31 days — raisingthreeknightsandaprincess.com

Day 21 – Rest

Rest….

What does that mean to you?

For me it means SLEEP. It also means resting in today and God’s provision for today.

It means taking time off of life to take care me. In today’s society that is not an easy thing. We are all so busy. This year our school year has looked quite different. I have one in school and three at home. We make daily trips to LearningRx. I gas up the car so much more than I did last year. We go from here to there and the days of school at home seem long gone. But it is our life this year. It is what our days look like. But among the busyness there is a peace because I know it’s God’s plan for us right now.

I waited, fretted, cried and sweated over what this year would look like. I feel like I went around the mountain to find the path God had laid before us for this year. And I think the journey is partly the reason for the peace. It’s often the journey that reminds me what it feels like to be in the middle of God’s plan for our lives.

How people go through life without knowing there is someone else looking out for them is a mystery to me. I remember the days when I had the illusion of control over my own life. I determined my days, my weeks. But in those times there was very little peace. There was always a searching. The God sized hole he puts in each of us can only be filled by him.

Then the journey of giving up daily control of our lives begins. And when I arrive at the place that I realize HE is GOOD and HE has my best interests at heart I can rest in whatever is going on in my life. I can remember “this too shall pass” or I can rejoice in the small things when the days look dark. The days right now feel full of sunshine. And I know there will be another mountain to climb but I am so thankful for the rest.

Life is definitely hard. But God is definitely good!!! Enjoy your day! Rest.

Day 20 – Reality

My boy is 10 today! (sniff, sniff)

I only have one left in single digits instead of double. And one is 13 on Christmas Day. Hey, does that mean I’m getting older???

Yikes, I think it does.

Happy Birthday sweet boy!!!

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Posted: October 20, 2011 by Julie |Category: Other Happenings | Our Family, Our Lives | Tags: 31 days

Day 19 – Reality

I was looking back at all my photos I’ve uploaded onto Photobucket and found this one.

This little sweet thing turns 10 tomorrow.

Where does the time go?

She is 7 going on 16 and wants her ears pierced, a new pet and all her clothes to match.

He’s 11 and wants a phone for Christmas. This shot was taken with my very first digital camera. Everything had to be date stamped because I had 4 little ones and couldn’t remember when I took pictures!! I also was a scrapbooking fiend then.

This guy is 12 and turns 13 (A TEENAGER) on Christmas Day this year. Reality! It’s amazing how the time on this earth flies like it does.

It makes me think of eternity, a mind-boggling thought.

I’m so glad I know I’ll spend it with Jesus. I wonder what it will be like…when I breathe my last breath and open my eyes to heaven’s glory. My birth mom is dying from cancer. God blessed me with the chance to get to know her some 8-9 years ago. My time with her last month in WI was so precious. She’s stubborn and hard-headed and likes things the way she likes things. I see me in her. It’s a wonderful feeling. There have been times when she says she rests and goes into this strange, quiet, peaceful place. We talk about whether that will be what dying is like…just slipping further into that peace.

I asked her to ask God to send me a telegram (just break the rules once) to let me know if that is what it’s like.

I wonder what he’ll say?

I love you mommy Janet!

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Posted: October 19, 2011 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Parenting | Tags: 31 days, death, reality

Day 18 {wrinkles}

Day 18 and the reality is this is hard!

Each day I wait for some epiphany, something wonderful to tell you. But the reality is that right now life is just nuts for us. In the last year we have moved twice, once from our home of 10 years. We have changed jobs. One of my kids decided he wanted to go to school. We are very actively involved in LearningRx, as you probably already know. Life is busy. My husband’s job is very demanding. He tries so hard to balance home and work life. Last night I kept telling him, “One day at a time baby. It’s all we have.”

It is the only way I’ve learned contentment and thankfulness.

Tomorrow will truly have it’s own worries…….wrinkles and all.

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Posted: October 18, 2011 by Julie |Category: Our Family, Our Lives | Tags: 31 days, contentment, God, wrinkles

Day 17 – Reality (sadness)

I have been so bad about planning ahead for my own 31 days. My sweet friend Scooper has, of course, planned her blogs a head of time. She’s like that. I love her.

“HI SCOOPER”

Today’s a bit about real life. We spent our weekend in SC. And once again I got to glimpse into the life of teenagers and all the pressures they are under. It scares me for my own kids. Will this sex-driven generation ever go away? I’m sad that girls think they need to have bones showing because of TV and magazines. I’m sad that teens are involved in drugs, kill others and collapse under the social pressures of today. I scream out to God “Come, come quickly…for the children!” Taken from “Intense Moments with the Savior” by Ken Gire. If you haven’t read it you need to. Go to Amazon now and download it on your Kindle or buy the book.

We’re up late after a long weekend in SC seeing friends and those we love so I’m off to wake children for school. It’s already nine o’clock.

Bye!

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Posted: October 17, 2011 by Julie |Category: Parenting | Tags: 31 days, peer pressure, teenagers

Day 13 – Real Life

In my dreams of bloggy land I was determined to blog for 31 days but I’m doing something more important the next 3 days. Remember the rest we spoke about earlier?

I’m driving to SC to see friends and to spend a weekend with my hubbie , go to a high school football game, see my favorite chiropractor, and get farm fresh eggs. Not in that order, of course but close.

Our house in SC is waiting for a new loving family. I pray God will bless the neighborhood and the family who lives there.

So…..even thought I MIGHT blog over the next three days, I just might not. So if you don’t hear a peep out of me we’re having fun and I’ll see you on Monday.

Have a great weekend. Go vacuum your garage!!

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Posted: October 13, 2011 by Julie |Category: Other Happenings | Our Family, Our Lives | Tags: 31 days, rest, SC

Day 12 – Openness and Reality

“What if I don’t like it?”

“What if I don’t like it after two days?”

“What if I don’t like it after a week?”

“What if I just absolutely hate it?”

“What if my tutor is mean and I hate it”

I got all these questions and more as I informed my third-born that he was beginning LearningRx yesterday. He was determined to hate it. He doesn’t like trying new things and is definitely my introverted one. He sticks close to home, doesn’t spend the night at friend’s houses, doesn’t make a lot of new friends, and is happy and content playing by himself a lot of the times. So yesterday we all teased him that we were going to remove his brain and give him a new one. We all bet on the color of his brain. He laughed and giggled and then got down to the business of brain training. So what was his feedback when done….”I love it mom!” He took his bag to bed with him last night. They give you a bag with all your materials and games in it. Shh…..don’t tell anyone.

So, I just found out LearningRx has a blog! Yippee. LearningRx’s Blog …. http://www.learningrxblog.com/

OK, enough of all the brain talk.

This weekend I had to laugh at myself. Florida living is so different than rural SC living. Here, lawns are manicures, bushes cut into shapes and being in the lawn industry MUST be the most profitable business here. Men buzz around yards on the whirly-dirly lawn machines at 55mph while someone else is trimming bushes and branches and all that jazz. Must take them 10 minutes per lawn.

Most houses have three car garages because everyone has a boat of course. (NOT US!)

Our house has a very nice garage with some cabinetry built in and some special fancy flooring. My realtor was impressed but to me it’s just speck-ily flooring.

I was out there Saturday, in my PJs, vacuuming the rug that goes from the garage to the hallway into the kitchen. It gets messy with football cleats, flip flops and puppy dog feet. So as I’m busy getting the rug clean I notice the other grass and trash in the garage where my car us usually parked. So I began to vacuum the garage floor. Then, right in the middle of my vacuuming I stopped. “I’m vacuuming my garage floor. Oh my goodness what in the world am I doing?” And I just had to stop and laugh at myself. I used to say, “Get me out of this town.” when we lived in SC. I didn’t want my boys growing up with their greatest achievement in life being the size of the buck on the wall. Now I’m thinking, “Get me out of here…..I’m vacuuming my garage floor.” I’m turning into a real country club woman!!!

If I post pictures of me in a tennis outfit on my way to my morning tennis match come shoot me.

PLEASE!!!

To read more LearningRx reviews and stories from other parents visit: http://www.learningrx-reviews.com/

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Posted: October 12, 2011 by Julie |Category: Chuckles | LearningRx | Tags: 31 days, country club living, Learning RX, Learning Rx review, LearningRx reviews

Day 11- Cognitive Thinking Skills (YOUR BRAIN!)

Only a few more hours left on yesterdays giveaway. What are you guys lazy or just buzy? $20 AMAZON gift card, people.

So today we’re going to talk a little about LearningRx.

This program has been so amazing for two of my kids that I just enrolled my third child. I have seen my son’s ability to complete task increase by leaps and bounds. My daughter sat down this weekend and said she was going to write a book. I almost fainted. And write a book she did!

My oldest son sat down yesterday and got 21 out of 21 questions right on his Math!!! MIRACLE!!!!

So I thought I’d tell you a little about brain training.

This is taken straight from LearningRx Brain Training vs Tutoring.

Cognitive Training

Does for mental abilities what exercise does for the body
Improves the brain’s ability to process information in any subject
Enhances underlying cognitive skills required to learn effectively
Testing uncovers underlying weakness(es) in specific cognitive skills
Training unlocks skills that hinder comprehension, word recognition, reading, memorization, etc.
Personalized, fun programs that use drills to improve needed skills
Intensive: may be provided daily (insert: my kids go 4 days a week for 1 hr and 15 min)
Creates confidence towards all learning tasks.

I can not say enough good things about the program at LearningRx. They care about children, not just about the almighty dollar. They have payment plans to fit any budget. They genuinely care about your child’s brain. Now that sounds funny, doesn’t it? The trainers are wonderful. My children each have a specific trainer they work with for as long as they are at LearningRx so a relationship is formed. I find that to be extremely important in learning because they are building trust! My daughter passed 6 levels yesterday!!! Woo Hoo!

If you have a LearningRx in your area (or if you are in Jacksonville) tell them Julie sent you. You’ll get a discount on the testing or email me and I’ll send you a card. $100 test will be $39. Then you can decide for yourself if it’s right for your child. I can’t imagine this program not helping anyone.

And go take that Quiz from yesterday or I’m sending you all to LearningRx!!!