Make Most of Time

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.

"To The Virgins, To Make The Most of Time", Robert Herrick, 1591-1674

Kendall and I love to travel, but with five kids, (three of them under 5) we don't do it as much as we would like. We went through a period about a week ago thinking about squeezing in a "ROAD TRIP!!!" (insert "Legally Blonde" squeal here) to San Francisco or there abouts (No, Benton, we were not going to crash at your place, so no worries) and find some place like this:

Instead, after reality and sanity returned, we decided that what we really should be doing this summer is this:(And no, this is not our basement. This one doesn't have toys and loner socks float around on the ground.)

Yeah, I know, boring. It's not all work, though. We already had a week up at East Canyon set up, we just wanted a little bit more. We only have 5 or 6 more years with Sarah in the house. How weird is that? I swear she was just 5 years old herself, and we just celebrated her 13TH BIRTHDAY!!!! Ack!

We do want to make the most of the time we have left, make those memories (remember Mazatlan, siblings? Or maybe Europe? Or Yellowstone?). How do you create balance between the responsibilities of today and family bonding time beyond normal life? We still haven't found it, and time's a-flying.

Summer's So Close, I Can Taste It!

I posted these two pictures because this is where I want to spend my summer: somewhere between a cool green forest and the beach. No worries, just letting the kids explore and having a very relaxing time.

You don't realize how taxing the normal schedule is until it starts to lighten up. The end of the school year is close, and the release of pressure is making me giddy. I just want to run away somewhere and let all the rest of the stress seep into the earth and sky. Anyone care to join me?

And Then There Are Those Days....

....where you swear, if they weren't so darn cute, you'd just....

I Sang! Andrew Was Grumpy!

A few posts ago I talked about whether or not to sing in the stake choir for conference, my reason for waffling being I wasn't sure if my kids (well, half of 'em) are old enough to be contained by one parent and an older sibling. Well, I decided to sing, and it was actually nice! For me, anyway. I felt the Spirit, listened to all the talks, took notes, all from the stage.
I felt bad for the family, though, especially Andrew, who struggled (and lost the battle) to sit still. I think I saw Kendall sit maybe for 20 minutes of the entire 2 hour meeting, poor guy.

So all in all I'd say it was a possitive experience, and (don't tell the fam) I'd probably do it again. At least in a couple of years when the little ones won't be so little anymore. And Andrew isn't so grumpy.

The New Blog, and Why.

(This is an almost word for word copy of the post on my new blog at meganoliphant.blogspot.com)

So for any of you who have been following along with this blog, I decided that it was time to branch out and have two different blogs, one that shares the family stuff (for all the family that lives so far away), and one about my other passion in life, writing. I started this blog to blog about writing, but family got in the way (doesn't it always?) so I had to start a completely different one.

On the other one I'm going to talk about all the aspects of writing that affect me and my quest to be a published author. Like actually making time to write. Some days I have the writing flu, to the detriment of all else, and other days I forget that I actually can write more than my signature on a check to pay for piano lessons.

I also need to be accountable somewhere else besides my own mind on writing in a more scheduled fashion. I found this cute progress meter from Writertopia, and decided that this was as good a way as any to see some progress. So you can follow along with my struggles in getting this novel done, finally!

The Better Part of Valor

To sing or not to sing...that is the question. I was asked to participate in the women's choir that is singing for stake conference, and because I sang in the choir for our stake Women's Conference, I was on the list.
Because I was called and asked, I couldn't say no. But now we have a dilemma: 5 kids, one parent. Last year it would have been a no brainer, with Benji still nursing. This year, though he's past that stage, he's moved into the refuse-to-sit-still-on-pain-of-death stage. And you add Meri and Andrew to the mix, and it becomes a full blown juggling act for 2 hours.
And have you ever noticed that the kids who can't tell time can last 1 hour and 10 minutes exactly before they start going nuts in Sacrament Meeting? The 2 hours of Stake conference is a study in early childhood insanity!
So do I let my poor husband do this on his own (with Sarah's help, of course) or do I quit to keep our added chaos to a minimum? What whould you do?

Two year old boys

So I just cleaned up the cat's water that Benji spilled all over the floor so he could splash in the puddles. That, and my brother (totally tongue in cheek)commenting at Easter dinner that Benji will be a bad influence on little Alan (as Alan followed Benji around the ottoman, both of them throwing puzzle pieces onto the floor as fast as they could go), made me realize that I have one of those kids that everyone looks at and secretly thinks "Thank goodness that's not my kid!" I guess it's my due, since I was the one thinking that about everybody else. Karma, eh?

Youth Pageant, Writing, and FREAKING OUT!

So Kendall and I got roped into participating (actually directing, producing, and writing) in our ward's youth roadshow. It was kind of interesting, how Kendall was asked to head up our group. The bishop called us in and said, "The stake is putting on a youth pageant, and three wards are combining to do one show. Will you be our ward representative?" And that was it. He didn't know anything else, and neither did Kendall for a week until he met with the rest of the wards and the stake leaders in charge. And after a few meetings with the other two ward representatives, it became obvious to Kendall that he would have to be in charge. Not his favorite thing to do, by far.
So how did I get involved? They needed someone to put all the ideas together and get them a coherent script, and I was available. Actually, it was rather fun, collaberating with Kendall in writing the thing. But then one of the ward's representative is involved with other plays around the valley, and can't participate, and they really needed to have one more adult to help get things organized. So here I am.
Anyway, last night was our first rehearsal. And even though I was trying not to throw up from tension before it started, it went pretty well. Now I have to be honest. Teenagers scare me. Not because I was a teen so long ago, but because I was a teen at all. I know what I was like, and I was a good girl. I'm not sure how to interact with teens anymore (which is why my next calling will be Laurel advisor or something equally scary).
The other stressful thing is having to bring all the kids to rehearsal because our built-in babysitter is in the show. So I had all three of the little ones wander through at various times during the 3 hours we were at the church, needing attention when I was trying to help get things going.
I guess I just had to vent, because just writing about it now is making my heart race and my brain leak out my ears as it melts from the residual stress. I'm sure everything will turn out fine in the end, but for right now I'm FREAKED!

Fate and the Italian Language

I read the other day in the blogosphere (don't remember who or where, or I'd link it) that Jodie Foster would get the most amazing desire to work out, hard, right before she was offered a big movie. She didn't know what movie, no advanced notice from an excited agent. It was her own intuition, her life path giving her a heads up about something coming.

I'm sure everyone has these kinds of moments, something that starts to rattle around in your brain, telling you to get prepared, because a big life change was coming to adjust your perceptions. I remember specifically having the bizarre desire to learn Italian in college. I struggled with the language, mainly because I couldn't figure out why on earth I was taking it. I even audited the class a second time, trying to pick up on what I'd missed the first time around. Then after several weird and painful years, I found myself in the MTC, desperately cramming Italian and the discussions into my head, wishing I'd taken that prompting a little more seriously. I would have been a much better missionary had I just followed through and been prepared.

I've also gotten those pushes from fate and made the conscious choice to say "No, thank you. I'm not interested in whatever this means for my life." And the promptings have gone away, and I've moved on through my existence, with no knowledge of what great experience I had missed because I said no.

I think (pray) that this time, I will listen and do what the whispers say. I don't know what is coming, but I know it's big, and I know that this time I want to be prepared for it. So I'm going to take the classes and learn the theory before it's time for my lab work to begin. Wish me luck.

Cleanliness, Godliness, and the Unholy Mess

So I don't know how many of you have troubles keeping a house clean. I've never, ever, been keen on keeping house. I never understood my mother's desire, need...no...Obsession...to keep a clean house. Until I realized that I really do like things tidy. When I'm not stuck by my guilt over having a messy kitchen, I can get all sorts of things done. Theoretically.

I guess the old adage "Cleanliness is next to godliness" has some foundation in truth. My brain is as scattered as my house is. Or is it my house is as scattered as my brain is? But when it's not scattered and cluttered with the surface things, with the other stuff that really doesn't matter, I am able to be centered and find that well of feelings and emotions that scream out to be explored. So I guess what I'm saying is that I let my life get cluttered with extranious stuff so I don't have to deal with the unholy mess that is my well of feelings and emotions. How's that for catartic revelation?