some pictures, because they're cool!

Brad with his first Stash! This isn't the best pic;
I actually liked the stash though!

If only my teeth and mouth could be as big as Brads!!!

Me getting my new Phone at the Verizon Store!

Home Alone

I am grateful for a husband who is a hard, diligent worker. He works at Brick Over restaurant three nights a week, while I stay at home. During my home alone time I try to get caught up on homework, clean the house, do laundry, etc. But sometimes I seriously just want to watch a movie, sleep, or aimlessly surf the internet. It is during tempting times like these that I think of my husband, and that helps me forge ahead to be a productive wife.

All around me there are these super women. 23, graduated, 2 kids, working to put their husband through grad school, taking care of their house, attend the temple once a week, and still find time to make their house look perfect. I have two feelings about this. One, they are either seriously abusing meth. Or two, they feel tired, worn down, and sick.

My mom used to have every thing so perfect. She would doll me up in these cute frilly dresses, have a clean house, and work too. After I grew up and moved out for my freshman year of college, she said her biggest regret was not playing with me enough because she was worried about getting the dishes done from dinner, or picking up the toys in my playroom.

Wow, high school I was something of a super woman myself. Early morning seminary, cheer leading, field hockey, 4.0 club all four years, 10 musicals, SGA, Laural President, All-State Choir, band, drum captain, drum major, and the list could go on and on.

Looking back no wonder I was thin! I had NO time to eat! I have many good memories from all my activities, but with those memories also comes regret. I regret over scheduling myself. I regret not being able to spend more quality time with my family, and I regret not devoting myself as much as I should to my church callings.

Spreading yourself so thin leads to depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and very low immunity levels. I don't know how Brad does it and NEVER gets stressed, upset, sick, or anything. It's amazing!

I think Brad is like this because he is great at prioritizing and not getting overwhelmed with little tasks. When we were first married I couldn't go to sleep if I knew there were a few dirty dishes in the sink! Boy, times have changed! He has helped me realize that spending time with each other and with school work is the most important thing right now. Not making sure that my house is absolutely spotless every second of every day.

Now there are grocery sale paper, spiral notebooks, laptops and books piled up on my kitchen, and it doesn't really bother me. Our house looks lived in. Not dirty, not really messy, but lived in. I hope the way our house looks now can symbolize my life from here on out. I won't always have the perfect body or features, I'll put my best efforts forth to keep myself clean and presentable to the Lord, but most of all I will drink in all the beautiful and small things in life that make it worth living. Things like the way Brad cha-cha's to make me roll with laughter, or the way we say our prayers in cute kid voices like our primary class because it makes us feel more meek and submissive, or when I really listen intently to Brad going on and on about BYU athletics and how we haven't gone into overtime in a Basketball game against Utah since 1991!

Those little memories will be more important than whether I vacuumed or volunteered for 30 organizations, or made everything perfect all the time. I hope to have this same mentality when I have children and all the obligations that come along with that responsibility.

Prop 8, Celebs, and Feelings

Jason Mraz, Jim Carry, and Tom Hanks are three of my most favorite actors and musicians. Unfortunately, all of them said NO to prop 8. That's fine, everyone has an opinion, and should exercise it freely. But what really bothers me is that Tom Hanks called the LDS church Un-American because we voted yes for prop 8. Isn't freely exercising our right to vote American in it self? Actors and musicians who I've supported and respected for years are speaking out against the LDS church over a proposition that was voted "yes" by several other christian churches and ethnic groups who are opposed to homosexual marriage in their churches.

My dear uncle died in 1999 of AIDS; he was homosexual. I miss him every day, and it is hard for me to be asked by the church to take such a political stand for my religious beliefs. Feeling this way made me realize something. I can respect the gay and lesbian community. I can have friends that are homosexual, and I can do all that I can to show them that I care. However, they will know that I don't believe they should get married in a Christian church, where the beliefs of that church lie in the creation, Adam and Eve, and marriage being solely between a man and a woman.

If anything, taking such a firm stand has made me realize that I am being American for exercising my right to vote, having Christian beliefs, and also respecting others that are not of my faith or believe the same way that I do. So, Tom Hanks, I AM American, and you are too! Isn't life wonderful? -Leslie

Ctrl-Z

Wow....I have neglected this for quite some time...quick update before I get into the meat of this post.

         I am happily enjoying my new Computer Support job at BYU.  I am learning a ton with my co-worker and boss, and hopefully this will be a good resume booster.  Leslie, however has learned that she will more than likely not have a job with Sister Morgan next year. Sad day.  But she is looking for opportunities to build her resume as well.  

          Classes are going great.  I am learning aLOT in physics, which is more interesting than my freshman year physics.  I am able to stay on top of my homework and labs, and currently have a 98%... granted the first test hasn't happened yet.  Leslie is doing awesome in her classes. She's taking a 400 level health class which focuses on women's health.  She even started a blog devoted to child birth and news, etc.  check it out: childbirthinamerica.blogspot.com.  I'm, so proud!!

          So, onto my topic for today, and maybe even for a few posts...Ctrl-Z.  I got a stress ball once that had Ctrl-Z on it in big bold black letters.  This Ctrl-Z in the computing world it the shortcut to Undo something we didn't want done.  These past few weeks I am attempting to undo something that took much longer to happen than the time it took me to post this blog.  It's not as easy to undo as Ctrl-Z, but it has to get done.

           I have neglected my body for the better part of a decade.  15 years even.  This new year I have many "resolutions" and they all tend to focus around one thing : me and my body.  I signed up for a weight-lifting course.  This is a course where your final grade is not how much you improve.  Its based on how much of your body weight you can do.  There's 3 parts to the final:

1. A written exam--open book, piece of cake, 100 points.

2. A muscle strength test---how much of your body weight you can do how many times 114 points

3. A muscle fitness test.--how many time you can do a pull-up, sit-up, push-up and dip. 155 points

          So,quick recap of #2 : 6 exercises.  Bench-press, Arm curl, Leg curl, Leg Extension, Lat-pulldown and sit-ups.  your grade is based on how many times you can do each exercise with a given percentage of your body weight.  In order for me to be considered superior, I need to bench 200 pounds 19 times.  Fat chance.  

          Quick recap of #3: 4 exercises, each repetition of an exercise equals one point.  60 max sit ups, 50 max push-ups, 20 max dips, 25 max pull-ups.  Or something like that.  25 pull ups.  Fat chance.

OH, did I mention that this class in only half a semester long, so I have approx 7 total weeks to do this?

          So why am I putting myself through a course that I am destined to fail?  Because it gives me reason.  I see this A as an impossible feat, but just that idea is what gives me hope and gives me strength.  I will get an A in this class.  not just for the sake of an A, but for me.

          What also helps a TON is the fact that this professor, Dr. Allsen, is the bomb.  He is willing to work with anyone who walks through the door.  He told stories of people who were blind, had one leg, or were severely overweight, like me.  They were willing and he was willing, and they got an A in his class.  he said the first day "You may not earn your A in these 8 weeks, but if it takes a year, you can get an A in this class.  I will go and change the grade on your transcript, as long as you're willing."  So I went up and talked with him and he is working with me.  I'll tell you how in a few moments.

          Since the start of this semester, I have been to the weight room every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  I have added over 30 pounds to my bench press.  Every single one of my exercises has increased by at least 30 pounds.  I can already receive full credit in the leg curl, leg extension and arm curl exercises.  I feel like I'm increasing little by little every day, and I feel great!  Also, every Monday Wednesday and Friday I am either on the track running or working at the BO(I consider that exercise, carrying a bucket full of glasses back and forth...definately exercise!)  I ran a mile for the first time in years the week before, and I thought I was gonna die.  Last Friday I ran 15 minutes without stopping, I ran an extra lap than I did when I did the mile.I already feel so blessed with this new program I've started.  

          Dr. Allsen also is working with me to develop a new nutrition program.  Exercise isn't complete without diet, and vica versa.   I can go into more detail about that later if you want, but I feel that this is next big obstacle for me to overcome.  I'm working out, lifting, and feeling great.  Now I need to see if I can eat right on top of it all....