change

Changes at Home {Thoughts From Me}

November 5, 2012 by Dana

There are a lot of changes going on around our house lately for us all. Life is hectic, full and enjoyable. The Lord has been leading us into many different and new directions, all for the best.

Emmalee has started with a new physical therapist, twice a week. She is wearing her braces more often, with less complaint. She’s really trying to correct her toe-walking issues and working hard to do so. Mommy has toughened up on her, parent-wise, too. She appreciates the effort I’ve personally made to push her through this. We will overcome her toe-walking. I will never give up on my sweet girl.

Winston has hit puberty right on time. He’s growing taller, growing facial hair a bit and is moody. It’s odd coming out of him because usually he’s my cooperative and thoughtful boy but lately he’s been aloof, forgetful and emotional. All perfectly normal and natural I know. I couldn’t be prouder of my growing boy, honestly.

Laycie is four going on twenty lately. She’s the “queen” around here. She’s bossy and sweet at the same time. She wants to be independent while still being Mommy’s baby girl. Today she did her own makeup and painted little KK’s fingernails on her own. She even cleaned up after herself when she did it. She’s such a smart and sassy girl. And I love every second of life with her.

Jackson is settling in more and more by the day. He’s cooing and laughing. His smile has stolen my heart. I found pictures of Winston today and confirmed to myself that my two sweet boys look just alike. I cannot wait to watch them both grow into men.

As for me, I’ve hit the busy season. The holidays followed by the birthdays to go. A new year on the Schoolhouse Review Crew. I’ll be stepping up my blogging and working on writing (bear with me as I build upon these things). Writing reviews for other companies and products. Advocating for Epilepsy, homeschooling, revamping, reorganizing and deep cleaning my home and my life. Working towards becoming healthier through eating better and exercising (with my kids).

It’s sure to be a busy year ahead and an enjoyable learning experience for us all. I hope you stick with me through our life changes and look forward to sharing lots along the way. Until next time….

Planning for my Future {Thoughts From Me}

May 24, 2011 by Dana

I’m doing a lot of reviewing in my life. I sometimes get a little sidetracked due to Life but I’m trying to stay focused. Often it’s hard to do. I blame it on being a Gemini but I’m sure there are more contributors too.

Somethings I need to change in life are:
1. Going to bed late.
2. Getting up late (due to going to bed late).
3. Eating healthier.
4. Home management aka cleaning house.
5. Educational development.
6. Reading for blog reviews.
7. Researching information for more structured blog posts.
8. Last but NEVER least, reading encouraging Christian things that strengthing my relationship with God. This includes reading my Bible, which I don’t dread nearly as much as I once did.

Next step is figuring out where to start.

At this time I feel a good place is to instill a decent bedtime and wake up time. And also work on reading encouraging things that bring me closer in my relationship with God. I want to be a blessing to the Lord, to do His work, as He intends and to help other’s with His divine guidance.

This week I will work on these things. I will also work on setting out a plan for home management and education, as well as reviews and blog research and posting.

I feel that if I can establish a decent sleep pattern my days will flow better. I also feel that having a strong relationship with God is the most important thing I can do for my children and myself. After managing these things the rest should fall into place. I suppose with time we will see what happens.

Just an update – April 20,2011

April 20, 2011 by Dana

First I have to say, that my growing son is going to eat me out of house and home. Seriously where did this kid develop his sudden hunger? And his little sisters are not far behind him. Growth spurts contribute to much of it. They are growing and growing requires more food to fill up their small systems. Fuel. Fuel to run their sweet bodies and charge their overflowing minds. But it is CRAZY how much food they can eat! Wow!!

In my first steps to a more balanced life, I have been putting up inspirational quotes in both obvious and less obvious places throughout the house. The ones I have placed are written in print for the kids to be able to read, though they are more for me at this time than for them. My next step will be to create some simple quotes, both biblical and inspiring, to place around for the kids to read. I think inspiration is important for us all.

One thing I’ve noticed is that my inspiration for redesigning my house has hit a “blah-pffff” moment, as if all the air has been deflated from my enjoyment of life and home. In combatants, I have been watching HGTV, Food Network, reading blogs and magazines for ideas. Is it helping? No not really, at this time, but maybe something will click eventually! LOL

In my reading, I have found some great books. I’m not revealing which ones as of yet, but I will reveal that they have one common thread. Just Do Something! That’s right, just get up and DO something! Do it with God in mind, showing your love for Him and the Life He’s blessed us with, for the beautiful children He’s gifted to us. Just Do It! (Sounding like the Nike commercial now.)

And have I been “just doing it”? Well yea, I have. I have started with cleaning out our outside building. (Huge building that is seriously bigger than some of the first American homesteads.) There is so much room in there but in it’s continuous disorganization you couldn’t tell it. My goal is to get it organized enough to sort through over the summer and also find some storage to put some of the extra “junk” still in the house out there for now, until I can chunk it or find it’s “home” inside (or in the building, as I see fit!).

This brings me to another realization, which I have known for a while. I’m a spoiled, lazy American girl! There are days when I sit back and wonder: If I had to live 100 years ago, would I have survived? My answer: only if I was rich! I’m too spoiled to modern day conveniences, like dishwashers, washing machines, computers and the internet. There are many days when I have trouble just getting up and doing anything. I find I have been trained that my “wants” are most important and should come before the “needs” of housekeeping and care-taking of home and life. I find a lot of American’s have this same problem today, which is why you can now find a million how-to, cleaning and organization websites online.

As you can see, I’ve been pretty busy lately mostly with re-organizing my brain and learning more about myself and about homekeeping. There’s still much more to come but for now I think this is about as good a start as any. God bless all!

God’s Truth {Thoughts From Me}

March 31, 2011 by Dana

Lately, this one thing has been weighing on my heart. I have noticed both online and off, that many people profess to be Christians. Yet these same people still go around talking and thinking about things like many Non-Christians do. This truly saddens my heart.

Please, note that I am not saying I don’t do these things at times. I do. I also do my best not to. No one is perfect and if we were I’m sure our name would definitely be Jesus.

I have noticed many professed Christians talking in negative language about others who have ticked them off. I have noticed others speaking of situations that are possibly negative, yet never shedding a Christian light into the “what if it wasn’t like that” aspect of thinking. I have seen in my own family, members telling other members “sometime life is better without that person in your life”, speaking of what’s considered to be unwanted drama in their lives. I have even seen sisters turn against sisters and brothers against brothers over such things.

My question is: is this what God really wants? Is this thought process of negativity, of turning against one another, of NOT supporting decisions, thoughts, love and caring relationships through thick and thin, truly what God wishes of us as Christian beings? Does God want us supporting each of these negative thoughts with a “yes I see it your way”? OR Does He wish for us to see life and love through His eyes?

My answer is to take a step back and truly view the situation. Truly attempt to see Life and Love through the eyes of the Father. View things as He wishes us to see and don’t take the first response as your answer. Some things are better left to prayer.

God doesn’t wish us to turn our backs on one another. He doesn’t wish us to JUDGE one another or to LET GO of one another. He wishes for us to see each minute thing, each burden through with love and support and caring of one another. By all means, He KNOWS we are NONE perfect but He asks us to STRIVE to be our best. Yet HOW can we be our BEST when we are busy being our worst?

Stop what you are doing today and really let these thoughts, these statements I have made, sink in. Let the TRUTH of God’s LOVE sink in. He loves EACH OF US REGARDLESS! Why do we NOT LOVE each other in the same way??? Why do we allow the DEVIL to work in our lives, instead of allowing God to do His work instead? Today, I am making the conscience decision to LET God WORK in my life, as it should be in all our lives. God Bless!

Change Change Change

June 9, 2010 by Dana

This week has brought about much change in our lives. I know I keep talking about change in all of my posts lately but this week really begins it all.

What is change? Coins that you get back from a dollar bill? No, not this change. Change is a new season in life. A new beginning and also an ending to the old ways. Change is not always welcome but it usually turns out to be for the best.

My change comes on the official ending of a bad relationship and the beginning and continuous of a new one. My change comes out of choice, a choice to no longer be who I was but to become who I was meant to be. My change also comes out of my need to do what God wishes for my life, following His divine guidance into where and what He wishes me to be.

So my biggest questions have been where to begin and what next? My Mom is on her way to Florida to be settled with my brother’s family, leaving me not having to worry about her for now. I’m settled in my new home, though I have much to do inside it still. So where to begin next and what to do?

First, each day I have been taking time to pray to the Lord and to read my daily devotional from https://www.proverbs31.org/. I find much inspiration in these devotionals and sometimes I read two because I enjoy them so much.

Right now, I have much to go through, get rid of and put away in our home. I also need to set up our school schedule again, which in light of MaMa’s visit, has fallen to the wayside. But admist the chaos school cannot be completed, so the first step is managing and containing the clutter obtained in the past few months and a lifetime of memories which should have departed long ago.

Now, I am by far no housekeeper (though it is one of my legal jobs). I can keep a house for you, your sister, Mom, friend but I have a terrible time managing my own home. It always ends in disaster for me, a cluttered mess. This is something I truly want to overcome. And that is one of my recent life goals: to learn to manage my home, time and children’s lives better, thus managing my own life better.

So I’m on a search for bettering myself and my home skills while connecting ever more towards my Heavenly Father. I’m following His path, His guidance… and right now He’s telling me the past is past and it’s time to get started. Wish me luck!