menopause and midterms

menopause and midterms

catchy title eh?

it seemed to sum up my week quite nicely

returning home from a mission has proved to be the most challenging, awkward and rewarding experience thus far.

looking back i can remember waking up the morning after i got home and saying

so..

this is it?

after a few months of far too much down time I’ve been thrown into what seems to be a semester from ..

you get what I’m going for.

but.. i guess my advice is:

be careful what you wish for?

just to give you a glimpse of my schedule these days..

6:00 wake up jr. high children

7:00 make breakfast 

7:30 drive jr high children to school

7:40 wake up elementary children

8:20 drive elementary children to school

8:30 make beds. leave for school myself

9:10 visual rhetoric / math class

10:40 upper division german class

12:00 diet coke break

until 

3:00 work in the temple youth center

3:20 pick up all children from school

4:00 help the kids with homework

5:00 help kids with chores

6:00 put dinner on the table

6:30 do laundry, dishes etc

8:00 get the kids showered

8:30 put the kids to bed

9:00 go home and lay on my bed and cry for 10 seconds

study. 

study.

study.

12:00 maybe if I’m lucky and not too tired see my boyfriend

3:00: go to sleep

chaos right?

not really.

and ill tell you why

see that little gap between 12:00-3:00

that is the secret to success

I have been BLESSED to receive a calling in the Salt Lake City temple working in the youth center.. 

at first when i received my calling.. overwhelmed was an understatement. i had NO idea how id balance everything and make time for the temple.. 

i even asked.. do people under the age of 60 even work there??

I had n.e.v.e.r taken such a heavy loaded semester homework wise before. some classes require 3-4 hours of studying/reading a day.. 

yes. i am guilty of reading and driving on the freeway

gotta do what cha' gotta do

and then i stopped myself

i can’t remember who said it << normal for me>>

but its been said “ if you are too busy to pray.. you are more busy than the lord ever intended you to be “

that goes for just about anything.. scripture study, church attendance, temple work and even missionary work ** cough cough** 

just do it.

I decided to accept the calling and see how things went..

At first i wasn’t too sure how i was going to like working there..

For starters, i did get quite a few interested looks when i walk through the temple and put on a temple worker name tag. 

fact: i was already asked if i was lost and looking for the baptistry

do i look like a beehive to you?

eh. apparently

after that awkward encounter what happened next was one for the books

picture this.

walking into the cafeteria trying to find a place to sit and eat and realizing……

i was the only temple worker in my wing who hadn’t yet graduated, been married, had children, gone through menopause and had dozens of grandchildren and or retired. 

then picture me carrying my lunch tray with a chicken pot pie and side of fries sitting down all alone at the end of the long table humming to myself let it go from the frozen soundtrack. and being so upset that they don’t serve diet coke and i had to resort to drinking a fresca

i legit felt like the new kid on the block without a friend in the world. weirdest feeling since I’ve never moved in my entire life

well.. not too much longer i was befriended by a nice married senior couple and made instant friends.

i guess eating with them gave me the COOL KID sticker and thumbs up of approval to everyone else to like me.

now instead of being ignored we all gossip, I’ve learned to cross stitch and been asked to go out with grandsons 

my three hours in the temple truly make all of the difference. i leave with a lifted spirit, a new perspective and energy to go forward and get what needs be done. 

now.

if a full time student

if a full time nanny

if a part time dance teacher

in the middle of midterms 

and...

can make it to the temple..

well ladies and gentlemen i feel we’ve run out of excuses

i can promise you making time for the lord will life your burdens.

will bless your life in more ways than you ever thought possible.

and will bring your more happiness that you’ve ever felt before..

how blessed we are to have temples on the earth.. living in utah i took advantage of the fact that i have 3 temples all within 15 miles from home. and yet i still found excuses growing up not to attend..

the blessings await you in the temple.. a GUARANTEED way to brighten your day, lighten your load and bring you peace.

i love the lord. i love this work and i love the person i’ve become through the atonement of jesus christ and the love of my savior jesus christ. 

well i love you all to pieces

<3 bella who once was in berlin. but not there anymore. but going back to visit next month and wishes she were there.