3 Days

For Trek we have had different challenges every month for our spiritual and physical preparation. For May we were supposed to have "3 Days of Sacrifice." We were asked to give up something that we really liked for 3 days. Some examples they gave were Facebook, sugar, texting, etc. I was thinking about Facebook, but I'm not super addicted to it -- there have been times when I went three days without getting on Facebook and didn't think anything about it.

I decided I would not watch any TV or movies for 3 days, and Steve decided to do the same. When I tell people that they look at me weird like, "that's really a sacrifice? I barely even watch TV." I know -- well, Steve and I watch it a lot. It's sad. But I'm not in school and we don't have kids, so many of our evenings are spent watching TV shows, movies, or Netflix together. I look at it as some quality time together, so I don't see it as bad or anything. We are doing something we like together. We also usually have a movie on when doing other things, like puzzles, playing games, homework, cleaning, etc. The TV is on a lot in our house.

I was going to "cheat" and do this 3 Day Sacrifice during the week so we could just be at work and not have to think about it. Then I decided that would not be a true sacrifice since we wouldn't be at home with it tempting us. Or something like that ... it made sense to me. We started it Friday morning and did not watch TV or movies until Monday.

Steve was joking on Friday night and asked me, "But when we get home from church on Sunday, what are we supposed to do all afternoon??" I answered, "I guess we'll have to rough it, just like the pioneers!!" I also feel kind of silly when talking about how this 3 Day Sacrifice is supposed to show us how it felt for the pioneers when giving up something they loved or needed to journey across the country. We all know that 3 days are a tiny speck compared to what the pioneers had to actually give up for their beliefs.

Despite how silly it felt sometimes to think how small that time period was, and how silly it is to give up TV, I learned some things. They weren't really tangible lessons that I could list, but I felt the spirit because I was doing something to prepare me for Trek. We spent more time talking, we learned a new card game, we put puzzles together, we actually cleaned the entiiiiire kitchen, and got other home things finished. See the things we accomplish when we turn off the TV??


We might even try electronic-free weekends every once in a while. Even though we still had our phones available and we played video games, we still interacted more and it felt like we spent more time together. It was a great time to re-focus and think about Trek and what type of things I have learned that I can share with my family when we are there. Even though I'm still not excited to go camping and not shower, I am glad I'll have this experience. I know it will be good.

Trek is in a month. Holy crud!!

Timing

I know this:

Every man and woman who serves the Lord, no matter how faithful they may be, have their dark hours; but if they have lived faithfully, light will burst upon them and relief will be furnished.

Teachings of Lorenzo Snow

Millennial Star, Aug. 24, 1899, 531.

I don't know the blessings or the time they will come. But I know there will be blessings as long as I serve the Lord faithfully. So that is what I will be doing around here.

Spring cleaning & projects

Alright everyone. I know that I talk about my house a lot, but it's fun because it's our first house and it's been an adventure already. So now that it's the first Spring season since we have been moved and settled, I have some goals for cleaning, organizing, and updating. I figure I'll share them, mostly for my own benefit in not forgetting them. If I just write them down at home, I lose the list and then I just give up.

This is not in any real order, and I may keep updating this list as I come up with more ideas, but this is it for now. I don't care if these all get done in the spring, but I want to maybe get them done some time this year. At least started! Hopefully!

So here goes...

1. Weed/clean up flower beds (again)
1a. Get the mulch and big flower pots for the flower beds
1b. Actually plant flowers :)

2. Organize our craft room and spare (guest) bedroom

3. Clean out/organize garage
3a. Make shelves in garage for storage bins

4. Make the tub into a shower in the pink potty
(Yeah, it's currently only a tub. So I want that functional for any guests so they don't have to go into our bedroom to shower.)

5. Start saving for/deciding on cabinets for kitchen
5a. GET A DISHWASHER
5b. Put some cabinet doors back on

6. Paint upstairs living room/dining room (finally!!)

7. Donate more clothes/shoes/accessories - really...

8. Finish painting the forgotten cabinet in the kitchen

I know there are more I'm forgetting. I'll let you know how all these things go since it's starting to warm up and be lovely enough for open windows! :)

Monica's Wedding

A quick post about my sister's fun wedding. Mostly just pictures. ..as usual..

It was a fun and laid-back type of celebration. But it was great to have family here to celebrate a new person in our family.

Cousins getting ready to start.

Monica and Dad coming down the aisle.

You may kiss the bride.

The happy couple!

Cinnamon rolls instead of cake?? Holla!!

The first dance.

A new sweet family!
Cute shot of all their boots.

Like I said, it was a fun celebration with dancing, treats, and hot chocolate. You can't lose!!

So teeny!

I have always been obsessed with baby shoes and socks because they are so cute. And they are mainly cute because they are sooo little!!! So I finally decided to try a crocheted baby bootie pattern. I especially wanted to try it because my friend told me about her friend that needs a big time pick-me-up and is having a baby soon. So I did these and I think they are just too stinkin' cute!

I am going to try some other patterns as the need arises to make some other booties - baby showers, service projects, etc. But I can't wait to make these for our little ones someday. And it's awesome because they are super fast and easy to whip up!

Here is the free pattern I used. I'll post the link, but I do not know that it will work without you having a login to www.ravelry.com .

Baby Got Boots crochet pattern link by Sandi Hagan.

Pink Potty : Cabinets

Well, I believe that we have discussed the pink potty before. I think it was when we had just moved in. Since then I have been on a very slow journey to "update" this bathroom. I say "update" because I decided since we can't yet afford to just completely rip it all out, we can't officially update it. I have to live with the pink sink, tub, and toilet for a while. So I'm rolling with it and just "updating" it while keeping it a little vintage.

I'm sticking with the white/black/gray/pink colors. So I decided to kick out the preteen shade of pink and replace it with a more elegant shade of pink. Really, I just wanted it to match the pink of the toilet and tub.

Before:

I forgot that this was inside of one of the drawers. Pretty, right??

On its way:

After:

So, there ya go! Much better. We found the cheapest handles we could at Home Depot and slapped them on. SOOO much better. Some of the old ones were like, fuzzy. Gross. Glad we got new ones. Except I just realized that the drawer handles are in two different places. Oh well!

So glad I did it and it only took me a few hours! I also only had to get two sample sized paint cans to do it all, and I have extra. So it turned out to be pretty cheap too!

Cute crochet elephant

I have a cute friend that is having a baby soon, and I wanted to try a new type of project for her. I was really thinking of making her a baby blanket, but she has two other children already and other crafty people in her life that I know have already made her blankets.

 

Enter: the baby elephant.

 

I was just browsing through www.redheart.com and saw this sweet little elephant and a few other stuffed animals. I've never done anything like it before so I decided I would give it a try. And I was off on a new crocheting adventure.

 

Well, it turned out great (to my surprise!). I was expecting it to just be ok and I'd make a second one that would be better. But I was so pleased with this one that I called it good. :) I've already got orders for more and for other cute little animals.

 

Elfred the Elephant

I am so grateful for this new talent that I have found. I hope I can keep finding ways to use it for service to others. It is something I love to do and share with others. :)