Stay Balanced!

I have felt a little overloaded recently as I have contemplated all the events that have happened and are yet to happen. I thought I'd share a little soul searching with you. I've compliled a few of my thoughts on summer.
Summer has arrived and now what? You’ve worked hard all winter and are ready to use your well earned vacation to escape, play, and have quality time. The kids are home from school for the summer and you have to keep them entertained and enriched. It is warm and you can do outdoor activities, visit family, visit places you’ve always dreamed of going. The possibilities are endless... right?
Summer can also be a time when we as women overload ourselves with so many activities that by mid - summer we are tired, irritable, unhappy, stressed etc… The rigors of the planning weigh on us and we forget to take care of our most basic needs. We set up well laid plans and then suddenly unexpected situations happen that seem to pull us in too many directions. We feel we are failing because we aren’t accomplishing all the things we dreamed would happen this summer. Stop! Breath!! Set short term realistic goals for the summer. Take care of yourself first and you and your families will be happier. Find some quiet time regularly to think deeply about where you are going and what you will need to do to get there. Pray and be in tune to the Spirit so the Lord can guide your choices. He might bring to mind a better activity than you had already planned. Take care of you and your family’s spiritual needs first. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (3 Ne. 13:33). Prioritize and make the activities quality, activities. Don’t book every minute of your day. Leave time for family, for service, and to just relax and be yourself. • Make the best use of the time you have, and consider eliminating less-important activities. Get organized and write important events on a calendar. Watch your spending. Get enough rest. Exercise is listed as the #1 reducer of stress and promotes physical and emotional wellbeing. Take some time for yourself so you can be there for others. “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means … but be diligent unto the end” (D&C 10:4). Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet all your goals. Look at what you did do this summer; you’ll be surprised at what you did accomplish. Life is too short and we never know what tomorrow may bring so make the best of each day. You are precious in God’s sight and he loves you. Start a great summer!

. STAY BALANCED!
• Put the Lord first in your life. Always make time to pray, and read the scriptures daily.
• Get organized. Make a “to do” list or a schedule.
• Prioritize. Decide which things are most important and do those first.
• Write important events on a calendar and refer to it frequently.
• Keep the Sabbath day holy. You might not think there are enough hours in the day to do all you need to do, but remember Sunday is the Lord’s day, and He will bless you if you are obedient.
• “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means … but be diligent unto the end” (D&C 10:4). Make the best use of the time you have, and consider eliminating less-important activities.
• Ask for help. Turn to your family, friends, or teachers if your load becomes unbearable and you don’t know what to do.
• Pray for help. Heavenly Father knows the pressures you are under, and He can help ease your burdens.
• Listen to the Spirit. You might feel prompted to do something you hadn’t planned on doing.
• In all your scheduling, don’t book every minute of your day. Leave time for family, for service, and to just relax and be yourself.

More Baby Shower Pictures!

So My daughter wants more pictures from the baby shower so I am adding some more. Mostly she wanted her hubby to see the quilt that I still have to bind. I still have some work to do on some of the items I have for Zoe and she wanted to know if I'd be done. I'm not sure if I mentioned it in my previous blogs, but I was put in the Relief Society Presidency at church. I have had to learn a lot and play catch up with my frequent trips lately. We are going up to Utah the last week of May so my 18 year old son can attend a Youth Camp at BYU called Especially for Youth. They stay in the dorms for a week. Learn to be gentlemen/Ladies,have spiritual speakers on church topicssuch as:(,Morals,datting and preparing for their future),participate and watch talent shows,see musical presentations,have dances where the boys have to escort the girls on their arm, get to meet and associate with other youth of their faith and beliefs. While he is there I get to spoil my other kids some more. I'll come back home again for a couple of weeks and then return to awaite Zoe Madison Jackson. I think I will hate the gas industry by the end of the summer! Ya think!
Any way here are a few more pictures.

Happy Mother's Day

A Baby's Conversation With God...

A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?' God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'
The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.' God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'
Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?' God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'

'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?' God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.'
'Who will protect me?' God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.'
'But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.' God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'
God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mother.'

Going Home Happy Mother's Day Mom!

My Dad has been ill and in a nursing home for the last three weeks. My mom had previously been hurt when my dad took her down when he fell. I hoped she would get some much needed rest while Daddy was in the care center, but not when they don't care for him! My mom is so tired and spends as much time as possible there. She finds him left on the toilet, messy and no one around. He doesn't get fed if she isn't there to help him. He's been in the emergency room twice, once with stitches from falling off the bed and once because they wouldn't get a doctor there to treat his pnemonia and upper respiratory infection. She is trying to get him released and home by this weekend. She is lonely and does as much for him up there with no place to relax as she would do at home. I don't want her to not have any kids home for mother's day. I hope our arrival will sooth her soul a little. I admire and love her so much. I hope I can have the patience, endurace, and strength at age 81 to do what she does. She is amazing and has alway been such an example to me.
I am taking my daughter Kristin with me as she is having a rough week. We thought we had adopted our new son in law to be.....things didn't work out so well. She had been unhappy and miserable and they decided to break thing off. She said it was hard, but feels a feeling of relief and comfort after much prayer and soul searching. She went to the temple grounds the other day and came home crying. I know it is hard now not only for her but all of us. It is amazing how much you come to love the companions and friends your children bring into your life. I know Heavenly Father will help her find the right eternal companion someday. I'ts not always an easy road though.
Steve's dad is getting worse with his alzheimers and they had to sign papers last week to reserve a private nursing home room for him. It really stinks to see your parents age ungracefully. I pray when it is my time to go I go to sleep and wake up in heaven like my Grandmother Elder did.
My good news or bad, it depends on how you look at it. I have been called to the Relief Society Presidency as 2nd Councilor. I am excited and a little nervous. I can's wait to see where Heavely Father helps me to grow. I love doing music and still am since we are kind of music poor in our ward, but it is nice to stretch the spiritual growth some more. I have wonderful sisters to work with and enjoy their spirits and companionship. Ask me in a few months if I'm still excited. We had our first enrichment board meeting yesterday and it was so fun hearing everyones great ideas. Let's see if we make out okay for my first enrichment on June 5!
My other good news! NO MORE PROJECTS FOR AARON'S ClASS! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!Tommorow we get rid of the stinky plant he has been watering with milk. Yuck! It finally had to be moved to the front porch. I was getting a little grumpy after 4 major projects in the last two weeks, a book fair, and a field trip. I love helping so much but I'm a little on overload lately.
Sorry my blogs are so depressing! Baby Zoe is almost here though and I'm sure the mood of my topics will soon change. Katrina was just here for her shower and of course we didn't get enough time. We had fun poking Zoe and chasing her around Katrina's belly. Danielle even go out her stethescope. I asked Katrina if she felt violated yet! Ha Ha She said she was enjoying the attention. I love them all so much! Missed Daddy Matt though!
God Bless til next time!

Life Needs Little Laughs But Big Ones Are Better!

I have had so many events happen this month, that it will take me some time to relay them. Sad and stressful, Surprizing, and Exhilarating.
Until then......
I am passing on a BIG LAUGH to all as I really needed one myself. This is from one of my adopted kids blogs.I adopted her in spirit as well as many others over the years as they brushed through my family's lives. Kristen I love you! Thanks for the laugh!

For those of you who wax, you will understand fully and those who don't will never make this mistake. Better go pee before you read this. This is by far one of the funniest things I have ever read.Hair Removal...(I don't have a clue as to who wrote this, but....WHAT A RIOT!)All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - The Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax. Read on.........My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours:'Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet.' So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.It was one of t hose 'cold wax' kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off.No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees.('Cold wax,' yeah...right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. It works!OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the wax strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down to the inside of my butt cheek (it *was* a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!!I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP! Everything is spinning and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious...must stay conscious.Do I hear crashing drums??? Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip. There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip...it's not! I touch. I am touching wax.I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake...remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut!I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do and think to myself 'Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!' What can I do to melt the wax?Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right??? *WRONG!!!!!!!*I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgi cal equipment - I sit.Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented myself to the porcelain!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter 'So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!'There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, 'Are we talking cheeks or hole or hoo-ha?'She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box.YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.While we go through various solutions. I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor . Nothing feels better than to have your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. 'IT WORKS!! It works !!'I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.Next week I'm going to try hair color...

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!