The challenge

At church our ward was challenged to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year (this challenge was issued the second Sunday in October).  At first, I just thought how grateful I was that I was already in the middle of Alma and I could totally finish by December 31, but then Ronnie and I decided that we could really use some prodding (read: start) in our couple scripture study.

[Side story: We read our scriptures together every night for the first month or so that we were married, then we found ourselves in California for our reception (yes, it was a month after we were married) and we were staying a friend of the family's house down the street from Ronnie's parents.  These friends aren't LDS, so there weren't any scriptures to be found.  We had both forgotten ours and so our unbroken streak was broken.  I remember Ronnie throwing up his hands in frustration that "that was the end of that." and we have struggled to have a regular scripture reading routine ever since. It strikes me as funny that he really thought it was something we could keep going with no missed days.]

So anyway, Ronnie and I have been reading the 7+ pages every night together so we can finish the Book of Mormon by December 31st.  We've been trying really hard to get ahead and read at least 10 pages a night since we know that our time will be very limited once #3 joins us.

And you know what?  The Book of Mormon totally reads like a book when you read it in large chunks vs. small chunks (you know like, ahem, a chapter a night).  You know what else?  It really helps to have someone to ask questions to since I always get confused when we introduce a "people" and then back all of the way up to when those people were first established and then there is some overlapping, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I've read the Book of Mormon like this in the past, but not in the last four years (since having kids and just. needing. to. get. to. sleep. has set in).  It is amazing how changing up your study of the scriptures can give you a whole new insight to how the stories relate to your life.

I'm so grateful for this challenge, and for the perspective I have gained from reading the Book of Mormon this way for the first time in a long time.  How wonderful to have inspired church leaders who know when you need that extra push and how wonderful to spend significant time each day reading a book that I know to be the word of God.

So consider this my challenge to you.  You don't have to finish by the end of the year, but consider finishing the book in about a 3 month time period and see how differently you view some of the stories, etc. You'll love it, I promise. Or, if you aren't LDS and reading my blog, please shoot me an email (justkalee at gmail dot com) and I'll send you a free Book of Mormon to read.

You can call me the manager

I was talking to my sister a while ago about working from home.

Don't get me wrong, my job is a wonderful blessing to our family. I am able to provide great benefits and a little bit of money to the household while spending time with my kids.

That being said, I do have to spend hours in front of the computer/on the phone every day. That sometimes means Kendree gets to watch Baby Signing Time or Easton gets to play with the ipod and I'm not interacting with them.

I made the comment at that time that a lot of days I feel like a kid manager instead of a mother. I get the kids going on an activity and then hurry to put in a few minutes of work (or dinner prep, or cleaning, or laundry, etc.). I had been feeling guilty about the lack of time I felt like I was spending with my kids, until Erc mentioned that essentially I was describing her day exactly.  She would get her daughter occupied with something and then get her work done. 

As it turns out, my office work/house work balance is a bit different, but I am doing the same thing she is.

I can't tell you what a relief this was at the time.  My stress about this topic seemed to melt away.

I continue to try to make sure that "balance" is working for my kids.  I spend time on the floor/in their rooms playing with them. I choose to read books instead of mopping the floor, or to line up cars instead of doing the dishes. 

My house work may suffer because my life has to include some office work but my kids don't have to.

Now tell me, how do you achieve your balance?

Let's take the load off of our own shoulders, shall we?

A good friend and I were talking the other day.

The conversation turned to how sometimes we place ridiculous amounts of pressure on ourselves.

She talked about how she was debating whether to ramp up her photography business again, and the time/effort that goes into all that she does with it.  I talked about the many good things I seem to have pulling on my time. I discussed how I would much rather see her darling little boy and her life on her blog in only semi-edited (or straight out of the camera) pictures instead of no posts with zero pictures, but that I understand the pressure that she feels for the pictures on her blog to be perfect.

People know she is a photographer, so she wants every picture "out there" to represent her craft.  Similarly, people know I make homemade cards and so I feel that if I can't send a handmade card, then I better just not send anything to them at all.  This happened just last month.  I was out of handmade birthday cards, and family birthdays were coming up, so you know what I did?  I sent a store bought card {gasp!}.  Guess what else?  No one died.

Seriously.

The world kept on turning.

The birthday girls received a handwritten card through snail mail and everything was okay.

And you know what?  It felt kinda good.

So here's to taking that burden off of our shoulders.

Buy a card.
Post an unedited picture.
Give some one a store bought gift.
Make a frozen lasagna.
Have less than seven side dishes when you feed the missionaries.

I think we'll all be happier when we do.

I don't know about the rest of you...

but I find it incredibly easy to be negative.

This person was mean to me...
I can't believe that so and so said this or that...
Easton/Kendree is driving me crazy...
The whining! Somebody stop the whining...
We can't afford...
I wish...

I received some news this week that wasn't the best.  That's pretty much all I can say at the moment, but it made me stop for a minute and think.

Think about the many, many, many blessings I have been given.  Think about my little family and the joy that they bring me.  Think about the family I grew up in and my in-laws and all that they do/have done for us. Think about my Savior and the blessings of his atonement. Think about my priorities in life and how I can be a better mother/wife/sister/friend/daughter. 

So, I thought. 

And then I decided to thank.

Thank those in my life that make my life better and make me a better person.  Thank Heavenly Father for those people and my many other blessings.  Thank my husband for putting up with me.  Thank my kids for letting me be their mother, mistakes and all.