Released

Today I was released from the Stake Relief Society Presidency. The rest of the presidency had been in their callings for about 4 years. I was the newbie and replaced the first counselor in December 2008. It has been an amazing experience where I have grown significantly. I've learned so much about strength and courage. It's been an enriching experience getting to know the women of my stake. I truly love them. Now we move on and see what the future holds. I will miss the blessings associated with that calling. It struck me the hardest the first time that we had a stake conference where I was sitting in the audience. When they called my name and then the whole stake congregation sustained me, I got tears in my eyes and the most powerful witness and feeling that so many people were behind me and supporting me. It was truly amazing.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank my husband from the bottom of my heart for all the support that he has given me through out this calling. I don't know if he knew exactly what he was sustaining when we went to the Stake President's office that day. He has sacrificed and watched the kids solo SO many nights, and done it amazingly well I might add. We are a team and he took that to heart.

So, I'm a little more free now! I might be able to join my work out buddies a bit more for now. Maybe a few more GNO's and mostly be home at nights with my sweetie pies.

Life is great.

No news is good news? Summer FUN!

You know it's summer. And that means that I haven't updated my blog because...well. Because...

OK, I have no excuse! But it has been a bit crazy around here. Not a bad kind of crazy. It's actually slower most days. I would compare our lives to an even, rolling bubble right now. Just constantly something on the plate, but not over flowing. And I like it just fine, thank you very much.

So, I have a loose kind of schedule that I've been trying to stick to and it seems to actually be working!

Mondays: Library day/ My cleaning day (See how clever I am with putting the two together...they are occupied with the books and movies)

Tuesdays: I have a really good friend named Sonia and we exchange children every other week so we can do errands and grocery shop YAY!!

Wednesdays: Explore a park day!! Always fun! West Jordan park is this week.

Thursdays: Summer movie club! We got cheap tickets to 10 old release kids movies every Thursday. It's great and everyone else's kids are just as unruly as mine, I PROMISE! :)

Fridays: Friday fun! Something new and grand (or swimming because I'm not creative sometimes)

Anyway, woven into that is a few weekend camping trips that we've done (in the rain), Ben's camp outs with the Young Men, a few dates, work outs, my meetings but not as many as other times of the year, visiting Girl's Camp in Heber, Soccer games (over now! yay!), Piano lessons, Activity days for Princess, backyard water games and Sunday night game nights with friends.

Most of all trying to stay alive (note: Popsicles go a long way in the sanity department and are worth every penny!),

Life is good! No pictures because my camera is broken. I need to get a new part...whenever I get that maybe I will post better. It's always more fun to see the pictures with the story.

I love you, Ben ♥

Dear Benjamin,

3,285 days ago, our lives changed forever. I don't think we really knew what we were doing but our hearts burned with a desire to find out what eternity felt like. Our spirits yearned to feel that connection so deep, that we could fulfill a promise I have no doubt we had already made in another place and time. The circumstances that led us to find each other were remarkable. We would call it a miracle. Yet we expected it. We understood how our souls would blend and make us both complete.

Yet Heavenly Father, in his infinite grace gave us the honor and opportunity to grow and progress like we never thought possible.

That day was warm. I woke to the sun shining through my window, falling on my face. I smiled and knew that my life would never be the same. And it hasn't. It has been better than I ever could have imagined.



Our marriage will be blessed forever for the choice we made that June day 10 years ago. The choice to honor, sustain, and respect each other. It is enriched every day by the sacrifices we make and the lives we lead. Tomorrow is a new day and full of promise and opportunity. May we thank the Lord each day as we sanctify our lives to His will.



I can't wait. Bring it on.

Love forever,
Rachel

A little over

Sometimes you just feel like everything is bigger than it really is. I go through these periods in my life where I feel like everything is an emotional battle. In reality it's not big, or monumental. I go to bed at night not feeling like I got anything done and dread waking up because I have felt even more overwhelmed (which is unusual because I usually feel better in the mornings and less emotional). It's a bad cycle.

Another problem, I have a really hard time saying I'm wrong. To make it worse it's hard for me to say I'm sorry (because that means that I am admitting that I was wrong :) so it's considerably hard living with me when I struggle like this. I'm also a square one type of girl {Definition: When one feels whenever they make one mistake, all ground is lost and therefore back to square one} which makes it really hard in my perfectionista brain to get ahead.

Anyone else with me?

I'll end right there. Putting myself out there. Reading my post back it sounds like I am really struggling, but I'm not! Life is still going on and I am blessed. Overall life is really good. I just need a RESET.

New Leaf

I loved conference! And as a couple we were so inspired. We have a new plan in place to make sure that we have enough time in each day to get our family prayers and scripture study in. It wasn't that we weren't doing it before, but the time of day we were doing it made it so that one or the other of us weren't home sometimes which made it harder for the parent home to consistently do it. Plus, it is nice to do it all together.

So our plan is in place, with a new determination to do it! I am SO thankful for a husband who spiritually leads our family. I really couldn't have been more lucky. Ben is righteous and takes leading our family seriously. It's amazing to see him in action.
I am so blessed.

Also, Ben started a new job yesterday. He came home beaming (it could have been his new 'bling' associated with the job that was making him glow ;) but he honestly had a great day. It will be a good fit for him...

So lots of new around here. I would like to say that Spring is like a new leaf, but as I look out the window right now it is snowing....hmmmm....not a new leaf :p

30 (gulp)

Thirty years old today.
Which means I will never be 20 anything again.
Which means I am officially an adult.

Ben thinks this is humorous because here we are with 4 kids. So that makes me an adult I guess. I set my alarm clock for 11:59 pm last night so I could say 'goodbye' to my 20's. Silly huh? It's a little tragic if I dwell on it too long. When I envisioned where I would be in my 30's I don't know (or remember) where I would be. I don't think I was mature enough to define it. But I do know that if my 3rd decade is even half as good as my 2nd, I will be sucessful.

What have I done to warrant such adoration for those years?

I gained my testimony and solidified my relationship with a loving Heavenly Father, married the best man in the whole world, had 4 beautiful children, learned how to gracefully learn from trials, how to be more self confident, how to be a better daughter, sister and friend and to conquer my fears.

30, here I come!

Off to the spa today to be pampered, and then I have a HOT date! ♥

Facelift

My blog needed a facelift...and it makes me happy!

We are doing alright around here, just busy and going going going....

I'll post a longer update later, I'm just tired right now :)


Go ahead, call me lazy! I'll even agree~