Why the Absence

I can't believe it. I'm actually writing a blog post.

I didn't mean to just jump ship and go almost 4 months without a single post. Especially since I really want to keep this blog as a personal and family history.

But life happens. It tends to accelerate sometimes and you're not sure how to slow it down.  You can't figure out how to eliminate any more things from your life, or how you can add one more thing. Somehow it happens.  Right after my last blog post I was called to be the Relief Society president for our ward. (For those of you that are not LDS, that just means that I am now the spiritual leader for the female organization  in our church congregation and watching over the individual women in my ward.)

It has taken me a few months to get my bearings. It was NOT in my radar, nor my plan, but it is amazing how the Lord can prepare you slowly and get you to the point he needs you at very quickly. From some difficult weeks prior to this calling, I learned a lot.  I grew a lot. I went from completely incapable and wanting a break from service to being ready and willing when the call came (literally huge changes within days). The Lord prepped me. When I hung up the phone, knowing I was going in for an interview with the Bishop, I knew I would be extended this calling. I had peace and knew that despite the last very difficult month, and being completely overwhelmed with life, I would be ok, he would support me and I would be able to do this.  It has been amazing to see the enabling power of the atonement take an effect so quickly and so powerfully in my life than in these last 4 months. I have SOOO much to learn, and so many ways to grow. But I have learned in the last few months that he can enable me to do anything... and so I look forward to seeing the growth and learning opportunities I will experience, and how I will be able to fulfill all of my obligations with his help.

So my kids have been getting used to mom being gone more for Relief Society business.  We are getting better at scheduling between both Beau and I's callings. We are learning how to fit and do school within the early part of the day so that I have time to meet my other obligations. We're learning how to have the kids serve with us. We're learning how to make the most of those nights, weekends or days when we don't have anything going on and spend quality time together as a family.

We enjoyed the wonderful holidays with extended family and our own family. We enjoyed dad having some time off from work. We've been excited to see Beau's company grow and get clients. We've enjoyed all the snow that has been dumping. We've also survived 2 solid weeks of major sickness, and are slowly recovering right now. I am so done with sickness. I did get a few new products created somewhere in my few moments of spare time, so here are a  few layouts about what we've been up to with all this snow.

We made snowman pictures one day for some holiday decor in our house. We talked about the different angles or perspectives you can, and had them try drawing their snowman in 3 different perspectives. I always love how the artwork turns out. I've been lucky to be teaching art to the kids in our homeschool co-op. It has been fun to see everyone's individual style emerge and how much joy they get out of creating something.