Trying to get organized...Oy Vey!!!

Being a woman with ADHD and  mom of 4 kids under the age of 10 has it's challenges to say the least!!!  But then to have a daughter with ADHD makes things even harder.  I have a really hard time keeping things organized but for my beautiful daughter that not just yearns for it but NEEDS it.  SO I am on a mission to get the house, our lives and schedules organized. Can I take a moment and express how this makes me feel... AAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHH!!  Okay I can not express how overwhelming this is for me.  But I know with Heavenly Father I can do this!!!  So here is my plan

• Have a white board that will have a calendar, a daily schedule, hooks for chore cards, keys and daily necessities.
• Make chore cards for each child with morning routines, night time routines and their specific room and how to clean that room.
• Figure out what daily routine will work for the kids and I.  And how to incorporate daddy's crazy work schedule into it all.
• Make a list of a room a week to organize. 
• Research Recipes that keep in our budget :)  Preferably crock pot or make ahead meals that are about $5 a meal.
• Research ways to do chores efficiently.

And those are just the start...phew... but I pray that next year this time our house will be much calmer and run smoother :)

Grading Chart

Here is my latest creation for this years homeschool binder.  I couldn't find a grading chart that included all the grading areas I wanted to cover so I made my own.  I hope this fills a need for someone else.  Enjoy :)

The Morning Wake up

Why, oh, why is it sooooooo hard to wake up in the morning? I am not just talking about having to get out of my nice warm, comfy bed, NO for me it continues on to when I am walking around the house. If I were to stand still too long I would instantly fall asleep. My eyes are only half open and my mind keeps tempting me to lay down saying "If you just lay on the couch you would be so much happier", "If you sit down on that chair and rest your head you would feel so much better."

So unfair! And as a new convert my brain even says "What's wrong with coffee? The rest of the world drinks it. You know you would be a much happier and energetic (=better mommy) if you would just have a cup of coffee!" But as a Mormon I choose to be obedient to the teachings of our Prophet. He took issues to Jesus and Jesus answered him by saying all that is in the Word of Wisdom. I don't have to understand why, I just need to obey. And I have to admit it is easier to obey since Jesus told Joseph Smith that they were not to use tobacco because it would hurt their bodies; way before Doctors knew that it was harmful. But none the less I am obeying.

But I am sooo tired! I have always been a night owl but now that I have children that are morning birds I have to change. I wish I could just jump out of bed and sing with the birds like Cinderella or Snow white but I am more like their wicked step mothers.

So what am I going to do about it???? I really dislike when people just complain and don't have a plan so I will give my self a plan and hope it is the solution. I will make sure I wake up at 6:00am every morning for a month. I will make time to read my scriptures before the kids get up. I will have atleast one chore done before the kids get up and/or I will have a breakfast (that includes more then cereal to it) ready for them when they wake up. I will blog about it once a week.

Okay so there you have it. My get out of bed and stay out of bed plan! I will report back in a soon with how things are going.

Fun Days

During school one day last week, my daughter, Faith Anne, suggested that we have a fun activity to do everyday but we can only do it if everyone has their chores and school is done.  If not, then we can't do the activity.  I thought that was such a good idea that as soon as school was out I hit Pinterest searching for fun things for the kids to do and came up with a months worth of fun kid activities.  Above is the calendar for August that you can print or you can download it from here.  Then on the days that you don't know how to make the activity go over to my Pinterest board Fun Kid Ideas and find the activity.  Also make sure to follow that board so that you can see any new activities I add :)I hope you enjoy :)

Weekly Deals

So I am at Fry's tonight wanting to get a couple gallons of milk to make yogurt.  And as I am looking at their half gallons for $1.56,  I am thinking "Is this the best deal out there for the week???????" And so I spend then next 10 minutes searching the web on my phone to find a gonga deal at walgreens,  So I go to walgreens only to see the deal isn't there :( So on my way home, milkless, I think I really need to come up with a way to solve this problem so I will know ahead of time.  Once home and after switching over the laundry I get on the computer and instinctively pull up facebook, then I remember what I was on the computer for and at that point is when I created the above document :) 

So I plan (plan is the key word here ) to print off a bunch of these and have them on the kitchen fridge and every Tuesday jot down the store and price of the best deal around town for these shopping staples.  I hope this blesses you in your crazy life :)  You can download the PDF through this link.
Deals of the Week

Family History

I am still pumped from yesterday's trip to the Temple. And so is Barbara, who went with me :). So I have downloaded my PAF (Personal Ancestral File) software and had my mother send me the family history she has already accomplished and so now I get to start finding people and getting them cataloged.

It is special anytime we are able to give someone the opportunity they missed (for one reason or another) here on earth to receive the ordinances that are needed; but I think it will be double as special when I am able to give my own ancestors the opportunity. It will be such a blessing to stand in the place for them so that they can progress in their teachings in the Spirit world.

What an opportunity we have as Mormons to be able to walk into the Temple and be surrounded by the Holy Spirit. To be able to go and do celestial work here on earth, not for ourselves but for others that can not do it for themselves. I am so thankful to Heavenly Father for giving us so many opportunities to serve and be blessed.

So it's time for me to "start takin names and gettin them baptized"!

My First Time Doing Temple Work

First, I have to say if you have never been in a Temple to do work you are missing out in a seriously BIG way! It was really amazing!!! The Holy Spirit just fills the whole Temple. You can feel it everywhere you are. I wasn't sure how things would go, so I imagined I would be baptized for one person and then get out of the baptismal and someone else would go in. But I was able to do multiple confirmations and baptisms. It was wonderful. I could even tell that two of the people were very happy that their names had come up for baptism. I can not wait to go and do more Temple work!

So I ask you, Have you been to your local temple lately? (Cheesy I know Buuut have ya?)

Am I a Christian????

Let me start off by saying that I am writing this because I am sick of people thinking and saying that Mormons are not Christians. The definition of Christian is ...

1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus.

2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.

And I can tell you that I DO believe in Jesus Christ.

Just because I, as a Mormon, do not follow the trinitarian theology (A view that was established by Constantine I's views) does not make me any less of a Christian. I believe in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I try to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. The book of Mormon is another book compiled of Books that speak of Jesus Christ through out their scriptures. My children and I learn of the prophets that God spoke to and through and about Jesus Christ as our Savior.

So would all the Mormon bashers out there please learn all the facts first and then if you still feel like arguing or putting down my religion please realize it is okay for others to have a different view. I have spent most of my life attending the trinitairian churches (ie. Methodist, Lutheran, Non-Denominational) and knew that there was something missing. After spending time in The Church of Latter-day Saints I was able to answer all my questions. I found what I was missing. What is that you ask? The full truth.

Today's Nummy Snack

So the other day I stumbled (as in a friend of a friend suggested to my friend to check out this site and I took her advice even though she wasn't talking to me.:) )upon the web site Our Best Bites and have since been addicted to it. I even have their cook book on my Kindle :)

Any how, so I decided to try their Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips. And they turn out amazing. My kids love it too, which is saying a lot!

Crazy Mommy Moment

Okay so tonight I had one of those crazy mommy moments.... I told the kids that they had till tonight bedtime to pick up their toys in the playroom and whatever is left will be given away. Well of course they only picked up a few and so I just took out what was left on the floor. Including ones I had made them for Christmas last year that I stayed up til early morning making and buildabears that cost more then any stuffed animal should. I put in a baseball mit that one of them got from Uncle Bob and I told them that whos ever that was will not play softball this year because I will not buy another one to replace it. I am really frustrated, mad and hurt that they care so little about these things but even more I am mad at myself for buying things for them instead of paying bills, paying back my parents and tithing!!! What kind of example have I set for them! Even if they don't know the details of it.

Well as of tonight it has all changed! Dave and I have started getting serious about our budget and what we are going to spend or not spend our money on. And useless toys are below the line as Dave Ramsey says. I am sick of feeling like a bad mother and wife because my house is always a mess because of all of the stuff cluttering it up. The stuff can go so that we can have inner peace.

Emily's birthday dolls

Every birthday the kids have we give each child a present. It's one of our traditions. For Emily's birthday I decided to make them each a doll. The pattern is from A bit of whimsey.

I will not forget but I will forgive. It has been 10 years and I am ready to let go and forgive. God can do more to them then I ever could and so I will forgive!!

(Romans 12:19-21) 19 Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Our driveway

We have had many stray and lost animals come down our driveway but today's animal was the most interesting by far!!

Emily playing church

Faith Anne playing church

The Babies

A little over a year ago Rachel, Holly, Nancy and I were all very pregnant and took some pictures together.

Me (Dena), Nancy, Rachel & Holly

Just this weekend was Reagan's (Rachel's baby) Birthday and we were all together again.

Holly & Bryson, Rachel & Reagan, Nancy & David and Me & Adelynn

My Mornings

Life is full of many choices. One I have made through the promting of the Lord is to wake up at 5:30am. To some that may not seem very early, however to a night owl like myself I have never enjoyed waking up! Until this week that is. I love my mornings and the person I am for my family due to my early morning routine!

I wake up, make an iced coffee, sit down with my prayer calendars for my children and husband and then read my bible reading for the day from the Lutheran book of worship. I am able to do this all before the two little ones wake up and is just what I was needing but just didn't know it. I encourage you to head over to Inspired To Action and get the resourses and motivation you need to the person you have always wanted to be. I pray that God blesses you amazingly through this resourse just has He is for me!

In Christ,

Dena

Easter

One of our churches Easter traditions is to decorate at cross with flowers after the Sunrise Service and Breakfast. We didn't make it to the sunrise service but we did make it to the breakfast and for the flowers. It was really neat watching the cross come to life.

Adelynn's first taste of flowers. I'm sure it won't be her last.

Sierra, ?, Breanna, Tyler, ?, Faith Anne & Emily

I made the girls dresses :)

Adelynn was sleeping, and you know what they say about not waking a baby so she didn't make it in our pictures. And Dave was working days so he didn't get to be there.

Easter Egg Hunt

The Vanderplas' had everyone from church over for an Easter Egg hunt. We all had so much fun. These are some of the children our kids are in Sunday School with.

Park Day