What we've been up to...

I've spent a bit of time going through my recent pictures and realized that I/we have done some decently fun things the last little while. Here is some evidence.

 

 Foggy Saturday mornings at the San Antonio Temple.

 Jerry, our Hibiscus tree, blooming

A day trip up to Utah to take a nap on my parent's couch and to borrow boxes (and a suitcase) full of goodies for a wedding I was planning.

 

Spending LOADS of time and having many adventures with this wonderful girl, Kyle.

 

One such adventure involved Sir Dudley the Donkey, who tap dances.

 

And rescuing her parents who ran out of gas in their Prius on their way to the temple.

(Please note the Romney bumper sticker. This picture is priceless.)

My favorite purchase of 2012. Thank you wedding gift certificates!

 

Pulling off a pretty superb wedding party.

 

 A Spurs game in a box suite for husband's work. The dessert cart was the best part.

Discovered McDonald's real-life-play-sized french fries.
I love getting to have lunch with John every day. I am spoiled.

 

Italian themed date night. Capriccosia's Pizza. DaVinci Gelato. Two Italian Plumbers.

 

Kalie came to visit for a few days. This is the only proof that I have of that wonderful time.

Went to the fair out in East Texas with John's sister's family. We drank gallons of fresh lemonade, ate anything fried we could get our hands on, rode some kiddie rides, and had one fantastic time.

John's new Easter tie. The only picture we have from that day.

John has made me breakfast twice in the last month. He is so good to me.

Lastly, we were able to go to the Cannery for our first time and start ourselves a very modest food storage. It was a lot more fun that I had imagined and it was so neat to work with ward members to help each other stock up on the essentials.

We live a good life.

FOMO

FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out

I have always suffered from this "condition". This is nothing new. Over the years my FOMO has gone through different phases. A social phase. A rather long traveling phase, which transformed into a nomadic-lifestyle phase.

My current FOMO focuses primarily on the small things that I am missing out on by not living near my family and friends. Examples... party/wedding planning, Johnson Girls family time at the cabin, and Disney On Ice. This is definitely the most difficult FOMO I have had to deal with thus far and it is just the silly, simple, little things that are the hardest.

I love Texas. I love having this adventure of living in a new place, but it is hard to be an island with no family near by. So I have come the the conclusion that everyone should just move to Texas. It is going to be great!

Power of the P!

I have been sick this week. I am talking miserable-can't-sleep-can't-move-want-to-die kind of sick. AND IT WAS JUST A COLD!! The meanest, nastiest cold ever. I blame the passengers of United Airlines for it. No thank you.

After living in agony for a few days (minus the one hour where I had to teach my class... the big man clearly has his motives...) I finally conceded to having the Home Teachers come over and help give me a blessing. Growing up I always thought that blessings were reserved for very special occasions or if you were literally on your death bed. John assured me that was not the case, and proceeded to give me a very simple, yet straightforward blessing. He put great emphasis on how the blessing was entirely contingent upon my faith.

Not to boast here, people, but I am in a pretty good place spiritually these days. I cannot speak enough about the truth in surrounding yourself with good and wholesome things. I am working hard to be where I am and it is worth it and I am loving it.

That night I slept for a solid 6 hours without a single cough. First time the entire week. That made all the difference in the world and I am almost back to normal. The Priesthood is such a neat gift.

Now we just need the Home Teachers to come back to give John a blessing... The downside to being married and sharing a bed.

Time...

Yesterday I was hit with the anxious thought that there are not enough hours in the day. John, and his male thinking, suggested that perhaps I should try managing my time better. (He is right, as always.) But that still doesn't change the fact that I feel a bit panicked.

I went part-time in December, and for moi, that equates to working (flying and being away from home) about six days a month. Meaning that I have potentially 24/25 days a month full of 24 hours in which I am free to choose how I spend those hours. That is more time than any one I know. I don't have children. I don't have a second job. I don't even volunteer anywhere. HOW CAN I BE USING UP ALL OF THOSE HOURS AND STILL FEEL LIKE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TIME?!

When I found out I was going to be awarded part-time back in November, my mind started reeling with all of the trips and new countries I would be seeing (I'm at 20 countries, I need to make it to 30 by 30. 2.5 years....). Then came the rather rude awakening that God was not granting me this blessing so that I could be idle and/or selfish with all of this time. I have lived a truly charmed life with very little responsibility thus far. Where much is given, much is required and apparently it is pay-back time. Turns out The-Big-Man-Upstairs has quite the sense of humor.

Fast forward to today. I have been called to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher. The ONE AND ONLY Gospel Doctrine teacher. To say that I feel inadequate is a GROSS understatement. I taught my first lesson last Sunday and we will just say that there is room for improvement. On top of that John and I have been set apart as temple workers in the San Antonio Temple. We work the Saturday morning shift, every Saturday at 7:00 am. An added bonus to this upcoming weekend is our "Introduction" talk in Sacrament meeting. Our topic... "How the gospel changes lives..." How fitting.

I openly welcomed all of these new challenges, but at the moment I feel as though I am drowning in Mormonism. I have no doubt that I will come to love this new life where "time management" is so vital, but I am not quite there yet. In the mean time I will be spending a lot of time on my knees until I get my swimming strokes perfected.

In the wise words of a cartoon fish... "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

Long lost medium

Seen one of these recently?

About a month ago a good friend challenged me to start writing in a journal. And actual journal. Paper. Binding. Penmanship. Lines. A physical record.

Nothing digital. Nothing typed. Nothing that glows.

It. Is. Amazing.

It is astounding how different writing in a personal journal is to writing a blog. I love it. I am so grateful for the challenge and how it has improved my understanding and love for the commandment to "keep a record".

I now pass this challenge on to you.

On your mark. Get set. Go!

So we got married...

 The saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" has never resonated with me quite as it does in regards to my wedding day. It was such a special and meaningful day that words truly are not adequate. So while I am left speechless at the mere thought of the day John and I were married, I share with you the thousands of in-audible words in these pictures. Enjoy.

✵Wedding Photos✵

Happy Halloween Birthday

 John was born on Halloween.

I love it.

We dressed down instead of up this year, stayed inside, and partook of John's requested birthday feast. I made a HUGE pot of Momma Jeanne's Gumbo served over rice, an Apple Crumble Pie (I even made the crust & crumble), and homemade vanilla bean ice cream. 

We topped the night off with a scary movie.

Could not have been more perfect.