I Have a Busy Day Tomorrow

I already had tomorrow roughly planned out, then something came up. I changed my plans around only to realize that the event that will take us out of the house will not just change how we do school. I had plans of making bread tomorrow. We're out. My lunch plans were dependent on me being home to mess with the bread. We can't eat out. Jon also will need a work lunch. I've got eight pounds of burger in my fridge that I need to do something with. I was going to make meatloaf for tomorrow and brown some. Hmm...pardon me while I think on here. A list, I need a list!

To do before 10:00am

1. Devotions (These will be a must!)
2. Start the bread. Hmm...maybe I'll start this tonight!
   
3. Get ready for the day.
4. Check the dough. Punch it down. Shape it and get it into pans.
   
5. Make sure the children are up and getting ready and feed the pets.
   
6. Fix and eat breakfast (oatmeal and yogurt?).
7. Bake the bread.
8. Make meatloaf with potatoes and carrots around it.
9. Get the bread out. Make sure to put it in the cabinet after it cools a little, so the pets don't help themselves to a treat.
10. Put the meatloaf in the oven at a cooler temperature than normal (300 d. ?).
11. Get together the children's assignments.
12. Clean the kitchen.
    

10:00 am - ?

1. Head out with the children and some of their assignments.
2. Reach our destination and start the children on their school work.
3. Do what it is that I need to do (the something that came up).
4. Call Jon to have him check the meat loaf? I don't want to wake him too early.
5. Come home.
6. Finish fixing lunch and Jon's work lunch.
   
7. Eat lunch by 2:00 pm.

2:30 - ?

1. Jon goes to work. The rest of us take a rest time?
2. Chores
3. Finish school.
4. I guess we'll have to eat supper sometime. Which means I'll have to fix it. Pizza might be quick and easy.
5. Brown the ground beef while supper is baking/cooking.
   

I really hope I have a couple of good helpers ready early! I'm going to need all the help I can get in the morning!

I'd better get started on that list since it's after 12 am already. I'll have to get some sleep sometime soon.

Thanks for putting up with my ramblings.

Please pray for me if you feel so led. My attitude about tomorrow is not what it should be. Thank you!

School Isn't Starting Until Wednesday

I had every intention of starting school tomorrow. Then, I went to my sleep consultation appointment. I had to wait a month and a half to get in for the consultation. So, I expected that I would still have quite a bit of waiting in my future. The doctor set up a sleep study and nap study for tomorrow and Tuesday! I go in tomorrow night at eight and don't get done until Tuesday afternoon at four. So, school isn't starting until Wednesday. I guess we'll be doing Saturday school to stay on schedule.

Potluck time at Green Thumb Mama's

I have to get off here and let Jon have the computer, so I'm making this brief. A recipe I threw together the other day has been featured in the Potluck at Green Thumb Mama's Recipe Box!. Green Thumb Mama added a recipe of her own that compliments mine. If you're curious, head on over. Thanks, Green Thumb Mama.

Have a great night!

Crunch Time

August is always a busy month for us, but this August seems even more busy than usual.

Next month, we are hosting our Life Group (small group from church) and we still haven't finished our living room. So, along with everything else, we still have to finish the living room. The living room furniture is in the boys' room and our dining room, so really we have at least three rooms to finish.

We just got accustomed to our new, later schedule. Then on Saturday morning Jon called work to see if he could start early to make it easier to do traffic duty at church the next day. Instead of having him start early, they had him switch to third shift for the week. For the week! There went our schedule! However, God always provides. Mr. M. went home that afternoon. Jon is on third this week which makes him available for the visitation and funeral. There is also a rumor at Jon's workplace that they will have a new schedule bid soon. I have no idea what our regular schedule will be now.

So here's a glimpse of today and the next thirteen days:

Aug. 11 - We have to get the younger two girls home from my sister's (South of here) and the boys from my parents' (North of here). Jon has a Stage Right (drama ministry) meeting. Jon works.

Aug. 12 - Mr. M.'s visitation is from 2-4 and 6-8. We figured we would go during the earlier time, since we can. However, Puppy Dog has a dentist appointment at 2:30 in Urbana. Jon's mom also has surgery on this day. Jon works.

Aug. 13 - Mr. M.'s funeral at 10:30 AM, my grandmother's birthday, our fifteenth anniversary, and Kitty Kat's thirteenth birthday Jon's mom has a Dr. appt. and may need a ride?

Aug. 14 - Jon has a chiropractor appointment.

Aug. 15 - Jon goes back on second shift. Jon works.

Aug. 16 - We will probably have to go to all three services at church, if Jon is in a skit. Jon works.

Aug. 17 - Jon works.

Aug. 18 - I have a sleep study consultation at 8:45 AM. Jon works.

Aug. 19 - Jon has a dentist appointment at 4(?) We have a combined birthday party with our Life Group for the whole family at Young's Jersey Dairy. Jon's niece's birthday (15).

Aug. 20 - Jon's younger brother's anniversary (10th).

Aug. 21 - party for the above anniv. ? It may be moved to the 22nd.

Aug. 22 - Puppy Dog's seventh birthday. Jon works (?).

Aug. 23 - Birdie's eleventh birthday, church, and I think this is my week for nursery duty (if so, we attend all three services). Jon works (?). **I have a Sonflower Scouts leaders' meeting at 3PM.

Aug. 24 - first day of school, Jon's niece's birthday (3?)

Those are just the events we have written down on our calendar. I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

I'd better get to work!


**edited after receiving an e-mail.

Tomorrow Will Be Another Emotional Day

So, evident by my last post, last Sunday was a very emotional day. Tomorrow will probably be an even more emotional day. Today, at 12:30PM, a wonderful man of God who has influenced hundreds ( thousands or ...?) of people for Christ went home to be with his Savior after an intense battle with cancer.

Mr. and Mrs. M. missed being able to worship with their church family, so a week ago Wednesday, the church came to them. Somewhere around 450 people showed up at their home and had a worship service in their yard in the rain. The M. family put Mr. M.'s bed by the window so he could watch and participate. Afterward, he sat on his knees at the window for three (?) hours as everyone passed by his window giving him hugs, handshakes, etc.

Last Sunday, some men went to the M. house and helped get Mr. M. into his vehicle so that he could come to the end of our third service to watch his grandson be baptized. More men helped get him into a wheelchair and into the church. Towards the end of the service, Mrs. M. came to the front pews without Mr. M. I knew that either he wasn't able to make it or he was waiting to come out. Mr. M. was brought out on stage and he prayed before one of his sons baptized his grandson. Hence, the intensity of my emotions last Sunday/Monday.

While we will miss Mr. M., we know he is no longer in pain and we are happy for him. We pray that God will comfort the M. family and friends.

This song is so fitting.

Have you ever...

...been so full of grief, joy, amazement, and a whole slew of other emotions that tears just run down your face as if you had two little water falls for eyes?

A New Schedule

Our "normal" schedule just wasn't working very well. It didn't work well during the school year. It hasn't really worked for us this Summer. So, after finding out that Jon wouldn't be going back on first shift, I decided to try a new schedule. First shift people will probably think we're insane. We might just be.

So here's the tentative schedule:

9:00 AM Mom up, devos., shower, and get ready (7:00 on Sun. and Thurs.)

10:00 Kids up, devos., shower, get ready; Breakfast (8:00 on Sun. and Thurs.), Dad up?

11:00 Chores, Dad up?

12:00 PM School

1:00 Clean up and fix lunch.

1:30 Lunch

2:30 Dad goes to work, School

4:30 Snack

7:30 Finish school and eat supper

8:30 Free time, homework, evening chores, and family time

11:00 Kids to bed (10:00 on Sat. and Wed.), Mom prepare for tomorrow

2:00 AM Mom to bed (1:00 AM on Sat. and Wed.)

3:00 Dad home and to bed (?)



We plan on getting/making some thick curtains for the kids' rooms to block out the early morning light.

Today was our first day trying this schedule. I just came up with it last night. It didn't go too bad, but the boys did get up too early. Hopefully, with time we'll all adjust.

So, what does your schedule look like?