30 in 3

You've probably seen those 3 in 30 posts--
About the 3 in 30 Challenge.

3 goals in 30 days.
Convicting, encouraging, inspiring.
Someday I will do this.

Well....

Our 3 oldest kiddos will be gone for 3 full days this week...

So--I'm going to change things up a bit and aim for--

30 in 3.
30 goals in 3 days...
How's that for ambitiously unrealistic?

The 30--

1. Finish potty training Lydia (I've been sending mixed messages since January.  She's basically got it, but I periodically stick her back in pull-ups for the convenience factor of not using porta potties at fairs...or when I'm at the far end of Costco and am too lazy to leave my cart and run for the nearest restroom.)  It's time to get serious...

2. File my growing to-file-pile

3. Re-organize the school room (didn't we just do this???)

4. Unpack the kids' backpacks from the last school year (We've heard that report cards are even buried in there somewhere.  I attempted this last week, but got distracted by the life-time-supply of moldy string cheese sticks that Someone had been storing in a zipper pocket.)

5. Take on the I.R.S. (Because we're still battling it out for the adoption tax credit...but that's a whole post in itself.  Now they want copies of checks from back in 2007 from our bank which no longer exists and a copy of our daughter Selah's social security card, which I've already explained  we don't have because she died before they issued it. Are you sensing my frustration?)

6. Update the chore charts for the next school year (We tend to shift chores with seasons...and my friend Jenn created a blank-chart-document that I can use to replace our handmade charts. Someday I will figure out how to link to documents that I can share for downloading.  But that would be 31 in 3 and that might be pushing it just a bit.)

7.  Catch up on laundry (Our dryer broke last Friday and I have at least 10 loads of wet clothes sitting in baskets.)

8. Have a date night with my guy  (Actually a date-over-night at the Heathman in downtown Portland.  We haven't stayed there since the night we were married almost 15 years ago.  Lydia will spend the night with some friends and we're getting away for next to nothing, because our 9 year old won the Sand-In-The-City-Downtown-Pioneer-Square-Hawaiian-Olympics (little did we know....he has great hula-hooping skills). He came home with a bottle of wine, a $200 night stay at the Heathman and $100 towards their restaurant.  We talked him into a trade.)

9.  Read more of Hanna Coulter (I haven't read much fiction in the past few years, but I'm really enjoying Berry's book.)

10.  Put photos into photo albums (The summer photos are stacking up.)

11.  Go see The Help (It'll be interesting to see how the movie compares to the book.)

12. Exercise daily (...for all of those days...er...um...weeks...this summer that I didn't.)

13.  Get my blog posts uploaded to The Better Mom (As in... "I need to be a better mom"  not "I think I am a better mom"  Clearly.)

14.  Figure out a hair plan (I've hit that strange stage of I-want-to-keep-my-natural-red-hair-color-but-it-can-no-longer-be-natural-but-I-want-it-to-look-natural...sigh.)

15.  Fix our missionary map board (A tornado of two-year-olds came through and it needs some help.  This is what it's supposed to look like.)

16. Read my Bible without feeling rushed (I can't wait for this one.)

17.  Enjoy some one-on-one time with Lydia (This will probably involve french fries.  And I'm beginning to notice how much our big kids entertain their little sister.  I'm not sure I can be quite that entertaining.  She's going to really miss them.)

18.  Go through the kids' closets and pass on clothes that no longer fit (We've had too many discussions lately where I try to convince them that a very loved item of apparel no longer fits...is really too small...really.)

19.  De-weed the garden (I can't write "weed the garden" because of Amelia Bedelia.)

20.  Plan an upcoming baby shower with friends (Janet--if you are reading this...we do have plans...and once again...I'm remembering that I forgot to remember to email you about all the talk that has been going on behind your back about a shower :)  Just know--we do realize that you're due in SEPTEMBER!!!!)

21.  Take our new camera out of the box (The one we purchased in June???  Why am I so intimidated by new technology and instruction manuals?)

22.  Update my itunes sermons (I love listening to Chandler and Piper while cleaning, but I'm about six months behind right now.)

23.  Clean out the bug cages (Our non-breeding Hissers just delivered their third batch of babies.  Please don't send "Congratulations".)

24.  Plan for our school's Secret Pal program (I'm supposed to be the coordinator, but did a terrible job getting it organized last year and want to be prepared before school this year.)

25.  Dust (...probably my least favorite cleaning job. We have WAY too many small woodland creatures collecting dust over here.)

26.  Take a walk with a friend (During the school year, I get a walk/talk almost daily, but it's difficult during the summer.)

27.  Have an in-house-Thai-Food-date with my guy (and Lydia--who LOVES Thai Food almost as much as we do.)

28.  Figure out how to use meta-tags in blog posts (Again...a little overwhelmed by all of the technology and anything that involves anything related to whatever "html" is.)

29.  Pray for the sweet Raby Family (This special family has become close to my heart...medical concerns with their biological kiddos in the midst of a heart for adoption...their little guy Ethan was just diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (a bone marrow disease) and will need a transplant.  Their faith and trust through the deep, deep heartache is so honoring to God.)

30.  Miss our kiddos while they're over in Bend having so much fun that they won't even give missing us a second thought (thank you Gramma and Grampa.)


And there ya have it...
My plans for--

30 in 3

Now to write a big--
LORD WILLING
across the top.

Because He may have something totally different on the agenda for this week.

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