I have to admit, when I was a teenager I felt that Heavenly Father loved me, but I never truly TRULY felt His hand in my life. It's interesting how now that I am older I am so highly sensitive to how much I feel Heavenly Father watching over me and my family.

This story starts back in July of 2006. We were getting ready to leave for law school and we really needed to sell our Jeep. We also needed a reliable car to take with us, but we couldn't buy a car until our Jeep sold. The weeks went by and many people came to look at our Jeep and kick its tires. It got very old showing it so much, and yet no one wanted to buy.

Two weeks before we were to leave for school, Trevor and I were packing in our room and talking about what we were going to do. The Jeep still hadn't sold. We didn't know what we were going to do. Surely we didn't have enough time to sell the Jeep and then find a reliable car that was in good enough condition to be able to make the drive across the United States and not break down, be reliable for two/three years, and then get us back to Idaho.

As I was packing books into a box, I picked up my Book of Mormon. I flipped through the pages and "whoah. What was that?" I saw something that looked like.....
A TITHING ENVELOPE. Yes. It was. A sealed and addressed tithing envelope. It had never been delivered to the Bishop.

We put a stamp on it right at that moment and Trevor ran it out to the mailbox.

The next day Trevor called me from work. He had just had a call about the Jeep. A man wanted to buy it. Except he had no money. He wanted to know if we would trade. He had a truck. I said "NO!" Then I said "Wait a minute, only if it's an extended cab. Oh and four doors."

Trevor said he didn't know what it was, but that he told the guy to come look at our Jeep and bring the truck so we could look at it.

Trevor said "While we are dreaming, I'd really like if the truck could be a short bed. And also, if it could have the bigger motor. And maybe if it was Green. I LOVE green cars."

That night the man came. This is what the truck looked like:

You see, it was an extended cab, four door (suicide half doors, but good enough), short bed, biggest motor they made green truck. It was in amazing condition. The trade was made.

This truck (named Gordon) has been one of the biggest blessings in our lives. We drove safely to Michigan pulling a trailer. We moved twice while in school with it. I couldn't even tell you how many people we helped move using this truck. We drove to Palmyra and camped with this truck. So many good memories. And then at the end of school we drove home in this truck.

Once we arrived safely in Idaho, the truck went caput. It died. It died and we had another hard lesson to learn. But that is a different story.

Trevor has spent the past three years trying to fix this truck. Finally, he fixed it, and it wasn't by accident that it didn't get fixed before now. You see, Heavenly Father truly does have a plan for each one of us. And this year I have been so busy, I haven't really kept very good track of finances. Apparently Trevor thought I was, and I thought he was. Since tithing settlement just happened, we each thought the other had been paying tithing, but neither one of us were. So when it was discovered what was going on, we had no extra money in the bank.

We have been fasting and praying that we would be able to pay our tithing by selling the truck. Finally, on Christmas Eve, a man came and payed our asking price and we all said goodbye to Gordon our truck. Very sad.

And on Christmas day, we were able to hand our tithing to the Bishop. It brought tears to my eyes.

What a blessing that truck has been. We miss you Gordon.

Merry Christmas from the Misseldines!

Ah, it's time for relaxing, playing holiday music, hot cocoa and yeah the most important of all... AN UPDATE!!

I just want to take a minute and brag about my kids. They have been such an amazing help to me these past few months. Logan has been making lunch for the girls and sometimes breakfast. He has shouldered some huge responsibilities. Samantha and Logan have been doing the laundry including folding and putting away. They both do the dishes together, and Samantha is a superb vaccumer. I am so thankful for everything they do to help me around the house. Logan was helping me on almost every photo shoot we went on too. So thankful.
I put up another post today, but I felt so stupid and embarrassed that I hid it two posts down. Read it only if you are feeling kind and not judgemental.

We finally got around to taking pictures of the kids for Christmas cards, but it was just too late to send them out in a card. So Merry Christmas everyone!!

This is my Christmas Wish List

Dear Santa, (Yeah, this is funny considering my last post)

This year all I want is $5000.00. Let's not think of it as you "giving" me the money. It could be a loan! I promise I will pay all the money back (over the course of three years).

I would buy some pretty awesome camera equipment. You could be my sponsor! Think of how you would be furthering my progression!

So what do you say Santa? Is it a deal?

Alyson

So I get that I have not posted much on here lately. I have been killing myself off trying to get pictures to people for their Christmas cards.

This brings me to a very important announcement.

Wait. Now for a back story.

Sometimes I have to learn very important lessons. It's never a fun thing. I really wanted a new lens this past Spring. Trevor told me that the only way I could get it was if I took on extra clients and payed all the money from the lens back into our account.

So I stupidly and excitedly took on all the extra photo shoots I could find. It was a mistake. I now have giant, hopefully not permanent, bags under my eyes. I honestly cannot remember much from the past year past June. And unfortunately I cringe at the thought of taking pictures for strangers. Notice I did not say friends or family.

I have payed for the lens and then some, but what was the ultimate cost? I have lost time with my kids, time for myself, my house is in need of some mad crazy organizing skills (help me Colleen), and I think the ultimate loss is that I don't love taking pictures for people. They can be so thoughtless and inconsiderate.

So yeah, there you have a very honest admission from me. I don't want to take pictures for rude people. I think that pretty much means that if I don't know you, I won't take your picture.

And now I would like to know what you guys think of my new slogan:

PepperWood Photography: Now serving my family and not yours.

I am exhausted. I can't wait for a week of consecutive nights of 8 hours of sleep. Three is not cutting it.

My parents have arrived in their new mission in..... oh shoot. I'm so tired I can't even remember where they went. ummmmm.... thinking here......

Oh yeah! INDIANAPOLIS! That sure doesn't look like I spelled it correctly.Missing them already.

Christmas is fast approaching. I am all ready! Not because I've been shopping. I didn't even go out on Black Friday. GASP! I know. I am usually hard core!

I've been gathering deals all year long and stashing them in the top of my closet. I pulled it all out and shockingly I had enough gifts for everyone! Trevor and I won't be getting anything this year, but I am getting to the point where I don't care anymore.

Speaking of gifts, we decided two years ago to do away with Santa Claus. It was the best idea we've ever had. Santa is not even in the picture. This holiday is all about the birth of our Savior and serving others. Our kids all know that Santa is not real. They know that Santa is really all of us parents. I don't want them to get caught up in all the presents and everything that diverts attention away from what the real reason for the season is. I realize it's not a very popular thing to do, but I am not in to being popular anyway.

So, I promise some real pictures will be coming soon. I still have to catch you guys up on Halloween and other stuff. Maybe another time.