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Blessings Overflowing

Faith~Family~Creativity

October 2, 2015 By Jackie Leave a Comment

What I’m Into {September 2015}

September has come and gone in a flurry of cross country meets, a flat tire, a dead truck battery, decluttering, and more. It was a good, but busy month. And, I am counting my blessings for all of the little ways God was with me last month.

My Family

A couple of weeks ago my truck had a dead battery which my husband was able to quickly change before I had to drive an hour to go to a cross country meet. The very next day I had a flat tire right as I pulled into church. It was a blessing that I wasn’t still on the highway.

Both situations were proof that God is in the details. I am so thankful for my husband and good friends who God used to help remedy both situations.

While September was a busy month, we were able to take time to enjoy some down time. I believe taking time to slow down in the midst of busyness is so important, and I work very hard to make sure my kids have time to do “boring” things like take a walk in the woods.

Playing in the Creek

Technology is great (in small doses), but there is nothing like throwing rocks into the creek or soaking up the sunshine on a beautiful fall day.

Sunday Selfie in the Woods

I hope my kids will look back and remember the “boring” times as some of the best times.

Birthday Boy

September was also the month in which James turned 13 years old. We now have two teenagers in the house. While I love the baby stage so much, I am really having fun with my big kids. People make teenagers out to be hard to deal with. I haven’t found that to be the case so far.

Climbing up the Slide

There were four days in September that were busier than normal. My parents went on vacation and I took care of my niece and nephew while my brother and sister-in-law were at work. We had a lot of fun!

My Favorite Picture

Tricycle and Wagon Fun

I simply love this picture of Joseph and Janna. They are at such fun ages (7 and 4). I love it when they play well together.

What I’m Reading

In September I read 3 books. This was quite a big deal for me. I feel like I really have my reading mojo back. When I was a teenager I could spend hours upon hours getting lost in a book. When I was in college I sort of lost my love of reading because there was so much to read that wasn’t for fun.

Then, life happened and my time to read anything other than non-fiction resources was again put on the back burner.

However, now that I have made it a conscious effort to read for the sheer joy of it, I realize how much I have missed reading for the fun of it.

In August I read two classics and in September I read two more. Tess of the D’urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (affiliate links). I also read the popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I hope to blog about it soon but for now you can see a little below about how have been implementing some of what I read.

What I’m Working On

I would love to tell you that I have been sewing and crafting, but I have not been working on anything as fun as that.

As I mentioned above, I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. I was inspired to start applying her methods and I have been working on our clothing for the past couple of weeks. I have pared my wardrobe down to the bare minimum and I still have plenty of clothes to wear.

Clothes to Donate

While I have been donating clothes like crazy, we still have SO many clothes! The picture above is just a small sampling of what I have given away. I think I need to read parts of the book again to make sure I am making the best choices about which clothes to keep for my kids.

We have been blessed with so many hand-me-downs over the years, but I want to make sure I am applying the principle of keeping only things that “spark joy”.

Tidy Underwear Drawer

One benefit about applying some of the things in the book is Janna’s underwear drawer. I gave away 21 pairs of underwear that were too small and then folded the rest of her underpants in a special way.

When Janna opened her drawer to pick out a pair after I had finished folding them she was so excited. She could see what she had and has enjoyed picking out which pair she will wear each day. 🙂

One thing I will say, if you do end up reading this book, is to remember that the author is Japanese and therefore there are some things she writes about that are definitely different than what I believe. Instead of thanking objects, as she suggests, before getting rid of them I have chosen to thank God for blessing us with the items and praying that they will bless someone else.

On the Blog

I started so many posts in September that I never posted. Maybe October will be better. Here are the posts I did manage to hit publish on.

  • Scrap Fabric Mod Podge Quilt
  • Crockpot Meatloaf

Well, that about does it for September 2015. To keep up with me until next month’s update head over to Instagram where I have been sharing all sorts of random pictures. Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Facebook while you’re at it.

What were you into in September?

I’m linking up with Leigh Kramer to show what I’m into lately!

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting this site. 

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jackiesblessings

I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that h I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that has happened in 2020. There have been so many negatives for so many people. I can’t say it has all been positive for me either. However, there are some things that have happened in 2020 for which I am so grateful. 
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The main thing I am grateful for is the extra time I was able to spend with my kids. We had so much fun during quarantine and this summer. I know this wasn’t the case for everyone, but I do not regret the days when we had nothing planned and could just have fun together. Whether it was walking in the woods, playing games, watching a movie together, or even doing chores, I never once heard an “I’m bored.” 🙂 
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In addition to the gift of more time together, I am also grateful for all of the milestones we have celebrated this year. In June, my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, and then we had four milestone birthdays. Julia turned 21, James turned 18, Joshua turned 16, and Joseph turned 13. (Janna felt left out, so we told her that her birthday was special because it was her last birthday in single digits.) Also, today marks 25 years that JT and I have been married. 
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While I won’t be sorry to see 2020 go, and I hope
and pray 2021 is better for so many people who are hurting right now, I don’t ever want to forget the good times we had this year. 
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P.S. I took all of these pictures over fall break.
The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual church service yesterday, and I couldn’t resist getting a picture with them in front of this beautiful Christmas tree. ❤️
James has been playing school basketball since he James has been playing school basketball since he was in the fourth grade. Tonight he and his fellow Seniors  were recognized at their game, and I just can’t believe James is this old. 
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Normally, Senior Night is the last game of the season. However,  because everything in the world seems so uncertain right now, we wanted to make sure the boys got a chance to be recognized. We wanted something “normal” for them. I am thankful James and his teammates not only got recognized but also won their game. 
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P.S. We had our masks on at all times other than when we took pictures.
We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is t We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is turning 13 today, and it just doesn’t seem possible. The beautiful baby boy who was placed in my arms on a cold and foggy day in December is still my “little” guy. However, after looking at this picture of the two of us, I don’t think he will be shorter than me for long. Joseph is still my shy guy, but he is also sweet, loving, kind, and just an all around good kid. We also lovingly refer to him as the cat whisperer because the kittens and cats follow him around like puppies. 🙂 It has been so much fun to have Joseph at school with me this year now that he is in junior high, and I am so thankful that I get to be his mama. Happy birthday, Joseph! ❤️
2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of 2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of those challenges was self-inflicted. 🙂 I just finished my fourth master’s level course of 2020 through Ball State, and I passed the high ability licensure exam last Thursday. This means that I will soon have high ability added to my teaching license. 
.
When I signed up to take my first class in January, I had no idea what 2020 was going to entail. Teaching in a pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart. Taking classes and caring for five kids while teaching in a pandemic has allowed me to see what I am really made of. I don’t mean to brag, but I am pretty happy that I received straight A’s. Beyond that, I learned so much, and I am grateful for this opportunity even though I felt stretched to my limits some days. 
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Yes, 2020 has been challenging, but I have been blessed with more time with my family, knowledge gained, and challenges met and overcome.
I almost forgot to post this here. 🎂 Joshua is I almost forgot to post this here. 
🎂
Joshua is 16 years old today. It doesn’t seem possible that my little pip squeak of a baby boy is now about 6’4”. Joshua is now the tallest of the family, and I’m not sure he is done growing. There hasn’t been a dull moment since Joshua arrived, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. He is a fun-loving, hard-working, kind-hearted, and intelligent young man. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. I am so thankful God thought I was up to the task of being Joshua’s mama. ❤️
My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t c My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t cry as soon as he was born but first looked around to see what was going on in the world, is now a 6’2” handsome man. I truly never thought the years would go by so quickly, but here we are. James is 18 today. 

There are so many words I could use to describe James: hardworking, dedicated, persevering, intelligent, funny, curious, kindhearted, dependable, respectful, and helpful. I could also expound upon his accomplishments, and I could tell you how great he is. However, I don’t love James for what he has accomplished but simply because he is my son.

I have been so blessed to be James’s mom, and I thank God every day for entrusting him into my care. I don’t know what the future will hold for him, but I know he will do great things. 

For anyone reading this who is struggling with a tantrum throwing toddler, a strong-willed child, and/or a child who questions everything, I would like to encourage you. Look for the positive qualities your child possesses such as perseverance, dedication, and curiosity and build upon that. I will never regret the hard days of parenting because my prayers and hard work have paid off. Helping James reach his full potential and keep those qualities without breaking his spirit has been worth the effort.

Happy Birthday, James!
I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed sur I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed surreal. It felt chaotic. Nothing was normal. We are all exhausted. However, it was wonderful to be with my students again after five months, and my own kids enjoyed seeing their friends. I don’t know how this school year will play out, but I am ready to go back tomorrow and try to make teaching virtually and in person work to the best of my ability. My students are worth the effort. 
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James is a senior, and this was his last first day of school. Joshua is a sophomore, and Joseph is in 7th grade which means I have all three of my boys in the same building with me. Janna is in fourth grade, and she was very excited to be back at school. Julia will be a senior in college when she starts back next week. 
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I am praying we all have a safe and healthy school year. I plan to try not to think about the unknowns and what-ifs and take it one day at a time.
This morning I told four of my kids we were going This morning I told four of my kids we were going to go on an adventure. (No, I didn’t leave one out of the fun. James played in a golf tournament with his dad. 🙂) Anyway, it was quite an adventure. It started with my vehicle telling me one of the tires needed air, but it must be a bad sensor because it was fine. Then I almost ran out of gas. I drove us on all sorts of country roads we had never been on, and I even thought I was going south when I was actually going north for like 10 miles. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It was very obvious I have not been many places since March. 
.
Anyway, Julia, Joshua, Joseph, Janna, and I went to @maxandhoneys where we took some pictures and picked a beautiful bouquet. It was really fun. After that, we went to Greencastle and then to Lieber State Recreation Area. We finished by stopping to do a few things in my classroom, and we made it home before it started raining.
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I am so thankful for a day of doing something fun and “normal” but out of the ordinary. I don’t know if that makes sense, but that’s the best way to describe it. Yes, we had to wear masks sometimes and practice social distancing, but it was still a good day. 
.
Here are some pictures from our day. The last picture is of James before he went to play golf. How is he old enough to be a senior? 😢 I am so thankful for my family. 💕 Also, kudos to Joshua and Joseph for being good sports about picking flowers. Their future wives will thank me. 😀

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