the seventh goal in the seventh month...

Ok, most of the previous months had more than one goal, so it's not actually the seventh one.  Oh well. :)

July goals!

1. Go on dates with Joel (not just stay-home dates)

2. Learn to love (and hopefully be good at) my new calling - being Primary chorister

Go on dates with Joel (not just stay-home dates)

Joel and I have a great marriage.  We like staying home, and most of the time, splitting a cake-in-a-mug and watching a movie are a good-enough date for both of us.  I like to leave home, too, though! and sometimes I get bored of staying home with the same routine.  In the past, we've had a budget for eating out and a budget for other dates, but we almost never used the "other dates" budget.  This month, I combined and lowered the budgets to be more realistic and we set a rule - we had to use all the date money!  It was fun!  We still used a lot of it for eating out, but we ate at more fun + new places.  I picked Joel up from work one day for a middle-of-the-week lunch date at a new place.  We went to a Young Entrepreneur fair and loved spending $3 for (fill in the blank) because it came from our date fund and was for that!  I want to keep this up, moving away from eating out with most of the money.  There are a lot of fun things to do around here!  Having a date budget keeps me from feeling guilty about spending money on things that logically feel "frivolous" things but are fun, like eating at a restaurant nicer than Wendy's or going bowling. :)

Learn to love (and hopefully be good at) being Primary chorister

When I got this calling at the end of June, I didn't want it.  I didn't want to leave my old calling, and I didn't believe I had time for something new.  If I had to have something new, I didn't want this - it just seemed so hard with a lot of planning.  Being positive about it seemed like a good goal, all things considered.  Thankfully, I had a pretty great resource to call!  My mom's been her ward's Primary chorister forEVER, and she loves it.  So I called her immediately in hopes of getting pumped up.  She gave me a lot of great ideas, but I was still ner. vous!  When my first Sunday rolled around, I prayed that it would go perfectly.  "I know it won't always be perfect.  I know there will be some really hard days, just like with teaching.  But please let the first day be perfect so I won't feel so nervous from now on."  And it *was* perfect.  Heavenly Father is merciful.

I've only had a couple other weeks since then, and there have definitely been times (and days) when I felt overwhelmed with this calling.  It's not a ton of hard work, but it's work I'm not used to.  For most of the month, I never felt caught up.  It felt like people were always asking me to get things done sooner, be more ahead, give more people your early-made lesson plans.  But I think I'm finally starting to come out on top with the planning.  As far as the presentation goes, well, that's always fun. :)  I'll get closer to this goal as I start to feel more comfortable with the expectations, but it sure made my first month go better!  Attitude makes a big difference!

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“Are you threatening me, sir?” he said, so loudly that passersby actually turned to stare.

“Yes, I am,” said Mad-Eye, who seemed rather pleased that Uncle Vernon had grasped this fact so quickly.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

you've just won... a new car!

Okay, we didn't win a car.  It's just, every time I get a really great deal on something, I hear Bob Barker's prize guy's voice in my head.  We actually just bought a new microwave.  

We had two microwaves.  They both broke.  One was an over-the-range microwave that broke a few months after we moved into our house.  The timer and fan worked, but it just stopped heating one day.  The other was the countertop microwave we already had that we used when the first one broke.  A couple weeks ago, it started sparking when we put food in it, and sometimes when you opened the door, it let out smoke and smelled like weird burning electricity.  In order to avoid blowing up our house, we stopped using it.  

When our second microwave went out of commission, I started doing some research.  And we found a new over-the-range microwave!  For only $250!  (which is a lot for a microwave, but really good for an over-the-range model. They're usually closer to $500.)  Home Depot carried the one we wanted - for $228!  And then, when I called to see if they had it in stock, I learned they were having a "Black Friday all month on appliances" deal, and it was only $199!  I had to do some griping (the advertised price - 199 - was not how it was labelled - 249 - was not how it was ringing up - 228), and it took us probably 20 minutes to check out, but we got it for the price we wanted.  Joel doesn't love when I argue over prices at the store, but man, can it pay off!  

Moral of the story: You don't get what you want unless you ask for it.  Also, you can [almost] always find a good deal if you look hard enough and are patient.

We now are the proud owners of a microwave that heats food and doesn't threaten to blow up, we didn't have to pay a fortune for it, and things are lovely.  

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“Amazing!  Amazing!  This is just like magic!”

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

a baby! (piano, NOT human)

This is the story of a killer deal.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Alison who was desperate for a piano that worked.  One day she asked her husband, Joel, just how financially irresponsible they would be if they bought one.  He replied, "Why don't we check the classifieds?"  Alison was a little disappointed, wondering if they could find something good, but she agreed.  

That night, Joel opened the classifieds and started showing her pictures of pianos for sale and Alison quickly realized his suggestion had been a good one.  Initially, they were interested in an ornate upright for two reasons: 1) They're beautiful!, and 2) The only place a baby grand would fit was in Alison's sewing room, which she wasn't sure she wanted to give up.  Joel even asked her, "If we found a baby grand for a good price, would you give up your sewing room?" and she replied adamantly in the negative.  

After a few minutes, they began finding baby grand pianos for stellar deals and Alison changed her mind.  "Okay, I guess I would give up my room if we found one we really liked."  Then, lo and behold!, they found the best deal ever!  A baby grand piano for $650!  It was close to midnight and they decided to contact the owners about the piano.  Because it was close to midnight, though, Alison decided to text them.  She figured, if they answered, they answered, but if they didn't, at least she didn't wake them up.  Well, they did answer!  The "they" was a "she," and she already had someone coming to look at the piano the next day, but she offered to call if the deal didn't go through.  Joel and Alison were crazy with nerves!  

The next day, Sunday, the lady called Alison and - guess what!! - the other people didn't want the piano!!!  (Well, they did, but the wife didn't think her husband would want to mess with moving it.  What?  Why did they even bother going to look at it?  What did she think was going to happen?  Odd.) Alison and Joel quickly set up an appointment for the next day - they didn't want to go make a deal on the Sabbath - and danced around the living room.  A couple hours later, though, Alison started to feel nervous.  "What if she gives it away?  What if she finds someone who's willing to go look today and sells it?"  So she texted the lady again.  

"This is Alison... We're so excited about the piano! and nervous that someone could call tonight, see it before we do, and snag it! :) Are we first in line? Could it stay that way until we've seen it?"

Thankfully, she agreed to hold it for them.

Then Monday came....

and it was love at first sight.

Of course, Joel and Alison tested the piano to make sure it sounded good and played well.  But it passed all their tests!  They excitedly told the seller they wanted to buy it, and she also was excited.  She then told them that she'd had another woman call the day before and try to make her sell it, even offering to pay more than Joel and Alison, but she kindly kept her word and put that lady on a waiting list.  Thank goodness!  

On the way home from testing the piano, Joel and Alison could hardly keep from singing.  They only stopped long enough to call a piano mover and set up a date for a few days later...

piano room = emptied

sewing room = moved

THEY'RE HERE!

It's from 1925 and has never been refinished. (The bench is not the original.) 

Ain't she a beaut?! 

Getting tuned for the first time in 10 years. I didn't know you could take pianos apart like that!

After purchasing, moving, tuning, and repairing the piano, it cost about $1200.  Not too shabby for a baby grand.

P.S. Thank you, Joel! 

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"...[B]e grateful.  When it's raining pudding, hold up your bowl." - Sandra Dallas, Prayers for Sale

good music

I have learned that an idle mind really is the devil's playground.  (Thank you, The Music Man.)

When I'm bored is usually when I notice things that I do "wrong," like not make dinner when I literally can't stand up my feet hurt so bad because I'm a good teacher, or get weeds in the lawn.  Because I'm bored or not doing anything, it's easy to fixate on those thoughts (because no other new ones are coming up).

Thankfully, I've also learned that, for me, the antidote is to be by myself in my craft room and work on some menial task (like hand stitching or cutting swirls out of felt to make a flower wreath) while listening to music.   It always works.  My mind has something new to think about, but I don't have to think hard, which means I kind of just melt away.  Then, when I'm done, I'm as good as new.

Sometimes people say that meaningful experiences are coincidences.

But then, sometimes you feel a little sad and turn on Pandora, and then songs like these come on:

(If you want a playlist instead of clicking on each song, by the way, click here.)

"The Middle" (Jimmy Eat World) - Hey, don't write yourself off / It's only in your head... / Just try your best...

"Wrapped Up in Love" (Marie Hines)

"Happy" - Jesse Palter & The Alter Ego - I used to feel that to be happy / everybody had to be so fond of me. / Now that just sounds silly...  / Things happen perfectly never... / Life is love and love is music. / You get one chance, so you can't abuse it. / I learned to simply smile through / and I'm so happy!

"Rich Girl" - Hall & Oates - This song has a swear word in it, but I didn't realize what they were saying, and it's the line "You know it doesn't matter anyway" that gets me, anyway. :)

"Everything's OK" - Lenka

"Golden Slumber" - Ben Folds - Do not cry / and I will sing a lullaby.

"To Make You Feel My Love" - Jon Peter Lewis

"Hallelujah" - KD Lang

And then, even though you really weren't feeling that bad to begin with, now you feel great.  And to people who call that a coincidence, you say, "Bah humbug."

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"We don't become good people.  We simply cease, slowly, to be deluded by the layers."  - Po Bronson, Why Do I Love These People?

heart/love attack!

Dear Good Samaritan,

Your thoughtful gift of groceries on our porch today honestly could not have come at a better time. 

In fact, I was just telling Joel today that we needed to go grocery shopping this week

while thinking to myself that I had no idea when that would actually be possible.

How did you know that we are totally out of bread, fruit, and vegetables?

and know exactly what kind of bread we love?

and how we like our bananas?

(And, on the subject of bananas, they're so huge!

And tasty. We've already started on them.)

We were so so happy and thankful.

And we like the hearts all over the door, too. :)

Love, alisonmj

Oh my ganache!

Yesterday was Joel's dad's birthday and we're celebrating today.  Since his dad has been in love with Sister Sanders's Oh My Ganache cake since our wedding, we're making that as our birthday present for him.  So after church, while Joel was taking a nap, I made the cake and put it in the oven, setting the timer for a little less than the prescribed amount of time, and then went to take a nap in a nearby room until it went off.  After a little while I started being kind of restless, wanting to make sure I was awakeish when the cake finished.  I kept thinking about checking it, but I couldn't even smell it yet and decided to just wait a while until the timer went off.  As I in a more asleep part of was drifting in and out of sleep, I suddenly realized I had never started the timer.  Popped out of sleep and off the couch, ran to the oven, swiped the cake out of there and tested it with a toothpick..... perfect. Not burned even a little - I taste-tested a tiny piece of the edge just to make sure.

I have no idea how long it was in there.

But somehow, I got it out at the absolute perfect time anyway.

Proof that Heavenly Father cares about things that aren't really important. <3

By the way, that cake is going to be soooooooooo delicious! Thanks for the recipe, Sis Sanders! :)

Sunday: Church + La charla fogonera... (fireside)

I'm still working on finishing Saturday, fyi.  And this is reallllly long, but I think it's good. The best part starts in the paragraph before the asterisk list, in case you're interested in skipping. :)

me, on the balcony of the church

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It's crazy. I've only been here two days, and yet my testimony has grown more since I've been here than it has in a long, long time. It was an amazing Sunday.

Today was a testimony to me of how people can think they're happy, but then realize they weren't so much as soon as they receive the gospel.

Today was Fast Sunday, which our mamá remembered before us and was really supportive about :) I wasn't sure what to fast about because I initially thought of the trip and fasting about something that wasn't as... no sé, personal? for me. But I decided that instead of blessing or changing situations or others, I would focus on myself, and it was really good. 

the parking lot of the church; taken from the balcony

This morning we left the house at ten after eight to give ourselves enough time to get to church by nine. It sounds like a long time, and really, we only live maybe twenty minutes away, but it turned out perfectly. We were supposed to get on the bus on one side of the street, but we got on on the wrong side. Thankfully, it just goes in a circle, but it took a while to get to church.  We got there wonderfully, though, and got in with probably about ten minutes to spare.  Perfect!  It was Fast Sunday and the microphone was pretty quiet, so we didn't hear everyone, but it was still good.  People often say, when they go to other countries, that they felt the Spirit even though they couldn't understand the language.  I've been in situations where I couldn't hear what was going on in sacrament mtg and tried to feel the Spirit, but I've never understood what they meant.  Today, I did.  The minute we walked onto the church grounds, I felt different.  I realized the feeling I'd been missing since leaving home - a feeling of belonging, home, unconditional love, understanding.  I thought everything was normal and fine until I felt those feelings, and then I knew what I'd been missing out on and what really made me happy.  It made me appreciate the gospel and members of the church more.  They provide a very comfortable sense of community and family.  And when the bishop said, "I know you might not understand everything, but there's another language everyone can understand, and that's the language of the Spirit," I knew that what he said was true because I had been feeling it all morning.  Sacrament meeting was really good, and it was cool that some people from BYU got up, too.  (We went to a ward of like, 30 people.)  The whole time I was thinking about my gratitude for the peace I've felt recently while reading my scriptures but I was too afraid to stand up :P



Sunday School was amazing!  I don't know if I can remember the last time I learned so much in a Sunday School class!  Well, not learned.  Thing stayed normal and doctrinal, but the teacher just pointed things out I've never thought of before.  He talked about the story in John 9 of Jesus healing the blind man with clay.  The very first verse says, "Al pasar Jesús, vio a un hombre ciego de nacimiento."  Christ saw him, not the other way around.  After verse 3, which says that the man was blind "para que las obras de Dios ase manifestasen en él", our teacher said, "All of us are looking for Christ, but this story shows that He looks for us, too."  and I know that's true.  Christ cares more about getting us back than we care about getting back, which is saying a lot.  Do I forget sometimes that He helps more than only when I ask and that He is looking for me, too?  Then at the end, our teacher talked about how all of us are blind and need the Savior to heal us, like the blind man.  Some are blind regarding the gospel - not knowing about it - but thankfully, that's never been me.  I am still blind, though.  Sometimes I am blind to others' worth.  Sometimes I am blind to my own.  Sometimes I am blind to the fact that life is good.  Sometimes I am blind to the fact that everything will work out.  I continually need Him to heal my blindness.  

Relief Society was good, but nothing really spectacular happened.  We talked about prayer, though, so it gave me a chance to think about the times when Heavenly Father has answered my prayers.  Church was interesting - everything is pretty much the same, but during Sunday School and Relief Society they don't ask for comments.  If there are comments, they are mostly pre-planned - "Such-and-such, would you please tell that story?" It's interesting.  And also, they don't have hymnbooks all around, so I just hummed today :)   And I saw a baby blessed today who had more hair than me!  Well, not really, but it seemed like it.  And a mango tree!

After church we took some pictures and then came home.  The daughter Carmita, her husband Sergio, and his mom were all at the house.  I love it when they're here because they're super nice, and things are kind of more social and comfortable when they're here.  One of my favorite things - when we were eating after breaking our fast, Carmita Jr. asked if we know how to make cookies and when we said yes, she gasped this HUGE gasp and then asked what kinds we know how to make. :)  She loves Puppy Chow and wants to make Monster Cookies :) She practically died :D  Her husband was like, One of these days, we're going to spend the whole day making cookies!  It was soooo funny.

While they were here they also taught us how to use our map and which buses to take where and stuff.  It was awesome; I felt so confident!  They're reallllly nice.

After lunch, we got ready for a fireside!  Everyone was going to meet at our house to leave at 6:00 and we were going to go to the stake center by the temple in El Centro so we could see where the temple was, but no one really came until 6:10 and then only two people came.  After we got directions, we left.... and everything went downhill from there.  First of all, we took the bus from the wrong side of the street again, even after double-checking!  I think that Carmita must've misunderstood my question, because otherwise I have no idea what i misunderstood; I've gone over it a million times in my mind.  Anyway, once we reached the end of the route and the bus started going back, the driver asked where we were going. "El Centro - ¿estamos bien?" "(Laugh) No."  So Jill went up to the front because my voice sounds like a monster today and talked to him.  He told her to just stay up there and he would tell us when to get off.  Normally, it wouldn't have been such a big deal, but the two girls were upset with us for being wrong. They were right initially and told us we should've crossed the street, but with what I understood, I thought I was 100% sure we were on the right track.  So they were not very happy.  It was hard and embarrassing.  Anyway, when he told us to get off the bus, we were close-ish to El Centro, but nowhere near where Carmita had said we'd be, so again, I was frustrated because I had no idea what I had understood incorrectly.  We had to walk 19 1/2 blocks to the temple.  It was ridiculous.  And then when we got there, the gates were locked but there was a security guard who let us in and let us walk through the grounds to get to the chapel on the other side.  We got there at 7:35 and snuck into the chapel only to find that the only seats were in the front, so to the front we went.  And then listened to (and both sobbed through) the last 15 minutes of a beautiful talk about letting Heavenly Father and Jesus guide our lives.  (The people sitting around us were from our group and all thought we were having some kind of breakdown.  There were a lot of "are you okay?"s, "is she okay?"s, and back-patting.) Everything paralleled amazingly with what had happened on the bus, and I started to realize how much Heavenly Father was watching out for us and loves me.  I thought back on the night and realized all of the blessings...

*The bus I was expecting wasn't the one we took (on accident).  I was 100% sure I knew where we were going, but when the bus turned out to be different than I thought I didn't know anymore.  When we got there, though, I realized that I had been 100% wrong and had we taken the bus I thought was right, I would've had us get off in a COMPLETELY wrong place and things would not have worked out.
*We had a nice bus driver and Jill wasn't afraid to talk to him to get help.
*Our bus took us to the general right area.
*When we were walking and turned, we turned the right direction. (We didn't know for a block and I was already so embarrassed about everything I would've died.)
*It was getting dark when we were walking and we were a group of four gringas in a not safe-looking part of town with random people... and we were totally safe and not as afraid as normally I would've been.
*I knew the address of the temple.  When we were at church, Jill thought it was really close and wanted to visit it.  I asked a woman if it was close and she proceeded to tell me EXACTLY where it was and how to get there.  Another man thought it was at a different address, but she knew exactly and told me.  And then I remembered it.  I want to thank the woman profusely next week.
*The temple wasn't just closed with no one around - there was a security guard. 
*He saw us, let us in, and showed us to the stake center.
*We made it to the fireside at least in time to meet with other people and ride home with people we knew who could help us.

People always say how great the Spirit is at the temple, and I have felt that, but I'll tell you what - I have never in my life felt such a tangible peace upon entering the temple grounds.  And I've never appreciated the feeling of safety so much. When we were walking down the block where it was, there was a big white wall with gates, but it was different - you couldn't see Moroni, you couldn't tell it was a temple until you were looking through the gates.  I would've sat down and cried my eyes out if I had been wrong, of embarrassment and fear.  I probably would've called Carmita to pick us up.  I hoped it was the temple but was terrified of it being a parking garage.  I was so nervous because I felt like everything was my fault.  When I looked through those gates and then the man opened them for us, I felt a huge change - the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.  I was with someone who I felt loved me even though he didn't know me just because he was a member of the church.  He understood me and who I was.  I was on the temple grounds - the front yard of the house of God.  I was safe from the scary streets and didn't need to worry anymore.  And when we got to the stake center - I don't know if I've ever seen a more beautiful building! :)  And sitting on the pews, I wanted to hug the chairs on the stand.  I really broke down during the devotional and cried, and Jill and I talked afterwards because the same thing happened to her and I cried some more, and we all went as a group to see the temple after the devotional and I sat on the curb and cried again!  My testimony feels like it has grown much more in the last two days than it has in a long time.  Heavenly Father is watching out for me. I really felt like I had angels with me all night.  He loves me.  I am so thankful, and I love Him so much.  

After everything, we all went and waited for the bus together, I made some new friends who live close to us!, we got off at the right stop and got home safely... and I feel so thankful.  I love Sundays.  Today was absolutely amazing.  

On a completely different and random note, there randomly appeared two more people living in our house and I have no idea who they are.