Category: life

right now I am:

–happy I finished working on our taxes. Although I still need to complete our daughters. Turbotax makes it really simple. I done them for decades without them. It’s so much easier.

–itchy and sneezy and a few of the 7 dwarfs 🙂 . I love spring and the warmth sans humidity. The green and the sun. My body goes crazy over all of the pollen. I’m an itchy, wheezy happy mess!

–stoked the toddler played so hard outside today. He’s covered in dirt head to toe. He wiped out a few times running. My back yard has more grass than the front, but it’s still rather bare and dusty currently.

–enjoying a cup of hot coffee. AHHH. Yes it’s been rather warm outside. When it get’s really hot, my coffee will be iced coffee. I do coffee year round!

–thankful. The Kidney Foundation will be making a pickup at my house in a week. My living room is overloaded with bags and boxes from my 40 bags in 40 days challenge. I have A LOT to give away. I have become a diehard minimalist and have been working as much as possible to thin out my house.

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What am I Sowing? {Mindful Mothering Mondays}

The little boys and I have given lots of thought to our small garden this year. I bought some really cheap seeds and really cheap dirt to start our seedlings inside early. We have read lots about spacing, sun, watering and what plants to plant near what to keep away bugs or encourage growth.

God has really been speaking to my heart on this; through our little seeding, planting and harvesting study; about my children.  What am I sowing?  Do I feed  it properly, am I nurturing properly, am I giving the proper amount of warmth, space, pruning.

Raising plants and children are not easy jobs. Both are very rewarding if done properly. Both require lots of time and energy, both physically and mentally. God can and will bless efforts of both.

I will reap what I have sown. Good bad and ugly.

Being chronically ill, I have to watch my attitude. I set the tone of my home. I can not take anything personally. I must constantly remember and think about what I am saying and doing and how it will affect how my children see God.

I want to reap a large harvest of family and friends in heaven! I’d also love to have lots to eat this spring, summer and fall 🙂

She Needs REST!

It’s our CC day and I spent it at the doctor office. I have been having dizzy spells. They were really bad yesterday. I think my kids schedules, our bills, cleaning, driving… life in general is too rapid pace and I have not had time since Johnny’s birth to sit and enjoy life.

Exhaustion has finally caught up with me. It has been chasing me for a little while now. I am basically enduring our schedule until I can possibly rest this summer? One I get a break, the plan is to retrain my children, give them more chores, so I have time to take a break if needed, and possibly take a very small family vacation.

So the doctor says, take a few days off from life, put your feet up and stay well hydrated.

 

Okay. I’m working on it from my sofa!

Random Miscellaneous Post

I have had every intention to blog at least every other day. I’ve always got something to say or ponder and this is a perfect avenue for me. Very cathartic!

I seem to live in my van lately. I don’t like this season of life. I think if I can slow down for a while my body and mind will completely heal. I am supposed to be doing taxes right now, but I’m a bit carsick queasy right now. I’ll work on it shortly, maybe after a small protein snack?

I attended my eldest son’s school sports banquet last night. Something Brother Clark “preached” about resonated with something God has already put in my heart. I felt like he had opened my bible study quiet time notebook and read it. It was cool, awesome, creepy, cool and a blessing. It confirmed to me that God really IS talking to me. I have a written journal for things I “hear” when  am meditating on the word.

I am slowly trying to declutter my home. For lent again I am doing the 40 bags in 40 days challenge. 

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WHAT IS 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS?

A forty day period in the spring (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you focus on cleaning one area per day. In this one area you challenge yourself to declutter, simplify, decrapify, and get rid of things you don’t need. The goal is one bag a day but you can have more or less.

The 2014 challenge officially goes from Wednesday, March 5th to Saturday, April 19th. Sundays are your day off.

You can start it whenever you are finding this post, we’ll still be here to cheer you on!

Also at http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/40-bags-in-40-days-2014/ you can find printouts to help you organize. I had already made my list and organized before finding it. I also have “sticky notes” in my computer to remind me and apps on my phone that I use to check off progress. 

I am very ill. I want God to completely heal me. I am asking for any readers to join me for prayer in that direction! I’m praying that my healthy diet will aid in healing me from inside out. I know I need rest. I’ve been reading recently, about God giving sweet peace and rest.  

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Mark 6:31 “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Exodus 33:14 “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

 People are asking about my weight loss. I am working on a post about that currently in draft.

Life With Sons

Basketball practices and games

Squishing on the sofa to view Dr. Who on Netflix or AIV

Sticky hugs and cheerio breathe

FORTS FORTS FORTS and FARTS

Star Wars and LOTRs and Legos galore. The latter are frequently on our floor!

Endless Appetites and late night snacks…..sometimes air-popped popcorn and cheese with mom

Costumes Batman Spiderman Captain American Superman WAR PAINT

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

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Working on having peace with part time Job {Mindful Mothering Mondays}

I thought my tutoring would fall in sync with our lives. It was and is a godsend to have found Classical Conversations. It lines up with what we believe. ALL subjects point to God. They are all interrelated.

The work we do, in Challenge II, is work I would also be preparing for my own Challenge II student. It was supposed to be fairly simple and easily fit in with our lifestyle.

I’ve finally come to the realization, when prepping for this semester, this takes a lot more time to prepare for more than one student. I take into account where the child is, I try to individualize, as I would my own.

It takes a lot of time from my small children ( I have 4 boys whom I consider littles). If I give them my normal attention, then prepping deprives me of sleep, which also takes me from my children. I am an “interesting” person when sleep deprived. I really thought it would be something I could do in about 20 minutes per day. But really it is an actual a job, that make take me a couple hours per day. I’ve changed my thought about  it.  I now approach it differently. I thought it was a gift and an honor to give of myself and share with others, the knowledge God has so blessed me with.

I have resolved myself to the fact, it is okay to have a part time job, that in essence, takes time from my family as long as there is compensation and benefits to the family.

I’ve had to rearrange our schedule. Hubby works an odd work schedule. I must keep the children quiet for quite a while in the mornings. I take one of my sons to school( small private Christian school) daily. I need to be in bed early so I can wake up in the mornings to get him to school on time.  Then add to the mix, a daughter, whom I take to work often. I don’t know her work schedule for pickup or drop off. Oh…  at least once a week everyone’s schedule collides!

I want more time to raise these littles. They are growing so quickly. My older kids are such great people. I want to invest more time to raising these younger 4 into great people too.

I pray daily for God to impart HIS wisdom into my brain and heart. I am in deep prayer about whether I should continue tutoring CC  next school year or whether I should take time off to get my home in order. I have a child in Essentials class, this is his first year. I haven’t been able to really help him because I’m tutoring during Essentials. There is a “help” class for the new parents on Fridays. So far they’ve clashed with my previously set scheduled activities, whether volunteering, doctor’s appointments or etc…

I have been vigilant this year, 2014, to schedule things in my control, on others days. Maybe we will catch up??

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Walk with Him Wednesday: The Practice of New Habits

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Today starts a new year.My habit I began is to leave my hard cover student bible open to the verses I want to read, first thing before I do anything else.  Before my coffee even 🙂

Start the day with a thank you and praises, begin the day reading HIS word.  Previously I have had quiet times and bible study after sending the children to bed. My habit is to start the day out properly this year. Truly putting God first.

I have several documents in my computer I have made. I am going to post the written Word around my home. I need to see some of the verses constantly during my busy day.
Today, the first day of the new year, has already been great day!
I pray and hope to stay atop of things. 2014 will be a busy year. I don’t want to miss the joy of the day the Lord has given me!

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