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!

Where did January go?

It is the very last day of January. As old as I am I should not be surprised by how quickly time moves, but I constantly am.

I looked around my house yesterday and realized that it still looks like we are moving! Removing all the Christmas decor really makes my house pale! I also noticed that I still have Christmas dishes in my plate rack, my wreath outside and a little tree behind the couches in the piano room. I also have not put anything on my piano or on my shelf in the stairway. My house looks empty. It needs some attention!

I am trying to decide which project to start first. The pantry(it is overflowing), the office(it is so deep we can't get to the closet) or my scrapbook/Emily's bedroom nightmare(it is just awful-poor girl). Where to begin?

I dislike having to make a bigger mess to clean up a mess. All of these projects are that type. I have learned that you shouldn't pull out more than you can put back in an hour. I just don't think that any of these are projects that can be handled that way. So-I have to figure out if my phsyqe can handle some days of total chaos!!

Wish me luck! I am gonna need it!

*hopefully soon I will put up the few iPhone pictures we took on our California trip. Lousy pictures but great memories!!!

Wild Turkeys!!!

There is a flock of wild turkeys hanging around our little town. They have been here for a week or so. I tried to count them when they were in my neighbors yard. I counted at least twenty! This morning they were in my back yard. There were more than pictured. Miss Hollie dog got out and scared them away- they can fly, just not for very far. They went across the canal.

Everyday stuff!

January chaos!

This is Justin's bedroom-at least it was! We did get it picked up. It is representative of what my house feels like to me. It isn't actually that bad in every room, but many more than I can deal with.

I also feel this chaos in my soul! It must be the time of year. I feel like I need to empty every single corner, closet and drawer in my entire house. I need to get rid of excess and organize the keepers. The hard part for me is actually sticking with it and finishing. My word of the year last year was supposed to be Focus. I still need that word on a daily basis. I get so distracted by having too many things that need done. I wander around doing little bits of lots of projects, never actually finishing anything. I told my sweet Mr. this morning that while I take care of one pile three more are created! I am always behind!

Oh, well! I guess that is my life right now. With Ashley at school I have 1/2 the laundry, so I guess that the messes will change as my family changes. If only I were much more disciplined to make my children be more disciplined!!

Finally-Winter

Winter finally arrived!

After a snowless Christmas and New Year we were beginning to wonder if it was a year of no snow. Well, Saturday we got blasted.

I still count myself lucky that this is out my back window!!

Christmas Day 2011!!!!

Christmas Day!
We plan and anticipate for months! I was surprised when I got up at 6:00am and was the first one up! I got up and put the roast in and just enjoyed the silence by the glimmering tiny tree. Dave soon followed. Both parents awake before the kids? Crazy! At almost 7:00 Justin and Emily wandered up the stairs, Mitch followed quickly. Ashley took some convincing, but finally came with the rest.

Santa had arrived!

After all their Santa and parent gifts had been opened there was one more HUGE present for each of them! They gave Justin a little bit of a head start and then they all opened them. Those suitcases were a nightmare to wrap! It took longer to wrap one of those than it did to open every present Christmas morning!

Mickey and Minnie Cups! Disneyland here we come!!!! We surprised the kids with a trip to Disneyland!!! They were all shocked!!(except Ashley-she was in on the surprise). It was going to be a big day-we were leaving the very next day!!! We were also going to Sea World and Universal Studios!

Christmas leftovers! It is always so crazy the mess that comes from unwrapping everything!!

Dave cooked a wonderful Christmas breakfast of French Toast, bacon and orange juice. He was superman!

Christmas happened to fall on Sunday this year! It was lovely to go to church and celebrate the birth of our Savior. The choir presented a wonderful program. I was grateful to be able to sit with my entire family, it is very rare to have Dave and Ashley with us. After the meeting I told the family that I needed "a moment" and they needed to pose for a picture! They are not always too thrilled with that. However, it turned out great!

(The camera never got picked up for the rest of the day--sad)

We had Christmas dinner here at our house. We had the 5 Coffman's, 2 Cox's(Jess and Chris), Janet and David and our 6 Carrigan's. We had a beautiful table set with our Christmas dishes, nice glasses and centerpieces. We had ham, roast, baked potatoes, gravy, raspberry jello and a few other dishes. We had pumpkin and mint pie for dessert.

After we ate we opened presents and visited. It was a very lovely afternoon. After that we hurried and cleaned up those dishes and started packing for our trip! We then started getting ready for the next meal with the Halverson's.

Betsy and her family arrived at 6:00pm for our traditional supper of pulled pork burritos. It was fun to have them all there. We just don't get together enough. After they left-and I sent every single leftover possible with them--we started to make sure we were ready to leave bright and early the next morning.

We ran our dishwasher FIVE times Christmas day! I don't think I ever sat down! Except to eat!

It was a wonderful Christmas day! I am certain that I will never have a trip planned like that ever again, however! It was a bit too busy for me! I want to be able to sit and enjoy the day a little bit more-I guess that I am the Momma now and it goes with the territory!

We are so very blessed! I am so grateful that we get to celebrate Christmas. I hope that we can always remember that "He is the Reason for the Season!"

Christmas Eve 2011

Justin was so excited for Christmas Eve. He asked at least five times every single day for a week if we could open a present on Christmas eve. They know the drill that they will get new jammies for Christmas Eve. It still doesn't seem to dampen the excitement!

This is the second year that we have opened sibling gifts on Christmas Eve. I am not sure if I like that or not. The jury is still out. None the less, Justin was over the moon with his Yoda that Emily got him! He had seen it in an add and we lucked out and found him!

Justin wasn't the only one present on Christmas Eve but he was the only one pictured! We had had a lovely dinner of soup and rolls with Grandma and Grandpa Carrigan joining us. Next year, however, I am going to try and have a larger get together. We totally forgot to read the story of Christ's birth out of the scriptures. I want my children to remember joyous celebrations! We must start them if they are to remember them!!

Justin reminded us to put out treats for Santa, and the reindeer. We put out Daddy's traditional Scottish shortbread, a popcorn ball and some milk--and some diet coke--just in case he was sick of milk!

After all the kids were in bed I set up the tripod trying to get a good picture of our darling tree. I love to just sit in the glow of the Christmas tree and reflect of the Savior's birth. We are all so blessed by His love and sacrifice. I wish that I was more capable of understanding the fullness of the gifts He has given us.

Justin's Whoville Christmas!

Justin was so excited about his Christmas performance songs. They sang songs from The Grinch. He usually gets rather shy with his singing but I would hear him singing these songs often. The little who's were so cute!

Word of the year

This is my 1002 post! Ok that is a lot of chaos!

We are just plugging away. It is hard to believe that it is already January 19th. The month just keeps flying past.

I have long held that hope that I would make some goals or resolutions that will really impact my life. I have had goals that I have accomplished in my life. I have also had many goals that were much more "thoughts" than actual goals that I set out a plan to accomplish.

For Family Home Evening the last two weeks we have talked about goals. We talked about how just saying them doesn't make them happen. So, I have been thinking myself-what do I want to accomplish, why do I want to accomplish them and How am I going to accomplish them?

All these things make me think. What are goals that are really of value? Is it of value if it only affects me personally? Why don't I do the things that I know I could do? What are my excuses? Why do I let those excuses win?

Many people are familiar with Ali Edwards and her One Little Word campaign that she has done for years. I have had words in my mind for the last few years. However, I have had those words much like I have had many goals, in my mind. I have decided that I have to actually be a finisher
instead of just a starter. I know I have talked about this before.

This year I have a word. I struggle with choosing a word. "Will it sound stupid? Will I stick with it? Will it pigeon hole me?" I have decided that I am too much of a worrier!!

So--I decided that my word this year is REACH.

I want to be able to Reach my goals.
Reach people
Reach deep inside myself.

I hope that this word will help propel me to action. I am a terrible procrastinator. I want to be propelled to reach inside and do the things that I know I can do with a bit of effort.

REACH --- welcome to my world!

Justin's new suit

This little man loves his suits!

He has needed a new suit for much too long. So, off to the dress shop to find his suit. He was so particular that he had to fully try on every suit they had in his size! He chose a very stylish one and had to send a picture to Ashley.

When he got home he quickly took his old suit over to cousin Josh. He is two years younger and two heads shorter--it fit him perfectly! That goes to show how silly Justin was looking in the suit!!

Temple Square lights

We decided to go to Salt Lake City to see the lights at Temple Square. We surprised the kids, only telling them to dress warm, brings hats and gloves. We drove to Ogden and got on the Front Runner train. A first for Dave and Mitch.


Self Portraits to send to Ashley!

Such pretty teeth!

Smile Daddy!

The tree in the Joseph Smith Memorial building is massive!

The Temple is beautiful always, but it is so striking at Christmas with all the lights at night.

I am such a lucky girl to get to spend eternity with this guy!

It was a cold night-glad we had warm clothes!

The Christus statue is always such a beautiful site.

The Nativity Scene. The reason for the season!

We ate dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen and then went to Temple square. As always, it is amazing to see all the thousands of lights that are wrapped around the trees. We were surprised when we went up towards the church office building to see more nativities from all around the world. The large fountain and all the flower beds were lined with lit luminaries. Lovely!

It was a fun evening together!

Fantasy at the Bay!

We went to Willard Bay to drive through the lights for family home evening. We decided to go early in the month this year because we waited last year and had a line so very long-after two hours to ride the horse drawn wagon we just drove through!

This year we timed it perfectly! We drove through twice and then went to see Santa, while there the wagon came by and we were able to get right on. I told the drive about last year and he had Justin sit up front with him to drive! I think he was too nervous to actually drive but it was extra special to be up front!


Justin is my only baby left that will sit on Santa's lap!! I am so grateful for the joy and wonder that this little one brings to our lives!

(Mitch and Dave were with us but they stayed in the car while we rode the wagon)

Christmas 2011 in Review!!

One of our favorite traditions is our Christmas books. I have collected them since I was first married. Usually adding one or two new ones every year. We have quite a collection now. They range from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to traditional stories about the Nativity. Once we wrapped the books opening one a day. It was fun, however, I found that by having the books wrapped we didn't seem to enjoy them as much. Part of the fun of the big box of books is to rediscover old favorites. Sometimes reading many more than just one a day. Now we bring out our basket-(had to have two this year)-and sit them by the tree to enjoy the entire month.


This picture is one of my favorites of the entire season.
My children often bicker. I try to work with them to treat each other better. They still bicker-a lot. I don't know if it is me and my parenting or the large age differences between them.
On this night as I came into the living room I saw Emily and Justin all scrunched up on the couch with Emily reading a Christmas story to Justin. I had to snap a photo. I also had to take a picture with my heart. With all the bickering that is common, it is hard to remember that on occasion they actually get along and do something so sweet and loving.

We generally go and cut down a real tree. This year we were in Idaho the weekend our normal place was open. It was then a very busy week. We had our annual neighborhood party planned for Friday. I knew that if we didn't get something up it wouldn't happen for the party. So, I pulled out my tiny fake tree I bought for $16.77 ten years ago. When Justin got home from school he started decorating it. He put almost every single ornament on that tree. Emily helped a bit at the end and of course I put on the lights, beads and ribbon(and moved a few clumps around!).

In the end we used about half our ornaments and it still was one of my favorite trees ever. It was so tiny and petite sitting in the corner the entire month. I quite loved it. I am hoping that I can actually have this type of tiny tree again.

A Solemn Day

Today was a very somber and solemn day for citizens of the greater Ogden, Utah area. Today was the funeral for Agent Jared Francom. He died in the line of duty last week in a tragic task force search warrant delivery where five others were also hit. One of the worst officer situations in Utah ever.

Dave serves with a neighboring city's police chief, because of this he has had quite a bit of information over the last week.

Today Dave's stake hosted the task force for breakfast before the funeral. He said he was very humbled to be with these families. They also had a miracle of the loaves and fishes. They had been told there would be 15-20 people. There ended up being 60! There was enough food for all- a miracle indeed.

The LDS church sent out a request to 45 area stakes to line the eight mile funeral procession route with flags. Dave and I were in charge of 100 flags for his young single adult stake. We had some kids come to help and we placed all the flags in our assigned area. It was a sight to behold. Seeing the streets lined with American flags was amazing! I cried as I drove down the street.

When the procession finally got to our area( towards the end) there were hundreds of people lining the streets. The procession of police vehicles lasted for more than an hour. There were approximately 500 vehicles from all around the country.

I am grateful that there are people like Agent Jared Francom that are willing to risk their lives for our community. I know that in general we do not give them the respect that they deserve. I am grateful I was able to help show a bit of thanks. I pray for his family and the other injured task force members.

Digging out!!

Still trying to come up for air! We have been home from our crazy California trip for a week now. I am almost ready to attempt taking the Christmas decorations down. I have put the dishes away and have started removing things and placing them on the table. It is kind of a wreck. It also looks so very empty when all the Christmas is gone.

My house is cuter when I have it decorated for Christmas! My friend Crystal said that and I totally agree!!! I usually try to go around and get shots from all around the house-I failed to do that this year. However, it was lovely. We had a teeny tiny tree and I really quite liked it. I will probably do it again. Even if we go and get our traditional tree. I have enough decorations for two smaller trees. I dream about those houses that every corner is decorated just right. It has always been an overwhelming dream. Maybe someday!!

I will keep plugging along. Hopefully, soon, I will be able to post all the Christmas pictures and pictures(iphone) from our trip!!!