{Honey, I love your love the most.}

The way this week is going, it looks like my hubs and 

I won't cross paths nearly as much as I'd like them to.

Maine had it's first snow(storm) of the season this past Sunday and he was lucky enough to be on call. He had 26 call ins. (A few were people calling back a second time.) The roads were terrible and he was pooped by the end of it! We didn't think he'd get any sleep that night but luckily he did. He came home last night and helped with our kiddos while I went to a Mary Kay success meeting and I got home to all but one fed and asleep. He's working, after working, tonight. Wednesday and Thursday night we have things for the kids school and hopefully Friday night is spent at home eating delicious {toot toot} home made pizza. Add nearly a dozen hours of commuting time onto his schedule too...

My biggest struggle in weeks like these is how to show him how much we appreciate all of his hard work, and how to keep him chug chugging along. A real breakfast every morning, his lunches made, a clean house, and good food are my go to ways. But the little things really mean a lot to him. A sincere text message, voice mail, or note in the lunchbox....

Call us incredibly corny. I call us old fashioned. It's true, I do all of these things, but it just feels natural and the right thing to do. I'm not sitting here bragging, I'm hoping to set a tiny example is all. The divorce rates and unhappy couples around the country are high. Lets work on that... 

The women that read this and get the most 'annoyed'.. you need to hear/do this the most of all.

The men that read this and think it is ridiculous, I believe are in denial . ;)  

What man wouldn't want his wife to show him such love and appreciation?!

{Yes I understand I'm narrowing in on heterosexual couples here. Fill in the blanks yourselves please, I don't have the time to be PC. I do realize many I know have different relationships, and I'm understanding of that. And I love you.}

Anyways. 

I like sharing links to other blogs, you'll get used to that...

http://momlifetoday.com/2013/03/62-things-to-say-to-make-your-husband-feel-great/?utm_source=FamilyLife+emails&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=04b968ccc1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN

And eventually I'll really figure out how to link things the right way ;) For now you can copy and paste right?! Hehe

Try it.

{Clutter Purge}

Good (first) snowy morning all.

As we shared on our personal facebook page yesterday, my Dad will be moving in with us this fall. He's at a transitional point in life and we've finally convinced him after four years, to move back to civilization and out of the north woods. We're excited about this new endeavor but I think the grandkids are the most excited out of all of us here!

We live in an older double wide, much smaller than the newer models, as we're enjoying living (nearly) debt free and want to enjoy that as long as we possibly can! Our biggest challenge right now in this space is 'stuff'. We have less than the average family of five but it is still overwhelming to us to have every wall and closet full. My thought here is "The less stuff, the less mess." I hope I'm right. Living daily with the struggle of what I really WANT to do everyday and what my body LETS me do is unreal. I strongly dislike this! I'm slow to learn when enough is enough and its especially hard for me to think that people might 'understand' why my dishes or laundry isn't taken care of every day.

I'm going to share this journey with you all, and show you how we've already started to learn that LESS IS MORE! It is so freeing to live with less. Prepare yourselves through out my blogging adventure to absolutely CRINGE at every typo and grammar mistake that I'm left with on (Lyme days) and all of the crazy ideas and ways of living we have. Not so 'standard American' as you may like to see but it really works for us. :)

So, this morning I found this blog that I'm newly in love with. She seems to really get it! She made a list of things they gladly live without, and I was VERY intrigued and will be adding to my growing 'Goodwill' pile I have in my living room that is waiting to disappear. 

Follow this link:

http://www.kellyoribine.com/2013/11/50-things-i-am-happier-not-owning.html

It is fascinating! A few things I want to mention that I can't and don't think any woman SHOULD live without are personal hygiene products and/or makeup and such...  I'm old fashioned. I think you owe it to your husband to take care of yourself and make yourself more pleasant to look at. ;) I'm sure he loves you just as much with morning hair and morning breath, but not if that just turns into a ponytail and a quick mouthwash rinse. 

Tell me what you think of this list! How many things do you live without? How many are you going to SOON live without? Be free! Be free!

We're baaack!

Good Evening All!

So it is over a year since my last post. That is just crazy!

Well I'm back at it, this dream I have, of being a famous blogger one day...

Let's see how this goes!

Ugh!? Where do I start in this house!?

If you run a home these words have gone through your head a time or two (thousand) !

I came up with a really helpful way to manage a day where the whole house needs bit of attention past my normal routine. I do these in 15 minute increments until I get through the jar. So that is 15 minutes to each 'clothes pin' area. After two areas I take a five-ten minute 'break'.

 ( Depending on how good the book Im reading is... or the baby's nap is.)

Once I'm through with an area it goes back into the jar! Try it out! Let me know what you think!

A Typical Thursday

The only other ladies home with me today while the big sisters are at school down the road...

Eating bananas!

Lounging around...

Yes we still have Miss Dory! She didn't have to find a new home thank goodness she's proven herself well in the new house!

Signs of Fall around home...

Autumn is in the air!

 Place mats and tablecloths 

Beautiful Kitchen view

Off the Porch

Hunting Licenses

Pretty enough to eat

Blankets piled high in the living room for cuddling!

Appreciate the little things.

Yesterday, Arlene and I made an unplanned visit to Grammie Connie and we were lucky enough to have gone at the perfect time! A nice man from Augusta was there singing Karaoke to the residents! As much as the little one loves music, we still are surprised at her dancing and 'singing' talents! 

This morning, as I returned from the grocery store and tied on my apron to prepare for the busy task of baking multiple desserts for a family gathering tonight at the local lobster coop. I noticed in the reflection of the ceiling lights on the floor that little Arlene as some point had some wet little hands while crawling across the floor.

 Its moments like this that I stop and thank my God for blessing me with children and the simple fact that I even have little fingerprints to clean at all. A dear friend of mine has a child very ill and every night as I hold the girls before bed I think about how hard these days must be on her. It crushes me to even think about losing any of our girls. Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us, we must remember that.