How did that happen?

When I was in kindergarten my school was having this huge safety theme that seemed to last forever. It seemed like every week there was a big event, and then a full week of drawings and contests and prizes. One of the biggest contests was a coloring contest. The picture was of a big heart with a face that was sitting in the front seat of a car with a seat belt. I remember coloring mine, and can still picture it (pretty clearly) in my mind. I think it was the final day of the safety theme, and they were announcing the winner of the coloring contest over the loud speaker. All of a sudden I hear, "Diane Roundy". HUH??? Then my classmates told me I won the contest and my teacher sent me down to where the offices were in the front of the school. I had won a brand new bicycle (that was too big for me at the time). Cool. :) I think there was even someone there from the newspaper that took my picture. Then I walked my bike home. The one questions I have, still to this day, "How did that happen?" Since day one I keep trying to figure this out. I remember numerous times talking to whomever about this experience and remembering very clearly that, "I took that picture home." How could I have won when they didn't even have my picture? Oh well. I had many fond memories with that bike. I still remember it was a lavender purple with glittery sparkles. The handle bar covers were white (eventually grey and dirty), and for quite a while, was really big. ;)

A couple weeks ago I received an email telling me that I was a finalist in the American Crafters contest. "Huh??? What's that?" Oops. Yes, it's true. I had totally forgotten all about that. I remember seeing something about it on someones blog, so I hoped over and took a look. Even looking at the page I had no idea what it was, but since all I had to do was enter a project, I figured, "Why not?!" Then I thought that was the end of that. Well, it wasn't. All of a sudden I had three days to come up with and finish a project. I don't think the timing could have been any worse. Well, with the great support of friends and family, and whoever else, I finished that round and went onto the next. Snow. hum. Neil told me to do a beanie. My first ideas was to do a mr. potato head snowman, my sister had a few good ideas as well. Funny that someone else did a snowman head and another project was a beanie. Frankly I'm rather glad that I didn't win. I perhaps wish my project didn't come in last, but I really don't care because when I think about it, the only thing that comes to mind is, "How did that happen?"


Lately there seems to be a lot of happenings going on. The biggest thing recently, I'm the new Young Women's present in my ward. I LOVE it!!! I love the girls that we have, and the other leaders and counselors are amazing!!! I feel so lucky and blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people. On the other hand, it has been so crazy and overwhelming trying to get organized and put together and caught up. After a few weeks of a LOT of thinking and finally some doing, I was officially burnt out for a day. I told Neil, "Can you please get a job so we can move and be done?!" haha. knock on wood. But it's funny how when it comes you just jump back on the wagon and keep going and it is wonderful! But it is busy. It's so nice to instantly have so many associations with people that I didn't have before. I love being involved, and though it's crazy and Neil hates the long meetings we've had, I'm grateful for this opportunity, and hope that others feel this way as well. :) Oh, the joys. :)

Other than that I feel like my life keeps turning in circles. I go in so many spurts of whatever that sometimes I don't even know who I am or what I'm doing. I get so caught up in crafts or projects or being a mom (which is the best thing, and should always be the biggest thing), or church or whatever, that it's hard to focus on what I want, and the things that really make me who I am, or the things that I really enjoy. Compared to the things I do because I don't know what else to do but I still need something to do (like being mrs. crafty whatever person). I think the hardest thing for me, that makes me feel the most trapped, is feeling like others have expectations of me that I have to live up to or meet, when really those things are silly and don't even matter. Then I feel like I have these obligations, and life just gets all out of balance and out of whack.
So what am I going to do about it? Start over. Strip everything down to the basics and then slowly add back in the things I like, or want. and none of the busy body blah stuff. :) I guess I should remember this since this was the whole purpose of this blog in the first place.... from blank pages.... starting fresh every day. Though it's turned more into, start fresh every month or two. haha. I guess no one is perfect. It just matters what we do today, and what we do tomorrow. And how we improve and move forward and continue on. So.... let's see what tomorrow brings. :) Here's to starting from another blank page.


p.s. one side note, I did start working on Mabel's quilt! :) I'm so excited! I think it's going to turn out super cute! Though sewing so intensely and on such a big project definitely reminds me of how much I REALLY want a new sewing machine... mine is on it's last leg of sewing anything decent. Crossing my fingers that it will last!