Saturday, May 4, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
No, I am not falling off the wagon...
I'm just a little late. OK, a few days late. But better late than never, right?
It has been a big week for the Gisseman family. Biggest news? Alyssa is home from BYU and had a great freshman year. She had so many growth experiences and has matured so much. It's SO good to have her home. She finished her second semester with all As and one A- (which is still an A to me). She also landed her first job just a couple of days after getting home -- she starts her job at the Ann Taylor Outlet today. She also started taking the missionary prep class at church on Sunday. Things are going well for her. Blessings abound and we are truly grateful. Her mission papers went in last Friday so now we're in the dreaded waiting period...waiting to find out where the Lord needs her to serve. It's an exciting time.
Brie, unfortunately, has not had such a great week. She suffered a head injury in her soccer game over the weekend which resulted in her missing school and soccer practice on Monday. She also had to sit out most of soccer practice yesterday, although she was able to attend. She's still having some headaches but is doing much better than she was. Poor girl...but at least we made it through two sports (volleyball and basketball) with no injuries. That's got to be a record for her. In good news, though, her birthday is coming up and she's having a birthday party this weekend, complete with a barbeque and glow-in-the-dark outdoor activities. I hope it turns out to be fun and that she and her friends enjoy it.
We have a houseguest with us for a while. My friend Paula got a job in the DC area and is staying with us while she and her husband make some decisions about their living situation. We're excited to have her with us. She and her sense of humor fit right in around our crazy dinner table. :-)
Still no update on the furlough situation. The FAA and Dept of Justice have now cancelled their furloughs. DoD is still sitting at 14 furlough days, but we're hearing they may reduce it to 7 days....I'm still obviously hoping and praying for no furlough days.
They started a Zumba class at church on Saturday and I went. It was SO much fun! I don't think I've ever sweated that much in my life...and I don't like to sweat...but I had so much fun. I have missed dancing so much. I found out that there is at least one studio in the area that offers adult classes and their prices sound really good, so I'm going to look into that and hopefully start taking ballet again. In the meantime, Zumba is a total blast and such a good workout! I'd love to do ballet one day and Zumba on another day...exercising twice per week is twice as much as I'm doing right now. :-)
Life is good and we really can't complain. We are very blessed.
It has been a big week for the Gisseman family. Biggest news? Alyssa is home from BYU and had a great freshman year. She had so many growth experiences and has matured so much. It's SO good to have her home. She finished her second semester with all As and one A- (which is still an A to me). She also landed her first job just a couple of days after getting home -- she starts her job at the Ann Taylor Outlet today. She also started taking the missionary prep class at church on Sunday. Things are going well for her. Blessings abound and we are truly grateful. Her mission papers went in last Friday so now we're in the dreaded waiting period...waiting to find out where the Lord needs her to serve. It's an exciting time.
Brie, unfortunately, has not had such a great week. She suffered a head injury in her soccer game over the weekend which resulted in her missing school and soccer practice on Monday. She also had to sit out most of soccer practice yesterday, although she was able to attend. She's still having some headaches but is doing much better than she was. Poor girl...but at least we made it through two sports (volleyball and basketball) with no injuries. That's got to be a record for her. In good news, though, her birthday is coming up and she's having a birthday party this weekend, complete with a barbeque and glow-in-the-dark outdoor activities. I hope it turns out to be fun and that she and her friends enjoy it.
We have a houseguest with us for a while. My friend Paula got a job in the DC area and is staying with us while she and her husband make some decisions about their living situation. We're excited to have her with us. She and her sense of humor fit right in around our crazy dinner table. :-)
Still no update on the furlough situation. The FAA and Dept of Justice have now cancelled their furloughs. DoD is still sitting at 14 furlough days, but we're hearing they may reduce it to 7 days....I'm still obviously hoping and praying for no furlough days.
They started a Zumba class at church on Saturday and I went. It was SO much fun! I don't think I've ever sweated that much in my life...and I don't like to sweat...but I had so much fun. I have missed dancing so much. I found out that there is at least one studio in the area that offers adult classes and their prices sound really good, so I'm going to look into that and hopefully start taking ballet again. In the meantime, Zumba is a total blast and such a good workout! I'd love to do ballet one day and Zumba on another day...exercising twice per week is twice as much as I'm doing right now. :-)
Life is good and we really can't complain. We are very blessed.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
And She Scores!
The big news of this week is Brienna's goal in her soccer game yesterday. For the last several years she has played defense...very few opportunities to score from defense (although she did actually score in a game a few years ago...from a defense position). Yesterday she had two that almost went in (one hit the crossbar) and one that went in. Yea! Very exciting. Her soccer team won their game yesterday 4-0. After the game she and I went to lunch at Red Robin with the family of one of her friends/teammates. It was fun. Then last night that same friend came over to hang out with her while Mark and I went to the movies with her parents (Dean and Kristin Coleman) and another couple at church (Jeff and Annie Greene). We saw the new Tom Cruise movie, "Oblivion." I don't generally like action/suspense movies and kept my eyes diverted in this one more than I needed to (I don't like blood and guts but there wasn't much of that in this movie)...the suspenseful music kept making me hide my eyes. LOL But the storyline was good, if not a rehash of other sci-fi movies. It was almost like the movie was an homage to sci-fi movies...I saw nods to Star Trek, Wall-E, Armageddon. Even though the movies isn't getting great reviews for its plot, I enjoyed it and it really made me think. I love analyzing books and movies and so I'm still working my way through analyzing this one. I need to see it again, I think. There were two unnecessary scenes that really didn't contribute to the storyline and could have (should have) been omitted, and a few swear words but not as much swearing as I expected. And we had a lot of fun hanging out with the Colemans and Greenes.
Friday night was a ward activity for the adults. I usually don't care much for ward activities but I enjoyed this one. We started with a pasta dinner and then had three presentations -- communication for couples, finances for couples, and family worship Lots to think about and lots of things we need to start or do better in our family.
Alyssa has finished most of her finals -- only two to go. She is doing well and getting good grades. We're so proud of her, and can't wait to have her home this weekend! Her mission papers will be submitted on Friday.
Brie also received an award this week for straight A honor roll. I love that our daughters do well in school, that it comes easily to them, and that they want to do well. What a blessing!
I taught Relief Society today. The lesson was on trials and tribulations. There have certainly been enough of those in the world in the last couple of weeks. The Boston Marathon bombing this week (I'm so glad they caught the guys who did it, although one died in a shootout with the police), my friend Kristie Escoe losing her husband to cancer, my friend Amanda Jarvis losing her husband, my friend Tammy Hicks losing her mother (who is also my friend Nancy Macedone's aunt) to cancer....the fertilizer plant exlosion in Texas, and two major earthquakes...one in China and the other in the Middle East. I'm so grateful for General Conference two weeks ago and the messages of finding peace in troubled times that were shared. How incredibly timely. As my wise Relief Society President, Melaney Tagg said, there are no coincidences in the gospel. I firmly believe that. It was not coincidental that the conference speakers shared the messages they did when they did. I am grateful for that.
Anyway, it was against this backdrop that I gave the lesson today. We talked about why we have trials, tribulations, and temptations...what we learn from those experiences and why they are important...what we become as a result of those experiences and why that is important...how to deal with those experiences,,,how to help others deal with those experiences. I feel like it went well. One of the quotes in the lesson talked about how easy life would be without trials, but how complacent we would become. I just finished reading (ok, listening to) 4th Nephi this week and was struck by the cycle that the Nephites went through all through the Book of Mormon...as they became prosperous for a lengthy period of time, they would become prideful, turn away from God, and then go through trials and tribulations and eventually turn back to God. If we didn't have trials, how easy it would be to become complacent and how difficult it would be to learn compassion, humility, and dependence on the Lord. I'm not saying I enjoy my trials, but the lesson gave me a better outlook on them.
I was also struck by the fact that the Savior himself felt and expressed feelings associated with trials and tribulation -- tears, sorrow, frustration. Mormon expressed such sorrow and shed so many tears over the fallen Nephites. The image of President Hinckley weeping at his wife's funeral has stuck with me for a few years. From these examples we learn that tears are normal and natural...frustration and anger and sorrow are normal and natural. The key is to feel them but not to dwell in them. To move from a place of darkness to a place where the light of the Savior and the gospel can reach us and to lose ourselves in service to others, while allowing others to serve us. Easier said than done.
What's in store for the Gisseman family this week? Getting ready for Alyssa's homecoming. Can't wait!!!!!
Friday night was a ward activity for the adults. I usually don't care much for ward activities but I enjoyed this one. We started with a pasta dinner and then had three presentations -- communication for couples, finances for couples, and family worship Lots to think about and lots of things we need to start or do better in our family.
Alyssa has finished most of her finals -- only two to go. She is doing well and getting good grades. We're so proud of her, and can't wait to have her home this weekend! Her mission papers will be submitted on Friday.
Brie also received an award this week for straight A honor roll. I love that our daughters do well in school, that it comes easily to them, and that they want to do well. What a blessing!
I taught Relief Society today. The lesson was on trials and tribulations. There have certainly been enough of those in the world in the last couple of weeks. The Boston Marathon bombing this week (I'm so glad they caught the guys who did it, although one died in a shootout with the police), my friend Kristie Escoe losing her husband to cancer, my friend Amanda Jarvis losing her husband, my friend Tammy Hicks losing her mother (who is also my friend Nancy Macedone's aunt) to cancer....the fertilizer plant exlosion in Texas, and two major earthquakes...one in China and the other in the Middle East. I'm so grateful for General Conference two weeks ago and the messages of finding peace in troubled times that were shared. How incredibly timely. As my wise Relief Society President, Melaney Tagg said, there are no coincidences in the gospel. I firmly believe that. It was not coincidental that the conference speakers shared the messages they did when they did. I am grateful for that.
Anyway, it was against this backdrop that I gave the lesson today. We talked about why we have trials, tribulations, and temptations...what we learn from those experiences and why they are important...what we become as a result of those experiences and why that is important...how to deal with those experiences,,,how to help others deal with those experiences. I feel like it went well. One of the quotes in the lesson talked about how easy life would be without trials, but how complacent we would become. I just finished reading (ok, listening to) 4th Nephi this week and was struck by the cycle that the Nephites went through all through the Book of Mormon...as they became prosperous for a lengthy period of time, they would become prideful, turn away from God, and then go through trials and tribulations and eventually turn back to God. If we didn't have trials, how easy it would be to become complacent and how difficult it would be to learn compassion, humility, and dependence on the Lord. I'm not saying I enjoy my trials, but the lesson gave me a better outlook on them.
I was also struck by the fact that the Savior himself felt and expressed feelings associated with trials and tribulation -- tears, sorrow, frustration. Mormon expressed such sorrow and shed so many tears over the fallen Nephites. The image of President Hinckley weeping at his wife's funeral has stuck with me for a few years. From these examples we learn that tears are normal and natural...frustration and anger and sorrow are normal and natural. The key is to feel them but not to dwell in them. To move from a place of darkness to a place where the light of the Savior and the gospel can reach us and to lose ourselves in service to others, while allowing others to serve us. Easier said than done.
What's in store for the Gisseman family this week? Getting ready for Alyssa's homecoming. Can't wait!!!!!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
A Quote
I love quotes. I love to read them, think about them, collect them... I just love them.
I came across one today that strikes a chord within me and reminds me of something I made a goal to do last year, or perhaps the year before.
"I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit."
-Dawna Markova
That goal was to live in every moment and be present in my own life. I don't know that I've actually done such a great job of that. But I was reminded in General Conference last weekend, again, how important family is and how important this work that I am doing as a mother -- my most important work -- is important and it matters, and that I need to be present in my own life, and I need to be present in the lives of my husband and children. I need to enjoy the moments that are gifted to us and I need to appreciate all of them, and to teach my children to appreciate all of those moments.
The old quote comes to mind -- and I will paraphrase for surely I will get it wrong: Our life is God's gift to us. What we make of our life is our gift to God.
Am I living and being present in each moment of my life, appreciating the small and precious things, being open to promptings of the Spirit to act, choosing to live valiantly and courageously up to my divine potential?
I don't know that I am. But I know that I need to try.
I came across one today that strikes a chord within me and reminds me of something I made a goal to do last year, or perhaps the year before.
"I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit."
-Dawna Markova
That goal was to live in every moment and be present in my own life. I don't know that I've actually done such a great job of that. But I was reminded in General Conference last weekend, again, how important family is and how important this work that I am doing as a mother -- my most important work -- is important and it matters, and that I need to be present in my own life, and I need to be present in the lives of my husband and children. I need to enjoy the moments that are gifted to us and I need to appreciate all of them, and to teach my children to appreciate all of those moments.
The old quote comes to mind -- and I will paraphrase for surely I will get it wrong: Our life is God's gift to us. What we make of our life is our gift to God.
Am I living and being present in each moment of my life, appreciating the small and precious things, being open to promptings of the Spirit to act, choosing to live valiantly and courageously up to my divine potential?
I don't know that I am. But I know that I need to try.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Nothing to See Here....
It's been a fairly typical week in the Gisseman home. School and soccer practice for Brie, work for Mark and me. Alyssa is in her last few days of class and then finals and then she'll be home! :-)
Brie's first soccer game of the season was yesterday and they tied. This is most definitely a different experience than she had playing Academy and Athena leagues with CGSA. She misses her soccer team/soccer family from Georgia and the level of play she enjoyed there. But I think she does enjoy being on a team with several friends. We keep telling her this is just a way for her to ease back into soccer and see if she wants to continue with it in high school. I hope she enjoys the season. She has been spending more time with friends this week and that has been fun for her.
Mark was approached by the president of the recreational basketball league and asked if he was interested in being on their board of directors. He said no, although I think he might enjoy it.
Things are about the same for me at work. I don't love the work I'm currently doing, but I am definitely learning a lot, and that's the whole point of a career broadening assignment. There are a lot of days that leave me feeling like nothing but a "paper pusher" but I have to find and hold on to those moments when I know that what I'm doing has the potential to make things better for my career field. In the meantime, things are gearing up for the upcoming furlough (June) and, unless things change, we will have 14 furlough days starting in June. It still scares me but I know somehow things will be ok for us.
Our ward had a Relief Society activity this past Thursday evening. Apparently it's a tradition they've started -- to have an activity the week after General Conference and let everyone share their thoughts, feelings, experiences, impressions. I really enjoyed hearing what everyone had to say. It was interesting to see that I wasn't the only one who picked up on the different tone of the messages in this conference. While the talks were still gentle and filled with love, the tone was urgent, unapologetic, and bold. I liken the message to Samuel the Lamanite preaching from the wall. His message was urgent and important and he was completely unapologetic in delivering it. He knew he had the truth, and he knew it needed to be heard. The themes I picked up on in this conference were strengthening families and marriages, faith, obedience to God's laws, and missionary work. There are several talks I need/want to go back and re-read. I especially loved Elder Holland's talk -- he has an amazing ability to take a short scripture story, only a few verses, and expound on it in a way that brings meaning that I never saw before. It was wonderful.
I have to tell on myself...we didn't watch conference on Saturday. Brie had a soccer game and then I took her shopping to try to find a dress for her upcoming 8th grade (semi-formal) dance. At the end of the afternoon session, Alyssa texted me: "Catch the wave." Neither Brie nor I knew what she was talking about. When I talked to her on the phone, she said "I know what you weren't watching this afternoon!" LOL But it was one of those moments of "Mommy Pride" -- because even though I wasn't doing what I should have been doing, SHE WAS, and she was doing it on her own initiative. SO proud of her.
I have to admit that I seem to be on the road to recovery from my allergy to Relief Society. I think it helps to be in a ward where I feel like I fit in and am accepted, quirks and all. I never felt completely that way in either of our wards in Georgia. Mark did, so maybe it's just something wrong with me. I don't know. I was most definitely blessed with absolutely wonderful friends in our wards in Georgia. But I never felt completely accepted or like I fit in. It's strange and I can't really explain it. Part of it probably stemmed from hurt feelings from my first couple of weeks in the ward where in one Relief Society meeting mothers who worked outside the home were quite soundly and strongly condemned...and then the next week where women who had only a few children were criticized as being selfish and not fulfilling their mission on earth. I admit it -- I allowed those comments and remarks to hurt my feelings, very deeply. I haven't felt judged like that in our current ward. It's a nice feeling. And so I find myself voluntarily going to Relief Society activities and being active in making sure my visiting teaching is done and done well. I don't want my (few) readers from my ward in Georgia to feel unloved -- I want them to know that, had it not been for their friendship, love, encouragement, and support, I probably would not have been willing to accept a call to serve in Relief Society in this ward and would not have been open to the experiences I'm now having. And I want my friends in our new ward, especially our Relief Society presidency, to know that part of the reason I think I'm enjoying Relief Society so much is because they came to me and asked -- with genuine love, interest, and concern -- about my issues with Relief Society. They acknowledged my history and accepted my feelings, never saying that I was too thin-skinned or shouldn't have allowed those experiences to get to me the way I did -- but instead they came to me with love and friendship and made me *want* to be part of their sisterhood. I appreciate that.
Spring has sprung and with it I appear to have developed allergies. Such fun! I've been sniffling and sneezing all week. Claritin is my new best friend. LOL Fortunately, after several days on Claritin, my symptoms are starting to subside and I'm feeling better.
I have continued to stay strong in my effort to give up caffeine and its hold on me. Yea! Mark and I went out to dinner the other night. He hade a Diet Coke...I had water. Two glasses of water! I did have a root beer yesterday...I was craving a Coke but refused to give in. Yea me! My daughters didn't think I could do it. But I'm doing it.
Brie's first soccer game of the season was yesterday and they tied. This is most definitely a different experience than she had playing Academy and Athena leagues with CGSA. She misses her soccer team/soccer family from Georgia and the level of play she enjoyed there. But I think she does enjoy being on a team with several friends. We keep telling her this is just a way for her to ease back into soccer and see if she wants to continue with it in high school. I hope she enjoys the season. She has been spending more time with friends this week and that has been fun for her.
Mark was approached by the president of the recreational basketball league and asked if he was interested in being on their board of directors. He said no, although I think he might enjoy it.
Things are about the same for me at work. I don't love the work I'm currently doing, but I am definitely learning a lot, and that's the whole point of a career broadening assignment. There are a lot of days that leave me feeling like nothing but a "paper pusher" but I have to find and hold on to those moments when I know that what I'm doing has the potential to make things better for my career field. In the meantime, things are gearing up for the upcoming furlough (June) and, unless things change, we will have 14 furlough days starting in June. It still scares me but I know somehow things will be ok for us.
Our ward had a Relief Society activity this past Thursday evening. Apparently it's a tradition they've started -- to have an activity the week after General Conference and let everyone share their thoughts, feelings, experiences, impressions. I really enjoyed hearing what everyone had to say. It was interesting to see that I wasn't the only one who picked up on the different tone of the messages in this conference. While the talks were still gentle and filled with love, the tone was urgent, unapologetic, and bold. I liken the message to Samuel the Lamanite preaching from the wall. His message was urgent and important and he was completely unapologetic in delivering it. He knew he had the truth, and he knew it needed to be heard. The themes I picked up on in this conference were strengthening families and marriages, faith, obedience to God's laws, and missionary work. There are several talks I need/want to go back and re-read. I especially loved Elder Holland's talk -- he has an amazing ability to take a short scripture story, only a few verses, and expound on it in a way that brings meaning that I never saw before. It was wonderful.
I have to tell on myself...we didn't watch conference on Saturday. Brie had a soccer game and then I took her shopping to try to find a dress for her upcoming 8th grade (semi-formal) dance. At the end of the afternoon session, Alyssa texted me: "Catch the wave." Neither Brie nor I knew what she was talking about. When I talked to her on the phone, she said "I know what you weren't watching this afternoon!" LOL But it was one of those moments of "Mommy Pride" -- because even though I wasn't doing what I should have been doing, SHE WAS, and she was doing it on her own initiative. SO proud of her.
I have to admit that I seem to be on the road to recovery from my allergy to Relief Society. I think it helps to be in a ward where I feel like I fit in and am accepted, quirks and all. I never felt completely that way in either of our wards in Georgia. Mark did, so maybe it's just something wrong with me. I don't know. I was most definitely blessed with absolutely wonderful friends in our wards in Georgia. But I never felt completely accepted or like I fit in. It's strange and I can't really explain it. Part of it probably stemmed from hurt feelings from my first couple of weeks in the ward where in one Relief Society meeting mothers who worked outside the home were quite soundly and strongly condemned...and then the next week where women who had only a few children were criticized as being selfish and not fulfilling their mission on earth. I admit it -- I allowed those comments and remarks to hurt my feelings, very deeply. I haven't felt judged like that in our current ward. It's a nice feeling. And so I find myself voluntarily going to Relief Society activities and being active in making sure my visiting teaching is done and done well. I don't want my (few) readers from my ward in Georgia to feel unloved -- I want them to know that, had it not been for their friendship, love, encouragement, and support, I probably would not have been willing to accept a call to serve in Relief Society in this ward and would not have been open to the experiences I'm now having. And I want my friends in our new ward, especially our Relief Society presidency, to know that part of the reason I think I'm enjoying Relief Society so much is because they came to me and asked -- with genuine love, interest, and concern -- about my issues with Relief Society. They acknowledged my history and accepted my feelings, never saying that I was too thin-skinned or shouldn't have allowed those experiences to get to me the way I did -- but instead they came to me with love and friendship and made me *want* to be part of their sisterhood. I appreciate that.
Spring has sprung and with it I appear to have developed allergies. Such fun! I've been sniffling and sneezing all week. Claritin is my new best friend. LOL Fortunately, after several days on Claritin, my symptoms are starting to subside and I'm feeling better.
I have continued to stay strong in my effort to give up caffeine and its hold on me. Yea! Mark and I went out to dinner the other night. He hade a Diet Coke...I had water. Two glasses of water! I did have a root beer yesterday...I was craving a Coke but refused to give in. Yea me! My daughters didn't think I could do it. But I'm doing it.
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