It's Been Awhile

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

It's been so nice to have a break!

Christmas break was wonderful. I desperately needed a break from the routine, and it was great to have the Mr. around more.

I've decided to spend a lot less time online, so I probably won't blog as often.

It's hard to sum up a month and a half in one blog post, so I'll just post a bunch of pictures instead.

Dad and the Bug making Adam's Christmas present.

Afghan I crocheted for a Christmas gift.

Little Buddies

3 men and a baby

Yes, it's been that long since I've posted pictures. Here's Jimmer and his basketball from Halloween.

2012 is looking to be a good year for us, possibly with a lot of changes. Every day is an adventure with the wee ones, but they sure keep us laughing.

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Taking a Breather

I'm taking a computer break for the next little while, so if I don't post on a consistent basis I'm not dead, intentionally ungrateful, or lazy. I'm just trying to simplify my life and focus a little more on the things that matter most.

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Grateful to be

Another year older















Growing up, my friend's mom would never own up to her age. She just kept turning 18 every year. I asked her once what was so shameful about getting old, and she told me that we live in a society that values youth and beauty. It's sad that she's right, especially since most of us spend so little of our lives in both categories simultaneously. At least according the the world's standards. The Mr. tells me that I just keep getting prettier and prettier. You know what the funny thing is? I think he actually believes it.

When people talk about being in the 'prime of your life', they generally refer to somewhere between the late teens and early thirties. I say it would be a pretty sad thing if that were true! Physically? Maybe. Mentally? Probably. But where it really counts? Not even close, I sure hope. In my little world, life just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. Life is harder now than it use to be, it's true. I have more responsibility, less time, and I feel like I can never get ahead in some regards. But I am happier than ever, at a deeper level than I use to be.

The more I come to truly know myself, the more I come to know others and feel real love for them, the more alive I feel. The longer I live, the more I learn; the more bonds I create with others. If a husband and two children bring me this much joy, how much happier will I be when I have four children? Six? Fourteen?...Okay, I'm kidding about that last one. The day that I become a grandma, I expect to feel like the luckiest person in the world.

The rest of my life is filled with opportunities to love. I hope that when I am 80 I can say that I am in the prime of my life. Until I'm 81, at least, and I realize what I've been missing.

Today I am 28, and I choose to wear it like a badge of honor. Until I can trade it in for an upgrade next year.


28 Reasons I'm grateful to be Alive

1. Isaac. What would my life be like without that little rascal? Calmer, that is for sure; cleaner, I think. Less stressful, maybe. A lot more boring for sure. A lot less fun and full of joy and laughter. Man I love that kid.

2. Adam. We are sure thrilled that he's a part of our family. What a sweet little boy!

3. Edward. I couldn't ask for a better husband. Really.

4. Family. It has been really fun to be so close to so many family members.

5. Financial Security. I think I will always be stressed out about money--even when we're billionaires. But in all reality we have been immensely blessed to have all of our needs met.

6. Friends. We are loving our new neighborhood and ward. So many people have reached out to us, and I'm actually having fun here.

7. As of the 14th, I have accomplished my 6 months without chocolate goal. Go me, I say. Thank you Ed, I say. It is a giant of a man indeed who will commit to such madness for the love of his wife.

8. Exercise. So much cheaper than anti-depressants. So much more enjoyable than dieting.

9. The most AMAZING news that my dear old friend Delbert has decided to come back to church after probably 50 years away.

10. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

11. Horseback riding.

12. Volleyball.

13. General Conference is coming up again.

14. Hand-me-downs.

15. My Mom. I'm not kidding--if you want to paint a bright spot on your soul, go spend some time with her. I've never met someone so selfless and caring. And it's okay--you can call her Mom, too. You wouldn't be the first.

16. Women.

17. Priesthood blessings.

18. The fact that kids take naps.

19. Cilantro

20. The beauty of nature. Seriously, think about it. Why did God put flowers on the earth? Do they serve any purpose besides just being lovely and lifting the spirits? That was awfully nice of Him to do.

21. Cool bed sheets.

22. The written word.

23. Good days when I can stay happy even if things go wrong.

24. Music. Ah, music is a wonderful thing.

25. Melted cheese. Oh, yeah.

26. Thunder storms.

27. Animals.

28. Eternal life.

Some things I am looking forward to accomplishing this year:

Go on a cruise

Can peaches, pears, and applesauce

Run a half marathon

Do a triathlon

Potty train the Bug (yikes!)

Sing in church

Sew a cute dress

Do 8 pull-ups in a row

Horseback ride

Meet our goals for paying down our mortgage

It's a secret...

Grow my hair out (pretty sure I'm always doing this one)

Love your life!

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It's a bird, it's a plane...

It's a baby!

Gracing us with his or her presence come June

What Matters Most

I was talking with a friend this morning about life and all the goings on these days. As I hemmed and hawed about decisions and my lack of patience and what I want but can't find, she brought me back to reality.

I was reminded by our conversation that so much of what I am currently worried about ultimately has so little to do with lasting happiness. And so, though a day late, today I am thankful for the things that matter most. I'm thankful for the Mr. and the Bug, and for the knowledge that we can be together forever. I'm thankful that I have the ability to make any house a home. I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who is keenly aware of me personally.

I have been selfish and short-sighted. I have so many blessings that it feels wrong when I know so many who are going through difficult times and intense hardships. I live a wonderful life.

My little kitchen helper

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Here we Go!

Stay tuned for the best cinnamon roll recipe of all time

There has been a major upset in the P. household. The Mr. was offered a new job too good to refuse. It is a huge blessing in our lives, and we know that it has come from the Lord. Because this new job will require 3 hours of commute time and an average of 10 more hours of work each week, we decided it is time to move.

Life has been quite busy as we prepare the house to go on the market.

We hope and pray that the house will sell quickly and for a good price. This is not the market to be selling. It is, however, a good market for buying, so we will just choose to see the glass half full, right? As tedious as the whole process is, it is kind of fun--for now, anyway. I enjoy watching the house transform as we prep each room and stuff most of it's contents under the house so that it looks less cluttered.

We are sad to leave our home, our friends, our ward, and yes, even Payson. We have grown to love it here. The cities up North seem so busy and overwhelming to me now. I really am a small town girl at heart. I am confident, though, that we will find what we need. What an adventure we are going to have!

Yay for a clean kitchen! And now to keep it that way...

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Rise and Shout

So we scored some tickets to a football game at our alma mater last weekend. It was fun to go back and sit in that stadium again. We took the Bug. I know, risky. We were worried about him bugging everyone around us. He did surprisingly well. I'm not saying he kept to himself. He begged for candy from strangers. He gave "stones" to a kid sitting next to me. He drove his car on the knee of the guy behind me. He wiped Sugar Daddy drool on the girl in front of me. Everyone loved him. That kid probably had more sugar than he's ever had because people just kept feeding him.

I turned to the Mr. and said "He's like a magic key. You could open any door with this kid." And it's true. The little punk has no inhibitions. He has no concept of social boundaries. No one told him that age, race, dress, hairstyle or gender makes a difference; that some people might be too

cool to smile at him. So what does he do? He doesn't quit until he gets a smile. There were times I almost stopped him because I thought someone would be put off by him. And then they were playing games together. If you don't look at him he will put his face right up in yours until you do.

Why aren't we more like that? He's so real! He doesn't try to hide what he's thinking or feeling. He doesn't judge. He just enjoys everybody. Maybe that's why Christ tells us to be like a little child.

I would, however, not recommend wiping your drool on a stranger.

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Another Day Another...

...Haircut?

I know, I know, I just barely got it cut. And it wasn't the right cut for what I needed. As it so happens, this cut is what I need. It looks a little boy-ish under a hat, so I've had to make some of them a little more feminine. The good news is that I touch my hair WAY less with it this short, so I've been getting by with some nifty headbands I've whipped up which is a refreshing break from the daily hat.

I'm pretty serious about this getting-rid-of-Trich thing. I've decided I've got too many other things I need to work on to keep dealing with this problem. Usually I try to fix everything at once, and I end up in a frustrated heap having accomplished nothing. I am going to beat this. And, when I have, I will lick the next thing on my list. Until then I've got to be patient and just deal with my other shortcomings.

But, I have to say, I'm kind of having fun.

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Gianna Jessen Part 1

I am so impressed with this woman and her message. It's a long clip, and it's worth your time. I couldn't locate the entire recording and I am a little inept on Blogger, so I had to post it in two separate posts. You should find the second part of her speech in the previous post.

Gianna Jessen Part 2

Stocking Up

Twice a year our local grocery store has a case lot sale. All of their "bulk" food storage items go on sale and we try to stock up on things that we use consistently. We have been counseled by our church leaders to store food for emergencies. But we're not talking 72-hour kits here.

"Acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life. . . . As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year's supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness."

L. Tom Perry

Since we've been married, the Mr. and I have tried to accumulate what food storage we can here and there; pulling a year's worth of food out of nowhere costs a pretty penny, so we've had to do it slowly.

I've always been a bit overwhelmed by it all; knowing what and how much to buy, how to store it, and especially how to rotate it so that we actually use what we buy. For my birthday this year my Mom got me this book:



I love it! No, I am not being paid to endorse this book. I wish. At the front of the book is a list of all the food you need for a one-year supply, and how much of each you need per adult in your family. So I wrote out a list, did a quick inventory, and figured out what we still needed for the very basics. We actually had a lot more than I thought. I then went to my handy-dandy Macey's case lot sale with some moolah we set aside for this sort of thing and went nuts. Well, half nuts, really. That's all that would fit in the cart. Then I did my normal grocery shopping, and filled up another cart. And next week I'll do it again.

I'm grateful for inspired leaders. Now if:

-The Mr. ever lost his job
-There was a local natural disaster
-There was a world-wide disaster
-Food prices spiked
-Use your imagination

We would be a little better off. That Joseph in Egypt really knew what he was doing (If you don't know what I'm talking about, see the musical. Or, you know, read the Bible).

Plus, the salt containers make great building blocks. Just sayin'.

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A day in the life

We've been a little down and out here at the P house. It started with the Bug, then passed to me, and now the Mr. is experiencing the lovely beginnings of whatever has been ailing us (but not to worry. It didn't keep us from having fun--picture a bounce house full of soap suds and half a dozen adults who act like they're twelve).

This morning the Mr. worked from home for a few hours so that I could sleep in (thank you Love). I got up to a disastrous kitchen that I didn't feel like cleaning yesterday. We waved goodbye to Daddy out the window just like every morning, and then we got to work. Get the dog up (the Bug's favorite part of the day, I think). Turn the water on in the garden while the Bug tries to climb the fence and re-route the hose. Dig up a few extra potatoes for the roast tonight while the Bug begs for raspberries. Find THIS:

Crikey!

I chopped potatoes and onions while the Bug threw carrot peels at Kizzy and giggled endlessly. Then he just brought the whole garbage can over for her dining pleasure.

I started on the dishes. The Bug pulled up a stool and whisked dirty potatoes in a pot in the sink.

I cleaned up the counter while the Kizz tried to sneak her way in through the garage.



Come downstairs to check the family website.

Come upstairs to find the trash can upside down and the Kizz in the middle of the kitchen.

Isaac asks for music.

Go upstairs to look at my list. There isn't one thing I can check off yet? Seriously? How is it already 11?

Isaac thinks it's funny to blow his nose without tissue. Repeatedly.

Prayer. Scriptures. Exercise. Finally.

Come upstairs to find the Bug using the pizza cutter. Awesome.

Shower. FINALLY.

Hair. Makeup. Get the Bug dressed.

Realize the crockpot is turned on but not plugged in. Oops.

Isaac draws on the table.

Time for snacks and then a run to the store for lime juice and jalapenos, and ice cream for Family Night.

1:30. Naptime!

See that the plug for the crockpot fell out of the outlet. Lovely.

Can salsa. Strong onions, lots of tears. A pot of hot water all down my front. Change clothes.

Ditch the roast. We'll try again tomorrow. Good thing there's chicken soup in the fridge.

Wish I had some chips--this salsa looks good!

Time to clean in between batches before the Bug wakes up.

I love my life!

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Comp Free is the way to Be

This is how we roll

So I had an awesome break from the TV and computer last week. Really, it was great. I organized, I canned, I visited my mom, and yes, my house is cleaner than it was two weeks ago, thank goodness!

It's funny, on Sunday we had a Regional Conference and Sister Beck spoke about her concerns regarding young mothers and all of the distractions presented to them. She spoke especially of the internet. Well, it's nice to know I'm not alone; I just thought I had an especially compulsive personality (you do, Shawna). Apparently it is an issue for many. Like so many good things, it is easy to go too far.

I think the perfect balance for me would be about twenty minutes a day. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of will power. So I am leaning towards keeping the computer off most of the time and turning it on once or twice a week to catch up on things. And computer+Isaac never equals a good time--it's going to have to be while he's either napping or down for the night.

TV isn't a huge issue around here. The only channels we get are the Discovery Channel and the Travel Channel. Isaac has a week spot for Cash Cab, but in all reality the TV is rarely on.

I have to say, it felt really good to be tied to one less thing. It's so easy to default to the computer. When it's just not an option, I slowly start thinking about what I really should be doing. I am going to try harder to get rid of the enjoyable-but-not-so-important things in my life. I think we've all got a few of those! Now to find joy in the less-enjoyable-but-really-worth-it-in-the-end things. That aren't really things. Things.



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A Break

I am taking a break from the computer. I need to refocus, and probably realize that I am way over-dependent on this thinking box of mine. What's that? How will you survive an entire week without an SBB fix? Oh, don't you worry your pretty little face. I am so thoughtful that I have gone ahead and prepared a post or two to keep you going. I know, I'm nice like that. Okay, so enough with the sarcasm. I hate sarcasm. Seriously now, I will be back next week. Hopefully my cup will be so full that I will have oodles of inspiring things to write about. Until then.


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Story Time

Once upon a time there was a girl who didn't ever feel like blogging, because her blog was suppose to be uplifting and she didn't feel she had anything uplifting to say. The End. Just kidding, it's not the end, but it is a true story.

I like to be perfect. Of course, I am nowhere near perfect, so I tend to be in a state of frustration most of the time. I forget that perfection is a journey, and it's not all up, nor is it intended to be.

If I did have any loyal readers (hypothetically speaking, of course, because I know that if I did have readers they would comment once in awhile so that I would know that I had readers :), they might notice that I haven't been blogging much on Tuesdays, my 'Trich' day. Hmm. Must just be a really busy summer. Well, that, and that fact that no one wants to write about how they're failing miserably to master something they are trying desperately to master. Especially on a blog that is suppose to be uplifting. Get what I'm saying?

I gave a lesson in Relief Society on Sunday about progression and setting goals (because, as we all know, the lesson is really for the instructor and not the class). Here is a quote that I found:

"For my part, I have concluded that the quality which sets one man apart from another--the factor which lifts one man to every acheivement to which he reasonably aspires while the other is caught in the slaugh of mediocrity for all the years of his life--is not talent, nor formal education, nor luck, nor intellectual brilliance, but is rather the successful man's greater capacity for self-discipline."

Benjamin N. Woodson

Oh that hyphenated word. It's the bane of my existence, that word! I could use a little more of it. Or a whole heck of a lot. Luckily, it's not one of those things you're either born with or you're not--it's something that can be developed. My husband is my hero. That man has more self-control than four of me put together...wait a minute...

So, I commence with my goal setting in an effort to develop more of this self-discipline stuff. As I don't really like failing at things, when I slip up I tend to fall farther than I was before I even set the goal. But this is me getting back up, because I know it will come. After all, the good man Spencer W. Kimball said:

"Success should not necessarily be gauged by always reaching the goal set, but by progress and attainment."

Well said, well said.

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Addiction and Recovery

It is always inspiring to hear a story of someone who struggled with addiction and rose above it. It's a real thing; it destroys lives, and it can be overcome.

Court McGee shares his "ultimate" comeback story

Vulnerable

I hate that being a woman makes me vulnerable.

Don't get me wrong; I love being a woman. But I do wish that some things were different.

This morning I was out walking with The Bug and I was stopped by an older gentleman. His teeth were yellowed and rotting and he kept smiling at me as he struck up a conversation. I tried several times to end the conversation and keep walking, but he would follow me and continue talking. I had an uncomfortable feeling about the situation, but I felt so mean just walking away from him. In the end I decided that he was most likely just a lonely man who wanted someone to talk to.





Do you see my predicament? I wanted to be able to stop and just listen to how he had polio as a child and all the food he can't eat now and the medicine he's taking...but there was a slight possibility that I could have been putting myself and my son in danger. A friendly conversation could very quickly have become very threatening.

I want to be able to assume that everyone has good intentions. I would love to be able to pull over when I see someone having car trouble, or pick up a hitch hiker, but it's just not safe. Where do I draw that line?

I'm grateful for the men who protect us and take care of us. I love it when The Mr. pulls over and helps someone in trouble when we're on the road, because I wish I could do that.



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The Lord Taketh Away

Yesterday afternoon I received a call from the Mr. letting me know that one of his cousins had died. He was in his twenties, and had just gotten married last year. Of the 60+ cousins that the Mr. has, I never knew Will very well, but it still hits close to home.
I thought of his young wife. Her whole life is going to change. What a tragedy. I thought of his parents and siblings. Especially I thought of his sweet mom, whom I love dearly. Her life has not been easy, and I can't imagine the weight this will add to her shoulders.
It seems that we can't take too many steps forward without being reminded how fragile life is. As the scriptures say, "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." I am so grateful for the knowledge that this life is not the end-all. Will's family will see him and be able to be with him again. It must be a comfort for them to know that even though he is no longer here, he is in a beautiful, peaceful place with others who love him.

I know that God is aware of everything that happens to us, and that our lives are not "accidental." There is purpose and an opportunity for learning and growth in all that we experience here on earth. "...all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." (D&C 122:7)

I also believe that those who have passed on are allowed to help us in ways that we cannot see. My Grandpa Boyer, my Aunt Cathy, my Dad--I think they are all doing their part to help us succeed.

And so here is my 'Thankful Thursday' post. I am grateful for life, and for the loved ones that I share this life with. I am grateful for the Gospel and for the plan of a loving Heavenly Father that gives me hope when loved ones leave for a time. I am grateful for a Savior that made it possible to live again after our physical death. I am grateful for those on the other side of the veil; those waiting to come to this earth and those who already have, who are cheering us on in their own way. So many blessings.


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Dad's funeral. Wish I had a good pic of him to put up.

Memory Lane

The past few weeks I have had one big blast from the past as I have gone through boxes and boxes of "treasures" from my younger years. The best have been the pictures and the letters.




It's funny, but when I look back on high school I usually remember it as a time filled with drama, loneliness, and frustration. Definitely not a period of my life that I cared to revisit. Yet, as I read through old notes passed between classes and filed through choir tour photos I remembered that there were some really good times. I had forgotten how close I was to my friends. I forgot how much they cared about me, and I about them. I am disappointed in myself for letting a few rotten moments sour years of good memories. So a big thank-you to all my old-school chums for the good times. There were lots.


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P.S. Sure wish I could get my scanner working. I would have some pretty entertaining pictures to share.