The CK Smith Clan

Finding the blessings during the trials

2012-02-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been quite an emotional roller coaster ride. Many already know that we had a miscarriage yesterday at 7 weeks pregnant. It was a really hard thing to go through, but despite this trial, for some reason I feel really calm.

See we have known that we were pregnant for about a month now. We held off on telling people until we met with our doctor to confirm the pregnancy. A week ago we finally met with our doctor and was hoping to see our baby at 8 weeks old and hear the little heartbeat. When the doctor did the ultrasound he said he saw the baby only measuring at 6 weeks. He said he couldn't see anything wrong so we just needed to come back in 2 weeks and see if the baby had grown at all. When we looked at the possible conception date, it made sense that we might have miscalculated things and that the baby could possibly be only 6 weeks. So Cody and I decided to tell people the good news. We knew that even if we did have a miscarriage people were going to find out anyways and it's nice to have that support during those times. Anyways we announced it and all that fun stuff. We went on our fun little lives. I was feeling great, no problems, no morning sickness, no nothing. For some reason the whole time I was wondering what if I had a miscarriage or thinking that I was going to have one. I started reading this book by John Bytheway that talks about scriptures to help us overcome trials. Maybe I was reading that to help prepare me for what was to come. Who knows.

Friday night, Cody and I were getting ready to go out on a date when I noticed I was spotting a little bit. I never spotted with Dean so this scared me a bit. I know spotting can be normal so I was trying to remain calm. We called and talked to a nurse and she said to call if it got worse. I felt fine for the rest of the night and the next morning. Saturday was a normal day. I usually take naps when Dean does, so after he woke I woke up, went to the bathroom and noticed I was bleeding. I called Cody at work to let him know just in case he needed to come home, and then called the nurse and they said we could come in if we felt like we needed to. I told Cody that for my own peace of mind I wanted to go in. Cody was at work about an hour away so he actually called in one of his buddies that was working on the ambulance that day and personally requested him to pick me up and transport me to the hospital. One of Cody's coworkers took Dean for us which was really helpful not having to worry about him. One of our friend's Scott came by and gave me a blessing which actually helped a lot. It made me feel more at peace and ready for whatever God had planned. When the ambulance showed up, they placed me on the gurney and wheeled me away. The paramedic was a guy I have met once or twice and it was nice having someone I knew take me to the hospital, since Cody wasn't there. We got to the hospital and maybe 10 minutes later Cody arrived. The hospital took a few different blood and urine tests and after I think 2 hours (lost track of time) the ER doctor came in saying he was 99% sure we had a miscarriage and to meet with my OB sometime this week. So that was it. It was a bit weird cuz I wasn't bleeding a lot and I didn't have a lot of pain, but I most likely lost the little baby inside of me.

It was really hard to swallow all the news, but the last few days I have been learning to say in my prayers "it is not my will but thy will be done". As much as I didn't want to admit to the Lord that it really is His will and His choice. I think in ways he wanted me to say it before much else happened. I know that whatever happens in my life has a purpose. The Lord is blessing us in so many ways and for some reason He needed us to pass through this trial at this time and to learn from it. Cody and I aren't worried we won't be able to have more children at all. We are calm and peaceful at the fact that we are in the Lord's hands. I know many people go through either having a miscarriage or losing a child and it is very hard. Cody and I have struggled and have felt this loss in our lives (it was one of our children after all), but we are going to go forward and are ready for this next step in life. A lot of people have mentioned that they are impressed with my attitude with this. I was talking to Cody about it and really feel that this is the best way to go. I can't sulk and mope for something that I cannot prevent. I am taking time for myself to let myself feel the loss, but I am hopeful and positive that there is a greater purpose to all of this. It is what I feel deep down inside and what I KNOW is true.

We are meeting with our doctor this week and he will tell us what to do next so who knows, we may have another child by the end of this year after all. We shall see what the Lord has in store for us. Thanks again to all the people that love and support us. You have no idea what a blessing this is in our life. We love you and hope the best for you in your lives

Baby oh baby

2012-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

Time has flown by once again and here I am barely updating this thing. Life is crazy, but fun. We have flown by all the holidays and have now entered the new year. 2012!! It is weird how fast life has passed by. I can't believe how big Dean has gotten already. He is 10 months today and is learning so much about the life around him. He is an active little boy, loves crawling everywhere and he is starting to walk with support. He loves to play with his animals and to chase them everywhere. I couldn't be happier to be his mommy.

Motherhood is pretty awesome! Cody and I just found out we are going to be expecting our 2nd little baby the end of September/early October. Dean is going to become a big brother!! We are really excited about it too. We always wanted kids close in age and a couple months ago, we started feeling that is was getting to that time to add to the family. We were planning on waiting til April when Dean turned 1, but looks like Heavenly Father had other plans for us. What's a few months early right? We are really excited. It was hard not telling anyone til we met with the doctor since we were so stoked, but now the cat is out of the bag. Sadly I feel that there are some people who I thought would be excited, are not too excited. Who knows why either? It may be because they don't think we can handle more than one kid...or maybe they think that it is too soon. Whatever their reasoning for it, I have decided I really don't care and I am doing all I can to not let it bother me. Cody and I are fully capable to give this little baby, Dean and all other babies that will come in to our family the love and support and ANYTHING or children need. After all is said and done, what really matters is what Cody and I decide together. :)

We have already started doing some moving around and preparing for this new little addition. We go back and forth guessing if it will be a boy or a girl. Cody thinks it's a boy so I say girl :) Either way we are excited for either and we have the names picked out :) yes we are that crazy and that prepared haha. Well I am off for now!! Til next time!!!

Summer fun times

2011-08-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Well this summer has been a fun one, especially now that we have a kid in the family. A year ago this time we had already knew we were pregnant, but still hadn't told our families and friends. Now our baby boy is almost 4 months old and such an adorable little boy. He is getting his own little personality now. He loves laughing and smiles every time someone calls him handsome or cute. :) We have taken Dean swimming a few times at my parent's house and Dean absolutely LOVES the water. He has discovered that he can splash around and this last week, using the methods I learned being a teacher at Jim Booth Swim School, Dean has gone all the way under the water twice. He didn't know what to think about it. His expression is priceless haha. The Johnson Family had a family reunion just a few weeks ago so Dean got to meet all his cousins and his aunts and uncles. He loved playing with all of them. I really love spending time with my whole family. We all had a blast playing games, catching up, heading to the beach, and spending time in the hot tub. I feel so blessed for the family I have and the time I have been able to spend with them. They are huge examples to me and it's a riot to be around them. We also celebrated Dad Johnson's 75th birthday as a family by "roasting" Dad and then we gave him a scrapbook of pictures from him life, with letters from loved ones included in it.

Cody has been working a ton lately so most the time it is just Dean and me just hanging out. Being a stay at home mom is a great blessing and I love being able to spend all this time with my baby. It has been fun watching Dean grow and develop every day. Who knew being a mom could be so much fun? Well til next time....enjoy the pics!

Family pics by Kilean Todd Hernandez

One of my fave pics of the Johnson Family

First time at the beach

His Bumbo chair!

And his first time swimming!!

I am a slacker...

2011-07-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Almost 3 months old sitting on his Bumbo

1 month family pic

He is ready to play water polo :)

Family pic 2 days after he was born

2 days old

I realized the other day that it has been over 3 months since I have updated my blog. The thing is I love reading other people's blog, but I always forget to update mine. I think it's because I can spend forever on writing a blog when really I don't need to. Plus now we have a new addition to the family and majority of my time is dedicated to him. Our little boy is here and almost 3 months old, as of tomorrow. He is such a joy to have in our lives. Dean Thomas Smith was born a week and 4 days past the due date. I had to be induced and due to his heart rate dropping with each contraction and his little heart not going to be able to endure the natural birth we had to have a c-section. It was a bit scary, but he was a born a healthy 8 lbs 4 oz and 21 inches long. Learning about how to be a mother has been one interesting ride. It has its ups and downs, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Dean is always full of smiles, giggles, and loves looking around at the world around him. He hates not being able to look around. It's quite funny. We recently invested in the "Bumbo" seat for growing babies and he absolutely love it. It's sad cuz it makes him look so much older and it makes me sad that my baby is growing up so fast. Oh well such is life. Well this is super short but I really wanted to put up pics of Dean and finally say I have updated my blog....and that I have :)

Baby's almost here!

2011-03-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

Time is getting closer to when our baby is due to arrive. 2 weeks and 2 days left. I have been on maternity leave for 2 weeks now and it's been really nice having this time to get the house and Baby Dean's room ready for his arrival. His room is all set up and decorated. I have yet to get overly bored on maternity leave....but it's still early on :)

I am excited for how well it turned out. We got the decorations at Babies R Us and used the decorations used in a diaper cake for the baby shower. Ladies from my home ward threw Cody and I a co-ed baby shower the middle of February. We were hugely blessed with tons of gifts and not to mention diapers. What expectant mom couldn't use a ton of diapers to plan for the future? Our baby is completely spoiled already :) We are excited about his arrival.

One of our friends took maternity pics for us this last week. We were able to get Bowser in a few pictures which actually turned out pretty good. Life is pretty much amazing. Now we are just waiting for the next step in life. My hospital bag is already packed and ready to go when the time arrives. It kinda scares me a bit, but I think I am ready for this. I watched a TV show called One Born Every Minute which is about mothers giving birth (if you couldn't tell by the title) and it made me a bit more eager and more prepared. Anyways we will see when it all happens and then we get to put up adorable pics of our new baby.

Our whole family...Angel didn't want to take pics :)

37 weeks and ready to pop :)

New stuff in a new year

2011-01-17T00:19:00.000-08:00

So it has been quite some time since I have written anything here. Last time I did I was barely 2 months pregnant I believe and about to move in to my parents' house while Cody and I saved up money to buy our new house. With the time that has passed amazing things have occurred as well. We were able to find a house...an amazing house, which we absolutely fell in love with, and were able to move in the week after Thanksgiving. It has been a true blessing moving in to this house.

It was what is called a flip house, which is a foreclosed house, but an investment company came and redid everything to resell it for more money. We have brand new appliances, brand new flooring, brand new paint, brand new everything. So far we are pretty much settled in, just a little bit of our junk from Christmas needs to be put away and then organizing the guest room/study room and the baby's room. All of that stuff will be finished with in this next month though so I am not too worried about that. It feels like home and I am glad we were able to find such an amazing house and right when we were hoping to move in by.

The baby has continued to grow healthy and strong and with no complications, thank goodness. We have had several people ask us whether we wanted a boy or girl first and all Cody and I would respond is "we want a baby". haha. We really don't care whether the baby was a boy or a girl...although we still wanted to know so we could plan for what to expect. We had our 19 week ultrasound where, after doing the baby's full measurements to make sure the baby was growing ok, we could find out if it was a boy or girl.....well we were suppose to be able to find out then. I don't think our ultrasound tech knew too much what she was looking at. She first told us it was a girl and after getting a different view she said, and I quote, "no it's most definitely a boy". Right at the end of the ultrasound appointment I asked her if she was for sure so she loo

ked again and she said, "it looks like a girl. I am 90% sure it is a girl". So we left that appointment still not knowing. The lady just couldn't admit that she didn't know. I started to tell people that it was a girl, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE because I got tired of having to explain the story of why we didn't know. Anyways long story short, one of my managers at work gave me a business card to go get a 3D ultrasound of the baby done and since we knew we could have the sex of the baby confirmed there, we waited til week 27 to go get the 3D ultrasound done. At 27 weeks and up is when the facial definition is most like how the baby will be when he/she is born. We got to see our baby AND we got to see that our baby has 3 legs....rather our baby is going to be a boy :) We were excited to finally know. The ultrasound tech doing the ultrasound showed us the gender shot in both 2D and 3D several times so there was no doubt about it. Now knowing we get to tell people the official boy name....Dean Thomas Smith.

It was really awesome being able to see the 3D ultrasound and see the baby move. Dean was laying on his arm a lot of it so the tech has to push my stomach to move him around a bit. He looks like he has Cody's nose, to me anyways, but a lot of people have said he has my nose...either way there is no doubt about it he is our baby and is going to be way cute.....how could you not be with Cody and I as parents :p We are slowly getting the baby's room ready for his arrival. We have 10 more weeks left until he is here....and that is if he isn't early or late. His room is a mixture of jungle animals, with lots of monkeys (cuz I love monkeys) and dragons from the movie "How to Train Your Dragon" (cuz we love that movie and Cody really has wanted to decorate the baby's room like that. Now it's just a matter of finding the stuff to put up in his room. I am in no hurry as of now. I don't know if I should be, but right now I know it will all come together in time.

Cody is working full time still and finishing up paramedic school. Hopefully if all goes well then he will be working as a paramedic starting in August, which would be nice because it's a pay raise for him and if needs be I can go down to part time work by then and stay home with the baby more so we don't have to pay for a babysitter.

We still have our other two "kids" as we call them rather than pets. Angel and Bowser are more spoiled than ever and loving the new house, although Angel would prefer to be an outdoor cat rather than be locked inside all day, but he really doesn't get that choice at all. He gets to play around with our horse of a dog Bowser a lot and they harass each other often, even when it's 2 am and we are trying to sleep. Bowser has a few scars on his nose from getting too close to Angel, but he takes it well. Bowser is now 6 months old and standing on his hind legs almost reaches me eye to eye. He is prolly close to 80 pounds now and still likes to think he is a lap dog....yea not so much fun. Angel has his moments of being cuddly and cute, usually when he wants food, but he is still so much fun to have around and harass.

Cody and I have also celebrated our 1 year anniversary of being married today, well I guess it was yesterday since it is already 1am Monday morning. It's weird to think that 2 years ago we met for the first time, just getting to know each other and see where things would go and exactly a year later we were married and now a year after that we are expecting our first child. We have been so eternally blessed. This first year of marriage hasn't been as bad with adjustments as so many people say it will be. We have had our fights and our butting of heads, but we have worked through everything. We know each other so well and are able to talk out everything that is going on. We both support one another and know that the other is not going to lead this marriage down a destructive path. Marrying your best friend is one of the best things to do. I have felt so grateful for all that Cody has done for me and for my family, especially my parents. I don't know how I became so lucky. I love the song from "The Sound of Music" where Maria is singing to the Captain and she says, "Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good". That is how I feel with Cody. He loves me for who I am, where I have been and sees the greatness I can become and do in my life. I hope everyone is as blessed as I am to have someone love and support me as he does. I am looking for the eternity I have to spend with him.

Well I think that is mostly it for now. I will try and update more often, but who knows if that will happen. No guarantees. Til next time :)

Smith Clan is expanding!

2010-08-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well the news is finally out...we are having a baby! The due date is March 27, 2011. We have actually known for awhile now, at least since the end of July. We decided to wait to tell people until after we met with the doctor to make sure everything was ok with our little jelly bean. It has been hard keeping the news to ourselves, but I am glad it is finally out and we can celebrate with others. At the doctor's appointment we heard the baby's heart beat and it was nice and strong. The doctor told us the baby is nice and healthy and that we have a really low percentage (like 2-5% chance) that we would lose the baby. That put my mind at ease a lot more. I don't think I will be completely at ease until after our little one is finally here. I haven't really been too sick, just tired more than anything. I have my moments of queasiness though and even throwing up a few times. My new goal is to try and organize the 2nd room in preparation for the baby. I am going to work my magic to make sure we have the room we need for this little baby. For those that are curious I actually stopped taking birth control at the end of May. We decided that we were going to stop preventing babies and to see what would happen. Miracles of miracles we got knocked up pretty fast. I am kind of nervous that we are actually going to be parents and be able to afford everything, but I know that we are going to be provided for and EVERYTHING will work out how it should be. It might be hard, but bring on the challenges cuz I am ready for them :).

Why I have such an amazing husband

2010-07-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Growing up I use to dream of meeting a guy that was just like me, that would be my best friend and help me through all my hard times and encourage me in my good times, who would be a goof with me and be willing and ready to go to random places and do random stuff with me. A year and a half ago I met this man and 6 months ago I was sealed to him for time and all eternity. Cody has truly been the biggest blessing in my life. He has helped me more than I could imagine a person could help me. He loves me for who I am, my faults, my down falls, and my complete weirdness, and I love him for the geek that he is :) This morning at 2 am it was enforced how much my husband is there for me. I couldn't sleep due to missing a friend of mine and just dealing with some hard times. Cody was up studying and he heard me crying. He took time away from his well needed study time to comfort me and help me feel better. What more could I have asked for? He is smart, spiritual strong, in tune with the spirit, a hard worker, and a loving and accepting person to all. I don't know how I got to be so blessed, but I am forever grateful that Heavenly Father decided that I deserved this blessing! Happy 6 months mi amor eterno. Here's to an eternity more!

Bills suck

2010-07-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

There is a quote I found on a drink coaster at Red Robins that said "why are finances so hard to meet when they are everywhere?". I love this quote and it's complete truthfulness. Being married is awesome...being poor sucks. It's part of life though right. Currently Cody is in paramedic school full time and working full time (48 hours a week) at his job, while me on the other hand is working part time at Best Buy, which doesn't pay too much, and then working with my dad. Being out of school I am desperately seeking a full time job and soon. Hopefully I can find one that is a long the lines of my career path. Best Buy is fun, but it doesn't completely pay the bills, nor does it give me enough hours to help. Oh well...that is life I guess. We just keep going, holding our heads up high and trusting completely on the Lord to help us get by. I read a quote in the Ensign that said "Our family's faith is in Jesus Christ and is not dependent on outcomes". That is how I view life and all that comes with it. No matter what happens in life my faith will stay strong and we can get through anything and everything.

Update on the life of the Smiths

2010-06-23T23:28:00.001-07:00

So it has been forever since I have written in this blog. School and wedding planning kinda puts a damper on being able to blog as much. It has been 5 months since Cody and I got married and it's been the best ever. There are ups and downs, but it is the best choice I ever made! For those that didn't know I have officially graduated Fresno State with my bachelors in Speech Pathology and am applying for some grad schools to start up the beginning of 2011. Right now I am just working at Best Buy and currently looking for a job somewhat close to my career. I am still loving work and married life completely! Learning to cook random meals, taking care of my husband and our crazy cat, and trying to make enough money to pay the bills has been hard, but an experience I wouldn't pass up. Cody has applied for CHP and due to California budget his application is on hold and has now started Paramedic school. It will most likely be over a year until he can get on with CHP so becoming a Paramedic will actually give us more money and help us a lot more. Aight I really don't know what else to put on here, but I just wanted to get in the habit of posting once again and to post some recent pics for all to see. Enjoy!

Wedding Plans gallore

2009-11-13T11:14:00.000-08:00

The time approaches soon. With two months left I am busy trying to put everything together for the wedding. For those that don't know Cody and I will be getting married January 16, 2010. There is so much to do and yet I am struggling to find more to do...if that even makes sense. From making sure my dress is ready, to ordering the flowers, to getting the decorations in place for the reception, to putting the address list together, to whatever else goes with the craziness of getting married. I am excited for this time and ready for it to be here already :) I will post some pictures when things become finalized so you can see how amazing it all will be! Love you all and hope to see whoever can come to be there!

Hanford Stake Conference

2009-11-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

This last month I gave a talk in Hanford Stake Conference and I know a few of my siblings wanted to read it so I decided to post it. So here you go. ENJOY!

HANFORD STAKE CONFERENCE OCT 25, 2009

Well as mentioned my name is Katie Johnson and I am originally from the Selma Ward. Just for a brief introduction to me, I served a mission in Rancagua, Chile a few years ago and am currently a student at Fresno State. I am attending the Visalia YSA 7^th branch until January when I will be married and graduate from the single’s life.

When President Buchanan had asked me to talk he mentioned the last few themes of the stake conferences was one, hearing the Lord’s word and two, feeling what the spirit is telling us to do and do it. When he mentioned that two things came in to my mind. First, was the scripture in James 1:22 that states, “But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only”. It is one of my favorites. The second thing I thought of was my mom’s constant reminder to me growing up and even now that “knowing isn’t doing”.

This last August I had the opportunity to attend the first ever state wide YSA conference. All the YSA were to meet in their temple districts and we had classes, activities, and church. During this conference I was able to learn a lot more about how to better my life and I would like to speak upon what I learned and how I have applied that to my life since then.

One of the lessons that stuck out to me a lot during the last few months was the lesson taught by Brother Cleveland called “Keeping covenants: the way to avoid problems and find happiness”. I have experienced over the last several years the difference in my life when I am keeping my covenants and when I am not. The difference is truly when I am obedient I am happy, when I am not… I am not so happy…truly happy. Brother Cleveland mentioned that as we keep our covenants we have not only clean hands but a clean heart. We feel that closeness to the Lord. He also encouraged us to keep our feet, both of them, on holy ground just like Christ wants us to do. I love the invitation to keep BOTH my feet on holy ground, through keeping covenants. This last year and especially these last few months I have made an extra effort to make sure both my feet were placed on holy ground. I have made sure I read my scriptures daily, attended the temple at least once a month, changed the way I act or speak, looked to help carry the burdens of those around me, be a helping hand. I have tried to make my life more like Christ would want and looked to fulfilling my covenants daily. I am not perfect and I still fall short at times, I have noticed a huge change in my life over the last year and even the last few months, as I strive to do what the Lord knows is good for me. I have been able to overcome trials more easily, to face problems with stronger faith, and lean on the Lord through everything. When we are disobedient and not keeping our covenants Satan takes power over our lives. Through keeping covenants and being obedient we have the power.

In the April 2009 General Conference Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the 12 Apostles spoke about keeping covenants. He said, “What is it about making and keeping covenants with God that gives us the power to smile through hardships, to convert tribulation into triumph, to “be anxiously engaged in a good cause, … and bring to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27)? …Obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create. Of course, age, accident, and illnesses inevitably take their toll, but even so, our obedience to this gospel law enhances our capacity to deal with these challenges.”

I know that nothing is better than letting the Lord guide you through your daily life. It may be hard at times, but the end result is worth every step.

Another lesson during the YSA conference that I would like to talk about is one by Sister Sharon Smith about the Sacrament, a reminder of our covenants. Sister Smith mentioned how the Sacrament was a sacred ordinance and a way to memorialize the atonement every week. It is a time to evaluate ourselves and change what we need to in order to be better. As Sister Smith called it “the Sacrament table is like a mini judgment bar”. In D&C 59:9-10 we read “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High”. There it is again… to be unspotted from the world, to be clean. You know I never use to understand the importance of Sacrament meeting much. I knew we took the Sacrament in order to renew our covenants, but not much else. As many people I had a horrible habit of doing other things during Sacrament meeting, especially texting my friends or even write notes to people next to me.

Elder Dallin Oaks mentioned such habits, among others, in his October 2008 General Conference talk. He professed, “How we dress is an important indicator of our attitude and preparation for any activity in which we will engage. If we are going swimming or hiking or playing on the beach, our clothing, including our footwear, will indicate this. The same should be true of how we dress when we are to participate in the ordinance of the sacrament. It is like going to the temple. Our manner of dress indicates the degree to which we understand and honor the ordinance in which we will participate.

During sacrament meeting—and especially during the sacrament service—we should concentrate on worship and refrain from all other activities, especially from behavior that could interfere with the worship of others. Even a person who slips into quiet slumber does not interfere with others. Sacrament meeting is not a time for reading books or magazines. Young people, it is not a time for whispered conversations on cell phones or for texting persons at other locations. When we partake of the sacrament, we make a sacred covenant that we will always remember the Savior. How sad to see persons obviously violating that covenant in the very meeting where they are making it”.

When I heard him speak these words it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was not giving the Sacrament the sacred attention that is required and I was depriving not only myself, but others of feeling the spirit by my actions. Sister Smith, in her talk, mentioned how the disciples fell asleep during the hour they were suppose to stay guard for the Savior outside the Garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew the Savior asks His disciples “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” How important is it for us to pay more attention during that hour. I have changed my habits since Elder oaks talk, and improved them even more since the talk of Sister Smith. I make sure my phone is on silent and tucked away so I can’t touch it or see it during Sacrament. I don’t bring any books, other than my lesson manual and scriptures, to distract me from the meeting. I make sure I am dressed in a way that I would dress to attend the temple. Even during the meeting, sitting among my friends, I make an effort not to carry on long conversations. As I have done this I have been able to receive the revelation I have needed in my life, the blessings that I have long awaited. My spirit is lifted and I am able to start the week with more energy and hope.

As stated in James we need to be doers of what we hear…or if you want to rephrase it to how my mom says Knowing is not doing. The knowledge is only good if we apply it to our lives and strive to be a better us. I know as we apply the knowledge that we obtain to our lives, our lives become richer and fuller. As we study the principles of Jesus Christ it is important to apply them. With out the application the knowledge is useless.

Funny

2009-08-22T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been horrible with blogging lately and I shall update you all soon enough, but I thought I would leave you with this demotivational and thought :p ENJOY!!

Rock Band

2009-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

I have discovered the entertainment of Rock Band and that I truly ROCK at this game....unless you get a Nirvana song on and then I can't hit Kurt Corbain's low vocals. These are the pics of Cody (my boyfriend), Nicole (my roomie), and Aaron (another friend). If you have not tried this game I suggest to give it a whirl!

Our educational system

2009-01-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

All I gotta say is I spent $454 on 5 freaking books this semester and now I am broke once again. Gotta love how we go broke to learn what we need to do to get rich.....Where has all my money gone.....to the school. Oh and the funny thing about it all is I just got a grant to help me with school and with all the bills the school already got 3/4 of the money back....yea fun times. Good thing my career path is high demand so I can get that money back haha. Ok I am done venting. Love you all!

Day 5 of Extreme Makeover:Home Edition in Fresno

2009-01-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

So we headed back up to Fresno tonight to see the progress of the house they are rebuilding. It looks awesome! Totally stands out from the houses surrounding it. My roommates and I are headed up Thursday to see the big reveal and man am I stoked! Stay tuned! :)This lady let us take a pic of her back :p
Look at the progress!!! AMAZING!
This is the guy I met the first time and took a pic with. He's telling anyone who came on the shuttle to start heading back soon cuz it was time to leave
Livy and I in front of the house
Pouring the concrete
This volunteer was taking pictures of everything outside the top floor window..haha.
Extreme Makeover Extreme Security. Now this guy was just cool as he was just chilling on the pile of donated canned foods :p

EXTREME HOMEMAKER HOME EDITION IN FRESNO BABY!!

2009-01-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

Many of you may not know this, but last Friday in Fresno Ty Pennington and his crew from Extreme Homemaker chose a family from Fresno and started reconstruction on their house. I knew they were coming, but wasn't sure when. It is the family Riojas and you can read their story and see the progress of the house at http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/channel?section=news/extreme_makeover&id=6591097. Anyways my roommate Nicole and I went up to Fresno and checked out the happenings. They are offering a free shuttle to the site and we were able to see the 1st day of construction. I wasn't able to see Ty or Ed or anyone else on their crew, but we are going back Tuesday and for the reveal on Thursday. It was way cool to see the show I watch quite often in real life. Enjoy the pics and videos!!

On our way to see the house

This guy was part of the crew

Bill Engvall

2009-01-02T00:06:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went and saw Bill Engvall live in Fresno with my friend Kendall. He is so funny and a great way to reward myself after finishing finals. If you haven't listened to ant of Bill Engvall's stuff I highly encourage it. Enjoy the pics and video clip. Here's your sign...

Aaron and I (I'm the cuter one and man I look good in white)

2008-12-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

I am a freaking cute baby!! Just thought you all would like to know :p

This last year for me and the blessings that have followed

2008-12-11T21:23:00.001-08:00

This last year has been such an incredible experience for me. I have learned and grown more than I ever thought imaginable. I never thought a year ago that I would be where I am today. A little over a year ago I had to make one of the biggest and hardest decisions in my life. I decided to end my 2 year relationship with the man I thought I was in love with. He was my best friend, someone I thought I was the happiest with and I couldn't imagine my life without him in it. Close to the end of our relationship I started different different signs and promptings that there was something better out there for me. So I did it. I broke his heart along with mine, but I knew that it was what the Lord wanted me to do. He begged me to come back and tried everything he could to get me back, but I just knew that my time with him was over. I struggled for months with figuring out what the Lord wanted from me and trying to get back on my feet. Almost right after making the right decision of breaking up with him I was faced with trial after trial. My roommate moved out on me after 2 weeks of living in my new place so I had to move home not being able to support myself nor find a new roommate, my boss (who discriminated against me everyday) started giving me horrible hours and it just seemed that my bills never stopped. But I kept up the faith and continued to hope for something better and aim for it. Well I had to move home, which was the best thing for me. I found a job at In Shape City and started to paying off my bills one after the other. Through In Shape City I was introduced to Jim Booth, who is the owner of Jim Booth Swim School and Watsonville. He came to Visalia looking to start his swim school here at the gym and wanted me to be the manager of it. After much training and months of working for him and learning more and more what I need to do better, I have proved myself to be a trustworthy and hard working manager. Jim constantly tells me how proud he is of me and how he needs more people like me to work for him. What a complement! Well due to this blessing of a job I was able to pay off 4 credit cards in about 6 months, something I never thought I would be able to do. Money has still been tight at times, but I continue to pay my tithing and do what the Lord has asked of me. Due to my faithfulness and obedience I am guessing (or so says my mom) I am blessed beyond my wildest imagination. Today I was told that my morning job is trying to work around my schedule so I can go to school and still get the pay I am getting now. That is a miracle in itself because I was told I would have to just be a sub and take a $2 or $3 pay cut. So you can imagine how great that is. Then today I got news from Jim that he wants to open two more swim schools at two different In Shape Cities and make me supervisor over all. This means more money for me and if all works out then I will only need to work one job at a time. This will be a blessing above all. So keep your fingers crossed and me in your prayers cuz I need this. The lessons I have learned is that if you do what the Lord has asked He will bless you temporally, spiritually and more than you can imagine. Through patience, going forth in faith and obedience you will be richly rewarded. Hard times will occur but if we do our part He will ALWAYS do His. Just like I read in Mosiah 2:21-25 (focusing on verse 22) "And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you." So there is it. I have lived it and I know it to be true. Love you all!

Talking cats

2008-12-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

This is freaking hilarious! Enjoy!!

Funny moments of Thanksgiving break

2008-11-27T19:43:00.000-08:00

I love when family is around, esp the young ones. Here are some explanation to the pictures and videos I am posting. Yesterday Daniel decided that Bailey aka Woof Woof was not a dog, but rather a horse. So he would try and ride Bailey whenever he could. Bailey didn't like the idea as much though. Also while we hung out in the therapy room at the hospital Daniel played some baseball. Kids are sure pure entertainment. We went walking this morning and Guy was playing the part of the Dog Whisperer and was attempting to train Bailey to obey him. Daniel decided he would help walk the dog by carrying the last part of the leash. Quite the bit of entertainment.

Happy Turkey Day!

2008-11-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hope your Thanksgiving was as good as mine!

The Lord's work will go on!!

2008-11-22T19:50:00.000-08:00

I got this from Rachel and I absolutely love it! I love how the work is going to continue to go on no matter what! Enjoy!!

Date: Saturday, November 15, 2008, 6:16 PM My dear family, brothers and sisters, friends and leaders: My heart is overflowing with joy and gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His tender mercies and mighty miracles in our behalf. I just have to share this with you. As most of you know, I am a Temple ordinance worker and work the morning shift in the LA Temple every Saturday. Today, I had the priviledge of translating sister Martz-the new assistant Matron's-message during our devotional. She started like this "The prophet Joseph Smith said that no unhallowed hand would be able to stop this Work from progressing. These past few weeks when mobs have combined and armies have gathered against the saints, the Lord has protected His house". She went on to say that those, like her, who were inside the Temple when mobs were surrounding it, did not realize how scary and terrifying this looked on TV to the rest of us, because inside the House of the Lord all was calm and there was peace abundant. After Proposition 8 passed, the Temple began receiving threatening calls and mail from those opposing it. They were warned that more than 5000 people would come to the Temple and burn it to the ground, and stop Its work. The first Thursday when the mob came, the new LA Temple President called the Salt Lake City Temple Offices for instructions. He was instructed to call the local police and to insure the safety of those attending the Temple by closing the gates. The assistant Matron said today, that it was a tender mercy from the Lord that the mob chose that Thursday to come since they had only one person coming to receive his own endowment that day, which he received in time to leave before trouble started. The LAPD and the FBI responded quickly to the Temple Presidency's summons and patroled the grounds and kept the mob from entering the same. Most of them had never been there before and expressed their surprise at how beautiful and peaceful all around was. They were invited to come back during the Christmas season to see the lights and they promised they would. On Thursday, November 13th, sister Campbell, a secretary in the Temple, was opening the mail and upon opening a large manila envelope found inside a smaller one. When she opened this one, a white powder flew all around her desk. She thought this could be related to the demonstrators and feared the worst-ANTRAX. She contacted the President, who in turn called the Salt Lake City Temple office again for instructions. The FBI, the LAPD, and even the SWAT teams were once again in the grounds to investigate, and the Temple once again had to close from around 11:30 AM to 5PM. They closed the gates and were instructed to keep all the people there wherever they were found at the time. Those in the parking lot had to remain in the parking lot. Those entering the Temple had to remain in the first floor and those already upstairs were taken to the Celestial Room. Then, the miracles began to happen: A brother serving as a recorder that day is a Microbiologist by profession and used to deal with hazardous substances every day. He was the first to say the white powder in the envelope was only talc, and put every one at ease. Then the sister coordinator upstairs was impressed to call upstairs to the sealing area, and said "They said we can't go down but no one said we can't go up, and I have many people in the Celestial room with their ceremonial clothes on ready to work. Could they do some sealings?" As it happened, there were four sealers present that day and they ran four sealing sessions non stop while the Temple was closed. Downstairs, someone elsethought to invite those in the Lobby to do some initiatories, which they promptly did for all those hours too, brothers and sisters alike. Among those waiting in the parking lot there was a large group of young men and women with their leaders who had come to do Baptisms for the dead, and who waited patiently all those hours and decided when the Temple was reopened to go ahead and fulfill their assignment instead of driving back home. The Temple reopened in time for the 5:30 PM session. The next day when recording the ordinances, they discovered that they had performed 2000 sacred ordinances on Thursday, only one less than the day before when three stakes had been visiting the Temple. Once again the assistant matron reminded us of the words of the prophet Joseph Smith, "No unhallowed hand can stop the Work from progressing...". But, this is not all, a prophecy was fulfilled also. When the new LA Temple President was set apart by President Uchdorft of the First Presidency, he received a blessing and these words were pronounced: " The time has come for the LA Temple to come out of obscurity and become an Ensign for Righteousness to the world under your presidency." The pictures of the Temple have been shown on TV, newspapers and the internet, not only in this country but worldwide. People of other faiths have called and sent letters to the Temple thanking the Church for defending marriage and protecting the family, and commenting how impressed they are by how beautiful and majestic the Temple looks . One minister of an African American church, who by his own admission had harbored ill feelings against the mormons before said " I am impressed by your integrity and Christ like behavior, and even if I am not ready to consider you my brothers and sisters in Christ, we can be first cousins!". I asked the assistant matron if I could share her comments and she said to go ahead. I can only addmy own testimony that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the power and authority of God on earth. God Lives and Jesus, His only Begotten Son and our Savior is coming soon to redeem His people. I am grateful to know this and I pray we stand firm, steadfast and immobile while the prophecies of the signs before His Coming are fulfilled. "Be not afraid, only believe" He has said, and also " What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." I testify that this is true and testify it in the Holy Name of Whom I strive to serve, even Jesus Christ. Be faithful and safe is my humble prayer.Your sister in Christ, Patricia H. Arnazzi

Picture Tag....let's see how this goes

2008-11-21T22:40:00.000-08:00

Find pictures that fit in each category

Dream Vacation: Belize..although I have already been there I want to go back again, especially on my honey moon :p

Dream Car: I love the Classic Mustangs....I would LOVE to have one of those one day. And of course I am a truck girl and one day want a truck, but with gas prices up and down I don't know if I'll ever get one

Favorite place to shop: This is only when I have money....which is rare

Favorite flower: I know it isn't this big and amazing thing, but I have always loved roses and especially loved recieving them.

Guilty pleasure: Ummm let's see....prolly diamonds for one. Every since I worked at Kay Jewelery I have fallen in love with diamonds. Along with that I have a few shows I am addicted to, including Law and Order, Biggest Loser and Celebrity Rehab...they are too good and just addicting!

Favorite Hobby: I have always loved to read, ever since I was a kid. Swimming, of course. That's kind of a given. Thanks to my brothers throwing me in the pool when I was younger, swimming became a hobby of mine. Exercise is my new drug and I love it. It helps me feel tons better! And you gotta love the road trips especially when it's with my best friends all over the U.S.

Favorite Actress: I think Sandra Bullock would be on the top of that list. She's so funny and she is kinda sticking her tongue out in this pic....just like me. haha :p I have other favorite actresses but I'll just leave it with her.

Favorite Actor: Johnny Depp....are you really surprised?? Then you gotta love Chris Farley and David Spade, they were a riot together. And John Travolta, just cuz I am watching one of his movies right now and he really does have talent! There are a ton more, but I don't have time to put them all on here.

Birthplace: Need I say more??

Favorite Color(s):

Dream Career: Well it's what I am going to school for....Speech Pathologist with an emphasis on handicapped people. I have grown a huge love for handicapped people since I work with them in Utah and knew that I wanted to gain a career in assisting them. It's a lot of schooling but it is well worth it.

Thanks Nia! I drained my laptop battery doing this tag haha

TAG! YOU ARE IT!! Now do the tag and pass it along :p

Just to make you smile

2008-11-21T22:37:00.001-08:00

I LOVE MY CAT :p

Who doesn't like to treat themselves

2008-11-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that this last year my huge goal was to pay off my credit card bills and get out of debt with those. It was a struggle for me, but I managed to do it (minus a main credit card bill). I paid off 4 bills in less than 6 months which was a struggle for me, but it was well worth it. So as a treat to me I bought myself a watch that I have wanted for the last year and a half. I was making payments on it and today I finished the payments and now have it. Many of you may not understand why I did it, but it was my treat for accomplishing so much this year. So here it is!!! Isn't it gorgeous?!

My first Tag

2008-11-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Ok I am really doing this....Thought it would be fun and kill time before class

I am: freaking amazing :p

I want: to finish my schooling already

I have: a huge family that I absolutely love and am thankful for

I dislike: hypocritical people, oh and the bagged apples at Subway...they just aren't as good as I had hoped

I miss: being able to do more road trips

I fear: the unknown

I feel: completely blessed and excited for Holiday season

I hear: other people doing hw in the room I am in right now

I smell: with my nose :p

I crave: sleep and relaxation

I cry: when I am overwhelmed, too exhausted, touched by the spirit or am really hurt

I usually: get on the internet several times a day and texted my friends during class to keep me awake

I search: for more things to accomplish when I have time

I wonder: how long it will take to accomplish the goal I have set for my self in September

I regret: dating one certain guy in particular (many of you know who that person is and it wasn't my last boyfriend just to make it clear)

I love: life and everything in it

I care: about everyone

I always: have my phone with me

I worry: about getting more kids for my swim school and how my schedule is going to work next semester

I am not: a girly girl princess type

I remember: fun road trip stories

I believe: hope and a better life ahead

I dance: anytime I can

I sing: even when I don't really know the words

I don't always: clean up after myself...it is something I am working on

I argue: to stand up for what I believe

I write: in a journal, but not as often as I should

I win: every argument I am in haha. Oh and pool but only if the person I am playing against scratches on the 8 ball :p...that counts right??

I lose: weight...well in better english terms I am loosing weight, thanks to the help of my trainer and my new motivation

I wish: I could fly

I listen: to my music a bit too loud

I don't understand: what my teacher wants me to do on some of the homework she assigned

I can ususally be found: online messing around on Facebook

I need: more hours in the day to do everything I need to do and money to pay off bills

I forget: to call people on their birthdays, another thing I am working on to get better

I am happy: to just be alive and that it is Friday

I now tag: anyone who hasn't done this, especially Ward and Helida!! Love you all!!

Miracles still exist!!

2008-11-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

Mom is going to get a blog soon!! It's never too late to learn! You gotta love an ambitious mom and one that wants to stay connected to the world and family. HAHAHA love you Mom!

The Strongest Woman, my mom

2008-10-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

What is a superhero with out a partner to help out with fighting against all evils. My mom is another super hero of mine that completes the dynamic duo known as my parents. My mom has taught me so much through out my whole life. She is so incredible. I don't know what I would do without her in my life. Growing up my mom taught me the importance of hard work and service. She is 71 years old and still manages to pull full hours with her very demanding job. She is dedicated to helping out those she works with and she cares so much about everyone that she helps at her work, including her coworkers. Mom always taught me that I should look to serve someone atleast once a day. She truly demonstrated that as we serve others, we serve God...(who knows the scripture :p). She helped me know that no matter what problem I had, if I served someone else my prayers would be answered and I would find peace in my life. She is a genius with the gospel and still desires to understand more and know her Savior at a more personal level. Her thousands upon thousands (well maybe not that many) of church books that she has read have made me want to study more and know my Savior more. She is patient, loving and spunky, having a personality of her own. Seeing my dad suffer through his health problems 13 years ago and even now I see how my mom has completely forgotten herself and done everything to help her husband, the love of her life recover his health and feel better. Even sneaking Dad an occasional sugar cookie when the doctors aren't looking has showed me how much my mom is dedicated to my dad and loves him eternally. I would love nothing more than to be half the woman my mother is. She is my role model and everything I want to be. I hope to be the kind of mom to my kids that my mom is to me. Of course I pray that my kids won't be as big as hellians as I was. I love my mom and I am eternally indebted to her. Thank you Mom for being you, or your patience and for helping me be the type of person that I am today and reminding me that I am a daughter of God and am someone special.

My dad my super hero

2008-10-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know this but 13 years ago my family almost lost one of the most amazing people in it, my dad. He became really sick, with a bleeder in the left side of his brain and other comlications. Due to this sickness my dad wasn't the same man he was before. I was only in 8th grade and hardly understood all that was happening. Sadly due to my IMMENSE ignorance I was bitter towards Dad for years after that. All my siblings will agree that I was a brat and for lack of better words a hellian on the loose. Dad continued to be patient with me and loved me no matter how much I fought with him and Mom. After High School I decided to move to Utah and Dad drove me up there in my little Saturn which was way to small for a 6'7" 350 lbs man. Little did I know Dad left a letter in my luggage for me which I found later. Dad always finds ways to let each of his kids know how much he loves them. In this letter he counseled me on the things he felt I should know since I would be living on my own for the first time ever. Then he apologized for not being the dad he should have been to me and he thanked ME for MY patience. Needless to say this letter bought tears to my eyes and made me feel like crap because I was the worst daughter ever and treated the most amazing person ever so horribly. One of the reasons I moved home right before my mission was so I could get to know my Dad, my super hero more before I left. Now I have grown to admire and adore and look up to him more than any man I know. He is always smiling and always friendly. He is one that anyone, no matter who they are, can go up to my dad and he will give them the biggest and best bear hug they have ever had. He knows everyone by their name and calls them by it. Even the Denny's and Los Pepe's waitresses he calls by their names and gets to know who they are and what they are doing in their lives. He was decidated to going to all of his kid's games and swim meets no matter how far away they were. He was filled with excitement and joy as he saw his children succeed and even now he finds that joy with his grandkids. He can kneel down in prayer and has the deepest conversations with our Heavenly Father for what seems like hours sometimes. Even though as a little kid I never looked forward to those long prayers of Dad's, he did teach me how to talk to my Heavenly Father and open up to Him about everything. My dad is a spiritual giant and I hope to be able to find a man someday that is as amazing as he is and who loves me as much as he loves my mom. Thank you Poppy for being who you are and for loving me no matter how bad I was. You always saw my potential and loved me and supported me through water polo and swimming. You are my super hero and the one I admire!

Struggling on finances just suck!!!

2008-10-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have decided that money just sucks. Having bills is what takes the excitement away from pay day. Right now I am trying to budget out my month's payments and such. Working two jobs and full time school can be stressing, but I cannot afford to not work. What's worse is that in January I am going to be taking 5 classes, which is a heavier school load and my classes might conflict with one of my main jobs that provides my main income so I am a bit stressed as to what I am going to do. BUT all I know is that I have been doing all that the Lord has asked of me and I am doing my best at everything I can so everything is going to work out the best way it should. In times like this all you can do is go forward with faith in all you do right :)

Fresno State vs UCLA

2008-09-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you that know me, I like sports. I am not a super sport fan freak, but I do enjoy watching sports and rooting for a team. I enjoy the games more in person where I can interact with the crowd and get more into it rather than watching it at home. Well yesterday my friend Jason, who is a news reporter for the Porteville paper and a fan of UCLA (he served his mission in LA so it goes with the territory) and his coworker Sam and I decided to go to LA and see the UCLA vs Fresno State game, which was at the Rose Bowl!! I wasn't sure on who I was going to cheer for even though I am a Fresno State student. Well Jason was complaining how I was planning on playing Switzerland by being neutral so I decided to root for Fresno and have a fun little fight with Jason over whose team would win. Well of course Fresno State won 36 to 31. Although I must say that UCLA did try to keep up. It was fun rubbing the win in Jason's face all day long! The last pic is of Jason pouting cuz his team lost. Haha. As of today Fresno is ranked 22!! GO BULLDOGS!!!

Riddle me this.....

2008-09-28T19:38:00.001-07:00

What do you get when you have two roommates that stay up a little bit too late and start getting mischievious ideas....hahaha. Look and see.

Rodeo time

2008-09-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks back I went to a rodeo in Springville. It was a ton of fun. I had never been to a rodeo so it was a bit interesting. My friend Jason is a reporter so we took some pics for him and just walked around stuff. It was so much fun. Another random part of my life.

Sky High

2008-09-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

You gotta love the randomness that comes with being me or having the friends I have. Ok well my roommate Olivia AKA Liv decided she wanted to learn how to fly. Well her first flying lesson was this last Saturday the 20th, and she wanted me to go with her for her intro flight. I wasn't going to cuz I had a ton to do for an activity I had planned on Sunday, but after she talked to me about it I couldn't resist. Who couldn't resist having another story to tell the grandkids...um when I have them :p Anyways it was a little private plane and we flew over Visalia. It was only a 20 minute flight but it was way fun. Maybe Liv will buy an airplane one day and she can fly me anywhere I want.. hahaha If only that could happen. But hey who knows. Here are the pics from the flight!

My new goal...are you ready for this??

2008-09-15T01:07:00.000-07:00

So for those that don't know yet I have decided that one of my next goals I am going to accomplish is to do the Escape from Alcatraz swim. I will swim, alongside with about a hundred more people, from the historic prison Alcatraz to the San Francisco shore. It is about a mile and a half swim and shall be quite an experience. My roommate Liv has a friend that has done it a few times and after talking to her I decided I was going to train to swim it next year as well. Exciting times huh?? Haha. I am already swimming a ton to get back in shape for it. I discovered the other day that after 8 years of not swimming competively I only added 2 min on my 500 time so I think I can make the swim!!! I'll keep you posted about it :p

My cute neices and nephews

2008-09-15T00:30:00.000-07:00

Wolf Creek Videos

2008-09-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

O to have internet once again

2008-09-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

So as many of you have may noticed I am horrible with blogging, but it's not my fault. We finally got cable and internet set up in my new apartment and I am now back and connected to the world. Also I have discovered that my roommate Olivia is a blogger fanatic as well. She showed me a few things on here so now my page will not be as lame. Oh PS Alita she is a fan of your page and loves your DS display!! Well I have a lot to update you all on so keep looking cuz I will be on here a lot now :p

I have returned!!!

2008-08-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ok well it has been quite awhile since I have been on here. Needless to say, this summer has been extremely crazy busy for me, but that's nothing out of the ordinary for me. I think I have inheriated that from my wonderful mother....she is always keeping herself busy. Another reason too is the last month I have not had the internet available to me that easily so that puts a damper on my blogging time. Well let's start the update. I worked this whole summer managing and teaching at the Jim Booth Swim School and on top of that being the lead lifeguard for InShape City. Jim Booth Swim School went very well, although we have had a decline in numbers. I have been busy trying to get our numbers up lately. We are a year round school and if I don't have anyone in swim lessons, Katie doesn't get the money she needs. But then again who doesn't need money. Our September session starts soon so I have been doing all I can to promote us and meet more people and get our name out there. I have learned a lot about managing skills, social skills, and the business world through this job. Although at times it has been frustrating and stressful, it has been a very positive experience. Seeing those kids improve so much on their swimming and be excited just to be in the water with me has made it all worth it. Another bonus with this job and with lifeguarding this summer I have managed to pay off two more credit cards (thanks Aaron and Alita for helping me focus more on that and understand finances more) and I now feel a lot less stressed with those bills gone!! Now with lifeguard, that was another demanding job. Well at the beginning of the summer the AGM of the gym quit and she told me to do as much as I can for our GM and help her out wherever I could. So everyday I would go and talk to my GM Sky and see if I could do anything for her and set up different things for the lifeguard program as well as for other departments at the gym. I really have felt blessed working at the gym and have one of the most amazing bosses ever. Anyways Sky told me how much of an asset I was to the team and awarded me MVP for the month of August and a little bonus. It has been a good summer, just tiring. Well now that school has started up and I am now teaching again in Dinuba with my handicapped kids and going to school full time I had to decide if I wanted to work 3 jobs and go to school and kill myself or just work the two. After a huge struggle to decide I talked to Sky (my GM at the gym) and told her I had to quit for now, but I want to come back cuz I could see myself grow a ton through the company....she agreed and even mentioned me possibly becoming AGM one day. We shall see. So now we are up to date more or less with my jobs. I am working in Dinuba at an elementary school (I got transferred to this school this year) with 13 severelly handicapped kids from ages 5 to 11. It has been a huge struggle and adjustment for me. I was really use to my old kids and they were a lot better behaved than the kids I have now. Just another trial to get me stronger right :). Oh and then there is my new apartment....yeop that's right!! I'm on my own once again!! I am living in a cute little town house in Visalia with 2 other girls. I will post pictures as soon as I can. It's been nice living in Visalia. My social life has improved a bit and I like the indepence. Not that I don't like living at Mom and Dad's but I needed to be on my own again and take more responsibility for my life. Well I must go and do some homework. I am going to try and update this more often. Hope you all enjoy it. Love you all!!!

Hollywood with Mom and Dad

2008-07-11T12:11:00.001-07:00

Ok so as some of you know last week Mom, Dad and I went to Hollywood for the day. I had bought tickets to go see the musical Wicked for the three of us. I knew Mom and Dad wanted to go so I figure what would be a better present than tickets to go see it. Anyways Mom wanted to leave at the butt crack of dawn (well maybe more like 7:30am) to go see the matinee. We got there about 3 hours before the play started so we had sometime to play around. It was one of the best days I have had in a long time. Once we got in to Hollywood we parked and walked around Hollywood Blvd. We got to see the stars in the sidewalk and the feet and handprints in the sidewalk outside of the Hallmark theaters. We went to the Wax museum too which was so amazing and fun. I tried to get more pictures of Mom and Dad, but Mom didn't want her pic taken too much. I did managed to get one pic of them in front of the MASH cast. :) Dad helped a street performer tie a tie when noone else would. Don't you love how Dad just helps so many people. That is why I am glad he's my dad. Another highlight of the day was Mom's trip down memory lane. She used to live there years back and we went to where she used to live, go to school at and where the church was. It was fun hearing her stories and what she did down there. Then for the main reason we were there....the musical WICKED!! It was AMAZING!! I couldn't believe it. It was so funny, powerful and I loved the twists in the plot. It was a great play. We all enjoyed it and left amazed for how great of a production it was. Well enjoy the pics!

Website for my job...if you wanna check it out

2008-07-07T02:01:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add this in. This is the website for Jim Booth if any of you all wanna check it out.
www.jimboothswimschool.com

ENJOY!!!

Jim Booth Swim School

2008-07-05T00:13:00.000-07:00

So here is the story with my swim school for all those that are interested in knowing. From Monday thru Thursday I am at the gym teaching swim lessons to kids from 6 months all the way till 40 year olds or older. We pretty much teach all ages. It's a year round swim school. We teach at the indoor pool at Inshape City gym in Visalia. The pool we teach in is 94 degrees and is comfortable for the children to be able to enjoy the lessons. We have Monday/Wednesday classes or Tuesday/Thursday classes and each class last for 30 min. One session lasts for 4 weeks. Out of all the swim lessons I have taught I must say this swim school is the best and most successful. There are no more than 3 or 4 kids per teacher and each kid learns the correct form of swimming. Our motto is "A little progress every day". You would be so suprised by how much the kids learn in only 8 classes and how much fun we have. I feel truly blessed for this job. I love the kids I teach and the parents are awesome. It has been a lot of work. Monday thru Thursday I work over 13 hour days and hardly get any sleep but it is worth it. It truly was an answer to my prayers. Enjoy the pics and let me know what you think :)

I have joined the blogging posse

2008-06-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Ok so I figured I would join this whole blogging thing once again. I haven't done this since my MesoAmerica trip and the family reunion, but I figured since my whole fam damily is doing it I might as well join. Well this is an update for everyone who may not know. I am currently living in California and back with my parents for the time being. I was living in Visalia in my own apartment, but a bunch of drama happened and my roomie moved out leaving me with the rent hence why I am living at home once again. I have plans to move out again soon though.....it'll save on gas :) Which by the way in Cali is already $4.75. Currently I am working two jobs and have a busy summer ahead of me. It's just how life goes for me though....I like to be busy. I am a manager of a swim school here in Visalia named the Jim Booth Swim School which has proven to be very successful and very interesting and FUN! I love it so much and have pics to prove it. My other summer job is being manager or lifeguard lead (whatever you want to call it) at Inshape City, a gym in Visalia. So I am getting my time in the water and my tan at the same time. I LOVE IT!!! School will start again in August and I will continue my schooling for my BA and also working at the school with severally handicapped teenagers. I have two years left in my schooling....for those that don't know I am getting my degree in Speech Pathology with an emphasis on the severally handicapped. After getting the BA I think I need to my Masters and I have yet to figure out where though. What else to tell?? Hmmmm I am working in the church a ton. I am teaching Gospel Principles and do work as a ward missionary. I have a ton of ideas to help improve and help the branch so we shall see what shall become of that. Well if any of you have ideas for the blog please let me know!! I am still figuring this out. Love you all!!!