Things I learned

Well I just got done typing on my blog that I was tired of typing and staring at the screen, but I think if I don't answer this question from Mom Palmer now, I probably won't, and I feel somewhat motivated, so here are SOME of the things I learned in 2007:

1. I can survive, function, and actually care for a child on barely any sleep, and apparently this is a skill given to all new mothers, but NOT given to college students (as I was) who whine and complain about only getting 5 hours of sleep (as I quite loudly did).
2. The quality I love most about my husband is his patience with me. Whether I was pregnant and hyper-hormonal, a new mom having a meltdown every day (surviving and functioning don't necessarily require emotional stability), a less new mom going crazy as an apartment manager, as well as thinking back to when I didn't have any of those things to worry about, Nathan is so incredibly patient with me, and it amazes me. He's also an absolutely wonderful dad.
3. It's hard to plan out how things will go when you have no clue what you're getting into - I mostly learned this in terms of how I expected to be able to leave things at Willamette after I had the baby. Unfortunately, I didn't really say any goodbyes or express to my student staff how much I appreciated them. You know, I probably still could...even if it is a year later. Well, there's a resolution!
4. When I make a commitment to Heavenly Father to be really faithful in reading scriptures and kneeling in prayer, (things I struggle to consistently do each day), He will answer my prayers in tons of different ways...and it really isn't that hard, even though it seems really hard sometimes.
5. Teaching callings affect the teacher more than they affect most members of the classes...preparing lessons and praying about them and reading about them strengthens my understanding so much, whereas the young ladies in my class may absorb things sometimes (and that's ok), I'm going to get something out of each lesson - what a blessing!
6. I'm not the youngest generation of my family anymore...this was a scary realization.
7. Christmas is a lot more special when you have little ones around.

I feel like I should have at least 10, but right now my brain is a little scrambled and those are the top lessons I can think of.

Love to you all and happy New Year!
Manda