I'm just not sure how I feel about 2011. Richard went back to work at the end of January and it's been downhill ever since. His back still hurts and his mood is awful. I find myself not doing much of anything around the house - just no real energy to do it.
Then this week, a good friend lost her husband suddenly. He'd been battling MRSA for a good two years, but he became septic and died last Tuesday. He was John's Webelos leader. His wife had been John's Bear den leader.
The funeral was today. It was sad and uplifting all at the same time. Sad because he left behind a wife and three children, ages 11, 7 and 4. Uplifting because I got to see my sons show their emotions and comfort their friends and each other. Many of the boys wore their scout shirts to the funeral as a sign of respect and honor.
So...if the dust bunnies don't get vacuumed up today, if the dishes pile up for a couple of days, if we eat hot dogs for dinner tonight...it's okay. But we will have FHE, scripture reading and prayer tonight. And we will remember our friends in our prayers. We will remember and learn more about the Plan of Salvation and be grateful for that knowledge. We will honor our friend and scout leader, Jack Wright, by continuing to learn from his example in our lives.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
First Sunday
It's the first Sunday of the year. The first Sunday as the first ward using the building. The first Sunday at 9:00 in quite some time. This makes for some interesting confusion at the beginning of the second hour.
Specifically, somebody suddenly realized that we can't have Gospel Doctrine class in the chapel because the next ward will need to get in there before the end of the class. Oops. So...we move it to the second overflow. But that's right by the nursery (in the 3rd overflow) and that would interrupt the class. The Gospel Doctrine teacher made a unilateral decision to kick the nursery out and put them in the too-small normally-used nursery room. The newly-assigned nursery assistant (the nursery leader and her other assistant (husband and wife) were out sick) did a fabulous job of dealing with the whole thing and within 10 minutes we had them moved to another spot where they had more room. Oh...did I mention the primary president was out sick? Suz took care of nursery and by the end of the first hour, we had a plan in place for next week and the rest of the year. Yay! Flexibility is the key!
The sunbeam classroom was filled with chairs from the Relief Society room. What? ARGH! Richard (the new sunbeam teacher!) and I moved them all out in the hallway and got his room ready for the new sunbeams. He escorted them from nursery and we made a big deal of welcoming them into primary. They had a GREAT day! They went home with crowns that they had decorated and huge smiles on their faces. (They're teacher did too.)
While the presidency was running around like chickens putting out the nursery and sunbeam fires, the rest of the primary was sitting in their chairs, listening to piano music and talking quietly and reverently. I was so proud of them! Fast Sunday at 10:00 am - they were tired and hungry? ;-)
Even though we got off to a rough start, I think we ended on the positive side. All the kids got a lesson and felt our love. In the end, isn't that what primary is all about?
Specifically, somebody suddenly realized that we can't have Gospel Doctrine class in the chapel because the next ward will need to get in there before the end of the class. Oops. So...we move it to the second overflow. But that's right by the nursery (in the 3rd overflow) and that would interrupt the class. The Gospel Doctrine teacher made a unilateral decision to kick the nursery out and put them in the too-small normally-used nursery room. The newly-assigned nursery assistant (the nursery leader and her other assistant (husband and wife) were out sick) did a fabulous job of dealing with the whole thing and within 10 minutes we had them moved to another spot where they had more room. Oh...did I mention the primary president was out sick? Suz took care of nursery and by the end of the first hour, we had a plan in place for next week and the rest of the year. Yay! Flexibility is the key!
The sunbeam classroom was filled with chairs from the Relief Society room. What? ARGH! Richard (the new sunbeam teacher!) and I moved them all out in the hallway and got his room ready for the new sunbeams. He escorted them from nursery and we made a big deal of welcoming them into primary. They had a GREAT day! They went home with crowns that they had decorated and huge smiles on their faces. (They're teacher did too.)
While the presidency was running around like chickens putting out the nursery and sunbeam fires, the rest of the primary was sitting in their chairs, listening to piano music and talking quietly and reverently. I was so proud of them! Fast Sunday at 10:00 am - they were tired and hungry? ;-)
Even though we got off to a rough start, I think we ended on the positive side. All the kids got a lesson and felt our love. In the end, isn't that what primary is all about?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1-1-11
Happy New Year!
Today's the day we watch the Rose Parade, take down Christmas, make some resolutions and eat black-eyed peas for luck. Maybe that's why 2010 was such a hard year - we didn't have our black-eyed peas last year.
We celebrated the entrance of 2011 with a jigsaw puzzle, 80's music and some Martinelli's. Chris was at a church youth dance and then the after-breakfast at another house. Richard slept until 9:00. PM. Seriously. We didn't have enough people to play our new board games because Richard was asleep and Chris was gone, so we worked on the puzzle. It was a lazy New Year's Eve, but I think it was enjoyed.
Now to the new year. January 1st doesn't really seem like a new year to me. When both parents are teachers and all the children are in school, the new year is really in the fall. That's when everything "feels" new. But we did roll over from 2010 to 2011, so I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon.
I hate resolutions. As I said before, I always make the same ones and I always break them by about February. But I'm going to try. I have three personal goals for this year:
1) Lose the weight I lost and regained last year. I know how and I know I can - and I think I'm motivated again.
2) Read my scriptures daily. It doesn't have to be in the morning. It can be after school when I to my email and read them online. I think I have this idea of curling up by the fire for 30 minutes and reading in absolute silence and reverence. That's not really my life right now so why not read how I can?
3) Get back on track with our debt-reduction plan. With all the surgeries and holidays, it kinda fell apart. We didn't go into any more debt (whew!), but we weren't doing very well at reducing it either. Well, technically I guess we did go into more debt with the medical bills that are arriving daily. :-( But what can you do?
Family goals: more focus on the Spirit in our home. With the trials of late, I've realized that the spirit has been missing more often than not. We need to do spiritual FHE's, and we need to TALK. Better dinners. More together time.
So those are my goals for the new year. Wonder if I'll make it to February....
Today's the day we watch the Rose Parade, take down Christmas, make some resolutions and eat black-eyed peas for luck. Maybe that's why 2010 was such a hard year - we didn't have our black-eyed peas last year.
We celebrated the entrance of 2011 with a jigsaw puzzle, 80's music and some Martinelli's. Chris was at a church youth dance and then the after-breakfast at another house. Richard slept until 9:00. PM. Seriously. We didn't have enough people to play our new board games because Richard was asleep and Chris was gone, so we worked on the puzzle. It was a lazy New Year's Eve, but I think it was enjoyed.
Now to the new year. January 1st doesn't really seem like a new year to me. When both parents are teachers and all the children are in school, the new year is really in the fall. That's when everything "feels" new. But we did roll over from 2010 to 2011, so I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon.
I hate resolutions. As I said before, I always make the same ones and I always break them by about February. But I'm going to try. I have three personal goals for this year:
1) Lose the weight I lost and regained last year. I know how and I know I can - and I think I'm motivated again.
2) Read my scriptures daily. It doesn't have to be in the morning. It can be after school when I to my email and read them online. I think I have this idea of curling up by the fire for 30 minutes and reading in absolute silence and reverence. That's not really my life right now so why not read how I can?
3) Get back on track with our debt-reduction plan. With all the surgeries and holidays, it kinda fell apart. We didn't go into any more debt (whew!), but we weren't doing very well at reducing it either. Well, technically I guess we did go into more debt with the medical bills that are arriving daily. :-( But what can you do?
Family goals: more focus on the Spirit in our home. With the trials of late, I've realized that the spirit has been missing more often than not. We need to do spiritual FHE's, and we need to TALK. Better dinners. More together time.
So those are my goals for the new year. Wonder if I'll make it to February....
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
29 Again!
It's my birthday! I'm 29 again. Ok, not really. I'm really two score plus five. You figure it out.
Overall it was a good birthday. I started the day with a good hour or more of peace and quiet by getting up before anyone else in the house. Always a good present. Then I had an hour-long massage and an adjustment. Ahhhhh!
Then I got my hair cut. Thanks to Elisha for sending an email out about her new studio. And for having an opening this afternoon. And for taking extra "birthday time" to give me a cool new 'do. It'll never look this way again, but it was cool for a day! :-)
She straightened it out and then curled it with a flat iron. It would've been even cooler if I'd gone anywhere the rest of the day besides Kohl's. I scored big at Kohl's - long black skirt, brown sweater and purple sweater all with a gift card. Woo hoo!
Then came the disappointment - which usually seems to come on my birthday. Richard said he wanted to take me out to dinner. So I waited to open presents. I came home and he took a nap after taking some pain meds. I'm trying to be understanding, but he's been in a mood all day today except when he's been asleep. He finally woke up at 7:00. By then it had started raining and was already cold and there were wrecks and traffic all over the place. I gave up. Got into my pj's at 8:00.
At 9:00 he got up and made GF brownies, put some candles on them and they sang "Happy Birthday" and I opened my presents. I got "Apples to Apples Family," "Blokus," and a food processor that I'd forgotten to wrap for Richard for Christmas. I told him he could give it to me for my birthday - but I was really joking. Guess he took me seriously.
So...I should focus on the happy part of the day and not the disappointing part. I should remember that James wished me a happy birthday at 8:30 this morning and over 90 people have wished me a happy birthday on Facebook. The fact that no one else in the family remembered until this afternoon should not bother me.
Well, tonight it does. But I'm sure I'll be over it by tomorrow. Happy birthday to me!
Overall it was a good birthday. I started the day with a good hour or more of peace and quiet by getting up before anyone else in the house. Always a good present. Then I had an hour-long massage and an adjustment. Ahhhhh!
Then I got my hair cut. Thanks to Elisha for sending an email out about her new studio. And for having an opening this afternoon. And for taking extra "birthday time" to give me a cool new 'do. It'll never look this way again, but it was cool for a day! :-)
She straightened it out and then curled it with a flat iron. It would've been even cooler if I'd gone anywhere the rest of the day besides Kohl's. I scored big at Kohl's - long black skirt, brown sweater and purple sweater all with a gift card. Woo hoo!
Then came the disappointment - which usually seems to come on my birthday. Richard said he wanted to take me out to dinner. So I waited to open presents. I came home and he took a nap after taking some pain meds. I'm trying to be understanding, but he's been in a mood all day today except when he's been asleep. He finally woke up at 7:00. By then it had started raining and was already cold and there were wrecks and traffic all over the place. I gave up. Got into my pj's at 8:00.
At 9:00 he got up and made GF brownies, put some candles on them and they sang "Happy Birthday" and I opened my presents. I got "Apples to Apples Family," "Blokus," and a food processor that I'd forgotten to wrap for Richard for Christmas. I told him he could give it to me for my birthday - but I was really joking. Guess he took me seriously.
So...I should focus on the happy part of the day and not the disappointing part. I should remember that James wished me a happy birthday at 8:30 this morning and over 90 people have wished me a happy birthday on Facebook. The fact that no one else in the family remembered until this afternoon should not bother me.
Well, tonight it does. But I'm sure I'll be over it by tomorrow. Happy birthday to me!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Resolutions
Every year I say I'm going to read my scriptures every day, say my prayers every day, and hold FHE every week. And every year I don't follow through. Is it worth it to continue to make these promises to myself? Should I try something else this year? Or should I keep on saying I'll do it and just hope that, for once, finally, maybe I'll follow through.
I started doing better during the school year and before Richard came home for good. But with him being home, it put a kink in my overall schedule and so I didn't do it as much. I've started reading scriptures using Read the Scriptures.com. You can make a schedule for just about anything. You get a daily email with your assignment right there in the email. However, with school starting, I think I'll need to modify my schedule. There's just no way I'm going to read as much once I'm back in school.
Praying shouldn't be that difficult. I think I'm almost constantly praying, to be honest. But the get-down-on-your-knees-and-say-your-nightly-prayers part I'm just not so good at. For whatever reason, I'm still embarrassed. I don't want Richard or the boys to walk in on me. Isn't that weird? You'd think after 15+ years of being a member of the Church, I'd be past that. One of my trials, I guess.
So...this year's resolutions:
1) Back on Weight Watchers beginning Jan. 10th. (I'm not going to force anything the first week back at school.)
2) Follow through on the scriptures - even if it's only a chapter a day.
3) Remember that the "prayer in my heart" is good, but the focused prayer is important too.
Now...off to shower (finally) and take Chris to the doctor. Possible broken toe. The fun never ends around here.
I started doing better during the school year and before Richard came home for good. But with him being home, it put a kink in my overall schedule and so I didn't do it as much. I've started reading scriptures using Read the Scriptures.com. You can make a schedule for just about anything. You get a daily email with your assignment right there in the email. However, with school starting, I think I'll need to modify my schedule. There's just no way I'm going to read as much once I'm back in school.
Praying shouldn't be that difficult. I think I'm almost constantly praying, to be honest. But the get-down-on-your-knees-and-say-your-nightly-prayers part I'm just not so good at. For whatever reason, I'm still embarrassed. I don't want Richard or the boys to walk in on me. Isn't that weird? You'd think after 15+ years of being a member of the Church, I'd be past that. One of my trials, I guess.
So...this year's resolutions:
1) Back on Weight Watchers beginning Jan. 10th. (I'm not going to force anything the first week back at school.)
2) Follow through on the scriptures - even if it's only a chapter a day.
3) Remember that the "prayer in my heart" is good, but the focused prayer is important too.
Now...off to shower (finally) and take Chris to the doctor. Possible broken toe. The fun never ends around here.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas
Another wonderful Christmas morning come and gone! James was up at 12:30 having never gone to sleep. John was up at 2:00. They and Richard ate cereal in the middle of the night and then went back to bed.
Everyone was up about 8:00 and paper was everywhere. Stockings and presents were opened - smiles all around. By 10:30, Richard and Chris were reading new books, James was playing with his new Legos, John was playing a new video game, Larry was chewing on his Christmas rawhide and Moe was playing in the tissue paper. Oh...and I was on Facebook and happy with my presents too.
It was a really nice Christmas morning. I'll try to get around to adding pictures later. Merry Christmas!!!
Everyone was up about 8:00 and paper was everywhere. Stockings and presents were opened - smiles all around. By 10:30, Richard and Chris were reading new books, James was playing with his new Legos, John was playing a new video game, Larry was chewing on his Christmas rawhide and Moe was playing in the tissue paper. Oh...and I was on Facebook and happy with my presents too.
It was a really nice Christmas morning. I'll try to get around to adding pictures later. Merry Christmas!!!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Forever
I haven't posted in forever! And then, when I wanted to post, I couldn't get my background to look right. My Halloween background stayed along with the Christmas banners. Looked really funky and was driving me nuts. Hopefully I've got it fixed now. So...to update....
Richard has been off of work since November 10th. His back hurt so badly that he just couldn't function without terrorizing kids and adults alike. He's been on major painkillers that didn't do anything to help. So yesterday, he had surgery. They removed two pieces of broken disc that were pressing on the nerve. His leg already feels better. He's still in a great deal of pain from the surgery, but I'm keeping him doped up on painkillers and muscle relaxers, so he's sleeping most of it off. We went for a walk tonight - just like his doctor said to.
Chris has had a rough fall, but things are starting to get better. He's doing well in school and scored very well on both his PSAT and his SAT. He's working hard to get back to where he used to be outside of the classroom and I appreciate the growth he's showing. His dad and I are learning quite a bit too.
James is enjoying 6th grade. He's having some of the same difficulties that Chris had in middle school - turning in work, turning in work, turning in work. But he's making friends and likes to go to the dances. I have got to remember to get him a new bow over the holiday! He's been borrowing one since before Thanksgiving! Sigh.
John is still very up and down. He's struggling with his reading and is going to Saturday School to help him pass the TAKS test this year. He's doing much better with his emotions though - especially since we discovered how much he loves going to The Royal Brush. It's a ceramic-painting place and he has absolutely fallen in love with it. After the first session, he was flying high for a good five days. It was so great to see him happy! And at anywhere from $5-$25 per piece, it's cheaper than therapy. :-)
Overall, it's been a really crappy fall. But Christmas is this week and, by golly, we're going to have a good one. We're getting together at Judith's tomorrow night for the Dallas Martins get-together. Then it'll be just our family over the Christmas weekend. This is a good thing. Maybe I can get back in to blogging with the start of the new year. All I've wanted to do is slug around for most of the fall. But my hormones are back working again, I've got a new doctor and gotten my other prescriptions back going, so hopefully I'll be back to normal.
Now...if the van breaks down again...I just might have myself committed.
Richard has been off of work since November 10th. His back hurt so badly that he just couldn't function without terrorizing kids and adults alike. He's been on major painkillers that didn't do anything to help. So yesterday, he had surgery. They removed two pieces of broken disc that were pressing on the nerve. His leg already feels better. He's still in a great deal of pain from the surgery, but I'm keeping him doped up on painkillers and muscle relaxers, so he's sleeping most of it off. We went for a walk tonight - just like his doctor said to.
Chris has had a rough fall, but things are starting to get better. He's doing well in school and scored very well on both his PSAT and his SAT. He's working hard to get back to where he used to be outside of the classroom and I appreciate the growth he's showing. His dad and I are learning quite a bit too.
James is enjoying 6th grade. He's having some of the same difficulties that Chris had in middle school - turning in work, turning in work, turning in work. But he's making friends and likes to go to the dances. I have got to remember to get him a new bow over the holiday! He's been borrowing one since before Thanksgiving! Sigh.
John is still very up and down. He's struggling with his reading and is going to Saturday School to help him pass the TAKS test this year. He's doing much better with his emotions though - especially since we discovered how much he loves going to The Royal Brush. It's a ceramic-painting place and he has absolutely fallen in love with it. After the first session, he was flying high for a good five days. It was so great to see him happy! And at anywhere from $5-$25 per piece, it's cheaper than therapy. :-)
Overall, it's been a really crappy fall. But Christmas is this week and, by golly, we're going to have a good one. We're getting together at Judith's tomorrow night for the Dallas Martins get-together. Then it'll be just our family over the Christmas weekend. This is a good thing. Maybe I can get back in to blogging with the start of the new year. All I've wanted to do is slug around for most of the fall. But my hormones are back working again, I've got a new doctor and gotten my other prescriptions back going, so hopefully I'll be back to normal.
Now...if the van breaks down again...I just might have myself committed.
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