And the crowd goes wild

Happy ward conference season, everyone! I will basically miss attending my own ward until sometime in March but it's fun to visit the other congregations too.  Our presentation about the 13th Article of Faith (focusing on the "being" and the "seeking") to the youth of those two wards went really well yesterday.

At the risk of sounding "braggy" I want to remember that when I was introduced at each session, I received spontaneous cheers from the girls in each group.  It was so very sweet.  Apparently, going to YW camp makes you kind of famous. No, I did not have to sign autographs, and no I did not need a police escort to get to my car afterward.  However, there are seven more ward conferences to go so applications for cute and, duh, totally single bodyguards are being accepted.

Oh and FYI: prayer works!  The thing I needed to go right at work actually worked out just fine.  Oh happy day. Thank you to everyone who prayed, sent good thoughts, dropped off candy or anything else that kept my head from exploding.  xoxo

And now, random thoughts...

But first, thank you to everyone who commented, emailed, or texted me a little love after my last entry. You are all simply wonderful and I'm blessed to know you.

Things are better -- I made it through last Sunday without falling apart.  Go me.

Work is so incredibly stressful. Like, the worst ever.  If what I need to have happen on Monday happens, I will sleep like a baby that night for the first time in a week.  And the perma-stomach ache will go away.  And maybe, just maybe, the eye twitch will stop.  Stress stinks.

I'm liking American Idol a lot.  I appreciate that we are seeing less meanness and more of the good auditions.  Steven Tyler just has "it."  I don't care what anyone says.  Mmmm.  And I own three Jennifer Lopez CDs and love them.  So there.

Post nasal drip?  Not my favorite thing.

I've been using Latisse on my eyelashes since December and you know what?  It totally works.  I'll try to get someone to take a picture.  It's kind of awesome.

Celery with a little peanut butter is my current favorite snack.  Yum.

It's not wintry here and I want it to be.  Is that crazy?

Modern Family makes me laugh a lot. Not so much this week's episode but loved the last two, especially the "slow down your neighbors" one.  Seriously hilariously funny.

That's all I got.  Bed time...nighty night.

Be still my soul

I've basically cried my way through the last two Sundays.  You'd think I'd be happier on Sundays because a. I don't have a "Sunday" calling so I get to visit and learn every week and I love that and b. church is now at 1 PM so that means I get one day a week to be lazy in the mornings (my idea of heaven.)  But no, I go to church and I cry, cry, cry. I try to hide it but today I had to go outside and take the long way to my car because I didn't want everyone to see me all weepy.  I've decided there are two main reasons why:

1. I'm feeling very empathetic lately.  Whether it's the family who has been having major financial struggles or the father whose son was murdered or the mom whose only son is coming home from his mission, I'm a weepy mess when I hear them share their feelings or see them cry. 

2. Church is the one of the few places where I am smacked in the face with what I don't have. If you know me at all, I try hard to stay happy and positive and grateful but lately whenever I'm at church, I just feel sad.  I know it's silly and selfish and I need to knock it off (and I will) but ugh.  Looking around at all of the couples and families just makes me ache.  Every talk, every lesson, every announcement (i.e. come to ward temple night - it's a great date night!) is a reminder of what is missing from my life.  I know I'll snap out of this and I know these feelings are temporary (it's the dreaded January funk, people.)  And I know I'll be okay. Again.

Today during the Sacrament I read and reread part of a talk by Elder Holland, "This do in remembrance of me." If you need some help focusing on the Savior during the Sacrament, start reading at the paragraph that begins "If remembering is the principal task before us, what might come to our memory when those plain and precious emblems are offered to us?" I highly recommend printing that section of this talk and tucking it into your scriptures.  One of my favorite teachers shared this years ago and I read it nearly every Sunday - it's a big help when your mind is wandering or you're feeling sorry for youself this January like someone else I know.  Hmmm...who on earth could that be???

Lost

I'm not one of those people who can just sit and watch a TV show or movie - I have to be doing other things.  So this week I'm off work (yay!) and I decided to finally get around to watching the last season of Lost.  I set up my Wii to stream Netflix (so cool!) and I've spent the last few days watching this very exciting, very stressful and at times horribly sad TV show.

I have two more episodes to watch and I still can't believe I've remained "unspoiled" and really have no idea what's going to happen in the end. I thankfully can send my sister text messages when shocking things happen but I want to talk to you, dear readers, as well.  In case you are still planning to watch, I'll speak in code.  Why oh why did X, Y, and Z have to die?  How did I not know that a certain West Wing actress was going to play a pivotal role? And what they did with a main character this season just kills me. Kills me, I tell you!

Anyway, I have to say, it's excellent TV but it's painful TV which makes it even harder to watch without something else to do.  So here's a list of what I've been doing whilst watching Lost:

1. Laundry. Three loads today, in fact. Clean sheets tonight = heaven.

2. Eating.  Christmas leftovers put Thanksgiving leftovers to shame.  From ham sandwiches on homemade bread to my mom's best she's ever made peanut brittle, January 1st can't get here soon enough.

3. Throwing out piles of paper.  I need to be better about throwing stuff out in 2011.  I keep way too much stuff.

4. Playing Fruit Ninja, Scrabble and Cut the Rope on my iPhone.  Seriously, such fun games. My high score on Fruit Ninja/arcade is 430.  How about you?

Hope you all are enjoying your holiday break as much as I am.

This is my confession

I may or may not have switched the tags and traded gifts with someone who is on vacation until January and has no idea we were given said gifts.

Why?  Well, I wanted the scent she was given:

instead of the one I was given:

Would it help to know that she can't have anything scented in her house because of allergies and will more than likely just give it away?

Yeah, that worked for me.  It also worked for my other coworker who decided she wanted my original candle so she traded the vacationing co-worker too.

Yeah, yeah, we'll tell her what we did. 

Probably.

Full heart

Here's why:

I went to the temple yesterday morning with dear friends, carrying my darling new bag given to me by my bosom friend, Kim.  (My bag is super cute - black and white damask. My old one was about 15 years old and in dire need of replacing.)

I spent the day yesterday celebrating the marriage of a girl I adore to her cute husband.  Anna was a beautiful bride and she and Zach were just so happy the entire day. The reception was beautiful too. Tricia, the mom and my baking buddy, did an amazing job creating a winter wonderland at the church.  Three huge trees in the center of the cultural hall.  Touches of pink, silver and white everywhere.  Just beautiful!

I sat with Anna's darling sister Adrian at the luncheon and loved catching up with her and her equally cute husband, Aaron.  To top it all off, Robert was there too.  I love that family! It was a perfect day.

Today I taught Relief Society.  It's so not something I'm comfortable doing but I made it through.  I'm so grateful for the women who speak up and help fill the time.  I worried I would run out of material but thankfully it all worked out okay.

I felt inspired to do something for someone I love today and I'm so glad I did it.  She was grateful and so am I for inspiration and the means to help those who need it.

One of my former young women is home from a semester in Jerusalem and told me that she wrote my name on a piece of paper and placed it in the Wailing (Western) wall while she was there.  It was all I could do to not cry when she told me. 

I'm so blessed.  I'll try not to forget next time I'm feeling sorry for myself.  Really!

Why, why, why?

Why hasn't "Love Actually" been on TV yet this holiday season?  I can't watch this movie unedited because, well, it's got some pretty bad stuff in it.  But edited, the movie is just sweet and romantic and set during Christmas and it should be on TV at least once this month.

Why are the treats at Trader Joe's SO good?  From the dark chocolate covered caramels to the peppermint Joe-Joe's (so good used in Oreo truffles instead of plain Oreos) to the dark chocolate covered shortbread stars that my pal KMZT surprised me with today.  Trader Joe's knows how to do treats.

Why did it take a trip to Portland for me to realize that Salt City Candles now makes melters (a la Scentsy?)  I used to sell their candles several years ago and have hoarded a few of my favorites because I still believe there is not a better scented candle out there. That being said, I enjoy the Scentsy premise (i.e. no flame) but haven't really loved any of their winter/holiday scents like Salt City's.  I happened upon a kiosk in the mall when I was in Portland and thought I'd died and gone to heaven.  I currently have Victorian Christmas going in my cute Scentsy red snowflake warmer and next it will be either Candy Cane or Christmas Trimmings. So dang good.

And finally, why oh WHY did I agree to take the early shift tomorrow??  I have to be at my desk at 7 AM.  I am feeling the pain already.  Ugh.