Crazy Weekend

This past weekend has been one of those crazy weekends where we were all going in different directions. We had things going on with the church as well as things with our girls. The week even started busy with a quick trip to IKEA in Pittsburgh to pick up furniture for Emily's room. So during the week between doing school and doctor appointments, we were cleaning out Emily's and Rae's rooms to move furniture around. It was fruit basket turnover in the upstairs, but the weekend was coming and things had to be put on hold to get the downstairs ready for a get together at our house Friday night. We all banded together and got it done with some of the girl's rooms still left undone. We hope to finish it all this week and maybe I will post some pictures of the girl's rooms finished.

Saturday was very busy day. We were all passing each other coming and going. I had one girl at tennis while I was taking a friend's daughter's senior pictures. Next up, I met Noel for lunch with some friends, but I had to leave in time to get back to get the girls and go to Capital University for Hannah to play in OMEA District Festival. This was Hannah's first time in something with her new piano teacher. She did great and received great comments from her judge. Noel was unable to come, so he listened via speakerphone (just like the commercials). Hannah has come so far in the year with her new teacher. The group she played with has some great pieces to listened to, and it motivated Hannah to play more advanced music. I am SO excited to hear that! She is becoming quite the musician.

Hannah with her certificate

Rae in her dress she wore for her dedication.  I had not gotten a good picture of her in her favorite dress.

I Heart My Family

One of my goals for these 21 days was to be there more for my family. I want to look at my girls while talking to them and vise versa. This morning since it was Valentine's Day I chose to get up and get moving earlier and fix breakfast for the family before they wake up (except hubby - who wants to wake up that early). I made waffles and cut them into hearts and chocolate strawberry smoothies. It was all waiting for them when they came down. As a family, we all had breakfast together.

Sorry I do not have pictures, because I left my phone up stairs. We just lived in the moment. I had little gifts for everyone to open. I just want my family to know they are loved and I do care about them.

A little something special for my hubby

The Great Playroom Clean-up

Earlier this year we started working on cleaning out the different areas and rooms in our home. Hubby says it is an effort to be more productive and to lighten the house. It has taken a several weeks, but we do have most of the house done with just a couple of areas left to tackle. So, yesterday the girls and I tackled the playroom with some groans from the peanut gallery. Hubby had already moved my computer back down here from our bedroom. It had been in our bedroom due to my ankle surgery. Plus, Rae and I were doing her school in our room. Moving all of that to the playroom, plus Emily starting to clean out her room created quite a mess in the playroom. You could not even see the floor.

In order for me to work and Rae to do school, I knew it had to be cleaned. So armed with our trash bags we cleaned and organized. It took a few hours, but it was clean - even the little closet in the room. I will not tell you how many bags we filled up. With only a little left to organize, every thing now has a place. The loving family has a nice clean home, the ponies are all together, and Barbie and her friends in various states of dress are all together as well. Hannah organized our books and movies, but I did have to keep reminding her not to read as she goes. I do like where we put all the fairy wings. It originally is to hang pictures, but it is nicely holding the wings and Emily's ribbons. The girls were proud of all the work we did. They celebrated by picking out a board game and played it in the floor of the newly cleaned playroom.

The playroom side of the room all clean. The horse in the picture was made by my dad and a loving keepsake of mine. There is a little closet to the right that holds all our board games, puzzles, and the few dress-up clothes we have left.

With this week's trash - our trash man made need another thank you sign and candy.

Closer

In a Christian's life our goal is always to draw closer to God and to seek Him is all things. That has been my focus for the last few weeks and the current focus in our church body. Noel is calling our church to revival, because we as a church and community are so in need of it. God had already been working in my life before this in the area of my eating and weight.  I have been reading the book and devotional called Made to Crave and it just clicked with me.  I was overweight physically and underweight spiritually, and that hit me like a ton of bricks. I had let me self get out of control with my eating, because it was my comfort. While I am a long way from where I should be or want to be, I am headed in the right direction.  I am making wiser food decisions and exercising more.  I seek God for His help and strength, because I know I cannot do this alone.

For 21 Days our church has been called to fast to help bring revival in the lives of our people.  A fast can be something different things like food, certain activities, or social media.  It can be something that is a stronghold in your life that is separating you from God. That one just hit me. There are things in my life that taken my focus from God and my family.  While I may not ever share what all that I am fasting from, but the big one was social media.  I had let it take over my life with the constant checking.  Why do I need to be seeing what others are doing, and not seeing what my family is doing or doing what God wants me to do.  With my blog I usually post to the link to Facebook and twitter, but today I will not.  Not as many will read this I know, but that is fine.  It is what is on my heart today.  I am excited about the journey God has me on and where it will take our family. Is there a stronghold in your life that is separating you from God? Would you be willing to give it up for 21 days?

 2 Corinthians 12:9-11, “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness… For when I am weak, then I am strong.”