Diary of a Woman Learning

Friday night we went out to eat in a distant town and to a haunted maze in a maize field. It was really in celebration of my father-in-law being cancer-FREE for a year! It was so much fun. Hubby's brother and his new wife and their 2 teens (that Kiddo LOVES...we all do! :o) came too. It was chilly and just right for that kind of night. There was a fire pit, a laser tag barn, the haunted maze (of course!) concessions including hot chocolate and lots and lots of people! We had a LOT of laughs! Saturday we tried to recuperate from getting home after MIDNIGHT! :o) We still got up fairly early because we had things to do! We had to get a tire replaced on our ONLY vehicle (Hubby drives a work vehicle but only for work or emergencies) and the two Sam's Clubs near us wouldn't take care of us...we had to drive almost an hour out of our way - but then we had an excuse to eat at Raising Cane's - they have the best sweet tea and really good fried chicken! Mmmm! THEN we had to get h...

As the time between Hubby's paychecks is longer this time than usual and it seems that things keep going wrong requiring us to dip into our already lacking savings, I am reminded to be thankful for what I have. 1. I have a home with air conditioning when it is hot and a heater when it is cold. 2. My home has a roof with no holes - because God took care of us via insurance after a big storm. 3. We have food to eat - even if I don't want to cook it, I have a pantry with many of the things I would need to provide us with a well-balanced and fairly healthy meal. 4. I have a husband that works hard to provide me (us) with the things we have and is striving to be the head of our household and our spiritual journey together. 5. I have a wonderful and beautiful son that is one of a kind and great for a good laugh! (See picture to the right - we had his 8th birthday party and got blown out of the park and into the church! It IS Oklahoma! Kiddo was so excited to have chocolate pudding! :...

I am not really rested again today - I haven't had my vitamins for over a week now so I just cannot get my energy level up. That makes it so hard to do anything! I have kept MOST of my dishes done, but I have some int he sink today and some in the dishwasher that are clean and need to be put away. Kiddo is doing his work and we still haven't had lunch...we had a bit of a late breakfast, but Kiddo hasn't been very motivated (not that I can blame him with the way I feel! :o) but he really does need to just get stuff done so he can move on. He has nearly finished his phonics book - we'll move on probably next week to a different book or else we'll just do some writing for a time. I haven't decided yet. Gotta go - Kiddo needs some help! Be well!

So I placed my order late. I have joined up with a wonderful health and wellness company and have had every intention of creating a business . It hasn't really worked out. More importantly, however, I have found that everything from the company is FABULOUS! The cleaners, the vitamins, the supplements...and that is what I am posting about today. I have been taking these vitamins - and they are so good! I have energy and everything...something that hasn't happened regularly in AGES! (I am anemic so I therefore take the prenatal...more iron.) These help so much that I almost feel normal. (Don't say anything! I know I left myself open for it! :o) If you don't already have some vitamins that you really notice a vast difference with, try these out! Membership with my company is only $1 right now, so check out my website and let me know if you want more information... www.HappyWorkingMommy.com I have to go - I got a package in the mail...lots of clearance stuff from Carson-De...

Well today we had another wonderful Tuesday Morning Bible Study. I think I have mentioned before, but we are going through Beth Moore's "Stepping Up" study based on the Psalms of Ascent. It is wonderful and thought-provoking. This is the first Beth Moore study I have done...the first REAL bible study I have done with any group and I absolutely love the women with which this brings me into company! And Kiddo enjoys playing with his home schooled friends as well. It's entirely win-win! After the bible study we came home and ate lunch (Kiddo and I) and then it was time for Kiddo to start his work. I have been fighting him on it, but I am not getting frazzled. Now I have done MY work - study homework, 2 devotional e-mails and other e-mails and checking out what is going on in the blogosphere and even dishes are finished. I feel updated, encouraged and peaceful. This is nice. Right now as I update my blog, I even have dinner going! :o) How is THAT for Suzy Homemaker? (All ...

Well, Wednesday night dinner at church went over pretty well - we did end up having to turn some people away for lack of enough food, but other than that, the food was received really well...I guess so anyway! We should have been able to feel 50 people with what we had and served less than 40! I guess it was well-liked! :o) Oh well...live and learn! Next time (next Wednesday) is a potluck and hopefully we'll have lots of people bring food. It should be a great time. Yesterday I planned some class get-togethers with our new class leader's wife. She is super-sweet and they have a great family. I am looking forward to getting to know them all better and hopefully we'll be hanging out a lot as friends...we have a lot in common with them so it sure would be nice to have a couple (and the kids! :o) to hang out with. We are having a Fall Fellowship at their place in a few weeks to give the class a chance to get to know the leader a little better. My family is helping to provide re...

So last night I received a phone call. The woman that single-handedly coordinates (though execution requires help, of course) our church's Wednesday night dinners is sick. Very sick. So guess who she trusts to run the Wednesday night dinner. Yup. Me. Hmm...I'm not sure how good I'll do but I hope I'm up for the challenge. I've helped her before - and we agree on MANY things about the running of a kitchen - so I know how she likes things done. I hope I can accomplish it at least half as well as she can...but I am nervous. Just a little...today...maybe I'll be basket-case tomorrow! :o) We are having breakfast for dinner so I have to make 2 big breakfast casseroles...it's a good thing that I made up a recipe a few weeks ago that was a big hit at our Tuesday morning Bible study (In fact that was one of the reasons my friend called ME...she tasted it and said that she wanted me to make it for this week's dinner! :o). I also got a couple of cantaloupes (or REA...

I have to tell you that I am amazed. I have seemingly found a compromise with Kiddo and he is getting his work done well. Okay...so maybe it's more a bribe than a compromise. IF he gets all of his work done in a timely manner he gets a stamp on a cute little "You Can Do It!" chart we found out the Dollar Tree. There are 25 boxes and when they are all full, he gets a "You Did It! Ticket Award" - another cute little incentive we found at Dollar Tree. THOSE he gets to redeem. It could be a special treat, Kiddo picks out a restaurant, eating out with Daddy for lunch, going to eat out with MaMa for lunch, going to Incredible Pizza Homeschool Day, etc. Guess which one he's working for now? Incredible Pizza...Daddy doesn't like all the noise so we usually go for lunch so the Homeschool Days are great - we even get extra coins for doing work there. It is a great time and we look forward to going - but we don't get to go often. The truth of the matter is that...

So I was REALLY not wanting to make dinner tonight...but we are low on funds till payday so there is no option. I put together a Tuna Noodle Casserole and normally Kiddo complains about nearly EVERYTHING we eat. I added lots of peas tonight...yeah, I never measure so I just poured it all in. I don't mind. I like veggies - almost any kind. Kiddo and Hubby? Not so much. So anyway, Hubby makes a comment about the number of peas (not in a bad way, just stating an observation) and Kiddo says nothing. Just keeps eating. THEN, I get up to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher - I am SO spoiled...but Hubby promised long ago. (Inside joke, I'll fill you in: Hubby and I were just dating at the time. I was living at home with my parents and it was MY night to do dishes - which I HATED above all else - and Hubby is sitting there while I wash. I said, "When I move out or get married - whichever - I am SO going to have a dishwasher." Hubby - remember just BOYFRIEND at the time - witho...

It has been a crazy week - but things are going well. Sunday was nice - my afternoon was again WONDERFUL with the other women. I enjoy being taught by this beautiful group of women and it is such a blessing - we learned how to make dinner from start to finish (including dessert...a giant chocolate chip cookie and a brownie) on the grill! It was delicious! Monday we went to our co-op and Kiddo had a great time with his friends. It took him a few minutes to warm up to them again but it wasn't long until he was running with them and having a blast! What beautiful weather for it! :o) Tuesday I went to my morning bible study - it was MY turn to do breakfast - and it was so much fun! It is a Beth Moore study - and she just cracks me up...but she also gets down to the heart of things. What an inspirational woman! (And in case you were wondering, I baked a breakfast casserole that turned out beautifully...pretty tasty if I do say so myself! :o) Wednesday we didn't have anything going...

What a beautiful day! Weather around here has been gorgeous as of late and today was no exception. Cool enough to wear pants and just barely be warm...this is nearly perfect! Lots of sunshine and just a gentle breeze...if I could share I would! :o) We went to a memorial service today for a man in our church that passed away Wednesday afternoon peacefully at the age of 92. We even realized while at the service that my husband has known one of the nieces of this wonderful man since he was Kiddo's age or younger. It was nice to get a "blast from the past"! What a beautiful legacy this man left behind...a family who is full of hope that they will one day see him again. Most, if not all, of his family are believers so there was little mourning for his death. Most are happy to know that he went peacefully and just the day before was making jokes. It was a very nice service. I can't wait for tomorrow! The weekends have long been my favorite days as I get to spend time with m...

God is so good. I mention in my information about how I am totally lacking in the homemaking department. I was never taught how - nor was my mother - and I wind up just stumbling about. I am pretty sure that I have also mentioned my desire to have a better personal relationship with God - my Father who loves me so much that He spared me a life without Him...not to mention an eternity without Him. God has provided so much for me in this last two weeks I just have to share! My church's Women's Ministry recently had a "Sampler". This is where they have tables set up for each and every event and class and it includes (almost) every woman's favorite food group - CHOCOLATE! (I was dieting and I did behave, Kiddo ate a brownie for me and we took one home for Daddy...he was sick.) I had been told about "Heart to Heart" and decided it was probably another Wednesday night event that I would have to miss because I am booked up on that evenings between Worship Team ...

Well I got a surprising phone call last night from my mom in Tulsa, OK (about 2 hours away). My sister (29 years old) had a seizure and my niece witnessed it. I'll call her Angel. Angel is four years old and we will be keeping her with us while my mom takes care of things up there - we aren't sure how long my sister will be in the hospital. In the midst of this chaos, I am calm enough to post a blog! Isn't God good? :o) Kiddo is doing his work and Angel is chatting away (as always - she is constantly going 90-to-nothin'! Much different from my usually calm and mellow Kiddo! :o) Today we are going to go to lunch together after Kiddo gets some more work done - he's done pretty well today considering. It will probably be somewhere fun - but the weather is beautiful so we might eat and then go to a park to play. This is the first time for my to keep Angel since she was just a little one and I have never had her overnight before so we are in for a real treat I am SURE! T...

It has been a frustrating few days for me around here. Kiddo has absolutely ZERO motivation to get his work done and it has really bothered me. He doesn't have too much work, he should be able to complete every bit of it before lunch. He just chooses not to. So for two days in a row, I have been extremely agitated and frustrated. We just don't know what the problem is...Monday we had Co-op and he had a great time - the weather was perfect for our P.E. time so we got to do that this time (last time was raining). Tuesday I had a morning bible study that was phenomenal and that was just the orientation! :o) While I was there at church, Kiddo even got to play with a friend that is also home schooled and they had a great time. But Wednesday and Thursday have been tough. I have tried encouraging, I have tried rewarding and I have even tried disciplining, but nothing seems to work right now. Today is going much the same... Anyway, today I am trying to be more patient and I am grateful...

This weekend was great. Hubby and I went to our church's Worship Arts Retreat and it was wonderful! Lots of worship, fellowship, extra practice and even some games and door prizes. I won a cute little plaque with a bird on it that says "Sing to the Lord a new song, Psalm 98:1" and when I find out where I'm gonna hang it I'll snap a picture of it. Sunday was pretty good, too! The baptism went smoothly and my little man looked so handsome in his new suit that MaMa and PaPa got him a few weeks ago! The luncheon was okay, but I wasn't feeling well so we had to leave shortly after we ate. I'm okay now...it was a temporary thing. It lasted for a couple of days and now its gone! I can't wait until I get the pics back from my mom...she is taking a photography class and loves to take pics so between her and my dad we should have some great ones! I'll post a couple when I get them. Mom has had a lot on her plate and I'm just not going to push to get them...

I haven't been sleeping well. I have prayed. I have expected God to bless me with a good night's sleep. I have tried to do MY part by going to bed early. I have even tried not going to bed until I'm tired...which, sad to say, was still not very late! (I am SO not a party-animal! :o) Last night hubby went to bed (he's still not feeling well, but he's doing better...recuperating from a cold or a sinus-thing) and expected me to be long. I was there in a few minutes. He reached over and put his hand on my arm and said a quiet prayer for me. (How sweet is that?!?) Guess what? I haven't fully recovered from my days with little sleep, but I actually SLEPT! I got almost a full 8 hours - GREAT for ME! :o) God is good...and my hubby isn't too bad, either! :o) I woke up this morning and expected to let Kiddo off the hook and just hang out - but he acted excited about his work, so he did it before he was picked up. I feel like Kiddo is ALWAYS gone sometimes, but we are ...

Wow! I was praying tonight because there is a certain someone that I find rather difficult to deal with. I was feeling angry because of past dealings with this person and I seem to carry a grudge more than I realized. After reading an e-mail reply from this person - in regular correspondence, it wasn't anything negative or hateful - I seemed to add my own negative undertone to the words and I felt upset. How ridiculous is that?! I asked God to direct me in His Word to the scripture I needed in this situation and He certainly did! He directed me to 1 Kings Chapter 8 and I was reading Solomon's plea to God...he gave God all the glory for the temple that he had built but he went on to pray for forgiveness. Not only for him, but for all who turned to the temple Solomon had built. He asked God to know their hearts and forgive them when they repented. The scripture that stuck was this: “Forgive your people no matter how much they have sinned against you…” I Kings 8:50 (CEV) God forg...

We have had a fairly uneventful weekend which has been a GREAT change. Most of the weekend we just kind of hung out - we did walk around a local mall on Saturday which was nice, but with all of the rainy weather here lately, my knees certainly could feel it. I made it through one full lap - I wanted to do at least 2 - but then we had to go. I was hurting pretty badly at that point. There is still more rain coming with all of the hurricane and tropical storms stirring up the weather...but regardless of the discomfort I have with the storm fronts racking my joints, I certainly remember to think about and pray for all of those who are in danger of injury and devastation because of them. In fact, the joint pain seems to be a good reminder. On a much more fun note, we spent Sunday evening with some great friends of ours. Akash and Neeti are from India and we enjoy getting together with them - especially when Neeti cooks! - and we always share a lot of laughs. What more could you ask for? Gr...

Did you ever offer to do something because you REALLY wanted to bless someone and you just blew it? I did that today and I feel miserable! I'm not going into details but I will say that I didn't do it on purpose...I have felt like I'm in a haze and I TOTALLY dropped the ball on something that could have been a great blessing for someone else. I literally feel sick! I have prayed already, but will you please do me a great favor? Could you please pray for my stress level over this ridiculous situation. I have a terrible tendency to not be able to forgive MYSELF even though I know that God certainly doesn't hang anything over my head. And I am DEFINITELY going to make this up to the intended recipient...I can't NOT... Thank you to my new "bloggies" (I just made up a new term, I think :o)- I certainly hope that I can be as great an encourager to YOU as you have already been to ME!

Today has been a pretty good day so far. Kiddo had a lot of work to do but since my FIL is out of town and they were SUPPOSED to be on vacation, MIL is off of work. We went to lunch and a movie together. I am still trying to do my version of the South Beach Diet thing, so we went to a buffet so I could have salad, veggies and meat and keep the carbs to a minimum. Then we went to a very inexpensive local movie theatre and saw Kung Fu Panda - what a cute show. We all really enjoyed it more than we thought we would - I think Hubby would like to see it sometime. Maybe we'll rent it and have a movie night, Kiddo laughed out loud several times even though he said he didn't really want to see it after all. Not sure why he changed his mind but MIL said, "Okay, but Mommy and I are going to watch it so you can sit with us." Usually she isn't that direct and would have let him choose a different show or we would have gone elsewhere to do something else...I was impressed! He ...