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Saturday, February 28, 2015

It's the Little Things: Gymnastics Season, Post-Move and Nearly Spring Break edition


I've discovered as I make this journey through life that it's not the huge things that make or break your day, week, month or life. It's the little things. So in honor of the little things, list a few with me that made your day, week, month or life brighter or sweeter.
  • It's a sing-along on the way to Phoenix, while the teenager drives so I can crochet the miles away.
  • It's that same teenager not only knowing that the hubster and I have a "Song" but knowing all the words and singing them...loudly :)
    And knowing the words to such songs as diverse as those recorded by DCtalk, The Cathedrals, Tim McGraw, SheDaisy, The Martins, and Kansas. Makes a mama feel like she did something right along the way.
  • It's finishing a tough meet when he just wanted to go home. (actually a HUGE thing, but it still makes the list)
  • It's adding members to the house hold that truly ADD instead of just taking up space. 
  • It's Dan and I playing the first game of pool together since my dad died. In our new home. In our new and improved rec room. On the same table that Dad played his last game. That was bittersweet. 
  • It's finding just enough tea left in the pitcher for that all important glass to sit on my bedside table. 
  • It's making more time for fun school activities, not only to keep Derek's interest, but to make the lessons stick, and to create loving memories of school together.
  • It's taking a month away from screens to have more time to just BE. 
  • It's my Danny-boy doing the dance of joy with me over a new kitchen faucet. That was way better than the new faucet!
  • It's a daughter-in-love calling to say that a simple note of encouragement came at just the right time. 
  • It's walking away from the 'old house' one last time.
  • It's watching Hercules crawl through the new doggie door while encouraging the puppy to follow him. Bwuahahah! 
  • It's a teenager with a new driver's license. Oh boy...
  • It's that same teenager with a car of their very own. OH BOY>>>
  • It's a clean kitchen early in the morning. **happy dance**
I like the idea of this style of post. If you like it too, add your little things! I'm making it a goal to focus on the positive this year...Join me!

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

2015 Goals Update: Mid-February



Hi friends! I wanted to update at the end of January, but at the end of January we were buried under a fresh move to a new house and so it just didn't happen, as did many of my goals. Here is a (hopefully) quick update.
Personal Goals: include, but are not limited to:
~Losing 20-25 pounds this year with portion control, walking/elliptical/cardio, and more veggies. NO, and I don't want to talk about it right now. LOL!
~Writing a letter a week. YES!

~Read a book a week. A book for me, not a read aloud with the kids, or an educational book, or a book I feel like I *should* read. A book that I want to read, for personal pleasure or a how-to book on a topic I am interested in reading. (yes, I'm a speed reader, so this really should be no problem)
Only made it through 3 so far, but I'm gaining speed. I am out of practice it seems.
Spiritual Goals:
~Read through the Bible in a year. Haven't even started yet, is that bad? I have been keeping up with the readings for our sermon series at church.
~Be active in our BREAD group on Facebook. Commented or shared several times already.

~Be more proactive/mindful in my prayer life. Praying more in general, and for specific needs of friends at the *right* time and enjoying my prayer time more.
~Get more comfortable saying, "How's your walk with Jesus this week?" And, "How can I pray for you today?"
  Not comfortable yet, but trying to say it more often anyway.
Couple Goals:
~Read a book about marriage 3 times a year. Not yet.
~Go on an actual date with Dan every 8 weeks (I am trying to be reasonable) Does going to look at water heaters without the kids along count as a date? I sure hope so ;)

~Re-read The 5 Love Languages and become fluent in Dan's language. Haven't re-read the book yet, but done a good job of spending more time speaking Dan's language of quality time together.

Financial Goals:
~Stay on top of the bills (I totally stink at this, so it's a challenge) So far, so good.
~Create an emergency fund of $1000. Well, I had some money saved...

~Complete the 52 week money challenge (I should save $1378 by increasing the amount I put in each week by $1) Doing really well on this one. I've save the proper amount each week so far. Yeah!
~Keep our grocery budget at $150 or lower each week, which will be a trick with our current household size of 7.
Not doing well on this one yet, but with the move, I expected a higher grocery bill for a few weeks. Should be back on track this week. Schooling Goals:
~Finish the year on time...don't get bogged down by every little distraction. On track to finish by end of June.

~Find ways to keep DT's interest instead of just slogging through the work each day. Science experiments and other hands on activities are really helping.

~Help D figure out what he's doing this school year (He's barely started school for the year yet. *le sigh*) and what he wants to do after this year. David and I have had a few great chats about life after high school, how to survive high school, and what how to get where he wants to be.
~Encourage P to continue to be self motivated to get school done. He's managing his own schooling this year. I'm really pleased!
Pat is maintaining his momentum in school even though he says it is boring. He must be a 10th grader or something :)
Family goals:
~Re-insitute FAMILY game night, not just 'everyone' game night. I'm missing homemade pizza and just my family around the game table. I can manage games with DT, and home made pizza, but haven't yet successfully gotten everyone to the table for a meal and a game at the same time. I'll keep trying.
~Watch less TV and do more activities together outside. One super awesome thing about a move is the disruption to our normal routine. We've been working on projects around the house, building on a room, and settling in, and so there has been much less TV watching, and for about 10 days, we lived with Internet. Glorious.

~Spend some one on one time with each child every week. (I tend to get caught up in the herd mentality since there are always so many here, but that lets my own children fall through the cracks, and that's not ok)
Again, I am doing much better on this with DT than with the others. Teenagers are wily.

I am encouraged by the success of some of my goals, but disheartened about the absolute flop of others. However, I am granting myself grace in that we moved just 3 weeks ago, and I know I can do better as the year goes along.
~Kristy~

Wavin' a Hand

I know it's been a while since I posted anything, but I can only plead for grace as I try to unbury myself from this most recent move. We're knee deep in boxes and deeper into gymnastics season, so I'll try to get something besides a wave posted very soon. Thanks!
Hi Rhonda!
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