Recovery & Catch Up

Well it turns out I didn't have the flu, but bronchitis. It was awful. Luckily, I only get sick like that about once every two years. I'm going to become a hermit in 2016 in preparation. I finally made it to a doctor and was put on 4 prescriptions. I'm finally feeling better and not in danger of losing a lung every time I cough now.

I've managed to stay current with my Bible reading. I'm still not good at reading "every day" but get into the chapter and read ahead so I'm doing each week in 2-3 chunks. I hate the feeling that to be a "good" Christian I've always felt the pressure to ascribe to doing things a certain way (reading daily) and since I've only been a Christian with small children I feel like I really need to let go of it. God isn't grading me on my reading assignments. I do spend a significant time each day in prayer and some days with an open Bible.

I'm currently behind on my savings goal, which between Christmas break, snow days & messed up cleaning appointments I've been very lucky to keep bills current. Which brings me to the point of why I've never had a savings before and it's so important to me. I'm looking to catch up January in a chunk with my school money, setting aside what I would have weekly. It just makes me look back and see God's provision as always being enough- never more, never less, sometimes down to the wire, but never less.

The kids and I used our gift card money to go see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 yesterday since they were off school for MLK day. We all enjoyed it and the kids declared it was one we needed to own. I've promised the boys & Alex that we'll go see the Lego Movie on 2/7 when it comes out and they are really looking forward to it.

I've got a bag sitting in my bedroom of closet rejects that I need to get out of the house with maybe 30 things in it so far. I also threw away somethings from the kids room when I was feeling better and realized the extent of the damage left by 3 partially supervised kids while I was near death with the bronchitis.

I'm really enjoying the cross-over with my classes so far this semester. Having Criminal Behavior (psych class) and Criminal Justice 101 is a good combination.

The Flu...

I am so lucky in the fact that I typically only get really laid low about every other year. But when I do it's bad. So so bad.
This all started Sunday night with a fever and it has morphed and multiplied. My main concern now I think I have an ear infection in my right ear. As usual, I don't think I'll be making it to the doctor (don't have one yet) and no insurance (yet). So I've barely been out of bed since Sunday, except yesterday when I thought I was recovered, only to be thrown under the bus by my own optimism by bedtime.

All that being said, I haven't read or done anything productive this week. I really need to start with laundry and feeding the kids. Luckily, none of them have been hit with this. Trinnie is currently unloading the dishwasher for the first time. Because it's that desperate up in here...almost as bad as Tuesday right before the kids went back to school on Wednesday when Jon came in and told me, "Mom, it's like the Hunger Games up in here, Jonah is trying to kill me." Thankfully that crisis has been adverted and the flu is on it's way out too...I hope.

One great thing that happened, which was totally out of my hands was the smaller group listings for the Bible read through group was published and the women in Group 10 and I were able to connect over the past few days. They are an amazing bunch and I'm glad to be teamed up with them.

Shirley, Denise....2 Canadian women. Denise is a single mom. Betsy in Florida and LeAnn from Alabama who has been nice enough to share a little red dirt love with me. And Melissa from North Carolina.

I was very fortunate to catch up with a friend over the phone this afternoon in between naps. She always seems to give me such a different perspective or a smack. Always what I need in either case.

I'm just hoping and praying I can make it to my cleaning job tomorrow. I desperately need to.

Few Days In

    I am absolutely loving the online group of women as we read through the Bible together. I've read ahead some and I'm up to Chapter 21 of Genesis. I'm afraid once school starts I'll slip behind so reading ahead, then taking time to review when I'm buried in school work might be helpful in the coming weeks.
    One thing in reading this week that caught my attention, was the detailed account of Noah's descendants, their languages, the nations & land that they covered. (ch. 10) And in Chapter 11 there is the account of the Tower of Babel where the nations were dispersed and languages separated. This had me seriously thinking about the order that this was written. I had to ask (the group & my pastor) and got very helpful responses.
For one the details in the history & genealogies in Chapter 10 help clarify history versus myth. And having them listed prior to the Tower of Babel is similar to "listing the presidents, then going back and talking about Kennedy" (thanks to Tricia), filling in the details after the overview.
Our online group also discussed the ages of those listed in the readings and Tricia also posted this helpful link that I found to be a neat visual. Patriarchs in Genesis, also gives an "overlap" of when everyone lived.

I haven't read much other than this the last couple days, have been trying to maintain a somewhat "clean" house with the kids still home. Almost ridiculous. The only productive thing I managed was washing all the antique Mason jars so I can start organizing the kitchen & bathrooms.  Looking forward to ordering next semester's books tomorrow and praying that the kids' school is on with the below 0 temps & questionable snow totals we're expecting. Tomorrow's book advance will also get some basic bills paid & my savings started.
                      We've had a good break of sleeping in, playing, and generally doing nothing.

Jon as Norwhal

For one of T-roo's teachers

Jojo prefers alternate play

Rainbow looms...constantly

Jon sleeping until 1pm. Schedule re-adjustment in our near future

Sitting on a block of ice after seeing Frozen at Newport on the Levee

T-roo with the guinea pigs that her & Jojo got on Christmas Eve.
Sophie & Butterscotch joined the family. 

Off to a good start

Today I started off my Bible reading and read all the way to Genesis 12. I also read through the first sections of the study guide as well as the coordinating chapter for the first week's reading.

I started A Quest for More which I found to coincide with today's reading in Genesis. 

I'm DVR'ing Steel Magnolias as I write this, it will be my first 2014 "I've lived under a rock" movie.

My calendar is also ready for the new year now that each week has been labeled and amount to be saved clearly marked. If I can get through the first month that will be great.

New Year Thoughts

The other day I posted these thoughts on Facebook:
For 2014 I have a couple things on my mind- not so much "resolutions" but goals/bucket list type things to look forward to, not layer myself in guilt with. 
1. Read the Bible completely through (joined a fun group of ladies today)
2. 26 fun, non-school related books and keeping a list
3. Start a weekly savings- something even if it's not much
4. 8 OCC boxes compiled throughout year, depending on deals (doubling our normal 4 OCC boxes.
5. Get my kitchen changed out, after having all but the countertop in my garage for 6+ months
6. Find a small group that meets regularly
7. 5 great campings weekends (at least)
8. PURGE- self-explanatory It needs to be the YEAR of SIMPLIFYING
9. Organize garage (post purge) For some reason the garage is my happy place-if it's clean I'm good, second only to my bedroom.
10. Watch one movie a weekend that I somehow missed by living under a rock...think classic, cultural references. For example...I just watched Thelma & Louise last weekend.

And I'd like to really follow through with all this. So I thought I would create a little timeline of all this exceptional action...and of course I don't do anything without my little army tagging along.

Here's where I am starting with several of these items. 

1. I joined an online Facebook group started by the author, Tricia Goyer. The group will be going through A Woman's Guide to Reading the Bible in a Year, by Diane Stortz that I downloaded on my Nook for only $1.99.  In addition to the big group, we'll be in smaller accountability groups as well. I downloaded a copy of HCSB on the Nook as well, in addition to my print copies of HCSB & ESV that I use on a regular basis. I'd welcome any of my real life friends joining me too. 

2. I figure I read way more than 26 books a year, but wanted a reasonable "goal" that would be suitable with my course load. First up is A Quest for More, Living for Something Bigger than You by Paul David Tripp that I downloaded free thanks to a post by my pastor, Shawn Dobbins. I'll post a short review when I'm finished.

3. For the savings goal I've seen those "Save so much a week...", usually starting with a $1 the first week of the year and adding a $ to the amount each week. I found this one that does the same thing in reverse at stretchingabuckblog. Which I really liked...gets the hard part out of the way first and if I can follow through I'll have $1000 in June. 

And for #8 I stumbled across Kathi Lipp's post a few short minutes after mine. I'm going to purge, simplify and purge some more. I've said I'm ALL IN for 2014 items out of my house. You can check out more on Kathi's purge-fest here 2014 Things Challenge

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but a good start considering it's still technically 2013. 

I'll give more info on some of the other items soon, until then me & the army are going to go celebrate.