Thankful Catch-Up

Day 16 -
Food!
I love all things food! Food is so good! I wish I knew how to make more and was able to explore the ins-and-outs of cooking more. Food is something to bond over, and I think that's my favorite part of food. I love that family gatherings start when meal planning starts. I love that they end with splitting what's left and making sure everyone goes home satisfied with left-overs!
My favorites are:
Main Dish: tacos (a family fav), pizza, BBQ pulled chicken or pork
Sides: mashed potatoes with ketchup (don't judge), corn, broccoli-cauliflower salad
Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake, Ice Cream, Apple Crisp
Junk Food: Cheez-its (Cheddar Jack), Oreo's, Skittles
Other: Salads, Blueberries, Baked Goods (muffins and cookies are a fav.)

Day 17 -
My Father and Father-in-Law!
Each have done so much for our families. They provide support, love, knowledge, lead by example, and so much more.
My dad taught me to play sports, love classic cartoons, and was an example of what a husband and father should be to his family. He was involved in my schooling by being on the school board and making sure that the best education was available to me. My dad continues to love his family and support them through his great wisdom and his lasting patience (which can only come with raising four stubborn girls!). I love you, Dad! Thanks for always being there.
Hubby's dad is full of knowledge in so many areas. He's not afraid to try anything once when it comes to fixing things. He's always willing to learn and teach. He has always worked hard for his family and continues to support them with his wisdom.

Day 18-
Storms!
Although I love storms and the strange relaxation they bring to me I'm not a fan of the weather we had this past Sunday. We had threat of severe weather that included tornado warnings north and south of us. We never did see this severe weather but we did experience a good thunderstorm along with some frightening wind. There were a few things we had under our play deck that blew out all over our yard. Our friends and their neighbor both had damage to their roofs. There were trees down in the area and many were without power for a few days.
I still am thankful for storms though. They bring me a giddy feeling, an exciting anxiousness that...it's inexplicable. I just love them!

Day 19-
Coffee Break!
Love the ladies in Coffee break! Love the leaders! Love the fellowship! Love the Bible Study!
I'm so thankful for all these things. God created women to be relational and Coffee Break is a great way that I get to fulfill part of who God has called me to be!
This year we are doing two studies. This study we are in right now is amazing! Not only do I love reading books/studies by Priscilla Shirer but I love the encouragement and the realness she brings to it all! If you get a chance to pick up a study by her I would encourage you to DO IT! The one we are studying right now is called One In A Million.

Day 20-
Volunteering (in P-man's School)
I like volunteering but in the past few years (since having little ones) it has been hard. Luckily, P-man has entered a school that loves to have parents volunteer in the classroom. Especially in Kindergarten. There is a parent volunteer in the class for 2 hours - 3 days a week. I have done it three times (there are lots of parents that volunteer and we are on a monthly rotating schedule). Not only do I get to know the kids he is with all day long but I also get to see how he interacts in school. Sometimes he forgets I'm there and I get that "fly on the wall" experience.
I'm thankful that I get to experience all this right now. I'm thankful I get to show P-man about helping others, volunteering, and showing him, most importantly, that I am involved in his education and for his education!

Day 21-
Time with Twinners
Since the twinners have been around P-man has always been there too. Since P-man has started school though I get special time to just spend with the twinners. For just over 7 hours I get the twinners all to myself. I get to take them shopping, on play dates, read books, watch them play, spend time with them that P-man got to experience when the twinners would take naps!
I'm so thankful for this time to help them grow into young kids that love God and are caring and joyful and just plain awesome kids!

Thankful Day 14

Girls Night Out!!!     (I wish there was a glittery font for this!) :)

I get two this week! One was last night (on the 14th) and the other is tonight! WOW! I hardly ever get one...maybe I should have spread them out more??

I think there will be a lot of GNO's tonight with it being opening day of hunting season! Our church GEMS program is putting one on tonight and I have to say that I am so excited to go! Pinterest crafting, vendors for Christmas gifts, and an entrance fee that goes directly to the GEMS program are all great perks to having fun with friends.

image above found here

Last night, though, two of my girlfriends and I went to a local restaurant to enjoy some girl time and get away from the house. With all of us being stay-at-home or work-at-home moms it was very much needed.

I love these two girls because of what they offer me; encouragement, laughter, Godly friendship, and so much more! We have kids that are the same age, we are going through the same things, we go through very different things (so it's continued learning about each other) too!

I can't believe we sat at the restaurant for over three hours and just talked and ate and saved lots of money! One of the reasons we went was to celebrate birthdays! Well, this place gives great strawberry shortcake desserts for free to birthday people! We also had an Entertainment Book coupon and a coupon for free Pizza Puffs! I'm still stuffed this morning.

I need to plan more time with girlfriends because it is so refreshing and the fellowship is so needed for women because we are social beings and need to talk with more than just our families!

So thankful today {yesterday} for the GNO and for the girls that help keep me sane!!

Work-At-Home Mom {A Guest Post}

The guest post today is brought to you by my younger sister, Shari. She is a work-at-home mom of 2 beautiful kids, ages 2 years and a newborn. Her husband, John, has been a great support for her during this time of transition to being a work-at-home mom and works hard himself at the office, on the road, and from home. Here is Shari's story as to how she became a work-at-home mom.

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Background and Transitions

After college I struggled to find a job in my field. I’ve always loved writing but didn’t know how God wanted me to use it. I applied to several places before finally landing a great job at a local Christian Ministry as a phone representative in 2009. While it wasn’t in my field, I knew I had opportunities to move to other areas within the ministry which would better fit my qualifications. In September 2010 my husband and I were overjoyed to find out that we were expecting our first child! We soon talked about how we would handle our finances in case I chose not to go back to work. Little did I know what God had in store.

For a few months, I had been helping the transcription and correspondence (T&C) team occasionally when people were on vacation. I loved it because I was able to use my writing skills. Later that year, one of the ladies on the T&C team quit, and they asked me to move from the phone team to their team full time. Not only was I going to be able to write, but they offered me an at-home position!

Since January 2011 I have been a work-at-home mom. This has not always been an easy task. There are sacrifices I’ve made in order to continue working after having kids. However, being able to raise my children while still contributing to my family’s finances is a blessing beyond compare. I want to share a few of the sacrifices I make each day when I choose to work at home, as well as the blessings.

Sacrifices

1) I can’t spend as much time with my children as I would like. This is hard for my 2 year old to understand. Mommy is at home, but she has work to do and can’t always play.

2) Time with my husband. With having to take care of the children during the day, I usually wait until after the kids are in bed before I finish my work. This obviously cuts into the time that I should be spending with my husband.

3) A bit of my income. In order to have some time during the day when I can solely concentrate on work, I have hired a babysitter to watch my children a couple of times a week.

While these sacrifices are occasionally difficult to deal with, there are also many blessings about being able to work from home.

Blessings

1) The most obvious and greatest blessing is that I get to raise my children myself. While I do hire a babysitter, her hours are minimal and I don’t have to put my children in daycare for 8 or more hours a day. I still get to watch them grow and learn even if I’m not the one playing with them at that time.

2) I get to keep most of my income. Again, while I do pay a babysitter, the majority of my income stays with me because I’m not paying a daycare provider an exorbitant amount of money to care for my children. This makes continuing to work part time worth the while.

3) I can somewhat set my own hours. While there are a few tasks that require very specific, time-sensitive deadlines, most of my tasks allow me to work whenever I have time. This means that I can usually play with the kids while they are awake and work while they are sleeping.

Final Thoughts

Being a work-at-home mom can be very frustrating and overwhelming, but the blessings far outweigh the sacrifices. I know that working at home isn’t for everyone. But if you are presented with the opportunity, I would encourage you to spend some time seriously thinking and praying about it. God will guide you and help you if you seek Him.

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Thank you, Shari, for sharing your story! Leave Shari some love in the comments!

Coming to terms with '30'

Yes, I just revealed my real age {GASP}.

I don't buy into the whole "don't ask women their age, they will never reveal their true age" thing. I'm not afraid of a number, most the time I don't even feel that number. I either feel way too immature for that age or my body is way to sore and I feel older.

Maybe that will all change once I turn '31'? Will I want to admit that I'm actually into my thirties by one whole year?

Since turning '30' I have noticed a decline is somethings I used to think were quite sharp.

Noticed: My metabolism has slowed greatly. Yup, and I have the muffin top to prove it.
Solution: Create a workout routine and stick to it! I've never had an official workout routine, unless you count the semester in college that I took a class that took place in the weight room. Getting into a workout routine will be good for me. It'll keep my body healthy and increase my metabolism.

Noticed: My eye sight is declining.
Solution: Wear my glasses like my doctor tells me to instead of when I remember. I haven't had to wear glasses since elementary school and getting into a routine of remembering to put on my glasses each morning is tough. I don't need them to see in front of me but rather in order to read words clearly on a screen. I must work on this!

Noticed: Scatter Brain
Solution: Lists, Lists, and more Lists. I'm hoping the workout routine will help with this as well! a healthy, active body can help keep a mind sharp. I've noticed, though, that getting up and moving right away in the morning can help me feel energized for the rest of the day. Getting my mind active right away, instead of laying in bed while checking email or reading blogs, is one way I'm going to help defeat scatter brain!

There are many more things but these are the top 3 I have found to be the most noticeable!

What do you find on the decline as you age?