Full of Crap!!

So, it's that time of year again. Crap season. Mom has a crap booth that she fills full of crap to sell to people who buy that kind of crap. She also has a big show coming up this Saturday. Therefore, we're all living and breathing this crap. My parents and I are at each others' throats and we all have sore fingers from painting, sanding, drilling, tying and twisting wire. I spent the majority of my day today wrapping pine boughs around Grandma signs. I can't wait for this to end!!

I did actually have a lot of fun with it on Saturday when my friend Lisa John came over to help me bag up blocks and price stuff. I wish I'd taken pictures because we had a BLAST! I also had fun crafting a couple of weeks ago when Shinae came to help paint! It's always good with friends. But on my own, I'm NOT a crafter! And poor Targhee doesn't like this season, either. Nobody pays attention to her, so she just sits alone on her pillow and pouts!

Aside from the crafting, I've had an AWESOME week! I've really jumped into my singles' branch and made some wonderful friends! These girls are already some of my very favorite people! We have a weird name thing going on, too. There's an apartment of three girls who I've gotten to know fairly well. Gina, Brooke and Lisa. There are also three other Lisas and a Jeanna. We all like to confuse people. I hung out with these girls every night last week. Lisa John and I have hit it off really fast and really well. I have no doubt that I was meant to attend this branch and make these people a part of my life. I have already learned so much from Lisa and am so excited for this new sociality!

Lisa, Lisa, Brooke and Brooke at a Warren Miller show in Rexburg. The name thing KILLS me!

Jeanna, Lisa and Brooke in the hot tub. We threw Jen off. She came out expecting the OTHER Gina, Lisa and Brooke who are all roommates!

Look, Gina! Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down! Lisa and I snuck into the toy closet to check out the fun and Gina caught us laughing hysterically at this toddler toy!

Man, these girls are fun!

On Thursday, Lisa John and I attended the temple to do baptisms. We'd expected a bigger group, so I was a little anxious when I realized I'd be the only one doing baptisms! Lisa's endowed and wanted to do initiatories. I had made myself pretty anxious over the whole situation, but Lisa ended up being the towel passer-outter at the font. Just before my turn to enter the water, Lisa sat next to me and gave me an amazing hug. It's still so awesome to me how the Lord knows our hearts and our anxieties and He knows what we need and is able to provide that through other people. Lisa has been an answer to prayers on many occasions.

Lisa John and I in the toy closet at Lisa Jenkins' house!

We had Stake Conference this last weekend with some AMAZING speakers. I learned some really impacting lessons about building Zion and learning through affliction. Elder Spencer B. Jones said: "When we turn ourselves over to Him, He can use us. In callings, as a dad or mom, as a brother or sister, whatever the situation may be; whatever growing opportunity might be." President Whitaker emphasized that: "a temple recommend is not a certificate of perfection." We don't have to be perfect. We just have to be trying to do what's right. Oftentimes, we are harder on ourselves than we need to be. Elder Jones also said: "This Church gives us opportunities to develop ourselves; to increase our beauty in every aspect of our lives."

Our stakes were reorganized and a new stake was created. However, they won't split our branch into the new stake because there aren't enough people. So, a strange thing has happened: Although I live at home with my parents, we are now in different stakes. Weird!

After Stake Conference, I was invited to come with Shinae and her family to the Idaho Falls temple visitor's center. It had been over a week since I'd seen Shinae and nearly 2 weeks since I'd played with the girls, so that in itself was just awesome! But the Spirit and the peace of being near the temple was remarkable. It was just an amazing day. It felt so good to share that with them and to share in that spirit and joy!

McKylla, me and Abby in front of their house on Sunday. It'd been nearly two weeks since I'd seen these girls and I just couldn't get enough of them!

And they were pretty happy to see me, too! :^)

I gave McKylla the camera and she took this awesome "album cover" picture!

So, now we just have to start a band! Alan's gotta be our drummer.

Drummer's are never looking at the camera in pictures.

Monday morning, I got to take Shinae to the Dr.'s office for her 2nd ultrasound! Wow! There's totally a baby in there! And I actually saw his feet kicking around on the screen! I love my socialities and the roles I have to play in my life. I'm not always very good at keeping those in balance. I'm not always the best daughter, friend, granddaughter, niece, cousin ... I think I've failed at all of the above just in the last 2 days! But I know that the people in my life love me and will be there for me anyway. I have great people to pick me up when I fall, or give me a shoulder to cry on, or to pull me out of a parking lot when I'm spinning in circles looking for constellations! ;^) I need to do better at these things, but I know that I can. I teach this coming Sunday in Relief Society. I'm scared out of my mind. I'm teaching on Pres. Eyring's talk "The True and Living Church" and Elder Wirthlin's talk "Concern for the One." I've been reading and studying and praying and freaking out. The last part hasn't been helping the situation. Pray for me?
I have a job interview tomorrow at BYU-Idaho. It's for a temporary position (until April) dealing with transferred credits and diploma verifications. This could be an answer to prayers, too! I'll let you all know how that goes!

Thanks for your continued love and support and interest in my sometimes pathetic life! I love you all and am so grateful for good people in my life.