A New Year

Today in Sunday School we talked about NewYears Resolutions.  Whether or not you believe in resolutions, I think we can all take a minute to reflect on the past year, and decide to do some things just a little bit better:

1.  Be kinder: let someone go in front of you.
2.  Be patient: when the older person in front of you pulls out her checkbook to pay at the register, take a deep breath and relax.  We'll all be there someday.
3.  Be compassionate: hug a friend who needs a hug - you'll know who it is.
4.  Share: Let someone else have the last cookie.
5. Be more spiritual: reach out to God - he will meet you half way.
6. Love harder: give 110.5% of yourself to those you love.
7. Live wilder: take chances and don't have regrets.
8. Give your mother grandchildren.
9. Pray more often.
10. Rest deeply and often.

Happy New Year!

Maybe Christmas---perhaps---means a little bit more

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before:
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store--
Maybe Christmas--perhaps--means a little bit more."

 

I know the true meaning of Christmas - Christ is the reason for the season.  Today I realized that I had allowed myself to get caught up in the too "much too do, too little time attitude".  Good thing we went to church today - and that I allowed my heart to open up and listen.  In sacrament meeting today we heard a talk about mercy and how it relates to the season.  My heart realized that while I have given mercy to others, I have not been merciful with myself.  I have been too hard on myself when I didn't finish all that I thought necessary to to have a successful Christmas.  I've been cranky and not very Christlike.  I've decided to adjust my attitude so that I can fully enjoy all that comes with Christmas. I'm going to pass along what I learned today in hopes that it can help you too.

 We learned that most of the things we do at Christmastime are service oriented.  We decorate our homes to be inviting and warm - so that loved ones feel welcome and loved.  We bake to bring joy to those that receive our gifts.  We shop to find that perfect gift that will light up the eyes of the receiver.  We sing to lift our praises to the heavens.  I would like to suggest that as we hustle and bustle in the next two weeks that we remember the service part of Christmas.  That we remember the love we have for those in our lives - the ones we are serving - is most important. 

My Crazy Girl

Sami has had a dream of going skydiving for forever...so this year on her birthday we bought her a skydiving experience!  She was so brave...I was SO scared! As the parachutes are plummeting towards earth, one drifted off in a different direction - towards the trees!  We were sure someone had crashed.  After everyone landed, we were told that was a break away shute and no one was attached.  We met a nice couple at the air strip that took pictures for us...here are more...

There Sami.  Can I have 5 grandkids now?

Threatened

It was brought to my attention that my blog has been somewhat lacking lately....like since October.  It was also brought to my attention that if I didn't remedy that, certain offspring would not provide the required 5 grandkids my heart desires.  So.  Here is my post.  Since it is Christmas time, and I am crazy busy, I will recap the last month here in short splurts:

1.  Busiest time of my work year.  Fax machine purrs all day long and into the night.  Thank goodness I learned to turn off the ringer.

2.  It has been super cold here - not as cold as Utah,  Idaho, but cold.  I've been building a fire in the woodstove daily. Funny thing though...I didn't building my first fire of the season until Thanksgiving.

3.  I'm nearly done with Christmas shopping.

4.  I sort of went on a donut binge for about 4 months.  It is over now, and I'm now back to eating carrots and celery.  Go me!

5. I managed to cover the garden with black plastic after harvest. I am so excited to NOT have to wade through waist deep weeds in the spring.

6. I'm glad I work at home....people are crazy this time of year. 

That is about it. Oh yeah, that was 5 grandkids per each of my kids - don't forget!

October 2013

October is my favorite month of the whole year.  I love the way the air is crisp and clean and the color of the trees.  It is also a time of reflection as we have the opportunity to hear a prophet of the Lord speak to us during General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We can actually tune in at home, in our jammies, eating breakfast.  A wonderful way to relax and soak in what our leaders have to say.  I thought I would share a few things I learned this weekend - things that stood out to me:

1.  What is said is not as important as what we hear: I understood from this that we should pray in advance of getting spiritual instruction so that our hearts and minds can hear what we need to.  The same talk from church leaders can be given and heard differently by many.  Figure out what it is that YOU need to learn.

2.  As women we don't need to be ordained with the priesthood to enjoy priesthood power.  This was made very clear to me in this conference. I don't need the priesthood to be made whole.  I am whole as a woman who stands next to my husband, a priesthood holder.  We share that power.  Blessings of the priesthood are much greater than those that bestow the gift.

3. Being a mother is the greatest, hardest, most wonderful gift a woman could have.  I am grateful to be called mother, and grateful for my own mother.

4.  Realize that the blessings we receive from paying our tithing are not always loud and large.  They are most often significant, but subtle.  Realize that the blessings are there - and we cannot live without them.

5.  Pray for stamina to do what we need to to live within our means.  To use what we have with wisdom.  Having MORE is not always the answer.

6.  The church has two standards in regards to fiscal matters:  Live within its means and having a savings account.  Sound advice for all of us.

7.  Church leaders can make mistakes.  We may not know why now, and we may not until the next life. Eventually all will be made clear and everything will make sense.

8. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.

9. All that is unfair now will be made fair in the atonement.  

10.  Mental illness or emotional disorders are NOT a character flaw. The Lord EXPECTS us to use all of our resources to help ourselves.  He will help us do all we can to get better.  Just because you can't see someone's pain, doesn't mean it isn't there. Don't judge what you don't know.

11. God's love is there for us whether we deserve it or not.

12. Fear will be replaced with confidence if we depend on the Lord for guidance, comfort, and leadership.

13. We can find happiness in our families by loving God and loving each other.

14. We cannot be forced to choose righteousness.

15.  True conversion to the gospel means we actively live it.  We can't be stagnant or stand still.

16. Work with the Lord to overcome our specific bondage - addiction, debt, complacency, etc.

17. A teacher of the gospel is also a student.  Stand as a witness to what is being taught.

18. Sin, even if legalized by man, is still sin.  Pray for guidance in all matters.

19.  The Savior wants us to love Him enough to align our will with His.

There were many more quotes I could put in here, but this is long enough.  It was a great weekend - I really enjoyed watching conference and refilling my spiritual vessel.  

Happy October everyone!

A love hate relationship

I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  I sometimes can make magic happen  - especially when it has to do with the billing program I work with, but I really believe that is heavenly help doing that, not me.  Most of the time I end up having to ask one of my kids to help.  I often find myself trying to turn the TV on and literally can't without their help.  So I've been sitting here for the last 45 minutes trying to figure out how to download my pictures from our trip to Rexburg from my phone....I ended up downloading the "cloud" and now have a complete backup of my pictures and documents of my PC....but no pictures from my phone.  I DID call both kids...they actually weren't able to help. So I'm going to resort to looking it up online...and then if that doesn't work, I'll post a "I'm dumb" post on facebook for help.  I'm actually loving my smart phone, I only wish it would pass along it's "smarts" to me!  Hopefully next week's post will have pics from my trips...til then....

Summer fades into Fall

I'm baaaackkk! I took the summer off from blogging - what a whirlwind it was. I still can't believe we are now into September.  I will be posting pics from the summer later....today I am struggling with a cold and feeling worn out.   We just got back from delivering Sami to BYU for the year and are relaxing today.  What a quick trip!  I flew down on Thursday, and Dan and Sami drove straight through and arrived 9:30pm that night.  We spent the night with our friends the Piranio's (who just moved to Utah) and then spent the next two days shopping and unpacking.  We managed to go to Crown Burger and Cafe Rio...OH YUM!  As always it was hard to say goodbye to Sami at the airport, but I am confident that she is where she is supposed to be, and that this year will be a great one for her.  In 10 days we'll do it again - and take David to BYU I...

Gardening 2013

 I've been working at the weeding a little at a time.  I get a good start on it and then the rain comes...I just have a little left and the whole garden will be ready, but I need some sun!

This is our strawberry patch. It started with three plants, and has grown!  I transplanted some new growth so the patch was more compact - they really spread across the foundation of the house!

These are my volunteer potato plants! I was so excited to uncover them.  I really thought my crop last year failed - I think I just didn't dig deep enough - or in the right places I guess.  I moved these too - I wanted them all in one place.

This is the corner that still needs to be uncovered.  It looks worse than it really is.  I did find a bird's nest in the thick of it and it was full of eggs.  I know that it was abandoned as the mother was nowhere...and in years past they have dive bombed me when I got close to their nests.  After some sorrow, I did move it because I want to take full advantage of my garden spot. This fall my goal is to keep this "green" free - maybe by covering the whole thing.  That way the birds will go elsewhere.

We are also thrilled that Sami is now home!  Dan flew to Salt Lake City on May 17 and she met him at the airport.  They took off for home from there, stopping in Caldwell, Idaho to have dinner with Aunt Mada.  They made it home on Saturday May 18 @ 4am.  So glad she is here and our family is intact for the summer!

Just a Little Spoiled....

No, not David..the dog! She thinks she is a human and likes to cuddle. Crazy dog. Doesn't she look funny with just one back leg? Don't tell her she is missing one, she really doesn't know.

We are moving into summer, and with summer comes garage sales!  I LOVE garage sales and have actually already been going this year.  This saturday I purchased a brand new 14 megapixel camera for $25...The next pics you see on  my blog will be taken with that - I am SO excited.  I also found a small planter made out of Lenox Butterfly Meadow china for $4.  I have just started buying this pattern and I love it.  I also found a brand new, in the package purple pillow case for Sami's body pillow.  Matches her new curtains!  Anyway, point is you can find really great deals on things you need for not very much money.

It is very warm in the house today.  Usually when the 80 degree weather hits we open windows early in the morning, and then shut the whole house up by noon.  Unfortunately that doesn't work when you attend church in the morning.  Glad to have morning church - but not real glad to be too warm.  Not complaining too much - I love the way the sunny days make me happy.  Bring it on Summertime!

Gardening and Getting Fit!

This last week was very busy.  I was unsure if I was going to do a garden this year...it is a lot of work, and I've been really, really busy with work I actually get money for, so I didn't know if I could fit it in.  What turned the corner for happened at a garage sale.  On some Saturday mornings I go out to garage sales with a friend.  It is simply amazing what you can find for SO cheap.  One Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago I found two tomato cages...the wire things that keep tomato plants all together and off the ground.  When I saw those I knew it was my sign...so I paid a $1 and that began my garden season.  This week I had another sign. I pulled the recycle bin around to the garden bed and began pulling grass and weeds to prepare to plant.  I always tell myself I won't let so much winter green enter my garden...but I have yet to be successful at that.  ANYWAY...I started at the easy end and started pulling...when much to my amazement, I found volunteer potato plants - another sign!  I think the gardening bug has well entrenched itself this year - I am excited to plant!

The other thing that happened this week is I joined an exercise group.  A woman at church is spearheading this group and it is being held three times a week.  The first day I got 10 minutes into it and felt like I would not be able to finish.  Discouraging thoughts kept coming at me..."you are SO old compared to these younger women"..."they are all thin...I've never been thin, I'll never be able to keep up"...and I think you get the idea.  I didn't give up, and by the end of the workout I was sweating and felt great!  I have set goals for myself...against myself, not others...and I'm ready to take on the challenge!  I intended on only attending two of the days, but on Friday I found myself in the car and heading towards the church.  I was SO glad I did.  I am really grateful to the person putting this together (thank you Tracy Adams)...

May 17 - Sami will be on her way home - YEAH!

He's Baaaaaaackkkkkk!

On April 9 I flew to Salt Lake City and met my parents and David there.  We journeyed on to Provo to meet up with Sami, and attend her end of the year band concert.  I had promised her that I would buy flowers and have them ready for her at the end of the concert. Unfortunately I forgot, and 25 minutes before the concert was to start David and I were driving around looking for a store that sold flowers.  Provo-ites....business idea: open a flower shop!  We finally found one and I raced in and bought a bouquet.  We raced back to the concert, arriving just in time to be seated.  It was a beautiful concert!  David left the next morning to go back to Rexburg to finish out his end of the year responsibilities.  Grandma, grandpa and I spent that day with Sami.  She had a cold, but was a trouper and went where ever we wanted.  Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of her!  All too quickly the time passed and the next morning we left early to go pack David up to bring him home. The picture above is of David and his two roommates...anyway, their apartment was impressively clean for a boy's apartment and we quickly were packed and ready to go.  Side note: the apartment manager had to sign David off before he left....she gave a new meaning to "white glove" check.  Whew.  We drove to Caldwell and got to have dinner with Aunt Mada and spent the night there.  Next day we drove, drove, drove and drove more and finally made it home!  It was a long drive, but David and I had a good time doing it.  Next step: Bring Sami home!

Grandma and Grandpa stayed to visit with us for the week after we brought David back.  Roo often startles easily..and in this pic something had startled her and she decided to hide behind Grandpa. Silly girl.  She may startle easily, but when it comes to letting us know when strangers are at the door she is serious business.

Have a great week!

Recognizing Blessings

An unexpected blessing happened to us today and I wanted to share it.  Backing up a couple of years:  we have struggled with budgeting our money for years.  It was tough to live on what we made and it was easy to use credit cards.  Over the years we have started and stopped with spending our money wisely...budgeting, budgeting, budgeting.  Giving up when it became too hard or a crisis happened and we went into debt further.  We always paid our bills on time, and never missed payments...we just couldn't seem to put anything into savings.  About two years ago we decided to try again.  Only this time I decided to take the advice of church leaders to pray and study the scriptures for a solution to this problem.  Oh, I had prayed before, but didn't add the scripture part into it til now, AND I really wasn't ready to sacrifice my own "wants".  It made all the difference.  When we were faced with a rather large (thousands) tax bill, at first I was totally crushed, not sure what to do next.  I slept on it, and the next day after prayer and some scripture study,  I was determined we were going to pay this bill with as little help as possible.  We saved every penny we could, we scrimped, we cut back on buying anything that seemed "extra".  We had a little help (thank you!) but we covered most of the bill ourselves.  YEAH!  That success was humbling and made me realize that with the Lord's help we can do anything - even things that seem insurmountable.

Fast forward to today.  It is interesting how things work out.  We are in the position of needing a more dependable vehicle.  A wonderful deal was dropped in our laps and we couldn't say no - so we said yes!  We had to come up with $182 to pay insurance on the new vehicle until our policy renews in July.  I didn't have it.  Still determined to pay cash I decided it would work out.  Sunday Dan was presented with the opportunity to help a woman in our church put risers on her septic tank ports.  In doing a little research on where to buy the risers on the internet I ran into "Septic Riser rebate program".  Turns if you live in a certain area in our county and you've had risers installed (or you install them) anytime after July 2006 you qualify for up to $100 rebate.  We had risers installed in October 2006.  We qualify.  So that bill of $182 has now shrunk to $82...a sum I know I can come up with before the bill is due.

Coincidence? I think not.  By being willing to help someone that needed it, we were blessed - not only with good feelings for helping a friend, but by given the means to pay a bill.  The Lord is good indeed.

I couldn't resist posting more pictures of spring...I love the flowers!  The yellow/orange flowers are actually a strain of daffodil...so pretty!

Today's Sunday School lesson was about likening the scriptures unto us. What does that mean? The scriptures were written SO long ago that sometimes it is hard to remember that the lessons the people learned in biblical/book of mormon times are the same lessons we need today.  For example, today we talked about the consequences of pride, how we can comfort our husbands/wives, and how to have joy and rejoice in this life.  All of those are very relevant topics that we need TODAY...as well as those people who lived so long ago.  The next time you open your scriptures, try to think about putting yourself in them...how is God speaking to you?

Great things happened this last week!  We finally put together the money to pay our taxes - thank goodness!I am so excited to be able to send that off in the mail.  Done with the IRS for another year! We also have put into place plans to visit Sami and pick David up to bring him home for the summer.  Last, but not least, we bought a newer vehicle to replace one of our old old old ones.  Thank you Dad for finding the great deal!  Tommorrow is April and I know it will be a great month with more good things in store.  Look to the sun and you shall not see the shadow.  Good things my friends!

Spring 2013

I looked back to last year's "Spring" post and it was posted in April!  So it looks like we are a little early this year.  That just means the rain ended a little earlier - and who couldn't enjoy that?!?

Not sure if it is age or something else, but time has FLOWN by! In two weeks (from this Tuesday) I will be leaving to see Sami in Utah, and then on to pick up David from college for the summer!  I literally feel like they were just home for Christmas, and then before that we were preparing for the school year.  I am excited to get to see both of my babies very soon.  Balm to a mother's soul.....

Just Listen

Often in our rush, rush world we have to solve problems quickly, and often on a moments notice. We are quick to take in our surroundings and make quick assessments.  What can I do, How can I do it, and How quickly can I make it happen?  It is a good skill for 90% of our lives.  We multitask..and at the end of the day of managed to take care of SO much!  What great skills!  The small portion of our lives, that 10%, is when we don't do as well.  It is when we should stop multitasking and pay attention - and LISTEN.  Occasionally we have those people that come into our  lives that need us to slow down...stop multitasking...and just listen.  Sometimes the pat answers we have in our 'quiver' of quick answers aren't appropriate. Sometimes, being a good friend/support means that we sit back and let time pass...and let the person sitting across from us vent...talk...cry...without us trying to solve what is wrong. In our great multitasking worlds we need to STOP...ASSESS...and then LISTEN.  Sometimes our loved ones don't need us to SOLVE...they just need us to LOVE by LISTENING.  Listening takes time...often the hardest gift to give.

On a lighter note, lets do a check in shall we?

1.  Last week ended up being a good week.  I struggled with sleep issues and due to that didn't work as many hours as I intended.  At first I was very frustrated with myself, but when I stopped to think about it I realized my life was off balance - AGAIN! I sat back, took stock, and reordered my work/life balance.  I'm feeling better about that now.

2.  Part of my sleep problem was Roo.  I thought once my kids got old enough that I was done getting up in the  middle of the night for sickies....WRONG. Adopt a dog with a conscience and you are back in the saddle.  She had a stomach bug last week and took to pacing each night at about 1am and then 3 am needing to go out.  I really am grateful she didn't just get sick and not wake us up, but it was hard not getting a full nights sleep!

3.  One of the best parts about this time of year is the weather...and one of the worst parts of about this time of year is the weather!  I loved the beautiful last Saturday - oh my! I mowed and picked up branches that had fallen during the winter...I filled holes the dogs had dug and took a look at the garden.  I can't wait to have more than one sunny day a week!

I'm looking forward to this next week.  Goals set, head up, ready to go!

David Becomes an Elder

What a joyous occasion this was!  David flew in from college for roughly 27 hours so he could have his dad ordain him to the Melchizedic priesthood, office of an Elder.  As boys reach certain ages, they are interviewed by the bishop (head of the congregation) to see if they are worthy and ready to advance to certain levels in the priesthood.  The first step is that of a deacon, when they turn 12.  The next is a teacher when they turn 14, and then a priest at age 16.  When they turn 18, the next step is to be ordained an Elder.  David had to go through the interviewing process with both the bishop and the stake (think of it as a "area" presidency) to see if he was ready.  Then his name had to be presented to the area congregations (called a "stake") for affirmation.  Once that was completed he was ready for the ordination.  This is an important step in a young man's life and we are very proud of David and the growth he has made in becoming a young man of God.  Love you David!

Dear Sami

Now it is your turn! Since David was here this weekend and you were not, I am writing this letter to you.

Dear Sami:

First, I want you to know how proud I am of you.  I watch you struggle with school and being so far away from us, and you just keep moving forward.  I look to you as an example of what it means to follow the Lord and to do His will. You are extremely hard on yourself and you don't give yourself enough credit for your successes.  Remember how far you've come from that first day of college and all you've accomplished - don't let the boogers get you down.

Like David, it was very hard for me to leave you at college that first time.  I'd venture to say it was one of the very, very hardest things I've ever done.  As a parent you're supposed to protect your children, keep them safe.  I felt like you were being ripped from my heart.  It didn't take me long to learn that you needed this experience to grow into the wonderful woman you are today.  I needed it to grow too, and learn that the best gift your child can give you is to grow into independent adults.  I know you don't think you are, but you have definitely grown into a woman that can take care of herself.  I find I am able to see the Lord's hand in your life and it is amazing to see you move from one rung to another of the eternal ladder we are all on.  Don't give up! You will succeed in getting your education and you will know that the path you are on is the right one. I love you!

Mom

Good News

So we've been watching the news lately.  I cannot stand how much political posturing there is!  Each side has  firmly placed their feet in the ground and are not willing to move. So we, as the people, are the ones  that suffer! Anyway, I could go on and on about that, but instead I've decided today to make a  list of what I am grateful for.  These are very simple things, but quite often, it is the simplest things that make our lives joyful.  

1.  I am grateful spring is coming.  Bulbs are sprouting green tops, the weather is a little warmer, and slowly the dawn is coming earlier and sunset is later.  What else does spring bring? Less mildew to clean in the bathroom!

2.  I am grateful Dan and I are both eating better.  We both feel better, and our combined weight is slowly moving downward.  The best part? Sugar free jello with "free" cool whip for dessert - only palatable when shared!

3.  I am grateful for tax time! No I am not crazy....because as soon as April 15 comes we have another whole year to save for next year...it is like a new beginning.

4.  I am grateful for Papa Murphy.  I can eat their thin crust pizza and stick to my diet...now that is a diet I can live with!

5.  I am grateful for moss.  Our lawn is mostly moss this year and it means mowing won't take as long or be as frequent.  I hate mowing!

that is all I can think of today.  Have a great week everyone - I'll be back same time next week!

sorry...

I am going to have to go private...if you want to continue to read my blog, please email me at carruthdm@comcast.net, OR put a comment on this post with your email and I'll be sure to add you to the approved list.  thank you for understanding!

Melinda

Dear David

Dear David: Since Sami is here this weekend and you are not, I thought I would write this blog post to you.

It is exciting to me to watch you grow. It was really hard to let you leave to go to college.  You are my youngest, and were my companion that last year of your high school career.  I looked forward to you coming home each afternoon, and really enjoyed spending time with you.  It was such a great year...but made it all the harder for me to let you go.  I was SO unsure that it was the right thing to do, especially after watching how unhappy you were as we arrived in Rexburg.  My  heart ached, and I didn't know what to do.  This was one of those situations where I had to step aside and let the Lord lead.  Plunge into the dark and know that I would be led with a firm a steady hand.  Turns out we were both led....

Fast forward to now....you have grown SO much in the time you have been away.  You've had to make your own decisions and have had to move forward in your life.  I am SO proud of you and the choices you've made.  I am excited to be a part of your life at a time when so many decisions are in front of you.  I am SO grateful - more than you will ever know - for the relationship we have and for the man you are becoming.  Thank you for being the son I always dreamt about having - I would not trade you for anyone, or anything.  I love you!

Signs of Spring

Yesterday unrolled like a perfect Saturday should.  I should backup:  My week started out so-so, but ended with a bang!  I was finally successful in hiring someone to help me with my work - and she started on Friday. I think she is going to work out wonderfully - and that overwhelmed feeling is now going away.  Saturday morning dawned and it started out like any Saturday should - with sleeping in! I got up at 9:45 and ate breakfast, then proceeded to slowly go about my day.  When I tell you what I actually did you will probably laugh at my comment that it was perfect...but to me it was just how I like it.  I cleaned the house, I went walking with a friend in the sunshine -WITHOUT A COAT! - I helped set up a church dinner - I attended/helped with serving/cleanup of the dinner, and was home by 8:30 to relax in my easy chair.  What made this day great was that I could do things at my own pace - on my own schedule - and didn't have to answer to anyone. LOVE IT!

I am really looking forward to more pre-spring days like Saturday.  I am ready to power walk in the sunshine instead of working out indoors. I am ready for my bulbs to push out more and bloom! I opened my bedroom window mid Saturday and let the fresh air in - I am SO READY!

Kid sharing:

When David was about 4 or 5 we went to our annual superbowl party.  We had been telling David that we were going to the superbowl. At that age David was already getting sports minded, and he was excited!  We went to our friends, ate and ate and ate, watched some football, and then started to clean up to go home. At the door as we were saying goodbye David said "are we going to the superbowl now"? We then realized that he didn't understand that we meant "superbowl party" NOT the actual superbowl. After explaining he was incensed...and proceeded to kick his dad in the shin! How dare we tell him we were superbowl bound and then not deliver!

When Sami was about 4 we were rushing around one Sunday trying to get ready for church.  It was one of those days when everything seemed to go wrong, kids were crying, shoes were lost, you name it, it happened. I actually had them buckled in the car and was ready to get in myself when I just gave up. I said "that is IT. We are staying HOME". Moving to unbuckle the kids, Sami said "but mom, aren't we only supposed to stay home when we are sick?"  I stopped, bowed my head, took a deep breath, and said..."yes Sami, you are right". I got in, buckled up, and off we went.  It was such a strong lesson to me - out of the mouths of babes.

Superbowl!

It is no secret that watching televised sports is not my favorite thing.  However, once a year I enjoy watching football on TV- specifically the Superbowl.  We have been getting together with another couple to party away the afternoon on Superbowl Sunday for years....more than 20, I think.  We started doing this before we had children, during our child raising years, and now on the far end when we are part time empty nesters!   It was interesting to look back on our past celebrations and how they've evolved over the years.  We started out by having a meal together, along with some snacks.  That changed over the years to a smorgasbord....enough food to fill a dining room table.  Then we had the year when everyone was dieting...and we brought the first baked potato chips: one word: EW.  One thing has always been constant - peanut M&Ms.  Some years we had several kinds...but peanut was always present.  This year it was evident that age has crept into our party.  Some of us are watching our blood sugar counts, others are watching high blood pressure and cholesteral.  Our party fare was pretty small....sub sandwiches for each person, some chips, LOTS of veggies, a few cookies, and of course peanut M&Ms.  Conversation was lively, food was plenty good.

Balance

Balance - tough word. In order to be happy, we need to have balance in our lives.  It is like the saying I learned "moderation in all things".  So easy to say, so hard to achieve!

This week taught me more about balance.  It was a tough week.  I needed to accomplish certain things and really felt like I was failing in all respects.  As the week wore on I was feeling sad - a little bit hopeless. Then I had a talk with Sami that I believe changed  my perspective. Sometimes when called upon to counsel others, we find the counsel helps us more than the person we are counseling!  She too had a tough week and was feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, and not sure where to start.  She asked me to take a break and talk with her about what she was going through.  Sometimes I am guilty of talking on the phone and working at the same time - it is a hard habit to break, "multitasking". So I did as she asked, and was able to give  her some ideas about getting out of the hole and moving forward.  

Saturday morning I awoke with a much better attitude.  I realized that the advice to Sami applied to me.  Backup. Take stock of where you need to be. Make a plan. Eliminate the inessential and stick with essentials. Start over. Moderation in all aspects of life will move you forward.

So here it is Sunday and I'm making my plan for the next week. A brand new start and I am excited! 

1. Keep goals attainable.  

2. Celebrate the goals you meet.  

3. Take time to have fun.

On another note, I was happy that the kids were able to visit each other this weekend.  Makes me feel good they can depend on each other, and that they enjoy each other's company.  We spent the weekend getting household chores done, and had dinner with friends. We topped off dinner with an outing to enjoy the adult session of Stake Conference. It was enlightening and gave me lots to think about.

Sunday Post

I told the kids I would try to post each Sunday.  Sometimes it is hard to come up with what to say, and today is one of those days.  In lieu of some serious thought provoking post, I thought I would post highlights of this last week with a little treat at the end!

1.  Monthly I have a food storage shipment delivered to the house.  The cost is $50 or under, and it allows me to slowly build my food storage.  My shipment for the month came last week.  It was delivered when we were not home and put on the porch.  When we arrived home, we noticed it was there and made a mental note to get it after we unloaded our groceries.  Note to self: Mental notes are worthless.  Two days later, when I wanted to use the box that food storage came in I realized we never brought it in.  And it was no longer on the porch - SOMEONE TOOK MY FOOD STORAGE! I haven't looked back at my order online to figure out what it was, but I am seriously hoping it was something wonderful like dried spinach....

2.  It has been SO cold here in the evenings that we've been building a fire in our woodstove to warm the house at night.  It works pretty great to warm everything up for the few hours we are awake in the evening before bed, and then the heat remains through the night and part way into the next day.  Toasty!

3.  I have successfully finished another week of following My Fitness Pal.com.  It is a calorie counter and exercise tracker.  It truly is wonderful!  Dan and I are following it together - makes dinner easier to prepare! His blood sugar counts were very high when we started, and now they are much lower.  We are hoping that within a couple of months he will be able to stop his diabetes medication again.  It is looking promising.  I am hoping that by spring I will fit into the spring/summer skirts I bought last fall!  Again, looking promising.

4.  I started a puzzle this week.  I usually do a few every winter in the evenings. I had started one WAY before Thanksgiving, but I didn't work on it at all.  I decided it was boring, so I put it back in the box and started another.  This one is better and I am enjoying it.

That is pretty much it!  Oh, the treats....I'm going to try to record a memory or two of my kids when they were little on each post:

1.  David: When David was 3 we took a trip back to Michigan to visit family.  Sami, grandma and I spent a lot of time painting our finger and toenails pretty colors. David really wanted to do it too, but we didn't encourage him.  When we came home we were unloading everything and putting things away for it seemed like forever.  Finally we realized that David was missing....and everything was quiet.  Fear struck our souls - as only fear can when the house is quiet and a little boy is in residence.  We finally found him...outside on the ground, hidden behind the picnic table. What was he doing? Well painting his finger and toenails bright red! He was so proud! I'll have to find that picture and post it next time.

2.  Sami:  She was told several times that she needed to be the example to her younger brother. Also, she thought it highly unfair that at times her brother got to do certain things at a younger age than she did....We tried to explain that parents do their best, but that parenting is hard.  Oh and that she was a guinea pig of sorts, as she was our first child. I guess she had had enough one day after hearing this over and over and turned to me and said "that is it. I do not want to be the older child any more.  I don't want to be the guinea pig any longer." She was SO serious - it was hard not to laugh!

Melinda

Of Great Worth

It was my week to teach Sunday School this week.  For those of you who don't know, I teach our adult Sunday School class every other week.  It was also Ward Conference in our ward so our stake leadership was there to give the lesson in Relief Society.  I learned a couple of things this week that I think are worth passing on.

1.  The worth of our souls is great is great in the sight of the Lord.  I think we often do not give ourselves credit for the things we accomplish in our lives.  The everydayness of life takes over...and we forget that sometimes getting out of bed in the morning is a huge accomplishment.  We talked about the Atonement in Sunday School, and how the Savior loved us SO much, that he was willing to give his life for us.  His suffering was so great, both in body and in spirit, that we couldn't come close to imagining it.  And why? Because he not only was obedient to his Father and loved Him, but that OUR worth was so great it was worth it. Remember that the next time you call yourself an idiot for making a mistake. Forgive ourselves and move on.

2.  There are alot of lonely people out there. It is hard for some people to reach out and make friends.  There are people we encounter in our everyday lives that need us.  Today we talked in Relief Society about how to reach out to others.  One of the things that really resonates within me is the "empty chair". In any church meeting you can find an empty chair.  Who belongs there? Where are they? Why aren't they there? How do we get them back, or here in the the first place?  We often think of those in our lives who aren't present in one way or another as needing "us". They need to come back to church, or they need to come back to the family circle for their betterment.  Let me suggest to you that WE need THEM. We are missing their spirits and their love.  There is an empty space in our circles without them. We cannot afford to have that chair empty for long.

So reach out to someone today. All it takes is a smile, a handshake, a door held open.  Call, or facebook message someone you haven't seen in awhile. Love them back.  They need you, and you need them.  Also, remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of the Lord.  That means YOU. You are worthy of love, compassion, and kindness.

Its a Wonderful Life

On each first Sunday of the month, our church encourages us to fast, and to share our testimonies about the Savior with one another.  We do this by coming forward and speaking at the pulpit in the front of the congregation.  Today a man stood and bore his testimony about Christ and his own life. This man was deployed to Afganistan and came home seriously injured.  He talked about how when he was young, his family used to watch "Its a Wonderful Life" at Christmas time. He talked about how boring he thought it was at the time.  Fast forward to this time in his life and he has realized what a "wonderful life" we all really have.  We have a choice - this life is all about choices - to make life the best it can be.  We can choose to look at the dark, dirty, underside of life all the time, or we can choose to look at the bright, shiny parts instead.  The Savior makes it all possible for us to have a Wonderful Life.  We just need to choose to follow Him.  

Christmas was wonderful this year.  Sami talked Dan into getting a tree...we usually don't because of our dogs, but these dogs had never had a Christmas Tree, so we were willing to take a chance.  It was kind of a crooked tree, but to me it was beautiful! And the dogs didn't even show they knew it was there. I'd show you a picture but for some reason I can't get one to show up!

It was hard to let the kids go back to school, even though in my heart of hearts I know that is where they need to be.  I enjoyed having them home again so much.  I pray daily they will find their path in life and that they will remember what we taught them about Heavenly Father.  Love you both!