Leaving the YSA Ward

“Translation guide” for people who are not familiar with LDS lingo:

LDS = refers to the Church or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also commonly referred to as Mormons

YSA = Young Single Adult (LDS program for Single people ages 18-30)

SA = Single Adult (LDS program for Single people ages 31+)

Ward = LDS Congregation

Family Ward = Regular ward that includes people of all ages. Members are assigned to a particular ward based on where they live. 

  

Most people in the LDS church do not plan to turn 31 single. Especially if they attend a YSA ward. One of the purposes of YSA wards, which I personally believe to be a good purpose, is for single people of similar ages to meet others of the opposite gender and more specifically to find someone to marry. When you turn 31 and no longer fit in the YSA category it is easy to feel like you failed the YSA program, failed expectations others have of you and failed yourself. 

In the church most things and ideas are based on doctrine, others stem from policy and organizational practices and a few are based on what can be defined as LDS culture. The importance of marriage and family is based on doctrine. Being weird because you’re single at 31 is based on culture.

For me marriage and family are important, which is why I have a degree in Human Ecology with a major in Family Ecology and minor in Child and Youth studies. I feel that the right time to get married is different for everyone. What is too young? What is too old? How long should you date before you get married? How long should you wait to have children? I think that is up to individuals and couples to determine for themselves. For me, I feel that I would have been “ready” to get married a long time ago but it hasn't happened yet.

There have been times I have been interested in a guy who hasn't been interested in me. Other times there have been guys who have been interested in me and I haven’t been interested in him. It’s just part of dating. It can be frustrating but it’s just the way it is and it’s normal. In the meantime, I will keep watching fairytale's waiting for that magic moment where someone I “like”, “likes” me too.

When I think about my dream job, it is being a Mom and as the years go on it is hard for me to think about the possibility of not having children. Although, I know that I am not at the point where I need to give up on that dream but like many other women my age I do feel more pressure. I just keep telling myself that both of my grandmothers and Mom had children into their thirties and early forties.

I have recently read a couple of blog articles calling awareness to more sensitivity among people who are single or couples who are childless. I do understand that it can be hard to know how someone might be feeling when you have not experienced their trial but I think that everyone, myself included, could be more sensitive and understanding in their remarks or comments they make about why someone is single or when so and so will have children. Being more kind and compassionate is something that everyone can work towards. I should say though that I love it when people I know are getting married or having babies. For me, it is the highlight of looking through my Facebook news feed.

Making the transition from a YSA ward to a Family Ward is something I have been preparing myself for the past year. I decided that I would go to the Family ward as soon as I turned 31, I decided it would be a good time to go because the new students would be moving in at that time. Also, as I mentioned in my last blog article, I do see this time as a time for change and setting new goals. However, once summer started I wondered if I was ready to make that transition and continued to go back and forth on whether I should stay a while longer as some people do. 

A couple of weeks before my birthday I decided that the Sunday after my birthday would be my last Sunday in the YSA ward but even then I went back and forth. What contributed to that decision was that all summer people had been asking me when I was planning on leaving. The sensitive part of me thought, “Well, I guess people don’t want me here any more. ” While, the more rational part of me thought that there must be some reason for asking whether as a way to start small talk or planning for Visit Teaching routes. However, going back to the idea of sensitivity regarding the issue of moving on from the YSA ward, maybe it’s not the best way to ask. If it is for a logistic reason it may be a good idea to state the reason for asking.    

On my last Sunday in the ward my Bishop did tell me that I could stay in the ward awhile longer if I wanted to. I briefly thought about it but decided it was too late to change my mind. I though about it a bit more later and asked myself if I were to stay, when would I leave? In a month or two? In the New Year? In a Year? 

Part of me felt I was ready to move on but part of me still wanted to stay with the familiarity of the YSA ward. That feeling has continued throughout the past week and during and after attending my first meetings in the family ward. I have made a “transition plan” for myself which includes continuing to attend YSA and Institute activities along with the Family Ward activities. I feel that it would be hard to go from going to almost everything to going to nothing. I will also continue to be involved with the mid-singles group which is a non-official group for singles 25ish to 37ish and maybe I will make it to SA activities from time to time. I am not sure if I am ready for that. I already have an issue with much older men approaching me; I don’t think I need to put myself in situations to encourage that.

On Labour Day Monday I signed on to the Institute webpage to sign up for a class and a disclaimer came up asking that anyone over 30 wanting to take an institute class needed to contact the Institute office. I had been 31 for less than a week and was already feeling bad. I really love the institute program and hoped that I could still attend. I wondered if I should just show up, maybe sit in the back and not write my name on the class roll. During the Institute open house last week I was talking to the Institute Director and he assured me that I was welcome and wanted at institute. It really did make me feel better about the situation and I am glad I had that opportunity to talk with him.

I took the opportunity to go to several YSA and Institute activities this past week and I had a lot of fun and good experiences. On Saturday, I had an opportunity to attend two convert baptisms. One for my new Family Ward and one for my YSA ward. The first baptism I went to was for a new friend I had met at Institute over the summer who attends the Family Ward I was moving in to. While there I met a few new people and I mentioned to them that I was moving in to the Ward.

The next day at church one of the ladies I met gave me a plate of cinnamon buns which I thought was really sweet. There were a few others who also helped me to feel welcome which I appreciated. I also got to hold babies and talk to people I hadn't seen in awhile. Maybe Family Ward won’t be so bad after all. There is also a Corn Bust this week that I am super excited about! I haven’t been to a Ward Corn Bust since I lived in BC. 

During the worship services, which we refer to as Sacrament Meeting, the topic of the talks was humility. I thought it was a fitting topic for me to hear that day. Although I am not at a point in my life that I would like to be at I do have the opportunity to do much good, in my own life and in the lives of others. I don’t ever want to be so focused on what I want or don't have that I am missing out on other opportunities, especially opportunities to serve others.

In the evening I attended the CES Broadcast where Elder Nelson spoke on making choices. One of the things he said was that establishing priorities in your life will help you in making choices. I thought back to my youth and my desires at that time. I determined that my main priority was to serve a mission for my church and that nothing would stop me. As I approached my 21^st birthday, the age a woman could serve a mission, I felt that this was something I should pray about. As I prayed I felt that I needed to evaluate what my priorities should be. As I studied my patriarchal blessing, scriptures and continued to pray about the decision I determined that my main priority should be preparing for marriage. At the time I saw getting married as a someday priority. I determined at that moment that it would be more of a priority. Next to my desire to live with God again and have Eternal life, it is my greatest desire. Not just so I can have children but to have a companion to live and enjoy life, and eternity, with. Someone to share my hopes and dreams with and for me to share in his hopes and dreams. Someone to love and someone to love me.  

The answers to that period of study and prayer also included focusing on education and participating in missionary work in my ward and in the areas I live in. Although, I could have served several missions in the past ten years I know that if I strive to continue on the path that Heavenly Father has prepared for me and focus on doing His work that I will be blessed for that. I just need to continue having faith and patience. I also like to live by the motto of being happy with where I am at now and I do feel that I am a genuinely happy person. Sure there are times where I feel sad, upset or annoyed but who doesn't? I feel that the important thing is to not dwell on the negative and look to the future with a positive outlook which is what I intend to continue doing. 

A Year of Goals

I was listening to the radio today where a radio host was discussing the idea of September being the new “new year” and a time for setting goals and resolutions. For almost as long as I can remember I have used my birthday as a marker for setting and achieving goals. To me the end of August/ beginning of September seemed like a good time to set goals and monitor progress. Maybe with the leaves changing colour it seems to be a good time for me to look at what changes I can make in my life. Also, for many of these years I was getting ready to go back to school
which also the beginning of a new year and makes for a good opportunity to set goals. Now I work for a school and involved in program planning and goal setting prior to the start of the school year.
 For me continuing to make educational, personal and spiritual progress is important.

I am a goal and resolution setter. I like checking things off to-do lists, I like making positive changes and I love the feeling of achieving goals that I have set. I had a lot of fun accomplishing the 30 things I wrote on my lists before my birthday last year. I love that I have family and friends that showed interest in my list and enjoyed having some of them join me in accomplishing my goals. It really was a fun year!

Thinking about the title of my blog, “Thirty, Flirty and Thriving” I feel that many of the goals allowed me to thrive. There are also a couple that were perhaps attempts at being more flirty, not sure how good I am at that though ... haha.

While I don’t have a list of 31 things for this year, I do have a few goals set. One of them being to have my student loan paid off. I will, however, still write in this blog from time to time. 

30. Complete the 2012 page for the Family Scrapbook

I made it! I completed this scrapbook page and checked off the last thing left on my list, with a couple of hours to spare. Scrapbooking is a hobby of mine but not something I do as much as I used to. It can be time consuming and costly, which is why I decided a couple of years ago to put together a family scrapbook album with a page (or two) for each year to feature the family highlights of that year.

I am excited to work more on this album to record family memories and watch our family grow year by year. When I went home last month, I was able to bring a bunch of photos back with me and hoping there will be enough to work on several more years of pages. I now have the last five years completed ... just twenty-five more to go.

29. Buy a New Dress

I like wearing dresses, mainly to church and special events, but often find it hard to find a dress I like. This is mostly because I want a dress that is at least knee length, with a higher neckline and sleeves; which can be pretty hard to find. When I went to Utah, I looked around for dresses there as they have a good selection of modest clothing but didn't find anything that I really loved.

In late spring, I was at a mall just browsing when I went into Jacob and saw a dress that I fell in love with. I thought it was really pretty and would go well with any season. I am currently looking for a yellow cardigan to go with the dress to wear in cooler weather.

Jacob can be pricey but if you wait for sales you can usually get a good deal. Although, I find that for me it can sometimes be a gamble as it seems my size sells out quickly. It worked out well for me this time when I went back a few weeks later and bought the dress. I wore it for a photo shoot with an aspiring photographer who is starting up her own business. It was a fun photo shoot that also included a friend of mine who is a model; she helped us with posing and looking good in front of the camera. I haven’t gotten those photos yet but when I do I will update this post with a photo. 

28. Get Published

As evident (I hope) by my blogs, I enjoy writing. In High School I wrote for our school paper as well as a regional student paper and I loved seeing my articles get published. I decided to set a goal of getting an article published this year but because I waited too long  to start working on this goal I ended up just writing an article for my community newsletter, “The Riverdalian”. I wasn't sure if it would be chosen for publication but I got an email yesterday letting me know that my article will be in the September issue. Whew, that was close.

The article I wrote also includes another side project I had been working on this past year where I took a picture of the same spot of the river that runs through my community on or close to the first day of each season. It is pretty neat to see the changes as we turn from season to season and to find beauty in each season. Once published, you will be able to find it here:  http://www.riverdalians.net/league.php At the side bar you will find links to issues of the Riverdalian, it will be the 2013-09 issue.

My backup plan was going to be having a picture of me with two of nieces published in Utah’s home-schooling Newsletter. My sister submitted it for their section of what some of the children did during Spring Break. Here is a snapshot of the section we are featured in:   

27. Organize a Service Project

When I came across the Billion Graves website I thought it would be a cool project to do for this goal I had. What is “Billion Graves”? Basically there are 2 parts to it: an app and a website. The app can be download onto your smart phone or tablet and uses GPS coordinates to locate the cemetery you are at and takes photos of headstones linked to its specific GPS coordinates. The photos are then uploaded onto the website where they can be transcribed by yourself or other users.

Once the image is available to locate in the cemetery someone searching for the individual named on the Headstone can find exactly where in the cemetery that person is buried. This is awesome because I know how long it can take to find someone that you are looking for. I have spent many hours walking through cemeteries on trips to Scotland, England and Manitoba looking for my ancestors. Some we have been able to find pretty quick, some took some looking around, while others could not be found.

What makes this a great service project is that we have the opportunity to help people outside of where we live find someone they are looking for while someone else can serve us by working on the same project in a cemetery where someone we are looking for may be buried. Another awesome thing about this project is that you can link the individual to your family tree on Familysearch.

In organizing this particular project for this evening I talked with the people in my ward (church congregation) over the FHE program if this was something we could do for our Monday evening activity. For those of you who might not know what that is, in my church members are encouraged to set aside Mondays as a family night or Family Home Evening (FHE). In my ward most people are students and live away from home so we are encouraged to join together as a ward or break off into smaller groups for an evening that includes a spiritual message, activity and refreshments.

Most of the people who joined in for the Service Project

I was really happy that we got a great turnout for this activity at the Edmonton Cemetery and it seemed that everyone enjoyed their time. Although, not all of us were able to take pictures on our phones due to a weak GPS signal. Personally, mine ranged from very bad to medium which was not good enough to take a photo. In the last 5 minutes of the activity, all of a sudden I got a “good” signal and was able to get two photos. I am glad that other people had more success though. I plan to go back another time and hopefully have a stronger GPS signal.

If you are looking for a service project to do on your own or with friends or family or your church group, scouting, girl guides or other group; I would encourage you to consider helping out with this project. I think it goes beyond just taking a photo to be transcribed. It’s taking the time to individually recognize someone who has passed on and acknowledging that at one time they lived and worked in the community you live in. It is also an opportunity to clear off some dirt, grass, branches or trash that may have ended up on the headstone and cleaning up  a bit which I also saw many people do. 

26. Watch All of the Disney Princess Movies

I have watched all of these movies at least a few times before but I have never watched all 11 Disney princess movies in a one year time span until last night. I love all of the Disney Princess movies and happy-ever-after endings!

The following are currently the official Disney Princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel and Merida (who officially became a Disney Princess in May of this year). Two new princesses, Anna and Elsa, are scheduled to join the line up with the release of Disney’s Frozen on November 27, 2013.

I watched all of the movies, except for Cinderella, with at least one other person which made completing this goal even more fun. Each person or group of people can be found in the picture gallery below.

I love the messages found in each of the Disney Princess movies. I love the stories of finding love and the importance of finding love, friendships and family relationships. I love the message of finding the good in people but also of being with people who are positive influences. I love the story line of good conquering evil. All of these movies encourage its viewers to follow their dreams, others also encourage us to take a step back and see what we really desire. The path we should take may actually be different than the one we are currently travelling on. Many of the storylines also encourage us to stand up for what we believe in. The princesses are often examples of being independent but also dependent which I think is important for people to realize. We are not meant to be alone and we are not meant to know everything or how to do everything. It is important to have others you can rely on and let others help you and serve you where needed. 

I could probably write an essay on each Disney Princess Movie and what we can learn from that movie. Next blog idea? hahaha. However, I would encourage each of you to choose one of these movies to watch and find a personal message from it. 

Watching "Snow White" with Linda, Kristine, Taylor and Barb (who took the picture)

Watching "Cinderella" while curled up in my blanket and knitting a scarf

Watching "Sleeping Beauty" with Katie and Kerry and their little niece, Emily. Emily's Mommy joined in for a bit too.  

Watching "The Little Mermaid" with Cassandra in Picture Butte

Watching "Beauty and the Beast" with Greg, Amanda, Frances, Jake and Linda. Hulda also came to watch her favourite Disney movie. 

Watching "Aladdin" with my adorable nieces: Rebekah, Sariah and Miriam who I think were just as excited about our movie snacks 

                                                       Watching "Pocahontas" with Stephanie, a descendent of Pocahontas!                            

Watching "Mulan" with my sister Mikayla while visiting my family at Christmas 

Watching "The Princess and the Frog" with Barb. The first one to be checked off! 

Watching "Tangled" with Linda and Kerrie and celebrating their birthdays which happen to be on the same day.

Watching "Brave" with Dallin, Alan and Amanda (there was someone else who didn't want to be in the picture so I don't know if I can publish his name but I will give you a clue, he kind of looks like Dallin.) 

25. See Everyone in My Family

There are a couple of things on my list that were changed slightly and this is one of them. The original goal was to have everyone in my family together at one time. It almost happened when everyone but one sister went to Utah over spring break. However, there is still a chance that it could still happen by the end of year. I changed the goal to see everyone in my family which was accomplished by mid-March but to make it a little more challenging I added in getting a picture taken with each person individually.

Here are pictures of me with each family member and a little write up about some things I love about that person. 

My Mom brought me into this world so I have to love her for that. J I enjoy the chats we have and I appreciate that she wants me to fulfill my dreams, desires and goals. One of my favourite memories with my mom as a child was making paper dolls. We would draw out the people and make clothes for them. She is pretty good at drawing. Something I admire about my mom is that she is a great example of a good visiting teacher. She not only does the standard once a month visit but keeps in constant contact and builds a friendship with those she visit teaches. That caring extends to others as well. She also has a Scottish accent which is pretty awesome and made the name Primrose cool before the “Hunger Games” did. 

   

One thing I love about my Dad is how much he loves to create memories for all of us and he loves it when we talk about good childhood memories. Last summer we were sitting in Dairy Queen and my Dad asked me if I wanted anything and I said no. I then started talking about how when I was a child and we had a DQ kids pack, I often got a dilly bar. Next thing I knew he bought me a dilly bar. Hahaha. Some of my most memorable gifts were the ones he made for me which includes a toy box and a doll house. I also appreciate all the spiders he saved me from. My Dad is a great example of a protector and a provider. He is also very caring and accepts many opportunities to serve without expecting anything in return. To me he is the real Duane "The Rock" Johnson. Ironically, he was a wrestler in High School. 

I wasn’t one of those children who asked for or expected a lot but I know that when I have needed or will ever need help, whether financially or in other ways, that my parents are there for me.  

I have the great blessing of being born a twin, she was born first and then about 7 minutes later I was born. Not only is Melissa my twin sister but she is my best friend.  We could never stay mad at each other for long and would often write apology notes to each other. I can’t believe how long we have lived apart now. It was hard for me when she first decided to move out on her own but I am happy for her and where she is at in her life and I am grateful for the beautiful children she has who call me Auntie. We talk on the phone at least once a week and keep up-to-date with our lives. I feel that I can relate to her the most out of everyone in my family and that even though we are at different stages in our lives that she understands where I am coming from and I feel that I too understand where she is coming from. We don’t agree on everything but I think we agree on the most important things.

I have lots of fun memories of my brother Craig. Melissa, Craig and I would often play together ... did you know that Barbie’s and Ninja Turtles can be friends? Craig also had quite the imagination and would make up game shows. He would be the host and Melissa and I would be the contestants.  When Alexandra was a baby he was the leader in making up puppet show skits for her. Craig doesn’t talk a lot on the phone but I really enjoy the talks we have in person. I enjoy hearing about his hopes and dreams and I hope that he will accomplish them.  

One of the things Melissa and I did fight over at 11 years old was our baby sister, Alexandra. Whose turn was it to hold her, feed her, etc. Who needs baby dolls when you have a real baby to help care for? At 19 years old, she is no longer a baby but is now an adult who is in college and driving. Alex has been a good resource as I prepare for my trip to Germany as she has take German language courses. I had fun hanging out with her for a bit last week. Although, she is an adult now, she is still my little sister and I still feel a need to protect her in some ways and I hope she can still look up to me as her big sister.  

   

Mikayla is the baby of the family who I have called my little princess since she was born. At 13 years old, she is not so little anymore, although I told her that she will always be my little princess. I was 17 when Mikayla was born and have been mistaken for her mom many times including this past Saturday at West Edmonton Mall. I have been there for many of her firsts: First time laughing (Alexandra and I were playing Go Go Stop), first time walking, first day of school and most recently I took her for her first pedicure. I had a lot of fun hanging out with her this past week and it makes me kind of sad that she is growing up but happy that she is able to be more independent. When I don’t know the meaning of an acronym or shortened word, I often ask Mikayla what the meaning is. Because of her I know that “jelly” means jealous and “YOLO” means “You Only Live Once”. Mikayla might not like me for saying this but one of the most precious moments of my recent trip home was when she asked me if I wanted to have a sleepover with her in her room. It made me feel loved; she really is such a sweet girl. Like Alex, I also feel the need to protect Miky and I want to be someone she can look up to. 

   

Jonathan (JJ) is my brother-in-law and so far my only in-law relative. He can be annoying at times but is mostly a pretty cool guy. What I love most about him is how happy he makes Melissa. I also admire his work ethic and how hard he works to provide for his family. I enjoy the times I have spent with him and really do enjoy talking to him. He knows he is smart so I don’t want to build up his ego too much but he really does have a wealth of knowledge which is one of the reasons I enjoy talking to him. I am also grateful for the times he drives to Salt Lake to pick me up at the airport.   

Sariah is my first niece and from the first time holding her at a week old I have loved being an Auntie. Sariah is probably the best person at making me feel loved. Recently she was telling me about someone who was visiting and she said “but I didn’t cry when (they) left, I only cry for you because you’re the best”. I also call my nieces my little princesses and Sariah is defiantly a little princess, in a good way. She loves watching princess movies and the colour pink ... just like me. J She even wore a princess crown in the family pictures we had taken last year. Sariah also loves to call family members and has become quite the conversationalist. She even knows when my lunch break is. I love it when she calls me and talking to this precious 7 year old. I also love how much she looks like me. 

Rebekah just turned 6 and I also love spending time with her. She is the little jokester of the family. I think it’s so cute when little kids tell jokes and also when they understand jokes that other people say. Every now and then I will talk to her on the phone and she will tell me that she is Sariah. I have learned though, that if I play along and pretend to believe that she is Sariah, she will tell me that she is Bekah. She also has so much energy that sometimes I get tired just watching her bounce and jump and run. Like Sariah, she also enjoys hugs and cuddles and likes princess-y things. Although, only 6 years old, Rebekah has developed an interest in Family History. Asking questions about her family tree and wanting to know how everyone is connected. I anticipate that she will be the genealogist of the next generation. 

Miriam is such a sweetheart and I love just cuddling with her and playing with ponies. She always makes me laugh too. She also loves to talk on the phone and I love how she says “Oh, hello Auntie”. She recently turned three years old and although she is tiny, she is feisty, she can stand her ground. I love her little personality! 

Over spring break I went to visit for 10 days and not only was I requested to sleep in their bunk bed but I had to have all three girls sleep next to me, which made for an interesting sleep. Although, I needed a massage when I got back home I was kind of sad to have to sleep by myself, not have anyone demand all of my attention and I even missed all the jumping on my back and giving “monkey rides”.

    

Joshua is my little nephew and I love that I was able to be in Utah when he was born on New Year’s Day in 2012. Although, he is such a mommy’s boy he will come to me and want to play. He loves to sing and clap and is also starting to talk on the phone. However, he is still working on saying Auntie.

August 10 Update: I talked to Joshua on the phone today because he wanted to tell me that he can now say Auntie! Made my day. :)

Melissa is currently pregnant with baby #5 due late November. I am really excited to meet the newest member of the family. He or she is going to be born into a great family and a pretty awesome extended family too. I love watching our family grow and look forward to the other members that will continue to join our family.

24. Go Camping

I’m not a super adventurous person but I do like the outdoors and while I am not likely to go skydiving or jump off cliffs and I don’t like bugs and most insects; I do enjoy things like camping, hiking, nature walks and other outdoor activities. Leading up to this weekend I was trying to remember the last time I went camping in a tent and I am not quite sure but maybe 6 years ago (?!).  Although, it is something I have not done in awhile, I do have lots of good memories of camping whether it was with my family or youth camps with my church or even in my own backyard. My parent’s home in Surrey, BC (the home I grew up in) backs onto a forestry area that leads to a creek. Sometimes my Dad would set the tent up in the backyard and we would camp out for the night. Although, there were a few times my twin sister and I would be out on our own and would get scared at some noise we heard and end up back in the house.   

I flew out to Vancouver last week to spend some time with my family. There was a lot happening in the few days I was home and I had a lot of fun. My Dad has been pretty interested in this list I have and  seeing what he can help out with or be part of so when we were planning my trip out to Surrey and his trip out to Edmonton we decided that it would be fun to do an overnight camp on our drive back to Edmonton. My Handyman Dad came out to do some home renovations (Thanks Dad!) and my little sister, Mikayla came out because she wanted to spend more time with me or maybe to go to West Edmonton mall ... probably both. :) 

We stopped off in Valemount, BC at a nice little camping spot with a pretty view of the mountains and a creek that went by our site. While my Scout Leader Dad was setting up camp and getting the fire started Mikayla and I went for a walk and made sure we knew where important things like the washrooms were. We ate dinner, made smores, played Monopoly Deal by lamp light and woke up to a pancake breakfast made by my Dad that we enjoyed before continuing on to Edmonton. It was a quick but fun camping trip.

                     

23. Plant Something

 I had some time on the afternoon of Canada Day so I pulled out a flower pot, soil and seeds I had and planted some Cosmo flower seeds. I love watching them grow a bit more everyday and looking forward to some pretty flowers. However, what I really wanted was to plant a garden.

The following Saturday I bought some flowers and gardening tools and spent the afternoon and evening digging up the grass and planting some pretty flowers. I planted Primroses (which will probably start blooming next year), Petunias and Dusty Millers. I call it my Family History garden because Primrose is my Mom's name, her grandmother’s maiden name and the Family line I have gathered the most information on. The soil I used was Schultz brand, which was the last name of my paternal grandmother.

I am not quite finished with what I want to do but I think it looks pretty so far. I have to say that a bonus of gardening is that it is good exercise, my bottom hurt so much the next day. Hahaha.

Some may ask why I would spend so much time planting a garden if I am only renting so this may be a good time to announce that I bought the house! Well, actually my Dad and I bought the house. A couple of months ago I learned that the house I am living in was in foreclosure and when I was telling my dad about the situation I was in, he said that he thought buying the house would be a good investment for us to go into together and it went from there. Now I am officially a home owner and planting a garden was the first thing I did to make it my own.

August 26 Update: The same day I planted my garden, I also planted two sweet yellow pepper plants. However, they looked like they were dying and I didn't think any peppers would grow. This is what they look like today ... the peppers are growing!

22. Have a Picnic

I love having picnics, sitting on a blanket outside while enjoying good food and company. I have planned a few picnics throughout the year but each time it either rained or something else came up to ruin the plans. I planned one for today with my co-workers and although the skies seemed to be threatening rain, it didn't and we were able to enjoy a nice picnic in pleasant weather.

I work for a Head Start program (Pre-School) and I feel that having the picnic today was a great way to end for two of  our teachers who were working their last day for our program. It was also a good way to start off the summer for those of us working throughout the summer and it was great to have some staff who are already off for the summer join us.

As expected from pot-lucks where I work, everyone bought delicious salads, appetizers, desserts, etc. to share. Thank You Co-workers for joining in on the picnic!

21. Change something about My Appearance

When I set this goal, I was thinking of doing something along the lines of a new pair of glasses or a different hairstyle. However, I kept going back to something I had been thinking about doing for a few years. I had this gap between my two front teeth that I felt was pretty large for a gap. Actually, it measured in at 3 mm. It’s not something I felt overly self conscious about but it’s not something I liked. I also didn't really like people pointing it out; yeah I know it’s there.

In Elementary school and throughout high school many of my peers and teachers would try and come up with ways to tell me and my twin sister apart. Several of them used this: Double-Name-Double-Space and Melissa-Mole. Melissa has a mole (or Beauty Mark) above her lip. 

Another story that comes to mind is one time a few years ago I was on a bus and this guy sat next to me and started talking to me. He told me that he was blind which seemed apparent as he had a white cane and was wearing dark sunglasses. Part way through the conversation he made some remark about the gap between my teeth. I am not exactly sure what he said because I was confused about how he could tell if he was blind.

I started looking into Invisalign (clear braces) a few years ago but did not go through with it because of the cost. I recently started thinking about it again and in the New Year I brought the idea up to my parents who supported me in the decision. I decided that if I didn't go through with it now, I most likely never would. 

On February 27, at the halfway point of being 30 and halfway through my list, I got my first set of aligners.

It took some getting used to and at times can be inconvenient or uncomfortable but so far I am happy with the results. I am now halfway through the aligning process! My teeth were already pretty straight so the treatment time is quicker than it is for most people. In 3 weeks I will be done with aligners for the bottom teeth and at the end of October I should be done with the top teeth and the gap will be closed for good! 

Before Photo's:

Halfway Point Photos:

At The End:                                                                                                          

20. Plan a Vacation to Somewhere I Have Never Been

I'm going to Germany! I have wanted to go to Germany for several years now to see where my Grandma and her family came from so I am really excited about this opportunity. I have written a bit about my desire to go to Germany in a previous blog post where I read a new book. In my gratitude blog, I also have a post where I shared my gratitude for my German heritage.

I have been to several places where my ancestors have lived including Scotland, England and Manitoba (where my German Russian ancestors immigrated to) and soon I will be able to add Germany to that list. I leave September 28 so I have some time to make plans of what I want to do and see. I would also like to do some more genealogy research on that side of the family in the meantime. I actually had a really cool experience when researching this line that I also wrote about in my gratitude blog in the post miracles of family history.

My plans currently include visiting with my Mom's cousins and their families in Bremen and Nordenham as well as a Great Aunt. I will be travelling with some of the family to what is now Klodzko, Poland where the family lived before the war when it was Eisersdorf, Germany (Glatz). I also plan to spend a couple of days in Frankfurt before heading back home to do some sightseeing and go to the temple there. I am currently on the wait list to stay at the accommodations by the temple which would be fun and much cheaper than a hotel.

Ich muss Deutsch lernen (I need to learn German). I got that translation from Google translator. It will probably be a good idea to invest in an English/German dictionary. Although, I do know a few words like good morning, good night, and good day/ hello, I love you, welcome.

I am really excited to plan my trip! 

19. Give Someone a copy of The Book of Mormon

I love to share the joy and peace I have found from reading the Book of Mormon but don’t give out copies to people I know as much as I would like to. In fact, it had been a few years since I have actually given someone a Book of Mormon. I started off by doing what any LDS missionary would ask members of the church to do: Pray to ask God who I should give this book to. A name of someone came to mind almost as soon as I finished the prayer but I questioned if the timing was right. Instead, I would hope that it would just come up in conversation and basically have her say something along the lines of “I would really like to read the Book of Mormon, Where can I get it?” As you can guess, that didn't happen.

In the meantime, I decided to be prepared for this person or anyone else to show interest and keep a copy of the Book of Mormon in my car. I also continued to think about other people I could give it to or hoping that someone would ask for one.

Then, I had a pretty cool “missionary experience”. One Sunday after church I went for a walk in the park by my house and had two guys stop and talk to me. They mentioned they had recently moved to Edmonton and were asking some questions about the area. One of them asked if he could join me in my walk. At first I was thinking "No!" (unfortunately, we live in a world where you can’t easily trust people, especially as women) but I looked around and there were lots of people around and I felt OK about it. We got on the topic of religion and he shared interest in knowing more. Long story short, he came to our Family Home Evening (FHE) activity the next day with his friend who I also met at the park that day. They met with the missionaries who gave them each a copy of the Book of Mormon. They continue to meet with them. At first I thought, “Hey, I could count this because I introduced them to the missionaries who gave them the Book of Mormon. However, I still felt that I needed to give this book to a friend of mine (the first person that came to mind when I prayed about it).

I recently went for lunch with this friend and on our way back she was asking me about church and things I was involved with. As we were sitting in my car about to get out I told her that there was actually something I wanted to give her and since I had a copy in my car I was able to give it to her then. We talked a little bit about it and she seemed happy that I wanted to give it to her. I hope that she will read it and find the peace and joy that I have experienced, especially in more fully recognizing the love that God and the Savior has for her.

If you would like to read about my gratitude for this book, you can click here to read a post in my gratitude blog. You can also click here to read more about this book on www.Mormon.org. You can also request a free copy if you would like or you could also ask me for one. I would be more than happy to get one for you. J

18. Have a Spa Day

“Spa” type things are things I have come to really enjoy recently and I like treating myself once in awhile. My Spa Day was actually over two days as I wasn't able to fit everything into one day. First was an evening spent having a lower neck/upper back massage and then soaking in a bathtub with vanilla scented bath salts. I have been going for massages consistently, every six weeks, for the past year and have found that it really helps with the tension I have felt in my lower neck/upper back for probably the past ten years. The reason I have started going and continue to go is that they are covered under my benefits plan. Probably my favourite part of my benefits plan.

The second part of my spa day was getting a manicure and pedicure. It seems that my nails look so much better when someone else does them then when I do it myself. I just got clear polish for my finger nails, which I usually do. However, for St. Patrick’s Day, my friend Michelle did my nails for me with green and gold tips and a clover on one nail. I loved how it turned out and plan to use her services again and try out another design. As for pedicures, I love how my feet feel after! For my toe nails I choose a summery pink and now that the warm weather is here, I can wear flip flops and show off my pretty toes. 

17. Sign Up For a Community Class

Last year, I came across a deal on dealfind where I could get 20 Zumba classes for $20. Sounded like a great deal and Zumba sounded like fun!  Since attending my first class, I have spent most Saturday mornings enjoying a Zumba workout at Desert Rose Dance Studio on the West end of Jasper Ave. It’s a nice studio with friendly staff and in a nice area of Edmonton with an art gallery next door and several homes in the neighbourhood that have been converted into businesses. It seems like a business area in a residential area which I think is kind of cool.

During the first couple of classes I thought of Meme’s I have seen like this:

Except I did feel like I looked like Napoleon Dynamite. I feel like I have the hang of it now but maybe, like this Meme suggests, I don’t look as good as I think. Hahaha.

I have 3 classes left on my 20-class pass and will have to think about if I want to continue. Maybe I can find another deal for Zumba classes or maybe I can try something else. Either way, it has been a fun experience! 

16. Read a New Book

I decided that the perfect time to read a new book was during an 18 hour road trip. I decided to go to Chapters soon before I left to buy a book. It wasn’t long before I picked up the book, “Sarah’s Key” and as I read the back, I knew that it was one I would be interested in reading. I continued to browse but eventually left the store having purchased “Sarah’s Key” which is written by Tatiana De Rosnay.

“Sarah’s Key” is a historical fiction which I enjoy reading. The novel takes place in two time periods, 1942 and 2002, and goes back and forth between each. The writer first takes its readers to the spring of 1942 in Paris, France during the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup where Parisian Jewish families (mostly women and children) where arrested by French police in German occupied France. Although, not mentioned right away but implied early on is that Sarah is the ten year-old girl who has been taken with her family. I was really drawn to this character throughout the novel; a sweet, innocent girl trying to make sense of what was happening. I wanted her to escape, I wanted her to find her brother safe, I wanted her to live a happy life and I wanted Julia to find her.

Julia is the main character presented in the present time (2002) and is referred to in the first person. Julia is an American journalist who is living in France with her husband and daughter. Julia is assigned to work on an assignment to write an article on the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup and discovers a connection her husband’s family has with Sarah. Julia develops quite a strong attachment to Sarah and begins a personal quest to uncover the story of Sarah and her family.

Like most novels, there are parts that are predictable but there are also a few surprises included. I like how the author connected the past with the present. However, there were two things in the novel that I was uncomfortable with: one was swearing, not a lot but swearing is something I really detest especially when it is used casually. The other was a seemingly pro-choice stance on abortion.

While looking in my day timer at this week’s events I noticed that Sunday is Holocaust Remembrance Day. I think it is important to remember that this happened, that it was a traumatizing event, It’s affects are still being felt, it was unjust and should never have happened and nothing like this should happen again.  I think the author did a great job in connecting her readers to the events surrounding the roundup and the fear and feelings of betrayal that were felt. It is hard to comprehend how these Jewish families felt, what they experienced and why it happened in the first place. Before reading this novel I was not aware of the role that France (and apparently other countries as well) played in the execution of Jewish people during the War. While Nazi Germany played the largest role, other countries were also involved. There were so many horrible things done to people during this war.

Being half German, I am sensitive to the remarks and jokes made about Germans as a whole. Many Germans at this time did not like what was happening to their country and to individuals because of their nationality or religion or other views. My Grandma`s family was one of those Germans, who spoke among themselves of the injustices. My Grandma told me that her father would often say, ``Hitler is no good, he is no good for our country``. He died in 1935, less than 3 years after Hitler became chancellor of Germany. Soon after he became chancellor, Hitler began taking rights away from the Jewish people. Grandma`s brother refused to fight and was put into a prison camp and her mother who had grieved for 17 years for the loss of her 6, 5 and 3 year old sons in a fire thanked God that her sons were spared from the war. By the end of the war the part of Germany they lived in had been awarded to Poland and the family was forced to leave their homes and start over. I hope to someday visit my Grandma`s childhood home and tour the parts of Germany and now-Poland she lived. From what I hear, the people who live in the home are very inviting to my family members who come to visit.

It would be hard to see the places where traumatic events took place but at the same time it is this story as told to me by my Grandma that has sparked an interest in understanding the events that took place during World War II.    

15. Go to an LDS Temple I Have Not Been to Before

While compiling my list I thought of some of my favourite things to do and one that came to mind was going to the temple. I love the feeling of peace that is found in the temple and an understanding of Heavenly Fathers plan for all of his children.  

I have currently been inside 11 of the 141 operating temples worldwide: Vancouver, BC; Cardston, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Seattle, Washington; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Salt Lake City, Utah; Jordan River, Utah; Bountiful, Utah; Preston, England and most recently Provo, Utah. I have also driven by or walked the grounds of others.  

Although each temple has the same purpose, I love how unique each one is in design and often reflect the landscape of the city it is located in.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity last week to attend a session at the Provo, Utah temple with my twin sister. I have been to Utah quite a few times and stayed in Provo each time except for one (When Melissa got married, we stayed at a hotel in Salt Lake) and was surprised that I had not made it to the temple there before now.

As we walked up to the temple from the parking lot I took a moment to take in the beauty of the temple, the mountains in the background and the sun beginning to set. Temples are built to be beautiful both on the outside and inside; we see temples as a House of God, A place of learning, a place of peace and a sanctuary from the world. Members of the church believe that temples are the holiest places on earth, engraved on the outside of each temple are the words “Holiness to the Lord”.

With General Conference coming up, I am excited to learn if there will be any more temples announced.

Have you ever wondered why Mormons build temples? Here is a great video that explains why.