Best laid plans

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." Proverbs 16: 9

I need to remember that verse more often.  I had the best laid plans.  My plans.  I was going to spend time while Skylar was at school getting stuff ready for her room re-do.  Then, my parents were going to take her for a couple days so we could do the install.  Then, after she got home, she would squeal and shriek and I would write a nice long makeover post! Then we would make lots of homemade goodies for her birthday; have a party at the park with her classmates; I was going to speak at a board meeting for our school; I was going to wrap up my women's book study I was leading; and then I would leave for the weekend so I could bond and learn with my fellow church board members.

It didn't go that way.

Skylar got Croup two and a half weeks ago.  So she was home from school.  She's now had croup twice in her life.  Both in the last couple months.

Then we all 5 got hit with an intestinal bug.  More missed school.  More time spent NOT preparing items for the room.

Then we were all healthy (yay!), only to have Skylar get the full blown flu the day she was supposed to leave and hang out with my mom for a couple days.  My mom took her anyway (rockstar grandma!!), and they just watched movies.  I worked to get the last few errands in and sewing. The next day Brian cleared her room, we painted, and I tried to finish up some sewing.  Then it hit me.  The flu.  The bad, body aching, high fever, coughin up a lung, can't-stand-upright, flu.

I did my best to help Brian finish up her room, but then I was done.  For the next 5 days.  In that time it also hit Brian, and then Bailey.  Reagan has thus far avoided it (and praying she stays immune!), but she did call my mom at one point and BEG her to come over because there was no one to feed them.  Ha! Rest assured we were feeding the children.  But it was easy stuff like cereal and soup, so we were incredibly grateful that my mom answered the call and came to take care of all of us!!

Skylar loves her new room and it was a great surprise, but it certainly wasn't as I imagined it would be.  I didn't get to finish up my book study. I didn't get to speak at a board meeting for our school.  I didn't get to go away for the weekend with my fellow church board members.  We didn't have a party at the park and I didn't make any homemade goodies.  But life went on.  Other people spoke in my place.  My lovely fellow board members went without me.  My middle baby turned 6.

We're all on the road to recovery but this bug is wretched.  I had the best laid plans.  But the Lord has greater plans.  I'm speaking at church on Monday night so maybe He knew I needed to have some extra time to prepare.  Whatever it is, I need to remember that His plans are best.

In the meantime, here are some snaps from my cell phone.  I would still like to do a whole room re-do post in the future.  For now, this is my best. :)

Our sweet Skylar the morning of her birthday (yesterday).  My mom got her a beautiful princess gown.  It was instant love! 

Skylar's first day back to school after being sick.  How fun that it was her birthday! :) Her class is singing to her while she wears the "birthday hat." 

We were blessed with awesome weather for her birthday, so she played outside with the dogs.  This one is my parents dog.  :) She's the most "willing" to go along for a ride.  Notice the sparkly princess shoes.

A "before" shot of Skylar's room.  We had a beach theme beforehand.  I have other pics before it was cleared, but I'll save those for the longer post.  

And AFTER! We did two colors of pink on the walls; I made a fabric banner, tissue pom poms, a rag quilt for her bed, and a new bedskirt.  This is a shot from standing in her doorway looking in.

Another shot from inside her room. 

Most importantly, she loves it.  She had a good birthday and we're all getting healthier.  Thank the Lord for that!

i

There has been some talk lately about what the next generation will be named.  It seems that there's a "letter" trend since the induction of my own generation: Generation X.  Following us was Generation Y.  So, I guess it seems fitting that some would recommend the title Generation Z for the current generation.  I don't agree.  I've given some thought to it, and I would like to submit my suggestion: The "i" generation.

There's the obvious connotation of the tech gadgets that begin with "i" like the iphone, ipod, ipad, itouch, etc. Kids are familiar with each of them; often owning one themselves (at ages FAR too young in my honest opinion).  It's also slightly morbid, but mostly befitting, that the Apple mogul died during this generation.  He is now idolized (another "i") and revered more than ever before.

There are some words with "i" that we hear frequently now: imagine, ideals, increase, identity, ideology, immersion, immediate, immunizations, IQ, Iditarod (ok, just making sure you're still paying attention).  Any one of these can be spun into a description for the future of our children.  

But it goes much farther than that.  For me, one of the strongest arguments is for the "i" to stand for "ironic." We're getting so advanced in our technology that we can see people across an ocean and speak to them in real time.  We can text and it takes mere seconds to reach someone.  We're more "in touch" than ever before.  Yet, look around.  If you go to a restaurant, people aren't talking to the ones at their own table.  They're texting, or facebooking, or emailing people at a distance.  The "i" can also be for "internet".  Are they still calling it that these days? I can't keep up.  I still say w-w-w dot when giving a web address.  Silly me.  But the older I get, the more pessimistic I get about the direction we are headed.

I've been noticing for a while that parents are giving small children technology to keep them quiet instead of teaching them to be social or occupy themselves without a movie or game.  I'm amazed at the 3 year olds that are allowed to run around with an ipad.  I certainly wouldn't hand my daughter five $100 bills and let her run around with them!  She hid my keys in the toybox once and I couldn't find them for 36 hours.  She's not to be trusted.

The "i" can also be a capital "I."  We're raising a selfish generation, because that's what we're modeling.  I've already read a handful of articles that talk about parents needing to put their phones down and pay attention to their children.  How sad that our children are not a priority! Have we forgotten that "Children are our heritage and a blessing from the Lord"? (Psalm 127:3).

How great would it be if we could flip that "i" into something positive? If this is the generation my children will be part of, I want to show them that their ancestors didn't have it all wrong.
I want them to be part of the "I can still sit and write a letter" generation; or the "I would love to have a conversation with you" generation; or the "I believe that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow" generation.  Better yet, let's call it the U generation.  I love YOU because Christ loved YOU. How can I serve YOU? What can I do to help YOU? YOU are important! YOU matter.

Imagine that.  

The wheel

I was reading my last post and had to laugh.  SO, now it's FEBRUARY?! Where did January go? I'm sure I'll get to December and be saying the same thing.  :)  I told Brian last week that I feel like I'm on a hamster wheel.  I'm in constant motion.  I can't imagine how it is for families with kids involved in sports and lots of activities.  All we have is piano for Reagan and the rest is just "stuff" that keeps us (me) busy.

I'm leading a book study for the ladies at our church on Thursday nights.  It's been neat to see other married ladies come together and work hard to bless their husbands.  We're also planning a women's retreat, a training weekend, and leadership meetings.  It's fun to work for the Lord, but it certainly is work! The rewards are the best pay there is though. :)

We're still in limbo on our school situation for next year.  I'll just leave it at that.

In the midst of of our busyness, we have a special birthday coming up.  When we moved into our house, Skylar was only 3.  She didn't get to choose what her bedroom looked like.  So a while back she asked if she could ever "re-do" her room.   As a surprise to her, she is getting a room makeover.  I'll be sure to post before and after photos.  I'm so excited for her to see all the fun (PINK!) things for her room!!

We're also getting in to the gardening season around here.  Our yard still needs a lot of work, but we've been adding fruit trees here and there, and we're getting ready to plant our veggies for spring/summer. The girls look forward each year to the planting process.  I look forward to the "fruits" of our labor.

Oh, and I finally downloaded all of our pictures.  Here's a glimpse into our last few weeks.

Field Trip to the LegoLand SeaLife Aquarium

She makes the funniest faces!

My pile of squares for Skylar's quilt

That's Skylar at the top.  She's nearly fearless.

Our tissue paper flowers for Valentine's Day.  Placed in a painted jar, courtesy of pinterest.  

I'm newly addicted.  

Making candles for our "liquids and solids" homeschool project

Our pretty little tangerine tree!

See you in March.  Just kidding.  Kind of.  Back to my wheel. :)