BECOME

every morning,

ask yourself not "what do i need to DO today?"

but "how do i need to BE today?"

 

focus on how you can be YOUR authentic, best self.

~shannon mcfayden

Thanks to my dear friend Connie for posting this quote. What a wonderful reminder for me every morning. In fact I think I will print it and laminate it and put it on bathroom mirrors.

Just last night our family home evening lesson was on the difference between DOING and BECOMING and so this was just the perfect quote to sum it all up. Coleton brought home an EFY DVD that has 6 Family Home Evening lessons on them and the first one was 

"BECOME"

it taught that there is a BIG difference in DOING and BECOMING. And our goal is to BECOME. For instance, a person can go and participate in a service project, but that doesn't always mean they are SERVING unless they are doing it out of love. A person can attend church without really worshipping. A person can be nice to someone without forgiving them for something and they could possibly still be holding in hard feelings. 

So my goal is to really work on BECOMING and not just DOING.

What an amazing week Coleton had at EFY - I am sooo happy he went.

Way Back "Whensday"

So many things I LOVE about this picture.

I LOVE those two precious little girls. Marissa was 3 and Morgan was about 20 months. It was right before Dylan was due and I was on bed rest, so that cute daddy you see there was busy helping me alot. I LOVE their cute bows and white socks and tights. I remember every Sunday morning doing their hair and having two of the cutest little girls that you ever saw walk into church. This Sunday was a special one because it was the day  of Jason's mission farewell. They were both super friendly outgoing little girls and Marissa could carry on a conversation with anyone. Especially all of her Uncle Jason's friends at that time. She had a super big crush on a few of his friends. You know how 3 year old girls LOVE 19 year old boys. At least mine did. One favorite memory of Marissa at this time was she was so fascinated with her Uncle Jason going on a mission and his best friend Rob. Oh Marissa had the biggest crush on Rob. I can remember the day Rob got his mission call to Hungary, Marissa announced to all the world "If Rob can go on a mission to hungry, then when I grow up I am going on a mission to "MILKSHAKE". Probably not to funny to anyone but me.  She had the cutest personality. And there was Morgan right there behind her doing everything her big sister did. One of the best memories of this picture is that it was in my parents backyard. The place where we spent many Sunday afternoons together as a family. 

Sweet memories.

I also look at this picture and I think of the two precious little granddaughters I am going to have and how fun it will be for Morgan and Trent to raise two little girls close together. I LOVED it. It was a little bit of heaven. I know that Malorie will be just as good of a big sister as Marissa was and she will LOVE her younger siblings. 

I could look at this picture for hours - I LOVE them so much !!!! 

Can't believe my baby girls are in their 20's

No Matter Where You Are . . . .

You are always in my heart and I'll be here for you !!! 

What a beautiful message from my all time favorite music artist - Donny Osmond.

As a parent sometimes it is hard to let the apron strings loose, whether they are going on a mission, going away to school
 or getting married. 

I miss my kids terribly and sometimes don't cope very well with them being so far away. I am sure I will be learning the life lessons of being a parent until the day I return to live with my Heavenly Father. 

But this I know

 "I love being a mom"

And I also know this

I am not perfect and I make many mistakes. 

But make no mistake

I LOVE my children with ALL my heart.

And I will always be there for them and the door to home 


is ALWAYS open - no matter how many children 


or pets they ever want to bring with them.

"Whenever Your In Trouble"

(click this link to listen)

Thank You Donny !!!

I Can Only Imagine . . .

I absolutely love this song !!! It is one of my very favorites. It makes you really think about what it will be like to meet our Savior. It helps to remind me that I need to step away from the business of this world we live in and remember those things in this life that have eternal consequences that will bring me to the point where I will be able to stand before my Savior. Am I ready ? I am a work in progress. Will I ever be ready ? I sure hope so.  I know that my Savior loves me and knows me and my struggles and if I will turn to him he will help to guide my path in all I do. Sometimes though I must admit that I get so busy and caught up in life that I just try to do it all on my own and then things don't always go as I wish. I love the peace I feel when I include my Savior and my Heavenly Father in my daily life. 

 I know that if I live according to the righteous desires of my heart and do all the things which I know will bring me closer to my Savior then when this day comes it will be an amazing experience.

20 years ago today . . . .

As I look back at my journaling from 20 years ago the thoughts and emotions all come rolling back. I had a somewhat difficult pregnancy. We had been expecting what we thought was our 3rd little girl. Her name was going to be McKenzie. On May 12th, at only 33 weeks pregnant I went into preterm labor and was hospitalized. They had put me on medication to stop the labor. I just remember how yucky it made me feel. The 2nd day that I was in the hospital I remember them wheeling me into a very cold radiology room to do an ultrasound and check my amniotic fluid. As the ultrasound tech was taking a look around she said "so do you know what you are having" I said "yes, we are expecting our 3rd girl" she then said "really, how do you feel about that" and I explained I was happy. I had two little girls at home a 3 1/2 year old and almost 2 year old. Who wouldn't be excited to have another girl ? Well she said how is your husband in a house full of girls ? I told her he was used to it, because he had lot's of sisters. She said "well from what I am seeing he is going to have another boy join the ranks". What ? How can that be ? My doctor told me it was another girl ! She then said

 "that's why he studied how to be a doctor and I studied how to be a radiologists." 

She showed me and sure enough it was a boy !!! Needless to say Don was thrilled. 

They were successful at keeping my labor stopped until I was 36 weeks 5 days and then I began to develop toxemia so I had to be induced for my sake and the baby's. 

Dylan Thomas Paolacci was born shortly after midnight on June 13, 1991 weighing in at just under 9lbs. His initial apgars were 9/9 but within about 15 minutes they noticed he was struggling to breathe. He went to the NICU and when I was able to go down to the NICU after recovery a neonatoligist came out to tell me that my baby had respiratory distress. His lungs were not strong enough to support an almost 9lb body. He spent the first 10 days of his life in the NICU as his lungs got stronger. I just remember how I pleaded with my Heavenly Father to help my baby survive and grow to be strong and healthy. I think Heavenly Father had some big plans for this little guy.

He was the biggest baby in the NICU and one of the only ones struggling to breathe since he was so big!

Celebrating his 3rd Birthday !!!

Grandpa Paolacci, Don, Dylan, Coleton and Logan

Grandpa Paolacci is sure proud of his grandsons !!! 

These are the boys that will carry on the Paolacci name.

Kelly, Dylan & Grant with Grandpa Harper

Senior !

Dylan and Karleigh at Graduation 

Dylan and Coy as Coy prepares to enter the mission field

He is an amazing sno skier

He has a passion for wake boarding !

He is a great big brother !

He is one of my amazing kids !!!

He was thrilled to open his mission call to serve in the Peru Lima East Mission

He has an amazing mission president

He is a wonderful young man serving the people of Peru !!!

Happy Birthday Dylan - We love you

Thank You for being you !!!!

Friday's Favorite Photo

I love this picture of Karleigh. it was just taken yesterday. If you know Karleigh you know that this encompasses the things she loves. She loves whales and she loves the water. Ever since she was a little girl she dreamed of becoming a lifeguard. And last summer that dream became a reality. Karleigh is now on her second season of being a lifeguard and swim instructor. She does amazing.

Operation We R Grateful

Operation We R Grateful is being sponsored by one of my very favorite manufactures that I work for.  It is an effort to give back to our nation's servicemen and women! We are collecting blank, homemade cards to send to deployed troops to write home on, through our partner Operation Write Home.

You can find out more information {HERE}

Be Happy

The time to be happy is now, 

the place to be happy is here. 

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. 

Come what may and LOVE it!

{Grateful}

As I sat her worried tonight about my dear friend Connie and hoping she is safe from these fires I came across this post on her blog and let's just say the Lord truly does work in mysterious ways because in the quiet of my home tonight (way too quiet) Many of these touched my heart and spoke straight to my soul. Thank you friend for sharing. Since I am closer now to 45 than I am to 40 this is very appropriate !!!

Grateful for the 45 life Lessons!                                                  Written by Regina Brett,of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio 
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. 
It is the most requested column I've ever written.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
    Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift!!

Monday !

Hooray for Summer !!!

Happy for the kids - happy for the mom !!!

Just Do It !!!

I have been beating myself up over this silly math class for 2 semesters now and I am afraid I am going to forget everything I have learned so far and so I finally just took the dive and enrolled. It is the last math class I have for prerequisites for Nursing School. Now mind you - I still have 3 science classes and now they have added abnormal physch to the list of prerequisites. But at least I got back on the path. I am not in any hurry. The Scrapbook Industry seems to be doing okay as I write this and I love what I do. But I have had so many strong impressions that I need to have a college degree that it would be no one's fault but my own if something happened and the only way I could get a job that could support my family is with a degree. So one class at a time it will be for now. So when I spend the entire day listening to the little voice in my head saying "It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark" I make sure I start building my ark piece by piece just in case. So while my kids are sleeping in this month I will be spending from 7-9am every morning trying to make sense of Algebra Equations !!! Let's just hope this professor is as good as his ratings are on Rate My Professor !

It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark !!!

You can learn A LOT from 

Noah's Ark

One- Don't miss the boat.

Two- Remember that we are all in the same boat.

Three- Plan ahead. 

It wasn't raining 

when Noah built the Ark.

Four- Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.

Five- Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.

Six- Build your future on high ground.

Seven- For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

Eight- Speed isn't always an advantage. 

The snails were on board with the cheetahs.

Nine- When you're stressed, float a while.

Ten- Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; 

the Titanic by professionals.

Eleven- No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

So figure out what any of this means to you. 

I know what it means to me !!!

Well, Well HELLO DOLLY

I thought we were going to be so excited once the play was over and now we really are kinda sad. Even though we were there 4 nights a week and it has seemed to consume our lives for the last 4 months. It was awesome. I couldnt ask for a better experience for my son. The opportunity to be trained by one of the greats in Disney History and to spend all of his time with an amazing group of kids and parents.

It was a good run - I will be singing Hello Dolly songs forever.

General Conference Weekend !!!

Twice a year we are able to enjoy General Conference (April & October) Since I am in Primary currently serving as the sunbeam teacher I found myself more eager for conference this year so that I could be spiritually fed. 

Here were some of my favorite quotes - 

Desires dictate our priorities; priorities shape our choices; and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on...determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming."

--Dallin H. Oaks

"Preach the gospel at all times; and when necessary, use words."

--Saint Francis of Assisi

"Sometimes we want to have growth without challenges...the only way to see the view is to make the climb."

--Paul V. Johnson

"Niether our professions, nor our possessions determine who we are."

--Elder Lynn G. Robbins

"Apparently the message of the gospel is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."

--Harold B. Lee

"The Church is not a fast food outlet, we can't always 'have it our way'.... Salvation only comes in His way."

--Jeffrey R. Holland

Packages to Peru

For other Peru missionary moms . . . .

The white envelopes are the flat rate envelopes from the post office. I pack them full and then tape them up real good. I print mailing labels off my computer and include pictures of the Savior. He has received every package we have sent within about 2 weeks. If I can't fit it in a flat rate envelope or padded envelope and keep it under four pounds - I send it to Vanessa in Salt Lake to ship. Hope this helps.

Closed for Restoration

I am so behind on blogging . . .

But no regrets . . . moving into 2011 with a clean blogging slate. I did finish my Attitude of Gratitude but over on face book and I need to copy my posts and put them over here.
But anyways - i am excited for the new year and the new possibilities it brings.
While I was reading on of Dylan's missionary friends letters home this I was touched by a story he shared and it made me think and I hope that everyone who reads this will think about it . . .


This is a little note from Elder Matt Rider (one of Dylan's Best Friends)
I want to share a quick story I heard yesterday in sacrament meeting. The sister giving the talk was speaking on the effects of gossip and murmuring:

About a year ago, in a middle school up here in Cerro., there was a student named Violet, who hadn't been to classes for a few weeks. All the teachers began to ask the students if they knew why or if

something was wrong. One of Violet classmates, Maria, one day got up and informed that Violet was pregnant.

It wasn't long before all the students and teachers began to talk and talk until other stories began to be formed. About a day or two later, one teacher called Maria into her office to talk. She first told Maria to get a glass of water then dump it all out onto the floor. She then told her to pick all the water back up from off the floor and put in back into the cup—clean. Maria, puzzled, went onto explain to the teacher how there was no way she could pick up the water from the dirty floor and, more importantly, keep it clean. The teacher then explained to Maria that just as she had dirtied the purity of the water, so had she dirtied the dignity of her classmate, Violet. Because in reality, Violet wasn't pregnant…She had cancer.

So my thought for you guys this weeks is that we should all watch how we talk about others so that we don't dirty their dignity.

Really makes you stop and think about the powerful lesson learned here. Today I also came across this quote

You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him. 

~Leo Aikman

I guess this gives us something to think about and helps us to be a little more cautious of the words we speak.

Day 11 of an Attitude of Gratitude

Day 11 of an Attitude of Gratitude - I'm grateful to those who serve our country. I'm grateful for the sacrafices they have made in our behalf & their families for their sacraifices. I'm grateful for the freedom, that clearly is not free becuase so many have given their lives so that we may enjoy the freedoms that we h...ave. Thank You Vetrans of the Armed Forces & those currently serving - TODAY IS YOUR DAY and WE HONOR YOU!

{Day 10 of an Attitude of Gratitiude}

Day 10 of an Attitude of Gratitude - I am grateful for an amazing father. He was my rock. Even though my dad has left his mortal existence I can still feel his presence and know that he is watching over me and my my family. I am so grateful for the promise that families are forever and I look forward to the day when I am with him again !!!

{Just Thinkin ABout My Dad}

 

{Day 9 of an Attitude of Gratitiude}

Day 9 of an Attitude of Gratitude - I am grateful for my mom and her example to me. She is always there for me and always my biggest cheerleader !!! Thanks mom - I love you !!!

{Day 8 of an Attitude of Gratiude}

{Day 8 of an Attitude of Gratiude} I am grateful that when I make mistakes I can notice and try to make amends. Everyday I am learning and growing. There are lessons in the life to be learned everyday. I guess the important thing is we just keep trying to do the best we can.

{Day 7 of an Attitude of Gratitude}

{Day 7 of an Attitude of Gratitude} I am thankful for the Sabbath. I am thankful for the opportunity to partake of the sacrament. I am thankful for my ward family and the friendships we share. I LOVE having one day where we are free from outside influences of the world and that we have chosen to keep Sunday as a family day.I LOVE SUNDAY !!!

My Testimony . . .

As I think of my son sharing his testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the wonderful people of Peru I want to take this opportunity to share with you that I have an unwavering testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Through experiences in my life I have come to know without a shadow of a doubt that we do have a Heavenly Father that loves us and that he is watching over us. I have found that true happiness and peace come as I live the principles that I have learned by following the teachings of the gospel and the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. I find such peace and happiness in my life when I maintain a close relationship with my Heavenly Father.

I find that I am happiest when I try to pattern my life after the Savior and consistently do the things that will bring me closer to him - Daily prayer, attending church, scripture study, serving others and living the principles of the gospel.

I am grateful to my grandparents that for generation after generation continued to hold strong to the principles of the gospel so that I could have this blessing in my life. Even though I was baptized when I was 8 years old I can remember that in my teenage years I wanted my own conversion experience. I wanted to be able to say that I knew that the things that I believed where true. At the age of 17 I attended Especially For Youth at BYU in Provo Utah, and I can remember just like it was yesterday sitting in a testimony meeting and hearing that still small voice whisper to me "the things that you are hearing are true". I can remember wanting to shout from the roof tops "it's true" "the gospel of Jesus Christ is true". From that day forward I never wavered in my faith.

Once again the truthfulness of the gospel was reconfirmed to me as I sat with my father as he crossed from his mortal existence into his Heavenly estate 6 years ago. At that time I gained a testimony that everything I have learned and had been taught in my 36 years was true. I can testify with every fiber of my being that my Heavenly Father reassured me that if I lived my life in harmony with the gospel principles that I had been taught that I would be with my father again and that there is so much more than just this earthly mortal experience. I felt the warmth and comfort of peace that was so much greater than this world could ever offer me. At that moment I promised myself that I would strive to be the best I could be so that one day I could experience the same joy that I knew my father was having as he crossed through to his Heavenly home.

Let me assure you also that I know that the adversary is working overtime. And his main focus is to stop the work of the Lord and to slowly but surely disrupt families. It is a constant reminder to me to continually nourish the testimony that I have and create a home that can be a haven for my family. Not to allow myself to get B.U.S.Y (being under satans yoke) so that I don't recognize the weeds that begin to grow and infest my home.

I am grateful for the gospel and I desperately need what the Church of Jesus Christ has to offer me -- direction and purpose in my everyday life, consolation and comfort in my times of trial and sorrow, and hope for something amazingly wonderful after this life. The knowledge that families truly are FOREVER. The doctrines of the Church help me to understand that God didn't place me here on this earth by accident. He placed me here on this earth so that I might have joy! He created me because He wanted me to be able to have all the blessings He could possibly bestow on me. I am His daughter. And being his mortal daughter means that I will make mistakes, but I know He loves me in spite of my failures.

Being a loving Father, he created a plan and provided us with a Savior so that we may return to live with him again. Think about it, as parents would we ever bring a child into this world and expect them to figure it all out on their own ? We would not, and neither would our Heavenly Father. He has given us a plan and it is up to us if we choose to follow his plan. He has provided a way and I know that when I follow the path I have been given I have ALWAYS found peace and comfort. I have been given the assurance that even through any trails, pain and suffering that he is always there. And that no matter how many mistakes I make, he will always be there to love me and help me so that I may enjoy the blessings in which he has in store for me.

As a Latter-day Saint I hope that I can live my life in a way that people will want to come to know Christ because of the example that I have set. My love for my Heavenly Father is real and I hope that my actions and deeds reflect this. I strive to live Christianity every moment of my life. Not just by going to Church once a week, but making the gospel a way of life, a wonderful, fulfilling, satisfying way of life.

When I think about people who have blessed my life, I think of people who are unselfish. They are giving and caring and truly think of others before themselves. I want to be like that. The Savior lived his life this way and I desire to pattern my life after him. I know I have a long way to go, but I try each day to move in the right direction!

I am continually lifted up rather than brought down by the messages and teachings of the gospel and I can feel of my Saviors love and the love that my Heavenly Father has for me.

I know that Jesus the Christ is our Lord and Savior. And I know that Our Father in Heaven loves us and has given us living prophets on the earth today just like in the days of the Old Testament with Abraham or Moses. I know that this is His Church upon the earth today. How grateful I am to have a living Prophet, Thomas S. Monson and his apostles to lead and guide us. I am so grateful for the blessings of the gospel that I have felt in my life. I know that when I live the principles of the gospel and I place all my trust in my Heavenly Father all of my fears and doubts are replaced with faith and hope. I know that our Heavenly Father knows and loves each and everyone of us. His is a perfect love. And all He requires from us is for us each to do our best. We are each given the agency to have these blessings in our lives, all we need to do is ask in faith. The Atonement is real and is there for all of us. I testify that if we will endure to the end and are faithful, we will receive all of the blessings he has in store for us.

 

 

{Day 6 of an "Attitude of Gratitude"}

{Day 6 of an "Attitude of Gratitude"} I am so grateful to be a mom. It is the greatest blessing in my life. I have learned and will continue to learn everything that is important through my experiences as a mother. I know that it is the most important thing I will ever do. I am so grateful that it is an eternal calling a...nd that my family is with me FOREVER !!!! I love my kids more than any words can ever express !!!!

{Day 5 of an "Attitude of Gratitude"}

{Day 5 of an "Attitude of Gratitude"} I am so grateful it is FRIDAY !!!! Lot's to get done and I am happy to get it done !!!

{Day 4 of an "Attitude of Gratitiude"}

{Day 4 of an "Attitude of Gratitiude"} I am grateful that my kids have really good friends. I was reminded of this earlier this morning as I was dropping Coleton off at his friend George's house to ride bikes to school. Coleton has made the transistion to being a teen and he is such a "good" kid and always happy and fun to be around.

{Day 3 of an "Attitude of Gratitiude"}

{Day 3 of an "Attitude of Gratitiude"} I am thankful that Karleigh is feeling better - thanks to some heavy duty anitbiotics to wipe away that aweful strep infection and that ALL my kiddos are in school today !!!!

{Day 2 of an Attitude of Gratitiude}

{Day 2 of an Attitude of Gratitiude} I am thankful that I was blessed to be born into a free country. Where I am free to choose my actions. I am free to vote how I choose. I am free to worship as I wish. We truly are so blessed !!!

Thirty Days of Gratitude . . . Day 1

{Day 1 of an Attitude of Gratitude} I am thankful for Mondays and for the opportunity to get emails from our missionary. I'm grateful for modern technology and the fact that Dylan can be in Manchay Peru and I in Phoenix, Arizona and we can chat over email instantaneously.