Our blessed 2013 year

Looking back on this year it was just such an amazing ride. So many goals were completed and life achievements occurred. But most importantly I feel that my close relationships have gotten stronger. I feel that Jared and I's marriage got to be more unified, closer, and adaptable. I've grown closer to my own mother and father as they helped us buy our first house, and especially since the arrival of my sweet Hilton. My mother has shown me so many things about how to be a good mother, and it wasn't until my baby made his appearance that I grew to truly appreciate the work and life of a mother.

 
But most importantly I feel that I myself have changed significantly. I've become incredibly fiscally responsible. I'm the bill payer in our house and am in charge of making sure we save enough for the car payments, mortgage, and general bills. I got to watch and experience my body doing an amazing feat of creating another human being and being able to give birth to that most precious creation. I have seen myself become more determined by finally pushing to the end of my degree and taking the large step of graduating from college. I am officially a college graduate with a bachelors degree! Five years of tears, sweat, and blood went into that and I will (hopefully) never take the experience for granted.

 

The largest change I have seen in myself was becoming more patient. More patient with Jared, with life, and mostly with myself. I have grown to know myself a little deeper than I did at the beginning of 2013, and I hope that I can learn and grow even more in the year 2014. It's funny how so many things were unplanned at the beginning of this year, and how they just feel into place. We wanted to buy a house, but had no real plans too. We wanted to have a baby but had no control over the timing. I wanted to be done with school but wasn't ready to make the last sacrifices to make it happen. It's so true that the Lord has a plan for us and that we cannot understand or control the timing; but we can have faith that he knows what is best for us and what we need from our time here on earth.

I'm so grateful for my life, for my husband, my health, my baby, my dogs, my house and car, my job, but greatest of all I'm grateful for the belief that each day is a new day and that I can always do better today than I did yesterday. It's inspiring and that's what I'm hoping for this 2014 year. To live each day inspired and to take each day as a blessing. To the comforts, joys, and challenges that lie ahead, here's to 2014!

Largest Pet Peeve EVER

I apologize for this angry, mud throwing post but I just feel I should state where I stand with this.

You have been warned.

You see in Utah especially I feel like dog parks or parks that even allow dogs on leash at all are incredibly rare. There are really only two in the greater Salt Lake area the first approximately on 9600 S. and the other is Tanner Dog park at 2100 S. That's a difference of 75 blocks equivalent to 20 miles! It's clear that Utah's non-dog owners have a monopoly on the parks in the area and that they feel dogs are NOT welcome.

Well apposed to what most people think the majority of dogs are sweet, well-tempered, people friendly animals, who don't jump/bark/chase/be aggressive; but there are those few dogs who ruin it for everyone else. Actually let's not blame them: it's clearly the OWNERS that are at fault. They let their dogs get in scuffles with other dogs, let them jump on others/harass others (I've had a number of dogs sniffing my butt to close for my comfort and the owners do nothing), and today of all days I had a dog steal Aspen's tennis ball, snarl at Aspen when she tried to take it away, then run up the hill and promptly bury it and the owner's reaction? 'Sorry, dog's will be dogs.' No you fickle minded ass wipe the correct saying is 'Irresponsible owners should be shot at first sight.

On more than one occasion at the Sandy dog park there were majorly aggressive dogs-one in particular was a pit-bull-and the owner's didn't have muzzles on them and never tried to correct their behavior. I shouldn't stereotype pit-bull's as the only aggressive type: but it always seems that its a type of hunting dog that is the one initiating aggressive behavior. I mean seriously, when was the last time you saw a Golden Retriever, or even tempered Collie being aggressive?

Oh and also, if your dog snarls or tries to nip at my dog and you do nothing, you'd better bet your brass bottom covered ass I will smack your dog. This is my right if your dog is being aggressive to mine and you don't do anything. If mine growls at another dog I correct instantly. And if I don't you have full permission to smack mine as well because that is your right. That is part of being a responsible dog owner, you have to correct incorrect behaviors and encourage good ones. Dog's become well rounded in this aspect if you can communicate with them what is inappropriate behavior and what is acceptable.

All in all I feel like I am a great dog owner, I love them as if they really were my children and I'm equally as protective over them, but I definitely yell if they get up on the table and they get punished if they snarl at anybody. I will not own an aggressive dog and I don't make this so by getting rid of dogs that disobey or act out, I bend their will to mine until they yield because at the end of the day: they are a dog and you are their master.

End of story: Don't let your dog be your master and don't let your dogs go willy-nilly at dogs parks like that idiot did today or someday the city may take away our two dog parks because of complaints.

Rant over.

Aspen became an adult today

I dropped her off bright and early at Orem Spay and Neuter Clinic to have her fixed. Hope she doesn't hate me when I pick her up. I honestly felt so guilty leaving her, she looked so scared. And she's my little baby, even though she was 'Jared's' she's really become mine.

Loving on her rawhide bone...she's possessive of that like I am of food and that's saying something

We were a little late to the game getting her fixed. I waited and waited after she turned six months old to make the appointment because I was hoping that could wait until she was a year. But after sitting a friends male dog who kept (innocently) humping Aspen even though he was smaller, I decided it was time.

'Good morning mom...WHAT do you want?'

So here's to caring for a loopy puppy, and here's to Adi probably harassing Aspen when she's not going to be too groggy or in pain to move. And here's to her having accidents the next couple of days...oh joy!

Such a curious little buddy

p.s. any tips or tricks to helping them relax and recover?

Say What?: bottom of a purse

In following up with the last Say What? and the fact that I'm giving in to my germaphobe-side I remembered hearing about this a couple years ago and didn't really want to believe it. But after doing the research I got really grossed out. Rather typical.

Following up from not only my new purse, and the fact that its flu/cold season but the fact that the bottom of the average purse has more germs on it then the bottom of your shoe makes sane minds try to contemplate how dirty the bottom of their purse is.

source

From E. Coli and fecal matter, to viruses that cause skin infections and multiple strains of the cold or flu viruses the average purse has anywhere from hundreds of thousands of germs on the bottom to tens of millions. Think about it: everywhere a woman goes so does her purse. On a normal day my own purse touches the floor of the car, to the lunch tables at work, to my locker, to the floor while I put on my coat, to the check out stand or floor while I check out at multiple stores, and back home to my kitchen table.

You may be thinking, "Well that doesn't matter, it's not like I lick the bottom of my purse" but think about where you're transferring all those germs into your own home...kitchen counter, passenger car seat, couch, chairs. and then you or family members might touch those surfaces and then accidentally touch your face or mouth or eyes. And these germs don't die because they're not on a living thing, if that was so no one would ever get sick. Flu or cold virus can live longer than 48 hours and you would think it doesn't survive as long on hard, plastic, or metal surfaces and you'd be wrong. It actually lives longer than on fabric and soft surfaces.

It's really very easy to keep this bacteria and virus transport system ineffective. Just clean the bottom of your purse, and make sure to use Clorox wipes to kill those tough viruses as well. Genius idea right? But honestly, I can't tell you that I've ever regularly done that. Clearly I need to start.

p.s. Worried about hurting your leather purses? There are special cleaners for those.

And then there were two...

This is probably the best (and only) successful secret/surprise that I have done for Jared. And it was soooo hard to keep my mouth shut and not just spill the beans. About a week into our trip to Hawaii I found a perfect match for a second puppy, and it just all worked out perfectly like it was meant to be.

 
The afternoon after our red eye back to the mainland, Jared laid down with Adi for a nap and I hightailed it to Utah County for some 'errands'. Instead two hours later I came back with this little bundle of joy.

And surprised Jared with her. He was more than tickeled, even though he was probably the only one initially. Adi was not quite as excited about our new little Aspen. But she's warmed up since then.

Some people may think we're crazy, even slightly irresponsible for getting a second puppy when we live in an apartment and we still have yet to have children. But if you always listen to the critics you'll never aspire to do what you dream. And we dream of having dogs (not a dog) all of our lives. We are completely and totally dog lovers and always will be.

Plus who could say no to that face?! She is soft like cashmere, green eyed, and has the cutest little tail. We love this munchkin.

Say What?:MSG

From my younger years I always have been careful about this additive but after asking a Dietician at one of my facilities he said it was false it had any side effects...but the research says differently. And when its really rather an unknown issue. Most people say, "what is that?"

What MSG looks like

"Although less than 15 percent of Americans are sensitive to MSG, according to the University of Illinois Medical Center, in those who are sensitive symptoms range from headaches and nausea to heart palpitations and chest pain."

(source)

Side effects can include anything from skin rash, nausea, migraine headache, heart irregularities, seizures, and depression. I can personally attest that these are real side effects, whenever I have anything with MSG in it I get a splitting headache, sometimes even migranes.

But many people are totally unaware of what contains MSG though. A quick list includes some chips, frozen meals, canned soups, gravy, soy sauce; specifically Hamburger Helper, Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix, Progresso soups, Campbell’s soups. Additionally a lot of fast food chains use a lot of MSG including McDonald's, Taco Bell, KFC etc. Another huge food type that has MSG in bucket loads is Chinese. So essentially its almost everywhere in prepackaged food.

So just some small side effects, what's the big deal right? Well, as some studies are starting to show there are some serious health risks that are long term and unalterable once the damage has been done. For example testing on mice has started to reveal that obesity and reproductive sterility is common in mice consuming MSG and also in mice that were exposed as infants and fetuses. Also recent research has shown that MSG may act like a 'slow neurotoxin' which can result in dementia in later years.


Obviously its clear intake of MSG needs to be restricted, and of course those who consume a large amount consistently i.e. once a day if not more. But be aware oftentimes products that contain MSG do not mark it as MSG. Other names include,

• Glutamic Acid
• Yeast Extract
• Hydrolyzed Protein
• Caseinate
• and they can even name it as Natural Flavors

So check ingredient lists and BE CAREFUL! The best and most thorough way to avoid it is eat healthy and unprocessed food.

Taking it for granted

Isn't it funny how little things (or big in some people's perspective) make the world of difference in how your day goes?

Like:

the shower being clogged preventing a morning shower

vs.

getting an A on a quiz I only studied for ten minutes for

or

getting cut off on the freeway offramp plus the individual flipping me the bird when it was their fault anyways

vs.

arriving on campus only five minutes before class started and finding a parking spot immediately

What small and simple things have made your day go bad or good?

 Or is it how you react to those things?

Do you see a the comparison?

Choose to be happy!

p.s. Sonic Happy Hour cherry limeade's makes me happy

spring fling

This weekend I had a little bit too much romance with the idea that spring is in the air and coming permanently soon. Of course, knowing Utah weather I know this is a mean mean trick that gets played every year until about May. But I had to give in a little.

Or a lot.

Happy trick spring everyone!

Say What?: Being cold can give you a Cold

 
You know how when you were young and your mother said that during the winter when you got cold, that's what caused a Cold? Or when someone says you could catch your death of the cold? While this made sense to our undeveloped minds that accepted what seemed to be a logical concept, that being cold caused the Cold; its really more of a correlation than a causation.

“Colds are caused by viruses, and the contact with these viruses usually occurs inside from air droplets” 

 (source)

Kind of a nasty thought, but the cold virus actually grows/multiplies in your nose, and that by sneezing, coughing, or touching your nose combined with poor hand-washing practices is how Cold's are spread. So maybe the myth that being cold causes a Cold was believable was because winter is when its cold and when outbreaks occur; however it is really the coincidence that when you go outside and are cold it causes your nose (and almost everyone else's) to run and by then consequently wiping your nose with your hand (gross) or a tissue, you could be causing the virus to spread by then touching objects that someone else has or will touch i.e. toys, public drinking fountains, door handles, keyboards, handshakes.

So stay clear of anyone who has a runny nose or just coughed right? Well, yeah that may get you so far but another Cold myth is that all people who are contagious are those who are showing symptoms, but actually 25% of those who are infected with the Cold virus only have an asymptomatic reaction meaning they don't have symptoms!

So for those that don't want to get sick, wash your hands FREQUENTLY. Not just after going to the bathroom. Additionally avoid touching your hand to your mouth or nose or eyes if you haven't just barely washed it. And I mean still wet kind of just washed it.

And for those that think that hand sanitizer is a cure all, think again! As taught in Microbiology, handsanitizer is only effective if allowed to stay wet on your hands for approximately a minute. However because of the high alcohol in it, it evaporates really fast especially if you rub it in, which makes it useless against killing the germs. If you're going to use it, put on enough to wet your hands, especially fingers, and don't rub it in. Let it stay on wet for about a minute and then it will really be effective.

Addicted to a certain movie

Do you ever find yourself feeling like you need  little pick me up and you can think of the perfect movie to watch that fits the mood...but you don't have it? I hate that! We have seriously over a hundred movies, and I constantly am saying to Jer, "I want to watch 500 Days of Summer."

So I finally bought it. I can't wait for next Monday, which is when its supposed to get here!

Ever have those movies you just love to watch and you can't really explain why?

Say What?: HCG Diet

This topic, is something very important to me. I wanted to focus on extreme dieting at some point and it seemed perfect because its that time of year when everyone and their dog tries to lose weight by radically extreme measures. And it is SOOO unhealthy for you. One diet in particular caught up one of my girlfriends in its promises of lost weight, and unfortunately has resulted in very real consequences for her.

"Thousands of people are latching onto a diet that promises rapid weight loss—up to 30 pounds a month—and, judging by its recent surge in popularity, actually delivers. But the so-called hCG diet is either a weight-loss miracle or a dangerous fraud, depending on who's talking." (U.S. news: health)

So lets delve deeper into the facts. The HCG diet revolves around a combination of two efforts, limiting your daily intake to 500 calories, and either taking drops or shots daily of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropic) which is actually a hormone produced in pregnant women. All this to help you, "drop into the new you" (source). So what does this get you besides being terribly hungry, and "lose a lot extreme"? (source)

Well some of the side effects include gallstone formation, irregular heartbeat, hair loss, oh and of course our dear friend constant constipation. Additionally the FDA has even come out saying that hCG supplements are illegal and fraudulent (Dr. Oz). So why between all these warnings and side effects do people still use it?

Because they're dropping weight. However if any person were to limit their daily caloric intake to 500 they would also lose weight. But that is considered starving yourself, and ultimately the weight you lose during this diet is all regained once you return to your previous lifestyle. When your body is coming out of starvation mode after being starved of its needed calories for extended period of time it is going to take every single calorie it can get and then store them away like a bear preparing for another long winter.

On some occasions in addition to regaining the weight in women specifically injecting all of that hormone found in pregnancy can actually disrupt your natural reproductive cycle, which is what happened to my friend who is now trouble with infertility.

Overall, the hCG diet has been, "thoroughly discredited and thus rejected by the majority of the medical community" and there are much safer ways to lose weight. (source)

PP: puppy problems

We've spent this evening weekend trying to contact various family veterinarians and furiously scanning the web for an possible ideas or solutions to an unending problem that has occurred to sweet Adi post spay operation.

There's no way to describe it, other than she frustratingly, unnoticeably (until moved), and unawaredly....leaks. It seems to come in spouts. No pun intended. She'll be fine for weeks and then one day BAM! wherever she sits or lays expect a puddle (or on our furniture a wet spot) to be left behind. And then she'll be fine again for weeks.

Other than being unaware of it and being very afraid that we'll get mad at her once she sees the wet spot, she gives us no warning or indication of what could be causing it. Its really like she just goes incontinent for a day. A lot of the info on the web states that she could have a) kidney stones b) a UTI-Urinary Tract Infection c) allergies or d) damaged nerves to her bladder after her spay surgery...?

And the suggested remedies are anything from cranberry pills (to clear up any possible UTI or kidney stones), doggy diapers (to merely control the tide), to hormone treatments? Possible diet changes include anything from cutting out all grains (i.e. allergy to gluten?) to going strictly vegetarian (I can barely afford to feed myself regular food let alone expensive vegetarian food for my dog).

Ah! Where is the voice of reason?! I don't know what needs to be done except that we don't like dealing with the clean up afterwards, Adi feels guilty and miserable that she is having accidents, and I'm concerned there's some underlying serious issue going on that we're not aware of.

Does anyone have any suggestions to get my puppy back to her healthy-loving-spunky self?!

Any first hand experience with this?

Seriously anyone???

Say What? Bathroom Hygiene

So this post may seem rather sexist, but I am going to direct the majority of this post towards men because according to a study noted by the NYTimes only 75% of men really wash their hands compared to 90% of women (source).

"It's not about education," said Dr. Osterholm. "It's about hygiene education. We have a problem at hospitals with doctors and nurses who don't wash their hands after seeing a patient. You can't get more educated than that."(source)

Men's issue with hand washing after number one

The idea to do this weeks Say What? comes from an issue very close to my home...quite literally. My husband actually. After noticing that he only washes his hands post bathroom sitting visit, I was really grossed out to say the least about his bathroom habits. After asking about it, he insisted that he didn't, "pee on myself so why should I have to wash my hands?" my initial retort was, "because that's disgusting!" But after some research I've concluded on a much more educated reason of why he should ALWAYS wash his hands.

"Your boxes-shorts region- from belly button to mid thigh-is crawling with germs known as coliform bacteria" (source), and it can transfer from your private parts skin to your hands in the short time it takes to go number one. Consequently if you don't wash your hands afterwards, that coliform bacteria- which can give you serious and possibly fatal infections if it enters into the blood stream- will be spread to everything you touch after going pee. So its not a matter of if you pee or don't pee on yourself, its an issue of transferring germs to others in spite of not peeing on yourself.(source)

Now I can see many of you men saying, "Me? Have germs on my privates? nah." Well, in truth even showering and washing that area won't get those germs out because its more porous. Since your hands are not as porous it is much easier to wash the germs off them with simple soap and water. In fact, probably the most cleanly man around still has plenty of germs in his unders' because they're extremely difficult to get off! (source) So just get over it, you have the germs on you. Right now. Yes, you! So even though you think peeing on yourself is the only reason you should wash your hands, think again. And women remember, if you continue to allow your man to think its alright to not wash their hands after going number one, you are directly saying it is OK for them to spread all kinds of nasties around your house and onto your children as well. Think about it.

Hand Washing in General

Now, in the stats listed above only 90% of women and 75% of men wash their hands, which leaves 25% of men and 10% of women who don't. So aside from the well known e.coli which you can pick up from fecal matter that makes you sick (source), there are also these diseases you can contract...

          Hand-Foot-Mouth disease from coxsackie virus from fecal matter causes blisters in your mouth and on the bottoms of your feet,

          Hepatitis A from food that was contaminated with fecal matter (yum!) attacks your liver and causes nausea and vomitting,

          Shigellosis also from contaminated food but this causes awesome uncontrollable diarrhea (looking for a way to shed some extra pounds?)

          and Giardiasis that causes gas, cramping, and more diarrhea, which you can get from hand to hand contact and untreated water also contaminated with fecal matter.

(source)

Don't those all sound lovely? Makes you really want to go out and shake peoples hands knowing that most likely one or two of them didn't wash their hands after their last bathroom trip. Or go out to eat aware that your waiter possibly didn't wash their hands either?

Another rather troubling issue that I didn't even think of, is people not washing their hands after changing diapers. I've actually watched many new mothers not wash their hands after changing diapers at church. So not only do they get their own babies germs on the baby themselves, but also spread it to whoever and whatever they come in contact with at the church. 

Cleaning and Education

So how do you help keep your own home clean from bad germs and bacteria getting spread from those guests or family members (gasp) that don't wash their hands post bathroom visit? Key places to clean and disinfect are the toilet handle-which personally I rarely remember to clean when cleaning the toilet-and the sink handles as well as the bathroom door knob on both sides.(source)

To help bring those numbers up from only 75% of males and 90% of females we need to educate our children and those around us who are unaware of the diseases and issues that come from not hand washing when you go to the bathroom. Potty training is hard, but implementing hand washing each time you help your little one to the bathroom is not. If you get them in the habit early, just like buckling seat belts each time, they will retain that habit later. And women, even if it feels like a loosing battle with your man, show them the evidence that it really is important to wash after each bathroom trip.

Sorry for all the potty talk, better to be aware than to be ignorant though!

-M

Admit it {you eat your kids halloween candy}

Love this. I totally know that Jer and I will do this to our poor kids. For reals.



Hey, I remember my parents did this to me, so its only fair I'll get to do it too right?

Say What? VitaminWater

Any requests, suggestions, or ideas for future Say What? posts please email them to me at melissajoymills@gmail.com

So for all you athletes or those who are doing anything you can to be healthy including changing your diet, make sure to read the fine print on all food and drink items you buy and don't just go with a companies word that it's 'healthy'.

“The way that vitaminwater is marketed and positioned it’s made to look more healthful than other sugary beverages, but it’s not – it’s still just a soft drink,” said Margo G. Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy

source

I along with the many of people who wanted to read those spunky quotes, and look all schnazy and healthy with my bottle of VitaminWater drank it a great deal my freshman year of college. I thought it was good for me based off the sole fact that it contained a great deal of my needed daily vitamins. And of course that it contained the word Vitamin. I mean come on, anything that has 'healthy', 'vitamin', or 'diet' in it is good for you right? This was before my nutritional class, and also prior to some research into the issue.

To start with, just check out the label on any bottle of VitaminWater. On average they each contain about 33 grams of sugar and 125 calories per bottle. That may not seem a lot to you so let me put it in plain words. That's more than a 12 oz. serving of Coke (source). Now do I have your attention? In addition, the second ingrediant is Crystalline Fructose. Ever heard of it? Neither had I. After some quick research I found that it is, “produced by allowing the fructose to crystallize from a fructose-enriched corn syrup" , which essentially is High Fructose Corn Syrup. (source)

So you're not really drinking something thats good for you. In fact, the majority of it is SUGAR. And not just any kind of sugar, but the kind of sugar that is known for causing serious damage to your liver, and it can make your aging process speed up. HFCS=early wrinkles. In addition to this kind of sugar being essentially HFCS, is specifically has trace amounts of arcenic, heavy metals, and lead.

Well what about all those awesome vitamins on the label? They're still good for you aren't they? Well there are two different types of vitamins and minerals. Water soluble, and fat soluble.

Those that are fat soluble vitamins to be absorbed and used by your body have to be ingested with a meal, or else they are just passed through your system (source). Additionally the water soluble vitamins that are included in VitaminWater are most of the time not needed in the typical american's diet as they frequently already have their daily required amount from other natural sources. Vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and niacin are needed in such small amounts, that they frequently have already been acquired in a day and are also just passing through unneeded.

Granted, if you are a completely fast food eating, nutritionally starving person, some of the vitamins in VitaminWater would be benenficial. But for the majority of people, they don't need to drink VitaminWater to gain those essential vitamins.

So do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Ingesting arcenic, making my kidneys work hard to filter out those unneeded vitamins plus all that extra HFCS that I really REALLY don't need on my butt and thighs makes my answer a resounding no.

And besides, VitaminWater doesn't even taste that good.

p.s. the saddest thing of all of this is the VitaminWater can keep going on marketing that its good for you even though it really isn't. Read this article on their awful marketing ploys and see if you even want to support this company.

p.p.s. what kind of surprising things have you learned about some of the products you use that you wouldn't have ever guessed were an issue?

Fleck's of Gold

Are your precious 'flecks of gold' falling only upon yourself? Or are you spreading them for good?

Facta non Verba.

Translation

This is why I love my church. Find out more here.

OCD much?

So along with the 2.3% of the U.S. population who have been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I can proudly say that I have it as well. It runs in the family, and truthfully if I didn't have it, I think I'd be the weird one in my family. Both my parents have their own forms of it, as do I. Of course mine takes a more hilarious, and yet aggravating (for Jared) form. I'm not a germaphobe OCD nor am I a neat freak. On most days that is.

My form is more of environmental control habits. Like on any music or volume setting it can only be on evens or numbers divisible by five or else it bugs me until I change it. i.e. the first place setting cannot by a 1, 3, 7, or 9. And the toilet paper has to be placed so that the paper comes from the top and not the back. And yes, I change it to that in all of my friends houses if I use their bathroom. Weird right?

Other random things that bothers me is when our DVD's aren't alphabetical, my jeans aren't all folded the same way, and if doors (specifically closet doors) are left open. Likewise, glasses all have to be stacked the same way in the cupboard, the keys have to be hung on their key ring, and if there is spare change or dollar bills in my wallet, I have to organize and file it by value.

Truthfully, the list just goes on and on, but some of it is so insignificant I don't notice it is something that bothers me until it isn't the way it should be. Normally I don't notice my odd behavior until Jared gives me that 'are you serious?' look and says something.

I don't know how to better describe it other than its like this itch that if I don't fix whatever it if that is bugging me, it will bother me even when physically I am not aware of it. Like after I've left the bathroom, or once the volume indicator goes away. And then I have to change it anyways.

Most people I guess would consider a lot of these things an inconvenience, and although for some people OCD is a major inconvenience (for ex. Howie Mandel), for me it has just become a routine part of life. I don't know how life would be without those impulses, and I'm actually grateful I have them since it makes my house cleaner (in my eyes). So there really is a method to the madness.

Does anybody else have those little quirks they just can't help but do? 

Happy Tuesday

-Melissa

goal review

Sorry guys I haven't had a ton that is blog worthy of late, and I'm still working hard on my photography blog...so that explains the lack of my submitting to photography contests. Tomorrow I shall entice you with the next part of 'our story'. But until then I have been taking note of the progress of the goals I set for myself on my twenty first birthday. Especially since a couple days ago was the three month mark since I set the goals. 

Like everyone in life, I've experienced some set backs since I set my goals. 

A couple that I'm kinda mad at myself for not doing are:

1. go and continue going to a chiropractor
2. start going on walks with my hubby each week
3. go back to not drinking carbonated drinks as much

all of these I have found excuses to do -like drinking carbonated drinks because they are a 'comfort food' - and to not do like Jer and I not going on regular walks because we never have enough time together anyways.

But I need some positive reinforcement so three good things that I've succeeded at so far are:

1. keep my garden pots alive -I have actually gotten a couple more because my first two were so successful.
2. get a puppy -best decision so far of our entire marriage besides marrying Jared. Adi brings so much joy and de-stressing to both of our lives all the messes and poop we clean up completely inconsequential.
3. stop eating out as much -since working 8-5 mon-fri I have started being extremely responsible by taking lunch from home. I have opened up about twenty dollars more a week that can go to other things instead of to Cafe Rio's pocket book.

I am however now going to amend #1 of my goals which was to go to yoga each week. Not only is this one of the goals I started failing at because I wasn't willing to spend fifty dollars each month, but I also don't have the time for it. After just relying on my twelve hour shifts at work to help me obtain all my exercise, I have now realized that gaining ten pounds and not being able to comfortably sit down without pulling up my pants over my roll around my midrift. Tmi? I'm sure other girls have the same issue so I'm not to worried that I'm the only one with some unwanted weight.

So, I have broken out the all popular 'Jillian Michael's 30 day shred'. 

And it kicks my butt, which is totally enough for me.

So until tomorrow, what fun activities are you doing for your fourth of July weekend? Since our first fourth of July being married was spent by me working a sixteen hour shift we haven't really made any fun traditions. And I'll take any fun ideas I can get. 

~M

{HappyEverAfter}

I saw this idea on a colleague's blog, but I didn't really feel prompted until of late when I started contemplating about this last year off marriage, and almost two years since my hubby and I met. What better way to honor my husband, and make this very interesting for all of you who follow, 

than to tell our love story in an episodic manner.

And a chance for me to shamelessly input some handsomely dashing photos of my hubby.

introduction:

To get this love story correct, I really should begin from the beginning, which was way before I ever even saw my now hubby...

A very good friend of mine got engaged nearing the end of my freshman year of college, and although I had a boyfriend at the time, it was nothing serious. When I heard the wonderful news, I was, shall we say, jealous? Jealous that she had found her Mr. Right while I was still stuck in the perpetual horror called 'dating world'. 

I'm sure most of you are thinking, 'good grief did no one warn her how hard marriage is?' and how, 'marriage is the most realistic a fairytale will ever get'? Well, in my 19 year old super self conscious self (yes, I felt the desire to get married at 19) all I wanted was to find my other half, or more importantly that someone who would make me feel loved, special, and important. Yes, I was a true romantic.

So as I got off the phone with my friend Erica after hearing her exciting news, I thought, 'I wonder when I will get to have that moment?' To that moment, I refer to that instant or recognition that I would have found 'the one'.

A couple weeks later semester ended, and I had a chance to meet up with my friend Erica at a restaurant local in Roy. After marveling over her gorgeous ring, (turning a bit green with envy) and asking details, we got down to the real reason why I had wanted to meet up with her. Over our food I couldn't help but request some specifics about how she knew this Brandon (who I'd never met before) was 'the one'. She looked up with me, clearly not caught up in thinking about wedding details, and clearly answered, "I knew that Brandon was the one when I stopped having the desire to date other guys, and that I could picture myself with him forever very easily. More importantly, I knew I wouldn't be as happy with anyone else as I am when I'm with him." 

Later on the long drive back home I pondered what Erica had said. "Picture myself with him forever very easily..."? Quite truthfully that easily could describe every boy I'd ever dated with few exceptions. How would I know when it was 'the one'? I was starting to really scare myself with how serious I was with this whole concept of getting married. I decided to set it aside, while I had my first summer off from college, although it was constantly in the back of my mind.

~M

They come in three's

Bad luck. Horrible experiences. Sad goodbyes. 

Let me warn you: this post is not happy. 

It is rare that I have an entire week filled with lots of painful, humbling experiences. 

Experiences that make your insides twist with discomfort and make you feel like what's on the inside, should be out. Days, with these feelings, are more frequent, than weeks.

But this week was hell-o jello not good.
I was truthfully having quite the pity party for myself once Saturday rolled around.

But through it all was my never-ending supportive sweetheart, loving guidance from my parents, and a little black curly haired puppy to lick me half to death each day I came home. 

Something our Bishop said today while bearing his testimony in Sacrament meeting, really seemed like he said it only to me directly. I swear he looked directly at me when saying it, or at least that's what it felt like. His message was, "Through all the sucky, horrible, no good experiences we have when it won't stop raining and life just won't let up, is that we need to remember, no matter the heartache we feel now, it is all in an eternal perspective and for our final good."

And then I realized, after all the insightful encouragement and reminders from my sweet sweet hubby, that the Lord not only has a hand in my life, but he has control of it. And that anything he does is for my eternal welfare and better good. A quote I absolutely love from Dallin H. Oaks 'Adversity' in the 1998 Ensign, "Like the mortal life of which they are a part, adversities are temporary. What is permanent is what we become by the way we react to them." This, was my reminder that I needed to not only try and be less unhappy, but I needed to find a way to be joyful, and to learn from my experiences. 

That of course is not so easy to do, but I am trying. 

I feel like I say that a lot. But isn't that what we're all doing? 

Trying to find that self sufficiency and self satisfaction from our journey in life.

Partly why this week was so hard was we laid to rest 

my final remaining grandparent on friday.

Goodbye Grandma Helen Buck. 100 years of wonderful life, 

and 20 years without your sweetheart, you deserve to go home.

We love you.

Feb. 1, 1911- May 22, 2011

Hope it was a wonderful Sunday, 

make it a week to remember!

~J&M