Where have I been....

It's been a while since I posted. School kept me pretty busy this last semester and I went back to work. It's amazing how those two things, on top of regular life can keep one super busy.

I managed to finish up my associates degree this semester and now only have 7 classes left to take for my bachelor's degree. I am taking two classes this summer: English 300 and Sociology 314 Organizations. My english class is a full 8 weeks and my sociology class is just 4 weeks. I am excited to see what it is all about. Then in the fall I am taking 3 classes, although at the moment, I am not positive of what they are. This will leave me with just 2 classes to take my final semester. This is a good thing since one of the classes requires an 80 page paper. (I am secretly very nervous about this class.)

The kids are finishing up school this week as well. I cannot believe that I will have a junior higher next year. Not sure I am ready for this season of life. Tomorrow the older two get to take a trip to the Salina zoo with the school. This is part of a reward the students got for completing their AR goals all four quarters. Then Friday is the all school play day. The kids get Puffy's Steakhouse hamburgers catered in for lunch.

Work is going. It's not the most enjoyable job one can have. However, the hours aren't bad, pays pretty decent, and I enjoy most of the people I work with. I have found that if I try not to think about stuff I could be doing instead of working, my day goes by faster and it doesn't seem as boring. I still keep my eyes open for other possibilities that might come open. But truely, it is in God's hands. I figure he will move me, when he is ready, and who am I to argue.

I have lost 23 pounds since the middle of March. I decided that my health was not at it's best and that I didn't want to continue down the road I was on. I have been seeing Dr. Tague at the Center for Nutrition and following their plan. I have 13 more pounds to go to get to my goal. I feel great! However, I have not been very good about exercising and need to get some of that incorporated into my schedule, or all of my hard work is going to be for nothing.

My plan is to start posting here again on a regular basis. Its a great outlet for me and helps me keep track of what is going on in my life.

Menu Planning

Breakfast for me is going to be smoothies, they are yummy. The kids will have waffles or cereal, they all each lunch at school, however I have the stuff for sack lunch if they choose to take one of those. I will be having salads, or tuna and crackers for lunch. Here are our dinners for the week:

Sunday – Roast, Carrots, Potatoes, Biscuits

Monday – spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Tuesday – Beef n Noodles, Mashed potatoes, Green beans

Wednesday – Homemade pepperoni/hamburger pizza, salad

Thursday – Chicken tetrazinni w/peas, garlic bread

Friday – Left Overs

Saturday - ??? V-day ????

Sunday –Fiesta Chicken, Southwest Rice, Corn

No Spend Challenge!

I am joining the No Spend Challenge being hosted over at MOMADVICE.COM. The goal is to pick a time frame..mine is going to be one week starting 2/8 and ending 2/14...and not spend any money. This is a big challenge for me, as I LOVE to shop. I also love to grab lunch on the way home from work, instead of waiting until I get home and eating something here. So my goal is to only spend Gas money (I will need to fill up my tank by Wednesday) but not spend anything else. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. If I can manage this week, then I might stretch it to the next week. But baby steps is what I will need to take. I should not have any reason to go to the stores, I just went grocery shopping and we have a stocked pantry and lots of items to choose from our freezer. I can and will make use of the items we have on hand. I will let you know how I am doing midweek and then again on Sunday the 15th. Please pray this goes well.

Last two weeks...

Have been a blur. I am not sure what I have done or haven't done..other then go to work. School has started up and I am not yet in the grove of things. In fact instead of writing this here post, I should be reading the million of pages of reading I have, so that I can post to the discussion posts. But BLAH, I don't want to. I want to do nothing. Its Saturday darn it, its suppose to be my day off. I have come to the conclusion, that I do not like working. It sucks all my time away and I honestly just don't enjoy it. I have been at my job a month now, the new has worn off, and its just not what I want or was hoping for. I sit for 4 hours a day in a cubical with almost no interaction with anyone other then me. I hated being a sahm because I didn't have other adults to talk to. I don't want to be stuck in a job that I don't have other adults to talk to. I understand that I am only at work for 4 hours, but they are the longest 4 hours. My work does keep me busy, which is a very huge plus, but it isn't very challenging. I am surely not using much of the 50,000 dollar degrees I am about to have. I will continue to work since it is paying my school for this semester, but I am diffently keeping my eye open for something else. I think I would like to work in a small doctors office, where I am interacting with patients, doctors, and the other staff. That is what I liked so much about my job working at the pediatrics office many moons ago. Not only did you have plenty of work to do, but friendships where made. Hopefully some day I will have that job that I enjoy going to each day.

Things at home are going. I feel like we are just getting by with the daily stuff. I feel like my house is constantly a mess and I don't have must desire to want to clean or do any of the stuff that is required. The children have been way hyper because its been rather cold and they have been locked up in the house. Yesterday and today have been nice out, so they are outside. Nothing like a little sunshine to help with the attitudes.

Anyways, I suppose I should get on with my day and get some things accomplished.

Week In Review...and random stuff!!!

Week two down!! I can't believe how time flies when you aren't having fun...lol. Today is payday, however there was an error with my direct deposit, so it will be Tuesday before I get paid. It's a good thing we don't need that check. Things are going good at work. They released me on my own now, which is good, cause I hate having someone watching over my shoulder. Now I just have to take my stuff to have it double checked before I mail/send it out. They have even asked if I want to work more hours then my scheduled hours. I don't really, but I did tell my supervisor that if I was just 30mins - 1 hour from completing my case then I would stay and finish it up. I don't want to work much more then 20 hours a week while going to school, especially this semester.

Speaking of school, classes start back up Tuesday. I am so not ready, I need at least another week or two. I am taking 6 classes this semester, which is only 15 hours, but still alot in my opinion. I have a feeling that they are not going to be as simple as last semesters were. I looked at what is posted in my classes and counted 13 papers....that's alot of writing, and I hate writing papers. YUCK!!! So, I am going to be working and doing school work. I am praying that Hubby helps out more with the kids in the evenings. However, if I hold my breathe, you'd have to dig my grave.

Daily Blessings are not going to work out...I was hoping to have time to write them out before heading to work, but then I forget. I could write them in the evenings, but am sure once school starts, I'll forget. So I am just not going to do them anymore. Granted I don't imagine there are many of you reading this, so noone will miss them.

Tomorrow is my birthday, 31 years and growing!! I am trying to come up with plans for Hubby and I. I've got my neice coming over to baby sit and spend the night, so we don't have to rush home. I was thinking dinner and then comedy, but don't know were I want to go. I do know that I don't want to go to a movie, anything but a movie. I also already have plans in the works for Valentines day, I got tickets to go see Laughing Matters, which is an improve comedy show. I am hoping that my sister and her husband go with us. I was thinking we would do a movie and then that! We have never in 7 years done anything for valentines day. So it should be fun.

Well, the kids have a three day weekend because Monday is a holiday. However, hubby and I both have to work Monday, so the kids are going over to the neighbors.

I managed to exercise twice this week. Not as good as I had planned. I intended to go Thursday and Friday and didn't. I do plan to get up and go tomorrow before heading into town to pick up B and might even try to go Sunday after church. Then I am going to attempt to go every day but Wednesday next week.

OK, need to go fix dinner for the kids, then shower and wait for hubby to get home. I have missed him this week! He has been away at training. Last time he went to training, I didn't miss him, but then again the kids weren't so bad as they were this time. LOL.

Daily Blessing #13

Happy Days

And now, my children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favour from the LORD.

Proverbs 8:23-35 NRSV

Daily Blessing #12

Midnight Visitor

And he said to them, "suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' And he answers from within, "Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs."

Luke 11:5-8 NRSV