The Silver Lining

Saturday, November 5, 2011

30 Days of Thankfulness days 3 and 4

Told ya i would forget to post something every day :-) Not because i'm not thankful, lol, just because i am very forgetful AND very busy right now.

So, anyway, today i got to spend a whole day...from 8 am to 6 pm...with my oldest daughter. I don't get to spend a whole lot of special time with her anymore, so when we made plans to go shopping today, i was very happy to have her all to myself.

Erin and her yournger sister Rai

Erin is the oldest of my three kids. Because of that, she is the one who her dad and i kind of "practiced" on in order to get parenting right. Not really like that, but you know what i mean.

Erin is kind and generous and sweet. She is easy to talk to, and likes to talk alot. She is funny and bright and charming. She is way more organized that i could ever hope to be, and there is a big part of her who reminds me of my older sister, who she is named after. I have watched Erin go through some stormy times and get frustrated and depressed, but she always manages to bounce back. I love this child of mine so much and am so thankful that the Lord gave her to me. She is a joy to me and i am so proud of the woman she is becoming.

Today i am thankful that i have been blessed with Erin and that she still loves spending time with her mom :-)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

30 Days of Thankfulness, Day 1 &2

It's been a long time since i've written anything, but my friend's daughter is hosting a "30 days of thankfulness" challenge on Facebook, and , since my blog is focused on seeking the silver lining in all things, i figured joining this challenge would help me to do just that. Since i'm joining a day late, i will use this post for both days 1 and 2. Hopefully i will remember to post something every day or two duriing this challenge :-)

I have been really out of it lately. Like, really down in the dumps, poor me, kind of down. It was really getting on my nerves that i couldn't talk myself out of this dumpy feeling like i usually can. I gave into the feeling for a while, which is NEVER a good thing to do. But, i didn't know how to control the feeling or the situation that was bringing me down.
Then it dawned on me last night--I don't have to control it.....in fact, i can't. Duh, How could i forget that whenever I try to control a situation, or my feelings, i utterly fail. I make a mess out of it. I wind up acting like the kind of person i do not want to be. So, what can i do? I can put my focus back where it belongs....on the Lord! Read His word! And, talk to my Creator and my Savior. He has all the Answers. Even if the answer is just "wait it out and have faith", which is not always easy.

So, today, i am thankful for the Hope that i have in Jesus Christ. He helps me remember that this life and the trials that come with it are just practice. Real life begins the moment we wake up in Heaven, in His presence. Thank God that I have an instruction manual on how to get through hard times! Thank God that i have a Heavenly Father who is always with me and will never forget me...even when i forget how to follow His instructions and forget i can lean on Him. Problems will always be with me...always. It will never be perfect here in this life. Someone will always hurt me. So, thank God that i have hope in the Lord! And, most important for me right now, I am thankful that i am loved, and loved unconditionally, by the One who created the whole universe...and me. He has a plan for me...I know that his plan is perfect for me...i don't know what it is, but i have hope because i believe that nomatter what is going on now, it will all work together for good...because i love the Lord.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I am thankful for Hope.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Daybook for the week of September 18, 2011

______________________________

FOR TODAY September 19, 2011

Outside my window...Dark and chilly. It's been nice and chilly here lately. Not too cold, not too hot. We had the windows open for a couple days, but today it was too warm. I am looking forward to consistent chilly days--not cold days, but chilly enough for long sleeves and/or a jacket.

I am thinking... that since my gym membership is over, i really want to start jogging in the morning or evening to get back into shape. I hope i have the motivation to do this.

I am thankful...That Rachel really, really likes high school...still, after almost a month, she still like it. This makes me so happy for her. AND, Matt loves it too! It is so nice to see them both enjoying their days. They both got involved with the fall play...Matt got a lead part and will be playing the part of Hook and Mr. Darling (Peter Pan) and Rachel made it in as an indian (which is not easy as a freshman). I love their excitement :-)

From the learning rooms...Well, this no longer applies to homeschooling (which i am actually glad about), but for my college classes it does. I have a Spanish class, which i can not stand (the reason why i will leave for another post) and a Technical Writing class, which i knew i would not like because it is a very hard class that requires a LOT of writing...the kind of writing where i have to make sure that every single word and every single sentence and every single paragraph are all perfect. Starting in October, i will also add a Human Communications class for eight weeks. This is a sixteen week course that is smooshed into eight weeks, so i'm pretty sure that i will be very busy for the rest of the semester once this class starts. But, all in all, i am ok with the classes i have and am happy to say that they are the last classes i have to take! Next semester is my internship and then i will be graduating...which i can say i'm a little nervous about (but i'll save that for another post).

In the kitchen...Last night i made a banging chicken soup with matzo balls that were nowhere near as good as my mother-in-law's, but were good enough. Today i didn't cook (unless you can count cheese fries and raw broccoli as cooking) because only rai and i were home for dinner and that is what she wanted. Tomorrow is a school day and i may throw something in the crock-pot...i am still on a mission to put something in that crock-pot that rai does not hate, lol.

I am wearing...p.j's. Today was a lazy day that pretty much included me changing from one pair of pj's into another pair. That was the extent of my excersise for the day. Tomorrow, i will get back to exercising, lol.

I am creating...um...let's see...i guess the only thing i am creating is a couple of hopefully perfect tech writing papers. And a tidy house. A couple good dinners. That's about all i can think of...i am not very creative.

I am going...to the doctor with Erin tomorrow to help her get some answers about some back and joint pain she has been struggling with. Then i am going to run some errands and go to school. I don't really know if i'm going anywhere for the rest of the week...shopping maybe :-)

I am wondering...what i should do with the rest of my boring week, lol.

I am reading...English Tech book for school and a book titled "Uglies" for leisure. It's a young adult fiction that i took off Erin's book-shelf one day, and it's actually a pretty good book. Once i pay my fines at the library, lol, i will pick up some Ted Dekker books to read.

I am hoping...that i really will be motivated enough to get up early and start a jogging program.

I am looking forward to...going to school tomorrow....i really do look forward to getting out and having some Michele-time once a week (twice, once my other class starts). Oh, i just remembered, i have an honor society meeting on Thursday, so that's something else i can do this week :-)

I am hearing...actually, the house is quiet. The fan is on, but i hear the crickets outside. And Rai is humming while she gets ready for bed.

Around the house...Didn't really do any house projects this week, BUT, i did fix Erin's bike. It took a couple of days and two trips to the bike shop--once for advice and then to get them to take the back tire off the bike because i had stripped the nut and had the tube replaced. But the rest of it was all me. I fixed the front tire, put air in it, broke the brakes while trying to put the front tire back on (that i didn't realize i had broken until the front tire WAS back on, lol) took the tire back off, fixed the brakes i had broken, put the tire back on...and WHALA--just like that-- the bike was fixed. yeah, it may have taken me two days to do a job that would have taken Steve like twenty minutes, but i learned something and fixed something..and that felt good :-) I don't like having to wait for someone else to do something, so i am trying to learn to do things on my own...it may take a while, but at least it's getting done, lol.

I am pondering...nothing, lol

One of my favorite things...being self-sufficient

A few plans for the rest of the week: see above

Here is picture thought I am sharing... I missed my Neice's wedding because it was just too expensive to travel for the third time this summer. I cried when i saw the pictures because i really, really wanted to be there and support my cousin Beth and her beautiful daughter. She made a lovely bride, which did not surprise me. She has turned into one wonderful young lady who i'm sure will make a lovely wife. So, here is my picture thought this week...wish i could have been there:

Jen and Wes

My cousins Beth and Mike--Bride's parents

My daddy dancing with the bride

My sister and brother-in-law

My mom and dad

Monday, August 1, 2011

Daybook for the Week of July 31, 2011

FOR TODAY July 31, 2011
Outside my window...dark, starry, warm, summer night :-) It was a very warm day with a slight breeze here and there. I spent the day washing my car inside and out. It looks great and i actually enjoyed the warm day. It took me two hours (it was very dirty, especially the inside) and by the time i was done, i was drenched in sweat!

I am thinking... I can't believe that summer is more than half-way over. I'm not ready for it to end yet.

I am thankful...that i still have three more weeks of summer left before the school year starts again.

From the learning rooms...well, rai and i need to brush up this week on some things that she may have forgotten over the summer because she has an entrance test to take on august ninth that we need to prepare for...i pray that she does well so there are no problems with her high school entrance. Once that is done, all the home-school books can be sold or given away :( maybe we can sell them for enough money to buy the Kitchen Aide machine that Steve and I would like to have ;) or for the Wii fit that i would like to have :0) Either way, it is an end of an era, one that i do not regret but am ready to say good-bye to.

In the kitchen...i haven't done much cooking since i came home on Wednesday from our three week vacation in florida. The pantry and fridge were empty, so i had to do some shopping...i made meat sauce today for dinner and crab-cakes and shrimp for dinner the other night. I do want to do some baking so we have some muchies in the house :-)

I am wearing...black jeans, brown tank top, black belt...time to get the jammies on soon.

I am creating...nothing...but i do want to start creating scrap-books from the old pictures i have of the kids growing-up years...maybe i should start that little project while i still have three weeks of summer left...time flies, however, and i never get the things done that i plan on doing...

I am going...tomorrowi am taking matt to the eye doctor and then i am taking the kids to see the new Harry Potter movie. Tuesday i have a doctors appointment, after that, i'm not sure if i actually have anywhere else to go....i do want to go to BB's ( a grocery store in PA that has great prices) sometime this week.

I am wondering...if my financial aid for this semester of college has come in yet, and if it will cover all my classes. I'm also wondering if i should switch some of my classes around because i accidentally reserved a vacation rental for Steve and I in Atlantic City for our 25th anniversary on the same days as my first week of classes...duh..

I am reading...Insomnia, by Stephen King...which i have been reading off and on for over a month..i'm thinking about getting some new Ted Dekker books out of the library for some more interesting summer reading...oh, speaking of summer reading, i have to go to the book store to purchase the summer reading book that my kids are supposed to be reading this summer...i really should get it to them before school starts, lol...maybe we will bring back read-aloud-together nights for the next couple weeks so they both can read (or listen to) the book together. Who ever heard of the book "Marcello in the Real World"? I did go to three different book stores in Florida and none of them had the book in stock!

I am hoping...That i will be able to get a nice, part-time job soon...one that will allow me to be home when the kids are home and still give me enough time to do well in school...i am really looking forward to entering the work-world again :) AND bringing home some "bacon" lol

I am looking forward to...contributing to the finances of the family!

I am hearing...the t.v. ...as usual at this time of night, the fan, erin talking to her boyfriend.

Around the house...spent the past couple of days doing some semi-deep cleaning. I still need to finish the spring-cleaning, lol. Windows need to get done, walls need to be wiped down, doors should be scrubbed, floors should be mopped, laundry room needs a big scrubbing and organizing, bathroom needs to get painted, my bedroom needs a deep clean--I better get a move on it! After spending weeks at my mom's VERY clean house, i have an urge to get mine to look the same...thanks mommy! lol

I am pondering...um...let's see....let me think...*stares of into space for a bit*....nothing, ha-ha-ha :-) *thinks a bit more*.....Oh, yeah, i have been pondering about finding a new church to go to in my area...my old one is just not my "fit" anymore, and, after spending weeks at my mom and dad's house, i have an urge to find a church that i will want to attend every week...not one i only go to out of guilt, but one i look forward to going to again....thanks daddy! lol

One of my favorite things...Sundays used to be one of my favorite things...and i really do want to get back to that...having a church family that feels like family, getting involved, worshipping the Lord, hearing the word of God...really is one of my favorite things. Unfortunately, one of my least favorite things is change, and new things, and being the "new kid on the block". I need to get over it and just take a step. wow, i guess i really have been pondering :-)

A few plans for the rest of the week: Enjoying summer, getting spring cleaning done, doing projects i have put off (?), sitting in the sun and reading a book...ect.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing... Scenes from Florida, Family, and Fun: