Blog Transfer.

I got my mission call today!! Hooray! Anyhow, I won't be opening it until tomorrow so that my family can be there. Or, I guess technically, so that I can be there. I'm currently babysitting a family right now. So yeah, I'll know where I'm going to serve tomorrow!

On a different note, just because I'm me and because I like blogs and such, and in honor of my mission, I am taking a temporary transfer from this blog to another one. And it is, of course, a blog for my mission. I'm not sure if I'll be the one blogging or one of my family members, but it WILL get updated frequently. I mean, just in case you wanted updates and such.

Anyhow, the new blog address is http://sisterjewillis.blogspot.com/

I am SO excited!!

Mission Update

Today I am finally getting my last interview before my mission papers are submitted. My appointment is tonight and I am both nervous and very excited! I am reading my scriptures tripple the amount of time I had been before -almost every break I have in the day now I fill it by reading my scriptures. I am thrilled about General Conference this weekend and I am thrilled for my roommate to get home!! I feel like there is so much I'd like to do before I leave and yet, I wish I was out there right now! After I decided to go I noticed a large increase of returned sister missionaries in my ward and even in my stake. I never realized there were so many! It's been fun picking their brains about what it's really like. It feels strange to be jumping so quickly from one boat to another -college graduate and now sister missionary. But I guess that's what you've got to do sometimes without getting caught in the tide. But I'm excited! I know this is what the Lord wants me to do and I know that He'll be with me every step of the way!

Good-Ness!

I made chocolate cupcakes today. Complete with icing! All made from scratch! And it's the first time I've done something like that and let me tell ya! WAY fun!!

Well, I just put the kids down for bed and GOOD-NESS!! Putting kids to bed is a VEEEEERY long process! They change into their pajamas (plus you have to actually FIND them clothes and if your kid's the kind of kid who wears like five outfits a day because they get them wet or dirty or whatever, then it's an even LONGER process!), then after that, they have to brush their teeth. Which I won't even go into that! Then they sit down and read scriptures. Only... it's not really reading it's more like repeating. Like little parrots. And while one of them is talking the rest of them are fluttering all over the room and falling over the couch cushions and making lots of noise. THEN after that you read stories to them. And that part is usually a little better. The kids listen to these stories and you, as the reader, forgets for a few minutes that you're actually surrounded by kids. You're sucked away in the story in another world.. even if it is a kids world with pink ponies and lollipop trees, until, that is, one of the kids spits on another one and Armageddon rolls in. Then it's Time Out and when that's all over you finish reading and it's time for prayer. And that's usually pretty quick. After that it's a matter of sticking the kids into bed and, for this family, each of the kids gets a song before bed. And then there's ALWAYS an argument that goes something like this: "I don't want the same song as her!" "Well, I WANT the same song as him!" "Well, let me see the Primary Book to pick a song!" And then I say things like, "You're three! You can't even read!" But, I allow them to flip through the book anyway and randomly pick a song and if it's one I don't know I cheat and sing one that I do. THEN after that I say goodnight and escape to the living room. And then, one kids wants water, one kids needs to use the bathroom, one kid wants to tell me something important, etc, etc. And then, after all that, one kid tells on another because they're out of bed and I have to remind them that THEY are out of bed too, and that goes on for a while. All of this usually takes an hour...

But then... it's two hours later and the kids are talking to each other through the walls and making farting noises with their arms... I've told them, oh, at least a dozen times to be quiet. I guess I could go and open a can of spankings. Or ignore it. Or try to be intimidating.

...I can't remember where I was going with any of this.

Anyway, I think my favorite part of the evening was when the kids were snuggling up next to me while I was reading. That was fun. And I actually took all four of them to the store today. I had two in the cart and two next to the cart. I kept getting these looks like "Oh you poor poor thing." The cashier two isles over even thanked me for coming in. Hah. But it was good. The kids were all very well behaved. (Mostly.) Anyway. I think I'm going to go do something strictly non-kid-ish. ...Like play tetris.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick of butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of milk

Frosting:
1 package chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Paper-line 20 muffin cups.

FOR CUPCAKES:
COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup.

BAKE for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost with Milk Chocolate Frosting.

FOR MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
MICROWAVE morsels, butter and salt in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Transfer to large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in sugar alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla extract.

After feeding the kids ice-cream for eating all of their dinner the following conversation occurred:

Child 3: Julia, are you 'donna have ice-cream?
Me: No.
Child 3: How come?
Me: I just don't feel like it.
Child 1: Are you sick?
Me: No.
Child 1: ..Then what's wrong with you?

Soooooo

My work is done! Now all I need is to be interviewed. I had to drive this morning with all the kids just to pick up a piece of paper! But it was okay. The kids only argued a little... And it was kind of funny. "He's spitting on my carseat! He said meany! I'm thirsty! The baby is asleep! She's being rude! I'm thirsty!" And so on and so forth. But mostly the kids just jammed out with me, listening to Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5... and, yeah, I'm not gonna be a good mom. ;)

When we got to the doctors the kids were a little worried. I had been telling me them that I had gotten poked with a needle and that there was some blood and they all wanted to see my booboo. When the three-year-old today asked about my booboo AGAIN and I told her AGAIN about the needle, she looked up at me and said, "Oh... what's a needle?" So, yeah, when we were getting out of the car the four-year-old hesitated before jumping out and asked "...Are we gonna get poked too?" I laughed and explained that it was JUST for me that and it was JUST a check up. After that everything was great. The kids were teasing each other on the drive home saying things like "You have a creepy face! Well, you have a creepy ear! Well, you have a creepy hair!" and things like that.

Anyway... I think we may go visit my sister-in-law today and play with her kids. RIIIIGHT after naps, of course. Can't skip those! Anyway, just a quick update. I'll be calling my bishop soon and asking him about when I can get everything finished.

Being a Mommy is Hard!

Goodness! Being a mommy is hard! Are kids always testing your patience or do they ever take a day off? Yesterday was excellent! I got laundry done, did all the dishes, vacuumed out the van, mowed part of the lawn, had several good play times with the kids and finished my day watching a movie with my sister. ..Except that by nine o'clock I was spent and was ready for bed. So we didn't actually finish the movie. But oh well! Next time!

But today was rough. I think Sunday's are hard. Especially when you get all the kids up and ready and you still have an hour left to kill and so you spend the morning reading stories to them and then when you finally pile all the kids in the van, with plenty of time to spare of course, you discover that the van wont start! And THEN your little sister has to come and rescue you and by the time you get there you're late and the one year old decides that she wants to talk all through Sacrament Meeting so you spend the rest of the meeting out in the hallway!

..I mean ...Not that that's ever happened to me or anything. Just saying.

Anyway, for those who haven't heard: I'm babysitting my cousin's four kids for two and a half weeks while she and her husband are out in France. Like France, France. The real deal! And babysitting is going great! Of course I don't think I have EVER talked so much in my life, in fact I think I'm loosing my voice because of it. And my staying-up-late kick is just about dead. I'm noticing that I'm going to bed earlier and earlier and earlier. Pretty soon I'll be going to bed the same time the kids do! And every time my sister comes I bombard her with all the "adult conversation" that I'be been craving all day because, of course, you can't talk to the kids, and yet I spend that time talking about the kids!

And I sure love these kids! And they're all so very different and awesome in their own little way. And babysitting is great. I highly recommend it to every girl before they start having their own kids. Especially if it's for several days. ...I actually just got asked a few days ago if I could babysit ANOTHER family! But it's only for a few days, not quite a week. I think if I could have this as my job instead of making sandwiches all day, I would be a much happier person. Not that I'm not happy. I am... It's just. You can't have wrestling matches with a sandwich. Or tickle fights with vegetables.

Check that Off My List.

Well, I got my physical today. Or, started it. I went in and visited with my doctor who is also my bishop and he checked some things out and sent me over to the hospital to get my urine, hemoglobin, and blood tests all done (not that you needed to know that). So anyway, I went over with my grandma and didn't think too much of it. The only thought I had was that I needed to drink water so, well, you know. I didn't eat much and didn't really care. As in, I wasn't worried about anything.

Aaaaanyways. So I went in and into one of the offices and the nurse sat me down and started pulling out the blood work tools and got everything ready. When she started feeling around my arm for a good vein I pointed out the "normal" spot for where I get stabbed and showed her all the marks I had from previous blood donations. She opened her eyes wide and said, "Oh, you poor thing!" So we talked about that for a little bit and I told her (through clenched teeth and looking away from her as she was getting the needle in me) that I had donated about eleven or twelve times. She was surprised by that and wanted to keep talking, but as soon as she shoved that needle inside me the room started spinning and I could no longer hear anything. I managed to spit out "I'm feeling light headed" before the whole world went black.

..It was all very strange after that. I was in a dream. A very intense dream and it felt like it lasted forever. At the end of the dream someone was telling me that I had to go back and I had no idea what they were talking about. And then something started pulling me and it was as if my whole body was being sucked back from somewhere far away. Like the feeling Harry has when he apparates. And then I was sitting in the hospital with nurses surrounding me in that tiny office.

Oh boy.. It was crazy after that. Well, I'm sure it was crazy before that but boy, I sure gave those girls a heart-attach. At least that's what they tell me. I apologized a ton and felt so embarrassed at having just told the nurse that I donate so often -"Yeah, I've donated a gallon and a half of blood" and here I go passing out over a few ounces. Goodness!

Well, long story short I'm getting better and I got the rest of the work done. One of the nurses asked if she could take me to the ER and I was like "No, no! I'm fine! This happens all the time, trust me." So yeah. The visit was a whole lot more exciting that I had expected. Anyhow, I should get the rest of my work done this week (fingers crossed!) and then get my interviews done the following week. Soooo hopefully by the beginning of September my papers will be in Salt Lake!

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission

Well, you've probably heard, I'm not getting married. We broke it off a week before the end of term and I think it was the right thing to do. Of course, it's been somewhat difficult, but the Lord has truly been helping me.

When I got back from school and got all moved in with my grandma I was very distressed. I had no direction in my life at all. Nothing really to work for, other than paying off my school loans. BUT, when my grandma mentioned for the second time my going on a mission a light came on inside me. I felt like I had a purpose again. So I fasted and prayed and interviewed with the bishop. My papers all almost all done! The only thing I really have left is to get my physical and I have that scheduled for two weeks.

I am SO thrilled with the prospect of serving the Lord for eighteen months! I've been pouring over my scriptures every morning and night and I've been picking up any other piece of work put out my the church that I can get my hands on. And grandma, of course, has been very helpful! I'm not sure who is more excited about my going, me or my grandma! We've gone shopping for missionary clothes and it seems like we're constantly talking about the missions she's served and about grandpa and about life! I love it here! Anyhow.. I may or may not blog soon, but, until then, happy blogging!

Message to Self.

It didn't hit me until my roommate wrapped her arms around me and relayed a story of how she told someone to hush-up when they mentioned my graduating next semester, that I was actually graduating next semester.

Thoughts buzzed through my head and a surge of momentary panic swept over me. Where was I going to live? What was I going to do? What car would I buy? Where would I work? Would I have to resort to living in a box for a few months? ...It took me a few seconds to calm myself as I patted my roommate on the back, trying to console her. I wouldn't be graduating for another five months, at least, and I could afford to push aside dealing with the basics for a little longer. I justified it by saying that I still had midterms for this semester to worry about.

So, last night as my roommates and I were reminiscing over old girls camp songs I took an inventory of my life and of all the emotions that I was drowning in. Essentially I have wonderful friends and roommates, I write my family often and try to call on Sundays (which doesn't always happen), I have a wonderful boyfriend, I'm doing well in all my classes, I visit the temple at least once a week, I exercise at least three times a week if not more, and I have no reason to be unhappy. And yet. I am. Well, it's not that I'm not happy, I'm more just stressed. Completely and utterly stressed. I feel like I'm an over inflated balloon and all the world's a pin, ready to pop me the moment I get in it's way. Maybe the stress of graduating has finally decided to rain it's overwhelming terribleness down upon me. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Who knows?

Sometimes life is just hard. And sometimes you have to say to yourself: "Self, be happy. Stop drowning and just keep swimming."