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Prescription Strength Gratitude
On November 20, 2020, Russell M. Nelson, renowned heart surgeon and leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, released a video. He talked about the “healing power of gratitude” and how “counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems.” Thanksgiving was coming up in the middle of a pandemic, and the talk online was nothing resembling positivity. The news was dreary, heavily opinionated, and divisive. Social media was toxic and riddled with negativity. Russell M. Nelson, being a doctor, prescribed a cure to help heal souls. He asked people to post on social media everyday for a week telling what they were grateful for…
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Living Out of Suitcases
As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, we are not in California right now. We have escaped Cali’s high Covid numbers and subsequent high regulation and have fled to Utah and Idaho for the past few months. We wanted to leave Cali as soon as the initial lockdown took place, but I was weeks away from delivering a baby, so we stayed. We delivered a healthy baby and allowed time for me to recover. We knew that lockdown in California would be tougher than in Utah or other more rural areas, so we looked forward to leaving the state. In the meantime, I filled my time with reading, watching videos,…
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The Thistlewits Short Film
Ben and I had a chance to be in a short film together some time last year. It just released on Amazon!!! You should totally watch it! Ben, Jess, and I auditioned and landed parts in a short film last summer. It was a blast to film and it was my first big role! I was actually on camera with my own speaking lines! And by speaking lines, I mean a bit more than the Lamaze breathing I did on “Young Sheldon.” Although, for someone who’s never been in a Lamaze class, I totally think I nailed it. 😉 Anyone find me yet? I’ll give you a clue… I filmed…
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Becoming a Co-star and Earning Residuals
I have been on national television! Okay… that might be true many times over, but this time you can see my face instead of just a corner of my shirt in the background! And, you can hear my voice! And I’m getting paid as an actual grown-up actress! Several months ago, before this Rona stuff hit and before we had baby (which we will now refer to as Pandy – thank you Robin and MarkandTerry), I saw a job posting for a SAG-AFTRA pregnant woman to be in a Lamaze class. Hey, hey! I was pregnant and could totally play that role, so I sent in my picture and crossed…
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Pandemic Summer
It’s been four months since the lock down started for us in California. Since that time so much has happened. The most important being the birth of our adorable baby girl. Since we use nicknames for my kiddos online, I’d love feedback on how to refer to her on this blog. A pandemic/COVID-19 name sounds fun. If you have any great ideas, leave a comment below. Her initials are PDP if that’s helpful for your creative juices. Here she is. Isn’t she the most beautiful 2020 baby you ever saw? Never mind my bias. She has the most darling blue eyes, and chubbier cheeks and thighs than any of my…
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Giving Birth in a Pandemic
Well folks, I survived. Four weeks ago (yes… I know I’ve slacked in keeping people updated) I gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl. This was the most different delivery we’ve ever experienced. With every other one of my children I’ve gone naturally into labor. For three out of the four I was in labor for more than a day. Like… constant contractions, twenty minutes apart… for several days. No joke. And they all came before 39 weeks of pregnancy. This time I got to 40 weeks and my body was refusing to naturally go into labor. And there were no signs that labor would be starting on it’s…
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When Not Much Has Changed, But Everything’s Changed
How are you all holding up? I mean… national emergency, quarantines, toilet paper shortages, social distancing, schooling at home and the threat of an unseen culprit that did all this. Are you all doing okay? We’re used to much of this. I mean… who knew it would take a pandemic to finally find commonality with the rest of the world. We already homeschooled and Ben for the most part worked from home when he wasn’t on set (which recently has been less than normal because they always want to hire someone who can have his face shaved or hair cut if need be, and Ben can’t right now). We already…
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Suddenly Homeschooling? Here’s 10 Tips and Tricks
Welcome! To those of you who don’t know much about me let me introduce myself. My name is Cindy. I am the wife of a working actor (Ben), mother to four beautiful little girls (ages 9,7,5, and 3) and I’m 36 weeks pregnant with our fifth little lady! We have been thoroughly blessed. As I’ve discussed in previous posts, due to the nature of Ben’s job and the abundance of support we receive from the charter school system in California, we decided to homeschool this school year. Because of that, now that the Coronavirus is having everyone move indoors, I have had several friends reach out to me for homeschooling…
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Fellow Dreamers
I have been blessed with such amazing people in my life. Thank you to all you dreamers out there who have reached out to support Ben and I along this whirlwind journey. It’s been humbling to see how many people are rooting for us to succeed. I’ve always heard that you are who you associate with. I always feel better around hopeful, optimistic, faith-filled, cliff jumpers. I think I found what I need. I need to hang out with more dreamers. We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; — World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale…
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When Faith Feels Like Insanity
Guys… I’m running out of people who believe in us. At least it seems that way. People who once believed that we could do this… are starting to turn on us. People who never believed we could do this… are verbal about it now. People who thought we were crazy before… now are sure of it. I’m sure it’s mostly our own faults. I’m sure the gossip they spread is true to them. Sadly enough… I don’t doubt that they gossip. I can’t talk to people about my life and hopes and dreams anymore. I have found too often that doing so results in everyone else’s insecurities being chucked at…
