Make Enough of Me

This song has been running through my head for the last month or so. I heard Julie sing it at a women's conference mountain retreat a couple years ago and I will never forget it. It's more applicable now than ever.

MAKE ENOUGH OF ME
Written by Julie de Azevedo


Overwhelmed and underpaid
Morning comes too soon
Running late and on my plate
A million things to do
Got a baby cryin’
Another trying to find the other shoe

When I open my eyes
The dam will break
Their need will flood my room

You made wine from water
And raised up Jairus’ daughter from her bed
From her bed
Filled the empty fishing nets
And with some loaves and fishes fed
A hungry crowd
A hungry crowd
Make enough of me to go around


My mother’s sick
And I’m late to pick up kids at school
I need to clean
Can’t fit in my jeans
The fridge gives no comfort food

You made wine from water
Raised up Jairus’ daughter from her bed
From the dead
Filled the empty fishing nets
And with some loaves and fishes
Fed a hungry crowd
I hunger now
Make enough of me to go around

Multiply and magnify
This tiny little life of mine
Enlarge me
And expand this heart
And fill it with divine

My heart is cold
Nothing grows
But thistles and some thorns
They choke the light
And shrink the vine
I need to be reborn

You made wine from water
And told a scarlet daughter
Sin no more
Sin no more
Surrendered to the garden
Through thorns and nails you pardoned
The angry crowd
The angry crowd
Make enough of me to go around
Make enough of me to go around



A few tidbits to start the week:



1. school



ANTHRO is kinda kickin' my butt.  I don't mind the reading so much.  The amount of essay writing is staggering.  Trying so hard to become a great writer.  Oh yeah, and still be a mom.

 

2. teacher appreciation door decor

Here is my outhouse.  Written with a Sharpie in 10 minutes instead of some fancy diecut letters, this is hard to see.  But it says "We {heart} our teacher, and that's not a load of CRAP".  And at the bottom "Enter with caution; the teacher is doin' her business" lol.  I thought I was clever.

3. shoes

Every year I buy a few flip flops or sandals.  I always shop based on price alone pretty much.  This year I went for comfort too, since I'm way more on-the-go.


Found these at DI for $2, and they are ultra comfy.  I'm pretty sure they're from Hawaii.  My Hawaiian friend Lohi and her family always wore them.  Now I know why.

And these nice black ones were a killer deal at 6pm.com.  Suede footbed, thick sole, leather straps.  Just $10 sent right to my doorstep.

I laughed at the care instructions: "Do not drip dry on the washing line.  Your shoes could lose their shape". 

4.  baseball

Jedi has games twice a week.  We have really enjoyed watching him and we're almost halfway thru the season.  He's a Yankee.  Not my first choice, but it's not too hard for me to cheer for blue.

5. soccer

This cutie just finished her season on Saturday.  She did a fantastic job, scoring in 5 out of 8 games, I believe.

What a tough little one she is.  She wore herself out every game, trying her very, very best.

6.  inspiration

Yesterday a man in our ward gave a talk about Jeffrey R Holland's conference address, Laborers in the Vineyard. 

In spite of working hard in this independent study class, I have been plagued with the memory of my wasted years in college and it is so troubling to me.  I know this talk wasn't directed at middle-age students like me, but those are the ears I heard it with.

I have marked in red those passages that have filled me with peace and gave me hope I didn't even really know I was seeking. 

He begins with the Savior’s parable of the householder who “went out early in the morning to hire labourers. Surprisingly, all received the same wage in spite of the different hours of labor. Immediately, those hired first were angry, saying, “These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.” 
"My beloved brothers and sisters, what happened in this story at 9:00 or noon or 3:00 is swept up in the grandeur of the universally generous payment at the end of the day. The formula of faith is to hold on, work on, see it through, and let the distress of earlier hours—real or imagined—fall away in the abundance of the final reward. Don’t dwell on old issues or grievances—not toward yourself nor your neighbor..."

"We consume such precious emotional and spiritual capital clinging tenaciously to the memory of a discordant note we struck in a childhood piano recital, or something a spouse said or did 20 years ago..."

"I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love.

"Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ".
(Thanks, Elder Holland and Brother Pugsley).

I am taking a long time to understand the fact that the Atonement isn't just for sins, large and small.  It also encompasses sorrows, hurts, past grievances, inequalities and injustices of all sorts.  Why can't I grasp the full meaning of that?  I'd live life with so much more perspective if I could just *get it*.  Oh well, I guess that's why I'm still alive.  I've got a LOT to learn.

   

"I Statements" challenge

i was … going to be a nurse


i am … okay with my age but not okay with my gray hair


i think … about my hubby all day long


i wonder … how we ever used to function without the internet


i wish … i had taken college seriously when i was 18


i save … money every way i know how


i always … sleep on the right side of the bed


i can’t imagine … all the kids being grown


i believe … that my Savior knows exactly how i feel


i promise … to start noticing the little things in life and stop letting time pass me by

City Creek

Over spring break we went downtown as a family to take a look at the beautiful new City Creek Center in SLC.

It snowed the morning we went, but the retractable roof was closed and kept us pretty warm.

The kids loved the bridges, the creek, the scenery

Rosebud pointing out the temple.

And the many fountains were a bit hit.

The girls loved this castle at the Disney Store.

We had a fun time on our visit.  There are obviously a lot of high end stores that are out of my price range, but not all were like that.  It was fun to window shop and look around (but I did pick up a little something for my next neice to be born sometime in the next few weeks).

If you're in the vicinity, check out the new mall!

Reflections 2011

I promised back here that I'd post Jedi's entry when we got it returned from the Utah PTA.  Here it is!

click to enlarge

Text reads:

Some are black,

some are white.

Some are heavy,

some are light.

We have rewards based on our actions,

not on our color of skin.

Let's focus on what we have in common,

not the differences between us.

It's great to be black,

it's great to be white.

They're all good

and that's alright.

Love Mondays

Ahh, it's Monday again.  Not just any Monday, but the Monday after every kid and hubs has gone back to the daily grind.

I have weeded, washed clothes, exercised, made three beds, folded a few hundred pieces of laundry, cleaned, played with Rosebud, painted 20 toenails, and matched about 23,954 socks. 

Life is good.

Girls room - cost breakdown

So here is the list of expenditures. The budget was tight, and I worked hard to make it great while being careful.

Dresser: reused, but painted pink ($15 paint)
Pink knobs: $10 at Lowes ($1 each)
Fuschia bouquet: $3 at Michaels
Green tin: $1 at Michaels
Scrolly frames: $3 at Michaels ($1.50 each)
Piggy bank: Rosebud already had it $0
Pink Barbie case: Rosebud's play makeup case from her b-day $0

sorry for the glare

SL Temple photo: downloaded here and printed as a 16x20 poster at Costco for $6
Temple frame: LDS distribution center, but already had it $0
Vase: already had $0
White blossoms: leftover from my spring wreath $0
Tea set: Princess already had it from her grandma $0
Child of God block: given as birthday gifts in Primary last year $0
Initial blocks: $3 at Michaels ($1.50 each)
Blessing dresses: memorabilia $0
Padded hangers: from lingerie $0
Wall hooks: $6 at Lowes ($3.00 each)

Dress form jewelry holder: $9.99 at Ross (used $5 store credit and paid 4.99)
CTR print: downloaded here and printed as a 5x7 at Costco for .50
CTR frame: clearance at Michaels for $2.99

Top bedding: $10 in the local classifieds; reversible comforter, sham, dust ruffle
Bottom bedding: her old Disney princess blanket, turned to the solid pink back $0

Chandelier: $10 in the local classifieds (it was brass)
Spray paint w/ primer: $4 at Walmart
Pink Charms: $3 at Michaels (.50 each)

Curtains: old window scarf from the master bedroom $0
Curtain rod: switched rods and curtain clips with the family room set $0
Chair and ottoman: free from local classifieds (read here) $0
Pillow forms: $4 at Deseret Industries thrift store ($2 each)
Pillow covers: unneeded dust ruffle from above $0

Bulletin board: $6 at Walmart
Silver frames: $3 at Dollar Tree ($1 each)
Command adhesive picture hooks: $5 at Walmart
Horse calendar: Princess already had from Christmas $0

Total about $100, not including wall/ceiling paint and painting supplies.  I was hoping to stay closer to $75, but part of the problem was that I was expecting to get free dresser paint (didn't pan out) and was going to repaint the old knobs (we lost one).  But I think the pink knobs are adorable, so I'm okay with it.

This project was fun to work on with Strider over Princess' birthday + Spring Break.  He was equally excited as me for his little girls to have a special place all their own.  We made a good team and he was great at all the painting and odd jobs that were required.  Even driving to Bountiful for the perfect chandelier.

The truth is, you can do anything on a budget.  I have found that if I'm patient, flexible and creative, what I want inevitably shows up for the price I need.  Besides, it's more exciting when that happens as opposed to walking into a store and spending a bunch of money (I don't have) to get everything all at once. 

The only downside is wanting to change so many other rooms in the house :)


Next:  Living room...

Pretty in Pink

Here it is...the Girls Room Reveal.

Strider has been working his hiney off this week.  So much for Spring BREAK - ha!

We set out to transform the room that has been "boy" for over 14 years.  Sure, a girl has been in this room for 7 years but we never made any part of it girly.  We had half ivory, half grey paint (2 walls of each), a dark green closet door, heavy wooden furniture, and bland canvas curtains with the boys.  A change was long overdue.

Our fixed pieces:

green carpet stays
brown wood bed stays (It's a huge beast - I was NOT in the mood to paint it)
green striped reading chair stays



So, without further ado:

I realized adding pink and bright white to the green would be the best way to make it work. The oak bed is balanced by the wooden shelf and bookcase, which we chose not to paint.    And when I say bright white, I mean it. The walls are very bright, the curtains are simple and light and airy.  It's beautiful.

These curtains don't look like much in the pic, but they are white with a subtle leaf print.  They used to be a long window scarf that I've had for ages.  I was so glad I'd kept it all this time!  It is airy but still provides privacy.  Perfect.  They are doubled over and clipped with cafe clips. 

I love this dress form stand that sits in front of the window.  It mimics the dress theme on the opposite side of the room.

Much of my inspiration for the room was wanting to have a place to display these memorable dresses worn when each of the girls was given a name and a blessing in church.  Why hang them in a closet when they could be out and be a beautiful decoration?

A few things atop the pink dresser.  I am still on the hunt for a tiny baby pic of Princess.  We weren't digital back then, and I have to dig one up.  But those frames make my heart skip a beat. 

One of my favorite parts - the pretty chandelier.  Definitely girly but not over-the-top.  I added pink wine glass charms to it.  Just enough bling to be sweet, not enough to look like a victorian mansion.  This is what makes Rosebud repeatedly walk into the room saying "It's so pretty!!!".

The practical side of the room.

Princess loves two things: horses and drawing.  She was forever hanging up drawings on her wall with tape.  No more.  I know she'd love a white board in here, but I didn't want to tempt anyone with white walls nearby.  So here she can hang her calendar and a few pictures.

And some beloved prints of both girls with horses. They love looking at them and remembering fun times.

I will give a breakdown of the cost and shopping list and details tomorrow.  For now just enjoy the view.



Linking to

Easter eggs

We colored eggs for Family Home Evening this week.

A cool thing about being a parent for many years is that you acquire lots and lots of those copper egg dipper thingys :)

Happy Easter!!