Joplin

There are some interesting scenarios I feel are specific to hedgehog owners. For those of you who don't know, hedgehogs hibernate when the temperature drops below 70. And for those of you who still don't know, Utah dropped below 70 in September. So I did my research and discovered that if you let domesticated hedgies go into hibernation, they don't have enough "storage" to make it through the winter. So basically you just have to keep them warm. I went down to the pet store and bought a little tank warmer to help her out, as I was moving into the basement of my new house.

Last night I got home about midnight and went to go play with her a bit, as that's when she's at her height of playfulness, to discover her tank warmer had quit working, and she'd entered hibernation mode, which for thos who've never seen that, looks like this.

Not so friendly right? So what does this mean for Sarah? Instead of going to bed, I spend the night warming up my hedgehog. I picked her up (very cautiously), wrapped her in a hoodie, and turned on the blow dryer. By the time she'd warmed up and calmed down a bit I was super tired, so I picked her up in the hoodie, climbed into bed, cuddled up, and fell asleep. 

I woke up at 3am to her snuggling up to my feet. Hibernation mode deactivated.

Eyebrows Revisited

In a previous post I mentioned the compliment I got from a random girl about how magnificent my eyebrows were. Well, I had the waxed for them first time in probably 6 years. It took about 15 minutes, but the result is pretty spectacular I would say!

Oh yeah, and I should probably mention... my hair is red.

That is all.

It's true. It. Is. True.

In my recent move I acquired a new roommate by the name of Kristine. I met her through a mutual friend, and we were instantaneous friends. She's cool, normal, and generally considered one of the guys....sounds just like me! :)

A brief background of Kristine: she's 23, recently divorced, and hasn't been active in the church since she was about 15. Due to a series of events she decided a couple months ago to try to get back to church...with no real testimony or idea of why. Basically, I was taking a huge chance on being roommates with her, but I felt very impressed that it was something that I needed to do. So I took the leap, and made the move.

Yesterday, church was phenomenal. I haven't felt the Spirit, or received revelation like that in a while. My emotions were very close to the surface and the Spirit was booming the whole time. And it wasn't just me who thought so. After Relief Society quite a few people expressed the same feelings. So when we got home and Kristine said "I'm starting to feel like this whole thing is a lie." I was slightly taken aback. 

I spent the next hour with her in our kitchen discussing the experiences she'd had thus far, what she remembered the Spirit feeling like, how she can feel it again, and comparing my conversion process to what she was currently going through. At the end I actually felt pretty defeated about the whole thing... like I hadn't gotten through at all, and that maybe the doubt was already too deep. So I finished up by just saying "Kristine, I know that you may not know if it's true, but I do. Regardless of how you feel now, you'll know, because this is the Lord's gospel, and He will tell you." She just got really silent and we went off our separate ways.

This morning while I was at work I got a text message from her that said "It's true. It. Is. True." Immediately I felt the familiar joy of the Spirit starting to flood my soul. I texted her back and said "Please tell me we're talking about the Gospel." And of course she was. All day today I've felt like I felt on the mission. There is no better feeling than the one you feel when someone learns for themselves that they are a child of an Eternal Father who loves them perfectly, no matter their mistakes. To know that we're not alone in this life, and we never ever have to make a decision on our own ever again, that there is eternal life after this, a life that we can have with our families...is the most beautiful gift that has ever been given. 

I can't wait to get home so that I can hug her... I've been on the verge of happy tears all day long. I'm so grateful for the Atonement, and what it's done for me. The Savior's love has literally transformed me, and now I have the chance to share it with others. What greater gift is there?

Georgia on my Mind

Just sitting at work today and the Michael Buble version of "Georgia on my Mind" came on, and I couldn't help but just make a little post. I'm coming up on 2 years that I've been home, and I promise that there is not one day that goes by that I don't miss it. It's not just the nostalgia of my mission either. It's the feeling of Georgia. Ray Charles knew what he was talking about. There aren't words to describe the hospitality, the sunsets, or the way you feel as you zip along winding roads through the kudzu covered trees. It has it's little quirks, but it remains forever one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.

           

Let the Stabbing Begin

Ok, it's been way to long to update you on everything that's happened since August, so I'll give you the abbreviated list:

1. Went to my greenie's wedding in Seattle, her brother became enamored with me, it boosted my self-esteem, I haven't heard from him since.

2. My dad came with me to the ward camp-out at Lava Hot Springs. AWESOME. He played kickball with us, and we were spotlighted at Ward Prayer. My life has never been so amazing. I'll probably blog about my dad soon :)

3. Visited my mission. The goodness of this cannot be described, also will soon have a post about this.

4. Lots of changes at work: New billing person, new receptionist, new programs to implement, big promotional event coming up all equals really busy.

5. I'm moving. Right down the street from my current location, but still obnoxious, and leading to more busyness :)

So. There you have it, the update. But, what I really wanted to talk about is acupuncture. I haven't been sleeping lately, and no matter what I do I can't fall asleep, or if I do, I can't stay asleep, and I don't wake up feeling, by any means, refreshed. With all that going on, and a chaotic schedule, what's a girl to do? Acupuncture. 

So I found an acupuncturist, a cute little old Asian man who tells me things I already know like "you think too much," "stop trying to control everything," and "you work too much." Thanks Dr. Zou, I know :)

The good news is. It's working! I'm sleeping like a little baby and waking up feeling super rested. And, as a side effect, I'm not freaking out about stuff, I'm way calmer, and much happier. So in that case, Bring on the stabbing!