What I learned from Ward splits!

Since we've lived in Stansbury we have been involved in 5 or 6 different Ward splits. Everytime the big announcement comes I get anxious and feel some sadness. It's been frustrating at times to be the street that seems to be on the border of the changes. About 3 weeks ago our Ward split again and our street got put back in the Stansbury Lake Ward. We were in that Ward 5 1/2 years ago and when we were put in the Bayshore Ward I was so sad to be leaving all my great friends in the Stansbury Lake Ward. As the years went by I grew to love the people of the Bayshore Ward. I really didn't want to leave them. The first week back in my new Ward I had a bad attitude. I left and told Mike I didn't want to be in that Ward. I missed my friends in the Bayshore Ward. Mike doesn't understand why it's such a big deal. He always says you can still talk to each other and be friends. In reality everytime I've been through a split you just seem to lose contact with great people. Life is so busy that there's not time to see each other except for on Sundays. Back to my first week in the new Ward. I vented to Mike my frustration with the change and he reminded me about all the great people in the Stansbury Lake Ward that have been my friends for many years. He told me I just needed to concentrated on the good. Well once again he was right. After being in the Ward for 3 weeks now. I have thought about the good and come up with a list. This Ward has been so excepting of all the new people. They have gone out of their way to welcome us and make us feel like we are a part of them For two weeks in Relief Society they have had us introduce ourselves. They had a special "linger longer" (eat cake and ice cream) after church for us last week so we could mingle and get to know each other. Who does there that? Last week the Relief Society had an Enrichment Activity to get to know each other. The bishopric went around to all of the new houses added into the Ward and met everyone. This Ward has really made an effort to make us feel welcome. It has been so refreshing!

So back to what I've learned.

1. Have a good attitude!
2. There are always reasons for why we are in the Ward we're in.
3. Put forth an effort to get to know people.
4. Through every Ward split I have met wonderful people that have blessed my life.
5. Look for the positive in everyone you meet. We are all different, but we can learn something from almost everyone.
6. Enjoy the Journey!

So I am going to embrace my new (old) Ward and hope that I still run into my friends from previous Wards. I have just really been impressed by the love shown to all of us through this change. I hope to always be mindful of others when they go through the same changes. A Ward is really an extension of our family!

Three Year Anniversary!

I've debated for awhile now if I should do a post on this and finally decided this is my journal and I can put it in there. On September 4th it will be my 3 year anniversary after having weight loss surgery. This picture was taken the day before I had surgery. I've been thinking what I learned from this whole process and thought I would share my thoughts. Having surgery was the hardest thing I have ever done. I thought about it for many years before I made the decision to do it. I was so afraid I was going to die. I had heard all the horror stories. I just knew I couldn't live like that anymore though. Once I made the decision I was afraid to tell anyone I didn't need to hear anymore stories. I told very few people before I did it. I remember the day of surgery I was scared to death. I thought I was going to jump off the table when I was waiting to go into the OR. After the surgery it was rough. If I hadn't had the support of my family and some good friends I don't if I would have made it.

What I have learned through this process is that you need to love yourself no matter what size you are. I am still the same person as I was 3 years ago. I am a little more confident and I can do more things that I couldn't with the extra weight, but I am still me. I got so caught up in the negative self talk that I couldn't live my best life. I now realize what I did to my daughter by all the negative comments I made about myself. I really wish I hadn't done that. I should have been teaching her that no matter what size I was that I was still a good person.

People ask me all the time if I am glad I did the surgery and I reply with a yes, but I sure wouldn't want to do it again. I get to enjoy so many more things with my family now, but more than that I feel healthy. Health is what it is all about. I want to live many more years with my family. I remember the first time I jumped on the trampoline with my kids. I started crying. I had looked at that trampoline for years and just wanted to jump with them. Then once I could jump with them I had to worry about wetting my pants. Oh the joys of being a woman.

I am so thankful that Mike loved me all those years whether I was 250lbs. or not. He always told me that I was beautiful no matter what size I was. I am so blessed to be married to a great man.