And Then Life Takes a Turn...

I've been teasing you with a promised post on Christmas ornaments for a few weeks, and I promise I did start writing it today.  But then I got an email about a job opening that would be so PERFECT for my husband and I got completely carried away and Christmas ornaments just don't sound that interesting anymore.

What's the job, you're asking?  Well, I'm not going to tell you everything because he hasn't even filled out the application, but recently he told me what he really wanted to be doing was working in the great outdoors.  He's always loved biking, hiking, skiing, and is crazy adventurous.  This job would allow him to do all of those things plus a whole lot more...for a living.

What would the job mean for me?  He'd be gone A LOT.  It'd mean a summer of me and 4 kids figuring things out on our own.  It could mean giving up our house and bumming couches from friends and family all summer instead of continuing our search for a bigger place we can all fit in.  It could mean a lot of traveling to where he is, including a trip up the ALCAN Highway with my minivan, a 5-year-old, 2-year-old and 9 month old twins.  It could mean saving a lot of money or turn into having absolutely no money.  And most importantly, it would mean being so incredibly proud of my husband for giving up the security of a decent paycheck at a ho-hum job to do something that he really loves to do!  It'd give me hope for my own dreams coming true in the future, too!

I'll let you know how it all turns out, but for now know that I have a HUGE grin on my face.  And forgive me for not getting around to that very "settled down and domesticated" post I'd been promising...maybe in a few days when I come down off this high..

Thankful Thirty #25 (Children)

Source: pinterestcommunity.com via Michelle on Pinterest

My husband took my oldest son up the canyon for his first ski lesson of the season today and left me at home with our three littler boys.  IT WAS SO NICE!

I can't remember the last time my house was so quiet.  I can't remember the last time I've gone an entire day without yelling.  It was fun to watch our 2-year-old playing what he wanted to play for as long as he wanted to play it.  It was nice to read a book while feeding the babies instead of squeezing bottles into my role as referee.  And it was really nice to be showered in hugs and help when the ski day was through.

Another day like this might not come again for quite some time, but that's okay.  It's not one I plan on forgetting any time soon.

I'm grateful for an uplifting change in routine.

Thankful Thirty #20 (Humility)

"I want, I want, I want!"  I'm sick of hearing it already.  The Toys 'R Us toy catalog came in the mail nearly a month ago and I haven't had a quiet day since.  Every time I think I've hidden it, thrown it away, or incinerated it the blasted magazine reappears, a little more banged up, but still readable and enticing.  My kids are begging me for things they've never heard of and I guarantee would hate as soon as they found it underneath the Christmas tree. To try and combat the vacuum of materialism that can put a damper on the holidays, we sat down as a family tonight for a lesson I called "I Want/I Have." First we did an activity I adapted from the Groovy Storytimes blog.  She said,

For an object lesson on greed, build a small "table." Use building blocks at either end for legs, and a rectangle of thin cardboard, (I used a postcard) for the top...Place a small pile of small stones beside the "table."(We used building blocks) Pick up one of the stones and say, "I want a _______." Fill in any item that you know your kids like. Place that stone on the cardboard tabletop. Pick up another stone and repeat.  Again, fill in the blank with anything, from a bicycle to a Playstation to a pet dinosaur. Place this stone beside the first one on the cardboard. Continue in this fashion until there are so many stones on the cardboard that it collapses. Explain to the children that, if we're not careful, our "wants" can overwhelm us.

Everyone in our family took a turn doing this and then we talked about how when we want things, we'll never have everything we want.  We'll never be happy enough.  Then we did the activity again, but this time I moved the "table" legs together to make a sturdy base for the postcard to lay on.  With each block we stacked this time, we said, "I have ______."  When all our blocks were stacked steady on top of each other, we talked about how focusing on the blessings we have to be thankful for help us to be happier and stronger.

The second part of the activity was to draw a turkey on the chalkboard.  Each person named a thing they are grateful to have and added it as a feather on the turkey.  Then I explained to my boys that every time this week that they started a sentence with "I want...", I would stop them and we'd add another "I have..." feather to our turkey.  They were excited and I thought I was a genius.

Then my great activity kicked me in my own behind.  As we ate our family night treat and got ready for bed, I caught myself choking on my own "I wants...".  Real art when we move into our next house, a newer car seat for my toddler, new pans on Black Friday, and on and on and on.  Apparently, I'm as bad, if not worse, than my kids with their toy catalogs.

I didn't add more feathers tonight because I was able to stop myself before sharing all the material things I was wishing for.  But tomorrow morning, I will add a few important things to our turkey and hopefully by the end of the week our entire family will be focused a little more on the many blessings we have to be thankful for.

I'm grateful for the lessons I learn when I thought I was teaching my kids.

Thankful Thirty #16 (Relationships)

Source: flickr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

You are probably reading this at the beginning of your day, but I'm writing it at the end of my day and I'm tired and I'm ready to crash and I'm so glad my husband was willing to give the babies their bath tonight so I could sit for just one minute and relax.  He's a good dad.  He's a great husband!  I love him.

I'm grateful for thoughtful partnerships.

Thankful Thirty #4

I fell in love with Gymboree today!  If you've been reading with me for awhile, you know that I love clearance shopping and one of my best days this year was my marathon DI shopping trip.  I very rarely shop at any of the stores at the mall, and especially not for kid clothes.  But last night I found myself there with no tiny hands tugging on my arms and ventured into shopping heaven!  It couldn't have been better timing.

See, last night I was shopping at closing time and only had one pair of pants in my hands.  Then I found out Gymboree was having a "Circle of Friends" customer appreciation sale and giving 30% off of every purchase.  I really mean EVERY purchase.  There were no buying limits or "with our store credit card."  Every single person shopping received the friends and family discount.  What store have you been in recently doing that?  In addition, anyone with a rewards card (which was free) was getting an additional 5% off. My one pair of pants ended up costing under $5.00.


I could not stop thinking about either the store or that incredible sale!  I had to go back today.  Knowing that I only shop the clearance racks when I do go in stores like Gymboree, I was positive I would walk out with an incredible deal.  And knowing that I now have twin boys to clothe, I definitely justified spending the money.  My sweet husband let me take an hour out of his birthday festivities to go and see what I could find.

This was absolutely the best shopping day!  My arms were piled neck high-that never happens to me!  I watched the discounts falling off and couldn't contain the grin spreading across my face.  My husband and I took bets to see how much we would save and I'm happy to say I was closer, but still came nowhere close to the total savings printed on the bottom of my receipt.

Now remember, I only shopped the clearance racks and I did save a good amount of money off of the clearance prices.  But today it seems entirely appropriate to consider the savings I made off of the original pricing.  When all was said and done, shopping at Gymboree today, I saved $439.55!!!!!!!  It's not used clothing, it's not cheap quality threadbare fabric.  I did good today.

And I still haven't stopped talking about it!  The thrill of finding such an incredible deal unexpectedly has my adrenaline pumping.  Gymboree will never know it, but this one sale on this one weekend has made me their newest loyal customer.

I'm grateful for opportunities to provide for my family responsibly.

In My Heart On Thursday (Dreams)

"Everyone has an official wish list of things they think are "reasonable". What about the unofficial wish list? The one that common sense tells you to ignore? The list that exists deep in your mind, the list that keeps you up at night, that makes your toes wiggle when you think of it? Why not choose that list for a change? How long have you dreamed of being, having, and doing what you really want? Think big, as when it comes to your goals, the size of your ambition does matter."

-First Rule of Success:  Be Decisive, Gary Ryan Blair

Am I Traveling, Am I Not (A Follow-Up)

I have been on an emotional roller coaster since my post last week and woke up this morning thinking I should share with you where I'm heading.  Thank you for the amazing advice and concern and encouragement I received from several of you!  That's absolutely the best part about writing and putting myself out there.

The big picture answer from my little breakdown is that I am definitely dealing with a life issue.  The struggle between dreams and reality isn't solved overnight and doesn't have a 1-2-3-step process to resolution.  What does that mean?  I'm not going to simply wake up one day having dropped the need to travel and explore and be free from routine.  I can wake up each day recognizing that not every year is going to be a big travel year.  This year, for starters, is not going to find me cavorting overseas and now that I've thought about that clearly, I've accepted it completely.

Even in my muddling last week, I never once considered that I was now trapped in my house, in my yard, in my little community.  Utah provides an incredible opportunity for so many different types of exploring in a very short distance and with summer coming my mind is already packed full of weekend excursions and activities.  That will never change in me, and is just as valid an opportunity to teach my kids about environments different than their own as any other place I could take them in the world.

There is a truth to work through and accept that my freedom to wander the world freely has dwindled and changed.  Yet, right now as I watch my kids squeal while blowing soap bubbles in their breakfast cups it doesn't seem daunting or life-sucking.  My passport application is in the mail and I can keep dreaming.  I never again want logistical details to be what keeps me from dreaming.  But for today I think I'll tackle the housecleaning and the parenting and be excited when my husband gets home.  I'm going to enjoy my family right here where life finds me.

(As part of my "therapy" I promise this summer I'll share some of my adventures with you,

 including my upcoming trip to flea markets of the Heartland,

 and playing tourist with my sister in Southern Utah's national park playland)

In My Heart On Thursday

                                          It's 10 minutes, but worth it. 
 I started crying at 4:29 and the tears kept falling
Thank you, One Mom's Moxie, for posting it for me to see

Resolve #1-Making a SMALL part of My World Better

I have always wanted to be one of those women that does all her shopping with re-usable bags.  Over time I've gathered a few boring store brand ones, but I NEVER remember to use them.  Even if they're in the empty seat beside me as I pull into the grocery store parking lot, I will grab my purse and not give a thought to grabbing them as well.

My community does not offer any kind of curbside recycling, so it's not a habit I've ever gotten in to.  In my house plastic bags go straight into the garbage.  I have absolutely no use for them (well, lining the bathroom trashcan, maybe).  I know stores have collection bins, but if I can't remember a bag I paid for when I go in the store, there's no way I'm going to remember a wad of dirty plastic ones.  If I'm quick enough at the checkout stand, I do usually get paper bags so I can cut them up and use for crafting with my kids.  I've been noticing, though, that several of my regular grocery haunts have quit using paper bags completely (Kroger, you are my biggest offender!).

And so, for an easy way to get 2012 off on the right foot, I'm converting to all re-usable shopping bags!  I should feel ashamed to tell you it's not actually for the recycling after all.  But I'm not ashamed.  I just want to shop with pretty bags that make me happy.  I went hunting last week and found a great selection-huge bags at TJ Maxx, tiny bags at Ross Dress for Less,  and bags to get the kids excited at Toys 'R Us.  I have a few that fold up very small to fit in my purse, and one Envirosak that I bought a long time ago on Totsy.

Have they made it out on a shopping trip with me?  Three trips to the store in the last week, and I forgot my bags the first two.  But I made up for it today!  I took them to Costco and didn't have to make 15 trips from the car to the house when I got home.  The bagboy for the rest of my grocery shopping thanked me for having such big bags.  And he even used one of the tiny ones for my white wine vinegar and cheese.  This is the beginning of a new way of life for me!

Do you shop with re-usable bags?  

I'd love to hear about your favorite one!

Uniquely December: Find An Evergreen Day

Today I'm re-sharing a post of one of my favorite childhood holiday memories ...

The winter holidays are meant for kids.  Santa Claus is real, snow falls solely for sledding and building snow families, and a baby (just like I used to be, they'll say) was born in the hay.  When else do we let them bring trees in the house or bury them with brand new toys, shiny paper, and glittery ribbon?  In the thick of it, they'll tell you every bit of it is magical.  It's not until we get a little older that particular pieces of that holiday magic begin to plant themselves in a special part of our memory.  For me, the enchantment was the Christmas tree.

Growing up in Iowa, the formula for the perfect Christmas tree involved waiting for a bitter cold day and swirling biting winds.  The whole family piled out of the station wagon at the country Christmas tree farm, picked up a hacksaw and trudged acres and acres to the farthest, most un-harvested hill.  The arguments then ensued as six girls poured out their hearts in defense of their " perfect"  tree.  Ultimately, Mom got the one she wanted, and the saw went to work chopping down her tree.

The adventure continued on as we dragged our enormous tree back across the snow-laden hills looking for a tractor and trailer willing to give us a ride back to our car.  If we were lucky, the tree would fit in the baler-one year it would not-and a great big Christmas tree bundle got strapped to the top of the car.  Piling back into the station wagon, we raced home to set up our tree.

The happy memories don't end there.  Getting the tree home was only half the act.  Enter Pa-pa and his voice of reason.  "Dawn, that tree is too big.  It won't fit in our house."  He was right nearly every year.  The tree's trunk always  received a second round of shearing before taking it's place front and center in the living room window.

After the tree was decorated and lit, we enjoyed seeing more and more presents accumulate underneath.  We would plug in the lights in the late afternoon and sometime before going to bed, Mom and Dad would unplug it again.  Until Christmas Eve.  On Christmas Eve we all knew the twinkling lights stayed on all night.  Early in the morning (or later in the morning depending on how old we were getting to be), six girls would tumble out of bed, shuffle into the living room and be greeted with the most breathtaking sight!  The glow of the Christmas tree illuminated the room, shining off wrapping paper, and calling attention to a big bag from Santa. Spread out on the floor, in front of the tree, were six stuffed-to-the-brim stockings inviting us to come and partake.  With the allure of new toys, the moment was over in the blink of an eye, but the living room aglow on Christmas morning is what Christmas time magical to me.

Imagine then, the struggle it's been with a husband who grew up a little bit differently.  In a home that in all ways seemed even more frugal than my own, the electric bill at Christmas time apparently just went out the window.  He wants the lights on all the time, day and night and any extra time in between.  Last year we followed each other around, secretly plugging and unplugging.  I was certain he was being obstinate only because he didn't like digging around for the loose cords to fit into the socket.  There had to be a solution before we started our holiday celebrating again this year.

In come our kids.  Even before talking about getting a tree, Beck was telling us excitedly and assuredly that Christmas trees have lots of presents and candy canes.  I have no idea where the candy canes came from, but he was certain and now our tree is covered in candy canes and he's eating one every day.  The first night we had our tree up I heard Beck telling his dad that if he couldn't sleep he would just come out and look at the tree.  The second night we had our tree up, I found him Beck sleeping on the couch and when he woke up the first thing he said was, "I just wanted to lay here and look at this beautiful tree."

A mom's heart melts.  It's a struggle to walk by and see the lights on at all times of the day.  I want my family to know joy the way I remember it as a child.  At the same time, who am I to take away a three-year-old's joy?  Children make the holidays!

Uniquely December: Letter-Writing Day

A few weeks back we had a lesson at church focused on taking care of ourselves as women.  One of the challenges we were given was to go home and write a letter.  Not an email, or a text, or a facebook comment...a genuine later.  The promise was made that taking the time to sit down, form our thoughts, and then express them would bring peace in the midst of our harried every day lives.  And not just our lives, but also the lives of the people to whom we're writing.

Letters are "the keepers."  Don't we all have a box or a file somewhere holding treasured salutations?  Maybe tucked inside a birthday card or folded neatly inside a scented envelope?  We don't read them everyday, but when we come across them our hearts are immediately carried back to the emotions of the day we received it.  A hand-written letter guarantees to bring a smile to mind over and over again.

I had three people come immediately to mind after receiving my letter-writing challenge.  One a friend I've been out of contact with for years but who just reached a goal she'd set way back then.  One a sister-in-law I admire for the life she's lived and the choices she's made.  And one my grandmother.

In my lifetime my grandmother's letters have been a precious gift.  They don't come often.  The thought comes to mind to write her only about once a year, but I always know I'll hear receive a message in return.  Her tiny cramped scrawl is pretty hard to read, but the squinting and transcribing is always worth the work.  Especially because my grandma is of the generation that believes nothing that happened in her life is important enough for people to want to know.  The letters she sends with brief accounting of how she passes her days will add immense depth to the history I'll piece together and share with the generations of my family.

I'm ashamed to admit I've only written one of my three letters, and that envelope is still waiting on my kitchen counter to be mailed.  I'm grateful for the reminder today to put my pen to paper and send a short little ray of happiness to the people in my life.

Can I pass the challenge along to you? 

 Sit down and write a letter to someone you know.  

See if it doesn't make you both feel better!

In My Heart On Thursday

Underwater Worlds

When Ben and I were engaged he talked a lot about wanting to learn how to SCUBA dive.  That sounded adventurous and fun so of course I raved about how I wanted to do that too!  This though I'm a pretty terrible swimmer and had panicked the first time I'd tried snorkeling.  Since making such a bold statement, I've had several more opportunities for snorkeling and learning to SCUBA.  The snorkeling is getting better; the SCUBA is probably never going to happen.  What I've learned most of all is to be comfortable with my abilities.

My first snorkeling experience was with a group of friends on an organized tour in Bermuda.  Trying to look cool, and not wanting to look like the old lady on our tour, I declined a life jacket.  I made it about 2 minutes offshore before the guide took me back to the sand.  Brushing that off to my friends as seasickness (or something equally ridiculous) I eagerly followed them out into the open ocean at an abandoned beach hours later.  The underwater rocks beat up my legs and the current beat up my pride.  I spent most of the afternoon fooling around on the shore.

Goofing around with my friend Dave 

I tried exploring underwater depths in the same way several more times with no better results.  Looking good was always the determining factor and I'd rather make up an excuse to not go out rather than looking stupid.  Then, the changing day came.  

Ben and I had found a great little beach cove on the west coast of Mexico.  A local cabana shack charmed me into putting on a life jacket and Ben and I spent the entire day out on the water!  No boat or kayak, no tired arms or fear of drowning-just the two of us floating in the world alone.  It was amazing!  That's the day I set my pride aside and I allowed myself to have fun without embarrassment or worry.

A great snorkeling day

I am never going to be a diver.  It turns out that conquering my minimal swimming skills wasn't nearly as difficult as feeling comfortable with schools of fish swarming through my legs.  I enjoy being in the water and observing the underwater goings-on as I float safely distant from above.  It's true I may never see the most beautiful things down there to see, but I'm out there.  And that's pretty big to me!

 See A-T

In My Heart On Thursday

"Nurturing her own mind and spirit is more important to a mother's responsibilities

 than the meals she prepares for her family."

Janath Russell Cannon, Women of Covenant

Joy

On my new blog, Eating the Nibbly Bibs, the focus is 100% joy.  Both for my two boys and for me.  I'm working out of a fabulous book named Teaching Your Children Joy where I do a daily activity with them and then record my thoughts and observations on how it went.  

Here is a post from last week:

I'm InWhat I'm learning about parenting is this:  You have to be all in.  Children grow up whether you're intensely involved or not.  The opportunity we have is to be a part of that during the short amount of time we have with them.  And we choose the degree of intensity.

During the past four years I've had ups and downs-periods of complete attention and periods of viewing from the sidelines.  The last year I'd evaluate as fairly well checked out and the results are there to prove it.  Beck and I argue like he's a teenager.  Indeed I look at him and can see exactly what 14-year-old Beck will be.  But the good news is that that's true for the good times too!  I've noticed before, and I'm seeing it now...when I'm anxiously engaged in being mom to my two boys, they smile and laugh and want to be anxiously engaged with me.  It's a lesson worth learning, and one I'm sure I'll need to keep learning again and again.

Today's Teaching Your Children Joy activity was to "make spontaneity a high priority."  Be open to letting it happen anytime and anyplace.  It's hard to get past the point when you holler "No," or "Stop," "Sshhh!", but when you do it makes the world more interesting for both you and your child.

So try it.  Let them splash in a puddle.  Follow the direction of their pointing fingers and over-enthusiastic shouts of "LOOK!"  Clear the way and let them spin the kid cart while walking through the grocery store.  They'll be happier and you might just find yourself barefooted squishing mud between your toes.  

If you have little ones, or if you don't, I'd love to have you come on over and check it out... 

Eating the Nibbly Bibs

For earlier A-Z posts...

H Takes Us Up, Up, & Away

I LOVE hot-air balloons!   Last year we went to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta for the fiesta and I'm hooked!  That festival has hundreds of balloons lifting off every morning of the 10-day festival.  You can sign up to be part of a balloon chase-team and then get in free for the entire festival.  Last year I pushed my reluctant husband into volunteering and he was addicted after his first day.  He ended up chasing with a team from the Netherlands flying a 10-story-high Rooster balloon.

Last Christmas my husband's boss bought hot-air balloon rides for all his employees.  Oh, that was fantastic for me!  We saved our vouchers and went last week for my birthday!  I think most people have a romantic idea of what it will be like floating in a balloon.  It was exciting and fun, but not necessarily peaceful.  We were in a basket with 10 other people.  The burners control the rate of conversation (or at least how much of the conversation you hear) and they're pretty hot!  One man on our balloon was nearly bald and the pilot had to scrounge up a dirty smelly baseball cap for him to where instead of roasting his head.

I know hot-air ballooning is not for everybody.  It happens in the EARLY morning.  It's more successful in cooler temperatures.  It's not face-paced and you are thousands of feet off the ground suspended in a basket propelled only by a little propane.  But it's definitely worth a try!  The balloons are enormous!  Watching the first balloon of a dawn patrol alight before dawn is mesmorizing.  The coldest air is actually on the ground and warms as you make you way upwards.  And though I'm not afraid of heights, several people have told me that once you're off the ground, height is all relative and not really a problem.  

I think you should try it!  Get up close and see how it happens.  And if you find yourself at this year's Balloon Fiesta (Oct.1-10), look for me!  I'll be there.

In My Heart On Thursday

-Penny For Your Thoughts

In My Heart On Thursday

It was my birthday yesterday, this is what I did, and it'll be on my mind for awhile!

Back In the Day-Big Sister, Little Sister

I was struggling with the right way to introduce you to Kimberly of AalbersCreations (offering my #2 prize package during next week's A Blogtastic Extravaganza).   And then it came to me...

With 8 years between us, Kimberly and I bookend the family of six girls we grew up in.  Sometime after I grew up and she became a teenager we hit a spell of absolute goofiness and practical joking.  For our lives we can't figure out what triggered it, but to this day our bellies still ache from laughing.

Our interpretation of Julie Roberts' (Runaway Bride) duck-billed platypus 

Our shenanigans almost got out of hand.  I hid a mannequin head in bed; she filled my car with a week's worth of trash. The out and out kicker?  One muddy spring day while she was studiously attending her middle school classes, I moved her bedroom out of the basement and into the backyard.  I disassembled, reassembled, and made up the bed.  Then I waited for the school bus to come down the road and watched for Kimberly's completely confused reaction.  Then, because I was always a nice girl, I stood in the dining room window snapping photos while Kimberly reversed my day of hard work.  Yes, you read that right.  I didn't lift a finger to help her "re-decorate" her room.  In hindsight that might have been taking the joke a little too far...

Eventually I left home and started my grown-up life.  While I was getting established, Kimberly started reaching towards her own dreams.  She started thinking she'd like to get into fashion design and made her first foray with an incredible duct tape dress.  Both of her prom dresses (and suits for her dates) were duct tape and led her into years of designing her own fashion sense and clothing.  It would be a complete understatement to say that she and I had different styles, but she has always been more than willing to take my measurements over the phone and create fashionably original conservative clothes for me.

Life has changed a little bit for both of since those simple joking days.  1000 miles separates us and she has two beautiful little girls keeping her busy.  A little over a year ago her 18-month old daughter was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.  And the last months have brought her sweet family other difficulties, but she keeps on smiling and her creativity has thrived through it all.

That's what makes me proud to include Kimberly in my upcoming giveaway.  With AalbersCreations she travels around the Midwest crafting hand-painted ethereal masks and fairy wings on the Renaissance Fair circuit.  Online she has branched out into baby shower gifts and other little girl accessories with new out-of-the-box ideas spilling out of her brain everyday.

Now that I've taken a trip down memory lane, I'm thinking a little long-distance practical joking needs to get underway.  For an extra entry in the #2 Prize Package in next week's giveaway, leave a comment here with an over-the-top idea to get Kimberly and I laughing like we did in the good ol' days.  

In My Heart On Thursday

-download this image at  A Matter of Memories