The Henderson Family Chronicles

I've decided to take my turn to post something. It is now the time of the year where the kids get to dress up and collect massive amounts of sugary temptations that will be more than enough to allow them bounce off the wall and get cavities. We have been trying to encourage them to decide on what they want to dress up as for about 6 weeks now, so that we would have enough time to put together their costumes. Of course, they didn't finally decide until today.  Maren immediately gave me the "I hate Halloween for this exact reason" look. I volunteered to help with the  costume making. To which Maren said, "Thats good, because there is NO way that I would be able to make   Nathan and Emme's costumes all by myself." We spent the morning brainstorming how to make the costumes. Maren then teamed up with her sister to collect needed items, and Nathan and I went out to do some of the same.  Once we got home and Janna and her kids left, we started havin...

I've got the answers! Well, to the game. That's easy, see, because I know me. Believe it or not, when I took the quiz, I got EVERY answer right. However, my husband DID NOT, but it is not because he didn't know. It is because some of the statements were not worded carefully enough. So I will clarify as I go. 1. Cords - TRUE. I just hate them. Every experience I have with cords is a bad one. #1 pet peeve. Let's not talk more about it, steam is building up and is going to start shooting out of my head. 2. I like blue cars the best. Except when I like orange ones better. - TRUE. Navy blue cars are nearly always best. The only good thing to come out of our recent car fiasco is that our jeep is a beautiful navy blue. But sometimes I really really love that spiced pumpkin color - I think they call it Daytona Orange. 3. Travel - FALSE. I hate to travel. especially with kids. I'm kind of a home body, It costs SO much money to create a few memories. I'd rather BU...

I want to blog about something that doesn't start or end with "I hope we don't starve and/or end up in a homeless shelter". I thought about doing the ABC's of Me, but I've done that several times, and I'm not sure that we are ready to see it again.  I Googled around a little for ideas (is that a proper way to use the word Google?), and found the most common thing is "Traditional Blog Tag". I would have to post 5 things you guys don't know about me, and tag 5 of you to do the same on your blog. That sounds kind of lame. A) Sometimes no one reads this thing but me, and I know all about me. B) I don't keep things a secret, and you guys know all about me. C) I'd hate to tag specific people, and then leave them in a writers-block state of mind because they have no idea what 5 things to share that their family and friends don't already know about them. So I'll change it up a little. I'm going to share a list of th...

I like reading back on my old posts. I'm funny! Well, I  think I'm funny. Don't burst my bubble. Andrew has put in applications to a bunch of jobs at the hospital here in town. The three other hospitals in the area have no openings, except for in Labor and Delivery. Not a real good match for my husband. Do YOU want him down there when you have a baby? One of the local nursing homes closed down last month, so a whole bunch of nurses had to find jobs, therefore NONE of the nursing homes in the area are hiring. The was a rare opening at the Site (Idaho National Laboratory) for a nurse, and he applied for that, but we haven't heard anything. He has now been interviewed by the ICU and the ER at the local hospital. The ER interview was just yesterday, and he feels like it went really well. It would be a REALLY great job, and it would be REALLY great for him to get an offer in the next week or so. You know, so he can start getting paychecks BEFORE we run out of food...

It's bad news that seems completely overwhelming. Thank you all for praying for us. Keep them coming. Andrew is now unemployed. Less than 24 hours after applying to those jobs, there was a bad night at work, and a incident that was an unfortunate accident on MANY people's part. Everyone is okay, but Andrew lost his job. We're gonna need all the help we can get from our Heavenly Father to find a new job before the money runs out. We are applying all over the city, and all over the state. They say there is a shortage of nurses. I guess we'll see. If anyone knows of nursing jobs, please let us know. The thought of having to move is terrifying, but maybe that's what Heavenly Father is ready for us to do. I guess. I don't know. I'm scared. Faithful, but scared.

Let's pretend you are lucky enough as a family to have the ability to choose where you want to live, and get a job there. You can go ANYWHERE. Where would you go? Now pretend you currently have a good home, and live VERY close to all the important people in your life, in a town you have lived in most (or all) of your life, and you are happy. And then one day you see a job opening in the kind of job you'd love to have, in the kind of town you'd love to live in, with the kind of houses and climate you'd love to have. It would mean a WHOLE change in life style, but that change seems pretty appealing. The ONLY downsides are the prospect of leaving the people where you are, and that you are already pretty happy where you are. What do you do? Well, apparently you apply for the job. And pray really hard that if it's meant to be, you get the job, and if it's not, that you don't. I feel sick thinking of leaving the people here, My mom and dad live a block n...

After reading this post, be sure to scroll down, there are plenty more! Theme Days: This has recently lost some efficiency, and will probably continue to with school starting, but I'll blog about it anyway. Andrew is home 3-5 days a week normally 4 full days. It really starts to feel like we have 4 Saturdays a week. We play a lot. But there was NEVER order, or rhythm. I have fussed a lot about that, and one day I decided to try something. Andrew was working Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, which means he was sleeping Tuesday afternoon, and most of Wednesday, and from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening. I knew I needed a few days that were for cleaning and laundry, and I wanted one day that was for playing with friends... This is what I came up with: Sunday: Church Day - Church-related activities and Veggie Tales! Monday: Family Day - Dad is up - Lets do something fun!!! Oh, and Get groceries! Tuesday: Chore Day - Yard work, and house work Wednesday: Play With Friends...

Remember how I mentioned I have GREATLY and CONSISTENTLY reduced my grocery budget? I was grocery shopping once a month for most of the groceries, and then once a week we got milk, and stuff like that. To save money we didn't buy fresh fruits or veggies, and watched every meal we made, only using economical everything - meals, ingredients, whatever. So the big trip was only about $400-$480. Then when we went back for little stuff it was $20-$50 each week. So, add it up ~ $460 to $630 a month on groceries. probably most often $525ish. One day on Pinterest, I stumbled across this pin:  http://www.grocerybudget101.com/content.php/11-grocery-budget-101   This family of four spends $250 a month on all groceries and toiletry-type items. WOW. $50/week plus $50 for misc. items. as good as that sounded, surely they were eating ramen, right? Or CRAZY couponing? Nope. NO coupons, and they eat meals like  Marinated Flank Steak, jasmine rice, salad, or Seared Halibut,...

I feel like sharing. For me, my posterity, for another closet exercise-hater, and maybe so one of you exercise lovers can point me in the right direction. A little background story: I have asthma. And HUGE boobs. Like DDD, and sometimes bigger. Here we go: I HATE EXERCISE I hate the way it makes me feel - I hate being hot, I hate being sweaty, I hate the pain in my lungs, I hate the pain in my chest as it flings all over the place. It makes my head hurt, and makes me feel ansty, anxious and irritable. I hate that I can't multitask very well while I work out. It makes me nauseous, and I have gotten cramps in my collarbone and side of my ribs since I was in Kindergarten, running the mile. I hate that you have to have special equipment, or go to a special place, or leave your special kids at home while you go do something special, which often means expensive. I hate that I look like a retarded beached whale doing ANY form of exercise. I will admit that I don't mind riding ...

Heather got married. I am so happy. I have more to say, and pictures to show. But they'll wait. Check back later, this post with be updated with pictures and stories, and stuffs.

I really hate going back to tell stories when they are over. They lose so much of the drama, and I can't remember enough details. But I'll try to at least cover the basics. A year ago we had a white Ford Explorer and a white Ford Focus. We LOVED our cars, both of them. They were SO reliable and trouble-free. We had gotten them at two different dealerships, but both in a very pain-free buying experience, at great prices. We were very happy with them. We had bought the explorer first, before Andrew had a job an hour away. It was to be our only car. Then Andrew got the job at the hospital, and we decided to get a second car, with great gas mileage, and the focus joined our family. But then we had this really nice explorer that we were paying quite a bit of money on (like double the payments on the focus), and it guzzled gas, and it mostly just sat in the garage. Plus the budget was a scooch snug, so why not sell it? Besides, then I could get a minivan for half the price that...

Yes, I know, it has been a while. We've been playing hard. Andddddd...I was Offensive! A week went by and I thought I was in the clear, and the next week rolls around, and sure enough, I got called in to talk to the Presidency. It was better than last time... And let me get off on my first tangent here. My lessons that have offended people are the ones about CHILDREN. I really feel like part of my mission in life is spread the word that Motherhood is not amazing all the time, you don't have to love it, and it's OKAY. Enough with the guilt because your real life doesn't look like your "Mom Stuff" pinterest board. But don't expect me to stop this talk. I will shout it from the rooftops. Being a mom is a blessed calling, but it sucks A LOT of the time, and that doesn't make you bad. (pant pant pant) Moving On. Crap. I had something else important to say, but I am too hot, and can't remember what it was... Well, some brief updates on the Fam: ...

Well, it's that time of the month again. No, not THAT time. The other time. 4th Sunday time. Time for my monthly Relief Society lesson. And guess what my lesson is on? Children. How many people do you think i will offend THIS time? Luckily, the lesson is NOT on how amazing, beautiful, wonderful, sweet, innocent, gentle, thoughtful, and kind little children are. This time it's on Teaching Our Children to Understand. I think I can handle it. When the Relief Society president called to tell me which talk I was supposed to use, she reminded me to behave myself. Moi? Ha.

Guess What? Chicken Butt! Guess How? Chicken Cow! Guess Why? COW PIE!!!! I know, brings back memories, huh? So, looking at my blog, and even Facebook, I notice I have been a little short on verbage lately. I've said very little about the happenings of our life, and I've said little about weird stuff lately too. Soooo...Let me try to catch up. Andrew is in school, online, through BYU-Idaho, finishing his second bachelors, this time in nursing. He should be done in April. Online classes are a little hard for him, they just don't really suit his learning style. He really wants to to on to be a Nurse Practitioner, but there are a lot of factors to consider, and it is seeming PRETTY overwhelming to me. First, the only school in Idaho that has a NP program ONLY offers it online. Also, all schools are changing from a Masters degree to a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, which means it takes twice as long, costs twice as much, but only gets you an extra $5000 or so...

Poor Nate. Everyone has to have a first time. When you get comfortable, you get brave, and when you get brave, you sometimes get hurt. Bum deal.

Em has finally decided what she wants painted on the wall in her room (See Nate's wall here:  Nate's Super Hero Wall ). She came to me last night at bedtime to tell me that she had made the decision. She's been working on this for a year, or more. Are you ready to hear what she wants me to paint on her wall? A Boy Barbie. Uh, yeah. Ken. Life sized, on her wall. I haven't had the heart to tell her: A) That's Porn. B) Even if I was ok with that, I don't have the skills. Bless her heart. And she's been sleeping a lot. My mom thinks she's going through a intellectual growth spurt. Great. That's just what I need.  A more clever Em. I already can't keep up with her! Which reminds me. There was a story on FoxNews today, of a 2 year old in Washington DC that is a freakin' genius, and just became the youngest member of Mensa (Which I will admit to getting confused in my head about the difference between Mensa and Menses). Her name? ...

A lot of my blog is full of crap about my kids. I was telling a story to Heather last night, and suddenly realized I should document the ridiculous things I do as well. So here was my note worthy moment from Thursday: Choir practice was drawing to a close for the night. We are only a few weeks away from our big spring concert. The theme of the concert is Wish Upon A Star, a tribute to Walt Disney. We have a lot of guest soloists performing with us (which we are all bummed about, because no one in the choir was given a chance to audition for solos this time, but that's a WHOLE different story). At this particular practice we had a guest present to critique us, but none of the soloists were there to practice with us. So the director asked for volunteers to sing the solo parts, just for this practice, for timing, and so on. Janna has been picking up the Mary Poppins solo whenever the soloist isn't there, and has been doing a great job with it. So we go through the practice, and...

My kids are full of it. Yesterday was one of those days I should have had a recorder going all day. I should have written some of it down, but I was too busy putting out their fires. Em was destructive. She ran around all day destroying things. My mom said it was for attention, but I know THAT was crap, because I tried to sit and hold and play with her, and she whined the whole time. Nate was...Nate. There are no words for his special spirit. He's creative, and bossy, and anxious, and sweet, and irritable. Huh. Sounds a little like his mom... Anyway, I'm talking about the stuff they say. So here are my quotes, recorded for posterity, and your entertainment: Me: Em, why are you sobbing (in the bathtub, while I wash your hair)? Em: (WAAAAaaaaa) Mom, I am just SOOO BORED!!!! Em: Hey, Nate, do you know what my favorite smell in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD is? Nate: Um, no Em, what? Em: It's LADY BUG POOP! Me: Hey, I said no tv till your rooms are clean. Turn it off and get cr...

Okay, you know everyone parents differently. And you know I see parenting differently. But this lady says what I feel. She has a handful of rules that, to some extent, I have already implemented. It's important to be a good mom, and some do that by doting on their kids all day, listening to every word, every whine, hugging on them for hours at bedtime...Not my style. I feel like boundaries and expectations are HUGE in raising kids. Read the article, I am sure you'll get SOME good idea from it! I am going to write the rules down and post them somewhere, as a reminder to the kids AND to me. Quirky Ways to Get Your Kids to Behave - Parenting.com

In a brief perusal of Pinterest this morning, I spotted something my dear friend Rose had pinned... Live a fabuLESS life: The Mom Challenge Run over there, check it out. Read the first challenge or two (they started about 7 weeks ago). I think it is feasible. I like the idea of one little goal each week, one little thing I can to to improve, baby steps. That's how I roll. and then I can blog about it each week. Well, hopefully. What do you think? Wanna do it too? If I have someone doing it with me, someone to keep up with, and be accountable to, I am more likely to stick with it. Be my buddy, please?

Em is sick. I think our "cold" is making a second round through the family. I think the whole neighborhood has it. I think it isn't a cold, but a mild influenza. And Em has it again. That means: A) No church tomorrow, or we'll have to do the crazy swapping places between Andrew and I at church. B) Lots of whine, some fever induced, and some taking advantage of the extra attention. C) I am exhausted. D) Em fell asleep at 5:00, after barfing and bathing (because barf is what we do in this house, I've told you.), and slept till 7:30. Therefore, she is still awake. E) Because her fever is down (thank you Motrin), and she is still up, and I am making her stay in bed, she is singing. "Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb...Oh there you are Perry Platypus! Long away there were three men from far across the sea, giv'n this land, if they lived righteously....Choose the right, when a choice is placed before you, choose the right, when a choice is...

Me: Wow, Em, you have cute feet. How did that happen? Em: 'Cause I'm growin' up, Mom. Me: Are you going to be all grown up someday? Em: Yup, when my feet are looooong, and my legs are looooong, and my arms are looooong, and my bum is big! Ha. Glad to know that is the measuring stick of a grown-up. Nate has a cold. He isn't very funny right now. He's kind of angry though, and sometimes that's pretty funny too. Good times. No Easter Pics this Sunday, Nat'e's staying home because of his fever. Next Sunday we'll do faux-Easter pics.

Hello, my name is Maren, and I am a perfectionist. A lot of you are too, so I know at least one person who reads this will get it. Some days I wake up determined. I know what I want the day to be like. No, I know what I want my whole life to be like. Who I want to be, and how I want to do my job(s), how I want to magnify my calling as Mom/Wife/Homemaker. And I am excited. I know what I want, and I know how to do it, and I set a plan. I have energy and motivation, because the vision is so clear. You know the plan: Clean the whole house top to bottom, create and implement a daily cleaning plan that basically includes cleaning the whole house every day. Do fun stuff with the kids that challenges their creativity and knowledge, rearrange a room to be more efficient, make something crafty, take a gift to a hurting neighbor, and make a great dinner, always keeping up on the dishes. Today. Tomorrow we'll add to that. And then I start to see flaws, or other things start to make my plan ...

Woa. It's April. Woa. It's been just short of one month without facebook. Woa. I've blogged a LOT. And I haven't missed FB too much, in fact I've been pretty glad every time someone mentions the "evil" of facebook. :) (PS, Facebook isn't evil, but people can act pretty evil on facebook...) I also, however, have not spent less time on the computer. I just spend the time on different projects. I think I'll reactivate. But if you aren't my friend anymore, it's because I know I can talk to you other places. I will keep friends on facebook that I don't see other places. Like my cousins that I never see. (Or my husband's cousins...) And friends from years ago, that live across the country. Maybe. I recently discovered that there are a few of those I won't keep either... Oh, and my best friend, and my sister who live a block or two away. Sometimes it's the only way I get to talk to them! But don't worry, I really liked...

In the last year I have found a new joy, and great appreciation for General Conference. I tune in 100%, take notes, and learn a lot. I LOVE it. This session I didn't feel like I had any specific issues that I was searching for answers for. So I prayed that I'd hear what I needed to. Did anyone notice that the first two talks covered the same subject? The subject that I talk about a lot, that I feel a HUGE array of feelings about, the subject that I gave a somewhat disastrous lesson on in February... Children. Do you know what I said at the beginning of Elder Packer's talk? "Oh, how nice. OOooo, and maybe this will be a second chance for me to teach it right. Or maybe they'll get someone else to teach this one...oh well. Better listen..." It was a good talk. Then Sister Esplin began her talk. Do you know what I said several words into her talk? "ARE YOU FLIPPIN' KIDDING ME?" I thought it was a great talk, I liked that it w...

Now my brain is foggy, and I am tired. But I feel chatty.... A) Blogger updated, and I don't know where anything is. That makes me a little anxious. B) I like to study Grammar. I was almost an English major at one point in college, but chickened out because I heard horror stories about the Grammar class. I regret it nearly every day. C) I am waiting for the NCIS episode from tonight to show up online. Sometimes it is there by 10, sometimes not till after 11. D) I sorted all my scrapbook paper scraps tonight. By Color. It was nice. I like to sort. E) My favorite TV show of all time is Boy Meets World. I also love Ugly Betty, NCIS, and Psych. Currently I also keep up with Once Upon a Time and Switched at Birth. Oh, and the Voice. F) I love books. Did you know? I love the way they feel, what they can do, and how they smell. I love to read them. And look at them. And pretend that I can write one. I even like blank books. G) Oh, I love Reba too. The show. See E. H) I hat...

I warned you it was coming. Here it is, projectile word vomit. My head is so congested, there isn't room for this random crap, so it's gonna come spilling out. 1. I'm a baby about my ears being plugged. Let me give birth, or chop off an arm, but PLEASE don't make me have plugged ears! 2. My favorite blogs written by strangers (some stranger than others) are as follows: #1 -  http://www.mostlytruestuff.com/ #2  http://jessica-jensen.blogspot.com/ #3  http://www.makeit-loveit.com/ 3. Nate's going back to school next year. He's going to a public school, but not the one that he is supposed to go to. Instead he is going to the little one down the road. The one that is closer to us than the one he is supposed to be going to. The one that all his friends on the other side of the street go to. Everyone is very excited. 4. Hunger Games is good. Not the movie. Well, maybe the movie, I haven't seen it yet. The books are good. So is The Help. Again, the book....

I mean a cold. I shouldn't blog much, my brain is fuzzy, and I can't be held responsible for what I say. But I did make an interesting discovery yesterday. When I feel like crap I get more stuff done. I tell myself I can't go to bed, I have to keep going. I sweep and mop and vacuum and tidy MORE when sick, than not. Psycho? Maybe. But my kitchen floors are clean, my bar is clean, all the bedding in the house is clean, my craft area is clean, my pillows for the couch are made, my gallery wall frames are painted black, and varnished... Oh... I didn't ventilate while varnishing. Maybe that's why my brain is fuzzy... My fuzzy brain is giving me a lack of control over my word-vomit. I feel all sorts of random stuff getting ready to get posted, projectile-style. Maybe I better go back to cleaning...

Relief Society Lesson: DONE! A day early, too! So much easier than last time, and non-controversial too. (Friends not in my ward: You know me. You read my blog. I am sure you can imagine how it would go for me to teach a relief society lesson on how " wonderful little children are, and what a blessing they are"...) Gallery Wall: Hung. Frames not painted. 50% of frames unfilled. Boards for quotes blank. But it's hung. Picture: (Ignore mess on table, Andrew is doing his last sewing project for his class: new valances!!!) Nook Cover Made: Not perfect, but fairly clever! Pictures: But wowzers, you should see my project list, it goes on forever. I am building built-ins in my laundry room. I am making a wall quilt to hang from the shelf that WAS on that dining room wall, and is now in the hall. I am making summer clothes, and new drapes, and pillows for the living room, and then there are about 30 other projects on my list, that have been there for up to 3 years...yik...

I am BAD at taking pictures. No, I am not bad at taking them, I do ok WHEN I take pictures. I am bad at wanting to or remembering to. Which is BAD, because I have studied photography for years, and have dabbled in wedding and family portraiture (NOT professing to be good at it!). Here's my excuse: I hate ruining the moment. I hate taking pics on Christmas morning, because I have to break away from being amazed at what Santa brought, or opening those stupid plastic encased toys, to take a picture. I hate having to stop things while I run for the camera, wait for it to be ready, and then take forever for the shutter to snap the pic. I never make it. I REALLY want to be better, but...well, let's fight the important battles first, okay? That said, I found a few loose photos on the memory card. For posterity: Did I ever even blog about our trip to Utah in October (or Knocked Over as Em calls it?) This was a a fun place in St George, where a company that rents out jump houses has ...

I suddenly realized today that IF I don't want to homeschool next year, and IF I wanted Nate to go to a charter school, NOW is the time to decide, because the deadline on charter school lottery applications are in the 10-18 days. I don't know that I don't want to homeschool, I mean some things have been great, but I am not as dedicated to rigidity as I would like to be. At times, weeks have gone by with little or no school being done. BUT, we are constantly able to tailor everything to Nate, and our schedules, and sickness...I really hate when a kid goes to school, trying to decide if they are sick enough to stay home, or worrying that they are going to be sick too many days, and that has been SO relaxing this year. So what if we get sick? It doesn't change anything. BUT Nate doesn't get a lot of time with other kids, and thinks it's okay to not do school, because he doesn't want to. BUT....Well, you see. There's good and bad, both ways. There are now...

Last summer Nathan spent a lot of time staring at his bike. The training wheels broke, so we took them off. He wanted to ride his bike, but GOSH, it looked scary, and felt scary, and what if he fell off? So he made some attempts with me running along side, hand on his seat, till I thought I would die...but every time I let go he whipped around to look at me, and yell at me, and the bike fell over. The weather around these parts has been getting unusually nice, and today I sent the kids out to play, and told them not to come back in. Em got sunburned, and Nate hopped on his bike and rode off down the street. Yup, just like that. Em says she's ready to do it too. I told her we'd talk about it when she can pedal. The weather should be nicer tomorrow. I guess we'll use sunblock...

I saw something on Pinterest today that at first I scoffed at. " Y ou have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life." The quote was attributed to Eminem. Sure you got enemies, buddy....  But further research revealed that it was originally Winston Churchill that said it. Ah, that makes more sense... But still, that doesn't seem right - we don't want enemies. We want to be Christlike, and enemies would mean that we aren't loving everyone...No, wait that's not right either... Who has had more enemies in this world than anyone else? Who has the STRONGEST enemy out there? Yeah. Jesus Christ, Who we want to be like. If we are like Him, and doing what He would, if we Stand For Something, we already have the biggest enemy, and his entire army, and frankly, most of the world against us. Not everyone has to like us, or what we do. The only ones that have to like us are God, and ourselves. When we are lucky we have an entire...

I found this list on Pinterest, thinking I wouldn't get much out of it. Boy was I in for a surprise...It was practically life-changing. I was surprised to find I was doing so many of the things on the list. I was surprised at how many my mom did, and I want to do too, and I was surprised that I got some great new ideas. I think I'll make the list printable and put up where I can see it every day. I have to implement a few more ideas. And I need to read more of this lady's blog. She must be smart! Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking: 99 ways to Simplify life with Kids

I am currently in a wonderful class at BYU-I called the Foundations Capstone. For those who have never been there or it has been a long time since being there let me describe the course. This course was created by President Clark and the Board of Directors (aka First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve) shortly after President Clark was offered the job. The idea of the class is to teach students how to be better critical thinkers. In the world that we live in there are many issues that not always black and white and easy to come to a decision on. This class goes over hard issues that require students to research and come up with valid reasons for why they chose what they did. It is NOT always easy, and often conclusions are never reached in class. Two things that were brought up at the beginning of class. First was that everyone has the right to their own opinion whether you agree with it or not, and second was that people who become offended that someone else ha...

Hello, friends. If you are reading this it is likely that you saw my post on Facebook this morning. If not, go read it, it'll be gone tomorrow. Now that you have all read it, I'd like to lay a few ground rules. 1. Comments are ENCOURAGED. I will even take constructive criticism. I will NOT accept nasty, negative, or augmentative comments. They will be deleted. If you are seriously opposed to something that I have said, you have two choices: don't read it, or come have a kind conversation with me about your feelings. 2. This blog is a mix between a family newsletter, and my personal and creative outlet. I WILL say what I want, how I want. If you are offended, you have two choices: don't read it, or come have a kind conversation with me about your feelings. With that said, I am so glad you are here. If you hate my blog music, hit your END button so you scroll to the bottom, and pause or mute the music. I keep it there for me, and because sometimes it tells you a lo...

Well, I've been thinking about resolutions more, and I feel like I need something a little more concrete and measurable than "I want to be better!!!". I am still working on it. But in the meantime... During Relief Society today, our lesson was introducing President George Albert Smith. When he was 34 years old, he penned for himself his "Personal Creed", a list of 11 resolutions that he kept his whole life, and strove to live by every day. That was inspiring to me. Also, I stumbled across something similar online recently, written by a Christian woman who is not a member of our church. Many of her life-long resolutions struck a chord within me, and I decided to put together my own. I can't say for sure that it is written in stone, I am sure as the years go I will edit it a bit, to more clearly say what my heart is saying* (see note below). I think, also, that where these are resolutions, albeit long-term ones, they may lead to more specific yearly and mo...

I've had a hard time putting my thoughts about my hopes for myself in 2012 into words. It goes beyond "I want to get skinny" or "I want to be more organized"...I have felt for a very long time like satan has been very successful at keeping me too busy doing good things to do the best things. Last year, in January, I was very motivated to refocus my life, and surround myself and fill my time with the most important things, the essential things. I was absorbed by doing the right things, and I felt great. One month into the year I started to feel...strain. And I felt like maybe I didn't have the right balance, and I felt like people were telling me that I needed to relax a bit, I shouldn't kill myself and make myself miserable. I didn't have to be thinking about scriptures, prayers, service and things like that EVERY second, and really should back off a little. I couldn't find that spot that was "backed off just a little", and ended up fal...