I take my job as Wife and Mom very seriously. I study how to do better with this job, striving to learn how to be the best Mom and Wife I can be. Sometimes I come across something in my studying that hits me in the heart, or square between the eyes, and sometimes it comes a sucker punch to the stomach. I encountered all three today.
If you are a Wife and/or a Mom check out www.avirtuouswoman.org. A couple of days ago I got a facebook message about this and decided to check it out. I read day 2, then day 3. Today I started with day 1. One, two, punches landed. I'm knocked to my knees. I read day 4. I'm hit in the heart, then between the eyes and then in the stomach as I go down for the count. Down again to my knees and on my face before God begging for forgiveness and asking Him to please deliver me from these sins.
As with all things this isn't out of the blue. God seems to know I'm a little slow on the uptake with some things. I need to hear them again and again before I wake up and go "OH! You're talking to ME about that!" So the girls and I have been reading through Proverbs for a few months, one a day according to the date. Multiple times in the last six months I've read about a foolish wife who tears down her home with her own hands. I've read about the wife who's husband can safely trust in her. I've longed to be that wife and yet I know, I'm not. My desire and my actions have not agreed.
I pray that this is a turning point for me and not yet another brief moment of clarity that I soon obscure with my stronger desire to please me. Now, it's time for me to feed our children, continue to care for them and to work on our home so it is truly a safe haven for Tim to be. I have an amazing husband, I pray God will continue to teach me how to be an amazing wife.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Week 3 BLAH
BLAH stands for Biggest Loser At Home, in case you were curious. Yesterday was our week 3 weigh in and while I wasn't thrilled with my 2.5lb loss originally I have come around to seeing it as the positive it is. In three weeks I have lost 7.5lbs which is an average of 2.5lbs per week. If I continue with that average, by the time warm weather hits, 20 weeks from now, I will be AT MY GOAL! That would be June 23rd.
In case you are thinking "She's crazy, it's warm before then!" Let me remind you that I live in Ontario and that this past summer it most certainly was not. LOL It is spring like weather but it is not really warm weather. Not the "I'm hot" kind of weather. Besides, don't wreck my thinking. HA HA!
By my birthday in April I can achieve 180lbs. It's been nearly 5 years since I last saw 180lbs and I didn't get to stay there very long. This time I'm playing for keeps. My birthday is not that far away. I can so do this!
Oh, and back to the Biggest Loser At Home update. I am in the top 10!! I would love to make it into the top 5 but right now it is filled with some very hard working women. I've got my work cut out for me. I'm holding my breath that I can really win this. Inside I believe I can but I'm afraid to believe too hard. Regardless if I win the money or not I will have won so much! But the money is a lovely thought, a truly wonderful, "Just think what curriculum I could buy with that! And maybe a pair of jeans too!" thought. It's fun to imagine. But day dreaming won't get me where I want to be. My actions will.
So here's to actions that speak louder than my words!! Here's to Ipods and TobyMac. Here's to friends and family who encourage! Here's to God who not only put the desire in my heart but set plans in motion that I would never have dreamed of asking for. Thank you!!
In case you are thinking "She's crazy, it's warm before then!" Let me remind you that I live in Ontario and that this past summer it most certainly was not. LOL It is spring like weather but it is not really warm weather. Not the "I'm hot" kind of weather. Besides, don't wreck my thinking. HA HA!
By my birthday in April I can achieve 180lbs. It's been nearly 5 years since I last saw 180lbs and I didn't get to stay there very long. This time I'm playing for keeps. My birthday is not that far away. I can so do this!
Oh, and back to the Biggest Loser At Home update. I am in the top 10!! I would love to make it into the top 5 but right now it is filled with some very hard working women. I've got my work cut out for me. I'm holding my breath that I can really win this. Inside I believe I can but I'm afraid to believe too hard. Regardless if I win the money or not I will have won so much! But the money is a lovely thought, a truly wonderful, "Just think what curriculum I could buy with that! And maybe a pair of jeans too!" thought. It's fun to imagine. But day dreaming won't get me where I want to be. My actions will.
So here's to actions that speak louder than my words!! Here's to Ipods and TobyMac. Here's to friends and family who encourage! Here's to God who not only put the desire in my heart but set plans in motion that I would never have dreamed of asking for. Thank you!!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
I Feel Pretty
I went to the salon and got my hair cut today. Trimmed, actually because Tim likes it long and right now I'm enjoying how long it is too. In fact it was classified as "Extra Long"! That's kinda neat.
My friend Becky, is the best hairdresser I've ever had. She only works Saturdays. I work Saturdays. So it was such a treat for me to be able to slip in and get my hair cut by her. I only get it cut about twice a year and she is my preferred choice. I've had it cut at other places, the $12 haircut places, and wow, I got what I paid for. *ouch* I won't do that again. I'm willing to pay the big bucks for her. She does such a good job!
Today Tim and I are going on a date. An all day date! We leave at 2. Becky washed, cut, and dried my hair. She used the big round brush to leave it in gentle curls at the ends. I love it. I feel so pretty with it freshly cut!
Know what else I like? Looking in the mirror and seeing me. Not the bloated, way too heavy, fat faced me, but the slimmer cheeks, not so puffy me. It's like I'm deflating, but in a good way! It's nice. I like looking in the mirror and liking what I see.
The scale may not be rocketing down the numbers but little by little I'm going to gain my healthy self back. Little by little I'm going to like more and more of what I see in the mirror. This time I am going to work hard to be thankful to God for where I am right now. This time I am going to be happy with the changes and while I do look forward to getting smaller and smaller I hope and pray I have the maturity to deal with reality.
That's it. That's all for today. I feel pretty, and I'm thankful for that!
My friend Becky, is the best hairdresser I've ever had. She only works Saturdays. I work Saturdays. So it was such a treat for me to be able to slip in and get my hair cut by her. I only get it cut about twice a year and she is my preferred choice. I've had it cut at other places, the $12 haircut places, and wow, I got what I paid for. *ouch* I won't do that again. I'm willing to pay the big bucks for her. She does such a good job!
Today Tim and I are going on a date. An all day date! We leave at 2. Becky washed, cut, and dried my hair. She used the big round brush to leave it in gentle curls at the ends. I love it. I feel so pretty with it freshly cut!
Know what else I like? Looking in the mirror and seeing me. Not the bloated, way too heavy, fat faced me, but the slimmer cheeks, not so puffy me. It's like I'm deflating, but in a good way! It's nice. I like looking in the mirror and liking what I see.
The scale may not be rocketing down the numbers but little by little I'm going to gain my healthy self back. Little by little I'm going to like more and more of what I see in the mirror. This time I am going to work hard to be thankful to God for where I am right now. This time I am going to be happy with the changes and while I do look forward to getting smaller and smaller I hope and pray I have the maturity to deal with reality.
That's it. That's all for today. I feel pretty, and I'm thankful for that!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Take A Good Look
Yesterday I had one of those moments where I see something clearly that hadn't been obvious to me until right then. I listened to my girls talking to each other and I heard me. I heard a cutting tone of voice where kindness should be. Then I heard impatience where patience should've been. They are becoming like me. Oh No!
I would not speak to anyone else's child that way. I would not use that tone of voice at work. It is not okay here.
I had a flash forward picture of myself as an old lady and it wasn't pretty. It looked pretty clear that if I keep this attitude and way of speaking up I will become a cranky, catty old woman. The kind of woman people avoid. The kind that people look over her head or behind her back and either roll their eyes or give sympathetic looks to each other.
As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. Prov.27:19
In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Psalm 4:4
Getting up at 5:30 in the morning is challenging me. I feel tired and just off all day. I've been excusing my behavior because of this. But yesterday it occurred to me that I am to be kind, to be gentle, to choose joy regardless of my circumstances.
Philippians 4:11-13 (thank you Bible Gateway)
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Enough of the excuses. Time to live like I mean to be, be who I long to be, and pray for God to change my heart. Pray for him to turn my heart towards Him so that I will reflect Him. That way my children will also begin to reflect Him instead of me.
I would not speak to anyone else's child that way. I would not use that tone of voice at work. It is not okay here.
I had a flash forward picture of myself as an old lady and it wasn't pretty. It looked pretty clear that if I keep this attitude and way of speaking up I will become a cranky, catty old woman. The kind of woman people avoid. The kind that people look over her head or behind her back and either roll their eyes or give sympathetic looks to each other.
As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. Prov.27:19
In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Psalm 4:4
Getting up at 5:30 in the morning is challenging me. I feel tired and just off all day. I've been excusing my behavior because of this. But yesterday it occurred to me that I am to be kind, to be gentle, to choose joy regardless of my circumstances.
Philippians 4:11-13 (thank you Bible Gateway)
11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Enough of the excuses. Time to live like I mean to be, be who I long to be, and pray for God to change my heart. Pray for him to turn my heart towards Him so that I will reflect Him. That way my children will also begin to reflect Him instead of me.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Riding the Waves of Life
There is so much spinning through my mind at the moment. My current life, the past, the future. What I am doing, what I wish I'd done, what I want to do. It's like being on a carousel. It's pretty and sprakling and fun but a little bit scary too. It's going nowhere and not getting anything accomplished really. Except when you get off, and things steady you can see clearly again.
I've surrendered myself to the knowledge that life is not a constant except in the fact that it is constantly changing. Now that I've admitted that I'm learning how to surf. Because honestly, that's how I see life, like a big ocean and we're riding the waves. This is evident in my everyday life as well as the big picture life.
I'm heading into the part of the month where I feel like I'm finally thinking clearly. I can work quickly and effectively. I look forward to this part of the month and I'm sad to feel it leave. I try to hang on but no matter what it still slides away into feeling tired and like I can't get anything done or make good decisions. Knowing this and knowing that the thinking clearly time is coming I can hang on! Don't worry, I'm not clinically depressed. I'm a woman, and that's the way I am.
So today, I've embraced it! The upstairs bathroom is clean. Our room looks better than it has since we came home from our trip. The girls have worked on their rooms and are currently still working. Two are in the kitchen. This month we're focusing on Orderliness and it was certainly time to get back into living it instead of just talking about it.
Yet in another part of my life, the homeschool part, today I hit a wall. I saw it coming. I did everything I could think of to avoid it. But today I hit it. Hard. So our school today is life lessons. Learning to clean your room, sort your books, help with laundry, do the dishes until they are DONE, not just until the dishwasher is full. Important things for my daughters to know so they can be competent adults. I know I can't stay here at the wall banging my head for long. I wouldn't want to if I could. I don't really like it here.
It's January. That's not an excuse but it is a reality. The reality is that every January I hit this same wall. I do think this year I came upon it slower and with less force than previous years. I'm confident we will bounce back faster as well. Because I do not want to stay here. I want to keep moving. I want to be faithful! I want to be responsible. I want to do my job well and hear God say to me, "Well done! You have been a faithful servant."
There is another part of my life that needs some work. My role as wife, as Tim's partner, his friend. I've been coasting a bit and I miss "us" desperately. I need some "us" time beyond after the girls are in bed. We didn't really get that even on our vacation. No one's fault, it just didn't happen. So I'm working on a few ideas on how to fix that. I have yet to figure out who to ask but I'm planning to book a sitter for a good part of Saturday. I'd love to run away for the weekend. I have it off. But that's not likely to happen this time.
Now it's time for me to go put the potatoes on to boil and open the corn and beans for supper. I know no ones really reading this, but it helps me to think it out. It helps me to know I have written this down so I can come back and do a check to see how I am doing.
On with life!
I've surrendered myself to the knowledge that life is not a constant except in the fact that it is constantly changing. Now that I've admitted that I'm learning how to surf. Because honestly, that's how I see life, like a big ocean and we're riding the waves. This is evident in my everyday life as well as the big picture life.
I'm heading into the part of the month where I feel like I'm finally thinking clearly. I can work quickly and effectively. I look forward to this part of the month and I'm sad to feel it leave. I try to hang on but no matter what it still slides away into feeling tired and like I can't get anything done or make good decisions. Knowing this and knowing that the thinking clearly time is coming I can hang on! Don't worry, I'm not clinically depressed. I'm a woman, and that's the way I am.
So today, I've embraced it! The upstairs bathroom is clean. Our room looks better than it has since we came home from our trip. The girls have worked on their rooms and are currently still working. Two are in the kitchen. This month we're focusing on Orderliness and it was certainly time to get back into living it instead of just talking about it.
Yet in another part of my life, the homeschool part, today I hit a wall. I saw it coming. I did everything I could think of to avoid it. But today I hit it. Hard. So our school today is life lessons. Learning to clean your room, sort your books, help with laundry, do the dishes until they are DONE, not just until the dishwasher is full. Important things for my daughters to know so they can be competent adults. I know I can't stay here at the wall banging my head for long. I wouldn't want to if I could. I don't really like it here.
It's January. That's not an excuse but it is a reality. The reality is that every January I hit this same wall. I do think this year I came upon it slower and with less force than previous years. I'm confident we will bounce back faster as well. Because I do not want to stay here. I want to keep moving. I want to be faithful! I want to be responsible. I want to do my job well and hear God say to me, "Well done! You have been a faithful servant."
There is another part of my life that needs some work. My role as wife, as Tim's partner, his friend. I've been coasting a bit and I miss "us" desperately. I need some "us" time beyond after the girls are in bed. We didn't really get that even on our vacation. No one's fault, it just didn't happen. So I'm working on a few ideas on how to fix that. I have yet to figure out who to ask but I'm planning to book a sitter for a good part of Saturday. I'd love to run away for the weekend. I have it off. But that's not likely to happen this time.
Now it's time for me to go put the potatoes on to boil and open the corn and beans for supper. I know no ones really reading this, but it helps me to think it out. It helps me to know I have written this down so I can come back and do a check to see how I am doing.
On with life!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saturday Survival
It's nearly time to go to sleep. Now would be a good time to turn off the computer and start trying to fall asleep. It takes me awhile. I'm so jealous of the way Tim can just close his eyes and be sleeping within minutes. I've never ever been that way. I can remember laying awake trying to fall asleep for hours when I was about 9 or 10. Light off, just trying to go to sleep.
Anyway, I wanted to come on and report that today I made good choices. All day long. I didn't eat the chips. I didn't buy the Kit Kat bar, which I love. I used the same self talk I do on the treadmill, convincing myself I can go just a little bit further, just a little bit longer. Instead of chips while playing games today I ate frozen blueberries and raspberries then drank a big glass of water. Instead of a whole candy bar or 3 Lindor chocolates I ate a bite of the chocolate truffle I bought on Wednesday. Then I had a few Digestive cookies and a cup of tea.
I have a bag of salad and some lunch meat ready for taking to lunch tomorrow. I bought bananas and more clementines so we all have good snacks again for tomorrow. Good choices, little by little I'm making good choices. Sometimes it's easy peasy. Other times it's incredibly hard. But I'm doing it, with God's help.
I am actually counting down days til Tuesday. Til it's time to weigh in. Despite wanting to know if this hard work is making a difference or not I did not step on the scale. As a chronic scale watcher this has been hard, but I think it's good for me. It was really exciting to see a 3.5 lb drop last week. I'm hoping for more this week. Secretly I'm hoping to blow past my 10lb goal for Jan. :-) I know it's not totally realistic but I have worked hard. So it's a possibility. I promise to not lose heart if it doesn't happen. It's that time of the month that the scale is likely to reflect water retention weight. If ya know what I mean.
Tim talked about me today to his sisters. He told me he's proud of me. He told his sisters he's proud of me! That's pretty cool. I like hearin git. I like positive reinforcement and I love encouragement. I'm thankful to have a husband who believes in me and loves me no matter what. I'm thankful for friends and family who love me and support me as well.
Thanks to all of you.
Anyway, I wanted to come on and report that today I made good choices. All day long. I didn't eat the chips. I didn't buy the Kit Kat bar, which I love. I used the same self talk I do on the treadmill, convincing myself I can go just a little bit further, just a little bit longer. Instead of chips while playing games today I ate frozen blueberries and raspberries then drank a big glass of water. Instead of a whole candy bar or 3 Lindor chocolates I ate a bite of the chocolate truffle I bought on Wednesday. Then I had a few Digestive cookies and a cup of tea.
I have a bag of salad and some lunch meat ready for taking to lunch tomorrow. I bought bananas and more clementines so we all have good snacks again for tomorrow. Good choices, little by little I'm making good choices. Sometimes it's easy peasy. Other times it's incredibly hard. But I'm doing it, with God's help.
I am actually counting down days til Tuesday. Til it's time to weigh in. Despite wanting to know if this hard work is making a difference or not I did not step on the scale. As a chronic scale watcher this has been hard, but I think it's good for me. It was really exciting to see a 3.5 lb drop last week. I'm hoping for more this week. Secretly I'm hoping to blow past my 10lb goal for Jan. :-) I know it's not totally realistic but I have worked hard. So it's a possibility. I promise to not lose heart if it doesn't happen. It's that time of the month that the scale is likely to reflect water retention weight. If ya know what I mean.
Tim talked about me today to his sisters. He told me he's proud of me. He told his sisters he's proud of me! That's pretty cool. I like hearin git. I like positive reinforcement and I love encouragement. I'm thankful to have a husband who believes in me and loves me no matter what. I'm thankful for friends and family who love me and support me as well.
Thanks to all of you.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Today, I saw the sunrise.
Today I left the house in the dark. A friend picked me up and we went to the Y. We exercised and then she brought me home. Again, in the dark. Then I sat in my favorite chair and watched as light filled the sky. I'm not even crabby! I've been wanting to try getting up early to exercise and start my day and today was the day it happened.
I guess technically I didn't see the sun itself rise, but I did see it go from dark to light. I've been thinking these last few days about how much I miss the sun. I miss the way it brightens everything. I miss the warmth of its rays.
It crossed my mind that in the same way the Son can be missed in my life. I feel gloomy, I feel sad and feel listless when I miss the Son. When I'm reading His word things are brighter. I feel warmth from His love.
It's interesting to me that the same word, spelled differently stands for both the Light of the World and the light that rules the day. I need both, desperately. When they are missing in my life I feel it in ways I can't even describe completely.
May your day today be filled with both Sunshine and the Son.
I guess technically I didn't see the sun itself rise, but I did see it go from dark to light. I've been thinking these last few days about how much I miss the sun. I miss the way it brightens everything. I miss the warmth of its rays.
It crossed my mind that in the same way the Son can be missed in my life. I feel gloomy, I feel sad and feel listless when I miss the Son. When I'm reading His word things are brighter. I feel warmth from His love.
It's interesting to me that the same word, spelled differently stands for both the Light of the World and the light that rules the day. I need both, desperately. When they are missing in my life I feel it in ways I can't even describe completely.
May your day today be filled with both Sunshine and the Son.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Pay Day! And Other Happy Things.
Yippee!! It's the day I've been waiting for for two weeks. Pay Day! I can go and get a new kettle for us, it's been sorely missed the last couple of weeks since leaving it at my sister's house. I can pick up the little bits of groceries we need, although because of my big shop just before January we're pretty good. Supper is already planned for tonight, another WHOOHOO!
I'm also looking forward to Sunday. We're going to go check out a church I've been wanting to check out for a couple of years. Harvest Bible in Barrie. Then afterwards Tim has to go to the Boat Show to take down. The girls and I however get to play! I'm thinking Costco for lunch, The Disney Store and Bath & Body Works and maybe Goodwill before heading home. We may even split a Caramel Apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. YUM!
Tonight I have a date with two of my good friends. It's been way too long since we've had time to chat and tonight that's exactly what the plan is. Drink tea/coffee and chat. I've been looking forward to it since last week. The only downer is that I need to be in bed at a decent time so I can be nice to people for five hours tomorrow at Home Depot, starting at 7 a.m. Gulp. I've been staying in bed until almost 9 or later lately. In fact it's almost ten now and I'm sitting in my bed as I type.
Before you gasp and feel appalled, I've been up. I've had breakfast and so have the girls. I've also paid bills. I've been awake since 8:30, just happily getting things done from here. :)
My muscles are a titch sore today from doing the Biggest Loser workout yesterday. That's four days in a row of physical activity for me. I'm on the right track!! Yesterday I managed to get full and consume my full allotment of calories. I then went over a tiny bit because the girls had made apple pie. I had to have a small piece! But considering I also worked and walked for 3 hours I'm thinkin' it all evens out.
On another positive note, for the first time in several days I didn't wake up after having a nightmare! The one yesterday was awful so I'm very happy to have it be just a dream. My dad is healthy and happy, not dying from a brain tumor. I told you it was a bad dream.
Okay, the girls are coming in to talk to me which is a good sign it's time! Time to get going on school. Time to get on with our day. This is IT! :D
I'm also looking forward to Sunday. We're going to go check out a church I've been wanting to check out for a couple of years. Harvest Bible in Barrie. Then afterwards Tim has to go to the Boat Show to take down. The girls and I however get to play! I'm thinking Costco for lunch, The Disney Store and Bath & Body Works and maybe Goodwill before heading home. We may even split a Caramel Apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. YUM!
Tonight I have a date with two of my good friends. It's been way too long since we've had time to chat and tonight that's exactly what the plan is. Drink tea/coffee and chat. I've been looking forward to it since last week. The only downer is that I need to be in bed at a decent time so I can be nice to people for five hours tomorrow at Home Depot, starting at 7 a.m. Gulp. I've been staying in bed until almost 9 or later lately. In fact it's almost ten now and I'm sitting in my bed as I type.
Before you gasp and feel appalled, I've been up. I've had breakfast and so have the girls. I've also paid bills. I've been awake since 8:30, just happily getting things done from here. :)
My muscles are a titch sore today from doing the Biggest Loser workout yesterday. That's four days in a row of physical activity for me. I'm on the right track!! Yesterday I managed to get full and consume my full allotment of calories. I then went over a tiny bit because the girls had made apple pie. I had to have a small piece! But considering I also worked and walked for 3 hours I'm thinkin' it all evens out.
On another positive note, for the first time in several days I didn't wake up after having a nightmare! The one yesterday was awful so I'm very happy to have it be just a dream. My dad is healthy and happy, not dying from a brain tumor. I told you it was a bad dream.
Okay, the girls are coming in to talk to me which is a good sign it's time! Time to get going on school. Time to get on with our day. This is IT! :D
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Beginning Again, Again.
I went back to the first blog I posted here and wanted to cry and laugh. It could've been written today or last month, or six months ago. Please God, let it not be true six months from now. The mental image of a hamster running on a wheel and getting nowhere fast until she's exhausted comes to mind. The past two years have been like me on a wheel.
Today I started again again, again. God's mercies are new everymorning. His faithfulness stretches to the skies. What is man that He is mindful of him? He created the stars that sing his praise, he created birds that have beauty beyond anything man has yet created who sing his praise. And then there's me, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I know that full well.
Today I stepped on the scale and I am so thankful that last night I had already set in motion goals, plans, incentives for the next 15 weeks. That number was higher than my starting point back in November. I could've cried and felt defeated but I didn't. Instead I felt immensely grateful that I do have a plan in place, I do have incentives for motivation and people who will encourage me.
Today I simply made one choice at a time. I climbed onto the treadmill, turned on my music and started walking. It felt GOOD. It felt incredible. I am so glad I did it, and so thankful for the hot tub after!
Isn't it interesting how life is continually shifting and changing and yet all we need to do is each day take one moment, each decision at a time? Homeschooling is like that too. The entire book looks daunting, but one page or section a day, one chapter a week and little by little you make your way through. Until at last you reach the end and the goal is met. The kids know how to identify birds and insects. The little one who struggled to sound out three letter words is reading compound words with ease. Take it bigger, the entire IDEA of teaching your children yourself is daunting, but breaking it down into small goals, daily, then weekly, then monthly, before hitting yearly and before you know it you've got five years under your belt and all the kids are thriving. Praise God. He is enough.
So I've made some small goals. I've made daily, weekly and monthly goals that will carry me through to the end of April. I think my husband may just have a major incentive in store for me come Easter. He wants to take me home. Home meaning Illinois. Maybe.
See, he doesn't have any strings on that. I'm attaching strings. He wants to take me home, but how sweet it would be to be able to go home healthy, or healthier. So in my mind I'm making that another reason to succeed. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have bins full of clothes waiting to fit me. I have pretty skirts and cute jeans. I have outfits!
In fact I have a hot red dress I've never worn. It's been to Mexico, it's been to Paris, France. I've never been those places but my red dress has! It's gorgeous and flattering and if I persevere, putting that red dress on, looking fabulous and wearing it for my sweet husband would absolutely make my day.
Proverbs 12:11 says 11 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense. Seeing my success in my head and not working towards it won't get me any closer to the goals I have made.
Now, it's time for me to get some rest so I can do my best again tomorrow. Goodnight.
Today I started again again, again. God's mercies are new everymorning. His faithfulness stretches to the skies. What is man that He is mindful of him? He created the stars that sing his praise, he created birds that have beauty beyond anything man has yet created who sing his praise. And then there's me, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I know that full well.
Today I stepped on the scale and I am so thankful that last night I had already set in motion goals, plans, incentives for the next 15 weeks. That number was higher than my starting point back in November. I could've cried and felt defeated but I didn't. Instead I felt immensely grateful that I do have a plan in place, I do have incentives for motivation and people who will encourage me.
Today I simply made one choice at a time. I climbed onto the treadmill, turned on my music and started walking. It felt GOOD. It felt incredible. I am so glad I did it, and so thankful for the hot tub after!
Isn't it interesting how life is continually shifting and changing and yet all we need to do is each day take one moment, each decision at a time? Homeschooling is like that too. The entire book looks daunting, but one page or section a day, one chapter a week and little by little you make your way through. Until at last you reach the end and the goal is met. The kids know how to identify birds and insects. The little one who struggled to sound out three letter words is reading compound words with ease. Take it bigger, the entire IDEA of teaching your children yourself is daunting, but breaking it down into small goals, daily, then weekly, then monthly, before hitting yearly and before you know it you've got five years under your belt and all the kids are thriving. Praise God. He is enough.
So I've made some small goals. I've made daily, weekly and monthly goals that will carry me through to the end of April. I think my husband may just have a major incentive in store for me come Easter. He wants to take me home. Home meaning Illinois. Maybe.
See, he doesn't have any strings on that. I'm attaching strings. He wants to take me home, but how sweet it would be to be able to go home healthy, or healthier. So in my mind I'm making that another reason to succeed. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have bins full of clothes waiting to fit me. I have pretty skirts and cute jeans. I have outfits!
In fact I have a hot red dress I've never worn. It's been to Mexico, it's been to Paris, France. I've never been those places but my red dress has! It's gorgeous and flattering and if I persevere, putting that red dress on, looking fabulous and wearing it for my sweet husband would absolutely make my day.
Proverbs 12:11 says 11 A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense. Seeing my success in my head and not working towards it won't get me any closer to the goals I have made.
Now, it's time for me to get some rest so I can do my best again tomorrow. Goodnight.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Momentum Lost and Momentum Gained
I think it's fair to say that I have a somewhat short attention span when it comes to hard work. If there's a goal I can see then I can push through and make it, but if it's around the corner I'm apt to sit down and eat some chocolate while I get frustrated about how far away the goal is. My January plans to begin where I left off in early December for getting healthy pretty much stalled at the Start line. We're a third of the way through the month and I'm aimless. I have no motivation and no goal, at least until tonight.
Then tonight, in walked a girl offering a Spa Package at a significantly lower price than if you bought the treatments separately. It's been nearly 3 years since I went to this Spa last and I adored it when I did go. Tim let me go for my 30th B'day and it was pretty much the best birthday ever. So as soon as she told me what and how much my mind went, "INCENTIVE!" The start date to be able to use it is Feb 1st. I'm going to pretend it says Feb. 12th. That gives me 30 days from tomorrow to make a difference. I want to say 10lbs, but I think that is pushing it. Five is do-able, but maybe just a touch too doable. So perhaps I'll settle on 7?
Then after I came home I read an e-mail from a friend. There's Biggest Loser type challenge happening and she's participating. I thought to myself when I read it that that would be so neat, but she lives in Alberta, I live in Ontario. Way too far away to do it. But she said you don't have to live near her!! Wait, what?! Seriously? So I am excited about the potential to joining in on their challenge! I need to give some thought to my goals for not just the next 30 days but the next 90.
What do you know, that puts me just right before a particularly important day to me. My 33rd birthday! I'm getting excited. I can almost feel it. The desire to eat right, to pay attention. The desire to put on a dvd and move my body! The desire to get on the treadmill!!! YAY!
I do believe I may have found some motivation!
Then tonight, in walked a girl offering a Spa Package at a significantly lower price than if you bought the treatments separately. It's been nearly 3 years since I went to this Spa last and I adored it when I did go. Tim let me go for my 30th B'day and it was pretty much the best birthday ever. So as soon as she told me what and how much my mind went, "INCENTIVE!" The start date to be able to use it is Feb 1st. I'm going to pretend it says Feb. 12th. That gives me 30 days from tomorrow to make a difference. I want to say 10lbs, but I think that is pushing it. Five is do-able, but maybe just a touch too doable. So perhaps I'll settle on 7?
Then after I came home I read an e-mail from a friend. There's Biggest Loser type challenge happening and she's participating. I thought to myself when I read it that that would be so neat, but she lives in Alberta, I live in Ontario. Way too far away to do it. But she said you don't have to live near her!! Wait, what?! Seriously? So I am excited about the potential to joining in on their challenge! I need to give some thought to my goals for not just the next 30 days but the next 90.
What do you know, that puts me just right before a particularly important day to me. My 33rd birthday! I'm getting excited. I can almost feel it. The desire to eat right, to pay attention. The desire to put on a dvd and move my body! The desire to get on the treadmill!!! YAY!
I do believe I may have found some motivation!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Thoughts On Staying Home
These last three days I have been able to stay home. Tomorrow I am scheduled to work, and for the five days following that I am also scheduled to work. Welcome back to reality for me.
I'm thinking about changing my reality. I would like to find something that would allow me to be at home, earn what I need to earn and still be home. I'm even considering Daycare and I do not like daycare. The thing is, it's not exactly Daycare I'm considering so much as seeing about taking one or two littles into our home to love. No more than two.
I miss babies. I miss toddlers. It hasn't been that long since my girls were toddlers but it feels like forever. I've got enough distance now to want some of it back. The gooey grins, the slobbery smiles, the snuggles while reading books before naps. Even the tantrums that make you crazy and laugh at the same time.
So I'm thinking about checking into what it would take to have a baby or two into our home. My oldest would absolutely love helping to take care of a little. Our homeschooling is going well and I think we could do it. Maybe.
I'm open to other options and ideas. If you have some, do share. I do not have a degree. I love to write and adore reading. I don't really have or take the time to write since for me it's an all or nothing thing. I either fall all the way into it or I don't want to go there. I can't do it just a little. Besides writing takes months and years to start earning. With my current schedule I don't have time to do that kind of research etc. Nor would I know where to start.
Just putting a voice to thoughts that have been in my head for quite awhile. I like Home Depot and the people I work with. I hate leaving the house, leaving my family evenings and weekends to be there. If there were something else. . . .:) Just thinking.
Home Depot also offers 50% coverage for dental, but in reality that coverage has done very little for us. It's only for every 9 months for exams and cleanings. There's a deductible that must be met every year, so really it's paying about 25% of our bill for the girls. So I'm working my tail off for what?
Oh yeah, to pay down debt. I know. I remember. I've checked our budget. My head is on straight. Just wishful thinking. No, make that prayerful thinking. I like being home. I like the way our home is looking after I've been home for 3 days with no work over my head.
Just thinking. :)
I'm thinking about changing my reality. I would like to find something that would allow me to be at home, earn what I need to earn and still be home. I'm even considering Daycare and I do not like daycare. The thing is, it's not exactly Daycare I'm considering so much as seeing about taking one or two littles into our home to love. No more than two.
I miss babies. I miss toddlers. It hasn't been that long since my girls were toddlers but it feels like forever. I've got enough distance now to want some of it back. The gooey grins, the slobbery smiles, the snuggles while reading books before naps. Even the tantrums that make you crazy and laugh at the same time.
So I'm thinking about checking into what it would take to have a baby or two into our home. My oldest would absolutely love helping to take care of a little. Our homeschooling is going well and I think we could do it. Maybe.
I'm open to other options and ideas. If you have some, do share. I do not have a degree. I love to write and adore reading. I don't really have or take the time to write since for me it's an all or nothing thing. I either fall all the way into it or I don't want to go there. I can't do it just a little. Besides writing takes months and years to start earning. With my current schedule I don't have time to do that kind of research etc. Nor would I know where to start.
Just putting a voice to thoughts that have been in my head for quite awhile. I like Home Depot and the people I work with. I hate leaving the house, leaving my family evenings and weekends to be there. If there were something else. . . .:) Just thinking.
Home Depot also offers 50% coverage for dental, but in reality that coverage has done very little for us. It's only for every 9 months for exams and cleanings. There's a deductible that must be met every year, so really it's paying about 25% of our bill for the girls. So I'm working my tail off for what?
Oh yeah, to pay down debt. I know. I remember. I've checked our budget. My head is on straight. Just wishful thinking. No, make that prayerful thinking. I like being home. I like the way our home is looking after I've been home for 3 days with no work over my head.
Just thinking. :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Mmmm Coffee!
I like coffee. I like it hot and I like it cold. I do not like it lukewarm, I won't drink it. I like it with half & half, not milk and definitely not sugar! However, I also like flavored creamers which are sweet. But those are for afternoon coffee, like right now. Not for first thing in the morning coffee.
I like Starbuck frou frou coffees, mostly because they drizzle real caramel in my Caramel Macchiatto and top it all off with a full froth of whipped cream. The real stuff, not the edible vegetable biproduct icky junk. Mmmm. Coffee.
I drink decaf. It's not the caffeine I crave because I don't crave caffeine. In fact I avoid caffeine, it makes me feel funny and makes my mind spin at night instead of falling asleep. Since as you can probably guess I have trouble getting to sleep in the first place caffeine is not my friend.
It's the smell. The flavor. The taste of a really good cup of coffee that pulls me and makes me sigh with pleasure. It's the remembering of good friends I've shared chats with while sipping a cup. It's the flashback to "kid coffee" at my Grandma's house, more milk than coffee but still a special treat.
Right now I'm sipping a cup of decaf Tim Horton's coffee with a healthy dollop of Vanilla Toffee Caramel creamer in it. Wish you were here to share it with me. That would make it taste even better.
I like Starbuck frou frou coffees, mostly because they drizzle real caramel in my Caramel Macchiatto and top it all off with a full froth of whipped cream. The real stuff, not the edible vegetable biproduct icky junk. Mmmm. Coffee.
I drink decaf. It's not the caffeine I crave because I don't crave caffeine. In fact I avoid caffeine, it makes me feel funny and makes my mind spin at night instead of falling asleep. Since as you can probably guess I have trouble getting to sleep in the first place caffeine is not my friend.
It's the smell. The flavor. The taste of a really good cup of coffee that pulls me and makes me sigh with pleasure. It's the remembering of good friends I've shared chats with while sipping a cup. It's the flashback to "kid coffee" at my Grandma's house, more milk than coffee but still a special treat.
Right now I'm sipping a cup of decaf Tim Horton's coffee with a healthy dollop of Vanilla Toffee Caramel creamer in it. Wish you were here to share it with me. That would make it taste even better.
Here We Go Again
There are three major sins in my life I don't know if I will ever have victory over. I've spent the last few days reading The Screwtape Letters and once again they spoke to me. These things I struggle with are sin. Pure and simple, basic and evil. I am a child of God. I am not tied to my sin any longer. Jesus died on the cross to set me free from these sins!! So why am I still struggling with them? Can and will God use them to strengthen me? Is it possible that instead of considering them something that defeats me they could possibly be tools in use to strengthen me?
My weight. I've thought I was fat for most of my life, since about the age of 15. I've only truly been overweight for the last ten. I've lost 40lbs and gained it all back with friends. It's to the point where my youngest has asked me if I'm having a baby and when I told her no she told me she was pretty sure I was because my tummy was so big. Ouch. She also told me yesterday that she likes me when I'm smaller. Worse yet, my girls are growing up knowing and watching me struggle with food!! This is important!
Taking care of the body God has given me is important! Enjoying the food he created but not being a glutton is important. Teaching my girls to eat healthy foods that fuel their body rather than junk foods that wear it down. This is important too.
Spending. The Proverbs are filled with cautions about getting wisdom, getting understanding. They warn again and against being foolish. And the last one talks about a wife. The one verse that really gets me talks about how she will do him good and not evil all the days of his life. I want that to be ME!
Pride. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. There are so many ways I am prideful. So many various little veins of pride that need squashing! From my home, to my children, my spirituality (seriously?!), and my abilities, it's embarrassing and I'm not going to go into detail. Suffice it to say I know that these are issues and I hope you will forgive me for not confessing them in detail.
I said three, but there's more. Greed and envy. These two go hand in hand. I want to be content. I want to be thankful for what I have. I want to rejoice for those who are blessed, for those who have lovely things! Instead too often I feel jealous and want pretty, expensive, lovely, more too! It doesn't make it okay to want it too. It's still a sin.
Laziness. Yikes. Another embarrassing one. This is one I am tackling now along with clutter and messiness which do go along with that. I've come a long way but I've got a long way to go too. Again, this is critical for me to teach my children. Or rather, teaching them to NOT be lazy is critical.
Reading The Screwtape Letters along with a portion from a book by Elisabeth Eliot has motivated me to do something about these things. To not try to ignore them or forget them or just whine about them even if the whining is to myself.
Back in November I started with Sparkpeople.com and loved it. I'm back from vacation and back on to the site. Except today I was lazy and didn't exercise. Tomorrow I will! I also relaxed and ate junk. Again. *sigh* Please, Lord, tomorrow I will do better.
Two years ago Tim and I started reading Dave Ramsey and agreed to use his principles. Well, two years later we're going to start again. I have started. Budget is made. Money is allocated to specific places, purposes. Boring, scary, but done.
I've rejoined Flylady and started the day with a shiney sink today. I also checked out character training by Character First and talked with the girls about Orderliness today. It's our theme for the month. I along with them will be choosing some goals, and working on implementing good habits.
If you've read this far, thank you! That's pretty much it. I'm exhausted now and ready to sleep. Goodnight.
My weight. I've thought I was fat for most of my life, since about the age of 15. I've only truly been overweight for the last ten. I've lost 40lbs and gained it all back with friends. It's to the point where my youngest has asked me if I'm having a baby and when I told her no she told me she was pretty sure I was because my tummy was so big. Ouch. She also told me yesterday that she likes me when I'm smaller. Worse yet, my girls are growing up knowing and watching me struggle with food!! This is important!
Taking care of the body God has given me is important! Enjoying the food he created but not being a glutton is important. Teaching my girls to eat healthy foods that fuel their body rather than junk foods that wear it down. This is important too.
Spending. The Proverbs are filled with cautions about getting wisdom, getting understanding. They warn again and against being foolish. And the last one talks about a wife. The one verse that really gets me talks about how she will do him good and not evil all the days of his life. I want that to be ME!
Pride. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. There are so many ways I am prideful. So many various little veins of pride that need squashing! From my home, to my children, my spirituality (seriously?!), and my abilities, it's embarrassing and I'm not going to go into detail. Suffice it to say I know that these are issues and I hope you will forgive me for not confessing them in detail.
I said three, but there's more. Greed and envy. These two go hand in hand. I want to be content. I want to be thankful for what I have. I want to rejoice for those who are blessed, for those who have lovely things! Instead too often I feel jealous and want pretty, expensive, lovely, more too! It doesn't make it okay to want it too. It's still a sin.
Laziness. Yikes. Another embarrassing one. This is one I am tackling now along with clutter and messiness which do go along with that. I've come a long way but I've got a long way to go too. Again, this is critical for me to teach my children. Or rather, teaching them to NOT be lazy is critical.
Reading The Screwtape Letters along with a portion from a book by Elisabeth Eliot has motivated me to do something about these things. To not try to ignore them or forget them or just whine about them even if the whining is to myself.
Back in November I started with Sparkpeople.com and loved it. I'm back from vacation and back on to the site. Except today I was lazy and didn't exercise. Tomorrow I will! I also relaxed and ate junk. Again. *sigh* Please, Lord, tomorrow I will do better.
Two years ago Tim and I started reading Dave Ramsey and agreed to use his principles. Well, two years later we're going to start again. I have started. Budget is made. Money is allocated to specific places, purposes. Boring, scary, but done.
I've rejoined Flylady and started the day with a shiney sink today. I also checked out character training by Character First and talked with the girls about Orderliness today. It's our theme for the month. I along with them will be choosing some goals, and working on implementing good habits.
If you've read this far, thank you! That's pretty much it. I'm exhausted now and ready to sleep. Goodnight.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Going Forward
My last post was nearly a year ago. I could've titled this post the same as the last one. We've just come home from our vacation. It was wonderful, new, interesting and warm, well warmer than home!
This year I have some goals for me. I have some goals for our homeschool. I have some goals for my home and the keeping of it. I don't know if I'll remember this exists and continue writing here or if I'll forget again. When you have a lot going on something always has to give.
It's nearing one in the morning and I'm still awake. Tomorrow is church. I don't want to go. Isn't that sad? I would be just as happy staying here; watching the message online.
What has changed? I've had more than one discussion with various people over what has happened to church. Where did it go? There are some things I truly miss. Potlucks. Don't laugh, it's true! Community. I've said repeatedly that you can not force community. You either are one or you aren't. Living 45 minutes away from the area we attend church in means we aren't. We aren't going to be. My children are simply not going to have the same memory of church that I do. I grieve for that.
So it has me thinking, what is really important about church. Is it a message that challenges you? Is it worship songs that lead your heart to a place where your soul cries out to God praising Him? Is it Sunday School teaching Bible Stories and truths? Is it living near enough to truly be able to help if someone from the church needs help?
If I made a dinner for someone in the church we attend now it would be cold before I could deliver it. But the body of Christ, the Church, is not contained or defined by postal codes or townships.
So it occured to me this weekend to start looking around me. I live next door to a pastor. I could easily ask him if to let me know if I could make a meal for a family in need. My girls and I could deliver a hot meal nearby.
I read yesterday at the bottom of my aunt's Christmas letter that worship and service are used interchangeably in some scriptures. That thought has been moving around in my head since I read it. How can I act this out? How can I live it?
There are many things I want to grow in this year. They are the same things that I've had in mind for the last ten years. As my girls grow older I feel as though my time to do these is running short. While God has not put a time limit on my growth there is no denying that certain things must be lived now.
Some years I have a verse, a theme that God places repeatedly in my head and heart. Last year for homeschooling and life it was "Get wisdom, get understanding. Above all else, guard your heart." As I write this I can't say that there is a specific verse or theme but I have a sense of urgency. A sense that now is the time to act, to seek, to find, to change, to grow. It's time.
This year I have some goals for me. I have some goals for our homeschool. I have some goals for my home and the keeping of it. I don't know if I'll remember this exists and continue writing here or if I'll forget again. When you have a lot going on something always has to give.
It's nearing one in the morning and I'm still awake. Tomorrow is church. I don't want to go. Isn't that sad? I would be just as happy staying here; watching the message online.
What has changed? I've had more than one discussion with various people over what has happened to church. Where did it go? There are some things I truly miss. Potlucks. Don't laugh, it's true! Community. I've said repeatedly that you can not force community. You either are one or you aren't. Living 45 minutes away from the area we attend church in means we aren't. We aren't going to be. My children are simply not going to have the same memory of church that I do. I grieve for that.
So it has me thinking, what is really important about church. Is it a message that challenges you? Is it worship songs that lead your heart to a place where your soul cries out to God praising Him? Is it Sunday School teaching Bible Stories and truths? Is it living near enough to truly be able to help if someone from the church needs help?
If I made a dinner for someone in the church we attend now it would be cold before I could deliver it. But the body of Christ, the Church, is not contained or defined by postal codes or townships.
So it occured to me this weekend to start looking around me. I live next door to a pastor. I could easily ask him if to let me know if I could make a meal for a family in need. My girls and I could deliver a hot meal nearby.
I read yesterday at the bottom of my aunt's Christmas letter that worship and service are used interchangeably in some scriptures. That thought has been moving around in my head since I read it. How can I act this out? How can I live it?
There are many things I want to grow in this year. They are the same things that I've had in mind for the last ten years. As my girls grow older I feel as though my time to do these is running short. While God has not put a time limit on my growth there is no denying that certain things must be lived now.
Some years I have a verse, a theme that God places repeatedly in my head and heart. Last year for homeschooling and life it was "Get wisdom, get understanding. Above all else, guard your heart." As I write this I can't say that there is a specific verse or theme but I have a sense of urgency. A sense that now is the time to act, to seek, to find, to change, to grow. It's time.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Home Again, Home Again.
We had three weeks of vacation/family visiting. The first three days we spent in Chicago just the Adams Family (Duh, duh, duh, dum). Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum and The Chicago Art Institute Musuem as well as Chinatown were amazing. The food at Double Li's in Chinatown was soooo good. Sophia's best comment of the Chicago trip though was while looking at Alaskan King Crab, "Whoa, Look! There's lunch for a month!" We enjoyed Chicago style hot dogs instead but I'm still laughing at that. OH, and I forgot, we stopped at the Christkindle Market as well. Brrrr!
I think we brought the cold and snow with us. Chicago gave us a cold blustery, snowy time but it sure was pretty. Our hotel was pretty neat too. And taxi's are cheap!! Toronto should take note.
We stayed a night with my cousin Angela and her husband Jesse. Unfortunately we didn't break out Settlers at that time. We'll be back though! Jesse made this really cool board for his game. I was drooling. Ephraim, their little guy is just smart as a whip and so cute. He liked the girls and kept running up to them giving them hugs.
On Wednesday we decided to head to Manito. The trip is a blur to me so I must've slept, well between phone calls. Having a cell phone was fun even if it did ring a lot sometimes. Tim started laughing after the third call, I think from my sister. We don't get that many calls at home! We stopped in Tremont to say Hi to my mom at work. She was thrilled to see the girls and the feeling was mutual. She shared dum dum's and stickers with them so the spoiling officially began!
Once in Manito it seemed the weather decided to be nasty again. That whole ice storm hit hard. Mom & Dad's yard and drive turned into a skating rink. It was great to be with Melissa, Brice and kids as well as mom & dad.
Dad wanted Tim to go to work with him and Tim wanted to go so Tim put on his long underwear (such a nice wife I am to pack them for him!) and met dad at 5:30 to go to work. ICK. I slept until 8. The girls played with the cats at Grandpa and Grandma's and didn't mind that I was asleep for a while after they were. Grandpa makes pancakes and bacon and eggs and other delicious breakfasts.
All three girls got to go on special on their own trips with Gpa and Gma Q. They loved it. They didn't want to leave when it was time to move on. But the fun didn't stop there. We stayed a couple of nights with my brother, his wife and their 4 kids. Cousins galore! They had way too much fun.
Of course, there was a catch. On Tuesday before Christmas our littlest started puking. While we were with my extended family (about 30 of us). Right on the carpet! Tim says that it's amazing how quickly you're kicked out of a party when you're kid throws up. *Grin*. He was a sweetheart and took great care of G while she was sick. I'm such a suck about those things! He even stayed home from Christmas eve with her and let me stay and play.
Christmas day G was feeling better so we let her come out and play. She didn't do much more than flop around. Poor kidlet. She did like her gifts though and had enough energy to paint pictures with her new paints.
On Boxing Day (the 26th) I was sick. Oh joy. I haven't been that sick in a long time and I hope I'm never that sick again. Did I ever mention how much I loathe throwing up?? We were supposed to leave for SC. The weather was conspiring against us. It was wet and cold and foggy. But I was willing and Tim packed the van so, puke bucket at my feet we left around 1.
We made it as far as Lexington KY. Stepping out of the van and into warm air was bliss. The Best Western in Lexington was lovely, the pool is huge, the hot tube was perfect and breakfast had my whole family drooling. Who doesn't love fresh biscuits??
Hannah called at 7:30 to see if we'd left yet. Uh no. We were sleeping. But we did get moving and finally left Lexington around 10. Driving through KY and into SC was gorgeous. It would be even more so when things are green, but we weren't complaining warm weather? We're fine. :D We made it to Hannahs before bedtime and she had homemade Vegetable soup waitingfor us. YUM.
One more time though, sickness hit. Rebecca lost her supper, lunch and breakfast. Poor kid. It was HOT. 75, and lovely. She slept fitfully and slept all Monday when the weather was so amazing. But Tuesday she was feeling better. Monday the other two girls played outside with Hannah's 3 dogs and fished in her pond. Oh and I fished too. :)
Monday, we went to the Ocean. The sun was setting when we started back to Hannah's and it was breathtaking. I would move there in a heart beat. We had a fantastic time at the beach. We found shells, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, one crab and 4 shark teeth! The water was freezing cold but it was so pretty.
I think the girls and I liked the palm trees all over the best. That and the, don't need a jacket, air. :)
On Tuesday Mom and Dad flew in from IL. So all of us plus Hannah headed to Charleston to pick them up. There's an outlet mall with Bath & Body Works and Coach in Charleston. Can you see me grinning? They also have a Chucky Cheese. I don't believe that 4 hours at Chucky Cheese will ever be topped in my girls memories. Caleb and Hannah are some serious gamers there. :) They put their tickets in with ours and each of our girls ended up with a t-shirt. Sophia won 4 icecreams, Becca and Gabi both won Cotton Candy. The evening ended by picking up mom and dad and it was great.
We enjoyed Wed. together. Hannah, Becca, Mom and I went to downtown Beaufort and went shopping. What a neat town. I loved all the galleries. I also fell in love with an antique and furniture store tucked in the back of an alley. I found Christmas gifts for Tim's boss's and a family friend. I would happily have filled my house with their furniture though! OH, and I found a really cool deal on a print of a watercolor of the lighthouse from the State Park we'd visited the day before! How cool is that?
Thursday we went to an amazing Wings and Rib place for lunch. Tim just kept eating! Their bbq sauce was sooo good. We missed the all you can eat ribs by an hour. Tim now has a reason to go back. :D That night we had a roast for dinner and did Christmas. Hannah had brought home some really neat things as gifts from Iraq. I have the goblets and Tim's carving on our piano now sitting beside the camels. They are pretty!
Then Friday it was time to head home. We decided to take our time driving home and I'm so glad we did. We chose to drive through the mountains. They were so pretty! We took 77 & 79 & 90 and had perfect weather the whole way. I tell ya the hardest part of this trip was driving home! It was painful having to put on coats again in Virginia.
We stayed overnight Friday and Saturday and on Sunday planned as top at Niagara Falls. BRRRR! It was pretty but we could only take about five minutes outside. The wind was blowing so the icy spray quickly made being outside miserable.
The girls had spending money burning a hole in their daddy's pocket so they were happy to spend it at the gift store at Niagara. We go to SC and my girls spend their money in Canada. Oh well. :)
Three hours later give or take a bit we made it back home. The worst roads were as usual the ones right before home. Freezing rain started just north of Toronto. We made it home safe and sound because of our new tires, dh being a great driver and God protecting us. Sleeping in our own beds was NICE.
It's Tuesday and we're just working on getting back into routine. The trip overall was a success. We'll probably do more trips in the future. I'm hoping for warm weather trips once a year. That's not asking so much, is it??? :D
I think we brought the cold and snow with us. Chicago gave us a cold blustery, snowy time but it sure was pretty. Our hotel was pretty neat too. And taxi's are cheap!! Toronto should take note.
We stayed a night with my cousin Angela and her husband Jesse. Unfortunately we didn't break out Settlers at that time. We'll be back though! Jesse made this really cool board for his game. I was drooling. Ephraim, their little guy is just smart as a whip and so cute. He liked the girls and kept running up to them giving them hugs.
On Wednesday we decided to head to Manito. The trip is a blur to me so I must've slept, well between phone calls. Having a cell phone was fun even if it did ring a lot sometimes. Tim started laughing after the third call, I think from my sister. We don't get that many calls at home! We stopped in Tremont to say Hi to my mom at work. She was thrilled to see the girls and the feeling was mutual. She shared dum dum's and stickers with them so the spoiling officially began!
Once in Manito it seemed the weather decided to be nasty again. That whole ice storm hit hard. Mom & Dad's yard and drive turned into a skating rink. It was great to be with Melissa, Brice and kids as well as mom & dad.
Dad wanted Tim to go to work with him and Tim wanted to go so Tim put on his long underwear (such a nice wife I am to pack them for him!) and met dad at 5:30 to go to work. ICK. I slept until 8. The girls played with the cats at Grandpa and Grandma's and didn't mind that I was asleep for a while after they were. Grandpa makes pancakes and bacon and eggs and other delicious breakfasts.
All three girls got to go on special on their own trips with Gpa and Gma Q. They loved it. They didn't want to leave when it was time to move on. But the fun didn't stop there. We stayed a couple of nights with my brother, his wife and their 4 kids. Cousins galore! They had way too much fun.
Of course, there was a catch. On Tuesday before Christmas our littlest started puking. While we were with my extended family (about 30 of us). Right on the carpet! Tim says that it's amazing how quickly you're kicked out of a party when you're kid throws up. *Grin*. He was a sweetheart and took great care of G while she was sick. I'm such a suck about those things! He even stayed home from Christmas eve with her and let me stay and play.
Christmas day G was feeling better so we let her come out and play. She didn't do much more than flop around. Poor kidlet. She did like her gifts though and had enough energy to paint pictures with her new paints.
On Boxing Day (the 26th) I was sick. Oh joy. I haven't been that sick in a long time and I hope I'm never that sick again. Did I ever mention how much I loathe throwing up?? We were supposed to leave for SC. The weather was conspiring against us. It was wet and cold and foggy. But I was willing and Tim packed the van so, puke bucket at my feet we left around 1.
We made it as far as Lexington KY. Stepping out of the van and into warm air was bliss. The Best Western in Lexington was lovely, the pool is huge, the hot tube was perfect and breakfast had my whole family drooling. Who doesn't love fresh biscuits??
Hannah called at 7:30 to see if we'd left yet. Uh no. We were sleeping. But we did get moving and finally left Lexington around 10. Driving through KY and into SC was gorgeous. It would be even more so when things are green, but we weren't complaining warm weather? We're fine. :D We made it to Hannahs before bedtime and she had homemade Vegetable soup waitingfor us. YUM.
One more time though, sickness hit. Rebecca lost her supper, lunch and breakfast. Poor kid. It was HOT. 75, and lovely. She slept fitfully and slept all Monday when the weather was so amazing. But Tuesday she was feeling better. Monday the other two girls played outside with Hannah's 3 dogs and fished in her pond. Oh and I fished too. :)
Monday, we went to the Ocean. The sun was setting when we started back to Hannah's and it was breathtaking. I would move there in a heart beat. We had a fantastic time at the beach. We found shells, horseshoe crabs, sea urchins, one crab and 4 shark teeth! The water was freezing cold but it was so pretty.
I think the girls and I liked the palm trees all over the best. That and the, don't need a jacket, air. :)
On Tuesday Mom and Dad flew in from IL. So all of us plus Hannah headed to Charleston to pick them up. There's an outlet mall with Bath & Body Works and Coach in Charleston. Can you see me grinning? They also have a Chucky Cheese. I don't believe that 4 hours at Chucky Cheese will ever be topped in my girls memories. Caleb and Hannah are some serious gamers there. :) They put their tickets in with ours and each of our girls ended up with a t-shirt. Sophia won 4 icecreams, Becca and Gabi both won Cotton Candy. The evening ended by picking up mom and dad and it was great.
We enjoyed Wed. together. Hannah, Becca, Mom and I went to downtown Beaufort and went shopping. What a neat town. I loved all the galleries. I also fell in love with an antique and furniture store tucked in the back of an alley. I found Christmas gifts for Tim's boss's and a family friend. I would happily have filled my house with their furniture though! OH, and I found a really cool deal on a print of a watercolor of the lighthouse from the State Park we'd visited the day before! How cool is that?
Thursday we went to an amazing Wings and Rib place for lunch. Tim just kept eating! Their bbq sauce was sooo good. We missed the all you can eat ribs by an hour. Tim now has a reason to go back. :D That night we had a roast for dinner and did Christmas. Hannah had brought home some really neat things as gifts from Iraq. I have the goblets and Tim's carving on our piano now sitting beside the camels. They are pretty!
Then Friday it was time to head home. We decided to take our time driving home and I'm so glad we did. We chose to drive through the mountains. They were so pretty! We took 77 & 79 & 90 and had perfect weather the whole way. I tell ya the hardest part of this trip was driving home! It was painful having to put on coats again in Virginia.
We stayed overnight Friday and Saturday and on Sunday planned as top at Niagara Falls. BRRRR! It was pretty but we could only take about five minutes outside. The wind was blowing so the icy spray quickly made being outside miserable.
The girls had spending money burning a hole in their daddy's pocket so they were happy to spend it at the gift store at Niagara. We go to SC and my girls spend their money in Canada. Oh well. :)
Three hours later give or take a bit we made it back home. The worst roads were as usual the ones right before home. Freezing rain started just north of Toronto. We made it home safe and sound because of our new tires, dh being a great driver and God protecting us. Sleeping in our own beds was NICE.
It's Tuesday and we're just working on getting back into routine. The trip overall was a success. We'll probably do more trips in the future. I'm hoping for warm weather trips once a year. That's not asking so much, is it??? :D
Monday, November 10, 2008
Long Time No Blog
I do not even remember the last time I came in her and wrote anything. Last night on the drive home though the thought crossed my mind that I should blog about our night. So here I am, after an enjoyable stop at my friend's blog.
Last night I did something I thought I would probably never do. I went to a Casino. Well, we went to a Casino. We rode a bus filled with my co-workers out to Casino Rama. As we got off the bus we were given dinner vouchers. Now you can see why I was there in the first place, free dinner! Free ride, free dinner, four hours with Tim!
I am encouraged to learn that I think gambling is awful. I hated it!! Hated the punch in the stomach when the machine sucked in the bill and never spit it back out. Hated the quickness of the money going. Hated the dinging bells and flashing lights and how some people were winning hundreds, thousands or more dollars as others were stuffing that much back into machines in the hopes that they too (me too!) would be the recipient of free money! Only you're not. Casino's are there for a purpose. They. Make. Money. End of sentence.
Walking around I saw people of all ages and races playing, and I use that term loosely, games. What game? What is the game in pushing a button and watching a computer screen just miss matching three pictures? That's not a game. A game involves thought, effort and your actions have some control over the outcome. The majority of the casino was filled with machines doing just that.
Then there's the tables where dealers are dealing cards, spinning wheels, handing out tokens and more. If this is a game why is no one smiling? Where is the laughter, the fun, the joy? With all the noise there was a noticable lack of positive emotions. Pleasure? Where? I didn't see it. Not really. Maybe for a moment when the bell went off and you won, if you won. But how much did you put in the machine before it gave some back to you?
No thanks. Gamblings not for me. I enjoyed the free meal. I enjoyed the time with my husband. I'm not even sorry I went. I do not belive that gambling in itself is a sin. It's not a wise use of money, that's quite true. But it is not a sin. To be addicted to it is. To remortgage your house, apply for credit (which is available onsite from 9a.m.- 11 p.m.), to spend the grocery money, bill money, etc. that is wrong. THAT is a sin. And I can see how one could so easily be sucked into it.
Even when I felt my stomach heave as the last credit was spent and my five dollars was gone I felt that urge to try again. The thought that if I did it one more time I'd probably win. So yes, I can absolutely see how it could be addictive and how it could so easily become a sin and like all other sins strangle the good out of life.
A wise person will avoid Casino's, avoid gambling whether on line, in a bar or at a casino, and stays clear of the dangers that lurk there. There but for the grace of God, go I.
Last night I did something I thought I would probably never do. I went to a Casino. Well, we went to a Casino. We rode a bus filled with my co-workers out to Casino Rama. As we got off the bus we were given dinner vouchers. Now you can see why I was there in the first place, free dinner! Free ride, free dinner, four hours with Tim!
I am encouraged to learn that I think gambling is awful. I hated it!! Hated the punch in the stomach when the machine sucked in the bill and never spit it back out. Hated the quickness of the money going. Hated the dinging bells and flashing lights and how some people were winning hundreds, thousands or more dollars as others were stuffing that much back into machines in the hopes that they too (me too!) would be the recipient of free money! Only you're not. Casino's are there for a purpose. They. Make. Money. End of sentence.
Walking around I saw people of all ages and races playing, and I use that term loosely, games. What game? What is the game in pushing a button and watching a computer screen just miss matching three pictures? That's not a game. A game involves thought, effort and your actions have some control over the outcome. The majority of the casino was filled with machines doing just that.
Then there's the tables where dealers are dealing cards, spinning wheels, handing out tokens and more. If this is a game why is no one smiling? Where is the laughter, the fun, the joy? With all the noise there was a noticable lack of positive emotions. Pleasure? Where? I didn't see it. Not really. Maybe for a moment when the bell went off and you won, if you won. But how much did you put in the machine before it gave some back to you?
No thanks. Gamblings not for me. I enjoyed the free meal. I enjoyed the time with my husband. I'm not even sorry I went. I do not belive that gambling in itself is a sin. It's not a wise use of money, that's quite true. But it is not a sin. To be addicted to it is. To remortgage your house, apply for credit (which is available onsite from 9a.m.- 11 p.m.), to spend the grocery money, bill money, etc. that is wrong. THAT is a sin. And I can see how one could so easily be sucked into it.
Even when I felt my stomach heave as the last credit was spent and my five dollars was gone I felt that urge to try again. The thought that if I did it one more time I'd probably win. So yes, I can absolutely see how it could be addictive and how it could so easily become a sin and like all other sins strangle the good out of life.
A wise person will avoid Casino's, avoid gambling whether on line, in a bar or at a casino, and stays clear of the dangers that lurk there. There but for the grace of God, go I.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Here we go again.
Life is a cycle of cycles. Right now I'm continuing up the hill towards a healthy body. Again. I've done it before, two years ago April I was practically skinny. :) Currently I'm at an unhealthy weight and size. Over 200lbs and wearing 18's. *shudder* I started trying to get back to healthy last March. I had high hopes I'd already be there now. But life happens and I quit trying so here I am at about the same spot.
There's hope though. I found an exercise dvd I actually like and can do. It's called Walk Off The Pounds, by Leslie Sansone. Thanks to some friends at the www.heartsathome.org bulletin board I borrowed a dvd of hers from the library then got my own. I'm up to walking 2 miles.
Two very sweet friends got me started at WW about ten weeks ago and that has been a good experience too. I bombed over Christmas and gained what I'd lost back. But over the past week I worked really hard. I journaled what I ate. Every weekday morning I walked and one night even went to the gym. Wednesdays are crazy there, I won't be back on a Wed. This afternoon I weighed in at WW and I'm down 5lbs. Whoohoo! Fifty-five to go, but this is a good start.
Last Tuesday Tim issued me a challenge, or an incentive, call it what you wish. If I can be down 20lbs by my birthday just 12 weeks away then he will treat me to an amazing date. I'm going to get to wear that hot red dress I bought last fall. I'm going to do it! :) Five down, fifteen to go by April 7th.
Sara
--
There's hope though. I found an exercise dvd I actually like and can do. It's called Walk Off The Pounds, by Leslie Sansone. Thanks to some friends at the www.heartsathome.org bulletin board I borrowed a dvd of hers from the library then got my own. I'm up to walking 2 miles.
Two very sweet friends got me started at WW about ten weeks ago and that has been a good experience too. I bombed over Christmas and gained what I'd lost back. But over the past week I worked really hard. I journaled what I ate. Every weekday morning I walked and one night even went to the gym. Wednesdays are crazy there, I won't be back on a Wed. This afternoon I weighed in at WW and I'm down 5lbs. Whoohoo! Fifty-five to go, but this is a good start.
Last Tuesday Tim issued me a challenge, or an incentive, call it what you wish. If I can be down 20lbs by my birthday just 12 weeks away then he will treat me to an amazing date. I'm going to get to wear that hot red dress I bought last fall. I'm going to do it! :) Five down, fifteen to go by April 7th.
Sara
--
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Hired!
I am now officially employed by Home Depot Canada. What I'll be doing, I don't really know. I was hired to work in paint but the store manager then asked where else I would be interested in working in case they decide to move me around the store.
I'm all excited to learn about paint though so I hope I at least get to be there for a while! I have 2 upstairs rooms and the entire downstairs needing painted. My deck need stained and I'm really wanting to know how to do it myself! Since the whole waiting for dh to help me figure it out has lasted three years already. :D I'm gonna do it myself!
Tonight I get to go shopping and spend money, on steel toe shoes (Oh joy! Note the sarcasm. lol) . The cash is already in my purse, in the envelope designated "clothing" there's also cash in the tithe and groceries envelope! :D Yep, it's true. We are finally getting to actually do a cash budget with cash. The bills are paid thanks to God's provision and we have what we need to cover the next two weeks. :D
I'm loving how cool God is. How well he knows me. I'm ashamed of my response to not getting the hotel job and how I didn't react in a godly manner. I was mad and I let it show. I knew God was in control but I still thought the hiring manager there made a mistake. (blushing) In truth God knew what I need, what our family needs and knew what would fill that need over and above what I wanted-cash, and gave us the possibility of added health coverage as well in a matter of months.
Now given, that's not a given! I need to work 20 hours a week for 3 months to qualify. Guess what my next prayer request is? :D
In other positive news we also actually have an Emergency Fund started! ***YAY!*** Can you hear me cheering over there? This is the first time in my life I have done this and I love how it feels.
So it's been a good week. This morning the girls and I gave back a bit by working with the other home schooling families and collecting food for the food bank. Then we came home and passed out more fliers about the food drive the girls are participating in at church. Tomorrow we'll drive around and collect the donations then take them to the church.
God is good, all the time.
I'm all excited to learn about paint though so I hope I at least get to be there for a while! I have 2 upstairs rooms and the entire downstairs needing painted. My deck need stained and I'm really wanting to know how to do it myself! Since the whole waiting for dh to help me figure it out has lasted three years already. :D I'm gonna do it myself!
Tonight I get to go shopping and spend money, on steel toe shoes (Oh joy! Note the sarcasm. lol) . The cash is already in my purse, in the envelope designated "clothing" there's also cash in the tithe and groceries envelope! :D Yep, it's true. We are finally getting to actually do a cash budget with cash. The bills are paid thanks to God's provision and we have what we need to cover the next two weeks. :D
I'm loving how cool God is. How well he knows me. I'm ashamed of my response to not getting the hotel job and how I didn't react in a godly manner. I was mad and I let it show. I knew God was in control but I still thought the hiring manager there made a mistake. (blushing) In truth God knew what I need, what our family needs and knew what would fill that need over and above what I wanted-cash, and gave us the possibility of added health coverage as well in a matter of months.
Now given, that's not a given! I need to work 20 hours a week for 3 months to qualify. Guess what my next prayer request is? :D
In other positive news we also actually have an Emergency Fund started! ***YAY!*** Can you hear me cheering over there? This is the first time in my life I have done this and I love how it feels.
So it's been a good week. This morning the girls and I gave back a bit by working with the other home schooling families and collecting food for the food bank. Then we came home and passed out more fliers about the food drive the girls are participating in at church. Tomorrow we'll drive around and collect the donations then take them to the church.
God is good, all the time.
Friday, November 9, 2007
That's Just The Way It Goes
It's been a month since Tim and I decided to get active about paying off our debt. It amazes me how slowly things move even when you really want them to hurry. The important things I mean. Like appointments at the bank. It takes days, weeks even to get in, get things processed and then receive the information you need. Then there are days and weeks of praying, thinking and just plain old waiting. Have you noticed I'm not a patient person by nature? This is torture. I want to get going already! Get that emergency fund funded.
Instead I am sitting here feeling frustrated a bit because we're really no further ahead than we were a month ago. Ahhhh, but then, we're not further behind either. And that my friend, is progress in and of itself. :) So I continue to tell myself that stepping forward, choosing each day to not spend or spend wisely is making the debt free life that much closer.
Christmas is coming, it's swooping in with little regard to the bank balance. Panic is hovering over my head when I think about what needs to be purchased, wrapped and under the tree. . . .Whoa. . .did I just say NEEDS?! Well, let's reason this out. . . .what I desperately want to be under the tree. I love giving gifts to my children and Christmas is my favorite time of year. I'm fighting hard to reconcile want with need.
My children need nothing. I want to give them things. Like a soft fuzzy blanket for G's bed. She's still sleeping under just a hand knit afghan. She is perfectly content, but mommy is concerned that it's not warm enough when she's wearing a nightgown instead of blanket sleeper.
Or a Bible for B. Truth told, she's very happy with the ones she has. We even just found a KJV in large print, kids version for her at Goodwill for fifty cents. That makes her Bible work so much easier since Mommy didn't know the Bible curriculum was in KJV. As of yesterday she was begging to do more Bible so she could be in her Bible more. Isn't that awesome! :D
Then there's S. She had so much fun, along with B. at their friends home playing with K'Nex. I want very much to get a box for them to play with, or two. They spent a couple hours building things. She's even asking if today we can sort out toys to sell. . . I need to figure out why she wants to sell other than that Mommy keeps saying they have too many.
See, that's the truth. We have too much stuff. So our house feels crowded. Yet I hold tight to the stuff out of fear and pride. Stupid pride. I'm going to get a couple of big boxes and start filling away!!! :D That thought makes me grin.
But back to the money stuff. I interviewed two weeks ago for a position at a hotel. It would've been ideal. Good pay, nice benefits, not much hard labor at all. But I didn't want it, so I didn't do a great job at the interview, even after praying before going in. Then I didn't get it and boy was I upset. (Insert blushing smiley here.) What an ungrateful brat I can be. And I wonder where G gets it?!? It's all me, baby! So I pouted for a bit but still put my resume in several places, including Walmart which I sincerely have no desire to ever work at. . .but um, money is money. So I will do it if need be.
Walmart never even called me back. LOL This past Saturday and Sunday I worked at Home Depot for a Christmas Light Exchange program. It was FUN! The people at HD were fun. I had already checked and they weren't hiring. I'd heard rumors that they are a good company to work for so I was a bit disappointed. Then over the intercom came an announcement that they were hiring for part and full time positions.
So I scurried over and filled out an application while on break from the job. . .yep, filled out the application while working a different job. But the job was a 2 day thing, so no worries. I turned in my application with a resume only to find out they had filled 4 positions the weekend before. The store manager took my app & resume anyway. What can you do? Nothin' so I just smiled and moved on.
Wednesday I got a phone call from Ray from Home Depot, could I come in for an interview Thurs? Um, yeah! :D So I did the interview and he asked if I could stay for a second interview. I did. She said she'll be checking my references and getting back to me to book a third and final interview for Mon. or Tues. of next week. :D YAY! I know this doesn't mean I've got the job but can I tell you why I'm so excited? Excited about working with paint and stain and hardware?
Because, if I work 20 hours a week for 3 months our entire family qualifies for Health Care benefits! Including dental. OH my stars. That rocks my world.
So enter in a whole separate bundle of worries. How will we manage when Tim's at the boat show in Jan for the weekend? What about when summer comes and he's not home regularly at 5??? ACKKK!
This is me once again turning these troubles over to God. Why do I worry before there's even a problem?? LOL That's just the way it goes.
Instead I am sitting here feeling frustrated a bit because we're really no further ahead than we were a month ago. Ahhhh, but then, we're not further behind either. And that my friend, is progress in and of itself. :) So I continue to tell myself that stepping forward, choosing each day to not spend or spend wisely is making the debt free life that much closer.
Christmas is coming, it's swooping in with little regard to the bank balance. Panic is hovering over my head when I think about what needs to be purchased, wrapped and under the tree. . . .Whoa. . .did I just say NEEDS?! Well, let's reason this out. . . .what I desperately want to be under the tree. I love giving gifts to my children and Christmas is my favorite time of year. I'm fighting hard to reconcile want with need.
My children need nothing. I want to give them things. Like a soft fuzzy blanket for G's bed. She's still sleeping under just a hand knit afghan. She is perfectly content, but mommy is concerned that it's not warm enough when she's wearing a nightgown instead of blanket sleeper.
Or a Bible for B. Truth told, she's very happy with the ones she has. We even just found a KJV in large print, kids version for her at Goodwill for fifty cents. That makes her Bible work so much easier since Mommy didn't know the Bible curriculum was in KJV. As of yesterday she was begging to do more Bible so she could be in her Bible more. Isn't that awesome! :D
Then there's S. She had so much fun, along with B. at their friends home playing with K'Nex. I want very much to get a box for them to play with, or two. They spent a couple hours building things. She's even asking if today we can sort out toys to sell. . . I need to figure out why she wants to sell other than that Mommy keeps saying they have too many.
See, that's the truth. We have too much stuff. So our house feels crowded. Yet I hold tight to the stuff out of fear and pride. Stupid pride. I'm going to get a couple of big boxes and start filling away!!! :D That thought makes me grin.
But back to the money stuff. I interviewed two weeks ago for a position at a hotel. It would've been ideal. Good pay, nice benefits, not much hard labor at all. But I didn't want it, so I didn't do a great job at the interview, even after praying before going in. Then I didn't get it and boy was I upset. (Insert blushing smiley here.) What an ungrateful brat I can be. And I wonder where G gets it?!? It's all me, baby! So I pouted for a bit but still put my resume in several places, including Walmart which I sincerely have no desire to ever work at. . .but um, money is money. So I will do it if need be.
Walmart never even called me back. LOL This past Saturday and Sunday I worked at Home Depot for a Christmas Light Exchange program. It was FUN! The people at HD were fun. I had already checked and they weren't hiring. I'd heard rumors that they are a good company to work for so I was a bit disappointed. Then over the intercom came an announcement that they were hiring for part and full time positions.
So I scurried over and filled out an application while on break from the job. . .yep, filled out the application while working a different job. But the job was a 2 day thing, so no worries. I turned in my application with a resume only to find out they had filled 4 positions the weekend before. The store manager took my app & resume anyway. What can you do? Nothin' so I just smiled and moved on.
Wednesday I got a phone call from Ray from Home Depot, could I come in for an interview Thurs? Um, yeah! :D So I did the interview and he asked if I could stay for a second interview. I did. She said she'll be checking my references and getting back to me to book a third and final interview for Mon. or Tues. of next week. :D YAY! I know this doesn't mean I've got the job but can I tell you why I'm so excited? Excited about working with paint and stain and hardware?
Because, if I work 20 hours a week for 3 months our entire family qualifies for Health Care benefits! Including dental. OH my stars. That rocks my world.
So enter in a whole separate bundle of worries. How will we manage when Tim's at the boat show in Jan for the weekend? What about when summer comes and he's not home regularly at 5??? ACKKK!
This is me once again turning these troubles over to God. Why do I worry before there's even a problem?? LOL That's just the way it goes.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Working
I've applied for a job at a local hotel. Did I mention that already? Well, I did. And I thought they weren't going to call me because they didn't the morning after. :p Well, they called this morning. I have an interview tomorrow at 5:30. They know I'm not available days. We'll see how it goes.
I know that there really is no other option other than a miracle. And as I've stated otherwise, sitting on my bum waiting for a miracle isn't helping things. The faster I take action the faster things will improve.
I calculated it out and if they really do hire me and really do give 25 hours a week. I would be making just over $1000 a month. Part of me cringes because I know with Pampered Chef that was a possibility with less hours away from home, but then I don't want to do PC again and I would have to spend a lot of time on the phone which while, home, is still unavailable. Kwim?
My goal is for us to be out of debt by the end of 2009. That's a BIG goal. It's a scary goal, because in there is b'day's, Christmas, and a promised trip to Disney when B is 10. Thankfully she turns 11 in March, so we may be able to squeeze the trip in before her b'day and still be good. We want to pay cash for the holiday. It will be our first ever holiday as a family. :) Something really positive to look forward to!
The nitty gritty is H-A-R-D!! It's incredibly hard. I'm so excellent at spending our money $15-40 at a time. At the grocery store, at Walmart, on gifts, just because, etc. I scare me. Christmas scares me. At this moment I don't know how on earth we'll do it. If I get the job at least I can breathe knowing that we can pay the bills and buy gifts!
I have to be honest with you. I'd really like a miracle. God has provided for us time and time again. I'd really like him to do that in a big way and get us out of this mess. But as much as I want that I know it's not what is really best for us. What's best for me. I need to learn this. I need to sweat and cry to pay off the money I've already spent. I need to know this to the depths of my soul, debt is wrong. Borrowing is not biblical. Giving is. I can not give because I have borrowed that equals sin. I am ashamed. But I have hope.
God has brought the Dave Ramsey ministry to us. We are agreed about doing this and I am willing to work, despite my hearts desire to stay home. Despite my fears. That's all.
I know that there really is no other option other than a miracle. And as I've stated otherwise, sitting on my bum waiting for a miracle isn't helping things. The faster I take action the faster things will improve.
I calculated it out and if they really do hire me and really do give 25 hours a week. I would be making just over $1000 a month. Part of me cringes because I know with Pampered Chef that was a possibility with less hours away from home, but then I don't want to do PC again and I would have to spend a lot of time on the phone which while, home, is still unavailable. Kwim?
My goal is for us to be out of debt by the end of 2009. That's a BIG goal. It's a scary goal, because in there is b'day's, Christmas, and a promised trip to Disney when B is 10. Thankfully she turns 11 in March, so we may be able to squeeze the trip in before her b'day and still be good. We want to pay cash for the holiday. It will be our first ever holiday as a family. :) Something really positive to look forward to!
The nitty gritty is H-A-R-D!! It's incredibly hard. I'm so excellent at spending our money $15-40 at a time. At the grocery store, at Walmart, on gifts, just because, etc. I scare me. Christmas scares me. At this moment I don't know how on earth we'll do it. If I get the job at least I can breathe knowing that we can pay the bills and buy gifts!
I have to be honest with you. I'd really like a miracle. God has provided for us time and time again. I'd really like him to do that in a big way and get us out of this mess. But as much as I want that I know it's not what is really best for us. What's best for me. I need to learn this. I need to sweat and cry to pay off the money I've already spent. I need to know this to the depths of my soul, debt is wrong. Borrowing is not biblical. Giving is. I can not give because I have borrowed that equals sin. I am ashamed. But I have hope.
God has brought the Dave Ramsey ministry to us. We are agreed about doing this and I am willing to work, despite my hearts desire to stay home. Despite my fears. That's all.
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