Change of Plans

 

So Much for Staying Home! 😂

Well, I have a confession to make…

I told everyone I was going to stay home ALL weekend.

Apparently, I lied. 😂

Because this morning, we were up before 6:00 a.m. and heading out the door! We were going over to Brody and Savannah’s to watch Landon and Sophie while Lane had his football game. His game started at 8:00 a.m., and honestly, what better way is there to start a Saturday morning than getting to see some of your grandchildren?

I truly cannot imagine my life without all of our grandchildren. They bring so much joy, laughter, and love into our lives. Even when my plans involve staying home, sometimes Nana just needs a little grandbaby time.

Savannah and Lane got back to the house around 9:45, and then we headed to Marlow to make an important breakfast stop at Sonic. Super breakfast burritos and drinks were calling our names! We brought everything back home and enjoyed our breakfast before getting started on a few things around the house.

Mr. C had ordered some new black curtains for our bedroom to go behind the pretty red curtains we already have. And let me tell you…we like our bedroom DARK.

I always joke that we must be vampires because of how dark we keep our house! 🧛‍♀️😂

We don’t use light bulbs over 60 watts. EVER. A lot of that started because of the electrical load in our house. Higher-wattage bulbs seem to blow out quickly, so over the years we learned what works best for this old house.

And speaking of old…our house was built in 1981.

It’s funny how you become accustomed to things when you deal with them day after day and year after year. Things that might seem strange to someone else just become completely normal to you. That’s the beauty—and sometimes the quirkiness—of living in the same house for many years.

I also wrapped Savannah’s birthday present. It was a little awkward to wrap, but I finally conquered it! 😂 I’m going to use the same wrapping paper for Whitney’s birthday gift, too. I’m just waiting for the last part of her gift to arrive later today.

Then it was time for another Nana adventure.

I called Kendall to check in and see what time he wanted me to come out. I left the house around noon and went over to help clean up a little mess where some milk had been spilled. I also put a new pad and some towels down in his chair.

I stayed until about 1:45, and then I decided I wasn’t quite ready for my grandchild fix to be over.

So I called Sherry, Jessica’s mom, and asked if Brooks and Hattie were home and if I could come by for a visit.

Well…you would have thought Nana had arrived with a truckload of presents!

Brooks and Hattie were SO excited to see me, and that absolutely made my heart happy. ❤️

Of course, Nana Karen had to inspect all the toys, and I definitely had to see all of Brooks’ LEGO masterpieces. That boy is amazing with LEGOs! He builds some incredible things.

We played ball, and then Hattie “read” a few books to me. And honestly, those are the moments I treasure.

Nothing fancy.

Nothing expensive.

Just sitting around, playing, laughing, looking at LEGO creations and listening to a little one “read” a book.

Those are the memories that stick with you.

I finally left around 3:30 p.m.

So much for my quiet weekend at home with Mr. C! 😂

On the way home, I stopped at Taco Mayo and picked up a Mexicali Bowl for us to share. It is always so yummy! We really do eat out more than we probably should, but sometimes you just have to admit that somebody else cooking dinner sounds pretty darn good. 😂

I also stopped and picked up some shredded cooked chicken for a dish I’m preparing tomorrow, along with the ingredients to make a lemon Bundt cake.

Once we got home, we didn’t do much of anything else. We watched TV, talked, and just relaxed.

Aaron’s friend Larry W. called because he was concerned about Grandpa Kendall, so we visited for about ten minutes. Larry has become pretty close to Grandpa Kendall over the last several years, and it means a lot that he checks on him. I told him I would call if we needed anything.

Trevor called later, too, and I told him he needs to be calling Grandpa more often. 😉 While I had him on the phone, I also got his sizes for the 4.0 base layers I’m planning to get him for Christmas.

Now I just need to get Blake’s sizes.

And just like that, my “stay home ALL weekend” Saturday turned into a day filled with grandchildren, errands, chores, breakfast burritos, birthday presents, LEGO masterpieces, books, Taco Mayo, and family phone calls.

Would I call that staying home?

Absolutely not.

Would I do it all again?

In a heartbeat. ❤️

Because sometimes the best days are the ones that don’t go according to plan.

And sometimes Nana just has to admit…

She lied. 😂

Weekend Plans

Friday, A Little Bit of Everything—and a Lot to Think About

We finally made it to Friday! 🙌 And I am so glad!

I had already decided that this weekend, I am not going to do much of anything. No running errands. No shopping. No spending money I don’t have. 😂 I am perfectly content to stay home with Mr. C and hopefully knock out a few things that have been sitting on our to-do list.

One of those things is getting back to cleaning the sunroom.

That room gets SO hot, so with the weather finally starting to cool down a little, I think this weekend might be the perfect time to get back there and start working on it. I really need to go through my big, tall cabinet that is packed with craft supplies. I also have a pile of things that need to go to Goodwill, and thankfully, those are already separated and just need to be loaded into the vehicle.

My goal isn’t to completely finish everything this weekend. I know that cabinet may take me two sittings, and that’s okay. I just want to start it, make some progress, and hopefully get one more thing checked off our list.

Small steps still count.

Speaking of small steps, I also need to wrap Savannah’s birthday present that Brody has here at the house. I bought some pretty light green wrapping paper because green is her favorite color. And then I got to thinking…

Why buy more wrapping paper when I already have some?

I’m going to use that same green paper for Whitney’s birthday gift when I take it to her on the 19th for our company picnic. Whatever is left over, I’m going to save for Christmas. Add a red bow to it, and suddenly that green wrapping paper is Christmas wrapping paper! 🎄

It’s just another little reminder to use what you have instead of automatically buying something new.

Those little choices really do add up.

Maybe you’re saving two or three dollars here and a few dollars there. It doesn’t seem like much at the time, but that’s still money you’re not spending. And those little savings can build up faster than you think.

I’ve talked off and on for years about my cash envelope system. I know it’s not the way everybody does things, but it works for me. I don’t necessarily have a perfect rhythm to how much I put away, but I do know one thing:

I want to be more intentional about saving.

Every two weeks, I want to make sure that something goes into savings. No excuses. No “I’ll do it next time.” Something needs to go in there.

After everything we’ve been working on financially, I really want to start building that cushion back up. Even if it starts small, it’s still a start.

And sometimes, I think that’s the whole point.

Small steps. Big savings. One decision at a time.

This morning I also stopped by the bank and deposited some cash so I could get money over to Aaron for his commissary. And while we’re talking about real life, I have something else on my mind this morning.

Last night I went out to see Grandpa Kendall, my stepdad. I stayed about 30 minutes, and honestly, my heart broke.

I know he’s been on hospice. I know he’s not doing well. I know that we are at a point where there isn’t going to be a miracle recovery.

But last night he told me something I didn’t know.

Two weeks ago, he went outside and fell off the porch. He hit his head on one of the steps and lay there for hours and hours—through the day and into the night—before two men finally found him.

They even called MedFlight. He told me they didn’t think he was going to make it. So we are blessed with another day with him. 

And somehow, I didn’t know any of this had happened.

Nobody called to tell me.

I know there aren’t a lot of ties there anymore, other than the fact that he loves my boys. But I couldn’t help feeling like someone could have called and let me know what he was going through.

I asked him, “Kendall, do I need to start coming out here more often to see you?”

And his answer stopped me in my tracks.

He said, “Well, it depends on how many times you want to see me alive before I die.”

Okay.

Okay, Kendall.

I hear you.

Sometimes people don’t need a big speech. Sometimes they just need you to show up.

So I am going to do better about that.

I’m going back out Saturday. I’ll probably take him something to eat and spend some time with him. He told me his nurses come three times a week and stay with him for several hours, which makes me feel a little better knowing he’s not completely alone.

But I still need to go see him.

And I think I need to reach out to my boys, too. Kendall didn’t want me to tell them what was going on, especially Aaron, but I have a feeling that Aaron, Trevor, and Blake all need to know. They may not be able to physically be here—Blake is in Texas, Trevor is in North Dakota, and Aaron is three hours away—but I think they deserve the chance to know what is happening with someone who has loved them.

Life is funny.

I started this post thinking I was going to talk about staying home this weekend, cleaning my craft cabinet, wrapping presents, saving money, and trying not to spend money I don’t have.

And somehow, here I am talking about how quickly life can change and how important it is to make time for the people we love.

Maybe that’s what being intentional really means.

Not just being intentional with our money.

Not just being intentional with our homes.

But being intentional with our time.

Because money can be saved.

Craft supplies can be organized.

Wrapping paper can wait.

But time with the people we love is something we don’t get back.

So this weekend, I’ll probably still clean that cabinet. I’ll still wrap those presents. I’ll still try to save a few dollars.

But I’ll also make sure I take some time to go see Kendall.

And maybe that’s the most important thing on my weekend to-do list.

Please send prayers our way for Kendall. I know he’s not going to get better, but I’m praying for easier, more comfortable, more pain-free days than not. ❤️

And as always, thank you for stopping by my blog and spending a little bit of your time with me.

Karen

Living a Simple Life

Thursday Thoughts: Giving Myself a Little Grace

Well, here we are… Thursday already! 🙌

I knew this short work week was going to fly by, but goodness gracious, here we are at the end of it already. I only have about 16 more hours of work standing between me and the weekend, and honestly, that feels pretty darn good!

I had made myself a to-do list yesterday, and if you’ve been following along with my blog, you’ve probably already seen it. Did I get everything on that list accomplished?

Nope. 😂

But you know what? That’s okay.

I made the list. I have goals. I know what needs to be done, and I’m giving myself permission not to beat myself up because everything didn’t magically get checked off in one day.

So, my new goal is to have that list finished sometime between now and Sunday evening. That’s much more reasonable, don’t you think?

One thing I will be doing tonight is tackling that dryer. The clothes need to come out, get folded, and actually make their way to where they belong instead of continuing to live in the dryer. 😂

I also want to get my five work outfits together for next week. That one can happen whenever I have a little time this weekend.

And I have two pen pal letters that need to be written. I really want to sit down and enjoy doing those instead of rushing through them, so I’m hoping to carve out some quiet time for that.

I also need to pick up a few groceries. I was originally thinking about placing a small grocery pickup order, but honestly, I think I’ll just run into the store and grab what we need. It shouldn’t take long, especially since I’m only planning to spend a small amount.

Sometimes the simplest plan really is the best plan.

Work Is Going Pretty Good!

Work has actually been going well, too, and that is something I’m thankful for.

My goal right now is 12 saves a day, and yesterday I got 11. I’m not going to complain about being one short! I’m right where I need to be, and more importantly, I’m not behind and having to play catch-up.

That takes a LOT of pressure off.

I’m learning that sometimes being one save short of a goal isn’t a failure. It’s just… Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Or whatever day it happens to be. 😂

The important thing is that I’m staying on track.

What About Working From Home?

I tested my Starlink Wi-Fi yesterday, and I honestly think I could bring my workstation home and work from here.

But here’s the thing…

I don’t really want to.

I actually like having the structure of getting up, getting ready, and driving to work. I like leaving the house and going into the office. And I’m not 100% convinced that my internet connection would hold up under the workload we have at work with all the different programs we use.

The last thing I need is to be sitting at home fighting with my computer, internet, and five different programs while trying to save memberships. 😂

So for now, I’m going to keep driving to work.

If something changes and working from home becomes necessary, then I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

And honestly, there are bigger questions surrounding our building right now anyway.

We’ve got six air conditioners that are out, and from what I’ve heard, maintenance doesn’t want to repair them because it would put them way over budget. There are also rumors that the company may decide that the building is causing more problems than it’s worth and possibly pay the remaining three years on the lease and walk away.

Rumors are rumors, so who knows what will actually happen.

I’m just going to keep doing my job and let the powers that be figure out what they’re going to do.

A Little Financial Peace

One thing I do know is that having my car paid off has given me a different feeling about my finances.

If something happened with my job, I know I’d have to find something else, and I also know another job might not pay what I’m making now.

But I also know that Velvet is officially paid for, and that is a HUGE weight off my shoulders.

That car payment is no longer hanging over my head every month, and my plan is to put the bulk of that money into savings rather than immediately finding something else to spend it on.

That’s a pretty good feeling.

I’m not saying I have everything figured out. I definitely don’t.

But I feel like I’m building myself a little bit of a cushion, and that makes me feel more secure.

A Quick Stop After Work

After work today, I’ll be heading out to Grandpa Kendall’s to pick up Aaron’s money so I can get it to him.

I called yesterday, and I could tell he wasn’t feeling very good. I asked if he wanted me to come out after work, but he said tomorrow would be fine.

So tomorrow it is.

I also know that I need to make more time to go see him.

He’s on hospice, and that is something that weighs on my heart. Sometimes that 30-minute drive from my house feels like a lot after a long day at work. Sometimes I just don’t have it in me.

But I’m also very aware that time is something we don’t get back.

So I’m going to try to do better about making those visits happen.

I’m giving myself grace for the times I haven’t gone, but I’m also reminding myself that I can make a different choice going forward.

And maybe that’s really the theme of this Thursday.

I don’t have to do everything perfectly.

I don’t have to finish every item on my list in one day.

I don’t have to have every financial or work-related question figured out.

I just need to keep moving forward, one day at a time, and make the best choices I can with what I have.

And right now, I’m doing okay.

Actually… I’m doing pretty darn good. ❤️

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have 16 hours of work standing between me and my weekend! 😂

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner of the internet. I hope y’all have a wonderful Thursday and an even better weekend.

Leave me a comment down below and tell me what’s on YOUR weekend to-do list. I’d love to hear from you!

Cheers,
Karen 🥂