a detailed look at my day (boring, but real life)

5am - wake up
5:15 - dressed and ready to start my MM
5:45 - own it workout
6:45 - drive Katrina to early morning seminary
7:15 - family “Come Follow Me” study
7:30 - me eat breakfast, get kids ready to go to school
7:45 - Holly picked up kids for school
7:45 - I worked on props and printouts for Bryan’s First-Aid lesson that he needed to teach at scouts tonight  (we sort of forgot about it…)
8:30 - shower & got ready for work
9:15 - worked on music stuff for stake choir
9:30 - left for work
9:40 - WORK
1:40 - drove home
1:55 - spray paint the sticks for the scout centerpieces  (Each one had to be sprayed twice per side, as the first spray didn’t look dark enough or even..., in between spraying coats, I cooked the hamburger and made mashed potatoes, the put together shepherds pie for dinner, ate lunch, and sent a few emails.
3:30 - left to go pick up kids from after school robotics club
3:55  got home so Bryan could changed clothes & get props for his camp JJ interview/presentation.
4:00 - dropped off music to the stake choir pianist.  (Printouts of the changes in the music) then drove to the scout office in Orem
4:20 - Bryan interview to work at Camp JJ  (I sat on the floor in the hall and taped together the centerpiece things
4:40 -drove home
5:00 - ate dinner (Caleb had put the shepherds pie in the oven at 4:30.)
5:15 - left to drive to scouts (troop 707)
5:30 - Scout troop meeting  (It is a 10 minute drive away, so I usually take something to work on and stay there,  this also helps provide 2-deep leadership when another leader can't be there.  Today I finished up the signs for the centerpieces)
7:00 - scouts done, drove one of the other boys home, then came home
7:25 arrived home…  started helping boys with homework and wasting time on computer  (I’m calling it decompressing time)
8:15 started writing in my journal.
And now it is 8:30.  I am SO ready for bed!  I’m going to write in my “come Follow Me" journal about what i studied today, then I’m hoping to be in bed SOON.

It was a GOOD day.  I got a lot of things done that needed to be done.  Still have a long list of stuff for tomorrow and Saturday, but so far I’m keeping my head above water. 

1/30/2019

Well, I didn’t get to bed as early as I had hoped for, but I was in IN bed by 9:25 and I’m pretty sure I fell asleep before 10.  I had my phone by my bed and had left the sound on to notify me if I got any calls or texts.  I hadn’t seen Aaron ALL DAY, and had sent a text trying to find out where he was.  He did finally return my text at 9:47 - and I saw that come through…  so I know I I fell asleep after that.  Still don’t know what he was out doing, he just replied that “Ethan kidnapped me.”   I expect I’ll get the story today…  IF I see him.  Ethan leaves to serve a mission in New Zealand in about 12 days.  I wonder who Aaron will hang out with then.  I hope it is someone I can trust to encourage good standards…

Another full day ahead, but I am feeling like it’s nothing I can’t handle.  I GOT THIS!  I really need to sit down and plan out a menu.  I hate doing it, but it really does simplify my life once it is done.  I’m not exactly sure why it is so hard for me to DO….  probably a mental block as much as anything.  I’ve had a few ideas that might make it easier for me, maybe I’ll try a few and see if any of them make a positive difference.  I guess I could just go back to following the “Deals to meals plans.”  they tell me what to cook and unless it sounded yucky, i just made it.  I suppose that’s another option.

Life is good.  I am grateful!

Family Skiing

Guess what?  It is NOT morning!  I DID get up this morning, but it was an OWN IT work out day, and I had a really hard time getting moving, so all I had time for was a the first few parts of my MM.  (I did Prayer, Affirmations, visualization, and 10 minutes of spanish language lessons.  Now it is almost 8pm and I am so ready to go to bed!!!
I guess I need to think back TWO days…  Yesterday was Monday.  I have quite a few things going on this week and I was feeling pretty stressed out about everything I have to get done…  I was hoping to get a big jump on my to-do list on Monday evening.  Instead, Tim announced that he was going to take a ½ day offf work and take us all skiing.  I decided that I was going to stay home and get stuff done, since i don’t love skiing like the boys do.  That was my plan until after school when I talked to katrina, and she REALLY wanted me to come with her.  (She and I ski at about the same level & speed so we make good buddies)  I decided that I needed to follow my own affirmation and “invest time” in the relationships that matter so I went skiing!  We went up to Sundance and it was fun.  COLD, but fun. 

Uncle Mike met us up there and the boys LOVE skiing with him because he is crazy and fun - but also a good teacher to help them develop a few skills.  I skiied for about 2.5 hours then my feet couldn’t take it anymore.  I was ok when I was standing or skiing, but if I sat (like on a chairlift) I felt excruciating pain in my toes.  LIKE - SO SO SO BAD!!!  I thought I was going to die!  (not literally of course, but it was seriously painful.  I decided I was done, and returned all my ski gear and put on my regular boot.  My toes continued to hurt for at least another 30 - 45 minutes, but I just kept walking around to get the blood flowing.  Even this morning when I got up, my toes still hurt.  They weren’t cold anymore, but they were still sore.  They seem ok now.  My KNEES are still killing me though.  Apparently I use my knees too much as I turn or something.  Anyway - it was fun.  Katrina skied until about 8:15 when she was too cold to keep going.  The boys skied until the bitter end, ending their last run at about 9:10.  It took another 15 - 20 minutes before they had returned all the gear and we were on the road home.  We got home just after 10pm.

It was a fun family adventure.

Today was hard to wake up - and as I said, my knees hurt, but it’s been a good day.   Got in my workout, had a good day at work, got a good start on my decoration stuff for the troop 707 pancake breakfast on Saturday, and took care of some of the stuff i needed to do for stake music.  Even helped with homework and helped Caleb make dinner.  All in all, a good days work.  (still lots to do this week, but I am well on my way)

Now it is 8:30 and I think I’m going to wrap things up and go to bed early!!!

the best laid plans....

Wow - I’m freaking out just a little, January is almost over!  That is crazy to me.  (I will be glad to start a “february tab” and not have to scroll down so much.  I feel pretty confident when I say this is the most consistent journaling I have ever done in my life - Well, I  did an “ok” job on my mission, but even then, I missed too many days :(

So, Yesterday -  I know that in my entry, I listed out what the plan was supposed to look like.  I don’t think ONE thing went exactly as planned!  It was quite the day.  Not bad, per se, but really wonky and kept me off kilter all day.  I rolled with it, and everything got done, but it left me feeling exhausted and totally drained by then end of the day.  Last night as I was trying to fall asleep I kept letting these deep sigh-like breathes out.  Tim ask me what was wrong - nothing was wrong, I was just trying to release/relax my body - I felt so tightly wound and just couldn’t unwind.  I was super tempted to turn off my alarm and not get up today - but NO!  I must finish strong.  (and I’ll be honest, I have a busy enough week coming up that I need every ounce of help I can get it all done!

Stake Family Choir rehearsal was a bit chaotic…  I don’t recall if I already wrote about this, but the stake presidency wanted us to incorporate the congregation in the last hymn.  It LOOKED like an easy fix, vocally it seemed like an easy fix - but when we actually tried singing it, people were confused, the accompaniment didn’t work with it, it was just a bit crazy.  Sister McLaughlin, Sister Gilbert, and Brother and Sister Cook stayed after practice for an extra 20 - 25 minutes and we finally figured it out.  Brother Cook has a software program to write music and he is going to write out the changes and print them so that the choir members can just read the music like normal, instead of having to remember what they skip, where they jump back to, etc..  Hopefully we didn’t scare anyone off and we will be able to pull it all together next Sunday.  (our final practice before Stake Conference.)

3 full weeks!

Wow - Counting my start day at Jan 6th, I have done my new schedule for 3 full weeks!  I am proud of myself!

I tried an (unplanned) experiment last night.  My fitbit needed to be charged, so when I went to bed I left it charging, and just figured I’d wake up whenever I woke up.  (We do have morning church, but Tim has a 7:30 meeting, so I knew that if I slept too late - he’d wake me up before he left.)  I woke up at 4:30.  Went back to sleep.   4:45.  Back to sleep.  5:15.  Got up.  I guess my body is adjusting to this new schedule or something.

Today we have church from 9 - 11.  I am helping the 14th ward with a YW song practice from 11 - 11:25.  We have ward choir practice from 11 - 12.  Sometime around 1:30 mom and Dad Fugal will be driving up to participate in Caleb being conferred the priesthood and ordained a deacon - and Bryan will be ordained to the office of a teacher.  Then we have stake family choir tonight from 6 - 6:45, then a youth fireside at 7.  (Kick off the new year type of fireside.)   So another pretty full day.  I’m sort of supposed to attend the 8th ward’s ward conference today but I haven’t decided yet if I am going to go.  I really don’t see much purpose in me being there.  I Don’t DO anything.  I just show up, then I leave.  I do get to see people from the other wards who don’t often get to see, but I’m not sure I’m in the mood today to go.  It is also at 9 - so I’d miss our sacrament meeting to go…  I don’t know.  I’ll think about it.

Yesterday was a pretty good day - but It ended up a little rough.  I got up and did (most of) my MM stuff, then did Bountiful baskets.  Went straight from there to OWN IT workout, getting home at about 9:15.  Ate breakfast, then hurried and showered and got ready to take some youth to the temple.  Katrina set up the trip, but she didn’t actually go - she went to the temple in earlier in the morning with some of her school friends.  We actually just missed them.  They left the temple at about 11:30, and that is when I was picking up thekids here to GO.  Anyway - while I showered, Tim and the boys went up to the woolfs for a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.  They are trying to earn money for Ashley to go to China with President brayton’s company to teach English.
HE took them straight from there to the Stake Center for their basketball game.  (it is church ball season…  they have a game basically every weeks for the next 6 weeks or so)  After I had showered and gotten ready fro the temple, I drove over to watch their game and cheer for them. 
Now, to be real, my boys don’t play basketball.  Seriously, They don’t know how.  We aren’t really a sports family.  The extent of their knowledge about basketball would be what they have picked up in PE class or at school.  Our ward only had 6 boys there, 3 of whom really don’t play ball.  (Bryan, Caleb, and Daniel M.)  The other 3 boys were Eli, Christian, & Austin.  THOSE boys are really GOOD!  Basically, the 4 older boys stayed in the whole game, and Caleb & Daniel took turns swapping in and out.  The 14th ward had 14  boys there to play, and you could tell by their warm ups that they took basketball seriously.  I was pretty sure we were going to be blown out of the water.  Imagine my surprise when we won!  I was proud of our boys.  I was grateful that although my boys were not really a HELP to the team, the 3 “good players” weren’t rude or mean to them.  True, they didn’t pass a whole lot to them either, but they did try to pass it to them on occasion, and IF they actually caught the pass, my boys would just pass it right back.  I’m thinking we should take the boys over to the church a few times over the next few weeks and try to help them build a little confidence and at least a few basic skills.  Like how to dribble and pass the ball.  That would be helpful!

Anyway - the game went 20 minutes over, and as soon as it was done, I grabbed the boys and we ran.  I got home at 11:24, and was supposed to be leaving to pick up people at 11:25…  It was too late for Bryan to shower and come with us, so he didn’t come.  I picked up the Goodwin girls, Gordon, Beth, and Christie.  We went to the Provo City Center temple.  It was a full session - but we got there in time.

By the time I got home about 2:45, I just felt DONE.  Like I had already had a full day, yet I hadn’t done anything at home yet.  Katrina was having her friends over at 5 to bake cupcakes for JJ’s birthday (JJ Smith) and then watch a movie…  so we had to at least clean up the kitchen.  For whatever reason, my mood kind of tanked…  Oh well.  Today is a NEW DAY!

Good morning!  Another week is in the history books. It was a good day at work yesterday.  I signed my letter of intent, meaning I intend to return to work at Reagan again next year.  It was interesting to me how hard it was mentally for me to have to sign that.  It surprise me, because I really do love my job.  I love the 3rd grade team I work with and love the kids.  (of course, I’ll have a new group of kids next year, but I have no reason to doubt that I’ll love them too…) I love the purpose I feel.   It helps keep my depression lower as I am forced to get up and leave the house everyday.  I love the external validation I get on a daily basis.  I enjoy that it earns me spending money - so I am able to do "extra things" (like get a massage every month, pay for my workouts with Own IT, and pay Teresa to come help me clean once a week)  All of these are reasons why it should be a no brainer that I will keep working... but for some reason, the idea of committing a “whole year” of my life felt heavy.  Almost anxiety inducing.  It was strange.  With a reminder and prodding from Marie (one of the recess aides) I signed it and turned it in.  Once I had it signed, the heavy feeling was gone and I felt fine about it.  It was just weird.  I guess I really just don't to commit myself to things...

Tim & I went out to dinner last night for date night.  (The Red Deli)  It’s a sandwich place in Provo that I had never heard of.  Tim is trying to clean out and get rid off some stuff, and he sold them all of our Wii stuff.  We did not a a full working set, but had enough they thought they could get a working set up and running.  Instead of giving him the $125 - $150 he was asking, they paid him with a $250 gift card.  So - that is where we went. :)  The food was good.  I had tomato/pumpkin soup ( A unique flavor, but good) and a grilled cheese sandwich.

Today is looking to be a busy day.  Ready. Set. GO!

finishing my Miracle Morning at NIGHT... :)

I DID get up this morning, and got the first 4 parts of my MM completed, then went off to my workout, but when I got home, it was time to drive Katrina to Early Morning seminary, then when I got home, it was time for family scripture study... then sent the boys and Tim off to work and school, and at that point, I should have done my journal and personal study, but I got busy dealing with stake choir stuff instead.  At this point, it looks like we might be changing the order of the two songs we selected, and adapting the song “A Child’s Prayer just enough that the congregation can sing it with us.  It won’t be the “same,”  but I think it will be ok.   Now just waiting for final approval of that plan…

Today was a good, BUSY day.  Work went well, I still feel like I have a little less patience with a few of the kids than I used to.  One of the boys used to be so respectful…  lately he’s been pretty unruly, talking out, being disruptive, etc…  I’m cutting him some slack because a couple weeks ago his uncle (a police officer here in Utah County, was shot and killed in the line of duty.  Who knows what emotions he’s dealing with and how his particular coping strategy might be coming into play…

The boys, Bryan & Caleb had their first after school “robotics” class today.  They came home reporting that it was cool.  Bryan enjoyed it way better, because he liked the person he got paired with.  Caleb came home angry and frustrated because he got paired with a boy who can be a challenge.  He already knows everything, wouldn’t listen to Caleb, wouldn’t let Caleb help, wasn’t following the instructions and then got mad when he did something wrong and it didn’t work right, etc…  I'm hoping it gets better.  I want this to be a good experience fro Caleb too!  I contacted a merit badge counselor and it looks like most of the requirements will be covered with this class, so I’m feeling great about this class being FUN and helping them get another merit badge.

We had scouts tonight with troop 707.  They are still working on building the Klondike sled, but the rules to safe scouting prohibit the boys from using any power tools, so only Brother Oldryod could drill the holes and screw things in.  The boys helped some at the beginning, measuring and marking things, but then there was not much for them to do.  I worked with Caleb (and any other boys who wanted to) and we got a few more rank advancement things passed off.

Aaron is down in Moab tonight (at least, that’s where we think he is and where he is supposed to be…)  He was gone when I got home at 6:30 this morning, and we haven’t seen him or heard from him all day, so hopefully he is down there safe and sound.  They are doing so prep work for this summer down at camp.  He drove himself down because he committed to go down, before he realized that he was also committed to attend his next “impact training” retreat this weekend.

I think that’s enough for tonight.  I’ll sign off and do a quick personal study. To complete my day :)