Week In The Life {Sunday}

It's the last day of my Week in the Life project and I am somewhat sad it's over. I've had a lot of fun taking pictures of my family life this week and I've enjoyed the challenge of writing about it each day as well. It is a relief to no longer be obligated to write everything or snap a photo every minute (okay, that NEVER happened..) but I feel in a way I was just getting warmed up!

The day's documentation was completely out the window and nothing got done. I think this is because it was my Monday at work again after days off it seemed that the project was "last week" in my mind. I've already started the process of designing the album for the week as well and I seemed to have lost time doing this rather than noting the goings-on around me.

I started the day in a *great* mood (heavy sarcasm here) at work mulling over the inconsistency in policy. This is nothing new but I'd felt I was a recent victim and feeling picked on =). It was great having good friends to help cheer me up and get my head on straight. This is not the kind of person I want to be (negative)! No trainee today, so the day went pretty well. No ill-wishes for Mar-Sha, I just hate training in general as I feel I am inadequate and the tools available are even less.

My brain seemed to have shut down about 830 am though and I admit to getting next to nothing done while at work. I surfed facebook and updated comments on blogs and twitter, so that was productive, but I'm sure I didn't need 6 hours to do it in!

After getting home, I was able to chat with Brandon in one of the only times during the day we get to connect and have a conversation. I love this time in the quiet before the kids get home from church with Grandma. We seem to have been on totally different schedules lately and it was nice to sit in the quiet with him.

The children were crazy as usual throughout the day, but we got through it without an emergency bill so things are good!

This Week
Things I learned about me

• I need to try and journal at least every week. I don't do this very often (about once a month if I'm lucky) and my entries tend to run pages as a result, but  istill miss the little details and reflections that this project helped me focus on and recognize. These are the things I'd like to document for my family, not always the big crisis on that day and my frustrations.
• I'm still a negative person in general. (I frown, I look at the bad first and I've very quick to point that out in the worst possible way.) I don't want to be remembered with a perpetual frown on my face and I'd like to help grow my children rather than take them down with my actions.
• Life is pretty good. We have many blessings in our everyday life that need to be recognized and appreciated. I need to focus on these things more.

Changes I want to implement daily

• If I focus on the positive in everything then it will eventually fall into place in the rest of my life and I'll be a better, friendlier person as a result. And gosh darnit, people will like me! Okay, the sarcasm may not go away but changes a little at a time here, people....
• I need to pray more and refocus on my Heavenly Father. I go in spurts with this and I'm noticing a serious lack lately. In the end, there are some things that seem big here and now that just don't matter. These are okay to let go. Following the gospel and His plan, are not.

Next year's Week

• As far as the project, I need to start the week on MY Monday. Get that enthusiasm in the first of the week, just like with your job and then see as things wind down a bit over the weekend.
• Take more photos.
• Write more words.
• Write meaningful observations and remembrances with the help of pre-organized prompts. (I didn't follow my guides very well this go around, but in assembling the album, these little thoughts would have gone very well with the layouts.)
• Rely on the written word more. I posted a few things to Facebook and Twitter thinking I would go back and use that as part of my documentation, but I really had a hard time synthesizing that into my layout this time. If I use this, it needs to be followed up on daily with the photos and words.
• Be better organized. Do a timeline to include not just the daily but what part of the rest of the album will be done and keep everything together! (This is really just problem for me in everyday life, too. Maybe if I tell myself enough..)
• Have fun! This is supposed to be exciting and extracurricular - not a college thesis due yesterday. No pressure. Really!
• Actually save mementos.. receipts, shopping lists, etc.

I'll be finishing up my album in Studio J this week and hope to have it assembled within the month to post. This is another thing I didn't plan well for. The cost for supplies I thought of after I started the project! I purposely left the design open since I wasn't sure what I would do or end up with and loosely followed the idea Ali had started with a layout and a divided sheet protector in between for extra photos and mementos. After I got started a few things changed (Studio J vs traditional scrapped, I didn't have the supplies I thought I did, some days great mementos and observations and some nothing, change of plans halfway through, etc.)

All in all, it's been an amazing week! I hope you've enjoyed following me and that you'll come back to see the finished product as I complete it.

Warm wishes,