Be a Light

Big week this week!!! It was Jaden’s first week of school so naturally I had go full on embarrassing mom on him and make him apple waffles for breakfast and take back to school pics on our front porch. I loved every second of it, he didn’t so much (except for the waffles) but was a pretty good sport! I’m so proud of him and the hard work he put in to get us here! Now the grind begins… they say to prepare for 60-70 hours worth of class, labs and studying… gag. But if anyone can do it he can! I remember when I was going to school and working in Salt Lake and he’d take off a day to study for an exam I’d leave in the morning to go to class and get home in the evening after work to find him right where I’d left him, sitting at his desk buried in his notes and textbooks. The kid can study and work harder at learning concepts than anyone I know! He’s going to do great! 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the things we talked a lot about prior to moving out here was how we wanted to be an example to others and be kind and help them feel God’s love through our interactions with them. Since this is a new place we’ve never experienced before and we’re going to be around people we’ve never met from all sorts of backgrounds we made the goal to try to leave Pittsburgh and the people we meet better than we found it. And it’s all in the little things. I think little conversations can have bigger impacts than we realize. Taking time to chat with someone doesn’t have to take long to be meaningful. That’s one of the things that impressed me the most when Jaden and I were dating was the way he always talked with people whether it was the cashier at the gas station, a waiter, a teenager at a store, elderly people we passed walking, the list goes on and on. He’s the epitome of the phrase I heard all the time in the South when people would talk about someone being friendly: Jaden “never knew a stranger.”

I was talking to a friend earlier this week about the sign on my office wall that says “Work hard and be nice to people.” We were talking about how it really is just as simple as that and how common regrets are: “I should’ve done more.” And “I should’ve been kinder.” Those regrets can be remedied by working hard and being nice to people. 

 

One of my favorite things Hailey said was:

“The two compliment each other really well. When you’re a nice and respectful person, good things come your way in terms of opportunity to work hard and success. When you work hard, you tend to attract those same kind of like minded people who let their respect for others pave the way.”

When I think about the people I look up to the most they all understand those two values and live them in their lives. They are people who leave places and people better than they’ve found them by working hard and being kind.

It really is as simple as that.

To finish off our week, Jaden won the husband of the year award for coming with me on a date night to a water lantern festival. As we sat on our picnic blanket and looked around at all of the people surrounding us writing their own thoughts on their lanterns I was touched by the thought that we all have our own light to shine. Each person there has a sphere of influence and their own opportunities to impact the lives of others. Though we may look different, believe different, act different we all can be a force for good, a light, in the lives of those around us.

It reminded me of a scripture in Matthew.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Whether or not the people we meet out here believe the same way we do, I hope and pray that my interactions with them are good and bring a little more light into their day.


 

 

 

 

Peaches

• Made some delicious Oatmeal Scotchies cookies (Chelsea’s Messy Apron is one of my new favorite sites to find recipes on
  
• Starting the Harry Potter movies again now that we’ve listened to all of the books
• Seeing pics and vids from our nieces and nephews 
• Laughing at Jaden enjoying the tacos I made one night so much that he had sour cream all over his face
  
• Having positive responses from people who want to follow along with our adventures on the blog
• Fixing the laundry basket handle with my handy dandy sewing kit (I hate sewing so it’s not pretty but it is fixed) 
• Making a yummy Mongolian beef recipe (also from Chelsea's Messy Apron) 
• The Utes had their first win of the season
  
• Not realizing it was Labor Day and getting a surprise long weekend
• A woman at the lantern festival said she loved my shirt and I told her where I got it and had a small chat about clothes 
• Seeing Jaden work so hard on his homework and everything he does
  
• Having wise and loving people in my life that I look to and learn from
• Hearing from caring and concerned  grandmas calling us to see if we were alright during the rain from Hurricane Ida
• My bosses, coworkers, and their families were all safe in Louisiana after the hurricane 
• Receiving a text from one of my cute young women that I got to know in Bountiful
• Our friend Keile has a Costco card and bought Jaden his favorite cashews
• Going to the rib fest at Heinz Field with the Carnegie Crew
• Woman at rib fest saying I look like Letty from Fast and Furious, that was a new one.
• Walking by the river looking at all of the crazy nice boats/yachts
• Listening to Saturday Nights by Khalid driving through the city on a Saturday night
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• Seeing pictures of one of my best friends from high school's wedding
  
• Seeing people out on family walks on Sundays
• Going to church and listening to other people’s testimonies and experiences joining the church
• Hearing from a missionary that was born in Tennessee and adopted by a family in Utah
• Showing my friend the gospel library app
• Having a good discussion on truth in Sunday school
• Getting to see the Huntzinger family again while they were in town visiting Tanner and Amanda
• Planning my mom's next trip out here 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                             

 

 

Pits

•  I wasn’t as kind as I should’ve been when I misunderstood the purpose of Jaden’s upcoming internship next summer and that it might not take us back to Utah for the summer
  
• Utah football games are LATE out here with that rain delay we were up watching past midnight
• Driving can be really frustrating out here, the roads can be incredibly narrow and there is nothing even close to a grid system that we enjoy in Utah
• City traffic
• Getting caught in the rain running errands
• Thinking my birth control prescription wasn't available out here but just needed to switch pharmacies
  
• I keep forgetting to turn off of the oven or stove since they are just turn knobs and most of the numbers and lettering has rubbed off on the knobs 
• The entry and hallways of our house as you're walking up the stairs to our place really stinks, it's a combination of spices and mildew and it's pretty bad 
• Disgusting funnel cake at the rib fest
  

Lessons Learned:

• We all have a light to share in the lives of one another.
• The smallest of conversations can make the biggest difference in peoples’ and your own day.
• Being nice to people includes first and foremost your family. Like the quote my parents have on the magnet board in our mud room “if you treated your friends like you treat your family would you have any?"
• I love making a big deal of back to school days
• When Jaden jumps up and down when he is watching football everything in our apartment shakes, pray for our downstairs neighbors
  
• Rain clouds out here actually mean rain. In Utah you can have a cloudy day and no rain out here rain means rain and it comes down in sheets!
• Our fire escape doubles as a drying rack. I hate air drying towels but as long as the dryer hose is broken air drying is our only option
• Our shower really is like in the movies where if you flush the toilet or turn on a sink it will turn the shower stream either scalding hot or ice cold. We’ve made a pact to not turn on the cold water or flush the toilet and scald the other person but the hot water and turning the shower cold is fair game. I always forget when Jaden is showering but he forgets when I am so I’ve had a few icy rinses the past few weeks!
• Millie's is still our fav ice cream place. Tried a place downtown called Dave & Andy's that was yummy but still not as good as Millie's