Outsmarted

I bought a heavy duty tape dispenser for my boxes and have been completely outsmarted. Why on earth would they sell a tape dispenser without instructions on how to load the stupid thing? I went to the scotch tape website to see if they had any instructions and nothing! So now I have a totally useless tape dispenser and I'm still fighting with the roll of tape and scissors. URG!

A better frame of mind

I'm in a much better frame of mind now and decided to take off my previous post. I think all the stress of buying and renovating my house, just pushed my frustrations of dating over the edge. Now that I'm thinking clearly again, I've decided to issue an invitation to all my friends that want me to visit. I have one free plane ticket any where in North America and will use that ticket to visit the person that can find someone for me to date that meets the following criteria.

1. Worthy priesthood holder and all that that implies.
2. Smart. I would ideally like someone smarter than me, but will settle for as smart. Also, smart in different ways than me would be ideal.
3. Has a sense of humour. When the dishwasher explodes and I'm up to my armpits in suds, does he swear or does he have a hard time running to shut the water off because he is laughing.
4. Has a means to support a family. This doesn't need to be luxurious, a modest home and lifestyle is all that is required.
5. Completely irrational about how beautiful I am. Please feel free to show my picture from my blog.

My wish list:

1. Willing to relocate to Edmonton
2. Loves to camp and canoe
3. Enjoys art and opera
4. Willingness to have a diversified palette.
5. Preferably never been married. Or at least no ex-wife that I would have to deal with. I don't have a problem with kids, I just want to be the only mum.

So start looking, get your husbands looking, leave no stone unturned. As a side note: included in my visit will be one night of babysitting so you and your husband can have a hot date.

Bathroom Demolition

This is my friend Rebecca's husband Terry. She was good enough to spare him for the day to help me out. He was in charge of capping off the plumbing. Note the hole in the wall. There was the appearance of the access panel for the bathtub there, but when Terry removed the panel the wall was completely solid. Needless to say a hole was cut. This is my friend Marlene, the demolition expert. She has been known to tear down walls while her husband is at work. It's a good thing her husband is a put back together expert. Next to her is my neighbour and very good friend Jason. He was getting a little frustrated with my constant reminders to wear the safety glasses I bought for everyone.
This is Terry pulling the tub out. We thought this was going to be the biggest problem, but it turned out to be fairly easy.

Jason trying to drain the toilet. A small funny. I asked Jason multiple times if he had shut off the toilet valve. He assured me that if had. So I'm down in the basement turning the water back one to test to see if the caps worked that Terry put one. And all of a sudden I hear "TURN THE WATER OFF! TURN THE WATER OFF!". I get upstairs and guess who didn't turn the valve to the toilet off and was now a little bit wet.
This is the rotten wax seal from the toilet. Turns out the toilet was leaking and the floor around the toilet was rotten and the dry wall from the ceiling in the half bath below was rotten.

Taking out the sub-floor. This turned out to be the hardest part of the day. If the rest of the house is build as well as the sub-floor was, I have nothing to worry about.

This is the hole and plumbing for the toilet.
This is the plumbing for the sinks.

Or should I say the bank's house

Tonight I signed all the paper work for the house. Everyone told me that I would probably be having an anxiety attack while I was signing and would second guess myself, but this just feels right. My lawyer, who happens to be one of my best friend's husband, kept commenting on how calm I was. I think the Lord knew that I would need time, and so it took me over a year to find the right place and get my money together. Not to mention the 5 weeks of haggling over the price. As I was signing all the forms I couldn't help but think how unnecessary all this would be if everyone were honest.

I think I may also be starting to have decision overload. Between picking paint and counter tops and outlet covers, I'm starting to worry that I will make the wrong choice. I keep telling myself that it doesn't matter in the end, but I can't help being a little crazy.

My house

I just bought a townhouse. I get possession on July 31st. It's in what Americans call Escrow. All the pictures are for my mum's benefit who gave me my wedding money to help with the down payment. Let's just say, if I get married anytime in the next few years, it will be peanut butter sandwiches. The picture don't do justice to the dirt, although it is much better than I thought is was going to be given what it looked like when I bought it. The tenants had 2 cats and all that that implies. It is a great location. I'm now a little further from church and the temple (17 minute walk), but closer the the grocery store, bank, library, dry cleaners (17 minute walk). Across the street is a great park that has the best playground equipment according to my primary kids. The bus stop is just out at the end of the complex. So let the tour begin.

My house is right ahead, with the blue car in front. My parking spot is next to it.
This is the front entry.
Turn right and here is the half bath. I really like having a bathroom right as you walk in for those times that you are pee-pee dancing from the bus stop. My plan to redo do this bathroom next year.

Turn left from the front entry and you are in the kitchen. I'm so excited to have a double sink.
The appliances are a little old, but still work. I won't even begin to describe the disgustingness of the burners.
The fridge is empty, but still smells.
This would be the cabinets that I will keep bumping my head into. Why would someone put cabinets at both doors to the kitchen? I plan to put a kitchen table underneath to try and force myself to walk around instead of trying to cut corners. The cabinets are very ugly.

This is the dinning room. The door on the right is to the kitchen and the window on the left looks out on to my back patio. It's large enough for me to put all the leafs in my table and to have my china cabinet and one day a buffet.

Turn around from the last picture and this is the step down into my living room. I'm painting the entire house with the exception of my bedroom and the bathrooms, a creaming yellow called cornsilk.
This is the ugly fire place. Another one of my projects. I want to redo the mantle and ledge.

Next we go down into the basement. This is going to be my sewing room/library for now. My long term plan is to make this my tv room, but since I'm going to rent out the bedrooms to help pay for all my renovations, I will be sewing in the basement.

I love my laundry room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can wait not to pay 4$ a load.
The unfinished half of the basement. I place for my camping stuff, food storage and Christmas decorations.
My furnace and hot water heater.
More space for storage.
And still more storage space.

The stairs to the second floor. Note that there is a landing and the stairs turn and go downstairs. This is going to be the tricky part for painting. I only have an articulating ladder, no scaffolding. I found a special edging roller which I'm hoping with work. If you have any suggestions for painting high walls over stairs let me know.

This is my bedroom. I'm going to paint it Raspberry Lemonade, ie pink. I decided this is the only time I'm going to get pink room, because the minute I'm married I will be painting again.
The extremely ugly closet doors. Yet another thing I'm planning to replace eventually.

The iron burn in the medium size bedroom. I plan to replace all the carpet hopefully in the next 2 years.
The medium size bedroom.
The small bedroom.
The linen closet.

The awful vanity. I'm putting in a maple vanity that is stained cherry. It turns out my mum has the exact same one. The flooring is going to be natural ribbon cork. Cork is great here because it is warm on the feet in the winter, without having to be in in-floor heating.
The reason why I got such a good price on the place. I'm gutting the entire bathroom. Aside from the massive whole in the wall, this bathroom ranks up there of one of the dirtiest bathrooms I've seen. And that is saying something given what I saw on my mission. I'm putting in plain white tile with a glass blue accent row. The walls are going to be painted blue to match the accent row.
The tub in going to be a soaker tub.
The toilet is replusive. I'm putting in a Toto toilet. My plumber friend said that they are the best low flush out there.
This medicine chest in is a wall that separates the toilet and the vanity. The wall holds the venting for the plumbing so I can't take it down. I'm going to take out the chest and just fill the fix the hole.

Personal Worship

I was asked to speak in a special priesthood/relief society meeting today on personal worship. It was a hard talk to write because when they asked me a couple of weeks ago they said the whole Sunday was centred on things the Bishopric was concerned about and that the other talks would be about sacrifice, keeping covenants, mercy, and committment to Christ. I felt alot of pressure, because I wanted to make sure that whoever they wanted me to speak for heard the message that they needed in their hearts. I think one of the people that needed to hear the message was me. After reading my Ensign last night, I decided to post my entire talk for you. Hopefully, someone else will need this too.

Personal Worship

We learn in Moses 5:5 that one of the first commandments that Adam and Eve were given after they left the Garden was “that they should worship the Lord their God”. The commandment to worship our Lord remains in effect today, although the means of worship no longer involves the sacrifice of our flocks, but the sacrifice of our hearts and minds. This can sometimes feel like an impossible sacrifice to make in the day to day grind of things, but President Hinckley taught “It is not so much the major events as the small day to day decisions that map the course of our living … Our lives are, in reality, the sum total of our seemingly unimportant decisions and of our capacity to live by those decisions.” (BYU, 26 Oct 1965). In the Doctrine and Convenants the Lord said, “You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves.” D&C123:16 Like the ship being directed by the small helm, I have found that by deciding to worship the Lord on a day to day basis that when the Lord asks me to sacrifice my heart and mind in a new level of worship that it is actually possible because I already have a habit of worship and sacrifice. I have broken up my personal worship into four areas:

1. Worship through daily scripture study.
2. Worship through daily prayer.
3. Worship through regular temple attendance.
4. Worship through service.

1. WORSHIP THROUGH DAILY SCRIPTURE STUDY.

As stated in the introduction to the Book of Mormon, it is the keystone of our religion and it needs to be the keystone of our lives. I have always loved the Book of Mormon, but early morning seminary opened my eyes to the potential impact that a serious study of it would have on my life. President Benson promised in October 1986 General Conference that “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path.” I will admit that the words serious study can sometimes be a real challenge, but I also know from personal experience that serious study will only happen if you are opening and at least reading everyday from the Book of Mormon. It was many years of just reading a chapter here and verse here every night before I had a real awakening to the power that the Book of Mormon in my life. And while I would like to say that one verse nights and weeks without a spiritual experience with the scriptures don’t happen anymore, they happen more often than I care to admit. But I also know that despite the one verse nights, I have been protected in more ways than I will probably ever realized in this life and this knowledge helps me to want to increase my daily scripture feast.

Specifically on my mission I developed a better understanding of who Jesus Christ is through the Book of Mormon and I have tried to continue that relationship. President Benson spoke of this in the October 1987 General Conference “We have an increasing number who have been convinced, through the Book of Mormon, that Jesus is the Christ. Now we need an increasing number who will use the Book of Mormon to become committed to Christ. We need to be convinced and committed.” For the most part I believe that we all have been convinced, but now is the time for us to become committed. The development of our commitment to Christ and His Gospel is what shapes lives. We need to be better in how we use the Book of Mormon to reaffirm that dedication to the Gospel.

In the words of the apostle Paul we find the same message, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. I frequently receive my reproof and corrections from the Lord through the scriptures and for me it is always easier to take because I know that it is truly from the Lord, Himself.

2. WORSHIP THROUGH DAILY PRAYER.

Interestingly enough, our worship through daily scripture study is in separately linked to our worship through prayer. Elder Eyring, then a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles said in the October 2001 General Conference: “We can and must go often and carefully to the word of God. If we become casual in our study of the scriptures, we will become casual in our prayers. We may not cease to pray, but our prayers will become more repetitive, more mechanical, lacking real intent. Our hearts cannot be drawn out to a God we do not know, and the scriptures and the words of living prophets help us know Him. As we know Him better, we love Him more.” I know this to be true from my own life. As I immerse myself in the scriptures, I become acquainted with the language of God and am able to communicate with Him on a much more intimate level.

I came across a beautiful Psalm:”The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Psalms 9:9-10. How can we expect to know the name of the Lord in times of need if we have never sincerely called on him in times of joy?

In the Doctrine and Convenants we are told that if we,"Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.” D&C 10:5. It is humbling to think that by such a small thing we can have power over the adversary. The prayer that is necessary to tap this power from heaven is not just hours of time on your knees, but as Alma taught “Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.” Alma 34:27. May our hearts be always filled with prayer.

3. WORSHIP THROUGH REGULAR TEMPLE ATTENDANCE.

Temple worship begins long before you enter the temple, it begins with living your life worthy of a temple recommend. I love the feeling of rummaging for a card in my wallet and seeing my temple recommend and knowing that I’m worthy of it. And that feeling is available to all members regardless of whether or not they have been endowed or they have a limited use recommend. The next part of temple worship involves actually going. The Lord has blessed us with a temple in our mist, let us wear it out, let us force the temple open more hours because of our diligence, let us prompt another temple to be built in Alberta. The Lord will provide way, so that you may attend to the needs of your family beyond the grave. And as we do so, the Lord will assist us with the work that needs to be done in our families that are here. For me this has meant having my heart soften to forgive those in my family that have hurt me.

Now the downside to having miracles happen in your life as a result of your temple worship is that with it comes many trials. The early saints were particularly sensitive to this phenomenon and were very reluctant to start building a temple in the Salt Lake Valley. President Young told them, “Some say, ‘I do not like to do it for we never begin to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring.’ I want to hear them ring again.” I testify that they will ring as you worship in the temple, but that you will receive a power far greater than anything that comes from yourself to face your trials and you will overcome them is ways beyond your ability to understand.

4. WORSHIP THROUGH SERVICE.

One of the ways we worship through service is by sustaining our leaders and one another in our callings. Elder George Albert Smith, a former member of the quorum of the twelve apostles taught what it means to raise your arm to sustain the prophet. “The obligation that we make when we raise our hands under such circumstances is a most scared one. It does not mean that we will go quietly on our way and be willing that the prophet of the Lord shall direct this work, but it means -- if I understand the obligation I assumed when I raised my hand – that we will stand behind him; we will pray for him; we will defend his good name, and we will strive to carry out his instructions as the Lord shall direct him to offer them to us while he remains in that position.“ I suggest that this applies not just to the prophet, but to every position in the Church. Are we carrying out the instructions of our bishop or relief society president; are we making sure that our children bring their scriptures to primary and Sunday school? I lived in a ward once that was exceptional in accepting and fulfilling assignments and callings. In fact so exceptional that for eight consecutive months we had 100% home and visiting teaching. Some may say that numbers don’t mean anything, but in this case they do. Let me share what our Bishop told us at the end of the school year. He had been a Bishop of singles wards over the years for a total seven years. This was the first time that he had not had one single case of immorality. As a result of individual members decisions to sustain our church leaders and one another in our individual assignments, we as a ward brought about a miracle.

One of the greatest services we can give is kindness to one another. When we have an attitude of worship, we focus on people’s hearts and desires. Criticism disappears, and we are filled with patience and understanding. It’s the difference between being irritated by the bratty kids behind you in Church and thinking “my children never behaved like that!” Or seeing a family who are struggling to teach their children about reverence.

In closing I’d like to return to the analogy of the ship with the small helm. The storms of life will come and we will never be able to think of every possible scenario where the Lord is going to ask us to sacrifice our hearts and minds, but with the helm of personal worship grasp firmly in hand, we will have the power to steer our lives in the way the Lord would have us go.

”Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. “ D&C 64:33.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

There are strange things are done in the midnight sun

For those that aren't up on their Canadian poetry. This is a reference from the poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee" by Robert Service. I jumb at the chance to present at a meeting on Thursday up in Whitehorse Yukon. I arrived at 11:30pm and it was still bright out. You could still read a book by the light and not strain your eyes. My first truly Yukon experience was getting from the airport to my hotel. I walked out of the airport and look for a cab. I couldn't find one, but saw this beat up limo with a smashed up windshied with a burly, rotund guy with a long white ponytail and a big bushy beard standing in front of it. He asks if I needed a ride to town. Part of me was thinking, this is a bad idea (I've had some really bad experiences in big cities with cabs), the other part was thinking what could go wrong, this is a small town. So I hopped in. He introduced himself as Woody and started to tell me about the weather in Whitehorse. "Nine months of winter and three months of poor sledding". Let's just say he was a true Northern character.

Thrusday I actually had to do work, but Friday I got to go canoeing on the Yukon River. I fell in love. It was so beautiful. Below are some of the pictures. We saw some bald eagle, golden eagles and falcons. I'm already saving for an expediation canoe trip.




Over on the left is one of the bald eagles I saw.