This abundent life courtesy of our Lord and Savior ~ Jesus Christ

Jan 092012
 

 

…. then receiving flowers for no reason?

 

 

 

A very thoughtful gift from my Jim Bob last Friday on the last ever …never to happen again…. event of trying to do the months shopping in ONE afternoon with five kids in tow on Mosies doctor apt. days.

 

 

 

The rest of the day …….

 

*That morning James comes up with a much better plan for my shopping .

 

*I foolishly decide to still try to do it my own difficult way so that I don’t have go back out another day.

 

*We’re nine minutes late to Mosies appointment so I send her and Duel inside so that she can sign in.

 

*It takes me FIFTEEN minutes to get three little ones out of the car and inside… Daphne had taken her shoes and socks off, Prairie lost a sock, I couldn’t open the stroller until I untangled the jumper cables that had somehow gotten wrapped all around it ( btw James, your jumper cables are in the Durango :p), Daphne slammed her thumb in the door, and I had figure out how to get an uncooperative Prairie into the weird stroller buckle contraption. Does anyone need a diaper change? Does Everyone have sippies and bottles? Wipe Prairies face. Redo Daphnes hair.

 

(sigh)

 

*The doctor appointment takes way longer then usual .

 

*In about 4 hours we hit every store we needed to go to except Wally World. We just couldn’t face going in there though.

 

 

*Note to self: don’t give a six year old boy sitting in the very back seat a 33.8 oz flavored water when he says he’s thirsty. If you do, always make sure you have a sixteen year old with you who wants to go into a store. Thereby, she ends up facing the embarassment of the situation.

 

 

* Get home. Mosie goes to bed. I’m kinda ok with it this ONE time, due to the six year old boy incident. Unload everything. We’re all exhausted.

 

 

*James lets me know he’s on his way home. Then he’s late. 10 minutes. 20 minutes. I’m envisioning twisted metal on the road. But no, the sweet man comes in bearing the afore mentioned flowers! What a wonderful surprise!

 

Thank you dear! xoxo

 

 

* I then snip through my finger with kitchen shears while trying to trim the stems.

 

Lessons learned:

 

Listen to my husband. Particularly in situations that I get caught up in he can think more logically then I can. Plus, he’s pretty smart.

 

Thinking that I can shop for all the goods and sundries – for a month – for a family of nine – with five children in tow is sheer madness. I’ve done it a couple of times since moving here …. but it’s miserable. I think the addition of Duel now going with us … it’s just the proverbial straw that broke camels back.

 

If it’s to hard to cut, then don’t.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Posted by at 1:59 pm
Jan 042012
 

A nice even number. No foreshadowing of bad things that we have to face.

It’s a blank slate this year.

 

 

2011 was a bit of a rough year… although not as rough as the year before…. which was not as rough as the year before that… so I hold high hopes that THIS will be a stellar year.

 

 

While I’m not a fan of New Year Resolutions, I have been feeling a need to become much more intentional with my time. I have horrible time management skills and am way to easily distracted.  So, while I am still opposed to making sweeping changes simply because a new year has begun, I do want to set some attainable goals regarding the things that are really important to me.

 

 

1.       After school Bible studies. I started last year…then got distracted and it fell by the wayside. I’m committing myself to doing this on a consistent basis. If I don’t have anything prepared (that was my downfall) then we simply read.

 

2.       Taking ½ hour to an hour a week and doing something with each of the older children that THEY want to do.  I fear that since they’re more self sufficient then the little ones, they sometimes may get lost in the shuffle. We really need to work on giving each personal time with us.

 

 

3.       To do at least one thing a month to improve the home … I see James using a chainsaw in the very near future. J

 

4.       Become reacquainted with my sewing machine now that I found all the parts…and have a Daphne free kid free area…and the kids are more on a schedule for bedtime (sort of).

 

 

5.       Get kids to bed at scheduled time every night.

 

6.       Create our own” If /Then ” chart and implement it.

 

 

7.       Post to our blog. It actually IS something I want to do. It pains me to think of all the things that have happened over the past year that would remain in our memory had I just taken a moment to jot them down here.  Besides, it’s a wonderful way to embarrass the kids give the kids their little moments in the limelight.

 

8.       Be nicer to my wonderful husband. Be less persnickety and opinionated. Work on biting my tongue keeping an even tone of voice when I become frustrated.       A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1 )   Oiy.

 

 

9.       Make the household budget go farther. I did pretty well this past year but this year I want to do even better. The only way to do that is to take the time to make a COMPLETE menu plan for the month before I do my monthly shopping trip.

 

10.   Each week try a new schedule …. Tweak it until I come up with one that has me getting everything done in a timely manner. Actually doable? Probably not. Worth working on though.

 

 

 

Bottom line is that each of these, except for maybe #8, is entirely a time management issue.

Must. Stay. Focused.

 Posted by at 6:48 pm
Jan 032012
 

 

2011 was full of ups and downs.

*We were blessed with Thaddeus!

Thaddeus had some issues that seemed scary at the time,
and so put a shadow over the joyous event. Fortunatly everything appears to be fine with him, though we did go through a couple of months stressing about the possibilities .

 

 

*We finally found our home!

We had a horrible move in the never ending heat
wave and we lost David in the move.

 

 

*I had THREE ‘Days of Doom’ in a six month period.

The first two ‘Days of Doom’ gave me a much needed
wake up call. They were bizarrely unjust.  While the overall effects are disruptive to our family temporarily, it certainly was a catalyst to shake me out of my lethargy.

 

 

*Mosie was accepted against all odds into Francis
Marion Military Academy.

Mosie now has a lot of freedom after school, which
we fear she doesn’t use wisely.

 

 

*Duel is now being homeschooled!

Duel is being homeschooled due to worries about his
immaturity.

 

 

 

So, the good came with the bad and the bad came
with the good… such is life.

 Posted by at 9:10 pm
Nov 232011
 

As we observe Thanksgiving this year we must remember all of Gods blessings and goodness, and remember that all things work together for good when we trust in Him.

Our family has had an overabunance of blessings this year between the addition of our wonderful Thaddeus and being settled into our own home finally….

 

Our family has food…

Our family has shelter…..

Our family has transportation….

Our family has health…..

Our family has love….

Our family has hope….

Our family has opportunity….

Our family has God….

 

What more do we need?

Every day should be a day of thanksgiving for us.

Giving thanks should be a LIFESTYLE.

Our HAVES are so much more then our HAVE NOTS.

We have very single basic need required to live a good and comfortable life.

 

Like so many others, we are  shamefully guilty of getting caught up in the not so perfect things and moments. Trials and tribulations, hard times, pettiness, irritants, confusion and such are going to come and go in our lives and during those times it is so easy to forget….

 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

 

 ********************************

 

While we spend time with family and enjoy our bounty savory and sweet

May we remember those who have nothing to eat.

Whose burdens are heavy and hearts are brought low

With no hope for change their lives are full of woe.

Can we in good conscience enjoy our feast

Without prayers for those who have the least?

To give to the poor is what God commanded

So the joy of the Lord can be expanded.

Misery and sadness will not be done away

Until the King comes to slay

Satan, the son of perdition, that glorious day.

It’s the believer’s duty – with open heart and hand

To give to those who do without, all across the land.

Spread Gods lovingkindness and touch anothers heart

So those who hear Gods word will not depart.

 

 Posted by at 6:16 pm
Oct 072011
 

On our way home from the bus stop this morning I had a children’s CD playing that we usually listen to on the drive and while we’re waiting for the bus. When  Amazing Grace began playing …. both Daphne and Prairie sang along with it!

 

Ok, so Prairie was sounding along with it… but she had the nuances of the tune really close!

 

It was absolutely precious!

 Posted by at 7:16 pm