Full circle

I think I am at the age where I finally welcome those "blasts from the past" moments both in person (and via the wonder that is facebook). I have been becoming reacquainted with friends from childhood, high school, college, married years, dating years, pretty much every year and stage of my life. I used to live as a newlywed in the same town I grew up in and used to walk down the isle in the grocery store and retreat when I saw someone from my stupid days that I was always sure I offended. Silly thinking, I know.

For 20+ years I thought I hated high school with a passion, but today I see what good came of it. Now I have friendships and treasured relationships with people from that very place that I would not trade for the world. The joy of adulthood is that we move on, forget, forgive, and get sappy and sentimental about things easier. It has been very fun for me to play catch up with them and it has actually helped me to appreciate all the things I went through in life. I like to look at it as coming full circle and making peace... man, was it worth the wait.

I am proud to say I was a:

Martell Mustang

Boulan Bronco

Troy Colt (on dance team we were the "Fillies")

Ricks College Viking

To Do the Dew (or not to)

This is a week of firsts for my son. First day actually calling a car his 'first' car, first day driving legally with his license, and (drum roll please)...first time he was asked to a dance, yes a date, with a girl. I guess she asked him to go to "Preference" with her which is a semi-formal dance at the school. It seems to be a UT thing I guess that you can't just ask out someone to a dance, you have to creatively ask out someone to a dance.

She was very clever and had a case of mountain dew delivered to his classroom and he had to assemble the cans with the words on them that spelled out...."DEW you want to go to Preference with me, Christian ? Katlyn. (12 cans, and then he gave them away so he didn't have to carry a case of soda around all day, typical Christian). NOW the trouble is that he can't just answer her, he has to answer her back in a creative way. He is going to say yes but truly, the kid doesn't have a creative way. It's gonna be interesting. He doesn't want me to help him either so I am just hoping he doesn't blow it...the ideas he has ran past me so far were completely scary. I love you Son, but I am totally crossing my fingers that one of your friends gives you a good idea or you use good judgment and come up with a nice way of answering her SOON.

To add to this, he came downstairs today with cologne on this morning. So help me, I'm not ready for all the drama that will accompany this madness... I hope he is but I think he just innocently has NO idea.

Happy Valentines Day...

Wishing all of you a Happy Valentines Day full of little acts of love!

***A few fun Valentine facts:

According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)

Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages (written Valentine's didn't begin to appear until after 1400), and the oldest known Valentine card is on display at the British Museum. The first commercial Valentine's Day greeting cards produced in the U.S. were created in the 1840s by Esther A. Howland. Howland, known as the Mother of the Valentine, made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as "scrap".

I GET TO PLAY NURSE TODAY TO MY SICK YOUNGEST (CROUP) AND OLDEST (STOMACH FLU). SO WE ARE CAREFULLY SHOWING THE LOVE TODAY SO AS TO NOT SPREAD IT! HAPPY VDAY!!

Accomplished

This one is for you Stay at Home Moms...

One of the things that people say when they find out that I do not work outside the home is, "So what do you do all day?" That kills me. How does one answer that question and still feel worthwhile and accomplished these days? Did you know that devoting your life to raising the children you bring into the world is "old fashioned"? Why is that? Being a birth mother is a totally different story than mothering. Birthing is the easy part- the sprint, raising them into adulthood, now THAT is extreme marathon... the long haul, the hardest job in the world.

Let me just say for the record that I did NOT complete my nursing degree back in my college days. I dropped out when I found out I was pregnant with my first child 2 yrs after Tony and I were married. I do not have that big degree yet,someday I will, but I am NOT stupid and am capable of intellectual thought right along with making some killer playdough monsters. ALL of my priorities changed when I my 6 lb 9 oz little blue bundle was placed in my arms... I wanted every minute I could have with him. I felt that same feeling with the 3 pink bundles that have followed him. Looking back over my life, when people would ask me what I wanted to be someday I would SAY a nurse, but THINK a mother.

My life is not like anyone else's, it's mine, it's unique to me and my circumstances. It would drive YOU crazy perhaps, actually I have no doubt on that, but to me it is my calling. So to you who have asked or are thinking that the life of a stay at home Mom is glamorous, carefree days of soap operas and bon bons... how wrong you are. Lets take a look at mine as an example shall we? My days: I care for 4 children, 2 elderly in-laws, and a handicapped sister in law. I get up at 5:30 am to drive my son to drivers education. I medicate my children with health issues and send them off to school. I have a husband who works out of the home and all day Sadie and I are to remain quiet as to not disturb business calls which is great fun with an active 4 yr old. I have a dog and a cat that need attending to. I have friends and loved ones that I check in with and pray for continuously. I run 6 miles 3 days a week up a mountain. I clean, fix, budget, cook, nurse, launder, garden, and practice the domestic duties daily with a tarnished, crooked tiara on my head. I drive my children to marching band, play practice, activity days, story time, dance class, preschool, and play dates. I check in with my in-laws each day to see if they are in need of help and usually they are, so off either Tony or I go to help. I pull individual kids aside to spend one on one time with each of them as much as I can. I live by medication schedules, children schedules, work schedules, and doctor visits. I attempt to have the occasional date with my husband of 18 yrs and keep our marriage from falling apart. I pay the bills, cut the coupons, and try to keep life organized.

Splurging to me is buying something on clearance- always under $20.00 but preferably under $10. Being able to think of something I want to do and not something everyone else will enjoy. Stealing some time away to read a book that is gathering dust on my end table is a luxury. Watching a cooking show I've had DVR'd for weeks is heaven! Finding a few minutes to keep a blog for my parents who live across the country (why I do this) is something enjoyable to me! I'd love to sew more, craft more, scrapbook beautiful pages for all of my children, but let's be realistic. Somethings just have to give... for now anyway.

I wouldn't trade anything for my life. Not a billboard, not a gold metal, any amount of money, nothing. As busy as my days become I have no doubt that I am irreplaceable. I am molding young minds, old minds, & teaching faith and character. I am married to my best friend that lets me pummel him with problems and never flinches. I screw up and I am forgiven. I am hugged, spit up on, neglected, and yet completely fulfilled and happy to live it all.

So you tell me, does what I do all day warrant the blank look? The lack of a more impressive career? That "what are you contributing to society" connotation? The lack of applause or accolade? All I know is that when I fall in bed at night I am completely exhausted and to me THAT means I have most definitely been accomplished.

Snowflakes

Okay... I made 7... yes 7.... giagantic snowflakes for that event I mentioned below. They turned out beautifully though and I was happy with the finished product. It took a little time to cut and tape each section and then assemble them and get the right sides together. I also used card stock because they were big and I needed them to be heavy duty. I originally tried to do it with wrapping paper (small ones) but they didn't work because the paper collapsed under the weight of the things when I hung them up.

I made 3 sizes and got so many compliments on them, one lady came up to me afterward and asked me if she could use them for the schools winter dance. So they got recycled and I didn't have to haul them home. Glad it's over. The pattern can be found here. I made the individual sections in 12 x 12 (giant), 10 x 10 (medium), and 8 x 8 for the smallest of these big daddy thingies. The hardest part was getting the individual sections to stay together, they kept wanting to pop open. What I finally figured out was that I used the THICK large glue dots and then used scotch tape over the top of that and then they didn't do that anymore and stayed together nicely. :)

Individual Worth

My daughter was asked to give a quick thought on Sunday night to a group of girls and their parents. (And YES, someone planned this on Superbowl sunday, so likely it will just be girls and MOMS that show). Apparently, different girls are getting up to speak about different scripture stories and the values they represent. I, admit, I wrote this paragraph for her to read because she is never home long enough to set down and do it (and I do kinda love writing). Anyway, I am really happy with how it turned out and thought I would post it as a little inspirational thought (I kinda like those as well). Oh, and get this, now they have also asked me to decorate for the event. How do I get sucked into these things? (Those decorations are a WHOLE different post, it's been challenging. The theme of the night has complicated THIS YEARS "Opening Ceremonies").

Esther:

Esther was a girl that had to show great faith and courage. When her mission was presented to her, she knew that she needed much more than beauty to accomplish such a great task as to save her people. She knew that it was only she, who had found favor with the King, that could save the Jewish people from the evil plan against them. Esther prayed and prepared wisely, fasting for 3 days and waiting for the right moment, to make her plea. When the situation presented itself she knew she must have faith and bravely stated, “If I perish, I perish”. In the end, she was able to convince the King not to allow the injustice against her people to be carried out. Esther was told by her uncle, “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this”. We have come today to the Earth as daughters of God, each given our own unique missions, and are of as much individual worth and value to our time as Esther was in hers.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

i love em! If you don't already have a good chocolate chip cookie recipe, try this one...

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:

2 Sticks of Better
2 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Cups Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Salt
1 bag chocolate chips

Bake at 375 for 8-11 minutes. Wish I had a picture but they never stick around long enough :(

Cocoon

I have been doing a LOT of thinking again this week. I'm completely sick of it! I over analyze everything & I get myself very frustrated sometimes. Being introspective caused me, over the years, to build a little wall around myself. I finally have realized that I need to stop thinking small, cocoon size small, and start thinking BIG. To get out of that safe little cocoon a bit more. My little safe space had great benefits for protecting my kids once upon a time but I now realize it has had some undesirable side effects on me over time. I have kind of lost myself in the little details and really want to get back to the big picture. I know who I am and what I stand for, but I guess I've avoided like the plague anything that puts it to the test. Translation: I've lost a big chunk confidence in myself and my abilities.

So I've been going about life getting really good at certain things and yet I've lost a lot of other skills. That was a signal to me that it might be time to start working my way out of the "cocoon" and learn that I can do more with my life than ignore things around me, and reality (past and present), to keep myself hidden away. Perhaps it is time for a little metamorphosis, I do enjoy change. I don't want to wait till my world is shaken off it's safe foundation to appreciate, really appreciate life, and everyone in it. I want to feel the sun on my wings and just share the reality that I do, in fact, have wings and they are unique to me and not like anyone else. I want to use them to make a difference in my home AND in the world around me as well, even if I fly into a window now and then I will have been brave enough to fly... Even if I only manage to accomplish something so small, so insignificant that only God himself will appreciate it.