FFF#29-Ode to Dust-Bunnies

Well, if everything has gone as planned, my computer should be getting ready to be put back together and we should have put in new carpet yesterday.  So this morning, we will be moving all of the furniture back into the family room.  If it didn't go as planned, all of my house is in chaos and in the next few days we will settle things down and get back to work.

Next week is trek.  (Pioneer handcart reenactment for the youth ages 14-18.  Drew and I are not going this year, but Speedy is.)  Then I learned that school for Speedy begins the next week.  Where has the summer gone?  We have spent the time remodeling.  Though it has been very busy, we have done a lot of cleaning and getting rid of a lot of junk and rearranging how things function in our home.  Everything feels a lot cleaner.

This is going to be kind of a super scattered post because, well, that is how my brain is feeling right now.  I have cleaned things over the last several weeks, that I didn't know needed to be cleaned.  Ugh!  Being on top of and organized in my house cleaning is NOT my strength.  You want me to run an organization?  Motivate and inspire people?  Organize work or time?  Sure.  Write a blog?  Write the primary program?  Give a talk?  Tutor math, science, spelling, reading, writing?  Bring it on.  Help someone with their marriage or parenting skill?  I am all over that.  But you want me to wash the window?  Clean the blinds?  Dust behind the dryer?  REALLY? Can't those things wait another five years?  Apparently not when you have children who are allergic to DUST!

My friend  has shared this theory about dogs with me:  You don't get the dog you want, you get the dog you need.  Since I don't have dogs, (because, oh ya', some of us are allergic to them!  And it would just be one more thing for me to clean and take care of!) I wonder if it works the same way with kids.  I am a horrible, horrible duster, so let's send her a kid who is allergic to dust and then she'll have to learn to fix that whole aversion to cleaning she has.  Seriously, I think sometimes Heavenly Father has that kind of a sense of humor.  (I would, so I guess I think He would too.)

Plus, with Slim home for the next year.... (I didn't tell you:  He is postponing law school for a year to heal from his concussions.  A few weeks ago, he couldn't read a book or work on the computer or walk for too long without getting dizzy.  He is doing better.  So that is good.)  Anyway, Slim is allergic to dust too, I think.  He really cannot tolerate it in any degree.  So with two dust allergy people at our house, dusting is going to have to improve.  Lucky me.

I have learned, however, that caring for your home is a way of showing love for your people.  Helping them learn to clean and take pride in their surroundings is very beneficial to them, as well.  Not to mention that when all the laundry is done and in their drawers, it makes finding church clothes on Sunday morning (or Saturday evening for the ultra-prepared) so much easier and less stressful!!!  As we have gotten older and older, cleaning has been easier and easier.  Probably because I am getting sleep, and I am not spending hours nursing and changing diapers and trying to decipher toddler speak, usually all at the same time.

But I have to tell you, when Sister Reeves made this comment in General Conference, I wanted to give my husband the 'death' glare and say, SEE!!!  I did it right!!  Dust bunnies can't go to heaven anyway!

Some of you have heard me tell how overwhelmed my husband, Mel, and I felt as the parents of four young children. As we faced the challenges of parenting and keeping up with the demands of life, we were desperate for help. We prayed and pleaded to know what to do. The answer that came was clear: “It is OK if the house is a mess and the children are still in their pajamas and some responsibilities are left undone. The only things that really need to be accomplished in the home are daily scripture study and prayer and weekly family home evening.”

Anyway, he just turned to me and said, "That's why we shouldn't have women speak in General Conference." 

Now, before all of you behead him.........he was joking!  He was trying to be funny.  And because it was only said to me, the rest of you should not be mad at him.

OK so I should really wrap this up.  I need to go and move furniture!  The point:  Cleaning our homes, to the best of our ability (without making our homes the priority above our families, doing all things in wisdom and order), considering our time, energy, and other responsibilities, will bless our families and is a form of service.  That is my crazy blog post, just free writing without thought to the consequences. Scary!

Have a great week!  Hopefully, if I remember how to connect the computer, I'll post again on Sunday.  If there is no Sunday post, you can assume I couldn't figure it out :-)