February’s quote

 

I can’t remember who I am supposed to send it to.  If you want it, will you please leave a comment?

What it’s all about!

My friend Laura said it perfect when she said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  So, to share a thousand words with very little space, take a look at this!

 

If you want to read the store on this boy, click here!  I am grateful for the reminder of what he is doing there.  He is saving lives.  We miss him.  We really  miss him SO much.  I am very grateful for our friends here in Alaska that have taken time to check in on me and make sure we are doing okay.  I am VERY thankful for all the prayers and concern on our behalf, but most important, I am SO VERY thankful for a very loving Father in Heaven who knows my strengths and weaknesses and knows when he needs to step in to hold my hand.  At times, I feel like I am alone and fighting this fight by myself, but then something happens that brings me to my knees and I am reminded that I am not alone. 

Aaron - WE LOVE YOU!!!  WE MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY!!  We are so proud of you and know that you are doing a great job!!  Keep your chin up!!

31 random things

A few of my friends have done this and it seems like fun.  I may regret this!

1. I haven’t scrapbooked in months but just ordered  some stuff and am getting pretty excited!  (I got my stuff and cut out and inked the stuff for 4 layouts!)
2. I am totally addicted to Jonett’s Lemon Poppy seed Cupcakes.
3. I cut out fabric today for my friend Dana’s baby quilt.  It’s the first time since August I have sewed.
4. The Walking Foot scares me.  I need it for the project listed above.
5. I ran 2 miles straight last Wednesday for the first time ever!
6. I am a terrible speller.
7. I have a heart defect I was born with.
8. I will drop just about anything to help out a friend in need.
9. I am a NIGHT owl.  So, not a morning person.
10. I can type pretty fast.  The last test I took was 89 words per minute.
11. I miss my husband!  I miss his touch on my face right before he was going to kiss me.  I miss the pillow talk when I would run my fingers through his hair.  I even miss his dry sense of humor.
12. I’m a true night owl.  I could stay up all night.  The flip side of that is I can’t get up   to easy in the morning.
13. I have become a workout junkie.
14. I REALLY miss Ohio!
15. I am 1 week ahead in my New Testament Reading.  I am on track to finish the New Testament before the end of the Year and read the Book of Mormon before Kennie’s 8th birthday!
16. I LOVE Glee.  I guess you could say that I am Gleek!
17. I am kind-of excited to go running tonight.
18. I am going to run a 5K with Dana this year.
19. I enjoy talking to my friends on the phone!
20. I really like to listen to the Scripture Scouts that I got for my kids.  Reminds me of when I listened to them growing up.
21. When I was growing up I always wanted to be a high school math teacher.  Now I don’t know what I want to be!
22. I have started back to school with BYU Independent Study (my blood still runs RED people!)  Hopefully it will be nice to have something to focus on for me!
23. I think I have a boring life!  I’m having a hard time coming up with 31 things!
24. I need to go to the library.  I have a book that’s way overdue!
25. Lately, I seem to be crying myself to sleep often.  SO not fun and leaves puffy eyes in the morning!
26. My 2 year old knows all the words to Lady Gaga’s song Poker Face.  But, my favorite is probably Bad Romance  (Thanks Glee!)
27. I like to watch Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice.  Thank you DVR.
28. I need to send Maggie’s quilt to the quilter.  I finished it in August.
29. My kitchen is sparkling and my laundry is ALL DONE!!!
30. It’s 1 and we haven’t started school today.  We are headed to start now!
31. I broke the keyboard on my laptop.  Yep!  $70 is what it is going to cost to fix it.  Thanks to Ben, I don’t have to pay the Geek squad to do it because I’m an idiot when it comes to computers.  Although, Nate might know how to do it.  Should I chance it and have him try?

And, just for your viewing pleasure, here is another digital layout.  Watch for an amazing post at the beginning of next week!

The ups and downs!

This time last week, I was good.  House was in order, things were cleaned.  Spick and Span!  We were laughing.  Playing.  Joking.  School was completed daily and we were all getting along really well. 

 

Fast forward to today.  House a mess, tons of fires that need to put out, laundry to do, and cars to take care of.  However, I have NO desire to do any of it.  I woke up missing Aaron.  I threw a baby shower for one of Aaron’s co-workers.  I came home to a cleaner house, kids that wanted me to leave and a killer migraine.  Ya, fun, right. 

Have I ever mentioned that I don’t do well with chaos?  I’ve been flying with Flylady and that has really helped, but my desire to do any of that is gone.  ARG!!  I don’t like the ups and downs.  1 week from tomorrow we will hit 1 month with Aaron gone.  Sure hope we will all survive this!!

 

On a positive note – here’s another digital layout.

 

A giveaway...The Dating Divas

I love their blog!  They are doing a give-away a day this entire week! Head on over and check it out!

I've gone digital!

Check this out...first digital layout!!

It’s easy - take out your hearing aid!!

So, last Sunday, mom called me and told me about their Relief Society lesson.  It was on Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.  One of the older ladies in the ward told about a recent struggle she had with her husband. 

He is older than she is and hasn’t felt up to going to church lately.  He sits most of the day in his chair watching TV.  On Sundays, she just wants to read her Scriptures or the Ensign or just chat.  She doesn’t want to watch the TV or listen to the radio.  But, she feels guilty when she doesn’t spend time with him.  She was so excited when she figured out a solution. 

Ready for this….. She took our her hearing aid!  That way, she could be in the same room but have the ability to focus on what is important to her.  I laughed.  Seriously just laughed.  My first thought, is dear sweet Dixie. 

The more I have thought about this, the more I think that this can apply to even us without hearing aids!  It will take practice, but we need to learn how we can tune out those things that are distracting us from what is most important.  That is one of the reasons my focus this year is Focusing on What Matters Most!!  Spending time with my kids on my lap reading a book.  Writing my husband a letter, making a scrapbook page for the kids books or taking a bubble bath to clear my head.  My scripture study or personal prayer.  Family Home Evening.  Teaching my kiddos the basics of the Gospel, Language Arts or how to be a friend. 

My long list of things to do can wait.  My kids can’t.  In short, this year, I am going to learn how to “take out my hearing aid!”  If you are interested in my monthly sheets to hang in your house to help remind you of these principles, please let me know.  I would be more than happy to share!  I am so THANKFUL for the opportunity I have to stop.  Slow down.  Look around and see all that God has blessed me with.  So, are you ready to take out your hearing aid?  :)