The Grass is Greener....

One thing that I've learned while living at Wymount, is the grass is green where you water it.

In our previous Wymount ward, I didn't care for the sisters and didn't have any friends. I felt like an outcast and didn't feel that I fit the "Utah Mormon Women" mold. I really didn't enjoy it here in Provo. Of course, I must admit, I kind of came kicking and screaming, you could say. We moved into a different ward, and it took some adjusting. I was no longer working and just doing homework. I spent quite a bit of time alone and quickly got lonely. After being stubborn for so long, I finally decided to pray for a friend.

Well, in July I found out I was pregnant, (which I later lost). I knew that I needed to exercise. I was also praying for a friend. Well, I had seen a sister in my ward a few times, but didn't know her very well. I felt prompted to ask if she'd like to be my walking buddy. God answered my prayer for a friend. I asked her if she'd be my walking buddy. We formed a great friendship which lead to many others. Now, I really enjoy Provo, which I never thought possible. I really enjoy our ward and the families here. Who would have thought?

I finally learned that the grass is greener wherever I water it. It's not going to be greener in another ward, or with a different job, or when ever we "get out of here". I had to make the decision to water the grass now. Water it here where I'm standing and not be jealous of someone else's "green grass".  Once I learned that, I became quite happy. My whole perspective changed. Life changed. I've grown from that experience. Most of all, I know I'm right where God wants me to be. Now that I'm not so selfish, He can use me for good to help bless others because I'm not focused on how miserable I am. Now, I'm really quite happy, life is great and enjoyable. I feel like I'm moving forward in life, even though I'm here "stuck" at Wymount. :) I've been able to have many experiences which have enriched my life and blessed me. I'm grateful my eyes were opened  and my heart was softened. I know I'm better for it.

- SamiMae

Ramblings about Future Dreams

Any hobby or skill that I pick up and learn is all for a purpose. It's based out of my innate desire to be self-sufficient. Call me independent, that's fine. Lately, among my school studies, I've found myself with a little bit of spare time, which I've taken to research the old skills lost to the new generation. (I've been putting my Pinterest account to good use.) I've been practicing and using skills in canning and dehydrating among others. Call me old fashioned, of which i'm proud. I have borrowed my mother's sewing machine, which I soon hope to start practicing and learning how to sew. I've taught myself how to bake bread, which I now no longer purchase. I've stocked up on food storage. I also experimented and had a container garden this past summer.

Learning to make my own bread has enabled me to stock up on flour (I would stock up on wheat, but don't have a grinder yet). I have (2) 5 gallon buckets full of flour, which I do use. It's handy and helpful because I just purchase flour in bulk when it goes on sale for super cheap. It's also handy because I only spend about $20 on food each week. (This doesn't include my occasional Costco shopping trip).  Instead of spending $3 on a loaf of bread, which goes quickly, I can pick up 3 different veggies. 

I've learned how to dehydrate, since I just got a brand new, very nice dehydrator. (THANKS SUZIE!) Now, I won't waste potatoes that we can't eat, and I can stock up on veggies when they are on sale! I've dehydrated onions, green onions, carrots, celery, bananas, apples, and kale. It's super handy to have them. I try to always have a project which I'm working on, whether it's canning, dehydrating, or something else. 

I've found that I'm not afraid to experiment or fail. We don't learn much from our successes. We learn the most from our failures. I'm not afraid to try something new. That's why I tried having a container garden. That's why I make new dinners. I try using new things or techniques. I have had many loafs of bread not turn out wonderful, but because of my failed loaves of bread, I've been able to perfect my recipe and now make perfect beautiful loaves - and save money while enjoying a lost art. I'm not afraid to deviate from a recipe in order to save money or tailor it to my family and pantry. I've greatly increased my cooking ability since I've been married. It's great been a great accomplishment

Like I said in the beginning, most things I do or make an effort to learn about it because I want to be self-sufficient and do things on my own. I have researched many web pages and have many books on homesteading. These skills give a person the ability to be free. Free from the necessity of the grocery store - if it came to it. This desire does not only reach the physical aspect. I enjoy yoga. I'm not very good, but I do it and enjoy it. I enjoy the physical and spiritual aspect of it. I enjoy essential oils and having various scents in my home. I like living in a holistic way, in a natural way. I avoid medication until it's truly needed. I would take a natural remedy over a medication. This desire expands to the spiritual aspect - which is a whole other post entirely. :) 

I've taken it upon myself to learn the skills required to be self-sufficient and take care of my family. I have big dreams. A future goal of mine is to own some land. Raise cows, goats, chickens, pigs, etc. Have an orchard where I can grow our favorite fruit. Have a garden and grow our fruits and veggies, I want to can or dehydrate our food and do everything I can to provide for ourselves and not rely on anyone else, like a grocery food store. I also want to have our house off the grid. Have a windmill and solar panels, have a water well. I'd love to get into aquaponics. Have a greenhouse. I also plan to homeschool our future children. Call me crazy. But that is my dream, But plans and reality can change. But it's important to always have a dream and a goal. I've enjoyed researching everything that I have. I've been working on teaching  myself the skills I need and the skills that are possible to learn now. (Clearly, I can't have a cow while living in a third story apartment). I've felt blessed from learning the things which I have. I know it'll benefit me in the future.

- SamiMae

Change of Paths

Man, life has been pretty crazy these last few weeks. Our path has completely changed. It's interesting to watch God work in our lives. We've seen Him guiding our lives a lot these last few weeks. It's interesting to take a step back and look at the whole picture so far and see what's happened.

January of this year, I parted ways with my previous job. It was a weekend of prayer and faith. It was suppose to happen. I've spent this year finishing up my bachelor's degree in accounting. I've cut over a year off of school and have done all my core classes in this year alone. I made great progress. Now I'm 3 tasks, 1 test and a capstone project away from graduating. By April, I'll be finished! (My original projected graduation date was August 2016).

Well, on the 5th of December, some things changed. Trevor hadn't heard back from the company we really wanted to get an internship with. And, I had a doctor's appointment which confirmed that I have PCOS. (Polycyctic Ovary Syndrome). That day sucked all the way around. We were back to square one. We still have no internship lined up for next summer, and I'm working on handling my symptoms.

So the next day, which was Saturday, Trevor took some time to go up to the temple and ponder and think on the temple grounds. Later, when he came home, we talked about it. He felt he should ask me to look for a job. I agreed. I'm near the end of my degree, and he's the Priesthood holder for our family. So, that night I got online and started poking around. Turns out that 6-8 jobs had just been posted that I was qualified for! While looking at the jobs, I prayed to keep my heart and mind open to the right thing.

I had been thinking about getting my QuickBooks certification for quite some time. But, it requires a large sum of money to do so, which would require us to pull from savings. As I prayed and thought, I felt that I "would not get a job without it." Which I agreed with. Most accounting jobs require QuickBooks experience - which I didn't have. So, Sunday night, we purchased me a spot in a class, the following week to receive some training. Later that Sunday night, I also sent in my resume to about 5 places online. There was still one job I wanted to apply for, but had to do it in person.

So, Monday I did just that. I went into this business and sent in my application in person. I felt the worst about this application. I didn't have strong references, and I didn't allow them to contact my last employer. But, later that night I received a phone call asking for an interview!

Great! I thought. Tuesday I had a 20 minute interview that went really well. Wednesday morning, I receive a phone call. They offered me the job! I was so excited. Then they asked, "Can you be here by noon today?" Hahaha.

Within one week, I went from not even looking for a job, to working. It's a wonderful job. I quite enjoy it. It's giving me experience in every main aspect of accounting. AND, I'm learning the real estate industry.

It was so awesome to see everything unfold before us. I feel like God literally picked us up off of one path and put us on another one saying "No, you really want to be over here." This experience has also been an example that God knows all. In November I received a calling in the Relief Society presidency. This is a one year calling. Trevor and I were planning on moving out for the summer, which would only give me 4 months in my calling. Well, now we are here through the summer because I have a job and Trevor will start his masters in September. God knows all. If we do his will, He will lead us, and we will be in the right places at the right times.

The path and plans that Trevor and I thought would be good for us, turned out to not be the best. God knew that, and showed us that by leading us in another direction. We also know that we have to be willing to change and search for the correct path. It's funny, because Trevor and I had never thought of staying in Provo next summer. But since we will be here, and we've been lead down this path, we know that Trevor will be lead to the right internship/job for next summer and that it'll all work out. :)

- SamiMae

Thanksgiving Canning

Over Thanksgiving, Trevor and I went up to Boise to visit his dad Marvin, and his new wife Delinda. They are great people! We really enjoy spending time with them. It's awesome to see them both so happy. Delinda and I get along great! We enjoy going a lot of the same stuff, namely canning and cooking! 

This time we made homemade lemonade and marinara sauce! I had never made homemade lemonade before, let alone can it! It was great. I got to juice about 5 pounds of lemons, which create quite a bit of juice! Then we added an equal amount of sugar and water (if I remember right). Then we boiled it and put it in cans. The juice was already hot, and so the cans self sealed! 

We also made some homemade marinara sauce. Boy, was it delicious! It was so simple and didn't take long at all. Sometimes, when I think of canning, or when I do it myself, it turns out to be a whole afternoon process. I was really impressed with how quick it was! We did water bath the marinara sauce to seal them. 

I've used a jar of the marinara sauce since we canned them. YUM! I love homemade sauces and this was no exception. I liked it because it was the perfect amount. With only two of us, we don't need a whole quart. And, I was able to season it to my taste when we canned it, so I didn't have to do anything when I finally used it! I'm so canning it again.

A week or two ago, we had Rebecca, Trevor's mom, over for dinner. I decided I wanted a special treat for dinner, so I pulled out one of my jars of canned lemonade, which is actually a concentrate, I added some water to it, but man, it was really good. Sometimes lemonade can be tart and sour. But this was perfectly sweet. Not too sweet and not too tart. It was literally the best lemonade I've had. Best part? It was homemade! I'm convinced that everything is better when it's homemade. 

Marvin and Delinda are great! We can't wait to see them over New Years. You can see in my picture that they also gave us 5 llbs of my favorite Fuji apples. Once we got home I dehydrated them and made apple chips. They lasted probably a total of 3 days! 

We enjoy going up to Boise. The guys get to spend time together doing whenever men do ;) and the women get to spend time together in the kitchen! I always learn something new when I go up, and come home with new goodies! We love you Marvin and Delinda! 

 - SamiMae

14 Weeks Pregnant!

I just hit my 14 weeks pregnant mark. I'm so excited. It's been a great journey so far. I must say, I feel really spoiled having such an easy pregnancy. I've had no morning sickness, I haven't thrown up. Nausea really only happens when i'm hungry, in which case it's no problem to eat!  My due date is March 14th.

Within the last 2-3 weeks, I've really started noticing the change. At first my pants were tight. Then I started leaving them unbuttoned but kept my belt on over it. Now, I can't do up my zipper or button and use a hair elastic to keep them up. I can definitely see a belly, but clothes still hide it pretty well. I just look like I've been over eating too much. 

I must say, before getting pregnant, I thought I was still kinda...fat. I had worked hard to lose my weight I had on in high school. But now, after getting a belly that I haven't had before, I realize just how skinny I was. :) My comfortable 9/10 jeans are now really tight, even just on my hips. 

See, just looks like I've over eaten. lol. But I'm excited, our little one is growing really fast! It seems like every few days I can tell my belly is a bit bigger. The countdown is on!

- Sami

New found View of Utah County

On our search today for letterboxes, I decided I wanted to check out some of the campgrounds in the Provo Canyon. So we took off on a road to "Squaw Peak" But the road to the campground was closed. But we got to see an AMAZING  view! We have a storm rolling in, and the clouds were amazing looking. We got really high up! 

Look at those mountains! 

Utah county. Look at those clouds!

We certainly enjoyed our weekend together. After a Saturday of doing dreadful homework it was nice to get out of the house, get some fresh air and enjoy a beautiful view!

- SamiMae

Bridal Veil Falls

Trevor and I went looking for a letterbox at Bridal Veil falls, but they recently had an avalanche and it was an older letter box, so we didn't find it, but it was still an amazing hike! We actually climed right up to the base of it. Some parts of the hike were a little sketchy, the avalanche happened this winter, so parts of the trail had been wiped out. 

The whole falls from where we parked. It's gotten a lot of water flowing since last time we were here!

Me and my Redhead!

It was cool to feel the mist off the waterfall!

Selfie...

We were really high up, this is the view across from where we were at!

- SamiMae

Letter Boxing in Provo Canyon!

Trevor and I have decided to get into Letterboxing. There are a lot of letterboxes in Utah county. We decided to get a stamp and booklet today and go find some. We found Warrior Chief in Canyon Glen Park. It was super fun to find. Trevor and I had been really super close to it a few weeks ago, but we weren't looking, nor did we know one was there! 

Our stamp is the fox. The eagle is Warrior Chief's. It was a hand made stamp. Pretty cool!

Trevor signed Warrior Chief's book. They must have just gotten a new book, we were the first and only stamps in there.

It was a blast. We are going to keep doing it on the weekends!

- SamiMae

My Growing Garden!

I know it's been awhile since I updated the blog about my little garden i have growing. I'm pleased to say it's undergone some extensive changes! I now have a pallet garden and everything is out of cans! (well, except for like...two). I've introduced a pallet into my garden (THANKS DAD!). I've transplanted a bunch and I'm pleased to say that they are all doing well. 

I've been so impressed at how plants have the ability to rebound after something so life changing for these little plants. Their roots don't leave the cans intact, but they regrow and survive! 

My pallet garden. I have quite a bit in there. 

Here is my broccoli (top row), and my mustard spinach (bottom row).

My lettuce (on bottom) and lavender (on top)

I'm quite proud of my basil (on bottom) and my jalapenos (on top). I don't know what we're going to do with all the jalapenos. 

I purchased a sweet mint plant, because I couldn't find seeds. So that's what the big plant is. Then I have some little spearmint plants next to it.

Both my cilantro and dill had outgrown their cans. They are loving the space in the pallet garden. 

My peppers plants. Sorry for the shadow

This is my 3 sisters pot. (Corn, garden beans, and squash). They are all doing quite well! 

You can't see how deep this container is, but it's pretty deep. I've planted some beets in here for fun. We'll see what happens!

I gotta say, this has been super fun to grow green onions. We harvest from it a few times a week. 

Tomatoes 

More tomatoes...

Even more tomatoes...

Theses re cucumber plants. 

I purchased this strawberry plant at Smith's. It's quite a lovely, healthy plant. There are strawberries growing on it!

*Sigh* these are my plants I'm trying to figure out what to do with. I have cucumbers, garlic, beans, celery, and corn.

These are my bean plants. I have peas and snap peas growing in here. We'll see what happens. They had all outgrown their little cans. 

See! Strawberries!!!

- SamiMae

Updates Coming Soon!

Sorry I haven't posted a lot, things have been kinda hectic! Yet, not a whole lot to report. I'm trying to finish up my class at a fast and furious rate, so everything else has to come after it. Thanks for your patience!

- SamiMae

The Color Festival

Summer, Skyler, Trevor and I went to the Color Festival in Spanish Fork UT today. It was a BLAST! We didn't stay all day, but it sure was fun! There was a band that played. (Yoga was to be later, sad we missed it). We stayed for the first color throw! It was soo cool. You want to stay on the outer edges until you've gone a few times. We even got our pictures taken. It was so much fun! Can't wait to go again. It was fun to experience another culture. The Hindu temple was really cool. We didn't go inside but it was neat to look at.

Before. See we are clean and in white shirts. 

Gettin ready to go in!

People will walk by and throw the powder on you! 

Skyler was very...prepared I think.

A girl walked up past Summer and said "SIMBA!" and gave her an orange mark. lol

Starting to get a little colored.

A guy offered to take our picture!

The band

How cool is that! 

There were some cool people there doing AWESOME yoga poses!

Summer had suff in her nose

Trevor is enjoying himself! 

AWESOME!

He looks ready for the apocalypse 

We got free glasses and tees

 

Near the end

Can't wait to go again! Super fun! 

- SamiMae