How Are you? A Truly Blessed Season

 A dear FB friend asked me how I was today. Often, people say, "How are you?" but they are just being polite, not actually inquiring as to your wellbeing. And to those people, the only correct answer is, "Fine, thank you. How are you?" However, this is a friend who really wants to hear a truthful, specific answer. Like, how I *really* am right now. And after a moment of reflection, here was my response.

How's life?

~Overall, pretty good. We've got our heads above water financially for the first time in years. Dan has largely settled down and when he isn't working, he's hanging out with the family. Derek is emerging from the sulky early teen years and is spending more time with us, has rediscovered his sense of humor, and has even left the house a few times in the last few weeks. In fact, Dan and Derek are currently sitting in the LR playing Minecraft together, and we already have an expansion of Dominion on the table for board-game playing later tonight. I'm loving my job at Acton, even on the days that drive me crazy. It is good to be needed and feel like what you are doing is making a difference. And frankly, making decent money doesn't really hurt my feelings either. 😉

I've been really enjoying this season of 'non-active parenting' with The BIGS and their ladies. We have breakfast together once a week, plus pizza and movie nights on Sundays, we all ride motorcycles together whenever the weather and schedules allow, and each of the boys pop in and out of the house in the evenings a few times a week. It just feels like everything is right with the world when your grown children want to hang out with you, while still being mature and independent adults. Sometimes, you just KNOW that a particular season of your life is fleeting, and you want to cherish every moment. And that's where we are currently. It's pretty great. 

Catching up with us Meyer's: Spring 2018 Edition

It's always fun to catch up with friends, isn't it? I like to occasionally give everyone a quick overview of what's happening in our lives. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading this as much as I do writing it.
Spring 2018: Jan-April

The whole family: We are still a household of 4 although Pat is home less and less often and I"m guessing he will move out in the next 6 months, so it often feels like we're a family of three these days. Catching all of our local boys (including Nathan) to come share a meal with us is a bit of a scheduling miracle, but completely worth the effort. The laughter and love around the table is delightful. The car projects abound between Dan's Beast Truck, Dastroyah's multiple cycles, Datsun and Pathfinder, and PattyCakes' Civic. Dan and I have slowed considerably in the amount of shuffling children we do, and that frees our evenings to hang out more together. We often watch tv and just relax, but it's also nice to have time to go for ice cream, or play a board game, or even work in the yard together. Derek is keeping us young with his silly antics and is well on his way to becoming a teenager.

Dan/Hercules: Dan is currently unemployed after being finished with the job in Eunice late in January. However, per the usual, he's the busiest unemployed man I know. His current work list is longer than my arm, and he basically has to shut off his phone if he wants to take a break from helping people for the day. It's nice to have him home more often, that's for sure. He's considering putting his Beast Truck into a car show at our church next month.

Kristy/MamaK: I'm averaging 35 hours a week at Jodi's office and enjoying it. We just finished running Spring Break camps and summer is right around the corner. I accompanied Mom back to IL at the end of March and enjoyed a few days in IL for Easter and Caden snuggles. (I've completely lost my tolerance for cold wet weather, oops) I'm knee-deep in No Pants April shenanigans and loving it. I'm working on stretching my attention span this year by reading more and playing on my phone less. I'm honest enough to admit it's been a struggle. In other news, my roses are blooming like crazy and this brings me joy that I didn't know I had in me for roses.

Dastroyah: D prefers not to be talked about these days. Sad sushi. However, his puppy Datsun is adorable, he's successfully holding down two jobs and he recently got glasses. (I think that's all generic enough info that I can say those things.)

PattyCakes: P is growing out his hair as he and Nathan plan to shave their heads this summer and he wants it to be dramatic. Rumors of new tattoos abound. He is still working at the church and the gym, but is looking for something full-time in the car/mechanical industry. He's spending his spare time and good amounts of money upgrading his car. It's coming along nicely. New tires and rims are the most recent addition.

Slick: DT is fully embracing his near teenager-hood and is letting us all enjoy the full range of emotions that come along with that special time in life. LOL! He's doing really well in school this year and is excited that the school year is about to wrap up. He's quite disappointed that the trampoline recently acquired a large hole so now he's filling his afternoons with riding bikes, pogo sticking, and imaginary sword-fighting in the backyard...and playing his tablet as often as I'll allow.

'Shua, Lauren and Caden: The Bean Bunch is wishing spring would come to IL, as at the time of this writing there is 6 inches of fresh snow on the ground and more falling as I type. 'Shua and Lauren are house hunting, and in a bidding war over a house in Lindenhurst, while Caden is considering taking his first unassisted steps. He's just been diagnosed with his 4th ear infection and between that and cutting a tooth, he's a grumpy bear. However, overall things are good with them and they are excited about the prospect of soon owning their own home.

Ricky and Judah: Ricky, too, is contemplating purchasing a home, and even has a bid in on one, but is awaiting the inspections before moving forward. Judah turned 2 on March 31 and looks so grown up these days. None of us have seen him in months except through pics on FB since Ricky and Victoria can't agree on a visitation schedule. Hopefully that will soon be resolved and we will have him with us again. Ricky is working for the United States Postal Service these days and is enjoying the job.

I suppose that's all the news for this spring. Hopefully this finds you well, enjoying beautiful weather and creating precious memories. Please feel free to comment with what's new in your life.
     Kristy and the Man Crew

#100HappyDays: Day 93

 

Day 93 of #100HappyDays
My crazy-messy-beautiful life. It can be exhausting and overwhelming and sometimes it is absolute mayhem. But it's also sweet, and rich, and deep, and full.
My days are full of homeschooling, housework, haircuts, hotrods, hilarious handsome hungry sons and Hunky Dunky Hercules. How did I come to be so blessed?

#100DaysOfSummer
#TheManCrew
#MyCupRunnethOver — feeling happy at The Man Crew House.

 

Who Am I?

This is what's on my heart tonight. (I apologize to the people who come here looking for a laugh)



WHO AM I?
If I'm not a nanny anymore, who am I?
If I'm not the sister who handles all of the family drama,  who am I?
If I'm not a mama to a handful of littles anymore, who am I?
If I'm not the powerhouse that can belt out a Sandy Patti solo for special music, who am I?
If I'm not the wife/mama who can "do it all" then who am I?

What if I turn out to be no one?  *crickets*

I'm in a season of change, and change can be frustrating and upsetting to someone who craves routine and structure as much as I do. I'm working so hard to learn to not be so busy, to make room in my/our chaotic life for breathing, relaxing, for Sunday afternoon naps followed by cuddling during a movie, and for spur of the moment activities not to be a tragedy or an unwelcome intrusion to our schedule.

And I'm doing that. I've got the house cleaner, more regularly, more often than probably ever before. The bills are being paid on time because I can not only find the bills, but I have enough mental clarity to remember to pay them. Derek is getting to bed on time more often. *I'm* getting to bed on time more often. I have time to workout, and grocery shop, and get everyone to the necessary places on time. We're eating at home again, instead of living in the drive through lane. I have time to occasionally indulge in a Sunday afternoon nap with Dan, or to meet a friend for coffee, or even blog again (woot!)

BUT, there's also this awkward feeling inside of me. One that reminds me eleventy billion times a day that I could DO more, BE more, SERVE more, if I wasn't so busy being not so busy. And what if I'm disappointing people who have learned to count on me? And what if I'm being lazy under the guise of being intentional? What if I'm overlooking the important while I'm trying so hard to SEE the important instead of the urgent?

 What if?

And, *gulp* what if....when you take away my flaming chainsaw juggling, baking bread and throwing a dinner party while baby-wearing and homeschooling awesomeness...there is nothing left of worth? What if all I have to offer the world is little old me, insignificant in any meaningful way once all the busyness is stripped away?

I.
Don't.
Know.

Lord help me, because I don't know. I learned last year that I was finding WAY too much of my identity in being Dan's wife and his approval of me. And with my boys turning into men at an alarming rate, I can no longer make my identity about being a mama of littles. Life is changing and I'm struggling to find where I fit into my own new chapter of life.

And that's OK.
Jesus loves me, even in my mess. Jesus knows who I am, who I was, and who I'm going to become. That is so comforting. I shall cling to His hand while I walk this new path. I'm still confused and I'm still feeling blown around by the winds of change, but I know I'm safe in His arms.
That's good enough for me, even if I don't know what's around the next bend.
To be continued...

Baby Caden: It's a Dog's Life

Baby Caden is adored by his fur-"brother" Rusty, who guards him carefully each and every day. I love this photo so much as it shows not only Rusty's kind and sweet face and Caden's little punkin cheeks, but a lovely glimpse of perspective into how tiny Caden is right now. Teeny Tiny Baby Caden.

I Survived!

I Survived....I survived...I survived! I made it all the way through gymnastics competitive season without feeling like a nervous breakdown was rapidly approaching. And without eating fast food 8 meals in a row like last year. And without mayhem and drama over coaches, traveling plans and the like. And that was amazing considering this year we added a move across town during competitive season so that we wouldn't get bored. LOL! After 5 years of competition, I may have finally gotten the hang of this. :)
Praise the LORD!

David is already talking about next season, so looks like we will be able to enjoy our well earned knowledge for a few more years. Woot!

I love this shirt, and this Man-Child. 

Swinging By and Waving a Hand~ Hello Cyber-Space!

Not much time this morning, but I wanted to swing by and say hello to everyone who has been catching up with us via the blog recently. Not too much going on right now, but Dan's Mom is in town (Otherwise known as Mambo) and we are enjoying her visit.  I worked nearly 60 hours last week, and while I do enjoy my job, 60 hours with someone else's kids is no picnic, especially when one parent is out of town and the littlest one lost her binky. To say that it was a long week doesn't really do it justice. Add in Karen, Tyler and Tiana's moving adventure, David's job, an unexpected chance to visit with the Milstead family plus our regular schedule of events as well, and you've got a long long LONG week. But, it's over and we are moving on to better days. Field trip to the El Paso zoo with all the kids was fun. DT went with Jodi after is week at zoology camp, but the rest of us trooped off together to enjoy the zoo. Mambo went along and had a good time spoiling the kids with ice cream and root beer floats.
This week we are looking forward to Independence day complete with a BBQ at the Man Crew House, a field trip to City of Rocks state park, and fireworks and dirt track racing on Saturday evening. David is working a few days this week for "Party in the USA" camp. This past week several people have approached me to let me know that they are so impressed with David's ability to coach the little ones. That always makes a mama feel proud to know her child is doing well in his chosen field.
That's about it for now. I know, rather random and shockingly short, but Little Miss just woke up (at 10:15) and needs some sustenance before we head off to do the weekly grocery shopping to feed the man horde that calls my house home. :) Have a wonderful (and SAFE) Independence day!

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ Day 9

Today's focus is to break our goals into manageable piece, small steps, attainable mini-goals. This is a great plan, and one that I struggle with. I LOVE to just dig into a project with both hands, all my gusto and boundless enthusiasm. However, I often fall on my face a few days later since I'm exhausted and the rest of my life is a mess. Sooooo, I guess I'm in the right place and in good company. :) This challenge is so wonderful for me, even though the past day or two hasn't gone very well. Here we go:
Assignment 1: Small Habit (go for a walk as soon as Dan leaves for work on the weekdays)Goodness, another day that I didn't get it done. Dan had the day off, so we slept in and then hit the ground running since we had company coming.
Assignment 2: Continue with Life Hack
Terrible. It was game night and by the time everyone was gone, I was too tired to care that the kitchen was a mess of leftover veggie trays, empty soda cans, half filled glasses and chip crumbs. *ugh*
Assignment 3: Mega-Project:Never even went in there again today, but I'm thinking I'll have time on Saturday. Here's to hoping I can make it happen tomorrow. Today's assignment was to be digging through 3 boxes and either getting rid of things, setting them aside for eBay/Freecycle or packing them carefully to be taken into the garage. That was yesterday's assignment as well, so I am now 6 boxes 'behind'. A tad discouraging, but like I said, tomorrow is another chance.
Thanks friends for enjoying the journey with me. Here's a link to getting started if you are interested.
http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/10/30/21-day-self-discipline-challenge-kick-off-link-up-here/
     Blessings, ~K~

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ Day 8

Today's focus is to keep your goals IN SIGHT, not in your head, tucked away on a list somewhere that you never see, or under a pile of clutter that you never get around to cleaning up. Thursday started out tough for me and only got more hectic throughout the day. To be honest, it was what I generally call a 'train wreck' day. Nothing went right, nothing of much value got accomplished and I was quite discouraged about it. However, I want to be authentic about my journey towards discipline, so here are my 'results' for the day.
Assignment 1: Small Habit (go for a walk as soon as Dan leaves for work during the week):
FAIL: Had a little one here that we do NOT turn our back on, let alone leave the house while they are in residence. I will report that I did get that walk in later in the day, so I suppose that means it's only half a fail? LOL, I didn't do it in the morning, but I did eventually get it done. I suppose I can deal with that.
Assignment 2: Continue with Life Hack
HUGE FAIL: Woke up to a messy kitchen. I had been out and about the evening before and I just went to bed instead of spending 10 minutes setting it back to rights. Very discouraging after doing so well up until now.
Assignment 3: Mega-ProjectFAIL: Never even went into the project room Thursday. I don't want to talk about it. LOL!

Thanks for coming along on the journey with me, even on the days when I fall off the wagon and subsequently get run over by said wagon. :) If you are interested in joining us, look here for today's assignments and how to join. http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/11/07/day-8-where-are-you-going/
    Blessings, ~K~

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ Day 7

Hey everyone, this day is just getting going, but I wanted to pop over and say that today's challenges http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/11/06/day-7-avoiding-negativity/ and motivating chapter in "21 Days to a More Disciplined Life" http://crystalpaine.com/21-days-to-a-more-disciplined-life/ really touched me. The focus for today is breaking negative thought patterns and especially using the phrase, "I'll try" Why is this negative? Because you are admitting defeat before you even begin. Oops, that strikes a little too close for comfort for this mama. I 'try' to get everything done each day, but all too often, LIFE gets in the way of living. :) I am working in this area by practicing my option to say no to things that don't fit in my life, but I still have a ways to go before I can claim success in this area. So, with that in mind, here are today's challenges.
Assignment 1: Small Habit: Got up and went walking soon after Dan left for work. Even found myself running a good portion of my walk route. That, coupled with last night's leg workout, has me pretty sore today. I think that means I'm doing something right. Come on scale, MOVE on down!
Assignment 2: Continue with Life Hack:
Woke up to a shiny kitchen again today. I could get used to this :) Didn't inspire me to bake for the boys, but did make packing a lunch for Dan much easier as I wasn't pushing around dirty dishes, wiping crumbs off of everything, or getting stuck to the counter.
Assignment 3: Mega-Project:
I am still a bit ahead on this. Tomorrow, I'll have to get back to work on it. :D Today's project was to find, collect and label our 5 gallon buckets that we use for extra pantry storage. The popcorn bucket was in the Mega Project room, the flour was in the right place, but the others had all been dragged off to be used as stools elsewhere around the garage/yard. So they've all been collected, labeled and put back in the proper place. I know my spare room was the project, but the garage is getting a lot of love in the process. I can live with that. Hee hee!
This project/life discipline challenge is really really really just what I've been needing. I've been desiring to change, but hadn't put that in motion yet. Thank you Crystal for the book and thank you Mama Bear for creating this challenge!
     Blessings,
           Kristy

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~Day 6

Hello again, friends! I know, I know~ 2 blogs in one day, what ARE you going to do with yourselves? Ha ha ha! As stated in the last blog post, I goofed up and got off track with my daily challenges, so I am playing a bit of catch up. Today's post from 'serving joyfully' is found here http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/11/06/discipline-day-6-realistic/  and it's a good one. Discouragement can get the best of us when we are having an 'off day' as everyone does now and then. The important part is to get back up, stop beating YOURSELF UP (as the world is glad enough to do that for you) and move on.
Today's challenges are all about Being Realistic and since this is something that I struggle with, it's especially poignant today. Join me!
Assignment 1: Continue with Small Habit: Up and out for a walk in the sunshine as soon as Dan left this morning. I'm glad I picked this one. Gotta make this habit STICK!
Assignment 2: Continue with Life Hack:Hello, shiny kitchen! Lovely
Assignment 3: Mega-Project step 6:
Today's goal is to list things on Freecycle to make a little room in the garage. I need to tumble a few pieces of clothing that have gotten dusty, snap a few pics and get them up there. Don't want to fall behind. I'll update when I have it all accomplished for the day. :)
UPDATE: Got everything posted on Freecycle and even have a few 'takers' already. Bye bye stuff, go bless someone else's house!
It's still not too late to join the party. Check it out over here http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/10/30/21-day-self-discipline-challenge-kick-off-link-up-here/
     Blessings,
          Kristy

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ Day 5

Well, apparently, I goofed (more likely had a computer glitch) yesterday when I said we weren't doing Sundays. So now I'm scrambling a bit to catch back up. Today there will be 2 posts, one from yesterday's challenge (that I thought was today's) and up next will be today's. If you are interested in reading the day 5 challenge post, it can be found here. http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/11/05/discipline-day-5-anticipating-obstacles/
So our challenges for day 5 are/were:
Assignment 1: Continue with Small Habit:
Got my walk done in the early morning sunshine today. Felt good. I can even do walking lunges without being sore for 2 days now. Guess that means it's time to dig out the hand weights :)
Assignment 2: Continue with Life Hack:Woke up to a clean and shiny kitchen today. LOVE it! Makes it much easier to prepare a nice breakfast for myself and the boys when it's not a cluttery mess. Also really aids in getting Dan out the door with his lunch in a timely fashion.
Assignment 3: Mega-Project step 5:
Well, to be honest, now that I need to re-arrange my 21 steps list again due to the misunderstanding, I am not sure if I've done this step or not. I will check my list, re-order and then post an update later. Isn't that what we are learning about today? LOL, the obstacle being that I thought we weren't working on Sundays and now I'm behind, but since I was ahead, I might not actually be behind. Ooo, brain cramp. I'll check my list and let you know!
UPDATE: Just checked the list and I'm pleased to announce that I'm still on schedule. Yesterday's task was to start an e-Bay selling shelf in the garage to place all the items we want to sell. I have a nice clean shelf just waiting to be used once I start digging through boxes. Yippy for not letting that obstacle get the best of me!
Play along and join us over at www.servingjoyfully.com if you want. It's not too late :)
     Blessings,
        Kristy

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ Day 4

Hello friends, we are to Day 4 of the 21 Days...Challenge (we are skipping Sundays) and today's challenge is all about taking things one step at a time. You can check out today's post by going to http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/11/04/day-4-one-thing-at-a-time-a-blog-makeover/. It gives us 3 steps to work on today
Assignment 1: Follow through with small habit:
I got up and walked first thing after Dan left this morning. Although it was chilly and my nose felt a little nippy, it felt good to get out there and be doing the 'right' thing first thing in the morning. I also felt like I accomplished much today because instead of lingering in front of the computer screen for an hour (or two *gulp*) I just got started with the rest of my day after a quick perusal of my e-mail and an even faster check in on FB.
Assignment 2: Follow through with “life hack” habit:
My life hack it to clean the kitchen every night before bed. I am LOVING this one. It's so great to get up to a shiny kitchen instead of last night's dinner dishes still laying around and all the counters being sticky and covered in crumbs.
Assignment 3: Mega-Project:Officially, I am quite a bit ahead on my steps for this, so I'm taking the day off. But the task that was slated for today was to work in the garage for a while trying to make some more room. I wasn't as successful at this as I had hoped to be, but was still pleased with my time spent in there moving things around. Over all, I'm rather pleased with how the whole project is coming along.
Today’s Assignment: Make a list of habits:
In the interest of being very, very (read this as PAINFULLY) honest, I just don't think I can add one more thing at this time. I'm already adding working out, cleaning the kitchen, staying on task with schooling, setting stricter boundaries for myself so I'm not a continual doormat, and daily personal Bible study (not just what I'm doing with the boys for school) The last 3 I already started before this challenge came up and I don't think I can add any more without burnout and failure, so I guess my habit is to say no when my plate is full *winks*.
If you are interested in joining the challenge, or even are just wondering what on Earth I am talking about, check out the e-book that started it all and the blog that started this challenge over at http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/10/30/21-day-self-discipline-challenge-kick-off-link-up-here/
     Blessings,
            Kristy

21 Days to a More Discipled Life~ Day 3

1. Follow Through on yesterday's "small thing"
~DONE, or more accurately, I don't have to go walking on the weekends, so I guess PASS is more like it :)
2. Life Hack: Pick one bad habit to break or one good habit to add
~I'll be adding a quick tidy of the kitchen to my evening routine. This is something that I've really been good at in the past, but has kind of fallen to the wayside in the hectic summer we had and I just haven't gotten back to it. SO, onto the daily docket it goes! And just in time to make a new habit for the holiday baking mayhem!
3. Complete Step 3 of the MEGA project
~My job today was to take all of the empty boxes in the room, break them down and cart them out to the garage where they actually belong. I'm fighting for space in there since Dan has so many projects going on as well, but they need OUT of that room, so I made it happen. Shhh, don't tell Dan I moved some of his things. LOL!
If you're wondering how to join, or what the fuss is all about, check out http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/11/03/day-2-discipline-in-the-small-things/ for links to buy the e-book that inspired the challenge, and/or join the fun!

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ Day 2

Hi there, it's day 2 of the challenge to be more disciplined. Today's topic is that discipline is a process and not something that magically happens overnight with LIFE ALTERING results. (If only, right?) So today we have 2 small assignments.
1. Pick one small task, do and commit to the follow through
~I need to get back to my daily walking as I've been rather lackluster about it now that it's getting cooler overnight. It's so nice to just crawl back under the covers once Dan is gone for the day. Or worse, go straight to the computer and spend far too much time on it. If I get up, go walking and get GOING, I am so much more motivated by the 'extra' time I have and use it for a much better purpose than staring mindlessly at the screen. So, I'm committing to walking all 5 of the weekdays.
2. Do step 2 of the MEGA project
~Yesterday I went into the back room, stood there and just acknowledged the huge mess that it is. I took a picture and shared it, and also counted the boxes as best I could. (45 boxes~ ouch) Today's project is to set up an e-Bay mailing shelf in the closet so that as I sell things, I don't have to be digging through piles of junk to find a box, bubble wrap, or the scale. I've got one started in there, but alas, never followed through with it. So, since I intend to sell a good amount of things over the next month or two, I need to be set up for that.
If you want to join in, here is today's post at Serving Joyfully http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/11/02/day-2-self-discipline-is-a-process/
There you will find links about Crystal's book that inspired the challenge, and links to the sign up page and the daily challenges. ENJOY
     Blessings,

 

         Kristy

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ Day 1

The challenge: To become more disciplined in my personal life. As Crystal pointed out, discipline is a choice (ouch) So if I am the problem, then I am also the solution. Touche. So our challenges for today are to
1. Do a small task that's been bothering you
~For me, that was filling the salt shaker. I know, minuscule and ridiculous to put off. BUT, filling the salt shaker would use up all the salt I had in the pantry container as well, so I had to go to 'deep storage' to retrieve more salt, fill the pantry sized container and then fill the salt shaker. I know, no big deal, but I've been putting it off until today when I realized that not only was the salt shaker low, it was completely empty. Oops. So off to deep storage I went...blah blah blah, and poof, it was done. total time taken? 5 minutes
2. Take your huge plan for the whole challenge
~For me that will be cleaning out the spare bedroom for my parent's arrival) and break it down into 21 manageable pieces. I don't think I'll do that here just yet, as a few steps still need to be tweaked, but I'll share all 21 steps sometime soon, I promise
3. Do the first thing on that list.
~For me, that means going in there and taking a BEFORE picture, and taking an honest look at how much is in there and how it will best be tackled.


OUCH, worse that I had hoped. This ALL needs to be taken out, sorted and dealt with, and also OUT of this room. Eek!

So there you have it, my DAY 1 Challenge and how I'm taking care of business :)
If you are interested in joining the fun, check out the How-To's over at http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/10/30/21-day-self-discipline-challenge-kick-off-link-up-here/ 

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life~ the WHY

Welcome friends! For the next 3 weeks, I'll be joining a challenge with some friends to read and apply the book '21 Days to a More Disciplined Life' written by Crystal Paine, otherwise known as the Money Saving Mom. I'm joining this challenge because despite all my wonderful plans, hopes and dreams, life/laziness often gets in the way and I end up feeling defeated and discouraged. I'm hoping that this will give me some great ideas in the way of practical tips and setting realistic goals for myself that are manageable.
The challenge for the first day is to come up with the WHY I'm participating. I guess it's because I always end up setting myself up for failure by either tackling these HUGE goals that aren't broken down into manageable steps, or I just fail to allow room for life. I find myself thinking, "If I could JUST have 3 days without the kids to get my life in order" or "If we just took a week off of homeschooling, I could get so many projects done" or something else along those lines when in truth, I need to just be more disciplined in my regular daily life so that I don't need a vacation from my life in order to organize my life. Does that even make sense? I hope so, because it's all I've got. HA!
Anywho, if you are interested in joining the challenge, you can purchase the book here at http://crystalpaine.com/21-days-to-a-more-disciplined-life/, and then join the challenge over here at http://www.servingjoyfully.com/ Hope to see you along the way :)

Homeschooling Overview for 2012-2013 School Year

Hi friends! Just a little update now that school is in full swing this year. While we continue to home school, we remember it's a journey, not a destination so we revise our plans a bit each year depending on work circumstances, the boys' ability to work alone or in pairs, where we need to work harder, whether a particular curriculum is meeting our needs, etc. Plus, we pray like crazy over it and ask the Lord to fill the gaps, as there are sure to be some along the way.
So let's cover a few things that are the same as last year, then we will mention a few new things for this school year.
SAME~
*Same curriculum for all. D is using Blessed is the Man, an independent unit study approach that allows him much freedom in choosing his own assignments, but that keeps him focused on the Lord and his education. P is working through what will be his last year in MFW and is using the Creation to the Greeks set. DT is enjoying MFW as well and even though he's officially in second grade, we're re-doing last years 1st grade to reinforce some concepts that he's still struggling with in phonics.
*Same scheduling time blocks as last year. D and P work independently in the mornings while I work one on one with DT. Then in the afternoon, DT rests/plays quietly and I work with D and P.
*We have the same goals as well. We want our boys to have a firm foundation not only in the basics of education but to be well grounded in the Bible, character traits and loving their neighbors.
A few things that are NOT the SAME~
*We are not following the same pattern of working like crazy forever and a day, and then taking a super long break during the holidays. While we've enjoyed this routine and it was most definitely a must while I was working nights at Kohl's, I don't work at night anymore and the break was too long and allowed us to get too far off track in our studies and out of the good study habits we'd been working on so long. So this year, we are following a 6 weeks on/1 week off routine that allows us plenty of wiggle room when we need it, keeps us from getting burnt out on school before having a break, and doesn't let our good habits slip during the breaks.
*We've also returned to a 5 day school week, whether Dan is working 4 day weeks or not. The boys are old enough now to focus on school even when Dan is home :) And it gives us a little wiggle room for when we want to join our friends at the park for a picnic and some free time. DT's curriculum calls for one day of exploring nature, so he takes along his microscope and digs for bugs, leaves and such while he's playing.
*My parents will be joining us for the winter months. From early December until late April/early May, so we are really looking forward to that. My mom is already chomping at the bit to dig in and do school with the boys and has spent hours scouring books and Internet sites looking for fun learning activities. It will be such a treat for us to have them with us!
*D and P have added Apologia Science to their studies and are enjoying the experiments already. They are also working on their cooperative skills since I am asking them to work through everything together.
*DT has added tutoring to his repertoire of activities and enjoys his few hours with Aunt Jodi's office each week.
*We enjoyed our first ever home school Co-Op this fall and while P balked at the change in routine (he's such a homebody at times) I think P and DT enjoyed it. D opted out for the fall session. I have already signed up for the spring session and am looking forward to it very much.
*Last but decidedly NOT least in the new category is an actual HOME SCHOOL section in the monthly budget. Since we are nearly done buying curriculum forever (hurray for re-using curriculum) we can afford to spend a little bit each month on a new lapbook, a field trip, some new books, new manipulatives or a day of fun that's home school related instead of using a large chunk of the tax refund to buy new curriculum for all the boys. I'm pretty excited about this! This month's addition was D and P's Apologia curriculum. Next month's purchases will probably be some crafting supplies to make holiday gifts. :)
I think that sums up our school year pretty well. Things are rolling along smoothly most days and we are getting much done. Good stuff!
     Blessings, ~K~

Catchin' Up with Us MeYeR's

I think it's safe to say that in the past 6 months or so, I've completely fallen off of the blogging bandwagon. Not intentionally, mind you, but our life has just been completely crazy and out of control, with intermittent patches of OH.MY.WORD. thrown in for good measure. Dan has been in and out work, in and out of town, the county and the state while working, David has started travelling for gymnastics, we've moved YET AGAIN, and that always throws us into a small (OK, large) tailspin for a while as we resettle and begin again, Derek started Kindergarten which threw Mama for a loop, and Pat is his wildly exciting self, bringing much joy and activity to our days. School is settling into a new routine, which I think we are all liking, Dan is starting back with his beloved Wooten Construction IN TOWN on Monday, I'm still at Kohl's and the gym, and the boys have already made several new friends in the 'hood. So, all of that to say that HOPEFULLY, very soon our life will be back on an even enough keel that I can get back to blogging on a more regular basis. I PROMISE to post some new pics before the end of the week. If I don't, feel free to BOO me and stop following this blog : ) Thank you all for your continued patience with my lack of organizational skills and time management skills. These too should be remedied soon. For now, adieu and well wishes! Post a comment and catch me up on life on YOUR end of the blog!

Blessings,

Kristy

So Long Summer...and Good Riddance!

My word, it's been a L-O-N-G summer, hasn't it? At our house, it seemed like something bad, upsetting, horrific or traumatizing happened every week. Ugh...make that double ugh! It made me want to sing the little ditty my friend Meredith used to sing, which was adapted and tweaked from Sound of Music...."so long, farewell, good riddance and goodbye!!" So often I wanted to wish away this summer. I just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible so that we could move on to more pleasant things and just forget about the things that we so painful and challenging to us. But the more I thought about it, the more I prayed about it and pondered the issues facing us, the more I was reminded that growth doesn't come in the 'easy' times, when everything is going smoothly, life is simple and times are good. Growth comes when you have no one to depend on but God and each other, when times are tough, money is TIGHT and the car breaks down on the way to work. So, I chose to trust. Sounds simple and easy, doesn't it? I wish I could say that trusting comes easy, but it almost never does. Sometimes you just have to WILL yourself to believe that things are eventually going to be better, or easier or simpler. Or that even if they aren't, God will get you through it. That's the really hard part, is saying, "OK, Lord...you and me are in this until the end. Even if it never gets easier. Even if it never gets better. Even if this is the best that life has to offer me. I'll still trust you to take care of me." Wow, that's HARD! However, I found that if I could find the TINIEST thing to be grateful for on the worst days, then things started to look up. As I look over this long, difficult summer, I can see the hand of the Lord guiding us so easily now. Why is it so hard to see when we are in the midst of it? So...instead of focusing on the negative, I choose to look for the positive. And here are just a few of the highlights of the summer.

• Dad and Mom have been able to come for 2 extended visits...in one summer!


• Dolli and Ryan have also been able to come visit twice this summer...and even intend to come back this fall with John after he returns home from his deployment.


• We moved to a smaller, cheaper house in our first, well thought out, intentional financially wise decision...EVER! We even got a great deal on the rent since the house had/has some cosmetic issues that Dan is fixing right up. Praise God for a handy, hunky hubby!


• We added a room to said house for practically nothing since Dan got many of the materials from a remodelling job he was doing at work. That's my kind of recycling...less waste, less money spent, less trash in the dump...it's good!


• David and Patrick made the leap across the chasm that separates the adults from the kids for the first time this summer. You know, the first time you realize that you can have a serious conversation with them and they can respond intelligently, ask appropriate questions and you don't have to worry about them making a ridiculous unrelated remark, laughing about something that's not funny or changing the subject in the middle of an important conversation. That totally blew my mind! The chat ranged from evolution, to why Dan and I weren't intending to have more children, to autism and other special needs, to astronomy, family values and what the Bible says about several other topics. It was a special night indeed!


• When money was really tight this summer, 'magically' someone would invite us for dinner that week, or clean out their freezer and bring us food. Hmmm.....what a coincidence. I think NOT


• We have a gorgeous view of the mountains from the back of our house and many is the night that you will find us sitting out there, watching the reflection of the sunset on the mountains, sipping iced tea and just chatting together.


• We FINALLY found a church here. We, of course, had to find it that hard way, but that's our style. It's an Assembly of God church (yes, I heard the horrified gasp) and although they teach some things we don't believe, they are a Bible preaching, God fearing church and we've made some friends there already. Just more reason to discuss the Bible and what WE believe with the boys if they hear something they aren't sure about.


• All of the boys have started/are continuing a recreational activity...and all through the lovely world of bartering! David has decided to compete with his gymnastics team this winter, so I work at the gym on Saturdays to earn his PRICEY lessons. Pat is FINALLY in his precious martial arts class and in return for the price of his lessons, I drive the carpool both ways, every time so that his friend Ebone can take classes, too. Derek just started a TumbleBugs class on Saturdays that are 'paid' for by a weekly trip to Sam's Club to stock the concession stand. I {heart} bartering and trading for services!!


• One of my favorite "coinky-dinks" from this summer just happened last weekend. Most of you don't know this, but Dan got laid off last Thursday and we weren't really sure when he was going to be called back...probably a few weeks or more, so we really just said, 'Lord, you know that Dan needs to be working as soon as possible, so....do Your thing!' The very next day a good friend handed us $400 saying that we've been feeding him and his family for a LONG time and it was time they gave back. What a blessing!! Wait, it gets better : ) 2 days later, an old work buddy of Dan's called and said, "I'm running a job up in Washington and I need you and your welding skills. Can you be here by tomorrow night? Good money, room and board paid for...just get yourself up here. " Would you believe that the amount of money we were given on Friday paid for the ticket on Sunday with just a few cents to spare?? Who said God doesn't provide?

All of that to say that while our summer was HOT, sticky, offensive to our pride, HOT, sometimes stinky and often stressful, irritating to our sense of propriety, HOT, filled with moving, painful losses and quite a bit of heartache, did I mention HOT....maybe it wasn't a complete loss after all. If it brings us closer to the Lord and brings him glory, then I say....bring it on. So long summer...come back soon!

~K~