Monday night

This is the story of my life---I have been busy all day, yet to the untrained(everyone but me) eye it looks like I have done nothing all day. There are still messes everywhere and the floors are all still dirty. I am going to try and not worry about it and congratulate myself on jobs well done.

*three children and one husband out the door
*made my bed
*bootcamp at the gym
*showered and put on makeup!
*sorted toys--parts with parts
*bathed one stinky and dirty little boy
*read books to a squeaky clean little boy
*six loads of laundry---all folded!!
*three trips to town-two for football, one for a teenager that locked her keys in the trunk.
*bought fresh peaches
*cut up 12 fresh peaches for other people to eat
*made breakfast/lunch/dinner
*checked homework
*helped two children practice the piano-one happily, one not so happily
*emailed information about an upcoming Relief Society activity
*mowed 1/2 acre of grass
*got gas in the car
*took kids for ice cream

These are the things that I can think of---too bad that all these activities that take up my entire day don't magically make my house a cleaner place.

It is now time for bed---I hope that I can add READ MY BOOK to this list.

(edited) I ended up cleaning up a very, very messy kitchen and mopping the floor---no reading tonight, but there is always tomorrow!

Monday-restart

It is Monday---and today it feels like a good one! Of course, I am behind on laundry but it doesn't feel like a tidal wave of dirty towels that is going to suck me into its wave at any time. It is a normal wave-feels much more manageable than it has for quite awhile!

I read an interesting concept last night. Not an entirely new one but it touched a chord this time. Writing 100 things/goals that I want to do or accomplish before I die. If you have seen The Bucket List you get the concept. I have never done this. I have been a goal setter but unfortunately I am a mind goal setter instead of putting it on the paper. I am tending to agree with others that by putting it on paper makes it much more doable. So---I am going to start my list!

Another concept that interests me is a personal mission statement. I am still learning about this one. However, I think that it is a great idea. Company's, Church's etc. all have mission statements. Why not have a personal one? Also, what about a family mission statement? Family goals, motto's etc. I know that there are people that have been doing this for years. Well, I am just figuring this out for my family and myself now. I have a feeling that it is going to be a wonderful thing---once I can get past the indifference of my older children!

Just don't do it!

Today we spent the afternoon(after a morning of football--he won!) at the lake. It was lovely. We had a new neighbor/friend with us and it was fun to learn about his personality. We just know that there are not very many days like today left so we have to enjoy them to the fullest. It was quite late when we were headed home and Mr. Sweetness suggested that we order pizza.

Pizza is not good. I must remember this. I must try to be strong and say that I will fix something at home, even if it is a grilled cheese sandwich. I have a glob of glue in my stomach and I am certain that I will still have this glob tomorrow.

Moral of the story---don't eat pizza--it is not good or good for you. Thank you!

Remember

Tonight I feel spent. I haven't felt this tired in a long time. We attended Anne's funeral and I am emotionally exhausted. Not because it was so sad, although it was, but because of the powerful emotions that were present. Unfortunately, I have been to a lot of funerals in my life. Some much more difficult than others.

Watching Ward come in with his two daughters and Grandma Susan holding the little one about put me over the edge. I kept thinking "how will these tiny girls ever know that their Mommy loved them?" In the next 1 1/2 hours I learned how. Anne taught them about the Plan of Salvation, that there is life after death and because of their Temple Sealing they are a family for eternity. The testimonies born were so powerful. Anne knew her Savior, she knew that God had a plan for her. She knew that all was in His hands. She also did all she could to fight. She did all she could to spend every moment with her husband and little girls. She made every moment count.

Most of us do not know when the end is near for us.Therefore, we often take each day for granted. We get wrapped up in the mundane aspects of life and forget. We forget that each day we are with our family is a blessing, a gift. We are so wrapped up in the here and now---football practice, dinner, tennis, laundry, dishes, callings, worries, that we often just forget to actually accept this very day as the gift.

Why does it take losing someone to shock us back to what we know. Family is the most important thing in life. We have to remember to give those hugs and loves. Love up on those people you love all the time. Pick up the phone and call that brother or sister. Be nicer. Sometimes just pick up the shoes. Be grateful that those shoes are in your life because today is the only day that we are sure of.

For whatever reason I struggle accepting the mundane aspects of life. Dishes, laundry, and dirty toilets seem to overwhelm my senses. It dulls me to the beauty of my life. However, I must make a choice--I must choose to find the joy and beauty in my life despite the laundry or I choose to sacrifice the opportunity to experience a gift from God, another day with my precious family.

Tonight when I kneel to say my prayers I am going to thank my Heavenly Father for the opportunity he has given me to be a wife and mother. I am going to ask Him to bless me with many more days. I am also going to ask Him to help me find joy and beauty in the gifts that He has bestowed upon me. I want to snuggle, tickle and enjoy these little angels I have been blessed with. I will pray that He will help me to remember what a gift they are, even when they are asking for too much money, teasing, being indifferent, etc.

I hope that I can remember.

Gift of Time

Today we are going to a funeral. It is one of those funerals that is harder than most. This darling young Mom is only 33 years old. She leaves behind a husband and very young children. She has struggled through this melanoma cancer for much longer than ever expected. She was given a gift of time, even if it was much too short. Every single extra day for that husband and little ones is a gift.

So today, I am going to try and remember that everyday that we have with our families is a gift. I will try and remember to give and receive all the extra hugs and loves I can.

For Real-Yoga?

It is already Wednesday. My kiddos have been in school for an entire week. It is amazing how quickly the rhythm that seems to be lacking in the summer is quickly put back into place. I like the rhythm. It seems to bring much more calmness to my life.
I am really trying to get back into the habit of going to the gym. I have been running all summer but I feel like my body needs more cross-training(that sounds important). I went to yoga today. Let me repeat YOGA. Me, I went to yoga! I have been a total of about four times in my entire life. I don't completely "get" yoga yet. It seems like a silly way to use a precious hour of exercise time. How can standing in strange poses with stranger names help your body?

Today I found out how.

*Yoga is hard.
*My body is rigid
*I was sweating and breathing hard within a few minutes
*When class started I could NOT touch my toes
*When class was over I COULD touch my toes
*I have had a really sore upper thigh muscle-it feels so much better
*I feel amazingly calmer

So, I will continue yoga. Maybe someday I can twist like a pretzel and hold my entire body with one hand. For today I will try not to eat pretzels!

Running update

I ran FOUR MILES today!! Four miles--yeah me! I still can not figure out what makes the difference from one day to the next. Last week when I ran I could barely manage two miles. It was just hard and difficult. Today I just felt good. I had planned to run about three and then I just wanted to do four. What makes the difference? Is it the tides or the position of the moon? I just can't figure it out. If it is Food--then what type? I may have to subscribe to a running magazine or something. I do know that I am still slow as molasses. However, I figure that moving is better than nothing, when I go faster my foot hurts and I don't want to go there again.

Summer is over

School has started--which means that summer vacation is officially over. This is good. This is also bad.

Schedules--good
checking homework--bad
normal bedtime--good
early rising--bad
scripture study-good
indifferent children-bad
Gym time-good
sore muscles-bad
normal dinner hour-good
cooking-bad

quiet time-PRICELESS

Monday

Monday morning---I am sitting here at the computer in sweaty gym clothes and my foot on ice. It is 10:35 am. There is no noise in my house. No one is asking for food. No one is fighting. My kitchen counters are clean, dishes emptied from the dishwasher. I think that it is close to a miracle! I think that I can almost hear myself think.

First Day of School 2009

The First Day of School!
I think that MissE was by far the most excited about going back to school. She put all her things together, laid them on the floor, including cute earrings, the night before. She got up and was ready to go. The very first thing she said when she got off the bus was that she LOVED HER TEACHER. "She is the best teacher in the whole world." MissA had this same teacher so I too was thrilled when we found out E got her. Hopefully, this is a good sign of a great school year.

While I was waiting for the bus I noticed my apple tree. My poor lovely, neglected apple tree. The apples are ripening up beautifully. With a few more really cold nights, they will be ready to pick.

That certainly is a sign of fall.

Guess who came out to play today? Miss Ruby!!! I haven't used her even once since school got out! She came out to make chocolate chip cookies for when the kiddies got home from school. It was a nice feeling to be able to slow down for a moment and make something instead of trying to just keep up with the whirlwind!

I hope that Miss Ruby and I can become better friends, Whole Wheat bread is next on the agenda--or really yummy cinnamon rolls!!

Nauvoo Temple July 2009

Pictures of the Nauvoo TempleI realized that I had not put any pictures of the Nauvoo Temple. It is such a beautiful building. On our last day in Nauvoo I got up really early to go take pictures. I am so glad that I did. Here are a few of my favorites.

Meteor Shower

Very rarely do I get the Mother of the Year Award. Night before last I did!

My 12 year old was interested in the meteor shower that night. He wanted to stay up then didn't want to get up. Then after we went to bed he came into say he really DID want to watch. SO----

We decided to get up at 2:00 AM to watch the show. I set my alarm and barely had fallen asleep(sleep issues) when my alarm went off. We grabbed our sleeping bags and parked ourselves in the driveway. It was quite exciting trying to watch the entire sky for falling stars. We saw a lot of activity. There was one in particular that was amazing. It was so bright and streaked across the entire sky. At about 2:49 AM we decided that was enough.

Occasionally I am a fun Mom!!!

Joy

There are some things in this life that are just not fair or right. I am in the middle of three such situations. These are the types of things that can not be shared. I am trying to figure out what I need to learn from these situations. I can not change any of them. Not one of them is of my own making. However, I am affected greatly by each one of them.

How do we keep a positive outlook, even looking ahead with joy? I am struggling trying to find the joy that must exist. I know that it must exist---how else would we humans be able to survive some of the problems that we face in this life? But how to continually find the joy and then keep it alive when the trials are looming around us like a terrible black storm?

Running update

I RAN 4 MILES!!!! I actually made it without dying!!! We will see if I can walk tomorrow!!

Sunday

Sunday

I am hoping for a day of inspiration, perhaps even being fed. I am not sure how I will get it, I help in the nursery. If you would like to help calm my soul you can find me with the toys and fishy crackers, I am the one on the floor praying for a miracle.

700 posts!

I have been sitting here at the computer checking emails, trying to make an online order, etc. As I was looking at the beginning of this post it said that this was my 700th post. Holy Cow! That is quite a lot. Especially since it doesn't feel like I am write very regularly! I guess that it has been almost three years since I began this blog.

We have been doing a lot of the same. Lots of rest, playing, working, football, messes and such. We had a special cousin C here for a few days while his Momma and grandma were in Mexico. He was really so easy for us-aside from his special food requirements. He was very glad to go home with his Daddy and he will be so glad to see him Momma today.

I tried to run today. I only did 2 miles. I just didn't have much to give it today. Oh, well. At least I tried. That is what I am trying to tell myself.

I have felt behind-drastically behind on everything. Yesterday I sorted laundry---in the downstairs family room---it was that bad! I am fourty years old and I still have not figured out how to just look past the laundry--look at it as a part of life. I still look at it with dread. It is such a constant that it just makes me want to run away screaming.

I am trying to get to the place that I acknowledge these dirty things in my life as blessings. I am not there yet. I look at them and feel like a terrible homemaker because they consume so much of my life. I don't want to be constantly doing laundry-I want to do something that creates beauty in life. I know that having clean undies is a blessing to those in this family---however, I get no kudos from it.No one has ever acknowledged their clean undies in their drawer--only if they are NOT THERE! How does one get to the point that we just get it done, keep it done and move on?

Today as I started my run I felt a slight chill in the air. I am NOT READY for Fall. This has been about the shortest summer of my life--which is not fair considering that the winter was the very longest of my life. We are going to the lake tomorrow so that should help a bit.

I want to run a 10K before Thanksgiving---anyone with me?

10K update

After being gone for most of another week I got to run again. I made it 3+miles with no stopping!
It feels like I will never get to 4 miles!

August

August 3rd! It is a strange feeling to hear August. The word August means the end of summer, the beginning of school-fall is on the way.

I don't think that I am ready for August.

Perhaps if we lived where school starts after Labor day then I would be more content. In this climate August is the most perfect summer month. Yes it is hot, but it isn't cold! The flowers are lovely, the light is different, more glowing in August. I could use eight weeks of August.

The reality, however, is that August does signal the beginning of our school year. Kids are anxious to get a new outfit, a backpack etc. We begin football practice-which is four nights a week. First game is the third week of August.

I would like to push a pause button-so I could sit and enjoy the changing light and my lovely flowers a bit longer.