A Good Reminder!!

Life has been a bit crazy the last few weeks. We have been getting ready for school, Mackenzie is starting college, Jacob is in 11 grade, My dear husband is back to work at the college (I love watching him and Kenzie head out the door every morning together!!) and we also received the sad/happy news that the littles are heading back home to be with their mother. I say sad/happy because it depends what end of the story you are on!
It really is a success story. One of the reasons we have foster care is to keep little ones safe but also to give the family the supports they need so that everyone can be reunited again. We have been able to be a part of this work, but I can not lie, our hearts are broken and we will have to take some time to heal and move forward.
That being said we have been blessed with a great feeling of peace and comfort that I know comes from our Father in Heaven. It is a miracle and I am grateful... it doesn't take away the sadness, but it does allow me to know that all is well.

Now the other reason I am posting today...
I received a comment on one of my posts wondering if I might be suffering from depression.
At first I just closed my computer and felt embarrassed that someone I don't know would think this. I wondered about my posts and have given it some real thought. 
I decided to publish the comment (still not sure why I have to approve each comment but I do) and I also want to share some of my thoughts!

First, I am grateful that he had the courage to bring it to my attention. We seem to have a hard time talking about depression and all mental illness. But it is an illness. I am pretty sure that my family and friends wouldn't have any trouble telling me to go to the doctor if they thought my arm was broken  or that I need antibiotics. Yet we do seem to tippy toe around this issue of  mental illness.

After Jacob was born I did struggle with depression- maybe postpartum, maybe from having my hopes and dreams shattered, maybe from complete exhaustion, both physically and mentally or maybe a combination of all of the above. I remember being in the passenger's seat of our van with my dear family driving over a crazy, scary pass in the mountains. I put my head against my window looking down at the great drop off, one I find quite terrifying today, and thought 
"hmm if we just slipped off the edge I wouldn't be so tired anymore."
I didn't want to grab the wheel and make this happen, but I think you can agree that this was not a healthy thought. 
I am grateful that I had both family and friends that could see that I was sliding and struggling and helped me to get the medical help I needed. I was able see my doctor and get the medication I needed and the counselling I needed to help bring me out of that scary place.
For me, I was able to eventually come off of the antidepressants and stay off them. I know that this doesn't happen for everyone, but that is not weakness.  I believe that my depression was from the circumstances that I was in. It felt to me that the medication brought me out a great hole to level ground. I was then able to deal with my emotions around what had happened and to find my purpose again. I will be forever grateful that the medication was there to bring me to that point.
Not all depression is the same. Some will need to be treated a lot longer then mine did. Some will need to be treat for life. I wish that we could all see this as okay. I have a dear friend who takes medication every day to help her regulate her insulin levels. I would never tell her or expect her to "toughen up" and try to do it on her own. That would be absurd! Yet it seem that the goal with mental illness is get off of the meds no matter what the circumstances... Why?

I remember sitting at at a friends house playing games. The topic of depression came up and the mother of one of my friends said to another woman her same age, "I wish I had known I could have used depression as an excuse when we were having children." they both laughed. Maybe incidences like this make us think that we should feel less than others, weak, foolish or  that it is all just in our heads- it is not!
I can guarantee that neither one of these ladies had ever suffered from depression. It is not something that can be laughed away, snapped out of, nor is it an excuse. I don't even know what that means. It is real. It takes the proper help to deal with it and it is an illness, just like diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease... and it can and does kill. 
We need to take it seriously and never make someone living with it feel that if they would just do ABC and D they could get themselves over it. 

Now that all being said, I am confident that I am not suffering from depression at this time. I have had a few hard days that I have shared, I am very sad that our lives are being affected by these crazy changes right now, but I do feel great peace, hope and comfort. .
I also need to remember to share more of the happy days. But my goal is always to be real. Sometimes I can get off of reading facebook posts and blog posts and feel like I must be doing something wrong cause my life just doesn't seem to be as rosy as everyone else's. Is that just me?
My life is messy, it is messy and crazy, it is sometimes hard, and there are days I just want to run away to a little cabin just outside of some cute little country town, where I can bike in for some groceries that I can put into my little basket on the front of my bike, where my back yard is the ocean, where I can sit on my little adirondack chair sipping peppermint tea, watching the sunset and listening to the waves roll in... (hmm one might think I have given this some thought..)
But I love my life! I love all that I am learning. I love knowing that I can do hard things- I don't always like to, but I know that I can! I love that I have been blessed with an incredible family, amazing friends, my health, a beautiful part of the world to call home and the knowledge that I am loved and that I am enough! Life is Good! 

I hope that you have a GOOD day! I plan to!

And thank you Bryan!

Weakness

Confession, I am not as strong as I want people to believe I am and Sundays are my very worst day EVER!! 
I know they are suppose to be a day of rest, a day of worship, a day of rejuvenation, a day of service, a day of reconnecting and re covenanting with my dear Father in Heaven...
Here I sit as church about is about to start alone, at my kitchen table. My dear husband has come home from his morning meetings after a crazy phone call from his equally crazy wife, about a broken head rest on Jacob's chair and the extreme lack of allen keys in this house and why didn't he see that it needed to be fixed yesterday?? He has fixed the chair, gathered all of the children and taken them to church by himself. I know that this suppose to be a gesture of love and service to me, but instead it reiterates my feelings of weakness, uselessness and not enoughness.
Especially after spending the whole day yesterday on an adventure with a dear friend of mine. I should feel energized and ready to begin again. But I don't.
I wonder why?Why do I feel this way? Why are Sundays the worst? Why do I find it so easy to see all of my faults and so hard to see any of my strengths? Why?

I wonder if maybe Sunday's are so hard because there are so many expectations. I am suppose to get up in the morning to my Sunday ready home, kiss my dear husband good bye so he can happily be off to his early morning meetings. I get dressed in my beautiful Sunday best, Dress my children in their Sunday best, do their hair super cute- something from Pinterest perhaps, feed them yummy goodness, have beautiful reverent, spirit inviting music playing in the background, read over my Sunday school lesson, throw something yummy in the crock pot so we can eat when we come home, teach my dear children some wonderful story from the scriptures, prepare one of the sweet littles to give the opening prayer in primary, And arrive to church early so we can sit sweetly in our pew feeling the spirit with gentle smiles on our faces before the meetings begin!!!!

 Ah Lovely!

This is how my morning went... I awoke to our youngest crying and wanting out of her crib, soon followed by her brother and sister running up and down the hallway yelling and screaming and asking demanding something to eat, My dear husband got himself ready and kissed me goodbye with that look in his eye that lets me know he is just not sure I will be able to handle this!
I get up get everyone something to eat, send those who can off to dress themselves, I dress the youngest,she doesn't want a diaper or a pull up, she wants underwear, I give her underwear, they are dressed in everyday clothes cause I ain't no fool! I get Jacob up, discover his head rest is falling off, I look in the garage for the tools, I can't find them, I call my dear husband, he is sweet, I am frustrated, my mood spills over right through the phone to him! Hooray , I have ruined his morning, he is coming home... I feed Jacob in his bed while waiting. Our youngest is now naked running up and down the hallway, I get her dressed, I step in the puddle she has made, I clean it up, Dear oldest daughter is awake and upstairs to help? no, yell at me because she thinks I have looked at her funny and am somehow making a comment about how she looks, now she is not going to church, she tells me about her adventure the night before climbing through caves and hiking, she feels better and runs off to get ready for church, dear husband comes home, quickly finds the tools and fixes the chair, asks what is wrong, I mutter something about feeling inadequate and how Sunday's seem to hold up a mirror to my weaknesses, he says he will come back to help get everyone to church, I tell him I don't need his help, he gives me another look and leaves, I get the two year old dressed again, find the new puddle clean it up, try to put her in a diaper or pull up, wrestle to get a pull up on her, lose, put her in her bed until she puts the pull up on, hear the cries for a snack, get the snack, check on the two old, get her out, clean up the snack, get the two year old DRESSED AGAIN!!!! Dear oldest daughter leaves for church, work on filling the diaper bag, throw white shirts in the drier because ironing seems like too much work, find the boys ties, warm up leftovers for lunch, put youngest son in a time out for pinching his sister and to perhaps save his life, finish getting lunch ready, continue on getting the diaper bag ready, gather everyone around the table and feed them, they inhale and want more, I get them more, youngest son now wants the blue plate, has a melt down over the not getting the blue plate and doesn't think he has as many noodles as his sisters, get through lunch, wash everyone's faces and hands, find everyone's Sunday clothes, realize we don't have anything to take to church for snack, run out the trailer to get the sugar cereal, come in to find youngest son in his church clothes on his hands and knees on the garage floor checking the new bunnies, take him inside to see if I can save his Sunday pants, get the two year old DRESSED AGAIN, tie the boys ties, tie everyone's shoes, dear husband comes home to find me in my closet trying to find something to wear, I realize church starts in 15 minutes, he decides to take them all himself, I tell him he'll never be able to do it, he tells me he'll figure it out, I take it as an insult that I couldn't, he gives me that look again, he loads the children into the van, I collapse in the fetal position on my bed...

Yup!! True story of my great day, happy day, so proud of myself day!!!! 

UGH!

I am going to find some chocolate, perhaps take a nap or maybe watch Mom's night out, although to be honest I don't think I'm strong enough for that movie today!!! Maybe just the nap!

I know that I am not ending on some uplifting note, sometimes they take longer to come,plus I know you are still laughing about my morning, likely because you understand it! If you are not laughing and are now crying, I am sorry. Leave me a little comment below with your address and I will share my chocolate with you!! 

Take heart, this is but a tiny moment and great times are just ahead. Until then, hang in there have a good cry and know that you are loved! I hope to!

Jacob, Tobii Eye gaze, Shaw news!!

https://youtu.be/iUa29HAPk4I


I am just trying to figure this all out, but this is the link to Jacob's video on Shaw news!  I hope it works or you!

Change!

And once again our lives are changing!  
I actually love change. Too long in one "spot" seems to leave me dreaming of something new! Maybe that is why we have moved around so much.
This time we are not moving away. It is our children who are making all of the changes!

Leaving for the MTC! 

We have just arrived home from dropping our dear son, Nathan, off in Provo Utah at the Mission Training Center. He will be there for a few weeks before heading off to Halifax where he will serve a two year mission for our church. Although we have been planning this for years, it was still hard to drop him off and drive away.  I am grateful for emails and happy news that he is doing well and not homesick at all!

Saying good bye

Our dear Mackenzie is starting the countdown for high school graduation. She is making summer plans that don't include anything on my big brown paper summer calendar that I make every year. Instead she is planning her own adventures with her friends. Then she will be off to college and maybe a mission of her own!
I am excited to see her branch out and explore her world. This is what I have been working on their whole lives~ getting them ready to make it on their own,  But boy oh boy, it is hard to be left behind. I wonder and hope that I have given them the tools they will need to be happy and successful!

It could be 3 1/2 years before they see each other again!
 Glad to know they will miss each other!!

Even our dear Jacob is making plans without me and is excited for his own adventures.  He will be 16 in a few weeks and is planning his first date with a sweet girl. They will be double dating with his dear sister and her date.  He was very clear with us that a double date with mom and dad is just NOT cool!! Whaat???

There are always many changes with the "Littles". Our five year old is finished with preschool and getting ready for kindergarten. He is need of a bigger bike and we are even talking about taking off the training wheels! Our 2 and 3 year old are working on mastering the potty. Their favorite words these days are "Me do it" and "I do it myself"! 

All of these changes are wonderful, positive, exciting and expected.  I am grateful to be the mom and to have a front row seat to watching it all unfold!
I will still take out the big roll of brown paper, draw on some calendars, make some plans, fill in the days and go on my own adventures with whoever will come with with me. Maybe some geocaching, a trip to the zoo, swimming lessons and a hike in the mountains!  We will continue to make more memories but I will always cherish the memories of years gone by!

He didn't even look back!!
Love this guy!

 I hope you enjoy the changes of your day!  I plan to!

So, This Happened!!

I just love how life works!  I find it interesting that opportunities arise when we least expect them!
I got a phone call the other day from our amazing friends at Children's Allied Health, wondering if Jacob and I would help them with promoting Speech and Hearing Month~ the month of May!!
Soooo, we did!  
Jacob is trialing an eye gaze system that allows him to speak using a computer. The camera on the device picks up his eyes and he looks at the symbols and chooses what to say!  
It is AMAZING!!  It is opening up his whole world!
Jacob has had 2 other trials before this one that haven't gone as well.  But this time he seems to have bought into the idea that he has a lot to say and wants to be heard!  And today he had the opportunity to do just that!
We were interviewed by Lethbridge's Country 95.5 radio station, Global news Shaw news, and the Lethbridge Herald.  
It was a bit nerve racking at first, but in the end it was almost fun. I LOVE watching this boy shine.  I love that the world can see his wonderful, funny, lovable personality and get to know him like we do~ his "crazy family"!!

On our way in to be interviewed... Jacob was not sure this was a good idea!!!

All set up and waiting! Those are some of the Books Jacob has been working on!

Still waiting!

Started with taking pictures! 

Showing off some of his creations!!

After being in front of the camera, Jacob was able to see what it was like to be behind the camera!
(People are amazing!- thank you Quinn!)

A very tired guy!
~being a super star is hard work!!~

If you want to watch the piece, it's on Lethbridge Global News and Shaw news tonight (May 16th) @ 5, 6 and 11!  Or watch for him in the Lethbridge Herald! We would love to know what you think!!

Hope you have a star studded day! I am!

On the Lord's Errand!

It is Sunday.  Most Sunday's find me sitting with my dear family in a pew at church, usually struggling to keep our little brood quiet and together.
But today I am home with Jacob and one of the Littles who are not feeling well. The house is quiet because everyone is cozed into their beds for a needed rest.
As an attempt to make my Sabbath day a bit more spiritual, I have been watching some wonderful videos on lds.org. Usually I love to do this. I find it helps motivate me to do better, to strive to follow God's plan for me.  But as I began to watch On the Lord's Errand , I couldn't help but wonder if I am following the path that the Lord has set out for me? Am I doing enough? Am I on the Lord's Errand?  
Just at that moment I glanced over at a plate sitting on the table next to me, with the left over bits of a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich.  I couldn't help remembering being in the hospital just after Jacob was born. He was only in the hospital for 11 days, so short compared to some little ones who come into this world fighting to be here. But they were the longest 11 days of my life.  
I had 2 other little ones waiting for me at home and although I knew they were being well cared for, I remember yearning to be back home, in my kitchen doing something "normal" like making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!  

I have made many sandwiches since that day and I am so grateful to have done so!  It is mundane and repetitive, but it is filling the needs of my dear sweet family! 
No, I am not out serving all of my neighbours everyday, I do not hold a "big important" calling in my church right now where I am asked to sacrifice tons of my time and energy.   

But, I am a Mom! I get to help raise these sweet, amazing little ones into amazing, talented, productive big people!!  
It is so easy to forget that the service we provide in our own homes is just as important- maybe even more important then the  service we provide outside of our homes.  It doesn't often get much recognition, and I am pretty sure no one will be asking to make a video of my life, but that is not what matters.

What matters is that I AM living the life that the Lord wants me to live. I am right where He wants me to be. I know that He is aware of me and my little family. I know that He cares about what I am doing because He helps me on a daily basis. I am grateful for the path that I am on and I am grateful for all of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I have had the privilege to make in my life, and the reminder they are to me that I am enough!!

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!  I am!

You Can't BE SERIOUS?? REALLY?

Warning: This post is about to get personal. 

I can not share what I have been learning without exposing one of my weaknesses.  I wish I could, but it is just not possible, so here it goes...

I will just come right out and say it, I am a clutter-aholic.  I have spent the last 20 years of my life struggling with trying to keep my house clean. It is true. It has been a crazy struggle! I have tried making lists- OH the trees that have been sacrificed on my behalf, I have tried following blogs and getting an email a day to help me know where to start (you can imagine how well that worked), I have read books, I have asked friends to share their secrets and I have even gotten CRANKY!... It all ended the same way. Clutter and mess!

I have spent hours cleaning only to start again with just as much mess as when I began!

I have cringed when someone has come to the door unannounced and apologized for the mess. I have invited people over just so I would have a deadline to get it all done, I have put my dear children through countless Saturdays trying to get a handle on it all, I have thrown stuff out, taken on the twenty item challenge, I have poured out sweat and tears over this for years...

Yup, you guessed it, it all ended in just more mess!

So the other day I was on Pinerest and it is full of pins right now about getting organized.  I came across one- it promised to give the ONE THING that I needed to know to get my house in order!!!  I opened it up and it said....

FINISH WHAT YOU START!*

Really? Are you kidding me. Seriously?  This is your great advise!!???? 
Isn't that always the goal?  Do they not understand how crazy that is when you have children???

I closed my computer in disgust. How dare they make my struggle so simplistic. Finish what I start. Isn't that what I tried to do EVERY SINGLE DAY!? 

It bugged me for the next couple of days. Like really got under my skin, so I decided to prove it all wrong and I did this...

This is where it gets personal... 


I picked up my camera and started to take a look through the lens. After all a picture can't lie right?

My kitchen floor-
The wheat and flour left out after baking
two boxes from the recycling that was taken to the back door but not to the bin and mysteriously brought back to the kitchen... hmmm
a random hanger and receipt

The other side of the floor-
the broom that didn't get put back in the closet after my umteenth time of sweeping,
stuff from the cupboard the girls love to play in, a baby doll and a pot holder

Another box from the recycling, Christmas decorations that got taken down, but not put in their box in the storage room, which by the way, ended up scattered around the house before I got back to them... hmm

pens and pencils and scissors not put back into their drawers, yeah those drawers right there that you can't open!
papers and pictures, a movie and some miscellaneous toys that didn't get back down to the basement...

The smoke alarm that didn't get put back up after someone burnt the french fries, the cord from the phone, toys that need  to go down stairs,
Is that the screw driver we were looking for?
Pretty sure this shelf was pretty at one time

Front door- Shoes and boots that need to go into the closet, back packs, coats that didn't get hung up
(the closet is just to the right of this picture- closer to the door then the couch)
Really???

Laundry that is folded but didn't get put away, the same coats and a shirt to iron

A basket of clothes to be put away- made it to the room, but not the drawers, books that need to be put on the book shelf,.

toothbrushes that didn't make it to the drawer- yes the drawer right there, hair stuff not put in the box, yup that very box you see on the counter, multiple face clothes that might be clean??? but who is going to take that chance -lets just grab a new one...
And how many tubes of toothpaste does one bathroom need?

Okay so maybe there is something to this, UGH!
But how do you do it when you KNOW that you WILL be DISTRACTED?  The post went on to say that you should never start a job unless you know you can finish it.  Well that is liberating, I will never start anything EVER AGAIN!!!! WOOHOO!!!

Not so.

Here is my kitchen. I came in here just after putting the littles to bed. And having all of those pictures in my camera.  The kids weren't going to interrupt me, but the whole kitchen seemed big, and I was tired after a crazy day... maybe I could break it down a bit. The counter from the fridge to the corner, I could that...

The counter from the fridge to the corner- maple syrup that someone took out of the fridge to find something and didn't get it put away ( that is liquid gold people!), a random toy duck with a very annoying quack- so that is why it got "put up", a box of cookies that goes in the cupboard above the microwave- yes that microwave, a loaf of bread that goes in that corner cupboard that you can see- the one that is open. oh yeah!
decorations that need to go back up to replace the Christmas ones, candy from stockings and a jar- it is broken, but no one seems to have the heart to throw it out!
(What are we going to do with it???!!)

 I was able to do this quite quickly! So on to the next- the corner to the sink!

A glass from who knows when, 

This is the random stuff that came off that little corner shelf.  Who's toothbrush is that?
 Do those batteries even work?? 

Sink area!
I even cleaned out under the sink so I could put stuff away that belongs under there!

 Next: The sink to the corner. Then if I am tired I will go to bed...

That dang recycling is really starting to get on my nerves!
Old Christmas treats, clean dishes that no one really knows what to do with!

The corner... Happy Chickens tonight!! Out is goes- except for my brother's homemade nuts and bolts! Let's not be crazy!!
Had to clean out another cupboard so I could put that stone away. The broken shelf from the fridge is under the sink holding the soap and brushes!

There is no way I am going to bed now... I am so close to being done!!
Stove to corner!

Two failed loaves of bread- wild yeast is tricky- out to they go to the chickens!
Rice- two kinds WHY?
a dish that I got for Christmas that needs a home...

Compost bucket, more failed bread dough, failing wild yeast, cleaners I have been using but didn't get put away, a Christmas box.....

Two and a half hours later...
And here is the end result!!!

So much better, peaceful even!

I even cleaned the silver!

That is what I want to wake up to in the morning!!

Oh yeah it can be done, but can it be maintained by someone such as I???

Let's face it, I am a creative soul, I like to make a good mess all in the name of art! The quote at my front door is from Yours Mine Ours 
"Our home is for free expression, Not for first impressions" 
And I WILL NOT keep my children from messy play- it builds brains you know- seriously! 

Well it has been a week and it still looks like this! We have played with play dough, moon sand, sewn, painted and we do have to eat everyday!! I actually feel more creative!! 

My dear loved ones are a bit tired of hearing 
"If you haven't cleaned up,  the job isn't done"! 
"You aren't done eating lunch until I can't tell you did"
"You aren't done playing until the toys are put away"
"You aren't done doing your make up until the counter looks as beautiful as your face!"
"You aren't finished having a shower until the bathroom is clean too!"
"You aren't... Well you get the picture!

I am here to tell you that it works.  Sad, but true.  All this time I just needed to finish the job!!
Ugh. All of that wasted energy.

I love that it frees me up. Breaking a big job into smaller jobs frees me up to get started, only thinking about one job at a time frees me up to focus. and when it is done, 
I am free to do whatever I want!!!!!
I have found that my dear family is much happier cleaning up this kitchen after supper then the cluttered one. 
And best of all... It is spreading through out the house! Everyone is starting to see the beauty of it, that or they just don't want to hear "You aren't done until...."
Whatever the reason, it doesn't really matter, I am just so happy it is working!

I hope you never waste time underestimating the simple... I won't! I think I might go and have a nap or create something!!!  Oh Happy Day!!


* I am trying to give credit where it is due, But there are actually quite a few pins that give this advice.  I am not sure which one was the one I read first (since I closed it quite quickly after reading it), but I will try to find it!

Getting Ready for School!!

Maybe I am getting a bit carried away with the photos, but I love how they tell a story. 
So here is a morning in the life of Jacob!

He's a bit sleepy in the mornings!

Ready to get dressed!

Shoes and AFO's left and time for breakfast... but not before a clamber of little siblings wanting a ride to the kitchen!
(They climb on to his lap and off we go!)

Breakfast- Yum!!

In it goes, slowly in the A.M. His tummy needs time to wake up too!

Finally shoes and AFO's- Thank you Mackenzie!
Some mornings getting Jacob ready for school is a family affair.

Super long socks so they stay in place.

Wash the face- yeah he hates it!

Getting the coat on- oh I love that face!!

buckled in

Ready to go- just waiting for the bus!!
And he let me know that he hates the moose hat!!
Is it possible that he really has become a teenager!??

Getting loaded onto the bus!

We have amazing people in our lives and here is one of them!
"Bus Driver Norm"  Picks up Jacob everyday and has a heart of gold!! We are so blessed!
(Yeah, notice the hat change)

It is quite possible she will never forgive me for this picture, but it is the best on that we took and I really wanted to have our dear Ms. Karen included!
Another amazing person with a huge heart who loves "her boys"!
We love you Karen, and sorry!!

All loaded and ready to go!

Up goes the ramp...

And he is off for the day!!

I am so grateful again for the fabulous people in Jacob's life, I am grateful that he is able to go to school, have friends and just be a kid! 
He loves to be included and I love that he can have some form of independence from me just like his siblings!  We live in a wonderful part of the world and in a wonderful time!
Ah Life is Good!

I hope you have a happy day, We plan to!

Sickies in the House

It is that time of year when everyone seems to be catching something!! 
Some of the "Littles" have runny noses and a cough,
Kenzie has a horrible case of strep throat- Golf ball size glands! She is so sick.
Jacob was home Thursday and Friday from school.
The rest of us... seem to be doing okay.. for now! 
(If I say it quietly maybe the germs won't notice!?!)

So what do you do to keep your home and yourself healthy this time of year? I would love to hear anything that works!
Nathan is on the verge of moving out for the next week to see if he can escape the germs. Since that is not an option... I am open to any other ideas!

We are doing our best to wash our hands, use our own drinking glasses, cover our mouths when we cough... we are working on the basics.

Do you have a house hold that stays health the whole year through, that seems to escape the January bugs? What is your secret? Can you share?? I Would love to hear... add it in the comments!!

I hope you stay healthy... I am trying to!

To Everything There is an Opposite...

It has only been 5 days of taking a daily picture. And although they may not be gallery worthy, I am learning so much already.  It is interesting to spend time looking for those things that are photo worthy.  So far it seems to be the normal everyday things that I feel compelled to capture.
This is making me realize that life is pretty darn good! Yes I have messes, nights of very little sleep, dishes in my sink, daily tantrums- the kids too, scheduling conflicts, runny noses to wipe, mountains of laundry, repair man who don't show up, toilets that break, little ones running fevers and Christmas decorations needing to be put away... that is just this week!
But mixed up in all of this... chaos is so much joy.  Joy in the snuggles, the giggles, the little successes of each day.  Watching the wonder in the eyes of a little one discovering the sparkles in the snow, discovering that all of our hard work is paying off and that the children really do love each other as we witness them serving one another, loving the little moments of peace that come when we need them most.  
I believe that there is so much truth in the need for balance and opposites. We have to have the mess to appreciate the tidy, the tantrum to enjoy the smiles, crowds to love the solitude, noise to notice the quiet.
Today I am enjoy some time alone as the children and dear husband are all off on their various adventures. The house is quiet, I am sitting down to eat my breakfast! It wasn't that long ago that this was a regular occurrence and my heart yearned for a bit more purpose, my arms ached to be a bit more full.  Because I had those days, I can love today, I can feel gratitude for all of it! Yes, life is good!

I hope you have time to enjoy the opposites in your day... I hear the children coming home, I know I will!! 

Happy New Year: 2016!

I hope that everyone has enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Season!  We were blessed to have some of our extended family with us and Loved creating some fun memories.

It is that time of year again where I feel compelled to take a closer look at my past year and set some fresh goals for the year ahead! I had someone tell me the other day that their goal for the year was to not make any goals! But I love to do it I have a thing with lists!!

My biggest struggle is to keep it to a minimum so I am not completely overwhelmed and crash and burn!! And yes, I may crash and burn anyway, but I still think that writing down a couple of hopes for the new year is better than not.

So I have created a binder... divided into 4 quarters- January to March, April to June, July to September and  October to December. Each section has a song I want to learn on the piano, a sewing project or two that I would like to accomplish and a couple of knitting or croqueting patterns to create.  I have also started a photo challenge- check it out in the tab above under Photo Challenge: a photo a day! (This way I will be on here daily and maybe just maybe I will find myself compelled to add a few more posts!)

I printed off some patterns and ideas that I have been wanting to create and I found a great website for music downloads...

http://www.music-for-music-teachers.com/beginner-piano-music.html

As for my health, I am hoping for a bit more balance! Just like this wonderful gift that I received in the mail from a dear friend!  (Don't you love packages in the mail??!!)

A great reminder that there should be balance in all things!! So I am eating my so yummy macadamia nut chocolates while I read about eating and living healthy!

This is a great Book!!!

Thank you SARAH!!

Okay I also have a stack of books that I am hoping to get through this year as well! Hmm...

Only 21... did I mention I am also in a book club...

So maybe I am setting myself up to fail, if failing is measured by not getting it ALL done...

But maybe success should be measured by just starting and getting any amount of it accomplished!

If I don't start with a plan then I may not start at all! 

I do love this time of year! I do love new beginnings and the hope that it brings.

I am excited to increase my learning and to start creating a bit more. Here's to a fun filled 2016!

I hope you have a goal or two for your new year... I know I do!!