Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Heavy heart

Tonight the minutes tick by effortlessly. Fast at first, until my mind becomes consumed by something that I've been trying to press away from my mind for a couple of weeks now.
Now that the fear has crept back in, the minutes seem to move by slowly. My eyes are just as heavy as my heart.
I took my son in for his yearly heart check-up. I was told that everything looks great. After that, the doctor followed by saying that three letter word that I always dread..... BUT. As she said that three letter word, my heart dropped. I tried to act calm as I was trying to convince myself that everything was fine. I'm used to preparing myself for bad news in a way that I can bear it. She told me that the left side of his heart is growing bigger than the right side of his heart. She doesn't know why, but they need to keep an eye on it.
My thoughts went something like this, "Okay. He's okay. He's okay, right? Yes, he's okay. No need to worry. What does that exactly mean though? One side of his heart is growing bigger than the other side? I have been told many worrisome things about my son before. Like when I was pregnant with him, I was told that he may be like a vegetable. He may not be able to walk, or talk. I was told that there was fluid around his heart, and that a part in his brain wasn't measuring correctly. Now look at him. He's the cutest, happiest, healthiest boy I know. He's a fighter. I've also been told that when I was pregnant with my daughter, Madison, that she may have cystic fibrosis. Well, she doesn't. She's the cutest, happiest, healthiest little 5 (almost 6 :)) year old girl I know. But what does this heart growing bigger on one side mean? He has to get his heart checked yearly for life anyway, so they should be able to catch it quick if something goes wrong. It will be okay..... right? Right!"
Well, the doctor told me not to worry, that it's nothing to worry about. They will just do an echo next year to see what his heart is doing, and they will keep an eye on it. She said that everything looks good from the surgery. But don't worry is the advice she gave me.
What I've been wondering this whole time is how on earth does she expect a mother not to worry after hearing something like that? I feel helpless. The not knowing is hard. I push it out of my mind the best I can because worrying will do no good for myself or my family. My focus is on being the best Wife and Mother that I can possibly be because that is the difference I can make in my family's lives now. I can make a difference now, right here in the present, and worrying will not help matters in a positive way.
But tonight, I lay here, typing, with a heavy heart. But knowing that we are blessed with having such a wonderful life, and knowing that tomorrow will be a beautiful new day, is what makes everything okay.

Your Child's Hidden Gift to You

I love the following article! I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I did!

Is it just me or are a lot of parents cranky, rushed, frustrated and resentful these days?

Has this ever happened to you?

The alarm goes off and instead of slowly waking up your mind snaps into action and begins to race as you review the day’s to do list. Your heart pounds as you wonder how you’re going to get it all done! You find yourself consumed with frustration and you’ve only been up for 3 minutes! You think: today is going to suck!

Circle of Moms member Melissa M. is stressed, too, “…Some days I feel like the worst mother in the world because I can't get everything done, while other days I feel so resentful… I feel like I'm entitled to a break every once in awhile as well.”

The pace of life has changed for everyone. We all feel rushed, frustrated and exhausted from meeting our daily commitments and living in what feels like a pressure cooker 24/7.

To attain more balance in our lives, we try all kinds of things: we eat organically, run, walk, or do yoga to help our bodies manage and release the stress. Some see a therapist to release the pain of the past.

Did you know there’s something your child does every single day that can change the way you look at your stressful, busy life?

Watch your child at play, at rest, eating, and interacting with others. She’s 100% focused on whatever she’s doing. She plays with wild abandon and seems to inhale enjoyment with every breath. She’s living in the moment and thrilled to be alive.

I know you’re stressed; we’re all stressed to one degree or another. Believe it or not some of the pressure you feel comes from how you’re thinking about what’s going on in your life.

W. Mitchell says, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s what you do about it.”

Wayne Dyer reminds us “Change your thoughts, and you change your world.”

Those are not just platitudes. They’re life keys that explain how to manage the stress and frustration you’re dealing with. Yes, the concept is simple, but aren’t most basic truths in life the simplest?

To “change your thoughts,” participate in your daily activities the way a child would. Be 100% focused on each activity or interaction, and only that activity. One thing at a time, as they say!

If your mind wanders to a stressful place or tries to focus on something you’ll be doing at the end of the day, bring your thoughts back to what you’re doing now and remind yourself, I’m washing the dishes right now, I’m not rushing the kids to school or making dinner. Right now all I need to do is pay attention to washing the dishes.

When rushing and stressed, take control of your thoughts. Thinking, We’re going to be late, again! actually slows you down and sucks your energy because you’re consumed with negative thinking. But focusing on how yummy the food is or enjoying how silly the kids are, energizes you, leads you to peaceful feelings and sets the tone for your day.

Many are quoted as having said, “Watch your thoughts for they become your words…” Lots of moms say, “I’m so busy, overwhelmed and stressed. There’s never any time for me!”

Chanting those thoughts over and over again, not only sets the tone for the day, it produces more stress, and makes you feel like you have no choices about your life.
We can’t change what’s on our plate, but we can change how we feel about it.

So let your child’s way of looking at life be her gift to you. It’s priceless!


Sharon Silver is the author of Stop Reacting and Start Responding and the Parenting Skills e-class. Go to proactiveparenting.net to download two free chapters from her book and learn about the Proactive Parenting flagship big-picture program. Find Sharon on Twitter and Facebook.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Swagger Wagon = Hilarious!

This is hilarious! Anyone in need of a good laugh? Comin' right up! Just hit play.
I drive an SUV, but it's close enough to a van..... right?
Funny stuff!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Focus and Priorities

The following words below is a talk , Focus and Priorities, given by Dallin H. Oaks at the April 2001 General Conference.
I found this talk on facebook. It is refreshing, and just what I needed to read. I have been wasting so much time this summer by being lazy, and I have been getting so overwhelmed with all the time I have been wasting. This is just the inspiration I have been needing.
Our priorities are most visible in how we use our time. Someone has said, “Three things never come back—the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity.” We cannot recycle or save the time allotted to us each day. With time, we have only one opportunity for choice, and then it is gone forever.


Good choices are especially important in our family life. For example, how do family members ...spend their free time together? Time together is necessary but not sufficient. Priorities should govern us in the precious time we give to our family relationships. Compare the impact of time spent merely in the same room as spectators for television viewing with the significance of time spent communicating with one another individually and as a family.

To cite another example, how much time does a family allocate to learning the gospel by scripture study and parental teachings, in contrast to the time family members spend viewing sports contests, talk shows, or soap operas? I believe many of us are overnourished on entertainment junk food and undernourished on the bread of life.

The ultimate Latter-day Saint priorities are twofold: First, we seek to understand our relationship to God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and to secure that relationship by obtaining their saving ordinances and by keeping our personal covenants. Second, we seek to understand our relationship to our family members and to secure those relationships by the ordinances of the temple and by keeping the covenants we make in that holy place. These relationships, secured in the way I have explained, provide eternal blessings available in no other way. No combination of science, success, property, pride, prominence, or power can provide these eternal blessings!
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