*Monday Memos***

*MONDAY MEMOS*

   

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!

dear monday, Carson found Elfis!  He left a note!  He loves him!  He usually arrives on Dec 1st, but all the elves were a bit behind this year.

Today I decided to walk outside since the ice was melted. It felt so good to be outside.  Found some coins!

I met Dawn at El Torro for our Christmas lunch. We had a good time and the food was so good. We got some fun photos and had a great chat. Love that woman. She is truly amazing!  She is STILL sending me a daily text EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!  It's been a year now!  I have no idea how she does it but she never misses. She is amazing!  I don't think she knows what a profound effect those little messages she sends each day have on me but they uplift more than I can even say. I love that woman!  She is a blessing. 

I came home and made it back before Dave had to go back. He's on call today. I visited with Chayden for a bit. I tried to get some Christmas stuff done and I did get some stuff online. It takes so long to get everything done. I feel like I am ahead of the curve this year in some ways (calendars, decors, shopping) but behind in others (family newsletter, wrapping, neighborhood gifts). But it will all come together and be okay. 

This came in the mail for me anonymously.
No clue who. But cute!

dear tuesday, the plan was to get up at 6 a.m. and practice harp but I woke up at 1:30 a.m. and could not go back to sleep until about 5 a.m. and then I slept until 7:30 and so I didn't get much practice in. I need to do better but life is so crazy right now trying to get Christmas done. I hope I can pull off the recital!  
I really love our tree this year. Especially when it's dark outside. I love sitting near it with it's soft glow early in the morning before anyone else is up. It's so calm and peaceful.

I headed to my lesson and felt bad I hadn't practiced but after I went through O Holy Night we worked on Pirates of the Caribbean, so it was no biggy.  It's going to be a tough one. I got a good lesson in but the cute twins were not happy. LOL  They are so cute though. She is such a good mom. She has her hands full but is so patient and so cute. I headed to Farmington station to find a few more gifts. I then hit O town and was at Joann's getting some fabric for my neighborhood gifts and stood in line for at least 20 min to get my fabric cut and then another 25 to check out. I was not happy and I got out of line to tell one of the clueless cashiers they needed more cashiers but it did no good. I told one of the other workers as I left that they really needed more cashiers this time of year. The line was clear down the aisle. Ugh! What bugs is they know it's Christmas time and they are going to be busy so why don't they have more help? Same thing happened there last year too.  I went to Hobby Lobby and got right in and right out. I thanked the cashier for their system because it was so nice to not have to wait. I hit Crumbl too. Prob should have passed on that, but.....so good!  I had to return some stuff at Costco and then I hit the mall but didn't buy anything. I still have a few things to get but didn't make much progress today.  I got home, made dinner, and then went to tithing settlement. Dave had meetings until 10 pm.  

dear wednesday, I hit the gym this morning. I was the only one there. 

I ran to the DI and found this ↓ for $3 and it's brand new and still in the package!!  It is usually about $25!  $38 on Amazon!  Love it when I get killer deals. 

I rarely even go in there. Today I visited with Jacki and her cute girls while shopping there.
I basically cleaned house all day. My parents did drop in and it was fun visiting with them

dear thursday, today Carson dressed in his fox outfit.  He looked so cute! 

I had my Homemaker's party. I should have gone to the gym but I got up about 5 a.m and started to organize and wrap Christmas. I have already wrapped a ton but I still have a ton more to go. I then made a Grinch for the party.  I had to find ones I made a few years ago so I could remember, but they are cute no matter how they turn out. Each one is a bit different.  

I headed to Stacy's. It was pouring rain (rained all day). Her house is so pretty. It was just in the home show on Saturday. 

We ate and took too long doing that. We then did the gift exchange and it was so fun. I stole a napkin holder thing that was so cute from Cheryl and she was not happy. LOL  She then stole a letter board from Sharon. When it was over she came  up to me and asked if I wanted the letter board because she really wanted the napkin holder.  I told her I would trade her if she wanted it that bad. The girl that brought it makes them and so I figured I could order one. It was more important to be a nice person that get what I want. And I do like the letter board, it will be fun. 

I went to Wallies for some gifts and then came home and got some things done and then took off with Dave to get his parents for dinner and the Gentri concert in Logan. Sardine was horrible. It was pretty scary and snowing like crazy! I decided to call McKay and see if he wanted to join us for dinner. He was at the library studying but said he would love to so we went to pick him up but could not find the library!  UGH  My phone was not working right on the GPS either. We drove everywhere and finally he had walked home so we picked him up there. Sigh.  We didn't have a lot of time at that point because I also forgot the tickets and had to go back and get them after we picked up Dave's parents. Anyway, we ate at the Juniper Take Out and it was good. 

McKay has one more final. He is getting a 4.0 this semester!  Woot!  He was grateful for dinner. We took him home and tried to find the concert place but we could not! So frustrating! It was no where according to the address. We ran into several lost people who could not find it either. After asking a million peeps and finally finding some police, we found it!  Sigh. Then we weren't sure we in the right place because there was a 200 member choir and orchestra!  But it was right. Gentri sang with them. It was good but not what we thought. 

We ran into Elder and Sister Randall after!  She gave me a huge hug and was so sweet and wanted to know how I was doing. They are the best!  Love them. The drive through Sardine was scary!  It was a blizzard!  But we survived!!! Yay!

dear friday, I got up about 6 and instead of hitting the PT gym I decided to work on Christmas because I feel like I am drowning!  Since today is the beginning of the 12 Days of Christmas I wrote a poem to go with the books for Bryce's littles. I bought 12 Christmas books and wanted to wrap each one and do one each night but I have decided to wrap them and deliver all 12 tonight. But I needed a poem to explain the tradition (pictured at end of post). 

I organized a bunch of Cmas stuff and then made the Grinch for the second day in a row. Too bad he won't stay good. No one eats much of him. I then got ready and headed out. I was in search of a basket for the books. I found one that is perfect with the word MERRY on it, but couldn't find two. I need one for Sky's crew too. Sigh. Feeling the pressure. Not sure how I will get it all done. I still need to do the family newsletter poem. Haven't even started it....BUT the calendars are both done! Yippee!  I also need to make 8 wooden signs that say Take a breath you're home for Karen F. I told her I would several weeks ago. She wants to give them to her kids because it reminds them of their dad who just passed away. It has taken me a while to find the right wood for it. ❤ I still have to wrap, do the neighborhood gifts, find all the stuff for the needy family we are doing the 12 Days of Christmas for, finish a couple of my boys, and probably a million other little things. I told Dave next year we are taking them on a vacay so I won't have to shop! I am tired. Really tired. Christmas wipes me out. I have been pretty unstressed this year until now. I should have been more stressed I guess and got more done faster. I also have a harp recital in a week that I am SO NOT READY for and I have not time to practice! I literally jump out of bed running and don't stop until I hit the hay. It's now 11 pm and I'm still up and waiting for Taylor to get home from Yakima. He is expected to arrive at 1 a.m. I will never make it! I kept my room spotless this year and tonight it now looks like a bomb went off. Tomorrow I hope I can get it all organized, wrapped and done!  But, back to the day....

We had our Sista party at Dawn's house today. 
We had a huge turnout!  13 peeps!  It was so fun. So fun getting to know some who rarely come. Diane even came!  So fun! We had some yummy food and then played a game where you suck an M&M with a straw and that is your bingo markers. You have to roll doubles on the dice to get a turn and as soon as someone else gets doubles they steal the cup of M&M's from you. It was hilarious!  We then played Bingo and that was fun too!  When you got Bingo you got to get a gift. You could steal a gift as well if you got another Bingo. I ended up with a candle. It was so fun. We took some fun photos too. Such a blast.

 Dawn donated some gifts to the needy family and wrapped them so pretty!  She is serious THEE most amazing human I know!  I am not kidding!  So amazing. Chris also donated some $$$ and gift cards and Wendy who has never came also donated $20. People are so kind. I ran to Costco to get some coats for the kids in the family. I got a good deal. I also got some winter clothes for them and spent $129. I am also using the $100 that came in the mail to me in September and I have to write them back and tell them what I used it for. I came home and felt so overwhelmed! Looks like this little guy is bushwhacked as well. He is the sweetest.

I had to finish the 12 Days poems for the books as well as the needy family and had to be to the ward party. I didn't get it all done before we had to leave. Carson and Chayden came with me. We saw Santa first. Looks like he was taking a nap here... LOL

Annual ward party Santa photo!

Carson was a panda in the nativity. So cute! They told the kids to dress up like an animal and so he did. LOL  I wonder if the Three Kings from the Orient brought him along?  Hehe 

He is the best I love that kid!  It was so cute. I sat with Bonnie and we had a good time. 

Then they did a family dance. Dave never made it due to being on call, and we just watched some of the braver ones and then came home. I got it all done for the 12 Days but felt bad it was so late. Oh well... The thought is what counts. 

Dave delivered Bryce's 12 Days of Christmas books. They turned out cute!

Sky and Sarah delivered the needy family. She found out where they live a couple days ago. It feels so good to be able to help someone. I hope they are happy for it and not offended. You just never know these days. But there is such a need there. MERRY STRESSMAS!

dear saturday, today I didn't make it out on a walk. I meant to but got busy doing Christmas. I had to pick up some stuff on Main Street and I hit Hallmark while there and it was a great idea because I found Sarah a bday gift. I talked to several peeps I knew. I came home and worked on Christmas all day. I am making signs for Sister Fitzgerald for her kids that say Take a breath you're home. I have eight to make and they are taking much longer than I thought they would. Sky did all the vinyl and he was frustrated. It took him almost four hours!  I painted them. Ran out of paint and had to mix my own color. I didn't want to run to Wallies though. I am tired of shopping!  Dave would probably want to argue with that, but I am!  SICK OF IT!  Even for groceries. Sky and crew were gone to get family photos. Before they got home, Bryce and crew showed up. They were so cute. It was so fun. 

Ready, aim, FIRE!

 Carson in his fam pic outfit with cute little Brinlee.

 Here is photo of him and Chayden visiting Santa after pix.

 Silly boy!

Haylie sent this picture of Liam and Brinlee with one of the books they opened I gave them! So cute!

 Bryce made this Olaf!  So cute!

Dave delivered the 12 Days of Christmas books last night and they are loving them. We did the needy family packages and they delivered them. It's been so fun!

One of my favorite things about Christmas is finding treats and gifts on my porch!  Love it!

 Here are most of the neighborhood gifts from this year...

Here are some of the ones I delivered to neighbors and friends and ministering sisters and Dave's counselors, etc.

Our neighborhood gifts this year ↓

The Grinch Juice was just for the littles.

dear sunday, headed to church and Carson and Chayden looked so cute. I taught Sunbeams today. It was my last time for teaching this class.  Next week there is no Primary and the next week is the 5th Sunday and the Bishopric teaches. Kinda sad. It's always hard to say goodbye to my old ones and get new ones. I have no idea who my new ones will be. But it will be fun.  We made little baby Jesus managers. It was fun. Callum always asks (whispers) if he can have Goldfish crackers. He is obsessed with them. He's so cute.  Dixon is so smart and knows all the answers and Liesl just kills me. She is so serious but so funny. No Ezra or Rosalie today. 

Little mangers we made. I let them draw on the faces.

I came home and Dave made my lasagna recipe. We ate later than normal because he had meetings but it was yum!  He is helping me out since I am overwhelmed with Christmas at the moment.  I rested for a bit and needed it.  Bryce and littles stopped by. They were so cute and excited. We played and had fun. 

We had a lot of neighborhood gifts dropped off tonight. That's one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I love it when the doorbell rings and someone is delivering a gift. We got a caramel apple and hot chocolate and 7-UP and so we opened them all and ate away.  I worked on some Christmas. I am beat!
We got our traditional photo in front of the tree a week early because we were both in red and matchy. Might do it again next week too depending on what we wear. 

 I NEED A NEW PHONE! I couldn't get a good one as far as coloring and focus goes. Sarah took the top one but the color is weird on that one too. Not sure which one is the best. UGH

 

Guess I'll got with this one...

Today was the ONE YEAR anniversary of my accident.  

I posted this on FB: 

One year ago TODAY, three days before my cancer surgery, this snowmobile (just minutes after taking this photo) severely crushed my leg. Even though there were a couple of times I thought it might, it did not crush my spirit!

That was not the purpose of it.

Though this was a difficult challenge for me that has been forever life changing, it has become a great blessing. I have gleaned and learned things that I could have in no other way. 🙏

Yes, it took away one of my greatest loves in life which is my ability to run. For now. But I have great hope and faith that one day I will be able to do that again. And even if it's not to the extent it was before or the way I long for it to be again, I am eternally grateful for the many MIRACLES I have received that have made it possible to even run (or walk normally) at all.

God is good. His plan is always better than ours. I am grateful for his wisdom and knowledge and the gift of gratitude to embrace that plan no matter what it might bring into our lives.

So grateful for the journey. For life. For the continual learning process. For family and friends who lift in time of need. Life is good! 🤩

Cherish the moments because life is a gift that passes by quickly. During this busy holiday season, take a minute to slow down a bit and express gratitude for life itself and the many wonderful blessings God has given us.

Merry Christmas and much love to all! 💜

#cherishthemoments #Godisgood #gratitudeismagic #miracleshappen #oneyear 

#slowprocess #roadbacktoboston

Those are the comments from my post.  

A few other thoughts about this anniversary:

I have to really remember to FOCUS on the good that has come out of it (sometimes it's hard to find) or I end up dwelling on the bad and no one needs that. Life is loaded with trials and challenges and if we focus on the things those challenges bring that are not ideal, we tend to forget all the good that comes from them. So many good things have come from this trial. One thing...I got to rest for several months!  I think my body (and mind) really needed that!  Another thing is I learned so much from those who served me during it. I learned I need to do better when others are struggling and not fear to do more than I do. I learned that I married well. Dave was a trooper and really took good care of me. He fed me three meals a day when I couldn't walk or even go downstairs without extreme effort and duress, helped me in and out of the shower, helped me get dressed, took me to every doctor's appointment, radiation treatment, test, etc. and made sure I took my meds. The list is endless of all he did. He kept the household running smoothly through it all. He is a master at cooking and laundry. He would be fine if something happened to me. I learned a lot about my friends and family and I was amazed at the kind hearts of so many who brought me treats, books, gifts, meals, and visits. I learned that I need to keep an eternal perspective on life and not get so caught up in being able to run and to not think my life is over if I can't. I learned that accidents happen and God allows them to happen so we can grow. I learned that I am an even stronger person than I thought. I learned that I don't complain nearly as much as I thought I did. I think in my younger years I did more than I do now. I learned to suck it up and just deal with it. I learned there is pain worse than childbirth. I learned that some things in life you have to wait for and that patience isn't as hard for me as it used to be. I learned that life is very fragile and needs to be appreciated on a daily basis because you never know when it will change and change can happen in a split second. But the most important thing I learned is that FAITH brings about MIRACLES and that when we submit our will fully to God, that is when the miracles occur. I learned that my mind has great power and when I visualize things in that mind it helps those things become reality. I learned so many things about prayer, faith, submission, visualization, the power of positive thoughts, believing with all my might for the things I want, and to not always believe what doctors tell you. I learned that a good physical therapist is worth more than whatever it costs to get well. I learned that life is very short and there is not enough time while we are here to waste it on what ifs, why nots, how comes, and why me's.  We need to focus on gratitude and all the good things that are right before our eyes each and every single day. One of the best things I learned is that LIFE IS GOOD no matter what we are going through and we are darn blessed to be breathing and alive and kicking!  

dear random, this should have been posted on last week's post but better late than never. It's been FIVE years!  Crazy to think!  Halfway?

I am not sure if I posted this or not yet...↓
I'm not losing it (exactly) but Christmas helps me forget things that aren't essential so I may be adding repeats here and there. I'll be okay... 
I keep telling myself that anyway. 

They definitely LIGHT THE WORLD!  Especially mine!

No one like Him though....

This ↓ little guy did however...
(a letter his friend Sam sent me)

Oh man...

dear quotes,