Motto

(Charlie showing his hurt feeling, but this really expresses a lot for me... lol!)

"Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality!" ~Les Brown

This is my new motto. I have spent most of my life trying to be what others wanted me to be. Sometimes it worked out for the best, but usually I just get lost in it and become miserable because I don't know how to express myself.

Lucky for me, my husband reminds me regularly that he loves ME. He only expects me to be ME and to do MY best. He doesn't care what others think of me, so neither do I. It is a whole new experience. I have had to many people, family and friends, who expect me to be something I am not, or not loving the real me. From now on I will not bend. If they love ME, they are welcome to. If they don't love ME, then I will be sad, but I will move on.

So with this new frame of mind, I have written down reminders to myself, goals to keep in mind, and things I am truly thankful for in my life. I shared them with Joel, and we are taking it one day at a time until I truly love all of ME. Not just loving me because someone else says I am great, or because my friends accept the me they wanted, but to love the real me and share that with others!

(Joel teaching Charlie to golf on our day at the hitting range)

In other parts of life, its HOT! Hot and humid, but Charlie and my neighbors granddaughter, Riley, have gotten to play in the house and with squirt guns a lot, and that is so fun. I dont want to see our water bill for this month, though!

We are heading to Missouri this weekend to hang out with our friends, the England's, who are having their third kid tomorrow. I am so excited to see little Jaimee, and my friends, and I know Charlie is excited for his friends -- and Joel to go fishing with Jason!

My mom and step dad come up next week to see us, and to load up all her stuff on a truck to move back down to Mississippi. We will miss having her close, but know she is happy to be back with him!

Joel is working a lot, which is great. We are just hoping and praying that another job comes up for this company soon since this job will be done in the next month or two. We cant afford for him to be off work too long, especially during the summer when I cant sub. We have faith we will be ok, though.

Charlie continues to grow and surprise me. He has been counting in spanish, speaking quite clearly in english, making decisions, learning to dress himself, and just all around learning and becoming such a big kid. He is so fun! He loves to cuddle, and will even turn around while sitting on my lap to randomly give me sweet kisses. He also started saying prayers (with some help) and singing along to the hymns I sing at bedtime. It is all so sweet!

I have made friends with a great neighbor. She is a little older than my parents, but can't really weed eat her own yard, and watches her 2 granddaughters during the week. So Joel fixed her old weed eater and will do both yards, and I get to use her new riding mower since I can't start ours, but do both lawns. Her 5 year old granddaughter spends a lot of time here with us playing, too. And as a thank you she is going to teach me how to quilt and let me use her machines and supplies. I am SO excited. I always wanted to know how and she used to teach. She said I could come over a couple evenings a week and spend an hour or so working. It will make for a great project, and teach me a fun skill I can use a lot. If I enjoy it as much as I think I will, I will invest in a sewing machine and start making them!

May 11, 2010

So I can never think of titles. Dates are good, but I think it already posts a date. All well, I am a dork! The pictures above are one of Charlie's goofy face, Charlie "flying" on the couch, and the boys shooting guns at Bass Pro.

Mother's Day was wonderful. I got to pretend to sleep in a little. I enjoyed laying in bed while Joel got up with Charlie, then came back to cuddle. I cant sleep past about 630 anymore, especially with the construction on the houses in our neighborhood (yes, even on Sunday mornings). Charlie got me a cute card and some flowers he picked out himself, and Joel made me french toast. It was wonderful. Joel also did the dishes while I took a shower, which ended up in a broken sink so he had to fix it. It was pretty funny. I changed a nasty diaper, and then made lasagna while he did that (yes, I washed my hands). Church was wonderful as always, and then we went to Joel's parents with his siblings for dinner and hanging out.

I also got a surprise call from my little brother on a mission in Ghana Africa. The first time he called I sent it to voice mail. It didnt even register that he might call and the number was so weird I figured it was another call from Mexico. When I heard the message I started crying and Joel figured it out right away. I texted my step mom and he was on the phone with my brother there, so he called back a few minutes later. It was great to hear his voice! I am so proud of him and the growth he has had. I cant wait to see him at Christmas. He gets home in August, but we are all gathering at Christmas so we have a better visit and longer time together, and he will be a little more normal... well, as normal as any of my siblings could get!

What else has been going on?!?! I cant remember my last post... Ok, so I had my nephew, Benicio here for 9 days while my sister worked. They were up from Argentina. It was wonderful to see them, but I was so nervous about his stay since he doesnt (or didnt) speak much english. He picked it up very quickly and we made due. After my sister left he said a clear sentence. I had to laugh. Necessity sure kicks in fast. Charlie picked up a few spanish words, but mostly Benicio picked up Charlie's words and spoke in 2 year old sentences. That was fine with me!

I now have THREE callings in our ward. Brother Huse, the 2nd councilor, actually ran it by Joel first since he was nervous asking me to accept a third. I already do the ward bulletin and am the VT coordinator. Now I am the assistant girls camp director. It will be so fun, and my mother-in-law isn't working this summer so she will watch Charlie so I can go to camp, at least for a couple days. I am excited!!!

Charlie is busy moving his toys around and climbing, then jumping off everything. He is so busy. He has been using the potty some, but when we tried big boy undies he wet through 3 pair in about 10 min. I was so annoyed, so we are taking it slower.

My friend, Olivia, is close to having her baby. I am excited cause I am 'on call' to go help out. She is 36 weeks but already dialating so she is trying to induce herself. At the latest the doctor will induce on the 27th of this month, so sometime soon I will meet Jaimee (sp?) and get to hang out with her. We are going to help with the kids until her mom can get there, and then hang out for a day or so just for fun.

We have been wanting to go camping, but the cold and rain is stopping us. We got Charlie a cute fishing backpack that has a tackle box, a pole that shrinks, and sunglasses. It's so cute. He is pretty good at casting in the livingroom! I cant wait to take him out. So since we cant do that, I have been focusing on keeping the house clean, food storage, and my callings.

So I almost forgot... Charlie is losing yet another nail. He lost a thumb nail a year ago after smashing it in Kristi's gate, then a toe nail after getting it caught under a door... and now he smashed his middle finger in Kristi's screen door. It was nasty and purple and swollen for a week, now its white and lifting, but it probably wont fall off for a while since the ENTIRE nail is falling off, not just what is showing. It only hurts if he accidentally hits it.

I have also decided I needed an attitude adjustment. LOL. I have been putting myself down a lot, which in turn reduces my patience with myself and my boys. So I decided that I am how I am. Smaller goals to get what I want, and more patience with Charlie and Joel. I need to slow down, be slow to anger, and pray before I speak. It's been going well so far. I told Joel about it and he decided to help out by reminding me how wonderful he thinks I am, and trying to be more patient with Charlie too. Needless to say our house is already a more loving and peaceful place. Life is great!

So that is all I can think of for now! I have a wonderful family, great friends, and an amazing relationship with my Heavenly Father. What else could a gir ask for?!?!