Organization Makes Me Happy!

Well, this project took a lot longer than I anticipated. Actually, once I got started it didn't take that long, but I just put it off longer than I intended. I planned to start and finish while my husband was away for a few weeks, but the weekend I set aside to tackle it, he surprised me and came home! I was excited to have him home for the weekend, so it wasn't a big deal that I didn't finish it until yesterday.

The before... somewhat organized, but not nearly enough:



Partially completed:

The finished product:

I was pleased with how it turned out. I feel so much better about my closet under the stairs. I actually covered the box in the first picture, although I wish it had turned out a little different. It's cute fabric, though, and matches the 2 baskets I bought. You are probably wondering why I put up a picture of paper products. In the second picture I had put the toiletries in a basket. But then later I realized they already had a bag, so why should I take them out of one and put them in another when I could use the basket for something else? That's my organizational tip I learned from this project: If it comes in a bag, box, or basket, leave it be.

So, that's what took me 5 weeks to accomplish!

Beating the Winter Blues--While Your Husband is Away!

Since moving to the frigid north, I have learned first hand the term "winter blues." In Florida, the weather still allows for lots of outdoor activities and even some Vitamin-C soaking days in January and February. I also never realized how cloudy the winters are in the north. There have been times when I didn't see the sun for weeks. I thought that stuff only happened in Alaska! Silly Floridian...

On top of the temperature woes, my husband will be out of town for about 5 weeks starting next Sunday (he is in the Coast Guard, and will be away for training and conferences). Even though I have made it through these times of separation before, it's never lined up with my nemesis: February.

Instead of hating every day of our time apart, I am going to use what I have in the past to get me through. It will be a little more difficult because I will be suffering from cabin fever for most of it, but I hope it will help. In case any of you find yourselves in a similar situation, or just need help getting through the last few weeks of winter, here are some suggestions:

1. Plan a Project
Projects always help me look forward to waking up the next day. I know that sounds pretty depressing but when it's below 30 degrees outside, and you have no one but your dogs to share the day with, you need a little something extra to drive you through the hours. I love organization (spelled D-O-R-K) and there are a few areas in our house that aren't quite up to my standards. The first is our closet under the stairs. I really love it because it is big enough to hold cleaning supplies, dog food, our Wii accessories, holiday/seasonal decorations, and a few other odds and ends, but  for the most part they are all just thrown in there. So next week I'm taking my Michaels and Hobby Lobby coupons and going on a organization spending spree! Just a few baskets, trays, and color coded labels and I will have a new closet, and a happier me. After that I plan to tackle the kitchen cabinets, then maybe the garage. Maybe.

2. Host a Party
Valentine's Day is coming up (or if you are into being patriotic/political, President's Day. Oh, and I forgot Mardi Gras!) and what better way to pass the time than to plan a party! Thankfully, my husband's sister lives in the area and is a good friend of mine, and we love to have movie nights. For our Valentine's Day party, we are going to do a romantic comedy/horror theme, just to go against the grain a little. :) I plan to decorate with traditional red and pink hearts (made by me, of course-another project) and maybe a dead bride or two.
  
3. Volunteer
There, I said the V word. Why in the world would I suggest spending your precious time doing something for other people when you can barely keep your own head above water right now?? Because it makes you feel a thousand times better. You feel like your time is well spent and the day was not wasted. As of right now, I've signed up to work the nursery in my church on Sunday mornings. I'm also considering getting more involved with the youth during the week.

4. Books
Find a good series and get to reading. TV only offers so much companionship, but books can serve on a whole other level. Last time my husband was gone for a few weeks, I read the Harry Potter series (minus one book I had already finished). To be honest, when he came home, I thought to myself "crap, now I won't have as much time to read." Ha!

5. Exercise
This sounds really cliche', but working out can make you feel so much better. Rather than moping around the house in a blanket or sitting on the couch holding your coffee cup to stay warm, go to the gym and run a little bit; I promise you will start to sweat. Or, if you hate the gym, (as I do) there are tons of home workout DVDs. My sister-in-law does Shredding with Jillian Michaels and really loves it. I have done a set called Insanity, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are, well, insane. It's a great workout, but it really hurt my knees so I had to stop.

My best recommendation, though, is Zumba. I'm telling you, it's like a drug, if I knew what it was like to be on drugs. If you love to dance, aren't too afraid to shake it in front of others, and want a good cardio workout, just try it. You will understand and can thank me later.  If you are local, I take with Tauletha Chaffin. Her website is zumbawv.com. If not, you can go to zumba.com and click on the 'find an instructor' tab. Just put in your zip code and it will give you a list of registered instructors in your area. Take a friend and it will make your first time easier. I usually go 3 days a week and I look forward to every workout. And, it works! My instructor lost 106 lbs just doing Zumba. Ok, I could go on for days about Zumba, but that is not what this post is about!

6. Get away
If you have a little extra money, or a friend who lives a few hours away, do a weekend getaway. Just visiting a new place and getting out of the routine will help tremendously. This is a little more than a few hours away, but flights are really cheap, so I'm visiting my brother and his wife (and sweet little baby) the first weekend in March. I can't tell you how excited I am to feel 70 degrees again.

7. Shopping
And as a last resort, if you just can't kick those winter blues, take yourself shopping. A new outfit always makes me excited to get dressed and go to work in the morning. And shopping is just fun. It certainly lifts my spirits.

If you have any other suggestions as to how to pass the last of the winter season, please let me know. I will do just about anything at this point!

Good Reads

This year, as a New Year's resolution, I am reading the Bible. It's something I've always wanted to do, and since Jason has been teaching Sunday School, I feel responsible to our students to know as much or more about the book we are studying! I wasn't sure how I would accomplish this task, because let's face it, the Bible can be a slow read in a lot of chapters.

In case my readers are interested in joining me, I thought I would help by laying out some options. There are many tracks to help you read through so it's not so daunting. Most of them are one year plans, although you can find accelerated plans that allow you to read through it in 90 days. After researching, here are the most common:

1. Straight through. Genesis to Revelation. I find this my least favorite option, because when I get to books like I and II Chronicles, I can find pretty much anything else to occupy my time. But if you are wanting to see your progress, it's the way to go.
2. Old/New Testament. This plan gives daily passages from the Old and New Testament. Some plans will read through the New Testament twice within the year.
3. Chronological- This plan reads through the Bible in the order that its events occurred historically. For example, Job lived sometime after the beginning of creation (Genesis 1) but before Abraham was born (Genesis 12).
4. Historical- This one reads through the books of the Bible in the order in which they were written historically, according to the estimated dates of their writing.

I personally have found the chronological plan to be the best for me. Since it skips around the Bible, I am never in one book for more than a few chapters. This helps to break up some of the inevitable monotony, such as in Chronicles. (I'm really giving those two books a bad rap. Well, I'm sure they wouldn't have been added to the Bible if they weren't important, so I still feel they are necessary.)

I wanted to find a weekly reading track, but there just aren't many out there. So, I found a daily chronological plan that I decided to read all on Sunday. You can find the plan here.  Unfortunately, I haven't been doing the greatest job of keeping up with my reading on Sunday afternoon. In fact, as I write this blog about reading the Bible, I should actually be reading it!! I may have to break the readings up into a few days. I really just can't see myself reading everyday, though. That's probably not a good Christian confession, but there it is. Daily Bible reading is not for me. I only end up disappointing myself. So, I've accepted it and I'm trying to work with it.

I recently saw another series of books to help read and understand the Bible. George Guthrie's Read the Bible for Life looks like a good accompaniment. I've decided that for me, since I can't seem to even keep on track with a weekly reading, I will hold off from this series until I have actually finished. There is also a teacher's book and study guides, so maybe I will help Jason out next year with the high schoolers and teach a Bible reading class. Maybe.

I have also decided, once I can finally discipline myself to read my Bible on schedule, I am going to pick up some academic/professional journals. I have a master's in health administration, and frankly I know very little about current health care management issues. With the new health care bill saga (that's the only way I can describe it) I feel that I should be informed, if not opinionated. Even though I am not currently working in the health care field, I should still be up to date on what's going on, should the opportunity arise.

And last but not least, I am going to continue to read for enjoyment. When I finished my master's, I thought to myself, "I am never picking up another book. I just want to watch trash TV for the rest of my life." But after about 6 months of that I was ready to use my noggin again.

I'm a very slow reader, so when I say I read 7 books last year; that's an accomplishment, not an embarrassment. I think my favorite genre is action/mystery/fantasy, or just mystery in general. Romance, sadly, is not my cup of tea. Just one Nicholas Sparks' book and I never wanted to know how in depth an author can describe a sunset again. Sheesh. I think this year I will start out with the Lord of the Rings series, beginning with The Hobbit.

Ok, now that I've written all about the books I want to read, it's time to get to reading!

A Little Positivity, Please

This post has a pretty long preface, so hang on.

Last summer Jason and I took a trip to a small area of the Allegheny mountain range here in West Virginia, known as Canaan Valley. Jason grew up vacationing there with his family, but it was my first trip. Driving through the various winding roads that seem to be the only way to get from Point A to Point B, even if it's only 3 miles, we marveled and took in the beauty of it all. We discussed how much we enjoy living in the mountains, but that it would be an even greater experience to visit the terrains in the western part of the country. That's when Jason proposed an unconventional vacation, mostly because of financial restrictions. A backpacking trip in the mountains.

Initially, I was sternly opposed to the idea. There was no way an indoor girl like me was going to spend a week pretending to be homeless, with the worry of being eaten by bears to boot. Backpacking was reserved for only the most free-spirited hippies, and that my friend, is not me. After a while, though, I realized that this is truly the opportunity of a lifetime. How many young people have the time and resources to experience such a challenging, out-of-your-element, amazing trip such as this?

 I considered my safety. Jason has backpacked before; he spent about a month in the Sierra Nevada Mountains alone. (And I must admit, that was one thing that initially attracted me to him, so that must say something about my adventurous personality, right?) So he's gotta know a thing or two about survival. I considered my sanity. Could I make it 5 to 6 days without a real shower, and using the "bathroom" in the woods? It was hard to answer this one, but I decided that if women before the 19th century could do it, so could I. I also considered my health. Could I physically walk for 10 to 15 miles, for 5 to 6 days, with 20+ lbs on my back? It would take some preparation, but I was confident I would make it.

Did you notice a trend in the last paragraph? I have trust in my husband, faith in myself, and confidence in my abilities. So why am I receiving so much negativity about our attempt at an nontraditional vacation? Sure, I understand that some people are just concerned for our safety, such as our parents. That is completely reasonable. I am talking about the coworkers, friends, and family members (yeah, I'm calling you out) who flat out tell us we are stupid for doing this. So far, Jason and I will come back (if we come back) hairless, blind, diseased, divorced paraplegics. That would be quite a sight!

 It makes me wonder, where did these peoples' sense of adventure and thrill of the unknown go? As much as it hurts me to have little support from them, it almost hurts as much to think of how narrow minded they have become. Or maybe they always have been, and I'm seeing it for the first time.

Ok, I have to tie a Christian lesson into this. God never told us that life would be easy. And he never guaranteed safety for us. What he did COMMAND us to do, though, is go to all ends of the earth, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. If that's not dangerous, I don't know what is. And if we aren't ready to give it all up for Him, we will never experience God as he intended us to. I am hoping this trip will prepare me for what dangerous plans God has for me in the future. And I couldn't be more excited about it.

The date and location are set. Glacier National Park, August 2011. Pray for us, but don't worry for us. We are going, with or without your negativity.  

Don't Retreat, Just Reload

I have recently found a new reality TV series to add to my (unfortunately) growing list. I told myself I hated reality TV, but evidently I was kidding myself. I do screen my selections; I only choose those that are educational-ish in content or provide relatively wholesome entertainment.

Anyway, Sarah Palin's Alaska on TLC is my new favorite. I really can't get enough of it. Before you go chastising me for watching such garbage...hear me out. You might find that Sarah Palin is a lot more than a woman who uses the words "Joe Six Pack" and "maverick" a little too often.

Sarah's show not only follows the life and times of her and her family during the summer months in Alaska, but it also showcases various locations, recreational activities, and industries within the state. She goes halibut fishing with her daughter, mountain climbing with her husband, salmon fishing with her son, caribou hunting with her dad, and camping with just about anyone who will go with her. She's an amazing mother. Her values regarding her faith, hard work ethic, and independent living are things that I feel are essential to pass down to my children.

One of my favorite quotes from Sarah is from the episode where she takes her daughter Bristol to a shooting range.  Bristol is having trouble hitting the target, so Sarah gives her the advice, "Don't retreat, just reload." This phrase hit home for me. In many facets of our lives, we often feel like giving up. This quote reminds me that life is not about quitting when I feel defeated. I must continue to press on and persevere, regardless of circumstances or how many times I am faced with challenges.

This can especially be applied to the Christians' battle against the evils of the world, and our quests to continue to spread the good news of Jesus. We are constantly persecuted, even in America, although not nearly as brutally as in other countries. I have learned not to be ashamed of my faith and to not back down when faced with adversity (which is one reason Apologetics is so important, but more on that later).

Don't be afraid to be a Christian. Yes, we are going to be persecuted. We have been told that from the beginning. So why is it such a shock to people when the media tells us that we can't say certain things, and that we have to cater to every other religion? I have talked to many Christians who, in conversation with others from the Bible Belt, are perfectly fine with stating their faith. But put them in front of an atheist or Muslim, and their bravery seems to shrink with every word. We should be thankful the only persecution that we experience is having to keep our mouths shut. There are Christians who are beaten, sometimes to death, for their faith. And I'm not talking 10 or 20 years ago. Like, yesterday. This morning. It almost kills me to think that we are sitting here complaining that it is politically incorrect to say, "Merry Christmas" when there are those that are running straight into the fire to tell people about Christ.

I know I kind of got on a soapbox, or maybe got in the pulpit, but it's (obviously) a subject I am very passionate about. I hope that maybe through reading this post, God will give you the strength to say: I am not afraid, and I will not back down. I will not retreat, I will just reload.

Seriously, I'm Back!

So, life for the Coffeys is never all that exciting (for the record, I like it that way), but I will try my best to keep you all interested....

I feel very irresponsible for not posting for over a year, except for my false statement about being back and trying harder to post blog updates...yeah. Not so much. How can I sum up all that time without going for the longest blog ever posted? Oh wait, I know, just write about our life.

Let's see...Jason and I have been in our house for about 15 months now. We absolutely love our home. It's huge right now, and there is still a lot of empty space and rooms. But, when we were looking for homes, we didn't want to buy something that would only last us through our non-kid years. We wanted something we could grow into. And when we found the house, it was such an amazing price for the size that we couldn't pass it up. Maybe one day we will fill up those extra rooms.... maybe :)

Jason is enjoying his position at the Coast Guard station, but has decided to take a new path and start pharmacy school in the Fall of 2013. He will do the rest of his tour here, and then the era of poverty will begin for us. I just have to keep telling myself, "only 4 years, only 4 years." It will be a difficult time financial wise, but in other ways I am looking forward to it. For instance, Jason is so busy right now. He's active duty Coast Guard, which not only requires a 45+ hour work week, but he is also "on duty" 1 week out of the month. That means that he is called if any issue, such as pollution, flooding, an incident on the river, or anything else involving Coast Guard operations, happens while he is on duty he gets called out to investigate. The calls sometimes come allll hours of the night. It's really fun. Jason also works at a pharmacy 1 weekend a month and is taking a couple classes each semester until he starts school full time. And he has picked up teaching the high school Sunday School class at our church. So, needless to say, he will have a much simpler life when school starts.

Speaking of his Sunday School class, Jason is teaching the high school kids Apologetics and the importance of learning the subject of defending your faith. I have learned so much from him in the last few months about the necessity of knowing why our God is real, true, and alive. I'm really excited about the things I am learning about my faith and it makes me want to share it with everyone. 

Jason and I are joining his family on a Gatlinburg, TN vacation for Thanksgiving. I am very excited to be somewhere else besides home for a holiday.  It will be a nice change. We are also doing another first this Christmas: this year will be the first Christmas Jason and I spend together in our own home. Our first Christmas together we were at his parents'. The second Christmas we split up because he had to work through the holidays, and I desperately missed my family, so he was gracious enough to let me go home. The third Christmas was at my parents'. I am looking forward to waking up on Christmas day with him, even if it's just us and we are only exchanging small gifts to each other, it will still be special. I am hoping it will snow on Christmas, that would make it perfect.

Well it looks like I did a pretty good job of filling up a page. It's up to my readers whether I bored them to tears or not. Goodnight, and maybe I will have another update sooner rather than later :)

I'm back!

I'm a terrible blogger. Here I am, over a year since my last post. I think my problem is...my life is fairly boring, and I can't find enough to talk about. Even when my life is somewhat exciting, I think to myself, "no one wants to hear about that." Well anyway, I'm trying again, so here goes. Unfortunately, though....it's late and I'm taking a shower and going to bed :) My creative writing skills are parallel with my energy level. Grooming appointment for Baloo in the morning, church, and working in the yard. See? Nothing exciting. Goodnight.