Help! My hubby spends all his time on....

No, I don't need help. BUT I got your attention. I'm writing this because lately I've heard a lot of women complaining that their husband spends all his time on the computer or he spends all his time watching football or all his time playing video games, or whatever his passion/interest is.

It seems like so many women feel alone or unloved because other things take their husbands time & attention. While this is a problem, think about how much time you spend on girl things like shopping, sewing, scrap booking, etc...Just like you, your husband needs to have some fun. He needs to have an outlet for his frustrations. Now, I know it shouldn't monopolize his time, but he should have time to do it!

When I was first married & we would do things with the people my hubby worked with, I was amazed
at the disdain the other wives had for the hobbies of their husbands. I decided then & there that I didn't want to be like these wives! These wives just hated that their husbands had hobbies. They sat & brewed over the fact they were on the computers & wasting their time yet in the same breath were talking about how much time they themselves spent shopping or scrapbooking or on their own hobbies. They showed no respect for their husbands & talked bad about them. When I dared to ask if they thought about gaming with their husbands, I almost got laughed out of the room. (BTW, I know at least 2 of these marriages have ended! Sad.)

That's when I decided to take an interest in what my hubby was interested in. He was/is a computer geek & spent a lot of time on the computer. So, I started asking him about the computers & asking him to teach me what he was doing. I started being interested in his hobbies. Now we can spend hours playing "Rock Band" or "StarCraft" together!

And NO, he doesn't take photos or garden with me (my hobbies), BUT I do get to spend quality time with him and it has made our relationship stronger. Plus, I think he likes bragging to his geek buddies about the fact that he can game with his wife! Oh, & don't tell him, but I actually like gaming with him now!!

No matter what your husbands hobby (computers/gaming/sports/hunting/running/biking/boating/etc) I issue this challenge to you: Do you know what your Husband likes to do for fun? Do you know what his hobby is? Do you do it with him? If your answer to any of these questions is no, then maybe it's time to find out & act! Who knows, you might be like me & actually enjoy his hobby!! Plus, you'll get to spend quality time with your hubby!!

Struggling with who I am...

I love my life. But sometimes, when I start looking around at my friends & family, I start struggling with who I am. I see moms who cook from scratch, who can their own food, who make their kids' clothes & think "I need to be doing that". I see a mom who is very frugal & think "I need to be that way". I see moms who have their child in every activity they can find & think "I need to get my kids in all those activities". I see families who are involved in other ministries & think "We need to do that too". I see families who are having weekly or even daily family time & think "We need to have family time like that". Then when my life, my hubby or myself don't match these "IDEAS" I get frustrated...

That's when I hear God whisper..."But I didn't make you to do all those things or to be like them. I made you Unique...I made you You!" When I embrace who God made me to be & embrace where I am at this stage of my life, I stop struggling. I see clearly my direction in life & recognize that my life is truly one of a kind.

While I appreciate & love all my friends, I can say, your life is not mine! And it's ok that I'm not like everyone else. I really never have been...It's time to embrace my life & stop struggling with who I am.

I'm a wife to a wonderful Hubby who loves me & treats me like a princess. Because he travels, our life is crazy. We have no schedule as some would see, but it works for us. We fit school in where we can - nights, afternoons, mornings, weekends & at home, on the road, in hotels.... We embrace the times when are with hubby & keep busy getting ahead when he is gone.

I have 3 wonderful kids. They are not like anyone else's! They walk to the beat of their own drums. They too are unique. Our school work will be taylored to their interests & my teaching style will be different than many others who homeschool.

I have fibromyalgia so my energy/time needs to be spent wisely. Shortcuts at meals & less external activities are the rule of thumb.

So, I am me! I do not have to be like the moms around me! I love all my friends but I'm not them. My life is radically different & I need to remember that! I need to embrace who God made me to be. I need to stop torturing myself when I do things differently or think differently. So who am I? I am me! I'm unique, I'm different & it's time I start being confident that God knows who He made me to be!

Homeschooling from a hotel room

As many of you know, we've been in Paducah, KY with Hubby as he's been here for work (training Nurses). It's been so nice to be with him. Living in a hotel room has been nice in some respects & challenging in others. We do have a 2 room suite so that helps but you still feel like you are on top of each other all the time. Makes me thankful for my house!

Even though we are at a hotel, we are still doing schoolwork. I brought a crate with our spelling, math, writing, phonics & other workbooks. I also brought a bunch of Halloween/Fall coloring & worksheets I printed out from various websites for fun! The kids have actually been pretty good about doing their schoolwork. In fact, David finished his Phonics K book & will be starting Phonics 1 when we get home! He's so excited!

We've had lots of PE class! Jamie swam from 1 end of the pool to the other for the first time. David has learned to swim underwater & Jessica is learning to swim also. We are so proud of them.

We also were able to take some field trips.

On Saturday we were able to go to the Paducah water front (Ohio & Tennessee Rivers). We also went to the Lloyd Tilghman Civil War Museum and the River Discovery Center. The kids loved going to these places & even Hubby & I learned some new things!

On Sunday, we went to Land Between the Lakes Federal Recreation Area. We visited the Homeplace, an 1850s working village. The kids learned about spinning wool, making tools & even got to pet some sheep. Then they got to dress up in period costumes! We also visited the Bison & Antelope prairie but did not spot any animals. We were all disappointed in that.

So, while schooling on the road is challenging in some respects, it has been a great learning experience. We have gotten to visit some places we wouldn't normally have went - Who goes to Paducah, KY on vacation? The kids have gotten lots of exercise - swimming almost every day. Most importantly, we've gotten to be together as a family for 2 weeks straight.

Pumpkin Day

Today was pumpkin day in our house. We had 6 pumpkins from my dad's garden which I needed to puree before they went bad. So I turned it into a learning opportunity.

So, we guessed which pumpkin weighed the most. Then we weighed them. They weighed 9 1/2 lbs, 9 lbs, 5 1/2 lbs, 5 lbs, 4 lbs & 3 1/2 lbs. Then the kids drew pictures of the pumpkins. Next we guessed which would have the most seeds. Then the fun began. I cut the pumpkins open & the kids took out the seeds. Later I counted all the seeds. We have a total of 2,861 seeds. The biggest pumpkin did not have the most seeds, the 2nd biggest one did.

Then my work began. I cut, peeled, cleaned, cooked, pureed & bagged the pumpkin. I also boiled the seeds & put them out to dry. Tomorrow we will roast them.  We got 28 cups of pumpkin puree. The kids were disappointed that I did not make something with the pumpkin tonight!

Praise

I've noticed my last few post have been complaint filled. So this one is one of praise! I'm just going to list reasons I have to praise God!
What I praise God for:
-for being God! The alpha, the omega, the beginning, the end.

-for forgiving me! I don't deserve His Love or His Grace! Yet He sent His Son to die for me so that I might live. So that my sins might be forgiven!

-for His creation! The plants, the flowers, the animals, the stars, the clouds, the moon, the sun, the trees, the bugs, the people!

-for creativity! How diverse yet so similar is our world! Only God could create a sky full of stars. A world of snowflakes with each one different!

-for my Hubby! God orchestrated my path & his path to collide. I couldn't have picked a better husband. I am truly blessed with a hubby who loves me, who spoils me, who protects me, who desires me, who loves me!

-for my kids! My oldest who is so logical & deep. She remembers everything she sees/hears. She looks at life through God! I pray she never loses that! My son who is so loving! He has such a tender heart yet he is all boy! He's not afraid to ask questions - such an inquisitive mind! My youngest who is full of gusto! She's full of joy & playfulness. She walks to the beat of her own drum!

-for my parents who showed me who Jesus was by living their faith. Always supportive & helping others. Always loving me no matter what I did or said. Encouraging me to seek God always!

-for my in-laws. No one could ask for better in-laws! Always there to support us & always loving us! I truly feel like I am their daughter!

-for my brother & sister-in-law. My brother is so smart & talented. He is an awesome example for my kids of what a diligent worker is! My sister-in-law is so loving & gives my kids an example of love in action! She loves God's creatures & encourages that in my kids!

-for a wonderful church & church family. I never dreamed we'd find a church that Teaches the Bible and is so friendly. They truly are family. They support us, they love us & our kids.

So this is just a little of what I praise God for! So what are you praising God for today?? I'd love to hear your praises!

From one health problem to another....

So, I finally got my blood pressure under control & now I'm dealing with a fissure! Ouch! I've been in pain most of the last 3 months... The last 3 weeks have been really bad and I have fibromyalgia & am used to dealing with pain...

I'm so tired of hurting & being sidelined by pain. Physically, I've had to deal with worse pain. BUT this time it seems harder. I know I'm being harder on myself. I'm so frustrated with the fact that I'm having trouble taking care of my hubby & kids. Mind you, they aren't complaining as my hubby has taken awesome care of me and my kids have pitched in & helped a lot. It's just that I know my purpose in life at this stage is to love God, love my husband, love my family & take care of them! I have a house to clean, laundry to do, meals to fix, yardwork to do, school to teach, hubby to be a wife to! ;-)

And the frustration at not being able to fulfill those duties has hit me hard. I know God has a reason for all this, but I can't see it right now. And that's where Satan has me... He used that to eat away at me & tell me I'm useless, worthless & too much of a bother. Why do I listen to him? I know he just wants to pull me away from God & to fill me with despair. Oh God, help me! comfort me, lift me up & help me to withstand the temptation to give in to the pain & despair.

From this moment on Lord, I praise You for this pain. I don't understand it, but I praise You for & in this pain. Use it! Use me! For Your ultimate Glory!! For I know that You love me & that You work all things for Good!!

Sidelined by health problems...

So, If you've followed me on twitter or Facebook, you know about my sudden onset of high blood pressure & headache while in Colorado. If not, here's the short version. Thursday I had the worst headache of my life & had Jeff take me to an urgent care center we were passing on way to airport to come home. I ended up in ER with Blood pressure of 212/142. After meds & CT Scan & Spinal Tap, my BP came down & I was sent on my way. Of course, we had missed our flights & ended up driving home the next day.

When I got home, I took my BP & it is up. I've not had Blood pressure problems outside of pregnancy, so now I am taking it easy (staying on the couch) until I get into see the doctor tomorrow.

Taking it easy is the hardest thing in the world when my house needs cleaned, my kids need taken care of, my hubby needs taken care of & meals need fixed. It is so hard to stay down & let hubby take care of me. BUT I know I need to until we figure out why my blood pressure is up & we get it under control. WHy is it so hard for a wife/mom to take care of ourselves? Why do we feel guilty when we need to take it easy to be healthy for our families? Just a few of the questions I'm pondering while stuck here on the couch...

It's all in God's Timing!

I'm reminded today that Life is fleeting & only God knows the time we have here on this earth. My brother's friend & business partner, Daniel Beeker, died Sat. night in a motorcycle accident. Little did anyone know that this ride would be his last. In an instant, the life of his wife totally changed and his 2 girls lost their daddy.

Please, live life to the fullest! Enjoy those you love for you don't know how long they will be with you or how long you will be with them. Don't let petty differences go unresolved. And get your life right with God! When your life is done here on this earth, do you know where you will go? If you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins & rose again, and confess your sins, and confess Jesus as Lord & Savior of your life, then you will be saved. It's that simple.

My thoughts & prayers are with Daniel's family and friends during this most difficult of times. Now I'm gonna go hug my hubby & kids just a little bit longer & tighter than normal.

Do you ever feel like your stuck??

This is how I feel lately. I'm trying to get healthier, we're trying to get financially healthier, but seems like we are stuck in the mud. Let me see if I can explain what I mean.

Let me start with finances. I'm a stay at home mom & hubby is a traveling trainer. He makes fairly good money. But we are in debt. A lot of it is accumulated from when I got sick & had to stop working and we didn't change our lifestyle. Some of it is from taking a loss on our house to get out of a very bad neighborhood. Some of it is from getting loans to cover an IRS debt from when hubby was self-employed. Some of it is school loans. Anyway, we are in debt. Plus we are behind on some bills still due to hubby being laid off for awhile in 2006.

So, we've read Dave Ramsey & other finance stuff & we are trying to change our ways. But the reason I feel stuck is because when you are behind, it is so hard to get caught up enough where you have extra to start saving & start paying down the debt. So the vicious cycle continues. Plus with hubby traveling constantly we have to use whatever extra we have to keep him traveling (he has to pay hotel, car & meals up front, then get reimbursed 2-3 weeks later).

Another place I've felt stuck is getting healthy. I have fibromyalgia & am overweight. I want to lose the weight & am just very slowly. I'd love to be able to walk a lot to help me lose the weight. BUT, I'm with the kids on my own most of the time so can't really exercise the way I'd like. I also have lots of bad days that make it hard to consistently exercise. I could go to a gym with child care & do water aerobics, but finances prevents that one.

I'm also trying to eat healthier, but face it, less healthy food is cheaper! It's also easier to fix on those days when I'm not feeling the best.

So, I'm feeling stuck. I know it will work out. I know God will provide. But Right now, I'm only seeing the sides of the pit I'm in. Time to dig into God's Word & readjust my vision so I can see the Hand reaching into the pit to pull me up. So many times I stop looking up & start looking at myself to solve all these problems. Or I start listening to the voices of the world telling me to blame my hubby, to blame God & to give up. And some times, I just like wallowing in self-pity!

So there you have it - the good (admiting I need to turn to God), the bad (our financial woes & my health problems) & the ugly (my self centeredness!).

Decluttering!

So, if you've been following me on Twitter, you seen me talk about the "Great Toy Purge of '09". This is part of my effort to declutter. It's been a struggle over the past 2 days to go through & get rid of toys. The hardest day is today as we are sorting through & eliminating over half our stuffed animal collection. I have to admit, that half the animals are mine. So I need to let go of them. Different ones have different memories tied to them. I have made the choice to let go of most of them. I am allowing myself to keep 2 or 3 of them. I keep telling myself that even if I let go of the animals, I don't have to let go of the memories. Memories of my Papaw, of all the caring people who saw me in the hospital when I was 7 & couldn't walk, & of other special times in my life.

Enough talking....back to decluttering!!

Uniquely Us Podcast is on the web!!

Jeff & I decided months ago to start a homeschooling podcast. Now it is a reality! We have 2 episodes online already. Our podcast is called "Uniquely Us Homeschool Podcast". We talk about what homeschooling is & how to get started in our first episode. In our second episode we talk about different kinds of curriculum & then about what we use.

You can find our podcast several ways.
-On I-tunes, just search homeschool & ours is called "Uniquely Us Podcast"
-visit our site at http://uniquelyuspodcast.wordpress.com/
-visit our site at http://uniquelyuspodcast.libsyn.com/
-or you can just use the rss feed to subscribe http://uniquelyuspodcast.libsyn.com/rss

Check it out & give us feedback at the wordpress site or email us at uniquelyuspodcast@gmail.com. We hope you enjoy our podcast!

Tuesdays of Praise

A friend from my church declared on her blog today that we need to make Tuesdays a day of Praise to our God & creator! So, I'm taking her up on the challenge.

Father God, I praise You for who You are. You are the creator of every thing! You are the Alpha & Omega, the beginning & the end. You made me! You poured out Your love for me by sending Your Son to die for me. You have heaped blessing upon blessing on me. You've provided for us when Jeff was without work. You've carried me through so many times when I didn't feel I could go on. Shine in me! Work through me so others may see that You are God! That You are the Provider, the Great Physician, the Rock of Salvation!!


As you go through your day, offer up a prayer of Praise!

Thoughts on Homeschool Conference

Jeff & I attended the Midwest Homeschool Conference this weekend (http://www.cincinnatihomeschoolconvention.com/). So I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts about it.

1. We volunteered & worked on Thursday from 2-8pm. I couldn't believe how the time flew. We manned the door to the exhibit hall & directed traffic. It was so much fun. I loved talking to all the vendors & even some of the homeschoolers. Annie, the daughter of the organizers of the convention, was a delight to talk to during the day and she kept me up on what was going on elsewhere around the convention area.

2. I didn't really learn anything new, but got affirmation of some things God has been trying to teach me. The biggest being that I am unique as is my family and therefore how we educate our kids will look different than how others do it. I am finally starting to feel confident that we are doing what God wants us to do. I know we are on the right track & can move forward in planning our next school year.

3. Once again I am reminded of what wonderful parents both Jeff & I have. We were able to attend the convention without our kids & be able to recharge. So many other parents don't have that luxury & had to bring their kids with them. I'm so thankful for our parents.

4. Another thing I was reminded of is to remember to make learning fun. It's ok to laugh & enjoy learning. I don't have to "do school" at home. I just need to let my kids experience that learning is fun & it is a lifetime ambition.

One last thing even though it doesn't have to do with the conference exactly. I am amazed at how God has brought friends into our lives that we wouldn't have met normally. They live in Cincy area and we met them online because of a podcast they do. They love the Lord, they have the same interests we do & have kids roughly the same ages as ours. We got to visit with them on Friday night after the conference & sit in on a podcast they were doing. It was so much fun & we had a great visit. Check them out at http://gspn.tv/

I think that's all my ramblings for now. Until next time, remember that you are Uniquely & Wonderfully made by a Creator who loves you!

God is Good!

We had a wonderful retreat this weekend. I was amazed once again at how God worked everything out. Each of the testimonies flowed seamlessly into each other even though we had not even talked about them to each other. My testimony seemed to go good. I can't tell you what I said completely which is why I videotaped it. But based on the comments, I know God used me! And that humbles me completely. That God would use a broken vessel like me is beyond my comprehension!

I came away from the retreat with God's faithfulness ringing in my ears. Also, it is very evident that God will use whatever circumstances we are in to bring glory to Himself. Whether it is physical pain, emotional pain or Spiritual pain, God can & will turn it into something good if only we let Him!

Things I'm Learning

I hope that I never stop learning. So here are some things I'm learning now in my life.

1. I need balance in my life. The only way I can have that is if I spend time daily with my Savior! When my life is centered on Jesus Christ, only then can the rest of my world be balanced! When I neglect my time with Jesus, then my whole day is off. It is such a simple thing to spend a little time in prayer, Bible study & praise, yet it has often been the lowest priority of my life.

2. Fear will continue to rule my life until I come to the point that I trust God. Period. I need to trust Him with everything & leave the outcome to Him. When I say "I believe God will take care of me but what if ______ happens? I'd just die or I don't know what I'd do." then I'm putting conditions on God & Satan is going to use that as a constant threat. Instead, I need to say "I trust God." then now matter what happens, I know God is Faithful and will work it out for good. I don't have to dwell on the what Ifs. We will never be in a situation where God will not offer us His courage! As Beth Moore says "Courage is not the absence of fear, but the judgement that there is something much more important than that fear." TRUST!

3. I've got to be me! I need to stop worrying about what other people think about me or think I should be doing. God made me unique! As long as I am following His plan for me, then I am being who & what I am to be. I may not please everyone, but then neither did Jesus. When I worry about what others think to the point it is affecting what I do, then I'm obsessing on myself! So, I'm unique! My marriage will be unique. My kids will be unique! The way we do school will be unique! And that's ok. I don't have to be like everyone else. Besides, if I was, this would be a boring life!

4. When God asks you to step up & give your testimony, the enemy is going to attack. On March 21st, I am giving my testimony on dealing with chronic pain & depression to the women of my church at our spring retreat. I didn't want to do it. I didn't volunteer at first, but felt God impressing on me to step up. Now as the date approaches, I feel under the attack. Satan has been trying to discourage me. Some of it mental (no one wants to hear your story, you can't talk in front of 50+ women, etc...) and some of it is physical (I've been fighting headaches, neck pain, insomnia, body aches, depression). BUT God will see me through! I just have to trust. So I push through knowing that God will be praised & maybe He will use me to help someone else.

5. The one thing I've hated (CHANGE) is actually happening in my life & I'm growing to love it. I hate change! We all do. Whether it's a job change, a location change, a loss of someone, or just a routine change, we just don't like it. We want stability. We want everything to stay the same so we can cope. I'm finding that the only stability in my life is Jesus! He is my rock! My whole world may be changing, but Jesus never changes! So as things change around me like my kids growing up, my hubby traveling a lot to different places sometimes at last minute, my family changing as my Mamaw ages & her health deteriorates, My body changing as I age & slowly go gray, I know that God will never change & He has a hold of me & I can just go along for the ride....singing His praises all the way!

So, this is just a little of what I'm learning! I hope I keep growing & learning & enjoying life!

Teachable Moments

I've been thinking recently about why I homeschool. There are all the standard answers: better education, Biblical education, school work tailored to the way my children learn, my daughter's severe peanut allergy, etc. While those are all reasons why we homeschool, there is one that stands out to me.

I homeschool because it gives me more "teachable moments" with my kids. Life is our classroom. My kids ask questions & we can go research them right way instead of waiting till the curriculum allows. We watch a tv show & then we can talk about it & research things that need to be researched. When we are out & see a child misbehaving, we can talk about it. Every moment of the day is a possible learning opportunity. I have all day to see those teachable moments & use them. If I sent them off to school, I'd loose 6 hours of teachable time while they were in school.

Our theme verse for our homeschooling is:

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (New International Version)

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

So, not only am I teaching my children reading, writing, spelling, math, etc., I am also teaching them about Jesus! I am able to give them a Biblical worldview about every moment in life. With each & every question they ask, we can see how it relates to God. And really, isn't this what life is about?

Stepping out of our comfort zones

It seems like lately that God has really been stretching and growing me. Several things have popped up recently that have pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Talking in front of a group is not my idea of a fun time. But That is what I am doing in March at the Spring Women's Retreat at my church. Our theme is "When Life Gives You Lemons..." It was decided at a recent retreat planning meeting, that we would structure the retreat around 5 or 6 testimonies from ladies who have had tough circumstances. I sat through the whole meeting and didn't say too much, but in my head, I was having a battle with God. "I'm not going to volunteer to speak. No one would want to hear my story. It's not a radical conversion story or a turning from drugs or the like" was some of the thoughts running through my mind. BUT God (You got to love those words) wasn't going to let me get out of there without throwing my name on the list. He gently reminded me that my story is one of His faithfulness and Goodness.

So I am now working on putting together my testimony of how God has walked with me through depression, chronic pain and a myrid of health problems. There were times when I couldn't see the "Good" that would come from all this, but God always worked it out for His good and I wouldn't trade those bad times for anything. Through each bad time, I learned more about God and was changed for the better. So I am being obedient and stepping out of my comfort zone and will be sharing in front of 30 or more ladies. Pray for me...

Another way I have been pushed out of my comfort zone just happened this week. Not only am I not good in front of groups, I'm not real good with meeting new people. I lack self-confidence. Normally when I know I am going to be put in a situation with people I don't know, I get very nervous and withdrawn. On Wednesday, my hubby and I met some new friends from the GSPN.TV community for supper and then a Lost viewing party. I am just praising God that I was calm and relaxed during it. I even had a great time. I met a lot of great people who'd I'd normally never have met as none of them live in the same city/state that we do.

SO I'm learning that sometimes God leads us out of our comfort zones. But when He does, He will be with us. And you never know, you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it!

A clean slate...

As I go to bed tonight, I am facing a new day tomorrow. A fresh clean slate lays before me. Not only are my sins forgiven & forgotten, but God has extended His Grace to me once again. So, tomorrow is a new day & here are the things I'm looking forward to changing with God's help:

1. Eating healthier - I am cleaning out my kitchen & purging it of all the junk food (brownies, fudge, cookies) so I can eat better & feel better.
2. Exercising - I want to be more fit so I can feel better & lose weight.
3. Educating my kids - I am looking forward to starting school tomorrow and challenging my kids to learn as much as they can.
4. Emotional stability - I am resolved to trust God & not my emotions. As I exercise, eat better & do what needs to be done, I truly believe my body will become more emotionally stable.
5. Consistancy - I want to be more consistant with my kids in discipline, in schedule, in time spent with them. I want to be more consistant with my time with God. I want to be more consistant in my attitude & my life as a whole.
6. Transparency - I want to be real. I want to not put up a fascade. I want everyone to see the real me. It may be hard, it may not be pretty, but at least I'll be real!

I'll let you know how I'm doing...Tomorrow the clean slate begins....