frazzled & frumpy

It's the new year. Yay. I made it through the Christmas break and my kids are back in school. Since we've begun a new year, I've been taking stock of my life. (Do people still say 'taking stock'? It makes me feel hillbilly-ish.) Anyway, I thought it would be a good thing. *I've only had to write '2014' twice and I'm happy to say, I got it right both times. Go me. *I started with my new Primary class at church. I teach the 9 year-olds. It went pretty well. Of course, they're nine, so if I mess up and teach them false doctrine, they won't know it for years. (But, I don't. Teach false doctrine. Don't tell my bishop I said anything about false doctrine, k?) *I didn't make any resolutions. I decided, why bother? Instead, I overate, overslept, and laid around in my pj's for a week. I figure I've broken any and all resolutions I made for the past ten years and now I can relax and enjoy my life. *I haven't made a ...

(morguefile.com) She sat on those New Year's days clueless. She celebrated with joy and abandon, looking forward to the year ahead. She thought this year, this one , will be better. This will be the year of happiness and carefree wonder, of success and new thrills. "This," she said to herself, "is my year." Oh, that I could go back and sit with her. I would hold her hand and try not to stifle her smile. Would I destroy the hope she held like a shiny bauble? Or would I let her go on,let her  believe, knowing as I do, that those years would be nothing like she dreamed? Would I tell her gently of the pain that awaited, of the tears she would shed and the ways her heart would never be the same? Would I, could I, prepare her for the unexpected doors she would be forced to open? Wouldn't it be better for her, to know about the trials, the pain, the sorrow? Couldn't she be stronger if she had the chance to be ready, to shore up her walls, fill up her pa...

It's that time of year. Again.  Time to take stock, to look ever so closely at our lives and find out what we're doing wrong.  Then, we decide how to make it right and we do it- we resolute    resolutionize   reserve   oh, crap, we make those dumb resolutions. People always ask- "What are your resolutions?"  Why don't they ask the real question- "What are you going to fail at this year?"  Isn't that what we're doing? Setting ourselves up for failure?  How many of us even make it past January?  Not me.  So, I've decided to go at it from a different angle this year. I'm setting resolutions that I can't help but achieve.  That's right. I'm lowering my expectations. I'm setting realistic goals.  Then, I'll be assured of success. I looked up the most popular resolutions and took my cue from there.  First, of course is weight loss.  Not this year. No, resolution #1 is to gain weight.  I'm thinking ten...

"The past is to be learned from, but not lived in.  We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes.  And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future .  Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives."  -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 'The Best is Yet to Be' Happy New Year

I'd like to say good-bye to 2010. Like a good roller coaster- it had it's ups and downs- moments of exhilaration and times that made me nauseous . It wasn't a bad year, but it could've been better. Luckily, time flies when you have this many gray hairs (which no one sees thanks to L'oreal.). When you think about it, this year will zoom past as well. We talked about this year at FHE, and all the events that will be happening. Here's a run-down of the things that will make a great "Christmas Letter" for 2011. We'll have 9 birthdays, some more monumental than others. We will turn 4, 8, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19, 42 and one of us will be 45. (I just felt 3 more hairs turn gray.) That means, we'll have a baptism, and of course, cub scouts. One more priesthood holder and, as he reminds me, participant in weekly young men's activities. One step closer to a dating daughter. Heaven help us all. That daughter will enter high school- heaven help those boys...