The Weekly Ramble 8/5/23

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a selfie of jessica in the old office.

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Oy. It’s been a week. I’m not sure why I’m tired…

I’m getting lots of sleep. We act like old people already, going to bed around 8 most nights. This is because Fish’s alarm goes off at 4:30 and my Fitbit (set for 5, but with “smart wake”) goes off at 4:39 pretty regularly in between sleep cycles. Ideally, I’m out of bed by 5 to read Bible and to journal.

All this to say, I’m getting a solid 8-9 hours each night.

I’m eating well. Really well. I started counting macros 2 weeks ago and it’s been a gamechanger! I’ve lost 4+ pounds, which I guess is bad (who says that?!), because my Carbon app has increased my calories each week saying that I’ve lost weight too quickly.

Tracking macros has actually been quite freeing. After years thinking carbs were bad for me, I’m eating and enjoying food — without guilt.

So, not starving myself. Check.

I’m hydrating. I have two great non-sweating water bottles/tumblers that I fill regularly throughout the day and night.

I’m exercising. I’m lifting weights five times per week and averaging 7k steps every day. While my lifestyle doesn’t feel “active”, it’s not as sedentary as it once was.

I think I’m emotionally tired.

I’ve been doing EMDR therapy for the last couple months working through childhood PTSD. That has been freeing, but also tiring.

We’re moving, too.

The move is not just a move. It’s a doubling of our rent (from $2400 to almost 5k/month) in a year when our joint income is down about 20% over previous years.

So, I’m processing the past as well as the present and future while also trying to figure out how to save money in areas besides rent and how to make more money.

We haven’t yet exhausted our earning or saving potential, so that’s good, but figuring out next steps feels like a lot.

Finding a new place has been challenging.

When we’re not dodging all the SCAMS online, it’s a little treasure hunt to find a place for 7 people, four of whom work/school from home, and the other three who all do significant work at home in the pm hours.

Many rentals currently available don’t want us to apply until we’re two weeks out of from our move date. Our landlords can give us a few extra weeks but they don’t want to let us out early.

If we find something good, we have to make the hard decision to pay for an overlap of rentals. It’s not something my money mind wants to do, but at the same time it may become necessary.

On the plus side, rent prices are dropping because the market is saturated. In fact, Fish and I just did a little text math. A house we’re watching has dropped the price enough that over the course of a year it’s a savings equal to one month of our current rent.

In one way, that’s a wash if we took it a month early. We both feel antsy when we compare this particular house we’re watching with other options in the same price range. It’s a good deal. And it’s big. And pretty.

We’re praying today… especially since he texted a picture that says, “I trust the next chapter because I know the Author.”

It’s true. God provided this house 14 years ago when I didn’t even want it. I’d objected to it when we first saw it, but it was still available 2 months later when we had to get something.

Turns out it was the perfect place to raise a large family. . We currently live in a very large home with lots of space for the kids to spread out. The cul-de-sac and the neighborhood park made up for the lack of backyard. And the rent has increased a total of $100 over 14 years.

If God could do that, I know He has a good plan in mind. Thank you for praying for our decision!

jessica sitting on floor of office surrounded by papers to sort.

And then there’s the stuff! I started decluttering my office in July, but got really bogged down in all the paper. Remember how I said I was eliminating paper clutter? Well, I’ve got a plan to eliminate NEW paper clutter, but I’m still dealing with the old stuff and it’s paralyzing.

Plus!! We have five amazing people kids living with us…. a young IT professional, two college students, a high school senior and a high school sophomore. (For long time readers, they are FishBoy22, FishBoy21, FishBoy19, FishChick16, and FishChick14.)

Being available to them is important…as the boys figure out adulthood and the girls finish high school and head into the college years, I’m still their mom.

We still homeschool, though it’s gotten much easier these last few years. I’ve outsourced a lot of high school to an online classical school where the courses are set up university style. It’s been a good transition from meeting mom’s deadlines to meeting someone else’s.

This year our college senior will also be taking a community college course each semester and applying to college. And of course, there were glitches in her paperwork that needed sorting before she could register for a class.

I’ll be driving her to class (currently a 30-minute commute each way) and finding a space to do my own work, but there are lots of details to figure out for the new school year. Amid all the packing.

I guess we know why I’m tired now, don’t we? I’m just plain weary of thinking about… things.

What’s been going on with you this week?

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