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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Simple Thoughts Sunday

"15 years ago I made a choice.
And I keep making that choice, every day.
That's what marriage is." -Grey's Anatomy



It's not been 15 years yet, only 6 1/2, but I choose you, Pete- everyday.

Happy Valentine's Day.

:D

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Hold My Heart


I just heard this song for the first time today, from one of my favorite bands- Tenth Avenue North- and thought I'd share it here.

It reminded me of exactly how I felt so often when we were going through the infertility and adoption processes, before we found out we were pregnant with Regan.

I'm so thankful that God is merciful and that He will always give us the strength we need to make it through any struggle we face in this life.

It really touched my heart, and made me think of a very special friend who's going through some of that same journey right now.

Love you, Chrissy.





Friday, February 12, 2010

The Progression of Cloth

Cloth diapering has come a long way.

Here is my little sister, Erica, in 1987. She was about the same age here as Regan is now.
(Mom says she put the diaper on loose on purpose, since Erica had the Chicken Pox at the time.)



And, here's Regan in a more "modern" cloth diaper.


Cute on both accounts, but now much, much easier.

:)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Simple Thoughts Sunday

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.
~William Morris

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Critical


I heard something so good for myself on the radio coming home from picking up groceries today that I just had to share.

First, I'm confessing that I'm a perfectionist. But you know what the most ironic thing about that is? I'm an unorganized mess!

I was listening to this radio program, shared from a Christian perspective, on criticism, and the host said some things that I hope will really stick with me.

I first began listening, as I flipped through the stations, because the topic started out on being critical of your spouse in your marriage.

That can be one of my biggest failings, so I really wanted to hear what they had to say on it.

Here are a few of the things I'm going to try to keep in mind:


*Dwelling on the criticisms you have of your spouse, and forgetting to keep in the forefront of your mind your love for them- and share more of the love than the criticism, hurts them and your marriage.

*Critical people are usually perfectionists, and almost always hyper-critical of themselves first.

*The fruit of being so self-critical (and such a perfectionist) is procrastination. The mindset of, "I can't do it right/well enough/etc., so it will have to wait until I can."
(I can SO see this in myself. And my procrastination around our home gives us a home that often feels overwhelmingly cluttered or messy.)

*When you feel critical of your spouse, ask yourself, "Did I marry them because of that (whatever it is that's bugging you)?"

*Take time to memorize several Bible verses that reinforce how much God loves you- and when you're being critical of yourself (we're talking self-criticism to the point of it effecting your self esteem) take a moment to recite them to yourself. Remember what you're "worth" to Him, and how much you're valued by Him.

*Think twice, speak once.


I think an important part of living simply, my personal Resolution, is letting go of that perfectionist, critical part of me. Of just relaxing, and letting God control. Realizing that it doesn't have to be done "perfectly"- it's so much better to accomplish something that's "pretty close" than to not try to do it at all. And, most importantly, realizing that, at the end of the day, what matters most is not what I accomplish, but whether or not I kept Him first in my life that day and kept a godly spirit in all that I did or tried to do.

These were just some good thoughts for me today, and I wanted to share them with you.

Do you ever feel God's love and influence that way? Maybe you don't feel as in touch with Him as you should be, and yet it's as if He gives you something, kind of out-of-the-blue, that you so need and that's "just for you" anyway? I do, and it just makes me so very thankful to have such a wonderful and loving Father. It humbles me, and gives me an even stronger desire to get closer to Him, and to keep close.


Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

:)






Friday, February 5, 2010

The February Change

Alright, alright- I'm 5 days late in deciding (and posting) our family's change for February.

My only excuse is that I'm a first time mommy to a teething 4 month old.

And I run a daycare at home every day.

Good enough excuse for me- I'm exhausted!

Anyway, this month I'm going simple, since last month's goal ended up being a bit lofty for me to accomplish in my current harried and exhausted state.

For the rest of February we are keeping all the lights turned off in the house, except for the room we are currently in.

Simple, but hopefully helpful.

And, I'll still be working on those diapers.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

How to Calm the Baby

Give the baby to Daddy so Mommy can take a shower, and she may become upset.

VERY upset.

Have Daddy change the baby's diaper to appease her.

Baby may become very happy and talkative for the duration of the nakedness that ensues.

Until it's time for the jammies.

Baby does not like wearing clothes.

And still wants her Mommy.
(Who is enjoying the first "alone" time she's had all day... in the shower.)

Finally, Daddy hits upon the solution to all of baby's problems!

Lay baby on bed.

Whip out that handy-dandy fancy new cell phone.

Find as many downloads of Blues Traveler as possible.

Crank it up.

Lay cell phone near baby on bed.

Watch as baby suddenly becomes calm, acting as if she has not a care in the world.

Let Mommy finish her shower.

And, all is again right with the world.






Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Change Update & More



Well, our first month of change is over, and I'll admit that I'm bummed- we weren't able to fully succeed at it, but we did give it a valiant effort!

I tried hard to sew those diapers!

I did manage to get one almost completed, but somehow, with a one year old and an almost 4 month old to take care of during the day, I just couldn't carve out enough time to "get 'er done"as Pete would say.

And so, we did have to buy more disposable diapers towards the end of the month.

Oh well. I'm not going to allow myself to feel bad about it, because our "heart" is in the right place. We are trying, and we will continue to try!

I did discover a few things in the sewing process though-

1. I can sew if I put my mind to it!

2. I like cloth diapers MUCH better than disposables (I think I already knew this, it's just that I reaffirmed that to myself during this challenge.).

3. I don't really care for the way the Little Comet Tails diapers are supposed to go together. I'm tweaking the pattern to my liking as I go along. Which brings me to...

4. I'm seriously thinking, as I do get the time to sew, that other people might be interested in buying my version of a cloth diaper. I'm pondering on how to find the time to sew more and thinking about possibly trying to sell some (if I ever get enough finished to have a supply!). And,

5. I am not a fan of snaps on cloth diapers. I'm a velcro girl. I'll openly admit it.

I did the numbers, and it will be cheaper for me to make our diapers in the long run, rather than buying them. I love shopping for the fabric and notions, and I can't wait to (find the time to) post pictures! :)


I am coming along, slowly but surely, on the Five a Day Clutter Challenge too. I'm slowly weeding out clutter and junk (I even discovered that I have 6 extra shelves of storage space now!!!), getting rid of it, and organizing what's left behind.

I'm not stopping at just 30 days though- I'm going until all of the rooms in this house have a place for everything in them, and our home feels comfortable and relaxing instead of cluttered and chaotic!

I've written down a daily routine, for each day of the week, that I hope will help me find the time to do things like sew and sort. I really hope I can get the baby to work with me on it too! ;)

And, on a side note, I'm feeling much better these days (though it will be such a relief when winter starts to end and we can get outside again every day!). I've been taking St. John's Wort at each meal, and I've noticed that I'm definitely calmer through my days, and my mood is generally better. I'm hoping if I can stick to my new routine that I'll start to feel more rested and have more energy through the day too.

On a second side note, we had Regan's 3 month pictures done last weekend, and I can't wait to see them! Hopefully we'll get them in time to send out Valentines! :D

Here's a neat video on how fast it all goes once you're a parent- I'm already beginning to see it start to happen, and it's good, but a little bittersweet. :)

How are you doing on keeping your New Year's Resolutions?