Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

 

Makua Caves

July 4, 2016

Hiking on July 4th has become a tradition.  One I intend to continue.  Standing on the top of a mountain, looking out over the Pacific ocean, brings a feeling of freedom to my soul.

This year we hiked to the upper Makua caves in Makaha.  Ryker, Tay, Q, Matthew P. and Cathy P. were with me this year, (with Atlas and Orson along for the ride).

It was approximately .6 miles, straight up the side of the mountain.  More rock climbing than hiking really.  It was challenging and very fun.  It was worth the effort.  I would recommend going earlier in the morning.  At noon we just about died from the heat.

Here are photos from this breathtaking location.

To Goal or Not to Goal. That is the Question.

I would have to say that 2015 was a great year, and a strange year.  Lots of good things happened, some according to plan and others not so much. 

Here's a reminder of the goals I sent back in January 2015 and how well that worked out.

1. Income - not too bad most months.  Could still use a little improvement.  I started a part-time job last January and am still working there.  It's been awhile since I have worked for someone else.  It's been interesting.

2. Personal VT - I hit my goal a couple of times, sort of.  I really need to do better at this. 

3. Daily Exercise - I did pretty well until we moved in November.  I'm not totally comfortable walking the dogs in the new neighborhood.  Pretty much everybody in this area has a dog, some of which are free roaming.  I need to either conquer this fear, or figure out a way to deal with this.  The dogs and I are getting lazy. 
In 2015 I walked 335 miles, ran 11.97 miles and hiked 9.34 miles. 

4. Daily Scriptures - This is a goal I actually improved at as the year went on.  I read the Book of Mormon 3.5 times, and in November we started reading the New Testament as a family every night.

5. Read 60 Books - Somehow reading 53 books in a year still feels like a win even if I didn't quite make my goal of 60.  If you add in the 3 times through the BOM it comes up to 56.  I'm cool with this one.  I set the goal of 60 again for 2016. 

6. Daily Journaling - Well, this one only lasted through January 2015.  I did journal occasionally throughout the rest of the year, but certainly not daily.  Maybe that was a little too lofty of a goal.

7. Travel - Another success here.  I made it to Carlie's wedding in August, and then to Las Vegas in November.  I was able to see Ryker & Taylor and Mom & Brad on both of those trips.

8. Monthly RS Activity - Success!  Thanks to my good friend Kahala!  Delegation rocks!  :)

9. Cleaner House - Two things really helped towards this goal.  1. House guests for Q & Matt's wedding 2. Moving.  There is nothing like a move to help you clean up your act.  The old house got clean, the new house was a nice clean start and I got rid of a lot of junk in the process.

10. No Yelling - ZERO - Total FAIL!!!  Such a fail that it's laughable.  I think I need to rethink about my yelling issue.  I don't yell at people (usually).  It's the dogs.  I yell at them pretty much every day.  It's embarrassing.  I've been thinking that instead of centering my goal on the behavior, I could try focusing on the emotions that trigger the behavior I want to change.  Basically, if I don't get angry, then I won't yell. Eliminate anger = eliminate yelling.

On to 2016 ....
I am thinking about goals and all that jazz a little differently today.  Historically I have set quantifiable goals.  Things with numbers that can be tracked, and success can be an easy yes or no.  I've worked on things that were important to me and I have felt good about the process for the most part.

I'm not sure exactly why but this year the same old routine feels a little flat.  I'm not sure setting goals with specific numbers and deadlines is going to work for me right now.  I'm not saying never again, or anything like that, just not today.


These are the kinds of goals I have been thinking about:

1. Soften my rough edges.
2. Be more vulnerable.
3. See others (& self) as God does.
4. Be more gentle.
5. Act with more faith.
6. Let go of: struggle, anger, frustration, pride and fear.

Maybe they are more technically aspirations than goals.  Measuring progress is going to be a little tricky.  How will I know if I am making progress?  I can't put numbers to any of this.   I'm also a little unsure if I can do these things with any reasonable amount of success. 

Or maybe this  .....

Looking Back with Gratitude, Looking Forward with Faith 2014 - 2015

 I was a very lazy blogger in 2015.  Starting right off with this post I wrote the first week of January 2015 that I never posted.  I'm about ready to do this again for 2016 and saw this in the DRAFTS folder.  Well, better late than never I suppose. :).

Another year has come and gone and it's time to evaluate the past and make a plan for the future.  Last January I sat down and created a new vision board and wrote a few goals on my chalkboard.  Some goals were accomplished, some visions were realized.  Others didn't quite make the grade and need more work, and others didn't make the cut for the 2015 list.

Here's how 2014 looks by the numbers:

I walked 656 miles in 22 hours 34 min.
I hiked 42.51 miles over the course of 8 hikes.
I danced hula for 17 hours 40 min. (Extemporaneous, out of class and off stage dancing not included.)

I read 60 books.
I read the Book of Mormon 4.5 times.

The Wisdom of Wilma

My mother in law, Wilma, passed away this week.  I have called her Mom since the day I met her, actually before I met her.  When we were getting to know each other over the phone, she asked me if I wanted to call her mom, since all the rest of the kids did.  There are many people that she did not give birth to that call her Mom, including countless missionaries that came through their door, friends of her kids, and many lost souls that came her way.  She wasn't trying to replace my mom, she was including me in her family.  She was taking me in, as one of her own.  She loved me before she ever saw my face.  She hugged me the first minute I saw her.  I love her, and I already miss her.

I have had a hard time finding my words this week.  I have felt the need to say something about this person that impacted my life in such a huge way.  My thoughts came together as they often do, in a list.  So here it is, a short list of some of the things I learned from Mom:

1. Never give up on those you love.

2. Love your spouse, no matter what.

3. Love your kids, no matter what.

4. Go to church, no matter what.

5. If you want it done right, let her do it. :)

6. Miracles are possible.

7. Never get in a checkout line with a male checker, they are the slowest.

8. It’s possible to deeply disagree with someone and still love them deeply.

9. Follow the Prophet, everyone else is suspect.

10. John Wayne is cool.

11. Grandchildren are not subject to the same rules as one’s own children.

12. Old movies, especially musicals, are the best.

13. Speak your mind.

14. Be true to your own convictions, especially in the face of opposition.

15. Love the ones your kids marry and treat them as your own.
16. Always buy the best quality you can afford.  The good stuff is worth it.
17. How to cook a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas stolens, Polish Sausage/potatoes/green beans & sauerkraut, and many other yummy things.
18. Where we come from is important.

19. The Temple is important.

20. If it’s not perfect, rip it out and start over.

#movingthoughts

In the course of my life I have moved.  a LOT.  Frequently.  Usually every couple of years.  It's easier that way.  If you don't stay put too long, you don't accumulate too much stuff.  Instead of Spring cleaning, just move!  :) 

#iamanomad  #ishouldbegoodatthisbynow #iamnot #lookingatthebookshelfmakesmetwitch


My life is busier than I prefer on a normal day.  Throw moving into the mix and, well, it's a lot of stuff to do in a little bit of time.  Never mind that we had 45 days official notice.  It's still not enough time.  Not enough time to do it right anyway.  By right I mean, sort through all of your worldly possessions using the KonMarie method (read the book, it's amazing), eliminating all but those items you can't live without and those you don't absolutely love, neatly packing the remaining items in clearly marked, organized boxes, and cleaning as you go, so on moving day all that needs to be done is load the truck, sweep the floor, and turn in the keys.

HA!!!

#perfectionismkills  #highhopes #mightbeindenial #agirlcandream

The deadline for our move is November 3rd.  I've taken a car load of stuff to Savers the last 2 Saturdays.  I have filled our trash can a couple of times.  I have packed 5 boxes (1 of games, 1 of nick knacks, 1 of dog stuff, 1 of tax records, and 1 labeled "junk drawer".  Commendable progress, IF I HAD 4 WEEKS TO GO, NOT 2!!!!!!

#bettergetmybuttingear #ineedanarmyofclones #somuchstuff #procrastinationalsokills

Why, oh why, do we collect so, so, so much STUFF?????  We have been in this house for 5 and 1/2 years.  That is the longest I have ever, in my entire life, lived in one house.  Crazy, but true.  I can't even imagine how it would be for normal people that move only a few times in their life.  There is a lot of sort of good stuff, that might be useful sometime or another, but not today, lurking all over my house.  At this point there are 4 choices - 1. Return to Original Owner, 2. Donate, 3. Trash, or 4. Pack.

So far, here are some of the weird things I have found -

1. Empty mochi ice cream trays.  I think maybe I thought I could use them as molds for something.  Maybe I just didn't want to face the cold hard truth that the Bubbies were all gone.  Not sure, but, uh, they are in the trash can now.

2. Three complete sets of the Chronicles of Narnia, in paperback.  I know it's great literature, but for a family of Kindle and Audible users, why do we need 3 copies in actual print??  That's like 10 pounds in a box, and a lot of real estate on the book shelf. Savers is getting a couple.

3. BOXES of empty essential oil bottles.  I know they still smell great, there are minuscule drops of those precious oils clinging to the walls, but COME ON WENDY, what are you going to actually do with all of them???

4. About a thousand pens and pencils.  I always wondered where they were, all those pens and pencils I buy all the time, but can't seem to locate when I need one.  I swear I never see a pen run out of ink, or a pencil get sharpened all the way to the end, they just wander off.  I found them in boxes, drawers, bags, cabinets, bookshelves, and containers all over the house.  If I can manage to keep them from running off again, I may never have to buy another. I could even leave some to posterity in my will.  There are THAT many.

5. 7 pair of scissors, 4 metal rulers, 2 exacto knives, a graveyard of dead computers, so many cords to who-knows-what that I didn't count, 2 iPhone4 boxes (one with a completely unused cable and wall charger), 2 digital cameras (1 ancient relic, and 1 broken, battery-held-in-with-a-rubberband, lens-scratched piece of junk), and WAY too many baby clothes with a place cut out for a dog's tail ...... :)

#simplify #cantdothisagain #justsaynotojunk #lessreallyisbest #cantcarryallthisonmyback #mykidsarefunny #ilikegadgets #whatdoyoudowithdeadcomputersanyway


I have two weeks to go.  Fortunately, I have done the hardest part first - the junk drawerS are empty!!  I have also cleaned out the pantry, 3.5 bookshelves, my desk and entire office area, both bathrooms, the entryway catch all cabinet (The cabinet itself isn't making the cut for the new house.  I'm hoping if there isn't a piece of furniture sitting there with shelves and drawers to fill with junk, we will deal with that stuff rather than stashing it.  A girl can hope, right?), and about 1/3 of my closet.  I know there is a lot more to go, but I am hopeful, and I really have no choice.  Moving day will come and the stuff will go somewhere, sorted and organized, or not.


#readyornot #lifeisanadventure #imnotmovinganytrash #purgingisgoodforthesoul #anyoneneedaruler

2015 Has Been a Blur!!

SOOOOOOOOO much has happened so far in 2015!  It's kind of crazy to think I didn't blog about any of it.  Life moved to fast to stop and write I suppose.

Here are a few of the highlights:

Hermana Minks came home from Paraguay in April!  Yay!!

 

Matt and Quincie got engaged in May! Yay!!

 

Matt and Quincie got married in June!  Yay!

 

Everything was so beautiful, thanks to some super awesome, mega fantastic friends!

It was so awesome to have so much family here to help celebrate!  I wish we could all get together more often.  I have a wonderful family and I love them all so much!!