Thursday, September 2, 2010

I've been thinking.

You know when you have too much time on your hands and you just get to thinking? Well, spare me while I tell you my thoughts.

So Adam has gone back to school and is gone a lot! Then when he is home, he is studying. Although both of us knew that this was the way it was going to be, and we both knew it would be hard ... it kinda hit me over the head one night this week. I didn't have a whole lot of motivation to do much, so I thought I would look at blogs. Now just FYI, I don't follow a lot of blogs. I don't really have a whole lot of extra time between my little ones and work, so on occasion while watching a movie I will "catch up" if you will.

I got to reading all of these amazing blogs about these super women, and I started to get down, thinking ... MAN I am nothing like them. I am not very creative. My kid's PB&J sandwich isn't in the shape of a star, nor have I had even a moment to do either boy's scrapbook. I think I forgot to put deodorant on today. I would love all the funds in the world to re-decorate my room, finish a few projects (like pillows for my couch), or machine quilt the quilt that I finished piecing 2 years ago, not to mention visit every grocery store in the county to get the best deals.

I had one of those girl moments ... you know ... where you cry yourself to sleep, thinking man ... life really could be better, and I could be better. But then it occurred to me ... the readers of my blog probably think that I am a super woman. I usually only post the projects I finish, and the things that "CHANGE MY LIFE". Very seldom do I put things that I did wrong, or screwed up, or even cried about. So for just a minute, I want to explain that I am just as normal as you!

1. I had acne in high school and took acutane. And was wondering today why it is at 29 years old I am getting acne like a teenager again!
2. My office desk is ALWAYS a disaster. I always have an unfinished project and my desk gets so stacked up that it takes me days to clean it off!
3. I hit my head at least once a day because I forget that I am blind in one eye. And then I cry because I am reminded that I have a handicap!
4. I do get extremely impatient with my kids and often times find myself in the laundry room when they are whining themselves to sleep at nap time, because I can't hear them in there.
5. I really just don't feel like cooking all the time. In fact, Pizza is my escape at least once a week.
6. I have an addiction to snow cones ... Pina Colada with cream on it, and found my self getting one almost every day this summer. (hummm maybe that is why I have gained a few pounds?)
7. I HATE TO READ! I really do! Unless it is a good magazine about cooking, or scrapbooking, or an occasional Real Simple magazine, I can't stand it. I fall asleep every time I try to read for longer than 15 minutes.
8. I have a led foot. That is right folks ... I have lost track of how many times I have been to traffic school.
9. I sometimes get tired of creating ... and sometimes comes more often than you think.
10. I constantly feel my love handles and shake my head, pop my zits, think my cloths are out of style, and wish I magically won an extreme makeover contest where they fly me to NYC and visit one of those day spa's like on the movie "One Fine Day".

Those are just 10 of many. See! I am just like you. But I realized today that I am good at a lot of things AND SO ARE YOU!!! Maybe different things than I am good at! I like to try and uplift and inspire women ... not to make them feel like they are worthless if they don't feel crafty all the time. Craftiness is in my blood. I was born with it. As my sister's who all used to call me Martha Stewart as a little girl. But that is one talent that the Lord has given me, and he has given all of you great talents too. So lets INSPIRE each other ... not put guilt trips on one another. Please email me if you have some wonderful ideas too! I would love to invite guests to my blog to write about something that has CHANGED YOUR LIFE!
GREAT BIG Hugs from me!
M

15 comments:

Chocolate Mousie said...

This was a breath of fresh air...lol. Yeah, we are all a mess, but many people don't want to own up to it for fear that someone won't like them. Women tend to be afraid to let people see their guard down. You dropped it like a bar of soap in the shower! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the smiles. :)

Megan P said...

Everyone needs this kind of thing every once in awhile! you're a normal human being and no one is perfect! but at least we own up too it! you're doing great too! just keep on trucking through!

Megan P

PS im on accutane right now and i dont know how im going to get through it!!! i hope it is worth it! because these dry lips are driving me crazy! i can't tell you how many lip chaps i have!

sarahw said...

Mandy, You Rock! That's it, that's all I have to say. :)

Kirsten Krason said...

I am always struggling with acne so you are not the only one! Plus if it makes you feel any better I have always thought you have amazing skin. I am so serious. I feel the same way as you all the time. I read about 100 blogs a day and I have to always remind myself that life is not a competition. I don't need to be the best at something to be good at something. I know the feeling of not feeling good enough. And I TOTALLY know the feeling of missing your husband. As we speak Josh is gone on a 4 day trip. I get lonely and depressed sometimes. But that is normal. It's okay to be sad and then I move on.

You are an amazing person. Seriously one in a million. You are way creative and not only that you have one of the best personalities I have ever witnessed. You have amazing things ahead of you in life. Just think of all that is to come for you and your family. I love you!

Angie Ulseth said...

I would say that other talents the Lord has given you are the ability to be honest, the ability to see things from a different perspective, the courage to face what you've gone through with losing your vision in one eye, and an extreme amount of patience. It's okay to have a good cry now and then - goodness knows I have! - but the important part is to do just what you did, turn it around and realize you're you and that's all you need to be. Your husband didn't fall in love with or marry any of those other bloggers. He picked you. You can make it through this busy phase of your life, especially because you already know it won't be easy, but it'll be worth it.

The Hunters said...

While I completely understand what you are saying and it is easy to criticize yourself based upon what you see others doing on their blogs I ask you to keep in mind two things.

1. Most people don't do blog posts about what is really going on in their lives such as their husband never picking up after themselves, their kids being little monsters, their lack of sleep or the growing credit card debt. Most people only write about the "good" things in life so you aren't seeing the whole story.

2. Maybe you aren't superwoman and there are things you want to do but can't right now for one reason or the other. But you get to use your creative talents to inspire others such as myself and you are in a career that some of us dream of and are insanely jealous of you for :) So maybe you aren't superwoman but you are an inspiration to others, how many of the people on those blogs can say that?

Anonymous said...

I was feeling down and out tonight about my unfinished projects,messy house and everything else that's not right. Then my 8 year old in the middle of movie night says I just love this family!Then I read your post and it just but the biggest smile on my face,that I am not alone. I do follow some blogs and their life seem so perfect. I love your blog and look everyday for a new post.

Binxcat1 said...

Ahhhh... I KNEW I loved your scrapping... must be that we have MUCH in common! ;) Yep, I just love the tell it like it is approach... I try to do it as much as I can too... THANKS for sharing your REAL life! ;)

Anonymous said...

Love your honesty!

amyp said...

Hi! I enjoy reading your blog and thanks for sharing part of your life. Its hard being a mom and yet so rewarding at the same time. All of us moms go through the same issues at some point or another, we are human. Love your honesty, maybe I will that on my blog soon!

Sophia said...

Awesome to ready a little bit more about you...

Love your blog, always so inspiring!!!

kelsey said...

Thanks for sharing this. I think most everyone feels so inadequate at times (or all the time for me;), so it's good to see that everyone has their weaknesses and struggles. And while it's good to vent, it's so much better to find ways to lift ourselves up. Not to compare, but to find what we're good at and go with it.

katie said...

Mandy
Thanks so much for sending me a link, sorry it took so long to read it. You are awesome! Thanks so much, I laughed and felt a lot like you and I appreciate your honesty. You are wonderful. Love you
Katie

Leah said...

I don't know if you remember me from the Page 3rd ward. We moved in about 6 months before you moved out. Anyway, I was in tears after I read this post because I feel exactly that way sometimes and I think you are amazing, incredible, oh so talented, shall I go on. I needed to hear that someone like you feels that way sometimes too. Thanks for your honesty and sharing your trials with us. It is such a strength to me, and hopefully others. You rock!!!! :)

Natasha said...

Thank you for being REAL!!! I have been known to get down about all of the exceptional blogging women too.