jennifer, Author at Hopeful Homemaker

One Step 2010

January 3, 2010 jennifer Musings on Life and Beauty, One Step

I call myself the Hopeful Homemaker. Well, the past couple of months have been so hard for me. For the first time in my life, I haven’t felt very hopeful. As my confidence and hope have waned, it has been harder to try, wholeheartedly, to make the home my family needs me to make.

You see, I’m overwhelmed. My learning curve in this adventure of raising 8 children still feels really steep. I’ve felt tired, disorganized, discouraged, frustrated. Worst of all, I haven’t been able to see HOW it can improve. The only solution I can come up with is TIME. I need more time. But with my life so full of people, there is so little time! With 3 children ages 3 and under, life is oh so busy. Add to that the kindergarten schedule and the busy lives of the oldest four, and there just isn’t ANY time on ANY day when I’m not in the thick of mothering. With my youngest being 4 months old, even my nights are in question.

I want desperately to pull it together. I know that I can’t make a big list of grand goals that I’m going to accomplish, because I’m setting myself up for failure if I do. Too much of my life is devoted to crying babies, and the rest to my life as a chauffeur. On the other hand, I don’t feel like I can afford to pick just one thing to work on; too many things need attention.

And so, after much pondering and prayer, I have established my goal for the new year.

I’m calling it One Step: A Year of Progress One Step at a Time.

Inspired by my sweet little book, Little One Step , I am setting a goal to take at least ONE step to improve my life and strengthen my family EVERY day of the year. I’ve made myself a journal to record each step.

The foundation of my reasoning is that true growth is incremental. The key is keeping at it. I’ve chosen five areas of improvement that will serve as umbrellas for the countless things I’d like to change or accomplish. They are:

Organization & Household Management Learning & Education Creativity & Celebration Health & Discipline Service & Nurturing I have recorded a vision of what I’d like to achieve in each of these areas. I also have lists of some specific things I’d like to do in each. I realize that I will not likely perform to the level that I can envision, but I can be guided by my lofty aspirations. I also realize that the needs of my family will change with time. I may not reach the summit, but this year I am determined to take one step at a time, for as long as it takes, while my abilities catch up with my responsibilities.

I hope to take many steps each day, even one in every area, but I also know how quickly 5 things can go from being reasonable to preposterous if little ones are sick or teething, or when our 5 soccer teams start up again in a few short months. Thus, while I’d like to take many steps each day, what I will hold myself to is ONE, at least. And if I take one step each week in each category, then hopefully my life will become more balanced. I hope, at the end of the year, to be able to look back and see that I have grown into my role as the mother of 8 young children.

Because I know how easily sidetracked I can be, my steps will be guided by the following statement by Dieter F. Uchtdorf:

“Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be at the center of all and everything we do…. Love is the fire that warms our lives with unparalleled joy and divine hope. Love should be our walk and our talk. When we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound.”

I need to feel more love, give more love. I need the confusion to clear and the priorities to align. I need to walk more joyfully. I need to find more meaning in my hours and my days.

So, this is what my daily one step will consist of:

I will pray daily for that love, and for guidance in carefully choosing my step each day.
I will write down the steps I feel I should take.
I will record my one (or more) steps taken at the end of each day in a journal I’ve designated for this journey.
I will place my hope and faith in my Heavenly Father that as I work my hardest and love with my whole heart, he will guide each step. I will be able to find confidence, joy, and satisfaction in my life as a wife, mother and homemaker.

So there you have it. My resolution for 2010: ONE STEP each day.
I can do this. I mean, really, when life is rugged, what can you do? Simply put one foot in front of the other.

This picture of my daughter walking in the snow will serve as my reminder to myself on my blog.

Like the idea? Feel free to join me in One Step 2010. I won’t bore you with my daily details, but I will report back weekly on my progress.
And to you, may you have joy and success in your every step this year!
Hopeful Homemaker

3 comments

Little One Step

January 3, 2010 jennifer Children's picture books

I want to introduce you to the board book that I bought for myself. Yes, for myself.

A few weeks ago I woke up with the familiar heaviness in my heart… the weight of the world and the wish that I didn’t have to get up and deal with it all. One morning my eyes fell on this little gem, and I laid in bed and re-read it. Then I cried.

It’s called Little One Step by Simon James It’s the story of three little ducks who have become lost. The littlest of them all is frightened by their plight.

So his big brother teaches him how to solve the problem:

You put one foot in front of the other, and take ONE step. So they continue on their search for home, and it gets tough again.

The answer:

You can guess how the story ends.

This book is a sweet little one, and I confess that lately I feel a lot like Little One Step.

In all honesty, the book isn’t a favorite with the crowd that typically uses board books. The illustrations lack enough color and contrast for my babies to stay interested. However, I love the book because I love the lesson it teaches, and because it’s a sweet way to share this lesson with children who are a little bit older.

I love being reminded that problems are solved if we just take small steps.

Vintage Sewing Inspiration

January 2, 2010 jennifer Happy Finds

For the past week I’ve been strongly tempted to stop at the thrift store just to see what fun thing I might uncover. I’ve resisted. As much as I love the treasure hunt feeling of it all, and the satisfaction of finding great old things for great little prices, even thrift stores cost money. And one thing I know about shopping is that if you don’t go, you never know about that great thing that you can’t live without. So you live without it quite happily.

I’ve been reminding myself that I have lots of wonderful treasures at home which I’m not fully appreciating. I want to appreciate them more, and enjoy what I have. Finish the projects I care about, then get rid of the rest. So I’ve stayed home, and it feels good. It’s made the break a lot more relaxing. It also provided me with time to clean my office and find homes for some of those under-appreciated treasures.

On the same day that I stumbled upon my incredible wood blocks , I found these fun old sewing materials.

I love the old wooden thread spools. They look so pretty in my glass jar, which now sits in my office with all my sewing supplies.

I also found this adorable little child’s toy iron, which just HAPPENS to be made in my favorite colors. Along with that I scored some vintage rick rack, also in my favorite colors. The aqua and white are the tiniest rick rack I’ve ever seen. I’m trying to think of the perfect project to use them on.

Gratefully the white rick rack was incorrectly marked and I was able to purchase them all for 50 cents each. Nine yards of vintage rick rack in my favorite color for 50 cents! Something about these colors make my heart sing. In fact, I’m pondering a quilt made from these colors, inspired by the iron and the rick rack.

My children go back to school on Monday, which brings the blessing of a better routine, but which also means that most of my time is once again scheduled by the demands of the world. I had hoped to do some sewing during the break, and I haven’t had time to do it. I feel a little disappointed, but I also know that the choices I made were the right ones.

Lastly, I also found these old paper flags while at the antique mall. I rescued them from the store so they could sit on a shelf in my old blue mason jar. My philosophy is that every room could use a little red, white and blue.

I love how the edges are a little bit worn.

I’ve learned with things like this that you grab them when you find them, especially when they’re cheap, because they won’t be there when you come back. Last year I passed up an awesome silver star that I’m still regretting. It will be so much fun to use these flags next summer.

I’m thankful to have these new bits of inspiration to nurture my creativity this year. I’m hopeful it will be a great year.