January Daybook (due to Marley's prompting)

 Outside my window...

It's partly cloudy and cold.  We were supposed to have a winter storm this past Monday, but it didn't amount to much until we got to school and the whole entryway was ice.  I'm still bitter they didn't cancel that day.

I am thankful for...

a warm house, a warm bed, food and family.  I've been trying to be more aware of my surroundings.  It might have something to do with my word for the year, but we'll get to that later.

I am thinking about...

dinner, school next week, and the dentist.  I think I want to switch dentists again.  I don't think we've found a good new one yet.

In the schoolroom...

it's a mess.  I'm trying to get it cleaned up, but Relic is fighting me every step of the way with his endless shedding.  I could vacuum everyday in this house and fill it up each time.  No joke.  Other than that, we're all counting the days to Easter vacation.  So what if we just got back from Christmas!?

From the kitchen...

I'm trying to meal plan again.  Seriously, I wonder how many times I've said that in this blog, and it never sticks?  We're into the second week of it, and it's already getting wobbly, but I think we'll make it.  It's shameful how much money we spent on out food.

I (we) am(are) creating...

a budget.  We're getting back on track after Christmas chaos.  

I am working on...

a plan for Lent.  I'm going big this Lent.  Last year, if you remember, we were living in the RV for Lent.  I'm not going that big, but I am giving up some things that will definitely hurt.

I am reading...

St. John of the Cross Spiritual Works.  He's a Carmelite saint worth reading repeatedly.  This is my second time going through some things and spending time getting deeper.  

I am praying for...

family.  

I am hearing...

Kevin on a work call and the humming of Logan's computer as he works on schoolwork. 

Around the house...

nothing much.  We cleaned up the basement a while back.  The house needs a good cleaning.  I tried to do this thing where I paid the kids to clean.  It worked one week and the past two times, their work has gotten seriously sloppy.  I'll either try it again and be mean pointing out all the things they didn't do correctly to go over them again, or I'll do it myself.  it depends how much energy I have this weekend.  Before then, I definitely have to vacuum. (refer to in the schoolroom)

One of my favorite things...

The Chosen.  Have you seen it?  It's a series on the life of Jesus.  Normally movies only have two-three hours to get the whole story in, but this has eight episodes so far, and they're currently filming season two.  It's free on YouTube and Apple and a bunch of things.  It's SO GOOD.  We've watched it three times already which is lovingly referred to as "bingeing Jesus."  Please watch it.

A few plans for the rest of the week...

Kids have school tomorrow.  We're going to Mass Friday morning and walking from there to the courthouse carrying our Pro-Life signs to at least have some sort of march since DC was canceled (lame).  We should have a pretty big group.  Saturday, we'll be visiting folks back home.  Other than that, cleaning.  

Some pics for you...

One last pic before we took the tree down.

Logan wanted to play Risk, so we did.  We think Marley ended up winning.  She was Russia.  How appropriate for our times, don't you think?

This picture is from before I went back on the wagon.  Kevin and I snuck drumsticks in the middle of the day and hid out in the laundry room while we ate them.  I'll be busted once the kids read this, but we have no more drumsticks left so ha!

Relic had a birthday!  He's four year old.  I made his usual birthday cake, but this time I put treats around the outside and put strawberries on top, last year it was raspberries.

Still daddy's lap dog...

He wanted to sniff the fire.  

This is the opening song to every episode of The Chosen.  Marley has danced to it since the first episode and continues to do so.  I sent it to the creator of the show.  We'll see if we hear anything back.  I'm sure he's busy.  I hope he's busy.  We want season 2!!!!!

Happy New Year, Happy Birthday, Happy Epiphany!

 Our fearless leader had a birthday this past week.  Unfortunately it was a rainy day, but we made the best of it.  We ran some errands and had a really good dinner.  After that was cake and presents.  It's funny that as we get older, the kids remember how old we are fast than we do, or I should say faster than I do.  :)  

We've gotten back into the swing of school routines and getting to sleep before 10p.  That part has been nice.  The school part not so much, but it's really not as bad as I make it out to be.  The worst part is preparing for school, but the actual day is never that bad.  Mental note for next year, I will not be scheduling myself for a full day of volunteering at school the first week back after a big break.  That was a mistake.

Here's to a great new year of new opportunities.  Praying for our nation, or what's left of it.

I can't leave my phone alone at all these days.