Good Monday Morning

I hope all of my dear readers had a blessed weekend. Ours was great. Middle son is in the high school band and this past Saturday was a big competition for them. I'm happy to say that they came away Grand Champions and cleared the board with wins in other categories. All their hard work is paying off in abundance. They have one more competition next Saturday, if they when this one it will be a clean sweep for them this year. Something they haven't done since 2005.  If you like, you can watch of the great performances from last Saturday HERE. I loved Tupelo's performance and thought they should of gotten a better score. What do I know, though, I'm a band mom not a judge (though I do nit pick on straight lines and in-time marching...which is a throwback to my marching band days).

We spent Sunday getting over Saturday's late night (we didn't get home till after 2am). I'm really wanting to get back in the habit of going to church, these late Saturday nights are not helping.  So I make sure to spend part of Sunday, and various times during the week, reading my bible and reading blogs written by Christian women. I try to immerse myself in the word as much as possible, because I notice if I don't then worldly thoughts enter my mine. I become more judgmental, gossipy, less thankful, and more likely to let things get to me. That's  not the way I like to be and I don't like myself when I'm that way.

3 weeks from today is my 36th birthday. I'm feeling much better about 36 then I did 35 and no I don't feel old. I'm not sure why people seem to think when you get past 30 you're suppose to start "feeling" old. Is this a throwback to times when the average lifespan was until mid 40's? It's not the 1500's anymore, we have antibiotics and doctors and nurses wash their hands. If you eat right and exercise you'll live a good long time (as long as no accidents occur and you avoid cancer). Anyway, I think 36 is going to be a great year. I also become the mom of an adult next month. Oldest son will turn 18 in just under 4 weeks. I'm not sure he's ready for the adult world. The hubby and I are not in a hurry to kick this one out of the nest just yet, we want to make sure our kids can soar before they take that first flight.

In honor of my birthday coming up, and wanting to start my 36th year off right, I am giving up soda for the next 3 weeks. I'm hoping that after 21 days (starting today), I'll be able to kick the habit for good. I'm also going to limit sweets for the next 3 weeks and try to up my workouts (I currently manage to get in 3 or 4  a week, I want that upped to daily).

So here's to a great day/week and hopefully a successful next 3 weeks.

It's Alive!!

I'm seriously thinking of resurrecting this old blog. The title and what the blog is about is still relevant to my life. It's a place to toss everything and dig it back out as it's needed. I was looking and I still have followers on here (hello all you beautiful people...all 11 of you). I also still get page views on here (4 yesterday, woot woot...that's two more then another blog). So I'll blog for a bit to see if I can keep up with it and how it feels.

So, since it's been way over a year since my last post I'll do a quick catch up.

Still in school. I was going to graduate last Spring. Had everything lined up, walked down the aisle and everything. Only to find out a couple weeks later I didn't pass Bioorganic Chemistry. Yuck. So I'm retaking that course next semester and my official graduation date will be May 2015, though I don't get to walk then. That's okay, though. My oldest son graduates high school that month and I think it should be all about him. I had my day now it's his turn.

We have lately settled into the wonderful craziness that is our life right now. It's back to the six of us in this branch of the ol' family tree in this area. Sometimes I think that having another family member around would be nice, then I either talk to other family members or hear of the troubles someone is having with theirs and I think "So not worth it." We are so used to doing for ourselves for the most part that having others around for too long gets way too intrusive. I like my space.

Life has away of being hectic and boring at the same time. There is a lot going on, just not sure how much of the going on's are good enough for blog fodder. I have been running again, I'm working as a rectory cook for some great friar, I have some yummy recipes to share. I'll get to everything eventually.

I hope all of my dear readers have a great day and I'll be back with more.

My Goodness it's Been a While

I'm sorry dear readers, I had not realized it had been 3 almost 4 months since I last posted on here. So first I'll give you a quick update on what all has been going on in our household since January.
    We did have housemates for two of those months. We had to push to get them out again, as they seemed quite content to live with us and not in a hurry to save up and find their own place. I don't know why as 8 people in a 1500 square foot house is quite crowded. We're use to slightly crowded as it is Hubby and I and our four kiddies. However with the roomies, we were squashed into a smaller space to allow room for their stuff. It just wasn't working out well. I knew it wouldn't and didn't want the situation in the first place. However it's over and now they live about a mile away and I have my home back.
    I'm still plugging through hoping to make grades good enough this semester and avoid burn out. I'm tired though. I work four days a week, go to school three days a week, and on top of that I'm a full time mom with all that requires when one has teenagers and a wife (gotta tag that one there as well, being a wife is sometimes work ;-) .  My gpa is not the greatest as I struggle to find that 25th hour in a day to study. I dislike hearing from people who don't have kids, don't work and take one online class every 4-6 weeks brag about making straight A's. I don't say anything, just nod and say good job, but inside I'm thinking so what. Anyway not here or there. I think talking about one's grades, good or bad, is like talking about one's salary. It's not really anyone's business but yours (and the places you're hoping to get an internship at). So I give an answer when asked about my grades similar to one when asked about how much money we make. I get by fine.
   I have yet to play with my birthday present. I keep hoping to find the time to do so, though that 25th hour is still escaping me.  In a couple weeks finals for this semester will be over and I'll have 6 weeks to breathe a minute and hopefully have time to be creative then.
  Well, homework is calling my name and so I must answer. I hope my dear readers are having a lovely Spring. It's been a chilly, wet one here. I'm ready for June.

What's Up?

      Nothing much and yet a whole lot going on here.  Still not sure if we are going to have housemates or not. Hubby thinks they will be moving in by the end of this month. I'm still not ready for them, but will get there (I hope).  Right now I'm concentrating on organizing my house and getting ready for my next semester of college. It'll be my second to last (if you don't count summer semester) of my undergraduate degree if all goes well. Then just an internship to go before I become a Registered Dietician.  Easy Peasy, huh? Not really, it will be a stressful finger-nail-biting year for me.  Not really looking forward to added stresses. It is what it is, hopefully it will work out okay.

    Over on my other blog I posted a banana oat muffin recipe.  It was the result of a mess up, but it turned out okay.  The kiddies are eating them, so it can't be that bad.

   I think today I will work on carving project I have planned out. I'll post when I get it finished.  I'll be able to use my new tools that Hubby and the kiddies got me for my birthday almost two months ago. I've not been feeling real creative lately, so I think I'll try to force some creative juices to flow.

I hope all my dear readers are having a great day and staying warm (it's a chilly 26 degrees here).

A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back.

Proverbs 29:11

 

  Some possibilities are on the wind, things I don't want to happen really. However I will do whatever is neccessary for all parties involved.  I want to vent my grievences. I want to grumble about how unfair life is. I want to tell everyone I can trust to keep a secret what may or may not happen.

 

I won't though, because in the end it's a small thing. A temporary inconvenience to help those who are needing help. Someone helped us once when we were in a desperate situation. I'm sure they didn't really want to, but in the end you do what is right.

 

A quick search brought me the scripture I posted above. God always has an answer doesn't he?  I will be grateful that we are in a position to lend a hand up to those who need one. I will not judge anyone's bad decisions as we all make them.  I will instead use the possiblity to show the Christian I am trying to grow into being. I will show love, empathy and kindness as these are what is needed by the couple I'm referring to more then anything. They have had enough of shaking heads, shame, and judgements.

 

I hate that my first reaction to the news was how it would affect us. My second reaction was okay how do we do this, how do we allow for the possibilty of adding more to our already crowded household. Now my thought is kind of a mixture of needing to remember to not worry about events that have yet to occur and wanting to begin rearranging things in case we need to make room.

 





Thanksgiving Thoughts

I don't celebrate in the idealic way of pilgrims sharing food with the Indians and happy dancing turkeys and all that.  We all know that is a false version of what really happened.

My Thanksgiving is a day given to thankfulness. I'm thankful to have four healthy beautiful children. I'm thankful for a loving, caring, generous husband. I'm thankful for a mostly okay extended family. I'm thankful for a roof over our heads, property to call our own, food to fill our bellies.  I cook a large meal every fourth Thursday in November in celebration for all the wonderful things I have to be thankful for. Also to show my love for family through good food.

Americans have gotten away from Thanksgiving. We are letting the corporate world encroach and destroy a great holiday. Instead of relaxing with family, enjoying company and food, we are tramping around stores trying to score a big deal on an object we will probably replace or not use in a few months.  It's all about the money, family does not exist as it should. This year we have pre-black Friday sales. So now you can leave your family at home and get your lonely, greedy self to your local big box store to save a few bucks (that you probably spent in filling the gas tank for this event) and buy that item that the store only carries a few of and so will probably not even be there anyway.  Of course you also get to enjoy the madness of standing room only, people pushing and shoving and just being discourteous, stores.  Sounds like a grand time all on Thanksgiving night before the turkey is even cold.

I also hear now you can celebrate Thanksgiving on whatever day you feel like it.  Saturday work better for you? Have it then, who cares.  How about celebrating it on the first of November. It doesn't matter that the actual holiday is three weeks away as long as it's convienent for everyone. I didn't realize life was suppose to be convienent. How did I miss that memo?

I love Christmas. I love watching the Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music(which I've been doing for more than a week already). I have already begun Christmas shopping. However, I love Thanksgiving as well. The excitement of planning out a big meal and hoping the timing works so everything is done at the same time. Making my house smell of pumpkin pie, fresh bread and roasting turkey.  Seeing the drool dripping from the chins of my loved ones as I pull one yummy dish after another out of the oven. Listening and trying to watch the Macy's Day parade on t.v. as my kids and hubby wrestle and I try to get those eggs to whip to a meringue.

Then, we all set down to a table loaded down with delicious sights and smells. We say what we are most thankful for this year. Next we bow heads and give a moment of praise to God for without Him nothing is possible.

After everyone has an overfull tummy and buttons are loosened, we gather around the xbox to play games as a family. We laugh, tease, and love each other. Let the world outside our front door scurry from store to store, aimously hoping to obtain that next material good. We KNOW what the true meaning of Thanksgiving should be and it doesn't end in -mart.

Happy Birthday Once Again

I made it through another year. Is it just me or do the years seem to go by faster and faster as we get a bit older. It seems as I was just writing a post on my 33rd birthday and here it is my 34th already. I've officially left my early thirties and now entering my mid-thirties. 

So what has the past year brought me? Well there have been two 5k races, a 16th wedding anniversary for Hubby and I, I gained another teenager (thankfully I have two years before youngest son becomes one), I lost a step-grandma, grandmother-in-law, and a great grandmother. I've nearly finished two more semesters of college (only about 2 more to go before I finish my undergrad). I've not really lost any weight but I believe I've gained in my fitness goals.

This time next year I'll, hopefully, be planning my graduation and getting ready to experience the joys of having a 16 year old daughter.