January Musings

    It has been a very full month.  We took the side wall off of James's crib since he started climbing in and out of it.  I remember writing about when John did the same thing.  How time flies!  Now I have two little alarm clocks that wake me in the mornings around 6:30.  I can't seem to figure out how to reprogram the time though, and there aren't any snooze buttons anywhere!  But they're cute and they make me laugh, so it's ok.

    The weather has been warm for January, so we have been enjoying time outside.  Here is Button, sure to be an internet sensation:

    He has been with us for twelve years.  Colton caught him for me when he was a wild kitten on the ranch.  He lived with us in town, and now he has come full circle back to the ranch.  He had gotten very sick recently, and Colton agreed to take him to the vet for me- proof of his love because he is not a cat person.  I am happy to report that Button has made a full recovery.  Do you see James's little boots in the background?  He is very gentle with the animals.

    We are trying to sell our little flock of five Silkies.  We bought them by mistake, not knowing what they were.  They were in the clearance bin for $1 with all of the other chicks we bought.  Because that is a steal when it comes to chicks (they are about $4 each nowadays), we brought them home.  I do think they are pretty, but the roosters are mean to my big chickens.  They have plucked all of the tail feathers out of my big rooster!  They also live in our hatching pen, and I want my hatching pen back this spring, so they just need to go.

    I am still trying to adjust to my new diet, but it hasn't been all bad.  We had some good friends give us- yes give us- some steak!  Colton selflessly cooked some of it up for me and I divided it into meal portions for myself.  I really can't complain.

    I've also been eating lots of bacon and cabbage or homemade sausage with Brussels sprouts for breakfast.

    A salad topped with salmon and a homemade Greek yogurt dressing:

    Colton could not figure out why I was adding garlic powder and salt to my yogurt.

    I cheated a couple times with gluten and sugar just to lift my spirits, as I am not allergic to those things- I just have to limit them.  I am about to start an 11 week "gut healing" program and I know both of those things will be off limits.  I start next month and I'm ready.

    Since changing my diet, I have switched from coffee to herbal tea.  I do still have a cup of decaf every now and then, but nothing like the three to four cups of caffeine I had been drinking per day.  On the morning of our twelfth anniversary earlier this month, this is what I woke up to:

    My gift was these tisane glasses, and Colton had set it all up with my tea pot and strainer and lit candles.  Isn't that romantic?  We like to watch BBC's detective series Poirot (from the 90s), and Poirot always drinks his herbal tea from glasses like these.  Now we have our own set.

    I did hit a few rough patches this month, but I found encouragement in an unlikely place.  I was looking at my planner one evening to see what the month held, and I saw the notes I had written to the side of my calendar.  In the beginning of the month, I had prayed over what to fill the blank space in with, and when I read it, I knew the Lord's hand was in it:

    ~ Be inspired by your ideals but not disappointed by reality.

    ~  Count your blessings and focus on God's goodness.

    ~  Let Jesus direct your vision and remember that you have a sacred calling.

    ~  You have many things to care for in your home, but only 3 of them have souls.  They are eternal, and you are doing eternal work.

    ~ When things get tough: run, hide, hope, trust, and cling to Jesus. He is your Rock.

    I hope these thoughts are a blessing to you, too.  What about you?  How was your January?

    I will see you on Thursday for our next Thrifty Thursday post!