Ideas on how to keep busy when you're bored or homesick

As you all may know, I have lived almost 7 years apart from my family. 1 year in an apartment with friends, 1 year in my beautiful sister in law's home, then 5 years married in Nova-Scotia. I am a people person. I like my alone time, but only from time to time if I had a pretty "busy" day with the kiddos and by busy, I mean they are driving me nuts.

-didnt nap...(or took 3 hours to finally fall asleep)

-getting into everything, EVERYTHING!

-pulling hair, cats tail, dog's private parts,

-crying at the same time...

-pooping on walls...

-poking dogs butt hole...

you get the picture......

I am so blessed because my family is very close (in friendship). I miss having them at Birthday parties, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Tuesday's tea, Church, EVERY DAY! It can be so heavy sometimes. Consuming. An Idol...

Sometimes the things in life that we really, really want, well, we just can't have them. "Not everything is

about me, and what I want". Sometimes, life can be bigger then we think. God's plans are often different and always, always way better for us. Face it, if you could see into the future, you would probably know best too. And sometimes, we know what is best, but we ignore it because it's not what we really want... What do we know... we are such sensitive, unbalanced people. (well I am anyway...)

Monday, I was sitting in my living room venting to my poor husband about how I missed my family, and I was bored.. waan.. waan.. waan...

Brave, as he usually is, he told me, "Vanessa, you need to learn to be happy by yourself".

This didn't sit so well. Because naturally I am a defensive person... Jonny boy had really taught me to not be always so defensive. It wasn't easy, and still not perfected.

James 1:19

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

So naturally, I had to think about this "Vanessa, you have to learn to be happy by yourself" statement. My response was, "well, you don't understand, you would be super happy being like Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away, making fish traps and using bamboo sticks to make a bow and arrow to shoot any moving animal!" (with me there, of course), in a pretty moose skin bikini (made by you) cooking dinner over the fire while the children are playing nicely swinging from tree to tree.... OK, I got a bit carried away.... But I said SOMETHING to that effect...

I need people. I need human interaction. Being home all the time can really do a number on me. (what ever that means)

The reality is, I can go out once in a while, but being a stay at home mom, well, it says it right in those words STAY AT HOME MOM!

I realized, I need to be more positive and proactive or I will drive myself nuts!!!

Here are some things to be thankful for while being far from family.

-Skype

-Face Time

-Phone calls

-Facebook

-Email (the internet)

-Post office, send a card!

-Friends

-Having a car (or a safe place to go for walks)

It's so easy to take what we have for granted. SO EASY!!!

And it is also so easy to always want more!

I once heard a little story about happiness, and it went like this:

There was a man who was in the forest in the middle of a freezing winter without a coat or warm place to stay. He was lost, but happy to be alive. 

He then saw some smoke in the distance and decided to follow it hoping there would be a warm place to stay and unwind.

As he arrived to the cute little wood shack, he was greeted by this little old lady whom offered him some hot tea, biscuits and blankets to warm up by the cosy fire.

The man gladly took her offer and was happier then he could ever remember.

The End.

Now, I know you're probably wondering, where did that man come from?!

I have no clue. haha.

The moral of the story is that all he needed was food, love, and comfort. And He was happy. Truly happy.

It is human nature to always want more. more and more. We can never be content with less. But honestly, I think we end up actually being happier when we have less.

-Less to clean

-Less to organise

-More room to do stuff...

-Less stuff to think about

Ways to keep busy when you're bored or homesick

-Focus on positive things.

-Make  projects and give them a deadline

• crafts
• cards to send
• food to bless someone with
• learn that instrument you've always wanted to learn

-Clean random things you don't usually clean in your house. 

•  Dust top of fans
•  Wash cupboards
•  Dust under books in bookshelf
•  Clean window sills 
•  Take black flies out of light fixtures
•  vacuum all the corners of your house

-Spend actual quality time with your kids. with no interruptions. 

• colour
• push child in toy car
• mister potato head
• nail polish/pedicure
• play with bouncy ball or balloon
• dance!
• go for walk
• swim!

-Have a date night (once a week or once every 2 weeks)

-Go outside
-Volunteer

-TRY to not call family everyday. (I do this probably too often)

-NATURE! God gives up nature as a cure to almost everything!

Whatever you do, keep busy! Because if you stay in your house and stew over everything you don't have or where you want to be, you'll just be sad. It may even lead you to feel anxious and insecure for when you actually go out!

I decided to try an get out of the house at least once or twice  week, and give myself goals. Write them on a calendar.

Take pride in what you have. Don't depend on people or your husband to make yourself happy. I believe that only God can help you to have true contentment. 

Don't ever stop trying to be a better person. 

Don't text your husband every 2 minutes because you can't handle being by yourself. I assure you, that will drive him nuts and maybe even push him away.

I don't know...

Most importantly, pray always. Have God in your thoughts at all time. In every decision you make.  

If you have any good ideas on keeping busy, please share in the comments below. 

Good luck. God bless.