Faith

This morning I went to visit my dear friend Lori who was hospitalized late last night for severe stomach pain (she's 6 1/2 months pregnant). It turns out that she had appendicitis and they had to do an emergency appendectomy. Thankfully, both Lori and her unborn baby are now safe and recovering (and are expected to be home in time for Thanksgiving dinner).
I was incredibly impressed with her faith in the Lord as she lay in her hospital bed. She and her mom kept talking about trusting in Him and letting Him guide her through this scary ordeal. One of the last things she did before she went into the o.r. was say a prayer with rosary beads.
It got me thinking about the importance of faith in our lives-- no matter our religion. Each person on Earth is a child of God and He loves and cares about everyone. He is willing to guide, protect, and lead us if we but ask Him. We have an inborn desire to know and rely on Him-- whether we've learned to tune it out or not. Faith in Him helps give us the strength to make it through the dark moments of life and makes celebration during the brilliant ones all that more meaningful.
So, here I sit feeling blessed and thankful for the example of good people; ready to more fully trust in the Lord and better my relationship with the Savior. May all of our lives be filled with such sweet learning moments.
Oh, and one more thing, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Holy War

No, I'm not talking about the gay marriage issue. I'm talking about the BIG game tomorrow in Salt Lake City. All I can say is: GO COUGARS!!! We need to win this game to tie for the conference title and have the possibility of a bowl bid. Plus, being a true blue Cougar I always enjoying taking down the Utes in their own stadium.

This picture was taken last year on the day of the Holy War. Can you notice the small white paw print I painted on my temple?

Stuffed Up and Burned

Well, it serves me right. Just last week I was thinking, "Wow, I'm almost 7 months pregnant and I haven't been sick once! Those prenatal vitamins must be doing wonders for my otherwise pretty weak immune system." Note to all pregnant women during flu season: don't jinx yourself! I've been down and out with an awful virus since Thursday. At first I thought it was a cold and called the doctor to find out what over the counter meds I could take to alleviate the pain. A day later I called back practically in tears begging for something stronger. Today is my fourth day on Azithromycin and I think that I finally might be turning the corner. After 2 boxes of tissues, 2 rolls of toilet paper (when I ran out of tissues), countless baths, a love affair with my heating pad,and a week of sleepless nights I think it's about time! I'm hoping that by tomorrow my coughing and nose honking will subside enough to stop scaring the dog.



In other news, my hometown of Yorba Linda was ablaze this weekend. Since I didn't move much from the couch I was able to follow the news pretty closely. For those of you with ties to Yorba Linda, there is an interactive map at the OC Register online that details the areas and homes that were affected by the fires. My heart and prayers go out to all of those who had to live through such a terrifying experience. I hope that you are all safe. May the Lord bless you with strength and comfort as you pick up the pieces and start to rebuild your neighborhoods.

Civic Duty

For the first time in my adult life I voted-- yeah! Well, I should amend that statement. I also voted in college, but had to use an absentee ballot. It wasn't nearly as exciting or rewarding. The only disappointment? Our polling location didn't give away "I voted" stickers. How sad!
The polls are open until 7 tonight. Make sure you stop by sometime today to make your voice heard.