Through the Lens Thursday

Sometimes the sights and scenes around the farm absolutely take my breath away! I saw this sunset as I was heading to the farm after running the guys supper after a long and hectic day! Our God simply amazes me with his beauty!

To Do List

Oh my as I started thinking about organizing my entire life I got a little overwhelmed... ok maybe more than a little.  Then I started thinking what do I always do when I need to complete something.  I start with a list.  So here it is my To Do List.  I am hoping that if it is out there in black and white then I am hoping I am more adept at getting it To Done!!  Don't be alarmed at the incredible length of this list I am a teacher and a farmers wife so a few DIY projects are nothing compared to a room full of 7th graders, or a 1500 pound steer staring me in the face :)

Meal Planning

-Compile a online Family Dinning Menu utilizing menu board

-Complete 2 months worth of day by day meal plans

-Create pantry lists

-Complete a freezer cooking day putting at least 10 ready to go meals in my freezer

Cleaning House

-Create a cleaning schedule that works for us

-Create a cleaning kit for the girls

Kitchen

-New cupboards (mine are so inefficient) 

-Flooring

-Backsplash

-Lighting

-Paint

Living Room

-DVD's are organized

-CD's are organized

-Spindels are removed

Entry

-New front door

-New porch light

-Beautify entry

Bathroom

-New Vanity (ok seriously mine is plastic)

-Ceramic tile the floors

-Closet organization

-Medical supplies organized

-Nail polish organized

-Makeup organized

-Paint

Organizing

-Closets

-Create a daily schedule

-Purse Organized

-Kids files

-Hope chest

-Garage
-Girls clothes storage

Decluttering

-Play area

-Back room

-Craft area

Finances

-Utilize an envelope system

-Utilize the mint app

Computer

-Files are organized

-Desktop is organized

-Photos are edited

-Photos are organized

-Photo-books are made

Wow... ok that does come close to being an intimidating as a room full of 7th graders but just like those hormonal 7th graders this is going to be a fun challenge to take on!!!

Speaking without Words

4-H is a wonderful organization and really gives our farm kids an area where they can show off all their hard work they do around the farm. Currently J is shows swine along with his older cousin. These two work many, many, hours with their pigs and spend a lot of time together in the barns. They kind of having a way of knowing what the other is thinking without even speaking. Here is one of the favorite pictures of them, walking side by side extremely focused and with an intensity about them that we just love to see. They really put so much time and effort into raising and caring for their animals and showing that off to the judge is really important to them.  

Project Organize Your Entire Life... the beginning!

Raising three kids can be crazy enough for any momma, but for a farmers wife life can get extremely hectic even without any kids in the picture.  My husband is working extremely long days right now as we are right in the thick of harvest.  My kids have very different schedules, J is my 14 year old son who is just wrapping up football season and has already started basketball practices.  Ellie is my almost three year old diva who loves spending her days cooking, playing dress up, and "doing school" with mommy.  And finally  Bean is my precious 5 month old, all smiles, baby girl (her arrival warranted her daddy to leave the tractor and put a halt to the bean planting hence the nickname). 

As I'm sure you can imagine raising three munchkins all while helping with the day to day farming operations, including feeding the guys in the field, can get a little hectic.  Enter Project Organize Your Entire Life (POYEL for short) when I read Steph's original post at Modern Parents Messy Kids I thought to myself wow... I wish I had it all together like that. (Make sure you check out her original post it is quite the organizers dream)   Being organized around here would do wonders for helping me get homeschool done, food delivered to kids and farmers (not Pizza Hut :) , chores done, along with all the running to various extracurriculars. I was totally onboard. Join me as I attempt to organize my entire life as well as share my escapades in parenting, homeschooling, and farm wife's life. 

Photo via: Martha Stewart