HELP ME!!!!!

THIS IS ME!!! Pretty pathetic, eh?! On a day that I happen to clean, my kids come in and without fail "It's clean!! Thanks Mom!!" Shouldn't that be enough? Shouldn't that be all the motivation I need to get it clean every day? Because I sure love it when they love it. "A clean home is a happy home." Hello?!! I so believe that. At least it helps....A LOT!

So, help me please. I HATE cleaning and I'm beginning to think the cleaning bug is never going to hit me. My mom, sister, and brother all have it. I remember my dad having it. My grandma's have it. Where did I go wrong? Why didn't I get that gene? Does anyone have the secret to getting it? Oh how I want it, it's just not happening.

Suggestions? PLEASE!!!!! (or the money to pay someone else to do it.) :)

I tend to get angry too quickly....with my family. It's not good and I don't like it. This came through on "daily gems" a couple days ago and I couldn't delete it. Every time I get on my email, I can't help but read it again. So I printed it out large and I'll put it in my room. (The place I try to go often to cool off.) Wouldn't it be so nice if it was so much easier to be better.

"To be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry. I testify that such is possible."

Thomas S. Monson

I HEART Valentines!!!

I've decided I LOVE the holiday, Valentine's. I forget about my love of it throughout the year until it shows up again. Then I remember how much I LOVE it.

I love that it gives us extra motivation to love each other and do secret little things for each other to show our love for each other. I love 'heart attacking' my husband and children. I love to celebrate LOVE.

Last night Thomas asked if he could prepare our Family Home Evening lesson for tonight. So he got out the friend, got a paper and pencil and got to work all on his own. When he was done, he brought it to me to show me. He had the songs listed and the prayers and who would be giving them. He found a story he wanted to read and talk to us about and wrote that down too. Then he wrote "activity" and wrote down that everyone would be given hearts to write things they love about each other on. I asked him where he came up with that and he said "I just thought of it. That's what we do in February." I was so happy that through all my years of doing this, that he has remembered and it hopefully has meant something. It makes doing these things so much more fun and worth it when I know the kids remember and they like it. And how fun for it to be spear headed by one of the kids.

So, here's to sugar cookies with cute sprinkles (that I bought a month ago and have been sitting and waiting for the season to arrive to use them.) :) Here's to "heart attacks" and secret acts of kindness and love. Here's to celebrating those I love and vowing to treat them better...always.
And to my sweetheart. Oh how I love him. How lucky I am to have HIM to LOVE. And oh do I ever feel so loved by him.

Watch this. It will help with the spirit of loving and giving service.

Happy Valentine's.

Courage to BE.....

I felt like 2009 went well. There were ups and downs but nothing major enough to consider it a 'bad' or 'hard' year. And this is what scares me.
I have read several facebook postings and blog posts that say "good riddance 2009", etc. etc. It puts a little fear in me for 2010. I am one to think that if I don't have such and such trials, etc. then it must be because something really bad is coming....like losing a child. That's my #1 fear. Satan knows how to get to me and one of those ways is to put a little fear in me for the future. I need to learn to not let that fear get to me.
I am in Young Women's and little John will be in Young Men's in a little over 2 weeks. The theme this year is "Be strong and of good courage....." We are focusing on 'courage' and the temple this year in Young Women's which naturally makes me focus on it in my life. So as a family we have decided to focus on "Courage" and the word "BE" this year. Be what? Be whatever it is I or we need to BE at the moment. And have the courage to BE. We discussed this on New Year's Eve and our children are already using it daily. It's been cute and fun to listen to what they say with "Be....." Yesterday little John said to Emily...."BE" We asked him be what? and he said, "Just BE.... Emily". I love that it has become a common phrase in our home already and hopefully continues.
So whether it's "BE.....happy, kind, clean, organized, fun, loving, compassionate, strong, silly, quiet, of good courage, my best, etc. etc. etc." What's most important is that we BE better and try harder. I'm too tired to think about all the resolutions I need to make and I figure if I keep this in mind, as things come up in my life, whatever it is I need to BE will change, but if I keep it in mind continually maybe I'll succeed in my new years resolution.
So as a family and for myself...."BE....", "Courage", and the primary song "Kindness Begins with Me" is our and my focus. Whatever it is I need to do make these work is my resolution. And we won't forget the temple. As much as we are focusing on it in Young Women's, we will also be focusing on it in our family. The temple is our goal and our kids need to make it theirs right now. If we are worthy to enter the temple, we are doing well. (even though there is always room for improvement.)
Oh Yeah....I also want to have a daily schedule and follow it better......like when I do laundry, clean the bathrooms, etc. etc. etc. and get up earlier or find the time sometime in my day to have time to myself to do the things for ME that are most important and will make MY day go better. (You know....those basics that are so easy to forget or skip over. The answers to every question at church....scriptures, pray, Jesus. :) I think if I know what to expect and the kids know what to expect, things might go a little more smooth around here. Any tips for me????
Cheers to 2010!!!!

Today I taught a lesson to the Mia Maids on Worthy Thoughts.
It was focused on how our thoughts control everything. They control our actions and anytime fear, frustration, confusion, unworthy thoughts, etc. come to mind, immediately replace them with a hymn or primary song.
I completely believe this because I have used it many times. Thomas feels fear at night often. Emily use to. We are continually telling them to sing primary songs in their mind. One time I saw a picture of something sacreligious Big Love was putting on their show. Right when I saw this, a horrible horrible feeling overcame me. It was so weird. I was in bed and John was right next to me but I felt so much fear. I immediately got up and turned on Jake White's Sunday CD. I focused on that and the feelings quickly left.
Today as I was preparing my lesson on worthy thoughts, something trivial happened. I was mad and ornery and stomping around soooo bugged. John, in jest, said to me "sing a primary song". So I went straight to the CD player in the kitchen and turned on the Primary Program songs CD. It wasn't until later when I thought back on the moment that I realized I instantly forgot the whole situation and even later completely had a change of heart about the situation. All because music does something. It is like magic. Good music is uplifting and wonderful and feels good. Just as other kinds of music can bring you down and be hurtful to yourself and others.
I shared this with the girls today along with the story about John's grandma that John's dad shared with me when I was scared to death to be the primary chorister.
The story is: John's grandma lost most of her memory. She didn't know who her children were when they came or even that they came. But if you started singing a song, she would sing anything with you and knew every word. Music really is magic. It does something to our minds.....to our souls. When I shared this, the girls shared an experience they had about a lady who was in an accident and could not speak, at all. But she could sing. She had to write everything she wanted to say but she could sing songs.
So...our thoughts control our actions. Stop the bad thoughts before they become worse. The song that pops into my head when needed, most often is "My Heavenly Father Loves Me" and "Army of Helaman". Give it a try!!!