life

Busy, Busy, Busy {Update November 15, 2010}

November 15, 2010 by Dana

I’ve been falling behind on my 30 day blog posts but that’s no surprise with me! LOL Sometimes life gets so busy that I just don’t have time for all the writing I need to do, or much else for that matter.

This weekend brought a good amount of balanced cleaning and relaxing, along with a great visit with a friend. My best guy friend came over to help me move some boxes into storage. It was a great help, of which I’m very appreciative to him for. Got some stuff up into the lofts of the storage building and some Christmas stuff where it can be accessed better. Also had my kitchen cleaned, dishes washed up, laundry caught up, living room vacuumed, kitchen floor mopped, amoung other things. I am truly, truly grateful to my friend for all of his help!

Now this week, I really need to go through several things. I need to get the rest of the boxes out or put away and get ready for Christmas. I need to go through the kids rooms and get rid of more stuff before they get new things to add into the mix. I think decluttering their toys by half again would be the best idea. It’s going to be a LOT of work but it’ll be worth it in the end.

I’ve been trying to read a lot lately too. I have a TON of books to read this month and next. Right now I’m reading Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. This is a wonderful book. Look for my review in the future.

Ok, now time to get busy and get it all done! Later yall!

Thankful for Peaceful Passing {30 Days of Thankfulness – Day 11}

November 11, 2010 by Dana

Today I am thankful for our great-grandmother’s peaceful passing this week. Katie Fulton was 104 years old. She lived a long and full life. She was a loving christian wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She was blessed to see so many generations of her family and her family was blessed to be able to share so many generations with her. I never had the chance to meet her personally, as she has been in a home for the past few years but I’m thankful to have been able to know of her.

Life In General {30 Days of Thankfulness Day 9}

November 10, 2010 by Dana

Today I’m thankful for life in general. It goes by so fast, can end so quickly. Each day is a cherished moment we cannot get back. I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to live, that God has blessed me with as many days as He has, for I know he could come calling at any moment to take me home. I’m thankful for each day with my children, for every moment He allows them to remain here. I hope they live a long life and I do too, so that we are both able to see grandbabies and great-grandbabies and share our great joy and love with them. Life is a wonderful gift and for that I am very thankful.

Thankful For My Kids {30 Days of Thankfulness – Days 7-8}

November 9, 2010 by Dana

Today I’m covering two days of Thankfulness because well I missed yesterday! I am thankful that each day I am able to raise myself out of my bed and love on my children. I am thankful for their sweet little souls that God has entrusted to me. I’m thankful to be able to recieve and give sweet kisses to my babies everyday. They are truly gifts from the Lord above.

I’m also thankful that I am able to stay at home with them every day and have them home with me. I often see other Mothers send their children off to stay with someone else, stating that they want their children to enjoy being with so-in-so or that they “need a break”. Yes, we all need a break sometimes but God gave these children to us, as parents to raise, not to the community. I’m thankful that I have the opportunity to raise the children God has entrusted me with, to raise them up in His name and His glory. I pray one day when they are grown they will do the same with their children. I know this is God’s plan for me. I bask in the glory of His love when I take up this cross of childrearing and do my best to succeed. These days that they are young, I know I cannot get back and I will not give away these moments and memories to anyone else. They are mine, and my children’s to hold in our hearts forever, just as God cherishes each moment with us. I’m thankful that He has blessed me so.

Something I Hope To Do In Life {30 Days of Truth – Day 5}

November 8, 2010 by Dana

Today’s truth: Something I hope to Do in My Life. There’s a lot to this one too but if I had to choose one thing I’d have to say raise my kids to be sane, strong, loving, kind adults. This is a very hard thing to do in this day and age. So many things step in our paths that can turn us to very angry humans that it can be scary. Depression is an easy thing to come by now-a-days too. I wish for my children to be able to encourage others, be great friends and an asset to their communities. I do not wish for them to be rich, or well-to-do (though both would be wonderful) but instead I wish for them to be simple and happy in what God provides for their lives (even if one day they come to not believe in God). I want them to stand out among the crowd for choosing to be good in a sea of bad. If I can accomplish guiding my children into an adult like this, I will have done all I hope to do in this lifetime.

Proverbs 22:6 ~ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

An Update {October 21, 2010}

October 21, 2010 by Dana

Lately there is just so much on my mind that I cannot even grasp and hold onto one thought or function in my daily life. I’m lucky to remember to cook, do the dishes, feed the kids, and homeschool. I feel pulled in so many directions and within minutes I forget which direction I was heading to in the first place. My days are filled with prayers on the issues clouding my mind, prayers for my family, my home, my children, my life and so many others too.

I find it astonishing how quickly Peace in your heart can slip away and become clouded and consumed by other worldly things. I miss the Peace and I’m fervently searching for it to return to my heart.

I’ve tried for over a week just to write a new post for this blog, other than sharing one of the wonderful giveaways from dear friends. I have thought of a hundred separate ideas to write about but when I come to put the words into form, they do not come. There is so much I want to do, yet never enough time.

These are the things we have been up to:

Recently, I located some old friends, and I am happy to have those who have chosen to be back in my life. Always a welcome blessing to find those you love.

The kids have been doing a lot of video schooling thanks to the wonders of the HDMI cable that allows me to hook the laptop to our Viera TV. They have a hard time grasping that they are really doing school though, as they relate school to worksheets, books, paper, pencils, crayons and crafts. “If we’re not writing, we’re not learning, Mom!” It’s hard to de-school the public influence from homeschooled kids.

I’m reading two wonderful books: Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado is a Christian book explaining how to live your life to the fullest. The House That Cleans Itself by Mindy Starns Clark is an excellent self-help, housekeeping guidebook with many tips on home management and organizing. Look for great reviews on both these books coming soon.

I’ve re-joined Flylady and I’m in a group on The Homeschool Lounge called Home Management in order to overcome the Chaos filling my house. Both are helping through supportive relationships and small steps, I am really getting somewhere.

The kids are doing AWESOMELY on actually cleaning up after themselves. Sometimes it takes some extra prodding, repeating and downright begging to get them to clean up but they are getting better at the actual getting it straight each day. I’m really proud of them and I can see how much they are maturing every week. Winston has always been a big help with things but this is a HUGE achievement and accomplishment for my born disorganized baby girl, Emmalee.

Laycie is now taking Melatonin to help her sleep and it’s working wonderfully. I give it to her at lunch time so she can take a much needed afternoon nap and again before bedtime so she can fall asleep easily. She no longer argues about going to nap or sleep and she’s out within 30 minutes of taking the medication dose. This has improved her attitude, clingy-ness and her overall behavior tremendously.

Laycie’s naptime allows us to do school and allows me to make a late lunch, prep for dinner and do household chores that can’t be done while she’s awake. This schedule is new for us but so far it’s working great!

I know much of my exhaustion and confusion comes from weeks of Laycie not napping and feeling overwhelmed worrying about her, and trying to keep up with her tiring ways. She’s only been on the new medicine for a week but the changes it has brought to our life are amazing. I’m hoping her resting will also allow me to rest so that I can straightened my overburdened mind and get our life back on track. I guess that’s something only time will tell though.

Many blessings to all until next time.