A Thrifty First

My first pieced baby quilt.  I’ve done just regular square quilts when I was little with random fabric, but this is my first one since then. I worked on it a little bit at nights here and there when I had a chance.  Amazing what you can get done by doing small things at a time. I even quilted it on my own machine.  It’s not perfect, but I’m really happy with how it turned out.  The best part about it, that my husband agrees is that it’s made from old sheets.  They’re a lot cheaper than fabric, and I love the soft feel they already have because they’ve been used.

Beau’s Love

His mother’s granola.  Ever since I’ve married him, he is always asking for granola. So being the dutiful wife, I found out from the mother in law how to make it.  The first batch I cooked too much, it tasted slightly burnt.  The second batch was pretty good… and I think that’s been the only two times I’ve made it in my 8 years of marriage. The other time we had it, Beau made it. (He had probably given up on me by then.)  I know it’s at the top of his favorite list. I know if I make it for him that it makes me at the top of his favorite list, and yet I always roll my eyes when he asks for it, and groan about how much work it is.

Today I thought I’d make some to see that smile on his face, and say “Hey, I do love you” and in the process was wondering why I have been complaining about it.  It really isn’t that bad to make. It’s easy. It takes some time to cook 5 pans of it since we do it in bulk, but it really isn’t so bad. I think I complain about it because it’s soo good, but not that healthy. It’s like 9 weight watcher points per cup w/out milk. Wow. I’m sure I could come up with a ‘healthier’ version but why.  It’s so good how it is. It just needs to be eaten in moderation.

I think I’ll make it more often. Why not. Especially when I know how much my husband enjoys it, how much he asks for it, and knowing that it will make his day to have a bowl.  What is it that thing that your husband loves, that he might have even been asking for?  Have you done it lately? If not… go for it! There’s nothing like today to do a little something to say… “hey, I love you.” 
If you do decide to do that little something and are willing to share I’d love to hear what you did for him!  Go ahead and post it in the comments. :)
Also… in case your tempted to make some up yourself here is Beau’s favorite Granola recipe.

Grandma Tippetts’ Granola
14 c. old fashioned oatmeal (not instant)
1 pkg. sunflower seeds
1 pkg. slivered almonds
1 pkg. coconut
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup oil

Mix all the dry ingredients in the first list together in a VERY large bowl. I use a large metal bowl that I let my bread rise in. (in the end it makes about 32 cups of granola.)
In a sauce pan mix the sugars, honey and oil and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, trying to spread over as much of the granola as possible. Then in various batches spread out a layer on a large cookie sheet.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 325.  Stir it up to help coat the granola halfway through the bake time, and after you pull it out while it’s still hot. Let it cool, break apart and store in air tight containers.  You can then add raisins, craisins or other dried fruit to it at this point or when you are going to eat it.

An Amazingly Creative Mother.

I ran across a link to Adele Enerson's blog Mila's Daydreams.  Adele imagines what her tiny baby is dreaming about while asleep and gets creative making it.  What a creative, fun way to enjoy motherhood. I mean really!!! These are just so awesome.  I love how it’s a creative outlet in a normal, everyday life of being a mother to a baby.

Screen Time

This last Sunday we had our regional conference and had the opportunity to hear Elder Snow, Elder Holland, Sister Beck, and Elder Packer. It was a great meeting. We also had an amazing Saturday night conference that Beau and I just loved.  Something that was said Sunday morning by Sister Beck in her talk hit me strong.  She basically gave this warning (in similar words): “I am very concerned about the distractions of young mothers.  I’m especially concerned about the amount of time they are spending in front of their computer.  The computer is simply a tool to be used to strengthen and help your family. It is no different than your dishwasher, your washing machine, or microwave. It is too easy to get caught up and let time slip by, finding that you have been on it for hours. Our children are too valuable to be left wanting.”

That statement left me evaluating and thinking about the amount of time I might be spending on the computer.  When I am on the computer and what kinds of things I’m distracted by while on it.  After hearing her statement I made a goal for myself to try and not get on the computer for work, emails, reading blogs, etc while my children are awake.  The only times I will allow it is if I have gotten everything else done, I’ve spent quality time with my children, and I am doing something productive like writing on my own blog, or doing things like budgeting etc.  And then I only allow it for a very limited time.  Last week I tried it.  I would get up early, read emails, blogs, make posts I needed to, or do my design work. Then I mostly stayed away from it all day. At night after the kids were in bed, then I felt like I was ok to get on the computer and do some design work, etc. 
What was the result?  An AMAZING week…. I was able to get so much done. The time that was spent on the computer was all SUPER productive. I accomplished so much in both my design work as well as in my home. I tried to focus on the essential things all week, and our home was happier, Beau and I had some great moments just being together, things went smoother with the kids. There was a LOT less whining.  My house stayed clean ALL week, and ALL weekend. I woke up this morning on a Monday to an already clean house.  My laundry was caught up all week. I got to sew, embroidery, read, play with my kids, etc.  I exercised all week working towards my 5K goal.  I attended church meetings I needed to, attended the temple, the kids primary activity and had family here for the weekend. I finished a quilt I had been working on, and life was SOOO good.
Now don’t get me wrong. Most of our days our good, our life is really good. I have a wonderful relationship with my husband and family. We have good quality time together. Life really is good for our family. But last week I saw what Sister Beck was talking about when she said that we have POWER when we have our priorities in order. When we put God and his work first, then our families and homes.  I had the power to do so much more, by putting my priorities straight.  I’m determined to do it again this week, and the week after. I know there will be times when I slip, that’s what life is about, and what all these daily life experiences are about. But I just want to testify of the truth of this principle…. When our priorities are right we will have POWER, when they are not in order and we are distracted we will slowly be picked off by the adversary and will loose so many greater and better things.

Haven’t I learned this lesson?

It seems that when I have one of those great ‘Aha’ moments, and I seem to be doing good and on the right track, that adversary seems to say ‘yeah right!”  Then begins his full fledge battle to prove to me I am full of words and no action sometimes.  This has been one of those weeks. One of those weeks that I have tried to escape to all the wrong things and places and it hasn’t worked. It has been a week or two of getting tired and frustrated with my children and myself.
It’s at times like this that I am so glad I blog. So glad that I have journals I have written about hard times like this before. So that I can re-read them all over again. Learn the lessons all over again, and wonder when I will finally get it right.  Today I was led back to the February 17, 2009 post Barren or Joyful, giving me the same answers, that I know all along, and yet can’t seem to implement as readily as I need to. 
It’s always the same battle. It’s always the same answers.

Priceless

Last night we were having family home evening. (An weekly evening dedicated to spending time as a family and teaching them the gospel.)  We always begin with an opening song (or two or three) and an opening prayer.  A lesson is given by dad, mom or one of the kids, and then we close with an activity, treats, and another song and prayer.

Caitlyn’s job is leading the music. At two she has picked up on how to swing her arm back and forth to conduct us, and we end up singing her favorite primary songs.  Last night we were closing our night by singing reverently the song “Families Can Be Together Forever.”  We were quietly singing when all the sudden Caitlyn yells out “FASTER!” (in her large 2 year old vocabulary and pronunciation)  and starts swinging her arm back and forth furiously. “FASTER!” she hollers again beating her arms as fast as she can make them go. We just busted a gut. I don’t know where she learned this. If she’s just picked up from the chorister at church that we sing to the rhythm of her arm moving, or if they play a game in Nursery where the song leader speeds them up and slows them down while they’re singing.  Lately she is just cracking us up with these things she pulls out from no where.

Crazy Flip and Floppy’s Fine Diner

This is the name that my husband came up with last night as we tried to figure out something fun we could do today since we all had the day off. We decided to open our own breakfast diner. 
The kiddo’s woke up and declared they were hungry and would we please fix them something to eat.  So Beau told them to get dressed and put their shoes on because they were going to go out for breakfast.  They were so excited.  “Where?  IHOP?!”  As the ran off to get ready I rolled over and said, “Are you setting them up for disappointment when you bring them back to our house?”

They all loaded in the car and drove around for a while till he got the call letting him know the Diner was ready.  They arrived back at the house, to the sign “Crazy Flip and Floppy’s Fine Food” on the front door. Entering they found their hostess (and cook) Floppy.  She was wearing a large glittery scarf wrapped around hair standing straight on end, (since it never lies flat after sleeping) a bright blue peasant shirt, black skirt, bright lipstick and a long silver beaded necklace.  Floppy asked how many was in their company, and seated them at their table.  Caitlyn just wasn’t quite sure about this breakfast diner.  She was a little wary.  She then dispersed the menu’s and did a little explaining about the breakfast entree’s that morning.  They could add additional add ins if they wanted or go with the plain. 

As she exited to the kitchen, Flip (the waiter) arrived from the backroom in a tux shirt and bowtie, black gym shorts and a bingo visor. It was the small hick town accent that did it in for Caitlyn. She was sure at that point that she did not want to be here and she wanted her real mom and dad back.  Only after Flip asked her if she wanted him to remove the bingo hat did she agree to stay.  Mud was the drink of choice for the morning, with a variety of lilypads, gold fish stuffing, glue sticks, upside down tornados and cardboard. 

They seemed to enjoy it, and were giving us a few weird looks too…. maybe we need to loosen up and be a bit more crazy a little more often.

My 4 Blessings

It seems that all too often in the busyness of life I forget to remember my little blessings. Especially these 4 blessings. They bring joy and happiness into our home. They make life.
Lately Caitlyn is a little show off, the class clown for sure. She has inherited her dad’s love for life and laughter. She LOVES to laugh. The other day I was trying to fold up a large queen size blanket with Savannah. She immediately jumped in the middle of it, standing up while we were trying to fold it around her. She was laughing hysterically thinking it was sooo funny. Of course my motherliness jumps in and I start to get after her for getting in our way, and making it hard to clean up the mess. She was oblivious to anything I was saying. All she cared about was laughing, having joy, and playing this great game of getting folded up in the blanket.

She finally just had me laughing and thinking…. does it really matter?  Smile with your kids, laugh with your kids and just enjoy  them. The best part is that if she can get me to laugh she laughs harder. Which then makes me laugh harder, which makes her laugh harder and it just continues….. that good hard laughter that feels so good.  It releases all stresses and frustrations I’m feeling with the kids, it makes me realize that I am way too serious sometimes.  We as mothers just need to laugh more.  Maybe that’s why God sent her to me.  To tell me to lighten up, to have fun, enjoy the moment, and to be a kid. 

We need to be a joyful mother, full of love for our calling, our kids, for life.  “Men are that they might have joy.”  Sometimes I wonder if I’m sucking out all their joy or adding to it. Will they remember me as a mom that had fun, that laughed, that was truly happy in her calling and responsibility of a mother. Or one that was always frustrated with the messes, stressed, thinking too much, giving out orders and jobs and forgot how to smile.  I know I’m not completely there yet… but I hope someday they can say they had a Joyful mother.  I’m trying to evaluate things as we go along. Are we experiencing joy together as a family?  Did my kids express joy today?  Are they happy?  Has my husband been able to smile, relax and laugh?  Am I doing more smiling than scowling?  Am I smiling around my kids? Will they want to be a mother or father because they saw how much we loved and enjoyed it. 

Lately I’m grateful for a little girl that is making me ask these questions.

Powerful or Powerless

At the end of this last April I attended BYU Women’s Conference. It’s a two day conference with lots of workshops, speakers, service activities, and plain fun for two days. It’s a faith based conference with this year’s theme being “Choose Ye This Day to Serve the Lord.”  I had such a wonderful uplifting time.  The highlight and most impactful part of the conference was an address give by Julie B. Beck. I love this woman. She is the  Relief Society General President, and she always has the right thing to say at the right time in my life.

Her talk this  year was no different. It came at such a needed time as I was having inward battles about some heavy decisions I needed to make. Conflicts of desires to serve and recognizing I was had nothing left to give.  A time when I was trying to determine exactly where all my energy should be focused.  I was feeling powerless, overwhelmed, and in need of some heavenly guidance to apply to my life right then.  My father in heaven sent it through her.

One of her overarching themes she continually talks about is the need for personal revelation.  That this one thing should the MOST important thing we obtain in this life, and the ability to act on it.  We need it more than anything else. We need direct revelation, answers and help from heaven in relation to everything we do, our time, our families, our faith, our work…. everything…  We need to develop that capability.

We live in a world that is full of noise, voices, and enticements. There are so many things to get caught up in, and things to spend our time on.  Most of them can be of very little value, and will leave us feeling empty.  But when we seek out the spirit and revelation we will learn and do those things that are truly of the most importance, of the greatest value, and the things that will truly fill us.  We will hear the Lord’s voice tell us specifically what he needs us to do right now. What a great comfort.  And when we hear that voice and heed it we become powerful.  So how do we find this voice, how do we hear it, and what do we do right now?  We make sure our priorities are in order.  She gave a great way of describing what and where our priorities should be.

ESSENTIAL THINGS: These are the things that we MUST do to obtain Eternal life in the next life. These are the things that are the most essential things we can do in this life.  Things that enable us and our families to be together forever. These are things that if we let them slide, or push them aside for the time, will leave us lacking, wanting and unable to obtain the Eternal Life that is promised us. If we miss these things then we’ve missed the entire plan and purpose for our coming to earth in the first place. 

So what are those essential things?  For me they are Personal revelation – being able to obtain it, listen to the spirit and to obey. In order to have personal revelation I must have meaningful prayer and scripture study.  I must make and obtain covenants that are essential to eternal life. I must renew those covenants regularly by attending the temple often. I must build my family spirituality by reading scriptures together, praying together, working together, having Family Home Evening, etc.  Service in the church and to those around me.  Taking care of myself physically so I can keep up and give to others. etc

NECESSARY THINGS:  These are the things that we must do in daily life. The daily mundane things that lead to homes and lives of order and filled with the spirit.  These are things like cleaning my home so that it is a place where there is order, love and a place where the spirit can dwell, It becomes a place where me and my children can hear and heed the promptings of the spirit. These are things like making meals so we have time to sit and spend time together as a family.  They are things like financing, budgeting, work, provident living to help make sure that the time and effort my husband spends working is not being taken for granted and spent on things that are of no worth.  Organization and orderliness that will make our home run smoother, reduce stress levels, and will make everyone happier. These are things like teaching, reading, and playing with my children to develop better relationships, and help them grow up with a sense of worth and unconditional love. These things are things that help build a home that is filled with love, peace, the spirit, and where happiness abounds.  These are things that relate to my divine role as a mother and wife.


LIKE TO DO:  These are the things that are my loves and passions in life. They are things that are hobbies, girl friend time, me time, sewing, traveling, design, art, reading, blogging, reading the blogs, face book etc… these are the fun things that make each of our lives unique and wonderful.  These are things that bring joy, and fill us up, they are things that are truly enjoyable.
But the thing that hit me so strong when she was talking about these is this.  If we do things in the correct order… we will be powerful.  We will accomplish more than we ever thought was possible. We will have incredible influence on people and the ones we love the most.  We will be doing what the Lord wants and needs us to personally be doing.

But…..

When we spend most of our time in the “Like to Do” category, while pushing aside the other two, we will loose power. We will become powerless.  It hit me like a ton of bricks. Powerless…. How often do I spend more time in the ‘like to do’ category, or push off the other two things… and what usually results. Tiredness, feeling overwhelmed or burdened, feeling behind, feeling unsettled, not feeling at peace, contentious, overly sensitive etc.

For months I’ve been thinking about this. It’s become a theme within my new calling in the Stake Relief Society Presidency. There is such a huge need for this.  It has been something that has been on my mind ever since I heard her talk about it. In a way blogging has fallen to the side as possibly one of those things that is just a ‘like to do’…. and yet… I’m not sure that’s completely correct, as I think there is a bigger purpose for it. I’ve set it aside and have tried to think about where I want this blog to go, what I want it to be accomplishing and what I want it’s purpose to be. I want it to be a part of those essential and necessary things because of what I’m posting here, rather than something that is just in the category of ‘like to do'.

I want it to have a purpose, I want it to reflect the most important things to me in my life, some of those essential things. Which is why I’ve made a few changes to it. As I’ve been learning more with this new church calling I’ve been reflecting on the sole purpose of what Relief Society is, and how I personally am doing on accomplishing this great purpose.  Which is why I’ve decided that a lot of what I post on this blog is going to be about those three main purposes.

Building Faith, Strengthening Home and Family, and Providing Relief.  I want to share my own personal experiences, thoughts and projects relating to these purposes.  (I’m sure there will still be ‘creative’ ‘art’ ‘design’ type of posts, because that is still a huge part of who I am, but I hope to give a greater purpose to this blog and to help myself focus on that greater purpose.
I hope you’ll join me. I hope I still have some readers after a very long departure.  I hope you’ll take a honest look at your life and determine what are your essential, necessary and like to do things, and honestly evaluating where most of your time is spent.  God is all loving, and ironically when we really do put our time and efforts into the first two categories, he gives us time to also do those things we love to do. I hope you’ve seen this in your own life.
hope you’ll have a desire to become powerful over powerless….