Strawberry Surprise

Mikayla found some wild strawberries growing in our rocks this summer. She was delighted to get to try some!

A Clean Perspective

Have you ever woke up on a Monday morning- start of a new week-things to do, places to go, people to see and then you open your eyes to find that your entire house is in utter chaos. I dislike it when my house is untidy. But even more so, I abhor chaos! In fact when I awake to piles of laundry in every bedroom, half eaten cereal bowls left in the family room for days and a whole host of ants partying on the dishes in the sink; I break out into what can only be described as sweaty hot flashes. Which only increase throughout the day as I try to bulldoze my way through each room of the house.
I must confess that I have always envied those who keep a perfectly clean house. As I browse through the pages of a Pottery Barn magazine, I long for our rooms to look like those I see. However with seven very active family members all coming and going at different times and each practicing their own definition of "clean"; I try with all my might to think happy thoughts and not break out in a rash.
So where is the silver lining in all of this? As difficult as it might sound it comes by simply adjusting my perspective a bit. Below are some things that I try to remember as I go about my daily duties.

-KEEPING A "CLEAN" PERSPECTIVE-
1- Redefine my idea of clean. Instead of expecting everything to be "perfectly" clean, I try to settle for a more realistic "reasonably" clean house.

2- Give each of the kids a couple of chores to do before they can go out for the day. I also limit myself to a set amount of time spent doing housework. Sometimes I even set a timer. When the clock says I'm done...the other work must be handled tomorrow. And yes it's still all there. But in the meantime, I have enjoyed doing other things with my family as well as working on a few fulfilling projects for myself.

3- Try to stay positive about small accomplishments. If I organize an entire room or even just a drawer, I try to stand back and feel good about what was done rather than dwelling on the many other things I still need to do.

4- See my house in a new light. Rather than a page in a magazine- our house is a laboratory where our kids can feel free to play, experiment and even put their feet up on the table and relax for awhile. It is a very loved and very lived in house. I try to remember that the people who live here and visit me are much more important than the house itself.

5- A while ago I was visiting my cute friend Julie. She told me that when people catch her on an "off" day she tries to think of it as a service project she's doing for her guests. "Just think" she said, "how normal they'll feel when they get home and say, Wow, my house really isn't so bad."

At the end of the day, I chose homemaking as my profession because I truly love it. I am grateful that I have a home to take care of and a family to love. I hope that if you ever come for a visit you will feel welcomed and loved. And if it has been a particularly good day I may even lead you to a room in my house where I can proudly show you a reasonably clean drawer!!!

Overcoming Opposition

Yesterday I was working on my lesson for the Young Women in our ward. And I came across a wonderful clip by Elder F. Enzio Busche. He gave some very poignant tips for how we can learn to overcome the opposition we all face in this life. I've included a link to this short clip here on my blog- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAjZ8mfoYw I hope it inspires you as much as it did me!

A Trip to Moab, Utah

We just returned from our trip to Moab. The boys in our family swear that this is one of the greatest places to visit on earth. They usually take a springtime biking trip with Matt but this time Tayler and I were invited to tag along.

Above is Balanced Rock. Driving across the red rock landscape one could easily see how captivating this place is. Not only are the colors vibrant but each area we went to had something unique to look at. It was like visiting a museum with vast artistic sculptures all created by the hand of nature.

This is Landscape Arch.

This area is referred to as The Windows.

My boys (this includes my husband) were all in heaven. Climbing the red rock was a little like climbing on a Jungle Gym, except with the added element of danger in some steep areas. I watched for awhile, then had to turn away when the drop offs were to high for me to stand. With the Larsen boys the more you yell, "okay, that's far enough", the more they see that, as a challenge to go even higher. I decided that distracting myself and praying silently was easier on the nerves.

Sand Dune Arch was one of our favorite finds. To get there we only had to hike a short distance back behind these beautiful stacked plates of rock,

and into this narrow passageway.

It opened up to what looked like an enormous private sandbox with a few green trees and finally some much needed shade.

Matt and Colton explored the giant rocks in Sand Dune Arch for quite sometime. It was a nice place for me to sit and cool off. When they came back they both were grinning from ear to ear as Matt breathlessly exclaimed "This is like God's playground for 14 year olds and 43 year olds!"(yes, he's passionate about life).

We missed Delicate Arch which my husband wanted to show me. But at 107 degrees and a 3 mile hike in the sun to go see it, I opted to save that one for another time. Since food is such an important part of every vacation we decided to rate a couple of places we visited. Thumbs down to the Pancake Haus, overpriced food that was fairly bland. A big thumbs up to my boys favorite place in Moab, Milts Drive Inn. It's a small All american greasy spoon. Shakes were supreme and yummy homemade burgers and handcut fries. A must if you ever visit Moab! Also a small suggestion on timing Spring time and Fall are much more enjoyable, unless you absolutely love the heat rocket hot.

Bargain Planters

I love getting a great bargain. Just this week we happened to be at Ikea and stumbled upon these great pots near the checkout for just $6.99. They're not only large but also made out of heavy duty terracotta. We chose 2 black ones for our front porch but their were alot of other colors to choose from. To add to the sweet deal Walmart is discounting many of their annuals and perennials this week by 50%. Total cost for flowers to stuff 4 planters was just $12.00!

Mischief Makers

Sifting through my photos the other day I came across these pictures that still make me giggle. My two youngest kids, Mimi and Miguel decided to have a heyday playing in the storage room. They emerged from the basement powdered in flour and the guilty looks on their faces said it all. For quite some time after we were finding grains of rice which they had mixed into the flour bins. It made for an interesting texture in our cookies each time we baked! Crunch Crunch!

Summer Blooms

Summer is finally here and my perennial border is in full bloom. I love gardening. It gives me a real break from the inside housework that is never quite complete. It's also kind of therapeutic. Hours can pass by while I'm in my gardens. I'm not only planting, pulling weeds and pampering existing plants.....I'm also solving lifes little problems in my head, and coming up with a bajillion new ideas of things I'd like to do.

Fashionable Fan

Hot off the runways of Paris, it's the most stylish trend to wear to your sons football games (or any outdoor sport of your choice). My Dad thought this would be a great idea when I mentioned to him how cold I get when I watch the games. After seeking many thrift shops far and wide he finally showed up with this little beauty which came in an extra-large and was complete with it's own official patch (which means I'm apparently now part of the Scorpion's snowmobile gang). I must admit I felt a little like a grown up version of the kid whose Mom dresses him all up for winter in "A Christmas Story". Wearing this, you may be your kids number one fan, but they'll pretend not to know the crazy lady in the snowsuit hooping and hollering from the sidelines.

Graduation Day

These cute friends are part of Alta High School's graduating class

of 2008. Top to bottom-Tayler, Ellen, Kajsia and Ashley.

Tayler's boyfriend Tyler came for the momentous event.

Mom and Dad with their sweet Tay.

Tayler and Nan.

Aspen, Mckell and Aunt Heather all came to show their love and support.

Our Graduate

Our oldest daughter Tayler graduated from seminary on Thursday and tomorrow she will graduate from Alta High School. It has all went by too fast (your parents always told you this, but it doesn't really hit home until you have a child of your own). I have mixed emotions as her mom. Of course I am extremely proud of all that she's accomplished up to this point, but it is a bit sad to see your babies grow up into adults. She is a happy, carefree girl. And has developed so many of her talents this year including playing the guitar, being a beautiful seamstress, having a great eye for interior design and is a caring and accepting friend to so many. We love her and look forward to all that she will achieve in her future.