Nostalgic and Strange

  

Thirty-seven years, and almost 7 months ago I was married in the Idaho Falls temple in the above shoes.  For months and maybe years, I would go to the temple with my mom and Judy and look at my shoes and say, "I really should get myself some new temple slippers."  Part of me just never got around to it, and another side of me was having a hard time letting go.  Well, a few days ago Judy sent me a belated b-day present and guess what it was, you can see them, new temple slippers. 

  

 While they are very pretty, and much needed, I have to say it was hard throwing away my old shoes.  Amy rescued me in the nick of time.  Thankfully I had thrown them away in one of my many packing garbage's, so no food or gross stuff in it.  She said I should save them put them in a shadow box and hang them up in my sewing room.   I have to say that made me feel so much better about my new shoes, and I love the idea of keeping my old ones in a shadow box. Thank you Amy!!!!

The pic below is my life right now!

                     Even though I am totally excited, happy and giddy about moving, it is strange to take pics off of the walls, empty out my tea party stuff and see boxes everywhere.  We are going to take some down to the house this week and put them in our locked closet because we no longer need it for the rental.  It normally has cleaning suplies, extra pillows and etc. Now I am going to get a little head start and put our extra things that go in our bedroom and bathroom that we don't have to have right now.  I am excited to get rid of a few boxes. 

Well I hit pay dirt last night.  I was doing my last minute shopping at Freddies and asked them if they had any boxes, did they have boxes, YES!!! I was so excited.  I got a ton of banana boxes and some other kinds.  I don't know if that is all I will need, but its a good amount for now.  

My parents are coming tomorrow.  We have our big dinner for Christmas on Christmas Eve, so no packing most likely tomorrow.  Then maybe mom and I will pack some on Christmas, or just be lazy.  I don't know which right now.  Even though it is exhausting, it is stressful to know it needs to be done and I am staring at it!

Even though I might be talking to you all, have a

 VERY MERRY CHIRSTMAS!!!

Started Packing and life's lessons

We started packing!!! Hooray!! We will start moving back officially on December 31st,  2 WEEKS and 2 DAYS.  We are excited we can hardly stand it.  I think that is the only thing that is getting me through NO decorations and no family except my parents for Christmas.   We got all the holiday stuff up in the in our attic at Idaho Street and a lot of other stuff in the high attic there also.  It felt so good. I have packed all the Tea party stuff, salt shakers, and all my breakables in the Sewing room.  I also packed the whole sewing room, except for the machines and some basics in case there is a sewing need before then.  Finished all the Christmas stuff on Tuesday and got it mailed off that day. It felt good.  Am packing every day now, going through and getting rid of things.  Had the back of my van full of bags and boxes that I took to St. Vinnies.  It is feeling gooood!  Almost every day is packing or sorting now. 

We had our Christmas party last night.  The Primary was in charge I found out less than a month ago.  It went wonderful, but next year I will plan a little better.

Yesterday was an interesting experience.   I wrote about my fast I had, well since then I have been focusing on enjoying the moment and being pretty successful.  I have pretty much accepted the speed with which things are going.  Yesterday at the end of the day I was so happy I could hardly stand it.  As I wrote in my journal, it was a great day!  But as I wrote I realized it wasn't a great day.  I wasn't depressed as I wrote, more amazed at the way the end of the day made the whole day seem great.  It went like this.  I got up and exersized, so far so good, then stared making cookies and brownies (for the Branch Christmas party). Was exhausted so took a much needed break (it was a very physical week) watched a cute Hallmark Christmas movie, kept feeling like I should take my shower then finish the movie-didn't listen to the prompting-then the phone rang.  It was one of our vacation renters, I had forgotten to tell our cleaning lady to go in and it was one of the times they had paid for cleaning.  It was just about 1 1/2 hours before we had to leave to go to the church.  Remember, I hadn't showered since Thursday, and it is Saturday, I had done the elliptical-sweaty- plus greasy hair by now.  I call the cleaning lady and her car is in the shop, no way to get down to the house to clean.  I have to take her.  I jump in the car to her house which is in Newport, about 7 or 8 min away-got back to our vacation rental, remember how I look, go to the door, apologize in person.  Fly back home with 20 minutes to get dressed, no time for a shower, I still have to pack my cookies and brownies.  I call someone else to pick up the Santa suit, because now there is no time for us to do that (I acutally had that all covered then our Santa canceled at the last minute)  I have a tension headache by now.  Now I have about 10 minutes to put on my makeup, clean clothes on my dirty body, (thank goodness I had planed to wear my Santa Hat!!) and roar out of the house with Steve to pick up one of our sweet primary boys that we have adopted so to speak.  Steve drops us off, runs back to our rental to pick up the cleaning lady and take her home.  I start setting up with Merlin (he's my 11 year old adoptee) wondering where my counselors are.  After about 15 minutes one of them shows up, her son helps us and her husband goes to get the Santa suit.  Still no 2nd counselor.  Then we look for table cloths, we find some Christmassy ones that don't really fit, but oh well they work.  We go to get the cups and etc, NO CUPS!!  Debbie my counselor calls her husband to pick up some cups on his way back to the church.  In the meantime my other counselor finally comes in and she has no decorations.  We ask as sweetly as we can where they are, and she said they are supposed to be there.  Nope they aren't.  Oh well too late worry about that.  People start coming we are all set up but no Pianist!  I call Chris and she says "I'm coming"  in a very lackadaisical tone of voice.  Then the party starts, I ask the branch Pres if he is conducting, he says"no you're in charge".  Okay I ask Steve to say the opening prayer, I realize I am going to lead our singing time.  By now I am acutally starting ot relax and having a really good time.  Santa comes in and we hit the jackpot!!! He better never move as long as I am Primary Pres. (his wife is my amazing counselor, so I really don't want them to move).  He was the best Santa I have ever seen.  He actually talked to the kids walked around and talked to the adults quickly and then we all yelled goodbye to him.  Everyone ate, I got to visit with all my Primary kids and the adults.  We had yummy treats and plenty of them.  It was a success.  Everyone loved it and lots of people stayed and cleaned up.  On our way home we took the stuff out of the back of my car that went in the high attic at Idaho street, and kept looking at each other like two little kids on Christmas morning, talking about the move back.  All the way home I kept saying "I am soooo Happy!!!"  I learned that in the end, everything always works out, one by one everything came together just at the right time.  I also thought it was interesting that I had totally forgotten how the day was actually kind of hard.  When the day was over it felt great.  I told the primary kids today in Sharing time that the reason I as so happy, ( I told them a VERY abbreviated version) was because I was serving and when we serve we feel the love and light of Christ.  Our sharing time was  about Christ being the "life and the light". 

I am grateful Heavenly Father loves us so much that he gives us learning experiences.  I love my calling.  I feel privileged to serve these great little kids.  It helps with the grandma ache I get off and on when I look at the blogs. 

love you all!!!

Fasting

My life right now has 3 big things.  Getting ready to move, WW's having a new program and tons of reading, studying, test taking and etc, and last but not least, Primary. 

I found out 2 weeks ago that the Primary is in charge of the Christmas party.  Thank goodness for an amazing counselor who loves the internet and is always coming up with new ideas.  Some days it's overwhelming, but lately I have decided to look at her as my idea woman.  She's my Jarad of the Brother of Jarad story.  It's great I've decided. (I am not comparing me to the brother of Jarad!!!!) Then there is the whole getting ready for the New year, bulliten boards the theme and etc. 

So combine all that with regular chores and Christmas and I  was going to bed crying every night as I would hit my knees to say my night time prayer.  I have all but quit watching TV unless it's a movie with Steve at night. I havn't been able to talk to people as much on the phone, and leisure has disappeared.  So as I would get down to say my prayers I would be so overwhelmed by all I have to do and feeling like I wasn't getting anywhere that it was getting really stressful and quite frankly depressing in a way I haven't been in a long time.

Saturday as fast Sunday approached I thought, "what do I want to fast about.  I felt strongly (Holy Ghost telling you strongly) that I was to fast about how to get everything done and not be depressed.  So I did.  I listened carefully to the Testimonies and got some thoughts. Then during the 1st Pres Christmas Message the answer came.  I have noticed for sometime that Pres.  Monson says that it is possible to be happy in hard times, and I have generally looked at life in a positive vein.  But Sunday it hit me in a way it never had, all 3 of them talked about looking for the blessings in a little different way.  I realized that what I needed to do was when I got down to say my prayers and when I write in my journal I need to thank Heavenly Father for all the good things that happened that day.  Not think about all the things I still have to do and what I didn't get done.  Instead I just started thanking Heavenly Father for everything that specifically went well that day, not just the normal things.  I came to know in a way I never have before that when Pres Monson says there are more good things in our lives than bad, he is RIGHT!!!!  I went on and on, and then this morning and through the day I thought of even more things that went well yesterday.  There truly are way more things that go good in a day, not the generic, grateful things that are always there, but lots of little things and big things that don't happen every day.  I woke up with a happy spirit. 

Love you all!!

Thanksgiving

Since Danielle is all grown up and not around to talk me into buying fun holiday things, I have to go around and open my eyes for a change and talk myself into to buying fun holiday things.  I couldn't resist these two.

The holiday season is going to be different this year.  No chillins and grandbabies.  For Thanksgiving we are having my parents and two of my cousins that I have only met one other time.  One is married and has a 10 year old girl, the other is single.  They are 2 of my Aunt Leona's children.  It should be nice.  I am making all the food and my mom is making all the treats.  Which means we will be doing about the same number of things :-).

I won't be decorating much this year as we are moving back to our "beloved" as Steve would say, Idaho Street home!  Yay!!!  So since I like to decorate big, and that takes a week at least and then a few days taking it all down, I won't be decorating much.  I think maybe the tree and a Santa... or maybe 2?  It will be hard for me, but I have lots to do.  I want to go through every drawer, cupboard, and closet so we don't take what won't fit as well as what we don't need!  I am actually excited about that.  I also am going to paint my sewing room down there before we move and a few other odds and ends.  I have primary to do also and of course everyday life, soooo busy busy busy!  Because of that I think with the exception of Scarlet I will be sending everyone a check for Christmas this year.  Well, that's all for today!  Love you all!! 

Breakfast and Misc Pics

I was exercising on my elliptical this morning and was watching Chef Brad do his Thanksgiving Special from last year, when it popped in my head that I didn't have any cooked grains in my pressure cooker or my fridge. I have had eggs the last two days.   Now years ago if you had asked me my favorite breakfast, I probably would have said eggs and toast or a scone.  Now I still love those, but when I think of breakfast now days I think of whole grains.  I have my favorites- spelt, Kumut, farro, oat groats.  But I make all kinds. I feel like I am treating my body to the healthiest thing I can eat.  So after exercising and being entertained and reminded of how to cook a Turkey the Chef Brad way, I went upstairs sad about breakfast.  Then I thought there has got to be a grain that cooks fast.  By now I am very hungry.  I look on my chart and the first one-Amaranth!  So I made some amaranth.  Now I don't know if it's up there on the top of my list, but it is definitely a good one.  I added mixed berries, my flax, which I have to say after several days without my ground flax I felt all warm and fuzzy when I got it out of the cupboard to grind it up, organic brown sugar, coconut oil and ah... as Chef Brad would say, "perfection!"   I am a happy girl!

This is a tea pot that Rebecca's family got me for my b-day.

 When Rebecca and the girls gave me this I thought it was so beautiful, but I was so tired from babysitting that it didn't occur to me the connection of Alice and the " tea party".  I had to laugh at myself that it took me so long to connect the two of it being a tea party scene and I would be using it for the tea parties!
This year I went to a party with some WW friends on Halloween .

 Last but not least, I had to blog these, my mom made them for me for my b-day!  Fun Fun!!

 
 Well, I need to get busy, so I will post the other presents another day.  Love you all!!!

Grains and Happiness Project

Well, I have lots to blog, but am probably only going to blog a little.  Chef Brad has started again...ahhh love that show.  It motivates me to eat well, and to try to incorporate more grains in my food.  Lizzie got me some GREAT grain cookbooks for my b-day.  They are written like a novel.  I love them.  They really motivate me.  I am hoping to start cooking more things like that.

I have been reading the Happiness Project.  It is really good.  I realized that I don't do things I really love.  One thing I realized is I do like to cook, but I don't do fun new things.  I just cook boring things.  I watch chef brad make these cool breads and I get all excited and want to do them.  It is weird how hard it is for me to do things I love.  I love to paint, but am afraid to do it on my own unless I am taking a class.  So why don't I take a class?  I love to sew for myself- why don't I?  I love to take pictures, now that it's easier to post them, I need to take pics and post them.

I have decided it is about habits and routines.  At WW's this coming year, one of the things they are going to focus on is routines.  I have thought a lot about that.  I got about 8 pounds above goal for the first time in almost a year.  That really threw me and puzzled me.  When I started reading the new focus on routines I really I realized that my routines were interrupted so many times since June that I couldn't seem to get back into my routine.  I stared to think about routines in general.  If doing fun things are not a part of your routine, you won't do them.  So I am going to try to figure out which thing I want to incorporate first and make it happen.

One of my counselors in Primary (Joy King)  told me that she never does her hobbies unless she wants too.  She say's if she makes herself do them it becomes work.  But it was clear, being in her two room craft area that she does do things she loves.  So normally I would go into the sewing room and sew Mach nine with my hair on fire to finish Brighton's quilt.  But when Joy said that I thought I am going to sew when I am in the mood.  It has been so much fun.  I stopped when I was tired.  I have wanted to sew more than I have, but again I seem to cheat myself of fun.  So that is what I am going to work on this year more than the 50 thousand things she does in her book (the happiness project lady)  I am going to start recognizing and doing things I love.  And I am going to remember I am doing it for me and that is a good thing.

I think when you have a big family and you spend so much time serving, it is hard to change gears and say it's okay to do something for me, or something for someone else but take time to enjoy it.  Plan far enough ahead to be able to enjoy the process.  Well, duty is calling.  love you all!

Mixed emotions

Well, I was doing the dishes after watching Fox News for most of the day feeling very depressed.  Thinking this ranks right up there with one of the most depressing things I have ever experienced, Mitt Romney losing the election.  Then my mind thought, no it's not that bad, but still very depressing.  Then for some reason my heart started to feel lighter.  I thought of some of the things that have happened in our family that have been really bad, Amy's cancer, Danielle, Clay, and Scarlet getting Lyme disease.  There are other things more personal.  I can think of nations that suffer tremendously.  Do I think our country is headed down the wrong road?  YES I DO!  But is the gospel still true? YES.  Do I have a family that loves me and each other? YES I DO!  I could go on and on.  

Pres. Monson Said: "We live in a unique time in the world’s history. We are blessed with so very much. And yet it is sometimes difficult to view the problems and permissiveness around us and not become discouraged. I have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness.

My brothers and sisters, the Lord is in all of our lives. He loves us. He wants to bless us. He wants us to seek His help. As He guides us and directs us and as He hears and answers our prayers, we will find the happiness here and now that He desires for us. May we be aware of His blessings in our lives

Let us be of good cheer as we go about our lives. Although we live in increasingly perilous times, the Lord loves us and is mindful of us. He is always on our side as we do what is right. He will help us in time of need. Difficulties come into our lives, problems we do not anticipate and which we would never choose. None of us is immune. The purpose of mortality is to learn and to grow to be more like our Father, and it is often during the difficult times that we learn the most, as painful as the lessons may be. Our lives can also be filled with joy as we follow the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord admonished, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”¹ What great happiness this knowledge should bring to us. He lived for us and He died for us. He paid the price for our sins. May we emulate His example. May we show our great gratitude to Him by accepting His sacrifice and living lives that will qualify us to return and one day live with Him."

The above quotes came from 3 different talks that Pres Monson gave in this last October conference.  It is my prayer that we may all drink deeply of his words.  Let them sink deeply into our hearts and believe our Prophet.  He speaks for the Savior.  I know this to be true.

I love you all!!