{ On the go all.day.long }

I like to think that I'm easily adapted to change, at least in my family I seem to be one of the few who doesn't freak out when things completely change or routines fly out the window.  You know I'm learned over the years that sometimes life will throw you for a loop and you can either adapt and roll with it, or you can fight and complain and be absolutely miserable.



With that said, I did have a pretty good routine in place, things I did every morning, at certain times and so on.  When Jasmine got her job it all flew out the window because she is not yet driving, and so it falls to me and her dad to pick up the slack of getting her to and from work......mostly to me, because my husband works full time too.

We've figured it out, I will drive her to work, and as things stand with her schedule, she gets off at different times each day, but so far they'll mostly be around the time my husband gets off work too and he is closer to her work, so he just grabs her on the way home.

Today was the first day of a full work day for her.  As we're currently just a one vehicle family, I had to take hubby to work at 7am, come back home, quickly do dishes and make the bed, start some laundry, make my daughter's lunch and then back out the door to drop her off.

She works 20 minutes from home, so not too bad.    That thing about change though?  On the way this morning, we were on the highway and she informs me that she forgot her lunch.  Oh boy!!!

I don't really carry cash on me, and she didn't have any on her either, so I quickly had to come up with a plan.  I dropped her off at work, ran back down the street to Walmart to buy her a lunch box, a sandwich and a drink, then back up to drop it off for her.

By the time I got home it was 10:50am.  I only had enough time to throw dinner in the crockpot before I had to run back out to fetch my husband for lunch so that he could come home, eat something quickly, then head back to work with the truck so that he could pick her up after work.

Once he was gone, I finally had time to get into my housework.

One of the first things I did was clean out front, it just seemed to get so messy out there, especially with the high winds we've been having the past few days.  I also grabbed some firewood and started a nice warm fire.

Did I mention yet that it was really cold today?

Well, cold to us here in Texas, which was 20's.  I'm sure to all those of you in lower temps, this is quite nice.

I was once asked if I ever get bored being a homemaker, and I can honestly tell you, NO.

There is always something to do around the house, especially in a country house like ours, and aside from the inside chores, there's always something to be done outside too.

You know funny enough, it took me a while to be able to start a fire, I was never really good at it and would get quite frustrated because no matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn't catch.  Now, I can build a pretty good fire and keep it going too.  Nothing better on a cold winter's day.

The Christmas cards have started trickling in.  I'm so happy to see them on my piano.

Tomorrow is actually the day I have set aside to write mine up and get them ready for the mail, it's one of those holiday tasks that I quite enjoy doing.

I did some schooling with Nick, tidied up and picked up here and there, and then made myself a nice cup of hot tea.  My favorite tea is from back home in South Africa, Five Roses.  My oldest brother brought me a box when he visited in 2015, and I've only today finished the box, I've made it last that long.  Last year when my youngest brother came to visit, he brought me a box as well. Thank Goodness!!!

I made Nick some tea as well with my Winter syrup because he's the one down with a cold at the moment.  Also gave him some cold meds and chatted a little with him, and before I knew it, it was time to get started on dinner, or rather, finish up dinner which had been cooking away in the crockpot.

All I needed to do was make some spaghetti noodles and a side salad.  But when I go grocery shopping, there are certain things I do to make it easier on myself, mainly food prepping, but because I was still sick this weekend I didn't get around to it.

So while the spaghetti cooked, I made the salad.  I chopped up an onion, and only added half to the salad, the other half I put into the ziploc bag that I have in the freezer with chopped yellow and green peppers.  I love having this mixture ready to add to stews or soups.

I also chopped up some kale, placed it in a ziploc and popped it in the freezer too.

Lastly, I chopped up a bunch of fresh parsley and cilantro for my mixture that is already in the freezer.  Honestly, I use this for a ton of my recipes, chili, soup, roast, spaghetti sauce, meatballs and all sorts.

I washed all the dishes as I went so that there would be nothing left in the sink overnight.

By the time Curt and Jasmine got home from work, the table was set, and dinner was ready to be enjoyed.  It was one of our favorites, and actually one of my most liked recipes on Pinterest and on the food blog....Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan.

Best tummy filling meal on a cold day like today.

We sat and enjoyed our meal, chatted about Jasmine's day and enjoyed not only a delicious dinner but the warmth crackling of the fire.

Life is not always perfect, things don't always go as you would like, but it's moments like these that make me sigh with contentment.

I'm an easy girl to please, I don't ask for much but to be surrounded by those I love the most.

I'm sitting now, tired from being on the go all day, but it's a good kind of tired, it's the kind that comes with a sense of accomplishment

And so, though my routines and schedules are going to be very much different for a while, I embrace it because it keeps be on my toes, and it keeps me busy and gives me a renewed sense of purpose.

See, when the children are young and needy it's up to you to be at their beck and call, and at the time you complain and catch yourself often saying that you can't wait for them to fend for themselves.

Then they grow, and suddenly you're not needed as much as you once were, and for a mother who has devoted her whole life to raising those children, it can feel quite unnerving and overwhelming, and so now I see this current phase as another way for me to once again be needed and do what is required or asked of me, to help my children in their new chapter in life.

So yes, I will be driving my daughter and husband back and forth, and it will mean constant busy days, but that's ok, I am happy for her and I'm happy for us as a family, it's just another chapter we are embarking on.