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update:

if you tried to send me an email and it was rejected,

try again.

the email is now correct.  ♥

Changes.

update:

if you tried to send me an email and it was rejected,

try again.

the email is now correct.

 

 I've made the decision to make my blog private,and I will be starting a new blog-It will be more general not so personal. Please email me if you want an invite.twenty4     7  mom    at    gmail   .com  I will posting my new public blog info soon.  

  March 17th  will be last day this blog will be seen publicly. ♥

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Abby says,

"I miss her tons and tons."

"I have no one to play with when she's gone."

I caught this picture the other day.

Love it.

 

My worth.

 I was under the weather today.I'm not feeling horrible,but I'm not 100%.Feeling really lazy and tired.I think tomorrow I'll go for a walk-jog.I need to get moving again.I spent most of the day in bed.I did some research on starting up my own business.Photography business.Is it for me?Am I afraid to fail?Am I good enough to charge for my hobby?Will people like me?I laid in bed.Mascara smeared.Room a mess.House a mess.Didn't do much at all today.I have a tough time feeling good about me,whenmy to do list isn't touched by day's end,Jeff walks in the door and I look like I just woke up.I've always felt like my worth is attached,to my accomplishments.I shouldn't.I try not to.But sometimes I do.Being.Doing.Becoming.There is work to do.Am I enough.Don't compare to that girl on that blog.Don't compare to the girl at church.Don't compare to the girl in line. Who am I?What is important to me?What makes me smile?What makes me cry?I am unique.Think about why I'm me.I won't find me,when the list is done,on Pinterest,or on any .com.How do I stand alonein my own skinhappy, content,comfortable? Faith!Faith in God.He's more than me.He's more than all the stuff.A foundation.Build my life on that.Earnest study,understanding,prayingpondering.Trying,repenting.Doing His will.Not mine.
 

 ♥

Creating a friendship.

Whitney's duck. Picture taken by her big brother.

 Yesterday was awesome.A friendship is stronger.I LOVED the deep conversation.I LOVED the sincere laughter.I LOVED an honest response.I LOVED the sense of belonging that comes with new understanding and commonality.Creating a friendship,like drawing on a page.Where the page was once blank,there is a new creation.A relationship,that enlightens that brings joy.I didn't want to say goodbye.She spoke to my heart.I understand her. Thank you my friend.
    ♥

Sisters

 I'm the big sister.But,sometimes I feel small.I'll give them a call,they'll help me feel tall.That is all.    ♥

Growing a man

 

 This boy of mine.

He loves his mamma.

He asked me for a XBOX.

I said no.

Playstation?

NO.

Our neighbor has one.

I don't mind it a little here and there.

But,

NO.

You may not sit in your room

with your very own big screen TV,

with head phones on,

and play for hours and hours.

NO WAY.

I say, 

I'm raising you into a man.

I'm raising a missionary.

You've got to know how to work.

How to talk.

How to get along with out being plugged in.

I was addicted to Super Mario Brothers.

We didn't have it at home,

thank goodness.

Just at our cousins.

He has a DS.

I don't really like it much either.

He only has 1 game right now.

He does pretty good.

In the winter I've got to remind him to put it away.

I'm so thankful for our ease of life.

We don't have to hunt for food,

or build or own home from the trees on our land.

But man,

I bet families back in those days knew how to really get things done.

Everyone must have had to pitch in.

I hated work when I was a kid,

but now I see what it did for me.

Ethan.

He's learning way before I did.

Its not easy for him.

See's how some live a different way than we do.

But,

 he's not a brat about it.

He hugs me.

He says he understands.

I'm thankful for him.

He's a sweet boy.

 ♥

Growth

I am not very patient,

especially while learning.

Growth,

Persistance,

Trial and error,

Mistakes,

Time.

All of it can be insanely frustrating.

However,

there's is so much to learn,

about ourselves,

about others.

There's character to build.

 Its taken maturity and time to figure this out.

I know that growth is necessary.

I know talents and character won't land in my lap.

But,

sometimes I act like it should, even though I know better.

Joy in the journey.

Easy to say, 

hard to do.

I got married about 13 years ago.

We were given a Nikon film SLR.

Jeff knew all about aperture, and shutter speed.

He knew all about film and lenses.

He tried to teach me.

Guess what?

I didn't wanna.

I was kind of a brat about it.

It was way too complicated,

 over my head.

 A few years ago

with an attitude change,

and some try

the lights finally came on.

 There was still sooooooo much to learn.

Sometimes I felt like giving up.

I knew that I could learn though,

so many people were.

The internet is such an amazing tool.

 A week ago

I took pictures of my beautiful niece.

She's expecting #1 baby girl any day.

Speaking of growth.

I've watched her grow from a toddler to

a beautiful woman.

She and I have a history.

I was part of her growth,

and my heart is full to watch her now.

What a blessing she's been to me.

I'm so proud of her.

I'm so happy she is happy.

I was in tears while I edited these photos.

Technically,

I felt very confident, 

and was super excited how they all turned out.

Photography is such an amazing gift.

And then there's the bond we have with each other, 

this allowed me to relax and apply all the growth

from prior experience.

  I have lots more to learn,

but I'm really excited about it.

 

♥

How to make a header in blogger with some help from Clover Lane.

I made a new header for my blog the other day.

It's not too difficult.

Picasa is the trick.

Make all your pics the same size too.

Mine are all squares.

Oh and use the face recognition tool in Picasa.

I found my favorite pics of everyone first.

I found a tutorial at Clover Lane.

If you have any questions, ask.

    ♥

Happy couples kiss?

  He was in the garage.I was in the house.It was late,but he wanted to finish,and I did too.He had the radio to keep him company.John Tesh.Have you heard Intelligence for your Life?Jeff did,he kissed me this morning and shared his new intelligence. From John Tesh radio: If you’ve resolved to improve your marriage – start here: kiss your spouse. According to marriage therapist Dr. Laura Berman, when couples come into her office and say their relationship is tanking, the first thing she asks them is, “When was the last time you really kissed?” Most people will say, “We don’t.” Dr. Berman’s prescription for a better marriage – kiss your spouse every day and hold that kiss for at least 15 seconds. Know this – nine out of 10 people in happy marriages kiss their partner goodbye before work, and kiss them good night before bed. 
   I asked if he wanted me to count or if he was keeping track.(Its fun to smile while kissing by the way.)We decided we wouldn't have to count.Later I figured Yankee Doodle took about 15 seconds.I'll sing it in my head  if kissing ever becomes a chore.Ha. 
♥

Snow Day

 Jeff and the kids stayed home from their duties today.It's pretty nasty outside.Frozen rain on top of snow.  I was thinking,a blanket of snow brings commonality to the world.Most weather does.I had to go out yesterday.I was trying to get around  along with everyone around me. Living still happens even when itscold,wet,icy,dangerous.I had to get help with my cart of groceries.Couldn't get them out to the van without a good Samaritan.She pulled and I pushed.I thanked her over and over again.Having something in common makes people more loving.I wish I could cover the world in my own "blanket of snow". So many commonalities are gone these days.Manners,Good language,Chastity.Living on one income.The one income thing has been on my mind.Stuff would be cheaper,if we all wanted less. Just my thoughts.So happy to be warm.So happy to be home.

    ♥

The right thing to do.

  I skipped out on Zumba today.I made a difficult decision last week.The music is so easy to dance to.I dance like I'm all alone.It's been my favorite exercise for a couple of years.But,sometimes the music is too sexual.
I will walk out when the song is bad.But last week I stayed for one song.It wasn't too bad.The moves though.All that was missing were poles.Its tempting to move like that.I felt uncomfortable.I knew it was wrong. 
 I thought,If my bishop walked by?If Jeff were here?Can my mom see me right now?Would I ever let Whitney come with me?It's not righteous. I started to rationalize.It's my favorite cardio.This is why I joined the gym.I'll just make sure I leave when its bad.How will I get these 10 lbs off? I love the instructor, she knows me. I called my sister.I talked it out with her.She agreed.Slippery slope.I can't stand for truth, for rightwhile I'm dancing like that. I'm sad.I LOVE to dance. I told my kids what I did.I told them why I can't go anymore.They know how much I loved it.It's the kind of thing I've taught them,better step up and do it myself.Spin class with have to do for now. 


 ♥

LICE!! How we finally conquered them at our house.

 There's a new naughty word at our house. Lice.

Gilles San Martin

Are you scratching your head yet?

 I can't talk about it without getting all itchy. Whitney was the lucky recipient.We found it a few days after the letter from school came."Please be aware that there is lice at school......"I read it.I didn't worry one bit.I should have.In fact.If you have a little girland she has hair,adopt the paranoia that I will share now.  1stMake her invisible. Add some tea tree oil into a squirt bottle with water.Spray your daughter's hair.Put her hair up.Get it off her shoulders.When?Everyday.Lice like humans not trees.Tea tree oil is awesome.I found my bottle at Walgreens.Should've been doing this as soon as cold weather hit.Hats.Coats.Backpacks.I'll hung close together.Perfect for Lice.Request that her coat goes in a bag on the back of her chair.    2ndTeach your daughter how to avoid it.Drill it in her sweet head.Don't throw your coat on a heap with your friend's coats.Don't share your hat.Don't share your hair brush.  3rdDon't be ignorant.If your daughter gets lice.Put your hair up.Don't snuggle her close to your head. Christmas Eve, I found lice in my hair.Not fun. Unless, you'd like your husband to spend hours and hours combing through your thick hair. Google "lice".They don't jump.
 4th Research.Read up on lice and understand them.Their life cycle,what will kill them.How to get rid of them.So much info online. The shampoo's and sprays are worthless.DO NOT use the spray on your furniture or mattresses.Its poison.I'd rather have lice than kill my family.I used Nix shampoo on Whitney's head.I picked 30 live Lice of her scalp after I used the shampoo.All over the internet it says the shampoo doesn't work.I agree.Olive oil.All over your head.Shower cap.Towel over shower cap.Sleep on it.14 hours I kept it on.Use regular shampoo,took about 4 rinses.Leave in some conditioner.Comb through hair with nit comb.over and over and overNo lice after that. 
 5thEmpty her room and the house.Soft toys.Extra blankets.Outside in garbage bags.  
Cover your couch with a mattress bed-wetting cover sheet.She sleeps on the couch.Give her new bedding everyday.(Throw bedding in the dryer for 20 minutes w/ heat.)No dirty clothes on the floor. Take clothes out of her drawers. All clothes come from a quarantined spot.My garden tub was perfect.Every towel, every pillow,every soft thinghas to be clean before use.Couch pillows outside too.Cover your car's seats with garbage bags. Do all of this until you see no evidence for 2 weeks. 

6th

Look for Lice often.

Even if you don't get a letter from school.If you do catch lice- Go through hair 3 times a day.Record your findings.How many lice, how many nits (eggs).Make sure you have somewhere to place them when you find them.a small garbage does the trick,or a bowl.Empty it outside in the big trash.Find a newly hatched lice (nymph).They're very small. 

Actual size of the three lice forms compared to a penny. (CDC Photo)

 Place it in a cereal bowl with tweezers.Pull a hair from your head.Run the strand of hair over the nymph.Be amazed and very scared.Like a magnet it clings.Be consistent.Be a bit paranoid.Work hard.Give up your all the things you did for fun.Oh, and if you think you've conquered them.think again,Give it a good 2 weeks.Before you think you're in the clear.

7thTry to stay calm.Ha. Good luck.I was plagued for a month.Getting lice flat out stinks. Going through thisI'd remember all the stories of other womens' trials.They were strong.They didn't cave to frustration.You know the stories.The ones that are told from the memory of a prophet, some noble gentleman,or a great women. "My mother was the epitome of patience and fortitude."
I cried like a baby one day.so frustrated !!!!!!!!!!!It was the first day back to school-after Christmas break.I had day of plans,the girls were happy to see friends again.I checked again,just to make sure.You guessed it!Lice.Thought we were done.Nope.Not out of the clear unless its been like 3 weeks.I haven't seen anything for 2.I'm still checking.These bitty things.These horrible pests. They broke me. At first I was confident and calm. But day after day it got to me. My daughters may never be prominentor great now. Are their stories really true?The children of those women must have selective memory. In the moment the thought was to handle it better butcrying along with them seemed like the perfect solutionalong with getting even more paranoid, more consistent,and CRAZY!Ya it hurts my pride now.But life goes on.I will say,during it all I tried to count my blessings.(In order of importance.)A little girl's prayer. Netflix Wallace and GrommetGoogle   My patient husband Clothes Dryer  Washing MachineFriends with experience Freezer Shower capsHead lampsLeather couch  
I'm gonna go check my head.