Rachel's Challenge

Faith and Hailey came home from an assembly given on Rachel Scott's Essay (she was the 1st person killed in the Columbine HS shootings)... they were emotional and very much changed by what they saw and heard during this assembly.  If you haven't had the chance to read this, take the time to do it today, it will make you look at life in a new light and maybe just maybe change how you feel and do things...

http://www.rachelschallenge.org/LearnMore/RachelsEssay.php

What a remarkable young woman.  How amazing and wonderful her legacy!

10th Photo Tag!

I have been tagged. Here is the deal. You must find your 1oth photo in your first album. So here is mine.

2003 in Novato California, our first move out of Utah.  Faith and Hailey being monkey's on our condo play ground.  Man how time flies.

Now my turn, find the 10th photo in your 1st album on your PC and post it.  I tag, Shantel, Shauna and Laura!

Kids!

I took Noah to the doctor today, he had a nasty rash on his face and then I realized it was actually all over his torso too... strep throat!  Let the good times begin in the Connors home.  Well that post started on Monday and here it is Wednesday and I'm heading back to the doctor with Ammon.. he was up with a fever in the night and a killer red and swollen throat today. 

I hope this passes quickly.  The down side of having 5 kids... one illness can be in our home for a month or more.  YIKES!

New Experiences

I got a call Friday night from the Elders in our church asking who taught Relief Society this past Sunday, I stated, well Elders that would have been me.  Elder Tanner laughed and said, that's who I was hoping you would say, he then proceeded to say, we have this investigator who is being baptized this Sunday (less than 2 days from the phone call), she was very impressed with your lesson and that you cried (which by the way is the understatment of the year, it's more like the flood gates opened and I let loose) and she really liked you.  She would like you to speak on the Holy Ghost at her Baptism on Sunday.  I felt a little embarassed because I had only smiled at this sister in passing, I am usually really good about introducing myself to new members or visitors but had been distracted by my lesson and preoccupied and hadn't said more than "hi' in passing to her.  And yet my lesson somehow impacted her enough that she asked for me. 

As I set about preparing my talk, I found a hymn book and a journal that I had in our home that both reminded me of the Holy Ghost, the journal for recording her feelings and the promptings she recieves and the hymnal to help her feel the spirit through songs of praise by reading and singing the lyrics.  I felt pretty nervous as I always do about public speaking but was happy to have the opportunity.

As you may know our day here in NY started out pretty messed up, we have one of the worst storms I've witnessed in my life last night, trees down, over 1/2 million without power, 5 dead in the tri-state area. It was a maze just to get to our church, we had to mostly use side roads because trees blocked the main roads. When the service started there were about 12 of us there.  By the time it was over we had reached over 50.  We had to come home before the Baptism to get the journal/book and the cookies/refreshements I had offered to bring.  The roads were a mess and we were nearly 30 mintues late for the baptism, we literally walked in, watched sister Lunie go under the water and the I was giving my talk.  It went well.  She cried, I cried and it was amazing to me how much this was for me and not just for her.  It's been a rough week, I know Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways but this one is for sure up there.  Me a complete stranger, now feeling that close bond of sisters in the Gospel and the love that comes from that bond.  How thankful I am for this sweet sister from Haiti who asked for me and who blessed my life so much more than I could have hers.

Sleep can make me happy??

I've been "off" all week, little did I realize that my lack of sleep lately, due to a teething baby has really messed with me.  How could I not know that?  It's not like this is baby #1, I mean come on she's #5... Oh, the things we forget and have to relearn.  I am going to take those naps, even 20 minutes will help here and there.  Long nights for mom and baby make for a grouchy mom the next day.  Hoping for some more sunshine, 4 days of rain and then, keeping my fingers crossed that the sun will find it's way back into our lives and we can spend more time outdoors. 

My boys decided they were going to try and sled down the one very small patch of snow left on the side hill in our yard.  Well, needless to say they ended up muddy and bruised and didn't really have much fun.  Good times!

Spring, Spring, Spring.... we can't wait to greet you!

Montana??

I've often made the comment in my life that "I wish I lived in Montana", now mind you, I've never even been to Montana, but something really appeals to me about it.  Lately I've been seriously wishing I lived in Montana, a nice place in the middle of no where, a place where I can just hibernate if I want too. Odd isn't it.  I don't know what happened to me... I've always loved NY and now for the past few weeks all I can think about is the great wide open.  Too many neighbors?  Too many stresses?  Too much pollution?  Too many cars?  Too many liberals?  Too many ignorant people?  Too much expecation of what I'm supposed to do?  Many of the thoughts that have crossed my mind as to why the sudden thoughts of the big blue sky in Montana....

Hum... I'm sure there's more to come on this one.

Failing

Do you ever feel like if you were being graded day to day (or even hour by hour) that you would receive a failing grade.  What is it with these stupid thoughts?  Is my list of things to do just too long or am I not being realistic?  Why is that as a woman I tend to compare myself to everyone around me?  This can't be healthy, this can't be good.  The stupidest part is that I know I'm doing it and still do it.  Life just isn't easy and really it can really feel like a big dirty swamp at times.  Looking forward to a cleaner pool to swim in.

Another reason technology has made life harder...

I have to say that I do appreciate technology... however as of late I've really been thinking a lot about how "impersonal" the world has become.  I'll admit I prefer to do my communicating via e-mail, 99% of the time, RARELY do I ever pick up the phone if I don't have too, phone calls of my teen days are such a thing of the past.  I hardly ever use my cell phone unless it's necessary while I'm away and I need to communicate with my family while I'm out.  So this leads into my rant for the day... Do you ever wonder why your brain can't just filter, play ahead a conversation and then before you actually say the words, warn you that you're being an idiot?  I guess that with my preferred choice of communication (e-mail) I actually have this play ahead and filter luxury... however for what ever reason I don't utilize it and now I'm left feeling like a really lame friend.

Feeling like a fool for not being more aware of the power of e-mail and how even if you don't mean to have something sound horrible, it still can come across that way on the other end.  My Life made harder because my fingers can't relay a message in "real life conversation" form.  Note to self... wait a day to hit send on all e-mails!

Do we really pride ourselves on being so productive in life that we're actually being less productive due to the messes we leave ourselves to clean up? My thought.