Taking Back the Pep in my Step

So I started a new morning routine last week.  On Wednesday.

My goal for the first week was to get up 15 minutes early than 'normal' for prayer/journaling, exercise and a few minutes for planning out my day.  Wednesday, Thursday & Friday were great.  Got up early, did what I had planned - I even started feeling good from the exercise.  

I noticed I had more energy…there was a pep in my step.  Though out the day I felt renwed…refreshed.

Then the weekend came.  I wasn't sure about what to do.  It was the one weekend a month we have all 7 kids.  I knew in my heart that getting up even just a few minutes early and starting my day with some prayer and exercise is exactly what I would need.  With Hurricane Irene looming and the prospect of being stuck inside all weekend, I knew it was going to be one dozy of a weekend.

But I didn't.  This is where I learned the importance of going to bed at a decent hour - having a good bedtime routine.  Usually on the weekend my husband and I stay up later and Friday was no except.  He was up playing computer games…I was up catching up on tv.  Bedtime Friday was almost 1:30am.  I knew at that point, when I checked the clock before dozing off, I was doomed.  And no, I didn't learn.

I was very disappointed with myself this morning when I got up at my normal time.  I was sad almost.  I really enjoyed my days of that.  Its hard once you commit to doing something and fall off the wagon.  It’s a good reason really to just give up and not try anymore because you feel like "Why bother now?"  I'm not going to let that happen to me this time though, with this. 

I really enjoyed my new morning routine those 3 days and starting tomorrow I'm going to continue to enjoy it.

Five Minute Friday: Older

Time is slipping away it seems.  The kids go back to school Monday.  The early mornings and late evenings are cooler.  It will be fall before we know it.  


I always wanted to be older than I was, at any given time.  I think I want to take that back now.  My son is starting 8th grade....EIGHTH GRADE.  This will be the year of the high school orientation, among other things.  I'm not ready for that.  My daughter will follow the next year.  


I know I'm getting older.  I know my kids are getting older.  Funny though, it seems my parents never get older.  They look the same, act the same...

When my kids were younger I used look forward to the fact that when my daughter graduates high school I'll be 39, I'll have the whole world in front of me...the world is my oyster, right?  Wrong.  Wrong.

Them getting older only means I'm getting older.  I think for the first time ever, I'd like that to stop. 


Five Minute Friday - read more about it at The Gypsy Mama.

3in30 - A head Start of Sorts (Or else I'm just really far behind)

So I've been watching this website and stalking the Facebook page for the month of August, a little nervous about committing.

But, what the hey! Might as well just jump right in now and get a head start of sorts.

My 3in30 (for August and most likely September):

• Develop a healthy morning routine (which doesn't include yelling, fighting or rushing - ANYONE)
• Purge my junk (and not become a hoarder)
• Read a book (I used to read a TON, now I have a Kindle and I read none - go figure)

Developing a Realistic Weekly Schedule {Homemakers Challenge}

I was so excited for this weeks {Homemakers Challenge} at Joyful Mothering.  

I thought "Great - just what I need - a schedule".  It fits me to the T - I have a planner, I make lists, I know what is going on with who at any given moment. 

Funny thing though…despite all that every time I tried to do this challenge, I hit a wall.  I feel overwhelmed with all the things I want to put on my list verse being realistic about what I can actually accomplish.  Thinking about weekly chores leads to other chores/things I don't really do often enough (only tall people actually see what I hide on top of the fridge, right?) which then snowballs into making a list of all things I've wanted to do EVER (clean the basement, paint the living room…and on and on). 

My problem?  Between my husband and I we have 7 kids between the ages of 7 and 18.   (Yes, you read that right - SEVEN).  Our household is far from 'traditional'.  We have kids here, there and everywhere.  In addition to that we both work outside the home.  No 2 nights in our household are ever the same, which makes it hard to say 'Monday night I'm going to [insert chore here]' - on any given night I am a cook, a taxi, a referee, a hairdresser.  Just last night I had to save a Lego man from being tortured by the salad spinner (welcome to my world!)

Conclusion?  I need to stop trying to be perfect and just go with it.  I need to learn to use what God gave me and rely on Him more.  I have a history of making unrealistic goals and setting myself up to fail.  So I made my list and I'm just going with it.  I'm going to pray for flexibility and wisdom to know what I should be doing when.  Here's hoping the dust bunnies under the couch don't multiply week to week if I forget and leave them there!

This weeks challenge is to come up with a list of 5-10 must do weekly chores.

• dust
• sweep the floors (ideally I should do this at least twice a week)
• bathrooms
• bedrooms
• grocery shopping
• garbage
• fold/put away laundry

Homemaker Training {Homemakers Challenge}

For awhile I've read along with the Homemakers Challenge at Joyful Mothering though wasn't 'brave' enough to participate (I'm shy, I embarrass easily, no one I know in real life knows I have a blog as I'm sure I would die of embarrassment, blah blah blah).  Until this week.  This challenge really hits home.  So I'm just jumping right in.

Pictures are worth a thousand words right....

My bedroom...

My daughters bedroom

Riiiiiiiggghhhhttttt....see what I mean....??  Though I could proudly say my whole entire house does not look like this, that is far from the point.  That even 1 room does, is bad enough.

I am so embarrassed to have these here, for the whole world to see, (as I'm sure my husband is) but the whole world needs to see them.  Not because I think everyone wants to see my messy collection of bedrooms but because I need to expose my secret - I am bad example of a homemaker to my children.  

How dare I tell my daughter every day to pick up the dirty clothes off her floor or make her bed when I don't.  And she sees that.  I don't want to pass this along to my grandchildren.

When I first read this post last week, the subject weighed heavy on my heart for days...for the entire weekend.  The subject of the state of our bedroom is a constant discussion between my husband and I - I struggle with my inability to 'house-keep' daily.  This weekend I spent some time in thinking and even praying about how to make my wrongs right. I can't undo how I've lived my life before, I can only start new, today. 

So today is the day.  Today I start being intentional...with what I say, and do...the why and the how.  So that sometime in the very near future I can answer these question proudly (and post the after pics)...

Are you teaching intentionally?  Are you talking about why and how you take care of your husband and your home?   Are you having them participate with your home keeping duties?

It took awhile but I finally got it...

God knows what we need before we do...before we ask...before we can even communicate it.  I've never grasped the concept of that until today.

I knew things needed to change, I knew I needed a change - inside me - I just didn't know how...or what. 

Since starting a couples devotional a few weeks ago with my husband, my behavior & attitudes at home and toward my family, has been very heavy on my heart.  I know what my downfalls are - my major one is that I feel the need to be in control and when I'm not it makes me feel very anxious and stressed - all of a sudden.  This crazy person comes out that sometimes I don't even know and she yells and screams and just isn't very nice to the people around me.  I know how it feels when that is happening, when I feel like I am losing control, yet I can't do anything to stop it. Or so I thought.

God is in control.  As a believer, it is something I always heard a lot, but never really got.  I never really felt like anyone other than me could have control on my life.  Before, just thinking about it makes me feel like I am going to have a panic attack.  The is the wrong attitude to have.  And today, that all changes.

Lord, today I am putting you in control of my life. Like you always should have been.  I can't try to control everything anymore.  It makes me tired and weak and I hurt the people around me.  I can't do it alone.  Help me remember that.  

"And this same God who takes care of me will supply ALL your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.."

Philippians 4:19