I was beginning to think I forgot how to get here! There are have been so many things that have changed in our household, that I’m not even sure of where to start!…. I suppose I’ll start at the beginning (a very natural place to start, I’m sure).
About a month and a half ago, it came to our attention that somethings needed to change within our family. The Lord opened our eyes to see that Adam and I were spending too much time on the computer and not enough time with our children. So we turned off the computer and we didn’t turn it on unless the children were not around. We began to use the time we otherwise would be spending on the computer with our children. Reading to them, singing with them, playing with them… and it has worked! Things are not perfect, by any means of course. But things are better. That explains why I have been so absent here. It is also explain why I am no longer writing for the Company Porch (the on-line magazine that I wrote a column for each week).
Since about January, I have been in quite the “funk” emotionally. I was thinking it was a bit of depression due to the winter. I was really struggling with handling things around here. Or, as the case truly was, not handling things around here. I was so irritable, impatient, unreasonable, grouchy …. and any other negative adjectives you can think of. So we decided to take a family trip down south somewhere where it was warm and sunny. And we did. It was a wonderful time! It wasn’t restful at all (for we slept in the van), but it was a relaxing time. On our way back, we stopped by a friends house for a good time of fellowship. Nothing was really said during that time, yet the Lord opened my eyes to a few things.
First, things for school needed to change. You know when you get to that point where the clutter and things in your house start controlling you? That’s where I was. And I certainly was not looking forward to coming home, with or without snow. Adam and I began talking and came up with a plan on what to do about the clutter. Most importantly, on how to reorganize the school to work better. That’s what I did this last week. I de-junked the downstairs to where I can think and breathe. I greatly decreased to amount of toys and books the children have around (I didn’t get rid of the extra things, I just put them downstairs). I re-arranged to living room and for once, Adam agreed that this way looks really nice and “flows” better. I moved things around even more in the school room. So much so that now we have the piano, a craft/lego table, the school table and a table set up for our sewing machines (plus a metal shelf unit for all my sewing stuff). And there is still ample room to walk around!
Second, my attitude needed to change. I realized that it wasn’t depression or anything like that. It was my attitude. I was discontent. You see, for that last 2 years or so, the Lord has been working on my to let go of this house and having the family near. I am at that point where I can say “goodbye” and be fine with it (okay, I might shed a few tears, but you know what I mean). So now I’m waiting and waiting and the Lord is not doing anything (that I can see)! And I began to be discontent. I don’t want to live here anymore, I’m ready to move on, we are both burned out from the commuting back and forth for work (Adam) and church (all of us), and so on and so on. I was in a really bad state. I realized that I need to be cheerful and willing to be where the Lord wants my to be. Not just in words, but in my heart too. So I wake up each morning and I thank the Lord for giving us this house, this town to live in and that I am content to live here no matter how long it may be. This last week has been so good! And I only have Him to thank for it!
Thirdly, we needed a daily schedule. An hour by hour schedule. I naturally resist schedules, but I came to the point where I could see that as we add more people to our family, as my list of responsibilities grow, as the children’s needs for school develop, all the while still wanting/needing to do things through the day that I want to do (like sewing), a master schedule is desperately needed! So I created one and I am actually looking forward to putting it in motion (did I really say that out loud?!). I think it will really help in getting school started on time, to getting meals done when they need to be done, the children will know what will happen next and I can get to that sewing that I’ve been itching to get to for quite some time! (We are changing somethings within my closet and Maacah’s closet. I will also use some new material called Triopical Breeze and I can’t wait to use it! I am also making the girls some new swimsuits that are not exactly like the pictures, but close.)
There have been other things too, but these are the major ones. Adam and I are still limiting our time on the computer, so I think I’ve used up about my weeks worth now! And I think that’s about it for my book!