CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!!! :)

I have been listening to Christmas music for the last 10 days. Christmas has to be my all time favorite holiday. I just love the spirit of Christmas. I love listening to the Christmas music because of the Spirit the music brings into my home.

I put it on as I am doing house work, or doing scrapbooking, or crafts. It is so much more uplifting than T.V. The feeling you have in your home is so important. I know that as I have a peaceful feeling in my home that I feel calm, the stress lessens, and I am able to focus better.

So even though it is October. listening to Christmas music can have its theraputic qualities. So if you are stressed, get that Christmas music out and enjoy it. It doesn't matter that it is October.

Happy Listening!!!! :)

A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR LIVES

Neill has come home from North Dakota. Things there were very hard and stressful for him, and very stressful for me being here in Pocatello. We had to take a look at our life and decide if making a lot of money was worth being apartfrom each other.  As we had this decision to make the money wasn't worth it. Many times in my life as well I have similar decisions to make. Basically it comes down to "what will I get out of it in the end. Will it be worth it?"

I know that being a subsititute teacher has been a difficult thing for me to do. I'm used to having my own classroom, and not traveling to different classrooms every day. However, I am willing to do this because of the "Pay Off." The "Pay Off" is having my husband home with me. To me that is one of the things my Heavenly Father wants of Neill and I, and that is to be together and not apart from each other.

The Majestice Beauty of Our Heavenly Father

A New Chapter In Our Lives

It seems as we get comfortable in our lives something happens and all the apples you have been juggling coming crashing down. Which doesn't make everything all bad, but it still upsets the world you have been living in.

One wonderful thing that has occured is that I have my husband home every night, and he has a job close to home which aleviates stress on him and me. However, because I gave up my teaching job; I am Substitute Teaching. Which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

I think it is a good thing. I can get my name known as a classroom teacher. I can say no to jobs if I don't want them. I can take days off. However, I do have a job everyday which is a great thing.

Neill has a relaxing job that he enjoys. He works in Bancroft which is an hour away. However, he works at the Mill in Brancroft and loves it. He says the atmosphere is a laid back atmosphere with very little stress which is totally opposite of his last job. He now looks forward going to work instead of not wanting to go at all.

Someting Neill and I were able to do were able to make some Halloween decorations together for Home Evening. It was a fun activity that was inexpensive and fun to do together.

FAMILY

I'm sitting here tonight listening to Christmas music. It is "The Forgotten Carols." It just helps me stay focused in this crazy world. There is so much always going on all around me such as things in the news, things on television, or errands that need to be taken care of. When I'm able to listen to something like The Forgotten Carols it reminds me of who I need to be focused on.

Neill comes home tomorrow and I am so excited. Everytime he comes home we go to the Temple together. That is one of the highlights for me is having him there with me. The kids will be up this weekend which is exciting. We havn't seen them for awhile and we've really missed them. They bring so much joy to our life.

I wish my dad could see me now. Neill and I are on the way to getting Sealed in the Temple, and I know he would be proud. The things that we do as a family should lead us to Christ. That is what is the most important. As the last song in "The Forgotton Carols" says "Arise and Shine Forth."



Neill and Emily



Dad and Emily

I joined a gym here in Pocatello. I have a Personal Trainer for 6 weeks. I think I can take over after that. I am excited though. I do Water Aerobics in the evening, and walk on the tread mill in the morning. That has been my routine so far. Granted I've only been a member for 4 days. This is my goal however. When I do this I feel really good. I like how it makes me feel

" FInding Comfort In Christ"

Everyday life brings a new set of challenges or trials. Be it happy, sad, trying, or maybe just hard to deal with that day type of challenge. I know that all my nieces/ friends are grown up and have children of their own now on the Thomson side of the the family, and that my nieces on the Gee side of the family vary from  College, High School,  Junior HIgh, doing Rodeo, playing soccer, ect. Everyone at their stage of life is going to have some kind of challenge.

Why do I bring this up? I've had challenges of my own, but one of my sisters gave me a book when times were very hard. It was called Where Can I Turn For PEACE? Finding Comfort in Christ. Something that I learned in that book is something I wanted to write about in my BLOG.

In the book the authors talk about having a SHIELD with you. The authors tell us about 6 things we need to do to keep our SHIELD strong.

1.  Pray. Our Ultimate shild is Jesus Christ.
2.  Keep a high opinion of oursleves. We are the offspring of God. He is our Father.
3.  Don't look back--look forward. We have come to Christ; we have repented of our 
     sins; and we have been forgiven.   
4.  Rememeber that God will give us experience for our good.
5.  Know that all good omes from the Lord--and all wickedness come form the devil.
6.  Forgive others and be forgiven. 

As I read those six things that would help me have a strong SHIELD the one item that kept coming back to me is Don't look back--look forward. That is something that I have started to do, and it helps me get  through challenges and trials as small as they may be. Keep looking forward not back. The other thing that has got me through tough times is Prayer.

I haven't written in awhile, but for some reason I just felt that I needed to write in my BLOG about this book and how  we just need to remember that our Ulitimate Shield is our Savior.

Emily

EBR-1, Craters of the Moon, and Bear World; ALL IN ONE DAY????

                                         Crawling on the rocks at Craters of

                                        the Moon.

                                                          King of the cave!

                                            Spending time at EBR-1 gave us time
                             to nuture that scientist in us.

                                          "On the Road Again. I can't wait to
                             get on the Road Again."

                                        
                                                           Neill & Sydney

                                   By the end of the day we were all a
                       "Bunch of Bears."

To say the least we had a great time. We were able to make it through a fun packed day with little disagreement. We were able to go see the majestic works of our Heavenly Father and our Savior. What better way to see these majestic sights then with your family.