Tryin' to keep it SIMPLE!

HELP!

Life continues to be crazy busy around here.  The harder I try to keep things

SIMPLE

the more complicated and hectic it seems to be.  

So I've come to that place where I must reevaluate life.
Have YOU been there?

I have to figure out how to get more time in my day without sacrificing the principles that I value.

I have commitments.

None of which I can or desire to

UN-commit  to.

Two mornings a week I teach water aerobics.  

I love this job and it provides me (both physical and mental) exercise .

It's a place where I know God has planted me.  

Though the class is only an hour long, it seems to take most of the morning... til I get up and do a few chores and feed the dog, cat and chickens, run to town to teach the class
 and stop for any errands on the way home,
 the morning is shot!
Now I have to admit,
some days....

okay, most days...

I hang around the Y for some coffee and conversation (and sometimes a treat).
You may call it goofing off, or wasting time,
but I call it

THERAPY!

2 of myfriends enjoying themselves around the "coffee" table

Two very long days are spent hanging with the grandkids.  On those days, nothing much gets done except for caring for and playing with these 2 adorable little ones.  

These 2 are a ton of work!.  But I can't think of any job that
is more rewarding or worthwhile.  It's not just a babysitting job,
it's working for the Kingdom since I get the distinct
honor of lovin' on them and  influencing them for Jesus!

Everyday, there are chores to do around the homestead.

There is always cleaning, laundry, organizing, gardening......and well you know, the list never ends.  I could lower my standards here.  But it would probably just make me cranky.

  I like things a certain way.

PERIOD!

When I do manage to get some free time, 

and my mind is not completely burned out (it's an age thing!),

 I enjoy crafting, 

mostly card making,

because it's a great way to bless others. 

scrapbooking,

and of course BLOGGING!

I have to have a creative outlet.
It's just who I am!

It seems that everywhere I look, there's a chore that needs done,

a project that needs completed,

a family member that needs help,

and I definitely need to spend more time with God.
But how do I squeeze it all in!?

So I've decided since there isn't anything I can't (or won't)  not do, 

I am going to have to concentrate on staying focused.....

Ignore all of life's background noise and distractions.

I'm gonna have to stick to my plans! 
(Yes, I'm a planner!)

But I'm afraid I'm also going to have to have 
AN ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT! 

I think perhaps I need to relax a bit and

  just enjoy living in the moment more often. 

I'm the oldest child in my family.  

And oldest children don't seem to have that

"Relax and enjoy life" bent!

We have that 

"take charge, and get things done" bent!

But that's a topic for another day!!

Let's move on.......

I think I need to be a little more childlike!

I usually watch the babies on Mondays, but with Monday being a holiday this week I was free for the day.  

AND my Y schedule was completely abolished.
Because of some kind of plumbing (sewer) problem,
 the Y will be closed this week.  

SO

I found someone else to take over my babysitting duties,

and I'm spending the week at home...

Isolated, hopefully, from distraction.

I'm gonna take this opportunity to not only catch up on chores and projects, 

but to also do some things that I want to do, like blogging.

AND I PLAN TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT!

How do you get everything done you want to do,

both the necessary 

And the unnecessary desires of your heart...

AND.... still keep it simple?  

I'd love to hear your thoughts.   

I have more to say on this subject, but the clock is ticking....

very fast..

so I must go.

  But stay tuned.  I have more things I need to talk about!!

But for now,
I'm praying God will give me the strength to be all He created me to be....

and I'm trying to keep it simple and deliberate...

I'm a Pout Pout Fish.....

Jack loves to read!  He has he's favorites too. 

He loves Bubba and Beau.

And he enjoys finding the hiding seahorse in

the Secret Seahorse.

But lately, his favorite has been

So Just for the fun of it....

I created my own Pout Pout fish cake!

He loved it!

It tasted pretty good too!!


~~CHOCOLATE~~ 

The repeated verse in this story by

Deborah Diesen

 is..

“I’m a pout-pout fish

With a pout-pout face.

So I spread the dreary-wearies

All over the place.”

Blub

bluub

bluuub

Very Cute!

Projects that have been keeping me from blogging...Project # 7 Hanging with the Grandkids!

Okay, I know what you're thinking....

Hanging out with the grandkids is

 NOT a PROJECT!

Well, maybe not...

But they do keep me extremely busy!!

I spend at least 2 days a week caring for them while their mama teaches Cyber School. 

 Sometimes I go to their house 

and other times they come to the old homestead.  

It doesn't matter where we are, 

there is always an opportunity to capture some cute  photos.....

And I take LOTS of pictures....

Every day is a new 

Photo Shoot.

Take a look....

Lunch on Deck..

 Pap Pap taught the boy to put applesauce on his bread ;)

Monkey see, Monkey do!

H-A-P-P-Y!

He loves to watch Giggle Bellies music videos on You Tube. 

 Click here to view our favorite video!

Both babes enjoy taking a trip to the chicken yard.  Rhea can even say Bak Bak Bak!

MUCK BOOTS-LOVE!!

This boy loves to explore......

Is she not the cutest little thing?!!?!

I'm not partial or anything ;)

Pap Pap gave Jack a lesson on bee pollination.  He listened very intently.  Now every time we stroll around the yard he pulls a flower off the wysteria vine, pulls out the stamen and proceeds to tell me about bees.  It's very cute.  But then, isn't everything our grandbabies do, cute!?

If you want to see more pictures of this kind of cuteness you can click here to view my pictures on Facebook.  While you're there, 

 feel free to friend me!!

Now I have to go, because I have a lot of scrapbooking to do! 

 So stay tuned for some 

Scrappy Saturday posts!