Say No, Say Yes

 

Last week I said NO to:

 

Inviting some friends over for an impromptu pool party

 

 

So that I could say YES to:

 

Baking and cooking for the 4th of July parties we were attending, being prepared in advance, stress-free!

 

 

Last week I also said NO to:

 

Answering the phone during busy times of the day

 

 

So that I could say YES to:

 

 

Being present with my kids during critical times of the day when they need to be doing chores/school

Say No, Say Yes

Abigail and Katrielle, both 3, enjoyed helping my friend Amanda, Abigail's mom, make lemonade when she came over for a pool party one afternoon.

 

This week I didn't say no when I should have.  I received lots of unexpected phone calls during the 9-11am time slot nearly every day and instead of ignoring them and using the best hours of my day to get a lot of things accomplished, I answered them and ended up regretting it as it sucked up lots of time that I should have spent elsewhere.   I wish I had said "No!" to the phone so we could start our mornings more peacefully and so I could have helped my kids more with their schoolwork.  Realizing my mistakes this week, next week I hope to do better!

 

 

This week I did say NO to:

 

Staying up late and having some time all by myself

 

So I could say YES to:

 

Encouraging my husband to get more rest by going to bed earlier so he will go to bed earlier

 

Say No, Say Yes

In order to embrace the best, sometimes you have to say no to that which is good.

 

 

This week I said NO to:

 

Going to parks, visiting friends, and social events

 

So that I could say YES to:

 

Getting tons of laundry done that had been piling up for a while thanks to some new clothing people gave us

 

 

I also said NO to:

 

A photo job which might have brought in a lot of money, but would have been very stressful

 

 

So that I could say YES to:

 

A simpler December so that I can be a better parent and wife (my husband got a new job and Dec. will be his busiest month so I will be doing a lot of solo-parenting)




I also said NO to:

A clean living room


So that I could say YES to:

The kids being creative with paper on a rainy afternoon
(Jeremiah is pictured above with The Mayflower and some British ships he made)

 

 

Say No, Say Yes

 

 

This week I said NO to:

 

 

A cleaner house

 

and

 

A calmer schedule

 

 

So I could say YES to:

 

Helping throw a double-surprise party for a friend's birthday party and another friend's baby shower

(What a fun time!)

 

Attending a family reunion in the mountains so I could see family

(Pictured above is my silly Uncle Paul and my cousin Ashlee and Aunt Suzee, people who are extremely precious to me!)

 

 

 

I also said NO to:

 

 

Yard sales that I drove past on Saturday morning

 

 

So I could say YES to:

 

Fewer things in my home to manage and clean

 

 

Say No, Say Yes

I love this picture because it looks like our bunny, Magellan, is praying!

 

 

 

In order to choose the best over the good,

 

This last week I said NO to:

 

Buying everything in sight at the CC Bookstore at Practicum

(believe me, it was tempting!)

 

So I could say YES to:

 

Less clutter

 

Less guilt (if I paid for the workbook then I have to do it, right?)

 

Less financial worry/friction between my husband and I

 

Sharing with friends in my CC community who have different resources and books than I have

 

 

 

I also said NO to:

 

Starting up a little summer-schooling with my kids today as I had hoped

 

So I could say YES to:

 

Having them plant a little garden with my mom (science lesson!)

 

Going to the weekly Prayer/Card Ministry at our church, which I love being a part of and encourages those going through hard times

 



Say No, Say Yes

 

 

This week I said NO to:

 

Some of my evening alone time

 

 

So I could say YES to:

 

Spending some one-on-one time with my daughter

 

 

 

I said NO to:

 

Some of the less-important items on my to-do list

 

So I could say YES to:

 

A more peaceful day and more time with my kiddoes before I leave for a CC practicum

 

Say No, Say Yes

 

 

We say "No" to the good things so we can say "Yes" to the best things.

 

 

This week I said NO to:

 

Time on the computer

 

 

So I could say YES to:

 

Reading stories on the couch cuddled up with this little boy who loves attention

 

 

I also said NO to:

 

A cleaning job that would have brought in $40

 

 

So I could say YES to:

 

More time with my husband this weekend since our time with him is rare these days as he's working two different jobs in two different towns