Well-rounded

I made a somewhat "well-rounded" dinner on Saturday night. When I say well-rounded, I mean we had more than one item for dinner. I made Salmon (with homemade sauce), rice pilaf (from a box), and baked potatoes. I am fully aware that a green, non-starchy vegetable was not present; however, I feel that the involvement of three separate menu items created an actual dinner in place of a thrown-together-disaster-usually-followed-by-midnight-munchies which usually occurs. Felt good.

The whole three hours...

So for the first time, I made it through all of church with five children.

And while this was a personal achievement (you should have seen how fast I ran down the hall to grab her binkie from Rob) it was also a community one since there were kind friends who held Jetta during the hour where Rob and my callings overlap. I love that on this blog I can both note and now remember that little kindness.

And she was great, and oh so darling as you can see in this right-before-church photo:

Temple

I went to the Temple today, for the first time in over three years! It felt great! It was almost as if there had been no period of absence. Thank goodness for a place like the Temple!

Parenting Tip

One of my biggest struggles is in parenting! Probably because it's a 24/7 job and these cute little people have minds of their own! I get these weekly parenting tips - thought this one would be good to help us all achieve our goals!

Whatever comes up at any given moment, you can handle it!

That is the power you have if you can determine what you need, what your child needs, and if you can hold both you and your child's needs with equal importance.

This week, practice holding you and your child's needs with equal care. Then, problem-solve with your child to find ways of meeting both.

I’m celebrating! Last week, I canned four little pints of salsa using the few, small peppers I grew in my own garden. This is a HUGE accomplishment for me. For years, I’ve openly envied others' beautiful gardens, and their pantry shelves lined with preserved goodness. Gardening, canning – those skills have always been way beyond my limited abilities. I stocked my food storage with canned fruit from Macy’s case lot sales. And I continued to replace the sad little pot of basil that I couldn’t seem to keep alive.

This year, as we’ve worked to become more self-reliant, we decided to put in a garden. Yes, we planted way too late. (The little bit I knew about gardening applied to Utah, not Arizona.) Yes, our little plants wilted in the summer heat. (Did you know that tomato pollen can cook?) And no, it never gets cold enough in AZ to kill all the pests and bugs that devoured my beans overnight. In the end, we harvested two tomatoes, one tiny zucchini (Who can’t grow zucchini?) and a handful of peppers.

Not much of a harvest. But as I chopped up those little peppers and canned my four little pints of salsa, I couldn’t help smiling.

In one of my favorite General Conference talks, President Uchtdorf teaches:

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before. Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment.”

Read more here.

President Uchtdorf also said, “To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.”

This is what I thought of when Suz shared her idea for this blog. We are so hard on ourselves. Too often we compare our weaknesses to others’ strengths. I may not have shelves of canned fruits and veggies. But those four little pints of salsa bring me joy! They show that I’m learning and experiencing, and somewhat succeeding. What a wonderful idea to celebrate our individual, everyday accomplishments - all at our own PACE!

Wow, thanks! and Home school at my pace

I was so thrilled to get onto the blog today and see SO much action! Thank you, thank you! It's exciting to see what things have made people's days!

It has been quite a week around here, crazy busy, and lots of fun. I didn't mean to start up the blog and leave you hanging, but that's what happened. :)

Eight years ago (can you believe it?!) we made a decision that changed our lives. We decided to home school our kids. Over those 8 years there have been countless times where I have questioned the sanity in that decision, the purposes, the results, the methods, my abilities, etc. Doesn't every parent? We try to do our best, we wonder, we make mistakes, we pray, we try again.

Anyway, a couple of friends were posting back and forth on our Yahoo group. I found myself drawn in, wanting to be like them! Wanting to reach their level of achievement. Wanting the results that I pictured them and their families getting. Wondering if I had it in me to do what it would take to get there. That's when, again, the idea of achieving at our own pace occurred to me. If it's something I truly want, I CAN get there. I CAN learn and grow.

I also think it's really important to appreciate where we are now. To not have our sights so out there that we forget our accomplishments or blessings NOW. So, with the home school story, I can look at what I've accomplished, what I and my family have learned, the experiences and opportunities we've had, and I can be glad for it all! And then, noticing all that I have accomplished thus far, I can move on and reach for more.

This post was passed on to me, and it applies completely to humanity, at least humanity that is striving for anything more. :) I hope you'll read it!

Mashed Potatoes

I made mashed potatoes from scratch for the first time! I felt this quite the accomplishment, mainly because they turned out delicious and I didn't use a recipe! If they had been nasty, I would not be posting, nor would I have considered them a success.

Just another item to add to my culinary repertoire! Look out ladies, I am ready to cook!