a big game of catch-up

On January 1st, I committed to reading the whole Bible, in 90 days. 
Fortunately I am not alone and there is a whole community of people reading as well so I have some accountability, encouragement and opportunities for discussion.
Anyways, it has been really easy up until this past week.
Last Monday I substituted at a deli I occasionally work at so I was at work from 8 am till 4 pm and didn't have much time to do my reading in the morning so I was behind.
Then the kids seem to get up early each morning last week cutting into my morning reading time and they had opposite afternoon nap schedules so little reading was getting done and I was getting even more behind.  Then I worked again on Saturday and didn't get my reading done that day so yesterday I was at least a whole book behind.  Yesterday afternoon and evening I read to try and catch up and with both kids napping this afternoon I am caught up and have completed day 25.  I am so happy to finally be caught up because I really want to reach my goal and I want to be transformed by reading.  When I am just reading to get caught up I don't study the passages as much, I am just trying to get through it.  Then add that 2 Samuel and 1 Kings seems to have the most confusing characters, for example, Jeroboam, the king of Israel, and at the same time there is Rehoboam, the king of Judah, I kept getting the two of them confused.  Then there was Abner, Abishai, and Asahel who I kept getting confused who was for David and who wasn't.  Then to get even more confusing there was Absalom, Adonijah, and Amnon, too many A's.  Reading through the end of 2 Samuel and the beginning of 1 Kings took forever because I kept getting everyone confused.  It was so hard to keep up with who the good guys were and who was related to who.
So 25 days in and I still hanging in there, I really didn't think I would make it this far.  I am amazed that I have read through 10 books of the Bible and though some parts are a bit tedious, it is very interesting.  I have learned that God is very patient, his people followed Him then other gods then back to Him, they were so wishy-washing, and yet God forgave them and blessed them despite the fact that they would turn away from Hiim again and again.  This has really convicted me about how I turn to materialism just as fast as the Israelites turned to foreign gods. 

give me a break

lately it has just been one thing after another.
last week the kids were all congested, cold or allergies, i don't know, but enough mucus to make life no fun
well yesterday Lance woke up from nap crying and holding his ear, so I called the dr brought him in and confirmed what I suspected, another ear infection
so there goes another $100 for an appt with the dr and medicine- I have bills that need to be paid, and no money is coming in
the best part, since this is the 2nd ear infection in a month in the same ear the dr says that he may have damage to his e tube and every time he gets a cold he might get an ear infection and might need tubes put in, how are we going to afford to do that? 
can I just get a break? just one?
I wish I had a fast forward button so I could fast forward life until it gets better, I am tired of being stressed about how we are going to make it every month and the kids being sick and looking for a job for jeff or I and trying to just get by. 

i'm just so tired of struggling and it is hard because there doesn't seem to be any end in sight.  So the only thing going for us as my mom always says "we have two beautiful children," it is just that my heart breaks that right now we aren't the best for them because we are letting the stress get to us and Jeff is never around because he is working all the time, yet bringing in no money, something has got to give, I just don't know what

we have windows!!!!

our two new front windows came in and they fit and they keep the cold out and they are just HEAVENLY!!
life right now pretty much sucks, so I use every downer moment to stare out my beautiful windows, it is sad, but it is getting me through the day.

It isn't finished, the trim on the outside and as well as inside needs to be scraped and painted, but the window is in and is keeping all the cold out!!!

who would have thought I would be so excited about 2 windows? i hope that things get better so we can purchase more windows and stay warm and cool as needed.

2 down, 5 more that really need to be done to go.

warmth, finally

Today after weeks of bitter cold temperatures, it is warm.  Not like 60's or 70's warm, but in the lower to mid 50's which sure feels warm after days of the high only being 28.  We were being to get stir crazy around here and are so thankful for the sun and warmth.  Tuesday we braved the park despite the cold weather, I was desperate, and we only made it 15 minutes, 20 minutes max, it was a cold 30 degrees.  Yesterday was a bit warmer, 40 something, and we lasted a little over 45 minutes.  Today we will probably make it at least an hour. Hopefully the kiddos can get all their energy out, soak up some vitamin D, and enjoy the warmth and sunshine while we have it.  Though I like snow, I prefer warmer temperatures.

month old snow

In the middle of December, the 18th and 19th to be specific we got snow.
We got the every 10 years big dump of snow, 12.5 inches a record for December around here.
So much snow that there is still snow around which is very rare, most snow only lasts a few days around here, but it has been frigid here and the snow has stuck around.
Since my children broke my camera in November I didn't have my own camera to document the historic snow.  Jeff did, but he uploaded the photos onto the store computer and I haven't had a chance to access the photos and post them.
So a month late, but here is a glimpse of our snow fun.

our house

sitting on the car to demonstrate how much snow there was

sledding

all bundled up and enjoying the snow

not sure what to make of this

I am not sure what to make of this:

 

Does this mean that he spends too much time with me and not daddy?

Or does it mean that I go shopping too much?

Or better yet, is this how he sees me?  Is this a reflection of me by my 3 year old?

He did use the shopping cart as a battery ram and he wasn't totally girly since he also put one of his trains in the cart in addition to the baby.

He was smart though and tried to run from the camera. He may be wise beyond his years and understand that your past can come back to haunt you, he must not want me showing this around to his future wife.

so ready for spring

we need spring or warmer temperatures desperately around here because we are going stir crazy and here's the proof:

 we have been wearing sunglasses in the house

and taken to wearing only 1 slipper

worked on circus tricks

do you think cirque du soleil would consider toddler balancing as an act?

and then there is couch/ ottoman jumping, the kids favorite evening activity

lily is getting better at her jumps, she use to just step down, but as you can see she is learning to let it all go

today it was suppose to snow, but unfortunately at last minute the weather people said nevermind and now we are getting nothing- not even a dusting, grr, they get our hopes up and then we get nothing- so frustrating.  So tomorrow is going to be another cold day when we are stuck inside.

Can't wait for spring.

90 days, can it be done

I ran across Mom's Toolbox and discovered a community of people who are reading the Bible in 90 days.
I have attempted to read through the whole Bible countless times in my life, but have failed, so I thought I would try this.  90 days, seems so short, for such a big book, but then I realized this might actually work.  So it has only be a week, but so far so good.  I have been waking up early so I can started on reading before everyone else gets up and it is so nice to have a few minutes of quiet before the chaos of the day starts.  Also, reading in 90 days is easier then spreading it out over a whole year because I read whole stories instead of a few verses.  So a week in and I am in Exodus, Genesis was extremely interesting, it amazes me how stories I know so well can reveal something new with every reading.  So I have 7 days down, only 83 more to go. 

what happened to global warming?

I would sure like some global warming about now.
I has been so cold all week with highs only around 30 degrees (F).
I think I might like some global warming about now so we could have playtime outside, walks down the avenue, and the ability to go outside without layers and layers of clothes.
It's too darn cold outside.
Okay, done complaining.

how badly do we need a new window?

so much so that the plastic film we put up to keep the cold out has popped, twice!
The windows are old and need replacing.

Fortunately my mom gave me a gift card for Christmas so we could replace a window and with additional money from family we are getting a new front window!
Of course as luck would have it, we have to custom order one and it will two weeks to arrive, but today is the day I am going to order it.
YEAH!!!
The window film usually does a pretty good job insulating from the cold, but it has popped.  I thought at first it was the kids doing, but after putting up the film and noticing the next morning that it had come undone without the kids coming near it that it had to be the wind and not little hands. 
That is how bad out front window is, so much so that it can remove plastic film from adhesive.
I am hoping that the savings on our heating and cooling will allow us to purchase more windows.
1 down, 13 more to go!

is naptime over?

This is the third afternoon in a row Lance is not interested in napping.
BUMMER! 
This won't be a big deal if he would play without me in the same room, but he is my shadow following me around and makes it hard to get stuff done.
The upside is he goes to bed early.
The other downside is, he get very mischievous when he needs a nap, so by 4 or 5pm he is into all kinds of trouble.

I wish it would warm up because not getting outside I think is part of the problem, but I am too chicken to spend anytime outside when it is windy and 28 degrees.
Temps in the 40's I can deal with, in the 50s is great, the 60's and above, wonderful, but anything below 40 is difficult, especially when it is paired with wind of any kind.

The only exception to my outside cold rule is when it is snowing, I love snow, but right now we have cold and no snow.

So now I have to find a way to get stuff done and spend quality time with Lance, especially since that was my new year's resolution.

a couch is so much more than a place to sit

at least in our house it is

it can be many different things:

it can be a launching pad

 or a slide

it can be a place to try out your new skateboard tricks without a board or getting hurt

or part of the construction of a fort,

or a light holder

I never thought that a couch with removable cushions would provide so much entertainment for us

i torture small children

not really.  . .
somehow lily fell into lance's bucket and got stuck and i tortured her by getting a picture before coming to her rescue

she looks so pitiful with breakfast crumbs around her mouth and swollen eyes thanks to round 2 of pink eye
then she got mad and big brother came to her rescue and pulled her out

stuck in a bucket, who would have thought it was possible

new year's

so i looked back at last years' resolutions and I don't think I remember what they were past posting them.
This year's resolutions are the similar
1- be more engaged with the kids especially on the individual level- stop doing and be in the moment when I only have one child, so many times I am trying to do too many things when it is one-on-one instead of spending quality time with them, laundry (same as last year)
2- Jeff and I are going to try and memorize a Bible verse every week, so we should have 52 - learned by this time next year
3- debt free- didn't happen last year, but we are getting closer
4- get outside more often even if it is freezing cold, I hate the cold, but the kids need outside time and more than just running from the house to the car
5- get up before the kids do, i can deal with life if I have some morning time to myself, failed at that one today, maybe tomorrow

hmmm, i thought there was something else, but I can't remember
well i hope 2010 will be a good year, I love a fresh start, new year, new me