Inspired

Hi!

I have been thinking for a long time that I should blog about this or blog about that, but never do it. A month or so ago, a friend told me I should write a book. I told her that was too ambitious, but maybe I would do a blog. I have thought about it ever since. Every time I would think about something inspiring or there was a special occasion, or I had an "Aha!" moment, all I could think about is "I really need to write this all down." Tonight I was just doing dishes and it was kind of like someone was yelling at me "YOU NEED TO START A BLOG!" So, here I am. I don't know exactly what I'm going to write about, but I feel like if even one person reads this and gets inspired or touched by something I write, then it will be worth it.
So, next time I think of something that I really want to blog about, it will be here.

The reason for the title "Just a Simple Mormon Mom" is because I feel very ordinary and inadequate. Yet, I've felt impressed to share my insecurities about motherhood, along with my triumphs.  I've also been prompted to share faith-promoting experiences in my life. In the past, I've been shy about sharing my testimony of the Gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I hate making others uncomfortable, and religion can be a touchy subject, so I generally avoid it. But, no more! (At least, in this setting :P)

Now you know the basic reasons behind why I'm writing this blog. Here are some basics about me:
My name is Karen. I grew up in Syracuse, Utah. I lived in the same house until I got married to Jared Griffiths in 2004. I was 18. Yep, only 18. :) Since then, we have had 4 children, ages 8, 6, almost 3, and almost 1 (both birthdays are in October). My husband joined the US Army at the end of 2007, when our second child was 8 months old. We've moved 9 times since we got married, several of the moves I did without my husband there to help! Thankfully, I have an awesome family (parents, 4 brothers, and 2 sisters, and their spouses and children, and my in-laws) who looks after me and helps me out all the time. Really, we've only lived 3 places: Utah, Colorado, and Korea. We've lived in two different apartments in Ogden, Utah, two different houses in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and lived in my parents basement/with them 3 different times (two of them were just me and the kids while Daddy was deployed). In April of 2009 we moved to Korea to be with Jared, who was there on assignment. He had been there 11 months, and we all stayed 13 months more.
Let's see....what else??? Oh, I love to play the piano and sing. I am in the Institute Choir here in the Springs, and have just recently started playing my piano more and remembering how much I loved it as a teenager.
My two oldest just started soccer for the season, and I just started going back to college through the BYU-Idaho Pathway program. My husband is also taking classes through the University of Phoenix. I also just started babysitting for a friend, so we are pretty busy.

The experiences we've had as a family, and I've had personally since being an Army wife were the main inspiration for this blog. I don't claim to have more experience, or more difficult trials, or a harder life than anyone else, but the trials and experiences I have had have strengthened me and my family immensely. I hope by writing them down, I can remember the things that I've learned, and hopefully help others along the way.

So, that's all for now!