Many Projects on Needles and Hooks

 

I have many things on hooks and needles right now, and I am kind of loving it. I have the cushion I am making with my birthday yarn that is a little over half done and put on hold until I get the pillows stuffed in it so I can crochet around the rest. It’s not a huge priority and may wait until I am done with this semester’s classes. I have a shawl that I am mostly knitting at church because it is simple and doesn’t need much attention. Noel asked me to knit her a sweater and even picked out the yarn and pattern, so of course that has already been started. Then there are the socks I’m making for Eric and his girlfriend for Christmas because I have no idea what to get them. I had them approve the yarn and give me measurements, so they know what they are getting. I’m ok with that because I know they will be used. I am of course only making one sock at a time, but it is fast and easy. The last project in my sights has not been started yet but needs to be done for a January birthday for my friend’s daughter: boot cuffs. 

I love knitting and crocheting (mostly knitting). I love that people are recognizing this talent. It’s making it even more fun!

Absolute Beginner HIIT

 

I have Apple Fitness+ through my insurance, but I don’t take advantage of it as much as I should. Tonight, I decided to pick up where I left off in the spring since it’s a bit too icy to run outside. 

I did a 10 minute HIIT workout, and it felt good. I haven’t done a HIIT workout since they stopped doing classes at the gym. This one was far less intense, but it is one step closer to helping me re-establish a regular workout routine. 

Feel Like Quitting

I have been in school way to long. I have assignments that I have procrastinated for far too long. The original due dates were Saturday, but they were bumped out until today because of the holiday week. I don't like having to work this hard for the class. It is more work than I have done for any other class which I know is kind of the point of school. I know the class that I dropped earlier this semester will be even more work. The thing is I just want to be done with school. I don't want to drop out because I am so close to graduated. At the same time, I just don't want to do this anymore. I know I can accomplish almost anything if I put my nose to the grindstone and just do it. I have been doing this in so many areas of my like that I am exhausted. I just need to tell myself that this time next year I will not have to do this anymore as long as I put my best foot forward and pass my classes. Wish me luck!  

My Cheerleaders

In Relief Society today, we discussed Sister Tunis’s talk from this last conference, Seeing God’s Family Through the Overview Lens. During this discussion, there was a conversation about the people that lift us up, help us through hard times, and generally have our backs. I sat quietly thinking if the people who have supported me through the years. As each person that contributed to the conversation talked about that one person, all I could think was that there are different people during different seasons of life. 

When my mom struggled with mental illness, my dad was there for me. He wasn’t perfect, but he was there for me the best way he knew how especially after she moved out. 

My Young Women’s leaders encouraged me to be my best. They helped me make tough decisions and told me I was a good person even when I didn’t think so. 

My former mother-in-law is a cheerleader to all. I don’t think she has met anyone she doesn’t like. When I was struggling to feel my worth, she would show it to me. I remember one Sunday arguing with my then-husband about whether I was a good driver (a stupid fight) on the way to her house for dinner. (He had told me I was a bad driver because my license had expired. It had expired because we couldn’t afford fir me to renew it.) As I helped make dinner, she asked me why I seemed upset. After explaining the fight, she told me she would fix it and made the plan to take me to the DMV to renew my license. She made no judgment, just helped me feel like my needs mattered. I could go in and on about the many things she has done to heal the wounds she didn’t even know were there just by being her and seeing the best in me. 

My best friend was there for me when I needed her the most. I could stop by her house just to cry without notice. When I struggled with my testimony, she met me where I was and helped me see how I could do better when I needed it. When I was pushing everyone away, she pulled me in closer. I will forever be thankful for her love and support during the good and bad times. 

There are many others. I have been truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. I know my Heavenly Father sent them to me when I needed the most. I pray that I will one day be able to be this person for someone else. 

Thanksgiving

 

I can’t really say we have a regular Thanksgiving tradition anymore. I have alternated having the kids on Thanksgiving with their dad for most of the kids’ lives. For a while we would have dinner with my sister and Chad’s parents and brother. However, my sister and Chad’s mom have moved to another state just like the rest of my family, and we don’t see Chad’s brother as much anymore. This means that when it’s not my turn with my children for Thanksgiving, we have celebrated together a day late for while. I’m alright with this. I even planned it that way with them in September so they didn’t have to feel like they had to choose between their mom or their dad. 

Today, I got to spend a good chunk of my time making a big dinner for my family including a spice cake for those who don’t like pie. This was followed by decorating the house with Christmas decorations and a game of UNO. Then, we pulled names for our not-so-secret Santa. Overall, it was a good way to celebrate family and Thanksgivings while ushering in the Christmas season. 

Noel Turns 18

My baby girl turned 18 today. It seems like she was a sassy toddler just yesterday, but now she is fully grown. Where has the time gone?

To celebrate her birthday, we went to Pizza Hut as a family before going home for more fun. At home we had monkey bread for dessert (her choice), she opened her presents, and we played Clue. We had originally planned to put up the Christmas tree, but she chose a game instead. Thankfully, everyone in the family was able to be there for her. 

My goal for the kids’ 18th birthdays has been for them to be spoiled. I tried very had with this one. I hope she knows how special she is. 

Happy Lemon, or Not

 

There is a Happy Lemon shop next to the Crumbl near me. I thought it was a place that sold mostly lemonade type drinks and had been thinking about going there for a while. Tonight, Chad and I went there for our date night before finishing our birthday shopping for Noel. When we went into the shop with bright yellow walls, we were slightly disappointed. 

Happy Lemon is not a lemonade shop in any way. They sell mostly tea type drinks. There were only two drinks that were mixed with lemon that didn’t have tea. We both got strawberry lemonade. It was good but not what I was hoping for when we went. 

Start of Noel’s Birthday Week

Noel’s 18th birthday is in a few days. We try to make the 18th special. (Of course, it gets a bit bigger with each kid.) Adding to my desire to make this one bigger than others is the fact that her last few birthdays haven’t been great and she has needed a bit extra attention lately. This means I am doing my best to spoil her this year. 

Today, she had some friends over to celebrate with her. She made it clear that she wanted to be the one who planned it and didn’t want me hovering. She asked us to buy fruit and veggie trays. We also got chips and some appetizers for our dinner and for the girls to eat. Once they were all here, they mostly stayed in Noel’s room while we kept the dogs out of the way. It sounds like they had a good time. 

The next celebration is on Wednesday when we take all of us to dinner and decorate the Christmas tree. I hope she feels special. (That is always my goal even if I occasionally fail.)

Reluctant but Glad

I have recently been called as the secretary in the Relief Society. With this calling comes new responsibilities. (I have had this calling before, but different want different things.) Earlier this week, the new president realized that no one had signed up for the monthly temple trip. (We have only been in these calling for about two weeks, so that is not too surprising.) She sent a text out to the presidency asking us to go, and I agreed. The problem was that I had also said I would take my friend lunch and hang out with her the same day because she had surgery earlier in the week and we hadn't had our monthly lunch together yet. When I realized what I had done, I felt bad and considered backing out of the temple trip. As of Friday morning, I did not know who was going and  was very tempted to cancel. A big part of me felt guilty for this. 

Friday afternoon, I was told that there were five of us going and was asked how many I could fit in my car (5 including me if the people in the backseat squish). At this point, I knew I was locked in to this trip. I spent a good amount of time dreading it and feeling guilty that I would have to make lunch with my friend late. I stressed about it so much that it interrupted my sleep. 

This morning, I got up and got ready and reminded myself of the feelings of peace I get in the temple and started to feel peace. Suddenly, I was in a better mood as I continued to get ready. When I met up with the other ladies, I was ready to fully participate the blessings of the temple. There were only four of us that showed up, so we were able to all fit in my car. 

I am so happy that I went to the temple this morning. I had some wonderful memories as I participated and learned things I had not thought of previously. I texted my friend as we left the temple and called her after dropping everyone off at the church. She was not upset at all. We have had lunch at 1pm in the past, so it wasn't something unusual. Also, I let her pick what food I would pick up on the way to her house and what I would buy for her and her son for dinner. 

Even though I left the house before 8am and didn't get home until about 5pm, I feel like my day was well spent. I do not regret my decision other than not getting my homework done after I got home. (I now have only two hours until everything is due and have done very little.)

Hobby Time

My daughter has had a few emotional weeks, and the closer it gets to her birthday, the harder life seems to be for her. (I won’t go into details because it’s not my issues.) She isn’t a big fan of being comforted which breaks my heart because I just want to fix everything for her. 

Tonight, she just wanted to leave the house, so we headed out after dinner. First, we got gas (originally our only plan). Then, we headed over to Micheal’s to get craft supplies. As we walked through the store, she seemed to perk up a bit. She found some pints and supplies for a project she had in her head and asked me to make her a sweater. We left with everything she and I needed for these projects. I know it didn’t solve her problems, but my hope is that she will use this as a healthy coping mechanism. 

Dehydrated

Yesterday, Chad as d I had our date night. We went to the temple to do sealings and ate at Culver’s. Overall, it was a good night until we were about halfway home. At this point, I was feeling lightheaded and queasy. The late it got, the worse I felt. 

I had to think about what may have caused the issue. I don’t leave the house much, so I most likely didn’t catch anything unless Noel brought the germs home from school or Chad brought them him from work. Eventually, I realized that I hadn’t drank enough water for a few days. Just like my kids, I get an upset stomach when I am dehydrated. 

Today, I have drank 3 water bottles of water as well as my regular soda. I feel a lot better. I need to remember this and drink the plain water when I start to feel hungry. 

Back to Doing Lists

 Years ago, I would do to do lists to prove my worth. I would even add stuff just to prove to someone who didn’t believe I did much of anything that I was doing something with my day. (It was more necessary than it should have been.) It became a habit to make these lists, but I didn’t feel the need to complete it all everyday once that person was gone. After Chad and I got married, he would tease me about how specific my lists were and how they weren’t completed fully. (I would move the unfinished items to the following day.) I eventually learned that my worth didn’t depend on how many small tasks I completed around the house. I also learned that all I had to do was ask, and I could get help around the house. 

Here I am many years later trying to get organized and re-establish good habits. I have tried bullet journaling, but found it hard to keep up with for too long. I have done day planners, but the one I bought for this year had an awkward layout. I stopped using it halfway through the year. (I’ll get one that works better for me next year.) I have a notebook that my work sent me that I don’t have much use for and can use for my lists. 

This morning, I sat down with my notebook and made a realistic to-do list. The hardest thing in my list was reading my psychology chapter for an hour. (It is a lot of information, and I am not done.) Of course, cleaning eh stove is never easy, but I was able to get it done. The only thing I have left to do today is wiping the table which I will do when the family cleans for 10 minutes before going to bed. Overall, I would say it was a successful day. 

Where to Start?

I have been feeling the pull to be more organized. This has always been a weakness for me, but it has gotten out of control lately. Last week, I was set apart for a new calling which includes a blessing that helps with the calling and life. I was told that I would be able to organize be more organized along with other things. On my way to church this morning, they talked about the mood enhancing effects of cleaning and organizing. Then, one of the speakers talked about a blessing she was given when she received a calling that helped her months later, and I got the distinct impression that I needed to dig deep into the blessing I was given to help me with my life. This means that three times within a week that I have received a message about organization.

I’m not sure where to start. Noel is having friends over for her birthday next week, so the obvious answer would be to start with cleaning. I feel this is getting better as we do 10 minutes of cleaning each night as a family. I can add to that personally, and I will. Another area I need to work harder on is our finances. I used to be good at this, but that was back when I wasn’t allowed to have a job and had to figure out how to feed my family on very little money. This hasn’t been my problem for a while. I am at a point that I feel like my husband and I work way to had to feel this broke. Working on these two areas should help a lot. I don’t know totally how to get a handle on them, but I have to figure it out. 

She Loves Me

 Last night, Sophie hopped on my bed while I got ready for the night. When I came out of the bathroom, this is what I found. She had rearranged my sheet and blankets to make her own cocoon. As soon as I tried to take a picture, she wiggled out a bit and posed for me. Then, I straightened my covers and climbed in bed as she made her way under the covers as well to curl up to my legs. This little dog is so wonderful! I promised myself I wouldn’t get attached after losing Jasper so abruptly. Oh well! She deserves the love!

Redoing the Seams

Apparently, I have been doing the seams on the Friends sweater wrong. I need to take them out and start over. This is so frustrating! I figured it out a few days ago and promptly put it to the side for later.

I have never make a sweater that had to be pieced together before, so this is something new for me. When you add to it that it is a crocheted sweater, it makes it even more complicated. (Knitting is more my thing.) I really want it to be done and ready to wear. Part of me wants to find out if there is someone that can do it for me. The problem with that is that I wouldn’t know how to do it next time. 

I can figure this out. I just need to sit down with it when I have a chunk of time to do so. I’ll bet I could get it done if I had a few hours to devote to it. Maybe that’s a Sunday project. 

Time Change Woes

I usually adjust to the fall time change fairly well, but I am struggling with it this time around. I naturally stay up late and watch TV while Chad goes to sleep, but I have to get up early and start work at 6am. Most days I am a bit tired as I try to keep up with this schedule and end up napping during my lunch break. Apparently, my body has gotten used to waking up at 5am. This week, I have been waking up a bit after 4 am. I hope this changes soon. I am exhausted. I need my sleep. I am already dreading the spring time change. 

A UPS Company

The company I work for has been acquired by UPS. We were told it was happening in September, and that they expected all of the regulatory stuff to go through in all of the countries involved by the end of the year. Well, it happened a bit quicker than expected. As of last Thursday, we are officially a UPS company. Today, I noticed that everything that has our logo on it on the computer has been updated to say “MNX a UPS company” rather than just MNX. 

As of right now, this means nothing for my job. I know that anything can change at any time because it is corporate America. I just hope to be able to keep this job for another year to make sure I can get though my travel plans next year with my accrued vacation time. I like my job for the most part. It give me the flexibility I need to be able to take care of my family. I will hopefully be able to find something that pays more in a different field to match my degree once I have it. 

Using Birthday Yarn

 

My sister bought me yarn for my birthday on Amazon. She chose the type of yarn and sent me a link to choose which set of colors I liked. I, of course, chose the most purple combination offered. 

I have been so involved with other projects since then that I hadn’t taken the time to look for a project that would suit this yarn. However, with the hats for my kids and my sister’s family done and my sweater at the stitching phase, I am now ready to make something with this yarn. 

Yesterday, I sat down and used the advanced search option on Ravelry, put in the attributes of the yarn, and searched for the perfect project. Unfortunately, the first 3 or 4 that caught my eye were discontinued patterns (how does this happen so much). Then, I saw a pattern for a pillow type thing. It is perfect! Would I rather be knitting? Yes! There just wasn’t a pattern with an existing pattern with the yardage requirements that fit what I have. It is a fun project, but I have made a few tweaks that work better for me. I have a feeling this will be another quick project. I wonder what I’ll do next. 

Golden Bachelor Girls Night

I want to a girls night in which we watched The Golden Bachelor. It was weird. I haven watched the Bachelor or the Bachelorette in a long time, so I knew some of what was going on, but not all. I think I was the only one there that hadn’t watched it in a while. One of the girls even has friends that had auditioned for the show. They were totally into it, but I am not really drawn to stuff like that anymore. The thing is that after 3 episodes, I feel drawn to it in a way. I want to know who he chooses. I guess that is why it has been in for so long. 

Umbrella Time

 I decided to make an umbrella from the same book as the purple sweater with some of the yarn I have lowing around. I didn’t make this for me or anyone in my family, though. I stuffed it with Hershey Minis and gave it to a friend. It was a fun, quick project that I can do for other friends as well. 

Sewing the Sweater

 I started sewing the seams on my sweater today. Fist, I laid it out on the table to make sure it was set to be seen properly. Once it was laid out, I got start. So far, I have seen the left front to the back. I’m hoping to finish the rest tomorrow. I’m so happy this is working out so well!

Sophie the Unicorn

 I forgot about Sophie’s costume until today, so we tried to put it on her for pictures after dinner. It too two of us: one to hold her still, and one to put the costume on her. She was not a fan of it. When I put her down, she just stood in one spot for a while. Then, she started walking backwards like she does when she is under blankets. Eventually, she sat down by the piano and wiggled out of it. I wish she liked it. I would put it on her as a coat in the winter if she would let me. I guess we will just stick to the sweater for now.