Our story - once again + 10 months down with an update!

Hey everyone:

So I know that I posted this story at the beginning, but I liked the way I worded this when I wrote my spotlight for a missionary girlfriend blog so I thought I'd share it.  :)  If you want to compare the two stories, they kind of come together. :)

I initially met Trenton Wayne Chaney in July of 2011 through my now brother-in-law Scott.  Trent is from Athens Ohio (in the Columbus Ohio Mission) and that's where Scott had served a full-time mission.  Trent and Scott met just days before he came home from his mission, but they hit it off and Scott gave him his contact information for when he was at home in Utah.  Well, Trent started driving Semi-trucks across the country and by sheer happenstance had mechanical problems just north of Salt Lake and had to stop to get repairs.  Knowing he would be there over the weekend he contacted Scott and asked if he could attend church with him.  So, they spent sunday together, then Trent got hauled over to my parents home because (naturally) Scott and my sister Natalie were unseperable.  That's how we first met, with Trent sitting on my parent's couch as I walked in from Church myself.   Now, according to Trent when he first saw me it was like in the movies, you know when the heroine walks in with her hair blowing in the wind, lights, angels singing, the whole shebang.   Now, I don't remember it being that dramatic of a first meeting, but he could swear that's how it went.  Then my boyfriend walked in behind me and he became a little deflated.  Needless to say, I still thought he was attractive and while we didn't talk much we did keep catching ourselves staring at each other from across the room.  Looking back, I desperately wanted Tyler (my boyfriend) to go home so I could get to know him better.  That sadly didn't happen because we left a few minutes later to have dinner with Tyler's family.   

So, we went our separate ways, and he tried to find me on facebook but later gave up because he couldn't find me (I didn't have an account at the time).  So, we forgot about each other, he continued to drive Truck and I moved back to Provo Utah to go to school.  Tyler and I ended things because, well I was moving and he also was preparing for a mission and I told him I wasn't going to wait for him. Ironic how that turned out huh?

Fast forward 6 months from our first meeting and I got a friend request from him.  I had forgotten about him, but knowing he was Scott's friend made me accept the request, and that was about it.  Aside from him liking an occasional photo or post we had little contact until April 24, 2012 when he messaged me on facebook informing me that he had a long train ride ahead of him and he was bored, SO I could text him if I wanted.  Being in a good mood, I did and that was the beginning of our relationship.

We started texting and talking on the phone constantly for about three weeks and during that time I developed the HUGEST crush on him and I realized that I really wanted to pursue a relationship with him. Yet, I was afraid because I had been hurt so many times in the past, but as I prayed about it I felt nothing but peace and I knew that I could trust him. After three weeks we both shared our pasts with each other.  He later told me that was the night he knew I would be his wife and that he wanted to marry me, because of how strong I was.  About a week after that we admitted to having deeper feelings for each other than we thought and so, he decided to fly to utah to visit me.  And he did on June 8th of 2012, that was also the day we became an official couple.  As we spent the weekend together we fell even more for each other (and I'll tell you, that guy knows how to kiss me so that I'll melt into his arms.).  And after he flew back our relationship continued, and this time I felt like a piece of me was missing (well, halfway across the country).

When we first started talking I had known that Trent had a desire to serve a mission.  And I was eager to support him.  I guess one of the main reasons was that he is an older missionary.  He joined the church at 22, and he left soon after he turned 24.  I loved how excited he was about it, and in my heart something told me I needed to wait for him, whether that be unofficially or officially.  Luckily he asked me to wait for him as his girlfriend shortly before he received his call.

I was lucky enough to be able to be there when he received his call and was the only one beside him when he opened it.  He was called to serve in the San Fernando California mission.  That was the day it hit me that he would actually be leaving me for two years, but at the same time I was excited to be by his side for this 24 month adventure.

   Saying goodbye was the hardest thing I ever did though. He left September 26th 2012, and I was able to spend the four days before he left with him.  During that time, he gave me a promise ring and we talked about how we wanted everything to go.  The one conclusion we came to is that we truly did love each other and we wanted things to work out when he came home.  We both knew that the two years would be rough at times and it could put a strain on our relationship, but we knew that if we made it through this and still want to be together that we could probably do anything.  Right before we said goodbye, we went into my room to spend the last few minutes alone and we said one last prayer together and then cried together.  The last thing he said to me was "I'll see you in two years Bubbles.  We can do this because Two years is nothing compared to the eternities we'll share together." (bubbles is my nickname. Long story there, message me if you want to hear it)

   So, he left.  Luckily, I had 18 credits and a 20 hour a week job to keep me distracted and the months have just flown by.  We are a little past 9 months and I cannot believe how fast the time has gone.  Sure, 15 months is still quite a long time but even though I have my days where I doubt and wonder why I'm doing this, I know in my heart I love him and I choose him.   

The mission though allows us both to get to know each other better as well as not rush things too much.  If he hadn't left on his mission we would most definitely be married by now, no doubt about it.  But we both know that our Heavenly Father has played a role in bringing us together, because there is just too much coincidence for Him not to have a hand in it.  

The past 9 months though I feel has allowed our relationship to grow stronger and deeper.  He is doing so well on his mission and I couldn't be more proud of him.  

As for the future, the next year should see me graduated with my Bachelors Degree in Deaf Studies, and I'll hopefully be immersed into my career by the time September 24, 2014 rolls around.  I'm not sure how long we want to wait before we get engaged, but I know I'm not going to push him because he might need time to get settled back into normal life before we tie the knot.  His plans as of right now are to come home and start his trucking company, as soon as that gets running as smoothly as possible he'll head back to school and get his Bachelors then it's off to Law School for him.  So, I have a few more years of supporting him and being patient while he gets everything settled to support our family. I eventually want to retire and be a stay at home mother.  He knows this is my ultimate goal and dream and he supports me wholeheartedly.  In fact, that is what we seem to do is support each other and encourage the other to pursue their dreams and goals.  

Other than that, the future is still a bit of a mystery to me, and while it does make me nervous, it does make me excited.  I do hope that things work out between Trenton and myself, and I feel like it will if I make that my decision and path to pursue.  But, I'll continue to leave it up to the Lord and let Him lead, bless and guide me through the rest of this journey.  I know I'm waiting for a reason, and the things Trent and I are both going to learn will help us with our future family."

"In regards to the waiting:

    I've found that it's more a time for me to figure out who I am and to progress and try to reach my true potential as a daughter of God and a future wife and mother.  My main goal aside from completing School while Trent is gone is to be ready to make the covenants with my Heavenly Father in the Temple and receive my endowments one day.  I will admit that while I seem all positive about this, I do have my hard days.  I struggle with depression, primarily seasonal, and I feel the pangs of loneliness just like any other MG does.  The thing I've come to realize is that the Adversary plays a dirty game of hardball and he will come after you and your missionary, the goal then is to fight back and develop a close relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  Christ's atonement is a wonderful gift we've all been given and we as MG's have the opportunity to use it while we wait for our boys.  It has a comforting power that is so beautiful and freely given to any and all who partake of what's offered.  So girls, stay close to our Savior, feast upon the scriptures, and whatever you do don't let Satan get you down.  He knows he's going to lose in the end and so it is his goal to make us all miserable like himself, and we can't let him have that satisfaction of winning.  

Lastly, don't put yourself in a box and hide away for two years.  Enjoy life, make friends, develop hobbies, volunteer, try to finish school, you WILL NOT regret the time you take for yourself.  And your missionary wont regret it either I can assure you,  and in the end it will only make us better women and potential wives and mothers.  We can do this ladies, and with Heavenly Father and Christ on your side I promise that ANYTHING is possible."

UPDATE:

   10 glorious months have finally passed us by as you can see by my picture here

             

Sidewalk chalk is SO FUN to play with. I'd totally forgotten.

Anyway, I'm getting closer every day to that year mark.  I still miss him a lot, but I'm so thankful for everyday I have to learn how to become better, and figure out who I am so that by the time he comes home I'm the woman he deserves as a wife.

He's also been district leader for a total of two transfers.  I was so proud when he e-mailed me and said that he was going to be a DL.  Through most of his mission he's told me how much he wants to be a leader.  On top of DL, he was also a trainer for not one but TWO missionaries.  One of which is waiting for his visa to Brazil. :)  Yet, he has never failed to make sure I've been paid attention too.  I've continued to get a letter every week from him. Sure, they might not be as long and detailed, but it's nice to get them.

Here's some pictures:

The top one is the line of paternity is what he called it.  It's kind of a who trained who type of thing.  The two in the bottom right corner are the boys Trent has been training

The second is a picture from his district.  And the John Deere hat? Yes, that's most definitely him, his dream is to own his own ranch one day. :)

He does listen and He will answer

Ok, I think I had one of the best, most exceptional experiences with prayer today than I have had in a long time.   Situations in the past have had me falling to my knees and asking my Heavenly Father for help, protection and guidance, and it was through those experiences that I knew there is a Father in Heaven who does listen to us.

But one thing I've learned since starting to wait for Trent is we have to continually be building on that knowledge, we cannot continue to rely on something that happened in the past.

Anyway, I had a decent day today, the sky was blue with white fluffy clouds, sure it was a little warm but as I looked around me I had been so thankful for the beautiful summer day (I should have taken advantage of it and gone swimming, but that's another story).  I got off work 2 hours early because it was slow and they didn't need me, I bought myself a new pair of earbuds (because mine had been ripped apart by the cupboard handle at work) then I headed home to find my weekly letter from Trent on the counter.  WITH PICTURES!!!

So yeah, my day was going pretty great.  And after my nap, I sat down with some food and prepared to fool around on my computer until I could spend time with my mom and younger sister.  After about 5 minutes of my computer having issues it completely shut off.  Which, unfortunately is normal and it has been doing this since about mid December.  So, very annoyed I turned it back on so I could go back to my activity, albeit very frustrated that I had to wait to let the dang thing reboot.   The next thing I saw though sent me into a total panic, when I saw what most call the blue screen of death.
Yes, that ugly darkish blue screen that usually signifies my computer has crashed.  I did have one thread of hope when I notice it said that it had failed to start up.  So I started following the recommended options while hoping that i hadn't lost all my files.  There are things currently on my computer I can never replace if it crashes.  Like the recording Trent made for me right before he left on his mission, my resume, all my music etc.  So, it started doing it's thing to try and save my files and fix the problem.

And I waited, & waited, & waited...
And waited some more.
Got a drink and kept waiting.  So I decided to continue reading Trent's letters to pass the time.

But as I read I became more anxious and upset because I realized I could have very easily lost all the files on my computer.  And there are some files on my computer that I would be devastated if I was to lose them.  So finally after waiting for a good hour I finally went to the Lord and asked him to fix my computer because of the reasons mentioned above.  And in my heart, something told me He could fix my stupid 4 year old laptop that has given me issues for at least the last year.   And a few minutes later, my computer completely shut off.  I tried turning it on without response, and I quickly became frustrated because I thought this was the end of the computer. But then the thought came to plug in my charger, and try again.

The next thing I knew my computer booted up and my login screen with my name and the picture of Trent and I came up.  I typed in my password and  Viola!!! Everything came up, not one thing was lost or missing.  I immediately started to cry and profusely thanked my Father in Heaven for looking out for me and fixing my computer.

It was then I had the very powerful reminder that He's always there, and He's always listening and will answer the sincerest prayers.  He want's us to be happy and what matters to us, matters to Him.  I'd always heard that last statement,  but it had never hit home as hard as it did this afternoon.

So prayer, add a little faith that He can come through and it works. It really does!!
So once again I'm going to say that I am so very thankful for a Heavenly Father who loves me, gives me beautiful summer mornings, my family, who fixes computers and who watches out for me.  I love Him so much and I'm thankful that I know He is there and that I can develop a close and personal relationship with Him.

And for some reason this post made me think of this song by Cherie Call: Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPbhvQMtIJw

My thoughts about DOMA being declared Unconstituional

I know if any of my liberal friends were to read this post I probably would be ripped to pieces with what I'm about to say.
And it is unfortunate that our society has become so radical and liberal that if we state opinions that are opposite of another party's opinions we're automatically labeled as bigots, racist, discriminatory, hateful people.
But if we're civil about our opinions, how is it hateful?

It's not, but society is trying to force us to believe that it is if we don't accept what a majority deem to be very, very wrong.

Yes, I am talking about the Supreme Court overturning DOMA and declaring it unconstitutional.
                 The saddest part about this case is that the Supreme Court wanted nothing to do with it initially, but the Obama Administration wouldn't let it die so, yeah, they were forced to make a ruling on the matter.

And in a vote of 5-4 it was declared unconstitutional. So barely, it won, which says to me there are still people in this country that have morals.  Or at least they know what the 10th amendment of the constitution says, which limits the powers of the three different branches of government.   Basically what it says is, everything outlined as their responsibilities thus far in this document CANNOT be changed.  It was written to limit their powers and not let any one branch of government gain more power than the other.  BUT the founding fathers knew that evil men would probably one day make it into government, or someone who wanted the glory of a king would make it into government.  So, that amendment was written in to make sure none of what is happening will happen.
   So basically, what the supreme court did today was illegal and unconstitutional in declaring DOMA unconstitutional.

Thats an oxymoron isn't it.

I think what made me laugh the most when I read articles about it, is that the court stated the law violated the gay's fifth amendment rights.   So, wanting to  refresh my memory of the fifth amendment, I grabbed a pocket copy of the constitution and read it.  Here's what it says:

    "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense  to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."
                                                                       -Amendment 5 of the Constitution of the United States

So, the supreme courts standing comes from an amendment that refers to the due process and fairness of criminal proceedings.    Yes, I suppose you could argue that it talks about depriving people from "equality" "liberty" etc. etc. and so forth.   But that's just one piece of the puzzle.  And it was NOT meant to be used out of context.  It just wasn't, and we know that because it was written that way for a reason.  If we remember back to our American History classes we can remember that Britain had a very unfair way of dealing with those who were arrested and accused of treason and so on and so forth.  So, the fifth amendment was written to deal with that problem.  You'll notice the words "Due Process" in this.  That is the process someone is due when going to court for whatever judicial proceedings are necessary.  It was written to ensure that fair and just trials would take place.

So, then it has nothing to do with equality?
  Unfortunately, no.

Needless to say, after reading through and understanding everything that happened today I was disappointed in this country.   There was a time when I would label myself as proud to be American, and I would label myself a patriot.  Yet I am ashamed at how fast this country is headed in it's downward spiral.  The main ideals that were put in place by our founding fathers are being used against this country in order to implement Social ideals that are determined by the liberal radicals that are tearing this country apart.  It makes me sick to see how our society is heading downhill.  We cannot even voice our opinions if they don't match what the radical left deems as a good opinion.  Instead, of rationality and agreeing to disagree, there is name calling, bullying, and yes even oppression for those who don't agree with what we now deem is the "majority" view of the world.

Today I believe that being a patriot means standing up for the past ideals this country was based on.  As much as people want to deny it,  this country was based on Judeo-Christian values.  A value system that is still in place today and is most likely the majority of Americans believe.  But we are told that our beliefs and the "system" is oppressive and old fashioned and needs to go the way of the earth.
John Adams one of our founders was quoted to say:
    "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other"

Other founders were quoted to say:

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.  As nations  become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."
                       Benjamin Franklin

"The sum of all is, if we would most truly enjoy the gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people; then shall we both deserve and enjoy it.  While, on the other hand, if we are universally vicious and debauched in our manners, though the form of our Constitution carries the face of the most exalted freedom, we shall in reality be the most abject slaves."
                        Samuel Adams

How can we doubt that this country was founded on Judeo-Christian Values?  Because it was!  And all of these men are right and God has blessed this country for our success and freedom from overbearing and oppressive rulers.  IF we follow Him and His commandments, this country and the people will be blessed.  And also, the more and more we strive for this nirvanah like equality, and the more radical we become and push God out of our society, it does indeed enslave and destroy us.

First Nephi 13 in the Book of Mormon tells us that this country is set apart and different from the other countries of the world.  And that God has consecrated it for our use as long as we obey Him, worship Him, and recognize the great things he as done for us.  But when the society becomes wicked and we throw God out does our demise become more and more prominent.  And we see that at the end of the Book of Mormon when the Nephites are all killed off while battling the Lamanites.  It wasn't that the Lamanites were better fighters, it was because both parties were relying on physical strength and not the strength that could come from trusting and believing in an all powerful Father in Heaven.  A godless society basically destroys itself from the inside out.  No outside forces will do it, but it will be us that do it to ourselves.

Throughout history if we seriously study it, we will see that some of the largest societies that had the greatest destruction or fall came about because of increased wickedness and evil that was in the land.  Ironically enough, it also had a considerable amount of practiced Homosexuality.  To name a few states or countries,

Rome
Greece
Pompeii
Ancient Mesopotamia
Ancient Assyria
Soddom and Gommorrah

Ironically enough, all of these societies listed were destroyed or dramatically collapsed.  Through modern revelation we know that Soddom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of the high saturation of homosexual relationships.

In closing, I want to say that I don't hate people who label themselves as gay or lesbian.    I frown upon the practice itself but not the person.  I know and believe that it goes against what the Judeo Christian God we worship has said that marriage is between a man and a woman.   Unfortunately, our society deems this as old fashioned and bigoted because we don't "accept" them for who they are.  Unfortunately, in a god fearing society, it should be right or wrong.  Not acceptance.
Denying people of what they deem to be their "rights" is not bigoted, discriminatory or oppressive.  I fundamentally believe that we as a society now shy away from those types of practices because they are wrong.  And we have every right as a society to shy away from and not want those practices implemented.  Everyone has a right to their opinion, that's a fact.  And I'm expressing mine, as calmly and collected as I possibly can. If anyone is to read this that disagree's with me, well then let's agree to disagree.  But I believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing, omniscient being  who is my Heavenly Father.  It's Him who I fear more than man.  With that being the case, I'm going to follow Him and trust in Him.  This world is going to get darker by the day, I realize that, but I'm not afraid, and I know in my heart that I will be protected and blessed by Him if I put my trust and faith in His eternal plan. 

Example from the ants

So, tonight I had the opportunity to witness an ant carrying something to it's nest.

There were holes in the grout in the flooring and that's where he was headed, I discovered them while sweeping the floor, but before grabbing my manager I noticed this tiny ant dragging with him a crumb that was twice his size.

Of course I've read and been taught about how ants can carry about 100 times their weight.  Which is a lot, and it's crazy that something so small can carry that much.  I struggle with a 50 lb. bag of something.  But this fact is something that you read and study about, but you never fully accept that as a truth until you see it in person. 

So, for about 45 seconds I watched in awe as this little ant dragged this crumb up to the small hole in the floor, then when he was a 1/4 of an inch away from the den several more came up to him and helped pick up the crumb, then they proceeded to take it into the hole.   And oddly enough, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.  It was one of those things that reminded me that there is a God in the Heavens, and that He orchestrated how everything worked. 

Naturally, something as small as an ant would need to have lots of food, just because of how many mouths that need to be fed.  On top of, who knows how much the queen ant eats.  So, God made it so they could work hard and reap large benefits from their pressing forward and doing their part to be successful.  Not just as a gatherer ant, but also doing it in a way that it benefits the others too.

So, being who I am I tried to find a way to relate this to life.  We all know life isn't easy, and it requires a lot of work.  Especially as we grow up, there are decisions to be made and we need to work hard to make sure that those decisions benefit us as best as they can.  There is a lot that we can and need to do in order to survive in this crazy world, and some days, it's easy to want to say "Forget this! I'm done!"  And just quit. I've done this a few times in my life, giving up is the easy part - but the regret that follows months or years down the road truly does suck.   Then tonight I see this ant, working his way to help the colony succeed, possibly to help himself succeed.  I try to imagine an ant deciding he's done and can't do anymore work, but that image doesn't work.  They truly are tireless creatures, but they are such a great example of taking on a lot more than one should be able to handle, yet handling it with ease.  And as soon as he reaches a certain point, others come and help him to finish the journey.

We were placed on this earth by a Loving Heavenly Father to work hard and develop ourselves to become better and reach the potential that we have inside of us.  Some days the path seems easy, and we feel like we can take on the world.  Yet at times, we have a trial, a stumbling block.  Something hard that makes us want to fall to our knees in anguish and cry: "I'm done! I can't do this anymore".   In times like that, it is easy to question things, and it is easy to quit progressing.  But it's those who stand back up and keep going that will find they are better off in the end.  Because they didn't quit, they plugged along. 

Yet, it's not something we were meant to do alone.  Just like the ants who hurried out to help in the last stretch of the journey  we too can have help.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is there to help us through those hard times.  He get's it, because he felt that pain too.  And relying on Him, during all times of life, will make even the hardest of times, a little bit easier to bare. 

Matthew 11:28-30: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Just like the ant, we can make it through a long haul in life.  And we can come out successful in the end of the journey.  If we remember to trust in Heavenly Father and Christ, and let Him relieve us of our pains and sorrows we can make it back home to them one day.   It's remembering to not give up, and to "endure to the end" that will get us there. 
 

Eight and half months - and a whole new understanding to "waiting"

Yes, it is true, I am almost 9 months done with the wait. 

(Small mini celebration dance)

Ok, I'm done now.  haha

Anyway the past 8 months have flown by, for which I'm really grateful because I honestly don't know how I would survive this wait  if it was dragging by.  One of the reasons I know is because I have been busy between school and work.

Nearly a year ago I saw a huge obstacle in front of me. 24 months is a long time for us humans.  And 24 months waiting for the man you care for and want to marry can seem like an eternity.  There have been many nights of tears and wondering why I've even decided to do this.  But when something inside of you lets you know that this is right I couldn't go against that feeling.  Especially since Trent is someone you don't let out of your grasp easily. 
No, when I started my wait, I saw it as a long 24 months where I was going to be missing him terribly the whole time.  It would take forever, sure I'd be done with school but was that worth going two years
8 1/2 months later I still view 24 months as a long time.  I occasionally have my days where I want to cry most of the day because I miss him so much.   The one thing that has changed though is my attitude.  I"m grateful for the fact I have the opportunity to wait for him.  Yes gratitude! Not a feeling I was expecting to feel in the least, but it's here and I am grateful for the mission.  For one thing, he's growing and becoming the man that I truly want as my husband.  And as great as he was before the mission he's going to be AWESOME after his mission.  I mean, he's making me WANT to be better.  And he pushes me to be better as well.
        But the real reason I would have to say I'm the most grateful for the fact that I have the time to prepare and become better myself.  It's like preparing for marriage, but on a strict timetable.  Two years may seem long, but it goes pretty fast.  Which means I don't have the time to dawdle around and think "I'll get to it later" because later could be 6 months before he's home and honestly, scrambling at the last minute never brings the best results.  Because if things work out between the girl and the missionary, is SHE ready to make the covenants and commitments that come with an eternal marriage?  I know I couldn't,  that's a lot of commitment to make to the Lord and if I wasn't prepared, I wouldn't want to make that commitment immaturely.  So, yes I need to prepare, I need to develop a relationship with Heavenly Father and strive to be closer to Him at all times. That's what Trent is doing, so why shouldn't I be doing it as well?

I've definitely also realized that waiting for a missionary isn't for everyone, and it's a serious decision when a girl or guy decide to wait for the person they care about.  But like everyone says waiting IS NOT putting yourself in storage for two years.  Sure, I may never get asked on a date because I have a missionary.  And I may never travel abroad, or do something SUPER exciting with my life.  What I can do is try to develop myself, create a stronger relationship with my boy and my Heavenly Father, study the scriptures and learn to love them,  and prepare the best I can to make temple covenants then eventually be a wife and mother. 

I didn't think this was what the wait was for nearly a year ago, but now I know this is one of the key reasons why I'm waiting.  I'm waiting and learning about myself.  Sure, Trent is great, but if we don't work out in 16 months what I have learned about myself is not something I could regret.   Waiting is a journey, an experience, and unfortunately (I'm sorry to say this) it is not for everyone.  It is not something you do because well you want to or you can.  It's something you do because you know you need to do it, you do it  because you know it's the next thing you need to do in your life. 
The only reason I'm waiting for Trent is because I knew I needed too.  At the time, I thought it was purely because i liked him.  And while that is true, and while I am waiting because of how I love him I am also waiting because it gives me time to become better.  And it's a time for me to prepare to become his wife, and I look forward to the next 16 months of his mission because of all the things we're both going to do while learning and growing.

Little Acts of Kindness

Ok, so I enjoy food.

(surprised? Probably not, but hey, it's all good)

And I have a friend that we like to get together and go to movies or dinner and just catch up.  We did that tonight, we went to Chili's for dinner, then decided randomly to go to Sammy's Cafe and get shakes.

Now if you don't know what Sammy's is, or have never been to a Sammy's I'm going to say that you desperately need to find the closest one to you and go.  NOW! Because their shakes are flipping amazing.  Especially their pie and cupcake shakes.  So, of course you can never say no to Sammy's shakes.  
Well, we ordered, actually, my friend ordered and paid and when it came my turn I ordered and handed the server my card and well, nothing happened. For some reason at that moment the internet died and was unable to connect to whatever source needed to run my card.  So, I patiently stood there waiting for them to fix the internet, and three staff members later, we were still unable to get it to work.

Naturally, I thought it was the Universe telling me two things.
1. It's nearly swim season Jenn, and you definitely don't need to eat your pumpkin pie cheesecake shake, especially since you are dying to lose that pooch
2. You really should save the 4.75 you are wanting to pay for that shake

Needless to say, I decided to ignore the universe and wait patiently for my shake, because hey, it's pumpkin pie. And I can't say no to pumpkin pie. 
So, while I was waiting I struck up a conversation with a guy standing behind me. Typical, awkward chit-chat, while we were waiting for the internet to work. 
And for several awkward minutes I waited for their internet to come up so I could pay and let the people behind me go and get their food as well. 
Time after time, they swiped my card, with no success.  And I was getting ready to just say "bag it" and take the Universe for it's word.  Then the guy behind me stepped up to the counter and said:
"Just let me pay for her's as well as mine, that way she can get her shake."
I insisted that it wasn't necessary, but he insisted saying : "I remember what it was like to be a student, with no money, it's fine."
I decided to let him be a gentleman and not argue with him.  And in return, the guy behind the counter gave him a discount.

Now, it's possible, that the guy just wanted me out of the way so that he and his friends could get their food and get the line moving again.  And it's possible that the guy behind the counter gave him the discount because he felt bad for him standing there for so long.
But who wants to look at the glass half-empty when someone willingly paid for my shake.  Especially since it wasn't his responsibility, and he easily could have just went ahead and just pushed ahead of me. I would have let him do that, because I felt bad for holding up the line. 

It's those little acts of kindness that make life worth living, that make a persons day and make us feel like there is still some good in the world.  Especially with all the ugly that surrounds us, the selfishness, the rudeness, the unfairness, it's easy to let it get you down. 

So, let's all try to make someone's day today, you don't know what you could do, and hey, they could even decide to pay it forward themselves.  It could be a great chain that keeps going, just because of your simple act of kindness.  I know I'm going to do it, because I remember how I felt and i would love to make someone's day just because I decided to be kind.

ASL rocks!!

So, when I'm bored I translate music into ASL and then video myself and post them to YouTube.
(bigheaded? maybe, but it's fun for me) So, I wanted to post them on here for those of you who read this blog,
(stuck on myself much? possibly.)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy them. Also I encourage you all to learn some sign language if you enjoy them. Mainly because ASL is a great language and the deaf really love it (generally) when we know some signs.
Here you go:

I can only Imagine by Mercy Me
Two Black Cadillacs by Carrie Underwood
No by Cherie Call
I dreamed a dream from Les Miserables

I have one more on YouTube as well, but I can't get it to attach on here. So if you really want to watch it it's Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson.  :) Thanks all, and enjoy!