Realistic expectations...and goals

So I've had to lower my sites for now...to more realistic expectations...this is due to the fact that I'm now growing a baby and I have had some of my worst morning(all day) sickness to date.  So for the next few months I have lowered my goals...here is what I'm hoping to accomplish:

I would like to have just a few things that I need to do daily and then I need to do at least one extra chore everyday.

Daily:
Dishes 
Pick up the living room/vacuum as needed
Feed kids
Make dinner

Extra items to add in daily:
Wash laundry
Fold laundry
Put away laundry
Vacuum downstairs
Clean bathrooms
Vacuum entryway
Clean kids room


Today I felt a bit better and was able to clean out my fridge, fold laundry and get it mostly put away.

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Brothers

Love this:

18 months

Guy Smiley just passed the 18 month mark.  He's getting so big...it's making sad.  I'm not ready for him to be growing up so quickly.
He is just a sweet, happy boy.  He loves to snuggle and hug and laugh and play.
His current vocabulary is expanding rapidly.  Some of his words are are all none(all done), bye, yook(look), piple(people), airp(airplane), wha(dog), meme(Mimi), and ah uts(ah nuts!). He can also sign for more, please, thank you and drink.  He also tries to run most places...the fun, jilting run of a toddler(I LOVE it).
He loves his Daddy and as soon as he hears him coming will run to the window and yell "Dada!" over and over and once Daddy is out of his car he runs to the door to greet him saying "Hi Dada!"  It's SO cute and sweet.
He is quite tall but still has wonderful knee chub.
He loves his brother and sister and plays well with them for the most part.
He has a total of 16 teeth with his canine teeth having just broken through.  I am so glad for a small reprieve before his 2 year molars.
He is our best eater ever...he can seriously pack the food in.  It's great!
He's very adventurous and brave.  He just takes off on his own with no fear...we have to keep an eye on him.
While he's incredibly snuggly, he's also very independent...he won't let you feed him and does NOT want to hold your hand.

He has just been such a joy and I'm loving it!

Thankful Thursdays

#121-130

the sweetness of guy smiley when he grabs a stuffed animal to snuggl
watching guy smiley relax and enjoy being at the pool
moose meat!
a gorgeous and sunny fall
my kids' singing
the amazing group of women I get to be a part of
a wonderful church
the pilot's sweet voice telling stories
having only a small space to keep clean
joy in the Lord



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Busy

Life has been a bit busy this past week...and therefore I've forgotten completely about blogging.

The kids just started their swimming lessons this week which keeps us busy two mornings a week.

Then the a group I help lead at church just started back up again and it was AMAZING! We had over 50 women at our first meeting and are praying for more!  I'm so blessed to be a part of such an awesome group. 

Then I had a training at church this past weekend.  It was incredible.  And I was so blessed to be able to go and so thankful that my church offered childcare so that I could go.  But it was tiring, spiritually and emotionally, and a very long Saturday for my kids as they weren't home ALL day.

Then church and popcorn night at Oma and Opa's house(dh's grandparents).  Popcorn is a biweekly occurrence and is such fun.

Monday was a Costco run...which tires me out every time.  It's crazy how tiring a trip to Costco can be...and yes I did have the kids but even without them it still wears me out.  I also bought my first sewing machine!  (A wonderful gift from my Mom.)  I'm looking forward to learning how to use it.

Along with that dh worked Saturday then left that same evening for a moose hunt...which he got home from late Monday night.  But we got a moose and spent today butchering.   But it's pretty amazing to think that dh left Saturday evening, he and his friend had a moose down by noon on Sunday, had all the meat hiked out by Monday afternoon(and even had fun glacier biking), drove home and then all the meat was in the freezer before 10 pm Tuesday evening.  That's pretty amazing...and my poor dh is exhausted and goes back to work tomorrow.

So needless to say it's been busy around our house...tomorrow we don't have anything planned and I'm very much looking forward to that.  Though we do need to do some schoolwork...and clean some.  But I'm not required to leave my house and that is great news.


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Just want you to know

That whether you know Him or not....

God loves you!  GOD loves you!  God LOVES you!  God loves YOU!  GOD LOVES YOU!

Thankful Thursdays

#111-120

-sunshine

-sunshine

-did I mention sunshine.  (We have a had a horrible summer with lots of rain and clouds so fall has been a wonderful change).

-my incredible dh

-the amazing smells of fall

-how well homeschooling is going

-fun as a family in the great outdoors, fishing and hiking

-seeing how much fun my kids are having at swimming lessons (and ballet for the princess)

-the sound of dh and the kids talking/bonding before bed

-A strong body

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Cotton Babies

We love our organic One-Size Bumgenius Cloth Diapers!

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PE

Aka...Hiking the Butte with friends.


Friday was an absolutely gorgeous day here in Alaska. And when it's sunny and warm(warm being 65* and up) we have to get out and enjoy it.


Especially after a very wet and cloudy summer...we even broke a record this summer. Most days in a row of measurable rain...the old record was 27 days...it's now 31 days. Yes, we haven't had much sun and now fall is here.


Back to the subject at hand. I love our hike counts as PE for my daughter...but I really love that we were out enjoying God's creation and the amazingness of this area we live in.


Here are some fun pictures we have of the hike.

On the way up...

Looking for grasshoppers with his cousins

Found one!

Jumping!  That's a glacier in the background.

We made it!

My SIL and DH's cousin...and of course guy smiley.

My family minus DH plus SIL

Back at the bottom...puddles + kids = FUN

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Thankful Thursdays

I'm starting these back up because I'm realizing how much I need to work on being thankful.
1 Thessalonians 5.18 says

...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

So I'm continuing on with my list...still quite far from my goal of 1000 gratitudes.

I am thankful for...

101. The pilot and his great imagination while giving a puppet show with his hands.
102. Guy smiley's great laugh
103. The joy I get from my children playing together.
104. A very hard working dh.
105. The beautiful fall colors
106. The joy in teaching my daughter at home
107. Amazing friends
108. An amazing church body
109. The fun had while Mimi(my Mom) and Papaw(my grandpa) visited
110. How my mom lovingly spoils me and my kids when she is visiting.

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Getting to bed...

Does anyone else have a hard time going to bed early?  Or am I the only one?

I don't know what happens after the kids go to bed, but all of a sudden I'm free...and off duty(well, about as off duty as it gets being a Mom).  I love being up and enjoying the peace and quiet and being able to do what I want without fear of interruption or without the knowledge that a child could awaken at any moment. It's "me" time and I don't want it to end so I stay up.  (I should add that dh typically goes to bed by 9pm 4 days a week because of his job and then the other 3 days he's up with me.) 

I guess I should clarify that early for me would be getting to bed before 11pm.  My goal is start going to bed by 10:30pm at the latest, but I have yet to figure out how to motivate myself to get in bed by then.   Any ideas for me?

Baked Salmon

Here's a great recipe for baked salmon(wild Alaskan salmon of course), but I bet it would be great on halibut or really any type of fish.  This is courtesy of my mother-in-law...she's the one who gave me the recipe.

I typically use 1-2 medium sized fillets with skin still on.
1/2-1 onion thinly sliced
Mix:
Equal parts of sour cream and mayonnaise(it will depend on how much you need to cover your fillets)
A little bit of lemon juice...like a tsp or 2
A little bit of apple cider vinegar...again like a tsp or 2
Mustard- 1 tsp
salt, pepper, garlic powder/granules, onion powder to taste

Lay fillet skin side down in pan.  Salt and pepper fillets.  Lay slices of onion on fillets.  Pour mixture over the fillets.  Bake for 30 minutes at 400*.

Enjoy!

Update...

Can I do it??  Obviously not yet.

Haha.  I'm laughing to myself while reading my post from August 3rd.  I obviously have not blogged in a month...how's that for consistency in blogging?

I'm going to restart that challenge again. I'm learning that failure is not the end.  I can try again.

So far I'm doing well this month(for me...my goal is 2-3 posts a week, if more great!)...it helps to sit down and write when the urge hits...as long as it's not while doing school with my daughter.  So in those instances I've been writing down any ideas that have come to me.

As to the morning challenge...it was on and off for the month of August...I would have to say it was half and half.  If I did get upbefore my kids, it typically ended up being only 15 minutes before guy smiley was up.  He's my early riser...while the other two will sleep in.  I'm hoping when our new blinds come this will help him sleep a bit longer since his room will be darker.

This challenge will continue on as well.  I'm really finding I need it for my sanity and my stability during the day.  I find I am a much better mom, teacher, housekeeper, cook and wife when I get up and take some time, even 5-10 minutes for myself.  I am able to read my Bible some and pray before the day and what it will bring starts.  And I know it will be especially important as we have started school now.

So there it is...an update and new start...

Menu Planning

I've finally found what works for me! 

Menu planning has always been such a chore.  I knew it would help me.  It would help me not flip out, complain about, or whine at 5:00pm wondering what on earth I was going to do for dinner.  I knew it would help to save money on groceries.  And I knew it would help cut back even more on eating out.  But nine times out of ten I couldn't get myself to do it. I would even be prepared having my list of foods we like to eat and a calendar out and ready. Still...I just couldn't do it.

Why you ask?  I have now discovered that I'm afraid of the blank calendar.  I do not do well trying to figure out what to have on what day without repeating too often or having chicken 4 days in a row or feeling like we are eating the same thing all the time(even though sometimes we do).

So what works you may be asking. A list.  A plain and simple list.  I just list what we'll have for dinner in the coming week...doesn't matter what day we eat what just so long as I pick one.  I cannot explain why this is less stressful for me, but it is so I'm going with it.  I took it a step further and made lists of what we like to eat for breakfast and lunch as well and picked 3 or 4 of those things this week to make sure I had on hand for those meals. 

Here is what I have listed for this week:

Dinner listed in no particular order:
BLT's and cucumber/carrot sticks
Whole lemon chicken roasted/baked with rice and asparagus or green beans
Chicken quesadillas and tomato slices(using chicken from roasted chicken)
Wild Alaskan Salmon(probably fried), rice and broccoli
Beans and rice
Chef Salad
Hamburgers
Hamburger soup

Lunch:(I typically add fruit and/or veggies to all lunches)
Quesadillas
Tomato soup/grilled cheese
Hot dogs(nitrate free)
Leftovers
Tuna salad with crackers
Sandwiches from leftover chicken

Breakfast:
Cottage Cheese
Eggs(though the pilot is not a fan)
Millet with coconut and craisins
Toast and fruit or smoothie
Yogurt and fruit
Cereal

Let me know if you'd like a recipe for anything.  And maybe you'll find that this works for you as well.

A new adventure...

So we have started a new adventure this week...Homeschooling!

So far so good...for the most part.  I have been enjoying it so far, though I can't tell if the Princess is.  Though when I have asked her she said she does...but she seems to use quite a few excuses if she's not really wanting to do any of her work. 

I find it amusing since she's not working alone...I'm right there with her and typically she LOVES it if I join her in what she's doing.  And if any of my children likes to be social and always with people, it's her.  Maybe part of it is just the transition...from playing and having fun all day to having to sit and work.  Maybe it's just the sitting still and being focused part.  Oh wait, she can do that for her doll stickers and her coloring...so it's probably the school work.

Some things from this past week:
-Constant fidgeting/moving...seriously, I do NOT know how a Kindergarten teacher does it.  And I'm not even wanting her to be completely still...I just want her to actually be looking at what she's doing.

-Just guessing on words...instead of actually looking at what letters the word is made of.  For instance her list of words to read was something like hat, man, fan, cat, Dan, rat.  And she would read hat, mat(me asking her to read it again...about 2 or 3 times before she actually sees that the last letter is not the same as the word before), man, fan, can(more correction, multiple times over)...you get the picture.  Thankfully it wasn't frustrating for me or her...we just laughed and she fixed it and we moved on.  But I do find it amusing that it's natural to try and do things the easy way instead of doing it right or trying hard the first time.

-Needing to rest...WHAT?  Rest...you do know that means doing nothing while laying on the couch right?  Oh, you mean you just don't want to start your writing right now...I get it.

Overall I'm enjoying it...now to really get into a good routine and help the boys figure out what the morning or sometimes the afternoon will look like for them.

Can I do it?

Can I remember to blog this month and can I wake up daily before my kids to start the day? 

I'm a bit late joining in on the Maximize Your Morning Challenge ...well I should say I joined the challenge before it started but will be actually starting the challenge tomorrow.  I've done my reading and figured out my goal time(6am)...now my biggest challenge is to actually go to bed so I get enough sleep.  I typically do best on 8 or 9 hours of sleep which would mean I need to be in bed by 9 or 10 which I can't see happening but trying for 10 or 10:30 eventually will be my goal. And I'm hoping and praying that my children will sleep until at least 7:30am.

Here are a few questions Michelle asked about starting:
1. What time will you wake up? I'm trying for 7 am tomorrow morning though if I can get up by 6:45 am I'll be really happy.

2. What time do you  need to go to bed to make sure you still get enough sleep? By 11 pm tonight if possible...but eventually 10 or 10:30 pm.

3. Collect all the items you need for your morning time: Bible, notebook,  iPod, earbuds, exercise video?

4. Set your alarm clack (and a backup clock, if necessary). Setting cell phone to 6:30am

5. Find an accountability partner.  Not sure on this one yet.

If you want to join in check out the ebook at Inspired to Action.

On being Alaskan

I realize every year that I become more and more Alaskan.

When it comes to summer Alaskans are crazy.  The sun comes out and nobody is indoors.  One never knows if today might be the last day of warmth and sunshine.  So, out we go...to enjoy as much sun and warm weather as we will get.

I love this about Alaska.  And if I were to ever move outside(meaning out of Alaska) it would be a habit hard to break.  If we moved to a very sunny place I think my house would implode due to lack of cleaning and upkeep.  I must continue to work on my morning routine so that the house at least stays presentable.

So tomorrow I'm hoping to make sure to at least do my dishes and pick up the things on the floor and then unless it's raining I'm taking the kids on a hike.

Thankful Thursdays

I am thankful for...

91.The rain...even though it can go away now we did need it.
92. The princesses joy over her first flight in a Super Cub.
93. Great friends
94. An amazing and fun family
95. Sweet smiles from guy smiley
96. Guy smiley's cute words...his latest is "airp"(emphasis on the p) for airplane
97. How well my kids play together
98. Quiet mornings
99. Good books
100. My amazing view

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Thankful Thursdays

I am so thankful for:
81.  The AMAZING weather we've been having...sunshine, warmth...I just love it.
82.  The sweetness of guy smiley
83.  The Pilot's hilarious sense of humor
84.  Summer!
85.  Our newly started garden...grow veggies, grow!
86.  The princesses love of all things girlie.
87.  Amazing friendships
88.  Great neighbors
89.  The breeze to cool our house
90.  My kids' love of being outdoors

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My journey into Babywearing

Babywearing...wearing your baby...carrying your baby, hands free. 

My journey into babywearing...
Well, when the princess was born the Baby Bjorn had just started to really gain popularity in the US so of course that is what I had.  It worked well...especially since I didn't know about any other carriers...but I could only carry her in it until she weighed about 15 or so pounds because it started to hurt my back and shoulders.  After she was too big for it I just stopped wearing her.

Then comes the pilot...I found out about the Moby wrap from a forum I was on. I was getting ready to fly south(12-14 hour total trip time) with two young kids on my own(a 2 year old and a 2 month old) and wanted to know the best way to fly without taking my stroller.  The Moby wrap was wonderful!  It saved me on this trip.  The pilot was wrapped up snug as a bug in a rug the entire trip!  I only took him out to nurse him and change his diaper.  Being totally hands free left me able to keep the princess entertained and happy and kept the pilot happy since he was snuggled in so close to mama.

Here is the pilot in the Moby at around 4 months:

I loved the Moby but then the pilot grew and the Moby was just too stretchy to be comfortable so I started looking around at what else I could use.  I soon found an Ergo.  I bought it from a local retailer who was very helpful in showing me exactly how it can be used. It is incredibly versatile in that you can wear your baby on your front, back or hip. It was great!  Made for quick and easy shopping trips since I could put him on so quickly and he stayed more content on my back(or my front) then he did in the cart(it doesn't help to have a big sister that picks on you).

Then when the pilot was almost 18 months I bought a wrap, an Earthy Rainbow by Girasol...and fell in love with wrapping.  The pilot was at an age where he didn't want to be worn much but I knew I would use it again since not long after that I found out I was pregnant with guy smiley.

Here is the pilot in Earthy Rainbow and the princess in our Ergo

Guy smiley was wrapped from the start and I loved how much closeness and freedom it gave me. He would be snuggled up close and I was hands free to do what I needed.

The first time he was wrapped:

One of the first time I wrapped in on my back:

I now own a few wraps and am using them less and less these days as guy smiley gets more mobile.  We still use them on occasion along with our Ergo.  I love babywearing and can't say enough good things about it.

Oh and wraps make great dresses too...

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*Please no harsh words about not buying another seat for our babies and taking on their carseats.  It is just not feasible for us to afford an extra seat on the plane as it is quite expensive to fly from Alaska to the lower 48.  
*Baby Bjorn, Moby, Girasol, Didymos and Ergo have no idea who I am and are not compensating me for talking about their products.

10:07pm

Thankful Thursdays + a few pictures

I'm thankful for...
71. The joy of my kids over their new bikes.
72. Lessons of life they are learning...even though they are sad.
73. The love my kids have for each other (when riding bikes today the pilot fell over on his and the princess helped him up, when we asked what happened the princess said "I helped him up because that's what brothers and sisters do".)
74. The honesty of the princess.
75. How much my dh plays with my kids.
76. Guy smiley's squinty smiles.
77. A wonderful group of girl friends.
78. The fresh green leaves on the trees...oh spring how I love thee.
79. The calm after 2 days of high winds.
80. Quiet, peaceful evenings.

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And now for pictures...here they are enjoying their new bikes today(Wed).  The bikes that neither will be able to ride tomorrow(Thurs) because one was caught with her thumb in her mouth and the other decided he didn't like his bike and would rather have his bobby.  

The princess is incredibly sad over the loss of her bike privileges for tomorrow.  She broke into tears when I told her no bike since her thumb was in her mouth.  She cried for a good 20 minutes and then when having prayer time with dh said "Jesus, I pray I have a good day tomorrow even though I can't ride my bike." Pause, sniffling and some tears.  "That makes me sad just saying it." 

It makes me so sad for her since I know how much she was enjoying her bike today.  But I'm hoping this serves as a helpful reminder for her to stop sucking her thumb.

The pilot on the other hand was gung ho about not using his bobby.  Then he got in bed.  Then he got out of bed.  He came out of his room and said "I don't like my bike." "I want my bobby."  And both dh and I asked him multiple times if he was sure as once he had bobby back there would be no bike tomorrow.  But he was adamant that he didn't want his bike.

Let's just say I'm not looking forward to tomorrow and how he will feel about tonight's decision then. 

But back to the pictures...at least they were able to enjoy them today for a while. (And one of guy smiley just because it's cute.)

New bikes!

I'm so excited!  Last night I was perusing Craigslist and found 2 bikes for sale, a 12" and a 16".

EXACTLY what I've been looking for and they looked practically new...and the price $30 per bike!

Now some of you may think that's steep and yes, free would've been even better.  But I was stoked as I've been looking at bikes for the kids for the past few months...brand new the cheapest I found was around $60. 

So when these popped up on Craigslist I replied as quick as I could, which was last night.  I received an email back this morning stating that the seller had had 10 replies and when I could I come see them!  So as of 1:30pm today our kids now have their own bikes. 

In return the kids are giving up their bobby's(pacifier) and thumb:-)  [Bobby for the pilot and thumb(just don't ask...it's a long story as to why she even started sucking her thumb in the first place...at 4 1/2) for the princess.]  We have a verbal agreement...any thumb or bobby sucking and no bike the next day.  So we'll see how it goes, so far the pilot is napping sans bobby.  (And yes, it's called a bobby in our house...the princess started calling it that around age 1 and it has stuck.)

So after the bargaining session we revealed their presents...they were SO excited.  They hopped right on for a ride(though the princess had to have help until we can purchase her some training wheels).  The pilot kept saying things like "my bike is like my cousins" and "my bike is a transformer bike"(it's not...it's just blue and plain) and "look, I can ride fast" with a huge grin on his face.   And the princess was excited even though in reality she had really wanted a princess bike(we told her this wasn't going to happen since we want to be able to pass them down).  She just wishes hers had training wheels so she wouldn't need help riding it...that will be solved this afternoon.

Pictures will be following soon.

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New phones

So dh and I are looking into getting new phones...our plan is up for renewal and our current phones are a hand-me-down and a cheapo old phone.  (My new phone is partly a Mother's Day present as well.)

I find that I'm being sucked into wanting an iPhone.

Wait...sucked in is not quite the right term...I just flat out think they are cool and want one. (Yes, I admit to being a sucker.)

What I find is a battle going on in my mind between what I want and what is practical.  An iPhone...not practical...at least not necessary in the least for me.  Plain, boring, somewhat cheap feeling flip phone...practical, smarter option.

Now to preface, we are not big gadget people...we do not have a HD TV or blu-ray or Tivo or even cable for that matter...we don't even have bunny ears.  Our TV is probably 5 or 6 years old and huge.  As for current cell phones we have an older Samsung flip phone and a Nokia brick phone.  As for other gadgets...we don't own a laptop or any game players besides the original XBox which is almost never played.  We do have iPods, original and Nano....and that's about the extent of our gadgets.  Oh and a Canon Rebel XTi because we wanted to be able to take really great pictures of our kids.

So the fight still rages...fun vs practical.

And I laugh, because in the larger scheme of things this is a small, minute, insignificant decision.  Doesn't matter in the long run at all.

Any other perspectives or advice?

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guy smiley...he's just so darn cute!

Haha

I just have to laugh as my lack of sticking to it shines through...it's something I have to work hard on improving.  So one small way is my blog.  I get bogged down by trying to figure out what I should blog about and so I just do nothing.  I don't think this is the way to go about blogging is it?  So I hope from now on to post at least 3 times a week even if it is in pictures.  Summer is a busy time of year up here as we have learned to enjoy every sunny and warm day since "summer" is entirely too short. 
For instance...we are just now getting leaves on our trees...the buds just came out this week and by the end of next week the trees will be full of green leaves.  It's amazing to me how I never really paid any attention to this fact before moving north, but now it's a game for my dh and I  to guess what day in May that we will be able to officially see the "green hue" of leaves.
Here are a few pictures of the kids enjoying our first days of spring...

Yes, I classify the snowman as spring as it was taken on April 22nd!  And melted the next day.

Here we are playing with some friends...

Rocks and a runny nose...

Playing together...

Storytelling on a sunny day...

Freedom in our homes

We, as women, have power.  We are created for great things and we are meant to walk in them.  God wants us to walk in freedom, freedom to be who God created us to be, freedom to walk in our destiny, freedom to just be ourselves.  He wants us to dream big dreams and see them fulfilled.  Ephesians 3.20-21 says

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.

He wants to do MORE than what we can ask or even think!  That is powerful!  He wants to use us to change the world.

But first, we must bring freedom to our own homes.  We must be the light to our spouses and children before we can go out and do great things.  We have the power to bring change to the environment around us just by carrying Jesus Christ within us. 1 John 4.4b says

Because greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.

But what are some practical ways we can bring change to our environment?

• By watching what we say. Our words have the power of life and death in them.  But we tend to take them so lightly, not thinking of the effect that they may have on our children or our spouses.  Proverbs 18.21 says

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

          And Proverbs 16.24 says

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Just those two verses alone say so much as to the power of our words.  Your words have the ability to take a situation that looks dire and turn it into something wonderful or vice versa.  Take for instance the difference between reprimanding and getting angry at your child because they spilled some milk verses taking a nonchalant attitude and saying something like "oh well, that happens, let's clean it up together".   What affect will your words and attitude have on your child?

• Another way we influence our homes is by our attitudes. Are we positive and cheerful?  Or do we complain and whine?  Being thankful and having a positive attitude changes our whole environment.  And we have the power to change it.  Ten percent of life is what happens to you, ninety percent is how you react to it.  (Sound familiar?  It's true. Only you have the power to change you.)  Try smiling when all you want to do is frown and see what happens.

• Give yourself and others around you grace.  Grace is getting what you don't deserve.  Another definition I found on Merriam-Webster.com is  

d : disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency e : a temporary exemption : reprieve

We can do this for ourselves.  We need to give ourselves a break.  We are human; we will fail, mess up, fall flat, make mistakes.  And so will our children...it's how they learn.  We need to be gentle with them and with ourselves and allow ourselves a do over.  God has all ready led the way in displaying and giving abundant amounts of grace. 

There are so many more ways we can begin to bring freedom to our homes, but it all starts with ourselves.  We must find freedom for ourselves before we can walk it out.  Jesus brings freedom and wholeness.  Meet with Him, spend time with Him and read His word.  He will meet you and you will be changed.

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Thankful Thursdays

Today I am thankful for...
61. great friends
62. deeper friendships
63. peace in speaking in front of others
64. hearing God's voice
65. sun and warmth
66. naptime
67. sweet words from the pilot
68. a husband who loves playing with the kids
69. the assertiveness of the princess
70. the sheer joy displayed by guy smiley.

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Brain overload

Yesterday I was able to attend a Homeschool Conference/Curriculum Fair.

Wow.  Brain overload.

More on this topic soon...

Stay tuned

For a possible move...I'm trying to figure out if I should move my blog to another host.  I have all ready opened up my blog there but have yet to figure out how it all works.  I'm working on it and if I can get it all worked out will be moving.

If you use Wordpress tell me what you think about it...and if you know of any good tutorials on using it let me know.

Thankful Thursdays

Today I am thankful for...
51. the blue sky peaking out from behind the mountains
52. the majestic, snow covered mountains
53. the sound of my kids playing together
54. music
55. our friend's new baby girl
56. homemade yogurt with vanilla and blueberries
57. Mom Connections
58. bugs and spiders(it's a sign that spring is just around the corner)
59. guy smiley sleeping through the night
60. a good cup of tea

Check this out!

Head over to Like A Warm Cup of Coffee and have a chance to win $400 for the charity of your choice and $250 for yourself!  Just purchase some cute rosebud earrings(I chose red) for $10(doesn't include shipping). 

My short absence

It has been a hard past few days for me...that is the reason for no blogging. 
I came down with mastitis over the weekend(yes, guy smiley is still nursing at 13 months).  Mastitis is NOT fun.  This is the second time I've had it with guy smiley and it just knocks me out.  I get a fever, chills, body aches...it's like the flu just without the snot or stomach issues.  I'm completely better now.
Add the mastitis to the fact that I've just been feeling down and have also been extremely tired(most likely the reason for the mastitis) and I've just not been a fun person to be around. I have also not been sticking with any of my goals and that always makes me feel guilty.  But I refuse to stay in that place of feeling guilty as I have been freed from guilt by Jesus.  I will start fresh today.
I was fortunate to be able to hang out with some great friends this weekend and that was wonderful as I am a people person.  We(and our kids) had fun just hanging out.  On one of our outings(the kids and mine) among three moms there were 11 kids.  Needless to say it was a bit crazy but tons of fun. 
It's also been overcast here with off and on rain or snow for a while now.  I hate to say it but the weather definitely affects me.  After it's been cloudy for a week straight I start to get depressed.  The sun is just good for my soul.
Today the sun has broken through the clouds and all ready my day feels SO much better.

Snow in April

Thankful Thursdays

I am thankful/grateful for:
42. snow...even in April it's beautiful!
43. dh reading to the princess
44. snuggles and reading with the pilot
45. the ability to nurse my babies for a year or more
46. quiet evenings
47. a clean house
48. the peace and calm that snow brings
49. a relaxing weekend with dh
50. dh's snoring

An update of sorts

Currently, as I type this blog post, it's snowing outside my window.  Yes, that's how life is here in the Great White North...Spring is a mere phantom, a tease, until sometime around mid May. (And while most people up here call it summer, I cannot.  I know what a "real" summer is and this state just doesn't have it.)  I hope one day in the very near future that dh and I will be moving south. 

As for Spring Cleaning...it's moving along slowly, which I don't mind and somewhat expected to happen due to multiple, small interruptions otherwise known as my children.  I'm almost finished with the kid's room and their closet(yes, all three are in the same room...sort of...we're currently transitioning guy smiley into the room).  The only thing I have left to do is wash the window and clean the mirror.  Here are some before and afters:
Before:
Closet-

After:

Bedroom:

Before:










 

After:

 As for my April goal of rising early...I have failed in doing so these past 3 days. It's dh's weekend so that always makes it harder for me to go to bed early and therefore to get up early.  But, honestly, I'm using that as an excuse.  I'm just being lazy because I'm tired and dragging myself out of bed at 6:30 sounds miserable and staying up later to hang out with my dh is fun.  I'm purposing to start up again tomorrow and it helps that I MUST be out the door by 9.  

On Monday, my dh kicked me out of the house.  I had been in a horrible mood all morning and he told me to leave the house or he was.  It was just what I needed...time to myself with nothing to do.  I hope to do this more often.  I went to a local coffee shop, had a wonderful cup of tea(I don't drink coffee) and read and journaled uninterrupted.  It felt wonderful to have a time to recharge my batteries.  I don't know why I don't do it more often...I found that I felt bad, guilty asking my dh to watch the kids.  Why is that?  He is their Dad.  But I still did.  Do any of you feel that way?  Or am I alone in this?