I'm a WINNER!!

I feel so blessed to have accomplished so much this past week. I did my daily check of my favorite websites/blogs and guess what?!!

I WON!!

I was surprised to see that Mrs. Wilt pulled my name out of her lovely straw hat and I was chosen for the Monday Anti-Procrastination challenge winner.

I was astonished to find out that I was also the GRAND PRIZE winner!! I am so blessed.

Honestly I am more blessed about the exposure my last post might get from winning. I am so looking forward to hearing from you wonderful ladies and getting some great resources for my journey back home. I have already met so many new "kindred spirits" that I am just tickled pink!!

Thank you Mrs. Wilt. Thank you for your encouragement and cheerful attitude. I am believing to accomplish many more tasks which I have been procrastinating for far too long.

God Bless each and every one of you lovely ladies who have already provided such encouraging comments and offered your beloved hand of friendship.

Too blessed for words,
Rean Day

My Passion to be a SAHW and a Request for Help at the End

For a very long time I have longed to be a wife and mother. I have never had an intense desire to have a career. I attended college for 2 semesters and the best thing that came from my college experience was meeting my DH online.

DH proposed about 4 years later and I accepted. We were married in 2002.

Before our wedding, we learned DH had the opportunity to take a job in SW Pennsylvania, close to where his family lives.

We were moving! We moved almost one month after we were wed. I was raised in a military home and was used to moving. I was truly excited about the prospect of a new, fresh start as husband and wife in a new town.

DH had a good job and financially I didn’t need to work. FINALLY my time had come. I was going to be a SAHW and certainly, within a couple of years, we would be bringing our first child into the world.

As is so often the case, life did not go as planned. That first year I stayed home and expected to know EVERYTHING I need to take care of DH and our home. I expected to become my mother when that ring went on my finger. I was disappointed in my inability to focus on our home and our inability to have a child. I was unable to take care of my home, uncaring about my appearance, and downright FRUMPY.

It was hard not knowing anyone nearby. It was hard only having one vehicle, which husband took to work. That first year at his job he was working 80 hours a week. He was exhausted when he came home and I was miserable. After talking it through we decided I should try to find a part-time job, just to help me get out of the house and the ever present funk I was in. We bought a second vehicle and I put in for any part-time secretarial position I could find.

Flash forward 4 years. I am working 40 hours a week. We have our own home now and I have matured greatly from where I was 5 years ago. And now…

I WANT TO COME HOME!!! I want to be a SAHW. We understand it will take more financial and emotional effort to have a child (due to fertility problems). We understand it may never happen. I am willing to accept that (for now). I don’t have the empty feeling inside anymore. I know I am to be FIRST AND FOREMOST a helpmeet to my husband.

I am anxious and I need to be sure about my decision. DH will support me either way. He understands my desire to be at home and truly, I think he would prefer it. He does not, however, want the old frumpy wife again. Thus, I need to be sure about my decision.

We talked about it about a month ago and DH had some valid points. This is what I am working on right now.

These are the components DH has witnessed I need in my life to be happy and productive.

• Social interaction;
• Sense of purpose;
• Accountability;
• Being a contributing member of society; and
• Being challenged by my work.

I have all these things at my job and DH wants me to figure out how I will be able to find them at home or, if I can't find them, how will I supplement them.

I need to reason it through and identify where these components will come from. DH can’t provide a lot of them because he works ~ 12 hours a day.

I need to study each component in the Word to see where biblical women got these things.

Thanks so much for reading this. It was more about putting it in writing than anything.

I am not looking for counsel. I want to make that clear. I know that this is our family’s decision.

I am simply looking for the right avenues to research. I want to be able to make a decision on this by summer of this year and I just thought I could get some good resources from you all.

I have a wonderful woman who is our Fellowship Coordinator’s wife. She is wonderful to bounce thoughts off of. I just thought I would take advantage of the on-line community and any input you might have about books or simply records to look at in the Bible. I am currently reading through Ruth and noting (where I can) where Ruth received her support and all of those things listed.

Thanks so very much.

Anti-Procrastination - Monday

First off, let me say I have truly enjoyed this challenge. This past week has been very productive and has really blessed me. I love meeting all the ladies who are also participating in the challenges and I love how we encouraged one another this past week.

Just so everyone knows, I did finally get my laundry put away. It is nice to have so many clothes to choose from and also very eye-opening. I have A LOT of clothes. It might be time to reduce the number of clothes I have in the closet. We almost ran out of hangers with all the clothes clean and put away!! LOL

So, my mission for today, Monday, January 29th, 2007 is...Work on the post that has been in my head and drafted for some time. It is a difficult one to articulate but I need to have it in writing. Especially if I want to get some advice from you wonderful SAHWs and SAHMs.

Hopefully I can get that done after lunch and tidy up the Living Room before DH and I have to leave for our Biblical Research class tonight.

Anti-Procrastination - Saturday

DH and I had a Biblical Research class to go to this evening but before we had class DH took me out to eat at one of my favorite restaurants Don Pablos. It was so nice just having the time to eat together and share how our week went. Then we went over to Borders so I could do one of my favorite things...browse for books. DH stayed in the van and took a little rest. He was blessed to get some rest before class and I was blessed because I got to look at some books. Then we had class. We sat next to each other and shared little glances when something taught caught our attention. It was really a blessing.

I am so blessed to have a DH who loves God with his whole heart!!

Mission (sorta) Accomplished

Ok, Laundry is in process. I have all but one washed, dried and folded. I just have to put them away. I can finish that tommorrow. I did however sort out the clothes which had been thrown on top of the closet. It seems the shelf only collected summer clothes that were not being used (since it's winter). I folded them all up and put them in my BIG L.L. Bean Bag for storage. If DH has to go out of town to someplace warm this winter, all I have to do is pull that bag down and pull out the clothes. So, I did get something accomplished.



Here's another cute picture of my kitty Spaz and his favorite place to rest...MY COMPUTER!!



Awww, isn't he cute (the rascal).

Anti-Procrastination Challenge - Friday

Well ladies, I am proud to say that I have been very faithful to maintaining those things which I have already accomplished. I have not been very faithful to this one thing...which is why it is my mission for today.

Today's mission is...



LAUNDRY (DAH DAH DAHHHHH)

Our laundry room is simply a part of the basement. Also in the basement is our family room. DH and I have TIVO and I have some programs saved from November that I would like to watch. DH is out of town today, I'm not sure exactly what time he'll be home. I will take the laundry down and enjoy my programs while I process the laundry. It should only take this evening. Maybe a little of tommorrow. We have a Biblical Research class this weekend and next week too so tonight is my only real opportunity to get the laundry done.

The nice thing about doing it this way is that I will be able to tidy up downstairs too. Two-for-one today!!

Thursday Mission - ACCOMPLISHED

Not only did I put all the presents and decorations where they belonged, I also dropped off a box of old magazines to the Middle School near where I live. I dropped off some a few months ago and called the librarian again and asked if they would want more. She said the teachers LOVED all the home decorating magazines I gave them. She definately wanted the other ones I had to give away. She was so excited!! LOL, I was happy to get rid of them in a better way than the trash or recycling bin.

So, I finished up the box of presents. I was coming around the corner with my camera to take a picture of the empty box...but there was something (someone) in it!!




Mrs. B - your comment was RIGHT ON.

"I bet the kitty is thinking....'I wish she'd empty this box so I could sleep in it!' LOL (o;"

Well, I got everything put away and I kept the dining room table clean and I processed the mail as soon as I walked in the door. This anti-procrastination thing is pretty cool.

Procrastination Challenge - Thursday

So todays Anti-Procrastination Challenge is to get the holiday decorations and presents put away. We brought all of our presents back from Tennessee (where we celebrated the holidays) in this box:




We have shifted stuff around in this box, taken things out of this box, put them back into this box...it is time to put everything in its rightful home.

Even Spaz (our kitty) is tired of looking at this box.



Any comments on what he could be thinking?

Wednesday Mission Accomplished

I was going to just add on to my original post but I decided not to. I worked very hard yesterday to get everything straightened out. Following is a picture "diary" of my process.

I started out with 3 files...




I worked for a while and then broke for lunch...Salmon and salad...Yum-O





After I finished eating...I finished sorting.



Does anyone else see which file is DRAMATICALLY more full? Sheesh, I could have prevented much torment and procrastination if I had just thrown out the JUNK!!!

Now the mail was gone but the dining room table was still a mess.



So, I cleaned it up too. Yay ME!!!!




WHEW...all done, that feels really good. Now I can move on to Thursday's Challenge.

Procrastination Challenge - Wednesday

Ok, here is my Anti-Procrastination Mission for today.

Todays mission is to (drum roll please...) SORT THE MAIL!!!!

DH gets paid once a month and we have automatic bill payment through our bank. We do our budget once a month and then edit it by using our on-line banking. Due to the fact that our bills get paid automatically, we tend to just pile up the mail and not even look at it. This is something I know we need to change. We need to find some sort of "filing" system for our incoming mail. I have tried separate file folders labeled "TO DO", "TO READ", "TO FILE". but they didn't get used. I'm not sure what we need to do in the long run, however, I KNOW I need to go through all the junk mail, bills (which are already paid but they still send us paper copies), magazines, and tax information.

Whew, that is going to be quite a bit of work if I actually file things away where they need to go, which I am planning on doing. Plus I have my Financial Peace University class tonight. I guess I better plan on going home for lunch so I can get started on this mission!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I went home for lunch and after making a delicious salad, heating up my chili (Yum) and eating it all up I didn't have time to work on my mail...I did, however, take a before picture.



OH THE HORROR---THE SHAME

I decided that I would be quite honest with these challenges. I need to be accountable and who better to be accountable to than my fellow Procrastinators!! LOL I can't wait to have an AFTER photo!! Something to strive for.

Anti-Procrastination Challenge - Tuesday

Today over at Sparrow's Nest, Mrs. Wilt started an Anti-Procrastination Challenge. I have so many things that need to get done in my home that I KNEW I could do this challenge.

Today's challenge is to hem my DH's pants. He has two pairs of jeans and one pair of pajama bottoms that need hemmed and I know I can take 2 inches off those pants! Really, how hard can it be? I need to remember to allow for the folded in edge at the bottom of the jeans. I guess that means I need to cut off 1 & 1/2 inches and fold over 1/4 and then 1/4 again. If there are any ladies who read this and can confirm or deny that this is true I would appreciate it.

Do I need a special needle in my sewing machine to sew jeans? Hmm, something else to think about. No matter, it needs to be done and therefore, it is my Anti-Procrastination mission today.

I must remember to stay focused on that particular task and not get sidetracked. I think that in itself will be a victory!! LOL

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EDITED ON 1/24/06 TO ADD

Ok, I got the two pairs of jeans done. I still have the pajama bottoms but I will get those done this evening. DH was soooo proud of me. They don't look professional or anything and I only broke one sewing machine needle (I knew I should take the pins out as I went) but they are finished and I saved us $12.00. (That's how much it cost to get them hemmed before ($6.00 each).) Life is good. I accomplished something I have never done before!! Yea ME!!

Here's a Picture of the finished product:

A Change of Scenery

The title obviously refers to the changes I have made to my Blog layout. The rest of this post is titled:

A SWEET REMINDER OF WHAT IT IS TO BE LOVED

This past weekend I was really blessed to be a part of the “Couples Advance” with my Bible fellowship. There were 8 couples at different stages of their relationships (some just dating, some engaged, some married under 5 years, and some over 20). It was really fun learning about what the Bible says about the marriage relationship.

I think the best part of the Advance was the activities we did. I received permission from DH to share some of our findings.

One activity was to Write down 5 things you would like to do with your spouse. This was an eye-opener for both of us because we really agreed on these five things:

• Focus on activities/attractions available in our area during “date night” (instead of just meals and movies)
• Visit/fellowship more with friends
• Focus on healthy meals/exercise together
• Spend more time with family – build stronger relationships
• Spend more time on home improvement projects together

This was cool because when we got to the third one DH suggested it. I am so excited that he would like to do this together. I have been talking about walking together after dinner or on the weekends. Just being more physical in our activities instead of just “dinner and a movie.”

That activity we worked on together and got the five things together. This next activity was one we did individually and then shared what we wrote. This was so awesome because DH and I got the exact same answers in the exact same order!!!! Talk about being like-minded.

List 3 things you are thankful to God for in your relationship.

• Our communication
• Our true FRIENDSHIP
• Our family ties, the fact that we have great relationships with our families.

Isn’t that AWESOME!?

DH and I had a really fun time. It really opened up a lot of opportunity for discussion in our marriage. We truly love each other and most importantly we love God and His Word above all else.

Truly I am a blessed woman.

A Rough Start to A Happy New Year

I know it is a little late, however, I wanted to wish everyone HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

DH and I started our new year with an unfortunate event. DH's Grandmother passed away on 12/31/06. The first week of the new year was spent with family, mourning the loss of a dear dear woman. One of the nicest things said that week was that it didn't matter if you were family, friend, or stranger; Grandma Day was Grandma Day to everyone.

DH and I talked about so many of the fun times and fond memories we have of Grandma. He remembers picking blueberries at her farm to make jam or pie and eating more than he brought back to Grandma. He spent a couple weeks every summer with his Grandparents and he fondly recalls events, meals, stories and love from those times.

It made me realize that it wasn't uncommon for grandchildren to go for a week or two in the summer to visit with grandparents. How times have changed. It seems such a chore to go anywhere anymore, let alone plan a week-long vacation. Children are so involved in activities that they don't have a free weekend to visit an Aunt or Grandmother.

DH and I have decided to put ourselves out there more for our nieces and nephews (and my brothers). We are being much more vocal about our desire to have the kids over for a weekend. I think (in general) many parents view their children as a burden to lay on someone else to handle, when truly they are a JOY!! DH and I spent Thanksgiving with a house FULL of children and we had SO MUCH FUN.

In July my parents are celebrating 30 years of marriage. After the party, DH and I are planning on keeping my brothers for a WHOLE WEEK so my parents can go on a second honeymoon!! I can't wait. I love having my brothers around. In February we are watching our niece and nephew while DH's Brother and Sister-in-law spend some quality time alone. Again, I can't wait.

Hopefully we will be able to convince our family (and friends) that DH and I truly do enjoy "babysitting."