A Day in the Life 2016 (9, 7, 5, 3, & 11m)

           Last time I shared the curriculum and resources we are using this year, and so far things are going great! We are having a blast continuing on our study of American History and have finally gotten to the "Little House time period" so I'm just loving our read aloud times even more each day. There is always something so peaceful and lovely about reading about Laura's life, Ma's simple routines, and the entire Ingalls family's adventures. It is hard to say no to the "Just one more chapter, pleeeeease?" requests.

          Our three day a week schedule  for formal book work is still working great and really makes our week a joyful process. With 5 kiddos in our home ages 9 and under, including a nursling, having a simplified, gentle, and combined schedule is a must! Our goal is to inspire a love for God and a life long love for learning, so showing our kids that learning doesn't just happen at a set time, with set books, on certain days is a priority. I'd even go as far to say that most discipleship happens at unexpected and inconvenient times. ;)  So we try to keep margin and free time readily available, so that we are available for to listen, learn, and grow right alongside our kiddos.

         For those of you who might be curious about how our schedule looks like in real time, here is a picture of what a week at the Howard House might look like (if God has taken mercy on me) during an average week:


Days start around 10am, sometimes 9:30am
Formal bookwork school days: 3
Field trip/errands/swim lesson days: 1

Handicraft/lifeskills/habit days: 1

Monday: Monday is usually our biggest day of school during our week. I like to try and accomplish as much as we can this first day of the week because it really sets the tone for the rest of the week. My husband also works Sunday night at 7pm until 11a on Monday, so we try to get a lot of work knocked out of the way before he gets home. We usually have Manner's Tea Time after lunch today as well once the littles lay down for quiet time.

Tuesday: This is usually our second formal learning day. Tuesday evenings the boys have Trail Life USA with Tom, so they work on lifeskills and handicrafts this day too. (If there is a field trip that falls on this day or another "formal" day during the week, we either flip flop days or break the work up into two really short days either before or after the outing.)

Wednesday: Hubs works this day 3pm to Thursday morning at 7am, so we try to spend the morning hanging out with daddy, doing laundry, working on some projects, doing some baking, cleaning, or other habit training. So this is usually our official Handicraft/lifeskill/habit day. :) This week we have built wooden model boats and completed some quilling as well.

Thursday: This is usually our third formal book work day. Things do change based on each week's events.

Friday: This is our errand/field trip/library/swim lesson day. It is also our family pizza movie night, so after we are out and about most of the day, we crash in front of the TV and eat yummy pizza that evening. A great finish to the week!

*** Here is approximately what our three formal days look like:

*Bible(30 mins):

• Read from Taylors (1 day), or Read from Bible (1 day), or Character lesson (1 day)
• Verse memorization (3 days)
• Sing hymn (3 days)

*Copywork/Handwriting(5 mins):

• Either writing out our Bible verse, a passage from history reading, or from Reason's Handwriting.

*Rotation(20mins):

• 5yo works with me on basics and I read aloud to her from nature reader and Bible story book.
• 7yo completes math lesson(15) on computer. Reads to me(5)
• Nature Reader - Monday
• Character reading - Tuesday
• Independent topic - Thursday
• 9yo works on grammar on his own

*History(25mins):

• Read aloud a chapter from 2 chapter books
• Read aloud a picture book about topic
• Kiddos narrate back and we discuss

*Rotation(20mins):

• 5yo works on cutting and pasting, read about community helpers and catechism
• 7yo works on phonics on his own
• 9yo completes math lesson(15) on computer. Reads to me.(5)
• Nature Reader -Monday
• Character reading - Tuesday
• Independent topic - Thursday

*Extras(20 mins):

• Sign language(1 day), OR
• Art(1day), OR
• Geography(1 day)

*Passive subjects:

• Classical Music - Once a quarter, I read aloud a short biography of a classical composer and then we will listen to that composer's music throughout the quarter while doing other work. I will passively mention their name or the name of a piece music as we are going about our day.
• Art History - Once a quarter, I will read aloud a short biography of a classical artist and show some pictures of their work. We will study it and talk about the piece. I will display a few pieces of their work and the kids look at the pictures at their leisure.

As you can see I've given approximate times next to each subject, this can fluctuate greatly. Somedays, Bible discussion can go on for up to an hour if it is something we really need to work on or if the kiddos have more questions. Because our set plans are short, it allows us to linger longer or delve deeper as interests demand. Some days, we have character issues that need to be worked on exclusively and books get put aside as we focus our attention on Eternal goals.

We have free afternoons, so that work can be continued if needed, much needed resting can happen, and/or everyone can work on a project that interests them. This may include sewing, needlepoint, race track drawing, lego building, painting, baking, reading, clay model making, quilling, bike racing, running, guinea pig photography, or so many other possibilities. :)  There is also plenty of time for cooking, cleaning, laundry, home maintenance, and other important but often overlooked courses of study. My ultimate goal is to train myself out of my job; not just to lighten my load, but to prepare well rounded children to be responsible adults that can care and provide for their families!

I hope this give you a basic idea of how our days flow. Does it always look like this? No. Do we always get everything checked off on the "right" day? No. But by Friday at noon, we try to have everything "formal" for the week wrapped up, so that we can continue to learn by spending time together as a family. This teaches our kiddos that in life there are deadlines that have to be met, however; we truly believe that we may make our plans; but God ultimately directs our steps, so if a sick neighbor needs some cards to cheer them up, a Christian organization needs a hot meal made and served to underprivileged kids, or a family needs prayers and help in their home due to a crisis; we are ready, available, and free to be the hands and feet of Jesus, just as He planned. ;)

This is How We Do It: Laundry!

So the other day I explained how we do kid's clothes at the Howard House, now it's time to talk about another fun topic - LAUNDRY!!!

 

In the past, when we had too many clothes, too many towels, too many sheets......too many every-things, I was bogged down by laundry. It was my nemesis. Always sitting there in piles, piles to be washed, piles to be dried, piles to be folded, piles to be hung up, piles to be put away, piles to be ironed!!!! It was overwhelming and I was always behind. Always.

 

So one of the first areas I noticed a DRASTIC difference in when we started minimizing our possessions was laundry. Oh happy day! My loads were smaller, the hamper wasn't filling up as quickly, and laundry wasn't a DAILY chore anymore. Now that was something I could get on board with.

 

Once I figured on average how many clothes we needed as a family, knowing how frequently to do laundry was the next step. Since the kids had around 4-5 days worth of play clothes, on an average week I realized I would only need to do laundry 2-3 times a week. So I cut back to 3 days a week, with a hot and cold load each day. This was a welcomed change, however, my loads were really small and sometimes I was looking for laundry to wash. I took a leap and tried 2 loads 2 times a week.....voila!! The perfect arrangement! Not only were my loads the right size, but clothes got rotated better, so the same favorite outfit wasn't being washed over and over again.

 

Then all I needed to decide was which days I needed to do wash on. I decided on Mondays and Thursdays. Monday was a necessary day, because I don't enjoy doing household chores on the weekend or on the Lord's day and with all the fun we have together during family time, come Mondays, we NEEDED clean and fresh clothes, towels and sheets. It's great to start the week off with a fresh wardrobe and home! Thursday was a natural second day as it was at the midpoint from Monday, but also allowed me to have items clean going into the weekend while not being another huge task I needed to do on Fridays, the day we clean the house (but that's a different post!).

 

I've had this laundry schedule of two laundry days with two loads each day for over 3 years now, and it has yet to fail me. There are the exceptions, like when we have sickness in our home, are preparing for a trip, or have something special planned on a laundry day. On these occasions, I move the laundry day forward or back depending on the week, but still mostly no change is noticeable in the load size. Every 2 weeks I also have a load of sheets to wash, so on that day I do three loads.

 

(I will add here that we are a cloth diapering family, which means once a week I also have a load of diapers to run. Again, this usually falls on Monday or Thursdays and gets added on with no real change in schedule. Most people wont have to deal with this extra load, but I'm trying to keep it real here! ;))

 

 

This new way of doing laundry has been so freeing and made laundry day a fun event at our home now. Before laundry was always hanging over my head, was always in the back of my mind, but now, I only have to think about laundry twice a week and then it is over and done. With the 3 kiddos' help, we can get two loads sorted, washed, dried, folded, and put away in under 2 hours and are only touching the laundry itself for 15 minutes or less of that 2 hour chunk(man I'm so thankful for machines!!). We either enjoy a read aloud book while the kiddos sort and fold/roll their own items and put them away OR if we have gotten all our other work done, we will enjoy a quick cartoon while we are folding our items and then race at the commercial breaks to have everything put away neatly before the show returns!! Having helpers makes the work fun and quick!

 

 

 

Tips for getting laundry completed quickly:

• Reduce overall amounts of clothes you own!
• Pick a few days a week for laundry and then forget about it!
• Train your children early to be responsible for their own items!
• Don't let the sun go down on incomplete laundry!

*If you are super, super busy start loads the night before, go to bed with one load drying and one load washing, fold first load while second is drying and be done with it!

 

What are you favorite laundry hacks?

Project Simplify/ 40 Bags: Paper Work

Paper piles are my nemesis, so I have to work extra hard to stay on top of them!!

Fridays are my normal day for filing and dealing with paperwork, but since I don't have much each week, it usually ends up getting stacked on the top of our little bedroom TV until the 2nd Friday of the month when I pay all the bills for the month.

When the mail comes I try to open it right away while standing by my kitchen island, that is where I sort it into piles, bills and things that need to be dealt with, trash, and file.

The things that need to be filed get moved to the TV.

(I picked this location as it is high enough where little hands won't scatter my pile)

We use a cardboard file box, so that each year when we are finishd filing things away, we can just stick the entire box in our storage area and we will know where everything is. I move things like warrantees and other ongoing files to the next year's box so I don't have to open the old box all the time.

Things that need to be paid or dealt with, go on my cute bulletin board in my laundry room until the 2nd Friday and then I go online, pay all the bills, and then I file it away with my TV stack!!! It's nothing exciting, but it seems to work.

Family Schedule: Tuesday

Tuesdays mean it's time to tackle the Dining Room and Playroom!

The dining room is one of the easiest rooms to clean in the house. I wipe down the table after every meal so really all I have to do is sweep, clean the wood floors, sweep the staircase, and polish the wood. Our house was built in 1904 so we have awesome hardwood floors and this great 4 inch molding around every window in the house. As beautiful as this is, this leads to alot of cans of polish being bought month after month. Thanks so the dog, after each meal all crumbs and table scraps are cleaned up off the floor so sweeping is a breeze!

Thank goodness the dining room is so easy because it is paired with......bum, bum, bum.... the playroom!!! SO.MANY.TOYS. I go through the toys all the time and yet they seem to be procreating, especially those little toy sets with all the tiny pieces. Okay, I think I'm having a panic attack just thinking about it. I try to always have the boys sit at the dining room table when they eat and snack, but somehow crumbs seem to just find their way into every bin, crack, and crevice in that room.

Anyway, I take out the toys and sort them into Grant's bin and Morgan's bin. While sorting them, I wipe them down with a cleaning wipe and take out anything that isn't being played with, is broken, or is missing pieces. I have one bin in the craft/toy closet where I stash these items and after a couple weeks, if no one has missed them I get rid of them. I vacuum their play rug and the couch, sweep, clean the wood, and wipe down their craft table. When I'm feeling especially "nesty" I will take the rails off the train table and wipe that all down, but that's a once a month kind of activity(and if I plan it right, it will happen on a day when Morgan's lack of hand-eye coordination has already destroyed the tracks.) Tom loves to put it all back together so I leave it for him! :)

Over the years, I have inherited/accumulated tons of craft supplies, art things, and books so our large closet in the playroom is dedicated to these things. (Anyone want some supplies???) So I try to re-organize this area once a month as well.

I would LOVE some input on what YOU do in your play area and how you keep things from getting out of hand in their space. Any great tips or organizing ideas???

Family Schedule: Monday

So in Part One, I showed you what a week at the Howard House looks like and in Part Two shared my reasoning for why and how I felt decluttering was a super important step before cleaning could even happen. Now I want to go into further detail on what I actually do on each day.

On Mondays I tackle the Kitchen and Laundry!

I grouped the kitchen with my laundry day that way I can scrub the kitchen, then throw the cleaning towels into my hot load. I scheduled the kitchen on Mondays because some how, over the weekend, the place just gets totally trashed. For the kitchen, I usually use Ajax to scrub my white sink(obviously someone who never has to clean a sink designed a white sink - eye roll)and counter tops. I have usually run the dishwasher the night before so that gets unloaded. I try to reorganize my shelves and take inventory of what we are getting low on. This really helps my menu planning and why not do it while I'm moving and wiping down items anyway. I wipe down the cabinet fronts and drawers, and once a month, I get out the wood polish and oil my cabinets. I try to washout the fridge and organize it while I'm taking inventory too. I sweep and use the wood cleaner on the floor and at the end of the day, I lay out the clean rug that I've washed!

When I stay on top of this and do it every week, I've found that it only takes me 30-45 minutes to clean the entire place down and be finished. I've also found that when the boys see me doing this in the kitchen, I'm blessed with a nice amount of quiet time! It's a great time to pop in a sermon tape or some praise music!! Maybe they are scared I'm going to make them work?? I haven't cleaned the inside of my dilapidated oven since moving in the house, anyone have a great way of doing this??

The laundry also got moved to Mondays because I try not to do any real work during the weekend and by Monday it is super full. I usually end up doing two loads of laundry on Monday, a warm load and a hot load. I'm so blessed to have a new washer and dryer at this house and they hold a TON! We've been dealing with a diaper rash with Morgan, so we've had to switch to disposable diapers for a while in order to heal his cute tiny heiny, but normally I would have a third load to do as well. Washing is the easy part, putting it away seems to be my nemesis. Since I've started with the schedule it has been much easier as I feel true accomplishment when I can check it totally off my list for the day! I've also found that if I get it all started early, I can carry the boy's clothes upstairs at nap time and then, poof, I'm done!!!

Are there any great tips you could share to make kitchen cleaning any easier? Anything you do in your kitchen or laundry room that has helped you get it all done faster or better?? I would love to hear!

Family Schedule: Part Two

So in Part One, I talked about what my week looks like in just a quick overview form. I'm really hoping that by getting all these habits started now, by the time a third child enters our home in June it will feel like old hat. My other goal while doing all of these things is to declutter each area as I go.

I read a statistic the other day that said ~ cleaning a house that is cluttered and messy takes 40% longer to clean than an organized house!

That means if I usually spend an hour cleaning everyday, that if my house is cluttered with papers, junk I'm not using, and toys that aren't being played with, I'm spending an extra 24 minutes a day wasting my time!! I don't know about you, but I know a TON of things I could do in 24 minutes - FUN THINGS!!

My other reason for really wanting to get organized is that it's just nice to have a peaceful and welcoming home. I've always wanted to have a home where I could open my door and welcome in anyone at anytime and I'm almost there. We've be able to bless many other people with things we don't need anymore and it's just freeing to have a home for everything. Not to brag but the new kitchen island I got for Christmas has three lighters in it for candles and is TOTALLY empty other than that. I'm wondering if I can put non-kitchen items in there, you know, like off season clothes and underwear, hehe.

I'm not sure if I'm doing this stuff right, but I would love to hear what you do as I share all next week about what each day looks like. If you have suggestions, ideas, cleaning cheats, or things that didn't work I would love for you to share!

Family Schedule: Part One

So the last time I blogged about goals it landed me in and out of the ER for the next three day and then an overnight admit to the hospital.....so we'll see what this throws my way! I always love that just when you think you have things figured out, God has a sense of humor and knocks you on your behind!

In an effore to meet goal #3 and #5 for the new year, I really felt like I needed to get on some sort of schedule. I always had a rough plan in mind but the weekend would roll around and I would realize I hadn't really accomplished any full tasks and I would have to OVERHAUL clean. Not only was this hard on me, but Tom, who works so hard already, was having to help out alot! He doesn't mind and does it with a happy heart, but I didn't feel this was really fair. This also started cutting into our family/free time and this is not what I wanted to spend those precious hours on.

So this past week, I really started writing down my plan. It has evolved over the week as I realized some rooms are better to do on certain days and certain rooms can't share a day with another chore.

So here is a peek into what my week looks like.

I'm hoping by sharing it will keep me accountable and I will get to hear some tips, tricks, and schedules that you follow!

Mondays: Laundry & Kitchen

Tuesdays: Dining Room & Playroom

Wednesday: Bathrooms & Living Room

Thursday: Laundry & Bedrooms

Friday: Bills & Filing

Saturday: Family Movie Time

Sunday: Family Sunday

Do you follow a schedule or does going with the flow make your life easier? Do you have a plan for the week?

A Fresh Start!

I love making lists!! I love checking off the things that I've accomplished - it's so fulfilling!!! Since it is a new year and things have now slower down from the holidays, we've decided to reevaluate some things.

1.) Budgeting - our next big goal is to sell/trade the scooter and a trailer we bought in the move, and buy Tom a car. It's getting hard for me to make it to Dr's' appointments and other necessary appointments these days - I'm still on the fence about it since I only need the car about 3 times a month, but it was a good run for two years with just our one car. We also are going to try and lower other expenses in order to cover the new cost of additional gas and insurance, this way we can keep our same $500 going to savings each month. Tom said we can look at the budget tonight...I'm giddy!!

2.) Menu Planning - in order to start from scratch and get us back on track, January is going to be an official "Eat us out of house and home" month. My goal is to not buy anything besides milk and things that are a MUST to complete a meal I already have in my cabinets!! I'm so excited, my goal is to spend under $100 on groceries this month to recoup some money from hosting 12 people twice over November and December, not to mention we have plenty of food in the house and I would love to have empty cupboards to scrub and clean at the end of the month!!!

3.) Cleaning - With baby number 3 on the way, I'm feeling the need to nest and get organized!!! I'm beginning to get some strength back on some days, so I've jumped in full swing with packing away outgrown clothes, cleaning out cabinets in the laundry room and bathroom, and have even re-organized the school/play closet. My goal is to have us pared down to essentials by the end of the month so that my life will be easier and our family time wont be wasted on cleaning and tidying the house constantly. I'm also hoping to implement a new weekly schedule to stay on top of the cleaning, just so I'm not overhauling the house one day a week, who has the time and energy??

4.)Prep for Baby - I'm also trying to get a jump on sewing new things for the baby. With Morgan, I waited until about month 7 to really get things completed, but I'm hoping that throughout January and February I can get most of my things sewn together. I've already got the diaper bag pieces all cut out and they are ready to assemble. Now all I have left is two pair of little slippers, a changing pad, blanket, and some bibs.

5.) Family Time - We have had so much on our plate lately that family time as slipped to the very bottom. We have had a house full of company, been driving here and there, and I did quite a bit of contract work in December. I'm ready to go back to quiet evenings at home together and just relax. This helps the budget too, so it's a win win!! Most nights this month Tom has been home around 5:30 which is a great improvement over the last 3 months AND he has TWO long weekends this month (on call Thursdays). Next month he is house officer and we are really looking forward to him being home most days!!

I can't wait to check these goals off by (hopefully) the end of January!

Have you set any goals for this month???

I'd love to hear about them!

I'm trying to keep my lists short for each month in an effort to not get overwhelmed and burnt out. Hopefully by the end of 2011 we will accomplish all the things that God has laid on our hearts as important goals for our family!!

Tasty Tuesdays: Roast Chicken

So I'm always excited when I try something new in our menu and it actually works! Not to brag but not only did it work, but it was a home run for my food-aholic husband! My experiment turned into one of the most moist and flavorful dishes I've ever made.

It all started with a super cheap chicken from Save-a-Lot and my crock pot! I love crock pot cooking, there is nothing better than looking like you spent all day slaving over a hot stove but in actuality dumped a bunch of random items in and walked away. I also love the smells that cock pot cooking produces!

So I rolled up 4 balls of tin foil and set the my washed chicken on top of it. At the Howard House our favorite stand by seasonings are ranch and garlic powder, I covered the chicken in that and put the lid on......wasn't that easy? No liquid, no work, no nothin'! I let it cook for 8 hours and when I opened the lid, what came out was the most tender, juicy, melt in your mouth "rotisserie" chicken!

We ate the chicken that evening with mashed potatoes, salad, macaroni and cheese, and some garlic bread.....I felt like we were out for dinner. That night I striped the chicken down and portioned the chicken into smaller bags for use later. I was going to freeze some, but ended up making some other things sooner than I normally would.

First, I took the chicken and make it into a delicious Mexican casserole, with SW seasoning, Velveeta, tortillas, a can chicken soup, and some shredded cheese. This casserole is a family favorite and only used a fraction of my delicious chicken. This casserole freezes fantastic, so it's great to make a couple batches up and then get them out as needed.

Second, I took the chicken, added some fried rice and made some stir fry. This is one of Tom's favorite meals and again it makes a huge batch that we eat on for a few dinners and he also takes portions of it to work, CHEAP LUNCH!

Third, we had another meal of leftovers of roast chicken.....Grant loves just plain chicken, so he will eat this for lunch after lunch, after lunch after.........

I still have chicken to use in chicken salad, for sandwiches. I was thinking of making chicken pot pie or chicken and dumplings too, the possibilities are endless! All of this for a $4.59 chicken!!

Is there a recipe that your family's menu revolves around?? Any great deals that you just HAVE to share???

Faith in Action Friday: When Hard Times Come

I love that God will never leave me.

I love that things all happen for a reason.

I love that each hard time I experience, grows my faith.

I love that God has a plan for every tiny detail of my life.

I love that my reaction to trials can bring others to the Lord.

I love that down the road I will be able to look back and rejoice in this suffering.

I love that my suffering is so insignificant compared to the sacrifice the Lord made for me.

I love that when I am afraid, God holds me in His hands and covers me with His protection.

I love that someday everything will be revealed and I will see God's magnificent plan for my life!

I love that every hard time I go through, I can rest in God and know that He is using this trial to being me closer to Him.

James 1:2-18

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Yummmmm!

Here's my big boy, now over 7 months old!! My little calf loves his sweet potatoes, prunes, and squash! Peas-not so much!

Beware the Big Fish

As I write this, I am almost in tears. It has finally hit me that we are leaving this coming Tuesday to PERMANENTLY move to Michigan. I knew it was coming, but I don't think the reality of it really set in until today when our buyer's agent called and asked "Thursday or Friday?" for our closing day and I started running around packing last minute things, making a reservation for a moving truck and making lists of things that had to be completed before we blast off. I was so relieved and refreshed when I looked over at my daily devotional on my blog and it had this wonderful scripture for me.

Jonah 1:1-3 NIV: "The word of the LORD came to Jonah´Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.´ But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish."
Jonah learned the hard way what happens when a child of God does not yield to the will of God. In our lives as believers, it is probable that God is going to lead us in a direction we did not expect, or lead us to do a work we would never have chosen to do. And within that moment, we (like Jonah) have a choice: we can be obedient to God´s will, thus allowing God to work through us as He wishes; or we can run from God´s will and, essentially, be miserable. It is not God´s intention to make you miserable. But rest assured that since we are His, and since we have a purpose of God´s desire, we must function accordingly if we are to have peace. The benefits far outweigh the costs. Letting go of what we think or want is difficult, but necessary, if God is to complete His perfect work in us. Anything else is like kicking "against the goads." The best thing we can do is simply follow His way, and stop trying to force our will above His.

I am still always amazed at how God always has just the right message for me at the right time. I know that God has great plans for our family there and that these next four years are going to be a wonderful adventure as long as we remember to rely on Him. I'm sure post-pregnancy hormones are playing a big part of this too, but all the unknown is sometimes overwhelming. Please keep our family in your prayers during this next week with our closing, new car, traveling, remodeling, and settling in all comes to fruition! I hope you all have a great week!

Car Trouble Anyone?

As I mentioned in my previous post, Tom was in a bad wreck not 2 days after our new baby was born and less than 1 week before we are supposed to move to Michigan. Now we have to go and buy a new car and deal with all the red tape of the insurance company. AHHHH! We already found a newer version of our car for a good price but we have to wait for the insurance to say whether or not our car is totaled. As you can see from the pictures, we are pretty sure that it is. We are so thankful that no one was hurt (especially Tom!) but could more things happen at once? I doubt it!

A Family of Three

We have had such a fun week together! Being a family of three is fun and even though we are super excited about our new addition, it is hard to believe that after over 2 years, our family will soon be growing again! I don't think that reality has set in that the baby will be here so soon!

It has been so much fun having Tommy home to help out and Grant and him have really gotten close. I'm not sure Grant understands that Tom is not a little kid friend and is his Daddy, because they play together like little brothers. We have been trying to prepare Grant for a new baby, but we talk about the baby and Tom rubs my tummy, and Grant puts his finger in my belly button, twirls his finger back and forth and just laughs, so I think he is in for a big surprise!

We went ahead tonight and packed my hospital bag, cleaned out the car, and set up the pack-n-play next to our bed. Grant wanted to lay in it, but we again tried to let him know that it was there for the baby.....someone needs to tell the cat as well! He has always loved to nap with Grant so now he is breaking in the pack-n-play!

This past weekend started our last hoorah before the baby comes. Friday we went out to a farm to pick blueberries and strawberries and had a blast! Since Grant's favorite color is blue, he was very good at only picking the BLUE berries, not the green or red unripe ones!! Saturday we headed to OKC to have a nice babymoon dinner at my favorite restaurant, Pepperoni Grill and stayed at a Holiday Inn so Grant could have some fun swimming. The water felt really good and the boys had a great time! The next morning we headed to the Zoo and stayed as long as we could until I was ready to pass out, Grant was about to fall asleep, and Tom was sweating bullets! Then we loaded up and headed back to Tulsa. We all took a late afternoon nap and went to the mall that evening for some inside play!

Monday we went to Whiteside park and played, enjoyed a picnic lunch, then headed to the pool for some free swimtime! I had a great time laying beside the pool reading a book I needed to finish and return to the library before we move and again the boys had fun splashing and playing with the other kids! It was like a fertility fest at Whiteside, there were like 10 moms there and a good 7 of them were big and pregnant like myself (must have been a boring winter!).

Then today, we went to Pottery Barn Kids for their storytime and got our last stamp, so Grant got to pick out a $10 gift he wanted to get! We got a fun Melissa & Doug wooden puzzle of vehicles.....it makes noise when you put in the correct pieces, Grant LOVES it! Then we headed to the Jenks Library to get some movies, then to Target! Busy day! After naptime, Tommy said we needed to head to the mall and surprised me with a pedicure so my toes will look beautiful for the baby's arrival and you know the Doc loves seeing pretty toes on big swollen elephant legs, hehe! Grant and Tom got some free food samples then headed to the play place while I relaxed, oh it was sooooooo nice!

I said to Tom that it was probably our last outing as a family of three and he looked at me strange, like he hadn't thought about it. He said that that made him sad. He is very excited about #2 munchkin coming along, but after 2 years a chapter is closing and I can totally see what he is feeling and feel it too. Grant, we have had a great time with you at the center of our world for the last two years and can't wait to see you grow into a loving big brother. New baby, we can't wait to meet you and see what a wonderful plan God has for your little life!

P.S. - I have some fun and beautiful pictures from our babymoon, but again my camera is being a pill so you will have to wait until after the baby comes and I can upload them all! I hope you all have a great week!

Friends!

One of the hardest parts about moving to a new area is leaving behind everything you know and EVERYONE you know! It is also overwhelming to think about meeting new people and having to start relationships from ground zero. I so cherish the friends that I have made here in Tulsa, but they can't BE in Michigan and to not be super lonely, obviously, I have to make new friends. This is very hard for me and I've been praying that God will help me and open up opportunities to meet new people. I've already contacted the nearest MOPs group, the Muskegon LLL, and a family group there that has activities and outings for us to go to, so hopefully I'm on my way.

Another thing that makes me sad about leaving, is that Grant has just now gotten to that age where he is starting to play WITH friends, not just around other kids. He has really started to enjoy playing with Ryan, my BF's little boy, and he really looks forward to hanging out with him whether it's at the park, mall, or one of our homes. While I know he wont be really aware of all that is happening, it will be sad that we won't get to have our weekly play date together anymore.

Grant is also going to miss heading to his favorite park, just right down the road from our house.

Bunny Luv!

Have I mentioned lately that I love my wonderful husband?!?!? He has been so wonderful lately, not that he isn't super wonderful all the time, but since he has finished his schooling and we are just hanging out waiting for a closing date on our house and for graduation to roll around.....oh yes and a baby to come, we have had some wonderful free time together. We have never had this kind of free time....ever!

In college we always had classes over the summer and we were busy with RA duties and Floor President duties during the normal semester and summer as well. We got married and still stayed busy in our dorm for another year. Then we moved to Tulsa for medical school and I commuted back to Stillwater 3 times a week to finish my last semester and to be a TA there. I also started managing an apartment complex Tommy's family owned that semester to make some extra money. Then in January we moved into the corporate suites across the road from the apartment complex I managed and I took over being the property manager there as well! About a year later we added Grant to our family and that added a whole new definition to take your kid to work day......every day! Another year down the road and it was time to quit working, put everything in storage, and head onto the road for rotations! We had such fun moving around with Daddy, but it was very stressful as well, especially when you have to take your crazy Jack Russel Terrier with you, ahhhhhhhhh!

So here we are today, staying with my parents and just days away from starting to fix up our new home and moving to Muskegon and boy has it been a journey! The down time has been so refreshing and relaxing. I'm so thankful to have Tommy in my life, I can't imagine my life without him. God has really blessed us with some wonderful adventures that we never thought we would experience and we have grown closer along the way!

Thanks Bunny for always being there for me and Grant, for being the strong godly man of my dreams and for always being the kind, caring father to Grant. Thanks for changing tons of diapers already on this break (did I mention I haven't changed one since March 30th?)! Oh I love you Bunny! Thanks for being so excited about painting and installing new floors in our home, and running with me to Lowe's and Home Depot almost everyday to check out fun stuff we can do to our cute cape cod. Thanks for cooking dinner and letting me sleep in so that I will feel better during the day! I'm so thankful for you! Kissss!

The Bizarro World!

For those of you who watch Seinfeld, you know what I'm talking about. I woke up this morning to some frightfully cold weather, shocking! Wasn't it just last week when it was 80 degrees outside? I remember getting a sunburn after laying outside during Grant's nap time (I thought the sun might help me feel better) and going for a fun scooter ride with the hubby while Nana was watching the Who-poo! But, now it's like I've been transported to the "Frozen Tundra" 2 1/2 weeks early. It's snowing here in Jenks, strange, I guess that's Oklahoma for you. Oh, well, maybe God is helping me transition. I've been trying to find a winter coat on clearance, thinking I would need it for next year's frosty season in Muskegon, who knew I would need it this week!

A Time for Thanks

This Valentine's Day, love is in the air at the Howard house! I started realizing how blessed I've been with men that love me. Everything is going great with this pregnancy and our little peanut is growing bigger every day. Who-poo is getting so big and does and says the sweetest things that always shock me, he seemed so little not very long ago. He got some great gifts for V-Day....Cars, the movie, an adorable lion balloon, a super cute puppy that sings and dances and a bunch of cards.....someone is getting spoiled. My Bunny has been able to spend alot of time with us lately and I'm getting very spoiled with him helping out around the house since I'm not able to do many things, thanks honey! I am so lucky to have been given such a kind and compassionate husband. I received some beautiful tulips from him today, just what I wanted! I'm not sure if flowers live in the "frozen tundra" but I hope to plant them at our new home in May.

If you know me well, you know that I am a huuuuuuge planner, meaning I make lists and notes, and do research for even the smallest things.....what that translates into was a Valentine's day trip to Home Depot for paint samples, design guides, and creative ideas. Poor Tom, he always humors me so well! We haven't even been qualified for a loan yet, but man, I'll have every room in that house planned, painted, and decorated in my mind by.....tomorrow! hehe If he would bring me boxes, I would pack up everything we own by the end of the week. I'm not a patient person so this could be a long 3 months.....please pray that I don't kill Tom in the process.

I hope everyone is getting to spend this day or at least this evening with the ones they love and will take some time to thank the Lord for them.

Sick Days

So I have been sick for about a year now. It started last March after a really bad cold/flu bug and then I never really recovered. I'm tired all the time, achy, have muscle problems and have terrible pains in my joints. I have had so many tests run, sooooo much blood drawn, that I'm not sure I have anything left to give. Every test has come back fine, so I am heading to the neurologist next Tuesday to get a consult and most likely get an MRI done. Fun stuff!! I really hope that they can figure this out soon because I am a very active fun loving person and I spend most of my time sitting where ever we are, watching the action from a distance.... its getting really old. On top of all that fun, I've had a terrible GI bug that knocked me into bed for 4 days and poor Tom had to take care of Grant, who was also terribly sick with bronchitis. Tom stayed home from work Monday and Tuesday to help me out because, literally Grant or I could barely even lift our arms to feed ourselves, (not that I was eating anything for those 4 days)! I'm really not looking forward to residency when Tom is just gone and I'm totally on my own with 2 kids!!!!!! Reality check! Oh and did I mention, we'll be alone in Muskegon, MI!!!! AHHHHH

Welcome!

I've never blogged before, but since we just found out that we are heading of to Michigan for the next four years, I thought this might be the time to start. I figured it would be a great way to stay connected with friends and family and share pictures and stories of our new family adventures!