Sometimes we receive comments that may seem critical, condescending, and downright rude. These kinds of things can make a person doubt what they are doing and if they are doing it correctly. While pondering on the remarks and deciding on a response I was reminded of a couple of Bible verses.
The first being:
Judge not, that you be not judged.
Matthew 7:1 Continue reading “Accepting Criticism”
I think it was last Tuesday when I wrote my last blog post, Getting Back to My Morning Routine, where did time go? It seems the older I get the faster it slips away.
Anyway we are still working on getting back to routines here. I do believe the laundry has been caught up, for now that is. Routines are coming more natural now as we continue to settle in. I am gradually adding a few more things to our routine schedule and trying not to get too overwhelmed. If it isn’t working then we make changes.
For instance last week the porch was really bothering me …. it still does for that matter. I had added it to my ‘Hot Spot’ list along with the table, the command center, and a few other areas that seem to be clutter collectors. The hardest part of living in a small home for me has to be the speed at which clutter overtakes things. This means I probably need to get rid of more stuff and teach everyone to put away the stuff when they finish using it.
Getting back to the porch, one area of the porch was sectioned off and tarped to use as a makeshift storage area for things that just wouldn’t fit in the house. Well, the intentions were to to close in the porch and turn it into a utility/storage room. Hurricane Irma hit before we could really get any progress made on that and caused us to delay those plans. Unfortunately, some of the stuff got wet and therefore needs to be gotten rid of. I have realized that some of the other stuff is really just stuff and not that important to me and I am trying to get rid of it.
Sighhh…. if only I had one day to dedicate to it I could probably do away with most of it and find homes for the rest of it. Then there would be space to actually make it an utility room or do something else there. For now I am going to keep my goal of 10 items/day and do what I can because every little bit is progress towards my goal.
That was a rather ambitious goal and I think I have managed to put three boxes of stuff in my truck to take to Goodwill. I also found some of my exercise equipment and made a temporary home inside for it… haven’t actually used it but I’m working on getting that back in my routine.
Another area on that Hot Spot list are the bookshelves. I am a firm believer that you can never have too many books, unless you live in a tiny space that just can’t handle it. Books are really hard for me to get rid of and I really am trying. My goal for these areas are one shelf a day. I also realized that some of the kiddie books are on a shelf that is not easily accessible to them and some of my more important books are a little too easily accessible for them… lol. I will be swapping some of that stuff around as well.
As far as our normal routines we are doing pretty well.
Today I caught up on my ‘weekly routines‘ (they may have changed a bit since that post) like scrubbing my kitchen sink (watch for that post coming soon) and cleaning out the fridge (post coming) and microwave. The FLyLady zone this week is in the bathroom so I have been doing a little extra work there and will probably put out some posts soon.
We’ve also worked on our ‘daily routines’ like laundry and such. I have chicken in the crockpot for Crockpot Italian Chicken and the kids are down for ‘quiet time’. I figured out how to upload pics from iphone to my laptop and now I am working on getting caught up on a couple of blog posts.
I must say I am proud of the kids and myself for being able to stay on routine as well as we did and for adjusting as well as they have. We have had our days, like yesterday, when I wonder if this move was really for the best. The kids were super cranky with a cold and I cried for awhile as I had to throw away some food because a freezer had gotten unplugged.
In my heart I know this was a good decision and that life will get easier as we go. It is so easy to doubt ourselves and lose faith when things get rough. I have to remember that God has a plan and that sometimes His plan includes runny noses, grouchy kids, and spoiled food.
Our little house may be old and dusty. There are cobwebs in the corners and plenty of things that need done. Our house is full of love though and we are working one day at a time to make it our home. I am hoping that by sharing our progress it will help to motivate others who may not be happy with where they are and help them to find contentment wherever they are.
We don’t need a new house or shiny new appliances. We may want them but that is something totally different than needing them. I am thankful for what the Lord has blessed us with and hope to help others feel that way too.
Note: If you read last week’s post you will see that I chose to wear purple last week as you can see in the picture… lol… today the kids think I should wear pink.
I pray you are all having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. This past month has been extremely busy around here with this past week being the busiest of all. It has been a blast though and many memories have been made.
Our homeschool will be wrapping up this coming week with a special surprise outing planned as a treat. We are all looking forward to just having a little fun and maybe getting to relax a bit.
My youngest child just turned 4 this month! I can hardly believe how fast time has flown and how much has changed since the day we brought him home. My kids amaze me everyday and I am so blessed to be able to stay at home and watch them as they learn and grow.
My oldest son came to visit this past week! Yay! We had not seen him in almost 4 years because of his employment. He also brought along his beautiful wife, my first daughter in law, who I had not met before. We had such a great time. It was hard to say goodbye but I know that they will be back soon. All we can do is trust that God will watch over them and keep them safe along life’s journey.
Amongst all of the visiting, homeschooling, and other normal routines of the house I also had my square dancing. Ahhh… if anyone had told me a few months ago how involved I would become in square dancing I wouldn’t have believed them. I probably would’ve laughed a little but it is amazing how things can sometimes just fall into place.
Our club in Starke, the Silver Fox Squares, has been very busy and we dance every Friday night. We have also had some special dances, visitations, and other activities that we attended throughout the month including a Luau and a banner raid. I have earned two new dangles this month. As the publicity chairman for the club I am constantly busy with updating the sites, planning new events, and looking for new ideas.
In addition to the Friday nights, we also have dances and classes on Tuesday nights in Fort White. We have been trying to recruit new dancers and had a covered dish dinner on the first night of class. So far we have a couple of couples who have come to join us and we are looking forward to seeing some new faces this coming week.
And then we have the Clay Allemanders in Middleburg on Mondays. Our caller and co-caller from the Silver Fox Squares are the callers there as well. This club has also been extremely busy with the transition to the new callers and the fact that we moved to a new dance location this month.
I am also the caller’s assistant to one of the callers so I have been busy with a few other details as well. We went to visit the Grand Squares, in Gainesville, earlier in the month and I got to meet a lot of new people. He was also able to reconnect with some people he had not seen in awhile. Square dancing has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, in a good way, and allowed me to expand my horizons and meet a lot of new people.
My youngest son, and my oldest son and his wife, attended the dance this past Tuesday. It was a lot of fun to have some of my children there. My little one didn’t make it through the night before he curled up and fell asleep. My oldest however did seem to enjoy himself and caught on quite quickly. I hope to be able to expose my children to it a little bit at a time and eventually get them involved more with square dancing.
I have been trying to squeeze in some blogging between all of the different activities that are going on. I have so many drafts started that it would make you go cross eyed if you could see them. The topics are quite varied as well because I get so many ideas and just try to write them down as I think of them. I hope you all have enjoyed the ones I have managed to publish and I pray that you do find something that helps you or inspires you in some way.
As i write this and think about it I am completely amazed at the awesomeness of God! He has a plan for each of us and He knows what He is doing. He has been working in my life in so many ways and He has been preparing me for where I am now for quite some time. All I had to do was let go and trust Him to guide me to where I needed to be.
Well, my little one just climbed up on the stool beside me and is sneaking sips of my cold coffee. Another one has mentioned that he was ready for snack a minute ago so I will get off of here and set out some snacks for them to hopefully hold them over until lunch time. I pray you all have a blessed day and week to come!
Yellow Rocks (hugs) to all!
Links to club updates will be posted soon:
Silver Fox Squares: June 2017 Updates
Clay Allemanders: June 2017 Updates
Hey everyone! It’s been a little bit since I’ve checked in. Life has been crazier and busier than usual and I’m loving everyday!
The kids are growing like weeds right before my eyes. I try to make sure to take a few moments to savor these moments as I know they will be grown up before I know it. Everything is not always great as we have the expected, and unexpected, challenges that go along with kids, large families, special needs kids, and introducing them to new people. We handle each challenge with as much patience and optimism as we can. (Note that I am saying ‘we’ as I have met someone very special. He has been an answer to so many of my prayers and I thank God for bringing him into our lives. God not only answered my prayers but exceeded my expectations in so many ways.)
We are still homeschooling and have 14 days? of school work left to finish out this year. That too has had a few challenges especially with one of my girls. Again we work through the problem and try to find the best possible solution for everyone. Parenting is not easy and you must stay on your toes at all times. The solution for today’s challenge may not be the solution for tomorrow’s challenge and it may not be the solution for the other children so you have to stay open minded and be creative. It really does help to have someone else that I can go to for ideas on occasion.
Monday was my youngest child’s 4th birthday! Where has time gone? He requested a Stegosaurus Pull-Apart-Cake and was so excited when Momma was able to throw one together. We sang to him and had cupcakes for our afternoon snack as Momma had a dance that evening. Yesterday I was able to take him out for his birthday meal. (This is a tradition we started a year or two ago and the kids all look forward to it.) He wanted a cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, french fries, ice cream, and a soda pop! We went to Dairy Queen and got most of his request. He was such a happy camper. He ate half of everything, except the ice cream which he finished, and brought the rest home so he could share.
After eating we went to Walmart so I could grab a few groceries and he was able to pick out a toy and a balloon. He had been so sleepy while we were eating that I was afraid he might not make it through his dinner. He did fall asleep on the way back home though. As soon as we got home he was awake and ready to show off his new treasures. Life is good and I hope this is something that he will remember in the days to come.
Then we have square dancing. I’m not sure if I told you all this before or not but I have been made the Publicity Chairman for the Silver Fox Squares! I am also the caller’s assistant at the Clay Allemanders club. We have new classes starting up in another location too and upcoming dances and such to plan and organize.
We’ve had so many fun and exciting adventures and so many more to come. I better go for now as I’ve just put the kids down for naps and I have few chores to finish up before getting ready for the Luau tonight….
I pray everyone has a blessed week!
Yesterday was just one of those blah days. I was in a blue kinda mood and just didn’t seem to be able to shake it. There was not any one particular reason for the way I felt but there were a few different circumstances that did contribute to it. I was just sad.
Sometimes that is ok. We all feel different emotions at different times and it is important to acknowledge our feelings and allow ourselves to experience them. We just need to remember not to dwell on whatever the problem is and not to get stuck in those depressed states.
Yes, sometimes that is easier said than done. I did my best to keep with my normal schedule and routine as I worked through some of the things I was dealing with. It is also nice to have a couple of close friends to confide in and talk to. They help me a lot even when they don’t think they have done anything special. Just having a listening ear is sometimes all someone needs to lift their spirits.
Of course, my kids always help to lift my spirits with their craziness through the day. They don’t let me sit for long which is a good thing when I feel down. Getting up and about helps to shake the blues off really quickly too. It is really hard not to laugh at some of the silly faces they make. Laughter really is good for the soul.
When the kids went down for naps I did spend a little quiet time in my closet. I went over some verses I had copied down in my journal and just listened to some relaxing music for a bit. That was very soothing and by the time the kids were up from their naps I felt much better.
Yesterday evening was square dancing and I went like I normally do. I’ve been working quite a bit to advertise our club and events. It was so encouraging when we had several members from another club show up to dance with us. Just being around so many people who were having such a great time really made my heart happy. It’s hard to be sad when you see so many smiling faces and hear all the laughter that went along with the fellowship we enjoyed.
There are things we can do to help ourselves like surrounding ourselves with happy people. We can get out, even if it is just to walk around the outside of the house and back, the fresh air and activity can do wonders. We can find hobbies that require us to interact with others. Also, for me, making my relationship with God a top priority really helps. He can give us the answers that no one else can.
I know there have been a lot of celebrities coming forward to talk about mental illness and depression. I know that it is normal to feel depressed from time to time. I hope everyone else knows this too. However, if the feelings of depression don’t go away then you should ask for help. Remember there is no shame in asking for help.
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