Preparing For The Holidays...

Last night as I sat working on my calendar for the week and our weekly lesson plans I came across a section in my Well Planned Day Planner that helps me plan for the holidays.

We have been in San Antonio for 3 months now and November is my favorite month for a couple of reasons. Number one being it is my birthday this month! I am turning 40 on Sunday and I am really looking forward to this stage of my life!
Number two being the beginning of the "Holiday Season."

I have always been a planner. I am not very organized but I am a planner! *chuckle to myself* I know odd right? Well I am, what can I say! So as I start putting things down in this section of my planner I came across a page that  has a list of who to buy for, what you want to buy, where to buy it from, and how much you spend or spent. Now I'm NOT that organized! LOL However I do have a plan on what I want to buy for my husband and daughter, and this year I plan to do just that!

Previously for the past 3 years we have struggled financially and now that we are back in the city I love I am earning a livable wage for the first time since we left here 8 years ago! I get to be at home with by baby girl all day and teach her lessons, I get to make dinner for my family and I get to get out of the house for a few hours at night and have adult conversations, meet new people and explore my city! I LOVE IT!

Driving for Uber has been the best decision I've ever made! I'm getting to save to help build my travel business which will eventually tie into my Uber business! I"m feeling a little more independent. It felt nice to know that the groceries we bought this weekend came from my earnings and that I was able to contribute to our house hold once again. I've never felt that I had no value but I always have had some tiny amount of guilt that my husband has been the primary bread winner in our family for almost our entire marriage. I've done things here and there but my income has always been paltry until the first time we moved here. I worked full time and a health insurance agent and I love my work then as well. However since the birth and adoption of our daughter my sole focus has been raising her. (Something we discussed and were 100% willing to make a sacrifice for)

Now she is going to be 8 in December and she gets to have alone time with her daddy each evening and I get to help contribute to the betterment of our family!

So, Now that I've rambled on about me contributing financially, let me get back to the point.
I sat looking at this planner, and I thought to myself what to I want to buy my family for Christmas this year? I want to buy them some surprises!
So I'm getting our usual, Christmas Pj's and we will need new stockings this year as well as a tree skirt and lights for our new tree. This year will be our first San Antonio Christmas as a family!
Hubby and I spent 2 Christmases here just the two of us, now it is good to have our baby girl here in the our city! 💖

I got a few things written down but I am still trying to decide what to do for her Christmas gift. She has mentioned wanting several things and it all boils down to two things... she has too many toys she doesn't play with now and doesn't want to give away, AND she needs more options for storage in her room and closet and storage makes for a bad gift for an 8 year old!

Hubby is not any easier to buy for but I do know he would like a couple of things and I'll let her buy him something and I'll buy him something and then of course they will have to go shopping on their own for me ( like they always do).  I love these two. They always try to do something they know I'd like! 😍

Well I've got some school work that could stand to get done and I need to take a nap so I can work tonight.

Tell me how you plan for your holidays! I'd love to hear how other people plan, prepare ect..

God Bless,
G

horrible blogger

I have been a horrible blogger!  I have allowed life to get in the way of thing I really wanted to do.

Back in August I became a Certified Travel Agent! I LOVE it! However, it seems to have taken over my life. I seem to eat sleep and dream travel.

Even homeschool has taken a back seat to building my travel business. I am working very part time at at a local radio station which I do love and I want to be doing that a little more  but home school is so much more important that I need to find balance between travel business and homeshcool .

So Starting today we are getting back to time management and doing school work and house work during the day and working on travel in the evening. It has to be this way or I will have no balance.

My husband is feeling like he needs to be working toward being a pastor and that means I as his helpmeet need to be working toward being a pastors wife. I need to focus on being a better home maker and I need to work toward loving people unconditionally. I know God will give me what I need to serve Him and give Him the glory.

I am so very proud of him and I want to show him how much I love and support him!

So today my prayer is that God will give us grace and mercy and show us the path we need to take to be in His will.

Thank you for taking the time to read. I would love your feedback!

Top 5 Things I Admire Most About My Husband....

First let me say that I'm working on learning how to build up my spouse. I feel that this will make for a better marriage and a healthier one at that.
5. He is a hard worker who strives to provide for his family.

4. He takes the time to read to our daughter.

3. He is thoughtful and tries to help if I need it.

2. He is loving and kind.

1. He takes his family to church and prays over us.

Laptop

I have decided to buy Ernie a Laptop for his birthday. We have a friend who let us one for a couple of weeks so we could decide weither or not we really wanted to spend the money on one.
We just picked it up today and already Ernie has decided that he really needs one. I am using it currently and I am really starting like it.

I am having a hard time adjusting to the key board but it is not bad at all. Infact I'm think i'm starting to rather like it a lot. It is not real big and my hands are small so the key board fits it rather well. We are going to take it to my grandparents so they can try it out because they are looking to get a computer. I want to give them the chance to see if a laptop is the way to go or if we need to get them a compact desk top.

The second part of the home study interview went well and we have a couple of things we need to get but it is going smoothly. She is coming back on Wednesday and we are trying to stay on top of things so we don't have to rush around to keep things clean.

Well i'm going to go hang out with my hubby for a while....
Take care!
~G~
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Interview #1....

Last Wednesday we had our first Home-Study interview. It went very well and I was quite relieved. I was supposed to meet with her again to do my individual interview yesterday but not only was I sick but she had a sick child at home, so I guess that worked out.

I came home from work yesterday and went to bed. I am feeling much better this morning and my husband is planning something for valentines day that I was informed to expect the unexpected. hmmmm. A statement like that could really make a girl think!

Ernie has never really done much for me when it comes to valentine's day. A card was all I really got. last year I got a little porcelin bear holding a rose and a giant card. A very sweet and thoughtful gift.

He is not a real romantic man but he has something planned for me this year and is not telling me so I like that.
He asked if I would make sure the dinning room table is de-cluttered... so i'm thinking he's going to cook me dinner. That would be a treat because he is a great cook and NEVER cooks for me!

Well anyway I have got to get ready for work I have a lot to catch up on today, since I came home early.

Take care and God Bless!
~G~