Being Enough

I totally stole this title from this blog post, but I sat for a minute trying to think up another name that summed up my feelings and nothing came, so it is what it is.


The ideas that have been coming to me about this were sparked from the aforementioned post and I need to write them down before I forget. Shawni, the author of 71toes.com, talks about the pressure that the world puts on us to be more and do more when we look at those around us and all the wonderful things they are doing that we are not. 


I can't help but think that pressure is intensified with things like facebook and pinterest because all of the amazing things that people are doing are on display and at such quick access. 


Lately, I haven't been feeling so good about myself. I know that I am doing good things and accomplishing goals, like going to school, painting our bathroom with horrid vaulted ceilings and fulfilling my calling, but I know I can be doing better. 


But not better according to someone else's standards. 
Better according to me. What I have been doing. Who I have been.
Because I know I can be so much more.


I went visiting teaching last night and this morning and we had some really great discussions about the message. It just reminded me that my Heavenly Father really knows me. I have known that forever, but it's amazing to think that he knows not only what I am doing, but he knows what I am thinking and what my intentions are behind my actions. He knows when I am doing the best I can, and that is enough for Him and I need to let it be enough for me.


I love what President Uchtdorf says: “By patiently walking in the path of discipleship, we demonstrate to ourselves the measure of our faith and our willingness to accept God’s will rather than ours.” 


This got me thinking about how I am enduring the challenges we have been going through. Have I truly been patient throughout? I also like how he says walking. He does not say running. Sometimes I want to run through life to get through a trial and get to the next stage. But that isn't how it works. We have to be patient and endure well. Not just endure grudgingly.


Sometimes it seems like we have been patiently walking through trials for a VERY long time. And it can be exhausting. And frustrating. But that is when I have to step back and count our blessings. Although Peter has been underemployed for almost two years now, we are still able to put away money every month. Even though Peter's job is in Ogden and he works less than ideal days and hours, he has a job. 


Elder Ballard came to our Stake Conference last Saturday and Sunday. He talked about trials and why they are given to us. He said that sometimes it is not us that need the trial to grow, but others. That other people are watching the way we go through trials and seeing the example we set, good or bad, as we endure and press forward. This goes so well with what President Uchtdorf said in the visiting teaching message. 


I know that there are people around us who know our struggles and they are watching how we endure. I know that I gain great strength when I watch people go through hard things and, not only come out triumphant, but endure their trial with a good attitude and great faith throughout. 


We also talked about how there are different seasons of life. One of the women we visit was just called into the Relief Society Presidency in our ward the same week that she went back to work after having her sweet little baby and then her husband was called as a High Council Member just a couple weeks later. Needless to say, she has a lot on her plate and her season of life is not one where she can go visit women in the ward once a week, and that is okay. She is doing enough.


This is really just a REALLY LONG rambling rendition of all the thoughts I have been having, so congratulations if you made it this far. But, because I haven't felt like I could truly say that I have been enough lately, here are some goals. They may seem silly, but I have been doing them today and I feel so much better about myself. I feel productive and just good.


1. I will exercise every day.
2. I will study my scriptures for 20 minutes every day.
3. I will eat healthy food and only eat when I am hungry.
4. I will not go back to bed after Peter goes to work on the days I have off.
5. I will not get on facebook until after school gets out in May.
6. I will only read family blogs and a couple of inspirational ones, like the one mentioned above.

Trafalga

We have the Pass of all Passes and it is so much fun. Definitely worth the money. It is so fun to just go and spend just a few hours together doing something fun that we've already paid for! We went to Trafalga in Lehi for a couple hours on Monday to give me a break from studying and it was definitely a refreshing, needed break!

We watched some little kids climbing the wall like it was no problem, so we were hoping we wouldn't embarrass ourselves. Here's Peter showing me how to climb.

And here I am. It was my first time climbing and it was actually a lot of fun. I was also better than I thought it would be, considering my short arms and legs. Don't tell, but I was more successful at one wall than Peter was! It was a fun afternoon date!

A Wintry Walk

I went on a walk with some of the cutest little ones around the other day. These kids just crack me up.

 Abby insisted on wearing these cute flats without socks. A girl after my own heart. Fashion above function. She even walked through the snow to make footprints and didn't complain about her feet being cold until we got back to the house. 

 Lyla was making her own sort of fashion statement. The picture tells all. I have a bunch of blurry ones of her because I was laughing so hard.

What a sweetie Max is. I love his cute little grin and infectious laugh. Abby and Lyla kept throwing snow on him and he just laughed and laughed.

 Lyla is so dang cute in her little glasses. Much more fashionable than mine were as a child.

Abby and Lyla wanted a picture with Max and this is the best I could get. Never a dull moment with these kids. I can hardly wait until July when they add another one to the mix!

Growing Up

There are a lot of great things about growing up, ie. living with your best friend, staying up as late as you want (although, this now is only about 10 pm on a late night), choosing what you want to do for the rest of your life, etc.


Hands down, the WORST thing about growing up is doing bills. I just spent the last hour inputing receipts into our budget. Life sure is expensive. 


Last month, we spent over $200 on gas. I guess that's what we get for living is Salt Lake and having Peter work in Ogden.


The saddest part, though is that we only spent $11.28 on entertainment/eating out.


Welcome to real life.

Tagged

Silly Sista tagged me, so I will oblige.

1.  Post these rules.

2.  Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.

3.  Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

4.  Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.

5.  Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.

1. I am a huge BYU fan who is undercover spying on Swoop for Cosmo (attending the University of Utah nursing program).

2. I am an air-popped popcorn snob, thanks to my friend, Kate.

3. Peter and I have 22 nieces and nephews, with 2 more on the way! We love them!

4. I hate shopping and trying on clothes, but love getting new ones. 

5. Cosmo, the BYU mascot, brings my family a gift at Christmas. It is usually more anticipated and exciting than gifts from Santa.

6. I want to have 6 or 8 kids, equal boys and girls would be excellent. If we somehow got pregnant with twins for my 8th pregnancy, giving us nine kids, I would seriously consider having another child to make it even.

7. I once took two chemistry classes in the same semester.... not a good plan.

8. As a child, I would count how long I washed each part of my body in the shower because I wanted it to be equally clean. The funniest part: I thought that was normal.

9. I function much better in a clean house, and I know that, but it is still SO hard to keep it clean!

10. I am so ridiculously baby hungry. I need everyone to stop having babies around me.

11. I love to try new recipes when I have time to make dinner, but not on Sundays. Primary is much too exhausting to come home and make dinner.

Questions from Sista:

1.  What is one of your nicknames and how did you get it?

Weeshies- My niece, Abby couldn't say Alicia, so she said Weeshies and it has stuck. My nieces even get a little confused when I ask them what my real name is.

2.  What is your favorite family tradition and why?

Going to BYU football games. I just get so happy when I'm at LaVell Edwards Stadium and the Cougs are doing well.

3.  What is one of your biggest pet peeves?

Oh, this list could go on and on. From today: people coughing on me-I cannot get sick, people!, people singing loudly and off key in my ear during choir, people who have no idea what they're talking about telling me how to do my job.

4.  If you could go one place in the world, what would it be?

Hawaii. Sunshine, the beach and the ocean are sounding pretty good right now.

5.  What is one thing you've done that you are particularly proud of?

Getting into the nursing program at the U. I worked pretty dang hard to get here.

6.  What is your favorite T.V. show (currently on or reruns)?

Right now I am loving smash because the music is amazing. I also really love Parenthood because it is so real.

7.  What is one thing you couldn't live without?

**Cheese Alert** Peter. I can hardly believe that we have been married almost 2 years!

8.  Who was your best friend growing up?

Childhood-Mary, Teenage years-Sista, Shannon, Kate and Britny

9.  What is the thing at the top of your bucket list?

Right now-GRADUATE!! Just so I can go on with the rest of my bucket list.

10.  Who is your favorite princess?  Why?

Belle. Because she has brown hair. That was a rarity in the 90's.

11.  If you were a super hero, what would your name be?  Super power?

I have no idea what my name would be, but I would be able to multitask everything I needed to get done so I wouldn't feel stressed. 

Questions for You:

1. What is your idea of a relaxing day?

2. Where is your favorite place to be?

3. What is your favorite Disney movie? Why?

4. If you could have any skill, what would it be?

5. Comedy or drama?

6. If you could meet any famous person, who would it be?

7. What is your dream job?

8. Dog or cat?

9. If you could live anywhere, where would you leave?

10. What is your favorite style of music?

11. What is your most valuable possession?

Tagged:

Catherine Newman

Shannon Keddington