An awesome day...

Today was an awesome day.

Nathan got to school on time with a packed lunch.

Andrew got to school on time with semi-combed hair.

I made it to the library with Maggie and we played puzzles, read some books and even beat our record of being "shushed". Because I can TOTALLY keep my almost two year old quiet while doing puzzles. ;) I did however check out a Spanish work book...Time to pursue some dreams! (Mostly we REALLY had to go to the library because we were accruing fines for being so tardy on returning some *ahem...16* books...And I still missed 2 I left at home!)

I picked up Nate from school on time.

We took Eddie to his campus.

Made it back almost in time to pick up Drew...thank goodness for Amy who saved our behind. The bus waits for no one. I'm just grateful I have friends who are on time and are willing to save my hide. ;)

I packed a stellar dinner meal for my children because Eddie and I both had to be at mutual tonight. Nothing says nutritious like pretzels, string cheese and craisins. (Which they didn't really eat a whole lot of because they were too busy running around in the gym.) Now do you see why it was such a noteworthy item that Nate made it to school today with a lunch? I haven't gone grocery shopping in almost 2 weeks.

I did however, get to teach the young women how to apply make-up and share this quote from President James E. Faust's talk entitled, "Womanhood: The Highest Place of Honor":

"In 1916 the challenges of life involved an entirely different focus, such as killing flies, clearing sagebrush, and learning to harness horses. Today such physical needs are met much more easily: flipping on a switch to control the light, adjusting the thermostat for heat and for cold. Modern conveniences grant us more free time to focus on spiritual needs and devote more time to personal service.

In the movie My Fair Lady, Professor Higgins poses the question, “Why can’t a woman be more like a man?” What a terrible mistake that would be. The opportunities for you young sisters in today’s world are endless.

I wonder if you sisters fully understand the greatness of your gifts and talents and how all of you can achieve the “highest place of honor” in the Church and in the world. One of your unique, precious, and sublime gifts is your femininity, with its natural grace, goodness, and divinity. Femininity is not just lipstick, stylish hairdos, and trendy clothes. It is the divine adornment of humanity. It finds expression in your qualities of your capacity to love, your spirituality, delicacy, radiance, sensitivity, creativity, charm, graciousness, gentleness, dignity, and quiet strength. It is manifest differently in each girl or woman, but each of you possesses it. Femininity is part of your inner beauty.

One of your particular gifts is your feminine intuition. Do not limit yourselves. As you seek to know the will of our Heavenly Father in your life and become more spiritual, you will be far more attractive, even irresistible. You can use your smiling loveliness to bless those you love and all you meet, and spread great joy. Femininity is part of the God-given divinity within each of you. It is your incomparable power and influence to do good. You can, through your supernal gifts, bless the lives of children, women, and men. Be proud of your womanhood. Enhance it. Use it to serve others."

It felt good to do service tonight and serve the amazing youth in our ward. I came away feeling enriched and edified.

I got home before Eddie and tucked the wee little ones to bed.

Note to self:
Tracy, tomorrow you MUST spend more time with Drew. When he asks, "Mom can you play (fill in the blank) with me?" SAY YES!!!! While you put him to bed tonight he gently and lovingly called out from the bed while you were shutting the door, "Mom, will you play with me tomorrow? I mean when you're done?" So sad...

Then joy of joys, Eddie got home so I could go play co-ed volleyball at the church. He stayed home to study for his test and I got to be an athlete for the night.

See, an amazingly awesome day right? (Minus the letting Drew down because I was too busy "doing something else" thing)

An honest attempt

Well...I gave it an honest attempt, but I find myself needing to re-dedicate myself to some goals I have/had. I have learned a great lesson from my husband: it's never the wrong time to re-dedicate and you can never do it too much. He helps encourage me and lift me up when I need it most. So with that, I have some goals...

I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of being sick all the time. I'm tired of being overweight and battling my image issues. I'm tired of not having a clean house and folded laundry. I'm tired of yelling at my children. I'm tired of dropping off/picking up children from school. I'm tired of setting goals and not doing anything about them. I'm tired of having dreams and not doing anything to persue them. I'm tired.

And so, I've decided I'm not going to be tired anymore. I've made up my mind. I feel great. I feel wonderful and alert and energetic and on those rare ;) days that I don't, I will fake it till I make it. I'm almost 30 (yikes!) and I'm not the person I want to be or feel like the Lord needs me to be. I have so much to be grateful for and so much good that has been given me. I truly feel inspired by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's recent address to the women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and from the recent Sunday School lesson I gave last Sunday. Life is a journey, and it's long and hard. Each of us come to Earth and face hardships, trials, heartaches and lonely times...but each of us have also been given our agency to choose peace, happiness and joy in our journies. I want to be this woman...the woman who chooses to find "joy in the journey".

I have written my goals down on paper but I want my children and my children's children, etc. to know that I have faith my weaknesses can become strengths as I turn to the Lord and allow Him to change me. Some of my goals have not changed all that much over the years, but I'd like to think I've learned some lessons with my challenges and I'm ready to hand them off now. If it's not the right time to have them removed from me, then I will press on like the prophet Paul and will continue forward with my own "thornes of the flesh" and will dig deep for the humility and faith required to find comfort and peace.

For posterity, some of my immediate goals are:
1. Spend 30 minds each day moving and shaking...either exercise, dance parties with the kids, mopping the kitchen floor (definitely a workout!), etc.

2. Take time out of my day to have quiet time with each of my children...reading, homework, talking, jumping on the tramp, etc.

3. Stay on top of the dishes...Seriously, I'm not ready to tackle the laundry beast yet...baby steps!

Some of my life-long goals:

1. Start and end each day in prayer ON MY KNEES! Kind of rediculous that this isn't already a life-long habit already formed, but it will be. IT WILL BE! I know how much it makes a difference in my life when I do.

2. Learn another language...It's easier for me to understand Spanish than it is Portequese, but I want to be able to serve a foreign mission with my husband but that probably won't happen if I can't speak another language.

I have much more listed in my notebook, but my children have just returned home and it's time to be mom.