I am having such a hard time figuring out what I actually did in September besides ministering interviews and Disneyland. It was awesome and I’m counting that as a major win because I wanted to try to leave as much free time as possible. I used to be scared of those blank spots in my schedule. IT MEANS I’M NOT OPTIMIZING!!!!!! But now I love it and I do so much more.

Good

• I attended my first Stake Conference as an adult woman. According to my husband it isn’t “real church” if they don’t administer the sacrament but I am happy to report that Stake Conference is actually pretty cool.
• I got to finally meet and really talk with so many of the sisters in my ward. I was actually super excited for each day that I got to do interviews. I did like 30 interviews this month and it was awesome. I have a strong testimony and warm, fuzzy feelings for ministering and the incredible women I get to serve.
• Halloween decorations have been up since the second week of September!!!!!! Imma do this every year.
• I started playing soccer again! I was so pleasantly surprised at my fitness level and it taught me a lot about the way my body responds to kindness. <3
• We’ve had so many awesome football barbecues this month! Every Saturday Ryan smokes something and we have people over. It’s rad and delicious.
• The granddaughters made their Mimi a cake for her birthday and it was the cutest thing ever.
• As part of that special stake conference I got to attend a training with Elder Holland!!!! It was incredible. There are a lot of hard things about being a Relief Society President but there are also a ton of really cool experiences I only get through this opportunity. I learned and felt a lot and feel very lucky.

Bad

• Ryan’s birthday date was a bit of flop. And by bit of a flop I mean it sucked. I got tickets to the Sundance Moonlight Lift Ride and it was freezing cold, several hours waiting, a ton of annoying BYU kids, and I’m scared of heights so I was shaking the entire time. Boo.
• A week at Disneyland is too much. Lesson learned. I’m still recovering.
• I am so sick of my hair!! I feel like I cannot get it to cooperate. Every day I’m just unhappy with how it looks or what I can’t get it to do. Ugh.
• Flying with kids will give me an ulcer.

On My Brain

• Child discipline. I listened to Ignore It! this month and really liked it, but I also had some conversations with mom friends that made me feel like I’m too hard core? And then sometimes I feel too hands-off? It’s weird to feel both. Will I ever feel like I’m ~getting it? Maybe not.
• I am so happy that the church is taking awesome steps to support mental health and I love talking about it with, well, everyone. Sorry not sorry. But read this!
• I CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT WRITING. I’m dreaming about it, even. I feel like my brain is on a hamster wheel looking for the THING that I need to write about. For years I had a book idea and I started it during NANOWRIMO a couple of years ago but never finished and now I don’t want to write that one. So I need something new!!! I’m on the hunt for something to write. It’s time. I’m ready. My brain is in author mode. Heaven help me.
• On the 25th I turn 29. A friend did a 30 before 30 goal series and I’m going to do the same. I have a month to firm up my list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30, so hit me up if you have any fun ideas for me.

And now… BIRTHDAY MONTH.