My Word For The Year: 2019

   Do YOU have a word for the year, or a motto, or a special verse? I have joined this movement in recent years and I like the idea of having an overall focus or goal for the year. However, choosing that word is sometimes difficult as I have too many ideas for what I want to work on in the coming year, or conversely, none at all. This year's pick took me a while to really settle on and I think it's a good one. In fact, I think the last several years worth of hard work have led me to it. From retiring my #PlateSpinner hashtag and replacing it with #NoLongerAPlateSpinner a few years back, learning to say ENOUGH (that one took a while) and last year's goal of Progress, it's been a circuitous route, but here I am, ready for something new.

    This year, I'm focusing on me: my attitude, boundaries, and personal growth...things under MY control. I've learned so well over the last few years that my attitude as a mother and a wife truly affects my people, my job, and my home. And since it is under my control, so I should make every effort to use that to bless people. I can choose to use my powers for good or evil. I want to choose good. And so I shall.

   
    My word for this year is CHOOSE. I will choose to work hard, love harder and bless everyone I come across, all year long. I will choose to smile when the days are long. I will choose to speak gently in love when I feel like screaming. I will choose to pray when I feel like worrying. I will choose to take time to spend with my family. I will choose to feed my people good, nutritious meals when fast food is an easy way out. I will choose to read my Bible and spend time with Jesus, so I know where He wants me to work on me, and how He wants me to share Him with others. I will choose to make time for Dan and I to be together just for us so as we face the coming years, it will be as a team, not as two individuals pulling in opposite directions. I will choose to say no to good things, so I can save my YES for the best things.

   My goals for the year are as follows:

*Personal Health*

• Fix my foot
• Eat veggies 2x a day
• Drop 3 sizes
• Hike "A" Mountain

*Spiritual/Intellectual*

• Read the New Testament
• Pray from a list
• Read 52 books
• Serve in our church
• Continue with our Community Group

*Marriage/Family*

• Help The BIGS move out as they are ready
• Go on 1 family weekend-camping, Grand Canyon, Cloudcroft
• Continue Pizza and Movies on Sundays
• Date Night with Dan monthly

*Home*

• Finish garage
• Repair Breakfast Nook roof
• Reduce our Possessions by 30%

*Finances*

• Save $1000
• Stay Current on bills

*Hospitality*

• Host/Attend a gathering once a month
• Call a friend 1x a week
• Send a handwritten note 1x a month

*Homeschool*

• Finish the 2018-2019 school year well, complete our curriculum AND our 180 days with good attitudes and good grades (focus on comprehension, not completion simply for the sake of completion)
• Enjoy our summer break filled with outdoor fun, lots of reading, and family time
• Start the 2019-2020 school year on time, and work hard to make progress all year long

*Travel*

• Visit IL to see #BabyThea soon after her birth and celebrate #BabyCaden's 2nd birthday (His hashtag will become #ToddlerCaden)
• Send Dan to IL for Mambo's 80th birthday
• Visit Laura Hepker in Austin
• Visit Cindy in Phoenix
• Start saving for a family trip to IL in 2020

 I'll try to post in once a month and update my goals. I'll try to have good news in at least one category every month. ;)
 

#100HappyDays2018: Day 2

 #100HappyDay2018 Day 2:
I took a walk last night as the sun was about to go down and was reminded anew of how much I love the view of the Organ Mountains from the end of our block. Beauty is everywhere, we just have to stop rushing around for long enough to notice it.

I love Blogging

I just wanted to pop in and say that I LOVE Blogging. 
Even if no one but me ever reads it...it doesn't matter. I have spent several hours over the past few weeks following links from one old post to the next and I'm having such a delightful time prancing down memory lane with myself. Blogging is one of the few creative outlets I allow myself outside of the kitchen, so it's glorious to be back at it again. Thanks for sharing the journey with me, my friends.
#NoLongerAPlateSpinner
#BloggerLife
#MemoryLane

It's the Little Things: Day 128

 

 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?

The past few weeks have been frustrating for me and I'm finding that I'm being extra critical not only of myself, but of anyone with whom I interact. Now that I've stopped to think about that, I'm wondering if it's directly correlated to the fact that I've slacked off of intentionally looking for the good and the beautiful. So, to answer that question...

• It's DT's room finally getting clean. Woot! (If you've ever met a 12 year old, you know how big of a deal this is, LOL)
• It's having plenty of leftover tamales from the night before, so you not only have something quick and easy to eat, but you also don't have to cook tonight.
• It's getting back to blogging after last week's Screen Free Week adventures.
• It's spending an evening just hanging out with family, blogging, reading, and laughing together.
• It's going to be at a reasonable hour, so I can get up and do it all again tomorrow.
• It's enjoying my roses every.single.time I go outside. 
• It's having a fun planning session about names and styles when PattyCakes comes home with a hat that says "MeYeR Crew Garage" and wants everyone to get matching hats. 
• It's reaching out to a friend that's hurting. 
• It's having TIME to invest in people instead of always being so busy that I just hoped other people would reach out. #NoLongerAPlateSpinner
• It's finishing my 10th book this year. I'm still behind on my goal, but less behind than I was recently, so PROGRESS!! I love progress. 

It's the Little Things: Days 41 & 42

 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 glorious Saturday spent completely at home, being busy about the tasks a homemaker calls her own. 
• It's digging through every piece of Christmas decor you own, remembering happy little Christmases of long ago, deciding what to repack and what can go bless someone else's next Christmas.
• It's several hours spent working happily alongside my mother, who can run circles around me, while we chat and laugh together.
• It's having an old family favorite movie to watch late in the evening to laugh over together with your favorite middlest of middle children, while others are asleep or out helping someone with a project. 
• It's an inspiring sermon at Reel2Real church that leaves plenty for you to ruminate upon during a quiet Sunday afternoon alone. 
• It's TIME to blog on a quiet Sunday afternoon...and plan a tea party for my mom's 70th birthday, and work on a surprise for Dan's 42nd birthday, and chat with my sisters, and work in my planner, and update my computer, and prep dinner so whenever Hercules wandered back in the door I could have dinner on the table in 5 minutes. 
• It's having sons that are nearly as handy as their father so that when Mama K or Grma need something, there are always helping hands willing and able to be of service with a smile. 
• It's a good CD played on repeat while no one is here to complain about my repetitive musical tastes. :)
• It's missing Caden's 1st birthday party, but knowing that there will be plenty of photos and videos coming to me across the miles via technology. 
• It's ending a restful weekend curled up in the arms of the man I love, watching a movie before putting this weekend to bed, ready to face the coming week.
  

What's on YOUR little things list today?

It's the Little Things: Day 17

  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 day FULL of running-running-running and doing-doing-doing, followed by a sweet snuggle with a sleepy Hercules in a quiet and calm living room at the end of the day
• It's having an urgent need met without a request even being made
• It's a call from a friend just to ask how you're doing
• It's the return of Sister-Girl Night...I love me some girl chatter!
• It's listening to humorous stories of a freezing cold car ride the boys and Dan took to Alamo to pick up a newly repaired engine for Dastroyah's latest project vehicle. The amount that these men love each other takes my breath away.
• It's a call from a dear one that tells you "It's NOT cancer!!" (totally not a small thing, but SO worth sharing!)
• It's having time to help a loved one through some difficult paperwork (#PlaterSpinner life, I DON'T miss you)
• It's stumbling across the perfect gift for my PattyCake's 19th birthday tomorrow.
• It's a mom who reads the sales flyer so she can cheerfully announce that all the ingredients for a special someone's birthday dinner are on sale at this particular store, while she tucks a few dollars into your purse because she knows we are doing a month-long pantry challenge.
  
  
  You guys! While this year is trying desperately to get off on the wrong foot (hello Mama K down for a week sick and unemployment for Hercules) It just can't gain any ground with all these amazing and wonderful blessings happening all around us...and sometimes, in spite of us. God is so good and has blessed with so many beautiful, generous, encouraging, praying, uplifting friends. I can't even. I am, in a word, humbled.

What's on YOUR little things list today?

Bye Bye #PlateSpinner Hashtag!

As seen on Facebook today:

Working my last shift as the official Saturday Morning Snack Lady of Gym Magic.
I’ll be retiring the red polo in about an hour.
It’s been fun and such a blessing, but it’s time for a new adventure for Mama K.
#NoLongerAPlateSpinner

8 years! Time to retire this old red polo.

8 years of Saturday mornings traded for 8 years of gymnastics lesson for my boys. Such a gift from Miss Nancy at Gym Magic. I am humbled and grateful for her generosity and it's time for me to share that gift with someone else.
As for me, I'll be taking suggestions on how to spend a Saturday morning as I don't know how to Saturday anymore but I'm willing to re-learn. *winks*

My Blogging Posts are WAY Up!

I've officially blogged more this year than any other year ever, except for 2009. I'm pretty excited about it. I've got at least 2 series that I need to finish (and one of them still has 80 posts left to go) so I'll more than clear my 2009 record before the year is out.
I'm pleased for two reasons:

1. I've got TIME to share things again. Making some life changes so that I could retire my #PlateSpinner tag leaves me time to actually write a post more than once every month, aside from my No Pants April posts. Hooray for the #NoLongerAPlateSpinner life!

2. I've got something to share again. For a few years, between being beyond busy and dealing with depression/anxiety/personal issues, I haven't felt like I had much to share or anything that anyone wanted to hear. Thankfully, that season is passing and I'm feeling ready to share again. 

So, strap yourselves in, there is going to be plenty to read and laugh about again in the near future and I'm loving it. Thank you to all who read.
   ~K~

#100HappyDays: Day 70

 

Day 70 of #100HappyDays
The view from here.
I have time to rest my achy foot. Even though I'm still busy, I'm glad I'm #NoLongerAPlateSpinner

#100DaysOfSummer
#OldAndBroken

Honestly, the best part of my day was a delightful Skype conversation with 'Shua, Lauren and Caden. I got to make silly faces with the baby, catch up with the grown ups and sing my sweet boy a lullaby...which made Lauren and I both cry. Sweet memories were made. Good stuff.
— feeling happy at The Man Crew House.

PS. Yes, I know that my toes are cute.

#100HappyDays: Day 40

 

Day 40 of #100HappyDays
Seeing "Singin' In The Rain" at the Rio Grande Theatre downtown Las Cruces with Jodi and her boys.

#100DaysOfSummer
#Musicals

In other related news, does anyone else think that Donald O'Connor is a better dancer than Gene Kelly? — feeling happy at Rio Grande Theatre.

 

Now that I'm #NoLongerAPlateSpinner, I'm trying to attend social/cultural events more often. Working like crazy until you die from exhaustion is crazy, it's time to have some fun along the way!

#100HappyDays: Day 29

Day 29 of #100HappyDays
Chicken Fajitas for dinner. It's gooooood to be in the kitchen again these days!
#100DaysOfSummer
#NoLongerAPlateSpinner — feeling happy at The Man Crew House.

Oh my word, does it feel good to back home and feeding the family these days. Since retiring my #PlateSpinner hashtag, I'm back to being the "old" me...the one that baked bread, made home-cooked meals and kept the home fires burning. Feels good. Feels real good.

 If you like this challenge, head over to www.100happydays.com to sign up. You can choose a start date, your favorite photo posting platform and even a custom hashtag if you want to be more original. Do it, you might just decide you love it.