Missing in Action

Hi. I’ve been lazy this week.
Ronnie is on vacation, and we’ve been home for most of it. We didn’t go anywhere special, we just hung out. It’s been good medicine.

Yesterday was our 10 year anniversary.
Ronnie made reservations (!!!) at Jasper’s!
I kept saying, “I don’t care where we go. But there better be steak!”

Oh. My. Goodness.

The steak was phenomenal.

We walked around Market Street and just had a good time.

Note to the reader: You can’t go to Jasper’s without a reservation! Did he do good or what?!

I am so thankful for the 10 years God has given us. Not once have we thought about the “D” word. I’ve only thought about killing him once or twice, but he’s probably been ready to kill me a dozen. (No, not really. Ronnie loves me beyond all I can imagine. He is amazing.)
We plan on celebrating 10 more years at least 10 more times! I am excited to know he loves me more today than the day God brought us together, but so happy to remember that God did bring us together. What a wonderful God!

The lost tooth

Congratulations to Elijah for losing his first upper front tooth.

It is his 3rd tooth total, but I just love when they lose these top teeth. They look so cute with one (or two) missing teeth. The new tooth is already visible!

The Three R’s::Recycle

So, we had two bins. One for plastics. One for paper.

Yesterday (after a month) Ronnie and the kids took them to the local recycling bins. We actually have to drive to them. Our neighborhood does not offer recycling services. Tisk. Tisk.

So, now our bins are empty again. Hopefully we can make a habit of taking the recycling when we go to the grocery store. The paper bin is on the way, and the plastic bin is actually in the grocery store parking lot! I need to post a note at the door::TAKE THE RECYCLING.

I sold some diapers!

I am so excited to have sold two sets of diapers on ebay! I have two more sets and a single diaper for sell currently. One of them has a $.99 bid on it. Hopefully as it gets closer to closing someone else will bid on them!
Anyway, I’m very excited to be selling my hand made cloth diapers now! I’m officially a seller!

Melody’s Five!!!

My adorable little girl is five years old today.
We celebrated last night with my parents. She had a strawberry cake with pink cream cheese frosting! She loved it.

Presents included “Dumbo” from us (she asked for it a while back), and a Little People SUV from Nanna and PawPaw. She was up early playing with the SUV, and is watching Dumbo right now. So cute.

Monday Poetry

The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The Three R’s::Reuse

So. We’ve already talked about reducing. Perhaps I could have covered a bit more, but we’ve had a couple rounds of strep throat this week and a baby with a mild skin infection. Nothing that hasn’t been remedied!

So. We come to REUSE. Did you pay attention last week to those things you didn’t want to get rid of in the house? Did you put them in the garage? Are you holding on to them for another day?

Find something to reuse or repurpose them for.

Your neighbor down the street may need that baby exersaucer for her new baby. She may be so kind to give it back to you for the one you have on the way if you ask her kindly!
That side table that you’ve been meaning to take to goodwill might make an attractive bedside table in the guest bedroom, or could go to college with your son in the fall!

Think outside the box this week. Let me know what you come up with!

Reducing the mountain!

So, as a large family, we have mountains of stuff.
I believe my mustard seed faith is large enough to move those mountains, at least until I start the long haul of moving them stone by stone.

So, to remedy my aching back, we have begun to reduce the mountain. Part of those three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

So, what are we talking about really? What can become a mountain in this home?
Toys
Clothes
Abandoned socks
Bathing supplies (i.e.:empty bubble bath bottles, empty shampoo bottles, etc.)
Stuffed animals from loving family members (sorry folks!)
Dishes
Sports equipment. Namely bikes. In the garage. Where my van should be.

Anyway. We, like many families have places where we could cut down. The skill comes in knowing whether to discard it, give it away, or store it.
Some toys can be stored for the next child in line, as long as it is in good condition.
The same goes for clothes. We are learning to buy neutral clothes for the oldest two, then passing them on down. For example, blue jeans and t-shirts are pretty universal. And the way my daughter is shaped, boys jeans fit her better anyhow!
Abandoned socks and too many dishes don’t stand a chance in my house. If an abandoned sock hangs around too long (for a couple of weeks) it finds a new home in a landfill. Unused dishes get a longer stay, because I do use that punch bowl. Even if it is only once a year for a baby shower!
Old stuffed animals can be a hard bargain when a child is in love with them. We try not to allow our children to become too attached to things. Each child, however, has a favorite stuffed animal. Those are sacred, and will never be disposed of so long as I have my say! Oliver, Tiger, Bunny, Puppy, and whatever Sofia chooses, will be around until they decide to toss them.
As for the sports equipment, well. I’m not winning that battle. They do, after all, need their exercise. So, when the weather (winter) isn’t so fair, the bikes go up. Meaning, they take a hook on the ceiling of the garage. Anything else gets pulled to the center of the garage, and it becomes the winter playground.

Please feel free to throw in your ideas on reducing.

Cute photos of Sofia

The Three R’s::Reduce

This week, we’ll be focussing on Reducing our stuff.
Lord knows we can reduce. Reduce our waist-line. Reduce our consumption. Reduce our output. Reduce. Reduce. Reduce.
Make a list of rooms in your house:
Kitchen
Living Room
Den
Dining
Office
Half Bath
Closets
Master Bedroom and Bathroom
Kids Bedrooms and Bathroom
Guest Bedroom and Bathroom
Laundry Room
etc…

We will start with the Kitchen, because it is the center of the house. It’s where we spend a lot of time visiting and playing, schooling and disciplining. Why shouldn’t it be first?

So, if you are joining me, start with the cupboards. Is there any cup, plate, dish, container that should be thrown out, recycled, or repurposed? I’m already thinking of some plastic tubs I saved. I only meant to keep a couple, but it has turned into a tub over load in my bottom right cabinet.
Turn your attention to the pantry. What is expired? What is never going to be eaten? Do you have a neighbor that would eat it, or a food pantry to donate it to? Is it too far gone? Through it out.
The refrigerator. How long has it been since it got a thorough cleaning. Freezer side too! Are those mixed vegetables freezer burnt? Throw them out! How long has that meatloaf been there? Ewww! Toss it!
Clean off the top of the fridge. Wipe down the cabinets. Clear the table. Sweep the floor. Take out the trash.

It’s done! You’ve done it. Cross kitchen off the list!