Word up....2017

     About a week ago, I got a song stuck in my head from the 70's.  It was the song "Day by Day" from the musical Godspell.  I have never seen the musical, although it was on tv the other day.  I just couldn't stop singing the song, it seemed to be speaking to me in a very real way.  I had been thinking about my word for 2017, so I spent some time listening, singing, and reading the lyrics to the song.

"Day by day, day by day

Oh, dear Lord, three things I pray

To see Thee more clearly

Love Thee more dearly

Follow Thee more nearly

Day by day

written by Stephen Schwartz

The word more kept coming back to me.  More was Jim's words for 2106...I didn't want to copy his word, but it stayed with me.  I tried it out for a few days and it seems to have stuck. 

     What does more look like for me?  I am not 100% sure, but I have a few ideas.  More is not about greed, even though it can be taken that way.  To me, more is what is in the song...seeing, loving, following God more.  I know from experience when I do that, I have more of everything else in my life.  That is my starting point for the word more this year.

     My friend Liz has made a list of things that she would like to do in 2017.  I think that is a grand idea and I will be making my own list that goes along with my word.  I have a start already, I just need to clarify it a little more before I put it in writing.  I did something similar with a previous word and each month did a self check to see how well I was focusing on my word.  

     I am never sure what my word will be each year, but the word usually finds me.  Some years I am more successful focusing on my word than others.  I know that each word is the right word at the time.  There are many paths that I can take with the word more, I am sure that I will find the path that best suits me!

Merry Christmas from Our House!

     Everyone who knows me, knows that I have good intentions, but my follow-through is sadly lacking these days.  I have Christmas cards...still sitting in the box that they came in.  I have paper that I bought to print our Christmas letter...still wrapped in the package that it came in.  So here is the Predmore Christmas letter to all our family and friends.

     Dear Family and Friends,

     Did you know that six chickens produce an insane amount of chicken poop?  We sure didn't, but we have discovered that fact, along with many other chicken facts this year.  Delainey saved her Christmas and birthday money to buy a chicken coop.  We are now proud chicken farmers.  Bugger, Rosie, Fluffy, Einey, Meeny, and Miney provide hours of fun for us along with keeping us (and our friends) well supplied with eggs.  We miss Big Momma, but decided that we didn't want a rooster as part of our flock.  Delainey has become the chicken whisperer...they all seem to enjoy being held and petted by her!

     In spite of Delainey breaking her arm at church camp this summer, we were able to take some fun trips in 2016.  Delainey went to 4H camp for a weekend in June.  Nancy and Delainey went to Camp PYOCA in July for a mission camp.  As part of our camp experience, we went to several places to serve others while still enjoying camp activities.  Jim and Delainey went to Perryville, AR to Heifer Ranch in October.  They went as part of a youth trip and spent the week learning about sustainable farming, world hunger, and how we can be part of the solution.

     Jim, Nancy, Shane, Dylan, Delainey, and Princess spent a week in a cabin in Gatlinburg, TN.  It was a beautiful week full of creek hiking, hot weather, shopping, and a short trip on the Appalachian Trail.  We had to skip the white water rafting due to a little girl's cast, but it was still a wonderful week.  We are so happy that we were there this summer and we continue to pray for the area as they deal with the aftermath of the fires.  We have been there before and we will definitely be back!

     Jim is still working at Tractor Supply.  He works hard, but enjoys his free time.  He doesn't have nearly enough free time, but likes to spend it with his family.  Nancy just had her 24th anniversary at Wal-Mart.  She loves her new store and the team there.  The best part is that she is able to drive home for lunch!

     Shane and Dylan are still living in Indianapolis.  They are both working hard and we don't get to visit them nearly enough.  Delainey is loving 5th grade.  She did riding lessons again and has been swimming as well.  One of her highlights was swimming at IU...in the same pool where Lilly King swims. Jim's parents, Kenny and Sharon, moved in our home this month.  We are working on the bumps, but will all adjust to a three generation home.  

     We hope to get out and about more often in 2017.  We have one trip planned to Chicago in July with our youth group, but other than that, nothing is definite.  If you are in southern Indiana, please come visit.  Our house is crowded and loud, but we will always make room for friends and family.  We wish you all peace, love, and joy for the upcoming year.

     Love you all,

The Predmore family

     Next year I will have cards and letters sent out on time....Don't give up on me!

Making it work

     The last few months have been all about change at our house.  It  hasn't been easy, but I keep praying that it will become easier as time goes on.  We have had several huge changes and I think that we are all struggling to go with the flow.  I know that the changes are the right ones for our family, but change is never easy.  I am trying to keep believing that these are the changes that God has planned for us.

     My job change for the most part has been good.  I love being close to home, but finding the balance of home and work is rough.  I am so used to having three days off, that it has been hard to get my household chores done.  Laundry is a struggle as is cooking at home.  Delainey wants us to have some freezer meals handy so that we can use our crock pot more often.  I agree with her, but finding the time to make the meals is my current struggle!  I have more changes at work that are hard emotionally for me, but again, some how I have faith that it will work out the way God has it planned.

     Jim's new position is requiring him to be away from home more...and that's a huge struggle for all of us.  I know that he doesn't mind the drive, but we do!  We miss him being so far away.  We miss being able to stop in to see him while we are in town running errands.  But again, we have faith that this is how things are supposed to be right now.

     The biggest change happened last week.  Jim's parents have moved back in with our family.  They are at a time in their lives when they need more help than we were able to give from two hours away.  We have adjusted rooms, schedules, and everything else.  There will be bumps in the road, but family helps each other.  I spent time as a child in a three generation home, so it doesn't seem abnormal to me.  There are still things that we need to juggle...laundry time, meals, expenses, tv time, but I know that they will work out.  Again, faith!

     Delainey seems to be handling the changes pretty well.  She misses her dad in the mornings.  It was their time together.  They need to work out a special time for just the two of them.  She also misses quiet time in the afternoon with just she and I.  We have been blessed to have a friend who takes her to school in the mornings and picks her up in the afternoon.  Without that help, we wouldn't be able to function with our new schedules.  She has her ups and downs with it all, but she is resilient and I know that she will be okay.

     Change happens, whether I want it to or not.  I am getting better about accepting change in my life and going with it.  I have to keep faith that God has a plan for all that we are going through right now and that He will guide us through all the bumps.  We just keep on making it work the best that we can!

Square Peg

     When Delainey was little she had this toy.  I bet that many people had one similar to this.  She would try and try to make the shapes fit.  Sometimes she would make one fit into a hole that wasn't truly its match by putting it in sideways, but it was a struggle.  The shapes went in to their homes easiest if they found the matching hole.  Lately, I have been feeling a lot like this game...struggling to find my place.  

     To be honest, I have always felt this way to an extent.  Maybe it's because we moved around when I was younger.  Maybe it's because I have moved around so much as an adult.  Maybe it's just the way that I am wired.  I am not sure.  Sometimes I can go along and not notice the feeling, but other times, like now, it's almost overwhelming.  I know that I have my place with my family, I don't question that.  What I question is my place within my various groups of friends.  Do I belong in those groups?  Am I a valued friend?  Am I being a good friend to people?  I wonder how many of us question ourselves like this.  Why do we question ourselves like this?

     I love social media, but it is a blessing and a curse.  I love that I am able to keep up with friends that I haven't seen in years.  The flip side of that is seeing all the people who get together with each other and I am not included.  Much of that is my fault.  There are times that I am invited to get together with friends, but either the timing doesn't work for me or there is too much distance to cover for me to attend.  And heck, sometimes, I just don't have the finances to make it happen.  But there are other times that I am not invited, or invited as an afterthought.  It hurts and it makes me question the strength of those bonds.  And I know that sometimes, I just over think things.

     I know that my worth doesn't come from the people around me.  I know that, but we all want to be included.  We all want to be accepted for who we are.  We don't want to have make ourselves fit by turning ourselves around.  Well, at least I do any way, I guess I shouldn't use the term we.  I don't know the solution for me.  Maybe I need to limit my use of social media.  Maybe I need to strengthen the bonds that I have already created in my life.  Maybe I need to spend some time looking within to see why I feel this way.  

     Please don't think that I wrote this looking for sympathy or reassurance.  I have had this in my head and heart for a while and it helps me to put things in writing.  I just want to be honest with my feelings...and since this is my blog, this is where it goes!  I know that I am loved, but I don't always feel that I belong....and I am not sure that makes any sense at all!  Just like Delainey did with her shape toy, I will keep working until I am able to fit into my space easily.

Sleep

     When did something so natural, so essential, become such a difficult thing for so many people?  Without sleep, we can't function.  Our bodies need sleep.  Our minds need sleep.  So why are so many of us struggling to sleep through the night?  And even when we sleep, why are so many of us waking up each morning just as tired as when we went to bed.

     I have always been able to fall asleep quickly and easily.  Sleep has always been easy for me.  I don't suffer from insomnia like so many people I know.  But, for the last few months, I have been struggling to stay awake.  I go to sleep easily...at any time of the day or night.  But when I wake up, I am still exhausted.  I can't make it through the day without a nap.  Jim has told me that I now snore.  I don't think that I used to snore, but some nights he has to sleep on the couch because I am so loud.  He has also said that I jerk throughout the night, almost as if I am waking up.

     I know many people who need to take medication at night to sleep.  What is causing them to not be able to sleep?  Many of them have told me that they can't get their mind to shut off.  How do you quiet the thoughts in your mind?  Many have tried meditation and relaxation techniques before bed.  Sometimes they work, other times they don't.  Others try reading until their minds stop focusing on all the little things of the day.  Again, sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.  Why are some people able to calm their brains and others cannot?

     I know other people who swear by yoga or other relaxation techniques to calm their minds and bodies.  Again, it works for some and not for others.  Delainey and I sometimes play the relaxation game before she goes to bed.  I talk her through a series of relaxing her body and letting all the tension leave, starting with her toes and working all the up through her body.  Sometimes it helps her, other times she struggles to sleep. She has been this way since she was little.  I hate that she struggles to do something that should be natural.  I know other parents who have the same struggle with their children.

     Then there are people who sleep easily, but wake up throughout the night.  Menopause can cause many women to have this problem.  There are medications to help us go through menopause, but it is a balancing act to find what works for each person...there is no magic formula that is one size fits all.  Sometimes we wake up soaking wet from night sweats and have to cool off before we are able to get back to sleep.  Other times, we can't cool off and get back to sleep at all.  And I won't even talk about new parents who get woken up all night long because baby needs feed, a new diaper, or just misses mom and dad!

     I will be seeing my doctor soon to discuss the results of a sleep study that I did a while ago.  I hope that he will give me some answers for my exhaustion.  I am sure that Jim is tired of hearing me snore and kick him throughout the night.  And Delainey would be happy if I didn't feel the need to take a nap every afternoon.  Me...I just want to go to bed at night and wake up in the morning ready to start the day.

Change is Coming....

     Everyone who knows me knows that I hate change.  I am pretty sure that I have talked about it more than once on this blog.  I know that I have said it over and over.  But I am getting better at adapting to it.  Maybe it's because I am older and wiser (ha!).  Maybe because I know that it is going to happen whether I like it or not.  Or maybe, just maybe, it's because I know that in the long run, change is good for me.

     For the last five and a half years, Jim has worked ten minutes from home.  He has been in charge of Delainey's morning routine...getting her up in the mornings, taking her to daycare, and being the parent closest to school if there is an emergency.  Starting Tuesday, that will be changing.  Jim has taken on a new challenge with his company.  He is leaving the store that he opened and going to a bigger store about forty minutes from home.  He will be gone from home a little more now due to the longer drive that he has...he is looking forward to being able to "read" books on cd again!  It will be a change for him, but I know that he is up to the challenge.  There will be some adjustments for all of us with his new position, but I know that we will adapt...that's what we do!

     For the last five and a half years, I have worked an hour from home.  I have been in charge of the afternoon routine with Delainey...homework, chores, time to relax.  During times of school cancellations, I have been able to stay home because of the distance that I drive to work.  In the next month or so that will be changing as well.  I have accepted a position in the new store that is being built in our town.  The job will be similar to what I am doing now, but in a bigger store.  I will go back to working five days a week and I am not completely sure what my hours will be, but they will be changing.  I am looking forward to my new drive to work...ten minutes as opposed to an hour each way.  I could actually go home for lunch if I want!

     Delainey is going to be going through some transitions due to the changes that Jim and I are making.  Her mornings will change because Jim and I are pretty different with our morning routines.  We are blessed to have a friend who gets her to school in the mornings and loves our girl.  She will also have to go to an after-school program most days.  We are lucky in that there is a good after-school program in our community.  She is not looking forward to that, but she knows that this will be best for our family in the long run.  Hopefully, she will be able to do her homework then and we can focus on other things when we get home.  Delainey is a strong girl and I know that she will do well!

     The next month has the potential to be the roughest of our transition.  Jim will be in his new position, but I will not.  We will have to juggle his schedule for a while.  He will have to work more closing and midshifts until I am in my new position.  It won't be easy, but I know that we will make it happen.  I am sure that as we go through this time of transition, there will be other changes that we aren't even thinking about right now, but I know that the three of us can handle it.  There might be days that we struggle, but we made these choices as a family, knowing that in the long run, they will benefit and make our family stronger.

   

The Summer that Slipped Away!

     I had such grand plans for our summer.  Delainey and I were going to take a week to visit family and friends.  The week that Delainey went to church camp, Jim and I were going to spend time with each other...a romantic before kids week.  Vacation was going to include white water rafting and horseback riding.  I was hoping to take Delainey kayaking for a day.  Swimming trips were planned now that Delainey is able to swim without stressing out.  And I hoped to go to at least one amusement park during the summer.  It was going to be an epic adventure!

     And then life happened.  Delainey was invited to attend an enrichment summer school program...the same week as our girl trip.  She wanted to go, and who I am to tell my child that she can't go to school when she really wanted to.  She had a great time and I am so glad that she was able to enjoy the week.  Every day she was excited about what she was learning, so it was well worth the time!

     Next up was church camp.  Jim and I dropped her off for her third year of camp.  She was so excited.  This was the year that she would be able to pass her swimming test.  She would see several friends from previous years.  We gave her hugs and kisses as we left, knowing that she would be in great hands.  We never expected to get a phone call that evening from Nurse Cody telling us that D slipped in the shower.  He didn't think it was broken, but thought that we should meet at the ER just to be sure.  He was wrong...my baby broke her wrist in two places.  She was a trouper though, not much crying though I am sure it had to hurt.  Delainey and I spent the rest of the week at home, adjusting to her new cast and staying on top of the pain that she was feeling.

     Delainey and I did attend a mission camp in July.  We had a great time reaching out to others and learning more about Jesus.  Delainey wasn't able to do everything because of her cast, but again, she was a strong girl and made it through!  Our family vacation was wonderful, even without rafting or riding.  We hiked a bunch, did some touristy things, spent time as a family together and just relaxed!  I even got to hike for a mile or so on the Appalachian Trail.
   
     We didn't make it to an amusement park, we didn't hike the way we normally do during the summer.  Our outings were fewer than we had hoped.  We spent time as a family, we watched our chickens grow, we spent time just hanging out in our home.  It wasn't the epic summer that I planned...but it was maybe the summer that we needed this year.  It just slipped by much to fast!