There IS no Superwoman!

Posted on April 22, 2010 | 1 comment

So I really tried to find a video link from this episode of Mercy that aired last night that I watched today after talking with a great friend. I’m KEEPING the episode on my DVR (which I never do) because it totally spoke to my conundrum of the day.

Here’s the conversation:

Sonya: Look, I just feel bad, you just keep going forward just like you’re Superwoman-

Veronica: There is no superwoman. There’s Super Girl and there’s Wonder Woman.

Sonya: You know what I meant…..

And then later in the episode Veronica has a conversation with her PTSD therapist (Sidenote –  this is a GREAT show with lots of depth and good stories so I hope this excerpt translates ok):

Therapist: When did you decide you had to be perfect?

Veronica: That’s not what I’m saying. (Although the audience and therapist and probably Veronica on some level know that’s exactly what she had been saying)

Therapist: Did you do the best you could?

Veronica: Oh, everybody says that. That’s a bumper sticker. My mother was always saying she did the best she could. It’s an excuse.

Therapist: Really? You think so?  ‘Cause I think that’s all we have.  I think if you can answer yes to that question you can put your head on a pillow and sleep.

Veronica (shrugs): Yeah.

Therapist: So you didn’t try? You walked into that hospital and half-@$$ed it? You were too lazy to check on Deanna’s wound? You let those 18-year-olds  bleed out in front of you; you couldn’t be bothered to hold their hands while they cried?

Veronica: I always held their hands.

Therapist: You have to let it go.

Veronica: I just can’t help thinking….what if?

Therapist: THAT is how you go crazy.

So for today here’s to:

1. Letting go of being SuperWoman since she DOESN’T EXIST. I may try Super Girl for a while though 🙂

2. NOT going crazy.

3. Putting my head on a pillow and sleeping tonight.

4. Accepting that only I know if I’ve done my best so only I know if “doing my best” is an excuse.

5. Always holding their hands when they cry.

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Random 2010 Stuff

Posted on April 11, 2010 | 3 comments

Life moves on and up and so do we – here’s SOME of what we’ve been up to 🙂

Shooting Trip

We headed out to the desert for our annual “remember how the guns work” trip. We took Ian with us, and everyone had a good and safe time. (No injuries for me this year! Hurray! 🙂 )

Mom’s 60th Birthday

My sister flew in (amidst all the craziness preparing for her wedding and moving) to surprise my mom for her 60th birthday. The pics not great, but it was great to be together as a family and celebrate such a great mom.

Presidential Ball

When Cat first came home talking about this dance she had to go to for school, I was a bit suspicious. We don’t go to dances until we’re 14 (generally). But it was an ASSIGNMENT she protested! Turns out, it was a PERFORMANCE two of the 3rd grade classes did. The kids learned about Presidents and First Ladies, did “speeches”, and then danced for the parents. Seriously adorable. Although Cat and her partner had some issues with when to start their part.

Cat Turns NINE!

Can you believe my baby is NINE? (If you can, don’t answer! I’m traumatized between that and an almost 12-year-old!) She got a new bike, new shoes, new violin (I finally remembered to order strings yesterday….) AND tickets to the Monster Jam World Finals in Vegas. I really thought we wouldn’t be able to hold the roof on the house when she got the tickets – her excitement was much more subdued (I think all the staring may have done it). More stuff later on the Monster Trucks. She and Chris had a great time.

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What is Essential

Posted on February 22, 2010 | 3 comments

So Stake Conference was awesome this weekend, and we had an equally incredible Stake Women’s Fireside at the end of January.  And last night while I was looking at my crazy week ahead, I recalled the essence of something that someonesaid at one of those meetings.  (Yes, it’s probably in my notes somewhere but I didn’t feel like digging them out at the time!) Basically it was that sometimes we have to sacrifice what is good or even best for what is essential.

And that got my gears grinding – what really is ESSENTIAL? If you think on a purely biological level, it’s eating (which I do too much), sleeping (which I do too little), and getting some exercise so your body doesn’t fall apart (which I did today for the first time in….well a long while). Then there’s the emotional essentials (won’t even go there tonight 🙂 ) and financial essentials and ….well you see where this is headed. The essentials of all the essentials adds up to more time and energy than exist for me on any given day.

And who, of course, got the download for all this thought – my sweet husband. Who then reminded me of something Pres. Shields said – the order of our covenants is 1) God 2) spouse 3) children 4)church. To which I responded – so where do I fit in in all of that? To his credit – he said with family (2 & 3). But this still didn’t answer the ESSENTIAL part of my essential question.

Catherine had been on the bed while I was venting sharing and when I poked my head in to say good night, she said, “Mom, I know how you can figure out your questions.” I went in and sat on the edge of her bed, “How honey?” And in her sweet little 8-year-old spirit said “Read the scriptures.” My response “You’re right Cat. Thanks for helping me remember what is ESSENTIAL.” So – we will be re-enthroning family scripture study tomorrow night because it is ESSENTIAL….and the rest of the essential question will come from that.

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Just Because

Posted on February 21, 2010 | 3 comments

It had been a LONG week for me, so this was a GREAT surprise while we were at Costco on Saturday.

Flowers, especially roses and daises, really make me smile. 🙂 Thanks Chris!

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Top 10 for 2010

Posted on February 9, 2010 | 3 comments

Thankfully 2009 is OVER. As some of you know, the end of the year was a rough one for our household. Rather than enumerate all the sordid details here, I’ve decided to make my first 2010 post forward-looking. So here are the top 10 things I’m looking forward to in 2010!

10. Upcoming movie and book releases: a) Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Lightning Thief. It opens THIS month. Check out the trailer here. b) Twilight Saga: Eclipse. (Enough said!) c) Harry Potter 7: Part 1. IMDB.com lists its release date in Nov. 2010. It’s a long wait, but I can stick it out! d) Hunger Games #3. (This may be overly optimistic. There’s a release date for August BUT no cover and no title…..As a substitute, I’ll take Brisingr in paperback!)

9. The girls continuing to improve with their music lessons – Caroline still plays piano and is working on viola in school orchestra, and Catherine is in Book 3 for violin. We’re planning to upsize her for her birthday again!  🙂

8. New furniture! Not sure when or the exact WHAT, but sometime this year we will have a new couch!

7. Caroline enters Young Womens! I can hardly believe I have a daughter old enough to go to Girls’ Camp, but I’m so excited for all the opportunities that await her!

6. Closure on some sticky familial issues. (I’m so grateful for the comfort of prayer and good friends!)

5. My sister’s wedding! We’ll be heading down to Tempe, AZ, for that in April. The girls are both in the wedding, and they’re very excited. I’m excited to participate as she starts this new chapter of her life.

4. Family vacation….hopefully to Texas since we didn’t get to go last year. Again, the when is up in the air, but the plan is alive!

3. Serving in our callings: I’m  the new committee chair for Cub Scouts.(Don’t think that just because you have only girls you won’t get the opportunity to work with the boys!) I’ve been in since mid-December, have learned the dens and their order, and survived our first pack meeting. Onward to Blue & Gold! Chris was set apart to serve as the Elder’s Quorum President in the ward the same day I was called into Cub Scouts, so we’re both learning the ropes of our callings at the same time. It’s a delight to see how he honors and magnifies his priesthood.

2. Finally graduating with my master’s in educational psychology from UNLV. Graduation application got turned in las week! I’ve taken a GA to pay for my credits so it MUST be completed THIS year!

1.  Continued opportunities to grow my testimony, follow my priesthood leaders, love and serve family and friends, and stand for truth and righteousness!

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GIVEAWAYS!

Posted on November 30, 2009 | Leave a comment

My cousin’s wife, Heather Justesen,  has recently been published – The Ball’s in Her Court by Heather Justesen – and the publisher is starting a second printing! (Pretty awesome, huh?!)

To celebrate and get the word out, her blog is doing a GIVEAWAY. Go here to check out the giveaways and see how to enter to win!

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October + Halloween

Posted on November 27, 2009 | 2 comments

October was a busy month.

We had TWO stake baptisms.

Notice the same kids showing up in these pics and then here as well? That’s because this may be the cutest and most supportive Primary group EVER….and I’m not JUST saying that ’cause my kid’s in it! The class has about 11 kids in it, and the majority of them have been together since CTR 5. It really is a great group of kids, and it’s been really fun going to all the baptisms this year.

Then there was ONE birthday party:

That’s Cat dressed as HawkGirl for her friend’s birthday party. Picture 10 kids dressed as superheroes or supervillains (courtesy of the bday boy’s character clothing or whatever we had lying around), Little Caesar’s pizza, a video camera (run by dad who has some great editing skills), and a mom with an imagination. The kids acted out a movie, and the party favor, delivered later, was the movie the kids made. Pizza: $20. Video Camera: $300. Creating a movie with your friends: Priceless.

Then of course it was HALLOWEEN!

Pumpkin carving at Grandma’s.

Chris was in the spirit with his dry ice this year 🙂

What’s Caroline doing between two mimes? She’s the FRENCH GIRL! 🙂

The girl behind the helmet is Cat – our monster truck driver – posing with her friend Jacob Harry Potter.

And my FAVORITE costume of the night:

CHICK MAGNET!

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Posted in Friends, Holidays

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September Fun Stuff

Posted on November 23, 2009 | 2 comments

So here’s what we did in September:

First Chris and the girls did this:

Here:

While I stayed home and slept and watched movies I wanted to watch and ate out and slept and worked on my thesis!

Later in the month we did this:

With these people:

To celebrate Necole’s (Chris’s sister) 30th birthday. SkyMania was awesome; everyone had a great time (even me on the sidelines!), and Chris attempted to keep up with his brothers……at least I didn’t have to take him to the hospital and we are still insured!

At the end of the month we got to see lots of the Grizzle family:

For dinner at Macayo’s – our “family” restaurant.

Here’s to the next Grizzle generation – Caroline, Cat, and Savannah!

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Libraries Rock + a Fun Book

Posted on November 15, 2009 | 3 comments

We have been blessed to have a new public library open literally around the corner from our house! We’re able to walk there and check out books (or pick up books we’ve ordered from other libraries.)

Last time we were there, Cat picked out this book:

book_pic

It is seriously HYSTERICAL. It’s the girl AND the boy viewpoint on the typical fairy tale. And it’s great! It also completely fits Cat’s personality. She STILL wants to be a monster truck driver when she grows up (going on 3 or 4 years with that life plan right now 🙂 ), and her Thanksgiving turkey she made for class is a Monster Truck Turkey who drives the Oven Masher. (Yep, that’s ALL her 🙂 )

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Posted in Book Reviews

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Updates on the Girls

Posted on November 10, 2009 | 3 comments

So let’s be honest – you all check in here to see pics of my adorable girls, right? 🙂 I’m uploading a few shots of them over the last three months for your viewing pleasure!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Girls Update0001

My big girl off to MIDDLE SCHOOL! Yikes! So far we LOVE LOVE her school – Roy Martin MS the International Baccalaureate Magnet.

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My baby off to THIRD GRADE at a new school. Thankfully her great friend Maggie is in her class, and they both are doing amazingly well!

 LABOR DAY WEEKEND!

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The girls and Chris went 4 wheeling on Cedar Mountain with my parents for the weekend. They had a great time and so did I (all alone at home watching and eating whatever I wanted!)

 HALLOWEEN!

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We had a great Halloween (more pics later). This is the girls carving their pumpkin at Grandma Zemp’s house.

PRIMARY PROGRAM

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Sunday the 8th was the primary program for our ward. The girls did AWESOME – Cat played her violin twice and had a speaking part; Caroline accompanied on the piano, sang a solo, and had a speaking part. It’s her very last Primary program! (Is it really possible that I have an almost Beehive? Sheesh!)

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