We Bought a House...

...which is why I disappeared here. When you unexpectedly sign papers on a house one day and move in the next, your world moves at rampant paces and your blog falls to the back burner. It has been for an AWESOME reason though! I am in LOVE with our house.

Our welcome home surprise from my mom and church friends...it was very sweet! Yes, there is a rooster there...long, funny story to go with that one! 

See that in the bottom of the picture? That's our first set of keys to OUR very first home!! 

31 Days-Day 4: Dinner Time

It's on nights like tonight that my next topic is so vital to my life. Crock-pots are a MUST in our life. I spent my days in class all day, got out and went to a meeting, then rushed home for dinner with the family. If it wasn't for the awesome creation of Crock-pot meals, I would have broken down and ended up getting fast food, which is not beneficial to our bodies or budget! I plan out our meals for a week, give or take a night that just doesn't work out right, we have gotten really consistent about not eating out as much and enjoying our time together at home. I am not say that eating out is a problem by any means, I just didn't like the amount of money we were spending on junk. I love being home around my own table with my family, I learn so much about them when we are home eating dinner together. One of the recipes that I have used pretty consistently is Rotel Chicken Tacos. It is really easy and really good! Plus minimal clean up is the best part, especially if you use the crock-pot liners. 

Rotel Chicken Tacos: 

2 cans of Rotel

1 package of Taco Seasoning

4-7 Chicken Breast

Put all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours 

or high for 4 hours. 

Serve with tortillas and any thing your family likes to eat with tacos.

Find the best method you can to save time on dinner in order to spend the time you save doing the things you love. Dinner doesn't have to be a chore! Also....have everyone chip in on clean up and it can all be done that much faster. Team effort goes a long way!

31 Days-Day 3: Making it the Best

Out of everything we juggle, I often struggle with the time I spend on doing my own schoolwork. It's very frustrating to me to have my family in every direction of the house doing their thing and not being able to participate in it with them. More often than not, I will wait until bedtime to do my homework. On the days that it's just not possible for me to do that, I have come to the realization that it should be done when they are also working on their homework or have some creative time. They love to draw, color, and create things, so why not have them do it when I am also working. It's not at all something that is forced upon them, but I have started to notice that more and more, they are choosing to come sit with me while I do my school work. I have become especially fond of these moments, it's during these moments that I get to see them be creative and hear the chatter between all of them. 

This was tonight when they were both creating their own things, his picture of what I am told is a "bolt action rifle" and her book about her family. My oldest was in her room reading tonight, which is good too. 

Make sure to take those undesirable, but unavoidable tasks and make them special too.  While I hate having to work on the homework, my family is sitting right here beside me, supporting and loving me enough to be there. 

31 Days-Day2: Coffee, Coffee, and some MORE COFFEE

Let's get this started with something basic, easy, but vital in my life.

On a daily basis in this house, coffee has turned into a staple...I have many different methods of getting my coffee.

Yes, that would be 3 different forms of coffee making.

If I am in a hurry, there is the Keurig.

Not in a rush, but don't want to work to hard for it? The regular coffee pot.

  

    I am having a rare moment of quiet AND time? And the husband is home?

That my lovelies, is the espresso machine! I am desperately in love with the fact that my husband makes me the best espresso! I don't need any Starbucks, I have my very own barista! 

It's not really about the coffee. It's about finding that one thing in your life that settles you, gets you ready for your day, and gives you moments of pure joy. I truly find joy in my cup of coffee, whether it is on the run or sipping comfortably in my chair at home. 

31 Days: Intro

I look forward to being a part of the 31 days of Living that The Nesting Place host in October. I just found out about it and have really been thinking about it all weekend. I am new to it and may not have the entire idea down completely, but I sure am going to go for it! 

For the next 31 days, I plan on showing how we juggle everything we have going in our lives. This is one of the busiest periods in our lives, but I constantly strive to have joy in all we do, not just living through the motions. Aside from the normal busy of having 3 children, we are also youth leaders in our church, newly team managers of a Destination Imagination team, I am in the last year and a half of my schooling for my teaching degree, and we are in the middle of purchasing a house. All of this requires a LOT of juggling, but we also love our life. 

As a part of my 31 days, I thought I would show glimpses of our craziness, along with showing you how I manage to juggle it all. Do you have a crazy life? Are you struggling to do with all of it? What things do you let go of and which things do you put in front? How do you organize it all? These are the types of topics I will be approaching a long the way. I look forward to having you here! Remember finding the joy in your crazy is what makes life amazing. Always choose JOY!