Updates

OK here we go... I have been BUSY. The post about AUTISM and our very hard day...well that day pretty much lasted all week long. It was a long week. On top of that, my friend's grandpa had a stroke and they moved him to hospice, so I kept their two boys (with our 3) on Friday, Sunday, Monday, Tues. Friday morning and again Monday. 5 boys (one with special needs and the rest under 5) was CRAZY! I really am glad I could help, but it was a lot of work! =]

Now, onto my challenges. NO spending month is ending this weekend and it didn't kill us! I do admit we spent a little. After last week my hubby took us to eat at Chilis for a nice afternoon lunch (which was a nice treat, I wasn't willing to argue with) As the end of the month nears, I am so thrilled at how much we have realized we don't need, and how much we waste. We have saved a REALLY good amount of money this month. Now.....hmmm...what can I go spend it on? HA, JUST kidding.

The Bible reading challenge: I am behind :(. BUT, I am still loving it and still going right along (on my own pace) but I will FINISH! Thats all that matters. I will say, when I tried in the past to read the bible in a year by reading 10 minutes worth a day, I had always given up by now. This time I'm enjoying it so very much and feel so blessed (even if I don't finish the challenge on time). FINISHING is my ultimate goal. So I will let you know in April, June, August WHEN I'm finished.

Totally unrelated to anything really. It is sunny and 55 degrees out right now. Really very nice. This evening - in the 20's, winter stom coming, & 8 inches of snow. They say it will snow all day tomorrow. I am NOT a fan of snow, but I really don't have to go anywhere tomorrow, so we will stay cozied up in the casa and LET IT SNOW!

Family Time

We are big family night people. Every Friday night we have a movie night. We either watch one we already own, grab one at Redbox, or sometimes go buy one. Our boys look forward to it ALL week and part of our homeschooling on Fridays is cooking.. so we all get together in the kitchen and bake cookies or some sort of treat together for the movie. The boys run to the playroom and each grab a beanbag (or the RED Mickey Mouse chair, depending on who's week it is to have it) and they pile on their chairs as hubby and I cozy up on the couch. It is such a fun night. The boys are SO excited they can hardly stand it. Sitting there this past Friday I sat there in amazement of how incredible it felt to be a part of this and as my husband sat beside me, I watched as he looked around the room at those boys and knew he felt the same way too. 

I am a BIG time family person. I love my friends, church, and social functions, but really my heart is pored into our family. I love to be around them, I love spending time with each of them, I love to create a safe and enjoyable home for them to actually WANT to be at.  I really don't like to feel too busy to just spend time with them. Thats my love language I guess: TIME. 

Take a little break and smile

These are just sweet pictures that should make you smile.
Have a blessed evening!

Family Worship

I stumbled across a really neat ministry that has worship music that helps your kids (and you) to memorize scripture. The music is fun and REALLY good. They even have samples from their cds you can listen to and print off sheets of the verses and checklists of what you've memorized. OH, and the coolest part is, when you purchase a cd ($12-$13) they send you and extra full length cd for free so you can give one to your friends!

I am really considering giving some to the boys for Valentine's Day (of course when this no spending month is over) and let them chose a friend to give their extra copy to. What better gift of love than learning the Word of God?!

Check them out: Seeds Family Worship

Yesterday was HARD....but LIFE is amazing

So hard in fact, after the 6 hour episode with Autism, (yesterdays post and yes, it continued after the post) I cried, and cried some more. In fact I stayed up by myself and cried and prayed myself to sleep. I was DREADING maybe waking up to day to the same thing.

I got so much encouragement through my facebook friends it was AMAZING, so no, all the tears weren't sad tears. Most were thankful and relieved tears that even though I feel SO alone at times, I am in fact NOT.

My friend Whitney wrote this verse for me and I am in love with it.

But he said to me "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power rest on me. - 2 Corinth 12:9

His grace IS sufficient for me and His power IS made perfect in my weakness.

My husband (so stinkin sweet) wrote: AU stinks, sorry for the tough day. I know this doesn't change what happened, but that boy adores you tons. You are his saving grace. Tough task no doubt, God doesn't promise to deliver us from but through these times. AU is such a challenge and I HATE it and HATE that is has got a grip on J because it causes problems he doesn't mean to cause. I feel your pain and I'm so sorry. Here's to a victorious Tuesday. You are the beloved princess and daughter of the Most High God. He loves you and cherishes you deeply and through faith, the trying time will decrease and the joy and laughter will increase. I love you my sweet Jeana, but more importantly you daddy loves you, He is God and you just happen to be the apple of His eye. Daddy's girl! Smile on love =]

This is just a glimpse of the 15 or so friends who gave their love, support, prayers, and encouragement. I am SO very thankful!

I want to leave you with some lyrics to a Natasha Bedingfield song called Happy. They WILL make you smile. In fact, you should go listen to it...it will make you dance too!

Got my dreams, got my life, got my love

Got my friends got the sunshine above

Why am I making this hard on myself

When there's so many BEAUTIFUL reasons I have to be HAPPY!

ugly face of autism

Well, get ready to grab some cheese and I'll provide the whine.

I really started the day out optimistic in every way. J-man went off to school really well, and we continued with our morning. Tibby asked if he could watch a movie this afternoon and I said yes. We went to pick J up from the learning center. Came home and had lunch and he started in....

J-"I wanna watch movie"

Me- "yes, after tibby finishes his"

J then runs to the tv and turns tibby's movie off.

Me- "OK, J, no tv for you"

J- "SOOOORRRRYYYY!!!!"

Me- "Thank you J, next time please leave it alone."

J-"Watch movie?"

Me- Maybe tomorrow

J- scream, hit, pull my hair, fall to the ground, jump up, turn tibby's movie off AGAIN. I take him out of the room, and we pray and discuss his behavior.

He seems better.....

Then we repeat the cycle 3 more times, which leaves me and him in tears and exhausted.

AUTISM.

Thank God those ^^^^^ little dudes at the top of the page changed the mood around here. We have been studying winter this month, so this was a fun treat for them.

Mini makeover- using what I have

BECAUSE, of course I'm not spending money right now. This is really no big deal at all, BUT I have to say, it was something that needed to be done. We needed space for all 5 of us to put our coats, scarves, purse, gloves, backpacks, and shoes. We used to use our laundry room as a "drop off" place but there honestly wasn't enough room. So now we have made a few little drop off areas (one in the entryway, and one in a near by closet) to serve the purpose, and I have to say, its working well AND I really needed to clean that closet!

Updates on my 2 challenges

OK, first of all, we are settling in to our new routines and schedules for homeschooling and J-man's therapeutic learning center. It is feeling WONDERFUL and going well. Now today is the start of my husband's new schedule, its really the same schedule, it's just flipping the days now. THEN, hopefully, everything will stay this way for a bit. Now on to the 90 day Bible challenge. A few of you have joined, so feel free to let us know how its going. I am a few days behind and am planning to catch up by Wednesday. I have to say, this is the BEST way for me to read the Bible. I have tried the 10 minutes a day for a year reading plans, and it just doesn't work for me. Sitting down and relaxing in the word for an hour has been such a blessing I can't even describe! It helps me to stay focused and get so much more out of what I'm reading! I love it. Alright, now on to the no spending challenge. We have continued to stay right on track, except 2 little things. We bought some $5.00 pizzas for the big game on Saturday and took them to a friend's house. I also gathered up all the change from my car and went to happy hour at Sonic on Friday after we finished school. So, we've spent about $15 so far this month, other than our regular groceries (which I cut down) and bills. Still saving a lot more money than normal and still feeling good! Hopefully I stay feeling good and the month ends soon haha.

Our no spending month challenge for my family.

Well, last Friday we started a no spending month. I read about a NO Spending Challenge over at Small Notebook (fantastic blog) It was so inspiring and with us very close to being out of debt (besides the house) it was something I was really eager to try. We decided January would be the time. Really, we JUST had Christmas, a month full of spending and new stuff, doing this in January was a wonderful break from spending. Plus we really need to get a hold of where our money is going and how much we carelessly spend on little things, soda runs, and grabbing something to eat. SO, that being said, we have paid our bills and bought some groceries (which I cut the budget on that $200) and nothing else. NOTHING. I will tell you 6 days in, it feels AMAZING! Now, I can't lie. I have wanted to go and grab a coke when the kids asked, and I have also wanted to go grab breakfast with a friend, but instead told her we could in Feb. and we'll just chat this month. OH, and I also thought it would be nice to go to the 50% off all clearance items sale that my friend texted me about on the first day of the month! (a test maybe?) As much fun as all that would've of been, I am realizing how wonderful it is to WANT to go pick something up to eat, but to come to my senses, go home and cook something healthy for my family. Instead of feeling broke, I know what it feels like to feel in control (with God's help) and actually have money while I'm at it! I will continue updates at least weekly, to let you know how everything is going.