Weekly Goals

After taking a break from the busy summer and a very busy start to our fall, I am ready to have clear goals for myself and family. I find I get more done when I take time to write down what I want to accomplish. Here are my goals for this week:

Personal:

• Exercise 5 times this week
• Devotion daily 
• One new recipe, sewing pattern, or craft

Family:

• 5 days of preschool with the girls
• Make my husband sandwiches every day he needs them (this has been an issue in our marriage and I've decided it is so stupid and I need to show him love and appreciation for him by making sandwiches no matter how tired I am at night)

Around the house:

• Complete my weekly cleaning list
•  Leave the kitchen clean every night
• Have the girls do one chore every day

Answer God's calling

The past few months found me so much busier then I could have imagined. We had family come visit for 2 weeks, which kept me busy, but in a good way. I became the new Sunday School Coordinator at our church, which has taken up a lot of extra time that I didn't expect. At home we have started our preschool homeschooling.

Today I just wanted to share a quick bit of insight. God lays things on our hearts in so many different ways. This morning I woke up dreaming about the Sunday School Christmas program. I have been feeling like God's been laying on my heart to make it simple and just tell the story of Jesus birth. This morning I finally had a clear vision of how to do that in a fun way. What this means is, I am writing my own Christmas play.

I love to write but am always worried what people might think. I never thought God would lay on my heart to write a play that will be seen by a full audience of parents and grandparents. But since God called me to do this, he will take my fear away.

Have you felt God calling you to do something? I didn't know if I could take over running our Sunday School program. I'm younger then the teachers, what do I know about running an entire program? God called me to do this and I have the best teaching staff. Without them and their insights, I couldn't do it. God has called us to do small things and great things. Don't ignore his calling or you will miss a chance to be greatly blessed.

Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day!

One phrase that I seem to utter often with three kids is, "I just cleaned that up!". Today was a horrible day. That may even be an understatement. It was awful in many ways.

When I woke up this morning I thought it was going to be a great day. It was the baby's birthday. She turned two and was so excited about it finally being her birthday. We had a great breakfast together, laughing and enjoying family time. I thought we'd get a ton of cleaning done in preparation of family visiting next week. Boy was I wrong.

We did get the family room cleaned up, toys organized, carpet vacuumed and shampooed. Furniture was rearranged, hopefully creating a little more organization as we prepare to start homeschooling in a few weeks.

My now two year old has really hit the terrible two's hard this past month. She has deleted the contacts on my cell phone, found parade candy sneaking some into her room with her sister (some of which was chocolate which she is allergic to), bit the parade Tootsie rolls apart and got them stuck to the carpet on our closet floor, and so many other little things.

Today was no better. She was in to everything and anything that seemed to cause trouble. The more I cleaned the more of a mess she made. It was a moment in time where you feel like you are running top speed and then you realize you are on that hamster wheel and no matter how fast you run, you'll never get anywhere.

With kids this feeling never seems to go away. The job of a mom is never done and no matter how often you mop the kitchen floors it will always be dirty. Dirty dishes and dirty laundry multiply faster than you can clean them. It is a fact of life. 

What is important to remember is that not everything in your day is going to be bad. My birthday girl got so excited about her birthday cake and her sisters loved being able to sing to her. These are the moments I want to remember about today. These are the moments that matter.

It is now the end of the day. The girls are in bed trying to fall sleep. The kitchen is still a mess. The dinning room floor is a disaster area. I am sitting on the couch with the hubby finally feeling some relief from this long and tough day. 

A few snuggles with my daughters before bed reminds me why it feels so good being a mom. Hugs and kisses make everything feel worth it. 

It was a hard and long day, but I am a mom of three beautiful girls who shower hugs and kisses on those they love. I am very blessed and very honored to be their mom. There will be hard days in the future but each day will also bring joy to my life. That is what keeps me going everyday.

Book Recommendations: The Shepards Heart Series

I love to read. My favorite genre would be westerns set in the 1800s. If I can find Christian authors it is even better.

One day when searching through the free Kindle books I came across Rocky Mountain Oasis. It was well worth my time. The story reminds us of the redemption given to us through Jesus. A woman so broken and hurt in almost every way possible learns not only how a husband can love his wife but also how God loves His children.

After finishing it I found out there were three more books. Each story is connected, following a family and their journey in faith and love.

What I love about the stories is that each story deals with a different aspect of the faith experience. In book one you learn about redemption, book two deals with trusting that God will provide, book three you learn more about trusting that God's plan for you life is often different from your own, and the last book shows us that sometimes we need to let go and let God. 

What is nice about these themes is that they were woven in the story in a natural way. It was part of their everyday life rather than the reader feeling preached at.

There is excitement and adventure of the wild west in every book. There are murders, fires, kidnappings, gun fights, romance and faith. Each book offers a new and exciting wild west adventure that is believable and keeps you invested in the characters and their plight.

Check out Lynnette Bonner's website at http://lynnettebonner.com/.

Outdoor Project: Shed/Playhouse Part 5

This past weekend was a busy one working on the playhouse. The slide arrived on Tuesday and my hubby was very anxious to get it put together and on the playhouse. Saturday morning after breakfast he started putting it together. Little did he know it would take a couple of hours. At least he had a little help in the form of a 4 year old, 3 year old, and one year old.

 The girls enjoyed crawling through the tunnels as pieces were put together and rolling it back and forth with one of them in it.

 Late afternoon we finally got the slide attached and the hubby started on the railing of the deck.

 Sunday afternoon, the deck was finally finished and ready for the girls.

Sunday night the girls finally got a chance to try out the slide and the two older girls loved it. The oldest slid down yelling, "This is incredible!" It made us laugh. 

We are getting much closer to completion. The inside still needs a little more work. Next week we are hoping to be able to paint and I will be taking the girls to pick fabric for curtains.

Happy Birthday to my 3 year old!

Every birthday leaves me wondering how my kids have grown so much. Celebrating my daughter's third birthday was one that really had me reflecting on the past 3 years.

She is our middle child and has such an adventurous spirit. The past 3 years haven't been easy on her yet she seems to take things head on and with a smile on her face.

At 3 months old she contracted whooping cough. I was told it was more mild but if you ever hear a baby coughing, wheezing, and struggling for breath there is nothing mild about it to me. It was a long recovery for her and many sleepless nights for both of us. She was almost 8 months before the coughing was almost completely cleared up. Unless you heard her coughing you wouldn't realize she was sick. There was always a smile on her face and she wasn't lethargic like most kids are. Most of her days were spent playing on the floor and enjoying big sister.

After that she seemed to be sick a lot. Ear infections tended to never heal sending us to the doctor every month. Finally she had tubes put in her ears before her second birthday. Her speech was affected and in the fall she started with a speech therapists.

She has come a long way but I am so amazed at her spirit. An always smiling and cheerful child keeps our home a happy home.

For her birthday she wanted a Rainbow Dash (from My Little Pony) party. It was a small party with family. I made her a new dress and Rainbow Dash cake. It was a simple affair but brought so much joy. 

As I watch her turn 3, I am reminded again how much growing up she has done. It is always bitter sweet to see your kids becoming more independent and responsible. Some day they won't have you to depend on. I am so proud of our 3 year old and can't wait to see what God has in store for her this year.

My NEW Cleaning Schudule

After participating in the 30 Day House Cleaning Challenge in April, I decided I needed to change my cleaning a bit. There were things that I was not cleaning that I realized should be done every week if possible. It seems almost overwhelming when you see the list but most of the items take maybe 10 minutes and my kids are involved in some of the cleaning.

Here is my grand list:

• Pay bills (Monday morning)
• Strip beds (kids help)
• Vacuum (kids help)
• Spot clean bedrooms
• Wipe down light switches and doorknobs
• Clean toilets, sinks and bathtubs (kids help with their bathroom)
• Dust
• Clean out van
• Wash windows and mirrors (kids help)
• Mop kitchen and entryway
• Mop Bathroom floors (kids do their bathroom)
• Wipe down kitchen cabinets
• Clean out one closet/cabinet/shelf/fridge
• Sew one item

There are items I do first so I make sure they are getting done. The rest I try to get to if time allows.

The things I added has made a huge difference in the cleanliness of my house. My room usually becomes a dumping ground but when I take time every week to declutter it is much more organized and cleaner. I had to add dusting and wiping down surfaces. I didn't realize how long I would go in between dusting and wiping. 

One thing I am really glad I added was cleaning out the van. My husband gets frustrated when he gets in it on Sunday and toys are everywhere and garbage is on the floor. It takes 5 minutes for me to grab the garbage, put toys in container, and take the hand vac to clean it up. My husband has been very happy to have a clean van.

How do you get all your cleaning done each week? Do you have a list or a schedule? What has worked for you?