Life As I Know It

don't let comparison steal your joy

Saw this on Pinterest the other day.  It really struck a chord with me. 

How often in our lives do we compare ourselves to others and come away from the experience feeling a bit deflated?

Let us not magnify our flaws, but celebrate our strengths!

 

Source: elembee.com via Chris on Pinterest

back to school preview

The boys are out of town for the weekend.  They are fishing up in Utah.  Since we had nothing better to do this afternoon, the girls and I threw together an impromptu "back to school" fashion shoot.  The girls picked out 3 outfits each and we just walked out the front door to see what we could come up with.  I wasn't expecting that much, but was surprised at what we did get. 

Here's a snippet of what we got . . .

 

More images from the afternoon and more posts to come . . .

you is kind. you is smart. you is important.

So last night I had the opportunity to finally go see the movie "The Help" with a bunch of women from my ward.  The script was well written, the casting was well done, and I really felt the gamut of emotions as I had when I read the pages of the book.  (By the way if you haven't read the book, you should.)

As I lay in bed for hours trying to fall asleep last night (which is unfortunately, becoming a serial thing as of late), I kept thinking about a part of the movie that really struck a chord with me.  There were many parts of the movie that hit me but this one thing in particular was on the forefront of my mind.  In fact, I confess I cried for a little bit because I was THAT emotionally affected by it.

Let me explain.  Abilene is one of the main characters in the story.  She is a maid for one of the Jackson, Mississippi families.  Part of her duties beyond the cleaning and caretaking of her employer's home is the raising and caretaking of a little girl named Mae Mobley.  Abilene has worked as a maid for several families through the years and has raised many children that she loved and cared for as if they were her own. 

The one thing that she has taught each and every one of these children she has raised is that despite what may happen to them in life, they should always remember that they are kind, they are smart, and that they are important.  Life is not always easy.  It is often filled with much adversity and people will not always be kind.  Life is filled with many challenges and when you face these challenges, you will always not meet with success.  Sometimes there will be failure.  Sometimes in life, you can be faced with much criticism, not everyone will like you, you may be judged, or even people will try to tear you down for their own benefit.

However, despite all this, even if we had done wrong, or made a mistake or failed, or even felt so badly about ourselves, it does not change how much we are worth.  It does not change that we are each a daughter or son of Heavenly Father.  We are each worth much in the sight of God.  "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."

So why did this particular exchange of words between Abilene and Mae Mobley affect me?

I confess I don't always do a good job at remembering who I am.  In fact, I sometimes flat out forget and my sense of individual worth is lacking.

And then what happens?  Little things get to me.  And I let unkind things bother me.  Like being judged. Like being criticized.  Like being excluded. 

And I stop wanting to go to things or be around other people.  

I confess I have been to one Enrichment this year.  And I really struggle with wanting to be at church.  Or going to get-togethers. And I don't feel like I have anyone to talk to whether it be about good things or bad. All because I am choosing to let the negative things (although there seem to be a lot lately) impact me.  I forget who I am.  I start to believe I am not worth much, I feel like I do not belong anywhere.  And I beat myself up inside.

I am good at what can be termed "putting your game-face on".  I smile.  I make small conversation when in public.  I give 110% to my calling.  I am a good listener.  I rarely say no when asked a favor.  I give my best to my clients.  I do my best to support and encourage or help others.

However, I think what kind of an example am I setting for my kids if in public I do one thing while in private they see mom feeling bad about herself?  I try to encourage and teach my kids to do their best; to keep their chins up when met with struggles or adversity.  I encourage them to follow through, not to quit, not to give up.  I teach them to shrug off the bad things.

But what kind of mother am I for observing the practice of "Do as I say, not as I do?"

I need to not forget.  I need to remember that I am kind.  That I am smart.  That I am important. 

And even when I lack support or courage, I can stand on my own.  And when I falter, Heavenly Father will pick me up if I only ask.

That is the example I should be setting.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said "The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we are in life."

Forgetting who I am is not the reaction I should have.

And I must needs practice what I preach.  Just as I tell my children to shrug off unkind words, learn from your mistakes, grow and become better in light of criticism, let it be and move on, surround yourself with good friends, and above all believe in yourself, I must do the same.

I am kind.  I am smart.  I am important.

Go hike. Go fish.

On that same Tuesday that the girls embarked on our Girls' Camp adventure, the boys also ventured forth for a bit of fun of their own.  Ryan had originally taken the week off for Girls' Camp to go with me and the girls, but since he was not really needed, he decided to use the time to hang with Zack. 

The boys woke up a little later, watched a soccer match, and then headed out on the open road.  They went up to Cove Fort in Southern Utah where my inlaws are serving a mission.  SInce my inlaws were getting off their shift and the next day day was their P day, Ryan and Zack met up with them for dinner and then headed up the mountain for a little bit of fishing.   They went fishing on the same mountain where Girls' Camp was, so they headed up to camp to say hello to the girls.

The majority of the week was spent fishing up at Puffer Lake.  The record set for the week was 6 fish in 45 minutes.

When you fish, the rule is "you catch them, you clean them", so Zack was taught by his dad and Grandpa the proper way to gut and clean his fish . . .

 

 

 

When not fishing, the boys went hiking.  Grandma and Grandpa took them to Fremont Indian State Park.

 

They hiked up to the 100 Hands Cave.  Indians would leave imprints of their hands by pressing them in paint and then pressing them onto the edge of the cave.

Once in the cave, they counted visible hands and were only able to see 31.

Zack had a great time hiking and fishing and visiting with his grandparents.  I also think he left quite the impression on the other missionaries at Cove Fort.

The girls were reunited with the boys on Friday evening and our family was back together.  The next morning we had jumped in the car and trekked it up to Salt Lake to visit Aunt Jackie and family and embark on more travel adventures.

 

 

 

caught up at the zoo

My Zoo Life Blog is finally all caught up.  The last couple of years I have tried to do Project 365 and I always seem to fizzle out around summer time and then school starts and well, I end up throwing in the towel and not finishing it.  I started again for a 3rd time with 2011 and thankfully I am up to date and still going strong.  So thankful for the cell phone.  If it weren't for the cell phone pics, this year would probably be a bust too.  Not sure how some folks take the thoughtfully planned out, artistic-type photos everyday with an SLR and fancy editing.  When do they have the time?  And how do you live life and relish it when you are always behind the camera taking pictures of it?  Many of the pictures are crappy quality but I don't care.  It's life caught.  As much as we got going on and despite having the calendar filled, our life is far from thoughtfully planned out and it is far from artistic!  Sometimes it is downright messy and there are days where #$% happens, but it is our life and with this little project, it is somewhat documented.  It is documented so we can look back and smile, or laugh our butts off, or take pause and remember how much a day may have sucked, or just plain remember.

the "u" is not just a letter and neither is the letter "y" - our utah adventures pt.1

Following the testimony meeting on Friday at Girls' Camp, Ryan drove up the mountain to retrieve my Yukon which was left up there and my girls.  I was so ready to have our whole family back together again. I was a bit nervous with him driving up there to go get my girls as there was a bad rainstorm that evening.

The rain was coming down in torrents as they drove down the mountain and they did not get in until really late.  A shout out to my in-laws for putting us all up for the night.  They are currently serving a mission at Cove Fort and their home abode is presently a 5th wheel trailer.  It is small quarters with just the two of them.  Imagine now adding the 6 of us.  There were bodies literally everywhere.

Since they got back late, we had a really slow start that morning with getting up and showered and packed and back on the road to Salt Lake.  Once we got on the road though, the girls were given to silly antics to pass the time.

We pulled into my SIL's driveway in Sandy a little bit after 3.  We got our stuff unpacked and visited for a bit and then went on an "emergency" shopping trip as my son tore a hole through his sneakers on one of his fishing excursions the day before, and "sort of" forgot his church clothes.  After shopping, we met up with everyone at this soup and sandwich place for dinner (the name is escaping me).  After dinner, Jackie and her family went home and the 6 of us headed over to Rio Tinto Stadium just up the street to catch the match between Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas.

We had pretty decent seats and could see all the action well.  We were also seated amongst die-hard Real fans.

  My kids really like Kyle Beckerman.  He is the dude with the dreads.  He is an excellent midfielder and recently became part of the USA national team. 

The Real fans are real die-hards.  Every time the Dallas goalie did a goal kick, the whole crowd would yell "you suck".  I thought that was kind of in poor taste.  When we attended the Mexico vs Venezuela game earlier this year, the crowd would yell "fútbol".   During the game, they would pass a huge banner around the stadium.  They also have a section where the "passionate" fans sit and chant, sing, and bang on drums the whole entire game.

Real Salt Lake is known for their excellent game play when at home.  They shut out FC Dallas 2-0 and pretty much dominated the game with possession and shots on goal.

As we were leaving the stadium that evening, we were met with a beautiful sunset.

When we got back to Jeff and Jackie's, we all watched the new Robin Hood movie with Russell Crowe and then hit the hay.

The next morning, Ryan left early to drive back home to Vegas as he had to be back at work bright and early Monday morning.  The kids and I were staying until the middle of the week and so we got up and got ready to go to church at their ward.

It is often said that the Church is the same no matter what ward you attend.  You can say that.  There are dry council Sundays everywhere. Ha ha.  Since my SIL is in YW, my 3 girls and I went to YW with her.  It was a bit different.  I've never had a "linger before" where you have a bit of a breakfast buffet and a bit of socializing.  It's usually a "linger longer".

After church, it was 2-ish, so we had a late lunch and my nieces crashed for a nap and we sort of lazed around for the afternoon.  After naps, we all hopped in the car and trekked across the valley to the Kennecott Copper Mine.  Jackie had never been and neither have we and tours were free so we decided "why not"?  It rained the whole way there.  Once we go there, you parked your car and hopped on a tour bus and the bus drove you up the hill to the mine.

We got to the Visitor Center and the observation area and the first thing the kids say is "Dang, that's a big hole!"  We learned that it is the world's largest excavation and open pit copper mine in the world.  We learned that it is 2 1/2 miles wide and 3/4 of a mile deep and hauls out 450,000 tons of rock and ore a day.

From where we were up top, those trucks looked like little play Tonka trucks.  We learned that they were actually as tall as a 3-story building.

Here we are standing in front of one of the tires from the trucks.

 

"Aaaah!!  Don't run me over!"

Here is Zack with cousin Anna.  Anna thought Zack was pretty cool beans and was following him around everywhere.

Some interesting stuff made with minerals harvested from the mine.  After we walked through the visitor's center, we hopped back on the bus and headed down the mountain.  We hopped in the car and trekked over to Harriman to go see a "special" house.

A local homebuilder in the area built a replica of the "Up" house from the Pixar film for the Utah Parade of Homes.  It was not open to go inside because it wasn't quite finished yet, but it was just like the movie. 

The kids sitting on the porch.  After we left the "Up" house, we headed home for dinner.  Jackie had made Baked Ziti and had served it up with some Brazilian Limeade.  My kids loved it and couldn't get enough.  They have been begging me to make it ever since we got home.  I guess I should get to that sometime along with blogging the rest of our adventures.  Meanwhile, I will share the recipe here with you  . . .

Brazilian Limeade

2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 T. sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
ice

1. Wash limes.  Add them to your blender along with the water. Liquify.  Strain the rinds, pulp, and other bits with a fine mesh strainer.

2. Dump the strained liquid back in the blender along with the ice, sugar, and condensed milk.  I confess I added a bit more condensed milk when we made a 2nd batch.  It gave the drink a creamier texture.

3. Serve in chilled glasses and enjoy!

 

hello mother hello father greetings from camp, one of the best girls' camps evah.

Please note: This is a lengthy post.  Why wouldn't it be?  We had a lot of fun a camp.  If you want to see the rest of the pictures and hear about the rest of our adventures past day 1, make sure you click the link at the bottom of Day 1.

This year for Girls' Camp was ward camp.  Every 4 years the wards get to choose what they do for camp and so this year they chose to go to Beaver High Adventure Base.  I am not in Young Women's at the moment nor am I camp director or anything but I had 3 girls going, I love outdoor adventure, I dig Girls' Camp, and they needed help with transportation so I volunteered.

Day 1

Girls' Camp got off to a slightly rocky start.  It was a bit chaotic that morning as I only slept for maybe 15 minutes the night before.  I made a run to the airport to drop my BIL off at 5am and then raced home to get things going.  I confess part of the chaotic start was partly my fault as I had it in my head that everyone was meeting at my house at 6:30.  Turns out it was 6am.  Oops.

We also a bit of an issue with the trailer but the men got it fixed and we got on the road.  

We arrived at Girls' Camp around noonish.   The first thing the girls did was just stare at the view.

So beautiful.  This was our front yard for the week.  It took the leaders a minute to get the girls motivated to unload the trailer and get going with camp set-up.   However, once they got going, they all worked together to get it done.

After camp set-up and a quick lunch, we loaded up the kayaks and picked up the canoes and headed down to the lake to do some kayaking and canoeing.

Our Bishop gives the girls a lesson on how to hold the paddles and the correct method for rowing and steering the kayaks and canoes.  He also made a point that the girls had to work together to navigate the boats where they wanted them to go.

The clouds started to roll in and lightning was sighted, so we packed up the kayaks and canoes and headed back up the mountain to camp.

Once back at camp, the girls were taught different methods for starting a campfire.

My girls had a surprise visit from their dad, brother, and grandparents who happened to be on the mountain fishing.  Ryan showed them another method for starting a campfire.

The sun was going down, so I walked with Ryan and his parents back down the road to where the cars are parked.

That night for dinner,  we did dutch oven chicken, potatoes, and corn.

The girls take some time to work on their spiritual challenges.  This year for the spiritual challenge, the girls had to do a task for each of the values.  For example, for Faith, the girls were instructed to read Alma 19 and to pay attention to the way Abish demonstrated her faith.  The girls were told to memorize their favorite Book of Mormon scripture that has strengthened their faith.  For Knowledge, the girls had to complete camp certification for the year.  For each task completed, the girls earned a bead for their necklace.  The girls were also awarded good deed beads for doing acts of service for each other or showing kindness to someone else.  The beads were put on these necklaces which had these stamped washers on the end with the words "BELIEVE" and "2011".

For the FHE (Family Home Evening) portion of the evening, each of the years (Beehives, Mia Maids, Laurels, and the YCLs) were put in charge of acting out a scripture story to the Book of Mormon.  Our theme had to do with holding onto the iron rod and knowing our way because we have been instructed and strengthened through the Scriptures.

In the middle of FHE, the rain started coming down so we wrapped it up, brought the chairs in, and called it a night.  It was pretty late.   I think it was close to 1am when the leaders went to bed.