31 Days - Finding moments

The Nester has put together a massive freewrite experience for bloggers everywhere.  I'm taking part.   It's called 31 Days (write31days.com).  This is an online October writing challenge where bloggers pick a topic and - just like it sounds - write about it every day.

I'm finding moments this month.



Finding moments to do what I've been putting off.

Finding moments to connect with those I love.

Finding moments to live in the present, enjoying the person right by my side.

Finding moments to plan and prepare, thus bringing peace of mind.

Finding moments to pause and look right into the eyes of my kids, and give them my undivided attention.

Finding moments to return to some hobbies I love and have missed.

...you get the idea.

This is Day 1.  Won't you join me?  All month I'll be sharing my journey.

Day 2 - Inspiring quotes + bath update
Day 3 - Purple Pride
Day 4 - Listen; He'll speak
Day 5 - Powerful words
Day 6 - Zucchini bread
Day 7 - End table vignette
Day 8 - Letting go
Day 9 - Repurpose
Day 10 - Lead me, guide me

Day 11 - Thoughts thru trials
Day 12 - Easy silhouettes

Google searches

So, I always get a kick out of what brings readers to my blog.

When I checked my stats for this week, google was still the top referring site (followed by Pinterest).

These are the search terms bringing me traffic on Google:

elmo cake pops
elmo cake balls
elmo cake pop
how to make elmo cake pops
tiny blue living room
curtains for light, airy look in bedroomm room
elmo lollipop cake
elmo pop cakes
elmo themed cake pops
golden curls baby

People sure do love their Elmo! :)

Closing a chapter

We had a marvelous Christmas and had our fill of family and gatherings and love and laughter.

 

It started with my brother and his new wife coming into town to be sealed in the SL Temple.

We overwhelmed her with our loudness and sheer numbers, but it was great to have them here.   Also visiting were aunts and uncles from across the country.

 

The sealing was very special.

 

 

Christmas Eve this year was with Strider's family.  Three of our kids took part in the program.

 

Bugs played three songs on the sax.

 

Potter and Princess split T'was the Night Before Christmas.  Princess learned the entire thing in school, and it was a proud moment for me as she recited perfectly from memory.  Potter crammed and learned the first half of it in an hour (the day prior).  He asked her to do the second half LOL.

 

 

All of us with Strider's mom

 

 

Strider's Grandma

 

 

 

We did pjs at my mom's, and sibling gift exchange.  Then Santa came.

 

 

 

 

Ths morning was magical.  We were spoiled. 

 

 

 

 

 

None more than me and Strider, as we got a new Canon Rebel DSLR!  Years of wishing has come true.  We are thrilled to be able to record our family happenings in a richer way.  So if you noticed a little higher quality to these photos in this post, you're right.

 

 

 

 

Today the girls got to wear their new dresses from Grandma.

 

 

 

The best best part of the last two weeks has been sharing time with my sisters and their kids.

 

 

Baby Brooke

 

 

Rosebud with sweet Sugar

 

Add in Sam and you have a triple bundle of cousin joy!

 

And our feelings are mixed.  As one sister continues college, one has to get back to Cali, and the other moves home for good!  But for a brief stint, we were all together for the first time since August.  We feel so complete when we're with each other.

 

 

Speaking of feeling complete....

 

I feel like my time as an active blogger has wound down.  I will miss this creative outlet but I am ready to turn my attention elsewhere.  At least for a while.

 

Thanks to all who have read my thoughts for the last 5 years!

 

 

 

On my mind today

I feel like all I have been doing is posting a travelogue, when this blog used to be about my thoughts and parenting and my latest crafty creation.

*sigh*

Well life has bit me in the rear end lately and the time I used to take for granted isn't there anymore.  Parenting that used to be done casually now needs to be planned and perfectly purposeful.  Crafts are - well - sadly nonexistent.

But here are a few thoughts and to-do's swirling in my head:


-General Conference for our church was this weekend.  I received many wonderful words of counsel and wisdom.  I will try my best to be better and make some self improvements.

-I complain a teeny bit about helping with props for the jr high musical, but I secretly love it.  I like being needed and working on something challenging but doable.

-Last week marked the 20th anniversary of my first date with Strider.  He went above and beyond with a thorough recreation of that original date and earned major brownie points.  So cute!

-I went to a PTA meeting this morning and actually enjoyed myself.  Is that supposed to happen?

- I just saw that today is $2 Tuesday at Gardner Village.  I may take the girls down for a pony ride while the boys are at scouts.

-Jedi is really working hard at mastering his new heavy homework load and rigorous schedule.  Last night his math was down to 45 minutes and at the height it had been taking him 2 hours!  He's making great progress.

-Speaking of 'challenging but doable', I am totally not hacking it in my newest online BYU class: Western Humanities.  I wish I could attend in person.  I think it's really a subject that would be better to have a lecture for (not that I have the time for that).  I have no grade in there yet because I am stuck on lesson 2 and the first paper is due in lesson 3, but I feel lost.

-Homework kills me.  Not mine, theirs.  I feel like Strider and I are classroom aides as we run from child to child during the evening homework time answering questions. 

-I want the election to be over already.  I am not overly political, but it gives me anxiety to keep observing the tennis match in both local and presidential races.  Let's vote, so that I can get used to who I have to support for the next term.

-I am super excited for Potter and Bugs and their musical in a month.  Like, really really excited.

-I am almost sad that Princess is in her last week of soccer.  It went too fast!

-I want to put Rosebud in dance again.  Trying to make that happen.

-We have been out of printer ink since spring.  Yeah, I'm serious.  I can't put it off any longer though.  Bugs has a paper due on Friday (in band, no less.  Band.  I took band for 10 years and never wrote a paper).

- I bought the cutest shoes last week with some birthday money.  I need to grab some jewelry to go with them I think.  Have you heard of Paparazzi?  Only $5 per piece!  I am trying them.

-Kids are so dang much work.  For real!  Oh I wish I were a wise parent and could make the right decisions as I go.  Instead I bumble around and stumble over myself and my methods and who the heck knows if I am doing more good than harm.  I pray every day that I can do it right.  Till then I hope my kids are resilient and that they will come out of this learning period on both feet!









 

"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

To-do today

Photo by Chacee

I was making my list (done and yet to-do) for today and felt like sharing it.

++++++++++++++++++
up at 5:50
read scriptures
Pizzazz choir carpool (6:20)
regular jr high carpool (7:20)
elementary safety patrol (8:15)
call in one kid sick and coughing
start crockpot with salsa and chicken breasts
empty dishwasher instead of the sick kid doing it (yuck)
not make the bed - Strider did it!
clean hall and clear hobby/craft desk area
get papers out of the kitchen - file the pile
fill out permission forms for ski trips and spring play try-outs
upload Rosebud birthday pics
do 2 loads laundry
clean out microwave
schedule dentist appts
write 3 thank you notes
clean out purse
get my planner up-to-date
order jr high yearbook (finally!)
get ready to do taxes
ask Jedi's teacher what activities she wants planned for Valentine's Day
read over some merit badge requirements so I can help Potter & Bugs
decide FHE tonight
blog (hee hee)
stop wrestling with the decision to Pintrest or not
finally watch Tangled with my daughter

+++++++++++++++++
Phew.  I love Mondays.

February Photo a Day Challenge

I'm following along with House of Smith's on the photo challenge for the coming month. 

Check it out:

Won't you join me?

On my mind today

~I think the Christmas break was a good amount of time. Strider and Potter head back tomorrow and the little ones are off track for another 2 weeks. We've had plenty of family time and I'm ready for a schedule again.

~ I really need to try these, and soon:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

~I have missed blogging so much. 

~Aren't these so cute?:

Spiffy Scissors

~I haven't picked up a book for pleasure in a month.  Need to remedy that.

~Christmas is put away.  Living room feels large.  Now I need to put things back on the empty shelves and I kinda don't want to.

~We did these and this lesson for FHE tonight.  Time for goal setting again after TOO long of not doing so. I also love the stuff in this lesson and may follow up next week with it.

~We changed something in the kitchen that makes me so happy. More later...

Merry Christmas to me!

At last, my dear Strider diagnosed the problem - a bad ethernet port!  I am back up and so happy.

Stay tuned for some catching-up :)

Blog blues

My computer is officially a mess.  Can't do anything with media (pics, videos) and it makes it pretty pointless to blog.  I get so frustrated with every upload and still get nowhere.

So, till Strider can clear off and restore this machine, I will take a break.  I have plenty of baking, shopping, music concerts, sewing, choir practices and sibling homecomings calling my name!

Merry Christmas!!

Still here

I haven't forgotten my blog.

1- My computer crashed a little over a week ago and although I'm running again, nothing is working quite right

2- The fantastic Thanksgiving weekend was super enjoyable

3- I lost both my camera's memory card (so I had to put some photos on my tiny internal memory) and the cable to upload (to access the pictures on the tiny internal memory). So frustrating.

But rest assured, we have lots going on here in my little corner. :)

Monday morning smile

All you faithful readers know I primarily write for me and my family.  And I'm also grateful for friends locally and around N America (Andrea, I included you there) who read my blatherings.  But I get an even bigger smile when I check my blog stats and see my visitor from Angola.

I love it when I have evidence that my baby brother, on a mission in Angola, is checking up on his sister during his weeky email time.  Love it.



P.S.  Now, who do I know in the Netherlands?

Why the Mommy Blogs

"I know why the Mommy blogs. It is very analogous, in my opinion, to why the caged bird sings [in reference to Maya Angelou's poem]. The Mommy blogs to have a voice, simply to be heard. Blogging is her way of singing, and she is often heard well beyond the "distant hills". Below is my original poem. I hope you enjoy it". ~Miranda

I Know Why the Mommy Blogs
written by Miranda from justdrinkacoke.blogspot.com/

Read it here.







A mommy sits down before her desk



and thinks of it all as if it's a test


and prepares her fingers to write a note, not realizing she'll change the world.






But a mommy that only sits and stares

bothers not to challenge the dares


her doors are locked and her children are napping so she begins to unleash her dreams.






The mommy blogs with trembling fingers


for a fear of ridicule that lingers


and her thoughts are read around the world


changing the hearts of all.






The ones who've had no chance to bear


can say anything, do anything without a care


she is one who needs not to blog for eveyone listens when she calls.






But a mommy blogs for not only herself


she blogs for her progeny, she blogs for her health


her doors are locked and her children are napping so she begins to unleash her dreams.






The mommy blogs with trembling fingers


for a fear of ridicule that lingers


and her thoughts are read around the world


changing the hearts of all.

I guess she was hungry

Caution:  If you're writing a blog post about your love of reading and Emma, your toddler just may get herself a snack.  I swear, if an earthquake or a natural disaster of some sort ever happens around here, this kid will be just fine.

Day 30

Day 30-A picture and description of how your day was

me, ten minutes ago

My day went like this:

7:00- up, dress for the temple
7:30- feed everyone, stress about leaving the oldest in charge for the second time in 12 hours
8:00- leave for the temple
12:00- home from the temple, everyone is alive.  House is in complete disarray.
12:30- feed everyone
1:00- clean the tornado alley
2:00- put the baby down for a nap and send everyone else off to the dollar movies
2:30- get out my book and sit in the recliner
2:35- snooze
3:15- read a chapter in my book, finally
3:45- check the Halloween candy stash and find a mini Milky Way still there - score!
4:00- search super bowl dip recipes and make shopping list
4:15- my sister calls to tell me they demo'd cake pops at her Michael's Craft store and mine were better
5:00- Niece Sugar comes over to play while I send her mom (another sister- due today with baby #2) out for a date with her hubby
5:15- wonder how two toddlers can fight over 10 baby dolls all at once

and here we are :)



This blog challenge has been so fun.  I have loved having something to write about each day and it has made me think of myself much more discriminately.  Thanks for still reading!

Day 29

Day 29 – Something you could never get tired of doing





Reading. 

Even if it bores Rosebud.

Day 28

Day 28-Something that stresses you out



I immediately get stressed out when I have too much going on.  Nothing gets my mood sour faster than a calendar that's too full or when I have too many places to be!  I'm a total homebody.

Day 27

Day 27-What’s in your purse

3 bottles of lotion, 31 cents, my wallet, a diaper, my coupon pouch, coupons not in the pouch, carmex, Burt's Bees lip shimmer, hand sanitizer, pink reuseable shopping bag, a seam ripper (huh?), a bobby pin, a paper clip, a few mints, a few goldfish crackers, random sticks of gum, the packet of all the kids' immunization cards, travel size kleenex, and some hand wipes. 


Yes, I took the opportunity to clean all this junk out.

Day 25

Day 25 - Put your ipod on shuffle, first 10 songs

I don't use my little ipod much except for entertaining my toddler in a waiting room, so I'll use my more common method of music listening - iTunes on the computer. 

Shuffle gives me these 10:

Break Your Heart
Pictures of You
Hey, Soul Sister
Viva la Vida
Only Wanna be with You
New Sensation
La Sonadora
Lucky
What is Love
Bubbly

Day 24

Day 24-A photo you took

PapPap and Princess, Oct 2009

Of course I have thousands of choices when it comes to photos I have taken.  Thousands.

I chose this one because I can see the emotion in both their faces as they bond over a book.  Each has a unique expression.  Each loves reading, as do I.  And she loves this guy, as do I.