Peace out 2015.

2015 was such a great year! And of course... I had to make a flipagram. So go on over to my YouTube page to see it.

Can't wait to see what 2016 brings us!

Happy New Years my lovely friends! Hope your year starts out awesome!

Best. Day. Ever.

It has been sooo long since my last blog post.

I am not good at juggling many things and I had to put the blog on hold so I could keep my sanity. I also put any and all fitness on hold AND apparently my hair.

My hair is sad...

I need a color and cut so so badly.

Since last may we have had a great summer with lots of outdoor adventures, daddy spent a lot of time working out of state (BOO!), we enjoyed another balloon fest weekend (dad wasn't able to be there due to his working out of state and it was hard not having him there), Molly turned 2, we moved into a different home, started home-school, I turned 33, Cooper turned 9, dad turned 33 and we have had a wonderful holiday season.

OH!!! And... We were sealed as a family for all eternity. It was the best day of my life. Having my husband and children in the temple together was a dream come true. I will never forget the feeling that over came me when it was all said and done and we looked into the mirrors in the sealing room. There before me was a family all dressed in white.

It was a wonderful day.

I want to remember it forever.

I never want to forget what we went through to get there. And what it felt like to walk into the beautiful and oh so sacred Provo temple as a family. And to know that we were doing what was best and right for our family.

I can't tell you how many times I had prayed for our family to one day be sealed forever and ever. I can't begin to tell you how desperately I longed to know that death could not separate us. To know that we would be able to be together as a family.... The day it came was describable. Amazing. One of the greatest blessing in my whole life. 

They say that the things that are the most important are the things we have to work the hardest for.

It's true.

And oh so worth the hard work to get it.

"I have a fam'ly here on earth.

1. They are so good to me.
   I want to share my life with them through all eternity.
2. Fam'lies can be together forever
   Through Heav'nly Father's plan.
   I always want to be with my own family,
   And the Lord has shown me how I can.
   The Lord has shown me how I can"

Here are a few photos from my favorite day of 2015.

Best day ever...

Not after the manner of men.

While I was in n a the kitchen cleaning up I noticed it was much quieter than usual. I knew Cooper was reading on the couch but I wasn't sure what Molly was up to and I got nervous. She has already made her fair share of chaos today. I wasn't looking forward to any more. But when I walked in to see this sight my heart skipped a beat. And I couldn't help but feel excitement for our upcoming adventures in homeschooling.

 

I have been having some stress lately about whether or not I am going to be able to give Cooper what he needs for a good education. Not only do I worry about how well it will work out to have Cooper doing his work while his crazy little sister is running around the house I also worry about me and what I am capable of. I am not a teacher. I didn't do well in math. And I am not the most organized person. I have been trying to work on theses weaknesses since homeschooling became a definite but haven't felt like I am enough. I knew I was led to this decision by spiritual inspiration. I know it is what Cooper needs. But even with the knowledge of those things I still couldn't shake the doubt. So I did what I needed to do. I prayed. I said a prayer to know that I could be enough. And I asked for inspiration to know how Cooper needed to be taught. That afternoon I was reading my scriptures and these verses stood out and told me what I needed to know...

 1Nephi 18

2 Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men; but I did build it after the manner which the Lord had shown unto me; wherefore, it was not after the manner of men.

 3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did prayoft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto megreat things.

The Lord has not asked me to build a ship but he ha asked me to build my son's future. And just like He told Nephi not to build his ship "after the manner which was learned by men", He has asked me to teach Cooper in a non traditional way. And just like Nephi I must pray oft to know what things The Lord would have me know and do. I am not alone in this. After receiving this inspiration I do not feel so stressed. I know that as long as I stay close to my Heavenly Father, have faith, and pray oft that our Heavenly Father will help us in our homeschooling journey.

Am I strong enough to be your mom?

You know that Sheryl Crow song, Strong Enough? Many times throughout the song it has a line that says "Are you strong enough to be my man?" Well the other day I found myself singing... "Am I strong enough to be your mom?"

I have 2 very amazing strong willed children.

Cooper has been through a lot as a child. He has dealt with divorce, change, letting love in, more change and going back and forth every other weekend from one family to the other. It is his life. And he lives it so well. I look up to him. He is so genuinely good... Like honest to goodness this kid has a beautiful soul. And he has so much determination in life. But he also has his trials. He has things he must learn to live with, be better at, and not let bring him down. As his mom it is my duty to help him embrace his strengths and overcome his weaknesses.

Am I strong enough to be your mom?

Then there is my tiny little Molly June... Molly is stubborn, determined, fearless, and feisty. When Molly wants something she doesn't give up until she gets it. She will go at it from different angles and won't stop until she has what she wanted. The majority of my day is spent getting Molly out of something she is not supposed to be in or on. Over and over and over.... She is stubborn. I admire that about her. She's not even 2 yet but I just know she will be this determined her whole life. And that can be both a positive thing and a negative for her. It all depends on how she learns to channel that determination and fire. And as her mom I feel the responsibility to help her learn to use that determination in a positive way.

Am I strong enough to be your mom?

I was given 2 very amazing souls to raise. I must give them enough love, understanding, space, trust, support, and so much more so they can be their very best.

Am I strong enough to be your mom?

I promise to do my very best, to give what I have to give. And when I am lacking the strength I need, which will be almost always (if not all the time), I will rely on our Savior and His gift to us.

Through the atonement we will always be strong enough. I can be strong enough to be the mom you need. And you can be strong enough to be the best versions of yourselves too.

I promise.

Crying on the kitchen floor. It's normal.

(Top: Cooper and I after he got his bobcat badge

Bottom: Warrior face!) 

Last night at pack meeting Coop got his bobcat badge. I got to paint his face during the little ceremony thing. It was pretty fun. Cooper has come to really love scouts. I love it. I love seeing him enjoying something and being happy. He is such a good kid. I really needed that time with him last night. And here's why... Lately I haven't felt like the best mom. I have been so stressed and emotional the last few days and when you mix those two together it is never good. Yesterday was my breaking point. Before we went to scouts I was trying to make a dent in the mess I have let pile up in my kitchen and after the 100th time of getting Molly off the table, out of the cupboards or drawers and putting away whatever she got out, I lost my cool. I yelled at Molly. I had been praying and trying to not yell all day. I yell too much. It's one of my many faults. And at that moment after yelling and telling her she is driving my nuts I had all my insecurities as a mom and homemaker rush forward and I felt like crap. "Gosh! I suck at this!" So I sat on the kitchen floor and started to cry. I started saying a prayer in my heart telling my Father how I felt and how inadequate I felt. " I can't do this. I need help!" A short heartfelt prayer that said so much more... I need help to get past my shortcomings. I need help to be a better woman. I need help to be a better mom, wife and homemaker. I need help to accomplish the things I need to do day to day. I need help to get control of my crazy woman hormones and not let satan use that time of weakness against me. I need help to be better... And a couple minutes after my prayer was sent heavenward, as I sit on the floor crying like a loon, my sweet boy comes upstairs, kneels down beside me, puts his arms around me and says, "Don't worry mom. I'll help you." I don't remember saying that I needed help out loud. I was sure I said it in my head. 

I am hesitant to share that moment because it feels like our moment, mine and Coop's. But I have this other part of me that feels like I need to share it because my whole purpose of sharing yesterdays breakdown was to also share my testimony that God doesn't expect perfection from us moms. and is there listening and waiting for us to open up to Him. He doesn't love us less when there are dishes overflowing our sinks or crusty food under the baby's highchair that never got cleaned up. He doesn't expect us to be happy all the time and never have bad days. He doesn't care if we end up staying in out leggings all day with a t shirt covered in our children's food and boogers. He doesn't think less of us for not putting any make up on or doing our hair before our husbands get home from work. And He certainly doesn't love us less because we can't seem to reach the worlds standard of a good homemaker.

None of that matters.

So what does matter to God? What does He want from us? 

Love. 

He wants us to love our families and teach them through example how to love. He wants us to love our lives and find happiness. He wants us to love ourselves and know that who we are is enough. He wants us to love each other. and show our love by serving one another and being kind. And our Heavenly Father wants us to know that no matter who we are, what we do, what we wear, how we feel about ourselves, or what mistakes we have made... He loves us. His love for us is infinite and never changes. Even though I felt like such a failure, crying on the floor, overwhelmed and feeling crazy, He loved me enough to send my little boy upstairs to answer my plea for help. God listened to my small prayer because He loves me.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Every life matters.

Every Life Matters Q&A - Bonnie Bunnell

Can I just tell you all how much I L-O-V-E love these Q&A's??? Like... A whole lot! 

I just love reading through the emails when I get them back. I like to tell myself that I do these to help others remember that every life matters, including their own! But if I am being totally honest.... I am just selfish and I love them for my own personal gain. Each and every one has been so great and has helped me so much. I am thankful I get to know these women (and maybe one day men because this isn't just for women) that have taken the time and effort to answer these questions and help by sharing their thoughts, experiences & feelings. They rock! 

So with that being said I would like to introduce my next guest in my Every Life Matters Q&A series... I met Bonnie a few years ago soon after moving to Cedar. One thing you may not know about me is that I am not that outgoing in some social situations. When I am new and alone I tend to stay hidden in the corner and not put myself out there. And because of that I don't always make friends easily. Well when I started attending my new ward in church I just new I would have a hard time making any friends because of my social weirdness. But Bonnie had to ruin it all and be her amazing friendly self. She was so friendly and talked to me like we were already friends. I loved her energy. She forced me out of my shell and helped me to open up to others and make friends. After getting to know her more I found out that she was pretty much AMAZING! She is talented, creative, friendly, kind, funny, and has awesome taste! I pretty have a friend crush on her.

We have both ended up moving away from Cedar City but because of the blessing of social media we have been able to keep in touch. And I pray one day I get to actually see her in person and give her a great big hug! 

I am excited for you all to get to know her through her Q&A! She's awesome!!! But I will let you find out for yourself... 

Take it away Bonnie!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello there! My name is Bonnie. I am a mother of 5 delightfully active, bright minded, energetic, and exhausting children. I have been married for almost 15 years. I am completely in love with life and all it has to offer. I love to thrift and refurbish thrift finds and have my own DIY blog called Drab to Fab. I also love to photograph beautiful places and things. And I own my own photography business, Photography by Bon.

Who matters to you? And how do you show them that they matter to you?

Nothing matters to me more in this life than my husband, my children, and of course my faith and belief in God. I get to show my love to my hubby each day. I get to serve him and be served by him and most importantly I get to have him as my best friend! I love to shower my kids with an ample amount of hugs and kisses, to the point that they are slightly embarrassed of me. {haha} But that is the fun part of being "in charge". 

What matters to you most?

What matters most to me in life is happiness. If I can achieve levels of happiness in my marriage, in my family, in my home, and help others around me than I in turn feel happy. Life is so difficult. No one is exempt to challenges and struggles, but taking a little bit of time each day to "pause" and see all the ways I am blessed, instead of focus on all the struggles of life I may face, helps me to find joy and happiness everyday!

Tell us about a time in your life when someone has made you feel like you mattered.

I could give many instances where someone has gone out of their way to show love towards me or make me feel special. That is the beautiful thing about life, there are oodles of gloriously beautiful people. But if I had to pick just one I would choose a Young Women's leader I had when I was around 13 years old. She always went out of her way to compliment me and make me feel loved. I will never forget a moment when she approached me and said, "You are always happy. Your smile is contagious and can make so many people happy." That has always stuck with me. It helps me  in times of my life when I don't feel like smiling, to remember her kind words.

Tell us about a time in your life when you haven't felt like you mattered. How do you overcome that?

I think the down side of life is that we WILL fail sometimes and struggle. It is easy in those moments of weakness to feel unimportant and be so hard on ourselves. I have found that when I think others are tearing me down, or Satan is trying to place doubt in my mind, that it is usually my own self that holds me back. I have the ability to choose whether or not to react to something. I have the ability to be Christlike, no matter what. So I would have to say those times in life that I feel I don't matter are from my own doings.  I know I have a Heavenly Father that loves me, no matter what- but sometimes my "natural women" gets the best of me.

Life can get pretty crazy and there are a lot of distractions and things to get us off track. How do you keep focus on what matters most to you in your life?

In order for me to keep focused on the things that matter most in life I have to constantly pray to my Heavenly  Father. I sometimes feel like the yappy annoying puppy that is constantly at His heels. But I have come to realize that having a "prayer in our heart" like the scriptures say is truly a great way to keep an open communication with my Father in Heaven. Which in turns helps me to feel closer to the spirit and know what He would have me do!

If you could give one message to those reading this what would it be?

If I could give anyone one bit of advice it is that GOD truly does love you and knows you. There is so much good all around us! Find those good things in your life. Cherish your relationships and don't be afraid to let people in! 

Playing alone at recess.

This morning I was talking to Cooper while he was getting ready for school and he told me that he doesn't have any friends to play with at recess.

(Insert mom's heart breaking here)

I pray every single day that I can do and say the things my children need to help them be happy in life. Cooper has had this problem at school a couple times already and I have told him not to worry cause he is awesome and that he should find a new friend. When in my mind I want to tell him that he is too good for those mean kids anyway and they suck! I have to hold the protective mama bear in. 

But today when he told me that he tries to play with so-called friends at school and they say they don't want to play with him it makes me so upset. What do I do? How do I handle this? What do I teach him in this very normal but hard time of his childhood?

This is what came to me...

Just because someone does not see how great you are does not mean that you aren't great.

Some people , young and old, get caught up in what is going on in their lives, their lifestyle, their group, their projects and/or interests, and they forget to take time to see anything else. And just because they don't see how fun and interesting you are does not mean that you are not fun and interesting.

Sometimes we end up playing alone at recess.

Play. Be creative. Enjoy life. Be awesome.

Sometimes not being a part of the group is better than being a part of it. 

XOXO,

Katie

Every Life Matters Q&A - Briana Johnson

I do this thing where I come up with a word for someone that describes them. One word. I don't know why I do this but after I get to know someone a word just stick with them in my brain. Briana Johnson = Exuberance. The definition of exuberance is "the quality of being full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness". If you know Briana you are now saying "Yeah... She is exuberant." I told you. She's just a ray of sunshine with a side of spunk.

When I met Briana last summer she treated me like I had been her friend for years. There was a connection with her. And I knew that we were meant to be gal pals. So of course I had to ask such an amazingly awesome person to be a part of my Q&A series. Uh duh... I would be a fool not to.

So I give to you, the exuberant and awesomely wonderful Briana Johnson!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hello new friends! I’m Briana Johnson, a girl who loves way too many of any one type of thing to ever pick a favorite.  I am a living room dancer, lifestyle blogger, happiness ambassador, champion of the soul, seeker of the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary, momma to four littles, and wife to a MS warrior.  I love color, music, places of the world, art, architecture, flowers, but mostly people.  Luckily I've got a house full of some pretty amazing ones.  In our house its not a debate over who gets the remote, its who gets to choose the playlist.  I kind of love that my children love music just about as much as me, until I hear “Last Train to Awesome Town” or Journey’s “Separate Ways” for the millionth time.

Who matters to you?

I have been greatly blessed throughout my entire life with meaningful relationships.  I do not take that lightly as I know there are many out there who have not experienced such joy and security.  

Parents and siblings that love spending time together, usually resulting in laughing so hard you cry.  

A closeness to my Heavenly Father and Savior I have fostered since I was a little girl.  

A husband who is my champion and works hard everyday to lift me and show me how much he loves me.  He fights against the claws of this horrible disease each day of his life and I admire him so much for it.  

My 4LiveCrew, four active kiddos who keep me young.  They love playing together and are learning to work too as our family adjusts to a new life with mom at work.  

Friends of course.  We have had people from all stages of our life pour their love and support into us, especially over the past few years.  

And people... beautiful, beautiful, extraordinary people like you and you.

How do you show them that they matter to you?

Time!  I have heard it said that love in family is spelled T. I. M. E.  I have taken that to heart and have used that as a trigger word to help me remember to spend time with the people that matter most to me.  I have it written on a necklace and in lights in my kitchen.  It is so easy to fall in the trap of just assuming people know that they matter to you because you have told them before or that because they are family or you consider them a friend they will understand if you just need to give time to more ‘pressing matters’.  Of course we would love to spend trips, nights out, and nights in with people we care about, but sometimes time translates to mean a quick trip to the park, a bedtime story, sitting next to each other on the sofa watching funny YouTube videos, or a quick phone call or text letting them know you’re thinking of them. 

Tell us about a time in your life when someone has made you feel like you mattered.

My husband was diagnosed with MS in 2009 and since that time his health has taken a dramatic decline.  Our family dynamic has shifted greatly and I am now the sole provider while he is doing his best to rock it at home as Mr. Mom.  Every day I hear him in our family prayers say he is thankful for me for working so hard and being the best mom in the world.  My kids hear it and I hear them repeat it to me often as they run up and give me hugs after long days at the office.  My husband thinks I am a rock star and it makes all the difference.

Tell us about a time in your life when you felt like you have not mattered.

Comparison is a dangerous weapon.  It may disguise itself as research for betterment, justified jealousy, or it may even tiptoe in very quietly until it wedges a gaping hole in your self-esteem.  I have fallen into the comparison trap many times throughout my life.  

How did you overcome that?

Oh I think there are a lot of factors that help me escape when I find myself in a comparison trap.  Being surrounded by positive thinkers both in my personal and professional life who remind me of my worth.  Breathing and channeling my thoughts to be happy for the person to whom I have compared myself.  Forgetting myself and finding ways to help others.  Naming the good things in my life aloud.  Recognizing the small accomplishments I make and giving them greater weight than the things in which I feel I don’t measure up.

What matters to you and why?

Learning to live a happy life.  Learning to live a happy life despite all the crazy ups and downs, twists and turns, leaps and crashes, solo walks and the bits I’m being carried.  Some days life feels so heavy and I just don’t think I can handle one more thing.  My insecurities and fears creep into my relationships and I wrap barbed wire around myself to keep any feelings from getting in.  It is the greatest mercy that in those moments, I feel the fight within me.  My greater self clambering to get out, to overcome.  My true self, the one I want to free.  And when I am free from fear of uncertainty and self-pity because of that inner fight combined with an undeniable divine enabling power, I am light and I am happy.  These down times have been coming less, with periods of clambering getting shorter.  I am learning more with each triumphant episode how to live a happy life.  My sincerest desire is that as I share with others what I have learned, both through the struggles and the lessons through experience, I may help someone through their own journey.  This will bring me tremendous joy.  

Life can get pretty crazy and there are a lot of distractions and things to get us off track. How do you keep focus on what matters most to you in your life?

Oh this is at the heart and soul of my lifelong quest, how do I focus on the things that I want to give the most attention to instead of to those things that seem to scream the loudest.  I have learned and continue to remind myself that I have to take time for me.  Not just to sit down with my favorite ice cream and watch the latest episode of some BBC series, but to take the time to do those things that light me up, feed into my soul, and put me on the path of becoming who I really want to be.  In order for me to turn and feed into everything and everyone else that needs me, I have to be fed first.  For me that means doing “The Miracle Morning”.  {If you haven’t read the book, go grab it}.  My miracle morning involves investing time first thing in the morning to those things that enrich my mind, body, and spirit, as well as give fuel to my dreams.  Mine involves getting up a good hour before my kids, oh how I’m not naturally a morning person but I promise you I am a different person when I do this.  In that hour plus I pray, read affirmations pertaining to my goals, visualize myself attaining a goal, read my scriptures while writing thoughts in my journal, and then squeeze exercise into the remaining minutes.  The world seems so much lighter and brighter when I do this. 

If you could give one message to those reading this what would it be?

You have a story to share.  Your life may seem ordinary to you, but the life you are leading right now, the journey you are on, what you have gone through and how you have overcome difficulties and pressed forward is worthy of inspiring others.  You are extraordinary.  So many of you are saying right now, me?, not me!  Yes you!  You and you and you.  It does not serve yourself or anyone else around you well to see your life as anything else.  It does not matter your shortcomings, or mistakes, or status, you have a life of purpose that can feel fulfilling and be used to inspire and serve others.  So find out how to believe that {I’d start with investing meaningful time in yourself} and then reach out and share that message of belief with someone else.  We live in a world of extraordinary people that just don’t see it yet.  Imagine how differently your world would be if you did this!  

This is my passion and I am so happy to have shared it with you.  Now you know its unfair that you know a whole lot about me, and I don’t know anything about you.  So come say ‘hi’ over where I hang out, Instagram (@briana6) and my 
blog www.journeywithjohnsons.blogspot.com  Hope to meet you soon!

Every Life Matters Q&A - Suzanne Maddocks

Well what can I say to help you all truly understand how amazing Suzanne is??? If I had to describe her is 3 words they would be; Genuine. Intelligent. RAD.

I met Suzanne last year when I went with my sister to do a maxi skirt party at Suzanne's house. I walked in and instantly knew we should be besties. She has amazing taste in just about everything! And she is the kind of person who makes you really think. You know that quote from Eleanor Roosevelt that's says, "Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people." Well Suzanne is a great mind! She makes me understand who I am. Have you ever had a friend who did that? Made you understand yourself better just by them being their own self? Seriously people... She is a blessing to this world! And she matters to me very much!

I am so excited for you all to get to know her through her Q&A. I hope you all enjoys this weeks Every Life Matters Q&A by the one and only, Suzanne Maddocks!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in Texas with three older brothers and two older sisters.  I swam in warm Texas water almost every day. And I LOVE to swim.  I was raised to be smart, strong, kind and unique.  I moved to Utah to attend BYU, I later graduated from the U and later from USU.  When I was 28 I moved from Salt Lake City to Roosevelt which was exciting and emotionally difficult. My grandmother often told me that I could choose to be happy wherever I was.  I try to listen to those words often.  I am married to a hard working artist and we have two lovely children, they are my world. I am social and shy.  I love to learn, and relearn and evolve.  I am a mental health therapist and I knew what I wanted to do when I was in the 7th grade.  I was an office aid for the school counselor and the cutest skater boy, Bobby, went to counseling with her once a week.  It made an impact on me then that there is depth under the surface of a person and it does not matter how cute, rebellious, or put together we are, we all just need someone to talk to! And a sandwich...those help a lot too. 

Who matters to you?

I would love to say that everyone matters to me, and the true answer IS everyone but when I prioritize it is God, family, friends, friends of friends, strangers and people who need help who I can offer some help. So yeah, basically everyone.

How do you show them that they matter to you?

My mind gets a chaotically busy sometimes and I think that I need to complete a thoughtful deed or gift/art project for someone to feel that they matter to me. I end up wasting a lot of time and most of all my energy on something silly that people don't want/need.  I am constantly relearning that time and quality is what people need most from each other. My friends and family have witnessed me relearn this several times. And I am still learning.  

What matters most to you?

Spirituality, calmness, happiness, energy, art, nature, emotional bonds with others, everyone doing their part--being a cog in the great big machine, creativity, simplicity, good feelings, normalness, kindness, laughter, good food and even better music. Oh, and people.  I am definitely a people person. 

Tell us about a time in your life when someone has made you feel like you mattered.

I am fortunate that my mind is flooded with memories, names, feelings and faces of instances where I felt that I mattered. My good and loving parents were successful in helping me understand that I matter to them and to something/someone larger.  I was awfully shy as a kid and I remember the first day of kindergarten being brutal.  There was a retired man from our subdivision who would volunteer in our kindergarten classroom.  We called him Kinder-Pa.  He would talk to, reassure and rock and child in a huge ol' rocking chair until they felt brave enough to handle the big uneasy world of public school.  I did not realize it when I was five, but his time and quality of a man helped me understand that I mattered.  I mattered enough for an old man to leave his house every day and spend his time with a lot of rambunctious children. 

Tell us about a time in your life when you haven't felt like you mattered.

There are countless times that I have felt that I did not matter.  Typically when I have let my personal goals slip and I have let my materialism run rampant, it is very easy to feel that I don't matter, that I don't measure up. That my mom/wife/church skills are sub par.  Its easy to think why I am overlooked for some things, some friends.  When I have negative thoughts that are self-deprecating, comparing in nature, it is because I have let my self get engulfed in negative self talk tsunami that I am responsible to stop. It is not always easy but when things get to me, man, if I can back up and track each thought, I can break it down and begin to build myself up.  I have not always been able to do this, to look at the big picture.  

How did you overcome that?

So how did I overcome that...  Katie, that is a good question because I am still overcoming that but I will tell you what has helped me so far...I slow down.  I think about why I was put on this Earth.  I count my blessings.  I pray.  I hated the book Eat, Pray, Love (that woman was so self absorbed)  but she was really on to something.  I eat a cookie.  I hold my kids and tell them that I love them.  I take a deep breath.  I think about a friend who has been asking me to spend time with or call who I have neglected.  I listen to my children's perspective on how things work.  I let myself laugh.  I read the Book of Mormon.  I ask for help.  I talk about how I am feeling with my favorite therapist (my husband).  I pray again.  I keep praying in my heart.  I cry.  I walk outside and feel the love of my Heavenly Father through our natural surroundings.  I pay attention to someone who has it worse than me, someone who needs help--my help.  Sometimes I have to do some or all of these things, or do all of these things and second and third time until my attitude is switched.  Sometimes all I have to do is read a small paragraph in Sheri Dew's book Women in the Priesthood and I weep with an understanding that I matter.

Life can get pretty crazy and there are a lot of distractions and things to get us off track. How do you keep focus on what matters most to you in your life? 

Life IS crazy!  It is spontaneous and it happens fast. I never really believed the olds when they said that thirty or fifty or seventy five years would flash by but I get it now.  I like to have a routine and I like to plan,  I also like to make excuses and make decision based on my mood.  So my routine has to be fluid.  I have to constantly re prioritize (the most important things are always at the top).  My mom and I were driving in Mexico about ten years ago and there was a blind beggar who had no legs on the side of the road.  She told me that he matters to someone.  Not only is he a child of God, but he was someone's, some mother's child.  That hit me so hard that day and I have since looked at people and life with a different perspective.  That keeps my grounded.  Surrounding myself with good people with similar goals keeps me on track.  Hanging around kids really helps with that.  Being a therapist and realizing that most people have it harder than I do helps with that. Looking at the big picture of life, this opportunity helps with that.  Understanding or at least wondering what I have to offer the world, or just my family, or community, or even myself helps with that.  Also, limiting my FB and IG time helps with that. 

If you could give one message to those reading this what would it be?

If you need  help, find it.  I am a therapist so of course I would say that. I know that we were put here with other human beings so that we could help each other.  I have seen some people with tragic situations transform themselves and reshape their future.  Do something every day that grounds you and makes you feel good to be you.  Think about the big picture and what you have to offer/to change/ to grow with.  Slow down, take a deep breath and laugh.  Ask your maker to help you find joy.