Jared

Jared is one of my friends from when I first joined the singles ward. I honestly can't tell you exactly when or how we became friends but lots of my memories from the Orchard 14th ward involve him. A couple years ago Jared married the sweetest girl, Rachael and moved on from the singles ward, 6 months ago they a had a sweet baby girl. 

This morning I got news that Jared passed away. Even as I sit here writing this I can't come up with the right words to express how I feel. We weren't the closest of friends, and only rarely talked after he got married. I'd just talked to him about applying to work at a bank he'd previously worked for two weeks ago. 

It's not something that seems real right now. My heart is completely broken for his family, especially his sweet wife and baby girl. Jared was a great person and I can honestly say I can't recall a time that he wasn't smiling. He was always happy. And I'm glad I can remember him that way. 

Peters Birthday

This weekend we celebrated Peter's birthday with a mustache  party! Here's just a few pictures of all the silliness that happened! 

                                                   

Love Shannon's Photo bomb in the back!

                                         

                                                

Peter's Bedroom ceiling is covered in mirrors!

                                        

                                          

Photo-bombing Peter!

A Month of Gratitude

I often forget exactly how much I have to be grateful for. I don't know if I ever fully appreciate all that I have been blessed with. I think we all often get caught up with life and tend to take things for granted.

“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us - and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. 
Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.” 
― Thomas Merton

Sometimes we need to stop and look around us and realize all the God has given us. Sometimes we have to work hard for our blessings, but God has given us the ability to do so. Sometimes we have to sacrifice before they come, but He has given us the strength to overcome obstacles that were put in our path.

Most people don't see trials as a blessing, but I see them as one of our greatest blessings. Nothing else will ever show us just how strong we are. Nothing else will ever show us who we truly are. Nothing else will show us who our friends truly are. Who is willing to stand by us when times get hard and we need extra support. I am grateful for every trial I have ever been given. They have made me who I am and have brought some amazing people into my life. I have moments of "what ifs" that I quickly push aside and think about all the great and wonderful people who would not be in my life if it weren't for the trials I had been given to overcome in this life.

Trials bring us closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior. They show us how deep their love truly is, if we just fall to our knees and let them comfort us in our weakest moments. I am grateful to know that no matter what they love me unconditionally. 

“We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” 

― Neal A. Maxwell

The only way to make our blessings count is to show our gratitude for them.

My goal is to blog every day about things I am grateful for. I highly doubt I will keep this up for long (because I always fall behind on these.) But I really am going to try!

So what are you most grateful for?

Sometimes Things Just Come Together

I honestly thought today was going to be horrible. One of those days where nothing goes the way you want it to and you can't do anything right. 

I woke up with a horrible migraine and was running late to work because of it.

It's a Monday.

'Nuff said right?

I am working on planning a fundraiser for my friend Julie from high school who this summer had her first baby. A week later, as she was learning the ropes of motherhood, she began to have symptoms of a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in her lung), and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, they did a CT scan and, very unexpectedly, discovered a mass in her lung.

Over the next two weeks, she saw some specialists and had a bronchoscopy and biopsy done. Finally, after a month and a half of worry since they first found the mass, she was given the diagnosis of lung cancer. She has a very rare type of tumor called a lung carcinoid.

I know from personal experience how fast medical bills can add up and how stressful they can be. She has enough to worry about with being a mom that if I can ease just a little of that stress, I will do whatever I can to help.

So I started working on planning something for November. And no ideas were coming. I have been thinking and thinking for the past week of what I can do. Finally the idea came to me. Christmas is coming up on us fast. I work in a toy store where we will be hosting the event. Santa Claus! Its perfect! I posted on Facebook asking if anyone knew of a Santa who would be willing to help out at a fundraiser. My friend posted a link to a fb page of a guy who plays Santa locally. I messaged him and he was unable to help, but suggested a friend of his who might be able to. Guess what? He agreed instantly. I thought this was going to take days to find a Santa who was available in November to give of his time to help with this.

So November 16th Santa Claus will be taking pictures with kids at my work for a donation. He will also be doing a special story time before hand that will cost a couple dollars to get into. All money will go to Julie and her little family to pay all her medical bills.

I am also working getting together a few baskets from local companies to raffle off. So if you have a small locally owned company and would like to donate let me know! Anything helps!

It may not seem like much but I am so grateful today about how smoothly this is all coming together!

Starting Over

I have been wanting to start blogging again. But I wanted to start over completely. From scratch. I have been trying to come up with the "perfect" blog name for a couple months now. Every time I would finally think of one, it was taken. But today  I finally found a title I love. Love Outside The Lines. I was listening to a new song by country singer Megan James, a beautiful song about not holding back and dreaming big. Dreaming in cotton candy skies. (More about that later). 

 I thought for sure this would be one that was already taken. But yay for me it was available. I am really excited about this. I wanted a blog title that meant something. That was inspiring. Even if it was only that way to me. I'm not a great writer, I know this. This is something more just for me. To blog about what inspires me, and if I just happen to inspire someone else along the way, I'd be okay with that. :) 

So I hope you will follow me as a navigate the ups and downs of this thing we call life!