Stuff

I think we have too much stuff! I really try to not be a pack rat, but I don't think I'm really succeeding :)  We have decided that we need to prepare for...whatever...by stocking food and supplies. So we are moving rooms around so that we'll have a food storage pantry and a supply storage room. In moving everything I'm trying to go through and get rid of. I must say that I hate packing, but I always love unpacking after we move because it allows me to go through and get rid of things that have "accumulated" over time. While we're not actually moving, I'm looking at it in the same light. Going through and getting rid of! It's always such a nice feeling to have it done. To have a clean, organized home. To know that there's not a bunch of stuff shoved in cabinets or closets. To know where everything is! We have already accomplished quite a bit. Not as much as I'd like, but since we're still having sickness issues, I'm giving myself a break! :D

Yes, we're still sick. We still have a few with a cough, ear infections, headaches, etc... I'm not sure what to do about it all. We've been sick so much over the last year and a half. I have been reading through some books James picked up and am hoping the suggestions will help. (ie...taking more Vitamins A, B, C, D, & E, and minerals and herbs, plus healthy eating)

On a happy note, Emily turned 4 on Christmas day. She really was so excited to turn 4! She loved her gifts and is such a happy 4 year old now! :)  Today was Zachary's 1st birthday! I can't believe how fast the  years gone. He's such a little stinker, but such a snuggler too! He started walking last week! The kids are so excited about it! Also today, Michelle lost her first tooth! She has been so anxious for it to come out. It's been loose for a few days now. Tonight it was loose enough. I tied the string on it and as I was tightening it, it popped out! I was so glad, because honestly, I HATE pulling teeth. I'm not normally a sissy when it comes to blood or anything, but something about pulling teeth makes me sick to my stomach! Anyhow, the first thing she said was "I didn't even cry!" LOL...Everyone else has seemed to throw fits and act like they'e dying (esp Makenzie!) so it was a big deal to her that she didn't cry! She said it several times actually! :)

Well, we are going to finish up the cleaning this weekend and then hopefully start up our schedule on Monday. Doing school, piano, and such.  I've decided that I'm just gonna have to make myself give them lessons. I think that I'm probably not the best teacher in the world, but they need it and I can do it so... :P   I'm looking forward to it though. I don't like having a rigid time schedule, but I do like routine and I think kids thrive on it, so it will be nice. Hope you all have a blessed day!

Looking Unto Jesus...

Well, we have internet and phone again for at least the next month. Yay! I am really behind in everything...I really need to get over this whole "all or nothing" attitude. We are spending today catching up on laundry. Got alot of the girls clothes done, still got around 2-3 loads of theirs left though. I'm hoping to get all of the girls clothes done today and then some towels too. Tomorrow, blankets! I looked at the Flylady zones and decided that I would start with the zones Monday, today I'm going to work on the decluttering. Today is the purse and car. I actually did my purse a few days ago but I'm gonna do it again, just cause. And the car we mostly cleaned out Tuesday, so we just need to finish it now. So nice that I actually kinda have a start on both these. The car would have been so overwhelming!

I am trying to keep a positive attitude about things, and it's really difficult at times. I tend to start looking at surroundings and things just seem so overwhelming, depressing or irritating. So last night I had an epiphany! Really it came about because of the way God made me :) And all women! Our brains are like balls of wire, with no beginning or end. (Mens are like boxes on a shelf, but that's another story LOL) So, anyways, I was thinking about something (can't remember what) and then I started singing a song, and something in that song reminded me of the verse that talks about keeping our eye on the prize, then I thought "and we really need to keep our eyes on the cross", and the cross is really Jesus, so we need to keep our eyes on him, and then I thought that's what happened to Peter (ironic too cause I'm reading 1 Peter in my bible reading) He took his eyes off Jesus and SANK! That is what we do! Something amazing happens (Jesus walked on water), We get out of our comfort zone (out of the boat), Start doing something amazing ourselves (walking the way Jesus walks), and then we start looking at circumstances and panic (Peter took his eyes off the Lord and looked at the water), then we go under (life is miserable, depressed, overwhelmed, etc...), but you know, if Peter had kept his eyes on the Lord he wouldn't have sunk. He'd have walked all the way to Jesus (gotten to Heaven which is essentially eternity with God), and he would've done it the way Jesus did. We are so much like Peter though. We take our eyes off the Lord and what he's told us to do, and we start looking at our circumstances and BAM! we get discouraged, depressed, overwhelmed, etc... If only we would keep our eye on the prize, which is eternity with Jesus, and if only we would keep walking the way Jesus walked (in obedience to the Father). We would have an amazing life! We'd be walking on water! Keep your focus on the Lord, keep your eye on the prize, don't look around you at life, Keep doing what you know is right, even if you have to start small get started, and (from the sermon Wednesday) be CONSISTENT! Don't give up! (which just reminded me of the t-shirt they used to have with the bird eating the frog, with the frogs arms coming out it's mouth and strangling the bird! :) Which also reminded me of the acronym F.R.O.G. Fully Rely On God! Don'tcha just love the way God made us! :D

School Cabinet

Well, I didn't do everything I was supposed/going to. But I did at least get my school cabinet set up, filled and organized! Personally think it looks pretty good too!

Even the messy shelf to the left is actually clean compared to what it was...So tomorrow I'm gonna try again! I will do my best to get dressed, read my Bible (if nothing else), do school, keep my food journal, clean my living room and Shine my Sink!

To-do List

So my friend and I decided to get started on some things! We are trying our best to be a good christian wives and mothers. To be " keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." As a wives whose husbands aren't always in the right place, and as a mothers of lots of little ones, it's not easy to do. So we decided to be encouragement and accountability partners! I am definitely in need of encouragement and accountability! So I made a little check list and put it on my board last night...

The first area is to make sure I am doing my personal daily devotions. So easy to put on the back burner. I just don't have time ya know! Of course then I have a hard time with everything and nothing seems to go right and I wonder why! So I did my own Bible reading today...I'm starting in James. Read chapter 1. Had lots of good verses speak to me! 


The second area is just encouragement in doing school with my kiddos. Homeschooling is not always easy. Picking curriculum, doing it everyday and making sure our kids are actually learning, can be a lot to deal with! As I said before, we are really just concentrating on reading right now. We did most of our stuff today. Except for the stuff that I couldn't do cause the little ones were down for a nap :) We also added penmanship to our work. I'm reading them a proverbs a day for our devotions. While I'm reading I pick out a verse or two for each of the older 3 to write out. Simple, yet effective. I try to pick them according to what I think is relevant to the person.


The third area, and it's a biggie, is my house! It can get very messy around here! It is really hard to care for your family and even do normal daily things when your house is in total chaos!So, Last night was shine your sink so I did that!!! Here is a picture....

Looks pretty good, Even though it's made of some weird type of granite that wasn't supposed to stain but did big time! At least it's clean! Yay!!! For today I was supposed to lay out my clothes and get dressed (including makeup) in the morning...Well, I'm happy to tell ya that I DID! Yes, I laid out my clothes last night, I put them on this morning and I put on my makeup! It's amazing how such a little thing can make you feel like you've accomplished so much! 


So the fourth area is...Weight Loss! A never ending thing I know...But I am so tired of being exhausted and feeling like I can't even move because of all the extra weight I'm carrying around. I so want to be healthy for my family and for my God. I want to look good for my husband as well! So I am going to be keeping food journals...I probably won't put mine on here but I will be setting up a blog for my weight loss journey and I'll be putting some of it on there!


Your prayers would be greatly appreciated!