Cosmetic Surgery

I've been thinking a lot about cosmetic surgery lately because one of my Facebook friends asked for people's opinions of whether they thought cosmetic surgery was okay or not. So here's my stance on the issue- because surprisingly, I feel pretty strongly about the subject.

• I am in FULL support for cosmetic surgery to repair damage or impairment, such as in the case of burn victims, cleft lip, reconstructive surgery after cancer removal surgery etc., extreme weight loss, or any other similar situations.
• However- for any other reasons I am COMPLETELY against it. Here's why:
• I feel that it's vain and materialistic. 
• I know a major reason in support of cosmetic surgery to improve self-image and confidence. But I just can't swallow the idea that permanently altering your body through a surgical procedure is the answer to improved self-esteem and body perception.
• It's disturbing and sad that we live in a society so focused on a fabricated "beauty ideal" that is insanely unrealistic and superficial. Especially when this "beauty ideal" causes people to lack positive body-image and self-confidence.
• It doesn't look natural if it's done wrong or too much.
• The cost.

**And on a side note that's not relevant to a lot of people- but I've had more than my fair share of surgeries in my lifetime already. I can't understand the mentality of voluntarily going under the knife and subjecting yourself to unnecessary risks, medical bills, PAIN, etc. Not to mention voluntarily spending time in a hospital with doctors, nurses,etc.

What's interesting- is that I seem to be in the minority with this stance. While discussing all my aforementioned reasons with my mom (and her arguing the opposite points), I realized that all those points stem from 2 major ideologies within me. These are:

• I'm jealous that people have the option to change what they don't like about their bodies and I don't. That someone can look in the mirror, pick out an aspect they don't like about their body, walk into a doctor's office, and then have it taken care of. Whereas when I look in the mirror (something I really don't like doing by the way) and see all the many things I don't like about my body--there's not a single thing I can do about it. I just simply have to accept and move on. 
• Finally, and most importantly, I would do anything to simply have a "normal" body. So it kills me that people who DO have a "normal" body aren't satisfied with what they have. That they take for granted something that I wish for every single day. 

However while discussing this issue with my mom, I realized I need to maybe be a little less judgmental of those who do choose to have cosmetic surgery done. It is their body and everyone does deserve to feel good about and confident in their body. If cosmetic surgery is the answer to that- then so be it for them. Meanwhile... I'll continue doing the best I can with the body I was given and waiting for my perfect body. I'm so excited. :)

Thoughts to Ponder

And lastly for this post....

"Oh God of second chances and new beginnings, here I am again."

The Best Woman in My Life- My Mother

Isn't she beautiful?! She makes 57 look good!

Today is a special day. It's my mom's 57th birthday!! So I thought I'd take the opportunity to tell you- and her- 57 reasons why I think she's so incredible and therefore love her so much:

1. She KNOWS the Gospel is true. She has always known, and has never wavered or doubted.
2. She's my temple "partner". (She also faithfully attends the temple 4 times a week.)
3. She continuously puts me (and other loved ones) on the Temple Prayer Roll.
4. She reads her scriptures and prays-- every single day.
5. She actively strives to be more Christ-like every day.
6. The simple, pure faith and trust she places in the Lord. She knows the Lord is going to help her through whatever trial she is asked to go through. 
7. She forgives me quickly and repeatedly.
8. She is incredibly patient with me- way more than I ever deserve.
9. She loves her kids more than anything in the world.
10. She also loves her grandkids and adores her role as a grandma.
11. How close she was with her parents (particularly her dad), and how close she is with each of her siblings.
12. She drives out to Bountiful every week to visit her mom in a nursing home.
13. She thinks newborn babies (whether human or animal) are the cutest things on this planet. If a newborn baby (human) is present- she must hold it.
14. She's young at heart and still gets so excited about life.
15. She never complains about her back hurting and doesn't let the pain stop her from doing what she wants to do in life.
16. Her love for Lake Powell. She'd go there over any other place in the entire world.
17. She can water-ski for longer than anyone I know. (She once skied for 26 miles straight.)
18. She passed her love for the beauties of nature onto me (and the rest of her kids).
19. Her passion for sports... even though it can drive me a little nuts sometimes. (She's a die-hard Ute & Steelers fan --> wanted to be a football coach when she grew up. She also loves watching basketball- particularly March Madness; tennis; and loved lacrosse when my brother played in high school.)
20. How excited she gets about the holidays- particularly Christmas.
21. If something breaks- she'll spend hours trying to figure out how to fix it. And she's pretty successful most of the time.
22. Something is not truly lost in our house unless she can't find it.
23. She's the designated "nurse" of the family. (I gave her lots of good practice to earn that role.)
24. How obsessed she becomes over a song she really likes- and listens to the song over and over and over again. (I do the exact same thing. :))
25. If you happen to say a sentence, when talking with her, that also happens to be part of a song she knows- she'll interrupt and start singing whatever song you've reminded her of. (And then she often gets that song stuck in her head, which annoys her and that can be pretty funny.)
26. She'll change lyrics to songs to fit the particular situation she's singing about.
27. She can be crazy and goofy. She'll start dancing, make funny faces- and just overall be weird.
28. She makes me laugh... and is often laughing right along with me. 
29. Our "I love you more" arguments.
30. The weird, old sayings she'll say sometimes. 
31. We can have an entire conversation with each other without saying a single word.
32. How much common sense she has towards life and people- she has a lot of wisdom.
33. She taught me that the only person you can change is yourself.
34. How much effort she puts in to make her marriage work.
35. She always counsels me to turn to the Lord when I have a problem and am struggling.
36. She reminds me how loved I am by the Lord when I lose sight of that fact.
37. She watches Gilmore Girls, Psych, Bewitched, and a lot of other TV shows/movies with me.
38. The special things she does just for me- if I've had a bad day, for special occasions/celebrations, and sometimes just for fun.
39. All the acts of service she does for me- every single day.
40. That she eats fruit despite being allergic to it just because she loves it so much.
41. How much she loves getting her hair brushed.
42. She must have popcorn while watching a movie. She can't resist eating popcorn after smelling it.
43. The notes she wrote on the napkins she put in my lunches she would make for me during college... especially if she included a drawing. ;)
44. That at the age of 22- I still have to check in with her... otherwise she calls me to check in. ;)
45. Her nicknames for me (that in reality make no sense): pumpkin poosh canoosh canoodle, little blueberry muffin, apple strudel, gumba- gumba, doll face, and finally- babe.
46. She always wears socks and slippers at home because she gets cold so easily.
47. How much she loves the game RIPPLE (and how excited she gets when she actually ripples- or gets the very card she needed). 
48. She's emotional and cries easily. Especially when it concerns the Gospel and her family.
49. She taught me that I'm stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for.
50. She taught me that when I'm overwhelmed to take it one day and one challenge at a time.
51. That through everything I've had to go through in my life, she has been right by my side every single step of the way- helping me figure out how to overcome the challenges/obstacles.
52. She supports me in everything that I do.
53. She genuinely believes in me and in my potential.
54. She's my best friend. She knows and understands me better than anyone else- even better than I know myself sometimes.
55. I can tell her anything; and I tell her everything... and she LISTENS.
56. Her "mama bear" side that comes out if you mess with one of her kids.
57. She's MY mother and there's not a single woman on Earth who would do a better job than she does. She's the perfect mother... for me.

This list doesn't even begin to do justice to how amazing my mom really is. If I end up being half the woman she is in my lifetime- I'll have it made! So- HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mom!!! I'm infinitely blessed to be able to call you "Mom". Hope you know how much I truly do appreciate and love you!!!

God's Love

Hubble Ultra Deep Field

According to NASA- there is an estimated 10,000 galaxies in the above picture. And this is only a fraction of space pictured.

I'm taking a "Pearl of Great Price" Institute class this semester. In class we talked about God's creations and discussed the following scriptures:

"And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purposes; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. ... But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them." --Moses 1: 33, 35

We then discussed how amazing (and it undoubtedly is incredible) it is that with the trillions+ of creations God has- that He not only knows and loves each of us individually, but that He takes time to individually care for us. We talked about how Christ, the creator of "worlds without number", took the Nephite children one by one and blessed them (found in 3 Nephi 17). He didn't just give a group prayer/blessing on everyone present and call it good. He devoted time, energy, and love to each child individually. And He does the exact same for each one of us. Patriarchal blessings are a very real evidence of that.

I know that for me, it can be easy to feel small, ignored, and insignificant in the craziness of this world. (I especially feel this way when gazing up at the stars.) It can be easy to get caught up in the thought that with all of God's creations- how does He have time to care about you and your problems? But we must remember the last part in the scripture above: "but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them." Pretty incredible huh?!

He does know me individually. He does know what's going on in my life- my trials and triumphs. He does hear and answers my prayers. He does love me.

How eternally grateful I am for my testimony of these truths. I truly am one blessed Daughter of God.

Strength

I've been told a lot throughout my life that I've been an inspiration to others. I always thought that was strange. Don't get me wrong, that's flattering and I'm glad I've had a positive influence in others' lives. However, I'm just going about living my life to the best of my abilities. Isn't that what everyone's trying to do? Everyone has trials they've had to overcome in their lives... mine just happen to be visible to others. But that doesn't make my trials any grander, more difficult, or more inspirational than the trials  the person next to me has fought to overcome. 

I firmly believe that people are a lot stronger and capable than what they give themselves credit for. You'll be amazed at what you can endure and do when you have no other choice but to do it.

I remember an experience I had a few years ago. I had gone to my brother's work to speak. He worked at an resident facility for delinquent boys ages 12-18. I did my little spiel and then opened it up for questions. One of the boys there made the comment along the lines of... 'I don't know how you do it. If I like got one of my arms cut off I just couldn't do it.' I firmly responded... 'Yes you could. Because if you really got your arm cut off- you'd have no other choice but to do it! You'd either have to deal and figure out how to overcome that- or just give up.' 

I love the following sentiment. I know it's 100% true. And that truth has given me greater peace and strength as I've strived to overcome the challenges in my life. 

And finally, one last thought that I love:

One of the Reasons Why I Stay on Facebook...

... is because of all the awesome quotes I find on there!! Here's some recent ones:

Appropriate reminder just after finishing the Christmas season.

I desperately need this reminder as I continue to learn all there is to know at LDS Family Services. Even 4 months later it can still be overwhelming sometimes.

This is the continuation of the quote above:
"One day God will, in great victory, 'wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.' One day our calamities will be overpast." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

This was accompanied with this thought that I love:
"Self-realization is one of the most important aspects in this journey of life. It's hard to believe in God when you don't believe in yourself. By understanding who we really are, we better understand who God is and in turn, understand His plan for us." -LDS S.M.I.L.E

This picture was accompanied with the following quote:
"Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed, there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in can uphold us and carry us until, once again, we walk in the light." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

This may or may not actually be from C.S. Lewis (the Internet is in disagreement over that one). Either way I love it and believe this to be so true! I am without a doubt so much more than just my physical body. I am a child of God, with unbelievable worth in His eyes that has nothing to do with my physical appearance. And while I'm extremely grateful to have my body which allows me to have this mortal experience- I'm also grateful to know this physical body isn't mine forever. At least not in its current imperfect state. (Can't wait for the perfected version though!!! It's going to be more amazing then I could ever imagine, I just know it.)

And for some humor:

Holiday Hoopla

Matt & I (& Mom- who's taking the picture) decorating the Christmas Tree!

Christmas Tree all lit up!

Wow the last 3 weeks have been filled with all kinds of fun craziness!!! So much so I didn't stop to take any pictures, which means all picture credits from this post belong to either my mom or sisters.

Anyways- back to the excitement. It all started with my sister, Stacy, and her 4 girls coming into town. From there on we went non-stop from one fun activity to another... despite over half the family being sick at one time or another. We seriously were quite the group with all of us coughing and blowing our noses every 5 minutes. But we didn't let that stop us from having fun and enjoy being together as family!

Since pictures are more exciting than writing- let's just get straight to it shall we? We'll go by event okay? ;)

Playing in the Snow:

P.S. I was so SO happy that we had a white Christmas this year!! If it's not a white Christmas- any snow we receive after that I'm just bitter towards. Dead serious. 

Lot's of fun cousin/sibling bonding time:

Isn't this picture filled with so much awesomeness?!

From left to right: Kylie (2), Makai (21 mo), Kate (5), Aly (11), Lise (8), Jaden (10), Camren (8)

Swimming:
          (Thanks to Matt's friend, Shae, and her awesome pool with a bubble over it- they were able to take the kids swimming. Who says you can't go swimming in the middle of winter?! I unfortunately had to miss out on that fun due to my responsibilities at LDS Family Services.)

I don't know if Kate is cold or what...

Look at that form!!!

Playing Games:
       I think that's how we spent the majority of our time- playing one game or another. We played No Thanks, Word on the Street, Over/Under, Quelf, Wits & Wagers, Clue, Ripple, Mad Gab, Rack-O, Skip Bo and I'm sure some others I've forgotten.

Here's a picture of the girls playing "The Matt Game". They LOVED it!! Who needs expensive gadgets when you have some books, imagination, & people to entertain you?!

Christmas Morning:

Yes I know I'm very spoiled with that massive pile of presents in front of me.

Ice-Skating:
      (Try not to mind the blurry pictures. I also had to miss out on this fun- again due to being at LDS Family Services.)

Haha!!! Her facial expression is hilarious in this picture!

Sibling Dinner- California Pizza Kitchen:
            My siblings (and that includes my in-laws) are my best friends. There's honestly not a group of people I'd rather spend time with than my family. They all have helped shape me into a better person than I otherwise would've been without them in my life. I couldn't ask for better examples to look up to than these people. I love them all so much.
            

Spencer's 26th Birthday (Dec. 29th):

Haha! I love this picture!!

I have an amazing brother! He can always make me laugh, is one of the smartest people I know, and has such a strong testimony of the gospel.
Love you so much Spence!! 

New Year's Eve:

Nice face Laura.

I have no idea why she looks so traumatized in this picture. She was all smiles when we were outside banging on the pie pans to ring in the New Year.

Laura planned all these fun activities for the kids to do during the night so they wouldn't be bored on New Year's Eve. One of the activities was to decorate their "noise maker". Cute huh? They absolutely loved it!! Major aunt/mom points to Laura!! (I need to step it up in the aunt department apparently...)

Not Pictured:

• Family Parties (both the Webb Ebelskiver party & the Jackman Christmas party--> where all the girls got a "bra purse". I'm dead serious- and so was my Grandma in giving the gift.)
• Christmas Eve tradition of the formal dinner in the "nice" dining room by candlelight, followed by stating why we love each other by the fireplace. After that we do our "Gift to Christ". It's a great night filled with the Spirit. 
• Watching The Cosby Show (Spencer got all 8 seasons for Christmas) --> I'd forgotten how hilarious The Cosby Show truly is! And you gotta love how clean it is, which is hard to find today! 
• Watching movies (October Baby, My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, Knight & Day, Men in Black 3, Les Miserables, The Hobbit, and of course lots of Christmas movies!)
• Going to the Jordan River Temple as a family and doing sealings (the first time for me)
• My entire family going to church together (loved being in Relief Society with my mom & all of my sisters)
• Me finally meeting my best friend's baby girl, Lila, for the first time. Oh my heck she is absolutely ADORABLE!!!

All in all- it was 3 weeks where lots of great memories were made!! I'm so grateful that my entire family was able to spend so much time together over the holiday season. I couldn't have asked for anything better than that.