Move It Monday

Good Monday Morning! I am going to be so busy today, and moving it so much, that I actually started this post last night, because I knew there would be no way I'd have time to post it all this morning! We start our new curriculum for Mr. Know it All today, regular A.C.E. and Horizon's for Mr. Pure at Heart (who is now 7 years old!) and kindergarten with my princess. I'm sure my little tornado will sit with us and color the whole time, and be a good little girl! NOT! So, I'll have whatever mess she makes to deal with later. I also have piano lessons for Mr. Know it All, a bank run, library run, and lots of organizing and dishes to do. I don't know where I'm supposed to find the time or energy for all this, but we'll do our best!

I don't even want to make a list today, because I have no idea how long I'll have to spend on the new curriculum this morning. I know we'll be doing at least 5 hours a day after we get going, but they won't start all his classes right away. However, there is a two hour online conference starting at 10:30am...hmmm...what to do with the tornado...wish me luck! Better yet, just pray for me, because if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all! :-) I'm really excited to get started with this though, so I hope it will be a great day! Happy Monday to you! Keep it moving!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, it's warming up to be another hot day here. On the news last night, they were saying that we have had 17 days so far in September that have been over 90 degrees! Yesterday we were 10 degrees above average, and we are going to be about the same today. Record setting temperatures. Bummer. Went you want fall to arrive so badly, it's no fun when it's taking it's dear sweet time. They were joking about us having to rake leaves at Christmas! I didn't find it so funny.. :-<>


Okay, enough whining! So, some of you might have been wondering where my weight loss Wednesday posts have gone. I just couldn't get back to it after getting home from our trip. So much has happened since we got home, it's just been a whirlwind. It would take me all day to write it out, and you don't have all day to read it, so we'll not get into it all! (you can thank me later!) But I will say, that my health took a turn for the worse. A really bad turn, down a long hill. Weight loss has been the last thing on my mind. Just getting through the day is the goal. I am starting to feel better though, and I have good news! It looks like I might be able to see new doctors on the 12th of October to begin the process of getting an official diagnosis! Wouldn't that be great?! Like my husband said, "just knowing what you're up against, is half the battle!" So, please pray with me about getting the testing and treatment that I need. It looks like we are looking at a MS, or Fibromyalgia diagnosis, but they will probably test for a couple other things as well. I just want the Lord's will, whatever it may be! No matter what my ailment, I need to be eating healthy and losing weight! So, I will press on.



I've gained some weight back since the trip, and I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I'm thankful and praising God that I didn't gain it all back! So, we will start from where I'm at and press forward! I've already lost a couple pounds over the last few days, so I'm off to a good start! Part of losing weight and being healthy, is learning how to deal with slip ups and getting back on track! So, that's exactly what I see this as, is a learning opportunity. Not a defeat like it's been in the past!



I will try next week to get some recipes back up! I am trying out some new one's and loving how much better I feel when I eat good foods, verses how weighed down and sluggish I feel when I eat bad, highly processed foods and too many simple sugars (bad carbohydrates) I have also made a commitment to take my supplements everyday! They really help my symptoms. I take a multi-vitamin, B-Complex, Probiotic Pearl, Omega 3-6-9, and heart healthy acidophilus. On the days that I don't eat enough natural fiber, I take a fiber chew as well. It's a lot to keep up with, but I can really tell a difference when I faithfully take them!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

If you would like to read more Daybook posts, or link up one of your own, head over to Peggy's Blog!

For today~September 21, 2010

Outside my window~It is still cool and almost crisp! Fall for us, is just around the corner. The grass is wet with dew and the birds are having a heyday!

On my mind~ There was no work for hubby to do today. Praying the Lord will provide. My oldest is going to spend the day with his dad and another man, building a shed at the hunting property that we have a free lease to. Hopefully, that will distract hubby from being worried about not working.

I am going~ to go get some paper towels and tp today. Maybe some milk too, if I have enough for it. Other than that, I hope it will be a quiet day at home!

From the kitchen~ If the lettuce is still good, I'm going to make homemade tacos tonight! That's one of our favorite meals. It's hard to make a meal that 6 people all love, but tacos will do it!

I am reading~ Intimate Issues. Thank God for people who are willing to talk about what so many won't! It's a real help!

I am wearing~ pj's still. The cooler it gets outside in the morning, the harder it is for me to crawl out of jammies! After I finish my coffee, I'll go find a skirt and shirt and officially start the day!

I am thankful for~ a God who cares and answers prayers! Part of the blessing of saying a prayer, is knowing that we serve a God who has the power to answer them!

I am creating~ a new workspace for myself and a new study place for my oldest son. He is starting a new curriculum that is very involved, so we have to get ourselves and our space ready!

From the learning rooms~ They are a complete mess right now. Like I said, we have been moving desks and adding storage, and organizing, all while trying to keep doing school work with the younger kids! AAAHHH! This too shall pass... :-)

I am hearing~ my little one's playing peacefully upstairs. They get along so much better when the oldest is gone. I don't know how long this will last, but I'm treasuring the moment!

Around the house~ so quiet...very unusual! Soon, the dishwasher will be going, the washer and dryer will be running, the cartoons will be playing and Mr. Pure at Heart and I, will be learning!

A few plans for the rest of the week~ *Try and finish the school areas and the dinning room itself. *Catch up on laundry. *Sell something on eBay to help with income for the week. *Put out the rest of the fall decor. *Type up testimony for bible study group.

From my picture journal~

My new "mums the word" flower bed! I'm so happy with it! I can't believe how well my 50% off mums are looking! They should come back large and in charge next year! On the other side of the bed, is the neighbors property and house. On this side of them, we will eventually have pavers and gravel, for a little sitting area next to our house. I love it!

Move It Monday

It's Monday again! Hubby is back to work and we are back to our normal weekly routines. Only this week isn't quite so normal! My oldest isn't doing schoolwork right now, because he's waiting on his new curriculum and start date of September 27th. We should be getting the curriculum today...all 57 pounds of it! Yikes...can't wait to go through it and see what we have though! We have two kids with a strange little rash that I'm hoping is poison ivy, because at least I know how to get rid of that! LOL! Our house is still a little out of sorts from moving two rooms and I am not at the top of my game. So, our routine will be a little messed up this week, but I hope it will still be a good one!

I don't know why my "condition" (it will be nice to have a name for it one day) is so much worse right now, but it is. My head is still in a fog all day long, and I just shut down around 4:30. I get really tired to the point of sheer exhaustion, both mentally and physically. The later it gets, the worse I get. I've had dizziness, nausea, headaches and just weird feelings every night for the last 4 days. If I eat too much too late, my nausea gets even worse! The pain in my hips, back and below my glutes is getting extreme. I woke up so stiff this morning, all over my body, that I didn't know how I'd get up and moving around! But, we are moving, slowly but surely.

That's enough bad for now, let's focus on the good! God is good! He is still in charge, He is still watching over me and blessing me and my family every day! I woke up this morning! I have 4 beautiful children who are laughing and smiling, and cheering up the house as we speak! The sun is shining brightly and it looks to be a beautiful day weather wise! I will probably be sitting out there and enjoying it for a good little while sometime today. I have already sat out there to do my morning bible reading, and a sweet little humming bird came over to greet me!

With the Lord's help, today I plan to:

*Wash dishes-DONE

*4 loads of laundry-3 done

*Organize Clutter on desks in dinning room

*Get mulch in new flowerbed-DONE

*Clean up the living room and vacuum-DONE

I don't dare schedule any more than that! But I really want to get that done. Hubby is so worried about me, and in the morning when I feel my best, I want to get a good amount done to show him that things are going to be okay! I love Mondays and that love will get me through this day! Have a wonderful Monday everyone and start off the week on the right foot!! :-) !!

Project Organized Home~A Fall Tour

Okay, so here you are standing on my front deck, and looking into my home through the front door. Sorry, no one else is here to take pictures for me, or else I would be standing in the doorway welcoming you in! Anyway, what you see is this...a wall! I like it though, because it helps us keep our privacy!...

Then you would come in and turn to the left to enter our living room. Before we proceed though, I have to show you the entrance way from the inside view! I love it. Our wedding flowers that my mother made for us, don't match any room in the house, so I put them here in the entryway. They are still so beautiful, almost 12 years later!...

This is my view from the sofa. I love it when I finally get to sit down on the sofa and rest. So much light comes into the house through this door and the adjacent window, I just love it! The picture shows it much darker, because of how much light there is....

Okay, this is one view of the "new" living room. This used to be the dinning room before we moved things this past week. To the left of the window is the front door you just walked in! It was no small task for Mike, bringing that entertainment center in here..it's sooo heavy! Solid cherry wood! Now, I still have a few things to move around, but this is just about what it will look like all fall season. It's a little tight, but very cozy!...

Here's another view. I left the last supper in there for now, because the colors match so well with all the other decor. Mike loves this wall, and requested that I not change it right now! He's not very outspoken about the decor, so when he says something, I try to listen! This picture isn't completely up to date, because after I took it, I moved my vases over to where that orange thing is next to the lamp. The vases match much better, you can see that in the previous picture!...

I put this where my vases used to be. My Grandma gave me this metal basket when we were in Colorado, and I bought some flowers last week from Walmart to make an arrangement for it. I just love how dark and beautiful they are..I wish the picture wouldn't distort it so much. This will be a special decoration for a very long time, since I got part of it from my Grandma!...

The "new" dinning room isn't done yet, so I can't show you too many pictures, but I wanted to show you this! I got this cute set last year. It's a napkin holder and salt and pepper shaker! This will be my first year to enjoy them, because I bought them from the thrift store just before Christmas last year and had to put them right into storage. They should look really nice with some fall napkins!

Now, if I can just figure out what to do with this gorgeous fabric that I bought from JoAnns last year. I used them as curtains in the dinning room (which is now the living room) last year. I'm not sure what to make out of it this year. It's not going to match the sofa, so curtains are out! LOL!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

To read more daybook posts, or link up one of your own, head over to Peggy's blog!

For Today~ September 14, 2010

Outside my window~ The sun is shining with all it's might, and I LOVE IT! Sun shining days make for happy and productive days for me! The boys have been outside racing their remote control trucks in the driveway.

From the learning rooms~ We took a late and relaxed approach today. My oldest doesn't have too much to do, since we will be switching his curriculum very soon. I am so excited about soon having a central school location for everyone in the dinning room!

I am thinking~ about how great God is a working things out and bringing things together! His ways are truly above ours!

I am going~ to go pick up a movie later. I love reserving $1 movies online through Redbox, and then going and picking them up at the machine of my choice! So cheap, so easy!

I am wearing~ My pj's that I can get away with wearing as clothes! My next door neighbor commented on them last week, and told me how cute my outfit was..it took me a minute to decide to disclose the truth about them! Hehe :)

From the kitchen~ probably Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie if I can remember to get the chicken out and thaw it. I finally got the dishes done. I'm glad I waited until this morning to do them, my back is better, and I think it would have been worse if I stood crouched over at the sink last night.

I am reading~ Intimate Issues by Linda and Lorraine. One of the best books I've ever read so far!

I am hoping~ To get a whole lot more laundry done today! I got 4 loads instead of 3 loads done yesterday, so that makes me very happy!

Around the house~ Laundry, of course. More moving and organizing in the dinning room. I got some inside fall decor out yesterday, and was smiling when I remembered how pretty it all was! I was worried about the fall colors working in the now living room since I put the burgundy and green couch in there, but it's working, and I'm happy!!!!!

From my picture journal~

Decorating Tip From Better Homes and Gardens...

Look for a variety of interesting shapes and colors of gourds. When you have collected a diverse assortment, fill a wooden tray with your unique finds and place it on an outdoor table for an easy fall display.
*For the full article and more tips, click HERE!*

Move It Monday

Well, the weekend sure went by fast, didn't it? Here we are facing another Monday morning. I am tired, and hurting. I fell in the laundry room yesterday and hurt my lower back. (where I already have issues) I was up late last night watching Dallas beat themselves with penalties and icing my poor back. Despite all this, I am going to read my bible... I'm in proverbs right now... and make the decision to have a good attitude about the day, and start of my week on the right foot! I am going make some delicious coffee and some whole wheat toast and head out onto my deck right now. A little late, yes..but I had to have enough sleep or I would NOT have been able to make it today.

When I come back in all refreshed and full of the spirit, I am going to enlist my oldest son's help and finish moving furniture and other things around. Yesterday, we made a BIG change and moved the living room into the dinning room, and the dinning room into the living room. It was a hard decision to make because I was soooo happy with the design and decor of both rooms! However, I felt it was a necessary change. Now, I can keep a closer eye on my little "Taz!" I can see her better when she's supposed to be watching cartoons, and she can be with me in the new dinning room/school room. There will be enough room in the new dinning room, for her to have a little play corner where she can play quietly, or read. And when it's time for her sister to do school work at the table, she can join in and color and listen. I love that my couch is back on carpet now! I love that my table is OFF the carpet! So hard to keep clean with 4 kids...and it's a light colored carpet! We also are making a big change in my oldest's curriculum, so he'll need a better place to spend 5 hours a day on the computer. I'm very happy with the change and can't wait to finish, so I can show you pictures! All the school and arts/crafts for both them, and my hobbies, will all be in one room now, and I love that! No more chasing around wondering where I put something! So, today I need to:

*Start load of laundry-DONE

*Clean inside of toilets-DONE

*Wash dishes-DONE

*Move textbooks-DONE

*Move shoe rack-DONE

*Move deep freeze-Decided not to!

*Organize clutter on desks

*Design dinning room floor plan-DONE

*Finish the day with 3 loads of laundry washed and put away-DONE

I don't know, it's a tall task isn't it? Plus, I have to get my oldest to piano practice at 5. Thank goodness it's not a gym night! I think I'll get enough exercise though, don't you?! I just have to be careful with my back. I'll be stopping a lot to ice it. That fall was so scary. I knew about a half a second into it, that there was no stopping it. It's been a LONG time since I fell like that. Hopefully it will be another long while before it happens again! Have a great Monday everyone!

Please Pray..

I just got a call this morning, that will drastically change things in our household if we proceed. It has to do with my oldest son and our curriculum/school choices for him. Please pray very hard that God will give my husband and I wisdom and peace and not allow us to make the wrong decisions. I feel a drastic change coming about in our lives, and neither of us do well with change. So, pray with us and for us, that God's will be done! Thanks

Thankful Thursday

This morning I am thankful for God's provisions. Not that I'm not thankful all the time, but today I want to share about His most recent provision for us! It tickles my heart, that God knows what we need before we even need it. More than that, I really get touched when God shows His desire for us to have wants, and not just needs. It's amazing how when I focus on the needs, and try to forget about the wants, and put it all in the Lord's hands, where they belong...He shows once again, that He is better at finances than we are! (Why must I constantly forget this, and think that I can do better?!)

Hubby came home with an unexpected $400 on Tuesday. Praise God! That was the day that I was doing so lousy and couldn't even get the strength and energy to cook dinner. So, we went out to dinner. He had to drive, because I couldn't even focus enough to feel safe behind the wheel. We had a wonderful meal, and I was beginning to get some energy back after we ate. (I think my blood pressure was really low amongst other things, so salt picked it back up a bit) Anyhow, then we went to Walmart since I was feeling a bit better, and he picked out a few things he needed for deer season which opens this weekend. I looked around while I was waiting for him, and look what the Lord took me to...

Sorry about the fuzzy picture, I had to take it from behind the front door glass to get it all in the picture! These chairs were marked down on clearance, plus you got an extra 25% off at the register. Same thing with the table. I asked hubby if it was okay if I got them, and he said, "YES, absolutely!" So, they were originally $85 for the set and I got them for $42.75! I just knew the Lord brought them to me because they serve a very special purpose. Do you know what that is?

My quiet bible time with the Lord in the morning! Due to my health, I just can't wake up before the kids. We are all night owls, and can't to sleep early. I can't go to bed before hubby and the kids, I've tried. I have to get a good amount of sleep, or it makes my condition worse. So, finding quiet time to read God's Word in the morning, has been such a struggle! And we all know what happens when we don't read daily, it leaves us unprepared for the trials and events of the day. It lets the enemy in to do even more damage in our christian walk and testimony to others. So now, the kids quietly watch cartoons and I go out onto the porch and drink my coffee or juice and meditate on God's Holy, special Word! It is so quiet out there in the morning, and so beautiful! It's been such a blessing these past two days to be out there!

Thank you, God. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making a place for us to meet one on one!

Now if that isn't enough...hubby and I decided to leave the rest in the account for extra groceries, or whatever. We just didn't feel comfortable spending it. Thankfully, we listened to the Holy Spirit's leading, because I found out last night, that somehow, a bill got overlooked, which has NEVER happened to me before, and it was for $98. So, I had the money left over to pay it right away, no damage done! God is so good. He knew. He knew our needs before we even did, and He met them!

So, how did we get the money? It was so unexpected. The Pastor in Wichita that hubby did the install for on our trip, found out that the install didn't cost as much as he was quoted, and he wanted hubby to have the difference! Praise God! Completely unexpected. God used one of His children...a shepherd none-the-less, to bless and answer the unknown need of another child! God is so wonderful, and His ways are truly above our own! May He have all the honor and glory!

This month, Thankful Thursday is being held at Grace Alone. Please take a moment, and link up a post. We have so much to be thankful for. If we don't share, we don't do our part in giving God the glory He deserves!

Bubbles, bubbles, and then there were bubbles!

You are not going to believe what we found at Walmart last night! Well, I'm sure you'll believe what we found, but you won't believe the price!

Every single thing in this picture was bought for $1 each! The kids had been asking for bubbles all summer long, but I wouldn't cave. They are not cheap to buy for 4 kids, and a little girl who spills half the bottle every time. But, we went to Walmart last night for some allergy medicine, and found all this, on clearance. I couldn't believe the price! This is over $40 worth of bubbles and bubble blowers that we got for only $10! Needless to day, the girls are VERY happy and we have been having fun this morning! Praise God for caring about even the little things!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today~ September 7th, 2010

Outside my window~ there is a little ground squirrel reeking havoc in the neighbors tree. He is upsetting all the birds and having a marvelous time doing it! It's so quiet outside in the morning, I love it! It's the only time you can notice little things like this!

On my mind~ the yard. We are still trying to decide which side of the house to park vehicles, and which side to make a sitting/playing area.

I am going~ nowhere today, I hope! I have a lot I want to get accomplished inside the house now!

I am thankful for~ the cooler temperatures we are having. It still hasn't been below 80 during the day, but that's a big improvement. Plus, it's finally cooling off considerably at night, so the mornings are getting better. I LOVE sitting on the porch with my coffee in the crisp, cool morning. I'm so ready to do that again!

I am reading~ Intimate Issues. A book on how God intended married women to be godly and sensuous all at the same time. We are not supposed to be divided in this. I think it's a great book and covers all the questions that we have, which a lot of pastors and older women won't touch.

Right now I'm reading Proverbs in the mornings for daily devotion.

From the kitchen~ I think today I will make Chicken and Cornbread Pie. It just sounds good to me this morning. We got the white chocolate covered pretzels done yesterday, but today we need to the chocolate ones.

Around the house~ Laundry, schoolwork, trash, toilets and tidying up a bit!

From my picture journal~

Some of my mother's beautiful handmade jewlery! Well, that's it for today. Short and sweet. I figured it was better than no daybook post again this week! If you would like to read more or link up one of your own, head over to The Simple Woman's Daybook!

Move It Monday

Well, sorry I'm just now getting a post up. I forgot it was Monday! Holiday's always throw me off. I have been moving it though. We FINALLY are having some reasonable temperatures, so I've been outside for two days doing yard work! So far today, I have:

*Mowed the yard

*Pulled weeds

*Cleaned up stuff laying around the yard

*Moved pavers

*Moved bricks

*Started making a layout for how we want to design the yard

We have too many vehicles for our narrow driveway, so we have been parking in the grass. Well, the grass has turned to mud, and we need to figure out just where we want permanent parking so we can start slowly moving in gravel as we can afford it. I also want to extend the fence next year so that we have the front yard fenced in as well, and not just the back...well, at least part of the front yard. So much that I want to do...we'll see how much I can actually budget in next year. For now, I just want what we have to look kept-up and nice! Happy Labor Day everyone!

Project Organized Home~Shiny Sink

Sorry today's post is so late....oh, let's be honest, we're lucky I'm getting a post up at all! I'm not exactly know for my faithful blogging, especially of Fridays! However, today's post is about a new goal I am setting for myself and my home. If you asked me what the one thing I'm always procrastinating on when it comes to cleaning my home, I'd have to tell you this..."There's two things I'm always procrastinating on, dishes and laundry!" I am perfectly equally bad about both. So, I have already taken baby steps to be better about getting both done. Today I am adding a new step and making a goal for myself. The worst part of my procrastination with dishes, is the sink. I leave it full of stuff that won't go into the dishwasher. I'll rinse all the dishes, and I'll even get everything I can get in the dishwasher washed on some days, but I rinse and leave pots, pans, sippy cups, water bottles, anything that won't go in the dishwasher. I don't have a drain rack, because I don't want anything else in my sink or counter, and I just despise having to wash...quit...dry...wash...quit...dry to get those items cleaned and put away. Sometimes, I'm afraid, it would be a week or more before I washed them and got them out of my sink. So, every night before I went to bed, this is what I would see....

Pretty bad huh? Those plastics on the left side...been there for days. I know, it's horrible! My bedroom just happens to be right off the kitchen. You have to walk through it in fact, to get to my room. There is no other way in or out. So, the last thing I see before I go to bed, and the first thing I see when I get up (other than IN my room) is this sink! So, my new goal is to have a shiny sink every night before I go to bed! That means, all dishes washed! I'm still not breaking down and getting a drain rack, but I will lay out my towel on the counter, and use it for my drain rack. I'll hang it up to dry when I'm done or throw it in the washer first thing in the morning. I've also found a place for storing my soap, rags and scrubbers too, so my sink will be shiny and clear of stuff every night when I go to bed, and every morning when I wake up! I am such a perfectionist, and looking at this mess all the time, really bothers me and puts me in a not-so-hot mood, so this goal should of been set a long time ago, but....baby steps! So, here's my sink now and forever more!!!...

May the Lord give me the strength and discipline to do this every night!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for my husband! I know, I post about that a lot...but he gives me so much to be thankful for! He got home late last night from his two day install in Alabama. I know he was tired, and I was getting his dinner heated up for him. He instantly read his girls one of their library books they checked out that day and gave them lots of hugs and kisses! After scarfing down his BBQ chicken sandwich, he was off to the laundry room to try and get my dryer going again. He did it too! It was just like we thought..it wasn't the dryer, it was the outlet. He checked the breaker first, tested the amps in it, but it was fine, so he then tore into the outlet. What he found was that a spiders nest has fried the wires in the outlet. I smelled something burning in the living room the other day, but he said he couldn't smell it. Now, he says it was probably that web in the outlet. He was able to repair it, and I have a working dryer today! Yay! I was about ready to go to a coin laundry, so I am so, so thankful! We have way to many clothes around here to dry them inside, and because of all of our allergies, I can't dry them outside either. I'm once again finding myself so thankful that God gave me a husband who is EXTREMELY handy around the house, garage, car, etc!

This month, Thankful Thursday is being held at Grace Alone. Head over to read more thankful posts, or link up one of your own!

Get Ready...

This is one of the funniest videos I've ever seen in my life! I'm still wiping tears from my eyes! Don't forget to turn off the music on the purple player at the bottom of my blog! Please excuse how big this is, but I don't know how to make it any different!