November 3in30

I want to start back up with the 3in30 goals so I have made a list for November.

Let's see how I will do!

1. Limit my time spent on my phone.
       This is a BIG one for me! I have an Android phone. I currently don't have an internet connection at home BUT I can get a wireless signal to my computer from my phone. Well with a tiny baby & two rambunctious boys, it's not always easy to get on my computer. Unfortunately it is very easy to sit on my phone. I do everything on my phone. Web, email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube...EVERYTHING...except talk haha.  I spend a huge part of my day just sitting on my phone. It started where I would watch videos or read books on the Kindle App while I was nursing and now I just do everything on it and I hardly every put it down. Even right now it is sitting right next to me.
        So it's time to nip this bad habit in the butt.  I want to limit my time spent on it.  I won't shut it off because it's the only phone I have at home and Randy will need to get a hold of me BUT I need to restrict texting, twittering, FBing, YouTubeing and all other unnecessary distractions to only when my kids are sleeping. While they are awake I need to devote my time and attention exclusively to them and their lives and our home.

2. Make a new routine/schedule & STICK TO IT!!!
     I can not tell you how many routines I have created that have just fallen through and for my Hayden, he NEEDS a routine. He can not function & perform well in school without a routine. We definitely could never be unschoolers, he really needs a routine. Since I haven't been able to keep a routine going well schoolwork has been a nightmare and he fights me constantly because he doesn't think it's school time. SO I really need to make one and stick to it!

3.  Read my Bible DAILY!!!
       I have been doing decent with this. I started with the Good Morning Girls study which I have no problem reading the verses, but the S.O.A.P.'n I haven't stuck with. It's very easy for me to read my Bible (on my phone) while I'm nursing the baby and I have been spending time in my bible every day BUT I'm not devoting my time to actually taking in all that I'm reading.  I need to set aside time for just me and my Bible. To take notes and really put my whole head & heart into God's word.

So that are my goals for this month.  I hope to check in once a week to let you know how it goes...hopefully not from my phone (because yes there is a Blogger app LOL).

Thanks for stopping by!

Jaymie

Talking to Him...

I struggle with something.

I struggle because I know what I should do & what I need to do, but I don't know how to do it.

I don't know how to talk to God...sounds weird eh?

It still feels a little awkward, talking to God.

I wasn't raised in a home that emphasized praying or giving it all to Him. Sure we were raised to fear Him. I knew there was God. I knew my mother always said if she ever walked into a church surely she'd set on fire immediately!

I never understood that.

If I could replace one thing about my childhood, it would be that I didn't KNOW God. That there was no church or Bible in our lives. That's what I wish I hadn't missed out on.

So as a girl who lost 25 years of knowing Christ as my savior, I want to know all that I can know now. I want to "do it right."  I want to teach my children and raise my children up knowing Jesus and talking to God.

But how do I teach them to talk to God, when I don't even know where to start?

When I pray, I feel nervous and get all sweaty. Like I must not be doing this right or I'm going to mess up the words.

Or maybe I still feel that guilt, that maybe (even though He loves me & has given me a clean slate) I'm still not "good enough."

I get apprehensive & scared to lead a prayer whether at the table before a meal or even in my own heart when my eyes are closed and it's just me and God. I still feel...scared.

Is that weird?

I am hoping the more I grow and the more I read my bible, the closer I will feel to Him. I want so badly to have a close personal relationship with Him, I just have to let go of my mind.  Stop letting my mind play tricks on me.

Stop over thinking and just let it flow.

Anyone else? Any other new"ish" believers have the same problem?

How do you overcome it?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jaymie

Menu Plan Monday 10/10-10/16 2011

Menu planning has been working well for us and I have stuck to it pretty much every day, with the exception of Friday which was pretty hectic and I had WAY to many sweets at the kids' Co-Op Harvest Party lol.

Anyway, here is our menu for the week

Breakfasts
cereal
cinnamon raisin rolls
oatmeal
yogurt and granola

Lunches
turkey and cheese sandwiches
leftovers
chicken & cheese quesadillas

Dinners
Kielbasa with fried potatoes and onions
spaghetti & garlic bread with peas
Slow Cooker Meatball Stew with mashed potatoes and dinner rolls
chicken and biscuits
pizza or strombolis
turkey burgers with fries
Slow Cooker Ham & Potato Soup in a bread bowl

Have a great week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jaymie

Praying for Peace

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27 KJV)

I am praying for peace.

Peace within myself, peace within my love, peace within my children, and a peaceful environment in my home.

The Make Your Home a Haven challenge really is just what I need right now.

As a mother of a 4 yr old and 2 yr old and a 7 week old sometimes (all the time) my home is anything but peaceful.

My tone can be harsh, my stares can be sharp and I feel so emotional.  I let those emotions control me.  I let them over run my spirit causing me to lose my temper and then what happens? After I’ve lashed out or yelled or glared? 

I feel horrible.

The guilt emotion over runs me and I want to cry. To see those little faces and to know that I’ve caused their sadness, even though they’ve been told over and over not to jump on the furniture or not to bend your brother’s arm back that way, I still feel so bad.

I am praying for peace.

I’m taking Courtney’s challenge and I am going to strive to have a peaceful home. I am armed with candle, soft music, bible and lots of praying. 

Lord knows I do NOT want to have another week of sadness, anger and guilt.


Thank you for stopping by!

Jaymie

My Candle Burned Out

I love these little Febreze candles…they smell so good and are inexpensive but unfortunately they don’t last very long.  I burned one for 3 whole days, from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed, and it only lasted 3 days.

So I’m on to my next candle Apple Delight & Spice.  It smells yummy, makes me want to make an apple pie.

I have been doing fairly well with the Make Your Home a Haven challenge this week.  Lighting the candle each morning really does help to remind me to pray and to be more engaged in my home and my family.  I’ve been feeling happier this week and even when the stress hits I see my candle flickering and I say a prayer and try to remain calm and remember that God is in control and he will take care of us.

Things feel as if they are falling into place again.  I have my moments when the baby is screaming and I can’t do things as I want to when I want to, like lesson plan or fold clothes. I’m finally getting my house back in order. I got a new planner, the Busy Body Book and it is AWESOME. I love it! It’s really helping me to organize all the “sections” of my life.  I really love it.

I am so looking forward to more of Courtney’s challenges for the Make Your Home a Haven challenge.  They’re working for me and my family so far!

Next week it’s
“October 10 – Play soft music everyday in your home. Choose worship, classical or another form of peaceful music that the family enjoys. Focus on using peaceful words and maintaining peaceful relationships. Remind your family to avoid seething anger, tattling, criticism or back talk. As the wife/mother, work on gentleness this week.”

                                                   

Thanks for stopping by!
Jaymie

Make Your Home a Haven Day 1

I have decided to take on Courtney's (Women Living Well) "Make Your Home a Haven" Fall Challenge again this year....hopefully with more success than last year.

Over on her blog she posted about two types of houses. A house where the woman is distant and a house where the woman is engaged. The question is whether we are like House #1 (distant) or House #2 (engaged).

Unfortunately on most days my home is like House #1. I am distant, pulled into everything else I have going on and don't ever take the time to just have fun and be with my family. The dishes and the laundry and everything else clutters up my mind and I can't seem to focus on anything else.

I really want to change that...reading her post made me sad when I acknowledged that I am that distant woman in House #1. It made me think about what kind of impression and memory my children will have of me. What I want for them and what they've been handed up until now, seem to be two different things.

How do I get to where I want to be? How do I become the engaged woman in House #2?

I'm going to strive to be more engaged in my children's lives and stop worrying about my messy lived in home.

I've lit my candle...a yummy smelling Febreeze candle called Leaves & Spice. I love Fall scents, don't you?

I've also said a prayer for my home and a prayer for myself, so that I can try to be more engaged as I go about my day. I'll be checking back in!


Thanks for stopping by!

Jaymie

It's Been A While

I know...I'm a slacker...a big one! I have not visited my own blog in so long. I don't have an excuse, yes I've been sick and not feeling myself and this pregnancy has been difficult but I shouldn't use that excuse to ignore my blog right???

I am now 38 weeks pregnant...a lot has been going on! I started getting really ill especially in the mornings. Nausea, dizziness, grumpiness, feeling faint, headaches it seemed like no matter what I did I just always felt so horrible. I couldn't even get in the shower or stand for long periods of time because of the way I felt, I would just fall over. The weeks went by and the doctors just kept saying it was just normal pregnancy symptoms and I'd be over them soon...and they never did.

At my 34 week checkup they sent me for a glucose test which I took a week later at 35 weeks and was immediately diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. What a shocker that was! I had NEVER had it in before in my previous 2 pregnancies and here I am with 4 weeks to go and I have to go on medicine (Glyburide) and change my diet COMPLETELY!! It's been such a hectic few weeks, 2 doctor appointments a week plus ultrasounds and learning how to eat right. I am WORN OUT!

Needless to say I'm ready for Faith to get here. She will make her arrival due to repeat C-Section on August 22nd. I'm really excited. I can't wait to meet her and dress her up! She has so many pretty little dresses! I'm afraid most of her newborn size clothing won't fit her for long, she is estimated to be 8lbs 6oz already!! Which is bigger than both of her brothers were when they were born!!! So I think we're going to have a big girl! I'm so excited though! I'm going to post pictures of her nursery as soon as it's all put together. There's still one of the boy's dressers in her room that is currently where my changing table should go.

My wonderful daddy bought her a whole new nursery set! I was perfectly content with mismatched, used furniture but he went out of his way to buy her a new crib, dresser, and changing table...what a blessing! I feel so grateful! And wonderful friends of ours bought her the prettiest bedding set! I am so in love with it! I never got to do nurseries with the boys so for us to be blessed with this for her is just amazing and yes I will be keeping it all to pass down to her which will be really special :-) I had planned on passing down the boys' crib which they shared but it is a drop side crib and apparently they are a huge NO NO.

As for life besides pregnancy, everything has been chaotic. With me being so sick I haven't been able to teach Hayden like I planned so our school schedule changed to start in September, which will be ok I guess. My house is a WRECK...a complete wreck and I feel like I shouldn't even bother because we will be packing up and moving again in a couple months...which won't be so bad we're moving to a more permanent home that we will not be leaving for many many years. I'm really excited about that too! And hopeful that Randy finds a new job as we've been praying. His current job pays our bills but there's very little left for groceries and such. Please pray for us and him to find a new job we would greatly appreciate it!

Devyn is progressing so much in his speech, it's amazing! I LOVE to hear him talk! Now he is a little chatter box and I just love it so so much! Hayden has finally realized he can't talk for Devyn anymore he has to let him learn how to say what he needs or wants and I love when Hayden tries to teach his brother how to say words...I love the bond they have I hope they always stay so close!

Well I am off to make a To Do list of everything I need to accomplish before Monday...it's a big list, including freezer cooking that I hope to get done on Sunday..wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jaymie