Almost the end

of January!  Today, the 30th, and 31st.  Did you make any New Years Resolutions?  Have you broken any of them?

I've never been keen on making a long list of desires to accomplish.  This year, I kind of mentally decided to pick a new thing the first of every month to work on.  Would continue the ones from the previous month as well.  January, I've bitten the reading bug.  Five books since the first.  I started another and it was an utter chore to read.  As I've been getting a lot of recommendations, I scrapped number 5 and moved to 6.  Here is what I've read so far:

1. Wonder
2. Book Thief
3. The Giver
4. The Snow Child
5. Walking by Thoreau (book I scrapped)
6. Counting by 7s

So far I have enjoyed all but Walking so far.  Counting by 7s took a bit to get into but it did grip me about 2/3 of the way.  Probably read that far "waiting" for the "I want to see how this ends" feeling.  Still need to pick a new book, but may wait a day to catch up on other things.

As for February, I am not sure what I want to make a habit of.  It might just be a tweaking of my desire to get fit.  Bought a Fitbit a few days ago.  That has been surprisingly motivating.  Need to add strengthening to the walking and water aspect though.  Snow removal has a way of introducing muscles that haven't been used in awhile.  Will see how that goes.  But have also been mulling over more drawing, coloring, crafting and the like.  I am surprised at how much I've missed it the last few years. It had taken a back seat to life and I am enjoying the process of finding things to do, to create, and even designing things.

Guess another resolution would be to come back here, more often, to note the "Joy in the Ordinary".  Had seen something with those words on it, in December, and it stuck wit me.  Most days, I am looking for the little things and finding the joy in it.  Since the our last birthday celebration, here are some of the things that have brought joy:

This is what the sky has been like, on occasion.  Beautiful!!

• sunlight reflecting off of fresh snow
• neighbors, who pitch in to get a job done
• hot tea
• time to wander Micheal's
• friends
• reading
• not loosing electricity
• fitbit
• easy meals to prepare
• time to put feet up

A New Teen and Being Content

Our second born turned 13 today.  Both kids are now teenagers.  Introductions into an all teen house, has been mostly peaceful and easy; at least so far.  By no stretch of the imagination, do I expect this to last, but am enjoying the newness while it lasts. 

During cake and ice cream, this evening, I was reminded of a conversation with my mom, almost 13 years ago.  She'd asked something about how life was going with two kids.  We were in the middle of dinner.  Simon, Kevin, and I were at the table, while Ian was sleeping in the port-a-crib we moved into the dining room.  Everything felt right, it was where we were suppose to be, our family was complete.  The flash back to that moment, felt real again and very similar to that moment in time.  Everything was as it should be.  The good, the bad, the easy, the hard; it all was part of our lives.

Anyway, backing up to other parts of the day, we managed to pull off an outdoor party, in freezing weather.  I'm not normally one to have parties, in the middle of the week.  Our boys are in 10th and 7th and we need that time for school.  Weather forecast are predicting a lot of snow this coming weekend and I just didn't want to have to rearrange a party last minute.  So we plugged forward.  Ian and four of his friends hung out, played on an empty play ground, played in the woods, and played football.  The mom's froze and we moved to the vans.  They all had fun and we'll all eventually thaw out!  Thank goodness for wood stoves, firewood, and warm clothing afterward.

Our 13 yo seemed to enjoy his day.  The thank yous were flowing, without being reminded of.  He loved everything about the day and tolerated having to get school accomplished.

 favorite candy bar

 Had been begging for a small jar

of peanut butter for awhile.  At approximately

$2.50, we couldn't resist.

Another long asked for gift - Rubik 4 x 4!

Very contented new teen.  With his day wrapping up, the joy in the ordinary feels easy:

• easy to shop for new teen
• hot, Earl Gray tea (thanks friend)
• kids playing in the way cold
• friends willing to let their kids play in the way cold
• hanging out with mom's of only 2 kids (maybe that story will crop up on another day)
• teen happy with a white cake and chocolate orange frosting - nothing special about the cake this year
• home made, cookies and cream, ice cream - oh so tasty - almost better than CFA cookies and cream shake
• games around the tame
• another teen working hard to catch up on school work
• being content with what we have

A Stumbling Sort of Day!

Yes, stumbling!

        a definition of stumbling ~ to almost fall, to trip, to loose balance for a moment

That has been me finding the joy in the ordinary today!  So many things, probably more than I can recount today; probably more that I forgot than remembered because I haven't been noting them today.  Maybe I should do that, but probably won't.  (glimpse of a life with an easily distracted brain).

Big picture today starts with a lack of sleep.  My day actually started with a late night because we celebrated a birthday today.  There are things I like to do for our kids before they wake on their birth day.  Streamers put up, poster board decorated, few other things put out.  Man cub prayed for.

As for the day and the counting, it goes like things:

• another year celebrated with our oldest, now 16
• having enough, various forms of chocolate, in house to make ice cream, cake, and frosting
• a good attitude from children (mostly, with only minor correcting) pretty much all day
• easy to fix dinner
• realizing how much food we have in the freezer and pantry (just need to meal plan off of that)
• keeping the house warm without much electricity
• a child bathing our dog for me
• cake and ice cream before dinner
• commiserating, with a friend, over raising boys
• body holding out, as a lot of time spent standing and washing dishes
• watching the smiles on 16 yo as he opened gifts and mail today
• husband coming home early to celebrate life as a family

 Yes, more York Peppermint Patties!

 What's left of his cake and ice cream.

Also visible is a Celtic Thunder CD; one of his favorite groups.

It's been awhile since I took photos regularly.  Took a number of them this afternoon, but most turned out blurry.  Need to keep on taking them and learn the settings on my camera better!

Back to Reality

Yes, reality!  First week back to school, after break, and today was the first co-op for us.  It was a shock to our systems, getting moving, getting organized, and realizing all the "shoulda's" that didn't get done in a timely fashion.  There is still a lot of "joy in the ordinary" though.  Here's what it looked like for me:

• thankful for a smart phone to get a bit of "work" done while waiting on co-op to start
• another teacher organizing lessons for the first few weeks back
• coffee and creamer a the mom's part
• shuffling dinners around because the crock pot wasn't started at the right time
• naps for the weary family
• picking up a devotional book early

In the past, I've often ended (or began) with a picture I've taken (most of the time).  As I haven't been taking as many photos lately here's one I found on the internet:

Choose this for a few reasons: 1) coffee is a life saver today, 2) read the book "Owl Moon" earlier today, 3) friend had posted a video of a snow owl flying into and around a national tv outdoor camera, & 4) I just like owls.

Happy Thursday y'all!

New Year Ponderings

It's taken me six days of pondering to figure out how to start blogging in Two Thousand Sixteen.  Still so much to find joy in, to be thankful for.

Never have stopping being either thankful or joyful, it just never made it to virtual paper.  Might have to be more aware of that.  Don't want to forget those moments.  Want to be able to stock pile them, so to speak.  Be reminded of them.  I'll consider doing a few back dated posts to round out 2015, but for now, here is to the beginning of 2016 and "Joy in the Ordinary".

Yes, the ordinary, plan, vanilla!  Those moments that can truly slip through your fingers if you aren't paying attention.

• wood stove cranking out heat
• Pandora - the music, not the jewelry
• nothing on the calendar today
• coffee
• data entry