I've been MIA

The last 27 days (since I wrote) have been full.  Jason started back to work.  I have been working.  The kids have had Christmas plays, and Christmas concerts, and Christmas parties.  We've been BUSY.

Now that we are past Christmas, and getting ready to head back into school and work, I wanted to take a second to say thank you to everyone for your encouragement over the past year.

2011 has been a tough year, a year of learning and growth to be sure, but tough, and I am glad that it is almost over with.  Hopefully, as we adjust to a "new normal", and the new year, I'll be able to get on here a little more often.  For now, I'm going to go get some coffee....

In Review

Ten years ago today I was a week away from delivering my 4th child. My grandfather had just died 2 weeks prior, and I was not speaking to my parents. We were living in South Carolina, in a house we couldn't afford, and running feverishly hither and yon in an attempt to stay afloat. Our first three children were ages 2, 4, and 6 at that point, and the eldest was in Kindergarten.

*That kindergartener is now in 10th grade.

*We sold the house as it was going into foreclosure.

*We are speaking to my family again.

*We have lived in 3 states since then.

*God has restored our marriage TWICE in the last 10 years.

*My husband is now in the Navy, and financially we are in a MUCH better place than we were 10 years ago.

*God has given us two more children, in addition to the one I was waiting to deliver 10 years ago today for our current total of six children.

*I am no longer part of the rat race, being able to work from home, and be here for my children.

There's a lot more "between the lines" stuff that has happened...much of which you can read about in my Archives. But thinking over these last ten years reminded me Who is in charge of it all, and Who is responsible for bringing us through those peaks and valleys that made up our past ten years.

Psalm 31:15 "My times are in your hands."

Psalm 62:8 "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah"

2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."

For all the things we have been through, even those that we didn't understand and questioned God about, He has a plan. He is working it out in our lives, and it is exciting to look ahead and see what He has in store for us in the next 10 years...we have only small pieces of that puzzle now, but it is exciting to anticipate what He has in store for us!!

Happy New Year 2010!!

We are going to be going to some friends' house for a party this evening...probably not staying too late (after all, there are still youngish kids in this house), and coming home to Christmas decorations still up.

I'm not ready for the new year. I never am. I don't do well with change, including the inevitable changes that time passing brings my way. I take a while to warm up to each and every change, including the new year.

However, this year I HAVE made some resolutions. Do you do that? Do you actually make attainable goals, or just lofty dreams about what you want to do for the next year? I hope the goals/resolutions I have made are attainable. I think they are. I'm putting them out here for all 10 of you to read and keep me accountable.

In 2010, I resolve/determine to:
1. Lose at least 15 more pounds.
2. Go back to school to get my Master's Degree.
3. Keep my house in "company-ready" condition.
4. Sleep.
5. Eat better (goes with #1), to get out of the "pre-diabetic" range.
6. Keep growing into the woman, wife, and mom that God wants me to be.

So, what are your plans for tonight? And your goals for this new year?

What, Me Insecure?!?

I have to keep re-evaluating my own mental health. From time to time, I get overly insecure and worry about EVERYTHING, and start driving my husband crazy. At that point I have to go back and look at what is affecting me this time.

So, yesterday I was going through this mental evaluation and something dawned on me that I probably should have recognized a long time ago.

See, I have this tendency to blame my depression, worry and insecurity on anything and everything but where it *should* be. If finances are tight, I blame it on money. If gas prices are going up, or my children are having trouble, or change is in the foreseeable future, I have something to blame it on.

Yesterday it dawned on me that even if I had a perfect life...lots of money, perfect children, faithful attentive husband, housekeeper, etc, I would STILL be insecure. My security does not/can NOT depend on circumstances.

Maybe this doesn't mean a lot to you, but to me, it was pivotal. I don't know why. I SHOULD have understood this a long time ago.

After all, I DO know that God is in control.
I KNOW that He loves me beyond anything I can imagine.
I KNOW that He will provide for all my needs.
I know these things, but for some reason I have been insecure for all of my life.

Pray for me, please, as I work on the transforming of my mind that needs to occur.

So, I guess that's my New Year' s resolution for this year....what is yours?

Happy New Year!!!

I hope your year is starting off well! The kids and I had a very quiet night last night. I stayed up and watched the ball drop...the younger 4 kids were in bed by 9:30, and the older two tried to stay up....but both were asleep by 11:30. I got to talk to Jason periodically all night long...it was lonely, but not too bad, since we got to talk. This morning started late, again. Since I was up late, I slept in until sometime around 10:00 am. The kids have been outside for most of the day, playing, and rescuing a dog. Heather and her friend Sarah (twin to Tara) came running in while I was on the phone with Jason, and were yelling for me to call the SPCA, because there was this dog outside who was hurt. It seems that the dog had been stabbed/chopped with a meat cleaver that was found with her, and was really beat up. Animal Control came, and took her away to a vet. The kids would really like to get her, if an owner can't be found....I can't see having a Black Lab in our itty bitty townhouse. Jason doesn't want a dog inside...but we have no room outside. I don't know how it would work....but I'd love to have a dog, too....and a Lab is my favorite! So, plans/goals/resolutions for 2008.... 1. Losing weight....healthy weight loss, done with healthy change of diet...NOT dieting, but complete change of our family way of eating....and addition of exercise...I'm hoping to pay a year ahead for Curves, and be able to get in AT least 4 times per week. 2. Business...I am planning to work from home this year...doing both medical transcription and Melaleuca. 3. Menu planning....I want to be able to plan our healthier lifestyle on a weekly basis, so I can shop according to a plan. 4. Organization....I am GOING to get organized this year. Organize my business stuff, organize all the stuff that's still in the boxes in the garage (including DUMPING a bunch of it!), and organizing the rest of the house. There's my plan for 2008....what's yours?