Today I meant to:
* pack up the extra books I keep with our homeschooling stuff. These are random textbooks that might have useful information on a history unit, or the stargazing book I grabbed because it was only $9.95 at Barnes and Noble even though we aren't studying astronomy this year, plus the creative science projects book I haven't had time to open yet... and all sorts of other interesting and random books. [I got one box full, so hooray- only 3 or 4 more to go]
* pick up and pay for the Durango. [who knew a squeak would cost $900?!? but I got a good 20-minute walk out of it]
* balance my checkbook. [this actually got done before I picked up the Durango, and thank goodness- and Dave Ramsey- for our $1000 emergency fund]
* move kids' savings accounts to the credit union [Walker came with me, took about an hour to get the money from one bank, then open three accounts at the credit union. That was the easy part. The hard part was moving the money in Myles' account, and knowing that I couldn't keep it in his name. I mean, I can call this account whatever I want, but it isn't his account anymore. *sigh*]
* work on a crocheted blanket. [did a little of this tonight while the kids were playing after dinner]
* feed myself and my family breakfast, lunch, and dinner. [Jared made breakfast, lunch was whatever the kids found in the kitchen, and dinner was me running away from the chaos to a fast food restaurant, with a good friend and her son, where we fed the kids fattening and unhealthy food, talked a lot, and I completely forgot to get Jared anything to eat, so he had to find something in the less-than-organized kitchen at 11pm after he spent the day painting. I pretty much lost my 'loving spouse of the year' award there.]
* clean out the car. [hah! not even close]
* sort the magazines in the house and pack what I want to keep, recycling the rest. [Maybe tomorrow, or maybe I'll just do this when I unpack, because I didn't have time to sort anything and had to throw everything into boxes to prepare to show the house to potential buyers.]
* do another load of laundry. [where would it go?!? The couch is full.]
* have the boys fold and put their clean clothes away. [Their clothes are still on the couch.]
* fold my clean clothes and put them away. [Folded, yes. Put away, no. My dresser is in the middle of the room, and there's stuff in front of the drawers. So my clean clothes are piled precariously on top of the pile of things on my dresser.]
Currently, the carpet in my bedroom is randomly pulled up and away from the walls. Jared was checking to see if he needed to paint the baseboards down to the subflooring. There are random doors leaning against walls in rooms they don't belong in: all the closet doors in my room are in the kitchen, and my bedroom door is in the computer room. My bed is propped up against the living room wall. There are random socks and books scattered on the living room floor, and probably under the blankets on the couch as well. We turned off the heat for about half the day, because Jared was painting the outside doors, and took them off the house to do that. It was about 57 degrees Fahrenheit inside- brrr! My kids were piled up on the couch, watching 'Curious George' under 3 blankets. The doors are back on the house, thank goodness, but the handles are still missing...
On the plus side, all surfaces needing paint have now received it. All that remains are minor touch-ups here and there, and we'll probably do those after we sell the house and move all our big furniture out.
Gratitude List:
* I didn't have to paint anything.
* We have enough money to fix our car without borrowing anything. And, the problem was easily fixed. Had we waited another week or two, we would have paid at least double the price, and it would have taken 3-5 days' work to fix it.
* My friend's company at dinner tonight.
* Crocheting is very soothing for my order-obsessed self [knitting would also work].
* I have SO MANY books. [I bet I could open a library.] This makes me feel rich- to have so much information at my fingertips when 100 years ago I would have been lucky to own one book [a Bible], much less be able to read it.
* Good poetry. Emily Dickinson is one of my very favorite poets.
* Robert Louis Stevenson is pretty high up there, too.
* music.
* good friends and neighbors, and a family who loves and supports me.
* a camera, to record my current chaos.
* that someday I will laugh about this move.
* Jared is an awesome painter of rooms.
* God
* the internet
* that tomorrow I get to start again LOL.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, March 09, 2009
Adventures in Cleaning
So, at almost 35 years of age, I have had PLENTY of experience cleaning house, starting when I was a wee little child and thought that anything my mother did was fun because she was doing it. :) Thanks, Mom. And I have certainly put in hours of scrubbing time on various stove-tops, trying to remove grease and baked-on food. However, I have never enjoyed much success getting rid of that grease. I've even been tempted to remove the stove-top and spray-paint it white, just to cover up my inadequate stove-top cleaning skills.
A few weeks ago in Church, one of the ladies in our women's group did a little spot about being prepared. She does this once a month during our women's meeting, and she is very creative with her presentations. This last one was about being prepared to clean [gee, one of the advantages of natural disasters, IMO, is that the house is no longer there to need cleaning...] and she brought a few things that she said were her favorite cleaning supplies, because they WORKED [she put a lot of emphasis on that last word]. One of those favorite, effective supplies was baking soda. Yep, baking soda. Funny thing, it works really, REALLY well on grease. Now, I know [because Jared told me] that there is a chemical reason for this. I can't remember what it is, but I have proof that it is as effective as Diane stated.
[I realize that this next picture, and most of the rest of this post, will reveal my poor housekeeping skills, and it's okay. Y'all can sit back and revel in the knowledge that you clean more often than I do. Now don't you feel better about yourselves? LOL]
Before: [this picture was actually taken about half-way through the cleaning process, after all the easy gunk was removed, leaving only the greasy, stubborn, baked-on stains around the heating element of my gas stove]
After:
I love baking soda :) That, plus a damp rag and some elbow grease, was all I needed to get my stove completely grease-free! [okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, since I stopped halfway to share this incredible insight with y'all...] It worked wonders on the outside of the oven, and on the inside of the microwave, and I am actually compiling a list in my head of some other places I want to clean with my new best friend.
Gratitude List:
* iTunes, and how it has all my favorite songs on it :).
* baking soda [oh what a shock]
* Jared
* kids
* family and friends
- can't write anything else, must go back and clean LOL.
A few weeks ago in Church, one of the ladies in our women's group did a little spot about being prepared. She does this once a month during our women's meeting, and she is very creative with her presentations. This last one was about being prepared to clean [gee, one of the advantages of natural disasters, IMO, is that the house is no longer there to need cleaning...] and she brought a few things that she said were her favorite cleaning supplies, because they WORKED [she put a lot of emphasis on that last word]. One of those favorite, effective supplies was baking soda. Yep, baking soda. Funny thing, it works really, REALLY well on grease. Now, I know [because Jared told me] that there is a chemical reason for this. I can't remember what it is, but I have proof that it is as effective as Diane stated.
[I realize that this next picture, and most of the rest of this post, will reveal my poor housekeeping skills, and it's okay. Y'all can sit back and revel in the knowledge that you clean more often than I do. Now don't you feel better about yourselves? LOL]
Before: [this picture was actually taken about half-way through the cleaning process, after all the easy gunk was removed, leaving only the greasy, stubborn, baked-on stains around the heating element of my gas stove]
After:
I love baking soda :) That, plus a damp rag and some elbow grease, was all I needed to get my stove completely grease-free! [okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, since I stopped halfway to share this incredible insight with y'all...] It worked wonders on the outside of the oven, and on the inside of the microwave, and I am actually compiling a list in my head of some other places I want to clean with my new best friend.
Gratitude List:
* iTunes, and how it has all my favorite songs on it :).
* baking soda [oh what a shock]
* Jared
* kids
* family and friends
- can't write anything else, must go back and clean LOL.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Oddities
Because I was bored last month and had access to the library's online interface, I now have these books clamoring for my attention:
Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance [smiling from the title, haven't cracked it open yet]
Keep Chickens! [and an exclamation point at the end because... they try to escape?]
Keeping Chickens [nice picture of roosting hens on the front]
Keeping Pet Chickens [two chicks kissing each other. BABY CHICKENS!! sheesh]
Chicken Coops [Morgen's already thumbed through this one, and come up with her own plan for a coop with a trailer hitch and wheels "so we can move them whenever we want to." I'm still working on the 'WHY would we want to' part]
Gratitude List:
* Jared's unit is working in town this week. He still has to sleep at a motel, but he will have some down time he can spend w/us.
* Jared isn't traveling again until April :) :) :)
* Podcasts
* Uncle Ryan came and patched a hole in our ceiling today. I am so glad he did, because he's a professional. I can only imagine the, umm, creative methods I might have used had I been in charge of the job.
* The Library
* Warm weather all day today
* I took the kids for a late movie [Inkheart, and it was pretty cool], and they don't have to be up early for school tomorrow.
* Telling jokes in the car on the way home, and getting a genuine smile from my moody 10-year-old.
* Fat, white, fluffy flakes of snow that began to fall on the drive home from the theater. The more snow we get now, the more water we'll have this summer.
* I am learning that perseverence [a fancy name for bull-headed stubborn behavior] is the key to mastering anything. Right now, it's helping me figure out a new crochet pattern. And my kids noticed me ripping out stitches and starting over, so I got to explain to them the whole process of trying and failing and trying again until you succeed.
* Dishwasher
* Washer and dryer
* Flushing toilets :)
* My family
* Daily meditation makes a huge difference in my attitude.
* Setting goals and reaching them.
* Faith in God and His plan and purpose for me.
Hen and the Art of Chicken Maintenance [smiling from the title, haven't cracked it open yet]
Keep Chickens! [and an exclamation point at the end because... they try to escape?]
Keeping Chickens [nice picture of roosting hens on the front]
Keeping Pet Chickens [two chicks kissing each other. BABY CHICKENS!! sheesh]
Chicken Coops [Morgen's already thumbed through this one, and come up with her own plan for a coop with a trailer hitch and wheels "so we can move them whenever we want to." I'm still working on the 'WHY would we want to' part]
Gratitude List:
* Jared's unit is working in town this week. He still has to sleep at a motel, but he will have some down time he can spend w/us.
* Jared isn't traveling again until April :) :) :)
* Podcasts
* Uncle Ryan came and patched a hole in our ceiling today. I am so glad he did, because he's a professional. I can only imagine the, umm, creative methods I might have used had I been in charge of the job.
* The Library
* Warm weather all day today
* I took the kids for a late movie [Inkheart, and it was pretty cool], and they don't have to be up early for school tomorrow.
* Telling jokes in the car on the way home, and getting a genuine smile from my moody 10-year-old.
* Fat, white, fluffy flakes of snow that began to fall on the drive home from the theater. The more snow we get now, the more water we'll have this summer.
* I am learning that perseverence [a fancy name for bull-headed stubborn behavior] is the key to mastering anything. Right now, it's helping me figure out a new crochet pattern. And my kids noticed me ripping out stitches and starting over, so I got to explain to them the whole process of trying and failing and trying again until you succeed.
* Dishwasher
* Washer and dryer
* Flushing toilets :)
* My family
* Daily meditation makes a huge difference in my attitude.
* Setting goals and reaching them.
* Faith in God and His plan and purpose for me.
Monday, February 23, 2009
archaeology
We have been uncovering treasures in our house lately. That, and adding layers of things :)
This is my bedroom:
This is also my bedroom:
but I prefer to ignore the second part of my bedroom. I don't do well with disorder :)
This is the family room:
We are currently in the process of priming/painting this room. The dogs and their kennel are somewhere underneath that brown tarp. So are about 100 books. The rest [!!] of the books are in boxes in the storage unit.
On the topic of disorder, I found a cool quote by A. A. Milne [of Winnie-the-Pooh fame], "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." I think this would go well in my children's bedrooms. Or maybe in my own bedroom over Jared's pile of things. He came into this marriage with a need to see everything he owns. :) I am constantly frustrating this need, by putting things away, sometimes while he is still trying to use them. Fortunately for me, he is pretty forgiving of this.
Gratitude List:
* Sunshine [and mud] today- lots of outside playtime for my three rowdy kids.
* DI drops [they're like Salvation Army] for the toys and clothing my kids have outgrown. Also for some of the purchases I have outgrown LOL.
* Good neighbors and friends.
* my kids and my husband [and all our relatives :)]
* God
* a living prophet
* I made the time to read my scriptures today
* We sold our big, heavy, old, HEAVY piano!!!!
* We made enough money on the sale of that piano to buy a [much more easily transported] keyboard- Hooray!
* No holes or scratches in the newly painted bedrooms.
* My washer and dryer work [one of the kids had a bathroom accident today, making this an especially good thing]
* toilet plungers that really work [see above]
* We did our errands today with our windows down, blasting the Barenaked Ladies on our radio [Seven ate Nine! Bwaaah-haah-haaaah!!!!]
* There are trained professionals who do nothing but install carpet into other people [like me]'s homes.
* digital books I can check out for FREE from my local library.
* that Jared is handy with all sorts of guns, including caulking guns.
* Lowe's. and Home Depot.
* Today I feel a little bit like a tulip, beginning to sprout after a long, cold winter.
This is my bedroom:
This is also my bedroom:
but I prefer to ignore the second part of my bedroom. I don't do well with disorder :)
This is the family room:
We are currently in the process of priming/painting this room. The dogs and their kennel are somewhere underneath that brown tarp. So are about 100 books. The rest [!!] of the books are in boxes in the storage unit.
On the topic of disorder, I found a cool quote by A. A. Milne [of Winnie-the-Pooh fame], "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." I think this would go well in my children's bedrooms. Or maybe in my own bedroom over Jared's pile of things. He came into this marriage with a need to see everything he owns. :) I am constantly frustrating this need, by putting things away, sometimes while he is still trying to use them. Fortunately for me, he is pretty forgiving of this.
Gratitude List:
* Sunshine [and mud] today- lots of outside playtime for my three rowdy kids.
* DI drops [they're like Salvation Army] for the toys and clothing my kids have outgrown. Also for some of the purchases I have outgrown LOL.
* Good neighbors and friends.
* my kids and my husband [and all our relatives :)]
* God
* a living prophet
* I made the time to read my scriptures today
* We sold our big, heavy, old, HEAVY piano!!!!
* We made enough money on the sale of that piano to buy a [much more easily transported] keyboard- Hooray!
* No holes or scratches in the newly painted bedrooms.
* My washer and dryer work [one of the kids had a bathroom accident today, making this an especially good thing]
* toilet plungers that really work [see above]
* We did our errands today with our windows down, blasting the Barenaked Ladies on our radio [Seven ate Nine! Bwaaah-haah-haaaah!!!!]
* There are trained professionals who do nothing but install carpet into other people [like me]'s homes.
* digital books I can check out for FREE from my local library.
* that Jared is handy with all sorts of guns, including caulking guns.
* Lowe's. and Home Depot.
* Today I feel a little bit like a tulip, beginning to sprout after a long, cold winter.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
new things
Last year, almost exactly a year ago, in fact, Jared and I were discussing a move. As in, from his current job to another, yet-to-be-determined job and possibly a new house in a new state. And, while we prayed and felt strongly about looking for a new job, none of the jobs he found were "right" for us. We knew what he was interested in doing, we knew the amount of money we needed to live on, we knew the locations we were willing to try, and there was never a good fit. So we let that go. And looking back, we can see that God was with us, and that there were reasons for both the unsuccessful job hunt and the decision to stay in our home.
Fast forward to January '09, when the discussion of moving came up again. Not jobs this time, just houses. We thought about it, and prayed about it, and sat on it for all of January, while Jared was in Maryland. Somehow, almost before I realized we were serious, we were de-cluttering our house. Right now, all the possessions of my 3 living children are upstairs in our living room. Their bedrooms were taped, tarped, primed, and painted over the last 4 days, and today we're taking a break to bake a cake for the Scouts' cake-decorating contest. We have a list of realtors to contact and interview, and a carpet-buying assignment for yours truly, and sometime this weekend we need to move the contents of the kids' bedrooms back into their bedrooms. Then we'll box up the books in the bookcase downstairs, and pack those away while we paint that room. *sigh*
I still don't know if we're moving, but we are certainly tackling the "get our house ready to sell" part with vigor. All I know for sure is that this feels right.
Gratitude List:
* clementines
* cute spring magazines
* seed catalogs
* chocolate ;)
* water bottles
* a warm day, and kids who spent an hour outside riding their bikes around the block.
* mud
* a nest of blankets and pillows in the living room
* microwave popcorn
* family
* friends
* a stockpile of paint [meaning less money spent at Lowe's this week]
* Dave Ramsey [because I have a handle on our money, and know exactly how much we can spend on fixing the holes our kids have put in their bedroom walls]
* the Air Force sweatshirt I 'borrowed' from Jared that is the perfect mix of warm and cozy.
* long, hot, relaxing baths
* visits from unexpected relatives :) [Aunt Cheryl stopped by today]
* a movie that my kids all want to watch [so no talking or fighting to interrupt]
* I know God loves me
* I am feeling His love and peace today.
* Jared looks pretty good in his ratty old paint pants ;)
Fast forward to January '09, when the discussion of moving came up again. Not jobs this time, just houses. We thought about it, and prayed about it, and sat on it for all of January, while Jared was in Maryland. Somehow, almost before I realized we were serious, we were de-cluttering our house. Right now, all the possessions of my 3 living children are upstairs in our living room. Their bedrooms were taped, tarped, primed, and painted over the last 4 days, and today we're taking a break to bake a cake for the Scouts' cake-decorating contest. We have a list of realtors to contact and interview, and a carpet-buying assignment for yours truly, and sometime this weekend we need to move the contents of the kids' bedrooms back into their bedrooms. Then we'll box up the books in the bookcase downstairs, and pack those away while we paint that room. *sigh*
I still don't know if we're moving, but we are certainly tackling the "get our house ready to sell" part with vigor. All I know for sure is that this feels right.
Gratitude List:
* clementines
* cute spring magazines
* seed catalogs
* chocolate ;)
* water bottles
* a warm day, and kids who spent an hour outside riding their bikes around the block.
* mud
* a nest of blankets and pillows in the living room
* microwave popcorn
* family
* friends
* a stockpile of paint [meaning less money spent at Lowe's this week]
* Dave Ramsey [because I have a handle on our money, and know exactly how much we can spend on fixing the holes our kids have put in their bedroom walls]
* the Air Force sweatshirt I 'borrowed' from Jared that is the perfect mix of warm and cozy.
* long, hot, relaxing baths
* visits from unexpected relatives :) [Aunt Cheryl stopped by today]
* a movie that my kids all want to watch [so no talking or fighting to interrupt]
* I know God loves me
* I am feeling His love and peace today.
* Jared looks pretty good in his ratty old paint pants ;)
Friday, February 13, 2009
Serendipitous
I like that word. Well, that one, and "serendipity." Because they mean "something wonderful that is unexpected." I discovered around the time Joy was born that unplanned events CAN be wonderful :)
So, I have 2 serendipitous events to share with you:
My inlaws are visiting until Monday, and I found out about their visit the day that they were arriving [finding out the day they arrived is the unexpected part, having them visit is the wonderful part- just to be clear!]. I love having them as guests, and I know Jared certainly deserves some hunting buddy time with his Dad. I also wish that sleeping in the same bed as Jared would let me know the same things he does. At least about schedules, LOL.
And, I got the most gorgeous picture-mail on my phone yesterday! My SIL Amber had a beautiful baby girl, named Halle Kate [name matches baby, BTW], and my brother took a photo of his newborn daughter and sent it to me. So, even though I live about a day's travel away from him, and probably won't see his family until summer, I still got to look at this precious new life- my newest niece. I love cellphones.
Gratitude List:
* a whole day with my husband yesterday.
* in-laws who volunteered to watch my kids all day, then practically chased me out of the house for my day-long date :)
* I can spend all day with Jared and never get tired of listening to him. Or looking at him, either. [He's really good at listening to me, too. He's good enough that I never catch him rolling his eyes at me LOL!]
* my kids are mostly well-behaved.
* good friends who love and support me.
* music on my ipod.
* God, and His Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ.
* that I have felt God's love in so many ways today.
* my brother and sister-in-law have a beautiful healthy baby girl.
So, I have 2 serendipitous events to share with you:
My inlaws are visiting until Monday, and I found out about their visit the day that they were arriving [finding out the day they arrived is the unexpected part, having them visit is the wonderful part- just to be clear!]. I love having them as guests, and I know Jared certainly deserves some hunting buddy time with his Dad. I also wish that sleeping in the same bed as Jared would let me know the same things he does. At least about schedules, LOL.
And, I got the most gorgeous picture-mail on my phone yesterday! My SIL Amber had a beautiful baby girl, named Halle Kate [name matches baby, BTW], and my brother took a photo of his newborn daughter and sent it to me. So, even though I live about a day's travel away from him, and probably won't see his family until summer, I still got to look at this precious new life- my newest niece. I love cellphones.
Gratitude List:
* a whole day with my husband yesterday.
* in-laws who volunteered to watch my kids all day, then practically chased me out of the house for my day-long date :)
* I can spend all day with Jared and never get tired of listening to him. Or looking at him, either. [He's really good at listening to me, too. He's good enough that I never catch him rolling his eyes at me LOL!]
* my kids are mostly well-behaved.
* good friends who love and support me.
* music on my ipod.
* God, and His Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ.
* that I have felt God's love in so many ways today.
* my brother and sister-in-law have a beautiful healthy baby girl.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Catching up
Okay, so way back in January, Walker had his first ever Pinewood Derby. [Yes, he's 10 and yes, this should be his 3rd one, but we're just grateful that he has a good scout leader NOW. Back to the derby.] Jared and Walker planned out the design of this car, then they cut it out and sanded it, and added the lead to bring it up to weight. Then Walker decided on a paint job, and I donated some of my scrapbooking paint [gasp! such a sacrifice] and he painted his car. Now, we did this back at the beginning of January, since Jared was gone all of January, and the race was the 22nd of January. We will probably never have a pinewood derby car finished that early again! So, Thursday comes around, and we all walk over to the church for the race. First, there is an adult race, with all the leaders competing. The 16-year-old advisor won that one. Then, we move on to the boys' race. There is a lot of weighing, and 4 heats, and after the smoke clears, Walker is the winner!!! Yep, he won this Pinewood Derby, and also got a certificate for "Best Aerodynamic Design." To top it off, he raced against the winner of the adult's race, and beat him as well- with his wicked-fast race car ;). We texted Jared as soon as the results were in, and he called to congratulate Walker. Walker had to give him a play-by-play of the whole event, and I could tell he was enjoying all the attention.
I spent most of last week cleaning things up around the house, and trying to catch up my laundry in anticipation of my weekend trip to Iowa. Wednesday I packed, and decided that I'd better take 2 suitcases so I didn't exceed the weight limit :). Incidentally, did you know that the airlines now charge for EACH piece of luggage that you check?!? Guess their bail-out money hasn't arrived yet...
I made my connections fine, got my luggage, and then had to call for directions to my sister's house because the directions I'd printed were still at home on my computer desk. Rented a nice bright-red Toyota Corolla [speedy little thing], and had a peaceful drive to Cedar Rapids. When I pulled into her driveway, there were two little kids standing at the door and waving to me- so cute!! I have a lot of nieces and nephews, and they are all extremely adorable ;) and I am so glad I got to see 3 of them last week! I got to listen to Luke's stories about Star Wars, and legos, and the Star Wars Lego video game he loves to play [and how cool is it that we can combine the love of legos, Star Wars, and video games all into one package?!?]. I saw with my very own eyes Valerie's superhero jumps. It's amazing what a little cape can do for you. And Owen, well, he is one of the happiest little babies ever. Constant grin on his face, with his two bottom teeth showing, and he scoots everywhere. Oh, and the penguins: I got to read a whole lot of penguin stories, because that is the preschool theme this week, and I found out that Luke is exactly as tall as an Emperor Penguin. I tell you, education is a life-long experience.
I also got to see my cousin Mindy, and her two kids; they stopped by to visit Emily while I was there :). I finally headed back to Des Moines after lunch, and had another beautifully peaceful drive. You know, I don't mind driving at all when I'm alone LOL. I had to make another phone call to Jared, double-checking the address of the hotel, because I'd remembered that it was nearby a mall, but couldn't remember whether it was north, south, east, or west of said mall. He found the address just fine, and I found the hotel just fine :) I got myself checked in, unloaded my clothes, then trundled all my scrapbooking supplies down to the conference room and stayed there [except for the few hours I slept and showered]. LOL, the only time I even left the hotel was Saturday night, to walk across the parking lot and eat in a restaurant. But I had an awesome time :) and was sorry it ended so quickly.
Sunday, I got up about 4:30am Iowa time, and barely made my flight- I thought I had plenty of time, but somewhere I lost almost an hour, giving me 25 minutes to get from check-in through security and onto the plane. Thankfully, both myself and my luggage made it to SLC at the same time ;)
Jared and the kids picked me up at the airport, and we drove home, got our nice clothes on, and headed over to church. *sigh* I caught myself nodding off several times, which was understandable, but it made me nervous, since I was supposed to teach in Relief Society [women's meeting]. Thankfully, God blessed me to stay awake and make sense, and eventually I did get to go to sleep. I do not do well when I'm that tired!
The rest of this week is Jared's hunting time. Today he's tracking those 'red-legged devil birds' [aka chukar] by himself. This job will be much easier with last night's snowfall; instead of guessing where they are, he can follow the little birdie tracks all over the newly fallen snow. The rest of the week he'll have a buddy- his dad- to go with him. I'm not sure if they're hunting chukar or pheasant, but they are definitely looking for birds of some kind or another :).
Gratitude List:
* Airplanes. and cars. and email. and texts. and cellphones. and computers. I really like living here, and now. Oh, and flushing toilets!!!
* my ipod.
* a nice, warm bed at home. The one in the hotel was nice, but I like my own bed.
* Not driving in Iowa snow this trip :)
* going shopping with my niece and nephews to the little Kolona grocery store.
* holding a baby on my hip and pushing a shopping cart- brings back memories ;)
* My husband has NEVER made me feel like I'm skipping out on my mothering responsibilities, even when I abandon my family for a weekend of wild scrapping and pirate partying, and could legitimately be accused of such ;)
* friends- good friends- who welcome my once-a-year visits and put on such a great crop!
* Pirate challenges :) my personal favorite was trying to do a layout while wearing an eyepatch over one of my eyes. Depth perception really is a necessary component of good scrapping!
* that nobody spilled my buttons all over my suitcase on my return trip to SLC [they were everywhere when I opened the suitcase up in Des Moines]. I'm thinking I should not use metal tins to transport my scrapping supplies...
* We're one month closer to paying off Jared's student loan.
* I spent less than I had budgeted for food/gas this week, and had some left-over cash. Hmmm, what to do, what to do...
* My SIL is due today, with a little girl, and I cannot wait to see her baby and hear what they're calling her! [good luck on the whole labor/delivery thing, Amber!!]
* I am caught up on laundry. Not ahead [is that even possible?], but not behind either.
* Snow on the ground, and I don't have to go anywhere but the library today.
* Libraries. Have I mentioned how much I love borrowing books for free?
* Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Mmmmm.
* God blessed me with the ability to stay awake and talk and actually make sense, after my very long Sunday :)
* the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and its impact on my life.
* kids who took an hour-long recess outside today, so I could have a nice long shower without worrying about pencil fights in the kitchen.
I spent most of last week cleaning things up around the house, and trying to catch up my laundry in anticipation of my weekend trip to Iowa. Wednesday I packed, and decided that I'd better take 2 suitcases so I didn't exceed the weight limit :). Incidentally, did you know that the airlines now charge for EACH piece of luggage that you check?!? Guess their bail-out money hasn't arrived yet...
I made my connections fine, got my luggage, and then had to call for directions to my sister's house because the directions I'd printed were still at home on my computer desk. Rented a nice bright-red Toyota Corolla [speedy little thing], and had a peaceful drive to Cedar Rapids. When I pulled into her driveway, there were two little kids standing at the door and waving to me- so cute!! I have a lot of nieces and nephews, and they are all extremely adorable ;) and I am so glad I got to see 3 of them last week! I got to listen to Luke's stories about Star Wars, and legos, and the Star Wars Lego video game he loves to play [and how cool is it that we can combine the love of legos, Star Wars, and video games all into one package?!?]. I saw with my very own eyes Valerie's superhero jumps. It's amazing what a little cape can do for you. And Owen, well, he is one of the happiest little babies ever. Constant grin on his face, with his two bottom teeth showing, and he scoots everywhere. Oh, and the penguins: I got to read a whole lot of penguin stories, because that is the preschool theme this week, and I found out that Luke is exactly as tall as an Emperor Penguin. I tell you, education is a life-long experience.
I also got to see my cousin Mindy, and her two kids; they stopped by to visit Emily while I was there :). I finally headed back to Des Moines after lunch, and had another beautifully peaceful drive. You know, I don't mind driving at all when I'm alone LOL. I had to make another phone call to Jared, double-checking the address of the hotel, because I'd remembered that it was nearby a mall, but couldn't remember whether it was north, south, east, or west of said mall. He found the address just fine, and I found the hotel just fine :) I got myself checked in, unloaded my clothes, then trundled all my scrapbooking supplies down to the conference room and stayed there [except for the few hours I slept and showered]. LOL, the only time I even left the hotel was Saturday night, to walk across the parking lot and eat in a restaurant. But I had an awesome time :) and was sorry it ended so quickly.
Sunday, I got up about 4:30am Iowa time, and barely made my flight- I thought I had plenty of time, but somewhere I lost almost an hour, giving me 25 minutes to get from check-in through security and onto the plane. Thankfully, both myself and my luggage made it to SLC at the same time ;)
Jared and the kids picked me up at the airport, and we drove home, got our nice clothes on, and headed over to church. *sigh* I caught myself nodding off several times, which was understandable, but it made me nervous, since I was supposed to teach in Relief Society [women's meeting]. Thankfully, God blessed me to stay awake and make sense, and eventually I did get to go to sleep. I do not do well when I'm that tired!
The rest of this week is Jared's hunting time. Today he's tracking those 'red-legged devil birds' [aka chukar] by himself. This job will be much easier with last night's snowfall; instead of guessing where they are, he can follow the little birdie tracks all over the newly fallen snow. The rest of the week he'll have a buddy- his dad- to go with him. I'm not sure if they're hunting chukar or pheasant, but they are definitely looking for birds of some kind or another :).
Gratitude List:
* Airplanes. and cars. and email. and texts. and cellphones. and computers. I really like living here, and now. Oh, and flushing toilets!!!
* my ipod.
* a nice, warm bed at home. The one in the hotel was nice, but I like my own bed.
* Not driving in Iowa snow this trip :)
* going shopping with my niece and nephews to the little Kolona grocery store.
* holding a baby on my hip and pushing a shopping cart- brings back memories ;)
* My husband has NEVER made me feel like I'm skipping out on my mothering responsibilities, even when I abandon my family for a weekend of wild scrapping and pirate partying, and could legitimately be accused of such ;)
* friends- good friends- who welcome my once-a-year visits and put on such a great crop!
* Pirate challenges :) my personal favorite was trying to do a layout while wearing an eyepatch over one of my eyes. Depth perception really is a necessary component of good scrapping!
* that nobody spilled my buttons all over my suitcase on my return trip to SLC [they were everywhere when I opened the suitcase up in Des Moines]. I'm thinking I should not use metal tins to transport my scrapping supplies...
* We're one month closer to paying off Jared's student loan.
* I spent less than I had budgeted for food/gas this week, and had some left-over cash. Hmmm, what to do, what to do...
* My SIL is due today, with a little girl, and I cannot wait to see her baby and hear what they're calling her! [good luck on the whole labor/delivery thing, Amber!!]
* I am caught up on laundry. Not ahead [is that even possible?], but not behind either.
* Snow on the ground, and I don't have to go anywhere but the library today.
* Libraries. Have I mentioned how much I love borrowing books for free?
* Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Mmmmm.
* God blessed me with the ability to stay awake and talk and actually make sense, after my very long Sunday :)
* the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and its impact on my life.
* kids who took an hour-long recess outside today, so I could have a nice long shower without worrying about pencil fights in the kitchen.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Oh, today
* Today I am happy that I got to go to the bookstore by myself.
* Today I remembered how much I enjoy autumn. And spring.
* Today I colored all the letters in the word "February" on my calendar.
* Today I packed 2 suitcases full of scrapbooking supplies and a change of clothes. I could have fit everything into one suitcase, but there is a weight limit :)
* Today I did a whole lot of laundry.
* Today I read a lot of books.
* Today I went to the public library and fell in love all over again. I love books.
* Today I let Walker make mac-n-cheese without any supervision or help from myself.
* Today I am grateful for that summer I worked taking hotel reservations over the phone, because it allowed me to stay calm when I dealt with a less-than-helpful service person.
* Today I am grateful that the less-than-helpful person's supervisor was extremely helpful, and that I am no longer booked on 2 flights out of SLC tomorrow.
* Today I am glad I have good friends in many places, and that I get to visit some of the ones living in Iowa over the weekend.
* Today I am grateful for food, and heat, and God's Word, and my neighbors, and my life in general, I guess. Oh, and for my husband and children. They are my heart.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Count down
Jared will be home on Friday :)
** That's pretty much my gratitude list for the rest of the week LOL.
Had a nice easy day today- slept in, ran errands, did not do laundry [but I will, tonight], picked up some books at the library- Walker found a new book in the Children of the Lamp series, which he's allowing me to borrow AFTER he finishes reading it- and now we're going to the grocery store.
Sunday was interesting. Some days are more tender than others, and I don't really have the luxury of skipping my women's meeting, because I'm partially responsible for running it. It's good, because it keeps me busy. It's not so good when I'm feeling raw and sensitive, and I'm up in front of people and I feel like my guts are hanging out there for all the world to admire. Or not, as the case may be. I try not to leave in the middle of the lesson, because that brings more attention to me, since I cannot sneak out from the front of the room. But there are times when I have to focus really hard on my fingernails, or something equally un-emotional, to keep the sobs in my chest from spilling over. That being said, Sunday was not actually one of those days, and I actually learned something helpful to me. We took one of President Dieter F Uchtdorf's addresses from the Sept. 2008 General Relief Society Conference [our women's conference], and I'll just share the parts that I needed:
Happiness is my heritage. It's a gift from my Heavenly Father, and it is something that is rightfully mine- not a treat, a sometimes thing, but a right that I have at all times- to be happy. So, how do I get and keep this happiness? [Pres. Uchtdorf suggested 2 ways: be creative [make something] and be compassionate] And then this, which I'm quoting exactly:
President Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost her husband, “Work will cure your grief. Serve others.” [I put part of that in bold]. I cannot imagine the grief he felt at losing his wife of 60 years, and the loneliness and heartache that he must have felt. And yet...
See, I know that when I'm really, truly aching, that hiding in my bedroom [or at the bookstore] does not bring me happiness. I come out as sad as I went in. And I have felt joy most often when I am working and serving. When I take the time to play a game with my kids; when I'm busy with church work [not meetings, but actual work LOL]; when I take raw materials and create something new and good [like bread, or chocolate chip cookies, or happy memories for my children], these times are the ones that bring that peace and joy and happiness that God has promised me.
*sigh* That was a bit melancholy. I really am doing well- kids have been ANGELS today [which leads me to be suspicious of those pod-like things in the basement], and today was beautiful- cold and bright and crisp.
** That's pretty much my gratitude list for the rest of the week LOL.
Had a nice easy day today- slept in, ran errands, did not do laundry [but I will, tonight], picked up some books at the library- Walker found a new book in the Children of the Lamp series, which he's allowing me to borrow AFTER he finishes reading it- and now we're going to the grocery store.
Sunday was interesting. Some days are more tender than others, and I don't really have the luxury of skipping my women's meeting, because I'm partially responsible for running it. It's good, because it keeps me busy. It's not so good when I'm feeling raw and sensitive, and I'm up in front of people and I feel like my guts are hanging out there for all the world to admire. Or not, as the case may be. I try not to leave in the middle of the lesson, because that brings more attention to me, since I cannot sneak out from the front of the room. But there are times when I have to focus really hard on my fingernails, or something equally un-emotional, to keep the sobs in my chest from spilling over. That being said, Sunday was not actually one of those days, and I actually learned something helpful to me. We took one of President Dieter F Uchtdorf's addresses from the Sept. 2008 General Relief Society Conference [our women's conference], and I'll just share the parts that I needed:
Happiness is my heritage. It's a gift from my Heavenly Father, and it is something that is rightfully mine- not a treat, a sometimes thing, but a right that I have at all times- to be happy. So, how do I get and keep this happiness? [Pres. Uchtdorf suggested 2 ways: be creative [make something] and be compassionate] And then this, which I'm quoting exactly:
President Gordon B. Hinckley believed in the healing power of service. After the death of his wife, he provided a great example to the Church in the way he immersed himself in work and in serving others. It is told that President Hinckley remarked to one woman who had recently lost her husband, “Work will cure your grief. Serve others.” [I put part of that in bold]. I cannot imagine the grief he felt at losing his wife of 60 years, and the loneliness and heartache that he must have felt. And yet...
See, I know that when I'm really, truly aching, that hiding in my bedroom [or at the bookstore] does not bring me happiness. I come out as sad as I went in. And I have felt joy most often when I am working and serving. When I take the time to play a game with my kids; when I'm busy with church work [not meetings, but actual work LOL]; when I take raw materials and create something new and good [like bread, or chocolate chip cookies, or happy memories for my children], these times are the ones that bring that peace and joy and happiness that God has promised me.
*sigh* That was a bit melancholy. I really am doing well- kids have been ANGELS today [which leads me to be suspicious of those pod-like things in the basement], and today was beautiful- cold and bright and crisp.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Whew
Just a quick list, since I'm up to my ears in jobs ;)
Gratitude List:
* unlimited texts :) Jared calls me on the phone, too, but we mostly text each other, even when he's not TDY.
* I slept in this morning, accidentally.
* When I finally did drag myself out to the kitchen, my kids had already eaten breakfast, and were doing their schoolwork. WOW.
* hot cocoa and french toast [comfort food, for sure]
* blogging
* music
* the library and the budding love affairs my children are developing w/books.
* Hyrum wrote his first love note [with help from his sister] to a little girl, and I get to mail it for him ;) It says, "Dear Xxxx, I love you. I know you have a crush on me. I wish you could play. Love, Hyrum
**Okay, the note really isn't a gratitude thing, but it kind of is, because I'm grateful he has such a tender heart, and that I got to see his first love note, and that he has such good taste- this little girl is extremely intelligent, 2 years older than he is, and definitely on her way to being possibly good enough for my son ;) Hopefully all his girlfriends will be this type LOL.
* chore charts
* our new President has been safely inaugurated. No attacks [at least, no physical ones], no bombs, no shooting. SO thankful for that.
* It was warmer today, so the dogs' water didn't freeze. And I didn't have to go chop ice.
* God
Gratitude List:
* unlimited texts :) Jared calls me on the phone, too, but we mostly text each other, even when he's not TDY.
* I slept in this morning, accidentally.
* When I finally did drag myself out to the kitchen, my kids had already eaten breakfast, and were doing their schoolwork. WOW.
* hot cocoa and french toast [comfort food, for sure]
* blogging
* music
* the library and the budding love affairs my children are developing w/books.
* Hyrum wrote his first love note [with help from his sister] to a little girl, and I get to mail it for him ;) It says, "Dear Xxxx, I love you. I know you have a crush on me. I wish you could play. Love, Hyrum
**Okay, the note really isn't a gratitude thing, but it kind of is, because I'm grateful he has such a tender heart, and that I got to see his first love note, and that he has such good taste- this little girl is extremely intelligent, 2 years older than he is, and definitely on her way to being possibly good enough for my son ;) Hopefully all his girlfriends will be this type LOL.
* chore charts
* our new President has been safely inaugurated. No attacks [at least, no physical ones], no bombs, no shooting. SO thankful for that.
* It was warmer today, so the dogs' water didn't freeze. And I didn't have to go chop ice.
* God
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