Random Thoughts

My mind is constantly thinking about something - I am sure yours is the same - and often for me they are really random thoughts. So I thought I would share some of those with you today. The cartoon below is from a friends blog. I was thinking about weight loss - an interesting and frustrating subject all in and of itself. For years my body refused to respond to diets, exercise, or any other measure and then when I started a medication in October I started losing weight. Certainly not complaining but along with it I have no appetite (something that seems to bother others more than myself). So I have lost weight and wonder if it will stay off or find itself back to my butt, hips, and stomach area but for now I am enjoying clothes that are less tight.

My good friend Kim is currently doing a Fulbright in Honduras. She is working with the libraries (not completely certain what it is that she is doing right now) but knowing Kim she is doing an amazing job at it. In a recent email she mentioned that a year ago when we would sit and talk about conference talks after dinner for FHE that she didn't know that opportunity and her move to Australia existed and I didn't know that a Robert Ricks did. How our lives changed so quickly. Now, a year later she has moved and lived in Australia and then to Honduras and I am graduating soon and getting married. It is so interesting where the Lord puts us.
One of Shelly's last blog entries was about being prepared or the parable of the Ten Virgins. She was talking about how her preparation, which I can say was immense, helped pull her through the last year with Bella. I think that her ability to study and live the gospel has proven over and over that if we are prepared we shall not fear - at least the end result. I was thinking about that parable within my life and have wondered from time to time what more I can do to keep a even balance within my life - the spiritual, physical, academic, professional, and interpersonal aspects sometimes get very fuzzy and often I wonder if I am doing all I can to live the gospel in a way that will center and anchor me. This I have been thinking about a lot lately - I am going to join the "real world" soon as some people might call it - that of being a wife and mother and instead of gently easeing into it is not so gentle. Don't misunderstand - I am super excited and love the kids, Rob, and the life we will make together I just wonder how to find that balance. After being single for so long and only having me to deal with I sometimes wonder about how well I will do at balancing all the roles. I watched my mom growing up, she made everything look easy, I have watched my sisters and they seem the same so why is it not as easy for me? Anyway, just thought I would share my random thoughts for the day with all of you.

State Park Lookout

I know the order of these last few posts aren't right but so goes life. While in Herrin and after the castle park, see posts below Rob took us to a State Park (can't remember the name) and we climbed the water tower lookout and could see for miles. It was really very cool.


Looking straight down:

A Trip to Herrin

Well this past weekend I went up to St. Louis to the temple and then meet up with Rob for lunch (he had a really big test and couldn't make the temple). We had a really fun weekend, we watched movies, went to the park, ate yummy food, went to church, Rob laid tile in his bathroom and we just had a nice weekend.

I cut Marlissa's hair for the first time this weekend. She was not particularly happy or wanted it cut but it happened anyway. The before shots:



After

The Castle Park

Rob took us to a great little private park, the kids call it the castle park, it was created by a family after the untimely death of their young adult son.

Writing

This cartoon really explains my feelings about writing lately.

I have come to almost hate writing lately. I am working on my dissertation and trying to write up an academic paper from my time at one of my internships and boy I am not enjoying it at all. There are days that I have a clear mind and things sorta flow, not like before when I could actually sit down and just write, but better than other days recently. But I am truly grateful for those days that I can write.
Academic Journal Paper
As I stare at all of this data and wonder how to make sense of what we did, how we interpret it, and then put it into 14-20 pages I am a bit overwhelmed. I could probably talk about the many results we had for a good 10 pages, so again writing less is much more difficult. So, like I have been told many times I am just writing a draft and then we will work from there.
Dissertation
Well, the dissertation is another story all together - I actually want to work on it more than this other paper - now you are sensing how much I don't want to work on the journal article if I want to work on my dissertation. I have many friendly reminders from people that love me that it is Feb. and I should be almost done - wish I was. I am making progress - just need more of those days when my mind is clear and I feel like myself and can remember why I chose this topic and that I actually like it and everything. :) Which has become harder to remember with every week that passes. I am trying to be defended by the time I get married so that should be interesting to say the least. I am hoping that it comes together soon.

Prayer

“I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
Henry B. Eyring, “Our Perfect Example,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 71

I don't have a husband yet, but I do know that this works for all of us. As we pray to understand and love those around us, our family, friends and those with whom we have a harder time with the Lord will bless us to see them in His eyes - not ours. I have put this to the test many times in the past and never been disappointed in the results - the Lord wants us to love one another, serve one another and help lift each other - but often I have found that I have to be humble enough to ask to be able to do that as effectively as I would like.

These Lists Make Me Laugh

I am in my last full semester of school - which is a really good thing considering how trunky I am at this point in the game. Not particularly motivated to do anything relating to school but lots of pressure anyway. So one of my classes, which I suppose I should have taken last year but had too many courses and things already, is very basic and very boring for me. It is in my public health program. We are talking about vulnerable populations and public health and the like. Reading books like At Risk in America by Lu Ann Aday - interesting in its own way if you want to sit and read (which back to the no motivation thing - yeah really don't want to sit and read it). Anyway, it is an online class (which I hate) and so I was working through the lesson and came across these two lists which made me start laughing.

Ten Tips for Better Health from the Chief Medical Officer of Britain:
1. Don't smoke. If you can, stop. If you can't, cut down
2. Follow a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables
3. Keep physically active
4. Manage stress by, for example, talking things through and making time to relax.
5. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation
6. Cover up in the sun and protect children from sunburn
7. Practise safer sex.
8. Take up cancer screening opportunities
9. Be safe on the roads: follow the Highway Code.
10. Learn the First Aid ABC: airways, breathing, circulation

Ten tips for Staying Healthy from the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research University of Bristol, England.
1. Don't be poor. If you can't avoid poverty altogether, try not to be poor for long.
2. Don't have poor parents
3. Own a car.
4. Don't work in a stressful, low paid manual job.
5. Don't live in damp, low-quality housing
6. Be able to go on foreign holiday and sunbathe.
7. Practice not losing your job and don't become unemployed.
8. Take up all the benefits to which you are entitled if you are unemployed, retired, or sick or disabled.
9. Don't live next to a busy major road or near a polluting factory.
10. Learn how to fill in the complex housing benefit/asylum application forms before you become homeless and destitute.

I particulary like the second list that says don't be poor - well then, I will keep that in mind and remember never again to be poor. :) The rest of the second list is just as exciting as #1 - gotta work for that public health department - all the PCness and everything! :) Anyway, I realized I hadn't posted in a while and thought I would post about this and then not feel as bad.

I did go to IL this weekend and had a great time spending it with Rob and his kids. Church is always entertaining in his ward and Sunday was no dofferent. It seems that the ward members either are thrilled I am there or give me really nasty looks because I am not Emily (is what I am assuming). Anyway, the church is still true and life is good.