Sunday, February 26, 2012

Update on our life through my letter to Dillon


Contained in this letter: 
I am done with being scheduled at work!!! (still have some things to finish up with but I feel so free!).
Dan got an internship in Boston! We will be moving out there in May just after Milah is born!
Dan and I had a super fun weekend out with Nickel City, baby shower, Aquarium in SLC, and tomorrow Tin Tin for FHE. 
Life is great!!!


Dillon!

It is so fun to get your emails every week J You seemed especially happy this last week I could tell and I know it helps sometimes to have a change of scenery/tasks. I will be having one of those soon! I asked my manager not to put me on the work schedule so I just have today and Friday as full days scheduled in the model home and then I am done! Wahoo! Yippee!! Do I sound as excited as Eden is to go to BYU? Ok, she beats me but I am really looking forward to transitioning into my role as a wife and mother full-time.
I couldn’t imagine how important it is that women stay home with their family until now. Dan is working in SLC 20 hours every week + the commute on top of a full school load and I’m working too and just the little things like cleaning our dishes are nearly impossible. It makes me so grateful to know that Dan will provide for me for the rest of my life and I will be able to stay home and homeschool our children – (which Dan is so supportive of by the way).
A little update on baby Milah – she is moving so so much and now you can almost always know exactly which way she is in my stomach because you can feel her elbow or her bottom. I am practicing relaxation techniques that will help me to birth her without getting an epidural. It seems like this will be much less risky with Leiden Factor V and also there are studies that show it is better for the baby to go without an epidural…so we’ll see if I can do it!
 Dan has been working really hard to get an internship this summer and just today he accepted an offer with Wells Fargo in Boston, MA. We’ll be moving to Boston in May! Crazy, huh! All I think of is “Boston Mass 02134 send it to Zoom!”  And of course freedom trail and all the other historical sites that have to do with the founding of our country. Dan is amazing for all the things he does! He took 3 midterms last week within about 30 hours of each other and then again today had a midterm and interviewed for this job in the same morning! I don’t know how he does it and still has time to help me around the house and spend time talking to me, but I am so impressed every day by him. I have married the most amazing man ever and he takes care of me so incredibly well!
Also lately I’ve been into eating really healthy and as much living (raw) food as possible so we haven’t been really eating meat or milk etc. I can’t believe Dan is so willing to change his eating lifestyle and try all sorts of interesting things like raw vegan cheesecake!
The most fun things we did this weekend were Friday night we went to Nickle City and played a bunch of skee ball and other games like you’d find at Chuck E Cheese’s (we’d never done this before so it was a fun new activity). Yesterday we had my baby shower in Salt Lake and then Dan and I went to the Salt Lake Aquarium. My favorite exhibit was called superheroes and was a bunch of animals who have what seem like superpowers. For instance,
Then we went to Stake Conference yesterday and we loved it so much! I received a lot of revelation about how to tackle life’s problems and to know what we should do. One of the thoughts was that with trials you can be perfected and that’s even one of the Lord’s ways to bring you to that perfection. It is interesting because Elder Kollacher said that he thought we didn’t have too many trials but those who bore their testimonies just showed how even BYU newly married students have their trials. Same with you on a mission! That is the Lord’s way of stretching you – and some of the trials don’t come from the Lord but are just part of life.
Today at our Stake Conference Elder Kollacher gave us the counsel to go through our patriarchal blessings and make a list categorizing each part of our blessing as 1. Blessings that have already occurred in our lives 2. Blessings that will come to us and 3. Counsel that we should follow. I haven’t done this yet, but I’m excited to!
I also love that he talked to us about writing down revelation or what we’ve felt (for instance me in Stake Conference) and then going home and reading a scripture that goes along with my thought and then praying to the Lord. He will give you further revelation whether it applies to you now or will help you solve a future problem.
Finally, I’ll also share a new concept that has meant a lot to me – it is about patterns. “D&C 52:14 And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations...” What significance does this verse have for you? How do you see Satan deceiving the nations/the people of the nations? I know one way he deceives me is by making me fill my time with good things so I don’t have time for a serious study and pondering of the scriptures and to sincerely pray to Heavenly Father and ask for His guidance in my life.
Also, from this scripture I learn that there is a pattern for me to follow – the 3 things this applies to me with is first that I will be birthing Milah and there is a pattern for how the birth will go and using relaxation techniques and I need to practice them. Second, the Lord’s pattern is for the husband to be the provider and for me to be in the home taking care of all the things that come along with that stewardship. Third, I need to develop a pattern to my days/weeks so that I accomplish a lot – for instance, work out, complete my online class, do dishes, cook, serve in the church etc. I shouldn’t just do one thing all day but have a regular pattern for an organized life. This makes me want to do a painting about patterns :) What are some patterns in your life that mean so much? How do you find time to ponder and speak with the Lord?
And now I would love to know about you. I know it’s hard to find time to write but whatever little time you have to share with me your successes and joys and sorrows I’d love to hear!
Oh P.S. I finally met Paul Gallo and it happened to be in the temple – what a perfect place! He is so kind and nice and I am so glad you had him as your teacher! Dan and I both thought “what if he’s who Eden married?” but that doesn’t really mean she will, it was just a fun thought because he’s so nice. Does the MTC feel like such a long time ago?
Well Dillon, you are an amazing warrior of light. You stand for what is right and defend the gospel. I am amazed that you go out day after day in the cold Russian areas and preach to people who need the light of the gospel in their lives so desperately and yet they don’t need it and often your words fall on what seem like deaf ears. You are doing a marvelous work by serving in whatever capacity you are asked to serve in. For now it is to speak in Russian on calls as an office elder – and you are gaining a marvelous spiritual gift – the gift of tongues!
I have to leave you with a humorous supposedly true story from Stake Conference from a mission president. There was a couple of missionaries teaching a couple who was thought the gospel was interesting and were praying for an answer that it was true. But they didn’t know if they’d received their answer until one day they bought a box of fortune cookies to eat with their Chinese food. He opened up the fortune cookie and it said “listen to your elders” and his wife opened up her fortune cookie and it said “listen to your elders”! They checked the box of cookies but those were the only two cookies with that phrase inside. They sure had their answer!!! Well,, I am not sure if that’s somewhat exaggerated through the grapevine but I thought it was fun and it reminded me of you because of your fortune cookie collection. Just know miracles do happen on the mission when the Lord needs them to!
I love you so much,
Hurrah for Israel!
Alyssa

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Quote from scripture study today


"As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resolutions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day."

I have been working on lots of things lately in my life. It seems like I'm just trying to get through the last bit of work while remaining sane and then I have lots of projects I'd love to work on!
It's so fun to get Dan ready for each day and it's one of my greatest delights to make him a green smoothie and make him some lunch before he runs out the door.
I love practicing hypnobirthing and I need to put lots of effort into it.
I am working on finishing my last class at BYU.
I also have to remember to take tons of vitamins consistently throughout the day as I battle with a lingering yeast infection/UTI. Ugh.
Then there's food, oil changes etc.

Some days I feel overwhelmed because I can't fit all these things into my googlecalendar. Its great to know that there is a day that I can look forward to stopping working and just be the sweet homemaker wife to my darling Danny boy. I just need to remember to take it a day at a time!

Staying home vs. Work

My mom told me she's been reading that book about wife/husband relationships and a girl asked about going to prom her last year with her boyfriend vs. his sport game that same night. Dr. Laura said "do you love him? Do you think this is serious like maybe a future marriage? If you really love him than you give gifts"

To Danny:

I was just thinking of the gifts I could give you. Of course, after a monthly meeting (that's when I always feel the most motivated) it seemed like maybe I should just give us more income. What if that's really what would be better? To work for another 3 weeks or something? Is that what would be nicest to you? 

I realized that really coming home IS the greatest gift to you. There I can keep our lives in order, take care of stupid little things so you don't have to, work on taxes, my class, preparation for Milah, finances etc. And it's not the greatest spender I can be, but how thrifty does matter so I'm not putting financial stress on you - but that's still a better gift than working for another while. It will benefit our marriage. 

So while it is tempting to work, there are lots of couples who have plenty of money and their relationship falls apart. It is more important for me to focus on our relationship and truly to just be happy at home as a mother. That's the #1 requirement I would hope for Dillon and McKay as they choose wives -- a wife who is HAPPY at home. It's easy to be home; lots of moms do that and they're sulking, hating their life -- but how great is it to love being home and appreciate the sacrifice of you Danny boy. 

I love you so much!