Thanksgiving 2013

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

BFF's

Eily has a (non-related)best friend and I COULD NOT be happier for her. I used to imagine what it would look like to see her laughing and playing with a girl her own age and let me tell you, today's lunch at school proved that it's a sight worth seeing. I think a play date at home is in our near future. 

I want to take a nap.

Today, I'm watching four other children, besides Nora. It's been crazy, calm, exciting, messy, and exhausting. I never could get more than two kids to sleep at the same time but there was one hour where everything seemed to slow down and the commotion level was low. I think once the last child wakes up, we are going to go outside, despite the cold wind, and let our wiggles go wherever they lead us. I'm guessing they will lead us to the swing set and trampoline.
I've been prepping for next year's challenge. I'm still just as pumped and excited and nervous about it as I was before. I'm also still motivated and determined. I've had to laugh at myself, though. I keep thinking of all the things I need to buy before January. Kind of goes against the whole idea, doesn't it? I know I need to buy a calendar (one of my favorite end-of-year purchases) and the rest of the Christmas gifts. I hope to be posting the "list of rules and buyable items" soon.  I just need to sit down with Jason and go over it one last time.
I'm going to work two days a week at the local grocery store while the girls are in school. I have worked for this man on and off since I was 18 and so he's very willing to work with my situation and will basically let me set my own schedule. Nora is going to go play with two of her favorite cousins while I'm at work so I know she's going to be very excited. It's a win/win! Well, my cousin will make a little money from babysitting Nora, so really it's a win/win/win!

Something New & Nothing New

I don't usually make new year resolutions. I think the last time I truly made one was when I was a teenager. I discovered very quickly that I didn't keep them and most of the time, they felt forced and shallow.
This evening, I read a link that one of my friends had posted on Facebook. The catch line was Stuff, Do We Really Need More?  At first I passed it by but it wouldn't leave my brain so eventually I scrolled back up and clicked on the link.

Let me chase a rabbit for a minute. Last year, around this time, I decided to give up soft drinks.  At little bit of the motivation came from wanting to lose tummy fat but mostly, it was due to learning more and more about how food/drinks affect our bodies and how important it is to our health to avoid processed things/sugar/preservatives, etc…  Because I felt so convicted about stopping, it really wasn't that hard for me to stick to my resolve, and I haven't looked back since. The girls never really had coke to drink anyway, but it has been completely eliminated from their diets as well. I think Jason may have a Sprite every now and then but I don't nag him about it since he drinks them so infrequently. So, my point is this, it was easy (and in some ways, enjoyable) to quit because I had deep motivation and conviction about what I was doing. I also knew, it the deepest gut of my guts, that this time it would be easy for me to quit soft drinks. I had tried before and gone a little while but eventually would pick up the habit again. It was just different this time. I can't really explain it. It just seemed so simple and direct and obvious.

Back to the first topic. I clicked on the link and was directed to this website. The more I read, the more I was intrigued. The more I was intrigued, the more I was convicted. And the more I was convicted, the more excited I became. I got the same feeling that I had when I decided to quit drinking Dr Pepper. (All soft drinks apply, but that's really the only one that I ever drank.) It seemed so simple and direct. So obvious. So right.

I read the article to Jason who was immediately on board. This is his kind of thing, anyway. It will be much harder for me than it will be for him.
So, my friends, I am happy to announce that for the first time in almost 20 years, I am going to make a resolution.

We, the Jason Sacran family, will not buy anything new in 2014. 
Obviously, there are a few exceptions to the rule (like toilet paper) and I will be working on a post with those exceptions laid out so that you all can keep me on my toes. Every month, I will give a recap of the month and how the experience has changed us. We will be explaining it to the girls and I'm sure there will be times they will be frustrated, but they will also have a reason for the "no." We will appreciate any encouragement you can send our way. It going to be hard, but it going to be fun! 

It's the Artist's Life for Me

Jason has a good friend and fellow artist named, John Porter Laseter. Recently, John did an event where he painted 24 Plein Air paintings in 24 hours. To encourage and support his friend, Jason painted a nocturne from ten to eleven and I videoed most of the process. It was pretty cold that night and Jason and I both felt for John. At the same time, we were so glad that we could go inside after that one hour! You can find both John and Jason on Facebook if you want to follow along with their works and accomplishments.

My almost-eight-year-old cousin, Aaron, watched Jason's video and decided to turn it into an art lesson. Jason and I are VERY impressed with his efforts. Way to go, Aaron!!

I've got this little family, see, and they come first. :)