The first time in four months

Today, for the first time in four months, I am sleeping alone. And it is the worst. Spencer is away at a wedding in Utah for a couple of days, and I'm sure I made clear my anguish at his leaving me behind to work, but I really thought I would be okay. I meant it(!!!) when I told him I didn't want him to go, and would be so sad without him, but in the back of my mind I had this recurring thought that maybe it would be fun having 2 nights of watching Gilmore Girls reruns without feeling guilty for making Spencer sit through "the show where nothing happens" with me. Well, after an HOUR long bath, (sidenote, what is it about baths? The minute I get in there I'm too warm and want to get out, and always have to resist washing my hair/rest of me because it seems like such a waste of bathing time. And yet, it is somehow still appealing...), doing the dishes from last night, and a long overdo catch-up journal saga, I am having a hard time coming up with things to do to keep the nightmarish thoughts of the lonely sleep awaiting me from flooding my mind.. (not to mention being too sad to watch even one episode, or enjoy a single scoop of my favourite ice cream waiting for me in the freezer). I love sharing a room with Spencer. Not only is he tidy and organized, but I am also completely in love with him, and I've always felt this way (for the just over four months we've been married), but I will have a new found appreciation for my roomie when he returns on Friday. Not only is there no one to tickle my hair until I'm sleepy, and watch a pre-bed time episode of X-Files (thankyou Netflix), but every single noise outside is scaring me to death- I'm sure I won't make it through these next two days! And I won't pretend the thought- what the HECK will I do if I find a spider in our home!?-didn't cross my mind. What I'm trying to say in all of this, is I'm tremendously grateful for My Spencer, and missing him terribly. I hope the next two days zoom past! Aaaannd i just looked at the clock and realized it was only 12 hours ago that I saw him. Oh bother.

PS

Oh yeah... and I dare you to watch this without a kleenex.

I am Going to be Mrs. Spencer Schmidt !

Okay, rather than try to write "the catch-up" post, I'm just going to start with now and eventually work my way backward....

I am SO excited to be a wife.
No, no, no.
I am SO excited to be Spencer Schmidt's wife!

Am I afraid? Of corse
Nervous? Without question
Intimidated? You betcha

But I know how much better and more complete he makes my life. He is so loving and kind and patient with me; he knows just how to treat and talk to me. He takes perfect care of me.
So even though we don't know a thing about where our young married selves will be in 4 months, (seriously, no clue), everything will be okay.
I am so grateful for that assurance, for my Heavenly Father who has blessed me with someone so perfect for me, who, most importantly, shares my passion and love for the gospel and our Saviour. I know that because we share these things and so many other goals in common, that we will be able to make our lives just what Heavenly Father wants them to be.

I am so grateful for my fiance!!!!
I can't WAIT to be married to him!!

Starting Fresh

Forget everything you've ever read here..

I'm starting brand new, and fresh. Spring cleaning we'll call it (yeah yeah, in the dead of winter.)
I am so inspired by the blogs of others, and have decided to retire as strictly a blog-reader, and rekindle my blog-WRITING flame.

Without putting too much pressure on myself, I'll start with an update of what it's like to be 'one year older, and wiser too':
The first 9 days have been great! Apart from the sore joints, sudden onset of wrinkles and persistent desire to wear brooches, I think I'm gonna like 20 :)
It pretty much feels the same as 19 which is always a tiny bit dissappointing to me. Why do I think it should feel miraculously different? I'm unsure.

Do I look any different?

The other morning, I was stuck waiting for Spencer to finish a service project, and thouroughly enjoyed reading this wonderful blog.
What an awesome Mom, and brave little girl!

FHE Lesson

This week I've been asked to teach the YSA FHE lesson.

I really like teaching the lesson, so overall I was happy about this task, but a tiny part of me was a little hesitant for a silly reason: the last time I taight the FHE lesson, it went REALLY well - and I don't think it's that I taught super well, I think I was just inspired to focus on points that were really what we all needed to hear that night, and spoke to each of us spiritually. So after that, I was a little afraid that my next lesson would be a let down.

Well I have prepared for tonight (my talk to focus on is "As Many As I Love, I Rebuke, and Chasten" by Brother Christopherson from this past conference) and I feel pretty good about it. I am putting my faith in Heavenly Father and hoping that things go as well as last time!

I tend to use a lot of personal experience when I teach, which I think can be a good thing, but sometimes maybe too much. I hope I've got a good balance of using the talk, quotes, stories, AND personal experience.

Here is something interesting that I recieved the other day:

Nine (because I missed the tenth one) Guidelines for Successful Teaching:
1. Teach simple lessons
2. Focus on student needs
3. Be prepared
4. Teach by example
5. Use a "Less is more" philosophy (don't cram in information)
6. Encourage participation
7. Use personal examples
8. Pray for guidance
9. Use more than one teaching method to make points

"No, I'm not married."

I do not like being single.

Yesterday at work, not one, or two.. but THREE different, unrelated people asked me if I was married. First, a patient, then the computer guy, and then a company rep. Why? Why do people always feel the need to ask me such a thing?
Do I look married?
Does the gloves make it look like I am wearing a ring?
Do I give off a married aura?
Does my appearance scream "wife!" ?

I know people always think I'm older than I am ... (which for now is not a bad thing in my mind) but older and married are not the same.
I don't hate that the new "Do you want fries with that?" is "Are you married?" I just feel kinda like I'm being stabbed in the guts everytime someone asks me.

..... or maybe it's just everytime I have to relpy, "no."

Shelli McCullough, where are you?! Why has it been so long since we last chatted?! Why are our schedules never the same!? I have had enough of this.