Monday, May 19, 2014

Let Go & Let God...His Plan is Perfect!

On my Mother's Day post I stated that I would be sharing a little about our beautiful sister missionary from Fiji.  Her story moved me into tears as she expressed a very personal experience to me. I could not stop the tears from flowing as she proclaimed her testimony about God's plan and its blessings. I felt the pain and grieve that she has gone through only because it is somewhat similar to my story. We confided in each other through tears and hugs as we both shared our testimony of our Heavenly Father's great plan of happiness.
When I first joined the church I looked up to the missionaries a lot. They were great role models and I yearned to be just like them. Because of their great example, I had a desire to serve a mission. However, I never thought I would have a chance to due to finances and the very limited knowledge I had at that time. I was also very quiet and shy (there's another twist to this personality of mine too that I will share someday) so talking to just anyone was something I couldn't do. But an unexpected event occurred in my life and changed everything. On December of 2009, I received a call from my father informing me that he was admitted at the Tripler Veterans hospital in Oahu, Hawaii. He continued to give me an update about his health conditions and broke news I was not expecting to hear. With a few broken words he told me his organs were failing and he only had six more months to live. This was a very hard news for me to accept. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and the airport was quiet since all of the flights have departed. It was the end of my shift so I was just getting ready to clock out and head home. Instead I walked into one of the restroom stalls and wept till I had no tears to shed. He requested that I come and see him soon if I could. I promised him that I would be hopping on a plane in just a few days so that we could be reunited again.

I have not seen him in three years so since he was in Hawaii this was a really good opportunity to meet up and see each other again. As soon as I got off the phone, I immediately booked my flight and went straight home to pack. I was so excited I was counting down the days. The day before my scheduled flight my aunt from Hawaii called to tell me my dad had just passed away. The news came as a shock and I was in great disbelief. She assured me that he had peacefully left us and in a better place now where he is free from pain and suffering. It was the hardest day of my life! I was all alone and it made it even more difficult. I curled myself up on my bed and cried myself to sleep. It was the darkest moment of my life. With no one to turn to physically, I had to rely on my Father in heaven. But I was so angry and I questioned him why? He couldn't even just wait one more day? I was told he has six more months? It has only been two days since I spoke with him. But Heavenly Father had a better plan for me-- a plan that changed my life forever. It's a plan that made me stronger. It's a plan that brought me so much joy. It's a plan that is full of hope.

It was a blessing to have my mother there. A lot of people I know said she needed me, but I think I needed her more. The faith and courage she had is influential. She was very understanding and accepted what God has chosen to do-- to take her only husband away to be free of discomfort and agony. She expressed my father's last few words to me and that I should share it with my siblings. Those last few words were, "To seek God and draw closer to Him so we could all see each other again!" This was his only dying wish, for all of his children to find God. When I got back to Colorado I met with my bishop. The meeting we had was to see how I was doing and if I needed anything. We talked about my trip, my family and also about work. At one point I remember just sitting in the bishops office and just stared at him while he was talking. I did not hear any words he said; yet I saw his mouth moving a lot. All I heard was a voice in my head of the words my dad had wished for his children. And when I started to hear the bishops voice come back, I interrupted him immediately and these were the words that came out of my mouth, "I want to go on a mission. What do I need to do to get there?" I truly believe that my father was the reason why I was able to accomplish the desire I had deep in my heart to serve a mission. I just needed a little push from someone I trusted and I absolutely valued his opinion. That person was my father. The experience I had serving a mission definitely made me a better person. But most importantly I was able to develop a relationship with my Heavenly Father that is so personal and sacred.

So how is Sister Keavali related to this? Sister Keavali brought me back to the experience I had almost five years ago. It is nice to be reminded of the things that strengthened our testimony and brought us to where we are today. Talk about the tender mercies of the Lord! It is amazing. He is absolutely in every detail of our lives.

The experience that this sweet sister has gone through is one that was very unexpected and difficult to grasp. She had an amazing mother that was full of faith, courage and love. And she enjoyed every moment with her. Her mother had some big shoes to fill. And when she became very ill one day, Sister Keavali had to take in some of those roles and on top of that help take care of her mother. She never once complained nor did she ever give up. During all these trying times, she received her mission call to serve in the beautiful state of Colorado. This great news was shared at the hospital by her mother's bedside. She was the proudest mother who cheered for Sister Keavali from the sidelines as she started preparing for this remarkable opportunity that the Lord has blessed them with. Just like any other proud mother of a missionary, she announced it to everyone that came to visit her at the hospital. They had planned to go through the temple with each other and they were hopeful that when that day comes, they would be sharing that special moment together.
But things doesn't always go as planned because Heavenly Father always has a better plan! Although with our imperfect faith, at times we forget that simple truth. Sister Keavali's mom was too ill to make it to the temple with her. This was heartbreaking for Sister Keavali, but she had to do it...do it for her mom! Her mother's health continued to decline each day. She started to ask Heavenly Father with the very well known one word question: "Why"? Followed with an order of, "You can't take her away too soon!" And pleads, "I need her still". Ending with a warning, "If you do take her, I will not go on a mission."  Sister Keavali did not know that in just a few days her mother's body would be taken to rest. It was just few weeks before Sister Keavali had to leave home for her mission. It was the hardest trial she had to face and at one point she decided she was not going on a mission. She still had questions and was not very happy with what Heavenly Father has done. But during all the grief and heartache, she did not know what Heavenly Father has in store for her.
She still made it out to Colorado and has been serving for about six months now. She has been to two different areas and now in Grand Junction, being her third assignment. She has received the answers to those very specific questions she asked Heavenly Father six months ago. With tears streaming down her cheeks, this was her testimony:


"I needed to come here to Colorado. It is amazing how Heavenly Father puts people in your life to help you understand what did not make sense to you then. The veil is so thin and I feel like my mother is definitely working through my companion to strengthen me."

What a beautiful testimony! Heavenly Father's plan is pure, bright and full of happiness. Because of the Savior we can be healed and our burdens be made light. We sometimes forget that we have a powerful God that is all knowing, perfect and can do all things. And in these very moments we start doubting, spitting out questions and usually get angry at our Heavenly Father. But He will never forsake us! He truly loves us and will do everything in His power to help us, only if we LET HIM!


He has the Perfect Plan for YOU!

Friday, May 16, 2014

DIY Maxi Dress

I like taking difficult tasks and trying out new things. It is funny because I was never like this. I remember one time before my mission when I was still dating Ethan-- he approached me one day and told me I need to find a hobby. Haha! Yes, I was lame and boring then. I worked for the airlines and I had some crazy hours. So when I had time off from work, I just wanted to chill at home and do NOTHING!!! But I enjoyed what I did and I would definitely do it again. 
Ethan was determined to find something that would bring a little excitement to my life. He came once with a couple of knitting needles and a yarn for me to work on a scarf. I took the challenge and started knitting that scarf and I was so proud of myself. Well, it wasn't long until I lost interest. I guess it wasn't really something I enjoyed. After a week that unfinished scarf was just sitting on top of my drawer until my very naughty dog got a hold of it. 
A few months ago Ethan bought me a sewing machine. Oh my gosh...I just love my husband! He has so much faith in me and truly thinks I can do every single thing this world has to offer. Here's the thing though, I have never sewn in my twenty seven years of life. But I was excited to try it out and was hoping I would enjoy it more than knitting. And for the first time, I DID!!! Hallelujah!

I love Maxi dresses and thank heavens for Pinterest. It has so many easy tutorials on how to make dresses, skirts and many cute stuff. It's amazing. I love it more than Google. 



This was my very first DIY Maxi Dress. Click here to get the tutorial :)





I am cheap so it only costs me about $6.00 for this pretty dress!!! I bought a full bed sheet from ReStore(Habitat for Humanity) here in Grand Junction for $2.99 and the t-shirt (New York & Co.) from Salvation Army for $0.99. I also needed an elastic thread which was $1.79.


It was so much fun making this dress. I also made a sash for it which is on the tutorial as well. 



~Only in Ree's Closet~



Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Tasty Treat


~Coconut Candy~



I have the sweetest tooth ever. I am not kidding! But since I have been on this strict diet for Laien, it has been a struggle since I can't really have any chocolates, ice creams and pretty much all the amazing sugary mouth watering treats :'(
My husband bought some shredded coconuts. I don't know why he did, but I am kind of glad because it has become an excellent treat to satisfy my sweet cravings. 
Growing up there were coconut trees everywhere...I would drink, eat and snack on them all the time. I remember a special treat that my mom made for us that I enjoyed a lot. It is easy, quick and delish!!!

Here's the simple recipe of how to make this sugary treat:

What you will need:

- Sauce Pan
- Wooden Spatula
- Granulated Sugar
- Shredded Coconut (I used Bob's Red Mill Shredded Coconut)

Instructions:

1. Pour granulated sugar into the saucepan. (As much as you want)

2. Melt sugar until it turns brown. (Don't burn the sugar!)

3. Once it is brown, remove from heat and add the shredded coconut.

4. Stir the coconut and sugar until it is all incorporated. 

Enjoy!!!

**I made these treats just the other night for the missionaries and my husband. They loved them. They said it tasted like the Samoas Caramel Delight Girls Scout Cookies. I think it'll be even tastier if you drizzle some melted chocolate on it.
**Also, you can soak the shredded coconut on water first to get a softer chewy candy. I like mine crunchy so I usually just use it as is. 

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Thankful for Mothers; Blessed Daughter; A Privileged Mom

As I was browsing through Facebook yesterday, I saw a lot of posts about Mother's Day. I received many great wishes from friends and family, which was very thoughtful of them. Not only did I feel so wonderful because I am part of the best group called "motherhood"-- I was touched by the many sweet and kind words expressed to the many mothers out there.

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is an annual holiday celebrated on the second Sunday in May. I love that it is on a Sunday where we go to church to acknowledge our Father in heaven. Also to give Him thanks for the blessing it is to have amazing mothers. As a mother, I am thankful for the opportunity to hold this very sacred title.

A few of my Facebook friends shared this quote that I value a lot because of how truthful it is:


Mother [muhth-er] - noun

1. Someone who will love 
you unconditionally, till 
her last breath.

I love my MOM! I think she is the best mother I will ever know or have. And I am sure that is what we all say about our mothers. They are the BEST and no one can ever replace them. She is a woman of great faith and loves Heavenly Father with all her heart. Her testimony about the Savior is influential. She motivates me to be a better wife and mother. I am not sure where she found the patience to deal with me growing up, but for that and for many other reasons...I am thankful for her! She is the most humble woman I know and would be the first to reach out to those in need. I love having her around and appreciate all the things she has done for me and my family. Laien is so lucky to have her around. He loves her and enjoys every moment with her. This Mother's day is extra special because I get to share it with her :)



I am a very blessed gal to have another mother who I have grown to love and appreciate. I say a lot of amazing things about my husband because of a wonderful mother that taught him well. My mother-in law is the most sweetest lady I know and someone that I have come to trust and able to confide with. She is a great listener and I appreciate all the advice, love and kindness she has given me. I am one lucky woman to call her my mother in-law and truly honored to be a part of her family. I think of how blessed I am to have her be part of my life too, but even more fortunate that Laien has such a fantastic grandmother. 


Alma 56:47-48
Hey, I am a MOM too!!! And my sweet Ethan got me a very special gift that I was in heaven just reading it. It is a plaque that has all these wonderful qualities a mother has. Here is the picture:


This plaque describes a mother really well! It has been a great privilege to take the role of motherhood. I would never trade it for anything. I love it, I enjoy it, I live it...

This was not my only gift :) :) :) Can you tell I am getting more excited?! Ethan is the best husband and he knows me too well. I don't know if I have mentioned how much I love fashion. I guess I can claim the very popular phrase that's floating around, "Shopping is my Cardio". I love clothes, shoes, purses and any other accessories out there I can add unto my wardrobe collection. I have fun dressing up and trying out new fashion trend. A favorite trend of fashion I love and adore the most is vintage clothing. Although it could be very expensive or hard to find. Ethan and I thrift a lot. (I blame Ethan for sucking me into it) That is usually where we get our clothes, furniture and most of our stuff. We have lots of fun with it though. Most of our home furnitures were found at yard sales, thrift stores, or free stuff that we just pick up on the side of the road. So Ethan went out yesterday for several of hours hitting up yard sales and thrift stores. He came home with a great haul and had quite a few vintage dresses that were just my size! And he got a whole closet worth of vintage women clothing  plus a few men's clothing for $40...YES!!! I am not even kidding! But there was this one dress that I had my eyes on the whole time. It fitted me perfectly, was cleaned and ready for me to wear. So it became my church outfit today! I like how modest and pretty it is. Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." This quote describes this dress perfectly. Love Love Love how fitting it is, but most of all...IT'S VINTAGE!



Let me just make sure to give photo credit to my talented husband for the photo shoot he did today. 
So that this won't be considered copyrighted I might get in big trouble :-P

Church was uplifting and spirit filled. As I mentioned above, I love that Mother's Day is on a Sunday. Beautiful messages were said about mother's and the musical numbers moved me to tears. This will be my second Mother's Day. But it is this Mother's Day that I came to really understand the true meaning of motherhood and the blessing it is to have this role. We came home right after sacrament meeting because Laien was breaking out and was not very comfortable with the itching and dry skin. His eczema isn't getting any better :/ Ethan decided to give our lil' Laien a blessing. It was very special because it was just the three of us and the blessing was beautiful. So grateful that Ethan has the priesthood and because of his righteous desires we are truly blessed.



We also had the sister missionaries from our ward come over after church so one of the sisters could Skype her mom. They brought their sweet spirit along with mother's day card for me filled with encouraging and kind words. I had a chance to sit down and chat with the other sister who is from the Fiji Islands. She was able to tell me a little bit more about herself and her story. I was moved into tears for the courage and faith that she has. (Stay tuned for a future blog which I will be sharing a little about her...she gave me permission to do so. I am way excited!) I enjoyed their visit and was happy for the other sister who was able to see her family, hear from them and share her beautiful spirit with them. I am grateful I was given the opportunity to share my home with them this very special day. 


To sum it all up, today was a memorable day filled with lots of love, appreciation and an understanding of the importance of family. The emotions that I had were tears of gratitude, joy and cheerfulness. 

Ended the day with some sweet boxer lovin' from Raskullz :)



Thursday, May 8, 2014

Little About Laien...


I have the cutest boy ever! I think he is the most handsome good-looking perfect baby in this whole wide world. Haha! I am sure that is what every mother thinks of her own child. There is no words that can describe the continued love my husband and I have for our precious boy. We are truly blessed to have Laien (pronounced Lyon) be part of our family. But most of all, humbly honored to be trusted by our Heavenly Father to have him be part of our life's journey and through the eternities.

When Ethan and I got married we were so excited to begin our new lives together that we were enjoying every moment of it. We never had the time to really sit down to plan out our future family. It is not that we weren't ready or that we didn't want any children. We were traveling a lot and we were still trying to get settled. And when it comes to this particular topic, I have a secure testimony about families and the plan of salvation that Heavenly Father has provided for us. I am also a true believer of Natural Birth Control Methods. In my own opinion and from the testimony that I have obtained about God's plan, I believe that when the Lord is ready to call on a woman to bring forth a life, there shouldn't be any reasons or excuses in preventing this amazing blessing from happening.

So shortly after Ethan and I got married we found out we were expecting. It was a day I will never forget because it was my sister's birthday, Sept. 18, 2012. I got off work early so I could go to the Women's Clinic to take a pregnancy test. We had taken a couple of tests at home, but I guess I needed a third one just to make sure it was real. I guess I could say I was in great disbelief. Even after the third pregnancy test, I was still kind of shocked. We were very careful and so this was something we weren't expecting at all. There were mixed emotions especially when there are other opinions, beliefs and judgements regarding marriage and pregnancy. Some of these phrases were, "wait at least a year till you have a child", "go get birth controls", and "don't rush". These are just a few of the phrases that caused me to question, doubt and created uncertainty. It took a lot of faith, trust and prayers for me to change my feelings towards everything. After our first appointment I was in great relief. An enormous burden was lifted off my shoulders once I heard Laien's heart beat. I knew then that the Lord sent him to me because He knew I was ready. Even when I didn't think I was capable of caring for this sweet child. All the worries, fear, doubts and opposing feelings were swept away and I was excited and just thrilled to be carrying a life in me that will bring so much happiness.

It was an easy pregnancy! Laien was a good boy and made it a piece of cake for mommy :) I heard that the first trimester is the worst with morning sicknesses, nausea and fatigue. I was the opposite of these symptoms-- I ate whatever I wanted with no problem and never felt sick at all. His first ultra sound was a memorable day. We were able to capture a beautiful picture of him laying down looking right at us. It was the most perfect picture of a perfect baby. I was in tears and fell in love with this lil' baby boy that was meant for Ethan and I to share. He continued to grow each day and we started to feel his movements. He is a wiggler, alright...and still is! He loved laying on my right side and found pleasure in music. When I played music through the ear phones, he would either dance the night away or sleep through it all. His arrival was frightening and nerve racking. After 16 hours of labor, an epidural, a few alarming episodes of loosing his heart rate--a fighter was born through an emergency C-section. With all the anxiety and worry we had, a healthy baby boy that weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long was born. And nope he wasn't a preemie nor did he have any complications. We were very blessed that everything checked out and he did not need any special treatment.

It has been a great rewarding year for us! It has been so much fun watching Laien grow and develop many wonderful traits. He brightens up our day with his smile, laughs and lively spirit. He has been a fighter since his birth and continues to combat every challenge and struggle he goes through. Seeing this in him gives me great confidence that he will be a courageous and valiant man. We first found out that Laien has severe eczema when he was about six months old. It actually started when he was just four months old. After several visits with numerous doctors they finally distinguished his rashes to be eczema. We have tried all kinds of steroid creams, lotions and ointments out there and none of them has really helped with his flare-ups. At nine months, we finally brought him to see an allergy doctor. The results weren't what we wanted to hear. He was allergic to five foods out of the eight top food allergies. This meant I had to be on a strict diet since I was still nursing or switch to one of the most expensive formula for infants with food allergies. It has been a whirlwind trying to figure what works best for Laien. It is heartbreaking to watch him struggle with the itching, flare-ups, and discomfort that he goes through on a daily basis. But he is a trooper and he continues to fight. I am proud of my baby boy and amazed at how brave he is.

Today, Laien turns one and I am greatly surprised of how time flew by so quickly.  It still feels like it was just yesterday when I first held him in my arms on the hospital bed. He was the most beautiful living creature I have ever held in my life. He has blessed our lives tremendously and continues to teach us the true meaning of life each and everyday. We love him, adore him and proud of the lil' boy he has become. We are excited for many more years with this lil' cutie--- to see him progress and be the man our Father in heaven wants him to be!


~grateful to be Laien's mommy

(stay tuned for the birthday pictures)

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Writing Is My Therapy


I never thought I would ever have time to do this! But guess what? I decided tonight that I would set a time at least once a week to put my thoughts into writing. Because the semester is finally over, I now have the extra time to actually share some of my thoughts, experiences, DIY's, recipes and who knows what else this crazy mind of mine has to offer. You will just have to follow me to find out what I will be posting for you and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I will.

Just this past semester I took a Psychology class, and it was something! I hated the excessive amount of work I was required to do, but I learned so much. As overwhelming and draining as it was, I think I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. A topic that was discussed towards the end of the semester that encouraged me to get to this point and write out my thoughts and feelings was therapy. I had to do an assignment called The Empty Chair Technique. In this particular case, it was the Empty Envelope Technique. I had to write a letter to someone whom I have had unresolved conflicts with. I had to imagine myself talking to the person and had to write it all down in a letter format. After writing down my feelings and the things I wanted to say, I sealed it in an envelope and pretended to give the letter to this person. It was weird because it felt so real to me. Maybe its because the feelings that I had written down were very personable and truly what I felt deep inside. You would think that’s all I needed to do, huh? Nope! That was not the end of it.

I had to put myself in that person’s shoes and write a letter responding to my own letter. I had to write what I would think the person would say to me. It was crazy because in reality, that’s the part I hate the most. To hear someone criticize, condemn or even correct me is one of my greatest weaknesses. It is something I am consistently working on. But hey, I am a woman that sets high expectations for myself which makes me feel like I need to be a perfectionist. I also like to blame it on my active energetic hormones that usually spark my emotions so very often. In this exercise, it was different and very unusual. There was understanding, acceptance and peace. Because I was telling myself what the other person feels I took it very well. It is all about COMMUNICATION. We all convey our messages very differently. And most of the time we could be saying the same exact piece of information, just in a different way.
This assignment truly helped me adopt the perspective of the other person. It is something that I will be applying to my life on a consistent basis. It is more of a calmer, relaxing way of solving problems, discovering differences and hammering out disagreements.
This activity made me realize that our true and deep feelings can be expressed through writing. I love this quote by a known English novelist and journalist, Graham Greene, Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those, who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear, which is inherent in a human condition.” I am excited to write and share my thoughts. 
So grab your pen and start writing to….