Still Surviving.

I miss blogging. Deja vu... I'm pretty sure I've said that in a recent post. I haven't done it in a while because I've been super busy lately. I made it a goal to blog more but that was a bust. So I'll just try to blog enough so people will know we're alive and not completely boring :)

Our lives so far are: stressful, scheduled yet still somewhat procrastinated (mainly on my part), include lots of late nights, yearning for the future to come quicker, and trying to see the silver lining in everything. 

Success story for the Stones: Loren didn't have a job for the first half of the semester which was really stressful for him. He wouldn't even look at our bank account, thinking our money was depleting. Super fortunately for us, the Lord was looking out for us! Loren's sister Jessica said her work was hiring so he sent in his application and her manager called Loren and told him that because she trusts Jessica, she won't interview Loren but just give him the job! At first I wasn't too excited for it because he would be working until 10pm (the reason we didn't want him to continue working at his last job for this semester) and he would be a delivery boy using our car, hardly getting compensated for the miles. He was ok with it all, he was just excited to add money to our bank account. After his first pay check, he decided to investigate the damage to our savings only to discover we hadn't lost any money! We were blessed with a chunk of money left over from his grant for school and money from my tuition since I'm not taking a full load of classes. PLUS, he delivered food to a lot of generous people who all tipped him a few bucks every time. Loren said he'd get back to the restaurant and listen to the other drivers who'd complain that no one tipped them. We were doing what we could to say our prayers and read our scriptures at night and pay our tithing every month and it definitely paid off, more than we were hoping! This definitely gives me a testimony in paying your tithing :) Other than that, Loren is good! He's got some fun but demanding classes with lots of homework assignments. But he's a smart kid and does a good job planning ahead to get his homework done on time, if not early every time. I should learn from him.

As for me, I'm doing all right. Humanities isn't as demanding as I thought but sewing is worse than expected! Who knew sewing was so time consuming, particular and hard?! Goodness, my back kills all the time from hunching over the sewing machine making sure my seam line is straight! I have a 3 hour lab twice a week but I stay in the sewing lab on campus until 10pm at least one night a week. Yet I still don't finish whatever I'm working on. Crazy.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That's what I have for my mother-in-law Patty. She's a seamstress and a darn good one!! She made her daughters these dresses for my wedding.

Nice, huh? I can't even imagine making a dress! I was complaining about how hard it was to make PJ but that was nothing compared to a SHIRT. And a dress is basically a very long shirt. Gag. Go you, Patty! I hope to be somewhat as good as you! (Pictures of what I've made soon to come, k everybody?)

As for where I'm going for grad school--stay tuned. I still have a couple of schools to hear back from and if/when I get accepted, I'll be shouting for joy and posting ALL about it! Other than working, school, sewing, and waiting to hear back from a terribly nice school, we've got nothing big going on. But just you wait, something big will come around! ;)

What I have is enough

I have a very, very blessed life. I know it and I try to recognize it often. I am abruptly reminded of it when I see a homeless person, hear a story of those who are financially struggling during these hard times, or see a handicapped person. But there are times when I think the grass is greener on the other side, so to speak. I'm not saying I want those hard times at all, don't get me wrong! I get jealous of things that other people have or are doing. I think I'm missing out on opportunities others are taking--spontaneous, frivolous, far-off trips or the adventure of starting a family (still going to wait on this one a little while). I feel like some of the people around me, like in my ward, are so amazing and that I could be that way too if I was given their callings and handled the trials they had. I could be a creative, thrifty, DIY wife (& future mother) if I were to search Pinterest long enough...and set aside enough time to buy and make such researched things. I could be incredible and always know what I've got when I've got it (remember that song "Yellow Taxi" by the Counting Crows? I wouldn't lose whatever it is that I have).

Really, Samantha? You're ridiculous. Get over it. Be happy with what you've got because it could always be worse. Am I right or am I right? I should just roll with the punches. Take life as it comes. You know all those cliche sayings. The thing about cliches, though, is that they're true.

But no matter what I'm feeling, I eventually snap out of it and realize that I have the Gospel in my life and that is enough.