Family Room

Well, the family room is on it's way to completion. Here's a few photos so you can ohh and ahh.

I Will Survive

This week I'll be busy helping my sister-in-law, Ulyana. She's returning to work for 2 weeks from maternity leave and I'll be staying with the family to watch baby Iris and Alex (the 3yr old) all week. I only committed to one week, my brother Michael will watch them for week two. It will be an adventure and tiring, but I will survive. I watched the PrimeTime episode tonight on "The Last Lecture". His great attitude about life has reminded me that I need to make changes to mine. But what I got out of the little I saw of the lecture is to have a great attitude and enjoy every moment for today is all you really have and hope of tomorrow. I love inspirational things, especially when they're based on real life.

Has this happened to you?

I got much accomplished yesterday and there was a meeting at church with the women. Pot-luck and mini classes. That's what the calendar they passed around at church 2 weeks ago for the month of April said. I was busy going through things, hanging pictures, towel handles, etc. The time ticked away and I decided I would go to the meeting and I'd take salad. I have a BIG bowl in the fridge that will not all get consumed before it should I'm sure. No, problem, except that time slipped by and I really wanted to hang the pictures in the living room before leaving. Which come 6:45pm I was done, but then remembered....I don't have any salad dressing to go with the salad! Oh, it takes about 20minutes to get to church and it would take longer to go to the store, so I opt to heat up a frozen Bertolli meal in the microwave that only takes 11 minutes, and I'll be a little late-but much faster than going to the store. Okay, it's 7:04 and I'm in the car heading to the church. I make it there at 7:17 and there are no cars. Nope, not any. I realize I'm late, but come on, did I get the date wrong on the calendar? I don't know, I have no one's phone number in our new ward to call, so off to the store I go anyway because I needed to buy tuna for Clint's sandwiches. I make it home and check the calendar and well.....I even asked Clint what day it was because I needed to double check. Yep, it's all there for the 10th of April. So, one of those moments in life that I was kinda glad because I'd rather be at home anyway, but confused to know if I'll trust that information again. Oh, well. Off to see grandma today and help mom and dad rearrange the new furniture that just got delivered yesterday. Fun day for me. :)

Tax Free

Whew.......Finally, I finished our taxes yesterday! The screaming banshee is off my back and I am so glad. It was my goal to reach the next level on our return and I got really close by $62.00. I was aiming for the next $1000 mark. I knew I had several things that would help-charity, business, mortgage interest, school loan, etc. One thing I'm a little worried about is being audited. Only because Turbotax did their little analysis and it said I have a medium risk. Well, yeah, because of 4 different factors, one being my own business. I don't really remember the others, only that I should have good documentation-which I do-and that Turbotax will help me in the event that I am audited, how comforting....? I was surprised at how many pages our return was-24 pages. It gets longer every year I think-and our return gets bigger-not a bad thing. It will help us buy a new mattress and actually buy a bed-I've only had a frame all this time. Maybe now we'll also buy a digital camera. But savings will be where most of it goes-sorry President Bush, but I have to look out for our interest.

Oh, last night we had a terrible storm come through. I don't know how fast the winds got, but our large garbage barrell full of trash got tipped over-not a light thing. The wind howls out here like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood-no huff and puff, just blowing. 160,000 people lost power in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Ulyana (sister-in-law) said all of the city next to her lost power at 2am and didn't have it back by 7:30am when she called. We don't have power lines where we live, just big green square boxes or little round green tubes in our yards - we have the big green box that needs some shrubs in front of it. Maybe that's why we still have power?

My Color

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Green

You're green, the color of growth and vigor. Good-hearted and giving, you have a knack for finding and bringing out the best in people. Green is the most down-to-earth color in the spectrum — reliable and trustworthy. People know they can count on you to be around in times of need, since your concern for people is genuine and sincere. You take pride in being a good friend. For you, success is measured in terms of personal achievement and growth, not by status or position. Rare as emeralds, greens are wonderful, natural people. It truly is your color!

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=colorogt&c=50652

Goals

So, it's April and I don't remember if I set any goals in January, I might have, but Clint and I set some new ones Sunday night. One on the list is to exercise. I haven't done a regular exercise routine since I went walking at the park 2days a week with my friend Wendy oh, I think it was fall of '06. Before that it was when we first moved to Houston. So, today I, well, yesterday, I went walking for 30minutes and then took a 2hr nap after breakfast, I was worn out! Today I decided to have a go at the Pilates Ball Workout I have on DVD, thanks to my friend Wendy (again) who took me to this instructors class one Saturday morning. It's a homemade video and I was ready to quit after 8minutes, but I endured through 30minutes of her 60 or 90 minute workout-I'll find out one day in the future when I make it through the whole thing. :) I know I'm out of shape, but really it's pathetic how much I wasn't able to do on the video. When I think that our bodies are a temple and how mine is in need of a deep clean and weeding (good food and exercise), I hope that I can keep up this goal. I think I'll post a picture of a temple on the mirror and perhaps that will help keep me going-when I'm as beautiful on the inside and outside, I know the Spirit will be happy to dwell within me (more regularly).
Now, a word to all those who have made mention to me in the past that I don't need to exercise, I hope to set straight that exercising is not only for those who desire to have a different body than they currently have. EVERYONE should exercise. We are all stewards of our bodies that God gave us and I don't want to report back that He gave me such a great body that I didn't feel the need to do anything to it (parable of the Talents comes to my mind-don't bury it). Thanks for hearing my venting of a long deep seeded feeling.
I feel I have a pretty good hold on working to accomplish the other goals we've set-at least they don't make me sweat. :))

General Conference and Gas Prices

Well, we traveled to NRH to return Alex and to attend the Solemn Assembly on Saturday morning session. It was neat to have our other nephew, Ivan, in attendance with us. It was really amazing to be a participant in such a historical event. The spirit was very strong. We attended Alex's birthday party lunch after the first session and missed the second one as we traveled home. Sunday came and Clint and I contemplated attending the church building to view the session. Clint wanted to attend 2 different buildings (change of scenery), and pick up my car in between as it was at the dealership for service. I mentioned attending the one building and not traveling to so many places-since gas prices have continued to go up and we traveled our 100miles round trip to visit family on Saturday. So, we decided to stay home and watch conference on the internet and not travel anywhere. It was wonderful to hear the words spoken. I always look forward to Conference and am never disappointed. President Monson seemed to show another side that I don't remember and it reminded me of President Hinckley. It was a pleasant surprise.

Watching a 3yr Old

I finally recovered from my 2 days with my nephew. I watched Alex, on Thursday and Friday last week. Thursday was a great day. We played, went to the park, ate lunch, he took a nap, we went shopping-even down to going to bed was great. Friday was another story. My patience was tried, and no matter what I tried, it was not to his satisfaction. We made 3 attempts to travel to the park 3 blocks away. There was cold wind and neither one of us was dressed properly. I won't go into all the details as it could take more than a page. Let's just say come Saturday morning I was really questioning the desire to have children. Really. I'm not sure I would be up for it. My weaknesses were overpowering the slight desire that I do have and I might need more than just herbs to help me. I hear it's different when it's your own, but I'm not so sure. I realized the Lord had blessed me with powers beyond my own while we lived with my nephews, but they are gone now. I'd like to say it was just a bad day, but maybe it's the way I really am. I'm not very fond of these kinds of reflections. I feel I have so many things to work on that to add to my list is a bit overwhelming. As I prepare to watch Alex and his baby sister all next week, I will be praying a whole lot. Maybe I can redeem myself. :)

Reconnected

YEAHHHHHHH! I am reconnected with the world. I got internet today and feel like I can accomplish so much. The service guy asked if I'd gotten a nervous twitch yet being unconnected. I haven't, but it might of developed soon.
I have almost finished unpacking. It's all those little odds and ends-not to mention I don't have much furniture so the question is 'where do I put things?' For instance, the office. We have a desk, and 2 2-drawer filing cabinets and a bookshelf. All nice, except the desk is held up by the filing cabinets and Clint has all his gradbooks in the bookshelf. Where do all the little things-paperclips, DVDs, directories, etc. go? I like the clutter less look, so all my Pampered Chef things need somewhere to go and when I'm at a loss, well, it just sits there until inspiration (or $$) hit me and I can do something-make changes and all that. Oh, let me not mention the paper collection for the shredder I have-oh, what a fun day project that will be-bring out the movies and the popcorn! Maybe I just need to throw away all the little odds and ends-I haven't missed them in 8 months, so why keep them now?
I am feeling better so I should be getting more energy here soon. Maybe what I really need is a deadline. Now we have internet again I get to begin to finish our taxes. Perhaps I can try to time myself with the construction next door. My beautiful west skyline view is disappearing before my eyes as I see a frame coming up next door. The Dallas skyline at night is pretty and it will be gone very soon. So, if I anticipate what they'll do next, next door than I can work to have something done before they finish. I know I'm being silly-but no one is scheduled to come to my house, so what's the hurry? Well, actually my nephew Alex will now be coming on Thursday for 2 days, so that should be incentive enough-he's 3 on Saturday and he christend our home last time he was here helping us move in (he isn't exactly good at peeing in the toilet-the wall behind it works great) So, I'd best hurry and put things in a place before he finds one for me (and now I won't be throwing away that cheap shower curtain-I know exactly where to put it). :0