Share Four Somethings January 2025

It is the first Share Four Somethings post of the new year! I am DETERMINED to be close to time with these posts, LOL, but we'll see how the year goes. If only determination equaled success, right?! Well, new year, new things to share. Our monthly prompts have been tweaked a bit. For 2025 they are some things we loved, some things we learned, some things that went well, and some things we let go of. While the prompts may be new, our host is not, we are still linking up with Jennifer! 

Favorite picture of March 2023

I first saw this idea on Jennifer's blog and thought it was a great idea. The idea is to pick one photo from the month, a photo to highlight the month. Jennifer is using the photo to recap the month and at the end of the year see a recap of the year.

Favorite Picture from February

I first saw this idea on Jennifer's blog and thought it was a great idea. The idea is to pick one photo from the month, a photo to highlight the month. Jennifer is using the photo to recap the month and at the end of the year see a recap of the year.

Not Ready

Christmas is quickly approaching and I am struggling to believe it is only a week away. I find myself thinking of how I am not ready. I haven't finished shopping. I don't feel like it is Christmas. I feel like the season is passing us by and I haven't had time to stop and enjoy it.

Why?

Repost: Gifted?!

I originally wrote this post on January 13, 2016. I am re-posting with a few minor tweaks (in blue).

Birthday Shenanigans and Tim Hawkins

Elijah's favorite comedian is Tim Hawkins. When Elijah saw in January that Tim Hawkins was touring again this year he decided he wanted to see him in person. We narrowed it down to two dates, April 7th in West Virginia or May 15th in South Carolina.

Kayla Update

Ever since I did my Elijah update I have been *meaning* to do an update for Kayla. However, meaning do isn't actually doing it 😂 I have had a hard time setting aside time to do the blog. I have been super busy but don't ask me with what because I honestly just don't know. 🤦😂

Fetch App

I am not a huge app person. I don't like a bunch of things cluttering up the face of my phone or having so much on my phone that it slows it down. However, there are a few apps that I do use and enjoy. Today, I am going to introduce you to my favorite app and why I love it.

Life is a Gift

Today's writing prompt is gift.

What immediately popped into my head is my favorite verse with the word "gift" in it.

Plans

 I remember toward the end of 2019 being super excited for the next year to come. I was hopeful that it was going to be better than 2019 and figured it couldn't be any worse. This was one of those times that I was super thankful that we can't see what is ahead. No one could have predicted that 2020 was going to usher in a pandemic that left us reeling, that it would be super divisive, and bring out the ugly in us. However, it taught us at least two things.

Gifts from 2020

 2020 has been an interesting year. It started out with the busyness of any typical year, until everything came to a screeching halt in March. At this point in the year we are all in Covid fatigue, we are sick of the masks, sick of the mandates and I personally am sick to death of hearing about it. I get in the van to go somewhere and I am listening to music, and then on a break the DJ will start talking about how hard this year is. It is, I get it, but do we have to keep saying it? Do we have to keep rehashing everything? Can we have 5 minutes where we can forget what a hard year it is and just be grateful for what is not hard? This post is not a rant (although it might seem like it), but there are so many good things and gifts that 2020 has brought us. And, as 2020 winds down, I am sharing the gifts from this year that I have seen, and I hope you will take the time for reflection too, because despite an incredibly hard year, there has been good there.

Gifts from 2020 (in no particular order)

Over 200 answered prayers*

A closer walk with God

More time to read than I have ever had

Quality family time

More games  on the shelf

More puzzles on the shelf

We exercised more as a family with daily walks than probably any other time

Binge watching shows

Kayla picking her college

Intentionality with the Advent season 

Good health

Closer friendships

Kayla graduating High School

Kayla getting some scholarships

Kayla being on campus her full semester

Kayla making the Dean's list

Elijah continuing to grow taller

Elijah adjusting to Kayla being gone

Elijah finishing 9th grade and the first semester of 10th

Elijah learning a new instrument

Elijah working on his singing voice

Matt getting a supervisory position at work

Elijah getting braces

working through issues

a dream coming true

Zoom (seriously, love/hate relationship with it)

Connecting with more readers

 Connecting with more bloggers

Never running out of books to read

reviving my blog :) (Gift to me)

Christmas

More projects done around the house

Celebrating birthdays 

Two of my foster kiddos getting adopted

One foster kiddo going to family

Closing of a chapter

New chapters begun

A new pastor and family for our church

Online church that can be watched anytime

New recipes

More home cooking

Getting my kids to try new stuff

I got to see my mom and older sister for the first time in a few years

All of us learning to cope/adjust to difficult circumstances

Learning to adjust to almost constantly changing circumstances

Making an intentional effort to see the good each day

Teaching my kids to find the good in any situation

Kayla learning more independence

We got a new (to us) van in January (had literally forgotten)

My father-in-law retired from being a pastor

Elijah has learned to use a lot of new tools

Elijah has helped build several big projects this year

Matt and I celebrated 21 years of marriage

Kayla got a fantastic roommate

Kayla made a lot of friends

Elijah got the rest of his baby teeth pulled

God is not finished with us

*If you do not see prayers answered I encourage you to write down SPECIFIC requests and see how God answers them, it is impossible to see an answer to a vague prayer. I was not as "good" if you will, of keeping up with prayer requests as thoroughly as I have in the past or I am sure I would have seen even more answered. 

**I am going to be very real. This year has been difficult for me, not necessarily because of Covid, but because I feel into a deep depression and didn't see it. I think it started before Covid, but I didn't really connect it until September, with everything else going on, I just didn't see it. It was so dark and while I would love to say that I am better now, that would be a lie. I am doing okay. I am on medication for it, but am still working through some of the other health issues and stuff that I believe have brought it on. Covid certainly didn't help it and neither does all the negativity that people tend to throw around. But, this too shall pass. I know Who is in control and I trust that He will work it out for good. Friends, I know it has been a very hard year, we all have lost loved ones, or know people who have, and we lost a lot of our plans and extracurricular activities. It is okay to mourn all that, please do, just don't stay there and dwell there. We all need to move forward, doing our best to make the best and most out of each moment that we are given. We don't know when our time will be up, but I want to make the most of mine. I want to be ready and have no regrets. I don't want to live in despair and gloom, I want to be a light, even when I don't feel like being a light, and I want to be more like Jesus and know that those I love know Him too.

What gifts have 2020 brought you? I would love to hear the good from this year and rejoice with you.

Fabulous Friday Christmas 2020

 Merry Christmas my friends. Today I choose to focus on the positives and there are quite a few! I hope that you and your loved ones are enjoying a very Merry Christmas and I would love to hear what is making this a fabulous Friday for you! We only have one more week of 2020, the end is in sight, hang in there and cherish the moments. Things that I am thankful for and making this day/week fabulous:

It's Christmas!!!

Celebrating Jesus' birth

Quiet time before anyone else was awake

Yummy food 

laughter

lots of joy today

Waiting on Kayla to wake up

The kids excitement over their gifts (can I still call them kids?!)

a friend calling to wish me Merry Christmas

lots of texts wishing us a Merry Christmas

A Chronological Bible

A Ministry Essentials Bible

 New books

new games

a new scarf

a new watch

a new mug for coffee :)

family time

family movies 

being able to get the kids things they needed for Christmas

being able to get the kids things they wanted for Christmas (books!!)

did I already say yummy food?

new book smell!!!

a nice Christmas eve service last night

being on vacation (stay-cation) 

not having anything we have to do today

Jesus still working on me

being able to relax and rest

the beauty of the Christmas tree

answered prayers

we are healthy

Seeing all my friends post pictures of snow (send some our way!)

Seeing everyone's posts about Christmas

What are you thankful/grateful for? What is making this a fabulous Friday for you?

He is reading his new Bible, nevermind he has other gifts 💗

Sorry the pictures are weird, at least they are there! Merry Christmas, again, I would love to hear what is making this a fabulous Friday for you, drop your comments below 👇

Back to school Blah.

It is hard taking off the "summer" hat and putting on the "school" hat. We have one foot in summer and one foot in school. The kiddos are in camp three days a week and doing school two days a week for the next two weeks. Originally I thought this was a great idea. The reality, maybe not so much. The verdict is still out I guess.

I did everything that I could do to be sure this day went smoothly. I organized the school room, bought new, interesting curriculum, prayed over the curriculum (before I bought it!), prayed over the school room, prayed over the children, made a great dessert to celebrate the first day of school, talked up the start of the school year, minimized distractions, was excited for school to start, had Matt make the kids a good breakfast so Elijah wouldn't start out grumpy (he seems to have trouble finding something to eat in the mornings and this affects his day). However...the best laid plans of mice and men...Elijah was grumpy anyway...why...because we were doing school!!!! It made for an interesting day, but Thursday we get a do over...and the day after that...and the day after that!

This day was not all smiles and rainbows, no matter what the pictures show!!!!!!

 8th grade, REALLY?????

 Love this man and glad he was here to pray with us and be in on the picture taking!!! I love how silly he is!!!! We are so incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful husband/father!

 Elijah's drawing says "I am a robot."

My baby is in 5th grade! Don't blink, you might miss something!

 Here's the Robot!

 Silly faces, Elijah said Kayla won silliest face, I just looked crazy! Thanks kid! At least he's honest :)

 Genre reveal...what will be the Genre of the first book they read this year??????????

Biography! 

So, we did a fun activity, which they loved (of course they did because they got to talk about themselves :)) ...they had to grab 5 things that identified them, within 2 minutes! Elijah's first picture didn't turn out, it was to dark, but he held up a CD because when he is in his room he is ALWAYS listening to History CD's or music. This picture below is a car...because when he is listening to the CD's he plays with his cars. (he said these things about himself)

 His third item was Hulk because "He has anger issues and so do I, but I am working on it!" (So proud of him for recognizing this!)

 His fourth item was Flash because he loves Superheros and he wants to be fast.

 His fifth item was a book because he loves to read! (He has a Superhero theme going on!)

 Kayla's first item was a photo album because she loves looking through it and remembering memories.

 Her second item was a book because she loves to read and she chose the Frozen book because she loves Frozen!

 Her third item was a piano book because she loves to play the piano.

 Her fourth item was a doll (recognize a theme here?) because she still loves to play with dolls.

 Her fifth item was an Elsa Lego because she loves to play Legos! Her and Elijah make up games with the Legos and it continues day after day...hence the mess in the background of the pictures...it's their play area. They are laughing because the last 4 items ALL had to do with Frozen...I admire her creativity with that!!!

 They yummy dessert I made to celebrate this day! Underneath all that frosting is double chocolate brownies :) We all needed that by lunchtime :)

No matter what went right and what didn't, I am thankful for the opportunity to Homeschool my children. It is a blessing (and some days a curse, I am not going to lie), but it is a gift. A gift of time that I have with these children every single day, did you catch that every.single.day! (Blessing/curse!) If they were in school every day I would have at least 40 less hours a week with them...God has given me these precious children for such a short time, that I am going to soak up every single second. They are growing up SO fast, you know it's true, and I am thankful for this time. I see the good, I see the bad, I see the ugly, but I don't miss anything. I know what they are learning. I know what they like. I get to see them play together. I get to see them grow in their faith. I get to see them conquer their demons. I get to see them overcome their obstacles. And, I am there every single time they need me. It is a GIFT and I thank God for it! In the good, in the bad and in the ugly, I praise His Holy name. To God be the glory!