My Year of Lessons in a Nutshell

Hello all my lovelies! 

I tell you what, as soon my classes started up, my extra time and desire to find the time to blog went right out the window!  Sheesh!  Talk about piling up the busy work!  Busy enough that I didn't get my Christmas cards out!  Oh well!  I'll have to post it here on my blog here in the next week for you all to see... that saves me postage anyway!

The thoughts on my mind are all of the things that I have learned in this past year.  It has been a speedy one for sure.  Here is my list of lessons learned, some hard, some great.

Fear God, not man... if you feel confident that God will not be displeased, then you are okay. 1, 2

God and Jesus Christ are always here for me.

I love the Constitution.

A wall hanging in my house.

Relationships are fragile.  They can end abruptly.

Gossip hurts everyone.

Excuses stink, and everyone has them (that one isn't a new realization).

I like to shoot guns!  I want to one day go hunting for real...well, more than once. (hint hint Hoss).

Not everyone sees the world the way I do.

True friends can be counted on one hand (wisdom from my dad... very true dad, thanks).

Needless to say, great friends are hard to come by.

Sorry its blurry.

Never were there better friends!

Hugs!

My friend is in the red dress in the doorway...I didn't have another pic.
Her whole family is represented by this picture. 

Life can't be lived on the computer/phone/ipad/xbox/_______ (insert your own distraction).

I miss family.

Grandmas!

Grandpas!

Memories are never done being created, so don't stop doing fun things.

I hate coaching soccer....but I loved doing it with my girls.

Losing weight is not an end goal... it is a way of life.

One of the best feelings in the world is to see your child baptized and and confirmed.

Its Bug's turn this August!

I really miss Idaho.

Everywhere I went, I found myself snapping pictures of the
scenery I drove and walked by every day before we moved.

I am ALWAYS right when it comes to politics. :) That is sarcasm in case you missed that.

But while maybe not always... definitely most of the time! Ha! :)

Happiness happens when you make it happen.

I LOVE teaching science!  I hope to delve into physics one day!

I can live anywhere on this green earth and know that my husband is always there for me.

Ten years of marriage down!  I couldn't have found a better man.  God sent him to me.

Hoss posing in front of the neighborhood oil pump.

Missions are amazing!  I hope to one day make my family a full serving family!  My mom and dad are heading out on a mission this March!

Since most of my siblings all live far away from each other, we did a
Google Hangout to watch my parents open their mission call

The events in my life are all at the will of God.

Scripture journals are the best things ever!

I am very VERY imperfect. (also not a new realization).

A sisters' bond can be better than any friend.

Raising a boy is VERY different than raising girls.

I might miss the snow, just a little bit.

Forgiveness is an important part of repentance.  Frankly forgive all men. I am still working on it.

Education or knowledge is not always in a diploma.  Education is living life.

My children fill my heart to the brim with love (again, not new).

I'm so lucky that God has trusted me enough to help them through this life.

Technology is fun and exciting, but it is only momentary.

My right to own a gun is very important to me...no matter the gun.

It is easy to focus on what should have been, but it does no good. Focus on what will be.

I'm still working on that too.

My right to educate my children in the way I see fit is very important to me.

Natural medicine in most cases is best...or I am trying to live by that as much as I can.

I am very interested in learning more about alternative medicine.

Support from my family is important to me, but not mandatory.

I love my scriptures, and my liberty of religion is also very important to me.

I am grateful for those men and women who went to so much trouble,

 sacrifice and war to establish my liberty here.

I am very aware that those liberties are being sold for temporary comfort.

Time flies faster with each year older I get.

I am in love with New Mexico sunsets.  There are none like it.. the silhouettes and colors are amazing!

I know there are a lot more things that I have learned in the past year, 

but there is no way I could name them all!

All in all, the world didn't end on my 10 year anniversary...everything is still ticking.  I am still waiting for my hover car as predicted in the Back to the Future series.  

It has ultimately been a pretty good year, with exciting changes for our family, and we look forward to what awaits us for 2013!

Happy New Year!

Evelyn

Disclaimer: Nothing on this list is meant to cause offense.

As my class starts back up, I will do my best to blog when I can.

But It's Not Mother's Day!

I am the luckiest mom on earth.

The girls woke up super early this morning. They wake up early anyway...today just happened to be before the sunrise (6:30ish). I have had a nasty cold, and frankly I haven't been getting enough sleep (at least it doesn't feel like it). Even Huggles was still asleep...and he has been sick too. So I instructed them to either go back to bed, or to read quietly in the living room. I didn't hear from them until 8 o'clock.

By then, Huggles was awake and jabbering in his crib. Bug came in and got him out, and tried to get him in his high chair to feed him. Then Bunny came in and told me to stay in bed, because her and Bug were making me breakfast in bed! I don't know a mom who would argue with that!

Bunny made my eggs just how I like them...whites cooked, and the yoke left for dipping toast! She has learned well! Bug arranged the tray, and brought it in to me! I about had a stroke, because sliding around on top was a very large and full glass of milk! I am relieved to say that it made it to me without a drop being spilt on the floor!

My kids are top notch! I'm so blessed to have them. To get to spend every day with them. I look forward to all of the future moments I will get to cherish with them!

Sincerely,

Evelyn

The Great Balancing Act and Outsourcing

Photo Via

As I walked through my bedroom to get Huggles ready for bed, I sighed.  Here is our dirty little secret... some of you won't be surprised...  The piles of clean clothes are getting larger each day.  The one thing that I have learned the hard way with homeschooling, is that I do not have time to keep up with everything.  There is a choice to be made daily, and with our many obligations, some things have to take a back seat.

I have a hard time fathoming the soccer mom who drives 2-6 kids (or more) to different activities each day, all while checking homework (or teaching daily lessons in homeschool), keeping up with the cleaning, laundry, and fixing breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Maybe those mothers have a maid or a house keeper.  All I know is that staying organized is the key to everything.  I'm still learning that lesson.

I have recently added on a new thing as well.  College for me.  It had been weighing on my mind, and Hoss and I made the decision that it was the right time for me to start back up.

So now, I am finding the balance... balancing the many hats that I have to wear in one day.  In all honesty, I can't think of a better way to keep myself progressing than to keep busy, doing great things.

So, I pray that my family (Hoss and the kids) bear with me as I find my balance in this circus!  The girls will definitely be taking on more chores... laundry, dishes, bathroom cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, and even cooking.  These are the life lessons that will help them become wonderful mothers anyway, I do know that!

New Mexico sunsets are the best!

Today we had an extended P.E. day.  We haven't done a whole lot of P.E., but I'm working on coming up with some health lessons for them, and getting out more than we have.  Its easy to stay in the house the whole day getting all the things done we need to.  Anyway, today we tried a new park.  It was so much fun!  There are large trees there, perfect for climbing, large open spaces, with a few different sets of play equipment.  My favorite part of the park was the obstacle course section.  There were bars, and twisty seats, and steps with springs under them that keep you working to stay on them.  I can imagine us burning a lot of energy there!  It was a fun day... a much needed outdoor day.




One of my brothers asked me if he and possibly the rest of my siblings could help teach certain lessons via video chat, skype, or google hangout.  I think it is an amazing idea!  Do any of you have a talent in any areas of the 3 R's (reading, writing, arithmetic?... maybe even science)?  It would be fun to test it out!


We have finished our lessons on The Creation.  However, there are more topics to cover in the hugeness of the subject.  We are beginning the Plan of Salvation, then we will cover the solar system more in depth.  We have already learned a lot of fun things with it, but I know there are more.  We are going to be making a sun dial, and it would be fun to learn how to make a barometer.  If you have any suggestions, or would like to help us in our studies, then please, let me know!  I know the kids would LOVE to see/hear from you!  I'll post more lesson ideas that any of you might like to teach as we move on in our curriculum.

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Morning prayer

Haircuts

I can always tell when my girls' hair needs a trim... maybe you've experienced this too.  It is evident when just brushing it after it has been cleaned and conditioned is a painful experience.  Those darn tangles!  Bug has been asking me when she gets to have a haircut.  I was thinking about taking her to a salon, but when I found out how much they charge, I began to reconsider.  I've become cheap... much to Hoss's pleasant surprise, I'm sure.

So, finally, after our last fight with the hair brush, I determined to make the haircut official.  I got out the scissors, clips, sheets, combs, and spray bottle, sat Bug on a tall stool, and began the process.  Now, if you know me, you know that I'm no professional.  No no, I'm a close one eye and hope for the best kind of gal.  Ha ha ha.. just ask Huggles about his last haircut (in my defense, he was so squirmy, that it was hard to get it just right).

So my two dear friends Sariah and Sandi, please don't look too closely at these pictures.  I'm sure you will find much to snicker about.  

I'll tell you though, I did some homework before I began.  I watched the following video tutorial on cutting curly hair.  I found it very informative, and helpful!  I followed the lady's directions as best as a novice can, and I honestly feel like Bug's haircut turned out pretty cute!... and just the length I was looking for!  

So if you need some help doing a haircut with layers... go ahead and watch this tutorial.  It helps.  Trust me!  I am thinking about cutting Bunny's hair again in the next few months... with this new information under my belt!

Oh the things we can learn...if we just try!

Here are Bug's before and after pictures!

Before: She was excited!

She's cute!

Not perfectly even, but I think it is cute!

Silly!

Bunny had to get in there!  She's beautiful too!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis