Even while we are on the road, I am able to make my home sing because “home is where the heart is” and right now our hearts are in Texas.  Our hearts burst out in song as we surround ourselves with the love of family and friends we seldomly see.

The biggest way I am making my home sing while on vacation is by going with the flow.  I am such the type A personality!  I want to have everything planned and follow the plan (not that this always shows!LOL!) so being relaxed about what we do and when we get around to doing it while we are on vacation has helped my family to fully enjoy our trip.  No rushing around to get to the next destination or worrying that we aren’t going to be able to accomplish everything that we had wished to.  (I did plan on not planning which went a long way into helping me maintain this philosophy.)

Join Mom’s the Word for other Making My Home Sing Monday!

Also linked to What I Learned This Week.

We are leaving for Texas Friday afternoon after DH finishes working (luckily he will be working from home so we don’t have to wait for him to commute back from the office).  As we live over 1,600 miles away from our destination, it will be a long drive in the car minivan (YAY!! much more room than in our car that we just traded in for an used minivan) with the two little ones.  I have made the trip with both of them twice by myself, but DH hasn’t made the drive with them.  I don’t think he has any idea of what it is going to be like stuck in the minivan with the kids for that length of time straight (and he isn’t allowed to smoke in the vehicle).  This will be interesting…  I am hoping that we can keep them occupied for most of the trip with toys, books and DVDs that they haven’t seen or at least haven’t seen in a long time (GRRRR…the portable DVD player is working!!  This is going to be a longer trip than I thought…). (Updated 4/8 @ 5:00 PM)

Considering I am in charge of packing for everyone (DH will pack his own cloths and toiletries), I still have tons to do!!  I do have a tip that will make it easier for me when I finally pack all of the items in the our suitcases and such:

As I run across items that I want to take with us, I throw them into a box designated as being “the things we are taking box” so that I don’t have to find them again!  LOL!  But, for me – this is a BIG time saver!

We are excited to be going on a vacation.  We aren’t making plans for the most part as to what we are going to do and when.  We are going to do what seems like fun at the time.  (This is a great concept but hard for me to do as I am a planner; however, I am going to try!)  There are so many great things to do in the Fort Worth area, and we are looking forward to it!!!  ESPECIALLY, getting to spend some quality time with our family (our parents and my sister)!!  It will be so nice to hug them again!

This post is linked to

Gratituesday

Talk about Tuesday

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
-Robert Brault

Photo: Tamara

We tend to take things for granted and overlook the small blessings in our lives.  When we take pleasure in the little things, we live a more graceful life.  We have a more joyous heart.  We tend to live a richer life – full of the beauty that is encapsulated in everything around us. As I contemplate the multitude of blessings in my life, these are some of my favorite little things that really are the big things in life:

• Hugs and kisses from my two little boys. It is amazing just how quickly they grow up!  My youngest is still a kissy, huggy snuggler, but my oldest son has grown up into a “big boy” and isn’t much of a snuggler anymore.  Although I am very blessed that my older son still gives hugs and kisses, just not constantly like he did two short years ago.

• My boys taking turns sitting on my lap while I read them books. I know that all too soon, neither of them will want to sit on their mommy’s lap.  I relish each moment that I have now!

• Reading books to and with my sons. I absolutely LOVE books!  To be able to share the joy and knowledge that one can gain from a book with my little ones is such a privilege!  I love the fact that I get to share in the adventures they embark on when they enter the world of books.  Another cool thing is that my oldest son can sound out and read rather large words, but still prefers me to read aloud to him.  I treasure this time of him wanting me to be part of his intimate world!

• Observing my sons helping each other. Watching them interact in a kind and generous manner without external interference is heartwarming.  I cling to these moments to help me deal with the much more often bickering that occurs.

• Holding hands with DH. So much intimacy is communicated between us when we hold hands.  The reassurance that we are sticking together through the good and the bad with God’s help and guidance and hearts full of love and devotion to one another.

• Spending time with extended family. We take those that we love for granted as they have always been a part of our lives and we expect them to always be there.  Spending time with my grandparents and other extended family last weekend refilled me.  Simply being in their presence brings me reassurance that all is right with the world.  Spending time with our parents is a gift that we don’t take as lightly anymore as they live over 1,600 miles away.  When we do have the opportunity to spend time with them, we cherish it greatly.  It is amazing just how much you miss being able to hug your parents!

• Chatting with my best friend. I am very blessed to be able to talk to my best friend almost daily on the telephone for extended periods of time (thank you, unlimited long distance!!).  We are able to talk about all aspects of our lives and find support in each other for the struggles we are facing.  Even when we don’t have any “news” to discuss or issue that needs debate, just hearing her voice brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart.

• Praying as a family. We say grace before meals.  We all say a bedtime prayer together as part of our nightly bedtime routine for the boys.  The feeling that I get listening to them recite the prayers is indescribable.  It feels as if the Holy Spirit is filling me up to over-flowing.
  

• Watching the children get excited about something. I wish that I could capture their joy and amazement when they discover something new or are enthralled with something!  But I have found that I enjoy life more fully when I am experiencing it first hand, instead of through a lens (which is what I used to do).  There are many times that I wish I had my camera in hand in order to capture those moments to be relived many times over, but alas, it just isn’t the case much anymore.

• Falling asleep next to DH. The warmth and security of DH laying beside me at night isn’t so much physical as emotional.  Knowing that he will always be by my side is comforting.  When we are apart, I have a hard time falling asleep.

• Hearing “I love you.” Sometimes we hear this phrase so often that it seems trite, but isn’t that what life is really all about – loving and being loved? I know that I am touched every time that someone tells me that they love me – even if it is off-handed.  Just because the phrase can be said by anyone doesn’t mean that they don’t care about us.  And, well, I enjoy being loved!  It makes me feel, well, loved!
  

I am going to make a more concerted effort to enjoy the little things and bask in their pleasure!

What are the little things in your life?

Please check out Amy’s Finer Things Friday for more little/big things.

Today started off on a very bad note.  To begin with, my alarm clock woke me up.  I know, I know – so many of you use an alarm to get up every day, but I am spoiled in that my normal alarm comes in the form of one or two sweet little boys trying to climb into my bed to give me morning hugs and kisses (and hopefully at a much later hour than this morning).

I was able to wake the boys easily and they were both in good moods UNTIL Little One decides that he does not want to get dresses PERIOD!  Now, the reason for the alarm being set this morning was the fact that I had an appointment to take my car in which in order to arrive on time we had to leave the house in less than one hour.  And, of course, this is the morning that a 2-1/2 year old chooses to assert his independence and not want to get dressed!  UGH!  Well, let’s just say that after much fighting arguing declaring my impending victory debate with Little One we made it out of the house just on time to make it to said appointment.

When we arrived at the dealership to have the needed work done on my vehicle, they gave us a rental car.  Now, I am not usually impressed by rental cars, but this was a brand-new 2009 Honda Accord – as in it only had 125 miles on it!!!  Well, that was a nice treat.

Since the boys and I had gotten all of our bickering for the day out of the way with the dressing situation this morning and we were all enjoying ourselves, I suggested that we go and visit my grandparents whom we haven’t seen since before Christmas who live about 3-1/2 hours away.  The boys were elated!  So, we drove home and packed an overnight bag after getting the okay from DH to leave him alone overnight and Friday (he was suppose to have the day off) which I have to say caused him much anguish with the thought that he was going to have an entire evening and the next day to do whatever he wanted without interruption.   Anyway, with blessings from DH and our bag in the car, we started off on our trip.

We had a blast during the drive!!  The three of us sang along with the radio at the top of our lungs.  We pretended we were in a rocket.  We even enjoyed our pit stop which allowed us to have a race back to the car!  We were simply being ourselves and relishing each other’s company.

How can I top that?  Well, when we pull into my grandparents’ driveway and park, Little One keeps saying, “We are at Gamma & Gampa’s house!!  Get me out, please!!”  In the meantime, Big Boy unbuckles himself and exits the car is at Grandma and Grandpa’s door before I can even get out of the car!  (Note: Big Boy did wait until the car was parked to unsecure himself.)  It was heart-warming to see how excited they were to see Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa!!

Being here with my grandparents is like being at home.  It really is a home-away-from-home for me.  Being in their house and especially in their presence fills me with peace and comfort.  I am very fortunate to still have my grandparents (actually, I still have all of my grandparents so I am extremely blessed!) who are in their 80s.  As I sit here writing this tonight, the only thing that could be better about being here with them is if I were still little enough to climb up in their laps to cuddle with them!  Spending time with my grandparents fills my soul.  I am so blessed!

Please join Amy for more Finer Things Friday.

Sherry at Lamp Unto My Feet asked, “What are you thankful to your husband for?” today which really got me thinking about the wonderful things about my husband that I am grateful for.  Considering we weren’t seeing eye-to-eye earlier this evening, I really needed to go over this list to help myself refocus on DH’s beautiful qualities for which I am thankful:

* He supports my dreams and who I am trying to grow into.

* He really listens to me.

* He loves me for who I am.

* He is outgoing. (I am not outgoing. He helps me to be more open around others.)

* He thrives on being a help to others.

* He is creative.

* He loves our family more than anything else in the world.

* He is humorous – even if we don’t always agree on what is and isn’t funny. lol. He enjoys making people laugh.

* He enjoys working on our vehicles which saves us money.

* He doesn’t mind doing handyman projects around the house which saves us TONS of money.

* He supports and encourages me in our decision to homeschool our boys.

* He will hold me and just let me cry when I need to.

* He tells me that I am sexy (and NEVER makes comments on my weight) and makes me feel very attractive.

* He is a good snuggler.

* He doesn’t mind doing yard work.  I really don’t like to do outdoor work.  I would rather clean the entire house.  So, this works out very well for us.

* He supports my love of books and doesn’t complain when he can’t find a clean table top due to piles and piles of books.

* He works extra hard so that we can afford to be an one-income family in order for me to stay at home and raise our sons.

* He has a smile that makes me melt.

Read the wonderful tribute that Sherry wrote about her husband in her post Thank you, honey!.  You can also read what other people are gratiful for today at Gratituesday.

We all want to have fun, but we shouldn’t have to spend tons of money to enjoy ourselves.  Here are ten ways to have fun as a family that are free:

1. Play a game in the backyard such as catch, tag football, soccer, Frisbee, croquet.  Getting out and running around together really helps to bond families.  The exercise is great for everyone!  The laughs and giggles are even better!
2. Go on an discovery hunt. Decide what you want to look for – triangles, green items, things that look out of place in their surroundings, frogs, different types of flowers, etc.   Then, take a leisurely walk in your neighborhood to see what treasures you can find.  It is amazing all of the beautiful items that surround us that we never take the time to notice.  Sharing such discoveries with your family is great way to support an appreciate of the world around us.
3. Swing at the local park. You are never too old to swing – I know I still enjoy swinging on a strong swing set!
4. Create your own Movie Night at home. Put in your favorite family movie or borrow one that you haven’t seen from your library or a good friend.  Then, pop some popcorn and turn down the lights.  Not only is this frugal, you can stop the movie for potty breaks and can control the calorie content of the popcorn and snacks!  Something you can’t do at the theater!
5. Camp out in your living room. Pretend that you are camping out while still enjoying the conveniences of home by setting up camp in the living room.  Pull out the sleeping bags.  Turn off the lights and pull out the flashlights.  Take turns telling stories and signing campfire songs.  And, if your children are still small, let them sleep in their “play tent.”
6. Make a meal together. Does your clan love pizza?  Or maybe your family prefers a more gourmet meals?  Decide on the menu and make the meal together as a family.  It is fun to create something as a family, and if you are able to eat it afterward, even better!!
7. Host a Game Night. What could be more fun than game night?  Maybe game night with another family!  Invite another family to join in the fun and have fun sharing your favorite board or card games.
8. Participate in a library program together. Check with your local library to see if they offer any activities that you can participate in as a family.  Our library hosts all kinds of wonderful programs such trained dogs who perform and Family Story Time.
9. Build something together. There are so many mediums that you can use to build things together: wood, metal, clay, material (as in sewing), food, paper, play dough, blocks, cardboard, just to name a few!   Here are some ideas to start you thinking: a keepsake box for your child’s treasures, a washer game, a bird house, a gingerbread house (you don’t have to wait for Christmas!), a sculpture, a scrapbook, an apron & chef hat, an outfit for the Barbie or baby doll, a cape for your little super hero (yes, boys can sew too!), a planting box, a ramp to drive their trucks down, a skate ramp (for older kids!), and sock puppets.
10. Listen to a story together. You can either take turns reading aloud or listen to audiobooks.  Most libraries carry a good selection of audiobooks or you can download free audiobooks.  You can even take turns making up your own stories to share with each other.

No matter what you choose to do as a family remember that being together and enjoying each other’s company is what is important, not the activity that you are participating it.  Even grocery shopping can be fun if done together as a game!  Now, go and enjoy your family!!

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You can find other frugal ideas at Frugal Fridays hosted by Life as Mom and Frugal Family Fun hosted by Cents to Get Debt-Free.

My littlest boy is sick which is causing him to have difficulties sleeping.  It is hard to see your little ones not feeling their best.  But, as I am off to go hold him once again through the night, it is nice to know that my little one sleeps more soundly while laying on me in the glider or recliner.  Even though sleeping in a chair with him leaves me with aches and pains in the morning, it warms my heart to know that I – Mommy – could comfort him.  Ahh, the finer things in life.

This post is being linked to Finer Things Friday.

What is your definition of happiness?

When you have more than enough money to fulfill your needs?
When your soul mate smiles at you?
When your child tells you that he loves you?
When an friend calls to just to say “hi?”
When your pet cuddles with you?
When you are traveling?
When you curled up with a good book?
When you receive a hand-written letter in the mail?
When the traffic was light on the way to work?
When you nailed the presentation?

There are so many aspects of life which we can base our happiness upon. Yet, it is a choice as to what we allow to affect our moods. We all have things go wrong during our day:

We just can’t get up when the alarm buzzes the first time putting us behind for the ENTIRE DAY…
Traffic was horrid making us irritable…
The boss picks the other guy for the special project…
The kids make a mess and are fussing about everything…
Our spouse had a bad day and all household tasks are left for us to handle…
The cat threw up on the carpet AGAIN…

The list goes on and on. But are these really reasons not to be happy? Yes, they put a damper on that moment, but happiness is a state of mind. One which we have control over. We can choose to let these things bring us down for the rest of the day OR we can focus on the blessings of the situation or other blessings in our life.

Many – okay, most – of my days are rout with minor irritants that dampen my mood:

The kids don’t want to get dressed…
Now, they want to get dressed, but refuse to actually put the cloths on their bodies or let me do so…
The boys are arguing over a toy…
The house is a mess…
The ability to put DH’s dirty cloths in the hamper has eluded him – although our 2 year old and 4 year old do so without prompting…
The cat has thrown up on the carpet AGAIN…
It is five o’clock and I still haven’t even considered what to make for supper…
DH is irritable after a long day of work and traffic…
Did I mention that the cat has thrown up yet again???

But, these things are only minor nuisances. They might cause me a bit of additional work and definitely help me to develop more patience and tolerance, but they aren’t life-threatening although our attitudes can be. So, when something annoys me, I try my best – which quite often is not good enough – to remain calm and focus the blessings:

The kids are learning to assert their independence…
The boys are learning the art of negotiation…
We are blessed with an abundance of earthly things…
The boys love being Mommy’s helper and taking care of Daddy’s cloths for him…
Our purring cats…
McD’s is on DH way home from work (LOL!)…
DH comes home to be with us most every night and enjoys his work…

Happiness is a conglomeration of all of the little blessings in life that we choose to focus on.  As I continue on my journey, I work on my patience and understanding. I try not to become angered by the little ones’ blatant disobedience (most often failing). I try not to impose my expectations on others (DH) unduly. And, each night I pray that God will grant me the patience and skills to be the best mom and wife I can be. It is a blessing to know that I don’t have to be perfect!  With God’s help and my determination to try to choose to be happy as much as I can by recalling my blessings and the small joys that bring me so much pleasure instead of fixating on the nuisances, I am beginning to be a much happier person!  Please remind me of that it is up to me to remember my blessing the next time I start focusing on the negative, okay?