31 Days to Clean

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The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... It is a dreary morning, rainy and about 50'.
Last night we had tornado watches and thunder storms.

I am thinking... About my friends who lost their home yesterday in a fire.

About my aching jaw and what the dentist said.

About an email recieved from Einsteins school.

About if I can get on the wii before children wake up.

I am thankful for...A roof over our heads.

Each other.

From the learning rooms...Weaver vol. 5, chapter 7; The Master Storyteller.

We are reading about Corrie Ten Boom right now. What an amazing woman!

Yesterday was the last gym class for the school year.

So glad that Sis really enjoyed it. :)

They gave out "report cards" that showed their progress from the beginning to the end.

Hunny did not do well, :( but that wasn't really a surprise.

From the kitchen...Coffee is done, about ready for my second cup.

Need to figure out somethign for dinner.

It gets so old trying to plan meals...

I am wearing...p.j's and robe.

I am creating...

I am going... To work on the paper piles created from removing my computer from it's spot.

It's amazing how much accumulates around the computer!

Need to sort and try and get that area organized before the computer returns.

I am reading...Almost finished with Glorious Appearing.

Haven't touched Your Defiant Teen lately.

The Wedding Dress with Sis.

Corrie ten Boom, Her life, Her faith by Carol E. Carlson

I am hoping...God provides a better job for Good Ole Boy.

I am hearing...Well, I didn't make it. Bug is up and has put in Fireproof, so I hear that playing.

Sis is starting up the laptop.

Around the house... Of course much needs to be done.

It gets so depressing...

One of my favorite things... A steamy hot shower.

A few plans for the rest of the week: School, work, Sis was invited to a party, Good Ole Boy and I are going to shooting sports training this weekend.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

 http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/



Something I miss

Well, currently I miss *my* computer!

I shut it down the other night when we had a bad storm, and haven't been able to get it started since!

All my pictures and geneaology research.....

hopefully my dad can get it back!

Beyond that, there are a few things I miss.

I miss being a kid.

Not that I want to go through everything again,

but the thought of being carefree,

full of imagination and no worries...

That, I miss.

I miss my dog Cheyenne.

I can't share photos of her today, but will soon.

She was so very special.

You know, that "once in a lifetime" dog.

None can replace her.

Even Hunny, talks about her frequently, and she died over three years ago!

I miss my Grandpa.

We had a special bond between us and I miss him terribly.

I miss my kids being babies.

They have grown so quickly!

I miss snuggling them.

cOUNTRY GIRL

The Simple Woman's Daybook



FOR TODAY

Outside my window... It is cold, rainy and the wind is starting to pick back up. We had quite a storm last night, with snow, hail, rain, thunder & lightening and wind. What happened to Spring?!

I am thinking...We need to move, lol! :)

I am thankful for...Not losing power last night like I thought we would. A roof over our heads. Warm blankets to cover our bed. Loved ones to snuggle with.

From the learning rooms...We are in Weaver Vol. 5, chapter 7: The Master Storyteller.

We are reading about Florence Nightingale right now. It's pretty interesting. I mean, EVERYBODY knows who she was, but I never really knew about what she did, She was a very determined lady!

We watched The Hiding Place the end of last week. Wow. I can't imagine being as strong as Corrie Ten Boom was in all she endured.

Our last Bible lesson was on the salt covenant. We had a pretty good discussion on that. Very thought provoking.

From the kitchen...Coffee is ready. So nice on a dreary morning. :) About ready for my second cup. I'm thinking of some sort of soup for dinner. Something nice and hot to warm our insides.

I am wearing... P.j's, robe and slippers - which now have holes in both toes ... winter needs to go away! :)

I am creating...Well, I know last week I said I'd be shelving my family history....but I haven't. So still working on that and creating a new - updated - copy of what my Aunt has provided me. What she had compiled is old - I was still in high school - old. So there are alot of deaths not recorded and of course marriages and babies...so I am putsing on that in my "spare" time. lol.

I am going...To work on lots of laundry today and hopefully tackle our room. It's amazing how quickly our room deteriorates! But clothes need put away and the floor needs vacummed and nightstands need unburied....lol.

I am reading...Your Defiant Teen

Glorious Appearing

Florence Nightingale

The Wedding Dress with Sis for Lit.

I am hoping...That God opens doors for Good Ole Boy and a decent job.

I am hearing...The wind and the computer.

Around the house...Girls are all asleep, crashed in the living room due to the storm. Critters are all quiet so must be snuggling down with the girls. :)

One of my favorite things...How my husbands voice on the phone makes me feel all warm inside.

A few plans for the rest of the week:School, maybe youth group for Sis, work, track meet and practice, parent teacher conference for Einstein of we can make it, Good Friday Service, Easter celebration.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Will summer ever come?

 http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Fun Shoot

A fun thing the kids can do with 4H is shooting sports. 

The first fun shoot this year was April 9.

Our local County Sportsman's Club hosts the kids and it's a laid back fun day. :) 

A wide variety of activities are offered (according to age). 

BB, Air Pellet, .22, Muzzleloader, Trap, a few forms of Archery...

Line coaches are trained in helping the kids perform to the best of their ability and of course trained in safety.

Good Ole Boy & I will be taking our training here in a few weeks and will be helping in the archery range.

 Hunny sat out this time but she plans on shooting next month! 

Kids did a great job, we have some awesome shooters in our midst! 

Something I regret

As I've been pondering this weeks challenge post, 

I've thought of many things I wish I had done/handled differently, or simply avoided, but as I've thought of each of these they all point to the biggest regret that I have.

I regret pulling away from God.

I look back and wish I had drawn closer to Him throughout my high school and early adult years as that would have changed many of those other regrets. 

In school, I felt it just wasn't "cool" to be a Christian and kept very quiet about that aspect of my life.

We had changed churches and I was upset over leaving my friends, instead of happy in my parents leading.

I refused to even THINK about youth camp - simply because it wasn't the one where *I* wanted to go. 

When my dad was called into ministry, instead of being happy that he was following God's call, *I* didn't want to move away from 'home' and I really didn't want to be lumped into the PK category! 

Entering collage, while I still lived at home I wanted to experience worldly things and didn't think about what God wanted. 

I see how those choices made my life very different from what it could have been.

I'm very grateful that my God loves me and has forgiven me of those stupid decisions. 

I regret that it took me so long to realize what was truly important and I pray that my kids don't look back at their life and have this same regret...

These are a few of my favorite things....

By Me

*My family

*Mexican Food

*SUMMER

*Beaches

*Lighthouses

*Swimming

*Photography

*History 
*Giraffes

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...It's morning. It's sprinkling and about 40'.

 
I am thinking...Of family history. I did alot with geneaology back in high school and collage, but after the kids came....not much. 

This week ancestry.com has had free civil war record access and I admit I've become slightly obsessive in searching. 

I have gotten a few more generations back on my dads side though so that has been great! 

This morning I found record of Gen. Robert E. Lee having been to the home of  a William ----, but there are SO many Williams I don't know if that is my branch or not. :) 

So much to think and decipher there. 

Probably about time to shelve that again for awhile...

I am thankful for...Finally finding a pair of tennis shoes to fit my super wide feet! 

Wow that was a rough search this year....

From the learning rooms...We are in Weaver vol. 5, Chapter 7, The Master Storyteller. 

This chapter we are learning about great people of the faith. 

We discussed Joni a bit as we had read her story not long ago. 

We read some about John Wesley. 

We watched China Cry (wow). 

Today we will start a book on Florence Nightingale and will watch The Hiding Place today or tomorrow. 

Lots of discussion about persecution over Christian beliefs. 

Yesterday we took a day off regular studies and went to a museum that had a dinosaur exhibit. (pictures of that later) 

From the kitchen...Heating yesterdays coffee. 

Happy that all of the kitchen counter has been tackled! 

It's all clean and hot spot fires have been doused. Whoop! :) 

Now to keep it that way..... Still have some walls and ceiling areas to clean though. 

Thinking of dinner...not sure yet.

I am wearing...P.j's, robe & slippers. Shower is next on the agenda. 

I am creating...Still working on the tons of laundry created. 

Still working in Hunny's room. 

Down to a row of boxes along one wall so sure I will create MORE laundry, garbage and donations from there.

 
I am going...To be thinking of the garden soon.

I am reading...Your Defiant Teen - ummmm.... yeah....

Glorious Appearing 

Florence Nightingale by David R. Collins

I am hoping...Things will work out on Bug's new softball team. 

She is upset that she was made to change teams and is now with a girl she has had problems with in the past. 

Tuesday was that teams first practice and that girl started in immediately. :( 

She was sobbing afterwords and doesn't even want to play anymore. She loves ball so I hope that the coach can work things out for a tolerable year.

 
I am hearing...The whirr of the computer.

Around the house...Girls are still sleeping after our busy and long day yesterday. 

The house is in decent shape although the kitchen table has collected things, AGAIN! 

Laundry is the big thing for today.

One of my favorite things...Seafood burrito (minus mushrooms) from La Senoritas. 

Mmmmm that sounds good! lol.

It's been a LONG time since I've had one of those.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Work, school, Fireproof group, Bug has softball practice, Sis has track practice, Church, 4H.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

 Bug's fair wether

 http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Something I am looking forward to...

Summer!

Warmth.

The SUN!

Sprinklers.

Beach.

Cookouts.

Sweet tea.

Relaxing in the shade of the lilac tree.

Digging in the garden - smelling the earth.

Swimming.

Picnics.

Ice cream.

Watching the clouds.

Sunbathing.
Ahhhh! I LOVE Summer! 

The Master Bedroom

I don't have "after" pictures of this room because it's never been finished. 

It was another room that was decent and our goal was to do bare minimum there until the rest of the house was done. :)

Here's what it originally looked like.

It's a decent sized room and has three windows. 

It's right off the living room and the window there behind the door is on the front porch.

The walls were in excellent shape and the windows were good.

I scrubbed walls and ceiling (they must have been heavy smokers because the orange streaks were very thick on ceiling and walls! ALOT of scrubbing!), pitched the broken blinds and ripped out the yucky carpet.

 Under the carpet was this nasty tile, that is tarred down so there is no removing it.

Now, the wall (and a small section of the ceiling) there between Good Ole Boy and the window has been removed for heat ducts to run upstairs to Sis's room. So there are repairs needed for that.

 

Here's Good Ole Boy and Hunny preparing to lay some "new" carpet.

This carpet is a dark hunter green, which goes good with the walls being a burgandyish color.

We've decided when we get to work here again, we want a similar wall color and will decorate in a rustic cabin style. 

In the meantime, it's a functional room for us that was very easy to get ready for moving in.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... The sun is shining. It's about 45' and very wet from the storm we had Sunday night.

I am thinking...I'm utterly exhausted. Physically, emotionally and mentally whipped. I hurt.
I really just want to crawl into bed and snuggle with Good Ole Boy and a movie - preferably a comedy.

(Today I had my second CT Scan. It was really rough. Four pokes. Three IV's. Four nurses attempting to get it going. Saline and Iodine spewed all over my new shirt and through my hair. HUGE bruises all over my arms. Not a pleasant experience)

I am thankful for... My family.

From the learning rooms...We are coming back from break (but haven't gotten started yet).
We will be starting Weaver vol. 5, chapter 7 - The Master Storyteller.

  From the kitchen... I'm working on dinner, bacon, eggs & toast. 

I am wearing... A pink camo International Harvester ball cap and black long sleeve t-shirt hoodie (both gifts from Good Ole Boy), pj pants and socks.

I am creating... Lots of laundry by going through all those boxes that have been in Hunny's room! lol.

I am going...

I am reading... Your Defiant Teen - still working on step 1.

Glorious Appearing by Tim LaHaye

The Chimney Sweep's Ransom by Dave & Neta Jackson will be started tomorrow for school.

Six Hours One Friday with Sis for lit.

I am hoping... God provides a better job for Good Ole Boy.

I am hearing...Bug's new baby goat crying. 

Around the house... Otherwise quiet. Been working in Hunny's room and have most of it emptied out. Yay! lol. Our donate pile has grown considerably as has our garbage pile.
Anxious to get that complete so we can rip out her walls.
I also have scrubbed the shelves on the right side of the kitchen sink and cleaned about half of that counter.

One of my favorite things... Laughing with my family.

A few plans for the rest of the week: School, maybe youth group for Sis?, work, maybe softball for Bug? (have to double check on that since the school they practice at is on Spring Break), Fireproof group, track practice for Sis, 4H fun shoot, church.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

So loving the birds...

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

A pirates life for me.... part 2

Preparing for the History and International Fair...

Hunny and Good Ole Boy make a pirate ship!

This was supposed to have been done earlier when we studied ships....

but someone (SIS) threw away the oj containers 

(and I didn't catch them before they went into the burning barrel)...lol. 

We usually don't buy boxes of juice so had to wait for a chance to repurchase.

They had a great time making this and she loves playing with the ship!

Here they are working on the display board... 

Now Hunny is insistent that she dress up like a Mermaid....

Including red hair like Ariel! 

~Applying kool-aid to hair~

Put vaseline around hairline and ears to prevent them from turning color.

Use non-sweetened koolaid and make a paste.

We used 1 pack pink lemonade & 1 pack strawberry but since I added a bit too much water I also had to add a pack of cherry (just using what was on hand).

Cover with plastic and let sit.

The directions said overnight, but I wasn't thrilled with the idea of her SLEEPING with a bag on her head! So we just left it on all day (from about 9ish to almost 4). 

Fresh from the shower, she DOES look like Ariel! 

We get in on the fun too!

Here they are all set up and in costume.

This was a great night of sharing all the kids had learned and sampling fare from all the displays. 

My Dreamhouse

While my dreamhouse pictures have changed throughout the years, many aspects remain the same.

My first memory of my dreamhome would be a Southern Plantation...

A large, spacious, beautiful and historic home.

(hidden passageways a plus) 

Maybe a curving stairway...

Beautiful lawns, trees, fields actually growing things and critters. 

Of course a creek, pond or some form of water would be available with trees and rope swings. 

The second memory of my dreamhome was that of a large country cabin.

Large, spacious, beautiful, and rustic.

High ceilings, big windows.

A beautiful lawn bordered by 
woods, fields and a creek.

Critters and a large garden. 

Places to run and relax. Fish and hunt.

The other home I remember dreaming of is an old farmhouse.

A large, spacious country home with a wrap around porch complete with white wicker furniture so I can sit and sip sweet tea while watching the kids play.

A spacious yard for them to run in. 

A large garden to provide most of our vegetables. 

Critters and chickens to provide our 
meat, eggs and dairy.

Fruit trees and woods for hunting.

A pond or creek for fishing, wading and frogging.

A long dirt drive...

So as I sit and think about today's post, I can say the style of HOUSE doesn't really matter, it's what the house represents that does. 

In each of my examples, 

I see a glimpse of days gone by. 

A step back in time.

And I see the similarities between each.

A large home - room for our family and guests. 

Space for each of us to spread our wings. 

A large yard - room for us to run and play.

I see family time. 

I see the desire to farm. 

To grow and produce what our family needs.

To step back from the dependence of modern society and become more self sufficient.

To PROVIDE for our family.

I see nature.

Scenes of God's creation all around.

I see privacy.

A place where the world in not encroaching upon us.

A place where we can get away from the bustle of modern life.

These are a few of my favorite things....

By Good Ole Boy

*Family

*Reese's PB Cups

*Hunting

*Sleep

*Movies

*Spring

*Black Pearle (his dog)

*Cold beer (occasionally!)

*Home