Fall Leaves and Hot Cider

Good morning! Welcome to Company Girl Coffee! This week I will be sharing over hot apple cider instead! It's a beautiful fall day here on this last day of October. Last year we had snow on Halloween, but I'm happy to report that it won't be snowing today. It's cloudy, but not cold enough for snow. Yes, I think fall is going to linger a little longer. The last of the leaves are clinging to the branches waiting to join the collage of colors blanketing our back yard. The ones that have fallen have been raked into piles, jumped into, and thrown in the air only to repeat the process over and over again. My kids have lingered until dark playing in them and then begged to stay outside just a little while longer. Finally, when it's just too cold and too dark to stay outside any longer, everyone barrels inside for a cup of hot cider.

Winter and snowball fights are just around the corner but for now, grab your own cup of hot cider and enjoy a few fun pictures of our family.

Ten Things Tuesday

Is is Tuesday again already? I don't know where my Monday went, but I'm glad that Tuesday is here. We have had sick kids all weekend and yesterday I took one to the doctor to make sure he didn't have strep. Luckily, the answer is no, but he's still home today with a whisper of a voice.

The thing I love about 10 Things Tuesday is that I start my day right, with Thankfulness. Although I am making my list a little late today, I am taking this short break to reflect on things in a positive light.

1. I am thankful for a second cup of coffee this morning! It's warm, it's smooth, and it keeps me going on these cold mornings. : )
2. As I look at the mask on my mug this morning, I am thankful, once again, for the incredible blessing of being able to go see Phantom of the Opera with my mom, sister and husband. It was great! You can never see it too many times.
3. I am thankful for the lunch date I got to have with my husband on Saturday.
4. I am thankful for the brother in law who loves his nieces and nephews so much that he watched them so that we could go out to lunch!
5. I am thankful for Kleenex! I sure have been using a lot of it lately.
6. I am thankful that I am feeling a lot better after two weeks of yuck.
7. I am thankful that we have insurance so that I can take my kids to the doctor when I need to and not have to worry about how I'm going to pay for it. And I am thankful JS doesn't have strep.
8. I am thankful that when my kids are sick I don't have to worry about getting the day off because I am blessed to be a SAHM.
9. I am thankful that my internet and phone seem to be working today.
10. I met another mom of 5 on Facebook yesterday. I am thankful to have a new friend to talk to that can relate to having 5 kids so close together.

Losing My Keys, Or Losing My Mind?

It's Friday, and that means Company time! Company Girl Coffee, that is. I don't have much time today so I thought I would just post a funny story about something that happened to me last week. I tried to forget about it, but today's small thing about keys brought a smile to my face.

Last Friday I dropped off my kids to school, dropped off our dog at the vet, and went to do my usual weekly grocery shopping trip. It was nice to come home to both my husband and my brother-in-law to help carry in groceries for a change. (Usually no-one is home but me so I haul them all in myself.) When the last bag was in hand, my husband asked me if I had the keys. I told him yes, knowing for sure that I had put them on the dining room table with the first bags I brought in. You can see where this is going....

He locked the door to the van and we went inside to put away groceries. Later that afternoon, I needed to get something from the van. I went to my usual "key hook", but found no key. Uh oh. I began to retrace my steps, look in all my pockets, and the different places that the keys may have wandered off to. (I do have quite the mischievous toddler!) No keys. At this point, I'm starting to panic. I even went out to the van and peeked in the windows to see if I had mistakenly dropped them on the floor or something. Nope.

It was time to confess to my husband that I couldn't find the keys. So he and my brother-in-law joined in the search. We looked through every bag that had been thrown out and even in the fridge. We dug through the misc. keys in my junk drawer to see if we had a spare still. No luck. Finally, I had to make dinner so I reluctantly discontinued the search until after we ate.

Sometime during dinner I asked my brother-in-law what he had done with the bag that I gave him to take out to the freezer in our garage. "It's still in the freezer," he said. Huh. Away he went only to re-appear with some very cold keys!

Talk about brain freeze. Am I losing my mind, or just my keys? How did that happen? Oh well. At least they were found. Now I have an incredibly funny story to tell. Go figure.

Anyone else out there losing their mind...um...I mean, keys? I'd love to hear your story!

Have a great weekend!

Taking Care of Mom

Recently I've been chatting with a friend about the onset of another cold/flu season. For some great ideas about how to keep healthy this time of year, you can visit my friend Andrea over at My Life With You.

In this post I want to address a topic that is worth thinking about. Taking care of the caregiver. For those of you who are wondering what I am talking about, the caregiver that I am referring to is any woman out there with the loving title of "Mom."

As Moms, we all too often tend to work sacrificially and selflessly to take care of our family, without considering our own needs. I'm not talking about selfishness here. I'm just talking about learning how important it is to set boundaries and take care of your own basic needs.

A while back I got into a conversation with a friend of mine, who also happens to be blessed with the joy of being a mom. She recently started a detailed program that involves exercise, eating right, and taking care of her body. She expressed how she felt a little bit guilty because it took up so much of her time to go to the gym on a regular basis, plus work, plus managing her household, etc. After talking for a while, she finally came to the conclusion that what she was doing was important SO THAT she could take care of her family.

Since that conversation, I have done a lot of thinking about how important it is to take care of myself, so I can take care of my family. I'm still processing, but here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Fill up on Jesus each day. Gas prices may be soaring these days, but filling your love tank is free. God is the ultimate filling station. All you have to do is go to Him and ask Him to fill you with His love.
2. Take care of your body. It's the only one you have in this lifetime. That means doing a number of things. a) Get plenty of rest. Only you can gage how many hours of sleep you need. Figure it out, and then get that amount of sleep every night. b) Exercise. Even 10-15 minutes of exercise a day or every other day will help. c) Eat right. That means planning out balanced, healthy meals. This will spill over and help your family also. d) Take your vitamins. Everyone needs a certain amount of vitamins in addition to eating right. e) Drink your water. 8-10 glasses of water a day is what most grown bodies need to function properly. f) Be sure to have an annual pap smear, breast exam, and physical.
3. Not only is it important to take care of our bodies on the inside, but it's also important to take care of them on the outside. There is no need to look like a beauty queen, but it is important to take care of hygiene. Cleanliness, neat hair, and at least small amount of makeup should be a priority when taking care of one's self. Also consider clothing that is comfortable, but presentable. A lot of moms that stay at home (myself included) don't consider the benefit of taking time to fix themselves up a bit each day. You'll feel much better about yourself when you do.

This may seem like a lot. It is, really. The list could go on and on. Most days I don't do all of the above. I might remember to eat my vegetables and drink my water, but forget to change out of my sweats and into jeans. On sick days I might just barely survive by taking my vitamins and getting as much sleep as possible. The important thing is that I am trying to take care of myself. I realize that when I do that, I will have more energy, a better attitude, and be more productive throughout the day.

What do you do to take care of you? I'd love to hear from you.

Family Visit

This past weekend my mom, sister, and niece drove over the mountains to come and visit before the snow settles in for the winter. I really appreciate them coming to visit this time of year, because I know it will be several months before I see them again.

We have had this trip planned out for a while now. When I first heard that Phantom of the Opera was coming to town, I called my mom and asked if she would be interested in seeing it again. She said yes, tickets were purchased, and plans were made. My husband even went with us this time. : )

Actually, this was my 4th time seeing it. The first time I was with my mom and sister in Vancouver, B.C. They reminded me how we got lost and showed up late to the theater. I have also seen it twice in Seattle. This time it was extra special to get out of the house to share an evening of entertainment with my mom, sister, and husband at my side. Thanks again mom! I love you!

Sick Days

It's that time of year again. Cold and flu season. With five little ones in the home, it usually hits us pretty hard. Especially now that I have three in school. They bring home all sorts of wonderful bugs!

This past week it happened to be a cold bug. It started with a sore throat. Then it moved into the sinuses and finally, settled into my chest. Every single one of us has it, but this is the worst cold I have had in a long time. I am glad that I am finally on the up side of it. It has really sapped any and all energy out of me.

Some time in the middle of my misery, a friend asked "how do you take care of your family when you feel that crummy?" Well, I stick to the basics. Food, sleep, and clothing. If everyone is fed, I consider that a victory. If they have clean clothes to wear, we're doing good. Then I put everyone in bed, including myself, and start all over the next day. Anything that is not an absolute necessity, can wait.

I also recruit help. Fortunately, I have a very helpful husband. The kids can all pitch in in one way or another too. This weekend I was extra lucky to have my mom and sister around to help out. (Hopefully they don't get what we had!) I've learned not to feel guilty about asking for help when I am sick. It's good to give yourself permission to rest and recover. The important thing is to focus on getting healthy again.

Then, when I am feeling better, I take preventative measures. I keep a stock of disinfecting wipes, hand lotion, and spray around the house and in the car. I sanitize as much as possible, encourage hand washing, and make sure everyone is taking their vitamins along with drinking a lot of water. I'm teaching my kids to cough into their sleeves, and be alert about how easily germs spread. We'll get through this cold and flu season just like we have before...one bug at a time. But it's good to know that we're doing all that we can to stay healthy.

Yet I will be Thankful...

I am keeping with the theme of 10 Things Tuesday this week, and making my own "Yet I" list. Sometimes circumstances can really get me down, but it really helps to find the positive in every situation.

1. Our used car that we bought for cash not too long ago has decided to stop working YET I am thankful that we have gracious friends that let us use their vehicle this week until we figure out what we need to do to fix it.
2. All of my kids have runny noses YET I am thankful for Kleenex and that their colds aren't something worse.
3. We are down to our last $2 in our bank account until my husband gets paid YET I am thankful that he has a new job that is providing for us.
4. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of time and energy it takes to keep this household running, YET I am thankful for the roof over our heads and all of the family members that live under it.
5. I am really going to miss the women at LCN (our old church) YET I am thankful for the friendships that have been made there and thankful for the opportunity to cultivate new friendships at our current church.
6. I wish that I had more time to read, keep up this blog, and other things I love to do, YET I am thankful when I do get the opportunity to enjoy my favorite things.
7. I would like to get together with friends on a more regular basis YET I cherish and am thankful for the times I do get to gather with friends over a cup of coffee or lunch.
8. I miss my extended family YET I am thankful that they are willing to drive over the mountains to come and visit me and I get to see them this weekend.
9. It seems like I will never be done with my diaper changing days, YET I am thankful that I have made it through potty training four times and will start training my last child within a year.
10. It is getting crispy cold outside, YET I am thankful for evenings spent by a warm fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa or cider, and family story time. : )

What a joy to remember that there is always something to be thankful for!