The One Where I have Nothing to Say

I thought I would come do a quick blog post...logged on to my computer...got to my blog...signed in...and now I'm staring at the screen, trying to find something witty, intelligent, worthwhile, entertaining, or interesting to say.

I don't. Nothing. Nothing comes to mind. LOL

So instead, I'll tell you that both girls got their report cards yesterday and did great -- straight As for both of them. We're so proud of them. They both excel in school and are wonderful students.

DH's basketball team has won their first three games. That's always a good thing! He only has one game this weekend (last weekend he had three), and that's a good thing, too.

I've managed to clean out another kitchen cabinet this week, and make some minor inroads on cleaning out my closet. I find myself going through the house, looking for things I can set aside for friends, donate to Goodwill or other charities, or throw away. I feel almost a very compelling need to bring order to our home -- and that means some serious decluttering, getting rid of things, and deciding what we really want our home to be. I want it to be warm, inviting, peaceful, and a real retreat from the world. We have a long way to go, but I'm glad I have even felt like doing this -- it's something I have actively resisted in the past. I won't say I enjoy it, but there is something satisfying about seeing the end result. Speaking of which, the girls' rooms have stayed clean all week and they've even remembered (with only some reminding) to straighten their beds every morning.

Another small success is that we have had family scripture study every night this week. I have also felt a need to do this and make it part of our routine -- not a compelling need, but an urgent need. I don't understand it, but I know that it is very, very important and we have got to do this. I hope Heavenly Father isn't trying to prepare me for a massive trial...we don't need that! But I've noticed that the girls have gotten along better this week and there has been more peace in our home. That's a very good thing.

Hmmmmm...maybe I did have something to say, after all!

10:46 p.m., and Public Service Announcement

I have started referring to 10:46 pm as "the witching hour." For some strange reason, I end up awake, looking at the clock, at 10:46 p.m. every night. It's been going on for months. If I'm asleep, I wake up and look at the clock. If I'm awake, I manage to roll over and look at the clock. 10:46 p.m. Every single night.

It's getting old. I can't figure out why this is happening!!

Along other lines...a public service announcement.

One of my dear friends has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery yesterday and it went well. I will not go into further details because I do not want to invade her privacy.

What I do want to do, and feel very strongly about today, is to encourage all of you to do your monthly self-exams. If you're supposed to be getting mammograms, get them. Now. Don't put it off. If you haven't seen your doctor in a while, make an appointment. Just do it. Your life and your health is too precious to gamble with...particularly when early detection is so crucial.

Do it for yourself, or your children, or your family, or your friends...but please, do it.

Day 6 of the New Year...

And I'm already not doing well with my resolutions for this year! LOL We did make more progress on cleaning and organizing...I sorted my sweaters and am getting rid of a bunch of those, took a carload of stuff to Goodwill, and finished B's bedroom yesterday. It looks great. Both girls' bedrooms look great...now the challenge is to keep them that way. I need to decide what room will be next in my yearlong endeavor to conquer clutter.

We switch to the 1 p.m. schedule at church today. YEA! We all slept in this morning and it's so peaceful in our house right now with everyone able to take their time getting ready. I really prefer afternoon church.

M's basketball teams won their games this weekend, which is always a good thing.

I went back to work Friday after being off for 2 weeks. I usually dread going back to work after being off for a while, but I think that's because I don't usually feel rested and refreshed after my time off. I can't remember the last time I took 2 weeks off to just stay in town and hang out (usually if I take that much time off it's to go visit family). It was nice to feel like I was ready to go back. I enjoyed my time off but felt ready to get back to our (crazy) daily routines and schedules. Work is going to be really hectic for the next several months so I'll have to take advantage of any opportunity I get to take time off.

We received a Christmas card from the family of one of my former (and favorite) piano students. I love staying in touch with friends. They wrote such a sweet personal note in the card about Joanna still playing the piano (she's the pianist at church) and how she has overcome her nervousness at playing in public. It really made me feel good...for one of my many students, maybe I really made a difference and taught her something she can use and enjoy throughout her entire life. That's what I want my daughters to learn about music -- that it is something you can love and enjoy and continue doing (and learning) throughout your entire life.

Where Did it All Come From?

Over the last two days the girls and I have been cleaning their bedrooms. I cannot believe how much stuff was in those rooms and how much we are getting rid of. Yesterday A and I filled 4 trash bags (kitchen size bags), plus a pile of stuff for Goodwill, and another pile of clothes and things for friends whose kids will fit in those clothes. Today she finished up cleaning and organizing her desk and dresser and generated even more trash. We hung up some accent items in her room and rearranged the furniture. It looks so nice in there!

Today B and I have worked in her room. Again, mountains of trash. I can't believe how much! Another pile of things for Goodwill and for friends, and a stack of games for our nephew N. It feels good to be able to give things to people who will use them. I enjoy doing that. We have so much stuff and it makes me feel good when other people are able to benefit from it.

My friend Jamie made a good suggestion at lunch today -- if the girls spend 10 minutes each night picking up their bedrooms, the rooms will stay looking nice. I want to try to implement a bedtime routine that includes that and family scripture study, as well as picking up the living room quickly. It's amazing how fast the house falls apart when it isn't attended to on a regular basis. I've never been good at things like that, but I find that lately I don't like being in the house when it's messy, but it feels comfortable and good when it's picked up and neat. We haven't been really good about giving the girls regular chores and responsibilities around the house and they are most definitely old enough to help out more than they do. They won't like it, but if we are going to have any chance at conquering the clutter, the girls will have to help.

We'll see how it goes....

Happy New Year!

I had such big plans for blogging over the holidays...I was going to capture our daily activities, complete with pictures. And it didn't happen. Oh well...I have some pictures...but was too busy having fun with my family and managing daily life to blog.

I hope you all had a fun and safe New Year's Eve. When spent it with a few friends/families from church, having a game night. It was fun. I love playing board games. I made sweet and sour meatballs and 7-layer Mexican dip, both of which were well-received. Both girls managed to stay awake until midnight, although by 11 p.m. B was definitely wearing out. She fell asleep in the car on the way home and slept in a bit this morning.

And now it's 2008. I thought about posting something eloquent, philosophical, and poetic for you...but that's not gonna happen! LOL

So let me just say that I am looking forward to 2008 being a wonderful year. 2007 was a "growth year" for me and I'd really rather not have another one of those any time soon. Lots of growing pains in my life last year (sounds so strange to call yesterday "last year")...I probably just jinxed myself, didn't I? I should know better.

2008 promises to be busy, but every year is like that. Hopefully the chaos will be manageable.

I hope 2008 is a wonderful year for all of you!

Merry Christmas!

I've had every intention of blogging every day for the last week...things just seem to get in the way! But today is Christmas and I really wanted to wish everyone (that would be all 5 people who read this blog, LOL!) a Merry Christmas!

My sister M and her DH are here visiting and we've had so much fun together. I'm sad that her visit is so short, but it has been wonderful to have her here. I'm enjoying some time off work and sleeping in (except this morning) has been great.

The ward choir sang on Sunday, despite 90% of the choir members being sick with various colds, sinus problems, etc. It was truly a Christmas miracle that most of the choir members were able to sing...one brother in particular was hardly able to speak before we started singing, but he sang beautifully and perfectly...right after Sacrament Meeting was over his voice started to go away again. I love music, and especially Christmas music. I enjoy being part of it.

We celebrated our traditional Christmas Eve last night...A and B put on a fun show filled with piano performances, two dances they choreographed themselves ("Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" will now be a perennial favorite), a story reading (story written by B and her uncle B), and of course the reading of the Christmas Story from the Bible. We were able to engage in some service activities that we enjoyed and had a huge Christmas dinner. Last minute errands and shopping throughout the day, of course, but it was really fabulous. Got to bed too late and got up too early...

The girls woke up bright and early to see what Santa brought. My parents and sister M and her DH came over for the opening of the gifts. Santa was very good to all of us, as usual. I'm looking forward to trying out my new Cricut and my new car stereo. We've spent the day with family, playing new games and watching new movies.

But it wouldn't be Christmas without an adventure of some sort...for us, it was locking ourselves out of our house this morning! ROTFLOL Yes, we really did. After we finished opening gifts at our house we decided to go to my parents' house for them to open gifts. Went out the front door and I didn't take my keys. DH doesn't have a house key right now (it got lost) and all of the doors were locked. DH had to break into our house. It really wasn't funny at the time, but it is now.

All in all, a completely wonderful Christmas. I'm excited to see what the new year holds for all of us.

I hope you have all enjoyed a merry Christmas, filled with fun and love and surrounded by family and friends!

All I Want for Christmas...

I'm a simple girl, really, with simple desires. For example, allow me to share my Christmas wish list:

1. Stockings (nylons, pantyhose, etc.) that don't run the first time I wear them, and that come in colors that at least somewhat resemble my actual skin tone. I really don't want my legs to scream, "Why, yes, I did use an exorbitant amount of cheap, expired self-tanning lotion last night!", nor do I want people to have to cover their eyes because of the glare coming off of my alabaster white legs. Surely the same scientists who invented that paper thin heat covering on the space shuttle could come up with something?

2. A self-cleaning house. If the house gets dirty by itself (because we all know that "not me" never makes a mess, so it must be the house messing up itself), then it should be able to clean itself. It's only logical.

3. Full-service gas stations that don't charge more than self-service. Oh wait, I haven't ever even seen a full-service gas station where I live! We had them in Anchorage, and it was wonderful in the winter or when you had your kids in the car. But, if we can't have full-service gas stations at the same price as self-service, could we at least have gas that doesn't stain everything and doesn't smell? That really isn't asking much.

4. Uniform clothing sizes for women and children. Men have it so easy!

See, that's not much, really! It's not like I asked for world peace (or is that whirled peas?)!