Settling In

Ever since our laptop has completely died, it's been a lot harder for me to get these blog posts up!  The problem with going too long in between posts is that pretty soon there is WAY too much to catch up on and it seems like an insurmountable task.  Thankfully, I've got a little bit of time on my hands this evening to give you a weekend update part two.

Well, folks -- it seems as though we are finally settling in to our new surroundings!  Aside from the simple passage of some time, there are a few other factors that I think have helped in our transition here over the last few weeks.  As we started our new family economy last month to tackle the financial aspect of avoiding the entitlement trap with our children, it became increasingly clear that a dual (or multi) armed approach would be necessary for truly succeeding in that goal.  After a particularly challenging Saturday about a month ago {Grace ended up being thrown in a cold shower  3 or 4 times before the day was over}, I had yet another crying breakdown to the kids as we forced them all to gather for a family meeting while the little ones were napping.  Earlier that week -- for Family Home Evening -- I had given a lesson on how we need to get back on track with reading the Book of Mormon as a family everyday.  I had come across a quote a few days before and as soon as I read it knew that THAT was the missing piece to the puzzle of how to have more peace in our home.

{I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness. 

-- President Marion G. Romney}

For my lesson that Monday, I tried to issue a challenge to see if we could make it a hundred days straight of reading together in order to earn a reward of some sort.  Everyone was on board with the plan, but then life went on and we discovered night after night that we had forgotten to do it, or had run out of time, or just plain skipped it because the kids were all acting too crazy.  Well, on that breakdown Saturday -- in the midst of my crying -- I managed to read them the quote once again and asked them for their help in figuring out a way to make this challenge happen.  Our ever-surprising-surprise, Grace, ended up suggesting the brilliant idea of having US read to THEM from the Book of Mormon each night before going to bed.  It was genius I tell you.  Especially since we're already in the habit of reading to them one by one every night anyway.  

Since that night, we have been reading something from the Book of Mormon first with each child  before moving on to the secular reading of the evening and it has been a miraculous success.  I kid you not -- the first week we started implementing this new plan was like one out of the twilight zone.  The kids were coming home from school in pleasant moods, getting chores down without complaint, and being kind and helpful to each other and me.  Obviously none of us are perfect and I can't say that everything has been completely hunky dory ever since, but the stark contrast of that first week in comparison to the previous weeks' struggles was enough to leave me humbled. The overwhelming result of our Book of Mormon challenge is that the children's behavior has been MUCH better than it was before.  And that's a good thing.  Hahaha.

Other highlights of the last couple of weeks include:

•   Gymnastics

 

I finally got around to signing the girls up for gymnastics.  They've been begging for it ever since we moved, and even more so since Ethan started soccer.  All three were initially wanting to join, but after a free trial class, Grace decided it wasn't really her thing.  {It is a bit hard to start from scratch with a sport like gymnastics as an almost-nine-year-old.}  Sophie and Jane on the other hand L-O-V-E it.  And I have to admit -- I love it, too.  :)

•  A Date Night

 

Scott and I decided it was high time last weekend to finally get out of the house and go on a real date.  We haven't gone out since we've moved here, and in fact, the last real date we had was probably back in MAY when we came out here for our house-hunting trip sans children.  We should probably try and go out more often.

• Running

A couple of Saturdays ago, I brought Ethan along with me for my long run of the day.  We did TEN miles.  He accompanied me by scooter for the first 6 miles and then after a brief water stop, he wanted to run with me for the last 4.  We ended up alternating half miles of running with half miles of walking, but still -- I was mega-impressed that he was up for it.  Of course, he will probably never let me sucker him into it ever again, but that's mostly because I am, unfortunately, out for the count.  Boo.  I've had so many problems with shin splints and other aches and pains as I've trained for the half-marathon this time around that I've decided it's time to stop being stubborn and listen to my body instead.  When my legs were still hurting several days after that 10 mile run {even with icing and stretching, etc.},  and the 3 mile run I forced myself to go on next was painful and torturous almost every step of the way, I made the executive decision to let this dream go.  I'm pretty bummed about not getting a new sticker to put on the new mini-van, but mostly I'm just relieved.  It's just not worth the pain.

• Last Paradise Ice run of the season

 

Ethan and I were probably the saddest to see the stand close for the season.  We got our last fix in for the year, though, and it was delish.  :)

•  Before and Afters

Those of you who know me well, know how much I live for projects.  Especially of the Before and After variety.  Since we've moved here, the Dining Room has been on my to-do list but has obviously been fairly low on it.  On Thursday I decided it was time to DO something about it and I started painting the wall.  To say that we didn't care for the previous look of the room is an understatement.  Nothing made me happier than painting the entire lower half white and then neutralizing the top up above.  It seriously made a world of difference in the room.

{Benjamin Moore color -- "Simply White" in a semi-gloss finish.  The paint was still wet here, which is making it look shinier than it actually is.}

{Ralph Lauren's "Antique Bone" on top.  The paint wasn't completely dry yet on top, so better pictures will be forthcoming once the room is cleaned and put together.}

In other Before and After news, I was super stoked to find a dresser for Grace this weekend at the local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store.  Especially since it was huge, solid wood and in pretty good condition with the drawers, AND only 15 bucks.  Score.  I already had paint out from doing the wainscoting in the Dining Room, so it was a quick fix to spray some primer on that bad boy and then slap a few coats of Simply White on the dresser to dress it on up for Grace's room.  The only thing left to do now is put some Polycrylic on it and haul it up the stairs.  I can't wait to take pictures of the finished product!

The Before

• Yard Work

And last but not least, we decided to take being homeowners seriously this weekend and finally got around to tackling our front and back yards.  When our trucks got here almost 3 months ago, we realized that the movers had left behind an entire shed of our stuff back in St. Louis.  As a result, we've been without a lawnmower since that time.  The first couple of months it was just easier to hire someone to cut the grass temporarily.  By the end of August, though, we decided it was time to get our own lawn mower and take care of our own business.  So, of course, we didn't end up actually getting one until just this past weekend.  Hahahaha.  Hashtag we are the worst.  Well, Christmas came a little early for Ethan, because he practically died from excitement when Scott got back from the Home Depot on Saturday with not only a lawn mower, but a leaf blower and an electric pruner as well. 

{I should have taken a before picture to make this look more impressive!  Hahaha.  Ethan did a ton of weeding and then pruned all the bushes for me while I bought a bunch of mums to plant and add a little color to our front entryway.  The next item up for business on the exterior is to change the paint colors of the doors, shutters, and other trim work.  I can't wait!} 

{Unrelated but worth documenting nonetheless.  I found this poster stuffed behind some boxes in the Dining Room when I started prepping it for painting.  I told Ethan I was going to frame it and hang it somewhere so he could see it everyday and be reminded of it.  Hahahaha.}

And that my friends is that.  It's late and I'm tired, so I think I'll sign off for now.  Until next time!