My Life

Cleaning out and Moving On

I don't know about you, but I've realized when things happen, life happens, things that are out of my control, hard things that I don't want to deal with,  I kind of have avoidance issues.  I hang on to stuff.  I live my daily life just doing those basic things to get by.  Avoiding the hard things.  The physical things "stuff and garbage" starts to collect, and also emotional stuff and garbage.  Crap just piles up all around.  I don't want to deal.  It's interesting to me that the physical surroundings and the emotional feelings go hand in hand.   (This makes me sound like I am a hoarder or someone who doesn't clean my house, that is not the case:) I just notice a cycle of accumulating things and not wanting to tackle big projects when I'm dealing with long term stressful situations.)

Well, our family is now in a cleaning out and moving on stage of our situation.  No more choice in the matter, we must go through our things.  I'm letting go of the emotional part as well.  It is actually going to be very good for my soul.  To let it go, and be positive.

Our den has always been a catch all.  Always!  We started going through it on Saturday.  We probably threw out the majority of the things that were housed in there.  Just taking up space.  A physical reminder of the heaviness and weight on our shoulders.  It felt so good to throw it away.

It's going to be a good year:)

Our Year in Photos: Month 1 Week 4

This week in the month is dedicated to recording the details.  The assignment was: height

I had a really hard time figuring out what to do.  I don't have a growth chart, although my kids would love one.  Maybe it'll be a project in the works.  I've seen a large ruler on pinterest and actually saw one at the big garage sale for Ruby but didn't pick it up.  I'm kicking myself about that one.

Then I realized I should really utlize the chalkboard wall in Kyle's room.  It doesn't get the best light, but I went with it.  I love the results:)

They are growing like weeds!

 

4/52: Winter

This prompt was a funny one for me.

How in the world do you document "winter" when you live in the desert where there is only one season?  There are only variations in the temperature?  Hmmm....

Well, you make you're own winter at preschool.  I always do snow/winter themes even though we never get snow here.

These cute little penguins were a hit.

Other photographers participating:

Michelle, Kristin, Jenn, Heather, Rhonda, Tracey, Stacey, Andrea, Jessica, Andrea, Sarah, Janet, Lesli, Carla, Lena, Rose, Naomi, Tracy, Heidi, Veronica

(Apparently, I looked on the wrong list for this week, oh well,  I'll be on track for next week.  The  prompt is sleep.  If you decide to play along, leave me a message and I'll add you to the link list.)

Thankful Thursday

An ongoing list of things I'm thankful for in an effort to remember my blessings.

1. the beautiful sunset.  Did you see it, amazing:)  I should have called my mom or better yet gone out and took a picture.

2. Kade loosing his dangling tooth that was literally holding on by a thread then sharing the tooth fairy loot in the morning without even being asked.  He's so thoughtful.

3. Family meetings: That we can do hard things, with happy attitudes:)

4. Steve bringing a fountain drink home after a long week/day. 

5. Yummy grilled chicken for dinner.  I think it tasted so good because I  hardly cooked this week.  We got by on cheese quesadillas and soup.

6. Wonderful women who work with me in Primary.  I'm lucky to call them friends:)

7. Our much anticipated first parent/child dates.  Mines tomorrow with Brandon.  We're going out to dinner.  It's his choice.  He still hasn't decided, but he's excited!  I'm looking forward to some quality one on one time this year with each of my kids.

8. Steve's sister, Kristi, who came over to dermabond Kyle's cut arm so we didn't have to spend a couple hours at the quick care. This injury was grossing me out.  Good thing it wasn't a bleeding mess, I probably wouldn't have been able to keep it together.

9. Sleeping kids and a peaceful, quiet house.

10. Haircut and color tomorrow, those are always happy days:)

I love.....

1. That my visiting teachers brought over these flowers.  They are sitting in my kitchen and make me happy when I walk by.  A little pop of color always cheers me up.

2. That I found and made laundry soap and dishwasher detergent from a recipe I found on Pinterest.  Laundry soap is said to do roughly 9 months worth of laundry and it was $20 for the supplies.  It's working great so far.  Instructions here for laundry and here for dishwasher soap.

3. We are finally a wireless family.  Took us long enough:)  We don't have lots of wireless gadgets, so it hasn't been an issue.  With the introduction of Lauren's ipod touch, she's been begging for a few weeks.  Steve decided to buy a nook that has internet capabilities.  Much cheaper option than slurging on an ipad.  It's served its purpose, the kids are not tying up my desktop as much.  I'm not loving that I have to monitor the minutes and referee whos turn is next though.

4. My new planner for the year.  My sister Amber got one for Christmas and sometimes I think I have to be just like her, she's that awesome, so I ordered my own.  So fun to have lots of inside space to write as well as track everything for the month on one page.  I ordered it from here

My most favorite part is that my most favorite people grace the front cover:

What are you loving lately?

January: Calm

First installment of our collaborative photo project.  The word was calm.  I'm participating with these wonderful ladies: Kristin and Lesli

I am most grateful for peace and calm that comes through daily prayer.  It is a gift to know that I have a Heavenly Father who knows me and loves me and is aware of me and my strengths and weaknesses.  That I can feel His overwhelming love for me and guidance and direction in my life as I trust in Him and go to Him in prayer.  Life has been hard lately.  Lots of unknowns and questions.  He knows where I need to go and what I need to do and what challenges/trials I need to face and overcome in order to become better.  Even when it feels like things are too hard or too much to bear, I've always felt a sense of calm, that things will be ok. 

Most recently prayers have been answered.  Not by a voice, but by feelings.  Calm, quiet feelings that comfort my soul. 

3/52: Breakfast

Weekday breakfast is crazy around here.  By the time breakfast is made, which is usually cold cereal, there's roughly 20 minutes or less to get everything done: kids dress, backpacks assembled, socks and shoes found, teeth brushed and coats put on before we all must walk out the door.  Any disruption to this pattern causes the elementary kids to be late for school :( 

I usually wander around eating my bran flakes.  Doing any number of tasks to hurry the process along.  Ironing, looking for socks, loading lunches into the backpacks all the while taking a few bites here and there.  There's no time for sitting and enjoying breakfast on school mornings.

So, here's a cinnamon roll made later in the afternoon for a snack for the kids.  I figure it counts, it's a breakfast item:)

Check out the other fabulous photographers taking this challenge:

Michelle,  Kristin, Jenn, Heather, Rhonda, Tracey, Stacey, Andrea, Jessica, Amanda, Sarah, Janet, Lesli

Our Year In Photos: Month 1 Week 3

This week's assignment:  Photograph mealtime.

Dinner is usually me and the kids.  Steve often works late and with the kids new earlier school schedule, they are famished come 5:00pm.  We don't have set seating arrangements.  We are lucky if everyone sits for 5 minutes together.  I am usually going back and forth getting drinks and whatever was forgotten.  By the time I'm back, most have scarfed down their dinner and are back to their various activities.

I'm trying to make dinner time more meaningful.  It's tough with so many other activities going on.  I remember as a kid, we all sat down to dinner, we actually set the table, chatted, stayed awhile.  It was our family coming together time each evening.  I miss that.

Thankful Thursday

1. cold medicine.  I've had 3 straight days of preschool, and it's the only thing that's keeping me going.

2. The heater for my bedroom to keep me warm and cozy at night.

3. Pinterest for it's awesome ideas when I'm in a pinch.

4. Friends who do kindergarten pick up when things come up.

5.  Lunches being made by Steve in the evenings.  One less thing for me to have to worry about in the school day preparations.

6. My ipod speakers.  Went a day without them and preschool just wasn't the same.

7.  Brandon who asks sincere questions that are just too precious to forget, "How can the queen ant have so many babies when she isn't even married?"

8.  Snuggling with my boys at night so they can go to sleep.  Yep, I still do that:)

9. A good book to take my mind off things.

10. DVR so I can watch what I want in the evenings.

Holiday Recap

I skipped right over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I love Thanksgiving time.  It's nice to focus on our many blessings.  I try each day to be grateful, and focus on the good.  Cause let's face it, life is hard.  I was just talking today about how a positive attitude really does change your perspective on mundane, boring tasks.  I try almost every night to have the kids give me 3 things they are thankful for that day.  Sometimes I get eye rolls, I don't care.  Hopefully, the focusing on the good will help them to be more aware of all they things they have been blessed with.

I've seen some awesome gratitude journals.  I'm such a poor journal writer.  I really should find an easy way to document.  I think I'll do a weekly gratitude post.  Then it's recorded in the yearly book.  I'll do Thankful Thursdays and see how many I can get written down in the year.  Hold me to it.

The most important parts of Thanksgiving is the time spent together with family.  My mom hosts a grandkids mini pie making afternoon the day before Thanksgiving every year.  She is a trooper.  Cause sometimes it gets a little crazy.  That's one of the many things I love about my mom.  She will sacrifice anything (time, comfort, sleep, a clean house turning into a messy house) for her family to have a good time.  For the kids to have time with each other playing and making good memories.  She's awesome like that.

There's even a random kid in there.  Friend of Sadies :)

It's serious business.

I love me some apple pie!

Christmas was great this year.  It's always great, but I had pretty low stress about it.  I think it's crazy how I tend to go a little overboard.  Never really having a plan.  Then going to the store to pick up one more thing because it's not quite even between the four kids.  Crazy!  This year, I told the kids: want, need, wear, read and Santa.  That's it.  I got what they really wanted and didn't have to guess.  It was fabulous.  Definitely a new tradition!

I never even picked up my camera.  Didn't get any pictures on Christmas morning.  Gasp.  Oh well.  It happened, and it was fun:)