Challenges or Blessings?

TomAtoes or Tomatoes?

So we all know

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know whatchya gOne-na get"
&
"when it hands you lemons...
you make lemonade."


The more I study the scriptures the more readily I accept and welcome the challenges the Lord let's us endure.
Let's rewind a few weeks and I'll splain:

It started with the loss of my iPhone
I've never really been into "the latest and greatest"
or been one to get attached to such.
But since it only cost 1 Euro when we arrived here, I thought "why not."
My phone was awesome.
Then it took a bath.

Next:
my spillage issues follow me to the computer keyboard.
$180 later, we're on our 3rd.

Next, the endeavor to potty-train Afton at 19months.
I knew I'd be house-bound for a good week or more.
No biggie.
Suck it up.
Do my workouts at home.

Stalk-call people

Bring travel potty with me in the back of the car for the grocery trips.

Our 2 daily outings would be walking Porter to and from school.

TOTALLY do-able.


Until you lock yourself out of the house w/ car keys but no house key on the ring...
in the snow...
no wallet...
no cell phone...
and still don't have your husband's contact numbers memorized.
:)

So what's to be done?
Bring the white-trash to Germany!
Knock on my neighbor's door...
wake her from her nap and ask to use her internet so I can send an S.O.S. to the hubby.
Have her feed my child who still hasn't eaten lunch,
and let us use the potty.

Nicht so schlimm.


Same Day: Family-mobile died.

2 Days later: our 2nd car broke-down.

No prob.
We were even laughing still at this point!
What more can be thrown our way that can't be handled with a little prayer!?

Com'mon, try us!

But SRSLY. In the midst of it, these two AWESOME missionaries told Luke they'd be over to fix our car and make us dinner!

SAY WHUT!?!
They pretty much Rock!

Here's the Chef/babysitter:

And this is the Mechanic/babysitter:



The night the missionaries came to fix the car, Afton was just not herself. So cranky.
Which by 4p.m. was making for a cranky ME.

Turns out, that was her first night with....
The Chicken Pox

She didn't want to pose for a picture because she said this was her
"bad side."
And I said, "Oh, sweety, every side is bad when you have
the pox of a chicken!
You need to smile and let me document this for posterity."

So then she made this face and said "Hey. it's all I got.":
{Guess that's the picture that will live on for generations.}

And...

"WHAT. You don't ride scooters naked while wearing socks a
nd begging for your daddy's cereal?"
It totally helps when you have the Pox of a Chicken!

At least we've already had the Swine flu here.
Cause who knooooooooooows what she'd be doing!...

running across the street wearing only a mask?


Next:
Our computer caught a MEAN virus and crashed hard.
BAD, Sony, BAD!
Why can't you be a good boy like our lil' Apple?


We've got AWESOME friends!
I called computer 9-1-1 and rushed my computer over where this amazing guy worked day and night to save our Vaio.
He said we almost lost her...
THANKS, Jeff!!!
(and Laura, for watching the kiddos while he worked even longer hours!)

Let's face it.
REAL stressers aren't fun blogging material. :)
As with anyone, the most challenging "stressers" have been unseen to the outside.
It has just seemed to hit all at once.


I have a stronger testimony that God lives.
He answers prayers.
I have 3 scriptures in the Book of Mormon that have given me strength through trials this past year:

Mosiah 4:9
"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

Alma 32:21
"...faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

Ether 12:4&6
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."
"And now, I, Moroni, would speak concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

What gives YOU strength through trials?