The Thankful Post

I am SO excited to be doing this in 2014!  The opportunity to examine my life and really see the blessings that I have is such a great opportunity.  I am hoping to write what I'm thankful for daily in this post and just publish it on Thanksgiving day (just like last year).

1.  November 1, 2014
Today, I am thankful for prayer.  Our life has been pretty hectic and it seemed like we were barely scraping by.  We have been praying constantly for me to be able to find a job.  I was able to get two interviews last week!!  I know that was truly a blessing from Heavenly Father, and it just makes me realize that He really does listen to our prayers.

2.  November 2,2014
As I was listening to testimonies in Sacrament Meeting, it made me realize how thankful I am for the Gospel.  It is true no matter where you are.  It can be applied to any situation and bring peace.  I'm so thankful for my personal testimony and the people who have helped me build and strengthen it.

3.  November 3, 2014
Job searching is super hard.  (I think this has been mentioned one-two billion times on this blog previously).  I hate it.  A lot.  I especially hate rejection and today I'm thankful for supportive cheerleaders who help me get back up after a crushing defeat.  Family, friends, you know who you are.  Thank you so much for your help!

4.  November 4, 2014
Today, I'm thankful for the right to vote!  It is so amazing that we as the people have a say in who leads our government.  I was able to exercise my right as an American to elect leaders today and it feels pretty awesome!  I am so grateful to live in a free country.

5.  November 5, 2014
It's fall (hey, I heard that duh in your mind) and the best thing about fall is pumpkin spice!  Today I am so grateful for pumpkin spice.  It makes everything better.  The combination of spices is just amazing.  Love, love, love it!!

6.  November 6, 2014
Today, I'm grateful for the knowledge that God is in charge.  Sometimes things don't go the way we plan them and that is super hard.  (That is such an understatement!)  But, I feel comforted in knowing that Heavenly Father has a plan for me and all I have to do is keep the commandments etc.  On Sunday, our lesson was about accountability.  The teacher read this quote:  
If I do my duty, according to my understanding of the requirements that the Lord has made of me, then I ought to have a conscience void of offense. I ought to have satisfaction in my soul that I have simply done my duty as I understand it, and I will accept the consequences. With me, it is a matter between me and the Lord; so it is with every one of us.
-Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith, (2013), 286–96
What a freeing thought!  All I have to do is what the Lord requires of me!  A weight was lifted off my shoulders as I realized this.  I am so thankful for that!

7.  November 7, 2014
Sometimes you have to see what you're NOT thankful for to realize what you are thankful for.  Today I came to the conclusion that although health insurance is constantly a thorn in my side, I'm thankful to live in a country where I can choose my healthcare (sometimes).

8.  November 8, 2014
I believe we have successfully established the fact that I'm a cat lady.  You guessed it, I'm thankful for my cat today.  He has been such a blessing in our lives.  He is can be a pain sometimes, but he is also sweet (very rarely).

9.  November 9, 2014
Today, I'm thankful for the concept of unconditional love.  This is especially present among our family members.  No matter what I do, I know that my family will always love me.  It is such a reassuring feeling for me.  You can't really find that (except maybe with a few special kind friends that you consider family) anywhere else in the world.  I am so thankful for that!

10.  November 10, 2014
Okay, here comes a little thankful-ception:  I'm grateful for this opportunity to examine my blessings and see how many things I've been given.  That song really is correct:

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count your many blessings; ev'ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by.

I have been feeling very stressed and under a lot of pressure lately, but when I sit down to do this post, everything changes.  I realize how many things the Lord has given me and my heart grows full.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to do this post and read others' posts on assorted social media/blogs.

11.  November 11, 2014

Today I am truly thankful for the people who fought for our freedoms.  This country would not be what it is without those people's sacrifices.  And continuing sacrifices.  Thank you.

12.  November 12, 2014

Cameron's work has been VERY stressful lately as they are moving into a new building.  But, it just made me see how much of a blessing this job has been.  It has been a steady source of employment but it has also given Cameron lots of opportunities to grow.  They are always encouraging him to improve and stretch his knowledge.  We really were guided to that job opportunity by the Spirit.  Heavenly Father truly knows what is best for us and will take us to that point if we listen.  

13.  November 13, 2014
Being far away from your family is hard.  REALLY HARD!  Naturally, I have realize that absence does make the heart grow fonder.  It also makes me realize how much my siblings mean to me.  They are the best friends a girl could ask for!  They are always so supportive and frankly, hilarious.  (BTW:  I am very lucky to have a few sweet sisters close, but that will be covered in another post).  Jeremy, Miranda, Kitty and Jonathan, I sure do miss you guys!  You are the best!!

14.  November 14, 2014
So thankful for music today.  It makes such a profound difference in the atmosphere of our home.  I love the concept of a song being a prayer.  I have such a strong testimony of that!   There is this one hymn that I sing whenever I feel anxious/nervous.  It relieves the stress every single time!  It has truly made a difference in my life.

15,  November 15, 2014
After being away from parents awhile, it becomes apparent (hehe) that I owe so much to them!  If not for their teachings, I would be up the creek.  I am so thankful for their patience and unconditional love.  

16.  November 16, 2014
Today, I'm thankful for my love of reading.  It has brought so much joy into my life!  I have learned so much from reading books, and I would not have had these experiences without a love of books.  If you have any good book recommendations please leave them in the comments!

17.  November 17, 2014
This blog has been such a wonderful thing in my life.  I just wanted to say thank you to my dedicated readers!  You guys are my motivation to write about my life!  Thank you so much for your kind comments, they make this whole thing worth it.  I am so grateful for you guys!

18.  November 18, 2014
Black Friday.  These two words can send different members of my family/extended family into very different conversations.  Some hate it, others love it.  I find myself in the latter category.  Beforehand, I love to look at the ads, plan what gifts to get for friends/family and dream about the possibilities!  The actual day brings loooooooong waits, excitement, the first non-guilty listening of Christmas music and amazing deals!  Now, does that mean other people who would prefer skip Black Friday are bad?  No, of course not.  People are allowed to have their own opinions!  So, what am I grateful for?  I am thankful to be part of several families that value each person's opinion instead of instantly putting it down as silly/stupid.  

19.  November 19, 2014
Ah, crafting.  It is either my best friend, or my most evil nemesis.  I am so thankful that crafting is something that I'm able to do (even if it's not done very well) because it is so enjoyable for me.  My big project is this ornament exchange that I've been working on for the past few months.  I have had nothing but trouble with these ornaments I'm trying to make.  But, I have learned a TON from the experience as well, so I suppose that's the part to be grateful for.

20.  November 20, 2014
As this year draws to a close, it makes me reflect upon my goals that I set last year.  One of my goals was to try to write more blog posts, which I successfully did!  I am so looking forward to 2015!

21.  November 21, 2014
Today, Kitty's adoption into my family is legally complete!  She is now officially an Alder!  I am so grateful for her and how much she has changed our family.  She became part of our family long before the piece of paper was signed though.  I can't believe that they started this whole process a year ago!  

22.  November 22, 2014
This is going to sound really lame, but nonetheless, I am thankful for Pandora!  It has introduced me to a whole new range of music and saves me the time of making an awesome playlist.  It's always good to try new things, right?

23.  November 23, 2014
I am so thankful for the peace that the scriptures bring into my life.  Each time I read the Book of Mormon, I am guided to a new meaning/nuance.  These new meanings tend to be something that I needed to hear.  It is so amazing to me!  This book that was written many, many years ago and is still applicable today!  And each time you read it, you glean something new.  How awesome is that?

24.  November 24, 2014
I have been working on this ornament exchange for several months now.  It has been a LOT of work, but it helped me to realize a few things about myself.  It really made me see how strong of a person I can be.  I am so thankful for this experience!  

25.  November 25, 2014
Our car suddenly started to have some major issues and we had to take it in to the mechanic.  I am so grateful for them!  They always do such a great job, and they are very trustworthy too.  Also, I am thankful for our car!  It has been such a reliable and sturdy car for our many travels throughout the land.  We are very fortunate that it came our way.

26.  November 26, 2014

My Mom is here!!!  I am so grateful that she could come and visit!  We had so much fun together.  It was so amazing to have her here and be able to spend some time with her.

27.  November 27, 2014

Wow, I can't believe this is over already!  Today, I am thankful for the great food that we partook of at Cameron's parent's home.  It was super delicious!  It has been such a fun month of realizing how many blessings I have!  I am looking forward to Christmas, but I'm also sad to see November go.  Thanks so much for reading all the way to the bottom!  Hope you have a great week!




























Love,







Courtney

Wadsworth Family Weekend

No post for ten days, I bet you were all shocked!  This past weekend, Cameron and I went to his parent's house for Landon's tae kwon do testing.  We gathered together as a family....And as Brett.  Heidi's boyfriend Brett also came down to visit with us.  He was a lot of fun!  He actually teaches tae kwon do at his own studio.  We went to the zoo, had an epic water fight and helped out (as an entire family) at nursery.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I will let pictures tell the rest of the story.

 

It was such a fun weekend! By the way, the reason that I only have a few pictures is because I only had a camera for the last day.  I will have to post more pictures when I get them from Melissa.
Car Update:  Dun da da dun!!  Our car is (FINALLY) fixed!  YAY!  Now we can move on with our lives.  Apparently, the computer in the car was broken, which caused a short somewhere else (side note: this is probably all wrong but it is what I remember him saying).  It makes me so happy that we have our car back (even if it cost a fortune)!

How Sweet It Is

Today is the anniversary of the day I married my best friend.  I can't believe we have been married for two years now!  Even though it hasn't been the easiest two years of our life, it has been the best.  Thanks to my family for shaping me into the wife I am today.  We didn't get to do a lot for our anniversary because the car we were borrowing kept overheating.  But, we still had a lot of fun.  Cameron says that he has secret plans that will take place after the car is fixed.  On Sunday Tawnee (Cameron's sister) gave us a very beautiful and delicious dinner.  She made these yummy pudding parfaits with a Junior Mint on top.  They were very good.  I didn't really take a lot of pictures because I didn't want to creep out her roommate.  The table was set up very nicely with our wedding colors and candles.  It was a very fun evening.
Car Update:  The mechanic still doesn't know what's wrong with our car but he is lending us a car to use.  This relieves a lot of stress.  We no longer have to beg for rides or try to use Tawnee's car that will not drive for more than 2 miles without overheating.  Yay!
In other news packing is going very nicely and I am glad to do it gradually rather than in one week like we usually do.
Thanks  for reading!

Love,


Courtney

If I Only Had A Car...

No significant updates for now, our car is still in the shop.  The mechanics have been waiting for it to break so they can fix it.  That sounds like crazy talk to me, but what do I know.  I can't tell a radiator from a Disney character.  But I can tell you this, if I don't get the car back soon I'm going to go crazy!
Actually, I just remembered an important update!  I got my grades back a few days ago, and I did pretty well.  These grades will allow me to get off of academic probation and not have any credit restrictions.  (YES!)  I feel very proud of myself because I know that I did my best, which is more important than any grade.   It has been such a struggle to get back into school and return to my education.  Now that I am finally "a normal student" I can start to reap the benefits.  I know that this will help me to be a better wife and mother.

A Little Bit Of This, A Little Bit Of That

This post is basically a bunch of pictures that I need to put up from the last few months.  Enjoy.

I think this is when we visited Cameron's parents a few months ago.

Landon showing Cameron some Tae-Kwon-Do moves.

Landon and Tawnee playing with assorted "weapons".

Tawnee and Landon fencing.  

Cameron swinging on these amazing swings they have at Tautphus park.  Seriously, the most amazing park EVER.

These pictures are from Jake's farewell, which was amazing.  He did an awesome job on his talk and I know he is being a great missionary.  Everyone who couldn't be there really missed out.  Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures of the main man.  Sorry Jake!

Everyone playing Balderdash, which is a really fun game.  If you ever visit Wendy and Jeff, you know what I'm talking about.  So.  Much.  Fun.

Gerald's bun mustard face.

Tobie, Wendy and Kaitlin.  You guys all look so cute!

Kierstin keepin' it real.  It was so great to meet her fiance (now husband).

These pictures are from when we visited Cameron's parents in June.

Jenni trying to kill Tawnee.

This picture is from Aunt Anita's funeral. 

Cameron looks so cute!!


These pictures are all kind of random, so I thought I would post them all together.

Car Update:  The mechanic gave us our car back because he apparently can't find anything wrong with it.  (Right...)  So basically we have to wait for it to break down again and then call him to come pick us up.  Okey-dokey.  That makes perfect sense, why didn't I think of that?  Anyway, hopefully our car will break down soon so they can fix it.  Does anyone else think this sounds crazy?

End Of The Semester

I just finished writing my last paper of the semester.  I am done with school...Until September that is.  I can't believe it is already over!  I had a great time and I will miss every one :(  I learned so much from all of my teachers and from the students as well.  Don't get me wrong, I am happy to have a break and be able to wake up at a decent hour, but I will miss my classes.  I just wanted to take a minute to thank my classmates and teachers for all that they do.  I also wanted to take a quick second and review all of my classes for posterity, it will probably be pretty boring, so feel free to scroll down to the end for more updates.

First up is HFED 100 otherwise known as the Essentials for Human Nutrition.  This class was taught by Sister Dollar* who did an excellent job.  Unfortunately, this was her last semester so none of you will be able to take her class.  I really enjoyed learning a general overview of the topic of nutrition.  This class is a good way to get a general feel for the clinical field of nutrition and a basic understanding of vitamins, minerals, eating disorders, nutrition during the life cycle (pregnancy, old age, young children etc.) and how to have a healthy body.  This class had a few projects that were tedious, but most of them were really helpful.  There is one group project that I really didn't like, but I don't like group projects in general.  I would recommend this class to anyone who wants to know a little bit more about how to eat healthy.

The next class is FDREL 122 aka Book of Mormon 2.  This class was taught by Brother White*.  He is an awesome teacher!  He is one of my favorite religion teachers on campus.  He is pretty strict about cellphones, but his expectations are very clear.  This class did not have any tests, the only thing I had to do was do the assigned reading and write in a journal about it.  That's it.  I loved this class a lot!  It is a required class on campus, so I would recommend this class to everyone!

The third class is HFED 112 or Nutrition and Young Children.  This class was taught by Sister Chef* who was a great teacher.  She sometimes would get distracted by random tangents but overall she was a pretty good teacher.  We had to do three or four discussion boards, which I hated, but they weren't too bad.  There were a few projects that were a little ridiculous.  For example, we had to write out a menu according to CACFP regulations which included writing down the price of EVERY food.  Yeah, ridiculous right?  But I learned a lot from her lectures, if not from the projects.  Sometimes she was a little disorganized when it came to certain things, which was confusing, but everything worked out.  I would recommend this class to future/current mothers, it teaches a lot about children and mealtime.  Overall, I liked this class a lot, but it was a little crazy sometimes.

The next class is FAML 300 or Marriage.  This class was taught by Brother Soupfreckle* who was an amazing teacher!  One of the best things about this class was that he allowed the class to do a lot of the teaching through comments.  He also had panels of people come in to discuss topics like being married with young children and marriage after ten plus years.  The assignments consisted of keeping a personal journal with the reading, three or four short papers, enrichment assignments and one big ten hour project with a presentation.  The enrichment assignments were sometimes hard, but totally worth it.  The focus of this class is to be able to use the assignments to improve your life in the future.  I would recommend this class to everyone, married or single.  I think the teacher made a big difference in the effectiveness of this class, and he did a really great job.

The last class (I heard you say hallelujah) is FDSCI or Science 101 taught by Brother Rooster* who did an excellent job of keeping the Spirit present during class.  This class was really difficult for me but that was because I'm not really that into science.  The students in my particular class would purposely drive the discussion away from the topic at hand and more towards random subjects.  This made it so that we did not always cover all of the material in class.  There was a class prep due every morning that usually required a bit of reading and sometimes very long videos.  It was a lot of work for a class preparation assignment. The tests were also pretty hard, but not so hard if you use the study guide he sometimes gave out (on the last day the test was up...)  If this class wasn't required for graduation, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.  This teacher was pretty good, but sometimes disorganized. I think the students were really the ones who made this a bad experience.

All in all I had a great semester and I have really learned that you get out of a class what you chose to put into it.

Car Update:  This update is not really an update but an expression of frustration that a shop cannot even find out what is wrong with our car!  I am so grateful to all the people who have helped with our car, you have been awesome.  I just wish our car would get its rear in gear and start behaving.  That's all I have to say about THAT subject.  

I think this is all I will be able to write for today (because my brain is fried) but I wanted to give you a few posts to look forward to:
1.  Conversations posts, little funny snippets we hear around us in church, at school and anywhere else.
2.  More picture posts from the holidays that I need to catch up on.
3.  10 or more things I learned this semester
4.  Breakthrough/Epiphany Post

Thanks for reading my blog and congratulations for making it all the way to the bottom!

Love,

Courtney

*All names have been changed to protect the innocent, if you really want to know the name of the teacher you can email me.

Back Again, Back Again, Jiggity Jig

I have been putting off posting for a long time because I am so far behind.  But I am tired of waiting to catch up, so you will have to be patient as I put up holiday updates and other updates as I can.  How often in life do we do that though, put off things because we feel like we are too far behind to catch up?  I can only speak for myself, but I do that quite often.  Why do we do that?  It only puts us further behind and leaves us more overwhelmed.  Cameron said something that I think really applies to this scenario, “Any journey can be accomplished even if you only start out with baby steps.”  What an encouraging statement!  Even if we are only taking baby steps, we can still accomplish something.  Another quote that I really like is, “Even if you are moving slowly, you are still lapping the people on the couch.”  How true! 

Okay, preachy Courtney is going away.  Now for some news:  Our car is broken.  Yay….I really, really don’t like car problems because I feel so helpless.  I literally know NOTHING about cars so I can’t really contribute to their repair at all.  Oh well, we can’t know everything, right?  I hope you are having a great day!