Some things that Peja has been up to:




So I have a HUGE pile of dishes, loads of laundry, tons of cleaning and about 60 BILLION things I need to do to get ready for the opening of my business in 2 weeks, so why not blog for the first time in about 3 months? Sounds perfect.

I don't know if anyone even comes here anymore or not, but I thought I'd put something out there to the internet-sphere. I just read through some of my old posts and they were very inspiring to me! It is interesting how you learn something and then forget it and get some of the same feelings and then have to re-learn it. I guess that is why we are counseled to write things down - especially spiritual promptings!

So here is what has been going on in our lives.

Katie: Firstly, for those of you who don't facebook I AM PREGNANT! I am due sometime in the middle of April. Which means I am just finishing my first trimester (which is no fun) and that is very exciting!
Next, Ilija decided a few months back to work on opening a residential care facility for the elderly. Then he got too busy with amazing business things that are coming his way and basically I got to open it all by myself. If I felt okay with putting Peja in daycare all day every day it really would be no problem, but I am determined to be a mom first, so I get to do everything with him or during nap times. That is so hard when I am pregnant and desperately needing naps! Anyway, we have a very important final licensing inspection in two weeks and then we will start taking residents! It is very exciting and very nerve wracking. I have struggled big time this entire process with feeling totally overwhelmed and trying to learn how to truly rely on God. I have realized over and over that if I am feeling so overwhelmed that means that I am trying to do it all by myself. So I have to go back to my knees and tell God that I am doing all I can and I will be calm and know that he can make up the rest. Sometimes I even have to tell him that I can't even find it in myself to be calm, so he will have to do what he can with the frantic self that I am. Truly this has been one of the more difficult things that I have ever done! I feel lucky to struggle though, because that means I am learning huge lessons and that there will be huge rewards.

Also, I am getting to play LOTS of volleyball! Three times a week right now! Which is simply amazing and gorgeous and WONDERFUL and basically is what is keeping me sane. I still exercise a lot and that is great, but nothing compares to volleyball. Every Tuesday morning I go play doubles at Pismo Beach and my mom and I take turns playing/watching Peja. It is great that Peja gets to spend so much time at the beach. It was GORGEOUS down there today. It kind of reminded me of the mornings I spent in Antigua.

Finally, my sister had her fourth baby last Sunday and I am going up to Washington next week for 5 days to help her out a little bit and to meet me newest niece!

Bottom Line: I LOVE MY LIFE!

Ilija: Is so busy keeping up with so much work at Kurrels construction and then with Endura Block he has been crazy. He has been traveling a ton doing investor presentations and is so excited to be learning so much! He is in Colorado right now and I miss him a ton. He is excited that it is football season again but TV watching is down to basically nothing right now because we are just too busy. He was very stoked for his BYU cougars, but they have sorely disappointed him the last two weeks. At least his 49ers are doing pretty good.
Ilija went on an awesome Canyoneering trip in southern Utah and had a great time.

Nina Richie, he never relaxes this much with someone else.

Putting on shoes is the best. He has become quite an expert, and can even walk with shoes about 10 sizes too big. He knows that shoes have to be on before we can go outside. So he will put his own shoes on, then bring you your shoes and then pull your finger and say "up" to get you to stand up. If my dad is around he will always start with him first because Peja knows my dad is a sucker and will do anything he asks.

I heard a story where a guy worked all of his life and made a lot of money so that he could retire at 65 and go to Mexico to live on the beach and fish every day. So he was living this great retirement life and there was a guy in his 30’s who would also fish every day around the same place. The retired man asked the younger one why he didn’t go work and make a nice retirement for himself. The younger man said, “why would I want to do that? You worked all your life just so you could come and do what I get to do everyday.”

I have been super busy these last couple of weeks and I had a moment of questioning about whether or not this is what I really want. Do I want to be wealthy if it takes a lot of work? Or just live a simple life and enjoy every day on the beach? I’ve always said that I would be perfectly happy with a little shack on the beach – and I would be. What I figured out is that that isn’t what God has planned for me. That quiet, simple life wouldn’t create the growth that I need to become the best me. That is really what life is about, is becoming the best person we can be and learning how to ultimately rely completely on God to make up for the rest.

There is no growth in comfort. It is only when we stretch ourselves that we grow – for two reasons. The first is that we push ourselves as hard as we can and that creates a new level of strength (just like in weight training where the overload principle is essential to make strength gains). The second is that we realize when we work towards huge goals that even if we stretch as far as we can and make huge strength gains, those big goals will be out of reach for us to do alone. It is at that point that we learn to rely completely on the Master to make up for the rest. Because with his strength we can do ANYTHING!

I have learned more in this last few months of stretching myself then I have in years and I know that this is just the beginning. I am so excited for what God has in store for me! I am so excited to be a co-creator with God of an amazing life! I plan on stretching like this all of my earthly life and that is so exciting. I’ve realized how much excitement there is in progression! Stagnation is the worst. I hope that all made sense. I don’t have too much time to be editing…I just wanted to share this thought.

I made a little blog for people to write things about my Nana. It has some beautiful pictures of her if you want to see... rememberingpatstrickland.blogspot.com

"People don't resist change, they resist being changed."

I read this in my FTMF course the other day and it really struck me. The FTMF course is so awesome. I was looking for more family time and money freedom, but I am getting so much more!

One example: my mom and dad have been studying a lot about addiction for the last 5 years or so. One of the things that happens with an addict is that someone is always a codependent to them. Growing up I have definitely learned some codependent behaviors. One of them is that I used to spend a lot of time and energy worrying about what other people were or were not doing. Instead of focusing on myself and improving myself I used to worry why someone else isn't doing this or that. It drove me CRAZY when people (especially my husband) would talk about wanting to do something, or improve in some area, but they would just stand on the platform. I just wanted to be able to push them! It created a lot of contention.

I have noticed one of the glorious side effects of this course is that I am so focused on achieving my own goals and dreams that I don't have the time or energy to focus on other people and how they need to be doing what they want to do. Another thing is that because I was worrying so much about other people, I hadn't taken the time to figure out what I wanted. So now not only have I been able to find dreams and goals for myself, but I am also keeping such positive and happy thoughts in my head! It is such a better way to live, for the moment and for my future.

I love living life on purpose.