You guys.  I STILL do not have a smart phone.

But now I have an Instagram.

It's so crazy that I just wrote that.

Seriously, for my first IG (how us cool 30-something year olds abbreviate Instagram) post, I arranged this great cup of coffee in my Magnolia Farms (Magnolia Market?  You know that whole Chip and JoJo Fixer Upper company) mug on my awesome second hand turquoise painted coffee table with our big picture window behind it and clicked on the button to take the pic, and it started taking video!

Ha!

I will never be tech cool.

(Ooh, try saying "tech cool" out loud a few times.  Fun.)

Hubs had the last 5 days off, and it was awesome.

Let's be real.  Sometimes I get so used to my routine Monday through Friday that when he's here I struggle.  But this long weekend was so great!  I felt like he was actually HOME the whole time.  Not distracted by work issues and work commitments.  And Catherine stayed a night with her grandparents, so we got to do whatever parents do when their child is away.  Yah know, binge watch episodes of Gilmore Girls.

But life is more than Gilmore Girls and Instagram.  Here's something a bit more meaningful:  my "job" now that my other job is over is basically my daughter.  I'm not always good at that job, but I keep plugging away because I believe it is of greatest importance.

Sunday morning while I was getting ready for church I mentioned to Catherine that I would not be in the "big church" with her and Daddy because I was going to be working in the nursery that day.

So she said, "Why are you working in the nursery?"
And since I was having a bad attitude about having to work in the nursery I sighed and said, "That's a good question, dear."

See, I am not gifted in nursery duty.  God bless those who are.  They are important and necessary people.  But I will never be one of them.  I am gifted in other areas and serve in other areas that are a much better fit.  When I'm in the nursery, it is not a good fit.  It is like a pair of too tight jeans.  You just can't be comfortable in them.  You're miserable when you sit.  You're not any better when you stand.  Your underwear starts riding up, and you can't wait to just get home and get them off!

Or is that just me?...

Well, after awhile God worked on my heart and He surprised me by having my fellow nursery worker that day be one of my newest fellow mama friends who I really rarely get to visit with.

So, later, with a softer heart and after coffee, I was able to have another convo with Catherine.

"Catherine, you remember how you asked mommy why I had to work in the nursery this morning?"

"Yah."

"Well, you know the two most important things we can do are to love God and to love others.  There are lots of ways to show love to others.  You showed love to your preschool classmates by making them Valentines cards the other day.  You and Daddy showed love to Mommy this morning by making me cards and letting me sleep in.  One way I can show love to others is by serving them.  I can serve them by working in the nursery and watching their babies so they can learn more about God by being in the big church without being distracted by having to take care of their children during that time."


It was like I couldn't wait to have that follow-up conversation once it clicked in my heart.  I'm so glad God gave me that opportunity to talk about love with my four-year-old.  I pray my heart is always open to other such teachable moments with her.  There are a lot of important values and lessons to be teaching my daughter, but since Jesus said the greatest thing we should do is to love God and love others, that's what I'm trying to focus on.  One real-life example at a time.

I had this horrible realization last night:

Valentine's Week had totally snuck up on me!  I needed to A) buy supplies to make Valentines with Catherine for her preschool party this week AND B) solidify my idea for a teachers' gift, buy supplies, create, and deliver 64 Valentines gifts to the elementary school I serve.

I was already going to bed WAY too late, but I just determined that when I woke up, I would have to put the pedal to the metal and go, go, go!!!

Because a chiropractor appointment also snuck up on me, Catherine joined me for that this morning.  I prepped her about expectations for her behavior and expectations of what Mommy would be doing and not doing during the appointment.  We packed snacks for her, and she basically left a trail of Cheerios wherever we went.

Up next we went to a friend's house for an indoor moving sale.  There were tons of things to look at, so I sent Catherine to play with my friend's daughter.  The next thing I know the girls have gotten into stuff they weren't supposed to, and Catherine has literally gotten into something she shouldn't have.  She had put her finger in a bottle of hot tub test strips (I had never heard of such a thing before today) and gotten it stuck.

My friend (not me) had the sense to remove the cap from the bottle.

She couldn't get it unstuck.
I couldn't get it unstuck.
Baby oil didn't help.
I started thinking we were going to have to go to the ER to get this stupid bottle removed.



At one point or another, Catherine, myself, my friend, my friend's daughter, my friend's husband, my friend's mother, and one other lady to whom I was never introduced were all gathered in my friend's bathroom trying to solve the problem.

After awhile some sort of heavy duty wire cutters were brought in (hold me, Jesus!), but there was no way I could even attempt to use them.  So my friend's mom (who apparently has some sort of medical training) stepped up.  God bless her.  I had never even met her before.  She worked hard and carefully with the heavy duty cutters and then also floral wire cutters to set Catherine's finger free finally.

Taking a break mid-cutting to ice the finger

Yep, quite a bit swollen

Dunkin

Needless to say, the day was not at all what I had planned.  By the time we were done there, Catherine just wanted to go home instead of Target for our Valentine errands, and I couldn't really blame her.  It was exhausting emotionally to take part in that.  Unfortunately, she only napped about 30-45 minutes, and the rest of the afternoon was pretty much down the crapper.

Then Daddy was delayed in getting home, which drives me even further off the crazy cliff.

Pretty much the only resolution to the day was for Mommy to get away by herself.

My happy place - Target with Starbucks

Thankfully I also came to the conclusion that A) Catherine will give pre-made Valentines to her classmates and B) Instead of individualized teacher's gifts like last year with 64 individually decorated and assembled gifts, I can deliver a stack of cups, containers of tea, and one note saying, "We think you're TEA-riffic!  Help yourself to a cup!" in order to save myself hours of time and sanity (do you measure sanity in hours??).  Hallelujah!

Last year's Valentines gift to the teachers.  This year will be different.

You just never know what each day is going to hold!

We are attempting to do a No Spend Month.

We did this two years ago and called it a Spending Freeze.

Whichever terminology you use, I think you get the gist of it.

I suppose the details can be set by each person individually.  For us, it means we can still get grocery necessities, but we do try to use up more food already in our pantry and freezer.

It's been super hard.

We still treat ourselves to some restaurant meals, thanks to gift cards.

And I've bought a couple cups of coffee with coins from my "piggy bank."

My version of a piggy bank.  Yes, I literally brought it with me to the coffee house.

Yesterday I heard Target had 90% off Christmas clearance.  I decided I had to go.

What can I say?  I'm weak.

Especially when it comes to Target.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, there really wasn't much we needed.  We just got a couple holiday food items and bought them with a gift card.

I've said this for years:  I would love to take part in an experiment to see the impact Target has on me physically.  I know the effects it has on me mentally and emotionally, but I would like to see if my breathing and heart rate increase when I enter the store or when I spot a clearance section.  So, if you hear of anyone conducting such an experiment, let them know I'm a willing participant.

Anyways, it's only one week in.  We'll see how the next three go.

Sigh...  Anyone want to take me to lunch?

Coffee?

Anyone have any tips for surviving a No Spend Month?

I want to be in a Book Club, but it's pretty rare that I actually finish books.  When I am reading and actually do complete a book, I am quite proud of my accomplishment.

Maybe I should be in a Movie Club instead.  Well, actually I don't watch movies frequently either.

Hmm, maybe I just want to be in a club.

I like people, and I like talking with people.

Let me be your friend.

Anybody else remember that sketch on Saturday Night Live with Adam Sandler and Chris Farley?  "Let me water your plants."  "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET THE BOY WATER YOUR PLANTS!"

Please tell me I'm not the only one who remembers that!?

It's November 19th, and I'm still wearing sandals.  I figure until we get snow on the ground, I'll keep showing my toes.  Especially since they look pretty.



November 19th sounds familiar.  I think it was maybe our due date for Catherine.  I feel like most people would remember important dates like that.  I'm not so good with dates or numbers or remembering things.

Somebody bought my drink today at a local coffee house.

For a mom of a toddler

I don't know who, but I'm grateful.  Grateful for the free coffee and for the reminder:

Enjoy these years; your time is a gift.

This local coffee house has a bulletin board by the cash register with random drinks posted for particular people.  For example, "Drink for a cancer survivor." or "Drink for a firefighter" or "Drink for a police officer."  It was a nice little treat to find one I could use.

Today is a momentous day for me.  It's the first day since Friday that I'm going about my day without physical assistance.

Friday evening I injured my back.  Just scooting back in my seat in my vehicle, I felt sudden pain.  Within a couple hours I couldn't stand up straight.  Saturday morning I couldn't walk.  No, literally, COULD.NOT.WALK.  I got to a point where I said to Josh while laying in bed mid-morning, "I don't know how I'm going to pee!!"  I crawled to the bathroom.

Since then I've fluctuated between really bad, bad, and ok.  Josh helped me over the weekend, and my parents have been helping since he's been back at work.  I'm definitely doing better today, and I feel good mentally and emotionally about where things are and that I'm getting help and getting better.

I've had back pain off and on over the years, but it was never this bad.  It was scary.  My back was fine if I was laying down, but you can't live life laying down.

In addition, Catherine was sick this week.  She's had serious past breathing problems, so I'm always extra cautious when it comes to her health.

Getting the two of us better has been my priority this week, and work has been almost non-existent.  But now that I'm doing better, I can turn my attention back to that.

Oh, and I'm happy to report that our washing machine was able to be fixed!  That was a long month without one!!

mothering is hard.

fathering is hard.

life is hard.

i'm just shaking my head at my not quite four year old daughter's behavior tonight...

um, like a teenager's behavior.

this is payback for how i treated my mom as a child.  right?  it must be.

ugh.

this day also included our washing machine quitting.  while full of laundry and water.

and it was my first day at my new work-from-home job.

my parents were here to help watch C.

yesterday Josh's parents were here to help move furniture.

i don't know where we'd be without our parents' help.

this evening we went to look at washers and dryers.  catherine was not a fan.

followed by groceries.

and more work.

tomorrow will be easier.  right?

Awhile ago I did these lists of "Things I Like Right Now".  I thought I'd post another.

• home decor
• "You're a Good, Good Father"
• re-thinking home decor
• peace
• baskets/containers
• re-arranging things from room to room
• crazy artwork
• rest
• space
• date night
• getting stuff out of our house
• Zillow
• pad thai
• watching football with Catherine
• small town Wakarusa, IN
• getting deals at yard sales
• Ben's soft pretzels
• the quote "not my monkey, not my circus"
• snuggling up with a soft, cozy blanket
• being encouraged, affirmed, and built-up
• encouraging other women
• "No Longer Slaves"
• finding my adventure
• a second cup of coffee
• deepening friendships

I was giddy when I realized today's date in my calendar/agenda book was blank.

I had thought about doing certain things today since I had the time and availability, but then I remembered I don't need to be the one to step up and come to the rescue.

As my mom recently started saying, "It's not my monkey, and it's not my circus."

Bam!

So, instead I enjoyed my day off.

Catherine & I slept in, lounged around, read, played, enjoyed the sunshine and each other's company, and one of us even enjoyed an iced coffee.

I didn't check my email.  I didn't check my facebook.

I know full well that there are many things there to deal with, but I decided it could wait til evening.

It was an awesome liberating feeling.

Instead I got to enjoy a few chapters from this lovely inspiration, picked up from yesterday's library visit.


And I even planned dinner, albeit leftovers.

And now as Josh & Catherine are at their Wednesday night church, I relax by writing to the sound of the ceiling fan spinning round and round.

Believe or not, Josh is already back to work, and the local kids are already back in school.

This summer break was the shortest ever - 8 weeks.  We are so grateful, though, for that perk of his occupation!!

About the beginning of June or so, I wrote up a little list of things I wanted to get done this summer.  How'd we do?

• Purge (still doing)
• Organize (this is really slow going, but I'm working on it)
• Decorate (work in progress, but mostly comes after the organizing; also, this is really hard to measure/assess)
• Hang pics/gallery wall (nope)
• Paint front door (I've narrowed it down to 3 colors, and really 1 I think, but it's not the same one that hubby wants, so for now we just have 3 red paint swatches taped to our front door, can you say ghetto?)

• Grill pizzas (still gotta do this)
• Dentist appointments for all 3 of us (appointments made and scheduled for this week!  It will be C's first dentist experience!  She's excited; I hope I don't make her nervous.)
• Wonderland Theater (Josh and I got to see "Paper Towns" as a Thursday matinee - when all you can eat popcorn is free, woot woot!)
• Buy a new vacuum
• Buy a dirt devil/dustbuster
• Host a yard sale (done!  times 2!)

• Go on a couples trip (Josh & I celebrated our 5th anniversary with a trip to Michigan - Saginaw, Birch Run, Traverse City)

• Go on a family trip (sorry, kid.)
• Camp in our backyard
• Use our firepit
• Make smores
• Teach C how to wipe her bottom independently (a good thing to know how to do especially considering she starts pre-school in a month!)
• Get estimates for windows (ugh.  I feel like I need to get my house organized first.)
• Stain the back deck (ahem)
• Go to the beach (we went when Josh's Las Vegas family was in town; then Catherine & I went again with her cousins and aunt)

Sadly, there was no big family road trip this summer.  But maybe we can do some little trips on the weekends.  I know things will be different with Catherine now having her own school schedule to consider, so we'll just have to be diligent to use the time we have!

Just for fun, some random things about me.  Maybe some you know, maybe some you don't.

1.  My favorite time is 12:34.
2.  My least favorite time is 12:35.
3.  I was born at 12:35 AM.
4. I think 4 is the ideal amount of children to have.
5. I can barely handle having 1 child.
6.  I'm not good with numbers.
7.  I don't like going a day without coffee.
8.  My husband and I went on two honeymoons.
9.  My husband and I had a science class together in college but didn't actually meet until years later via eharmony.  Crazy, huh?!
10.  I love Oriental food and grew up eating with chopsticks.
11. As a child, we had two different Asian students live with our family for awhile.
12.  One summer during college, I worked with foreign exchange students from China.
13.  I did 3 months of student teaching in Okinawa, Japan at the same school where my dad taught many years prior.
14.  I've never been stung by a bee.
15.  I've never been on a roller coaster.
16.  My memory is so bad I can usually watch a movie two or three times and still be surprised by the ending.
17.  Shakespeare makes me fall asleep.
18.  I wake up with a headache if I sleep in too much.
19.  I have a degree in Elementary Education.
20.  I rarely watch TV.
21.  I don't like mushrooms - taste OR texture!
22.  I wear makeup only a couple times a year.
23.  I can name all the Presidents in order.
24.  I have a collection of cookbooks but rarely cook.
25.  I'm 36 (I think - see #6 above), and I still don't know what to do with my life.

A few days prior, Josh asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day.

I was pleasantly surprised that he asked.  So, since he did, I answered:

1. I want to sleep in.
2. I want breakfast in bed.
3. I want a card that you put time and thought into.
4. I want a massage.
5. And when we go out with extended family for a celebratory lunch on Mother's Day, I don't want to sit next to my daughter.

"WHAT?" you may be asking, "You don't want to sit next to your daughter on Mother's Day??  Who says that?!"

I do.

When I am with my daughter (which is a great majority of my time), I am on duty.  I'm entertaining.  I'm answering questions.  I'm telling her to sit down.  I'm finding her cup.  I'm looking at the children's menu.  I'm cleaning up spills.  She's pulling on my hair, my arm, my shirt.  She's kissing my sleeve with a food covered face.  She's crawling in my lap.  She's tipping her chair.  She's dropping crayons.  She's drawing on the wall.  She's grabbing a knife.

The above is not an exaggeration.  It is the norm.

There's nothing relaxing about it.  It's stressful.  And exhausting.  And I wanted a break from it.

And, for the most part, I got what I asked for.

I didn't get to "sleep in" per se, but at least I wasn't the default to deal with a boisterous toddler at 7 in the morning.

Josh then had a little helper in the kitchen while he made coffee and crepes (YUM!) and served me in bed.

I received a meaningful card from hubby and a homemade card from Catherine, both very appropriate.

No word on the massage yet, but I'm ok with that, especially considering the cost.

And I got to spend most of our lunch three seats away from my daughter!  I got to enjoy eating my food on my own time table.  I got to have uninterrupted conversations with those around me, which is probably one of the greatest losses for me since having a child.  And I even managed to finish the meal without any food stains being added to my attire!

As an added bonus, I got flowers!




Thank you, Josh, for asking, for listening, and for all you did to grant my wishes and make me feel special.

Feeling giddy and full of love and happiness at this moment.  Even though we are a household of sickies - coughs and colds, we have much to be thankful for.

So glad for our extended family nearby.

For extended in-laws who invite us into their family and into their home.  To share their food and their family traditions.

For singing and Christmas caroling.

For Christmas lights and Christmas trees.  Ornaments that Catherine helped put on the tree this year.

For this angel of ours who got to participate in her first Christmas pageant:


For generosity and unexpected gifts in the mail.

For Christmas cards - the ones we send and the ones we receive.  Even the ones where we don't even know the sender.  Ha!

For Christmas Break and times of rest and extra sleep.

For coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and other beverages to keep us warm and toasty.

For unexpected warmer temps and even a bit of sunshine this week.

For celebrating the holiday three days in a row with three sets of family.

For the kick I get when people ask Catherine if Santa is bringing her lots of presents, and she has no idea what they're talking about.  Santa WHO??

For fun, family Christmas movies we can watch together - Charlie Brown and White Christmas this year.

For almost escaping the holiday season without hearing "Christmas Shoes" - so close!!

For anticipating a trip to IKEA and goodies to bring home to make our house homier.

This makes me happy.

I went to a really awesome Women's Retreat last week.  And it's got me thinking a lot about the expectations of being a "good mom" or a "perfect wife" or a "Proverbs 31 woman".

• own a big house
• invite people over often
• clean that big house
• make meals
• make healthy meals
• organic, gluten free, GMO free meals
• no fast food
• meal plan
• make freezer meals
• make meals for others
• bake coookies
• keep a full cookie jar
• have clear kitchen counters
• have granite countertops
• serve in the church
• nursery duty Sunday
• nursery duty Wednesday
• attend Bible study
• host Bible study
• attend small group
• host small group
• have daily devotions
• have daily family devotions
• have daily devotions with husband
• have a happy marriage
• have lots of sex
• have lots of children
• sacrificially give up sleep
• sew
• own a minivan
• drive other people's kids around
• take the neighborhood to church
• take the church to the neighborhood
• serve the less fortunate
• make memories for child(ren)
• have craft time with child
• give up coffee
• go to bed early
• get up early
• exercise
• daily laundry
• mop
• wear an apron
• wear makeup
• wear heels
• have nice matching furniture that isn't second-hand or stained
• have a queen or king sized bed
• . . .

It keeps going and going.
It's enough to make me crumble.
And weep.
And give up.

Because [clearly] I can't do it all.

The question I keep coming back to is "Where do these expectations come from?"

God never called me to be Super Woman.  He's the One I say I live for and care about.  Then why am I stressing about doing all these other things that He's never called me to do?

One point our speaker made at the retreat is that God's not calling me to do, do, do.  He's calling me to be.

To be His daughter.  To be in His presence.

Look at the Bible passage about Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42.
Oh, this story has always made me squirm.

Because, like Martha, I'm a doer.  I think of all the work that needs to be done.  And I try to do it.  And then I get ticked off when others aren't doing their fair share.

In this passage, Martha is feeling the same way.  And Jesus totally calls her out on it, and says she can stop trying to do it all.  He never asked her to do it all.  In fact He doesn't want her to do it all.  He wants her to just be.  To sit at His feet and to be with Him.

Oh, Lord, can I do that?  Is it possible to overlook the messy house and the overflowing baskets of laundry and the over-scheduled calendar to focus on what You have truly called me to do??



My friend Lisa-Jo just wrote about NOT Doing It All.  Her honesty was much appreciated and needed.  The part that impacted me the most was kind of some behind-the-scenes information.  The "story behind the photo" if you will.

A couple days prior she had posted a photo of her sweet kiddos all lined up in a row, sitting nicely on the couch, all happy and well fed with bowls of food in their laps.  It was cute.  Of course.


Then I found out the story behind the photo:  Lisa-Jo had just gotten home from traveling out of town for a few days to a conference where she was a speaker.  Though she was delighted to be home and with her kids again, she was also exhausted.  She got Chinese take-out, put it in bowls, lined them up on the couch with dinner and Netflix while she napped.

Can I get a "Hallelujah" for a nap?
Can I get a "Hallelujah" for such honesty?
Can I get a "Hallelujah" for takeout and tv for those moments when we just can't do it all and we need to be real and ok with that?

Another friend's husband recently posted "Judging by my facebook feed, if you haven't taken your kids to an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch yet this fall, you're a horrible parent."  Though obviously tongue-in-cheek, it puts into explicit words what we may be feeling tinges of when we compare our lives to those showing up in our newsfeed.

I can't allow others' snippets of life and snapshots momentarily on display to decide the expectations of my day-to-day reality.

Lord, help me to know what YOU expect of me.  May I strive for only the things that bring glory to you.

1. I believe... in forgiveness and second chances.
2. The first concert I attended was... Johnny Cash.
3. It's important to have... friends.
4. I would love to go... back to Portland (Maine).
5. If I had more time... I'd get my home organized, but I'd need more energy too.
6. I like to... sleep.  (In case you didn't catch that whole VerySleepyGirl name of this blog)
7. Some of my proudest achievements are... student teaching overseas, moving to the west coast, and moving back home to the Midwest.
8. When I was a teenager... I made my parents' lives miserable.
9. Someday I would love to... get our upstairs bathroom painted.
10. My favorite thing to bake is... crepes currently.  Or would that be considered cooking?  I don't know.  Do you bake crepes or cook crepes?
11. What you don't know about me is... how badly I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life.
12. I once had a part-time job... babysitting at age 10.  I was so not mature enough for that!
13. I am currently working... for free.
14. My favorite celebrity meeting was... Mario Lopez!!
15. I like to drink... coffee every morning.
16. My favorite movie idol is... Julie Andrews.  "The hills are alive!!!!!"
17. My favorite flowers are... colorful and bright and vibrant and long-lasting!
18. I like to snack on... sweet and salty combos.
19. My favorite TV show is... currently Fixer Upper on HGTV.  I really don't want much TV, and we don't get HGTV, so...
20. I met my husband... officially in let's see here... um, working backwards, we were married in 2010, so... um, let's see, engaged in 2009, so 2008 I guess.  Is that right, sweetie?  (I'm not good with numbers/dates/facts)
21. I would love to have dinner with... a bunch of old friends at a backyard barbeque.  Oh, that may come true here shortly...
22. My favorite color is... blue in varying shades - mostly aqua and navy.
23. I enjoy... sleeping writing.
24. I attended... Christian schools almost entirely.
25. I am a huge fan of... Candace Cameron.
26. I collect... colanders.  For decoration.  Or as Catherine would say, "For pretend."
27. I appeared... as an extra in a movie.
28. I also collect... travel size toiletries from hotels.  Ha!
29. My favorite fruit is... fruit pizza!  No, seriously, I love lots of different fruits - honeydew, blueberries, kiwi, strawberries, grapes, bananas, peaches, etc.  But I also do love a good fruit pizza!
30. My go-to beauty product is... Burt's Bees lip balm.  That's as close as I get to "beauty products."
31. In 2009 I... went to Arkansas, Nevada, California, and Texas.
32. I recently... went through South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington for the first time.
33. I am inspired by... Pinterest.
34. I wear glasses... every day since 8th grade.
35. In 1997 I... went to New York City with my high school classmates.
36. I work out... used to work out at Curves and later a gym.
37. I'm a terrible... cook.
38. What I love about America is... how much there is to experience.
39. My secret snack... is anything after Catherine is asleep.
40. I adore... rain when I don't have to go out in it.
41. It's been a really long time since... I got my hair cut.  I was seriously contemplating pigtails the other day.
42. I'm so thankful for... a dishwasher in our kitchen.  Especially after seven years without!  Good things come to those who wait.
43. I don't want to... own a red car.  Too much attention from police.
44. I once forgot... how to spell "world."  This was last week.
45. I have... a great guy (my husband - just to clarify in case you were thinking Mario Lopez).
46. I wish I had... disposable income.
47. I don't know how to... play chess.  I once started reading a book on how to play chess.  I don't think I made it past the first page.
48. Yesterday I... ate a yummy Asian sesame chicken salad.
49. Tomorrow I... will get up and drink coffee.  The rest is uncertain.
50. I wonder... when I'll tire of chevron.  I also wonder if anyone actually read ALL 50 of these random facts.

So, something a little more lighthearted today even though I'm still in pain.

Today is Friday.  Everybody loves Friday.

Why?

Because it's the beginning of the much anticipated weekend!!  Well, every day for the next couple months is like a weekend for me.
          
Why?

Because my husband is a teacher!  It's been one challenging year, but summer vacation is now his reward!  Way to go, honey!

School ran extra late this year due to an abundance of snow days.  Then this week we've been hosting a couple guys from SpringHill Day Camps as they have worked at our church all week.  It's been a blast for our church, for the campers, for the staff, and for us!

Catherine and her new buds Jason & Davis

I love hosting!  Sometimes I forget this when I get caught up in the day-to-day normal stuff of my life at home with a toddler.  It's nearly impossible to get any housework done when Catherine is around.  And 95% of the time Catherine is gone I'm out with her!  So, our house is very "lived in".  And there is no hiding that.

My mom came over last week to help me get organized and ready to host the boys.  We turned the living room into a bedroom.  I borrowed extra bedding, and we made good use of all the towels we got as wedding gifts.

We got extra groceries and made sure to have snacks on hand - healthy and not so healthy.


 I left notes on the mirror in the guest bathroom throughout the week and made sure everything was comfortable and welcoming.



One of the things I've been meaning to do for weeks finally got done knowing guests were coming.  I set up a coffee station in our kitchen!


I inherited this cart quite awhile ago from my generous friend Bria.  I was trying to set up my own place after moving back to the area, and she was so helpful in assisting me.  I decided it would be a perfect piece for a coffee station for awhile.


We take our coffee pretty seriously around here...


We take our coffee add-ins pretty seriously as well.  We like to have options...

 

And we like to have flavors...

Yes, those might be tears in my eyes.

Last month Josh got a travel mug that during the month of January can be taken to any Starbucks and filled with coffee at no charge.

Depending on how much one likes Starbucks coffee, that could be a pretty smart investment.

So, we're making sure he makes full use of it, and that started today of course.

During Christmas Break this week, we've been enjoying lots of quiet down time at home.  I may have even spent the last two days in pajamas.  It's been awesome!  But of course we knew someone had to go get coffee today.  As Josh was talking about going, my first mental reaction was about me.  Hmmm, he's getting coffee.  Is there anything I want?...

I contemplated their (relatively ?) new chocolate filled croissant, because can you really go wrong with a chocolate filled anything???  But decided against it when I remembered that my breakfast had been sweet enough.

It didn't even dawn on me until much later:  oh right, I can't get anything anyways because it costs money!!!

Josh said later when he came home that he was so tempted to get other things while he was out.  I didn't even want to hear about the things he saw at the stores because I just can't be tempted now.

This is gonna be an interesting month.

You always want the things you can't have.  I found myself today so badly wanting food from a restaurant.

We're gonna have to do lots of meal planning this month to make sure we stick to our plan.

"This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Headache
Laundry
Dragging

Three words that sum up my day thus far.

But I'm thankful for a baby who is flexible enough to nap in her pack n play when mommy is behind on laundry, and she has leaked through her diaper two nights this week.

Who would have thought two mattress pads wouldn't be enough?

This morning the heater kicked on.
Now the AC upstairs is running.
What bizarre weather we have.
We had to cover plants in the garden two nights ago due to a freeze warning overnight.  I think it got down to 30.
Crazy.

Mother's Day was wonderful.  I woke up to my girl and my guy wishing me a Happy Mother's Day.  On my nightstand:  roses, two cards, and a box of cherry pop tarts.  My husband knows me, and that makes me rejoice.  Bagels at church, a cookout at Jen and Andy's.  Cake for Jen's birthday, relaxing and visiting with lots of family.  These are things in which I delight.

We are celebrating with my in-laws tonight.  Still trying to figure out where to take them for dinner.  Still trying to get used to this new town I live in.  It's been over nine months already.  It feels more like two or three to me.

It's been hard.
It's been real hard.
It's been lonely.

I'm not used to being the new person.  The anonymous person.  The unknown person.  The lonely person.

I feel like we have connected with people from our church.  We have a great small group.  And I've just found a new Moms group to connect with.

Being a stay-at-home mom can be very isolating.

But it is getting better.

We have a smart, healthy, spunky 18 month old, and for that I am so grateful.

Thankful for the sun and the breeze and a moment to sit on the front porch and enjoy a delicious cup of chocolate raspberry flavored coffee.  My striped mug almost matches my new striped patio furniture cushions.



"Rejoice in the Lord always.  And again I say rejoice!"

I am a mother.

I am a

• diaper changing,
• boo boo kissing,
• animal cracker eating,
• hug giving,
• cold coffee nuking,
• laundry washing,
• daddy skyping,
• toy tripping,
• Christmas tree ornament wrangling,
• grey roots up-touching,
• apron wearing,
• hubby kissing,
• muffin baking,
• sometimes dinner making,
• often takeout grabbing,
• quickly praying,
• Pinterest pinning,
• ABC's singing,
• highchair wiping,
• dishwasher loading,
• little girl rocking,
• hesitantly entertaining,
• sippy cup giving,
• list making,
• well balanced meal skipping,
• toddler chasing,
• nap needing

mama.

And I couldn't be happier.

I write that because sometimes I need to remind myself.

This is my calling right now.  This is my reality.


 I was recently pursued for a job.  A great job.  Outside of the home.

I was immediately sold.  So many good things about it.  I really thought it was meant to be.

But something just didn't feel right in this mama's heart.

I thought and prayed much.

And I realized the great commitment it would be.  And what that would mean to my other calling.  My current calling.  Mother.

I cannot express how hard it was to pass on this opportunity.  I just knew I couldn't add it to my current load.  Maybe some other time in the future.  Or in some other, smaller way.

But right now my plate is full.

Overflowing.

In a good way.

27.  christmas music

28.  cinnamon rolls & mocha flavored coffee

29.  little girl napping

30.  mom here to keep me company

Ahhhh...  I think my 30 days of gratitude is suddenly complete.

8.  I am grateful to finally have a dishwasher!

9.  Even more so, I am grateful for a dishwasher that works so well!  Many times I see dishes in it that obviously were not rinsed an inch, and I think, "Oh, no way that's gonna get clean!"  And a couple days later after the load has been washed and I'm putting dishes away, I am amazed that it's all clean!

10.  I am grateful to finally have a garage!


11.  Even more so, I am grateful for a two car oversized garage!  Winter is not my friend.  We've had a few frosty mornings recently, and it brings me great joy to be able to leave without having to scrape the car windows!!!

12.  I am grateful for date night with my hubby!  It doesn't happen often, and it's a great break when it does!


13.  I am grateful that Catherine is growing up in close proximity to her family.  I did not have that advantage as a child.  Neither did Josh.  It means the world to me that she knows her family and gets to see them often.



 14. As much as I hate politics, I am grateful for the freedom to vote.



15.  I am grateful for a big pot of coffee.

16.  I am grateful for nap time.  I know; I've already said it.  But this ought to give you an idea just how grateful I am!!

17.  I am grateful for sunshine - especially in these long, dreary months!