How to (Not) Teach Relief Society

So several months back I was called to be a relief society teacher (I graciously accepted the calling while freaking out internally)...and so every week leading up until the third Sunday of the month I have my ritual freak out, panic building, bemoaning life, melt down as I prepare to teach on Sunday. This past week was no different. This weeks lesson was on work and personal responsibility (a wonderful lesson) I (sorta) diligently prepared my lesson.... (read through it Thursday and then Saturday night got it together) I whined regularly about it....vowed I was going to ask to be released! I just can't do it! The stress! Then Sunday morning comes. I am calm. I know my lesson will be good. I am ready to face the lions. Only this Sunday happened to be Branch Conference, which meant I did not have a class to teach...and there was supposedly a phone call that was to be made to me to let me know....but well it wasn't. Oh. All of a sudden I wanted to teach my class. I love the feeling I get as my fellow sisters discuss the topics and generously input their experiences to enrich the lesson. And then I whined and moaned to my husband about how I didn't get to teach my lesson.

I think I need a lot less moaning in my life and more just doing. What do you think?

1 am anyone?

So what is pink, and wet and making me cringe all over? Evalyn screaming hysterically in bed at 1 am!! Two words.... TEETHING SUCKS. That is all for now.

It Takes Faith

Why I Can't Stop Reading Mormon Housewife Blogs

So I read the article above the other day, because one of my favorite blogs I follow is mentioned (Nat the Fat Rat) and it's about Mormon mommy bloggers and how non-member women become obsessed with them and all that they portray. Now I definitely don't consider myself as one of the bloggers this article mentions but I did agree that those blogs tend to be more uplifting than the average. The article attributes some of it to staging...that these women are putting on their best front to he world but that underneath they are a crumbling mess of depression buoyed by medication. I know there are many women who are struggling with that and I don't mean to belittle their experience at all ( I have fought depression myself) but there is a critical aspect that the 20-something women mentioned in the article are taking for granted... Faith. Faith does bring joy into our lives daily. We aren't wives and mothers because we are Told to; we are because we Want to. It brings us Joy. Joy is not the absence of sadness or trials; it is having a greater perspective and choosing happiness over sadness. It is not easy and I am not smiling just to put on a good face. My mantra for this year is "life is what we make it". We have choices every single day. No, things are not perfect, but when something challenges us we choose how to react and how to let it affect us. I have to say this mantra to myself ALL THE TIME but I never have pretended to be perfect did I? :) A lot of people now-a-days see those with faith in a church or religion as naive but that is simply not true for me. In my case I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our church is perfect as it's leader is Jesus Christ, but it's members are still human and not infallible by a long shot. I find joy in my family. I find joy in my Church. I find joy and peace through my faith... Not that I don't have to work at it, but anything worth having is worth working for. The Savior led a peaceful life and that is not the same as a quiet life without trials or hardships. He came to lead by example and to do what we could not do for ourselves. I follow Him and He leads me to happiness. Keeping our eyes focused on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ keep us unified as a family and gives us greater perspective and for that I am eternally grateful.

Ok so new year new blog?

(As I try and write this Eavie is clinging to my arm and going "MAMAMAMAMA". Yes folks this kid needs a nap)

Happy New Year! There have been quite a few new years resolutions going on in the Sliger house and dang it! Why not add a couple more right?! Quick recap: Eavie is now 8 months old.... holy cow when did that happen? Christmas was wonderful, although I missed my family in Orlando desperately. And....that's about it. Oh yea. We now have a dental situation with Miss Evalyn, in the respect that she now has one (1) tooth to speak of. This event occurred (painstakingly) over the weeks before Christmas and we finally broke through a couple day before....one night of great sleep quickly followed :) In more tragic news...we have recently learned that the next door neighbor to our recent dental eruption (that's a weird phrase) is attempting to be a copy cat... in other words we have discovered that Eavie has more than one tooth and that teething does not end after the first has come in.... oh yeah.
Work time soon, thankfully I just work in the next room ;)

I'm Back!

I have decided I need to keep this blog up regularly...we'll see what regularly is with a 6 month old but here goes!

First and foremost we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of my mom in 3 weeks!! She is coming for a month outdoing her previous record of 3 weeks when Evalyn was born. Sadly, this trip will not include her other half, Dad you need to come visit!! Eavie can now sit unassisted, is a biting machine (watch those fingers; she'll gum you), only likes sweet potatoes, and can get on her hands and knees, but no crawling as of yet! Also we just got Skype so if you are also int he Skypeing world let me know and I will add you!


Ok so not much, but as I am feeling slightly productive I am going to fold some laundry! Whoever said the couch is not the best place for clean laundry was mad!

What is this sleep thing?

Sorry there haven't been any posts in awhile...although come to think of it I don't know of anybody who actually checks :) so that's a good thing! Josh is walking the baby right now. We have decided to change her name to Grump Face... She is 7 weeks old tomorrow and man are we ready for this newborn thing to be over! People say the first 6 weeks are the hardest so here's hoping that over the next month things will settle down! She is a good sleeper. The only problem is she only decides to sleep about once every two days... I have not entirely worked out the biology of how she is able to do this considering she is supposed to sleep like 10 hours or more a day! The Babe and I on the other hand are not on the same supernatural sleep cycle that our wayward offspring is...which means not only is Eavie a Grump Face but so are Mommy and Daddy! I love my baby. I do. I just also love sleep, and it is an integral part of making me a nice(er) person...just ask Josh.

lol Josh just said "I think babies should grow into their arms...not have them when they are born. They just get in their way." lol It's so true. If Eavie is not bundled tightly there is no way she will stay asleep for any length of time. If we can see a finger get out it's all over...

Memorial Day was good, we went over to the grandparents house for a bbq and we played cards... I like cards. Everyone is gone this week though at Savannah's (Josh's sister) open house in Washington. So what on earth are we to do about food on a Sunday you may ask... chicken tacos!!! (to be said like Jack Black in Nacho Libre in case you were needing some inspiration) And last but not least I return to work this week...which is scary but it's from home so thats great. Oh and one more thing! Guess where we are going this Friday!?

Dum dum dum dum!! The Utah Scottish Festival and Highland Games at Thanksgiving Point!

Woot woot! Eavie is super excited...I can tell by the way she stares at me when I tell her about it...Josh does the same stare too so I think that means he is also thrilled to go :) Woot!

Have a great Sunday...oh and by the way I totally made it through all my meetings today with Eavie in tow! Am I a super champ or what?!

A lot of Firsts

So today was a day of Firsts in our furry abode. Josh had his first night at Walmart last night/this morning, followed immediately by his first college exam! The subject: Ancient History (think Socrates) (on a side-note Josh's teacher told them they could pronounce the ancient Greek's names how ever they wanted as they had no proof how it was actually said...and then she said they could say So-crate-s like Bill and Ted instead of Saw-cra-tees! We thought that was the best thing ever!)
Ok back to the exam...after spending all night working, and heading straight to the exam at 7 am when he got off...he got the highest grade in the class! Go Babe!! <3

Some other firsts include...my first night with no Babe to help with the baby (not a super fun first), my first lactation consultation (went very well), and at said lactation appointment Eavie had her first poopie blowout! Unfortunately Mommy didn't have the regular diaper bag, so not for the first time we had a naked baby wrapped in a blanket! Mommy fail.

What have we learned today class? Always bring the regular diaper bag...some diapers and wipes in a purse a diaper bag does not make.

And the best part of this weekend?! Shrek came out today!! And we are seeing tomorrow!! I heart Shrek. I would totally marry him if I could...

And lastly (could I have worse grammer? I think not) Day 3 of Weight Watchers is much better than Day 2 and immensely less snacky than Day 1.

That is all.