Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Tell us about your favorite moment or share one of the bright spots from the year we're leaving behind. I have loved having my husband working from home.  I'm thankful we have an office that he could use for that.  

2. What do you wish you'd known at the start of 2020? Elaborate. 

I never could have imagined this time last year where we'd be as we end 2020.  I could not have believed the reality of what this year has been.  So much changes of how we did things that I never would have thought would be the reality.  If I'd known we'd be okay at the end of the year it would have saved me a lot of worries!  I did feel I learned a lot of lessons this year.

3. Best book you read this year? If you did not read any books this year, what's the best thing you ate all year? We've all eaten, right? I keep a board on Pinterest of books I read each year so I looked back there to remember the books I've read this year.  It says there are 39 books on there.  I have one more I'm nearly done with, maybe I'll finish and be able to add it.  

I did enjoy listening to more audio books again when both boys were in school.  

My friend loaned me two books that I really loved.....Traces of Guilt and  Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson.  

          

Another one I must mention is If I Were You by Lynn Austin.  I listened to this one.  

4. The Pantone Colors of the year for 2021 are ultimate gray and illuminating yellow (a bright shade)...are you a fan? Would we find either of these colors in your home or wardrobe? 

Yes these are pretty colors.  We are wanting to paint our bedroom gray.  Not sure when that will get done, we have been talking about it for a long time!  

5. If you were/are making a list of 21 things to do/accomplish in 2021 what is one thing that would be on it? 

Declutter.  It is something I continually want to improve on in the house.  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

These are so me of my quilting projects that I've finished.  I have Caleb a camo pillow for Christmas and made a checker board for Titus.  

It has been so fun to learn something new.  

Have a day of blessings!

 Bethany

A New Year Thankful Thursday

Happy New Year!  I never did get a Thankful Thursday posted last week. I reported to the hospital at 6 a.m. for my surgery on December 28. So this week my thankful list will revolve around my surgery, a hysterectomy.

This week I am thankful for...
~my husband's love and support. He has been my side through all of this from taking me to the pre op appointment, listening to my fears, praying for me,  and then waiting for them to take me to surgery, sleeping in the uncomfortable hospital bed for guests with me two nights, and giving me great care since we've been home. I am still sleeping on the couch and he has slept beside me so he will be near if I need something. I have told him he can go to our bed but he is staying in here. I'm so thankful for him and how he cherishes me.

~ my big boy being concerned and helpful through the surgery.  He brought me flowers and fed me jello in the hospital. Before we left for the hospital, he wrote a "social story" for Titus called "Mommy is going to the hospital." (This was an idea my cousin gave us to help prepare Titus for what we would be doing.). He did a great job creating the little,book for Titus, and it was very effective as well. Now he's back to school, and I miss having him at home.

~ my little guy doing so fabulous through all of this the last week. He woke from his nap with a fever last Tuesday so I called the doctor and got him an appointment for Wednesday morning. He had puss in his ears and the doctor gave us a prescription. We did not end up giving it to him though because he didn't have any more symptoms and was totally fine. He did remarkable staying at the hotel with my Mom and Russell, visiting me at hospital, and being gentle with me when I came home. This is an answer to prayer that he has done so well being away from home and sleeping away from me.

~ the get well wishes I've received in the mail. I was surprised to get one from my husband's coworkers too, that was nice.  Also we've had supper delivered which is a blessing (and yummy).

~ all the help my Mom has been with the boys, preparing us food, and doing laundry.

~ having the surgery behind me and looking forward to feeling better each month. My doctor has been wonderful and so helpful.

Have a day of blessings!

Bethany

Happy New Year!

It never crossed my mind that I did not post a Thankful Thursday this week.  My husband was off and I guess I just didn't think about it.

I'll do a quick list of things I was thankful for last week.  Just because I don't like to miss a week of this!

~ time with my husband and the days he had off and was able to take off.

~ surprising our big boy with a basketball goal.  He has enjoyed it a lot!

~ the fun of Christmas morning with our little boy.  He was so cute opening gifts and then opening someone else's present.

~ pretty weather to enjoy outdoor Christmas gifts. It definitely hasn't felt like winter lately for the most part.

~ lessons learned in 2016.

~ our home, health, and family.

I wish you a wonderful beginning to 2017!  I want to keep blogging.  It has definitely changed over the years for me and I do not get many posts done now or many visits to other blogs.  I still like to blog but other things are more of a priority right now with my little guy plus my big boy and husband.  And I've accepted that it is just different right now.

Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

2015 Goals

I'm a little late in posting this goal list this year because I haven't really made a list of goals for myself for this year as I have in past years.  I guess that is mainly because I know in April the baby is coming, and I figure everything will be so different and be an adjustment.

There are a few things I want to continue doing that I had on last year's list......find ways to show respect to my husband, read the Bible with my son (we have started on the Old Testament), add a few more continuing education hours before the baby comes, and obviously have the baby's room ready over the next three months.

Have a day of blessings!
 

Feeling puzzled by the new year?

One of the gifts we got our son for Christmas was a jigsaw puzzle. My idea was we could all help put it together and then mount it as a picture in his newly decorated room. The first night we opened the box he and I put together the border.  Then we all worked for a while on the inside part and made quite a but of progress. My son worked on the deer, I worked on the brown grass, and my husband worked on the plow.

The next day though it started to feel like we were stuck. We could not get more than a couple pieces to fit at a time. My husband said how it seemed like it should be obvious because all of the pieces are right there in front of us, yet we all struggled to figure out how to make them fit together.

Join me today over at Laced With Grace to read the rest!

Have a day of blessings!

For Meemaw

It's been a year since you've been gone, and I honestly can't believe how fast the year has gone or all that has happened in the past 365 days.

I guess now we can say we have made it through all the "firsts" without you.  As so many things made me miss you, I realized how much you meant to me and how thankful I am for my memories of you.

I still am not used to not writing a letter to you every week, and I always think of things I'd tell you if I was writing you a letter.

At Valentine's Day I got out our small tub of decorations and burst out crying when I saw the window clings I had purchased on sale the previous year to cut and mail to you.

In the spring I ran into Walgreens to get an ad and came out crying because they had Cadbury eggs on sale. I always watched for them on sale and would buy you a couple every year.

When we decorated for Christmas I found all the engraved ornaments you'd given me through the years.  One said "To: Val" and that made me laugh and cry. It reminded me that you were always so proud of me, and I realized how much I appreciated you believing in me. 

When I'm in a store and see something knocked off the shelf, I catch myself picking it up like you did and I realize you taught me to take the time to help others with this small act.

When I see some little trinket or magazine you gave us, I remember your giving attitude and how much joy it brought you to give and how you didn't want things in return.

When I see someone walking down the street I remember how many years you did without a car (by your choice) and your slow pace, and I'm reminded that I need to slow down and pay attention to my surroundings.

So many things will always remind me of you...upside down stamps on envelopes, singing "I'll Fly Away," banana splits, peanut butter, window clings, Wheel of Fortune, and chocolate covered cherries.  I'm thankful for my memories and am thankful for the time we had together through the years.

Have a day of blessings!

Good bye 2013

Our family has had quite a year in 2013. It was a year full of loss and grief. A year full of lessons and hope.  A  year of togetherness and memories.

Each year I make a list of goals for the new year, and here is the post of my list of goals I had for 2013.  I looked at them a few weeks ago to see how I was doing. :) 

I have worked on my continuing education credits and started on my next set of 150 hours. I am happy to say I did memorize Colossians 3 all the way through.  We started the book Love & Respect but did not get very far into it.  I think guarding my tongue against negativity is something I will have to keep working on because I do better sometimes but then slip up and feel negative again.  I got the school papers and pictures organized in a scrapbook for Caleb, and the newspaper clippings of my husband are organized in clear slip covers in a notebook. I have tried various things to encourage our son in his relationship with God and will continue this. 

I look forward to what God has in store for our family in 2014.  I will make a new list of goals for 2014.

Have a day of blessings!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. How did you ring in the new year?
At home.  We have a tradition to eat pigs in a blanket and cheese dip.  Then a while later we make fruit slushies (Caleb used to call them funny drinks). 

2. What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2013?
My sister-in-law is due with her second baby in May. 

3. Steven Spielberg is quoted as saying, "All of us every single year, we're a different person. I don't think we're the same person all our lives." What say you? Yes, I believe we do grow and change each year.  I think we all learn from the things that happen.    

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2013 is emerald green. Like or dislike? Do you already own something this color? Will you add something in this shade to your home or wardrobe in 2013? I don't have anything this color and wouldn't add anything this color because it is the color of the year.  I did not even know there was a color chosen for the  year!

5. Speaking of emerald...what's your favorite gemstone?  I guess I am partial to amethyst since that is my birthstone. 

6. Share a favorite book or movie from 2012.  I read so many books and don't watch very many movies.  Looking back through my list of books I read one of my favorite nonfiction books was Six Ways to Keep the "Good" in Your Boy by Dannah Gresh.  I loved both of the fiction ones I read by Marybeth Whalen The Guest Book and She Makes It Look Easy. 

7. What is something you want to tell yourself at the start of this brand new year?  Trust God and His timing. Life is short and we never know how long we have with the people we love. 

8. Insert your own random thought here.  My Meemaw died yesterday unexpectedly.  Such a hard way to start a new year. 

Have a day of blessings!

Hiding God's Word

Join me today at Laced With Grace in a devotional called Hiding God's Word in 2013.

Have a day of blessings!