A Quick Note

Yesterday woke up with a sore throat so laid pretty low for most of the day.

Today is another story.

Up at 5 to have about 45 minutes in the Word and with the Lord,

then time with the kiddo's before taking them to school,

and then it was off to HEB to pick up some much needed groceries,

Walmart to get a coffee maker for the main cottage, scored some new T-shirts for Ron...the ones that dry quick when you sweat were on sale for $6.88 each instead of $9.99 so bought him six more!!

And then home to pack and get ready to head to Houston.

Ron is home with the kidlets

and I am in Houston for some training for work.

A PLUS

getting to spend time with

PJ...she is the daughter of my friend Merel,

haven't seen her for years so it was good to spend a few hours with her

PJ is the same age as Jamie

and we go way back...her mama, Merel and I were pregnant with

Jeremy and Brandon at the same time...

it is truly a friendship made in heaven.

Fun to hear about her life in Houston and glad to reconnect.

I will be here for two nights and then back to the ranch on Wednesday evening.

TBRI ~ The TBRI Caregiver Training is designed to train staff/caregivers in Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) equipping them with the skills and tools needed to be successful in their various roles.  We used TBRI when we were at MCH, well parts of it.  It will be good to learn more about it and how it works and how to use it as we care for our three kidlets.

Hope all who is reading this is having a great day!!!

Talk soon!!!

Tired but Staying Focused

I've been trying to stay focused on positive things and see the good in things...

...today is a hard one for me :(

Due to new Federal Regulations for children in care in the state of Texas, if the organization has more than six (6) children total they must have 24 hour AWAKE staff while in residence.  Don't ask me why, but when we take the kidlets camping we don't need the 24 hour AWAKE staff person...go figure...!!

This all came to fruition when Judge Jack in Texas came down hard on the State of Texas Foster Care System.  Here is one article that discusses her stance...click here.  When this first came into being our 3 kidlets were not PMC kids (Permanent Managing Conservatorship) but that changed the week before Thanksgiving and so Nov 19th we had our first overnight staff person here.  

We really don't have an issue having a person awake it is just different.  It's far from normal that's for sure but we make the best of it.  When we were at MCC we had YCC workers who came on at 11 and stayed till 7 so it really isn't anything new...just different.  And has often happens staff change and last night we had a new night staff person.  Let's just say that the 2nd person is very different than the first one and that is going to take some getting used to..

and that meant that neither Ron nor I slept well last night and the hours of the night shift person working is different...the first gal came at 9:30p and we were in our apartment by 10:00p and didn't need to be in the main cottage till 6:30a...now the schedule is that the new gal gets here at 10:00p so we don't get into our apartment till 10:30p or so...and we have to be in the main cottage so she can leave at 6:00a...we get she only works 8 hours a night but it is different and will take some getting used to.

Usually Ron stays up at night and does the switch over and I get up for the morning switch...which is no biggie as I have been getting up at 5:00a to consistently have my quiet time and incorporate my new daily habits...

...habit 1 ~ drink my water

...habit 2 ~ spend two minutes in prayer

...habit 3 ~ making a healthy breakfast

...habit 4 ~ moving/stretching for two minutes

...habit 5 ~ breathing deeply for two minutes

BUT for some reason last night and this morning has affected me a lot...I mean a lot...I could barely get out of bed this morning and my body was aching.  I hadn't slept well last night so that didn't help either (and neither had Ron so he wasn't feeling it to get up early this morning) but I got up, took care of some stuff, spent some time in the Word and praying...

And the message this morning asked

"Are you walking or talking?"

Intentions are a good thing BUT Actions speak louder than words.

and so I have been thinking about that most of the day...

trying to speak softly and calmly 

as well as being consistent

About 15 minutes after the night staff left, Ron came out of our apartment and told me to go back to bed...by then I was pretty awake but hey

and it is Saturday 

and the kids stayed up later than normal last night

and he didn't have to ask me twice

so I went and crawled back into bed...

and started chatting with my Pal Mary...

I think I fell asleep though in the middle of our chat...sorry about that!!!

 and then it was 9:45a!!  I had gotten up a couple of times between 6:45 and 9:45 to go potty (you know us old ladies need to do that quite often :)  )

I was so discombombulated when I woke up and it took me awhile to get moving

but after making a breakfast of sausage, eggs and biscuits with blackberry jam

me, along with the kidlets and Ron were ready for the day

so off to Victoria.  Victoria TX NOT Victoria BC...Ron still owes me a trip there!!!

We stopped to look at a 5th wheel...we are thinking of trading in our Explorer for a 3/4 ton truck and our 30' travel trailer for a 5th wheel toy hauler...well the one the guy had on his lot was not what we are interested in...it was a 30 1/2' but felt very small on the inside...there are few things that are must haves for us...

...have to be able to open the fridge with the slide pulled in

...must be able to use the bathroom with the slide pulled in

...must be able to have two recliners or a double recliner as well as a couple of other chairs or couch

...must have a walk around queen bed

...would be nice to have a washer/dryer combo

...would be nice to have a set of bunks

YES we are planning to go back on the road when I retire in 

5 Years and 4 Days!!!

This 5th wheel was too small...so that's okay, it was the first one we looked at...

and we weren't ready to buy today anyway,

must have truck first!!!

Then it was off to Kohl's to drop off a steamer for our boss,

then Dollar Tree for some Valentine decorations,

then Tuesday Morning...they only had dish towels for Valentines Day,

then Big Lots...got 2 sets of red lights, need one more

then it was off to Sam's Club...first lunch...all beef hot dog and a soda for everyone, 

Azzy got a mountain dew :(  I got the other two orange fanta...

Azzy was told she better not get too wired...she did really well and was a big help with pushing  a cart, grabbing stuff from the shelf and making lots of suggestions!!!

90 minutes later we were finally done at Sam's Club.

We headed towards another RV dealer when I remembered we were supposed to pick up JT and it was already 4:00 and he was due back sometime between 4:30 and 6:00...so no trip to the RV dealer, no stopping at HEB (for the things I don't buy at Sam's) and no stopping at Walmart to look for more Valentine decorations and home we went!!

Everyone helped to unload the truck and then AS and AR joined other kids at the playground.  Ron, Azzy and I labeled and put away the groceries.  Ron helped me put up some red lights...that's when I found out I need one more set...I will take a picture and post what I'm doing once I get the 3rd set of lights and then it was shower and prayer time for the kidlets.

All in all it's been a good day, we are all just a bit tired.

Hopefully we will all sleep better tonight and wake refreshed and rested in the morning.

Tomorrow is Sunday School, church and football!!!  

SeaHawks play the Packers...it should be a good game!!!

Oh and maybe take down some more of the Christmas decorations.

********

Do you still have Christmas decorations up?

Do you decorate for Valentines Day? A lot or a little?

If you don't decorate for Valentine's Day

what is the next holiday you decorate for?

Time to Write Before Today Get's Away From Me

I am exhausted...I think 4 mornings of getting up at 5a is taking its toll...

it started yesterday evening...I fell into bed before 9p

and when the alarm went off at 5a this morning I just wanted to stay in bed and had a flash I hadn't written a blog post yesterday ~ UGH ~ 

I didn't...I got up, washed my face with cold water, that seemed to help a bit and started my day.

I fixed a bottle of water

and sat down with my Bible, my pens, my planner, my daily devotional,  and a prayer book I got from my bestie...I gather everything pictured and a cup of coffee or like this morning my bottle of water

and snuggle into my recliner.

I love the first paragraph of the intro into the Pocket Prayers for Mom ~ "Hello, my name is Max.  I'm a recovering prayer wimp.  I doze off when I pray.  My thoughts zig, then zag, then zig again.  Distractions swarm like gnats on a summer night.  If ADD applies to prayer, I am afflicted.  When I pray, I think of a thousand things I need to do.  I forget the one thing I set out to do:

PRAY!..."

When I opened this book the other day I felt like this guy gets me...I feel like such a failure so often when it comes to my prayer time and was so encouraged that I was not alone!!! And was super excited and thankful that my Bestie had thought of me...this little book is a wonderful gem.  The introduction is 10 pages!!!  and I have only gotten through the first three...tomorrow will be more reading...like the "Discovering Joy in Philippians" study that I am using, I am going at my own pace.  I have learned if I set these gigantic goals I will fail so I am learning, finally at 62 to set the pace and remember life is a marathon not a sprint!!!

I spent about forty-five minutes this morning with the Lord.

Here is a look at yesterday and today's prayerful journal...the place I write by hand...

nothing fancy, just notes, scriptures and thoughts.

As you can see yesterday I wrote a bit more, today a little less,

some days the whole page is filled up with no room to write down happenings of the day.

and that is what matters!!!

This morning I was reminded again to FOCUS on what I need to focus on, don't worry about what others are doing or not doing and reminding myself that worrying really doesn't get me anywhere...and how true that was for me when Jamie was in Iraq...I spent most of the year he was there worried sick, I was paralyzed a lot of the time, cried a lot of the time and looking back I can't really tell you what I did do for most of that year...well like I said above...

I cried and worried myself sick!!!

And to keep my TRUST in the Lord

and know that He knows what I am dealing with.

In the corner of my planner this morning I wrote

"Remember God CHOSE me!!

Be tenderhearted (soft like a marshmallow)

Extend mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience

Lord help me to demonstrate these things in my actions and interactions.

Be faithful and consistent!!!"

I have had a great day...spent time with my hubby, 

had breakfast with my framily,

worked on some stuff on the computer, 

took a nap ~ thank you Ron!!!,

had a good chat with my boss,

had great interactions with the kidlets even during some difficult parenting moments,

laughed with the kidlets before and after school

and had another WIN for dinner...okay it was cold cereal for them

but hey...

it works for me!!

***

How about you??

What tools do you use on a daily basis?

Do you find time to laugh even during the difficult moments?

Do you ever eat cold cereal for dinner?

which leads me to

What is your go to dinner when you are tired???

Confirmation and Joy

I don't know why I am always amazed when the Lord shows me things that I have been thinking or contemplating...yet I am still amazed.

I set my alarm for 5:00a as I went to bed last night;

at 4:15a  I woke up wide awake...

so after laying in bed for about 15 minutes I decided to just get up...

and I am so thankful I did...I had such a wonderful time with the Lord this morning...

I had a variety of scriptures on my list to read this morning:

And I wrote and wrote....

God gave his most precious gift to me ~ His Son!  The Lord reminds me daily to not be afraid ~ He is always with me.  I need to teach others (by example as much as words) as the Lord has taught me ~ that discipline is not fun nor easy but is important in our lives.    Everything good comes from the Lord.  He never changes, it is me/us who change!!!  God knows our lives and He only wants good for us ~ if we follow Him, He will guide us in the right paths.  God is my rock and refuge and is always available.  God thinks of me way more than I think of Him.  The Lord will always fight for me ~ my job is to be calm.  

CALM

Choose Joy!!!

Praise the Lord for where I have come from!!

And where I am and where I am headed!!

Choose Love!!!

Awareness + Contact = Change**

Be honest, not hurtful,

Be calm ~ a soft tongue turns away wrath.

Singleness of heart...don't be so stubborn.

Old self ~ whine/gossip

New self ~ go to the source, be direct, address the issue head on

And don't forget the 

As I sat and thought about the different scriptures I had read this morning and was spending time in prayer and thinking of some changes that are upcoming in some friends lives and thinking back to all the different life experiences I have been involved in over the years and the many, many people I have met I was amazed at how God's timing is perfect for each specific moment in my life.  

I am who I am today because of every experience, every thought, every person I have met, every job I have had and I wouldn't be me without each of these things.

One of the books I am using in my quiet time

Philippians is a book that reminds me to be encouraged despite of hardships and trials.  That it is important to imitate and strive to be Christlike and to be content with what I have and where I am and to see JOY in each situation no matter how difficult things may feel at the time.  And that everything has its time and that God's timing is perfect all the time ~ all the time God is Good!!!

I have felt so encouraged today.  

I have drank almost 60 oz of water, walked the circle around the ranch two different times today, made and ate a healthy and delicious dinner and had a great afternoon/evening with the kidlets.

Life is good and I am so thankful for where I am today and that I am blessed to have the best helpmate by my side!!!

***********

**Awareness + Contact = Change**

was a phrase given to me by Tom, our therapist for two and a half years in the late 80's and I was reminded today that things can't change if you don't know about them and that it is important to be authentic in my relationships and that even when there are difficult things to deal with it is best to face them head on.

And so I prayed this morning to be able to talk to with someone openly and honestly, not letting fear dictate what I would say, to speak softly like the squishy marshmallow and to share God's love and joy.

I am so thankful for my quiet time this morning

as I was so blessed to have such a great day today and I know it was because the Lord went before me and I responded as He would have me to do.

Words to Think About

"Chaos to Calmness"My phrase for 2020...My life seems to be filled with chaos so much of the timeWebster states chaos is "
My niece posted something on Facebook awhile back about leaving a positive word for 2020 beginning with the first letter of the person's name reading/responding to the post.  I thought what  a great idea and shared it on my Facebook page.  Six friends responded with...

complete disorder and confusion" and some days it feels like confusion runs amok in our home...think about it...five people, coming from five very different backgrounds, trying to mold into one family.  Yes, two of us have been together for over 44 years but some days I know we look at each other and think "what the heck are you thinking?"  So how do we expect three little's who come from a state of confusion to meld into our home without a lot of guidance, grace and mercy???

~ Devoted

~ Caring
~ Respect
~ Kindness
~ Tender
~ Loving

were the words given to me and I have been thinking about how to incorporate them into my phrase...

I want to move from Chaos to Calmness and can do that by being Devoted to where the Lord has planted me right now...so often when I get stressed I think "I can just leave..." but is that being devoted...no, it really isn't.  And I think about a friend who on her wedding day she told me if it didn't work out she would just get a divorce...she always had a foot out the door...and I do that too thinking "I can just leave" but that isn't a good mindset to be in...so this week while we have been camping, resting and rejuvenating I have been working on my thinking process and taking the phrase "I can just leave" out of my mind and changing it to...for such a time as this, God has called me to devote my life to these little's that He has entrusted in our care.

Caring...I need to take care of myself to be able to take care of these kidlets.  I learned that phrase "take care of me to be able to care for others" many years ago and some days I do better at it than others.  I want to be intentional in caring for myself, through bettering my health, my emotional and spiritual life so that I can be the best person, woman, wife, mom, grammy, friend that God designed me to be and to do that I must take care of me...all of me!!!

Respect...I must respect myself enough to love myself to be able to share and teach others to respect themselves and others...respecting myself includes setting limits/boundaries to not let others disrespect me either with their words or actions and respect for myself must begin with me.  The definition of Respect is: a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements and so I to have a deep admiration (LOVE) for all the things I am and can do for me before I can do and have it for others.  I need to value who I am and not allow others to tarnish or hurt me to make themselves feel better.  Respecting myself is loving me for who I am and for who God made me to be!!!

Kindness and Tender...immediately I think of something Janice shared with me many years ago...I need to become soft, soft like a marshmallow.  For many years I kept a quart jar of marshmallows on my desk, it sort of looked like this

to remind me to be soft, kind and tender to myself and others.  I tend to be stern and harsh trying to get people or kidlets to do what I need or want them to do...I need to be remember 

and

loving to myself and to others,

 in loving I need to extend grace, 

and grace like Jesus extends to me over and over.

By remembering each of these words and utilizing their meaning in my every day I know that our home will be one of peace and calmness!!  So I pray, Lord  help me to keep these words in my sight as I wake each morning and try to do your will and follow your commandment to love one another!!!

Listening...

Good evening from Columbus, TX...our last evening here before heading back to Yoakum tomorrow and schedules and routines.

We've had a great time, the kidlets have had lots of outside play time which means little screen time...and the same is true for me and I can't believe how peaceful I have felt without being tethered to the screen...hopefully I can keep it at a minimum once we get home.  It will take discipline...that's what I was reading about this morning...

came to mind as I was reading and it opened the door for me to talk with the kidlets today about how when we discipline them it doesn't seem fun at the time but it is meant for good...I sure hope they understand that.

My other reading led me to 

and how our life needs to be a balance,

how I need balance in my life...

and one of the things I've been able to think about this past week is that I get so wrapped into one or two things and lose focus on all the things around me.

My phrase for this year

"Chaos to Calmness"

is all about bringing the balance to our lives,

the lives we have been entrusted to care for,

balance in how we eat...striving for more healthy meals,

drinking more water but still enjoying that cup of coffee, 

a time to rest and a time to move.

Balance in 

in 

My prayer as this day comes to an end is that 

as I read and reflect over Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

that for today,

I am in this season

where energy is needed but the Lord provides me rest,

I am partnered with a wonderful man of God,

who loves me unconditionally and who teaches me each day to enjoy life

and all it is full of,

that even in times of stress, 

remembering to breathe and to keep trusting.

  And I think of my life verse

and in The Message it is written:

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.  Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track."

And I am reminded again:

I am not alone!!!

Do you have a favorite verse you cling to when life is full of chaos?  

Sabbath = Rest and today it was!

This morning I woke up before the kids or Ron...I enjoyed reading a few scriptures and checking in to Healthy Free Life Community (a Facebook group) to see what Habit #5 was for today.

To refresh

Habit #1 ~ Drink water

Habit #2 ~ Pray for 2 minutes

Habit #3 ~ Eat a healthy breakfast

Habit #4 ~ Get moving

Habit #5 ~ Breathe (release stress)

As it was quiet and no one was stirring, not often happens with three little's, I was able to drink a glass of water and fix my water bottle (it holds 24 oz and my goal is 4 per day and no, I didn't reach that goal today...only made 48oz but tomorrow is a new day!)  I spent a few minutes in prayer and did a couple of minutes of stretching (hopefully once we are back in Yaokum I can start walking after we take the kidlets to school).  And then two minutes of intentional deep breathing...two minutes is a very long time!!!  But I made it just as the 11 year old was beginning to stir...whispered to her to grab her tablet and to stay quiet....then Little Bit woke up, gave her her tablet and some gummies...and all was quiet for about 45 more minutes.  During that time I was able to read my verses for the day and do a bit of journaling.

I was reminded how much I love my quiet time so definitely going to get back into the routine of getting up at 5:15a each  morning for that hour of quiet time with the Lord, when we get back to the ranch.



What a powerful verse to begin my day ~
God's Word is Alive!!
God's Word is Powerful
And God knows what is in my heart!!!



And His mercies are new every morning!
Every morning is a new day, a new slate and lots of opportunities!!



This verse reminds me that my life is not a sprint but a marathon...and that I need to keep my eyes on the prize...the final win will be when I see Jesus!!! And that I need to keep my focus on each day, enjoy life's moments, not rush through things and see the positive in each situation I find myself in.

Which reminded me of breathing and focus on calmness, to lead our family from chaos to calmness.

So my focus today
has been to rest and just enjoy today.

The weather was beautiful and about 10:00a the kidlets went outside to play and play they did.  They ran, rode bikes, played on the playground, and made more friends...there are three or four families from Quebec in the campground parked in the same loop we are in as well as a couple of other families.
The kids played and played,
Ron slept late and then read his book,
I spent more time coloring and reading as well.
Then I snuck into the bedroom for a nap
and Ron took the kids for Sundaes on Sunday at the Activity Center.

And then more play time outside!!
I am glad the rain has stopped (though it was needed)
and the kids have been getting lots of natural Vitamin D.

We have one more full day here at the campground
and then back to the real world and routines and schedules!

Thank you Lord for this beautiful day of rest and reflection!!!

*******
Thank you to those who have emailed, texted and commented on my blog,
It is encouraging to me and I appreciate the suggestions.

Blessing to each of you!