10 most Important Aspects of my Life that Bring JOY

KEEPING FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND HIS TEACHINGS.  Everyday I strive to remember the teachings of my Savior.  I strive to live the way he would want me to live.  For me this means leaving out most television, not worrying if my clothing, hair, and make-up look perfect everyday.  To me this means being willing to sacrifice buying that extra article of clothing if there is a more pressing need for that money somewhere else.  It means that I sacrifice my time and energy to spend time with my children teaching them to care for themselves and others.  And staying up late after I've been working all day homeschooling, cleaning, preparing meals, shuttling to and from daily activities, to spend time with my completely exhausted sweetheart, and make sure he has something to eat.  To me this is helping a stranger on the street or visiting a family in need.  It means writing a letter to those I love and reminding them just how important they are in my life.  This also means making time for my Savior in prayer and study of his word.  God never meant us to run faster than we have strength.  I don't do every single one of these things everyday.  I do them when I can, and great JOY has always followed.

HAVING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.   My family and friends are so important to me.  The greatest way to be close to anyone is listening to them.  Intent listening will bridge gaps in relationships.  This kind of listening is done without judgment and without pride.  It is also important to share what you are feeling with others.  This kind of sharing is done with judgment or pride as well.  Communication is key for growing relationships.  It is also important to spend quality/quantity time with each other.  Sometimes this can be hard.  Especially if one or both parents have jobs that take them away for long hours every day.  My husband and I decided that one of us would stay in the home so that our children would be taught in the home from a parent who loves them and knows them well.  We in turn support him in what he has to do to provide for the needs of his family.   We don't stress about how much time he can spend with the kids just making sure he spends time that is completely devoted to the family and to each individual child when he can.  Taking time for one another and making that time meaningful (not just a movie every month that we watch together) brings JOY.

BEING FORGIVING AND ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS.   Forgiving is self empowering.  I've never labeled my children (at least not negatively).  I won't.  I love being with each of them and their different personalities.  Each one is unique.  Each one is divine.  I forgive them their trespasses and they forgive me mine.  We understand our limitations and work together to strengthen and support each other.  I have forgiven others who have hurt me  by understanding our differences.  Often it is different perspectives or spiritual wounds that have not been healed that have caused contention or heart ache and lead individuals to hurt others. Forgiveness has always brought me JOY.  And I will continue to do it.

BEING SELF RELIANT.   I feel like a powerhouse of strength when I am determined to learn something new and do.  I love living off my own abilities.  Our western way of living has become so chemically based.  I  love the feeling of being part of nature and using what God has given us in it's natural and pure form.  Nature provides everything we need.  I believe medicine has a right to advance but I always believe that individuals should try natural ways to heal themselves first.   If it is something that is life threatening and there are no known ways to natural deal with it than the medicine should be used or surgery.  So much of our need for using these unhealthy medicines are caused from our unhealthy world anyway.  Eating fresh fruit, canned fruits, homemade breads and jam. Using home remedies (valid ones) is mindfulness.  It's thoughtfulness and it brings me JOY.  I feel more at peace within myself and feel I'm doing what I can to preserve this world and bless the lives of my posterity.

SERVING DAILY.  Serving in my home is a daily experience.  My children and husband know the time I put in to provide what they need for nourishment, health, and cleanliness.  They know the importance of service in the home.  But service outside the home is also very important.  When I take time with my children to serve others I am filled with JOY.  Visiting the elderly, taking a meal to a sick family, delivering food to the elderly, helping keep a park clean, planting, reading to young children, donating to food banks, are some ways we strive to help in the community.  We have been so blessed, that sharing the blessings with others bring great JOY.

MAKING TIME FOR HEALTHY LIVING.  Eating healthy nourishing foods and getting adequate exercise is very important for finding JOY in everyday life.  When we eat packaged foods, refined flours, sugars, etc., we feel terrible.  Our bodies were not meant to just get used to these things.  They cause depression in a lot of people, they just don't realize it.  I am one of these people.  When I am on an exercise program and eating healthy food I feel so much better physically and emotionally.  I am allowing my mind and body to experience JOY, and avoid depression.  I am going so far as to work on getting my home to the point where I am using natural ingredients for laundry, cleaning, lotions, soaps etc.  I'm trying to get my home as chemical free as possible.  I know this isn't easy for everyone.  I've been wanting to do this for years and am only now really starting the process.

KEEPING THINGS IN ORDER.  Peace and JOY when the home is in order.  I can walk around my home that feels like a beautiful and peaceful temple when things are clean and in order.  But I know it can't always be like this so I treasure the times it is.  We have a schedule of chores and everything has a special place.  It is nice when we can keep everything where it needs to be but it can't always be that way.  We get sick, off schedule, busy with things outside the home and things just fall apart.  The main thing is not to get stressed just get back on track.  This week my son and I were sick.  It was too much to keep up with.  So tomorrow is going to be a big clean day.  We clean together.  We work together and we strive to keep our house in order.  The main thing is to have JOY in the journey of keeping things in order and to experience that wonderful JOY when you can sit in your temple if even for a few short days.

LIVING WHAT I BELIEVE.  I am a Mormon or member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I have many beliefs.  I keep a word of wisdom (a health standard).  But because of my health issues I have a more strict word of wisdom.  I can't eat many things.  I feel far more JOY in my life when I stick to this strict standard, and a lot less pain.  I believe in attending the temple often and performing sacred ordinances for those who have passed on.  I believe in researching my ancestors and doing these ordinances for them in the temple.  I believe in the law of tithing and fasting.  And I believe in the restoration of Christ's church through Joseph Smith Jr. and that the Book Of Mormon was translated by him through the power of God.  I believe there is a prophet on the earth today and apostles just as in Jesus day.  I believe in striving for Christlike attributes and in eternal families.  When I live these things I feel JOY and peace.

ACCEPTING IMPERFECTION/ LETTING GO OF FAILURE.  I am not a perfect person. I know this.  My failures have been many.  I've seen the results of my failures at times and have felt overwhelmed.  But one of the greatest JOYS I have ever experienced is that of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  My failures and imperfections can create great burdens in my life.  They can cause me not to progress if I do not seek the Lord and let his sacrifice have meaning in my life.  I am weak at times.  I've hurt others with my words and actions.  I've strived to make it right and ask them and my Father for forgiveness. I have felt his healing influence.  I have been made whole through his love and suffering for me.  And I know I am not alone, I know he has done this for everyone, and I am so amazed by all he has done and will continue to do for me and my family.  I find great JOY in letting go of my failures and pressing forward to become something better than I was.  I strive to never look back.

DOING THINGS I LOVE.  I have talents, you have talents, we all have talents or things we find exciting or exhilarating.  I love to paint, sing, dance, hike, bike, swim, draw, play music, swing on a swing set.  It doesn't matter what it is as long as it fills me with JOY and helps me wash all care and worry away.  I love the sunshine.  I love to walk in the warm sunshine and pick wildflowers with my children.  JOY, in the purest sense.  When I do these things it connects me to something miraculous inside myself.  There is no better way to describe these peaceful memorable moments than JOY.

We all know that being a mother isn't all sunshine and roses but there are so many ways to experience joy if I focus my thoughts on these moments and let the other ones blow out the door.  Like I said earlier I'm not going to experience every single one of these JOYS every day of my life and some days it may be hard to feel any of them as I'm weighed down with trials.  I know I've been there, frequently.  But I've come to the understanding that if I can feel even one of these JOYS a day, I am a blessed woman and will never want for more.

It Is A Beautiful Life

   It's been a rough winter but we have been able to keep busy.  A lot of the business has been in the walls of our own home.  We've been working on school work, cooking, cleaning, training our dog, and just having a good time.  Not every day has been perfect bliss but it has been fun and full of learning.  Sometimes the learning entails supporting daddy.  He had a very busy February and we missed him a lot.  He was gone before we were awake and came home right as we were off to bed.  It's been challenging but our love for him has only grown stronger as we've seen the care he takes of his patients.  The other night he asked me to do an exam on him so that he could observe what it's like to be a patient.  I admire him so much.  Although we miss him, in my heart I realize the sacrifice it takes to have a doctor for a husband.   He is a strength to me.  He supports me in what I do, and I support him.  Together we are a powerful team for good and that is our greatest goal as a couple and as individuals.  We are living our dream.

  We were also able to go swimming a lot at our local community center with homeschool friends.  I'm so grateful to have a membership there.  This winter has been long and brutal, so it's nice to get out and enjoy the illusion of summer with the pool.  It is also helpful to my health to continue to exercise and feel almost weightless in the water.  My joints don't hurt as much. :)

I've been keeping up on my exercise program but must admit I've broken my diet a few to many times.  I've paid for it in pain but I'm getting back on track. Valentine's Day was a weak point.  Here are some pictures of our recent adventures.  Enjoy:

Our puppy Jerry is growing up so fast!

Finished the Fall site words.

Working on handwriting.

Building a tower with math manipulatives.

Using rubber bands for math.

Shapes!

The start of our winter site words list.

Practicing word families.

TV time when sick. :)

Study of Asia.

Outdoor fun time.

Dallen's drawing of me.  I have defeated the robot and have now reached my full potential!  I'm so cool!

Making a yam casserole with the kids. :)

Eating at a Chinese Restaurant after our study of China.

Feeling good that day.

Finding birds nests on our property.  Falcon nest.

Looking over old photos.  Memories!

Making amazing designs with math shapes.

Being scientific. 

Autumn practicing 911.

Learning Etiquette.

Formal Table Setting.

Informal table setting.

Homemade Constellation Planetarium.

Canis Major from our homemade Planetarium.

Getting Aaron's snacks ready for his trip to Salt Lake for a medical conference.