Dan, those aren't flying ants...those are termites

I'll keep this brief. Arrived home from church. Took nap. Woke-up. Finished dishes. Sat at computer. 'What just flew in front of my face?'. Look-up. See termite terror covering the window treatments. Call for Dan. Pray they are very large flying ants. Dan with vacuum. Pile of finely powdered wood-dust at termite entry location. Search 'flying ant vs. termite in google. HORROR. Me- run over to John and Janella's place. Janella follows. Surveys the scene. Dan with caulk. Exterminator to come tomorrow. Will keep you posted. (oh and the quote about looking on the bright-side was from my awesome husband! Always keeping things in perspective!)

Bacon + Brown Sugar + Oven = you do the math!

I love watching the foodnetwork! (I know what you're thinking..."and you're doing Weight Watchers, Whitney?") Honestly, watching food programs doesn't bother me anymore(wow that sounds wierd saying it out-loud, doesn't it?). I simply came to terms with the fact that the fattening foods will always taste better and that's ok...it's just food. I've lost 11.4 lbs. so far and I've been doing it for a little over a month. Still going strong.
On that note, I found this absolutely delightful recipe from Paula Deen last September and made it for General Conference Sunday in October and decided to make it again for this Conference Sunday...Dan now says it is tradition. I don't endulge in bacon very often, but I felt that General Conference was a special occasion. Here is the recipe:
Oven to 400F.
1/2C brown sugar.
1/4 lb Lean sliced bacon (I do lean...Deen does not).
In a large plastic zip-top bag place brown sugar and bacon. Toss/Shake to coat.
Line a baking sheet with foil. And I mean LINE-IT, unless you want to be chipping molten brown sugar off of your baking sheet and gouging metal in the process!
Place a wire cooling rack on the lined baking sheet.
Put bacon on the rack and roast in oven for 20 min.
Let drain for a few minutes on the rack and serve. YUM!
We loved watching General Conference! The general authorities always know what we need to hear and when! I am so thankful for our prophet and all he does!

A day without chocolate is a day the sun forgot to shine!

So, I know that I'm a bit late on being "in-the-know" about blogs of note. My cousin, Diana, has introduced me to many blogs(which I am so grateful for! She always finds the best ones!) I've been trying to catch-up on all of them, now that I have way-too-much free-time while "patiently" waiting for a job. Don't get me wrong...I've been busy doing all the necessary steps on the job-hunt. Now, I'm in the waiting phase and I don't tend to be a 'waiter'! Well, I have finally caught-up on the NieNie Dialogues and I can't get enough! I know that Stephanie and her family are going through a down-right jerky trial right now, but she has brought me such hope for the future. She has inspired me, brought me to tears, and has painted a picture of the kind of mom I hope to be someday. I have also decided, through reading her blog, that I need to post more. I completely missed March and I DID things! Fun things! I should have posted them. So, I commit to posting on my blog, from here on out. AT LEAST once a week. (what's the point of having a blog if I never post anything?!? although Dan was the one that suggested I start in the first place...I wonder how he'd feel about posting each week? j/k).
Some of you may have heard that I've decided to go back to teaching and indulge my inner designer as a side job. I have missed working with kids since being away from the profession. I teach the Valiant 10 class at church and that has guided me to get back into teaching. California is not in the best shape for teachers right now, but I am faithful and hopeful that something will work out if that is the Lord's will.
I think the most difficult part of the "faith" concept is the "nothing-wavering" "nothing-doubting" parts. I have such a difficult time giving control over to the Lord (even though he's always in control in the first place). I have come across numerous scriptures that have truly driven home the reality that I need to leave it in the Lord's hands and he will guide me. The scriptural account in the following: Matthew 9:18-19, Luke 8:50, Matthew 9:23-25. This account is of the daughter of Jarius who was dying. He knew Christ could heal his daughter with just the touch of His hands. When Jarius found Christ, he explained the situation. Jesus started home with Jarius and found people to heal along the way.
A man found Jarius along the way and informed him that his daughter had died. Christ looked to Jarius and said, "Fear not: Believe only, and she shall be made whole." Christ makes it back to heal the daughter of Jarius from her brief passing. What hit me in the heart was the peaceful statement "Fear not: Believe only..." It reminded me of Alma 32:27 "...awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, EVEN IF YE CAN NO MORE THAN DESIRE TO BELIEVE, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words."
What a promise! And I believe that it is not only for faith on his words scripturally, but his words in revelation we receive personally. We must have faith to trust our revelations will come to pass.
I know that this was long (the posts will most likely become shorter as I post more often) Hold to Christ's words of: "Fear not: Believe only..." and "...even if ye can no more than desire to believe..." They are true. I also found a poster that is a reproduction of a WWII propaganda poster from Great Britain at that time. You can purchase it on Etsy.com. I posted that along with a tribute to Stephanie Nielson. Her love of good chocolate cake is contagious and I've caught the cocoabug from reading her blog. So, in her honor, last night after our bbq'd pizza for dinner, I made chocolate cupcakes (they were a weight-watcher recipe, because that's what I'm doin' now...so not as satisfying, but tasty!).