Help! I am becoming overwhelmed!
27 Mar 2009 5 Comments
in small home challenges, Uncategorized
I can feel it. I am becoming overwhelmed with all the things that have to get done, if I want to keep my sanity. Or at least have some semblance of sanity. The outside garden beds need to be prepared for planting, raised beds need to be built (but first I need to call for prices for the There’s the house and the messes inside that need attention. I am bound determined to get rid of the endless piles in our bedroom/office. Not everything has a “home” and I don’t know what to do with some things. I need to get ruthless, yet keep the things we really need. I admit that when I see a bedroom that really is used as a “bed” room, I do get a little envious. These rooms always look so calming and relaxing. Isn’t that what a bedroom should be?
Then there’s the summer things just begging to come out of storage and the winter things just getting in the way. And there’s school stuff. I also admit that I am a sap for books. I love books! Yet I realize I can’t possibly need ALL these books. I only have 3 children. Surely I can clean some of these out. Ugh! I am feeling frustrated with all of this. I seriously need someone to come over and help me see what I need and don’t need. Any volunteers?! What am I thinking? There’s not a sap out there who would choose to come over and do this. I know, I’ll kidnap someone! (Ha! Just kidding. I love my friends, and therefore wish to keep them my friends. I don’t need anymore enemies!) And to think some people think I’m organized! HA-HA-HA-HA!
Struggles and Blessings
10 Feb 2009 3 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: blessings, family, homeschooling
No, this post is not about the current economy. It’s about my full-time job of mothering/homeschooling.
The struggles is wondering if I have wasted my/my son’s time in teaching him some things, due to him not retaining/remembering. Sometimes, I get very frustrated with #1 son. He doesn’t apply himself or does careless mistakes, only to whine and say that he NEVER does things right. (When looking at him during these episodes, I’m sure I am staring into a mirror. Ugh! Why can’t they pick up on the positive things in their parents’ lives, not the negative!?!) After this whining about never doing anything right, I then “sing the old song” about how I don’t expect him to be perfect, no, if it was easy, I wouldn’t need to teach him it, we would be learning harder things, etc.
Multiplication tables has been another stumbling block in schooling. Right now, after many other methods, he has to write out the tables (working on 2′s through 5′s), and say it out loud while he is writing. THis way, he is seeing, hearing, and writing it. And mom is praying, hoping and crossing my fingers that this works. Seems to, but it is slow. Not to mention a “waste” of paper. (Another something to add to THE list of wants for schooling the kids: a bigger erase board or chalkboard. Which would have to be hung on the door?)
But, this child loves to give/receive affection, even though he is ten. He does have a soft heart and is moldable. I thank the Lord for that. He is receptive and willing to learn about the Lord and what the Lord wants for us to be like. Today, we talked about gossiping (triggered by an English lesson). And this led to taking revenge on someone, and what do we do, instead, here on earth (his words). It was a great opportunity to share what the Lord says about taking revenge on someone and how we alone cannot turn the cheek, nor forgive. Yet the Lord loves to hear His children come to Him and tell Him how we feel, what we are going through (even though He already knows). He is sooo willing to help us, to aid us, to give us His strength to do what’s right, but we need to be willing to go to Him first, not try to do it on our own.
#1 son also loves to make things for us, little tokens of love. He is very receptive (most of the time) to how I am feeling and is also very forgiving to when I am not at my best. After I had a bad day, I asked him to pray for me. That I pray for each of my children, and I need him to pray for me. I need strength, wisdom, patience, etc., especially when daddy is gone all week, earning the “dough” for this family.
The Lord does offset the struggles with many blessings. For this I am thankful. 
Encouraging words
23 Jan 2009 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: books
I’ve been reading a book called, “The Fourth Watch” by H.A. Cody. It’s an old book that I picked up from some sale. It was printed in 1911. I LOVE old books! Our house is full of them. In this book, I have come across some very encouraging words, even to me, in this day and age:
“Do you enjoy the beautiful? Life should be more than the mere grubbing through the dust and heat, grinding out our little day, wearing out the body and cramping up the soul in field, factory, office or behind the counter. Life is meant to be enjoyed, and whatever tends to enlarge our children’s perspective, which will give them a love for the beautiful, will lessen the drudgery of life, and develop their characters. The Creator who made human beings in His own image, and endowed them with powers above the brute creation, surely intended that these divine faculties should be used and not allowed to lie dormant.”
In another chapter of the book: “But doesn’t the wind bother you sometimes?” Stephen inquired. The chopper walked deliberately to the butt-end of the tree, and with the pole of his axe marked off the length of the log. Then he moistened his hands and drove the keen blade through the juicy bark deep into the wood. “I allow fer the wind, laddie,” he replied, “I allow fer that. When the good Lord sends the wind, sometimes from the North, sometimes from the South, I don’t go agin it. Why, what’s the use of goin’ agin His will, an’ it’s all the same whether yer choppin’ down a tree, or runnin’ across the sea of Life fer the great Port beyon’.”
I’ve never read any of his other books, but I would love to find them. What words to even use in my life now! The Lord uses many avenues to speak to us and to encourage us. His ways are mysterious. I picked up this book just to read for enjoyment and the Lord has used this book to encourage me.
Nice weekend
12 Jan 2009 Leave a Comment
in Countrylane Beads and Things, family, Uncategorized Tags: family, jewelry
Hubby was able to come home this past weekend. Yea! He came home a bit early on Friday, so I was able to go grocery shopping and pick up something for our #1 son’s birthday. Boy, was I wrong, if I thought that I could find something at the local Walmart! They haven’t re-stocked from Christmas so they didn’t have much that a soon-to-be 10 year old would want. But that’s okay. Hubby had to do some running around on Saturday, so he was able to find some things for son’s birthday (like some building sets and the Star Wars II movie). Yesterday afternoon, after a good day at church, we had a birthday party with the extended families. He received building sets, both erector and lego, and some clothes, money, and some drawing tools with a how-to drawing book! And Mamaw (hubby’s mom) baked him a cake and decorated it with Indiana Jones and a commy on a motorcycle (see “Last Crusade”). Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Son loved having his cousins over to play. Actually all the sons loved having their cousins over! We missed my brother, though, who was at mom’s house sleeping on the floor. Poor guy!
Hubby is gone again this week, which is good, though we miss him. In this weak economy, it’s good to see the Lord provide for the family with food and money to pay the bills and the company with loads for hubby to deliver. All these companies that are downsizing and stopping manufacturing is affecting the trucking industry. And so many families depend on their fathers to drive for money. I know I’ve said it before, but I am so thankful that the Lord is in control and nothing surprises Him!
A lady at church loved her earrings that I made to match a necklace she had. She really liked them, which I am thankful. I enjoy “completing a set”. I have done this for a friend of Mom’s a few times. Another lady, at church, wants me to make her a necklace to match a certain blouse she has and a pair of earrings and bracelet to match another blouse. The Lord does provide!
Just catching up on the news
07 Jan 2009 5 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: family, Lady
The Lord has brought us a new little body to take care of. Her name is Lady and she is a long, black-haired dog with some white “ruffle” from her neck down to her navel. She has the sweetest face and from what we have noticed, she is also very smart. I don’t know the circumstances behind her. She arrived the 28th of Dec. at my in-laws house. We met, fell in love with her, and brought her home on the 29th. She’s very good with the kids, and seems excited to see them. One flaw to this wonderful dog is her nose. Or maybe I should say her sense of smell. She is a Field Spaniel, which means she has the nose of a tracker. She follows her nose which takes her down to the neighbors, across the road to the other neighbors, etc. Anywhere but home, unless we are outside and occasionally talk to her or play with her. She loves to play. She’s healthy (vet said so) and doing well here. We all love her and am asking the Lord to intervene with her wandering off. Right now, I call her and she comes bounding back, then I put her on the chain. I am hoping things will get better and that she will choose to wander around in the barnyard instead of down the road.
School has started back up for us. It is going fairly well. I am excited about doing Indiana history with #1 son, though the other two will be going along on the field trips this coming spring and summer. (Just in time with the rising gas prices!) The younger two are learning how to write the lower case letters, and one needs to remember which way to face his “s”es. They also are learning about groups and what belongs and doesn’t belong, or which one is different in a group of objects. Yesterday was a field trip to the vet’s, where the vet showed them the instruments he used on Lady. #1 and #3 sons were able to listen to Lady’s heartbeat! This just made #3 son’s day. He is into listening to everyone’s heart and lets me know when his heart is beating hard. #2 son was not interested in putting the stethescope ear pieces in his ears. (He’s so brave!)
Hubby is on the road with a load from AL to St. Louis. He has been talking to other drivers and the dispatcher and is finding out that it’s really slow right now. And it looks like it will be this way for the next 3 months. The reason being the layoffs of companies all over the country, cutting down on manufacturing, etc. The Lord will meet our needs, though, of which I am certain and thankful.
My poor brother hurt his back Sunday afternoon, while helping a friend with some log-splitting. He bent over to pick up a piece of wood and his back went out. (No, #1 son, this does not mean that he broke his back or that it fell out of his body…concrete random thinking…) Anyway, he went to mom’s house to see if she couldn’t help get his back realigned or something. They ended up going to the hospital, which put him on all kinds of muscle relaxers and pain medication. He is staying at mom’s house until he is back to normal. Yesterday, talking to mom, he is doing better, in that he can stand up and sit down without crying. He’s going to a chiropractor, but he isn’t like the osteopath that my brother used to go to. (He died a few years ago from a motorcycle accident.) So this guy won’t twist my brother around or do any of that other stuff that the osteopath did and always worked for my brother. We are praying that he won’t have to have surgery and will be right as rain soon.
Christmas and New Year’s were nice, esp. since hubby was home for two weeks. We had family birthdays to attend to also. Next week is our #1 son’s birthday. So we’ll see the family again. This was the first Christmas since Dad’s death (this past March). But last year it was like he wasn’t with us then. He was so out of it then. But it was kind of strange not to have him there, sitting in the lazy-boy chair, looking on at the activities. I miss dad, the one who was younger and not sick. But he is in Heaven, Home with the Lord and what a wonderful place to celebrate Christmas. Because of Jesus’ birth and death and resurrection, we are able to be in the presence of Christ for all of eternity!
Name for my “business”
09 Oct 2008 Leave a Comment
I have been deliberating on what to call my little beading “business”. Since I already had a blog site with Countrylane as the name, I decided to go with that. Maybe add something to the end, like “Countrylane Beads and Things” or “Countrylane’s Favorites” or something along that line. My wonderful mom suggested that I don’t use “Jewelry” in the name for the fact that I might want to do more than just jewelry. I already have some ideas on making fancy things for cell phones. Sure would make mine different from my husband’s.
We (mom and I) also talked about the upcoming show I would like to do in November. She suggested an open house, over a set time. This way, more people would be apt to come and many would feel more comfortable with an open house, over a sit down type of setting. I will provide food and snacks, drinks, to keep the people comfy and willing to wait around. I really hope this goes well, the party, I mean. I am a little nervous.
Lately, the weather has been so beautiful. I am going to go out and mow the grass and put in some edging. I hate this edging, but it’s free, so I will be using it.
We had a wonderful family over yesterday. They have 3 boys, all about the same ages as our 3. All went well, though we did have a bloody nose and a bloody toe, thankfully, though, not from the same boy.
Welcome to my blog!
07 Oct 2008 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: intro
This is the first post of my blog. I wish to dedicate this blog to the honor and glory of the Lord. I am a stay-at-home mom of three very active boys. My husband and I have been married for 14 years, this past July. My husband and I have been urged by the Lord to homeschool our children. This makes for quite an adventure! We live in rural Indiana and enjoy the oppurtunity to raise our children where the corn grows tall and the black top ends! The Lord has truly blessed us with healthy boys, a place to watch them grow and learn, and that I am able to stay at home with them.
The Lord has blessed me with the oppurtunity to release some creativity through making jewelry. I started making some necklaces about 2 years ago. I have since then progressed, and am now making earrings and some bracelets. I would love to be able to make watch “bands” some day. I enjoy making each one and each one is one of a kind. I don’t want to “mass produce” them, as this makes it less enjoyable for me. When making a necklace, I want it to stand out to me more than the last one I made. And I love hearing that someone really enjoys their necklace/jewelry.
On this blog, I will be sharing my everyday life, and the joys that come with raising this family and making jewelry.
