My Guys

If you know me at all by now, you know I'm a mom to two boys and we're a blended family. Never in a million years did I think I'd only physically bear one child and become a stepmother to another! It has been a learning experience for all of us. There are absolutely amazing days and darn difficult days, but thinking back to my own childhood, probably not too much different from a non-blended family, except that there are more people (bio parents, grandparents, etc.) and feelings involved.

I love my kids and my hubby. I pray for them every day, sometimes several times throughout the day, depending of much patience I have. ;o) As the boys grow older, I worry about how well I've done as a parent, and am sometimes kept awake at night thinking about what I could've done differently. But peace is found after prayer and the acceptance that my boys learn from their mistakes and they have lots of love and support from Steve and me.

My guys give me more happiness and pure joy in watching them accomplish things than they will ever know. For a girl who dreamed of having three or four kids, and at least 1 girl, Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when He gave me my guys.

Copyright 2013 Corrina L. Terry
Photo: Corrina L. Terry, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, NV, 1/13.

Who Could Turn From Christ?

This evening I learned one of my Laurels is not really interested in Christ or the gospel anymore. It tore a piece of my heart. Who could turn from Christ?

A Laurel is a girl in our church between the ages of 16-18. Her age alone, you might say, would be answer enough for my question. True. I can hope she will come back. I can pray she does. Then it hit me. "Call her."

"Who, me Lord?" I asked. And so my conversation with my Heavenly Father began.

"Yes. You, Corrina."

"She won't listen to me. She doesn't know me well enough or trust me yet."

"She will."

"I'm afraid."

"Of what? A girl?"

"Yes. I've opened myself up to her and the other girls I teach week after week. What if she throws it in my face?"

"She won't."

"How . . .?"

"Call her."

I picked up the phone and called before I lost my nerve. Her mother answered and told me to try in an hour. She'd be home. She also wished me luck.

I tried in an hour and a half. (I said I was nervous!) No answer. It went straight to voicemail. I left a message.

No call back from mother or daughter.

I tried again an hour later. This time it rang. My heart jumped. I swallowed nervously. Mother answered and took the phone to daughter.

Here is the gist our conversation.

"Hi! It's Sister Terry! How are you?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Is everything going ok?"

"Yeah. I'm just going through some stuff."

"Anything I can help you with?"

"No. Not really."

Silence. (I was hoping she'd open up a little. Nope. She was quiet.)

"Well, . . . I called to ask your help. I'm giving the lesson on Sunday, you know how the new lessons don't have manuals? I'm asking the girls in class to each read, ponder, and pray about a scripture, then come to class prepared to share your thoughts and feelings. Could you help me? Will you be there on Sunday?"

Silence a second too long.

"I'll try." (Less than enthused.)

"Thank you! The scriptures are---wait. I'll wait for you to get a pen. Let me know when you're ready."

Noise in background as she searches for a pen. Finally after some time a pen is found. She's ready.

"Matthew 11:28-30 and John 14:27."

After some further small talk, I told her we missed her and loved her and looked forward to seeing her on Sunday. She was less than enthusiastic.

I am hopeful. I'm also an optimist.

I pray about the scriptures I assign to the girls each week. You may wonder what her scriptures said. They are:

Matthew 11:28-30
"28 ¶^aCome unto me, all ye that ^blabour and are heavy laden, and I will give you ^crest.

 29 Take my ^ayoke upon you, and ^blearn of me; for I am ^cmeek and ^dlowly in ^eheart: and ye shall find ^frest unto your souls.

 30 For my yoke is ^aeasy, and my burden is light."

 

and

 

John 14:27

"27 ^aPeace I leave with you, my ^bpeace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be ^ctroubled, neither let it be afraid."

 

Was God guiding me tonight or what?

After we hung up, I was shaking and couldn't help but cry a little. Not about her brusque manner with me, but because she leaving the light and walking out into the dark. I know that God loves her. I know that His Son, Jesus Christ, loves her too, and she's turning her back on both of them. The two people (at her age) she should be turning to most! Why???

I hope she comes to our class on Sunday. I pray she does! I pray she reads those scriptures and is brought closer to the Spirit, who will in turn, bring her closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We'll see what Sunday brings.

Copyright 2013 Corrina L. Terry
Photo & Scriptures: www.lds.org

New Year's Resolutions???

Why call them "New Year's Resolutions?" Shouldn't they be called, "Corrina's Resolutions" or "My Resolutions?" It's not the New Year that wants to make changes. It's me.

I usually make a few resolutions every year. This year, I plan on keeping up my usual running, reading, writing, etc., but my biggest resolution is to SLOW DOWN.



I find myself running 60 miles an hour every single day. By Friday after school, I am exhausted, run down, and miserable. (And that's going to sleep every night by 10pm and waking up at 5:20am. That's 7 1/2 hours of sleep! I could get more sleep, but I think that should be enough.) No more dragging. I can't take it another week.



So . . . here's my plan.

1. DE-stress. Don't worry so much about EVERYTHING. I can't solve every students' problems. I can't save the world. I can solve my sons' problems and my hubby's problems though. Don't take everything so seriously. The world will not end if my house is still a construction zone a year from now.

 



2. Make sure I'm eating good foods every 2 hours. (Low blood sugar issues that leave me up and down all day. Eating regularly helps keep my moods even.)
3. Still go to sleep by 10pm; earlier, if I can.
4. Continue to take the guys to their music lessons and Mutual. Smile about it. This time with them is fleeting. Some of the best conversations I've had with them has been in the car driving them somewhere.
5. Remember the beauty around me through what I see or through my memories.
6. Slow down.



Copyright 2013 Corrina L. Terry
Photos: http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-slow-down-10/
http://hidastaelamaa.fi/2012/11/hellita-hetkeksi-viikon-luennot-ja-tapahtumat/slow-down-lifestyle-concept-2/
http://www.pfadvice.com/2012/03/19/slow-down-save-money/
http://www.minimalwall.com/2010/07/28/slow-down/

Dusting off Memories

Sorry to miss writing last night. The hubby and I had our much belated Anniversary Date! We had a delicious dinner and dessert and walked around the Venetian Hotel, pretending we were in Venice. It was late when I went to sleep.

The good news is that the ideas are flowing this evening!

Every year at the beginning of January (or so depending on my time) I go through my second hand filing cabinet to clean out our financial files and store them elsewhere for seven years. Joy. I know. Ugh!!!

This year, as I replaced old, cruddy manila files with crisp, colorful, new ones, I made room in the lower drawer for some files. That meant throwing out files I never use. I went through every single file to determine what to keep and what to remove.

I came across several file folders of keepsakes I hadn't seen in years! 

Some I had hung in my rooms in high school and college.

 

 

Some were cards from people I love who have passed on.

 

Some were quotes, poems, or Open House fliers from temples I'd been to.

 

Some were postcards that remind me of trips I took with my family or the last gift tag from my Grandma and Grandpa Thacke.

 

The last one made me chuckle. It was a Wish List/Dreams from when I was around 25 (almost 20 years ago!) You have to promise not to laugh. I was young. Can you even read my messy writing?

 

Sadly, I have not travelled to any of the places I listed, except back to New York City, and I did go to several graveyards and churches there.

 

I have written children's picture books, but have not published them. (Deseret Book turned me down on one.) I've written a TON, but never written an entire novel. Short stories and poems I can handle, although I do have the beginnings of two excellent novels on my computer right now.

 

Happily, I have obtained my masters degree, but in Teaching (and I've gone on to complete 28 more credit hours besides.)

 

Why weight was such an issue to me then, I have no idea. I have weighed 125 pounds since then and hold pretty steady right around there. It's not a big deal to me anymore.

 

I love genealogy, but don't make enough time for it.

 

I have a nice, personalized home and was blessed to have one child. I also gained a stepson in my second marriage.

I've also ran a 5K and a 10K. (I never believed I'd run like I do now. Walking was enough for me then.)

 

I'm no longer married to the man mentioned on this list. (Don't worry. I'm happily married to Steven Terry and he's finishing his degree in teaching.)

 

Looking over this list, I realize I still want to finish it and I will.

 

Someday.

 

I'd also like to add to it.

 

I'd add:

Get sealed to Steven J. Terry. 

Get out of debt.

Send my sons (worthy and prepared) on missions.

Pick them up from their missions and meet the people they taught and baptized.

Send my boys to college.

Attend their college graduations.

Attend their temple weddings.

Babysit their children.

Teach my grandchildren everything I know.

 

Copyright 2013 Corrina L. Terry

Photos: Corrina L. Terry 2013

 

 

Haircut!



There's nothing like a haircut and color to pamper a girl. I leave the salon feeling like a million bucks! (Wish the picture of ME was better, but at least my hair looks good!) ;o)

 

Thanks to Tiffanie Welch Campbell for her amazing talent at cutting and coloring hair! She's also fun to talk with! 

 

 

Copyright 2013 Corrina L. Terry

Photo credit: Corrina L. Terry

When It Rains . . .



So we're on our third major appliance purchase in six months; my hubby resuscitated a fourth one from the brink last year. I'm starting to lose faith that any appliance we own will last more than ten years.

We had a twelve year+ washing machine finally kick the bucket last spring. We bought a used one cheap through some shady repo people. It lasted about four months, so we ventured into RC Willey for our first big appliance purchase as a married couple. (Five years last month!) I love the washer we bought, but not the price. :o/

The dryer soon followed, but was replaced by one my sister-in-law gave us. It was fairly new and from Costco. We were grateful and it worked well for about eight months, then went cold on us. We considered having my hubby fix it, but he is already so busy with work and school that we decided to buy a new one. It matches the washer we bought several months prior. (Why are matching appliances important? I don't understand that.)

Anyway, about two weeks ago the dishwasher died. The original dishwasher that came with the house was actually excellent. I loved it, but it hit the ten year mark about six months ago (at the same time as the washer died) and croaked. Sigh. We bought one from a guy on Craigslist. It started leaking in the fall. After spending $30 on parts and about twenty hours working on it, Steve fixed it. We counted our lucky stars and prayed it would continue to work. It didn't. It died the week before Winter Break and Christmas. It couldn't have happened at a worse time.

Luckily, we have RC Willey nearby. I've been a customer of RC Willey for about eighteen years, but honestly, I haven't used them this much (with the exception of the original washer/dryer I bought with my ex-husband in 1995, a couch in 1997, and a fridge in 2003) until last year. They've been more than happy to see me walk in and spend money though.

Thus begins the dishwasher saga.

We bought a great dishwasher, but they didn't have the color we wanted. It had to be shipped from Salt Lake, so we came back the following day for it. We got it home, rolled it up to the house, and it was leaking water ALL over the place! There was no sign it had sat in snow/rain and it was wet inside. With our luck it was broken.

We called RC Willey. They said to bring it back. It was too late for us to get there, so we arranged to bring it back the next day when the NEW dishwasher they were replacing it with would show up on yet another truck from Salt Lake. When we exchanged the dishwashers, the warehouse worker told us that the original dishwasher had probably been tested at the factory and that's why it leaked. Really?!?! No one else had mentioned that. Thanks for telling us!!!

We picked up the new, new dishwasher the night before our trip to Utah. It was too late to make a run to Home Depot or Lowe's, so it sat on our kitchen floor while we were gone. (Did I mention we ripped out the tile in the hallway, dining room, and kitchen? It's cement until we're ready to re-tile. That's why there's an ugly floor in the picture above.) My sweet hubby ran to Home Depot tonight after getting back from our trip to buy the part we need to hook it up. (He's that kind of a good hubby.) After two weeks I'm ready to use my new, steam-option dishwasher!

We've decided that when it rains, it pours. Our fridge is next. It's over ten years old now. It makes weird noises sometimes. I'm sure that it is waiting until the very worst moment in 2013 to give up the ghost. Yeah. I can't wait. 

P.S. As soon as I posted this, my hubby informed me that RC Willey had sold us the wrong dishwasher! This one had no electrical plug to plug it in. There are 2 models of this one. We were sold/given the wrong one. See what I mean? Appliances hate me.  ;o)

P.S.P.S. 1/3/13: Steve called RC Willey this morning and they informed him that most dishwashers do not come with electric cords anymore. They are purchased separately!!! Would've been nice for our salesman to inform us of this. Steve bought the cord at Home Depot, attached it, plugged everything in, and it works beautifully!!! Finally!!!

Copyright 2013 Corrina L. Terry
Photo credit: Joshua Rhodes

First Day

The first day of the new year.

 

January 1st, 2013.

 

I can't help but wonder what 2013 will bring. I'm hopeful for good things. Aren't you?

 

 

 

 

I started off well---got 8 hours of sleep then ran 3 miles. Then I ate donuts and read a book all day.

(I ate good stuff too, don't worry, and reading is good for you!)

 

I'm happy and healthy. My hubby and kids are too. So are my parents and in-laws.

(We pray this continues.)
 

 

We have our faith and testimonies in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ.

(We're part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you want to know more, write me a message below and I'd be happy to talk with you about it.)

 

We have loads of family members we love.

(Well, most of them. Not naming any names, but . . .)
 

 

We can pay our bills.

(We wish we made more money, but that will come in time.)

 We have fun together!

(We're probably certifiable, but we love spending time together.)

 

Hope your 2013 is excellent! I'm excited about mine!!!

 

Copyright 2013 Corrina L. Terry

Photos: http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/rusak/rusak1006/rusak100600354/7254591-fire-number-1-on-a-black-background.jpg

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4149/4963585320_3e7378d74a_z.jpg

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/my_documents/my_pictures/2011/may/66E_number1bluewithstarsbalvb2.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Number_1_in_green_rounded_square.svg/512px-Number_1_in_green_rounded_square.svg.png