I will now take a bow...

Unbeknownst to me, my friend, Shana at momswithocd.blogspot.com/ nominated me for the stylish blogger award. (Yes, it was like 6 weeks ago but I just barely caught up on reading blogs.) Thanks Shana! I am honored.
Part of the acceptance of this award is to post 7 things about myself and to forward the award on. So, here goes my 7 things. Prepare to be amazed...NOT. :)

1. I homeschool my 5 (well 4 now since Kelea is in college) children. I know you are shocked and never knew this about me. Hehehe I LOVE teaching children, especially those that I have a vested interest in. It is my passion. Some days are better and more productive than others but every day is an adventure.

2. I LOVE music! (This is actually tied with #3.) I love to listen to music to fit whatever mood I may be in. We crank the music up in our house while we are cleaning or we listen and sing along in the car while we are driving. I listen to everything from Josh Groban to LDS music to country(like Colin Raye or Carrie Underwood) to alternative (like Daughtry) to pop (like Kelly Clarkson) to musicals (like Les Mis). The only music I don't care for is rap and anything with loud bass. Yuck! Also, music would not be music if you couldn't sing along. I love to sing along to music. That also determines whether I like it or not. If I can't sing along, it's not worth my time.

3. I LOVE to read! My newest favorite author is Karen Kingsbury. She writes Christian fiction. It is so uplifting and always has a good message. I read almost everything I can get my hands on. I really love that I can download e-books on my nook and kindle apps on my phone. That way I can always have something with me to read. This makes me happy. :)

4. I have anxiety. As far as I know I have had this all my life but I didn't have a name for it until recently. Now, I am on daily medication and it makes it better but there have been days that anxiety has caused me to struggle from paralysis (literally) and numerous anxiety attacks. It sucks some days but I am learning how to work through it. The remedy seems to be keeping myself busy and lots of prayer.

5. I am a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of my father. This has caused me many emotional breakdowns. I am slowly working through all of the baggage from my past but I have a great support system in my family and friends and my Savior. Some of the strongest people I know have survived some form of abuse and I intend on coming out of this stronger than ever.

6. I hate...laundry... but enjoy cleaning. I should say that I enjoy the benefits of a clean, orderly house. But, laundry is not my friend. With 6 people that wear clothes that I am responsible for washing every week, we have mountains of laundry. Probably half of it belongs to my almost 6 year old, Jessica, who changes clothes as often in a day as most people do in a week. I find every excuse I can to not do laundry. I have now offered it as a paying job for my 10 year old, Zach. I pay him $3/load to sort, wash, dry, fold and put away. Now, I can concentrate on cleaning. Awww...I love looking at a clean room. Everybody wins! Yay!

7. As my blog name implies, I am a Mormon. We are otherwise known as Latter Day Saints from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. For those of you that keep telling me we are not Christian, please see the above title of our church. I am grateful, more than words can express, for the gospel and the part it plays in my life. It is my foundation. Everything important to me in my life is centered around my relationship with my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I strive to live my life in a way that will reflect their images in my countenance. I often fall short but I know that they still love me and will still be there for me. I will forever be in their debt.

There you have it-7 things about me. They are probably not big surprises. I don't really keep any of them secret (except maybe the loathing laundry). :) Now, I would like to pass on the Stylish Blogger award to one of the greatest women I know, my sister, Jan. Check out her blog at
proudmommcbride.blogspot.com

I have earned every one of these gray hairs

I am quickly approaching my 40th birthday. I know it is not politically correct for a woman to discuss her age but I am really okay with turning 40. The funny thing is that I practically curled up and wanted to die when I turned 30. I saw it as the "end of my youth" (spoken very dramatically). I am ready to reach forty with my gray streaked head held high with pride. I have lived 4 decades and I have the battle scars to prove it. While it's true that gravity is not a friend to my 40 year old body, and I have long since passed my children's idea of old, I am really enjoying this phase of my life. I feel like I am wise enough to not make some of the mistakes of youth (usually) but still youthful enough to be able to laugh at life and not always take it so seriously. Just yesterday I had to laugh at myself as I was jammin out to Colin Raye while I was cleaning the kitchen. I was sporting an invisible guitar and everything. I even laugh at my gray, almost white, hairs. Of course, I try to pull them out one by one when I can see them. Pretty soon I won't have any hairs left on my head if I keep pulling out all the color-challenged ones. :) So, to all of my friends that are slowly approaching 40, hold your head up high. You will soon belong to the club entitled "I have earned every one of these gray hairs". Welcome!