When it rains, it pours

I was going to post something, but like my whole week, something went wrong and I just deleted the whole thing. I'm not going to re-type it. Sorry. Here's to hoping that your week is much better than mine...

WANTED: Spirit of the Season

Thanksgiving has come and gone in a blur of preparation and expectation and has left me feeling....well, really, with a lack of feeling. My usual approach to the winter holidays is with a fervor that drives my dear hubby and kids crazy. But this year I'm feeling a little -- let's say muffled -- in my celebration.

Not saying it wasn't good to see family and eat great food! I just wasn't feeling the spirit.

Of course, I've kept up the tradition of listening to Christmas music as soon as the radio stations will allow. And this year we had our neighbor put up Christmas lights on our house. That's about it. I'm not really looking forward to decorating this year...

Maybe it's the kids getting older and losing the magic of Santa. Maybe it's the lack of snow (I would never last in a warmer climate). Maybe I'm just not focusing on what this season means to me -- and all of us. Hmmmmm...maybe...

But if you happen to find my Spirit of the Season...please...let me know.

The Light bulb is getting Brighter

If you have known me for a good length of time, you know that I hate to exercise! But as the years keep racing on my body is doing exactly what my dad warned me about. He said, "You won't have this great metabolism forever. Just wait until you get older." (not the official words but pretty darn close). I think he also mentioned in there that I needed to control and curb my appetite so that when this "change" happened I wouldn't be caught off guard and have to make a huge adjustment.

Well, needless to say, I haven't really curbed my appetite much and continue to enjoy the sweets a little too often. It hasn't become a major problem but when I'm finding that even Ken's pants are too tight for me, I know there needs to be a change.

Hence, the workouts with a personal trainer! But not just any PT, this one happens to be my sister. It has been about a month and a half since we started and I'm starting to see little changes. The most major change happened today when I was determined to get rid of all the leaves on our back lawn. They were so deep that even trying to mow them up wasn't working. So I raked and raked, mowed what I could putting the clippings on the garden, and with my son's help, carried 3 or 4 tarp-fulls of leaves to our neighbor's pasture. But I didn't stop there. I even roto-tilled the garden! Now normally this would have taken me several days to get done and I would be extremely worn out but I was able to get it all done and still feel great!

There was also another surprise side-note to trying to get into shape. Mother nature is visiting with her monthly gift and I usually have a really hard time with cramps and moodiness and depression. I've been a little moody, but nothing like the past. But cramps have taken a hike and the depression hasn't arrived. It's so exhilarating to not feel chained and demonized during this time. Sorry if that was a little too much information but it's such an eye-opener to me how these changes have come about!

I can now actually look forward to the next swimsuit season and know that there will be a change this time. I'm hoping it's not just a good change but a great one!

What I AmThankful For

I stole this idea from my neighbor friend but I don't write quite as eloquently as she does.

Sam's morning smiles. Lots of blankets on the bed. Jane Austen. Minty hot chocolate. Doggie kisses. Kids' laughter. Fire in the fireplace. Sisters. A Listening ear. Slow dancing. A good sweater. Jeans. Hubby's health. CJ's hugs. Chocolate. Autumn leaves. Warm feet. Snuggles. Gospel strength. New opportunities. Christian radio. Christmas music. Good friends. Crochet. Backscratches. Family.

Ahhhh...Friday

Do you ever get to the end of the week and just feel like you've been through a tornado? I've been busier this week than I usually ever get (I try to keep my life simple so that I don't stress) and I'm definitely feeling it today. But it feels good to know that I got some things accomplished that have been on the back burner for a while.

We were able to can 500+ lbs of food storage, finally get on track to buy an insulin pump for Sam, get some deep cleaning done and throwing some stuff out. My week will be topped off tomorrow with preparing the garden for the winter. I'm starting to feel a little more organized and in charge of my life and it's been great!

Looking back at the busy-ness of the week and the stress that I have felt through it all, I remind myself of the blessings. The kids made it to piano on time, we're a little more prepared than we were last week, my dresser is actually cleared of clutter and dusted, the kitchen floor is mopped, I was able to have one-on-one quality time with the kids...oh, and the toilets got cleaned too. When I am able to look at the things I've been able to accomplish and see the good that has been done, I am able to relax a little and feel good about my week.

A Few More Things...

OK, I know I already have written today but was just remembering a few more things to talk about (now that it's late and Ken wants to sleep). We were put into a new ward this last Sunday and will be attending our new ward this week. I'm both thrilled and sad for the change but I think the excitement is coming out on top. I've not seen the kids so excited to attend church in a long time...yes excited! I'm just a little nervous as to what kind of calling I will receive.

Also, since I'm homeschooling now, I've been trying to think of/find some free or cheap field trips to take the kids on. Anyone have any suggestions? Utah county would be the best but can travel a little too.

Ponderings

Sitting here wondering if I should get rid of my Facebook account...maybe I'll have to come up with a Pro and Con list. Do you do FB? What do you think about it and why do you do it? I have been finding that I spend too much time playing the games and reading about everyone's day. Do I really need to know all that's going on in my friends' lives? Here's yet one more thing that keeps us from really staying in touch. Yes, it's much easier but where's the human factor? I think maybe I should go back to stamping and making cards so that I can learn to write again and let my friends know how I feel about each one of them rather than giving a blanket statement....but the blanket statements don't really even get to the FB page anyway. Most of it is a bunch of trivial stuff anyway. (sorry, no offense intended here)

So, if you happen to notice that I don't show up on FB anymore, you'll know why. Maybe I'll spend more time with the kids and hubby. Maybe I'll get all those projects done that I've started...maybe...

Girls' Night Out

It's been a week ago and I think I'm still recuperating. What a blast I had with my sisters and nieces on our Girls' Night Out! Thanks so much Shauna, for opening your home to us and our over-abundance of crafts!

It was a bit cold but a couple of the younger ladies decided to try a late-night swim while the rest of us chatted and ate and made beaded watches. Later, we unleashed our paper crafting skills and made cards, scrapbooked and -- I'm not quite sure what you would call the rest of the crafting going on -- a little paper and ribbons and tremendous skill with the HodgePodge. (Is that what they called it?) I'll have to try some of that next time.

Of course, we ended our evening - well, early morning - with a grand performance of Twilight! Then in the wee hours of the morning (3:30 I think) we crawled into our sleeping bags for a little beauty sleep.

Next morning, Shauna led us in a great workout and we ate a very yummy breakfast. It was definitely a time to remember!

July Festivities -- so far

Here's a few pics from July 4 and our swim day at Aunt Shauna's.

My Time

The house is quiet. Hubby and 13-year old at scout camp. Kids asleep. Dogs asleep. The tv is on but muted. (why does it have to be on? Habit I guess). I was just thinking how peaceful it is right now. I've never been a morning person but since the dogs woke me at 5:30 this morning, I can't go back to sleep. I'm actually enjoying the quiet and dreading when it will end. Don't have many of these moments.

Thinking how thankful I am for all the things in my life. Good friends (was just reading a bunch of blogs), a knowledge of Christ's plan for me, my testimony, a great husband and wonderful kids, and especially my health. Life has been a little fast lately and I need to slow it down and take more time to appreciate. Enjoy. Find peace.

Is that the problem with the world today? We're just too busy to find the peace...

A New Baby....Without the Labor

Any of you who know me might know that I love dogs!! Any time there are dogs for sale out by WalMart or in a pet store I have to stop and see them. Well this time, one of them stole my heart and was the right price.

Our newest addition is Comet and he's only about 12 inches long and weighs maybe two pounds. He's a miniature Dachshund and should only get to about 8 pounds. He's finally winning the hearts of our other dogs, Boomer and Rudy, and loves to tease them relentlessly. Although he has to bite everything in sight and reach and can't sleep through the night yet, we adore him!

I like this way of having another baby. No pregnancy and no labor and the potty training is already almost done....Wahoo!

Being a Mom

I'm sitting here trying to formulate my thoughts about what it is to be a Mother.

I was the youngest of seven so therefore had a very busy mom...that is, until my older siblings got married and left home. My memories of mother were of her cooking and sewing and as I grew older I remember thinking that it was a pretty dreary life. Cooking and cleaning and other motherly duties seemed very unrewarding to me. (No offense, Mom!) And I wondered what she was going to do when we all left the house. I couldn't understand why she didn't want to work.

Maybe my memories are a little out of whack because I wasn't the best child. I think my parents were often frustrated with me and "up-in-arms" as to how to handle me. But as I look back now, I applaud my mother for committing her life as a mother and taking joy in that work.

I'm trying to be a stay-at-home mother. I still have a bit of that messed-up view that my work at home is not rewarding or very appreciated and that has made my life difficult. The "world" would have me believe that I can't be happy unless I'm out there making my own money and "contributing". But being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have been taught differently. Things like, 'the work I do in the home has a more eternal reward', and that 'nothing compares with the duties and joys that come from raising my children'. I believe that is true and I'm striving every day to write it in my heart and soul so that I know that what I do is of worth!

The other day my hubby and I were watching something on television and a book was mentioned regarding the worth of mothers. I said that I would like that book sometime. Well, my loving hubby decided to find it for me but purchased the wrong one...by mere coincidence?? I don't think so. He bought me the book by Jane Clayson about motherhood and it really speaks to my heart. Any mother out there who wonders about her role in the home and gets discouraged should definitely read this book! We are a powerful force in the world! We are shaping and teaching the future generations! What can be more important than that? Money and fame and recognition are so fleeting but what we do as mothers will last forever.

I hope with all my heart that I never forget this important work I have to do. And I thank my mother for her determination to do her work so well. What a great example she is to me! Thanks Mom!

Tidbits of thought

Lessons I've learned while being a partial invalid these last two weeks.

1. Service isn't as hard as it seems. A little phone call, a short visit, even a note with a snack or meal has brightened my world. I shouldn't be afraid or feel that someone else will do it.

2. Do you notice that the same few people are always the ones to sign up to give and help? And those few, in my eyes, are the people that seem to be happiest. They're the ones that I have often thought of as my examples of how I want to be...is it coincidence that they give so much of themselves?

3. It's selfish when I don't give service. In the past I would often think, "I don't know them well enough", "Someone else will take care of them", "I'm too busy with...". My good intentions are not enough!

4. Simplify. Slow down. Enjoy. And nurture friendships.

5. God is good. His ways are not our ways. He waits for us to reach out for his hand. He wants to bless us.

6. A thought from a dear friend (put in my own words because I can't remember quite how she put it): Live your life in such a way that each morning when you wake up, Satan says, "Dang! She's awake again!"

Step on a Crack...

We've had an event of a lifetime today all because of a little bit of ice. I was going about my usual day and as I stepped out the door to go to work, I slipped on some ice on my front step and fell. Now usually, this would be a case of hurting my tailbone or something like that but I happened to land the middle of my back on the edge of the step -- and that's when I heard the crack! I sat there stunned for a few minutes and then, like a small child that realizes it just got hurt, I started to freak out. Any movement was so painful that I decided to give screaming for help a try and when that didn't work I shifted my weight to retrieve my cellphone from my back pocket. This movement, of course, made me a little hysterical so when I finally got my neighbor on the line they couldn't really understand me but got enough that they came rushing over.

In a rush of phone calls to hubby and 911, they even thought to cover me with blankets. My mind, in trying to forget the pain, thought of the strangest things -- "wish I had a camera right now to record the event", "I just painted my fingernails and now they're probably ruined", "I just spilled my full cup of Diet Coke!! - bummer!", "I've never broken a bone before...will this be the first?", "Wahoo, I can at least move my legs so it can't be that bad"

I was glad to see a familiar face driving the Ambulance and it was comforting that he knew me by name. The shift to the backboard was painful and I'm sure he's got some marks on his arms from my hands hanging on to him. Then when we got me in the ambulance my neighbors, and hubby, gave me a blessing. It was an interesting first ride in an ambulance.

At the hospital, they took X-rays and a scan as well to see what the damage was. And the verdict - (drumroll) - compression fracture on one of my vertibrae. Nothing they can do for me except pain meds. So now I'm home and loopy from the shot they gave me in the ER.

I want to give a great big shout out to every one who helped me through my day today! Great neighbors, friends and new acquaintances! I especially want to thank God for whatever intervention was made on my part today. The one thought that kept going through my mind when I felt the pain was, "Christ knows this pain..." He helped me endure.

Case of Mistaken Identity

You know how cats love to climb on things and make it their bed?? Our Bassett, Boomer, has decided to follow the example and has made the back of the couch his bed (when we're not around, of course). He is so much like a little child because he knows he's not allowed on the couches but he insists on taking things as far as they can go. I will admit, though, that it was my Rudy who taught him the trick (Rudy is allowed on the couches because he doesn't shed).

And to trace it all the way back, Rudy learned this wonderful trick from our previous cat, Enu who made it all look so easy and comfortable.

Where's My Manual??

Recently I feel I've been failing as a mother because my almost-teen child is not doing well in school. Did I miss out when they passed out the manuals on how to deal with growing-up kids?? Did I not do well enough teaching him how to be responsible for his actions?? I just don't understand the thinking because I liked school and did very well most of the time. Sometimes I think it would be easier without this PowerSchool thing so I could be oblivious until final grades and then we could deal with the consequences then...but that only makes it easier on my part.

I will admit that now he is faced with a failing grade, he has made the effort to get all his work done and is caught up in math. But I haven't checked his other classes recently...

I'm guessing all of us will live through this time of life but I'm just hoping that it is a quality time of life and not something I would rather forget.

Personality Test

Just did a personality test which a friend told me about to learn more about me and, HOLY COW, that explains it all!! I found it at www.kisa.ca/personality/ See what you think...does this fit me to the tee or not?

ISFJs are characterized above all by their desire to serve others, their "need to be needed." In extreme cases, this need is so strong that standard give-and-take relationships are deeply unsatisfying to them; however, most ISFJs find more than enough with which to occupy themselves within the framework of a normal life. (Since ISFJs, like all SJs, are very much bound by the prevailing social conventions, their form of "service" is likely to exclude any elements of moral or political controversy; they specialize in the local, the personal, and the practical.)

ISFJs are often unappreciated, at work, home, and play. Ironically, because they prove over and over that they can be relied on for their loyalty and unstinting, high-quality work, those around them often take them for granted--even take advantage of them. Admittedly, the problem is sometimes aggravated by the ISFJs themselves; for instance, they are notoriously bad at delegating ("If you want it done right, do it yourself"). And although they're hurt by being treated like doormats, they are often unwilling to toot their own horns about their accomplishments because they feel that although they deserve more credit than they're getting, it's somehow wrong to want any sort of reward for doing work (which is supposed to be a virtue in itself). (And as low-profile Is, their actions don't call attention to themselves as with charismatic Es.) Because of all of this, ISFJs are often overworked, and as a result may suffer from psychosomatic illnesses.

In the workplace, ISFJs are methodical and accurate workers, often with very good memories and unexpected analytic abilities; they are also good with people in small-group or one-on-one situations because of their patient and genuinely sympathetic approach to dealing with others. ISFJs make pleasant and reliable co-workers and exemplary employees, but tend to be harried and uncomfortable in supervisory roles. They are capable of forming strong loyalties, but these are personal rather than institutional loyalties; if someone they've bonded with in this way leaves the company, the ISFJ will leave with them, if given the option. Traditional careers for an ISFJ include: teaching, social work, most religious work, nursing, medicine (general practice only), clerical and and secretarial work of any kind, and some kinds of administrative careers.

While their work ethic is high on the ISFJ priority list, their families are the centers of their lives. ISFJs are extremely warm and demonstrative within the family circle--and often possessive of their loved ones, as well. When these include Es who want to socialize with the rest of the world, or self-contained ITs, the ISFJ must learn to adjust to these behaviors and not interpret them as rejection. Being SJs, they place a strong emphasis on conventional behavior (although, unlike STJs, they are usually as concerned with being "nice" as with strict propriety); if any of their nearest and dearest depart from the straight-and-narrow, it causes the ISFJ major embarrassment: the closer the relationship and the more public the act, the more intense the embarrassment (a fact which many of their teenage children take gleeful advantage of). Over time, however, ISFJs usually mellow, and learn to regard the culprits as harmless eccentrics :-). Needless to say, ISFJs take infinite trouble over meals, gifts, celebrations, etc., for their loved ones--although strong Js may tend to focus more on what the recipient should want rather than what they do want.

Like most Is, ISFJs have a few, close friends. They are extremely loyal to these, and are ready to provide emotional and practical support at a moment's notice. (However, like most Fs they hate confrontation; if you get into a fight, don't expect them to jump in after you. You can count on them, however, run and get the nearest authority figure.) Unlike with EPs, the older the friendship is, the more an ISFJ will value it. One ISFJ trait that is easily misunderstood by those who haven't known them long is that they are often unable to either hide or articulate any distress they may be feeling. For instance, an ISFJ child may be reproved for "sulking," the actual cause of which is a combination of physical illness plus misguided "good manners." An adult ISFJ may drive a (later ashamed) friend or SO into a fit of temper over the ISFJ's unexplained moodiness, only afterwards to explain about a death in the family they "didn't want to burden anyone with." Those close to ISFJs should learn to watch for the warning signs in these situations and take the initiative themselves to uncover the problem.

New "Do's"

Hannah decided that she likes her hair shorter and this time I decided to let a professional do the cut rather than my own hands. I figured that I might learn a few things while watching so I can keep the cut the way it's supposed to look. After convincing Hannah that she really needs to tell the hairstylist what she wants and that it was ok to let her know if it wasn't quite right, we got a result that impressed everyone. I really liked the way it turned out -- what do you think?

Oh, and I cut my hair too. When I had to get the curling iron out to make it presentable --- that was the last straw.

North and South

This movie was suggested to me by my long-lost friend Erin. I borrowed it from my local library and was blown away by it. I won't go in to all the details but it reminded me a little of Pride and Prejudice and other Jane Austen stories. It's a long one with two discs but very worth the time. Another BBC triumph!

Erin, I loved it! Thanks for the heads-up! Have you seen Phantom yet?

Bowling

The kids have been begging us to take them bowling so when Ken's birthday came, I decided it would be a fun birthday activity. We had a lot of fun and decided that it is definitely harder to bowl in "real time" than on the Wii.

What an experience with the nifty bowling shoes and trying to find a ball that was light enough for the kids...Jenn had to use Hannah's ball too. Of course, Ken won with a good 40 points ahead of the rest of us. But that's ok because it was his birthday.