President Uchtdorf gave such a great talk a while back about staying on course. He talked about how being slightly off course when flying an airplane, even being off by one degree, can put you very seriously off track.

I think in life we all have little re-alignments we need to make to keep us on course, on the path we want to be on. Even little attitude shifts can put us off a couple degrees from the path we want to be on. I think we all have days, especially as mothers, when we feel like we need to get things back in focus, find our balance, prioritize things differently.

Call me crazy but I kind of like times like these, (when I start thinking this way) because it makes me stop and think about what’s most important, and change my course a little.

And call me crazy again, but I like to kind of let it all hang out on this blog because I like to keep it real. Because we all feel overwhelmed and out-of-balance sometimes, and it can be depressing to just keep reading blogs that claim the “did it all” thing.

Just writing down how I feel makes me get my attitude kind of “re-aligned.” It makes me hold my kids (and husband!) that much closer, prompts me to do things like write them love notes or stop and do a project with them, and helps me see the “big picture” a little better.

So, I write about the bad and the good. Because I think the “bad” or “crazy” stuff makes the good stuff even better in comparison. And to be honest, sometimes I almost feel embarrassed writing down all the good stuff, because one person shouldn’t really be able to have that much good stuff in life!

One day down the road when I’m old and crotchety I don’t want to look back to this time now and think everything was just rainbows and butterflies. There’s no growth in that. I want to remember that I did hard things, and I stopped to realign myself. Hopefully those hard things will make me into the person I’m striving to become. Stronger, more valiant, more full of love. Those little realignments along the way, the being humbled craziness of trying to stay above water are, to me, what makes life so fulfilling.

And boy howdy, there’s nothing like a conference weekend to get a little realignment going! (along with our traditional conference cinnamon rolls)I’m so lucky I get to live with these guys:Love them.

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13 Comments

  1. AGREE 10000%

    I’ve had people tell me they don’t like to write the not so good things on the blog because they don’t want their kids to think they didn’t enjoy life. I can respect that, but as a mother I would LOVE to have a blog from my mother’s years raising her children and hear the good, bad, and ugly.

    You said it perfectly when you asked, “where is the growth in that?”

    I LOVE CONFERENCE…AND REALIGNMENT!!

  2. I have loved these posts Shawni. Thanks for helping me to realign as well. And Kara — I want a blog of my Mom’s stuff too — and Grandmas!:)

  3. I really loved that talk too! It put everything in perspective! I love reading everyones ups and downs on blogs. It helps me realize we are all learning and growing which is why we are here.

  4. I love your post- but, on a light side note: Isn’t Skippy Jon Jones the cutest book?!?! You can’t help but sing a little bit when you read that one!

  5. So very true. While I do not belong to your church, my neighbors talk with me at length about your conferences and I have watched them, and loved what I heard.

    I totally believe in blogging to get back into the right path and to realize what you have is not all that bad considering some people… truly have nothing!

    Great Post, again!

  6. I have stopped reading certain blogs for that very reason…they’re just not “real”. I am so far from perfet and I appreciate the blogs that are honest about the different challenges in life. In fact, I’ve considered not blogging anymore for that competition feeling I get from blogs about who’s the most perfect family that does the most perfect things. But I realize it’s not about other people, it’s about my family and my memories and thoughts that I’m recording for my children. I hope that even when MY children are old and crotchety they will read the blog I’ve kept and laugh at the crazy days. Because I have a feeling in a few years those days will be funny and the things we laugh most about and some of my favorite memories. So anyway, thanks for reminding me again not to worry about what I read anywhere else, but to focus on my life and my reality and to just enjoy my simple, imprefect days!

  7. SO true Shawni! I love the realness of your blog. We all have the great picture perfect moments…but it’s during the crazy and trying times, when there is growth in our lives. Loved Conference too! My favorite messages I took away: 1. Laugh when things are bad so you don’t resent and blame (Elder Wirthlin) and 2. What Elder Hales said Pres. Monson wanted for his birthday–“I wish each person would find someone who is having a hard time and help them.” Those are my goals–such inspired messages for my family.

  8. What great perspective. I love conference too. I loved Pres. Monson’s talk about the piles of laundry disappering one day. I need those reminders. 🙂

  9. Great perspective…I appreciate you keeping it real!

    And love those great pictures of your family.

    ps–Grace’s hair looks great in her pic 😉

  10. i love that you keep it real. i love posts like this, and i try to do some of the same on my own blog for the same reasons. i don’t want to give off a false impression that my life is perfect. it’s pretty great, but it’s definitely not perfect. and, like you i want myself and my posterity to know and remember how it really was…there’s a lot to learn from the good and the bad. thanks!!!

  11. Thanks for the toothless picture. I’m so glad you are their mother and Dave’s wife. Can’t wait to see you the end of the month and get some of those hugs and kisses. Kiss Lucy’s cute little cheeks for me.

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