Just for Fun!

Guess what I did last night!!  We got free tickets to The Legends in Concert.  The performers were Little Richard, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Alan Jackson, and ELVIS! 

Sometimes I feel like my life is like a Sienfeld episode......the strangest things happen to me I tell you what....there I was minding my own business and.......eye contact from Elvis......then he motioned for me ...and well.....

and then...

So this middle aged, homeschoolin' soccer mamma got a kiss from Elvis on a Monday night......  Now tell me-who can top THAT?!  :)

Mid Life Crisis......or Mid Life CHRIST-Follower?

I don't know when it hit me.......Maybe it was.....
--When I got the invitation this past June to my TWENTY year high school reunion 
--When I realized that I was the OLDEST person at work (out of 30+ people)
--When the guy who led my zipline tour told me he was born in 1991 (when I was in COLLEGE)

At any rate, I must confess that I never used to understand people making such a big deal about getting older.  I have realized lately that it really has been bothering me.  So this led me to ask myself WHY.  Why am I so hung up about getting older and reaching that "brick wall" (aka....40)?

I am very happily married and am loving being a Mamma bear to my kiddos.  I love where I live and love my job....so it can't be due to any "unaccomplished dreams or what ifs"  I realized that, if I'm honest......really honest with  myself (which unfortunately doesn't happen very often----all too often life crowds out such tedious inward reflections) it is because I love this life a little too  much. 

I have been very convicted lately about this.  As Christians, this world is not our home.  This life is not to be lived for our glory -- our accomplishments--our satisfaction.  Am I really living this life for God's glory?  Do my decisions and how I daily spend my time really reflect that I am a Christ-Follower?  Or have I been living as a Kate-Follower?

Oh Lord, please help me live wholeheartedly for YOU and YOUR glory--not my own.  Please help me to realize that every wrinkle, every year, every gray hair is only evidence of the fact that I'm mortal......that this life is fleeting......that you have me here NOW at this age for a reason.  There is more value in that than in any vain treasure of youth.

My Favorite New Planner

I'm so excited about my favorite new planner that I had to share.  I know I have a lot of fellow Mammas who, like me, have struggled to find a good, all inclusive, planner.  Look no further! 

I found this planner at a recent homeschool conference.  The first thing that jumped out at me and screamed, "BUY ME...I'm the ONE for which you've been earnestly searching." was how darn pretty the cover is!  I love pretty things.  In fact...I must confess here that I've been coveting some more experienced blogger's super pretty blog pages.  Oh my my...they are so much more fun to read when they are PRETTY.  But.. I digress.

The website is full of great ideas, additional planners, as well as a magazine (they let you have a free trial issue).  They also have a fabulous blog.

When I find a treasure, I like to pass it on.  I hope you enjoy this resource as much as I do!

Now,  if I could just get a workable cleaning schedule that appropriately incorporates my kiddos in a good portion of the work.......maybe a future blog post!

Homeschool Scheduling and Planning.....

If you're like me, you're always looking for new and streamlined ways to get and STAY organized when it comes to homeschooling scheduling.  My friend and I joke that our main "homework" for every year is writing and rewriting a workable daily schedule.

Last year, I created a daily assigment chart that worked well for me.  I put it in front of my kids every day so that they knew what was expected of them.  Feel free to change and tweak this to fit your needs.

I hope it helps!

Carefree!

Do you remember when all it took to right your world was a good swing with a good strong push to get you going?




I was reminded of this when my daughter asked me to just give her one good push and she could take care of the rest.

What fun she had that day! She was so engrossed in her utter enjoyment that she was blissfully unaware of my tedious attempts to get just the right shot.

It was such a beautiful sight watching how carefree she was that it got me thinking about how long it's been since I've felt that way. It had me reminiscing about the quintessential childhood memories that have become hallmarks of the happy parts of my childhood. Some things that I remember but haven't given voice or true thought to probably since the early 80's are...

• sitting in the hollow of an old willow tree at Grandma's cottage looking out at the lake

• hanging old towels out to dry on a clothesline that she hung just for me

• hunting for night crawlers and putting them on a hook to fish for blue gill

• riding my bike with the banana seat and practicing the whole "no hands" trick

• the sound of the squeaky screen door off the porch at Grandma's lakeside cottage

• helping Great Grandma "Nanny" bake her pecan rolls

• Thanksgiving time--when there was no work--just eating

• Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings!

• laughing and laughing with my 8 brothers and sisters

• our parents trying to outsmart us by suggesting a "quiet contest"

• making clover chain "jewelry"

• swinging so high without a care in the world--even if for just a moment

The real question is... can we still capture that carefree spirit and live it out as we kiss those boo boos, scrub the grates on the stove, be patient and loving to our husbands, and sit down to that ever growing stack of bills?

Of course the answer is yes! When I watch my daughter, her carefree spirit is born out of a trust in me. She knows that I will be there if she needs an extra push. I'll be there to slow her down if she starts to go too high. I'll be there to straighten her out if she starts to veer off onto a dangerous and crooked path. And finally, I would never have allowed her to be on this "ride" or this swing if I hadn't first inspected it and deemed it safe for her adventures.

It's the same with our Heavenly Father. He loves us so much more than we even love our children. He would not allow us to be walking the path that we're on if He had not already ordained it for us. He is always there to push us into obedience or selflessness, gently chiding us when necessary. He is always there to make our paths straight as we trust in Him with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding of our current circumstances (Proverbs 3:5-6). He is always there to slow us down as we get to out of control and too busy with the unimportant. He is there to gently remind us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

We are all in different seasons of our lives right now. Some of us are so busy we have a hard time even taking the time to remember what it felt to be truly carefree in spirit. Some of us are going through such intense heartbreak and fear that we don't know if we'll ever see a day when our lives would ever be defined by such a frivolous word. Some are experiencing a season of loneliness. Whatever the season--it's all for a reason! A divine reason purposed for us by a loving and CARING God. He cares so much for us that He wants us to cast all of our cares on Him (I Peter 5:7) so that we, like my daughter, Lily, can truly be CAREFREE.

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11