2019...Already??

WELCOME, 2019!

Did 2018 fly past or is that my imagination? Seems like it was just a few days ago that we celebrated the start of 2018 and that it is impossible that we are about to welcome a fresh new year, but my Dad always said that time moved faster as you got older, and as with most other things, he was correct.

So, are you ready for the coming year? I know I am not feeling ready to embrace a new year, but it comes whether I’m prepared or not, so it’s time to bid a fond adieu to 2018 and plan to have the best year ever. What’s on your self-improvement list for the year? Tell me in the comments.

 

2018 Goals Recap

Friends, this year was long. There's just no other way to say it. I fell down and dropped the ball on so many of my goals, succeeded wildly in others, and completed ones that I didn't even have at the beginning of the year. So I'll just pop a quick overview and then start working on 2019's goals. Updates to each goal will be in GREEN. 

Spiritual:

• Make a new habit of praying WITH Dan as often as he is willing. This happened only twice. Dan was unwilling.
• Read the Bible every day. Dropped the ball after January and never got back on track.
• Make a prayer list and pray more often and more specifically. I did well on this, and will continue to improve in 2019.

 Health:

• Instead of specific numbers/servings/grams, etc. I am adopting a eat-to-live attitude instead of my usual live-to-eat policy. I'm trying to pack simple healthy lunches each day, get more veggies in than in the past, and make sure I get my water every day. By end of year, I want to be able to hike Dripping Springs, A Mountain and Aguirre Springs. That's it. I did well on my eating policies for the first half of the year and then slowly got out of the new habits for the second half. Aaaaaaand, I never went hiking even once. Oops. (2019's goal will be to get my foot fixed and then slowly work on hiking.)

Books: 

• Read 52 books (or approximately one per week) hopefully along these lines: Only managed 32, but frankly, I'm not too upset about it. It's more than last year and I'm slowly working on putting my phone down and picking up a book instead.
  
  • 6 marriage 4 read
  • 2 financial 0
  • 10 novels 10 read
  • 1 magazine subscription 1 read
  • 2 gov't 1 read
  • 3 history 1 read
  • 10 read-alouds with DT 4 read
  • 2 book club choices 1 read, 1 started
  • 1 spanish 0
  • 10 Christian Living 3 read
  • 10 books that I had on my list from last year 3 read

Family:

• Start eating together at the table at least twice a week Only managed this a handful of times
• Get away together for at least one long weekend and 4-one day trips. Nope. Not even once.
• DE-CLUTTER the whole house. I mean it. For reals.I worked hard at this, and did well. Or so I thought until The BIGS moved back home and I had to condense my collection of SCHTUFF. Turns out I had mostly re-homed my things, instead of getting rid of them. I'm adding this to my 2019 goal list for sure.

Cultural/Social:

• Attend one cultural/social activity per month that's inexpensive or free~ Game Night does not count, no matter how much we love it. Did great the first quarter. And then, nope.
• Attend 1-2 BIG events this year (Newsies, Lion King, TobyMac, etc) YES! TobyMac with Dan was AMAZING
• Participate in #NoPantsApril2018 and #100HappyDays Totally owned this one! Every Single Post went up on FB, still working on transferring them over to the blog.

Personal: 

• Wear Make Up 1-2 times per week No. Managed to slap on some mascara about once a month overall.
• Slowly upgrade my wardrobe with an emphasis on high quality classics with a few trendy pieces thrown in for fun (Limit t-shirts with writing on them) I was gifted some clothes throughout the year, almost none with writing on them, and added a few pieces from thrifting and am pleased with the upgrades.
• Plan meals and cook 4 times per week, plus pack healthy lunches for DT and I at work. With just an occasional slip-up, DT and I carried our lunches all year long. Boom!

Financial: NO TO EVERY PART OF THIS. As of this writing, Dan has been out of work for 51 weeks. There's no financial goals met this year with the exception of still owning the house and no one going hungry. However, that credit goes to The BIGS, who moved back home in October to  help us keep the house.

• Get back on track once Dan gets a new job and stay current on the bills
• Save 50% of my monthly earnings to start and grow our emergency savings
• Tithe more generously (not just to the church, but to our community)
• Pay off Dan's Honda
• Put up a clothesline, repair the breakfast nook roof/ceiling, install raised garden beds in the back yard, get a coop and 4-6 chickens, and plant dwarf fruit trees along the rear fence line. (probably only 1-2 two of these will happen this year and that's OK)
  ***Edited in January of 2021 to add, Dan still doesn't have an official job and it has been THREE YEARS this week. BUT, we still have the house. Yes and Amen. We have saved and used our $1000 emergency fund 5 times since this post was created. We paid off Dan's Honda and then sold it. Dan fixed the breakfast nook ceiling, we planted a small #VictoryGarden in the front yard, and currently have 9 laying hens, but still no clothesline. Dwarf fruit trees are on the agenda for Spring of 2021. 
  

It's The Little Things: Day 365

I want to focus on the good things this year.
All the things people get right.
All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.
All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.
So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• 'Shua and Lauren bought me a plane ticket to come see them in the New Year after #BabyThea is born. I am so blessed, and tickled pink! 
• My dear long time friend Lauren is on her way here and will be here in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with us tonight. 
• Dan and I decided not to throw a party this year and just be cozy at home. That's a decision I can live with all year long. 
• I don't have to work tomorrow. Hooray for sleeping in once in a while!

 

 

 

What's on YOUR little things list today? 

It's the Little Things: Day 284

 

I want to focus on the good things this year.

All the things people get right.

All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.

All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.

So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

• It is a really good day of school after a few that chased rabbit trails and ended up being more character training than following our curriculum.
•  It is having a new friend over for dinner, even though it was unplanned.
• It's having a free evening to host company since our community group was canceled this week. 
• It's having your grown children bring their friends over for you to dress their wounds when they've had an unfortunate experience with bare skin and a rough sidewalk. 
• It's having Hercules eat at the table with me two nights in a row. 
• It's the major rearranging that's been going on all week being finished and the dust settling now that everything is in it's new place. 
• It's having the house ready for Dastroyah, PattyCakes and NayNay to each have their own room. 

What's on YOUR little things list?

Catching Up with Us Meyer's Sept 2018 Edition

Hey friends, it's been a hot minute, hasn't it? Life keeps on rolling, whether we participate or not, so we might as well play along, right? Anywho, September has been packed full of the exciting and the mundane, so here's a quick overview to get everyone caught back up. 

~Hercules: Is still unemployed in terms of not working for an official business but continues to be the busiest unemployed person I know. He's completed 2 engine swaps this month, fixed up a new-to-us car that he and Dastroyah collaborated on for me, fixed Pat's car 3 times, and Nathan's at least twice and is working on Dastroyah's Datsun as I type this. He's also helped Roger, Teresa and Karen move, put together an estimate to repair a home damaged by flooding, put in new carpet for 2 people and repaired a car for Tommy and Alex from church. Everyone in the family has working AC in their car now (If they are set up for it) thanks to a new technique he learned recently. He's worked on Ricky's old 270 car and a motorcycle that Ricky wants to buy from David. He is considering going into business with Joelle and opening their own little handy-man/auto repair storefront. Somewhere in there, he's made time to hang out with DT playing Mine-Craft, celebrate our 22nd anniversary, attend church and community group, and always be present for Pizza and Movie Night each week as we plow through the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. 

~Mama K: I'm tired just trying to remember everything Dan has been doing. LOL! I also worked my 30-35 hours a week with Jodi, did a solid 4 weeks of school with DT and Mr T., ran the house, decorated for Autumn, cut all the hair, attended swing dancing on Tuesday evenings, Sister-Girl Night on Wednesdays, enjoyed Community Group each Thursday, hosted Game Night on Fridays and church on Sundays. Jody Stolp, Ruby Eley and I did a FULL DAY of batch cooking last Saturday and while we wore ourselves completely out, we had a ball and prepared a full freezer's worth of breakfast foods, which are now being inhaled at an alarming rate by The Man Crew and Friends. (Look for a separate post regarding the baking day soon.) I also FINALLY FINISHED my #HotMess challenge project of getting the SOC room ready to use as a scrap-booking counter so I can leave my supplies out all the time. *Victory dance* I even managed to sort some books, clothes, and other things and filled my donation box to overflowing twice over. So not to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT, I was pretty productive this month, too. 

~Patrick: Patrick remains elusive after his grumpy sorta-kinda-maybe move out at the beginning of the summer over the lack of Internet at the MCH. He's been sleeping at Nathan's for weeks and weeks and has recently crossed the street to hang out at The Hooligan House. He comes home to shower, do his laundry, and eat all the food out of the fridge. He also comes home to ask Dan to help him with car projects, and for Pizza and Movies Night. Jodi and I are considering asking him to take school pics of Mr. T and Slick.

~Derek: Derek is working his way through the 7th grade and making progress by leaps and bounds. His tablet and/or Mine Craft consumes most of the rest of his time, if I allow it...because riding your bike/rollerblading/pogo sticking isn't that much fun by himself, and it's still too hot for Mama to intentionally spend much time outside. He did get to attend Home School Day at the Rockin' Jump Trampoline park and enjoyed himself immensely. 

~Dastroyah: Dastroyah still prefers not to be talked about much, but I think it's safe to say that he's working on motorcycle and car projects, still working at the gym, and he attends Pizza and Movie Nights each week.

It's the Little Things: Day 272

I want to focus on the good things this year.

All the things people get right.

All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.

All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.

So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

•  A day spent almost completely at home. As often as we strive for them, in this busy busy busy culture, an at-home day is a gift. DT is still really embracing the idea of Sabbath, even though to him it just means a day at home to do whatever he wants. ;)
• Dan was helping Roger, Teresa, and Karen move into their new home, so it was just DT and I most of the day. I'm glad he's willing to help friends and family with whatever he can. The tv was on, but quiet, and DT took breaks often to help me with things or head out into the sunshine for a bit. I even snuck in listening to a CD or two while DT was otherwise occupied.
• I chatted on the phone with my mom for over an hour about her recent trip to Ohio, life around here, and just stuff. I miss her. I'm grateful for technology that helps the miles between us seem shorter.
• I accomplished several small projects that had been lingering on my to do list all week, like getting out the Autumn decorations and putting away the Summer ones, catching up on ALL of the dishes, 'helping' DT get his room cleaner and giving the rats a bath, folding some laundry, adding several books and a few items of clothing to the donation box, cleaning the bathroom and scrubbing the counters. Little things, but as a whole, made the house feel ready for Autumn and clean.
• When Dan came home from helping them move, he painted my nails so I would sit still next to him while he watched a movie. Oh my goodness, I love this man. He just wants me to sit by him. (Hello, quality time love language)
• I helped Ricky draft an email to fire his current lawyer, which was the only reason I left the house. I spent an hour at The Hooligan House eating pizza, laughing over the guys' love language quiz results, drafting the email, and generally enjoying myself quite a bit. I got to hug Carolina and Judah, have a chat with Johnny, and listen to Alex put everyone in their place a time or two. Good stuff. 
• When I returned home, Dan and I watched a few episodes of This Is Us, season 2. Netflix DVD service is awesome. It really IS the Little Things.

See how easy it is to come up with things once you start looking around?
What's on YOUR little things list?

#100HappyDays2018: Day 100

#100HappyDays: Day 100
These 100 days of summer have passed so quickly it seems and now that we’re here at the end, I couldn’t choose just one photo. So, I shall share two today for the grand finale.
I love Las Cruces, it’s so beautiful!
#100DaysOfSummer
#LasCruces
#TheOrganMountains
#100HappyDays2018

  

#100HappyDays2018: Day 99

#100HappyDays: Day 99
Funny pictures of my extended family that make me laugh. This is an oldie but a goody.
#100DaysOfSummer
#OldPhotos
#MyMomNeverMakesFunnyFaces
#JayLooksLikeASerialKiller
#100HappyDay2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 98

 

 

 

#100HappyDays: Day 98
Happy Mail from a friend. Amy and I were talking nutrition and feeling run down and burned out last week, and today I find goodies in my mailbox! Thanks Amy!!
#100DaysOfSummer
#HappyMail
#NutritionForMama
#100HappyDays2018

 

#100HappyDays2018: Day 97

#100HappyDays: Day 97
A fun dice-flicking animal 🐘 🦍 🦓 🐅 game that DT thinks is hilarious and fancy new rubber bands to keep the game lids from falling off when we take our games to share with friends.
#100DaysOfSummer
#BoardGames
#100HappyDays2018

 Yes, we're *those* people. The crazy ones that homeschool. Because we like it. Because we like our children. Because we think that it's our job as parents (and not the government's) to raise our children. So here we are, 18 years in...

If you are interested in what we are using this year, you are in the right place. Here is an overview of what we are doing for the 2018-2019 school year.
Derek is a 7th grader this year and Titus is a 5th grader. Both have learning struggles so they end up about on the same level, which is currently hovering around an upper 3rd/lower 4th grade level. But we made MUCH progress last year and are hoping to see massive gains again this year. 
Jodi and I are sharing the teaching time again this year with my Derek and her Titus. It's good for each of them to have a class mate, and to have a variety of teachers and styles. So, without further ado...

DEREK (and Titus):

• We are continuing to use our beloved My Father's World for our core curriculum. It covers Bible/character training, geography, history, science, art, music and our read-aloud books. We are in year 3 of the 5 year cycle called Rome to the Reformation. It can be found here. It was generously given to us by one of our homeschooling friends and I filled the gaps with the MFW gift certificate I had from work last year's homeschooling conference. I teach in the morning while Jodi is running errands, visiting students at school, and doing her housekeeping. Jodi teaches in the early afternoon while I do office work. We are following the public school schedule since James is in public school and it also keeps our work/school schedule simple in terms of when Jodi will have clients in the office and I will be at work.
• Jodi teaches in the early afternoons and is writing curriculum specifically for Derek and Titus to cover Language Arts and Arithmetic, with a special focus on writing. She is using the "What Your ___Grader Needs to Know" series as a starting point and adding from there. This year we are using the 2nd and 3rd grade books for language arts and using the 4th and 5th grade books for math. We are also using Teaching Textbooks Grade 5 as a way to cover some of the basics and reinforce the math concepts that Jodi is teaching during the afternoons.
• Derek and Titus are learning some Spanish this year and we are using the DuoLingo phone app to allow them some independent learning time. They are both soaking it up like little sponges and are teaching us new things weekly.
• Extra Curriculars include: Lego Club/Board Game Day/Camps at Learn For a Lifetime, Game Night, Jump dates at Rockin' Jump on Homeschool Day, play dates with friends (and each other) and whatever else their mothers think up for them.  
  
  
  That pretty well sums up what we are doing this school year. If we add or change anything, I'll update the page.

#100HappyDays2018: Day 96

#100HappyDays: Day 96
Making my own lotions and potions. On the sides, beard balm for The BIGS, scented with tea tree and mint essential oils. In the middle, some lemongrass scented lip balm for Mama K.
#100DaysOfSummer
#HomemadeGoodness
#HandmadeByMamaK
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays 2018: Day 95

#100HappyDays: Day 95
A beautiful breakfast out on the patio of The Shed with Hercules to celebrate our anniversary.
Followed by grocery shopping because we know how to party like it’s Saturday. 😉
#100DaysOfSummer
#HappyAnniversary
#TeamMeYeR
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 94

#100HappyDays: Day 94
This guy. He makes me happy.
#100DaysOfSummer
#22Years
#TeamMeYeR
#HappyAnniversary
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 93

 
#100HappyDays: Day 93
A roller rink is opening tomorrow here in town!! I could walk to it from work 😊
#100DaysOfSummer
#GrandOpening
#RollerRink
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 92

#100HappyDays: Day 92
A game of chess with my youngest. He won, of course. 😊.
In other news, Beck's coffee house makes some amazing house-churned ice cream.
#100DaysOfSummer
#DTStrong
#SmartyPants
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 91

#100HappyDays: Day 91
The only photos I have from today are silly SnapChat pictures, but it was a good day. The boys had a great day of school, it wasn’t quite as hot as the surface of the sun, I had meal plans AND the time to actually make them happen, and while I was doing that, I did some prep work to make the next few day’s worth of dinners come together even faster. I even watched part of The Sound of Music and while all my people rolled their eyes, they sang along to the songs and laughed in all the right places. And that makes Mama K real happy.
#MamaK
#Musicals
#100HappyDays
#100DaysOfSummer

#100HappyDays2018: Day 90

#100HappyDays: Day 90
Oscar MeYeR and Rosie the Riveter were curled up together this morning as I got my day started and I was reminded anew that if two snakes of differing breeds can get along, we the people of the world should be able to as well. Let’s overlook our differences and instead, find all the ways we are alike.
#100DaysOfSummer
#Diversity
#ItsTheLittleThings
#LetsJustGetAlong
#100HappyDays2018

How to win a conversation with Dastroyah, otherwise known as the Man-Child

I love random silliness. If you know me in real life, or if you've been brave enough to follow along here for a while, you already know this. But it never fails to amuse me, especially when I get to enjoy some random silliness at my children's expense. This is how it goes. We have pizza and movies every Sunday night together. I make pizza, The BIGS bring snacks and friends and we all pile into the living room for some time spent relaxing together to end the week well. So last night, Dastroyah called and asked what I needed at the store, to which I replied that I have everything we needed for pizza.

D: I'm at W-M, what do you need?
MamaK: We're good, I already went shopping today.
D: Shall I bring snacks or drinks?
MamaK: You can bring chips if you want, but really, we are good today.
D: Mom, what do you need from the store?
MamaK: I'd like a million dollars and my sanity back. I sure am missing it.
D: What. Do. You. Need. From. The. Store...
Me: ---crickets---
D: *Huff* Fine...what does Dad need from the store?
MamaK: I'm sure he would like for me to have my sanity back, too. it would make his life easier, I'm sure.
D: *exasperated sigh* CLICK.

Me: Bwuahahahah! 



He brought milk. :)

So...A Funny Thing Happened Last Night

After I posted this photo...

First Family Photo after moving to NM in 2007. Derek 2, Dan, David almost 10, Patrick 8.5, Kristy

 ...on FB earlier this week to celebrate our 11 year anniversary of living in the great state of New Mexico, I had several requests for a humorous photo remake. And so, here in all of it's radiant and ridiculous glory is that much requested photo.

Derek 13, Dan, David nearly 21, Patrick 19.5, Kristy

You're welcome.

This super silly photo brings me so much happiness that there are no words.

None at all.

Just a bubble of laughter ever time I look at it, and a deep abiding joy that my family is just as it is. Silly, loud, occasionally obnoxious (okay, perhaps more often than occasionally) loyal, hard-working, and some of the very best people I know. *See Gentleman Savage* Every single of them would give you the shirt off of their back, tow and /or repair your car, feed your belly, snuggle your baby, laugh with you, tell you when you've messed up but that it's okay and they know how to help you fix it, cry with you and in general love you like you've never been loved before.

And THAT is a legacy I'm comfortable with being part of every single day.

#100HappyDays2018: Day 89

#100HappyDays: Day 89
The much requested photo remake of our family from 11 years ago. It’s not a great photo, but well, neither was the original. LOL!
#100DaysOfSummer
#TheManCrew
#PhotoRemake
#100HappyDays2018

 

PS. Yes, I'm aware that this picture is already up on the blog, but since I'm all about complete sets, I can't leave this out of the #100HappyDays2018 series. Thank you for kindly overlooking my neurosis. 

It's the Little Things: Days 238 and 239

I want to focus on the good things this year.

All the things people get right.

All the times that everything works out just perfectly after we assumed disaster had already struck.

All the times that the right word was spoken at the right moment.

So, let's celebrate those little moments together, shall we?

•  It's a Saturday at home, with nowhere to go unless I decide I want to leave.
• It's the hubster calling to say he was on his way home (quite a rare occasion) and asking me to please order some dinner and not cook so I could hang out with him. *You best I did! 
• It's a quick visit from a friend that was unexpected but very welcome.
• It's so many texts flying back and forth between your bestie and you since she's home from work for a few weeks due to a medical issue. She's healing well and feeling better each day.
• It's getting a little closer to your son's room being reasonable again after realizing is was WAY out of control a week ago.
• It's pizza and movies with the regular attenders again and having leftovers.
• It's getting 2 movies watched and everyone still getting to bed before 10. SCORE! 
• It's a friend that is soon to move away bringing over doodahs to share from her nearly empty apartment in a pretty striped 31 Bags bag that I've been drooling over and then giving me the bag, too. Thanks!
• It's a hilarious photo remake that the family indulged me by making.
• It's winning a phone conversation with the Man-Child. :)
• It's getting nearly caught up on the dishes after cleaning out the fridge and making myself tons of new dishes to do. 
• It's Hercules hanging out in the kitchen with me and helping out by making his own Kombucha and chopping up an enormous watermelon. 
• It's a grocery shopping trip that reminds of exactly why I don't take Dan grocery shopping with me, but that was so pleasant that I'm tempted to throw the grocery budget caution to the wind every week. 
• It's a full fridge AND meal plans to make sure we use up that food.
  
  See how easy it is to come up with things once you start looking around?
  What's on YOUR little things list?
  
  

#100HappyDays2018: Day 88

#100HappyDays: Day 88
My tiny little at-home family. This is how they watch movies. Like a pile of sleeping puppies...at least when they aren’t wrestling, tickling each other or snatching each other’s snacks. 😉
#100DaysOfSummer
#TheManCrew
#BookThief
#Snuggles
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 87

#100HappyDays: Day 87
A birthday party for J and T at Chuck E Cheese’s. The BIGS attended, hilarity ensued and fun was had by all.
#100DaysOfSummer
#TheBIGS
#JamesAndTitus
#BirthdayParty
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 86

#100HappyDays: Day 86
The Organ Mountains with some cloud cover this morning. Made the drive to work extra pleasant. We have been here for 11 years today and I never get tired of seeing them.

#100DaysOfSummer
#LasCruces
#OrganMountains #100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 84

 

#100HappyDays2018: Day 84
I didn’t take a picture of anything today, but it was a good good day. I was reminded again of how much I have for which to be grateful. Friends called, texted and video chatted with me, came by to visit, and invited me out for dinner (all separately), I got some prep work done in the kitchen, school went as smoothly as the 7th day can go when one kiddo is sick and the other is sleep deprived, I went and had a sweet time with my BIGS plus some of the other Handsome, my S-G, and BethAnn at Swing On The Plaza, and I’m headed to bed at a reasonable hour for the first time in a while. And it’s hard not to be happy about a day like that. 😊
#BLESSED
#100HappyDays
#100DaysOfSummer
#100DaysOfSummer2018