New Approach to Blogging

I'll admit that I feel a little intimidated by blogging. I feel like I have to have something worthwhile to say - which is why I so rarely post anything! So I've decided to go back to the original format I used to use when I kept my 'journal' on my website. I'll just try to write weekly about what's going on in our family. It will rarely be profound (and sometimes not even interesting). But at least I'll be blogging!!!!

Here's my first try at turning over a new leaf.

June 7-14, 2010

Since I am getting ready for Tommy to come home and for me to be gone out to Laura's for the baby's arrival - I had a busy week full of trying to get this house organized and catching up on projects and things that I don't have time for during the school year. I finally made Banx his baby quilt (that I should have given him over a year ago). I wanted to make Laura's baby one but couldn't very well do that when I still owed Banx one! So I got them both done and it was so fun I went ahead and made a pink one just in case Grace has a girl (she won't for sure now - but I'll use it eventually). Abbie didn't get her "Gram Quilt" until after Andie was born so 5 years is my record for latest baby blanket.

Clay got poison ivy while working in the yard with our neighbor across the street and I doctored it all week and finally surrendered on Sat and took him to the doctor. They gave him a steroid shot (he was thrilled and is expecting to have huge muscles any day now) and a graduated dosage packet that he has to take for 13 days. But the poison ivy is much better.

Andy woke up sick on Tuesday night. He threw up for two days - from what I assume was a stomach virus. Clay caught it too and so I had them both sick. Luckily neither Butch nor I caught it.

Butch found out that he will not be able to take off work for our trip to Laura's in July. We were planning for Butch, Tommy, Andy and Clay to fly out on July 17th and bless the baby on the 18th. But Butch graciously offered to stay home alone and let the boys go on. Then he and I will fly out over Labor Day weekend and that's when the baby will be blessed. Tommy and Emily will be out west at school so they'll be able to attend. Andy and Clay will miss the blessing - but not any school. So I guess it all worked out okay. Just not the way I'd planned (surprise, surprise).

On Thurs Grace went to the doctor and got to hear her baby's heartbeat and they were so excited. Then I came in and saw that I had an email from Kirk Shaw at Covenant telling me that my new book Murder by Design has been officially accepted for publication. It will be released in October - which is very exciting. Then Emily called and said that she had been awarded (without even applying for) a $500 scholarship at BYU-I. It will pay what she owes the bookstore and her July rent since the job she got didn't work out as well as she'd planned. That was a huge blessing.

On Friday Butch stopped by the Korean food store and bought anchovies and kimchee and all kinds of things that he likes to eat and I don't. But that's fine because I'm on a very restrictive diet and can't eat much of anything. The good news is, though, that I've lost 27 pounds! I am so proud of myself and so sorry that I didn't take control sooner so that I wouldn't have made all this necesary....

Anyway, on Saturday we were just trying to get Clay ready for his first scout camp.

On Sunday I had to teach YW's and it was a lesson called "Sustaining Missionaries through Letters". It was about writing missionaries and encouraging them and not saying negative stuff or telling them how much fun they were missing at home and stuff. I had the full-time missionaries come in and tell how much letters from friends had meant to them on their missions and then we gave them each a giant candy bar. Then we made up a little box for the missionaries serving from our ward (except Tommy - a package couldn't get to him before he comes home) and then the girls wrote them notes to put in the box with the candy. So it turned out pretty good. After church we had a "Linger-Longer" potluck dinner. I made lasagna and a cake as my contributions and Andy and Clay stayed for it. I went home and ate my turkey sandwich instead. I had a rare burst of organization on Sat night and made an extra lasagna for our Sunday Evening Family Gathering Dinner so I didn't have to do much on Sunday to get ready for that.

Then Monday morning I woke up at 3:00 am and emailed with Tommy. Only 3 more chances to do that. Then he'll be home. YAY!!!!

Until next week...