Day 6: Use Gift Cards and Day 7:Finish a Project

Am I the only one who has a pile of about 15 gift cards?  Some of them have only a couple dollars on them and others still their full amount.  I honestly don't know how I've accumulated so many gift cards.  I try to keep track of what I have and use them when I can, but seriously, I probably have a pile two inches thick in my walled of gift cards.

Not only are they taking up space but they're like wasted money.  I'm like most normal people from the 21st century and I love getting gift cards, but not using them is like throwing money down the toilet.  I'm sure the wonderful people who have given me these gift cards (don't worry, it wasn't any of you!) would not like to know that I still have them.  That's why we've decided that one of our goals is to use as many of our gift cards as possible.  We're trying to be intentional about using them.  So, on Saturday we went out to dinner with Brad's mom.  We picked a restaurant that we had a gift card for and even though she was treating we insisted on first using the gift card. 

Phew!  One down, 408 million to go. 

Now I'm looking forward to doing some shopping. :)

Yesterday's activity was to finish a project.  I know we all have unfinished projects to do around the house.  Or maybe it's a project that hasn't even been started, but you've been meaning to do for forever.  We have a pretty big list of projects like that.  So, we decided that each weekend in the month of October we were going to each complete a project.  Brad and I have totally different lists of projects to do so we thought it only fair that we each do one.

My project was to cut out cardboard letters for Micah.  I've been wanting to do a craft with Micah with the letters from his name for a while now, but I've been too lazy to cut them out.  So, I pulled out a box from the basement (saved just for this purpose) and finally cut out the letters.  While I was at it I cut a few rectangular pieces that I'm going to use to make tactile cards for Judah.  Even though that's not technically one of my projects I'm hoping to finish it this week.

Brad's project was to finish our linen closet.  He's still working on that.

When I was pregnant with Micah (yes, you read that right, Micah), we knew we needed some more storage space.  We had previously been keeping our sheets and towels and extra toiletries in the "guest room."  With the impending arrival of our firstborn we would no longer be able to do that--we now needed room for cute little baby clothes.  So, Brad asked his dad to help him build a linen closet.  And I loved him even more.

It's been great having somewhere to keep all of our linens.  Seriously, you never knew you could be so happy about a closet.  But Brad's dad left him with two steps left to finish the closet: 1)Spackle and 2)Paint. 

Doesn't seem hard, right?  Brad tells me it isn't.  Well, my firstborn is going to be two this month and Brad had yet to spackle or paint.  But yesterday he spackled.  And as I type he is upstairs painting.  He tells me it's going to need another coat...or something.  I'm not sure how long it will be until that actually happens, but at least after tonight when people see our closet they won't ask us if we just put it in. 

Progress, people.  Progress!

Day 3: Go through adult wardrobes and Day 4: Start home management binder

Day 3 our activity was to go through the adult wardrobes.  This is something we do every fall and spring when it's time to change out the clothes.  However, both Brad and I are still holding on to some clothes that we really shouldn't be.  Whether it's a favorite shirt that is starting to look old and tattered or a pair of pants that don't fit anymore.  So, we decided it was time to be ruthless with our wardrobes.

You might be wondering what cleaning out our wardrobes has to do with focusing on God.  We have so much stuff.  Honestly, it's sad.  We packed up three big garbage bags plus one more bag for my sister to go through of clothes.  That we had that  much clothes in our closets that we really don't need anymore is kind of ridiculous.  It's clutter in our house.  And it shows where our hearts truly are.  We're so worried about how we look and what others think of us that sometimes we forget that God looks at the inside, not the outside.  Cleaning out our wardrobes is like telling God that we know our clothes aren't that important and we're willing to get ride of a shirt that we look good in because we know we'll honestly never wear it again.

In full disclosure, I do have to admit that my closet is practically empty.  I will definitely be buying some new fall/winter clothes for myself, but it will be clothes that I wear regularly, not clothes that will be collecting dust in my closet or drawers.

Today our activity was to start a home management binder.  This is something I've been wanting to do for a while.  I think it's great to have all important information in one place.  This is a big undertaking so I've actually split this activity up into three different days. 

I started by looking online at some examples of home management binders.  This was my favorite site for resources.  I decided what sections I wanted to start with in my binder and found some printables.  Then, I started filling the printables in with information.  I'll go through our binder in more detail when it's finished.

This is a great organizational tool and I think the less time I spend looking for papers and numbers that are in this binder the more time I can spend with my family.  And that's what this month is all about!

5 months

I'm interrupting my regular blogging schedule to tell you about an important day in the Kolar household today.

Judah turned 5 months.  Seriously!  Where has my baby gone?  I cannot believe how big he is getting and how much older he seems.  Before I know it I'll be sending him off to college. 

This is such a fun age, though.  He is so aware of what is going on around him and he's very interactive.  He smiles and laughs all the time.  The smallest things make him laugh, I love it.  He loves watching Micah.  Sometimes Micah can be a bit rough when he's loving on Judah, but Judah doesn't care.  He loves being around his big brother and doesn't care what he's doing, even if Micah's sitting on him.  He takes it all in stride.  But we keep telling Micah someday he's going to fight back!

This was a very busy month for us.  I feel like I say that all the time, but I'm really hoping that things will slow down a bit (yeah right, we're getting closer and closer to the holidays!).  Here are some highlights from Judah's fifth month:

  *We went to Grand Rapids for a mini vacation.  While there we visited the zoo (awesome zoo!), Meijer Gardens, and the Children's Museum.  Judah did great the whole time. 

  *At his doctor's appointment he weighed 16lbs. 11oz. and was 25.5 inches long.  Big boy!

  *We went to the butterfly festival at Lake Katherine with "Mimi."  I wore Judah in the Ergo and he was so good the entire time!

  *We went to Johanson Farm with our friends.  Judah even got to go on a train ride while we were there!

  *We celebrated both Mommy and Daddy's birthdays.

  *We went to Starved Rock for Uncle Kevin and Aunt Mindy's wedding.  Judah got to spend a lot of time with his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandmas.  He was such a good baby while we were there.  We went hiking and visited the water park twice.  He wasn't fond of the water, but he fell asleep while we were hiking. :)  He also looked super cute in his outfit for the wedding.

  *Judah rolled over for the first time.  He's only done it twice, but he tries all the time.  He gets all the way over, but then he can't get his arm out from underneath himself so he rolls back onto his back.  He gets really frustrated that he can't make it all the way over, but he also hates being on his tummy so it's kind of lose-lose right now.

  *Judah had his first taste of solid food.  We started him on pears this week.  He loves them.

  *We took out the jumperoo this week.  He loves it almost as much as Micah does.  Seriously, he is a jumping fool already!  I was so impressed at how quickly he got what to do.  He even turns himself to go from toy to toy.

Playing in the toy room with Micah.

All dressed up for Uncle Kevin's wedding.

Judah and his cousin Elanor.

At the butterfly festival--beautiful day!

Hiking at Starved Rock.

He fell asleep at the waterpark

After eating pears for the first time.

Loving his jumper.

Day 3: Limited Computer Time

I know I've said it before, but the computer is a huge time-stealer for me.  I spend way too much time on the computer.  I regularly read probably about 20 blogs and check facebook at least 500 times a day.  Then there's pinterest.  Oh my goodness, I could spend hours on pinterest! 

I have felt the guilt about my computer time many times before.  I try to stay away from it when the boys are awake, but it's so easy to "just real quick check facebook" after Micah has been playing nicely by himself for a minute.  And it's easy to get lost looking for a recipe on pinterest.  I can't tell you how many times I have sat down at the end of the night only to find that I have spent 2 or more hours on the computer and gotten nothing else accomplished.  It's sad, really.

And not how I want to live my life.

This time with my boys is so short.  They are growing up so quickly and I want to enjoy every minute of it.  I don't want to be worrying about who commented on my status update.  Or wondering if I could find more fun activities to do with Micah (seriously, I have enough to last us until Judah is 30!).  I want to be down on the ground playing with my boys.  Going for nature walks.  Reading books.  I want my boys to feel like I want to spend time with them, not like I have to.  And I know that being on the computer so much prevents that from happening.

So for the month of October, I am limiting my computer time.  In an attempt to spend more quality time with my sons I can check my e-mail and facebook when I wake up in the morning.  Then, I cannot go on the computer again until the boys have gone to bed for the night.  And then it's only for an hour.  Seriously.  I have a timer sitting next to the computer.

For the record, I have 27 minutes left tonight.

Maybe you feel like that's too tough.  I mean, what does it matter once the boys are in bed?  But the truth is there are so many other things that I like to do that I just haven't been making the time for lately.  I love to read.  But sitting down at the computer mindlessly just seems so much more appealing lately.  I want to get back into the habit of reading regularly because it is something I really enjoy.  And it's pretty sad when it takes me more than a month to finish a book.  I love to scapbook, too.  And I am so far behind with my books that it's sad. 

I also try to do housework during nap time now.  If I can get it done while the boys are sleeping that is less time taken away from them as well.  Plus, it's so much easier to clean the bathroom when I'm not worried about if Micah is climbing on top of Judah!

I know that this little change is going to make a big difference this month, but I'm really hoping that it will turn into a good habit.  I'm hoping that I will find that I don't miss the time on the computer as much as I thought I would and that I prefer reading a book.  Or spending time playing with my boys.  I'm hoping that it fosters a better relationship because I'm spending more quality time with them.

And hopefully I'll be putting some of those pinterest ideas to good use!

Day 2: Daily Devotions

Today's change is to do daily devotions.  This is something we have striven to do for more than 10 years.  In high school, we learned about the importance of a daily quiet time from our youth pastor.  We both have gone through periods of being really good and consistent and periods of forgetting for longer than we would like to admit.  With each life change comes a change in routine, which means re-setting our priorities.

Personally, having a baby always messes up my routine.  Waking up in the middle of the night makes it difficult to wake up early to read your Bible.  However, I do believe that God knows all of that and understands it.  He gets that it's hard for a new mom to wake up at 6:00am every day when she has woken up at 2:00 and 4:00 already.  But he still wants my time. 

I am in a relationship with God.  And just like all of my other relationships, I have to nurture and cultivate this relationship.  I have to make time to talk with God.  I have to sit down and listen to him talking to me.  Daily.  This might look a little different day to day (because some days I have time for an hour and other days I can barely squeeze in 5 minutes), but it is still something that needs to be at the top of my priority list.

And since this month is about re-focusing on God, what better way to begin the month than by committing to do a daily quiet time?  This time looks a little different for both Brad and I.  I have committed to waking up in the morning before the rest of my family (well to the best of my ability--I really can't control what time Judah decides to wake up) and doing my Bible Study Fellowship homework.  Because of his work schedule, Brad has decided to commit to just having a daily quiet time with God.  Some days it might be in the morning and other days before we go to bed.

I am really excited about this time because I know that whenever you spend regular time with God you will be blessed.  I am eager to learn and see what God has in store for me and my family.

A Month of Focusing on God

In July, Brad was reading the book of Daniel in his Bible.  He read about how Daniel refused to eat the king's food and actually was healthier than the other men (read it in Daniel 1).  He felt convicted and remembered hearing about the Daniel Fast.  He thought about it for a few days and really felt like that was something he needed to do.  So, for the month of August he fasted.  Basically, he couldn't eat any processed food.  Which can be really hard to do!  Some people thought he was crazy and they were worried about how radical it seems, but the truth is it's actually a very healthy diet--it's eating the way we really all should be eating.  However, Brad wasn't doing it for dietary purposes.  He was doing it for spiritual purposes, the nutritional benefits were just an added bonus!

He really enjoyed the fast and loved eating new foods and learning how good food can be without any artificial sweeteners or preservatives. 

Then, during the month of September I just kept feeling convicted about my personal spiritual life.  I just felt off focus.  Sure, I was going to a Bible study and attending church.  But my life just wasn't focused.  I knew that I wasn't doing what I should.  I knew that I was being lazy and not making God a priority in my life.  Brad and I talked about it several times and we both agreed that something needed to change.

Ideas started to come to us.  We could do a media fast.  Join a small group together.  De-clutter our house (it's amazing how a cluttered house leaks into other areas of your life).  So many good ideas we didn't know where to start!  As we talked about it more and more, I knew that I wanted to do the Daniel Fast as well.  So, we decided to make a month of it!

The month of October we are going to re-focus our lives.  We are hoping to put God first and make him a part of everything that we do.  The way we'll be doing this is by making 30 little changes this month.  I'm hoping to blog about each change and how things are going.

Our first change is the Daniel Fast.  We're kicking the month off with the Fast in order to help us focus.  The purpose of the Fast is to rely on God and his provisions.  It's a great reminder to pray throughout the day, too, so we thought it would be a great way to kick off the month.

Stop by this month to find out how things are going with us, and don't be afraid to ask if you see us.  We are really excited for all that God has in store for us this month!

4 months

I can't believe my little baby is 4 months old already!  He's definitely not a newborn anymore!  He's awake a lot more during the day now and he's more interested in what is going on around him.  He is always so entertained by his big brother and is perfectly happy just tagging along.  Not a lot happened as far as milestones this month, but it was a very busy month for us!

* Judah had his first overnight trip.  We went to Key Lime Cove with Boompa and Oma.  It was a Father's Day present for Daddy and Boompa.  Judah didn't really get to enjoy the water, but he did hang out with Oma poolside quite a bit--and amazingly he slept a lot, too!

* Judah spent a lot of time with his cousins this month--on both sides.  He went to the Children's Museum and Jump Zone with Kylie, Abbie, and Lilie.  And he went to another Children's Museum with Elanor and Joey (and Daddy's cousins Gavin and Carter who were in town).

* We had a picnic at the Children's Garden.  It was a beautiful day and Judah was perfectly content just hanging out.

*We had a special family day at Morton Arboretum.  I wore Judah most of the time and he did great just hanging out, he even fell asleep for a while.  We loved it so much that we ended up buying a membership.

*We went to Blackberry Farm with Miss Mina and Ian.  Judah got to go on a train ride and a tractor ride.  It was a little warm, but he did great!

*We had a couple playdates with kids his age.  They still don't interact much with each other, but it's neat to know he'll have friends to play with as he grows up.

*Judah discovered his toes this month.  He's constantly grabbing them and examining them or bringing them to his mouth.  Micah loves helping him eat his toes--he even shows him how to do it sometimes.

*Judah's coordination is improving quite a bit.  He now grabs the rings on his bouncy seat and tries to grab the toys on his play gym.

*He's still not a fan of tummy time, but if Micah is there with him anything is better!

*Judah went to his first parade.  Manhattan had a labor day parade and Judah sat through the entire thing.

*Judah has his first cold.  It's  being passed around the family currently.  He has some congestion and a cough.  I think his throat is bothering him, too, because he hasn't been eating a lot lately.  But that just means more snuggles for Mommy. :)

Hanging out at Key Lime Cove.

Chilling at the park.

Brothers.

Cousins.

All the cousins ready for bed.

Hanging out with Boompa at Key Lime Cove.

Chillin'