What's Happening in Monroeville

Wow, I can't believe it has been OVER ONE MONTH since I've sat down and written something meaningful here! I am in a busier season of life and just haven't had the energy to keep up with it all. Unfortunately, the blog probably suffered the most as I put my energy into the other pressing things. It's good to be back though, and this is just the first post in catching up. 

I found a new blog called A Quiet Heart and I love what she had on there today, a Status Report. It was a great way to share a bunch of random things all in one post. I liked it so much that I wanted to do it too.

Sitting…at my kitchen table after just sharing a meal with my son. My husband is at church for a class on exploring the book of Isaiah so my son and I are hanging out. 

Drinking…my favorite drink - Milk! We go through 3 gallons a week for our family of three. I've loved white milk since I was a child. My husband doesn't even drink it that much, so I get the lion's share. One of my favorites is milk with pizza! Some people really hate that combo.

Wearing…My fuzzy (like fleece) red zip-up cardigan with white snowflakes on it (similar to the one above, but long-sleeved). We set our house temp around 67 degrees in the colder months, so I just love wearing my warm cozy sweater jacket.

Enjoying…a night at home. We have been having busy days, (good busy) so it's nice to spend a night at home. I was asked to be part of the leadership team for our church mom's group, the "inclusion" team lead. We have a group of over 100 moms so it's quite large (and so is our church) so there is quite a bit of planning and organizing. We had our bi-monthly meeting today and I was there from 8-12 noon, then we came home for some lunch and then hit the library for an hour or two. By the time I came home, it was little one's nap time and then I had to get going on dinner. So it's nice to take this time to "rest" as I blog.

Attempting...to simplify my home. I have been skimming a book called The Joy of Less and began an overhaul of my home to reduce the clutter and disorganization. I have written a list of all the areas to tackle and then whether it's a drawer, a closet or a whole room the plan is to take every single thing from that area and sort through it separating things into Keep, Give Away or Trash. I am really looking forward to letting go of a lot of extra stuff that will benefit someone else.

Considering…what book I'm going to start next. I always have a few books going at the same time, but right now it's getting ridiculous and I have to decide what to keep and what goes back to the library. Right now I have No Graven Image by Elisabeth Elliot, Simpler Times by Thomas Kinkade, Thin Places by Mary E. DeMuth, The Eighty Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts and Alex & Me by Irene Pepperburg. Phew! I will probably end up reading all of these, I just need to figure out in what order.

Wondering...if the Lord will bring us another child. Although we are not actively trying, I find that I am thinking about this more and more. Last night for the first time, J said out of the blue "Mommy, is there a baby in your tummy?" I told him I couldn't be truly sure, but not as far as I knew. He told me he wanted me to have a baby, so I encouraged him to pray. He prayed that God would bring a twin! So cute. My husband would have been content to have no children, yet really enjoys being a father to our son. But since we had kids later in life and have an 8-year difference, he's facing turning 50 in 2012 and just doesn't picture having more children. We both are trusting in the Lord for whatever His will is.

Trying…to make quiet time with the Lord (Word/Worship/Prayer) a DAILY priority! I have made daily quiet time part of my life for many years, but lately I'm finding it's slipping away. I don't want it to be something I do just as I'm falling asleep or little bits of prayer scattered throughout the day. Those are elements of my day I want to keep, but I mean a time of sitting down during the day and quieting myself before the Lord. Reading His word, really soaking in it and allowing for worship and prayer to flow from that. It may call for rising a bit earlier to make it happen!

Cooking…Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham - YUM! My husband gave me this idea as it was one of his mom's dishes he loved while growing up. Now I think it's a favorite of my son too - he was eating and said to me, "Yum, that is wonderful!"

Reading…Jo Princess Warrior's blog Princess Warrior Lessons. I used to get her daily feed when she was on Facebook, but then she took a Facebook sabbatical and I lost touch with her blog. Today I found it again and it is such a blessing to catch up and read her inspiring posts.

Finishing…A Light in the Window (part of the At Home in Mitford series). I am not a big fan of fiction books, but am really enjoying Jan Karon's Mitford series that I learned about on Melissa's Fearfully and Wonderfully Made blog. (She's currently on a blog sabbatical since early summer.)

Well, I hope you enjoyed catching up as much as I did writing it!!

Thanks for visiting :o)