Tonight I went to a science fair at our commonwealth school. Marianne had a display and did a fabulous job. When I got home I realized what a nice evening it had been. I got to visit with friends, see some very creative projects, learn something new and taste homemade fudge and ice cream.
That may not sound like much, but for me it was monumental. I realized it was the first time in 3 months that I was able to go out for the evening and completely relax and enjoy myself.
When my mom was admitted to the hospital 3 months ago everything changed. From that moment on, there has always been worry, tears or sadness--especially when I am away from home.
I have gone out and had fun since then, but I really had to work at it. And always, in the back of my mind there was part of me that was miserable. Tonight, it was easy. I didn't have to hold back the tears or put on a happy face. Everything just flowed. I am grateful for that gift.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
My Version of The Container Store
Recently, a friend confessed to me that her dresser was a mess. "I just cleaned it off" she admitted, "and I even had Christmas earrings out from last year!"
I wasn't too shocked by her revelation since my dresser is usually a mix of jewelry, dust and loose change that wanders over from John's side.
However, I recently found a cute chest for my earrings. I justified the purchase as an organizational improvement, but really I just love how it looks. The drawers are ceramic and large enough to hold 2-3 pairs of earrings.
It got me thinking about my other "jewelry boxes". They're not really boxes and I'm very sentimental about all of them.
When Evan was in Cub Scouts he came home from den meeting proudly holding his mug holder. His excitement dwindled when he realized that we had very few mugs and no need for a holder. It sat in his closet for awhile until one day he came to me with a suggestion.
"Mom you really need a place to hang your necklaces and bracelets. Would you like to use my mug holder?"
This tree holds now hold most of my necklaces and bracelets. It may not be fancy, but it works like a charm. Best of all, it was made by my very own Cub Scout.
Nine years ago John won an award at work. A big award. For lots of hard work. Back in the days when companies actually had a budget for such things.
We were thrilled at the chance to visit Australia and my Mom was kind enough to babysit all four kids. In a moment of insanity, we decided to test my parents' devotion by extending our trip for another week. John thought it would be fun to visit New Zealand. Besides, the flight would only cost us a little extra.
It sounds like this story might end badly, but in fact it was a dream come true. The time we spent in Australia with John's company was great, but our time in New Zealand was heavenly. It is the most gorgeous place on earth and we had a fabulous time together. Best of all, the kids didn't drive grandma and grandpa crazy. In fact, my Mom accused me of exaggerating how hard they were. "Your kids were no trouble at all," I remember her saying. They were 3, 5, 9 & 11 at the time, so I found that hard to believe!
As a bonus, I found the perfect souvenir. These cool little drawers are made from some of New Zealand's lovely wood. The top drawer is perfect for long earrings and the bottom one is great for larger items.
Finally, I have my ring holder. This little gem was given to me by my mother-in-law the first Christmas we were married. She was a champion bargain shopper. She found the best deals throughout the year, usually at Mervyn's, and stocked her closet with birthday, Christmas and baby gifts. When she passed away in August her closet was full of gifts. Many of them wrapped and/or labelled. For years, I couldn't set foot in Mervyn's without crying a bit. When they finally went out of business, I felt like I'd lost a connection to her. I'm certain Mary Alice didn't intend for this to become a family heirloom, but I love it because it reminds me of her.
Oftentimes, we hang onto useless stuff because we are sentimental. Nothing's wrong with that, until it crowds our space. It's a beautiful thing when an item is functional and dear to our heart!
I wasn't too shocked by her revelation since my dresser is usually a mix of jewelry, dust and loose change that wanders over from John's side.
However, I recently found a cute chest for my earrings. I justified the purchase as an organizational improvement, but really I just love how it looks. The drawers are ceramic and large enough to hold 2-3 pairs of earrings.
It got me thinking about my other "jewelry boxes". They're not really boxes and I'm very sentimental about all of them.When Evan was in Cub Scouts he came home from den meeting proudly holding his mug holder. His excitement dwindled when he realized that we had very few mugs and no need for a holder. It sat in his closet for awhile until one day he came to me with a suggestion.
"Mom you really need a place to hang your necklaces and bracelets. Would you like to use my mug holder?"
This tree holds now hold most of my necklaces and bracelets. It may not be fancy, but it works like a charm. Best of all, it was made by my very own Cub Scout.
Nine years ago John won an award at work. A big award. For lots of hard work. Back in the days when companies actually had a budget for such things.
We were thrilled at the chance to visit Australia and my Mom was kind enough to babysit all four kids. In a moment of insanity, we decided to test my parents' devotion by extending our trip for another week. John thought it would be fun to visit New Zealand. Besides, the flight would only cost us a little extra.
It sounds like this story might end badly, but in fact it was a dream come true. The time we spent in Australia with John's company was great, but our time in New Zealand was heavenly. It is the most gorgeous place on earth and we had a fabulous time together. Best of all, the kids didn't drive grandma and grandpa crazy. In fact, my Mom accused me of exaggerating how hard they were. "Your kids were no trouble at all," I remember her saying. They were 3, 5, 9 & 11 at the time, so I found that hard to believe!
As a bonus, I found the perfect souvenir. These cool little drawers are made from some of New Zealand's lovely wood. The top drawer is perfect for long earrings and the bottom one is great for larger items.
Finally, I have my ring holder. This little gem was given to me by my mother-in-law the first Christmas we were married. She was a champion bargain shopper. She found the best deals throughout the year, usually at Mervyn's, and stocked her closet with birthday, Christmas and baby gifts. When she passed away in August her closet was full of gifts. Many of them wrapped and/or labelled. For years, I couldn't set foot in Mervyn's without crying a bit. When they finally went out of business, I felt like I'd lost a connection to her. I'm certain Mary Alice didn't intend for this to become a family heirloom, but I love it because it reminds me of her.
Oftentimes, we hang onto useless stuff because we are sentimental. Nothing's wrong with that, until it crowds our space. It's a beautiful thing when an item is functional and dear to our heart!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thankidsgiving
Thanksgiving was rough for me this year and then I got the flu over the weekend.
Thank goodness for the great kids in our family!
Thank goodness for the great kids in our family!
They always bring a smile to my face.
Here are a few of my favorite moments:
Here are a few of my favorite moments:
This guy not only loved the dogs, he gave me a love! Heath was sadly looking around for his grandma and when he found me in her usual place in the kitchen, I got a big hug from him. He generally will give me a hug only when I ask for one. I wish he hadn't been sad, but I'm grateful for his spontaneous hug!
Thanks to this girl for having a Thanksgiving birthday, so we got to have a pinata!
Doesn't Alyssa look great in her high heeled pinata?
Happy 11th sweet Alyssa!
I like to tease her mom that Alyssa looks like she should have been my baby, don't you agree?
Thanks to this girl for helping her mom make these cute pilgrim hat place settings.
Jenna also made me laugh when I gave her a gift bag with her early birthday present. I told her she could open it and she replied, "Well, I already know what it is Aunt Melanie. You always give me and Alyssa the same thing."
I do? I guess I do ;)
This girl always makes me smile, but she was especially cute at Thanksgiving. I let her try some sweet potatoes and she loved them. The funniest part was when her daddy scolded me for giving her something with lots of sugar. I almost laughed out loud because he LOVES his sugar. And just so you know, I wasn't being a bad grandma. I was able to tell him that it was an all natural sweet potato casserole with no sugar!
This little sweetie won the best dressed award in her lovely, long white dress.
Brooke did wear her cute Thanksgiving outfit for most of the day, but changed into her dress just in time to receive a name and a blessing from her daddy. It was wonderful to have so many priesthood holders in our family participate in the ordinance.
I believe it was Aaron's first time to help bless a baby.
Emma was in heaven with two baby cousins to love!
When she wasn't holding a baby, she kept busy with her knitting. She is an amazing self-taught knitter. She does absolutely beautiful work and even has her first "for pay" project.
This girl is always in charge! Cammi doesn't like anyone telling her what to do.
But she melted like butter for her little cousin. She had a fabulous time letting him pull her around by the hand and doing whatever he wanted!
And Riley certainly enjoyed his cousins. He loved sharing a cardboard box with Cammi.
He also had his mind made up about the pinata. He wanted to wear a blindfold like all the other kids, but he didn't want it covering his eyes.
This little guy also loved the pinata. Strictly speaking, he isn't one of the kids, but he is a puppy so I think that counts. Dutch helped himself to the treats and had to have both a Laffy Taffy and a Slinky removed from his mouth. And he wasn't happy about losing either one!
Finally, thanks to the sweet girl who took all these pictures and let me post them even when she wasn't thrilled with my choice of photos or editing. I love you Marianne!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
And the winner is . . .
Debbie!
We were very high tech about our giveaway. I wrote all of your names on slips of paper and Marianne drew out Debbie's name.
FYI, I have known Debbie for about 14 years. We did Joy School together way back when. She is the mom of seven kids and is going to become a grandma next year.
I'll bring your prizes to you soon Debbie. As I bonus, I'll even bring He Restoreth My Soul since you asked me for a copy weeks ago.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
We were very high tech about our giveaway. I wrote all of your names on slips of paper and Marianne drew out Debbie's name.
FYI, I have known Debbie for about 14 years. We did Joy School together way back when. She is the mom of seven kids and is going to become a grandma next year.
I'll bring your prizes to you soon Debbie. As I bonus, I'll even bring He Restoreth My Soul since you asked me for a copy weeks ago.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Friday, November 19, 2010
My Name is Melanie . .
and I'm a recovering pessimist.
First my sister blogged about how much fun I am. Then my friend Emily offered to be my sponsor at "Pessimist's Anonymous".
So, in an effort to be a fun and optimistic person, I am having a giveaway!
First, are a couple of things I blogged about this summer.
1. Holiday Smencils! The scents are gingerbread and cinnamon.
2. A fabulous book from the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series on Picasso by Mike Venezia. (Clicking won't really let you look inside, but it will take you to the Amazon page) This book is very informative, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. A very fun read! Somehow I ended up with two copies, so one can be yours!
3. The wonderful book, Pigs in the Pantry by Amy Axelrod. The llustrations are delightful! It is a fun combination of cooking and math. My kids are really too old for this book, but when I told them it was going to be a giveaway, they both asked to keep it. Don't worry, I said "No!" so it can be yours.
So, if you'd like the Smencils, Picasso and Pigs in the Pantry leave me a comment by Monday, November 22nd. On Tuesday I'll randomly pick a winner and I'll bring or mail the items to you before the end of the month. Anyone and everyone (except my own kids!) is eligible to enter. Just leave a comment.
I'm feeling more positive all ready. Maybe I should go work on my "Things I Hate" post right now!
First my sister blogged about how much fun I am. Then my friend Emily offered to be my sponsor at "Pessimist's Anonymous".
So, in an effort to be a fun and optimistic person, I am having a giveaway!
First, are a couple of things I blogged about this summer.
1. Holiday Smencils! The scents are gingerbread and cinnamon.
2. A fabulous book from the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series on Picasso by Mike Venezia. (Clicking won't really let you look inside, but it will take you to the Amazon page) This book is very informative, but it doesn't take itself too seriously. A very fun read! Somehow I ended up with two copies, so one can be yours!
3. The wonderful book, Pigs in the Pantry by Amy Axelrod. The llustrations are delightful! It is a fun combination of cooking and math. My kids are really too old for this book, but when I told them it was going to be a giveaway, they both asked to keep it. Don't worry, I said "No!" so it can be yours.
So, if you'd like the Smencils, Picasso and Pigs in the Pantry leave me a comment by Monday, November 22nd. On Tuesday I'll randomly pick a winner and I'll bring or mail the items to you before the end of the month. Anyone and everyone (except my own kids!) is eligible to enter. Just leave a comment.I'm feeling more positive all ready. Maybe I should go work on my "Things I Hate" post right now!
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