Atkinson Family Pictures

This past weekend I kicked it with the Atkinson Family at the Santa Monica Pier.  It was a rare day with clouds in LA and believe me I was grateful.  

Meet Halle

Lolin 

 Vinny

 Tyler and Kristen

 Here are my favorites

 

The Great Cabinet Miracle

Last Sunday afternoon we walked through the one bedroom of the duplex that we will be moving into to.  I had originally thought that we didn't need to do much to the place, but after surveying the kitchen my list grew substantially as the counter composed of black and pale yellow tiles could not be tolerated.  Enoch tried to convince me the tiles weren't all that bad, I should think of them as little bumble bees.  Anyhow along with the counters, I want to install some additional cabinets since the place has a pretty slim selection of cabinets.  

My mind was racing with the escalating expenses and the work load as we set off on a Sunday bike ride.  We didn’t have a destination in mind when we set off, however soon our conversation returned to fixing up the place, jokingly I commented to Enoch that I needed to make some quick money to pay for everything, after some significant thought I concluded that I better enter Jeopardy.  We continued to wind around residential neighborhoods until we came across something on the curb; wait what it that I see.  Surely my mind is playing tricks on me, but no in our midst stood four white cabinets in great condition.  We mustered up our courage and knocked on the door to inquire and sure enough they were free.  Enoch rode off to his parents to ascertain their trusty minivan as I guarded our new treasures.  

Not even an hour previous had I began thinking of installing cabinets, and know I was the proud owner of 4 cabinets.  God is no doubt looking after us, I only wish that I had offered up a humble prayer previously so the experience would have been that much better.  I have since gone to home depot and the exact cabinets would have been at least  $320.  

Here are some pictures of the kitchen, I forgot to take a before picture until we started to rip off the tile

We are pretty sure that this is the original counter and faucet from the 1940's when the duplex was built.  I only wish we could get another faucet named the Flow-Matic

I am so thankful for my in-laws A) letting us live here and B) trusting us enough to do some remodeling, it has been a great experience for us

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven

After 2 years and 2 months, raccoon/ possum encounters, 400 sq feet, no couch, and a locker for a shower in the drip castle or love shack; we are moving up in the world and moving into the duplex.  The thought of a family room with windows in it makes me smile every time I think about it.  However, looking at the past 2 years in our cramped quarters I wouldn't change a thing.  I remembers surveying the place before moving in and feeling overwhelmed by all the repairs we wanted to do and joking that we were doing nothing but putting a band-aid on a house that should be leveled. When I look back I hope I will always remember: putting out bowls to catch the dripping water coming into our house, having the dinner half way cooked when the propane would run out, ant invasions, extreme heat, huddling by the heater because it was the only place warm, the unsuccessful FHE treat when we cracked our counter top opening up the coconut trying to make pina coladas, storing countless kitchen items under our bed, finding a way to do P90X in our tiny space, never having the internet; but also the countless miraculous that have occurred.

The sacrifice of living in these humble circumstances has been small in comparison to the enormous blessing that have come from it.  The love shack as taken away the financial burden and made it possible to living in Los Angeles with both of us in graduate school.  We have saved an approximately $1,000/month (a very conservative number) living in the love shack which comes to a grand total of over $26,000 ($26,000 less of student loans no less).  We have learned it is not so much the house, but the people and love within it.  

I have grown to love my husband so much more and really get to know him within those crooked walls, I have grown so much as a person within this place, I have challenged myself, I have wept, I have rejoiced, I have been different than those around me for the first time, I have forgotten my own needs, I have witnessed miracles.  The lyrics from Praise to the Man have been resonating with me and I truly believe that "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." I believe that the Lord is waiting to shower us with blessing if we will but demonstrate our humility.


Here are some pictures as a tribute to the Love Shack

The bathroom is a testament that you don't need a lot of room between the sink and toilet

Sweet floating storage, I have become a greater climber

no, we haven't outgrown putting our bed on cinder blocks

oh, the tin locker

Strange Encounters

Here is a crazy story from last week:
I was getting ready for bed and combing my hair in the bathroom when I heard something in the bedroom.  Enoch was moving our car because the next day was street sweeping and we are sick of getting slapped with lame tickets for being parked on the wrong side of the street, so I knew the sound couldn’t be coming from him.  Surely, someone had not entered the house, I would have heard that to.  I temporarily froze and then gradually built up enough courage to go and investigate.  I entered the bedroom and heard it again, but wait… it is was coming from above my head.  I look up and lock eyes with a raccoon staring at me from the sky light, the audacity don’t these animals know what privacy is. Naturally I clap my hands because that scares all annoying wild life, namely crows and the like.  Lest you think that this was the first time that an animal has crawled on our roof be not deceived, we always hear the squirrels frolic across the roof chasing each other probably for the last acorn of Los Angeles (squeak, squeakith) and occasionally we see passing possums out our window crossing the cinderblock wall, but this stare down was a first.

CSUN Physical Therapy, Class 54

This week I had the honor of taking Enoch's Physical Therapy Class Pictures.  After the group pictures the boys wanted all boys pictures and then the girls wanted all girls pictures, no problem right.  Well things got a bit crazy as the guys positioned themself in a deep lunge position, the competition was on.  My original thinking was that the guys would want to bail as soon was possible from taking pictures- not so.  They would hundle and come back with their next pose.  In the end the men emerged clear champions- so much fun!

Felix and Lauren Sitting in a Tree

Let me give you some background, Felix was once of Enoch's mission companions in Guatemala.  He is one driven guy and since that point he has learned English, nearly earned his business degree from BYU Hawaii, and found an incredible girl, Lauren Kinghorm to marry.  Some other fun facts about Felix are that true to his Latin heritage he can bust out some serious dance moves and he has a set of pipes like no ones business -you can find him here if you don't believe me.

Anyhow, I took their wedding photo's in August at the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork Utah.  It proved to be quite a learning experience for me, but incredibly valuable all the same.  Let's just say wedding photography is not for the faint of heart, but I was lucky enough to have my wonderful Aunt Angela accompany for moral support and backup to help me get through.  Here are some of the pictures from their big day.  Congratulations you love birds, I wish you all the best

 

 

               

Bucket List: Rough Draft

Today as I was watching the World Report in between conference sessions I saw a clip of last years Christmas Concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  I wished with every once of my soul I was there, but more importantly I drooled and dreamed and watched David Archuleta belting it out with the Tab Choir.  I got chills at the shear volume and magnitude of what it would be like to sing with a full orchestra and a world renown choir behind you (he even got ballerina dancers, lucky).  Call me crazy, but that would be such an adrenaline rush.

  I love to sing, but I will be frank with you- I ain't ever gunna be good enough to sing in front of the MoTab, however the whole concept of being accompanied by a full orchestra sounds magical.  So I better create a bucket list so I can put this on it

#1 Belt it out in front of a large orchestra and possible choir
           (Never mind the fact that I have issues singing in front of people and my throut closes off, we will worry about that later)

While I am at this list...
#2 Visit every continet with people on it (I am not so interested in Antarctica, not going to lie)
#3 Raise some babies, and they better be cute
#4 Start a business and live to tell the tale
#5 Become financially free and give freely
#6 Serve a mission with my sweet husband Enoch
#7 Age gracefully
#8 Run a mile under 7 minutes
#9 Complete a triathlon, (better start learning to swim)

So what's your secret dream?