Reflect, reuse, replenish

Have you ever read the blog Money Saving Mom? It's one of my daily reads.  She's a Christian, a mom, a home school teacher to her kids, and much more.  Anyway, I bring it up because she suggests making goals for the coming year, and for the first time in my life, I made a list of things I want to accomplish and I wrote it down! I even showed them to Darrell.

The things I came up with are not hard.  They aren't easy either.  They are things that will make life better, relationships closer, and time management simple.

The targets I aim to hit this year revolve around the people I care for on a daily basis, my husband and kids.  Here are a few of my purposes of actions for 2012. ;)

1.) A solid bedtime routine--stories and prayer time with all 3 kids together before sleep.  We even started a prayer book where I ask what/who the kids want to pray for and we write it down.  I figure we can look back on that book in later years and have a few laughs or tears about the prayer requests written in it.  We started this routine 3 days ago and the kids have already caught on, choosing books, getting the prayer book out, and holding hands during prayer.  So cute.

2.) Create a more structured daily routine.  I want to start teaching the kids more.  I think having an actual time of day for each subject I want to teach would help and create more disciplined attitudes.  This goal is going to be hard, as I am not the most disciplined person.  I am not good with sticking to routine, especially when I'm tired.  I'm pretty sure the kids will like a schedule, kids love a good routine!

3.) Create an organization and cleaning schedule.  Yes, another schedule, but I think this will help keep me on top of chores instead of the sporadic cleaning I usually do.  I'm always doing 3 cleaning projects at once, instead of focusing on and finishing one. A schedule will help!

4.) Workout 3 times a week on my WII fit---this is the hardest goal because this means getting up earlier than the kids!

5.) More strict grocery shopping and menu planning and more freezer cooking! This also takes discipline and planning ahead, things I'm not good at normally! Hoping a refreshed attitude in 2012 makes me better at these things.

With a lot of prayer, communication with my husband, patience with my kids, and working together, accomplishing these goals will be a cinch.

It is said that routines makes kids feel secure, and therefore they behave better.  Well, all hands on deck, routines are coming to the Cummins' household! Let's see if mom can stick to it!

P.S. After writing this list, my cousin posted on Face Book that she is giving up sugar (besides coffee and a few other things)  until January 31st and invited friends to join her.  I told her I would try.  I started yesterday, and day one went great!  I allowed myself to have my morning coffee and some chocolate milk, but other than that no desserts/sugar!  I was really proud of myself, considering how much sugar I usually consume. We'll see how well this keeps going.

It's the build up...

The nativity scenes, the music, the lights, the decorations, the shopping, the parties, sometimes the snow, the movies, and of course the food are what make Christmas, Christmas, for me.  It's not the actual day, it's the build up, the excitement for the coming of the actual day that makes me happiest.  I love staring at the tree, listening to Christmas music, thinking of how much fun getting together with family and friends will be.  Thinking of my kids and how much fun they are going to have in the coming days.

It seems as though I need a wake up call this year.  I've been letting life's problems get me down, making this season not as bright.  I've been dwelling on the bad, instead of the good, not trusting that God is putting the pieces together in a perfect and beautiful life puzzle, just like He always has and will.  I need to focus the lens of my life on what I have, not what I want, because what I have is so good, and way more than I need or deserve.

Why do I always drown myself in the sorrows of my problems, forgetting that God has never failed to provide?  When I remember His provisions and everything He does, His peace surrounds me and I feel like myself again.  I am able to celebrate and focus on the good stuff which makes life so much better!

So, here's to getting a better focus and holding onto it for the coming year!  Happiness focused.

Oh Christmas...

You make me wanna do this...

and a little of this...

and possibly a tad of this...

Peppermint mergingues anyone? I know, a little overkill...I have never made a meringue that whipped up like that and as long as I have little kids running around I'm probably not going to try it! 

Notice anything different about this blog entry? I'm using pictures from the internet.  I think I can finagle a few more unseen pics of my own from before the big camera accident, but until the camera is replaced it's either this or blurry pictures from my phone.

So, in birth order, here are some pics I've been meaning to post but haven't. Starting with our first born, Melanie!

Bouncy house party, cute shoes, and perfect colorer. :)

And our middle kid, Easton!

My happy boy, bouncy house, posing, making art projects, coloring!

And our baby, Skyelynn

Just being her cute baby self!

Christmas time brings happy kids and yummy desserts, two of my favorite things!

What does Christmas make you want to do?

Forget me not...

I forget to switch the laundry..and then I have to re-wash the load.  I forget the cookies in the oven and we have crispy cookies.  I forget to pay a bill, to make a phone call, to pick up butter at the store, but there are 3 little things I make sure to remember.

Here they are, 1,2, and 3--well 4 if you count Guapo.  I couldn't forget them if I tried.  They wouldn't let me! Plus they're so darn cute I don't think anyone could forget them.
There is just one problem, I broke my camera the other day.  These are a few of the last shots I got before dropping the camera on the floor--last time I try to take a picture one handed with a baby on my hip!
As I was saying, I can't forget them, and they won't let me.  For example, when we go upstairs, this is what Easton says every time, "Mom, wait for me!!" (add whiny voice and sad face  and you've got the full effect.)  Or Melanie when she's tired, "Mom, I want you." as she climbs on my lap to cozy with me.  Or Skyelynn, when she's in someone else's arms, following me with her gaze, making sure I'm still around to take her back into my arms.  It's all the little things they do that say "forget me not!"  And I love it.  I love that they need me, want me, love me, because I need, love, and want them too! :)
So, kids of mine, this is my message to you also, FORGET ME NOT!  Because someday you will not want me as much in your lives...just forget me not.  

oh, and Guaps, same message to you, although I don't think I need to tell you!

Remember when God...

I saw this posted on a friend's face book status and it intrigued me.  Finishing that sentence would take a million pages. It would take as much ink as there is water in the oceans.  How could we ever even write down all or even have the capacity in our brains to remember all  the things God has done? It's impossible.
The awesome thing is that God knows.  He knows the short falls of our humanity.  The best we can do is simply thank Him for everything, knowing fully that anything that is good is from Him.
Here are some things that I think about and love to tell others that God did for me.
~He heard the longing of my heart and gave me a wonderful husband and provider.
~God turned my sadness of losing a baby through a miscarriage into the happiness of 3 little blessings named Mel, East, and Skye all in less than 4 years!
~He gave me a church and Bible study that taught me more about having a relationship with Him than I learned in all the years before going there.
~He's given me patience, a reason to live, smile more, hug tighter, talk sweetly, live more lovely, give more, expect less.......He's given me EVERYTHING!

Oh, hi little blessings :)