Living in the Present

Can I be honest with you for a minute?  I'm a dreamer.  A planner.  I am almost always a step ahead of life, thinking about the next thing.  This is probably my least favorite thing about myself.  Now that I have this sweet family, I'm trying really hard to soak it all in.  We only get this chance once.  And it goes by far too quickly.  I've been thinking a lot about the fact that Jacob starts preschool next year.  He will probably only go for one or two half days, but I still can't believe he's there.  Wasn't I just swaddling him?  And my baby.  Sweet Grant.  He's walking everywhere, hardly crawling at all anymore.  I know for a fact I was just swaddling him!


We've been having more planned family time lately, and I am loving it.  We've always been family oriented, but we are really putting forth the extra effort these days.  With Wayne's crazy work schedule, teaching Sunday School, leading the preschool choir on Sunday and Wednesday nights (yes, they were obviously desperate when they let me lead this up a few months ago), tball on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and sometimes Saturdays and Sundays.  If we don't plan out the family time these days, I'm afraid it just won't happen.  I'm not talking about the normal afternoon and dinners at home kind of family time.  I mean really planning something out for the kids to enjoy.  Last Friday we rented a movie from Redbox, and we were going to really make a fun night of it with popcorn, pizza, and lots of fun.  Somehow, we didn't get around to it until last night.  :(  Life just gets the best of us sometimes.


One day I'm going to look back on this precious time and wonder where the time went.  I know that all too well.  Time tends to speed up times a hundred when you're raising children, doesn't it?

On another subject, similar but not identical, I'm working on contentment for the one hundredth time.  We bought our little home 5 years ago.  We bought it at a great price when the market was booming.  We had big plans.  God immediately started laughing at the plans WE were planning out!  We were going to live here for less than two years, and then get our forever home where we would bring our first child home to (and any others that may come along).  Fast forward five years, we are still here and have brought our two precious children home here.  I've spent countless hours with our Realtor thinking of moving, only to peacefully realize in the end that the Lord wants us here.  We prayed and prayed for God's will to be done.  The house we thought we really wanted fell through, and I was amazed at how much at peace I was.  God was protecting us.  From what, I don't know, but I know he was.  So, we are now riding the market out.  For how long, I have no clue.  


One thing I do know is I'm about to start redoing our home, one room at a time.  I find it quite challenging to see if I can make it beautiful for very little money.  Hehe.  I know, that's funny, right?  We shall see how it turns out.  The first step in this process is a switcharoo with the boys' rooms.  Jacob has a huge bedroom, so it's about to be a shared bedroom for the boys.  Grant's room is going to become the playroom.  All of the toys in one room....this gets me very excited!!


Here is a pillow sham I ordered from West Elm.

Sorry for the poor picture.  I'm using yellows, grays, whites and I'm hoping to find some sort of large airplane picture to hang.  I'm also making bed skirts and blankets for them both.  Lots of homemade things going in there!  I can't wait to show pictures of everything, and to have it done!


And that's the beginning of what's going to be a long process of lightening our home up.  I'm sick of looking at all of these dark colors!  :)  It will take a long time to get it all done though because we have to keep a balance.  I want our home to be our haven, but I want to enjoy the people who live here more.


Thanking the Lord tonight for all of his many blessings!