Book Recomendation

I've decided I'm not very good at dating. In my every day life I'm kind of anti-social and it affects how I interact with people. This can't go on-I need to learn some skills so I don't loose another rare, awesome gem like Joseph (boy mentioned in my previous post).

With this in mind I decided to buy the book The Five Languages of Love-Singles Edition by Gary Chapman. It's been a very interesting read. It teaches you the importance of identifying how those around you perceive you care about them and love them so you can best speak their "love language." It doesn't talk only about romantic relationships but co-workers, family, and friends. The five languages are:
Words of Affirmation
Gifts
Acts of Service
Quality Time
Physical Touch
Usually the way we give love is the way we prefer to receive it (but not always). Chapman says that many of us speak all 5 languages but one is usually our predominant one. I'm still trying to figure out if Quality Time or Acts of Service is my main one-I think I lean more towards Quality Time. Those who know me well would probably guess the one I use the least to show my love would be Physical Touch-wrong. I've discovered it's Words of Affirmation. I am TERRIBLE at giving compliments. This is very unfortunate because when I was dating Joseph I noticed he likes to compliment a lot. I thought, "I need to find ways to compliment him." I appreciated him, who he was, and the things he did-I was just bad at vocalizing them. I really need to work on this love language. You would think as a teacher I would be amazing at it...but I don't compliment my students much either.

This is one of my new goals: Learn to speak the Love language of Words of Affirmation.

Chapman has a number of variations of his book-one for teens, married couples...I would highly recommend it to anyone. It gets the wheels turning.

If anyone has other books to recommend me to help improve my people skills (especially in the dating dept) I'm rip, roaring ready to read, contemplate, and implement some changes in my life!

Joy in the Small Things

I was feeling very unhappy yesterday. I had an extremely disappointing rejection from a boy who I was kind of dating and had high hopes for. I was finding it difficult to enjoy life and could only see the mundane and monotony. So I decided to spend some time walking around my condo complex with my camera to look for the small joys in life and to remind myself to look at life with different perspectives. I played with different lenses, lighting, and filters. It was a very nice activity and helped, among other things I did, to calm my spirit. I'm grateful the Lord provides beauty and if we take time to look we can find Joy in the Small Things.

Dumspter Diving, Piggies, Zion, and Coke

DUMSTER DIVING AND PIGGIES
I don't know what you all did this past Sabbath, but I decided to go dumpster diving in my pj's!

Explanation (in case you're wondering, "WHAT?")

My family has been obsessed with Pigs for a loonnngggg time. It all began when Stephen and I were in high school. He would drive me crazy but my parents wouldn't let us call each other names so, I called him a pig. Over the years it became a term of endearment. I even built a snow pig one winter for him in the back yard. I've now trained a number of my nieces and nephews to give piggy noses (since Aunt Mel doesn't do kisses), oink, read piggy books, and they even kiss my piggy slippers, steal them, and just over all-love them.
On Saturday my friend Mark decided to make 30 lap quilts for United Way. My house was the scene of the fun (I'll give more details on this project another time). Anyhow, my piggy slippers ended up at the bottom of a scrap material pile and were thrown away. I didn't realize this until I was trying to get to sleep that night and thought, "Hmm, when I vacumed I don't recall moving my pigs. My Pigs!" I immediatly looked over the side of the bed and they weren't there. Sad day. I thought, "Oh well, I needed to buy new ones anyway (which you'll see from the photo) but I really don't want to buy them until the Fall. And what will everyone do without Aunt Mel's Piggy Slippers?" So, the next morning I went out to the dumster and rescued them! Yea Aunt Mel!!!

My slipper in their current condition

Sage wearing Aunt Mel's Piggies

A visit to the neighbor's farm last summer to see the pigs.

Our family made a: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years card for Michael when he was on his mission. Diana and I were in charge of the "New". Notice the piggy noses!

Looking for Pigs with Aunt Mel in a Richard Scarry book. One of our favorites!

Sage giving Aunt Mel a Piggy Nose!

If I weren't lazy I could scan a bunch of non digital piggy photos but...you get the drift!

ZION
For Spring Break last week Jess invited me to go with her family to St. George and Zion National Park (no S on Zion!). Here are some highlight photos!

Brain and Sage

Scrunchy (ie Katie) on a cool rock on our Emerald Pools hike. Katie was a GREAT hiker this day. On the last leg of the hike going up (the hardest section) she didn't want help-AT ALL. She did it all by herself!

Katie and Sage on a tire swing outside our Zion hotel.

Katie playing in the River

David and Josh in the mud (which you can't see but trust me, their legs are deep into it)

There was an avalanche/rock fall as we hiked out. David and Josh were right under it but luckily, their guardian angels were on duty that day and they didn't get hit (except for shrapnel from bursting rocks). This is the aftermath.

A ranger wrapped Josh's ankle. He fell as he ran off the path away from the avalanche and slightly twisted his ankle.

All in all, a good trip. Even though the boys were traumatized from the avalanche they will remember it in the future as a spiritual learning experience (I think) and we have lots of other good memories! I'm glad my family invites Aunt Mel to participate in things!

COKE
I went to get my oil changed the other day-they said there was corrosion on my battery and asked if I wanted to pay for them to clean it. I said, "No, I'll do it myself." I know of 2 ways of accomplishing this: baking soda w/ water and coca-cola. I've done the baking soda before and it worked pretty well so this time I though I would try the coke. AMAZING! Wow did it clean my battery!! And some people put this stuff in their stomachs....