A Month of M's

Major Miss

This whole month I have been working on making pajama pants. I got another desk from work where I can now set up my sewing projects and just leave them for when I get time to work on them. My first day I cut out all the material and then a week later I did the pockets and the first seam. I did a few more seams before I went to work a couple of morning, and then today I finally did the last seam to but the two legs together. I excitedly went to the bedroom to see how they fit and discovered they were too small! Unfortunately I couldn't even pull them up over my large thighs. I had a good laugh showing Matt. Well I'll finish them off and hopefully find someone a size 8-10 that will enjoy them. I have enough material to do another pair and at least the second time will be easier.

Minty Fresh

Another fun event this month was our Family Home Evening with the Calverts. We made Christmas ornaments out of salt dough and I brought some of our essential oils like peppermint and cinnamon to add to it. It was a lot of fun, and Matt made lovely Christmas trees.

Music for the Soul

We are also in the ward choir with the Calverts and we have really enjoyed having their 3/4yr old (I think) daughter hang around. Our recent Stake Conference we sang two songs and had to sit behind the Stake Leaders. She was great the whole 2 hours and my favourite part was when we finished singing the intermediate song she started clapping. It was one of those precious moments you want to remember forever. Our final song was I Know My Redeemer Lives and the spirit was so strong there were more than just a few in the choir that were a little teary-eyed. I was so glad we were in the choir and could be a part in bringing the Spirit to the meeting. It made the whole experience more meaningful.

Mystery Disappearance

In my previous post I apparently left out my computer issues. The back story is that I have a Surface 3, which I bought so I could have a better tablet/laptop and switch back from Apple to Windows. I LOVE Windows and the Surface has so many great features. Unfortunately, I have had many issues since purchasing it last year and I would say it's a MASSIVE design flaw that it takes 4 hours to fully charge the thing. Anyway, I have had multiple technicians try to help the lagging and a bunch of other problems and finally they just replaced the whole device under warranty. I was happy with that, but I noticed the new one also seems to have some lagging problems (I have not gotten this fixed yet). Well nothing major was wrong till one day I went to update our Family Goals for the month which I have on OneNote. I hadn't yet opened it on the new computer and it was having difficulty opening my notebook where I keep everything. I keep all of my church calling notes and meeting notes on there, pictures of brochures and things I wanted to save, goals, loan details, and more. Well I was having so many issues I had to get tech support and the final answer was there was nothing they could do - it was all gone. I couldn't understand how this could happen when it is designed to always be synced and saved to OneDrive. Apparently OneDrive has synced the notebook after all of my notes had vanished. I'm not sure if it was my computer's fault, my fault somehow, or OneNote, but let's just say I am now going to make sure I have backups of everything on my OneDrive. I love technology and IT stuff, but maybe I'm just cursed? My one piece of advice - NEVER downsize your computer!

Mmm... Food 

As for Thanksgiving this year we were going to be in Melbourne for an investment conference on stock trading. We had the missionaries over for dinner the Wednesday before and decided to make that our Thanksgiving. We had orange-glazed ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and Stove Top stuffing. Perhaps not your typical Thanksgiving, but it sufficed. I was just sad the orange-glazed ham wasn't near as good as honey baked ham from the US.

Makeup & Skin Products

The next day at work I went to an event from a company called Nutrimetics that has their headquarters in the same building I work in. I got a mini-makeover and a skin consultation with their products. Since I was nearly out of my current products I got their beauty kit with a set of products and so far I have really liked them! If anyone wants any of their products let me know! (Click here for their website) They have a lot of deals for Christmas gifts, and I get 20% off any non-sale items. I just need the product code of what you want. I LOVE their apricot kernel oil, and Matt tells me there is research showing apricot kernels can cure cancer. I like it because since using it I noticed my skin feels way more hydrated.

MELBOURNE

After work we headed off to the airport and to our dismay the flight was delayed an hour. We were lucky that the home owner of the AirBNB place we were staying at stays up late. The next day we took the public transport to the venue for the conference. It was really boring! The first half was about setting goals and being productive to achieve them. The second half had us look at example stocks and what factors to look at when considering a trade. I had my computer and was playing games during the second half. I learned that I liked Spider Solitaire way better than regular solitaire. After a long day we watched Kubo and the Two Strings on my computer before going to bed. Sound boring?

The next day we got through the same type of discussion as the day before and by lunch time we decided we'd get more out of the trip if we explored Melbourne. I was really disappointed with the conference and I felt they didn't really teach the investment strategies in an effective way that people could apply it. It made me think about my years at uni and how many classes had lectures and then a tutorial class where you would practice what you learned. In the end the biggest expense was the flights to Melbourne so it didn't really matter if we left the conference.

The Mormons are indeed coming....

Melbourne has varying weather all the time. We were told to be prepared for anything over the weekend. Sydney had warm summer weather, but Melbourne was really cold in the mornings and didn't always warm up during the day. When we decided to head to the city the weather was actually nice enough that we could shed our jackets. On the hour tram ride to the city we played Carcassonne on my computer, which proved to be the perfect form of entertainment on public transport throughout the weekend. When we first got there we didn't really know where to go, but I had read of the Eureka Skydeck that overlooks the city so that was our first stop. While there Matt saw this unusual camouflage coloured building and we decided that would be our next stop. Melbourne has a lot of unique buildings that had some interesting colour choices, but it didn't seem to have the same impressive views that the Sydney Harbour or the Gold Coast in Queensland has. For most of the day we wandered the botanical gardens and found a neat children's area with lots of fund little pathways. Afterwards we found a TGIF's nearby for dinner before heading back home (we're such Americans). We struggled to get on the right tram home and Matt asked one of the drivers to find out which tram to take and found out there was major construction on the tram line and we had to walk about 20 minutes before we could get to the tram line that was useable. At least we got a lot of steps in!

There are lots of Aboriginal artwork like this around the city.

The lake at the Botannical Gardens

The Shrine in the Botannical Gardens

The home owner Airdrie suggested we do the free walking tour of the city for the next day. Although it wasn't planned we stopped right at the city library where they were starting the tour. It was definitely a great way to see and learn about interesting places in Melbourne. We learned more about the famous Ned Kelly and his last stand in his iron armour.

The guide took us down neat alleys, or laneways as he called them, that despite all the graffiti have many popular restaurants and shops. We saw historic buildings and learned about the massive gold rush in Melbourne and were told many of the stories behind the artwork and building designs. Although we had been to the Eureka tower before, we didn't know there was significance to the colours and just thought it was an ugly building. Once we knew the history, it brought a whole new perspective to the architecture and colours chosen. After the tour we went to a restaurant the guide recommended called Chin Chin. It was too pricey for the portion sizes, but we still enjoyed what we had. We ordered two dishes and the second one was brought out after we had already finished the first. Since it was a spicy chicken I was looking up places to get a milkshake. Unfortunately when it came I still hadn't taken a bite when the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate the building. I figured it would still be there when we could go back in, but it turns out they are required to remove all plates of food before anyone can go back in. I couldn't understand why they couldn't tell us that before we evacuated - perhaps I could have at least tasted it. Unwilling to wait for another plate, we just paid for what we ate and left. At least my milkshake place was worth it.

MILKSHAKES

 

All buskers have to audition to be on the streets so each
performer is pretty talented, including this puppeteer

 

A building reminiscent of the Gold Rush days

Metre Long Pizza

After Melbourne things have been pretty much back to normal. I had my work Christmas party on Saturday which was a lot of fun. We got to spend time walking around the harbour beforehand and saw thousands of moon jellies in the water. Dinner was at Criniti's in Woolloomooloo (yes that is the actual spelling) where you can get 1-2 metre long pizzas!  I'm lucky that I love everyone I work with and I look forward to our dinner's out! Nevertheless I'm excited for my break in three weeks where Matt and I will spend Christmas in Queensland!

MTHFR Gene Mutation
 
There is only one piece of news I haven't yet mentioned. I now know the results of my MTHFR test. I have the MTHFR gene mutation from both parents. This means that the MTHFR enzyme in my body does not function properly and so I have reduced methylation. Methylation is involved in turning genes on and off, detoxifying chemicals and metals via the liver, turning the stress response on and off, and much more. So poor methylation, or undermethylation, can have many negative effects. Conditions that have been associated with this include ADD/ADHD, allergies, anxiety, autism, auto-immune conditions, depression, joint stiffness, infertilitiy, miscarriages, and thyroid disfunction to name a few. As I have many of these conditions, it is very likely the gene mutation is a major contributing factor. To improve methylation I need to avoid toxins, stress, gluten and dairy, and have an organic diet with lots of green veggies, choline, B-vitamins, and Folate. I can't say this will be easy for me, but over the past year I have been really good at improving my minerals and I do eat more organic and gluten free foods. A woman in my ward has eaten gluten and dairy free for a very long time and so she has lots of great recipes I can try. It may be hard to find decent substitutes for my favourite things like pizza, but I have already found a yummy dairy free ice cream I love. In the end it comes down to what I am willing to sacrifice to have better health and avoid having miscarriages or children with one of the many conditions associated with this such as cleft palate. What's interesting to me is how incredibly common this is and that only my naturopath thought to test for it. It's not even an expensive test! Seriously, if anyone wants to check just to rule it out, ask your doctor about getting an MTHFR test and there are more details on it on these websites: www.mthfr.net, www.dramyyasko.com, and https://draxe.com/mthfr-mutation/.

Merry Christmas!!

As I likely won't blog until after Christmas - I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!! I hope everyone takes time out of their busy month to remember what the holidays are really about. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a new initiative called "Light the World" (#LIGHTtheWORLD) where they offer a theme for each day leading up to Christmas and suggestions for how to serve to meet the theme. I highly recommend you check it out!

 

What does normal life look like?

I figured not much had happened in the month since getting back from our trip, but when I started to write out major events over the last month I realised normal life has a lot going on!

Over the last month I started a Beachbody program with a high school friend as my coach. Knowing I was struggling to stay motivated to work out I figured this would be a good way to lose weight and build habits. I chose the workout program called Country Heat where you basically do country dance inspired workouts for 30 min a day. Additionally you drink a meal replacement shake called Shakeology once a day and eat balanced meals using portion controlled containers. The workouts were a lot of fun and getting up early each morning to workout is finally a habit. The shakes were really good and unfortunately I ran out and tried to find a cheaper alternative that is more accessible here in Australia, but it is awful! I haven't been so good at the diet, but I have been using youfoodz meals to help me have more balanced meals. Final verdict - I have lost 6 lbs over 30 days and now workout regularly 6 days a week! The next step is doing more intense workouts and eating better.

I got my hair cut from a local place with really great reviews. It was the most expensive haircut ever, but the award winning stylist did a good job. I've never seen anyone cut hair like that before! She cuts hair dry and in a very non-systematic way, but the end result is still great. The picture to the right isn't very good, but at least you can kind of see my hair. It also shows off my Lularoe skirt that I bought from my friend Laura in the US (Click here for her Lularoe page). I'm loving their clothes!

Matt and I decided to attend the EB Games Expo at Sydney Olympic Park last month. It was a lot of fun, and we really liked be able to see all the new games that were coming out. They had a bunch of stations where you could basically just sit and play games for as long as you want. While there they also had a Harry Potter store where I bought a wand for one of the youth from my church who LOVES Harry Potter. For the next few weeks I made her work off the debt to be able to keep the wand.

Replica of Hermione's wand

Another weekend we had the opportunity to watch General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As usual I pulled out my tiger puzzle to work on throughout conference. This time Matt had work off so we were able to watch it together. One of my overall favourite messages was that we are here on this earth to have joy!

"Life is filled with detours and dead ends, trials and challenges of every kind. Each of us has likely had times when distress, anguish, and despair almost consumed us. Yet we are here to have joy? Yes! The answer is a resounding yes!"   Russell M. Nelson 

Sometimes it doesn't feel that way and I often feel like I was just doomed to be miserable a lot of the time. Eventually I remember that I tend to pick the difficult path because I feel it has the greater reward. Nevertheless, I really want to learn how to have joy in the journey and not just at the end of the path.

After conference I actually had a really bad bout with depression and the best way to describe it is to say I had a meltdown. Basically I was so overwhelmed with hopelessness particularly in regards to my marriage. Matt didn't seem to have much reaction to conference and it deeply saddened me and I felt that he was going in a completely different direction than me. For over 2+ years Matt has researched conspiracy theories and alternative health methods. Some I agree with, but others I felt were horribly wrong and I struggled to trust my own spouse because of some of the "crazy" ideas he believed in. It was extremely painful to argue about these things. This last month I mentally broke down and didn't think I could live with it anymore. To my surprise Matt just held me as I cried and told me that he felt that he couldn't prove what conspiracies were true and what might be propaganda, among many other things. In that moment when I felt all was lost and hopeless, his comment had directly answered my prayers - it gave me hope. I realised that all was NOT lost and that the Lord was helping him to see "the big picture." I wanted to share this because it is a major milestone for us. I feel like our paths have been aligned again and that we will be able to overcome our difficulties. We will always have our differences, but it is in working together with those differences that we can become strong.

Amidst all this, Matt and I have decided we are ready for a family. I've been off birth control for a while, but we weren't actively trying. I met with my naturopath who recommended I get some blood tests and dental work. I also did a hair mineral analysis again. Long story short, I may have some serious difficulties with pregnancy. I am low on molybdenum and manganese which are very important for reproductive hormones and embryo development. I likely have an autoimmune disorder and may have a MTHFR gene mutation that is genetic. This often leads to miscarriages (See diagram below). Anyway I'll have to see how my MTHFR test goes. More to come on this later. I'm not really worried, just not looking forward to difficulties.

Another Saturday was pretty full on as I had a naturopath appointment, then helped my friends Jaydene and Eleisha move, then the Sydney Home Show, then the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival, then a quick change and on to a Halloween Party! It was a very busy day, but was pretty fantastic! I wish Halloween was more popular here, but at least we did see a bunch of trick or treaters near the party. I just like having the one designated time of year to dress up! Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures due to Matt having my phone (no pockets in my dress or cape), so these are from the host.

Our Galaxy Hostess - Josie!

As Facebook is going crazy with political news I thought I would end on my thoughts on the topic. After all this is for my friends, family, and myself and I want to remember how I felt. Personally I am soooo tired of all the political drama! In general I side with mostly republican views. When I initially heard Trump was running I thought it was a joke and never thought he would get very far. As it came close between Trump and Hilary later on I wasn't very satisfied with either as a person, and soon learned there was an independent conservative candidate named Evan McMullin. Did I believe he would win? No, of course not, but I felt he was the only running candidate that I could fully put my voting support towards. I've seen, read, and understand all positive and negative views towards all candidates, but ultimately I felt the best possible candidate was McMullin. If he was not running, I would have chosen Trump. This has nothing to do with him as a person or even his radical and extreme views of how to run the country. In the end I believe he best represents my political views and this is also backed by a quiz I took which shows which candidates you should vote for based on your political views (click here for quiz). Ultimately, there are pros and cons of EVERY president and we can't accurately predict how things will affect us. Regardless of who is our president, prime minister, or political leader, our responsibility is to "love thy neighbor as thyself".  When you love others, you tend to see their strengths rather than their flaws, or political views, or religious views, or sexual orientation, or race....and the world could benefit from a lot more love and a lot less hate, blame, and ridicule. I trust in God and His plan for me. I am not afraid for how things may change around me as long as I know I am doing my best to follow His way, which I know is much superior to mine.