Burning and Churning Calories Baby!

Today, I've been doing really well on the HCG diet again. Yep! I'm doing it! Now, waiting for the weight to melt off of me. I can hardly wait. I'm ready for this!

I'm waiting for our Elder J. Hunter Otis to call home from the airport on his way to California. I hope he has time to call. Otherwise we'll wait until Christmas to hear from him. Either way it's all good. Just the life of a missionary mom I guess.

Yesterday I took advantage of the sunshine and worked in the yard. I pulled all the weeds and cleaned out all my petunias. I love those purple beauties! I'll miss them as winter gets closer. It's been a lovely autumn though. I can't complain.

Last night I had talapia for the first time. It's a white fish. We made a foil dinner out of it. I rolled out a big piece of heavy foil first. Then I placed the pieces of fish in the bottom. I sprinkled it with a pinch of salt and ground some fresh pepper over all. Then I grabbed some of my home dried oregano and basil and sprinkled the fish with that. I also added some garlic powder.

Next I placed freshly rinsed and trimmed asparagus on top of the fish. On top of that I added caramelized onions and mushrooms. I added another pinch of salt and pepper. Then I added a splash of lemon juice and sealed up the whole thing and put it on the grill.

25 minutes later we opened up the foil to the most amazing foil dinner! YUM! How I love fish!

Along with my 5 oz of fish and half a cup of veggies I ate a handful of yummy salad! I sprinkled it with the most amazing balsamic vinegar! As I hummed through my dinner like a happy lunatic, my husband grinned! So not only was I the cook, I was the entertainment at dinner last night! Ha! I don't think I've ever enjoyed a meal so much.

I stuck with the plan though. But, I forgot to eat my fruit! Yikes! Duh! How could I have missed my between meals med. apple? Oh yeah, I was outside pulling weeds! Goodness!

Now I can say that I've survived 5 days on the HCG diet. I know what it's like to have a fire in my belly now. It's burning and churning the calories baby! Finally, my body is working how it was meant to work--and doing it right now!

Money Will Buy a Fine Dog....

As I read the posts here I realize that my sense of humor is not coming through. My spiritual side however does. So, in the future I'm going to be showing both sides of myself. I hope you enjoy this quirky part of me.

My kids are cringing from across the miles! I just know it! Ha!

I have found the humor in my own trials in life. I can laugh about nearly anything that comes my way. Having lived through so many health scares and seen the blessings of my healing on so many occasions--I know that our trials are often temporary. Those that aren't need to be triumphed over spiritually. I've been given the gift to see the lighter side of things. I think it helps get me through constant adversity.

I love harder, laugh often, find joy in the little things and have a life filled with joy! It's the coolest thing ever!

I wasn't always this way though. I went through my dark years. Many times I thought I was being punished. When I finally came to my senses it was when I nearly gave up the fight. One of my children saved me. While I was praying and pleading to be healed from beneath the comforter, a little face appeared over the end of my bed. I knew I was needed. I knew as I gazed into his green eyes, that I was so loved and worried over. I chose life in those moments.

Being happy is a choice for some of us. It doesn't come easily until you have practiced it for so long that it becomes a way of life! Choose to smile in the face of adversity! Choose to love those around you no matter how awful they can be. Choose to find the humor in the ridiculous and devastating things that come your way. Don't wallow in your sorrow. Hey! Yes! I'm talking to you and to myself. I slipped into that dark place off and on the last six months! It happens. I forgot to find joy. It nearly overcame me as I struggled, until I remembered my blessings and began to, yes, count them one by one. It's important to re-evaluate your life sometimes and repent and move forward.

When we give up the fight to find joy in our lives, and allow the darkness and worldly things overcome us--we lose so much more than we realize. "Man" was meant to have joy!

A funny aphorism was sent to my gmail today. "Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail." This jumped out at me, big time! I strive to be kind to all I meet. Why? Well, it's what Jesus would do. It's how those who were cruel to my family were not. It's a way to move past that treatment and rise above it. It has been the biggest blessing in my life! I get a little lift with each smile that is returned, each simple kind act that is preformed. Those are blessing people. Try being kind today. Start with a smile, it's free and it's amazing!

Call Upon the Lord in Your Family Circles

"Do not forget to call upon the Lord in your family circles, dedicating yourselves and all you have to God every day of you lives; and seek to do right, and cultivate the spirit of union and love, and peace and blessing of the Living God will be with us, and He will lead us in the paths of life; and we shall be sustained and upheld by all the holy angels and the ancient patriarchs and men of God, and the veil will become thinner between us and our God, and we will approach nearer to him, and our souls will magnify the Lord of hosts." (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, p. 148-149).


Our family has been calling on the Lord so often the past month, and in the past few years it would seem. I think we've been learning to trust in the Lord even more fully, through the accident Terry was in . I was grateful to know how and that I had been praying more actively because of the mission experience our sons had been sharing with us all. To pray was the very first thing I thought of to do when I received the call from Tawnya saying he'd been hurt.

For our family it's been so natural to pray as a together, though I have to admit, it did take effort on our part . With varying schedules and levels of exhaustion with each individual it has not always been easy to do. We have made it a habit each morning and every night before we go to bed.

We do believe that a family that prays together, stays together. It was a blessing to have this in place when things got so difficult this month and we then were able laid our burdens at the Saviors feet without question. Relief has been a blessed outcome. Relief both spiritually and monitarily has come to us with such rich abundance. We are well cared for and all is well in the Otis household.

Our gratitude knows no bounds. As we kneel in prayer as a family and privately as individuals, we are filled with gratitude for our Savior and our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost. Yes, as a Latter-day Saint I do believe that they are three separate and distinct individuals, but they are also one in purpose. I realize that modern day religious leaders have made many to believe this is not possible. If you are a scholar of the Bible, or not, pray before you read each day to know if what I say is true. You will know the truth of which I speak if you ask with pure intent-- wanting to know the truth. It is a promise in the Bible. James 1:5 says it all. I hope you'll look it up today.

An update on Terry: Terry is healing faster than I thought possible. He celebrated his 46th birthday yesterday! We took him to a local Mexican restaurant he likes. He wishes he was strong enough to return to work, but he still gets very tired and dizzy when he moves too fast. His arm still hurts and so do the backs of his legs. It hurts to sit very long and he can't drive great distances yet. Work is 45 minutes away. He is still hopeful that he can go back next week. Until then I'll be glad he's here at home and am taking good care of him. I've also been taking him to the chiropractor and soon to physical therapy. He has a full time job--one of healing.
Thank you all for your prayers on Terry's behalf. We have felt so loved and know your prayers are such a blessing.

Remember to pray for your loved ones today. Each day is a gift.

Our Elders in Russia and Los Angeles! Letter Day!

From now on I'll be posting my two missionaries letters on Wednesdays! If you see XX you'll know that I'm trying to keep private names private. Miracles have happened this week in Jason's life while serving in Los Angeles. He has the calling of District Leader and Missionary. Matthew is wearing two hats as well as Branch President and Missionary. He is watching his tiny branch grow and hearts change for the better in Russia. We feel blessed as a family to have sons who love the Lord and are willing to serve for two years as full time missionaries.

*************
Hey all!

So this week I met someone of special interest to me. Our Bishop in the Santa Monica 1st ward told us about someone earlier this week who had been less active for some years but recently decided that he wanted to come back to church. He said his name was Chad. Now, the first person I thought of when I heard that last name was one of the councilors in our Stake presidency from back in the day. I'm sure you remember him. Well I didn't think much of it after that until just yesterday when I got to meet Chad for the first time. We got to talking and found out that he has a smoking addiction and really wants to get rid of it. In the process of talking he of course asked where I was from and when I said Minnesota he said "Oh yeah? Me too!" He then asked if I knew his father from the St. Paul Stake. I said "Yeah, I love that man." He then said "That's my dad". AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! WHY IS THE WORLD SHRINKING!!!???? I cannot tell you how excited I was to meet this guy! I had heard a long time ago that XX had a less active son. Now I get to help him come back to church! Amazing!!!!! How does this stuff happen!? If anyone ever tells me that God doesn't exist from now on I'm going to laugh in their face!!! God does exist and He is watching out for every last one of us.
So that was one of the interesting things that happened this week. I'm going to have to type up a letter to finish all of my stories for this week. I just don't have the time to write it all.
I'm sorry to hear about what's happening with the XX family. I sometimes wondered how XX would feel when she found out about that. I know she'll be fine though. Especially now that she's married and all. MARRIED! WEIRD! I wish I could talk to her. Oh well, I'll get to soon enough I guess. 5 1/2 months! HA! NOT COUNTING! NOT COUNTING! ; )
Anyway, I'm still here in Malibu with Elder Schneiter. I'll be sending some pictures pretty soon so you'll get to see what he looks like. Right now we have about 7 investigators that will probably start to progress soon. It's pretty exciting. I'll be meeting with Chad this evening to start his quit smoking program. It's gonna be awesome! He's really got the desire to work hard for this. He knows the gospel, he just hasn't been living it. He said he's getting to that age where he feels like he needs to start taking care of himself. Yippee!
Okay well I'm gonna write a letter to Ryan now. Probably Hunter as well. I'm glad to hear that everyone is so happy over there. I can definitely see the blessings that have come from serving a mission. I know as well that there are many more that we don't see or haven't even come yet. So keep up the good work everybody. You're all doing awesome! I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder J. Otis
***************
Now, a letter from our Russian Missionary Son

Hey Family!

Glad to hear that Ryan's papers will be coming in soon, I can't wait to hear from you guys. About my phone number...I forgot to write it down (I have a cell phone so I don't know any numbers lol), but what you can do is look up the email I sent you in may, it's the same number and everything so, it will work. But maybe I'll look it up and send you and e-mail real quick tomorrow or something. Just make sure you call me after 8:30pm, or before 11:00am my time, I am always home at those times.

Thats sad to hear about the hurricane, the U.S. just keeps getting pummeled by Hurricanes, seems like there is one every year. Well, signs of the times I guess. If Russia ever gets a big earthquake they're done for. All of their buildings will crumble to the ground. Well, thanks for the inspiring emails this week, I got a lot! I felt loved =).

Well, the mission is going good. Missions are so interesting, they are always changing, and you are always learning something new. Sometimes they seem to slow down and you think you are learning much, but in reality if you are working hard something is always happening. And the times when things are going fast, you don't even realise that you are improving, but you are. Anyway, I've been in this area for a long time, and while I don't feel much different I know that I have improved a ton since the day that I came in to Pervouralsk. I am grateful to be serving here, it has been amazing. Well, I am trying to get FHE going in both cities to help bring the members closer together. Also, I am going to be working on the home teaching out here, on saturday we had a Priesthood conference, and it was all about Home Teaching. I was writing notes like mad, everything was great. Home Teaching is exactly what this branch needs, the blessings that President Allen talked about in his talk that come from Home Teaching are exactly what we need out here. The problem is that a lot of people have tried to start up home teaching(including me), and none of the members have done anything with it or been excited about it. So we are going to start talking about it often in Priesthood meeting, and I'm am going to try and motivate them and be excited about it. Andre and I can help it get started. And when it does, the work is going to move forward a lot faster. We just need strong families, we only have part families here, and not a lot of them. We need to baptize a few whole families, that would be a miracle and a great help to the branch. There just isn't a lot of stability and we need that to keep growing strong.

I don't think I need hand-warmers, Mama Jo and PapaDe sent me a bunch last winter and I didn't use them. I just wear small mittens and keep my hands in my pockets and they stay warm. Anyway, I've got a voice recording, I recorded it on the street so I hope you can hear, my Russian was kind of sucky in it since I didn't know what I wanted to talk about so it was stupid lol. I'll send you a recording of me reading in Russian, that will be cooler. Well, have a nice week!

Matt