Happy Labor Day!

Well, it’s been a pretty good week!  I’ve come a long ways as far as de-cluttering.  The main floor of my house is complete, and I have started upstairs now.  I told hubby it’s kind of like paying off credit cards lol…once you get one paid off, you have more money to apply to the next and it just snowballs.  The more I have stuck to de-cluttering, the more time I have to actually get more de-cluttering done.  The house has been getting easier and easier to maintain.  So, even though I have more time to spend on projects that need to get done, I also seem to have way more time to just relax and hang out with the boys.
Speaking of the boys, we still haven’t been able to get curriculum yet.  But I’m not going to sweat it…we just finished first grade barely a month ago.  Tomorrow I’ll probably just start doing a few things from Ambleside just for some brain exercise but for the most part, we are just going to enjoy our break.  Besides, it’ll be nice to have some time to make sure everything gets (and stays!) clean and organized before we officially get back into the school routine.
On the financial front, we could really use some prayers.  We will be meeting a bankruptcy lawyer soon to discuss options.  We may not file, and we really don’t want to, but we may not have a choice.  We are going to see if we have any other options, and we will have to file as a last resort after we’ve ruled everything else out.  Hubby is really stressed out to be at this point, but I am behind him 100 percent!  I do hate to see him like this, because he truly is working so hard to try and fix our past mistakes.  We both understand that God WILL provide our every need, but I do understand that he still worries about what’s going to happen.  Hubby’s prayer is that he’s not somehow resisting God’s will.  He’s really trying to listen and follow God’s leading in this.  All I know is that God has already done some amazing work here.  Because if we would have been in this spot before we found the Lord…let’s just say it would not be a pretty picture.  I hate to even think of what this home and family would be like.  But the Lord gives us all the strength we need to get through these times.  The Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord!

A Productive Friday

Well, I’m just stopping by while taking a break in a busy day.  My neurologist has me on a one-day steroid treatment once per month to help with the other MS stuff.  I guess it’s working, because I have been on the go since I got up this morning!  Here’s what I’ve gotten done so far:
Made bed
Cleaned bedroom (including putting all clean laundry away)
Got laundry running (one load in washer and one in dryer now)
Last night’s dishes (I know, I shoulda had them done, but it doesn’t always get done!)
Picked up and put away things where they belong around the house
Weeded and swept the front yard (now it’s ready for hubby to mow tomorrow)
Washed down the outside of the front door and the two windows I can reach
Got the garbage and compost out
Now I want to start working on the backyard.  That will take a lot more work than the front, so I doubt I will get it done today, but I want to get as much done as possible.  I also have to finish up the laundry, iron some shirts for dh, scrub down the bathroom and sweep the floors.  And once I get the yard done, I will resume de-cluttering on the inside of the house .  I need to finish the living room and our front porch, then the downstairs will be done.  The bedrooms are another story and will probably take me awhile.  Then, it’s on to the basement.  It’s still somewhat of a disaster, but luckily, I got a lot of work down there this spring, and the garage sale cleared A LOT of stuff out for us.  I know we will have plenty more for a garage sale next year and hopefully, we will pretty much be done with the de-cluttering…and KEEPING the clutter out!
Yesterday, I went to the library and checked out a pile of readers, picture books, books with CD’s, and some Ranger Rick magazines for Vincent.  That will be our "school" for now, until I can order curriculum.  I figure as long as he keeps on practicing reading, and is reading good things, he will be just fine until we officially start, and will even be better prepared as he has more time to practice reading .
Anyway, this got a lot longer than I planned, but I do like to get things "down on paper."  LOL!  If I’m not back on in a couple of days, have a good weekend!

A great deal!

Well, through some searching I did, I found a Christian library at a church here.  Our church has a library, but this is a REAL library LOL!  It is such a great find…they have all kinds of books and resources we’ll be able to use for school.  They also have a section of books that they are selling, and we found the "Handbook of Nature Study," by Anna Botsford Comstock…for only $1!!!  I looked it up on Amazon, and the cheapest used was going for $21.  So, wow, we really got a steal!  Even though I’m doing My Father’s World, I had seen this on Ambleside Online and had been looking at getting it for the days we do our nature walks.  There was no way we would have been able to afford it, considering we haven’t even ordered the curriculum yet.  Praise God, He always provides!

Slooooooooow week so far

Well, first grade has been behind us for a couple of weeks now, and we have been getting much done around here around the house, especially last week.  Which is good, because it has been rainy and dreary the last few days, and it’s supposed to stay that way all week.  This is really taking it’s toll on me and making me very tired, so the last couple of days I’ve been getting the bare bones basics done and not much else.  And thank God for crock pots. Dinner is in the crock pot for tonight, and the entire house smells good.
Well, I am as prepared as I am going to get for 2nd grade.  Now all I need to do is order the curriculum.  We are still waiting to have enough money, as we are a little behind right now.  Hubby is just starting to get better hours at his part-time job, after having a few months of down-time there, and we are still trying to catch up.  I need to be vigilant, because while I am anxious to get started, I don’t want to be stressing him out by bugging him about when we can get the curriculum.  He just doesn’t need the stress right now…he knows we need it and he has told me he will take care of it, so I just need to trust that the Lord will provide in HIS timing, not my own.
I am sooooo glad I worked hard on getting our home in order last week, as it has made this "lazy" time much easier.  I haven’t really done a whole lot yesterday and today, but I can honestly say I wouldn’t be embarrassed by a surprise visit, so that’s good!  My kitchen and hallway are both completely de-cluttered. The dining room doesn’t need any de-cluttering, and I need Hubby's help with the living room.  The movie cabinet is "his" area, so I’m not touching a thing unless he’s helping LOL!  He also said if I can find an empty tote, he will go through his clothes…right now, we have a laundry basket full of his clothes that won’t fit in his dresser…it’s been sitting around for months now, so it will be nice to have that gone!  And let me tell ya, it has been really hard to NOT deep clean while de-cluttering, but I know I have been able to get as much done as I have because I have managed to hold myself off from deep cleaning!  LOL!  I figure once all the main areas are de-cluttered, I will go through and do a "fall cleaning."  I never really got around to spring cleaning this year, so this will be nice. 
Anyway, the boys are napping, so I’m off to make my rounds of the blogs.  Have a nice Monday everyone!

A moving skit

I was just browsing some blogs today and found out there is an answer to YouTube called GodTube!  I was browsing some of the videos and found this.  It made me cry.  It really gives a good visual as to our relationship to God.

Finishing up first grade

Well, tomorrow is the first of the last four days of first grade for V.  He has done so well this year, and we have had so much fun!  He has especially seemed to pick up his reading lately.  We will take a few weeks off, and hopefully will be able to start second grade the last Tuesday of August.  We still have to order Adventures from My Father’s World, just waiting for enough funds to come in.  If we start a little late, no big deal…that’s one of the many benefits of homeschooling.
On the home-front, I am trying to get de-cluttered and organized.  On Friday, I started with the easiest room, the bathroom.  LOL!  Now I am finishing up taking inventory of all our food so I can go through and make menus.  We have sooo much food here, we shouldn’t have to go grocery shopping for weeks (except for milk and fruit and such) if I do it right.  This should 1) free up some space around the house, 2) save us a TON of money (we’ve been eating out and eating convenience food way too much lately), and 3) help me how to learn to cook more from scratch and learn to use what I have.  I want to learn to make as much from scratch as possible.  Out of snacks?  Well, I’m going to have to make some.  Don’t have a certain ingredient for a recipe?  Well, is it something I can make from something I do have?
A lot of this comes from the fact that lately, I haven’t been a very good steward of Hubby's hard-earned money.  And he never (okay, hardly ever LOL) complains.  I just see so many things I can be making/doing (or learning to do!) myself that we are spending money on unnecessarily.
And I hope to be on here a little more regularly again.  I have missed reading all the wonderful blogs here at HSB!  I hope everyone is ready and well-rested for Monday!

Please pray

Please pray for all involved in the Minneapolis bridge collapse.  If you would like to see the story on it, just Google "bridge collapse minneapolis."  Pray for the victims, their families, rescue workers, doctors, nurses, and all involved that I’m not thinking of.  God holds each one in His hand.

Monday's to-do's

Speaking of time management, I really need to crack open my Home Management Binder and really start using it again!  I have been updating it, so I am really anxious to get back into some regular routines starting on Monday.  Oh, and I just went to get out my cookbooks and realized I really should organize the food we have here and take inventory first, so I know what kinds of recipes to be looking out for.  I really want to use as much of what we have on hand first, before I go and buy anything.  Here's pics of the areas I need to organize and take inventory of:

Deep freeze


Refrigerator (and it's freezer)


General kitchen area (non-perishables and non-refrigerated produce)

(I have no idea why this turned out so small, btw LOL!)

Basement pantry storage



Anyways, here's my schedule for Monday (I don't put in times, as I'm not that structured yet):
~Wake up
~Morning Routine (Bible time, make bed-Mon change sheets, straighten bedroom, get dressed, swipe bathroom, change A, inspect V's chores, start laundry)
~Breakfast
~Table chores
~Brush teeth
~Homeschool
~Short chore time (basically just picking up and maintenance)
~Lunch
~Table chores
~Playtime with the boys
~Read aloud time
~Nap time for the boys
~Daily cleaning (Mon is laundry; focus cleaning in porch, hall, and yard; and sweeping the upstairs)
~Afternoon routine (this is when I usually finish laundry, do any dinner prep or baking, pick up where needed, and any extras I have time to do...hopefully will have time to take inventory)
~Exercise
~Computer time
~Get kids up
~Finish making dinner, if necessary
~Dinner
~Table chores
~Family time
~Kids baths/bedtime
~Time with Hubby
~Before bed routine (quick kitchen clean, pick up house, bath, get ready for bed, bible reading)

Sounds like a lot, I know, but as long as I'm keeping up on it, things really don't take very long!  Anyways, hopefully I will have time in there to take inventory of our food...I've been meaning to do it for the last week or so, but have not been motivated to really dig in, especially into the deep freeze!  Yikes, that will be the biggest hurdle to jump, but I know it will be way more helpful and a big time saver to know exactly what I have on hand.

Have a good night everyone!

Busy, busy, busy!

Isn't it the middle of summer, now???  Boy, the way things have been around here, it seems like it's still been approaching.  We have been unbelievably busy around here.  But, alas, all I have to do to remind myself it's the MIDDLE of summer is step outside.  Whew!  It's 90 degrees and very humid today, and it's supposed to climb to 95 tomorrow.

We are in the middle of adjusting to Hubby's new schedule.  He is back to working afternoons, back at his old job!  Yay!  He left a year ago to try an office job, and he did NOT like it.  He likes to move around and talk to people while he's working, but he's been stuck in a cubicle on the phone or doing data entry all day.  Definitely not him LOL!

We are also wrapping up 1st grade with V.  We only have a couple more weeks to go, and then we get a 2-week break, then we will start 2nd grade the last week of August.  V also has VBS this week, and I am helping out with that as well, so that's a good 3-hour chunk out of our day away from home.  Next Monday is also V's last T-ball game, and it will be kids vs. parents.  LOL!  I told Hubby he can go play and I will run the camera...it ought to be interesting.

Right now, I'm taking a short break, and then I'll be off and running again.  I have dinner in the oven (homemade mac n cheese yum!), dishes done, and laundry in the dryer.  As soon as the dryer's done, I'll take my bath, get the kids up and have V take a bath.  Then we'll eat and then it's off to VBS...I imagine bedtime will be shortly after we get home.

Love,
(A tired and weary) Lisa

What a day!

Whew, I am exhausted!  Today was my and Hubby's renewal of our wedding vows.  It was an awesome day!  We got to see people we hadn't seen in awhile, and a good time of fellowship for all.  We also had family and friends there in whom I hope some seeds were planted for the Lord.  I hope we were nothing but good witnesses for Him.  Well, that's it for now, I am absolutely exhausted, and it will be at least another hour before the boys go to bed.  Hubby is out with my brother fishing LOL!  We will do our "honeymoon" tomorrow...Hubby's dad is coming over to watch the boys and we will go for a nice ride on the motorcycle...he found some pretty nice trails along the Mississippi River to ride.  Yay!  I can't wait!