Okay, so I found a picture of me on the internet. Honestly, this is me. This is my current personal struggle. I really hope that I can have the self-discipline to make the changes in my life that need to happen so that I can be healthier.

Two awesome sayings my sister shared with me:

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

My favorite thing about my home is who I share it with.

Today is cleaning day. We are missing one of my daughters college textbooks, so as a result we are cleaning and de-cluttering. I just love it when I can walk into a room or space and it is cleaned, organized, and de-cluttered.

Later that day:
Didn't find the book yet, but we found 5 other items that were missing.

I am so happy that the last cooking goal I had was a success. In the process I learned a few things. Most important, it is too hot to cook the beans during the day, so this next time I am going to soak the beans during the day and cook them at night. Today I set a new goal with beans. This time I am going to try to cook baked beans from scratch. I am going to use the recipe found here.
Additionally, I decided it was time to learn how to add a link to my posts on my blog, and as you can see I learned how to do it and implemented it.
Also, I am gaining weight, and that is never a good thing, especially since I was hoping to lose weight. So my third goal for right now is to put in place a gym membership for me and my husband and possibly my daughter so that we can work out together.

Successfully cooked black beans from dry beans. That was my goal this week and I am so excited I was able to do it and that they tasted great. You can find the recipe here.
(beans in photo are not the beans I cooked)

Today my 7 year old son said, "Mom, can you cheer me." He was working on his math, and when I asked for more clarification he told me that he was going "too slow" and asked again if I could cheer for him. I love homeschool.

My goal for this week is to learn to cook some beans. I want to successfully cook a pot of beans from soaking them to a meal.

I don't "love" all of my trials and I really don't want to go through more (even though I am pretty sure that is part of the earthly package), but I want to acknowledge how very grateful I am for the many things I have learned through my trials and the blessings we have received through out trials. I can testify with Alma that the Lord had made our burndens light that we were able to bear them and at times we didn't even feel them upon our backs.

I do, however, LOVE the temple and I am incredibly thankful that we have one so close to us (about 25 min. away). Having one so close has made it possible for us to make the temple part of our lives. When I gave birth to Bridger I wasn't sure when I would be able to go again, but we are finding a way to keep this wonderful blessing part of our life. I believe that even if I can't make it there as often as I would like to go that others in my family can go and we can continue to be blessed by our temple attendance and continue to receive the blessings and promptings that come with lifes trials as we attend that sacred institution. I also want to mention one more thing here. I love the General Patron Assistance Fund. I am amazed at the faith of members of the church who sacrifice so much (sometimes for years) so that they can receive the sacred ordinances in the temple. And yet I am grateful that there is a way members of the church can attend for the first time quicker. Because of this program even if you give just a little, it can make a huge difference.

I love to see the temple. I'm going there someday. To feel the holy spirit. To listen and to pray.

My heart is full of gratitude tonight as I think of all the many blessing that I have been given from a loving Father in Heaven who loves me despite all my struggles and mistakes. I am so very grateful for the Atonement and the Plan of Salvation. I am so very thankful for my family and I hope and pray that as I go forward I can have the strength I need to put the tempations of this world behind me and stay on the path the leads to the fruit on the tree of life.

I have tried so hard to teach my oldest daughter everything she needs to know to be able to start a family of her own, go to college, and live on a budget. I walked her through her first two semesters of College and have started her into her third. She has 31 college credits and will have 46 at the end of the semester. I don't however know what she is going to do. Will she transfer to another school to finish. Will she stay at this school and finish. Is is time to get a job, start a family, or do something else all together. After a lot of prayer I finally received the answer that it is her turn to pray and learn what her next step is. I love her so much and I want her to be happy and make the best choice, but right now I don't know what that choice is. It is finally her turn to receive the inspiration.