About two years ago I began working for a gentleman who has since then become like a grandfather to me. In reality, we've even discovered that we ARE long-distance cousins.
I try to find new connections to add to his tree, but I've been at a stand-still for nearly 6 months (well, really, longer than that I think!). I finally, finally found the family who I believe his 4th great-grandmother belongs to. Sure, it was only her parents and siblings, but it's one more family we didn't know about. I'm hopeful that I can find more about the siblings and work back to the present, but we'll have to see how that goes.
It's neat that if I'm working on his line or my line, it all ends up being my genealogy. It's fun to see the names that come up and wondering if I am somehow related to the friends I have made over the years. I haven't tracked anyone down as of yet, but I AM searching!!
29 June 2010
23 June 2010
Finding Time To Read
I know, I know. Everyone is sick of hearing about reading from me. Sorry. It's on my top 5 passions.
The one thing I constantly hear is that people have such a hard time taking time (or finding time) to read. Life is crazy-busy and it just doesn't work. OR, people get too overly consumed in reading and then neglect the things they need to be doing (ie: taking care of children, cleaning the house, or other duties).
I don't have the secret because, well, let's be honest, I don't live your life. However, I think I know how to sneak a few minutes in here and there which equals completing some reading without sacrificing other things. This ability began probably on the toilet in my pre-teen years as I realized the joy of reading the funny stories in The Reader's Digest (the honored piece of literature that graced the backs of the toilet seat in my youth). It was further imprinted upon me as I became a student of literature in college. I found myself reading in every spare moment I had, such as walking the approximate five blocks to campus and back. Sure, probably not the "safest" thing to do crossing streets, but I was responsible enough to look both ways before crossing. As I've become a mother, this talent has been improved even more. So, I'll share a few things with you.
The most important aspect in finding the time is choosing reading to be a priority in my life. Most people find time in their lives to eat, sleep and work. Others find time to exercise and do other hobbies. I choose to read, so I seek opportunities to do so.
People wonder how to do this with children in the house. Right now I'm the mother of two active little girls. Guess what? They don't always need me to play with them. I believe it is important for children to learn to entertain themselves. There are so many obvious benefits to this that I won't waste time listing them. "Free play" is a term used in schools. It becomes a time when children can create and discover the world with a little less chaperoning. My 4 year old did not start building creative structures because I taught her. She did it because she was given the opportunity to discover it for herself. (Sometimes I think my limited creativity as an adult who wants things to conform to a certain standard can stifle her child's imagination.)
Setting up a time of the day (if you feel the need to schedule) is important, too. I don't have a set time that I read, but I make sure I do it every day. I can sit down in the afternoon and read for 15-30 minutes to my children and then I ask them if I can have some time to read my book afterward. I'm always permitted to do this. Sometimes I will even read portions of the book out loud to my kids. This generally encourages them to scamper off and find more entertaining things to do (apparently Kafka and Austen and Amen is less interesting to a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old). This allows me some time off of my feet, too. It's relaxing for me and needed about mid-day.
Another secret is allowing myself to read a little bit at different points of the day. A little goes a long way. You can read on the toilet, while you brush your teeth, while you do your hair, and even while you exercise (I'm a pretty good master at propping up a book on the treadmill...when I'm that motivated to get some exercise). In fact, reading while exercising was the key to improving my brain as a missionary. I memorized almost every scripture and quote while exercising. And, I was able to read The Bible and The Book of Mormon in 3 weeks because of this, too. Right now I reserve toilet time for reading the scriptures. It's just the best way for me to have exposure to The Word throughout the day. (It's estimated that a person, over their lifespan, will spend between 1-3 years on "the throne".) I also ALWAYS read while my kids play in the tub. Tubtime for them is reading time for me. So, do yourself a favor and grab a couple of minutes reading when you can. I also carry a book with me in the car for unexpected (or expected) waits in the car or doctor's office or wherever you have been scheduled to be somewhere else.
I also read myself to sleep quite often. It's the best way for me to ensure a good night's rest. This is probably a habit I started as a child, but it still works as an adult.
My final tip in finding time to read is to share what you read with others. As you are discovering things, you can share them with your spouse, your friends, your family, and, with the use of the internet, the world. Eric and I are always sharing things we've learned throughout the day. Sometimes it is stuff that comes from books and sometimes from the rest of our environment. The thing with sharing is, it keeps you excited and motivated to keep learning so you have more things to share.
There are other ways of finding the time to read, and maybe you can suggest them. Basically, like all of our life choices, we have to choose when, and how and why. The rest will fall together.
The one thing I constantly hear is that people have such a hard time taking time (or finding time) to read. Life is crazy-busy and it just doesn't work. OR, people get too overly consumed in reading and then neglect the things they need to be doing (ie: taking care of children, cleaning the house, or other duties).
I don't have the secret because, well, let's be honest, I don't live your life. However, I think I know how to sneak a few minutes in here and there which equals completing some reading without sacrificing other things. This ability began probably on the toilet in my pre-teen years as I realized the joy of reading the funny stories in The Reader's Digest (the honored piece of literature that graced the backs of the toilet seat in my youth). It was further imprinted upon me as I became a student of literature in college. I found myself reading in every spare moment I had, such as walking the approximate five blocks to campus and back. Sure, probably not the "safest" thing to do crossing streets, but I was responsible enough to look both ways before crossing. As I've become a mother, this talent has been improved even more. So, I'll share a few things with you.
The most important aspect in finding the time is choosing reading to be a priority in my life. Most people find time in their lives to eat, sleep and work. Others find time to exercise and do other hobbies. I choose to read, so I seek opportunities to do so.
People wonder how to do this with children in the house. Right now I'm the mother of two active little girls. Guess what? They don't always need me to play with them. I believe it is important for children to learn to entertain themselves. There are so many obvious benefits to this that I won't waste time listing them. "Free play" is a term used in schools. It becomes a time when children can create and discover the world with a little less chaperoning. My 4 year old did not start building creative structures because I taught her. She did it because she was given the opportunity to discover it for herself. (Sometimes I think my limited creativity as an adult who wants things to conform to a certain standard can stifle her child's imagination.)
Setting up a time of the day (if you feel the need to schedule) is important, too. I don't have a set time that I read, but I make sure I do it every day. I can sit down in the afternoon and read for 15-30 minutes to my children and then I ask them if I can have some time to read my book afterward. I'm always permitted to do this. Sometimes I will even read portions of the book out loud to my kids. This generally encourages them to scamper off and find more entertaining things to do (apparently Kafka and Austen and Amen is less interesting to a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old). This allows me some time off of my feet, too. It's relaxing for me and needed about mid-day.
Another secret is allowing myself to read a little bit at different points of the day. A little goes a long way. You can read on the toilet, while you brush your teeth, while you do your hair, and even while you exercise (I'm a pretty good master at propping up a book on the treadmill...when I'm that motivated to get some exercise). In fact, reading while exercising was the key to improving my brain as a missionary. I memorized almost every scripture and quote while exercising. And, I was able to read The Bible and The Book of Mormon in 3 weeks because of this, too. Right now I reserve toilet time for reading the scriptures. It's just the best way for me to have exposure to The Word throughout the day. (It's estimated that a person, over their lifespan, will spend between 1-3 years on "the throne".) I also ALWAYS read while my kids play in the tub. Tubtime for them is reading time for me. So, do yourself a favor and grab a couple of minutes reading when you can. I also carry a book with me in the car for unexpected (or expected) waits in the car or doctor's office or wherever you have been scheduled to be somewhere else.
I also read myself to sleep quite often. It's the best way for me to ensure a good night's rest. This is probably a habit I started as a child, but it still works as an adult.
My final tip in finding time to read is to share what you read with others. As you are discovering things, you can share them with your spouse, your friends, your family, and, with the use of the internet, the world. Eric and I are always sharing things we've learned throughout the day. Sometimes it is stuff that comes from books and sometimes from the rest of our environment. The thing with sharing is, it keeps you excited and motivated to keep learning so you have more things to share.
There are other ways of finding the time to read, and maybe you can suggest them. Basically, like all of our life choices, we have to choose when, and how and why. The rest will fall together.
14 June 2010
Thank You for Giving Me the Magic
I, obviously, adore my kids. We have two outings every week that they can count on. The first is going to church every Sunday. The second is going to the library.
Tonight we had a breakthrough with Emily. We sat down and she read her very first complete book. She read The Kite by Mary Packard. She was getting so excited as she turned page after page and was able to sound out and read the words. At one point, she turned to me and gave me a huge hug with happiness bursting out of her and exclaimed, "Thank you so much for giving me the magic! I can read!!"
Reading is like magic. It opens up worlds: both fictional and real. It can take you places in your mind but it can also allow you to function and excel in school and business as well as in relationships with others.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am so grateful my children already have the love of reading. I'm so glad my Mom gave me the magic of reading.
Tonight we had a breakthrough with Emily. We sat down and she read her very first complete book. She read The Kite by Mary Packard. She was getting so excited as she turned page after page and was able to sound out and read the words. At one point, she turned to me and gave me a huge hug with happiness bursting out of her and exclaimed, "Thank you so much for giving me the magic! I can read!!"
Reading is like magic. It opens up worlds: both fictional and real. It can take you places in your mind but it can also allow you to function and excel in school and business as well as in relationships with others.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am so grateful my children already have the love of reading. I'm so glad my Mom gave me the magic of reading.
13 June 2010
Just Love
I know there are many out there with varying degrees of belief in God and even those who do not believe in Him. I just want to say that I love Him. I know He is real. I know there are answers to questions.
A friend of mine recently asked a question about religion. I'm not out here to sway her to my point of view. I am here to be an example of Christ and teach truth. I explained to her that all good things come from God and that sorting out the truths from the untruths is the hard part when it comes to religion. You can only do this through prayer.
Of course, prayer demands a bit of faith. Actually, it demands something more basic than faith. It demands hope. Hope for there to be a God. Hope that we can change. Hope that families really can be together forever. Hope that there are answers. When we express this hope, we demonstrate that mustard seed of faith. It may be small and seemingly insignificant, but as we allow that hope and faith to grow, it can lead to the kind of faith that moves mountains and allows us to see miracles in our lives.
When we have faith, we then become more involved in teaching others about Christ and being devoted to Him. We seek to remove all bad characteristics and habits from our lives. It's a process. True and complete conversion takes time, but more importantly, willingness to see the freedoms and happiness that making good choices allows. Religion isn't stifling; it's liberating. God isn't one who wants restrictions placed upon us. He is sure of the path of happiness and guides and directs us as any good parent does.
I love Him with all my heart. I'm trying my best to do His will. I know He has a purpose for each one of us on this earth. I'm a daughter of God. I am the wife of a wonderful man who makes me better than I could be by myself. I am the mother of two glorious children who remind me how simple faith really can be. I am a daughter of goodly parents who have struggled and succeeded. I am a sister, an aunt, a granddaughter and a friend. I want everyone to have the fullness of joy that I have in knowing God loves each of us and knowing the pathway to have that happiness.
Please know, that by reading this message, I care for you and want you to be happy, too.
(Found this after posting, but I thought I'd leave a link. It's good stuff!)
And, I also need to make note that Eric has been teaching me a LOT about the concept of hope and it is through his epiphanies that this all makes sense. Can I just say that I love this man?
A friend of mine recently asked a question about religion. I'm not out here to sway her to my point of view. I am here to be an example of Christ and teach truth. I explained to her that all good things come from God and that sorting out the truths from the untruths is the hard part when it comes to religion. You can only do this through prayer.
Of course, prayer demands a bit of faith. Actually, it demands something more basic than faith. It demands hope. Hope for there to be a God. Hope that we can change. Hope that families really can be together forever. Hope that there are answers. When we express this hope, we demonstrate that mustard seed of faith. It may be small and seemingly insignificant, but as we allow that hope and faith to grow, it can lead to the kind of faith that moves mountains and allows us to see miracles in our lives.
When we have faith, we then become more involved in teaching others about Christ and being devoted to Him. We seek to remove all bad characteristics and habits from our lives. It's a process. True and complete conversion takes time, but more importantly, willingness to see the freedoms and happiness that making good choices allows. Religion isn't stifling; it's liberating. God isn't one who wants restrictions placed upon us. He is sure of the path of happiness and guides and directs us as any good parent does.
I love Him with all my heart. I'm trying my best to do His will. I know He has a purpose for each one of us on this earth. I'm a daughter of God. I am the wife of a wonderful man who makes me better than I could be by myself. I am the mother of two glorious children who remind me how simple faith really can be. I am a daughter of goodly parents who have struggled and succeeded. I am a sister, an aunt, a granddaughter and a friend. I want everyone to have the fullness of joy that I have in knowing God loves each of us and knowing the pathway to have that happiness.
Please know, that by reading this message, I care for you and want you to be happy, too.
(Found this after posting, but I thought I'd leave a link. It's good stuff!)
And, I also need to make note that Eric has been teaching me a LOT about the concept of hope and it is through his epiphanies that this all makes sense. Can I just say that I love this man?
05 June 2010
My Heart is Beating
One of my famous quotes is: "My heart is beating!" Yeah, "well, duh!" It was after my friend Cameron and I were laughing so hard that we could hardly breathe. I noticed my heart was RACING, but I said "beating".
It's a genetic flaw. Tonight, Gianna hurt Emily's feelings by slipping a new wrench toy into the floor fan. The decorative green handle broke off and Emily became devastated. Gianna, after receiving her discipline came out and gave Emily hugs. She kept hugging Emily so much that I was afraid they were going to topple over. Emily's response: "It's making my heart beat. It feels better."
Since the "apology" of Gianna's incessant hugs, they have now enjoyed the past while playing the hug game, chase, ring-around-the-rosies, twirl your sister on the ground, and jump rope leading. This is getting to be REALLY fun to have two girls who love each other and can entertain each other.
It's a genetic flaw. Tonight, Gianna hurt Emily's feelings by slipping a new wrench toy into the floor fan. The decorative green handle broke off and Emily became devastated. Gianna, after receiving her discipline came out and gave Emily hugs. She kept hugging Emily so much that I was afraid they were going to topple over. Emily's response: "It's making my heart beat. It feels better."
Since the "apology" of Gianna's incessant hugs, they have now enjoyed the past while playing the hug game, chase, ring-around-the-rosies, twirl your sister on the ground, and jump rope leading. This is getting to be REALLY fun to have two girls who love each other and can entertain each other.
Gianna and the Visit
She really is getting too cute for words. I loved the way she clung on to my Mom while she was here. I wanted more than the two days we got with them, but I am really glad my parents and brother could come down for a visit.
My family is amazing...and, a little crazy. Jake had a State Track Meet to compete in for High Jump on Saturday. So, they were up all day for that and left immediately after he finished. They jumped in the car and started the long travel down here. At 6:30am they finally arrived. Exhausted. But, we took them home, got everyone showered and dressed for church (my mom taking care of the girls, too!) and made it there by 8:45am (I know, we are breaking records with being there early!!). Eric and I sang a song and then we decided that my family REALLY needed to get some sleep, so we took them home after the first meeting. They got some rest that day, ate some yummy chimmichangas, and watched a movie together (some of us falling asleep basically when it started).
Monday morning we were up shopping for fruits and vegetables to can (my Mom was going to teach a small group of women) while the other half were getting ready and going paintballing. No peaches. No nothing, really, to preserve. Got home, did some canning. Paintballers returned. A little more sleep for the travelers. A combined family BBQ with my family and Eric's family. Then to bed we went.
Tuesday morning, they packed up and were out of here by 9am.
That's what I call a quick visit. It was great, though!
Make-Up
I'm sure Emily was in consultation for Avatar's makeup. I especially love Emily's face in this one. Maybe she HAS seen some modeling done...'cause she doesn't look happy.
Mud Pies
As I was cleaning and preparing for my family to arrive, Emily came to me with a dishtowel and wanted me to pin it to her to keep the mud off her legs. Not paying 100% attention to what this meant, I replied, "It's okay to get a little dirty. We'll wash it off later."
I had no idea this is what that response meant.
Not only were they covered with it (I even removed clothing and they went back to it before I got them cleaned up), but they painted their play house, the porch, AND the cat (thus the blurry image)!!
Needless to say, we had baths early that day and I will now be more aware of what I say...at least for another week or so...
I had no idea this is what that response meant.
Not only were they covered with it (I even removed clothing and they went back to it before I got them cleaned up), but they painted their play house, the porch, AND the cat (thus the blurry image)!!
Needless to say, we had baths early that day and I will now be more aware of what I say...at least for another week or so...
Jack and the Beanstalk
I am just loving this stage of Fairytales. It's so great for the imagination!! Emily drew this last week.
Paintballers
A few years ago my parents came down for a visit and Eric took my Dad and brother paintballing. They had so much fun that it's been talked about ever since. Well, when Eric heard they were planning another trip down here, he started planning a big paintball activity and invited 25-30 people to join up for some Memorial Day fun. Out of those invited, only 8 showed up, but they had a grand time of it. (The first time it was just Eric, Dad, and my brother Jake).
Sports Hall of Fame
As one of our outings we went to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. I give this museum two thumbs up. It was everything I expected it to be and it was a lot of fun.
There were the information stations as well as memorabilia. The best part was the activities they had upstairs. We could shoot hoops, check our balance, throw footballs and kick field goals, compete for the highest vertical, check our reaction time and ride a Special Olympics wheelchair. It was so much fun and the girls loved it.
I have to say that none of us have any balance according to that activity. I don't know who DOES have that kind of balance. Gianna and Emily were both quick on the draw for the trivia game...no one has quicker hands and minds than they do! Of course, they got every question wrong, but who said you have to read to play? Eric beat me on throwing footballs through the tires, but I got it through first! And, I win on the vertical jump. He only jumped 12 inches while mine was 16. Of course, it probably wasn't fair since he had a bum knee from paintballing earlier this week, but we won't figure that into the competition. =)
We had a great time and there was plenty more to see that we didn't as we had our two active little girls who enjoyed the open spaces to run in.
04 June 2010
No Use for Recycle Bin
About a year ago we had a hard down pour for a few days. Somehow our recycle bin ended up floating away. We have never had it replaced.
A friend of mine urged me to get a new one. I think she may have been under the impression that I was no longer recycling. It's untrue. Actually, I've become better at recycling.
Any product that comes into my home in the form of cardboard gets new life as backing for my felt board pieces.
Any product that comes into my home in the form of a bottle is rendered into water storage (not water we drink, but can use in other ways).
We reuse the plastic bags from the store in a variety of ways...usually collecting trash (let's face it, some trash IS trash...and you don't want it hanging around in your home).
We don't get the newspaper, but the newspaper-like ads make great paper to create patterns from. And, the rest of the junk mail or paid bills end up going through the shredder and will eventually be added to a compost box....which, I'm still working on getting started so my neighbors don't have to smell the decomposing food too, but that's in the works.
And, for the felt board, I also rip off the velcro tags on my child's diapers and glue them on the back of the felt board pieces to adhere to the felt! (I tried the whole cloth diapering system, but my kids' bodies just haven't meshed too well with it...moisture MUST be wicked away to prevent diaper rash!!)
So, I may not be sending things off to be recycled at a plant, but I am doing my part to reduce the waste that comes from our home in the first place. We have NEVER had a full trashcan to be picked up every week, so reducing even more feels that much better.
Plus, we use A/C and heat in our home as little as possible (this year's goal: no A/C ever) and figure life carried on just as well in log cabins a hundred years ago, so we can do it w/our insulated modern home as well.
I may be a little late on Earth Day, but I've been doing it all along. Happy Earth Day to you!!
A friend of mine urged me to get a new one. I think she may have been under the impression that I was no longer recycling. It's untrue. Actually, I've become better at recycling.
Any product that comes into my home in the form of cardboard gets new life as backing for my felt board pieces.
Any product that comes into my home in the form of a bottle is rendered into water storage (not water we drink, but can use in other ways).
We reuse the plastic bags from the store in a variety of ways...usually collecting trash (let's face it, some trash IS trash...and you don't want it hanging around in your home).
We don't get the newspaper, but the newspaper-like ads make great paper to create patterns from. And, the rest of the junk mail or paid bills end up going through the shredder and will eventually be added to a compost box....which, I'm still working on getting started so my neighbors don't have to smell the decomposing food too, but that's in the works.
And, for the felt board, I also rip off the velcro tags on my child's diapers and glue them on the back of the felt board pieces to adhere to the felt! (I tried the whole cloth diapering system, but my kids' bodies just haven't meshed too well with it...moisture MUST be wicked away to prevent diaper rash!!)
So, I may not be sending things off to be recycled at a plant, but I am doing my part to reduce the waste that comes from our home in the first place. We have NEVER had a full trashcan to be picked up every week, so reducing even more feels that much better.
Plus, we use A/C and heat in our home as little as possible (this year's goal: no A/C ever) and figure life carried on just as well in log cabins a hundred years ago, so we can do it w/our insulated modern home as well.
I may be a little late on Earth Day, but I've been doing it all along. Happy Earth Day to you!!
03 June 2010
Let the Good Times Roll
This morning Emily was playing a game on PBSKids.org. Gianna was stretched across the side of the table to watch. Both of them were enjoying being together and watching the game.
A few minutes ago, the two of them were playing a game in front of the fan: chasing a feather that was being blown in the wind. Then, they started hugging each other.
Things are not always as heavenly, but it is in these moments that I know that they love each other. I love witnessing it. I am just so in love with them!!
It makes me think of my siblings. I know that we had our fights and disagreements, but we also made a lot of happy memories of playing together and enjoying the company of each other.
These are the things we share when we are together. No one remembers (or at least no one brings it up) the fights or arguments or the times when we couldn't stand each other. When we are together, we only feel emotions of love and joy at being together. We reminisce about the good times and let the bad times fade from memory.
It is sometimes hard to wait until the next time I get to see my family, but it is always worth it when those moments are new happy memories or shared memories of the past, such as these two girls will be able to share with each other in their futures.
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