Yesterday Is Dead

Josiah Queen is unique in both voice and story telling through song.  Nate introduced me to him a year or so ago and I really enjoy what Josiah creates.  

Our weekly snapshor

 Here’s a look back at our week:

Our werk started with a concert on Saturday.  We saw Andrew Peterson.  We also ran into friends too!  

On Sunday I had a choir concert.  (Thankful for great air conditioning on a very hot day!) 

Nate volunteered this week at a day camp where he played in the worship band and was a junior counselor.  

Weekly Menu

 June has flown by.  For real.  We've been super busy - all fun things - but whew.  My guys are enjoying all the things though and they are even scheduling things for themselves so that they get to do what they enjoy as well.  I love teenagers.  For real. 

Here is our plan for the coming week: 

Friday - My teens are at my Mother-in-Laws through Sunday so for Darryl and I we are going to cook chicken on the grill, and then have fried zucchini and "souper" rice. 

Saturday - I'm sure we will have a date day.  (We seem to be getting more of these this summer since my guys are so busy LOL)  I'm not sure what yet.  

Sunday - We are heading to my in-laws after church to pick up the teenagers.  So dinner will be with them. 

Monday - Shrimp and Grits and Cornbread.  It has been awhile.  

Tuesday - BBQ Cups and Fries.  This is been on-and off - the menu for a few weeks.  I'm working on cleaning out the fridge, freezer, and cupboards from planned meals that didn't get made when planned! 

Wednesday - As I write this, I'm guessing there are no youth groups this week so I have Pancakes and Bacon planned for dinner. 

Thursday - Nate has a TKD pool party this evening that he and I are attending.  I'm leaving tortellini with sauce for Darryl and Joshua. 

101 in 1001

 I have a great group of friends/acquaintances who love to plan like I do.  Do we all succeed at the things we plan, no - but that is part of being a planner.  You plan knowing that you might only complete 50% of what you hope to get done.  BUT if you don't plan nothing gets done!  My friend, Tracy, is great at coming up with unique ways to plan and do all kinds of things and this idea of "101 in 1001" days is another one of her great, mathematical ideas (She is a retired math teacher!) 

101 in 1001 is simply a list of 101 things you would like to be able to check off your list in 1001 days.  This event started on Tuesday, June 3rd and will end on Leap Day in 2028!  For real :-)  Now, when I first started this blog a lot of years ago I had seen an idea similar to this and I wrote up "40 by 40" which was 40 things I wanted to accomplish by age 40 and I had given myself about a year and a half to complete them.  I just read through the list recently and I accomplished a little less than 1/2 of the things on my list.  (actually a few of the things on THIS list come from that original list!) 

I sat down and made my list of 101 things with the disclaimer when I posted it to our group that I may make some changes as I rethink some of things or think of new ones that maybe fit better.  Admittedly some of things I came up with are a little "out there" especially near the end HA!  

Now I'll list my 101 items below - there are some of my goals that I consider "personal" and that is exactly what it will say.  I enjoy sharing goals but sometimes there are some I'd like to keep "close to the vest" and just see if they happen - maybe because they are ones I'm less confident about than others. I may or may not share if they get accomplished

 Here we go: 

1. Complete writing this list DONE! (HA!) 
2. Declutter, Clean, Organize the Basement
3. Plan and Execute Josh's actual graduation and an open house
4. Plan Nate's actual graduation and an open house (his actual activities will not happen until a few months after this challenge ends! So I just want it planned)
5. Write/Update Resume (My friend Tracy has a goal of doing a workshop on this - I sure hope she does HA!) 
6. Camp 4 times
7. Hang curtains in the Living Room
8. (Note: 8-20 are all scrapbook related) Put all memorabilia in Albums
9. Scrapbook to finish: 2017
10. 2018
11. 2019
12. 2020
13. 2021
14. 2022
15. 2023
16. 2024
17. 2025
18. 2026
19. 2027
20. Be current on 2028
21. Learn to bake Macarons
22. (Note: 22-25 all relate to celebrating our 25th year) Dinner at Chili's to celebrate the first time we met (We met Dec. 16) 
23. Visit Metro Beach to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of engagement (March 19)
24. Plan 2-3 "re-do" activities that we did while we were dating - I plan to go back through my scrapbook and find a few of the fun things we did and re-visit those activities. (Some of those ideas may tie into other ideas on this list so that would be a 2-for-1 way to mark items off - a win-win!) 
25. Plan a get away for our 25th Anniversary. 
26. This item is something more personal :-) 
27. As is this one :-) 
28. (Note: If an item requires more funds than normal I'll include a $ sign; if it is something that requires someone completing like Darryl and/or my teens I will add a "need help" to it)  Repair our front porch (we think a deer took out one side of the railing) ** need help
29. Power Wash House.  
30. Take down the swing set **need help
31. Improve our back yard.  (I do have a few ideas with some simple "deck" furniture" and such) 
32. Plant a simple container garden.  Now, I do not love gardening but I wouldn't mind a few veggie plants to use fresh veggies in the summer. 
33. This item is something just for me :-) 
34. Repair garage door opener **need help and maybe $$ if it has to be replaced (as a side note: Darryl has repaired it multiple times and it keeps having the same issues - we are thinking it might be about done and need to be replaced but I figured we could try one more time before spending money on a new one) 
35. Replace some damaged boards on the garage **need help 
36. Replace the side door on the garage $$ and ** need help
37. Replace our Patio Door $$$$$$
38. Visit Michigan Sequoia Trees
39. Clean out my jewelry and keep only what I really love and will wear (I purchased Paparazzi jewelry a few years ago and have enjoyed it but find I wear less and less and only certain items.) 
40. A personal goal :-) 
41. Move my FIL's piano to Josh's room.  My FIL has gifted his piano to Josh which is great - it is something Josh has really wanted as he loves the sound.  (And he already is planning how to rearrange his room so it will fit) 
42. Finish the projects in Josh's room
43. Fix boards on Nate's bed
44. Replace a couch with a couple of nice chairs - this is down the road like near the end of this challenge as Nate loves his couch :-) 
45. A personal goal :-) 
46. Re-learn to play Clair de Lune
47. Plan Nate's 16 birthday party
48. Update Heritage Scrapbooks
49. Attend a Tiger's game
50. Plan/take a family vacation
51. Figure out Google Workspace
52. Upload Co-op documents to Google Workspace
53. Write procedures for Co-op Secretary position
54. Visit a College/Help Joshua with decisions
55. Visit a College/Help Nate with decisions
56. Make a cheesecake
57. Attend a Sandy Patty concert
58. Ride on either of the car ferries to Wisconsin and back
59. Clean the outside of the windows **need help
60. Fix up/clean or sell the Pop-up
61. Watch a Lake Michigan Sunset more than once
62. Visit Canada with the Family
63. Visit the church I grew up and my dad Pastored (we seldom get to visit but would like to - I have friends that still attend there) 
64. Teach more piano lessons
65. Decorate the Laundry Room
66. Re-decorate the bathroom
67. Re-paint all of the "white" in the house - trim, doors, etc. 
68. Touch up paint in all rooms
69. Help Nate paint basketball "lines" in the driveway (ok, really Darryl will help him - I just make sure it gets done HA) 
70. Sell unused Homeschool Books
71. Organize cords and utilize plugs by having chargers/cords for ease of use (I know what this means and what I need to do even if it doesn't make sense in writing - Nate is in on this with and understands what we need to do too) 
72. Get Family Photos done twice (Once between now and next summer and then once between 2027-2028)
73. Senior Photos for Joshua
74. Senior Photos for Nathan
75. Update outdoor Christmas decor
76. Fix our Grinch calendar
77. Discover 5 great new soup recipes
78. Discover 5 new amazing crock pot recipes
79. Discover 5 new amazing appetizer recipes
80. A Personal goal :-) 
81. Paint the bathroom ceiling ** need help
82. A personal goal :-) 
83. Re-learn/Master It is Well with My Soul piano solo
84. Master 12 piano solos
85. Make an emergency/death binder (again, my friend Tracy plans to hold a workshop on this concept)
86. A personal goal :-) 
87. Visit St. Joseph MI via the train for the day
88. Visit the park with the huge slide in Ravenna, MI
89. Visit the Henry Ford Museum
90. Visit Belle Isle Park
91. Take my teens to Michigan Adventure
92. Visit Tunnel Park in Holland (maybe even for a Sunset)
93. Memorize 33 scripture verses
94. Red 33 Non-Fiction Books
95. Scrapbook to finish 2011 (I forgot this one in the first list ) 
96. Purchase a new "good" camera - and update my skills (mine is over 12 years old and is showing its age) 
97. Declutter,/Deep Clean/Organize the entire upstairs
98. Power wash/Varnish my wooden swing
99. Get my dogs teeth cleaned/pulled as needed
100. A personal Goal :-) 
101. Finish half this list!!!! 

That's it!  :-)  Even as I was typing this up I had ideas pop into my head.  I'm adding them to the paper document I have as "extra/substitute" ideas.  Just in case some of mine totally fizzle and I need more.  Honestly, I'm pretty confident in about 50 of these ideas - the other 50 may or may not happened depending upon time, finances, and whether I change my mind.  (It is my list, I'm allowed to change my mind. 

Just like I did with my 40 in 40 list all those years ago, I will share update along the way.  Usually when I complete a few items, I will share some photos and update my list.  It is nice to see progress after all :-)  Will I continue with monthly goals?  Absolulty.  Many of the items on this list tie in with my normal monthly goals so it gives me even more motivation to complete those goals! 

Andrew Peterson - "Behold The Lamb of God" (Official Lyric Video)

I picked this song for today because we saw Andrew Peterson in concert last night.  He is such a great story teller in both song and word.  He is one of Nate's favorite authors so getting to see him in concert was great.  

Our Weekly Snapshot

 We've had a busy week!  Here's a look back at our week: 

Saturday was booked solid with 4 different things.  1) Nate was still at his friends "shack" after spending a few days there.  I picked him and his friend Monty up in time to head to . . .. . 

2) Our second outing was an open house for our friend Brie.  She was part of our Co-Op and also attended youth group with my teens.  She is a sweet heart with a joyful spirit who we all adore.  

3) Mid afternoon Darryl and I headed out to an early pre-wedding reception for Darryl's nephew.  They are doing a destination wedding this next week so they hosted a party for those "they love the most".  It was nice to catch up with family we don't see often and the food (pictured below) was amazing. 

4) I do not have an photos but while we attended the party, my mom took Josh and Nate to a youth group Movie Night where they ate tacos, hung out with friends, and watched a movie. 

Sunday was Father's Day!  I always ask Darryl what he wants to do.  He had told me earlier in the week that he just wanted to stay home and relax.  Then he changed his mind HA!  So, after church we came home for a bit before packing up some brats and snacks and heading to our favorite beach for the afternoon. 

Yes, on Father's Day, Darryl chose to cook Brats on an open grill on the windy beach LOL  It actually worked (I had pre-cooked them before we left home so they just needed to be heated up).  We all snacked on chips and dip and cheese and crackers while we waited on the brats.  

What we didn't know is that the big bath house and pavilion are under renovation and were completely torn down which also meant that the walk way to the beach was gone!  The walk from the parking lot to the beach is LONG (someone commented to us that it is a death walk LOL)  which means without the walkway across the sand, we decided to stay near the parking lot (it was a little chilly to swim anyway.)

If you look very closely in the back of our vehicle you will see Joshua tucked in . .. he said it was took cold on the beach.   

We finally got Josh to come out for a photo :-) 

A trip to the beach isn't complete without a stop at our favorite ice cream spot! 

On Tuesday I attended a fun lunch with a group I'm part of with local women.  The game we played was fun, the people were great, the food was just ok. ha! 

On Wednesday, my guys headed to their youth groups.  This cloud was above Josh and I as I drove him to his youth group.  It was a pretty scary looking cloud for sure. 

Then. . .when we pulled in the church parking lot (a 20 minute drive) it was very evident that no one was there.  Then I noticed a message that it was cancelled.  Oh well.  Josh and I had a nice drive together. 

Starting on Monday, my guys have been attending Worship Camp which is a day camp based on music.  They are enjoying their bands and creating music. 

Weekly Menu

 June always seems to move by quickly.  Worship camp ends tonight, though, and then things slow down a little bit in-between camps!  This next week is focused more on getting a few things done and enjoying summer. I'm off my "rabbit trail" of finding all the old recipes on my blog and trying them HA!  We enjoyed some I found and others, well, I'm not sure we liked them the first time around LOL  Anyway, I'm back to my tried and true recipe file for the most part,

Friday - Josh and Nate have a pizza party before the worship camp concert. So no real meal plan tonight 

Saturday - We have family plans to see Andrew Peterson in Concert at a campground in Muskegon.  I'm not sure about dinner yet - the concert is free so we will eat something before we get in line. 

Sunday - I have a choir concert right here in our town!!   I plan on getting Chili in the crock pot in the morning so that it is ready to eat in shifts.  (I have to be at the church a few hours earlier than everyone else) 

Monday - Beef Tips and Noodles.  

Tuesday - A few weeks ago my mom shared a taco casserole recipe with me to make for all of us (her included) so I plan to make that tonight. 

Wednesday - Josh and Nate have youth group with friends.  Darryl and I get to continue our "date nights" after all. 

Thursday - Josh and Nate are heading to my mother-in-laws for a few days.  Last year they never ended up with a chance to spend a few days with her so we made sure it happened this year.  I'm planning Chili Dogs for dinner for Darryl and I since neither of my teens like hot dogs (what is wrong with them HA!)   

June Goals

June is already in full swing but the first few weeks of June have been oddly busy.  I seem to recall this from last year - it stays busy until Worship Camp is done (which is happening this week) and then it calms down just a little.  I'm using this week during the day, while my guys are at camp, to tackle some projects AND enjoying some scrapbooking time.  

A few weeks ago I shared a post about summer plans.  That is an addendum to my goals - it's an overview of what I'm hoping for the entire summer; this is the plan for just June!  

So, here's the plan for June: 

1. Complete all of the items on the June Declutter 365 calendar.  

2. Complete all of the zone cleaning from Flylady (I made my own master lists based on her suggested lists) 

3. Basement Declutter - Continue with the "bag/box/bin" cleanout each day.  Honestly, I almost always do more than one when I start working so it moves faster than it appears. 

4. Deep Clean the Garage - This is one of my main focus' during the month of June especially while the guys are at worship camp.  

5. Finish the odds and ends in Josh's Room - I am keeping this on the list in case we get a chance to get it done but really, I'm thinking this will happen in July. 

6. I'm still working on deep cleaning the living room so that is the main goal this month.  If (and that is a big if) it is completed before month end the next room on the list is the bathroom. 

7. Go on a date with Darryl - this month it takes just a little more planning :-) 

8. List curriculum on sale on-line

9. Read at least 6 books this month

10. Do my daily Bible Study

11. Scrapbook 

12. Clean my vehicle!  I always do this during worship camp :-) 

13. Now that school is done I need to wrap up Josh's records and make his transcript. 

14. Figure out the Google Work Space access so I can upload documents for anyone on our Leadership Team to access. 

15.  It is time to start planning my Joyful class.  My goal this month is to just get weeks 1 and 2 planned and prepped. 

16. Learn a second piano song and review the first one.  

17.  One of my yearly goals is to decorate my home for the seasons.  As we come into June-August I want a more clean feeling so I'm taking down the spring decor and not adding anything new.  So the goal is to just get the spring things done and put away. 

18. Attend our various field trips/meet-ups:  Honestly, I don't think there are any official items on the list for our Co-Op that we can actually attend.  I am hoping to do a meet-up with the teems at a local bowling alley.   

19. Work on finances/budgeting - looking ahead and what is needed and sticking to our budget.  

20. Find time to have a bonfire or two including roasting hotdogs and smore's.  

21. Begin some planning for our 25th anniversary year.  I have some ideas in my head and it is time to start planning or it will be here before we know it! 

22. Keep up with the yard.  To be honest none of us enjoy yard work.  So keeping the yard goal in front of me/us is a good thing.  My teens do a great job with mowing and weep whipping.  From there we just need to stay on top of the big things that grow, trim my tree (the one thing I actually love doing), and just do a general pick up periodically. 

23. Computer clean-up.  There is a lot of stuff saved on my computer and it is time to start cleaning out the stuff that doesn't matter.  Just 15 minutes a day will clean it up pretty quickly. 

24. Make a weekly/daily plan.  I want to make sure I use my time during the summer in a good way.  Don't get me wrong, I do plan to read, enjoy my swing, and relax without the need to run around to all the things but trust me, I can read a day away without an issue if I don't have a plan. HA! 

25. Accomplish at least half of this months goals HA! (I like this goal very much LOL) 

Weekly Song - Homecoming (Lyric Video) - Cory Asbury, Gable Price

Nate shared this song with me so I thought I'd share it with you.  

Our weekly snapshot

 This past week has been busy!  At some points in the week we were running in multiple directions.  Thankfully my brother and/or my mom were able to help get Josh and Nate places they wanted to be while Darryl and I were running in other directions.  

Here is a quick snapshot of some of our adventures! 

On Saturday, Josh got to fly!  It was a free opportunity that he just loved.  Yes, he really did get to fly the plane and he loved it.  He has always had a dream to learn to fly and that dream is still alive!  After dropping him off at home, Darryl and I took off to spend the afternoon with his dad.  My mom was able to take Josh and Nate to a friends house for a bonfire.  

On Sunday I had a choir concert.  Normally either everyone attends or I go by myself BUT this time, Darryl and I took off and went just the two of us while my teens hung out with my mom and my brother.  (We are singing the exact same concert in another week right in our town so my family will attend that one HA!)  Darryl and I drove to the most adorable town (which is actually an island!) where we enjoyed lunch, a few minutes at this amazing park behind us, and then the concert.  

Meanwhile, Nate attended the "end of the year" youth group party with one of the youth groups he often attends.  

On Monday, Nate, two of his friends and I attended the year end field trip with Nate's on-line school.  It was a beautiful day!  PLUS it's great having teens HA!  Unlike the days when the boys were in elementary school and they couldn't wander too far, the teen boys could hike, play at the splash pad, and do the fun run without me worrying about where they were.  I got to visit with a friend and read! 

On Tuesday evening we enjoyed dinner with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law.  We also played some fun games! 

While there are no photos of Wednesday - it was super busy.  Nate had a birthday party to attend while Josh went to a friends house for the afternoon.  While they did that, I cleaned our church before taking each of the boys to a youth group (yes, separate ones as they were each attending with different friends!) 

Finally, Thursday,  My mom, brother, sister-in-law and I went started out by visiting our cousin/niece in the hospital.  It was a great visit but I didn't get a photo (plus who wants a photo in the hospital HA!)..Then we met another cousin (who is the sister of the cousin in the hospital) for lunch.  We had such fun visiting with Ginger!  

Then, we ended up back at my mom's a little later for pizza and games.  Nate actually had plans with his two best friends so he was off on his own adventure! 

What about Friday?  I think we were all tired LOL  Ken and Lynnette headed down South (home) early in the morning.  We love when they are here and always miss them when they leave. 

Weekly Menu

 Family has left (we are always sad to see them go!) and we are on to a family wedding and a week of worship camp!  

Friday - Nate is off with friends for the day/night.  I figured I would see what Josh would like to do for dinner (and we will invite my mom to join us if she so pleases HA!) 

Saturday - Today we have an open house to attend in the morning; then Darryl and I are off to his nephews reception while Josh and Nate attend a youth activity. 

Sunday - Today is Father's Day! (That kind of snuck up on me!)  I always ask Darryl what he wants :-) 

Monday - Pork Roast in the Crock Pot, Fried Rice, and Green Beans 

Tuesday - Chicken Scaloppini with pasta and a salad

Wednesday - Youth Group(s) - While our youth group is done for the summer, they each have a friend who has a church youth group that IS continuing through the summer that they are choosing to go to.  Darryl and I will be on our own in between driving kids to their locations HA! 

Thursday - Pulled Pork Sliders, Homemade Potato Salad, and Baked Beans (it is summer after all!) 

Last Day of School

 It is hard to believe but another year of school has ended!  Joshua wrapped up 10th grade and Nate finished up 9th grade.  If you would have asked me when I started homeschooling if High School would be harder than elementary I would have said YES!  BUT it isn't!  For one, we have all learned together.  The other reason is that they have learned to be independent.  I'm here for anything they need related to school and we do sit on the couch together and work on things.  Sometimes I'm just "moral support" and sometimes I'm explaining concepts but they are also very capable of completing assignments on their own and it is great!  That is the goal after all - Independence. 

Here are their photos from this year : 

I always say "WE" made it LOL 

And "WE" are both moving on to 11th grade LOL