Help Our Family Out?

To Everything There is a Season

My last post was full of enthusiasm and mystery as my husband had embarked down the path of interviewing for an exciting new job.  This long later, we finally know that he did not get that job.  But we are not downtrodden!  An amazing change is happening in our lives as we embrace the idea of doing what you love in life, even if it means leaving the security of what you've been doing behind.

Even though he did not get the dream job, my husband has decided to leave the company he's been working at for the past 5 years in order to keep pursuing employment that can be an extension of his life rather than just time-clock punching paycheck.  He wants to be working outdoors and doing something active.  He wants to be working directly with people and helping them to enjoy the place they are at that moment in their lives.  We have no idea where that will be, but I'm so proud of him to be brave enough to buck what society expects of him.  He's a great example to me and our boys that you can be responsible and also be happy.

With that in mind, there are some exciting changes brewing in my own mind about how to make sure I'm living every day happy.  I am not meant to solely be a suburban housewife and mom.  I need adventure and new scenery.  That is what's built into me and it's never going to not be me.  With my husband's job search fully underway, I've committed to taking my 4 boys on a cross-country road trip this summer, visiting friends and family along the way.  It's going to be super relaxed and I'm looking forward to connecting with my kids in a way that I never do under the burden of laundry and vacuuming and teaching kindergarten lessons.

Unfortunately, for Wandering Still, that also means some change.  I've struggled to find inspiration for writing since my twins were born last August and it has become an additional stress for this mother of now four.  I'm trying to maintain an identity as individual woman, but it obviously hasn't been happening in this format.  So, for now, I'm going to close up shop here and move over to something that fits a little more naturally in where I am as a person right now.

I hope you'll follow me!  My travel spirit has been re-awakened and I'm going to be telling the world.  Hop over now to my new(ish) travel blog and be sure to follow all the adventure going on there.

Thanks for being great friends and a great sounding board over the years.  Perhaps we'll meet again here someday, but until then I hope to see you at A Local Wander for the continuation of my journey!

A Year of Reading? 2012

Reading appears to have taken a back seat in my life last year-I mean like the back row of a 15-passenger conversion van that is impossible to crawl into gracefully and leaves you completely crammed and mute because no one in the front of the van can hear you anyway.  Apparently being pregnant for 8 months, welcoming twins into the family, and starting my kindergartner in homeschool took up a little bit of my time...

Nonetheless, I do have a short list to share with you of the

 Books I read in 2012. 

 I hope you find something you can enjoy!

1.  Teaching By the Spirit (Cook) A great book for religion teachers.  Take it in segments and apply the principles one at a time.

2.  Two Old Women (Wallis)  An easy 2-day read about survival in an Alaskan native community. You could pick out several principles/moral stories here. I was most impressed by the realization that it's okay to not always be the strong person-sometimes it's best to let another person carry and encourage you.

3.  Running Away to Home (Wilson)  Fabulous because the author completely related my own struggles balancing travel and wanderlust with family and responsibility. First few pages do an EXCELLENT job of explaining the quicksand of the American dream.

4.  James and the Giant Peach (Dahl) Somehow, I missed reading Roald Dahl as a child-so glad I've discovered him now. Read this with my 4-year-old and he giggled and marveled through the whole thing, starting with the first sentence, "Here is James Henry Trotter when he was about 4 years old."

5.  Spiritual Tasks of the Homemaker (Schmidt-Brabant)  This book was recommended to me by a past friend several years ago-if I'd gotten around to reading it all that time back, I might have understood a whole lot quicker the path she was on and how absolutely not in line it was with mine...

6.  Ahab's Wife (Naslund)  I read this at a much earlier time in my life and could only remember, "It's beautiful." It is beautiful, but wrapped up in the beautiful story are parts sections that completely wane...but not enough to put the book down, because soon you find that you've trudged on and are once again in the midst of a beautiful tale. It's not until the last chapters that the author believably links this book to it's inspiration (Moby Dick) and when it happens, it's perfectly seamless.

7.  Canaries on the Rim (Ward)  Important information on the environmental issues in Utah and when the author was presenting straight facts I really enjoyed it. When he morphed into his opinions I was completely turned off. By the end of the book I felt like I was reading his own rah-rah-rahs for all the "great" work he himself has done.

8.  While I'm Falling (Moriarty) I honestly can't remember at all what this book was about!

9.  The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Durrow)  I didn't think this book touched any societal issues in a new or productive way and didn't wrap anything up meaningfully either.  Yet, many months after reading it, something about it does still stir up a mixture of emotions and tension, so something about it must have been right.

10. What Women Fear (Smith)  The first chapter was gripping and got me very excited. Even though the theology is different than my own I thought it would be a good jumping off point for study. I especially liked the chapter on Hagaar and Sarah. Unfortunately, the magic wore off. It seemed like the book turned into the author having every tragedy or malady under the sun and I just quit relating with her "Poor me's".

11. One Year Off (Cohen)  Basically an anthology of the emails this family sent home while on their year-long round-the-world travels. Loved the way their expectations and reality often clashed and they were able to roll with it, especially when it came to what they thought their kids would like/not like and the fear of what a toddler will do/not do. As happens when you're traveling, the second half of the book is much more sparse and in the moment than the first half. Of course it makes sense that once the trip becomes life rather than vacation, it's less of a priority to write home all the touristy things you're doing, but Australia and southeast Asia are  treated a lot more lightly than Central America and Europe. Too bad, because those places are possibly more interesting. Loved the book, nonetheless. Re-inspires me to get out there with my own family.

12. 1791: Mozart's Last Year (Landon)  Interesting. Well-researched and eye-opening that most of what I've heard about Mozart is probably mostly fiction (okay, honestly, based on the movie Amadeus, which appears to be mostly not accurate). Pretty easy read for a non-fiction research book.

13. Paul Revere and the World He Lived In (Forbes)  Favorite Book of the Year!! I have no idea why I chose this, but I'm so glad I did! It covers Revere's entire 80-yr life, before and after his famous ride. Makes him a man and well-researched instead of just fictional speculation.

14. Mormon Scientist (Eyring)  Insightful look into a scientist who also had a strong testimony in God.  For LDS church members it is also a good look into the environment Henry B. Eyring grew up in.

What are you reading right now?

Looking for more?

Be sure to check out my lists from 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011
(There are 150 books for you to choose from!)

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..

We Have 2 Winners!

Congratulations to our Holiday Giving winners!

Giveaway #1 featuring Forking Queen

Winner:  Alicia K

Giveaway #2 featuring Aalbers Creations

Winner:  Rachel M. 

Thanks to all who entered and WELCOME to those of you who are new!

I look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Winners have been contacted.  

In the event they do not respond, 

new winners will be chosen Wednesday morning.

Holiday Giving Giveaway #2

Have you entered Holiday Giving (A Giveaway) #1?

  Be sure to head over there and get the back story on both this and that giveaway.

Holiday Giving (A Giveaway) #2

One Item of Your Choice (up to $40 value) 

from Aalbers Creations shop on Etsy.

So, this is my sister Kimberly!  Over the past 3 years she has created herself a business doing exactly what she loves.  Using 1000x more creativity than I was ever born with, she makes beautiful accessories for girls and their mom's and then travels the Renaissance fair circuit donning her wares (okay, super cheesy, I know, but that is what she does).  

Every item you'll find on her Etsy page is hand-sewn, hand-painted, or self-designed.  She dresses her girls in all her own creations, and they beg her to give them painted fairy faces almost every day.  Looking around you'll find a huge range of items from wings and fairy costumes...

 

to play tents and crowns...

 

to leg warmers and bibs...

 

I know you'll love looking through her shop on Etsy!  Check out the entry form below and let me know what you would choose!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Haven't checked out Holiday Giving (A Giveaway #1) yet?  

Head over there now and get your entries in!

Giveaway being sponsored across my blogging gamut.  

All entry forms will be combined to choose one winner for each giveaway.

Prizes are being offered at no cost or benefit to me.  Just a good sisterly deed.

Holiday Giving Giveaway #1

I started December with good intentions of helping my family give service this month and focus on other people instead of ourselves and I think we've been doing okay.  After delivering mailbox treats we've brought our neighbor's trash bins back up to the house on trash day, chose chores to help each other out with in our own house, and helped all the "big guys" put away chairs after church on Sunday.  Today, we want to offer two-fold service by supporting two of my sisters and their businesses and giving you the chance to win something fun and beautiful for the holidays!

Holiday Giving Giveaway #1

(okay, I tried to find a picture of my sister Brooke to post,

 but 1) I couldn't and 2) she would have killed me! :)

One item of your choice at

Forking Queen on Etsy

(up to $50 value, or $50 credit can be used 

towards 1 item of higher value)

Forking Queen is the business my sister Brooke started doing about 7 years ago.  She started out creating unique silverware jewelry pieces like these:

Now she's expanded with a "Leather and Lead" brand:

and some other really beautiful things! 

 Take a look around her Etsy shop and then get your entries for an item (up to $50 value) in below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ready to win a second prize?  

Be sure to enter our Holiday Giving (A Giveaway) #2!

Giveaway being sponsored across my blogging gamut.  

All entry forms will be combined to choose one winner for each giveaway.

Prizes are being offered at no cost or benefit to me.  Just a good sisterly deed. 

A Little Peace For Your Day

Thanks to Valerie at Prepared LDS Family for posting this beautiful Christmas video by the Piano guys this morning.  It's exactly what I needed to start my day.  I hope it'll give you a moment of rest as well...

Thankful Thirty Giveaway Winners!!

Congratulations Debbi and Marissa!!

Thank you to everyone who commented throughout the month of November.  

Hearing from you gives me motivation to keep on writing!

(Winners have been notified and have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be chosen.)

I'm going to take a few days off, but I'll be back next week with some ways that our family is staying focused on serving other people throughout this holiday season.

Thankful Thirty #30 (Wrapping Up)

What a November this has been!  Encouraging myself each day to be aware of the blessings in my life was sometimes hard, but helped me to see exactly what I needed to see in that moment.  Living in the moment.  It's an interesting new thing for me.

Having said that, though, I want to take time today to reflect on what I've learned over the last 30 days.  I needed the chance to slow down and realize that I'm grateful for...

~

Those people in the world

who choose to live each day in the service of the littlest and weakest among us.  

~

A Heavenly Father 
so personally familiar with me and with His plan for me.

~

A husband who knows I am strong,

 lets me be weak, and serves me even when I don't deserve it.

~

Opportunities to provide for my family responsibly.

~

My one vote can make a difference in my local, state, and national election.

~

The good influence the military has been in the lives of my friends who've served.

~

We can still hope in an America that is great. 

 We, the people, can make it great!

~

Simplicity.

~

That little 5-year-old boy

 who loves life so much he can't help sharing it with me.

~

A brief moment in our family finances when 

we can afford to have  a 1st-world problem.

~

Well-intentioned strangers, even if they don't quite know what to say.

~

The ability to keep in touch even from far away.

~

Organization in times of trouble.

~

You!

~

Thoughtful partnerships.

~

The ability to push myself in the body God gave me.

~

Having more good things going in my life than bad and recognizing it. 

~

The lessons I learn when I thought I was teaching my kids.

~

The opportunity I've taken 

to reflect this month on all I have been given.

~

Time to reflect and appreciate anew.

~

An uplifting change in routine.

~

The sweet woman who held a twin during church  
so my husband and I could wrangle older children without killing all of them.

~

The power of writing

 to bring shine back into an otherwise dismal day.

~

The home I've loved and the excitement of looking for another one.

~

The inspiration I receive from the talents of other people.

~

So, now you know what I'm grateful for!  Remember, you've got a little time left to enter the Trappistine Chocolate Giveaway especially for you, my readers.  You can comment on any of my Thankful Thirty posts, but to make it easy for you, why now comment right here?  Tell me, 

Thankful Thirty #29 (Only One More Day to Go)

I can hardly believe I made it all the way through my Thankful Thirty challenge without missing a single day!  Tomorrow I'll wrap it all up, but today I'm going to take it easy.  Here are some of the images I loved this month, but never got around to using...

Source: oprah.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: kittengirl.tumblr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: bugaboominimrme.blogspot.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pinterest

Source: oprah.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I'm grateful for the inspiration I receive from the talents of other people.

Thankful Thirty #28 (Home)

It is time to find a new home.  We love the house we've been in for the past 3 years, but it is time to pack and go before the walls burst at their seams.  We need an office space that isn't splayed across the dining room table.  We need a laundry room that doesn't play the role of kitchen 6.5 days of the week.  We need outdoor storage so our strollers, camping equipment, fishing gear, golf clubs, picnic toys, spare electrical parts, life jackets, ski boots, bike trailer, roller blades, fondue pots, spare wallpaper, backpacks, and air mattresses aren't all jammed into one uninsulated closet in our bedroom.  And we need to be able to walk through the whole place without tripping over baby things (or, worse, babies).

The hunt has begun, and of course we had to start out with nearly irresistible temptation.  There is a house for rent 1 block from where we live now that looked as close to my dream home as I can imagine ever finding.  A long driveway so it sets off the road.  Next to the elementary school with a gate in the fence to get through.  A wall of windows on the north side overlooking an expansive hollow and ravine.  And totally remodeled on top of everything.  The problem?  It's above our budget but just enough to make it impossible to walk away from.

The past two weeks have been a sincere test of willpower on my part.  That's how long we made ourselves wait before going to look at it.  We figured if it didn't get snapped right up, maybe it was meant to be.  Of course in the back of my mind I knew that if it didn't get snapped up there might be something wrong with it, but the idyllic abode I'd built it up to be in my mind kept me dreaming.

We looked at it this morning.  It took two minutes to get from our driveway to the front door and my kids didn't think it was strange at all because they could still see the park they play in and the neighbors they know and love.  And as soon as I walked in the door I knew this isn't the next place our family will call home.

Don't get me wrong, the layout was great, the windows and view were amazing!  There was a basement with two large pantries we hadn't been expecting, and also a patio out the back door.  Past that red flags went up in almost every room.  The bedroom walls were freshly painted, but the stucco walls were crumbling and black mold was poorly hidden.  The bathroom vanity that looked high quality in the listing photos was actually wooden, fading, and showing signs of rot due to the lack of windows or ventilation fans.  And the kitchen with it's new stainless steel appliances and marble counter tops were only a distraction from the matted carpet and exposed electrical wires behind the cupboard doors.  As we finished up our walk through,   I couldn't ignore the thought gnawing inside of me that the amount of cosmetic improvements done on the house must be covering up an equal amount of structural or mechanical problems with the house.

And that was it for me.  All the dreaming I've done since first seeing the listing, and worrying about falling in love with a place we couldn't afford, were mitigated instantly.  Not for one moment did I consider moving my boys into a bedroom with mold.  As we drove the two minutes back home I talked to my husband about the reasons we were comfortable letting this house go and he said that he agreed with me.  Before he left to go to work, though, I need to be sure.  I asked him,  "Are we on the same page?"

His reply? "But it has an ice maker in the refrigerator door..."

This house-hunting thing isn't going to be easy...

I'm grateful for the home I've loved and the excitement of looking for another one.

Thankful Thirty #27

It was not a good day.  I have been trying to find some bright crevice in my mind with something to be grateful, but I just keep coming back to it not being a good day.  That has me marveling that I've actually found something to be grateful for for the last 26 days.  Of course we always have blessings for which we give thanks, but it's not second-nature for me to recognize and them.  This month of writing has been good for me.

With only a few days left in November, don't forget to get your entry in for the Trappistine Creamy Caramel Monastery Candy.  It just takes one comment on one post, and your chances are really good! No matter who, or where, you are, I want to be able to give it to you!

I guess I've come up with something to think about today...

I'm grateful for the power of writing

 to bring shine back into an otherwise dismal day.

Thankful Thirty #26 (Service)

Source: crosscards.com via Michelle on Pinterest

I'm grateful for the sweet woman who held a twin during church  
so my husband and I could wrangle older children without killing all of them.

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 #24

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pintere

I'm grateful.  That's all, just grateful.

Thankful Thirty #23 (Reflecting)

Source: Uploaded by user via Michelle on Pinterest

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone and I hope you feel as refreshed from visiting with family as I do. I think in a day or two I'll put into words how moving it was to be reminded I'm surrounded by fabulous people.  Right now, though, I think we should all make a leftover turkey sandwich to eat in the car on the way out to find our amazing Black Friday deals.  See you back here tomorrow!

I'm grateful for time to reflect and appreciate anew.

Thankful Thirty #22

Source: thetwineryblog.com via Valerie on Pinterest

Thankful Thirty #21

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments 

when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” 

~ Thornton Wilder

I am grateful for the opportunity I've taken 

to reflect this month on all I have been given.

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.