What a Whirlwind of a Year So Far!!!

    After starting off our new year with Covid, having my Father-in-law put in the hospital because of Covid, then he was in rehab so he could get strong enough to come home, then less than 4 hours after coming home he was right back in the hospital.  After being in the hospital for the second time, we found out he had stage 4 colon cancer.  He went home to be with the Lord early Easter Morning.  

    Then in May our 19 year old went on a leadership and mission trip to Virginia with some people from our church. He just came back home last week.  Also last week my husband and I took our two scout troops to summer camp for a week.  Our 17 year old is working at scout summer camp for the 4th summer.  

    In March I started to do administrative work for a online/in person dance studio and they have other classes. In May I got the opportunity to start teaching some of the essay tutoring classes, Storytime and art classes, and I got to sub for a drama class as well.  This coming Friday I am starting to teach outdoor play classes for kids age 1.5 to 8 years old and their parents/guardians. I am able to work my work schedules around my kids needs with homeschooling and I am loving that.

    

    This school year will be our 15th school year.  In the fall we will have a senior and a freshman.   I am not sure were the time has gone but here we are.  It is crazy to me that I am in my last 4 years of homeschooling my kids. 

    I am going to be working very hard at writing on the blog more and other thing surrounding it.  I am almost done with my office so that blog and maybe a YouTube video will be coming soon.  

Until Next Time,

Pitters

My New Home Office

After living in our new home for 5 months I am finally getting around to setting my office up more to my liking.  When we first moved into our home I was all set to run my Paparazzi jewlery bussiness out of it.  But after a long convertation with my husband and seeking God in prayer I made the choice to not continue.  So the office sat in dissaray, mostly a dumping ground for things we did not have a place for.  I thought is would be a fun craft room, but that to was always a mess. Marshall thought it would be a good dressing room, becuase it is in our bedroom with it's own door.  But I just did not like that idea.  As the kids have gotten older we have talked a couple of times about me finding a job I could do from home.  So now I am ready to take that step and I am looking for a job I can do from home that has a consistant pay and is legit.  Many of at home office jobs require a work space that can accomidate two computer monitors.  So I bought two desks that works better for my office set up, insted of one large desk, to house a computer set up like that.  I am also still using my smaller desk in my office for if the kids need some help with homeschool durring the day.  They will have a work space. Or I might turn it into a vanity area.  I also have three cuby storage shelves.  Two of them are 3 by 3 cubies and the other one is a 3 by 1 cuby set up.  My hope is that with the new office set up I will also be more consistant in writing my blogs, making videos for my YouTube page, and posting on the Facebook and Instagram pages for this blog.  

I am working on stoage solutions fror my office, but very budget friendly.  I will be sharing what I am using for storage in my office and pictures of my set up.  This will be in a follow up blog.  I will be sharing my before pictures. Well a much let messy, but still messy before pictures.  

So I have some organizing to to do.  I still have one desk that Marshall will put together this week.  My daughter is working on the gardening merit badge for scouts so that is why I currently have potted plants in my office.  She has started herb seeds and some vegetable seeds.  Once it is warm enough they will go our on our balcony.  But that is a whole other blogg post. As you can see I am a baby Yoda fan.  But back to the topic at hand.

So what do i like about my office space? First off I love the fact I have two nice size windows.  I love it is right in our bedroom so I can have a quite space to work.  Also if my kiddos are sick I am not far from them if they need me.  I am glad that even as teens they still need me. I am excited to finish my office and show you all the things that i am using for storage solutions on a budget. 

Until Next Time,

Pitters

Fall and Halloween Decorating Time

 To me decorating makes a house feel more like a home.  By adding your style, your little touches can help people feel more welcome in your home.  It can make the people living in your home feel warm, loved, and cared for.  As we head into fall I am so excited I can hardly contain myself.  I love fall and decorating for fall.  Now that it is October I can add a touch of Halloween to my décor as well.  Whether it is dollar store goods, thrift/yard sale finds or DIY crafts.  I love to add candles through out the home even if I never light them.  Candles that smell like the season can be very aromatic and add to the things your family and guest experience in your home. When you know you have guest coming over you should try and have a little snack or treat ready to go.  Even just having filled candy dishes can be a nice touch.  I love to have music on in the house, it helps motivate me when cleaning, it can be just nice to have soft music playing when guest are over. When decorating and making a home welcoming you want to hit on as many of the senses as you can. 

So many of my fall decorations are from dollar tree and yard sale finds.  The little skeleton bath was an idea I saw on Pinterest. I am not sure who originally posted it.  The one I saw has round and clear Christmas bulbs in it for bubbles.  But I had some eyeballs left from decorating other places so I add them instead.  

Here is a new DIY project I am working on.  This was a dollar tree find, every thing I am using on it was from dollar tree, except the silver sharpie marker.  I even found hot glue sticks at dollar tree!! 

Until Next Time,

Pitters

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. 

-Proverbs 31:27

Two Eagles in One Year!!!!

 I am going to have a mom brag moment, so please bare with me.  So in April of 2021 my third oldest son earned his Eagle Scout Rank.  As of last night October 5, 2021 my fourth oldest son earned his Eagle Scout Rank.  My boys have worked so hard for this accomplishment.  Of my five kids so far we have one Life Scout, three Eagles Scouts and my daughter is a Tenderfoot working on her goal to one day be an Eagle.  Only about 4% of Scouts earn the rank of Eagle Scout.  

Our 3rd oldest son the night of his Eagle Board of Review

Our 4th oldest son the night of his Eagle Board of Review

A New Start

 This past year and a half has been crazy for our family.  With the loss of my mom in December 2019, Covid turing our world upside down, my oldest getting married durring the pandamic,  my aunt passing in March 2021, and moving in August.  Our family has tried our best to stay strong for eachother.  I feel that these test, trials, victories, and losses have made us stronger.  We have found a new appreciation of the time we have together.  

As we settle into our new home, I am greatful for so many things.  Yes we have experinced so much loss, but we are also experiencing so many blessings.  As a homeschool/Stay at home mom I am learning to reprioritize things in my life.  I feel like I have lost myself a little.  But I am getting back to who I want to be.  I am wanting to start or restart a few things over the next couple of months.  I am looking forward to taking you all along on this journey.

Until Next Time,

Pitters

End of Year : Looking Back!!

     As 2020 draws to an end I want to take time to look back over the year. As I started out 2020, I looked forward to new adventures with my girls BSA Troop.  I looked forward to my son's upcoming wedding.  I hoping to go to Germany to visit my dad and step mom.  I was planning a trip to Texas and going to our second NASCAR Race.  I was hitting my weight loss goals.  The year seemed full of adventure and fun.  

     In January, a couple of the girls in my troop started to plan and get ready to compete with our brother troop.  I was enjoying the new year and all it had in store.  We did a winter camp in February and camped in 9 degree weather.  You read that right!!!  Two of our girls did the Klondike Derby with our linked boys troop.  It was a cold weekend, but fun memories were made.  Later in February, I did a training for summer camp that was all set for June.  As March started we welcomed new girls into our troop from our associated pack.

     Then as the second week of March came to an end something I never saw coming was the shutdown of our nation.  Schools closed indefinitely, we were told to stay home to stay healthy, my husband was furloughed the following week, scouts was not able to meet, and we were told church was going online. Our trip to Texas was cancelled.   We were told it will only be a couple weeks and life will get back to normal.  So I set up a zoom meeting for scouts and the family and I gathered around the TV to watch our pastors on Facebook live. At the end of April we welcomed our new daughter-in-law to the family.  Not at a big wedding with family and friends.  Instead it was an small wedding with just parents at the pastors house, with a drive by parade of well wishers. What was supposed to be a couple of weeks turned into a couple of months.

     As summer drew near some things opened up, summer camp was going to take place.  As a troop we decided it was still not safe for camp.  We were able to start meeting outside for scouts and church was able to open with new restrictions.  We learned to dawn a new accessory, of a facemask.  Social distancing is now apart of our everyday vocabulary.  We were able to camp a couple times this year, following local DHMs.  We have a new normal that I know can change at any time.  If that is one thing I learned this year is that life can change in the blink of an eye.  

All of 2020 was not bad,  I have had a good year overall.  We have had more family time,  we gained a daughter-in-law and a grand puppy.  As the year draws to an end I am hoping for a good new year, for health and happiness.  I am hoping the same for your family.

Until Next Time 

Pitters

17 Years Together!!!

      I am writing this about a week after my and my husband's 17th wedding anniversary.  I can't believe it has been 17 years, yet at the same time it does not seem like long enough.  As I reflect over this past year of marriage it has been one of great loss in our family.  We lost my mom, his aunt, and his step dad.  We had a scary couple of weeks of our youngest son being in the hospital, and him have two surgeries.  Marshall was in a car wreck that totaled our car, and another wreck that was an assault and hit and run.  That is right 2 car wrecks in less than a year.  The second one was very little damage to the car, but Marshall was punched twice in the head by the other driver before they took off.  We have like all of you lived with being quarantined, wearing masks, and dealing with a new normal.  We have had many things canceled over the past few months.  As a family we have been blessed to spend more time together, appreciate each other a little more, and to appreciate our extended family and friends more.  

     So how do you celebrate 17 years of marriage during a global pandemic?  Well good question,  we have not completely celebrated yet. Mostly because our anniversary was on a Tuesday. So we are going to be doing something this coming weekend, because life is busy.  We will not be doing something over the top like in years past.  We will most likely spend time at home, but the point is not to make a big production out of it, for a couple of reasons. One being we live in an area that has a high case counts and the numbers are raising. So we rather stay at home.  The other being a like being at home just spending time together.  I am hoping to order from one of our favorite restaurants, cuddle up and watch a movie. The point of any anniversary is to be together and to be thankful for another year together. Sorry for the rambling everyone, but I am just writing from my heart.  I know this is probably  boring to everyone else, but I really want to remember to take time and be thankful.  

Until Next Time,

Pitters