Family Dinner and Other Fun Things

 We had our first family dinner (with all 13 of us) on Saturday and it was a fun night! There were kids and toys everywhere and we had tacos from one of our favorite places. 

The babies are crawling and rolling and on the move, which takes things to a whole new level 😅 But aren't they adorable?

Eden and Sunday James are 3 weeks apart in age

After dinner we played Chameleon, which is such a fun game, but you have to have a poker face 😐 Everyone chooses a card, but someone is the Chameleon (because they chose the designated card) and has to pretend to be just another player. (This is why we all look so serious 😂) You roll the dice and everyone looks at the clue, but the Chameleon has no clue which word is chosen, so they have to pretend to know, but really don't. You go around the table and give one word, which should coordinate with the clue. As the Chameleon you have not been given a card with the clue, so you have to say a word and hope it fits in with what the actual word was. Make sense? It was a lot of fun and we played about 5 rounds that night. Hope the neighbors didn't mind all the laughter 😅

Sunday we had a great morning at church, came home for lunch and then went to pick the big girls up for another afternoon of swimming.  I'd say they are enjoying the apartment life, wouldn't you?

They actually did some art before going out to swim, which was perfect because we didn't get to the pool until 4:30 or so, so the sun wasn't as hot. We swam for about 2 hours, then headed inside to eat some leftover tacos and watch some tv. We took them home around 7:30 and everyone was happy and tired.

Yesterday (Monday) I had a day to just be home and work on things around here. 

I've started gathering all my Bible study supplies and sitting at the kitchen table after David leaves for work. I can spread out and do my devotional, write in my journal and pray in a quiet house, which just feels like a luxury to be able to focus and spend time with the Lord. 

I also spent time working on our budget. I bought the Budget By Paycheck Workbook recently and it takes some concentration to learn the method, but I enjoy that kind of thing, so it was time well spent. Basically the workbook helps you set up a budget, decide where extra money needs to go, helps you keep track of your spending and gives you a place to write your short term and long term financial goals. I've been following Kumiko (the founder of The Budget Mom) for many years and find her to be so inspirational in the way she handles money. 

I've been budgeting for many years, but I love to try new methods and with each new season of life, different tools serve you better and for this season, where we are paying rent and a mortgage, I really needed to have a good plan in place for the money coming in and going out. After the house sells, then we will reevaluate where the money needs to go at that point. But for now, this is the way to go. I hope I can keep it up!

Today will be another day at home, which I love. Especially since going back to work, the days at home are like precious hours that I want to get the most out of.  I will be going to the store for a few items because I've been craving lasagna and I need to get that made for dinner tonight. Then I will probably do a few chores, cook, work on an organizing project I've had on my list for weeks, and hopefully get some good book time in. Maybe I'll even sit by the pool with my book, if the weather cooperates. 🏖

Well, that's it for this update. I hope today finds you well and you have a little time in your day to rest and relax and maybe even read a good book. Or make a good meal or work on the budget. 😉

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord."

Colossians 3:23

Until Next Time...

Blessings!