I'm okay with having to take physiology again...maybe this time I'll get it right!

It all started the other day when I got my horoscope text message on my cell phone. Silly, I know. I honestly don't give it any thought, but it's kind of fun to start the day with. My horoscope said "The road to your goal is not exactly what you expect. Be adaptable." This is something I struggle with. I have wonderred lately if I've made the right choices. Well, I've made some wrong choices, and am trying to rectify that. I honestly believe I'm on the right track...even though it's a difficult one.

Today I was on www.lds.org looking up a talk and the quote on the main page in the corner was from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. He said "We need to do all that is in our power to accomplish our goals, and the Lord will make up the difference." While I have felt overwhelmed, I haven't always done all that I can...and I often forget to include the Lord in my life. I know things would be easier if I would. So...I'm hoping to begin making improvements. Maybe some day I'll actually pass my physiology class LOL. Hey, if my horoscope says so AND an apostle...it's got to be true, right?!?

Maddie

So, did I mention that Maddie is the light of my life? I absolutely adore her. She is such a sweet yet spunky little girl, full of personality and ambition. The other morning I had looked for my car keys for 20 minutes and was running very late. I called Aaron and left a message asking if he had seen them. He called me back 10 minutes later and told me right where they were...I was so frustrated that I started crying. Maddie ran up to me saying "want hug! want kiss!" and then grabbed me tight and said "don't be sad, don't be sad Mom." It was totally cute. She is so sensitive. We get a lot of time together at nights and on the weekends because of Aaron's schedule, and it is so fun to build a relationship with her of trust and love.

The holiday season with her has been really fun. She loves all of the music and decoration. She has learned several songs and can recite many lines by memory. The list includes "We Need A Little Christmas," "Up on the Housetop," "Jingle Bells," "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer" and "Where are you Christmas?" She has such a cute voice and really tries to sing well. She dances like my dad, it's really funny. Last night when I picked her up from my mom's house she had learned the chicken dance and was insisting that everyone march around the coffee table while doing the dance. I'm sure that was a sight!

She has been such a blessing in our lives. I never imagined how much love I would have for my child, it is incredible and overwhelming.

Physiology Blech

This semester has been difficult and frustrating. I am taking physiology for the second time, not fun. The nursing program requires a C+ in the 5 pre-req classes. I am struggling getting there with this class. Tuesday I got my third exam back and figured out that there is no way that I will get a C+ this semester either...I was so upset! Honestly it has been very difficult for Aaron and I to go to school at the same time. Aaron's schedule is a little more flexible and more school friendly. I work Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. By the time I pick up Maddie and get home it is almost 7. She goes to bed around 8:30, which leaves me an hour max before I'm too tired to focus on studying. And of course...there are a thousand other things I could be doing instead, dishes, laundry...those usually win out. Spring semester I am registerred for chemistry and a history class, and I think I will take physiology next summer when Aaron doesn't have classes. Summer term is only 8 weeks long so the material is condensed and I think it will be a little more manageable. I feel like I've wasted 8 months on this class! Oh well - there's only so much I can expect to do and still do it well. I'm working on that.

A place for my thoughts and an introduction

I finally decided this is the best way to keep a journal. I suppose others will come across it, which is why I will mostly be sharing the good stuff that's going on. Just in case anyone I don't know stumbles upon this, I'll do a brief introduction. I'm currently 26 years old. My husband, Aaron, is 29. We have an adorable little girl that is 2 years old, her name is Madilyn but we call her Maddie. Aaron and I are both currently in school, he is in the nursing program and I am finishing up my pre-requisites for the nursing program. We both work full-time, which makes our lives especially hectic with school and a 2 year old. We are so blessed to have a large support system to help us get through this. Aaron's grandma watches Maddie for us 4 days a week and Aaron's schedule allows him to be home with her 1 day a week, we're both around on the weekends. It's not the most ideal situation, but I believe Maddie is getting the best care and the maximum amount of attention from her great-grandma. Maddie's vocabulary and cognitive development is amazing, and I attribute alot of that to her getting so much one-on-one time with her GG.

We are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This is a strong foundation to build our lives and our family upon. My core belief and value system stem from what I have learned and gained a testimony from the gospel. Aaron and I were married and sealed for time and eternity in the temple in May of 1998. It is an amazing promise that if we do as we are taught our family will be together forever. I am so grateful for that knowledge. I need to be better about being dilligent in the teachings of the gospel. Life makes it convenient to slack off in some areas, like scripture reading and church attendance. Making excuses doesn't help, so I am resolving to do better and work on it a little bit at a time.

I will let the rest of the details about myself will come out in future blogs.