I guess it's time for my semi-annual blog post! ;) I have a lot swimming around in my head, so I'm going to do this list-style:
- I'm feeling extremely grateful for a hardworking husband and too many blessings to list. My hubby spoils me rotten. I don't deserve it, but I'm not complaining!
- One of the reasons I'm feeling so spoiled is that I hired a housekeeper. As much as I love my house - and I think it's perfect for a family with 5 kids, 4 of whom are rambunctious boys who get bigger every day - it's just too big for me to keep clean. 6800 sq ft is getting the best of me. So John told me last month I should call the woman who cleaned this house for the former owner. It took a few weeks for me to push the guilt aside and make the call. The first visit was Thursday, and stressed me out completely! First I was worried about having things picked up and dishes done so that the real deep cleaning was all that was left. Then it was the stress of keeping things clean after I'd paid to get it that way. Fortunately, I think I can push through the stress and enjoy having some help. (Can you hear the sarcasm? Poor me, right?) She'll be coming back for a short cleaning this week, then again for the deeper clean next week.
- While I'm talking about my house, a week ago tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of putting in an offer on this house. Not an anniversary I'd remember, but it happened the day after my birthday. For the second time in our married life, my husband let me buy a house he'd never seen in person. Now that's trust! Luckily, he's just as happy with our new home as I am. :) We recently had the front page of the house plans framed and hung it above the fireplace in the den. It's really fun to look at.
- I'm reading again! For the last 9 years of my life, I've been convinced that I don't have time for leisure reading. I've read plenty of non-fiction books about child-rearing, but only a book here and there, usually for the neighborhood book club. Well, I finally decided I wanted to read something good, and I started with The Fountainhead, which I've wanted to read forever. I disagreed with a lot of the philosophy in the book, and I felt uncomfortable with it at times. And I loved reading it! I loved having to think, and having to stretch myself. I didn't want to put it down, and finished it pretty quickly, considering how long it is. I think that's what it took to remind myself that I love to read, and to decide that I can make time for reading.
- To go with the reading theme, I'm just finishing Heaven is Here, by Stephanie Nielson. You know, Nie Nie who was in the plane wreck? Have you read it? I freely admit that I have never once read her blog, and I was never really interested in her story. That might sound awful, but I heard about her blog and it didn't appeal to me. But the book is amazing. I did have to force myself through the first section about her uber-perfect BYU courtship. But it was necessary to know all about her life in order to understand how much she lost when she got hurt. I have cried and cried as I've read about her struggles, particularly the dark feelings of despair she went through. It helps to know that everyone has trouble in this life, and that my problems are really quite small compared to what others have suffered. (Not that I didn't know that, but reminders don't hurt now and then.)
- I have major spring fever! I planted over 600 bulbs in the fall, and I think about them every. single. time. I go outside. Now that some of them are starting to peek out of the ground, I'm going crazy with excitement! Although I'm terrified that the deer are going to eat them. I planted some super tall tulip bulbs that I've wanted to plant for years, but tulips are famous for being "deer candy." I've already sprayed my stinky deer repellent 3 times and I'll be doing it faithfully every week in hopes of not losing my precious flowers to those pesky (and adorable) deer!
7 comments:
What a great idea to have your house plans framed. I now must search my house to see if I have our plans so I can do that same thing. AWESOME.
I read Nie's book recently too. I hadn't ever read her blog either. But I found the story appealing. And, like you, cried through a lot of it. (Silly me, I read it ON A PLANE on a recent business trip!) My take-away; start everyday with a family prayer so that I will always know each day was began with God on our side.
Congrats on getting a house cleaner. I think that's every womans dream!
I always love it when you post, Mel! It's so neat to see your house plans framed. And I'm thrilled that your bulbs are starting to peek out of the ground. I'm sure you're just dying for spring! And I do hope those "pesky (and adorable)" deer leave your prize tulips alone. Or else!
How wonderful that you've been able to do some reading again! I honestly feel lost without a good book to read. I've debated for a few months about reading "Heaven is Here." I actually do read Nie Nie's blog, but it's kind of creepy because my life is so similar to hers! After all, my name is Stephanie, too, and I have two girls and two boys in the same age order as she does. It really does kind of creep me out. I can't imagine going through what she has gone through. I'm just so happy to see that she's starting to get her life back again. What a miracle! I should stop chickening out and just read the dang book, huh?!
Oh, and you already know how proud I am of you for hiring some cleaning ladies. You go, girl! And ditch the guilt FOR GOOD, for heaven's sake. ;-)
Love you, Mel!
I'm jealous about your bulbs. We have so many dear here that after the first few years of watching them eat ALL the tulips and daffodils, I haven't planted any. It's going to be an ugly spring.
I'm all about having cleaning ladies with young children and a big home. It keeps me sane. Glad you are doing it and get rid of the guilt! Think about the good you are doing by helping someone else provide for their own family too. Win/win!
I'm not a big fan of the Nie Nie blog but her book was good. It helped me understand why I don't like her blog and how that was alright because I do think she is a good person who has handled an incredibly difficult thing with courage, grace and determination.
Hope you are well!!!
Because both you and Isabel said you read Heaven is Here, I read it on Thursday/Friday. I liked it, and like Lucy said I'm ok with liking her book even though I don't like her blog. It does have a special spirit to it that I appreciated. But I doubt it will convince me to convert to reading LDS fiction, lol.
I love bulbs! I hope some are still around when we come up in May.
Why did I think you made your blog private?
Anyway, I'm glad you're doing SDBBE to force you to read for leisure.
I really got a lot out of Heaven is Here. BUT, like everyone else, I've never been a fan of NieNie's blog. my problem is that it's way too commercialized. I like reading blogs that are written for the love of writing, documenting life, and forming relationships.
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