The _______ Life of Brent and Erika

Sometimes, the things that my subconscious comes up whilst I'm in the middle of an REM cycle make me laugh. Last night, it came up with a dream that I find unlikely in three ways. 1. I'm fairly certain that although they certainly have access to the appropriate range of fruit processed capability, I'm fairly certain that Welsch's does not manufacture red wine. And use a label strikingly similar to that used on their grape juices. 2. If they did, I'm fairly certain that Shaquille O'Neal would not proudly serve it at his dinner parties. 3. I would probably never be invited to a dinner party hosted by Shaquille O'Neal. That's all.

This is my 200th post. Word. Brent and I are speaking in church on the 30th. My topic is about finding joy in the Atonement, which seems fitting since I've had a bit of a hard time really feeling joy lately (though Brent is still employed, so that helps!). I found this quote that I've decided to share with you: "Simple, rejuvenating experiences surround us. They can be safety valves to keep the tension down and the spirit up. Don’t concentrate on what you don’t have or have lost. The Lord promised the obedient to share all that He possesses with them. You may temporarily lack here, but in the next life, if you prove yourself worthy by living valiantly, a fulness will be your blessing. Find the compensatory blessings in your life when, in the wisdom of the Lord, He deprives you of something you very much want. To the sightless or hearing impaired, He sharpens the other senses. To the ill, He gives patience, understanding, and increased appreciation for others’ kindness. Wit...

I've been avoiding Wii Fit for the last 24 days (as it reminded me when I turned it on today), because I knew that my modest weight loss goal (three pounds a month, in case you were wondering) wouldn't be met again. Today I finally turned it on (after a rigorous Just Dance 2 session. This game is seriously addicting! And sweat-producing!), and saw the holiday damage of candy and laziness. 3.7 pounds. Not too bad! Not too good, but not too bad. I'm not a big fan of New Years Resolutions (I think you inevitably set yourself up for failure, and I think it's better to make goals because you want to, not because some not-so-arbitrary day tells you that you should), but my goal for this year is to be healthier. More vegetables, less fast food; more exercise, less laziness (my motto for our ward Young Women this year is "Less sugar, more spirit!" I'm not so effective at getting everyone on board...:) ). This is a tangent, but it's always awkward to place a :)...

We've been going through a bit of a rough patch lately, which has made me reluctant to blog; it's not that I feel a need to cover up my problems or pretend that they're not real, but does whining about my body's pregnancy tease (in the future, I've strictly outlawed being a week and a half late for no reason. It's just a cruel joke) or Brent's possible job loss do anything to help things? I submit that it does not. However, there are still things in life that make me happy. One of them can be found in this month's issue of the Provo Orem Word. Did you click the link? Did you read the table of contents? Because if you did, you'll have noticed my first publication. :) If you read it, I'd love to know what you think!