My Daybook: January 5th, 2015

Outside my window…
the day is beginning, hopefully it won’t be a scorcher

I am thankful…
for a full house, fourteen people in total.  All ten of our children are currently home, and we have a couple of special young ladies visiting as well.  Our son’s girlfriend and my 22 year old sister.  Fun times

I am thinking…
about a couple of big de-cluttering jobs I want to tackle.  The shipping container, it’s a mess, I can’t walk in and The Shed but…. venturing into a man’s shed with de-cluttering in mind does not make for marital harmony, maybe I should re-think the second

Learning all the time…
holidays still, though I’ll begin planning the new school year at the end of this week.  We’re going to start back lessons early this year, either next week or the week after

Celebrating the liturgical year……
traditional Feast of the Epiphany tomorrow so decorations come down, I’m ready to pack up. Though it also means holiday mode ends and I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to ‘kicking back’ and yet I am, its time for more structure to our days

From the kitchen…
just keeping up with the needs of fourteen people, including two gluten/dairy free.  Actually adapting our menu plan for the dietary needs hasn’t been too hard, some meals I’ve eliminated, a favourite wheat one stayed for the majority and I just cook up a quick stir fry for two. Fun and easy to cook for two

I am creating…
memories, we’ve been enjoying a Stayvacation. Beach days, a bushwalk, pool games, swimming in the dam, movie nights….

I am working on…
a blog survey for my readers here, considering direction for 2015

I am going…
out for afternoon tea with some very special young ladies:):)

I am hoping…
for a Joyful year this year

I am praying…
that our Einstein thrives in the ‘Big Smoke’.  Our boy young man leaves home on Thursday, off to seek work in the City, he has a home (with his brother), praying he finds work in a field that blesses him, he’s not all alone, he has a network of support, but still….. it’s snuck up fast, we haven’t had time to adjust but then are parents ever prepared when it’s time for their children to leave the nest?

I am pondering….
direction for our new school year, we’ll have children in Grades 11, 8, 5, 3 and 1 plus a pre-schooler and toddler.

I am reading…
have begun reading my way through my list.  Have started with Around the World in 80 Days

I am listening to……
my small boys playing on their computers next to me, their computers are networked and they are versing each other

I am hearing…
PC getting ready for work, his first day back after holidays, he’s not ready to go back. We are so blessed that he supports us so well

I am struggling…
not at present, hoping I’ll have a less challenging year this year than last, breath deep

Clicking around…
Mostly checking out book lists, particularly checking out Pip’s round up of Aussie authors

Around the house…
enjoying our bathrooms and laundry.  It’s been such a blessing to go from one bathroom to three, particularly with a full house

One of my favorite things…
having all my children and our special guests home, creating memories with them

A few plans for this week…

• we’re planning to squeeze at least one more beach afternoon in before the ‘children’ leave.
• Doing an inventory of clothes and other items with Einstein, going shopping for new clothes and other items will be high on the list. Suspect the day he leaves we’ll undertake our ‘traditional warding off grief activity’, we’ll move a sibling into his room, keeping busy helps.

A little peek at my day…

• a slow morning catching up on several loads of washing
• an afternoon tea with four special young ladies
• a swim at the beach (50 min away) after PC finishes work, tea and then home