I am Grateful, Really!

I woke up today with mixed feelings about the day. Truthfully, my past few days did not go exactly as planned. I'd thought that with my blanket project done, that I'd get a little r&r with James while we did nothing.

I was wrong.

The last few days have been challenging, partly from my high expectations, but also because the pregnancy insomnia seems to be kicking in. I can't seem to stay asleep at night, and I toss and turn from 5 a.m. on. I also have lots of weird anxiety dreams about things that don't make sense. It was hard for me to feel grateful about anything this morning, because I didn't fall asleep till 12:00, thanks to Joseph downstairs who was yelling for his mom and because of an overload on treats. It had been a pretty exhausting day as well, because I took Joseph shopping and he managed to whine and create a poopy diaper that I had to change at D.I.

Based on my poor choices in the last few days (too many sweets late at night!), I feel especially grateful for the Word of Wisdom and the principles of moderation that it teaches. The holidays are a little more challenging to get through now, because they encourage gluttony, not moderation. I just don't feel the same about pie, candy, and most other sweets. They really aren't as tasty as they used to be. Plus, my stomach is steadily shrinking, so I know I'll eat dinner, even after the "feast" at lunchtime. In some ways, I don't feel like I fit in with mainstream America's eating habits anymore, nor do I want to.

I am grateful that my health is better than ever before, despite my poor choices this week. This pregnancy has had only a fraction of the discomforts that I had with my first. Everything in the Gospel makes life so much better.

I am grateful for a wonderful husband who will cook me breakfast on days like this when I can't seem to drag myself out of bed. He is wonderful in too many ways to count.

I am grateful for good friends that lift me and inspire each day, especially in regards to my health. It's been a lot easier to change my habits since I've had support from "the outside" (Cindy!)

I am grateful for eternal families. It's been a wonderful year here in the Head "barn". We've grown closer together in many ways. It will be bittersweet to move, but I do hope to be closer to my own family in the future. I love my own little family so much and can't wait to have 2 little boys!

I am grateful for all that I was able to learn this year. I definitely wouldn't have thought that I'd ever play the piano at Church or enjoy sewing. I'm glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone in those areas with encouragement from friends, family, and Heavenly Father.

As always, I am grateful for every blessing that comes from following the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Stake Conference

I really liked Stake Conference this year. The theme was on strengthening the family, which is always something I need to be working on! Our stake president gave a challenge for the new year: to choose one area a month in which we can grow closer to the Lord. That sounds like a really good challenge! Pres. (Elder) Clark was presiding at the conference, and one remark he made today really stood out. No matter what level of obedience we've reached now, it isn't enough. We need to continue to become more obedient and faithful in the Gospel, constantly improving ourselves. When we're not sure how to improve, the Lord will show us our weakness.

I am full of weakness, one thing in life that I'm sure about! I don't always like hearing about ways I can improve, because it's hard work, not to mention that I have to swallow my pride and admit that I need to change. This year has been a year of great change, and I look forward to the next year, because I know that it too will be full of change. I don't have a clue where I'll  live a year from now.

It's sad to think of leaving Rexburg, my home for the last 5 years. It's been a wonderful 5 years. I turned from a clueless teenager into a somewhat-less-clueless mom of 1 1/2, wife, and homemaker. It makes me wonder where I'll be 5 years from now.

We went to Craigo's for probably the last time yesterday. It was great, of course, though I ate way too much. I loved the chipotle chicken kind that they had, but it was sad that there was no pumpkin dessert pizza. Joseph had a ball, of course, because pizza is one of his favorite foods, even though he only eats the crust.

I put my nose to the grindstone and got Joseph's jean quilt done! I definitely spent too much time on sewing this past month, but I'm going to achieve some balance now that this monstrous project is done. It's so exciting to see the finished product.

almost the whole thing

a better look at the center pattern

Today, I Promise that...

I won't sew. I did a lot of that earlier in the week, but it melted my brain. Plus, it's hard for me to leave a project alone that isn't quite finished!

I won't organize anything. I carried in some boxes from storage the other day, and I probably shouldn't have. They were probably too heavy, and they made a normal day a little too stressful. There really isn't anything left to  organize in this house anyway!

I'll spend more time with Joseph. Because of the craziness I brought on myself this week, he's been dying for more attention. I can't miss this cute stage of life either! He's started saying "please" and "thank you", and I have no idea how that even happened.

I will read a book. Two weeks without reading has made me a very dull girl. Reading helps my brain not get fried by the end of the day. I need to read every day for fun, even if it's only for 10 minutes!

I will rest. I overworked myself this week, because I forgot that I have limitations. Getting enough sleep at night isn't enough! I'm going to put my feet up (on James's side of the chair, since mine is broken) and rest these sore arm muscles and worn-out mind.

Tomorrow is another day. It always feels good to "go back to work" after a day of rest. That makes me appreciate Sundays a lot, because I don't think I would slow down enough if it weren't a commandment. Physical rest is great, but being able to sit back and reflect on the week is even better.

This has been a good and productive week, but I can still do better...

Tomorrow.

When My Books on Hold Take Forever...

...I have to fill up the time somehow!

First of all, my most exciting moment of the past week was definitely going to the stake "give and take". I got enough 3T clothes for Joseph so that I won't have to buy any, but even more exciting than that, I found the perfect material for both cloth napkins and Christmas stockings! I have one at my parents' house, but I think it's staying there, so I figured it'd be good for James and me to have our own.

Also, my sewing machine is functional once again! The new belt just slipped right on and I got right to work. Thank goodness I found that random website that explained sewing machine motor belts to me. :)

Angie's "boyfriend" pillow

Not a sewing project, but I did cut his hair! He
screamed bloody murder the whole time.

Napkins! I feel all fancy now.

Can't wait to use these!

Two headbands made out of scraps. I really
love the look of yo-yo flowers!

Thanks to Pinterest, I will always have a wealth of ideas at my fingertips. Aside from Joseph's quilt and a sock monkey that I plan to make him for Christmas, I think that will be all the sewing for the year, since I'm actually running low on scraps (for now). It's been super fun though, and I definitely plan to do a lot more sewing than I ever have in the coming year. I love owning my own machine! Hurray for D.I.

More than Sew Sew

I have finally found my niche in sewing. I realized that I can "fix" the few things that really bug me about sewing: following patterns, machine problems, having to buy expensive materials, and pinning, especially because I stick myself all the time! Solutions...

bean bags, knit blanket, and bag "ladies"
pillow and quilt pics to come when they're done!

1. Not using a pattern. Everything I've made recently is from leftovers or scraps, so I've been able to come up with my own designs along the way. It's fun. I'm no sewing genius, so I have ripped out a few seams here and there.

2. Machine problems? I learned that I can fix almost any minor issue as long as I have the user manual beside me. Suddenly, I feel like an expert on a machine that I haven't used very much (my mother-in-law's, since mine needs a part before it will work again!)

3. Free materials! So far, I've used up old shirts, jeans, and other random stuff to make Joseph's jean quilt, a "boyfriend" pillowcase, 2 bag "ladies", and some bean bags. I haven't had to pay a cent.

4. As for pinning, I can't always avoid that. However, the first few hours of sewing the jean quilt required no pinning whatsoever, so it made me like life just a little bit more. :) Getting stuck fingers is no fun!

I have to admit that I'm very pleased with the jean quilt so far. It's been quicker that I thought, the design looks cool, and I won't have to pay even a penny to make it, thanks to the box of old jeans, free thread I "inherited", and a flannel queen-size flat sheet that I'll use for the back. I'm so excited to keep working on it, and I think I can have it done for Christmas for my little guy!

Life is pretty good here. I did a quick "sweep through" to find stuff for the stake's "give and take" (aka free yard sale, but inside) on Saturday. I'm excited, because I got some really good stuff last time.

Culture shock: We attended a Latino wedding reception last Saturday. It went from (no joke) 4 to midnight. We stayed one hour and felt a little lame, but I was tired after eating such an amazing dinner. I want to learn how to make real refried beans like that.

It's a little sad that winter is here. I don't think I'd mind so much if it weren't so dark all the time. Short days make me grouchier than normal.

We find out the gender of our baby TOMORROW! I still really feel that it's a girl, but I guess we'll just have to see.