Year in review 2015

So another year has come and gone.  Time just keeps speeding up faster and faster as I get older.  I'm not sure how that works but so it does.

A few highlights from the year in no particular order.

Trips galore this past year!

Larry and I went to Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Colorado, San Diego, several trips to Austin & a cruise to the Western Caribbean!  Larry went to Virginia with one son  and and Zion National Park with the other son!

We moved apartments (again!)  Downsized a bit more but got a larger living room--became true empty nesters!

Youngest son joined the Marines!

I've been working on memorizing the book of Phillipians.  I'm midway through chapter 2 now.

We got electric bicycles that are so much fun! Larry also got a new (to us) truck! Finally!

Lots of 

book reading 

game playing

geocaching

hula hooping 

walking

bike riding

domino playing

Bible memorizing

laughing

Enjoying our grown kids

Life is good.  It's been a good year for us and we thank the Lord for all His many blessings.  

Praying you all have a wonderful 2016!

Give Thanks

Thanksgiving comes every year and every year people are posting 30 days of Thankfulness.  It's good to reflect on thankfullness this time of year. It's just  too easy to slip into a rut and forget to be truly thankful.

I'm not talking about a thankfulness of "I'm glad I'm not like that poor soul over there." or a thankfulness like "I'm glad for these material possessions that most people in the world don't have." but a true attitude of gratitude.

Psalm 100:4 says "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

Philippians 1:3 " I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."

Colossians 3:15 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."

Ephesians 5: 19-21 "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God."

All these verses speak of being thankful.  I see no mention of stuff.  Just a heart that is thankful. They all have to do with our relationships to people and our relationship with the Lord.

God put us here on the earth with people - annoying as they can be sometimes.  But we are to speak to and encourage one another.  Be thankful for each other.

God warns us what ungratefulness can do to us.

 Romans 1:20-21 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

This verse is speaking to the one who doesn't believe in God--they not only did not glorify Him but they weren't thankful -- and their hearts were darkened.

This Thanksgiving and this season...focus on Giving Thanks!  For He has given us so much for which to be thankful!

Moving our kids toward being an Adult!

There seems to be an epidemic going on in America today.  Maybe worldwide.  I've seen it time and time again.

Parents not encouraging their kids to grow up.
Parents today are coddling their kids more and more and for longer periods of time.  They aren't expecting anything out of them.  They let them freeload for far too long.
How is this doing a dis-service to our kids?

Well, they won't learn life lessons for one thing.

Teen:  mom I need a ride to so-and-so's house
Parent:  well, I'd love to help you but I've got plans tonight.

So how will poor teenager make it to their friend's house with out the help of the mommy or daddy?

Well, here's an idea... He/she can figure it out!

There's multiple options available to get there if they wanted to, but by the parents taking the responsibility to come up with the plan and implement it-then the kids lose out on a valuable skill!

But how will the poor baby get to work without my help...  well, not my problem!

Kids nowadays need to learn to solve these problems on their own.  Yes, I will help you sometimes, but the kids shouldn't  be entitled to my help just because they live at my house!

In parenting, the goal is to raise kids that are INDEPENDENT!  How are they learning that independence if I'm solving all their problems, washing all their clothes, buying all their food, paying all their bills, cleaning up all their messes??

What kind of lessons am I teaching them by coddling them so much?

Well, I'm teaching them that I don't trust them to make any decisions.

I'm teaching them I don't love them enough to give them room to grow.

I'm teaching them that my role will always be the parent and never change to a peer-to-peer relationship.

But if I  don't make all the decisions for them they will make mistakes!

Yes they will!  And that's where grace in parenting comes in.  We don't hold mistakes over our kid's heads.  We encourage, love, guide and direct them with a loving parenting heart.

Let's help our boys become men and our girls become women who can be responsible human beings!

It starts early on.  From the moment they are born there is a constant letting go.  Please don't stunt your kids' natural growth by keeping them "babies" too long.  Let them do their own laundry, go buy the groceries, help around the house, get where they need to go with money they've earned their selves!

You will be happier and they will be too!

Seasons

Follow my blog with Bloglovin


In life there are seasons.  Just as the leaves change and the weather changes, life also ebbs and flows. I remember the days of little munchkins..biting, fighting, constant maintenance.  I thought those days would never end.  It was completely exhausting and somedays I didn't know how I survived!

Those days have passed now.  I'm in a new season.  It's quieter now.  Things are much slower.  I only do the laundry and the dishes about once a week.

But there's perks too.  Last night, my grown son came home and took me to dinner and a movie.  He's the perfect gentleman.  He opened the door for me and delighted me with his conversation.  It was a wonderful evening.

I would never have pictured these days back then.  But they are wonderful!  I'm really enjoying my grown up kids.

Hang in there, moms and dads.  Soon the blistering heat of summer will be over and the coolness of fall will begin.  It happens so quickly too.

Rant

Rant time...

Kids now a days are being tested on every level.  Are they smart enough for preschool?  Have they sat up at 4 months?  Do they read at grade level?  Have they completed AB & C by the time they are 3 years old?

Oh they haven't??  Well, then I'm sorry but your child has failed.  And in return you, the parent, are deemed a failure too.

When did it get this way??  Why so much pressure on our kids to be this or that?  Why do all 4 year olds have to fit in exactly the same box?

Well--let me tell you--the one thing I learned through homeschooling my kids for 15 years is that

KIDS DO NOT ALL ACHIEVE THE SAME GOALS AT THE SAME TIME!

ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT!

KIDS LEARN DIFFERENTLY! KIDS HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES!

Mommas know their kids.  We are around them so much more than anyone else.  The persons or institution administering the "test"  only sees them for a few minutes.  How can they define a person by just those few minutes?

Why do all 5 year olds need to read at a certain level?  Do all 40 year olds read at the same level?

Kids will excel in some areas and not be that great in other areas.  Aren't we all like that?  Don't we all have our strengths and weaknesses?  Can't we ALL grow in different areas?

Please, parents,  I caution you against measuring yourself and your kids against all these parameters that SOMEONE HAS JUST MADE UP!  Who decided what a 6 year old should be reading like?  Who made up all these "standards"?

We know our kids!  Let's not compare and pressure.  Let's be good mommas and daddies.  Let's love our kids regardless of how well they can jump through someone else's hoops.  Let's love our kids for the joys that they are!  Let's love our kids for who God has made them to be!  

Be encouraged!!  You are doing a great job parents!!  You're kids are doing good too!  

--rant over.......for now.

Summer Goings On

So summer is over..fall is just around the corner, which is hard to believe since it's in the 90s still!

So what have we done all summer? Here's some of what we've be up to .. in no particular order....

Took a weekend vacation to Phoenix on a whim!  So much fun with my hubby!

Went to Denver and Pittsburgh (on 2 separate trips)  to see some life long friends.

Larry got to take some one on one time with each son.  One in Utah, exploring Zion National Park and the surrounding lands of amazingness!  And the other in Virginia, where he got to spend a weekend with our son who took some leave time off base!

On the not-so-fun-note but extremely-interesting note, I got to serve on a jury for a week.  Very interesting how our justice system works.  I'm not saying I agree, but very interesting.  Learned alot about the world that I really didn't care to know.  Maybe another blog post later...

Larry and I got electric bikes that we are loving (when it's not too hot outside!)

I'm getting back to eating a high fat, low carb diet and working really hard on meeting my step goal each day! Losing weight and getting back in shape!

Finished memorized Philippians 1.  Working on Chapter 2. It's quite the brain building feat..but it's good not only for mind but for my soul.

Larry and I are enjoying our little empty nest and our new and growing relationship with our grown kids.

We got to take a wonderful trip to San Diego to attend our son's graduation from Marine Bootcamp!  So happy for him!

We are about to take a cruise out of Puerto Rico!  So excited to spend time with friends and enjoy some relaxation in the sun!

I guess you can say it's like this:  traveling, enjoying, visiting,  memorizing, cruising, growing, walking, graduating, loving!

Living a Surreal life

Definition---Surreal:  Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic

My youngest son turned 19 today.  Nineteen!!  My YOUNGEST!  How this is possible I'll never know.  Surreal is a great definition to describe it. In some ways it seems like just yesterday I was chasing them all around, picking up all their messes, changing endless amounts of diapers; but in other ways those days seem so long ago I can barely remember it!

Someone once described the baby stage as the "Longest days, and the shortest years".

That about covers it.

I'm super excited about the paths my kids are choosing.  It seems like they are right on target.  They are in the fields for which they are made.

Larry and I are thoroughly enjoying our little empty nest.  It's really quiet at times.  But we are getting to know each other again.  Learning to enjoy the quiet.  The grand kids stage will be coming soon enough and I look forward to that.

While I may be further ahead on the parenting journey than some, and way behind of others, I would love to share my ups and downs with whomever would like to hear.

If you need encouragement for THOSE days, I can help.  If you need a ear to hear and just let off steam, I can do that.  If you need some advice for some problem that you are facing, I can do my best.

That's what we are supposed to do.  Sharpen each other.  Keep each other accountable.  Spur each other on to love and good deeds.

I know I need it... ALOT.