Good Reads

Once I start a good book, it becomes less of a problem for me to create time to read. When I started my new book by Francine Rivers  it made it real easy to keep my resolution of reading one night a week.  Now I need to get started on the second book in the series  so I can continue keeping my resolution.

After I get done with that one, I might start Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back. Brad just finished it in short order. The boy it's about is from Imperial, NE, which is very close to where we lived last year. My mother-in-law and Brad both said it's an easy read. 

Now for the latest book I got free for reviewing purposes...

God Gave Us the World is a keeper! I had never read any of the other books in this "series," (God Gave Us Love (God Gave Us...), God Gave Us You, etc.) but I would be very interested in checking them out now. I sort of felt it was fitting that we were reading this book around Martin Luther King Day Jr. Day because it talks about how God made bears all different but that they're all special. That's just one of the great points it teaches kids. It would also be fitting to read on Earth Day because it talks some about why we should take care of the world. I love how it explains God has creative and BIG and of course that it tells that He made our world. It's certainly not as long as Horton Hears a Who but it's not a two minute read either. The entire book is a conversation between the mother and daughter polar bears, so I feel like I need to create distinct voices for each when I'm reading in order to help the little people know who is talking when. That's definitely not my specialty!

In case you didn't already know, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Show Up Big Time

This week I've been asking God to show up big time for us, for our friends, for Joanne. I want to see Him do something miraculous. I'm sort of tired of waiting for all of our dreams to come true. A summary of the conversation in my head has been something like this:

Me: God, would you please show up big for us? I feel like I need to see you do something miraculous.

God: Don't you think I show up big for you everyday? Remember what big things I've done for you in the past?

Me: True. This flower on my counter that's about ready to bloom is pretty amazing, You protect us and provide abundantly for us, and have given us two amazing children... I just want to see something really big. I want our problems solved!

God: Well, If I always did what you wanted right away, then that wouldn't strengthen your faith and you would be in charge instead of me.

Me: So true. Thanks for showing up in big and small ways everyday. I'm still going to keep asking you to do the miraculous! Then I'd have something exciting to blog about.

God: I will do the miraculous, you just keep your eyes open, keep asking and keep trusting.


 

Envelopes

What a good week for me! Sorry to those of you having a cruddy week. Your week(s) will come soon hopefully.

Thanks to the snow, it looks like I get to only work 1 day this week instead of 3. Even though I like my job,  this is a great thing! What's even better about that is I had picked to not work today when the school year started, but last week I asked to switch this day with another day next month when our sitter is not available. That switch is working out splendidly!

Speaking of working out, I registered for the Lincoln half marathon this week. That makes for a great week, since I love a good reason to excercise. Anyone else out there going to go for the half this year?

Another reason why it's a good week - I'm getting such a kick out of making envelopes out of my old calendars. It doesn't take much around here. When I saw the link on moneysavingmom.com on how to make envelopes out of your old calendars, I set to work right away on my 2010 Mary Engelbreit calendar and squeeled outloud when I finished with each one. This is my type of craft.

I'm sure many of you more talented craft types could do much better, but I'm completely fine with my results. This one turned out perfectly.

So today I went in search of all the other old calendars that I didn't have the heart to throw away. I first started saving them because I dreamed of having a Mary Engelbreit room someday where I would frame my favorite calendar pictures and line the walls with them. Even after I figured that would never happen, I still couldn't throw them away and felt annoyed at my pack rat self. Until today! I found all my old calendars. Will you think I'm nuts if I tell you I have at least 8 of them?

See that calendar from 1996?! Ha! I can't wait to make it into envelopes!

If you decide to make envelopes using the directions of the link above, I found that it works best to fold the bottom corner up first a little past center then fold the sides in and have them meet at the center. That way you don't end up with a square envelope and needing to pay more for postage. You also need to know these required dimensions if you don't want to pay more for postage. May this lighten up your week, like it's lightened up mine!

 

What's Mr Robertson Electric Been Doing?

It's been a lot of first person writing at this here blog and that's got to change. I know you're all wondering what Brad's been doing. I would love to do an interview with him, but I'm pretty sure he would roll his eyes at the idea. He has yet to understand the joy I find in blogging. Someday I'll just get over my fear of the eye roll and see what I can get him to tell us. Until then you have to hear from me, with my limited knowledge of electrical terminology, what Brad's been up to.

Robertson Electric has had some business! It seems when we think there's no work in the future, something always pops up. I think God likes to keep testing to see how much I'll trust Him.

When Brad wasn't staying warm in the snow at the at the outdoor Vikings/Bears game, watching the kids one day a week, and traveling, he accomplished some of the following:

-Added whatever someone needed electricity wise for the sauna they put in their home (If you know anyone else putting a sauna in their home, Brad knows what to do!)
-Upgraded a couple of panels - one of them thanks to Ashley. (This is something I should interview him about.  I do know if you have above ground wires coming into your house, the city will bury them for free when you upgrade your panel. Why you'd upgrade and what exactly it means is what I need to learn more about.)
-Worked on a few basement finishes - thanks to my sister spreading the word about Robertson Electric and thanks to Lockridge Custom Homes using Robertson Electric.
-Bid several jobs - (This means there's hope for work this year!)
-Remodeled a kitchen - the electrical part that is - Thanks again to Lockridge Custom Homes
-Fixed some parking lot lights and a bath fan and did some other fixing and adding for a local company.
-Added lighting and fixed some odds and ends for Regier Equipment.
-Did some work for family - THANKS!

Of course he did it all in his effective and efficient way, and I'm not just making that up!  
I'm sure he did some other things, but I'm so far behind in updating I forget what they were. I'll try to keep you posted more often so there's less first person around here.

New Years Resolution

I'm going to try the word of the year approach to a resolution this year. My word: Intentional

That's not in terms of penalties.

I'm real intentional about exercising and not spending money, but I feel like I need to be more intentional at being a wife and mother. So this year my main resolution list looks like this:

1. Be more intentional showing Brad love every day.
2. Be more intentional about spending quality time with Elliana and Wyatt every day.

Those are the really important things. I probably failed at both of them today, but I'll start fresh tomorrow! As for other ambitions where it's a stretch to make the word intentional apply...

3. Make an intentional effort to read a book one day a week.
4. Intentionally train to run faster than my previously slow pace.
5. You'd better bet that I'm going to be very intentional about my dental hygiene as well!

My list could go on, but why set myself up for failure any more than I already have with this list of five things?

Happy New Year!