Mom's in Time Out

That is what I told my kids at least.  I went down to Utah and attended Time Out for Women with my sisters and cousins. I had so much fun!  Ryan held down the fort with all six kids.  I was a little nervous leaving since I had never left Sophie before and I am still nursing. Ryan and the kids did great though! Emily wrote an awesome review of the weekend here. Emily was such a great hostess.  It was even her husband's birthday that weekend and she opened her home to us.  Rebecca lives really close and so we all hung out.  We didn't sleep much, but got a lot of quality talking in!  I didn't take many pictures, but here are a few I snapped during a break at Time Out.

Okay, I had a WAY better picture of Rebecca sleeping...but because I love her, I used this one.  She took a little snooze so I had to get a shot of it.  (Like I said, not much sleeping took place the night before!)

Melissa and Jennifer diligently taking notes.  (Or not?)

 Heidi and Melissa (Can I just throw in that Heidi just returned from Mexico a few weeks back AND she lives in Arizona, we are all white, but not THAT white!)

Heidi and I

Jennifer and Emily.  Sorry about the coloring guys, their hair is NOT this dark...I really do need to take a photography class. 

While at Time Out, one of the speakers mentioned that 81% of LDS women feel guilty about things they DON'T DO.  I was writing in my little spiral notebook as she was speaking and  I started laughing.  In the very notebook I was taking my notes in I have a "Guilt List".  I don't think of myself as someone who feels too guily about my life in general.  However, I am a list person. I like keeping my notebook next to my bed at night- just in case I have any great ideas about saving the world before I fall asleep.  One night a few months back I was feeling particularly guilty about all the things I had NOT gotten done that day, or for many days obviously.  I decided to make a list. I had never before verbalized or really consciously thought about all those things I was carrying around, feeling guilty about.  I am going to share my list, but not to get a pep talk from anyone.  (Heidi was already giving me one when I showed her my list at Time Out.)  Just more to show that I think it really is true about that 81%!   

Natalie's Guilt List

1. House not as clean and organized as I would like

2.  Didn't moisurize like I should, gonna get wrinkles

3.  Ate too much sugar

4.  Went to bad too late

5.  Don't read to the kids enough

6.  Don't write in journals enough

7.  Don't blog

8.  Don't exercise

9.  Don't go to temple enough

10.  Didn't use a coupon on this or that purchase, could have gotten it cheaper

11.  Didn't send out baby announcements (Check...included those with my Christmas Cards!)

12.  Didn't brush Annie and James's teeth tonight. 

13.  Can't keep up on the yard

14.  Didn't do Birthday parties for James, Luke, and Michael

15.  Didn't get Jennifer a birthday present (Check, did finally)

16.  Don't grow a garden or can

17.  Don't organize my pictures. Ever.

18.  Didn't change Michael's sheets.  Or Annie's.

19.  Kids didn't make beds before school...

20.  Kids don't take music lessons

21.  Kids eat too much junk food

What is on your guilt list?  Do you have things you feel guilty about running through your head during quiet or not-so-quiet moments?  It is all pretty ridiculous the pressure we put on ourselves sometimes.  Sheesh.  This particular speaker had a great idea...instead of making "To Do" lists, make a "Ta Da" list about all the things we DID get done that day.  (Especially those unexpected things that come up that are NOT on our list, but are important.) I tried to remind myself of this on Monday night when one of my "Ta Da's" was having to unexpectedly give the new dog a bath and a hair trim when she had the "runs" and got poop stuck in her hair. 

So, since Time Out I am trying to feel a little less guilty about all those "little" things that we all have but we just can't do sometimes, because we are human. 

One last thing from Time Out that I loved was a quote shared by D. Kelly Ogden.  

“Greatness is best measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved.”
― Marvin J. Ashton

Isn't that great?  Speaking of great...so are these ladies. 

Thanks to everyone for the WONDERFUL time out!  (Especially husbands, Grandma, and cousins that helped out with kids while we were gone.)