We Enlisted

We decided to commit to  Service Bootcamp this February with everyone over at We Talk of Christ, We rejoice in Christ.

This means we will be doing 1 act of service everyday for the entire month. Yep, 29 acts of service.   Today we brainstormed some ideas for our Service:

• take cookies, treat
• visit  someone
• be a friend
• accomplish a task or chore
• home teaching/visiting teaching
• give someone a ride
• send Valentines 
• babysit
• take someone dinner
• take eggs to someone
• invite someone over for dinner
• invite someone over to play
• send a letter
• write a thank-you note
• give someone a Book of Mormon
• donate to DI/Salvation Army 
• donate to the Food Bank
• give a compliment
• offer prayers in someone's behalf
• go to the temple
• take a bag groceries to someone
• volunteer at the cannery
• clean the Church

President Thomas S. Monson said,  "I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives."  October 2009 General Conference

Climbing Mount Everest.

I read this article today.

She struck the nail on the head.   Really, when I sit back and think about it, I love being a  mom.  Best. Job. Ever.

Ask me that during the day when my kids are driving me nuts, it's not quite so much fun or so much love. Why? Because it's hard dealing with a 3 year old, especially one who has decided no to use words, but instead just makes sound effects for communication.  Or 15 month old, who just screams when she doesn't get her way.  It's hard when I know I should not give in, but I know that if I do the crying will stop.  It's hard to not laugh at the pout that comes when they are told no. 

She says, "Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it's hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she's not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn't add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it's so hard means she IS doing it right...in her own way...and she happens to be honest."
 
Parenting should be hard!  It's our greatest responsibility! It gives us the best rewards!! She uses the analogy of climbing Mt. Everest.  The climb is hard- you won't enjoy every minute of it. You won't enjoy most it, even!  But when you get to the top, see the view, and relish your triumph, you treasure that moment forever. 

Do I hate it when people tell me to enjoy every minute of it?  No, but I'm probably thinking, "you try enjoying that nasty diaper I changed 5 minutes ago..."  But I really relate. I relate to feeling guilty that I don't enjoy every second. I relate to it being hard.   But I love her point.  If we can make it through the crying and hard stuff. There are plenty of sweet moments-- Maggie's precious smile, Landen giving me a kiss and telling me he loves me, and when they play nice together.   Those are the parts to be enjoyed and treasured.

She says,  "Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.... If I had a couple Kairos moments during the day, I call it a success. Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day."

I'm excited for a New Year!

I'm not always excited for a new year.  Actually, I spent the first 16 days of it dragging my feet about it.  I think it's because it's the end of the year too.  I feel a little disappointed in the last year.  I wanted so much and wanted me to improve so much, that I'm a little bummed I didn't get as far as I wanted. 

And then there's that aging thing... like another year and I'm older and my kids are getting older.

Anyway, I  was catching up on some blog reading last night and cam across Jocelyn's Post : Setting Goals Backwards and I started realizing, we've made some major improvements and hit some milestones this year.

•  Michael quit his job for another one and that didn't work out.  We spent 5 months unemployed.  It was tough.  It was trial on us - emotionally and financially.  I think we're better for it and we value our savings and food storage more than ever. 
• I lost all my baby weight.  Yep.  That was a good accomplishment.  We're eating better and more fresh fruits and veggies.  And I'm working out more consistently.   
• My kids grew.   Maggie's walking and talking.  Landen succeeded in potty training.  He's using bigger words and longer sentences.  He's starting to pre-read.
• We moved into a great new house and neighborhood.  We've made lots of friends this year in many different places. 
• We visited our family and strengthened those relationships. 
• We planted a garden.... but didn't get much of it canned or frozen.  
• We celebrated 5 years of marriage.  It hasn't been all that bad either! 
• We rescued a dog.  We love her, the kids love her, but she's a lot of work and training.  Michael is learning patience.  

That's pretty good!  There are lots of good things to look forward to this year.  We've been working on setting some personal goals and some for the family.   It does us good to be cheerful and looking forward to the new year.  What are you excited for this year?

I'm on a mission

I'm on a mission of change.

Lately, I've felt a little off my game.

Completely disorganized.  A little lazy and easily distracted.

Do you have those moments when you know you should be doing something, but you're not exactly sure what it is you should do?  Me.All.The.Time. 

So I'm on mission to get back on the wagon and get more organized and my house a little cleaner, my kids scheduled a little better and life a little less.... 'loose.'

So, My first project is a house organization binder.

Why?  
1. First, I wanted to gather together everything I need to run my house in one place.  It seems a little scattered.  I got my menu planner on the fridge, my cleaning chart in my head, my calendar drifts here and there and I started putting my gift-giving lists in my finance binder.  So, all in one place and easy to find.

2.  I wanted to get parts of it out on paper.  Like our cleaning list. And our routines.  I mean, what if I fell off the face of the earth? At least, my husband would know where to begin... or grandparents.  I figured it could be useful to baby-sitters too.   I'm a visual person too.  So, being able to see those routines and planners would help me to get more done.


As I began searching around for some ideas,  I found these great sites!

http://orgjunkie.com/category/household-notebook


http://organizedhome.com/household-notebook

http://itsnotalwaysblackandwhite.blogspot.com/2010/10/household-notebook.html

http://www.theprojectgirl.com/2010/12/16/new-2011-project-girl-planner/

This will NEVER happen Again.

So, this summer I attended BYU-I's Education Week.  There was a lot of great classes.  I particularly enjoyed one taught by Marie Ricks called "House of Order."

One lesson was about planning.  She posed a challenge to live each day twice, once to plan the day and the other to live it.  At the end of the day, we should review the day and ask ourselves, 'What happened today that I never want to happen again and what can I do to prevent it?'

I've been trying to do better planning. One day, I was thinking, 'I usually don't have anything that horrible happen that I never want it to happen again.  But occasionally I do...'

I've had one of those weeks.  Monday it came to my attention that, I never want to slip into the fry-daddy and spill rancid oil over my new workout shoes.

Really, I never want that to happen. So what I am I going to do to prevent it?

I PLEDGE to NEVER let my pantry floor be cluttered so bad I can't get into my pantry. 

That means, it will never look like this: 

And this is after, I cleaned up the spilled out.  I didn't exactly think about grabbing my camera before I cleaned it up.  See the paper towels? That's where the fry-daddy use to sit.  I went to grab something off a top shelf, and I slipped into the fry-daddy and saturated my shoe. (And it stinks.)

When was the last time you cleaned up spilled oil? What a mess!

I'm not one of those people that gets mad, I get even.   So I took everything out of closet. EVERYTHING.  It looked like the pantry threw up all over the kitchen.

After all my effort-- throwing away plenty and organizing. Well, It paid off.  The pantry looks like this:

  I love it.  Except that Landen can move a chair in there and reach things I don't want him to.  Haha. Bet you didn't see that coming! I truly love it.  I love being organized and having floor space! It's inspiring to do more and be more organized.

Baby Madison's Blanket

 

I made my newest niece a nice cozy minkee blanket. I swore I would never sew with minkee again, but somehow I got suckered. Maybe because it matched so good and seemed so perfectly girly without being all binky and babyish. Maybe because it's so stinkin' soft.  Maybe I secretly needed to conquer the challenge of minkee and make it work.  Either way I did.  I did find better success this time... my mom introduced me to basting spray.  I may sew with minkee again, but only if I can afford basting spray.

 

I think I may have outdone myself anyway.  It's super cute, and I machine quilted around the flowers and then I bound it, by hand.   I did need a creative outlet, but a small blanket got turned into a project and I don't think I could top it!  I want one! 

 

Just Be A Happy One

I attended a Relief Society Meeting a few weeks back.  Someone shared a short thought and a few things stuck with me.

She made a comment about a headline she saw,
"Stop Worrying about being a Better MOM, and Just Be a Happy One!"


I've thought a lot about that.  I think that many of us are naturally good mothers.  I think that by making living the gospel and teaching our children to love the gospel, the small stuff falls into place.  AND I think it's important to teach our children to BE HAPPY BY EXAMPLE.  Raising children is suppose to be a joy.  It is a joy, it is also very challenging.  I want me kids to know that I love them and I love being with me.  I can do this by being happier around them.  And same with my husband.  A lesson to learn, but it's harder to implement. 


Another part of the thought added another book to my "To-Read" List. 





Another Sister shared about some things she learned about the Relief Society presidents.  And it made me realize that I really don't know very much about these women.  I know Relief Society is important, but I have done very little reading about it.  This sister shared her testimony about how knowing these women has strengthened her and her testimony of Relief Society.  So, it's on my read list.