Family Fun Dinner games

We went to chick fil e  for lunch one saturday while we were "in town"    The kids love playing there and the food is somewhat better than other fast food.   In the kids meal there was a sample of a game called Dinner Games.    Jared loved them.  So he looked up the real game and bought it. Our kids love playing games and you can only play candyland, and guess who so many times.  So it was nice to add a new game into our mix.  We have been trying to do more things as a family that don't involve electronics.  So this was great.  Plus we find it better to distract our kids at dinner time and they will actually eat more.   It is in a smallish box that is metal so you could easily take it with you on a trip or to grandmas house.  

 

The cards are pretty good.  They have different categories like Memory, phonics vocabulary, numbers and math, silly, social skills, creative and critical thinking.   I love that there is a variety and that they are labeled.  So if your child needs more social skills or whatever category you can pick those cards out and use those.  

Here are some of the cards for an example

We even play this just at night after dinner.   The kids love it.  They will pick it out and bring it to us and say lets play this game.  There are quite a few that are for older kids, I think the game says 6-13 or something.  I am glad that there is a range of ages.  We love that this has dinner ideas because we like dinner time to be family time.   We get to talk and have fun.    I am glad that there are games like this that are creative and fun.  Sometimes you just need that extra help in starting the conversations and fun at dinner.  

All good things must come to an end....

The books is over....sad but good at the same time.  I can go to the next book on my reading list.  This book has been great I hope you guys have learned some things to help you stay more positive.  Here is my thoughts on the last two chapters.  Enjoy!!!

Prescription for heartache

I think everyone has experienced heartache in their life.  There are so many different kinds and ways that our hearts ache for things.   He talks about how we can overcome that.  The key is physical activity.  We must not sit and brood on whatever it is.  Get up and do something.  It doesn't matter what it is, walking, running, doing service for others.  Get your blood moving in your body.

Before I served my mission I was in a hard spot where I was a little bit depressed... long story but I found myself just wanting to sit around and think about nothing, which lead to feeling sorry for myself for whatever reason.  I had a great roommate at the time that made me get out and go to activities with her and it helped me get out of the weird rut I was in.  When I was busy and not just sitting around thinking about myself, life was soooo much better.

He goes on to talk about how we have to believe that there is life after death to be able to release some of that heart ache.  If we have lost a loved one we know where they are and what they are doing. This will save us a lot of heartache.

How to draw upon that higher power.

He says everyone should work hard but not so hard that they are working inefficiently.   That doesn't do anyone any good.   He has this advice, practice resting yourself in God,  Practice depending on Him for his support and power, and then believe that he is giving it to you and let it flow through you.   I can tell this will take some faith and practice to let things go and turn it over to the Lord.  It will be a continuous thing to practice.
He says the second way to draw on that power is to Learn to take a positive, optimistic attitude towards every problem.  I feel like I have been better at doing this since I started reading this book.  I have been given new ideas and new ways to stay positive.
If there is a deep desire, intensity of longing and a sincere reaching out after the power that it will be given.

I just love how this book goes right along with our faith and it just seems to go hand in hand with what I already knew and believed its just sometimes we have to be reminded or pushed in the right direction.  I have loved this book so much and I feel like it has really influenced my life for the better.  I will use these techniques throughout my life and hopefully be able to teach them to my kids.

Relaxing can give you motivation.... give me some of that :)

Power of positive thinking --  this book is so well rounded and helps in all aspects of life.  Here are the next two chapters.  There are only two more and then I have finished the book.  I have loved it so much.

14-  Relax for easy power
There is a difference between relaxing and being lazy.  If we have purpose to our relaxing and we are thinking about God and getting in tune with him.  If we relax in this way it is the best way we can renew our power.  We will have so much more energy to do everything we need to do.  Its not about the quantity of relaxation time its about quality.  You can use just a few minutes of quality time and make it work for us.  He says he had a friend that would do it when he was stuck in traffic.  He only took 1-2 minutes and it renewed his energy.  Something he would have otherwise made him more tense or stressed, instead he took advantage of that and make that time benefit him.  I know I could sure benefit from these 1-2 minute destressors throughout my day.

He gives 10 things that help us work hard easily.  The one that I really liked was Be determined to like your work.  Perhaps you do not need to change your work but your attitude and it will make all of the difference.  Change yourself and your work will seem different. It can become a pleasure.  He also says to pray about your work.  I feel like if we pray about it, God will help us organize ourselves better or know how to do things more efficiently so we will get more done.  I really believe he is waiting to help us we just need to remember to ask and be willing to listen and heed to those promptings.
He gave a lot of examples of people in this chapter that when they were put in an annoying situation or one where they have to wait longer than they had planned on, how they weren't made upset by their situation.  Instead they took the time to relax and meditate.  They used their "wasted" time to relax and become more energized.  I love this.   I keep being reminded and thinking about how my hypnobabies class I took helps me with this.  I need to listen to those tracks again and practice them even though I"m not pregnant or preparing for labor.  They are amazing to teach you how to let go and relax your whole body.  I have been using essential oils a lot in the last 6 months and I diffuse them and I have noticed a difference in my stress level.  I feel much more relaxed and not so uptight.  I believe its part of the benefits of the oils.  I diffuse them in the kitchen where I spend most of the day and at night sometimes I will diffuse them in our room.  I am really beginning to learn more about them and love it.  I will do a separate post about that later.


15-How to get people to like you.
 Our natural human nature is the desire to be liked and appreciated.  Everyone wants that and if they say they don't they are lying.  The answer is pretty simple in face its to be sincere, have a genuine interest and love for people.   If you do that for everyone not just the people that are easy to like then you will begin to develop other traits that help you become such a happy and likable personality.
There are so many people in the world that have been forgotten.  Moms that have the kids all grown up and don't "need"  or depend on her anymore.  The business man that is retired and his company doesn't need him anymore.  Someone once asked him if he could write a book on how to retire and be happy.  Its harder than we all make it up to be. We look forward to that time for so long and then I guess when we get there we are kind of forgotten if we don't make a point to get out and be involved.
  We go through life being needed.  I think of my life as a mom.  About every other second I hear "MOM"   He says I'm going to miss it.   Hard to imagine now but I can see it.  I think of my parents they once had a bustling house with 7 kids I"m sure we got on their nerves.  Now they live in their home with just each other.  Its quite a change I'm sure.  We always have that desire to be needed and appreciated.
There are so many interesting people in this world and they way to learn about them is to talk to them.  Even those hard ones, the ones that talk for hours and hours. If we show a sincere concern for them, they will like us and others will too.  He suggest for those harder people to like and be concerned about if you think about all of their positive attributes or things they have done you will be surprised at how you will begin to like them.  He also says we should encourage everyone, build up their ego. Every one likes someone that is honest and is saying good things about you.  I mean how could you not?  They make you feel good every time you see them.  Make sure to congratulate people when it is deserved.  Make sure in all of this that its honest and sincere though  people can tell when its forced or made up.  Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulations for an achievement.  I know this works for kids. The more you show them positive actions get praise the more they want it, and they will do better and work for it.  I believe this works for adults and all humans.  We all liked to be praised for our work.

Another thing he said would help is to develop a quality of being relaxed and easy going  so things won't ruffle your feathers.  Your not easily upset.  I have really been working on this one.  Its hard.  I have noticed over the last 2-3 months that I have been more calm and not so quick to anger with the kids.  I have been trying to develop this.

The most important thing is to be honest and be positive when we are building others up.  I recently read a quote  "You must be good for something.  You must contribute to the world.  The world must be a better place for your presence, the good that is in you must be spread to others"   I loved this and thought it went along well with this chapter and how to get others to like you.   If we are striving to make the world a better place then we are doing good things in the world. That in turn will make people like us.

Cleaning out my mission box

When I was going through my closet trying to minimalize stuff, I came across this mission box and I thought some memories are not worth giving up.  Some of the things in this box I don't need to hang on to.  I will open up this box every few years and be reminded of the great 18 months I spent serving the Lord and enjoying that wonderful time.  I don't need to save every little thing from those 18 months .

These books were my study journals.  They have so much good info in  them.   I took so many notes and learned so much spiritually on my mission.  These books will never leave my house.  They are a great treasure to look back and read through.

Here is an example of how I took notes and learned.

Then I have my journal.   This has so many emotions rolled into it.  Before I went on my mission I read my sisters mission journal and it helped prepare me for what was to come.   It was a REAL insight into a mission.   I let my younger sister read through my journals when we was debating going on a mission and I hope she enjoyed them as well.  haha  I hope my kids will one day read these and it will help them decide to serve a mission, or at least learn something from them.

These were my planners.  They held 6 weeks or 1 change.   I didn't realize how much I loved this planner until I got home and started buying the exact same size for the year.  I have one from every year after the mission and I currently have one.  

These planners had my life in them each change.  I wrote so much stuff down in them.  I loved going back through and seeing what we did each day.  Who we contacted and taught. 

This was a letter from my mission president. 

This is my actual mission call.  I need to laminate it or something so it won't get ruined ever. 

My mom sent me a calendar with pictures of my family.  I loved being able to see my family and my companions loved it as well.  They got to know me a little bit better. 

I have a cd book with pictures.  The white handbook. My tiny spanish bible, a cassette tape I made with my companion. My teaching aids, my bus card and Chilean ID... My money pouch with some real money still.  

This was an interesting find that I didn't know I would be getting from my mission president when I left.  Every week we were to write to our mission president and let him know how we were doing.  Well he put all of my emails on a cd and sent me home with it.  I have yet to read these but I can imagine how good they were.

 This is my binder of important papers that we got from conferences or anything.   It also kept all of my hand written letters I got from family, friends, mission friends.

My mom printed off all of the letters I typed and kept them for me.  As I was reading through these it was so fun to be taken back into those moments.  Its like I was there again.  I am so glad that I took the time to write my family and that my mom was so nice to save them all.  

A Soccer shirt from Chile.  I have one that I wear occasionally but this one I think I got for one of my brothers but it doesn't fit anymore so he gave it back.   One day I will give it to my kids and let them wear it.

This sweet sweet badge means so much to me.   Everyday when I put this on I was so privileged to be a missionary.   I loved my mission,  there were some very very hard days.... and even weeks but there were some really really good days and weeks.  I learned so much, I felt so much. I have never grown so close to special women I call companions.  I have never been so spiritually high as I was on my mission.  I was dedicated 100% to serving the Lord.  It was a great 18 months.  I learned so much about myself and know I became a better person because I was willing to go way out of my comfort zone.  I know I received so many blessings because of that.  I wish everyone could serve a mission so they can feel of that love.  Just tonight I saw the Elders walking down the road in the rain and I had true sympathy for them. I was taken back to a day when I was new on my mission and it had been raining all day.  We got to lunch and we were soaked.  I thought we have to go home and change there is no way we can continue.  We did continue working until it was time to come home.  When I took my shoes off that night I have never seen my feet to wrinkled and cold.   I thought they were going to fall off.  I learned a lot from all of my companions and love each one dearly.  

I love the people that I taught and love to keep in contact with them.  They bring me joy each time I hear they are still doing well in the gospel.  It brings me true joy.  

Did you know sickness has an emotional and physical side?

This one has fit right in lately with us being all sick and I need to stop stressing about being sick so we can get over it all. haha

Try this health formula
Its not a question of whether an illness is physical or emotional, but how much of each. I really believe this. When we hold onto a grudge it will effect us.   All of those feelings of hate, resentment, jealousy, vindictiveness they will produce bad health.    We have to let those feelings go if we want to be healthy and happy.   We have to honestly ask ourselves if we are harboring any ill will or resentment or grudges, and cast them out.    They don't hurt anyone else but us. We need to replace those not so good feelings with happy and positive feelings and emotions.
One way to do that is to write down everything that irritates you.  This is a form of just letting it go and sometimes we can see how silly some things that are bothering us really are.  Then we are to pray about each item.  Whenever we pray about something it seems to be easier to let things go or to see a new perspective about it.  This will help us let go of those feelings, but first we have to be able to recognize them.  That is sometimes hard for me.

There is a distinct relationship between our emotions and the common cold.  Have you ever noticed after you have been really stressed that you come down with a cold?  I sure have.  Emotional disturbances are believed to affect the blood circulation in the linings of the nose and throat.  So that is where we get the sore throat and runny nose.  Those membranes become weak and we are more susceptible to viruses and germs.   This is another reason that he says we need to be positive and easy going.  Don't get stressed about stuff. Easier said then done but we can do it.

We have been sick for the past month almost and I don't know why we can't kick it.  We have had the throw up bug... then we got the cold that turned into strep for my daughter.  So I finally took her into the Dr. when she asked me if she could go.... Um yes sorry, I didn't know you hurt so bad.   We haven't been into the Dr for a year I thought that was pretty good.   So then after we got her on antibiotics for her strep I came down with a terrible cold with the sore throat and cough.  I guess I am feeling stressed about everyone being sick for so long.  I need to just do my best and not let it bother me so I can get over this sickness.   I have been doing the same stuff that I did a few months ago when I got sick.  I tried some new stuff too that I think is helping.  I think sometimes you gust get sick from what is going around and whether you fight it off fast or slow is part of your emotional side.

New thoughts can remake you-

"Nothing on earth is greater than the human mind in potential power.  The average individual is capable of much greater achievement than he has ever realized."  This is a very encouraging thought.  We are so much more capable than we thought.  We need to boost ourselves up and know that we can be better and we will.    He goes on to say that we can make anything of our lives if we can dream it up and visualize it.  Anything you will pray and work for.  That is the key right there is to pray for it so its right and then work. work, work for it. It can be accomplished.

This I love because I never thought I was a good runner and I put my mind to running a half marathon and with a lot of training I did it.  I made it and I lived haha...  I was amazed at what I could do.  I also have done other hard things since then because that helped boost my self esteem about my abilities.  I am grateful for people around me to help encourage me to do things out of my comfort zone.

He gives a challenge to talk hopefully about everything for 24 hours.  Its hard but you can do it and you will be amazed. As you continue to do this you will see how your thought processes will change.  It will take work and you have to stop your mind when you start to think about negative things.  It can be done though.  I am going to take that challenge and even if I don't get it all right the first day which I'm sure I won't,  I will do better and better every day.

Yoga

A new year is a new me..... or improved me.  I know I know most new years resolutions don't work out..... but I have been pretty good at achieving mine the last few years.   Maybe I'm not choosing hard enough ones. ha ha  I feel like I made some pretty good achievable ones this year.   I am excited and very motivated about all of them.   Here is one of my favorite ones.

Yoga.... YAY!!!  I have been a slacker since I had my third child.   I used to run and bike but it has just been too hard to do with everything else I have to do.
I have wanted to do Yoga for a while so my husband got me a yoga mat for Christmas and its nice.  Its a nice thick pad.   We started to do this 30 day challenge on you tube.  It has been really good.  I like that yoga is both relaxing and a work out.  How it can be both I am learning. I never knew yoga was so hard.  You have to have a lot of muscles to hold and move your body around.  I am amazed at how weak my arms are.  The instructor makes it look so easy to hold all of these positions.  Its not exhausting though. I feel so much more rejuvenated after a session.

I also love that Jared does it with me.  We put the kids to bed and then we start it and usually Lexi will come out and want to do it with us.  She likes it and is pretty flexible, she will show us up. Its something fun that we can do together.

I have never been flexible so this is one of my big goals that I know yoga will help with.  I have maybe noticed a small improvement but we have only been doing it for 2 weeks.  I"m sure it will continue to get better.
Yoga is also part of my self improvement or self discovery.  It has really helped me relax and not stress so much.  It helps me realize what my body is capable of.  I think it will help me with discovering my body and listening to it.  This goes along with the book I was reading power of positive thinking.  We are able to do so much more than we think we can if we just believe in ourselves.  Yoga is one of those things.  Some of those positions are had but it just takes practice and being still and quiet to be able to focus on that.  I love having that quiet time each day to help me.