Laundry-Mat 101

So, we loaded up the suburban early thist morning and started our laundry experiment at 8:10am. I had 4 garbage bags and 2 baskets which totaled about 7 loads of laundry. Some factors to consider:

-This week's laundry was significantly lower after I had a mini-meltdown with my children last week which ended in me asking them to wear their jeans at least twice and to use a bath towel a minimum of 3 times. Is that bad? I am thinking not. Did you know that people in every other country besides the USA rarely EVER wear their clothes only one time? This one single change lessened my laundry load by 2!! Thank you Lisa S. for monogramming some towels with each child's name on it...so that they know which towel to re-use! You have given me a gift of sanity.

-The money factor- After a little research and consulting with my friend, Mr. Aaron the electrician, I learned that it cost on average $1.00 to run your washing machine. For me, my dryer has to run at least 80-85 minutes to dry 1 load (nothing wrong with my dryer..I just have a long tube from dryer to outside which causes it not to heat up as much). My dryer is going to cost me about $1.50 to run.

So...with 7 loads, washed and dried, that is going to equal= $17.50.

Let's be real here and assume that I over stuff my washer (who does that? LOL) and shorten my loads to 5....my total is going to be $12.50...including drying.

Let's compare that with what my costs were today:
Washing- My costs were $12.50.
Drying-$2.75
Total- $15.25

We also need to calculate gas costs...The laundry mat is about 3.5 miles from my home. I am going to estimate that at about $1.00 round-trip.

The time factor-
So...at home...it will take me about 7-9 hours to get everything washed and dried.
Today..it took 2hrs. 10minutes.
Obviously, the time thing is a huge consideration.




So...is this something that I want to continue to do????....

Well, here are some positives for me
-of course the time thing. It was great to have it all done in about 2 hours.

-I was able to spend some time catching up with my sister in law. I could also potentially use this time to meet with some of the girls I am descipling. The laundry-mat had several tables and chairs that they called "study" areas.

- The place was pretty much kid friendly. Ada and Hope were great. There is not really anything in there that they can get into. The only thing they did was hide behind the coke machine. Ok..Ok...Hope did climb on top of the table and pull out all of Annalee's dryer sheets. And I think she may have chewed on them a bit. And Ada did eat a biscuit off the floor and yes it was a little dirty. But, overall, they had a great time playing together. We brought the Ipad and they watched some TV also.






-I could have left my clothes to dry and run some errands. The place is mostly used my college students and they are no where to be found at 8am. haha

-I felt very safe. Its in a small strip mall, directly next to a Quiznos.

Some of the negatives:

- When I am at home doing laundry, I can get other chores done at the same time.

-The costs? Maybe? Maybe not.

-Carlton loaded my laundry....but unloading it was not fun. However, it took me all of 5 minutes to unload it. I am purely being a princess here complaining about having to carry baskets of laundry by myself. Lol

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed my time at the laundry-mat. These places have come a Loooooooooong way since 1996, the last time I was there. I really do love not doing a bit of laundry ALL week and then getting it ALL done in 2 hours. I also loved spending time with a dear friend. That is always refreshing. I left feeling energized and encouraged. I definitely think it's a lot more fun with a friend. I suppose I could have brought a book had she not been there today. The cost seems like a lot to me. But, I know that's what I am spending if I am at home. I guess when I see the power bill, it might encourage me even more in my decision to wash at home or not. But, honestly, spending 15 bucks on laundry is just plain depressing! I honestly think its more of that I actually "see" the money being spent. With the power bill, it just magically gets sucked out of our checking account each month. It's not as 'real'.

So...yes, I plan to head back next week. Until then, my baskets will be filling up.

Happy Washing to you!

Time for Study!

After attending Campus Outreach's New Years Conference several weeks ago, I spoke with one of the young ladies about doing a college ladies Bible Study. I saw such a desire in these young women to know the Lord on a deeper and more intimate level. Many of these girls were begging for "meat"... to learn the doctrines of their faith. After some time in prayer, we decided that early on Sunday morning would be the best time for everyone. We got the word out and before long, we had nearly 40 girls committed to this study time. I was elated! And yes...a little nervous! I chose a book that I had picked up at the conference. I knew it was going to be perfect for these girls.

The book I chose is written by Barbara Hughes and is entitled, "Disciplines of a Godly Woman."

This past Sunday, we met for the first time. Because our church, Grace Fellowship, has run out of education space (Praise the Lord on that!), we decided to meet at the home of one of the young ladies here in Jacksonville. We meet early and have plenty of time for study, then we all caravan to church at 10:15. It worked out well. I actually love having a study in someone's home...its just more intimate! During our first meeting, we played a "get to know you" game, I shared my testimony, and we talked a little about the semester and what we wanted to accomplish. We also spent some time talking about our new friend, "Martha". (Martha happens to be a life-size cut-out...you know like those giant Justin Bieber things) Martha is going to be teaching the girls about etiquette and how to be a lady. We will spend the last 5 minutes of our study time on this. How fun is that!

I want to use my blog each week to journal some of the things that I am learning. So many times, I go through a study...and as amazing as it might be, I forget so many of the things that God teaches me during that time.

I encouraged the girls to write down a general thesis of each chapter (1-3 sentences). Kinda like a main idea of the chapter or something that really stuck out to them that they did not want to forget. They used this concept at the conference this year and I really liked it...they called it, "One thought."

Here is my one thought for this week's chapter. Forgive me if I go beyond 3 sentences...I am a rebel like that.

Spiritual discipline is a far cry from legalism. Spiritual disciplines are practices that we willingly pursue in response to a God who created us, saved us, and guides us. They should draw of closer to God, deepen our understanding of who He is, and shape us into the women that He wants us to be. Legalism is self-centered and seeks to gain merit or favor with God. The difference between Spiritual Discipline and Legalism is rooted in the heart. We desire to "DO" because of an overwhelming love for our Creator, not out of duty.

Becoming disciplined takes work. It requires us to lay down things that hinders us from Him. (ouch..stepping on toes here) "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1 Paul says, "for this we labor and strive." Spiritual disciplines call for a serious commitment and "no-pain, no gain" effort.

Some disciplines we will be studying include: Gospel, Submission, Prayer, Worship, Mind, Contentment, Propriety, Perseverance, Church, Singleness, Marriage, Nurturing, Good Deeds, Witness, and Giving.

Boy, this is going to be a busy semester!!!

Back to School....January style!!!

It was a BIG, BIG day in the Weathers' house this past week! Lily had her 1st day of Kindergarten!

Just a couple day for school let out for Christmas, Carlton and I set up a meeting with the school counselor and principal. We had been praying about putting Lily in school for months now, and we had just recently seen some things in her behavior that were confirmation that it was time to do this! I cannot tell you how thankful we are for the staff at Kitty Stone Elem. They have been incredible. First with Noah starting school, then Hannah Grace transitioning in from homeschooling and now with Lily and her special circumstances. Both of these ladies were very open and patient with us as we explained our daughter's need and what we wanted from a school setting. It was very important for us for Lily to have a teacher that would communicate with us on a daily basis. Lily was placed in the perfect classroom! Her teacher has gone above and beyond what we have asked. We even had the privilege of having her teacher and her family over for supper the weekend before school began. Lily took Ms. Harper upstairs and showed her all of her China pictures. Ms. Harper is now well-educated in adoption and ALL that it entails. Good and Bad (not bad, just hard). We love the Harper family and to top it off...they love the Lord passionately! What a sweet blessing!

Lily will be going to school 3 days a week(Mon-Wed) for the first month of school. And it's a good thing we are doing 3 days a week, because last week she fell asleep at 11:00am on Thursday. She was worn out!!! Lily is still napping for 2.5 hours each afternoon, so no nap is hard to get used to!

Her first week went great!! I stayed with her on Monday from 8am to 11am. There were a lot of skills that I saw that she needed to work on. (Some things you just forget about when teaching at home) It really helped for me to be there...to see the schedule and how the classroom ran each morning. She jumped right in during group time and loved center time. She is doing so good. And yes, she will do Kindergarten again next school year. I know how important these first years are...and I have no issues with her spending another full year in K. I want her to be a very strong first grader and that she will be! She is already reading pretty stinkin' good!! I couldn't be more proud. Sometimes, I look at her, and I am just amazed at what the Lord is doing in her and what He is going to do through her. He has such a sweet plan for her life. Her 3 year Gotcha Day (adoption day) is coming up next month. It's been a long, long road. She has come so far. There have been some smooth patches, but mostly a lot of rough patches. From learning a completely new language, to learning how to be loved and be part of a family unit, to attaching to Mom and Dad, to growth issues, and learning that she is safe in our family and will not be abandoned again. These were ALL very hard things for her to grasp. But, she has made tremendous progress. Lily has taught me so much about myself. My daughter has pushed me to love the Lord more. And in turn, I love her deeply...in a way I never thought possible. Adoption is a challenging road, but one that is rich in blessings.

Here are a few pictures from the week....enjoy.

Merry Christmas!!!!

I think this might have been one of my most favorite years with my children at Christmas! The month of December was full of all kinds of mischief from our elf, Clarence and this was the first year we did Ann Voskamp's Jessie Tree Advent. We were also very busy with piano recitals and school Christmas events. This really made the time pass quickly and before we knew it...it was Christmas Eve. Here are some pics leading up to the 24th.

Some memories from Clarence the Elf:
-He was found hanging from the ceiling fan on a toilet paper swing.
-He colored mustaches and funny things on our family pictures. (see pic below)
-He drove the Suburban up to the front door. He was sitting on the steering wheel.
-He colored the kids noses red while they were sleeping.
-He brought them chocolate things for breakfast.
-He was found sitting in the highchair. He had a diaper and a bib on! And he was eating cookies like a baby!!!!

I wanted to interview the kids about Christmas and here is what they have to say:

Noah-
What is your favorite Christmas memory?
"When I got my scooter and I drove it up the living room wall on accident." "That was hilarious."
What did you learn from the advent readings?
"Christmas is about Jesus. He was born a baby and then died on the cross for our sins."

Lily-
What is your favorite Christmas memory?
"Being with my family." "Opening presents with my family." "Running down the stairs and seeing all the gifts Mommy and Daddy left for me." "I was too excited. " "That's all."
What did you learn from the advent readings?
"He was born. It was his birthday. He was born so he could grown up. He can grow up and save them people from bad."

Hannah Grace:
What is your favorite Christmas memory?
"It was getting an Ipad on Christmas morning. I was really really surprised. I thought it was going to be a Nano."
What did you learn from the advent readings?
"God will provide for His children. He provided Esther with courage and Ruth with bravery to stand up for what she believed. I learned about how, like, the story of the Bible leads up to Christmas. The Old Testament is always pointing towards Him, Jesus. "

Hope loved her Big Barney, and Elmo books. She was not really too hot about her baby doll. She pulled its hair out and threw her on the floor. Sigh....
Hope is now 17 months and spunky as ever! She is constantly singing around our house. She loves to sing her ABC's and the Barney and Elmo theme songs. She says lots of words and can repeat just about anything. She never stops moving and is always in to something. We adore her feisty personality. We love her spunk.

We are forever grateful to have the opportunity to raise 4 incredible children. Thank you Lord!

And now for pictures!

Christmas Eve...all in new PJ's. Hope is ready to watch a Christmas movie. LOL

Christmas morning!
Noah opens up new tennis shoes!

Hannah Grace gets a new Cross necklace.

Lily gets a new bike!!

Lily opens up pizza for her kitchen!

Noah gets a motorized scooter. He couldn't wait..he had to drive it right away!

HG gets her own flat iron.

Noah gets The Action Bible. This came highly recommended! It's a hit! He has been reading it ALL THE TIME!

Ada was here for our Christmas morning. We enjoyed having Anna and Jordan and Ada over to open presents and then have a wonderful breakfast together. This year we ate: Crockpot Apple Cobbler, Breakfast Casserole, Monkey Bread, Sausage Balls and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. And shhhhh...don't tell anyone, but Carlton and I might be the only humans who did an Insanity workout on Christmas day. Yep, we squeezed it in before we left for Mississippi. Crazy, I tell you.

Look at Noah's face!! HAHA!!!
Hope gave Ada the Jesus Storybook Bible. Look at those sweet cheeks!



We want to thank the "SANTA" who sacrificially gave our family this brand-new IPAD 2. We are so incredibly thankful.
This was her reaction when she figured out what it was! She said, "NO WAY!"

OFF TO DEDA'S (my mother) HOUSE!!!!
Each year we travel to Columbus, MS to visit my mom and family. We usually get there around 5pm. Here are pictures from our Christmas in MS.

We made this picture for Deda. If you double click you can see that the kids held up letters that spelled out DEDA. She loved it.

Lily got a Baby Alive. And oh boy, does she love this thing!!!!!

Noah got a Pogo stick and an electric helicopter.

Hope got an Elmo that sings lullabies.

Okay...hope you enjoyed...Now I am off to have a cup of coffee courtesy of my new Keurig! Thanks MOM!

Our life in Pictures

The Life of the Weathers Family Via I-phone pictures.

Late October-November 2011

We go for Hay Rides and end up itching and sneezing the rest of the day. But, we sure do have fun gathering our pumpkins.

We go on Field Trips to the Jacksonville Square to visit local businesses. Can you find Noah? He is sitting next to his red-headed sweetheart.

Hope wears a bow...for 4.3 seconds. And then its gone.

We get to visit with our special Chinese friends on Adoption Day at Grace Fellowship. We sure did enjoy our friends...the Hammonds. Please come again soon.

We gather leaves for a school project.

We go to a Kari Jobe Concert.

Mommy goes bananas when she discovers Pinterest. She starts whipping out crafts left and right. LOL


Below: Mommy and Daddy go to the Alabama-Tennessee Game. Rooooollll TIDE!

Hope thinks it is funny to rub meatballs in her hair. Or bananas or chicken fingers.

Noah and Lily end their soccer season undefeated. Coach Daddy was happy.

We go to story time at the Library time on Thursdays morning.

We dress up for Halloween and ride in a hay ride to collect candy.

Mommy makes a another Pinterest craft. Found these two pieces of wood at the thrift store for .50 and glued them together, then painted the bird and verse.

Hope sits in time-out quite often these days.

Below: HG wins district and goes to State in Dothan, AL.

They don't win at State, but there were lots of opportunities through the tears to have good discussions about real life.

Mommy and Hannah Grace go and see My Fair Lady. It was oh, so good.

I have the brilliant idea to buy an old door and create a headboard out of it. It's still sitting in my storage shed. You know....I need time to get my creative juices going. lol

Ok...so I found this at the thrift store. Couldn't resist a canister set for $5.00

Add a little chalkboard paint and VOILA! Its Puurrrrrrty~

We go to Sonic during Happy Hour. Alot.

We get crafty again and make a Christmas Banner.

We spent Thanksgiving at home this year because a few of us were not feeling well. Even though we missed our family, we had a wonderful time not being rushed and just enjoying each other. We hung up decorations the day after.


TWO NEW VIDEOS
Lily is now on Lesson 22. We are averaging doing this book about 2 times a week. (So far, the book is a 10 out of 10...and I'm picky!) As I type this, she is on lesson 35. And wow! She is reading!! We have also added in sight words. She has about 30 in her box right now that she has mastered. She is a smart little girl...very easy to teach...and a fast learner.