DIY Projects

As previously stated we have been having a big snow storm here in the PNW. I have to admit I have not been going as crazy as I thought I would be or maybe this is the "Cabin Fever" talking :0).

My sister always teases me and tells me how she can't understand how we are related sometimes and why I'm such a "tree hugger". So with that intro the other day I was looking at this blog and it gave ideas about reusing your Christmas cards to make gift tags. I have been putting off doing this project although I saved the cards from work. But since I am snowed in I figured this is as good of a time as any.

I am quite pleased with the outcome of them. I will definitely keep other cards to reuse them for gift tags but maybe for B-Days and such.

Snow and more snow

One of the many things I love about living in the beautiful Pacific North West is having four Seasons. It seems every place I have lived really only had two types of weather. So living in Seattle has been fun for that reason.

This year there has been this freakish snow storm that hit WA and we have been getting snow for the past few days. It makes me laugh to think how a little snow really shuts the city down. But today we have actually gotten tons of snow. I have gotten a good 6 inches but in other parts of the Puget Sound there has been as much as 18 inches!

Here are some pictures I took of my backyard this morning.

Fear Not And Know that I Am God

Well it seems that 2012 is starting out with a bang for us and not to go into detail all I will write is how blessed I am in the knowledge that my Heavenly Father knows who I am.

Our trials come in all shapes and sizes. I always tell my sister how I'm flattered that the Lord thinks so highly of me when he puts a trial in my life that I feel I will never be able to overcome but somehow he believes I can. I have learned that it's during those times I am able to see the hand of the Lord in my life the most because I realize how without him I am nothing.

I love Seattle but I do miss my friends and that has been hard for me to adjust to. And when there are days that I'm freaking out I am reminded that I came here because of an answered prayer and not just by chance. This weekend has been a hard one but I have been so overwhelmed by the love of my Heavenly Father as well as my dear friends.

My friend Nathan once said " A diamond can only become a diamond until it has been put through extreme pressure to refine it." I have always remembered that and remind myself that this is our refining process. Life would be so much easier if we didn't have trials but if that was the case there would be no need for the Atonement and I don't know about you but I am nothing without the Atonement in my life.

There are many voices out in the world that tell us what we should be or how we are failing and are not enough but in that storm we can rest assured that the Master speaks to us giving us the peace we need saying "Fear Not and Know that I Am God."

I am always comforted by the beauty WA has to offer. I take the back roads to get to work which means I drive all along Lake WA and my view to work is the Olympic Mountains and on my way home if it's clear I see Mt. Rainer greeting me in all it's splendor. I'm comforted because if the Lord made something so beautiful for his children to enjoy then how can I doubt he is not mindful of me? I can't :)

Farewell 2011 Greetings 2012

I don't know about you but I feel like 2011 just flew by. It seemed as if I was just welcoming the year and now here I am saying goodbye. 2011 has been an interesting year for sure. I have been working a full year in one job this year which has been great! I went back to school which has been fun but stressful all at the same time.

As I look back I do wish I could have done some things different but I am also thankful that I am able to see my mistakes and hopefully learn from them and not make them in 2012.

As the year comes I always think of goals for the next year and to be honest this year I feel like I really want to take my time to make my goals. I always seem to make the normal ones everyone make such as "I will lose weight." Well I work at a bakery where we always have yummy treats around us ALL THE TIME! One of my co-workers told me "Don't worry they are all natural treats" to which I replied "Yes they are all natural but the size of my butt is not! :/" So with that these are the goals I want to work on for 2012

Spiritual:
- Attend the temple more
- Read my RS & Sunday School lessons BEFORE Sunday
- Make a real effort to attend ward activities

Personal:
- Eat healthier
- Exercise (I miss running & my old running times)
- Focus on school
- Build and nurture family/ friend relationships

So those are my goals for 2012, I hope I am able to achieve them and be better because of it. So welcome 2012 I hope we both enjoy the journey.

Merry Christmas to All and to All A Good Night!

I LOVE the Christmas Season for so many reasons. Everyone seems to be in a better mood, we seem more willing to help others without asking "What's in it for me?" And I don't know what it is about Christmas lights that just cheer me up.

This year my friend Darryel came to spend Christmas in Seattle. A little about Darryel and I, we both worked at DLI in the CPAC. He was a GS employee and I was a "NAFI". The CPAC was a black hole that sucked your soul out, and Darryel was my sanity there. He is so funny and we would have a blast hating on people or just keeping ourselfs from going crazy.

I left the Army and went to work at NPS but we always remained close friends. For the past year I kept telling him to come visit Seattle so I was so excited when he finally decided to come and to top it off he came for my favorite holiday, Christmas!!!

We didn't do a big thing to be honest we laid low at home, went to the movies, cooked and played board games. Although Darryel will insist I cheated at Battleship. Really he needs a hearing aid :)

So here are a few pictures from our holiday. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by people they love.