Merry Christmas

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! May the spirit of Christmas be with you for the remaining holiday season and the coming year.

It is a tradition that the kids open one present on Christmas Eve. It is always PJs.




Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Giving of Christmas Cards

Thanks for the traditions you shared in response to my last post. I plan to implement many of them. Some traditions can be quite time consuming and may not seem worth it at the time. Sending christmas cards is one of them. My husband and I have had this tradition since we got married. When the kids came along, we had a family picture taken around Thanksgiving to include with the christmas card along with a note about our family. This year I went shopping for some really cute photo christmas cards. I saw some darling ones that looked homemade. They were very expensive, about $2.00 each. I have about 60 people on my list. That would cost me $120 not including the postage. So this year I made my own using photoshop elements. I decided against the traditional family photo and found one we had taken at our city's parade. We are all wearing red white and blue. Not very festive, but it seems to work with the card.



Whether or not someone makes our christmas card list is very simple: 1. We must have their address; and 2. They must be a relative or a friend we don't see that much if ever. I go through the christmas card list every year and add or subract from it. If someone sends us a christmas card, they are automatically put on our christmas card list. As long as we continue to get christmas cards from them, they continue to stay on our list. If they don't send us one...they are off. There may be people on our list who would rather not receive a card from us. That is just too bad! I am sure there are thousands of people who wish they could be on our christmas card list. Ok maybe not. We tease people who we don't hear from, and threaten to take them off our list.

We do have people who continue to stay on our list whether we get a card from them or not in hopes by a miracle, we hear from them. The Jensens were some of those people. The Jensens are amazing! We love the Jensens. We have found it a privilege to be their friends. We loved hanging out with them. They knew of the best restaurants. She is the kind of person who does everything well. She sews, cooks, cleans house, decorates, everything better then I ever did. Fortunately, her perfection didn't make me bitter or jealous. I asked her a lot of questions and learned from her. A few days before we moved away from Sandy, the Jensens lives' turned up-side-down. Their lives became public, and they disconnected their phones in an attempt to have a little more privacy. We knew how they were doing through his parents. His dad came over to our house on moving day to show support. We sent them a christmas card every year hoping to get back in touch with them. Two christmases ago, I sent them the last christmas card I would ever send them. We didn't get a card from them that year. With one last attempt to get in touch with them, I sent them an invitation to Nathan's 40th birthday party that January. Nathan's birthday party came and the door bell rang. There was the Jensens at my door. I screamed, "You came!" I was never so excited to see two people in my whole life. I managed to hold back the tears. Needless to say they remain on my list, and we continue to receive a card from them.

I love getting and giving christmas cards, especially the ones with family photos and a note about the goings on of the family. When I receive a christmas card, I tape it the door between my kitchen and laundry room. Many years the door is overflowing with cards. Visitors love looking at all the cards and family photos. Occasionally they know some of the same people and great memories are exchanged. I never throw away christmas cards.

Christmas cards are a great way to stay in touch with friends and family and sometimes a hope to rekindle lost relationships. If you are one who doesn't send out christmas cards, make this a new tradition. I know it will bless your life and those you send them to. It certainly has blessed mine.

Help!! I Need Advice on a Holiday Planner and Holiday Traditions

I have always been fanatical about providing a memorable Christmas for my family. I want things to run smoothly, so I have had two Holiday Planners that I have used over the years. Marth Stewart Ultimate Planner and Flylady Holiday Journal. I have adapted them to fit my and my family's needs. Martha Stewart's planner suggests to send holiday cards on the 3rd week in December. She also doesn't have her Christmas tree up and decorated until the 3rd week as well. I think that is way too late. The Flylady Holiday Journal requires most everything to be done by December 1st. I don't even think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. But the Flylady Holiday Journal has cute family traditions like making your own christmas wrapping paper using plain white paper and using stamps, stickers etc to decorate it. We did this one year and the kids had a great time. Unfortunately, if presents are supposed to be wrapped by December 1st this doesn't make for such a great Christmas tradition. My kids and I also decorate gingerbread houses which has been a fund tradition. Some of those houses have made it to Christmas without being eaten.



I need your help with new ideas on having this holiday season run smoothly, how to bring the Christmas spirit into the home, and making this the best Christmas yet. What does your family do? If you have any ideas, please post them or email them, and I will share your ideas here.

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving because it is a time for reflection and a great opportunity to express thanks for all of our blessings. Because I have so much to be grateful for this year, this will be long:

I am thankful for the 5 senses. To see the beautiful sky when I walk the kids out to the bus in the morning; to smell my favorite Salt City Candle "Apricot Cream", to hear my children and husband tell me they love me, and to touch their faces and feel their hugs and kisses.

I am thankful for Nathan's ability to work. Nathan has had many injuries to his hands these past couple of months. He continues to have significant pain, but I am so thankful that he still has them and can still work. He has always worked hard and I am grateful for his ability to provide for our family.

I am thankful to be a teacher. I get to have fun with 19 great kids every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They say and do the funniest things; they bring me pictures they have drawn; and they even remember some of the important things I teach them like what is Peter's last name in the nursery rhyme Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater (His last name is Peter just in case you were wondering).

I am thankful to be a mom. I have 4 fantastic kids who keep me on my toes. They make me laugh, cry, worry, and wish that I had more kids....not. They each have a unique ability to make me feel as though my cup runneth over.

I am thankful for technology. I love things like email, blogs, facebook, twitter, and other computer gadgets that can take up too much time if I let it. I love text messaging, cell phones, and getting pictures of nephews from my sisters. I love DVRs: particularly the "skip back" and "skip forward" buttons. I love my Ipod, and being able to download General Conference so I can listen to a talk every morning while I get ready for the day.

I am thankful for cooking stuff like microwaves, crockpots, and food processors.

I am thankful for neighbors who let me borrow cups of milk, sugar, bleach, aluminum foil, or other things I run out of. I am grateful for neighbors who don't complain about the weeds in our yard or our lawn that needs to be mowed.

I am thankful for friends and family who invite us over for dinner, bring us goodies, write us notes, and laugh at our jokes even when they've heard them all before.

I am thankful for my parents who were faithful in keeping the commandments and stead fast in raising 11 children.

I am grateful for the sacrifice that so many have made so that I could enjoy the freedoms I have. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for my Savior's atoning sacrifice for all of us. I am grateful that my Heavenly Father knows and loves us all individually.

I am grateful to those who stuck around to read to the end of this post....thank you.

Happy Birthday Trevor

I was almost 26 years old when I gave birth to Trevor. I wasn't ready to have 3 kids. I was busy working at home doing data entry on the computer from 10 p.m.to Midnight and then I'd get up at 4 a.m. and work until 9 a.m. so I could be a mom for my kids during the day. I remember being tired all the time. Heavenly Father knew I needed a baby that was content, happy and even tempered.

I can not have imagined a better baby than Trevor. He would look at you as if he knew what you were saying. He smiled early. I remember taking him in for his shots. All babies freak out when they get their shots and I was ready for the battle. The nurse and I got his attention and she and I were talking to him and making him smile. He was so busy smiling and paying attention to us that he didn't even realize he just got stuck by a needle. He did this every time! I remember the nurse saying to me, "You have a special baby here." I agreed.

Trevor is a special kid. He is friendly in a quiet way. He is confident in a humble way. He is sweet in a "cool" way. Trevor has Christ-like characteristics that are unique to a few of our Heavely Father's children.

The best part is that Trevor turned 12 and was sustained as a deacon. He passed the sacrament for the first time today. He asked me if he did a good job. I said, "Of course." But I actually couldn't see him where I was sitting. He is always concerned about doing a good job. Trevor is awesome! We love him very much!

Young Woman in Excellence

I haven't gotten a chance to talk about Megan on this blog, so I would like to dedicate this post to her. Our ward had their Young Women in Excellence on Tuesday. It was an opportunity for the young women to display their talents. The theme was "Night at the Oscars..You Are a Star" with a charge from the YW general President, not to ever forget their devine worth. The Primary Room was decorated so beautifully with gold, black and white. There was even a red carpet for the girls to walk down. There were displays of the girl's talents and projects that they have been working on. Megan likes to make things. She likes to sew, crochet, knit, make jewelry, and much more. She made a necklace for Brooklyn. She is wearing it here.




She made a couple of ceramic bowls at school.






She made many earings and bracelets.




Each girl was also given an award for a special talent that they have. Megan was given the award for being "Helpful". She loves to help out and lift the burden from others. Megan is always thinking of others.

When I was in High School I had a friend named Linda who told me often that she was thinking about me, and hoping I did well on a test that I was worried about or anything that was troubling me at the time. I used to think that Linda was full of balogna. I couldn't imagine that someone would put my concerns over their own; even if for a minute.

Now I have Megan in my life who is probably the most thoughtful person I have ever known. Whether it's moving from the sofa to the floor so someone can have a seat or making cookies for someone; or giving someone a hug who is sad. It is Megan's mission to leave a ray of sunshine in each life she touches. I am so blessed that I have Megan as an example of genuine thoughfulness. Megan, you are my angel and I love you very much.

A Week in Review

What a crazy week we just had.

Monday we celebrated Brooklyn's birthday by going out to Carl's Jr for a quick meal and then went to see "Beverly Hills Chihuahua". The movie had mixed reviews among family members.

Tuesday we had a get-together to see Memo who was in town. Jilly went to the airport and waited for her. Jilly gave up and came to mom's where every one was gathered to see Memo and family. We called Memo to see what was going on. She wasn't scheduled to come in until this week. OOPS! We had fun anyway. We'll do it again this week. This time we hope that Memo and family will be there.

Wednesday was the last game of the Spartans.







GO SPARTANS! We got Trevor's hair cut and the hair stylist was a mom from the team and suggested we shave Spartan's in his head. Looks awesome!


We dropped Trevor off an hour before the game and went to One Man Band for some dinner. Brooklyn wanted to take a picture of me and Nathan.


We get to the field and the game was just about to start. The girls wanted nothing to do with the game so they played at the huge playground. The rest of us watched from the side lines.




This may be little league with a bunch of 11 year olds playing, but I will tell you, this game was just as intense as any college rivalry game. It was complete with one player being taken by ambulance to the hopital because of a head and a possible neck injury (we hope he is ok). Another player dislocated his fingers....yes it looked nasty and he was taken to the emergency room to get it straightened out (OUCH!); and then several more players were out with injuries. Our team dominated the game up until the last quarter when there were several huge mistakes by the coach and a couple of players which costed us the game.

This is the first year for these kids to play for the Spartans. They played kids that have been a team for 5 years. We parents are so pleased with their dedication and spirit. YOU ROCK SPARTANS!!

Thursday: Brooklyn had a school program celebrating "Things That Make You Go AHHHH!" It was fun. I have no pictures because I brought the video camera. I am learning that I need to bring both cameras everywhere I go.

Friday: Halloween. I dressed up like a witch, Nathan was "the sheriff" and the kids...well here's the picture.



Brooklyn put herself in charge of handing out the candy. She had a great time teasing the little trick-or-treaters with a fake mouse. She made coming to our house memorable for so many kids. They may never come back. We ran out of candy, and I had to go into the preschool stash for more.

Saturday: The most stressful and great day and the cause of my cold sore. The Pow Wow and Brooklyn's Baptism. Nathan was supposed to take the Boys to the Pow Wow on Saturday morning and stay with them until they were done at 11:45. They were then supposed to meet us at the church at 12:30 and Preston was to get fitted for the jump suit (He was baptizing Brooklyn). The baptism started at 1:00. But at 2:00 a.m. when Nathan came home from doing a Halloween Karaoke party, He decided he was too tired to get up at 7:00 to take the boys to the Pow Wow.

I proceeded to tell him all the girly stuff that needed to be done, like clean the toilets, get Brooklyn's hair in a braid, and finish the augraten potatoes that I couldn't finish because the store was out of Cream of Chicken Soup (who runs out of C of CH Soup?) The list went on and on. He said he could handle it.

Everything ran more smoothly than I had ever could have imagined. My mom came to the house to fix Brooklyn's hair, Megan and Brooklyn cleaned as best they could and Nathan finished the potatoes.





I was teary eyed watching Preston baptize Brooklyn. She was so excited! Nathan gave the confirmation prayer. What a great blessing it is to see our littlest child be baptized by our oldest. We are so pleased and blessed!

Our families went to our house after and had dinner.

We finished the night at the Utah Jazz game. We missed most of the first quarter because we wanted to watch the rest of the BYU game on the big screen tv they have at the Energy Solutions Arena. BYU won! We finished the evening with a Jazz win!

It was a great week.

Happy Birthday Brooklyn

Today Brooklyn turned 8 years old. It took over 1 1/2 years to get pregnant with her, but she came over a week early. I remember going into labor on the morning of the 26th. It is 30 or more hours from the first sign of labor pains to the birth of my kids. I usually go into the hospital when the pain is about a 5 or 6. Because I am usually in the hospital 8 to 10 hours before my babies are born, this time I decided to wait. Nathan and I got to the hospital about 8:15 a.m. I asked for an epideral. The nurses were dragging their feet because they knew this was going to be an all day event. Just as I had put on my hospital gown and needed to use the rest room, I felt like a truck had just ran over my stomach. I yelled, "I need that epideral!" The nurse checked and said, "It is too late." I screamed, "What do you mean it is too late!" followed by a few obsenities. Brooklyn was born just as Live with Regis and Kelly came on the tv. I would not recommend natural child birth. It is way over rated.



Brooklyn makes us laugh everyday! She says and does the funniest things. We just have to shake our heads. We blame it on letter her watch so much television. The other day she said to her teacher, "I struggle with short term memory loss." Her teacher was so concerned and said, "Do you really?" I guess Brooklyn sensed her concern and said, "Not really, I just forget things." She got this term "short term memory loss" from a medical tv show we were watching. She prays every day not to have nightmares, but she is fascinated by horror movies. It's a mystery.

Brooklyn and I were at Target a couple of years ago. Brooklyn was just being herself and saying funny and off the wall things. A lady who seemed to be looking at the same things we were, every once in a while would burst into laughter. She was alone, so I just thought she was crazy. She confessed to me later at the store that she was enjoying listening to Brooklyn so much that she was following us just to see what else Brooklyn would say.

Brooklyn keeps our family laughing! I tell her all the time. "I want you to stay little, so you can always make me laugh and be my little girl." That might be one reason why she doesn't want to turn 8. She says she is not going to turn 8. She is going to be 7 forever. So today she doesn't want a "Happy Birthday" song, or cake or ice cream, or presents. Our family is just celebrating her being our little girl and sister by taking her to a movie, and out to dinner. We love you Brooklyn!

Things Change

I love fall! The falling leaves signify a sort of shedding of old habits in preparation for the cleansing that winter brings. Fall is about change. You can fill it thick in the cool air. So to embrace change, I have also changed the template on the blog.

I don't like some changes, like BYU losing their football game today (sigh), and me celebrating my 40th birthday this year (bigger sigh). Some changes are fun. Preston went on his first date to the Lehi High School Homecoming Dance. He also got his Learners Permit last week so he can drive. UGH!

Some changes are significant. 23 years ago this past week I met Nathan. That day back in 1985, when I was 16, I never would have imagined that the guy I danced with at The Bay would not only be such a blessing in my life, but that he would be my husband and eternal companion about 5 years later. I have known Nathan for more than half of my life, and it is definately the best half. He is funny, charming, honest, generous, thoughtful, and he still thinks I am smoken hot (he never really had great vision). Thanks, honey for always being by my side. I couldn't have asked for a better 23 years. (Below is the 1985 Christmas Dance at West High School, two months after I met Nathan.)

Oops I Did It Again!

Yes!  Nathan has done it again.  This time it was his other hand.  I guess he had to balance out the pain and do some damamge to the other one. This week Nathan and Glen were carrying a mirror.  They began to lift it up and it broke and crashed down on his hand.  His hand was cut and he tore a couple of tendons in it.   So it is back to surgery.  Nathan has been doing this kind of work for over 20 years.  He got a couple of stitches about 17 years ago from a cut on his finger, so this is not normal.  I think he needs to get a new job.  Something that doesn't require the use of sharp objects.  If you have any ideas, let me know and I will pass them on to him.

Let me just add that in spite of these challenges, and during these economic difficulties that our country is facing, I am grateful that Nathan has enough work to keep busy. I am so grateful for all of our blessings. Life is good.     

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General Conference Packet

Last year my kids and I had a great time during General Conference. I found a packet that works for older and younger children. It will entertain them during all four sessions.

Here is a place to get General Conference Packets

Balancing The Good With The Bad

There must be adversity in life to make those times of joy much more sweet. These are those times. Nathan was at work cutting wood for framing. He was using a circular saw and the wood bound up and his hand slipped under the blades of the saw. OUCH! With all the blood spraying around, he thought at first that he had cut off his thumb. He looked at it and realized that the saw didn't even cut to the bone. He went to the insta care and the doctor stitched it up and said that he needed to go see a specialist. The specialist said that Nathan had cut some tendons and will need surgery. He had surgery last week and he is in a cast. Look at that thumb. I think he should be a professional hitch hiker.

The Road Ends Here

We arrived at the super secret location this morning at 8:00 a.m. Preston was brought into a room and came out deflated. The road ends for him on this adventure. Unfortunately we are not allowed to say anything more. We can take heart in knowing that he went farther in the audition process than all of his friends and thousands of other people. We love Preston and our proud of him. The next thing for him is getting an "A" on his Chemistry exam. And then asking his friend to the Lehi High School Homecoming Dance. GO PRESTON!!!

The Super Secret World of Show Business!

Nathan and I took Preston to a super secret audition today.  There was no publicity around it, and we were to tell no one what was going on.  We were running behind this morning getting kids ready for school and stopping at the drive up window at Mc Donald's for breakfast, and trying to find a place to park.  So we arrived about 25 minutes late to this super secret location on this super secret day.

When we walked into the doors there was no one but a security lady sitting at a desk.  She informed us that this super secret audition was yesterday.   Nathan put his head in his hands and shook his head.  He has been dealing with his own issues of almost cutting off his thumb with a circular saw, so this news was not easy to handle.  We showed her the paper we had received showing the date.  The security lady informed us that there were several young men in there just 10 minutes ago who produced the same paper and also got the news.  One young man flew all the way from Vancouver Canada for this audition and had been on the phone weeping.  Another young man was pacing the floor crying on his phone.  And another guy said, well if this is how show business is, I don't know if I want to be a part of it.  All the young men had left by the time we got there.  Where they went, I still don't know. 

We asked the security lady if there was anyone we can talk to.  She called someone on the phone and wrote down a name and phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to me.  Soon another lady came into the lobby and sat down and the first lady left.  The phone rang and she picked it up.  She hung up and said that we needed to go to "the other venue"  and gave us the address.  We walked over to this other super secret venue (I did not wear walking shoe and got a blister) and there was not a sole who looked super secret.   We went to a floor that looked like it could hold super secret activities.  There was no one who looked like they could help us.  We called the name and number on the paper the first security lady gave us and left a message.   We finally decided to try another floor.  Just as we were getting on the elevator, another set of elevator doors opened and I saw someone who was wearing a super secret shirt.  We got out of the elevator and stopped her. 

We were supposed to have gotten a call letting us know of the change.  To make a long story short, we are supposed to go back tomorrow to the super secret location for a super secret audition with the executive producers of this super secret production. 

We actually feel blessed that we were running behind, because we were able to get news that there was another venue.  We also felt blessed because at the same time we decided to leave, we found someone who could help us.  I know everything happens for a reason.  Preston was actually glad he was going to be able to go to school today.  Preston may not make it through, but we are happy that he has been given another chance.

You are probably wondering why I used so many "super secrets"  It is to add to the word count....One of the many ways I seek balance in my life is writing 500 words a day.  I passed by quota.  HURRAY......so until tomorrow.

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Air Supply Still Rocks

One of the perks of being the wife of a city councilman is the many events I get to go to and most of the time these events and activities are free.  One of those events was the Utah League of Cities and Towns Annual Conference.  It was held at the Sheraton Hotel in down town Salt Lake City this past week.  There was workshops, a golf tournament, and fantastic speakers.  To close the conference on Saturday, there was a dinner of fantastic food and thres leches for dessert...yum.  Finally Air Supply showed us that they still got it by giving us a memorable concert.  Three of the four band members were from Salt Lake City.  I thought that was pretty awesome.  I took some pictures using Nathan's phone.  I will post them as soon as I figure out how to do it.

http://www.airsupplymusic.com/index.html

My mind went back to the 80s when Air Supply ruled the airwaves.  During the middle of the concert Air Supply started singing the song "The One That You Love"  and had the audience sing the chorus a couple of times.  My mind was immediately brought back to that same girl scout camp I wrote about in a previous post.  Our camp director must have really loved that song because she had us all sing it over and over throughout the week.  On the last day we all (100s of girls) sang it to her.  It was very moving.

At family get-togethers,  we occasionally sing songs from the 80s.  Air Supply is some of my favorites to sing.  I was surprised that my little brother Nathan and my sister Jill knew the words to many of the Air Supply songs.  They are still kids in my book...not even 30 yet.  I believe that music from the 80s is the best music ever.  Back then the music was more important than how beautiful the singer was (Boy George and Cindy Lauper).  There was no wardrobe  malfunctions, no singers who wore very little clothing, no singers or bands who were constantly on the front page of tabloids revealing their shortcomings on a daily basis.

The 80s rocked!  and Air Supply showed me Saturday that they still Rock!

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The Declutter Delirium

In an effort to continue living a balance, I try not to acumulate too much of a good thing like shoes, clothes, decorations etc. When I buy a pair of shoes I must sacrifice another pair I already have to make room for the new pair. I have room in my closet for 21 pairs of shoes. Some of them can use a replacement. Is 21 pairs of shoes too many? Not enough? What do you think?



I love getting rid of stuff I don't need, so when Nathan asked me if I would set aside some time on Saturday to help declutter the garage. I said "Absolutely!!"

Nathan suggested we put out a "yard sale" sign down the street to see if maybe we can sell a few things from the garage. I was a little sceptical, but I went along. I don't like accumulating junk, so why would I want to sell people our junk. Well, as our family started to plow through the junk in the garage, people pulled up to ask what we were selling. Apparently "Yard Sale" signs are magnets for people looking for a bargain. My kids ran into the house and got all of the stuff they had set aside for the DI (Deseret Industries/like the Salvation Army). I was freaking out! I didn't want to have a yard sale, but I kept quiet and watched my kids have the time of their lives.

Wow! The kids were really in their element. Brooklyn demonstrated to a little girl how easy it was to ride the bike she wanted to sell. Brooklyn pointed out the bell on the front and the basket that could hold her favorite things. She offered the little girl her bike for 5 cents. I think we ended up selling it for $5. Megan showed people a stuffed animal backpack and how it had never been used and if someone wasn't interested in that, then maybe they would be interested in something else. Preston would point out something that they may like and then run up to his room, to get something they may like more. Trevor gave suggestions on possible prices for items they were selling.

We got much of the garage cleaned up, we created some HLV (Human Life Value) for the kids, and we made over $160. The very best part for me, was pulling out of the driveway to get lunch for the family and seeing the blinds up in the garage window. Nathan too those blinds down 5 years ago so he could paint the inside of the garage. I actually cried when I saw them. It was a great day!!!

Preschool Started Yesterday!!!

HURRAY FOR PRESCHOOL!!!!!


The balancing act continues......Yesterday was the first day of preschool. HURRAY!! I teach two classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and they are all adorable! Only the best kids come to my preschool. I don't know how I can be so blessed to have the best kids in my preschool, but it happens every year. Look at them! You can tell they are all future leaders (I don't mean of the country). They are the next generation of greatness. That's why my brilliant husband came up with the name of the preschool "Next Generation Preschool".

Speaking of Greatness. One of my students last year is Sadie. She was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer earlier this year. She and her family had these bracelets made for anyone who wants to bring awareness to this type of cancer. Check out her blog and wear a bracelet. This sweet family sure can teach us a thing or two about living a balance.

The Joy of Competition!

I never really thought of myself as being competitive, but I love the feeling that I get when I have experienced the thrill of victory! So I suppose there must be some sort of competition involved in order to be a winner. I loved watching the olympics these past two weeks! I was overjoyed when my teams ended their olympic experience in victory. Standing on that podium getting a gold medal must have been such a rush. All of the aches, pains, and losses must have been worth it just to be in that moment.

I remember when I went to girl scout camp when I was 11 or 12. We had a girl scout version of the olympics. I was in a race. I don't even remember the race or what kind it was, something like taking a spoon and running and filling a cup. What I do remember was winning the race and my troop (my sister Tifani was one of them) ran up to me and hugged me and screamed and cheered. They wrapped their arms around me and we all to the ground! I was never so excited about something I had done in my life up to that point! Looking back, I wasn't happy because I had one, but because I had people who loved me and cheered me on.

We had our annual Edwards Family Reunion this past Saturday. The kids and some adults participated in games and races. I watched my kids race. Some of them won and some of them didn't. Then it was time for the adult women to race. That was me. There was about 10 of us. Most of the women running were more than 10 years younger than me. I decided that I was in it to win it. When the word "go" was yelled, I ran as fast as I could. I got a slow start, then I began to pull away. It was just like a scene taken out of the movie "Chariots of Fire". I was so into it that I almost expected someone to cue the music. I was on fire. I was leading and then, the unthinkable. My feet slipped out from under me and I crashed to the ground about 10 yards from the finish line. I was devistated! I was ticked! But before I could even stand up, my sister-in-law Michelle, instead of stepping over me to finish the race, came and helped me up. Then she picked up my sun glasses that had fallen off and handed them to me. I may not have won the race, but I had someone to pick me up and encourage me. I felt like a winner.

I compete against myself a lot. Especially when it comes to housework. I like to use timers to see how much I can get done in 15 minutes. Last week as I wrote previously, went on a cleaning spree and an over haul of my house. I had a competition with myself to see if I can keep my office clean for a week. Now this is a hard task with school starting and computer work that needed to be done. Here is my office today. I call it the dungeon because it is dark and out of the way of the action going on in the rest of the house.



I managed to keep it looking clean, just like it was when I cleaned it a week ago. You should have seen it before I cleaned it. There was so much stuff piled on the desk I forgot for a while that I even had a desk calendar. Of course no one is going to run and give me a hug and cheer for me because I kept it clean. In fact no one will say anything about how great I am for keeping the office clean. That must be why so many mothers get discouraged about being homemakers. There are no medals, no cheers, no pay raises. For most of us, we have to get the joy by knowing that what we do is great and worth all the aches and pains. We have to give ourselves the medals. My medal of choice? Chocolate!

What a Productive Week!

This week is BYU Education Week. I love going to the campus and learning about the scriptures, how to live and teach by the spirit, and how to be a better person. This year however, I didn't want to spend the money (which is not much) and I didn't want to make that drive everyday. I decided to take the opportunity to do a complete overhaul of my house. WOW! I am almost at a point where I can take visitors on a tour of my house. Even the closets! I usually get burned out by Wednesday when attempting something of this magnitude. This week I can even walk circles around the Energizer Bunny. I was able to work like a mad woman and still go swimming with my sisters (Jill, Tifani, and Jamie and their kids), hang out with my mom, watch some olympics, go school shopping, go visit with some neighbors, go to the temple, and have a warm meal for my family everyday. Well, Monday was Little Ceasar's Pizza, but it was warm nonetheless. Tomorrow I am going to tackle the weeds in my yard. It may require more than gloves and a hand shovel, like maybe a backhoe, but I am willing to give it a whirl. Here's to production!

In the Beginning

I finally have a blog! I'm not sure why I picked today; maybe because I have a flower bed full of weeds that need to be pulled and it is 90 degrees outside. I am always on the look out for something better to do than what is on my "to do list".