My Dillema-Balance!

I have been thinking a lot the last few days about balance. I believe that our lives should have it. I believe in moderation in all things...I also believe the following things should be a part of my life (just to name a few): I believe my home should have order, our clothes should be cleaned, nutritious meals and snacks are a must, scripture study, temple attendance, visiting teaching, reading (to children, with children, by yourself to learn, for fun, etc.), exercise (this includes yoga, aerobics, kick boxing, strength training and mostly running-and more running), family relationships should be built (including one one one dates with children, dates with husband and great family time), we should be learning all of the time (including music, art, literature, math, gospel study, science, history and to many more for space to allow), I think I should have a garden and can what I eat, I believe I should be prepared and my food storage should be up to snuff, I love to scrapbook and think it is a good way to preserve the history of my family, I think we should have time to rest and relax, I think bread should be homemade, my yard should be neat, I should vacumn and wash my car, I think we should play games, work, laugh and love as a family, I think I should contribute to saving the world (especially serving in Haiti), I should take treats to neighbors, and babysit for those who need it, I also think I shouldn't be to involved in my list that I am not available for my kids and dear husband, I should keep a journal, and spend time hugging each of my family members, I should go to lunch with my mom and sister, be a good friend to my friends, talk politics with my dad and travel with my family, It is crucial that I bathe my kids (the baby about three times a day).....Oh I am really just getting started, but here are a few things that are on my mind. Looking at this list I think maybe I should just take a nap! Now for the upbeat hopeful part of this entry. The boys and I have been memorizing the following thought for our morning devotional (that's another thing I think is important)-I can't do everything, everywhere for everyone-but I can do something, somewhere for someone....right now I need to go help put Jamen in time out and make lunch for the kids....yep, I believe in balance-maybe I should give up sleep...

Living my life so that it matters

Well I am a blubbering mess. For those of you who know me you know that I don't cry-or at the very least it is rare. Today I have found myself with tears pouring down my face several times. The first was when I read my friend Shannon's blog. Shannon is my friend who runs Haitian Roots (which you all know is where a part of my heart belongs). Anyway she tells of two little ones that they sponsor to go to school in Haiti who's family has experienced great tragedy. This family has 7 children, the dad isn't working and due to a flood they have lost their home and are living in a ravine. My heart was full to overflowing wanting to do something, anything to help these children.
Then my sister, who obviously wanted to see if she could get me crying sent me an e-mail called 99 balloons. There really are no words to describe how the loss of this little boy touched me. These parents understood about living a life that matters and in their words-"we are only as far away from you as it takes for us to meet you on the other side." I have a sick little baby. He is fevery and very miserable. In a rare quiet moment I held him in my arms while he slept and read the tribute to President Hinckley in the Ensign. Now there is a man who knew what it meant to live a life that matters. In his words, "I have been quoted as saying, 'do the best you can, but I want to emphasize that it be the very best. We are to prone to be satisfied with mediocre performance. We are capable of doing so much better. We must get on our knees and plead with the Lord for help and direction. We must then stand on our feet and move forward."
In this moment of my day I feel committed to living my life so that it matters. I want so much to have the Lord behind me, to stand and to move my feet forward. Shannon quoted Jeddediah Grant who said, "I feel as if I could say to the mountains and to all HELL, get out of my way or I will kick you out! I am not going to surrender!" I hope I have the strength to live my life in exactly that way!

A Great Big Depost

I am a big fan of "The Seven Habits for Highly Effective Families." One of the things that they stress is the importance of making deposits in the emotional bank account. I love this thought and have been trying to make little deposits in my three year olds for the last few weeks (since he is a 3 year old he gets a lot of withdrawls in the form of time outs!) Anyway, this weekend I got to make a big deposit in my Kyle's account (not to mention have a great time myself!) We have been marinating in the study of dinosaurs over the last few weeks-he LOVES dinosaurs! So we went to Thanksgiving Point and had a dinosaur adventure. It was so much fun to be with my so grown up son. He wanted to read and study every single thing. He says, "it's kind of nice brothers aren't here. They just wouldn't know how to appreciate all of this great stuff!"

I also got to enjoy a fantastic weekend with my roomates from college. These are my people! Months can go by and when we get together and it's as if no time has passed. Though as we giggle about stretch marks, how preparation H works on bags under eyes, and the latest baby adventure I know that the ramen noodles, cute boys and late night studies are in the past. I marveled that these 3 women and I now have 17 children between us (once Erin's little one makes his or her debut). Times have changed but the love I feel for them has just grown. It was a big deposit in my emotional bank account!

The whole weekend even made it worth it to get stuck in a blizzard under an overpass who knows where for an hour, having to spend the night in a crummy motel because I couldn't get home and walking through the door to rush hubby to the ER with a temp of 105....Still it was all worth it!