Day 9: Comfort

I find comfort in routines, and this is one of the most pleasurable, on so many levels. Mocha Mint today, btw.


Happy Saturday, friends! Our plans are rest, friends & family...right now I'm off to read a book Debbie raved about yesterday. :)

Day 8: in my hand

Today I woke up with a little bit of yesterday still in/on my hand. :) What I texted myself yesterday..,


...what survived about 10 handwashings!

Day 7: hobby

Today's prompt took me a minute...I don't have any cool hobbies.  Even though I've been *trying* to do it for almost a decade and I've been talking about it a lot lately, I don't scrapbook as a hobby.  I've really just started it more of a way to get my house and memories under control.

But you know, there is something that I like to do.  I'm a reader, always have been.  I read fiction, nonfiction...whatever appeals to me.  And yep, if you look at the top left, I even download free romance books once in a while.  Those aren't my favorite, but sometimes I need a few minutes of absolute brain candy.  I'm also cheap, so when I hear of a book that sounds interesting I'll download a sample before I spend the money on the book.  Right now I've got two samples on my ibookshelf...I've read the samples of both and I'm waiting until I have blow money again to buy them.  That Cleaning House book?  Danielle posted about it on facebook, and I absolutely loved what I've read so far!  And the Habit book is fascinating!  So, yeah, I love to read.  When do I find time to read?  Well, I lay with Noble for a few minutes at naptime and bedtime (5-10 minutes is our deal) and I read then.  I'm a fast reader, so that's really enough to keep me happy.


Reading is my hobby that I do all by myself.  But there's something I do with my Boy that's kind of a dirty little secret...

...we watch "Downton Abbey" together.  We resisted it for months, but when we gave it a shot, we were hooked INSTANTLY!  James said the other day he figured out why we like it so much...it's MadMen in a house.  I can kind of see where he's coming from.  I like it because it's beautiful to watch and listen to, and it's telling the story of a system I know nothing about.  It's fascinating to me!  I think I'm more suited for serving than being served, btw.  I'm so not a joiner, so I haven't posted about this on facebook--isn't it funny that I'm a little embarrassed about it?  That's not me!

So those are my hobbies...reading and TV.  Hmm, those would have been my hobbies 30 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago...I'm pretty exciting like that, man.

Day 6: challenge

I have kind of a one-track mind right now...I made such progress (finally got rid of THE BOX) this weekend, and while I'm enjoying my work right now it was a bit of a let-down to start the week and lose momentum.  I did make some time Monday to start pulling stuff out from under my dresser and organizing, and threw away a whole trash bag full of stuff.  That was satisfying!

The challenge on my plate right now:  organizing a lifetime's worth of photos and mementos in a quick and meaningful way.  I'm tired of having boxes of stuff in my closet and in storage (ha!  I fixed that one...I took a big box of stuff OUT of storage and shoved all of the stuff under and around my dresser so I'd have to deal with it.  Well, I have been dealing with it...for MONTHS!).

Day 5: self portrait

Last night I peeked to see that today's photo prompt was "self portrait."  I confess, I went and chose a cute outfit for today and everything since I'd be posting a picture of myself.  Sure, I pretended like I was choosing a cute outfit for Kayci's lunch today (her GT class has invited families for lunch under the stars today), but it was pure vanity.

Ah, vanity.

We meet again.

I woke up this morning with a different outlook, however, and that cute outfit didn't seem like a good idea.  It felt...false.  As I was outside cleaning gutters (yes) in my grubbies and unwashed hair (which with this wire, means pure fuzz), I realized that I'd already been seen in carline looking like a washwoman.  And my family sees me like this every day.  So why would I try to put a different ME on my blog just because of a photo challenge?

And it all fit in nicely with what God's working on with me this week.  To the outside world, I present a picture of someone who has it together.  On the inside, when I let it all hang out, I see the truth.  I don't have it all together.  In the past couple of days, I've seen a huge amount of sin in my closest relationship, and that's hard to deal with.  Especially as it's my sin.  I didn't want to see it, have refused to look at it for years, in fact, but there it is.  There comes a time when you have to quit running from it. My time was Sunday, right before and after I took that picture of James heading off to the Super Bowl.
And every moment since, this has been first and foremost in my mind.

I've got a lot of 'splainin to do.

But we'll leave it at that for now.

Yesterday I sent a picture to my friend when she asked what I was doing.  I sent a picture of photos and CRAP spread all over my room.  She texted back, "I love that you're in the picture, too!"  Sure enough, there I was in the mirror.

So that's my self-portrait today.  Amidst my mess.


With dirty clothes and dirty feet from washing the deck, and toes I touched up last night but left messy because that's how I roll.  It'll come off in the shower, right?  Guess I'd better shower.  :/


Last week a friend from high school posted a Valentine's Day challenge on her facebook page.  She challenged everyone to take 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 and replace the word "love" with our name.  i.e., "Kristi is patient, Kristi is kind..."

Yikes.  Yeah, I didn't fare so well.  Sure, I do okay with those things out in public, but at home with my family?  Nuh uh.  So I guess that's when it started clicking that I've got a LOT of work to do.

Sunday evening, I busted out some chalkboard vinyl and threw this up over my desk so I'll see it often. Instead of replacing "love" with my name, though, I put in "respect."

So that's my goal--respect.  In my relationship with my Boy, in my home, period.

Wish me luck, friends.  This would be the OPPOSITE of my self-portrait right now...

Oh, yeah.  I left the cute outfit hanging up to wear to work tomorrow.  Here I am all clean and stuff.  The only full-length mirror in our house is currently graffiti-ed with love notes for Daddy, and I didn't feel like a photo challenge was sufficient reason to wipe it off.  So here I am, in all my graffitied glory.  

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lunch date with my family under the stars.  :)

Day 4: Routine

When I saw that the photo prompt today was "a routine," I assumed I'd take a picture of the kids' responsibilities chart or something like that.  But then I was sitting here, and I realize there's a routine I start my day with (well, not always on weekends...).  I'm lost without my quiet time.  And yes, I'm a little grumpy and out of sorts when I start the day thinking about what I want instead of what I need.  :)

day 3: game

James and his date are off to watch the big game with friends.