Mormon Messages

Dear Blog,

I spent almost all of my free time today on the Mormon Messages page on YouTube watching many of the inspirational and spiritual videos they have. The following video was one that I needed to hear today. It is only 3 minutes long so watch it!

Life has been a bit rough lately and I know exactly what I need to do that will help everything: serve the Lord and serve those around me. Even if serving others doesn't directly impact the trials I am facing, I know they will help me cope, become closer to my Savior, and ensure that I am spiritually in tune when the answer comes. The trials in my life are not that serious but nonetheless I must have complete faith in God's power, that he will always guide me.

I always make excuses that I will visit a neighbor or write that note or call to check in on a loved one but I always decide that I will do it not today. I will do it tomorrow. I need to face my fears and insecurities and pride and do what I know is right for me to do. I need to pray daily for His help to find strength and determination to do it.

Along this note, I have recently discovered that I am not the only woman in Relief Society who feels scared to sit by someone they don't know and introduce themselves. And that I'm not the only young mother (there are a lot in my ward) who feels so alone on the weekday mornings and afternoons with no girlfriend to talk to and yet are worried that they will inconvenience another young mommy by calling them at a bad time. So we all just sit in our apartments dying for another (girl) adult to come over and talk to and never realize our neighbor is feeling the exact same thing! When I realized this I made a list of other women in the ward who were most likely in the same boat as me and I said I was going to call them up and invite them over for lunch.

...But again, I put it off and before I knew it a month went by.

I know with the help of daily prayer I can build strength to overcome this and other challenges and choose this day what I will do. This day. Right now.

Sincerely,

A Very Spiritual Emily Wilcock

Juniper's Alter Ego

Dear Blog,

I would like you to meet Juniper's alter ego, Jasper.

Jasper was here to celebrate Father's Day with us.

Jasper is really cute but does have soft, feminine features so I don't know how well Jasper is pulling off a "Shakespeare-in-Love".

But still, whether it is Jasper or Juniper her grammy and grandpa love her just the same.

Really though, I don't know why I decided to dress Juni up as a boy for Father's Day. Perhaps I was just curious to know what it would be like to have a little boy. Or maybe because Father's day is a day honoring fathers who are men who were once boys (OK, this one doesn't make sense). Or maybe because that cute little red hat was worn by Juni's daddy when he was a baby. Well, whatever the reason was it doesn't matter. It was fun to see a different side of June bug. But, I am happy to have my little girl back today.

It was Heath's very FIRST Father's Day yesterday AND it was also his 24th birthday!!! I had a great day celebrating his special day. I love you, Sweetheart! Thank you for keeping me laughing (walk like a penguin, muh). Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day!!!

Celebrating Heath's 23rd Birthday last year. His attitude has improved a lot since then.

Sincerely,
Emily Wilcock

Some Minor Adjustments

Dear Blog,

Do you notice anything unusual in the the following picture?

Just taking a relaxed picture standing evenly on both feet

.....Have you figured it out? Here, take a closer look.

Hint: Compare my arms.

Yep, that's it! It appears that my left arm hangs a little lower than my right arm.

I went to the chiropractor yesterday because my back has been killing me lately. Well, since pregnancy and it has only gotten worse. After a long stand in the kitchen making dinner, I always feel stiff and a little out of breath. The Chiropractor told me that my right shoulder is higher than the left and that my hips are most likely off too. He even thought I had scoliosis (I don't).

It's hard to tell but you can see the slight difference in height between the shoulders.

I'll find out today what the X-rays say. Hopefully, I get adjusted and I will be standing straight again. A bientot!

Sincerely,

Emily Wilcock

GG - buying used

Dear Blog,

It has been a while since I have posted about the eco-friendly journey Heath and I are on. And this one seems to be a new and welcomed hobby to many and I am happy about it, but I hope it will catch on even more. It is buying used. Used what? Used anything! Our favorite place to shop lately has been Goodwill (especially on half-off Saturdays). We started going there for the vinyl records, we go back because we can't afford going anywhere else, and we will keep going there because we realized how lovely it is to get something "new" without actually manufacturing more stuff. So this means garage sales, thrift stores, antique stores, craigslist, ebay, family members getting rid of stuff, and so on. Here are a few things around the house that are second hand...

Found at Goodwill. $20 but I got it 50% off!

These canisters were also found at various Goodwill locations and they

ranged from $0.99-$3.99. Again, I got them 50% off. I use these for

grains, beans, flour, sugar, etc. which I buy in bulk. NO PACKAGING!!!

Juniper's high chair we bought off Ebay. Made many decades ago and I love it!

A hand-me-down coffee table from my Grandma. My Grandpa found it

many years ago next to a dumpster and liked it. So it was extra free.

I know some people have reservations about buying their things used. I did too until I was forced (forced may not be the word I'm looking for but I have lived on a very tight budget for quite a while now so I feel like I have had no choice) to make used purchases on things I wouldn't have considered before, like dishes, furniture, decor, electronics, or clothes. I basically would only get novelties from these types of places, like the records that I mentioned before. Then once I gave in I realized I had been missing out all this time. And since Heath and I have such a strong yearning to be different from everybody else, we loved the chance to have pieces that were practically one-of-a-kind. And if you feel that the store is too dirty. I can assure you that if you clean everything when you get home you will be just fine.

You can get a lot for $20 if you know where to find it. So, let's all go shopping. It'll be fun!

Sincerely,

Emily Wilcock

Bain or Blessing?

Dear Blog,

My sweet Juniper gets cuter by the day, but this week she has gotten irresistibly cute. I can hardly take it! I clench my teeth, squint my eyes, and shake my fists because I just can't take it. I love to blow on her tummy, squeeze her chubby arms and legs, and try to make her laugh. The noises she makes are so adorable that they resonate an eternally happy feeling in my soul. Yes, her babbles do that much to me. They make me melt. They make me want to cry. They make me overjoyed.

Last night I was reading her a bedtime story. It was all about the noises animals make. And of course I sound ridiculous trying to moo like a cow or baa like a sheep. But last night, Juni loved it! With each animal sound she cracked up. I beckoned to Heath so he could share in this precious moment (no pun, I swear I'm not talking about the glass figurines). We died. I cannot adequately express to you how cute it was but I am so filled with sunshine from that little girl that I can't keep it to myself.

I remember at the beginning of my pregnancy I was so sick. I had not yet accepted or wanted the reality that I would soon be a mommy. I remember one day watching Oprah and the show was about motherhood. I thought, "Great! Now I can really benefit from these kinds of episodes." But after the show was over I sobbed. I was devastated. I did not want to have a baby. Despite the show's good intentions, they failed to express to me that becoming a mother would be worth it. Everyone on the show talked about how hard it was. How miserable they were. How much they aren't respected. How rotten their children are and how they took away their personal lives. I didn't hear one woman talk about anything positive about being a mom.

Fortunately, the dread melted away with the sickness and soon I was so excited to start a family. I am happy to have discovered (though I know I'm not the first) that babies are wonderful and being a baby's parent is also wonderful. I took a developmental psychology class online this past semester and I learned something interesting. When comparing young mothers to middle-aged women who are out of their early mothering years, the younger women were rated as less happy then the older women. In fact, they were rated the least happy (and quite stressed) of both men and women at all stages of adulthood. However, and a BIG however, they were also rated as having the most joy. Confusing? Not at all. Think of it this way. All things in life have an opposite so with the deepest sorrow comes the great joy. I parallel Juniper's birth to this. It was by far the hardest and most painful thing I have done but I have never ever experienced such constant elation, which lasted for weeks, in my life! I look forward to the time I get to succumb to the pains of childbirth just to have that euphoria again. I don't think it is mere coincidence that childbirth and motherhood have these amazing potential outcomes. It is a blessing from God. Sadly, I do not believe society as a whole realizes this and consequently many individuals do not realize this either, despite their good intentions. If only we all realized that the trials of motherhood create the greatest blessings and that it is a noble "profession" to be a nurturing, teaching, creating, loving mother.

OK, I will stop. If you have read it all, thank you for sticking with me and hearing me out. I have become quite the passionate person. Anyway, I got off on a tangent. What was I saying? Ah, yes! Juniper is so darn cute!!!

Sincerely,
Mommy Wilcock

Year No. 2

Dear Blog,

Two years ago today Heath and I were married!

I cannot believe the time has gone so fast. We celebrated yesterday. Juniper got to spend the entire day at Grammy and Grandpa Wilcock's while we went to the Arizona Science Center. It was wonderful to get out and have a date (despite the high being 108 degrees. Blech!).

Downtown Phoenix

A falling contraption in the Fear Exhibit

Yes, I really did one of these pictures

We have a picture exactly like this one from a year and a half ago

I know that I have been posting a lot of videos (the one of Juniper eating should work now...really, it should) but I have another one to share. I thought that since Heath and I didn't have a wedding video, I could make one now of our lives so far. It is pretty basic but I had fun making it and of course I enjoy watching it and would like to share it with you.

Here's to 2 more years...and more!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Wilcock

Juniper Laughs

Dear Blog,

After about 3 months of trying, I have finally captured Juniper laughing on camera. Isn't a baby's laugh the best? Oh, and sorry about the fuzziness of the video and the messy bed.

Here is another cute video of Juni trying to eat the camera. She wants to chew on everything and the shiny camera is just the thing she wants to bite into.

I love that you can hear her little airy breaths. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I have.

Sincerely,

Emily Wilcock