Present: If you give Anna a cookie

If you give Anna a cookie, she'll probably want a glass of milk to go with it.
As she goes into the kitchen to get the milk, she'll probably notice the dishwasher didn't get run last night.
As she puts soap into the dishwasher, she may notice that there is a little room on the top shelf. She'll want to go find some dirty dishes to fill that spot.
She may may go into the bedroom to get the water glasses off the night stands.
As she gets the glasses, she'll remember that she wanted to wash the sheets today. She'll pull the sheets off the bed and carry them into the laundry room to put them in the washer.
While she is starting the washer, she'll wonder if there are any dirty clothes hiding in the kids' rooms.
As she walks down the hall, she'll notice that the linen closet is such a mess, the door won't close. She'll stop to straighten it up.
She'll notice the red curtains on the shelf - the ones she's been meaning to hang up in the kitchen.
She'll take them to the kitchen to hang them up before she forgets again.
While she's in the kitchen, she'll see the gallon of warm milk on the counter. And as she's putting it back in the fridge, she'll wonder where her cookie is.

This may or may not be a description of my morning.

My bed is unmade.
There is an empty glass on top of the dryer.
The dishwasher hasn't been run.

But, the curtains are hung. And the linen closet is straightened. That should count for something, right?

Our Artist

Megan had a painting displayed at the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Art Show. We are so proud of her and her hard work.

Present: What We've Done Today

I'm making an effort this year to say yes to the kids more. To do more with them. To be more involved. To be PRESENT in the activities they are interested in.

If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, 

you haven't done much today.  ~Author Unknown

Today, we have:

Played with a basket. Who know baskets could be so fun?

Created holiday decorations for Barbies with clay.

Started designing a Rube Goldberg machine.

What a fun afternoon. And the best part? My big kids cleaned up most of the messes from their projects without being asked. 

I am enjoying being PRESENT.

Travis's Latest Cake

Travis finished his cake decorating class on Monday. I am so impressed with everything he's learned and I'm looking forward to the upcoming holidays and birthdays, when he'll have a good excuse to decorate some fun cakes for us (any excuse for cake is a good thing, in my opinion!).

We Love Surprises

My father-in-law (who lives in Toucan) called this afternoon, asking what our plans were for dinner. Surprised, I said that we really didn't have any plans (I was planning to make cornbread from a box and pick up some chili from Wendy's. Cuz I'm an awesome cook like that. :D). He said that he was here in Houston for some meetings. He hadn't told us because he wasn't sure if he would even have time to see us, but his dinner hour was free and would we like to meet at a restaurant. Megan and Jared were bouncing in their seats the whole way to dinner, they were so excited. And Kate's face lit up when she saw him at the restaurant. It was a lot of fun to see him and a very pleasant surprise.

Present: An Epiphany

I had an epiphany today as I drove home through the rain.

If I am truly focusing on the PRESENT, 

I don't need to be kicking myself for the past - past mistakes, past shortcomings, 

they don't have a hold on me. 

A few nights ago, as I was laying in bed, some memories of mistakes I had made in the past came to mind. Things that I had thought I had fully repented of. Things that I thought I had moved past. As I was laying there, I started to doubt myself. To wonder if I was just imagining that I had been forgiven. An awful, overwhelming feeling of fear and depression filled me.

I thought, When we are forgiven, aren't we supposed to forget? When we repent, aren't things supposed to not bug us any more? Or weigh on us? Isn't forgiveness like a big pink eraser?

That night, I prayed. And I prayed. And I prayed. And I didn't feel any sort of resolution or hear any sort of answer. During the past few days, I've prayed. I've prayed to understand the process of repentance. I've prayed to feel that sense of peace that God will forgive me when I screw up, fall short, lose my temper. When my Natural Man side takes control.

And then today, as I was driving home, the thought hit me that these thoughts and feelings don't come from God. They come from Satan. They are full of self doubt and self pity and are the opposite of faith. Satan wants us to doubt ourselves, he wants us to doubt God.

Hebrews 8:12 says 

"Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."  

Christ is speaking here.  The scriptures don't teach that WE will forget, but that Jesus and Heavenly Father will. 

In Alma 36, Alma is speaking to his son Corrianton, calling him to repentance. Alma speaks of his own past, his own mistakes:

"I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more." 

Harrow means to cause to suffer. Alma says his memories don't make him suffer any more because he has repented and been forgiven. He never says that he forgot them.

My heart filled with joy and peace. The past is in the past and I don't have to worry about it any more. I think that we are meant to remember our mistakes. They teach us. They help shape us into the people we are. They refine us. We aren't supposed to forget them, but we aren't supposed to dwell on them either.

Don't let yesterday use up too much of today. 

~Cherokee Proverb

Present: Enjoying the Moment

Oh, if life were made of moments,
Even now and then a bad one!
But if life were only moments,
Then you'd never know you had one.

(Moments in the Woods from Into the Woods, the Musical)

 Part of what I am trying to do this year with my word Present is to slow down and enjoy the little moments that just happen. Too often I find myself caught up worrying about "what's next" to focus on "what's now."

The kids had the day off from school, so we packed a picnic and went to have lunch with Travis at the Water Wall. The weather was perfect - warm and sunny, and everyone had a wonderful time running around, playing kickball (even Travis got into it in his nice dress clothes! That's something I love about him - he never hesitates to get in and play with the kids.)

It wasn't fancy or exotic or extravagant or anything. Just a beautiful moment, full of sunshine and laughter and family.