Today...I Ran!

I ran. Like real running. Heart-pumping running. Okay more like heart-pumping jogging. Either way I consider it a success! I know for many, running is an everyday thing but I don’t run. Ask anyone. I walk, hike, walk fast, ice skate, play volleyball, and swim, but I don’t run. Why? Two years ago in the midst of an intense workout my heart went crazy—palpitations and arrhythmia! My blood pressure spiked, I had intense pain up through my shoulder and neck and thought I was going to pass out. I did a little deep breathing, put my head down, and started praying I wouldn’t drop right there. I got out of there as fast as possible and I was scared!

Well here I am, two years and lots of tests and doctors visits later. My friends keep pestering me to go back to the gym with them but I just can’t do it, and finally I admitted my fears to them.  I don’t want to have a heart attack. You should know that that infamous workout wasn’t the cause of my heart problem just the culmination of it’s manifestation. You should also know I am pretty healthy and could have started running long ago—accept for the fear that grips me every time I think about it.

I found myself on the treadmill this morning for my daily walk, thinking to myself, “Just do it. Just run.” Of course my evil angel was telling me to give it up before I even started. I only half listened, and I selected the harder workout telling myself I could always slow down. But, when the treadmill sped up so did I. I did it! I ran! For 5 minutes. Maybe not such a big deal to some but to me it was a big deal. I did a hard thing, something I feared. Even better than that, my kids watched me do it.

I know that my kids will become in some ways a reflection of who I am. I want them to know that I can do hard things. I want them to know that I faced my fears. I hope it will help them to have the courage to do the hard things they fear. I hope they will try out for school plays even when they don’t make it the first time. I hope they will practice the piano even when they are not good at it. I hope they will try food they don’t like. I hope they will play soccer again after they break their nose doing it.

You see, this post isn’t really about running. It’s about doing something I was afraid to do. It’s about being better today than I was yesterday.

Twenty -four years ago, we had a fire in our home that stemmed from faulty wiring that had melted behind our fireplace. Once our home was repaired and we had moved back in we did not have any fires in the fireplace for what seemed to me a long while. I remember my Dad getting off the couch one day in a bit of a whirl. He threw the ice bag he had been using at the fireplace and walked out to the garage. A few minutes later we had a fire in our fireplace. Big deal right? It was a big deal to him.

I know we all have our own demons, big or small. I challenge you to pick just one and face it today or this week, even if it is for 5 minutes. Maybe those five minutes will be enough to light a fire in you.  I will bet after doing so you will find yourself better today than yesterday. And I will bet some day even if it is twenty-four years from now your own children will remember and follow your example.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------Welcome to our new series: Better today than yesterday. Each post for the next little while will focus on something we can do to be better today than yesterday. I am a firm believer that one of the best things we can do to improve our families is to be better today than yesterday. I hope you enjoyed the first segment of our series.

One Day at a Time

The holidays have been good to my family and me. Wonderful in fact, but for some reason, possibly lack of motivation, I find myself less than enthused about new years resolutions this year.  Maybe—with the kids home from school—my house has been a mess for too long. Maybe all the holiday fun just wore me out. I’m usually a very goal centered gal but history has shown that I am often failing to meet or even get past the paper stage of my goals.

I would love to be softer spoken with my kids, more intimate with my husband, and spend more one on one time with everyone in my family. I would love to have a perfectly organized and clean home, finished and decorated to match the dream in my mind. I would love to have the patience of a saint, the knowledge to help my kids in all their struggles at school, with friends, and with life, but I already know I will fall short of such perfection. After all, a year is a long time to be perfect in so many areas—and I’ve only just begun.

Before you all start falling into a Michelle induced troubled and discouraged state, let me tell you about my redeeming moment today. I was talking with a friend who confided her desire simply not to “lose it” with the kids. She was trying so hard only to find herself feeling unappreciated and disrespected. This of course is a hard thing for any parent. As she talked through things with me she said, “We just have to take it one day at a time.”

Well it’s true! Life isn’t about eating the whole pie in one sitting—or brownies if you prefer—it’s about enjoying it one bite, one piece at a time. I don’t have to be “perfect” for a year, or even an entire day. New year’s resolutions always fill me with the need to attain perfection within such a small window of life. Perfection is a misleading word anyway. I would like to redefine perfection from the idea of never making a mistake, to the reality of simply working to be better than you were yesterday. I am still definitely a believer in goal setting, but it seems a lot more doable when I take it one day at a time.

What does all of this mean to me? It means that even though yesterday I had a “my house is a disaster and no-one’s helping” breakdown, today I can vacuum the floors, scrape up the food that’s leaching onto my tile, and keep up with the laundry (I was shy of completion by one load—and a pile of unfolded laundry on my couch). It means that even though I spent too much time and energy cleaning this morning, I can do better spending time with Ella on her homework tonight and more time reading with Julia. It means that even though my husband hurt my feelings yesterday, today I can forgive, give him a kiss and be happy. It means that when Jackson wipes curry all over my white shirt at dinner I can be patient in that one moment—I think I did a pretty good job. It means that when I get upset at the kids for arguing I can take the next moment to apologize and teach them. One moment at a time, one day at a time, working for a better me and a happier family.

Hmm, I think I’ve come up with my new years resolution. Enjoy life with us, one moment and one day at a time!

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I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and I hope the new year brings great opportunity for hope and joy for you and your family. My blogs will now be posted on Tuesday's. Happy New Year!

What Matters Most! Merry Christmas!

                                                                                 

Nine days until Christmas! Are you ready! Do you have presents for Mom and Dad? Presents for the kids? The Grandkids? The Aunts and Uncles? I hope you are one of those highly prepared and organized souls, just sipping hot cocoa and watching the clock click down until Christmas. I believe there are a few of you out there. Sadly, I am not one of them. 

I tell myself every year I am not going to lose focus on what matters most (Christ, Family, Service...Family, Christ, Service). I am going to be prepared and organized. And about every year around this time I have an emotional breakdown with my husband and kids. "I say things like, "Why don't you care? Are you going to get a bonus? I have all these fun things to do and projects to do and no one will help. If I'm the only one who cares, I'm only signing my name on the gift." Goodness I sound a bit like the grinch. Really I just want everyone to be happy and if everyone did what I wanted them too, I'm sure they would be happy. . . Ummm. . .

Well after my annual breakdown I did a bit of Christmas study and I found this perfect quote below, and video above to share. Maybe it will help you find joy in your family, Christ, and Christmas as it has mine!

"If we notice that planning for parties and scrambling for presents begin to detract from the peaceable message of Jesus Christ and distance us from the gospel He preached, let us take a step back, slow down a little, and reconsider what matters most.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Wreaths: Family Fun!

Crafting always brings a bit of extra cheer to my family. Making homemade trinkets is fun family time! I call this the merry ripping wreath. It's something I learned how to do from my mom when I was young.

If you want to save time just buy a wire wreath at a craft store. If you don't want to spend the money you can make your own wire wreath using metal hangers. I used four hangers. Two for each circle. Clip off the top of the hanger with a wire cutter and set aside. Bend the two large pieces of wire and connect them to each other by twisting the wires together and then form it into a circle. One larger and one smaller. (If you want to simplify just make one circle instead of two. It will probably hold up just as well. I was going to put fabric on both rings to make it more full but I didn't have enough fabric)

Take another hanger and clip 12 -2 inch pieces and hot glue them between the two circles to hold them together. It looks kind of like a clock.

Take some thin wire and wrap it around the two circles in four areas just for extra security. We don't want your wreath falling apart.

Now for the fabric. I chose 4 different but coordinating fabrics. Each fabric is 1/2 yard. You can choose whatever colors you want. If you want just one color just get 2 yards of fabric. I did end up with a little extra. 1 1/2 yards would likely be just fine.

It's not called the ripping wreath fro nothing. It's time to start ripping your fabric.

Find the selvage end (this is the end that looks finished not fuzzy) and clip it about every 1 1/4 inches depending on how fat you want your ties to be. (If you want to put fabric on both rings buy at least 3 yards)

Then simply rip the fabric into long strips. Then cut those strips into shorter lengths. I cut my strips 8 inches long.

Then take your 8 inch strips and tie them onto the inner circle of your wire wreath. It is done by tying a square not. Then repeat in whatever order or pattern you desire. Make sure to push your fabric pieces as close together as possible. The closer the fabric knots are, the more volume your wreath will have. And here is your finished product. As with any wreath you can always embellish. Mine might end up with a big Christmas bow. 

Pretty cute, Pretty fun, pretty easy. You could have your kids help. They love ripping fabric and tying knots. While I made my ripping wreath, my kids made their own wreaths out of sparkly foam from the dollar store.

This wreath was made with sparkly foam cut into thin strips and tied in knots onto pipe cleaners that had been formed into a circle.  It is the same idea as the rip wreath. It was embellished with pom-poms and bows made from ribbon.

This wreath was made by tracing different hand signs (you're number one, I love you, peace, etc) onto sparkly dollar store foam and then cutting them out and hot glueing them onto construction paper cut in the shape of a wreath. Embellished with lots of ribbons tied together to form a bow.

Happy Wreathing!

Home for the Holidays: 7 Tips To enjoy the Holidays...With Your Family



This picture is compliments of EllaAnne and her artistic computer abilities!

 A few tips for enjoying the Holidays


1. Love your extended family just the way they are. Life isn’t about changing other people it’s about loving them.

2. Stop working. Give yourself work free time with your family…as much as you can physically and… mentally handle that is.

3. Maintain or start a new tradition. Do something that brings you closer together and something you as a family can look forward to all year.

4. Don’t eat too much! Good luck with that one! I know you can do it!

5. Write it down. Write about your holidays in your journal or on your blog. Share it with the people you love and preserve the memories at the same time.

6. Don’t overdo it. “Life is to be enjoyed not just endured.” –Gordon B. Hinckley. The same holds true for the holidays. If you need to buy rolls at the store do it. If you need to delegate the pies do it. If you don’t have the money don’t spend it.

7. Be GRATEFUL – It’s easy to be overwhelmed at the holidays. There is no need for you to be keeping up with anyone. The best cure I have found for holiday anxiety, low funds, and stress is Gratitude. When you start becoming overwhelmed start being thankful. I’ll demonstrate.

-Today I am thankful that my cold is almost cleared up!

-Today I am thankful that my first draft of my upcoming book is almost complete!

-Today I am thankful that my kids go to such a great school!

-Today I am thankful that Julia’s ear infection is clearing up!

-Today I am thankful that Ella gave me hug and told me she loved me before school started!

-Today I am thankful I had time to read Jackson stories!

-Today I am thankful for my hidden stash of Nutella!

-Today I am thankful that Daniel was excited to study for the geography bee!

-Today I am thankful that my husband took the kids to school!

-Today I am grateful for people like you who care about families, who try to do good, and who keep trying even when life is hard! Thank you!

Now you try. Today I am thankful for __________________. (Fill in the blank)

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the coming Holidays!

Successful Marriage Is...

I did a little experiment the last two weeks with my husband. I simply made an extra effort to strengthen our relationship by showing extra love. I did this by avoiding judgement, criticism, focusing on his positive actions and traits, and speaking kindly. I made sure to compliment him on his good looks often and made it a point to show him my gratitude. I put extra efforts into meals and making sure he could have breakfast before he left for work. I tried to do things with him he liked to do, like watch weird alien sci-fi movies. I wasn't perfect at my attempts or always super sweet but I really tried and it really made a difference in our marriage.
     We spoke more kindly to one another. We looked forward to any time we had together. We were more in love and less upset by lifes little nuasances. I was honestly suprised at what a difference my efforts made. My husband had no idea I was doing this. Success in Marriage really is, "much more than finding the right person. It's a matter of being the right person." (author unknown) I have a lot more work to do in being a better person and a better wife but I am trying. Every now and again I think we all just need a reminder. As the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday's approach keep this in mind. It's not about what your family or spouse is doing for you, but what you are giving and becoming for them.

Navigating The Trials Of Life

Well, I haven't forgotten my blog today--okay maybe for a bit, but all for good reasons. My sweet son has been having a major two-day allergic reaction of some sort. Two doctor trips one more pending this evening and a trip to the ER. Life as a parent is stressful. It all kind of leads into a great guest post from a good friend and incredible father, Marshall Christensen. Marshall is a special education coordinator at Provo canyon school in Utah. He loves technology, enjoys biking, makes a great Hagrid at Halloween, and considers himself a picture perfect scout--and he assures me of his humility. Here is what Marshall has to say.

Navigating The Trials Of Life

By Marshall Christensen

When we are young, all of us develop a picture of our ideal future. We imagine ourselves working the most gratifying job, being married to the most attractive, caring spouse, and having best children in the neighborhood.  We envision the ideal course our life will follow:   graduating from high school, attending college, falling madly in love and marrying our ideal spouse, landing the perfect job, moving into our dream home,  having sweet little babies and then watching them follow this same ideal path. And then, life happens...

As we journey along this path we call life, we often find obstacles that hinder our progress and detours that lead us away from what we consider to be ideal.  Many of these obstacles are small and easy to navigate:  our job may be stressful once in awhile, our spouse may annoy us from time to time, our children may misbehave every now and again. We may discover that our ideal path is riddled with bumps and covered with potholes. However, we are generally able to roll through these trials without much damage. And then, life happens...

Many, if not most, of us will face larger obstacles in the path of life.  These obstacles often serve to stop all progress on the path of life. Death and divorce, illness and injury often bring us to our knees and leave us feeling like we can't go on. It is at these times that we realize that there is no way we can go it alone. It is at these times that we reach out for help from those who can best help us:  friends, family and our Father in Heaven. It is at these times that life happens...

My life's path has traveled far from the ideal that I imagined in my youth. You see, in the year 2000, an ill-fated blessing was placed in my path.  My daughter, Jessie, was the perfect little baby girl when she was born. By the time she was one, my wife and I realized  that our lives' paths would follow a different course than either of us had imagined.  Jessie suffers from a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet (Dra-vay) Syndrome. This condition causes Jessie to have frequent seizures and has left her functioning at the three-year-old level. Now, at the age of thirteen, Jessie still sleeps with my wife and I (because of the seizures). She still needs help dressing, eating, and using the restroom. Jessie will never date, drive, or graduate from high school. She will not attend college, marry, or have children of her own. She will not follow that ideal path that we all imagined when we were young.  

The question is often asked, "If you could go back and change the course of your life, would you do it?"  I can answer that question with an emphatic "NO!"  Although moving along the path of life with Jessie in tow has been a challenge to say the least, I would not go back and change our choice to bring her into this world.  There has been too much joy in getting to know this special little girl.  I also know that I am a different person because of my opportunity to work with Jessie.  I am more patient.  I am more kind.  I am more empathetic toward the challenges of others.  Because of the trials, the pain, and the mental anguish of having a child with special needs, I have become a better person.  I would never give that up!

Yes, we all have developed a picture of our ideal path in life.  No, most of us will not remain on that ideal path throughout our lives.  We can choose to be bitter, angry or upset because we did not get exactly what we wanted.  Or we can have a good attitude, seek help from our friends, family and Heavenly Father, and learn from our trials.  I choose the latter.  I choose to sit back, enjoy the ride, and let life happen.