God's Plan - Not Ours

My husband has  a job interview today…and I'm not happy about it.  Simply put, I hate change.  It is something I can't control.

He has a job - a good job - 5 minutes from our house with awesome hours.

As I was getting ready for work this morning I was praying about his job interview today.  As much as *I* don't think he needs to change jobs, I still want him to go into the interview process feeling comfortable and not totally bombing it.   When I was done praying about today and his interview and the process, I realized one thing.  I never actually prayed for him to *get* the job.  Because I honestly, I don't want him to get the job. 

Then a thought hit me.  It doesn't matter what I want or even what my husband wants.  Its all up to God.  Its His plan we're living - not ours. 

So now, I'm trying to direct my thoughts toward the more positive and trying to see it as opportunity for our whole family to grow and follow God's plan - whatever that may be.

Five Minute Friday: Tired

Five Minute Fridays...

We write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write bold and beautiful and free. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just write or not.

Check out more here.

Ready....GO!

Tired.  Seems like I'm always tired.  I'm tired right now.  I'm tired after I drink a large coffee in the morning. 

When you see the word tired, that is what you first think of.  SLEEP.

There are other kinds of tired though. 

Tired of listening to the same crap from your kids tired.

Tired of doing the same kind of job tired.

Tired of everyone not listening to you say the same thing, day after day - at home, at work, at _________ (anywhere really that fits) tired.

Tired of not doing everything you set out to for the evening because by the time you get home from work AND make dinner AND clean up dinner AND get the kids and yourself ready for tomorrow AND remember to feed the dog (hopefully someone remembers if when you forget) AND something I'm sure I forgot….it is almost time to go to bed. 

*I wrote this on a Friday in Sept because for some reason I thought Tired was the topic only after I wrote it and got ready to link it back I realized I was wrong.  I saved it thinking maybe it would come up as the topic someday.  Well, someday has arrived!  Ironically, I'm tired and am sort of glad I don't have to do another post.  *sigh*

Five Minute Friday: Ordinary

Five Minute Fridays...

We write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write bold and beautiful and free. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just write or not.

Check out more here.

Ready....GO!

Growing up I had (what to me) was an ordinary life.  It was me, my older sister and my mom & dad.  Both my parents worked full time, my sister and I went to school and spent afternoons after school before my mom got home trying (not) to kill each other.  Ordinary, right?  Barbies, braces, boyfriends...

My dad traveled a lot for his job.  In turn, we moved a lot.  We lived most places an average of 4 years and early on adopted the pattern of moving every 2 years into a different house - but still in the same city.  We lived all over...we started in the east coast, slowly made our way out west ending up in Hawaii before moving back east.  3 elementary schools, 1 middle school & 3 high schools later I turned out okay.  My dad went to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Palau & brought us back all sorts of crazy, exotic gifts.  He was gone a lot of my childhood traveling but I didn't really think too much about it - it was my ordinary...normal.

When I talk to people about my family life growing up I get mixed reactions - yes, it was probably odd to people who had a more 'traditional' family that my dad traveled and lived other places for work from us but I didn't really know any different.  I remember thinking it must be odd to have your dad around living with you all the time.

Having been married, divorced, re-married with kids and step-kids I am sure that our ordinary...normal...is far from 'traditional'.  There are always kids coming and going, soccer games, school functions, volunteering...but it works for us.

It works for us.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Five Minute Friday: Rest

Five Minute Fridays...

We write for five minutes flat on Fridays.

We write bold and beautiful and free. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just write or not.

Check out more here.

Topic today is rest.  Ready....GO!

Restrooms...growing up my family always called the bathroom a restroom.  Sort of formal I suppose but using the word bathroom made me slightly grossed out (restroom sounds so much prettier, don't you think?)  

Which made me think of rest areas (bear with me here...rest...restroom...rest area...it all makes perfect sense [in my world anyway]).

I'm obsessed with rest areas...I love stopping at them, watching the people, seeing where they are from.  Seeing everything they have in their cars.  I love to people watch and what better place to do it, right?  When I was younger and we traveled my sister and I used to make up stories about people by what they had in their car.

This July my husband and I took a cross country driving trip.  We drove to Seattle and back (from NH).  2 weeks of driving...just for fun.  It was possibly THE best vacation we've taken.  We go to stop at all the rest areas...I was in heaven.  Some of them we even got to grill lunch or dinner at. 

My favorite.  It was so beautiful and quiet and just perfect.

I know, probably not your typical rest Five Minute Friday post I'm sure...but hey...it's Friday - before a long weekend and I officially have Long Weekend Brain (and a case of the sillies).  

That and I read the wrong Five Minute Friday post and wrote a killer post on something completely off topic...but shhhhhh...we won't mention that.  Who knows...maybe I'm just psychic and I already have next weeks post already done.  I know, I'm soooooooooo cutting edge :)

September 3in30

I jumped on board late with the August 3in30.  My plan was to keep the same goals for September, although I've since changed my mind (I do that - a LOT).

1.  Develop a healthy morning routine (which doesn't include yelling, fighting or rushing - ANYONE).   

I've joined #hellomornings.  Since committing I've only managed to get up before everyone else 3 out of 6 days soooooo...this stays for September.  My goal is to get up EVERY day before everyone else.  Even if I don't have time to do all those crazy things I want to in my head (like an hour long jog - jog? HA! I don't even run - but some mornings it sounds fun, right?). I will get up and make time for the important things...a bible study/prayer time, some exercise and a few minutes to plan my day.  

2.  Purge my junk (and not become a hoarder)


I have a friend who just had a yard sale.  She told me she cleaned out her 'hoarder rooms'.  Which freaked me out.  A LOT.  I've seen that show.  I have those roomS...as in more than one.  My mom and I are having a yard sale at my house next weekend.  So really, I hope to accomplish most of this between now and then.  I did manage to clean up  my bedroom making somewhat of a dent (I really should do a follow up post - it really is clean now...promise!).  Now if I could just make about a thousand more dents, I'd be good to go.

3.  Read a book (I used to read a TON, now I have a Kindle and I read none - go figure)

I thought if anything this would be the easiest.  I love to read.  I have bookshelves full of books, not to mention I just got a Kindle and download every single free book I come across.  Unfortunately though, other than doing a couples bible study with my husband and going online, I've never really read anything on it. So I'm just giving it up.  With 7 kids I'm sure if I leave this here I just be setting myself up to fail so off it goes.  

Replaced with

3.  Drink more water.

Sounds slightly lame but I should.  And not to sound lazy but it is an obtainable goal and goes along great with #1.  

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.