Service

On Sunday someone brought a letter by our apartment.  It informed me that the next church activity was going to focus on the mothers and mothers-to-be in our congregation.  Basically, I was supposed to fill out a piece of paper that told a little bit about myself what some of the other women could do for me to help me out.  My first thought was, "I can do everything on my own still.  I'm only in my second trimester! That's when you supposedly feel the best."  Then I looked around our little apartment and millions of little things that I've been meaning to get done came to mind.  Things I haven't gotten to, because I am so exhausted all the time, and when I finally have energy to do it I run out of energy so fast that I have to sit down and never finish.  I couldn't possibly let people come do all those tedious tasks for me though.  It would be inconvenient, a hassle.  There are a million people who need help more than I do.  Then our bishop spoke to us during the first block at church.  He said we women try too hard to impress everyone else in our church.  We feel everything has to be perfectly spotless whenever we know someone is going to stop by.  He said by trying to appear perfect all the time and not opening up to others in the congregation about what we are struggling with denies them the opportunity to serve us and get to know us; really know us.  I really thought about what he said and decided he was right.  I try to hide the pile of dishes and unfolded laundry every time I hear the doorbell.  I really thought on what I could have the women in my ward come help me with, and picked a project that I felt was simple, but would take me forever to do myself and exhaust me in the process.  I am actually kind of looking forward to it, even though I was uncomfortable at first.

  

The Bod

This week I am going to work on eating and drinking.  I haven't been feeling very well at all and I am pretty sure it's because I am just not eating enough or staying hydrated.  I have no energy.  Part of that has to do with the fact that I'm pregnant, but when I eat enough I feel so much better.  I think I've been slacking because of how busy I was last week, however the little baby in my womb (that I have read should be about the size of my fist by now) doesn't care whether or not I'm busy.  All it knows is that mommy isn't feeding it enough.  Next week we will know if we are having a boy or a girl! So exciting! I want to get in the habit of eating and drinking more anyways, because it's good for you.  This body is screaming for me to take better care of it.  The plan is to make sure I go to the store and get the foods that I need.  Right now that includes  ones that are easier on the tummy, but will still fill me up. My most recent favorite snacks are oatmeal and chips with salsa.  Yogurt is good when I'm in the mood, but sometimes it just doesn't sound that good.  My favorite snacks change every couple of weeks or so. Next, on my plan is to eat every two hours after I wake up, but snack on something healthy if I get hungry again before that.  I also have to make sure I eat something right before bed so that I don't get sick at night.  It has been helping the morning sickness a lot. Wish me luck this week!

Getting a Job

So, the dishes are not piling up as fast as they were, but let's face it: no one is going to break a habit overnight.  I am no exception.  At this very moment there are several plates, cups and pieces of silverware in the sink.  I think overall the house looks better though.  The living room definitely doesn't look too shabby.  I rearranged it last week to create a little more space.  My husband and I are expecting a baby this July, and in our 700 square-foot apartment there will only be so much room for baby stuff.  I tell you what, if anything motivates you to fix yourself, it is a child.  How can I teach a child to be a good person who works hard, manages their time well, treats people right, cleans up after themselves, and takes care of themselves if I don't know how to do it for myself first?  The answer is clear.  I need to make a few improvements.

I did get a job this week!  I worked hard for it too, going out of my comfort zone in a few areas.  First of all, I hate being pushy.  However, I was told by one person to go in twice a week after I sent in my application to this place to check up on it.  Then another person also told me to make sure I keep bugging them.  So I did that.  I filled out the lengthy application, then two days later went into the office and asked about it.  The receptionist said it takes about two weeks for them to get through all the applications, but gave me a phone number to call if I didn't hear back.  About three days later I went a friend's apartment who works there so that he could tell me about the company and their products.  He also told me some of the things to expect during the interview and what the job was like.  That day he turned in a written recommendation for me.  The next day I called the phone number I was given and was asked to come in for an interview the next day! That was the longest interview I have ever been in.  It took about an hour and a half for the entire process, but two days after that I was called up and offered the job. Hooray! I am so glad I put in the effort to get that job.  Training starts today, and I hope I can absorb all the things I will be learning.  Wish me luck!

Where To Start?

Unless you are an extremely unrealistic person with a huge ego you would probably agree that everyone in this world has at least one weakness.  Personally I have plenty of them.  I hate doing the dishes or laundry.  Those are my least favorite chores, but that isn't a weakness.  The weakness is that I let my hate of those chores overtake my desire for a clean apartment way too often.  Then when someone knocks I feel like I can open the door a crack, because what if someone sees the disaster in my kitchen?! However the weaknesses don't stop there.  Don't worry, I have plenty more.  That's why I am going to start writing about them.  Becoming aware of weaknesses is the first step in fixing them.  Here is a list to start brainstorming:

-I let fear hold me back from trying new things or doing things I really want (this one leads to basically most of every other one on my list)

-I can be lazy sometimes when I don't want to do something, and keep putting it off.

-I am not always productive with my time

-I don't eat enough healthy food

-I eat too much junk food (pizza, candy, ice cream=Yum! ...but not too good for the belly)

-I procrastinate

-I say I really want something (and do), but then I don't do anything to prove it

-I am a people-pleaser

These are the ones I feel are pretty big right now.  I think if these things get improved significantly then I'll be able to tackle other smaller ones a lot easier.  Now that I've put out there those things I hate about myself and want to change, I think it's important also to acknowledge those things that make me a good person.  I know I can use my strengths to overcome my weaknesses.  Isn't that the reason God gave us strengths and talents in the first place?  It was to use them!  So by golly, here are my best qualities (in my opinion):

-I am a very genuine and loving person

-I can be depended on to follow through when I say I will do something

-I am very friendly, polite and overall very happy too

-I am very creative (writing, decorating, almost any form of art, you name it and I'll create it)

-I am really good with my hands

-I like keeping busy, but like to take time for the people I care about too

-I can get along with anyone, even if I don't like them that much

-I love to show up to everything about 10 minutes early, unless it is at someone's house.  Then sometimes it's rude to show up too early I think.  It depends on what's going on.

-I get really excited when I master a new skill or make a noticeable amount of improvement.  Sometimes so excited that I want to tell everyone I meet on the street, but I hold back as to not appear immodest.

-I am a people-pleaser

Notice that I put "being a people-pleaser" as a strength and a weakness.  I think sometimes qualities can be both depending on your situation.  For example, because I am a people-pleaser I sometimes am afraid of what people will think of me, so I don't try something new.  I don't want to look like a fool or an idiot.  Who does?  However, at the same time, this makes me a really good employee, because I want everyone at work to see me as a dependable and awesome person to work with.  I feel that I work much harder because of it. So I need to find a balance between the two: using it to motivate me to work hard, but not letting it hold me back or in need of recognition for what I did.  I want to get to a point where I can do something great and not feel like I need to show it off.  People will see that I am great without me forcing it upon them.

To keep this post from being super long, I'll wrap it up, but for this week I'm going to work on keeping up with housework.  I like being in a clean place.  It invites a spirit of peace and love into the home that allows me to concentrate on the next thing.  I will also look for opportunities to step up and force myself to be more outgoing.  For a while being outgoing will have to be a "fake it 'til you make it" thing, because of what I mentioned before about letting fear hold me back.  I know I can do it though.  I just have to let myself get a little (or a lot) uncomfortable.  Wish me luck this week!