Mondays with Marjorie

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are."
-Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Marjorie Pay Hinckley on Mothers

"Be a Mother who is committed to loving her children into standing on higher ground than the environment surrounding them. Mother's are endowed with a love that is unlike any other love on the face of the earth."
-Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Encourgement: Jack Buck quote

Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.
~Jack Buck

I Need.....

- new running shoes
- a shower
- a nap
- more tools
- to clean out the garage
- a haircut
- my eyebrows waxed
- my braces to be off
- my Ogden house to close
- a money tree
- to stop crossing my legs
- a nicer camera, with a wide angle lens
- to organize my closets
- stay on task
- to do laundry
- to clean out my filthy van
- to purge my house of D.I. offcasts
- to get Lasik
- to weed the yard
- to potty train Cincess
- to go to the Temple
- to decide what to make for dinner
- more hours in my day

LOVE her Words of Wisdom

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children. I want to be there with a little dirt umder my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

- Marjorie Pay Hinckley

My friend posted this on her facebook page today and I loved it. It was the reminder and the kick in the pants that I needed today to forget myself and get on with life again.

Girl in A Whirl

About a year ago I was given a copy of this poem. It came to my mind today because of all of the running around and juggling of everything that I have to do. I always feel like I have my hands in 15 different pots at the same time......anyway, I hope you enjoy and I am sure you will be able to relate.

The Girl in a Whirl

by Dr. Sue (a.k.a. Vickie Gunther)

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!

You could do what I do

If you only knew how.

I study the scriptures an hour each day,

I bake,

I upholster,

I scrub,

and I pray.

I always keep all of the commandments completely;

I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.

I help in their classrooms!

I sew all they wear!

I drive them to practice!

I cut all their hair!

I memorize names of all the General Authorities;

I focus on things to be done by priorities.

I play the piano!

I bless with my talents!

My toilets all sparkle!

My checkbooks all balance!

Every week every child gets a one-on-one date;

I attend all my meetings (On time! Never late!)

I'm taking a class on the teachings of Paul,

But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.

I track my bad habits 'til each is abolished;

Our t-shirts are ironed!

My toenails are polished!

Our Family Home Evenings are always delightful;

The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.

I do geneology faithfully, too.

It's easy to do all the things that I do!

I rise each day early, refreshed and awake,

I know all the names of each youth in my stake!

I read to my children!

I help all my neighbors!

I bless the community, too, with my labors.

I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;

My Visiting Teaching is done the first day!

( I also go do it for someone who missed hers.

It's the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)

I chart resolutions and check off each goal;

I seek each "lost lamb" on my Primary roll.

I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.

But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all!

I write in my journal!

I sing in the choir!

Each day, I write "Thank you's" to those I admire.

My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!

My kid's get straight A's!

And their bedrooms are clean!

I have a home business to help make some money;

I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.

I go to the Temple atleast once a week;

I change the car's tires!

I fix the sink's leak!

I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;

I have all of our meals planned out six months ahead.

I make sure I rotate our two year's supply;

My shopping for Christmas is done by July!

These things are not hard;

'tis good if you do them;

You can if you try!

Just set goals and pursue them!

It's easy to do all the things that I do!

If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!

"It's easy!" she said

and then she dropped dead.

Encouragement: Gordon B. Hinckley quote

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It all works out in the end. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers." — Gordon B. Hinckley

It's a LONG way down......

There are so many things that I want to post about this week but one particular event really stands out in my mind. So, the others will have to wait for another day.
Yesterday Tiny Man and I had quite an experience together with a group of about 100 strangers at the North Shore Pool. We have been there a few times this year and he has always wanted to go off of the high dive. I have allowed this but he just has never been able to bring himself to do it. I have seen him countless times from afar wait in line, climb the ladder and walk to the end of the diving board only to turn around and climb back off unsuccessful. Well, yesterday we had the opportunity to have Nate attend the pool with us. Nate came and found me and told me that Tiny Man had wanted me to go to the big pool to watch him jump off the high dive. Thinking that he had already done it I grabbed the camera and headed over. I saw that he was already in line, we made eye contact, smiled and I waited with him for his turn. Once I saw him climbing up the stairs I positioned the camera for the big moment. I snapped off a picture of him walking on the board thinking it would go quick.
Once he reached the end he hesitated. I started cheering for him and encouraging him to jump. He waited. I snapped another picture to show what I thought was just a momentary hesitation.
My cheering must have come to some of the crowds attention. I got a little bit of motherly nervousness for him as the crowd started to take notice and yell things out. Some of it was from less sensitive kids telling him to jump or get off, others were far more encouraging.
As I cheered and tried to give him words of encouragement I saw a variety of emotions play across his face. I told him to just look at me and not down as he stepped off. I saw his eyes close in an attempt to be brave in front of the crowd.
As the minutes ticked by the crowd became more and more aware of my Tiny Man's inner struggle. I was becoming increasingly concerned with how they might react to my little boy. I prayed inwardly that they would remain kind and positive towards him.
As he struggled to pull together the courage to jump I heard a variety of reactions in the crowd. I could still hear those irritatingly impatient kids taunting him to jump or get off. I also knew that he could hear them too. However, I also heard far more encouraging words from the crowd. At one point there at the end there was a group of total strangers chanting "Do it! Do it! Do it!" At this he smiled and looked at me. I encouraged him to just close his eyes and step off...to just let go and not think about it. It happened so quickly I almost missed it! As he stepped off the high dive the crowd erupted into a round of applause and cheers for my boy. As I struggled to take the picture and cheer at the same time my eyes immediately watered. It was one of the proudest moments I have had.

I was so grateful for the awesome experience he had just had and for the encouragement of the crowd. As he hung out around the pool a short time later I witnessed young and old come up to him and bump fists with him, high five him and tell him how awesome that was! I loved it and I know for a fact he did too! He went on to jump off the high dive EIGHT times that afternoon. It was a great day and it still brings tears to my eyes to think about it! Congratulations Tiny Man!