What are you doing today?

So today I am catching up on some long awaited projects.. mostly pictures I took last year that I wanted do special things with before I scrapbooked them. Not that they took a lot of time to edit but still time that is hard to find in this house fun of kids needing this and that and of course a house that needs this and that done, not to mention the many other things in my life. So today I figured I would get a few more done in my flip book of Barkerville from last year done. I am doing this project with Heritage Makers that Julie introduced me too that makes it so all I have to do is pull out my computer and not worry about Claudia running off with my scissors, glue, or paper. I love it. I have a few projects on the go and will go more into it again soon, but for now I wanted to share the pictures of the church at Barkerville. After I am done these I am going to paint my bedroom and touch-up my living room. What are you doing today?

What More Can I Do??

Ok it is no secret that I struggle with organization and maintaining a super clean home. There are times when I get so over whelmed that I have to take some time off and just let it go and then get a fresh start the next day. I struggle teaching my kids skills that I too am just learning sometimes. So this year I was starting our home our fresh. I have been giving paint touch-up to those places that need it and spent hours sorting through the kids toys and finding the right bins to buy and place all those little things into. Cleaning out those clutter corners and spots that everyone else thinks is a good place to just put things when they clean because they don't want to walk to where the stuff goes. I think my home is starting to look like a place where I can feel like I don't need to feel uncomfortable having people just show up to visit. I was feeling really great about it. Yesterday Mike mopped all the floors except our bedroom and I thought this looks so nice in here. Then my landlady showed up to do an inspection of things needing to get fixed so she could send the list to the owner who STILL won't let them come in and do the repairs. I am feeling pretty great. Sure I haven't finished priming the window in my bedroom from the black hand prints that where put there with my good oil paints 3-4 years again, and all the bed sheets were getting washed. Sam hadn't cleaned under his bed yet.. but really. So many minor things... at least to me. As she is leaving she turns to me and says to me that I have a lot of cleaning to do and I better make sure it is done in too weeks for another inspection with her boss, oh and make sure the beds are made. What!?! First of all I didn't think I could get judged from my landlord on whether or not my beds were made?? Isn't that something child welfare is to concerned with? Am I just not seeing how bad this house really is? Am I what is called clutter blind? How can I feel so good about myself and my home one second and then so low? What it they are looking for in a house of 6 kids? I was folding laundry on the toyroom floor, should I be doing it right into the kids drawers even though they are all different rooms through the house? I can barely move where the washer and dryer are to wash the clothes let alone fold them there! I know I have used beds and dressers, that my stuff in my house doesn't look like it was just bought and delivered. We LIVE in our home. I was once told by a child welfare worker when they cam to help us as we struggled with Sam that if they ever came into my home and saw it looking perfect they would worry about child neglect. Maybe I need to have her here with me when these people who expect such a perfect house when they come back in 2 weeks. I know there are those of you out there who seem to have it all together with lots and kids and have these amazing homes as well and how there are times I wish I could be like you. The truth is I am not and this is one of my many struggles. I can do sooo many amazing things with these amazing talents I have, and I know and enjoy every one of my kids and they talk to me about those things that most kids don't tell their parents about. I know of Ben and his heartache when his first girlfriend broke up with him and how sad that made him. I know how Josh feels like the cast away at school as he watches all these people with tons of friends walk by laughing about some inside joke that he feels is about him. I know of Sam's Joy over having his first really good friend this year and that he now has 2 of them. I know how Matt wants to be top of his class and sometimes finds it hard to let others be first. I know how proud Tom is to be talking better and having people at school understand him more and more each day and the frustration when they don't. I know how lonely Claudia is when her brothers are gone and the happiness when they return. I know how She loves to play tea with anyone that she can get to sit down with her. Do these thing not mean more than having a perfect house? I having the walls go unwashed for a couple of days as I help kids who are struggling with homework and heal broken hearts a bad thing? What I need to learn is how to not let those people who don't see those things get to me, but how when they control whether or not I have a home to raise these precious kids in. So I am going to share the peaceful picture I took on Sunday of the moon just as the sun was setting and I am going to keep that in my mind as I try to get over the disappointment I feel right now.

Packing it all away...

Yep it is that time of year where Christmas gets put away. Now I admit most years I don't do this this soon. I usually have so much decorating out and I try as hard as I can to keep that quiet spirit that comes with having those special displays out. This year as you know I struggled to get into the whole swing of Christmas. Part of it being I didn't want to push myself to hard and laps back into hiding in my darkened basement on pain. The recovery from that simple infection that took me down so hard has been long and slow. So it was a simple year this year. That also means it isn't that much work to take it down but just as sad. The putting away of the Nativities and Jesus' gift stocking for a whole year, locked away in some cold plastic bins out, out in my cold dark garage, almost seems like I am turning him away. I know it's not the case, but when you watch you kids bring all those statues and figures to life, and the thought they put into their gifts to him just make them all feel like they help bring his spirit even more into our home. I could wait like I have in years past but I have been working hard on creating an organize and happy home, free of clutter, and leaving these out would be the exact opposite of what I am working towards. So away they go. Cloe is having a tough time with it too and getting in every last second of play with all of her favorites before they go out to garage tomorrow. How many of you feel the same way? Sometimes I feel crazy like I am the only one. Anyways to add a bit of fun to this post here is a picture of Cloe putting her gingerbread stuffy to bed for the year.. yes that is a rainbow bright book she used for his pillow.

Goals for this new year

So I have looked back on past goals since I started this blog and I realized that a lot of it had to do with my self image and as I have learned my body has it's own mind about that topic so this year I have decided on a more fun goal this year.

As I have been reconnecting with old friends and learning new things like Photography I become a fan of my friend Rhonda's Blog. She has always had an amazing talent that she now uses in photography. Last year she started a project called "A Photo A Day" that I thought was great but didn't I could do something like that. She got the idea from this other Photographers blog. So as last went along I started thinking, Why can't I do that? So here I am at the beginning of this and that is my goal.. something fun to focus on do. A Photo A day! So I have created another blog page that I will post the pictures on for all of you and when I am done this year I will put them in a book for our family to enjoy for years to come. Who knows it might become a great tradtion! So HERE is the link to the photo page that I will update at night after a day of photos has come and gone.

What are your goals? Secretly I hope it is to comment on my blog when you stop by because I know there are 18-24 people coming by everyday but there are not many if any comments from you ;) Just so you know it just makes me smile when you do.

Hope you all have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Here's a fun photo of what the kids gave Mike as their New Years Fun.. This candu is REALLY SOUR!

Happy New Year!!

Well here is a quick post to say Happy 2011 to all my Friends and Family! Here is a little picture I just took tonight at the kids New Years Eve Festival. It was their first time setting off fireworks and we sure did have an adventure with it.

Some Photo Practice

So here's a quick share while I finish getting all my Christmas ones ready for you all. My friend Laura let me take a couple of quick practice portraits of her today and I thought I would share them with you. I wanted to see what I need to review from my courses last year and what I can improve on for this next year.
Thanks Laura :)

New Years: Look Not Behind Thee

As I have been having some serious conversations with my Mom about how we should move on with our lives and not let the past get to us in this New Year, my friend posted on her facebook this Mormon Message that can help us all out. As we make our Resolutions this Year let keep in mind what we are letting go with them and leave them behind us.