Confessions of a Heaven Bound Sinner

By The Book....

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

"You can't get a cup of tea big enough

or a book long enough to suit me."

- C.S. Lewis

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

My "White" Entry

2011-08-28T23:15:00.004-05:00

-Much Love, E

Check out more 'white' photos at i heart faces!

When Life Knocks You Down....

2011-08-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

...Keep Smiling

I was actually trying to get a cool cartwheel shot this particular day.... This picture is one I snapped
after this sweet girl had fallen on her diary air....
(it may or may not have happened alot...) {ahem}

I like it because even though she had just fallen, was probably in some measure of pain, and had failed to complete her cartwheel 'just so' she still had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye....

Rachel, that is the sort of attitude that
will take you far in life.

Never.Lose.It

Memorial Box Monday Saturday

2011-07-26T13:42:00.001-05:00

{the notso fine print: Memorial Box Monday is a time to remember God's faithfulness

inour lives. This was started by Linny, visit her blog and readthe amazing stories she shares.}

Backed up against the wall with nowhere to go. The weight ofthe world is crushing me. Suffocating. I don’t know to whom to cry out forhelp. Don’t know if I even can.

I stumble into and out of church wondering if I’m invisible.I’m in a room full of people and yet I feel so very very alone. Happy smiling people surround me and my heart pleadsfor a hug, a smile, a kind word even. My throat is dry, and my lips stay shut,arms wrapped around my middle keeping the hurt inside. No one can hear mysilent cries for help. No one can see my pain.

I feel uncomfortable in Sunday school and stop going… choosingto hide in the nursery with my baby instead. When my baby is plagued withsickness and I miss a month of Sundays I feel as if no one really cares . Themotivation to come back is gone for the first time since I started going as ateenager. We go occasionally at best.

Financially we’re ruined. Month’s without hot water. Limitedheat all winter long. When the food stamps run out at the end of the month Istruggle to feed my babies and I hope and pray the little ones don’t get sickagain because it’s a long drive to the doctor and my gas tank sits on E. {deep breath} Collectors call asking for their money. Some make threats to take away our homeand leave us without a place to pillow our heads at night. My husband worksnon-stop, so much so that he is only home for six days every 6-9 weeks and yetthe paychecks are minimal at best.

He doesn’t deserve this. My kids don’t deserve this.

It’s not fair…

Or is it?

We have our health. We have each other. What more could weask for? Nothing. We already have far more than we deserve.

Be as it may we’re at the end of our rope. Backed into acorner up against the wall with nowhere to go.

Right were God wantsus.

I find myself smack dab in the middle of my own modern day Exodus.The Egyptian army is closing in. The Red Sea stretches out as far as I can see.

Trapped.

Nowhere to go.

Complete and utter ruin is eminent.

But God…

The water is doing something funny. I can’t explain it butthe waves are acting crazy.

A truck breaks down.

A nudge from a friend.

A phonecall.

Can it be? Is there a path forming?

My husband comes home early for Christmas and NEVER goesback.

I stand in awe.

Dumb shocked.

Mouth agape I watch the water rise. I walk on solid groundagain.

I am blessed beyondmeasure to walk my modern day Red Sea.

I'm not on the other bank just yet, but I stand protected by the wall of God's faithful protection. I look behind me and see how far He has already brought us.

I must remember!

Boiling water for baths on Sunday mornings before church. Bittertears of loneliness cried into my pillow at night. The pang of solitude in acrowded sanctuary.

God’s been good.

It’s easy to forget but I won’t.

I can’t help but believe God truly allowed this deep pain inmy life this past year to open my eyes to the pain in others who surround medaily.

Just some thoughts...

2011-07-25T09:36:00.007-05:00

I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon for quite some time.

I'm ready to jump back on.

My house is trashed. {again!}

My sewing/crafting room is non-existent right now which is a problem since I need to start on Christmas presents now or I'll be super sorry I didn't come December.

The sweet newborn in my sidebar turned one year old this week. ( I guess I should update my sidebar...)

I am currently trying to figure out how to balance an almost full time job with homeschooling a first grader and a kindergartner while entertaining a baby (honestly that last part isn't hard at all thank goodness!)

How do you make the every day mundane that beckons and presses and demands attention but in the great scheme of it all doesn't really matter mesh with an eternity that looms ever closer silently creeping up unsuspected although it matters most? (Do you ever think in run-on sentences? For the record I do alllll the time.)

My butt really hurts. If anyone ever asks you to jump off a cliff into the water, no matter how much fun it sounds please first inquire as to how high the jump is. If its somewhere in the range of 65/70 feet or so my advice is don't jump. Your butt may be sore for a loooong time. (It's non-ya-business how I know this!)

I don't feel like I have two minutes to myself all day long so I'm allowing myself to blog again as my 'me' time to make me get my thoughts out. I figure thoughts out are better than thoughts in at this point, my brain is crowded and its making my head hurt!

I want to take pictures again... I miss it very much. My camera is dusty and that is very very sad.

Anyone have any words of wisdom for me? I sure could use some advice on managing life.

He Acts Tough

2011-04-30T23:22:00.000-05:00

His hands are calloused.

There is dirt under his fingernails

and stubble on his chin.

He unclogs our toilets,

squishes scary spiders,

& swats away the stingers.

BUT

He isn't as tough as you would think...

...in fact...

underneath that tough

manly exterior

he's actually quite soft and sweet.

{Shhhh.... Don't tell him I told you!}

This post brought to you in part by I heart Faces.

Check out other soft and sweet entries and perhaps enter your own!

First Words

2011-04-27T22:15:00.001-05:00

du... du... du...
This girl LOVES her rubber ducky.
I hear all about it during bath time.

Easter Lilly

2011-04-26T22:47:00.001-05:00

Lilly is my neice.
Being an auntie is AWESOME.
I took over 1800 Easter pictures of this sweet girl.
I narrowed it down to my favorite 100.
You just enjoyed (?) is a random sampling of those.
If you want to see the full 100 click here.

Tea Time

2011-04-26T21:49:00.001-05:00

April Showers...

2011-04-22T15:19:00.002-05:00

Bring ~~May~~ More Flowers!

It's been a long time since this girl has had a camera

{that is not attached to a phone}

so you can bet your bottom dollar that there wasn't a chance a little

rain would stop me from getting outside to take some pictures!

Just in case you're interested in seeing MORE rainy day pictures:

Peeping out their bedroom window my girls want to join the fun!

I got my feet muddy and perhaps more than just that because sometimes,
getting a good shot is worth getting down and dirty.

It's no biggie. At my house we get down and dirty often.
It's my motto, (one of many actually)
that life is too short not to take time to do things like this!

Who needs a pool when you have a mud hole in your backyard anyway?

The dogwoods were beautiful, now just a few days
(and a couple thunderstorms) later the blooms are gone already!

The street in front of our house has a nice hill...
Kayli had fun playing in the 'river' after the rain.

Girl sure knows how to ham it up.....

Until Next Time,
Happy to Have a Camera in Hand Again!!!

April Fools 2011

2011-04-01T19:29:00.002-05:00

For breakfast Mommy fixed eggs and toast..... April Fools!
Actually we had yogurt and peaches and some toasted cake.
It sure was yummy!
Kayli was sad at first because she didn't want eggs...
after she figured out it was a trick she happily ate her yogurt!

Mommy was quite the trickster. She gave Kayli a maze that didn't have an end!
Katherine helped Mommy play a trick on Grandma. (We gave her doughnut seeds for her garden!)
For lunch we all had yummy cupcakes & took some to Grandma.
She thought we cooked them wrong because they were 'greasy' but they were
cooked perfectly. It was the best meatloaf and mashed potatoes ever!

For Supper we played a fun game.
April Fools was funny!

BUT

the Bible says the only
true fool is someone
who says there is no God.

That isn't funny.
So we pray for all the real fools.
Jesus loves them very much!

Mine ALL Mine

2011-03-17T22:47:00.002-05:00

I just love how he makes my heart skip a beat!

He raked the yard for me... nothing sexier if you ask me! :0)

She Makes Me Laugh

2011-03-17T22:31:00.001-05:00

Sitting on the back porch, while eating our cheeseburgers soaking up every last ray of todays mah-vel-us sunshine, we riffled through my basket of seeds. "If you could have a garden all to yourself what would you plant Kat?"

"Pretty Flowers! These ones." My middle girl, hands covered in paint, ketchup & potting soil thrust a package of sweet peas into my hand and continued to dig deeper into the basket. For a few minutes she intensely studied a different one. "No Mommy, I want these ones!"

"Alright I'll plant the sweet peas in my garden." I smiled, Daddy calls me his sweet pea...

My silly Kat thrust a grubby little finger into my face, serious as a heart attack "Okay Mom BUT we BOTH get to smell them."

Thank you Jesus for this little mess who makes me laugh!

A little later after being told she had to pick food for her garden she was tossing aside packages left and right. Apparently vegetables aren't as exciting as flowers. "No.... no...... no......... no..........." She was completely uninterested. Suddenly her little eyes lit up, "These ones!!!" She exclaimed, hugging a package tightly to her chest.

"What?" I can't imagine what veggie this child has suddenly picked out so excitedly.

"Pickles!!!!!"

Thank you Jesus for this little mess who always makes me laugh!

B90Days or BUST

2011-01-05T00:03:00.003-06:00

My house has been plagued by a rather pungent, downright nasty odor.

The vile source of this putrid stench is my stinking attitude.

My kids are driving me crazy. They won't listen, they're always arguing, I have to raise my voice to get their attention.

Daily.Living.Is.A.NON-STOP.Battle.And.It.STINKS!!!

Potpourri anyone?

I'm a firm believer that children are a reflection. If what you're seeing isn't sitting well with you... guess what....

I will be the first to admit that I have been hard to get along with lately. Usually I'm easy going but for some reason I am finding pretty much everyone to be the source of extreme annoyance as of late.

Spray some febreeze on that!

Ever gone so long without cracking open your Bible or really talking to God that you're down right embarrassed to even try getting back in the routine?

"Uhmmm, Hi God, I know I'm supposed to talk to you non-stop... sorry I've kept you on hold for the past six months."

Shewwww-eeeee!!! Roll me in baking soda its getting ugly!

Seriously, I'm a moron. I know better than this! Yet here I sit, stinking it up worse than Stanley the Stink Bug. (Any other mother's of pre-schoolers out there?)

I have no one but myself to blame for my rotten attitude. This depressed, annoyed, moody, selfish, angry version of me is all my fault. And its going to take more than a few billion odor eaters to get rid of the stench.

"God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self controlled."

So I'll be picking up The Sword and going to battle with my stinky rotten flesh.

Care to join me?

Kayli and Santa

2010-12-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

On Kayli's birthday she asked to go to the mall to eat at the little chinese resturaunt. For whatever reason it's her favorite place to eat and so what is a Momma to do other than make her birthday girls' dreams come true? While we were there we walked around a bit, of course we saw Santa. She was absolutely scared to death of him... still... anytime we walked by him she would cling to my leg and 'hide.' As you can imagine then, I was surprised to hear her excitedly exclaim... "LOOK MOM, IT'S SANTA!!' Without even looking up I replied, "Kayli, I thought you were scared of Santa."

"NO Mom, not the fake Santa, its the REAL one."

Looking up what did I see? None other than the jolly old man himself. Or maybe it was just a big fat guy with a real white beard in sweats looking for a piece of bling bling in a jewelry store. But don't tell Kayli that.

My sweet sweet girl made me laugh till I almost peed my pants. (Durn C-Sections!) I wonder if that guy gets that reaction alot? If I had another adult with me to help with the kids I probably would have approached him to see if he would come talk to my daughter.

Could you imagine the childhood memories that would have made?

Setting out milk & cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve... now that she thinks he is real after all!
Seeing him at the jewelry store will make a believer out of a six year old for sure!

Better Late than Never: Giving Thanks in 2010

2010-12-04T01:30:00.000-06:00

Hello Blogosphere!

So obviously I've been on a blogging hiatus.
It's very much intentional.

I've been re-evaluating my 'online presence' and trying to decide what is right for me and my family. I am still working through this and haven't made any concrete decisions on how much or little I am going to blog/tweet/post to facebook but I decided I wanted to pop online and write a much needed Thanksgiving post... who cares how late I am... it's never to soon or to late to give thanks.

Right?
Just agree with me here, even if you technically don't.

So...

To say this year has been turbulent for me is the understatement of the century. Simply because I have had such a turbulent year I feel it is more important than ever to shout my thankfulness from the rooftops... or at least publish into blogosphere public record. I am not taking the time to write this in my normal 'writing' fashion. Meaning I am not writing the rough draft by hand and editing as I type. Instead I'm just punching this out on my keyboard and posting it.

RAW
UN-edited
UN-censored

I feel so naughty.

Bad grammar will abound and I don't care. This post isn't about writing well, or making a lot of sense. This is about me looking long and hard at the tough things in my life, and learning to be thankful. Yes, you read that right... learning... it doesn't always come natural to be thankful and yet that is what we are called to be... in ALL things never-the-less!

So, in the year twenty-ten I have decided to be the most thankful for the following:

My husband's job. Phew, that is hard to admit. I hate my husband's job. The last time he was home was the week before Halloween. It's now December. You do the math. It sucks. BIG TIME! Funny though how God can take something you hate and detest and teach you alot through it anyway. So this year I find it not only possible but downright necessary to be thankful for my hubby's job and all that it has taught me. Of course there are the obvious lessons like how much I truly madly deeply love my husband and how much I took his presence for granted. Then there is the slightly less obvious, like the fact that I was putting our relationship before my relationship with God. Something that I am still learning to fix. (Am I the only slow learner?) Read it here right now because I may never admit it again... but I really am truly thankful for your dumb job Josh. ;0)

Loneliness. I am thankful for the season of loneliness that I am experiencing foremost because it has deepened my relationship with my Creator. It has helped bridge the gap between head knowledge and heart knowledge in many areas of scripture so I am thankful for the heart-wrenching pain of loneliness that helped me to move from simply knowing scripture to truly fully experiencing the power of scripture. I'm sure I still have much to learn but I have grown by leaps and bounds this year. Thank you Jehovah-Raah for bringing me to the point where I had no one to turn to but YOU.

Financial Insecurity. For it has taught me how frivolous 'things' are and has shown me how wasteful I have been in the past. Things in life fall into one of two categories. Wants and needs. It's amazing how unbalanced those two lists are. I never in all my life realized how short the need list really is. I am so thankful that I have had an opportunity to learn now, so that for the rest of my life I can grab hold of what is truly important in life. I can't think of a better way to learn how to use money wisely than by not having any to spend in the first place. Next time I have a couple bucks I now know how much I can do without, enabling any meager income to be put to better use than it ever would have been if we hadn't experienced the financial insecurity this past year has brought.

That's about it. Not exactly a super long list but those are the biggies for me this year. Of course there are about ten zillion other things I am thankful for, but these three have definitely been the hardest for me to deal with and in turn the most fruitful to be thankful for.

Your turn. What really yucky junk is in your life that you need to be thankful for? 1st Thessalonians 5:8 says to give thanks in ALL things... not just the good/pleasant/enjoyable things... there is a reason for it. Join me and give thanks!

Slightly Happier Harvest

2010-10-23T15:12:00.001-05:00

Kori Brooke... today you are three months old (+3 days) ...

and I finally finished your two month pictures

(which included hanging from a tree, sitting in the apple basket, and these harvest ones.)

We've got work to do girlfriend... already time to take more pictures!

FYI: You enjoyed the harvest photo's a smidgen more than Lilly did.

Orchard Entry

2010-10-18T11:54:00.002-05:00

This post brought to you in part by:

Want to see more beautiful 'In the Orchard' Photo's? Go to i heart faces!

Mission Impossible?

2010-10-18T00:02:00.021-05:00

Need a good belly laugh?

I don't know about you but sometimes in the business of life
I forget to let loose and have fun with my kids.

How sad is that?

I spend all this time and effort to homeschool them and spend every day with them
just because I don't want to miss out on anything and more often than not its kinda crazy trying to get everything done so the fun side of life gets neglected.
There is a baby to feed, diapers to change, reading lessons, a baby to feed, diapers to change, math lesson, baby to feed diapers to change.... it sure gets overwhelming!

For that reason I thought it would be fun to extend a challenge of sorts to all you Momma's out there.

Your mission (if you choose to accept) is to capture four silly faces with at least one of your kids.
You get serious bonus points if you are successful with more than one!

The Objective:
To capture four specific faces in sequence.

A smile
A Sticky Outie Tongue
A Pig Nose
& A Squish Face

I Double Dog Dare YOU to do this with us!

Seriously I have never had more fun laughing with my eldest child.
We spent some fun one on one time together
while middle sister painted a watercolor picture
and baby sister slept.

We literally had over 100 shots saved on our computer after doing this.

(We used the photo booth program on my mac. That is what made the mission so difficult.
It captured the shots one right after another so we had to be quick! But don't worry if you don't have a mac you can just take four separate pictures.)

Seriously, do this with your kids.
However you can,
be creative...
laugh your heads off.

That's the only point to this.

If you accept the mission sign the linky
so we can all laugh at with you too!

Some of our favorite attempts:

(please excuse the unsightly background clutter! I really should put something pretty behind my computer! That's totally on my to-do list, right after feed baby... and change the diaper...)

Came back to try one more time right before bed and we nailed it!

I know you're laughing by now!

Don't you dare ever say I only show my good side on my blog,
because now you've seen my pig nose.
That makes us best friends for life.
How many of your other friends have shown you their pig nose?
It's official...

Best.Friends.For.Life

Your turn!

You have one week... the clock is ticking.. GO!

Kayli's Favorite Game

2010-10-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

Kayli likes making scary pictures with the x-ray "Hey Mom, pretend to be a monster getting ready to eat me."

FYI: My hair looks good in comic book... ;0) I've got the hair to be a super hero. I have officially lived.

Kayli was apparently trying to strangle me in colored pencil...

"Hey Mom, let ME be the monster this time..."

glow worms...

Welcome to our Kitchen Pre-School

2010-10-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

I love how making lunch is now pre-school... colors, shapes, counting balls of cheese & adding and subtracting them. Even division! By the time we sit down to eat Kat has covered all mandatory subjects!

Next time you're making lunch invite your pre-schooler in to help... no matter what you're making I'm betting you can find creative ways to make it fun and educational.

Sure you can invite your older kids to get in on the learning fun.

But for us.

For now.

Meal time is pre-school time.

Just Momma & Kat

making lunch,

learning lessons,

and storing treasured memories

in our hearts!

Riding Bikes at Grandma's

2010-10-15T14:00:00.002-05:00

Hope it doesn't bore you to death but I'm going to keep posting these journal entries just in case something horrible happens and we loose the real thing. Gotta love the security of an online copy! :0)

(underneath Kat's hand reads "Grandpa is blowing leaves off the blacktop."
Bottom left corner reads "This alien is down from space and is trying to get back up.")

My sweet Kat obviously mixes reality with her imagination.
Love that I get a sneak peek inside her head with this!

Am I the only one?

2010-10-14T14:00:00.023-05:00

Anyone else experience a mid 20's crisis?

I don't know if its because I got married at 18 and became a Mommy at 19a nd totally skipped the wild crazy college scene or what; but I felt like I needed to do something fun and crazy for once.

Just for me.

I'm only 25. I don't HAVE to look like a mother of 3 just because I am. Right?!?

A very important point to consider in case you decide you want to have your very own crisis... What will you wear when your entire wardrobe clashes with your hair? Didn't think about that one until it was to late. What can I say? I'm a jump first ask questions later kinda gal. Needless to say my wardrobe has gone very dark... which isn't bad because wearing black instantly slims you. Or so I'm told. My bathroom scale isn't fooled unfortunately.

In all seriousness I mostly love my new hair color, It's totally the me that no one ever knew existed. Except, have I mentioned it clashes with 99% of my wardrobe?

So what about you?

What's the craziest thing you ever did?

I spy with my little eye...

2010-10-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

... a little girl... do you?

Beef...

2010-10-11T23:35:00.002-05:00

...it's whats for ~~dinner~~ lunch today.

Can you tell slow cooked beef ribs are one

of my kiddo's ultimate favorite foods?

Just look at Kat savor that yummy saucy deliciousness...

If ribs aren't something you've ever let your kids savor give it a try. It's super duper easy!

Pick up some ribs when they are on sale,

toss them in the crock-pot and

dump on a ton of your favorite BBQ sauce.

The End.

That's all there is to it.*

(* Well you know, besides turning on the pot and waiting for them to cook....

but seriously you don't need me to hold your hand...)

Make sure to cook an excessive amount because 1) you'll LOVE them and want more and 2) because you can freeze them and pull out the leftovers later for lunch like I did today. Lunch was easy, just boiled a bag of frozen ribs and then let the kids go to town.

This post brought to you in part by:

And no, they didn't know I had an ulterior

motive with our lunch choice today... ;0)

A Good Apple

2010-10-11T14:00:00.021-05:00

Don't you...

...just wanna...

...gobble...

...her up?!?

Rock-A-Bye-Baby

2010-10-10T14:00:00.009-05:00

Evidently

there is a trick

to taking super cute

pictures

of babies

hanging

in slings

that I

don't know.

sorry sweet girl

Lilly...

2010-10-09T21:03:00.001-05:00

apparently

dislikes

fall.

(or maybe its just Auntie Erica she doesn't dig.)

Purple Underwear & Journaling

2010-10-07T18:02:00.001-05:00

I have been going through things trying to find stuff I don't need anymore. I'm trying to get rid of junk to make my life less stressful these days. A pile of scapbooks I didn't like because they weren't the type that had the nifty plastic page protectors found themselves thrown in my yardsale marked $1 each.

I took them back out of the yardsale when they didn't sell with the brilliant idea to turn them into journals for my kids. At ages 5 & 4 they aren't quite ready for a whole lot of heavy writing so I figured they could draw pictures instead. I didn't exactly come up with this idea all on my own. I'm pretty sure I read about it or saw it somewhere at one time and mentally filed it away for later. Now is later. So whoever it was out there who originally game me this idea. Thanks!

Both my girls were SO excited to get to pick out their own journal! I asked them to think of something that happened this past weekend that they didn't want to EVER forget? After they shared I asked them to draw a picture. (& yes that is our laundry hung out to dry on our old dog run...
...you might be a redneck if...)

Kayli sure put a whole lot of concentration into her drawing... look at that girl think.

I actually had them both turn to the back of the first page for this first journal entry. We are going to go back to the first and let them draw self-portraits. I figured we'd make it our goal to start every year with a new journal from here on out. Kayi is working on her 'kindergarten' journal right now.

In case you are wondering why we are journaling on the back porch, its because it just now turned cool enough to enjoy the great outdoors in our area and we are soaking up every minute of it.

When the girls were finished I had them dictate to me the story behind the picture they drew.
I wrote it all down word for word. No grammar edits allowed!

As usual Kat kept getting distracted...

Kayli's finished journal entry.. she wrote the names and arrows herself.
Yes I noticed we need to work on our lowercase d's!

She was so proud of her artwork and let me tell you she giggled the whole time she was working on it.
The purple underwear thing sure does make her laugh!

For the record the only truth to this story is the part about Mommy trying to make Kat laugh.
And there you have it. Memories my girls will never forget... purple underwear and all!

Who doesn't like a good debate?

2010-10-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

The little country town in which I live was recently torn in two by the very same controversy that has gained significant national coverage in a city slightly larger than my own.

Ok I lied.

A bigger city.

Much Bigger!

Yet still the controversy swirls here among farmers and a whole lot of country church goers much in the same way it engulfs the city slickers.

Some people want a mosque.

Some people don't like it very much

that some people want a mosque built.

Some more people don't like the fact

that some people don't like it very much

that some people want a mosque built.

...and this is the house that jack built....

As with any good controversy there are two sides. Both sides are right. Both sides are wrong.

Naturally.

Since the controversy erupted I knew I wanted to write about it. At first I wanted to write about how crazy upset I was with those who claim Christ and yet are known solely by what they are against instead of by what they are for. I wanted to say seriously folks.

Christian folks.

L-O-V-E

It's a command!

Not an option.

Just saying.

Though I personally didn't oppose the mosque itself I then decided I wanted to write about the topic of tolerance that it brought up. Not necessarily in relation to the mosque but just how sick of tolerance I am. Jesus wasn't tolerant, God certainly isn't tolerant. Why on earth should *I* worry about being tolerant. Just because tolerance is popular... uhm no. Let me step outside of myself and just say no. HECK no! Tolerance has Got.To.Go!

Life was busy. I didn't take time to write. (I hadn't yet had my great idea to feed my children cheap cardiac arrest burgers in order to get a moment to myself.) And the controversy died down.

BUT then I read something that bothered me. It was made by a professing christian in reference to Muslims.

Friendship aside.

Spiritual beliefs aside.

Ir*q war aside.

Muslims ARE PEOPLE.

God loves PEOPLE.

'nuff said.

It bugged the crap outta me. Just ask my husband. I ranted and raved to him for hours on end about the principle behind it. I ranted and raved about the "some people" who were all upset on both sides. I went on and on about my disgust with the situation. Sweet guy listened.to.it.all.

Bless him.

Let me tell you one thing about my husband. He has a very cool gift. I am in awe and super jealous of this ability he has. He can listen to me ramble for days on end about something and then condense it into one short concise sentence that gets the point across.

I envy short concise sentences that are capable of speaking volumes.

I bet you have been wishing I'd a gotten to the point three paragraphs ago!

See my point?!?

I can't say anything in one sentence!

Utterly BRILLIANT that man is!

What follows is my husband's words. {He made me promise to give him the credit when I finally got all my thoughts on paper.} So here it goes.. short.. concise.. to the point.. volumes my friends.. VOLUMES.. and ~~somewhat~~ WAY better put than I would have ever said myself!

Christians just need to be more like the Muslims

in that our faith needs to be noticed by outsiders?

Bet that one takes a couple days to soak in.

And because I have an addiction to words and can't keep my mouth shut I'll add my two cents now...

Seriously, go to wal-mart. See the muslims? Sure you do. They stick out like sore thumbs. Can you pick out the Christians? Can you find anyone from which love ooozes so supernaturally you think, that person, that one right there, they MUST be a Christ follower!?!

So Christian... does your neighbor have you pegged as the Jesus following type? Do your co-workers? Do the people that meet you in rush hour traffic? The ones in the check-out line? What about the people sitting at the table adjacent to yours at the restuarant?

Does the way you go about your day to day life outside of the church building scream out to others that you are a Christ follower?

I'll be the first to confess no.

My Chalk...

2010-09-28T20:54:00.003-05:00

Chalk.

It can be oh so beautiful!

Chalk can make masterpieces

worthy to be treasured forever.

Unfortunately,

no matter how elaborate the masterpiece,

if its made with chalk,

it can't be treasured for long.
All it takes is a little water
and all the hard work is gone.

My sweet little girls are little pieces of chalk.

Brittle.

Easily Broken.

& only temporarily mine to treasure.

And so I handle them gently,

take care not to break their spirits,

and treasure each and every moment.

For all to soon the current of life

will sweep them from my grasp

onto bigger & better things.

This post comes to you in part by:

Please hop over to their blog{ www.iheartfaces.com } to check out a lot of awesome chalk photo's!

Worth running for....

2010-09-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Katherine Marie...

Currently sitting comfortably as the middle child in our family.

She does not like to run

at all

not even a little bit.

On our adventures she is always bringing up the rear.

Quite frequently she will sit down in a puddle of tears

declaring her poor legs incapable of carrying her a step further.

On nature hikes...

at wal-mart...

anywhere excessive walking is required.

Quite recently we were at a local park enjoying a beautiful day of family togetherness.

It had been a long day and Kat's poor legs were tuckered out.

She was pleading for Daddy to carry her.

She couldn't possibly make it a step further!

The air around us filled with something

my kids had never heard before.

A sweet tinkling sound.

Suddenly Kat perked up... "what's that?" she asked.

"Why darling that's an ice-cream truck."

Someone's eyes lit up,

and suddenly

two tired little legs found some energy.

That little stinker took off running so fast the rest of us couldn't keep up!

Being a clumsy little girl is what Kat is known for so of course she

face planted in the grass... her little body wasn't used to running at lightening speed!

Without a tear she jumped up and kept going.

I couldn't believe what had gotten into this little girl of mine!

Apparently...

...Ice Cream...

is totally worth running for!

GeoWhat?

2010-09-21T22:56:00.004-05:00

I have the coolest husband in the world. Seriously! The other day out of the blue he asks the girls if they want to go on a treasure hunt. Not sure where he was going with this I thought I saw the opportunity for a nap looming in my near future while he played with the girls in the backyard.

Uhm... not exactly.

Instead I found myself in the car asking just as many questions as our two overly excited little girls. Where are we going? What do you mean we are going to look for treasure? What kind of treasure? Are you crazy? {OK so maybe it was just me asking that last one!}

My wonderful husband ended up leading us on a real treasure hunt, seriously. We followed a 'map' on his phone and really and truly found a treasure. A little box hidden under a bridge in a local park, overflowing with odds and ends. Complete with a little log book to sign to show we had been there.

Our very first geocache find!
Please ignore how horrible my 'roots' look in this photo.
I'm obviously WAY overdue a trip to the salon...
its not gonna happen anytime soon so I hope they don't bother you that much!

Apparently, {you're not going to believe this!} there are hundreds and thousands of these little 'treasure chests' hidden all around the world just waiting to be found.

It's called geocaching... and it is super fun!

I can't think of a better way to spend a fun family afternoon. And just because I am the coolest person in the world ever* I figured I'd give you step by step instructions on how to plan a fun filled geocaching afternoon.

*Or, you know, the coolest person who ever told you all about geocaching.

First you head to www.geocaching.com Here you can decide which cache(s) you want to look for.

I make a list on the computer of all the cache's we want to find in a day trying to plan a 'route'. { You can pay to get an upgraded membership that is supposed to do this for you but we have the basic and by using the map feature we don't have any problems making our own.}

Enter coordinate's into your gps device. (We used an iphone application.) Once you get to those coordinates look high and low... it can get tricky.. and of course the coordinates aren't always right on so thats where the fun comes in!

When you find your treasure (technically called swag in the geocaching world) you always leave behind more ~~treasure~~ swag for the next person. A few things we have used include small stuffed animals and toys, gaudy pins from Mommy's jewelry box, silly bands, samples of Avon lipsticks and perfumes, and all sorts of other things. Remember one person's trash is another person's ~~treasure~~ swag!

A word to the wise: if going geocaching anywhere outside of the blacktop jungle, don't forget insect repellant... trust me itching your legs until they bleed is no fun. Don't ask me how I know! Also, it may be worth your while to familiarize yourself with the leaves of poison ivy and other such botanical evils!!!

Mosquito netting around the littlest geocacher in your group completely optional!

While out on the cache route you may be presented with the opportunity to indulge in a little spontaneous history lesson if you feel so inclined!

Thanks to earthcaches your adventures may lead you to some really cool finds, like for example your husband may or may not discover he lived a couple miles down the road from a cave when he was a child without ever realizing it! EarthCache's are super cool and super informative and great if you're a homeschooling family or just a family who likes supplementing public education with fun family learning adventures. This particular day we learned all about geology and how caves are formed! I'm sure we'll be back over the years for more in-depth hands on studying!

Many cache's are hidden at parks so feel free to pack a picnic lunch!

Taking along a grill and talking your hubby into grilling up some yummy turkery burgers is, of course, completely optional and may or may not lead to an interesting afternoon sitting and chatting with a homeless dude so drunk you can't understand a word he is saying....

This concludes our GeoCaching Tutorial... now get out there and find a cache with your kids. You won't regret it!

PS) I am pretty sure this geocaching discovery is a direct result of this decision we made several months ago. As you can see, so far we are reaping great benefits as a family from our decision!

the post in which I make excuses

2010-09-17T01:34:00.000-05:00

I said I was going to write more.

I said I was going to post more.

And I'm trying...

I really am!

BUT

My computer is being a poophead

and blogger won't let me upload any photo's so...

I'm going to bed.

I may try again tomorrow

or it may be six months...

we shall see....

but HONESTLY

I did try.

Not Your Every Day Memorial Box Story...

2010-09-11T02:09:00.003-05:00

Hello Blogosphere. Have you missed me? Did you even notice I was gone? Leah W. noticed and I love her to pieces for it! Ha!

So Leah... Where have I been? Well... mostly I've just been trying to get through each day and my days are crazy hectic. Thus, my 'me' time has pretty much evaporated. Writing, as of late, has been so beyond my capabilities. Of course I've 'written many posts in my head. Hopefully I'll be able to get them on paper in the coming days. Seriously, I need to make it a priority. There are so many thoughts colliding in my brain I'm pretty sure thats the reason I've been having serious headache issues lately. I've gotta get them out so I've promised myself to take time to write every day... or you know, at least more than once a year! :0) I figured I should first pay tribute to the newest addition to our family and what better way than through a Memorial Box story. So... without further ado....

{the not so fine print: Memorial Box Monday is a time to remember God's faithfulness in our lives. This was started by Linny, visit her blog and read the amazing stories she shares and go to the links to read heartwarming stories on other blogs. }

As you may recall my Hubby and I got the coolest Christmas present ever last year. The promise of a new life! Well you can bet your bottom dollar as soon as I found out I immediately knew I was going to pray diligently for one crazy thing. Simply because I wanted it, and if our dear friend Linny has taught me anything, it is that God - our "Miracle-Working, Mountain-Moving, Awe-Inspiring, Gasp-Giving God!!" - cares for the things we care about. Even the deceivingly little, seemingly unimportant things. Not only that He is exceedingly, abundantly capable of making the impossible possible! So I decided I was going to do something crazy. I was going to ask God for a VBAC even though I already had - not one - but two c-sections. It was what I wanted and so I asked God for it.

What can I say? I'm just not into lying on an operating table and having my body cut open!

I did a TON of research and learned it was perfectly safe to try for a VBAC so long as there was no excessive scar tissue, I was closely monitored during labor, and no drugs were used to jump start labor. I prayed like crazy that my water would break on its own for the first time ever.

At first my doctor was adamantly opposed to me laboring at all but I continued to pray that she would change her mind. I was so very excited when out of no where she agreed to let me push back our scheduled c-section date a whole week! If that wasn't cool enough she then offered to push it back ANOTHER whole week { without me even asking!!! } to give my body ample time to do what it was supposed to all on its own. All the way to 41 weeks after being told originally I HAD to have a c-section at 38 weeks. HOW TOTALLY ROCKING AWESOME IS GOD!?!

When I was a couple days shy of 40 weeks I learned my blood pressure had climbed to an unsafe elevation and my doctor was uncomfortable letting me wait any longer to go into labor on my own. I was absolutely devastated at the idea of having a c-section after all. This is what I had prayed for. God had already moved in miraculous ways. What in the world was going wrong?

To make matters worse my husband was in Texas unable to get home in time to be in the operating room with me. There aren't words to convey to you the emotional turbulence I went through in those dark hours. A time that should have been so exciting and so happy and so sweet was quickly souring. I can't even begin to describe to you how terrified I was at the prospect of not only a third c-section, but one without having my husband there by my side. Utter Despair.

This is where God takes the most awful rotten situation I have ever faced in my 2 years of living and turns it into something beautiful as only HE could.

Have I ever shared much about my Dad? Not really. Well, my impression of my father from growing up isn't exactly one that gives you warm fuzzies in your heart. When I think of him I see someone cold and strict—someone who doesn't understand why girls cry about everything and is angered by tears. (Keep in mind that this is the recollection of a teenage girl, he wasn't really cold and heartless. He just seemed that way.) Not that I can blame him. Growing up with no sisters and being raised by a Mom who had only brothers doesn't exactly give a man many opportunities to learn about the complexities of a delicate female heart. (Not that any man has ever succeeded to understand anyways.) So, through no fault of his own my Dad wasn't a, snuggle you close, listen to your hopes, fears, and dreams kind of Daddy. Hugs and "I love you" were reserved for special occasions. I was only guaranteed two a year, my birthday and Christmas—though I did get lucky a couple years with the occasional admittance to the hospital. I have one, just one single treasured memory, of a special time hanging out with my father, just me and my Dad. That was when he took me hunting as a pre-teen. I can still see the pride in his eyes as he held back a sticker bush and pushed my hunters orange cap back on my head. He was so proud of his little girl for shooting Bambi's mother moments earlier. { Oh the things we girls do for our Daddies! } I can not tell you how much I have longed for another memory like this. A tender moment where I knew my Dad loved me and was proud of me simply because I could see the love oozing out of his eyes. A moment where my big tough Dad let down his guard long enough to let me see past his stony exterior. As I said before, it is hard for me to relate to my Dad. Our relationship is awkward. I hate it, but thats just how it is. I pray that it will change one day, long for it to change one day, but don't dare dwell on it because it hurts to think about. Sorry I chased a rabbit trail... Back to my baby story...

God heard my pleas for a VBAC and declined giving me what I wanted and instead gave me a sweet tender memory so precious I never even dared to dream of asking for it.

My Dad went into that cold sterile frightening OR with me. My Dad held my hand. My Dad patted my head and stroked my hair. My Dad told me he loved me and was the first to whisper congratulations in my ear. Though I couldn't see love oozing out of his eyes { because I was flat on my back staring into bright surgical lights } I heard and felt it.

As if that wasn't enough my c-section was spectacular. The pain control was amazing during and after the procedure. { They gave me this really cool pain ball that was my best friend. It literally delivered pain medication directly to my incision. How cool is that!?! } I also learned that I had a lot of scar tissue inside me that my doc had to cut out so a VBAC would actually have been more dangerous for me than anyone had anticipated! My nurses were super nice and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could have made my c-section go any better. I could go through it fifty more times so long as each time goes just like this one did. Except you know, it would be nice to have my husband there as well... ;0)

For nine months I prayed for a chance to avoid a c-section. My "Miracle-Working, Mountain-Moving, Awe-Inspiring, Gasp-Giving God!!" said "NO." That was the biggest, most extraordinary, rocking awesome, down right miraculous "NO" of my life to date!

Linny wrote in her post this past week, " His plans are not always ours, but if that is the case, then His plans are better than ours. Because He sees the beginning and the end. He watches and He moves. He remains faithful."My friends, that is the heart and soul of my Memorial Box story this week. Its remembering a time when God didn't answer my prayers. He did something WAY better.

Thank you Lord! Your plans are truly better than my own!!!!

And of course a few pictures for my memorial box... which really isn't a box at all... it's a memorial photo album, that I one day hope to make into a memorial scrapbook, but you get the point. Or at least I hope so! :0)

I just LOVE the smile behind that mask!

Kori Brooke had Grandpa wrapped around her finger before he knew what hit him!

I must confess: A Stale Relationship with God

2010-05-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

Some women boast in their independence and self reliance.

I.am.so.NOT.one.of them!!!

I am so dependent on my husband it is pathetic. Quite frankly I like it that way. My man has been my very best friend since we started dating when I was 15 years old. He’s ALWAYS been there for me. I love knowing I can trust and depend on him. Not many women are that fortunate and having that is very special to me and makes me feel so very loved.

The problem is even the very best of guys can’t always be there. As became the case when Josh felt prompted to leave his stable comfortable job for something very different, very uncomfortable, and very time consuming. I knew starting this trucking job would be tough but I figured I could handle it no problem. I survived his absence for a whole year when he was depl*yed to Ir*q so... a few weeks at a time with the convenience of cell phones would be a cake walk in comparison.

HA!

I had no idea how spoiled rotten I had become. It became obvious VERY quickly that there were several things I had been taking for granted. For instance, since Josh first left on the truck...

I’ve actually had to... wait for it... put gas in my car. {gasp}

I’ve had to carry groceries and sleeping children into the house without any help.

I’ve had to re-learn to mow. {For the record my parents owned a mower with a steering wheel when I was a teenager... the two handled bar things are confusing to steer with!}

I’ve had to touch raw chicken! {Double gag since I’m pregnant and puking is naturally easier for me right now.}

I would have had to learn to unclog a toilet if I hadn’t conned a teenager into that one!

This list could go on and on and on but I won’t bore you.

As enlightening as all these daily life experiences were, the thing I missed most was simply his presence. Before he started trucking all around the country I spent the bulk of my days glancing at the time in anticipation of his return home from work. So naturally, a few days into his training period and I was miserable. The days just kept piling up and turned to weeks. (In all six very looong weeks his first time out.)

I knew going into this I would miss him like crazy. I knew I would probably cry a bunch. I knew I’d miss seeing his mischievous grin. I knew I’d miss his hugs and kisses. I knew it would be rough... and.it.was!

What I didn’t anticipate is that through my husbands grueling six week absence, (including spotty cell-phone coverage which made communication sparse) the realization that I needed to confess that my relationship with God had become very formal, even impersonal. Dare I use the word fake?

Don’t look at me like that. I’m not a ‘bad’ Christian. I pray and read my Bible ~~daily~~ most days. I go to church. I’m a model christian... and yet I’ve discovered my relationship with God had become very stale, way to formal, and yes, even fake.

As the days were turning into weeks and it was getting harder and harder for me to stay emotionally stable God began to speak to my heart...

“Why don’t you tell me” He’d whisper when I complained about how unfair it was that I couldn’t talk to Josh and tell him about what was going on here at home.

“Why don’t you long to spend more time with me?” He’d whisper when I was wallowing in loneliness.

“I’m here,” He’d whisper when I’d cry into my pillow at night.

“Don’t you want to talk to me,” He’d ask when I’d dial Josh and get his voicemail for the 600th time.

Every single day, every single time, I acknowledged Josh’s absence God was there inviting me to spend time with Him.

The one thing that has become overly abundantly clear to me through all of this is that God. THE creator of this universe. THE all powerful, Holy , Righteous, Sovereign, Omnipotent, King of Kings and Lord of Lords is pursuing a close intimate personal relationship with me...

There are simply no words!!

He wants to hear me cry out to Him when my children have pushed me to wits end. He wants to talk to me when I feel lonely. Furthermore He’s right here with me so I’m not ever alone.

The funny thing is, this is something I’ve known for years. It’s not new knowledge on any level. I know we are commanded to pray without ceasing. I know we are called to a personal relationship with Christ, and yet somewhere along the way I’ve let life crowd into time I used to spend with God. I’ve had periods of a closer relationship with God but I’d let the demands of being a wife and a mother and keeping house and even church activities... all suck away time I should have been spending on simply talking to God. I guess sometimes the longest distance a lesson has to travel is from the brain to the heart.

Is it just me?

Truthfully, (anything less wouldn’t be fair to you) what would your relationship with your spouse (or your closest human companion) be like if your time spent communicating mirrored the communication you share with God?

How often would you talk? Upon waking, before meals, during quiet time, before bed, when prompted by others requests or needs?

That is what it was like for me. Very formal. Very scheduled.

That’s no way to cultivate a relationship!

Shocker of shockers we don’t have to set apart long chunks of time to pray long drawn out prayers to talk to God. He accepts short sentence fragments peppered throughout the day.

Blogging.... my anti drug

2010-04-23T15:48:00.002-05:00

I haven't ever divulged the boring details of my everyday life, nor the semi-psychotic stream of consciousness bouncing around in my head because I am neither witty nor interesting at all. Plus I suffer from being a whole lot shy. That being said, at this current season in time I am home alone 24/7 with a five year old, a three year old, and a growing belly. Maybe I shouldn't have shared that.... {DISCLAIMER: If you are a stalker creeper kinda person considering tracking down and preying on me and my family you are officially forewarned that wouldn't be your wisest move. My man is ex-militarty. So is my Dad. They'll both hunt you down. Not to mention my mad wrestling skills combined with my sharp nails are a lethel combination... just ask anyone dumb enough to have challenged me in a friendly game of chicken in the pool. STAY AWAY} Anywho... the point is I am going absolutely crazy. Yes, I do have a college student who technically lives here, but shocker of all shockers she has a life and doesn't have time to stay home and converse with me to keep me sane. Since she's not legally mine, I can't force her to... :0) I have decided for sanity's sake to write to share my thoughts and feelings with the world because even if no one reads a word I write hitting publish makes me feel better!
Just yesterday my husband had the audacity to tell me I should consider asking my OB for some kind of drug to help me "chill and get through the day."
Yeah,

he went there.

You see, a few days ago my sweet angelic children asked for permission to go outside and play after breakfast. Not willing to waste even a precious drop of milk (do you realize how expensive it is?!?) I told them they could after they completely drained their cereal bowls and dissapeared back into the bathroom where I was scrubbing sticky toothpaste out of the bottom of a drawer. I was so deeply engrossed in attacking the toothpaste scum it took me a while to remember to check on my angels. My angels weren't there. Their milk was though. I found them playing outside. I don't know how they got out the back door without my help but they did. Mentally planning their punishment I went to the window to call them inside and in doing so found a fist sized hole cut into my screen window. I may have turned purple at this point, my memory is a little fuzzy. I did manage to croak out a GET IN HERE NOW!!!! Of course Kayli knew why I was upset and immediately blamed the small hole on her sister who admitted guilt. Let it me known my eld
est is normally very bright. On any given day she astonishes me with her brains. In this moment however she was stick stupid. {Kayli my darling, if you stumble across and read this later in life please realize that I know stupid is a bad word and forbidden in our house and Mommy shouldn't use it; but darling, there just isn't any other explanation!} Instead of coming to the door she went to ANOTHER window and started climbing through a HUGE hole cut into the screen. I am quite certain I was most definately purple at this point. There may or may not have been actual smoke rolling out my ears. There may have been a fair amount of yelling as well....

More recently my three year old gave her dolly {my personal favorite of the dolly's of course} a hair cut that landed her {the doll not the three ye

ar old} promplty in the trashcan. She also managed to cut a handful of her bangs off. The very same bangs I have to shield from a trim every stinking time we go to grandma's house. {Question: Does every Grandma obsess about giving their granddaughters bangs or is it just my Mom?}

It hasn't been long since I painted their bedroom a cheery shade of yellow but its back on my to-do list again due to some artwork....

These tragedies followed by a constant batter of " don't do this, don't do that, don't touch that, get off there, get out of here, be careful, because I said so, DON'T... STOP.... LOOK OUT!!! " needless to say I was ready to dig my own grave last night. Bedtime was in sight. I was about to wearily cross the finish line for the day. I sent the kids to the bathroom for pull-ups and to brush their teeth. I hung back in the bedroom putting away laundry. I've been sorting through and boxing up cold weather clothes while simultaneously sorting through and hanging up the warmer weather clothes. Laundry... the absolute WORST part of changing seasons! Can I get an amen? As I was putting the finishing touches on laundry for the night and talking to my husband the girls were once again making mischief when they were supposed to be brushing their teeth. This time with nail polish. When I found the mess and realized their wasn't a drop of nail polish remover in the house I kinda had a mommy melt down. {Am I the only one who does that?} Problem is this time my hubby was a witness via the phone... that's why he recommended I ask for medication... medication?!? I don't need medication. I just need to vent... so thats why I'm here... venting... blogging ... it's my antidrug.

P.S.} For the record I do keep an eye on my kids but seriously there are times when a Mom's gotta blink... and pee.. I'm 27 weeks pregnant so I pee alot... It's amazing what they can do with a mere milisecond!

My I Heart Faces Collage Entry

2010-04-20T20:19:00.004-05:00

Hello & Goodbye

Goodbye & Hello

Life.

It's ever changing.

Nothing stays the same.

An endless overlapping stream of

"Hello" & "Goodbye"

of "Goodbye" & "Hello."

DISCUSS:

Which are you saying?

To what are you saying it to?

This post brought to you by....

Check out I ♥ faces and submit your own entry!

The mundane...

2010-03-15T13:17:00.002-05:00

My butt has never been more numb.

My children have never watched more non-stop veggie tale cartoons nor consumed more junk food.

I have never slept in the back of a car at a rest area period,

let alone for so many consecutive nights,

spanning multiple states.

I have re-watched episodes of Survivor I've already seen.

I washed out the inside of the most disgusting truck EVER.

I laundered a months worth of a man's dirty smelly clothes.

I have gone way to many days without a shower.

I have lived out of a car packed for a two-day trip for over a whole week now.

I organized a teeny tiny area to be used as a bedroom, kitchen, dining AND living room.

Dreary burdensome activities for some...

regardless...

I can't recall a time when I had more fun!

For me there is nothing better than sharing life

{no matter what it consists of }

with the man I love.

Simply sharing

the mundane...

Have I ever missed that!

I must confess: My love for God is hindered.

2010-03-02T20:12:00.003-06:00

“You can only love Christ as much as the person you love the least.” ~ Scott Bondy

Do you feel as if you just got sucker punched in the gut? I sure did! My initial reaction was, “Sure sounds good and church-ey... but is it Biblical? ... Please don’t be Biblically backed up by scripture... please!?!”

Of course you are holier than I and much more refined so you didn’t have the gut reaction to defend against conviction. Only heathens like I respond that way.

Well my friends, almost instantly God brought to mind, " But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see?" Yes, its scripture. First John, chapter four, verse twenty. (It may be worded slightly different based on which version you own.) Go ahead and look it up yourself. It’s there and yes we must take it to heart.

Unless of course you own an erasable Bible that allows you to pick and choose which scriptures you want to keep. {Yes, I am being extremely facetious here, please don’t throw rotten tomatoes or nasty emails and comments my way!}

So, yes I am lead to believe that that there is a very real reason as to why I feel as if there is a ton of bricks on my chest.

My love for God really is handicapped by my love for the people I rub shoulders with every single day. The throngs of vile sinners (such as myself) that aren’t easy to love naturally.

Now in my defense, (every good Christian has one you know) there really isn’t anyone I don’t love.

Really and truly.

Scouts honor.

Honest.

God has done a work in my heart over the last few years in general and has taught and re-taught me some important lessons in forgiveness and the importance of loving NO MATTER WHO & NO MATTER WHAT.

The source of my conviction isn’t an absence of love. The conviction is more of the result of a lack of expression of love. Let’s be honest. I really have learned to love everyone in a, “God loves you and I want you to be living in a mansion next door to me in glory some day” kind of way. That is the easy part.

Yet there are still those people I run into who rub me the wrong way and quite frankly for one reason or another I would rather look the other way when I run into them at wal-mart (yeah, I’m sure I’m the only one who has ever done that) and altogether avoid any type of communication period. For whatever reason some people are just plain mean and others go out of their way to hurt those around them.

Now I’m not saying I haven’t been taught to forgive, trust me, God has nailed that lesson down well in my heart, or so I thought. However, now I am starting to learn that my forgiveness is barely scratching the surface. It is time to reach towards a much deeper level of forgiveness by moving beyond the words, “I forgive them Lord” towards the actions that have me pursuing ways to prove it with love by taking me out of my comfort zone.

God has spoken to my heart and I know that I need to look for ways to visibly reach out in love to those whom I would much rather avoid.

It is vitally important considering my love for Him depends on my love for them.

DISCUSS: Who in your life to do you need to reach out in love to? Is it a family member who has hurt you deeply? A church member who offended you somehow? The person who scans your groceries? The neighbor who you've never even introduced yourself to? The person who....

Organized Cupboards... is that possible?

2010-02-09T20:46:00.000-06:00

I don't know if I am alone on this or not, but it seems like every time I look through my cookbooks to plan a few meals ahead I never know for sure exactly what I have on hand and what I don't. It never fails that I end up buying something I already have one (or even two) of in my cabinets. When I was cleaning out my cupboards this week I decided to try something different.

As I was putting things back in the cupboards I wrote down on notecards what was in each. When I need to know if I have something all I have to do is check the notecards. When I use something I simply mark it off the card. By adding marked out items to my grocery list preparing for shopping trips is just a tad easier.

Excuse the crappy picture all I have to work

with right now is my phone. :0)

Another thing I did was put baskets on the higher hard to reach shelves so that when I need something I can just grab the whole basket down. This way things stay a little neater instead of being thrown haphazardly back in*.

{ *Hypothetically, they have only been there a mere 24 hours or so,

time will tell if things stay neat. :0) }

I also am keeping frequently used recipes that I reference often on the inside of the cupboard boards, as well as directions to cook the oats that I transfered to a plastic storage container.

These is just small changes I made to make my life a smidge easier. What about you? Do you have any tips or tricks to share with me?

UnPlugged... Alternately Titled I must confess: I waste to many minutes in front of a screen.

2010-02-05T00:21:00.001-06:00

I'm not going to lie. One of my guilty pleasures is watching television. I am well aware that zoning out in front of a t.v. is a complete waste of time; however, it is relaxing for me to be able to sit down and enjoy some mind numbing television after an especially draining day.

Like most people I have my favorite shows.

I am hopelessly addicted to Lost and Survivor but there are a plethora of other programs that intrigue me. I absolutely love watching chefs magically transform flour and sugar into works of art on various cake decorating shows. I enjoy watching the Duggar family, Michelle Duggar is my role model. How she manages to never once raise her voice at her crazy large brood is a phenomenon to me. {I only dream that I one day get there!} The various cooking challenges, baby stories, ... goodness I could literally go on forever. There is always something interesting to watch. There is nothing better than snuggling up on the couch after dinner to wind down after a long day. { The kids piling with us on the couch just makes it that much sweeter!}

As a responsible mother {of course} I am very strict during the day about not turning on the t.v. except for early morning cartoons while I am brewing coffee and trying to get the cobwebs out of my brain. Of course, I must also admit to the occasional bad day where movies are used and abused. Most of our screen time come from winding down after dinner most nights.

I don't think there is anything wrong with television, movies, or any screen time in general; however, I must admit that something was bothering my husband and I about the way we spent the bulk of our evenings. What we have come to realize as a family, is that its not about what is wrong with screen time {of any type.}

It has absolutely nothing to do with a high level of badness {cuz there isn't one} and everything to do with a low level of rightness. You see, we decided there is nothing wrong with the minutes we spend plugged in, except for the fact they drain minutes from the things that really do matter.

Time we could spend face to face with each other talking and playing games building deeper relationships with one another. Time we could spend face to face with God spending time talking to Him and studying who He is and what He wants for our lives. Time we could spend building relationships with other people. People who will inevitably need a Christian to take the time to invest into their life.

Taking these things into consideration we made the radical decision to pull the plug at home. No more high speed internet. No more cable television. No, we're not religious fanatics or legalists. We just think our time is to valuable to continue spending our minutes on screen time.

Just because we made the decision to unplug at home doesn't mean we won't ever plug in. I will still email, tweet and check up on things through facebook via my phone. {The sheer frustration of it taking forever to load without wifi will make sure I don't click on to much!} Things that take more time, like posting blogs, will have to be saved for trips to my Mom's house or the library where the wifi is free. We will still even watch Lost and Survivor with my parents and even enjoy the occasional family movie night thanks to our DVD player. {One night a week should be a good balance for us.} By unplugging we are simply removing the likelihood of accidently wasting to much time in front of a screen. Saving a few bucks every month doesn't hurt either!

Unplugging doesn't make me 'holier than thou', a 'better Christian,' or 'smarter' in any way. It is just what works for me to help me be a better steward of my time. I only have so many minutes left to live. I don't want to waste a single one.

I don't know if this is a permanent change or if we'll plug back in one day after making some better habits. For now I sure can't wait to see what a difference unplugging makes in a few months and even in a year or two.

Three Letter Words

2010-01-27T10:24:00.000-06:00

My little Kayli Bug is officially five years old *sniff* and according to Daddy it is high time she start reading. {Even though she officially doesn't start Kindergarten until next fall. } Since Daddy requested it, we have been stuck in a hotel room for three weeks with nothing else to do and Kayli has mastered pretty much every letter sound, we decided to dive into reading with some simple three letter words.

I picked up some blank notecards and got to work.

By placing different letters beside this notecard...

Kayli was able to practice reading different '-at' words.

I then wrote a silly book "Rat-a-tat-tat" that had nothing in it except for '-at' words and the occasional "A" or "on." Since I didn't have the resources to make a cute book here in the hotel room I put it together in a slideshow for her to read. I can't wait until I get home and make her a book. When I do I promise to put it online for everyone to use.

We even had a spelling test with the '-at' words. Kayli surprised me by doing really well. She only had to ask me how to write one or two different letters and numbers.

Since then I have moved onto writing "A Bug and A Pug" and am continuing to work on other three letter word books. I must admit it is challenging to write stories only using the correct three letter words (and the occasional sight word) but it has been fun and Kayli is doing beautifully.

Just yesterday we were at a thrift store and found this book. ->
With a little help she was able to read the whole thing! We are all ecstatic and are having fun with our reading adventures.

With minimal planning we have added alot to our homeschooling lessons in just a few short days.

Reading

Writing &

Spelling

Now I just need to do a little research to determine what my next step should be in teaching Kayli to read since we can't stick to three letter words forever. (My aunt gave me a big binder full of phonics lessons so when I get home I'll probably be getting it out and reading through it!) Thankfully we have plenty more three letter words to keep us busy for a while!

Memorial Box Monday Wednesday

2010-01-20T10:39:00.001-06:00

I never really planned to be where I am today. I didn't grow up wanting to be a stay at home Mom, let alone a homeschooling Mom. When I married my high school sweetheart we were young. Super young. I was 18 and he was 19. We had no money, we had no real plan for our future. We had nothing but each other and a fierce determination to stay in church no matter what. We both worked at McDonalds and we both were going to college. ( Humble beginnings... then again, not much has changed. ) I was going to be a teacher. Had always wanted to be one... as long as I could remember. He wasn't sure quite yet... maybe something computer related. When we had been married exactly four months I went to the school nurse and found out I was going to have a baby. Yikes! We weren't planning on that anytime soon at all! Having a baby changed me. I realized what God had made me for.

He made me to be a Mommy. (& to love my husband fiercely)

Though I tried working at various times at various places I could never stick with it. I was a Mommy now and that was my life. Nothing was as fulfilling or as rewarding as being a wife and Mom. No amount of income was worth sacrificing time with my baby. I loved being pregnant so when baby number two was discovered I was ecstatic.

It was then that I started dreaming what everyone told me was truly a nightmare. That one day I would have a house filled to the brim with children. God gripped my heart for adoption. I realized I wanted a family that truly reflected the heart of God. I wanted a family of blended ethnicities. I began to want to adopt from every possible country and I prayerfully gave up my desire to ever be pregnant again. A big deal for me since I absolutely love being pregnant. It was not an easy or lightly made decision and it sure took a while to surrender my will to God's. Ashamedly so. I must say its easy to say you'll do anything for God and another thing entirely to truly do anything. I loved being pregnant. I loved having a baby bump. I loved the wonder of feeling the kicks and hiccups. I loved cuddling with a newborn and breathing in that sweet baby smell. It was a lot to give up, but eventually I did so. I surrendered my will to His no matter what. In that moment I had never felt such anguish or heartache but I knew it was what I needed to do.

Month after month my periods would come and go and at the start of each one I would feel the twinge of loss of never having another pregnancy. Each month I would have to spend time in prayer and re-submitting myself to His will. I had to fight through jealousy as I saw others become pregnant, I would have to fight through the feelings of 'its not fair' and yet again resubmit myself to Him. The hardest prayer I've ever prayed is most definitely, "Not my will but Yours." I didn't want to be so stubborn, but I was. Why is it that giving up my will is so hard when I know that He truly has the best possible plan for my life? It is a wonder to me that God puts up with me.

Early summer my periods stopped. I took a few tests but they were all negative. "This is it." I said to myself. God has closed my womb. There definitely won't be any more babies now. I again found it necessary to pray and praise my way through grief. Four months without a period I took my last test. I cried my last tears. I knew that I knew that it was finished. My next babies would be adopted and I was ok with that and I was fully done grieving. It a blessing to not have that monthly reminder of what I was missing.

In December I found out my baby sister was pregnant. "Oh Jennifer," I said. "Wouldn't it be fun if we could both be pregnant." I have no earthly idea why I did it but I got a pregnancy test and took it. I have never in my life taken a pregnancy test and had it show up positive. I have always needed a blood test to confirm pregnancies. I have no clue why I bought and took a test but I did. On a whim. For no reason at all other than to torture myself again for no reason I guess. My hubby was with me when I took it. He asked me how to tell if it was positive. I went over to the test and said, "a line will show up right here if I'm pregnant." As I pointed to the window on the test stick the boldest brightest line I have ever seen materialized literally right in front of our eyes. I nearly passed out. It had been more than seven months since my last period. Pee tests don't work for me. You can't get pregnant without a period, can you?

A doctor visit and an ultra sound later I realized that God has given me a birthday present. My due date is in my birthday month! I don't deserve to be pregnant. I never expected to get to enjoy this again. I am so thankful and so grateful. Yes, we still plan to adopt. I still plan to fill up my house with children from all over the world, but while we are waiting for everything to fall into place for adoption God has given me a baby to help me wait out the long adoption process.

When I told God that I didn't have to have another pregnancy that I would let him fill my family His way I truly thought I would never again experience the thrill and joy of pregnancy again so I am soaking up every minute of every day.

A picture for the Memorial Box.....

Counting Calories

2010-01-13T12:35:00.004-06:00

Pretty much every girl I have ever met thinks she is fat and wants to loose weight. It seems that, as a lady, you simply can't be skinny enough. Even my Mother (who barely weights 100 pounds sopping wet, and is way beyond her vain teen years) will pinch the skin on her belly and proclaim, "I NEED to loose just five more pounds!" Drives me absolutely batty! Especially since I am carrying around an extra fifty pounds I quite frankly can't blame on my three year old 'baby' any longer. Now that is something to be concerned about!

Everywhere you turn you can hear or read about some sort of diet or weight loss strategy. The way I see it, it only comes down to one thing. It's simply a matter of calories in vs. calories out. With a new baby growing I definitely don't want any more extra pounds to carry around for the rest of my life, so I did some research to figure out exactly how many calories my body (and baby) need. As a result I started the grueling process of counting each and every calorie I ate. As a side note: I now completely understand why I am so fat, the amount of calories in a small amount of food is utterly ridiculous!!

The funny thing about my endeavors in weight loss is that counting calories has taught me a spiritual lesson. Every morning when I wake up and get on my phone I see a beautiful phrase.. "0 calories today." A constant reminder that my success today is completely independent of my successes or failures of yesterday. Isn't that true in our spiritual life as well!?!

Just because I had an hour long quite time yesterday, spent time explaining the trinity on a pre-school level, and managed to get through the day with nothing short of loving soft spoken words to everyone I encountered. { The equivalent of a perfect low calorie day!} doesn't mean I get a free pass for today.

Nor does yesterday's forgotten quite time, the fight with my husband, and non-stop yelling at my children {the equivalent of consuming the entire days calories before noon} mean that today is hopeless.

Every morning I get a clean slate.

Every

Single

Morning

Matter

What!

Obviously I have to deal with the consequences of yesterday's sins {just as I have to work out harder or longer to offset extra calories} but I don't have to let those sins inhibit me today.

Is there anything more refreshing?

If you are struggling in your Christian walk and find yourself discouraged often I want to encourage you. Life as a Christian is an uphill battle. If you aren't struggling you aren't trying! When I first started counting calories I was hungry all the time and down right miserable; but, I stuck with it and over time my body adjusted. I am no longer constantly hungry and it is somewhat easier to forgo calories I don't need. Likewise, if you stick with your faith through the tough days, keep reading your Bible and keep talking to God and keep going to church {No.Matter.What} you'll eventually reach a point where it gets easier. Don't be fooled it won't ever be easy. Just like I still crave anything big and chocolate you will be attacked and bombarded with temptations by the enemy in your spiritual life.

Just remember... if the enemy is attacking you're doing something right because if you weren't effective he'd leave you alone!

So share with me, can you draw any parallels between your adventures in healthy eating and your spiritual life?

Memorial Box Monday Tuesday

2010-01-12T15:36:00.007-06:00

Memorial Box Monday is a time to remember God's faithfulness in our lives. This was started by Linny, visit her blog and read the amazing stories she shares and go to the links to read heartwarming stories on other blogs.

This Memorial Box post started when my husband and I came to realize that we were in a rut. Though he had a wonderful job working for a wonderful Christian man, with a crew of guys that needed salt and light, there wasn't much room for advancement to help support a growing family. Nor was he making enough in the first place for us to be able to do things like adopt. Nor was it a job he could continue while also returning to school. We realize that though we were comfortable we needed to make some changes.

We feel led to adoption and possibly foster parenting. We feel led to help work alongside some great missionaries to Africa... somehow... someway.

We want to serve God with all that we have no matter what He asks of us.

Though making a fortune is not important to us at all... we have come to realize that we do need a better financial situation in order to fulfill the calling that God has set on our hearts. Something that we know only God could provide for us so we set to praying. I heard somewhere along the way "pray like everything depends on God, and work like everything depends on you." It resounded deep within me and we prayed like crazy, we talked through some crazy ideas, and basically told God we would do anything he wanted from us.

No.Matter.What. ( Yes those three little words scare me! )

We came up with a plan A and a plan B. Plan A included a job arrangement. The job arrangement was for my Hubby to be working for a trucking company. He was going to sign with a company that would pay to train him and help him get his CDL, in turn he would have to work for them one year. As you know his mother died this past year. She had a trucking business that we are hoping to take over after working in the industry for that one year. The idea was that he would take a correspondence course from Liberty University while driving this year earning an associates degree in a ministry related field. He would have plenty of time for studying and plenty of people to witness and minister to out on the road at various truck stops and so forth. Afterward he would be able to own his own business and be able to better work around a job in the ministry much easier than he is able to with his current job. More financially independent and flexible we could follow God's calling no matter where He led. Possibly being able to work around going to school and then getting to work in the ministry again. Possibly working and saving up enough money to go and spend half of each year in Africa. Possibly working and saving up enough money to build/buy my dream house in the country and fill it to overflowing with abandoned and hurting children that just need to know the love of a family and the love of a Savior. Possibly to just work sharing the word of God over the highways of this Nation. Endless possibilities that God could work out the perfect plan from.

Our plan B was nothing more than an outline of a plan. For Josh to go to school and work an afternoon/night job and then we would in turn move wherever in the country he could get a decent job. Trusting that God would put us where Josh can support our family and work in the ministry God has for him.

Prayerfully we set plan A into motion. The last day at his old job my hubby found out that a ticket he got several years ago would keep him from pursuing this route after all. We immediately acknowledged that God had closed this door for us and were grateful that He was sparing us from something through this closed door. The ticket Josh got was for speeding and he was pulled over on the edge of a town right as the speed changes. He literally was in the process of slowing down but was clocked right at 20 over. As a result he is uninsurable by the trucking company. My sister got pulled over in the exact same spot the night before and only got a warning. We were confident that God knew then we would need this door closed today. However, we now have to resort to plan B and we don't have much time to prepare or work things out.

Jobless. Everything looked hopeless but we didn't stop praying and trusting. His first day without a job he filled out the FAFSA and started to look into starting school at Mid-Continent in hopes that if he went out on a limb and started working toward the ministry degree he longs for we would somehow find a job situation that would work. At the end of the day we sat in bed talking and praying. A question came up.

How do we know God closed this door for sure? Could satan just be using this as a stumbling block because he doesn't want this (plan A) to happen?

How in the world do you answer that? It completely threw us for a loop! For the better part of a week we prayed constantly looked at colleges, looked for jobs, and were pleading for answers. A full week after his last day of work a family member who is on the police force in another state told us to go to the courthouse and request traffic school for a reduction of points on my hubby's license. Closed door? Stumbling block? Should we? Shouldn't we? It was driving me absolutely nut-so! After a completely sleepless night tossing and turning it came to me.

If God shuts a door it doesn't no matter how hard you try. No matter what you do, a door God closes stays closed. Period. Stumbling blocks, on the other hand, can potentially be maneuvered around.

With this thought I finally fell into a peaceful sleep. As soon as I opened my eyes in the morning I shared this thought with my hubby who immediately left for the courthouse. He ended up getting a court date for the very next morning! AFTER he was told it could be a week or more before he could get in to see a judge. He literally sat in that court room all stinking morning until he was the ONLY one left in the whole courtroom. The judge after reviewing his record and taking time to talk to Josh completely dropped the ticket. No traffic school. No reduced points. All in time for him to start his CDL training the very next Monday. Completely Miraculous. Just like that it was back to plan A.

So here we are six hours from home in a hotel room with no hot water and a bathtub that is always on no matter how hard you try to turn it off! I'm stinking tired of moving rooms though so I think we're going to put up with cold showers and running bathtubs. Ha! My hubby is at class and last I heard he took a pre-test and only missed 2 questions after only one night of studying! While microwaving our dinner in the hotel's kitchen last night I met a couple who I talked with for a LONG time. I am physically incapable of making small talk with strangers so I am pumped. God is working through this situation. To HIM be the glory. This will be a hard and trying year for us but it will also be rewarding. I am amazed at how many hurting lonely people we have met already! Please pray for us... pray for wisdom as we continue to make decisions both big and small. Pray that God will give us the right words to minister to the people we meet along the way. Pray that I won't go completely crazy in this little hotel room trying to entertain my sweet babies.

Praising Jesus for our answered question and wondering what we should put in our future memorial box to remember this always. Do you have any suggestions?

Six Years & A Day

2009-12-21T23:14:00.001-06:00

I have written and erased this post at least 15 times today because I want it to be perfect. I give up on perfection because I am running out of time. So I don't completely miss the opportunity I'll just come out with it...

When I was fifteen I started dating a boy. A boy who became the man I married when I was eighteen. The man who I have been married to for six unbelievably trying and yet incredibly rewarding years. A man who works hard every day to provide for his family. A man who is an amazing father- a perfect mix of fun, guidance, & love. A man who amazes me with his patience, his forgiveness, and his love. Whose sole desire is bring honor and glory to the God who loves us no matter the price.

Joshua you are more than I ever dreamed to hope for. You are incredibly loving. You are patient and forgiving. You let me dream my wild dreams. You put up with my crazy ideas. You are my very best friend. I don't deserve you. I never have. I am so thankful that God drew us together early in life and allows us to live each day together. No matter the trial or the storm, I'll gladly weather it with you by my side.

To the special Mom's in my life....

2009-12-12T14:54:00.001-06:00

Once a Month Cooking

2009-12-08T12:38:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of it?

Do you do it?

I just found this nifty little idea and I think I am going to give it a try. I printed off a grocery list and some recipes and am currently going through my cabinets to see what else I need to purchase.... I would love to hear about your experiences with once a month cooking.

Love it? Hate it?

Another I heart Faces Competition

2009-12-01T20:32:00.001-06:00

I have spent a ridiculous amount of time planning and trying to take a cute tooshie photo.

I have had zero luck and now am using the one picture I had already in my library before spending the last 48 hours trying to get a good shot. I am only entering this one (in the nick of time) so that the past two days aren't a complete waste of time. Argh...

This post brought to you by....

Check out I ♥ faces and submit your own entry!

Camera Fun @ The Playground

2009-12-01T18:28:00.001-06:00

Ashley Smith & Erica Turner....

Best friends since second grade.

Together they have braved hairline fractures,

the death of family members, high school drama,

.... and now even a spur of the moment

photo shoot all because I got a camera!!!!!!

They played Sailor Moon, pretended to be Power Rangers,

& even now are able to find time

to play ~~at the park~~ in my backyard...

because you are never to old to have fun with your BEST friend.

Dream Come True

2009-11-30T12:57:00.000-06:00

I have a DSLR camera sitting on MY desk.

It is MY camera.

Pinch me I must be dreaming.

I am so excited I could pee my pants.

I don't know where to begin...

photoshoot anyone?

Turkey Mosaics

2009-11-24T22:18:00.002-06:00

I hate throwing away anything. So if I have construction paper that needs to be tossed I always cut as many squares out of it as possible before succumbing to the trash can. As a result we make different types of paper mosaics all the time. My kids LOVE it when I let them go at it with a glue stick. Especially Kat who is especially thrilled when she can participate and do an activity with her big sister without any modification. In honor of Thanksgiving I put together a fun crafty box on their book shelf. They chose it as soon as they saw it. I captured the fun while dodging the sticky glue! (At the time of completing this fun craft my children are just turned 3, and getting ready to turn five. )

Re-Purposed Garage Junk & Other Cool Stuff

2009-11-24T20:47:00.002-06:00

In an effort to utilize some great ideas I learned from a veteran home schooling Mom I recently went digging through my garage. {Think dumpster diving, but in the comfort of my own home :0) } I am oh so excited about my finds! I just had to share what is currently working for our family.

Welcome to my refurbished Garage Junk Tot/Pre-School! This bookshelf is one I bought at a yardsale for $5. I have big plans to paint it one day but for now I just took the time to wash off all the dirt and grime.

The plastic boxes and baskets are my version of trays. I found some cheery colorful fabric I had bought super cheap as a remnant and lined all of the boxes. Inside each is a different activity. When its time to change I put the contents into a ziplock bag and in my storage cabinet until its time to bring them out again.

This nifty wire rack is something Josh and I bought when we first got married. We had a tiny bathroom with absolutely no storage so this is where we kept shampoo, make-up, washrags, etc.. It has gotten a little bent out of shape over the years, (its been through no less than 7 moves!) and has been collecting dust in the garage for the past year or two. Not anymore! Kayli & Katherine each have a spot to put their completed work. Daddy gets to look through what they have done when he gets home and then I get to decide which papers get trashed and which ones get stored in a binder showcasing their work for the year. {I intend to keep a binder of each year of school to keep as a record of their education. Maybe one day they will be cute creative scrapbooks but for now they simply consist of a 3 ring binder and sheet protectors! }

I discovered a site called File Folder Fun I used some of their free resources to put together some really cute learning games. I didn’t have any file folders so I adapted by using construction paper and a presentation folder. It works for us! Mostly we are using math related ones, but they have a wide variety of games relating to all sorts of subjects in an assortment of grade levels. Kayli is working on simple math problems right now. I printed a gazillion little acorns and she uses them to help her complete her math work. Since its Thanksgiving week I’ll probably be putting up the turkey’s, acorns, and leaves this week so I better get to work finding wintery/Christmacy replacements! That or I just might make my own! Cautionary note: I did find some misspelled words/typos in some of the files at filefolderfun.com but was able to make the “folders” without having to use them.

These binders hold my girls ‘official school work.’ I buy huge workbooks when I can for the girls. I rip them all apart and try to make ‘packets’ for the girls to do each day. I try to make sure there is a balance between different subject levels and a few fun activities mixed in. Each day I put the packets in the front pocket of the folders. They also have a pocket for their necessary supplies. Sometimes they need certain color crayons, scissors, or glue. I try to make sure everything they need is there. If needed I put in construction paper, scrap paper, and lined paper. They know they need to get their packets done each day before Daddy gets home. Its teaching them at a very young age to be responsible to make sure and get their work done in a timely manner. I don’t “make” them do it first or at any certain time. I let them decide when and for how long to work at a sitting. So far its working VERY well for us.

I am keeping a book series I got a yard sale for super cheap on the bookshelf right now. {Buried in a plastic tote of books I got for $5! } Each book features one letter of the alphabet. Kayli is currently trying to learn which sound each letter makes. Step one of learning to read. These books are perfect for this because even when I can’t sit down and read to her she can flip through it and name some of the things in the book, each which start with the same letter. I looked on Amazon and was able to find the set, it looks like a better updated version of the one I found. I am including this link just in case you're interested in getting a set for your little one who is learning/ preparing to learn to read.

The chalk & white board are hanging on wire stands that funeral flowers came on. They are now very functional easels and the perfect height for little girls. They come in handy for a variety of activities.

That is just about it. This little set-up takes up just a little bit of space on one wall of the house

A special thank you goes out to Carisa. Her tot trays were definitely the inspiration of this school set-up. I love how I was able to personalize her idea to make it work for our needs of a blended area that works flexibly for use by both of my children.

So what is working for YOUR family. What are you doing to organize your school area? What is unique to your home school? Do you have any great ideas for me?

Capturing SON Flare

2009-11-23T11:00:00.001-06:00

"Where two or three are gathered there AM I in the midst of them." Mathew 18:20

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I must confess: This blog might not interest you...

2009-11-14T22:42:00.002-06:00

If you stumble across my blog and
you don't go to church... I understand.

If you doubt my faith... that is okay.

If you have questions,
I don't mind if you ask.

I totally get that you have your own presuppositions
about "Christian" ideas and issues.

I totally get that you most likely don't
agree with any of my viewpoints.

I will try my best to be sensitive
to your spiritual journey; however,
you must know my blog is written
mostly for those who believe.

I don't think the problem is
those of you who don't believe.

The problem is those of us who do -
but don't live like it. { Myself included. }

Feel free to poke around,
stay as long as you like.

Just keep in mind you are most usually
not my targeted audience.

To you my words and ideas
will seem foreign and offensive.

Just remember...
you ARE NOT targeted here.

A Christmas Letter from Jesus

2009-11-06T11:34:00.002-06:00

First, I would like to mention this is November and we have yet to celebrate Thanksgiving. I think people such as my very near and dear friend Darci are absolutely nutso for putting up Christmas tree's already and personally refuse to even begin thinking about celebrating Christmas until after this month of Thanks and Gratitude is complete. To each his own though...

That being said it is getting to be that time of year again and already I am reading and hearing about the big debate of Holiday verses Christmas. I totally respect what organizations such as AFA are trying to do with the "Keep Christ in Christmas Campaign" and yet sometimes I feel we Christians are kinda missing the point. I don't know who wrote this letter and wish that I could give credit where credit is due but at this time I can't. All I can do is pass this along. Obviously it wasn't really written by Jesus, but I do think that based on our knowledge of who Jesus was and is (based on Scripture) that He would totally agree with the points herein. I would love to hear what you think!

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth, here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing Obama complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name. {My addition: This is a good missionary to support that I know personally!}

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love, and remember...

I LOVE YOU

-Jesus

I would like to reiterate that these are not the actual words of Jesus. Just one really cool person's imaginative expression of what Jesus might say to us in a Christmas letter applicable to our current day and age. So what did you think? Could you add anything to this letter?

Can you see Him in others?

2009-11-04T09:07:00.001-06:00

Lately I have been discouraged and at times even appalled by discussions and arguments between those who claim Christ as their Savior and those who don't. {Both IRL* and in the blogosphere.} There are so many heated discussions about things pertaining to faith and personal decision making. It seems like everyone has an opinion and makes it their personal mission in life to make those who have differing viewpoints see the error of their ways.

*IRL: in real life

Unfortunately this doesn't seem to be done in a loving or kind manner. Sure some people say things in a nice way but underneath the nice words there is underlying hostility on all sides of the debates. It has brought to mind something I read a few months ago. I read and reviewed a book Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken World
written by N.D. Wilson. Hidden within it was this little gem of a thought...

"{We each} bear the image of God. But neither of us bears it completely."

Think about that for a minute... or two. Editor's Note: It is important to mention that I am considering this from a Biblically grounded viewpoint. For those of you reading this who may not be from that type of background I want you to know that this is in the context of the fact there IS a creator God who created all men and women in His image. {This fact is not up for speculation or discussion for the purposes of this post... it just IS.} When God created us, He placed within us, EACH of us, a visible mark or feature of Himself. We all bear the image of God.

Saved?
Lost?
It makes no difference!

God created us all in His image.

That being said, none of us bear the image of God completely. Sure, some of us more so than others. { I sure would hope that someone who claims to follow God would more closely resemble Him than someone who chooses to live denying His existence.} Yet, most certainly we can agree that none of us can boast of bearing God's image completely.

I venture to say that in all our differing opinions it would do us all some good to quit attacking those with opinions that differ from our own. { Both IRL and in blog-land! } Let us remember to take into account that God loves us all equally no matter where we are in relationship to him. { Whether we be devoted followers or outright disbelievers. } God doesn't play favorites and neither should we.

If you consider yourself to be a believer who follows God's commands I challenge you (myself included) to find a way to spread the love and forgiveness, and grace, and mercy God extends to you rather than logically trying to argue or force feed your opinions and views down another's throat. God doesn't impose himself on anyone - we shouldn't take it upon ourselves to do it for Him. If you feel like another is misled or misguided secretly and privately pray for that person while publicly loving on them. If we are who we claim to be, we should be known first and foremost for our LOVE.

Finally, for the person who is struggling to decide exactly who God is, or has decided to follow a belief system that doesn't revolve around Christ, or to those who don't believe in God at all - yes especially to you - I personally want to apologize {Again!} if you have ever been made to feel as if you are a bad person by a Christian.

The truth is we're all broken and sinful people. We each bear a glimmer of who God is.... but none of us fully!

Margherita Pizza...what's that?

2009-10-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

No not Margarita... that is what everyone things of when I tell them about my latest dinner.

I had no idea what a Margherita pizza was so I did a little go*gle searching and this is what I learned.... Evidently the Neapolitans take their pizza very seriously. Purists consider there to be only two true pizzas – the “Marinara” and the “Margherita.” The Margherita is named after Queen Margherita of Savoy. The Queen's favorite pizza was a pizza evoking the colors of the Italian flag – green (basil leaves), white (mozzarella), and red (tomatoes). This combination was named Pizza Margherita in her honor.

Now that we have had a mini history lesson lets get on to the pizza...

I cheated and bought a dough packet to make my life simple. All I had to do was add hot water, mix & let rest.

These are ingredients for the 'kids' pizza... I didn't really expect them to like the Margherita...

These are the ingredients for the famous Margherita!

I totally did not expect to like this because of the tomatoes. When Papa John's was selling their 'spinach tomatoe, chilken alfredo' pizza I HATED the tomatoes; however, I was determined to give it a try.

After slicing the tomatoes I chunked up the mozzarella cheese and threw it on the pizza along with the basil leaves. Then I drizzled olive oil all over and sprinkled the parmesan cheese around the crust. Simple and as easy as could be!

Kayli & Kat's pizza ready for the oven!

The finished Margherita... doesn't it look good. I can't put into words how wonderful it was. Go make one and you'll understand. I LOVED this pizza!

And so did our guests!

Both of them!

My Mom used to tell me a chef's best compliment was an empty serving dish. I sure hope she was right!

Tot School Plunge

2009-10-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

So here's the deal.

Kayli is getting ready to turn five and although she technically wasn't old enough to start kindergarten this year in the public school system, I have decided to pretend that she is in Kindergarten this year as a trial run for what homeschooling will be like. It is nice to have a 'cushion' to fall back on considering we are so new to this. I was advised by a homeschool Mom/Friend of mine to not spend big bucks on curriculum until first grade. Instead to just get the big workbooks from Sam's Club and teach reading however I felt comfortable. So that is what I have been doing and Kayli loves it and does great... however, KitKat isn't quite ready to sit still and color or do anything worksheet related. She still has the attention span of a gnat so getting her to participate in school time has been challenging and continues to be a work in progress

So I happened to stumble across this idea of 'Tot School.' Basically the ideas is that intentionally providing your tot with age appropriate activities that are fun and engaging that expose them to certain educational concepts. Week after week I have been checking out different tot schools with the intention of joining in myself but so far I have yet to 'get it all together.' I haven't been taking enough pictures and when I do take a few I never get them on the computer fast enough. Well, I decided enough is enough. I am going to take the plunge. This first dive into tot school isn't going to be pretty by any means but hopefully we will get better at it.

This is not going to be the compilation of what we have done this week by any means. Instead, I have decided to look back through my pictures and put together a post of our families participation in Tot School. This may be my first ever tot school post but don't be fooled. We have been participating in tot-school for years without ever realizing it!

At 24 months Kayli is getting an art lesson. She gets to practice her hand eye coordination and we got to work on learning colors!

Visiting Grandma's house on the lake, Kayli is getting a hands on science lesson. She got to observe the geese, count the geese, and even got a chance to feed the geese! We mixed in some critical thinking... What kind of animals are geese? (Bird) How do you know they are birds? (They have wings. They fly..)

Ball pits are such fun! At 27 months Kayli got a lesson in counting and colors and even some physical education... plenty of jumping and practicing throwing and catching!

A trip to the zoo is the perfect field trip. Observing animals provides an endless array of learning opportunities... even for young tots.

Helping Daddy fix something is a perfect opportunity for a carpentry lesson! {Don't worry no child was harmed with power tools during this lesson, they were closely supervised!}

Problem Solving: How do I get the candy out of the Giant sponge Bob???

Carpentry Lesson: Building a GingerBread House... learned a thing or two about design flaws....

Building with blocks really gets my Tot's brains a thinking and even helps teach patience!

Cooking with Grandma means lessons in measuring and pouring and mixing... and learning about the science of baking! What do you think will happen to this after we let it sit in the hot oven for a few minutes?

Gymnastics are a wonderful physical eduction lesson!

Planting a garden is a great opportunity for science lessons... exploring dirt and worms and bugs. Learning about how our food grows, counting the plants, and talking about the different parts of the plant. {leaves, stem, roots} The opportunities are limitless.

Art time is especially fun... especially when we go to the library for story hour and get to make fun hand puppets!

In our house reading is the ultimate Tot School activity, loved and enjoyed by the WHOLE family!

Dance... a fun way to explore our bodies and music. Physical education at its BEST!

One Two Buckle My Shoe...

Learning from past mistakes is a valuable lesson...

Here my youngest is playing with my mancala game... practicing sorting marbles by color.

A VERY fun lunch activity is making edible play dough. With a few fun shaped cookie cutters my tots had a blast! Not a good idea if you are opposed to allowing your young one play with his/her food!

Here my tot is learning an important life lesson. Endurance.

Cooking... turned into artwork, with plenty of counting pepperonis and review of the color red!

KitKat's favorite school activity by far is painting!

Animal cookie cutters became interesting tools in role play during this lesson.

Hop Scotch can be used in a variety of ways... try using letters instead of numbers and require your Tot to name the letter their stone lands on, or make its sound, or name an animal that starts with that letter... Try using simple math problems that need to be solved, or draw simple pictures that need to be counted... the possibilities are endless!

What is more fun than a science lesson centered around a fun caterpillar find? I had my Tots describe their find to me (what color is it, does it have any spots, etc.) and we 'googled' him in order to identify it and determine what he would become.

Opposite Puzzles were fun. Big sis cut them out and little sis put them together again.

Music is always a favorite!

We have a really cool fun devotional Bible that is perfect for my tot and my pre-schooler!

I know this dive into 'Tot School' doesn't exactly fit the criteria and I sure hope I don't get kicked out because of it! I am really enjoying this idea though and look forward to sharing many more weeks of Tot School!