Turning that Frown Upside Down

"Why do you have warts right there?" Now don't get me wrong, I KNOW I don't have 'warts' on my hand. But I simply could not figure out what my nephew could be referring to? And rubbing on my hand so tenderly. Then the light clicked. WORDS! "Why do you have WORDS right there?" I had written a reminder on my hand earlier and he could not understand why I had written on myself on purpose! :) I mean, he understood scribbles cause that is art, but words? Come on! :) LOVE the way he says his words. Sad that he's gonna be growing outta that one day. But um, I'm sure he'll be appreciative since it's not so cute as an adult.

"TT, can you not put frosting on my nose again? I don't like when people laugh at me." haha. Good thing I smoothed it over by explaining that they were laughing at ME, not him.. for being so silly and PUTTING that frosting on his nose. Hey, I couldn't help it! After his brother licked the knife, I figured it was time to stop frosting the cookies for a minute and share the love a little. Apparently one of the three didn't like the sharing. Whoops. :)

Me- "I need a kiss!" 4-yr old nephew- "I'm not your boyfriend!" hahaha. Well, there ya go! Contrary to that little dialogue, he absolutely does love me and kisses, cuddles, and snuggles me all the time. I think this is his way of choosing when he gets to do it. Which I TOTALLY support by the way. I will NEVER make a child give someone loves if they do not want to. I will suggest it, but if they don't want to..then they don't have to. It's that simple.

2-yr old niece "TT, lipstick" after she stares at my lips for a little bit. P.S. she wasn't telling me, she was asking me. So of course I whip out my chap-stick that smells like strawberries and I apply it. She then models it for me. Boy oh boy we are going to be in TROUBLE! :)

Analysis says.. My Agreeableness is..

So I took a test. It asked me a lot of questions about myself. Hard questions that required truthful answers. The end result? Well, I guess you can be the judge as to whether you agree with the assessment. :)


You are best described as: USUALLY TAKING CARE OF OTHERS


Words that describe you:

Understanding
Unquestioning
Humane
Selfless
Gentle
Kindhearted
Gullible
Indulgent



A general description of how you interact with others: Here's one important truth about you: you have a tender heart. Yes, you know that others need to learn to take care of themselves. Yes, you know they need to accept the consequences of their foolish or bad behavior. And sometimes, even when your instinct is to help them, you will let them fend for themselves and let them suffer the consequences of their choices or circumstances.

But most of the time you are there to help when they need you. If they are in trouble, you offer compassion and go out of your way to be helpful. If they need someone who will listen, you are trustworthy and sympathetic. And you are direct with them; when they need advice or counsel, you offer it in a straightforward, direct manner, without beating around the bush.

You're also smart enough to know that you cannot take good care of others if you fail to take good care of yourself, so you listen to your own wants and needs. If you've run out of sympathetic energy, you spend time restoring yourself. If you've ignored your own pain or frustration, you find a friend who will listen well, or go into your own private healing place and give yourself permission to focus on you.

But before long, you're back at it with your friends, offering a sympathetic ear and compassion on which they learn to trust, also giving straightforward advice and counsel when they ask for it. You do know how to take care of yourself, but your genuine interest is in taking care of others.



Negative Reactions others may have toward you: Selfish people might be embarrassed by you. While they're using their time and energy almost exclusively on themselves, they see you giving time to others, and your kindness puts them in a bad light.

Maybe they'll think you're a phony, that you use your altruism to get others indebted to you so they'll then owe you a favor. Or perhaps they'll accuse you, directly or behind your back, of focusing on the needs of others so no one ever focuses on your foibles or your genuine wounds.

All of these are false accusations; yours is a genuine compassion, because you truly have a tender heart. One criticism might be more substantial, though. People might notice when you let things get out of balance and spend so much time responding to others that you neglect your own needs.

Perhaps it's true to some extent that you are more comfortable when the focus is on someone else's needs than when you and your needs are front and center, and this may be a criticism worth paying attention to.



Positive responses others may have towards you: Positive responses to you are likely to far outweigh negative responses. For many people, your genuine kindness will be an example of a way to treat others and a way we want others to treat us. They will see in you the traits of compassion and sympathy which they might want to focus on in the development of their own character.

For those people you help you will be the friend they need, there at the right moment to help them when they've stepped into yet another thicket of pain or confusion. They will be grateful for your listening, for your straight talk when they need straight talk more than anything, and for the hand you extend so they can find their way, with your help, out of whatever tangle they've gotten themselves into.

Food for Thought

~ "Faith implies a certain trust." "Doubt and faith cannot reside in the same place at the same time." -Pres. Monson

~ "Find the joy in the journey" -Pres. Monson

~ "Your life is an occasion, rise to it." -Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium

~ "Repack your fear with faith" - Sister Tracy

~ "Be active, not passive." -Dallin H. Oaks

~ "It's not what you get from enduring through, it's who you become that truly matters!" -church discussion

~ "What does Constance mean? It means to be better today, than you were yesterday." -church talk

For Too Long.. And then There was Institute

For too long, I have been drowning out my thoughts in my loud music, TV, movies, etc. I'm not sure if it's because I just don't want to come to terms with where my thoughts will lead me, or if it's because there's a sense of numbness. Either way, I've appreciated the numbness. I've needed the numbness.

What a confession. Right? Well, it's true. And tonight, after what feels like a very long time, I felt something. I'm not saying it was earth shattering. But I'm hoping, in time, it will continue to sink in. But I felt like maybe I saw a spark in the distance of a very very dark night. And though that spark fizzled out quickly, I still remember a little bit of what I saw. I don't know how long it will stay with me. But maybe, just maybe it will last me til the next spark happens.

"Stop and say, I will give you my very best" -Dr Taylor Hartman. I guess, sometimes all it takes is having someone by your side, helping you push through to the very end.

There is Peace In Knowing..

As you are aware, I have been having some health issues as of late. In early Fall they found that I had somehow contracted the H. Pylori bacteria. You can only get this bacteria through food or water and it is not originated in the USA. Since I've only been to Italy recently, it would appear that I contracted this bacteria there. Sad, but Italy was still worth it. :) Unfortunately because I had neglected going to the doctor for so long, I then had to deal with ulcers and a lovely diet with medications that in my opinion... would kill the weak. (haha). As months continue to move forward, and my symptoms have not relinquished their hold on me.. more aggressive tests have been performed. Yay. Conclusion? There is peace in knowing SOMEthings rather than guessing about EVERYthing.

Here are the things that have gone through my mind right after waking up from anesthesia... #1 Thank you for that FANTASTIC drug!!! Apparently I was given the same anesthetic that Michael Jackson was addicted to. Believe me folks...I can see why. It was AWESOME!!! :) #2 Thank you for the follow up reading material, cause I didn't really remember all that the doc was telling my mama-sita. #3 I didn't think it was a forever thing. I thought we'd find the problem and it would be silly. I'd take a pill and it would be gone. Apparently I was wrong.

Apparently I have a Hiatal Hernia in my Esophagus. This means that my esophagus doesn't close properly and my stomach acid ventures. This would be one of the causes or possibly THE cause of my severe chest pain, heartburn, nausea, etc. Ironically you see this kind of thing in old people, smokers, or overweight people. Not really people like me. Whateve's. Now, I'm just waiting on the biopsies cause the C word came up and they are testing to see if the H. Pylori bacteria is being stubborn in my gut and won't die die die. Conclusion? There is still peace in knowing. Will I always have this Hiatal Hernia? Yes. But I know that I can handle whatever comes my way. We all can. (Regardless of the biopsy results.) Though there are things in our lives that seem hard, we can pull through. So I plan on dancing in this rainstorm, just a little bit longer. :)

December Confessional Block

Sorry I'm a little late on this one. I guess just a few days...so maybe I'm not THAT sorry :) Ok, so my December thoughts/confessions...

~ I have secretly always wondered if a person who wears fun undergarments (aka over the shoulder bolder holders since I am limited to that one article) felt differently than those who just wore boring undergarments. Let's just say I've decided to try out my theory. Result? I'm feeling SASSY!

~ I really hate stereotypes. I try not to stereotype and I really hate it when others do it. However, I've totally been called Betty Crocker this month and jokes have been made regarding the cooking and the holidays, etc. I'm beginning to think that the Betty Crocker stereotype might not be a bad one. What's so bad about someone who takes pleasure in cooking for others? Especially when its delectable meals and treats? Hello! Lets think about that one for a second!!!!!!!

~ Though I've been super busy socializing. I honestly don't think I could ever love anything more than spending time with my kidlets. They say the funniest, sweetest, cutest things. Really, no one has captured my heart the way my nieces and nephews have. Even though December has not been good to me, they certainly have! Love my kids!!!

~ When you think of what you treasure, what comes to mind? So many things come to mind, but I'm gonna throw a random one out there. Laughter. I really treasure laughter. It makes tense situations easier. It makes fun things funnier. It makes everything happier. I really love to laugh. So thanks for all of you who have made me laugh. :)

Alrighty, that's enough of my thoughts/confessionals for December. Peace Out!

Looking Up

One day, I was driving my car and I noticed a middle aged woman looking up. There was just something about the way she was looking up into the sky. Next thing I knew, I looked up in the general direction she was looking. I couldn't see anything but blue sky. I glanced back at the woman. She was still mesmerized. I then noted that I was passing an assisted living facility. I'm not sure of this woman's situation, the things I've just stated above are only my observations of a brief few seconds. But here is a few thoughts that came to my mind. Sometimes, it isn't until we haven't had the blessing or opportunity to see something or experience something.. that we realize how grateful we are for those things when they are back in our lives. This woman may have been experiencing her first outdoors walk in a long time. She may have been simply amazed at how blue the sky appeared to her that day after being cooped up indoors for a time. Who knows. But what I do know is this, it made me think. How often do I stop to look up? How often do I just stop to enjoy the greatness around me. We are truly blessed to be living in a place with so much beauty around us. I am grateful that the sky is blue. I am grateful that I have eyes that see that color. I am grateful for things and people who help me remember.