Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

I am looking for instructors to join my barre3 team, and it's been hard.

One of the things I am learning about starting a business

is the vulnerability that comes with it.

Being comfortable, being uncomfortable.

I am always belittling myself, mostly because I worry

people won't take me seriously. 

Maybe because of the way I look.

Maybe because for the last 25 years, I haven't had a "real job."

(Although I firmly believe being a homemaker is a JOB!).

Maybe because I didn't graduate from college.

There are a lot of vulnerabilities and insecurities that I feel.

All my weaknesses tend to overpower my strengths.

President Eyring said in a 2017 talk:

“Those who do not see their weaknesses do not progress.
Your awareness of your weakness is a blessing as it helps you
remain humble and keeps you turning to the Savior. 

The Spirit not only comforts you, but He is also the agent by 

which the Atonement works a change in your very nature. 

Then weak things become strong.”

My Favorite!

Here is my favorite family photo we took earlier this year.

Gigs Is The Goat

This evening, I went out to collect the chicken eggs and took Gigs

 with me because he fends off the goats for me so 

they don't molest me like they always do when I'm alone.

I can't believe I'm typing this, but the goats are super cute.

They stink but are so cute.

So is Gigs. 

He's super cute, not stinky. 

Not always, anyway.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2025

Holidays are different when kids are kids anymore.

No one woke up wondering if a naughty leprechaun changed the 

 milk green, and no one tried to pinch me.

But you know me, I still made it special.

Lottie set the table this evening, which was a fun change since I am 

usually the table-setting matriarch.

For dinner, I made baked cabbage wedges with Irish Soda Bread, 
and Gigs cooked up his famous small potatoes. 

The cabbage wedges were, well, a lot of cabbage.

I mean, who likes cabbage that much?

In the evening, we all donned our green and attended a barre3 class 

taught by new instructor, Caulin!

He's the best!  The class was fantastic, and it was so fun

to end our St. Patrick's Day all together working out to 

Irish music.

Just kidding, we didn't work out to Irish music, 

but we did listen to The Cranberries and U2 during dinner.

Two of our favorite Irish artists.

A View From The Pew

 

This was my view from the pew at church today. 

My two adorable boys are now serving as leaders in our 

tiny young men's group at church.

I love them both SOOOO MUCH!

Right now, I'm excited for Ollie's future lady friend.

Whoever she is, she's one lucky girl!

And all of the wonderful people in Slovakia who

will get to work with Gigs for two years in August.

These boys have a bright future ahead!

Also, remember THIS?

Just For A Day

 

This photo was taken 15 years ago, in 2009.

Claire took this photo with my laptop

with the boys crowded around her.

They were probably playing a game on PBS kids

or watching something on Disney.

My favorite part of this photo is Jane waving from the window outside.

I was probably sick in bed.

I was sick a lot back then.

What I wouldn't give to have the Nies Little again

and be healthy.

Just for a day.

Moving On

Ollie landed a job working as an electrician assistant.

He starts on Monday.

I have to say, having him around has been really great.

 He helps Lod with school and has been such a fun, errand-running buddy.

I think he's really enjoyed having a few weeks of getting back to normal

from the last two years on his mission.

(You know, like wearing his helmet around the house.)

 

Sam taught a class today with me and Christian.

Sam is working toward certification, so she has been teaching a lot

until she passes off her teaching template.

Things are moving along, and I will be so glad

when we are finally in the studio working out and moving.

It will be so much better!

Be Good And Win

Lottie has been excited about Spring soccer since September 

when we signed her up.

Christian and I drove over to the field to meet her team

for her first practice.

Well, it turns out she's the only girl on her team.

So she wouldn't get out of the car.

Maybe if she was like five years younger, the boy/girl thing wouldn't

 matter, but playing soccer with 10 other 13-14-year-old boys 

is probably the worst idea.

She was pretty upset.

We got dinner and talked about other fun ways

for her to be outside moving her body.

Like all my other children (except maybe Jane),

Lottie is NOT competitive at all, she just wants to play sports

for fun.  That doesn't register in my brain.

I don't know if it was because I grew up in a very competitive house

with five competitive brothers (Except maybe Topher),

I just wanted to be good and win.

Sam B3

Today, I took a barre3 class from one of my

founding instructors, Sam.

She is THE BEST and an answer to prayer.

She also has the most adorable baby girls, who are 14 months apart,

much like Claire and Jane.

Those were some of the busiest days of my life.

But also some of the best days of my life.

(I wish I had barre3 back then!)

Those Guys

 Over the weekend, I attended a couple of trainings 

and conferences for church stuff

including a women's conference, with ladies spanning over

three areas of North Carolina.

We were a mighty group.

After the meeting, I was approached by a woman, Amy, who

told me she was in attendance when I spoke at a devotional at BYU 

almost 10 years ago!

Then she told me that she was an Occupational Therapist.

I really used to hate those guys back when I was recovering.

I used to tell anyone who would listen that I didn't

want "those guys" to come into my hospital room and bend and stretch

and essentially torture me.

I'm glad no one listened because

those guys saved my life, and I am so thankful for them.

I can do SO MANY things because those guys pushed

and supported me back to a new normal.

Now look at me!  I move my body for a living!

I told her how much she will (and does) change people's lives.

Most of the time, she won't know the good she does, so I wanted

to make sure she felt it from me.

Then, she told me that I was featured in one of her 

occupational therapy textbooks in college.

Well, shoot.  That's pretty cool.

I felt honored to be in a book that those guys

are reading to help heal and mend bodies and souls.

Because they are doing AMAZING WORK!

Extenstion

 

I took this photo last month when everyone was home

and we visited one of our favorite families 

 after church on Sunday.

This family —these two little boys —are an extension of our family.

I miss having little boys and little girls in my life.

I miss being a young mom, and these two little boys

remind me of those good days.

Christ's Youngest Disciples

 

This evening, Christian and I attended a conference where 

General Primary Presidency member,

Amy A.Wright came to provide training for primary leaders,

Bishops and Branch Presidents.

That meant Christian and I got to attend this amazing training together.

It was the best.

I learned so much.

Mostly, I just felt so thankful for ongoing revelation from God,

wonderful POWERFUL women leaders, and the connection

I feel with the adorable primary children, I am blessed

 to serve each week. They are the best.

Sister Wright explained that children are Christ's youngest

disciples, so our Sacrament meetings should be for them, too.

That really opened my eyes.

Often, our Sacrament meetings are geared to adults

and can be pretty boring for kids.

I think we can change this.

I'm excited to explore this.

After the meeting, I met a cousin, Lauren!!

Well, a second cousin on my Jones side.

We share the same great-grandparents, Doctor & Edna!

I love my Jones side!

Then, I was asked to give a talk in church next week.

I know just what I'm going to talk about and to

whom I am talking to!

Top Five

 Today, I taught a barre3 class in a neighborhood clubhouse.

I am teaching in this space twice a week until our studio is built.

I feel incredibly grateful for the support I feel from the 

community and my friends as I start this new business.

It's a lot.

I am so glad Christian is knowledgeable about the construction

and business side of the studio so I can focus on instructing and recruitment.

I love that we work so well together.

And I especially love our little lunch meetings after I teach a class,

or when we stop by the studio to check out the progress.

I have some very simple pleasures in my life,

getting lunch is in the top five.

Think About What You Did

 Today, I planted my front porch pots with some dainty blue pansies.  

They looked so happy standing guard at my front door until hen, Maggie,  

decided to lay her egg right in one of the pots, 

followed by hen, Derika.

While that sounds super cute, I mean farm-fresh eggs 

literally delivered to your doorstep; it was not super cute; 

my pansies were crushed, AND, for some reason, 

they pecked all the flowers off the stems. 

I was mad.

I picked up Maggie from my pot and tossed her in the bush next to the porch 

where she stayed for the next 10 minutes, probably wondering 

how she was going to get out of the bush.

I wanted her to think long and hard about what she did.

She never came back to the porch again.

I think she regrets that choice.

They're There

When we first got our chickens, we started with their eggs that we 

incubated and then raised into chicks.

As they "cooked" in the incubator every day, I spoke to them as 

if they could hear my voice.

I'd say, "Helllooo Chickennns" then, when they cracked open 21 days later,

I like to think they recognized my voice.

Today, I still say, "Hellllooooo Chickennnns," 

and then they all come running to me. 

Whenever I open the front door, they all come running up to the porch.

Sometimes, they follow me when I go for a walk around Stillestead. 

When I return home from running errands, they're there

and greet me when I open the car door.

I think they just actually want food, but I like 

to pretend that I'm Snow White and animals just love me.