pinterest meals

My love hate relationship with pinterest is turning into more of a love relationship as I learn HOW to actually use it. That may sound silly, I mean, everyone really knows how to use pinterest. You scroll, you find things you like and you pin them onto boards. But I feel like there is just SO much on pinterest that creativity is almost stifled, not enhanced. It seems all ideas are there for me and I don't have to think or try to hard to come up with my own ideas. It also sets me up to fail in so many ways. My stuff never looks like how they post on pinterest! 

Some of the many examples found online: 

There is also information overload. I mean, there are so many recipes that look soooo delicious. I just want to do them all! But then I can't so I end up not doing any of them and sticking with what I know.

But lately I've decided to do things a little differently. I'll still pin, get ideas and admire the work of others, but more than that I will try out more things (with low expectations at each first attempt haha)! I'll make boards of things that I've actually done and note how they work out. Right now mostly that will be with cooking different recipes, and once I am done with school it will probably be more with crafts and sewing. I still struggle with the creativity aspect of it all, and trying to do new things that I feel are unique to me seems near impossible, but maybe its a good challenge to my creativity (I've been seriously lacking creative juices just in general lately!). I'm excited to be more optimistic with this resource that I have and love and try new things!

teaching a marriage enhancement workshop!!

Last year I (along with several peers) was trained in the PREP program as a certified teacher for this course. PREP is based on 30 years of research on healthy relationships and aims to help couples maintain high levels of functioning and prevent marital problems from developing. This year we have set up time and materials for a 6-week program in the community! If you or any one you know are looking for a course to boost and solidify your relationship, you can sign up using this link: http://yep.it/PREP. We have a limited number of couples that we can accept (25) but we would love to have a full workshop to share knowledge and learn from you as well!

New York Doll

This past week I watched the documentary New York Doll for the first time. If you've never seen it and you're looking for a little mix up in your movie choice, I would suggest this documentary. It is about Arthur Kane, member of the New York Dolls band and about his transformation in life. He was into drugs and partying and he basically throws his success, family, and life down the drain because of these things. But it then describes how he ended up becoming a strong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and where he went from there.

For me it really drove home the idea that we can never judge what people need in their life, who will or will not accept religion in their life and really how we have no room to judge anyone and their lives. We all have our own journey of discovery, and no two journeys look the same! 

A quote on Facebook has been going around that says something along the lines that we don't walk into a gym and decide not to join because there are people who are fat or don't have perfect bodies so we shouldn't walk into church and think that we don't want to join or a be a part of it because there are imperfect members or "hypocrites". Church is for imperfect people who need God, not for perfect people. If people were able to be perfect, they wouldn't really need God. It just reminded me to never judge those around me, always invite friends and others with me to church and activities, and ease up on myself that I am also not a perfect being and I need to be at church and always seeking God's help. 

24 weeks

Well I am 24 weeks now and this tummy is definitely getting bigger. Little girl is getting stronger too. Monday night I could feel her moving around and kicking me harder than I had before. Josh put his hand on my belly and for the first time he felt our little girl kick! It was one of the most amazing experiences and we just loved that he could feel her too. It was such a special moment and I really think there is nothing much better than that! Through out the week I have felt her move more and several times I just watch my belly for her little kicks (usually during class haha she has good timing because I get bored ;)). I can now SEE her kicks sometimes and it is indescribable. This must be the part of pregnancy that people say they like. I'm not sure what other parts they would be referring to ;)

I still don't really have REAL cravings or anything like that. I have to eat every 2-3 hours or else I start feeling really sick, and I can't eat as much in one sitting (good thing!). I still get restless legs at night, which makes it hard to get sleep, but I had a couple nights that weren't too bad. I have been able to get to the gym, a few times each week and I love being able to feel well enough to go! Exercise does wonders. I'm scared to death of falling on snow or ice when walking around campus and had the embarrassing moment of falling UP some cement stairs the other day. Yes, up the stairs. That is when I usually fall. I had my hand in my pockets, no one was with me and I just tripped and fell right over! I probably looked like a beached whale in my big jacket with my hands stuck, just laying on the stairs.It was embarrassing, and I'm not even sure who saw. No one said a word. Baby girl and I were fine though. I just had a scrapped up knee and hurt pride. ;)

Overall I am doing great and am SO glad that this part of pregnancy has been better than the first 4 months! Josh is doing well too and trying to focus hard on that last semester of school! He is really the best and I am so grateful that he works so hard for us. Life is good :)

the force

While I am on a commercial viewing kick, I thought I'd throw in another favorite of mine. I can just imagine the look on the little kid's face at the very end! I thought that it was pretty clever. :) I guess I should just run out and buy a new VW! 

live young

Normally I really dislike commercials, but I think there are also some pretty funny ones out there. This one always gets me laughing. I don't feel any more persuaded to buy their water, but the company earns a little more respect in my book ;) Can't wait to see some funny Super Bowl commercials in a couple weeks!

ice castles

There are only three ice castles in the US: Midway, Utah, Breckenridge, CO and Lincoln NH and we had the fun opportunity this weekend to go to Midway to be a part of the hype! We had quite the adventure there with Josh not wearing warm shoes or gloves, seeing people we knew, and discovering that we have no idea how to use our DSLR for night shots (someone please help!!). But we had a lot of fun! It is amazing the things that people can build and the crazy things that water can do.

We went on to Park City after we were done and the next day had a fun time at the outlets, driving around observing the craziness of the Sundance Film Festival and going out to eat and watching a movie with Grandma and Grandpa Peterson. It was a great weekend and tomorrow we don't have school either, so let the fun continue! ;)