Our Family

Our Family

Friday, March 18, 2011

Macey & Me

Our Stake had a first annual Mother/Daughter Day Out!  So guess what Macey & I did?  We went. 

 Macey and I might butt heads about a lot of things but she seems to love it when we get to do things 'just the two of us'!  She's always asking, "when can just you and I . . .?"  I am grateful she wants to do things with me.  I hope this will always be!

We missed the scout garage sale (darn! only 2nd one in 10yrs I've missed and longest one ever!).  We got to take our friends the Rice's with us to the 'girl' activity and met some other friends there.  It was held about an hour away.  It didn't take as long to get there as we thought (we had planned for 90 minutes).  It was held at Caloosahatchee Regional Park in Alva, FL.  (Basically out in the boon docks - but boon docks with some really nice houses along the way).

They took our picture and had a portable printer to print them on the spot.  We made picture frames and hung them on string with clothespins to dry and display - cute!

We made flower rings, pins or barrets out of pipe cleaners (courtesy of Martha Stewart, I'm told).  They were the most awesome creations!
We painted nails - Macey chose a deep bright red.  It actually was a pretty color.


We also got to put 'temporary' tatoos on the girls and the girls on their moms.  Thank goodness Macey chose 3 small glittery flowers for me since they were still there the next day at church.  (I noticed them after I had sat down from speaking).

 
We did a relay race where the girls had to be the mom and the mom got to be the girl.

We took a little hike but got a great picture of all the girls we had.  I had a great time spending time with my favorite gal - my daughter, Macey.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

How Do They Do It!

In talking to a fellow friend blogger - who has surpassed even my most lofty goals of being a great design blogger in a mere 3 months vs. my 3 years of blogging about just the days in my life.  I learned in five minutes from her what I couldn't figure out on my own pertaining to the labels on my blog.  Now I just need to go back through 3 years = 75+ posts and correct what I did wrong.

I am amazed at how much so many other people accomplish in their life.  How do they do it?!  How do so many seem to fit a whole other life within a life.  They have amazing blogs with amazing ideas.  There are others that are continually creating and accomplishing a new project every day.  They design things, sell them, blog about them.  Then there are those that have a job, young children, big life challenges, go back to school, know the latest world news, and more.  Do they have the same 24hr day that I do?!

And me . . .I get up, make my bed, pick up the house, do laundry, take care of my church responsibilities, try to stay in touch with family & friends on a limited basis, update my blog now & then and my days are gone without having accomplished any of these great things that so many others seem to. 

My single greatest accomplishments in a days time are that my bed does get made every day, there's rarely more than a load of laundry in the hampers at a time and we sit down together as a family almost every night for dinner.  Not that it's a great dinner by any stretch of the imagination.  Just another thing I only do marginally well.  Grateful that my family (particularly my husband) loves me anyway and tolerates having tacos once a week!

I am thankful that so many others do all that they do.  Because in reality, if not, I wouldn't be able to seem to do a few great things.  I wouldn't have their ideas for my Young Women's lesson or the joint activity I'm in charge of tonight and be able to tweek and make it my own.  I'm a good copier just not a good inventor of original ideas.

I aspire to greatness but I have yet to discover it.  To find where it lies in me. 

I'm a lover of simple things - reading, family, friends, the greatness in others, children's books, poetry, diet coke, boston baked beans, Panera Bread's cinnamon crunch bagels w/honey walnut cream cheese,  carrot cake, key lime pie ice cream and the likes.

In years to come when someone asks my children what would define their mother, I really wonder what they will say.  I hope they will say that they always knew I loved them, wanted the best for them and just as the warriors of Helaman, they knew & never doubted that their mother had a testimony of Jesus Christ.  In reality, the only success I am seeking is yet to be determined in the years to come as my children grow, learn and begin lives of their own.  The manner of men (and woman) they become will be the measuring stick of my life's accomplishments, my greatest reward.

I am not fishing or requesting comments, compliments or validation. I am merely voicing the musings of my mind at the moment.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

My Funny Valentine's!

I bought (3) pink chocolate chip pancake mixes to give as a few fun gifts at Valentine's.  I did give (1) away and then when the day arrived my (2) sweet young 'uns wanted to know if I was going to make them some 'perfectly pink pancakes'!  How could I refuse!

So for my (2) sweetest & funniest valentines - perfectly pink pancakes with a little creativity thrown in.

Macey had a very long drawn out discussion about who my Valentine was (dad or her) and who was going to be her Valentine.  I told her I would be her Valentine.  In true form she argued with me.  I couldn't be her Valentine because I was daddy's Valentine.  She protested that one person couldn't have (2) Valentine's.  And on it went.

I hope she knows deep in her heart that she will always be my other Valentine!