Smudging Ceremony

We have some dear friends who have a Native American heritage. They recently had their baby boy blessed and they told us they were going to be giving him an “Indian name” and a blessing. I thought that was so cool! I asked if there was a way that Amelia could get a name and they said that we all could! I was so excited! What a fun tradition. Our friend’s father is or was an actual Indian Chief for several years. It’s a tradition that he has done for his family and it will be passed down to future generations as well.

What does it mean to be given a name?

The “smudging” ceremony is custom of Native American culture. It is a way to create a cleansing smoke bath that is used to purify the body, aura, energy, ceremonial/ritual space or any other space and personal articles. For us, we were surrounded by the burning sage and then given a name and a blessing of sorts. I was excited to find out the names, of course, but it was a lot more emotional than I was expecting. I might have shed some tears when it was Amelia’s turn. The chief had us spread out our arms and then he went around our arms, feet and back with the sage and a large feather. Our friend actually chose our names because he knew us and he had prayed about what names we should have.

 

Our names defined (as they were given)

Jason received his name first and was given: Wise Owl.

The reason our friend chose Wise Owl is because Jason is the one who watches over our family. He is the one who is going to see things before they happen. The way he goes about his decisions and life he makes sure to plan it out. He doesn’t jump to conclusions like a cat – Jason thinks things out without acting on them impulsively. He is patient. He really thinks before acting. Through the thinking process, and with his family, it is done the way Jason sees it. All things are done with patience.

I was next and received the name: Mother of Rivers.

“Rivers are steady and go one direction. They don’t change – they may branch off, but they don’t change. They are solid in what they do. You are a mother and each of your children that you have are going to branch off one day. They will go in the direction that you point them for their whole lives. It is really important that you teach them the right way. I was inspired to give you this name because rivers are really strong – they can take trees with them or anything down to get where they need to go. They will do what needs to be done.”

Amelia received the name: Little Sky.

“I knew her name was Little Sky because she’s literally a piece of Heaven for you. She’s going to be there when the clouds come and she”ll be there when they leave. The sky is what holds up the sun and the moon. It’s what holds everything together. That is what she will be for you.”

I’m so grateful and feel so blessed to have been given this unique opportunity. What a great tradition that that family let us become a part of. It’s a memory that we will cherish.

5 tips to get back in shape this Summer

I find myself in this vicious fitness cycle where I constantly have to start from zero. I can be solid and work out every day for 3 months and then stop for a couple weeks, get fat and then have to start over. I’m sure theres similar cases with a lot of people. It’s been hard to stay in shape (with it being Winter and all) but now it is Spring! I went on a run this morning (well half – run, getting in shape remember??) and I was thinking about what I need to do to keep going. I love getting outside because that is time for ME. These are the things that would be a good guide to start doing.

 

1. Eat right.

80% of losing weight is eating right. Exercise is 20%. Be aware of what you are putting into your body. No fast food, no soda, and eat those veggies! Up the protein when exercising as that maintains and repairs body tissues.

2. Start slow and set REALISTIC goals for yourself.

It is healthy to lose 1-2 pounds a week. Don’t think you have to lose 15 in a day. For example, my workout schedule Consists of running 1 mile every other day with strength training / Pilates in between. Eventually I’ll up it to 2 miles, then 3 then 4 and so on. Have a goal to at least walk 30 minutes every day.

3. Make it a habit.

Don’t get lazy!! This can be hard to overcome, but just think of how good it will feel once it’s done.

4. Exercise in the morning, if possible.

Getting some exercise at any time during the day is great!! But for myself, personally, I am better at sticking to my goals if I get it done in the AM.

5. Don’t reward yourself with sugar.

Ahhh I can’t say this enough. You can still reward yourself! Just do it with other things. Maybe you get a new T-shirt or set aside some reading time as reward for hitting those goals. Make your spouse give you a well- deserved foot massage.

 

These are the tips that I think would best fit my needs to stay in shape. I hope they help you as well! Have fun and ENJOY getting outside and doing something for yourself.

Drawing the bath I’ll never get to take

Being a mom is hard. I love it, but it’s hard. I’ve always been a busy person. I like to do multiple things at once. I like having a clean house. When our baby arrived, I suddenly found that I was no longer able to spend 3 hours a day cleaning. Or even able do a load of dishes every day! Instead I was changing diapers, cleaning spit up off baby’s face, changing clothes that baby had spit up on, feeding baby or calming a crying baby. I read comments of people saying “don’t worry about having a messy house,” but I refused to accept that! I thought I could do it all and when I couldn’t, I got discouraged. How was I so busy all day and nothing got done??

From the second I found out I was pregnant, I loved my child. When they put her on my chest right after she was born, I loved her even more. I instantly became a mother. It was crazy how much I cared for that little girl. And every day, that loves grows stronger.

My role as a mother is to take care of my baby. That means I wake up 5 times a night to cuddle and feed her. I hold her when she wants to be held. I entertain her throughout the day. I take her everywhere I go. I protect her. It’s amazing. I love every second of it! Yes, every second. Sometimes I get frustrated, sometimes I think, “why don’t you just SLEEP?!” But then I get up, see that sad face and my heart melts. Sure I’m still tired, but I realize that it doesn’t matter because my baby needs me. Being a mother means putting someone else’s needs before your own. It means that my house might not always be clean, but I have to do my best.

Amelia has been going through a phase where she won’t let me out of her sight. She screams as soon as I put her down or leave the room. It’s exhausting! But as much as it tires me, I’m so grateful I get to be home with her. I’m grateful to my husband that he works so I can be with our little girl. And so this week I’ve been carrying her around the house in a babywrap I made. She seems to love it. She gets to snuggle and mama never leaves her sight! I’ve found that I can do dishes, fold laundry and vacuum all while she’s being held by me. It’s amazing!

But today was different. I was folding some clothes with Amelia strapped to my chest because she was crying. I took a moment to look down and she was just staring at me. Just staring! But I could see the love in her big, blue eyes and my heart just fluttered. All of the exhaustion from the night before, all the dishes waiting for me in the sink just faded away because I knew my baby was happy. There can be days when she just screams, but then there are moments that make it all worth it. Even now, writing this post  I am walking around with a baby strapped to my chest because I know as soon as I sit, she will know it and wake up. But it’s worth it! My back is aching, but she’s sleeping so soundly.

There are nights when my husband gets home and I hand him the baby because I just need a minute to myself. I go get a warm bath ready. And just as I’m about to get in, I hear the baby cry. And I smile. I just smile because even though it was a rough day, I know my husband is trying his best to give me 10 minutes of peace. So I give up on my bath and give the baby one instead to calm her down. That’s what happens though! Getting the laundry all ready to be washed but then you can’t do it because baby needs to be fed. Or needing to go to the store, but you can’t because the baby is fussy. Thinking, “I just need 5 minutes to clean!” But you can’t because your baby refuses to be put down. That is being a mom.

I’ve come to cherish every moment with my daughter. When she won’t let me sit, leave the room, or take a nap, I cherish the moments because I know it won’t last forever. Being a mom is hard. But it is so rewarding and I know that my life is now hers! Everything my husband and I do is for her and for each other.

In honor of International Women’s Day,  I found this passage in Proverbs that I think is fitting.

Proverbs 31:10-31

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.                           The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

 

There is no greater calling than that of a mother. I’m grateful to all mothers who love their children even through the rough times. I’m grateful to my daughter. For showing me love by wanting me close to her, for laughing right when I think I can’t bear any more. My husband and I love her so much. She makes our life perfect. We live to make her happy and do all we can to keep her safe. That is what being a mother is about. And it truly is my favorite thing. So kiss your babies, mamas. When you think you can’t handle anymore, cuddle them and kiss them because they need you. And being so small won’t last forever.

Little shoot for a little baby

Every mother wants a normal pregnancy and a healthy child. We watch our weight, keep track of what we eat, limit caffeine intake, don’t lift anything over 20 pounds and avoid anything that puts the baby at risk. We do all of these things and expect all to go well. Thinking, “If I do all I am supposed to do, my baby will be healthy and normal.” But what if the unexpected happens and there’s nothing you can do about it? As a first time mom I am learning that I can do all I can, but at the end of the day, it’s the baby running the show. Sometimes our bodies just don’t function properly and it’s completely out of our control.

I was diagnosed with an IUGR baby at 20 weeks pregnant. Now, what the doctors don’t tell you is that it sounds a lot scarier than it actually is. It’s not a disease or a deformity. IUGR stands for Intrauterine Growth Restriction. Babies are diagnosed with IUGR if they appear to be smaller than expected — specifically, if an ultrasound indicates that their weight is below the 10th percentile for their gestational age. This is usually caused by one of two things. The first option is that your baby is simply small and otherwise healthy. The second option is that there is something keeping your baby from growing properly, usually the placenta, and it’s not getting oxygen and nutrients to the baby.

If you’ve never had a little person growing inside you I guess you wouldn’t quite understand the concern and panic I felt for my little baby when I found out. The doctors didn’t know how severe the situation was so, obviously, they planned for the worst. I was given strict orders to have two tests a week to keep track of growth and movement. Every doctor’s visit I met with my midwife and we discussed percentiles and growth charts. I was told there was absolutely nothing I could do! I left every appointment in tears or close to it.

By week 24 I was labeled high-risk, unable to visit with my midwife anymore, and seeing a specialist at a huge hospital every two weeks. The results were sporadic. One week baby would be in the first percentile and then the next be in the 15th. My husband and I both struggled with the news and we were unsure about the future. We kept being told they would induce me at 34 weeks. It’s hard to plan baby showers when you might be delivering a baby at the same time!

In the meantime, my husband and I did all we could to plan for this baby. We are currently taking Bradley Birth Classes and did a bunch of research on IUGR babies. We are planning for an all natural birth. I was told this might not be an option if things don’t go well. But I’m stubborn! No medical intervention for me, unless, of course, it’s absolutely necessary. As of right now we are hoping baby will make it full term and come naturally when she is ready. Yeah, we’re having a girl! Amelia Jolene.

I’m happy to say that it looks like this baby is the IUGR case where she is just small, but otherwise healthy. Every ultrasound I get the placenta and fluid are normal. The heartbeat is strong and I am constantly feeling movement. This last appointment that I had baby was up to 11th percentile! The highest she’s been. We are hoping she continues to grow and all will be well. It’s amazing how induction-happy doctors are now-a-days. Even with her growing bigger, they want to induce at 39 weeks. My opinion is to avoid medical intervention as much as possible. So we will be waiting for baby to come on her own and let her cook a little longer.

This past weekend was my baby shower! (AKA the weekend I was supposed to be induced) I was able to have some maternity pictures taken and spend a whole day celebrating my baby with my family and friends. I’m glad that we’ve made it this far. And though there is still a chance things can go wrong – there always is- I’m hopeful that this pregnancy will end the way we want it to. With a baby who is at LEAST 5 pounds, no NICU time, and an all natural delivery. I know that God had a hand in all of this. And for some reason maybe we needed the test of patience. I sure hope the test ends soon though! I’m so grateful for the classes we’ve been able to take that have helped us prepare for our baby. I’m grateful to my husband for being willing to attend those classes and do all the exercises with me! I’m grateful for family and friends who have fasted and prayed for little Amelia Jolene. Prayer works! And God is good.

We will continue to pray that all will go well and that we’ll be able to meet our little Amelia Jolene soon.

 

 

Finding Your Gethsemane

A sacrifice is a loss or something you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause. The better cause I want to talk about is an almighty one. Something that’s been on my mind lately. What do we sacrifice for God? How do we even start to try to pay back all of the things He has done for us? Well I’ve done some research on the matter and I’m prepared to share it with all of you in hopes that it will help you understand the character of God and what He expects from all of His children. (Some topics included are from Brad Wilcox’s book The Continuous Conversion-look it up! It’s great)

God sent His only son to Earth so that He could learn, grow and teach the people of this world about the plan of God among many other things. Christ’s childhood was full of learning. There was even a point where He disappeared for three days and his parents eventually found him in a temple surrounded by doctors asking questions that were far beyond His years. (Luke 2:40-46) He never questioned or faulted in following God. He was always “about His Father’s business”. This is amazing to me when I look back on my childhood. He was surely different than the average child who, like myself, wanted to play all the time and look for mischief wherever it could be found. No, Christ knew who He was and what He was about. “He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” It’s important to note that Christ did NOT receive all of His glory at once. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:11-20) He had to learn from grace to grace until He received a fullness. He received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and of the Father for He dwelt in Him. We are able to have this, too. We can receive the fullness of what God has to offer us. But sacrifice is required for our sakes. Grace is given freely, but to get all of the blessings in store for us, we must prepare in every way possible to be worthy to get those blessings. I think that it’s important to know that we don’t have to be perfect all at once, it’s a progressive thing that will take time and something that’s not expected of us just yet.

Something I have found is that our offerings to God aren’t what matters most. He is much more concerned with the offerer rather than the offering itself. What can we offer Christ? Our time? Our money? Our participation in church each week? God’s great plan, I believe, is not about the final “report card”, but rather the education learned along the way. We do not earn heaven.

“True conversion occurs when we stop trying to earn heaven and start trying to learn it.”

-Ronald A. Rasband

A God who asks nothing of us is making nothing of us and this is just not the case. Yes we are expected to do some things that seem hard at times. Let’s be real, these days it can seem tough to find time to study scriptures or even have daily prayer. But when I think about all that has been given me, it makes me want to be better. We should start learning about what’s in store for us. About who God really is and what He has planned for us. Is it easier to stop going to church activities and ignore the commandments than to be reminded how much we are NOT doing? Is this path really easier? Might seem like it temporarily, but God’s love is the strongest force on earth and the world will not love you like Heavenly Father can. This is truth.

Keeping covenants we make with God at different times in our lives are not a way to prove ourselves worthy of grace, but rather a way to “grow in grace”. Just as Christ had to do in order to receive the fullness that the Father had in store for Him. We can show our love to God by serving others and by giving ourselves over to learning about heaven and the divine ways of God himself.

So what do we have to offer Christ? Our devotion. In soul, heart, and mind. Show charity to others. Show charity not to deserve grace, but to offer it to others as freely as it offered to each of us. Keep promises to yourself as well as to God. Don’t cheat yourself out of things in this life. That’s not going to lead anywhere profitable. We can offer Christ love for our fellow men. Don’t ever take lightly the blessing of personal prayer. Take advantage of all the resources we have been given to study about God.

Grace upon grace. One step at a time my friends. That is how we will be successful in this life. In all aspects of our lives. One important thing to remember is to not confuse worthiness with perfection. We won’t be perfect all of the time and that’s fine! We are not expected to be perfect, but we should expect ourselves to do the best we can. Don’t be complacent. It’s okay to start slow. Lord knows I have a long ways to go and it’s something I’ll be working on the rest of my life. But that’s what this world is for. A test to prove what we got and how much we want to learn. And learning requires mistakes.

My challenge this week for all of you is to give your heart to God. Just try the best you can to recognize blessings in your life. Learn something new about the grace of God. This is how we can start to show our love for all that Heavenly Father and Christ have done for us. We can come to better know Him and the plan He has for us. You will feel loved and guided as you study, pray and think about your purpose in this life. Sacrifice some of your free time to help a friend. Focus on what is really important. What is your weakness? Work on it. Work to get closer to God and feel that love that He is so longing for you to feel.

Become Inspired.

“If the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in better days ahead.” Jeffy Holland

Everyone seems to have just one opinion on the difficult times in life. Whether they believe it or not, it’s the most said belief: and that is to suck it up and get through it with a smile on your face. Well I am going to testify that that is NOT the only method for enduring tough times. Take it from someone who has seen family members and close friends die young, family suffering through financial hardships, trust in relationships being broken over and over and over again. Personal struggles of faith, purpose, loss and destiny. Everyone suffers in this life some way or other and people just expect us to get over it. They say “trust in God and things will get better” or “if it’s meant to be then it will happen”. Sometimes I just want to shove a cantaloupe down their esophagus and say “NO! I am in control of my life and I want things to go MY way.” And what’s so wrong with that? I help people, I consider myself a decent person, I look for the good in others. So why do bad things happen to good people?

I remember a couple of years ago my friend and I were watching the news. A tragic event had happened that we were troubled over. There was a plane landing crash that killed two teenage girls. The plane hit the ramp wrong or something and caused it to explode and catch fire on that specific area of the plane. My friend said,” This is why I don’t believe in God. Plane crashes like that are so rare and they didn’t deserve to die. If there was a God, he wouldn’t have let that happen.” Being the young and immature person I was then I didn’t say anything. And I think that might have been because I believed him. Those girls didn’t deserve to die. But if everyone got what they deserved, then this life wouldn’t be a test. We would have to live in a perfect world if good things only happened to good people, but we surely do not.

Incoming! Little House on the Prairie reference again 😛

Last week on an episode it showed the granddaughter of Mr. Ingles and this random guy’s wife being burned to death in a fire. Everyone was so upset and the deceased girls’ husband was having doubts about God. He would say, “there can’t be a God because He let this happen. WHY did it happen?” And the infamous, oh so clever Papa Ingles said, “I can’t know that, because that would make me God.”

We don’t know and probably will never know why such things happen to people who are righteous, God-fearin’ Christians, but we have to hold on to that little hope that God knows what He is doing. Even if we fight it. Even if we say, “He doesn’t care about me” or “I don’t love God anymore because He did that to me”. We can often feel betrayed or abandoned because we simply don’t understand. This is easier said than done though for sure. For example, I’m recently going through a very hard time that is altering my life and I feel betrayed by God. Or at least I did a week ago. I’m slowly coming back together, but it takes work. I tried to ignore God. I tried to believe that He didn’t love me or that His plan wasn’t right for me. But I knew deep down that it wasn’t true. And it takes time to get over bitterness, but the sooner we realize how foolish we are being, the sooner we can pick ourselves back up and be happy again.

God knows us. My favorite LDS apostle, Jeffrey Holland, said in a talk in September 2009:

“We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us.”

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2009/09/lessons-from-liberty-jail?lang=eng

The angels of heaven weep with us. How powerful is that?! This thought keeps coming to my mind whenever I find myself burdened by life and it’s nice to know or even think that someone is crying with me. You don’t have to be happy now. You don’t have to get over that break up now. You don’t have to jump back in to being happy right after a hard time, but you need to keep hope. Understand that there is a mourning period to every bad situation, but eventually you will have to stand up. And God isn’t going to do it all for us either. We need to do all we can and then He will take care of the rest. You make things happen. God desires so much for us to be happy. He understands we need to have our bad days, but He is there the second we decide to turn to Him again. So remember that it isn’t a perfect world, but it is looked over by a perfect God. It’s okay to be sad and flustered with life, but you are going to recover from it. And the sooner you realize that, the more time you will have to rejoice. “If the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in better days ahead.” Keep the faith my friends.

Become Inspired.