Pearls & Perfection Pending

Here's to the highly motivated phase of the new year. 1. Live Happily So far, I have read chapter one in Living Well Spending Less, and I love it so far!  I feel like I am reading a book that I could have written myself in a lot of ways.  She was so much like I am.  We even spent a lot of our childhoods doing the same activity: planning dream houses. Secret #1: The Good Life is not what we think it is Here are some gems I took away: -where your treasure is, there will your heart be also -more is never enough -pray for change -don't define happiness by what you have, but by who you are -the good life and financial stability go hand in hand 2. Nourish & Strengthen Our Bodies Here's my visual so I can remember to follow through with all of the goals I have.  For week 1, my goals are: -Eat 2 different fruits or vegetables at every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal. -Work out 5 times -Drink 64 oz of water each day 3. Be Nice This week, I'd...

Oh, New Year.  How I have missed you.  Thanks for reminding me to get it together, old friend. This year's theme ideas: Enough. I have enough. I know enough. We make enough. It's time I start to believe it. WOW 2015! ( Word of Wisdom reboot) Simplify...everything... Stop Spending All The Money, Denae...Shopaholics' Anonymous? Be nicer. Okay...so I have a lot I want to work on.  Isn't that what January 1 is for? Here's what I've decided, and then I'll tell you how I got there: Theme: Living Happily Goal #1: Prioritize People and Memories over Money and Things Goal #2: Nourish & Strengthen Body Goal #3: Be Nice The past couple of years have been interesting and exhausting and nothing that I imagined they would be. I don't know if it's because I became a mother, or if I am just facing that mid(ish)-life panic--that people talk about--of wondering where I went wrong, but I've been struggling.  Church. Organization. Feeli...

Another year?  Really?  Wow!  I am amazed how fast life is flying by.  I feel like I just blinked by eyes and here we are again, reflecting on another year come and gone.  2011 did not bring quite as much change and adjustment as 2010, but it showed up with its own packages of joy and adventure.   Delights of 2011 included: 1. Our first full calendar year of marriage David is wonderful.  He is the best friend I've ever had and makes everyday a joyous occasion. 2. The great Dominican Republic adventure This not-so-little excursion was quite the learning experience for us.  We had so much fun planning and preparing for it.  We adored working together and fundraising and getting all ready to go.  The actual time spent there was not exactly what we had planned on, but we learned a lot and grew closer together.  We had to depend on one another more than usual and we came to greatly appreciate things like family close...

Goals: Read the Book of Mormon in Spanish by the end of our time in the DR. Physical Activity for 180 minutes each week. Grocery shopping once each week with planned menus. Limit fast food (Costa Vida!, pizza, etc.) to one meal each week, no more. Donate to the mission fund. Increase fast offering. Make 72 hours kits. Compliment people on their choices. Read the May Ensign and study it consistently until October.

Yesterday I taught a lesson on the sermon on the mount. Christ fulfills the Mosaic law, outlines the higher law of the gospel and sums it up by saying,"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Or... "Basically, you just have to be perfect!" While that seems like a rather stiff commandment, I think it is supposed to be a source of inspiration rather than overwhelming impossibility. How can the command to be perfect motivate us rather than frustrate us? President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “I believe the Lord meant just what he said: that we should be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. That will not come all at once, but line upon line, and precept upon precept, example upon example, and even then not as long as we live in this mortal life, for we will have to go even beyond the grave before we reach that perfection and shall be like God. “But here we lay the foundation. Here is where we are taught these simple trut...

2010 has been my year. It was nothing short of magical. I can truly say that I have been blessed beyond anything I ever expected and feel spoiled without compare. With all that has taken place this past year, I can't help but wonder what mysteries the new year holds. It would be a shame to think that I have arrived and it will all be downhill from here! What adventures wait for me? I have a lot of high hopes for this year. Hopefully I won't stand in the way of letting heaven lead me to the greatest delights yet! Highlights of 2010 1. I survived Student Teaching 2. The most dashing man on the planet wrote me a book to ask my hand in marriage 3. I finally graduated from Brigham Young University with my Bachelor's degree 4. I went wedding dress shopping with my mom and we each picked out a dress 5. I was able to see my Mom truly joyful for the first time in my life 6. Being able to witness my mom kneel at the altar with her true love 7. Teaching piano le...