Life this early Fall

The Fall has a way of arriving and settling the unsettled things in my life. Today I want to share with you different thoughts on this season which just arrived. 

Schedules 

The kids' new school schedule was very different than before. I dived right in. We all submitted to the learning curve. My husband and I believe that overfilling our schedule is not the way to go. Still, multiple kids require multiple commitments this season. Thank God we found our new normal. Other than the activities we choose, there are activities that choose us. Statewide honor band is one of those activities that chose us last year. It was an honor, a blessing, and an opportunity we took. It required quite a bit of coordination and help from extended family. This year, that particular kid decided to decline that opportunity so she could fully participate in our church's Christmas musical. Last year, we pulled into the parking lot 15 minutes before the very last show. I'm glad we were able to make it. I'm grateful our kid made the brave choice to stick with what will be beneficial this season. 

Life presents us with so many opportunities. We have to choose with wisdom. 

Chores and Hospitality

I arrived at that magic season when kids can fully take on a significant amount of chores. What a joy. Yes, they have been doing chores for the past 10 years. Last summer, after some encouragement from my husband, the kids dedicated time to cleaning. I was amazed at the way our home looked. I shouldn't be surprised because we have been training them all along but I was. Normally, I would be so burdened by all the chores that needed to be done. It turns out, many hands make light work. I became more of a coordinator than a doer. I still help the kids with a few things here and there. For the most part, everyone helps out. I realize that chores benefit us now and it benefits them and their families in the future. I could go on but I will tell you that all the whining I used to do about chores stopped. Why? Partly because of the extra help. I think that all the work on gratitude God allowed me to do a few years ago helped. Structured thinking about chores also helped. Let's say I'm a more pleasant human being in that area than I've ever been. One last thing foreal. I've had people over and I realized that the goal of hospitality was not perfection but for the guest to find a welcoming and peaceful home. If I was going to scrub everything from top to bottom I would have missed the opportunity to be at peace when people came in. 

Menu

This week we ate at home a lot. Last week, for some reason we were busier so we ate out more. I am enjoying creating a weekly menu for our family. I noticed we become better stewards of our groceries and we eat better. This week we decided to have Chinese food night. Everyone enjoyed the food (pre-cooked) and asked for Chinese night again. 

We went to an outdoor concert, and we took our dinner. It was simple but different and hopefully memorable. I took the time to food prep for myself as well. I confess that when I prepare my breakfasts and lunches for the week, I feel better. I enjoy eating at home more than eating out. 

Goals 

I wrote a post about my effort to achieve this year's goal. This is the time of year when we forget about our goals because we are so busy. The thing is, being busy is a true statement. How do you navigate all major and minor holidays in the next 95 days if you are trying to eat a healthier diet? How do you get out of debt if every major and minor retailer is about to have major sales? My strategy is to focus on what I want. I know what I don't want. I do not want to stay the same. I do not want my health to depreciate. I do not want to lose ground on the achievements I've made personally and professionally. When I focus on what I want to see, I work on it one day at a time. I also offer a lot of mercy and grace to myself. There is no need to be rigid about goal achieving. What I can do is to make tomorrow a little better than today. 

Marriage

Zeke and I are celebrating 18 years of marriage in a few months. I couldn't be more in love with my husband yet, every day I do love him more. We will both tell you we are not perfect. We will also tell you that God and His word are our foundation. I'm looking forward to celebrating another year of our family. Before the big day arrives we are planning on dating a whole lot and enjoying each little moment together. My long-time readers noticed I don't write about marriage a whole lot. It is because I feel I am still learning. What we know, we are passing on to our kids. We also talk to friends who find themselves at our kitchen table sharing a meal with us. It is in the absence of digital screens that we find ourselves sharing the beautiful truths we learned by vulnerable practice. 

Social 

I don't show everything I do on social media. People have the impression that the images and videos on the screen represent all I do in a day, week, or moment. Social media is just a glimpse of a well-rehearsed moment. I do want people to see the real me. The wisest ones know you get the real people person.