It's summer, and I don't know what to do first. So many things to do, places to see, friends and family to visit....where should we begin?
Canada Day is the first big thing to do(July 1st), and we don't even have that planned yet. When I ask my husband what he would like to do he just says "I don't know". So I guess we'll be flying by the seat of our pants tomorrow and see what kind of fun we run into.
As for the rest of the summer, we have some camping trips planned and at some point we'll head up to the Calgary Zoo, the rest we'll just fill in as we go.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I think that came off wrong.
I fear that my last post was somewhat misunderstood. I may have sounded like I was ungrateful or complaining. That was not my intent. I was touched that this sister wanted to help me out. I have turned her down before when she has asked if she could help(as I do with anybody). I think she just figured me out....if you are going to offer your help to me, you need to just tell me that you are going to do it, don't bother asking, just do it.
Let me share a few examples.
1) January 2005, I am five months pregnant and getting ready to move from Edmonton to Lethbridge at the end of the month. Every Sunday we drive an elderly sister, who lives in the same complex as us, to church. She continues to tell me that if I need someone to watch Kathryn while I pack that she would do it. I never take her up on that offer. With less than two weeks left before the move, this kind sister calls me up and says "You haven't yet taken me up on my offer. So this is what I am going to do...". She sends her cleaning lady over to my place for half a day. She flat out tells me that I can't say no. She just wants to know which day will work best for me, and that she is paying for the service.
2) Two days before the afore mentioned move, my sister-in-law, who also lives in Edmonton, calls me up and tells me that my brother will stop by our place on his way home from work to pick up Kathryn to come and stay with them for the next few days and that they will bring her back when they come to help load the truck on moving day. I would have never asked her to do this...and she knew it.
3) December 2006, I am serving as the RS president in my old ward. I am two months pregnant with my third and suffering from hormone headaches. Daniel is working a full time job and a part time job as well as coaching basketball. I sometimes feel like I don't want to open my eyes in the morning, just stay there in my nice soft warm bed. Not every day is like that. But I often feel worn out and over used. But I keep trucking along, trying to do my very best as a RS president at this very needy time of year. A young sister(wife and mother of two), who has been in and out of hospital for the past 6 months or so, stops me in the hall at church and tells me that she wants to do something special for my family for Christmas and wants to know if Monday would be fine for her to stop by. She comes by with boxes of presents and candy for the girls and a few for Daniel and I. Shes also comes with supper prepared. I am so touched I cry.
4) June 2009, I am busy this week getting things ready for the RS party that is going to be held in my back yard on Thursday. I also have a new calling as a counsilor in the Primary presidency and this coming Sunday is my week to do sharing time. I have never been in primary before, I haven't a clue as to what I am suppose to do. Lucky for me it is Father's day, so I can plan sharing time around that. My visiting teacher calls me up and tells me that she is coming by to do what ever I need her to do. I am to prideful to let her help me with what I probably need help with the most, so I tell her she can help me in the yard. The work got done quicker, and gave me more time to do other things to get ready for the RS party.
The moral of the story is this....if you want to offer your help to me, you need to tell me that you are going to help and how you are going to do it. Because if you ask, I will tell you that I am fine, even if it is quite evident to everyone else that I need help. It is hard for me to ask for, or accept help when I know...or think that I know that I can do it for myself. I am slowly getting better at it...slowly.
Let me share a few examples.
1) January 2005, I am five months pregnant and getting ready to move from Edmonton to Lethbridge at the end of the month. Every Sunday we drive an elderly sister, who lives in the same complex as us, to church. She continues to tell me that if I need someone to watch Kathryn while I pack that she would do it. I never take her up on that offer. With less than two weeks left before the move, this kind sister calls me up and says "You haven't yet taken me up on my offer. So this is what I am going to do...". She sends her cleaning lady over to my place for half a day. She flat out tells me that I can't say no. She just wants to know which day will work best for me, and that she is paying for the service.
2) Two days before the afore mentioned move, my sister-in-law, who also lives in Edmonton, calls me up and tells me that my brother will stop by our place on his way home from work to pick up Kathryn to come and stay with them for the next few days and that they will bring her back when they come to help load the truck on moving day. I would have never asked her to do this...and she knew it.
3) December 2006, I am serving as the RS president in my old ward. I am two months pregnant with my third and suffering from hormone headaches. Daniel is working a full time job and a part time job as well as coaching basketball. I sometimes feel like I don't want to open my eyes in the morning, just stay there in my nice soft warm bed. Not every day is like that. But I often feel worn out and over used. But I keep trucking along, trying to do my very best as a RS president at this very needy time of year. A young sister(wife and mother of two), who has been in and out of hospital for the past 6 months or so, stops me in the hall at church and tells me that she wants to do something special for my family for Christmas and wants to know if Monday would be fine for her to stop by. She comes by with boxes of presents and candy for the girls and a few for Daniel and I. Shes also comes with supper prepared. I am so touched I cry.
4) June 2009, I am busy this week getting things ready for the RS party that is going to be held in my back yard on Thursday. I also have a new calling as a counsilor in the Primary presidency and this coming Sunday is my week to do sharing time. I have never been in primary before, I haven't a clue as to what I am suppose to do. Lucky for me it is Father's day, so I can plan sharing time around that. My visiting teacher calls me up and tells me that she is coming by to do what ever I need her to do. I am to prideful to let her help me with what I probably need help with the most, so I tell her she can help me in the yard. The work got done quicker, and gave me more time to do other things to get ready for the RS party.
The moral of the story is this....if you want to offer your help to me, you need to tell me that you are going to help and how you are going to do it. Because if you ask, I will tell you that I am fine, even if it is quite evident to everyone else that I need help. It is hard for me to ask for, or accept help when I know...or think that I know that I can do it for myself. I am slowly getting better at it...slowly.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
help and guilt
One of my Visiting Teachers(an elderly lady...quite elderly) called me this morning and told me that she was offering her help to me. Anything that I wanted done, she would do, inside the house or out. She said she was coming over in 15 minutes and that I could put her to work. There was no discussion about it, she was coming. I couldn't say no, because she didn't ask. Now, there are many things that could be done in my house. But I have this thing about other people cleaning my house...not that I don't think they can do as good as job as me, I assure you I know that they will do a better job that I do, but because I don't want most other people to know how terrible I really am at keeping house( now the secret is out). On my list of things I wanted to do today was weed the veggie garden so that I could water it. This is what I said she could do to help. She is now sweeping my deck and driveway, while I am inside feeding the kids lunch(yes I know I am also blogging, but a woman can multi task). I feel somewhat guilty, I spent the first while outside doing yard work along with her while the kids played. But then the kids got hungry and grumpy and she told me to go take care of them. It is hard for me to have someone else here doing the work that I am quite capable of doing myself...that might be part of the reason I don't like people cleaning my house for me...I can do it just fine...I just don't sometimes. So now I am going to go eat my own lunch and try not to feel guilty for allowing someone to help me out, because I really do appreciate it...
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Garden Project, year #2
Do you remember all the work I had to go through last year before I could even plant my garden? If not you can read all about it here. I was later than usual getting things planted...especially my cucumbers(darn garden critters). But all in all I had a great harvest(with the exception of my cucumbers).
Ever since winter started to give way to spring I have been looking forward to planting my garden this year. Mainly because all I would have to do is plant it. I stared my cucumbers and pumpkins indoors this year in my fish tank(that has been without fish since we moved), so I was able to avoid the garden critters eating my seeds. This year I took my brothers ingenious idea and picked up more than two dozen 5 gallon ice cream buckets from Booster Juice, free of charge(it took 3 separate trips to gather enough). These buckets replaced the milk jugs and created a bigger hothouse for my tomatoes and cucumbers and pumpkins to live happily in. The week before May long, I put out my cucumbers, and pumpkins. The week after I planted everything else.
This year more than any, those buckets have been a life saver(for tomatoes and cucumbers). We are 8 days into June and we have already faced 5 frost warnings and a day of snow. Luckily, my beans have survived the cold weather so far. I planted peas and radishes the first week in May and they are coming along slowly, but doing fine.
Ever since winter started to give way to spring I have been looking forward to planting my garden this year. Mainly because all I would have to do is plant it. I stared my cucumbers and pumpkins indoors this year in my fish tank(that has been without fish since we moved), so I was able to avoid the garden critters eating my seeds. This year I took my brothers ingenious idea and picked up more than two dozen 5 gallon ice cream buckets from Booster Juice, free of charge(it took 3 separate trips to gather enough). These buckets replaced the milk jugs and created a bigger hothouse for my tomatoes and cucumbers and pumpkins to live happily in. The week before May long, I put out my cucumbers, and pumpkins. The week after I planted everything else.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
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