Getting Back to My Old Self Again....

Pat has started contracting again. The excitement is building for his interview Monday. I'm starting to feel back to my old self again. With the cold/snowy weather on Tuesday, I spent my afternoon in the kitchen and it was so nice! I made rolls and used half the dough to make cinnamon rolls- my first time from scratch- to take to book club. We had an impromptu dinner with friends with potato soup and rolls. I made a couple batches of baby food in the afternoon. It was the perfect way to spend a gray day. Book club was fun and low stress, just what I needed, and I think my cinnamon rolls were well received.

Yesterday Addie had her first non-family birthday party. What a milestone! She was so excited, and I was going to stay, but the other parents were all leaving, so I left too. It was a big day at our house, and I'm glad she had a great time with one of her first friends. While Addie was at the party, I delivered invitations to all of our neighbors for a Christmas party at our house. I decided this year we'd get together and have a food drive instead of swapping neighbor gifts, so I hope my neighbors get on board with my self-proclaimed great idea. Everyone is supposed to bring a dessert to share, so we can eat treats, visit, box up the food, swap stories about holiday traditions, and have a great time!

This morning Hannah and Melissa came over for brunch. It was so fun since we've been trying to get together for ages, and this morning we actually managed it! We talked and laughed and swapped MIL stories while the kids played surprisingly well together (especially considering Addie's grumpiness since she has a no-nap hangover due to the birthday party yesterday- I think the day after she misses a nap is always worse than the day of the missed nap).

All of this entertaining has helped me realize that I'm getting back to normal after the hard time we've had. It really had me in a funk, and I'm so happy to be pulling out of it. I have to remember that there are some things that I don't want to revert to, though, and as good as it is to feel like my old self, I hope I'll be my old self but a little bit wiser due to the school of experience I was just blessed to receive.

Decking the Halls

Sorry I've been such a blog slacker. I've been busy prettying up the homestead for the holidays. I must say, it's looking rather festive. I wish I had a little more in my "new decorations" fund, but hopefully by the time the after-Christmas clearances roll around, I can beef up on a some things for next season. I love having my house decorated for Christmas- it feels so much more "done" than when everything is put away, and I love to entertain. I'm hoping for a few big shindigs in the coming month, so we'll see how that works out. I'll keep you posted on all party planning details. Entertaining seems to take double the energy now that I have kids, but it's still something I enjoy!

Now I need to get started on some Christmas shopping. I've started to make lists of who is getting what, now I just need to hunt for deals and complete the actual shopping part of it all. It's serious madness out already, and I'm dreading it. I had to run to Target today for diapers, and it was a zoo! I wish there was a separate section for non-Christmas shoppers so those who just need to pick up an item or two can beat the crowds. I'm hoping to do some shopping on-line to cut down on the craziness, so we'll see how it goes.

Tomorrow night is our book group Christmas party. I need to take a yummy dessert- any suggestions? We read the book A Stranger for Christmas, a good little 60 pager since everyone is starting to get busy with the holidays, and we'll take next month off. I also need to bring a book for a book exchange, so I need to go through my collection to see what I'm done with or if I want to go pick up an extra copy of an old favorite. Hope you've all had a great start to the week!

My Tummy is Full...

but my heart is fuller. It's been a pretty nice day. Definitely busy morning, because my mom and her husband and my in-laws were all coming here at 1:00, which meant a tight time table this morning. Things were right on schedule until my turkey took an extra hour to cook, so we started eating half an hour later than I'd hoped, but still not too shabby. I was in charge of the turkey, stuffing, rolls, gravy, as well as a sweet potato and apple recipe which I tried but didn't love, and a few brownies to supplement the pies made by Pat's mom (I think Addie was the only one who opted for a brownie). Other dishes we dined on included a delicious squash souffle, broccoli-rice casserole, cranberry jell-o salad (which is really the only way I'll eat jell-o- this is so yum!), a spinach salad, veggies and dip, and I think that was about it. We ate at 1:30 and I'm still full. It's after 9:00. I'm still full. That is not a good sign.

However, the important parts. I'm so grateful for a good life with a good family. I'm grateful for the Patrick-Christina-Addie-Sam family, and although our families of origin are important, this is the one that I place the most stock in right now. This is the one that overflows my heart. There are so many things that I take for granted and my eyes have been more opened to them recently then ever before. I remember when I had Addie and I looked at her and saw 10 fingers and 10 toes and realized what a miracle that was to have a perfect healthy baby when not everyone is so lucky. Countless blessings are so easily overlooked. Speaking of blessings, yesterday morning a company that Pat had contracted with a few weeks back called to offer him another contract position that could last around 2 months. He told them he'd call them back. About twenty minutes later, another company called to schedule an interview for December 3rd. Our hearts are extra-full of gratitude right now. Pat accepted the contract position. We're still hoping things work out with our first choice company come January, but this interview may lead to something good, too, so we're keeping an open mind. As I was expressing my thanks while pondering/praying, I clearly remembered "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." No, He hasn't let us want during this time. And He never will.

Hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving.

Busy Doing Nothing...

Lately I've really felt like we've been busy doing nothing. It's nice every now and again to take time to do nothing, but this 3 month hiatus from life has gotten a little lengthy. I have had some interesting thoughts lately, though, on the matter of being busy doing nothing. I think that busy-ness is definitely a problem we deal with today, and I think many of us are quick to carve out some down time, time to relax, time to unwind and recreate. The problem I've discovered is that I'm so busy enjoying down time, I forget to fill my life with some of the good things- the things that I feel like I don't have time for, but somehow I'm finding time to relax, and maybe I should be doing these good things instead.
The thought came to me when my awesome visiting teaching companion was sharing the message this past week. She chose Elder Snow's talk on service. He talked about his mother reflecting at the end of her life and wishing that she had served more, and despite his reminder to her of all the things she'd done, she expressed that she could have done more. I have had a lot of time on my hands as of late, and no excuse for not serving more. Service is one of the good things that gets pushed to the bottom of the stack far too often for me. When I think about the schedule President Hinckley must keep, although I'm sure that he takes time to be quiet, pray, study and meditate, I like to imagine that he does those things in the quiet of morning, and then gets to work. I don't imagine him idling away his time. I think his schedule which is full of good things is part of what keeps him going. Yes, I know that we shouldn't run faster than we have strength, but I also think that if we're running on the Lord's errand, our capacity will be enlarged. I love this quote that Elder Snow shared by President Kimball: “God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another mortal that he meets our needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other in the kingdom.”
I want to be that answer to prayers, meeting the needs of those around me. I want to serve others because I love my Heavenly Father, and this is an important way for me to show Him just how much I love Him. I want to teach my children that service is not just another good thing, but one of the essentials. I need to feel the joy that comes from truly blessing the lives of others, the joy that comes as Heavenly Father's way of saying thank you for helping.

My Little Headbanger

Sam is so cooperative when his big sister tries to decorate him.

Sam has officially entered the stage of perpetual bonks and bruises. This poor kid looks like he's been through the mill with the amount of bruises covering his forehead. I remember going through this stage with Addie, but it seems a little magnified with this time. Where she would have been more hesitant after an injury, he gets back on the saddle to do it again, even if he's met with the same bruised results. He has so many funny quirks that are starting to manifest themselves more and more. He is so giggly all the time, and when he giggles too hard he gets the hiccups. When he wakes up every morning he gives me a big open mouth kiss on the cheek when I get him out of his crib. He's obsessed with buttons- on the remote, the vcr or dvd player, the phone, he doesn't discriminate. He's getting extremely interested in table food, but is attempting to dislike green beans, so I'm hoping to overcome that hurdle soon. He is perpetually happy- I don't know that I've ever met a happier person, and hope that he never loses this personality trait. Don't worry, Addie will get her own post sometime soon, but I needed to post about my littlest ray of sunshine right now, who really turns into a pretty big ray of sunshine!

And Down Again...

Pat's contract fell through. The guy who hired him was hiring him for someone else's team, and it sounds like a huge battle of office politics ensued. They put the position on hold. I know that something has got to change soon. Right now it just feels pretty crummy.

Looking Up...

Yesterday was 3 months to the day of Pat losing his job. Last night at 5, Pat got a call from an old co-worker with a job offer. It's a contract to hire job (although they wanted a direct hire, but we hoped for this), which is what we wanted for several reasons- he can make more contracting, we can leave at any time if things aren't working out or if the desired company ever gets things in gear, and it's a safety net if we need it to be. It's close- probably 10 to 15 minutes away depending on traffic. The project they really need him for has a January 1st deadline, so even if things end up stopping then, the other company is looking at a possible 1st Quarter hire, which would hopefully be a January time frame. The only downside is that it's not necessarily the "career move" we were hoping for. It's not totally in the area of his field where he wants to end up, but he's very skilled in this area and will do just fine with it. There is still plenty of time for career moves, and I think we're more comfortable with it being contracted at first so we feel the flexibility to look around. Pat is one of the most loyal employees I've ever met, so he really gives things his best shot before looking for a new job, but with a contract, I don't think he has as much of that pressure of loyalty that he places on himself. It really is a great situation.

I feel such deep gratitude for this blessing. It was nice that we were already going to the temple last night, and could express our thanks quietly while in the sealing room. I have learned so much and grown so much in the last 3 months. I have no doubt that Heavenly Father knows us each so personally. Trials push us to our limits, but we aren't given anything more than we can bear. There is a bigger plan for each of us, and we have to trust in that plan. There are no coincidences or mistakes in His plan for us.

Even though things may still change in a few months, I really feel like this is what is supposed to be happening right now. I have been truly blessed and felt the love of my Father in Heaven more deeply than I have for a while. I hope that I can show my love for Him through my actions every day. Words can't adequately express my current feelings, but humility, love, and gratitude are probably my top 3. Thank you for your prayers and your support during this time for us. It's meant more than you will ever know.

So what do you say, friends. Time for a party? I think so.

The Last Nice Weekend?

I must say I've been enjoying the unseasonably warm Fall we've had this year. Mid-60's today? I'll take it! But there's supposed to be a storm rolling in on Sunday, which makes me think this may be the end of the lovely high pressure system that has made this season so delightful. So, my plans for today and tomorrow are to enjoy as much of the great outdoors as we can. I think a picnic in the park today is in order. I need to take a walk to deliver some visiting teaching assignments I still need to pass out. I should pull some more weeds in my flower beds that are still just areas of dirt good for growing weeds. I feel like I've accomplished a lot this week, although not a lot of it has been from my list of goals, so I need to step it up if I'm really going to do those things this week.

One other thing has occupied a good chunk of time this week. In the past, I've listened to every Harry Potter book on tape. I couldn't get into reading them, and Jim Dale is amazing as the reader doing incredible voices for every character. Pat and I would just listen together in the car when we were going various places, especially car trips to Boise. With the kids, it's not as easy to listen now in the car. It's been a while since the book came out, and I still haven't been able to find time to listen. So, I broke down and I've started reading it. I must say I'm not enjoying it quite as much as I think I would were I listening, but I'm glad to be finishing the series in a more timely fashion.

My other weekend highlights will include a sealing assignment tonight and lunch with old roommates tomorrow. Hope you all have a good one!

The Difference A Day Makes

Today is a better day. Better than yesterday by far. Your kind words and my own reality check to myself helped me turn that frown upside down. I was productive today, which always brightens my mood. I did some laundry. I did serious vacuuming throughout the house. I started cleaning my bedroom and will hopefully finish tomorrow. I bathed the kids together- a new thing at our house that I'm sure they'll continue to love for the next few years until modesty becomes a little more of an issue and baths are no longer seen as a fun chance to play. Pat (and I did some too) winter fertilized the lawn. Tomorrow I want to finish some weeding and tidying so we can more officially put the lawn to bed for the winter. Unlike some of our neighbors, we stopped watering a few weeks ago. I kind of like the winterizing of the outdoors. It makes me want to tidy things up inside too and batten down the hatches. It was a beautiful day today- so warm a jacket was almost laughable, and a good chance to get outside work done. If it holds up, then I'm hoping to go for a jog tomorrow. Yes, I actually feel that motivated! You must know something has changed around here. :)

Really, my outlook is the biggest change. While I was cleaning my bedroom today, I came across some things that helped my perspective shift. A while ago, Pat and I gave talks on having a positive attitude. I found one of the talks that I'd printed out to use as a resource, and it was more than a coincidence that I ran across it today. It was a BYU devotional address by Rex and Janet Lee. I'd highly recommend downloading the free PDF and reading it if you need a reminder about positive attitudes. One of the great quotes from this talk is actually a quote form Elder Maxwell who called Christ our "attitudinal exemplar". Sister Lee quote Elder Maxwell again from his book Even As I Am:

Though our trials are tiny compared to [the Savior's], . . . Jesus was of good cheer because then current conditions did not alter His sources of ultimate joy. Are not our fundamental sources of joy the same as His? . . . It remains for us, therefore, to be of good cheer even when . . . current circumstances seem hopeless. . . . The unfolding of God's purposes may require the collapse of other things. How often is it necessary for dismantling to occur in order for something better to be put in place?
I love this quote! I miss Elder Maxwell. He was such a poet- it seemed like every sentence in each talk was packed with meaning I could study for days and still not scratch the surface.

So, I'm back in the saddle, smile on my face, positive attitude in my soul, gratitude in my heart. I'm hoping to run tomorrow. And cross some things off the to do list. And enjoy the beautiful fall weather with my family. And have a grand time doing it!

(Photo via Flickr)

I Know It's Tuesday, so What's Left of the Week Goals....

Preparedness: Inventory the pantry/food storage shelves.
Family History/Temple Work: Work on my PAF for one hour this week.
Family (Parenting and/or Marriage): Get back on the family scripture study wagon. Being out of town and having company has thrown us off.
Personal Spiritual: Work more on serving others- I need to forget myself and go to work!
Self-Improvement(Exercising, learning new domestic skills, etc.): Work on refinishing a dresser. It's been sitting in my basement for way too long, and I need to get this project done.

Monday Monday

So I've already started this post and didn't like the direction it headed, so here's Monday Monday version 2. Hope it turns out a little better.

Today my brothers left after a weekend of just chillin'. Their plans to hang with friends didn't come into fruition too much, so they enjoyed a lot of down time with their adorable niece and nephew, and we had a good time together eating, movie watching, helping bring the RM up to speed on pop culture, and relaxing. I think Ben was antsy to return to Idaho to find a job and get his life started again, but I was glad they came to hang out for a few days. Addie always enjoys when the uncles are around!

I've admittedly been a little moody lately. I think the late late nights I had while the brothers were here didn't help things, combined with my early rising children due to day light savings. I feel like I just want to sleep. And have an afternoon to myself to cry, or ponder, or read, or drive, or all of the above. We're about to hit the 3 month mark. A friend told me recently that you can expect to be unemployed 1 month for every $10,000 you make. I hope that's not true, because we may have a while if it is. I need to get my Nephi-build-a-boat kind of courage back, but I think it must've taken a mini-vacay to get away from it all. Hopefully it returns soon!

Faith is hard sometimes. I've been thinking lately about how faith is an action word, and how I can make my faith more active. I've been kind of passive, just believing that things will work out, but I feel like there's more I should be doing to demonstrate that belief. I'm not totally sure what it is I should be doing, so feel free to give suggestions. Yes, faith is hard. We had a great lesson in Relief Society yesterday on personal revelation. It was definitely something I needed to hear. I was also really inspired by Mel's post today. Check it out, if you haven't already. This girl has got a rock-solid testimony- just one more thing to love about her!

I really feel like right now we're being given this gift of time together. I'm trying to figure out how to make the most of it so we can look back on it fondly and gratefully for all of the things we were able to enjoy together. I feel like we've been doing that some, but we're starting to fade a little. We've got to refocus and get some direction.

So, that's where we are. I'm worn out from battling a highly emotional toddler and a baby with a cold all day. I'm worn out from having company for the past 4 days. I'm worn out from the last 3 months of uncertainty. But I'm ok. I'm having faith. I'm trusting. I just need to be putting more action and purpose into those things to achieve more joy and peace. I think I'll go start on some of that pondering.

Trick-or-Trot-or-Treating and Kid News....

I suppose we all indulge each other in shameless posts about our kids or nieces or nephews or grandkids, so prepare to indulge me. And if you don't want to read about how awesome, funny, and cute my kids are, come back when I post again :)

While in Boise, Sam cut his first tooth to welcome home Uncle Ben. Finally! Today he decided to make it a matched set and cut #2. Hopefully we won't see anymore for a little while. He's crawling constantly and making serious tracks. I was making dinner today when I found him no longer in the family room, but way down the hall headed towards the bedrooms. The chase is officially on, but really only in the warming up stages. I've finally jumped on the homemade baby food wagon, and I'm feeling like such an ambitious mom as I puree peas, mash sweet potatoes, and feed my boy some fresher fare. He never made it into his costume yesterday. He has a cold which I 'm hoping to prevent from turning into another ear infection, and he was in bed before we even had our first trick-or-treaters last night.

And now it's my pleasure to introduce the cutest ballerina, "Ballerina Timmy." Addie's parade of imaginary friends is continuing to grow, but she dubbed herself "Ballerina Timmy" when she got dressed up last night. She's yet to discover that Timmy is a boy name. And no, she doesn't have to potty in this picture, she's trying to do a ballerina move, but her knees are together instead of her heels. All day yesterday we practiced what she should say last night when she went "trick-or-trot-or-treating" as she called it. We role-played:
Me: (answering door) Hi, pretty ballerina!
Addie: Trick-or-treat. I want candy.

I tried to reiterate over and over that she can't say the "I want candy" bit. Yes, it may be true, but it sounds so greedy. I shouldn't have worried so much, because she froze up on each of the doors we visited in our cul-de-sac. And may I add, for the first year I allowed her to go trick-or-treating, I'm glad we live in a cul-de-sac so she didn't come home with piles of candy. I can only handle the sugar buzz for a couple of days. Luckily, it's almost gone already!

Other recent Addie funnies include some more serious potty training success. After a good episode with #2 a few days ago, she finished and said "mom, my body is saying thank you." And lately while using the potty, she doesn't want me to come help because her imaginary friend Mr. Rabbit is helping her. I didn't know these imaginary friends could come in so handy! Now if only they could make dinner and clean the house, I could really take it easy ;)

I still have more to share, but my brother's are about to crash my house any minute for the weekend. Hopefully I'll find some blogging time. Adios, mi amigos.