Wednesday Wisdom

Please forgive the lack of posts...

We're making a final push to get the basement finished!

Plumbing, electrical, drywall, doors, mudding, sanding, and texturing are all done, so I've been holed up in the basement for the last few days slaving away with a paint brush, roller, and gallons of paint. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and it is finally getting bright enough to see...WooHoo!

In lieu of more painting to be done, I'll leave you with this little tidbit of wisdom...

Stressed is DESSERT...

spelled backwards!

Have you ever noticed that all my treats involve chocolate of some sort???

Monday Mom-blings

Time seems to be getting away from me lately.

I thought that with the summer, and fewer places to be at specific times, I would be able to get a lot done. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.

Simply keeping the kids on task, keeping track of where they are, who they're with, and when they're going to be home, and keeping them from killing each other has become a full time job. Not to mention the fact that occasionally we like to try to get out to do something fun! (Although one could argue that doing anything with 5 kids in tow is anything but fun.) Regardless, summer seems to be flying by...and as I watch it fly by, I find myself thinking about all of the things that I should have done (including my posts) which haven't been done yet, and wondering when I'm ever going to do it.

I've put myself on a new schedule for the summer. I used to try to wake up, do a post first thing in the morning and then try to get everything else done during the day, but it didn't work very well. Occasionally I would get the post done, but for whatever reason, nothing else would be accomplished during the day. So I'm starting a new routine (actually the whole family is starting a whole routine.) We'll get up, and we'll have until 10 am to get done all of our WORK. After that will come all of the other stuff...in order of importance. Hopefully this will ensure that at least we do some kind of work for the day and then give us time to play/relax/learn/whatever during the day too. I'm sure it won't work like that everyday. I'm sure there will be days when we'll have to work much longer, and then there will be days when we'll just want to play, but hopefully this new little schedule will at least give us some degree of organization to our chaos!

Anyhoo...

Did anyone have a chance to do the week one assignment from last week? How did it go? What did you like about Pres. Monson's talk?

Here's the Week 2 Assignment

President Monson states: "Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings." Read and mark 1 Thess. 5:18. Make a list of 100 things you are grateful for.

This should be a fun assignment, but you may be glad that you have the entire week to complete it. It may take the entire week to fill the list! Good luck everyone! Feel free to leave a comment when you've completed the assignment and let me know if you made it to 100...that's a lot!!

Wednesday Wisdom

A friend of mine shared a site where you can create all sorts of fun stuff like those inspirational posters, etc. Suffice it to say that I had to much fun playing with all of the gadgets...but I thought one of my creations was appropriate for the wisdom of the day....

I love this saying! (I found it the other day...and thought it went perfectly with the pic, so I had to create a poster of it!!) It's one of those sayings that I might just have to have done in vinyl so that I can put it up on the wall in one of my kids rooms! FYI...I think it was Christopher Robin saying this to....Winnie the Pooh! Who else?? Love it!!

Monday Mom-blings

I consider my blog to be my journal; A record of what I've done; Somewhere to record my feelings, so imagine my surprise the other day to find myself contemplating starting a "real" journal. Actually, I've done it on and off ever since I was a teenager. I worked in spurts. I would write in it consistently for a while, and then just stop. Well, I'm on a "stop." I think I have been for about (get ready to gasp)....ummmmm, 10 years now! Yikes!!

So, I'm thinking about starting a written journal to record my progress on personal goals that I'm working on. Ways that I'm trying to be a better me; be a better wife; be a better mom. The things that I have a tendency to fall short on quite often that I don't want the world (or maybe my minions of readers...hehe!) to read. I'll let you know how it goes...but just in case you're wondering, I've been THINKING of starting now for about 2 weeks. Thinking is about as far as I've gotten thus far.

Here's a little program to help me out with my journal writing. I'd love to have you join in if you'd like. The program is based around Pres. Monson's conference talk from Oct. 2008, Joy in the Journey. (I've mentioned it before.) The program is a 31 day program, but I think I'm going to do it a little differently. Originally it was one of those "daily assignment" programs, but life is busy, and after starting it, I quickly found that I didn't have time to do a daily assignment. As such, I think I will make it into a weekly assignment...obviously, this will really stretch the program out, but I think it will work. Here's the general idea: Each Monday I will post the assignment for the week on this blog along with links for any articles, etc. that you will need to accomplish the assignment. You'll then have the entire week to work on the project, so if you don't have time right then and there, or if you want to think about it a little, or if life happens, don't worry, you'll have 7 days to do it before I post another assignment. You can do this project on your own, with your spouse, or with your friends.

That said, here's the general purpose of the program, and the first assignment.

Finding Joy in the Journey Program - This is a program focussed on preparedness. We all know we need to be physically/temporally prepared (food storage, etc.) but we also need to be spiritually prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Week 1 Assignment:

Read Finding Joy in the Journey by Pres. Monson. Ponder and highlight points that inspire you. (If you are doing this with your spouse, or friends, share these points with each other.)

Opt. - Enjoy an Almond Joy candy bar!

Teach Me Tuesday

Today's "teaching moment," while it may not necessarily be a great tute for you, was literally a "teaching moment" for me.

I decided today that I would make some little bean bags for a class that I am going to start teaching, so I got out the fabric, the beans, the scissors, and the sewing machine and started to work when other smaller, less-experienced hands decided that they wanted to help. Ashlynn was too enthusiastic about learning how to sew to say no, so what probably could have taken me 30 minutes to do turned into a 2 hour project...but I think we had fun.

We decided how big we wanted the bean bags to be. I did a little demo for Ashlynn. I showed her where to put the presser foot, how to guide the fabric through the machine, how to do a regular stitch and backstitch, and then how to clip corners and turn the bag, and then set her loose to make 9 more bean bags. I cut out new bean bags as she sewed. There were a few snags along the way, but for the most part, since she was just sewing straight lines, once she got the hang of the machine she did pretty good.

I can remember my grandma teaching me everything about sewing when I was younger...and I'll just say, "She was a better woman than I am!" I definitely like to work at my own speed and do my own thing, so trying to teach Ashlynn to do what I wanted just about drove me nuts! BUT...I'm glad we did it. She had fun, and learned a little (I think.) It's probably an important skill for her to learn. Maybe next time we'll try something a little more complex.

Anyhoo...

For those of you looking for a simple project to do with the kiddos, here's Ashlynn's instructions for making bean bags:

1. Cut out the fabric to the desired size and shape. (We made our 5.5 inches square) Cut 2

2. Pin right sides together.

3. Straight stitch (and backstitch) 3 and a half sides of the bag.

4. Clip the corners.

5. Turn the bag right side out.

6. Fill with beans.

7. Top stitch closed the opening left for the beans.

DONE!!

Good job Ashy!

Monday Mom-blings

With Father's Day fresh on my mind, I thought I would do a quick post on...father's!

Memories of my dad...

I remember sneaking out of my bed late one night, when I was a little girl, trying to catch a glimpse of who dad was talking to at the back door.

I remember dad teaching me how to throw and catch in the back yard. I remember dad trying to hide in the corner of the gym during one of my competitions so that I wouldn't know he was there.

I remember a record that dad got me for my birthday. It was just what I wanted, but because he had to work late I didn't get it until after I had already opened my other gifts and his record was a duplicate. I can still feel how horrible I felt thanking him for the gift, but telling him that I already got it.

I remember my dad trying to teach us kids how to play tennis....I also remember trying to find a good hiding spot when we knew he wanted to take us to play tennis.

I remember dad standing up on the hill watching me run in my track meets.

I remember returning home after a weekend gymnastics trip to dad's oven baked BBQ chicken. I remember sitting with my dad after he and mom were in an arguement.

I remember the disappointment he expressed in himself, and I remember telling him that I loved him.

I remember the pages and pages of math homework corrections that I would wake up to each morning cause dad would stay up after he got home from work and check my homework.

I remember my dad helping with the construction of our new gymnastics facility. Specifically, I remember my coach commenting on how dad "just came" and "worked hard" without question or direction. He just did it.

I remember dad stoically sitting beside me in the car as he was teaching me how to drive.

I know my dad is disappointed in "the father" he thinks he was...but I'm not. He's my dad. He has always done everything he could to provide for our family and give us (as children) every opportunity to grow and excel. Dad's quiet example has taught me many things. He has taught me how to work...and do it without complaint. He has instilled in me the importance of always doing my best and he has shown me how to do what needs to be done simply because it needs to be done...without need for direction or praise. I'm grateful for everything that dad has done for me, and what he continues to do for our family.

In the same respect, I am grateful that I married a man who, in his own way, instills those same values in our children. A man who loves his family, works hard to provide for his family, gives his children as many opportunities to learn and grow as possible, and who loves the Lord.

I suppose that's the difference between a boy and a man. You've heard the saying, "Any man can have a child, but it takes a real man to be a father." It's true. A father is a teacher; a mentor; an example. A father is someone willing to sacrifice his own needs for the needs of his family.

What a lucky girl I am to have such wonderful men in my life!

Wednesday Wisdom

Even Superman Needs A Dad

(Liz Lemon Swindle)

This is one of my favorite pictures, and I think a perfect piece of wisdom for Father's Day. And while I think the picture in and of itself speaks volumes, I think Liz Lemon Swindle's "Story Behind the Art" absolutely says it all....

Driving through a parking lot, I saw a boy and his father coming out of a store. The boy was imagining himself as a mighty hero, but he looked at his father with more admiration than any hero is likely to receive. Right then, I knew I had to paint "Even Superman Needs A Dad."

This father took an interest in everything his son had to say. Every moment seemed magical. While this little boy looked a bit out of place dressed in a Superman cape and red cowboy boots, his father could not have looked prouder. Who was the real Hero? Who was more in awe of whom?

When I look around at the thousands of Supermen who play alone each day it breaks my heart. Looking at these two I remember a wonderful father who took the time to be there for me, who taught me by example what a father should be. -Liz Lemon Swindle

Happy Father's Day to all those wonderful Dad's out there!