December 2009....

This has been a busy month. And it's held more activity than just my return to work...

Christmas card photos...

Local missions Christmas Party....eyes blackened for protection of the children...the children at the party were neglected and abused and they just don't need any other trouble....but I can tell you that little fella' was the cutest little shepherd I've ever seen!


Made and ate more Christmas treats and goodies than my waistline can handle...and this may not look good, but trust me. It IS veeeeeeeeeeery good. Golden Graham cereal, pretzels, pecans covered in melted white chocolate bark. Mmmmmmmm. Yummy. I may have to loosen my belt just thinking about it....

Fep was in a wedding....


Christmas weddings are just sooooo pretty. Don't you think?

Christmas was spent with some of our favorite friends...

Love, the love of Christ, family, friends, and food. What more could you ask for?

In Which I Return to Work....

So, our little family business which we've had for 17 years continues it's struggles. In part the economy and in part other factors. This month I returned to work for our company in an effort to cut back and reduce. And there's another pay cut for us on our horizon already scheduled for the new year.

I've always worked about 8 hours a week doing payroll and other things. But now I'm looking at working about 25 - 30 hours a week....at least it's still part-time. The only snafu would be that I home school and I just really hope I can pull it all together. The Bob has had a rough two years (you just wouldn't even believe), and he desperately needs my support and help right now. And he's concerned about me, too. He's going to try and work it so I can do as much from home as possible. My cousin told me yesterday, "That's why y'all have a good marriage. You are concerned about each other and not just about yourself." True. I am blessed.

I've wondered what to do with this blog. I have so few readers. But this blog wasn't started to gather readers, it was started to be my little online journal. So, I will continue, I suppose. I post rarely lately, because for the most part I just don't have it in me. But do know that I still do smile. I have found in this crazy holiday season and in my increased work hours (that right now are at the office and not home) I notice things a little more. Things that I might pass by with barely a smirk or grin...like Moose's arms waving madly and wildly to tell me hello when I get home...that makes me smile. And there are other things, so small I can't remember them all, but in that moment of that day, they make me smile. Smiles are there to find if I'll look...and this blog has always made me smile in my heart. So, while I may not post as much and any readers I had gone, it's okay. I still need a place to park my thoughts...and my smiles :)

Moose's Amazing Photography...

My children love to get my camera. Sometimes I don't love it so much. The other morning Moose brought me these pictures to see, and he was quite pleased with himself...

I actually found them very pretty because they were so colorful.

So, do you know? Do you know what it is that makes such a fury of colors?

It's just the Christmas tree lights. That's how they look when you shake the camera back and forth as fast as you can while clicking the picture ;)

Yuletide...

like this little fella?

find more like him right here

I have a confession to make. I had to look up "yuletide" in the dictionary to see what it meant. Just in case you may be in the same boat I was in, it means "Christmas season". So yes, that title fits this post. And YES I know we've not even had Thanksgiving yet. But I like to put up the tree some time during Thanksgiving week, and seeing that we've taken a break from home schooling this week for the holiday, we put it up today. I have to say, I am like Ebenezer Scrooge when I put up the tree. Up to the attic to get down a gazillion heavy boxes. Down an attic ladder with a gazillion heavy boxes. Children rushing to see what goodies are in those boxes. Paper flying everywhere. Tangled lights. And then this...

A floor that I cannot even walk across. It's enough to make a neat and tidy person crazy. It took about 2 -3 hours to do everything, and I had to apologize two times to my children within that short time period (shamelessly hanging head low). And why? Why do I get so grumpy about it? I love it when it's finished. And I hate being this way...I wish I savored this time with my children. I think I need a professional Christmas decorator to come and do it for me. I vowed to the children today that I will not do it without the help of The Bob again. That's what his manly muscles are for...taking heavy boxes from the attic.

And when it's finished...


all is well. Even Dixie was glad to find a spot on the floor again ;)

Five Days to Frugal / Day 5...Deny yourself.

Use it up,

Wear it out,

Make it do,

Do without

Denying myself is something I'm working through. I have to really consider what I'm doing these days, and I don't always enjoy it either. Is it a want or a need? I want a new comforter for my bed...I don't need a new comforter. I want some new tennis shoes...I don't need new tennis shoes. And I have to say here, I have had my tennis shoes for over two years, and they were never shoes I just loved when I bought them. I kind of just settled. And those tennis shoes will. not. wear. out. They are like the Energizer Bunny tennis shoes. I think I may even be buried in them. And right now, even though I've worn them, and worn them, and worn them, I cannot justify buying new shoes that aren't needed. Anyway, I could go on and on about my wants verses needs, but I think you get the picture.

I really think this whole denying yourself is so foreign to our culture today, too. I hear all the time in the media and I've even heard friends say it, "You deserve it!" Okay. Let me tell you what I really deserve.

I end my frugal post here. Consider your giving, consider your habits, consider your food and clothing. And deny yourself and learn to be content. That's worth repeating...Be content. Remember Paul...he new what it was to live in plenty and to live in want, yet he was content. Let the Lord be the source of your joy and your blessings. When He gives, you will overflow.

Five Days to Frugal / Day 4...Consider what you wear...

I really should have ironed that shirt before I took the picture. Oh well. That is Moose's shirt, and the only reason he has a Ralph Lauren Polo is that it came from...Goodwill. When ironed it looks brand new. I also snagged another one up the same day I bought this one. Goodwill, in my area anyway, is very hit and miss. But when you hit, it's usually like striking gold as with this shirt and the other things I've bought there.

One of my favorite movies is Love Comes Softly. There is a scene in which Missy asks Marty why she has so many dresses because you can only wear one at a time. The Bob commented recently that we all really have conservative wardrobes...as in our closets don't overflow. So much so in fact that when we go somewhere for several days, I'm usually really scraping to pull stuff together for us to wear. But the other 99% of the time, we are good so it's really okay. Moose only has one pair of nice pants. One. That's all he really needs. The only place he needs them for is church or another function in which you'd dress nice (funeral, wedding, etc.) So, that one pair of pants gets worn every single Sunday. Do you think people notice that he wears the same pair of pants every Sunday? I dare say they don't. He has two or three shirts to wear with them, so change the shirt and you've changed the whole outfit. In order to get the most out of what I buy for the children to wear, I try to buy a smidgen on the large side. That way they worn for more than one year, hopefully....unless someone has a growing spurt or something. That's another reason not to have too many pieces for your children...they outgrow them so fast!

My final frugal clothing thought is that not only do we have a conservative number of items in our closet, but they are also conservative in style. Trendy is for the moment, conservative wears well after the moment has passed =)

Five to Days to Frugal / Day 3...Consider What you Eat

I was at Jessica's blog today, and she made the comment that sometimes being frugal isn't necessarily being cheap. Sometimes it's getting the best quality for the least amount of money. I thought that was a good point to make. You can see that post here. It's her ideas for a frugal Thanksgiving. And on the subject of Thanksgiving and food, since the pay cut, I do consider what we eat. So, once a week we have a bean meal. Does my family love it? No. Does my budget? Yes.

The Bob and the kids just tolerate my bean meals, but I actually like a good bean meal. My bean meals are not fancy: northern beans and corn dodgers (found in a Little House on the Prairie cookbook), pintos and corn dodgers, or black beans and rice with you guessed it....corn dodgers. I like saying corn dodgers. Doesn't it sound like fun food? Anyway, you can see the black bean and rice meal if you click on recipe under labels in the right side bar.

In addition to beans, we've taken away some junk food which is not only good for the budget, but good for your health. We went from drinking Cokes almost daily to mostly on the weekends. I buy about 2 2-liters a week, and when they are gone that's it. We also quit buying cookies and such. If we have a sweet treat, usually it's something that I have to make.

As I mentioned in my previous post, we've also started eating more left overs and trying to not waste so much. Frugality is not only considering cost, but about being a wise steward with what the Lord has given us.

Five Days to Frugal / Day 2...Consider your habits

I'm a creature of habit, and change for me does not come easy. My friend Lisa and I joke all the time about how ingrained some of my habits and characteristics are. For example, when I go to Sam's, Walmart, or Target, I always park in the same area or row. That's just one example. I won't bore you with others. Even though I am such a creature of habit, it seems new habits are hard for me to establish. However, since the big pay cut, it was good motivation to start some new habits =) Here's some of the new frugal habits we've taken on:

-Live like a mole. Do you really need that light on? I was on our utility company website the other day and their rule of thumb for exiting and entering rooms is the following:

For standard light bulbs, if you will be out of the room for more than 5 seconds, cut it off. For the new fancy fandangled energy saving light bulbs, if you will be out of the room for more than 15 minutes, cut it off.

-Use cash. Let me repeat that. Use cash. Use cash. Use cash. I fought this. I fought it hard. My reasons for fighting it...we've always lived on a budget. I track our expenses. I know what I'm using my debit card for, keeping good track of our checking account and balancing it. I know where those debit card purchases are made and why I made them. Yeah...well, the small little problem with that is the debit card allowed me to stray from the budget. A smidgen more than I intended on groceries here. A trip through Sonic there. It adds up. More than you think it will add up. I now take out cash once a week, and there is no straying with cash. When it's gone, it's gone...and painful. The cash is used for groceries, household and cleaning items, dog food/pet food, if anyone needs something like a haircut, if there is a gift I have to buy (birthday, baby, wedding), any needed miscellaneous thing, etc., etc., etc., and also for eating out...which brings me to point #3...

-We stopped eating out so much. Before the pay cut, we were eating out a lot. More than we realized. On average we were eating at a sit down restaurant once a week in addition to fast food once or maybe even twice a week. Now, we still hit the fast food once a week. And a lot of times we hit fast food due to lack of planning on my part. I need to work on that some more. But we've not been to a sit down restaurant in forever. And ever. And ever. Not really, but it has been so long that I can't remember the last time we went to a restaurant where they brought your food and drink to you and that you had to tip. {{Sigh}} I can't wait to return to my favorite Mexican Restaurant. When we do, it will be a real treat. I may dream of Shrimp Quesidillas tonight after this post.

-And finally, consider what you use and what you waste. Living on a Dime has some really good statistics on how much food that is purchased in the US gets thrown in the garbage because we don't eat it. We are working on that. We eat left overs more than ever before, but there is still room for improvement there.

So that's just four ideas. If I were to pick one out of the four for you to implement, I'd say it would be to use cash. You will just be so much more thoughtful about your purchases. You'll be using what the Lord gave you to manage wisely =)

Five Days to Frugal / Day 1...Consider what you give

As goes with many people these days, we enter the ranks of those feeling the tight economy of the past year. "They" say were coming out of it. I gotta tell ya, not sure that we're seeing that yet. The Bob runs our very own little plumbing business. He works very hard. Very. About 3 months ago, we had to cut our pay. The cut was deeper than we originally intended...or wanted. But we decided it would be more wise to live on less now before things just snowballed and got really ugly. And hopefully, to prevent things from getting really ugly. I'm happy to say, we've not entered ugly yet. So, here we are living on less, and I am reminded of how easy it is to feel the pull of stuff. The pull of luxuries. The pull of comforts. I feel it almost daily. However, I am seeing the frugal side of me really work. Most of the time I'm just a frugal wannabe, but the next five posts will be how I'm working me some frugal.

So, we cut our pay. However, last time I checked we didn't have to worry about where our grocery money was coming from or if we were going to be able to pay our light bill or mortgage. Really. Don't feel sorry for me. Because so far, we've just had to give up comforts. Comforts, I like saying that word. It just sounds so fuzzy, cozy, and warm. But there are those, who do worry about those things...the mortgage, the light bill. They are worried about their next meal. They are worried if they will make their next mortgage payment. Or maybe with Christmas fast approaching, they are sad that they can't get their children just a little something. Maybe sometimes being frugal is giving? Usually when money is tight, giving is the first thing slashed. Deny yourself some comforts so that you can give something to someone who has nothing.

The child that receives this box will probably fall into the nothing category. I found it interesting that the list suggestions Samaritan's Purse (run by Franklin Graham) gave with the boxes included basic things like toothpaste, toothbrush, and soap. To be honest, if I gave my children toothpaste for Christmas, they would look at me like I had grown two heads. But that in part would be that they've never had to do without toothpaste, I suppose....

All this to say...if you, too, are finding yourself plunged deep into the difficult financial downturn these days...if you are feeling the pinch and the pinch is painful, but you are not worried about your mortgage or food on the table.... if at all possible, don't stop giving....don't stop giving unto the LORD. Don't deny Him what's rightfully His.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Veterans Day '09

I mentioned recently that I don't like Toby Keith's music. And I don't. Except for this one song. This one. And this post is not about Toby Keith. It's about our Veterans. Remembering those who have served...those who are serving...those who will serve...

The Sickies

The last several days in our home was spent battling the sickies. Fep came down with the flu on Wednesday and Moose and myself on Friday. Swine Flu or H1N1, take your pick, is running rampant in our part of the country and it found our way into our home. We were blessed in that it was very mild and very short lived. By Saturday, Fep was back in full swing, and that was my "sick day" which had me in the recliner watching Little House on the Prairie on The Hallmark Channel aaaaaaall daaaaaaaay looooooong. It was a long day, full of Pa, Ma, Laura and Mary. At the end of the day, after Fep and The Bob made dinner, Fep brought me this....


And this is what it said inside:

Dear Mom,

Thank you so much for caring for me while I was sick. I'll do the same for you. Just tell me what you want and I'll do it. You really mean a lot to me, Mom, and I want you to know that. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for your support. I love you =) I will always be there for you, too, Mom.

Fep =)

She really put those smiley faces in there. There were other treasures found over our sick weekend. Illness forces you to slow down. And we did slow down. In that we found time together, good family time. And I found even in the midst of the Swine Flu that I had treasures to unwrap.

Little Hands...

I know my posts have been sporadic and sparse. I have a lot on my plate, a lot of stress and difficulties, and I think if left to myself, I'd be depressed. But thankfully, the Lord has not left me to myself, so I carry on. And despite my gloom and doom circumstances, there are those who always have it worse, you know? Like our good friends. Our good friends who lost their youngest son at the age of 24. He died suddenly of a heart attack. The doctors told them that two arteries leading to his heart were 100% blocked, one was 90% blocked, and one was 80% blocked. The Bob and I became friends with them before we got married. Back then, these new friends were a young family with 3 children. The youngest was 8 years old. Notice that age 8. Their youngest son who died was the age Moose is now when we first met. Perspective. That's what it gave me is perspective.

Even though he was 24, a child is always his Momma's baby. Always. At the visitation and the funeral, they had pictures of this young man when he was just a baby, a toddler sitting on his Momma's lap as she read to him. The joy on her face. The look of love on her face in those pictures. They needed no words, and they tugged and tore at this Momma's heart. The "Little Slugger" baby jacket sitting in front of one of his baby pictures just about did me in. And there were more than just baby memories there. He had been in the Navy and served our country honorably. Although not a pilot, he served on a team with The Blue Angels. He served in Iraq. Yes, he served our country well.

At the funeral, I cried and cried and cried. And my little 8 year old Moose reached over and grabbed my hand. And it was then that I thought about how he doesn't have baby smooth skin anymore. He's developing his "man" hands. Tough. Rugged. Hands that work. And I held on to that that little Moose hand while just one pew up and one pew over, my friend had to let her little man's hand go....

Find out Who Your Friends Are....

For the most part, I listen to Contemporary Christian Music. However, I do like some good Country Music, too. Not the trashy stuff like Toby Keith or Gretchen Wilson, but the good stuff like Rascal Flatts or Tim McGraw. My latest download on my iPod was a Tracy Lawrence song. Not usually a Tracy Lawrence fan as he's a bit "twangy" for my taste, but one of his latest songs Find Out Who Your Friends Are is a keeper. Partly due to Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney lending their vocal chords to it also. Tim McGraw, did I mention I like him? Anyway, this song is about true friends. The chorus goes something like this:

"You find out who your friends are

Somebody's gonna drop everything

Run out and crank up their car

Hit the gas, get there fast

Never stop to think what's in it for me

Or it's way to far

They just show on up

With their big ol' heart"

I've looked several times to see if it is a Ringtone to no avail. I'd very much like it to be the Ringtone for these two ladies:

Lisa (and me)

Heather (and me....I think we were having way too much fun here :))

Lisa...always encouraging me to have the character and wisdom of Esther (in the Bible), will tell me what I need to hear (not just what I want to hear), will pretty much drop whatever she's doing if I call crying, has driven way way out of her way while pulling horse trailer to rescue me when "life" happens (as in locking your keys in a running car), she loves deeply

Heather...also tells me what I need to hear (and not what I want), will pretty much drop whatever she's doing if I call crying, still remembers Beth while the world has forgotten and is the only person outside of The Bob and I who has seen Beth's picture...she asked to see it, because she, too, loves deeply

One of my church staff members recently said, "Friends make you better. If they aren't making you better they are your ministry."

I think I may be Heather's and Lisa's ministry ;)

Milestones...

All the reasons The Bob gave me that she should not do it and that it was too soon. These are the reasons The Bob gave that made Fep have to wait 4 to 5 years before permission from Daddy...

*Just because her friends did it doesn't mean we are letting her do it....
*She is too little....
*Then what's next?...
*You do this then it's makeup....

He finally gave in. A bit against his will. What could possibly cause such a commotion in his emotions? Just this...

Do you see it? At the beginning of this month, Fep got her ears pierced. Just another milestone that goes right up there with her first tooth and her first step. This a little more painful in that we see our Little Fep isn't so little anymore...she's becoming a young lady. A beautiful young lady. So much wrapped up in her growing up. I see her growing in the Lord. I mean really growing in the Lord. She is more spiritually discerning than a lot of teenagers I know, and she's eleven. For that...Thank You Jesus. But then....there's the pull, ever so slight, from Mom and Dad. She's starting to form her own opinions. I'm not near as "cool" as I used to be. Yes, I have been known to embarrass her on occassion lately. She's eleven and soon we enter the preteen years. Then we enter the teen years. So much to unwrap in her growing up.

The many faces of homeschooling...

This is a typical day.....

"I have to finish this worksheet before break."

"I just read this. What is the answer?"

"Aaaaugh! The pressure! Can't. think. of. answer."


"Oh yes. I have it now. Break time here I come!"

And we go through this almost daily....

The Heart that Forgives....

Goodness I love that picture of my Daddy. He was quite a looker, don't you think? Years ago, I may not have had quite the same sentiment. His undeniable good looks would have been clouded in my eyes by anger...and even worse, bitterness. Bitterness. My Daddy was an alcoholic. He drank from the time I was born until the time he was put in a nursing home for the last few years of his life. He drank for over 30 years. He caused a lot of hurt, a lot of tears, and a lot of pain.

When The Bob and I married, I would hardly speak of my Daddy. I could barely stand to think about him. The Bob and I were having a conversation in which he was trying to figure it out. The Bob came from an extremely stable home, so he just didn't get it. And it was during that conversation that I exploded. Almost literally. Every bit of pain and hurt surfaced, and I unleashed it all on my husband. It needed to happen though, because I had been in complete denial about my anger which was taking root to bitterness. So that was the starting point, and over the next several months, the LORD began to soften me and work forgiveness into my heart. Freeing. Absolute freedom.

So while Kat with the bitter heart would have not seen the man with twinkling eyes so adoringly, the heart that has forgiven sees a man who she misses very much. The heart that forgives remembers his sober times....his charm...his jokes and laughter...his good common sense...his hard work ethic...his love for cornbread and buttermilk...Yes, the heart that has forgiven misses him a lot.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

Forgiveness is so worth unwrapping...

Winner? Me? And on my birthday?

I am a winner. A wi-i-i-i-i-i-i-ner. Winner, winner, winner. I'm not excited or anything. Is my excitement a bit much? Fep thinks I should sound more...humble? Probably right. But I won!

So, WHAT prey tell did I win?

I won over at Jen's, and it was a subscription to Birds & Blooms magazine. That may not sound like a big deal to you. And a lot of people may not have heard of that publication, but to self professed bird nerds, it is a big win. Fep and I are so happy :)

And yes, today is my birthday. I'm the big 4 and the big 0 today!

The Honest Scrap Award.

My friend Heathahlee. She's so kind. She awarded me Honest Scrap. I'm verklempt. Okay. Not really. But in receiving this award, I must give you 10 randomly honest things about me. Then I must pass it on to 7. I don't have 7 people in blogland I can pass this on to, because I'm so minuscule in blogland. But I will pass it on to three people. I'll save that for the end. Oh, and the people you pass it on to are supposed to be people that have encouraged you. Encouraged you with their honesty or something like that. Heather is probably so wishing she hadn't passed this on to me right now. I don't think I'm taking it very seriously. How can you take a title like "Honest Scrap" seriously though?

Okay, 10 randomly honest things:

1. I have Vitiligo. An auto-immune disorder that causes you to loose pigment in your skin. You know...the disease Michael Jackson said he had. Well, I have it. For real. I'm afraid one day I'll end up like a spotted cheetah or leopard or something.

2. In addition to having Vitiligo, I'm loosing my hair. It runs in my family as my Aunt was almost bald. I don't think I'll be bald, but I'm looking at really thin hair in my older, older than I am now, years.

3. The fact the the previous two honest tidbits bother me makes me think I am vain. The fact that my third fact is still talking about the previous two makes me know I am vain. Being honest here people. But I don't know many women who think, "Isn't this fantastic! My hair is falling out. I love it." Anyway, I appreciate the Proverbs that says "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Yep. I'm clinging to that.

4. I love Casting Crowns. I am a Casting Crowns groupie. Truly. I've met them, have autographs from band members, and one of the cutest concert t-shirts you'll ever see. You'd like to see it wouldn't you?

I am a Casting Crowns groupie, but not a stalker.

5. I love a tidy house. But I sometimes end up with cluttered closets in making the house tidy ;)

6. I am a Foodie. If you don't want to click on Foodie to see what that means...it just means I watch A LOT of Food Network.

7. My first date with The Bob was a blind date. I didn't say 2 sentences to him and then fell asleep. Isn't it so easy to see why he asked me out again? But he did. And when I introduced him to my Mom on our first "real" date, I called him by the wrong name....I introduced him as Chris. His name is not Chris. Isn't it so easy to see why he asked me to marry him? (giggle) Oh, and I was 21 when The Bob and I met, and 25 when we married.

8. I lived at home until I got married. Yes, I lived at home until I was 25. I've never lived on my own. I was either at home with my parents and then married. Never by myself or with roommates or anything like that.

9. I lost a baby at six months of pregnancy. I'm forever changed by it. But not in a bad way....anyway, her name was Beth.

10. Two months after I had Moose, I had my gallbladder out and a bilateral hernia repair. That was a rough pregnancy....but so worth it ;)

Okay....passing this on to:

**Daisy at The Quiet Life. I love everything about her. Especially her honesty. Her blog has the name of my old blog, and my "life verse"...Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life...(1 Thes 4:11-12) From what I read from her blog, I think we have a lot in common, but I think she is the better part of what I want to be. Oh, and if you home school, she's an excellent source of info, too.

**Then there is Dawn at beyond grace. I love everything about her, too. She makes me smile, warms my heart, and has a humble spirit. Wonderful lady, she is.

**Finally, Jen at unglazed. I love her love for birds. And I love the photos she takes of them. She makes me smile, too. Oh, she has a giveaway going on right now. You could be the lucky winner of a year subscription to Birds and Blooms. So, check her out.

These recipients may now choose to pass it on to 7 encouragingly honest bloggers that they love. And thank you Heathahlee. You know I love you. Always.

I'm a Foodie

Hello. My name is Kat. I am a Food Network addict. You watch American Idol and like the sharp tongue of Simon Cowell, you say. Not me. I never watch that. I watch Chopped and like the sharp tongue of Alex Guarnashelli. You don't even know who that is, do you? I adore Bobby Flay, Barefoot Contessa, and Duff. I think you know that you have Food Network on a lot when your children take up the art of plating their food. Plating your food is an art, you know. You know plating it...plating food requires creativity and makes food lovely and attractive....so that you want to dig right in. Sunday, Fep was put in charge of fixing lunch after church. Moose requested a PB& J sammy no crust with chips on the side. When I come into the kitchen, this is what I see....

Yes, Fep is taking up the art of plating your food. I think she's a Foodie, too.

Who you really are...

After the never ending Day in My Life post from the last two post, I wonder...do people see who you really are...or just what you want them to see? There were a couple of things that got left out of that post, because of the length of the post. It really did seem like the post that would not end. But I left out the bad stuff, not the good stuff ...which I'd rather focus on the good than the bad...but I'm just thinkin' here. One thing was that Moose and I had some obedience problems going on that morning, and at lunch I had to deal with it and discipline him. The Bob...when I took that picture at dinner...he was getting really irritated. He was hungry, and he just wanted to eat. Can we say grumpy? The Bob, Fep, and I can get a little on edge when we're really hungry. Anyway, do people see the real you in your blog? Or is the mask on? Is the mask off? I'd like to think my mask is off...I hope that it is...but I think if we're really honest, a lot of us (and I'm not sayin' all...I'm sayin' a lot) just every once and a while...maybe just every blue moon or so...we slip the mask on...

May we all resist the urge to wear the mask...because He sees it all. He knows who we really are....and yet He loves...He loves us when we're grumpy at dinner. He loves us when we are disobedient. And if we will confess it to Him instead of slipping on the mask, He'll deliver us from it all.....

A Day in My Life (Part 2)

My goodness. I feel like this is the post that will never end...my hat is off to Jessica and Candy who have done several of these post. They take quite a bit of time and thought. It did for me anyway.

So, picking up where we left off....

12:15 Lunch Break. The kids ate lunch and had some "screen time" and Fep got on the computer while Moose finished a DVD he had started the day before. Then they both went outside to play. I eat, check the computer (blogging and such), clean up kitchen from lunch, finish the laundry to do for the day, and start dinner preps making a chicken casserole to put in the oven later....

Time to start back to school work at 1:20. Fep has to do spelling and history. Moose has to do spelling, penmanship, and practice guitar. Normally he would do this late afternoon /evening, but I have errands to run later, and he has guitar lessons this evening...

While the kids work on school work, I work on Payables and Receivables for our company. They finish their work and I finish mine, and we leave for the library at 2:50....

We are regular library patrons. But today, Fep "officially" gets introduced to the Dewey Decimal System. After going over it with her, I have her look up books to test her new knowledge....

After the library, I go completely brainless and forget that it took me 15 minutes to find something to wear, weight gain, etc., etc. We stop here for a Frosty...

Right across the street from Wendy's is my next stop...

Once every 4 - 6 weeks, I go to Sam's and stock up on some meat and household items. I like to buy my chicken, ground beef (or any beef), laundry detergent, and some other misc. items there. After Sam's, I take Moose to our office to meet up with his Dad who will take him to guitar lessons...I also pick up the work left in my "Box". I handle payroll, personnel stuff (benefits, insurance, 401K), and deposits....Sometimes we don't know if we own a business, or if it owns us.....Anyway, I do all my work from home, but this is the main office :)

Fep and I get back home at 6:15. I unload my Sam's purchases. She does her afternoon chores. I started back on dinner preps and looked through the work I picked up at the office. Got frustrated when looking at the work laying before me. Decided I would look at it when I was fresh tomorrow. Then I tidied up the house. I love me a tidy house. Love it with me, will you....

At 7:00, I did more dinner preps. Fep had been on the computer, and I told her it was time to get off. When she did, she set the table for dinner for later when The Bob and Moose got home. After helping, she went outside to play.

7:15...I sat down to work on this Day in My Life post. Fep comes running in to look up something about a bird she saw in the yard. Fep is a bird nerd :)

7:30....The Bob calls and he and Moose are on the way. They are running late as he forgot to transfer the company phone to the answering service and had to go back to the office :( Looks like it will be a later dinner....

8:00 The Bob and Moose arrive home. Moose is excited because his guitar teacher went over music from Star Wars with him. Moose loves Star Wars.

Then we eat dinner....chicken casserole, green beans, rice, and roll...

The cake on the end is supposed to be for a pot luck over the weekend. Oh, and The Bob is smiling in the picture, but he's really thinking, "Woman. I'm starving. Come on and let's eat!" ;)

8:20 The Bob and I go on the front porch to talk while the children clean up the kitchen. When they get dinner and the kitchen cleaned up they join us. And we all chat for a few minutes.

8:45 We come inside. We decide that the cake I bought will not make until the potluck on Sunday, and we decide to cut it and have a piece ;) The Bob checks emails from work, I lay down on the couch and listen to a sermon on CD from my pastor, and the children play.

9:00 The children get their baths and resume play afterwards.

9:45 The Bob comes to chat with me on the couch, so I turn off the sermon I've been listening to. It's a sermon on submission. The Bob comments it sounds like a good sermon, and asked if I put it on for him to hear. I told him no that it was on the wife's role, but if he wanted I could give him the sermon CD on the husband's role ;) We chat for about 15 minutes and realize that it's 10:00 and that the kids should have been in bed 30 minutes to an hour ago. At 10:00 we all go to bed....

I'm not sure if this was a typical day. But this was my day yesterday. The Bob works a lot of hours, but if at all possible, we try to eat earlier in the evening. 8:00 is not our normal eating time. Also, the days I don't have to leave the house don't seem so hectic. As I scan back over this day, I think it looks like I'm living like a crazy woman. But the day really did flow smoothly. My heart's desire is to be at home and to be a keeper of my home for my family and for the Lord.

A Day in My Life (Part 1)...

There are a couple of blogs that I like to visit that will from time to time take you through their day in words and pictures. I really like that. I don't know why, because it's just everyday stuff? But I like it. I like it a lot. I've always wanted to do "A Day in the Life of Me" post, but I knew how much time it would probably take. And I was right. So, my daily life will be done in two parts. I'd also like to add that when you do this it makes you extremely mindful of how you are spending your time and your actions. Extremely. So, I've found this to be a beneficial little experiment of sorts. So, here we go....oh, and these pictures are so blurry. One day I'll have a nice camera.....

7:15 am - Rise and shine little lady. You're getting up late!!! (I should get up at 6:30). Have coffee, swing with Fep on the front porch, make hummingbird feed for their feeder, and start laundry...

8:00 am - Go to my room for personal bible time and devotion which I always do in my unmade bed...

While I'm doing this the children are working on their morning chores and stuff...

8:30 am - Look for something to wear - this took 15 minutes!!!! I knew I'd end up in a picture so I was trying to look my best. It didn't happen, and it took 15 minutes because I've gained 14 lbs., and my clothing options are very limited at the moment. (Sigh) I also reboot the laundry.

8:50 am - Clothing picked out, I get in the shower, then dress, put on make up and fix my hair. I'm high maintenance, and I always fix my hair and put on makeup. Always. I'm high maintenance, plus I need it. If you know what I'm sayin'!

9:33 I'm ready and I decide that my bed will have to wait and we need to start on school.

We go to the front porch swing to start school off with our Bible lesson...

Then, I started Fep on English and Moose on Math...

After I got them started, I made my bed, folded laundry, and emptied the sink of dishes....
I had to stop mid fold on the laundry and help Moose with his next subject...you can see he takes it very seriously ;) The pile beside me was the laundry I'd been working on....

Moose finished up his morning school work. He worked from 9:30 to 11:00 he did Bible, Math, English, Reading, and Science. Fep did not get finished until 12:15, and she did Bible, Math, English, Reading, and Science also. Moose is in the 3rd grade and Fep the 6th. She has quite a bit more work than he does. At 12:15 we stopped for lunch. The kids had frozen pizza, and remembering that it took me 15 minutes to find something to wear, I had a Weight Watchers friendly sandwich and pretzels...a 7 point value :)

Are you tired of this yet? I just about am...but part 2 will come tomorrow :) There's more school, more housework, some errands, and just.....life.