Fishing!

Well, I believe it was Monday or Tuesday night when the gigantic thunderstorm rolled through Mesa. The thunder was so loud that it shook our apartment around 4a.m. I told David that even though it kept us up for what felt like the entire night, its not something we get to hear and see often so its worth it! David woke up around 5 and I said, you need to tell Ryan you are NOT going fishing in this weather...there is lightening everywhere and thunder like crazy. Needless to say David, Ryan (his brother) and Ryan's three girls went anyways and for the most part had clear skies. They were not able to catch much but tiny little fish which they ended up just throwing back into Canyon Lake.

David begged me when we went to the grocery store, if he could buy some fish since he didn't get to eat any of what he caught. I told him that he'd half to wait until the next week to get some (I don't care for fish anyways lol)....So I wish have to live up to my promise this week. Hope it turns out well-we are not much fish cookers!

On another note, I have had some pretty crazy dreams this week, some of which were very urgent and very realistic. The one I had earlier this week, I dreamed that the world was being destroyed and my family was trying to grab as much food as we had in our house and get to a safer place. Well, there wasn't any food, or enough to sustain us for more than a day. In my dream I was crying and I just kept saying to myself "If I had only gotten our seventy two hour kits put together, we would have been ok, and because I am not prepared, my family is going to suffer". Our bishop has asked us for the last two years to get a food storage going and to get our 72 hour kit going. I finally got as much food storage together as our little apartment will hold but we need to work on the 72 hour kits. I don't know why I have the urgency to get this done, but I had the same feeling right before I started packing away on the food storage.

I forgot to mention on my last post that I got a speeding ticket from one of the lovely photo radar vans in Mesa and now have to find a defensive driving course to get rid of the ticket and points with it. Suprisingly they now have online classes and you just have to take the final exam in the presence of a notary!

Lastly, one of the supervisors at my work backed into my corolla and then sped off. He left a few scratch marks and that was it. But i was told I really should take the chance to use the cash he is offering and just get the minor scratches fixed as our car is a 2007 but is only a year old to us. My time is very limited so we'll see what happens! :)

David and I enjoyed watching the play Wicked at Gammage a week and a half ago. The music and the acting were phenomenal. The play is a spin off of the Wizard of Oz, going back before the movies time to describe what happened to the witches Glenda and Elphaba (the green witch). Glenda is a total blonde in every way and Elphaba is shunned because she's green and a witch and was born to non-witch parents. Apparently her mother had a fling with the Wizard of Oz, and thus Elphaba was created. Anyways, the play made me truly sympathize with Elphaba who really was a great witch and tried hard to use magic for the good, but when she would not do as the Wizard asked, he turned all of Emerald City against her and told them she was "wicked".....



This past friday we also went to Hale Theater in Gilbert to watch Beauty and the Beast. Compared to Wicked it wasn't that great at all....the performers had great voices but the acting was very poor and the actual instrument music was pre-recorded. We were a little disappointed...then again we saw Wicked first and nothing compares to that.



My sweet sister in law Fawn also bought me one of her stakes cook books and suprised me with that. I absolutely love cooking and now I have a book full of recipes women have actually tried out before. Thank you Thank you Fawn!

Saturday morning I got to go out to Ihop with some band friends from high school and it felt SO good to see them and get caught since none of us have really been out together since High School. One friend, Krystal Dickensen is moving to Las Vegas and so this was like her farewell breakfast.


I am about to start another 46 hour work week with working as a secretary, childrcare worker, and babysitting......Sometimes I wonder what the heck I am doing and then I say to myself, its just for another year and a half, and i'm doing this for my family...so we can get through school and get a house and start our family. I must be crazy tho..... :)

The Price of Freedom

This Fourth of July has been really hard on me emotionally. It is the second year celebrating Independence day at my in-laws house. They have a great view from their backyard, to see fireworks at Rockin'R Ranch. We invited my family over there this year because we were told that there would be no fireworks in Mesa. My family came and a harsh comment was made to them that them by one of my husbands aunts that because of all the "extra" people that came this year, that there would not be enough homemade ice cream. Needless to say, my family left shortly after because they didn't want to be the cause of david's family not getting enough ice cream, even due to my pleading that there would be enough. Not only that, my in-laws big family is EXTREMELY competitive at games and some comments were again thrown at my family how terrible they were in a round about way. I was hurt. I hadn't spent the last two fourths with my family and they were leaving because of a several harsh comments. I was upset all night and told my sister repeatedly how sorry I was for what happened. Emotionally I was a wreck and that carried on to the Sabbath

In church today, the relief society teacher told us this story: In 1868 the British were at odds and ends with America and had captured several patriots. Francis Scott Key, as a lawyer, was asked to negotiate to get our patriots back, which he successfully did. Shortly after, a British man came to him and said "our warships will be here in two hours and they are bringing the entire fleet. You can save yourself if you lower your flag at Fort Henry, thereby telling us that you have surrendered". Francis said "you don't understand, Fort Henry is being used as refuge for our wives and children" The ships arrived, and still the flag was not lowered. Francis heard the previously captured patriots praying amidst the bombing. In the morning, Francis looked at Fort Henry, and saw the flag was still there, the pole was bent and the flag shredded, but it still stood. He wondered why the flag was bent and not fully fallen down. Inside Fort Henry, he saw that men and women, dead, were piled around the flag. When one had fallen, another patriot replaced him, trying to protect the flag until they were all killed. However, there weren't enough bodies and so the flag bent to the side. Francis Scott Key, shortly thereafter wrote the Star Spangled Banner.

This story brought me to tears...I was still emotional. It suddendly dawned on me that not ONCE yesterday, had I or anyone else except my dad mentioned one thing about freedom, about those Saintly Patriots that DIED to keep us free. Who piled their bodies next to the flag to preserve that symbol (the flag) of our freedom, and yet mine and my extended family were too involved in eating ice cream, in playing games, in satisfying ourselves--being selfish, to realize that yesterday was the day that so many of our forefathers loved their country and their children and future Americans for decade to come, that they DIED to preserve out freedom. I haven't heard the Star Spangled Banner for two years now, and how sad it is that Americans, including myself, don't Breathe or pause for a little while on this day, to quietly and thankfully observe this day. Amidst the bombs, the patriots still prayed for their wives and children. How much do we love our families to talk to them about our forefathers, to say prayers of gratitude for allowing us to be free from tyranny, to be free to believe and practice what we want, to be free to express our gratitude for our government and military, and most especially to be free to worship and thank our Heavenly Father for preserving our freedom. What can we change so that our families and children understand the great service performed on our behalf on this Independence Day every year? What is the price we personally are willing to pay for freedom?

If we understood how blessed we are, would we be a little kinder to those around us? Would we make sure to see others needs are placed before our own? Would we thank those around us for the small acts of charity they do for us?