Coming to a close

I can't believe this semester is already coming to a close! It seems as if every semester goes by faster and faster! I have enjoyed everything we've talked about and learned this semester. Everything we've learned in this class is so practical and applicable. I think that if anyone is thinking about going into the marriage and family field, this class is a great introduction. I love how open our class is with sharing experiences. For me, when people share experiences, it helps me to understand and relate to the subject and to them better. This is definitely one of my favorite classes I've taken in my career here at BYUI.

Growing older

I thought it was interesting in our most recent class discussion when Bro. Williams said that he's noticed that people who tend to accomplish things avoid the mid-life crisis. Also, people who have good and happy marriages usually tend to avoid mid-life crisis. Starting now, I vent to have a happier outlook on life and on my life specifically so I can avoid a mid life crisi! Life is way too short to worry!!!

Parenting

I love learning about parenting. I have taken a few parenting classes up here on campus and I love it! It makes me so excited to become a parent. One of the biggest things I've learned thought the parenting classes is that we need to show respect to our children. Everybody deserves respect and if we want to build good relationships with our children, respectis where it starts.

Working children

I want my children to be hard workers and not have the feeling of entitlement. One time in class we were talking about children working and we mentioned that your children should work and help out at home. I want my kids to do yard work. Every Saturday we could work together in the yard. When you out people in close proximity, they grow closer together.

The council method

I thought our class discussions were really interesting. It was inspiring because this is how the Bretheren discuss and make decisions. My favorite part of the council method was that they spend 15-30 min. telling each other how much they love each other. I think if we implemented that in our family councils, things would go smother and we'd have more respect for our families.

Communication

I liked the drawing activity we did for our communication day. For me, I have a hard time thinking of the the right words to say so I enjoy writing letters to my husband when I am trying to get something important across. When we were dating, we were living 4 hours away and we weren't able to visit often. We started writing letters (even though we talked on the phone everyday) it was a different way e communicated and it sort of brought us closer together.

Stressors

We are human, and along with being human comes stress in our lives. In class we listed ten significant stressors. They are:

1. Losing a job
2. Death of a child
3. Deth of a parent
4. Rebelled clueless
5. Sickness (hospitalized)
6. Changing a job
7. Moving your family to a new place
8. Serious accidents
9. Finances
10. Divorce

We all will go through challenging times at one point or another and the best way to get through these hard times is to rely on the Lord and his Atonement.

Talking to our children about sex + bodies

I really enjoyed the day in class when we talked about teaching our children about their bodies. I wanted to write them down on here so I could remember them!

Age 3: use the anatomically correct phrases when talking to them about their body parts.

Age 6: talk to them about love and relationships and the boundaries that come with it.

Age 9: talk to them about sex and puberty and what will happen and what they can expect.talk to them about what they might hear at school and teach them correctly.

Age 12: teach them about everything. Be very open and let them communicate with you.

Age 15-18: I think that at this age, your children should pretty much know everything about sex and how everything happens.

I think it's key to remember to have open communication with your children from a very young age.

2/6/2012

I really enjoyed the video that we were to have watched for class last Friday (2/3/2012). I think it is so important for everyone to learn what the causes to same-gender attraction are and that we CAN avoid it all together. I think it is important to have sympathy for people who struggle with this. I think as future parents, learning about this is one of the many important things we can do.

Immigrants

The reading for today (Friday's) class was about Mexican immigrants and how it is such a hard adjustment as a family to immigrate to the United States. My great-grandparents immigrated from Mexico to California for the same reasons that these families did- to give their children a step up in life. Some people don't have very nice things to say about Mexican immigrants, but I think that if they were to know the personal hardships of leaving their families in Mexico JUST to help their kids get ahead, more people would shut their mouth.

I hope that from reading this, we will be slow to judging and we will try to learn the reasons why before we make our own assumptions.

We are blessed

My husband and I have had a lot of big decisions lately. As we are finishing up our time here at BYU-I, we are trying to figure out the next chapter in our lives. Mark is such a hard worker and has been his whole life. He has been working hard in school to get awesome grades in order to help him get into an awesome grad school. His career path will lead him to law school to end up working as a tax attorney. He loves anything tax, accounting, you name it!!

During the summer, Mark spent a few months studying for the LSAT exam to take to get into law school. He took it and ended up not getting the score he was hoping for. He applied to schools hoping that things would all work out. This past weekend Mark was contacted by one of the Deans of the Law school at BYU in Provo, UT. He was asked to travel down to meet with Mark. He wasn't told why, but it got us thinking things like "what if he just wants to talk to you to see if they like your personality", or "what if they want to tell you no in person" (harsh thinking, I know).

As we waited in the law school for a good 30 min. (we were very early. Can you blame us?) we sat and talked and enjoyed being with each other. Once the Dean called Mark back, he noticed I was sitting by him and asked if I was his wife and if I wouldn't mind sitting in the interview with him. My brain started racing and I got nervous! I was not expecting at all to be part of this very important meeting! So of course I went back and the Dean talked to both of us. He asked what our dreams and ambitions were, a little bit about my background, we just had a great conversation. Towards the end of our chat, he told Mark that the BYU school of Law would LOVE to have him join them this fall!

As we left, Mark and I just kept talking and exclaiming our excitement! Not only has this experience taught us what hard work and dedication can do, but more importantly, what the Lord can do. We recently have been tremendously blessed in our lives and in our marriage. We know that the Lord watches over us day and night and it just is overwhelming to feel and to know how much love He has for each and everyone of us. I just want to shout from the rooftops my joy in life. My joy in the Savior.

I love the Savior. I want everyone in the world to know this. I want everyone to know that His power and love is real. I want to share this knowledge and feeling of peace with all. My hope is that through my testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ, people will know and feel my happiness and want to search for the light to be happy and peaceful like I have felt. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

"Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments

of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love."

(D&C 6:20)

via google images

Week 1

I think that in this class, we study really interesting topics. The discussions on marriage and how marriage is changing is so relevant to us, especially as members of the Church. The reading for class today was interesting because it gave so many statistics on marriage and what the trends throughout the world on marriage are starting to look like. I think that it is really important for us to learn and know about these things so we can be aware of the people and their situations around us.

I was married at age 19 (normal in BYU-I culture, but super rare in the world) and I have some non-member, very liberal cousins and aunts and uncles. When they all found out that I was getting married after only being in college for 1 year, they were shocked! One of my uncle's has been divorced 3 times and he would tell me that my marriage would probably end up how his previous marriages had been. I heard so much talk of how I should date him longer and not rush into anything. It was a hard time in my life because I knew what I was doing was right and my immediate family was supportive, but it was just hard to hear people talking about me in that way.

I love being part of a church were we believe in families are eternal and there is no end. That is such a comforting thing and it really gives you faith to move past other people's opinions. I'm excited to learn more about families and how we can achieve wonderful families in this wicked world.