What I have learned Thursday on Friday…

I have had a busy week so I apologize that this is a day late.

I was recently released from my calling in our church.  I was serving in our Women's organization called Relief Society.  Now I will be serving in Primary which is for our children 18 months to 12 years.

I have been very busy as I am trying to dive in to that new experience.

Along with that, we are trying to keep up with our Alphabet, have some fun summer activities, and all the little errand and chores that come with life.

What did I learn this week?

Well, I actually have so many that I could share.  Today I am going to

keep.

it.

simple.

Smile.  I know it sounds like such a cliché.  You hear it all the time.  I personally tried it this week, and oh what a difference it made.

I believe that a smile can really take you far. 

It can change any bad situation in to a good one.

Try smiling at your kids when you really want to say GRRR!!

Try smiling at the supermarket while you are pushing the cart loaded with groceries and five children.  You might even find yourself laughing.

Try smiling while you exercise.  It really will make you work harder and accomplish more.

Try these 3 smile I mean small ways to make your life a little better. 

You may touch someone else’s life in the process.

Bedtime Story

Sometimes bed time at our house goes a little like this:

“Mom, can we stay up late?”

“No, not tonight.”

“Please! We will give you a massage.”

“Well, okay then.”

Then Stella proceeds to set up her “Shop” in my room.

I get the full treatment.

Foot rubs, back rubs, scalp massage.

Sometimes I even get my hair and makeup done.

Stella is marvelous at massage, and combing my hair.

Isaac and Jex always get a little distracted, but Stella just keeps on going.

During my massage on one particular night, the boys had gotten a little distracted.  Jonathan decided to let them have a snack.  Stella decided to join them, but promised to come back.

I laid there in the silence of my room.  Thinking to myself, “I am so glad I let them stay up.”

I was enjoying myself so much.

I particularly enjoyed the moment when Isaac was rubbing my legs with lotion.  Stella was massaging my feet, and Jex was reading to me from The BFG.

It was one of those surreal moments.

The serenity kept on going.

After the boys went on their way, Stella wanted to make it even better.  She dimmed the lights, and turned on my favorite CD; Mindy Gledhill.

Once she left to go have her snack I was left contemplating how great my kids are.  How wonderful my life is.  How much I love my bedroom.  How much I love my Mindy CD.  How blessed I am.

How long has it been since you had a quite moment to take it all in?

This was my serene view:

Can you picture it?

Can you hear my singing along to Mindy?  Here is a my favorite Mindy song.  Her words helped make me the person I am.  I reflected on that too.

After much thought and reflection, I felt a small hand begin rubbing my back again.

I had drifted off to sleep.  Stella came back as promised.

Then the two of us drifted off to sleep together.

What I have learned Thursdays…

Not long after I had our second child, Stella, I returned to the island in the Caribbean that we had been living on.

I remember not long after we arrived having a complete mental breakdown.

I was still a little postpartum, and somewhat overwhelmed.

Two children was a whole new experience for me, and most days I didn’t know where my time went.   It was a learning experience for me to juggle two children, and learn my new way of living the island life.

I will never forget the night that I felt like I just might snap.  My dear friend Jodi Winegar said the most profound words to me.  I will never forget them. 

She said, “Andrea, the heart pumps blood to itself first.” 

Meaning, if the heart doesn’t take care of itself first, then it has nothing to give in return.

That day was when I set the goal to take time for myself.  To give to myself something everday.

Not long after that, I set the goal to exercise every week day.

I have kept up with that over these last six years. 

There have been a few periods in my life that I have missed.  Really really sick pregnancy months, and then my 6 weeks postpartum.

Today, I want to tell you why I exercise.

Most of you are saying to yourself, I am not dumb.  I know why you exercise.  You do it to stay physically healthy and fit.

That is part of it.  I am here to tell you that it does more for me mentally then it ever does for my physically.

It is MY time to give back to myself.

I use it to think and ponder.

I use it to mentally prepare.

I use it to turn my brain off and just relax.

I enjoy listening to my music and drifting off in to another world.

I love being out in the fresh air, with no demands from any one but my own body.

I have been asked time and time again how I find time for it with 4 kids. 

I MAKE TIME.

I prepare the kids by saying, I am going to exercise now.  You MUST leave me alone for 30 minutes. I have been saying this for so long that they know that I mean it.

Of course, I get them started on something; a puzzle, a game, an art project.  Often times, I will send them outside.

NO ONE is allowed in my room while I exercise.  In fact, I conveniently have to move my rocking chair in front of my door way so that I have room to exercise.

I am sure some of you think this is crazy, but I really am a better mother after I have my 30 minutes of solitude.

I have a system. 

I prepare the day before for what will be a  good time tomorrow, and I often put my exercise clothes on first thing in the morning so that it gets done.

Sometimes I exercise at night, other times it is in the morning.

If I exercise at night, I like to put my clothes on before I get the kids in bed.  Then I am ready to go.

I always exercise at home, or in my neighborhood.

I do not have a gym membership.  It is a waste of time for me.  I don’t have time to give up to drive there, and drive home.

I only exercise for 25-45 minutes. 

I use exercise videos, free weights, a palates machine, a ball, bands, and my own body for equipment.

I switch things up so I don’t get bored. 

I always listen to music.

I always feel better when I am done.

I could have had the worst day, and a short run or brisk walk can change my mood in an instant.

Remember that the heart pumps blood to itself first.

What are you not giving yourself?

What do you need?

Make time for it… make it a priority.

I encourage you to make exercise a priority.  It really has changed my life.

My mood, my body and my spirit all feel better because of it.

I am leaving you with a couple of nostalgic pictures.

This is where it all began for me; my love of exercise, on the island of Saba.

I used to get up each morning and go for a run. 

I would run to this point, and then sit and look out over the ocean.  I would take 5 minutes to think and pray.  Then I would get up and run home.

On some occasions, I would run up part of the Mt.Scenery trail.  A steep climb carved out of the mountain; 1064 steps to the top.  I would do around 200 steps, and then hit a path and run home.

I remember as our time on Saba came to an end saying to myself each morning, “I only have 6 more mornings to run here, or only 5 more days of this view on my run.”  Then finally, “this is my last morning at my favorite point, it is time to say goodbye.”

Once we said goodbye, I felt like I got to bring a part of it with me.  Of course my memories, and also my love of exercise.

This is where I learned to embrace exercising.

Thanks Jodi for teaching me just how important it is to take care of myself first.

What I have learned Thursday…even though it is Friday.

I must apologize.  I had a very busy day yesterday, and at the end of it when I usually will find time for this post; I had a very important date with Edward and Jacob.  I got home late, and was to tired to even think about it.

So, this morning as I began to think about what I have learned and what I wanted to share… I was quickly prompted to check this out.  I know that it was sent to me for a purpose.

I must share with you.  Please watch in it’s entirety.  You will be amazed at just how “real” these images are.  How “real” they depict motherhood to be.  Sometimes I felt as if they were taking film of my own family struggling to have prayer, or cook a meal.

I cried as I felt the reward of the mother watching her own children pray from the doorway.

At times, I think we all like to paint a beautiful picture of motherhood however, I know in my home it is not always beautiful.  Other times the love and beauty of it is so marvelous that I can’t help but know that the family is a divinely appointed unit.

This message will uplift you, strengthen you, and remind you of just how important the hardest job you have ever done is.

Once you have watched this, remember how important you are in the life of your children. Also how special you must be to God in doing his work; and raising and teaching his children.

I did.

I have learned this for today.

I may forget it tomorrow, but…

I will try to keep it in my heart always….

and reflect in moments that are trying.

Alphabet Summer…

We are plugging right along with our Alphabet Summer.  We have completed 10 1/2 letters.  We need to finish Letter C tomorrow.

You can follow along with us here: Project 365.

Here is a peak of yesterday:

Letter S:

Silly String

Stitching(the kids are hand stitching their names, and we will put them on a pillow)

and Sno Cones

I hope your summer is going great!!