Last week til Christmas!!!!

Time is flying by so fast.  I really missed workouts in Week 11, so I re-did Week 11 last week.  I feel much better, kind of plateaued but keeping at it.  I have had lots of fun as I have tried on clothes in my wardrobe and now they are too big.  We are headed to Mexico again next month - CAN'T WAIT.  Had to try on the swim suits, too.  One fits very well.  One suit the bottoms fit perfect, but the top is made out of two pieces of fabric apparently different kinds and one faded.  The other suit has a bottoms and two tops.  Bottoms fit, but the tops are way too big.  They have pre-shaped cups and are way baggy.  I know that is a lot of suits.  They are two piece suits, but not bikinis - they are tankinis.  My stomach is always covered.  Having given birth to six kids there are lot of stretch marks and no one - no one really wants to see that.  Yes, I do think of others.  Anyway, when you are in Mexico, you are always in a swim suit.  Running around for a whole week in one suit gets gross, so you need more than one.  I ordered a new swim suit top to replace the faded one and will have two nice suits to wear.

Meg had her driving temps in her hands all of 10 min before she lost the card.  I didn't stress too much about it, it had to be somewhere.  She did find them 2 days later and all was well in the world again.  :)  Now to plan a time to get her some practice.  I guess Dad gets the first lesson with her.

I had my annual shopping day with my Mom.  We have fun shopping, planning and having a nice lunch somewhere.  This year was Olive Garden.  Their soup and salad lunch is perfect for a busy day. I only have two gift cards left to buy and the gifts are all done, even wrapped!  We have made some cookies and will get busy with more this week.  I has Alexa help me with a collage photo for cards this year.  I have our entire family in the collage.  Snapfish should be shipping my order out tomorrow - then I can get my cards out later in the week.  Probably won't be delivered until after Christmas, but that will just have to be OK.  I'll work on my letter this week. 

We've gotten through two choir concerts and just have the band concert on Tuesday evening.  The choir concerts were very nice this year.  I love Christmas music, which works out well with so many concerts to go to.  I listen to it all the time and get a new CD each year.

With everything that we need to get done at the holidays it is easy to drift away from why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.  I am very grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He has completely changed my life.  He took me as I was and worked with me, guided me, loved me, taught me and strengthened me.  I have a long way to go, but have come so far.  I would not be who I am today without Him.  I am deeply grateful for His sacrifice for us.  I am no one of any great impotance in the world, but He helped me learn I am a daughter of God, with a divine heritage and divine potential.  Long way to go - yes, but He helps me to feel that it is entirely possible.  There are many days I feel like there isn't anything I couldn't accomplish.  I certainly understand many things are possible with His help.  Everyone has trials.  We have them to learn and grow and to learn to rely on Him.  When we forget our selfish wants and focus on what He wants us to do, then we have gained all we could ever hope for.  Amazing how that works.      I have often wondered what Mary felt.  Having given birth to my children and raising them I have a pretty good understanding of things.  But what did Mary feel?  Did she really know how that child would be the Savior of us all?

Pretty amazing,
May you have a blessed Christmas.
Love ya,
Bren

Another soon to be driver in the house!

   Yup, Meg has her temps!  We figure that she needed to get them as soon as possible since Alexa will be leaving for college in August of 2012.  Meg has to have her temps 6 months before she can actually take the behind the wheel road test.  So June 9th is the earliest she can try for her driver's license.   Some days this is just too weird for me.  Where has all the time gone?  Some days it feels like I worried about all the wrong things and as productive as I was getting things done - I feel like I missed so much, or don't remember the things I thought I would.
   I still would love to fly back out to Bry's and help her by just holding that sweet baby.  My heart is just screaming, 'He needs his grandma!'  So much to do here and that flight takes money.  My day job is such a distraction and I am so distracted while trying to work.  My comfort zone is doing several things at once and my brain is always working through some plan or project while getting something else done.  Right now, I guess, it's working for me. 
   The Christmas shopping is about done, yet I feel like have forgotten something.  Keeping it simple, but nice.  Time to get the cookies made so I can get boxes shipped.  Tim and Bry won't be home for Christmas, but sending them some cookies may help them feel 'home'.  Oh, yeah, Christmas cards.  Need to make those, too.
   Still working out, but the schedules are very tight.  It has been great fun to try on clothes in my closet to see what fits and what doesn't.  I found 3 tops and one pair of pants in a bin under my bed.  One of the shirts I had never worn.  It was just a tad tight when I bought it at the Good Will store - well guess what! It fits perfectly now.  Sweet deal!  My shape hasn't really changed, which makes it look like I haven't lost a thing - then I put on old clothes and they are big or now fit.  Felt good to take a big box of clothes to the GoodWill yesterday and drop them off.  Oh and the other day I picked up some more whey powder at GNC and I can't help but talk about the exercise program and weight loss - I just feel so good!  I told the clerk (this big, buff tan fellow) that I was using the P90X program, but it was more like the P30-45X program for me as I have yet to completely finish a cardio workout.  He said that actually was pretty good and most people start out at the P15X.  :)  Yay, Me!!!!
   
Have a great weekend!!!!  And remember, that every bit of a workout makes a difference -
Love ya,
Bren

Back in the Swing

     I returned from being out with Bry, Mark and newly arrived Korbin on Nov. 21st. Yes, Thanksgiving week.  We didn't have big plans for the long weekend, which was so nice; but always lots to do.  I worked the 22nd and 23rd, then Turkey day and getting lots of things accomplished for both scout troops.  Never, never enough hours in a day.  The 28th was back to Seminary in the mornings and just lots of things every day.  Oh, and add Scott's Eagle project to the mix and I don't seem to have much time.
     Don't misunderstand here-I fully acknowledge that I AGREE to do all of these things.  Also know, that I have said NO to some things as well.  I really enjoy being busy and getting things done.  I feel really good knowing that my efforts do make a difference.  Would there be someone else who would step up to accomplish the same things with the scouts? Yup, Seminary? Yup  My job at the school district? Yup.  As a Mom - probably not - at least not for a period of time (knowing that too is flexible). 
      It was hard to leave Bry & her family.  I am such a 'do-er' that I want to be there to 'do'.  I saw and heard a new baby at church today.  The same sounds sweet little Korbin was making.  My eyes teared up immediately and now even thinking about it.  Bry had one rough day last week and I wanted to get on a plane.  I will just put her family in Heavenly Father's hands and keep her number close so I can call or be available if she needs me.  I reflected on my own path of motherhood.  It is a long path, with many wonderful experiences and lots of rough ones.  The path has made me much stronger.  I need to let Bry's path make her stronger, too.  OK, Faith, you and I will become much better friends.  :)
     Keeping myself busy, keeps me productive, happy and a long way out of trouble.  Still working on the P90X program.  I did weigh-in out at Bry's and was down 15 pounds.  I am hoping that number is now closer to 20.  It is really a joy to get into pants that I haven't worn in at least 3 years.  I put on an outfit that I bought in Colorado just before I came home after Bry's heart surgery - It is way too big!  :)  That's just a shame.  Makes me feel fabulous, though!    I start week 11 tomorrow.  The 'baby' tummy I have is being very stubborn, but I will win out in the end.  It will shrink!  I will weigh in again in 2 weeks, take the 'after' pictures and decide if I feel comfortable posting them here.  There will be a noticeable change - that alone feels great.
      We have our January vacation planned and so looking forward to getting away.  January is so blah that it is great to have something fun to look forward to.  Fred & I really need that time, too.  We didn't take the time alone together when the kids were young.  It's really hard with 6-8 kids in the house to get away for more than 24 hours.  When all the kids were out of diapers, and all in school it was easier to have someone else care for them for a few days.  Now we only have 3 teenagers in the house.  They are way easy to care for (as long as the attitude is good) and Tim, being almost 27, can handle them and enforce rules when needed.
     We are well on our way with Christmas.  The high school choir concert was yesterday - very nice.  I am so amazed when my children volunteer for solos.  I did once and it did not go well, so never again.  I think it was one of the best choir concerts they have done in several years.  Must have been the change in music, they did some different songs.  Still the old traditionals, but no 'Santa Baby'.  I detest that song.  High School girls just should not be allowed to even attempt it.  Next time you hear that song, think of a high school girl trying to fill that role.  It will make you want to hurl.
     The middle school choir concert is next in about 10 days and the midlle school band concert is a few days after that.  I look forward to the baking.  Love the gingersnaps - my grandmother's recipe is the best.  Snickerdoodles, monster cookies, marble bark and birch logs.  Then we give most of them out as gifts to the post office, the home mailperson, bus driver, and others that I usually forget but try not to.
   We try to keep it simple, but with our family being more extended each year it doesn't always feel simple. 

May each of you find ways to keep meaning in Christmas this year.  Family - it's one of the few things we will have in the next life.  Make it count.

Love ya,
Bren