Trying hard and now doing

Does it not seem that trying hard is a relative oxymoron. As my buddy Yoda would say from Star Wars. Do or do not- there is no try. Perhaps what I meant in my last post is that being a good mom, wife, etc., are important goals for me. I evaluate how well I do on a daily basis.

I fall far from the mark on most days. Will not bore you with the details but let's just say my tongue moves faster than my brain. My children have heard un-motherly sounding tones come from my mouth and I have rolled my eyes at my husband once too many.

Lately, I've been thinking that the reason I get so frustrated is because there is a gap between 'what I feel should have been achieved' and 'what has been achieved'. The hard part is realizing that what I felt should have been achieved is in no way realistic or possible.

Trying hard

I'm trying hard to stay on schedule. I'm trying hard to stay on budget. I'm trying hard to be a good mom. I'm trying hard to be a good wife.

I'm trying hard not to be negative. I'm trying hard to look at the bright side. I'm trying hard to make good decisions.

I'm trying hard to be organized. I'm trying hard to clean my house properly. I'm trying hard.

Vintage Jewelry

Anyone have any idea where to get vintage jewelry appraised? I finally went through my Mother-in-law's jewelry box. Here are some pretty cool pieces-

Shh! My life is too noisy

Would like to grow... just add quiet reflection

It seems as if God draws me closer to Him through trials. I'd liked to learn how to draw closer to God through quiet reflection and study of His word instead of through trials and tribulation. Do you think that's possible? So many illustrations point to the potter and the work that the potter does. He stretches and shapes the clay with pressure and sometimes has to begin again. Or what about the illustration of iron being sharpened. That in order for the blade to be sharp it has to be heated and shaved. It seems as if there is no easy way to grow. Only through difficult growth can we move forward.

Except, there are people I know who seem to not face any trials. They seem to be growing. They seem to be closer to God than the last time we talked. How is that? I want some of that. Some of that quiet reflection that brings me closer to being like Jesus. I'd prefer not to experience pain though. At least for a year. Let's have this be a pain-free year but still lots of spiritual growth. Do you think that's possible?

2010 January 1st

Well, here we go. The beginning of not only a new year but a new decade. What will this decade bring? At the beginning of this decade we did not have Jackson. We did not have our dog. We didn't even live in this house. We had different cars and went to a different church. We didn't have a teenager in the house.

This blog was non-existent. In fact, I think our email account was relatively new, maybe 2 or 3 years? I had 3 more grandparents than I do now.

I worked full-time and now I stay home with our kids working whenever I want. I didn't have a Master's degree and you could take liquids on an airplane.

I wonder what this new decade will hold. Any ideas? The year will 2020. Lauren will be 23, Emily will be 21 and Jackson will be 15. It's totally possible by the end of this decade we will be grandparents. Mind boggling.

Happy New Year

Tonight we celebrate God's blessings and provision from 2009. Hard to believe this year and all that it has entailed. I wish I could bullet all blessings from beginning to end but I do not have the strength. If you are that curious about my year you can go back and read in the archives.

Let me just say that at the beginning of this year we could not even guess that we would be unemployed for 6 months. Especially since Les had just started a new job the September before. With fear and trepidation I look at this upcoming year but only when I forget that despite the economic setback we endured --God's blessings saw us through. His amazing blessings. The details of the timing of the unemployment right down to the time of the reemployment were exactly perfect. The fact that Les' boss called him back to work for 25/30 hours a week kept us afloat. The whole COBRA allowance helped tremendously and allowed us to keep our insurance and not lose our house.

January 4th starts a new job for Les. I have 3 new students and because of that my schedule is full. I have no empty spaces and even a waiting list. Economically we'll be able to move forward. To catch up and be better stewards. I want to remember all that God has provided for us in this last year. Like standing stones I want people to see God's hand in our lives. That even on the crummiest of days we made it. God provided a way. He parted the river and we are standing again on solid ground.

God bless your 2010. I pray that it is a year of blessings and just enough trials to bring you closer to Him.

Before and After-After Pictures on top!

Working out

Okay, so today is my Wii Workout day. I'm happy for it. Absolutely happy for it. I will say that over and over and over and over. Why can't I just be healthy. Isn't health in the constitution? Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness..... Guess not. It seems though, however, that it should be a given. Like air. Health should be like air. A given.

I'm almost done with the Family Room. In the midst of finishing the family room I have shopped the house and now I have empty bedroom walls and an empty hall way. Thats okay though because it gives me an excuse to finish some other projects. Can't wait to post the true before and the final after pictures.

Almost there.... but not quite

The bottom two pictures are the after... in case you are wondering. Found that bird cage on the mantle for $2.00 at the Goodwill and love it. Still working....