Enjoy the Day You Have Been Gifted

What does it mean to enjoy the day you have been gifted?  


I thought about this as I made a simple list of activities I wanted to make sure to enjoy with my kiddos this summer.  The list somehow didn't include cleaning, maintaining a spotless house, or striving to live in "perfect-town".  That doesn't mean that daily clean-up routines aren't still in place,  that laundry isn't getting done, dishes are left on the counter or that our home is complete and total chaos.  What is DOES mean is that my kids are my priority this summer.  


That translates into popsicles in the sun, setting up a slip & slide and sporting my suit to enjoy it with them, hikes, campouts, bike riding, climbing trees & practicing bb gun shooting.  (which I can proudly say my 6 year old totally rocks at!)   I am actively making a point to be present in their days, to get to know each of them on an individual level... what they like, dislike, what really brings out that thrill of life in each of them.

Backyard sprinkler on a hot summer day

To talk about important morals, in a very laid back setting...  daily devotions on our porch in the morning sunshine while sharing fruit and yogurt smoothies.  Picnic lunches as we marvel together over God's beautiful creation.  Watching the lightening out our living room window and then playing hide and seek in the dark when the power went out!  Realizing the simple, plain and total truth that each day that passes they are growing up before my eyes- I have truly been gifted 3 little blessings who some how aren't staying little for very long.  I want to make the most of the days we share together-  to work our butts off picking up the house so we can get outside and enjoy the day together.  I am mindfully not just trying to "get through" the day anymore- but believe me when I say that place is very familiar to me in the not so distant past.  A place where I honestly treated my boys more like burdens than blessings... God is teaching me otherwise, but that means setting aside my own selfishness on a moment by moment basis. 

Bible reading and smoothie time!

It is an honor to share my time, energy, focus and attention with these little guys- an honor that will all too soon be a memory.  I want to actively build a foundation that lasts not just for this life- but build up a foundation that has roots running to eternity.  I want to teach, mold and nurture these little souls that mean more to me than words can describe.  


So far this summer I have learned that even during the super challenging days- there are little moments of peace.  I am choosing tho focus on these moments.  I have learned that my 6 year old can honestly out run me in races, and that I don't stand a chance if he is "it" while playing tag.  I have learned that my almost 4 year old is awesome at bike riding.  I have learned that my 2 year old can climb a pole to the top, do the slip and slide with more coordination than I could have guessed and is basically fearless-  not a totally good quality when jumping from high places.  I have been in on tender moments of prayer,  of witnessing true repentance when they are learning from mistakes and how to swallow my own pride and admit when I am wrong and ask them for forgiveness.  I have seen them buddy up and actually be really good friends to each other-  trust me, some days I feel more like referee than anything else.  Moments of friendship, concern or true brotherly love give me hope!  God's grace runs true and deep through our home-  we need it, depend on it and ask for it.  I truly am absolutely nothing without Him.  His strength is what gives me the energy to keep up with these guys and I am at a point in my life where I desire authentic faith more than anything.  I long to live a life that when the rubber hits the road, when things are rough, the days are long and challenging, we are still living in His perfect joy.  His peace is above our circumstances, and I am working on claiming that in my every day life.  


I look forward to all the things I know these guys will teach me as we share the rest of this summer together- and I am actively going to choose to appreciate each day I share with them.

My husband and boys enjoying the sunset while camping

Blessings!  

Get Fit for 30- 3 Month Update

Month 3 is now a thing of the past-  My weight-loss accomplishment to date is 34 pounds!  When I decided to give this my best shot- I never would have guessed that I would have come so far at my 3 month mark.  I was actually hoping for around 22 pounds by this point, so I am just thrilled that my progress is exceeding my goal!  


We went camping for Father's Day and I think what stood out most to me was how much I enjoyed being active with my husband and kids.  Every morning after breakfast we went and explored a new hiking trail and accomplished anywhere from one to two miles together.  It was just awesome to be out in God's creation with my family.  Even our 2 year old did the treks on his own (no backpack or stroller!)  3 months ago I would have opted out.  Stayed back at the campsite and missed out on 3 wonderful mornings with my guys.  I am so thankful for my new found energy and motivation and the very practical, every day, impact it is having on my life!  


On to month 4- a new goal is set- more camping trips are on our calendar and I am looking forward to the ongoing, daily enjoyment of life!  

Sunday morning hike around Star Lake- breathtaking!  

How to salvage an otherwise bad day

I found this journal entry from awhile back- a time when parenting was very challenging for me.  Where homeschooling wasn't finding as easy place in the balance of being home with a 5, 3 and 1 year old. Since then, we have fallen into a better routine, where the challenges are fewer than the joys and the majority of our days have a sense of peace.  Reading this reminded me that hard days come and go- and that they do not have to be the norm, or the definition of life at home.  

November 2011

I don’t know the exact odds of 4 people getting up on the wrong side of bed on the same morning- or how specifically one crummy mood rubs off on those around you.  All I know is that this morning we had a case of the grumps: to. the. max.  I am talking about whining, pouting, and acting like brats: and that was just me!  We tried to settle down and do school- and it was one breakdown after another.  Teaching and learning don’t happen easily when both the student and the teacher are in this type of mood.  I think it’s safe to say we all felt overwhelmed, burnt out and just not really “into it”  this morning.  I literally hid myself and had a good old cry then picked myself back up after some prayer and went to plan B.  Forcing us to continue in this manor wasn’t benefitting anyone- we had to change things up and salvage the rest of our day- it was after all, only 8:43 am!  I packed away the school books (an option we have as homeschoolers- we can make up our hours when learning will actually take place!) 

Hard work.  I mean, deep cleaning, de-cluttering, junk tossing kind of hard work.  We started in the boys’ room.  It was a mess.  It was overwhelming to even step foot in there, much less actually be in there playing, sleeping or even having a time-out!  With the garbage bag in hand we tackled the disaster zone.  As we worked, we teamed up!  We used our frustration to our advantage and put all of that energy to work.  The result, a sense of accomplishment, a fresh start.  A recovered bad day.  Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves (this is an easy rut to fall into)  We switched focus for awhile and re-grouped.

Were the remaining hours of our day perfect? Not in the least- but our goal isn’t perfection.  Perfect days are not realistic- so we don’t even set the expectation that high.  The rest of our day was enjoyable- we were able to be here and not just throw the entire day out the window… we had a refocused perspective. 

What do you do when your day is just off to a bad start? Do you throw in the towel and just suffer through, or do you have a plan in place or some tricks up your sleeve so that you are able to shift focus and make the most of a hard situation?  Sometimes for our family, bad days are just plain and simple bad days- what can we learn through the challenging times?  What can we do different next time to have better results?  We don’t have to let the bad days define us- or overwhelm us.  We find our true guidance straight from the Word of God- and this is a verse that sooths my soul on the days where life is tough. We aren’t promised a life free from trouble- but we can still claim the promise of peace!  We can take heart and rest assured that we are in good hands. 

 

 

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Get Fit for 30- 2 Month Update

Month 2 is behind me- and 25 pounds (yep- that's right! twenty-five!!!!!) are off me! Along with following the plan every single day, tracking points and not cheating- I logged a total of 71.2 miles this month! (treadmill and outdoor walking with the girls) 


Things I have noticed about myself and quality of life:

• My energy is high
• I am feeling great
• I am motivated to keep at it
• I love the progress!
• My clothes are loose- shopping trip around the corner when goal #3 is officially met

Reasons to keep working at it:

• I have worked hard, and come too far to quit
• I want to know what reaching my final goal will feel like!

My current favorite lunch 


Tortilla Pizzas


1 flour tortilla
2 tbsp. pasta sauce
garlic powder
onion & gr. pepper chopped small
spinach 
green olives
1/8 cup feta cheese


baked at 400 for about 8-10 minutes.  SO delicious and only 6 points!  My kids loves these too- so it's been a great "go-to" lunch that I can whip up super quickly. 

I added green olives to this one for a different variety.  (add 1 point)

With the weather warmer as we enter late spring in Wisconsin- it feels great to get outdoors with my kids and be more active.  The more I do, the less likely I am drawn to the feeling of laziness.   A highlight for me each week is to take an evening trip into town- meet up with my girlfriends and walk the night away- we have seriously gone close to 2 hours and the time just flies! Here is to a great month ahead as I continue to choose health, one day at a time!