Life at Home

Small Successes

1.  I logged my nutrition and exercise information into Sparkpeople for a day.  It's a start!

2.  I finally got my new Blackberry to sync with my Google Calendar.  That feature was the whole reason I got a Blackberry at all, so this is a good, good thing.

3.  I got caught up on the laundry after taking a laundry sabbatical last weekend!  Hooray!

Faith and Family Live says, "It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."  Go check it out!

Just for Today-book

Outside my window...twinkling lights in the distance.  It's night time.  Should this be a tonight-book? 

I am wearing...gray knit capris and a fleece pullover. 

I am reading...how about hoping to read Small Steps for Catholic Moms soon, like as soon as my preordered copy arrives in the mail.  It IS April! I will continue to be patient...

I am nurturing my heart...by taking as much time as I need to recover from our recent disappointment.  

I am nurturing my mind...HA!  I'm just holding on here.

I am nurturing my body...Oh what a difference a month makes.  The last night I wrote this post I had purchased a pedometer (which has since been plunged out of the toilet) and had planned to swim a few times a week.  The pedometer is non-functional and the swimming hasn't been realistic so I'm back to square one.  Sigh. 

I am nurturing my soul...by taking part in the Women of Grace study and reading Divine Intimacy daily. 

I dance with my Father...Ann says, "If God makes a list of my laments, I will make a list of God's love. If God has a list of my pain, I will make a list of my praise. If God writes a list of my tears, I will write a list of my thanks...keeping the list of His love, keeps me in joy."  I will continue follow her example, now that Lent is over.

I am holding in prayer...college kids looking for jobs. 

We are learning...how to press on until the end of the year.  It's hard. 

Around the house...(repeat) Matthew's room is on the list for a complete overhaul this spring, after busy season is over and the garden is in.  We have a new headboard and footboard.  On the to-do list:  new mattress, all new bedding (quilt and pillow shams found and purchased, yeah!), painting and general rearrangement.  His room is as it was when we moved in, and it's beyond time for a change.

We also have new motivation for the Motivated Moms daily chore checklist.  The kids are participating and getting their jobs done.  Mom is not.  It's been a long month.  Next week is another week, right?

We celebrate the season...as best we can.  Baseball, swimming and ballet are upon us. 

From the kitchen...the beef has arrived.  It's a lot of beef.  I have an inventory of it that I need to commit to a binder somewhere.  I need to find out how long we can prolong the eating of the beef.  A year?  Freezer shelf life?  I don't think it would be longer than that.  So 260 pounds of beef to be eaten over 365 days is a lot of beef a week.  Better get on that menu plan.  

Activities for the rest of the week...we're back to school and a full schedule of activities.  My head spins.  I feel like I should write "get my act together" in this space...

A picture thought to share...  Matthew received his Ad Altare Dei award from Bishop Lennon today.  

Just for Todaybook

Outside my window...a stunning, sunny, beautiful day. 

I am wearing...black knit capris and a plum short-sleeved tee.  Bare feet, although my feet are telling me its time to wear shoes all.the.time.

I am reading...how about hoping to read Small Steps for Catholic Moms soon, like as soon as my preordered copy arrives in the mail.  It IS April! I will be patient...

I am nurturing my heart...by continuing to hold on to hope.

I am nurturing my mind...by ordering a couple of Teaching Company courses from our local library:  Understanding the Fundamentals of Music and How to Listen to and Understand Great Music.  If those don't appeal, there are others to try. 

I am nurturing my body...I bought a pedometer last week and I'm aiming for 10,000 steps a day, on days I don't swim. 

I am nurturing my soul...by taking part in the Women of Grace study and praying the Divine Mercy novena.  Love, love, love the Divine Mercy devotion.

I dance with my Father...Ann says, "If God makes a list of my laments, I will make a list of God's love. If God has a list of my pain, I will make a list of my praise. If God writes a list of my tears, I will write a list of my thanks...keeping the list of His love, keeps me in joy."  I will continue follow her example, now that Lent is over.

I am holding in prayer...My hubby, as busy season continues.

We are learning...relaxation and togetherness, since Matthew is on spring break this week.  Oh the joy!  

Around the house...Continuing the spring cleaning.  The master bedroom has been completed.  Next stop:  Matthew's room.   Last week we freed the room from unnecessary paper.  You'd be amazed.  Next stop:  the books and the little storage area off his bedroom, in the eves, a.k.a. the Boy Scout dumping ground.  Lord, have mercy. 

Matthew's room is on the list for a complete overhaul this spring, after busy season is over and the garden is in.  We have a new headboard and footboard.  On the to-do list:  new mattress, all new bedding, painting and general rearrangement.  His room is as it was when we moved in, and it's beyond time for a change.  

We celebrate the season...the Alleluia has returned, and the purple of Lent has given way to the joyous colors of the Easter season.  We redecorated for the season this morning due to a very long, spinning overnight into Easter morning.  The children, especially Madeline, love to reflect the seasons in our home, so I let them lose in the "Spring" storage box, and voila!  Easter!   

From the kitchen...anything low salt.  Vertigo is, as they say, for the birds.  Can you imagine a bird with vertigo?  Flying around, and around, and around, and crashing into trees.  How pitiful.  I digress...

My job is to get the freezer stash as low as possible.  Why?  Because my husband informed me late last week that he purchased 1/3 of a Blank Angus steer.  We're expecting a couple, three? hundred pounds of beef at a time currently unspecified.  That's a lot of beef.  I need a place to store it, and I should probably defrost the freezer before the as-yet-indeterminate delivery date.  So.  I have my work cut out for me.  Consequently, our food plan is derived  entirely from the contents of the freezer. 

Butterflied roast chicken tonight. 

Tuesday:  pasta with Arwen's Family's Spaghetti sauce. 

Wednesday:  the last of the stuffed peppers.  The kids will be happy.  ;-) 

Thursday:  something hamburger-y.  Three pounds of hamburger-y.  Maybe the yummy Greek burgers?  Oooh!  Yes! 

Friday:  Something using the frozen chicken broth and diced chicken.  Probably soup, since the temps are expected to drop into the 40s again by the end of the week.  Crazy Ohio weather. 

Saturday:  Leftovers.  We may be heading north for an overnight at Grammie's house, and we will be heading to Mass Saturday night.  We need quick. 

Sunday:  Good Shepherd Garden Party.  Doesn't that look like fun? 

Activities for the rest of the week...continuing to work on the house and hang with the kids during spring break.  We have only baseball practice and a boy scout hike, and a swimming event on Sunday.  I could practically take care of that in my sleep.  Which, as it turns out, is a good thing. 

A picture thought to share..

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 From the Last Supper....To the Resurrection....and on to the Road to Emmaus. 

He is risen!  Alleluia!