Me

I don't have any recent pictures but I am starting to feel like an elephant. I spend a lot of time trying to avoid picking things up.

I have been able to keep up with Josh during the day, make meals, do a little laundry, light picking up and all the grocery shopping too. I am happy that so far I have been able to stay away from the full bed rest situation that I loathe. I overdo it consistently each weak though and find myself a little dehydrated and feeling a little uncomfortable. The weekends I try and do a little less but never really manage it. As far as we can tell our efforts are working and as of the last appointment the baby is looking great. Developing as she should and things are progressing as they should now.

I am in charge of the play group for our ward.  Each Friday we meet a different parks after school so the big kids can play. In addition to that I have hosted a few craft nights at our house. It is very unlike me. I don't usually do a lot of crafts. Not because I don't enjoy it, I just don't make the time.  I am glad I started though. I have really enjoyed getting to know the girls in our ward a little better.  It's nice to have a network of friends. In December I made the Santa chair covers.

This month we got together (3 of us) and worked on these cute valentines pillows and watched a "chick-flick" 

I hope to get it finished by February first so we have at least one Valentine's decoration up in addition to the new Frame I bought at Walmart that I love. I will have to post a picture later. I don't have one taken yet.

I am still not a very good visiting teacher. I had a weird experience in one of my old wards where I just didn't connect with them and having them come seemed to be more offensive than helpful. I always felt dumb when they came. Like I was weird to them...I probably was but it just made me feel bad.  I am so worried about doing that to someone else that I always freeze up and get really nervous with the girls I visit teach. :( 

I have really enjoyed spending time with Josh each day. He is growing up so fast.  I love making lunches and meals for my family and have canned quite a bit of fruit this year with the help of Tyler--that makes me feel good. I don't like eating foods with a lot of chemicals. I feel better knowing what is in the food I am eating. Plus I have discovered that I absolutely love the taste of home canned pears. Sadly I am down to just 10 bottles out of the 28 I started with. I love having pears and oatmeal for breakfast each day. It will be a sad, sad day when I run out. Hopefully it will be just in time for some good berries to show up at a reasonable price at Costco or through the food co-op.

I would like to get back into reading but have yet to make that a reality. Grant has created a shelf of books for me that he likes and thinks I would enjoy.  The first one on the list is "City of Ember."

I continue to feel a million times better about life in general if I have time to get showered and ready each day with lotion, perfume, make-up and hair. This is something I have learned is a must for me. I have spent many years taking care of everyone but me and feeling really frazzled and stressed as a result. Life is better when I take care of myself too. When I feel good about the way I look and I have time to recharge. I feel like that was the most important change I made in my life personally in 2013.  

One of the things I would like to do better this year is setting aside enough quiet time each day to study my scriptures.