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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 11 Weaving Your Way through the Web
« Last post by MommaAshley on July 12, 2018, 03:14:25 pm »
Oooo I'm the first one on this post!!!

I can pretend like I am all caught up, lol!

1. How do you balance your life with social media?
First, how sad is this question? I don't mean that in the sense that your question is sad, but that we have to sit and think about how much time we invest in the internet. I personally feel like I waste a lot of time on social media. I don't let it come in the way of my responsibilities, but I could be doing something else. For instance, when I'm nursing Ruby. I have to stay put, so I whip out my phone and scroll. I nurse her 8-10 times a day...up to 15 minutes, that's a lot of time. However, on the flip side, I use social media to boost my photography business. 95% of my business is from connections through social media. Very few are from outside sources.


2. How do you use social media in your life?

I sort of answered this one in question one, but I use it to stay in touch and for my business. Since I moved away from the place I grew up, I am not able to see my childhood friends. Social media has allowed me to stay in touch, see their family and share our lives together. It also helps to find out about fun events going on in my area and connect with local moms. I use Facebook for my photography business, it has helped a lot over the last 12 months.

3. Do you let your children use social media and if so, do you have limitations/rules?

My older two kids are on Instagram. We are friends, so we see what they post. Their account is private, however, this doesn't stop random people from requesting them or messaging them. We have taught them to ignore requests from strangers and to be mindful of what they post. Never where they are, just the picture. I personally think my kids need some sort of exposure to the internet and social media. They need to learn what it is and how it can be useful, but also how it can be dangerous. Completely shielding them from social media doesn't really help to educate them. Growing up in a time where social media didn't exist really allows for me to see both sides. I am thankful that I never had to deal with bullying via the internet, (mind you, bullying still happens, just in different forms) and it's sad to read stories of children who are affected by it.

4. What was the most important thing you took away from the chapter/videos?

I confess that I did not read this chapter.

My apologies.
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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 8 (Working Things Out)
« Last post by MommaAshley on July 11, 2018, 02:10:30 pm »
Hey hey, sorry this is so late. I have been meaning to catch up and today is the day.

Here goes for Chapter 8:

1. How do you feel about stay at home moms versus working moms? Which are you?
I am currently a stay at home mom and a work from home mom. As I work toward building my client base up, I have to work from an in-home studio to save money for a future space. Exciting and more of a dream, but that's what I'm working towards. Being a stay at home mom is a lot of work and it's emotionally taxing at times. Most of my day is filled with doing things for other people, some of who may or may not actually appreciate what I do for them. I love that my babies have been able to grow up with me as their caregiver, but there are times when I crave adult interaction. I want to feel like I'm using my gifts and knowledge, like I'm part of something bigger than myself. And, while raising kiddos is sort of a big deal, I personally do not get a lot of gratification. I know it's my responsibility to care for them and to provide for them, so I do that. It's expected of me. I've been a working mother as well, even a working military mother. I've deployed and gone months without seeing my kids. This is grueling on the heart, but I do not regret any of my choices. Each choice has led me to where I am today. I know the pain of returning from a deployment and your child can not remember who you are, that hurts, a lot. So, I've been on both sides.

2. Do you think society has a negative outlook on stay at home moms, if so how do you deal with that if you are one, or if you want to be one or plan on being one someday?

I'm not sure that there is a negative outlook, but I do believe there is a misconception of what moms who stay home do. Because we are home, we tend to take care of all the housework and household responsibilities. When your spouse comes home, that doesn't stop. You don't "get of," when he or she gets home. Then it's dinner and bath and homework. It's non-stop. As a nursing mother, I even go throughout the night, I nurse 2-3 times, so I never get a full night sleep. I think we should respect everyone's decision, whether they work, stay home, or work and have no children. To each their own. We are the only ones who know what's on our heart.

3. If you are a working mom, do you put your family before your career? What does that look like to you?

I have always tried to put my family first, but with the military, that was almost impossible. I think there needs to be a healthy balance, though. You have to learn to equally invest in different aspects of your life. You should not have to settle career wise because you have a family and vs versa.

4. As a stay at home mom do you feel like you receive the recognition you deserve like you would in the work field? If not does that bother you and how do you manage that? What does recognition as a stay at home mom look like to you?

I probably don't, but that's because my kids just expect it all from me. The older ones are learning more each day what it takes to run a household. So they try to say thank you! Ha.

5. Do you feel like you put your career on hold to be a mom? If so discuss that, is that a regret in your eyes? Do you plan on going back to school/work one day? Do you have a plan that you and your husband have come up with?

Yes, I have put my professional life on hold for my children. A lot of that has to do with childcare costs, it's outrageous. It's not worth it for our family to work just to pay for childcare. I have tried to take classes here and there over the years, so that I don't miss out on life. Ha. If you stay at home for too long, you forget what it's like to have regular conversations an you find yourself saying, "no ma'am," to the grocery clerk.
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General Discussion / Chapter 11 Weaving Your Way through the Web
« Last post by Birdie on July 10, 2018, 06:16:00 am »
Hello Book Club Peeps,

Hope your week is starting off well.  I know that this book club has been a struggle to keep up with since it's summertime and we are all busy with our schedules, but I hope you all find some quick quiet-time to get some of the reading in this week!  This Chapter is all about social media and how we deal with it in our lives.  I think we all can relate to this chapter.  Because this book is older, it doesn't include all the updated social media out there, but I think the videos offer some really good advice.

1. How do you balance your life with social media?
2. How do you use social media in your life?
3. Do you let your children use social media and if so, do you have limitations/rules?
4. What was the most important thing you took away from the chapter/videos?

Hope everyone has an awesome week!   
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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 10 (The Family Banker)
« Last post by Birdie on July 07, 2018, 07:55:54 am »
Chapter 10 – Family Banker

Hey girlies!

Well I have to say that I’m definitely not the CFO in our family.  Back in the day, way back, I was the CFO assistant!  However, when I went to nursing school I gave up some of my Mom duties and that job was one of them.  Dad took that over and has kept up with it since then and he does an awesome job!  I definitely don’t mind not having that job, but the one thing I sometimes worry about is if something happens and I need to get access to our money and/or know what to pay.  I have no clue where all our money is or what our bills are – yes, I know that is sad and sounds really bad.  It’s not that Dad doesn’t try and go over all this with me (he has a spreadsheet with our budget, finances, and passwords, etc) but it’s so boring and I let it go in one ear and out the other.  I guess you can say that I completely trust him and his decisions with our life.

We have a monthly budget and we save A LOT right now.  Unfortunately when we were younger we spent every penny we had to make ends meet.  We definitely lived check to check.  We didn’t save for college or for our future retirement.  So, now that we are able to financially, we are packing away to ensure we have money when we retire – I mean, Social Security… will we even see that when we need it?? 

If I had to give someone advice financially, I would say it’s never too early to start saving. When you start young, a little bit goes a long way over time.  Participate in retirement plans and college funds and if possible invest in stock... every little bit counts.  Make a goal to have 3 months salary saved for emergencies or some unexpected event.  Combine your money once you are married.  I think, and this is my opinion, that when you get married you become one and therefore you should combine your finances.  You become a team and you should make financial decisions together.  If you don’t agree on things, talk it over and come up with a solution that you both can agree on.  I agree that, “in an age of spiraling debt and out of control spending, maintaining control of your family’s finances can be a critical component of your mental and spiritual well-being.” 

I have not always practiced stewardship, but do my best now to give back to the church every week.  I don’t give as much as I think I should, but I’m getting there.  I also give to other organizations so I feel like that counts as well.  I do think this is important to do as we are called to help others in need whether it’s giving to the church or an organization that helps those in need.  And, it’s not always about money either, you can help in other ways by giving your time, provide food for shelters, participate in an organization such as Habitat for Humanity – there are so many and so much you can do!   

Some things I picked up from the chapter that I love is when she talks about donating a piece of clothing when she buys something new.  I think that is a great idea and I have heard Heather from the Catholic Mom talk about this before.  This is a great way to help save you from sport shopping!  I also found the topic on Identity Theft interesting and scary!  But she gave some good advice on ways to prevent and protect yourself from identity theft.
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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 9 (Beating the Clock)
« Last post by Birdie on July 06, 2018, 12:11:05 pm »
Hello everyone!

I would say I have great time management skills.  I love “to do” lists and calendars.  I get so excited when I “cross out” things on my “to do” list!  I think having a list helps me to stay focused on what I have to get done.  If I didn’t have a list then I would get distracted from what really needs to be done. 

I think I struggle with wanting to do more than I can realistically accomplish in a day.  In the morning, I have all these great ideas of what I want or feel needs to get done, but then find that I don’t have enough time in the day to complete everything.  And when I can’t accomplish everything, I feel like a failure or that I’m not organized enough.  I hate moving a task from one day to the next day on my “to do” list! 
I find that when I focus on being a good wife and mom, my day goes much smoother and is more rewarding.  I can relate to the author when she mentioned about how being stressed makes her tend to neglect the most important things in life which is prayer, healthy eating and exercise.  Unfortunately, these three things are usually the first to go when we are overwhelmed and stressed out because we have too much on our plate.  But, these are things we should make a priority in our life especially during times of stress.  So, if that means shedding some of the things on our “to do” list or commitments we’ve made to keep what’s important in life a priority, then we should!

I try to take time each day to spend with God, usually mornings work best for me.  I love to get up early before anyone else and spend time in reading and prayer.  I find that when I do this, I am more at peace and can handle the tasks of the day with a grateful heart.  Over the last couple of months, I have not been consistent in my morning prayer and reading time and I can tell the difference in my attitude throughout the day.  I look forward to getting settled and back to my schedule. 

One thing I took away from this chapter is realizing not only the importance of organization and planning, but about what it is your planning.  Remembering what’s important in life and what we are here to accomplish.  St. Gianna says it best, “the secret to happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that he, in his goodness, sends to us day after day.” 
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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 9 (Beating the Clock)
« Last post by Birdie on July 06, 2018, 06:08:41 am »
Quote from: Jday1106 on July 02, 2018, 02:34:54 pm
I think I have awesome time management skills, I am blessed with being very organized and use my OCD and anal habits to my advantage. I am obsessed with the notes app on my iPhone and my planner, without these things my life would be chaotic and overwhelming. I am constantly making to do lists in my notes app, like in the book, I do short term and long term goals. Short term lists for me usually consist of daily things to get done, whereas usually my long term lists are more like projects around the house that I want to get done (landscaping, decorating a room, etc.) something I don't plan on knocking out in one day. What I try to do before I go to bed every night is make a to do list for the next day. I can say 100 percent that even knowing what I need to get done, if I don't make a list and free ball it the next day, I usually barely get anything done.

My planner I discussed is my brain. I love the monthly section. It's where I write down work days, paydays, when bills are due, any appointments/events/birthdays, and anything else I see fit for that month that I need reminding about. Without this I would be lost and probably overwhelmed.

I will admit that lately I have been doing bad in my time management department as far as getting my stuff I want to get done, done. And as you can tell from my first question reply, it isn't because I'm not organized. There was something in the book that stood out to me that I feel like was meant just for me to read, because like I've said I've really been struggling lately and feeling like my days are flying by without accomplishing anything, and I haven't understood why or what to do to fix it. But this really opened my eyes and helped me. "Despite many attempts at effective time management, nothing worked for me until I decided the important factor was God's intent for me, not what I wanted to accomplish. My true productivity has been found in discerning the responsibilities of my vocational call, and acting in fidelity. By doing so, God gives me the strength to get up in the morning with joy, the grace to fulfill my busy family schedule with stream-lined consistency, and grants peace to my day." After reading this, I thought about it, and my main priority lately has been decorating my house, it's all I can seem to think about. I'm not taking time anymore for prayer or my wifely duties around the house, but instead just using my time shopping and decorating and coming up with new things to do in the house. Now decorating my house and focusing on that isn't wrong at all, BUT if I'm neglecting my other responsibilities then there's an issue. So I need to prioritize and take time for prayer, my duties around the house, and then in the time I have left decorating.

My vocational calling is to be a wife as of right now. I think right now Andrew and I are doing good in this department, not perfect because I think marriage is constant work where we try to improve on areas. I try always to make sure on days off together we do an activity together, our favorite thing is going to a late lunch/early dinner I also work towards sitting down for dinner together every night. We hang out with neighbors on the weekends but I make sure to not let that be a 24/7 thing all weekend long and every weekend, I make sure to pass up events if I feel like Andrew and I haven't had much time to ourselves. And if there's an event I always try to make sure we go and leave together.

I definitely try to make time for God everyday, but I admit I've been slacking. I like to have morning prayer time with him, this is where I usually pray deeply for myself, Andrew, family, and people in my life who are struggling with something, this is also where I like to pray about where I may be struggling in life and where I may need improvement. There are numerous things I go over and it can lasts 30-45 minutes each day. This is one of the things I've cut out lately because I just haven't felt like I've had time, or I push it off to later in the day and never get to it, but it's something important to me that I know I'm missing and I enjoy that time and want to improve on making it a priority and making time for it. I also every day like to pray for each meal, anything throughout the day that stands out that I want to take a moment and recognize, and then at night I pray a short night prayer and pick three things to give thanks for.

Jen, what a great post!  You do a really good job at examining yourself and your actions and look for ways to improve!   
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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 8 (Working Things Out)
« Last post by Birdie on July 05, 2018, 06:36:19 pm »
Hello Peeps,

Better late than never I always say!  I have a lot of experience in the topic of this chapter, so here we go!

1.   I was always a working mom but I think being a stay at home mom can be a very rewarding job.  And yes, it is a JOB!  I know people say, “oh, so you don’t work it must be fun to stay home all day and do whatever you want!” Hey, I was one of those people!  But, I know that both can be very challenging.  The hard thing about being a working mom is the guilt you feel about being away from your children and have someone else basically raise them!  Also, you still have to make sure and get your household chores done when you get home or on the weekend.  I think the hard thing about being a stay at home mom is you never get a break!  You’re on the job 24/7 with no adult interaction and no “lunch break!” 

2.   Yes, I do think society has a negative outlook on stay at home moms.  I think society thinks, unless you have a job outside the home, it’s not a “real job!”  I think it’s wonderful if you are financially able to stay home with your kids.  I can remember when I grew up, it was okay to have dreams of being a mom and wife!  Now, if you said that, people would look at you like you’re an alien.  It’s, “oh, where are you going to college and what are you going to major in!”  Hurry up and get that professional job and work long hours and then they consider you accomplished.  I think it would do society good to have more “stay at home” moms in this world!

3.   Unfortunately, I think a lot of times I put my work first!  I hate to admit that but I did.  I would worry when the school called and I had to pick up a kid because they were sick. I thought about work and how it would affect my job instead of “oh my poor baby is sick, I’ve got to get there fast!”  Geez, that sounds awful when I put it in writing.  But yes, I did schedule things around my work and not my work around my kids and family.  I remember having to go back to work when Molly was only 3 weeks old or I would loose my job.  Thank goodness for Mrs. Lois!  Thankfully things have changed on that front and women are provided a longer maternity leave and companies are required to provide that for their employees.  Do I think I did the right thing or would I have done things differently.  Maybe, now that I am older and realize the things I missed out on, but I think in the moment you are just trying to survive and provide for your family and keep your job.  Love the quote from Mother Teresa, "It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters!"

4.   I hope every stay at home mom gets the recognition they deserve because it truly is a JOB and an important one at that.  You’re not paying someone to watch your kids and teach them the things that best comes from their parents.  And, I also hope that every working mom get the recognition they deserve because people forgot the household chores they have to do at night or the weekends because they are working during the day.

5.   I know some moms that have a college degree and had great careers and gave it all up to be home with their children when they are young and even until they graduate high school and go off to college.  Then end up going back to work, sometimes in the same field, but sometimes not.   

I hope I answered all the questions, I am doing my best to catch up on my chapter post.  I think if I had to say one thing about this chapter is, do what you feel is best for your family.  If that's working outside the home, then I say do your best and be proud of yourself!  If it's staying home and raising your children, then I say do your best and be proud of yourself!  The one thing I picked up along the way is, family is the most important because in the end, family remains and your work won't even remember you! Keep that in mind when you are making decisions about work and family! 
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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 8 (Working Things Out)
« Last post by Birdie on July 05, 2018, 06:21:26 pm »
Quote from: Jday1106 on July 02, 2018, 11:03:23 am
I'm going to be honest with question number one, and keep in mind that I am not a stay at home mom, so if one day I become one I may feel differently about my response I'm about to make. I think if I was a mom who stayed home full time versus a mom who worked, the stay at home mom sounds more appealing and definitely easier. I envy stay at home moms, I think it's an easy job, now I say easy but by easy I don't mean that it's a lazy job and you don't do anything all day, I just think the tasks you have to do are easier in comparison to other things, if that makes sense. Definitely a mom who stays home is going to have more time to take care of her tasks at hand then a mom who has to work. A working mom is going to have to be gone all day and then come home after work and catch up on her tasks that she wasn't able to do during the day because she was working. In that sense to me it's easier to just stay home and not have to work. But if I was to compare my life right now as just a worker with no kids and then looked at a stay at home mom, I think the stay at home mom sounds easier and more appealing. When I've had conversations with moms who work, I get different responses from each. Some moms say they could never just stay at home all day with the kids, it would be too boring for them, when I hear this I think they're crazy. On the other side I work with moms who say they would love to stay home all day with their children and not have to work but unfortunately they are unable to because of finances. I'm with this second group of people, I think if I was a mom I would want to stay home and not have to work. I definitely don't think I would get bored, I know as a non mother right now I have a million things around the house I can be doing on an off day to keep me occupied and add kids into the picture and I would have even more things to add to my list. Now the reason I said I think being a stay at home mom sounds easy is because I feel like they have all the time in the world to get things accomplished. Yes they have kids to take care of but they aren't having to go to work. When I think of not having to go to work it sounds so nice and stress free, I start to feel like time in unlimited and I'm not necessary on a timeframe of (oh gosh okay I just have these next two days off, let me see what all I can get done before these next three work days come up).

Now on the flip side, the few times I have had to babysit a baby or watch some kids, I do sometimes get a little overwhelmed because the kids need so much of my time. I think stay at home moms still have difficulties in accomplishing all the stuff they want to accomplish. I know you can't just take a shower whenever you want, or go to the grocery store, or do some chore around the house or run errands. I'm not saying it's an easy job as far as easy to get everything done, I just say easy in the sense of the actual things needing to be done are easy tasks (hopefully that makes sense). It's easier and less stressful to have to worry about when am I going to get the dishes and laundry done today versus I'm at work and my patient's blood pressure is way too low and they are screaming about needing pain medicine, I think I would rather deal with the first scenario.

I don't think I did a good job expressing how I feel about stay at home moms, but hopefully yall understand what I was trying to say. I personally think it would be easier to be a stay at home mom versus what I do right now. And I think I would enjoy being a stay at home mom more then doing the job I am doing right now. Although with that being said, I may have kids one day and decide to be a stay at home mom and say oh gosh this isn't for me, let me instead being a working mom. 

I think the hardest part of being a stay at home mom would be whether or not you are feeling appreciated. Your husband is at work all day, and you are at home all day (still working, but sometimes people don't think of it as work since you aren't getting paid), then he comes home and you're so excited to get a little break but instead he says I've been at work all day I just need a little break, this is where conflict comes into play, and if you don't have a supportive husband I would imagine there would be issues frequently. I don't have any kids and still sometimes this is an issue in our house. I get really frustrated sometimes because I feel like I have two jobs. I have a full time job at the hospital and then a full time job at the house, maintaining it, cleaning, laundry, cooking, going to the grocery store, etc.. The house stuff is an every day thing, and Andrew and I have very traditional roles, I do the inside stuff and he does the outside stuff (so let's be honest ladies, the women has way more things to do inside the house then the guy outside the house). I definitely feel under appreciated sometimes and can get very frustrated when I feel like Andrew is taking me for granted. Andrew and I have to stop and sit down and talk it out when I feel like this is happening, I have to remind him that hey look at all the things I'm doing on a regular basis, I have to remind him to make sure he is acknowledging it, that is really important to me and is what keeps me going and keeps me feeling appreciated. I don't need him to help me do things but I do need him to offer to help, especially if he notices that I'm doing a lot more then normal, or have something extra I'm in the middle of trying to accomplish. Having him offer to help is huge for me and just helps me feel supported.

I definitely think if you have a career and are a mom or a wife, you have to put family first over your career. This is huge for me and I think it's extremely important. There were times when I had to work night shift and I wouldn't see Andrew for two or three days because the way our schedule worked out, and I didn't like that at all. Even just recently when I started my new job a year ago, my shift was 11-11 and the same thing happened where it would be two or three days before I got to socialize with Andrew. I would physically see him when I got home from work, he would be in bed asleep, but I wouldn't get to have any time with him. I think it's important to make sure things like this never become permanent. Sometimes you have to sacrifice for a little bit which is okay but if you feel like it is going to be a permanent thing, it may be time to look for something else that suits your family life better. I think family first is so important. I like being home to cook dinner, and have dinner with Andrew, and just have some A and J time before bed to discuss our day and just socialize. I love not working on the weekends and be able to have the whole weekend to hang out with family and be able to go to church on Sundays. The job I have now is the perfect job for me, it suits having a family, which was very important to me.

Jen, loved reading your post!  I understand what you are saying about thinking a stay at home mom's job can be easier.   I think the one thing that makes it easier is that you are in charge of your day.  You decide when you do laundry or dishes, feed the kids, take them to the park - whatever it is, you make the schedule.  Working outside the home you are tied to your employers schedule and that can be frustrating. 
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General Discussion / Chapter 10 (The Family Banker)
« Last post by Jday1106 on July 04, 2018, 06:28:34 pm »
Hey ladies, I'm posting this chapter a day early since I have to work tomorrow and will be unavailable to do any book club activities. Let's everyone try to catch up with the chapters they are behind on by Monday July 9, this is when chapter 11 will be posted.

1. Who is in charge of your finances, you or your husband? Or do yall both share the responsibilities?

2. How do you manage your finances, do you have a monthly budget where you set money aside for certain things?

3. Do you have any advice on managing finances that you think works well or you have learned from?

4. Do you practice stewardship with your finances?  (giving back financially)
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General Discussion / Re: Chapter 9 (Beating the Clock)
« Last post by Jday1106 on July 02, 2018, 02:34:54 pm »
I think I have awesome time management skills, I am blessed with being very organized and use my OCD and anal habits to my advantage. I am obsessed with the notes app on my iPhone and my planner, without these things my life would be chaotic and overwhelming. I am constantly making to do lists in my notes app, like in the book, I do short term and long term goals. Short term lists for me usually consist of daily things to get done, whereas usually my long term lists are more like projects around the house that I want to get done (landscaping, decorating a room, etc.) something I don't plan on knocking out in one day. What I try to do before I go to bed every night is make a to do list for the next day. I can say 100 percent that even knowing what I need to get done, if I don't make a list and free ball it the next day, I usually barely get anything done.

My planner I discussed is my brain. I love the monthly section. It's where I write down work days, paydays, when bills are due, any appointments/events/birthdays, and anything else I see fit for that month that I need reminding about. Without this I would be lost and probably overwhelmed.

I will admit that lately I have been doing bad in my time management department as far as getting my stuff I want to get done, done. And as you can tell from my first question reply, it isn't because I'm not organized. There was something in the book that stood out to me that I feel like was meant just for me to read, because like I've said I've really been struggling lately and feeling like my days are flying by without accomplishing anything, and I haven't understood why or what to do to fix it. But this really opened my eyes and helped me. "Despite many attempts at effective time management, nothing worked for me until I decided the important factor was God's intent for me, not what I wanted to accomplish. My true productivity has been found in discerning the responsibilities of my vocational call, and acting in fidelity. By doing so, God gives me the strength to get up in the morning with joy, the grace to fulfill my busy family schedule with stream-lined consistency, and grants peace to my day." After reading this, I thought about it, and my main priority lately has been decorating my house, it's all I can seem to think about. I'm not taking time anymore for prayer or my wifely duties around the house, but instead just using my time shopping and decorating and coming up with new things to do in the house. Now decorating my house and focusing on that isn't wrong at all, BUT if I'm neglecting my other responsibilities then there's an issue. So I need to prioritize and take time for prayer, my duties around the house, and then in the time I have left decorating.

My vocational calling is to be a wife as of right now. I think right now Andrew and I are doing good in this department, not perfect because I think marriage is constant work where we try to improve on areas. I try always to make sure on days off together we do an activity together, our favorite thing is going to a late lunch/early dinner I also work towards sitting down for dinner together every night. We hang out with neighbors on the weekends but I make sure to not let that be a 24/7 thing all weekend long and every weekend, I make sure to pass up events if I feel like Andrew and I haven't had much time to ourselves. And if there's an event I always try to make sure we go and leave together.

I definitely try to make time for God everyday, but I admit I've been slacking. I like to have morning prayer time with him, this is where I usually pray deeply for myself, Andrew, family, and people in my life who are struggling with something, this is also where I like to pray about where I may be struggling in life and where I may need improvement. There are numerous things I go over and it can lasts 30-45 minutes each day. This is one of the things I've cut out lately because I just haven't felt like I've had time, or I push it off to later in the day and never get to it, but it's something important to me that I know I'm missing and I enjoy that time and want to improve on making it a priority and making time for it. I also every day like to pray for each meal, anything throughout the day that stands out that I want to take a moment and recognize, and then at night I pray a short night prayer and pick three things to give thanks for.

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