The Big White Farmhouse

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“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.
Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”  – Thomas Merton

+ We committed to a No Spend Month.  We did have some unexpected purchases come up, but were able to pay them without too much stress.  Our goal was to use this month to gain some momentum on our debt and we were able to do that – (see below) – so I’m considering it a success! 

+ It snowed!  The first storm of the year gave us 4-5″ and hours of playtime outside.

+ I started a 90 Day Sugar Detox, one of my 100 Little Things goals and something I really wanted to start after all of the Christmas treats.

+ I also started the Women Empowered Program, a self-defense course I got for Christmas.  (And another 100LT goal!)  I’ve completed the first two lessons.
+ M started learning the guitar.  He’s enjoying the process and is a quick learner!

FAVORITE RECIPES FROM LAST MONTH

• French Bread Pizza.  Big loaves of french bread are only $1 at our Walmart.  I just cut it in half lengthwise, sprinkled with sauce and cheese and stuck it in the oven for an easy weekend lunch.
• Twice Baked Potato Casserole.  This casserole was fairly inexpensive and the boys devoured it!  I may need to make a double batch next time.
• Slow Cooker Taco Chili.  This recipe makes a ton and I was able to get two meals out of it.  The second night, we put the leftovers on top of baked potatoes.
• Crockpot White Chicken Chili.  I couldn’t eat this chili because of my dairy sensitivity, but the others said it was delicious.
• Bean and Cheese Burritos.  I’ve been on the hunt for meatless meals that my kids will eat and stumbled on this simple recipe on Pinterest.  You mix a can of refried beans with a can of Rotel and heat on the stove.  It definitely brings the flavor up a notch!  Some of the kids drizzled queso blanco on top too.

• ✔ I want to spend time with God everyday.  I started again where I left off with my Bible in a Year plan (as of Jan 31, I was on day 206/365) and didn’t miss a day all month!  I also worked through a Bible verse writing challenge that I found on Pinterest (I just did step #2).  It was the first time I’ve ever physically written out Scripture every day and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

• ✔ I want to keep on, keepin’ on with our debt freedom journey.  We paid off another student loan!  Feels so good to see some forward progress.

• ✔ I want to be a better steward of my home.  I started using The Confident Mom’s Household Planner and it is working so well for me so far!  Every morning, the kids and I have a “morning meeting” and divvy up the chores for that day.  It usually takes us less than 15 minutes to complete.  The house is still a work in progress, but we’re making big strides in the right direction.  Also!  I found a monthly decluttering plan from Home Storage Solutions 101 and have been loosely following that as well. I completed 20/31 “missions” in January.

• ✔ I want to hand write 52 pieces of mail.  A strong start!  Current total is 19 pieces.  (Here is the blog post.)

• ✔ I want to write 150 blog posts.  Another solid start!  I wrote 20 posts and participated in one linkup: Top Ten Tuesday.  (I hope to find and participate in more linkups in the coming months.)

• ✔ I want to read 52 books.  I read 8 books. (Here is the blog post.)

• ✘ I want to take the first steps for postpartum doula certification.  Nothing yet.

• ✔ I want to create a family culture of generosity.  After reading Emily Freeman’s book, Simply Tuesday, I’ve been pondering the idea of taking back “small.”  I may not have hundreds of dollars to donate or the ability to spend weeks in third-world countries, but I can still do something.  Lots of small acts can still make a difference.  So this year, my family and I are committing to something we’re calling 20/20 Giving: a $20 donation to non-profits we love and 20 minutes of using our time and talents to serve others.  Obviously if we’re able to give more, then we will, but this is the minimum we hope to achieve each month.  
• January’s $20 Donation // We read this powerful story about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah in school and then watched this documentary about him.  It was such a beautiful testament to the dignity of all human life.  My biggest boys were especially impacted by his story and his unwavering mission to help the disabled in Ghana.  Inspired by Emmanuel, we gave our first $20 donation to the Free Wheelchair Mission, an organization that provides wheelchairs to disabled men, women, and children around the world.
• January’s 20 Minutes of Time and Talent // Teaching the high school CCD class at church, altar serving at mass, and responding to the latest call for non-perishables for the church food pantry

I could write a book with all of the embarrassing moments that have happened in my 35 years, so I thought I’d start recording the best ones!  This story is from two Sundays ago, when we traveled to a nearby church to attend a Latin Mass.  Imagine a three-year-old little boy who has had enough of Mass and is starting to be vocal about his readiness to leave the church.  I convince him to wait just a little longer because it’s time for Communion.  I carry him in line and he starts playing with the necklace around my neck.  And then, to my horror, he SNAPS my necklace and beads fall everywhere.  Like everywhere.  The way-too-nice young man in line behind me crawls on his hands and knees – HIS HANDS AND KNEES – to collect them on the floor and under pews.  People from all over are passing me small handfuls of beads.  Oh my word.  I was beet red for a solid 15 minutes, ha!  God sure likes to keep me humble.