frazzled & frumpy

Our dishwasher has been broken for almost a year. I didn't leave it broken to teach my kids a lesson. Nor did I do it because I loved hearing them complain. It was the age-old reason of being too far down the list of priorities. Obviously, if it had been the washing machine, it would've been fixed right away. But, that's because we can't feasibly wash our clothes by hand. Dishes are a different story. I know my kids got tired of me telling them how I grew up washing dishes by hand. How we used to tell my mom she needed to go on Price is Right and win a dishwasher. To which she would reply, "But, I already have three of them." How it was a great preparer for them for their missions because they would most likely not have a dishwasher there. They got tired of me and I got tired of them. All of that exhaustion did not expand the budget, so the dishwasher stayed broken. I don't know why they think dishes are that bad. Honestly, I buy a lot of paper b

"No other success can compensate for failure in the home." President David O. McKay

We've been celebrating 'Love Week' at our house. (My attempt at making Valentine's Day last a little longer.) In celebration of that, today I thought I'd write about what I love the most. No, it's not diet Coke, though I do have a weird love affair with it. It also is not my husband and children, though they are a close second. No, the thing I love most is my Savior and His gospel. Going through trials is never a fun experience and during them, I have to admit, I'm not very grateful. I'm not one of those people who can be in a trial and see why it's happening. I just want it to be over. Spiritual growing pains are very real. But, afterward, I can usually see that it was for my good. What I am grateful for, both during and after one of those stretching times, is knowing that my Savior understands. Truly amazing, isn't it, that He really knows what we're going through, that He has felt it Himself? It brings me so much comfort and s

I had a really bad morning yesterday. I know I complain alot about having teenagers, but, truthfully, they ask for it. I've been very stressed about one of my kids and his grades. He isn't allowed to drive because his grades are so bad. (Can you say, 'triple your car insurance premium'? Not without choking.) So, I was feeling stressed and all around miserable. I kept thinking what a bad mother I am and that if my child had been born to a different mom maybe he would be better. It's not that he's dumb, so obviously, I'm to blame. That's how I felt anyway. So, it took a couple hours for me to recognize where these bad feelings were coming from. (I know, sometimes I'm a bit slow.) Clearly, my loving Heavenly Father and my kind elder Brother would never put such things in my head. They chose me to raise my children and always know what they're doing. Nope, it was that weasily snake I used to call brother. Yep, slimy Satan. While I was sitting on my b