Oh the Piles and Piles of Laundry!

Justin and I usually try going to a family member's house every weekend where we would steal their washer and dryer for a few hours. Long enough to get a load of either whites of colors done. It has now been three weeks since we have done this. So... Three weeks of undergarments in the laundry and not in the drawer! Things were getting sparse. After running out of quarters and a fear of doing the laundry in our coin-operated laundry at the apartment complex, Justin decided to take the laundry to the laundromat.

A quick wash in the washers and our FOUR loads of laundry were now clean. Time to dry! Using one of the 60 lb. dryers and several quarters later, the clothes were on their way to clean and dry. After about fifteen minutes of drying...IT BROKE! The attendant at the laundromat was upset that the dryer wasn't working. Without refunding our money or offering to let us use different dryers, she sent Justin home. With Tax class coming up soon, there was only enough time to lay out the wet clothes and turn on fans and hope they dry by the time we get home.

7:30PM Rolled around. Class was now over and it was time to check the clothes. Yep...NOT dry yet. A quick trip to the laundromat ended in more quarter usage, dry clothes, and nausea from the fellow laundry doers and their Chinese dinner. Chinese mixed with laundry soap...Not good!

Now the FOUR loads of laundry are sitting on the couch waiting for my attention. Piles and Piles.

Dreams

Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong decade? Does the music you listen to grate on your nerves? Do you ever think that it would be wonderful to live in a world without all this technology and distractions?

These are often some of the thoughts that cross my mind on a day to day basis. I always wonder what it would be like to experience life as a pioneer. We can all be pioneers in our own little ways. We can be the first in our family to attend a college. We can be the first in our family to buy a new car. We can even be the first in our family to create a new recipe!

However, this isn't the pioneer I was talking about. I have been taking a Church History class this semester. It seems that the more I learn about the pioneer life in the 1840's the more I want to be one of them! It would be so amazing to be able to farm on miles of land, making our own flour, creating our won living, building our own houses, etc. See... I was born in the wrong decade; Century even!

It would be so wonderful to raise animals, to eat and to play with. The beautiful horse rides through the Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, and Utah valleys. Even being able to swim in whatever creek or river you wanted just because you could would be so much fun! Interactions with indians, both good and bad, could have some amazing results!

If only we could be so independent and self-sufficient today... Oh well! I can dream can't I!

Achieving Balance

Everyone has their trials. Some have trials in heartbreaks and others in physical disabilities. Ours seem to exist in apartment problems, homework and sleep! Some days it feels like these three things dictate our life's. The equation for balance that I like to consider consists of three questions.

1. How much time do you spend devoted to religious activity?
2. How much time is spent with your spouse?
3. Are you happy with the activities you preform in your day to day existance?

After careful consideration of these questions, it is then appropriate to find ways to to alleviate stress by taking steps to balance out your life. Sometimes this includes watching less television, waiting for a spouse to eat dinner, and maybe even smiling at a stranger or passerby!

I promise that the more you do in the service of your Lord, or whatever thing/person you feel most important in your life, you will become happier and more excited to wake up every morning! An effective way that I have found to balance my life is to attend the temple at least two times a week. By doing this, I have been putting the Lord first and honoring my own personal goals and promises. Everything seems to fall into place and the arguements of a newly-married couple become less and less and the honor, love, and respect for each other gros more and more each day!

Is it time for you to consider finding balance in your life?