how i'm taking one of my summer goals, and running with it NOW

This is a list of goals and things I wrote down on my pantry door this summer, that I wanted to try/accomplish.  As I am trying to de-clutter our house and have a fresh start with things, it was time to erase this list, but I quickly took a picture just in case I decided to rewrite the list some where else for my own sake later on.

As you can see I accomplished a few things on my list including making my own cold brew, purchasing essential oils and learning about those, and participating in yoga.

Excuse the fact I didn't know how to spell embroidery when I was writing this list.  My mom quickly pointed this mistake out for me.  I've never been the best speller.

Hand written notes--this is something I did pretty well at.  I made a list of people I wanted to send a "just because" note to in my phone and I just went down the list until I had sent something to everyone.  This is something I would like to see myself continue to do.

This post seems to be about New Years Resolutions, and it kinda is, and it kinda isn't.

Moving on down the list.

Memory verses.  Wow.  This was something I did not tackle AT ALL.  I spent time in The Word, and doing different devotionals and Bible Studies to learn more from and about Him, but memorizing the things He has left for us in His Word so that I can hold it near and dear to my heart?  Nope.  Not something I've taken seriously at all, but I want to.

So many times I'm in a conversation or in the middle of a lesson with people in my small group or Sunday School class and I know there is verse that relates to the topic, but I don't remember where the verse is found, or exactly what the verse says--because I haven't memorized it.  Because of that, I don't say anything at all.  I don't want that to be the case any more!! 

I didn't quite know how I was going go about tackling this goal, or even where I was going to get started.  

Until yesterday.

My Ladies Bible Study leader at church posted on FB that Beth Moore had blogged about her Seista Scripture Memory Team for 2015.  I had never even heard of it before to be honest, but it caught my attention and so I checked into it.  

Learning/memorizing 24 verses in 12 months.  Seems do-able right?  And...the best part, you get to pick the verses you memorize!  I love this--because if she was just assigning verses to us to memorize, they may not have as much meaning to each one of us at that time, as it would if we all picked our own verses from what we needed to learn at that point on our lives.

It's amazing how God puts things in front of us at just the right time!  This was the push and the structure I needed to meet this goal of mine.

Will it be easy?  No.  Will it be time consuming?  Yes.  Will it be worth it?  Yes!  Will I be proud of myself at the end of those 12 months?--I sure hope so!  

There are more details to the SSMT2015 if you are interested in learning more about how it works, HERE.  I don't think anyone who takes on this task will regret it at the end of the year.  

It would be easy to not change anything, and make the decision to remain the same.  But I don't want to remain the same.  I want to change.  So these are the steps I am taking in front of me to make and be a better me.

I'll share more about the rest of my list including compassion and "drop in ready" soon!  :)

Santa Cow and Gingerbread House

This little guy has been asking for hot chocolate every night since I first made it...we have to let it cool off for a long while, but he loves it!  I'm gonna soak up these nights where he'll sit with me on the couch!  

Our new Chick-Fil-A is so good about having fun activities for kids to do.  One night they had Santa Cow visit!  R told him exactly what he wanted--"Toy garbage truck, Camo boots and Skye from Paw Patrol"  Can't make this stuff up.  

Squak brought Mini Delights one day...(I just to eat these ALL the time in the dorm room) and R loved learning how to make them!  A little microwavable cake in a bowl!

Squeak always pulls through and brings R a Gingerbread House!  Squeak thought this one was already put together.....but it wasn't!!  

I put the house together and then I let Ryder get to it.  He was in there working on it for about an hour.  He did a fantastic job...I was very impressed with his skills!  I guess he's half way payed attention to me and what I've done over the years! :P

So SO proud of this little guy and his Gingerbread House building skills!!

He wanted to wear this hat to school one day, so I let him!  He makes a pretty cute Santa I think! ;)

ELF, strep and Bethlehem

Mom and I went to one of the first showing of ELF at The Rep and I'm so glad we got to go!  We went on a Sunday afternoon and really enjoyed ourselves.  I'm not a HUGE fan of the movie, but I really enjoyed the show!  I'm not sure how R would have handled it though!

While we were doing that, Ryder was off at his Great Grandma Jones' making sugar cookies!  I'm glad he gets to do this with other people and I don't have to be the one that does it with him.  [Yes, I just admitted that.]

Ryder spent Sunday night at Mimi's and I had a bad feeling he was getting sick.  And I was right.  I could tell by looking at his checks in this picture she sent me while I was at school.  

I'm so glad I went straight to the Dr. after picking him up from Mimi's because he had a 103 degree temp when we got there.  We had a sweet guy nurse we have had before.  I really was afraid it was the flu because two girls at his school had just been diagnosed with it (and they had both gotten their flu shots).  They did a flu and strep test.  This was the first time R just let them swab him, without 4 nurses and me having to hold him down to get it done.  PHEW.  Such a relief.  Signs he truly is growing up.  

Luckily it was Strep and not the flu!!!  We loaded up and headed off to the pharmacy to get some meds from Mr. Chuck!  

As much as I hate to miss school, I was looking forward to spending the next day at home with this little guy!

Mom made some ham and beans and dad brought it to my back door.  So thankful for them!  I read up on some Social Studies books I had ordered for my classroom off of Amazon and let Ryder do whatever he felt up to doing. 

He missed school on Tuesday, but Wednesday we were back at school and went to Bethlehem at church that night.  R has been 2-3 times before, but we missed it last year because of the rain, so he was super exciting to get to go back this year.  

We visited all the shops R wanted to visit, and then made our way to the Inn 

So thankful for these precious memories with my little guy during this wonderful season (even if it involves a lil strep throat!)

Squeak the Elf Pajamas

I have a funny story, that is just too funny not to share with you guys.  It wasn't really funny at the time, but we are able to laugh at it now, so that means we are safe to re-share!

Even before Squeak (our Elf on a Shelf) made his appearance at our house for the 2014 Christmas Season, he sent some Squeak pajamas to our house for R to enjoy!  

He was so excited about them and thought the "fire retardant tag" was a note from Santa/Squeak--he asked me to read it to him, so I just made some stuff up on the fly! 

This particular Saturday, Ryder said "My goal for today is to stay in my PJs all day"  Luckily we didn't have anything planned for that day...so it was a reasonable goal for him to achieve! 

It was a pretty Fall day out...but it had rained a couple of days before.  He wanted to go outside and play and I had no reason not to let him out on such a pretty day!  He was out the door in his PJs before I could tell him to change and at the time I didn't see anything wrong with it.  Until...he started playing in the mud, like hardcore, playing in the mud.  

He came in, I made him strip in the laundry room, and took him straight back to the bath to get the dirt out of his hair, and out from underneath his fingernails!   

So...a couple of days later when I pulled the washed PJs out of the dryer and give them to R to put on, this is what they look like.  OMG.  Shocked.  He was SO upset ya'll!!!  I had no idea the dirt would leave such a mark and that I would need to Spray 'N Wash them!!!

...and poor guy thinks they came straight from The North Pole and that Squeak made them and we can't get another pair and that these are "RUINED!!!!"  Well, they were ruined, but we might be able to find another pair! ;)

Luckily Squeak's helper found another pair at Target a few days later after looking for them online with no luck!  His first pair was an 8, but I got a 10 for his second pair so maybe we can wear them a few years longer! ;)  

Pumpkin Patch with Snuggle Bug [2014]

For the past two years I've been working/in school/teaching and unable to "take off" to go to the Pumpkin Patch with Ryder's school, but luckily this year I had the ability to take off and go with them!  It had rained pretty hard the day before so we had to reschedule for a few days later, and I'm so glad we did.  It was still a bit wet, but much better than it would have been.

He was basically a pro at all the play places since this was his third year visiting.  

With Dexter and Ian.

Little farmer boys...

Picking out the perfect pumpkin to take home!

We had pumpkin cookies and decorated water to celebrate Ms. Carol's birthday while we were there!  Then we all headed out to eat lunch together at Chick-Fil-A!