Random Thoughts

I have had such a hard time blogging lately. I haven't taken a picture since Halloween. There hasn't been much new going on. Thankfully Mom stays on top of it and "encourages" me along. She said you need to at least write "something" even if you don't have any pictures. She is right. So here goes. I am just going to bullet some thoughts. They are in no particular order. :)

• I taught my first sharing time today- after 10 years of being in Young Women's I finally have a calling in a different organization. I am now the second counselor in the Primary Presidency. I was excited for the change, and excited to be in primary. I was surprised that I got nervous teaching the younger kids sharing time today. The older kids sharing time was great. Why would I be more nervous about little kids than big, I don't know. I do know that I love teaching older kids. I think because you can talk to them and reason with them. And joke and laugh with them. Reverently, of course. I get to plan a meet your teacher breakfast for the beginning of January, and I am excited. I love to plan a party.
  
• I got a flat iron and I love it- I am having my annual hair length trauma. I always want to cut my hair off so that I will have to do it, and not just always have a pony tail or bun. Long or short? Hmm. I decided to get a flat iron to see if would make straightening my hair easier. I have tried a cheap one before, and it didn't work at ALL. This week there was a generic Chi flat iron on sale at Sally's and I have seen great reviews for this product. So I took the plunge and tried it. IT WORKS SO WELL! It was so nice to have it take 10 minutes instead of 30 to straighten my hair. Unfortunately I still have the same burning question- do I want to straighten long or short hair? :)
  
• I am helping with McCray' thanksgiving party at school this week. No one signed up to be the room mother, so the teacher asked me to do it. Unfortunately no one signed up to be in charge of most of the parties either. So we did Halloween, which was fun, and this week we are doing a little Thanksgiving feast. Hopefully it will turn out alright.
  
• I am excited about Christmas this year and have about a gagillion "homemade" gifts that I would like to make. There are WAY too many cool ideas.
  
• I have sewed a few things lately ( this is my "Paynic Attack" right now)- I have made some things for Morgan for Christmas. She is loving "babies" right now. That is lucky for me because I can sew most of her Christmas. I have made her diapers for her baby, a blanket, and I am going to make a diaper bag. I've decided that I am quilting challenged. I tired some machine quilting on Morgan's doll quilt. Let's just say the lines didn't match up and the fabric was a little puckered. I guess you just have to do it and learn as you go. I would LOVE to be good at quilting some day.
  
• We had tithing settlement today. Our bishop gave us a little message that I thought was great. He talked a little about the economy and the financial challenges people are facing. He gave 3 things that will bless you financially in trying times. Of course one was paying your fast offerings and giving generously to thers. One was paying your tithing. He quoted the scripture in Malachi. The third thing he talked about was Keeping the Sabbath day holy. I have never thought of this as being a way to blessed financially. He read some scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants (59: 9-23) that say that by keeping the Sabbath day holy, people are blessed both temporally and spiritually. I hadn't ever thought of that before, and I thought it was another great promise that the Lord gives to us when we obey his commandments.
  
• The other day my friend made clam chowder that was SOOO good. She used the recpie from the Market Street grill to make hers. So I decided to try it yesterday. It has been in the works for awhile because I have had had to buy some out of the ordinary ingredients. The recipe called for 1 1/2 Tablesppons of salt. And I doubled the recipe. I questioned this, but I wanted to do it right, so I put in all of the salt that it called for. Hoo-wee, was it ever salty. If anyone ever makes this, don't put in as much as it calls for in the online recipes. ( I even double checked other recipes to makesure that it was right) Except for the salt, it had a really great taste. After all of that work, I was a bit disappointed. But that is ok, I would still try to make it again someday with modifications.
  
• Replacing the Jennaire stove this week- Many of you have probably read about my oven woes here where we are living. WELL, I think it has officially bit the dust, and we are supposed to be getting a new one this week sometime. HOORAY!!! I won't know how to act cooking with a full sized oven, that doesn't burn the food. I am pretty darn excited about this.
  
• Aerobics- I have still been doing my exercise classes 3 times a week. I LOVE this class. We just do it at the church. My firend Stephanie teaches it and she is tough. It has really helped me though, and is the most I have exercised aerobically for years.
  
• Kent is officially studying for his Series 7 exam. They warn you and tell you how hard this exam is and that you should not plan to have any sort of life for the next couple of months. Well, they weren't kidding. He has been trying to get ahead. Yesterday he set a goal of what he wanted to accomplish, thinking it would just take part of the day. Well, he did it all day yesterday and into the evening until he said his head could not absorb one more thing. I think this is going to be a long couple of months for all of us. It will be so nice when it it done though. It is the next step in his career, and will help him when he has it. So it is a great opportunity.
  
• I got new shelves for our family room- I got a couple of shelves similar to Gorilla Shelves and I am so excited to move some things around and get organized. Oh, the simple blessings in life... Storage space.
  
• I love the black Friday anticipation and excitement. I don't know why, I don't always buy anything, I just LOVE it. I love that you can get sneak peaks of the ads online. I think it all started when I was a kid, unwrapping my presents BEFORE Christmas and then re-wrapping then so my parents wouldn't know.
  
• We are spending Thanksgiving at Kent's parents cabin this year. I hope the weather holds out nice for just one more week so the kids can play outside. It should be fun. I do occasionally like getting some retail therapy, when I have been home cooped up for too long, so being in the woods for days may prove challenging. :)
  
• Making plans for Christmas when everyone comes- my side of the family is coming this year, and I am getting excited to have everyone here. I think I need to start cleaning now. It is never ready, but just know that I am "thinking"about it atleast.
  
• I found a cool website called Splitcoast stampers- it has ideas for making cards using the stamp sets that you have. You can put in the set name( for Stampin up) , and it pulls up a gallery of ideas using that stamp set. Making cards in on my list of to-do's. This website makes it so much easier when you feel idea challenged.
  
• I got my flu shot and 4 kids well checks last week- that is an accomplishment. Poor Reed had to get 5 pokes. I am glad I am not a kid anymore. One was enough for me. He is ready for school now, so no more shots in sets of 5 again, I hope.
  
• Morgan is saying "What's up Mom?" lately. Where has my baby gone? She is saying the cutest things right now.
  
• The weather has been beautiful this month. I have LOVED not having to have snow all month. I know it has to come some time, but after last winter and all of the snow we had, I consider myself blessed to have one less month of it.
  
• Bargain shopping month- this has been the month of stocking up on our food storage. There have been some amazing sales, and I have been couponing like crazy. The checker one time asked me "How long does it take you to do this?" after I used tons of coupons, all organized for seperate orders. A LONG time I said. I guess it is either time or money, and I have the time. I do a lot of the getting ready part at work. And, I have to admit to getting a rush when you get you order of groceries for next to nothing. I think I can blame this on my Mom.
  
• Date to temple with Kent- Kent and I went on a DATE last weekend. It was so nice to be together- alone. And go to the temple. We need to better at this.

• The best thing of ALL- I have gone down to only wokring 2 nights a week. Tuesday and Friday. I can't even tell you what being home just 2 nights more a week has done for our family. It was really taking it's toll. The kids were sad when I would have to go, I NEVER saw Kent, which is hard, homework wasn't getting done, scriptures weren't being read, and on and on. And, we were both exhausted because there was never a break. It has made a HUGE difference for our family, and I hope that we can survive with such a drastic cut in funds. But the blessings of being home have been incredible.

So, there you have it. My random thoughts and our goings on for the past little while. I am sure that there is much more, but this is what I could think of for right now. I have been so happy lately, being home more, being creative, and planning for the holidays. It is so fun to have something to think about and plan out. I live for things like that. Something fun that is not your everyday laundry. Which by the way Mom, is getting way better too.