Getting Stuff Done

Today I ran more errands than ever before in my life. As that little framed thing from Hobby Lobby says "Messy bun and getting stuff done." I am home today after a major Christmas Shopping Binge. The older kids still had school today, but the younger kids are out, so Abi was my amazing baby sitter while I ran out this morning. I checked the weather last night: there was a storm forecast to be coming in at 2, so I left early and with great efficiency as I trying to race the weather (it was win-dy!). My original list wasn't this long, but here are all the places I ended up going to:

1. Home Depot to return the other toilet handle
2. DI to drop off donations
3. Ski N See to buy ski gloves for tomorrow
4. Red Balloon to buy Beanie Boos for Christmas
5. Spoons N Spice - to buy a few good cutting knives and nice small silverware for the toddlers
6. Kid to Kid - a few Christmas dresses (75% off now!) and toys for Owen and Daniel
7. Good Earth - nutritional yeast for Hyrum's Vegan Pizzas
8. Office Max - Tul pens for the stocking stuffers
9. DSW - nice black shoes for Joseph, he knows so it's okay for me to write it here. I had to ask him what size, I'm taking a gamble that they'll fit okay and be comfortable for him.
10. Ross - art stuff for kids and a few other things
11. TJMaxx - sheets for Corey and I, few stocking stuffers
12. Trader Joe's - my first time going in there ever. Got dried fruits and nuts for some healthy Christmas Day snacks
13. Target - grabbed a few things

Then I went home to relieve Abi. It was 1:00 and I would need to go get Skyline carpool in a bit. Wesley had a LBB performance and Joseph had a sectional, so Joseph had to take him, but J had to leave right after school to a Madrigal performance, so another mom did my carpool today, I went and got Wes from school, and I've been driving the Fiesta all day, which was fine before the storm, but I pick up Wes and had to take Wes to meet Joseph down town so they could get to American Fork in time. As we started to drive down town, the flurries began. I was getting worried but prayed and we met Joseph in time, then I headed home, buuuut, since it was on the way and I promised myself that I'd be fast, I stopped by the Murray Costco for food. I started to fill my cart with veggies, but then saw they didn't have any Vegan Pizza! Hyrum might die, so I'm gonna have to go to Costco again anyway to Sandy to see if they have it - but I'll have to wait until later, so, blah, I hurried and put back the things in my car - just like 6 veggie things, then I ran back to the car. So that was errand 14. Then I came down State Street and went by #15 Toys R Us for a few legos. Then I was on my way home, cause I didn't trust my tin-can of a vehicle to make it much longer in the snow, plus it's windshield wipers are terible. I got home and parked in the street so I could hurry and shovel the driveway before driving on it - which is my #1 winter rule - do NOT under (almost) any circumstance drive on our north facing driveway if there is snow on it without clearing off the snow first. 

Abi helped me, then Hyrum came out and wanted to go to the store. Then he and Abi started a snowball fight while I worked. I came to Abi's aide and put a few shovel-fuls of snow on Hyrum's head. Then he threw a snowball at me! He got me right in the head and ear! 

Well, after that second pile of snow down his shirt, I admit I deserved it. We had dinner - Hyrum made due without vegan pizza, and I watched Corey chase the little kids around.

Our house looks pretty good considering I've been gone all day. Abi gets all the credit.

Those little boys are so cute. Then I told Corey I had to leave him with little kids, cause Hyrum and Wes really wanted to finish their shopping. Boys, I've already been out all day! I don't want to go again! But they ignored my please and we went. So my last errand for the day was taking them to Target for my second time, I snapped a pic at the check out - feeling I should document this somehow, cause that makes #16 errands in one day. And that is a lot!

I guess I am a little impressed with myself, but I also don't feel very well right now, like not physically, just kinda empty inside. I guess I felt like I spent my day doing all this shopping just to do it, kinda, cause that is our culture? I mean I did get some things they want and need, but a lot was unnecessary and will just be more stuff to pick up after Christmas has come and gone. My kids don't need this much, and heaven knows my messy house doesn't want/need any more things inside it for me to shuffle in bins. We should be saving more or paying off music tours and stuff. But oh well. I guess I can return it if we need to return anything. I'm not sure what Corey's bought, we have not coordinated at all. We'll see how this goes! Another quote from the Hobby Lobby wall art collection:

I hope we're making the right things the priority.