#100HappyDays2018: Day 63

 

#100HappyDays 2018: Day 63

These three guys, who have been together non-stop for the last week. They get along really well (most of the time) and are generally cooperative and easygoing. Tonight, they played together and wandered the downtown plaza getting some fresh air while I delightedly watched all The BIGS swing dance with the pretty girls...and each other. 😁 Dastroyah, PattyCakes and Nathan had a ball and I woo-hoo-ed and shouted encouragements until I was nearly hoarse. Good times! 💃

#Cousins
#TheBIGS
#Brothers
#SwingOnThePlaza
#100DaysOfSummer
#100HappyDays2018

— attending Swing on the Plaza at Plaza de Las Cruces.

 

#100HappyDays2018: Day 62

#100HappyDays: Day 62
A friend that opens an opportunity to share this meme. Thanks Paul Mike!!
His post read. “Never been married. Time to get a cat.” I followed it up with this...
#100DaysOfSummer
#Snark
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 61

#100HappyDays: Day 61
I smelled green chile roasting! Mmmmm!
#100DaysOfSummer
#NewMexico
#HatchGreenChile
#100HappyDays2018
I was driving when I smelled it, so I couldn't catch a photo, but here's a pic I found online to give you the idea. Chile Roasting Season has begun. Woot!

#100HappyDays2018: Day 60

#100HappyDays: Day 60
This table. To you, it may just be a table. But this table has served three meals to 6 people today in what seemed more like a steady stream than 3 separate meals, was covered in all the White Sands nonsense we dragged in from the car for a few hours, helped me sort and fold 7 loads of laundry, was where PattyCakes and I sat and discussed life/marriage/children/Dad’s old car/work, sorted the mail, where I sat to read a book, and is somehow magically clear once again this evening to hold a candle and rest peacefully until tomorrow. This table is life.
#100DaysOfSummer
#CornersOfOurHome
#ManCrewHouse
#WorkHorse
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 59

#100HappyDays: Day 59
White Sands Full Moon Night. One of the best things NM has to offer.
#WhiteSands
#FullMoon
#100DaysOfSummer
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 58

#100HappyDays: Day 58
These happy hooligans. Makes my heart happy.
#100DaysOfSummet
#ThreeHeadedMonster
#Cousins
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 57

#100HappyDays: Day 57
A fun craft for Astronomy Camp that worked out better than expected.
#100DaysOfSummer
#StarGazer
#LearnForALifetime
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 56

#100HappyDays: Day 56
These three stair-step cousins playing at the plaza tonight.
#100DaysOfSummer
#SwingOnThePlaza
#Cousins
#100HappyDays2018

Titus~just turned 10, DT~12, James~15

Simple Woman's Daybook: July 2018

 

For Today... July 17, 2018

Outside my window... It is hot and HUMID (69% humidity is unheard of here in NM), cars are rushing by and the sun is shining weakly from behind a cloud where rain threatens once again. Our monsoons are back, no more drought!

I am thinking... that an hour or two of quiet to blog in between Jodi's students coming and going is a blessing I'm enjoying.

I am thankful for... Sunny mornings, rainy afternoons, Air Conditioning, Jesus, my family, undeserved grace, Swing on the Plaza free dance lessons, and deep abiding friendships that make my life so rich.

I am wearing... Feed my Starving Children blue tee, jeans, no show socks and tennies. Hair is UP UP UP trying to escape the heat.

I am remembering... that reading my old blog posts makes me happy.

I am Going... to work, to Swing on the Plaza, and to bed. In that order. ;)

I am Reading... Still Married and Loving It, Here Burns My Candle, Meals in 30 Minutes or Less (yes I read cookbooks, *grins*) and Relationship Principles of Jesus.

I am Hoping... to have enough energy to dance tonight instead of watching like last week...but it's not looking good right now. HA!

On my Mind... bills, the next student, what Dan and Derek are doing at home without me, and how behind I am on my reading goals for the year.

From the learning rooms... SUMMER BREAK, baby! The boys are enjoying a few short weeks of break before we head back in early August. We've made sure they read and stay up on their math all summer long, but this week is a full halt. Just have fun, it's summer.

Noticing that... being fat isn't serving me well. I need to lose some more weight. Perhaps dancing will help.
Pondering these words... "If there is more to the Christian life, do I really want it?" As quoted from Pastor Dennis' sermon a few weeks back. It's making me question some convictions I've long held dear. And that's a good thing.

From the kitchen...Currently, mostly leftovers. I haven't had the time or money to shop 'properly' this week so we are just making do.

• Monday~Leftovers from the weekend. (Pizza, chicken tenders, potato wedges, watermelon, chips and dip, cucumber slices, tea and milk)
• Tuesday~Smoked Sausage, beans and rice
• Wednesday~The men will fend for themselves while I have dinner with Karen
• Thursday~Snacky dinner with our Community Group
• Friday~Game Night
• Saturday~To Be Determined
• Sunday~Homemade pizza

Around the house...I am in a De-cluttering phase right now. So I'm donating like our lives depend on it. The clutter must go! We have so much that we don't need and others could use.

One of my favorite things... my adult children. To have your own kiddos be some of your best friends is a gift from God.

From my picture journal...  

If you are living the simple life, pondering the simple life or just want to read more thoughts of those who are living the simple life, join us over at the delightful Miss Peggy's Site http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/ or click on the picture at the top. Thanks for joining me today!

It's the Little Things: Day 198

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? 

• How can this year already be more than half over? I'm enjoying this blog series so much. It has become one of my little things. I don't get to post it as often as I'd like since I can't blog from my phone or my tablet, but whenever I get the chance to review some of my blessings, that's a blessing in itself. 
• It's as simple as a Pandora music station that plays only songs you love and gets smarter and smarter the more you play it. (Currently playing, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound radio.)
• It's a week on my own at the office. Which isn't necessarily a little thing, since it allows Jodi to have a week of stay-cation, but her trust in me to handle the students is a wonderful gift. 
• It's Hercules and DT spending a whole day together playing Minecraft and hanging out. Mama got to work in peace and they had a ball together. And neither of those is a little thing. 
• It's a hilarious Facetime visit with my 'Shua, Lauren and Caden. Little Punk was NOT all about sitting still to talk to {Grand}Mama K. At. ALL. But it was fun to visit with 'Shua and Lauren in their new house looking so happy and content. 
• It's getting a gift of candy corn from one of my this-week-only students. 
• It's my breakfast nook roof not leaking anymore thanks to some extra attention for Dan earlier this month. This is NOT a little thing, but I'm mentioning it just the same. Monsoon season is upon us and it's raining at least for a while nearly every day, so this repair came at just the right time. Thank you, Dan!
• It's an hour to blog in between students. And with DT at home with Dan again today, it's only interrupted by the office phone ringing. And that's good news for the business so that's okay with me. 
• It's pulling random ingredients from the fridge while I'm still sleepy and bleary-eyed this morning and once I woke up, realizing I've got ingredients to make a spinach salad topped with honey-chipotle chicken tenders, tomatoes, cucumber, zesty Italian dressing and Cheez-It crackers as croutons. Not bad, indeed. 
• It's looking forward to "Swing on the Plaza" tonight if I'm not too tired. Free swing dance lessons, followed by 2 hours of music and room to dance. Dastroyah recently discovered swing dancing (with Z Benson's help) and it has changed his life. Even if I don't have the energy to dance, just enjoying the weather and watching the youngsters dance will be pleasant. Plus, food trucks will be there with Taco Tuesday specials. One can hardly go wrong in that environment. LOL! 

All of these and more make up my little things list this week. Isn't it so difficult to not see the blessings once you start looking? What's on your little things list today? 

 

#100HappyDays2018: Day 49

#100HappyDays: Day 49
A video chat with my far away family that included this handsome devil.

#100DaysOfSummer
#Shua

#100HappyDays2018 — feeling happy with Joshua Bean.

 

PS. Please to overlook the crazy face I"m making, we were talking about unruly toddlers and how FUN they are. LOL

#100HappyDays2018: Day 48

 

#100HappyDays: Day 48
A new manicure, courtesy of an evening at home.
Derek gets so annoyed when I only paint one or two nails. It amuses me.

#Sunday
#100DaysOfSummer
#PrettyNails

#100HappyDays2018

— feeling happy at The Man Crew House.

#100HappyDays2018: Day 47

 

#100HappyDays: Day 47
An evening well spent playing Road to Mexico Dominos with my favorite youngest biological child. 💚

#100DaysOfSummer
#Dominos
#100HappyDays2018

#100HappyDays2018: Day 38

 #100HappyDays: Day 38
LEGO Day! 3 happy kiddos played Legos all day AND then picked everything up without a fuss. Woot!
#100DaysOfSummer
#LEGODay
#100HappyDays2018

It's the Little Things: Day 184

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 successful day of work, which involved making kites, walking to the park, watching Mary Poppins, and laughing at the kiddos antics.
• It's being SO ridiculously grateful for Air Conditioning in this insanely hot and humid (for Cruces) summer that we are enjoying. 
• It's having an easy peasy and tasty dinner ready to eat in 5 minutes.
• It's having big kids that means I can slip off to Starbucks around the corner to enjoy a free iced tea and blog for an hour (or two).
• It's that same big kid that still enjoys having me read him bedtime stories. I KNOW I'm on borrowed time and I'm trying to soak up every minute. 
• It's a friend requesting that we have our annual Independence Day bbq and then donating all the money to make it happen. (We are so blessed, guys!) 
• It's celebrating with 'Shua and Lauren over the purchase of their first home and a successful and safe move last weekend. They live 6 blocks from my mom now. Woot for GiGi! 
• It's a friend offering a free Herbalife shake to help me start my weight-loss journey. And enjoying some delightful mama chatter while doing it.
• It's a bestie that calls to ask how things are going...not the socially appropriate answer of fine. How are things TRULY going? And being able to answer without fear of ridicule or a scolding reminder that others are worse off than I am right now. She's a gift, that's for sure.
• It's having brake lights that WORK again after some attention from Hercules and Dastroyah. I feel so fancy and special now! 
• It's a new sermon series by Pastor Dennis that rocked my socks off and caused me to rethink several long held ideas about my commitment to the Lord. And that's always a good thing. 

 

What's on your Little Things list?