Farm Festival

The farm we order our food delivery from hosted a grand festival this weekend.  It was a beautiful day today to go.  We walked around and saw the cows, ducks, and chicks.  They had hand washing stations with running water and soap, which a nice touch considering all the animal petting.  We took in a hay ride and then stood in two lines to get some farm made ice cream that we ate while watching a band of banjo players.  It reminded me of my grandpa.  :)  

By this time it was getting hot, so we decided to take the tour of the farm.  We were in the milk production room when Logan complained about his stomach hurting.  He said he felt like he was going to throw up, so we left the milk production room.  I thought that was very considerate of us.  We decided to head home when it didn't seem like he was feeling any better as time went on.  

Sure enough, he's running a slight fever tonight and is complaining about his throat.  I'm not sure if it'll turn into anything, but I sure hope not.  Other than that, he won his baseball game yesterday, and his team is undefeated.  We're trying to not let it go to their heads.  He has another game Tuesday night, so I hope he's feeling better for it.

I feel like we have to talk about my huge vein because....it's huge.  It is my nemesis in pictures.

We're missing Kaelyn because she went to a music festival with her friends today.  She's still not home, but it doesn't end until 11p.  It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend, and we really needed one of those.

Wordless Wednesday but on a Thursday

End of April Daybook

Outside my window...
It snowed this weekend!  Today turned out to be much nicer.  

Giving thanks...
For a nice night out for our anniversary.  We went to dinner and a movie.  I like last year where we each picked an activity, and we went shooting and hiking.  Things are much busier this year.  :(  

In the schoolroom...
We have four more weeks of co-op left.  All of us are counting down the days.  Summer gets a lot easier with school because they can't go to the pool until math and reading are done.  

From the kitchen...
I've been off of Whole30 for three weeks, and I am paying for it now.  I feel awful, can't sleep, and feel sick most of the time.  Anniversary tomorrow and then the straight and narrow.  I've already got some food made and stored for the transition.

I am creating...
A Mass book.  This book will have a message from Mass every weekend of how I can be a better version of myself for that week.  It's a suggestion from Matthew Kelly.  I've only been doing it two weeks, but the messages are coming in clear.  

I don't ever want to forget...
-Marley and Logan saying, "Yes or Yes?"  in an Australian accent like Matthew Kelly
-A last minute decision to go on a hike with them and how happy they seemed to be that I came
-Kaelyn so sore after coming to a gym class with me that she couldn't move for two days

I am working on...
Four weeks of lesson plans.  One of them includes planting flowers.  I told the kids to not get their hopes up.

I am reading...
Nothing right now.  :(  I have books to read, but I can't pick them up right now.

I am praying...
$$$...always.

I am hearing...
Blue Bloods.  Love this show.

Around the house...
There's some article going around on how to teach your kids to clean their rooms in 10 minutes.  While it took longer than that, I like the steps in it.  They seemed easy for the kids to follow.  

One of my favorite things...
The gym.  That was a hard one.  While I'm obsessed, I did take a couple days off to rest my shoulder (I pulled something last week).  It was nice with those extra hours in the day.  

A few plans for next week...
Anniversary, horseback riding, co-op, volleyball, baseball, and church.  That doesn't seem like much, huh?

A few extras...
-Kevin has found himself a new job.  He's helping coach Logan's baseball team. 

-Rory hurt her hip and got x-rayed and everything!

- Crazy hair day at co-op

-In the waiting room at the x-ray.  Bob cracks me up in this pic.

Top Ten Things I've Learned This Past Year

Since I just had a birthday, I decided to reflect on my growth over the past year.  I had to have learned something!  Here are the top ten things that I have learned over the past year.

1. A little compassion goes a long way.  

I've known this one, but I've put it into practice more this past year than before.  While to others it may seem like I'm enabling bad behavior, it's been a growing exercise to trust myself in "picking my battles."  Besides, who doesn't respond better to love than wrath.  
"Pleasing words are a honeycomb, sweet to the taste and healthful to the body." Proverbs 16:24 NAB

2. Eating clean actually does increase energy, mood, and good sleep.

I feel like I've known this one too, but the dramatic change that came with my whole30 made quite an impression on me.  That's why I'm going to do another one but cut it down to 10 days to just do a reset.

3. Do not become co-dependent on anyone.

There are things that Kevin does around here that I've never learned to do because...he does them.  I've gotten more into doing things myself that I would normally just pawn off to Kevin because I need to know these things...just in case.  This is also true of friends.  I have a tendency to attach quickly to people.  I become enamored way too easily, and while I'm not saying I go all out like Single White Female, I do depend on their advice and viewpoints more than I should.  Inevitably I end up getting myself hurt.  

4. As kids get older, their problems get bigger.

This is not rocket science, but it is a lesson I learned this year.  My counselor used to tell me that the limbo known as community college is so that kids can make mistakes in the comfort of their own home...like training wheels.  I was still surprised when it started happening.  HA!

5. Ignoring is a great parenting tool.

I used to engage with the kids in arguments over all sorts of things.  I just had to learn to ignore some things instead of catching every little attitude and backtalk.  I'm not talking about letting a child disrespect me, but when they keep going and I know it's just going to get them in more trouble, the best thing for me to do is walk away and give them space while closing my ears.  ;)  This works best during schoolwork time.  I ignore their sass and just keep going with the lesson.  It works EVERY time.

6. I'm a sucker.

I've learned this only recently.  After being to a couple charity events, I discovered I want to help everyone!  Then I have giver's remorse afterwards.  I know...giver's remorse sounds awfully mean, but I get it.  I get swept away by an organization's message and mission, and I completely forget about all the bills, debt, daughter going to college this fall, and I want to give, give, give.  For instance, tomorrow I have to call up an organization and ask that they cancel my monthly giving that I signed up for because I should probably pay off my own chemo before signing up to pay other peoples' chemo.  I constantly tell God that if He would only let me win the lottery, I would help a lot of people.  

7. I'm an unorganized planner.

I think everyone thinks I'm super organized because I like to plan everything and have plan B's and C's.  Also, if it isn't on the calendar it isn't happening.  Just because I like filling in slots doesn't mean a thing.  I can't find anything in this place.  I try to declutter only to clutter it back up again because there's space.  This does not work in a small house.  I have tried to find my own system and figure out a solution for these five other unorganized people, but I fail every time.  

8. I am as engaged as I want to be.

This is also a recent lesson.  Kevin and I went to see a speaker last Friday night, and he explained how this works.  In every aspect of your life, you decide how much effort to put into it.  At times you might be 85% engaged in your marriage or 15% engaged...  same with your budget, health, fitness, parenting, ALL ASPECTS.  This really hit home to me.  He was talking about being present and aware of what was going on around you.  Ever since, I've been keenly aware of how engaged I am in the task at hand.  

9. No matter how much I think I can do something, sometimes I have to rest.

I hurt my shoulder a couple weeks ago at the gym.  I kept working out because so what...my shoulder hurt.  Well, today I finished it off.  So much so that I asked Kevin to get me a sling.  He said no.  (Sorry, honey.  Had to put it in there.)  I'm whiny and cranky and I'm sure driving everyone crazy.  I looked it up on google and iced it on and off all day.  I figure I'll give it a week.  Until then, I'll stick with spin and zumba.  ;)

10. I can't control everything.

This has been a while in the making, but I think I'm getting really good at it.  There are moments when I slip up and before I know it, I'm back to my old ways.  But I figure it out and change it again.  It takes constant pep talks to myself that the world will not implode because someone is not doing something my way.  I would be lying if I said it didn't stink at times.  It's one of the hardest things I do on a daily basis.  

You Say It's My Birthday

It's my birthday tomorrow.  I normally do the random acts of kindness deeds on my birthday, but I'm not this year.  I'm too old!  I'll try to do a couple things because the kids are used to it, but I'm not going to set out for it.  Besides, tomorrow is a busy day already.  The world doesn't stop for my awesomeness.  ;)  
I'll probably write some old-fashioned letters to friends, pay some laundry machines, and I don't know what else.  I'm planning on going off the Paleo wagon, but not too far.  I'm hoping to keep it in check.  It'll be a couple of days though because I'm not celebrating with my parents until this weekend.  
Otherwise, I'm nose down and going through the motions.  It's never fun getting older.

Here's my new sweatshirt.  Kaelyn is always telling me that I don't take selfies correctly.  She told me to always hold the camera at an up angle, but I'm still doing it wrong apparently.  Anywho, don't you like my sweatshirt?  It's so soft, and yes, Kevin dried it correctly.  

Believe Big!

Kevin and I went to a charity gala Saturday night since everyone knows networking is our strong suit.  NOT! Our friends invited us.  The organization is called Believe Big.  They help provide holistic care to cancer patients.  It's an incredible journey.

Last year our friends told us how they had suggested alternative medicines to some friends of theirs who homeschooled.  We knew of them through the book club that the kids and I used to go to.  Their daughter has a rare form of cancer and has relapsed three times.  They suggested using mistletoe, which Believe Big promotes, and their daughter is showing a lot of progress and improvement, AND her cancer hasn't come back in 13 months.  They sat at our table and spoke their story to the room.  To know that our friends literally saved their friends'  daughter's life is amazing.  

To see God's work in action is so humbling.  How our friends came to know this organization, to present it to their friends, to it saving their daughter...God's hand.  I decided to purchase one of their sweatshirts that the saleslady raved about.  I'm so glad I did.  It's wonderful!  Here's a pic of us looking all swanky.

"Peep" Show

Our county has an annual "Peep" show around Easter.  We normally read about it in the newspaper, but it's popularity has grown each year.  I kept hearing about it and seeing posts from friends who had gone, so we decided to take the kids.  It was free and fun!  The long line wrapped around the building was intimidating when we saw it, but it went fast.  I'm glad we stayed because I was all for going home.  I thought we would be waiting outside forever to get into the building.  Here are some things we saw.

While we didn't have to pay to get in, you could purchase votes for your favorite one.  The Goofy won.  I told the kids we should enter next year and stamp our family name on it even though we would make Kaelyn do the whole thing herself.  :)  There was a pic of Logan standing next to a kid with braces made out of peeps that his orthodontist office made, but I guess it didn't get saved.  I'm pretty sure this will become an annual Bucy tradition.