Money . . . UGH!!!!!!!

Oh how I hate money!  It is such a stressful thing.  Job hunting is even more stressful.  The whole trying to trust the Lord and stay positive thing is proving a bit difficult today.  But I will keep trying to be optimistic and keep praying with all my heart that Mr. Pulchritudinous (Ben) will become gainfully employed this week in a steady good paying job.  My heart breaks for the frustration and inadequacies that he feels.  I wish that I could give him all the confidence in the world and that others could see him how I do.  I want more than anything for him to be able to provide for us so that he feels like he is doing his part/role in taking care of us.  It is hard to hear the daily apologies for not being able to provide all that we need and want.  Today has been discouraging for both of us.  I do love him so!!  

I will however, keep staying positive and saying to myself that "WE WILL FIND EMPLOYMENT THIS WEEK, NO MATTER WHAT!"  That is our goal and we will do all we can to achieve it.  Trials and hardships are such interesting things to try and understand.  Is this one for me to develop and learn something or is this one so that I can say "I understand!  We have been there" to someone else that is struggling with the same trial.  

I know that I am a loved daughter of God and that we can and will make it through this most difficult time.  

Sorry for the sob-story post today.

Attitude!

Talk about attitude!  Our youngest, Zane, is so full of attitude most days that I fear his little 13 month old body will burst from one of his screeches of displeasure.  He also had a great deal of "I'm Mr. Funny and I know it!"  attitude.  It amazes me how each child in a family is so entirely their own individual with such neat attributes.  Janalen loves to laugh and create.  She would craft her way through every item in our entire house if we would let her.  Garrett is always so loving and caring toward his sister.  He does anything to make her feel better.  He also is my "football fan!"  He is such a sweet tender-hearted boy.  I hope he doesn't grow out of that.  There are days when his hugs and kisses and "Mom, I love you higher than our bunkbeds!"  are all that keep me from crumbling.  I have been so blessed to have all three of these wonderful spirits in our home.  Ben (aka Mr. Pulchritudinous) and I somehow make pretty good kids.  

As I was preparing my lesson for church this week it was like a huge wake-up call!  Any guesses as to what the topic was??  Anyone? Buhler? Buhler?  ATTITUDE!!!!!  Amazing how the Lord just knows what you need to read/study/hear sometimes and pretty much slaps you in the face with it and says, "Wake UP!!!!!  Changes are in order Miss."  It was amazing to me the comfort and especially courage that came with reading this lesson.  

My favorite quote was from President Spencer W. Kimball:  

"I remind you. . . that regardless of your present age, you are building your life; . . . it can be full of joy and happiness, or it can be full of misery.  It all depends upon you and your attitudes, for your altitude, or the height you climb, is dependent upon your attitude or your response to situations."

That was such a wake up call to me.  I realized that even though we are struggling so desperately financially right now and with some major discouragements all around that I can either be miserable or have a better attitude and reach a higher altitude.  I can be happy right now even though it is the most difficult time of my life thus far.  

The other major realization I came to was that in order to get a better attitude I need to continue to pray and study the scriptures.  That by doing these things my faith will increase and that will increase my hope and that will increase my optimism.  If I exercise more faith and TRUST in the Lord, then I can be more optimistic and be happy.  

So my goal for this week will be to stay optimistic!  Exercise my faith in my Father in Heaven and his plan for me and my family.  

Enough of the deep thoughts (by Dori)  Ha! Ha!  Anyone remember the SNL thing: Deep thoughts by Jack Handy.  Those were so funny!  Random thought that ran through my head.  You'll learn that I have nothing but random thoughts running through my head most of the time.  It's what makes conversations with me interesting, or so I've been told.   

I am going to go get my nightly Lost fix. . .  and not have that bowl of BlueBell ice cream that I have missed from my San Antonio days, but have recently discovered here in Mulletland.  Hey! Add that to the pros list of Mulletland:  They have BlueBell Ice Cream!!!!!!!

Ok, so the word Pulchritudinous is not even close to an accurate description of me, but I like to think that my alter ego self (Mrs. Pulchritudinous) has a much better grip on life, thus enabling me to better deal with life's daily bull.  She has more mental space to comprehend and react to problems/trials/hardships because none of her brain is bothered with, "I am so bloated today!" or "Could my hair look any uglier?"  or "I swear that I will start that crash diet tomorrow and I won't eat peanut butter and melted chocolate chips for at least a month!"  

Now on to our adventures in Mulletland.  That is how I so fondly refer to this place I am so desperately trying to call home.  My husband and I and our three small children moved from the great potato state of Idaho two months ago to Mulletland Indiana.  Talk about an adjustment!  Ok, so I am still waiting for the adjusting part to actually happen.  So far it has been a whole lot of getting lost and squinting due to extreme focus in trying to discern what in the world people are saying.  I am pretty sure it is english, just nothing close to the dialect I understand.  

I could write a four book series on all the horrible things that have happened to us since our arrival, but who wants to dwell on the terrible?  Let's move on to the fun stuff!

I have discovered that Walmart is a source of GREAT entertainment after 7 p.m. and anytime on the weekends.  If you can be entertained by watching people:  WALMART IS THE PLACE FOR YOU!  

I have discovered that red clay/mud here is much more appealing to children than Idaho mud.  (They must have a sixth sense that tells them this mud is wash proof.  It stains everything!)

I have discovered that people in this area love it so much they have created their own name:  Kentuckiana!  At first I thought I was having the dialect confusion problem again and then I realized they actually have created their own name.  Louisville, KY and Southern Indiana combined!  Feel the interstate love!

I have discovered that I definitely need to learn more patience . . .

And I have discovered that comparing Idaho to Indiana is like comparing apples to prunes.  They are both good for your health, but I am convinced that too much of the latter can definitely cause adverse affects on ones health!