Christmas 2012

What a great Christmas we had this year! It was a bit hectic going into it. I broke a tooth pretty seriously about a week before, and it ended up costing us an unexpected $550 (fortunately, the new dentist let me pay half now and half later). Although many would have seen this as a negative, we got Tim's mileage bonus, which I didn't expect, just about a day before it happened. To me, the blessing was in receiving the bonus before we needed it so the dentist costs didn't have to come from our regular paycheck. Anyway, by Friday afternoon, I had a temporary crown on the tooth to get me through the holidays, and we were able to bring Tim home for the next 5 days. We picked him up and immediately got to work doing the "errand" things we do before he has to go back out on the road. We exchange his library books, stock up on food and supplies for the next 3 weeks in his truck, get his laundry washed, etc. Saturday was an amazing day. I stayed home that day while Tim volunteered, insisted really, to go out with each of the kids to actively participate in buying all of us gifts. We all realize that everything we bought already came from his hard work, self-sacrificing, and dedication - yet he didn't just want to have me do all the shopping and put his name on the tags. He went out on the last Saturday before Christmas, fighting the crowds, hitting the department stores, putting a lot of thought into what would be good gifts that would reflect his relationship with each of the kids, and me. He also wanted to be responsible for shopping for his parents, something in previous years he gladly turned over to me. He's such a wonderful person these days! We began the Christmas holiday on as we call it, "Christmas Adam", December 23rd. We went to church, then we basically spent it relaxing together. Monday was Christmas Eve, and Tim took Jordan out on a Daddy/Daughter date, while I finished up the baking. That night, we went to Christmas Eve service together as a family. This was a wonderful gift to me, having Adam there. At almost 19, he usually has to work, or attends a different church, or sometimes he sleeps in while we're at church since he works 3rd shift. This year, the 5 of us attended together. The service started out with the band playing a song by Trans Siberian Orchestra, then singing carols. The message was great, about how we don't have to "clean ourselves up first" to come to Jesus. He came while we were still sinners, and for no reason other than love, He came to take our place as a perfect sacrifice for our sins so we could be free and have eternal life with Him. Afterwards, it was great to see Adam interacting with people he hadn't seen in about 3 years or more. He was talkative, out-going, friendly, positive, respectful, and even hugged a few old friends. Such a change from even just a year ago when he was angry, depressed, and felt bad about himself and his future because he was out of work. When we were done visiting with friends there, we came home for a quiet evening together. Tim & I watched Sherlock on Netflix on our bed with Jordan. We've only seen a few episodes, but it's well-written, and we like a mystery where we can't guess the ending. Christmas morning was great. I'm a detailed planner, with a touch of OCD, so I had no real stress happening before we got started. I knew what to do, what to let go of, and what schedule to keep to have all the food ready on time. Adam had to be in bed around 1 o'clock so he could go in by 10 that night, so we had just 3 hours from the time Nana & Papa arrived, to do gifts, visit together, and enjoy a meal. The gifts were fun this year. No one spent an exorbitant amount of money (on purpose) but we all put a lot of thought into why we would get each gift for those we bought. Jordan got lots of stuff, but most of it was for her Wilton Cake Decorating classes. She completed Course 1 and will be taking Course 2 in January. She also began learning to sew (clothes, mostly) with a friend of mine, and we found a great deal on a Singer sewing machine for her. She wanted one, but after the dentist bills, she never expected to get it until maybe her birthday this summer. She was so thrilled. She can't wait to start making her own clothes. She thinks she may want to be a fashion designer someday, so learning what makes a good garment could be really important, not to mention how much she'll save making her own clothes in the meantime. Logan is almost 17 now and wanting to shed his little kid image once and for all. He asked for what he and I called "Old Man gifts". He got a Zippo lighter, 2 machetes, a pocket watch he's thrilled with, and his brother gifted him with one of his guitars. Adam is the hardest to shop for. He has expensive taste and he knows it, so he tells everyone they don't have to get him anything - which leaves us without too many ideas. We got him things important to him. He's a big Dr. Who fan, so we got him a Dr. Who mug and some tea. He got a gift card to go to the movies with a friend or a date, with enough left over for popcorn and drinks. He also got a gift card for a clothing store since we know he's moving away from teenage styles and band shirts to a more mature wardrobe, one piece at a time. In addition to those, he does plan on having his own place someday, so we got him a set of glasses and some flatware. For his birthday, maybe we'll find the square dishes he wants. Tim was easy to buy for this year. He needed jeans, some work supplies at Harbor Freight Tools, only needed one last movie to complete his XMen DVD collection, and we replaced a knife he lost on the road. Jordan was smart and got him a hair clipper set. He cuts his own to save money but his was broken and the guides falling off could cause serious "haircut malfunctions" like unwanted shaved stripes, or having to clip it all almost bald to cover up where a guide slipped and went too short. Everything was practical and well-received. My gifts are simple, but I never expect much. For almost 20 years, Tim would either not buy me anything claiming he had no time, or didn't know what I wanted, so he'd buy me nothing. If he did, he'd get me a cheap version of what I asked for, and it would usually break quickly. Christmas isn't about the gifts, and I really do get more out of watching others open things they need than putting the camera down to open something myself. The last few years, Tim's gotten better though. He's gotten me planner pages for the new year, practical things I needed for the kitchen, and last year, I had earned money for a laptop but had to use it to help with bills so he somehow managed to find me this one in time for Christmas last year. It's been wonderful, especially since our home computer had died in November. We were reduced to using the library ones to do what we needed to do, and that's not very safe and secure at all. This year, he went in with Adam to get me a gift I never expected him to buy! I had recently become a Mystery Shopper and often the job requires photos, either of the building's cleanliness, or the presentation of the food, or even of an apartment complex I'm evaluating. My camera is so used that it's being held closed with tape, it's big and bulky, it's a huge paperweight in my purse, and it's not very discreet at all on a shop. Tim and Adam knew there was a new camera that just came out, a Nikon Coolpix S01. I've had my eye on it for about a month or so, planning to earn the money around Feb/Mar from my Mystery Shops to get it. It's only about 2" x 3" x .7" deep. It takes 10 megapixel photos and it only weighs about 3.4 ounces! Perfect for discreet mystery shops. The two went in together and got it for me! I loved the prayer shawl Tim's mom had crocheted for me, the canned goodies her and Tim's father brought us, the much-needed new bakeware set from Logan, the beautiful "Mother" plate from Jordan, along with a personal picture she hand-drew for me, and the gift cards my sisters sent - I appreciate all that, but this will help me be able to accept better jobs with more confidence. That helps our family earn more, save more, buy a house instead of having to rent, getting a car before our van breaks or dies. It will help me earn more money not for the sake of stuff, but to keep us out of debt, and to be able to provide for our family. After all the gifts were opened, we ate our family dinner: Rosemary roasted lamb, a peppercorn crusted pork tenderloin roast, gravy, potatoes with Rosemary, garlic and olive oil, peas, corn, garlic cheddar scones, green bean casserole, and too many desserts to mention. Then we wound down watching the newest Batman movie while Adam went to bed to rest before work. We had a great, relaxing, fun visit with my in-laws and with each other. I've had many reasons to have bad, even lonely Christmases in the past, but this year was one of the best. I'm so thankful and grateful for all we've been given and I don't take any of it for granted - especially my family. Merry Christmas to you, and Happy 2013!

Christmas Adam

A few years ago, our oldest, Adam, came to me and said, "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Do you know what that makes today?...Christmas Adam!" It was unexpected and funny, and now it's kind of stuck. If Christmas Eve feels like a 2nd holiday beside Christmas, then Christmas Adam makes us feel like it's a 3 day holiday now. We picked up Tim at work on Friday afternoon and we have him through the morning of the 26th, so it's a bit longer than usual, but with holidays in there, it'll fly by so fast! We did all the "have to do" things, return his library audio books, stock up on truck meals and supplies, do all his laundry, etc. Tim even made a point to spend all day yesterday - the last Saturday before Christmas, mind you - shopping for everyone. Traditionally over the past 20 years, he makes the money, I do the Christmas shopping, and he's really only had to shop for me, and maybe his father (he's hard to get gifts for and Tim knows what he has and can use better than I do). This year, Tim wanted to be an active participant in the kids, so he went shopping when he got home. He had a part in getting something for each of the kids, and me too, I'm told. It will be an interesting Christmas. I think we got each of the kids stuff they wanted. Last year was 3 gifts each that they absolutely needed. Not too much "fun" but very appreciated by them. This year, we got gifts that would be a little more fun. They've been through a lot with us over the past few years, and although we didn't really get anything frivolous, at least it's not a Christmas getting boring clothes and shoes. Today we'll go to church, then come home and I'll be baking zucchini bread, cheesecake bars, and cookies for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tomorrow, I'll be cleaning the house so that Christmas Day can be relaxing. I hope to be done enough baking that I can bring the neighbors a treat. Tomorrow night, we'll finish up by going to church for the Christmas Eve service. Adam, who normally either works, skips church to rest up, or attends a different church, will be joining us. We haven't gone to church with him since before we moved 8 months ago. That will make me happy! Christmas morning we won't have to get up early since we have no little kids anymore, but we'll probably be up by around 9. Between 10 and 10:30, Tim's parents will be joining us. They're down here this week staying with the Burkes, but they'll be here for Christmas morning. (That reminds me, I better bake something for them too!) We'll be able to open all our gifts, then rummage through our stockings, take some time to relax and visit, then we'll have a nice dinner together - the 7 of us. Without our kitchen bench, it's a bit difficult to feed us all around the table. We'll have to have the 3 teens at the bar and us 4 at the table. It'll be a bit strange, but we only own 4 chairs, 1 low folding chair, and 3 high bar stools. Not sure how else to do it. Anyway, at least we're together. The plan is to have lamb, gravy, potatoes cubed and baked with Rosemary, Garlic, and Olive Oil, stuffing, cranberry sauce, garlic cheddar biscuits, green bean casserole, peas, and corn. For dessert, we'll have pumpkin pie, pistachio pudding pie (Jordan's idea), cheesecake bars, cookies, and zucchini bread. After Tim's parents leave, we'll spend the rest of the evening relaxing, enjoying Tim's last night home til mid-January, probably watching movies together (except Adam who has to sleep in the afternoon and early evening to go into work at midnight). This Christmas will definitely be very different from last year, which was actually very nice, but we have so much to be thankful for now. I think the warm feeling will be even better and stronger. I can't wait to start today - maybe that's why I was up at 6 am?

Our return to the Phoenix Zoo

Something we've wanted to do since we moved back here in April was to visit the Phoenix Zoo. Our kids have practically grown up there. Every year in the valley we would buy a yearly pass for us, then we could go there anytime we wanted, free of charge. The membership pays for itself after the 2nd visit. There were quite a few new improvements for 2012, their 50th Anniversary. The entire entryway has been redone, there's new animals, some of the animal locations have changed, they've added some new features like a huge slide for the kids, and the whole place looks better landscaped than it was a few years ago. Here's a few pictures of just a few things we saw, bears, jaguars, cheetahs, flamingos, golden eagles, giant tortoises, pelicans, squirrel monkeys, otters, and more! I love the flowers there too!

(sorry, I got 2 of the same one in there and don't know how to pull out just that one, but look at his face!)

After almost 3 hours, there's still more that we didn't see...next time!

Heading into December

It's so incredible to think we're already heading into December. This whole year has flown by, so many changes! We've moved from a village in the mountains back to the Valley of the Sun, our family has jobs again, we've been living in a nice home in a beautiful neighborhood for 7 months already, the list goes on and on. What will December hold? How will we finish up the year? Our Christmas tree is up and I've barely begun shopping for gifts. We're contemplating moving before our April lease is up, if the opportunity is right - but I just don't know what we should do for sure yet. The best part of all this is that I am very optimistic about not only December, but also what the New Year will hold. I love January 1st. It's a great time to clear the slate and start fresh, with new goals, and to create better habits, and to let go of past mistakes. It's such a wonderful time of "newness". For now, I'll look forward to spending more time outside while our weather is at its best. I've got plans for baking (for Christmas gifts). And in just about a week, my Honey will be home for a few days again! He's been gone for weeks! I'm really anticipating a great month ahead of calmness, getting together with friends, closing out another year, and looking forward to 2013.

Starting the Day with a Victory

I started a new routine recently. Since I've done it five times now, I feel safe calling it a routine (at least for now). I have a habit of waking up a few minutes before 5 a.m. and I'm not sure why. Maybe a neighbor leaves for work at that time and I hear a car door? Maybe that's when traffic in the distance picks up? I'm not sure, but I know I'm up at almost exactly the same time every morning, about 4:57 a.m. I don't particularly like getting up that early. I'd rather be able to sleep until 6 or 7, but I guess I don't know how. So what can I do at that time of the morning that won't wake up the kids, that would help me start my day with a victory? I get up, straighten the blankets behind me (my husband's on the road so I've got my room to myself most of the time), turn on the lights, and get dressed to workout before I can change my mind. Then I pop my Zumba workout DVD into my laptop and get moving. Because Zumba is fun and energizing, I get just a few minutes into it and think, "Oh yeah, I actually LIKE doing this." Before too long, the workout is done, I'm breathing kind of heavy, and I hit the shower. There's something about the quietness of early morning that I do actually enjoy. Each day is a clean slate, a chance to learn from the previous days, and a chance to become better today. I sit on my bed with my Bible, pen, and a notebook and begin my quiet time of reading, studying, meditating on the Word, and praying for those I care most about. I know there's lots of ways to start a person's day, but for me, this allows me to start each day with a victory - a victory over laziness, victory over my health, victory over where my thoughts for the day will begin, and in my faith, I believe in victories in the lives around me because God does answer prayers. Sometimes the answer is "no", but many times it's a victory over illness, or struggles, or relationships, and for the many things I have been given, and have witnessed, I am truly thankful. What can you do tomorrow to start your own day with a victory?

It finally feels like fall!

It's hard to determine just when fall is if you live in a state that has warm winters and hotter-than-average summers, but I think we're finally there. We had a week where we never hit triple digits, that's the start of fall. Last week was in the low 90s - another good sign we're almost there. The next 10 days should be under 90 degrees for the high and the lows finally get down to the 50s. I think we can finally say fall is officially here. What changes happen around here? I can begin to pull out my lightest long sleeve shirts. It's a good thing when you get to expand your wardrobe, right? It also means the electric bill plummets because we switch from mostly air conditioning to mostly having the doors and windows open. It's a great time to do a house-wide cleaning project before the holidays. We begin rearranging the furniture for when we set up our Christmas tree. We donate all the old junk we've accumulated that we don't need anymore. We bring out the fall colors for our candles, tablecloths, and decor. Our menu changes quite a bit with the seasons as well. More of the recipes will include pumpkin, sweet potatoes, pomegranate, cranberries, and nutmeg. We start to look for more local, holiday events to attend, get closer to Logan's production week and play performances (in early to mid November), and Jordan will be finishing up her cake decorating classes. Adam is out in the full-time, working world, so his life won't change dramatically, but he'll be happier in the cooler weather, since his air conditioning doesn't work in the jeep. Tim will have a bit more difficulty at work, I would imagine. He started driving a flatbed in April, and never had to drive in the snow. I would think he'll run into a few states where it's snowing in the next 2 months or so before winter hits. Hopefully, he won't have to tarp out in the cold, the pouring rain, or drive in icy conditions. As for me, I know people get busy around the holidays, but for me, it's a happier time. It's when I get to cook more (since the kitchen's not so hot), which I absolutely LOVE to do. I get to try out new recipes. I love how the houses are decorated, and here in the southwest - fall is when our flowers and gardens are just getting started - so great local produce is on the way! Time to hit the Farmer's Markets! I always hated fall in New England. The colors are beautiful, yes, but it was a time of dying, bare trees, cold nights, bad weather, it gets dark by 5:00...here fall is a time of new life, new beginnings, and so much to look forward to for the next 6 to 7 months with our warm weather. I love it here.

Book Review: The Noticer by Andy Andrews

I just finished reading a great book called The Noticer by Andy Andrews. It's a great book about a man named Jones who seems to show up now and then in people's lives to bring them wisdom that will help them have a better life. One of the questions he asks in the book was, "What would others change about you if they could?". He explains that we are not to spend our lives pretending to be what others want us to be. The point is that if you want to be someone who lives a full life, that draws others to them, that others want to be around, then ask yourself what things others might want to change before they want to spend more time with you? Let's touch on just a few things: 1. Your speech. People have lots of negative people around them already. They don't need another one who always finds something wrong, or is a skeptic, or can't find the bright side of anything. Also, many people don't say anything when someone curses now and then, but if curses are the majority of the words you speak, maybe you should give that some thought. Those with success, large groups of friends, respect of their peers, and opportunities offered to them generally don't speak with words that tend to offend others. What type of person are you? What type of people are you trying to attract? Doesn't it make sense that if opportunity comes from people, then the more influential people you can attract, may bring more opportunities your way? 2. Your dress. I know more than anyone that this economy has hit some families really hard. There may not be money for designer clothes or the latest fashions, but consider this: what if you planned how you dressed? What if you made sure that whenever you left the house, what you had on was clean, wasn't full of wrinkles, fit well, and made you look and feel your best? Then those ripped, stained, or old clothes you can't get rid of could be worn on days off, when you're home, or around the house? Also, there are great bargains to be hunted down at department store clearance racks (especially the high end stores like Dillard's), thrift stores, and even at Salvation Army & Goodwill sales. Did you know, for example, that at Goodwill, every Thursday, all clothes with a particular tag color are just $1? That color tag will be 50% off all week, too. And they even run sales every few weeks where everything in the store is 50% off, regardless of tag color? Be creative, think outside of the box. You don't have to spend a lot to improve the way you dress. Think of it as a hunting expedition! 3. Your attitude. What do others think about your attitude? Are you loud and obnoxious? Do you tend to be arrogant? Do you try to play the tough guy/lady? Are you so quiet and shy that no one ever gets to really know you? Are you so indecisive that it's hard for people to make plans with you? Do you tend to only talk about yourself, never stopping to listen to the person you're with? Do you constantly interrupt others? Are you a very lazy person that declines every offer to try something new? Just imagine the opportunities that might come your way if you were a better listener, rather than always having to be the life of the party. What if you were open to trying new things with others? What if you were the first to offer a smile or handshake at the next social event? You just might find that new connection you need to better your situation, and find you made some great new friends in the process. So you see, the book isn't about making others happy, or becoming a doormat to others. It's about putting the best YOU forward, improving your quality of life, and taking a genuine interest in others. It's about sanding off the rough edges to create a more wonderful you. Take some time. Give it some thought. What can you do this week to make your quality of life better?

What's Been Holding You Back? Break Free this month!

So many of us have secret dreams, hopes, desires, and aspirations. Unfortunately, we often let other things hold us back from the happiness and success we could be achieving. What's holding you back?

Is it time? The number one answer to why people don't do what they really would like to do, is a lack of time. So what is your time being spent on? For many, it's juggling family, work, obligations, maybe caring for a sick or aging relative, and appointments. But what if you could take your next day off and really focus in on what's important? What if you decided in advance every week that your schedule would only be filled with the most valuable things? You'd have to keep your job, in most cases. Family is important, too. I know for some, making time to grow their faith is important too. But there's one category that gets overlooked that may be stopping many people...what about "down time"? What do you do with it? I know, at first, most would say they have NO downtime - but is that true? Most people who claim to have no time somehow manage to know what's going on every week on all their favorite shows. They watch shows like American Idol, Biggest Loser, Army Wives, 2 or 3 football games a week, not to mention that they've seen all the newest shows as they come out. What if instead of that hour or two was used on something you pre-decided was important to you? You'd have anywhere from 5 to 14 hours a week to work on it. It could be exercising, quality time doing something active and fun with family or friends, it could be spent writing that book, taking classes to learn something you've always wanted to do, or even just get more sleep to help you be more productive every day.

What if time isn't you're issue? Is it fear? Many people are afraid of risk, and in this unstable economy, that makes sense. The only problem is, if you never overcome your fears, you'll always hold yourself back from what could be your greatest adventure! What would you do if you didn't let fear hold you back? Would you meet someone new? Get to know your neighbors? Try to start a new business? Pursue investing? Resolve issues with a friend or relative in need of repair? Start a family? Change careers? Volunteer to help out a cause or group of people that are important to you? Life is short. Try to figure out some "baby steps" you can take towards overcoming those fears and living the life you've always wanted. It's time to put an end to your fears!

Is it a lack of money? For many, this is a real issue. Everyone is going as fast as they know how, some work more hours than they should be capable of, yet they just can't get to those important things. So what are some solutions to get you on your way to a better quality of life? Could you have a yard sale and get rid of the stuff in your house you don't really need? Would a part-time job or starting a low-risk, low cost home business be your answer? What about reigning in your spending? Most people have no idea what they spend a month on fast food, coffees, eating out, movies, impulse buys, and unplanned miscellaneous items they pick up while shopping for something else. Keep a record of every penny you spend for the next 30 or 60 days. Maybe there's a category you can cut that would free up the money you need that, over time, could help you realize some of those overdue but not forgotten dreams and desires.

Whatever is holding you back, let this month be your month to really break free! Take control of your destiny! Stop letting others and less important stuff keep you from experience a life filled with satisfaction, meaning, adventure, and purpose.

Keep your hopes and dreams alive! Good luck!

Making September Great

Today is the first day of September. It starts the last third of 2012. I always start the year with a set of goals and hopes for the year. Like most people, somewhere around mid-spring, many of those get forgotten, or circumstances changed, or life just got so busy that I got off track. Today is a gift. It's a chance to start again. A day to refocus on those forgotten goals for the year - there's still plenty of time to complete most of them. How about you?

Will you refocus on those health goals? If losing weight was on your list, there's still 4 whole months to do that. Even if all you saw was a single pound come off every week, you still have time to drop 17 pounds in 2012! That could lower your risks for so many health issues! Will you recommit to yourself?

What important project have you been putting off that could really make a difference at work, in your business, or around your home? 17 weeks is plenty of time to finish those undone projects, complete the follow through on your customers you've been putting off, do those home improvements that haven't gotten done, etc. Take some time this long weekend and plan out what one thing you can do that will help you start off 2013 better than if you hadn't done it. Begin with the end in mind. Decide what to get accomplished, and work a plan backwards, breaking it into smaller steps and you can be successful.

What relationships have been neglected due to busyness? Your relationship with God? Date night with your spouse? Time to relax and enjoy your children? A visit or conversation with an aging parent or grandparent that misses you? The faithful friend or sibling or relative that patiently waits and longs to spend time with you? Plan the time into your schedule. Life is short - don't wait.

Maybe there's a few things on your to-do list that have been neglected for so long, yet still adds a pang of guilt when you think about it? Put it in your schedule to work on it and get it done so you can get rid of that burden that's been weighing you down. Do it now so 2013 can begin with a free feeling of accomplishment instead of regret over things still undone.

Perhaps you're beginning a new season in your life? It's the start of fall, of a new school year, maybe a fiscal year, maybe a new time to qualify for something in the near future, or you'll be kicking off a new activity or job or group project? Take time this weekend to plan where you want it to go, what results you'd like to see out of it, and what steps you can take along the way to get there.

Whatever your plans, don't miss the opportunity to do great things in your world. There's still 17 weeks to go. Don't waste them. Make the most of them. Make your September great!

Is it Fall Yet?

Ever since we left New England to live in the Southwest, August has been a little difficult to get used to. Here, the kids are back in school at the beginning of the month, the worst of the heat is (usually) over, the pools and summer activities shut down by the end of the month, and regular, year-round activities and groups start up. Meanwhile, in August, the friends & family in New England are just getting used to being out of school (most have only been out about 4 weeks when August hits), they're going to the beach, taking vacations, and loving their warmest month.

I guess with September being just a week away, it's okay to be planning our fall season.

I plan to make this fall one of our most exciting in a long time. It'll take some cooperation on the part of others, but as far as it's up to me, plans are underway. I want to grow my business to where I qualify for a free Cruise by the end of the year. Wouldn't that be a great Christmas gift for my husband? We missed out on a special 20th Anniversary trip like we planned so we could move back to the city. This would be great.

I also want to make this a great high school year for both Logan and Jordan. He's in two plays with his drama group, he's been invited to try being in a youth band at a local church, and he's getting involved in a Youth Group with two of his friends that seem to be helping him really grow his faith. Jordan will begin sewing lessons with a friend of mine in September. I'm hoping she finds at least one other thing she can be excited about so she can look back on her teen years as a time of fun, a time of having lots of great adventures with new friends. We'll see how that works out.

I'll be a student in our church's Tuesday morning Women's Bible Study group again. I love this group and it's been very important to me for the entire 7 years we've lived here. Also, I'll be kicking off an evening Women's Life Group through church in September. I'm leading it, so I pray for guidance, wisdom, and discernment. I want to teach what THEY need, not what I feel like teaching.

This fall I hope Adam will be going from part-time to full-time work, and saving up for a car, college in January, and eventually - to get out on his own. If he was a student and had a job, and was a respectful "roommate" for Logan, then he can stay.

I also plan on really striving to save up and build our Emergency Fund (see DaveRamsey.com), get the vehicles' maintenance done, have a cash Christmas, and even put an extra month's rent aside for emergencies. Once the New Year starts, or we hit that new business level, whichever comes first, we can start a savings fund for a newer car and a down payment for a house.

I plan on being more active once the heat dies down a bit, too. I'm looking forward to walking around this great neighborhood we're in, spending a few school sessions at the nearby park, walking around the zoo, roller skating, ice skating, and basically, just getting outdoors more. Maybe I'll even have the time and energy to hike with Tim. He likes mountains, I'd prefer long trails. We'll see.

One last goal is to continue to lose weight. It may be coming off fairly slowly, but it IS coming off and it's staying off. I lost 20 lbs. about 2 years ago and it's still off. I hit a new low on the scale every month, and I'm wearing smaller and smaller clothes - so that's already going well. Maybe the extra physical activities will help speed that up a bit, too?

All I know is that this year will finish well. We'll get to spend holidays with friends, have lots of events to attend, make great, new friends, build a new business team in the area, and with a little help from above - be blessed by qualifying for a cruise by the end of the year.

What more could I hope for?

Prioritizing: Step 3

Now that I've got 8 basic categories, now I have to figure out how to put those things into my calendar in the hopes of a more productive, more important, quality of life. Here's my preliminary thoughts on how to do this:

Start with the "big rocks" first - the most important, purpose-driven things I'm responsible for must go into the schedule first. Then the "should do this" things will be worked in around them. Finally, Habit 7 will probably be used to fill in the empty spaces that are left. If there's a lot, great. If there's only a little, then at least the most important things will be targeting to be done first. Also, I start my week on Saturday and end it on Friday to coincide with my business' week to make it easier.

Saturday: School planning, Business planning, Deep cleaning the house, friends & family calls/Skype sessions, Zumba, update personal blog, scrapbooking when possible, movie on Netflix with Jordan

Sunday: Church, get papers for coupons, clip coupons, Zumba, update faith blog,

Monday: School, enter new coupons, update lists, prospects contacted,Zumba, business FB/Twitter postings

Tuesday: Bible Study, School, Logan's drama class, Dollar Theater night (when there's $ and a good movie we actually WANT to see)- or else something on Netflix with them, prospects follow-throughs,

Wednesday: School, grocery list & coupon matching,caught up on webinars & phone calls,Zumba, business FB & Twitter postings

Thursday: School, grocery shopping, bills paid,prospects contacted,(this week, mtg. @ 7pm), Zumba (when there's no evening meeting), business FB & Twitter postings, Update couponing blog,

Friday: School, finish up business week, prospects follow-throughs, coffee with friends, Zumba, library to exchange books for the upcoming week

In addition to these, there's my daily to-do lists. Every day will have routine cleaning, errands to run, eating right, drinking my water, getting those one-time tasks on and off my list, getting rest & enough sleep, etc.

I really think I'm getting there. Hope this is helping someone else get organized & prioritized too.

Prioritizing: Step 2

Okay, I think I've got it down to 8 broad categories now - that in itself is an accomplishment. Here they are, in no particular order:
- My Home: Mother, Wife, Housewife, Finances, Kids
- Business: Everything to do with my home-business, incl. FB & Twitter postings
- Education: Homeschooling the kids, our homeschool group, and classes we'll be taking
- Faith: Church, Bible Study, Life Groups, Prayer & Reading, etc.
- Family & Friends: Phone calls, skyping, FB/Email messaging, coffee with friends, social events
- Couponing: Buying, Clipping, Organizing, Matching, & Shopping, then the classes I'll teach.
- Health: What I eat, water consumption, Zumba, other exercise, sleep, etc.
- Habit 7: (from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey) This is where I can include rest & relaxation, scrapbooking, blogging, journaling, watching movies with Tim or the kids, taking time for me, quiet time to think & plan, taking time for moisturizing, doing my nails, conditioning my hair, all those things that slip through the cracks.

What did I get rid of? We don't have TV or else that'd be the first to go. I dropped worrying about finishing an old scrapbooking heritage album for now so I don't get overwhelmed at not keeping up with the present. I dropped cooking great meals that no one really wants or cares about. I'll still cook when our family will all be home together, but when I spend 2 hours cooking a meal and have 3 out of 3 kids say, "I'm not hungry" or they leave to go to their friends' houses for the night, it's wasted time & effort. I won't be playing the games I played on FB to fill my days in Concho when we were in isolation with no money & no gas to go anywhere. I won't be spending hours planning things I'll never get around to doing. I'll just get better at planning what's important, and doing that well by careful planning.

Hopefully, I can take these 8 categories and devise some type of weekly & monthly calendar to include all of them. I'm not necessarily hoping to get more done. I just want what I do to count for more. I want to improve the quality of life I live and not look back years from now wondering how much time I wasted on the unimportant.

What's important in your life that you could build into your schedule regularly that would improve your quality of life? Always open to ideas.

Prioritizing where my time SHOULD be going.

I was thinking yesterday, if I actually did all the things I want to do and think are important, I'd be so productive - but, WHY do I do so many things? In spite of them all, I still have days I feel are very boring, don't feel like I get much done, and yet thinking of all I should be doing, I can even get overwhelmed before I start. I sat in traffic the other day asking myself, how do people just go through life NOT blogging, scrapbooking, reading books, they have no kids, etc. They just go to work, spend evenings eating out with friends, and sleep on weekends? How do you not feel guilty? I feel like everything in the world is up to me to do, fix, take care of, and when I'm not doing all that - it seems like so much falls apart & my whole family is unhappy. Maybe there's a balance?

Let's look at the top 10 things I should be doing with my time:
- 1. Building my faith - if I spent more time in prayer, then I believe things would go smoother, the problems would seem smaller, and my joy would sustain me through bumps in the road.
- 2. Homeschooling - I need to be clearer on what the kids need to accomplish throughout the week. I don't need them to do quantities of work. I need them to learn and focus on quality of work.
- 3. The Home - I have things I do every day, the dishes, wiping down counters, taking trash out, etc., but I need to take time for the sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, laundry, and getting all those missed places more often.
- 4. My Health - I need to be sure to MAKE time for Zumba, be extra careful with what I put into my body. I believe everything I eat is either going to improve my health, or slowly poison me. I don't always make the right decisions, and when I don't, I lose energy and focus. This needs to become more important.
- 5. Couponing - If I don't do this, our grocery bill for the week can double or even triple. I pay more than I need to from our precious little resources, so this is important.
- 6. Growing my business - I've realized that it only takes about 20 people to make more money than I would if I could work 3 to 4 days a week at a job, plus I could keep my schedule my own, never having to give up Sunday church and Tuesday Bible study.
- 7. Kids - Not that they're actually all the way down to #7 on the list, but they need time & attention, too. Adam's pretty much on his own while living here. He eats, sleeps, works, and goes out without any thought to what the rest of the family is doing - typical 18 year old guy. Logan is in need of a haircut, trying to start a part-time job, about to start Drama class where he'll be in two plays at once, and needs a social circle to stay thriving. Jordan, my loner. She wants to make new friends, and we've got plans for that, but in the meantime, she needs me to be there to talk to, watch movies with her, take her shopping when she needs things, and to help her really make a lot of progress in school this year.
- 8. Life Groups - I've been asked to help facilitate a Women's evening Life Group at our church. It's the Women's ministries that I feel called to, so I don't want to say no to this opportunity. It'll help me connect with more people at church, and if I need help, there's 2 other women there to help out.
- 9. Homeschool Group - I know when most homeschool Moms get to their 5th or 6th year, they don't think they need a group anymore. They've gotten their questions answered, figured out a system that works, and found ways for their kids to make friends. The problem is, a lot of groups are left with just the new families. Who are they supposed to ask the tough questions to? Who can offer workable solutions to the problems they come up against? Who can give them insight into certain curriculums? And who has experiences to help lead field trips, classes, and activities? Only the more experienced Moms can do that, so I feel the need to stay in a group to help other women (another facet of Women's ministries?) and to help Jordan find some new friends with common ground.
- 10. Wife & Homemaker - There's no job description for this. It just means that I've got everything under control, yet under God's control. The bills get paid, the checkbook gets balanced, the month of appointments and important events are scheduled, everything my husband needs is handled, and things around the house run smoothly - hopefully with a sense of comfort, safety, and love being felt inside our home.

So - what else do I WANT to add to my time? More sleep, field trips to exciting places, travel, journaling, blogging, scrapbooking, photography, making my own household cleaners & remedies, more time to take care of my hair (needs some attention), time to relax & watch more than a movie a month, so many books to be read, reading dozens of pages a week to be better prepared to teach, should I find part-time work? resolve health issues, make more phone calls to friends & relatives on the weekends, make friends & spend time with them in each other's home, I love to cook, wish I had more time for that, and the list is endless...

This month, I'm going to really make time to prioritize, schedule, and think through how to get in all that's really important. Then I'll figure out how to drop the other less important wants without all the guilt. It'll be a month where maybe I won't get quite so much done as usual, yet I think the end result will be a very focused, productive, last third of the year. Time to drop the time-wasters and kill any semblance of laziness. I want to do better at what's important, and not just be busy with a bunch of things that are of less importance.

What things need more of your attention? What things need less because they really aren't important and just waste time? What could you really get done if you could focus in on just a few really important things? I'd love to hear your feedback.

Starting School in 2 Days!

This has been a great summer. We moved to the Valley in spring, so this summer, we were able to take advantage of lots of swimming, dollar theater movies, feeding ducks at the park, going for ice cream, the kids' sleepovers, and great deals when shopping for necessities. We even found a great futon like brand new for just $39.99, and it retails for at least $300. But summer is over for us and the new school year is about to begin. Here's a few bullet points of my thoughts today:

- I took the summer mostly "off", so I hope I'm ready to start and didn't forget to do stuff.
- It'll be different not having 3 to teach now that Adam's graduated. It'll be easier this year.
- We all want to incorporate our faith into the school year more than in the past.
- We've got lots of great field trips and events here in the Valley to enhance the school year.
- I love new beginnings!
- It's so nice to have access to so many of the required books at these libraries!
- I hope the new homeschool group helps us all make new friends.
- I can't wait to see Logan in his first play in years, Sherlock Holmes!
- Logan in a youth band & Jordan taking sewing - they'll have fun this year.
- It'll be nice to have less distractions this year since we're in our own house, I don't have to work outside the home, Adam works, and Tim's on the road. We can really focus on Jordan and get her up to speed this year.

I have high hopes for this year to be one of great progress. I can't wait to start. We all do better when we're following a regular schedule. Time to really start our new life back here in the Valley.

Plateaus

I would bet when you hear the word "plateaus" it conjures up bad, frustrating images for most of us. I'm ready to jump into a new school year, a new Women's Life Group, a new bible study, a new homeschool group, and a re-launch of my business, now that we've relocated. I'd like nothing more than to jump into all of these without the struggle of the plateau.

In our school year, I want to help Jordan transition into high school and Logan to be prepared for college in 2 years (sooner if we do dual enrollment). Our last few years have been okay, but nothing great. Between not having the money or local resources (poor library choices) to enhance their schooling, we learned what we should have, but it was very boring. Almost as if we simply did public school at home. We missed out on the fun things we normally would add to enhance the learning experience. I hope to break through that plateau this year with field trips, DVDs, websites (now that our internet speed is reasonable again), etc.

In about a month or so, our church will be launching new Life Groups, or small groups, as some are called. My calling is in Women's Ministries, and I've been asked to facilitate a group with two friends of mine. It'll be the first life group focus the church has had in a while, and there's so many new faces since I moved away two years ago, that I pray to break through a plateau there too. I want to teach something new, exciting, relevant, and something to produce growth in the women I'm entrusted with. I pray for guidance to do the study based on what they need - not what I'm familiar with.

We have a new bible study coming up for Tues. mornings, but I'm just a participant there - but I'll be teaching both Logan & Jordan a new bible study (separately). They've grown up around the Bible's teachings, so I want to break through a plateau with them on that as well. I want to be able to deliver to them new perspectives, new applications of what they learn as they enter young adulthood.

I joined a brand new homeschool group for this year. Not that I'm new to a group - but that the group itself is just starting out. I believe there's only 8 families so far, so it'll take work to get it off the ground and growing. I've got to break through plateaus there too. For the past two years, I was able to take a break in this area and not have to be responsible for field trips, Mom's night out, volunteering, park days, and the like. This year, I'll have to step up and do more to help the group grow. I'll try to find the Women's Ministry type of jobs and fill in there. I've already volunteered for February's Mom's Night Out. Being close to Valentine's Day, I think I'll choose that night to speak on the book, The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman.

The last, and hopefully best, part of breaking through plateaus involves my business relocating to the Valley once again. I spent the last 2 years isolated and broke. Now it's time to expand once again, help more people get healthy and make some money - as well as get through my weight loss plateau. It's the most frustrating plateau of all. I can drop 3 lbs in 3 days, and by the end of that same week, gain it all back - without changing a single thing! I can continue to keep my calories at the same level, and be mostly vegetarian eating, cut all sugar and processed foods, and workout every single day - yet my body re-sets itself up 3 or 4 lbs. by the end of the week. So frustrating. Now that we've got a little more money, I'm hoping that I can be on the RVL product more consistently and get through the hardest plateau. I'm glad to be down about 25 lbs this year and down a few sizes from last August, but I still have a long way to go before I feel truly "healthy". It'll be my hardest, most challenging plateau to break - but I'm committed, I believe I can do it, and I'm ready to begin.

What plateaus are YOU going to break through?

Rain

Rain. How you view it is so different based on where you live. I grew up in New England where it rained too much. Sure, it made everything really green, but so many important events got cancelled or post-poned (if not ruined) by rain. Rain led to flooded basements where stored boxes of sentimental or important keepsakes were ruined. It also isn't very kind on septic systems there either!

Then we moved to Arizona - to escape the cold, humidity, snow, and rain. We get barely 8 inches a year and we average 85% pure sunny days. When it rains here, like it is this morning, it's a time of joy and celebration. We open our doors & windows, shut off the air conditioners to get fresh air in the house, and we enjoy the summer monsoon rain best because it breaks the 110+ degree ruts! It'll often be that high for weeks at a time in summer, then one rainy day will top out in the 90s.

It's so much fun to watch Jordan on rainy mornings. She can't wait to run out in it! She enjoys just letting it fall on her with a huge smile on her face.

After too much time in the northeast, we've definitely decided that we now can say, we love the rain.

Photo Challenge: Day 30 (Whew!)

I'll end this 30-Day Photo Challenge with a photo of Tim. He's the real reason for everything going on in my world, anyway. He works so hard so we can live a happy life, surrounded by a great support team of friends and church family, living where there's lots to do and warm winters to keep my rheumatoid arthritis from keeping me in constant pain for months on end.

His birthday was the 27th, and we had him home this past weekend, but we didn't get any photos. My camera's on its last leg and he was only home for a 34 hour reset of his 70 hour workweek clock (which includes breaks, meal time stops, pickups & deliveries). When he's home, we always end up spending the first day running tons of errands to restock his truck for the next 2 to 3 weeks and resupply him with audio books from the library for the trip.

Day 2 is family day. We go to church, spend time together as a family, and try to do a meal together - although at 18, Adam's usually out somewhere.

It's very appropriate to end the month with this picture of Tim. By the way, he's even thinner than this picture. Here he was 161 lbs. Now he's around 150 - 152 lbs. He went from a 36" waist to a 28/29 inch waist! He actually can wear the same size jeans as my thin boys! I love the RVL results we've seen.

Thank you for spending some time on my blog, looking at my photos, and reading a little about our everyday world. Have a great week!

Photo Challenge: Day 29

Congratulations to my sister Alana! After about 10 years of her college changing her requirements, telling her the 1 or 2 labs she has left are too full for her, dealing with serious family issues, and working around 1 and sometimes 2 full-time jobs - she finally did it! She had earned her CNA a few years ago, but now she's an LPN! She found a college with a very vigorous accelerated program that was her last shot at getting her degree. She subjected herself to working at the Lahey Clinic, many long hours of school, going a month without a day off, very little sleep, if any at all, some nights, while trying to maintain some sense of a normal life and keeping her relationship with her boyfriend going strong. It was very difficult, I know, but she made it. I knew she would. She's an achiever and when she's determined to go after something, she'll achieve it. Congratulations, Alana. We're all very proud of you!

Photo Challenge: Day 28

It Lives!!!

During the time the previous occupants moved out of our house and the time we moved in, was about 3 weeks or so. It was also when the weather was hitting 100 degree days for the first time in 2012. Between moving, contractors, and building materials - paired with no one living here at night - the lawn died. It turned pretty yellow and dry just before we moved in. We did cut the back grass on an unusually cool day, in the evening, but in the month or so since, it hasn't grown any - it's pretty dead. If it isn't dead, it's gone dormant, VERY dormant. We've been watering it according to experts I've read online and even in our Sunday paper, which says to water in the evening about every 3 days.

I kill every plant I come in contact with. I'm the only one in many generations that can't grow stuff. Jordan on the other hand, has a way of saving mostly dead plants and making them flourish beautifully. Lawn care was supposed to be Logan's job, but since he's usually gone after sunset, Jordan's been taking over the watering job. Oddly enough, we noticed a wee patch of green on the front lawn last week - she's doing it! - she may actually be saving the lawn! Yesterday when we came home, we saw the green patch was larger, and a new green patch is starting a few feet away from the other one. She's amazing. I guess we'll just leave it up to her and hope for the best.

PS: This fall, we'll aerate the soil, re-seed, and re-grow a new lawn. It's just too hard to expect it to grow in the hottest part of the year. Especially since the monsoon rains haven't come yet - just the dry dust storms.

Photo Challenge: Day 27

No real blogging on this, just the photo. Monsoon season's sunset, created by dust clouds. Sometimes it's deep red, or bright orange, and if we're really lucky, we'll have a tropical-looking sunset in purples and blues. It's different every time and they're the prettiest sunsets of the year.

Photo Challenge: Day 26

Monsoon Season has begun! Here in the Valley of the Sun we have monsoon season. It's when our humidity goes up from single digits to double digits (like today, it's 110 degrees and the humidity is at 15%) but the real factor is the DEW POINT. When the dew point gets up to 55 degrees for 3 days in a row. It usually starts just after the 4th of July - average start is July 7th. It lasts through about mid-September. There's usually about 56 days of the monsoon season, and it's when we get the most rain we've seen for months. We get over 2 1/2 inches of rain during monsoon season. I know many other places get that in just one rainy day, but we often go more than 2, 3, even 4 months without seeing rain here - so it's nice for us. Kids go out to play in the rain here and it's a welcomed event.

In addition to getting some rain - which cools off that evening by 25 degrees or more - I love the clouds. Usually we get a dust storm ahead of the rain clouds, everything turns a strange pinkish orange color. Often you can actually see the dust cloud as it approaches. It gets very windy, but only for a few minutes. If we're lucky, it'll be followed by rain, then the sun comes out again to set. Oddly enough, we always seem to have the dust storms & rain just before sunset, during the evening commute or just a little after. Most of the rain that eventually does happen here, happens at night, so a lot of times, we miss seeing it.

Photo Challenge: Day 25

Another advantage we get from our friends who are traveling is that we get to use their pool while they're away! They live just a bit too far to go there more than a couple times a week, but we're so thankful for the use of the pool. We miss having one right outside our front door like we had in our condo - but at least swimming is still an option for us. We really do love the water. My kids don't enjoy swimming in lakes - they say they're too dirty. My kids? Really?! I grew up swimming in everything from icy New England ocean, to green pre-season pools, to mucky ponds & lakes, to fast rivers with slippery rock bottoms. I think they got spoiled with the pool at the condo.

Photo Challenge: Day 24

This is Jordan's BLT lunch. The rest of us don't eat pork - just her & Tim these days. I posted this to remind me to tell you something funny I came across this week:

Did you realize that if you say "beer can" with a British accent, you're also saying "Bacon" with a Jamaican accent?

Try it...see?...isn't that so funny?!!!

Photo Challenge: Day 23

Summer Time Vegetarian...well, almost.

In the summer, it's hot in the Phoenix area. In fact, the past 2 weeks have been between 107 and 112, every day. When we get those couple of weeks of extreme heat, no one feels like cooking, nor eating a heavy meal. Summertime is when we (almost) become vegetarians. We eat lots of fresh fruits that are in season - the berries, peaches, and nectarines, the peppers, summer squash & zucchini, fennel, and more! Meat becomes something we still eat, but it's more of an ingredient in something else rather than a big hunk taking up 1/3 of the plate. Take this picture for example...

I made a great stir-fry the other day. I tried to get in every color of the food spectrum for the most nutrients. I had red peppers, carrots, yellow squash, bok choy, fennel, purple cabbage, celery, and zucchini. I made it with sesame oil, ginger, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos (like a healthier soy sauce). I did add chicken to it, but only very small cubes that had been marinaded in teriyaki sauce, fried til they were cooked, then broiled for that crisp edge. I made a huge wok full of this stir fry and it was so good! I enjoyed eating it for lunch for 2 days afterwards.

Other summer lighter ideas are tuna in cucumber boats or cups, salads topped with chicken, tuna or egg salad, salads with berries & nuts, and lots of fruit salads - with and without yogurt.

Once the heat is back under 100 degrees, we'll change our eating habits to what's in season then, but for the summer - we're (almost) vegetarians.

Photo Challenge: Day 22

This is Sammy. He belongs to our friends that are traveling east for a month. He's been babied and spoiled and now he's spending a month with us. Jordan's asked for a dog for the past 5 years, so I figured this would be the best way to see if the novelty of a dog wears off soon, and if she'll really be responsible for all it takes to have a dog. We've had Sammy for a full week as of today. He's been great. He doesn't bark a lot, never even thinks about making a mess in the house, he doesn't scratch doors or anything (he waits patiently by the door to go in or out), and he sleeps by my feet almost the entire day. I guess I really couldn't have asked for a better experience babysitting a dog. He's not a puppy, he's actually pretty old, so we knew he wouldn't be hyperactive or anything. The first night he jumped up at every unfamiliar noise, but now he's fine - even when Adam gets up for work from 2:30 to 3:30am. Not only does Jordan get to "have" a dog for most of her summer break, but our friends were generous enough to pay us for watching Sammy and guess what?...it was enough to purchase all of next year's curriculum for Logan & Jordan! Perfect timing. Great dog. Good experience.

Photo Challenge: Day 21

TARPING - the one thing that distinguishes between driving a flatbed or driving a box truck.

Tim chose driving a flatbed instead of a box truck because of a few reasons:
1. It pays a bonus of $11 - $22 to tarp/untarp loads he'd be transporting.
2. The per mile amount is higher overall if you drive a flatbed.
3. The best company that fit our needs doesn't have a box truck division in Phoenix yet.

So Tim has had to learn the art of tarping & untarping his loads. It's not something they really teach you in truck driving school. They give you guidelines based on general sizes, or weights, or materials the load consists of - but nothing too definitive. Most of what he's had to do comes from over-the-road experience and asking other drivers. He's had everything from hay bales, to steel tubes, to oversized-load fans, to spools of copper, bags of salt, and so much more. I had no idea there was so much to it. Between straps, bungee cords, and tarps, there's got to be hundreds of combinations!

Father's Day, Tim had to head back out on the road after church, so we went to take him to his truck where he had to put 2 tarps over his load before he could leave. Logan agreed to help him so it could be done in half the time. The biggest challenges: The tarps weight as much as Tim now that he's down to just 150 lbs, if the company forgot to put the tarps on the load with their forklift, he'd have to climb up a ladder dragging it, then on top of the load, dragging it. Also it was about 110 degrees that day and the trucks in a cement parking lot. Strapping dozens of cords & straps would take 2 hours or more by himself.

Logan did a great job, the company did remember to put the tarps on top for him, and they got done in only an hour. In heat like that, I was so glad Logan is such a hard worker and good helper.

Photo Challenge: Day 20

The Father's Day cake that Logan made...

Logan: "Mom, the cake came out uneven because the oven's on a hill. What do I do?"
Me: (assuming he used actual CAKE pans)..."Take it out of the pan and trim off the part that sticks up. Then flip it over and frost the smooth bottom of it."

Logan: "It fell apart and the entire middle of the cake is still in the pan, stuck."

I got up to see how bad it really was. He tried to flip the whole 9" x 11" cake out of the glass baking dish onto a paper towel, to make it easier to flip back into the dish later, he said. When it stuck, he put the stuck part in the hole on the paper towel. THEN he called me in. Too late to fix it now. He just covered the whole thing with the entire can of frosting, which was white but he added flavorings & color to it.

It was an honest try. It still tasted good, and was a nice gesture on his part for Tim on Father's Day. I didn't want to make him feel bad, so I simply said, "Logan, you and I cook. Jordan bakes."

Photo Challenge: Day 19

FREE! It's my favorite word, especially when it comes from smartly hunting out grocery bargains and matching them to coupons. In this picture, everything in it was free! The bath tissue, the deodorant, air fresheners, toothpaste, toothbrushes, all of it! And that's just from one week.
Other weeks, I've gotten free relish, yogurt, dish detergent, salad dressings, mints, and more!

I love seeing the savings to my family every week, and I really enjoy teaching others how to do the same. I'm so thankful for my new friend, Kara Rozendaal, who showed me how to maximize them. If you've ever said:

- I only buy store brands so they won't work for me.
- I don't have hours on end to cutting, gathering, and organizing a binder full of coupons.
- They're really only good on baby products & pet stuff, so we don't need them.
- I'm a good "by the unit price" shopper, so I save more than that 15 cents coupon on the name brand.

That's where I was. I said all those same things. Truth was, I shopped store brands, dollar stores, clearance racks, and I did save, but I also had to be willing to sacrifice quality. Most things were watered down or didn't perform as well as the national brands. All I looked at was that I saved more on the store brand than a coupon's face value on a non-sale item. There's so much more to it!

Now I buy $4 mayo for under $2. I never pay as much as $1 for cereal or pasta. I get coconut and almond milk for about the same price as store brand regular milk, yogurts are usually half price (off the sale price) or better when I get done. And I consistently pay a lot less for turkey sausage, kielbasa, and Lloyd's shredded beef & chicken than most people.

If you'd like to know how to save on everyday items, from snacks, to food, to personal care & paper items, let me know. I'd be happy to show you how.

Photo Challenge: Day 18

Okay, it's hard to write about me. I've spent years scrapbooking and journaling about others around me, always from behind the scenes. But I do realize that this photo challenge is to capture our world - and since I feel it's my job to tie it all together and make it work on a daily basis - I'll include a brief snapshot into ME.

I can't write about myself because I know me differently than how others see me (they aren't in my head hearing my thoughts, fears, and hopes). Instead, I'll just give a list of words that describe me, my likes, my habits, my world. Here goes:

Pink (the color, not the singer), denim, scrapbooking, 80's, Phantom of the Opera, Air 1 radio, my faith, open book, reading, cooking, "doing tea", coffee, vanilla not chocolate, sunshine, tanning, encourager, swimming, palm trees, no snow, hate the cold, family, building memories, couponing, homeschooling, Facebook, Zumba, Monavie, learning, friends, extended family, board games, loyal, helpful, teaching, bible studies, writing, blogging, motorcycle rides with Tim, dogs, bubble gum flavored anything, sneakers over heels, roller skating, ice skating, Chinese food, Greek anything, life is funny, humor over jokes, detailed planner, organization, the answer person, solution oriented, clean house, organics, non-GMO, conservative republican but respect others' rights to think differently, share my faith but not pushy or judgemental, lunch with Mom, and long phone conversations with Tim while he's on the road.

Photo Challenge: Day 17

Logan...if Jordan is a "mini me" in her appearance, then Logan is a "mini Tim" in his. They look so much alike, but they're so different in so many ways.

Tim: introvert, quick to judge, snap decisions, always running late or taking a long time to get things done, prefers to stay home and watch superhero cartoons & movies.

Logan: extrovert, accepts everyone where they're at, agonizes over decisions, ready to run out the door in a flash to be with friends, hates staying home, likes the latest, greatest, action movies.

They see people differently. They empathize with others (or not) differently. They have very different opinions on things. Their idea of fun varies quite a bit. But yet, they actually have so much in common. They share many of the same strengths:

Both: Are loyal to those they love most, are very hard-working, have very inventor/engineering minds, understand physics like no one else I've ever met, share the same hobbies (like shooting, camping, playing guitar, etc.), and come to the rescue when someone needs help. They are the last 2 boy scouts in my book. As Tim once put it, "I even change tires for UGLY women." They'll get the door for the elderly person behind them, they'll ask if someone needs help when they see them looking around confused. They're first to jump in at an event when they call for volunteers to help set up or tear down the room. They're both very, very smart about a wide variety of things. And in a survival situation - my money's on them.

I treasure my homeschooling years to really, intimately, know all the little details about each family member. I know their strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams, failures, lessons learned, points of views, and most of all...I know their hearts.

I see so much more when I look at this picture. I see a Father and Son, and all that goes into being who they are.

Photo Challenge: Day 16

Raising the First-Born...They say the oldest of the siblings grows up to be more driven, more responsible, and more independent. In my experience, I find that to be true. I'm the oldest, so is Tim, so you'd expect that we'd understand Adam, our own first-born better, right? Also, my personality is a Melancholy (the thinker, planner, list-maker & organizer). That's the same as Adam's main personality too, except that his can often border on OCD, but he's doing much better these days.

So why so many struggles as we were raising Adam? I think it's the being independent that really makes the difference. He's always been a hard worker and more responsible than anyone else his age (more than most adults, to be honest), but that independent streak is so strong in him! We have a great relationship because I've homeschooled him. I've been there for everything in his life. I've never missed a sporting practice, game, tournament, play, or anything else important to him. We've had thousands of hours to discuss life, politics, faith, dating, life skills, careers, personalities, academics, music, friends, plans for the future and disappointments. Tim, unfortunately, had to be gone for most of his childhood to provide a living so I was ABLE to do those things for our kids. That put them on very different sides of almost every issue for about 5 years.

Adam begged to work at an early age so he could be responsible and buy himself those things he wanted just weren't in our budget - brand name shoes, skinny jeans, video games, movies with friends - to his credit, he's never asked us for a penny for anything - not even once that I remember. If he wanted or needed it, he found a way to earn it. Anyway, being in a new environment where people were lazy, selfish, and had little if any character traits worth copying, changed Adam. He stopped appreciating what he had and instead, complained because his life wasn't as "easy" as he thought his friends had it. Granted they may have had parents buy them more stuff, or they took vacations to exotic places, but Adam failed to see that they lived in a home with an alcoholic, or drugs, or had been through rough divorces in their home, or never had either parent around - which led to life-altering poor choices in these kids' lives.

Then we had to move to the mountains. Although it was pretty traumatic for him to leave his friends, have to quit his job and be broke, live in a very isolated, rural area with nothing much for teenagers to do...it did do a lot of good as well. He learned to appreciate what he had. He began to see the poor choices of others for what they were, and how they led to bigger issues down the road. He learned to work hard again after thinking he could be lazy and "deserved" to make the salary of an experienced professional at the inexperienced age of 16 (I believe his words were, "I'm all done with physical labor and minimum wage jobs." - at 16!!!). Over those 2 years, he grew, matured, learned, and worked. When we returned to the Valley, he came back happy, out-going, willing to do physical work at odd hours for things he needed.

Over the last few years, Tim too has undergone changes. He's had time to rest from almost 15 years in high-stress sales jobs and working 60 - 70 hour work weeks. He had time to live where there's space, open sky, clean air and water, and to sleep in - a lot! He's also grown and matured. He let go of selfishness and trying to have so much control over others that he was micromanaging everyone and everything. Now he's in a job where he's gone a lot, and it gets lonely, but when he's home, he's really home and with us. He's not overly stressed, doesn't do a lot of physical (although he works hard in spurts, it's not a taxing job all the time). He gets plenty of sleep and rest. And when he's home, he wants to be with us, doing family things together, and he's learned to appreciate his children, and their individual personalities and strengths. He's more accepting of their weaknesses as he's learned to understand his own. He's become the husband and father I've always known he could be.

So here we are about 4 years later. Tim and Adam, his first-born, now on a new journey to discover each other all over again, through new perspectives. Each learning how valuable the other is, and both appreciating their time together.

I love this picture of them sharing a moment together and smiling. Although Logan looks more like Tim on the outside, I see lots of Tim in Adam, on the inside. And I love them both.