Barbies Forever...Not!

Tonight is one of those nights when I am not sure what I want to blog about. My mind is wondering and I am not very focused. Emma’s Europe trip is fast approaching and before I know it I will be sending her off across the world to learn and grow. I am excited for her. We had a People to People meeting today and it was very informative. I know it costs an arm and a leg but this organization really knows what they are doing and I am reassured that she will be very well taken care of on this adventure. The logistics of taking 40 students on this kind of trip is overwhelming. Elle still is insistent on living in a boarding school but for now the furthest she is going is to girls camp this summer and I am the adult leader going with my ward so I feel pretty good about that. She has been putting a lot of pressure on Scott and I about allowing her to get a face book account. I have been able to hold my ground so far and resist all the pressuring but it is getting difficult. I just don’t think it is a very safe situation for my 12 year old to have the opportunity to become friends with every Tom, Dick and Harry that she comes across and wants to be friends with. She just doesn’t understand the danger that is out there. I just wish she would understand why we feel there is such a danger and be okay with waiting until she is a little bit more mature. Why do kids want to grow up so fast now? I was still playing with Barbies when I was 12! I wish Elle would just slow down!
I am grateful to feel the wonderful sunshine on my face today!

Tanner where are you?

I have gone through a range of emotions today. I awoke today at 7am to read the news and find that there had been an earthquake in Chili, which also triggered a tsunami warning for Hawaii. Now I know that you all are aware that Tanner is living there. I had the urge to give him a call and warn him and just hear his voice but I also knew that it was 3am there and he was sleeping soundly. The news said that officials would be sounding a warning at 6am so I just expressed my great worry to Scott and he of course told me that all would be well. To my relief we finally talked to him later in the afternoon and were reassured that everything was fine. Scott and I had both tried to contact him without any response. It was a little frustrating to have a desire to hear from him and not be able to do that.

It is hard on a parent when your kids are so far away and in dangers way. Maybe this is how our Heavenly Father feels about each of us. He knows we are in harm’s way as we are tempted by Satan each day and wants us to call Him (pray) to stay in touch with Him. He wants us to turn to Him for help but unless we contact Him there is nothing He can do. My advice is that we should all get down on our knees tonight and touch bases with our Heavenly Father, he is waiting for us to call and tell Him all is well.

I am grateful that Tanner is safe.

Shhhh, Mother is sleeping!

Back in the day when I had the energy to be a mom!

Friday!! I love Friday nights because I don’t have to worry about putting my kids to bed at a decent hour. Usually (every night really) Emma puts herself to bed at a good time (about 9:30 pm sometimes as early at 8 pm). Emma is the type of child that knows her limits and sleep is something that she cherishes greatly. I don’t know what she is going to do once she becomes a mom and is up all night with hungry babies or sick kids. I wish her luck! Elle on the other hand wants to stay up all night long. If I don’t make Elle go to bed she will stay up for hours on the computer or reading. I know there have been many nights when I think she has gone to bed but instead she has stayed up all night long reading. To tell you the truth I use to be much better in my younger years as a mom in enforcing my kids bedtime. I am now just a worn out mom, I no longer have the energy to deal with putting Elle to bed. I am beginning to see how a person’s parenting styles can change so much with time. Sometimes it is because you have figured out a better way to parent, become more patient, maybe you understand that you don’t have to follow all the rules that all those parenting books tell you about but sometimes it is because you are just too tired to do it anymore. I hope Elle turns out okay…because I know there are many nights when I am sound asleep and she is wide awake reading a book she just cannot put down and I am nowhere in sight to make her do it.
I am grateful to be a mother. 

Who doesn't love a nap??

I admit it. I had a wonderful long nap today. I came home from teaching seminary, went back to bed at 8 am, and didn’t get up until noon! It makes me feel a little bad when I know Scott is working so hard and I am able to take a long nap like that. I did get up and clean the house, go work out, go to piano lessons, make dinner and then go do a visiting teaching appointment so it is not like I didn’t do anything today but still. I think I am the luckiest woman alive, truly! I love my life.


My seminary teaching went great today. I love teenagers and wish I could work with them a little more. It was great fun to teach Emma’s class and I am looking forward to doing it tomorrow too. We are learning about Justice and Mercy and how the Atonement makes both possible. If you want to read a great chapter in the scriptures, Alma 42 (in the Book of Mormon) is a great one that teaches how justice and mercy can both be met. The Savior really loves us all equally because everyone has the opportunity to be forgiven and have mercy given to them…well you can all read it for yourselves.

I am grateful that Scott works so hard for his family.

Seminary this morning...Emma is the picture taker!

So Fun!

Ra Ra Rachester!! I started my day bright and early. Well it was not really bright because it was still dark as Emma drove me to seminary but it certainly was early. After getting Elle off to school and getting ready for my big day my BFF Ann picked me up and she took me along on one of her great adventures as a John Marshall teacher. We joined about 400 people in St. Paul at the capital for Rochester Day. It was great fun and educational all at the same time! We got to listen to Gov. Pawlenty speak during our lunch as well as many legislators who represent our district in Rochester. The food was delish yummy, yummy (I even went off my diet for today, Ann told me to) but I will be dragon woman tomorrow. Our group of about 20 JM seniors had a great time taking a tour of the Minnesota History Museum we learned all kinds of things about the “Greatest Generation” and WWII. After our tour of that museum, we went back to the capital and had a tour of that building. I love things like that and found it fascinating. It was a beautiful building. After our tour we were taken to another building for food and music as we mingled with citizens and business people all from Rochester (one of them was my husband!!!)  It was really a fun time.  I really do enjoy being around teenagers and find their energy contagious. I had a wonderful day, thank you Ann!


I am grateful that I got to experience something new today.

St. Paul Minnesota State Capital (look at that beautiful blue sky)

What a great group of kids!

The purple group!

Good times with Ann!

You Can't Take That Picture!

I like to take pictures of things I do during the day. Sometimes I use them for my blog. Today I went to a Hallmark store to mail off a package to Tanner (this store has a US Postal department within the store). I needed to mail Tanner his passport and some items he left here over his Christmas break. After I paid for postage and they took the package from me they set into a big bin that will go to the regular post office. I remembered I had my camera with me and went back to where the bin was and tried to take a picture of the package. Instead of getting a random picture to include on my blog, I got a funny story out of it.

The lady asked me what I was doing when I pulled my camera out and I replied that I wanted to take a picture of my package because I have a little blog and like to include pictures on it. She immediately and firmly told me “no, you can’t do that.”

I pleaded with her in only the way I do saying “Oh jeez! I just wanted to take a picture of my package, please let me do it” (with a great big smile).

She then replied “ I said no! Once you pay for your package and give it over to us it is no longer your property and it is against the law for you to take a picture of federal property”.

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that I won’t tell anyone if you let me do it” (at this point I didn’t want to give up, I don’t know why but it just made me want to do it more).

“NO you can not do that” (I was focusing my camera on the bin)

“Okay I won’t take a picture of the packages, only the bin that should be okay” (SNAP)

Needless to say I had a very upset woman wanting to confiscate my camera! I turned around and got out of the store as quickly as I could.

I am grateful for my camera!

Tanner's package is just on the top of the pile in the bin...I hope I don't get arrested for this!

I came straight home and took a picture of my mail (I hope it is not illegal).

More then a casserole

Can you believe this is the last week of Feb.?? I realize this because I find myself trying to do all 5 of my visiting teaching appointments this week before the end of the month. For those of you that may be reading this and are not Mormon, visiting teaching is a program in the church when 2 women are assigned to visit monthly with another woman and share a message of the gospel. This brings us closer together as we turn to one another in times of trials and challenges as well as sharing in our everyday mundane lives. Visiting teaching has been a great blessing in my life. I have forged friendships with people that otherwise I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know. I have had the opportunity to go into other woman’s homes and share their joys and sadness as well as having countless dinners brought to my home in many times of need. I have learned to love women by serving them and have been eternally grateful when others have served me. I don’t know of any other means in which I would have gotten to know the wonderful women old or young, rich or poor, naturally likeable or a little harder to learn to love if it wasn’t for visiting teaching. I love visiting teaching and I can’t wait to finish all my appointments this week!!

I am grateful for friends made through visiting teaching.

Questions

I always love Sundays. They bring my family closer together because my kids and Scott are not going this way and that way. We have time to just be together and talk. Some topics of the night included; Hawaii (to go or not to go? This is the question). Hair (should Elle get rainbow colored hair or not? This is the question). House (should we buy the house across the street? This is the question). Driving (should Emma practice driving at night because she is busy after school when the sun is still shining? This is the question). Seminary (Will Emma be excited to go to class on Thursday and Friday because her mom was asked to sub her class those two mornings this week? This is the question). Music (what is appropriate to listen to on a Sunday (NOT Elle’s music so we decided to listen to Tanner’s play list…I miss Tanner today A LOT this is the question). We never seem to be short on subjects to chat about around the Greer’s house.


I am grateful for technology especially skype, because it allowed me to see and talk to Tanner tonight!

Good Things List

Good Things This Week:


1. I lost 5lbs!!

2. I read my scriptures everyday!

3. I had a great date night with Scott yesterday!

4. I taught Emma how to drive!

5. It was much less nerve racking to teach Emma then my first child.

6. The weather is starting to be spring like (above 29 degrees) for Minnesota even though it snowed today. I even heard a bird sing yesterday!

7. I have one less child to feed. Jackson left to become an adult (so he told me).

8. Emma did well on her math test and her first speech!

9. Elle cleaned her room today!

10. …And finally, I am happy!

I am grateful for quiet Saturday Evenings.

Emma's driving gloves.

Emma is so happy she did a much better job driving her first time then Tanner did!!

(We all love it when we are better then Tanner...at anything!)

Charity

I have been pondering this quote a lot this week for some reason it touched my heart greatly on Sunday.  I love our Savior and am so grateful for his perfect example of charity.  I hope one day to be full of charity just like Him.

"Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself.  And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again...Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet.  charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped.  Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us.  Charity is expecting the best of each other."  Elder Marin J. Ashton

Happiness is....being 5 again!

It doesn't take much to make me happy.  Give me a 5 year old for a day and I am in heaven (seriously!)  I had the pleasure of spending the day with one of my favorite little girls while her mom had a good time in Boston.  We watched Spongebob, made cookies, went to the bank to turn all our quarters in, went to the movie Percy Jackson (because she loves that movie!) cleaned the house (she is the best mirror washer I have ever had!) and we played some Wii.  It was so refreshing spending time with someone who loves me all the time you know unconditionally like a mans best friend.  Thanks for the great day Finley!

I am grateful for the simplicity, and couriousity of 5 year olds.

Finley posing a the bank with chocolate on her chin.

Good times at the movies. (I had the will of a dragon and didn't eat any popcorn or cookies today!)

Finley told me she is a very good cook.  She enjoys eating them as much as making them.

I never meet anyone with lashes longer then Finley.

There is nothing cuter then that smile.

Dragon Woman

I signed up to be in the Biggest Looser contest that my friend Ann is sponsoring. I hope to win all the money but more then that I want to be healthy. I have gained about 35lbs since moving here to Rochester MN. I feel yucky and unhealthy and want to change that. I feel the pain enough to do something about it. Elle is my workout partner. We are going to work out together 3 days a week; so far, we have done 2 days this week. I will work out another 3 days on my own. I also have started my gallbladder diet. I am very excited for what I am about to accomplish and because I have the will power of a dragon I know that I will be successful!!

I am grateful for my workout partner Elle she is so fun to be around!

Emma early morning seminary

In three more months I won't have a 2nd chin!!  Are you all as excited as I am?

100-American

100.
100 blogs.
I feel like I should have a 100-blog party.
While we are celebrating, we could celebrate Emma’s passing her driver’s test.
She is now official.
Too bad she doesn’t know how to actually drive.
Maybe it will take 100 practices before I will let her drive by herself.

American.
Olympics.
Scott doesn’t like watching but I do.
Something about reaching a lifetime goal after hard work makes me feel good.
I feel good when I hang out with Ann she is like my sister. I can snuggle with her.
American Idol is always a fun night at Ann’s house with my girls.

I am grateful for my son who helped me get started blogging.

Emma taking her drivers test!

My cute Elle trying to zap all her zits!

My Life

Presidents Day means what?

                 A Free Day off from School to go iceskating.

                                                   I had a very productive day.

Practiced piano, learning Like a Spirit of Fire with Emma’s help.

Held Elle in bed this morning. She was crying.
                                  I think she may be having anxiety attacks.

Went to take a test for a job I have applied for.

                 Did well on some parts ~ But bombed others….I need to take some more classes.

Took Emma to work and drivers ed.

Shuttled Elle and 2 friends to local animal shelter to see what the requirements are for volunteers. Found out that she has to have a parent escort her and stay while she does her volunteering the whole time until she is 16!
                                 This gives her mother
                                      a lot of leverage to use against her!

Took a special desert to a special woman, stayed, and visited with her. She doesn’t have any teeth. She looks funny but sweet.

Making dinner for my family.

Will they like it or tell me for the millionth time that they don’t? They are blessed to have someone to care enough to cook for them.

I am grateful that I have a husband that loves to grope me!

My Valentines Sweetheart

2008 after 18 years of being marriage.

In 1992 after 2 years of marriage.

What to say on this snowy valentines Sabbath day? I love with all my heart Scott. He is the love of my life and I frequently feel very blessed to have such a wonderful husband. We haven’t always have such a great marriage. There once was a time that we were going to divorce. I am so grateful that we both decided that our family was important enough to try to work through our troubles. Now after 19 almost 20 years of marriage we are both so crazy in love it is wonderful. I wouldn’t trade those difficult times for anything. We have only become a stronger couple able to look at our problems with perspective, love, patience, compassion, endurance, forgiveness, laughter, understanding, and always willing to give more of ourselves when it is necessary to overcome our trials. I will forever love my sweetheart.


I am grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with a wonderful husband.

Take the Plunge!

What can I say I have a great life! Another wonderful day to add to my blog. Tried to get Elle up with a smile but she wasn’t having any of it. We needed to get to piano lessons by 11:00 so I attempted to wake her up at 10:30. It wasn’t until Scott walked into the house with cinnamon rolls that she started to be pleasant. She and I arrived at piano lessons right on time just to find out that our piano teacher had called the night before and left a message with Jackson that she needed to push our time back to noon, oh well nothing better than chatting with Patty for an extra hour to brighten your day! My afternoon got better considerably after Ann and I went to the annual Polar Plunge that Rochester hosts each Feb. We were very inspired to join in the festivities next year so it is now an official goal to do the plunge Feb. 12 2011!!! We are starting to go into our training mode for next year now. We are hoping that Valeri will join us in our grand cold crazy adventure…what do you think Val? After the plunge we went to the mall and had fun vacuuming the carpet at Sears so Heather could test out which one she wanted to buy. What a great day…except I don’t know why Emma is mad at me??? I will solve this mystery by tomorrow.
I am grateful for the beautiful frost covered trees I was able to see this morning.

Yes that is a man in a speedo in the middle of the picture.

Yes this is icy cold water.  No I don't know why people do it...except it raises fund for speical olympic :)

Who wants to join Ann and I next year???

Good Times!

This is a 50 ft ice bar and Elle standing next to a ice woman.

Wedding diamond ring made out of ice.

Had another wonderful day. Got up and made the girls some german pancakes because they had a late school start (which means Emma and I got to sleep in…no seminary on late school starts). This is Elle’s all time favorite breakfast. I remember growing up and loving when my mom would make it for me, it always brings me happy memories. After the girls left for school, I got to take a lovely nap. I made up for that nap by cleaning the house. I love a clean house. After taking Emma to drivers ed Elle, Scott and I went out to dinner and then enjoyed some of the ice sculptures that are displayed downtown. I just got done skyping with Tanner. What a wonderful ending to a wonderful start!

I am grateful for my family, they bring me such joy!

I Love Learning New Things

I once again forgot to take pictures of my day. I think pictures can say a thousand words and I wanted a break of writing words today and let my pictures say them for me. But what can a forgetful person do? I guess I will just try to use my words. I learned how to make white chocolate mousse today. It was very yummy and I am very proud of myself for attempting it and being successful. Well that is all the words for today :)
I am grateful for my Spanish friend who is a superb cook and taught me today!

Great Book

I just finished reading a book called Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. It was so shocking to me and left me a feeling of sadness and amazement that human beings can be so evil and treat other humans with such disregard and pure hatred. The sad thing is that throughout history, this has taken place all around the world even in times that are more recent. I am sure there are places even today where people are treated as slaves were once treated 200 years ago. It makes me wonder as I ponder the fate of slaves and the slaveholders what I would have done had I been born in 1818 in Maryland. Would I have felt a kindness towards slaves and tried to do what I could for them or would I have succumbed to the pressures of society and tolerated the horrible treatment of slaves as I turned a blind eye or even participated in the mistreatment of other humans. I would like to believe I would have felt I would have been strong enough to be good and kind hearted to all people but one of the people in the story I thought was caring ended up turning mean after her exposure to slavery. I recommend this book to all you out there in blog land. I found it very insightful and I am asking my girls and Scott to read it too. If you have read it or will be reading it let me know I would love to discuss it!
I am grateful for courageous people.

Better then Disney Land :)

Scott asked me how my day was. I immediately answered that it was better than going to Disney Land!! And I was serious!! I got up early and had some special bonding time with Scott (he gave me a great massage!) After I took Scott to work, I was spoiled by my BFF with another massage. Did I forget to say that it was a snow day so the kids were out of school today (yippee!) I was able to take Emma to an ortho apt, she is such a good girl and wears her rubberbands every second of every day, and that is no lie! I took the girls to the mall where we shopped for clothes which was fun until I told Elle she couldn’t buy fishnet stockings and then she was mad at me for about 1 hour until we took Emma to work and then I took Elle to DQ and we had a chocolate sunday. Then I bought Elle’s love by taking her to Barnes and Nobles buying her a book (the quickest way to get Elle in a good mood is to buy her fishnet stockings or a book, I went with the more modest way). We ended our day by reading our new books on a real comfy couch at the hotel until Scott and Emma got off work. It was just one of the best days of my life!

I am grateful for snow days!

Just where is the mail box?? 

Our front driveway is piled high with about 10 feet of snow

Look how deep it is where the dogs have to go out!  The snow is deeper then Sandy is tall.  Scott had to shovel a path for them to do their duty otherwise Sandy would get lost and we wouldn't have a doggy anymore.

Doctorine and Covenants 121:45 Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly

Yes I say let it snow as long as it doesn't stay until May :)

My bench is in a covered area of my front entry way but it still managed to get a inch of snow blown onto it.

We are suppose to get 8 more inches by tomorrow...is the weather man telling the truth?

Today is a fresh new day. It is beautiful outside, I love it when it snows because everything is so pure and white. I feel like I have a fresh new attitude and am going to do my best not to say anything negative about anything or anyone. I need all my friends to help me with this because sometimes it is just so hard to control myself. I am going to do a little experiment and see how long I can go without saying anything negative. I will do what Oprah said to do many years ago and put a bracelet on and when you say anything negative you have to switch it to the other wrist. The point is to try to keep it on the same wrist all day long. Wish me luck and remember please do try to help me reach my goal.


I am grateful that Heavenly Father forgives us and lets us start new everyday if we want!

When Elle puts her mind to something...

So here I sit on a Sabath Sunday morning.  Up for early morning meetings and now I find that I have a couple of hours before church.  So I decided to blog.  I am not sure what to express this morning...except I just remembered something.  After I got home from the movie last night Elle had a request of me.  She wanted to discuss if she can go live at a boarding school.  She had all her talking points ready for me to overcome all of my objections.  She is really disliking school right now and is really feeling the need to get out of her school situation.  She wants to learn more about world history and greek mythology.  Her choice for boarding school is in the UK.  I told her that I wasn't going to send my 12 year old across the world for some other person to raise her.  I don't think she cared though.  I can tell this is something she is not going to give up on.  I have a feeling Elle will be doing a semester abroad some time in her future but for now my 12 year old is going no where.

I am grateful for Elle she always keeps me on my toes!

What a Great Day!

Great Saturday! Spent the morning doing some Relief Society assignments. Afterwards I was treated to a wonderful facial with Ann and then out to lunch. It was so relaxing. Then on to the party for the fundraising raffle. Lots of fun with friends who care for me and then out to the movies!! I went with 3 other women to see Dear John. It was a sweet romantic movie and all four of us drooled over Channing Tatum for 2 hours (we all agreed we would take Channing over Edward any day of the week and on the weekend too.) It was just a great day overall. Even the part when Emma called me at midnight to say she needed a ride home from the movie because her ride ditched her didn’t bother me to much….after all I do love her.

I am grateful for good friends who can make me laugh!

Green Day

Today was a great day! I was really feeling blue this week but for some reason today I woke up with a whole new attitude!! I am now feeling Green! I have been working on my piano and feel so great about how much I am learning. It is the most wonderful feeling to know I can learn a new talent because some day that is what it is going to be…a talent! Elle and I painted out fingernails black. I decided it is better to join her then fight with her and I think Elle was surprised by it. We have some good mommy daughter time each day while we are waiting for the 15 minutes in the car for Emma to get out of school. She usually tells me about what the 6 grade boys are doing that make her feel like kicking them in the nuts (as she puts it) I try to help her understand that it is a stage that these boys are going through being real jerks and someday they will regret the stupid things they said to her but for now she needs to control her urge to injure boys especially in their privates! I feel so happy today!
I am grateful for good days!

My 15 year old piano teacher Bridget and me!

Black is the new brown!  Do you think the church ladies will like them?

Elle always loves treat during our chats.

Blah, Blah, Blah days of February

I am not very inspired to blog about anything today. I haven’t had any motivation this week to do much. I feel badly about it but what is a person to do when you live in Minnesota and it is 10 degrees outside. The weather doesn’t inspire me get out of bed and do anything. I think I fall into the same winter blues funk each Feb. I only do the things I have to get done. I think I am falling into a blah mood now that I am blogging about it. What to do about it?? I need to have some wonderful activity to do in Feb. Maybe all my friends can ask me out to lunch every day this month or ask me to do things for them because I can never say no and that way it will force me out of bed to do something. Scott would be very happy if I went and worked out but I just have no desire. I love staying in bed watching tv but that is not inspiring me to do anything with me life. Well I do have to get dressed today to go to Elle’s parent teacher conference and then I do have piano later today. But even my piano is not motivating me to be excited for my day. I think I dislike February.

I am grateful for the dream of spring.

Good Bye to Jackson!

Well today is a new fresh start! I am feeling much better today than yesterday and that is good. I haven’t talked about my two live-ins much but today I will share some really great news. Jackson got his GED!!!! I am very proud of him. He scored rather high and that has helped his self-esteem (those of you that know Jackson know I am joking…he doesn’t need any help with his self-esteem, he already thinks he is the best thing since sliced bread!) With his GED comes a choice he has made to move back to Arizona. His goal in coming back to Rochester was to finish school and now he has done that he wants to return to his family and friends in the land of the sun. He has been with us since July and although we have had our moments with Jackson just as we have moments with all our kids, I will miss his fun happy personality. Therefore, Jackson will be leaving in the middle of Feb., which is approaching fast. I hope he continues to succeed in all he does and remembers his time with the Greer’s with fondness because we surely will remember his time here with good memories. Good luck Jackson!!

I am grateful for life experiences that help me learn and grow.

Anxiety...I want it to just go away :)

Have you ever suffered from anxiety?  Well I have.  I started to have a large amount of anxiety last night and thought as I went to bed that it had subsided.  But I am beginning to feel it surging up inside again.  I can pin point where my anxiety is coming from but haven't found a way to just relax and let it go.  Most of the time all I need is for Scott to hold me for 5 minutes and then it all goes away but Scott is not available to me 24/7 so I need to find a way to deal with it without him.  This is all I have in me today.

I am grateful that I have a compassionate husband who loves the Joes!

A New Month...what will it bring?

Feb 1st! 2010 is off to a great start. I have had a whole month of blogging and I am only getting more excited about it. I look forward to my blogging each day. I have done pretty good with my goals so far in 2010. I think each month I will access where I stand with them that way I will be more accountable. I am doing great with my scripture study I think for the month of January I probably read 90% of the time and that is a huge improvement for me. I am having fun doing acts of service each day. Some days it is harder than others are but I find that even controlling my temper with my kids is an act of service even though they might not know it is my act of service in for the day. Then there is blogging!! I have 100% on this goal!!! I am sure many people find my blogging very boring but I love it and hope that someday my kids will appreciate a look at my life when I was 40. My last goal was prayer. This is where I feel I am failing. I have done a very poor job on this goal. But it is a new day and new month so I will recommit myself to praying daily and hopefully I can report that I have 100% for the month of Feb. (after all it is a short month :)

5:45 AM this morning getting ready to take Emma to seminary.  I actually joined her in class today as we learned that lawyers are all corrupt! (Alma 11) JK not all lawyers are corrupt.

I am grateful for a clean slate each day!