By His Grace I Can.

I wanted to share one of the reasons that I haven't posted in several months. September 2016, at 10 weeks pregnant, our fifth baby earned its wings. It was a really painful and poignant time for our family, yet through it we saw how God brings sweetness to bitter experiences.   At the time I decided to share some of my thoughts from that day in the hospital-- Well, a little over a year and a half later we are expecting again!  We are overjoyed and feel incredibly grateful.  As I write that, it dawns on me that this little one is due right around Thanksgiving and what appropriate timing.  We are indeed SO very thankful. In part I wanted to share this news here because my mental health has been part of the journey.  We wanted to try sooner for a baby but I felt strongly that I needed to take some time for myself to get my health in better order, especially my mental health.  How far the Lord has brought me this last year!!  I fe...

Click to See Video . What started as a very frustrating experience became a sweet lesson for me & my kids about the love, tenderness, care and cleansing power of Jesus Christ.  He doesn't belittle or abandon us when we stray from the path, He removes the remnants of our sins and makes us clean.  And He invites us to come and come again, every time that we need to be made new. (Watch above linked video to hear the story) We are here on Earth to learn to become like God.  That is no simple task.  God KNOWS that we will stride & strive yet struggle, stray and sin. It's all part of our mortal experience and thus He lovingly made provisions for cleansing.  He sent us a Savior who truly can & WANTS to make us clean, no matter how far we've wandered, no matter how long it's been. One of my favorite songs about the Savior beckoning to us to come back is Come As You Are by Nathan Pacheco. (Click to Enlarge Lyrics)

Click here for Video. After hearing that CHILDREN and teen suicide rates have greatly increased in the social media era--in large part because of the often unrealistic, perfect-seeming and unobtainable standards that are portrayed & shared--I made this video in an effort for me to personally be more authentic on social media for the people in my sphere of influence.  Recording in my PJs with a day old hairdo and makeup and giving a mini tour of my MESSY house contributed to those efforts ;0) As I mention in the video , I LOVE beautiful things.  I love designing cute invitations, throwing themed and coordinated events and decorating my house for each holiday and season.  It's easy for me to only post the beautiful, "perfect"-looking parts of my life.  But I desire to make positive waves with authenticity, to liberate myself from unobtainable standards and feel comfortable & confident in my skin AND to allow allow others to do the same. If you t...

Click here for video. After using the Momentum Tracker for several months and seeing SUCH big changes in my daily living, overall happiness and excitement for life, I started sharing it with friends and family. The more I shared, the more I learned (I love how the Holy Ghost can teach us truths as we talk & teach!). This video is to share the insights that I had and also gleaned from family and friends. (If you are interested in getting a copy of the Momentum Tracker that my therapist designed, for personal non-commercial use, please let me know!)

Click Here for Video. If I took a look at my life it essentially had all the elements that I would handpick, yet I was constantly trying to escape my reality.  Usually I escaped through endless, mindless, insatiable scrolling on social media and by eating junk food.  But nothing seemed to fill the void.  I was almost always tired, irritable, easily angered and annoyed.  I loved spending time with my husband or by myself, but it was never enough.  I did things I enjoyed but felt like I was stealing the time or being selfish.  In spite of my extremely supportive husband, each day felt like an uncontrollable vicious cycle with no way of changing things.  Showering, getting ready, and exercising didn't feel like priority or even possibilities.  Regardless of my efforts I chronically felt behind in everything.   My kids seemed more burdensome than anything else, with never-ending messes, requests, tantrums, fights, whining and compl...