At the beginning of the year, I had three main resolutions. Let's see how I'm doing!
1) Spend more time with my kids and family. I like to think that I've been doing alright with this. I kind of go back and forth between spending quality time with them and wanting just some quiet time by myself. The other night though, all four of us play a revised version of Monopoly together. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the laughter we shared together.
2) Spend more time with God. I've become a little more excited about God again while I've been preparing for my Hope Sunday presentation. I just see God at work so much and can't help, but feel close to Him. I still need to work on my goal of reading daily from the Bible. With teaching Sunday School, I for sure do this once a week, but I need consistency.
3) Take care of myself and grow academically. I haven't been so good about eating healthy and avoiding sweets. There were a few weeks in there where I was sick and lethargic and just didn't want to eat anything -- including chocolate. So I wasn't really working out either. Today, I finally busted out the Tae Bo YouTube video and did a short 8 minute cardio workout. It felt good. I might have to do some more after I'm done with this post. Now, I just have to start curbing my sweet tooth because with our anniversary, Sonya's birthday treats and Valentine's Day, I'm afraid I haven't had much self control. I've been trying to chew gum every time I want to snag a piece of candy, but I can only chew so much before it aggravates my TMJ. As for growing academically -- I'm still tutoring the little girl in Caleb's class so that forces me to review Spanish terms. I also found a site to do a free online Spanish class so I started that last week. Since there's no grades or anything, I have to motivate myself to just do it a few times a week.
Well, there you have it. If I could just get myself back on a schedule of sorts, I'm sure I can conquer all of these by the end of the year. The things that really throw my schedule off though are holidays and vacations. Here's to pressing on!
How are you doing on your resolutions this year?
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Bedroom Set
We stopped at a furniture store during our date the other day. I've never had a matching bedroom set let alone a head board and foot board. This is just a scanned photo so the quality isn't that great, but I think I'm in love. For now, I'm content with our mismatching bedroom furniture, but who says a girl can't dream a little? :-)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Five pounds of gunk....
Today, I'm finally feeling better -- not quite 100%, but getting there. The five pounds of gunk that I felt in my chest is almost gone. Thank goodness! It seriously felt like there was a weight pushing down on my lungs so I couldn't get enough oxygen.
You're going to laugh, but today.... I put a bra on for the first time in two weeks. It's the little things that you take for granted. Well, I can't say that wearing a bra is normally comfortable in all other circumstances, but for the record, it does make me feel more like a woman.
Anyway, I'm so thankful that I'm on the road to recovery because I've been looking forward to a weekend "away" with my husband. It's our anniversary tomorrow. I can't believe it's been 4 years already. Sometimes it seems longer -- in a good way of course. I'm excited to just spend time alone with my husband. It's been two years since we had our last overnight date. So it's long overdue. We've had our date nights, but they just don't compare to spending a whole day and night without kids. I'm not exactly sure what the plan is since it was supposed to be a surprise. All I know is that the kids are going by my parents where my sister will also be helping watch the kids and we're going to a B&B in Mayville.
For a second there, I was going to write a tribute to Tim. Then I noticed the title of this post and figured it might not be appropriate to lump Tim in with five pounds of gunk. haha... Well, in case I don't get to that post until a later date, I appreciate Tim with all my heart. I really don't know what I would've done if I hadn't met him. He makes me laugh, he's a hard worker, and he is a man of God. I couldn't have asked for a better husband. Love you!!
You're going to laugh, but today.... I put a bra on for the first time in two weeks. It's the little things that you take for granted. Well, I can't say that wearing a bra is normally comfortable in all other circumstances, but for the record, it does make me feel more like a woman.
Anyway, I'm so thankful that I'm on the road to recovery because I've been looking forward to a weekend "away" with my husband. It's our anniversary tomorrow. I can't believe it's been 4 years already. Sometimes it seems longer -- in a good way of course. I'm excited to just spend time alone with my husband. It's been two years since we had our last overnight date. So it's long overdue. We've had our date nights, but they just don't compare to spending a whole day and night without kids. I'm not exactly sure what the plan is since it was supposed to be a surprise. All I know is that the kids are going by my parents where my sister will also be helping watch the kids and we're going to a B&B in Mayville.
For a second there, I was going to write a tribute to Tim. Then I noticed the title of this post and figured it might not be appropriate to lump Tim in with five pounds of gunk. haha... Well, in case I don't get to that post until a later date, I appreciate Tim with all my heart. I really don't know what I would've done if I hadn't met him. He makes me laugh, he's a hard worker, and he is a man of God. I couldn't have asked for a better husband. Love you!!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
God's Design for Marriage
I've been LOVING this study since we started this fall. We've covered a lot of different topics and used quite a few different resources -- Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage, Love & Respect, Sacred Marriage, The 5 Love Languages, and more. I've learned so much from the group of women that I've been meeting with and cannot even put into words how much they have blessed me.
This last study was based on the book "Sacred Marriage." Did God create marriage to make us holy or to make us happy? That's the basic question. I had actually started reading this book last year and have two posts that I wrote about it, so I might be repeating myself as I haven't had time to go back and reread through them again. Anyway, I came across a revelation yesterday. God created man and He also created marriage so it only makes sense that if it came from God, it's a way to bring glory to Him. So through marriage, we should ultimately become more holy.
I was thinking about how marriage really brings us closer to God -- well, that is if you believe His teachings on unconditional love, respect, and forgiveness. Those three things will make or break a marriage. We're not all going to have those fuzzy, happy feelings for our spouse. How many of you can say that I've been happy every single moment of my marriage? If you raised your hand, I hate to break it to you, but you're probably dreaming or you're just sitting on a landmine. Happiness is definitely something that God can bring. I believe that wholeheartedly. Back to the question though.... was that the reason that God created marriage? I don't believe so.
In the "Love Dare" book, it talks about the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit living in communion of each other as one. God created marriage as a way for a man and woman to experience a kind of holiness that only becoming "one flesh" can do. As a married woman, I can say that I've prayed more as a wife and mother than I ever did when I was single. Marriage shows a lot more of your flaws and sinful nature. It makes it more difficult to have that unconditional love, respect, and forgiveness for each other (probably because we have to give more of it! haha!). Without God being a part of my marriage, I don't know if I'd be as happy as I am today. I've been so blessed with a wonderful husband and a beautiful family.
I'm probably rambling so I apologize. Sometimes my thoughts just get so jumbled and I need to get them out on paper before I forget them. Overall, I just want to express that the marriage study that we're doing is something that all women (even men) should do. It'll enrich your relationships -- not only with just your spouse, but with your children, other relatives, and friends. I've grown closer to the women in my smaller prayer group and appreciate the prayers that we share with each other. The stories they tell are encouraging and so is being surrounded by a group of Godly women.
This last study was based on the book "Sacred Marriage." Did God create marriage to make us holy or to make us happy? That's the basic question. I had actually started reading this book last year and have two posts that I wrote about it, so I might be repeating myself as I haven't had time to go back and reread through them again. Anyway, I came across a revelation yesterday. God created man and He also created marriage so it only makes sense that if it came from God, it's a way to bring glory to Him. So through marriage, we should ultimately become more holy.
I was thinking about how marriage really brings us closer to God -- well, that is if you believe His teachings on unconditional love, respect, and forgiveness. Those three things will make or break a marriage. We're not all going to have those fuzzy, happy feelings for our spouse. How many of you can say that I've been happy every single moment of my marriage? If you raised your hand, I hate to break it to you, but you're probably dreaming or you're just sitting on a landmine. Happiness is definitely something that God can bring. I believe that wholeheartedly. Back to the question though.... was that the reason that God created marriage? I don't believe so.
In the "Love Dare" book, it talks about the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit living in communion of each other as one. God created marriage as a way for a man and woman to experience a kind of holiness that only becoming "one flesh" can do. As a married woman, I can say that I've prayed more as a wife and mother than I ever did when I was single. Marriage shows a lot more of your flaws and sinful nature. It makes it more difficult to have that unconditional love, respect, and forgiveness for each other (probably because we have to give more of it! haha!). Without God being a part of my marriage, I don't know if I'd be as happy as I am today. I've been so blessed with a wonderful husband and a beautiful family.
I'm probably rambling so I apologize. Sometimes my thoughts just get so jumbled and I need to get them out on paper before I forget them. Overall, I just want to express that the marriage study that we're doing is something that all women (even men) should do. It'll enrich your relationships -- not only with just your spouse, but with your children, other relatives, and friends. I've grown closer to the women in my smaller prayer group and appreciate the prayers that we share with each other. The stories they tell are encouraging and so is being surrounded by a group of Godly women.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Being sick is NO fun!
I hate being sick. I know... throw a pity party and get over it. I've felt so pathetic and tired lately. I get winded just going up and down our stairs to the basement. I've been sitting on the couch and resting a LOT. I kind of felt like I was being a bad mom when I just let Sonya watch TV and play by herself the past few days while I didn't get anything done around the house. Poor Tim was left to deal with the kids on Monday night when I felt the worst. Then I found out that he wasn't feeling the greatest either -- this was after he had cleaned up a few things and let me take a short nap after dinner. Granted, I think I was in worse shape with my coughing and shortness of breath, but he was still a saint or a knight in shining armor to me. I love that guy. :-)
While I was sitting around yesterday, feeling kind of bummed about being sick and not taking care of things very well, I got a phone call from a friend who was selling Girl Scout cookies for her daughter. She reminded me that I'm still a good mom and that it's ok to take it easy and rest so I can get better. It doesn't really help my family if I don't get better. Anyway, I really appreciated her saying that. I definitely needed it!
I remember the days when I was working. I rarely took a sick day. I'd wait until I was about run into the ground and could barely walk when I'd finally give in and go to a doctor. Even then, I only took one day off instead of the two or three that I really needed to recuperate with. I was insane. Who else would go to work with pneumonia or bronchitis on top of a sinus infection and ear infection? Yeah... that was me. I thought I was superwoman. But really, I wasn't doing anyone a favor. I'm getting wiser in my "older" age and have learned that I can't do it all.
Even though my lungs were still feeling tight today, I ventured out in the snow with the kids to go to my marriage study this morning. I should mention that I did go to the doctor yesterday morning and I just have a virus so they didn't put me on an antibiotic, unfortunately. At least I'm on prednisone though, a steroid to help with the inflammation of my lungs so hopefully in addition with my inhalers, I might be able to breathe better in the next few days. Anyway, Caleb had a day off from school so the next kindergarten class could do orientation today. I figured if I was just sitting in a chair at the study and someone else was watching my kids, it was probably about the same as if I would've stayed home and sat on the couch while we watched TV or something -- which I ended up doing after lunch by the way. The study was definitely worth going to. I'll probably try and post about it in another blog entry. Maybe tomorrow.
Gotta go and bathe the kids. Sonya spilled milk all over her hair and face this afternoon. It was pretty funny, but she wasn't too happy about that. Oops! I'm sure Caleb was sweaty last night while at wrestling practice. Ugh... baths are definitely overdue. Tim did some shoveling earlier and is out doing some grocery shopping for me so I think having to do dishes and bathe kids isn't too bad. :-) Adios for now.
While I was sitting around yesterday, feeling kind of bummed about being sick and not taking care of things very well, I got a phone call from a friend who was selling Girl Scout cookies for her daughter. She reminded me that I'm still a good mom and that it's ok to take it easy and rest so I can get better. It doesn't really help my family if I don't get better. Anyway, I really appreciated her saying that. I definitely needed it!
I remember the days when I was working. I rarely took a sick day. I'd wait until I was about run into the ground and could barely walk when I'd finally give in and go to a doctor. Even then, I only took one day off instead of the two or three that I really needed to recuperate with. I was insane. Who else would go to work with pneumonia or bronchitis on top of a sinus infection and ear infection? Yeah... that was me. I thought I was superwoman. But really, I wasn't doing anyone a favor. I'm getting wiser in my "older" age and have learned that I can't do it all.
Even though my lungs were still feeling tight today, I ventured out in the snow with the kids to go to my marriage study this morning. I should mention that I did go to the doctor yesterday morning and I just have a virus so they didn't put me on an antibiotic, unfortunately. At least I'm on prednisone though, a steroid to help with the inflammation of my lungs so hopefully in addition with my inhalers, I might be able to breathe better in the next few days. Anyway, Caleb had a day off from school so the next kindergarten class could do orientation today. I figured if I was just sitting in a chair at the study and someone else was watching my kids, it was probably about the same as if I would've stayed home and sat on the couch while we watched TV or something -- which I ended up doing after lunch by the way. The study was definitely worth going to. I'll probably try and post about it in another blog entry. Maybe tomorrow.
Gotta go and bathe the kids. Sonya spilled milk all over her hair and face this afternoon. It was pretty funny, but she wasn't too happy about that. Oops! I'm sure Caleb was sweaty last night while at wrestling practice. Ugh... baths are definitely overdue. Tim did some shoveling earlier and is out doing some grocery shopping for me so I think having to do dishes and bathe kids isn't too bad. :-) Adios for now.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Organization and Meal Planning
I am the worst at planning out my meals ahead of time. Unless I throw something in the crock-pot at noon, I'm usually scrounging up ingredients to try and make something tasty for supper. Our Hamilton Beach has been a lifesaver -- it's comparable to a George Foreman grill -- you know, the type with the clam shell. Just throw some meat on there with a few seasonings and then let it go for 10 minutes or less. It's wonderful, but I've been getting bored with the same old stuff. I want to be better at creating a list and just being organized in general.
So -- I found a cool article in my Good Housekeeping magazine. It gave some hints on how to create a Household Binder. I've been organizing school calendars, phone numbers, fun stuff to do in the area, etc to put in this binder so it's nice and handy and easy to find all the information without having to run to the computer to check on library hours for the twentieth time or scramble to find the emergency closing phone numbers for school. I even decided to throw in a chart with my menu for the week along with the recipes right away. The menu chart has a section for listing groceries by category too! It's exactly what I need.
Along the same lines with menus, recipes, and grocery lists..... I found an amazing site that has helped me kick it in gear. http://eatathomecooks.com. While I might not use the weekly lists all the time, it gave me a few great recipes and just ideas on how to plan for the week. So far, I've tried the Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken and the Chicken Enchiladas. My favorite part is that they don't require many ingredients so I'm not overwhelmed by the recipe. The two chicken recipes were really delicious and simple. I'd definitely recommend using them. Tonight, we'll try the Baked Spaghetti and tomorrow will be Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole with leftovers on Wednesday night. If you're interested in those specific recipes, I got them from here: http://eatathomecooks.com/2009/08/menu-complete-grocery-list-recipes-week-5.html (Just click on the download menu link on that page).
I'm hoping to keep up with the meal planning because it seriously leaves me less stressed during the day just to know exactly what I'm going to make for dinner. Our church likes to make meals for people that have just had babies, experienced a loss, or had surgery. While I think it's great to serve those people and my heart really wants to do something, I've always been so overwhelmed by just trying to figure out what I could make for a meal. Maybe this will help me in that area of service as well so I can be a more willing volunteer.
Well, I'm getting long winded again. Hopefully some of these ideas are helpful to other people. Adios for now
So -- I found a cool article in my Good Housekeeping magazine. It gave some hints on how to create a Household Binder. I've been organizing school calendars, phone numbers, fun stuff to do in the area, etc to put in this binder so it's nice and handy and easy to find all the information without having to run to the computer to check on library hours for the twentieth time or scramble to find the emergency closing phone numbers for school. I even decided to throw in a chart with my menu for the week along with the recipes right away. The menu chart has a section for listing groceries by category too! It's exactly what I need.
Along the same lines with menus, recipes, and grocery lists..... I found an amazing site that has helped me kick it in gear. http://eatathomecooks.com. While I might not use the weekly lists all the time, it gave me a few great recipes and just ideas on how to plan for the week. So far, I've tried the Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken and the Chicken Enchiladas. My favorite part is that they don't require many ingredients so I'm not overwhelmed by the recipe. The two chicken recipes were really delicious and simple. I'd definitely recommend using them. Tonight, we'll try the Baked Spaghetti and tomorrow will be Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole with leftovers on Wednesday night. If you're interested in those specific recipes, I got them from here: http://eatathomecooks.com/2009/08/menu-complete-grocery-list-recipes-week-5.html (Just click on the download menu link on that page).
I'm hoping to keep up with the meal planning because it seriously leaves me less stressed during the day just to know exactly what I'm going to make for dinner. Our church likes to make meals for people that have just had babies, experienced a loss, or had surgery. While I think it's great to serve those people and my heart really wants to do something, I've always been so overwhelmed by just trying to figure out what I could make for a meal. Maybe this will help me in that area of service as well so I can be a more willing volunteer.
Well, I'm getting long winded again. Hopefully some of these ideas are helpful to other people. Adios for now
Thursday, January 5, 2012
2012 and Resolutions....
Gosh... I'm so bad at writing personal stuff here. I tend to let all of that settle in my head and never make it to "paper." I think part of me just doesn't want this to be a place where I end up venting or complaining. I read in a devotional that if you have something negative to say about someone, you should tell them in person instead of in writing because once it's written down, it's so easy to read over and over again. In that same way, I don't want my negative thoughts to follow me around. I desperately want to be positive and see the best in everyone and everything. I want to forgive easily -- especially if I'm in need of forgiving myself so I can move on.
My life isn't all lollipops and rainbows even though the family blog may show all the fun times we have together. I love to remember the happy times! :-)
2012 Resolution:
1) Spend more time with my kids and family. There are too many times when they're in the same room as I am, but I'm not interacting with them. Instead, I'm reading a book or typing on the computer. Right now, everyone else is upstairs reading books. I wish I felt better about dropping everything to just be silly with Sonya during the day and spend more than a few minutes here and there playing with her or reading her books or take the time to do fun activities and wrestle with Caleb. *sigh* I'd just like to be a better mom in general.
2) Spend more time with God. For some reason, I fell off the God train. I don't feel as close as I did to him at the beginning of the school year when we started teaching Sunday school. I'm not as diligent in reading the Bible every day. I feel guilty when I remember that I haven't spent time in the Word -- but I push those feelings aside and pretend that I didn't hear that little voice in my head. I deliberately ignore God. How awful is that? So I'm striving to make God the #1 priority in my life. He's at the top of my "To Do" list right now. Hopefully I can pick myself back up and restore that relationship again.
3) Take care of myself and grow academically. I've been letting myself go a little. I think I can still eat whatever I want and it's not going to affect me physically. Well, after Christmas, it really hit me. Those cookies and candies went straight to my hips. I just bought several pairs of jeans last year and they're kind of tight right now. I'm not going to lie. It makes me sad that I haven't been trying to take care of myself and exercise a little. So that's something I need to work on. I also need to find something that challenges me and work on it. It could be learning to sew better or writing in Spanish once a day to retain my vocabulary. I just need to do it for me.
My life isn't all lollipops and rainbows even though the family blog may show all the fun times we have together. I love to remember the happy times! :-)
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Everyone seems to want a fresh start at the beginning of a new year. Resolutions dance through my head. What do I really want to do? I remember making a list of things a few months ago. I'm almost afraid to look at it and see how few of those items I can actually check off. I'd rather start over and make a new list. It's easier somehow. There are so many organizational things I want to get done -- that's probably on everyone's list, right? But, that's not my main focus for goals this year. Instead, I've shortened my list to the top three most important "goals" that I'd like to accomplish.2012 Resolution:
1) Spend more time with my kids and family. There are too many times when they're in the same room as I am, but I'm not interacting with them. Instead, I'm reading a book or typing on the computer. Right now, everyone else is upstairs reading books. I wish I felt better about dropping everything to just be silly with Sonya during the day and spend more than a few minutes here and there playing with her or reading her books or take the time to do fun activities and wrestle with Caleb. *sigh* I'd just like to be a better mom in general.
2) Spend more time with God. For some reason, I fell off the God train. I don't feel as close as I did to him at the beginning of the school year when we started teaching Sunday school. I'm not as diligent in reading the Bible every day. I feel guilty when I remember that I haven't spent time in the Word -- but I push those feelings aside and pretend that I didn't hear that little voice in my head. I deliberately ignore God. How awful is that? So I'm striving to make God the #1 priority in my life. He's at the top of my "To Do" list right now. Hopefully I can pick myself back up and restore that relationship again.
3) Take care of myself and grow academically. I've been letting myself go a little. I think I can still eat whatever I want and it's not going to affect me physically. Well, after Christmas, it really hit me. Those cookies and candies went straight to my hips. I just bought several pairs of jeans last year and they're kind of tight right now. I'm not going to lie. It makes me sad that I haven't been trying to take care of myself and exercise a little. So that's something I need to work on. I also need to find something that challenges me and work on it. It could be learning to sew better or writing in Spanish once a day to retain my vocabulary. I just need to do it for me.
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Those are the big ones. I figure if I listed everything, I wouldn't end up accomplishing half of my list. So yeah, life is not all sunshine and roses, but if I didn't have something to work at, I wouldn't be "normal." Best wishes to all of you that have made resolutions this year.
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