I Promise I'll Post!

I swear! It'll come around. Things are just super busy these days!! I blame it on all the summer fun we're having. (:

Question, for anyone who's reading: Is it better to keep this blog private or public? I just can't seem to decide whether it's safer or not that big of a deal. Any thoughts??

I Can't Believe It!

I think miss the sunsets the most! This picture is completely unedited. And the sky is just gorgeous. (:

Especially since I won't have to be subjugated to the intense heat that goes along with living here! ;)

There's so much going on right now and so much to post about, but we're MOVING! Tomorrow morning! Early. I can't believe it. I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that ten (ish) months just flew past as quickly as it just did. Phoenix already feels like home. And it's strange, beyond strange, to pick up and leave it all for a few months. I have to remind myself that we are coming back! ;) Elise is done with Kindergarten, Rand's finishing up his first year of law school today, and we're going to be 13hours away from home. Weird. Anyway, there are posts to come, but for now, I'll be focusing on packing up most of our apartment. [A pretty daunting task, and this isn't even a permanent move!!] It's a good thing it gets so crazy hot here in AZ; I'm not sure I'd have the motivation to move 13hrs away! It helps that I'll be living with the best in-laws there are during this time! (:

Birthday Extravaganza! Part One ;)

Super washed-out video thanks to the tons of windows and an amateur videographer (who am I kidding?), but nonetheless, it was absolutely amazing that a random group of people would sing "Happy Birthday" to me. They were just singing the song out loud, and I said to them that it was actually my birthday, and they addressed it to me. (: Pretty sweet! The guy on the right even took out our trash and wished me a Happy Birthday! ;)

What's really sweet about it was that I was so worried that my birthday would be a really tough experience. It kinda marked the one year anniversary (if you can call it that) that everything went down with my parents and we've had zero communication since. I was worried that the hurt of not having my parents involved in my life anymore (small pity party for me: I wonder how they could so easily break off from their daughter despite my best efforts to repair our relationship?). So, I prayed. I prayed that I would be able to have a good day, but I asked a special request - one that I didn't expect to have fulfilled. I asked that (and I know I should never ask for a "sign") Heavenly Father would bless me in a small, but special way, that I'd be able to know that He (my Eternal Father) loves me, cares about me, and recognized that it was my birthday that day.

I'm 27 (now) and birthdays are still a HUGE deal to me! I love them. (: With all the activities planned that day, I was feeling rushed and a little stressed, so when these guys sat down next to our table, I was a little (a lot) annoyed. They were loud and I was worried that they were going to be rude (obnoxious). Much to my surprise, and a direct gift from Heaven, they threw me off guard and became the answer to my silly prayer; it really touched my heart, as funny as it was. You can't see it, but one of the group even crazily danced to the song. Everyone was staring at me with wary looks (yes, slight admission, it made me love it even more!) and the group was asked to be quiet by management, but they made my birthday so sweet!

Not to mention the cheesecake and balloon that awaited me at home from Rand after I dropped Elise off at school! (: More will come on what we did that day - and sadly, I realized that I take way too many pictures of my kids! ;)

Under Construction (:

I'm back to Blogger! It's such an easier format to work with - hardly any work required and completely publishable in book format at some point. (: And I absolutely love seeing all the pictures of my babies - they've grown up so much since I started this blog in 2009! Anyway, please excuse the construction! It'll be kind of crazy looking for awhile as I get this up and going.

I'm not sure if I'm being hyper-paranoid here, but it just makes me feel so much better to know that my kids, our physical location in the US, and any other random details that are accidentally let out through pictures or words, will not be available to complete strangers. Am I a little extreme in thinking this? I don't know. It just feels better to me. So... enjoy! And feel special - not everyone is allowed access to the exciting world of the Greenburg family. ;) [I'm completely joking here, by the way -- no megalomania on my end, which reminds me of a funny date I had once! Anywho...]

I *love* Elise's camera smile, right now!! It's too cute/funny! I have to get her laughing to get the real smile (:

The Housecleaning Dilemma

I've thought a lot about this need to have a perfectly clean, organized home. Is this really benefiting my kids?

I crave organization. When I walk into a clean home, I instantly feel peace and relax. But, when I'm working all day long (or at least most of it) trailing after my two children, picking up toys as they are playing them (more like as they're throwing them down the hall in defiance!), I know something isn't right. Relaxation, peace, and tranquility definitely do not describe how I feel after this.

My job is not a maid. As much as I cannot stand the word (thanks to my feminsta past), I am a homemaker, and more importantly, a mother! The way my home feels matters so much more than what it looks like.

By no means am I giving up basic cleaning - three year-old's and the "potty" are a scary combination. But, I am striving to make peace with the endless mounds of scattered toys, undone laundry, and green play-doh permanently stuck to the Wal-Mart decor. Perfection, in terms of cleanliness, is just not a reality with small children.

Instead of rushing around trying to de-clutter the world (our world), I'll be snuggling up with my kids on our couch -perfectly comfy, though it's scarred from pen attacks and grape juice- reading Curious George and  Dr. Seuss, while being grateful that I can be involved in this amazing process of parenting.

How do you keep balance?

Being a Better Mom

My New Year's Resolution? Be a better mother.

Why is it so easy to waste time on unimportant things? So often I focus on things that don't matter in the long run. By no means am I a bad mom (don't worry), but I want to be better! I want to engage myself in that time I have with my kids and be there mentally and emotionally, not just there in the same room. 

This song by Michael McLean pretty much sums it all up  better than I can (Lullaby for Me):

This hasn't been a day that I would call my best
I'd give myself a failing grade if this had been a test
I did not comfort you when you were all alone
I was too busy crying through some problems of my own
Today I have not been the mom you needed me to be
And tonight I wish that you could sing
A lullaby for me

I'm glad that you can sleep, I wish that I could too
I'm sorry that today I wasn't really here for you
I must have slipped away to some far distant land
Where I'm the child who cries until her mother takes her hand
Today I have not been the mom you needed me to be
And tonight I wish that you could sing
A lullaby for me

Tomorrow I'll reclaim my proper place
I'll tuck you in and gently kiss your face
I'll do the things a mom's supposed to do
And I'll know what those things should be
Cause now I need them too

This hasn't been a day that I want to repeat
I'm sorry I could only say I'm sorry while you sleep
Today I have not been the mom you needed me to be
And tonight I wish that you could sing
A lullaby for me
Tonight I need someone to sing
A lullaby for me.

Why do they have to grow up so quickly? But, I am grateful they do :)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

"'How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!' And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!'"

Isn't Suess a genius? I love the messages within some of his books for kids (check out the Butter Battle book). Ahhh... Why can't I remember that Christmas doesn't come from a store? How do I take the focus off of buying and recieving gifts, and onto the birth of the Savior?

I want a Christmas that is meaningful and I'm not sure how to do it. I love reading the gospels this time of year - I love learning about the Savior and realizing how much more focused I need to be on helping and loving people. I love reading about His healing the blind man and taking time to cry with Martha after the death of her brother. Powerful, powerful stuff.

However, when I've been in Wal-Mart's never-ending customer service line or waiting for my fabric to be cut at Jo-Ann's for five hours, I quickly forget this. Will my children really be happy and feel the magic of Christmas with a stressed-out Mom who has five billion projects to complete before a certain holiday arrives? (I'm considering hiring on a few elves...) I obviously need to simplify, cut back on the gifts (as hard as that is!! just give me ten minutes in Toys 'r Us and I've found a bazillion things the kids need), and share time with these little ones who find excitement and amazement in Christmas lights glowing.

It's so fun being a Mom and I love how these kids of mine (angels in thin disguise) teach me so many things. I love how they get so excited about anything that has to do with Jesus and how earnestly they try to be more like Him, when I ask if what they're doing lines up with what He would do (they innately know). Though they're so very little, I wish I was more like them :) So, yet again, another goal for myself to improve upon: Don't be a grinch! Enjoy the real meaning of Christmas!

The Perfect Autumn Weekend

Before Rexburg became a world of white, we had the best week of fabulous autumn weather. These kids are so much fun! I'm really just grateful that I have an excuse to throw leaves at people and skip down paths. If you haven't skipped in awhile, I highly suggest it!

 

5 YEARS!! November 10

 

Defender of the Turkey