Time

Yesterday, I wasted a lot of time. I dorked around on my blog, read other people's blogs, checked email, browsed through some catalogs, read a little, you know, that kind of day. At about four o' clock, I decided I better snap out of it and get some things done before James got home. In just an hour and a half, I made a serious dent in the laundry, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the bathroom, made dinner, and cleaned the living room.

After I had done all that, it got me thinking. What could I have accomplished if I hadn't wasted the entire day? Hmmm.

Memory Lane

I'm gonna do something really dumb and post some of the things people wrote in my high school yearbook, senior year (1994). Yes, that's me in the photo. I used to get up at five in the morning to get my hair to look like that. Wow. I should have slept in.

"Kristy
Well it's been a long one huh? Word processing was killer. That's when I decided I had a crush on you, the first day. I can honestly say you are one of the coolest girls I know, I just can't believe that my #1 sexiest girl is leaving me without a date. Take care don't forget me. I know I won't forget you Mike Hansen P.S. Call me so I can ask you out."

"I don't know you but your name is most likely Kristy. That is a very beautiful name kind of like you. Have a good summer. Mike."

"Girl, I dream! sometimes i look at rocks. I like to drive. I like to be human. I hate boiled hot dogs and cotingslingers. Cory Lynn Jacobs"

"Kristy my little one I'm going to put you in my suitcase and take you to a foreign land. your bud Nate Richins"

"Kristy helpful hints:
When you get hungry this summer make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich they taste great.
And when you think about doing somethign bad think of the consequence of a naked man jumping a barbed wire fence. Call me and we'll go out Adam Hunt"

"Hey Kristy
Howdy little pretty woman. I hope you remember our saran wrap job on Mrs. Fewkes portable. You probably do that's something you don't forget. Have the funniest life. C.J."

"Hooker!
Your the hottest on 2nd and State! I (heart) ya tonz and keep in touch (heart) Lindsay Jensen"

"Kristy and the Shalimar. Wow. Well, have a super life. You are very beautiful. Someone thinks you are special, I do. Love Mandi Erekson"

"Kristy, or as Joe says fatty,
you are one crazy girl. I love to be around you when a cute boy walks by. It's the funnest. Have a good time graduating FINALLY can you believe it? Take care. Call me and we'll go party. Erin Martin"

"Kristy-
I didn't know you too well, but don't ever steal my markers or I'll break your leg. Have a great summer. Tyler Crayk"

This one is from the hottest guy in the whole school. Yes, he was my boyfriend's best friend and I had a huge crush on him:
"Kristy It's been fun. I'm glad I got to know you a little better. I hope everything works out for you and Andy. He is a great guy take care of him for me when I leave. Best of luck Matt Smo"

And now these from my best friends. I still get together with them every month. I'm seeing them tonight, in fact:

"Hi Tiny your my littlest bud and you will always share a place in my heart I know that we will never lose touch. Good luck with Andy and keep him happy Love Chelci"

"Kristy Hey chic! This is the saddest thing ever but I know we will always stay friends. This was the funnest year ever and we have to have a kick ass summer! You are the bestest friend in the whole world. I know I am the biggest cheezer but what in the hell am I supposed to write? BFAAA Love, Jaycee"

Kristy Killer Babe-
Hey girl, you rock my world! Well we made it! Thanks for being a totally great friend!! (Talk to me goose!) I hope everything is groovin' next year. We have to stay in touch forever! I love ya tons!! The Courtster you know the #"

"Kris-
Yo chic! What's up with you? The memories we've shared have been the best. I love you to death and I will miss you more than life itself. But you're the best. Good luck with Andy You better write me and keep me updated Call me too! I love you-this isn't the end! (heart) ya Kole P.S. never forget cutie and hotty-they're the highlight of our senior year!"

"Kristy "cute" Keller-
Hey you hanging? This yr. has royally rocked. "Como?" I know that's what you're thinking huh? No lie. too bad you and your soccer player boyfriend are so cute together. A match made in heaven. We can't have a lame summer and not call each other or hang together K? I can't believe we're finally out of here. It's sad but cool @ the same time! Rock On! Shana Ulrich"

What does your yearbook say? I love it how everyone wants you to call them so you can go "party". I always halfway wanted to call some of these people (that I barely knew) over the summer and say "Well you said you wanted to party, so let's party!"

Doing the Best You Can

A few months ago, James and I were talking and he asked me to come up with a way to track our scripture study and prayer over a period of years. He wanted something that would look good on our wall. The photo above is what I came up with. I gave him this calendar for Christmas and he loved it. We started using it at the beginning of January and we've had family prayer and scripture study every day since!
I wish I could say that reading and praying every day has made this huge miraculous difference in our lives. The truth is, I find myself just muddling through, putting one step in front of the other, and doing the best I can. We have a cabin on a river in northern Idaho. I love to swim upstream in the river. I swim like the wind, not even taking time to take a breath. Then, I stop, stand up and look around. I'm in the same exact place that I started.
That's how I feel about life sometimes.
You can run, and drive, and fix, and cook, and teach, and soothe, and improvise, and fold laundry like there's no tomorrow, and sometimes at the end of the day you're left wondering what all the effort is all about and what you've really accomplished.
Doing the best you can sounds so noble, doesn't it? It sounds like you would be zooming through the sky with fireworks shooting from your feet, astonishing the world with your abilities if you did the best you could. The cold hard truth is that a lot of the time, doing your best isn't much. Often, doing your best isn't very graceful. Or inspiring. At times it isn't elegant or polished. Usually, doing your best just means that you didn't do your worst. There are days when you're glad the world couldn't look through your window and see what your best was that day, because it definitely wouldn't astonish anyone.
However, I've come to appreciate the "just muddling through". I believe in the power of putting one step in front of the other. I've been reading about David in the Old Testament lately. I can't get the tragedy of his story from my mind. "There is a lesson there", I keep thinking. I've decided that the lesson, at least for me, is to be found doing the things you said you would be doing. What was David doing out of bed looking at his neighbors in the middle of the night? Why was Bathsheba bathing on the roof in the middle of the night? Why did David ask his servants who she was? The lesson is to be found doing the right things, at the right time, in the right place. These choices seem so small, but eventually they led to adultery and ultimately to murder. What does all this have to do with doing your best? If you're doing your best, even if it's a little tiny best, you can still be found on the path. You will still be making progress, even if it's an inch at a time.
So while my best doesn't impress, it doesn't awe, it doesn't sing and shout, I'm still on the path, putting one foot in front of the other, and I can be found right where I said I would be, doing (even in a small way) what I said I would be doing.

Tagged

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here's all you never wanted to know:

10 years ago:
I got engaged.

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Clean House
2. Write more Thank-You's
3. Do what didn't get done yesterday.
4. Do school
5. Girls laundry

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Chocolate
2. See's Chocolate
3. Hot chocolate
4. Homemade chocolate pudding (warm)
5. Chocolate shakes

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
Hire a cook, a maid, and a nanny!

3 of my bad habits:
1. Biting my nails
2. Procrastinating
3. Gossiping

5 places I have lived:
1. Montana
2.Utah
3.
4.
5.


5 jobs that I have had:
1. Chuck-A-Rama (!)
2. Shalimar Wedding Reception Center
3. Discover Card
4. Dos Serranos (waitress)
5. Mom

5 Things people don't know about me:
1. I almost got kidnapped once.
2. I've been thrown in jail!
3. I'm good at reading out loud.
4. Child stars irritate me.
5. I'm completely offended by commercials for tampons, personal lubricant, douches, and pills for E.D.!

I tag:
Wendy, Robin, and Brandy

Back to School

We started up school again today and I'm happy to report that it went much better than I anticipated. Also, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would! I've been feeling so overwhelmed lately wondering how I was going to balance school with everything else. My patience has been really short too, so I was worried about that. I decided that instead of trying to keep doing our morning schedule (8am-noon), and struggle with trying to find something to keep Mary occupied during that time, we would try an afternoon schedule for school while the babies were taking their naps. This turned out to be a good plan. Less stress for everybody involved. It looks like the kids, in spite of our huge long break, haven't forgotten everything they've ever learned. Their math and reading skills appeared to be as sharp as ever. Yay.
Here's to small miracles.