I smell something...

Morgan always lays right by my feet when I am working in my office....

today was no exception.

But something wasn't right... I kept smelling something bad.

Now the new puppy has been known to have really bad gas... and totally stink up the room, where I have to leave and go get some fresh air.

But even that usually dissipates.

This smell wasn't going away... I checked the bottom of my shoes... no poo there.

I kept looking around and the puppy wasn't even in the room with us.

Morgan, just had this sad hang dog look on her face.

Then I discovered it. IS THAT POO?? EEEEEEWWWWWW!

How did she get it all the way up on her side like this?

And where is that devil puppy anyway! She had to be part of this stinking mess...

As I grabbed her and drug her down the hall to the bathroom, I had visions flash in my head that I would find more of this, about knee height all over the walls between the back door and my office.

I lucked out and got her in the tub before it got any worse.

For a water dog, she sure doesn't look like she wants her precious feet to get wet. I really wasn't beating her, I think she was a tad embarrassed.

I still don't know what happened, but it looks like a mean game of rugby with Taylor and Morgan got piled! Poor thing... and where is that Taylor dog anyway?

No doubt she is into some other kind of trouble, that I will have to clean up after this.

Spring Cleaning Bug...

I am trying to get the spring cleaning bug... pulling things out of cupboards and closets we don't use, so we can put it in our yard sale on the 19th.

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I was on a role in the teenagers room, but have gotten so busy that I have fissled out this week. Or really just haven't had time to focus on it yet.

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I put a big clear storage bin next to the videos to go through and pull all any we don't watch. But it is so hard, I love movies and love to watch them over and over again. I had a large collection of VHS, but now we are converted to DVD. But I haven't really replaced my VHS tapes. So going through all the old tapes makes me want to watch them again. Let go, let go let go... I know how freeing it is to clean out and let go... this is my opportunity, I am just not getting the bug yet!

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Hopefully it comes sooner than later.... it's just hard to do by myself.

I need my SISTER!!!

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Sometimes I am better at these things that others... knowing this about myself is why I chose to throw the yard sale on the calendar and put it in writing to the neighbors. I knew that would lock me in. I knew I would want to back out.

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I have been known to go months without having someone in my home, because of my terrible procrastination habits, and cleaning almost always falls to the bottom of the list. "I have been meaning to clean that, but life is too short to be caught cleaning". So knowing these things about myself, I will intentionaly, painfully invite someone over... knowing I would die before I would let them in my house without getting caught up on the cleaning. But I LOVE it clean. I am tormented daily by doing things I love, because I hate doing them.

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It's really a miracle that I get anything accomplished when I face such opposition as a split personality and bipolar tendencies. I don't let it bother me--it just adds depth and complexity.

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Have you gotten the spring cleaning bug yet!

SPT ~ Self Portrait Tuesday ~ if i had eyes in the back of my head

We've all heard that *mom*-like expression: "I've got eyes in the back of my head" (usually delivered as some sort of warning.) do you ever wonder what you would see if you actually DID have eyes in the back of your head??

this week, the challenge is to look past the "self" in the self-portrait, and focus on what's going on behind you. this is a great opportunity to practice using those eyes in the back of your head!

Well I already know what goes on behind my back with my teenager... I have an entire blog about it here.

Nothing new to report to date on this joker...

But this SPT ~ even though I am a day late on it, made me think about "looking back".

When I look back and focus on what is behind me... I think more in the past instead of what is directly behind me.

I don't often look back very deeply because I can always say "I wish I would have"... not that I think I have many regrets, because I don't. But I can always see ways of improving who I am, or how I went through a situation.

Most of the time, it is looking back and thinking "I wish I would have slowed down and enjoyed that moment more". I have allot of those when I look back. Some special days just go by so fast, and I am in the middle trying to capture them on film, or prepare and make it such a special day that I forget to slow down and actually savor the moment and enjoy it.

I am not even really good at looking back on my blog. My one year blogoversary is coming up in July, and I hope to add a "flashback Friday" to my week, where I can look back on the year before and see where I was and what I was doing or thinking about one year ago. That might be a fun way to look back.

We were a day late on Family Night this week, due to conflicts in schedules, and so last night we were discussing ways to prepare to go to the Temple. How we can keep ourselves worthy to attend the Temple, and the youth have a trip this week, so we talked about ways to prepare to attend a baptism session at the Temple.

We discussed Elder Dahlquists' talk in the April New Era and how staying close to and helping strengthen your family, helped us prepare to go to the Temple... how our homes can be places of holiness and strength. I have such a testimony of how my family strengthens me, and what a great blessing they are to me. I learn something from my teenager EVERY DAY, especially ways I can be a better person. We talked more specifically about how to be a peacemaker rather than to tease and fight. Being cheerful and doing your part to build a happy home. And to remember that "the family is the most sacred unit of the Church".

I shared that I think our family is very special to have a unique situation to actually remember the day we were sealed together. We came unto the gospel at different times and in different situations, and because of the different paths we came down to get to the Temple, while not the standard or the most sought after paths, it offered us that great blessing of having in our recent memories the day of our sealing as a family, and that is very unique. I think as a family we have to not take that for granted. We need to always be searching ways and recommitting ourselves so that we continue to "stand in holy places", and live worthy lives so that we can attend the Temple.

As I watch my niece prepare to go to the Temple and be sealed to her eternal companion, I look back on those special days for me. I am so excited for her to have a wonderful experience so that she will want to be in the Temple again and again with her husband. And to go there for answers and support and strength, and to feel the love and spirit of God in her heart always! (my niece and new nephew, aren't they adorable!)

So I guess as I look back, it helps me to look forward... so that I can live each day to it's fullest, with no regrets, and trying to be a better person. Striving to slow down and enjoy each moment. And live my life with more faith, patience, obedience, peace and happiness!

Conference Weekend...

Friday after work, my strong silent mysterious man and I went for a drive. The teenager was working late at the golf course.

And since it is only a short time until his birthday, of course we ended up at the Guitar Shop.
His favorite place to drule... they have walls of guitars.
Really fun for him to go play...
and try out all the cool guitars...
but not as fun for me, sitting there when the 17 year old (no offense to 17 year olds) blares up a bass at 150 million decibels right behind me. It might not have bothered me if he actually knew how to play a guitar, but he was just hitting strings... very annoying.

Luckily my man isn't easily annoyed...

so he was able to narrow it all down to one sweet guitar!

And somehow he thinks I should get this for his birthday?

I suppose I could put all the extra overtime he is working towards it, and he never spends money on himself (rarely) and he works so hard and provides for us. Hmmm... I just have a huge problem going and picking out your own birthday present.

Not that I would have a clue how to buy something like this for him. But it would be different if I said "honey, let's go look at guitars, I think I want to get you one for your birthday" instead of feeling like I was being wrangled into it. Hmmm... I have much more teaching to do at my house about birthdays.

Saturday was General Conference broadcast from SLC... so we watched both sessions.

Well, I thought we were doing pretty good, only to find the teenager and the dogs were not paying very close attention.

But it was a great Conference. I so appreciated the opportunity to sustain our new prophet President Thomas S. Monson. What a wonderful man, and I loved the words he had about his family and dear wife. It always makes me feel so special when I hear these men of such great honor talk so sweetly about their wives. Even though they are not refering to me, it is just super special to hear they have such kindness and love towards women. And it makes me feel very appreciated as a woman, weird how it works that way.

Sunday we watched both sessions of conference from home as well. If it were just me, I would prefer to get in my sunday dress and watch from the church, just to get that special feeling you get when you dress up. When Jacob and I were on our own, we drove to the church and watched from there, but only because we couldn't get it on TV.

But my favorite time watching was the year we got tickets to see it in person. I will never ever forget the feeling I had when President Hinckley walked into the conference center. It was awesome. I bet this conference was extra special sustaining a new prophet in person as well.

After the 2nd session we took the dogs for a walk and played some ball at the church baseball field with them. It was kind of weird not seeing any cars at our building. We usually have meetings until early in the evening. It was fun getting out of the house and playing, until Taylor ran off. She was just going over to see a near by dog, but my man wasn't very happy with her, and her cavalier attitude, running amuck. So everyone had to come home on their leashes... she always ruins all the fun for everyone else by not paying attention to the rules, and not minding.

Today I am really excited to get the broken windshield on the car fixed, a necessity for the teenager to take his drivers test in it.

We are getting close to having another driver in the house. Ugggg! I am still not ready!