Robert Cooper

Last week my work invited Robert Cooper to come speak to us. Robert Cooper wrote "The Other 90%" and "Get Out of Your Own Way;" books about the brain and how we can get our brain to work for us instead of against us. He's an incredibly smart and inspiring man.

We were able to bring our spouse with us, so Mitch came with me. Cooper said a lot of great things and I took a few pages of notes. But I want to focus on what meant the most to me from that night. Feel free to ask me about the rest later. My "nugget" for the night was, in Cooper's own words, "Be all in." What does that mean? Well, Cooper said that every time he returns home from speaking somewhere around the world, his daughters ask him, "Dad, was it worth investing a piece of your life in?" What a meaningful question: Was it worth investing a piece of my life in? Cooper said that if he was "all in" during whatever he was participating in, then yes, it was worth investing a piece of his life in. So how can you be "all in?" By remembering why you're here. Why are you doing this? Giving everything your all, all the time.

Cooper also said, "Our lives and work are shaped by moments, not days. Define the moment. Even when you're busy, stop and see what you can do, who you can help."

Amen, brother. Isn't that what it's all about? Whether your Robert Cooper, Mother Teresa, or President Thomas S. Monson, isn't that what we're all trying to acheive? To stop and see what we can do better or who we can help? And can't we do that by being "all in" all the time? Sure, I think it takes time to develop this characteristic, but think of what the world would be like if we all were all in, all the time. If we stopped being selfish and thought only of others. It would be amazing! We wouldn't stop to think about ourselves, status, race, money, or anything of the sort.

Speaking of that, last night I watched "The Secret Life of Bees." Great movie about the Civil Rights

Act. I bawled during some parts because I get so riled up over people and their attitudes towards African Americans. The movie really got me thinking. And I just don't get it - Why does the color of someone's skin make them any different? Aren't we all God's children? Doesn't He love us all, unconditionally? Aren't we all trying to be more like our Savior, Jesus Christ? If that's the case, then why do some people get concerned over people of a different race? That doesn't jive with Christianity. At all. Are you Christian or not? Sure, for most of us, this isn't a problem. Afterall, it is 2009. But I'm amazed at how many people still have this prejudice.

Now, if there's one thing I've learned from being married to Mitch, it's that everything has two sides: spiritual and logical. I usually look at the spiritual side first, but Mitch is mostly logical. So, think about the logical side of this issue. If a person is born black, is he really any different than me? Of course not! God doesn't make him stupid or inferior because of his skin color. His circumstances may be different and he may not have the same opportunities as me to gain an education, etc., but that does not mean he's stupid or inferior.

"The Secret Lives of Bees" drove home how I feel about the whole black and white issue. We are no different from eachother except the color of our skin. I am not better than the next guy, whether he's black, Indian, Chinese, or whatever. God created us all and loves us all. He gave us all different talents and opportunities, but He didn't intend for us to feel that colored people are inferior. That is not His way and it should not be our way either.

I just can't understand how Americans could tear African Americans out of their native land, make them slaves, and then feel that they were stupid and worthless. What???

That makes no sense. Why on earth did people feel they were stupid? Just because they were living a different lifestyle than Americans? That doesn't mean they're stupid. And what's with the whole idea of slavery anyways? That idea makes me sick. What did black people ever do to Americans? Nothing. And even after slavery ended, why on earth did it take so long for blacks to get their civil rights? It makes me sick to think what we put them through. And the way some people still act towards them. Or any race for that matter. Sure, maybe one black guy did something wrong, but that doesn't mean they're all that way. There are plenty of white dudes committing crime, and yet most prejudice people don't hate white guys. What's the difference? We're not supposed to judge and we're supposed to forgive people, right? Were does prejudice fit into that puzzle? It doesn't. Ever.

I usually press my lips together really tight when I hear someone make a racial comment. For example, last week I heard this, "Her boyfriend's black. I hope she doesn't really love him." What? Are you kidding? Why shouldn't she love him? It's not your life. And even if it was, why does it matter if he's black? Maybe he's one of the best people you'll ever know. Just because he's black doesn't mean anything. He's just like you and me. Why not give him the benefit of a doubt? Why not love him as Christ does?

Last week was Father's Day and I forgot to post because I was sick. But if there's anything I've learned from my dad, it's to respect people.

Sure, most of the time my dad is a goofball, but he has always been really good about respecting people; the elderly, the armed forces, and veterans. He taught me the same. I think that goes along with people of different races. While I've always considered my dad a hardcore Republican, he voted for Obama. He was able to understand that voting is not about Republican or Democrat, or white or black; it's about doing what you feel is right and treating all people fairly. I have been appalled at the number of people who refused to vote for Obama, or support him now that he's president, simply because of the color of his skin. That's ridiculous. If you don't want to vote for him or support him because you don't like his ideas, fine. But the color of his skin should have nothing to do with it. And that goes both ways. If you only voted for him because he is black, then that's wrong too.

I'm thankful that my dad has taught me these things. My mom too. They're both very respectful of all people, regardless of age, race,social status, etc. I'm going to try harder to be "all in" and help people understand that we're all God's children and we should treat each other accordingly.

Look What Mitch Made

It was delicious. He says he's just good at following instructions. I think he has a hidden talent.

UP

Last night was our "date night." We try to spend at least one weekend night doing something with just the two of us. We don't always do something fancy or expensive, because that's not the point, but we do something that we enjoy doing together. Sometimes it's a Redbox movie or sometimes it's a game of Rockband. Last night we went to dinner at Noodles and Company and then we saw the movie, "Up." It's a Pixar film, so it's animated. I'm not a huge fan of animated movies. (I do, however, LOVE the movie "The Incredibles." So funny.) I liked "Up" though. It made me cry a little and it made me laugh a lot. Mitch liked it too; I'm sure it's not his favorite, but he laughed a lot and said that he enjoyed it.
After the movie, Mitch suggested Coldstone ice cream. We shared a medium in a waffle bowl that was dipped in white and dark chocolate with chocolate cake batter ice cream and peppermint patties. It was soooo rich. I could hardly handle it. Me, the lover of all things sweet, had a hard time eating that ice cream/waffle bowl. I'm really glad we shared it instead of getting our own.
Overall it was a great date night. I'm so glad Mitch makes it a point to take me on a date. :) And I'm so glad it included ice cream.

Does Anyone Actually Like Fondant?

Oh wait ... my sugar-addict husband does. Did you know that fondant basically consists of marshmallows and powdered sugar? I had no idea. Tonight my friend Nicole taught me how to make fondant and decorate cakes. Fondant is actually easier to make from scratch than I thought. It was a little messy, but fun. I think my cakes turned out okay for my first attempt. Next time will be better. Watch out people! I'm going to master this cake decorating thing. Hopefully I don't gain 50 pounds in the process. I really like cake batter. Ha,ha. Thanks Nicole for teaching me how to make fondant. We'll have to keep practicing. Maybe I'll make my mom a super cute cake for her birthday. Any requests, Mom??

Three Years Ago

I finished my mission and came home. I was a wreck. I honestly cried every day for the first two weeks I was home. Leaving your mission is SO bittersweet. I LOVED my mission and if I could re-do my life over again I would definitely include serving a mission, but I would omit the high school boyfriend and sluffing seminary. Ha,ha

So, to commemorate this milestone, I wanted to record some of my funny memories from my mission. These are actual snippets from my mission journal:

"Note to self: when I'm senior companion I will be more time efficient and not make everything take SO long and I will walk fast and always be doing something so I don't drag everything out. Just a few things I've noticed lately." (Apparently I had some hard feelings about my trainer and the way she did things. I did start walking faster though ... so fast that my companions complained. Ha,ha. I always told them that our job is too important to be walking slow.)

"I had a really memorable day a few days ago. One night, Sis. Strait told me that you can't say "members" alone in Russian, you have to say, "members of the church." If you say only "members" then it means penis. Well, the very next day after she told me that, I made the mistake! We were in a meeting with a young Chinese girl, Chan, and I asked her if she had thought anymore about baptism. (The Spirit was really strong at this point, mind you.) She said yes and asked what happens after she's baptized. I told her she will help the "members." Before I could finish my sentence, I realized the error and quickly added, "of the church!" Only it was too late and we all started laughing hysterically. So much for the Spirit! It was really funny though."

"Well, lately Elder Smith has been driving me insane. He is such a little punk to me ... So, Sis. Strait and I found an air gun in our apartment that some elders left along with some plastic b.b.s. We wrote names and things that make us mad on plastic cups. Then we stack the cups in a pyramid and shoot them down with the gun. It is a great stress reliever and it's hilarious! Our cups include: Elder Smith, mean old women, Vilnius transportation, drunk men, mean Lithuanians, slipping on ice, etc." "We got to Riga and made it to our new apartment. It is just beautiful! I love it here. I forgot that a place this nice exists. There is one problem though that the Elders so kindly informed us of. This apartment has fleas! I about died when they told us! So now we are washing everything, we sprayed Plametherin, and we put flea collars in our beds." (I still have scars from those nasty flea bites!)

"Sis. Strait and I were on a trambvy (bus type thing). We were sitting towards the back (where you shouldn't sit cuz drunk people are always in the back). We were sitting side by side. An old drunk man climbed on and stood in front of us. He had 2 plastic bags full of bottles. He leaned down to search through his bottles of alcohol and I noticed that on his left hand he was missing his 3 middle fingers so all he had was a thumb and a pinky.I thought to myself, "I wonder if that's from communism." Well, before I could think more about it, the bus jerked to a stop. Because the man was already bending over, he toppled forward and face planted his whole upper body straight into Sis. Strait's crotch! I just burst out laughing so hard! Before he could steady himself he wrapped his arms around her legs and Sis. Strait just dyed. Awkward! He stood back up and laughed and apologized. The whole thing only lasted about 5 seconds but I laughed all night. We think it happened because he only had a thumb and a pinky, so he couldn't grip on the bar to catch himself. I know it's mean to laugh, but it was so funny."

"I think I will be cold for the rest of my mission. I'm cold from the inside out. And I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I have every single symptom that Sis. Watterson told us about."

"Last Tuesday our whole district did a service project and we cleaned a member's house. This member, Lena, has 7 kids and her husband is a bum. He sits around all day and does nothing while she goes to work. So their house is DISGUSTING! They let their little kids pee on the floor and there was a rotten fish in the fridge. Fleas were everywhere and there was human fesces in and around the toilet (which had no lid and no seat). It took 14 of us over 6 hours and we still didn't finish. It's so sad that people actually live like that. I just hope they'll keep it nice. Afterwards I got in the shower and watched the fleas jump off of me. It was so gross."

"This last week was SO cold. There were 2 days when it was actually -20 degrees F. It was ridiculous. I was in pain from the cold and I was miserable. I never want to be that cold again! It is warmer now so I am happy (warmer being -10 F.) This is the coldest winter in Riga since 1956. One elder forgot to wear his ear muffs and his ear literally cracked from the cold. He said it was really painful. I'm glad I have a really warm hat, even if it is ugly."

"So much has happened since I've been home. Coming home was the hardest thing I have ever done. I cried like a baby when our plane left Latvia. The plane ride home was WAY too long. Our plane was an hour late getting into Salt Lake. My family, grandparents, Natalie, Brandi, and Jill were at the airport. I cried when I hugged them all. It was awkward at first to be around them, but it got normal fast. The first few days home I went shopping and stuff with my mom. It was depressing. It's summer, so everything is immodest and I felt so fat. (see picture below with chubby face.) The first few days I was really, literally depressed. I had jet lag so bad, I was so sad, and I just wanted to go back to the mission. The night I was released I sat in President Boyce's office, just he and I, and I cried like a baby (again). Plus, I had this wierd allergic reaction where my upper lip swells up all huge and it was swollen that night. I've felt that way the first few weeks: depressed, lost, useless, lazy, sad, etc. It was horrible, but it has definitely gotten better!" (it got better because I started spending time with Mitch. Awwww.)

I better stop now. I could go on and on. I know most of these are sad, angry, or gross, but I really did love my mission. I had a lot of very spiritual experiences. I had a lot of funny experiences, I learned to love the people, and I had a lot of fun. But it's funny how the memories that seemed awful at the time are the ones that make me laugh now. :) I'm so glad my parents supported me with my decision to serve. I wouldn't change it for the world, even with the fleas, the freezing temperatures, and Seasonal Affective Disorder. I can't wait to greet Nelli (one of my favorite people from the Baltics) in heaven and hear her say, "It's a miracle!" (Nelli thinks everything is a miracle. It's awesome.) Knowing her made the whole 18 months and every single flea bite well worth it. Here I am with Nelli, her grandkids (Yulia and Anton) and Sis. Strait. We're outside the LDS church in Vilnius, Lithuania. Wow, I miss these guys.