Mom's the word

It has been quite the eventful couple of weeks here for the Laraia's. Let me catch you up on our lives then I will proceed with my 30 for 30 challenge. 

First off..... Pedro got into the Masters of Healthcare Administration program at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis! We are so excited for this new adventure, and I am extremely proud of my sweetheart. I had no doubts he would get in. We will be leaving sometime in June or July, so quite soon really. It is bitter sweet to leave because I love being close to family and friends, but I know that Minnesota is where we should be. There are so many opportunities for us there. 

Pedro could not have gotten into a better school for the MHA in my opinion. They have an amazing curriculum, a great alumni network, and it sounds like the students and families in this program really bond together. Minnesota is also a great place for me to jump start my career. There are so many more opportunities in Minneapolis than there are here in Utah because the market is not as saturated with nurses. I have been giddy with excitement as I look at the job options and start to apply.  When I was first applying here in Utah it was really sad to see the number of applications I filled out that asked for at least one year of experience and I had to mark the "no experience" option. It is so satisfying to now mark that I have just over a year of experience. I have come so far in the last year and am excited to progress even further and at a greater level of competency in Minnesota. 

{Our new city}

Next order of business.... My mother got married on May 5, 2012. I am so happy for her and I hope that their lives are filled with love and happiness. The ceremony was a beautiful and intimate event with a delicious luncheon to follow. It was so great to see our friends and family and to get a visual of how much my mom is loved and appreciated.  After the ceremony my mom had asked if I would sing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." I was reluctant at first because I thought it would be awkward. I do not know Mike well so I didn't want to sing it directly to him like my mom had wanted. So I sucked it up and sang to both of them instead. I think it turned out pretty well and I know it made my mother happy. Congratulations you two and may your home forever be blessed with love, joy, and peace.

The wedding weekend was great also because I got to spend all of it with my sister! I love that woman! We helped with a lot of food preparation and decorating and were tuckered out by it all, but it was such a fun thing to do together for our mom.  As a little retreat after everything was cleaned up, my siblings and some friends headed out to Lava hot springs. It was a blast and a great way to relax our tired feet and backs. I mostly just loved sitting and chatting with my sissy. 

{mostly I love how modely the Beast man looks}

And for today.... Happy Mother's day to all the mama's and mama's-to-be out there. You are all so amazing! Mom's truly sacrifice so much for their children and their families, and that sacrifice is out of love not out of force. I am so grateful for a mom who loved and loves me so much. I could not have asked for a better childhood. I was truly blessed. I am so grateful that I now have a wonderful mother-in-law to love throughout my life as well. Thank you, Tereza, for raising Pedro to be a non crazy person with whom I could fall in love. And thank you to my sisters, friends, aunts, cousins, and grandmas for all being wonderful examples of motherhood. I have so many great people to look to for inspiration and help when I begin having children of my own. 

{source}

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

~♥~

What is the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?

With this question I will spare all details, but share that the hardest person I have had to forgive is myself. I find it easy to forgive others, but I get caught up in my own faults and mistakes and hold myself in a prison. I have learned to not do that so much now, but there was a time in my life where I was a slave of my guilt and judgements. I will just tell you that it is better to forgive, learn, and move on with your life. I try to remember that I am merely mortal like everyone else I forgive, that I make mistakes just as they do. When I choose not to forgive myself, I am placing myself above everyone else, including my Savior, saying that they are worthy of forgiveness, but I am not. It really is a selfish thing. When the scriptures talk about us needing to forgive all people of their trespasses, it includes self forgiveness.