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.

A Miracle! Smart Habit Saturday

It was almost as if a miracle happened!

Thursday and Friday I awakened without an alarm clock, early! Thursday at 5:00am and Friday at 4:13(got up at 5:30)! To those of you that know me you know that I have been striving to get up early for the majority of my adult life. I have been trying to get up so that my family can have scripture study and prayers in the morning. It has been a huge struggle.

Well, two days! My husband asked me if I was ill. I just woke up! I am hoping that I have finally crossed over and will be able to incorporate this habit into our lives. I was very aware of how getting up early affected the family.

Thursday they were reluctant but still participated, then the two middle ones fell back asleep. When they woke back back an hour or so later they were cranky. #2 didn't want to practice the piano, #3 was slow and stubborn. So, I decided that they really should not go back to sleep.
Friday we started again. No complaints, we read, prayed and then everyone went about doing the things that needed done. #2 practiced the piano with very few complaints and I believe he even actually made a bit of progress! #3 got herself ready without me having to get cranky with her. She was actually ready to go to school 15 minutes early!

So, we have made progress! I hope that we can continue to make this a part of our lives. I know that it is important. I don't know if my children are really getting much understanding out of reading 1/2 a chapter a morning but I feel that it is important for them to know that we have been instructed to have family scripture study so we are doing it. I hope that someday they will look back at their lives and know that we as their parents did try to teach them.

Other updates for my life goals.

*Exercise--I have had to take a break due to my plantar fasciitis treatments(doing much better)
*Personal Scripture reading-I am doing so much better! The Hinkley challenge has really motivated me. I have been listening and reading and I am actually about 10 pages ahead of schedule!
*Family Scripture Study-Making progress
*Family Home Evening-still needs improvement but we are having our discussions. We always participate in the ward and we are trying to have our personal FHE on Sunday nights so I guess that this is progress.
*Lowering Voice-not yelling--this has improved significantly! We implemented a new work chart in FHE a few weeks ago and it has helped so much. I believe that I am learning and making progress. It is something that I will have to work on forever. I am trying to learn to not just react, to act.

I am going to add a few EXTRA's this week. I want to start to actually do some things that I enjoy. Things that I feel will give me personally a boost. I want to sew some bags and start to scrapbook again.

The problem that I have is that if there are messes in my house I can not create! If there are things that are in total chaos I feel guilty if I spend time doing "extra" things. So, I am going to try really hard to keep my house in a bit more balance so that I can allow myself time to do some other things.

What does it mean to me to have my house in "balance"
*kitchen clean--dishes done, counter clear, dining table empty and pretty
*floors empty-toys picked up, dirty clothes picked up, vacuumed
*laundry going-not overflowing
*bathrooms-clean
*bedrooms-picked up, beds made( I am the only one that appreciates this-but it is huge for me)

These seem like reasonable expectations. However, if I am the only one that is implementing these things it is just too much. So, this is where the chore chart for the children has come in. They have a few things that they must do every day and it has helped!

The other thing that I must learn is CONSISTENCY! I have to continually maintain or have other people help maintain. ie, put shoes away, put dirty clothes away, hang coats up, Garbage in garbage, etc. Don't wait, do it now.

If you are interested in learning more or participating in Smart Habit Saturday check out the Lazy Organizer

Perspective

The ordinary acts we practice

everyday at home are of

more importance to the

soul than their simplicity

might suggest.

-Thomas Moore

Will I Ever Learn?

I am not a born organized person-the reason for the name of this blog. However, I am trying to learn. I am walking around my house picking things up. I realize that my own coat and sweater are still in the family room from the track meet. I go to put them away in my bedroom. As I look around my bedroom I realize that I have a few other sweaters/jackets that need to be put away.

Ok, why do we do this to ourselves? I know that I am trying to teach my children to pick up after themselves. I constantly tell them to hang up their clothes, put the dirty stuff in the hamper, throw the garbage away instead of leaving it on the counter.

Yet, here I am. THE ADULT! The one that is supposed to be a role model

This is the pile of sweaters/jackets that I picked up. Obviously, this is not from one day.

Will this ever improve? How does one make the improvements that will really improve life? I know that these are questions that people have asked throughout time. However, is there truly a way to overcome the way we are now to become the person that we know we are capable of?

Happy Day

Oh! Happy Day!

I found crocus growing in my flower bed!! That is definately a sign of spring!

I also found this to look at, spring cleanup. I am not going to fret about that, I am going to enjoy the melting snow and my beautiful little flowers!

Foot Pain Update

I went to the foot Dr. again. My pain (plantar fasciitis) is almost gone, but there is still a strange awareness of it. So he did another set of cortisone injections into my heel area. The cyst is looking much better. It was about 30% smaller than two weeks ago, it is also solidifying (that is good). Hopefully this will be the end of this problem with my foot.

For those of you that are thinking of beginning an exercise program. Know that stretching your feet is very important. This type of injury is VERY common. Stretch the foot by sitting with your leg outstretched, then pull your big toe gently back towards your leg until you feel the stretch in the bottom of your foot and up your calf muscle. Many foot problems happen because of tight calf muscles! You have to manually pull the foot with your hand, not just move your foot using your ankle, the stretch is not the same.

Stretch so that you don't ever get plantar fasciitis!

Check out others for more ideas for Talk about Tuesday with the Lazy Organizer.

Things Change or Do They?

Remember the line from Fiddler on the Roof, "Sunrise, Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset" I remember Tevia singing the song about his daughters and how the time flies so quickly.

Today I took pictures of my four beautiful children in their new Easter clothes. Then I remember a picture of me and my brothers and sister in our Easter clothes. How times change yet how they stay the same!

(Oh, how I LOVED that little blue cape my Mom made! It had beautiful striped buttons and was lined with red. I remember feeling so beautiful as we walked home from church. I was extra lucky because I was the younger sister so I got my sister's cape when she outgrew it!)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

We have decorated eggs, the bunny brought surprises and now we are on a chocolate high!

Life is Good!

Curious

Do you ever just want to step away from your life for a few minutes? That is how I feel right now. I want to do something different for a little bit. The problem that I have with this is that I struggle finding the ever elusive BALANCE. If I take a day and do nothing but read, sew, scrapbook, etc. then it seems that the other aspects of my life fall apart.

How does one find the correct balance so that life has many different things that are all possible? I didn't say possible all at one time, I am aware that that isn't reality.

What do very energetic and highly motivated people do to stay focused on what has to be done ( laundry, dishes, work etc.) yet allows the creative freedom to do some other pursuits as well?

Fun Song

Just for fun!

I found this funny song that I have added to my side bar. Click on the play button and listen. If you belong to the LDS church you will understand this. If not a Stripling Warrior is a Man of God, someone that honors God, women, children and his mother.

Enjoy

Dance Competition

My girls are dancers.

They go to dance class every week. Miss A has taken dance since she was five years old she is now almost fifteen. That is a lot of dance lessons! Miss E has taken for three years.

This weekend was a dance (clogging) competition in

Pocatello Idaho. Miss A had to compete Friday night and E Saturday afternoon. So, we picked all the kids up from school and drove the two hours. She danced(very well) and then we slept in the parking lot.(in our motorhome)

These are some pictures of the event. What usually happens is a whole bunch of "Hurry up and Wait!" We were given incorrect times so, we were an hour early, which is actually one hour before competition time. Well, the stage was running an hour behind! So, do the math, we sat around for three hours!

This is one of the experiences we give our children that we wonder if it is really worth it in the long run. Obviously I have decided that it is or we wouldn't still be doing it ten years later!

Sweetness!

This Boy Makes Me Smile!

Princesses on Ice

Wow!

I have never seen so many little princesses in one place! Last evening my best friend and I took our little girls to Disney's Princesses on Ice. It was quite a show. These two darling little girls absolutely loved it!

The entire day was just about them. We went to dinner and then the show. It was a sight to behold. Hundreds of little girls dresses up as Princesses. I was able to get quite a few really good pictures so that these little girls can remember their fun night forever!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad!

It has been twenty years since my Dad's death. I still remember his birthday. I remember one birthday, I believe it was his 41st. We had made a cake and then put 41 trick candles on it. Those candles wouldn't go out! We finally had to pull them off and put them it water. So much wax had dripped on the cake that we had to scrape the top frosting off!

How I would love to make my Dad a big old cake!

Ouch!

A few of you know that I have been dealing with a foot problem. It is called plantar fasciitis. It is actually fairly common. I have been working with a Dr. for about five weeks. I know for sure that I have had the problem since last fall. The Dr. had recommended a night brace or "boot" to keep the ligament stetched while I sleep. Well, today was my appointment. After doing the exam the Dr. felt that I would benefit from cortisone shots directly into the fascii. He used an ultrasound machine to pinpoint exactly where to put the needles.

An average person with plantar fasciitis has a measurement of about 2 mm. Mine was between 6-9 mm! That is bad. The Dr. said "no wonder you have foot pain!" Then he found a cyst!

Have any of you ever had a shot in the mouth or a numbing shot on a finger or toe? Well, that is what these shots felt like. The shot that had to go into the cyst was the worst. I hollered at that one. I knew I had to hold still but it felt like I was going to heave.

Now that you know more about my foot than you ever wanted I will stop. Let's hope that this helps. More than 60% of people respond with these injections 100%. I hope that I am one of them! Wish me luck!

My Tree, My Light

Why?

Why is it so difficult for me to water a plant? If you have read my blog for awhile you may remember this tree. About a year ago I noticed it in my basement, close to death. I decided that if it had the inner strength to stay alive with complete and total neglect then I could give it a little love. I also decided that perhaps it was a metaphor for my life! We are strong, keep holding on!

Well, meet my tree. Once again it has been neglected. Not as severely as last year but still neglected. Miss E helped me cut all the dead branches out and give it a well needed and deserved drink.

Why do I care about this tree? Why do I not water it?

Well, perhaps it truly is like that metaphor, it keeps holding on, hoping that someone will pay attention to it, love it and want to help it become all that is inside of it. It is like the quote I mentioned a few days ago. We all have the light within us. ALL OF US. We shouldn't shrink or worry that we will overshine someone else. Our light is a gift to us and we need to find all the ways possible to let it shine!

This must be why I keep my little tree!

(check out Talk about Tuesday with the Lazy Organizer)

Rocks in Our Blood

I have rocks in my blood!

What? You ask. I come from a long line of Rock Hounds. A Rock Hound is a person that loves searching and finding rocks out of the earth that are actually beautiful gems. My Grandpa, my Dad, my Uncles have all spent thousands of hours and THOUSANDS of dollars hunting these gems. My family has always been particularly fascinated by jade. There is a place a couple of hours away from where I grew up Idaho that we would go "rock hunting." (the place has a name that I can't actually write on a family friendly blog--it is really on the map with this name)

Let me explain this event. You drive in a 4x4 pickup to the trail head, then you hike down across this beautiful meadow for a couple of miles. Then(this is the good part) you drop down into this creek area. Now if you are from a little town in Idaho, Wyoming or Utah, creek is an interesting word! We say CRICK not creek(long e). Just for your information!

Now back to the story! How do you find jade in the creek? Well, you go stand out in the middle and pick up rocks. If you are a talented rock hound you can look at the rock, look at the "skin" on it and know if it is a keeper or "leaverite." I haven't honed in these skills yet but my brother Royce has. So, we stand in the middle of this creek in Wyoming-which is ice cold. We pull out rock after rock asking, "is this a good one?" After we are all done standing in the freezing cold water or a thunderstorm comes up, we decide it is time to go home. Now is the killer part. We have to CARRY all these rocks back out the couple miles to the truck! Now, in my lifetime we have had motorcycles and such but they are not always allowed. So, usually, everyone puts as many of the rocks into their backpacks as they can stand. Then usually my Dad or now my brother carries the rest---which is WAY TOO MANY! (you can't leave a good specimen) There have been incidents that newcomers decide to carry too many of their finds out and end up in the hospital thinking that they are having a heart attack. These people shall remain nameless!

The last time I went with my brother I took my husband. He had never been rock hunting. He sat on the bank of the creek and watched all of us. He sat there with my sister in law. Neither one of them "gets" it! He told me that these are the ugliest rocks he has ever seen and he has no idea why anyone would go to so much effort to find them. Much less stand in the middle of a freezing cold creek to do it!

As I mentioned earlier, my Grandpa was a rock hound. He had a shop in his yard that had a huge rock saw and polishing equipment. He had five gallon buckets full of polished rocks that we could have. I still love the feel of running my hands through polished rocks. My Grandpa was also a carver. He carved beautiful animals out of jade. Moose, elk, coyotes, buffalo, etc.

Well, my brother got the gene. He is now the official family rock hound. He is a hunter, a carver, and best of all a teacher. Yesterday I took my family to a gem show that my brother was a demonstrator at. As I walked into this huge old train station filled with hundreds of people I found my brother. Leaning over a saw cutting pieces of jade to give children. He had sandpaper that they could polish their own masterpieces with. He personally gave each child a rock and the ability to make it beautiful. That is how you teach the next generation.

I was so proud of him. I know that his Grandpa and Dad would be also!

Happy Birthday Bro!

Happy Birthday Vance!

I realize it is a couple days late but I just thought that I would say Happy Birthday to the cutest brother ever!

(ok, ok I have two brothers and the other one is pretty cute too!)

Does it count?

Do you think that I can actually count the 8 chapters of my scriptures that I listened to but fell asleep during? Did I gain any knowledge through osmosis?

I guess that I was a bit tired!

So Cute

I have been busy creating! Last week I decided that I was going to take a few hours and work on sewing a bag. I decided to take pictures during the process so that I could use it to teach if anyone was interested. It turned out so cute!

I haven't put together the tutorial yet.

(If you are interested in the tutorial let me know!)

Check out the Lazy Organizer for Talk about Tuesday(yes, I know it is Wednesday)

Sometimes the list is just too long

Monday. The beginning of a new week. What am I doing? Playing catch up! Monday seems to be the day that you recover from the weekend!

We have the Single Ward Family Home Evening here at our house tonight. So, what am I doing? Blogging! Really, I am getting my hair done and I am cleaning!

Everything is in need of dusting, vacuuming, etc.etc.etc. So, just a quick note to remind myself that it will all work out! Breathe, breathe.

Pass some spring along this way!

Smart Habit Saturday

Well, here it is --update time

Personal Scripture reading--I am doing well! Listening to my scriptures on my ipod is working very, very well for me!

Family Scripture Time--not going well, haven't figured this one out yet, still working on a method. I had numerous people suggest that perhaps we need to have this at night. Well, my husband is gone Mon, Tues, some Wednesdays, occasionally Thurs., the girls both have dance on Thurs. and Friday is play night-movies, dances etc.wedding receptions. So evenings aren't
feasable.
This is truly a personal struggle of my own. My family doesn't fight me when I ask them to get up a bit earlier. Miss A is already up because she goes early to school. This is ME. This is a huge battle for me. I wonder if this is one of those things for me personally that if I master this if I will feel empowered to do many other things. So, I will let you know now it goes.

Exercise---I went 3 out of 5. Not as much as I want but still went. My bootcamp class has now officially ended. I am not going to sign up again due to my heel problem. I overdid it today in class. I have to rework my workout so that I can still exercise but my heel will get better. I did get the results from my measurements and thankfully, I basically maintained. That is what I hoped for. I just haven't been able to put the full effort into the class.
I will be speaking to a personal trainer (boot camp instructor) about ways to keep the muscle and strength that I have gained yet do it with low impact cardio.

Lowering my voice-I am actually doing quite well with this. It seems that we are all doing a bit better with this! Miss E has been so much better in the mornings this week. There were two days this week that she actually got up, dressed, etc. without me having to tell her and harp on her about it---that is really close to a miracle!

I have more goals that I am working on. They are those basic types of things that I have had since well, forever. Last year I wrote this huge list. You can read it if you like. All of those things still apply. I also have all the things I want to accomplish. I am struggling within myself because I feel like I am capable of SO MUCH MORE.

I have a quote that I love, I feel like it really is profound. I have thought about this often. Most of us think that we are to hard on ourselves. That we don't give ourselves credit for what we do--this is true. However, I think that we are beings of light. We have so much more that is possible. We just have to get out of our own way.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us.

We ask ourselves “who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?”
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson

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