Things That Inspire Me: Lists, Books and Give-O-Giveaways

It's a quiet morning here on this side of the Rockies.

The clouds are hanging so low

that the hillsides are hidden beneath them.

The house is quiet too,

after Spring Break everyone's back to school.

It's just me and the dog

and a small pile of laundry that's calling my name.

Since Nana left last week,

she's called daily to share her adventures with us.

Before she left,

we both sat down and created "The List"--

if you're a woman and you're reading this,

I know you made your own List when you were young,

right?

1. Sense of humor.

2. Honest.

3. Respectful.

and on and on it goes...

The List contains the finer points of character we want in a companion.

Nana wrote her own list years ago,

when she was just a teenager

but as she's changed, 

so has her List.

So we sat together, and I tapped out on the keys

while she dictated, 

then we printed it up in a smaller font

so she could fold that little paper up

and keep it close

as she goes out in the college scene dating world.

At 6:38 Saturday morning the phone rang

and I jumped outta bed knowing it was Nana!

You know, there should be a different ring tone

for Emergency calls,

and "Hey, Mom, I'm up early and just wanted to hear your voice"-calls.

Just saying.

After a few minutes,

she said she was out in her car,

reading "The List"--

because she'd been away from home just 24 hours

and a few young men were coming on pretty strong 

so much so

that she needed to sort them out, 

if you will.

What sort surprised me

was that some of these young men are well into their 20's-almost 30's--

Nana will be 21 next Fall.

Some 30 year old comes along,

and I wanna poke him in the eye 

or

ping him with a baseball bat!

Unless he's willing to sit through an hour or two

of interrogation--

then we can talk. lol

I digress...

so Nana had her list in her car

and was out there reading it

at six-thirty in the morning.

She's a small town girl

who doesn't wanna get her head turned

in the first twenty-four hours away from home.

So she's reading her list

and talking to her Mom.

At 6:38am.

I miss her.

More than pie.

Speaking of Lists,

Daisie is stepping up being Numero Uno around here.

Hey, she's #5 in the line-up,

but now that she's the oldest at home,

we all wondered how she'd handle it

and I must say,

I'm impressed!

While I have had to work,

she has made sure that I came home to a reasonably sane house--

dishes done,

clutter free,

cookies made,

and youngest yahoos still breathing.
And she made a list too--
a Chore List with just the 3 yahoos' names on it.
I really appreciated that.

She's really coming into her own.

It's actually inspiring.
*********************

Speaking of Inspiring--

I received two beautiful goodies from Deseret Book--

one is a CD by Josh Wright.
His CD arrived with this introduction:
"The twenty-two year-old performer has already proven himself elite in the world of classical music by competing in the prestigious Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition, of which only 38 performers from around the world were invited to. Wright was one of five Americans to play."

I put it on while I was making dinner Saturday night

and we kept it on while eating dinner...

now, you know something is awesome when noone is talking over it!

Josh is classically trained to perfection--

his talent is obvious and lovely.

Some of his arrangements happen to include my 

ALL-TIME favorite songs--

Clair De Lune 

Homeward Bound--

so moving that I nearly dropped tears

into my salad!
He reminds me of William Joseph and Jon Schmidt.
You can go here to get acquainted and order  his CD.
Seriously, you'll want this in your music collection.
The music is timeless and beautiful.
Well done, Josh!

Hillary Weeks.

To know her is to love her.

If you don't know who she is,

you need to find out!

She used to live in Colorado

many moons ago,

and I met her thru a mutual friend 

when she was invited to perform in our Stake.
Hilary writes music about Christ as someone who knows Him.

Hillary is as lovely in person as she is on Stage.

If you've been to BYU's Women's Conference,

you've had the privilege of hearing her music,

her down-to-earth ruminations of Motherhood and cheerios.

So she's written a book--

a collection of what she calls

"The Simple Joys of a Mom's Life"

entitled

"Bedtime and Naptime and Bedtime and Naptime".

The cool thing about this book is that she has included 

a CD with it--

and it's way cute!

Sweet songs and tidbits about her "favorite things",

all of it inspiring and spot-on!

This is a book that you'll want to not only 

RECEIVE,

it's a book you'll want to

GIVE--

to your mom,

your sisters,

your girlfriends,
your daughters,

any gal in your circle of young mothers

that need to know they're not alone 

in the mountains of laundry,

sticky cheerios,

and wee hours of the night with a tiny baby.

Oh, and there are recipes!!

There's one in particular that I am gonna try

this next weekend,

called simply,

"The Cheese Dish".

Gotsta try it!

I have to thank Lois B. at Deseret Book for the opportunity
to enjoy these productions myself and to be able to SHARE them!

That's right, it's time for
Give-O-Give-Away!
To Enter:
Leave a comment about your favorite things!


Winners will be chosen randomly.
Deadline for entries is Friday, April 1st, 2011, midnight.
Easy peasy!

Taillights

Diana left us today,

headed to Provo, Utah

for her own awfully big adventure.

That's her little red convertible pulling away, right there.

 Before she got in that little red car,

we had a nice spaghetti dinner.

We all went around the table

giving her our "best advice":

The Caboose:  "Stay safe. Don't let anyone talk you into doing bad things."

 Boofus: Stay away from boys. 

(I paid him with jellybellies later.)  

(oh he was on his way to play air-soft guns with his buddies-lol)

 Daisie: (who couldn't smile for "Take One"--had to suck up the tears for "Take Two")

and this is a direct quote: "Don't be a Ho."  --thanks, Daisie. 

Your eloquence is inspiring.

Momza: (Puffy eyes-check; dark circles of worry-check)

"Do things that help you become the person you want to be."

Dad: "Have fun. Be grateful for the opportunities that will come your way."

 Then, it was her turn to give each of us

some "Going Away" Advice:

To Daisie: "Be wise. Be wise at home. Be wise choosing your friends. Talk to Mom and listen to her.  If you listen to Mom, you will be happier."

 To the Boofus: "Be nice to your sisters. Be happy."

 To the Caboose (who was having the most difficulty letting go):

"Control your temper." (she can be a little hothead.)

 To Mom and Dad:

"Don't doubt yourselves as parents. You're good parents and you're raising good kids." and then she shared some more personal thoughts and feelings that I will keep to myself--all very much appreciated.

And then, we all gathered in the livingroom where Dad gave her a blessing, which frankly had all in tears.

Even the dog was whining--lol.

And we headed outside to her little red car.

Where there were more hugs and tears...

I walked her to the driver's side and whispered as we held each other tightly:

"Now, you go have your own awfully big adventure! Enjoy every minute! You know that we love you so!

You've always been my favorite, but don't tell the other kids." haha

Nana answered: "I know."

Then I kissed her cheeks and that was that.

Just when you are tired of those late nights waiting up for their key to turn in the door,

and those marathon discussions about Right and Wrong,

and your knees have a rug rash

while your heart's in a knot,

or those days

when you'd consider putting an ad on Ebay

for that moody creature--

just when you wonder

"Am I ever going to be done?"--

 All of that starts to change

and your yahoo

turn into a lovely responsible adult

who "gets it"--

that's when you enjoy their company

and friendship--

And, well, dang it,

that's also when it's time for them 

to put the key in the ignition,

put the car in DRIVE

and pull away.

I just hate that part.

My Gratitude is True

There are parts to mothering a handicapped child,
that bring me infinite Joy:
watching Dean play any of his myriad of sports--
his three-pointers in basketball,
his homeruns in softball,
his goals in soccer,
those slam-dunks in volleyball,
and finishing up a solid lap in swimming.

Each time, I feel like I"m witnessing a miracle
from a little boy whom I was told by
"medical professionals"
would never walk or talk.

Dean amazes me.

He is the softspot of my heart,
the tender underbelly of my soul.
I can barely speak of him to others without my heartstrings pulling
and oh brother, the tears erupt faster than I can stop them.
When it comes to my love for this child,
I am completely raw.

Dean hasn't lived with us in five years,
because his needs exceed my abilities.
I hate that.
Can I just say that without sounding pathetic?
I hate it.

I miss him more than I can say.
I am only whole
when he's at home,
sleeping under my roof,
eating at our dinner table.

Since it's Thanksgiving,
we made plans to see Dean.
His State-run program only allows us to see Dean
for 4 consecutive 24-hour periods.
Totally sucks.
Otherwise, there's a financial adjustment for his caregivers,
and that always makes me feel guilty
on both ends--
if we keep him longer,
it takes money out of his caregivers' pockets,
but when I don't see Dean,
I worry that he feels abandoned.

Phone calls do not make the distance easier,
because in every call,
he pleads to come home and see us.
I know he misses us.
There's just no easy way around this.
We used to live in the same city as he does,
but then we moved,
and the county we live in now,
has insufficient funds for quality care for Dean.
So in his best interest,
we've left him up in Loveland.
None of this is easy.

Anyway,
getting to the Gratitude Part--
Dani was going to pick up Dean yesterday
as she is just an hour away from him,
and bring him home to me.
But since Mr. Idaho is the EQP (Elders' Quorum President) in his ward,
he has responsibilities that prevented her from being able to take the one car
they have (they traded in their individual cars last summer and bought just one.)

I was worried anyway,
about Dani going by herself to pick Dean up,
as he is moving again from the caregiver's home he
JUST moved into in September--
because that caregiver says he was unaware that Dean's needs
exceeded his ability as well.
I've been mad about that--
I hate moving Dean and I know it stresses him out,
like any normal person would be,
only alot worse.
So I worried about Dani being able to handle Dean
if he had an outburst and became physical.

I called work and tried to see if I could leave early
for the two hour drive up north to get him
myself.
The answer was No.

Mr. W said he could go get Dean after work--
which would put them home around 7:30-8pm.
That's a long day,
but at the time, seemed like our only option.

Then, Dani called back and said she'd make it work somehow
so that she could get him and keep him overnight at her place
and bring him with her family on Thanksgiving.

Okay, so in the meantime,
I'm trying to work things like time and place
out with Dean's caregiver.
When one of us will get there,
and where we can meet up so we don't have to go
all the way into Loveland.

That was stressing me out
because I want to make it easy on the caregiver,
ya know?
He's already asked that we remove Dean from his home,
I don't wanna inconvenience him if I don't have to.
ugh.

So I went to work,
hope full that Dani could work it out on her end,
and just flat-out sad that I couldn't just do it myself,
as I usually do.
Before I had a job.
I was just too emotional for words,
so what do I do when I'm like that?
I clean.
N' just so you know,
the floors, counters, tabletops, lamp shades,
shelves, and every other stinkin' thing
in All About Home Showroom
is spotless today.

Around two hour after I got to work,
my Nana came by to tell me she was on her way to
Loveland to pick up Dean.
Her work cancelled and she would do it.
I was relieved and grateful,
but worried at the same time,
for all of the same reasons I was worried about Dani going
AND
because we were assured a snow storm was going to hit
our side of the Rockies yesterday
and she still hasn't put on her snow tires yet.

I gave her a big hug,
and proceeded to pray while I was cleaning
all day long yesterday,
for her safety and Dean's emotional state.

All Day.

When I finished sweeping the whole store,
I dusted.
When I finished dusting,
I vacuumed.
When I wrapped the cord around the vacuum,
I dusted again.
Then I swept under every thing I could get to.
And dusted again.
I did that for the six plus hours I was there,
as there were just three customers all day long.

I told Nana to call me once she got there,
and once she got Dean and was on her way back home.
And she did,
but when the clock rolled around to 4pm and she still wasn't home with him
I was worried and called her.

She was at Dani's house with Dean.
She said she took him there because he needed to be cleaned up
before I saw him
as she knew I'd be upset.
So she took him to Dani's house.
Dani is a second Mom to Dean--
she and Mr. Idaho gave Dean a shower,
cut his hair,
cleaned his ears,
shaved his overgrown beard,
trimmed his toenails,
brushed his teeth,
put on deodorant
and clean clothes,
fed him and loved him.
I told Nana to give Dani and Brad a big hug for me.

And then, once that was done,
Nana brought him home to me.

Do you get this??
Am I leaving anything out?

I have an amazing family...
sisters and brothers who love each other
and serve one another
and by doing so fill my heart with unspeakable joy!

Even when I cannot be there for Dean,
the softspot of my heart,
his brothers and sisters ARE.
They served him in the most pure way--
caring for his physical body.

Look, I don't know why his caregiver hasn't done
a better job at taking care of Dean...
to make sure his hair is trim,
his beard is shaven,
his teeth and ears and nails are properly hygienic.
I don't know.
BUT,
we are moving him to a better place next week.
There's a mother in that home.
And for that,
I am grateful too.

I admit,
I wondered yesterday why this is so hard.
And that old puke, Satan was ever present in my ear,
making me feel more crappy about the challenges that are mine
than I already did.
I compared myself to my friends--
whose trials seem so insignificant in this light to me.
I wish I had a friend who had a son like mine.
So I would know at least one Mother in the world
whose grief compares--
apples to apples, ya know?

But here's the thing--
as those ugly thoughts clamored for attention
yesterday
and I cleaned until I couldn't clean anymore--
like a tiger circling it's cage,
I circled the store,
cleaning and straightening,
with tears sneaking out of my eyes at times,
finally
a feeling of peace came over me,
and it was time to go home.

I was at home for just a little while,
busy making dinner,
when Joseph came bounding down the stairs:
"He's Here! Dean's here!! They just pulled up!!"
Daisie and Ari came a-running
and we all gathered at the doorway to welcome Dean home.

His thousand watt smile greeted us,
and my arms encircled my boy with all the strength I had,
I breathed him in and found peace after a long day of unrest.

I hugged Nana,
and when Mr. W came home,
he hugged Nana,
and Ari hugged Nana too...
all of us grateful she was able to fetch our Dean for us.

I was fretting about not being the Mom,

the one who is in charge of Dean--

and here I am,

several hours later,

realizing the day was just as should've been--

Dean's sisters and brother-in-love saw the opportunity

to serve both Dean and Me,

and they seized it with their hearts wide open.

I don't know any other mother

who has my same trials,

but the gratitude I feel right now,

is unequaled too.

If this is what family is all about,
then what more can I ask for?

It's Thanksgiving Morning.
My Gratitude is True.

How To Be Completely Miserable

My Nana prepared this for her Speech Class.
She got an "A" on it.
I had to share it.
I know you'll love it!

(I've edited some of it for this format!)

Topic: How to be completely miserable

Specific Goal: To inform the class in a humorous way how to be totally miserable and hopefully convey to them that we CHOOSE to be miserable.

Thesis: Happiness is a choice. So is being miserable. Only you can decide how you want to live your life.

       I.   Today I will share with you my top five favorite affirmations.

A.      First I will be self-destructive

B.      Today I will take no responsibility for anything

C.      Team playing is for insecure people who aren’t capable of doing things on their own

D.     I accept that I am a humorless wretch

E.      Today I will pick out one physical flaw in everyone I see

         II.   I believe that in doing these five things on a regular basis you will find absolutely no joy in life.  You will achieve your goal of being completely miserable EVERY DAY.

            III.    If you are currently in the ritual of self-wallowing and are thoroughly enjoying your meaningless existence, I strongly encourage you to listen to these helpful tips on how to reach your goal.

Transition: First things first, how to be Self-Destructive.

I.                    Be self- consumed. “But enough about me…what do YOU think about me?”

A.      It is all about you.

1.      And because it is all about you, you’ll have ample time to focus all your energy on finding every imperfection about yourself.

II.                  Over analyze your imperfections.

A.      Keep an on-going list of everything you dislike about yourself.

B.      Consistently tell yourself that you are not good enough.

III.                Compare yourself to those around you.

A.      Always be looking for ways to be less like you and more like someone else.

Transition: Now after you’ve self- destructed take a moment to blame everyone else in the world for your problems.

I.                    Do yourself a favor and don’t take responsibility for your actions today. It makes being miserable so much easier if you aren’t accountable to anyone or anything.

A.      Pass your obligations onto somebody else.

1.      Simply don’t show up for work.

2.      Appear emotionally unavailable to someone in pain.-

b. No longer will people be begging you for sympathy. (Works every time!)

                        B. Blame other people for your mistakes.

                                    1.  AKA. LIE!

    a. Lying fixes most day to day problems, if you lie you can’t be punished for the mistakes made.

Transition: Part of being miserable means being alone.

I.                    When left alone you don’t have to abide by anyone else’s rules or adhere to their opinions.

A.      Don’t be a team player.

1.      People who thrive on being in groups or on teams are just incapable of making decisions for themselves.

a.      Be a free thinker. Don’t pass the ball! Sharing will make you weak! Don’t fit in! And most importantly don’t make friends...They only hold you back.

Transition:  With a social life you’re bound to be caught smiling and laughing; two things that are BIG “No, No’s” in a quest to be miserable!

I.                    Accept that you are not funny.

A.      In fact you don’t even have a humorous bone in your body.

1.      You’ve finally reached an exalted state of mind in which you are now incapable of even cracking a smile.

Transition: When you have conquered this pesky habit of being minorly content in life, replace the void by seeking out the flaws in others.

I.                    Make it a goal to find something wrong with everyone you meet, every day.

A.      Then openly criticize these people in front of a large audience so as to completely humiliate them at the same time!

1.      Make sure to leave each new acquaintance with a lower self-esteem level so as to make yourself feel empowered by their humiliation.

Transition: Don’t you feel more miserable already?!

I.                    Lets take a moment to review our key points

A.      Be self-destructive!

B.      Take no responsibility!

C.      Don’t be a team player!

D.     No laughing, smiling, or friend making!

E.      Find flaws in others!

II.                  In following these few simple steps I can guarantee that in a matter of minutes you will be on the path to self-hate, pity, and misery! 

Her Golden Birthday!

Twenty years ago

today,

I woke to the first frost of the season

in Spartanburg, S.C.

and to my water breaking

just as my feet hit the floor

that morning.

A great thrill 

went thru my whole body

as I realized 

this baby was coming on her

due date!!

It was a short, easy labor

and before I knew it,

there she was!

My sweet little girl,

Diana.

So to Celebrate,

here are 20 Random Things

about my Nana-doos:

1-At One Year Old, she'd crawl to her bed, 

hold up her arms, 

to be picked up and put in it to go to sleep. 

She never cried about taking naps either.

2-At 2, she liked to wear costume jewelry every day.

3-On her 3rd birthday,

we gave her a playset of "The Wizard of Oz"--

when she saw the witch, she yelled, 

"The Witch? You got me the witch?!"--

then tossed the witch across the room!

4-She was terrified of helium balloons until she was close to 4 years old.

5-At five years old, she hated spiders. She also hid poptarts under her pillow, as well as other treasures, away from her siblings. I loved making her bed in the mornings, because I knew there was gonna be a surprise under her pillow!

6-At six she loved school and her best friend was Hilary.

7-At 7, she loved the green fields of Wales and the Beefeaters at the Tower of London.

8-At eight years old, she was baptized.

9-Her comfort foods include: mashed potatoes and sushi.

10-She wore braces for two years.

11-She loved her 4th-5th grade teacher, Mrs. Gutekinst.

12-She played handbells in elementary school.

13-Plays piano now.

14-She would walk quite a ways down the way 

to walk by a particular boys' house. She thought I didn't know.

15-As a freshman, she won an audition for a High School production by singing,

"How Can I Not Love You?" from Anna and the King.

16-At 16, she worked afterschool and on weekends when Mr. W was outta work.

She bought her own homecoming dress for $4.99 at Ross!

17- She loved her Seminary teacher, Brother Fuhr, at Eagle HS in Idaho.

18-She still loves to sing. And was invited to be in her high school's production of

"Singin' In the Rain" by the drama teacher but declined so she could focus on her senior year grades.

19-Last year has been one wild year. She has been a nanny, going to school, dating, and progressing.

She is set to go to BYU-Idaho in January (Business Admin)

and hopes to begin a mission this time next year.

20- She loves her family. And especially her nephew, Garrett.

Happy Birthday, My Nana.

The Dentist, Dog Poop, and Chicken n Stars Soup!

Monday began like an other Monday.
A few whines and sighs
at the week that lay before me,
dragging my bahooey outta bed
and going to work.

Not that I mind working.
I don't.
But, still, working 40 hours
has introduced other challenges--
like staying on top of housework--
I look around and ask outloud,
"Hey! Where's the Mother that works here?
What is all this mess?"
and more importantly,
a job is
sucking time away for things I like--
like grocery shopping
and
facebook.

Well, last Sunday my Nana had a toothache.
SO we made an appointment to see our awesome dentist,
Dr. Rogers.
He comes from a long line of awesome-ness.
his brother is also Dr. Rogers
and was our
Bishop Rogers until our ward boundaries changed last Spring.
But neither of them are related to our
Bishop Rodgers, also Dr. Rodgers
in Meridian, Idaho.

Ya still here?

Anywho,
we had an appointment for Nana.
Then, on Wednesday afternoon,
Monsieur Boofus chipped a tooth.
So then we had two appointments to see
Dr. Rogers.
Nana needed her wisdom teeth removed.
All four of 'em.
Ugh.

So we had two appointments yesterday morning...
at 7am.
Can I just
Do I even have to say what a pain
So we are grateful that we could go into the dentist
at 7am.

As we got into the car to go,
from the backseat I hear,
"Man, it stinks back here."
"It smells bad, Mom."

"What? Open the windows then--
it's probably leftover french fries from the other night
when we ate on the way to Mutual."

"No, it smells like dog uh, crap."

"Don't say 'crap'."


****

So we go into the office.
Boofus is seen first--
he's out pretty fast--
the chipped tooth was a baby tooth
and the permanent tooth is coming down,
thus pushing the now-dead baby tooth out--
they pulled it out
and everyone's good to go.

Since Nana's appointment is so long,
I told the yahoos to get in the car
and I'd run them to school.

I look around the lobby and Boofus isn't there--
the Caboose says,
"Oh Joseph's in the bathroom-- he found dog poop on his shoe."

Nice.

This means that the dentist and all of the nice dental assistants
got a whiff of dog poop
while my son was with them.
In their tiny rooms.
At 7 am in the morning.

And he's in their bathroom cleaning it??

Kill me now.

Luckily, (eye to the sky),
he did not clean it in the bathroom
beyond taking a swipe at it with tissue--
he came out tip toe-ing,
and waited until we got home to wash it--
in the kitchen sink!!!

Seriously?!!

No no no!!! I cried--
"OUTSIDE"...
and he did.
And his momma was happy.

And he went to school with a wet shoe.
And one less tooth.

I went back to the Dentist's office,
wearing the invisible cone of shame,
to pick up Nana.

The dental assistant came out
beforehand to tell me it had been a difficult procedure--
I wont' go into the details
but it wasn't good.

Finally,
the moment of truth--
Nana comes walking out with what looks like a diaper on her head
but is in fact, a cold pack.

Of course, I took pictures.

But have been forbidden to share them

with anyone who isn't a blood relative.

Anyway, Nana knew she looked funny,

and we both started laughing...

and laughed all the way to the car,

thru the Sonic line to get her a banana shake,

where she couldn't feel her lips or tongue--

as the liquid poured out her mouth

and onto her lap.

thru the bank drive thru lane to deposit a check

and finally when we tucked her into my bed

with a remote in hand.

She laughed until she cried little tiny tears down her cheeks.

Then she settled in and watched 47 episodes of "House"

for the rest of the day.

And we gave her what we give everyone in our house who is sick

and needs a little pick-me-up:

Campbell's Chicken and Stars soup.

MMMM Good.

I was so happy to get my first paycheck yesterday!!
Oh the things I was gonna do with it!!
I had a list going on the fridge.
Not on the list??--
Going to the dentist and paying a bill of $587.00.
Nope, that was not on there.
Not even close.

Excuse me while I go make myself some
Campbells' Chicken and Stars soup.

A Family Mission Statement And An Invitation

When I  think of different people,
there are often particular images that come to mind--
like when I think of Southerners,
I think of hospitality, easy-going smiles, corner churches,
and Friday night football.

When I think of people I know,
I generally think of their family members,
the house they live in,
where they work,
but mostly,
how they treat others,
or what I know to be important to them.

The older my family grows,
the more clear our family identity becomes
to each of us...
my southern roots show when we invite others
into our home,
around our dinner table,
and share whatever we might have to offer.

If you were a fly on the wall at our house,
you would get an earfull--
lots of joking around,
laughter,
poking at each other,
and inevitably the conversations come around
to the topic of sharing the gospel.

That's just a natural consequence in our circles of friends.
We don't sit around and tap our noggins
trying to think of whom we can share our testimonies with--
we're not that good of planners, honestly.
But, being friendly to start with,
we make new friends easily,
and it goes from there.

IN his book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families",
Stephen Covey admonishes the creation of a
Family Mission Statement,
to create purpose and unity within the family.
And while we haven't sat down together and formally
created our own mission statement,
there is a recognition of at least one of our
familial callings,
Missionary Work.

Our family identity is centered on
The Restored Gospel.
We are missionaries.
It's what we do--
The Colonel does KFC chicken
and we share the gospel.

Last week,
Nana started a new semester in college.
In one of her classes,
she was chosen as a partner by a classmate,
as part of a class assignment to write about someone
and introduce them to the rest of the class--
he said,
"I wanted to choose someone who would be interesting.
I knew if I chose you, I wouldn't be disappointed. You're a Mormon.
I choose you."
Then he proceeded to tell her about himself--
he's married and has a child and he's an Athiest.
This last week, they set aside some time to work on the project
with another classmate Nana invited into their group as well.
Nana was surprised that he'd chosen her solely because of her faith,
and welcomed the chance to share what she knows and how she feels
about what she knows.

Nana was excited.
Before she left for the meeting,
we had a few minutes to talk about
what sharing the Gospel means to her,
and how much our family is defined
by this calling of missionary work.

All of us, from the youngest to the oldest,
share this calling together.
We are a Family,
A Work in progress,
and we are also missionaries for
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"...if ye have a desire, ye are called to the work."

So I'm just wondering--
has your family created their own mission statement?
As we are all missionaries for something,
What are you missionaries for?
If you'd like more information about creating a Family Mission Statement,
take a look over at Simple Mom.

Something to Share:
To my non-Lds friends--
Have you ever wondered what the Book of Mormon was?
Would you like to read it right where you are, to get a feel for it?
Well you can do that with no obligation to anyone or anything at--Read the Scriptures.com

I've set a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon in 100 days, and if you'd like to join me, start today.

That's just sixty-six verses a day...and get this, Read the Scriptures.com has an audio feature.  Just click a button, and listen to it right here at your computer.  Doesn't get any easier than this!  

The Book of Mormon is true.  And you can know it for yourself.  It has the power to change your life.

If you want to let me know you're reading/listening online, I'd love to share the journey with you!

To receive your complimentary copy of the Book of Mormon, check out https://www.mormon.org/beliefs/book-of-mormon 

Something I Love--Journal Keeping

Perhaps it is because I love to read.
Perhaps it's because I have always felt
orphaned
without stories to read
to connect the past
that has made me this way:
I am a journal keeper.

I have always kept a journal.
Ever since I can remember...
back to my twelfth birthday
when my cousin, Coleen
gave me a diary with a lock and a sacred key.
I was a shy young girl
and kept my thoughts to myself.
Having a place to keep them safe,
was truly the best gift my cousin could've
given to me.

My journals look odd together,
some are all fancy-looking
with my name embossed in gold lettering,
others just a three-ring binder,
while others are a simple spiral notebook.
It has never mattered to me
what they looked like,
I just needed those
clean
white
empty pages.

I have always
always
always
kept a journal.

I recently won a giveaway from Cocoa--
a handmade leather journal from England.
I love it!
After alot of thoughts on how to use it,
I decided to fill it with
"love letters"--
notes to my family and friends.

I even keep journals for my yahoos...
baby books just didn't provide the space
I needed to share my thoughts
about a growing child
and my enthusiasm and love for their milestones.
I needed more pages and less
fill-in-the-blanks.

Nana gave me a gift recently.
A lovely brown leather journal
with a gold nameplate too.
I'll fill in an average sized journal
in about a year and half.
My last one completed,
I nearly ached for a new one
and my sweet Nana supplied my
yearning.

I had the idea to ask my family
to write their testimonies
in my journal
before I began my own entries.

I asked Nana to start
since she is my benefactor of sorts.
She had it for a few weeks,
and just this morning handed it to me.

When I was alone,
I cracked it open
for the first time to read
what she wrote:

"Fear not little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; and none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost." ~Doctrine and Covenants50:41,42
I feel like this scripture not only applies to our relationship with the Savior, but our relationship with you Mom.
Heavenly Father gave all of us to you knowing full well that you would lead and guide us in the right direction, and that under your care none of us would be lost."

I read it once.
Twice.
A full heart followed
by full tear-ducts...
wet cheeks
grateful heart.
Oh that I live up to her words.

Have you heard of LDSJournal.com ?
It's a FREE, Private, Online Journal site
that you can sign up for FREE!
"Now you have the easiest, most efficient way
to keep a personal journal!"
And they have an awesome section called
"All About Me"--
full of great questions for you!
And get this--
they'll even print it into a book for you
at budget-friendly prices!
And
And
And
You don't have to be LDS
to join!!
Nope.
Journal keeping is alot like blogging, right?
But you can make it more personal,
and make it to last forever.
I have a friend who kept her journal
on her PC--
and when it crashed,
there went several years of journaling.
This is a safer way to journal,
because you aren't saving the information
on your PC!
So pop over, take a look around
and see if it's for you!

Do you keep a journal?
Do you have journals from ancestors that move you?
I'd love to hear about them.

Weekend Wrap-Up

The weekend was busy
as always.

Friday afternoon,
I went with Nana to pick up her rental car.
Why does she have a rental car, you wonder?
Because her cute little red convertible,
her very first car,
was t-boned as she was coming out of our neighborhood.
She's a bit sore (seeing a Chiro for it)
and her little car is repairable.
But-Ouch!
The other driver was cited, she wants everyone to know.
*****
Kelly and I worked on the house we're staging...
we were wondering what to do with the young boys' room...
it didn't have much personality
once we took their stuff off the walls--
we came across a Boy Scout picture (thx Nan!)
and using scout accessories,
it all came together.
*****

Friday night,
Nan had the family over to her house
for Navajo tacos.
Ever had those?
Her recipe is easy-peasy:
Rhodes rolls...let them rise, then smash them with a tortilla press,
fry them until browned.
Top 'em off with all the tacos fixin's you like!
So yummy!
*******

Saturday morning:
We got up early and had to
poop-scoop the yard
because the Scouts are doing a fundraiser
by aerating yards.
It was brrrr-freakin cold out,
and my fingers turned red and frozen,
but we got it done.
The Scouts didn't come.
argh.
*****
Saturday morning,
was our breakfast with the missionaries.
Instead of a big meal,
we had Panera bread bagels, shmear
and topped 'em with red onion and tomatoes--YUM!
Served up with some scrambled eggs & juice.
I didn't take pictures of this Saturday breakfast.
I have yet to put up the pics from the last one!
*note to Self: do it!
******
Mr W took the youngest yahoos out to the YMCA
for a youth orientation
and swimming
while I
had to run over to the house we're staging
and take a peek at what the owners were doing--
they had a load of mulch delivered--
which is a necessity when your spring flowers
have yet to fully pop-up,
the yard is still mostly dormant,
and you need your yard to shine like a new penny!
Today is the last day of staging for that house
I think.
And it looks really great--
the realtor's sign goes in the yard tonight!
In this market,
you really need to stage your home
with attention to details--
with so many options
buyers can be picky.
So before that sign goes in your yard,
hire a Stager!
*******

Okay, anywho--
Daisie had her bday party at a park--
the sun came out and the kids had a good time
there playing baseball, frisbee, etc.,
then they came to the house for pizza and a movie,
"Blind side"...
a totally awesome movie!
I cried. O my goodness.
******

Sunday,
we went to our new Ward.
Before we left the house,
I was feeling those feelings of
"What if?"--
What if we're uncomfortable?
What if we don't fit?
What if, What if, What if if if???

Once inside the Chapel
there were many familiar faces
and friends.
We found our place where we always sit--
on the front row--
open and waiting for us.

Bishop S. came over and greeted us
as an old friend,
as did a few others.
As soon as the meeting started,
I had a peace come over me
that just felt so right.
We are home.
Our family is going to be fine, ya know?
I knew that,
well, I hoped that,
and now,
I know it.
That's one of the most peculiar things about
going to the LDS church.
We don't pick our Wards--
we can go to a particular building
be in a particular congregation for years,
and to accomodate growth,
that can all change,
new boundaries are set
new callings extended,
and we don't skip a beat.
We all show up,
ready to build a new ward family
and do our part.
Can you think of any other 500 + persons organization
that matches that?
Pretty amazing.

Okay, and I have to share my ridiculous-ness--
In the woman's meeting,
Relief Society,
they had everyone stand and introduce themselves
and share a tidbit.
Well, I was on the last row
and was busy writing notes about each woman
next to her name
so I could remember her--
(I'm terrible with names),
then it was my turn--
I stood and this is what I said,
"I'm Dawn. I'm also a convert. I...I have a hot husband. Six, no, seven kids.
My husband and I serve as the Stake Single Adult Reps--so if you're single, let me know! Hmmm..I"m a doula and a home stager.  Oh! and I'm glad to be here!"

Can you believe I said I have a hot husband?  Sheesh.  Someone shoulda put a cork in me.
*****
It's Monday and another busy day lay ahead.
Spring is buzzing by
and the yahoos will be on Summer Break before I know it!

I've been on the South Beach diet
and I've lost 10 lbs. already...
so easy, really.
Just putting that out there for any of you who are looking
for a sane diet,
this seems to be it
for me.

Okay, that's all I got today!

Have a super week!

The Learning Season: Parenting New Drivers

You have brains in your head.

 You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~Dr. Seuss

 

New Driver Season:
First, she got her car.
Then, she got her license.
Five days ago.
FIVE.

Past experiences have taught me
that once you give a teenager car keys
they will go
MIA
from that time forward,
only to show up at random times--
when they need money
or when they're sick.
But not much more than that--
A wave of a hand,
a shout of, "I'm leaving! I'm off! Don't wait up for me!"--
and they are gone.

They've got
things to do
people to see
places to go,
dontcha know?!

Gearing up for this,
I spent countless moments
talking
talking
talking
to Nana about the responsibilities of driving
that aren't in the Driver's Manual:
*Stick close to our area for awhile, before driving all over town in areas you're unfamiliar with.
*Don't drive at night just yet.
*Don't offer rides to others (friends) for at least a month.
*Be patient with yourself as you learn this new skill of driving...it takes alot of time behind the wheel to really become a safe, smart driver.
*Let me know where you're going and when I can expect you home, so I know where to start looking for you in case something happens to you.

I wrote this stuff down.
I reveiwed it with her.
All the while, her nineteen year old head is
nodding
nodding
nodding
and her eyes are
rolling
rolling
rolling.

Understanding Which Season You're In Season:

Last night, after another round of
"please be careful"--
she left the house
said she was headed somewhere
close to home,
"Maggie Moos"
to meet up with friends.
She would be home in an hour and a half.

Just about the time she should've been home,
the phone rings--
it's her number.
The first words outta her mouth are,
"Just when I thought this night couldn't get any worse-" (referring to our discussion before she left),

Mr. Wonderful and I slip on our shoes,
grab our coats
and head to the scene...
which is NOT where she said she was going to be,
NOT in our area at all,
and found her with her friends
all standing around her new car
with a broken rim, wheel, and popped tire,
from her attempt to avoid an accident by driving into a ditch,
she says.

At first,
I am just thankful she is okay.
Then,
I am so frustrated with this situation,
I could pop.

She dismissed her friends
while Mr. W changed the tire.
He tells her to wait in the truck
because the brainiac girl she is,
is wearing a skirt
and a cold front is blowing hard--
it's freezing cold outside.
Without a word
 the usually vocal
"I-can-handle-anything-girl",
gets in the truck, turns on the heat
and snacks on her words.

Once Mr. W is done,
he says he'll drive the car home
with the doughnut tire
to be safe.
I am amazed at how calm he is--
he's not ranting or raving--
it's like he's totally accepted the situation
and his behavior is model.
(*later he confesses it was nice to see me lose my cool and he got to be the "good parent". I smacked him.)
Nana hands over her keys.
She is hating this moment.
It shows all over her face.
You know that feeling, right?
I certainly do.

Letting Them Realize Their Own Mistakes Season:

So, I follow Mr. W home
and at first, I don't know what to say--
I'd already yelled all the way to the scene
with my "I TOLD HER SOs"--
and my
"WHY DIDN'T SHE LISTENs?"
But in the truck
I am quiet...
Where to start?
"Did it scare you?" I ask.
She says "Heck yeah!"
"I'm sure it did."

"How much is this gonna cost?" she wonders. 
"Well, David Scott did almost the same thing to his car, and it was about $1800.00, but yours doesn't seem to be so bad."
"Whew."
She tells her story of why she was where she was--following her new friends from Institute, she didn't know exactly where they were going. And then the other car that forced her off the road.
I listen intently. She is telling the truth.
But her inexperience is obvious.  Her abilities are not realistic with her expectations.  She is still a new driver.
I wish I could say my "I-told-you-sos"
didn't come out,
but they did.
Not in those words,
but they did...
I wasn't angry.
Anger solves nothing.
Concerned, yes.  I'm kinda relieved that her car is outta commission until she can afford two new tires, wheels and rims.  I'm okay with that. She needs the TIME to get some perspective of her limits...and you can't do that when you're flying down the road in a little red convertible.

Once home,
Nana hurries to the house...trying to salvage any pride she might have left,
and discovers the house is locked and has to wait for the key.
Which is good,
because then she gets close enough to Mr. W
that he holds out his arms wrapping her inside.
"You're gonna be okay. It's not bad. Just need to get some tires--probably call the junk yard and get 'em cheap." 
She welcomes the release of anxiety.
And off to bed she goes.

Letting Go Season:

I love this girl. so much. so so much.
And I get why she is in the season of life that she is in--

that
"I-Am-My-Own-Person" season...and it's critical stage. I know this.
If she didn't have this confidence to boldly jump out of the nest,
she might never leave
and that's NOT what I want.
So here I am
between a rock and a hard place--
to kick  my love out of the nest
but offer a parachute for a soft landing
is where I'm at...
But where I really wanna be at,
is on the ground to catch her in my love.
This is the moment I hold my breath
and watch her start juggling life.

Aftermath of Messing with your Teenager

She noticed.

And she was
 S T E A M I NG....

The Caboose came running into the kitchen
while I was making
BLT's for dinner--
hollaring--
"Prepare for Impact!!  Nana says!!"


Surfacing from her room,
Shoulders squared,
jaw lined
eyes glaring...
bum
bum
bummmmm!!!

"I want it back.  I want it all back. And I want it all back NOW!"

I turn slowly
and look curiously at her:

"Whatever do you mean, my Love?"

Disgust escapes her lips...
"UGH! You know what I mean! My STUFF!  My camera! My mascara! I want it back."

I try to feign innocence...but I'm translucent.  And kinda proud of it.

"You mean to tell me, someone had the NERVE to go into your room and take your stuff without asking??  How could they?  That's so so...what's the word?
Oh wait,
I think it's called
'KARMA' ?????

One of her eyebrows raised, in a that's-so-not-funny look.

The Caboose tosses another coal on the fire:
"And Mommy blogged it too!!!"

Being the almost 15 year old she is...the drama flowed like gravy on a buttermilk biscuit....
"I'm going to go to C.'s house tonight! And I'm not coming back until my stuff is back!"

Nana and I both giggle. 
This is SAWWWEEEEET!
Daisie is aghast at the nerve we had to take her stuff!!!!

I stop giggling...well, no, I didn't, but I managed to say:

"Um, no you may not go to C.'s house for the night.  It's a school night."

She stomps about...
o my heck--
this is priceless stuff here.
I wish I'd taken pics of her exasperation!

Nana and I are dying with pride in ourselves...
We did this right.

Dinner is finally on the table
and the call goes out
"DINNER!!"

Everyone comes, but Daisie.
I send a "runner"--
"Ask Daisie to come here", I say.
She presents
with invisible body armor--
glaring eyes
forced lips...

I greet her stance with a smile,
"Are you hungry?  I made BLT's for dinner."

This child never turns down a meal.
But tonight,
"NO, I'm too angry to eat." then spins on her heel
and heads back downstairs to her room--
we hear the door slam beneath us.

BLT's never tasted so good.