Project 365...... Let me explain....
My love language is "quality time" - which you have to read the book (Five Love Languages) to really understand what this means. On the surface you'd think I want to be social. No. What really resonates with me is that people with this "love language" feels "the love" when we can revisit fun times. Looking through pictures really takes me back to the moments, the sights, the sounds, smells. I just love "experiencing" things. I don't necessarily need lots of people (in fact, I prefer more intimate settings) I just love "living out loud", if you will.
Back to this Project 365. It did not take me long, into a dreary January, coming off a holiday season, to realize I was taking pictures....just to take pictures. Nothing really exciting going on, heck really nothing going on at all - let alone exciting. Well that can bring a girl down REAL fast. I found myself getting pretty bummed out in my life in general at how "drab" my life was. What in the world was I going to take a picture of, to "capture" my day. It was stressful to me. Thus, I identified this right away and stopped the silly plan. It became all to evident to me how depressing my life was, and did I really want to document this every single day????? Not a good mix. (love language = quality time = recipe for disaster to document ordinary days)
I'm ok with that.
It's February 26, and you know, we've not done much of anything yet. Glad I haven't captured THAT reality each..and..every..day... I am, however, enjoying others' entries.
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However, there is potential in the horizon. Spring break is just a few weeks away and the boys and I will travel once again to AZ to visit my mom, who snowbirds there every winter. There are always fun memories from these weeks. AND, this week I've booked our hotels in Yellowstone for our summer vacation. The rest of the planning can wait awhile, but we do have our hotels booked. THAT is sooooo exciting. See love language note above. I just LOVE the planning. I'm holding back on ordering every book I can on Crazy Horse Monument, Mt. Rushmore Memorial, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons..........so much to plan :) So my days turned yellow this week :)
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We had a tenant move out without notice early this month. They did NOT leave the home in very good shape, so we've been busy cleaning/painting, and advertising for new renters. God has blessed us with some new renters (and at a higher rental rate). He is always so good to us! ALWAYS!
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Skyper is getting more and more social. We think he shed this week. Not sure. He was pretty white one night, and better color in the morning. I guess they ingest (eat) their skin once it is shed - ewwww. He's a cute bugger. Steffen is doing a great job taking care of him. I'm very proud at how responsible he is towards him, and how excited he STILL is if Skyper. Fun. I'm getting more and more emotionally ready to bring in a puppy. Dan says we'll wait till the fall, when the boys are both in school and I can devote concentrated time on training. (odd, I don't remember "training" Samantha - she just did it on her own)
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Ryan is doing very well in his pre-school. I feel confident that holding him back was indeed the right choice. I'm, however, so done with all the running back and forth.....but he and I are having some precious times together (not enough, however).
***
I stand corrected. We DID take a trip in Mid Feb back to Elgin, IL to celebrate Dan's Dad's 89th birthday. Both Steffen and Dan were at the tail end of a nasty virus we had in our home, so it was pretty anticlimactic. I don't think we left the house all weekend. It was good to see dad and the rest of the family. It's a ton of $ for a few days, however. The boys got to go up in the cock pit of our 777, and sit in the pilots seat - very fun.
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One of the things I really feel God pressing on my heart for this year is the sense of "turning my heart towards home". Really scaling down outside commitments and concentrate on my primary relationships and ministry - the boys, my husband and my home. Our home is in need of some purging (too much stuff) and organizing. It's hard for me, I so want to jump up to serve elsewhere, and yet I'm reminded time and time again - no - keep close to home. It will be interesting to see how the year progresses. Once Dan is finished with this rental, I'd like for us to do a Bible STudy together, which means getting up at 5:30 am. (eek) Which will mean being in bed before 10pm. I want more lap time with Ryan (reading, talking). As the weather turns nice, time to get the bicycles out again for both boys and I. We've got WAAAAAAAY too much computer time, wii time, and tv time going on in their lives. (all of us)
***
enough said.
Until next time - live out loud and praise God for His goodness!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
P365 - Day(s) 1, 2, 3
So far so good. Three down and 362 more to go. My intention is to do a page layout per week, but thought I'd at least post my pictures here....just in case it's all I get to.... :)
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Jan 01
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As much as I hate this part, all the Christmas decorations came down, re-sorted, organized, and put away for another 11 months, it's nice to get the house back in order. By this point I am so sick of the color red! But, we did manage a few great deals on some NEW ornaments at Dillard's - can't beat 75% off! It felt good to get OUT OF THE HOUSE and enjoyed a nice dinner at Olive Garden. Thanks to our investment broker!
***
Jan 03
Skyper. Our newest member of the family. Steffen got him for his 8th birthday, December 19. We've been very patient in letting him get acclimated to his new digs, and today we let him climb up on Steffen's hand to get used to him a bit more. We're anxious to have him play with us. As much as Leopard Geckos' actually play. He is a cutie, shhhhh, don't tell anyone I said that.
Our life in 2010.
One of our pastors preached today a bit on New Years Resolutions (kind of, sort of) and I must admit, by the show of hands, very few people make resolutions each year. I find that odd. But I guess I talked about that last year this time of year.
Sure, I "resolve" to lose that extra weight that has crept up on me, I'd also like to be more diligent in my personal prayer life....yada yada yada. I'm not talking about those kinds of resolutions. More like what Pastor Bryan was talking about today. What do I want changed in my life in the coming year? First and foremost, when contemplating my resolutions, I do spend lots of time talking to God about it first. What does HE want to work in my life in the coming year. That's pretty darned vulnerable.
For me, this past fall a few circumstances came our way that made it obvious what I think the Lord is up to in my life in the coming year. We're bringing Ryan back "home" from kindergarten, to "start again" next fall. All the process that made that decision come about was a bit "inconvenient" to me and my plans. But, as with many times my experience with our Lord, He gently reassures me that my timing is seldom His timing, and His timing always has something GREAT on the other side if I just trust Him with it. So, we put Kindergarten off for another 9 months and that's OK. However, that DOES mean a few tweaks to my schedule and understanding that my baby boy needs his momma just a little longer. And THAT my friend is what my Mission Field is, and may I never lost sight of that. Even when I need a little nudge now and again.
So, my "word" or "motto" for 2010, is "My Mission Field". Being a significant role model, nurturer, instructor for my children just a little bit longer.... and we're all good.
"My Mission Field" will be, by the way, the title I put on my P365 book at the end of the year, as it seems that is what the Lord has for my year, so may I look back on these days and be able to hear "well done my faithful servant".
2009. How'd we do with that year??? I'll save it for another post.
***
Jan 01
Jan 01 was a very lazy day for the Phelps'. I did my tradition of putting together a few puzzles. Dan and I didn't get out of our jammies until...... lets just say real late in the afternoon.
***
Jan 02
As much as I hate this part, all the Christmas decorations came down, re-sorted, organized, and put away for another 11 months, it's nice to get the house back in order. By this point I am so sick of the color red! But, we did manage a few great deals on some NEW ornaments at Dillard's - can't beat 75% off! It felt good to get OUT OF THE HOUSE and enjoyed a nice dinner at Olive Garden. Thanks to our investment broker!
***
Jan 03
Skyper. Our newest member of the family. Steffen got him for his 8th birthday, December 19. We've been very patient in letting him get acclimated to his new digs, and today we let him climb up on Steffen's hand to get used to him a bit more. We're anxious to have him play with us. As much as Leopard Geckos' actually play. He is a cutie, shhhhh, don't tell anyone I said that.
Our life in 2010.
One of our pastors preached today a bit on New Years Resolutions (kind of, sort of) and I must admit, by the show of hands, very few people make resolutions each year. I find that odd. But I guess I talked about that last year this time of year.
Sure, I "resolve" to lose that extra weight that has crept up on me, I'd also like to be more diligent in my personal prayer life....yada yada yada. I'm not talking about those kinds of resolutions. More like what Pastor Bryan was talking about today. What do I want changed in my life in the coming year? First and foremost, when contemplating my resolutions, I do spend lots of time talking to God about it first. What does HE want to work in my life in the coming year. That's pretty darned vulnerable.
For me, this past fall a few circumstances came our way that made it obvious what I think the Lord is up to in my life in the coming year. We're bringing Ryan back "home" from kindergarten, to "start again" next fall. All the process that made that decision come about was a bit "inconvenient" to me and my plans. But, as with many times my experience with our Lord, He gently reassures me that my timing is seldom His timing, and His timing always has something GREAT on the other side if I just trust Him with it. So, we put Kindergarten off for another 9 months and that's OK. However, that DOES mean a few tweaks to my schedule and understanding that my baby boy needs his momma just a little longer. And THAT my friend is what my Mission Field is, and may I never lost sight of that. Even when I need a little nudge now and again.
So, my "word" or "motto" for 2010, is "My Mission Field". Being a significant role model, nurturer, instructor for my children just a little bit longer.... and we're all good.
"My Mission Field" will be, by the way, the title I put on my P365 book at the end of the year, as it seems that is what the Lord has for my year, so may I look back on these days and be able to hear "well done my faithful servant".
2009. How'd we do with that year??? I'll save it for another post.
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