Becoming Organized

I wanted to organize myself so I looked online and found a few helps. I printed off a few sheets, laminated, them, put them on the fridge and voila. 

I use this as a cleaning schedule, found here. This way, I don't have to find an entire day to clean the house. I only spend an hour or 2 (unless its laundry day) to do the choir. Although my entire house my not be clean all at the same time, it's all cleaned at least once a week and easily put back together at a moment's notice. 

Next I use a meal planner so I know what I am making, which day and what items I will need in order to make it. I have been using the planner found on this web page.

I have made a calendar so that I can see what we plan on doing each day and I even have dry erase note paper so I can create mini daily to do lists. 

These, along with the simple budget I created, I have never felt so organized and it helps keep the stress level down. I feel like I have almost everything under control. 

Yum, butter.

Oh, to be a child. The things Ellie has been up to lately. She likes posing for the camera.

She has also been into tasting things. She really likes the taste of butter. We've caught her several times sticking her fingers into the butter tub.

One day she decided that the sweet smelling oil should taste good. She climbed on the couch. I couldn't see her from where I was but I knew she was there. When I asked what she was doing, I saw her jump down then she told me she wasn't doing anything. Then the look on her face started to sour and she wouldn't put her tongue in her mouth. As I let her stew, she finally jumped and asked for a drink. At that point, I knew she had stuck her tongue in the scented oil. It was hard to get mad at her for lying and for standing on the couch because she had already punished herself. If only all bad choices had quick punishments as these.

So...it's been a while. We've moved.

Yes, it has been a bit. Life just kinda happens. First off back in October, Jake started a job in Logan. He had been commuting at least 4 days a week between Sandy and Logan. Finally with things settled, the holidays over, and what not, we found a place close to Logan and moved. It was one of the easiest moves I have ever done. More than half our stuff was still packed from our move back from Denver. Besides that, almost all of the family was available to help move stuff into the new place. 

Since then, we have been trying to organize ourselves and have fun.

View from our back door.

The view from our back door is beautiful, especially in the morning as the sun rises. The mountains are painted pink. There was a small herd of deer living out in the field. Look close and you can see them. Or just wait for them to come into the yard. 

I also had a few projects to finish up. Finally after 4 years, I finished this one. We were given this dresser before Ellie was born. I think it turned out pretty good. 

There are plenty of more stories to come. I just have to take the time to write them down.

Ice Castles in Midway

I really missed the snow sculptures in Breckenridge, but luckily the Ice Castle people decided to come to Utah this year. We wanted to make sure we got to see them, so we went up one night with Rob and Kristine. Unfortunately, it was a holiday, Monday night during Sundance so it was probably more crowded then usual. It was still fun and gorgeous. It's hard to decide which pictures are better, with or without flash. You can see so many different things in them. 

Tunnel entrance.

 Sometimes you could look up and it was really a tunnel with an enclosed roof and others were opened walkway. So fun.

It was a long line to take a picture with Olaf.

It was a chilly night. Luckily the girls and I had prepared and the cold doesn't bother Jake too much. It is definitely something worth seeing if you have the chance. 

And a Happy New Year!!!

When it comes to New Year's, I feel like I am old and boring. Although some may argue that what better way to celebrate the New Year is having a good time with family. We just stayed at home and had family over. We ate and played games (my sister's and I all have secret blackmail videos of each other dancing with the Kinect). The kids watched movies and when everyone got tired, we pretended it was midnight and went outside to celebrate. It's midnight somewhere, right?

Christmas Season

Quick post about Christmas. It was good. It would have been a lot less stressful had some shipping companies not made a mess of things, although we are lucky cause things eventually worked out.

Decorating cookies with daddy

Too big for help decorating

I feel that the present's were a big success this year. What do you think?

Porcelain enameled dutch oven.

Making pretend breakfast

Hey Minnie Mouse

crocheted blanket made by Grandma Connie

She too had to wear the blanket Grandma Connie made.

In a few notes, some packages were lost and then either found or replaced. We had a great Christmas Eve with my Uncle's family; delicious food, fun with friends and family, a talk with Jeff (and his companion who knew our cousin's aunt on the other side), music, and the Spirit of Christmas. Christmas was full of excitement, family, food, and all that jazz. We are truly blessed and so grateful for the worldly gifts we have as well as the spiritual ones that show the tender mercies of our loving Heavenly Father. 

Gratitude at Thanksgiving

I know I am behind. Tis the season, right? Also, I have been working really hard at trying to feel gratitude for my life and what I have and lately some days have been easier than others. Then as we were setting up Christmas, I found this written by my grandfather Thanksgiving of 1968. I thought it appropriate to share.

GRATITUDE AT THANKSGIVING

By Lee Franklin Gledhill

Gratitude is the name for a feeling or an emotion. If a person is filled with gratitude, the implication is that he has received something of worth; something that has been proffered voluntarily and has been proffered beyond obligation. 

In this month of all months we speak of gratitude and somehow feel that by speaking the word, expressing the feeling, we have discharged a responsibility and brought into balance our debt for all that has been gathered unto us.

We might enumerate in the following manner the gifts we have received:

We have Life because parents sacrificed, suffered, surmounted problems.

We have Salvation because there was One who was the Light of the World and others followed the Light.

We have Plenty because men tilled the soil; because others risked their security, and because still others have erected machine and edifices.

We have Homes because of the tenderness of mother's love, the fierceness of father's efforts, the cooperation in human aspirations.

We have Learning because there was faith and dissatisfaction and longing.

These thing we have and with then, hopefully, Gratitude.  These gifts, received with gratitude, give joy to the present and great promise of fulfillment in the lives of our children and grandchildren. 

But gratitude is more than just enumeration.

If a person has true gratitude, he is placed in a very special position in relation to the donor.  He obligates himself to give thanks to his God and to those of his fellow men who thrust the gifts upon him. He pledges to hold closely the gifts, nurture them, polish them brightly, and share them with those along the way. 

But most of all he dedicates himself not to the enjoyment of the gifts, but to the assurance that the gifts will always be available to his fellow man tomorrow and in the calendar pages yet unturned. 

Thank you Grandpa for taking the time to share your thoughts so that we may enjoy them and learn from them all these years later.