Seven Quick Takes

It's Friday and I've got a lot of nothing to talk about so it seems like the perfect time to do Seven Quick Takes.

1.  Have I mentioned on the blog that over Easter break we are heading to Ireland?  We are very excited about it!  We've purchased our plane tickets (Dan's been saving his frequent flier miles for this trip!)  and booked out hotels. Dan has plotted out our whirlwind itinerary insuring that we see as much of the country as possible during our stay.  And this afternoon I am taking the kids to Walgreen's get their passport photos so we can get all that paperwork in the mail.  And I've been doing lots of praying for good weather (Ireland is very unpredictable especially when we will be there), safety on our journey, and many family memories made.

2.  And speaking of passports, remember this from when I had to get my passport updated?  Check it out.  It's still just as homely as ever!

3.  The middle school is gearing up for the Science Expo.  Peter and Sarah have formed their groups, picked their project ideas and now it's time for them to get to work. Peter seems very disinterested (although his group did win for best project in 6th grade) but Sarah is all over it.  She's making supply lists, Facetiming her group, arranging meetins and trying to get things done.  Don't worry about Peter though, he will get it done like he always does.  He just has his own way of doing things.  I'm learning this year, to back off and let him do things in his own time.  It's working pretty well...less yelling for me and he is learning some very good time management skills.  (I hope!)

4. Sarah got a Polaroid camera for Christmas.  Can you believe it?  Everything old is new again.  The pictures are the size of a business card.  She left a selfie (of course) on my bathroom mirror.  Dan doesn't understand why anyone would want a Polaroid but I think immediately having a hard copy is the draw.  Sarah already has big plans for her pictures.  Something about Washi tape...

5.  I am determined to lose weight.  I've been complaining for months about the extra 20 pounds I'm toting around and now thanks to the holidays it's an extra 27 pounds. Monday I started the low carb diet again and I'm going to stay on it until I can get this weight off for good.

6.  I am also determined to get things cleaned out and straightened up.  The two big areas of concern are Peter's room and the bonus room.  Peter's a bit of a hoarder but has decided it's time to reorganize and update his room.  And the bonus room is a bit of a catchall which needs to be completely overhauled as well.  But these are two very big projects and instead of jumping in and getting it done, I've been stalling this week.  But I have managed to clean out the hall closets and underneath the bathroom sinks.  That's something right.  Unfortunately, every cabinet or closet I open needs to be completely purged.  It's a bit overwhelming.

7.  I've restarted my thankful list.  I started one on May of 2013 in an effort to be mindful of all the good things God sends us each day.  I finally completed my 1000 in October of 2015 and then I stopped writing things down.  Not sure why but I just did.  Yesterday I decided it was time to do it again so I grabbed a plain black notebook and got started.  The first time I did this I got a cute little journal:

 It has a Bible verse on each page and one of my very favorites is on the first page:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

And look what Sarah added last January:

 I think she gets it!

Happy Weekend, friends!