our prayers are answered!!!!! :)

Well, I probably had a couple of people (if anyone reads this blog) wondering what in the world had happened to us with the previous post of "please pray for us!". Yesterday we finally got our answer and all is well!!!

When our first goat had her c-section, we had her blood drawn to test and see if she had CAE (CAPRINE ARTHRITIS ENCEPHALITIS - a goat disease they can die from). We took the other goats in later to have them tested as well, and a couple of days later we got a call from the vet... He didn't tell us if they had CAE, but he told us that all of their results had come back positive for BRUCELLOSIS, and a USDA person was coming to our house to give them all another test. Our state is free from this disease (commonly referred to as BANG'S disease) and we certainly didn't want to be the ones that brought it here.

What happens with Bang's disease is that you have to slaughter your entire herd of animals, and the really horrible thing is that it can be transmitted to humans and it is an incurable disease!!!!! We have a lot of money put into our 11 goats, and we are certainly attached to them, we were all heartbroken when we heard the news, and started praying super hard!!!

I really didn't want to end up killing them, and I REALLY didn't want to end up with a incurable disease right before I left on my mission... like I said before... I don't that I've ever prayed harder in my life!! Well, we just got our test results back yesterday, and they were all negative!!!!! I learned a very valuable lesson through this: when we doubt, faith leaves... but when we push doubt out and allow faith to rule our actions... MIRACLES CAN HAPPEN!!!

the life of an (absent minded) chef

today I experimented making cheddar cheese muffins. The recipe sounded divine with ingredients of yogurt, cheese, honey, whole grains... yum... I just had to make them. I thought they turned out pretty good, a little on the blah side, but of course... no recipe is really ever complete. The next batch is going to have more yogurt, a little less honey, more cheese, some fresh chives and a dash or our favorite seasoning SPIKE. I'm excited to try it!

That's the good side in the life of a chef...

but the other is sad indeed.

I had typed up this recipe for my cookbook that is going to be printed soon (i'm praying!), and I was doing a test run and ended up with muffin dough the consistency of cookies... not usual at all!! So I got the original recipe and found out that I had added an extra cup of flour and missed an entire teaspoon of baking powder, and to make a long story short I ended up making a double batch. The first batch turned out nice and golden brown. BUT... this absent minded chef turned off the stove and put the second batch in. 15 minutes later I was thinking they looked a little doughy and realized much to my chagrin that I had turned the oven off! I turned it back on and set the timer for 10 minutes only to come in and realize that I had totally and completely burned them!! SO... they went to the garbage disposal (aka CHICKENS - who LOVED them).

the saddest part is yet to come... the first person to try them was my youngest sister who informed me that they were GROSS. my dad said that they were really blah (with a disgusted face) and another sister (who shall remain nameless) said the following "the apple muffins you made weren't that good, and these are worse".... ohhh, pierced to the soul!

we've got 7-10 days...

...to pray for a miracle!
I can't give you particulars now, but I certainly will once it's all over. The past couple of days I've prayed harder than I think I ever have in the past. And I'm learning so much about what a faulty person I am! Just when I think my faith is super strong, it gets tested... and I learn how weak it is, and how much room I have for improvement.

So, please, if you could... please pray a few prayers in our behalf and pray for a miracle!!!

i've been poisoned

where it all started...
(be sure to read to the end, that's when it gets interesting! ;)

Whew, what a weekend! One of our goats, Padme, went into labor on Friday, but after 24 hours of it, we decided that something wasn't right, and we took her to the vet. After 2-3 intense hours of pulling and pushing and 1 c-section later... we ended up with 2 adorable babies who we've named Luke and Leia. The reason that Padme was having such a hard time is because there was an extremely deformed baby that was stuck in the birth canal, and there was no way that he could have gotten out since he was the size of a medium dog (no wonder Padme was so huge!). He was born dead, and had one eye, a cleft palate, bumps all over his body and no hair on his belly... and... well, I'll spare you the gruesome details. :) Watching the birth was amazing and reminded of my lifelong passion to become a midwife... birth is the most awesome thing ever!!!

well, now on to the explanation of how I got poisoned... it really does tie into the above story, I promise you.

Since Padme had a C-section, we have to bottle feed the babies which has been SO much fun, yet tiring... they choose the most inconvenient times to eat (like 1 in the morning!). SO anyway, Padme's milk isn't fit for human consumption, but we have to feed the babies it and they are perfectly fine to eat it. WELL... someone forgot to label the bottle of Padme's milk in the crazy morning we had with everyone going 3 different directions... AND well, that when this story get's interesting...

I was eating some cookies today, and the only way to eat newman-o's (organic oreos) is dipped in milk of course! So I searched all over the fridge and found a partially filled bottle of milk in the back. I thoroughly enjoyed my cookies and when my younger sister asked where the cow's milk was, I assured her that it was on the top shelf, right where I had left it. About an hour later another sister came in and asked who had used the goat's milk (contaminated, might I remind you). I ran into tell my sister (who was sleeping) that we had better reserve our plots at our local cemetery... because we'd been poisoned!!! My mom hurried and called the vet to see if we were near to death. She was sitting there on the couch, and Mac. and I (partners in crime) were sitting awaiting our fate. She sat there and said "oh dear" and then went into another room to speak in private. Come to find out, the milk was full of tranquilizers from Padme's C-section. Since I lived to tell this tale, you can tell that my drink wasn't fatal... BUT the funny thing is that the tranquilizers still had effect, and my right arm, cheek and tongue went to sleep and I felt like I had just been to the dentist for a root canal (not that I've ever had one though).

It certainly made for a day full of laughs... I'm pretty sure that my family will never let me live this down. Hope that this story made you smile, and maybe even laugh out loud... it still makes me giggle!

i have a bad case of...

...SPEAKING DYSLEXIA!!!

You know when you get your words mixed up and they come out all wrong? Well, that happens to me all the time! Yesterday I was talking to my mom on the phone and I was trying to say that I would get it all done in one fell swoop, but it came out backwards as "ONE SWELL FOOP!" Then today I was looking at my sister's books and she was telling me about her Shakespeare book, and I said that I had a complete works of "SPAKESPEARE" book! The funniest one yet is one time I was trying to tell the above mentioned sister something about tall, dark and handsome people (I REALLY don't remember what in the world we were talking about!), and tall, dark, and handsome came out as "CHARK DAHL". It's rather frustrating to have the aforementioned disease, but at least it makes us laugh!!

BTW, did you know that people who have dyslexia (and have sort of overcome it) are really fast readers? I have a slight case of it and can read books really fast... BUT, my brother (who had a little more severe case) is the fastest reader in the world! He swallows books whole! Alas, the only downfall is that when you're reading out loud (or trying to speak sensibly) it comes out all screwy and backwards!! Have a terrific Tuesday!!! :)

one of those days ;(

today was just one of those days... i was late for class (my least favorite class), and you can't afford to miss one minute of it, because you get so far behind. THEN, just before class ended, we got our tests back from last week. I about fell over!! I FAILED!!?!? How is that possible? I've NEVER even really come close to failing before! I went into my practice room, and cried for a second, but then I decided that there is no use in bawling over a failed test. I still have 1 more week of classes, and then a final that I need to pass! I need to get practicing my aural skills so I don't fail that class!! After that brief moment of sadness, I opened my scriptures which I happened to have with me, and found the following quote. It really blessed me, and I hope that it blesses you too!!!

" The wounds in his hands, feet and side are signs that in mortality painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect, signs that tribulation is not evidence tat God does not love us. It is a significant and hopeful fact that it is the wounded Christ who comes to our rescue. He who bears the scars of sacrifice, the lesions of love, the emblems of humility and forgiveness is the Captain of our Soul. That evidence of pain in mortality is undoubtedly intended to give courage to others who are also hurt and wounded by life..." ~ Jeffrey R. Holland

a BAD hair day

A couple of weeks ago a friend with slightly curly hair told me that I should try using a hair diffuser. So yesterday we were in town, and we saw one! Mom decided that she would buy it and we both would give it a try. So this morning I took a shower and after drying my hair off a little, I started to give the diffuser a try. WELL... let's just say that by the time I was done my hair looked worse that the above monkey. About 10x worse! I came out of the bathroom and mom said "wow" and Matthew was terribly shocked. My hair wasn't just curly crazy, it was frizzy out of control curly! There was only one way that I could quickly do it and stop looking like a PORCUPINE... I didn't think that it looked all too swell, but at least it wasn't crazy. Anyway, I've had so many people tell me that they liked my hair today! Weird... Um, there's no telling what the weather of Indiana will do to my hair... any ideas??

whew...

what a busy week, but a good one too! So much has happened since I got my call... I've pretty much been busy every moment!!

School is almost over for this semester, and that's hard to believe! The past two weeks I've had a test (or 2) in pretty much every class, and I can feel the momentum building towards finals. There really aren't enough hours in a day to get all my studying, teaching and practicing done. Today in piano lessons my teacher actually told me that I did a good job, something he's never done! For him to say "that was 100% better" and "you'll have to play this for people, you're great at it!" just about knocked me over!!

Oh, and yesterday relief flooded over me as I finally sold my 2 angora rabbits. I put an add online Saturday evening, and Sunday I had two people call me! I took down the price quite a bit, but it's so good to know that they are in good hands... much better hands than mine! Just before their new owner came to pick them up I spent a good hour cleaning them up, talk about DIS-GUS-TING! I think the male rabbit (Knightly) lost about 5 pounds after I cut off all the matted, poopy, wet hair. EEWW! Anyway, I'll spare you the details.

I also had a fabulous birthday and turned 21! I'm officially legal now. I've never had this happen before on a birthday, but I definitely feel older, in fact, I feel ANCIENT!! For my birthday I just got money so I could buy the things I need for my mission, and that certainly is a LOT! I have to have 2-3 suit coats, and I just about died when I looked them up online. There is no way that I'm going to pay $200 for each one! SO, I went to the local thrift store and the Wal-Mart and found two... both in superb condition and together for less than $20! Heavenly Father is EXTREMELY good to those that seek to do His will! Even though life is full to the brim and super busy, I just love being alive!!!

LIFE IS GOOD!!!

i am...

anxiously waiting for a large envelope that will change my life forever. Only two more days of waiting, but I'm not sure that I can stand it! I've had the craziest most vivid dreams and I manage to wake up with 7 hours of sleep, but not rested. I can't wait for wednesday!!

Today we had the amazing opportunity to go to the Draper Temple Open House.The temple has several floors, and it was amazing to see the light get brighter and brighter as you went up. Not only the light, but the decorations and everything, including the feeling! It was gorgeous!!! It was so beautiful, and I can't wait until I'm old enough to go inside!!!!! I'm so glad that I got to go and see the inside of such a beautiful temple, it was such a precious experience!

(an actual picture of Gene Stratton-Porter's LIMBERLOST)

yesterday a cold hit me fast. I was having a really hard time breathing and so I was sent to bed by my mother with some homeopathic medicine, some peppermint oil and lots of water. I haven't been able to read a book in a long time, so I enjoyed myself immensely! I read all 450 pages of "A Girl of the Limberlost" in one afternoon. I'd never read it before, and I couldn't put it down! I've read several other books by Gene Stratton-Porter, and loved them so much I've read them each 2-3 times. But I think that this one is now my favorite!!

I was so inspired by Elnora's courage to face difficult things, her perseverance, her faithfulness to people even when they hurt her, and her ability to pick herself up when she fell. I love books that make you feel like getting up and doing something marvelous to change the world. This book certainly made me feel that way!!!! When one of my sisters saw my book she said "wow that has a lot of dog-tails!" (i believe she meant dog eared pages :) Here are a few of my most favorite quotes:

"I believe the best way to get an answer to prayer is to work for it"

"Remember this - what you are lies with you. If you are lazy, and accept your lot, you may live in it. If you are willing to work, you can write your name anywhere you choose, among the only ones who live beyond the grave in this world, the people who write books that help, make exquisite music, carve statues, paint pictures and work for others."

"The world is full of happy people, but no one ever hears of them. You must fight and make a scandal to get into the papers. No one knows about all the happy people. I am happy myself, and look how perfectly inconspicuous I am!"

"To me it seems the only pleasure in this world worth having is the joy we derive from living for those we love, and those we help"

just when I thought...

that spring was around the corner, THIS got dumped on us!!


I haven't even worn a coat for the
last couple of days it's been so warm!
Oh, well... someday spring will come!!

dancing

I LOVE TO DANCE!

Last semester I had the privilege of taking a ballroom dance class. We learned the fox-trot, waltz, tango, cha-cha, swing, and polka. There is something so wonderful about dancing. When I dance I forget my troubles and when I'm done I have a much lighter heart! One day I was having a terrible day, and I got on someone's blog and some music came on. It just happened to be a song that I had danced to in class, and I couldn't resist dancing! My mom also loves to dance and so I taught her the tango and we had a rousing dance around the house. I happened to come across several of these quotes about dancing awhile ago, and I enjoyed them so much I thought I'd post them for ya all! ENJOY!

...in 1959, a national news magazine described the LDS Church as the "dancingest denomination"

(all quotes are by President Brigham Young)
"I want you to sing and dance and forget your troubles... Let's have some music and all of you dance"

"I want it distinctly understood, that fiddling and dancing are no part of our worship. 'The question may be asked, What are they for, then? I answer, that my body may keep pace with my mind. My mind labors like a man logging, all the time; and this is the reason why I am fond of these pastimes—they give me a privilege to throw everything off, and shake myself, that my body may exercise, and my mind rest."

There is no music in hell, for all good music belongs to heaven. Sweet harmonious sounds give exquisite joy to human beings capable of appreciating music. I delight in hearing harmonious tones made by the human voice, by musical instruments, and by both combined. Every sweet musical sound that can be made belongs to the Saints and is for the Saints. Every flower, shrub and tree to beautify, and to gratify the taste and smell, and every sensation that gives to man joy and felicity are for the Saints who receive them from the Most High.

If you wish to dance, dance; and you are just as much prepared for a prayer meeting after dancing as ever you were, if you are Saints.

doesn't doing laundry...

JUST MAKE YOU HAPPY?!?!

On Saturday I was folding some sheets, and I said the above to my mom... "doesn't folding laundry just make you happy?" Apparently she didn't agree with me, and she told me that I should post it on my blog... so here you go!!

I just love doing laundry, I know... I'm weird, but I just love doing it! In fact, that's pretty much all I did on Saturday and when one of my sisters brought up her HUGE pile of dirty clothes, I got giddy. ;) I love pretty much everything about laundry, but here are just a few of the things that I love most.

1) I love seeing how much I can stuff in the washer
2) I love pouring in the laundry soap and vinegar
3) I love taking clean smelling clothes out of the washer
4) I love cleaning the lint tray
5) I love putting in homemade dryer sheets (they smell mmm-good!)
6) I love taking fluffy clean clothes out of the dryer
7) I love shaking out warm clothes and folding them up
8) I love folding socks... they're my favorite!
9) I love seeing huge piles of dirty laundry disappear
10) I love seeing empty laundry baskets.

a stupendous saturday

On Saturday we had some friends over for sledding, games, milking goats, and a delicious dinner! They are SO much fun to be around and even though I've only been with them 4 times, I think they are one of the "bestest" families around! They have 8 wonderful children, and 2 fabulous parents and the more I get to know them, the more I like them!

Milking - the people in the back were standing around a heater to stay warm!

Lindsay (in pink) milking. She kept milking and milking and actually milked 2 goats!

Loren milking for the first time

Some of the girls sledding, don't they look warm??

Finally at the bottom of the HUGE hill!

It's kind of a funny story how we actually met them... I met their second oldest son (Loren) at school and in the process of becoming good friends with him, I asked if he and his family wanted to come over to play games. Well... to make a long story short, this is the third time we've been together as families since December! I can't believe that we have actually done that because we usually only do it once and then just talk about it, but that's not the case with this family! We all have such a good time together and get along remarkably well.

Loren actually leaves for a mission TOMORROW! I'm so glad I got to meet him, and I'm sure that he will be an amazing missionary and do a wonderful work for the Lord!!

in the hands of the archer...

"Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and he stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says - "I cannot stand anymore." God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands."

~ Oswald Chambers

I found that quote about two summers ago when life was harder than I ever could have imagined it would be. It blessed me so much knowing that I was an arrow in the Lord's hands and the reason I was hurting so much was only because I have an amazing Father who loves me more than I could ever imagine, and He was just making me like Him. Since the worse day ever last week, life has been so much better! SO much better! It's still hard, but I am trying to make the best of life! My life changing decision (more to come on this later) has really changed my life and I have been super scatter brained, but that's okay since it makes life interesting! The biggest thing I'm having a struggle with right now is my health... I have stomach ulcers, and we believe they might be bleeding and they hurt SO bad! I didn't know that a stomach could hurt so bad!

What has been so fascinating to me the past couple of months is to look back and see how absolutely amazing God's plan for my life is! Even through the times that hurt more than I thought I could stand... I grew so much and as I look back, I KNOW that I needed to go through that! One of the things that has blessed me more than anything else is to look for the silver lining to every cloud! Even in having ulcers I managed to find something! You can always find the silver lining... no matter how dark the storm!!