Recently my days have been filled with recognizing all of the ways that I passively just let things control my moment, day, week, month, well  you get it...my life. Facebook, Pinterest, reading, texting, researching various things was slowly taking over my life one moment at a time and I just recently realized the extent to which I'd lost control of these things. Needless to say, I got a good dose of being disgusted with myself and realized that just as much as my children need training, discipline and limitations, so do I. 

So I bit the bullet and put some guidelines in place.

No Facebook, yup, that's right. I've had it since high school and this is the first time that I've ever gone off. And off I am. It was very quickly the first thing to go as it's simply the thing that was sucking the most time and having no real positive return in my life. The few benefits that it did have were just that...few...it let me keep in closer contact with people that I love but when I stopped and realized it, those are the people that I still actually keep in contact with OUTSIDE Facebook. As fun as it is to share everything with those that are hours and worlds away from me I was filled with conviction when I realized that I knew what was going on in the lives of people 9 hours away from me but I couldn't tell you a THING about almost all my neighbors. How is that "being in the season you are in" or "loving your neighbor"? It's not (And yes, I realize that all people are our neighbors in the larger sense of the word but really? Come now, let's stop using that excuse from actually knowing the people who fit the true definition of the word. THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE LIFE RIGHT BESIDE YOU!). I've also been continuously pouring into the lives of the people that I used to go to church with so much more then then people that I now go to church with. Backwards and so wrong? You bet. So in summary, Facebook surely isn't an evil thing but in the hands of a person (me) who isn't able to use it in healthy ways and doses it certainly needs to be cut off.

Pinterest, oh sweet, beautiful, inspiring thing that you are. You are in the same category except you CAN actually help me! You've got some great ideas that truly can benefit me and my family. However, without some guidelines it turns you into a chronic dreamer and a scarce do-er. Specifically in the realms of recipes, DIY projects, gardens, cleaning tools, etc (not the dream vacations, funny quotes and such) you know...the things that when you see them you think "now that's what I NEED TO DO!" and you never do it. You just keep pinning away. My new guideline? In order for me to pin something new I MUST complete one of the things that I've already pinned. Want to pin a recipe of that fantastic chocolate cake? Then go and make that cheesecake you pinned last week. Simple as that. As of last week I hadn't done ANY of the things that I had pinned, since instituting this policy two days ago, I've completed three. 

Reading the news and research for a season was my "down time". However it slowly turned from reading real articles to ones about famous people's lives that had NOTHING to do with mine and had no benefit for me. They do not live within my sphere of influence so why am I investing in "knowing" what they do? Wrong Wrong Wrong, Jennifer! No more "fluffy" news, if I'm wanting to find something out it's got to apply to me actually being educated on something. Finance, business, politics, history, etiquette, parenting, exercise, science, dare I say...The Bible?!!?...you know LEARNING.

People, the results have been ASTOUNDING and it has been two days. TWO. That's it! My time is wide open for relationships, teaching my children, reading REAL stuff, exercising more, being super fun, romantic and creative with my darling husband, my house is WAY cleaner, I'm praying loads more (which was pathetically low and my spirit knew it and could FEEL it) and I am so much more satisfied with myself. I have a sense of pride and worth because wouldn't you know it I'm actually being purposeful about doing things ALL the time (not just 50% which I would honestly say I was at) that are actually WORTH WHILE!

*big sigh* *steps off my soap box*

Now, thank you all for reading...now I'm off to read a chapter of Dave Ramsey's book, make some more General Tso's chicken (you heard it I made some Chinese food yesterday, and it was so good I'm making some more! Oh and yes, to perfect it as well!), research and implement some cleaning techniques to be on top of bathroom mildew and scum, call a friend and actually talk to her on the phone (woooah, baby! what an idea, Jennifer!) Read a chapter out of Emily Post's Etiquette book, and do some basic sewing. And I'll be praying for Andrew and my families (the are the topic of the day!) throughout it all! And now, I'm OFF! 

p.s. I also haven't really blogged in just about forever and now I have the time to? Whaddoyaknow!? 

Today marks one month with little Levi. I could tell of his birth or perhaps how fantastic life has been with him in it. I could even dig into the regresses of my drafts and try and finish the birth story of Brielle and Aurora, but that’s not what I’m going to write about now. It’s a letter that I’ve been working on for a while now titled “Dear Africa”. Here it is…

Dear Africa,

            I’ve heard of your absolute beauty both in nature and in the hearts of your people. There has been a long history of tragedy in your countries and for that I’m deeply sorry. I know that there are many thousands of people in this world that dearly love and adore you. I even have close friends who made an awesome video featuring parts of you (uganda23.com) But I’ve got a bone to pick with you.

Honestly, as of late I’m not impressed with you. I was when you gave our family the most beautiful brown baby girl ever.  Me? I was your biggest fan (well, probably besides her parents and new siblings that is…). That was two summers ago, you've been slipping from favor ever since then. Wanna know why?

You have my sister-in-law, Emily. You’ve had her for the births of all THREE of my children and as if that wasn't horrible enough you keep her there for much to long so these babes are pretty much adults by the time she even meets them (exaggerating maybe just a little on that one…). Granted I know that you need her more than I do, but I’m sure that I could make a good case against that some days. I just had another little baby and I’d so like for them to meet and so I can selfishly have her here with me too. I miss that girl crazy. So, I’ll be frank with you now.

You have our Emily. Kindly give her back please or on one of my weak days I’ll probably go all tazmanian devil on you, alright? You know how destructive that can be as the thing was created in Tazmania and all. So, that’s it. Thanks.                       

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Jen Haas

P.S. Central America…you are dangerously flirting with this line as well with my Anne Girl. Back off. You’ve been warned. 

Boy, our days have been filled with lots of joy, activity and TRAVEL!! 

We spent an amazing week in Italy with half of the Haas clan celebrating the college graduations of Emily and Jon. We saw the marvels of Rome, the beauty of Florence, and the (I don't have enough adjectives to describe) AMAZING, WONDERFUL, FABULOUS Venice. We ate some of the best food I've ever tasted, walked on some of the most historical places in the world and saw the newest and best fashion this world has to offer. 

However, we are now home and that hasn't stopped us from being on the go go go! The day after we got back we jetted up to Bear Creek for a Father's Day out for Andrew where he spent and some guys went romping around quadding for hours, and I dare-say these Dad's certainly deserved the break. Back down to Philly the very same night and to a VERY disastrous looking apartment. 

This weekend is just as crazy! Tonight we have our beloved friends, the Lange's coming to spend the night and they as well as I leave in the wee early hours of the morn. Yes, you heard that correctly. Mama's first time leaving her babes and man at home. I will be flying out to Kansas City celebrating my dear friend, Laura Fox, who is getting married in just over a month and it is going to be the best ever. Fortunately for Andrew, a few sibs of his are coming down to spend time here with him, help out with the girls and help put in a massive AC unit that will hopefully cool down our entire 2nd floor apartment. 

I fly back home arriving around 1am on Monday morning and not much time will be spent sleeping as we have our first ultrasound of pregnancy #2 where they will tell me that I am definitely only having one child this time and should they tell me otherwise...well...I shall probably pass out for a bit and then we'll figure it out from there. Having three little babies is going to be busy enough, four...my head probably explode. And by little, I mean little. Our girls are still the tiny little bits that they look like to be in pictures and due to a lack of nutrients (next time I get pregnant while nursing twins I'll make sure to more closely monitor just how much breastmilk I'm actually producing) it hasn't helped out matters. They actually have lost a bit of weight, fortunately though they are back on track and they certainly didn't slow down developmentally. These girls are crawling like crazy, pulling themselves up and trying to stand on their own all while being under 13 lbs each. Aurora is 12 1/2 and Bri is a pound under that. Tiny? Told you so, I've known babies that were born weighing more than that...now imagine them crawling, trying to feed themselves, and saying "Da da" and "Mom ma". It's kind of freaky. But don't worry, we're on a mission...Butterball Baby Sting-Op. 

And July 4th weekend? North Country HERE WE COME!!!! I'm just about jumping out of my shoes excited (and so is my Mom) to see everyone and I have a sneaky suspicion that Andrew and I won't be holding our girls at all :)