I never wanted to move to Utah. In fact when the first premonition came I told the Lord "Hell, no". Now I know that many a faithful follower just cringed that I said that. I get it. You would never say such a thing to the Lord. Your neighbor probably - but not the Lord. But I figure he knows what I am saying to my neighbor and I could not pretend to like what he was trying to gently warn me about.

When we lived in Utah from 2007 to 2011 I experienced some of the worst mormons I think could ever live. Yes I am judging. I judge them to be complete hypocrites. If that offends you....

I had a Bishop tell me my husband's service in the military was selfish and that the ward would not be serving me and my children, all while my 6 week old baby was in the hospital with RSV and he was at pre-deployment training.

While on bedrest, because of a back injury, this same bishop and the relief society president came to my home to tell me that I had too many kids and that I didn't deserve anymore. He proceeded to tell me that my house was a disaster and that my kids were useless because they didn't know how to clean - my oldest was 10 and the youngest was 11 months old, I was 14 weeks pregnant with our sixth and Ray was away with the Army.

The relief society president came to my home just to tell me that she thought my testimony of the gospel was fake. That no one sees miracles like the one I claimed to have experienced and that I was leading the women in the ward astray.

While my husband was away at basic training and I was pregnant with our fifth I was told that there would be no service from the relief society because I had not written thank you notes for the previous service they performed when I was hospitalized because of nausea and vomiting due to pregnancy.

Neighbors showed up to my house to tell me how I was hurting my children by homeschooling them and offer other intrusive and offensive opinions.

There is more that happened but after finishing that last sentence I thought to myself - "after reading that people may wonder why I am even still a Mormon" - that is a post for another day, but let's just say I know the difference between the devil and the Lord and just because someone says they follow the Lord doesn't mean they really do. Actions speak louder than words - well in my case the words they spoke told me exactly who they really followed.

Let's go back to when the Lord nudged me to tell me I would be going back.

Ray had just returned from Iraq. That year was hell. The people who showed me the greatest kindness were not even Mormons. They were religious though and they were kind. They served me and my children.

Ray got home in December. Four days before Christmas actually. We literally had no money. That's another really long story but I had no Christmas for my children and I am too prideful to ask for handouts. There were these women though who were impressed 'by the holy spirit' as they told me to help me and my family. One lady gave us probably $300 worth of food and other women helped with toys. It was a very small Christmas but we had our soldier so we were happy and the service of these inspired women lifted our spirits.

The rest of the year though I saw the devil. A lot. By the very people who claimed to know the Lord. So when the Lord tried to tell me he needed me to go back I was too emotionally and spiritually exhausted to return thus my response. That nudge would come another couple of times so I finally told the Lord, "alright, you want me to go to Utah - I'll go if Ray gets a job and everything falls into place". I had him and I knew it.

Sometimes my stubbornness and pride blind me. Okay they always blind me.

You already know what happened. I challenged my maker and he patted me on my head and chuckled and handed me some humble pie.

We moved to freaking Utah. I literally cried the whole way. I cried probably the first couple of months. I still cry to be honest and we have been here 6 years in February.

I will admit that when God commands we obey. I do pretty much everything the hard way. If you know me personally you know that is 110% truth.

I don't know why God wants me here because I don't want to be here.

I don't like Utah Mormons. There I said it.

Now don't go losing your mind. There are a handful of really great people here. HANDFUL. But the culture is full of entitlement and a pride I am not familiar with despite my own pride.

I haven't been to church in 18 months.

Deep breathe. Don't pass out.

It isn't because I don't like God. It's because I don't like Utah Mormons.

I love God. I love him enough to be honest with him. I am with him who I am with anyone. I am not one person on Sunday and another person during the week. I also don't believe that just because I am Mormon that I better than anyone. They will tell you that to know God you have to go to church. Maybe for some because they don't seek him any other time except for when they are at church.

For the past, I don't even know how many years I have been enduring a trial that I cannot describe. Well I could if you had a few hours for me to tell you the story and I stopped going to church because I couldn't feel the spirit. Maybe if I stood out in the hall or sat out on the couch in the foyer but in the classrooms I couldn't feel it. And after a while I couldn't even do that. I am struggling to hang on to what little faith I feel like I have and people are sharing their stories of trials that I would call inconveniences and I sat there starved for something they couldn't give me.

It isn't their fault. It isn't my fault either. They can't change what they don't know. I can't change what I needed. There are women at church who have been through some real things, life changing, soul tormenting trials, but they never really said anything. I needed them to speak up. I needed more than the standard answers about how you pray and God hears your prayers because I know the truth...you can only pray so many prayers before you just have to dig in and cling to the smallest amount of faith you have. That faith isn't a beautiful flower - it's gut wrenching - white knuckle gripping - clinging until you feel like your fingers are going to slip to the smallest truth you hold in your heart...

In Utah when you don't go to church you might as well be a drug addict or an alcoholic. Seriously. To not go to church in Utah is a spiritual and mortal offense. Your neighbors are the same people you attend church with so it is the 'community of saints', but once you don't go to church people don't really know what to do with you. And I have been told more than once that I am hard to approach.

Nope. Not hard to approach - people just don't like that I am honest. Some say confrontational. I say just because I don't offer responses that make you feel warm and fuzzy doesn't mean I am confrontational. I am not afraid of confrontation though and if you over step my boundaries you will know it. But wouldn't you rather have someone who speaks honestly and who doesn't pussy foot around what they are trying to say? Maybe I am the only one. Oh wait! I am Texan ;) Not the only one, just the only Texan around these parts.

There have been some neighbors who treat me the same no matter what. It took me awhile to figure out who they were but I found them or should I say they found me.

I am not going to lie, it's been really hard living in Utah. I am not like them. I am sure there will be one or more that will take offense with what I have said but you can't please everyone. I am sure there are many people out there who don't like living in Texas. Maybe I can trade spots with them.

Sometimes I wonder if God brought me to Utah because he knew that anywhere else I would have been supported through this trial in a way that may have prevented the spiritual growth that I know that I have experienced. Anywhere else I would not have felt the loneliness that I do here. Anywhere else the people would have brought church to me and they would have quite literally carried me through my trial. He had something bigger for me to learn.

I will ever go back to church. I have been promised a miracle. A miracle as such that those who know me would be unable to deny that it was God. I believe that I will have that miracle. I know I will have that miracle -  a healing - a relief from years of ache and strife. I am sure after my miracle I will have yet another opportunity to learn about why God brought me to Utah. I don't know that this place will ever be home but I hope that I can please God by serving those he needs me to serve and to become refined spiritually so that I am useful to him.

In my pursuit to overcome a childhood filled with abuse, neglect and dysfunction and find myself the Lord has blessed me to find so much more. All my life I just wanted answers. "Why" was the prominent question for so long. I wanted to know why did my mother not love me? Why did anything happen that happened? Why did I feel all the ways I did?

I remember leaving my home on June 26th 1995. I remember years of envisioning myself walking away from it all, of being free from the heavy dark emotions I was surrounded by everyday. I day dreamed of living a better life than I was then forced to face. I wanted out but I didn't really know how to do it.

These past 15 years have been eventful, hard, treacherous, lonely, and hellish at times, but the Lord has been by my side through it all. I am sure so many that met me along my path had an unfavorable opinion about me or maybe wouldn't believe who I am today, but what they and so many didn't know was that the Lord was my dearest friend. I made some crazy choices and often went against the grain of society, but the Lord was there all along. He knew where He was taking me and He was perfectly patient with all my choices knowing ultimately knowing where I would end up.

The past couple of years have been the culmination of all these years. The Lord has tested my faith and loyalty, and he has blessed me with answers to all my questions. I have felt over this past month the literal closing of a book on my life. I have made peace with my childhood. It was awful, but there are things I have learned that I would not otherwise understand. I can quite literally say it is finished. I am done. There is nothing left to answer or to work out. From here I just live. This blog has been my way of 'talking' out my life, but there is nothing left to talk out. I feel it necessary to 'end' this blog and begin a new one next year with a very different purpose. I look forward to the beginning of something new. I look forward to living.

The other night I felt overwhelmed and discouraged with all that I wanted to accomplish but would be unable to, and with a home that I felt to be in more disarray than I felt I could mentally handle. I prayed as I was standing for a moment in my kitchen. I wanted to be patient and to see things through my Heavenly Father's eyes. I wanted to be patient with my current condition and limitations and to not be in too much of hurry to get to my comfortable place. The thought came to me that if I could just hang on help was coming. As I continued in prayer my feeling was things were going to be heading in a new direction very soon. That next night is when we received our secret Santa gift. The next morning my mother-in-law came over to help clean. She had just arrived in town for my brother and sister-in-law down in Provo who just had a baby last night. Originally she was not going to be able to come and help because she would be needed down there. But the baby didn't come until late last night enabling her to come up here and help me. It is a huge blessing for me. It is a testimony to me that the Lord does love us and he will provide if we have faith. I found a house for us to move to. There are some things to iron out of course, but everything feels right, I feel peaceful about it all. I feel hopeful. I am excited to move. I am very much looking forward to feeling like myself again very soon. I know the Lord is going to take care of us. I haven't felt this hopeful in a while. It feels good.

I am humbled. So very humbled. Tonight this cute family that I don't know shows up with a box. The woman announces they are Santa's helpers for a family who wants us to know we are loved. I was speechless. I am still in shock. I don't know anyone outside of my ward up here in Davis County. Okay two people, maybe three. I guess the part that is so humbling is that someone knows we exist. One can know some one's name with out really knowing they exist, does that makes sense? Someone knew that I have five children, and they know their names. The individual nature of the kids gifts, addressed for each one of them personally, means more than I think this person may ever know. This gift is personal, and it is thoughtful. I want to thank them personally. I want to hug them and tell them how much this means to me. To be remembered in time when I feel forgotten and unnoticed, while my husband, my best friend is away and during a season that is about love and giving will have an impact on me forever. I know this isn't about me, but to remember my family and to love them in such a way impacts me personally and I am deeply grateful.

I didn't write my previous posts hoping to secure any friendships, sympathies, or services. I wrote it because I think we have become a selfish, entitled and judgmental people. We have some how come to believe that because of our individual situations of having to do with out certain things that we are superior in some way. Not all are this way, but many are. There are those that think because they have had survived some things on their own, or because they got through something with out any help that that is how others should endure it. Women have found solace in criticizing each other through what is referred to as venting. There are comparisons laid out, and why one is superior to another, why one deserves what is happening, and how it is known better by others how to live another's life. What so many fail to realize is we ultimately did not survive anything "on our own". In the moments we feel to be so alone and moving forward with no assistance here in this mortal life is actually when the Savior carries us the most. Our circumstances vary in so many ways. Our emotions and how we internalize our lives and what happens to us is personal and very different. We have no right to so harshly judge and criticize others. It does not matter if we think some one's needs are justified or not. We have been reminded in our scriptures that we all are "beggars". (Mosiah 4:19) If the adversary can ease his way into our thoughts of one another, especially the women of the church, and create with in us jealousies, and malice, then one by one he can tear us apart. We will not all understand each other, and there will be many moments of frustration and misunderstandings with in our wards and stakes. Only the Lord can help us reconcile those differences of opinions.

I have been praying to know how to tactfully write about something I am faced with. I have it completely written candidly in my mind, but sometimes candid can be misunderstood.

When Ray was gone to basic training 18 months I had been told by the Lord to essentially end all social contact. I quit facebook, I closed my blog and I didn't answer phone calls from friends, I didn't respond in any way. I came to understand that the Lord wanted me to learn how to ultimately rely on him. It was very hard at first to not vent, or communicate within my normal social realms. With time though I found that he could better fill my voids. He could bless me with perspective and give me the strength to endure it all.

I had to rely essentially on people I didn't know that well for those 5 months he was gone. I did have contact with my sister-in-law Stephanie, my mother-in-law, the bishop and the relief society president.

For whatever reason, my health was not always the best while Ray was away. I ended up in the hospital every other week for various reasons. I have what is called ligamous laxity, which means that I have REALLY lose ligaments, and when I am pregnant they become like spaghetti noodles. Further along in pregnancy my joints actually grind together in my hip and back areas because the cartilage and ligaments become so thin. It is actually quite painful but once I have the baby it is reversed and my ligaments return to lose instead of transparent. I also experienced gall bladder problems which would cause uncontrollable vomiting and excruciating pain.

I was told by an individual that I should call if I ever had a need. The first two "needs" were outside jobs that were taken care of by the elder's quorum. When I asked for help doing a few tasks with in my home that required the bending and movement that was too painful for me I was told I was ungrateful. This person told me they wished they could ask for the same help, but she instead employed her children and just excepted what was. She told me I had not in anyway shown my appreciation for the help that had already been rendered, and that people in the ward were beginning to feel that I was taking advantage of them. I was immediately moved to tears. This woman's mother lives 5 minutes away. She has a husband who comes home to her everyday. She is saturated with family very close by. And the thank you....I didn't realize that services were dependent on the quality of my thank you. I was six months pregnant with my fifth. My kids unbeknowst to her were already doing more chores to help out because of my limitations. My husband was not just gone, but I only spoke with him about 5 to 10 minutes once a week, the rest of our communication happened in letters. My mother is not a part of my life. My sister in law has five kids and lives 45 minutes away. And even if I was in contact with my friends, the closest friend lives 90 minutes away. None of that was what mattered to me though. This woman obviously had a problem with me and I didn't even really know her. She was put in a position of trust and leadership, she was someone I was supposed to find refuge in, and instead I found insult and disdain. She hated me and I felt it the entire time my husband was gone.

One night I called out of desperation someone other than the bishop because he already helped so much, because I had been vomiting all day and was now throwing up blood clots and I really needed to get to the hospital. I was told that they could not help because they had hairs cuts they had to do that evening.

I didn't send out any thank you cards for any help that was given to me while he was away. Honestly I never thought about it. I had told them to their faces how much I appreciated their help. And really I was going through something so hard that I felt like I was doing good to be functioning. When I reflect on that time my heart aches. I was judged. Some of the judgments were told to my face, others I could just feel. Over and over I was told "call if you need anything" and I would and then I was told why the need could not be met, or how the person felt I could actually take care of it on my own, or how they just live with out the need being met, or a suggestion as to calling my sister-in-law. I felt like know one took a minute to try to see life through my eyes, instead I was told what to see.

Then this year, new leadership but same old same old.

So here I am. I am 31 weeks pregnant. My husband is once again gone. Stephanie is actually even more tied up than before because her sister's, Rachel, baby has leukemia at six months old and so she helps out with Rachel's three older girls. These past couple of days my blood pressure has been elevated and today is was high. I had toxemia with Aspen, and so I could very easily get it again. On my way to the doctors today I cried the whole way. I didn't want it to be so high that they sent me to the hospital. When I go to the doc I leave some home and take some with me, so as to not inconvenience anyone. I have a fear, a deep and overwhelming fear of having to ask for any help. I don't think I could handle another 'rejection' in regards to my needs. Maybe people have an opinion about my needs. Maybe they think they could be avoided, or I 'should' do this or I 'should' do that. But the last time I checked every Sunday we make covenant to take upon us the name of our Savior, and I KNOW he is not judging me.

I have been praying all day that the Lord would stay any hike in my blood pressure until Ray returns next Saturday. Over and over today I heard the words of one who has been called to lead, that I have been the most needy out of every one in this ward and that I have exhausted those resources. If 12 hours of service after my tonsillectomy exhausted resources I can't even imagine what me being hospitalized for toxemia or high blood pressure would do.

I don't need hand outs. I don't want pity either. But just a little sincere Christ-like love and service and concern would go along way. I am not so narcissistic as to think they everyone should drop their lives for me. I just ask to be loved and cared for in the same manner that anyone would want to be. In the end our opinions won't matter. The Lord is never going to ask you what you though about so and so and all those dinners you brought. He is just going to allow you the chance to see where your heart was at each and every time you served. Service isn't about agreement or liking or approving of the services being rendered is about our heart and what direction it is ultimately facing.

When your husband, your best friend is gone there is a hole in your life. Well at least in mine. My husband and I 'talk' all day, whether through emails or texts or on the phone. This training has felt like when he was at basic because there has been minimal contact. The other night I was talking with Heavenly Father and I asked him just how exactly do I endure the loneliness of not having my best friend with me all the time? Not just now but over the next year and a half. I asked to be able to see things through his eyes.

The thought that came to me was that I was approaching the situation as if he was gone gone, out of reach, almost like a break up. The Lord showed me that I though we would be miles apart we could still feel very much a part of each others life. I can't really describe how I saw it in my mind, but it was comforting to realize that though we would be a part this is our life together. These kids are OUR kids, this is OUR home, and OUR life.

The loneliness is just inevitable to a certain extent. I learned a lot when he was gone to basic about enduring loneliness. There is no amount of television, or phone conversations, or shopping, or eating, or any worldly distract to really mend the heart when it is lonely. Only God himself can do that. I know that if I lose myself in my children and other people that the Lord can bless me. I notice it even now when misery is begging for its own attention. I have to purposely look at my children and pray to see them through the Lord's eyes and look at what they are really in need of. Loneliness, misery and their friends offer incredible rationals about why you are entitled to meet your needs first. But if you reflect and look deep into your heart, your needs are better met when you meet another's first. Service offers eternal perspective and true clarity into your life.

It is a very weird feeling to be discussing with my children my husband's future absence next year. The Lord is giving us an opportunity to prepare over the next seven to eight months. Each month Ray will gone for a period time either two weeks or the whole month. When he left for a training a few days ago I cried for the first day or so. Not so much because I miss him, because oh I do, but because I can't imagine a whole year with him gone a million miles away.

And just to get this off my chest, to any weird crazies who may stumble upon my blog. Before you get any jazzy ideas about seeking out a woman alone with her children, please understand something. I shoot on sight, no questions asked, and the best part I shoot to kill. I have been a victim before and never again. So come if you must, but you will leave my house in body bag :)

Now that I have that taken care of.

The first night he was gone last week I lay in bed just bawling. I asked the Lord why? Why take my husband so much and then for so long. My heart filled with the spirit and I knew in my heart at that moment it wasn't about me, it was about Ray. This is for his future. I recognized too in that moment that though we are married, we each have our personal missions here on this earth. It is our obligation and opportunity to stand by one another during our personal and united endeavors. The Lord has a plan for my husband and our family. I have faith in that and I will trust in the Lord and let him lead our family.

Trusting the Lord is an interesting matter. I don't know how things are going to work out. I can't imagine a year with out the love of my life. At some point next year I will need to move, and we still don't know where we will be moving. And there aren't many windows of opportunity for moving with as much as he is coming and going and still working a civilian job. I will have a baby sometime at the first of the year, and he will be gone all but two weeks of the first three months of the baby's life. I don't feel scared though. I don't feel panicked or worried. When the Lord requires hard things of us he blesses us through our faith and obedience to be able to endure it. I don't think this will all be easy, but I have an opportunity to witness his hand daily in my life. Though there will be days that hard, he will compensate me 100 fold on other days. He always has. The Lord, my Savior has never failed me. He has been my one true constant in life. I know that I can count on him, and that is enough for me.

This time last week I was not ready for this adventure. I have determined that you can't ever be ready for something like this. I can however prepare everyday for the next day. I can let go and trust in the Lord, and trust that he has a plan and a purpose for my life and my family's life. I know he will stand by me and at times even carry me over this next year and a half.

I feel happy today. I feel hopeful. I think I could even say I feel excited about life. I know these feelings are a blessing from my Heavenly Father. I am going to need more of this in the months and even weeks to come.

Ray will be gone two to three weeks of every month until he leaves next July starting next month. He has been my greatest strength and stability during this pregnancy. He will only be gone for 12 days in December but at 8 months prego 12 days can feel like 12 months. The Lord has promised me help and I believe him.

That help may or may not be in the form of a person. He could provide me yet another miracle in my life where I have the energy and ability necessary to care for my children during that time. Or he could bless my children to be able to better help me and bless our lives that the time goes quickly and we don't feel the burden of having Ray gone. How the help comes does not matter to me I just look forward to once again seeing the hand of the Lord in my life.

I feel peaceful about Ray being gone so much. The Lord has said in one of my blessings that these trainings and Ray's deployment are the means to our relief from this financial distress. I have to trust that. Although it is hard for me to see exactly how all this will work together for our good I know that the Lord does not lie. He blessed me and carried me while Ray was gone last year, and I grew spiritually. I know the same can happen again this time. He will bless me and I will learn incredible wonderful things.

I don't think it will all be a cake walk and I know that there will be lots of moments where my heart will ache and I will long for comfort and relief from it all and to have my husband with me more. I also know though that it is in those moments when I will feel my Savior's love more strongly than any others. I know that it is in those moments when my testimony is refined and I grow.

I am not afraid of what is ahead because I know my Heavenly Father and my Savior will be there with me every step of the way. I am not afraid of what I don't know about when my baby will come, or where or when we will move because I know that the Lord already knows and when it is time I will know too. I am not afraid to hurt because in hurting I grow closer to my Heavenly Father because he is who I can turn to. I am not afraid of anything hard this mortal life might present to me because Jesus is the Christ and in Him I find my peace.

A year ago on November 12th my husband lay asleep and I was just dozing off. The next day he would be assisting his grandfather in shooting the cows to be butchered. I was to meet a friend for lunch at her house with my kids.

I don't remember falling asleep necessarily but I do remember seeing in my mind my minivan rolling over and over with my children and I in it on the freeway. I sat up in bed. I didn't feel scared. My thoughts turned towards my heavenly Father. I felt impressed to write a note to Ray, a good bye note. So I did. I cried but I felt so peaceful. I told him how much I loved him and why I loved him. I told him if I died what I wanted done with the kids and such. I told him that if he was reading it that it was because I died in a car crash the next day in which the van flipped. I went to sleep promptly after.

I don't remember dwelling on it. In fact I slept fine. When I awoke the next morning to nurse Arwyn I was overcome with emotion. I didn't want to die. I wanted to be a mother and a wife. Ray had already left. I sat there with my baby sobbing. I didn't want to leave her. I didn't want to miss any of her life or my other children. I prayed. I read my scriptures and I talked openly with God. I told him if I had a choice then I wanted to live. I told him that I had not yet born my testimony sufficiently like I wanted to and that I wasn't done being a mother. I told him that I wanted to be the one to raise my children and teach them the gospel and the things of life. At one point that morning I concluded to not go, almost in that instant I heard a 'voice' in my mind declare " Do Not interfere with the will of the Lord". It was strong and undeniable. I would never and will never go against the Lord, so I continued to prepare to leave and prayed mightily.

I cried as I helped each of my children get ready. With each one I pleaded more fervently for the Lord to allow me to stay with them.

We got in the van and headed off. I turned on my "Greater Than Us All" cd and kept praying. I prayed with a sense of urgency those first 30 minutes of the trip, it was to be an hour long drive. I remember feeling like I had done all that I could. I had shared with the Lord my honest desires of wanting to stay with my children, and of wanting to continue to share my testimony, now I had to let go and trust him.

In that moment that I had "let go" I remember seeing this red car following too closely to another and thinking it a waist of time. 'Just go around them' was my thought. That 'red car' would later be the car that would hit me. I was on the free way and in the fast lane next to the HOV.

A bit further down the freeway I looked in my mirror to see if anyone was in the HOV. All clear. I signal and move to that lane. I glanced up at the mirror and see this car moving quickly so I tap my brakes to signal I am not going as fast. The car instead sped up and in that instant I knew he was going to hit us.

I swerved into the other lane to try to avoid being hit and braced for impact. It all happened in what felt like slow motion. He rammed the van on the left rear side. All the windows in the back and sides blew out upon impact. I felt the van rock side to side as my hands clung to the steering wheel. My children were screaming and crying.

After making contact he continued forward at the same speed right past me. I remember turning my head and seeing his face as he looked coldly forward as if nothing even happened.

I don't remember driving to the side of the road. I don't remember even getting out of my van. I just remember feeling so numb. Immediately my mind began rehearsing the accident. We were supposed to flip. I felt it. I knew it was coming, I braced for it but we never did.

I stood there crying as people were asking me questions that I couldn't hear because my head was spinning. I am not dead. My kids aren't dead. But why did that man just hit me? He hit me on purpose. He hit me like he didn't care. He could have killed us. I went from sad to mad and back again.

The trooper who assisted us would later tell me that the man went on to hit two more vehicles. He critically injured two people, and he would later die from his injuries. After hitting the last car he hit a concrete barrier head on.

I had so many emotions over the next little while. I was grateful to be a live, and humbled in a way that there are no words for. I had felt my van rock side to side. The sounds of the metal crushing and the windows shattering echoed in my head. The metal was crushed right up to the gas tank, but it was left with no damage. There was a huge pointed peace of metal that was literally a hair's length away from puncturing my left rear tire which would have increased our risk of injury had it actually punctured the tire at the rate of speed we were going. The Lord had spared my life and possibly the lives of my children.

I wanted to internalize that. I wanted to be aware of just what that really meant. I wanted to really be grateful for what the Lord had done for me.

Maybe my life was never going to end. Maybe the Lord's will was to always spare me. I will never know, nor do I care if I ever know. He allowed me an incredible learning opportunity. I had a chance to internalize why I really wanted to be here on this earth and what I wanted to do with my life. I had to the chance to verbalize those thoughts and emotions to my father in heaven and to plead my cause to him further impressing upon my soul my truest desires. I had an opportunity to truly let go and trust him and have faith in whatever was to be his will. A peace that is only learned in life's trials.

I was able to "see" during the accident His hand, literally and it has forever changed my life.

I would say that nothing is happening in my life, but from the outside looking in that could very well not be true.

Everyday I homeschool my children. Every day I believe I say the same things; "please unload the dishwasher", "the school room and living room need to be picked up", etc. Every morning before actually doing anything I listen to the same music. First "As Sisters in Zion, We will bring the world his truth" medley and then the Reflections of Christ cd. I will only sit and listen to the first few songs and then get up and make breakfast or whatever while listening to the rest. I try to clear my head of my doubts and negative thoughts. I try to see my life through the Lord's eyes for that moment each day. I usually pray while sitting there that I will not be so caught up in what I want to get done that I miss what needs to be done. I never want to miss a moment to teach or nurture my children outside of their secular needs. My girls usually start their school work before I am done getting ready for the day. Once I am ready I sit with baby Ray and we do math and work on letters. He catches on really fast. He loves me reading to him and I love how intently he listens. The girls will ask questions about their work and sometimes I have to help them. Alora and I will read together at some point. She and baby Ray will both work on hand writing together. I like when she helps him work on a letter or a number. Usually Alexa will jump in and ask to learn something so either I will help her or one of the older girls will 'teach' her for a minute then get back to their work. Arwyn either naps or plays while we do school. She is often in some one's lap benefiting from their reading or 'helping' them do math.

Some where in there we have lunch. Some days it is an actual meal; i.e. mac and cheese with nuggets and salad or some veggie. Other days it is sandwiches, or cereal or left overs. The kids want hot chocolate for lunch today :) Some times we watch Matlock for an after noon flick. Ray's grandma would be proud. Usually by three we are officially done with everyone and their school.

It's a free for all after that. Maybe I take a nap. Maybe the kids have more chores to do. Maybe Ray is home and we run errands or play together. Some evenings there is a dance class for Alora, or horse lessons for Aspen, or the fam is going to the arena for roping and riding with neighbors.

Dinner is usually Ray's time to shine. He has been our newly assigned cook and he does a great job. Enchilada's, tator tot casserole, soups and desserts all courtesy of skills he has acquired from working with ShirleyJ.

Bedtime is crazy. Almost laughable. There is always a measure of confusion as if it the first time they have ever gone to bed :) We read scriptures and have family prayer and then each child gets a short story read to them in their respective rooms; baby Ray, the little girls and the big girls. People usually surface to "ask" something "really quick". Sometimes I wonder if they are just checking to make sure we didn't skip out on them :)

Ray and I will retire at some point to our room where we talk. I usually talk more than more him, but we both talk. We discuss the next day, things that happened during the day, our likes dislikes about different things or even our ideas about our life or ideas in general. We like to dream together about where life will take us, what could happen or not, and sometimes we dream big and ask questions to each other like "what if you had ___?" or "if you could live anywhere?".

He always falls asleep first. I usually read Jesus the Christ or my scriptures again to help clear my head and prepare me for a restful slumber, sometimes I write in my journal if I didn't earlier that morning. Sometimes because Ray is asleep I will talk out loud to Heavenly Father like he is right there beside my bed.

The same things seem to happen every week, our little family moving along one learning step stone at a time. I am trying to be patient with my exhaustion and I am trying to clear my head of what I think should be so that I can see what the Lord sees. I am learning a lot about letting go and being in the moment with my children and my husband each day. Early next year I will have another baby and at some point I will start having more energy and I will be anxious to "do" more with my time. I hope that I will have learned what I need to at this time so as to make better use of my time spiritually and physically. We will at some point make enough money to support ourselves and that burden will be relieved as well. I hope that I will have learned, and that I will be grateful to my Father in Heaven for the blessings. I hope I don't forget. I hope I serve more, and love more. I hope that I can forever have His eternal perspective on my life.

Why do you do what you do? Why do you wake up in the morning? What do you consider before slumber each night? What motivates you? What drives your decisions?

Have you ever considered eternity with Heavenly Father and our Savior? Have you considered the "day in and day out" of the eternities? What will we do?

Serve. Every moment of eternity is service. Even in the moments when we are learning, someone will be serving us, only for us to turn right around and teach someone else and serve them.

The adversary would seek to distract us from what we are ultimately working towards. We frequently have lessons in church on the distractions we face each day. For each of us the distractions are different, but what are each of us doing to be aware of these distractions so that we may remain focused on our eternal task? And is that awareness even important to you?

The Lord sent us here to ultimately return to him. We came to prove our loyalty and preserve our place with him in heaven. What are we doing each day to do that?

Let's say you have read your scriptures and had your morning prayers. Now what? Where do your thoughts linger? What types of conversation do you seek out? What types of entertainment? Do you "look" for your Savior through out your day? What drives your accomplishments for the day? Who is your task master? What feelings do you seek to have at the end of the day? Or do you even pay attention to your feelings? Do you just exist, floating from one thing to another? Do you avoid thinking too deeply for fear of the guilt that encompasses you of all that you are not doing or should be doing?

How many excuses do you make about why you aren't as "spiritual" as you could be? How bad do you want to see your Savior when he returns? What discomforts are you willing to endure both physical and emotional to improve yourself now so that you may?

What really is your best? I think often we excuse ourselves with the thought that we are doing our best. The adversary is doing more than his best. He breaks his neck, figuratively speaking, trying to bring down the women of this world. And not always with the so obvious 'sins' of the world. If he can keep you discouraged, avoidant, and distracted then we finish the rest so easily. If he can keep us from having a real, sincere and connected relationship with our Father in heaven and our Savior then he build wedges in every aspect of our lives.

The Lord wants us just as we are, completely imperfect and 'failing'. He knows why you don't read your scriptures every day. He knows why you avoid praying right now, really praying, the heart felt kind. He knows that you lost your patience and said things you didn't mean. He knows why you don't like "her" or "him". He knows how fragile you really are. He knows that you really do want to be close to him, and he wants to show YOU how YOU can do it.

The Savior is our advocate. He is our cheerleader. He knows us better than we know ourselves. There is nothing is this world that could ever validate you or fulfill your need for love and comfort like He can. He might not ever tell you how qualified you were to say that quite witty cutting remark, but he knows just how bad that person hurt your heart causing you to react in such a way. He not only knows but he wants to heal you, to take that sting, so that you can have his peace in your heart. He does not care how imperfect we are when we come to him, he just wants us to come.

Our prayers do not have be eloquent or wordy and I am sure if you forget 'thee' and 'thou' he can still hear you. It is our hearts he wants, the deepest parts of our soul. Please as you go through your week consider where you are going and how you are getting there.