To Do Lists

Met this guy Saturday while Dave and I were visiting a working farm in our area.
Hilarious. I mean, turkeys are seriously trippy looking.

For as long as I can remember I have been a To Do List kinda person.

I make a list for myself each morning. I make a list for our kids (well, now that they are older, it's not so much a list as a calendar). And I make a HUGE list on our chalkboard wall each Sunday night with the BIG events, appointments, holidays or due dates for our family.

I'm not sure why, but there's just something that makes me more calm/happy about seeing things on a list. 

Now before you say "Oh, that's a Type A Personality thing" or "Lists are for X kinda person," let me just say this: the lists aren't about achieving something, and I usually don't panic if I can't complete everything them, the lists just help me feel some calm and control in a world that is fairly detailed and often UNCONTROLLABLE.

Yanno what I mean?

Lists stop me from obsessing about certain topics or events--because if it's on a list, then I'm less inclined to think about it repeatedly (all the live-long day).

So my point!

The only downside to the lists? I can kinda become a creature of habit AND I totally want other people to honor The MY List. LOL! (Meaning, our kids and Dave.)

Anyway that's what a snowy morning in March 2014 has me thinking about.

Hope you are well and loving your day.


PS: On my To Do List today?

* pray, meditate for 5 minutes, and write 5 things I'm grateful for in my journal

* take kids to seminary and school

* make homemade deodorant--because it freaks me out that you can do that. I figure it's a good chemistry lesson for our kids, if anything (plus, it's been great for us to research how deordorant works, cultural norms regarding hygiene, whether there are health concerns for the products we use, how consumer products are tested, etc.)

* make crockpot applesauce--because it's SNOWING and we have a lot of apples to eat in a short amount of time (plus, I'm Mormon and I'm pretty sure that's something we just DO)

* check-in with my parents and see how my Great Uncle is doing after shoulder surgery this week (he fell when my dad was taking him to the barber--sad)

* help kids with homework

* do cardio for 20 minutes

* prep for teaching Wednesday

* read with girls for 20 minutes while older kids are at traditional school

* get some lemons (make lemonade)

* return library books (find missing discs for the CDs we checked out)

* do at least one thing for someone else today AND for Dave

* return emails

* eat healthy, breathe, drink lots of water

* avoid internet and facebook excess today (focus on people I'm with vs. not with)

* listen to Christmas music (because it's SNOWING)

* check on Elder Meehan's LOST package (my fault = wrong zip code) (Missing for 18 days now = awesome)

* change guinea pig cage (booooo!)

* attend Relief Society meeting at church (Waffle Love coming--yes!)

* check on Elder Q in our area--see if he is having surgery on his ACL


And now that I have that off my chest, here are some pictures from the past week:

Cows at the farm we visited Saturday.

(PS: I am about THIS-CLOSE to not eating meat anymore.
One more documentary or science article and BOOM--it's plant-based for me.)

I know, hilarious that I take photos of produce in our laundry basket.

But it is SO COLORFUL. And in Utah winter is NOT COLORFUL, so this just makes me happy!

Ever since Survivor I LOVE coconut. Funny because I couldn't stand it before.

Coconuts are amazing. We can use literally every part of the tree/nut/fruit.

Harriett went with me to WalMart this week
(which, I know this isn't kind to say, but it is a store I begrudingly visit every month or so). Something about being there just makes me feel dreadful.

BUT smuggling Harriett in somehow makes it all okay.

(And this should let you know about my moral compass: I told our kids, "If they get upset about the dog in my purse, you kids scatter. Pretend you don't know me. Mom takes the the hit here." LOL! Ironically, the cashier told us people bring dogs to the store all of the time.)

One of our church leaders gave me this awesome can of processed meat product. I'd been complaining about WIENERS a lot lately--IN CHURCh--because we had a 72-hour kit making activity and WIENERS were on the menu. What in the honk? There is no way I ever ever ever would eat these. Come heck or high-water. And I'm not kidding.

Anyway, I love that she made it into a funny thing and gave me a can. So funny.

Elder Meehan and his companion (and his companion's previous companion) at a beautiful baptism Saturday.

WOO HOO!

Doing some service in their area. (That's a lot of leaves, right?)

I know, he gets the wonky looks from me.
What can I say, we're expressive people.

He and his companion--sporting St. Paddy's day mustaches.
(He really loves his companion and is learning a lot from him.)