Being a one car family was short lived. Extremely short lived. We were prepared for the long haul. I was actually a little excited about the whole idea. It seemed like an adventure.
The day after we sold our truck, my parents called and offered us their Toyota Camry. They recently purchased a new car and the Camry was going to be gathering dust. They thought they might use it every once in a while, but decided to let us have it instead. What a blessing!
It's pretty old with a ton of miles on it, but gets amazing gas mileage. The inside is a little creaky and the stereo is terrible, but the paint job is great. Overall, it is a terrific second vehicle for us. We love having cheap vehicles that run well. It's pretty freeing not feeling like I have to worry about a car.
We are incredibly blessed by God to have the vehicles we have. I am reminded of that every time I start the engine.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
An Important Lesson Learned
I decided today to venture to the park in order to get out some wiggles. Our homeschool group meets every Thursday to socialize and play. We haven't gone too much this year because it is extremely exhausting for me. It can be challenging to keep an eye on all three littles at one time.
Things were going well. I was able to talk to a few moms and the kids were having a good time playing on the playground. I would constantly scan the area keeping an eye on my kids. Then, a mom came over asking if we knew who the kid was that was running away from the park towards the street. I looked up and could see Nathaniel taking off. Seriously, I had just seen him a few minutes before on the playground.
I wasn't worried because a group of boys were chasing him down along with another mother from the park. I didn't know this mother, but was grateful for her willingness to catch my son when I wasn't aware he had gone off. I headed toward the returning group to reclaim my son.
When I had him back with me, this other mother became furious with me. She said she was shaking she was so upset. She had yelled at the boys that had tried to chase down Nathaniel and now she had yelled at me. If looks could kill, I would have been a goner.
What lesson did I learn? You would think that maybe I learned to be more careful at the park. But, this is not the lesson I learned today. The lesson I learned was to extend grace to other parents who have appeared to be irresponsible. Now, I'm not talking about the parent who does not put their child in a car seat. Or a parent who repeatedly neglects their child. I'm talking about the parents who divert their eyes for a moment. No parent is perfect. I am not perfect and things happen. I need a ton of grace every day.
Things were going well. I was able to talk to a few moms and the kids were having a good time playing on the playground. I would constantly scan the area keeping an eye on my kids. Then, a mom came over asking if we knew who the kid was that was running away from the park towards the street. I looked up and could see Nathaniel taking off. Seriously, I had just seen him a few minutes before on the playground.
I wasn't worried because a group of boys were chasing him down along with another mother from the park. I didn't know this mother, but was grateful for her willingness to catch my son when I wasn't aware he had gone off. I headed toward the returning group to reclaim my son.
When I had him back with me, this other mother became furious with me. She said she was shaking she was so upset. She had yelled at the boys that had tried to chase down Nathaniel and now she had yelled at me. If looks could kill, I would have been a goner.
What lesson did I learn? You would think that maybe I learned to be more careful at the park. But, this is not the lesson I learned today. The lesson I learned was to extend grace to other parents who have appeared to be irresponsible. Now, I'm not talking about the parent who does not put their child in a car seat. Or a parent who repeatedly neglects their child. I'm talking about the parents who divert their eyes for a moment. No parent is perfect. I am not perfect and things happen. I need a ton of grace every day.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Two Years Ago Today!!
Two years ago we met our sweet Lily for the first time.
It's hard to imagine she was once this little girl with a shaved head.
She began to change so quickly.
She's smart, funny, loving, and a precious little girl.
I love her so much it hurts.
It's hard to imagine she was once this little girl with a shaved head.
I love her so much it hurts.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Becoming a One Car Family
Yesterday evening we became a one car family. We have tossed this idea around for awhile, but never felt it would benefit us greatly. Our second vehicle was a truck that Jon used primarily for work. It was paid for and not costing a whole lot to keep. The plan was to keep it until we had enough cash to buy a used car that would fit more of our family.
Then enter five children who seemed to make frequent trips to the pediatrician, ophthalmologist, orthodontist, and dentist. Not to mention the upcoming appointments to the dermatologist and endocrinologist. It's amazing how fast those bills stack up. We thought we had planned enough savings to account for these bills, but were having a hard time keeping up.
The idea of selling the truck started to look more appealing. We would easily be able to pay for our medical bills, buy next years curriculum, and stash some away in our savings account. So, on Monday, we listed it on Craig's List.
We had several calls, but no visits. Finally, yesterday we received a call from a man who wanted to come check it out. Two older gentlemen showed up at our door.
The taller gentleman, "Frank", explained to me that he had befriended "Sam" some time before at a local nursery. Frank is a doctor here in town and met Sam while buying some plants. They struck up a friendship. Frank and his family seemed to have taken Sam under their wing. Frank helped him get out of a bad loan with his previous truck, and then would help scour the adds looking for a truck that Sam could afford. Then the unthinkable happened; Sam was laid off. Acquiring an affordable, yet reliable truck became even more important. This truck would help Sam start his own landscaping business.
It was such a blessing to see this Christian doctor looking out for Sam. He has made an investment into the life of another, and we were able to witness Christ's love in action. We were blessed so much to be able to see our truck go to someone who really needed it.
We have no idea how long we will be a one car family. It should not be too difficult. Jon works a mile away, so he can ride his bike or I can drive him on days I need the car. We are ready to take on this adventure.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works! —Psalm 105:1-2
Then enter five children who seemed to make frequent trips to the pediatrician, ophthalmologist, orthodontist, and dentist. Not to mention the upcoming appointments to the dermatologist and endocrinologist. It's amazing how fast those bills stack up. We thought we had planned enough savings to account for these bills, but were having a hard time keeping up.
The idea of selling the truck started to look more appealing. We would easily be able to pay for our medical bills, buy next years curriculum, and stash some away in our savings account. So, on Monday, we listed it on Craig's List.
We had several calls, but no visits. Finally, yesterday we received a call from a man who wanted to come check it out. Two older gentlemen showed up at our door.
The taller gentleman, "Frank", explained to me that he had befriended "Sam" some time before at a local nursery. Frank is a doctor here in town and met Sam while buying some plants. They struck up a friendship. Frank and his family seemed to have taken Sam under their wing. Frank helped him get out of a bad loan with his previous truck, and then would help scour the adds looking for a truck that Sam could afford. Then the unthinkable happened; Sam was laid off. Acquiring an affordable, yet reliable truck became even more important. This truck would help Sam start his own landscaping business.
It was such a blessing to see this Christian doctor looking out for Sam. He has made an investment into the life of another, and we were able to witness Christ's love in action. We were blessed so much to be able to see our truck go to someone who really needed it.
We have no idea how long we will be a one car family. It should not be too difficult. Jon works a mile away, so he can ride his bike or I can drive him on days I need the car. We are ready to take on this adventure.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works! —Psalm 105:1-2
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Preschool Weeks 5 and 6
Week five for preschool took us awhile. We had a ton of doctor appointments and then Mae's surgery. We finally made it through. Here's what my lesson plans looked like for the week. I'm slowly adding links to my lesson plans so you will know where I am getting my ideas. Here's a look at last weeks plan.
Preschool Week 5
We are moving on this week to the letter "F" and the number 6. Our theme is Fish. We will be home the majority of the week, so I expect to get quite a bit done.
Preschool Week 6
Mae had a speech appointment last week and the teacher was working with her on classification. She didn't understand this at all so I made up a printable to work into our lesson plans. Since I have learned how to share documents on my blog, I thought I would add it if anyone was interested. I plan on cutting everything out and laminating them.
Classification
Preschool Week 5
We are moving on this week to the letter "F" and the number 6. Our theme is Fish. We will be home the majority of the week, so I expect to get quite a bit done.
Preschool Week 6
Mae had a speech appointment last week and the teacher was working with her on classification. She didn't understand this at all so I made up a printable to work into our lesson plans. Since I have learned how to share documents on my blog, I thought I would add it if anyone was interested. I plan on cutting everything out and laminating them.
Classification
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Surgery Update (Mae - Brachial Plexus Nerve Injury)
When I got the call for the time of Mae's surgery Wednesday afternoon, I was completely thrown for a loop. I expected I would need to be at Shriners early in the morning, but I never expected to leave at 3 a.m. My dad, who was my chauffeur for the trip, and I decided that we would leave that afternoon and spend the night.
The wonderful thing about Shriners is that they will book your accommodations. Ronald McDonald House was full, so we were going to stay at a hotel near by. It was not too much money for one night, which I was grateful. Within an hour Shriners called back and told me that they were going to be paying for our hotel. Wow! What a blessing.
Our alarm went off at 5 a.m. Ugh! I don't really enjoy getting up that early. Mae threw her arm over her eyes and declared that it was too bright. Poor thing. She was wanting to sleep a little longer.
We arrived at the hospital right on time and then proceeded to do a lot of waiting. It takes awhile to get admitted, take some x-rays, and fill out paperwork. By the time we left her side it was 9:30. The doctor said she should be out around 11 with an update. I was pretty laid back about the whole thing until 11 o'clock rolled around and then left. Even though it was not a scary surgery, my imagination started to take off with all the what-ifs as the clock ticked by. I kept reminding myself that God loves her more than I do and He will take care of her.
Finally around 11:30 the doctor came out and told us it was a success. Phew! What a relief. My body instantly relaxed. Twenty minutes later I was led back to my sweet girl. She was pretty out of it. They informed me that she could not have behaved any better.
I did learn a few things about brachial plexus. About 1 in 1000 births result with this type of injury. However, only 10% of those injuries are to the extent of Mae's. I don't think that her injury would have been better if treated right away. I do think that it could have been prevented during delivery. Who knows what kind of medical intervention her birth mama had when she was born.
The drive home was a little challenging. I'm so glad that my dad was there to drive. Mae threw up the juice she was drinking twice. We had to make a couple stops on the way home which dragged out the trip. It was a relief to finally be home around 5 this evening. All in all, we were gone 24 hours: 7 hours were spent driving, 8 hours were sleeping, and 7 hours were spent at the hospital. It was a long 24 hours and I am glad to be done.
The wonderful thing about Shriners is that they will book your accommodations. Ronald McDonald House was full, so we were going to stay at a hotel near by. It was not too much money for one night, which I was grateful. Within an hour Shriners called back and told me that they were going to be paying for our hotel. Wow! What a blessing.
Our alarm went off at 5 a.m. Ugh! I don't really enjoy getting up that early. Mae threw her arm over her eyes and declared that it was too bright. Poor thing. She was wanting to sleep a little longer.
We arrived at the hospital right on time and then proceeded to do a lot of waiting. It takes awhile to get admitted, take some x-rays, and fill out paperwork. By the time we left her side it was 9:30. The doctor said she should be out around 11 with an update. I was pretty laid back about the whole thing until 11 o'clock rolled around and then left. Even though it was not a scary surgery, my imagination started to take off with all the what-ifs as the clock ticked by. I kept reminding myself that God loves her more than I do and He will take care of her.
Finally around 11:30 the doctor came out and told us it was a success. Phew! What a relief. My body instantly relaxed. Twenty minutes later I was led back to my sweet girl. She was pretty out of it. They informed me that she could not have behaved any better.
I did learn a few things about brachial plexus. About 1 in 1000 births result with this type of injury. However, only 10% of those injuries are to the extent of Mae's. I don't think that her injury would have been better if treated right away. I do think that it could have been prevented during delivery. Who knows what kind of medical intervention her birth mama had when she was born.
The drive home was a little challenging. I'm so glad that my dad was there to drive. Mae threw up the juice she was drinking twice. We had to make a couple stops on the way home which dragged out the trip. It was a relief to finally be home around 5 this evening. All in all, we were gone 24 hours: 7 hours were spent driving, 8 hours were sleeping, and 7 hours were spent at the hospital. It was a long 24 hours and I am glad to be done.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
One More Vision Update
I just received an estimated visual acuity in the mail today from the ophthalmologist. Lily is 20/200 and Nathaniel is 20/400. This is their corrected vision. It will be interesting to see how that changes over the years. I must admit that I was surprised by both of them. I thought Lily would be worse and Nathaniel better. Even though they are legally blind, I know that they will conquer all they set their minds to.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Vision Update on Nathaniel and Lily
After waiting five months, we finally had Nathaniel's vision looked into. The visit was very strange. We got into an opthamologist that no one can get into. The Dr. seemed to have forgotten that she allowed us in and questioned me how we were able to make an appointment. Once that was cleared up, we were able to get on with the visit.
I walked out of the office frustrated. Lily's last opthamologist said she had an astigmatism and prescribed glasses that would correct that. This doctor says she does not have an astigmatism. That is a huge difference! Maybe this answers why Lily was not wanting to wear her glasses. Hopefully, we now have the correct prescription.
It appears that Nathaniel does not need glasses. The unexpected was that he has a small optic nerve. This can possibly go along with the fact that he is so tiny. We will be referred to an Endochronologist. I'm not sure what all that means, but plan to get to the bottom of it.
We still do not know their visual acuity. I keep hoping that each visit will tell us but, that is not the case. I guess they need to get a little older before they can assess acuity. So, we don't know how bad their vision is. I have no idea if they will be able to be print readers or need to learn Braille. I'm praying that large font and magnification will be all that is needed. I'm trying to trust in the Lord and not jump ahead to the possibilities and what ifs.
I walked out of the office frustrated. Lily's last opthamologist said she had an astigmatism and prescribed glasses that would correct that. This doctor says she does not have an astigmatism. That is a huge difference! Maybe this answers why Lily was not wanting to wear her glasses. Hopefully, we now have the correct prescription.
It appears that Nathaniel does not need glasses. The unexpected was that he has a small optic nerve. This can possibly go along with the fact that he is so tiny. We will be referred to an Endochronologist. I'm not sure what all that means, but plan to get to the bottom of it.
We still do not know their visual acuity. I keep hoping that each visit will tell us but, that is not the case. I guess they need to get a little older before they can assess acuity. So, we don't know how bad their vision is. I have no idea if they will be able to be print readers or need to learn Braille. I'm praying that large font and magnification will be all that is needed. I'm trying to trust in the Lord and not jump ahead to the possibilities and what ifs.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
A Field Trip and Preschool Plans Week 3
It took us two weeks to get through my last set of lesson plans. It seemed like we were pretty busy. One thing we did last week that was really fun was a field trip to the grocery store.
We started off by having a lesson on the food groups, now called My Plate.
We were a very noisy group.
Samples from the deli were yummy.
But, the free cookies were the best!
We started off by having a lesson on the food groups, now called My Plate.
Then we headed to the market. We found different food that would fit in the categories of My Plate.
We were a very noisy group.
Samples from the deli were yummy.
But, the free cookies were the best!
I'm really looking forward to preschool this week. I have teamed up with my neighbor and good friend, Jenny. She will be bringing her girls down to my house four days a week and I will bring my clan to her house once a week. I love to teach circle time and she loves to do crafts. It's a win win situation! It will be like a real preschool! All five kids are pretty close in age; Ava is 5, Nathaniel is 4.5, Lily is 3, and Darcy and Mae are both 2.5.
Our verse is Philippians 2:14
Our theme this week will be cats.Our new vocabulary word is claws.
Books for the week are:
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone Curious Kittens by Roy Volkmann Kittens Are Like That by Jan Pfloog The Little Kitten by Judy Dunn Five Little Kittens by Nancy Jewell Kittens Love by Lisa McCue
Our poem is:
Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been? I've been to London to visit the Queen! Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there? I frightened a little mouse under her chair.
We will be studying the letters A-D and numbers 1-4.
We will continue to review our colors, shapes, and name recognition.
Gross motor will be rolling a ball back and forth to each other.
We'll make patterns with our pattern blocks.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Update on Mae (Brachial Plexus)
This last Wednesday Mae and I headed up to Sacramento to visit Shriners Children Hospital. We had just been there three months before and I didn't understand why we were returning so soon. During the last visit, I got the impression that all we needed to do was some occupational therapy to keep her current mobility. There wasn't anything they could do to further her arm and hand function.
We traveled along the long, boring route amidst constant rain. It was not a very enjoyable trip. Mae was absolutely perfect on the drive.
We arrived to our appointment early and went almost right in. The occupational therapist came first and started to play with Mae in order to asses her arm and hand movement. A few things were better from our initial visit and a few were worse. I assumed they would send us off with an encouragement to just keep stretching her tight spots. Imagine my surprise when the doctor walked in at the end.
Surgery.
Yep. We are headed back to the hospital on April 5th for Mae to have surgery on her arm. Her forearm turns out instead of towards her body. They want to reroute her bicep in order to keep her arm from contracting more. The goal is to keep her arm as it is for as long as possible. The doctor told me that her brachial plexus damage is actually quite severe. This surprised me because Mae uses her arm so much. The usage she has is the reason why the doctor considers doing this surgery. The want to keep her using it.
My response?
I took it all in stride. It's hard to get too worked up about it when I had just recently spent some time at the hospital with a friend who's daughter had one leg amputated and the other reconstructed. That was intense. Mae's surgery is so minor compared. Don't get me wrong. Any surgery is a big deal. Mae will be under anesthesia for at least an hour. They will be cutting into her arm and muscle. It's just that I know we will make it to the other side. God loves my little one immensely and will see her through. Prayers will be spoken for my little one by friends and family at home. She is in good hands.
What will be the outcome?
After the surgery, Mae will be in a cast for seven weeks. (I'm sure she will pick pink!) I completely blanked on asking about the incision. I have no idea where that will be or how long. I may call next week to find that out. However, it doesn't make much difference. Once the cast is off we will not see much difference. She will not have more mobility. It probably won't even look different. However, it will keep her arm from twisting up on her causing her to lose what she has. For this I am thankful.
So, keep my sweet Mae in your prayers. Pray that her mama will stay calm while waiting for the surgery to end. (Jon will be in LA that day and the next.) Pray for the pain management. Pray for Dr. Bauer as she navigates muscle, tendons, and nerves. Pray for the seven weeks after that the cast will not frustrate her.
tenacious: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired.
That's my girl: tenacious, persistent, sweet, loving, beautiful, and bright. I know that no lack of mobility will ever slow her down. She's ready to take on the world!
We traveled along the long, boring route amidst constant rain. It was not a very enjoyable trip. Mae was absolutely perfect on the drive.
We arrived to our appointment early and went almost right in. The occupational therapist came first and started to play with Mae in order to asses her arm and hand movement. A few things were better from our initial visit and a few were worse. I assumed they would send us off with an encouragement to just keep stretching her tight spots. Imagine my surprise when the doctor walked in at the end.
Surgery.
Yep. We are headed back to the hospital on April 5th for Mae to have surgery on her arm. Her forearm turns out instead of towards her body. They want to reroute her bicep in order to keep her arm from contracting more. The goal is to keep her arm as it is for as long as possible. The doctor told me that her brachial plexus damage is actually quite severe. This surprised me because Mae uses her arm so much. The usage she has is the reason why the doctor considers doing this surgery. The want to keep her using it.
My response?
I took it all in stride. It's hard to get too worked up about it when I had just recently spent some time at the hospital with a friend who's daughter had one leg amputated and the other reconstructed. That was intense. Mae's surgery is so minor compared. Don't get me wrong. Any surgery is a big deal. Mae will be under anesthesia for at least an hour. They will be cutting into her arm and muscle. It's just that I know we will make it to the other side. God loves my little one immensely and will see her through. Prayers will be spoken for my little one by friends and family at home. She is in good hands.
What will be the outcome?
After the surgery, Mae will be in a cast for seven weeks. (I'm sure she will pick pink!) I completely blanked on asking about the incision. I have no idea where that will be or how long. I may call next week to find that out. However, it doesn't make much difference. Once the cast is off we will not see much difference. She will not have more mobility. It probably won't even look different. However, it will keep her arm from twisting up on her causing her to lose what she has. For this I am thankful.
So, keep my sweet Mae in your prayers. Pray that her mama will stay calm while waiting for the surgery to end. (Jon will be in LA that day and the next.) Pray for the pain management. Pray for Dr. Bauer as she navigates muscle, tendons, and nerves. Pray for the seven weeks after that the cast will not frustrate her.
That's my girl: tenacious, persistent, sweet, loving, beautiful, and bright. I know that no lack of mobility will ever slow her down. She's ready to take on the world!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Preschool Plans Week 2 (With links and pictures)
Well, it took us a few weeks to get through week one of my lesson plans. We had many disruptions to our schedule which caused us to not get much done. We are back on track, and it makes such a huge difference.
Here's my plan for week 2.
Bible time- Sing This Little Light of Mine and Jesus Loves Even Me from WeeSing Bible Songs. Read a bible story. (We love The Beginner's Bible.) Go over verse for the week. (Matthew 5:9) The verses are on this blog. You need to scroll down the page a bit. Review past verse. Pray.
Theme- This weeks theme is- Jungle. The vocab word will be vines. Books for the week are: Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, said the Sloth; Splash. The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle; Rumble in the Jungle; The Loudest Roar. All of these books are available through our library. I LOVE the library!
Gross Motor- Act out different jungle animals while listening to Carnival of the Animals. Elephants, tigers, monkeys, birds.
Letter of the Week- We are learning the letter B and the sound. I'm using these printouts for introduction. I also made these great felt letters.
These are wonderful for my visually impaired kids. They are big and tactile.I'm working on a lower case set.
It is so easy to fill up an hour with these little kids. They are sponges! I'm amazed at how well they sit and participate. I'm also going to slowly work on getting them to use a crayon tracing letters and numbers. Heck, I'd settle for just learning to somewhat color them. Fine motor is not a strength in this house. We'll see how productive we are this week.
Here's my plan for week 2.
Bible time- Sing This Little Light of Mine and Jesus Loves Even Me from WeeSing Bible Songs. Read a bible story. (We love The Beginner's Bible.) Go over verse for the week. (Matthew 5:9) The verses are on this blog. You need to scroll down the page a bit. Review past verse. Pray.
Theme- This weeks theme is- Jungle. The vocab word will be vines. Books for the week are: Slowly, Slowly, Slowly, said the Sloth; Splash. The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle; Rumble in the Jungle; The Loudest Roar. All of these books are available through our library. I LOVE the library!
Gross Motor- Act out different jungle animals while listening to Carnival of the Animals. Elephants, tigers, monkeys, birds.
Letter of the Week- We are learning the letter B and the sound. I'm using these printouts for introduction. I also made these great felt letters.
These are wonderful for my visually impaired kids. They are big and tactile.I'm working on a lower case set.
I also have these felt finger puppets that like to come out and play. Each one corresponds with a letter.
The kids love them. I made them long ago when the boys were in preschool. I've since lost the book with the patterns. I have a few left to make and was fortunate to get the patterns again from my aunt who had copies.
Number of the Week- We are on #2. We are counting to ten with counting bears, and learning to verbally count to 20.
Patterns- Simple patterns with counting bears.
Prepositions- Review previous and introduce inside and outside.
Poem- Once I Saw a Little Bird
Once I saw a little bird
Come hop, hop, hop
So I cried, Little bird,
Will you stop, stop, stop?
I was going to the window
To say, How do you do?
But he shook his little tail
And away he flew.
Colors- Review color cards. (I went to the paint department and picked out color card samples.)
Shapes- Introduce Star. Review past shapes. I use these flash cards. I have some other cards we use, but I can't find the link.
Name, Age, and Gender- I made name cards for them so they can start identifying their written names.
Songs for the Week- Six Little Ducks, ABC's, Kookabura.
It is so easy to fill up an hour with these little kids. They are sponges! I'm amazed at how well they sit and participate. I'm also going to slowly work on getting them to use a crayon tracing letters and numbers. Heck, I'd settle for just learning to somewhat color them. Fine motor is not a strength in this house. We'll see how productive we are this week.
Friday, February 24, 2012
A Moment to Remember
My soon to be teenager is so sweet with his younger siblings. He has stepped up in so many ways these last few months. I am blessed to call him my son.This picture is a little old, but so sweet.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A Fabulous Ski Trip
Every year we head up the mountain for a fabulous ski field trip. China Peak offers a great deal for school groups. I manage the paperwork and needed to be up there to make the final payment. This meant bringing all three littles with us.
Doesn't sound fun!
So.... we have some amazing friends who let us stay in their cabin near the slopes. The littles and I went back to the cabin after lunch while the big boys and Jon enjoyed snowboarding.
We had a great time.
Observance of Lent
Lent is something I have never really thought of. In fact, I don't know much about the religious tradition. I do know, though, that a season of fasting can bring one closer to God. It can draw us nearer to Him, and remind us to look to Him for our strength and fulfillment.
I woke up this morning and noticed a few posts about observing this season. I felt convicted to give it a try. I have always struggled with spending too much time on the Internet. Now that I have an iPad, that struggle has increased. When there is a free moment in my day, you will see my iPad in my hand. I LOVE it!
So, my goal is to decrease my time spent on my iPad. I want to end my day with completed projects, loved on children, and time spent with my husband. There are a few things I will still use it for.
Bible: I read my bible every morning on my iPad. I am currently doing the chronological through the year program. I have been more consistent with this than ever before and do not want to lose that momentum.
Menu planning, grocery lists, and cooking: I have been working on becoming paperless with my menus and recipes. It would be hard for me to make my grocery lists and cook without my iPad. It really does save me time.
Checking email: I do still need to check my email. However, I do not need to do this all day! I will check once in the morning and then walk away. This will be tough!
Blogging: I would like to also keep blogging. This is something that I really enjoy, and have a purpose for.
So, there you have it. 40 days of discipline. It sure is going to be hard, but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phililpians 4:13
I woke up this morning and noticed a few posts about observing this season. I felt convicted to give it a try. I have always struggled with spending too much time on the Internet. Now that I have an iPad, that struggle has increased. When there is a free moment in my day, you will see my iPad in my hand. I LOVE it!
So, my goal is to decrease my time spent on my iPad. I want to end my day with completed projects, loved on children, and time spent with my husband. There are a few things I will still use it for.
Bible: I read my bible every morning on my iPad. I am currently doing the chronological through the year program. I have been more consistent with this than ever before and do not want to lose that momentum.
Menu planning, grocery lists, and cooking: I have been working on becoming paperless with my menus and recipes. It would be hard for me to make my grocery lists and cook without my iPad. It really does save me time.
Checking email: I do still need to check my email. However, I do not need to do this all day! I will check once in the morning and then walk away. This will be tough!
Blogging: I would like to also keep blogging. This is something that I really enjoy, and have a purpose for.
So, there you have it. 40 days of discipline. It sure is going to be hard, but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phililpians 4:13
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