Marriage, Life, Church – UGH it’s all hard

Life isn’t always perfect. Pictures don’t always show the whole story. My smile sometimes is a lie. I don’t know what is going on right now, but I feel like things are falling apart. It’s funny, because in the primary class that I teach we were talking about apostasy and restoration.
There was a time of apostasy on this earth when the fullness of the gospel was taken away. Then when Joseph Smith had the first vision, the start of the restoration started.

I feel as if my family is about to go through the apostasy. Yeah, a little harsh – and I know there are probably a lot of members that know my family that gasping. Life sucks sometimes and I don’t know what went wrong.

I for one will say that being a member of this church is hard to be a part of. They ask a lot of you and it’s not easy. You get to go to church and see all these “perfect” families that were born into this and have never known a different life and think to yourself, ‘Hmmm we’ll never be there.’ We are not perfect. I don’t have a husband that thrives to serve others like all the men in this church seem to do; I have a husband who thinks the world revolves around him and is probably the most narcissistic person that I’ve ever met. He gives murmuring a whole new meaning. But he’s my husband and with or without the church I love him. I’m not perfect…. I have so many faults, but I’m trying. I’m trying to be the Mormon wife, the Mormon mom. But life is not so sugar coated as it seems, well at least not when you’re starting out at this so late in life.

I do know this. It’s hard, but it’s what we’re supposed to do. With or without my husband, I will continue to be a member of this church and hope that it gives my children the morals and principles that I want them to have with them for the rest of their lives. Getting up on Sunday and going to church for 3 hours is hard sometimes, but what’s 3 hours out of 168 hours? 3 hours out of our week is NOTHING. There are things that my husband doesn’t understand. Things he thinks are inconvenient, and I don’t know how to go about showing him the reason why we are called to do callings that take our time, why we have to go to church for so long, and why he should be going to church instead of watching that stupid football game that could have been DVRed.

I’m bitter today. I see him slowly pull away and by the time that we’ll be able to finally be sealed together as a family he won’t be in the same spot I am. What a horrible thing. Apostacy sure has a new meaning for me, and I hope to God that it doesn’t hit this family that has come SO FAR from what it used to be.

Mixed Feelings

I’m having mixed feelings about my new calling to Primary. I think that the calling is great and I know that I could learn a lot from who I’d be teaching with, but I just think that the timing is not right. I don’t feel comfortable leaving Gino to attend Sunday school by himself. He’s so new to all of this and I can see him falling away from the church a little bit. Not wanting to stay after Sacrament, and I just think he’s too new of a member to do this to.

I feel bad going and turning down my calling, but something inside of me keeps screaming that I need to turn it down.

I don’t know what to do. 🙁

BlackBerry

So, what kind of a person goes out and buys a BlackBerry and then doesn’t even install the software on the computer or even hook it up to the computer for 4 months? Um, yeah, that would be ME!

I finally decided to play around with my phone and see what hooking it up to the computer would really do for me. WOW! It charges my phone, I can use my phone’s internet hookup for my wireless internet and there’s like so much more! I have a 4GB memory card in my phone and finally decided today to get some music on it. I feel like I just got a new phone!

THIS IS FUN!!!

Scripture Scouts

My past few posts have not had pictures. Hmmmm…. kinda boring huh?

I wanted to talk about something kinda cool. I was up at the Bishop’s house today while Jayden was having his piano lesson, Sister Shumway was going over our new class that we teach together with me.

She let Jayden borrow a CD called Scout Stories (this might not be the correct name, and if it’s not I’ll update it tomorrow) and I have to say IT IS AWESOME! Jayden and I listened to the entire 1st Nephi Story, which I write about HERE. At the end of the story, Jayden asked me, “Mom, this is so awesome! Where’s the promised land.” And this is where I giggled. I felt all excited inside, because Jayden now knows the same story that I’ve been reading forever, because I totally suck at Scripture study, but he was asking questions! That means he was totally paying attention. Why did I giggle? Because I wasn’t 100% on where the promised land was. I told him that I believed it was here, in the USA, because that’s where Joseph Smith found the plates, but I guess it’s something I’ll eventually find out as I read…. or listen to Jayden’s stories.

**EDITED TO ADD THAT THEY’RE CALLED SCRIPTURE SCOUTS – NOT SCOUT STORIES 🙂

Building a Strong Family


If you’re a reader of my blog, then you’ve read this post before. I wanted to bring it back though. Especially for Works for Me Wednesday. Rocks in My Dryer hosts a wonderful carnival that gathers hundreds of bloggers that share what works for them. This week I want to share what works for us on building a strong family.

Remember the days when families used to sit together as a family for dinner. Talk about their days and bring laughter into their lives. Our society has cut this out of their lives and it’s sad. It’s sad that families are so busy that they don’t stop to appreciate what God has given them. A beautiful family that should be providing each other with unconditional love.

Bringing families close and together is a very important thing to the Mormon church, as it is to most religions. We implement something into our homes that strengthens our families and all it takes is one night a week.

It’s called Family Home Evening. Monday nights, the majority of the members of the church are gathered together in their homes strengthening the bonds that God has given us with our families. It’s a date and time that’s a guarantee in each of our homes that we will be together as a family, without media, without stresses, just us, God and the ones we love.

The way Family Home Evening is typically organized is as follows:

Opening Prayer
Sing a church song together
Quick lesson on any of these topics
Family Activity
Special Treat
Closing Song
Closing Prayer

You don’t have to be a member of the Mormon church to practice this. You don’t have to even give lessons or sing songs. Just having a set day a week to do some family activity together will do amazing things. Even if it’s just playing a board game and eating some ice cream afterwards.

Family Home Evening is a great time to discuss anything that needs to be discussed as a family. You can use this time to discuss weekly meal plans and chores, and go over the family’s weekly calendar. But the main thing is it’s important that you’re consistent, and you always end it with a fun activity and treat.

The last time that I posted this post I had a reader contact me to tell me that she’s not Mormon, but she absolutely loved this and implemented it into her family, and they all loved it. I feel so wonderful that her kids will have beautiful memories of their childhood, because she read this post from me.

I hope that I get some of you out there to join in with me. I’ll try to update every Monday with what we have planned. On my Topics that I Discuss on my sidebar, FHE stands for Family Home Evening. If you have ideas for great lesson ideas or activities, or even a yummy treat recipe you’d like to share please leave a comment and share it. Remember, you don’t have to be Mormon to have a Family Home Evening.

I KNEW it was gonna happen – JUST KNEW IT!

So, I’ve been waiting ever so patiently for Ella to turn 18 months so I could shove her into Nursery and actually listen during Sunday School & Relief Society. I’ve always had this feeling inside that right when she was ready to go to Nursery that I’d get a calling that would be in primary.

Today I got called to teach the 8 year olds turning 9 this year. The ones that just got baptized. I’ll be teaching the class with the Bishop’s wife, Wendy, who I absolutely love. So, I’m pretty excited, but had to giggle inside that what I had a feeling would happen actually did happen. This year we had made the decision to stop going to Gospel Essentials and start going to Gospel Doctrine instead… especially since they’d be studying Doctrine & Covenents, but Gino will get to hang out in there all by himself…. or with Ella until she turns 18 months. I”ll still study the weekly lessons with Gino at home so I can learn, and so that he’ll be prepared and understand what they’re talking about.

Today was Testimony Sunday at church and I still didn’t feel like I was ready to get up and share my testimony… I don’t know why, because I do have a strong testimony. I’ve seen this gospel completely turn my family around. We’re not even the same people as we were before. Gino has done a complete turn around and I’m so thankful for the gospel. It’s only been a year and 1 month that we started coming to church, and a year and 1 month ago I never would’ve thought we’d be where we are now. I’m thankful that I now have a better understanding of why I’m here on this earth. I’m not just lost in this world wondering what the point of it all is. I know what the point is, and I know what I’m supposed to be doing, and I’m striving my hardest to do it all. I’m not perfect, and neither is my husband, but we’ve come such a long way and it feels good to be on the path that we’re on. I hope we never lose track of it, because it feel so right and so good.

I’m feeling absolutely horrible today and I don’t know what’s wrong. I don’t have a cold or the flu, but I just don’t feel well. It may just be my body telling me that it’s had enough of the torture I’ve put it through these past few days of doing major stuff around the house, so maybe I need to listen to it and just relax for the rest of the day.

Day 2 of Productiveness

New Years Day I woke up MOTIVATED!!!!! I’ve done so many projects around the house and it feels SO GOOD! Here’s a list of what I’ve done:

I’ve done MANY MANY MANY loads of laundry…. and I’m going to keep doing this throughout tomorrow until it’s ALL DONE!

I’ve cleaned out my linen closet and organized it to where it’s a beautiful sight when opened

I cleaned out the coat closet and donated 5 coats

I went through my closet and Gino went through his and we donated everything we haven’t touched in the last 3 months… unless, of course it was special

I’ve tackled the dreaded junk corner of my room

I’m making schedules for what I’d like my days to be like in 2009

I cleaned the inside and outside of my car plus got Gino’s car & my car’s oil changed and tires rotated

And I got rid of my housekeeper. I don’t see the point in paying someone to do something that I think I can do better…. so, Flylady on Monday I’m a new faithful follower…. I even have my control journal out and ready to start flying!

My main focus right now is decluttering. I don’t want the crap I hold on to anymore. I’m taking tomorrow to finish up the inside of the house (Garage is Monday’s project) and I’m determined to start work on Monday with a newly organized and smooth running system. This month is going to be extremely busy, because I have so much on my to do list concerning work that all has to be done by January 31st.

I hope I motivated some of my readers, because just reading this is getting me motivated all over again.

Tomorrow’s main goals….

Finish all laundry
Finish all filing
Organize Jayden’s room
Go through boxes in Jayden’s closet
Clean all bathroom & kitchen floors

I hope I’m as motivated tomorrow as I’ve been these past couple of days.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Nothing’s better than celebrating the New Year with your family. Prior years we’ve gone out and let me tell you from experience, IT FEELS SO MUCH BETTER TO START THE NEW YEARS WITHOUT A HANGOVER!!!

We rang in the year with movies, Uno and a little Welch’s Grape Bubbly. It was the perfect night! I got to kiss my babies right after kissing my husband and was happy that we were all safe at home…. together.

Here’s a couple pics and a video of Jayden singing. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!


She conked out until the blowing of the New Years horns I bought woke her up

Welcoming in 2009

As 2008 comes to a close and we are yet approaching another year, I get excited inside. It’s a fresh new start and I think tomorrow I can wake up and everything that I did wrong in 2008 doesn’t matter…. or what I didn’t do. It’s a fresh new start to start over.

I’m happy with myself. I don’t have a resolution to lose weight, but I would like to start working out on the Wii more – for health reasons, and dropping a few pounds wouldn’t be too bad LOL.

I want to do more homemade gifts for people for their birthdays. And learn more about sewing and expand in my photography. I’d even like to pick up a couple of classes/seminars on these.

I want to read more to Jayden. I’d like to get through the whole series of Magic Tree House books this year. We read the first book today and he loved it! And I really enjoyed reading it. I think they’re great books that he can learn a lot from. I also would like to see Jayden reading more books himself. So…. reading a BIG thing for 2009 for us.

I suck at scripture study, and usually opt out and end up reading the Ensign instead, but I want to be more deligent in this area this year. I would like to have my Book of Mormon blog updated daily. Even if I’m just reading 1 chapter a day out of the Book of Mormon I’d be happy.

I want to pay more attention to my husband, and not let the little things in life distract me.

I want the kids to watch less TV this year, and not use it as much for a babysitter. Being a Work at home mom, this can be hard, but I need to be more creative in my efforts.

I want to be on top of things with my work. I want to have a set working schedule and to make sure that I get so many hours in a week so things don’t build up on me.

My biggest goal of 2009 is ORGANIZATION!!!! I want to do the Flylady and stick with it. Even use her tactics with my work. I need order and a smooth running home/office in order for me to keep my head on and strong!!!

I hope everyone reading my blog has a Very Happy & Safe New Year ~ we’ll just be hanging at home tonight watching movies and being with our babies, because there’s no other way we’d rather bring in this New Year. If you’re drinking this year, please don’t drive. You could take away someone’s life… including your own, and that’s no way to start out a New Year.

2008 Garibay Christmas

Our Christmas was very peaceful this year. Our Christmas Eve was spent with traditions, smiles, ice cream sundaes and just a good feeling of knowing that this year we are celebrating Christmas a little bit more differently than the years before. This year, we actually have an understanding of what Jesus was put here for, and I’m so thankful for all that he stands for. So, this year was a celebration of Jesus, not just a celebration for presents, and Jayden knew that….. and that made me feel like a great mom!

Christmas morning we ran downstairs to see what Santa had left behind for the kids. They were both REALLY happy, and have enjoyed playing with everything they got ever since that happy morning. Jayden got a handheld Leapfrog Didj, which is a educational video game system….. I’M THRILLED about it. Jayden’s a video game junkie (like his father) and what better than to buy him something that is what he loves, but is educational at the same time.

After our Christmas morning we picked up my brother and headed up to my grandparent’s house to eat a good Christmas turkey dinner. I really expected there to be a ton of people and for it to be hectic like Thanksgiving, but Christmas with the Hurds was actually quite enjoyable. All of my sisters from my father were there. Everyone was happy and I was happy. As dysfunctional as the Hurds family can be, they still are family, and I really got that sense this year.

I didn’t go camera crazy this year, and unfortunately didn’t get much of the kids even…. and I didn’t even get a family picture. But I snapped a few of family and thought I’d share some pics…




Ella and her cousin Ethan hugging – too cute huh?

These are two of my sisters – the one on the left is 16 Year Old Alyssa and on the right is 19 year old Britney

I love this man a lot! It’s my Grandpa 🙂

This, believe it or not, is my step-mom and yes, she’s only a little under 3 years older than me.

This is my dad

This is my wonderful Grandma who is my crafty inspiration 🙂
Align Center

Ella with her uncle Mitch (my brother)

Isn’t this face just perfect? I love this little girl so much!