St. George weekend

Our high school girls and boys basketball teams both made it to the state tournament this year. The games happened to be in St. George! We decided to make a weekend of it and go visit our favorite college freshman!

Unfortunately both teams lost their first games - so they were no longer in championship running. We drove the five hours - with permit carrying Mitch driving the entire way!

We spent the weekend going to games, swimming at the hotel, eating and playing some. We were glad to spend some time with Ashley. We also spent Saturday evening with our friends the Ewings. We went shooting by their house. Ash and I both actually shot the shotguns. Scared me to death! Ash actually hit a few targets!

I didn't think to take many pictures. I used to take a thousand. Now- not so much!!!

We had fun. We actually went to church in Hurricane- they actually beat Morgan in the first game and then won the championship!

Here I Go!! Pantry Rescue!!

It is that time again!

The time when I start to feel like my pantry is vomiting all over me! I am so blessed-I have a beautiful, large walk in pantry. Because it is so large it is also a multitasking workspace. It is part food pantry, part art/homework station, part appliance storage and part family history storage space. All that means is that this large space is used for much much more than just normal food pantry items! It is a catch all for the entire family.

For ten years I have been trying to figure out how to utilize the space more efficiently. I have tried numerous different methods trying to keep the space from becoming a massive wreck.

The most successful thing to date has been the two three drawer units that house pencils, note card, scissors etc. There is a place fore the scissors and tape. I may be the only person that knows how to actually put them in the appropriate drawer but my family knows that scissors are generally in that drawer.

The rest of the huge space is a work in progress! A few years ago I added baskets with labels for all the canned and boxed foods. It has been fairly successful-until it isn't! That is where it is right now. The labels mean nothing!!

A year or so(maybe two) I decided that I needed a space for each child's papers. Things that we want to save and things we don't want to lose. I added three, three drawer units. I put names for each family member on a drawer. Those have been successful-except they are now full so they must be emptied. Those things that need to be saved need to be filed in their own files(which I do not have but am getting soon).




One huge problem that I haven't solved yet is the art/school supplies. The shelves are not wide enough for two drawer units-so I have had two open baskets. The problem with baskets is that they are open so they are asking for things to be shoved into them. No matter that the label says construction paper-if there is a space anything can be shoved in.

I am often overwhelmed by the enormity of a big project so I don't even begin. This is one of those projects. I decided that I would only tackle the art/school supplies and the cookbook collection. I emptied four shelves-FOUR and filled my dining room table!

I went through every single basket. I ended up throwing away two full kitchen garbage bags! That is a lot of extra garbage that has been shoved in open baskets! I had two drawer units left over from the last pantry overhaul. I decided that I would use them, even if they don't fit perfectly. Drawers work so-so much better for my family--for ME! If I have to actually open a drawer I will most likely only open it if it is the correct location. So--hopefully, these two drawers will alleviate a bit more "drop ins!"

Four Shelves down! Only FIFTEEN to go!!!(then the floor!!)

In the dust

I cleaned bathrooms the other day. My children have been on bathroom duty lately. Because of this, it was time for a little more than "a lick and a promise!" I started in our half bath. It is the most used toilet in the house. It is directly off the kitchen and garage. It was disgusting. I found the pumice stone and started removing the mineral deposits. I cringed through the entire process of that bathroom.

I moved on to the middle bathroom. It is used mostly by one little seven year old boy. He often uses it without turning on the light. I did the normal dialogue in my head. "I need a maid, toilet lids should last longer. Toilet lids should self clean. Does anyone ever know that I actually clean behind the toilet? Does anyone ever know that I clean the baseboards behind the toilet? No one ever notices a bathroom is clean, they only notice if it is dirty." I finished that toilet and moved on to my own bathroom.

My bathroom is a lovely bathroom with a garden tub inset in a bay window. (Why are they called a garden tub? Anyone ever seen one in a garden?) It has a lovely large mirror and walk in shower. It also seems to be a magnet for dust, lint and box elder bugs. I started the ritual on the toilet. This toilet isn't nearly as bad as the others, however, the same dialogue began. "Toilets should just come with a maid. We sent man to the moon, we should be able to make a toilet lid that the paint stays on with cleaning. I should swish and swipe this toilet every day, that isn't so hard. Why is there so much lint in this bathroom, more than any other in the house?" I continued cleaning the rest of the bathroom, moving to the counter and then to the tub. There are always a few tub toys hanging out on the edge, along with a spoon and a few pencils. I don't know why we have spoons in the tub.

As I am picking up the various toys and parts around the tub, I realize that the edge has once again become a bug graveyard. I go to get the vacuum. The dialogue begins again, "does anyone else actually vacuum out their tub? This is disgusting." I finish vacuuming the tub, begin wiping and look up at the three windows of wood blinds. They are covered in box elder bug leavings. I figure I might as well clean them while I am at it.

The process of cleaning these blinds is a bit labor intensive. They need to be dusted terribly. I go and get one of those swiffer things. Each individual slat has to be dusted, and they are divided in three. I start the process, dust the entire blind, then wipe down every single slat.

The dialogue that always seems to run in my head begins yet again. "These blinds are disgusting, I hate box elder bugs. What did Justin do, splash bubbles to the ceiling? How long has it been since these were cleaned? No one ever knows that I have spent two hours cleaning these blinds." The dialogue doesn't stop. I move to the next center blind, the largest of the three. "These blinds are starting to really get worn. I wonder if I should see if individual slats could be replaced. This slat is pealing a bit. They are ten years old." I continue the mental debate while I finish dusting, and wiping every single slat while standing precariously on the edge of the tub.

While standing on the edge of the tub, wedged in between the cupboard and the wall, I begin the third and final blind in the bathroom. The mental barrage of negativity begins again. I start to dust. As I am dusting a sudden thought enters my mind---and my heart---

"Sherie can't stand on her tub and dust her blinds."

My friend Sherie is battling cancer. It is very, very bad. She has lost much of her balance and most of her hair.

In that instant, my cleaning changed. I had a powerful epiphany that this mess that I was cleaning was actually full of blessings. I was physically able to stand precariously on the side of the tub while dusting and wiping those blinds. Those blinds, that moments before had looked old and worn out, were actually such a blessing. I have blinds and they have held up well for ten years. They are also on windows in a lovely, large bathroom that has running water, a toilet that flushes and a shower.

My heart was changed in that instant. I had spent almost two hours complaining in my mind that no one notices the clean bathrooms, only the dirty ones. In that instant I realized that I was blessed because I COULD CLEAN those bathrooms. I was blessed because I have those bathrooms. I was blessed to have those windows, blinds and tub. I am blessed because I have children that leave behind spoons that show they have played.

As I finished cleaning up that last blind and wiping down the tub I felt a huge deal of gratitude. I often feel quite alone in this motherhood/maid role that I play. I often feel that what I do doesn't really matter to anyone, no one actually knows that I do it.

In that instant, standing on my tub, I knew that "HE KNOWS I DO IT." I matter to Him.

Sweet angel boy

Justin is our bonus baby. We struggled getting our babies here. After using medication for our first two, I said never again. We were delighted when we were surprised with Emily. Surprised is not a big enough word for our reaction when we found out we were expecting Justin!

There are almost five years between Justin and Emily. That is a long time in kid years. Because of this large gap all the children really have enjoyed having a little person around. They just seem to get how sweet little people are.

This little boy is home sick today. 101.3 fever. Poor monkey!

I am so grateful that he is in our home and is still little. He is still so open and caring. Every morning I go into his room to wake him and with his eyes still closed he reaches up and wraps his arms around my neck. He just holds me there for awhile. It is in moments like that that I have glimpses of Heaven. A small feeling of how our Heavenly Father loves us. He reaches to comfort us, we just need to be still enough to feel his arms around us.

I am often frustrated by the large spacing of my children. They are all so far apart that none of them are ever in the same developmental stage. They all have a hard time relating to each other, forgetting that they could have ever acted "that" way. However, I am so glad that our family was blessed with a second bonus baby. It is such a blessing to have a little one in the house that helps us all to be a little closer to heaven. We need the reminder.

DO IT!

JUST DO IT! That slogan has become synonymous with Nike brand. That and their little swoosh sign. I just think it is about the best slogan out there. I remember when I was a girl Spencer W. Kimball was the President/Prophet of our church(LDS). He had a little plaque on his desk --it said simply--DO IT! I have loved that slogan for most of my life.

Why then do I procrastinate? What makes it so difficult to just get moving and Do It? I have lots of reasons why I haven't ran a half marathon. I have lots of reasons why I haven't cleaned out my pantry. Truth be told, however, they are all just excuses. I just don't do them. I find other things to do to use up my time. Some of them good, valid things that need done. Things like picking kids up from one place or taking them to another place. However, the reality is that I have not been ill. I am not working outside the home for 80 hours a week. I am not traveling around the country. Those are real, valid reason to not be on top of things. Me? I just didn't DO IT?

Today is February 1st. I actually used to really hate February. It happened 24 years ago when my Dad died in February. It just sucked the life out of the month. Something changed a couple of years ago. I had one of those Oprah Ah Ha! moments. I realized that I was allowing the tragedy of my Dad's death to hold me hostage the month of February. I made a conscious decision to never do it again. I decorated like crazy for Valentine's Day that year. I found darling Valentine's to share. I sent them to my friends, my old lonely Uncle, my Mom. I just sent them to people I love!

Guess what? That February was no longer a terrible, dark dreary month! Yes, I was very aware that February 11th was the 22 anniversary of my Dad's death. That will never change. What I did do was change how I reacted to it.

I haven't put any decor up yet. I have been using excuses.

Well, February is here. There are no more excuses. This is a month to be celebrated and enjoyed. I am going to try and remember President Kimball's example and DO IT! What ever that IT is!