Seven cents...

Who knew seven cents could be so priceless... 


Today was my sweet girl's 11th birthday. We celebrated tonight with her favorite dinner and a tower of 11 cupcakes with 11 candles. It was a sweetly quiet celebration. 


After the cupcakes my son disappeared for a while. When he returned, he had several notecards and a huge box with him. He ran outside with no explanation and came back without the box...


He put the notecards down in front of his sister and explained that he had a birthday scavenger hunt for her. She followed the clues and ended up outside. The final clue was written in ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics (homeschoolers rock!!)...


Underneath our lilac bush in the front yard my little man left Erin's present...


Seven cents...


Neatly stacked...


She hugged her brother and told him thank you. Her eyes filled with tears as he said "it's all I have right now, but it's for you when you go to Nashville."


I had to walk away so no one else would see the tears...


He's watched us, as a family, save and save for Erin's chance to go to a National Irish Dance competition in Nashville, Tennessee this weekend and he wanted to help out too...


So, he gave his big sister seven cents...all the money that he has in the world right now...


I am blessed.






Linking Up:


Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling: Year in Review

Just 10 minutes...

I am a project person. I love the sense of completing monumental tasks of cleaning and organization and the subsequent chaos control that they bring to our home.

Reality check...

I have three children who are messy little creatures and a husband that still places his shoes beside the shoe basket in the entry way (I love you hunny!)...


...add in some homeschooling...cooking...laundry...dance class...baseball practice...gardening...


Projects NEVER get done around here.


As I prayed about our summer on the last day of school I asked God to help me order my To-Do list according to his purpose each day. When I actually take time to pray as I'm preparing my list of things to do, things always go better and those tasks that remain feel less like failures. 


Honestly, I should really add "pray" to the top of my to-do list for each day...


The overwhelming sense of disorder in my home was getting to me by May when we finished our school year. And I promptly sat down and started making a list of things that I would accomplish this summer before we start the new school year...


Then I had an epiphany...(thanks, God!!)


I don't have hours of uninterrupted time to accomplish Hercules-sized labors...


...but I do have 10 minutes.


Even little one can sit beside me and play quietly for 10 minutes while I work.


So, I've begun to set the timer and work on a small task for 10 minutes. When the time is up, I am finished (even if the project is undone). Those of you who know my first-born, perfection driven personality probably doubt that I actually left a project undone...and you were right the first few times.


Then I learned...


I cannot organize my bedroom closet in ten minutes...but I can put all of the clothing I no longer wear into a bin for donations...


...in another ten minute segment later that day I organized my shoes and purses...


...another ten minutes and my hubby's clothes were re-organized more neatly...


All summer long I have followed my 10 minute rule and have accomplished quite a lot. 


But most importantly, I have learned to cut projects into manageable chunks so that my children are a blessing to me instead of interruptions in my projects. After all, aren't my children's tender hearts why I'm home anyway??


Oops...the timer's ringing... Blessings to you as you manage your projects this summer!