what a beautiful mess

I read an article today on the benefits and ways of spoiling oneself. At this point in my life, I have many more opportunities to spoil myself than I did say...three years ago. But usually I just don't feel like it. It gets downright lonely not having any children following me around all day. But I can see the benefits of allowing room for leisure time during my day. And while I am not going to start "spoiling" myself, I have come up with ways to alleviate some of the loneliness. Just tonight we sat down as a family and watched some Mormon Messages videos. I was so uplifted and inspired. Just sitting down for a few minutes each day to watch a video or two can really be a great mood booster! The same could be said for taking a few minutes to read an article in the Ensign or a general conference talk. I don't do it nearly enough. Right now, I am waiting for Trevor to get done showering and so I am sitting here on the couch in front of a warm fire and I'm updating ...

I love my dog but lately he has been making me crazy! I think he has house fever.  He wants to go outside and play so bad but it's too cold for anyone to want to take him out.  So instead he stays inside with us and is always right under foot.  Except when he's attacking, then he's on top of whoever is unlucky enough to be his victim....

Here are the pictures of the kitchen you requested, Mom. However I think it would be best if you and dad just came up and visited us.  I hope I got the right view for you! This week we plan on moving the fridge just opposite of where it now stands. It's just a matter of running some electricity over, which Trevor can now do. Once that is done, I'll be happy with the kitchen for awhile. At least until I get the itch to paint the cabinets. So I'll probably be good for about a week or so. We love you guys and miss you so much!

I always like to save the best for last so let's start with the ugly: That's a really ugly chocolate chip cookie. Still can't make them. I say every time I make them and they don't turn out that I will absolutely, positively, for sure, never ever make chocolate chip cookies ever again. But I still do. I want my kids to come home from school and have a nice plate of warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk waiting for them to eat as a snack. Instead they're stuck with dry top ramen, or graham crackers (homemade ya'll!), or granola bars. Those are boring snacks. The bad: Since I failed at making chocolate chip cookies, I got stinking mad and threw my hot pads at the stove. I threw them hard. They made a really loud (but soft) thumping sound. I. was. mad. And all my kids witnessed it which is just shameful. I'm glad I didn't beat the stupid cookies, which I was so tempted to do. Oh wait, I did throw some of them on the counter in a...

I think that besides the wood stove, our floors are my favortie update we have done so far.  (The second bathroom isn't done...yet.)  My house feel so much cleaner.  I may be a tad ocd though.  Anytime I see dust or hair, I get out the swiffer.  I just love that thing.  Trevor and I did a great job, if I do say so myself. We still need to add baseboards and a door to the closet and buy some rugs, but that's OK.  We're/I'm patient (right, Trevor?).  We're doing things as fast as we can with Trevor's work schedule  and even then we put things off so that we can go out to dinner and a movie.  Some things are just worth sacrificing for.  (in this case time out together without kids is better than a second bathroom...)

I just finished my homework for the evening.  Can I get a -hallelujah!- Math is the bane of my existence.  But I'm learning it and I'm starting to understand it.  I really didn't when I was in high school.  I think I was flighty and definitely a day dreamer back then.  Wait...I still am.  You do not want to know my day dreams...they can be quite strange.  Here's one of my dreams from way back then...come true: Yeah, I know, they are pretty dang cute.  Trevor and I produce some great stuff together.  (the producing of which was the hot topic at the dinner table last night...) (Funny thing: I'm downloading Ed Sheeran's c.d to my computer and of course, listening to it and Annabelle had to come tell me to turn it down..she couldn't sleep. haha. Talk about roles reversed.) Now that I have math out of the way for the night,  I'm going to watch Downton Abbey and eat my Nerds.  Yes, I'm still on a cand...

I can't believe that my carpet used to attract this must dust and dirt and dog hair on a daily basis.  I swiffer everyday and everyday this is what the little cloth looks like when I'm done.   It's really gross.  That's what a dog and six people will do to a house, I guess... Last week was a bad week for me.  But Trevor was kind and loving and put up with me and my shenanigans.  This home-all-day-with-no-one-around-to-bug-me-thing is really hard.  I may be a tad bit lonely.  But that's okay...it's just a new adjustment and I'll get through it.  Me and Pandora are getting to know each other really well.  Plus I'm at the gym for an hour and a half each day.  Trevor says that's not so good but I say I need it for my sanity. And he definitely understands that! (I can be a little crazy)

Is the best movie that the Haslem's have seen since...well, since Frozen. We loved Frozen so much  (so much that we bought the soundtrack and have not stopped listening to it) but this movie was just as good! And it's another great soundtrack! You should go see it. As soon as you can. Cause it's that good. (I hope not, but this could be a case where I hype something up too much and then people are disappointed that it's not as good as I said it was. So...go see this movie expecting the worst and you will have your socks blown off by it's amazingness!)

I had my kids take side profile pictures of me on Sunday to prove  to them all that I have a crooked face.  I'm not sure why we were talking about my face.  But as we were looking at the pictures, I noticed that Trevor totally photo bombed me.  With a look of disgust.  I'm not sure what that's about... but I thought it was really funny.  School has started for me and I'm taking Math....ugh.  I'm kind of nervous about it but I'm sure it will be fine.  I have Trevor to tutor me if I need it so that's a plus.  I think he's a basic math whiz.  But still, I'm stressed out.  My face is showing it (break-outs!), my sense of self worth is showing it (for some reason, when I feel stress I start noticing all the things I do wrong and will never do right) and I want to just sit around and mope instead of getting things done.  But....this too shall pass.  In no time at all spring will be here, the bird...

The floors are finally done.  And since this picture was taken, everything is put back in place,  the kitchen has been cleaned and sanity has returned to our house.  Kind of.  We still have to finish the bathroom, and have the finishing work done on the walls.  And put up doors.  Whew...we are so tired.