systems. So, if I stay off of sugar until Thanksgiving, I will feel ZERO guilt during Thanksgiving, and eat as much sweets as I want! I know some people are against this method, but a light at the end of the tunnel is much better than bitter darkness that has no end :) And I'm thinking I will probably do the same thing after Thanksgiving- no sweets till Christmas. We'll see.

Zumba! My friend invited me to Zumba and I went on Monday and it was this intense hour long deal and I totally did it and felt great! No joint pain...I mean, I was definitely WINDED...but that's cause I'm out of shape. So I'm gonna go with her twice a week and it'll be great.

So here's the deal. I have found it's a LOT easier to do something hard...when someone else is doing it with you. So who's with me? You don't have to do ZUMBA, but I'd say some sort of exercise each day (whether it be walking or weights or dancing)...except on Sunday's, more fruit and veggies, more water, and most of all NO SUGAR till thanksgiving! If you want to choose one- I suggest the sugar one. Seriously, it'd be so great if a lot of us were doing this! We'd all be so much healthier...and you KNOW how hard it is to get through the halloween season with candy everywhere. If we make this commitment, it will be SO much easier. This may not work for you guys, but I decided everytime I see candy or sweets, I will think the word "bugs" in my head. Cause it'll remind me of the bugs in my body feeding off of the sugar. For you, maybe it'll be "death" or something. hahaa.

Well! Wish me luck! I'm really hoping and praying I can stick to this cause I think it'll really help me get better faster. Woohoo!!!!

Santa Pattern for sale!

So I'm doing something I've never done before, and I'm selling a pattern that I made:) Go check it out on my etsy shop. It's super fun and cute and anyone with beginners sewing skills could do it! The pattern has step by step instructions, with color pictures to go with them! The pattern is $8. Enjoy!

Passed!

Yipee!!! I passed Regulation, the third exam I took. I officially only have ONE test left to pass! YIPPEEEEEE! I am planning on taking the exam October 19th. And I definitely WILL take the exam that day cause it's the last day I can without having to reapply and spend a bunch more money and stuff. I think I'll be ready.

I honestly was pretty surprised when I found out just cause this morning I woke up and had a bad feeling. I just felt like it wasn't going to be good. Well, it was for me- but my co-worker and friend took the same exam about a week before me and she had me call in to get her score, and she didn't pass. UGH. It was the hardest! I think my bad feeling this morning had to do with her. I just feel so awful. It's hard to be too happy about passing when my friend didn't. It's such a hard exam...

My last exam is on Auditing, which happens to be the subject I learned least about in school. My review course is SUPER good though- like super super good. I feel like I'm learning a LOT. So hopefully it is good enough for the exam!

I honestly haven't posted for a while just cause I have been so nervous about the exam and whether or not I passed. But, I have a super awesome thing coming up that I'm excited about. And nervous about. I'm going to take a stab at selling a new kind of product in my shop, and it may totally flop, but you know...I'm just gonna go for it!

I'm so stinking excited for the holidays. I already have my Christmas tickets booked and Christmas presents are being worked on, and I'm just so excited! It makes me want to decorate more for Halloween and Thanksgiving just cause...I mean...I'm so excited for Christmas if I DON'T decorate for those ones, I might go psycho and decorate way too early.

I have decided to stop getting the IV's. I really wish I could, but my body just isn't fit for it. The last time I went they had trouble again and after they couldn't get my veins I just decided I should be done. Clay has wanted me to stop for ages. But I just wanted to keep trying. I still have sensitive bruises from last time which was over 2 weeks ago...and I just think it's not worth it- especially when I can get better without them. Maybe just a titch slower. I'm grateful I went and was able to do the IV's as much as I could, cause they definitely helped...but I think my body is telling me I need to stop! Clay will keep going, but I'm just not going to be able to. It's too bad, but I choose to look at the silver lining which is: I get to sleep in on Saturday's and have more time to get things done, and we will spend less money!

Well, I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of fall. I'm trying to focus on the great weather currently, instead of fearing the weather to come! :)

Hush Hush

Okay- this book was crazy intense! I haven't read a book like this in a long time. It kinda reminded me of twilight ONLY because there is a lot of mystery...you know- how like in the first twilight Bella is so confused because Edward is so different, and she knows something's up...but quite can't put her finger on it until SHE KNOWS. This book is a lot like that!

The basic premise is...Nora becomes biology partners with Patch. (Okay...this is sounding even more like twilight now...they start as biology partners? Hello...familiar) He seems kinda dark, and dangerous. She doesn't like him at all...except there's something about him that is just really hott and awesome and she wants him. He seems to show up everywhere and could he be stalking her?! Could he be trying to...KILL her? Or maybe he just wants her too? Who knows?

This book is a MAJOR page turner. I read it in like two days. And there are a few twists at the end that I really didn't expect! It IS a little on the dark side...sometimes I was like, 'hold up, what?! That's freaky!'...so I do feel the need to caution those who may be feint at heart. AND I do gotta say, sometimes Nora, the main girl...was so FOOLISH. I'd be like- what are you thinking? Don't you know some bad guy could be over there about to kill you? Yeesh. Overall, pretty stinking good book and I'm super excited for Crescendo, the next one to be available at the library!

Beastly

Beastly is a book that is basically a modern day Beauty and the Beast. It's set in New York, and starts out feeling REALLY immature. As in, the characters are from high school and the main character, who turns into a beast, is a super horrible person. At the beginning I thought, 'egh...I dunno if I'll like this...he's so freaking annoying'. But THEN, he changes...and it all starts becoming good. It's a really easy, fun read- and I would totally recommend it! It's really sweet and I liked it a lot. OH- and it was definitely better than the movie! And I even liked the movie! (But I love cheese-ball moves...really I like them more than quality acting movies a lot of the time)

God is good

Church was wonderful today. A couple spoke on the Atonement, and the woman who spoke said that she knew it wasn't a mistake or coincidence that they were asked to speak on the atonement on September 11th. At first, I thought- I don't get it...how do the two connect? But of course, I just am not quite as spiritual as some and forgot that the Atonement is really in everything. I'm pretty sure her talk was prepared specifically for me. She talked about how we all go through tragedies and crisis in our life. Each of us have moments where something happens that will change us the rest of our life. In that moment, we have a choice. We can move down and further away from Christ and become bitter, angry, sad, and heavy. Or, we can move closer to Christ and become healed. Whether that means literally healed from an illness, or problem, or whether it means gaining strength and understanding to bear something. She reminded us that though we may feel alone and like no one in the world understands, there is one person who will ALWAYS completely understand. He does not turn away anyone who searches for Him. One thing I loved is she said that the chinese character for the word "crisis" is the same chinese character for the word "opportunity". In every single thing that happens to us in this life, comes an opportunity. An opportunity to come closer to Christ and become a better person, or an opportunity to become a worse person.

I went to the Temple with Patty on Friday, and I'm SO GRATEFUL I did. It's amazing the peace that can come when within the walls of the temple. My sister has told me numerous times that after her painful divorce, going to the temple once a week is what healed her. I'm so blessed to have a temple so close.

Clay and I were listening to NPR yesterday on our way home from Pocatello, and there were a bunch of interviews of people who lost family members on 9/11. It was so interesting...because I was surprised that a lot of them seemed quite bitter about the media attention the anniversary was getting. One interview in particular stood out to me. She said that she struggled with the tagline "Never Forget", because all she wanted to do was forget that horrible day, when she lost her husband. Of course, I will never understand the pain or struggling anyone in that position would be in...but I couldn't stop thinking why I never will forget, and don't want to forget that day. Every year, I think of the day I was 13 years old, at the beginning of 8th grade, and came downstairs to read scriptures with my family...to see the news on. I think of how I was watching the news when the second plane hit and I was horrified. I think of how I went to school that morning and asked my "best friend" if she saw the news. I told her what happened and that thousands of people were dying and she said, "Yeah...my parents aren't that into politics" and I was sickened as she continued to laugh and joke around with other kids. Every year, I am grateful that we haven't been attacked again. Every year, I am grateful that I live in such a country that I am safe, and not worrying about being attacked or killed on a daily basis, as many people in other countries are. Every year, I am grateful that I am free and that I'm an American. Every year, I remember that I need to be kinder to strangers and a better citizen. Every year, I am reminded that things can change in an instant...and I should keep perspective on what's important. No...I will never forget. And I don't WANT to forget.

I know a lot of this is probably boring. I don't always read blogs that have just tons of "personal insight" or whatever...but I just have all this stored up in my brain and want to remember it. Cause I know I'm human and will forget or lose perspective and will need to regain it sometime. Hopefully re-reading this sometime will help me when I'm struggling.

Life is hard, but good. It really is all about perspective, balance, and love. ha! If only it were so simple :)

Matched

Okay okay. I know I said it was super boring, but right after I said that...the story picked up quite a bit! I still stand by my stance that the first HALF of the book was very...dull. This is what the story is about:

Cassia lives in a future world where everything is...."perfect". Society has found ways to live without disease, and "match" people perfectly so that they are happiest with their mate, along with bearing the most optimal children. But what if you are matched with someone, but find yourself falling inlove with someone else?

My final opinion on the book:

Beginning- boring, because everything is perfect and dull.
Middle to end- REALLY good! I really enjoyed the last half. And I am SUPER excited for the second book! It comes out in November, I believe.

Next book: Beastly.

Books

So I finished Graceling a few days ago. I've heard from lotsa people that it's really good! This is basically what it's about:

In a time of kings, lords, lady's, swords, and bow and arrows...there are certain people born with a "grace". If you have a grace, it basically means you are better than everyone else at this thing. The main character's grace is KILLING. This isn't normal at ALL! There are people who are graced with painting, swimming, sword fighting, cooking, etc. Anyway, it's a book that is filled with action, mystery, and romance.

I really really liked it and I read it within a few days. It was quite the page turner! BUT- there was one major theme that was pretty annoying. The author CLEARLY doesn't believe in marriage. BUT...it's definitely not enough to make me not enjoy the book!

It was really interesting because there were times I couldn't STAND the heroine, Katsa. Then there were other times when I just thought she was awesome.

If you're looking for a fun interesting read, I recommend this book! I think there may be a second one, but I'm not positive.

Now I am reading "Matched". Has anyone read this book? I'm half-way through and it is BORING as heck! But since I've invested my time to read HALF of the book...I want to finish it. But seriously I have no desire to ever pick it up. Does it stay so boring? Yikes.

After Matched, I'm reading "Beastly". I saw the movie about a month ago and I really liked the movie...so I'm excited to read the book and get the detailed story :)

Any good books I should put on my library list? Keep in mind I'm not interested in non-fiction, and I have to be entertained and it has to be a gripping story that keeps me wanting more. I read for entertainment. As of right now anyway.

Gluten-Free Waffles

Makes 3 big waffles. Mine are probably a 6" diameter or something like that.



1 1/2 cups of my favorite gluten-free blend

2 tsp baking powder

4 dashes salt

3 tsp agave

3 eggs (separate egg whites)

3 tbs coconut oil (or butter)

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (or any kind of milk)



Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix liquids in a separate bowl, keeping egg whites by themselves. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until all dry ingredients are moistened. Don't mix too much! Blend egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter.



YUM!

Just a few lil tidbits!

UGH- my painting is taking FOREVER to dry! I painted it Saturday and it is STILL not dry. Clay warned me it'd take a week probably...but deary me I am anxious to get that up on my wall!

I just cleaned out my fridge. I feel so much better. It was stinky :)

I got a book from the library called "Graceling" which has been recommended to me by multiple people...excited to get into it.

Do any of you do pandora? I did a long time ago, and got annoyed of my favorite songs not playing. haha. Well, Clay does it a lot and so I decided to take another stab at it. I love it! Right now I have it on "She & Him" station...have you listened to them? Again, I wasn't too into them at first...but all of a sudden I love them. They are pretty folksy soulful kinda. Anyway- this station is amazing. I highly recommend it! :) But I mean, if you're in the dancing kind of mood- this isn't the right station.

I kinda have come to the realization lately that I expect too much of myself. I know it can often be the opposite...but me oh my I can make some high expectations of myself. Therefore, I am constantly disappointing myself. It's really hard for me to be a full-time worker, and be a really great homemaker and wife. I beat myself up about it inside my head a LOT. So anyway- when I'm at work, I'll make this big ol list full of things that I want to get done that night. And for some reason, I think I can totally get it done. Then I get one or two things done and am exhausted and then feel like a pathetic person for not getting my list done. This is not right. I think at this point in my life...I should not expect so much out of myself! Obviously, its good to have goals and work hard...but there comes a point where you've just gone too far! This will be really hard for me but I'm just going to make small goals that can be accomplished easily...until I start understanding more of what I can handle and what is good for me.

This week I go back to try the IV's again. I'm nervous. I hope so bad it works and my veins are healthy and strong enough for it. I have been mucho tired this week. It's finally getting to me not having those things. Which worries me...thinking my improvement has all been temporary. I don't know. We'll see I guess.

Well, that's all for now. I better eat and clean the kitchen! My goals for today were: clean out fridge, clean kitchen. It's only 6:00 so I'm pretty excited that I only have one thing left to do and then I can read or sew or something :)