Funniness

Things are pretty busy at our house, like I'm sure they are at all of your houses too. It's that time of year, busy, busy, busy. I now have 21 piano students and am caring for a 2 month old baby from 8 to 3. We are trying desperately not to get sick (especially with that tiny baby around I would feel SO guilty if she got sick), to keep on top of homework for three full-time elementary students, to keep our house at least somewhat clean and to try to have some enjoyable time as a family. There seems to be time for very little else. And if any of you know how to get that disgusting urine smell out of mattresses please fill me in, I'm dying over here!

Day 9

This is probably the last gratitude post that I will put up on my blog. I plan to write it in Word Perfect from now on, but I really appreciate the comments. It's great to have friends that love me.
Today I am grateful for our ability to choose what our attitude will be.
I'm still trying to convince my kids that if you think you're going to have a bad day, you will. And if you think you're going to have a good day, you will. They still aren't buying it. Even though I fully accept the logic behind that, and know it to be true, I have good and bad days at deciding to be positive, cheerful and upbeat.
It's so uplifting to be around someone who sees the world and everything in it as basically good. And it's so hard to be around someone who is pessimistic all the time. I tend to lean toward the latter, and so I have been striving this week to correct that. It's amazing how powerful our minds and our thoughts are. It may sound a bit like brainwashing myself, but I've been getting up and telling myself, "Today is going to be a great day. I'm happy to be alive. I am truly blessed. My kids are the most amazing people I know and I'm lucky to be their mother." It sounds a little bit silly, but my days are better days, and I am happier, calmer and more at peace.
So, today I am grateful for a positive attitude.

Day 8

Some of you know that for a couple of weeks now I have had the opportunity to watch my back-door neighbor's seven week old baby. It has been nothing if not a challenge. It always amazes me how one forgets so quickly what it is like to have a new baby in the house. Babies are SO demanding of time, attention, emotional support, and you are just always holding them. My muscles are very sore. She didn't come today because her mommy was able to take a paperwork day at home and so today I am grateful for...

quiet.

With the baby not here it was amazingly quiet. And she's a very good little baby. Crying is just their only means of communication. So today it was just Hadley and Benjamin and me, and boy was it quiet today. I loved having a clear head to have actual connected thoughts. I loved the opportunity to listen to the still small voice. In some ways, quiet can be much more soothing and beautiful than the most wonderful music. Quiet is restful and secure. I loved my quiet day and I am thankful that there is such a thing as quiet.

Day 7

I have to say today, that I married extremely well, and I am grateful for my sweet husband every single day. I guess that it is circumstances that have moved him to the forefront of my mind. For the last several years Scott has had this funky mole on his face. I've told him several times I thought that he should go and have it checked out. Of course, my suggestion was "silly". It wasn't until his recent trip to California when all of his brothers asked what that thing on his face was, that he agreed with me. He went in today to have it checked out. The nurse practitioner could not tell. She ended up doing a biopsy and we will have the results next week.
Hopefully, it's nothing major, but I can't help but think how my life would be SO different, and SO bleak without him. He is one of my greatest blessings, my biggest fan, my lifetime love, my best friend.
I knew after our first date, which he was 2 1/2 hours late to, that he was the one. When I am around him I want to be the best person I can be. Thanks honey for all you do for me and our family!

Day 6

Today I am slightly begrudgingly thankful for my weaknesses. It all goes back to that necessary condition of opposition. We have to have weaknesses so that we can appreciate and know how to better use our strengths.
One of my most glaringly obvious weaknesses is my lack of cuteness. It always somehow seems like a waste of my time to take the time to look cute. To do my hair, put on my makeup, take extra care with the clothes I choose to wear. I just don't do it. I think I don't care until I get out in public and then I always feel embarrassed.
Now I'm not saying that it should be more important than anything else to look cute. But I think like all things in life we need to find a balance. There's something to be said for taking a little bit of time to put your best foot forward and go out into the world with that little extra confidence, that little bit of zip into your step.
What am I going to do? I feel like I've made some incremental improvements. It has certainly been a life-long struggle. And if nothing else it has definitely kept me humble to have spent a lifetime struggling without much improvement.
Oh, well, "tomorrow is another day." (Please imagine your best Scarlett O'Hara impression as you read the preceeding line.)

Day 5

Today I am grateful when the Lord answers my small insignificant prayers. They almost mean more to me than when He answers the big ones. I was sitting, thinking about getting dinner made before we had to be over to the school at 6:30 for Ryan's 4th grade music program. I just was out of ideas, out of desire, thinking maybe I'll just give everyone a piece of bread and a glass of water, praying that someone would just bring me dinner. My sweet friend Caroline (who very rarely cooks because she's SO busy) called me and said she had made chicken enchiladas and she's bringing some over! Wa-hoo!

playing at the park

This time of year is the best time of year to play at the park when you live in Texas. I didn't have any piano lessons yesterday, so we took advantage of the "free time" and headed to the park to play a little ball.

Days 3 and 4

Yesterday was so hectic I forgot to post. So I'll do two things to make up for my oversight.
I am grateful for the spirit. Sundays are sometimes challenging. It would be awesome if we could just go to church and be told everything we need to do the next week. I know that's not the Lord's way. So He provided the Holy Ghost for us so that even when teachers are less than perfect or speakers ramble on (not you Cam, your talk rocked) the spirit can still instruct us.


I'm also grateful for music. During the Relief Society General Broadcast the song that we all stood and sang together was How Firm a Foundation. As we stood and sang that song together, as sisters all over the world, I felt the spirit SO strongly. I love how music is a conduit for the spirit. How it can express more perfectly our feelings and thoughts than words. I love to sit at the piano and pour my heart out in music when I'm having a hard day. I LOVE MUSIC!

Day #2

I am grateful for my parents everyday, but today I am especially grateful. I would be a totally different person without them. They put every ounce of effort and know how into being good parents. They taught me how to love, how to work, how to hope, how to endure, how to have faith, how to fail and how to succeed. I am grateful for their love, and for the unending confidence they have in me.
Thanks mom and dad, for giving this baby girl everything she needed to have a fighting chance at a successful life!

A study in gratitude

Okay. I have now read my scriptures (or read a conference talk) every day for three consecutive months. It has certainly made an enormous difference in my life. I'm ready to add something to my scripture study. I have been thinking a lot about gratitude, and acknowledging the hand of the Lord in my life every day. I have felt the spirit whisper to me many times over the last several weeks that gratitude needs to be my new focus.
My goal is to do a blog entry everyday for as long as I can about something new I am grateful for. So, here goes nothing.
Today I am grateful for the everyday drudgery of life. If we didn't struggle, we would not be able to fully understand and appreciate those brilliant days that appear every so often in our lives. I'm grateful to do the dishes over and over, because I learn how to endure and press forward even when I'd rather do anything else than dishes AGAIN!

We're ba-ack!

Yay! I have some pictures to share with everyone. Scott was in California for a week and got back Saturday afternoon. We were all SO excited to see him and have him back! All the other photos are just my little "posers" posing for me while I tried out my new camera!