To Do List

Do you ever wish that this was still YOUR to-do list?

(list by MissE)

#3-ask Mom to tuck me inn---it is hard to read!

Crazy Girl!

Mom--

Write about how I discovered my dyslexia today and about my car wreck and all the other things I told you about today, in your blog!!

Love,

#1 girl!

Cracked me up!

(sticking her entire fist in her mouth is one of her hidden talents! She is also fine, the wreck wasn't too bad-stupid boy drivers! She thinks she is dyslexic because she is mixing things up all the time.

She thinks I don't write about her enough!)

Glass Bottle

The other day my friend and I went to a bakery. I saw a glass bottle of Orange Crush soda.

Orange Crush. When I hear those two words I am instantly a little girl in my Dad's shop.

My Dad had an autobody repair shop. They would fix the body of a car and then repaint it.

The shop was a children's paradise! My brother Vance and I would run around the entire place. There was an old elevator that we would play on. The building had been a furniture store in a former life. We would ride up the elevator to the upstairs. It was huge! It was full of boxes and other interesting things. We weren't supposed to play up there but we couldn't help ourselves from peeking into this strange place. I am still not sure what all that stuff was! There was also a huge stairway leading to the upstairs. I remember thinking those stairs led to some mysterious forbidden wonderland.

We would ride the elevator up and down, over and over again. When we stopped in the basement we would get off in the paint mixing room. This is where the machines were that would shake the cans of paint until they mixed enough to use. There was another short flight of stairs, somewhat like a cellar. I remember that room being rather scary to me.

My brother and I would play for hours going up and down the elevator, turning on the mixing machines, peering into the unknown boxes, running up and down the stairs. Dad sold snowmobiles for awhile so there were those to sit on also. I remember one called "Big Bertha!"

Occasionally Dad had a very important job for us. He would "need" us to paint a fifty-five gallon metal drum. We thought this was the most important work ever! We took pride in how we painted those cans! I can still see those big blue stripes in my mind! Little did we know that our "important job" was painting garbage cans! Dad was trying to keep us entertained and busy!

After running around and around and around like little kids do, Dad would send us across the street to Orr's market. A little old fashioned grocery store. This was an experience so different than today's shopping. It was an old building( it was the grocery store my Mom shopped at as a girl) yet it had many wonders to behold. It had all needed groceries, meat counter, vegetables etc. There was fried chicken and fishing licenses. Hamburger and bullets. Toilet paper and tackle boxes. It had all of these wonders in three little aisles! It also had a really cool old register with the pop up numbers.

When Dad sent us to Orr's we would go to the cooler and buy a glass bottle of Orange Crush soda, then we would walk back across the street with this cool orange goodness.

I miss Orange Crush in a glass bottle. I miss going across the street to get it. I miss opening the fridge at the back of the shop and finding a bottle of Orange Crush. I miss my Dad.

The 40th Birthday Party was a success!

The big 40th birthday bash was a success! We had him mostly surprised. I think he suspected something but just wasn't sure how or what. We had lots of friends come over and visit. They brought silly gag gifts. I made a little 8x8 album with old pictures in the middle that people wrote on-like a guest book--turned out so cute!

Hubby's Mom and I had gone through hundreds of old pictures, I scanned them and then had them printed. We put together 7 poster boards of pictures. It was lots of fun to see him look at all these old pictures. It was also fun for my kids to see them.

So, I think that he was surprised--

Now, on to Miss E's baptism. I will pick up my Mom from the shuttle at 1pm, take MissE shopping for a dress, do laundry(this is a constant) and then get ready for everything tomorrow!

Happy 40th Birthday!

Happy 40th Birthday Sweetie!

Your were a cutie WAY back then and you are a cutie now! I am lucky to have spent more than half of my life with you!

P.S. You are older than me!

Real Life!

I am stressed. I am short tempered. I am cranky. I have had 3 periods in 5 weeks. I have parties to plan, pictures to print, food to order and a house to clean.

Probably not the best time to be late for school or have a messy bedroom!

Spring Break

We actually got to have a spring break this year! Our school district usually adds one day to Easter and that is it! This year Easter was so early! So, we went last week to Lake Mead, NV. It was great! The weather was nice and the wind didn't start up until we were ready to leave. The two big kids wake boarded until they just couldn't anymore and we ate good food, listened to music, read a bit and just hung out together. This was the first time we have ever gone to Mead without friends. While we missed them it was actually quite nice to just be our family. After the first night(much too tired--all of us!) everyone got along pretty well.

It was nice to get away and just relax. My sweet hubby really needed to get away.

Now is catch up time with laundry! It is amazing how much laundry there is over six days. I usually try to do a load or two everyday, not doing any for six---there is a TON!

Happy 8th Birthday

Happy Happy Birthday to You!

Happy 8th Birthday Little Missy!

It is hard to believe that she is already eight years old. We celebrated her birthday while we were camping at Lake Mead. We had her convinced that we had forgotten her birthday so she was very surprised when we played the coolest happy birthday song that I found by way of my friend Rachel! It is so catchy that my entire family was singing it for days!(I haven't figured out how to put a music clip-and there is an error on her site-I will try to figure it out!)

Happy, Happy Birthday to you!

MT. Washmore!

Drowning in a mountain of laundry! We went away for spring break. I will show pictures soon!

Funny!

Little boy and I are going through Walmart. He has his clip-on tie on with his t-shirt.(what a fashion statement!) the next thing I realize he is talking to someone, On his TIE Phone! He has his tie up to his ear, his head tilted to the left. I decide to really listen.

"I'm sorry you can't come to my birfday party, I'm sorry." (pause) "My birfday is in Oct. 7." (pause) "I can come to your birfday? Oh, thanks! " "When is your birfday?(pause) October 7, that's my birfday!""I can come to your party, Oh, thanks!" (pause) "Ok, bye."

I ask him who he was talking to. He says "Bwake"

Ok, then!

Cracked me up! He had the whole thing down. He would talk, wait for an answer, talk again. He has his little hand up to his ear with his tie phone, he tilt's his head to the left.

Oh, his birfday isn't the 7th! He did get the month correct!

Personal Journals

I love blogging! I love writing down random thoughts and observations. However, I have chosen for my blog to be public. Therefore there are LOTS of things that I choose not to write about. Super personal things or things that are sacred to myself or my family. I used to be a journal writer. Then I stopped. The only excuse that I have is that I got out of the habit, life got in the way and I just chose not to do it. I believe that personal journals are very important. I have been admonished to keep a personal journal and personal history in my life.

I have learned about an interesting site. It is called LDS Journal. It is a free online private personal journal. It is a very new service so it is still developing, however, it has some wonderful features. It is stored online so if there is a catastrophe(fire, flood, etc) you still have your journals. You can print daily or you can wait and have it bound for you. It is free--that is always appealing! (there will be a fee for having the book printed and bound). There are questions that you can answer-prompt types of questions. You can have emails or text messages sent to you to remind you to journal. You can journal from any internet connection, not just your own personal computer. You can even do an entry from a mobile phone(that would take me hours! I am not up to speed on texting yet.) You can give your entries key words or tags so that you can find things later on. You can add pictures, videos etc.

I decided to check it out last night. I wrote about what happened eighteen years ago on our wedding day. I wrote details. I wrote personal, sacred feelings. I can type faster than I can write with a pen. I wrote three entire pages. I wouldn't have kept writing for that long if I was doing it longhand.

I don't know if this format is something that I will be able to continue but I figured that it was worth a try. I certainly could use help with my current system!

If you are interested in learning more go to ldsjournal.com

For more Talk about Tuesday ideas go to the Lazy Organizer.

Happy 18th Anniversary!

Happy 18th Anniversary!

I can hardly believe that it has been 18 years! That is longer than I lived full time in my parent's home!

I love you, Sweetie!

Living with Intention

This has been a good week. Is my house clean? No. I have decided to really change my focus. Perhaps it isn't actually my focus as much as it is my reason.

This past week my new Smart Habits Saturday goal was to find more personal enjoyment in my life. Well, I believe that I made a great start. I found snippets of time here and there and I actually enjoyed myself. I have sewed on my bags. They are all so close to being finished. A few more bits of time and they will be complete.

There is a book that I want to read. It is called Living with Intention. Perhaps you are familiar with it. I had a conversation with my friend, Tina yesterday. I was telling her about going to the "maturation" class for my fifth grader (eek). I really remember when I went to that class and I will be turning the big 40 this year! If I don't start to really LIVE my life instead of letting my life control me, I am going to be 80 years old still complaining that I can't get my dishes and laundry done so I just don't have time to paint! I don't want to live my life this way. I want to "live with intention".

I frequent a blog called homegrown hospitality and the author Stephanie is quite an artist. She has posted the most darling doodle today. It perfectly describes how I want to live my life. The quote is attributed to Mary Anne Radmacher.

So-- my kitchen, floors and bathrooms aren't as clean as I like but my children are improving their skills, I listened and read my scriptures, I bought tablets to write thoughts on. I read many books to my children,my family had Family Home Evening and we had family scripture study once. I made meals, gave and received many hugs and kisses. I talked with my own Momma on the phone, I sent an email and I scanned over 300 old pictures. I sewed, read, took pictures, went to baseball, had lunch at school with my 2nd grader. I went to parent/teacher conference with my 5th grader and I watched my 3 year old jump on the trampoline. I took a sick doggie to the vet,I went to the gym and I went to Costco. I tucked my babies into bed, went to a card making class with my Mother in law, I saw sunshine and snowflakes and I told my family I loved them.

It has been a good week.

For more Smart Habits Saturday visit the Lazy Organizer.

Where are they?

I have been on a walk down memory lane. I have been searching through boxes and boxes of pictures. I was surprised at the emotions that arose as I was looking at these older pictures of my three oldest children.

We get so accustomed to what they look like and how they act right now that somehow we forget how much they have grown!

I had this feeling that I had not taken very many pictures of #3. I felt terrible that not only is she the middle child but her mother had also not taken pictures. Well, last night those fears were put to rest! I have TONS of pictures of her as a baby. Many of them are actually quite good. I believe that when I had her is about the time that my love of photography really started to take hold. I remember hubby bringing the rolls of developed film home and saying "Do you think you took enough pictures of your baby?" I am so glad that I did!!!

I was quite emotional as I looked at all these pudgy little faces and toes! Where has the time gone?

Little Blessings!

"Today is kisses." Little boy said as he climbed into bed with me.

I am so lucky! It will definately be a good day!

Kisses

"No kisses today, Mom. Only hugs. You can have kisses tomorrow!"

Snippets of Time

How many of you suffer from the illness of "All or Nothing"? I certainly do. Often I don't want to start a project, whether it be cleaning a closet or making a bag unless I know that I can finish it.

How many of you have three hours at any given time to finish anything? I certainly do not! Because of this I seem to never 'get around' to things that I need to do and also that I "want" to do.

With my habit this week of trying to find some personal enjoyment I am trying to implement something that many of you already understand.

Fifteen minutes is amazing! I am trying to focus on the tiny snippets of time that can be found in my day. I am trying to use those snippets wisely instead of wandering around not wanting to do something because "it will take too much time"

Today I had success on two levels. I really wanted to work on sewing a bag. I have been working on these bags for awhile now. I have been doing them in steps. Which is great! A few weeks ago I cut all the fabric and lining out for six bags. Then a couple of weeks ago I spent an hour and ironed all the interfacing on all the pieces for six bags. Last Saturday I realized that all six of the bags would be using the same decorative ribbon. It made more sense to sew all the ribbon on while the same thread was in the machine instead of rethreading the machine six times(this is a huge realization for me! Save little bits of time!) I sewed all the decorative ribbon on on Saturday.

Today I went downstairs to sort laundry. While I was downstairs I thought that I could actually work on a bag while the laundry was going and before I had to leave for a teacher conference. So, I worked for twenty minutes on a bag! It actually looks like a bag! Perhaps tomorrow I can spend another twenty minutes. In one to two little sessions the bag will be finished!

The point of this post? I can accomplish a lot in fifteen or twenty minutes! It might even meet my goal to find some personal enjoyment!

For more Talk about Tuesday ideas go to the Lazy Organizer!

Daughter of Mine!

I have a teenage daughter. That teenage daughter occasionally reads this blog. Due to this fact I don't mention a lot about her, I was worried that she wouldn't like me to talk about her.

Well, the other night she was reading the blog and she commented that I "never" mention her! I tried to explain why and she was still feeling a little left out.

So, Miss #1 child is beautiful, smart, opinionated, independent, outgoing, determined and occasionally a bit moody. She is also fabulous when she is on kitchen duty. She always remembers to clean the counters and clean the sinks. Her bedroom is close to a health hazard. I have told her on occasion that the Hazmat team will have to be called. Two weeks ago I went into her bedroom to find towels. There were 13 on her floor-no wonder there were none anywhere in the house!

This girl is busy, busy. She dances, plays tennis, and runs track-although she is struggling with a pulled hip muscle. She is also involved in the local FFA chapter. She will be attending the state convention this week. She is constantly on the move. She likes to snowboard and wakeboard. She is very anxious for the weather to get warm so she can get a tan and hang out on the boat.

Teenage daughter of mine---"I LOVE YOU!"

Smart Habits Saturday

It has been numerous months that I have been working on my lifestyle goals. This week I am not going to go down the list. They are all about the same.

What am I going to work on this week?

To find some personal enjoyment. I figure that if I can continue with the progress I have made with my family's chore chart, laundry and our scripture study I will have a bit of time to do something that I "WANT" to do.

I enjoy sewing, scrapbooking, reading,etc. So, this week I am going to try and be aware of the small snippets of time here and there. Instead of checking blogs I am going to go to my studio and create. I feel so much joy when I am doing creative things. I know that it is a healthy thing to do.

I feel that those tiny bits of time, fifteen minutes here or there can be used so much more effectively.

Check out the Lazy Organizer for more Smart Habits Saturday.

Outside the Box

Another catch phrase that we hear often is "Outside the Box". Implying that we should try to think about things in different ways than what is always expected or the norm.

Well, I thought "outside the box" yesterday!

We were having a party for the Bishopric and the outgoing Elder's quorum presidency. I have been looking for a tablecloth for my new table. It is square. There are NO SQUARE TABLE CLOTHS! I have looked and looked. I went to the fabric store and looked at fabric for an hour and couldn't find anything that I loved enough to spend money on and then go and seam it. Regular fabric isn't big enough to fit across the table without seaming it.

As I was leaving Target I saw a fabulous striped shower curtain. I thought to myself "I wonder" so I looked at the dimensions. 72 in x 72 in. PERFECT! I brought it home and it is so bright and vibrant. Definately my Happy Colors(upcoming post).



So, here is my "Shower Curtain Tablecloth!" I love it!

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Remember in the late 80's and early 90's we used the term "Self-fulfilling prophecy"? Well, this morning it came to fruition at my house. Let me explain.

One of my big goals is to have family scripture study. It has been a personal struggle for a very long time. I have to be in charge of this or it just doesn't happen. Well, this week we have made HUGE progress. I have gotten up before 5:30 a.m. and had my personal study time and then gotten my family up. I commented to my friend Tina about what a positive experience it has been. My family has their devotional, #2 practices the piano--willingly and very well, #3 has enough time to lollygag around without being late. It is a very good thing.

Last night as I climbed into bed I jokingly said to hubby "don't wake me up" (he hasn't been the one waking me up).

Well, this morning, my alarm went off and I stayed there. I rolled over thinking it would just be for a minute. Next thing I knew it had been 1 1/2 hours. Then it was another 1/2 hour when #3 came in.

Don't speak even in jest, it could very easily happen!

So, next week we will try again!

Relearning---again!

I am my Mother!

I remember being around 11-13, I was always hanging around the adults. I thought I was as mature as they were so of course I should be part of their conversations! I remember hearing adults make comments like " the older I get, the less I know."

Well, I have officially become my mother! Everyday I get up and I realize how little I know! We( we used in the loosest of ways) are trying to implement a new morning routine around our house. We all get up at 6:00 am and read scriptures for a few minutes, have family prayer, then we go about getting ready for the morning. Well, this morning I had to "relearn" something that I knew on Friday. "Do not let children wait to get things done" If they wait it is a battle to get anything done. This was the plea, "please just five more minutes Mom, I promise I will do it" Five more minutes turned into 40 and then we were not as pleasant or willing to do what was needed, and the Mom became the cranky Mom that noone likes to be around (especially the Mom)

So, a new rule was instituted. All morning preparations need to be finished by 7:00 am and then you can sit and do nothing! Miss E likes to get into the shower, that has been stopped because she sits in the shower for 40 minutes and doesn't actually wash anything. Mr. M avoids practicing the piano because well, it's the piano. If he actually practices immediately after prayers he is so pleasant and the session is much more positive.

Why do we have to continue to relearn the things that we have already learned?

for more Talk about Tuesday ideas check out the Lazy organizer.