November

Dear November,
Do you feel overlooked...unloved?
You are often sandwiched in the minds of many between Halloween and Christmas.

To me, however, you are beautiful.
True fall colors emerge during your hours,
the air chills enough that hot chocolate is *just right*,
and warms you inside and out.
Jackets are adequate, coats not quite necessary yet.
A sweater is the perfect wear on most of your days,
and if you listen closely, the crunch and crackle of the leaf-strewn earth indicates winter's upcoming grasp.

Do not despair November...
You are a month for which I give thanks.

Love your fall-loving friend,
Kristine

Crazy Running Start

It's true.
This Monday constitutes a crazy, running start to a very busy week.
I'm home for just a little longer before (yet another) visit to the doctor.
This is for an ultrasound on my thyroid...something is abnormal, so we're in search of exactly what the issue is.
I won't have any answers until next week...when I have my follow-up visit...so any prayers or positive thoughts would be appreciated.

Pat is out hunting until tomorrow.
I've got a SU party to prepare for on Thursday...(my first with a hostess!! YES!).
The rest of the week just has "normal" stuff, but I always feel like we run like crazy until Thursday evening.
Saturday we take Thomas to a low-vision clinic in Las Cruces.
Hopefully we will be given a little more guidance in regards to his low-vision.
Sunday, I'll be teaching in Relief Society...even though my calling is in Primary.
(I agreed right before the Primary Presidency was reorganized, and I thought I'd be "reorganized" too...but I wasn't.)

So that, in a nutshell, is what will go on outside of our "regular" things.
Laundry and housecleaning are a must, and hopefully I'll have a little time to put some finishing touches on some gifts and cards this week.
How's your week looking?

This is Halloween!

The boys... the girls...

the pirates(!)... and the non-costumed.
Hope your Halloween was safe and happy.

A Birthday, A Nap and A Trip

Thomas turned 7 last week.
Isaac had a nap. His fingers caught in the blanket.

And we all got to see Grandma and Grandpa this weekend.

Intentions

They are good.
Especially when it comes to blogging.
Except that seems to be all they really ends up being, just intentions.
I must be paving my own road to...well, you know where.

I am SHOCKED an entire week has gone by.
Shocked.
The time has flown.

It was fall break last week, with no tight schedule in place at all.
Heavenly days, you would think I could have taken pictures or blogged even ONCE in that time.
(Oh, wait! The 17th was during that week...I did blog ONCE during that time!)

So although you have had to do without my words of wisdom for far longer than you would have liked, I have now come to your rescue, and will enlighten you today!

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions,

perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

Let him step to the music he hears,

however measured or far away.

--Henry David Thoreau

Although they are not my words, they are words I think of often as I deal with people, and especially as I deal with my own children.
It also makes a big difference in my attitude toward myself when I start comparing myself to the women around me in whom I find reasons to be amazed.

Have a super day...
I'll be back soon.

Creative Outlets

I've been making cards,

altering tins and jars,

and even tried my hand at altering a notebook for a friend of Emily's.

Pssst....Wanna Know a Secret?

Come closer, and I'll tell you.



Ready?






Are you sure??












It's a doozy...one that's guaranteed to....
Wait, I won't guarantee much of anything...
But it's worth reading.




Deep breath...
(No, I'm not pregnant.)
Here goes....




My kids wear second-hand clothes.
In fact, they've been doing it their whole lives.



Can you believe it?
I have bucked the system.
Given up on buying clothing at full price for my children, and tried to corner the market on organizing and "saving" clothing for the next child who may or may not fit into it as their size varies as quickly as (and sometimes quicker than) the seasons change.

Wait, I do have one retail place that I still shop...The Children's Place...and only when they have their clearance sales...and even then I have my limits.
Pants have to be under $10, unless we've had multiple knee and seat injuries to a high number of the owners current pants...and only then can I be FORCED to order something in the $12-15 range.
Shirts are generally $2 or 3, although I will go up to $5 if necessary.
You can almost always find a current coupon for 15% off (try CouponCabin), and if you sign up for Children's Place birthday club, you get a coupon for 20% off the month of your child's birthday. (That works well for us...although we now have 3 July birthdays...and I think you can only sign up 5 kids...(so not a whine there!) ).

Our family has been incredibly blessed by my mother who sends boxes of clothing from her local DI on a periodic basis.
It more than meets our clothing needs, and often we are able to bless others with the bounty that she sends.
In fact most of it is high quality...name-brand items that last kid after kid after kid.
If for some reason we need something more, I try Childrens Place (great quality!) and then will make a stop at a second-hand store in Mesa (when or if I am in that area).
It truly has worked for us for the past 12 years.

Up until about 1 year ago, I had no limit on the clothing in my children's drawers.
It was insane trying to keep up with the laundry, let alone put everything away.
Now I have general limits that I try to stay in (give or take one or two).
No more than 7 pairs of pants or shorts.
No more than 7 short or long-sleeved shirts (dependent on the season).
Think about even that...14 x 9 = 126 major laundry items per week...and that's not counting pj's, underwear, socks, towels or sheets.
That's a LOT of laundry.

So, I throw down a challenge.
Clear out your drawers of the "extra" clothing that your children never quite get to, and pass it on.
Find a family that has children near your children's ages, and pass them on, or find a store or mission that takes donations.
Lighten your (literal) load, and clear the space for other things in your home.
See how much you can save by changing how and where you shop.
(Trust me, there is nothing much around here (kids clothing-wise), and if I can find ways to do it, I'd be willing to bet you can do it too!)