Posts
12 Things I am looking forward to for this coming year:
1) A Cruise
2) A Diamond Ring (I'm lobbying for a new one)
3) Increased Financial Savings
4) My "debut" in my industry - I'll be attending my industry's main convention this year for the first time.
5) Change in jobs for Jason (hopefully)
6) Justis starting pre-school
7) Progress in my current WIP novel
8) Writing a new novel
9) Fixing some of the training issues with our dog
10) Nia's increased reading ability
11) Increased spirituality
12) Continued work with my dad
:)
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
12 Things...
12 Things I liked about this year (in no particular order)...
1) Snowfall. We had some good snowfall in January and we have even had snow three times so far this winter - that is unheard of for our area.
2) Hawaii - I had a great trip to Hawaii with Jason... tons of fun.
3) Work - I started doing consulting with my dad at the beginning of this year and it has been an incredible experience. I am so grateful to be able to do that. :)
4) Making new friends - I have made some great new friends this year.
5) Working out with my Mom - We have had a great time working out at the "club" together. It has been a great time for us to talk and exercise. I will always treasure these times with her.
6) Nia starting Kindergarten - Because Nia missed the cut-off date for school, we had to get her tested in order for her to get into Kindergarten. She passed with flying colors and she has had a great time in school. We are also very lucky to have had that opportunity to test her because many of the school districts do not do that kind of thing.
7) My relationship with Jason - Jason and I have always had a great relationship. However, this year I have felt like it has become even stronger. I am very grateful for that.
8) Writer's conference - I really enjoyed going to the writer's conference earlier this year. It was a great experience.
9) Turning 30 - For some reason, it is kind of nice to be out of my 20s. My mom was 29 for at least 10 years. I'm not sure what her fear was about. :) I like being 30. :)
10) Potty Training Justis - I am finally done with dirty, smelly diapers! I'm sure all you moms can appreciate how good that feels. :)
11) Fulfilling dreams - I feel really good about fulfilling one of Jason's dreams this year - I bought him a guitar and guitar lessons for his birthday. It is something he has always wanted to do and it was fun for me to be able to help him reach that goal. :)
12) Family - I love our families and I am so grateful to be so close with all of them. We have had a lot of fun with them this year.
What are 12 things you liked about this year?
:)
1) Snowfall. We had some good snowfall in January and we have even had snow three times so far this winter - that is unheard of for our area.
2) Hawaii - I had a great trip to Hawaii with Jason... tons of fun.
3) Work - I started doing consulting with my dad at the beginning of this year and it has been an incredible experience. I am so grateful to be able to do that. :)
4) Making new friends - I have made some great new friends this year.
5) Working out with my Mom - We have had a great time working out at the "club" together. It has been a great time for us to talk and exercise. I will always treasure these times with her.
6) Nia starting Kindergarten - Because Nia missed the cut-off date for school, we had to get her tested in order for her to get into Kindergarten. She passed with flying colors and she has had a great time in school. We are also very lucky to have had that opportunity to test her because many of the school districts do not do that kind of thing.
7) My relationship with Jason - Jason and I have always had a great relationship. However, this year I have felt like it has become even stronger. I am very grateful for that.
8) Writer's conference - I really enjoyed going to the writer's conference earlier this year. It was a great experience.
9) Turning 30 - For some reason, it is kind of nice to be out of my 20s. My mom was 29 for at least 10 years. I'm not sure what her fear was about. :) I like being 30. :)
10) Potty Training Justis - I am finally done with dirty, smelly diapers! I'm sure all you moms can appreciate how good that feels. :)
11) Fulfilling dreams - I feel really good about fulfilling one of Jason's dreams this year - I bought him a guitar and guitar lessons for his birthday. It is something he has always wanted to do and it was fun for me to be able to help him reach that goal. :)
12) Family - I love our families and I am so grateful to be so close with all of them. We have had a lot of fun with them this year.
What are 12 things you liked about this year?
:)
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Reminiscing...
At the end of each year, I always have this feeling of let down because it seems like we (as in general society) work so hard each year to get to the end of the year, only to have it end and then have to start all over. Kind of odd, I know. But that is how I feel. On a few rare years, the year had been hard or horrible enough that I enjoyed saying "good riddance" to the year and looked for to the new one.
This year, however, is different. I am not sure what has made it that way, but I am excited about the year we are in and also the one coming up. I don't feel the let down I have felt in years past. I am happy about that.
I think the next couple of blogs I post will be reminiscing on this year and then I will have some (or at least one) about what I hope for next year.
How do you feel about the end of the year?
:)
This year, however, is different. I am not sure what has made it that way, but I am excited about the year we are in and also the one coming up. I don't feel the let down I have felt in years past. I am happy about that.
I think the next couple of blogs I post will be reminiscing on this year and then I will have some (or at least one) about what I hope for next year.
How do you feel about the end of the year?
:)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
7 Things you didn't know (and maybe don't want to know)
A blogger friend did this post a week or so ago and I thought it was fun. So, here are 7 things you probably didn't know about me...
1) When I dream about a house, it is almost always (95%) the house I lived in between ages 3-13).
2) I cannot cook rice. I consider to be a really good cook - except when it comes to rice. I don't know why but it is either not done enough or too done, or sticky. I even have the pampered chef rice cooker and it has helped some, but hasn't completely solved my problem. Any advice would be appreciated. :)
3) I can't remember the last time I did not read the end of the book (at least the last page but often a little more than that) before I got there.
4) I like to think of myself as more funny, clever, and witty than I really am. At least I can admit it. :)
5) I love all of the Barbie Princess movies. I would (and have) watch them by myself - without my daughter. :)
6) I wore a very short tank top (hit a couple of inches below my sports bra) and boxer shorts pushed down around my hips (so my waist was exposed) during Dance Team Practice when I was in High School. This was the most immodest and "rebellious" thing I ever did as a teenager. :) I don't think my mom even knows that. :) Sorry, Mom!
7) I've held hands with two guys (both guys I had feelings for) at the same time - without either of them knowing. (Obviously that was before I was married.)
And just for a bonus (because now I'm on a role)...
8) One of my brother's friends that was staying the night snuck into my room in the middle of the night when I was in 5th or 6th grade. It sounds creepy, but it really wasn't. We liked each other a lot (he was my first love, and one of only three guys I ever truly loved - the last being my husband :)). It was actually very sweet. I have to wonder if he wanted to kiss me but in the end, I was too tired and groggy to say or do much of anything and he only stayed for a few minutes (we talked) before going back downstairs. Let this be a lesson to me, however... don't allow my son to have friends sleep over when my daughter is here too. :)
So, what are 7 things people don't know about you?
:)
1) When I dream about a house, it is almost always (95%) the house I lived in between ages 3-13).
2) I cannot cook rice. I consider to be a really good cook - except when it comes to rice. I don't know why but it is either not done enough or too done, or sticky. I even have the pampered chef rice cooker and it has helped some, but hasn't completely solved my problem. Any advice would be appreciated. :)
3) I can't remember the last time I did not read the end of the book (at least the last page but often a little more than that) before I got there.
4) I like to think of myself as more funny, clever, and witty than I really am. At least I can admit it. :)
5) I love all of the Barbie Princess movies. I would (and have) watch them by myself - without my daughter. :)
6) I wore a very short tank top (hit a couple of inches below my sports bra) and boxer shorts pushed down around my hips (so my waist was exposed) during Dance Team Practice when I was in High School. This was the most immodest and "rebellious" thing I ever did as a teenager. :) I don't think my mom even knows that. :) Sorry, Mom!
7) I've held hands with two guys (both guys I had feelings for) at the same time - without either of them knowing. (Obviously that was before I was married.)
And just for a bonus (because now I'm on a role)...
8) One of my brother's friends that was staying the night snuck into my room in the middle of the night when I was in 5th or 6th grade. It sounds creepy, but it really wasn't. We liked each other a lot (he was my first love, and one of only three guys I ever truly loved - the last being my husband :)). It was actually very sweet. I have to wonder if he wanted to kiss me but in the end, I was too tired and groggy to say or do much of anything and he only stayed for a few minutes (we talked) before going back downstairs. Let this be a lesson to me, however... don't allow my son to have friends sleep over when my daughter is here too. :)
So, what are 7 things people don't know about you?
:)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Recovering
As some of you know, I recently had a major surgery.
(At this junction, I must add... my husband has instructed me not to divulge too much personal information. In that spirit, I will forgo indicating exactly what the surgery was but will instead use other descriptions... I will not have a "cycle" for the rest of my life, the typical Utah answer to "Guess What?" (the answer being "You're pregnant?") holds additional humor now and is particularly useful when talking with my sister who has also had this surgery, my family of four will not multiple in any way, unless we add another fish which would happen over my dead body.)
I have to say that I am quite glad I had this surgery as it will solve many health problems. Plus, who really wants to have a "cycle." There is just nothing fun about that. :)
Interestingly enough, when I had prayed about having this surgery, I had the distinct impression that it could be a life saving operation. While that was a scary thought, I knew it was true. With the problems I had, I was at a higher risk for cancers and other things as well.
When I went to the doctor for my 2-week post-op, he said that, among other things, they found some pre-cancerous cells on one of the organs they removed. How blessed am I that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and protects me. :)
Now that I am recovering, I have to say that I am a bit surprised. Honestly, I expected to spend most of the first two weeks in bed, reading or working on my computer. In reality, my first two weeks were mostly spent sleeping in my bed. I didn't even read a book in the hospital, which is quite surprising for me since I go through books like chocolate. :)
It is now three weeks after my surgery and the pain is minimal. If it bothers me, I take Advil. Today, I didn't need any (probably the first day). It still hurts a little, but nothing to "write home about." If I do something like lift my son to wash his hands, that hurts, but generally it is very minimal.
My doctor had said "Don't do anything that hurts... If it hurts, don't do it." When he told me that (before the surgery), I didn't think that was very helpful... not until I tried to unload the dishwasher a week or so after my surgery. Who knew that unloading the dishwasher would hurt! It's not like I was lifting one of my kids or something. But alas, his words finally held meaning, and I have tried to abide by his directions.
While the pain is not a big deal anymore, my energy is still suffering. I have found that if I do not get at least one nap, I am doomed. Sometimes for the next day too. I have had to really try to pay attention to my body, which is not necessarily something I am generally known to be good at (I usually just plow ahead, regardless of what my body says).
The effect on my hormones has been interesting (ok, not really interesting, but a unique experience). I hadn't really expected that, but it makes sense when I think about it.
In any case, I am recovering, slowly but surely. I don't have any regrets, and am sure it will only get better as I get further down the recovery road.
:)
(At this junction, I must add... my husband has instructed me not to divulge too much personal information. In that spirit, I will forgo indicating exactly what the surgery was but will instead use other descriptions... I will not have a "cycle" for the rest of my life, the typical Utah answer to "Guess What?" (the answer being "You're pregnant?") holds additional humor now and is particularly useful when talking with my sister who has also had this surgery, my family of four will not multiple in any way, unless we add another fish which would happen over my dead body.)
I have to say that I am quite glad I had this surgery as it will solve many health problems. Plus, who really wants to have a "cycle." There is just nothing fun about that. :)
Interestingly enough, when I had prayed about having this surgery, I had the distinct impression that it could be a life saving operation. While that was a scary thought, I knew it was true. With the problems I had, I was at a higher risk for cancers and other things as well.
When I went to the doctor for my 2-week post-op, he said that, among other things, they found some pre-cancerous cells on one of the organs they removed. How blessed am I that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and protects me. :)
Now that I am recovering, I have to say that I am a bit surprised. Honestly, I expected to spend most of the first two weeks in bed, reading or working on my computer. In reality, my first two weeks were mostly spent sleeping in my bed. I didn't even read a book in the hospital, which is quite surprising for me since I go through books like chocolate. :)
It is now three weeks after my surgery and the pain is minimal. If it bothers me, I take Advil. Today, I didn't need any (probably the first day). It still hurts a little, but nothing to "write home about." If I do something like lift my son to wash his hands, that hurts, but generally it is very minimal.
My doctor had said "Don't do anything that hurts... If it hurts, don't do it." When he told me that (before the surgery), I didn't think that was very helpful... not until I tried to unload the dishwasher a week or so after my surgery. Who knew that unloading the dishwasher would hurt! It's not like I was lifting one of my kids or something. But alas, his words finally held meaning, and I have tried to abide by his directions.
While the pain is not a big deal anymore, my energy is still suffering. I have found that if I do not get at least one nap, I am doomed. Sometimes for the next day too. I have had to really try to pay attention to my body, which is not necessarily something I am generally known to be good at (I usually just plow ahead, regardless of what my body says).
The effect on my hormones has been interesting (ok, not really interesting, but a unique experience). I hadn't really expected that, but it makes sense when I think about it.
In any case, I am recovering, slowly but surely. I don't have any regrets, and am sure it will only get better as I get further down the recovery road.
:)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Outrageous...
I received an email today from a company called Intimo. I bought pajamas from them last Christmas for Jason.
Advertised in this email is this...
Yours, for a mere $550.00, is a pair of Cashmere men's pajamas. But hurry, this ends November 13, after which they will be available at their normal price of only $750.
Here is the link:
Outrageous pajamas
Remember, act fast, this is a limited time offer.
To put it mildly, I am flabbergasted. :)
:)
Advertised in this email is this...
Yours, for a mere $550.00, is a pair of Cashmere men's pajamas. But hurry, this ends November 13, after which they will be available at their normal price of only $750.
Here is the link:
Outrageous pajamas
Remember, act fast, this is a limited time offer.
To put it mildly, I am flabbergasted. :)
:)
Friday, November 2, 2007
Happy Halloween
Halloween was a bit different for us this year because I was in the hospital. The kids had a blast with Jason though. Nia was Tinkerbell and Justis was Thomas the Train. Jason said that Justis would go up to people and say "I'm Thomas" instead of "Trick or Treat." Cute kid. :)They had fun and got plenty of candy, I'm sure. My mom said that Justis wanted to eat candy all day long.
Anyway, the kids enjoyed their time with Jason and I enjoyed my time in the hospital (mostly).
:)
Saturday, October 27, 2007
"W"
My mom has done something really fun: writing little books for Nia (and the other grandkids) that start with different letters of the alphabet. They were trying to think of words that started with "W" and Nia's comment was "We can't use "W" because it starts with a "D"." (Double U). She's so funny.
On a slightly different note, we had Nia's parent-teacher conference on Thursday and she got a glowing report. Her teacher said she is the one of the most balanced little people she has ever known and is a perfect example of the early entrance program (Nia's birthday is after the cut-off date for entrance but they have an early entrance test that kids can take (if their birthday is within 45 days of the cut-off) to get in - they have to score a 60 to be able to be accepted and Nia scored a 98). Nia's teacher said that she was the excelling in math and doing great with reading - she expects that Nia will have progressed farther than what they expect them to by the end of the year. In any case, it was just so nice to hear that her teacher really recognized and appreciated the specialness about Nia. My little sunshine girl is a one of a kind.
:)
On a slightly different note, we had Nia's parent-teacher conference on Thursday and she got a glowing report. Her teacher said she is the one of the most balanced little people she has ever known and is a perfect example of the early entrance program (Nia's birthday is after the cut-off date for entrance but they have an early entrance test that kids can take (if their birthday is within 45 days of the cut-off) to get in - they have to score a 60 to be able to be accepted and Nia scored a 98). Nia's teacher said that she was the excelling in math and doing great with reading - she expects that Nia will have progressed farther than what they expect them to by the end of the year. In any case, it was just so nice to hear that her teacher really recognized and appreciated the specialness about Nia. My little sunshine girl is a one of a kind.
:)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
My Persistent Son
Yesterday was like any ordinary day until about 3:30pm when I heard a series of thumps... the kind you hear when something heavy is rolling down the stairs. Yes, that would be my son.
After he landed (thankfully there is a landing half-way so he didn't tumble down the entire flight of stairs), I ran up to him and found blood oozing out of his mouth. I have to say that while this might normally cause me to be really concerned, I couldn't help but notice it was nothing like the gushing I witnessed when he hit his mouth causing his teeth to go all the way through his lip (resulting in six very traumatic stitches at the hospital - a great end to his worst day ever). Because I was quickly able to assess the seriousness of the situation by the amount of blood, I wasn't overly concerned... yet.
I blotted his lip and got the blood to stop. It was an unfortunate laceration on the inside of his lip, but nothing serious.
Apparently, he did not agree.
He kept his mouth open for OVER 5 HOURS! It was crazy! How could he keep it open for that long!? My mouth gets tired of being open when I sit in the dentist chair for an hour - but he did it for more than 5 hours! Talk about persistent.
Justis has shown this tendency towards persistence before - like the time he SCREAMED for 1 hour, in the foyer of our church building because I wouldn't let him down (my rule is - if he has to be taken out, he doesn't get to get down and walk or run around). I know it can be a good trait and maybe I need to find a better channel for him to exercise it, but 5 hours! Yikes.
The end result of all this was that because he would not close his mouth (he didn't eat or drink anything for the entire evening after his accident) and would not talk to us, we became increasingly concerned and ended up taking him to the Emergency Room to see if maybe he had fractured his jaw or had a concussion (again, he didn't talk to us for five hours which is also very uncharacteristic). Thankfully, he had neither so no permanent damage done. Unfortunately, we didn't get home until 1am in the morning.
Persistence is good, but sometimes, it's better to give in. :)
:)
After he landed (thankfully there is a landing half-way so he didn't tumble down the entire flight of stairs), I ran up to him and found blood oozing out of his mouth. I have to say that while this might normally cause me to be really concerned, I couldn't help but notice it was nothing like the gushing I witnessed when he hit his mouth causing his teeth to go all the way through his lip (resulting in six very traumatic stitches at the hospital - a great end to his worst day ever). Because I was quickly able to assess the seriousness of the situation by the amount of blood, I wasn't overly concerned... yet.
I blotted his lip and got the blood to stop. It was an unfortunate laceration on the inside of his lip, but nothing serious.
Apparently, he did not agree.
He kept his mouth open for OVER 5 HOURS! It was crazy! How could he keep it open for that long!? My mouth gets tired of being open when I sit in the dentist chair for an hour - but he did it for more than 5 hours! Talk about persistent.
Justis has shown this tendency towards persistence before - like the time he SCREAMED for 1 hour, in the foyer of our church building because I wouldn't let him down (my rule is - if he has to be taken out, he doesn't get to get down and walk or run around). I know it can be a good trait and maybe I need to find a better channel for him to exercise it, but 5 hours! Yikes.
The end result of all this was that because he would not close his mouth (he didn't eat or drink anything for the entire evening after his accident) and would not talk to us, we became increasingly concerned and ended up taking him to the Emergency Room to see if maybe he had fractured his jaw or had a concussion (again, he didn't talk to us for five hours which is also very uncharacteristic). Thankfully, he had neither so no permanent damage done. Unfortunately, we didn't get home until 1am in the morning.
Persistence is good, but sometimes, it's better to give in. :)
:)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Something to Blog About
My sister, Angel, has unofficially tagged me with the following questions...
When did you meet your husband? (Day? Month? Year? Event?) First Impression?
My first day back from Christmas Break at Ricks College (back when it was actually called that). It was January 6th or something like that. We met in the parking lot between our two apartment buildings. We were going to build a snow cave at the Albertsons' parking lot in Rexburg. I thought he was cute, fun, and he was from Portland, OR. I wasn't "interested" in a relationship at that time, however. That last about a whole four days.
When did you have your first kiss with your husband?
Five days after we met. We met on a Monday and kissed on Saturday - after about a 30 minute speech (at least it seemed that long) from him on how he didn't really want to make a commitment or get involved with anyone. At the end of his speech, he said "So, can I still kiss you?" I couldn't say anything but "Yes" even though I should have said "No" just to make him wish he hadn't given me his whole speal. At least it ended well for both of us. :)
Do you have a favorite/special song with your husband?
Because you loved me - Celine Dion - it was from a movie we saw on Halloween which was just a couple of days after he said "I love you" for the first time.
Do your kids have special songs?
You are my Sunshine - Nia; You are my Buddy - Justis (original, I know)
Would you rather talk on the phone or chat in person?
Definitely email
If you had one whole day to yourself, what would you do?
Read, take a nap, and maybe go shopping
Can you watch scary movies alone?
Not alone, not with Jason, not with anyone!
Is anything bothering you?
Depends on your definition of bothering.
Would you rather stay home all day, or be out and about?
Home or at my parents. :)
Are you more likely to be with a large group of people or a few close friends?
Honestly - family. I would rather be with my family and Jason's family any day. However, I have some good close friends I love to be with and would choose them over a large party. The one exception to this is if I look really good and I am feeling sassy, then I would enjoy being in a large group of people where I can be the antiquated "Belle of the party." Vain, I know. Sorry! :)
What are your plans for October?
Resting in my hospital bed, probably without internet (bummer - I may call and ask "I am scheduled for surgery next week and will be in the hospital for a few days. Do you by chance have wireless internet I can connect to? They'll probably laugh and hang up thinking it's a prank call). Hopefully Jason or my mom will bring my kids over so I can see them dressed up and show them off to the hospital staff.
Cutest moment this week?
Justis saying to my mom "Obey, my way, right now." That and him singing the "and the doctor said..." part of 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed. Oh, and also listening to Nia talk about the nice boy from the bus stop while looking into her crystal clear, pure, innocent eyes.
What are you doing this weekend?
Hard to say. Preparing for surgery next week, maybe finishing up some work, reading if I'm lucky, hanging out with my family.
What is one fear that you can't seem to overcome?
Spiders
Are you in a good mood?
Sure
What is your favorite thing to wear?
Anything cute, sexy, and sassy :)
You have 3 months left to live, what do you do?
~ Go on a lot of vacations, make movies and recordings for my family, make a will :) Prepare my family for my departure, and enjoy every day. - Ditto (that was Angel's answer but is the same as mine)
You're having a bad day, what's one thing that can make your day better?
Reading, laughing uncontrollably, being held by my husband
If there was a way to know when and how you're going to die, would you like to find out?
No. I would dwell on it to much.
What is your favorite breakfast?
Strawberry Crepes
Your phone rings at 4am, who do you expect it to be?
Angel or Mom saying that it is snowing, Angel saying she's pregnant, or Jason's dad on a business trip forgetting what time it is here. :)
What's your worst habit?
I plead the fifth.
I will now tag Essy. Essy, copy and paste the above and just delete my answers and replace them with your own! :)
When did you meet your husband? (Day? Month? Year? Event?) First Impression?
My first day back from Christmas Break at Ricks College (back when it was actually called that). It was January 6th or something like that. We met in the parking lot between our two apartment buildings. We were going to build a snow cave at the Albertsons' parking lot in Rexburg. I thought he was cute, fun, and he was from Portland, OR. I wasn't "interested" in a relationship at that time, however. That last about a whole four days.
When did you have your first kiss with your husband?
Five days after we met. We met on a Monday and kissed on Saturday - after about a 30 minute speech (at least it seemed that long) from him on how he didn't really want to make a commitment or get involved with anyone. At the end of his speech, he said "So, can I still kiss you?" I couldn't say anything but "Yes" even though I should have said "No" just to make him wish he hadn't given me his whole speal. At least it ended well for both of us. :)
Do you have a favorite/special song with your husband?
Because you loved me - Celine Dion - it was from a movie we saw on Halloween which was just a couple of days after he said "I love you" for the first time.
Do your kids have special songs?
You are my Sunshine - Nia; You are my Buddy - Justis (original, I know)
Would you rather talk on the phone or chat in person?
Definitely email
If you had one whole day to yourself, what would you do?
Read, take a nap, and maybe go shopping
Can you watch scary movies alone?
Not alone, not with Jason, not with anyone!
Is anything bothering you?
Depends on your definition of bothering.
Would you rather stay home all day, or be out and about?
Home or at my parents. :)
Are you more likely to be with a large group of people or a few close friends?
Honestly - family. I would rather be with my family and Jason's family any day. However, I have some good close friends I love to be with and would choose them over a large party. The one exception to this is if I look really good and I am feeling sassy, then I would enjoy being in a large group of people where I can be the antiquated "Belle of the party." Vain, I know. Sorry! :)
What are your plans for October?
Resting in my hospital bed, probably without internet (bummer - I may call and ask "I am scheduled for surgery next week and will be in the hospital for a few days. Do you by chance have wireless internet I can connect to? They'll probably laugh and hang up thinking it's a prank call). Hopefully Jason or my mom will bring my kids over so I can see them dressed up and show them off to the hospital staff.
Cutest moment this week?
Justis saying to my mom "Obey, my way, right now." That and him singing the "and the doctor said..." part of 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed. Oh, and also listening to Nia talk about the nice boy from the bus stop while looking into her crystal clear, pure, innocent eyes.
What are you doing this weekend?
Hard to say. Preparing for surgery next week, maybe finishing up some work, reading if I'm lucky, hanging out with my family.
What is one fear that you can't seem to overcome?
Spiders
Are you in a good mood?
Sure
What is your favorite thing to wear?
Anything cute, sexy, and sassy :)
You have 3 months left to live, what do you do?
~ Go on a lot of vacations, make movies and recordings for my family, make a will :) Prepare my family for my departure, and enjoy every day. - Ditto (that was Angel's answer but is the same as mine)
You're having a bad day, what's one thing that can make your day better?
Reading, laughing uncontrollably, being held by my husband
If there was a way to know when and how you're going to die, would you like to find out?
No. I would dwell on it to much.
What is your favorite breakfast?
Strawberry Crepes
Your phone rings at 4am, who do you expect it to be?
Angel or Mom saying that it is snowing, Angel saying she's pregnant, or Jason's dad on a business trip forgetting what time it is here. :)
What's your worst habit?
I plead the fifth.
I will now tag Essy. Essy, copy and paste the above and just delete my answers and replace them with your own! :)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Kids say (and do) the funniest things
Justis today told my mom: "Obey, my way, right now." Hmmm... at least he is beginning to understand what "obey" means. :)
Nia (a couple of weeks ago) stomps off after I told her "No" about something and says to Justis: "I can't talk right now. I'm too upset. I'll explain later."
Nia in Macy's the other day: Knowing that we are supposed to flush the public restroom toilets with our feet (so as to avoid touching them and the associated germs with our hands), bends over, puts her hands on the toilet seat, and lifts her foot up to flush the toilet.
Justis on the toilet today while going poopy: "Tell Grandpa I go poopy." This results in me yelling to my dad (I was at their house) "Grandpa, Justis went poopy on the toilet!." Grandpa: "Great! Good job, Justis!"
Justis, in seeing anything to do with Halloween, says: "Scary."
Nia's friend shared her sticker with her - she tore it in half giving Nia the bottom half of??? Not really sure.
At the Family Fun night last week, Justis was dressed up as Thomas the train. He walked around the entire night, shuffling his feet in the most train like manner, and saying "Choo choo, choo choo."
Nia dressed up in her Barbie Island Princess pajamas, put on fake earrings, a tiara, and wings. She came to me and showed me how cute she was. Later, she came up to me and said "I forgot one teensy detail, my Tinkerbell wand. Sorry, mom."
They sure are cute. :)
:)
Nia (a couple of weeks ago) stomps off after I told her "No" about something and says to Justis: "I can't talk right now. I'm too upset. I'll explain later."
Nia in Macy's the other day: Knowing that we are supposed to flush the public restroom toilets with our feet (so as to avoid touching them and the associated germs with our hands), bends over, puts her hands on the toilet seat, and lifts her foot up to flush the toilet.
Justis on the toilet today while going poopy: "Tell Grandpa I go poopy." This results in me yelling to my dad (I was at their house) "Grandpa, Justis went poopy on the toilet!." Grandpa: "Great! Good job, Justis!"
Justis, in seeing anything to do with Halloween, says: "Scary."
Nia's friend shared her sticker with her - she tore it in half giving Nia the bottom half of??? Not really sure.
At the Family Fun night last week, Justis was dressed up as Thomas the train. He walked around the entire night, shuffling his feet in the most train like manner, and saying "Choo choo, choo choo."
Nia dressed up in her Barbie Island Princess pajamas, put on fake earrings, a tiara, and wings. She came to me and showed me how cute she was. Later, she came up to me and said "I forgot one teensy detail, my Tinkerbell wand. Sorry, mom."
They sure are cute. :)
:)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Morning Bus Stop
This is so funny, I had to share it...
Nia loves to ride the bus. I take her each morning to the bus stop and there is usually this one boy there. I think his name is Brian. He is probably in 4th or 5th grade. He always waves at me and the kids in the car. Sometimes he comes to the door and waits for Nia to get out. He seems so sweet and the kind of boy that I would want her to like... when she gets older.
This morning, she wore some jeans she hadn't worn yet (yes, I bought her way too many new school clothes this year). They have a embroidered heart on each of the back pockets and have a pink undertone to the wash. Anyway... after I drop her off at the bus stop, I always turn around and wait across the street so I can be sure that she isn't abducted (I tend to be a bit paranoid and morbid).
Before I go on, let me paint the picture a little more clearly... Nia is wearing a long sleeved shirt that goes to the top of her thighs, a turquoise rain coat (that the boy helped her zip up) with the hood up - which goes to about mid-thighs, and a backpack that is a bit large for her little body...
So... as I am waiting in the car, I look over to see her bent over with her bunda (this means "butt" in portugese) sticking up in the air and the boy looking at it. I am wondering what in the world she is doing as she is trying to shove her backpack, rain coat, and shirt up her back to further expose her bunda. At this point, I am getting a bit concerned due to the "appropriate" factor but at the same time can't figure out what she is doing... And then it dawns on me. She is showing Brian the hearts on her back pockets.
Oh, my dear Nia. So adorable, so innocent, so silly. :)
:)
Nia loves to ride the bus. I take her each morning to the bus stop and there is usually this one boy there. I think his name is Brian. He is probably in 4th or 5th grade. He always waves at me and the kids in the car. Sometimes he comes to the door and waits for Nia to get out. He seems so sweet and the kind of boy that I would want her to like... when she gets older.
This morning, she wore some jeans she hadn't worn yet (yes, I bought her way too many new school clothes this year). They have a embroidered heart on each of the back pockets and have a pink undertone to the wash. Anyway... after I drop her off at the bus stop, I always turn around and wait across the street so I can be sure that she isn't abducted (I tend to be a bit paranoid and morbid).
Before I go on, let me paint the picture a little more clearly... Nia is wearing a long sleeved shirt that goes to the top of her thighs, a turquoise rain coat (that the boy helped her zip up) with the hood up - which goes to about mid-thighs, and a backpack that is a bit large for her little body...
So... as I am waiting in the car, I look over to see her bent over with her bunda (this means "butt" in portugese) sticking up in the air and the boy looking at it. I am wondering what in the world she is doing as she is trying to shove her backpack, rain coat, and shirt up her back to further expose her bunda. At this point, I am getting a bit concerned due to the "appropriate" factor but at the same time can't figure out what she is doing... And then it dawns on me. She is showing Brian the hearts on her back pockets.
Oh, my dear Nia. So adorable, so innocent, so silly. :)
:)
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Two of my Five Extra Things
On my list of 30 things I want to do this year, one of my items was to think of five more things to do this year. Hear are two:
1) Floss my teeth. I am not a flosser and to be honest, I really hate to floss. I hate the extra time it takes to do something so seemingly insignificant. But, alas, the dentist is really insisting that I floss, and it is a good example for my kids. So, I am going to do much better with flossing.
2) Accept that I can't (and more importantly, shouldn't) do everything. I have a tendency to want to do everything. As I was driving along the other day, I thought to myself about how I really would like to take guitar lessons. Then I had to stop myself. Yes, learning to play it would be really cool, but I know how to play the piano and we have a beautiful one sitting in our living room that gets played once a week, if lucky, by myself or my husband (banging by our children doesn't count). Why would I try to pick something else up? Furthermore, do I not have enough to do already with being a mom, a wife, writing, working, unknown number of unfinished quilts (and I really do love quilting), working out (loosing that weight), church, housekeeping, staying sane. Why in the world would I pick up another hat, of my own free will, that is not required, not helping me accomplish anything else, and would end up being just another time consumer. So, alas, I must commit myself to being happy with who I am now and I cannot physically do everything. I have to pick and choose.
But I still want to learn to play the guitar... someday. :)
:)
1) Floss my teeth. I am not a flosser and to be honest, I really hate to floss. I hate the extra time it takes to do something so seemingly insignificant. But, alas, the dentist is really insisting that I floss, and it is a good example for my kids. So, I am going to do much better with flossing.
2) Accept that I can't (and more importantly, shouldn't) do everything. I have a tendency to want to do everything. As I was driving along the other day, I thought to myself about how I really would like to take guitar lessons. Then I had to stop myself. Yes, learning to play it would be really cool, but I know how to play the piano and we have a beautiful one sitting in our living room that gets played once a week, if lucky, by myself or my husband (banging by our children doesn't count). Why would I try to pick something else up? Furthermore, do I not have enough to do already with being a mom, a wife, writing, working, unknown number of unfinished quilts (and I really do love quilting), working out (loosing that weight), church, housekeeping, staying sane. Why in the world would I pick up another hat, of my own free will, that is not required, not helping me accomplish anything else, and would end up being just another time consumer. So, alas, I must commit myself to being happy with who I am now and I cannot physically do everything. I have to pick and choose.
But I still want to learn to play the guitar... someday. :)
:)
My OCD Day
I admit that I have some funny OCD type quarks. For example, it really bothers me when the silverware is not evenly spaced out in the dishwasher. I put one in each compartment, all facing the same direction. Then, when each compartment has one, I start again, facing them in the other direction. Occasionally, other people load my dishwasher for me. It drives me nuts to open it and find all of the silverware in one or two compartments and the others virtually empty. I have to space them out.
Sooo.... yesterday I was putting clean clothes away after I had let them sit on my floor sufficiently long to either 1) bemoan my laziness (I prefer to look at it as a choice of time use) of putting them away, or 2) to gather dog slobber from my adorable dog (he is so sweet) that has a mouth that could almost fit my head in it. As I was putting my clothes away, I had this bizarre but strong urge to sort my clothes hanging in the closet by style (i.e. business, jackets, sweaters, etc) , sleeve length, and color.
Random.
I have to admit though, it really is nice and I do intend to keep it that way. My mom is almost fanatical about how her closet is organized. After organizing it, I called my mom and said "Something is wrong with me." She, of course, thought something was really wrong. When I told her what I did, she said "What's wrong with that?" She's so cute. :) Nothing was wrong with it per say, except for how odd the urge, which really was a compulsion, was to do that. I later started my period that day so I will chalk it up to that.
:)
Sooo.... yesterday I was putting clean clothes away after I had let them sit on my floor sufficiently long to either 1) bemoan my laziness (I prefer to look at it as a choice of time use) of putting them away, or 2) to gather dog slobber from my adorable dog (he is so sweet) that has a mouth that could almost fit my head in it. As I was putting my clothes away, I had this bizarre but strong urge to sort my clothes hanging in the closet by style (i.e. business, jackets, sweaters, etc) , sleeve length, and color.
Random.
I have to admit though, it really is nice and I do intend to keep it that way. My mom is almost fanatical about how her closet is organized. After organizing it, I called my mom and said "Something is wrong with me." She, of course, thought something was really wrong. When I told her what I did, she said "What's wrong with that?" She's so cute. :) Nothing was wrong with it per say, except for how odd the urge, which really was a compulsion, was to do that. I later started my period that day so I will chalk it up to that.
:)
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Do I look 30?
Do I look 30? Now, be honest (unless, of course, you think I look older than 30, then don't be honest and only tell me, yes, I look 30 but not a day older). This picture was taken on my 30th birthday, which was this past Sunday. :)
Thank you in advance for your kind words on my not looking older than 30. Thank you doubly if you think I look younger than 30. No pressure. But please, be honest. :)
:)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Celebrating the Big 30
I celebrated my birthday, my 30th birthday to be exact, on Sunday. It was a great day. My husband made me breakfast and was home this morning to help me get the kids ready for church. Not only did he help me get them ready for church, he actually got to sit by me! That was exciting since he hasn't been able to sit with us for a year and half. (He sits on the stand and has morning meetings on Sundays. We had Stake Conference today thus the lack of meetings and no stand requirement.)
After church, we had lunch, naps, and then dinner at my parent's house. My mom, bless her heart, made me her famous ribs, and my dad, believe it or not, made my birthday cake! That was a surprise - he doesn't cook usually except for breakfast (which he is great at). Anyway, it was a great, relaxing day.
I'm going to take a page out of my friend Autumn's book and say 30 things that I am going to do this year:
1) Spend more time with my kids - when someone is faced with death (don't worry, I'm not), they never say "I wish I had spent more time at work." Well, I want to be sure that I keep my priorities straight so that when faced with death someday, I don't feel like I didn't spend enough time with my kids and my family.
2) Go somewhere International - I love to travel and going international places is really fascinating to me.
3) Learn to balance my responsibilities better.
4) Stay on my shopping diet.
5) Eat better and help my family to do so also.
6) Loose the recent weight I have put on (I think it is due to some medical issues I have - at the very least that makes me feel better, but I really do think that is the reason).
7) Finish writing my second novel.
8) Magnify my calling.
9) Keep my house clean (this can be accomplished through delegation though).
10) Make serious headway in our financial goals.
11) Have a hysterectomy.
12) Enjoy today instead of looking at tomorrow or yesterday.
13) Not be so hard on myself.
14) Make lunches for my husband to take to work so he doesn't go hungry or have to go out.
15) Get really good at Dance Dance Revolution.
16) Get really good at Guitar Hero.
17) Keep up with the laundry (good luck on that, but it was worth mentioning).
18) Keep track of our monthly budget better.
19) Accept the fact that it is ok if I don't finish one of my several unfinished quilts - but know that it would be great if I did.
20) Look for more ways to serve others.
21) Not get any tickets (I haven't gotten any yet so I hope to keep that track record going).
22) Accept myself for who I am.
23) Teach my son that angry voices are not ok.
24) Play the piano more often.
25) Think of five more things to do this year.
26) Maybe I should only be 25.
27) Submit my invoices to clients in a timely manner.
28) Try to get the trash out more consistently (this really lies on my husband but I need to remind him about it).
29) Did I mention loose the weight I've gained?
30) Brush my teeth each day. :)
Phew, I made it. There you go, 30 things (give or take) I would like to do this year. Wish me luck!
After church, we had lunch, naps, and then dinner at my parent's house. My mom, bless her heart, made me her famous ribs, and my dad, believe it or not, made my birthday cake! That was a surprise - he doesn't cook usually except for breakfast (which he is great at). Anyway, it was a great, relaxing day.
I'm going to take a page out of my friend Autumn's book and say 30 things that I am going to do this year:
1) Spend more time with my kids - when someone is faced with death (don't worry, I'm not), they never say "I wish I had spent more time at work." Well, I want to be sure that I keep my priorities straight so that when faced with death someday, I don't feel like I didn't spend enough time with my kids and my family.
2) Go somewhere International - I love to travel and going international places is really fascinating to me.
3) Learn to balance my responsibilities better.
4) Stay on my shopping diet.
5) Eat better and help my family to do so also.
6) Loose the recent weight I have put on (I think it is due to some medical issues I have - at the very least that makes me feel better, but I really do think that is the reason).
7) Finish writing my second novel.
8) Magnify my calling.
9) Keep my house clean (this can be accomplished through delegation though).
10) Make serious headway in our financial goals.
11) Have a hysterectomy.
12) Enjoy today instead of looking at tomorrow or yesterday.
13) Not be so hard on myself.
14) Make lunches for my husband to take to work so he doesn't go hungry or have to go out.
15) Get really good at Dance Dance Revolution.
16) Get really good at Guitar Hero.
17) Keep up with the laundry (good luck on that, but it was worth mentioning).
18) Keep track of our monthly budget better.
19) Accept the fact that it is ok if I don't finish one of my several unfinished quilts - but know that it would be great if I did.
20) Look for more ways to serve others.
21) Not get any tickets (I haven't gotten any yet so I hope to keep that track record going).
22) Accept myself for who I am.
23) Teach my son that angry voices are not ok.
24) Play the piano more often.
25) Think of five more things to do this year.
26) Maybe I should only be 25.
27) Submit my invoices to clients in a timely manner.
28) Try to get the trash out more consistently (this really lies on my husband but I need to remind him about it).
29) Did I mention loose the weight I've gained?
30) Brush my teeth each day. :)
Phew, I made it. There you go, 30 things (give or take) I would like to do this year. Wish me luck!
Friday, September 14, 2007
I'm Invisible
My mom sent me this today. It was sent to her by one of her missionaries (she and my dad were Mission Presidents in Italy 2001-2004)...
I'm invisible... ..
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,
the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the
phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't
you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on
the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my
head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of
hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is
it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney
Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Pick me up right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum
laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never
to be seen again. She's going . she's going . she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return
of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a
fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she
stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put
together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for
myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only
thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in
a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter
in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with
a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly
sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To
Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are
building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They
made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their
building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw
everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit
the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving
a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the
man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a
beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I
see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you
does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no
cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.
You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what
it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of
my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn
pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder.
As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could
ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people
willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at
4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand- bastes
a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table."
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just
want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more
to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the
world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty
that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible
women.
I'm invisible... ..
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response,
the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the
phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't
you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on
the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my
head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of
hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is
it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney
Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Pick me up right around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum
laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never
to be seen again. She's going . she's going . she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return
of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a
fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she
stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put
together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for
myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only
thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in
a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter
in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with
a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly
sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To
Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are
building when no one sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They
made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their
building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw
everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit
the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving
a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the
man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a
beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I
see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you
does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no
cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.
You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what
it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of
my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn
pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder.
As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could
ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people
willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at
4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand- bastes
a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table."
That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just
want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more
to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the
world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty
that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible
women.
29 Things to be thankful for in my 29th year
I will be 30 on Sunday and so I wanted to take this opportunity to mention some things that I have been thankful for during my 29th year (please note these are in no particular order)...
1. Jason
2. Nia
3. Justis
4. Mac - our most sweet and adorable puppy (notice I have left out our fish Lila)
5. My family - they give me so much support and encouragement
6. Jason's family - ditto to number 5
7. No passing of kidney stones - please note I didn't say "no kidney stones" - I have many of them but they haven't passed this past year (they are just stewing for the time being) for which I am grateful.
8. Workouts with my mom - we go to the same gym and it has been such a special time to be with her and talk and exercise
9. Nia got into kindergarten!
10. Working with my Dad
11. Making new blog friends
12. Making new business friends that are much more than just business (like you Meredith!)
13. Our van (we upgraded from a Honda Accord to a Honda Odyssey)
14. Dora the Explorer who teaches my kids Spanish
15. My trip to Hawaii
16. My trip to New York
17. My Faith in Heavenly Father
18. My knowledge and faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ
19. Tithing
20. Nonna and Grandpa's new backyard
21. My friend Shannon who is pregnant again
22. Our big January Snowfall and sledding down our street
23. My girl's club
24. Overcoming Depression
25. Professional Success
26. Children that play together, laugh together, and help each other
27. Time spent with my sisters this summer
28. Barbie Princess movies - I would watch them even without Nia!
29. Good Books
1. Jason
2. Nia
3. Justis
4. Mac - our most sweet and adorable puppy (notice I have left out our fish Lila)
5. My family - they give me so much support and encouragement
6. Jason's family - ditto to number 5
7. No passing of kidney stones - please note I didn't say "no kidney stones" - I have many of them but they haven't passed this past year (they are just stewing for the time being) for which I am grateful.
8. Workouts with my mom - we go to the same gym and it has been such a special time to be with her and talk and exercise
9. Nia got into kindergarten!
10. Working with my Dad
11. Making new blog friends
12. Making new business friends that are much more than just business (like you Meredith!)
13. Our van (we upgraded from a Honda Accord to a Honda Odyssey)
14. Dora the Explorer who teaches my kids Spanish
15. My trip to Hawaii
16. My trip to New York
17. My Faith in Heavenly Father
18. My knowledge and faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ
19. Tithing
20. Nonna and Grandpa's new backyard
21. My friend Shannon who is pregnant again
22. Our big January Snowfall and sledding down our street
23. My girl's club
24. Overcoming Depression
25. Professional Success
26. Children that play together, laugh together, and help each other
27. Time spent with my sisters this summer
28. Barbie Princess movies - I would watch them even without Nia!
29. Good Books
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Missing the Bus
Who knew that missing the bus was such a traumatic event for a young child? Apparently, not me. Last week, we missed the bus one morning... let me repeat that - ONE morning! Ever since then, however, Nia has felt it quite important that at every prayer she says, she prays that we will not be late for the bus again.
To her credit, she was super cute on the morning after. She got up early, earlier than I did. She came into my room and woke me up. When we went down for breakfast, she leaned over to me and softly said "Heavenly Father whispered in my ear this morning to wake me up so we wouldn't be late again." Ahhh.... what a sweet and pure soul.
:)
Friday, September 7, 2007
My New Novel
I started my second Romance Novel this week. It was more difficult to start my second one than it was for my first time. I think that has to do with higher expectations. With my first one, there were no expectations. Now, I have some experience and knowledge I didn't have the first time around so I think I am holding myself to a higher standard. Rightly so, I suppose. In any case, I am quite excited about it. I have added a word tracker to the bottom of my blog so you can track my progress if you want. I am also adding it below:
My main character, the heroine, is named Amilee. If I had another daughter, which isn't likely, I would want to name her that. One thing that is fun about writing books is that you can use all the names that your spouse wouldn't let you use when naming your children. In my first book, my character is named Anna. When we had our first child, I wanted to name her Anna and Jason wanted Nia. We compromised with Annania, but we call her "Nia" for short. Thus, I named my first main character Anna. :)
Writing my first novel was one of my most enjoyable adventures. I hope this one is that way also.
Wish me luck!
:)
My main character, the heroine, is named Amilee. If I had another daughter, which isn't likely, I would want to name her that. One thing that is fun about writing books is that you can use all the names that your spouse wouldn't let you use when naming your children. In my first book, my character is named Anna. When we had our first child, I wanted to name her Anna and Jason wanted Nia. We compromised with Annania, but we call her "Nia" for short. Thus, I named my first main character Anna. :)
Writing my first novel was one of my most enjoyable adventures. I hope this one is that way also.
Wish me luck!
:)
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Nia's first day of school
Today was Nia's first day of kindergarten. She looked so adorable! She had a lot of fun although she was a bit distressed that recess was not as long as she thought it would be.Justis was not happy with the fact that Nia was gone all morning. He was so glad when we finally went to pick her up. He has been more than a handful today but thankfully that is the exception, not the rule, for him.
One other note: I did not cry! Nia did not either so we made it through the day without tears. :)
:)
Mr. Destructo
For reasons unknown to me, my son has been Mr. Destructo today. This is a picture of my room. It may not look really bad, but please understand that it was worse than this... I just picked up the "whites" before taking the picture for obvious reasons.Here's how it went down... While Nia was at school, I was on a conference call with a new client. My saving grace during this call was my husband who had stayed home until the cable repair man came out. It was one of those "He'll be there between 8-10" and luckily, for my sake, he showed up at 10am which meant my husband was home for my entire call (which was 9-11). As it was, Justis kept coming into my room (By day, an office, by night, a bedroom! It's magic!) wanting me to go with him so he could get an assortment of snacks.
After picking Nia up at the bus stop, we went home and had lunch and then naps. Justis was not happy about going down for a nap but the lull of the music did it's job. While he was napping, I did a little bit of work until I could no longer keep my eyes open. Finally, I laid down... Come sweet sleep, come. No, not you destructo, sleep!
While I was sleeping, I was awakened to a very hazy state by my son saying something. I wasn't sure what it was but it finally came to me that he had brought me a towel for a blanket. With a smile, I put the blanket over my legs and quickly fell back into lala land. What I didn't know, however, is that it was all a ploy to keep me asleep so he could wreak havoc all around me. I woke up a few times, only to realize that he was throwing every sock and every bit of folded "whites" onto the floor. He was obviously decorating. At one point, he thought it quite entertaining to open my eyelids, being dutifully attentive to each one. If that wasn't enough, he brought up a box of crayons and hit me on the face, a bottle of elmer's glue and pretended to decorate my face with it (thankfully he didn't open it), and the camera we had used today to take pictures of Nia's first day of school slammed into my face with the word "Smile!".
Finally, the culmination of it all bought me rudely to the real world, only to find that my once clean room was now littered with an assortment of panties and underwear (I wouldn't dare call my son's underwear "panties" :)), socks, and no longer folded whites. As if that isn't bad enough, I know he had at least one "Halls" lozenges, bit my daughters toe, and was very liberal with the tasting of toothpaste.
I had thought that Mr. Destructo had disappeared from our home a while ago. Apparently, he came back today. Hopefully it is only for a brief visit. :)
:)
Monday, September 3, 2007
Our Vacation: Sleeping in Special Places
When I was young, one of our favorite privileges was to "sleep in special places." If we were good, on Friday night we could sleep in special places like in the family room, the hall, on the couch, or an array of other odd locations.
For Labor Day Weekend, we had debated going out of town with my parents. I looked into some locations but in the end, it would cost us several hundred dollars to leave. However, I didn't just want to stay home because I knew if we did that, we would end up not doing anything except house/yard work.
My solution? Sleeping at my parent's house. It was just like old times! We got to sleep in special places! We pretended we were on vacation this whole weekend. The only thing we did at home was sleep there Saturday night (Jason had church meetings in the morning) and Jason mowed the lawn today. Other than that, we were on vacation.
It's funny that at almost 30 years old, I still love sleeping at my parent's house. I still like sneaking up to my parent's room in the morning (I sneak only to avoid the following of my little ones) and crawling into bed with my mom to talk or just lay there together.
We went out to dinner, had a picnic, had a bar-b-que, watched movies, shopped, and hung out. What a great vacation!
:)
For Labor Day Weekend, we had debated going out of town with my parents. I looked into some locations but in the end, it would cost us several hundred dollars to leave. However, I didn't just want to stay home because I knew if we did that, we would end up not doing anything except house/yard work.
My solution? Sleeping at my parent's house. It was just like old times! We got to sleep in special places! We pretended we were on vacation this whole weekend. The only thing we did at home was sleep there Saturday night (Jason had church meetings in the morning) and Jason mowed the lawn today. Other than that, we were on vacation.
It's funny that at almost 30 years old, I still love sleeping at my parent's house. I still like sneaking up to my parent's room in the morning (I sneak only to avoid the following of my little ones) and crawling into bed with my mom to talk or just lay there together.
We went out to dinner, had a picnic, had a bar-b-que, watched movies, shopped, and hung out. What a great vacation!
:)
Our Pee Pee Party
We have a tradition in our family... it's called the "Pee Pee Party." This came about when I was potty training my daughter a couple of years ago. I can't remember if I read about it or if it was just something I came up with, but when we potty train a child, we celebrate their success with a Pee Pee Party.
The first picture is a picture of the diarrhea cake. The second picture is the toilet cake. The third picture is our family that came. We are all wearing Spiderman masks because no one really wanted to admit that they were attending a "pee pee party". Well, that and aside from the toilet theme, my son particularly requested Spiderman hats. Apparently, there are no Spiderman party hats, only Spiderman masks. Thus we see...
I have to say, our family really are good sports for attending our Pee Pee parties. There are no demonstrations, but showing off underwear (for the trainee) is allowed.
:)
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Working Like a Dog
These past two weeks I've been working like a dog! I am incredibly grateful to be able to work from home so I can be home with my kids. I love being home with them and I also love my work so I am very blessed.
I apologize for not having blogged for a few days, but what can I say, I've been busy! I want you all to know, however, that I truly do appreciate you checking my blog and making comments. :)
I apologize for not having blogged for a few days, but what can I say, I've been busy! I want you all to know, however, that I truly do appreciate you checking my blog and making comments. :)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tagged Again!
I got tagged by my new friend Leslie! Here goes:
4 jobs I've had...
Warehouse Manager Assistant
Lingerie Stock person (Nordstrom)
Software Programmer
Compensation Plan Consultant
4 movies I could watch over and over...
Pride and Prejudice (the new one w/ Kiera Knightly and the BBC version w/ Colin Firth)
White Christmas
Ever After
Barbie and the Nutcracker (this is the best version of the Nutcracker I have ever seen)
4 places I have lived...
Vancouver, Washington
Rexburg, Idaho
Provo, Utah
Brisbane, Australia
4 favorite television shows...
24
Ugly Betty
Alias (no longer on)
Jericho
4 places I've been...
Italy (Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome)
Cancun, Mexico
Taipei, Taiwan
Lima, Peru
4 favorite foods...
Apple Jacks Cereal
Beef Stew (mine)
Cinnabon
Roast
4 websites I check often...
friend's and family's blogs
Writing on the Wall Blog
Amazon
our bank accounts
4 hobbies...
writing romance novels
reading romance novels
checking email and blogging
playing with my family
4 people I tag...
Angel
Esther
Lifelong bookworm
Autumn
Happy tagging!
:)
4 jobs I've had...
Warehouse Manager Assistant
Lingerie Stock person (Nordstrom)
Software Programmer
Compensation Plan Consultant
4 movies I could watch over and over...
Pride and Prejudice (the new one w/ Kiera Knightly and the BBC version w/ Colin Firth)
White Christmas
Ever After
Barbie and the Nutcracker (this is the best version of the Nutcracker I have ever seen)
4 places I have lived...
Vancouver, Washington
Rexburg, Idaho
Provo, Utah
Brisbane, Australia
4 favorite television shows...
24
Ugly Betty
Alias (no longer on)
Jericho
4 places I've been...
Italy (Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome)
Cancun, Mexico
Taipei, Taiwan
Lima, Peru
4 favorite foods...
Apple Jacks Cereal
Beef Stew (mine)
Cinnabon
Roast
4 websites I check often...
friend's and family's blogs
Writing on the Wall Blog
Amazon
our bank accounts
4 hobbies...
writing romance novels
reading romance novels
checking email and blogging
playing with my family
4 people I tag...
Angel
Esther
Lifelong bookworm
Autumn
Happy tagging!
:)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
My daughter is the cutest wuss there ever was
My daughter is absolutely adorable. If you don't believe me, just check out her picture on the side there and you will see how cute she is.
99.9% of the time, she is an angel. Truly, I could not have asked for a better child. She is kind, compassionate, innocent, obedient (incredibly obedient), very intelligent, and so much more. Her one downfall? She's a wuss. Yes indeed, a wimp.
At least four times yesterday she wailed like her arm had been cut off. The big alligator tears would fall and she would come running to me for comfort. The problem? She had fallen off the couch and bonked her knee. She was upset about the itsy bitsy teeny weeny little scratch that you can only see by squinting your eyes.
Today, we had an end of summer pool party at a friends house. They have a play area with cedar chips (the ones that don't give you slivers...supposedly). Later at home, she started complaining that her feet hurt. Upon inspection, she had a couple of slivers. However, the inspection was all that we were able to do. As soon as we said she had a sliver, she yanks her foot away and dramatically pleads "Don't pull it. Don't touch it. It's going to hurt!" It hasn't hurt yet, it's the fear of the hurt that had her freaking out.
We literally had to hold her down for us to be able to even look at them any more. We never did get them out, even after the threat of the slivers feastering, associated infection, puss that would hurt to get out, you know... the gorey stuff. Finally, we agreed on a plan... Do it in the night while she is asleep. So, now I am off to try to pull out the slivers.
:)
99.9% of the time, she is an angel. Truly, I could not have asked for a better child. She is kind, compassionate, innocent, obedient (incredibly obedient), very intelligent, and so much more. Her one downfall? She's a wuss. Yes indeed, a wimp.
At least four times yesterday she wailed like her arm had been cut off. The big alligator tears would fall and she would come running to me for comfort. The problem? She had fallen off the couch and bonked her knee. She was upset about the itsy bitsy teeny weeny little scratch that you can only see by squinting your eyes.
Today, we had an end of summer pool party at a friends house. They have a play area with cedar chips (the ones that don't give you slivers...supposedly). Later at home, she started complaining that her feet hurt. Upon inspection, she had a couple of slivers. However, the inspection was all that we were able to do. As soon as we said she had a sliver, she yanks her foot away and dramatically pleads "Don't pull it. Don't touch it. It's going to hurt!" It hasn't hurt yet, it's the fear of the hurt that had her freaking out.
We literally had to hold her down for us to be able to even look at them any more. We never did get them out, even after the threat of the slivers feastering, associated infection, puss that would hurt to get out, you know... the gorey stuff. Finally, we agreed on a plan... Do it in the night while she is asleep. So, now I am off to try to pull out the slivers.
:)
Saturday, August 18, 2007
The Humor's in the Toilet
I couldn't help but blog about this very important topic... there is humor in the toilet. "What?" you may say, but it's true. Take a look at my post "Bunda, Bunda, Bunda..." That had the most comments on it (thanks for all the advice, ladies) and the reason is - the toilet is an incredibly fascinating thing. It's no wonder my son won't go poopie in the toilet. It's like this great white abyss. Who knows what really goes on down there. (I've been potty training for a week - any advice on how to get him to go poopie in the toilet?)
If you put a group of ladies with young children in a room together, I wonder how long it would take for the subject to come up? I would venture to say, not long. Why? Because it's the one thing we all have to deal with, every day. That, and food. Food is likely right in there with the toilet. (No pun intended hehehe)
So, to my fellow mothers of young children, thanks for understanding my need to share an otherwise taboo topic with you. My husband just doesn't understand that part of my life.
:)
If you put a group of ladies with young children in a room together, I wonder how long it would take for the subject to come up? I would venture to say, not long. Why? Because it's the one thing we all have to deal with, every day. That, and food. Food is likely right in there with the toilet. (No pun intended hehehe)
So, to my fellow mothers of young children, thanks for understanding my need to share an otherwise taboo topic with you. My husband just doesn't understand that part of my life.
:)
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Characters wanted
I have a character in my head who is kicking me to let her come alive... on paper, of course. She has a story to tell and while I see small bits and pieces of it, I don't know what it all entails.
Writing is such an exhilarating process for me. Somewhere deep inside, there is a story waiting to be written. It is so interesting how a character just sort of appears and forms on it's own. Then, while writing, the character seems to do what it wants. They tell you, not vice versa, what road they are going down.
When I wrote my first book, there were many points where I just didn't know where Anna was going to go or what she was going to do. There were also times when she just did not want to do what I wanted her to do. She had something else in mind and as hard as I tried to get her where I thought she should go, she just wouldn't do it.
Jason and I recently finished Harry Potter. When we had finished, we were discussing how J.K. Rowling might be feeling now that she was finished with the series. While I obviously don't know the real answer to this, the thought I had is that it's a bittersweet feeling... To be done in some ways is a relief because you can feel like you have your life back. When you are writing a story, you become part of the story and the characters become part of your life. When you are finally done, it's a little sad to say goodbye, but at the same time, kind of nice to get back to your normal life.
Anyway, it is exciting to see how this character is shaping up. I have taken some good pointers from Writing on the Wall (see sidebar for link) about character motivation and development and it has helped me explore and get to know my character more.
I can't wait to get her story out so she can live... and so she can stop bugging me too.
:)
Writing is such an exhilarating process for me. Somewhere deep inside, there is a story waiting to be written. It is so interesting how a character just sort of appears and forms on it's own. Then, while writing, the character seems to do what it wants. They tell you, not vice versa, what road they are going down.
When I wrote my first book, there were many points where I just didn't know where Anna was going to go or what she was going to do. There were also times when she just did not want to do what I wanted her to do. She had something else in mind and as hard as I tried to get her where I thought she should go, she just wouldn't do it.
Jason and I recently finished Harry Potter. When we had finished, we were discussing how J.K. Rowling might be feeling now that she was finished with the series. While I obviously don't know the real answer to this, the thought I had is that it's a bittersweet feeling... To be done in some ways is a relief because you can feel like you have your life back. When you are writing a story, you become part of the story and the characters become part of your life. When you are finally done, it's a little sad to say goodbye, but at the same time, kind of nice to get back to your normal life.
Anyway, it is exciting to see how this character is shaping up. I have taken some good pointers from Writing on the Wall (see sidebar for link) about character motivation and development and it has helped me explore and get to know my character more.
I can't wait to get her story out so she can live... and so she can stop bugging me too.
:)
I'm so proud of you!
I have to say, I am so proud of Esther and Angel for getting their blogs put together. Their links are on the right hand side of my blog if you want to view them.
After viewing their blogs, however, I realized that I had been outdone... by a long shot. So, I spent some time (ok, way too much time) tonight spiffing up my blog. I hope you find it enjoyable.
:)
After viewing their blogs, however, I realized that I had been outdone... by a long shot. So, I spent some time (ok, way too much time) tonight spiffing up my blog. I hope you find it enjoyable.
:)
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Bunda, Bunda, Bunda...
If you are family, you probably know what "Bunda" means. If you are not, let me enlighten you... Bottom, Bum, Butt, Derriere, Tush, Fanny, Keister, need I go on? "Bunda" is the Portuguese equivalent of all these. When Jason told me that word, I thought it was cool so in our house, we refer to our backside as "Bunda."
If you don't like Potty talk (not dirty talk... real potty talk), scroll on down to my next blog. However, if you are used to potty talk, read on.
My son has the sorriest bunda ever. Every time I try to change his diaper, he cries and tries to get away because it hurts so bad when I clean him. But at the same time, it hurts so bad for him to keep the poop (yes, I did say poop on a public blog) in his diaper because it burns his poor bunda.
He at least one sore that is really kind of an open wound. Ouchie, ouchie, ouchie. I am so grateful for toilets. Next week, after the diarrhea goes away, we is going to become a big boy. :)
If you have tips for treating horribly ouchie bundas, please leave your comments. Also, if you want to lament with me over his unfortunate state, please leave your comments as well. Misery loves company. :)
:)
If you don't like Potty talk (not dirty talk... real potty talk), scroll on down to my next blog. However, if you are used to potty talk, read on.
My son has the sorriest bunda ever. Every time I try to change his diaper, he cries and tries to get away because it hurts so bad when I clean him. But at the same time, it hurts so bad for him to keep the poop (yes, I did say poop on a public blog) in his diaper because it burns his poor bunda.
He at least one sore that is really kind of an open wound. Ouchie, ouchie, ouchie. I am so grateful for toilets. Next week, after the diarrhea goes away, we is going to become a big boy. :)
If you have tips for treating horribly ouchie bundas, please leave your comments. Also, if you want to lament with me over his unfortunate state, please leave your comments as well. Misery loves company. :)
:)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
My Lame Day
Imagine this...
7am - Wake up, get dressed, feed kids
7:30am - Take car in to get checked before my road trip on Thursday
8am - Get back home (amazed that it only took 1/2 hour), say family prayers, and see Jason off to work.
8:30am - Get dressed, get kids dressed, head to the gym to workout.
9:30am - Back home, get ready for the day.
10am - Check email and do work while kids watch one show and then play.
11:30am - Lunch
12pm - Justis naps, Nia has Quiet time, and I work.
2pm - Justis wakes up, have snacks, play time.
4pm - clean up, get dinner going.
6pm - dinner
6:30pm - clean up dinner, play with kids
7:15pm - get kids ready for bed.
That was what I had planned for my day. Instead, this is how my day actually went...
7am - Wake up, get dressed, feed kids
7:30am - Take car in to get checked before my road trip on Thursday
8am - Get back home (truly am amazed it only took 1/2 hour), say family prayers, and see Jason off to work.
8:30am - Get dressed, get kids dressed, see my book lying on my nightstand.
8:35am - Book is calling my name. Kids are playing. Ok, I'll just read one chapter.
9am - Put one show on for kids. Read only until show is over. Then must do work.
9:30am - Show is over. Still reading. Nia - "Mom, you said we could Pegasus today." Me - (thinking - if I put Pegasus on for them, I can work while I watch with them - good quality time, right?) "Ok. But then it will be time to turn it off."
10am - Stop reading, really MUST start work. Starting work.
10:15am - Conversation w/ project manager - project not so rushed now. Have several extra days. That means I can read, right?
10:17am - Get fruit snacks for kids and head to room to read.
11:20am - Nia: "Mom, the show's over. I turned off the TV. Can we have lunch now?" Me: "It's not quite time yet, why don't you play blocks with Justis." Justis: "Basketball shoot, Nia." Kids go to Justis' room.
11:30am - Nia: "Mom, I want lunch now. I'm hungry." Ok, lunch is made. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwhiches for the kids, of which Mac ate one of Nia's quarters because she mistakenly got up from the table to get water for her and Justis.
12pm - Justis nap, Nia quite time. Andi: Work or Read? My stomach is not feeling very well. Guess I'll read.
1:20pm - Mom knocks on door causing Mac to bark causing Justis to wake up prematurely. Mom comes in (here to watch the kids while I go to get the car). My stomach is still not feeling well so I continue to lay down... and read. Kids and Mom make cookies.
1:40pm - Finally get a hold of another client and talk for 10 minutes.
1:50pm - Shuttle van for auto repair place is here. Go (with my book - just in case) to get car.
2:30pm - Back home. Eat about 8 cookies (they were small), and read.
4pm - Nia: "Mom, why do you have to work so much so you can't play with us?" Andi: looking for nearest knife to stab self after such an honest but sad thing to hear. "I only have about twelve more pages in my book. How about I read that in your room while you and Justis play?"
4:40pm - finished book (kids were talking to me which is why it took so long to finish - it ended up being about 20 pages).
4:30pm - Fix dinner.
5:15pm - PLAY with kids.
6:30pm - Jason home, eat dinner.
7:00pm - Clean up dinner, play with kids
7:15pm - Kids in bed.
The first one is how I imagined my day would go. The second one is how it actually went. I am ashamed and embarrassed that I spent pretty much my entire day reading. It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't had other things to do. But in fact, I had several things for work I could have done, I could have worked on packing, I could have worked out, or any other number of things. Instead, I made some poor choices that ended up costing me some self-respect.
Jason asked me this evening how my day went. I was too embarrassed to tell him. I had already decided I would blog about this so I told him he would have to read my blog.
I need to be better at making a list of things to do and sticking to them. Furthermore, I need to exert some will-power and practice some self mastery when it comes to reading and work. Neither reading or work are more important than my family.
Family first. No more lame days.
:)
7am - Wake up, get dressed, feed kids
7:30am - Take car in to get checked before my road trip on Thursday
8am - Get back home (amazed that it only took 1/2 hour), say family prayers, and see Jason off to work.
8:30am - Get dressed, get kids dressed, head to the gym to workout.
9:30am - Back home, get ready for the day.
10am - Check email and do work while kids watch one show and then play.
11:30am - Lunch
12pm - Justis naps, Nia has Quiet time, and I work.
2pm - Justis wakes up, have snacks, play time.
4pm - clean up, get dinner going.
6pm - dinner
6:30pm - clean up dinner, play with kids
7:15pm - get kids ready for bed.
That was what I had planned for my day. Instead, this is how my day actually went...
7am - Wake up, get dressed, feed kids
7:30am - Take car in to get checked before my road trip on Thursday
8am - Get back home (truly am amazed it only took 1/2 hour), say family prayers, and see Jason off to work.
8:30am - Get dressed, get kids dressed, see my book lying on my nightstand.
8:35am - Book is calling my name. Kids are playing. Ok, I'll just read one chapter.
9am - Put one show on for kids. Read only until show is over. Then must do work.
9:30am - Show is over. Still reading. Nia - "Mom, you said we could Pegasus today." Me - (thinking - if I put Pegasus on for them, I can work while I watch with them - good quality time, right?) "Ok. But then it will be time to turn it off."
10am - Stop reading, really MUST start work. Starting work.
10:15am - Conversation w/ project manager - project not so rushed now. Have several extra days. That means I can read, right?
10:17am - Get fruit snacks for kids and head to room to read.
11:20am - Nia: "Mom, the show's over. I turned off the TV. Can we have lunch now?" Me: "It's not quite time yet, why don't you play blocks with Justis." Justis: "Basketball shoot, Nia." Kids go to Justis' room.
11:30am - Nia: "Mom, I want lunch now. I'm hungry." Ok, lunch is made. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwhiches for the kids, of which Mac ate one of Nia's quarters because she mistakenly got up from the table to get water for her and Justis.
12pm - Justis nap, Nia quite time. Andi: Work or Read? My stomach is not feeling very well. Guess I'll read.
1:20pm - Mom knocks on door causing Mac to bark causing Justis to wake up prematurely. Mom comes in (here to watch the kids while I go to get the car). My stomach is still not feeling well so I continue to lay down... and read. Kids and Mom make cookies.
1:40pm - Finally get a hold of another client and talk for 10 minutes.
1:50pm - Shuttle van for auto repair place is here. Go (with my book - just in case) to get car.
2:30pm - Back home. Eat about 8 cookies (they were small), and read.
4pm - Nia: "Mom, why do you have to work so much so you can't play with us?" Andi: looking for nearest knife to stab self after such an honest but sad thing to hear. "I only have about twelve more pages in my book. How about I read that in your room while you and Justis play?"
4:40pm - finished book (kids were talking to me which is why it took so long to finish - it ended up being about 20 pages).
4:30pm - Fix dinner.
5:15pm - PLAY with kids.
6:30pm - Jason home, eat dinner.
7:00pm - Clean up dinner, play with kids
7:15pm - Kids in bed.
The first one is how I imagined my day would go. The second one is how it actually went. I am ashamed and embarrassed that I spent pretty much my entire day reading. It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't had other things to do. But in fact, I had several things for work I could have done, I could have worked on packing, I could have worked out, or any other number of things. Instead, I made some poor choices that ended up costing me some self-respect.
Jason asked me this evening how my day went. I was too embarrassed to tell him. I had already decided I would blog about this so I told him he would have to read my blog.
I need to be better at making a list of things to do and sticking to them. Furthermore, I need to exert some will-power and practice some self mastery when it comes to reading and work. Neither reading or work are more important than my family.
Family first. No more lame days.
:)
Friday, July 27, 2007
I got Tagged!
Yea! I got tagged! This is so exciting. I have to admit something funny about this... as I was starting to type this post and try to figure out how to put those other links in, I asked my husband for help. He asked me what I was trying to do and I told him I got tagged. His response... "You got tagged?" with an expression of surprise and awe. I'm undecided whether he was surprised that I knew what being tagged was or if he was in awe that somebody was actually checking my blog and/or knew me enough to tag me! Could be a mixture. :) I think he was impressed. :)
So here goes...
Last four blogs tagged:
Musings from an LDS writing mom
LDS Writers Blogck (Connie S. Hall)
Ferguson Authors - Danyelle Ferguson
Lifelong Bookworm
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
What were you doing ten years ago?
I had been married for 1 year (yesterday was my anniversary - 11 years this year) and we had just moved to Provo, Utah, so Jason could start his Junior year at BYU (we transferred from Ricks - back when it was actually called Ricks). I just started a new job at Morinda (now known as Tahitian Noni) which started my career in the Direct Selling/Multi-Level Marketing Industry, following in my dad's footsteps. Because of that start and the things it led to, I have traveled the world (visited every continent except Africa and Antartica), and ultimately led me to my career as a Compensation Plan Specialist. My dad is the foremost expert in the field and he and I are now working together... talk about a blessing.
I am breaking convention and adding a question here...
Ten years ago, what did you expect to be doing today?
Ten years ago, I had expected to have about five of my six kids now, with my oldest around 9 years old. (We have two kids - 4 and 2 years.) I had expected to not be working on anything but to be in motherhood and wifehood bliss, waiting on my family hand and foot. (Now, I have my consulting, along with being a contractor for another related company writing technical documents related to my area of expertise, and am working on a lifelong dream of writing novels. However, I am happy that I was accurate in two things: I live in motherhood and wifehood bliss - most of the time. :))
What were you doing one year ago?
Going on vacation to Idaho and Utah, celebrating my 10th anniversary, editing my first novel (unfortunately, I am still doing that), and not doing quite as much work. Our lives were less busy, however, because since then, Jason has gotten a promotion that has ended up requiring more time. Justis was also a little higher maintenance this time last year because he was only 1 and couldn't play with Nia like he does now.
Five Snacks You Enjoy:
CINNABON :)
Chocolate
Sour Patch Kids
Good and Plenty
Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies
Hmmm... can you tell I have a thing for sugar?
Five Songs you know all the lyrics to:
Holding out for a Hero - from Footloose
What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts
With or Without You - U2
I'm Trying to be like Jesus
Jesus, Take the Wheel - Carrie Underwood
Things you would do if you were a Millionaire:
Pay off my House
Have Jason (my husband) retire and do what he really loves - soccer, music, and art only for fun
Travel the World
Serve Missions
Setup a Mission and College Fund for my kids and grandkids
Buy a Machine Quilter
Honestly, I still see myself doing consulting work... I have turned into my father in that aspect, I suppose. I really love the consulting I do. I get to have an impact on millions of people.
Five Bad Habits:
Eating Sugar too much
Not being able to put a book down until I have finished it
Eating out of boredom and not hunger
Beating myself up over things I can't change
Saying "You Know" too much - this was pointed out to me recently and I'm having a hard time stopping myself... you know!
Five things you like to do:
Read
Write Novels
Shop
Consulting Work
Spend time with my family and extended family
Five Things you will never wear again:
Leggings without anything long enough to cover my thighs (this is both a modesty and fashion issue)
Anything that looks frumpy
Pants with a really busy pattern (sorry, Mom)
Honestly, I cannot think of anything else... I consider myself a rather fashionable person and can't think of a time that I look back and wonder what in the world I was thinking... knock on wood.
Five Favorite Toys:
iPod
iBook (laptop)
Makeup
our new Honda Odyssey (new to us)
T3 Tourmaline Straightener - get it on eBay - it is amazing and worth every penny, especially if your hair is difficult to get and keep straight
Where will you be in ten years?
Both kids will be in school. My oldest will be almost fifteen! I will be consulting still and hopefully have published one or more books. I hope to have been to Austria, Africa, and Brazil. We'll have made some serious financial headway and will be looking forward to retirement. I hope to look like I am still 30 too. :)
Five people to tag:
Angel Brockbank
Esther Ogden - call me and I will help you start a blog
Laralei Jensen - ditto to what I told Esther
Michael Jensen - do you have a blog? I'll have to email you
Lora Harrell - I'll help you start one if you want
Melissa Proctor - ditto to what I told Lora
What can I say, all the people I know that blog have already been tagged and most of the people I know, don't blog. But that doesn't mean they can't start. :)
Rules:
The rules are that you’re supposed to remove the blog site at the top of the “Last Four Blogs Tagged” list, move all the blog site names up one, and add yourself to the bottom. Then answer the rest of the questions. Post it to your blog or, if you don’t have a blog, send it back to your friend in an email. Enjoy!
:)
So here goes...
Last four blogs tagged:
Musings from an LDS writing mom
LDS Writers Blogck (Connie S. Hall)
Ferguson Authors - Danyelle Ferguson
Lifelong Bookworm
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
What were you doing ten years ago?
I had been married for 1 year (yesterday was my anniversary - 11 years this year) and we had just moved to Provo, Utah, so Jason could start his Junior year at BYU (we transferred from Ricks - back when it was actually called Ricks). I just started a new job at Morinda (now known as Tahitian Noni) which started my career in the Direct Selling/Multi-Level Marketing Industry, following in my dad's footsteps. Because of that start and the things it led to, I have traveled the world (visited every continent except Africa and Antartica), and ultimately led me to my career as a Compensation Plan Specialist. My dad is the foremost expert in the field and he and I are now working together... talk about a blessing.
I am breaking convention and adding a question here...
Ten years ago, what did you expect to be doing today?
Ten years ago, I had expected to have about five of my six kids now, with my oldest around 9 years old. (We have two kids - 4 and 2 years.) I had expected to not be working on anything but to be in motherhood and wifehood bliss, waiting on my family hand and foot. (Now, I have my consulting, along with being a contractor for another related company writing technical documents related to my area of expertise, and am working on a lifelong dream of writing novels. However, I am happy that I was accurate in two things: I live in motherhood and wifehood bliss - most of the time. :))
What were you doing one year ago?
Going on vacation to Idaho and Utah, celebrating my 10th anniversary, editing my first novel (unfortunately, I am still doing that), and not doing quite as much work. Our lives were less busy, however, because since then, Jason has gotten a promotion that has ended up requiring more time. Justis was also a little higher maintenance this time last year because he was only 1 and couldn't play with Nia like he does now.
Five Snacks You Enjoy:
CINNABON :)
Chocolate
Sour Patch Kids
Good and Plenty
Otis Spunkmeyer Cookies
Hmmm... can you tell I have a thing for sugar?
Five Songs you know all the lyrics to:
Holding out for a Hero - from Footloose
What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts
With or Without You - U2
I'm Trying to be like Jesus
Jesus, Take the Wheel - Carrie Underwood
Things you would do if you were a Millionaire:
Pay off my House
Have Jason (my husband) retire and do what he really loves - soccer, music, and art only for fun
Travel the World
Serve Missions
Setup a Mission and College Fund for my kids and grandkids
Buy a Machine Quilter
Honestly, I still see myself doing consulting work... I have turned into my father in that aspect, I suppose. I really love the consulting I do. I get to have an impact on millions of people.
Five Bad Habits:
Eating Sugar too much
Not being able to put a book down until I have finished it
Eating out of boredom and not hunger
Beating myself up over things I can't change
Saying "You Know" too much - this was pointed out to me recently and I'm having a hard time stopping myself... you know!
Five things you like to do:
Read
Write Novels
Shop
Consulting Work
Spend time with my family and extended family
Five Things you will never wear again:
Leggings without anything long enough to cover my thighs (this is both a modesty and fashion issue)
Anything that looks frumpy
Pants with a really busy pattern (sorry, Mom)
Honestly, I cannot think of anything else... I consider myself a rather fashionable person and can't think of a time that I look back and wonder what in the world I was thinking... knock on wood.
Five Favorite Toys:
iPod
iBook (laptop)
Makeup
our new Honda Odyssey (new to us)
T3 Tourmaline Straightener - get it on eBay - it is amazing and worth every penny, especially if your hair is difficult to get and keep straight
Where will you be in ten years?
Both kids will be in school. My oldest will be almost fifteen! I will be consulting still and hopefully have published one or more books. I hope to have been to Austria, Africa, and Brazil. We'll have made some serious financial headway and will be looking forward to retirement. I hope to look like I am still 30 too. :)
Five people to tag:
Angel Brockbank
Esther Ogden - call me and I will help you start a blog
Laralei Jensen - ditto to what I told Esther
Michael Jensen - do you have a blog? I'll have to email you
Lora Harrell - I'll help you start one if you want
Melissa Proctor - ditto to what I told Lora
What can I say, all the people I know that blog have already been tagged and most of the people I know, don't blog. But that doesn't mean they can't start. :)
Rules:
The rules are that you’re supposed to remove the blog site at the top of the “Last Four Blogs Tagged” list, move all the blog site names up one, and add yourself to the bottom. Then answer the rest of the questions. Post it to your blog or, if you don’t have a blog, send it back to your friend in an email. Enjoy!
:)
Adventure Anyone?
Since my trip to Hawaii, I have devoured around 20 novels (potentially more) by the same author. Odd? Maybe. Excessive? Very.
Satisfying? Extremely. This recent obsession of mine has had some drawbacks, of which I was well aware (i.e. a handful of times I stayed up until 3 or 4am to finish a book I started that night, knowing full well the kids would be up by 7am). However, that is the price that I paid.
I think a large part of this recent excursion into the unreal world is due to the depression I have been dealing with. However, I have learned something quite important:
I love adventure and romance. I am sucker for romance novels of almost every kind. However, my favorites over the years are the ones that have the best adventure... Kidnapping, running from an arranged marriage only to find a) you really do like the guy after all or b) someone better that helps rescue you from the really horrible fiance, road trips (whether done in the wild west, on the open seas, or through Europe or America.
It's funny that these appeal to me so much because if you think about those things happening today, they would not be so exciting. For example, if I were to be kidnapped, I don't think I would look at it quite like I do at a kidnapping in a book. I think this largely due to time period. The kidnappings I enjoyed in the books I have read have all taken place a couple of centuries ago (i.e. 1700s and 1800s). There is a sort of romantic notion about being kidnapped back then and having someone come after you or being kidnapped by someone who is in love with you but has been forbidden to be with you and this was the only way it could be accomplished.
Regardless, the point of this is that my next novel is going to embrace Adventure in all of its glory. I am itching to write when I haven't had that itch for some time. The fire has ignited. :)
Satisfying? Extremely. This recent obsession of mine has had some drawbacks, of which I was well aware (i.e. a handful of times I stayed up until 3 or 4am to finish a book I started that night, knowing full well the kids would be up by 7am). However, that is the price that I paid.
I think a large part of this recent excursion into the unreal world is due to the depression I have been dealing with. However, I have learned something quite important:
I love adventure and romance. I am sucker for romance novels of almost every kind. However, my favorites over the years are the ones that have the best adventure... Kidnapping, running from an arranged marriage only to find a) you really do like the guy after all or b) someone better that helps rescue you from the really horrible fiance, road trips (whether done in the wild west, on the open seas, or through Europe or America.
It's funny that these appeal to me so much because if you think about those things happening today, they would not be so exciting. For example, if I were to be kidnapped, I don't think I would look at it quite like I do at a kidnapping in a book. I think this largely due to time period. The kidnappings I enjoyed in the books I have read have all taken place a couple of centuries ago (i.e. 1700s and 1800s). There is a sort of romantic notion about being kidnapped back then and having someone come after you or being kidnapped by someone who is in love with you but has been forbidden to be with you and this was the only way it could be accomplished.
Regardless, the point of this is that my next novel is going to embrace Adventure in all of its glory. I am itching to write when I haven't had that itch for some time. The fire has ignited. :)
Friday, July 20, 2007
Leading Lady
In the recent movie "The Holiday," a wise older man told Kate Winslet that her problem was that she was not acting as the Leading Lady in her life. I've thought about that recently, partly as a result of the books I have been reading. The "Leading Lady" or "heroine" of each of these stories is someone who takes charge of their life.
I feel like sometimes I play the part of the Leading Lady, and then sometimes I don't. I play a background or supporting character. I would like to always be the Leading Lady but at the same time, maybe my expectations of a leading lady are off. The leading lady of my books are not the leading lady of my life.
So what is the Leading Lady in my context? I think first and foremost, someone who is actively engaged in life. Suffering from depression as I have, which of late has been more of a struggle than it had been over the previous six months, it has been really hard to be engaged/involved. It is a horrible feeling to feel that way.
Secondly, I think being the Leading Lady also means accepting and loving myself, despite my weaknesses.
Thirdly (if that is a word), they set out to do what they need to, to get what they want. I actually think I do a pretty good job at this. Obviously not perfect, but I think I am assertive enough that I am not afraid to speak up.
I want to be a Leading Lady.
I feel like sometimes I play the part of the Leading Lady, and then sometimes I don't. I play a background or supporting character. I would like to always be the Leading Lady but at the same time, maybe my expectations of a leading lady are off. The leading lady of my books are not the leading lady of my life.
So what is the Leading Lady in my context? I think first and foremost, someone who is actively engaged in life. Suffering from depression as I have, which of late has been more of a struggle than it had been over the previous six months, it has been really hard to be engaged/involved. It is a horrible feeling to feel that way.
Secondly, I think being the Leading Lady also means accepting and loving myself, despite my weaknesses.
Thirdly (if that is a word), they set out to do what they need to, to get what they want. I actually think I do a pretty good job at this. Obviously not perfect, but I think I am assertive enough that I am not afraid to speak up.
I want to be a Leading Lady.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Now Why Didn't I think of that?
1-800-970-4573 - That phone number will get you a Flat Fold Colander. Now why didn't I think of that? It's a colander that folds flat so it doesn't take up so much room in your kitchen. Don't you hate how much room the standard type takes? I do. I haven't decided if I should buy one myself.
Hormones? No thanks.
So, you may be thinking "Do I really want to read this blog about hormones?" Maybe not. But honestly, I wish I didn't have to write it either.
Hormones are so wacky. They can take you up, down, side to side, and everywhere (and I do mean everywhere) in between. Hormones can cause you to gain weight, but do they help you loose it? If so, where do I go to get some of those?
They make you cry, they make you jump up for joy, but why don't they make you dinner? They could be so much more helpful if they could make dinner, do the laundry, or even keep an eye on the kids while you take a nap. Even a desire to cook dinner or do the laundry would be helpful. But no, only the desire to eat chocolate, steer away from all scales so I don't see how much weight I have gained, and to keep my focus away from anything that I actually SHOULD be doing. Not very helpful.
If I could market hormones for cooking dinner, doing laundry, getting up at 6am so I am actually ready before my 4 year old comes into my room to tell me that her little brother is awake and waiting for me to get him, I could be rich. I mean really rich. Who wouldn't want that kind of help?
:)
Hormones are so wacky. They can take you up, down, side to side, and everywhere (and I do mean everywhere) in between. Hormones can cause you to gain weight, but do they help you loose it? If so, where do I go to get some of those?
They make you cry, they make you jump up for joy, but why don't they make you dinner? They could be so much more helpful if they could make dinner, do the laundry, or even keep an eye on the kids while you take a nap. Even a desire to cook dinner or do the laundry would be helpful. But no, only the desire to eat chocolate, steer away from all scales so I don't see how much weight I have gained, and to keep my focus away from anything that I actually SHOULD be doing. Not very helpful.
If I could market hormones for cooking dinner, doing laundry, getting up at 6am so I am actually ready before my 4 year old comes into my room to tell me that her little brother is awake and waiting for me to get him, I could be rich. I mean really rich. Who wouldn't want that kind of help?
:)
Friday, June 22, 2007
Prime Time
When I turned 29 last year, I was dreading what was coming next... turning 30. I didn't want to admit that I was closing out my 20s. But, after a few months of this, I realized that there is nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, I am quite excited to turn 30 now. I feel like I am in the prime of my life. Like Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30, I feel "30, Flirty, and Thriving." It is actually quite fun to feel this way.
I am completely in love with my husband, adore my children, am doing quite well with my career, and feel great. With that said, things are not perfect, particularly the extra 5 pounds or so I have put on in the last few months due to a particular medication, but things are awesome.
So, to my sisters and friends, never fear... 30 is Awesome!
:)
I am completely in love with my husband, adore my children, am doing quite well with my career, and feel great. With that said, things are not perfect, particularly the extra 5 pounds or so I have put on in the last few months due to a particular medication, but things are awesome.
So, to my sisters and friends, never fear... 30 is Awesome!
:)
Monday, May 7, 2007
Ahhh...Rest
I have been working my tail off for the last two weeks. Finally, I have a moment of rest. I am actually thinking about breaking out my book to work on, something I haven't done in weeks. :)
I want to take a moment to express my thanks to everyone that is sacrificing on my behalf. Sometimes it is hard to accept that you can't always do everything.
I want to take a moment to express my thanks to everyone that is sacrificing on my behalf. Sometimes it is hard to accept that you can't always do everything.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
You are There!
I have to say, I am humbled that I have had four comments made on my last blog. Thank you for reading. Perhaps I was being silly, but to me, a blog is different than my journal. With my journal, I don't expect anyone to read it. If Jason reads it, that's fine, and I certainly want my progenitors to read it someday, but it inherently has a more private feel to it. A blog, on the other hand, is put out there for the world to see and thus is inherently public. How odd it would feel to have something so completely public but at the same time so completely unnoticed. Talk about being a raindrop in the ocean. :)
Thank you so much for reading. I truly enjoy your blogs (Angel, you need to add something to your blog).
Happy writing!
:)
Thank you so much for reading. I truly enjoy your blogs (Angel, you need to add something to your blog).
Happy writing!
:)
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Is Anybody There?
Is anybody there? Does someone actually read this? If not, why do I do it? It's another form of journal writing but oddly enough, it takes a different shape. In journal writing, I feel like I have to catch the reader up on the highlights of my life since the last time I wrote. When I write in this, I kind of write whatever I am thinking about. I think my journal writing should be more like this.
It's nice to write the blog and throw it out there into cyberspace, but it's always kind of disappointing when no one actually reads it. I find myself checking my blog just to see if anyone has made a comment. Is that lame or do other bloggers do the same?
Hmmm...
:)
It's nice to write the blog and throw it out there into cyberspace, but it's always kind of disappointing when no one actually reads it. I find myself checking my blog just to see if anyone has made a comment. Is that lame or do other bloggers do the same?
Hmmm...
:)
Monday, April 23, 2007
Answers to Prayers
It is so weird how answers to prayers can be so different for people. Over the last two weeks, Jason and I have pondered a particular decision (I'm not saying what it is right now - and it's not about having more kids!). As I have though and prayed about it, I have felt really good and very peaceful about it. On the other hand, Jason has really stressed and has been concerned about it. It was frustrating that we both were not receiving the same answer. I even prayed that if I was wrong, that I would know. I truly was trying to do what Heavenly Father wanted us to do.
Today, we moved forward with the decision, even though Jason had not received the same witness I had received. Things are still up in the air and parts of the decision are yet to be made, but when Jason came home tonight, he said he felt really good and really peaceful about our decision and moving forward.
Sooo... his answer came after the fact (i.e. ye shall receive no witness until after the trial of your faith). Mine came before. It would be so much easier if we both received the same answer at the same time!
But, I am grateful that at least we are both on the same path and feel good about it.
:)
Today, we moved forward with the decision, even though Jason had not received the same witness I had received. Things are still up in the air and parts of the decision are yet to be made, but when Jason came home tonight, he said he felt really good and really peaceful about our decision and moving forward.
Sooo... his answer came after the fact (i.e. ye shall receive no witness until after the trial of your faith). Mine came before. It would be so much easier if we both received the same answer at the same time!
But, I am grateful that at least we are both on the same path and feel good about it.
:)
Friday, April 13, 2007
Emergency Planning
I have been watching the show "Jerich" and absolutely love it. Honestly, if you really want to plan for an emergency - whether it be a bomb, virus outbreak, whatever, watch Jericho and observe everything they go through.
In our church, we are told to have 72 hour kits with everything you would need for 72 hours in case of disaster, and also a 1 year supply of food. 1 year supply of food could go a very long way, not just for the food, but also as a bargaining chip if you needed something you didn't have.
In this show, food is extremely low (they don't have enough to get through the winter), they only have electricity for a few hours a day (and it is winter so imagine how cold they are all the time), and they have extremely limited fuel.
Watching this show truly has made me re-evaluate our food and emergency preparedness storage. Above and beyond just food, you need candles (tons of them), flashlights, batteries, clothing, blankets, medical supplies (including prescriptions), etc.
When money is no longer the currency, what will you have that is? Food? Medicines? Shelter? Blankets?
:)
In our church, we are told to have 72 hour kits with everything you would need for 72 hours in case of disaster, and also a 1 year supply of food. 1 year supply of food could go a very long way, not just for the food, but also as a bargaining chip if you needed something you didn't have.
In this show, food is extremely low (they don't have enough to get through the winter), they only have electricity for a few hours a day (and it is winter so imagine how cold they are all the time), and they have extremely limited fuel.
Watching this show truly has made me re-evaluate our food and emergency preparedness storage. Above and beyond just food, you need candles (tons of them), flashlights, batteries, clothing, blankets, medical supplies (including prescriptions), etc.
When money is no longer the currency, what will you have that is? Food? Medicines? Shelter? Blankets?
:)
Definitely To Dog
So, we (ok, I, with the approval of my husband of course, but only because he really loves me) decided to get a dog. He is 12 weeks old and is a Shar-Pei. He is the sweetest thing there ever was!!! His temperament is so sweet and gentle it just makes me melt. He has tons of wrinkles and is so cute, but truly the best thing about him is how sweet he is.
After having him for about 48 hours, and much debate (most of which was with our 4 year old daughter), we finally decided to name him "Mac." (You know - Macintosh!) We had been calling him "puppy" so much I think he thought that was his name. Thankfully, he is getting used to his new name now and truly has been a pleasure.
:)
After having him for about 48 hours, and much debate (most of which was with our 4 year old daughter), we finally decided to name him "Mac." (You know - Macintosh!) We had been calling him "puppy" so much I think he thought that was his name. Thankfully, he is getting used to his new name now and truly has been a pleasure.
:)
Monday, April 9, 2007
To Dog, or Not to Dog
We have been considering getting a dog over the last month or two. I have felt an emotional desire to get a dog, but on the physical side, it's more convenient not having one. The last thing I want to do is get one and then regret it because of the time investment. However, for the last several weeks, I can't stop thinking about it and feel a little sad when I think about not getting one.
To Dog, or not to Dog, that is the question. :)
To Dog, or not to Dog, that is the question. :)
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side
My sister, Esther, called me this morning. It was funny to hear her say how much she admired me and wished she could be more like me. It was funny because I feel that same way about her. I admire her so much... her strength, her kindness, her gentle nature, everything. She sets such a great example for me and I hope that someday I can be more like her.
Sooo... the grass is always greener on the other side. No matter how much she thinks I'm great and wants to be like me, I will always feel the same about her. We always seem to think everyone else is better than us, has more than us, etc. Where is the line between striving to be better and being happy with yourself, who you are, and what you have? We were not all created equal... on purpose.
A couple of years ago I listened to a talk at a Stake Young Women Leadership meeting. The sister spoke about accepting herself, faults and strengths and all, and in essence, saying to Heavenly Father "Here I am. I know I'm not perfect but I'm trying. Please let me be a tool in Thy hands, as I am now." It wasn't a "I'm never getting better than this," it was a "I know I'm not perfect but I still want to be useful." I really like that. We don't have to be perfect to have an impact. We can and should accept ourselves, allow ourselves to see our strengths (not just our weaknesses), and recognize that we are actually pretty good!
WE DON"T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE A GOOD PERSON! Making a mistake doesn't meen that we are a bad person. Even really great people make mistakes. I would venture to say that if the prophet was asked if he made mistakes, even today, he would say "Yes." There was only one perfect person and that was our Savior. No one else is perfect but there are still lots of good people.
So to my sister, Essy, and all my other siblings and friends, I say... My grass is not greener than yours, it's just a different shade. :)
I love you, Essy, Angel, Jani, Laralei, Aimie, and Chelsea.
Sooo... the grass is always greener on the other side. No matter how much she thinks I'm great and wants to be like me, I will always feel the same about her. We always seem to think everyone else is better than us, has more than us, etc. Where is the line between striving to be better and being happy with yourself, who you are, and what you have? We were not all created equal... on purpose.
A couple of years ago I listened to a talk at a Stake Young Women Leadership meeting. The sister spoke about accepting herself, faults and strengths and all, and in essence, saying to Heavenly Father "Here I am. I know I'm not perfect but I'm trying. Please let me be a tool in Thy hands, as I am now." It wasn't a "I'm never getting better than this," it was a "I know I'm not perfect but I still want to be useful." I really like that. We don't have to be perfect to have an impact. We can and should accept ourselves, allow ourselves to see our strengths (not just our weaknesses), and recognize that we are actually pretty good!
WE DON"T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE A GOOD PERSON! Making a mistake doesn't meen that we are a bad person. Even really great people make mistakes. I would venture to say that if the prophet was asked if he made mistakes, even today, he would say "Yes." There was only one perfect person and that was our Savior. No one else is perfect but there are still lots of good people.
So to my sister, Essy, and all my other siblings and friends, I say... My grass is not greener than yours, it's just a different shade. :)
I love you, Essy, Angel, Jani, Laralei, Aimie, and Chelsea.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Fight for me...
I am reading my book (I know, big surprise) and two characters had a very interesting insight into my last post about my life not being a Romance Novel. They said...
"'And what it all came down to was that she expected me to fight. I've been fighting all my life, but I've never had a fight like this one. But she's worth it. For Emma I would fight the world. And yes, like you, I would die for her.' Michael laughed again. 'I got thinking about that later, and I realized from reading one of those silly books Emma likes that fighting is what it's all about. If women like those books, then it stands to reason they want to know a man cares enough to fight for her.'"
(Gables Against the Sky - Anita Stansfield, page 374)
Michael Hamilton (the one speaking in that excerpt) hit the nail on the head. He describes perfectly what it is about the romance novels that I love. I love the feeling of someone fighting for someone else (not physically, in most cases, of course). I want to feel like I am worth fighting for. Now, with that said, that leads me to say...
My life CAN be like a Romance Novel without all the Conflict!!! I am so excited about that!
:)
"'And what it all came down to was that she expected me to fight. I've been fighting all my life, but I've never had a fight like this one. But she's worth it. For Emma I would fight the world. And yes, like you, I would die for her.' Michael laughed again. 'I got thinking about that later, and I realized from reading one of those silly books Emma likes that fighting is what it's all about. If women like those books, then it stands to reason they want to know a man cares enough to fight for her.'"
(Gables Against the Sky - Anita Stansfield, page 374)
Michael Hamilton (the one speaking in that excerpt) hit the nail on the head. He describes perfectly what it is about the romance novels that I love. I love the feeling of someone fighting for someone else (not physically, in most cases, of course). I want to feel like I am worth fighting for. Now, with that said, that leads me to say...
My life CAN be like a Romance Novel without all the Conflict!!! I am so excited about that!
:)
Friday, March 30, 2007
My Life is not a Romance Novel
I stayed up until almost 2:30am last night reading Anita Stansfield's "Gables Against the Sky." I love that book. It is probably one of my all-time favorites. The adventure and love stories are so exciting. It's funny how a kidnapping can be romantic in a romance novel. You almost think to yourself "Why doesn't someone do that to me?" Well, if you really think about it, do you really want to be kidnapped? I don't think so.
Sometimes when I read a romance novel, I wonder "Why isn't my life like a romance novel?" The notion seems exciting (and makes my life seem a bit dull sometimes) but if I dissect a good romance, I have to recognize the enormous amount of conflict. The are two types of conflict, internal and external. The internal conflict is the conflict(s) going on inside - emotional, mental, etc. The external conflict(s) are those that are not inside a character - death, illness, relationship problems, etc. Sometimes a conflict can be both internal and external. Regardless, my favorite books, the ones I just can't put down (and read until 2:30am knowing that I will be up in less than five hours) are the ones chalk full of conflict.
Do I really want my life to be full of conflict? No. That's not even a question. Just the thought of my life being so dramatic sends my blood pressure rising. Who wants to deal with conflict at every turn? Not me.
So how do I accept that my life is not a romance novel? How can I make it exciting without all of the conflict? Hmmm...
Sometimes when I read a romance novel, I wonder "Why isn't my life like a romance novel?" The notion seems exciting (and makes my life seem a bit dull sometimes) but if I dissect a good romance, I have to recognize the enormous amount of conflict. The are two types of conflict, internal and external. The internal conflict is the conflict(s) going on inside - emotional, mental, etc. The external conflict(s) are those that are not inside a character - death, illness, relationship problems, etc. Sometimes a conflict can be both internal and external. Regardless, my favorite books, the ones I just can't put down (and read until 2:30am knowing that I will be up in less than five hours) are the ones chalk full of conflict.
Do I really want my life to be full of conflict? No. That's not even a question. Just the thought of my life being so dramatic sends my blood pressure rising. Who wants to deal with conflict at every turn? Not me.
So how do I accept that my life is not a romance novel? How can I make it exciting without all of the conflict? Hmmm...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Supermom
This is really my first shot at blogging so forgive me... for whatever I do or don't do as a result of not knowing.
Is it possible to be a supermom? Can I really do it all? Can I be a mom, a wife, a writer, and a Compensation Plan Specialist? I love each of those roles but I wonder if I am trying to do or be too much? Can I be great at all of those?
Is it possible to be a supermom? Can I really do it all? Can I be a mom, a wife, a writer, and a Compensation Plan Specialist? I love each of those roles but I wonder if I am trying to do or be too much? Can I be great at all of those?
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