Baby Steps!

I am trying to focus on making little improvements in my life. Little "baby steps" that will develop into a much more organized life! (Grandious ideas, but trying just the same!)

My family looks at some of the pictures I take and all they can say is "why?" Case in point. My closet has been a mess. It is a constant battle to keep it fairly decent. My sweet hubby is more orderly in his side of the closet. The mess is all mine! Well, the other day I started sucking up bugs in my bathroom. This led to me deciding to really start to clean my bedroom. Unfortunately, my bedroom often becomes the graveyard for things that I just don't know what to do with. Usually the best thing to do with whatever "it" is would be the garbage!

So, I have been working for three days. Ok, ok, I have been working in shifts, here and there for three days! I am making progress!Here is the proof!

Some Days!

Some days go better than others.

Tuesday afternoon I had to pick up the dog from the groomers. So, the kids wanted to go to the gym. No big deal. The little guy and I will just play at the new park right next to the gym.

When we arrived there were no other people at the park so I let the dog run around. Well, after awhile some other people came. This little girl really liked our dog. So, I didn't worry. Then another man and a boy came, well, it was very obvious that he didn't like the dog running around without a leash. (Which I understand-dogs can be very scary) So, I went and put her into the car. It was cool so it wasn't a problem. Well, I called the kids to come so we could go home. We went to go and get into the car and THE DOG HAD LOCKED THE DOORS! I was the only person at the park when I got there. I left my keys in the car(dumb-I know). The dog stepped on the door lock button and locked the doors! Great! Lucky for me, I have a cell phone-that was in my pocket(it was almost dying-I had to talk fast) and my sweet hubby hadn't left our house yet for his meetings. We waited and froze while he brought us the extra keys.

Moral to this story? Don't leave your keys in the car, especially with a do inside! (a hidden key would be a good idea also!

Bugs, Bugs and more bugs!

Ewwh!

I hate box elder bugs! They are nasty, dirty little creatures that have been invading my house for weeks and weeks. I am so sick of their dirty little slimy spots all over my windows. I had to vacuum my bathtub today because there were so many. It was only a few days ago that I sent about a thousand down the drain.

While sucking up bugs with the vacuum I pulled my very large wooden blinds up- to be almost suffocated by dust. I guess that you know it is past time to dust the blinds when this happens. So, that is the fun we are having around here today!! Bugs and dust!

Fall Joy's

One of the inevitable realities of fall is leaves. Where we live there are LOTS of leaves. We don't have so many in our own yard but out Grandparents have millions in theirs and we live on a connected lot.

So, today was leaf cleanup day! The kids always complain and complain and then once they see the HUGE pile they are all smiles.

When I was at college in Hawaii I remember calling my Mom and complaining about there not being any fall leaves.(Imagine that?-what was I thinking--warm is always good) Well, my sweet Mom boxed up a care package with goodies from home and included a baggie full of leaves! I loved them! I carried them around and shared the smell with all my Polynesian friends and then kept that baggie pinned to my bulletin board. I still smile when I think of my Mom sending me leaves. It is one of my favorite little memories.

Go make some leaf memories today!

Halloween 2007

Happy Halloween!

It was a busy night! The middle kids were so excited to go "treating" with the neighbors that we didn't get many pictures taken! My good friend has her four-wheeler with a trailer hooked up behind it. The kids can sit on the trailer between stops. We live in the country so sometimes the distance is a bit. These kids had a ball. I think that it was one of the funnest years that they have had. The little guy went to Grandma's house and was happy to have a treat in his bucket. He then proceeded to take his costume off. So, for me it was a calmer night than we have had on Halloween in years!

This is not my "little lamb" but isn't she just the sweetest thing? I took more pictures of her than my middle children--they were too busy!

Disneyland Fun!

We had so much fun on our trip to Disneyland! Here are a few pictures from all the fun.

(I have no idea why some pictures are sideways!)

"Let's go"

"Let's go see Mickey Mouse!" The big kids say to the little guy. He goes into his bedroom, pulls out his suitcase, packs it and brings it out---"I'm ready!"


Now if only his Momma can get a family of six ready to go buy morning!

It's over

Well, it's over. Football ended in a dramatic loss. It was a very difficult game and the boys did so well. It was so hard to watch all these boys after the game ended. It was all I could do to not break out bawling-I believe that most of them did. This team has played so hard. Our teams are not stacked. Any kid that wants to play plays. The team we lost to is not like that. They come from a very large area. They have an A B C team. They put their very best players on team A. Well, we came to the game and played hard.

So---now what are you going to do? We're going to Disneyland! We had looked at dates and tried to decide when would be a good time(if that is possible). We decided that fall break(first time ever) would be perfect. Then we discovered that it was the same weekend as the football mini-bowl. We decided to not mention it to the kids--that way if they made it to the bowl the other kids couldn't hold it over #2's head. So, we are going!!! It works out well for hubby also because he has stake conference instead of normal meetings so he can make arrangements so much more easily.

The next three days are going to be nuts!!

The Dreaded Family Picture!

The Dreaded Family Picture!

Picture day came and went. Amazingly, we all survived. There was no bloodshed, tears or tantrums! It was almost perfect, except for the HUGE black cloud that came over the sun after we took 2 shots. So, the lighting was less than stellar but we survived!

Here is our official family portrait.

Where did the week go?

I have been quite preoccupied this week. For those three of you that read this blog, sorry it has been an empty week!

My #1 child had surgery on her ears on Tuesday. It went well but still consumed Tuesday and Wednesday. She can't tolerate the strong pain medication, they made her so sick. Once we got those out of her system she felt much better. I would show a picture of her but to respect her privacy I won't! Imagine a head totally wrapped with gauze, all around the head and chin with a ponytail, 1985 style(on the side). She sat in the back of the car with tinted windows so that no one could see her. As we went into the Dr's office to have the wrap removed she covered her head with a hoodie. She was such a trooper. She will be sore for a week or two and then it will be better.

The weather has changed. We have snow on our mountains and it is down right freezing in the morning and evenings. I realize that it is mid October but somehow it still seems to come upon us so fast. Perhaps it really is slow but we try to ignore it as long as possible!

I should be going to the gym today but I decided to stay home and really try and get caught up--whatever that means! Just trying to dig out so that I am not too much of a raving lunatic!

More Football

We have been playing football since the first week of August. Four nights a week and a game on Saturday.

Today our boy played in his second round of the playoffs. This is a big deal! They started the playoffs in first place. That is so cool!

Well, they won again today! It was a tough game. So the team will play again next week--hopefully win and then on to the MINI BOWL!

What does this mean for me? Football-- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday!

Go Team!

Party Time!

Our little guy is three!

We had a little party tonight to celebrate. He was so excited about the "Cars" blanket that Grandma gave him, he laid down on the table with it!

It was fun to see him be so thrilled with his little gifts. We really didn't get him much. He just didn't need much. He got some books, little airplanes and an Army man. He was a happy boy. He also picked out his very own cake. I was going to make one and then realized that I didn't want to!(no big surprise!) He chose the motorcycle cake--no question about it--I wanted the cute Mickey Mouse cake!

He was so tired that he fell asleep on the floor!

I dislike laundry.

This is no new surprise. HOWEVER, today I decided (once again) to try and look at it as a blessing! I have five other people that I love who are wearing all these clothes. I am a lucky Momma after all!

Happy Birthday!

October 10, 2004---why this date? This is the day that our sweet little Angel Boy was born! It is hard to believe that he is already three! Where has the time gone?

This little boy is our little "bonus baby". We really thought that we weren't going to get anymore little blessings from heaven so when we discovered he was on his way we were shocked! This little boy has been a blessing from the beginning. We have quite an age difference between he and the others so there has been something extra sweet about having a baby in the house. The other children have been old enough to actually understand how sweet and yummy this baby is. They have all enjoyed this little guy as much as his Momma and Daddy have.

Happy 3rd Birthday my sweet little boy!

No Pictures--Yet!

Well, we were not able to have the dreaded family pictures. The weather did not cooperate for us. It was raining and very dark. We have rescheduled them for next weekend. Let's hope that the weather holds out!

Quick Rolls

I was given a recipe that I thought that I should share. I am really not a very good cook. I just don't love doing it. The food that I do cook is fine, not gross but pretty plain jane. This recipe is for quick, homemade rolls. They are faster than frozen rolls!

Fast Roll Recipe

(makes a very large batch-1/2 recipe for a regular family dinner)

3 ½ Cups Warm water
6 Tbls. Yeast
¾ cup Sugar
1 Cup Oil

Mix first four ingredients and let stand 15 minutes.

Add 1 Tbls. Salt
3 eggs(2 for ½ batch)
10 ½ Cups of flour

Mix/knead until pulls away from sides of bowl and not too sticky.

Let sit for Five Minutes

Make into rolls and let rise approximately 30 minutes

Bake at 350* 15-20 minutes.

These rolls arent' going to win the contest for best rolls at the county fair--but they might win you "mother of the day" at your house!

Thanks Becky!

The Dreaded Day!

Just my luck. We have scheduled the dreaded "family pictures". Therefore it gives the weather the go ahead to be bad! Isn't that just our luck? Family pictures are difficult for our family. If you remember last year it wasn't pretty. I have to figure out the clothing for everyone. That doesn't sound too bad, unless you have actually ever tried to coordinate six peoples clothing! I have already managed to get everyone a trim, so that part is good. Now if we can just get clothes for everyone, everyone's hair combed(that is harder than it sounds) some decent weather and some smiling, happy faces we will be set! Oh, yes, we are having my favorite photographer(best friend) to take the pictures--hopefully that will help!!!


Wish us luck-we hope that it is better than last year!

Organizing Bags

Are any of you like me? Do you have little parts and pieces of games, books, etc. shoved in many different places. Do you use Ziploc baggies hopeing that they will keep some of these loose things contained? Do you get sick of the baggies being too flimsy to really work?

Enter the Organizing Bag system--Created by my friend Lara at The Lazy Organizer. I was first introduced to these bags a year or so ago. I LOVE THEM. I think that if I didn't have such a sweet hubby I would want to marry them!

Lara has begun selling them online. Check out the little button I have on my sidebar. It will lead you to Lara's Bag site. There are lots and lots of pictures of the various bags and all their different uses. We love them. I have used them for containing playdough, dinosaurs, diapers, the kids personal church bags(the handles are great!). I have given some away as gifts. My Mom uses one to corral all her ipod accessories. I have one that I keep with us as a "busy bag" for my little guy. It has a tablet, crayons, snacks, cars. The handle makes it perfect for him to carry. These bags are made of great quality fabric. I have used a medium and a small one for my makeup bags for almost a year and they are still in great condition.

Go check out these bags. They may be just the answer to your organizing problems!
**leave a comment here on my blog for a chance to win some bags from Lara!

Smart Habit Saturday--on Monday!

Well, here it is Monday-where does the time go? Mine goes snippets here and snippets there, I am a great slow waster!



I haven't even thought about a new habit for Smart Habit Saturday. I can't! I am still working on all the old ones! So, no new habits for this week.



*I am doing fairly well at keeping my counter clean. I would say that I am doing about 5 out of 7 nights that my counter is mostly clean before I go to bed. I would like it to be 7/7 but I am a realist so I am happy with 5!!



*I am struggling again with my scripture study. I was doing so well-so, that is back on the front burner again.



*I don't feel like I have been doing well at all at noticing the good my children do. Perhaps it is the weather funk that I have been in. So, that is in need!



*exercise-pathetic



*brushing my teeth---I HAVE THIS DOWN!



If you want some help or ideas go over to the Lazy Organizer for Smart Habit Saturday.

Monday

The fall colors are here-they are going fast. I have a great view out my kitchen window of the changing seasons. I enjoy my view all year long. I have been watching the leaves these past few weeks. The red is almost gone. It comes first and goes fast!

This is often a difficult time of year for people. They don't really know why but they just feel like they are in a bit of a fog or a funk. I know that I have been feeling it. I know that there are many factors. Including less daylight so we have less serotonin in our brains. It is getting cooler so we are inside more. I know that it is so easy to let myself get quite moppy at this time of year. So, today--I went outside and took some pictures of the leaves.

I hope that you are finding some beauty!