I love where we live! We stepped back from our busy life in California and chose to live a simpler life. The amazing thing is that busy-ness follows you wherever you go! I wish I could say that each day starts bright and early, everything moving efficiently through the day, with me finding myself wondering what there is to do because the schoolwork is done, the chores are done, and all the projects are done! But that is not the reality around here. There is always more list than there is day, and the constant tugging of the computer, beckoning me to come and waste time! But, when I look out my window, and see a sunset like the one that was out there this evening, it reminds me of the desire in my heart for a simple life, one without constant motion, and one that allows me to reflect on my priorities-my spiritual walk, my husband, my children--and really focus on the things in life that are most important.
Today was a mother and son day. Seth did very well in his schooling lessons, so I definitely wanted to take him (and me) out somewhere. We ended up going to a store called GameStop and buying the Narnia game for his Game Cube. He saw some other games he wanted, but I am not so sure about the content. I will have to do some more research on them. I am really finicky about these games. Oh well...
We then ventured to a Dollar Tree. I have not been in one in a very long time. Boy, have they changed. Lots and lots of food!! A sign of the times, I suppose. After purchasing a couple of treats and glow stick sword, we left.
I kind of wanted to take Seth to a movie, but what is a good movie for an eleven year old very impressionable boy to see? The mousie movie, the doggie movie, or hmmm.... There was nothing else to see. Oh, well that ended that! He really wanted to go home anyway, so he could play his new game. (I should have gotten the game last.)
The sun was out and I so wanted to stay out much longer. I already had a ham baking slowly in the oven, so I didn't have to worry to much about supper, but today was kind of his day--we went home. He, along with Anna and Will, had a great time playing the game. Apparently, it is much harder than everyone thought, so it took all three of them working together to play it.
Baby William is getting better and better. He has been somewhat fussy today. I had to tell Anna that babies have their bad days, too. She told me she was ready to turn in her mother card today. I just laughed and said, "Wait until the terrible twos, then the silly sixes, then the hormonal twelves, then the alien teens, then the know it all eighteens!" She did not see the humor in my comment.
I have started a new book. To Live is Christ, by Beth Moore. It is all about "Joining Paul's Journey of Faith". So far it is excellent. I felt the LORD leading me to this book on my shelf. I always buy books and just put them on my shelf because I know that one day I will want to read it. This book seems to be touching my heart already. I love how she is writing from a Jewish perspective. I also like that this is not a work book. It is a book book. Although, I have marked up and written on the pages I have already read. Oh well, what can I say, I am a visual learner. Sigh...
Well, I guess that is all from the Beale Bungalow for today. I hope you have a restful evening.
God Bless!
Schedules, Routines, Decluttering, Painting, Electrical Upgrades, Etc. That is what's going on! LOL
I am getting into my new routine and cleaning schedule implemented at the beginning of the year and loving it. My old routine and cleaning schedule was working ok, and we were getting by, but the new schedule is a breeze and such a blessing. Hubby has even noticed things are moving more smoothly in the household. It's nice to see it happening, but even more so when it is noticed by Matthew and commented upon!!!
Noah is doing better at nap time now that we have a better schedule going, and have moved his nap time from 1 to 2 pm. Not sure why....but for some reason at 1, he would lay down and whine and talk and play for an hour and not get any rest until 2 anyway. I have learned I need to be more flexible instead of "this is the way it is and deal with it" about naptime. Now he lays down, sleeps for 1 1/2-2 hours and is ready for the rest of the day and not so overtired and grumpy for the evenings. (Which makes time with daddy really hard when he is like that!)
I love the house when it is cleaned and organized. Clean....check....Organized.....getting there. LOL There are still several closets, and drawers that I need to get sorted out and straightened up. I am trying to decide now whether I want to have a garage sale (extra stress and time, and I hate people filtering through my belongings!) and making a little bit of money,or to donate it to the Thrift Shop and Women's Shelter. I am also having a hard time of dealing with all Noah's clothing he has outgrown. I keep hanging on to it thinking we will have another baby, and if it is a boy, I will have all these nice things for him. But on the other hand, there is a dear friend at church who has a young baby, and giving these clothes to her for Isaac would be such a blessing to her and to me as well. I need to pray about it and see what God wants me to do with them. Right now, they are just boxes of clutter upstairs in the corner of a bedroom that is already too full and cluttered already!!!
Matthew isn't too helpful when it comes to decluttering unfortunately. LOL He comes from a family of absolute overboard packrats! He isn't nearly as bad as his mother and father, but close. LMSO So, I am working on him in little baby steps. My first step, has been and still is to get rid of something so rediculous you will all laugh about it. The first step is to get rid of some of the clothing he has in the closet that he never wears.....wait..........let me correct that. HE HAS NEVER WORN!!! LOL Years ago, before we met, someone gave him some church clothes. One suit is really nice but way too small. The other two are polyester leisure suits with the gold buttons that make you look like you are to be on a yacht. LMSO I kid you not, they are hilarious looking. I don't sneak things out of the house, because I promised him I wouldn't. We have talked about it, and I wouldn't want him doing that to me, so I will not do that to him. That is a simple lesson in respect and love. But I have asked him several times to go through the closet with me and always has an excuse to not do it. I have even asked him if he would simply sit on the bed while I go through it, hold certain items up and wait for him to say yes or no. I would box or bag the unwanted items and take them out of the house myself. But he says, not today hunny every time. UGH!
On the other hand though, Matthew made a committment to me last night, without me bringing up the conversation that he will commit to spend a few hours each day ont he weekends on painting and changing out electrical stuff in the upstairs bedrooms so we can move up there and use the bedrooms down here for a craft room, and a toy room. YIPEEEEEEE!! We have most of the wall paint done anyway. We just need to paint 2 doors, and 2 windows in Noah's room, and he needs to do some electrical work done on the outlets and the switch plate. We have also been thinking of installing a ceiling fan in his room, but not sure we can afford this just yet until tax money comes in or if Matthew gets some more overtime. It sure is handy to have a hubby that can do this work himself instead of hiring someone else to get it done though (even if it does take MUCH longer than expected to get it done. LOL)
Ok, I have been putting off tidying up (by writing this blog) the front room long enough. The front room looks like a toy store blew up in here. LMSO I need to straighten up a bit before Matthew comes home, and get some spaghetti on the stove to cook. YUM.
Wow, we are already almost done with this weeks school work. I have a mixed feeling about graduating. I am excited to graduate, I am excited to enter into a new season, I am excited see how God is going to use me after I graduate. I am upset that I will no longer be able to stay home with my family all day, I am sad that my mother will no longer be teaching me. I feel a like I did not get all the time I want with my mother since I moved in when I was ten. I am sad that I will not read history with my sisters, that I will not hear their laughter through the day.
I know that where ever I go I will be doing God's will, because he alone leads my life. My sweet savior What am I going to do next?
Sometimes I wish that we could just have the book of our live stories. Yet then we would not feel the pleasant surprises, the unexpected blessings we have in life. I always think of Joseph! He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, and then thrown into prison by lies. Yet God made him great, and later on he would experience one of the best blessings possible. He was reunited with his family (through famine of all things) Does that not make you wonder what will happen in your own life??? Oh, how excited I am to begin a journy with God as my guide.
~Little Woman~
Apron Contest
Posted on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 01:49 PM by Mary-Ann - 0 Comments - Link
Usually I keep this blog for craftiness and sewing that I myself have made, but I am making an exception today. LMSO I had a friend who decided she wanted to try her hand at making a frilly apron I had seen on the net, for my 5 year old neice Mindi. It is super adorable and SOOOO SIMPLE! So I thought I would show you all the pics and maybe inspire you to make one for yourself, or your little princess!
As you can see, she made a simple apron shape and then added a coordinating fabric ruffle on the top and the bottom of it, and finished it with pink ribbons for the neck and the waist tie. How cute!!!! If you decide to make one of your own, please let me know so I can see!!!!
Here is a close up of the fabric. Yes that is froggy fabric. I love it!!!
I want to thank all of you dear people who commented on my last entry. You encouraged me so much. What a wonderful community this is! And what dear friends you are becoming. Thank you for your kind words and most especially your prayers.
We are having a quiet week at home - waiting to hear from the hospital on when we are to go for Teddy's EEG - but my doctor called yesterday to say that the assessment of the CT scan is all clear, so that is good news and such an answer to prayer.
We are trying to stay close to home these days mostly because it is so terribly hot outside. Our part of New Zealand is experiencing the hottest temperatures recorded in over 30 years. They're comparing it to the outback of Australia! I had to go into town yesterday to see my obstetrician, and I treated the children to McDonalds for lunch (they were so good waiting at the doctor's very posh office). We took it down to a local park where there are beautiful trees, but even sitting in their shade was unbearably hot. We ate quickly and got back into the airconditioned car.
I had to go and get my third trimester blood tests done, and the nurse was a little bit grumpy - she is usually very friendly. She was stuck in a tiny room with only a fan and was fed up with the heat.
Here is a news link about our weather:
Heat Rises, Temper's Flare
The heat was even setting off fire alarms!
My obstetrician says I'm all ready to go - baby is definitely well-engaged. Cooler weather is coming this weekend, so that could be a good time to go into labour.
I guess the race is on between you and me Ashley!
" Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. "
~ Psalm 119:105~
I recently purchased this lovely Bible at a local Christian book store. Isn't it lovely? It looks old but it isn't.
God's word has become very near & dear to me. It has seen me thru many a storm and many a tearful moment. In it's pages are words of hope, words of comfort and beautiful promises from our Lord. Truly the Word of God lights my path and is a lamp unto my feet. Like water to a parched soul, and bread to a hungry heart is God's word.
May we all treasure up the Word of God and hide it in our hearts,
I have decided to keep a homestead journal to record our production, methods of doing things, results, and more. I started this last year but I wasn't very faithful about it. Right now there is not much going on to record.... except for the eggs! So far, as of what I have collected today, we are up to 30 eggs this month. I think that's pretty good for only five hens and freezing (literally) weather!
I would like to keep track of the days' high and low temperature and general weather, what is planted, sprouting, ready for harvest, when I start a batch of soap or wine and when it's ready, and, well... you get the idea. I am hoping this will help us improve our homestead and it's production by making us more aware of what is working and what isn't working as well as we would like it to. I have great expectations for the future of our little homestead.
I would encourage anyone who wants to improve their own homesteading efforts to keep some kind of a progress journal. Write in it any little detail that pertains to your homestead, such as a change in chicken feed, a switch to a new brand of garden seed, etc. If we each learn as much as we can by studying our practices of what works and what does not, we will all have so much more to share with eachother!
No, haven't been to the midwife yet. So no news. Of course, there might not be any after I see her, anyways. So don't be holding your breath.
I find myself trying to get back into a ready-to-meet-my-baby mindset. Remind myself it *will* happen one of these days. Frankly, I don't feel too bad. Outside of my soaring weight gain, the baby feels safe and protected tucked away inside. Ya'll mind if I just carry this one forever? I need to know RIGHT NOW who will be upset a me for a February baby.
Just kidding. You don't have to admit to it.
Me, taken today. I'm approximately 38w and 2 days.
See, I had to show you that picture first, so you can tell I'm not the shapless blob I appear to be in this pic:
Then Samuel got snappy with the camera.
Not terrible, huh? I call the next picture my Yellow Boys. For some reason, J is just incredibly photogentic with the boys. Always. And the boys are always so annoyed to pose with Mommy. And then I wind up looking like a Blob.
Life. is. not. fair!!!!
Check out these pictures of them playing. There are three boys per pic, promise! Can you find them all?
From the other night. I just adore Samuel's orange pants. They are just so COOL! He doesn't. He cries when we put them on. Oh, well. Maybe they will grow on him? Hahahaha!
Another by Samuel, the photographer:
And then one from the other day when they were all reading. I like pictures of the three of them reading. Elijah has really started to get into books!
And then ....
That's where Samuel drew a line under a "T" and made it an "I". The stinker likes letters and numbers. He knows the difference between a 'W' and a 'M' and what a 'S' is and 'A' and 'H' and all kinds of other letters and numbers . . . he's not yet three years old. I certainly never expected him to learn such things. Below the "T" turned into an "I" is his completely freelance "I". I'm just . . . wow. Proud, I guess?
Well, this is all I have for the moment. If I were to randomly have the baby this afternoon, I will try to let everyone know ... in the meantime, I'm going to go clean my house. Some more, yes. I hope I'm nesting, dear readers, but I feel too good for that I fear! So don't get your hopes up!
Although, I have marked up and written on the pages I have already read. Oh well, what can I say, I am a visual learner. Sigh...
