Simple Woman's Daybook--Update

I had planned to post an update to my Contentment post and last week's Daybook over the weekend.  I never got that far, so I'm going to try to incorporate that into today's Daybook post. We'll see if that works. :)

FOR TODAY...  January 19, 2009

Outside my window...  It's very dark!  I woke up at 4 a.m. again...I'm already thinking about a nap. :)  

I am thinking...  that it is time to pick up the pace and get with the program so that I have more progress to report next week!  It is the 19th of January, and I am behind!!  

I haven't read a single book from my 999 reading list...I am going to have to get *really* busy reading to even begin to catch up! 

Last week was almost a complete flop as far as my commitment to "one beautiful thing every day".  Part of that was due to a need to be flexible, which was a good thing...but part of it was allowing myself to be "derailed" when I shouldn't have.   Billy and I did hang new "window mistreatments" in the kitchen...which I love!  And I did completely clean out/clean the refrigerator one day (and if you had seen the "before" to that project, you would agree that my newly cleaned and organized fridge was definitely a thing of beauty! ;-))  I'm determined to get on top of my "Daily Touch of Beauty" this week.   There are still 346 days left in 2009.   "One beautiful thing every day" would be 346 new touches of beauty in our home.  Wow!  

We've also slowed way down on our Mega Memory Month progress.  Eek.  We are down to 11 days to finish memorizing the Beatitudes and "Grammar in a Nutshell".  I know that if we are diligent we can do it.   I am loving the ways I can almost *see* the "Mega" memorization stretching their minds. :-)  We are seeing improvement in areas other than just memorizing...in focus, in reading, in thinking skills...which I think is related a great deal to the memory work we are doing.  Neat aside from yesterday...we had a guest preacher yesterday while Bro. Kent is on vacation.  As much as I miss Bro. Kent when he is gone, I always love to hear Lyndel's brother, Craig, preach when he is here.   I thought it was interesting that in several conversations yesterday with various people, Bro. Craig's Scripture memorization was brought up...the fact that he doesn't open his Bible and "read" the Scripture passage...he quotes it.  No matter what he's preaching on, or how long the passage is.   Sure enough, not only did he do that yesterday morning, with a fairly short, familiar passage, but he did it last night with a longer passage thatI've never seen on a  list of "top Bible passages to memorize".  (Anybody happen to have 2 Kings 6:8-23 memorized?? :))   What a neat example for the kids as we work on our Mega Memory Month challenges!

I am thankful for...  God's blessings in this season of contentment.   I shared here what God had been doing in my life in the area of contentment.  I continue to be amazed at the ways He is giving me contentment in areas in which I have struggled for a long time.  And I am amazed at the blessings He is bringing along with that.  

In the Contentment post and in last week's Daybook, I mentioned our anniversary last week.   Despite the brief but intense bout of discontent over our current season of "datelessness" that I mentioned in the Contentment post, I was completely content over the prospect of spending our anniversary watching movies with the kids in our living room. :)   Our anniversary wasn't until Tuesday, but Billy was off work on Monday, so we were planning to celebrate then.  I had planned to cook a "big breakfast" brunch (one of Billy's favorite meals) on Monday while he was home "for our anniversary".  But...God's ways are not our ways, and He surprises us with showers of blessings sometimes when we least expect it...which in this case led to my not fixing that "big breakfast" meal until Thursday night!  

A few days before, I had mentioned a particular snack that I missed, from years ago when we used to have  game nights at our house once a week or so.  A friend used to bring the same thing every week, and because no one else in my family was particularly fond of it, I hadn't had it since those game nights died out several years ago.   I mentioned it during a random conversation with Billy and didn't give it another thought...but obviously he did, because he went out to run an errand Monday morning and came back with that very snack. :)  A small thing, but a huge part of what I love about my sweet husband...he pays attention to everything, and in his super-thoughtful way actually follows through with the little plans he cooks up.  :)  (I, unfortunately, am really bad to have great plans for thoughtful things to do, but never get around to actually *doing* them. :-(   I'm trying to work on that.)   Anyway...my thought Monday morning was that that little gesture was worth several dinners out. :)

But God wasn't finished with surprises on Monday.  My sweet and sneaky friend had called Sunday afternoon and said that she had something to drop by on Monday, and what were our plans for the day?  I don't even remember exactly what I told her...something about having no real plans but cooking brunch for Billy and the kids, I think.  I didn't think much about her "dropping something by", as she has been moving and sorting and purging, and "bringing by" all kinds of wonderful hand-me-downs in the process. :-)

However, when she arrived on Monday morning, she had a card.  An anniversary card.  An anniversary card with the gift of a "date" for Billy and I.  She had been planning and scheming to take the kids Monday night for a little "Wii party" so that Billy and I could go out.   

Billy and I figured it up that afternoon...it had been 18 months since we had been out together with no children.   What an incredible blessing that gift was!  Both because of the sacrifice I knew it was for my friend at this point, and because of the blessing of a couple of hours to go out and spend time together and talk like grown-ups, with no interruptions. :)  

So...I am thankful for 13 years with my wonderful husband, for the blessing of the best friends ever, for the fabulous time my children had at their "party", and for God's gentle goodness as He teaches me lessons in contentment every day.   God is so good to bless us above what we can ask or think!

From the learning rooms... We need to make major progress on our Mega Memory Month work this week, as well as just having another good, solid week of school after some bumps in the road last week.   And like many others, I'm planning to incorporate some "history in the making" into our school time this week with the Inauguration tomorrow.  I still remember as a very small child watching the Nixon/Ford transition unfold on TV with my dad...I can still remember some of his commentary about the situation, so many years later.  So despite my wish for a very different cast of characters tomorrow, we're going to make the best of it! :)

From the kitchen... Saloon beef sandwiches from the crock pot tonight...yumm!  

I am wearing...  Still in my PJs :)  It's early!

I am creating... I am hoping to actually get some "fun" creating done this week in the form of scrapbooking projects.  A friend and I are planning a scrapbook day on Saturday, for the first time in forever, and I'd really like to "warm up" my rusty fingers a bit before that.  Not to mention that I need to create some class samples for an upcoming "Not-So-Basic Bookmaking" class for our homeschool co-op.  

I am going... to post an update soon (I hope) on my "One Little Word" for the year...Authentic.  I started to post it with the other updates above, but decided it deserved its own post. :) God is teaching me much in this area, too!!

I am reading... Must get busy on my 999 reading list!!  

I am hoping...  that this week is more productive than last!  Somehow we got off track last week with Billy being off on Monday and our anniversary on Tuesday, and never got back "on".  It was a good week in many ways, despite some very rough patches, but not a very productive one. 

I am hearing...  Billy getting ready for his morning walk.  It is dark and cold and I can't imagine getting up this early to walk...but he is disciplined and determined.  He walks every day. For years he ran 6 miles a day, every day, rain or shine (or ice!)...even with the flu!   His ankle won't take the running anymore, but the dedication is still the same. 

Around the house...  Getting back on track from a bit of derailment last week.  I hope to make curtains for two more rooms this week and have much more progress to report next Monday. :)

One of my favorite things... Seeing God work in my life and in the lives of those around me, and being able to rest in His sovereignty and goodness no matter what the situation.   

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Church Wednesday, scrapbooking Saturday, a  quiet week with no birthdays/holidays/anniversaries (rare for us from Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day:)).  

Here is picture thought I am sharing...  in honor of our 13th anniversary last week...:)

Thanks to Peggy for hosting the Daybook each week!