Funny little conversations...

Tonight as Micah was finishing his shower, the following conversation ensued...

Micah: When will Mocha's puppies get bigger?

Me: Every day they get bigger and bigger. 

Micah: When will I get bigger?

Me: Every day you get bigger and bigger. 

Micah: When will Daddy get bigger?

Me: Daddy won't grow anymore, he is as big as he is going to get. 

Micah: When will you get bigger, Mommy?

Me: I am actually trying to shrink.

Micah: Why are you trying to shrink?

Me: I grew too big! 

He laughed and left to go get dressed. He is growing up too fast. They all are. And I keep reminding myself... Each moment is joy-filled, I just have to slow down and be there for them. 

Regarding the shrinking... I have lost nearly 30 pounds since February by loosely following the plan outlined in the book Trim Healthy Mama. I have around 35 more to go, but I am loving that I can live my real life, and while I definitely think through my meals, my diet does not fail because I have a dessert once a week or so. I say I am only loosely following the plan because I haven't used any of the alternative sweeteners, I just cut out sugar and have a real treat rarely. I haven't bought any of the other alternative things, I am just balancing meals using whole foods and I feel almost guilty for how easy it has been, and I am never hungry! 

Now I am looking to start working out at home. I think I will add an official work-out time with the kids too. So we can all get fit together! 

Breaking bad habits...

I don't know exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the way, my daily quiet times with the Lord disappeared. It has grieved me and I have tried to be creative - doing them during the day (but I don't concentrate well in the hubbub of the day), or sneaking into the bathroom (but someone always finds me), even having them at night (but my brain is too foggy). I keep coming back to needing to wake up before the kids, and early enough to get ready for the day (this is way harder than it sounds for a night owl type momma like me).

I have also discerned a bad habit that has become a stumbling block to the efficiency of my morning routine. First thing in the morning (before even rolling out of bed), I grab my phone and check my mail. I usually intend to get my Bible and read, but before I know it, I get carried away with responding to emails and checking blogs. I have tried telling myself "no phone before Bible" but I end up mechanically reading my Bible just to get to where I can not feel guilty about checking my email. 

So, knowing the power of God's Word to convict, I am taking a different path. No rules for myself, but instead, giving myself a visual. I am laying my Bible on top of my phone. I won't be able to look at my phone without having to move my Bible. I will let you know how it goes...

What do you do to help you prioritize God's Word amidst daily distractions?

Calendar gauntlet...

This weekend, at the Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Conference, I was encouraged, refreshed and challenged. The speakers were engaging and real, not just cheerleading, but being willing to live transparently and challenging us to be about the Kingdom business of discipling our children, not just schooling them.

One thing I am pondering right now is white space on the calendar. I have always tried to keep our family calendar uncluttered, which routinely means we choose to say "no" to a variety of different activities that would pull us in every which direction. Heidi St. John, "The Busy Mom", shared from her book, The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Daylight, in a session about time management, that you should make "white space" on your family calendar. She defined white space as being two consecutive days with nothing outside the house each week. She emphasized that the two days much touch on the calendar, not be intermingled with five crazy busy days, but together, with nothing!

And at the same time I was trying to pat myself on the back, I also took a look at my calendar... I didn't realize how many "once a week" items I had allowed to creep into our schedule... I am glad for summer, a different pace and a great time to implement this new idea... the idea of restful, at home, non-committed days is quite exciting.

Of course, besides white space, Heidi also talked about priorities... this is a topic that has been rolling around in my mind for quite some time... I so desire to get back to doing the things we once did well... I am going to try getting up early again... working out a little, having daily quite time... sadly things that have slipped too far away...

I am encouraged. I am looking forward to making slow, steady change. My whole desire is to show my children Jesus, not just in our time around God's Word, but also in how we live with one another, not rushed about and short tempered because of our unyielding schedule. And we want to be home, to be with our children, and also our neighbors.

How do you decide what to do? When to do it? What to say "Yes" to and what needs to wait? I would love to hear about it!

A few last things...

Church with our friends this morning, and lunch... 

Got home and cleaned up the loft and lined the hallway with all our bags... 

A quick outing to the Durham Museum with friends, then a nap for me, packing the car, dinner, and hitting the road on our way back to Texas...

Today was the day...

We bred our dogs, Mocha (a miniature schnauzer) and Cinnamon (a miniature poodle), two months ago. The timing was  accidental, but they were successful and we were looking forward to welcoming babies in June. Mocha's due date was supposed to be June 3rd which is the day we are planning to get home from our great Midwest Adventure. 

Starting at 9am this morning, I was getting texts that things looked like they were moving along, Mocha was restless and trying to make a nest in the corners of my couch. She finally moved to her crate and by 10:21am she had birthed three puppies! 

Nothing new happened for awhile, but around lunch, two more puppies arrived. Five puppies! How exciting! But wait, one more puppy arrived around 2pm, SIX puppies! I giggled as pictures came in over text, at one point some of my closest friends and their kids were all in my living room watching my sweet Mocha become a new momma. Thanks to all the adults there, videos were captured, and I can't wait to show the kids. 

We are having a blast on our vacation. It has been a refreshing time, and a very encouraging one. It will take me weeks to unpack all the wonderful sessions I have gone to and share what I am applying. As we wrap up our last couple of days here, we are now looking forward to our return home for another reason. Well, six, actually. 

Gearing up...

The kids will be attending the Teach Them Diligently Homeschool Conference with us, all six will be in the Battle for Truth program. They have been encouraged to come in uniform with all things camo. We already had camo hats from our Young Birders Club in San Antonio, but I couldn't find a single kid's camo shirt at home. 

So, on the drive we brainstormed some camo crafts and on Tuesday evening I ran to a local Michaels and purchased camo handkerchiefs, camo duct tape, para cord bracelets for the boys, pins, and face paint. Then I just had to figure out what to do and when to squeeze it in. 

Wednesday's rain day was the perfect opportunity, and this is what we came up with for the girls. 

I think I have figured out something for the boys, now to make a few more...

Day at the loft...

When we were planning out our NE trip, we found out some special friends would also be visiting in Omaha during the same time. It took a little juggling on their part, but we were able to schedule a time for lunch and we offered to have them to the loft so we could just hang out and relax. It was lots of fun to catch up. :) 

And we were able to enjoy the benefits of a downtown loft by ending our lunch date with a quick walk over to Red Mango frozen yogurt. A sweet treat with great fellowship. 

Our plans for the day were continually changing as the rain in Omaha just kept coming down. It rained most of the day and this evening has persisted with no signs of stopping for the last 2 1/2 hours. There is also a Tornado Watch in effect, which, if the sirens go off, will round out my extreme weather in Omaha experience (last time we visited in 2011 there was extreme flooding and a record breaking heat wave). 

The evening brought more friends to the loft for dinner. The kids ran all over, we were thankful for the balcony which the children used for running laps. It was a lovely and relaxing evening, dinner was yummy even though creating it set the smoke alarms blaring. However, when the sky turned black and the winds picked up, we decided to call it a night so our friends could make it home before the storm got too bad. 

We have museum plans tomorrow. We are having a blast!