Author name: amy

Good morning ladies, hope your all up and awake and ready to start your day!  I just woke up to my husband’s alarm clock–thank goodness.  Mine was off:)  I took a shower and threw in a load of laundry. I walked out to the kitchen and noticed a pair of jeans on the floor—-do guys just leave them wherever they want?!?!?!  I don’t understand that.  I picked them up and realized they aren’t very dirty, so why do more laundry?  I sprayed them with some Febreeze and hung them up.  Never thought I would do that, but they won’t know any different.  Unless of course they read this:) Then as I was emptying my hamper, I noticed that the bottom was yucky in the corners.  Things you think of when guests are coming to visit.   I brought it out to the kitchen and sprayed it off.  Turned on the coffee pot and here I sit at my laptop:)  Isn’t it great how we can do ten different tasks before just coming out and getting coffee?

My choice of coffee this morning is the Donut Shop brand from Walmart.  It is very good.  I make a whole pot and my husband and son will take a cup to work in the morning.  I used International Delight pumpkin spice coffee creamer.  It is good.  I prefer the coconut milk made ones, but they are much smaller and I will go through those really quickly. I save those for special occasions—like visitors:) I need something big and in bulk:)

Yesterday was a good day.  It rained….no it poured here.  I am so thankful for that rain.  I pray it affected the area of Gatlingburg.  Such a sad tragedy.  We had plans to visit the Ripleys aquarium next week, but I think we will just cancel those for now.

My girlfriend Tammy and our children loaded up in the van and went bargain shopping.  We stopped at a Goodwill and I found some toys for my boys.  Little boys destroy things.  Yes they do.  Not out of intentions, well maybe not ALL of the time, but they are creative.  They will take  cars outside and play in the sand and ruin the cars.  They will decide to use Dad’s wood paint and paint Batman!?!?!?!  and then ask for another one a week later–so fun! I was thankful to find a Batman and a Joker cave for them.  I figured I would buy the Imaginetix sets of people, I know, I know no discipline for painting their toys:)  Its the youngest, Stephen who is 4.  Last child, no judging:)  I also found a huge tub full of Legos.  I was so excited to find that set because my little boys love them and they are so so expensive.

We went to our favorite bargain stores and was able to get some deals.  I found tortillas for 25 cents a package.  They are the whole wheat ones. I will put them in my freezer and then use them for pizzas.  I was going to make homemade pizza this week and this will save me some work:)  Found these great pancake and sausage things.  Think pancake on a stick.  They are for breast cancer awareness, some company must have had them made and used them for something.  This store gets extras from warehouses and stuff.  The box was $2.39 and you get a full jelly roll pan of them to eat.  I like to make them with egg pizza–which I posted earlier.  Another easy dinner.   I left with a full cart of groceries and it cost me $34! It was odd and end things but the way I have learned to shop to get good deals:)

Then home to unload in the pouring rain.  We have our last bench seat in our 15 passenger van because we had needed it for our visitors last week and I decided to leave it in for when my mom and brother come this week. But that left us with no trunk space.  So we had to throw everything over the seats and get that out in the rain.  Thankfully Jadyn remembered that we had an umbrella.  I think we might just invest in some of those this year. It seems to rain a lot in our little area–not now, but normally it does. She was great to help get the little ones inside because rain does not feel good to a young child:)  We put it all away.

I hurriedly made beef stroganoff for dinner for everyone.  I made a pot of veggies and rice and sauteed some cabbage.  Serve it with soy sauce, sesame oil, and hot chili sauce for myself.  I need to detox a little from all of the wonderful food from Thanksgiving.  It is amazing how we as ladies can struggle with weight issues no matter what our size is. I lost a lot of weight over the years, you can read my story on here.  Even though I am not nearly as big as I was, I still feel fat.  I mean, normally I am happy with things, but I can still look at myself and see jiggly and not like it.  Before moving to this house, I threw away my scale.  I would step on it everyday and decide how I was going to eat based on what that number said.  I know, its wrong.  Do you know when I see one, I look longingly at it and think “I want to buy it.”  With all that said, I stopped.  I decided I can’t base my body perception on that twisted idea.  After  I post this blog, I will head outside and I will walk/run in my driveway.  Do I want to do that? No, I’d much rather surf the internet and drink coffee.  But in reality, I will walk for ten minutes and listen to my sermon message.  It gives me time with God and I am also getting exercise:)  I will come in and do some sit ups, crunchers, leg lifts, push ups, and planks.  That will take me another 10 minutes if I make it short.  Literally 20 minutes out of my day to make me feel 1000 times better!!!  The first few times I would do it, it would just make me sore and tired, but after my body adjusts it makes me feel great!  I make it part of my morning habits.  It is all about changing your habits and what you do.  I could be doing a million other things.  I’d love to sit and watch the news and drink my cup of coffee but I can also get that same news slimmed down by reading through my Twitter feed tonight. You pick and choose what you want to do.  What is going to benefit you the most?  What is it that God wants you to do for the day?  Ask yourself and Him that question when deciding what path you should embark on this morning.

For myself, I am off to walk and then get all the children up and we are headed out. Going to the library and do some local shopping.  I also need to drop some eggs off for our customers.  My poor chicken coop got blown to the edge of the mountain yesterday.  Thankfully none of them were injured, but any closer and that coop would have been down the embankment!  We picked it back up and moved it to an area less prone to the wind.  My mother and brother will be here around dinner time tonight.  I am looking forward to a reunion with them.

Remember to ask  what it is I am to do today?  When things go haywire, you are NOT alone.  Some other momma and nonmomma are experiencing the SAME thing today!  I love you ladies and pray your day is blessed!!

Hello ladies, hope your week is going well.  This has been a busy week for us.  Last week we enjoyed having everyone over for the Thanksgiving holiday and that was great fun. Now it is a new week and it is back to work.

We have also been anticipating the arrival of our grandma and uncle.  We haven’t gotten to see them in years, some of my children don’t even know them.  But by God intervening and hearts being healed, we are getting to see her tomorrow. It has been years of praying about situations and having the faith that God will restore hearts in His time.  If I have to look at the situation as an outsider, I would say it was the “perfect” time.  I know that God knows best.

With that being said, we have had a busy couple of days. We have doubled up on our schooling. We only do book work school four days a week.  We took Monday and did two days and did the same for Tuesday.  This will allow the rest of our week for visiting.  Because our moving date got changed, we are behind a few weeks in our schooling.  But if we keep on track, we should be caught up right after the Christmas holiday.  I don’t want to be doing school in June.  I want to be swimming in the lake:)

I have been diligently doing chores as well.  I do my chores based on the days of the week so that I don’t have to do everything on Monday.  This week I did the same thing and doubled up so that the house was all cleaned by the time they arrive tomorrow.

That leaves me with an easy day today.  The children and I will probably go run some errands and pick up some groceries that are needed for the week.  We are planning a cookie exchange in a couple of weeks and I want to pick up some more prizes for games (I will do a post later) and a few other things needed for the house.  We go through a lot of trash–who would of thought:)  and our 3 trash cans just don’t do it.  Our last home had a dumpster and it was the best thing ever:)  But now I have to worry about animals eating through trash bags—no good.  So a trash can is on the list!

I was going to do some more holiday baking and freeze them, but I am just not feeling it.  I think you need to check what is inside of you and decide whether or not you should do something for the day.  It makes your day go so much smoother. Being on track with what you are “supposed” to do verses what “you” think you should do.  Try it today:)

I woke up thankful for the little bit of rain we had last night. The wildfires over in Gatlingburg are just horrible.  My heart goes out to the people and families.  There are so many that have lost their families and cannot locate them. It would be scary. As I type this, I have my window open and the wind is blowing inside at high rates.  I am seeing rain come down now.  Praying it wets the areas needed.

It is the first gloomy day since moving to this house.  I can easily see how that kind of weather can affect people.  I prefer blue skies and warm sunshine.  The sunshine just does something for me.  But today it is gloomy and wet and one of those days where you just want to crawl up on the couch and watch tv.  But in reality………….who can do that?!?!? My children will need things.  My husband will need me to do things and plus myself will know there are things for me to get done.  So I sit and drink my coffee, reflect on the goodness in my life, and think about what needs to be done today.

I hope all of you mommas and non-mommas are drinking coffee or tea as well.  Maybe you prefer water and that is AWESOME!   If you don’t have any goals for the day or any idea of what you WANT to accomplish……pick one thing that needs to be done.  It might be window washing or vacuum out the couches or bake some treats.  Choose one thing and focus on getting that done.  If nothing else falls into place at least by the time your head hits the pillow tonight, you will feel satisfactory in knowing you did that ONE thing.

Hope your day goes well.  Be blessed and know there are millions of other women like yourself out doing the same thing and having the same feelings and emotions and struggles as you.  You are NOT alone!  Ever.  Love you guys.