Weight Loss

Well, I just lost about 20 lbs. of stress weight. Aaaaaaaaaah.

I really, really enjoy writing. For me, crafting something for someone else to read that is both coherent and engaging/entertaining to read is just pure fun. (Partly because I do 90% of my writing in bed in my pajamas and I have the luxury of thinking things through. Slowly.) Doing a "live" presentation is a whole nudder story. You have to have your head on straight enough to be able to look like the stuff is rolling easily off your tongue, you can't stop to think and shuffle through notes or you're going to lose people, and you'd better not show up in your pajamas or wear a cute new sweater that shows your nervous, underarm sweat rings! (That's what happened tonight.)

It was no big deal really, just our church's annual dinner to celebrate the 169th anniversary of the women's organization--the Relief Society. A pretty casual affair, but I don't take other people's time lightly. If someone is going to bother to come to such an event on a busy weeknight for dinner (okay, that's the main reason people come) and to hear someone speak, I want to make it worth their while. (Which is why I also brought a delicious chicken tortilla soup--in case the speaker was bad.)

But I put off preparing for too long, thinking I would just do some of my old stuff from those BYU-Idaho motherhood classes, and then I started to realize too late that I really should focus more on the history of the Relief Society since that was the whole reason for the gathering (duh!), so I basically spent the last couple of days scrambling like crazy to put together a 1/2 hour presentation on 19th century pioneer women of all things (not my usual gig--I am NOT a historian), trying to make it both relevant and entertaining for the 21st century ladies. And as much as I really enjoy it once I'm up there, and even though it's super satisfying once it's over (especially if I feel like it was well received), holy cow do I ever get stressed out leading up to something like that. Underarm sweat rings stressed.

(Which reminds me that I'd better get preparing a little earlier this year for BYU-Idaho.)

But it's over, I'm 20 lbs. of stress weight lighter, and I learned gobs about the history of this wonderful organization and the amazing women that basically founded this state and the now world-wide organization of the Relief Society.  Did you know that Mormon women were the first to vote? And that a bunch of those pioneer women went back east to train to be doctors, then came back to Utah to open the first hospital in the valley with the first all-women board in the nation? Lots of cool stuff you'd never guess since most people just assume they were a bunch of subjugated polygamists chasing their 23 children around.

In any case, it's over, and tomorrow I will be cleaning up the mess that results when Mother tries to do anything other than maintain status quo. Have you heard/read that hysterical story about the husband who comes home from work to find the house in a total shambles, kids running about willy nilly, and his wife in bed in her pajamas reading a novel? When he asks her what is going on, she simply replies, "You know when you come home after work and ask me what I did all day? Well, today I didn't do it!"  I LOVE that!  It is so true. The harder I work to have everything running smoothly at home, the more it looks like I did a whole lotta nothing all day. SO ironic!  Well, today all I did was get my presentation ready and it is showing on the homefront.  (Bless Brandon's little heart, he's so supportive and seriously doesn't complain at all . . .)

Let's end with some fun pictures:

Rachael--is there anything cuter than the bum of a three-year-old?

 Elizabeth--"IbeleeIgafla!" (An inside family joke meaning, "I believe I can fly!"):

Will--getting down to the last of a gobstopper he purchased LAST FALL at Cornbelly's. Sometimes he takes it with him places, sucking on it intermittently and setting it down who knows where. Is that SO almost ten-year-old boy and SO disgusting? (And are you proud of me for being so laid back about it, or shocked that I let it carry on?)

Kate--never too old to blow bubbles.

A little something added to the handle of my nightstand: 

Isn't childhood great?