New Shutterfly fan!

While I'm not a major fan of the Christmas letter (writing them that is, I enjoy reading other peoples) I usually can't resist sending a holiday card.  Especially now, I love to send a Christmas photo card. What fun is it in life if you can't show off your family right? I'm always looking around for good deals or my favorite new layout. 

This year, I have the opportunity to check out Shutterfly's holiday card collection.  They have a TON of cards.  Every kind of card, not just Christmas cards.  I am particularly partial the 5x5 and 5x7 Stationary Cards, as they call them, rather than those that fold.    My favorite part about navigating Shutterfly's card site though, is the Refine your search options on the left.  You can choose size, color, type of paper, number of photos and even designer and it will pull up only those cards.  So I'd like a red card, with 3+ photos, that is flat please and ta-da!  It produces 92 results (instead of about 800) that fit that description. Hmm this one is cute.

So head over to Shutterfly! 

And yes, I'm totally getting a bargain on this one, with some free cards ;)  And you can too! Just head here.

My loyal followers ;)

So I guess I realized how many of you really are checking up with me, since I have returned to my blog.  And now I remember what I liked about it in the first place, keeping up with those of you I don't see otherwise!  Thanks for being a little part of my life!

Having Love

This weekend we went to an SCA event in which my husband got squired to a knight (yes, it is all organized that way, with Kings and Queens and Baron and Baronesses and Knights, etc) Duke (meaning he's won the right to be King a few times in his day) Sir (meaning he's a knight) John the Mad Celt (just gotta love that name).  It was a good day.  We stayed in a hotel the night before, ate out two dinners in a row and played outside all day, Saturday.  Miriam and I ran around on a sandy white beach.  It was a mini vacation.  And we were back in time for me to teach my young women's lesson today!

I feel better. I mean, I still feel like there is a lot to do, but I guess that is never going to change. I'm just trying to keep my priorities straight! And the paper OFF my kitchen counter!


I talked to my great-grandmother on the phone a few months back, in which I told her that Bill worked ALL THE TIME (this was when he was still deployed and they worked 12hour days 5 days a week and 10 hour days the other 2).  She just told me that work was what life was about.  I've thought about that so much ever since.  They raised 4 children (5, but one died very young) and my great-grandfather worked a day job and and evening job for a long time.  They lived through wars and the Great Depression.  They just worked and enjoyed their families when they could.  They instilled morals and work ethic in their children.  She was right, their lives were about work and sacrifice and the love of family.  When I visited her for her 95th birthday last month she was so happy just to be surrounded by these children and grandchildren (and great and great-great grandchildren) she helped bring into the world.  That was the fun part about being 95.

I can't really do better than my best.  My best changes every day.  What really matters is that we're taken care of and that my family feels loved.  And I can do that!

I had motivation to read Better Homes and Gardens though

First things first:  Thanks Brenda!  (Another very loyal follower)

Second things next.  I can't shake this feeling of being very overwhelmed.  I'm working a little more right now, getting ready for the Weight Watchers launch of the new program.  We're going to an SCA event this weekend in which my husband is getting squired (like, to a knight).  We've been sick so I'm doing a lot of laundry, trying to keep bugs at bay. 

So every day I clean up the kitchen, mess up the kitchen, pick up toys ten million times and don't make it to whatever other project I had in mind, which is mostly, simplifying and organizing and GETTING RID OF BOXES AND PAPER and folding clothes so I no longer feel like I am NEVER DONE.  Oh and not neglecting my daughter.  She watches way too much TV already.  Okay and I am never done but still. 

I have reached a point where all I want to do is sit and read Harry Potter and not think about the dishes. 

One accomplishment: I have moved all - or almost all - of Miriam's toys into her room.  At least they aren't all out in my living room.  Her room may be a mess, but out here still looks clean-ish.  I'm hoping that this will at least help me keep my head on through the holidays.  That is all I need.  My head on.

So, back to work tonight.  And then maybe I'll think about the hotel for tomorrow night.  MAYBE, because I don't really want to.  And it just occurred to me I never really finished the clothes I was working on the SCA... yeah, I don't think I'll be doing that either.

Any words of motivation?

Potty training update LATER :)

The Things I Won't Share on Facebook

Ahh facebook.  The great connection medium.  Currently, I find myself with over 200 facebook "friends"  I think I see posts from about 30 of them.  Just a guess.  I've often times found myself addicted to the status updates.  A way to document my every thought and emotion!  An outlet!  Then again, with over 200 "friends" I've often got to thinking....I really don't want so and so to know about that.  Easy enough to block one person right?  But when I don't want a big GROUP of people to know and share their own "wisdom" on what I am about to say, that is a whole other story.

Here, on my blog, however I'm down to what? one dedicated reader (Thanks Mrs. Martyn!) and feel a little safer expressing my views/other occurrences in our lives without undesirable judgement.  HERE I'm a lot less likely to run into the friend who thinks Miriam was potty trained 6 months ago, where did she get that idea?? the unwanted opinions.

What you thought this was a post about Facebook?  Nah, this is a post about POTTY TRAINING.

The truth is I dabbled in potty training about a year ago, trying to see if Miriam was "ready"  She was really great about sitting on the potty when we asked, but she would just play and didn't seem to have any idea what the physical cues were that "hey, I need to go to the bathroom."  So, when Daddy left on his deployment I decided not to press the issue.  I kind-of...maybe...let the whole thing go.  I can handle diapers and besides, it's a big change.

Now that we are back into potty training again, I'm wondering if that was the right decision.  Like, maybe I should have buckled down (silly lazy me )and just DONE IT while he was gone.  Or, at least, kept putting her on the potty a few times a day.  About 4 months ago, Miriam started exhibiting some signs that she was mentally aware of her potty "urges", she'd tell me that she went to the bathroom and occasionally ask to sit on the toilet.  Why didn't I seize the opportunity?  Oh, only because we were traveling like maniacs, and daddy was coming home in a month and then we were going to travel like maniacs AGAIN.  All valid.

So here I am.  We were sick for the last month, so potty training again took a back shelf.  As we eased back into it this time, I discovered - not a happy, compliant 2 year old, but a resistant 3 year old.  Who wanted to wear her WHITE DIAPER.  Don't give me that pretty pink Pull Up!  Change my diaper!  I'm gonna make you do it!  I stuck to my guns and hid the white ones for nighttime use only.  So pink "diapers" are now okay with her.  And today, we are wearing no diapers at all.  We have instituted the use of treats, and am now contemplated stickers.  It's been a while since I read stuff about potty training alright?  I guess it's time to pick it up again.  Because we haven't actually GONE in the potty yet.  Not since that one or two times one year ago.    Awesome. 

The truth.  I feel much better now.  And besides, I can't say all that on a Facebook status update.

Back in the Blogosphere

For the last two months I completely dropped off the blogosphere.  Most post ideas went as fast as they came and the truth was, I was just VERY BUSY.

In early September my husband returned from Afganistan.  We kept very busy with eachother, with recreational activities (getting ready for recreational activities = one full week of sewing period clothing) and finally a big trip out west. 

It was wonderful and we drove a LOT.  But we saw Grandma's and Grandpa's (aka parents) and cousins and friends.  We climbed to the top of Multnomah Falls and went climbing at an indoor Rock Wall with my former boss.  Laser Tag for our friends birthday and a train ride to North Dakota for my Great Grandma's birthday.  All awesome.

At home one or the other of us has been sick since mid October.  I haven't felt like doing ANYTHING.  Still, as long as I recover this week, we'll be past it now.

At church I got called into Young Womens.  I am a Laurel Advisor (in other words I teach 16-18 year olds 3 Sundays a month).  I've only done one lesson, but I really enjoyed it!  I really like them!  Today's lesson was not by me, but was about Gratitude.  I am very grateful for young womens, my family, my health and my home.  And that is really just the beginning!

We celebrated my little girls birthday this weekend!  I can't believe that our baby is 3 years old!  She is amazing and fun.  She learns quickly, she is stubborn and she likes things just so.  She loves to play and she is creative.  She amazes us every single day!