It is official. I have a new 2nd calling in my ward. They sustained & set me apart to be the Ward Organist in addition to me teaching the Valiant 8 & 9 class in primary. I don't mind having two callings. I would rather keep busy then be bored. I am so glad that they let me keep my primary calling. I adore my primary children. I love being their primary teacher.
I have been a ward organist before in previous wards. It is very easy to get burned out with this calling because I have found that there are not very many people who know how to play the organ or they don't make it know that they can play. I am very glad that I get to keep both of my callings because it will help me not get burned out with being the Organist. For me, its all in my attitude, if I remain excited and eager to learn then there is no fear of me getting burned out.
When I moved to Sugarhouse, I decided I would attend the family ward rather than going to the older singles ward. I love my ward and all the people in it. I was surprised when I first moved into the ward how small our ward is. In my mind I thought being in downtown Salt Lake the ward would be huge and I could very easily sit on the back row and not be notice. This is not the case in my ward. I was noticed the very first day I showed up. We are always eager when new members move into the ward.
Since moving into the ward the previous organist found out that I played and would ask me occasionally to fill in for her. I was able to live in the ward for a year and half without being called to be the organist. Well just recently the previous organist was just called to be the new Relief Society president so the Bishop approached me two weeks ago and asked if I would be willing to accept the calling. I just found out that the previous organist has been playing for the last 8 years. YIKES! What did I get myself into? HA HA HA Just kidding!
I love being able to play. I love being able to share my talent. I owe it to my mom and dad for their time, dedication & money that they put out for me to start taking piano lessons at age 6. I am grateful that I listened to my mom when she reminded me to keep practicing. Now because of my commitment and own dedication I now am able to give back to others through my music.
I love using music in my primary lessons. I love teaching the primary children how imporant music can be to their learning & development of their testimony. Music plays a very important role in inviting the spirit to our meetings and allowing others to feel of that spirit.
I am so excited for this new calling that as soon as I got home from church today I called my old organ teacher to see if she could take on a new student. I want to learn how to play the pedals with my feet. I am eager to learn that I will be going out to purchase some Organ shoes. Yes, they have special shoes that I should wear to play the foot pedals. I know I must sound like a music nerd, but I am looking forward to this new calling.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Addicted to Exercise
Yes it is true I have officially lost my mind! I LOVE EXERCISING! I am addicted to it. I love the high I get after working out intesively for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Its even weird for me to believe that I am admitting to the fact that I love to exercise. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be posting about this.
I have to admit that the one part that I struggle with is getting myself to the gym. I allow my mind to find every possible reason why I shouldn't go to the gym. Its a battle to get to the gym but once I am there and start working out I love the endorphins I get from the exercise. I had to create a rule for myself. The rule is I cannot go home from work until I have worked out. I love that my work has a gym and that they keep the equipment up to date.
My exercise routine consists of circuit training on Monday, Wednesday & Fridays starting out on the bike for 15 minutes and then jumping off to go do a set of 20 reps on weights then jumping back on the bike for 3 minutes. I love circuit training. It keeps my heartrate up. I love the variety it gives me. Then on Tuesdays & Thursdays I do cardio (either the bike or ellyptical) for 30 minutes.
Another struggle that I have is being consistent with going to the gym everyday. Sometimes I allow appointments, meetings & other activities to be scheduled during the time when I should be exercising.
One thing that I am trying to focus on this year is putting myself first before anything else. I truly believe that its important for me make time for myself. I think its safe to say that many of us always put the needs of others before our own needs. I would hope that this would inspire my readers to take time for themselves everyday wether it be exercising, meditating, reading or just having some quiet time to think. I challenge myself and my readers to take some time either 15 to 30 minutes out of our days to do something for ourselves.
I want to publicly thank my adorable father for getting me set up with his personal trainer. We meet with her every other week on Saturday morning for 1 hour. I love how she pushes me when I don't want to push myself. My father had me start meeting with her 6 months before I had surgery. I was hesitant and negative towards it at first but now I look forward to our meetings.
I have to admit that the one part that I struggle with is getting myself to the gym. I allow my mind to find every possible reason why I shouldn't go to the gym. Its a battle to get to the gym but once I am there and start working out I love the endorphins I get from the exercise. I had to create a rule for myself. The rule is I cannot go home from work until I have worked out. I love that my work has a gym and that they keep the equipment up to date.
My exercise routine consists of circuit training on Monday, Wednesday & Fridays starting out on the bike for 15 minutes and then jumping off to go do a set of 20 reps on weights then jumping back on the bike for 3 minutes. I love circuit training. It keeps my heartrate up. I love the variety it gives me. Then on Tuesdays & Thursdays I do cardio (either the bike or ellyptical) for 30 minutes.
Another struggle that I have is being consistent with going to the gym everyday. Sometimes I allow appointments, meetings & other activities to be scheduled during the time when I should be exercising.
One thing that I am trying to focus on this year is putting myself first before anything else. I truly believe that its important for me make time for myself. I think its safe to say that many of us always put the needs of others before our own needs. I would hope that this would inspire my readers to take time for themselves everyday wether it be exercising, meditating, reading or just having some quiet time to think. I challenge myself and my readers to take some time either 15 to 30 minutes out of our days to do something for ourselves.
I want to publicly thank my adorable father for getting me set up with his personal trainer. We meet with her every other week on Saturday morning for 1 hour. I love how she pushes me when I don't want to push myself. My father had me start meeting with her 6 months before I had surgery. I was hesitant and negative towards it at first but now I look forward to our meetings.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I LOVE Shopping!
I love shopping for clothes. I haven't always felt this way, before my surgery I dreaded having to find clothes that would fit. I would avoid the shops and would order most of my clothes through catalogs or online because I was so big I couldn't find clothes at regular stores. I would hate to look at myself in the mirror when trying on clothes because I hated how I look. The mirror never lies. I would always present me with the truth that I truly had lost all control with my weight. Shopping before surgery was depressing & humiliating experience for me.
The last couple of weeks I really needed to buy a new pair of levis. The few pairs that I had been wearing up to this point were 3 to 4 sizes to big for me. They looked hideous on me. They were so baggy that I had layers & layers of material hanging from everywhere.
Well, guess what? Two weeks ago I decided to bite the bullet and go shopping at the local Lane Bryant store to see if I could find a pair of levis that would fit. I was so excited to be walking into a regular store & buy something off the rack. I was so excited when I tried on my first pair they actually fit and I looked really good in them. There are no words to describe how big this occasion was for me. I was thrilled that I could shopping like a normal person again and be able to find cute clothes that actually fit me.
Now I know this may seem trivial and simple to some of my readers, but for me this experience was so emotional & exciting for me all at the same time. I felt like a new women! I felt normal again!
Here is a picture of me in my new levis:
Monday, January 25, 2010
Updated Weight Loss Pictures
Life has been busy for me lately that I haven't had a chance to update my blog as much as I would like to. I thought I would take this time to provide my readers with my most recent updated weight loss pictures.
I am 6 months out from surgery and have lost a total of 132 pounds. I feel fantastic, energetic, fabulous, beautiful, confident & excited. Yes I know those are a lot of adjectives, but I am truly enjoying this ride. My no means is the process easy. The surgery was just a tool to help me start loosing the weight, I still have to watch what I eat, drink plenty of water, and exercise every day. I am tempted everyday to go back to my bad habits. For right now what keeps me focused is reminding myself that what I wnat more is the satisfaction of being healthy & feeling good over having something that isn't good for me.
I really want to share with all of you what my starting weight was before surgery and where I am at now, but part of me struggles with sharing that information on my blog because anyone can see that information and I consider it very private. I can't make up my mind. I want to share it because it would be so empowering for me but yet it would truly show how out of control I got with my weight. For right now I have decided not to share my starting weight. Maybe one day I will be able to.
Just last Friday I finally cleaned out my entire closet of all of my clothes I wore before surgery. They were so baggy on me. It was time to let them go. I had a hard time letting them go, because part of me was so worried that I would fail. You have to understand all my life I have been on a diet of some kind and I would hit a certain point where I would loose 50 pounds and then gain it all right back plus some more. I finally realized the only way I could move forward and feel good about where I am at is to let go of the past and create a new path on my weight loss adventure.
I had received 6 bags of clothes from Linda Hansen and 1 bag of clothes from a girl at work that really needed to be hung up and put away. On Friday one of my dearest & closest friend who has helped me along this journey came over to my house to give me her honest opinion on the clothes while I tried every single one on. It was so much fun! I was completely exhausted at the end of the night. I was so surprised as to what sizes I could fit in. It was amazing. Some of the sizes I wear now I haven't been in since Junior High. Its so invigorating. Its hard to describe!
All I know is I love the confidence I have gained as I have gone through this process. I hope that doesn't sound cocky. I love looking in the mirror and having pictures taken of me. I would love to do a photo shoot like my friend Linda Hansen did of her most recent sexy weight loss pictures. It would be fun to show a sexier side of myself.
I am so grateful for my family & friends who provide me with a great support system through this adventure. I wouldn't be able to do it without your support.
There is so much that I can do that I was so limited before the surgery. I love trying new things. I can't wait to go camping this year and be able to go on some of the hikes and not be out of breart. I can't wait until I have the opportunity to fly somewhere and only buy one seat and not have to ask for the seat belt extension anymore. The funniest thing is that I am so excited to visit Lagoon this year and to do all of the rides. I haven't been to Lagoon for a very long time because I was too big to fit in the rides. I started a list of things that I would like to do after surgery. One of them is to go to Disneyland or Disneyworld. I would also like to go on cruise. I would like to try horseback riding. These are only a few! I love adding to my list daily.
I hope this blog finds all of my friends well and good. I look forward to hearing your comments. Have a great day!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Excited for 2010
I have a feeling that 2010 will be a great year for me, my family & everyone else. I am so excited to see what 2010 has in store for all of us. Of course we all will still have our ups & downs because that is what life is all about & how find out our true charater when times get tough. However I truly believe that what you what we put out there in the universe comes back to us tenfold. So I am telling the universe that 2010 will be a fabulous year for all. Its similar to the same concept that is talked about in the movie "The Secret".
I don't like to set New Years Resolutions. What I like to do is re-evaluate my life over the last year and set new goals to help to make positive changes in all areas of my life. Ultimately my overall goal for this new year is to find balance in my life.
I can't make up my mind if I want to share my goals that I have set with everyone yet or not. It would hold me accountable to keeping those goals. I guess you will just have to wait and see if I post them.
I challenge my followers to take time to re-evaluate your own lives and lets all try bring balance & harmony into our lives.
Weight Loss Update:
I have lost a total of 120 pounds in 5 1/2 months. I love experiencing the transformation that I am going through. I feel like a completely different person and yet I am still the same. The hardest part is I get very bored with the food I eat. There isn't much variety with the types of protiens & vegetables I eat. I have been exploring the internet to find recipes that are suitable for gastrci bypass post surgery patients. I am grateful for all the blessings that have come into my life for having the surgery. I love to exercise. I am now taking the stair at work and that would have never been an option before the surgery.
I don't like to set New Years Resolutions. What I like to do is re-evaluate my life over the last year and set new goals to help to make positive changes in all areas of my life. Ultimately my overall goal for this new year is to find balance in my life.
I can't make up my mind if I want to share my goals that I have set with everyone yet or not. It would hold me accountable to keeping those goals. I guess you will just have to wait and see if I post them.
I challenge my followers to take time to re-evaluate your own lives and lets all try bring balance & harmony into our lives.
Weight Loss Update:
I have lost a total of 120 pounds in 5 1/2 months. I love experiencing the transformation that I am going through. I feel like a completely different person and yet I am still the same. The hardest part is I get very bored with the food I eat. There isn't much variety with the types of protiens & vegetables I eat. I have been exploring the internet to find recipes that are suitable for gastrci bypass post surgery patients. I am grateful for all the blessings that have come into my life for having the surgery. I love to exercise. I am now taking the stair at work and that would have never been an option before the surgery.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
It's Almost Christmas
I love that Christmas is almost here. You can feel the excitement and anticipation in the air everywhere you go. I love the extra time off work. I love the extra time I get to spend with my family & friends playing games & relaxing. I love watching other people take time out of their day to do something for someone who has fallen on hard times. I love reminiscing about the memories of Christmas past.
I love when I go to decorate my Christmas tree that almost every ornanment has a special meaning behind it to me or my family. A lot of the ornaments I have were handed down to me after my mother passed away and my father remarried. Some of my ornaments remind me of our family vacations to Bar Harbor Maine, Biltmore Estates in North Carolina and childhood memories of time spent with my family. Everytime I look at my Christmas tree I enjoy going down memory lane and reliving those memories.
I remember when I was little my moms family would have traditions that we would do every Christmas. On Christmas Eve night we would drive into downtown Salt Lake to have Christmas dinner at Grandma & Grandpa Wilder's house with all of our Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. Grandma would make her homemade rolls that were so delicious. We always found a way to fit 25-30 people around a few tables to eat Christmas Dinner. After dinner we would gather around the piano to sing Christmas carols and read the Christmas story. Aunt Jean would read the story of Twas the Night Before Christmas. My mom's family draws names for swapping presents. We would make sure presents were passed out and then all hop into our cars to go looking at the beautiful Christmas lights around town. I remember Jason and I would look out the car window up to the sky in hopes that we would see Santa and his 8 tiny reindeer.
I love the memories that come to me this time of year. I love reliving all of the pleasant memories of the past. I look forward to making many more new memories. I hope to just take time to enjoy the simple things that Christmas has to offer to me, my family and everyone.
Exactly today marks 5 months to the date since I had weight loss surgery. I haven't weighed myself over the last 2 weeks but the last amount I was at was 110 pounds. I am excited to get on the scale tomorrow to see how much more I have lost. I am so glad I decided to have the surgery done. I can't wait to see what my future holds for me in 2010.
I love when I go to decorate my Christmas tree that almost every ornanment has a special meaning behind it to me or my family. A lot of the ornaments I have were handed down to me after my mother passed away and my father remarried. Some of my ornaments remind me of our family vacations to Bar Harbor Maine, Biltmore Estates in North Carolina and childhood memories of time spent with my family. Everytime I look at my Christmas tree I enjoy going down memory lane and reliving those memories.
I remember when I was little my moms family would have traditions that we would do every Christmas. On Christmas Eve night we would drive into downtown Salt Lake to have Christmas dinner at Grandma & Grandpa Wilder's house with all of our Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. Grandma would make her homemade rolls that were so delicious. We always found a way to fit 25-30 people around a few tables to eat Christmas Dinner. After dinner we would gather around the piano to sing Christmas carols and read the Christmas story. Aunt Jean would read the story of Twas the Night Before Christmas. My mom's family draws names for swapping presents. We would make sure presents were passed out and then all hop into our cars to go looking at the beautiful Christmas lights around town. I remember Jason and I would look out the car window up to the sky in hopes that we would see Santa and his 8 tiny reindeer.
I love the memories that come to me this time of year. I love reliving all of the pleasant memories of the past. I look forward to making many more new memories. I hope to just take time to enjoy the simple things that Christmas has to offer to me, my family and everyone.
Exactly today marks 5 months to the date since I had weight loss surgery. I haven't weighed myself over the last 2 weeks but the last amount I was at was 110 pounds. I am excited to get on the scale tomorrow to see how much more I have lost. I am so glad I decided to have the surgery done. I can't wait to see what my future holds for me in 2010.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
YAHOO! I REACHED MY GOAL!
The first goal I set after having my weight loss surgery was to loose 100pounds. Guess what? I have lost 108 pounds. I lost this weight in 4 months and 15 days which seems crazy. I am not sure what my next goal will be but I will figure it out soon. As long as I keep loosing the weight that is what is really important to me. I love seeing all of the changes that occur within myself. I am enjoying the ride.
My house is all decked out for the holidays. It took me forever to finish my tree this year because I am such a perfectionist when it comes to decorating. Maybe one day I will learn to not be such a perfectionist. I got to enjoy my tree with all of its beautiful lights for 3 days, on the 4th day I had them on I left the room for a minute came back and none of them are working. I'm not sure what's wrong but I miss not having my lights on. I don't want to take the tree apart to fix it either because the tree is so beautiful. Oh well, I guess I enjoy the tree without lights this year.
My house is all decked out for the holidays. It took me forever to finish my tree this year because I am such a perfectionist when it comes to decorating. Maybe one day I will learn to not be such a perfectionist. I got to enjoy my tree with all of its beautiful lights for 3 days, on the 4th day I had them on I left the room for a minute came back and none of them are working. I'm not sure what's wrong but I miss not having my lights on. I don't want to take the tree apart to fix it either because the tree is so beautiful. Oh well, I guess I enjoy the tree without lights this year.
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