Wordless Wednesday

 C's 5th Birthday in October & T's 7th Birthday in August......

 Together for their birthdays they took donations for the local homeless animal shelter helping to collect over 55 bags of food/litter for the animals!!

First year of Flag Football.....loving every minute of it!!

OK so maybe not wordless Wednesday.....just catch up!

Mollie

Clean but not spotless

I have been fretting over the shape of my house lately.  We do live WAY out to where most people don't even know where we are now....being in a small town that is a PERK!!

However, my house has been a freight!! Laundry, Dishes, Clutter....etc.  Drives me BONKERS!! I like order....I crave order....and without it I feel as if I am going to blow up!!

My sweet husband keeps reminding me--- this is a season of life.  This season is just messier that the others it is okay. You are teaching our children at home and that is most important right now!  But, I am also teaching them to be responsible adults and having a messy house is NOT a good example!

I grew up in a loving home- my mother put US before housework, and she taught US that the lives of people are much more important that things of this world!! She did teach my sister and I to clean and be responsible orderly adults.  But there was a season when I can remember when she asked me "Please vacuum your room." and I asked "Who is coming over?" I love you mama!!

But what I am getting at is- I know that she is glad she took the time to spend with us and raise us in a GREAT Godly home.  Despite the times we had clutter around- we knew we were love and accepted for who we were!! I loved that about growing up and in the home I came from!!

What if someone called and said "hey I will be at your house in 10 minutes" could you pick it up and close a few doors and closets and it be okay?  Or would you just have them sit outside on the porch....because that was way easier to sweep in 10 minutes!

Or what if they didn't call and just showed up....would you just about crawl under a rock having to move laundry off the couch for them to sit down!!  Or you offer them a drink and can't even get to the faucet for the dirty dishes!!

I have come to a season of my life that I am NOT making excuses if my house is messy anymore.  I have gotten to a happy medium of a lived in house!! We have daily chores and strive to work together as a family- but if you stop by and there are clothes on my bed....IT WILL BE OK....I WILL SURVIVE!!!

What if my best friend were to stop by and just drop a load of emotions she has carried for weeks and burdens she has and needs an ear to listen....the least of her worries would be my messy house.  She needs me. 

In the same way my husband needs my listening ear at the end of his long day at work- and my eyes too.  Not for my eyes to be surfing social websites and ears to be listening to the TV.  He needs me.

My children need me too- we wonder why they don't listen to us the first time when we give them instructions.  Maybe because we need to finish this last text or email- or read these comments on facebook before we answer their question or look into their eyes when they have concerns! They need me.

Are relationships more important than things of this world.  Are the words we speak from our mouths to the people we love more precious than the clothes they wear on their backs?

I decided YES....for these reasons.....

Life is too short- If you were to ask the mother who lost her child at a young age.  If you were to do something different what would it be? She would probably say spend time with them or hug and kiss them more....not give them anything MORE than her self.

What about the woman who was involved in a wreck and was paralyzed from the chest down- what would she say....She would probably live life to it's fullest. Stop and smell the roses more, take one more walk barefoot in the grass, climb that hill with her children and roll down the side of it.

How about the child who lost their father in the war....they would give anything to have him present at the football game or school event.  And I guarantee he wouldn't be looking down at his iphone while his son was making a play on that field.  Anyone willing to risk their lives for the country is not a selfish person!

So what is boils down to....IF.....IF .......tomorrow your life were to change HOW would you live it differently.  Are you children less important than scrolling down facebook and looking at what everyone else is doing? So is there a reason WHY you don't sit at the dinner table and talk to the same people who live under the same roof as you do?? Do you know more about the people on social websites or know more stats about your favorite sports team than your own family??

I have had time to reflect on these things.....and I am glad God is convicting me of my happy medium....lived in home. Less facebook and more faithbook time. And seeing that we have not had cable/satellite TV since July....wow I really can live without TV and my whole family is living proof- it is possible! We find ourselves piled up on the sofa together reading, laughing and telling stories. 

Life is fragile people.....we need to see the BIG picture and what life is really about and what matters the most in this lifetime.  I promise you this....."The people that need you the most in their life are the ones who will be there for you the most when your life feels like it is falling apart!"

Mollie

Peaceful Chaos

That doesn't make sense....how can you have peace yet chaos in the same title??

Well if you looked into the windows of our house and hearts lately....that is what you would see.  Our lives have been so much more at peace with changing a few lifestyle changes...yet chaos getting use to the new routines. 

Home school is going awesome....boys are loving learning at home and the laid back atmosphere- We usually do an hour or two of school work- then they go outside and play for and hour or two then we do more school for another hour or two and then they play outside and so on....most days we are still doing school up to supper time!

We are all getting much more sleep, I love the fact that I don't have to pull them out of bed and rush to town...just let them sleep until they wake. Many nights it is a GLORIOUS 10 hours!! This makes for growing boys too!!

And the wonderful learning experiences- teaching my 5 year old to read....seeing the wheels spinning and the light bulb moments.  I love every minute of it!! Honestly, I do!

We have the MOST wonderful neighbors who are both our parents ages....the boys think the world of them.  The boys are "helping" him build a fence- THIS MAN HAS the PATIENCE OF JOB... and I think they all 3 are having a great time making sweet memories. And his wife sends cookies and candy often....WE ALL are loving that!! We are blessed to be living where we are and have good Christian friends for role models for the boys!

When we want to take a nature walk....we walk. When we want to fish.....we fish.  When we want to make mud pies....we play in the mud. If the tree looks like a good climbing tree....they climb it....I am to clumsy I may not make it down in one piece. Life is good here in the country!!

The only part I am having a hard time with is the CHAOS part....Balancing keeping a clean house and keeping up with chores and school.  I am now fixing 3 meals a day everyday at home...so MANY more dirty dishes-- Then with all the outdoor play...there is MUCH more laundry!! I have been a stay at home mom for 7 years- you would think I would have this under control or have some type of system.  Well, I did- that was prior to putting school work first!

 We are still in the transition of living in a rent house and preparing to build a house one day....so MOST of my things are in mini storage.  I often think...now where is this or that....oh yes...STORAGE! I am an everything has a home and belongs in it's place type of person....and right now we aren't even in a permanent home....so I feel at home yet out of place does that make sense?!?!

So the chaos in my house and brain is overwhelming at times!! I have read many home school moms blogs and post on how to balance their house work/ school work and they all mentioned how flexible life is that you can take an afternoon and have the kids help clean the whole house....I am going to try this one day this week....I will let you know how well it goes!!

Other than that....Life is GREAT!! We all love it and we are all in better spirits and not completely exhausted from running here and there and trying to meet the demands of so many others.  Putting what God wants first and God first in our daily lives- school, family and other relationships!

So....if you home school tell me what are some of your secrets to BALANCE in keeping your house work/ school work all complete in one day ;)

Mollie