30 is coming...

My 30th birthday is vastly approaching.  Two months almost to the day and I'll have left my 20's!  I'm not sure why but this scares the pants off me!  I'm not going to lie it is terrifying, I wonder can I still call my mom crying when something goes wrong?  I'm I too old now for certain things? 

Life isn't what I dreamt of all those years ago.  My husband doesn't look like a half naked cowboy with muscles for days like imagined, although he did buy his first cowboy hat the other day!  I don't live out in the country with my seven kids either.  Before the thought crosses your mind, no I didn't have a litter.  God did bless me with two wonderful boys that are just as wild as seven little ones!

I've decided for me it is time to be a little selfish.  I have to put forth the effort on some things that I have hidden in the depths of my soul that need to be laid to rest once and for all. 

I can't go into my 30's with the bondage of my past haunting me at every turn.  I have to live with it everyday and I have to learn that my past doesn't define me. 

My husband put it best, God forgives me now I just have to forgive myself!

I've set some pretty clear goals for myself for the next couple of months!
~ Finish a much needed bible study
~ Finish the Insanity workout
~ Finish organizing some things around the house
~ Get more time in with my kiddos
~ Be a size 6 by my 30th birthday
~ Learn not to dwell on the past, I have to move on as hard as it may be!

The most important thing is, I want to turn 30 knowing I accomplished my biggest goal of all!  I want to be proud of who I am and what HE has made me!  I will turn 30 and feel the love of Christ before all others, and that has to be the most profound thing in my life to date.

My Approach to Homemaking

One can scour the Internet for days visiting blogs on homemaking!  I think in an essence we are all in search of the same thing, 'how does she do it?'  I'm guilty as charged, I love to see how others make the day go by, probably because I have this intense need to figure out a better way and maybe a little curiosity as to what someone elses world is like.  (Does that contradict itself?, oh well you get what I mean!)  I've taken the time to hone my homemaking skills, theoretically, but lacked in driving it into home every time!  I simply fall short, I try this for a while and then that, but nothing seems to stick!  Maybe it is a lack of desire or my impatient brain wanting everything done right away.  Then when things don't get done, I'm blowing my top and give up!  Maybe I just need more caffeine...hmmm, food for thought. 

Any who, my approach to homemaking is simple, TREAT IT LIKE A J-O-B!!  You know one of those things that sends out a paycheck from time to time.  Most of our husbands have one, so why shouldn't we?  My house is my job, my kids are my blessings!  You can't get that confused, once you think of your kids as a job all sorts of things could go wrong. 

Like any job one has a job title and responsibilities, right...
So what would a housewives job title be that isn't just plain housewife...you don't always want to get one those comments all the time.  You know the, 'OH you stay HOME all Day!' comments.  I like to think of myself as a Domestic Engineer!  Has a nice ring to it huh? 

Lets see job title, check!  Now on to job responsibilities (insert chuckle here)!  The amount of personal jobs we have is enormous and probably surpasses the hours we have to get them all done in a day.  WRONG!  Lets be honest none of us are perfect!  We can't get it all done because we set our own expectations too high!  We seek to be like the Proverbs 31 woman, but HELLO she is just an example.  God knows we can't get this all done, literally.  So lets make things a little more simple, then add in the extras when we get the time.

Simple Jobs of the Domestic Engineer:
1. Don't burn down the house, key factor can't be a housewife if you burn down the house!
2. Provide food for household members, no extras just the person you are married to and the kids!
3. Wash underwear and towels daily, bad things happen when your husband runs out of clean undies and doesn't have a towel to dry off with :-)

See simple...everything else you get done in the day is a bonus!  I know what your thinking, 'OH LAWD her house is a mess!'  Well today it is but usually it is not!  I somehow manage to find the time to get a few other things done. 

My point is don't focus on what you can't get done, focus on what you can!! We are our own worse enemies and the only person who is going to get upset the most if nothing gets done is us! 

Now go be great domestic engineers!

Confessions of a Sinner

I'm not perfect, but then again what Christian is?
I have sinned just like everyone else on this Earth!  I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins!  I am blessed by Him and the Father, able to be forgiven for my sins!!  For the select few that might read this...these are a few things that I have to remind myself it is OKAY to mess up sometimes, as long as I come to Him in the most humble way possible and confess my sins!

I struggle with Christianity more than Vanity...sometimes my appearance to others is more important than my appearance to HIM!

My children don't have the mother they deserve...my anger catapults me to place no woman should be and the verbal garbage that spews from my mouth can be horrific.

My husband is left picking up the pieces all to often...he is my strength, he is hard to love, and he is my weakness all in one. 

My home does not reflect the image I want people to perceive...in other words it is more of a mess than a hand reaching out and welcoming people.

My feet are dirty...I have stepped on others to achieve what I thought I deserved and not what HE thought I deserved.

I have a jealous heart...I constantly compare myself to others, and think 'why not me?'

I hold myself less accountable than I do others...I am the 'teapot calling the kettle black' as they say in the south.

My arms are very short at times...I don't reach out to help others as much as I should.

My cardboard confession would do something like this...
"I am stubborn, strong-willed, and bitter"
"by the Grace of God I am FORGIVEN!"

God has called me aside to focus on myself, and how I need to be disciplined to be a better person.  No I don't feel like I'm in time out, I feel like I have been called to enjoy life more and He is sharing his wisdom with me to become more!

Insanity workout day 2...plus free flowers!!

Insanity day 2 ate my lunch, lol!  I have to say that Plyometric Cardio is the hardest day for me.  I only got about 25 to 30 minutes of the workout done last night.  Tonight I have Cardio Power and Resistance and if my memory serves me right it would be that bad.  I'm only on day 3 but already I noticed my double chin is slimming!!  The scale however IS NOT my friend!!!  I'll keep working out and I'm sure I'll see the numbers NOT go down!  I build muscle like crazy but gain weight too, it stinks because it makes me feel like I'm not losing any weight.  Oh well, I'll know the difference in two weeks when it is time to measure myself and weigh in again.  Until then I'm going to try my hardest not to fret and I'll share my results then!

On to better news!!  Last night my brother and his family made a surprise visit!  How awesome is that since I only see him once in a blue moon considering he lives three hours away.  He dissappeared on us and I found him two houses down talking with my neighbor.  He was complimenting her on her garden and she decided that she was going to split off her canna lillies and give both of us some!  WOOHOO!!!!!  Trust me this is a good thing.  I recently found the urge to garden and bring new life to the outdoor spaces of my home.  I feel like I need to go through the trials and tribulations of gardening to get me through some tuff personal stuff from my past.  Anyways, I'm one step closer!  I have accumulated cannas, aloe, and amarylsis.  

You will have to forgive me if any of my spelling is frightful!  For some reason or another I can't get spell check to work on blogger!  Hmm...I'll work on it for a bit. 

Until Tomorrow,
Lisa

Insanity Day 1...and a NEW DINING TABLE!!!!

I finally started Insanity...AGIAN!  I'm really happy with my fit test results but not so much my measurements!  I'm going to keep going though and try and get a more balanced diet in the mix.  I saw results so fast the first time that I'm hoping I see results again, SOON!  On days like this when I feel strong and fearless I get a lot done!  So far it is not even 10 a.m. and I've already cooked breakfast for my boys, made egg salad for my hubby's lunches, got my roast cooking the crock-pot, and got a load of clothes in the washer!  Not bad for waking up around 7 a.m., I still have a list a mile long, but one thing at a time.

Things are a little messy around here so I'm going to swing on over to one of my fav. sites to visit Mrs. Candy and get her messy house rescue!  I don't let my house get that bad but when I fall behind this is the perfect thing to use!  She basically outlines your to-do list for you so we don't have to waste even more time trying to get things done. 

I also got a new-used dining room table yesterday!!!!!  Yes this excites me this much!!!!!  My old one was falling apart, literally the chairs were on their last leg, no seriously!  I have shopped around for months and begged and pleaded with my husband to give the go ahead on a new one!  So when he sold his old truck the other day I was given a green light!  The stars aligned and prayers were joyfully answered as I got the EXACT table I have always wanted!!  It is in perfect condition and I got it for a steal at $350!  When the previous owners had originally bought it they paid $1200!  I will be cooking for all eternity to show my husband how much I appreciate him buying this for me!!  Yes, I'm still that excited by it!  I have spent some real time lately fixing up the house, hanging pictures, and even a new towel ring in the bathroom!  It just goes to show how when you put your whole heart into something God makes sure that you always see how appreciated you really are!  

Blessings,
Lisa

I'm still getting the hang of this...

I've had a lot going on lately and I'm still trying to get the hang of blogging regularly.  I'm here I haven't left anyone.  In fact tomorrow I start my Insanity workout for the second time!  I'm going to be blogging about that for awhile!  I have to put forth the effort and for some reason sharing gives me more endurance to keep going.  I'll try and post progress picks, what I'm eating, and of course keeping with my housewife roots...how I manage to fit this all into my day!  Tomorrow is just the fit test and I will do it as soon as I put my kiddos to bed. 

Weekly Planning ~ An Overview

I've said it before and I'll say it again!  With my analytical brain I have to plan out everything!  So much so that it drives my husband insane, the one thing he hates to hear out of my mouth is "Okay, what's your game plan?"  Sure I could fly by the seat of my pants, be spontaneous, and go with the flow as they say.  However, when I try to do this I usually end up in a heap of a mess pulling my hair out!  I've been this way my whole life, I inherited it from my parents.  So when I decided to be a stay at home mom, things were no different.  I treat this household like it is my full time job, I get a lunch break and a few snack times throughout the day.  I schedule out my chores for the day, the meals we will eat, and the activities we will do.  Do I get it all done in a day, no life always throws in its little surprises that take me away from the things I want and or should be doing.  I am no one to give advice, the only thing I can do is lead by example.  Some people are planners, some people aren't.  Yet, if you aren't a planner and you aren't getting anything done, maybe you should try planning.  Or if you are a planner and your wound so tight you have no time for fun, maybe it is time to let your hair down so to speak.  I ask that everyone take a little time for reflection and see if your life could use a little more planning.

My plan for the week:
Hubby is on overtime nights all week ~ need to have extra nomex.
Both boys have a Dr. appt. Tuesday afternoon ~ have dinner fixed for hubby early
Last day of school is Thursday ~ Oldest son has school in the morning bus arrives at 7:30!!

Not much should take me away from my normal routines.  I'm hoping that we are able to start the summer off with a little fun in the sun before the boys get tubes in their ears!  Maybe we can plan a trip to the beach in the weeks to come!  Remember always plan for fun!