Today I'm thankful for
-a knowledge of my Savior Jesus Christ. Life without Him is bleak. Life with Him is full of hope and beauty. I am grateful that I've been making an effort to begin my day reading His words.
-friends who lunch with me and teach classes for me and run with me and call me just when I need them to and provide laughter and perspective and a kick in the pants when I need them most.
-children who I love fiercely. Sam is so hard right now. So. Hard. But I still love him. And I appreciate what he's teaching me. And his sweet singing is a saving grace. Yesterday in a particularly not great moment, I mentioned the temple and Sam grinned at me and started singing the tune to "I Love to See the Temple". My heart melted and it changed the whole mood and helped lift the dark cloud. Addie has hard moments too (this parenting thing isn't easy). But her overall sweetness and active imagination have a hold of my heart. Hearing "you're the best mom ever" makes me melt. I haven't been a great mom this week- preoccupied and stressed with other life details, and I'm hoping to remedy that situation ASAP.
-a husband who makes me laugh. He's so much more, but sometimes one of the greatest and simplest things he gives me is a good laugh, especially when I so desperately need it.
- a cozy bed that I'm about to fall into.
Happy Weekend!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Is Anybody Home?
Sorry for my blogging absence. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just kind of did. Lots to share, lots keeping me busy.
-Running the 5k for Nie was a huge highlight. Candis and I rocked it and ran the whole thing in 36 minutes. I know, we weren't breaking any land-speed records, but it was still great to be a part of, and actually fun. Even more fun? Ella coming to cheer us on and help us make it the last block or so. Not so fun? Ella losing her car key. Sweetening the blow? A little trip to Kneader's. Anytime I go there it makes my day a little better. Not so fun? Coming home to Pat being sick and canceling plans for the rest of the day. Sweetening the blow? Beautiful weather. Not too bad for a Saturday. Except for the Pat being sick part. Makes me even more sad about the accident when I realize that his body is still paying for it. :( But, things definitely could've been worse, and I'm very grateful to have him in one piece!
-Lots and lots of prep for Enrichment this weekend! Last night I had a nightmare that one of the teachers didn't show and people weren't in the right places and it was a total disaster. I'm so excited for it, but also excited for it to be done!
-My kids are cracking me up and driving me crazy. Sam is going through the stage where he's coloring on everything that he's not supposed to. Every book. My dining room table (with pen). My couch (also with pen). Driving.me.nuts. But then he comes over and gives me a hug and suddenly I'm not so upset. Addie is saying all sorts of funny things. The other day she told me she didn't want a treat when I told her she'd have to take a nap first. "Never mind, mom, treats are only for special caucasians." Hilarious.
I've got to get some sleep, but I hope to be posting more soon. My head is so busy- I need a place to write about it so I can keep up!
-Running the 5k for Nie was a huge highlight. Candis and I rocked it and ran the whole thing in 36 minutes. I know, we weren't breaking any land-speed records, but it was still great to be a part of, and actually fun. Even more fun? Ella coming to cheer us on and help us make it the last block or so. Not so fun? Ella losing her car key. Sweetening the blow? A little trip to Kneader's. Anytime I go there it makes my day a little better. Not so fun? Coming home to Pat being sick and canceling plans for the rest of the day. Sweetening the blow? Beautiful weather. Not too bad for a Saturday. Except for the Pat being sick part. Makes me even more sad about the accident when I realize that his body is still paying for it. :( But, things definitely could've been worse, and I'm very grateful to have him in one piece!
-Lots and lots of prep for Enrichment this weekend! Last night I had a nightmare that one of the teachers didn't show and people weren't in the right places and it was a total disaster. I'm so excited for it, but also excited for it to be done!
-My kids are cracking me up and driving me crazy. Sam is going through the stage where he's coloring on everything that he's not supposed to. Every book. My dining room table (with pen). My couch (also with pen). Driving.me.nuts. But then he comes over and gives me a hug and suddenly I'm not so upset. Addie is saying all sorts of funny things. The other day she told me she didn't want a treat when I told her she'd have to take a nap first. "Never mind, mom, treats are only for special caucasians." Hilarious.
I've got to get some sleep, but I hope to be posting more soon. My head is so busy- I need a place to write about it so I can keep up!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Blog Housekeeping
Hopefully I can get some tags and awards out of the way and get back to blogging!
Suzie and Bonnie both tagged me to list my quirks. Suzie asked for 8, Bonnie asked for 6, so we'll see how many I come up with.
1. I have a quirky habit of counting things. I'll count the number of letters in a sentence and then edit the sentence until the number of letters is divisible by both two and three. I don't do it all the time, but if I'm bored, I'm probably counting letters.
2. I sleep on a lot of pillows. It used to be only 2, but now I'm up to 3. I use extra pillows when I can't breathe at night, so if I have a cold, I'm practically sitting up to sleep. Crazy, I know.
3. I was a picky eater as a child, and many of my least favorite foods growing up are my most favorite foods as an adult. Squash? Delicious. Soup? (I know, what kid doesn't like soup?) I make it almost weekly. There are only a few select vegetables (radishes) and odd meats (liver, tongue, etc.) that are still on my list of dislikes (or won't even try with the meat).
4. I try to avoid washing my hands. I still wash (don't worry, especially after the bathroom, etc.), but I have hand eczema and they get really irritated the more time they spend in water. Some people compulsively wash their hands- I am not one of them. ;)
5. I like to get out a new toothbrush on the first day of a season. It helps me remember to change my toothbrush every 3 months.
6. Although I'm a petite person, I hate to buy petite clothing. The sleeves feel too short, the pants feel too short- it's like I have normal-length legs and arms but I'm overall a short person. Clothes shopping can be a definite challenge.
7. I have a hard time getting rid of things. I wouldn't consider myself a hoarder, but I'm fairly sentimental, and also "thrifty" (which means I think "could I use this someday" and end up keeping it). I have no idea where we'll put everything when we get to finish our basement. I think I'm making progress- I recently got rid of most of the decor from my bedroom growing up...
8. I wish I could be a student forever. I really miss the thrill of studying and learning, but I'm too lazy/busy to push myself to study and learn now that I'm not enrolled in school. And although I want more education, I'm perfectly happy not using it for monetary gain and enjoying being a stay-at-home mom.
And although my blog recently definitely doesn't deserve it, Heather gave me the Kreative blogger award. My blog has been anything but creative lately (or kreative for that matter). I hope to fix that soon. I'm busy with Enrichment stuff. And just life in general.
I happily pass the award to Melissa, Candis, and Carey. Melissa's blog always makes me laugh. Candis is one of the most creative people I know (can I list that as another quirk- I hate when people use the wrong letter at the start of a word attempting to be "creative" or "unique") and I'm excited for some things she has up her sleeve. Carey (too bad her blog is private for all of you non-readers) is also hilarious and so sweet and her featured art plus featured bad hair pictures are the perfect mix.
I'm sure I'll blog again before then, but I hope to see some of you here on Saturday morning. Registration starts at 8, so come ready to run for Nie. I've been training for a 5k for a few months, and I can't think of anything I'd rather run for!
Suzie and Bonnie both tagged me to list my quirks. Suzie asked for 8, Bonnie asked for 6, so we'll see how many I come up with.
1. I have a quirky habit of counting things. I'll count the number of letters in a sentence and then edit the sentence until the number of letters is divisible by both two and three. I don't do it all the time, but if I'm bored, I'm probably counting letters.
2. I sleep on a lot of pillows. It used to be only 2, but now I'm up to 3. I use extra pillows when I can't breathe at night, so if I have a cold, I'm practically sitting up to sleep. Crazy, I know.
3. I was a picky eater as a child, and many of my least favorite foods growing up are my most favorite foods as an adult. Squash? Delicious. Soup? (I know, what kid doesn't like soup?) I make it almost weekly. There are only a few select vegetables (radishes) and odd meats (liver, tongue, etc.) that are still on my list of dislikes (or won't even try with the meat).
4. I try to avoid washing my hands. I still wash (don't worry, especially after the bathroom, etc.), but I have hand eczema and they get really irritated the more time they spend in water. Some people compulsively wash their hands- I am not one of them. ;)
5. I like to get out a new toothbrush on the first day of a season. It helps me remember to change my toothbrush every 3 months.
6. Although I'm a petite person, I hate to buy petite clothing. The sleeves feel too short, the pants feel too short- it's like I have normal-length legs and arms but I'm overall a short person. Clothes shopping can be a definite challenge.
7. I have a hard time getting rid of things. I wouldn't consider myself a hoarder, but I'm fairly sentimental, and also "thrifty" (which means I think "could I use this someday" and end up keeping it). I have no idea where we'll put everything when we get to finish our basement. I think I'm making progress- I recently got rid of most of the decor from my bedroom growing up...
8. I wish I could be a student forever. I really miss the thrill of studying and learning, but I'm too lazy/busy to push myself to study and learn now that I'm not enrolled in school. And although I want more education, I'm perfectly happy not using it for monetary gain and enjoying being a stay-at-home mom.

And although my blog recently definitely doesn't deserve it, Heather gave me the Kreative blogger award. My blog has been anything but creative lately (or kreative for that matter). I hope to fix that soon. I'm busy with Enrichment stuff. And just life in general.
I happily pass the award to Melissa, Candis, and Carey. Melissa's blog always makes me laugh. Candis is one of the most creative people I know (can I list that as another quirk- I hate when people use the wrong letter at the start of a word attempting to be "creative" or "unique") and I'm excited for some things she has up her sleeve. Carey (too bad her blog is private for all of you non-readers) is also hilarious and so sweet and her featured art plus featured bad hair pictures are the perfect mix.
I'm sure I'll blog again before then, but I hope to see some of you here on Saturday morning. Registration starts at 8, so come ready to run for Nie. I've been training for a 5k for a few months, and I can't think of anything I'd rather run for!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
What I've been up to...
-neglecting my blog. I'm hoping to do a little housekeeping this week to catch up on tags, awards, etc.
-holding Sam and wondering if there's a way he could be surgically attached to me so maybe I could have two free hands to get things done.
-trying to stay on the spiritual high from general conference and work on things I learned.
-planning Enrichment and starting to stress (less than 3 weeks- anyone know anyone fabulous to teach about keeping our cups filled through hobbies/spirituality? meal planning? family traditions? let me know!).
-taking the kids on a walk yesterday only to have Addie curl up in a fetal position about halfway through saying her tummy hurts and we need to go home.
-whisking Addie to the dr. yesterday with a swollen, hard tummy, only to have her throw up in the car on the way home. And then doing laundry today to clean up more mess from last night. And tending to Pat with the same bug. And feeling a little sleep-deprived.
-making bread for the first time in a bread-maker. I'm usually a purist and do it by hand, but it wasn't too shabby, and it made me kind of excited to try other recipes.
-running to the store to grab celery so I could make chicken noodle soup tonight for the sick and afflicted at my house.
-scoring major bargains online- did you know that Talbot's kids line is ending? Did you know it's all on clearance in their outlet? And use the code CHARMING for an extra 20% off. Classic, well-made stuff. I'm rationalizing that I'll save some of it for Christmas for the kids.
-pondering the disaster that is my house and how the mess will wait until tomorrow- do I want to let it wait, or wake up to a fresh house...
-lamenting the fact that The Biggest Loser isn't on, only to have Pat remind me that the debates really could classify as The Biggest Loser. Good point, my dear...
-holding Sam and wondering if there's a way he could be surgically attached to me so maybe I could have two free hands to get things done.
-trying to stay on the spiritual high from general conference and work on things I learned.
-planning Enrichment and starting to stress (less than 3 weeks- anyone know anyone fabulous to teach about keeping our cups filled through hobbies/spirituality? meal planning? family traditions? let me know!).
-taking the kids on a walk yesterday only to have Addie curl up in a fetal position about halfway through saying her tummy hurts and we need to go home.
-whisking Addie to the dr. yesterday with a swollen, hard tummy, only to have her throw up in the car on the way home. And then doing laundry today to clean up more mess from last night. And tending to Pat with the same bug. And feeling a little sleep-deprived.
-making bread for the first time in a bread-maker. I'm usually a purist and do it by hand, but it wasn't too shabby, and it made me kind of excited to try other recipes.
-running to the store to grab celery so I could make chicken noodle soup tonight for the sick and afflicted at my house.
-scoring major bargains online- did you know that Talbot's kids line is ending? Did you know it's all on clearance in their outlet? And use the code CHARMING for an extra 20% off. Classic, well-made stuff. I'm rationalizing that I'll save some of it for Christmas for the kids.
-pondering the disaster that is my house and how the mess will wait until tomorrow- do I want to let it wait, or wake up to a fresh house...
-lamenting the fact that The Biggest Loser isn't on, only to have Pat remind me that the debates really could classify as The Biggest Loser. Good point, my dear...
Thursday, October 2, 2008
So much to say...
I feel like I haven't blogged in ages. I have a list of things that could all take a full post on their own, but I'll share the abridged version so I can feel a little more caught up.
-I had a fabulous visit with Amy. Highlights include trips here, here, and here, as well as plenty of late night girl talk and playing with the kids and movie watching and general fun. Our visit ended with Amy being gracious and letting Pat's parents take her to the airport while I took Pat to the dr. for some Crohn's problems. Despite the bummer end, we had a great time and I'm lucky enough to see her again in a few weeks when she returns for a conference- yay! (And Pat is doing a little better with some new meds. He'll have a CT scan next week that will tell us more.)
-Addie delivered her line flawlessly in the primary program. If only she could've remembered the reverent part we had practiced all week. She had a hard time sitting in her chair. At one point she ended up on her teacher's lap. When I picked her up from class and talked to her teachers, they informed me that we'd better make sure we don't do anything bad at home because she gives them the full report every week on everything going on. Oy.
-Our season premier party for The Office was so fun. The costumes were fantastic! We enjoyed dinner together and favor boxes filled with Office kitsch from the dollar spot at Target, and then loved every minute of the episode. For another take on our party complete with pictures of us all in costume, visit here.
-The Relief Society broadcast was completely wonderful. I felt so empowered in my membership in Relief Society after hearing Sister Beck's talk. President Uchtdorf spoke so sweetly to the women of the church, and his counsel was so appreciated. I am grateful for my opportunity to be a member of this organization and to serve in its leadership. I feel like there's so much more I can do- and I really can do it!
-My book group has started again. We took a break for the summer, but it was so nice to reconvene last night, have a great discussion, and start planning ahead for the next few months.
-We had the opportunity yesterday to attend the most beautiful sealing. Friends of ours had their baby girl sealed to them. As soon as she came in, I couldn't hold back the tears. Words can't express the sweetness of this experience. I feel so honored that we were able to attend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. I have breakfast with friends tomorrow, a birthday party tomorrow night, and the rest of the weekend filled with general conference. I can't wait!
-I had a fabulous visit with Amy. Highlights include trips here, here, and here, as well as plenty of late night girl talk and playing with the kids and movie watching and general fun. Our visit ended with Amy being gracious and letting Pat's parents take her to the airport while I took Pat to the dr. for some Crohn's problems. Despite the bummer end, we had a great time and I'm lucky enough to see her again in a few weeks when she returns for a conference- yay! (And Pat is doing a little better with some new meds. He'll have a CT scan next week that will tell us more.)
-Addie delivered her line flawlessly in the primary program. If only she could've remembered the reverent part we had practiced all week. She had a hard time sitting in her chair. At one point she ended up on her teacher's lap. When I picked her up from class and talked to her teachers, they informed me that we'd better make sure we don't do anything bad at home because she gives them the full report every week on everything going on. Oy.
-Our season premier party for The Office was so fun. The costumes were fantastic! We enjoyed dinner together and favor boxes filled with Office kitsch from the dollar spot at Target, and then loved every minute of the episode. For another take on our party complete with pictures of us all in costume, visit here.
-The Relief Society broadcast was completely wonderful. I felt so empowered in my membership in Relief Society after hearing Sister Beck's talk. President Uchtdorf spoke so sweetly to the women of the church, and his counsel was so appreciated. I am grateful for my opportunity to be a member of this organization and to serve in its leadership. I feel like there's so much more I can do- and I really can do it!
-My book group has started again. We took a break for the summer, but it was so nice to reconvene last night, have a great discussion, and start planning ahead for the next few months.
-We had the opportunity yesterday to attend the most beautiful sealing. Friends of ours had their baby girl sealed to them. As soon as she came in, I couldn't hold back the tears. Words can't express the sweetness of this experience. I feel so honored that we were able to attend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. I have breakfast with friends tomorrow, a birthday party tomorrow night, and the rest of the weekend filled with general conference. I can't wait!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Warning: Sparse Blogging Ahead
Just wanted to let you know blogging may be a little spotty the next few days. I'll be busy:
-cleaning up from last night's season premier party of The Office (watch for a fun post to come)
-trying to find a new car for Pat
-attending the practice and performance of Addie's first primary program (her line is memorized, songs are practiced- pray she doesn't freeze!)
-spending time with my best friend from high school! She visited last year around this same time, and I can't wait for the next few days with her!
-attending the General Relief Society Broadcast and taking a salad to the pre-broadcast dinner
-trying to get Sam into the dentist to fix the tooth he chipped yesterday :(
-enjoying the gorgeous weather and maybe even fitting in a little yard work or tree planting
Have a great weekend!
-cleaning up from last night's season premier party of The Office (watch for a fun post to come)
-trying to find a new car for Pat
-attending the practice and performance of Addie's first primary program (her line is memorized, songs are practiced- pray she doesn't freeze!)
-spending time with my best friend from high school! She visited last year around this same time, and I can't wait for the next few days with her!
-attending the General Relief Society Broadcast and taking a salad to the pre-broadcast dinner
-trying to get Sam into the dentist to fix the tooth he chipped yesterday :(
-enjoying the gorgeous weather and maybe even fitting in a little yard work or tree planting
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Apple doesn't fall far...
-While shopping at Target, I spotted a really cute jacket in the kids section that I was trying to justify. I tried it on and was modeling for Addie, asking for her opinion. When I asked if I should buy it, she replied, "No, mom. It's not on sale." That's my girl.
-While making this soup for dinner tonight, Addie was happily coloring when suddenly she looked up and said, "Mom! What is that delicious smell? Is that bacon?" That's my girl.
In the immortal words of ABBA that she enjoys so much, "How can I resist [her]"?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
