Making some changes.

Summer is gone. With that are the relaxed, lazy, do what you please days. I will miss summer, but I have been looking forward to the Fall schedule. I thrive on routine. I thrive on a schedule. This summer was the worst for productivity. With so little time to spend with the kids, I let everything go.

After months of playing, I need to reclaim my house. Everywhere I look I see remnants of a disorganized life. It is driving me crazy. I have to make some changes.

My number one change is the blog. I have been living for the blog. It has become my one of my main focuses. I am not proud of the amount of time spent with this computer in my lap. I am not proud of how many TV shows my kids have watched while "mommy's blogging again." I have been a slave to the blog. Time spent here has added to the chaos everywhere else.

At first, I attributed the mess to the kids. But after some analysis, I realized that it is all my stuff. Sure they can be mess monsters, but I always make them clean up. They didn't make the mess in my craft room. They didn't make the mess in the storage closet. They didn't make the weeds grow. They didn't cause my underwear to multiply and overflow from the drawer. They didn't cause the suitcases to remain unpacked for a full month after vacation.

It is all my stuff. All my work. It is far too easy for me to get grumpy about this work. I have other important things to do. I can't be bothered with organizing underwear or cleaning kitchen counters. I want to do fun stuff. I need a break. I deserve it.

I was reminded earlier this week that this IS my job. I have the privilege of staying home and being a homemaker. It is time that I grow up and assume responsibility. It is time that I start praising God for the ability to remain out of the workplace for a few more years. This is my home and I want it to honor our family. I want our home to be orderly and calm. I know that I feel better about life when things are in their place. I feel better when I tackle a project that has become a huge mountain of procrastination.

So, it is time for work. Time to put the blog aside and use it only as a reward when the work is done. It is time to tackle the mess that I have allowed to take root.

My first and most dreaded project was accomplished. Our flower beds have been invaded by crabgrass and it was making me quite "crabby!" It took 2 days to get the problem under control. In addition to weeding, I also trimmed a couple of bushes, scrubbed the front door, changed over to Fall decor, planted mums, and mulched the flower beds. (My mom will be smiling when she reads this!)

There is joy to be found in the work of our hands. I am honored to stay home and raise my family. I need to be careful about what I am spending my time doing. So this Fall, I am saying NO to some things. I am clearing up my schedule and cleaning up my life. Pray for me that the changes I need to make will not be pushed aside and forgotten. Pray that I will be able to protect my time and find healthy limits for extras. Pray that I can keep family first.

Thank you, friends. I will be around to read your blogs when I get my work done.

That is, if I haven't fallen into bed with exhaustion.

Proverbs 31:27 "She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of laziness."