Ok. The straw has officially broken the camel's back. My new visiting teachers gave me 5 minutes notice before showing up at my disgusting house filled with boxes. So with my hair disheveled, clothes stained, and burning smell permiating from the kitchen I opened the door and welcomed them in. They were very sweet about the whole scene but between clenched teeth I silently vowed to myself that I was not going to let another living soul into this house until we've moved into the new one.
I originally wanted to be moved in by Thanksgiving. Didn't happen. Then I wanted to be in before Christmas so I could have it all decorated and festive. Not going to happen. Now I think I've been pretty patient and understanding but it's getting a little ridiculous at this point. It doesn't feel like the holidays and that is getting me a little down. I love Christmas. I want to decorate, buy a tree, burn cinnamon candles, bake amazing desserts and give them to my neighbors. I want to feel like it's Christmas.
So do you have any ideas on how I can make this season feel a little more festive and not so depressing? Please keep in mind that I can't really decorate because everything is packed.
Ok. My little pity party is over. I am convinced that patience is not something that you are born with. I think it's something that is developed over years of diappointments and frustration. So if that last statement is true then I should have the patience of Job by now. So I am choosing to have it during this frustrating point in our lives. We are blessed and healthy and we will have a great house to live in. So There. I feel better already. Merry Christmas to all and I hope that you are able to feel the Spirit of Christmas during this holiday season no matter what situation you may find yourself in.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Mrs. Perfect
I want to make it perfectly clear that not all LDS women are Mrs. Perfect. It's amazing to me how many misconceptions there are that LDS women are so amazingly perfect. Perfect hair, teeth, makeup, houses, children, and husbands. Ha ha ha ha. If they only knew what happened behind closed doors.
It's really not like the Stepford Wives. I promise. If you came into my house right now you would see:
1. Food on the floor from last nights dinner
2.Dirty dishes in the sink from last night and this morning. (We have to mix it up a little bit)
3.Dirty clothes piled up in my laundry room making a funky aroma. We leave that door shut.
4.Little bits of things in my carpet that won't come up when I vacuum and I'm too lazy to pick them out.
5. My office filled to the brim with papers, boxes, garbage, and Cd's.
6. Every single bed in the house unmade.
Does that make anyone feel better? I hope so. Every time someone invites me over to their homes they feel the need to apologize for the way their houses look. Uh, here's a little newsflash. Your house is probably cleaner than mine on any given day. And....... I could care less how clean your house is. If you take baths regularly and your clothes don't smell funky, I'll be your friend. :)
I have officially given myself a little permission to be less than perfect. I don't put makeup on everyday because it's expensive and I hate wearing it. I do get dressed in the morning, but whether or not it is fashionable is questionable. It's usually t-shirts and jeans. Not gonna lie. Sometimes I don't even get my teeth brushed. That one's a little nasty but that's what gum is for, right?
Here's how I know that I'm doing alright:
1. My kids are bathed and fed
2.They get to school on time
3. They are happy
4. I made dinner
5. We all have something clean to wear
6.There is food in the refrigerator
7. The toilets are clean
8.I don't smell
9. I read my scriptures (Not a daily occurrence, but I'm working on it)
10.Everyone that I love, knows that I love them.
So to all of the wonderful LDS moms out there who have it all figured out, I say BRAVO! To the rest of us I say, you are awesome and perfection is not to be achieved in this lifetime. That comes later down the road after wrinkles, weight gain from babies, and bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep and crying. So here's to all of the amazing mom's out there that don't fit the mold and in fact make their own.
It's really not like the Stepford Wives. I promise. If you came into my house right now you would see:
1. Food on the floor from last nights dinner
2.Dirty dishes in the sink from last night and this morning. (We have to mix it up a little bit)
3.Dirty clothes piled up in my laundry room making a funky aroma. We leave that door shut.
4.Little bits of things in my carpet that won't come up when I vacuum and I'm too lazy to pick them out.
5. My office filled to the brim with papers, boxes, garbage, and Cd's.
6. Every single bed in the house unmade.
Does that make anyone feel better? I hope so. Every time someone invites me over to their homes they feel the need to apologize for the way their houses look. Uh, here's a little newsflash. Your house is probably cleaner than mine on any given day. And....... I could care less how clean your house is. If you take baths regularly and your clothes don't smell funky, I'll be your friend. :)
I have officially given myself a little permission to be less than perfect. I don't put makeup on everyday because it's expensive and I hate wearing it. I do get dressed in the morning, but whether or not it is fashionable is questionable. It's usually t-shirts and jeans. Not gonna lie. Sometimes I don't even get my teeth brushed. That one's a little nasty but that's what gum is for, right?
Here's how I know that I'm doing alright:
1. My kids are bathed and fed
2.They get to school on time
3. They are happy
4. I made dinner
5. We all have something clean to wear
6.There is food in the refrigerator
7. The toilets are clean
8.I don't smell
9. I read my scriptures (Not a daily occurrence, but I'm working on it)
10.Everyone that I love, knows that I love them.
So to all of the wonderful LDS moms out there who have it all figured out, I say BRAVO! To the rest of us I say, you are awesome and perfection is not to be achieved in this lifetime. That comes later down the road after wrinkles, weight gain from babies, and bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep and crying. So here's to all of the amazing mom's out there that don't fit the mold and in fact make their own.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
It's been a hard day's night! And I've been working like a dog!
Wow. This was a crazy week filled with lots of stress, adrenaline, and amazing highs! Catering is something that I LOVE to do, but I can't cater more than 4 x a year. That's seems to be my limit. I hired a new girl to help me on Friday night and I told her about my 4 x a year rule and she laughed. By the end of the night, she totally understood.
Catering for people's big events in life is a wonderful job. You are a major component to their event and it's a huge high for me to be apart of that. But the prep work that it takes to pull it off is killer. 2 days before the event it is nothing but constant running around, food prep, and my house being filled to the brim with catering items and food. I didn't have a spare inch in any of my refrigerators. My sweet Mr. D sat at the kitchen counter chopping tomatoes and grilling chicken all night long. And then he ran to Sam's club for me to pick up some more supplies. I am a lucky girl.
Once you're at the location though and everything is humming, it's awesome. I had a lot of sweet guests come into the kitchen on Fri. night and tell me how good the food was. Sigh. It was bliss for me.
To make things just a little more hectic I got a call on Thurs. night from a member of R.S. presidency asking if I could teach a lesson on Sunday for R.S. Huh? You mean my other two callings isn't enough? Then she informed me that the ward we moved into is not a sit on the sidelines kind of ward. Once your records are transferred in, you are used. So Sat. night I was sitting at my computer trying to make a lesson on the Millennium a personal touching experience for the women. I always try to do that when I teach. If you make them cry they will remember it because it touches their heart. I think it went well. I got compliments and quite a few of them were crying, so that spells success to me!
As I sit at my computer tonight, writing this post, I can't help but think about how in the heck I made it through this week and how I am still awake right now. It was Heavenly Father all the way. I literally felt Him helping me this week and I am so humbled and grateful for the tender mercies I have felt this week. I couldn't have done it without Him.
The older I get, the more I experience His hand in everything that I do and accomplish. I don't think I'm anything special or unique, but when I want to do something, I know I can because I'm not doing it on my own. My soul is filled to the brim with gratitude for the love, support, generosity, and kindness that I have felt this week from family members, ward members, employees, friends, and my Heavenly Father. That's all for tonight! Ladies and Gentlemen, Elise has left the building!
Catering for people's big events in life is a wonderful job. You are a major component to their event and it's a huge high for me to be apart of that. But the prep work that it takes to pull it off is killer. 2 days before the event it is nothing but constant running around, food prep, and my house being filled to the brim with catering items and food. I didn't have a spare inch in any of my refrigerators. My sweet Mr. D sat at the kitchen counter chopping tomatoes and grilling chicken all night long. And then he ran to Sam's club for me to pick up some more supplies. I am a lucky girl.
Once you're at the location though and everything is humming, it's awesome. I had a lot of sweet guests come into the kitchen on Fri. night and tell me how good the food was. Sigh. It was bliss for me.
To make things just a little more hectic I got a call on Thurs. night from a member of R.S. presidency asking if I could teach a lesson on Sunday for R.S. Huh? You mean my other two callings isn't enough? Then she informed me that the ward we moved into is not a sit on the sidelines kind of ward. Once your records are transferred in, you are used. So Sat. night I was sitting at my computer trying to make a lesson on the Millennium a personal touching experience for the women. I always try to do that when I teach. If you make them cry they will remember it because it touches their heart. I think it went well. I got compliments and quite a few of them were crying, so that spells success to me!
As I sit at my computer tonight, writing this post, I can't help but think about how in the heck I made it through this week and how I am still awake right now. It was Heavenly Father all the way. I literally felt Him helping me this week and I am so humbled and grateful for the tender mercies I have felt this week. I couldn't have done it without Him.
The older I get, the more I experience His hand in everything that I do and accomplish. I don't think I'm anything special or unique, but when I want to do something, I know I can because I'm not doing it on my own. My soul is filled to the brim with gratitude for the love, support, generosity, and kindness that I have felt this week from family members, ward members, employees, friends, and my Heavenly Father. That's all for tonight! Ladies and Gentlemen, Elise has left the building!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Tis' The Season To Be Exhausted!
First and foremost I LOVE Christmas. It my absolute favorite holiday. Always has been. The weather finally changes, you get to bake and eat like crazy, and I get to see the magic of the season in my kid's faces. My 9 year old still believes in Santa. I love it.
We are only giving 3 presents each. It not only reminds us of the Savior, but it's economical as well. They get something they want, something they need, and something from their siblings. The kids have a lot of fun picking out something for the brothers. It takes forever to pick the gift out, but they are so excited to watch them open it.
Every year though it seems like things are getting crazier and crazier. Before I I know it it's already January and I can't think of one thing that I did that I will remember later on. It's depressing. I started making treats to sell to people and that has taken up a huge chunk of my time! It's fun and the extra money is definitely nice but I don't want to remember that I worked during the holidays. Ugh. Besides that the gift giving was horrible. We had way too many presents under the tree and the kids only ended up playing with one or two.
So this year is going to go back to the basics. We are going to tour the temple lights (if it kills me, we will get there), read the nativity story, watch the nativity story, and spend a lot of time with family. I love the smells, sounds, smiles, and sentimental feeling I get at Christmas time. Love it!
We are only giving 3 presents each. It not only reminds us of the Savior, but it's economical as well. They get something they want, something they need, and something from their siblings. The kids have a lot of fun picking out something for the brothers. It takes forever to pick the gift out, but they are so excited to watch them open it.
Every year though it seems like things are getting crazier and crazier. Before I I know it it's already January and I can't think of one thing that I did that I will remember later on. It's depressing. I started making treats to sell to people and that has taken up a huge chunk of my time! It's fun and the extra money is definitely nice but I don't want to remember that I worked during the holidays. Ugh. Besides that the gift giving was horrible. We had way too many presents under the tree and the kids only ended up playing with one or two.
So this year is going to go back to the basics. We are going to tour the temple lights (if it kills me, we will get there), read the nativity story, watch the nativity story, and spend a lot of time with family. I love the smells, sounds, smiles, and sentimental feeling I get at Christmas time. Love it!
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