Sooner Than Later

image by Seb Lester

At the top of my “To Do List” for preparing to move for the summer has been to find an apartment. I am glad to say I can cross that off my list. We got an apartment. Of course finding one in the right area, that we could afford and with the features we wanted (a pool for entertaining the girls) didn’t come without its share of stresses.

A while back when we went to CA to check out the area I knew we won’t come back with a lease agreement signed, although that would have been nice. We looked at a few places and as we told them we only needed the apartment for 3 months the monthly rent went up about $400. Which was NOT helpful. Rent there is already ridiculously high.

I found out about a management company that manages 9 different apartment complexes in the area. They offer month-to-month rent, meaning we don’t have to sign a lease and the price won’t change even if we only stay 3 month. Yes! And their prices were the most affordable I could find. So, I kept calling and checking in with them as we got closer to our move in date. An apartment became available and I jumped on it and applied. I called back the next day to see what I needed to do next, only to be told that we had been denied. What?! Why?! Because their company has a policy to only rent to people who’s grossly monthly income is 3 times the rent. And that’s not us. Stephen’s intern hourly wage doesn’t add up. I began to panic worrying that all the apartments in the area would have a similar policy. If so, then we couldn’t afford to live anywhere.

I told her of our situation and that Stephen left his career to go back to school. We had planned for his time in school and had saved up so we could live off of our savings. After faxing bank statements, writing a letter arguing our financial stability, and praying that their hearts would be softened they were convinced and agreed to rent us the apartment. Phew.

Then as we were going over the details about it, the manager said that the apartment would be ready at the end of April. But we don’t need it until mid-May. All along I had told this lady we didn’t need one until mid-May. Somehow this was over looked. She said she could hold it for us for 10 days. So, that forces us to move 2 weeks earlier. This isn’t a big deal it will just speed up the moving process a bit. Right now we are waiting to hear back from Stephen’s work to see if he can start work a few weeks earlier. If he can that means we can come home earlier which would mean I would be able to see my brother and his family while they are visiting UT from overseas. Oh, I hope we can be back to see them. If Stephen can’t move up his work start date then we get to have two weeks of true vacation time.

I have to say, although we have had bumps along the way of trying to prepare to move, the Lord has ALWAYS stepped in with His miracles. I find that with nearly every situation in my life the process to accomplish something stays the same. I have in mind a goal I want to achieve. I do all I can to make it happen. I face some unexpected stumbling block. I pray for help and a miracle to make that situation work in my favor. And the Lord creates that miracle and everything works together for my good. The Lord has always helped me along.

P.S. Another blessing: Stephen was able to find a renter for our house without any problem. A friend of his from school is doing an internship for the summer in our area and our place is perfect for him. He even asked if it would be okay for him to pay us all the rent up front and in cash. Sure! Sounds perfect!

Well, I better go and do more of my “to dos” like go to bed.

Bohemian Rhapsody in Motherhood

A group of ladies in my ward put together a parody lip sync about motherhood to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. We performed it for our ward's “American Idol” activity. Check it out.



It was so much fun to do. We copied what these ladies did.

Here is a mock press release fellow lip sync mommy Stacy Henrie wrote about it:

(Disclaimer: All quotes in the release are the creation of the author and named persons are not liable for the views expressed therein.)

MOMS WIN IDOL LIP-SYNC COMPETITION
Eight Women “Rhapsodize” On Their Journey to Stardom

Lehi, UT, April 10, 2011 – In a sweeping victory last night, a mom group of seven idol hopefuls took first place in the Bull River 2nd Ward’s American Idol Competition. These moms of indeterminate age – none would confess to being older than twenty-five – rocked the crowd with their lip sync and dance number to the mom version of Bohemian Rhapsody.

“We liked the original choreography,” Abby said. “But we wanted to take it up a notch with the dancing. We showed the audience that although we’re moms, we can still rock it like teens.”

The use of creative props added to the ambiance of the snappy number. “I thought the idea of toilet bowl brushes for microphones worked perfectly with the song,” Jeana said. “And the extra bonus is we walked away with a first place title and a new cleaning tool.”

Props and dancing weren’t the only “wow” factors to this lip sync number. Of her rock guitar solo, Annie said, “I’ve always wanted to be a rock guitarist and this gave me the chance to show off my hidden talent. Maybe someday I’ll take my act on the road.”

Commenting on her stunning hitch kick skills, Jennie said, “I had a blast doing that kick. The whole act encompassed the things an audience loves in this sort of competition – singing, dancing, and showing ‘em how much fun you’re having.”

“I didn’t want the night to end,” Elisabeth added. “The seven of us worked so hard and we saw that pay off.”

Squelching possible rumors of an impending pregnancy, Angela said, “No, I’m not pregnant. I did have a fabulous time representing a common stage of motherhood and bonding with these other moms.”

Hours of preparation indeed proved worth it when Paula Abdul announced the mom group as the evening’s winners. “I couldn’t stop jumping up and down and screaming,” Julie said. “To see all our hard work culminate in that moment was truly priceless.”

Not all the work occurred on stage, though. The group’s tech person and director kept things running smoothly from the get-go. “I was there almost from the inception of the idea,” Sarah said, “encouraging excellence and polishing their performance. It was rewarding to see our time and efforts result in something so well-done and funny.”

When asked if these women would pursue their lip sync careers further, Stacy said, “Not at this time. We’re busy, especially being moms, but last night will live on in our hearts and memories for years. Like the song said, we ‘wouldn’t change a thing’ about this whole experience!”