Joy comes in the morning

Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.  Psalm 30:5

For years, I have been praying about how I could pack everything I wanted to into my day.  I read every book I could get my hands on about managing my home.  Fly Lady, Managers of their homes, Motivated Moms...you get the point.  Read them all.  Every.  Single.  One.  I would do good for a while but ultimately it was a total failure it did not work for my hectic household.  I found Godly council in many of those books but none were written for an Orthodox Catholic Homeschooling/ Public School family with kids on the Autism spectrum with an ADD Mom and an OCD Dad (who is going crazy in this mess).  Does such a book exist?  If it does...could someone please tell me where I could get it?  Landon started coming downstairs between four and five am and crawling into bed with us about a month ago.  He kicks and turns like Bruce Lee.  It took me five minutes to get out of bed.  This rude awakening turned into an epiphany of sorts.  There really isn't much to do around here at four am.  So I started my day with prayer and scripture.  Then I noticed the dishes...and I could throw in some laundry...and I could go for a quick walk on the treadmill.  By seven o'clock in the morning I was ready and prepared to start my day.  My body started waking me up early and I was wide awake by five.  I have already lost 18 pounds!  The lesson here is I was looking to others for inspiration and what I needed was to go to the source for answers.  God gave me the answer to my prayers in the early hours of the morning.  All I had to do was meet him there.

New Years Resolution

Have nothing in your home that you do not find to be useful or beautiful. 

William Morris

This year my resolution is to simplify.  Especailly in my home.  I am tackling clutter in order to have more time for my family.  I know someone who has a problem with hoarding.  I have seen firsthand what happens when "stuff" takes over your life.  It seems like lately all I do is clean manage my things.  Chris is on board and we already have started boxing things up!  It feels great.  I am initially planning on doing "40 bags in 40 days" like many have done during Lent.  I know if I don't tackle it while we are both motivated it will never get done. Please join me and link to your blog to show your progress:)  If you don't have a blog, e-mail me and I will post your pics.  Good luck!  

Christmas exchange!

Chris and Dan at my daughter's fourth birthday;) 

I sat down at the computer this morning.  I found this e-mail from my brother-in-law!  This is exactly why I love my family.  It reads...

For those of you that where not at the elder Schiffli house on Sunday, or have a memory of a gnat (I include myself in that group), here are the rules for the exchange.


1. NO GIFT CARDS!

2. Gift must have an approximate value of $30.00 US (Unless the family you drew starts with the letter O, then feel free to spend upwards of that number).

3. They are to be “Family” gifts, so no baby-sitting.

4. No crappy gifts (If a gift is determined to be “crappy”, the receiver of said crappy gift has the right to exchange crappy gift for the gift received by the giver of the crappy gift).

5. The gift has to be creative.

6. The gift may not be wrapped in traditional wrapping or in a traditional gift bag.



• Any addition, deletion or amendment to the gift exchange rules, must be done with a two-thirds majority vote.

• Voting members include adult members the immediate Schiffli family.

• Immediate Schiffli family members include Chuck and Judy Schiffli, their adult children and the children’s significant others.

• “Significant other” is defined as spouse (i.e. Husband or Wife), girlfriend or boyfriend.

• Girlfriend and/or boyfriend shall be confirmed via Facebook status.

• Facebook is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

You gotta live by rules and these are them!

Devotion

Do you see this picture?  It is a photo of my husband sleeping after he was up all night with Willow.  It is a picture of devotion.  He let me sleep and took care of her from 2:30am on.  She still hasn't gone back to sleep:(  I am praying for peaceful dreams and some much needed rest this am.  Meanwhile I am doing this challenge.  Hope to see you all there.

Sabbatical

I took a break from blogging because things got a little crazy.  Good crazy.  I also thought I would try Typepad.  Didn't work.  At all.  Too complicated.  So, I'm back and committing to frequent posting.  Looking forward to catching you up with things.   

Inspiration strikes via the Pioneer Woman

I love books.  It is something that I inherited from my mother(besides my hips).  She fostered my love of learning from a young age.  She says she even read to me in the womb.  I believe her.  My friends keep telling me to look into a Kindle. My husband keeps hinting.  My bookshelves are packed to the gills.  I can honestly tell you I will probibly never buy one.  There is something amazing about thumbing through the pages of a book.  I love everything about it: the pages beween my fingers, the photos, even the SMELL of the book.  It is almost spiritual for me.  Yes, I know I'm weird.  Recently, all of the time at home has been taking its's toll.  It sounds so cliche but I started to reevaluate my life.  I ordered a bunch of books to fulfill my book club obligations and thought it would help ease the boredom of being stuck in the house all of the time.  I love my children and wouldn't have it any other way but really?  That being said, I received some new books this week.  Something happened to me that hasn't happened in a long, long time.  I was INSPIRED.  The Pioneer Woman is one of the most popular blogs in the country.  I have visited her blog before, but very infrequently.  I just didn't have anything in common with her.  She lives in Oklahoma and she Homeschools.  That's about as far as the comparison goes.  So it would seem.  Well, I just bought her cookbook.  I really love it.  So what is so inspiring about a rancher's wife and a cookbook?  She lives in the middle of nowhere and talks incessantly about being ISOLATED and the things that she does to cope.  When she chose to raise her family in a rural area she had to come up with new and inventive ways to be creative.  She learned how to cook and took up photography.  She is amazing at it.  Even though Ree Drummond lives on a working Ranch out in the middle of nowhere we really are met with similar circumstances.  I can't depend on the typical woman in South Tulsa's sole source of entertainment: the gym, shopping and gourmet restaurants.  Oh, and don't forget a packed social calendar and team sports for their kids.  If you don't live here, yes, I am being serious. I have a daughter with a disability with severe sensory issues.  I can count the number of times we have been out to eat since her Autism diagnosis on one hand.  She hates it and it stresses me out!  So, the direction of my blog is changing.  I am focusing on fostering creativity in the homes of women like myself.  Women who are isolated, for whatever circumstances, in their home and are trying to be creative with time and money restraints.  So ladies...let's regain our sanity AND our creativity.  Let's blog, baby;-)   

Hearts at Home Daybook

Outside my window: It is almost dawn.  My family is still sleeping.  Trying to get a jump start on my day:) 

I am listening to: the hum of my washing machine.

I am wearing : Pajama pants, the shirt I wore yesterday, and an apron.  Sexy.

I am thankful for: my husband.  He worked through the night last night.  Went to bed at 5am when I woke up.  He works hard so I can stay home.  I love my life.

I am reading:   Hinds Feet in High Places this week.  Finished it in one night.  Chris and Tiana have a tradition started.  He is reading Hannah Hunnard's series to her every night at bedtime.  they are almost finished with Mountains of Spices.  I have been ousted.  The books are having a profound effect on both of them.  My husband doesn't read...I am ecstatic!

From the kitchen: my cabinets are bare.  Not much cooking going on here.  Looking through cookbooks and planning menus. 

I am thinking: about the economy, our country, and my children's future.  I am pretty much trying to get as knowledgeable as I can about conservatism.  What is going on right now in our country is scary.  Government expanse and massive debting.  It is going to negatively impact our children for generations.  It has GOT TO STOP! 

I am creating: an enriching environment for my family.

On my iPod:Allison Krause. 

Towards a real education: trying to keep up with Seton.  Tiana loves teaching textbooks and Math is her favorite subject.  Love it.  I love Homeschooling.  I wish everybody would do this with their kids.

I am hoping and praying: for my family.

In the garden: weeds.  Lots of them...

Around the House: putting out fires.  Still can't get a handle on all of this stuff.

On keeping home: fantasizing about being able to get help in the home someday.  Ahhhh...

One of my favorite things: Landon snuggled next to me in the morning.  He is spoiled rotten and I don't care.

A few plans for the rest of the week: catching up.  With everything.

A picture thought I’m sharing:

She was so little then.  What happened?