Feeling Blessed...

Today was a day of many where i felt that Heavenly Father was aware of me. I decided to go check out a local singles ward in this area where my friend's uncle is the bishop. I figured it would be like every other ward....go to all three meetings, talk to a few people and leave. After Sunday SChool, the bishop pulled me aside and started asking me about how soccer was going and how I liked Logan, then he asked me what my plans were as far as coming to the ward. I told him that I really just wanted to get to know people, so I was just checking things out. That started a 30 minute discussion in his office. He gave me a list of the USU stakes and told me which wards have the “older” YSA’s in them. He said he knows that there is a group in their early 30s who are very active and do a lot together from that stake. He gave me the name of someone from one of those wards who sorta heads up some of the stuff. It was pretty cool that he was so honest and basically telling me that his ward was not what I needed or what I was looking for. I want to stay in my family ward, but I also need to make friends who are my age and in my same situation. Don't get me wrong, I love the families and the people I have met here so far, but there are days where I can't just go over to a family's house because they need their time together, or the people I work with need a break from each other, etc. This bishop and I talked about some other things and he challenged me to read the Book of Mormon for 15 minutes everyday along with doing my other scripture study to feel the power of that book take precedence in my life. When I came home, I saw a classmate online I met last semester who is a year younger than me. I was telling her about my experience in this ward and asking her about her ward, and she directed me to a mid-singles website that lists activities for YSA's 25 years and older in the Cache Valley. I just felt really grateful and really blessed today because I told myself I would wait until winter to start putting myself out there, but I had no idea where to start....now I have some direction in this! Heavenly Father is definitely looking out for me….He always has. So the search begins for these “older” YSA’s in the Cache Valley.

Funny Stuff

Last night after dinner with our assistant coach's wife, Amy, I was planning on going to the basketball game, but never really made it there. Instead I went to study at the Erickson's (a family I met through soccer) where I wouldn't have internet readily available and Facebook would be out of reach! The dad, Kasey, and the oldest son, Kyler were at the USU basketball game and apparently it was packed. I texted Kasey to ask him if he would take a video of the USU students doing the Scotsman (if you haven't seen the Scotsman, get up here to the Spectrum at Utah State!). I told him that I was going to hang out with his wife, who was grading papers and working on her primary lesson, so I could get some studying done. Here is how the remainder of our texting conversation went:

Kasey--you will get to experience boring married life on a Saturday night!
Marla--I experience a married life on a Saturday night every Saturday and I am single!
Kasey--at least you didn't have to come up with $20 to get your husband out of the house!

Kyli (Kasey's wife) and I had a good laugh over that little tidbit when I got over there! So after finishing reading one of my 30 page articles due this week, Kasen, the 6 year old, asks me if I will play Super Mario Bros with him on the Nintendo. Now, this wasn't on the wii, this was on the Nintendo that most of us had as kids...and it wasn't Super Mario Bros, it was Super Mario Bros. 3!!!! So Kasen was telling me how to play, which I already knew but listened patiently, and I said, "kasen I played this when I was little." Kasen said, "even my mom had this when she was little. This game is SO OLD!" Ah.... (sigh)...the honesty and innocence of young children!

It turned out to be a very productive, yet, entertaining evening!

My Favorite Pictures from Hawaii

These are my favorite pictures so far...we are still waiting on the ones from the photographer and our family pictures, etc!

A Blur of a Beginning..

The first couple weeks of the New Year have been a complete blur! On New Years Eve, I went sledding for my first time with my brand new sled! I tagged along with four girls I coached last year (U11s) and it was a total blast! That night I went to a penning competition....I had no idea what it was other than it involved cowboys, horses and cattle! It was fun to see my old roommate, DOnna, her fiance Tim, and her brother, MArk (who I actually worked with at LPHS for two years!). I dog sat New Years Day through the next day...the peeing wonder. I let her out to pee when I got to the house, I let her back in, she jumped on my lap and peed. Nice. That night, same thing but she peed on the carpet (I cleaned it up)...so I learned my lesson. The next day ran errands, came back, let her out but this time went with her, pet her and she peed outside this time! YAY! The next day, I left for Hawaii! I flew over with Kevin and his family. The entire family was there! We had a blast. It is the first time our entire family had been together for more than a day since my dad passed away. I miss everyone!

Now school has started, USU soccer training has started, and I am training the goalkeepers for a local club. It is pretty fun to be coaching ages 10-21! A total range of ages, perspectives, personalities, skill, etc. Its going to be a busy year, but it will be a blast! Picture coming!

Happy 2010!

2009 was bitter-sweet, and I am excited to see what 2010 has in store for me! Hope everyone has a great 2010!