Move It Monday

Well, today I will be grading papers and preparing for the last two weeks of school. We took a two week vacation to get the summer wiggles and daydreaming out, and now we need finish up! I'm looking forward to finishing, and getting their grades for the year figured up. I'm sure they'll be looking forward to the money they get for their hard educational work! With hubby being off work today, I'm sure I won't get as much cleaning done around the house, but that's okay. It will be nice just to spend time together. I do plan on getting at least 3 loads of laundry done though, and a trip to the gym later tonight. The rain has watered the plants for me for the last 3 days, so that's taken care of! That leaves me with more time to reflect on today's holiday and say some important prayers. If you missed my Memorial Day post, make sure to read it. Have a great Monday everyone!

Memorial Day-What does it mean to us?

What does Memorial Day mean to you? Is is just another day to you? Do you look forward to it, because you get that day off of work? I asked myself this same question this morning and I have to say, that my heart wasn't in the right place...until I prayed and watched this video. I have family overseas fighting for my freedom, and I have to admit that in my day to day routine, sometimes I forget to pray for them and forget what they are facing every day....so that I can have the same day to day routine and the freedom to keep it. Millions of lives are affected every day in this current war, and many of us have "moved on" already. Just because it's not a quick war and there seems to be no end, doesn't mean that we need to forget and not support our soldiers and families who don't have the option to forget that we are at war.

When I think back on all the people who have given their lives for this country and it's freedom, I cry, I cry. It just breaks my heart. I'm so focused on all the bad going on in our country and how hopeless I feel to stop it. Our nation as a whole, has completely lost our heritage, forsaken God and have turned away from him, and toward their own "me, me, me" way of living. It makes me upset to think about where our country is and where it is headed. But many have given their lives for this Land of the Beautiful that they loved so much. Many are and will be giving their lives for it, and I must keep the love for this land in my heart and keep the fire burning. I must stay on my knees in constant prayer for God to have mercy upon us and heal our broken, but still free land. I must pray for our soldiers who's love is greater than mine, and are risking their lives, and the happiness of their families to protect me and mine. I hope you will join me! I hope this video sparks that fire inside of you, like it did for me.

Weight Loss Wednesday~Wait For It...

Wait for it...

Wait for it...

That's right! I finally reached my first goal of 10 pounds lost! I'm so happy! I lost 5 pounds this week! I had lost 8, but then gained back 3. So instead of losing 13 pounds, I'm only counting ten. I'm not going to count weight I had to lose twice. Maybe now, even when injured or busy, I will try harder not to gain any back! Anyhow, I am pleased and am excited for my next goal of 16 total pounds lost, because it has special meaning. I am focusing on how much I have lost, and NOT how far I have to go...must think positive!

I had my free consultation with a personal trainer last night, and that went well. He showed me a 30-40 minute routine I can do without weights. So that way, if I can't make it to the gym, I have something very effective that I can do at home, or anywhere. That was nice. He also let me know my exact target heartrate range for my age. I know where I need to keep my heartrate to concentrate on fat burn or cardio. (focusing on fat burn!) So, now it's up to me. Personal training is not in the budget! Hehe Although, he did say that if I got stuck in a month or wanted a new routine, I could pay for just one session and I bet that would really be helpful. So, I had a great week, I'm really enjoying the gym, as I knew I would...I've always loved gyms....and I'm looking forward to another great week!

Move It Monday

Well, I am ever so sorry for the extremely late post today! I was up all night with Mr. Pure at Heart. He was coughing, and coughing and coughing, so much so that he was having trouble breathing. So, finally at 3:00am I grabbed his inhaler and we attempted to do that. He was having such a hard time breathing, that it was hard to get the albuterol into his lungs. It helped though, and he was able to settle down and get a little bit of sleep. I took him in to the doctor first thing this morning, and they gave him steroids for the cough and two other medicines, because it turned out that he had an inner and outer ear infection as well. Poor thing. So, him and I are both exhausted today and we will hopefully be taking a nap here real soon...if I can get Miss Piggy to lay down too. So, we moved it this morning, to the doctor, and the pharmacy and the grocery store...however we won't be moving much this afternoon. This evening, if I'm feeling more rested, I will be doing some dishes and laundry. I wasn't able to make my favorite Monday morning breakfast, so maybe I'll have to look forward to Tuesday this week!

Project Organized Home~Flower Bed

Well, I spent all week telling you what I've done inside the house to make it more organized and suit our families needs. So, today I'll have to share with you what I did outside! I finally finished the flower bed by the mailbox. When we first moved here, I could tell the they had something planted there, because they had pine straw lay around the mailbox...done here in the south, to keep moisture in the ground. So, I brought my Arizona red rock off the moving truck, and placed it around the outside edge in the grass. That's how it stayed for a really long time! But slowly, I planted some mums last fall, and some tulips this spring. I need to pick out one more annual for the other side of the mailbox, but I haven't made up my mind yet. Anyhow, last weekend, I finally went and got some edging rocks from a friends house, two bags of colored mulch from Walmart, and some newspaper from someone who can't read our house numbers. (We don't have a subscription, but ever so often, they deliver to us anyway) I pulled all the weeds I could pull, and then lay down the newspaper everywhere but where my perennials are planted. I put in all the edging rocks and then lay down the mulch. I can't believe the difference that it makes. When you drive down the street, your eyes are drawn right to it. It will be really pretty when my other two mums start blooming. I'll have to show you an updated picture when they do. I'm so happy to have it done, and now I just need to sweep up around the driveway edge. I'd like to clean up the mailbox too, but that's really a job for hubby. I think wire brushed and chemicals will have to be involved.

I had a nice annual planted in the ground last year, but this year I opted to put in a shepherds hook and plant my annuals in a hanging basket. It really adds something nice, and now I don't have to worry about continually digging up the ground around the mulch. Only perennials are in the ground now. Isn't the purple and pink verbena growing in nicely? I think it's a great color combination!

While we are on the subject of flowers, I thought I'd show you the one's I have on my front porch. These impatients are wonderful! They are the only flower I have found that will take these shallow pots, be in almost all shade and still give me great color! I put in a dracenda spike this year to add interest....I like it! Yes, I know I still need to paint the rest of the rails in the background, and the deck. You don't need to tell me, my husband reminds me at least twice a week! But, these pots will be amazing when the impatients grow in more!

This one is my all time favorite this year. I've never gotten two of the plants in this pot before. The tall green one with pink blooms is a dogear begonia. I've always had begonias every year that I can remember. They aren't my favorite flower, but they do great with heat and sun, and they bloom all summer into the fall, so I've always had them for those features. But this year, I stumbled across this, and instantly fell in love! These things are HUGE. The pots they're in are almost 2 feet tall, and they are almost two feet tall themselves, already! And the blooms seem to be endless! I am so in love with these plants. Every day when I water them, I smile! The purple one's are new to me, and I can't remember what they are called. But I really like them! They are growing fast, and I may end up having to move one. They get these tiny little lavender colored blooms on them and they only bloom early in the day, and then that's it. I just love the color contrast that they provide! And then there's some old vinca vine in here from last year for some hanging effect.

This one has the other dogear begonia in it, and it's got a whole bunch of ivy! It doesn't get cold enough here to kill the ivy in the winter, so I keep it in the pot and just replace the annual each spring. This ivy is going on it's 3rd year now, and I may have to move some of it too, or I won't have room for an annual next year! It's beautiful ivy though. I think I may replace the vinca vine with it. So, there you have it. I may show you some of my other flowers later in the season, but these are my favorites. They make a home look more inviting and welcoming from the outside and they bring me such happiness!

Have you done anything this week to make your place a more clean, organized or happy home?

Thankful Thursday

It's hard to pick something to focus on today for Thankful Thursday. I am just thankful today...thankful for so many things. I love days where I have a thankful heart and attitude. I need to try to be that way everyday. God has given us everything just in salvation. That alone is worth being thankful everyday. But, I will narrow it down a little to 2 things I'm thankful for today.

1)I am so thankful for my gym membership. Even if all we can do is this one free month, I am going to take advantage of it and get all I can get out of it! I went today to do my machine orientation. They have newer equipment that I've never used before. Some of their stuff is fascinating! Like they have stationary bikes that have screens in front of them, and you actually bike through these different trails. And you have to steer the bike, just like you would a real one, and switch gears. It keeps track of all the races or trails that you have done so you can keep an eye on your progress. If you have two people at the same time, you can even chose to race each other! How cool. There was also a bunch of machines that target specific areas on the body, so I can do many of them without hurting my back. They have two abdominal machines that don't touch the lower back, so I can actually work on my baby belly without straining my lower back! I'm so excited! Their elliptical have low stationary bars as well as the high mobile ones, so if I chose, I could probably use it as well. I'm just so thankful for this opportunity and I can't wait until I get to go tonight for my first full workout!

2)I'm thankful for God's provision for my children! My oldest son's room is done, and we were able to do it for no extra cost! We couldn't stand the thought of putting our oldest son, our firstborn child into a pink room! But I had bought a whole gallon of miss-tinted paint for Mr. Pure at Hearts' room for only $5. It was cheaper than buying a quart of new paint and picking our own color. I used so little of it, that we still had pretty much the whole gallon left. So, I asked hubby if he thought we should use that for Mr. Know it All's room. I figured brown would be better than pink, and we could paint it again when we got the money. He thought it was a great idea. The color actually came out better than expected. Then, I realized that I had a tiny bit of blue paint left from the walls in the other room and I had some painters tape from when I did stripes in our old dining room over a year ago. So, I painted some blue stripes to break up some of the brown, and add some color for him. It made his bedding match the room, since his bedding is blue. I had just enough painters tape left to make a few stripes on 3 of the walls! It looks so wonderful, and Mr. Know it All is so happy with it, so we won't have to repaint later now. God is soooo good. Now, I just have to hang his magnetic dry-erase board back up over his desk and get him some storage baskets for the bookshelves....guess what...I have those for free too! I have several of them in my room and they aren't holding anything important, so I'm emptying them out and giving them to him. AND THE COLOR MATCHES PERFECTLY! They are the very same blue. So, you can see why I am so thankful today! I posted some pictures below of his room. It's about 90% done in the pictures, but you get the idea.

Head over to Women Taking A Stand for more Thankful Thursday Posts!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, this week isn't really a weight loss Wednesday, it's a weight gain Wednesday. I gained almost 2 pounds this week. Although, I'm not surprised, and I'm not upset. I've been so busy painting these rooms, moving furniture, putting in new flooring. We've been eating a lot of prepackaged foods instead of me making healthy meals. I should have disciplined myself and managed my time better. I could have thawed out things and used the crockpot, but I didn't. Staying up until 3:30 in the morning, and past 1:00 most other nights, doesn't sit well with the body either. So, I need to get these rooms done and get back on track. I'm not upset though, I know it will come right back off.

I got a phone call Monday letting me know that I won a free one month membership to Anytime Fitness, so I'm excited about that! I just hope we can somehow afford to renew it after the month is over. I don't know how much I'll be able to do right away because of my back, but I can walk on the treadmills, ride the bikes, and do lots of strength training exercises that don't call on my lower back muscles! So, I'm really, really, excited about it. I'm working on a schedule that won't interfere with my job here as a mommy, teacher, wife & homemaker. I don't want my family to suffer for my wanting to be at the gym. I am really looking forward to it though. The last time I had a gym membership here in town, I lost 31 pounds and was still losing when I had to cancel the membership due to finances. So, I hope to have better news to report next week!

Simple Woman's Daybook~5/17/10

Head over to Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman's Daybook, to read more daybook posts or to join in the simplicity yourself!

For Today, May 18, 2010...

Outside my Window~ We started out with blue skies, but the clouds are rolling in fast. I hope it does rain. The humidity has been awful and we might as well get rain with it. Then I won't have to water my outdoor plants either!

On my mind~ a dear friend of mine who just lost her mother. Unimaginable. If you get the chance, say a prayer for her...her name is Gina.

From the learning rooms~ we are taking a break this week, so we can finish moving all the kid's rooms around. So, that will delay our finish for the year, but I'm okay with that. After our break this week, we will have only two weeks left!

I am going~ to get these rooms done! So that means I had better not be going anywhere!

I am currently reading~ Finishing up Created to be His Helpmeet.

From the kitchen~ something with chicken today I think. If I had thought to thaw it out last night, I would have stuck some in the crockpot this morning with rice. But, it will probably be BBQ chicken in the skillet tonight. One of my favorites!

I am wearing~ my favorite jammies. They are a capri pant and tank top set...black with little white polka dots. They could almost pass as daytime clothes, but not quite!

Around the house~ Well, you already know this one. More painting, and more furniture moving. Plus, I need to get some dishes and a load of laundry done. The boys are going to have to pick up the slack from me being tied up upstairs, and clean the bathrooms, living room and dining room.

From my picture journal~

My very first mums that made it through the winter and bloomed. They have always been killed by late frost, mowed over, or we have moved before they could grow and bloom for me. I'm so excited! I can't believe how early they are blooming! I've never seen mums bloom this early in Colorado or Kansas!

If you know what kind of tree this is, please tell me. I put the riding toy in the picture to show you the scale of it. Below, is a closer look at the leaves. These flowers will die soon, and it will just be the green leaves. I don't know??

Move It Monday

The only thing I wanted to move this morning, was the sun! I wanted to move it back to the other side of the world, and go back to sleep! I'm so exhausted. I was up until 3:30 in the morning Friday night, painting this room. The whole weekend was work, work, work. The doctor said that the carpet in Mr. Pure at Heart's room had to go. She was afraid that the longer he was exposed to high levels of dust mites, the more probable him having asthma attacks would be. His allergy to the dust mites is his biggest one out of the four they tested him for, they think. We couldn't afford to replace the carpet in the room that the boys share, so we split them up and put them in the two small rooms, and moved the girls into the large bedroom. That way, it was half the price to buy the flooring. The boys aren't happy with the pink and purple, so the rooms have to be painted. This room used to be the purple room, and I let Mr. Pure at Heart chose his own color. He did a wonderful job! I think the room turned out really cute. It was hard to design a room without being able to use curtains, shelves, bookcases and the like. He can't have anything in there that will collect dust. He does have his bed, school desk, nightstand, and storage drawers with toys, but these each have to wiped off once a week, and his bedding washed in hot water (at least 130 degrees) once a week as well. I really hope this helps him out a lot, and gets rid of that horrible cough he's had for months now!

He has a lot of floor space to play on even though it's such a small room. Not having all the excess furniture has it's up sides! I have to say, even though we chose one of the cheapest styles of tile, I really like it, and it's much nicer than the carpet, in my opinion.

His metallic dry erase board, is now in a place where he can reach it better. He's really excited about that. He used to have to stand on a chair to reach it.

The flooring goes all the way into his closet. Hubby didn't leave anything out, he did such a wonderful job!

I love this border. The quality is amazing! I wish I had a picture to show you of what the outlet plates look like covered in this border. They are so cute! It's quite the finishing touch. I still have two more to do, so that's on my list today.

The detail on these wall stickers is amazing! These are not toddler dinosaurs, these are the real deal big boy dinosaurs!

Sorry my post is so late, but I have really been moving it! I still have to paint the pink room for Mr. Know it All, and move all the toys and furniture around for him and the girls. Plus, laundry, dishes, aaaaaahhhhhh! I hope my back holds up!

Project Organized Home

Well, last week I told you about how busy I was around the house trying to stay on my feet, and make my back feel better. One of the products of my business was finally getting all the wall decor up in the living room! The living room was the last room in the house to painted and decorated. I'm still not 100% done, but I'm almost there, and it looks better than it ever has before! It's the room that my husband spends the most time in when he's home, and it's where he sleeps most nights since he can't sleep in our horribly uncomfortable bed. So, I really wanted to get it looking nice for him. It's also the only room without carpet that my allergy ridden son can spend time in, so he needed a table and a space to call his own. He does his schoolwork in there, and plays with his cars and draws his Mommy pictures! The table beside the computer is his spot! I'm so happy to walk in this room and finally feel like I have made a clean peaceful and organized place for my family!

I still don't have all my pictures up on the wall below. The idea with this wall was to make a "frame" for my picture "frames." But, we took many of them down to put much needed bookcases in here, and now I need to pick my favorites and put them up around the bookcases.

I can't stand the t.v. tray in the picture below, but if it's not there, hubby will put his drink on the floor, and it will get spilled. Guess who has to clean that up? As much of a pain as it is sometimes, I love serving my hubby's needs and taking care of him. He takes good care of me!

The monstrous cabinet partially in the picture below, is our entertainment center. Probably my favorite piece of furniture in the whole house, and by far the best value! We bought it at a store run by a Spanish lady who sells new furniture that what damaged somehow and can't be sold by retail stores for retail price. On top of her good price, I waited to by it until she was having a 40% off sale! The only thing wrong with it, was that one of the doors was broken. So, I took off both of the doors and used one for a wall decoration in the first picture up above! I wish I could show you the other wall, but that's where the french doors are, and it's hard to get a good picture during the day. I'll have to get one at night, and show you the other wall. There's not much to see...just a gun cabinet, laundry room door, french doors to the backyard, and the front of the beautiful entertainment center.

Well, I hope you enjoyed what I've done this week to make my home more beautiful and organized! Come back next week for what I've done outside!

Weight Loss Wednesday

So, where am I on my weight loss journey? Good question. My back went out again a couple weeks ago and I have been slowly nursing it back to health. So far, I haven't had to go to the chiropractor, so that's good. But to be honest, if I would of had the money to go without sacrificing something else, I would have gone already. It's been pretty painful. I'm hopeful that it's on the mend, but with my back...we'll just have to see. Unfortunately what is for certain, is no exercise. I can walk. Oh can I walk, so I will. But no strenuous aerobics, no core training (right now) none of the really good stuff that takes weight off! So, I've been frustrated. But I'm maintained my weight loss and not put it back on, so I'm grateful for that. Being stuck rejoicing in 8 pounds lost, is much better than being back where I started! Can someone give me an AMEN for that?! That's better than what I would have done in the past. In the past, I've always focused on the negative, gave up, and put it all back on.

So, my goals are to: 1)walk any chance I can get. 2)Drink LOTS of water to keep my metabolism up as high as I can. 3)Eat small, portioned and healthy meals ALL throughout the day, to keep metabolism up. 4)Not be sedentary during the day. My back is helping me with this, because in my normal day, the worst thing I can do for my lower back is sit! So that gives me motivation to stay on my feet which will burn calories over the course of a day!

So there you have it. I'm trying to keep a positive outlook and quit feeling sorry for myself. This is all about being healthy and changing my lifestyle anyway, the weight loss is just a product of those things. But in all honesty, if we do make this trip in August, it would be nice to be able to see our friends and family without all the weight I've put on since we saw them last! ((smile))

Simple Woman's Daybook~May 11th Edition

Visit Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman's Daybook, for more great daybook posts or to join in yourself!

For Today....May 11, 2010

Outside my window~ the grass needs cut, but hubby is a busy man right now. If I wasn't allergic, I would gladly do it for him. My unknown tree in the middle of the front yard is blooming now, and it's just beautiful. One day I hope to find out what kind of tree it is!

I am thinking~ about how in the world I'm going to lose this weight when my back won't allow me to exercise. I'm just going to have to be really, really careful about what I eat, and walk every chance I get!

I am thankful for~God's patience with me. If He had my patience, He would of given up on me decades ago. I feel like I have learned so much, but know that I've only barely begun to tap into the knowledge and Wisdom He has to offer me. I have an entire lifetime of learning to go still! I'm also thankful for the wonderful Authors He has placed out there, and the wisdom He has given to them to share with me and others. I have grown so much through their books, with the Holy Spirits help. I'm oh so thankful!

I am wearing~a light pink tank top and black capri sweatpants. After I finish this, and read my bible, I will get dressed for the day.

I am going~to possibly have to make a trip to Walmart. I don't like going there, and I try to wait until church days, so I don't waste gas and can do it all in one trip, but that may not work this time.

I am currently reading~Created to be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl. I think this is the BEST book I have ever read. To be honest, I don't want to be finished with it. That's why I am pacing myself. It has helped me beyond words, and I want to still read more every day. In fact, I may come back and reread it a little bit at a time for years, just to keep it fresh in my mind. I have found my life's purpose in this book!

I am hoping~to go to Kansas and Colorado in August. We are really praying, and really trying to go. How wonderful it would be to see both our families in one big trip! Mike's mom is not well AT ALL and he is going to go see her whether we can all go or not. I'm really hoping it will be all of us! On my side of the family, this may be the last time that the whole extended family can be there together. They are having an 80th birthday party for my Grandma and they want all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids to be there. I pray the Lord would allow us to be there. Some of you remember that they tried to do it at Christmas, and I was the only one not there... it broke my heart.

On my mind~ My 6 year old son has not been helped by his recent trip to the allergy specialist. He changed his meds, and it did him no good at all. He still coughs all day long and his eyes were so irritated that he got allergy conjunctivitis in both his eyes. Thankfully it went away in just a couple days without medicine, but still. My heart aches for him. I can't stand not being able to make him better. I am praying that the Lord would show us what to do. A different specialist, or wisdom for his current one, to do and find the right help for my dear, sweet son.

Noticing that~it takes me a LONG TIME to do this post every week. I hope I can keep it up.

From the learning rooms~3 weeks to go! It's not that I want to be done, I'm just excited for next years curriculum! I'm sure that when they're all older, I'll be happy and exceedingly ready for summer break. But as for now, I love teaching and don't want a break! Plus, my boys get in trouble when they don't have something constructive to do! Good thing I have reading planned for the summer!

From the kitchen~Nothing exciting. Our budget is so tight as we try to save for the trip, I'm not really getting creative in the kitchen. Simple filling meals, is what we're after!

Around the house~Lots to do. I have to finish my list from yesterday. I had several interruptions in the day yesterday, and I just sat and enjoyed hubby last night. So, I'll be working on that list today! The kids are currently cleaning the dining and living room. Well, except Miss. Piggy. I hear her in the bathroom, probably soaking her hair in the sink!

From my picture journal~

My mother did these. One is an actual oil painting, and one is a framed print of a section of an oil painting she did. It's titled "Lean On Me." My Grandma has the original painting, and one day it will be passed down to me. The girl in the first painting is me! My mother painted this after I was saved. It's me walking from the darkness, into the light. What a joy it is for me to look at this painting. I know my mother poured her whole heart and soul into it. I hope for it to be passed down to one of my daughters some day! Anyway, I had to show you where my artistic talent came from!

Move It Monday

It's here! Another Monday! Another chance to start of the week in a good frame of mind, and on the right foot, so to speak! Well, I have made my special Monday morning breakfast and am now writing out my list of what I want to get done today. I have been doing so well with staying on top of the housework ever since I started this post. It's amazing what starting the week off MOVING IT, can do for the rest of the week! Always playing catch-up is how my life as a homemaker has been for years, and I love being ahead or "on schedule" instead! It's much more peaceful for me, and for my family. I even had time this weekend to put up decor that had been waiting for it's place on the living room wall since we bought this house 2 1/2 years ago! I can't wait to share those pictures with you this Friday! Well, let's see, to keep me moving today and getting a great start to this week, I plan to:

Wash the dishes_DONE

Start a load of laundry

Sweep & mop kitchen floor

Vacuum the dining room

Sweep & mop living room floor

Start second load of laundry

Put away ALL the girl's clothes in their new place

Water outdoor flowers_DONE

Organize & Vacuum in Master Bedroom

That's my list today, on top of doing schoolwork with the boys. What are you doing to make Monday a day to look forward to? To start the week on the right foot? Whether you work in the home, or outside the home, take away the Monday blues, and make it fantastic! (Even though my Mom hasn't been able to work in years due to her MS, she likes the Starbucks on Monday idea! You can thank me later Dad!)

Project Organized Home-I WENT CRAZY!

Well, do you know what happens when you have these lying around the house...

And a whole bunch of these...?

And you have to stay on your feet all day, because sitting is the worst thing you can do for your lower back issues? Well, I don't know what you would do, but in the following pictures, you will see what I did...!

An old black iron lamp got a redo! I'm glad I did it too, because when hubby saw it, he said, "that looks nice. I was getting ready to throw that thing in the trash!" I guess I saved this poor lamp from it's doom, without even knowing it!

I had some canvas that I was saving for some more oil paintings, but with my youngest being so curious, I haven't been able to get out the oil paints and thinner. Just too dangerous to her well being! So, they worked perfect for some acrylic painting. Acrylic dries fast, and you can clean up the brushes with soap and water! I originally was going to hang them here, as a group, but it didn't want to lose my last supper painting, so they got moved to the other side of the room. As you can see, I also went completely crazy, painting on the walls! This is one of my all time favorite scriptures!

My 5 year old daughter begged me to paint all over the "kids corner." How can I refuse?

So below is how the wall ended out. I do like still having my Last Supper up, and it matches the room so well. It's hard to tell in the pictures, but the colors in it, actually match the colors in the flowers on the wall as well....

I know my dining room looked great, and showcase like before, but doesn't this add so much color to the room?! I feel so much more cheerful and uplifted when I walk into the room now. And this room is where the boys do their schoolwork most days, so it's nice to have it brighter for them. I like having the three paintings here, as shown in the picture below, because they tie that side of the room together. The dining room has always been a challenge to pull together, because it has 5 doors or doorways and one window in it..plus the stairs. I think this is the best it's ever looked as far as tying the whole room together...!

So, now you know what happens when I have to stay busy for too long! I could've done more laundry, but you can only do so much of that you know?! And even though it's crazy, it fit our personalities and makes our home better for us!

I AM Wednesday

I AM...

...going to start drinking 6 glasses of water a day

...going to take my vitamins EVERY day

...going to make a checklist every morning of what I want to accomplish each day, and use it as a guide for my day

...determined to put everything in it's place, and KEEP it there!

...focusing on reverencing my husband as the bible commands

...putting our families financial goals in front of my "wants"

...asking God to give me wisdom about what is a "want" and what is a "need" for our family

...praying earnestly for my extended family. They are always in my thoughts and in my heart, but too often I neglect them in my prayers

...reading my bible and christian growth book EVERY NIGHT so as to be sensitive to God's will and at peace in my heart

I AM really trying to be a good steward of all that God has given me. Reminding myself, that to whom much is given, much is required. God has given me eternal life, saved me from a life that had no value or worth, and given me a strong, loving, faithful husband and 4 beautiful, precious individually different children to bless my days. He's also provided me with a wonderful home in which to make a haven of rest for my husband, and a safe & loving environment for my children to grow and learn according to His Word. How blessed I AM and how much more I need to be doing to show my gratitude!

The Simple Woman's Daybook~May 4th Edition

Head over to Peggy's blog, The Simple Woman's Daybook, to read more daybook posts, or join in with one of your own!

For Today...May 4th, 2010

Outside my window~the birds are having a field day out there this morning. All the rain we got yesterday brought those worms to the surface and the birds are enjoying a feast! Boy, if you're ever having a bad day, just be glad you're not a worm...they usually wind up being eaten by a bird or fish bait!

I am thinking~ that this rain has made my weeds grow overnight! Hubby's going to have to mow the lawn before the weekend. I wish we had a cheap and easy way to kill these weeds and get good grass growing. When we had the drought in Georgia, you couldn't water the yard, and that meant you couldn't plant seed. So during those years, many yards got overtaken by weeds. I don't want to use harmful pesticides to kill them either, too many kids and dogs in the yard. Our yard is so big, that we can't afford to use the more expensive, but kid and earth friendly week killers. I guess I'll have to just look the other way! I'll enjoy my flowers and trees instead!

I am thankful for~ God's Holy, precious, Word. It is there for me all the time, it is faithful, even when I am not. It lifts me up, encourages me, instructs me, and disciplines me. My life is not very joyful when I fail to be in God's Word every day. It's something I struggle with, but am really trying to overcome. I'm so thankful that God gave it to us, and that we live in a country where we can still read it at our own free will!

I am wearing~ a black polyester shirt and a mid-calf black skirt with white, gray and blue flowers. Very comfy, and very pretty! I don't have any shoes on right now, but if the need arises, I'll put on my black flip flops.

I am going~ hopefully no where! I have a lot I want to do today still, and this evening, the Biggest Loser will be on. The ONE AND ONLY show that I allow myself to watch every week. I don't like to miss it!

I am currently reading~ Created to be His Helpmeet, by Debi Pearl. One of the most convicting but absolutely necessary, books I have ever read. I wish they would hand out this book to every Christian couple, or Christian wife when they get married. I certainly should have been following these biblical principles years ago!

I am hoping~ that the Lord will work it out for us to go to Kansas and Colorado in August. We haven't seen hubby's parents since we left Kansas almost 3 years ago. His mom is in horrible shape, and we really want to get the grandkids there for her to see. It would be such a blessing for her. And in Colorado, where I grew up, my Grandma is having her 80th birthday party and they are trying desperately to get the whole family there to celebrate. I was the only one at Christmas that wasn't there for that, and I don't want to be the only one who's not there for her birthday party. It's so important to me, so I'm really praying. You never know when your last chance to see someone you love is. It may be the last time we are all together as an extended family.

From the learning rooms~ only 4 weeks left! How exciting! We are nearing the home stretch and I'm already looking forward to next years curriculum. One day at a time, I must remind myself!

Around the house~ busy! Laundry, mopping, organizing, cooking, schoolwork, cleaning! And we'll try to throw some playing in there somewhere!

From my picture journal~

I want to try to do somemore of this as a family. It's been almost a year since we fished as a family, and we've got the fever! Guess I should of been having a field day with the worms this morning!

Move It Monday!

Well, I am getting a late start, but I got some much needed rest! I'm off to the kitchen to make my special Monday morning breakfast-with coffee! YAY! It really does make Monday's special for me. Then, I will get the boys started with their schoolwork. Only 4 more weeks to go! I'm excited at the thought of almost having a whole nothing year of homeschooling accomplished! This year went pretty well, with no real "issues" that I can recall. Subjects were good, curriculum used suited our needs, didn't get behind...it was great! I have some summer reading planed for both boys, just to keep them a little occupied and out of trouble, while still giving them (and myself) a break. My oldest will be doing book reports on some of his too...he hasn't done much of that, because any kind of creative writing, or explanatory writing is difficult for him. I felt is was something that would be good to develop over the summer when other subjects aren't being worked on as well. Back to today though, after breakfast I plan to:

Put away clean laundry_DONE

Wash a few extra dished that were left from last night, plus breakfast dishes_DONE

Vacuum the dinning room_DONE

Start a load of laundry_DONE

Sweep and Mop the living room floor_1/2 DONE

put wash load in the dryer, start a new load_DONE

organize two bins that got clutter thrown in them_DONE

switch laundry around, start third load

PUT AWAY ALL CLEAN LAUNDRY!

I'm the worst at getting it clean, and then leaving it. I need to start disciplining myself to put it all away right after I pull it out of the dryer! Lastly, I will have a nice evening with the family, and do my bible reading and book reading just before bed. This is the best time for me to do it, because I am a night person, and will fall back asleep if I do it first thing in the morning, and I have to read undisturbed, or I get disturbed! So, after the kids are all in bed, I curl up with God's Word, and get what I need from Him to do the day all over again! Happy Monday everyone!