Here’s how it went!

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes sent my way. My Facebook was loaded ….my inbox was loaded- and I just appreciate every note and want you to know it! Every single person who took time to send me a note has a place in my life and has helped me in one way or another. So sincerely Thank You.

The day was non-eventful business as usual/kids and running around. My friend Ruth – who I adore…treated me to Chinese Food for lunch!

Last year I was in Florence, Italy viewing the David by Michaelangelo,

The year before I was in Rome eating lunch in front of the Coliseum with my Sister in Law Heidi on our girls trip.

Last night I was at Subway Sandwich – the injustice! It was hard to top previous years- so I didn’t try.

We didn’t celebrate since the kids had a harp lesson, an art lesson and a Young Women’s event that the whole family had to attend for church. However the girls did sing to me. I ended up splitting a tuna sandwich at Subway with Noah in-between- saved me calories passing up the cake:) I had to offset the Chinese food intake.

The first question I am sure you are dying to ask is if the lens for my camera that was hinted and actually emailed to my husband on various occasions, with detailed ordering instructions and sku number were wrapped up and delivered as a gift from my husband?

The answer is NO!

Sadly enough, I found out last week that particular lens- only autofocuses on my dream Nikon d700 camera and not mine. Which leaves me in a little predicament- whether to upgrade my Nikon or not to upgrade my Nikon which currently takes fabulous photos to the 2700.00 {gasp} Cam? That question still remains. Should have married for money not love…….

That left my husband in a quandary on what to purchase his lovely bride on her birthday?

Finally, after meaningful internal debate my husband left it up to me, which resulted in a bouquet of flowers and good intentions. None the less- he still remains at the top of my list and has left the birthday purchase up to me. Hmmm let’s see what do I really want?

41 is going to be a great year- in every possible way….lens or no lens……..

A Slovenian Women and 41!

Last week I met a Slovenian women who was 90. She was outside raking leaves in her yard. Her face resembled a dry desert in the Sahara cracked and rough. I think every line in her face told a story. She began to tell me the stories of her life in concentration camps and 6 moves before she came to America in 1950. The women was wise, experienced and who knows how much time before her days here are over? She had lived more then twice of my life time. I pondered deeply our conversation and thought to myself what have I learned in the first 40 years of my life? Today I age!

Some brief life lessons learned and more-

Not to judge- First there is no point in it. You only are hurting yourself. The smallest judgements hurt us. This weekend, I recently read about someone I knew well, who had committed crimes in the early 80’s. I was mortified, but what I see in this person is change. My early instinct was to expose the crimes to others thinking that I would protect myself and those who surround me. Then my mind reflected on the great book Les Miserables that describes atoned sins in such a profound way. Why judge? Until you have walked in the shoes of others…….

Optimism- “The future is only as bright as your faith.” There is absolutely no point in being negative, only optimistic thoughts bring about real change.

Age Gracefully- I hate nothing more than turning back time. I believe in aging gracefully. I hope one day that my face has the same rough, dry complexion as my new Slovenian friend. Her face told stories of both triumph and tragedy, heartache and love much more beautifully then recreated lines.

Time- There is no such thing as time. Life is a process, and the sooner we choose to get on board the better. At some point everyone will have to figure this out. I don’t want to turn back, I see young moms with babes in tote- I sometimes miss that, but reality is, I don’t want to turn back. There is so much joy in life as you age.

Education- Perhaps one of the most worthwhile things we can pursue on earth. Obtain as much education as you can either formally or informally. Most of my learning has come informally. True education is pursued with passion, and passion produces the deepest learning. Don’t sell yourself short on educating yourself. Follow your passions and dreams. Discover them!

Relationships-I believe in second chances. I believe in love. I believe in deep, real relationships with meaning that are lasting. As I look over the course of my life, I have been surrounded with people who have depth and who have provided outstanding examples of character to me. Each person around me has invested time in building themselves to be outstanding people. Life is about our relationships, helping those who surround us become better people.

Change- It is inevitable, as much as we scream and kick about it- change brings impacting growth within us. Face change with optimism. Embrace it!

Reaching out- True growth is hampered without it. Only when we truly reach out, we truly find ourselves.

The Journey- This life is such a small piece of the overall journey. Keep the large picture intact, keep your eye on the prize. When I was in Poland a couple of years ago, I watched a women walking with a large cart and a cow. The cart was so heavy with farm produce and hay that she could barely pull it. Today, I think to myself of that women, we don’t have to carry our whole cart load in the journey-turn it over.

The Arts- Literature, books, symphonies, art museums, photography & theater brings out the best in me. I hope I continue to spend the next 50 years spending time in the pages and the halls of the greatest minds.

The World- My eyes have been opened to the greatest sites of the world. If I never see another thing, I am complete. If I am lucky enough to live 50 more years, I hope to experience the rest of what I have missed.

Contentment- My theme for this year. May I find contentment and peace as I turn 41 and follow my passions. May I find love, and joy and happiness! May I pursue things I didn’t think were possible. May I see things I didn’t believe existed. May I grow, develop and reach out.

May I live to be 90 and tell great stories like my Slovenian friend!

{ a Girl and a Boy }

There once was a girl who asked a boy to go shopping on a Saturday. Oddly enough neither are huge shoppers but one is more than the other. On this particular day, the girl thought it was be exciting to look at furniture for a couple of rooms in the house. Because the Boy hadn’t spent anytime with the girl recently, he felt obligated to go.

The trip to the major furniture stores went beautifully, until he realized this might take a couple of hours and the Oklahoma State-Texas game was on…. only to be followed by the USC-Oregon game which would be interrupted by trick or treating. The girl still didn’t feel guilty that she had pulled him away because there was plenty more games to be played this Saturday.

The boy was in a good mood throughout the day, so the girl asked additional questions- in a “Will you” fashion committing him to make decisions with his own free will for the house. At some point, the girl convinced him that the couple could no longer live with the furniture they had in their family room and children’s bedroom (From 3 Houses ago). The girl reminded the boy with gentle manipulation, that it would be difficult to entertain HIS clients since the furniture was deteriorating and the window treatments needed updating. Because the girl is relatively low maintenance, the boy responded positively and pleasantly trying to shorten the trip to return back to his home. Once the girl heard what he said and committed, she invited the Boy to go eat his favorite Japanese food at a local sports bar where his favorite station was running games and scores.

Now the girl is living happily ever as she searches for furniture without the boy who wasn’t really interested in the first place but remains committed to pleasing the girl!

The End!

Oh man, Where to Start?

48 hours of fun- tons of pictures….Where to start this entry?

I think I will start with Noah’s 3rd grade party where I dressed up in Hillary’s costume and surprised my son and many other people. I have certainly aged 20 years since I last put on a Japanese Kimono in Japan. We used to wear them all the time to festivals when we lived there. They make you look like 90 pounds over weight,

I spent the day at the elementary school doing the party for the third grade. Noah was slightly embarrassed when I showed up in costume.

One of the centers was teaching the third graders how to grind wheat and make home made bread. How domestic was I?

I jumped down to the kindergarten and saw Elizabeth in the Parade-

Next, My older kids had a dozen kids over for their Friday Night 1st Annual Halloween Bash at our house. Lots of food, Wii, ping pong, football and Charlie Brown going on.

Lots of Eyeball cupcakes to be had-

Saturday, we woke up and went to Noah’s Super Bowl Football game- where we lost in a nail biter. I will blog about that later- since that is a whole other entry.

Brian and I went Furniture Shopping for our date- Don’t die! That is a whole other entry…get ready!

Then the big trick or treat come rain or shine! It was a little of both. Good times!

Lots of things to write about…but guess what I am too tired to even unload the camera………

Trunk or Treat

Last night was our traditional Trunk or Treat Party for our Church.

I had 4 vastly different children in costume.
First, Noah was our Ninja Warrior.

Chase was our Pirate- Posing with our friend Megan as a Rock and Roll girl.

Hillary was a Japanese girl- reminded me of my days of living in Japan.

And Elizabeth poised as a Renassaince Queen

I was one of the judges for Chile cookoff and that was hard since I only love Wendys Chile as you know, since it is my once a week staple.

We invited our friends The Goumas’ to party it up with us.

Hillary did the face painting.

I love the Sister Missionaries- One from Sweden and One from Idaho.

The rain poured outside but that didn’t keep the kids from trunk or treating from the backs of cars.

Overall- good times! Good Times.

Let’s Talk About How to Make Life Better Daily- It’s Like a Lightswitch

I just have a need to tell you this morning that if I don’t start my day of right with a little spiritual time then my whole world feels like yesterday- a train wreck and you know when you have missed.

Then I read this talk- by Thomas Monson the President of my church

And this is what I got out of it-

We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.

For me it is like a lightswitch- you can turn it on and off and it really does affect the light with in you-

He talked about this great guy- and I want to incorporate this idea into our family dinners.

A few years ago I read an article written by Jack McConnell, MD. He grew up in the hills of southwest Virginia in the United States as one of seven children of a Methodist minister and a stay-at-home mother. Their circumstances were very humble. He recounted that during his childhood, every day as the family sat around the dinner table, his father would ask each one in turn, “And what did you do for someone today?” The children were determined to do a good turn every day so they could report to their father that they had helped someone.

Dr. McConnell calls this exercise his father’s most valuable legacy, for that expectation and those words inspired him and his siblings to help others throughout their lives. As they grew and matured, their motivation for providing service changed to an inner desire to help others.

Besides Dr. McConnell’s distinguished medical career—where he directed the development of the tuberculosis tine test, participated in the early development of the polio vaccine, supervised the development of Tylenol, and was instrumental in developing the magnetic resonance imaging procedure, or MRI—he created an organization he calls Volunteers in Medicine, which gives retired medical personnel a chance to volunteer at free clinics serving the working uninsured. Dr. McConnell said his leisure time since he retired has “evaporated into 60-hour weeks of unpaid work, but [his] energy level has increased and there is a satisfaction in [his] life that wasn’t there before.” He made this statement: “In one of those paradoxes of life, I have benefited more from Volunteers in Medicine than my patients have.” There are now over 70 such clinics across the United States.

Of course, we can’t all be Dr. McConnells, establishing medical clinics to help the poor; however, the needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone.

The Apostle Paul admonished, “By love serve one another.” “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”

The Savior taught His disciples, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.”

I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.

May we ask ourselves the question which greeted Dr. Jack McConnell and his brothers and sisters each evening at dinnertime: “What have I done for someone today?” May the words of a familiar hymn penetrate our very souls and find lodgment in our hearts:

Have I done any good in the world today? 
Have I helped anyone in need? 
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
 If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
 When they needed my help was I there?

It’s like a light switch for me when I turn it on life is better, when I turn it off things deteriorate.

Party Planning

Do you ever feel like a train headed for train wreck status? That describes my last 48 hours. 4 kids- 4 different education plans, Halloween that feels like Christmas. I just have a way of complicating my life. Honestly! I really do and I don’t mean too.

For instance I signed up to be Noah’s room mom partially because I spend so much time with the older kids and he is in public school. I have been his “room mother” every year. So I said YES again this year sort of out of guilt. Sure I have a policy that I am not going to feel guilty when I say no- but I know he loves me there and so I said yes!
It is like pulling teeth to get parents to participate. The downside of the job. Party is planned and creeping up.

Not to mention, the fact that I have come up with 4 Halloween costumes pronto- and have the kids agree to WANT to wear them for the church party tomorrow night.

I promised the older kids they could have a little Halloween bash at the house Friday night- so I am rummaging up some menu and fun for that!

Don’t forget good ol trick or treat on Saturday.

Halloween has become like Christmas!

So here are a couple of the photos of the food to be served on Friday- If you have any terrific ideas- please speak up!

Look at this cake my cousin made last weekend- I am not doing this and opting for the graveyard cake, but take a look.

Here is simpler thing I can pull off and isn’t quite so gruesome-

The kids will love these Hot Dog Mummies

WAHHHHHHHAAAAAHHHAA!

Time to Take Stock and Inventory

Today, I have a meeting with our potentially new financial advisor. All weekend I have been gathering the financial data and thinking about where we want to go financially in 2010. We are well diversified, it will be interesting to see where he thinks we can make the changes in the portfolio.

Bottom line- Where I think we need to continue to make the changes is on the home-front in the small ins and outs. I talked a lot about this last year, at my old blog. The daily cash flow is where the big leaks often occur. We can all rejoice that the stock market is up and running at least temporarily again, but as far our portfolio goes- our long term goals are all set. I am anxious to see what he can really do for us.

Once a year- I usually do a big overhaul. Time to do it again. I discussed last week how I am using Mint.com to actually view the budget. The budget needs some tweaking too. I am convinced that unless you live on a tight budget- no matter what you make, you are never going to be financially successfully. How tight is entirely up to you. I hate stingy, tight people. I think that goes against the very essence of what we believe. There just has to be a fine balance, bathed in generosity. I think when you are generous with your money it comes back to you a million times more. My younger brother is generous- and he is so comfortable to be with. It makes me equally as generous when I am with him- sort of the pay it forward mentality.

We have always had a long term goal to enjoy life now. When we had just two small children, I was awakened one morning by my next door neighbor Rod- who was dying of cancer and heading to an ambulance. I peaked out my window and saw his wife in the wee early mornings mourning in the ambulance next to him. That visual has never left mind. He died weeks later at 64- just a minute from retirement. They had saved and saved and saved for retirement- only to be shortchanged with death and despair. They had waited to travel and enjoy life- now the time was gone.

Lesson learned for me early in life- Enjoy time with family and enjoy your money- it is fleeting. Now this is no excuse not to be saving for retirement, which we certainly do, but I rarely pass up opportunity to experience life, because it is more important to have experiences than things as I have said many times in my writings.

So this month, I am going to be discussing each of the following areas in more detail as we hash and fine tune them at our domicile. We are going to be discussing all of the important aspects of our financial life.

The Home Budget and living within your means
Investing
Where does your money go?
Food Storage
Grocery Shopping and Menus’s *My constant downfall*
Importance of Education
Your financial records, papers, data- how to organize etc.
Humanitarian give back

It is going to be a great month- taking stock and inventory.

Photo Shoot with “T Family”

Answer to Question I think you might be asking-
So are we here at Domestic Lifestyle becoming a photography blog? The answer is NO! We will continue to discuss the nitty, gritty of my life up close and right now this is where we are at.

My Fall Give Back Continues with the T Family-

As you know, we have been discussing photography here quite a bit this fall, as I have been trying to find my next move and do a little good will at the same time and yesterday just happened to be a photo shoot with this adorable family…

So I thought- I better just post em!

Man- We just love these guys!

Minty Fresh

I am trying a new financial program to track my money Mint.com.

Background- I have been waiting for like 5 years for Quicken to develop their new software for Macs. It was supposed to be released last spring. I was a beta tester for them, I thought the product was a flop. I was depressed and sent in my feedback with the other testers.

I kept thinking…wait for it…wait for it….wait for it. Finally, the other day, I decided to go with Mint.com which is free and now owned by Intuit (Quicken) due to a recent buy out.

So I thought I would blog about it here- if you are looking to live on a budget and be more organized with your finances this is for you. Mint is information only- you log in and it downloads all of your information from your bank-accounts, credit cards etc. You then can organize it into the categories of your budget. It is heavily encrypted, and I feel it is safe. I did a thorough check of that before I shared information.

We check our bank accounts daily anyway for hacks-so should you. I am only using my checking account- I am not going to throw in all of my investments etc. into Mint.com. I don’t like putting all my eggs in one basket, plus I track those separately. No need to have those worked into this equation just yet.

I love all of the colorful graphs, and knowing exactly how much money I have to spend on each category, We have discussed my obsession with spreadsheets and accounting in the past. I like to know exactly how much I have to spend and how much to save.

Downfall of program- based on a monthly budget and I like to use a bi-weekly budget, but it still covers my bases and will keep me organized.

So give a look at it- I think you will be happy with the ease and convenience of it! So far I am thrilled and most of the Mint community is as well.

I would love to hear what you are using-leave a comment!

Awareness is power!