{Gratitude}

Go this awesome email from Kami, another ISAGENIX team member and she had some powerful words or wisdom to share that inspired me so maybe they will inspire you . . .

Is today the best day you have ever had? If not, why? What do you all say that we start right now and make today the most joyous day!?! I am learning more and more about the desires of our hearts. What are your desires? What is it you want? If you could make today be anything you wanted it to be, how would it look? Well today is your lucky day because "God grants according to our desires"! The key is to know what those desires are! So I want you to sit down for a minute and write down what it is you want! Be sure to include details! Studies have shown that just by writing it down gives you a 90% better chance of actually achieving it! There is something magical about the written word! Then for a moment, close your eyes and imagine having exactly what you want- this starts the law of attraction! Turn to God and be grateful for all that you have now and all that you will be blessed with in the future! Do one more thing for me, that is say THANK YOU every chance you get! You can't have gratitude in your heart at the same time you have stress or anger or worry! So I choose to be grateful! What a beautiful world we live in and man are we soo blessed!

I love you all and hope you remember that the power of love and gratitude will dissolve all negativity in our lives, no matter what form it has taken!

{Just a thought}

{Aaaaahhhhh - Spring Break}

That's right we are officially on spring break - and that means no homework for a week - yipee. I think that is the part that stresses me out the most is making sure all the homework gets done every night. So I am so looking forward to this week. My next favorite part is kids sleeping in. I am able to accomplish so much in the wee hours of the morning. And let me tell you my kids love sleeping in - even my little boys love sleeping in. Looks like we are staying home - due to many reasons - we have a car going in the shop on Monday (which will take a big chunk of money) and the price of gas is so outrageous. Don's friend has a beach site in San Diego - so if funds permit he might take a few kids at the end of the week. We will just have to see. But really life is pretty nice here is Arizona in this beautiful spring weather. I think we are going to be finding lot's of fun activities to do OUTSIDE. What's your favorite thing to do in the valley of the sun ?

Morgan had a long productive day of therapy yesterday - we started out at 10 and didn't return home until 4. We had 2 appointments on opposite ends of town and I stretched time out so we were out of the house the entire time. She continues to make baby steps and we are headed in the right direction.

The boys had two other brothers sleeping over last night and I am beginning to hear the pitter patter of little feet in the kitchen so the troops must be waking up. We have ball practice in just a bit and then I get to conquer my "to do" list. Love Saturdays, love how productive I feel. Love getting everything done so I can truly just relax and enjoy my Sunday. Speaking of Sunday I have to teach tomorrow - so I better get working on my lesson. Have a happy day my friends.

{It's Finally Thursday}

I have gotten so much accomplished this week, it feels great. I made these cute little blankets (love them - they take about 30 minutes each) for Jade and the baby (see how I have such a hard time using his real name and I shouldn't) okay Jade and Marquett. Jade just turned "5" she is such a big girl now. I am very proud of myself for setting boundaries and sticking to them. It's taken this old dog a long time to learn that I can't be everything to everyone all the time. And when I try to be guess who suffers ? My family. So I have keep reminding myself that I can love these little kids and we can be their family, but I do not need to raise them and provide for them. Renee made the choice to be a mom and I need to let her be the mom. Anyways - Jade is so excited to be 5. And she is thrilled that in August she will start kindergarten.
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BASEBALL !!!!!!!!!
Can you tell by looking at the picture below what season it is here in Arizona - It's baseball season. We are so blessed to live across the street from the baseball field. I literally just walk across the street and watch my boys play ball. But my street becomes the overflow parking lot. But that is just fine if I get the benefit of walking to the field. How blessed we are. We love baseball season and we love this beautiful time of year here in the valley of the sun. Come and visit it is gorgeous.

Well this morning I finally finished up getting all my tax stuff together and sent them away to my uncle (the miracle worker) Copied all the medical bills thus far and sent them to the insurance company and am just finishing up orders. Secured a beautiful cabin in the woods for the Rusty Pickle Retreat this fall. With alot of my to do list done I think I am going be able to go to my scrap table and work on some classes - wooooo hooooo. It feels so good to conquer that to do list. (thanks ISAGENIX - I have so much energy right now it is dangerous) Maybe my house will get clean, but then again maybe not - I NEED to scrap and work on some classes)

Morgan is making baby steps. But as long as we are moving in the right direction is all that matters to me. She is worn out from the intense physical therapy. She says her body feels as though a mac truck hit her. She is now hooked up to a TENS devices. That she wears for a minimum of 3 hours a day. It is awesome - it really works for pain relief and also retraining the nerves. First, they target your sensory nerves, stimulating them to block pain signals and prevent their transmission to the brain. Second, TENS promotes production of endorphins, the body’s natural pain reducing substances. I really think this will help in her recovery quite bit. She is doing well with her school work and she really likes her teacher. They communicate mostly through email throughout the day and then he comes once a week to collect assignments and bring new ones. She has been getting out a bit more. If I can find things for her to look forward to then she seems to do well.

Well - lookie there not much time until I start picking up kiddos. Have a great day everyone.

{Why do I do what I do, when I know what I know}

Crazy question isn't it ? But one we probably all find ourselves asking. I was having this conversation with my mom and some friends this week. If I know what to do - then why don't I do it consistently ? Good question that can apply to so many areas of my life.

1) Spiritually - my day is always better when I start my morning with quiet meditation, prayer and scripture study. I mean my day is ALWAYS better.
2) Eating well - I know if have my ISAGENIX shake in the morning and evening I feel great and loose weight. I know if I take my vitamins and Omega-3 I feel awesome and have the energy to accomplish what I need to throughout my day.
3) Drinking my water - I know if I drink lot's of water I feel incredible.

So you would think it is a no brainer right !!!! Why do I have such a hard time with it ??? I think I need to make signs and post them everywhere. Maybe even print some of those horrible pictures of me I would never want anyone to see and post them all over. SO here's to doing what I know I am supposed to do and feeling the way I want to feel - which is GREAT. I mean really - I made my yummy shake this morning at 6 am took my vitamins and I am rockin and rollin. Days like these scare Don and he always asks "what did you take ?"

So I need to finish up my taxes so I can mail them to my amazing uncle. And work on insurance and bills - oh joy !!!!!

{Better Set Your TIVO right Now}

Before you forget THE OSMONDS 50th ANNIVERSARY is being broadcast on PBS again on Thursday March 13th at 7:00 pm.

{Reflections Of Christ}

I just had to share something really amazing that is happening at the Arizona Temple visitor’s center. With the Easter season approaching (sooner than we think this year) our focus turns to our savior. We promise to always remember him and there is now one more powerful tool to help us remember him - to remember that He is REAL - and this witness of Christ does not require membership in the Church or a temple recommend or anything more than simply going to the Visitors Centers at the Mesa, Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and experiencing the incredible photographic exhibit, "Reflections of Christ" by local photographer Mark Mabry.

You can experience beautifully crafted photographs from a massive project aimed at helping us to better grasp the reality of Jesus Christ. There are about 25 photos in this exhibit, composed during a four-month effort by Mark Mabry with the help of many others. They are accompanied by a special soundtrack of sacred music prepared by local artists specifically for these photos. The story of the making of this exhibit and its music is told in a beautiful 30-minute film that plays continuously in a side room next to the gallery. Reflections of Christ features fine-art photographic depictions of the life of The Savior – it looks simply amazing. We are taking our family to see it at the Mesa Temple Visitors Center on Sunday afternoon.

Click {HERE} to view a peak of the Reflections of Christ

Click {HERE} to view the location and hours of the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors Center

{Shhhhhh . . . All is quiet on the western front}

Can you even believe it is Friday already ? Where in the world did this week go. Well let me tell you my guilty pleasure this evening. My house is almost silent. It is simply beautiful. Don took Coleton and Logan to an overnight cubscout camp. It is called Camp Digalus and there theme is Return of the Frog Wars (it's a star wars knock off) My boys are gonna have so much fun. Karleigh has gone to spend the night at her friend Megan's House. Morgan has got herself set up in her room with movies all night and Dylan is hanging out at his friend Matt's house. So it is so quiet. Not that I do not LOVE my kids and hubby - but I LOVE the quiet every now and then also. While reading Heather's blog she shared something that her mom shared with her and I found it so incredibly relevant to my life right now -
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, 'How heavy is this glass of water?' Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'
He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. ' 'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'
'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be to kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well, just get up and dance.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. the more you have, the longer you live. (I am still having a hard time with the whole 40 thing)
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Just as Heather explained that she didn't want to refer to the things in her life as burdens (well maybe let me clarify - I will refer to insurance and medical bills as some sort of burden right now in my life) but everything else is just stuff I fill my plate with and it is basically all Good Stuff that I really enjoy, but many times I will allow my plate to get too full. So it is a reminder to me not to fill my plate too full or everything will get spoiled and I won't get to enjoy anything. But who says I can't have two plates. Like tonight - I have no family responsibilities (expect to keep an ear on Morgan - but she will be watching movies and chatting on the phone with her friends until she falls asleep) so I can put that plate down. I know this sounds almost silly, but I am so excited to just lay in my bed by MYSELF and have the remote and flip through whatever channels I want. I will think of Don and my little boys, but they love sleeping under the stars and what fun for a dad and his boys. Although - I will probably fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Okay now for more inspiration - I guess it has just been one of those days where I have been open for inspiration.

I am also so excited because I have talked a big talk for a very long time of my idea of the ideal way to scrapbook and it took my friend Kirsten (owner of About Memories and More in Flagstaff, AZ) to really start it. While going through the boxes and boxes, and cd after cd gather photos for Dylan's eagle scout project I finally said "ENOUGH is ENOUGH" get with it Kristan. How sad is it that I profess to be a scrapbooker for going on 14 years now and the majority of my photos are in photo boxes , on cd's or in my computer. I go all over the country teaching women the importance of preserving there story and yet I found pictures I haven't even seen in 14 years this past week. My little boys had so much fun seeing Dylan at their age. My kids spent hours looking at photos and reliving memories. My one sister in law, who is a photographer by degree and scrapbooker by family pressure has all of her photos neatly in Pioneer photo albums in 4x6 photo sleeves. They are all (probably 25-30 of them) on a shelf in her living room where her family can do what ? Look at them and enjoy them. So I have vowed to follow Kirtsen's example and get photo's into albums. I have also chosen to use the We R Memory Keepers albums and I am sticking with the Black Classic Leather 12x12 3 ring binders. This way I can add whatever size pages I want. I can add the 12x12 photo pages that hold 6 4x6 photos per page, 12x12 pages protectors, 8 1/2 X 11 and so on. I love the new freedom of mixing page sizes.

I have lifted the following from Kirsten's blog to share with you all :

I'd like to share a few things I've learned during this project:

It's ok to only have one set of photos printed. Duplicates are not necessary! You can reprint the ones you want to scrapbook, and save yourself some serious cash! I cannot tell you how many photos I threw, yes, threw away! What a waste of money!

Put your photos in a photo album for your family to enjoy. Don't rely on your computer to be your album. I cannot tell you how many people who have come in that had a hard drive crash & they lost them all.

If they're in a photo album, your family can enjoy them anytime they want! AMEN

You don't have to use separate albums for your photos and your scrapbooks. I chose the WeR albums because they were 12x12, they held photo pages AND scrapbook pages. And you can even use odd size protectors, like an 8 1/2 x11 protector to hold art work, report cards or other miscellaneous memorabilia that go with the photos.

You don't have to scrapbook everything. That mentality will just hold you back from scrapbooking the moments that you really want to scrapbook.

Don't forget to journal. You can slide a 4x6 piece of cardstock in the photo sleeve to leave your thoughts of those particular moments. It's really important. If you wait until you have time to scrapbook a whole layout you may forget the very essence you were trying to convey.

So I would like to challenge YOU. Yes, YOU to get those photo's in an album. I am going to think of an amazing incentive !!! But for now the incentive is to allow your children to remember the wonderful memories of their childhood. Thank you Kirsten for reminding me and for just doing it - it was the push I needed.

Are you with me ? Ready, Set, Go !!!!

{Cousins through the Years}

Our friend John put together an amazing video of the boys for the court of honor. While looking through photos of Dylan it was fun to see him and Kelly (my oldest brothers son) through the years. It made me really stop and appreciate the fact that I am so blessed to have both of my brothers and their families within 10 minutes of me. That we have been able to raise our kids together and no matter what my kids have cousins that are like their best friends and the best part is they will have each other forever. Dylan and Kelly are only 9 months apart and it has been so awesome for them to grow up together. They each still have their own friends. But they always know they have each other. That is how it is with all the cousins. I am so grateful for the incredible bond they all share. All 13 of them.

{Wednesday Already}

Where has the week gone ? Currently I am sitting in the waiting room at Morgan's Physical Therapy. Right in the same chair I occupy 3 days a week. But I must admit I sure do get alot done. Thank goodness for laptops. I just bring my handy dandy laptop with me and I can sit and in put orders, catch up on emails, work on MEMORY MIXER or update my blog. It's been a busy, busy week. Where to begin ? Well how about Dylan's Eagle Scout Court of Honor. How did he grow so fast ? I had so much fun going through pictures. The top left he was 2 and then the other is him with my mom on Sunday night at his court of honor. Through my hours of picture hunting I have been inspired to start a new challenge on my blog - coming soon !!!!! More details on that later. But I did come across this fun challenge at one of my favorite new on line stores {BLUE MOON SCRAPBOOKING WEBSITE} {BLUE MOON BLOG} Just upload a layout for your chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate. I am all about winning free stuff - how about you ?