Considering the Future

My husband and I are beginning to consider what our lives will be like once our young folks sprout wings and leave our nest.  We are looking at downsizing our home, even though we just moved here last year.  We are looking at possibly having more property, even though it means more work to do the things we'd like to do.

We're realizing that we are limited with how much activity we can participate in at church living almost an hour away.  The special things that happen on days other than Sundays and Wednesdays simply cannot be attended because it isn't just a short jaunt over to the church or to a Couple's Night with our dear folks in our Sunday School class whom we've grown to love.  So we pray.  We'll find out soon enough what the Lord's will is for this as we lay this at His feet.  There is a lot to consider and even still, we consider the necessity of selling our current house when the time comes too.  Lots to consider.

We're realizing that we will be physically limited with how much we can accomplish on a daily basis due to the fact that our young folks will be out of the nest.  I mentioned to my husband that we could get him a good tractor (not to be confused with "new") with accessories that would help him do the work that is needful without needing one or more of the kids around to do it.  But, the other things, like putting up fences or things like that, if course we'd ask the kids to come help.

We're realizing that we'll need a house with 2 master bedroom/bathrooms just in case there is a need for one of our parents to move in with us.  Additionally, we're looking at building an apartment over a garage just in case our oldest son needs a place.  That will give him his own space and as much autonomy as possible.

We've talked about "puttering" with our days on the property.  We've talked about having a garden and having fruit trees and selling the produce.  We've talked about going to different festivals with things that we make to sell.

It's a sweet thought for us to have things like this in mind for our future.  I don't want anything ornate, but simple and all one level, but nothing too big.  I want to be able to have family and friends over to love on them.  I want to bless others and serve the Lord with my husband.

"Ponder the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established." 

(Pro 4:26)

In Christ,

The Reality of Moving After Ten Years

As I sit here in my reclining love seat, the living room around me is a shambles.  There are boxes, books, papers, and clutter everywhere.  The reality of moving after living here ten years is really setting in.

I've decided to begin with the books.  I know that the books are a HUGE hurdle to overcome.  Our homeschool group is having a book sale on May 4th, so I'm taking all of our books that have been weeded out and deemed sale-worthy or given away for free.  A "freeing" thing for me is that after the sale is over, I am going to take the leftover books to Good W*ll and dropping them off.  I've promised my husband that I wouldn't bring them back in to the house and I am following through with my promise.  If you read my blog and go to the homeschool group, meet me at my vehicle before I leave and whatever I have left, you can pick through.  It's yours!

Fortunately for me, it is only my living room that is disheveled.  The rest of the house is in good order, or can be put in to good order in 15 minutes or less.

I have realized, only because it has been in my face so blatantly lately, that it is worth it to declutter the mail and file it right away.  It is worth it to get the needful things filed, to declutter on a weekly basis, and to pitch the junk mail.  It is worth it to burn the things that are over 7 years old.  It is so worth it to get rid of junk!!!   So many times I have overlooked getting rid of those little things just because they might be of use to me some day.  I have overlooked things because I have been so very tired for so very long (Matthew 9:20) and the details have not been done.  After my surgery, feeling so much better, I started slowly working on my house.  It still isn't "up to par", but it is better.

After working on all of the books in the house, getting those packed in boxes and stacked neatly in the attic, it will be time to go through the craft items.  I don't plan to get rid of much, but I plan to get it "move ready" so that nothing will be lost, broken, or jostled.

The next will be the filing cabinet.  I have files and files of homeschooling papers, business papers and so forth that I need to go through to get rid of the "older than 7 years" items and burn it.

I am so pleased with the progress we've made to this point, though.  We have 13 days until we show the house and I want to get all the above things completed by then as well as a good deep spring cleaning and finishing the last little bit of painting that needs to be done.

In light of my recent surgery, just a little over 2 months ago, I am getting my kids to do all the heavy lifting.  They have been such a blessing to me!   The Lord knows that I needed these kids' help years before I knew.

Mr. G has been busy getting all the little projects completed around the house.  He just installed new flooring from the front entry way through the hallway, to the kitchen.  It looks gorgeous!  He just has a little nip and tuck to do with some wood in the kitchen, then some linoleum in the upstairs bathroom, then he'll be done.  I'm so very fortunate to have such a wonderfully handy hubby!

Upon viewing hundreds of houses in Georgia, we've sifted through so many that are too close to flood plains.  I never realized how important it was to be sure of that fact until I saw the potential for flooding in the variety of places.  Thankfully, we have a decent list of houses that are far away from flood potential to look at when we visit shortly.   Then all the fun begins!  

Setting up housekeeping in another house, in another state almost 1,000 miles away is definitely an adventure!   What is more of an adventure is that we're buying a "fixer-upper" to be on our way to being debt free.  We are so very convinced that it is imperative for us to get debt free ASAP in order to be in a position to help others as much as we can--including supporting missionaries when we can.  No one is going to help us do this, but ourselves, and we're going to make this happen for the sake of our future and the future of our children.

We are so very blessed to have been given new eyes to see the Lord's truth in "owing no man nothing but love."   The thought of that freedom makes all the "fixer-upper" work that will need to be done seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

God is so good! 

God Bless,

Disjointed Catch-Up Post

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." 

(Rom 8:26-28)

When young folks are not feeling well, we can do all we can, holding them, nurturing them, to help them feel better.  When they have concerns, we need to talk them out, showing them their options, helping them choose their words wisely in a variety of situations.  When it comes to the ultimate Healer, there is a time to give Him the concerns by praying with them through each of their concerns.   

Sometimes their concerns are far beyond anything we can fix.  Sometimes we have to lay down our own pridefulness and give our children to God in unfathomable ways.  

We have done just that in this past year.  The gut wrenching experience is one that I do not care to repeat.

Now, we've established a new normalcy, complete with different expectations, different day to day activities, and lots of appointments for all of us.

My day to day activities remain the same, but I struggle to gain a semblance of order.  Without getting enough sunlight, and beginning the cloudy time of year, I know my Sensory Affective Disorder is going to kick in soon.  I work to try to find a way around the symptoms by exercising, going on walks--even on cloudy days--getting enough nutritious foods, but I struggle to get enough sleep each night without waking through the night for whatever reason.  Keeping things in check depends greatly on getting enough sleep.  Six hours, sometimes less, of sleep each night isn't enough though.  It is work to get enough sleep.  (Go figure!)

Through all of this, we are beginning to thrust ourselves in to getting ready to move to Georgia.  I would love for all the work to be done when I snap my fingers, but it won't.  We will be downsizing, purging, decluttering, pitching, selling, and eventually giving thing away so we don't have to move them.  We only keep things that we absolutely treasure and things that are absolutely necessary.  We will definitely have many yard sales beginning in May.  To begin, though, I am selling some of our home school books.  I am taking them to our local home school group meetings to sell a little at a time.  

It is amazing how much junk one accumulates! 

We've added a puppy to our home recently.  His name is Gus.  Before Gus, by about a month, we added an adult cat whose name is Pickles.  He's a good kitty who will make sure to take care of our mice problem.  We got him because the mice were getting smarter.  Now we have 4 critters to keep each of us (almost) company.  Biscuit has enjoyed sitting on my lap while Pickles goes with my husband, Gus has taken a very strong liking to JL and Rustie enjoys getting attention from anyone.  He is getting older and will probably be facing his final time through this winter.  That's why we have Gus now.

We've canned quite a bit more this year than we have last year and the year before.  This year we've made 2 batches of salsa--over 20 quarts--sauce, stewed tomatoes, and hot peppers.  We are looking at pumpkin next and whatever else we can preserve.  If we haven't eaten all of it by the time we move then we'll take it with us.  We plan to put in a garden next year just in case our house doesn't sell.  

Last week our kids participated in the Clarion Autumn Leaf Festival with the Civil Air Patrol.  JL is holding the rifle in the left front, HJ is right behind him holding the banner, and DA is right over her shoulder in the back.  They did a phenomenal job!

Now we concentrate on schooling.  I struggle with getting much in, so I'm working on that as well as the many other things mentioned above right now.  If you don't see me around for a while, that is why.  I may document my purging journey in all its glory--messes and everything.  In order to purge, you need to make a mess, right?  We've lived in this house for 9 years, so I'm sure the mess will be huge!

~Until next time~

God Bless,

When Hubby Retires

I know, it's 2 years away, but we've been looking around in Georgia for potential areas to live.  We've found some properties we'd love to have, but now is not the right time.

Some of the things we're looking at possibly doing after he retires are--building home made outdoor wooden furniture to sell, selling other hand crafted items, as well as other farmette types of things.  Considering this is our dream, we'll need some property.  Mr. G found some wonderful property in Moultrie, GA on almost 8 acres as well as some other places, but like I said, now isn't the time.

We'd love to have a barn on the property so we can have a couple horses, grow our own beef and pork, chicken and be able to use the by products for our gardens.

Gardening--yes, we'd love to be able to garden for longer periods of time and moving south seems to be a good option.  Yes, I know there are a lot of areas where the dirt needs amended  but that isn't really anything new to us.  We love working in the dirt, watching things grow and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

I know that there is going to be an adjustment to having my husband retired.  I honestly don't mind, though.  I know I'm going to have some adjustments to make, but I gladly embrace those times because it means that he will not have to go back to work for the state.  I love the thought of having the love of my life near me to work with side-by-side, giving him a squeeze throughout the day and enjoying some lemonade in the middle of the day.  What a blessing!

Each time you come visit, if you page down to the bottom of the page, you'll see a ticker of how long until Mr. G has to his retirement.  Please feel free to laugh if you'd like.  I don't know off the top of my head how many days it is unless I look.  If you think of us, please pray for the transition to go smoothly and for the right property to come along where God wants to plant us.

God Bless,
Regina

Our Christmas Season

I've gone back through all the pictures on the camera and really, I can't understand why there are not any more pictures that were taken during this season!  *Gasp*  Am I THAT bad?!  Wow!

So, I humbly share what we have taken during this season. 

When we realized our favorite tree lot wasn't open this year, JL was reminded of this sweet little tree in the back yard, just in to the wood line.  He said, "Mom, we have a tree that we can use!  Remember!"  He went out to take pictures of it and brought it in to show me.  I asked him if we would call this one our "Charlie Brown" tree.  LOL  We laughed and laughed.  Daddy said to leave the tree there, unfortunately for JL.  He wanted to dig the tree up to bring in to the house for our Christmas tree. 

During the month, we had a "G" family pizza night where Daddy took the helm of rolling out the dough.

Everyone was busy.  It is usually "all hands on deck" on Pizza Nights.  With my carpel tunnel problems and no mixer, Hubby has been a dear and stepped up to take my place when I can't do as much.

Regina's Pizza Dough

3 TBSP Yeast
3 Cups Warm Water (105-115*F)
7 ½ Cups Flour
6 TBSP Olive Oil
3 tsp Sugar
3 tsp Salt
1 TBSP EACH of Basil, Parmesan Cheese & Fresh or Powdered Garlic

Disolve yeast in mixing bowl with water. Stir in remaining ingredients; beat vigorously. Let rest 5 minutes. Roll out in shape of choice. Bake at 450*F for 15-20 minutes or until crust is brown and cheese is bubbling.

This recipe will make 2 pizzas in the largest sheet pans you can find. Wal-Mart doesn't carry these pans that you see here. However, if all you have is a large Wal-Mart cookie sheet, this recipe will do 4 of those. :)

For the Mexican Pizza, we omit the Basil and add 2 TBSP Corn Meal and 1 TBSP Cilantro and knead that in by hand.  When rolling it out, roll it out on Corn Meal instead of flour.  Layer the toppings in this order:  Refried Beans, Salsa, Taco Meat, Cheddar Cheese and Onions.  Sometimes we put olives on it, but most of the time we don't.  Bake as specified above, when it comes out, put 2 tsp of sour cream per piece of pizza on top.  :) 

Watching a movie on Netflix together. :)

As a couple days went by, we quickly realized that we would need to find another source for our tree.  The lot wasn't open on the first weekend of December and I honestly didn't want to wait until the 2nd weekend to get a tree.  Hubby mentioned seeing about other tree lots, so I called and unfortunately the tree prices were double what we'd paid at the other tree lot.  We discussed it and one afternoon when Hubby had a migraine, he told me to go ahead on out and find us a tree.  I took the wratchet straps "just in case" and off we went.  I was thinking that if I didn't like any of the trees that I liked at the local superdoopergeteverythingunderthesun store, we'd go pay double what we usually pay.  The plan was already cleared with Hubby, so I had some freedom in the decision making process. 

As we were driving around, the most "vocal" of the children about getting a fake tree was the oldest.  He was not at all happy about getting a fake tree and respectfully made it known to me.  Little did I know that the one child this decision MOST affected was my daughter.  I didn't know how she felt about it until the tree was home and I noticed a melancholy look on her face when she voluntarily went to work to make the tree's branches look more natural.

She said, "It will never be the same, Mom!  I always loved going to the tree place and picking out our tree."  I reassured her that things will be fine.  She'll see.  As the season has passed, they were fine and continue to be so.  We won't be throwing the tree out this year to be burned in mid January, but it will be wrapped up and put in the attic with the rest of the Christmas decorations.  The time had come to make a little bit of a change and the one who was most welcoming to the change was JL.  He was ready to not have to have the chore of watering the tree every day because he was the smallest.  I'll accept that as a very good reason!  :)

This was our tree fully decorated and all the presents under neath it...well, except what Daddy bought.  Considering we are a family who hunts, Daddy felt it was an appropriate gift for the children to get them "Airsoft Handguns".  He bought each of the children one because he didn't want any of them to feel "left out".  What a wonderful "hit" [literally speaking---pun intended] they were!  I jokingly said, "Now watch, they'll say, 'Daddy, let's play!' all while standing right behind you, pointing their Airsoft Guns at you."  Four people in the house, excluding yours truly, now have welts on their bodies from their "play time".  LOL 

I think I like this picture best.  I love Christmas!  We've listened to Christmas carols and songs to our heart's content this year.  We've not watched as many Christmas shows as we would have liked, but that's alright.  Our year this year, in my opinion, was a bit more laid back, a bit more pensive and a lot more family time-oriented than I think previous years have been.  I've learned a lot of things this year.  Many things I never knew that were traditions that we've tried to keep, but for whatever reason, they just didn't stay to be kept this year.  I would love to say that we served others as much as we possibly could, which is truly my heart's desire, but we didn't do much outside of our own home this year.  I think this year has been truly pivotal for both my husband and myself.  He's been really questioning all the expense and extent of all of our Christmas decorations.  Are they truly necessary and wanted/desired?  I think I'm in the same place.  I'll be questioning each decoration as they get packed away and the others that didn't make an appearance this year.  As much as I love decorating for Christmas, I also want to go overboard and I certainly don't want to be a slave to the decorations.  I have considered what I'd like to do and it is just simple evergreens, bows, angels, candles and a beautiful nativity.  We didn't find a tree topper angel this year that I liked, but my husband did find me a beautiful angel nonetheless.  I love it. 

Close your eyes!  No peeking until we say so!

Look at those faces!  Simplicity!  I love it!

He knew I'd be taking pictures, so he donned his stocking cap.  LOL  I found his favorite--Chocolate Covered Cherries!  :) 

And my Hubby bought me a beatuiful winter angel.  She was breathtakingly beautiful.  Biscuit, tucked under my arm, enjoyed the festivities too.  LOL 

This is perhaps one of my favorite pictures.  Our oldest son, DA and daughter, HJ pooled their money together to get this nerf gun with ammunition for their younger brother.  I love seeing the look of satisfaction on her face, knowing that she did good picking out something for him.  And, the look of pleasant surprise on his face.  What a wonderful memory this created for me!  My children giving, thinking of other's needs and wants first before their own.  What a wonderful blessing!

While I mentioned above that this Christmas has been a pensive one, thoughts of the future dance and twirl their way through our minds.  We are coming quickly upon the 2 year mark for my husband to be able to retire from working with the state at the corrections fascility.  We're excited and overwhelmed at the thought of moving again.  We're hoping to relocate somewhere warm, where we'll have less problems with our arthritis.  As I type this, my heart's desire is to serve the Lord wherever He places us.  My husband's desire is to be somewhere within an hour or so from the ocean.  We really don't have any family to move to, only more south than we are here in PA.  My IL's live in Florida, but my husband doesn't want to move that far south.  He's afraid of the heat.  He doens't do well with the heat.  I am so very excited because my husband will no longer be employed as a prison guard.  I'll have my husband back.   Praise God!  We've been talking about what we'll do with our time and much of what we'll do will be the same, while many things will be different.  I look forward to serving God with my husband in a church, more.