I really wonder if the retailers have convinced us that we need to get organized in January, or if they're capitalizing on what we were feeling, anyway. What do you think?
Even though I try not to get caught up in the hype, I can feel the strong pull to start cleaning up and decluttering my home. However, in an effort to thwart the retailers, I won't be buying storage containers and keeping all our junk squirreled away, but will actually Get Rid of It!
It's also getting to be time to put the kids back to work and turn off the television!
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Yesterday was a very good start to the year. We went to Mass as a family since I didn't have to sing, and it was very nice to be together.
I started cooking when I got home so we could have a proper feast when K & B returned from their New Year's celebrations. We had to eat at 3:00 so Pip and I could get to the church where we had our homeschool drama production last night. The kids performed A Christmas Carol as a gift for Our Blessed Mother. I was a little concerned about how it would go since dress rehearsal was 2 weeks ago, before Christmas, but it was really beautiful and a lot of fun.
After all the cleanup at the church, we came back to snack on leftovers and have ice cream for dessert before bed. Enjoying having the kids here for a few days longer!
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It seems that despite my best intentions, I'm making some plans for the new year. ;-) I do think that it should be an ongoing thing, not just a yearly plan, though. I like Jen Fulwiler's (of Conversion Diary) method of using the major feasts of the Church as an opportunity for reflection and renewal.
In terms of spiritual growth, I'll be working harder at daily spiritual reading and the rosary. My house is full of excellent resources that I've never gotten to! Maybe going back to the Daily Office on my iphone.
Personal growth means talking less about myself, being a better listener, and offering to help others more.
The house is an ongoing challenge, but the big project for the year seems to be redecorating the library. It's the first room you see when you walk in the house and the computer armoire, which won't close, is a constant, cluttered mess. My Katie is excited to help me re-do it. I found a desk that I love at Goodwill, and I'm looking forward to painting it and moving it in here!
I should probably take the Before picture today since we'll probably dive right in with some easy stuff today!
Thanks for visiting my Epiphany post! I've been there, done that with a priest who doesn't get the sacramentals thing. Maybe you could sprinkle a little holy water on the chalk ahead of time (then let it dry before you try to write with it.) Or ask the deacon--that's what I did when one of my kids had a new Rosary that we wanted to get blessed. I am enjoying your blog and finding that we have plenty in common: we sing at church, we have kids with a wide age spread (mine range from almost 20 to almost 10); we've got kids involved in theatre.
ReplyDeleteSee you again!