Summer Bucket List

Quite a few years ago I made a list of things we wanted to do in the Fall. I made a cute 12 x 12 poster with everything written down and would cross things off as we went. 

I haven't done that since, until this Summer. At the very beginning when things were exciting and there were so many possibilities I scribbled down some ideas on a scrap piece of paper. 

I found that piece of paper yesterday while cleaning up and this is what it included: 

 River    Camp    Berry picking    Stargazing    Campfire   
 Basketball    Volleyball    Small road trip    Birds of   Prey 
 Finish front room    Kitchen    Swimming    Sleepover
   Pizza & Movie     Make jam     Write letters    Zoo    Oregon    Roaring Springs    Date with each child   
      Date with Micheal     Garage sale  

I was surprised we had done so much! It has been a really fun summer! I'm looking forward to finishing off the list! 

Challenges!

I've posted about poetry and Shakespeare. I've posted about loving when it's hard. I've posted about reading the great books and parenting.

This is my post on getting myself back.

I looked in the mirror yesterday and I didn't really like what I saw.

I am 20 pounds heavier than ever in my life. 20 pounds!! How in the world?

I told myself no today. No to being so young and not being in shape. No to not exercising. No to that sweet treat. Actually I didn't even have to say no to that last one because my body just doesn't want it. It is high time to get back to where I was years ago. I am not comparing myself to anyone other than myself. I know what size and weight I felt great at and it's not what is currently on the scale!

So, here I am taking baby steps. 10 minutes of exercise is better than nothing. Getting back in the kitchen making whole foods is time consuming but so worth it. Even telling my kids no to sugar laden "snacks".

It's happening and I'm so ready!

Habits

 

For exactly 17 months I had no internet in my home. At first I was livid, astonished! Then I learned to actually enjoy it. I even had thoughts of never getting internet even when it became available. Ha! 

We have had internet for a few months now. It has sucked me right in with all it's charm and interesting sites.

I have a love/hate relationship with it. Maybe you can relate.

You see, I desire to be a woman who is a life long learner. I want to read the great books! I want to draw! Paint! Read poetry! Know things! UNDERSTAND things!

I have lost some of that vision. I remember a few years ago envisioning who I was going to be down the road. A strong, learned, grace filled woman. A woman who speaks softly. (If you're going to dream, go big!)  I want to have the strength to be that woman. I want to create habits in my life that help me become her and not have habits that distract and lead me in other directions.

I have been going to bed frustrated lately because I know I didn't use my time wisely. I got distracted. I was lazy. Justified my ways.

When I wake I pray for a good day. A day of greatness. A day filled with more of Jesus and less of me. More truth, goodness and beauty. Less of the meaningless, unimportant and quite honestly, ugly.

Today has been wonderful. I created beauty out of chaos by decorating for a women's brunch. I came home to light a candle, brew some coffee, and read. I have thought good thoughts. Repented of the bad.

I have vision again. I pray for the strength, balance and grace that will be needed to succeed. To be the woman I want to be. I pray for good habits. To say no to what I know will not produce life. To say yes, I can do hard things.

     "Every habit has its beginning. The beginning is the idea 

which comes with a stir and

 takes possession of us. "

Charlotte Mason

I am "stirred" to take hold of my choices and start making better habits. 

Lord, help me.

My 2016 Reading List

This is a shorter list than other years. But in all honesty I have never made a list. I usually have an idea of some books I want or need to read and then I read whatever the wind blows my way. 

This is where it's at right now, but I will add random books that come up on my radar that I just don't want to pass up or wait on. Like, Me Before You, so I can watch the movie this June!

Hoping more than anything that when I read I will also take notes and stay steady in my commonplace book. My kids saw me highlight yesterday, that's not a bad choice either.


Jane Eyre
Jayber Crow
The Great Divorce

The Screwtape Letters
Till We Have Faces  (re read)
The Count of Monte Cristo
Famous Men of Rome ( Read aloud with kids)
Augustus Caesar's World ( Read aloud with kids)
Bruchko
Consider This (re read)
Poems for a Happy Life
The Iliad and The Odyssey 
Understood Betsy ( with daughter)
A Long Walk to Water ( with kids) 
Wildflower
The Supper of the Lamb
The Orchardist 
Brooklyn 
Nazi Officer's Wife
Why I Wake Early



 Cheers to reading!

An attempt to write more

The last two years have given me ample time to read, read and read some more. Not having internet gave me a lot of free time and seeing as I'm not really into movies, reading seemed to take front stage. It was a lovely season of quiet, even though getting other things done like paying bills, communicating with others, etc, turned out to be a challenge.  Glad that's over! 

The last couple of years I have had a word come to mind as the New Year approached. It's been a good thing to dwell on that particular word and see how it helps me along. This year, I didn't get a specific word, rather a few resolutions. So traditional, I know. 

I want to drink more water. 
I want to work on having better posture. 
I want to write more. 

Priorities, people! We can't do it all. I know I can't, nor do I want to. Who wants the whole world on their shoulders. Not me! Let's leave that to the One who can truly handle it. 

But we can make the next best choice. Do the next best thing. And often times it seems like it's right there on the tip of your tongue, or welling up from your heart, or something that you can't stop thinking about. That's the thing you should pursue.  I hope we have all sorts of things we are growing in, but like I said before, some take front and center. Reading has been that for me the last few years as I have wanted to learn about more topics and found how joyful reading can be!

But this year, I want to write. I want to stretch myself in my writing as I have stretched myself in reading. Now I read a lot of light, fluffy books. Just look at my  pinterest page and you will see for yourself. But I try to have some books in there that are making me think, even if it's still *just a novel. ;) 

Writing, like reading, can be challenging, fun, a way to grow and learn, an expression of yourself. It can help get those thoughts out and organized which is why I feel the need to do it. I am a sometimes journaler. When I am pregnant or have just had a baby. When we have moved. When I have new ideas or just want to write down what we have done in school lately. But I am not consistent. I hope to be more consistent this year, and hopefully it will become a habit. 

So, here I am starting a new blog because apparently when you don't write on a blog for awhile it can get shut down? Not sure how that works, but I can't seem to get into the other blog. That's OK, I have new ideas that don't always revolve around photography, so it's a nice fresh start. 

My goals for writing:
Write more. 
Keep to my own voice.
Vocabulary.
Grammar.
Writing style.
Writing letters to loved ones.
Reading about writing. 
Just write. When I make mistakes, I can grow from them. If I don't write, I won't be making mistakes, but I won't be writing either. 


Here we go! 

Here's to more writing!