The Etch a sketch master lives at my house. And so do the koala bears

So....

I went back to the thrift store.

 I bought all the koala bears.

 I waited until Nathan was asleep. 

I snuck in his room. 

I stuck them all in his bed, next to him, staring his way. 

BAAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA!!!! Isn't that funny???? 

When I came in that morning they were all thrown on the floor. He said they freaked him out when he discovered them. I'm so funny. No really. I am.

So Bo...He is pure raw talent....in all sorts of crazy areas. He was writing his Valentines for his friends when he came up to me and told me he made a new list. And he was going to cross them out on this list when he wrote them on his cards. 

Here is his list. He wrote EVERY. SINGLE. NAME in etch a sketch. 

Seriously...amazing, right? 

We have had some flu stuff going around here. Kate came to remind me AGAIN that she didn't feel well. And she had to pause and have a good little nap on the stairs. :)

She never rolled off. It was impressive.

So my awesome culture class...

Here are a few more things we learned today from it. Today we were discussing some Hinduism reading.  

The reading we did was this....The Bhagavadgita (“Song of the Lord”) is an influential Indian religious text. In quasi-dialogue form, it is relatively brief, consisting of 700 verses divided into 18 chapters. When the opposing parties in the Mahabharata war stand ready to begin battle, Arjuna, the hero of the favoured party, despairs at the thought of having to kill his kinsmen and lays down his arms. Krishna, his charioteer, friend, and adviser, thereupon argues against Arjuna’s failure to do his duty as a noble. The argument soon becomes elevated into a general discourse on religious and philosophical matters. 

All of these readings (Two a week, usually 30ish pages long each) seriously twists my brain. And then we write a two page out line on them which helps me understand, and then we discuss them for an hour and a half in class. And it is awesome. 

So take this for what it is worth and realize some is likely getting lost in translation from class to my notes to my blog. It is just food for thought and not necessarily fact or gospel truth. 

So some of the differences between us and the Eastern culture is that we work and work and work so that we can die with lots of money to leave to our children. 

They work until they are about 60 and then they give their money to their children while they are still alive. Then they seek the good things in life like spiritualism. Their children will take care of them.

Some other thoughts they believe...

Choice isn't there for you to do whatever you want. Choice is there for you to make the right choice.

We concentrate so much on how we are doing and how we are feeling. They don't do that. The surest way to be unhappy is to sit in your room and think a lot about if you are happy. 

Eastern people don't sit around contemplating themselves. They also don't spend time trying to figure out who they are. Who they are is made up of community and they are who the community is. 

The one thing about that is they aren't alone. They don't feel alone the way we often times do. Because they're never alone because they have their whole community. 

In our country we grow up and move out early and go out to forge our own way in life. We take our spouse and begin our new life with them. 

In their culture they bring their spouse and add a new members to their family. 

This teacher is so interesting. I really like him and his soft spoken way. He is funny and makes jokes. He is gentle and has smiley eyes. He said that he misses living in the Eastern countries because he had connection with other people.

He talks about how we are often surrounded by people but still feel alone here in America because we are missing that connection.

A lot of time we want people to stop being sad because it make "us" uncomfortable when we are suppose to be mourning with those who mourn. 

In our country often times negative emotions separate people.

In the Eastern when you say you are sad they are sad with you and you share it together because you are connected. 

I felt this way in my therapist's office. I remember telling him once I knew he couldn't fix my problems. I just needed someone to carry them with me. And he did. And I didn't feel so alone. I felt connected to him. Sometimes people thought that was bad, for some reason it worried people. But he mourned with me. And he wasn't scared of my sadness and he was sad with me. And why is connecting with another human being bad, anyway?

In Eastern countries..... of course you feel something like being connected. When you feel connected it is because you are! That is not a surprise to them.

Then we talked quite a bit about God. And why we do the things we do. Do we do the good and honorable things because we want rewards or blessings? Often. 

Often we go to church to get what WE can get from it. It makes "me" feel good. And if we don't get personal gain then we don't want to go. But it is really about going because we can serve there. Or give back. 

Are your works the things that earn you redemption? No. your works are the reflection of how you feel for what God has given you.

Salvation is FREE. God's whole intention was to save you from the beginning.

Interesting class!

Why has everyone abandoned the koala bears??????

Nathan and I went to the thrift store. We were shocked and saddened that no one seems to want the koala bears. I should go back and buy them all for Nathan. We had fun grouping them all together. Poor little ones. 

So I told you guys about my super interesting Professor who is teaching about Culture....

He gave extra credit if we would come and watch a movie at the "International Cinema" that he must be in charge of every other week. 

I drove up to the college and left Bo and Kate with Justine with a shrinky dink kit. They had a good time.

The movie he showed us was called the Island and it was all in Russian. But we read the subtitles. It was a kooky movie to a degree but it had deep meaning. I am admitting that a lot of it I didn't get until the discussion afterwards and then I was like..."ohhh!!!!! Yes, of course!!!!" and the movie has sort of swelled in my brain and become really beautiful to me.

It tiny bit hurts my self esteem that I didn't get some of the stuff on my own but I am hoping that this is the beginning and the way to stretch my brain.

So maybe I wont tell you what the movie was about. I think there is way to watch it free online. It was interesting because it did not explain stuff as it went along. 

But here are some of the things I learned from my Professor and from the movie. 

And maybe I am misinterpreting this one....but this is what I "heard". God doesn't always care if we sin or not. Because he already took care of that for us. He already gave us the Atonement. The sinning isn't the important part. It is the lessons we learn from the sinning that is way more important. To me as I type this I believe it needs some more thinking about. Because I am sure God cares if we sin. But at the same time, He provided a way for us so the actual sin isn't really the picture here. It is the lessons we learn and it is how we help others from what we learned and it is the humility we get....What do you guys think?

Another thing the movie was symbolic of was how Jesus offended the people that were "high" up by going to those that were the "lowest" of people. That is were Christ was. 

My professor was around lepers when he lived in other cultures. He wasn't scared.

The other thing that was interesting in this movie was that the main character wasn't worried about whether he was good enough. He just knew he wasn't. And that is okay. Because God makes up the rest for us and we are sinners. And we just are. 

Our problem is not gross sin typically. Our problem is our arrogance before God. 

I need to watch the movie again and see what things i can figure out from it. 

I am so excited to learn all these knew things. While I say how stressful things are...I really am loving school.

After the movie I went back and got Justine ans we took the little kids to walk the track and exercise. They LOVED running around. And Justine just talked and talked. It was awesome.

Justine made this GREAT pillow in some sewing class for college. I'm sure it is important for her degree is some way or another. 

I'm a professional. Ina few things...including synchronized driving.

Okay....So yesterday the GREATest thing happened.

This guy from my church Rex and his family and I both loaded our cars that were next to each other at the same time. 

I turned on my car and I wanted to back out and get HOME. Because today was my eat a sweet day and I had some sweets to eat at home. Ummm....I may or may not have stolen some Carmelo candy bars out of the Primary closet that are teacher birthday gifts  and ate them in the hall of the church. Don 't give me that look. I'll pay them back! And I still came in under my calories for the day. I'm a professional sweet eater you know!

Anyway. I wanted to go. So he started to back out and I was backing out....and I was watching him my review mirror...

AND I KID YOU NOT!!!!!!!

We were like synchronized swimmers only in cars. It was the most beautiful car thing I have ever seen. I JUMPED out of my car and made him roll down his window. "DID YOU SEE THAT?" And I told them the synchronized swimmers thing. He and his family all started busting up....Because they knew EXACTLY what I was talking about. It was awesome.

Have I mentioned lately aside form stealing Carmelos out of the church cupboard that I am in two support health groups (one a competition) about eating right and exercising and I have been getting a few pounds off again. My thought is always Slow and Steady. I don't love the slow part but for me sometimes that is what it takes to be consistent. I am learning from the depth of my soul that when I am gaining weight and not in control and binging my depression level SOARS and I am in complete despair. I have to remember that. It makes me feel terrible. So I continue to work. There is a trainer in town who is my FB friend and he saw one of my FB status about constantly healthy eating being annoying. He told me 

"Don't you dare stop!! You can do this...Be Awesome...Every Day!

I put it on my vision board. It felt good. Remember, I am words of affirmation. Thanks, friend!

Hey! I still have Christmas FUN to show.

I LOVE this picture of my BIL Danny and his two oldest daughters. They were all just standing here and their arms well all around each other. It was so sweet.  

Don't even ask me why....But all I want to do when family comes to visit is play CLUE. It actually annoys and frustrates me to death but I can't not play it! I even have googled how to win. 

Not that helpful.

Uncle Dave is my most fun annoying competitor. I can't figure out his techniques! I'm starting to realize he is just acting like he knows something to annoy me. 

I love when Justiney girl comes home.

The good thing about one of you bestie buddies dating you BIL is now she is at all the family parties!

Karate kid, psychology learning's and gnome gardens

SERIOUSLY ARGGG!!!! I hate it when I can't blog!

I am so so so so so so so busy. So so so so so busy.

Saturday I finally had a Saturday off work. Got caught up on some little things and some home work and had a really cool hour with Nathan

Nathan has been taking Karate from a man in our neighborhood and church family. We are so blessed to be around great people and he said he would let Nathan barter work for Karate lessons. I just drop Nathan off and I have not really paid much attention to what is going on. But yesterday he had to test to get his yellow belt. I came to watch. It was AWESOME.

It was almost poetic looking when they were doing their "moves". He took the test with another man and they did a lot of it in unison and it was a little bit beautiful!

Then the teacher said they were going to spar and he had Nathan and the man go get helmets and gloves and he talked to them about how they were going to spar. 

"Whoah, What?" Oh no they are not! My kid is not fighting with that man! (Even though Nathan was a tiny bit taller) I asked the teacher if I wanted to watch????!!!!

So they sparred. And they kicked each other and hit each other! And it was exciting and scary! And Nathan loved it!

Pictures aren't very good. I need to start carrying my camera!

Here is the sparring!

I want to send a thanks out to his teacher for letting Nathan come and barter. And thanks for forgiving us any time the bartering seems a little lopsided. 

And here he is getting his yellow belt! It was neat. 

I have so much cool stuff to tell you about this class I am taking. I might just share some every now and then since it is a lot. But it is a class on the different psychologies between Eastern and Western people. It has been so so interesting!!!!!

There is so much stuff I didn't know that I didn't know I didn't know!!!!!!!!

Here is one interesting thing to get you started....

Sometimes we as American's think are ideas are the right ideas. But we are the youngest country! We may think other countries are weird! But Mexico and Peru and South America are more similar then we are. So maybe we are the "weird" ones. 

A lot of research done is unreliable. Because....the people chosen for the research are often middle upper class, white, female, more educated, and more self aware. 

In the Eastern world they think it is nuts to marry someone your parents advise you not to. Westerners make movies on it and get exited that we have done what we wanted to and gone against our parents and married who we loved. Easterners think it's nuts to go against your parent who are older and wiser and have lived life longer. 

Interesting, huh!?

You guys....Sometimes when I look at Pinterest I can't breath I get so excited. I was in a craft store the other day and they had this DARLING gnome garden (I don't like fairy's...(shiver)) paraphernalia. I mean SO CUTE. So when I get a good coupon I go in and buy a little gnome or mushroom or something. When I checked out ALL the stuff on Pinterest you can make for this garden that I don't even have or time to make...I get super excited. Maybe in the summer I will. It is good to have something to look forward to. Even if it is odd. 

But LOOK!!!!!!!

And oh my goodness....There are so many hand made things you can do yourself. I had to quit looking it was so exciting. Go see, guys.

Have you guys discovered the beauty of a rice bag?

Hi. 

I haven't blogged much as you can tell. 

The first two weeks of school I almost died. 

I was in a bit of non stop panic mode. I literally couldn't breath comfortably every time I thought about school. The load was too too much. Literally. I didn't know how I would literally find the time to get it all done even if I devoted all my time to it. I had so much anxiety and panic and honest despair in my heart. I cannot reduce my credits. It isn't reasonable because of some other non important to talk about issues. But I had too much work. 

One day my friend Lyndi was probably inspired to call me. She volunteered her husband, my friend, (I have talked about him before, he gave Bo a scholarship for jujitsu a long time ago) Jared, to help me with my math. 

The night before Lyndi called I opened up my math and it was reading and answering questions. It should have been easy but my brain FREAKED and I couldn't do it and I was so overwhelmed and freaked. You have to work with this statistics program maybe comparable to excel in a way only for statistics, it was just too much for me. 

So when Lyndi called I cried and had a little break down. I am grateful she called and I could talk it out a bit. I love her. That night I drove to their house and held their chickens and hung out with their little family and their sweet spirited home and Jared basically walked me through all my math, which looking back I can see I made it much harder then need be. They gave me some homework (Jared is getting his DOCTORATE and Lyndi is my back in school buddy also) advice and I went home a few hours later. 

The next day, I could breathe again. And things started to get easier and the school expectations leveled out and I was okay after that. Only getting five hours a sleep each night, but okay.

Today I went to talk to my professor. The beauty of going to a religious college is you can talk to them about stuff like....religion! lol. Go figure. We had a nice heart to heart that I might share another day.  

He told me that since last semester from this semester (I had him last semester) he could see that I was different. He said it was like my light had gone out. He was going to talk to me about what was going on but hadn't. I told him I had been in complete panic and an overwhelmed state. Complete. I cried and told him how 2 days a week I had to be at school by 8 in the morning and didn't get home until after 6 and that I never wanted a career and I just wanted to be home. I'm such a crier! Dang. 

But I told him I was okay now. Interesting how others see things in you that you don't realize. I asked my dad to come over after school one day a week and my mom to take the kids home another day a week. So I think they aren't too neglected. 

I am taking the most fascinating psychology class on culture. I have to blog about that as well. It has twisted my brain it has been so interesting.

Alright...see you later.

oh, BTW.... Kate makes me warm up a rice bag for her feet every night! Little stink. I actually warm one up for me before bed each night also. I keeps me so warm and toasty. Case you care. 

shall I have my panic attack now? or after? Cause it's trying to escape.

Oh my goodness gracious. My stress level just went THROUGH the roof. 

I hope it is just the normal first day of school trauma but my work load is enormous. I'm scared. I have to get organized.

I have a lot of pressure right now in other personal ways as well. I almost had an anxiety attack late last night.

Thankfully for about four days now I have NOT been eating my stress away though. I saw some "after" pictures of me on New Years and I was horrified to see my weight coming back.

I joined a little competition with my very competitive friends who will KILL me if I let them down. Honest. They scare me. But I am excited because if I stick to it (and I have to or my scary friends will KILL me) I will be back to where I was in the beginning. It is 8 weeks. The challenge for me will be the 45 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. That will be hard for me.

 I swear the scale says I gained 20 pounds.

But it looks like so much more to me!

I'm horrified. And it SUCKS. But it is the plagued of over weight people I think. It's a constant battle.

But I am ready to fight again. And I am glad all the holiday celebrating is over. Sheesh. Stupid appetizers. 

So the competition is things like eat 5 fruits or vegetables, drink your water, exercise...things like that and you get points for doing it. I am feeling very positive and so I am just going to try to stay in that mind set. 

We had the best little after Christmas celebrations. Constant fun with family. And it has become so convenient that my buddy Becki is dating my cute brother in law. 

So now I get to see her at family stuff. We love her. I am going to try to blog a tiny bit with highlights here and there of our fun. 

So here are a few high lights. 

We are totally BFF's with Santa. He is awesome. 

Okay, that's enough highlights for now. 

P.S. I love my big boys. They sat on Santa's lap just for me. Love them.