Nonstop Tears

It is no big secret that I LOVE this show....

It inspires people. It inspires me. Makes me want to not only get in shape and stay in shape, but be a better person as well. I always love hearing everyone's back story on the show. How they got where they are today and how they think they are gonna change and why they want to change. Everyone always has a different motive and different things that motivate them. This season seems to be full with people with crazy baggage. I don't mean baggage in a mean way, but more people that have faced CRAZY difficult obstacles that I cannot even fathom. There are dad's on there that want to get healthy for their children. There are girls on there that no longer want to be the fat girl with a pretty face. Then there is Shay, who is the biggest contestant ever on BL, whose mother was always on drugs, lived on the streets and eventually died from an overdose. Then there is ABBY. Abby might be one of the most amazing women I have ever met, through TV obviously. I don't know her personally, but what I do know of her I love. From the very beginning there was something amazing about this woman.

As the show went on, you couldn't help but LOVE her. Two years ago, she lost her entire family in one day. Her husband, 5 year old daughter and 2 week old son! Can you even imagine that? They were in a car accident and all passed away. I think if I had gone through this, I would curl up in a ball and want to die at the very moment as well. I seriously would TOTALLY eat my feelings. I would be a beast and probably really pale from never leaving the house. But she is so inspiring. I am sure she had her time to mourn, but she is ready to start living again and everything she does, she only does for herself because there is no one else. She came on the show, and right from the start has been so encouraging, sweet, loving, and so selfless. Every time she opened up about her family, I cried. I think even the fact that JILLIAN is amazed by how strong this woman is, says a HUGE statement about her. So last night, I was a MESS! Tears tears and more tears. She was working out and Jillian came over and just basically said how are you the way you are after going through your huge trial? Where do we go from here? How do you get over this? And Abby just said it so simple. I'm alive. I'm here. I have learned to let people in again and start loving people again without the fear of losing them overcome me. How amazing is this woman? SHE is the one teaching Jillian, I just love that. Not only has she lost weight, but she has inspired so many people around her. Her team lost last night, and asked to be sent home instead of others that could have EASILY be sent home. She instead, asked to be sent home so that the others that she felt needed more help and that were on the verge of breakthroughs could have their chance. She willingly gave up her journey on the ranch so that others could succeed. After she was sent home, it always shows the "Where are they now" clip. But with her, I think because she was an inspiration to so many people across the country, they followed her home and filmed her homecoming, and then showed her talking to a group of HS kids, and letting everyone know that you can do anything you set your mind to :) It showed how total she has lost 80lbs, but I know for her it was more than just weight loss. This woman is unreal and so inspiring and everyone that meets her should consider themselves so lucky. I hope that if the time ever came where I was faced with the tragedies she has been faced with, that I could be like her. I am better for just watching her on this show. So, Abby, you rock girl! I hope you enjoy life and keep on smiling!

P.S. Someone needs to get missionaries down to her house ASAP!

It Might be a case of....

I didn't go anywhere this weekend. I have been sick! Like REALLY sick!
I mean let's face it...it could be the SWINE FLU...ya never know these days!
and would you go ANYWHERE looking like this?
I think not. I rest my case! I'm hoping to be back to
looking and feeling like my normal self soon! :(

On my mind...

A few weeks ago, my mom came up to UT for her Bday and for conference. My mom and Michael are both converts and have never had the opportunity to go to conference before...until now :) We had tickets for the afternoon Saturday session. It was a lil' cloudy, but better than it snowing like it was suppose to! The conference center is a MAGNIFICENT building. It looks like an average size building from the outside, but then you go inside and your jaw drops. HUGE!!! There really isn't a bad seat in the entire place. It was an amazing experience to here the message from our apostles and prophet, and to have my favorite people with me at the same time.

One of my favorite talks was given by President Boyd K. Packer. It was all about prayer and promptings from our Heavenly Father. Coincidentally the speakers in church yesterday also talked about prayer. I love the thought of prayer. I love that we have a Heavenly Father that listens to us whenever we need him. We can ask for anything, or simply just let him know our thoughts on life or let him know how grateful we are for the blessings we feel in our life. It can be a 20 minute prayer or a prayer in the car. Regardless, we need to learn how to communicate with our HF and create a relationship of love and trust, just like a worldly relationship. It needs time to develop and grow into something beautiful.

We all here the stories of "i lost my keys (or insert something you need to find) and I said a prayer and then within minutes I found my keys" While I have never had an experience like this, I do know that HF answers our prayers whether that means we get the answer we expected or not. The big guy upstairs knows what is best for each one of us. We are not "all knowing" but he sure is.

President Boyd K. Packer(p.s. LOVE that name Boyd) says is best here....

"Learn to pray. Pray often. Pray in your mind, in your heart. Pray on your knees. Prayer is your personal key to heaven. The lock is on your side of the veil. And I have learned to conclude all my prayers with “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10; see also Luke 11:2; 3 Nephi 13:10).

Do not expect to be free entirely from trouble and disappointment and pain and discouragement, for these are the things that we were sent to earth to endure.

Someone wrote:

With thoughtless and impatient hands
We tangle up the plans
The Lord hath wrought.
And when we cry in pain He saith,
“Be quiet, man, while I untie the knot.”¹¹

The scriptures promise, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

The Savior said, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:63)."

I love that! We all know we are here to be tested and to learn so many lessons...good and bad, but we are not in it alone. Heavenly Father will be there for us every step of the way if we will just learn to lean on him, and know that he will not test us above what he knows we can handle. That concept to me is just crazy. The crazy things you hear that people go through, the bad things happening to good people, just is an example of how strong these people truly are and how amazing they are, and how they are examples to those around them. So, when trials come your way, always try to see the silver lining and know that HF loves you beyond measure and that he knows how strong you can be, kind of a compliment in a twisted way.

Like I mentioned earlier, our ward speakers also talked about prayer yesterday in sacrament. They both had some insightful thoughts about prayer, but what really hit me was what our bishop concluded with. He stated that prayer is not for HF, but more for us. He doesn't need us to check in, tell him what we are thinking or even what we need or want. He already knows. He knows our heart, he knows our needs, he knows our intentions, he knows our wants. What we really need is to realize that OUR will needs to line up with HIS. He knows what is best for us, always. Sometimes I know that I think I know what I'm doing, and then I look back and my life and realize that it's a REALLY good thing he knows best, because otherwise I would be in some serious trouble.

The Lord has blessed me in so many ways in my life, and I rarely feel deserving. I have an amazing family, a handsome, healthy and wonderful husband, and pretty fabulous friends. I live in a country where we have so many freedoms, but freedom of religion is the greatest blessing. I am free to worship, study and preach my gospel. I am free to express my love for my HF and I need to do this more often. This is my challenge to myself. To pray more often, and more fervently. I do love my HF and know that he has had his hand in everything in my life. Good or bad. He has been by my side in my darkest hours and i know he has had a smile on his face when I do great things. He is a loving father and for that I am truly blessed.

HUGE Pumpkin!

Michael and I will be going to a pumpkin patch
tomorrow night after I make a tasty meal!
I love carving pumpkins and can't wait to be in the fall
air and pick the perfect one! I hope it's
HUGE just like this one! The bigger the better!

Note- this aint my bum!

Why I Love Walmart

Who doesn't love Walmart? Especially a Super Walmart! You can find anything
you want there and they are always lowering prices right? ;)
Speaking of finding anything you WANT there....
there are times you find things that maybe you don't want.
People you might not want to see...that may in fact question the very thought
of ever going into another Walmart again....

Case in Point....FYI....For example....I.E......

Is pimpin easy playa? Hale nah man!

I know cut offs are back in....but no one said anything about
bringin' the belly shirt back buddy!

Are those soccer ball undies? Cutie pie! & where might I find
those awesome see-through white spandex? Just curious!

I bet you do panama red!

Just so ya'll know this is a dude....
and he is wearing the must have boots for fall. You go boy!

Platinum blond hair...check
Nice rack...check
skinny jeans...check
high heels...check
the new "it" bag...check
BEARD.....Check?

Cheetah! Rawr!

I want this only in red.....cuz i am a BLOOD for life!

hay girl hay!

nice MOOBIES!....figure it out....

As said before, there is never a dull moment in Walmart!

Operation Lucy

Stealth. Sneaky. Secretive. Hide. Sly. Trickery. Tricksters.Under cover.
Hush Hush. On the down-low. Mums the word.
Unseen. We bluff. Deceive. Plot. Ploy. Strategy!

Tonight we have a mission...
we have no choice to accept.

We found Lucy. I couldn't say no. We have smuggled her into our home. We are cheating the apartment system. We thought we could get away with it, until they threw us a curve ball.
"management will be coming by in Oct. to change the air filters"
Hosed. We could be compromised.
But we thought ahead. We made an appointment. bet they don't even know what we are sneaking underneath their noses!
Tonight, at 630, we will smuggle her out, clean up any sign of a kitty
that might cause suspicion, let them do their management duties,
and smuggle her right back in!

How could anyone say no to this face? Come on!

She keeps us entertained by her athleticism.

She loves to play catch! (she is better at catch than our lab SuGGie in HB)

Some might even call her a Cat/Dog

She loves to snuggle and have us pet her belly :)

But every once in a while, those evil eyes can't hide, and Lucifer comes out to play!

Jr's Wedding

A couple weeks ago, we all went down to CA for my bro's wedding as I have previously briefly posted about. We were all so excited for him and his soon-to-be...now beautiful wife Shae. They were beaming with excitement the whole day, and the reception on the yacht "eternity" was a sweet way to end the night of celebration. It was nice to be around lots of family that traveled from all over to celebrate.

Michael and I in front of the Newport temple, waiting in the insanely hot sun for the couple to come on out already!
Oh sisto! I lub you!

Carly (my wedding photographer) was their photographer too!

My handsome Hubby and hot lil sis!

Cutest little ladies ever!

My best friend for life...aka my little sister kait!

P.S. next time I decide to cut bangs....please be a friend and STRONGLY advise against it. I loath them. Bangs were a bad choice! (milk was a bad choice....cue dirty beard, phone booth, and hot warm milk on a sunny summer day!)

A Fall Funny

Halloween Costume for Lucy

I know i don't have a child, so Lucy will have to do for now! After seeing all those funny costumes for dogs, i started searching for cats! It reminds me of the cat scene in Anchorman, called Cat Fashion Show week! Haha, if you haven't seen it...just picture a runway with cats wearing all sorts of funny costumes! So, the pictures I found were my top 3 choices! Lucy will probably hate me for making her wear such ridiculous things, but I will love taking pictures of the hilarity that is Lucy!

So cast your votes now for which costume we should put Lucy Loo in!!

#1

#2

#3

If I can actually get her in a costume stay tuned for pictures!

Why Dogs Love Halloween

One day I will dress up my dog, just like one of these! I LOVE some

of these pictures...so adorable!