My Calling: The Homemaker

"...Do not grow weary in your mundane tasks. Mundane tasks are the hidden treasure to creating a home that is a haven." Women Living Well. Courtney Joseph

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27

Housework can't kill you, but why take a chance? Phyllis Diller

When it comes to "housework" I'm probably more like Phyllis Diller than the Proverbers 31 Woman. I'm a sweep the dirt under the rug kind of gal. Or just throw it in the dishwasher [I'm sure I can fit just one more thing in there and still get everything clean ...] I'm blessed with a husband who long ago agreed to divide the chores [it probably was his idea]. He cleans the house and is responsible for the outside stuff (like mowing & snow shoveling) and I cook, do the dishes and laundry. We have gone through seasons in our relationship that have changed this somewhat, but we always go back.

And now that I'm reading through Courtney Joseph's book Women Living Well (on sale October 1 -- pre-order for some awesome give aways!) I'm thinking about my various roles in our family, one is of course the "Homemaker." I struggle with that title. While I like to be home and hanging with my family, I am not a "stay at home mom/wife" person. I worried a lot about our move to Brookings because I thought I might have to stay home for awhile -- I'm sure that gave the Lord a good laugh as He had an amazing job opportunity planned for me. And made me profess my faith in that many times. Yet, I "get it," one of my responsiblities in my family is that of the house and making it our home.

As we prepare to move into a new home [and believe me, I am counting the days until we are there], I'm planning the ways to make it ours. Thinking about what do do in the girls' room to give it the jungle theme that Maggie would like. How to organize our towels [fixated on this for a while, not sure why]. Changing some of the closets to give us more storage. What will be the first meal I cook [thinking a nice crockpot full of chili] and how to get back to meal planning. Family walks around our new neighborhood, helping Maggie ride her bike, pulling Jessie in the wagon with probably 3-4 naked Barbies. Trick or treating in our new neighborhood [does Rusty get a costume]. What pictures go where. Breakfasts at the kitchen island. Watching movies and eating popcorn in the family room. Turning those walls, roof and floors from a house into our home. Into a place that, should we move again, I will hate to leave. A place that I will walk through and remember all the blessings that happened. Where we laughed and cried.

The mundane tasks are not just about who makes the bed or does the dishes. And sometimes they can be frustrating. Some mornings, you just don't want to make the bed. But sometimes, it's not about having a bed that looks neat and tidy. Sometimes, it's about taking that step outside of me.

Wait Training

As I mentioned before, I was recently invited to be a part of a book launch team for a new book by a Christian Writer, Courtney Joseph. I've been following her blog for some time. I don't agree with everything she writes about, but I enjoy her writing style and God has spoken to me through her posts in the past. When I saw the opportunity to be a part of the launch team, I decided to apply. The Lord has been doing some amazing things with our family since moving back to South Dakota. I feel like this is a way for me to give back to Him.

I read through the book last weekend and started back through this week to dig a bit deeper and look for ideas for posts. Today, I stumbled upon page 29: "Wait Training." We have spent the last few years waiting for God and wondering where we would go. The silence was deafening. We would pray, and got lots of Nos, but no Yeses. I kept hoping His plan would let us stay in Billings. We had a church, friends, a home we all loved. See, though I was asking for God to lead us, I kept trying to get Him on board with MY plan. God tried gentle nudges, then slight pulls, and finally a couple of two-by-fours "Trust me. Say Yes." So, finally I did. I willingly said Yes to whatever God had planned.

And here we are. He is blessing us beyond belief. His timing is perfect. And in our hindsight, we can see it. Paraphrasing Isaiah 40:30-31:

He has renewed our strength!

We have mounted up with wings like eagles;

We run and can continue

We walk and He keeps us up

I know I will need this reminder again (and again and again and again and ...) I often forget how wondrous His plan is and how much smoother life can be when I go along.

Keep following my blog for more details about a give away of an autographed copy of Courtney's book "Women Living Well." Posts specifically about the book will be shared in early October. Check out her blog for details about an awesome deal if your preorder her book today!

A Rose by Any Other Name ...

We are no longer Montanans. And there are A LOT of Daileys in South Dakota. So, I need a new name for this blog. Right now, I am not sure. I still love to keep track of what the girls are doing and write about them [and some day I really will get to that empty scrapbook that's in one of the boxes]. But I've taken to writing more prayers and faith based posts and I recently applied to be a part of a book launch team for a book written by Good Morning Girls founder Courtney Joseph. I will write more about that on early October. Rocky also got me the book "What Happens When Women Say Yes To God" by Lysa TerHuerst for my birthday. I've read through it and would like to go through it a little slower. I said Yes to God very recently [wouldn't be living in my in law's basement if I hadn't!!] and I think that it will be worth writing about how we have been able to see God's hand in big and little things. His timing is perfect.

For now, we will remain Montana Dailey news. I'm open to suggestions ...  

This Is My Real Life

Here we go. First week of school. Maggie in second grade and Jessie in preschool. How is this even possible? Both jumping back into this tenuous routine we have established, even temporarily until we can close on our old & new homes. [Which I cannot wait to get into our home here in Brookings, if only to have time in my day to sit and drink my coffee. Leaving the house at 6:45 a.m. does not leave much time for that.]

These pictures were taken as they/we were rushing out the door and are a little blurry, which says something about our life right now. We are living out of boxes and suitcases. I'm feeling a bit like a freeloader eating my in laws food, using their laundry [and Bonnie sometimes doing it for us]. Yet, I feel oh so blessed. The Lord has given us a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. Grandparents doting on their granddaughters in ways that they [and I] never imagined.

 

My prayer the beginning of this school year:

Bless us oh Lord

Let us be the parents you have intended for Maggie & Jessie

Watch over them in their new schools

Guide them to godly friends

Keep them physically and mentally safe from harm

Help them to make good choices

Help us to be their parent and not their friend

Show us what each needs to feel

Loved

Secure

Trusted

a blessed part of this family

And a princess of the King.



Moving

So here we are in South Dakota. Can't believe we are actually here. We are still waiting on the house to sell [prayers are MUCH appreciated for God to bless our house sale]. We are going to be staying in Watertown with Rocky's folks' basement with some stuff in Watertown, Brookings, Aberdeen and Wilmot. God is blessing our move -- I got a job offer from SDSU the same day I left Billings Clinic! We had a safe drive and have Maggie all set for school & after school. Now to get Jessie in day care.

We were blessed with lots of helpers in Billings and hope to have as many when we finally move into a house in Brookings.

Jessie checks out the moving supplies.

Maggie & Jessie check out the moving truck.

All the great helpers!

At Godfather's Pizza after.

Everything's packed up -- we are sleeping on the blow up mattresses (per Maggie's request)

Jessie & Maggie play with gummi bears on the drive to South Dakota

Taylor & Maggie in the truck after it's been unloaded (in Watertown and Brookings)

I Will Say To My Soul

Soul, be satisfied. Look around. Your faith has brought you here. You are blessed beyond measure. A new adventure. A loving husband. Bright daughters who make you laugh and delight. A roof over your head. Family who open their doors. Friends who give up a Saturday.

Be content. You have been blessed with much. So much more than you deserve. You have not gotten here on your own, but only by God's grace. 

Let go. This new adventure is a new chance. Take what you have learned and let the rest go.

This was based on a prayer writing prompt from Rachel Hackenberg. I wasn't sure if I was going to write a prayer from this prompt, until Pastor Tim preached on the same subject. I knew the Father was trying to speak to me through this.