A Turn of Events

This week has been one of great highs and even lower lows. 

Today was a low.

I know it's Sunday, and aren't we all supposed to be happy on Sunday?  We're supposed to go to church and sing our songs and feel close to God.

Well, I had no problem being close with God, in fact I prayed quite fervently BEFORE church.  But I was praying for all the frustration inside to be taken away.

I was overloaded with frustration.  Frustration at someone who let me down AGAIN.  Frustration that my new job wasn't going quite how I planned.  (It is MUCH harder than I expected it would be...), and frustration that I am running out of time in the day, (and in the weekend), and my house cleaning, blog posting, and general happiness are falling behind.

So, needless to say, I felt as if I was overflowing and ready to explode.

Tears ran down my face during church.  I felt humbled before God, and knew he kept telling me to "let it go." 

It's hard, though, isn't it, to cut through the crap sometimes.

After church we went to a bridal shower for one of my cousins who I feel close to, and who is so great with my kids.  He actually calls them on the phone to come over and play video games with him.  In their eyes, he rocks.  We had a good time at the shower, and there was good food, of course, but I was still holding on to some of that stinkin' frustration.

Then we went home.  It was a gorgeous day today...sunny and warm.

I put on shorts and took a walk around the perimeter of my house, looking at the flower beds I STILL had not weeded, even though last week was in the 80's all week.

I knew in the back of my head it was Sunday, and you DON'T work on Sundays.  They are a day of rest.  But you see, even though weeding my flower beds IS work, it's also a great "cure" for what ails me sometimes.

I got to work.  I got my gardening gloves on, got my hand cultivator, and a small spade shovel.  I beat those weeds into submission, and all the while, my frustration at all those "tiny things" slowly dissipated.  I felt rejuvenated, and close to God with my hands in the dirt.

I got alot done, and I only have a little more left to do on Spring Break in a week.

It felt GOOD.

Feelin' Giddy

Organizing things makes me giddy.

I know that's weird.  I know my husband thinks I'm weird for it, but it just makes me feel "put together."

Can anyone else understand this?  Am I alone in this?  It's comforting to me.

I recently read on someone's blog (and I can't for the life remember whose...) that they were in the middle of organizing their house BEFORE Thanksgiving.

How honorable of them.  What a great idea! Then I up and told Grace we were going to do that in her closet over Thanksgiving break.  She looked at me and said, "WHY would we do that?"  Which really means, "You mean I might have to work?" (at this stage in her life...work is just the worst punishment EVER!)

But I thought, what a great time to do this, right before Christmas, when we probably have too much of what we need, and we're close to getting more. 

Excellent idea, I'm on it!

So, not only will Grace's closet get a once over, but also my hall closet.
Now, I don't have any before pictures yet, but let me just tell you, it's the tiniest closet in the house, which is really dumb, because it's for COATS.  Come on home designers out there...who builds SMALL coat closets?  Coats are big!

I'm eyeing something along the lines of this.

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I like the shelf on the bottom with the baskets for gloves, hats, etc.  I like the storage underneath for boots and the shoes that my kids usually leave ALL OVER THE RUG!

I would love for Grace's and my own closets to look something like this.

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My shoes are in disarray, and I don't know what to do.

My craft area is really in pretty good shape, but wouldn't this look nice?

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I think these baskets are swoony and use them wherever I can.

Right now Katie Brown has a line of them at Meijer.  Awesome.

In my entryway, I would literally DIE for a bunch of these.

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or these...

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I would also like to take all of Grace's shopping bags she has been saving, and frame them like this.  She's so into fashion right now, and this would just fit her room's "image."

So, that's my plan for Thanksgiving break...well, along with shopping on black Friday with Grace (first time ever with her...she's so pumped.) 

What will you be doing, well, besides eating Turkey?

A rare moment captured on film.

 
In this picture it ACTUALLY looks like Grace and Evan are enjoying themselves.

In actuality they were.  For once...in a very long while.

They've been sparing partners as of late.  I don't know if it's the age that they are (almost 11, almost 12...only 13 1/2 months apart), if it is the fact that they are both on student council this year and have to do stuff with each other, or the fact they they are boy and girl...I just don't know, but they have not been very nice to each other lately.

We had to have a talk with one the other day about sticking up for each other at school.  The place where it is the hardest to avoid peer pressure.  We know, we get it, we've both been there.

But we tell them over and over and over and over that you will have him/her as your sibling FOREVER.

Yes, we know it's a long time. but really...
What we really mean is WHEN WILL YOU START BELIEVING US?
However, Saturday, my parents were over helping Brent install electric to our barn, so the kids were forced to be outside together.
Since Evan recently learned to drive the four-wheeler (his right of passage) we suggested maybe they ride that.  It was a beautiful day after all.

Surprisingly enough, the fighting gloves came off, and they chased each other around the yard, and even rode it together.

This lasted a good 30 minutes, and then they were fighting over how to play volleyball.

Sometimes I wonder if this will break me...the endless fights...the hatred passing back and forth...the competition.  I hope and pray everyday that SOMETIME in their lives they will be friends.  Good friends like my sister and I are. 

For now, I guess I'll take it in short bursts.  It's all I've got.

So far this week...and it's not over yet...

In tribute to one of my all time favorite bloggy sistas who has a totally swanky wardrobe, adorable kiddos, and a house to die for...this one is for you. Her latest post...It's only Thursday, cracked me up. Flowerpatchfarmgirl, this one is for you! As well as for Truth Thursday, which I haven't done in ages...

So far this week...

1. I reminded my children to brush their teeth 8 times. How much longer must this go on?

2. Twice I fell asleep while reading my book before bed. (My days are EXHAUSTING!)

3. Ripped out all but 3 of my tomato plants because I am SO SICK of red tomatoes staring me down from the kitchen counter. I get it, you can't can yourselves...

4. Found out 6th grade volleyball practice starts tomorrow. 9 days into school, and it begins...

5. Found myself laughing out loud too many times to count.

6. Felt like a rock star today when one of the Kindergarten classes I help saw me in the hall and yelled, "Look who it is! (pointing at me.)

7. Decided the motto Keep Calm and Carry On really does apply to motherhood or dealing with Kindergartners, or even husbands for that matter.

8. Came to the realization brown and gray, as painfully drab as they are, really are the colors that look the best on me. (does this mean I'm drab too?)

9. Noticed that I really could, and do often get sucked into other people's blogs, pinterest.com, and etsy. I could easily lose WHOLE hours doing it.

and
10. Admitted to myself...just the other day, while constructing a car out of posterboard, I CAN use my graphic design background to help with crafts at school.

That was my week in a nutshell. It's not for everyone, but it'll do!

Truth Thursday...Where has the time gone?

You'd think with a snow day on Monday and two two-hour delays this week I would've had no problem getting things done.

Well, that might be the case, but it's not. Sure, we may have had later mornings, but our nights have been just as crazy as always.

This week was my carpool week for Istep prep after school, I got groceries while the kids and Brent were at Church on Wed. nite, we had the school book fair tonight at school where I helped run a cashier's table for the night, and laundry, dishes, and other household chores just accumulated like always.

It's getting harder and harder to have a job and get everything I need to get done, done.

So, I only have random pictures for tonight. It's about all I can handle before I crash on the couch and watch "The Mentalist" and read a few magazines.

Oh, kitchen sink, I've seen TOO much of you lately!

Evan's treasured night time pal. Think he needs a good scrubbin'!

Yes, both of my kids still use night lights. Is this a bad thing?

Part of the dessert for teacher snack tomorrow. Yes, I ALSO had to do that tonight.

Evan and his friends at the book fair tonight. It was a carnival theme, and this was the photo booth!

Grace and Jillian ham it up!

So, you see, I haven't been working on any projects this week. I HAVE been working on my project to-do/wish list though. I hope to be showing you some things in the near future. Keep watchin'.