Hello friends, and welcome to the blog!

I hope you had a good weekend. Ours was good, but tiring. Instead of our normal Sabbath routine, we drove my son to Nashville to a bluegrass convention. I’m glad we did it because it was a blessing to him. But goodness, I am tired! We visited a couple of attractions while there, and it was a long day before he was ready to be picked up.

On Sunday morning, we woke up bright and early to run ten miles. Yeah, probably not the smartest thing to do after a long day beforehand. To be honest, I’m ready to take a nap! But I think we are definitely ready to run our scheduled half marathon in early March. I’m so excited to have reached this point.

After so many years of not being in a good exercise routine, I’ve realized that I need to make it “fun” and have goals to stick with it. Signing up for races and running with my husband have really helped me to stay motivated. Yesterday one of my oldest daughters also ran with us for a while, which was very fun. It is nice to know that a pretty finishers medal is waiting for me once I finish a race, and I can listen to music while jogging each week. These little things make it very enjoyable.

Sometimes it helps to apply this same concept to other areas of our lives. Perhaps our cleaning routine is lacking. Maybe give yourself the reward of reading time once you are finished, or a small dark chocolate. Whenever I knead bread by hand I “reward” myself by watching a YouTube video on my phone during the process. I look forward to this time now!

Perhaps your homeschool needs a little bit of a recharge. Applying this same concept can work here, too. Make homeschooling more enjoyable by choosing a curriculum that fits the needs of your children. Try to incorporate games and activities into your day if you can, and offer small rewards for completing work from time to time. All of these things can really motivate my children.

Life doesn’t need to be boring. Make it fun!

I’m excited for everything that may happen this year. The Lord is so good, and I’m grateful for all of the things in my life. Even the stuff that needs a little motivation for me to complete.

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today. Let’s remember to serve our home and family well!