March Madness

March is my least favorite month of the year.  The miserable month consists of more basketball to be watched in one single solitary month than should be watched in a lifetime.  For this reason it is Chris's favorite month of the year.  This month I have been so busy with my calling I haven't noticed it much.  Except for last Saturday Night, we had a Ward Chili Cook off,  and KU and BYU were playing.  Those are Chris's two favorite college teams.  He reluctantly came to the chili cook-off but dashed out early only to watch both of his teams lose.  He was not very happy that night.  He lounged around pouting, sulking, and trying to hold back the tears.  He is a big baby.  Poor Guy.  

Well like I said, I have been pretty busy with my calling. Llast week we had a special Relief Society Dinner to celebrate the birthday of relief society.  It was a big success.  My lovely interns all came and put on a cute skit.  The whole evening was really fun.  I came to the realization that I will no longer be able to come and just hangout and enjoy these activities.  I am part of the planning, setting up, cleaning up and hosting committee.
We were all eating dinner.  I naturally get up for seconds and Lori (the 1st counselor) asks me if I will help her clear the dishes, wash the dishes, and start serving cake.  She looks at my plate and asked "You didn't actually think you got to sit down and eat at these activities did you?"  Haha!  I was more than happy to scarf my food down like a homeless child who doesn't know when or if she will get food again.  Then back to work.  

Later on in the week we had another activity called a sister social where a sister in the ward can volunteer to host an activity of her choosing.  We made these adorable Easter baskets to give to the sisters we visit teach. 

I am really loving the branch more and more.  It is so neat to have so many people congregated together from all over the world in such a small and intimate atmosphere.  Last Sunday Sister Knowles gave the lesson in Relief society.  It was a very unique lesson because Sister Knowles is hearing impaired.  She did an amazing job and I must say it was one of the best lessons we have had.  Instead of her talking the entire time (like most lessons) all the sisters really came together in an active discussion.  

Tonight we had the Elders over for dinner.  Afterward, I asked them if I could take there picture.  You will see why...

Apparently, they get asked this all the time.

Elder Moon isn't really that short it just looks like it cause Elder B. is so tall.  He is 7'2"!  I think the picture shown above is absolutely hilarious! 

I started a few new things recently. 

1. Bikram Yoga.  I posted back in January how I did a two week challenge of 15 classes in 15 days.  Well I haven't really done much of it since.  But as of the 20th of March I am doing a month unlimited.  My goal is to do at least 25 classes in 30 days.  If you are not familiar with Bikram Yoga it is a 90 min class consisting of 26 poses performed in a 100 degree room with 40% humidity.  Needless to say I am drenched in sweat when I finish, but I feel great! google it!

2.   Annie's Organics.  I have several friends who are all buying this organic produce. You can read more about it here. I got my first box today and this is what it contained....

I am hoping that this will help me to cook and eat more fruits and vegetables.  I need to branch out, experiment and try new things.  The website has tons of recipes to show you how to prepare and cook the unique produce in each box.  This is how it works, you sign up online there are several different options of boxes you can choose from.  We are doing the regular full share biweekly.  So every other week we will go pick up a box of fresh organic produce and every time the box will have a various assortment of fruits and veggies.

3.  Couponing.  I have a friend who is really into it down here and she has gotten me hooked.  We went shopping together last week and I saved 65% off my grocery bill!  If I had paid regular price for my groceries it would have been $160.02 but through sales and coupons I was able to save $104.68 therefore only spending $55.34.   AMAZING!!

  

I am Obsessed with....

my puppy!

Zuri loves to play.  She has gotten really good at playing fetch, she will bring the ball right back to me to throw over and over again.  We play fetch for about 20mins everyday.

Zuri loves to sleep!

I find her sleeping in the weirdest positions.

She is so cute when she sleeps.

She loves to chew and bite. She's in the chewing stage and wants to bite our toes and ankles. Ouch it hurts. We are working on this with her and hope she will soon understand she must only chew on her toys.

 I have started bringing Zuri to work with me everyday.  She has her crate to sleep in, her food, water and toys.  She will play at my feet behind the counter.  The girls and I all take turns throughout the day taking her out for potty breaks and walks when she gets restless.  It has been working out really well, she keeps us entertained and has become quite the little sales girl. 

Sometimes, I send the girls outside to hand out coupons.  They take Zuri with them and people come up to them wanting to pet Zuri and take her picture and it gives the girls the perfect opportunity to talk about our store and give them a coupon. 

Zuri loves people and all the attention.  Whenever people stop to pet her and give her some lovin go to leave she wants to run after them, if she could talk I'm sure she would say, " Wait don't you want to take my picture, and pet me some more?"  She is such a little Diva Dog.

We all call her our little Cariloha Celebrity!

 We took Zuri to the vet last week to get her 2nd set of shots.  She did great and the vet said she was a healthy growing pup.  She weighed 3.2lbs.  She sure has gotten fatter in the 3 weeks we have had her.  Her little belly is a lot fuller now, and she eats all the time.

The potty training is going better, she goes on her pad most of the time at home and has not had any accidents at work (knock on wood).   

More Zuri updates and pictures to come.

Blessed

In my previous post on living I wrote about how busy and crazy life has been, but I didn't write about how blessed I am, and about the few spiritual growing experiences I have had this past month. 

Chris and I have really tried to be active members in our new branch.  The past year we have been quite mobile and although we attended church we had the mentality that we were only going to be there for a few months and we didn't make alot of extra effort to meet people in the ward and go to church activities.  I will say that in San Francisco we did better than Hawaii. I did my visiting teaching and I had a few friends in the ward I did stuff with, I went to Pilates every week at the church, but that was about it. 

Here in Key West we have really made an effort.  We had the Missionaries over for dinner. I brought dinner to the branch presidents wife who had just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.  We attended the Church pasta dinner and I actually brought I dessert.  I went to the relief society card making social. And I have sub taught the sunbeams.  To most, these things probably seem like pretty small acts but my point is we are really trying to put in the work.  Where as in the past we probably wouldn't have done any of these things.  We have really tried to meet people and start to build relationships with them.

This month has been full of spiritual steps.  The first Sunday we both bore our testimonies and then at relief society I was asked to share a personal experience.   That was a big step because I haven't bore my testimony in sacrament for at least a year if not almost two.  Way to long.

Then the next Sunday Chris and I had to speak in sacrament.  Also a huge step.  I hate public speaking and I always get really nervous and anxiety.  Last time I was asked to speak in sacrament was almost three years ago and I got so nervous I became physically ill and didn't go, so Chris ended up having to talk the entire 40 mintues.  Poor guy.  This time our topic was on Eternal Marriage which is something I actually have a really strong tesimony about and it was easy to tie in the story of how Chris and I met.  I really enjoyed writing and delivering my talk.  I was still nervous but I did pretty well and had several people tell me how much they enjoyed it. 

Then this sunday at church the branch president called us both into his office to extend us callings.  I was thinking I would for sure be put in primary since they had been asking me to sub and I knew they needed help.  I wasn't to worried about this since I had taught primary before and loved it!  Boy was I in for a surprise... he asked me to be the 2nd counselor in the relief society presidency.  Ummm.... I was like really... are you sure.  I mean, I know, I should, be experienced in relief socity by now but I literally feel like I just graduated from young womens.  To say the least I am a little bit intimidated by taking on such a big responsibility, but of course I accepted.  I hope that I will be able to fulfill and uphold my calling.  I know the Lord called me to do this for a reason, and it will be a wonderful growing opportunity.

 As a reflect on all the things that have transpired this past month I feel without a shadow of a doubt that this is where the lord wants us to be, this is want he wants us to be doing, and we have been sent to Key West for a reason.  I feel so blessed! 

Oh and Chris was called to be the 1st counselor in the Elder's Quorum Presidency.