Miracle Update #3

Well, I'm finally getting around to some report on my activities. If I were an organized girl, I would probably post a link to the first Miracle Post but I always forget....Maybe someday but don't hold your breath.

1. Read my scriptures, cover to cover, book to book. I think I'll put the Miracles in orange, an homage to the season. So, I am no where near on target for this to happen but I have started a good regular study period. I finished the Book of Genesis and almost the Book of Moses. I joined an online LDS Bible Study group. The dialogue is greatly somewhat lacking but it's nice to post what I think and to read the thoughts of one other person others

2. Run a mile in less than 10 minutes. I, Maraiya, have started working out. "What?!" you say. "We know," you cry, "You blogged about it before." Yeah, well, truth be told, it only lasted a week. I know, I know. Like I said, I'm waiting for the magical workout that I only have to do once, ever, and be fit for.ever. But now I have a consistent partner (we've worked out two days in a row) and a consistent time (would you believe 5AM!! I would have put the 5 in caps too but that just comes out like this: %, which would be completely confusing!).

As far as the time thing goes, I have a trick to that (because really, getting up before 7/8am is just cruel and unusual). I didn't set my clock back. More, I set it forward 15 minutes. So when I get up at 4:45 am (blech, blech and double blech) I look at my clock and in my groggy coma-like state think, "Oh, it's 6am! Not so bad." And then I get up. If the clock actually said 4:45am, I might have to do something like fall on a knife or just roll over and go back to sleep.

6. Find a charity to support and donate, even a buck every month. Well, I did donate in September to Hopeline which supports 800-SUICIDE. I had hoped to give more in October but no one is spending money to fix their cars which means DH's paychecks are lame which means my resources for donating are limited. I did round up my purchases at Safeway and donated to Breast Cancer Research. I think that counts.

9. Monthly dates with my DH. Through no thought or planning of my own, we did manage to go on a date in October. A friend of the family and surrogate mother and grandmother to us, offered to take all three of my children for the evening. Fabulous. We went to dinner and then opted to just buy two new DVDs and take them home instead of paying to watch a movie. I got Clue. I just LOVE that movie! I laughed, I cried (not really), I was a happy girl.

And we're actually starting to get better about having a conversation between just the two of us. We still have silences as we try to avoid discussion of kids, money and other crises but it's getting better.

10. Volunteer or, potentially, substitute in HS math. I have decided not to worry about this one this year. I am feeling overwhelmed with getting things ready for Alaska (just realized that we need to give some thought to marketing our new area of my dad's business), helping my kids, keeping my home relatively clean etc. etc. Plus, Alaska does have an MAT program (University of Southeast. It's going to be tough to get in though (ha!) so keep your fingers crossed.) so I think my time would be better spent volunteering up there so I can establish connections with the community there. (I firmly believe in the old, "It's not what you know, it's who you know.")

16. Attend a temple endowment session. At least once. Potential bonus points for additional visits.
17. Attend a temple initiatory session. BONUS POINTS! BONUS POINTS! Would you believe I squeaked in another visit and did both again. Love it. Trying to get back again and store up all the memories like nuts because I won't be able to go in Alaska.

21. Find hope again. You may find this hard to believe, what with my many "happy" posts and all, but this one is actually coming along. I'm feeling a bit more stable (this month at least), feeling less down on myself (I totally rock) and feeling better about my mother's passing and that God is blessing my life.

24. Get the photos on my computer developed.
25. Get the photos sitting on rolls of film in my closet developed. So, #24 is officially toast, unless I mean the photos I've been taken recently, which could be a possibility but I just spent LOTS of money developing film. Yeah, I know. I should do it more often than once a year or two or three.

26. Clean off my bedroom dresser.
27. Keep my bedroom dresser clean for one week. Sing it with me, "Doin' a little dance...cause I'm so done"

Not so bad. Progress. And that's what I'm going for here because for me? Reaching for Progress instead of Perfection is a miracle in and of itself.