Ooo! Shiny!

Today I am participating in a Blog Hop. This is week 1 of an online Bible study with Melissa Taylor from Proverbs 31. We are studying the new book by Karen Ehman "Let.It.Go." (This is my second online Bible study with Melissa. I did "Made to Crave" last January and LOVED it! Looking at her schedule for the year, I have a feeling I will be signing up for at least a couple more of her studies.)

Source: melissataylor.org via Melissa Taylor's on Pinterest

There were three topics to choose from for this week's Blog Hop. I am choosing to talk about topic #3:  

Ooo! Shiny! – Chapter Two. This world is full of shiny things begging for our attention. What are things in your life that have turned into controlling tangents? Let’s help each other break just one!

After reading Chapter 2, highlighting, taking notes and re-reading the chapter, I did some journaling. I thought I had figured out exactly what my big controlling tangents are. Karen describes tangents as those "activities, hobbies, people or time-wasting habits that knock us off course."

I can admit honestly and with strong conviction one of my biggest controlling tangents is Facebook and time on the computer, reading web page after web page. I almost obsessively check Facebook several, make that many, many, many times a day. Before I know it I have spent not minutes but hours on Facebook or the internet and accomplished nothing. Meanwhile, the laundry is piled up, there are dirty dishes in the sink, and real work to be done around here. Not to mention my beautiful girls would love nothing more than for Mommy to sit and play or read or do anything really as long as it was time spent with them.

As Karen suggested, I need to set up some "big-picture guidelines" to prevent Facebook and computer time being the problem it so often is. After all, Facebook isn't all bad. I love being able to keep in touch with family and friends and being able to share with them what the Lingg family is up to. Several of the groups I'm involved with at church use Facebook as a means of communication and a very effective, quick and easy way to share news and prayer requests and praises. It's when I allow myself to be consumed by it, when I start comparing myself to what other people are saying and doing - that's when the trouble begins.

Before writing this post, I hopped around and read a few of the blogs posted by others participants. I could relate to many of the women. Karen's post, however, made me realize yet another tangent that last night did not come to me. 

I don't want to be left out. I want to fit in. I want to belong so badly I am not always true to myself in order to fit in with the group or person I am around. And I think I have had this problem since childhood. I can understand having this feeling as a little girl, but how can I still struggle with this feeling as a 35-year-old woman??? 

It is only week 1 of this study. We are only a couple of chapters into the book and already God has revealed some hard truths I have wanted to avoid and ignore for far too long.

I am hopeful though. Hopeful that through this study I will learn "how to stop running the show and start walking in faith" (Karen Ehman).

Birthday Love

Yesterday was my birthday. And it was one filled with love and well wishes from so many people! Cards I received in the mail a few days prior to my birthday. Morning birthday wishes from my family. Happy birthdays from co-workers. An overwhelming number of birthday blessings posted by friends and family on facebook. It all added up to making this girl feel a whole lotta love yesterday!!

The girls were singing to me as they brought out my present and card. I guess Bella wanted in on the action too!

The most beautiful wrapping paper ever created. One of a kind and made just for me. Samantha had the left side, Gabrielle the right. It is now hanging on my bedroom door.

Just one of my gifts. Loved listening to this in the car this morning!!

Getting older is not so bad when you're getting so much love from your family and friends.

A Good Start ~ Still a Ways To Go

The bedroom makeover began today. I am so excited about this project. I have been wanting to do something to our bedroom for about a year now. Our bedroom has remained exactly the same for the past 8+ years and I was more than bored with it. My boredom is probably one cause to the clutter that seemed to find its way to our bedroom. It was a mess and desperately needed some sprucing up!!

During my trip to HomeGoods this past Thursday I found a comforter and quickly fell in love. I took some photos to show Ed to get his opinion and surprisingly he really like it too. I was surprised we found a comforter set we both liked this quickly. Ed told me from the beginning we would not be painting the room. I have no problem with the color of the walls but that did limit choosing an entirely new color scheme. It is difficult to tell in the terrible pictures above but our walls are a sage green. Our quilt was a cream, sage, and purple mostly floral print. Sorry, but I didn't really go to much trouble making the bed or straightening up at all this morning before taking some quick "before" photos. And to be shamefully honest, the room probably looks this messy and disheveled the majority of the time.

I made a return trip today hoping the comforter would still be there. I found a few more items during my trip that I would like to eventually add to our decor throughout the house. Right now my budget demands baby steps in the bedroom makeover so the comforter, some curtains and curtain rods were the only purchases today.

The biggest change, however, is rearranging the room. Our master bedroom is small. I believe the dimensions are only 13' x 10'. It is not a big room and the closet, bathroom door, vents, and directv plug all limit the furniture arrangement. We really thought when we first moved into our house the placement of our furniture was the only way to possibly have it. Boy, were we wrong!!

Our room looks and feels so much bigger. No longer will we be bumping into the corners of the bed and dressers just trying to get to the bathroom or out the door. I love it!! I just can't believe we didn't do this sooner.

As the title of the post says, this is just a start. First, obviously in the photos there is still some "junk" that needs to be thrown out and stored elsewhere. We're hoping to get a chest from Ed's dad to put at the foot of the bed. I need to start searching thrift stores and yard sales for a small nightstand for my side of the bed. I'm definitely replacing the art we've had hanging forever. No offense to Ed - he loves this print and had it hanging in his apartment when we started dating. But I had to inform him he could take it to the office. I have other ideas I'm super excited about and hoping I'll find/make the time soon to get them done. After the room is done, our closet needs some serious cleaning out and organization but since I can close the doors and no one sees the mess but us I'm saving that for last.

So what do you think???

This Calls for a Celebration!!

I will warn you now, this short post will involve a little bragging by me on Gabrielle.

In Gabrielle's school folder each month is a calendar  where the teacher makes notes on behavior each day. A good behavior day usually is noted with a hand drawn smiley or sticker. For January, Gabrielle received a sticker or smiley every single school day!!

Gabrielle has never had any big issues with behavior (at least not with everyone other than her parents) but the first half of kindergarten there was certainly a learning curve. She needed some time to figure out how to get along and be considerate with everyone. We had several talks about when we are having problems getting along with someone, sometimes we just have to learn to "walk away" and play with another friend for that day. It took a little while for that to sink in and for her to put it into practice. This month I feel like she finally "gets it" and I feel like maybe she is actually listening to something I have told her. Hooray!!

Also, this week she brought home her second report card of the year. At our school we have parent-teacher conferences with each report card. G's teacher was very happy and impressed with Gabrielle's willingness to write and how well she is doing with all of her schoolwork. I left the conference a beaming, smiling, proud Momma. 

I decided this definitely called for a little celebration. Gabrielle wanted to go out for ice cream after dinner tonight BUT...it is only 30 degrees and very windy. I convinced her into a trip to Krispy Kreme instead. I was actually able to change her mind by informing her Krispy Kreme had ice cream as well as donuts wouldn't you know it, the ice cream machine was not working. Fortunately the chocolate glazed heart shaped donuts lifted her spirits. We each had 1-2 donuts there and brought home a dozen for breakfast tomorrow. So, so bad I know!!

I have to tell you though, if there is a Krispy Kreme in your area you absolutely have to go this month and get the dark chocolate strawberry donut. It is a chocolate glazed donut filled with a strawberry-dark chocolate cream. Oh my, oh my!! It reminded me a lot of a chocolate covered cherry. So delicious. Run and get one ASAP. You absolutely have to try it!