Starting off great in 2008

I've gotten my cleaning routine down fairly well. We make it through each room in the house at least once a week and then vacuum about every day. But I'm finding these little piles everywhere. When we pick up certain items are "put away" in stacks and then never touched again it seems. Before the new year hits it is my goal to get these stacks taken care of once and for all. Some of it needs sorted, or returned, or given away, or filed, or trashed or ebayed. Each room seems to have such a pile of sorts.

It's my goal to start 2008 with a clean slate. As I think about what I would like to accomplish in this next year I know I would be a lot more motivated if these stacks of "I'll get to it later" items were extinct. Plus I could find room for gifts that are coming, contribute to our tax refund, be done with that impending feeling of doom when I open the junk drawer, be more organized for next homeschool semester, recycle, return, reuse and give away what we we don't need.

So here we go. I'm going to work my way through this list for 25 minutes every weekday until the end of the year (give or take). It may take me more than one day to complete a project because I'm going to do my best not to make a bigger mess than when I started. Hence, I will only be getting out what I can organize and put away in those 25 minutes. According to my calculations, I have a little over seven hours to get this done. I think that's reasonable.

1. File papers/old bills
2. Clean out kitchen junk drawer
3. Straighten craft supplies- make a list of what is needed
4. Inventory Homeschool materials- order what is needed
5. Sort/organize linens
6. Sort/organize kid's toys and games
7. Clean out my email
8. File photos/CDs from this year
9. Organize medicines and stuff like that


I realize that this list is fairly short but I truly dread each one of these tasks. However, since I am sending this out into the blogging world I'm making myself accountable to get it done. (I can't believe I'm doing this). I'm trusting that in the end I'll be glad that I did. Right?

If you'd like to join me I'd love to have some friends along for the ride. You make your own list of "I'll get to it later" chores and see if you can't meet 2008 with a few less projects hanging over your head.

If you decide you are up for the task post a blog about your goals and then post your link in my comments below. As I keep you all updated on my list I'll pass along your progress as well.

Snow Bunny

It was Physics Phun Friday. This is what Sean's students created to "apply their knowledge of forces and thermodynamics." My bunny is the cute one in the left hand corner.

Winter

God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.

He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'
and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'

So that all men he has made may know his work,
he stops every man from his labor.

Job 37:5-7

This is how much he loves me....

I don't need jewelry, flowers or expensive gifts. I don't desire exotic vacations or fancy clothes. Nope. I just need a little love. And my man knows what love means to me.

Do you know what Sean did last night? Knowing that I will be hosting two showers on Saturday and that my biggest cleaning challenge is my kitchen floor, he spent from 9:30- 12am scrubbing and stripping our white vinyl.

Our house was truly a gift from God in so many ways (I'll have to tell you the story someday). One of the best parts about it is the huge eat-in kitchen which actually serves us well in the winter as a rollerblading rink. But like most things, had I done it myself, I would have chosen a few things differently knowing the wear and tear involved with the traffic of our home. One of those is the white kitchen floor with those tiny groves which collect dirt over time and which is easily scuffed by church shoes. It is mopped fairly regularly (I use that term loosely), but over time has lost the look of being clean.

So last night after a full day of teaching and taking care of the kids while I went to work myself, Sean subjected himself to the chemicals and stripped that floor. I read about it here and must testify that is as bright and shiny as the morning sun. What a sight to behold!!

He loves me. He really, really loves me:)

This is the scuffed, dingy, unloved kitchen floor.

This is the kitchen floor that makes my heart palpitate.

Breakfast time

Hmm... Seven kids are begging for dinner, I've neglected to thaw out any of my freezer meals and nothing in the pantry seems to add up. It's time for breakfast!!

My favorite quick meal is scrambled eggs, bacon (cooked in the microwave) and cheese wrapped in a warm tortilla shell. I serve it with some sort of fruit (usually a banana) and chocolate milk (to make it extra special). The kids always love it and it takes literally less than 10 minutes to get it on the table. It's great for lunches, too.

Other breakfast foods have crept into our dinner routine as well. Since we eat the standard oatmeal/cereal in the morning, the kids are thrilled whenever they can get pancakes,sausage, hashbrowns or the like. Tonight, even, at the request of the Birthday Girl we ate breakfast by candlelight.



Be sure to check out Rocks in my Dryer this week for lots of quick meal ideas!

Birthday Girl

Lydia turns 10 today!!

To celebrate, last night we went to Great Times for her last chance to play in the balls. I love it that she still pretends and runs until she is out of breath just for the fun of it. Because it was a school night, we were the only family there. I so much enjoyed watching her engage the younger ones in games and seeing her swing and slide all over the play set. Sitting there I was remembering back to the days when I would take Hannah and Lydia to a small Burger King play land on winter mornings to get out of the apartment for a while. We were usually there alone and they would work so hard just to get up to the next step. Hannah (2) would try to lift Lydia (1) up so that she could come along. Both of their faces would be beet red from all the effort. I'd just sit and watch and they'd get it done. Oftentimes, however, I'd have to crawl up the slide to get them to come down. It seems like it's only been the blink of an eye since then.So much will change for Lydia in the next ten years. I am so grateful to be her mom and to a have a front row seat to watch all that God has in store for her.

There's going to be a party!!

My youngest sister, Vanessa, is getting married in early February and all the wheels are in motion. Next Saturday I will be hosting, along with my other two sisters, two wedding showers at my house. The first shower will take place at noon with (how shall we say?) the over 40 crowd. It will be a luncheon. The second shower will begin at 5:00 and is affectionately called the "Froo Froo and Fondue" shower where we anticipate great amounts of chocolate and giggling to be flowing late into the evening.

This is such a joyous time in our family's life. Vanessa has had a different road than most people her age. She graduated with an visual arts degree and then moved home for some time and worked as an administrative assistant. During these post college years of "what am I doing with my life" struggles, she answered God's call to serve Him through Bible translation. This entailed a summer in Thailand, 2 years of school around the country and eventually an assignment in St. Petersburg, Russia. When she committed to this she was committing to the isolation and uncertainties that lie ahead. She was placing herself in a setting where she may remain single for the rest of her life. There were many, many shed tears and long nights of conversation. This was a huge letting go for all of us. But Vanessa was willing to trust God and move ahead into the field regardless.

So, 16 months ago she sold all she had, said goodbye to her family and friends for 2-3 years and moved across the world to the begin this journey. It was in no way easy. Six months into her stay she began to notice a mass growing on her neck and her health failing. Within two weeks she was back in Indiana being tested for cancer. In early March Vanessa had a partial thyroidectomy- the mass was benign and she suffered some vocal damage that gradually healed.

God had in mind another type of healing for Vanessa as well. During the past year's uncertainties, she had regained contact with a long time school friend, Chris. Chris and Vanessa were in every grade school classroom together except one since the first grade. Chris always sought Vanessa's attention (to the point of annoyance sometimes) and companionship. He used to dress up in his special tie and cowboy boots for square dance day to be Vanessa's partner. Her first Junior High slow dance was with him. They did grow to become dear friends through their teen year, yet did not share a common faith. After high school Chris joined the military and they lost contact.

During those ten years apart, God called out to Chris and he responded in faith and has been growing every since. He is a remarkable father to his two children of whom he has sole custody today. Chris is intelligent, funny and strong. Most of all, he loves my sister in a way she has never known love. Vanessa has waited patiently and faithfully for God's best. And he clearly is just that. Chris says that he has always loved her and always will. This I believe.

Needless to say, we are over-the-top excited about this upcoming wedding!! And I really want to throw some great parties to celebrate!! This is where I need your help! We have the invitations sent and menus planned, but I am looking for some shower activities/games that would be fun and/or meaningful. I have a couple of ideas of my own, but at this point they aren't striking me as great.

Help me out ladies! Give me all your ideas. I need help.