Some Big News

So, a lot of life changing decision making has been going on in the Stratford household lately. 

After some initial inspiration, a lot of talking and researching, and a lot more prayer, Ben and I have decided to move to Logan, Utah at the end of April/beginning of May. 

I've just been plugging along towards getting my degree in elementary education down here at Dixie. With the move to Logan, I've been working on getting my credits transferred. I've been in contact with an advisor and some professors at USU, trying to get as many credits to transfer as I can. And I've been pretty successful. There are a couple of hoops that I'll have to jump through to get into the program up there, but it's nothing too big. Mainly I have to take a few more prerequisite classes and take (and pass) the Praxis in February. 

We are really moving to Logan for Ben's sake. Ben graduated from Dixie with a B.A. in Music. His original plan was to go to grad school for composition and become a composer. But with tough economy and high competition, he was unable to get into grad school. So we tried another route.. the military. After that whole fiasco was over, he started meeting with a career counselor at the college and he discovered that he has the skills and personality and interests that match up with a career in engineering. Long story short, Ben has decided to go into mechanical engineering. Dixie doesn't have an engineering degree. The original plan was to stay here until I graduated with my ed degree and then we would move to Logan so that Ben could really start going at his second bachelor and I would work to put him through school. But now that we are moving to Logan, Ben can start digging in and going to school full time a year earlier than planned. That means he can graduate earlier. And get into his career earlier. Happy day. It will take me a bit longer to finish my degree, but I am okay with that. 

I'm excited to move to Logan. It will provide us as a couple an opportunity to really grow closer to one another, out of necessity. Because we'll be far away from our family and our friends. It will be the first time in my life since I was a toddler that I will have lived outside of southern Utah. I have heard that it is absolutely gorgeous in Logan... in the summer

But I'm not so excited for this...

Except sometimes it can be pretty.

But still a pain to drive in, walk in, shovel from the sidewalk...

Catching Up

I've been slacking the past few days on writing down things I'm thankful for. This will be an attempt to catch up a little.
I'm thankful for my family members, both blood related and adopted. Each member of my family is a special blessing in my life. I'm grateful to know that I have a whole slew of people in my corner when things aren't going my way. People who support me, uplift me, and inspire me. I'm thankful for all the things they do for me and for each other. They are wonderful examples to me.
I'm thankful for my health. I feel so blessed that I haven't been sick at all in a long time. Because of my health I have been able to not miss any school. That has been a huge blessing in itself. The homework load is so heavy, that I don't know how I would be able to catch up if I had gotten sick. I'm grateful that I have been able to stay healthy despite most of the other students in my cohort being sick and spending seven hours in a classroom with them twice a week. I am so glad that I am healthy.
I'm grateful for opportunities to serve those around me. Ben woke up sick this morning, and I saw it as an opportunity to serve him. I got him some medicine and cooked him breakfast. I told him to go sit in a warn bath so that the steam could help break up all the mucous he's got goin' on. I love him so much, and it's not very often that I get to serve him this way because he never gets sick. I'm glad that I am here for him when he needs me. :)

The Gospel

This one is for yesterday.

I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life, and for the blessings it brings to my life. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to partake of the sacrament each week and to renew those sacred covenants with my Heavenly Father. I am grateful that the gospel has allowed me to meet those in our ward family. It feels so comforting to have so many people watching out for us and for our well being. It has also been a blessing to be able to serve my ward family in the primary. I'm so grateful that I get to spend two hours a week with such sweet little spirits and that I learn so much from their examples. Without the gospel, I would not have been able to be sealed to my best friend for time and all eternity. I'm so glad I have the comfort that no matter what happens, we will be together forever! I am thankful that I am a member to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Self-Reliance

I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to be employed. Right now our country is going through a tough time, and there are so many people in the United States that can't find work. And I am blessed enough to have two jobs!
I'm thankful that Ben and I are able to provide for ourselves and that we are able to meet our needs. We don't have fancy or expensive things, but that's okay. Of course there are things I would love to have, like a nice camera or a nicer apartment that isn't in a basement, but I have a camera that does the job and we have a cozy two bedroom apartment that is the perfect size for our needs right now. And I'm grateful that we are able to make enough money to live on our own and learn how to be reliant on ourselves and the Lord.
I'm grateful that the jobs I have are ones that I like. I love my job at Tuacahn.. especially my coworkers. And I love being a substitute teacher because it gives me a taste now and then if what having my own classroom will be like and because I'm able to actually put the things I'm learning in school into practice.
I truly have a blessed life.

An Attitude of Gratitude

It's November. With this month comes lots of food, lots of family, and the beginning of the holiday season. This November, I want to really stop to think about the things I am grateful for. So starting today, I am going to post once a day about something I am grateful for in order to get in the gratitude mindset. There are a few other posts I will be putting up in order to catch up on things in our life right now, but those will come when I have a little more time to sit down and type it all out. :)

So, here goes.

Today I am grateful for food. This morning I woke up late and didn't have time to eat breakfast or to pack a lunch for school. I grabbed a mostly eaten bag of baby carrots out of the fridge and ate them on the way to school, and that is the only food I've had all day. It makes me realize how lucky I am to have food in my fridge every day that I can go eat whenever I would like. I am truly blessed to have a life where Ben and I make enough money to meet our basic needs. I have not enjoyed the grumbling and growling that my stomach has been doing all day, and it makes me sad that some people on this earth have to deal with this feeling practically all day, every day. I love food and the satisfied feeling I have after filling up my tummy with delicious, healthy (and sometimes junk) food.