Here’s a look back at our week:
January. My cooking this month has been less than stellar. We had so many "sick" days where only one or two of us was actually eating that I didn't actually cook a ton of real meals. We ate a lot of canned chicken noodle soup, fried rice, and chicken. I would guess that I cooked one "good" meal a week and that's about it! Not to mention schedule changes and me just not always feeling like cooking. I'm hoping as we enter into February I can get my groove back!
Here is a look at this weeks menu:
Friday - The guys are heading to a youth activity so Darryl and I will most likely grab something simple to eat after dropping them off.
Saturday - Dinner at my mom's. With my teens busy social life (ha!) we don't make it for dinner every week but we make it as often as we can and enjoy it (and a game normally) very much! So thankful my mom lives so close!
Sunday - Spaghetti (Homemade Sauce), French Bread, and green beans. I haven't made a batch of my homemade sauce in awhile so I can make a big batch and then freeze some for an easy meal on a Friday evening.
Monday - Swedish Meatballs and Noodles
Tuesday - Tortellini Soup and Bread
Wednesday - Youth Group
Thursday - Spaghetti Carbonara and French Bread
Looking at this menu . .. . apparently it is pasta week HA!
If you have followed this blog for any length of time then you are probably aware that I teach a class at our co-op every semester called Joyful. It is a class designed to have fun, build relationships, and, well, find Joy in every day things. Just before this semester started I came across the following post and shared it with the class on the first week. I thought I would share it here as well. It's a great reminder of the simple fact that Joy comes from Jesus and we can have joy even on the hard days.
I saw this meme this past week and laughed because it was true. HA!
January has been a long year ;-) LOL Anyway, with things this past month like sickness, weather, cancelling of lots of things, it would be easy to get down in the dumps for sure! I decided to take some time this past weekend and remind myself of the good - to find gratitude -- to be thankful for the things this month. Maybe you've struggled too so I thought I'd share some of mine.
1. I'm thankful that we are all feeling better. (Nate got sick January 6th with a head cold and then it just went from there - colds, coughs, stomach flu! As of 1.25.26 I do believe we are all feeling nearly 100%)
2. I am thankful that Darryl has been kept safe on the roads throughout some very treacherous driving this month. (And it is still treacherous!)
3. I am thankful that Nate had an amazing time at winter retreat! He just plain loves camp.
4. I am thankful for a very warm house.
5. I am thankful that our furnace runs faithfully.
6. I am thankful Josh decided to move his xbox to the living room - we've enjoyed lots of family time together in the evenings just all being in the same room. (Why? After being sick and stuck in his room he said he just needed to be in the living room where it was brighter)
7. I'm thankful Josh was able to go to my mom's when Darryl and Nate when down with the stomach flu. It's nice she lives so close.
8. I'm thankful for Zoom calls with my mom and brothers - we always laugh about something.
9. I am thankful Nate was able to earn his 2nd black belt!
10. I am thankful that Darryl, Nate and I "happened" to clean the church on a Saturday and discovered frozen pipes; they were repaired before any damage was done! (I normally clean on Thursday - but due to the bad roads, went in on a Saturday and my guys helped out!)
11. I am thankful we did not have frozen pipes at home.
It helps - it really does! When I first started writing things done it was slow going but the more I wrote, the more I thought of. So, if you are struggling take time to think of even small things you can be thankful for and remember to say thank you to God for those things! (A lot of times I say, "Thank you God for . .. ." and then list that item.)
Here’s a look back at our week!
Darryl and I went out to breakfast for our January “25th year of us” activity
Then our weekend took a turn. 🤣 we had dinner with my mom at Pizza Hut (which was great!). A few hours after we got home Josh went down with the stomach flu. Needless to say we stayed home the rest of the weekend! Here’s to crossing our fingers 🤞that maybe we are past sickness! 2026 has started out a little rough!
Not to mention weather! Snow Storms to start the week and bitter cold will round out this week. My guys tackled the driveway on Wednesday-the warmest day of the week (27 degrees/feels like 11).
I've had to rewrite this whole post on Thursday night because our plans have changed due to crazy winter weather! This was supposed to be a birthday party weekend for Nate but we have rescheduled that for March and will be home for the most part. It has been snowing here for a week; the roads are terrible; and now we are in line for wind chills of up to -30. (That's not a typo!) Everything has been cancelled this week -- or we made the decision to not go due to the road conditions. It's been kind of nice actually - except my husband still has gone to work. (Well, except Monday when it was an actual Snow Storm Warning!!!). Anyway, the goal this weekend is to stay warm and safe! We still have to eat though so I had to rework my menu plan; I also tend to "snow storm" buy when I place my grocery order just in case we are hungry for anything LOL It's ok though because anything I planned can be put into the menu plan either this week or next week!
This weeks menu:
Friday - Pork Roast in the crock pot with cheesy potatoes and green beans. A great "cold weather" kind of meal!
Saturday - There is still a question mark on today's plans but - we will either have dinner with my mom OR stay home and have leftover pulled pork.
Sunday - We are not sure if we will make it out to church; if so, they are having a potluck and I plan to take a taco salad to take since that is easy to put together kind of at the last minute. If we don't go, then I plan to make breakfast - probably eggs, toast, bacon/sausage, and fried potatoes.
Monday - Scalloped Potatoes and Ham in the crock pot. (Yes - the recipe I made a few weeks ago). This will use up the ham from Christmas.
Tuesday - Homemade chicken noodles soup. Last week I froze the leftover chicken and dumplings (minus the dumplings!) and will use that as a base for the soup. I like to add corn and noodles for a great soup! I will make some biscuits to enjoy with it.
Wednesday - Youth Group
Thursday - Roast, Noodles, and Corn
As can be expected, January goals are most exciting to write because it is a fresh new year and it is easy to plan! January is also a month of reflection, slowing down, and trying to put new habits into place. Years ago, one of my favorite things was putting together my new Franklin planner. Writing in all of the activities, birthdays and more. I still love my calendar (paper version!) but have moved on from my Franklin. It still brings me joy, though, to write in a fresh calendar and watch as the year unfolds. One of my mindful goals is to enjoy my teenagers to the fullest. Spending time with them, helping them make their future plans, doing fun activities together - all of it intentional and mindful. Even our school days - I do not take for granted that God has made it possible for me to be home with them through all of these years. To teach them, laugh with them, enjoy them. I want to make sure that I continue to enjoy the moments while they are in high school to continue to build a lasting relationship with each of my guys.
So, now, here are my goals for January.
1. Stage 2 of the basement - A) Count all of the bins and then write down what my goal # is by the end of Stage 2. I have a total of about 60 bins/boxes so I'd like to cut it down to 45 B) Spend 20-30 minutes 2-3 days a week sorting, emptying, organizing, and deep cleaning.
2. Scrapbooking - A) Scrapbook 31 pages (at least) in January (one a day). I even have a cute little chart to fill out for each month of the year. B) Reserve January 9-11 as my "scrapbooking weekend" with the goal to scrapbook as many hours as I can. C) Actual accomplish goals are -- Finish 3 months in 2011, Finish 3 months in 2025 and finish one month of memorabilia
3. Get my oven looked at (and hopefully it can be repaired!)
4. Monthly Habits - I find a photo recently that I'll post below:
Yes, boring habits but good habits to build on. Each month the focus is on one of them - starting it, getting back to it, or just continuing it. So, January's focus is the beds. Last year I made it a habit to make my bed every day and I never missed a day. I also want to add in a better routine of washing blankets and changing sheets as a habit (so a certain day each week). Other habits I am working to continue from last year are "swish and swipe", taking out all trash on Wednesdays, doing a Monday Morning Reset, and Home Blessings Friday.
5. Deep Cleaning Goals - Recently I downloaded a cleaning checklist to use to help me better plan for cleaning/deep cleaning each room. I like visuals and this printable is just that - a visual. Part of the plan if to list the top 5 cleaning goals of the month. I'm not sure I really have five. What I do have is what follows: A) Using the new pintable's, do the daily cleaning (For example, on Monday - clean the kitchen, Tuesday- the bathroom, etc.) B) Do my "pick a room" for decluttering/deep cleaning - January's room is the master bedroom. The goal is to get into every knook and cranny and deep clean it all. I think that means I only have 2 top cleaning goals HA!
6. 30 day decluttering challenge - this is part of the aforementioned pintable's. I'd like to tackle the list this month to help eliminate some of those "hot spots" that are always catching clutter.
7. Josh' room - Get everything hung up on his walls. This will help clean out some baskets in his room too.
8. Host Nate's 16th birthday party.
9. Complete projects in Nate's room.
10. Purchase a flash drive and move Solid Rock Documents to the drive.
11. Clean out the Joyfil bins in the basement and use things I have on hand for the coming semester. Done
12. Plan my lesson plans for both of my classes. Done
13. Put together my music binder with songs to play and sing throughout this year. Done
14. Memorize my verses toward my 101-1001 goal. The camp the boys attend with out church is posted verses every two weeks so I plan to use their program to get my verses in!
15. Chose an adventure to do with Darryl as part of our 25th year celebration - to complete in either January or February.
16. Read! My goal is 130 books this year. Maybe last year was a fluke and I won't read that many but since I read 128 last year I figured I would try again. Reading on Libby helps alot - I don't have to purchase books, I just borrow them, read them, and return them. I find I read more because of this since I'm not spending money.
17. Read non-fiction books toward my 101-1001 plan.
18. Find ways to unplug once a week. So, basically I want to find a way to stay off of electronics even just for an afternoon - but that is not completely accurate. I still need to be able to help with school work which is often on a computer, my books are on a kindle, etc. But I think it is more, just stop the aimless scrolling. Instead, maybe go for a walk, clean something, scrapbook, play a game with the family, or read a regular book (I have a bookshelf full!). I feel like it will help reset my brain, help with anxiety, and help me be more present with my guys.
19. My white paint project - First up, find my painting supplies and the white paint; purchase anything I need this month to tackle this project either by the end of the month or in February.
20. Figure out how to shorten the blinds. This has been on my list since we bought them HA! I'll start with the master bedroom - take them down, shorten them (it looks kind of easy) so they fit the window and then wash them.
21. Write my resume.
22. Undecorate Christmas - this will include going through my things (some still in bins) and cleaning out what we don't use/don't love. . Done
23. Write out my scripture verses each day. I found a great Facebook group where you journal scripture. I have found that it helps with my mindfulness if I take time to focus on scripture more.
24. Focus on Daily Devotions/Bible Reading - I am in an accountability group and we do group devotions 2-3 days a week; I'd also like to work on my own daily Bible Study as well.
25. Plan February Events before February 1st - Superbowl Snacks (HA!), Valentine's Day, Darryl's Birthday, and anything they guys need for Camp, 25th Anniversary activities, Date day with Darryl
26. Plan at least one date day with Darryl in January and plan a family fun activity to do this quarter (probably March due to winter camps) Done
27. Pick out dates for camping this summer/fall and get things reserved for at least one of them.
28. Do final research/planning on my Mediterranean Diet experiment - I'd like to maybe do week 1 the last week of January.
29. Write a true "Honey Do" list for Darryl with the extra things on it that I like him to do better than doing it myself :-) LOL
30. Complete taxes and file them by the end of January if possible.
31. Put together my "wish list" for the bathroom decor update since my room to deep clean in February is the Bathroom. Done
So much for trying to keep my monthly lists to 26 or less. January has a lot. Many of the ideas are "planning" which is what January is all about so that's ok!
** Even though this didn't post until today, I actually wrote this list back on January 1st. **
** Since it's already half way through the month I decided to note the things that are already completed**
