Everything Under the Son

Wow, I had no idea that it had been so long since I have written here.  A little over a month, huh?

I've thought many times of things I could write, but each time I decide the time isn't right.  Some things are better left unsaid, especially on this wide world web.  But just because I haven't written here doesn't mean that nothing is happening in my corner of the universe.  Plenty is keeping us busy.

Christmas was not exactly what I had planned, but it was a good time spent with family.  Natalie spiked a fever a few days before Christmas, and it kept her (and me) from enjoying the big family celebration.  She was super sad about that, but it was best for us to stay home and rest.  Unfortunately, Levi ended up with the same fever on Christmas morning.  Poor kiddos.  Despite their incredibly sore throats, their terrible hacking coughs, and their fevers, they managed to enjoy opening their gifts and playing with their new goodies.  The day after Christmas, I took Levi to the minor emergency clinic to ensure his illness did not become pneumonia.  I had taken Natalie before Christmas (her first trip to the doctor in almost 2 years!) so she was already on meds.  The clinic closest to my parents' home has a wonderful online check-in system.  I sign-in online, and they call me when I have 30 minutes to get there.  That eliminates the terrible waiting game in the waiting room full of germs.  We had arrived a little early, so I was going to run across the street to get some gas...but of course, when I went to re-start the van, the battery was dead.  Thankfully my sister had gone with me, so she called her husband who came to the rescue.  He jumped the van battery and she took it for a new battery while I stayed behind and saw the doctor with Levi.  By the end of the day, we had a throat swab, an x-ray, 2 precriptions, a $50 humidifier, and a new battery in the car.  One more stop to finally get some gas and we were back to my parents' home.  A couple of days later, on our way back home, Nathaniel began to feel bad, and by the time we arrived, I knew we BOTH had it!  The next day, I got a phone call that my dad had it, and a few days later, you guessed it!  My mom had it!  Blech!  We have NEVER passed around sickness like that.  Usually, only one person catches something in our family...we've been blessed that it has been that way.  But not this time.  We all took our turn!

Now that 2012 as begun, we are all healthy again.  We are still working to get back into the swing of our homeschooling schedule.  We took it easy the first week of January, and have now been back full force.  It is going well.  It's not all lollipops and rainbows, and we certainly have our share of hard days.  In the end, though, I know we have made the right choice for our family.  It should only get easier from here, right?

As for me, I've been feeling a little blah the last few days.  Just kind of down-in-the-dumps.  I know I am super blessed, but that doesn't mean I can't have some not-so-great days, does it?  I guess I'm just feeling lonely and overwhelmed.  My to-do list continues to run away from me.  Even with my good intentions, so much is left undone every day.  I want to do better at homeschooling.  I have grand ideas and plans, but I don't seem to be able to find the time or the patience to get it all in.  The non-negotiables come first, and by the time those are done, we are worked out.  I want to find a way to keep my home in order.  It is a wreck and I hate it.  I find it extremely difficult to relax when the room I am sitting is looks like a tornado blew through.  Unfortunately, the only room that even comes close to being tolerable right now is the guest bathroom.  I'm just not wanting to hang out in there, though.  I wish for a friend to have dinner with, or go shopping with, or meet at the park with the kids.  I pour so much of myself into homemaking and homeschooling and parenting and simply trying to keep everyone fed and in clean clothes, that I've neglected me.  I want to be more healthy...and let's face it, I want to be thinner.  I have been working hard to completely transform the way our family eats.  We have cut out carbohydrates and sugar.  We eat healthy meats and tons of veggies and fruits.  My pantry has been completely transformed and I cook with almond and coconut flour, I make pancakes with a banana base, and kefir is a regular on the grocery list.  I've enjoyed searching for Primal and Paleo recipes that our family can enjoy! :)  My blood sugars are better than ever!  But the scales, oh the scales.  I need that stupid number to go down.  It's so frustrating to work so hard at something and not see the results you were hoping for.  I'm not yet willing to give up, but I'll admit that it is hard not to drown my frustration in a bag of chips.  I won't do it though.  Those chips are carbs.  Blech!

But at the end of the day, I am truly blessed.  My children are a blessing.  My husband is a blessing.  My family is a blessing.  I have a home that is warm, and there is healthy food on my table.  I have Jesus in my heart.  Anything beyond that is simply extra.  All else falls into the above-and-beyond category.  It's true, I have all that I need.  So I'll continue to count the blessings, and be thankful.