every needful thing

The beginning of this new year started with a huge sense of urgency to prepare.  I’m not exactly sure why, or what for, but I’m acting on it.  If anything, the following promptings will help me get my life and house in order, period.  And I think that is a worthwhile goal, in and of itself ;)   

• Withdraw $20 every time we visit Costco, and put in our money jar
• Follow the 52 week money input challenge
• Plan 13 weeks’ worth of food storage friendlymeals (including a shopping list/inventory and recipes, all printed out and placed in a binder)
• Build Your Food Storage weekly (modified for our tastes/needs)
• Buy a case of water bottles every time we shop at Costco
• How to Prioritize an Evacuation List
• Gather/organize Emergency Supplies weekly
• Emergency Kit by Week (the non-food half of our 72 hour kits)
• Get our finances in order

Besides being bitten by the preparedness bug, I’ve had a sudden urge to go camping.  Brad and I realized last year that we’ll never be one of those families that travel much, or visit very many theme parks.  But we can create family memories through camping!  Much more affordable, and a good way to learn some life-skills that we seem to be losing as a society.

I’ve also felt an increased desire to up our temple attendance.  I heard someone say something to the effect that going to the temple once a month is an inconvenience, but going to the temple once a week is a sacrifice.  I know that I’ve enjoyed the peace that comes with regular temple attendance, and I can’t help but think of all those on the other side that are also benefitting.  In addition to temple work, I’ve recently learned to love fasting.  Which sounds totally crazy!  Fasting has always been difficult for me, but I’ve found a calm focus when fasting, and my devotion to God’s will and my ability to discern truth has grown exponentially.

I’m grateful for the gentle, yet firm, reminder that there is always room for growth.  I’m afraid that while I’ve remained true and faithful, I’ve also become complacent.  I struggled for a while with the idea of shaming myself into crossing off items on an arbitrary (albeit divine) check-list.  But I’ve realized that as my heart softens, my desire to better myself and follow even the simplest commandment God personally gives me, I am becoming who He  wants me to be.  I’m not necessarily changing; I’m still the same Beth.  But, He is perfecting me.  And there’s no one else I’d rather be.

pensivity

Uh, hi there.  Been a while...

You know, it's funny to think how far I've come in the past few years.  As a woman, as a mother, as a blogger.  I mean, I'm still the same person.  I still love red.  And polka dots ;)  And I continue to find joy in being creative, whether that's in crafting or in homeschooling.  But I find it funny, as I'm about to hit publish for the first time in however many years, how much this little piece of the web has changed for me.

We moved into our little dream home more than a while ago, and life has been that: a dream.  Not easy, and certainly not glamorous.  But it's been my life.  I've worked hard on being more present in my day-to-day, which is extremely difficult when you're a dreamer like me!  And this year I've felt prompted to be even more present.  Actually, the two phrases I've chosen to guide me this year are "be present" and "be prepared".

Am I the only one that finds those two phrases completely opposite of one another?  Maybe it's because the struggle is real; finding the perfect balance between enjoying life now and dreaming of what it could be.  But as I've pondered upon the idea of being both present and prepared, I've realized that what I really need is to be aware.

I need to live my life now, as it currently is, so as to know what I will need for the future.  This obviously applies to the world of preparedness, such as food storage and evacuation kits.  But I think it can also apply to other matters.  Physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.

And so I'm striving to live life with a new level of awareness.  Here I am world.  I see you.  *B

pack it up, move it out

home new home

   

 

  

  

Perhaps you've heard the fantastical news?  If not, then I'll tell you: the promotion went through!  Which means we get the house!  So very excited!  I even took a video of the place, but it seems Blogger doesn't like it...  So for those who won't be able to visit any time soon and are crazy with curiosity, I can email you the tour ;)

Now you'll have to excuse me; I've got a garden to plant and a house to decorate!  *B

just keep swingin'

word play

Will brought this assignment home from (public) school yesterday, and I loved it!  Such a great idea; one I'll have to remember to use in the future...  Since I've been using this last trimester as a practice run for homeschooling, and since Will is repeating the first grade, I didn't see much benefit in spending a lot of time/money investing in a curriculum.  But I've been trying to make mental notes of Will's learning style in the hopes of coming up with something cohesive and relevant to his needs.  I plan on spending more time this summer actually researching specific curriculums and writing up more structured lesson plans for next year.  And I'll be honest, I'm not looking forward to that part of homeschooling.  I'm much more interested in colorful typography!  *B

fingers crossed

Our lease is coming to an end shortly, and so we've had to make the difficult decision to stay or leave.  Rent here is expensive, and the apartments here like to think they're just as good as houses...  Brad has a promotion in the works, but we're waiting for official approval.  And so, we've been house hunting.

No, we're not quite in the market to buy and we won't be for a while longer.  We're simply looking at homes to rent.  And it is a nightmarish process.  But, miracle of miracles happened and we found a darling little place, that just happens to be nearby, on 1.5 acres!  With a chicken coop, gardening beds, and indoor hot-tub!!  And get this, the owner is LDS (well known, used to be in our Stake) -- and for a minimal deposit (that we will get back if Brad's promotion does not go through), he is willing to sit on it for two months until we are able to move in!!!

And so now we wait.  Patience is sooo not my virtue.  *B

coloring cutie

outdoor playschool

After (public) school, we had an impromptu picnic at the park across from Brad's work.  Will continued his education by learning how to weave flowers ;)  Elsie played (princess) pirates, while Timmy threw and/or ate rocks...  Sometimes Mother Nature is the best teacher.  *B

flower fest

This past weekend we drove around looking at beautiful barns and fields of flowers.  I really do love it here!  *B

just smile

Pretty sure this picture was captured during one of many diaper changes.  Thank heavens for smart phones that distract busy hands!  And thank you, DesiTim, for your candid documentation ;)

Last week was one of those weeks.  You know, where the baby's bowels decide to revisit the newborn days, resulting in mountains of laundry.  Where it's sunny one day, and raining hailing the next.  Where everyone has a crazy case of cabin fever due to said crazy weather, but you can't leave the house in fear of said baby's bowels.  That, coupled with the fact that it also happened to be Spring Break, which alone necessitates some form of creative expression and/or forced enjoyment.  All this followed by a week where you volunteer to teach Scouts, and spend two days frantically coming up with something to educate/entertain eight 9 year old boys.  A week where you finally tackle aforementioned laundry, and attempt to restore some sort of "normal" routine, all whilst brain-storming about food storage and day-dreaming about your future home plan/site.

Good times!  *B

Springtime

fine-tuning

I love school performances!  They always make me teary eyed.  There's just something about seeing a group of kids, singing/dancing their little hearts out, that is so sweet.  It always reminds me of how proud our Father in Heaven must be of them, of us.  It is at times like these where I can feel of His love for all His children so strongly.  Hence, the teariness ;)

I've really enjoyed having Will in public school part-time.  He gets to participate in activities, enjoy some time with his friends, and spend some time away from me.  I might ruffle some attachment parents' feathers when I say that I believe it's important for children and mothers to have time away from each other.  I believe the time Will spends in school helps foster his sense of individual worth.  And school gives him the chance to practice what his parents preach.

It's a fine line, but I know that public school AND home school can both drain Will and energize him.  It's my job as his parent and ultimate teacher to figure out the appropriate amount of each.  And for now, this part-time schooling seems to be a good fit.  It's the best of both worlds!

Together, they can make such sweet music.  *B

Conference weekend

I loved Conference this year!  It seemed like all the talks were meant for me...  And we started some fun traditions this year: Conference boxes/cups and 72 hr. food kits.  The kids helped decorate their own boxes, and helped color the tags for the Conference cups.  I think having them involved in the process helped them to get ready for what could have been a long weekend...  And I really do think that the activities were engaging enough without being too distractive.  I plan on doing the same thing for each Conference, it worked so well!

Each box had the following:

• folder full of Conference related coloring/activity pages - one page per talk rule
• snacks - one per session rule
• new coloring pencils
• pencil sharpener
• pencil case
• clipboard
• glue stick
• silly putty

Brad and I decided on five words we wanted the kids to focus on for the afternoon sessions.  This year our words were: Atonement, repentance, baptism, reverence, and service.  I blew up some Conference squares, cut out the words we wanted to use, had the kids color them, and then used double-sided tape to stick them to clothespins to attach to the cups.  Each cup had a different treat inside, and you're allowed to eat a treat every time you hear a word.  During the morning sessions, we played Conference bingo with stickers - I didn't want them getting high on sugar in the early morn ;)

We also used this weekend as an opportunity to put together our 72 hr. food kits.  The plan is to rotate through them every Conference.  So come October, we'll use Conference weekend to restock our supply while snacking on the items from April's kits.  I'm really not the most organized person (ask my mom), but it does feel nice to get some things in order...  And I'm excited for next Conference!  *B

birthday boy

one

I can not believe my baby turns one tomorrow!  And I can not believe how much he melts my heart.  He could not have come at a better time; he was just what I needed.  It was by far my most difficult pregnancy, and he was by far my most difficult baby.  In all honesty, he came at one of the most difficult times in my life.  But I learned a lot through it all, and I know I'm stronger in part because of him.  He kept me going when all else seemed lost...  And nowadays he is a complete joy!  Once we figured out that he was basically starving and suffered from exhaustion, and once we addressed those needs appropriately, it was like a light switched on and he has not stopped shining since.  I can always count on him to make me smile and lift my spirits.  He has saved me since day one.  *B

backseat drivers

why we homeschool, part II

I have really enjoyed our afternoons lately.  Before, when Will was in public school full-time, I felt like the afternoon blended into the evening.  I'd wake the littles from their naps, rush to school and grab Will, then head home to finish homework and prep dinner.  It was stressful for me, and for the kids.  I felt like Will needed a decompressing period...  And there just wasn't enough time in the day for it.  As soon as Brad got home from work, we'd eat and get to spend a few moments together.  But bedtime always seemed to sneak up on us and I felt like Will still hadn't reconnected/recharged from school.  Nowadays our afternoons are much more peaceful, and we actually get to spend time together as a family.  Home has become not only a place of learning, but also a place of restoration.  *B  

new beginnings

      

   

    

It's been a rough week...  But, I am grateful for Spring and what it represents.  And I'm especially grateful for the Atonement that makes fresh starts possible, regardless the mess.  *B

Spring snow