Calendars, calendars, calendars.

Okay I'm a bit old school in that I like paper books, paper magazines and paper calendars.  That's great until you start keeping track of FarmBoy's schedule ( he works a 4 on and 4 off swing shift ), Sprout's schedule, and my own schedule.  Sometimes I take Sprout to things and sometimes he takes her to things so as much as I like a paper calendar I had to start using a digital one.

Here's how I keep my sanity, google calendar and everyone has their own color.  FarmBoy shows as blue, Sprout is pink and I'm green.  FarmBoy's calendar is linked to mine, but I have permission to add and change his if I need to and he can add and change mine.  I think technically I own Sprout's, but he can add and change on it as well.  This makes it so easy to schedule doctors appointments, 4H meetings, shows, etc. and it keeps track of his shift days.  Because it's color coded it's easy to see who it belongs to and who is available to cover.  It has saved me many times over having this information available on my phone.  At sometime in the past I put in all the family birthdays that I could find/remember so that we both could see them.  I then can send him a reminder if he needs to schedule/call one of his family members and he can get a general idea if we are going to be doing something for my side. 

But I have to admit that I still have a paper calendar.  There's just something about my calendar that I love.  I usually jot things in it first and then add them to the digital later because it takes me forever it seems to type things and I hate holding people up while I figure out how to get it in my phone.  Right now I'm using a happy planner and so far I really like it.  I need to get a refill soon since it's one that follows a school year plan and not a January to December traditional schedule.  I think I found this one on sale and just thought I'd give it a try.  So far I really like it.

I'm finding the more organized I am the less I stress.  It helps us plan better as a couple and doesn't put it all on me to let him know what is going on and if I need for him to take her to things.  Now all this somewhat gets thrown out of the window if it's planting or harvest season.  He tries to help when he can, but when the weather is right the weather is right and he's in the fields no matter what is going on anywhere else in our life.  In that case I just have to keep reminding myself to everything there is a season and roll with it.  Somehow God gets me through and I am grateful.