January - pretty quiet, our church had a nice formal dinner for the volunteers so Logan and & went together.
February - Adam turned 23, Logan turned 21, and Logan & Elorah got engaged.
March - St. Patrick's Day I went with Mom to Fountain Hills to see the fountain turn green & have lunch, that night we spent quietly at home, me & Logan drinking a Guiness, Jordan & I went to a Cubs Spring Training game, Jordan & I got matching 2nd ear piercings (in one ear), and Tim surprised me with a weekend away at the Desert Rose Bed & Breakfast in Cottonwood, AZ
April - Logan got his CDL permit & began his driver training with Roehl Transport Inc. in late Feb/early March. In April he went out with his Dad as his trainer, passed, and got his own truck. Jordan got a kitten, Albert Ellis (named after her favorite psychologist since that's her major), and my niece's Easter pictures revealed she was going to be a big sister to a little brother this fall.
May - for Mother's Day I
June - Adam & I went on our first ever (and probably only/last ever) trip together. We went back to New England to see family, friends, Boston, the beaches, and where we used to live/hang out when he was little.
Now that we're all caught up, what do I expect the second half of 2017 to bring?
July - I've been working towards being a minimalist but lately I've really taken it more seriously. I am down to about 30/35 hangars in my closet, got rid of an entire dresser of stuff, gave away lots of books & kitchen stuff (dishes, extra utensils, small appliances, etc.). One of my 2 nightstand drawers are now empty. There's lots of empty shelves in the office. Next will be getting rid of extra linens, but I'll probably give those to Logan for moving - then he can keep them or give them away. My favorites to follow are The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus. They aren't Christians, their language gives them away, but the message they bring isn't about the number of items, nor living a life without. It's about keeping what adds value to your life and getting rid of all else that does not. With that in mind, I found a 30 day Minimalist sort of challenge on Pinterest. In July I have one task related to minimalism each day. It's not so much about decluttering for me at this point, but things like: Streamline a list of books to read. Stay offline for a whole day. Declutter my DIGITAL life (excess photos, excess apps, etc.). Evaluate commitments. Buy NOTHING today. Read - no TV today - I'll have to do that when the Dbacks have an off day since I love my baseball season. I'm looking forward to simplifying my life before I get busier this fall.
It's also Jordan's bday this month. I can think of a ton of stuff to get her, but she too realizes she has very little room for all the stuff people get her. Instead of frivolous things, I'll try to get her a new mattress for her birthday, then eventually replace her old bed frame with a daybed one.
August - I'm going back to college! For years I've been in Women's Ministry in some form, and I realized that if I'm going to do something productive to help bring in income (to ease the stress Tim has in supplying everything), I'd rather do it as a Counselor, hopefully in women's ministry, instead of working at some retail/restaurant/fast food job for minimum wage. I may still do a temporary part-time job for Christmas money, depends on how school homework & grades are going, but long-term, I have a passion to counsel women, and I'd need the freedom to do it through my faith perspective - so back to school I go to earn a degree in Psychology.
September - THIS SHOULD BE AN AMAZING MONTH!!! The first week will be pretty routine but then it gets crazy! Around the 12th my mother & brother are moving from Florida to come live with us. My brother is 30 this year and he's been supporting my mother forever. He'll finally have a chance to find a good job (or 2 part time ones if he wants), save up, gather the basics over time, and then he'll be able to move out into his own place, or with a roommate, at prices half what they are in Florida. As for my mother, she needs someone to care for her as she gets older. I'm in a better position than anyone else right now since I'm not still raising babies, or a single mom, and my kids are grown, and we happen to have a large enough home for everyone right now. Eventually we'll downsize to something with 2 bedrooms and keep my mother with us.
Just 3 days after they get here, Tim & I are leaving for our 25th Anniversary trip. It was in May but the timing was better for September. When we planned it a year ago we had no idea Sept. would be so crazy. We're heading to the Southern Caribbean to see Grand Turk, Dominican Republic, the island of Curacao, and Aruba. I can't wait to see the white sands and electric blue water! But wait, there's more!...
When we get back from our cruise around 11 days later, we'll have one day to get our hair done (me & Ma), I have school that second day, and on the third day, we all drive 175 miles to Show Low for Logan & Elorah's rehearsal, dinner, and wedding the next day!!! September will be crazy, I'll have to do some school on vacation since I'll miss 3 days - but it'll be worth it.
October - Ma's birthday is in the middle of the month, and if school is going okay, I may pick up a part-time job just for the Christmas season for some extra money. If not, I could still do Mystery Shops for a little extra cash as my schedule allows.
November - Thanksgiving could be small with everyone working in fast food, retail, and over the road trucking - or it could be huge if everyone comes - as many as 11 of us!
December - A huge Christmas gathering, our theme this year is the beach with beach type foods being served. This year, I'm going to ask for and try to give like a Minimalist - experiences instead of material stuff we don't need: movie gift cards, tickets to concerts, shows, sports, and other events, a consumable basket I/they can eat, gift cards to retail stores to replace things as they need replacing or no longer bring value to my life (like when shirts get stained or shorts get a hole in them or towels get really gross after years).
So what does YOUR second half of 2017 hold?
