Go Dad!

This is a huge weekend for my family. My dad wrote this amazing book The God Whisperer. On Tuesday it will be for sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites but the sites are now showing it! Click the link for Barnes and Noble. It is so exciting to see his name in print, it inspires me to keep working at writing and becoming better. I am so proud of him and all he has managed to accomplish. He also has a great blog where he has a weekly post with a great Christian lesson. Check his stuff out! Grab the book for a great Christian devotional read that teaches you not only about being a better servant to the Lord but also some great dog tips!

I stole this from my sister's blog but its exactly what I wanted to say and it saved time.  Check out her blog too if you are not already following.

What my body tells me...

Thursday I had a bad headache.  Friday my sinuses began to hurt, headache continued.  Saturday sinuses were extremely painful, headache continued, throat and ears begin to hurt.  Sunday, sinuses feel better, head feels better, can't speak, throat and ears still hurt.  Monday (today), still can't speak.

So what is my body saying to me?  Maybe it is saying I talk too much.  Maybe it is saying that I am forgetting to take care of myself.  Maybe it is telling me that I really need to go see my Nephrologist since I was supposed to follow up last month.  Regardless of what it is saying, I have got to learn how to listen long before it gets to this point.  The problem is how...

Unless you are a teacher, you cannot understand the frustration and exhaustion it creates when you have a room of 40 students and no way to talk to them.  I still have a full week of responsibilities including

• two assignments for my master classes due,
• Elyse and all that includes when it comes to raising an obedient and God-fearing child,
• Rick who has been feeling a little neglected lately,
• Church with VBS coming up as well as singing and help with the children's area on Sunday,
• our dog we have had for two weeks but is still dealing with separation and socialization issues,
• life group tonight,
• tutoring,
• a house that is a total mess (at least by my standards),
• etc.

I really think that my body is saying, where are you in all of this?  When are you taking time to let your body, mind, and soul relax, recoup, and regenerate?  You won't listen otherwise, how else am I supposed to get your attention?

Of course the one thing that could really help me is the one thing I left out of my list and can easily leave out of my life, is my time with God. 

So I think the serenity prayer works for this: 

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Mom + Work + School + Life = Sick and Exhasted

Although I didn't have a lot of readers comment last week, I received some confirmation that I don't know how to say no very well.  This week was another crazy week with little time to reflect. 

The second week of testing for the students at work had me so exhasted that I really want a day off next week.  I came home everyday without the energy to walk our dog, work with Elyse, or spend quality time with Rick.  Now, I am sick.  Not bad, just sinus presure that is really painful.  From about my shoulders up it hurts.  It makes homework, fun time with my family, and chores really difficult to accomplish. 

Rick is worried that I am sacrificing my own health because I can't say no.  I forget the my MCND can really effect my immune system and when I don't get enough sleep I am more likely to get sick. 

So what do I do?  At what point am I sacrificing time with my family and friends and my health because I don't want to disapoint anyone.  Any advice?

Work, Love, and Dogs

This was a big week for us, resulting in little to no ability to post this week.  So here is a recap:

Monday - On an impulse (one I have been thinking about for a while) I contacted a lady on Craigslist that was offering a Miniature Black Poodle for free - and I mean free, no rehoming fee, anything.  So, we arranged to meet at the park around the street from Rick's work and I picked up Elyse.  I wanted both of them to make the decision with me.  An hour later, we drove home with Boogee, now known as Hardy Har Har Taylor.  Hardy is the name Elyse picked out for her dog nearly two years ago, and now he is the newest member of the family. 

A VBS planning meeting and our home group rounded out my day.

Tuesday - I had not planned on working much for the rest of the school year for various reasons.  One of those reasons is still a reason, I am now taking two masters classes for the next 6 weeks as opposed to one.  Unfortunately, they are very difficult courses with 45 practicum hours and two of the hardest teachers I have had so far.  But the secretary at Waite called with a need for me to take over a classroom for the next 5 weeks.  Of course I said yes.  Despite the struggles I have had with many of the students, I have put two years into them and want to see them through the end of the year.  So I started working, and will be there for as long as they need me.

Once my work day finished, I came home, picked up Elyse's leotard, picked up Elyse from school, took her to gymnastics, made dinner, went to go get gas for the car, went to my tutoring session, met my cousin for coffee, and then came home to a dog who wanted to play.  It was a crazy day.

Wednesday - After work, I came home exhausted.  I nearly fell asleep driving home.  So rather than working on my homework (see the procrastination post) I took a nap.  Rick came home and we picked up Elyse at school, went to go get dinner, and took the dog for a walk.  It was 7:30 pm by the time I started my assignments, and 1:30 am by the time I went to bed.

Thursday - Elyse woke up at 6:00 am with a 102.8 temperature and I had the forever torment of a mother, go to work or stay home with my sick little girl.  Luckily Rick was able to arrange his schedule to stay with her.  I went to work, but worried about her all day.  The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, just more homework.

Friday - Probably my least active day this week.  Work, pick-up Elyse, take Rick for a haircut, go to PetSmart and Target, eat dinner, come home - not bad.

So, now you see why I have not had time to sit and write at all.  I have a new book I really want to read but I don't have time.  I haven't seen or talked to my friends in a while.  I barely have time to talk to my husband.  Someone recently asked me if I knew how to say no.  What do you think?

Katie

Pipes

Yesterday we started hearing a gurgling noise coming through the toilets.  Now I have a bathtub full of stinky, stuff filled water.  This morning a plumber came by and said that the clay sewer pipes leading away from the house are either cracked or have tree roots in them.  Now I am waiting for our landlord to make the necessary arrangements to fix the problem. 

In the meantime, I cannot do the dishes, the laundry, take a shower, and there is only one toilet I can use.  It really made me consider how lucky most Americans are to have running hot water, dishwashers, laundry facilities, and more in or around our homes. 

So take a moment today to thank God for all that you have.  I am so thankful that my parents live only minutes away where a shower is possible.  More than that, I am thankful that my landlord is trying to get it taken care of as soon as possible.

Procrastination

Elyse came home yesterday so excited that she received homework again (she hasn't had any for a couple of weeks.)  She promptly pulled it out of her backpack and started working, even though I told her to wait until after I made dinner so I could help her.  As a result, she did one page completely wrong because she couldn't read the directions.  Mind you, it isn't due until Friday.

I was home today and should have accomplished so much more than I did on my homework, considering I am tackling an additional class and have twice the amount of homework due each week.  I know what is needed to be done, but I fail to accomplish it in ample time.  Instead, I spend the last hours before it is due rushing to get it finished.  Yet I have received a 99% or greater on each of the masters classes I have taken so far. 

Procrastination has been plaguing me for as long as I remember, but it works for me.  Yet I constantly remind myself that I would save a lot of undue stress on me and my family if I enthusiastically accomplished it at the beginning of each week, like Elyse.  And what am I teaching my daughter in regards to her responsibilities and the value of time? 

I am sure I would do just as well completing the work at the beginning of the week as I do at the end.  But I have never done it that way.  How do I change my study habits when I have been doing it this way for so long?  Does how I approach my homework really influence how Elyse will approach it as well?  This is my struggle today.  Any thoughts?

White Chili

This is a great chili recipe that we have loved as a family.  I make it often and it is a huge hit with my family and friends. 

White Chili (Katie’s version)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper chopped
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 lb. Ground Beef
2 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning
½ tbsp ground Cumin
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 14.5 oz cans of Northern Beans
1 14.5 oz can of White Beans
1 7 oz can of chopped mild green chilies
1 16 oz bag of frozen white corn
Water
¼ cup Lime juice (plus some to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Tortilla Chips (I like the Tostitos Lime chips)
Salsa Verde

In a soup pot, saute onion and green pepper until tender in olive oil. Add and brown ground turkey and beef with onions. Season with next 3 ingredients. Once meat is cooked until there is no pink, add the beans with juice, chilies and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add lime juice. If consistency is too thick, add water to desired consistency. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper or lime juice to taste before serving. To serve, place about 1 tablespoon each of crushed tortilla chips and cheese in each bowl; ladle chili over cheese. Serve with Salsa, additional chips and cheese.