Sometimes it's cloudy

Well, the clouds were really only in my head. We actually had record heat yesterday (for the 17th of October). It was a lovely 85 degrees.
But Sunday I hadn't taken my 5htp so I was living with a thundercloud. I remember Cecily explaining to Jen how she had to take some aminos, wait twenty minutes, eat something, wait 2 hours, take some aminos, wait twenty minutes, eat something, wait two hours, etc., etc., all day long. And not only that, you have to eat protein or it doesn't count. And Cecily has the hardest time with it because she not only has to keep herself on schedule, she has four children with four different schedules that she has to deal with too. Not to mention a husband, church callings and large home to take care of. Cecily, you are AMAZING! You achieve miracles every day, even when you only manage to get a small portion of anything accomplished. I'm reminded of Roseanne Barr saying once in a comedy routine (wait, did I just admit to listening to a Roseanne Barr routine?) when she said, "I figure if the kids are still alive when my husband gets home, I've done my job." Some days are actually like that.

I've been reading a lot of Neal Maxwell lately. I guess I've been steeling myself for the trials ahead. I keep reminding myself that my job here on earth is to learn to accept God's will and make it my own. That the trials and struggles that I face are actually learning and growing experiences sent to me by a loving Heavenly Father and I need to be grateful for them. I need to learn to live the gospel well enough that I am not creating my own difficulties and struggles. I have to trust that when my trials and sorrows are brought about by the bad decisions, faults or sins of others, my Heavenly Father can turn them around for my benefit.
Whew! That's a lot sometimes. Remember, O remember!

Oh, the other colloquialism is "talk like a Dutch uncle." Apparently, a Dutch uncle spoke very persuasively or maybe so fast or was so verbose that you didn't have an opportunity to come up with an arguement. Something like that.

Why is everything a bigger deal than I expect?

Very few people have ever accused me of being overly optimistic. I always tell people that I try to be realistic. (Which sounds a whole lot like pessimistic to a many people. Can I help it if life is really hard and bad things keep happening to the point where I expect the worst?) But anyway, I thought that it would be a quick little project to add the red-brown trim to the house. And there were cracks in the wood that I wanted to fill in, so I filled in the cracks first and waited 24 hours. Then I got the paint out. I had given the painter the paint swatches that I wanted the house painted. I had already bought the colors that I wanted it done, but only one can of each color. So I figured that the cans that I had could be used to touch up the paint after the painter we had hired had painted.

Well, they didn't match. I painted the few places that needed touching up and they stuck out like sore thumbs! (Another colloquialism for you Anna.) The paint was a different color! So instead of just touching up the paint, I ended up having to paint nearly the whole front of our house. The worst part was painting the peak of the house above the garage. Standing that far up on the ladder was really scary. Anyway, four days later, I finally have the front of the house done. I would go take pictures of it and post them but I am way too tired to get up and take the photos. But so far, it does look better. I smashed my toe with the heavy ladder while I was working and it is throbbing now. I'm covered with paint from head to toe (well, "splattered" with paint) and too tired to think. I suppose I am talking in circles by now so I'd better quit.

Painting the trim on my house

Yesterday I didn't want to do advertising specialties. I felt tired and frustrated and absolutely did not want to do what I needed to do. So I decided to touch-up the paint on the house and add the brick-red trim that I have been meaning to do for 2 1/2 years.
When the house was first painted in May of 2006, I intended to paint the trim right after the wedding. Then my hip started hurting really bad and I spent lots of time going to doctors (in between my work shifts at US Airways) and was kind of afraid to climb ladders. My hip got worse and worse through the holidays and then in January of 2007 it was so bad when Gordon took us up to Utah to go snowmobile-ing that I decided to go to a specialist. Well, that didn't turn out too well. Finally, I went to Dr. Armstrong and he replaced my hip on September 25th, 2007.

So now that my hip was replaced, I had to do all the physical therapy and get moving again. By the time I went to NY for Anna's biopsy and then her mouth surgery and then to Utah for Jim's funeral and again for Nate's BYU performance and then his Carnegie performance in New York -- it was too hot to be painting the outside of a house in Arizona.

After record heat in Arizona through October, it is finally cool enough to paint the trim!
The first thing I did was fill the cracks and the holes with this elastomeric stuff. I hope it works well. I have never used it before. I have to let it dry for 24 hours before I can paint over it. Then I looked at it this morning and some of the thicker places, I need to go over it again. I'll probably go home and do that now.

I will have to finish this later, Cecily needs to take me home.

Leslie's picture tag challenge

Hey! This is not bad. Not a lot of explanation here. This is Anna holding Sofia at Newport Beach. It was a FANTASTIC vacation! Gordon (or Blucor) rented a condo for our family right on the beach at Newport Beach for a whole week (I think in July). Greg and Jen couldn't come and Cecily was too pregnant with Tressa and couldn't come. But Anna, Christian and Leslie's family (including Klara), and Joel and David and I all went and spent the week. We all had so much fun. Leslie organized everything and made sure that we had groceries and were fed on a regular basis (I tried to be helpful by doing what she told me to do, but really had no hand in the planning or organization). It was great, but we really missed the rest of you!
This blog is in answer to Leslie's Picture Tag Challenge (woolfwanderings.blogspot.com). Try it! It's fun!

My goal

I can't just post pictures to keep my grandchildren entertained or I lose the purpose of this blog. Which to me is to keep a journal of sorts. I need to write my thoughts and feelings and the things I want to remember and the things I want to be remembered by.

I decided to write down what my goal is for my life. I thought about it while I was walking the track this morning and I believe my goal, in the shortest, most inclusive way is: When I leave this life and meet my Heavenly Father, I want to hear him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
I have been examining my life lately and realize that there are things I should be doing that I have totally neglected. Like Sister Rogers said yesterday in institute: "In the church, many of us put our families first and use that as an excuse to neglect our duties to God. We need to remember that God comes first and then our families."
True, some people can spend all their time doing "church work" and neglect their families,
There is also a time and a season for everything and sometimes our duty and service to God is taking care of the little ones who have been entrusted to us. That stewardship can be so constant, time-consuming and exhausting that we don't seem to be able to do much outside of that. During those overwhelming times, maybe putting God first is doing what we can at home:
-have personal prayers and prayers with our family
-have family scripture reading
-talk to our children about the gospel and Heavenly Father in relationship to their everyday struggles so they learn to love the gospel and apply it to their lives.
I can't tell you what is the best balance. I can only speak for myself. I know that God does not expect us to run faster than we are able. But now that my children are all adults and I don't have to take care of their physical needs, I realize that this is the season for me to whole-heartedly turn my life over to God. I want to listen to my leaders and hear everything they say and do my best to obey. I want to show my Heavenly Father that I will endure faithfully through all the "learning experiences" he has for me and be grateful for my growth.
I have learned not to commit sins, for the most part. But I really need to work on my sins of omission. I need to do missionary work, I need to do temple work and I need to be more attuned to promptings of the Spirit and to listen and to ACT.
I am so grateful for the scriptures and our leaders and the guidance and encouragement they give us. My life has truly changed and I enjoy my life so much more.

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life.” (See Matt 10:39)

-Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, (p.361)

I believe this and it gives me great comfort and joy.

Morning thoughts

Today is election day. I am concerned. Proposition 102 is one of the most important things to me in the election. It is a constitutional amendment that declares that marriage is defined as one woman and one man. If it fails to pass, it could have severe and far-reaching effects on marriage, family, and religion. We have a female homosexual couple in our neighborhood who got up very early a few mornings these past few weeks and pulled up and destroyed all the “Yes on 102” signs. David and Jim Arrington got very annoyed and have been diligent at putting up two signs or bigger signs every time they pull one out. This is what the voters will see when they go down our street to vote at the school. (Like those signs are going to influence them much.)

Almost every morning I get up and go walking at the track at Mesa High. I have a little more freedom as to when I go, now that it isn't too hot to walk at 8:00am. I kind of like my morning time alone. I talk to my Heavenly Father and try to give all my worries to him. Sometimes they irrigate and then it smells like dead fish for a few days. Most of the time I am alone because people usually walk earlier before school starts. Good old Mesa High rubberized track. It's much better for my knees.

Surviving Motherhood

Here are random photos so my grandkids have something to look at (This is Hana and Maddy).

Here are Kendall and Britt.

This was taken at Treyjen's 4th birthday when he claimed to be 15.

Britt, Kaisa and Annika in the aparment we rented for Anna's graduation.

Annika, Britt, Anna, Kaisa, Saylem and Arinda.

This article was sent to me by Crystal Akers (nee Duke) and it is just so perfect! It is SO Everymom.

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.
Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.

There is no fast food. Each man must take care of his 3 kids;
keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.

In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week. Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing.
Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment
and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.
He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television after the kids are in bed and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn themselves with jewelry,
wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back
aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting. They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information:
each child's birthday,
height, weight,
shoe size, clothes size
and doctor's name.
Also the child's weight at birth,
length, time of birth,
and length of labor,

each child's favorite color,
middle name,
favorite snack,
favorite song,
favorite drink,
favorite toy,
biggest fear and
what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance.
The last man wins only if...
he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!

After you are through laughing, send this to as many females as you think will get a kick out of it and as many men as you think can handle it.

Just don't send it back to me.... I'm going to bed.

(Hey moms! You are truly accomplishing miracles! I love you!)

Stake Conference

I've been trying to blog. I can't right now. My thoughts are too solemn and that isn't fun to read. We had Stake Conference today (and the adult meeting last night) and it was so wonderful. I am so grateful for the gospel and our leaders. President Speakman stood at the pulpit and talked to us like we were his family and we could feel his love and the love of the others who spoke to us. Wilbur Woolf died today. He was our Stake President when we moved into this ward. He gave Anna her patriarchal blessing. He was a good man and I loved him.

I need to get a copy of my Patriarchal Blessing and I need to become a temple worker at least 2 times a month. I think I might be able to handle more before long.

I don't have photos and my grandchildren don't like to look at my blog w/o pictures. I'll do better next time.