Miraculous Blessings

Top Ten Things We Love About Birthday Parties

2011-07-05T14:52:00.000-05:00

1. The person being celebrated

2. The cake

3. The decorations

(Banner made by my friend Crystal, since I do not yet have a Silhouette. One of these days!)

4. The guests

5. The presents

6. The singing

7. The cute clothes

8. The cake (Did I mention that already?)

9. The craziness

10. The look back over the past year

The Big One!

2011-06-29T07:31:00.000-05:00

Happy first birthday to my sweet little boy!

The two of us had a little celebration this morning when he woke me up a little before 5:30. He's back to sleep now and here I am blogging! (Stinker!)

He's not walking yet, but is crawling lightning-fast. He adores his sisters (who love to make him laugh)! He is eating all kinds of table food. I'm excited to see what he does with his cake at his party Saturday! Both of the girls were pretty dainty with theirs, but I have a feeling that he will tear into it!

I can hardly believe he's a year old today. Babies change so much in the first year. He is sleeping pretty well (I can't complain after our first was a non-sleeper). He is showing a little personality and LOVES to explore everything. (I keep having to put everything up higher!) He is so sweet and loves to cuddle. I love that!

Happy birthday, Nathaniel!

The Last in the Series

2011-06-15T21:53:00.000-05:00

Birthday celebration number three!

We hit the road again, this time only 20 miles down the road to Jason's parents' house for a party with some more cousins.

This is so Ellie:

Yes, I know this is a little birthday overkill. It was a lot of fun, though! (Plus I didn't have to clean my house for a party!) :-)

Ellie's Birthday Celebration, Part 2

2011-06-14T17:25:00.000-05:00

For the second party, we traveled to Olive Branch. My brother and his family were at my dad's from Atlanta, so we combined a visit with a party. It was great fun seeing the cousins!

Aunt Cathy found a great monkey cake!

Baby brother had a good time too!

Ellie's Birthday Weekend

2011-06-10T21:47:00.000-05:00

Three days of celebration for three years, right? Well, that's what we did anyway. Due to some extended family plans, we ended up with three different birthday parties for Ellie. Pretty good deal, if you ask me.

First, we picked Gabby up from school early and headed to the mall. Gabby really wanted to get Ellie a monkey from Build-A-Bear for her birthday. Lucky for us I had a great coupon and rewards that covered most of the purchase! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the monkey. :(

Next we do what usually happens on a birthday in our house: Chuck-E-Cheese and Chick-Fil-A! We love our Christian chicken! (Of course all I have our phone pics from these trips!)

Next up: party at Poppaw's with the cousins!

The Many Faces of Ellie

2011-05-27T11:06:00.002-05:00

Happy third birthday to our sweet Arielle!

Birthday Girl

2011-03-21T15:50:00.005-05:00

Yesterday my big girl turned six!

We started the birthday celebration by bringing cookie cake to school. We took it last Friday since they would be out of school for Spring Break on her birthday.
Her teacher, Mrs. Julie, had a special notice on the door:

And a special seat:

The cookie cake was a huge hit!

We are so thankful for a great school and a great teacher for Gabby this year. Mrs. Julie made her celebration very special!

Kindergarten Girl

2010-08-19T19:07:00.007-05:00

We officially have a kindergartner! Gabby was nervous this morning, but when I picked her up, she was a pro and ready to go back tomorrow! Our teacher is great, and she is a great match for Gabby. We look forward to many more great days!

Gabby & Mrs. Julie

Sweet Smiles

2010-08-18T21:00:00.003-05:00

Sweet Smiles from Marci Lincoln on Vimeo.

The Addition

2010-08-03T07:14:00.006-05:00

So I haven't been blogging much lately. Here's the main reason, in all his sweetness:

Nathaniel Isaac was born June 29. 7 lbs. 1 oz., 2 1/2 inches long.
Ellie is constantly wanting to touch his hands and feet, and for a couple of weeks Gabby couldn't stop talking about how cute he is.

Since his birth, he's been waking about every three hours to eat, which makes for one tired momma! The past couple of nights he's slept 4-5 hours in the first stretch. Hopefully he'll keep stretching that!

He smiled for real for the first time this past Saturday. First at his daddy, then at mommy. He even gave the nursery worker Sunday night a couple of grins. Now, of course, he hasn't smiled since!

We love having three kids, but it sure it a lot of work! The exhaustion is just temporary, (we hope!) and so worth it. Why, already one month has already passed! It all passes so quickly. I pray I focus on what matters and cherish these little ones God has entrusted to us!

Birthday Party!!

2010-06-07T16:23:00.005-05:00

Birthday Girl

2010-05-27T10:01:00.002-05:00

Happy second birthday to Ellie!

I can hardly believe she is two years old!

Some of her favorite things:

Food: Whatever she decides at the time. She is a toddler, after all!
Activity: Whatever big sister is doing, and jumping on the "blamblableen" (trampoline) :)
Characters: Barney (Lord, help us.), Elmo, and Mickey Mouse. She is a lot like her sister.
Sayings: "Whatdadoin?" (When you ask her what she's doing, she'll say, "Good.")
She also has great manners. She is very good at "thank you" and "excuse
me". We're working on"please".

We love you, Ellie, and we're so glad you came to be a part of our family!!!

Stage Girl

2010-05-03T16:36:00.000-05:00

I really should make this a "Miraculous Mondays" post, as it appears I'm finally trying to blog at a regular pace again. But, alas, this one is about our little preschooler.

A few weeks ago Gabby's preschool presented the chapel program for the elementary school. I'm so sorry I don't have the video uploaded. Maybe one of these days we'll enter the digital age with our camcorder too. But I do have a few pics! They did some pretty cool stuff like saying the books of the New Testament and singing some songs.
This kid claims she's shy. Ha. Look at the little poser. It took her five minutes to get to her place on stage because she was striking a pose for the camera!

I have no idea what this kid is doing. . .

"I like to talk and whisper; I like to hum and sing."

Best buddy announcing he was going to pray. So cute!

Saturday Sharing

2010-05-01T08:05:00.000-05:00

A few things that caught my eye this week:

LOVE this post about adoption. How many times do we try to put a band-aid on a wound, instead of looking at the source of the infection?

This living room remodel is gorgeous! It's amazing what a little elbow grease can do.

Sophie has a most hilarious post about a 100th birthday celebration. So Southern, so glad.

I wasn't a huge Hanson fan when they hit the charts back in the day, but I love their new song. Try to figure out who is playing the tambourine. :)

Thinking 'Bout Somethin'

HANSON | MySpace Music Videos

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-08T12:44:00.000-05:00

Warning: Lots of pictures ahead!

On Spring Break, we traveled over the river to do a little visiting o' the family. First stop, Wolfchase Mall for a ride on the carosel. When we arrived at the mall, there was no one around the carosel and it looked like to was closed. Just our luck. That's why we went to the mall! But it was up and running by the time we were ready to leave. Mommy knew that riding on something spinning was not going to work for her, so Daddy had the pleasure of helping two very excited little girls.

Which one should we choose. . . .

Such a pro.

The next day we headed to the Children's Museum!

Getting our groove on in the disco room -

Paper airplanes -

Weeeeee!

Got to do a little Krogering. . .

So much fun!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T14:30:00.000-05:00

The Birthday Celebrations

2010-04-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

Gabby had a pretty big time celebrating her birthday. First, there were cupcakes at school.

Then, Aunt Cathy came to visit.

And she brought bubbles!

Friday night was the party. Howwwwwwwwl!

Gabby talked for months of an Arkansas State Red Wolves party. So howl we did.

Spring Break mini-trip to come!

Happy Birthday!

2010-03-23T07:59:00.000-05:00

As of yesterday, we officially have a five-year-old. It's hard to put into words how you feel about your child turning another year older. We only had the second half of my pregnancy to prepare for her arrival, and sometimes I feel like we still don't have enough time to prepare for her arrivals. Many times I wish time would slow down so we could really take in what is going on around us.

She used to never sleep through the night; now it's at least more often than not. She admitted the other day that when we wakes us up to tell us she's had a bad dream, she hasn't always had a bad dream; she just wants to cuddle with us. And she wasn't a cuddly baby! But I love my Gabby cuddling time.

A few things about Gabby at the big age of five:

Favorite food: Currently, Shells & Cheese
Favorite drink: Apple Juice
Favorite activities: Playing outside & drawing

She loves to learn, and I love that about her. I pray she continues that! I'm extremely biased, but I think she's a great student.

We are very proud of the little lady she is becoming!

Tuesday

2010-03-02T10:01:00.000-06:00

Today I have so much in my mind I want to write about, but I can't put it all down. It would probably make up ten different posts. Not that you'd want to read them all, anyway! In the meantime, remember the bloggers who are traveling to Kenya with Compassion International. Keep up with them. Read their posts. But most of all, pray for them. They will most likely never be the same after this trip. In a good way.

eta: they just left this morning, so the link isn't working yet. It should be up later today.

Happy Belated Valentines Day!

2010-02-25T13:09:00.000-06:00

Or Valentimes, as Gabby might say.

We had a full Valentines' weekend. Gabby had a school party on Thursday, we had the big ultrasound on Friday, and our AWANA Valentine banquet on Sunday. All of the groups sang. We really enjoyed hearing our Cubbies belt out their song!

Here are a few shots from the fun times:

First, the snacks.

Then, the passing out of the Valentines.

Best buddy, Levi

We are AWANA cubbies!

It's a . . .

2010-02-14T14:15:00.002-06:00

BOY!!

Friday morning the family loaded up and went to doctor to have an ultrasound. We told Gabby that we were going to make sure the baby was growing and doing well, but all she cared about was finding out if it is a boy or a girl. She was pleased as could be (as were we) to find out it's a boy! Ellie, of course, didn't have a clue what was going on. Won't she be surprised this summer!

After the appointment, we started making phone calls and sending out texts. We are so blessed to have so many family and friends so involved and excited with us. In fact, we received a few calls and texts before we even had the test that day, anxious to find out!

We headed to Chuck-E-Cheese and Build-A-Bear (pics to come) after that, so we all had a really full, fun day. Now it's time to think about a name. . .

2010-02-05T19:01:00.000-06:00

Today is my niece's birthday. The oldest of my beautiful, talented, incredible nieces. Today she is 21. Twenty-one. I still can't believe it. It seems like just a few years ago I was sleeping in the bedroom next to her, visiting, waking up and hearing the sweet little voice while she played in her crib. Thing is, most mornings she would sleep later than me, which hasn't changed at all. ;)

Seems like yesterday we were putting bows on her head at Christmas time, playing with her in the play kitchen, hunting eggs at Easter time and sitting in the floor reading books to her. Now she does all that with my little girls.

What a incredible woman she has grown to be. It has been such a privilege to watch her mature and grow. She has had to face a lot in just the past few years, and has handled it with great dignity and faith.

Her passion for God and for doing His work is great. She has traveled across the states and the world ministering, with no reservation. I can't wait to see what the next 21 years holds for you, Lauren. God has such great things in store for you. I love you and am beyond proud of you.

Silly Girl

2010-02-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

Yes, ma'am, those are panties on my head.

This girl just makes us laugh. Gabby was getting pj's on in her room and Ellie was back there too. When Ellie came back in the living room, this is what she looked like. (Don't worry Mom, they were clean!) :)

Snow Much Fun!

2010-02-01T10:29:00.000-06:00

Last week we all anticipated and planned for a "winter storm" for our area. We live in the South. When they say winter storm, we pay attention. Could be ten inches of snow, could be two inches of ice. We always hope for the snow. Last year at the same time of year we had an ice storm that crippled the area. And I mean crippled. Power lines came down and everyone in our town lost power. Some people in the area were without power for over a month!

Thankfully, this year we got snow. And lots of it! Officially in our town we received nine inches. NINE INCHES. In Arkansas. It started with sleet on Thursday night and since we had to travel to Jonesboro on Friday morning for Jason to have a test done, I got a little nervous. But we made it back home before it got too bad. Sweet husband he is, right after he told me he was seeing double while I was driving him home, he offered to drive. I politely declined. :)

It snowed and snowed and snowed Friday. It was beautiful, and we had two excited girls. Well, we had one excited girl anyway. Little bit didn't really understand what was going on! We played Saturday and Sunday too, since the roads were still bad and church was canceled. The roads were glazed over just right for some fun sledding Sunday. The picture above is what it still pretty much looks like today, so schools are still closed and we're having an inside day, aside from Daddy, who got to go to work today. Big girl hasn't even asked to go back out there yet. She's worn out from all the fun.

All bundled up and ready to go!

Snow Angel

The snow was a little too deep for this sled Saturday. Good thing we had a toboggan too!

Gabby LOVED this one!

New Year, New Start

2010-01-08T14:33:00.009-06:00

Here it is, January 8, and I'm just now typing my first post of the year. It's not that I forgot I had a blog, just that other things took priority. I have been busy cooking, cleaning, organizing, and just spending time with family. You know, I those things I should be doing.

We had a fabulous Christmas. Jason was off for the two weeks around Christmas and it was nice to feel like we had a little vacation at home. (Not a staycation - who came up with that word anyway?) I also got some much-needed jobs around the house completed and am still working at some others.

We were able to celebrate Christmas at my sister's house, which was a treat. We did this before Christmas, due to my brother's work schedule. I love that we have several places to celebrate and Christmas can last for a week or more.

All the pictures I have from those two days are a blurry and dark mess. A gift that Jason and I got for the family is my new camera. A great deal on Amazon one day made my year. I'm going to have so much fun learning about my new camera. A fun part is that my sis-in-law got the same camera for Christmas! Maybe she can give me some pointers. My niece told me that once you use an SLR, there's no going back. I believe her!

So here are a few fun shots from Christmas. Maybe I'll get back into the swing of things and post more this year. ;)

Playing Catchup

2009-11-28T07:43:00.011-06:00

Blogging has been really low on my priority list lately. Thought I'd play a little catch up while the kids are quiet, which has been really rare lately!

Our church had the annual "Harvest Festival" the Sunday before Halloween. Games to play, food to eat, and a really cool show by a ball handler. This year they chose a sports theme and it was really fun.

The Thursday before Halloween Gabby had her first school party. They all had so much fun dressing in their costumes and trick-or-treating from classroom to classroom.

And finally, Saturday was Halloween. Two more fall festivals and a little trick-or-treating at Grandmom's house. Gabby was a little surprised to find out the treats included more than just candy at Grandmom's.

Hope you had a fun Halloween!

VPA Talent Show, Otherwise Known as "Tribute to High School Musical and Michael Jackson"

2009-10-27T12:54:00.005-05:00

We had the pleasure of attending our nephews' school talent show last week. They go to a visual and performing arts' magnet school. The acts were great. Three or four "High School Musical" and three Michael Jacksons, with some "Wicked" thrown in for good measure. We think this one was one of the best, but we're bias. Introducing Parker as Michael Jackson. . .

Don't You Feel Safer. . .

2009-10-27T12:52:00.004-05:00

knowing that these two are protecting the community? :)

Back Home

2009-09-26T22:08:00.003-05:00

Jason and I have spent the past few days at the D6 Conference in Frisco, TX. I have so much I want to share about this, but I am still processing all of it. God had His hand on this conference and it was amazing. Can't wait to sit with my notes and Bible and make more notes. For now, the bed is calling my name.

Introducing the Soccer Pro

2009-09-23T06:37:00.006-05:00

Turns out it wasn't just teething. Bless her heart, she has some kind of infection that is affecting one of her ears and her throat. She has a cute little hoarse cry. Not to be confused with the horse cry that she usually has. That girl has a set of lungs! No worries, antibiotics prescribed and healing is taking place.

We had a very busy weekend. There was a baby shower at our house Sunday, of which I have no pictures because my camera was in the jeep, which left that afternoon with my husband and girls. I do, however, have a pretty clean house and sparkling bathrooms, thanks to my hubby!

Saturday was the first soccer game of the season. Of our lives, for that matter. I have a feeling we'll be doing this for awhile. As they were eating breakfast, Daddy promised her one dollar for each goal she made, thinking that would motivate her to get out there and play hard. It did, alright. The girl scored five goals! I told him this might be an expensive season. MeMaw's footing the bill this week, so we told her do really well and she could maybe buy a trampoline for the backyard with her earnings. :)

It was also a monumental day because it was the first day her hair has ever been braided. Ever. The child does not like having her hair fixed. She did, however, like having her hair out of the way. So there may be more braids in the future. Stay tuned.

They all had so much fun. I was impressed with how well the girls played together. I don't mean to brag (well, just a little!) but the referees told our coaches there was nothing in particular we needed to work on. The girls had the concept and did well! Pretty good for a four-and-five year old team!

Getting ready for the game:

Lining up (notice the cutie poking out):

I was hoping to have some of the video, but, alas, time has gotten away from me once again.

We Interrupt This Blog. . . .

2009-09-17T21:41:00.004-05:00

. . .for a teething bloggy break! Li'l Bit is cutting some serious molars (as if there were another kind) and I am doing all I can to get my house ready for a shower this weekend! I'm sure all two of you are sitting on the edge of your seats for the next riveting post and this is devastating. I'm sorry. :) In the meantime, have a "splashing" good weekend!

Picture of the Day

2009-09-10T13:57:00.003-05:00

I have felt the same way SO many times. :)

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-07T21:30:00.011-05:00

We had a pretty relaxing long weekend. Saturday we took a little trip down the road, shopped and visited family. Gotta love Kohls!

While everyone was having parades and cookouts, this is what we did today:

Enjoying our hard work:

This evening we had our first soccer practice.

Oh, wait. That was just the shoe queen. She is loving all the new fall fashions. This is the right picture:

At the beginning of practice, the coach had them line on the middle line with their balls and kick it down to the goal. One of the girls just stood there. The whole practice. Yeah, you could tell she really wanted to be there.

Ellie got set up with her seat and really enjoyed the show.

Saturday Sharing

2009-09-03T10:34:00.009-05:00

This post makes me both dread and have hope for the times that lie ahead for my sweet girls. We girls can be so mean. But we can rest that our real hope and comfort only comes from Jesus.

Here is a how-to for a really cute ribbon board. (Great for bows and barrettes!)

At last but certainly not least. . .this is great. Do yourself a favor and check out Tim's other stuff on You Tube.

Free Chicken!

2009-09-03T09:45:00.005-05:00

This is super important! Well, at least in our little world it is!
Labor Day, September 7, 2009, wear your sports team logo and get a FREE Chick-Fil-A sandwich. 10:30 a.m. - close.
You can also register here for a chance to win stuff from Chick-Fil-A.

Eat Mor Chikin!

Financial Organization

2009-09-02T08:37:00.006-05:00

When Kristen over at We Are That Family said the theme for this week's Works for Me Wednesday was going to be organizing, I just laughed. I'm not an organized person. I like organization. I even like organizing. It's just not the priority it should be.

So I thought. And then I thought. And thought some more. Finally I figured out that if one part of my life is organized, it's the financial part. 'Cause it has to be.

A few things that help me keep it organized:

1. We use Dave Ramsey's envelope system for our regular spending. This helps us not spend too much by using credit cards. I almost always end up spending more using them. We always pay off the card at the end of the month, but it's a mental thing. It feels like you're using real money when you spend cash, because you are.

2. We have a budget and we have a spreadsheet to track our spending. And although this summer we haven't been using it like we should, last spring it was great, and it will be great this fall! You can find some great tools at these sites:

Dave Ramsey
Christian Personal Finance
Crown Financial

3. We use ING savings accounts for the big stuff. There are a few expenses we have only once a year, like our life insurance, home insurance and taxes, and other things we might need a larger sum for, like medical bills or car repairs. We also keep our emergency fund there. Although we have lots of different categories, we only have three separate accounts. I set up a spreadsheet to keep track of the categories. For instance, we might have one lump sum in ING, but on my spreadsheet it's divided up into categories like house, medical, car, etc. That way we're earning more interest on the larger amount, but I know how much comes in and out of each category. That way, when that large bill comes we're not caught off guard. We've been preparing for it.

4. Keep records. I may not always do the best job on this, but all the papers are around here somewhere. My husband has come up with a binder system for our bills and large purchases. Here's a great list at Bankrate.com that will give you some guidlines of how long to keep records.

Now off to work on the organization of everything else in the house. . .

Happy 15 months!

2009-08-27T16:34:00.005-05:00

Ellie is now fifteen months! I can't believe how the time passes.
A few Ellie fun facts:

Favorite food: The child could exist on graham crackers and bananas. Seriously. She is not a picky eater, which is very good for mommy.

Favorite word: Well, the thing she says the best is "Bye, bye. MMMMMMMMWAHHHH." She says "Oh!" instead of "Uh oh". I love to hear her talk.

Favorite toy: Anything she can get her hands on. She is a toddler, after all. I'm once again entering the world of put something away, pull something out, put something away, pull something else out. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

We go to the doctor Monday so I don't have weight, etc.

Ellie is such a joy to have. She is so loving and playful. She, very unlike her sister, goes to sleep well for naps and bedtime. It's still weird to me that she just goes to sleep when I put her in bed. She is such a good baby and we are so thankful for her!

Saturday Sharing

2009-08-22T07:46:00.009-05:00

I spend way too much time that I should be doing other things reading other people's blogs. So I might as well share some of the goodies I find!

I must make this dress. I'm not much of a crafty person, although I long to be, but I think even I could do this one.

This series by Shaun Groves resonates with many. (There are nine parts)

I'm loving reading the posts over at (In)Courage. Many different women, many different circumstances, but all very strong and beautiful.

If you have little girls in your life, you wanna check out these paper dolls. So cute, and free!

Have a great weekend!

Edited to add: This will mess you up. In a good way.

School Girl

2009-08-19T14:56:00.008-05:00

My big girl started school yesterday. Well, it's preschool, and it will just be two days a week, but it's still school!

She was so excited. We have been talking about for weeks. She got a letter from the director a couple of weeks ago and listened to every word as I read it to her. We're excited because it's a Christian preschool. She'll be learning Bible verses there and at church during our AWANA program (which will be a whole 'nother post). Can't be a bad thing, having the Word of God poured out on her from other people!

It was doubly-exciting because one of her best friends is in her class too. Levi and she have been buddies pretty much since they met, and I'm sure they will be giving the teacher a run for her money! They're a mess when they get together!

After school we went out for ice cream. Always a good after-school treat!
I'm sorry to say this is the best picture I got:

The babies liked it too!

Dunkin' Daddy

2009-08-17T19:38:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we had on outreach picnic at a park in our church's neighborhood. Food, water slides, lots of fun. All the pastors got a turn in the dunk tank. Of course Gabby wanted a chance at getting Daddy all wet!

Three tries and no luck, so:

And with a little help from Ms. Hannah:

Museum Trip

2009-08-13T17:08:00.005-05:00

We had a great time yesterday at a great museum. It is only a little over an hour from our house, and is a little treasure in the middle of Malden, Missouri. The girls had a blast with friends playing and experimenting!

Dumpster Diving

2009-07-30T07:25:00.004-05:00

Do you dumpster dive? This morning I witnessed some people "trashbag treasuring". We don't have dumpsters or even garbage cans in our city; we just set the trashbags by the side of the road. I know, high class.

I don't have a problem with people looking for treasures on the side of the road. I have been known to eye an item or two. It just got me to thinking about what we're throwing away. If our trash had been out yet they would have been in for a treat! Baby girl has been eating well lately!

Really, though, what do you throw away? Do you throw away items that are still usable? Do you throw away items that can be recycled? I believe that God wants us to be good stewards of what He has given us. We're a very affluent people, by the world's standards. Many things we toss would be precious to some abroad.

So I'm going to make a very conscious effort to be a better steward of what God has given us.

1. We will recycle all that we can. We already do a good bit of this, but considering we don't have recyling pickup in our area, (did ya' read the part about not even a trash can?) this takes a little more effort. We do have two recycling drop-offs. I'm going to look for other places I can take things they don't accept. For instance, you can trade in old cell phones with Swagbucks. You can print off a postage-paid mailing label, send it in, and receive swagbucks in return. If you aren't a member, please use my link on the bottom of the page, if you would be so kind!

2. Use something up until it's gone. Also already do this pretty well, but we can do better.

3. Buy second-hand, but only if the item is really needed. Love me some garage sales, but don't want to clutter my house with unnecessary items. Some items you probably don't want to buy second hand include toothbrushes, retainers and deodorant. I'm going to hope you already knew that.

4. Take care of what we have. Regular maintenance on many things will extend their life. For instance, cars run better with regular "checkups", and my husband swears that a vehicle runs better when it's clean.

5. Teach our children how to better take care of their stuff. Make sure that the next generation is aware that God gives us what we have and wants us to be good stewards.

So those are a few steps I'm going to make sure I'm following. Let me know if you ahve any other ideas!

The House That Cleans Itself

2009-07-28T14:56:00.006-05:00

Housework. Ugh. I'm not a naturally organized person. Don't get me wrong, I like organization, even like to organize. But taking on the clutter of four people is a little overwhelming to me. That's where "The House That Cleans Itself" comes in handy.

Mindy Starns Clark and I are like souls when it comes to housekeeping. If you think that your clutter is unmanageable, get this book! It's an easy read, and the steps she outlines in her book will transform your home into a workable, livable space. She challenges you to really open your eyes to look at your house and it's problem areas. You divide your house into "zones" and tackle one at a time. And not just the clutter, but the little things that make a difference, like cleaning doors and repairing switch plates.

I'll share before and after photos after I work through my spaces. I've only just started, and I already feel better about my home!

For more Works for Me Wednesday, head over to We Are That Family!

A Little Fun

2009-07-12T12:54:00.001-05:00

Please Excuse the Mess

2009-07-10T09:03:00.002-05:00

I'm working on changing up the look of the blog. Without too many interruptions, I should be finished soon! Sorry if you find a weird looking page when you visit!

Works for Me Wednesday - Magic Nuudles

2009-07-07T08:25:00.001-05:00

We have discovered a great creative activity that is not messy at all. My sister gave Gabby some "Magic Nuudles" for her birthday, and we are in love! These things are basically colored styrofoam peanuts, but they sure bring out the creativity! All you need is a wet sponge and the nuudles. They are very inexpensive (about $5). Look for them at Hobby Lobby or a like craft store.

Here's a sample of the flowers she figured out how to make:

I've bought all of our preschool VBS classes a box. Great activity for little hands!

Head over to We Are That Family for more Works for Me Wednesday!

Sprinkler Fun

2009-07-02T08:25:00.005-05:00

Dora can be a lot of fun. Especially when she spins around and shoots water.

Being the mean parents we are, we played a little trick on the baby.

This is what we got:

fnw2ki6ybm

Things Learned So Far This Summer, Before the First Official Day of Summer

2009-06-20T09:20:00.007-05:00

So, I guess I'm becoming one of those bloggers that updates about once every month. I'm going to do better. Really I am. I feel that if I tell myself that enough, I'll really believe it. So I'll start with a little list.

Things I've Learned So Far This Summer, Even Though It's Not Really Summer Yet:

1. Ellie is a serious climber. So far, she's climbed to the top of the slide on our swing set, the shelf with the TV, the baker's rack, and last night, the couch. She used her little ride-on car for that last one. Scary.

2. If your local meteorologist says that your area is in a "Ring of Fire", you've been warned - it's going to be seriously hot. Like melt your face hot. Sweating at 6:15 a.m. hot. August in June hot.

3. Hearing the term "Ring of Fire" used for your area will prompt Johnny Cash's song to be played over and over in your head for a few days.

4. Even living in said "Ring of Fire", pool water can still be strangely cold.

5. If you come across warm spots in said cold pool water, they should be avoided, especially in the kiddie area.

6. Summer television re-runs are a blessing. This is our reminder to turn off the TV and go play with the kids. Just listen to music and play games and create things. This should carry over even when the new shows come back on. There's not really anything worth watching anyway. Well, maybe The Office and Chuck. :) That's why we have recorders.

7. Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse really are good teachers. My four-year-old will listen and retain their lessons about recycling. Never mind the recycling box we have in the garage and our trips to the recycling drop-off.

8. My oldest is really living up to her name, which provides both exhaustion and comic relief. It's amazing what they say!

That's it for right now. Now for the obligatory pictures.

Happy Birthday Ellie!

2009-05-27T18:36:00.007-05:00

Today marks Ellie's first birthday. We celebrated with a party with the family Monday. She was such a sweet little thing. She has been taking five and six steps here and there, but decided to really show off for the party. She walked all over the place! We had lots of fun, and she loved having so many of her favorite people in one spot! Gabby enjoyed helping with the decorations and picking out a gift for Ellie. She got her a gloworm. :) It's one of Ellie's favorite things now!

2009-05-13T14:50:00.002-05:00

I just read this post by Shaun Groves on his blog, and it was one that made me stop and say, "Wow. . .right on. . . now what?". God has been challenging me lately about doing more. Being more. For Him. I'm not talking about just being busy. We're all busy enough. But are we busy with the meaningful things?

Okay, so I'm a mom. I'm a wife. I'm a daughter, sister, friend. Yes, my schedule is busy. Yes, I'm doing things that matter, although sometimes I wonder how much that pile of laundry really matters! But are we doing everything God wants us to do? Are we not just surrendered to Him, but listening to what He wants us to do? Trapped in His presence, unable to release until we hear a Word, that Word, and we know "That's It." "That's Him."

Do we let Him regularly evaluate our position with Him so we can be of upmost use for Him? What you are doing may be great. What you are doing may be exactly what God wants you to do. But please, oh please, don't stop listening. He's ever changing us for His glory. That others might see His glory. That others will feel His glory.

Don't you want to be part of it? Part of a radical uplifting of God's people to share Him with those who are in desperate need of Him? Ask Him to show you your part. He will. And watch out. Because it's going to be outstanding. Incredible. Miraculous.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

In honor of this special day. . .

If You Give A Mom A Muffin
Author Kathy Fictorie

If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old's diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are...
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

Making the Most of Online Rewards - Works for Me Wednesday

2009-05-06T09:09:00.005-05:00

This my first time posting with Works for Me Wednesday. I've been reading great tips given by other bloggers for months, but am finally jumping in with them.

This week's theme Frugality. What works for me is using online reward programs for GIFTS. I earn points, cash, gifts cards, etc. with these programs. What works for me is that I typically wait to redeem when I need some gifts. I use them the most at Christmas. Here are the main ones I use and why:

The first is Mysurvey.com. They send you emails with survey links(or download their messenger to get immediate notice of new surveys). I've completed quick surveys for five points, and I've received 300 points for some more involved, but they still don't take much time. For each 1000 points you earn, you can redeem them for prizes or CASH. I've earned about $150 so far with this.

The next, and the one I've earned the most with, is MyPoints. You can earn points for clicking on ads in emails, shopping through MyPoints, completing surveys, and signing up for trials. They did have a credit card program too, but it has been discontinued. I usually redeem points for gift cards at Christmas for gifts and to use myself to purchase gifts.

A new one to me is Swagbucks. Many people have had great success with this one, and I seem to be earning points fairly quickly. You can earn points for using their search engine, which has earned me at least one swagbuck a day, usually more. You can recycle old cell phones and such with them to earn points. All you have to do is enter what kind of phone you have and they provide you with a postage-paid label you print to mail the phone to them. You can also earn points shopping through the website, as well as by referrals. What I'm excited about with this one is that you can redeem for Amazon gift cards.

With all of these programs, you can earn points with referrals, so I'd really appreciate you asking for a link to join. Just leave a comment with your email address or email me and I'll get one to you.

This may not sound like a lot of extra money, but it really is in relation to the time put into it. And it sure helps out at Christmas, when money seems to be flying out the door much quicker! And that works for me. For more Works for Me Wednesday, check out the other posts at We Are That Family!

The Miracle of Making a Difference

2009-05-04T07:51:00.004-05:00

This past week I've been reading some blogs. No different from other weeks, except that I've focused on following Compassion's bloggers' trip to India. I can't begin to imagine how traveling to a third-world country could affect you, but I get a little taste through their posts.

These bloggers are traveling with one purpose - to make a difference in lives. They are writing about their experiences in order to further the work of Compassion, which is making a huge difference in families' lives all over the world.

Take a few minutes to read for yourself:

Compassion Bloggers

Oh, and if you stop by Shaun Groves' blog, one of the leaders on the trip, you can download his song, "Kingdom Coming" for free! (It's on a banner on the right side) Such a good song.

The Miracle of Prayer

2009-04-26T14:23:00.007-05:00

Amazed would be the word. I'm so excited about what God is teaching me and confirming to me through these Miracle Mondays. I had half this post written before going to our Sunday night service. At the end of the service, we put in action what God has put on my heart for this post. I am overjoyed and humbled by how God cares for each of us!

Now to the topic at hand. Next week is the National Day of Prayer. The mission of the National Day of Prayer Task Force is such:

The National Day of Prayer Task Force's mission is to communicate with every individual the need for personal repentance and prayer, mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family.

This year marks the 58th year that it will be observed.

I am grateful for the freedom to pray, but I am most grateful for the ability to pray. See, prayer in itself is a miracle. One of my favorite parts of the Easter story is this:

50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

Do you know what the curtain (veil) being torn represented? Simply put, direct access to God. We have this miraculous gift of being to speak with our Creator any time we wish. We don't have to go through another human; we enter His presence through Jesus Christ. I just think that is amazing, and yet I fear we don't recognize, or sometimes just don't take advantage of that opportunity. Our Creator, the Creator of all living things, wants to talk with us. He wants us to share our feelings with Him, share our hurts, our triumphs. He wants to bless us through prayer if we will just let Him!

Prayer can do amazing things. Now, I'm not saying God's going to do everything you ask. And He may even provide His answer in a way you were not expecting. He certainly has in my life. But He wants to hear from us, and He wants to speak to us, if we'll be still enough to listen. God wants to teach us through prayer; He wants to widen our perspective. He wants to open our eyes to what He is doing around us and show us who we can touch and bless. We can only know these things if we are having daily, ongoing conversations with Him.

My sweet sister is definitely an example of what prayer can do. She has been through an incredibly hard journey the past year. I believe she would agree with me that she could have in no way withstood this situation without prayer. It has blessed me so to see the impact prayer has had on her, both those interceding on her behalf, as well as her own prayer time.

My heart was broken this weekend as we saw some neighbors this weekend. They have a real and desperate need for prayer for a situation. We would have never known had our paths not crossed. It has me wondering how often we share our needs with others. How many people do you come in contact with daily? How many of those people are you praying for? Each of us have prayer needs, some big, some small, depending on the timing. I think one of the ways we fail people is neglecting to pray for them. An essential part of the Christian faith is interceding for one another. Sharing each other's burdens.

Now for the fun part! Go to the comments section under this post, list a prayer request, and I will pray for you this week. You can leave your name or you can post it anonymously. It doesn't matter to me. God knows who you are. What matters is that you'll have one more person praying for that need this week. I'm serious about this -so please post some comments so I'll have some extra people to pray for this week!

Have a Miraculous Monday!

National Day of Prayer

Spring, Beautiful Spring

2009-04-23T13:01:00.007-05:00

I love Springtime! New life is breathed into God's beautiful creation. Everything is so colorful. It just energizes me! I had to take pictures of our beautiful azaleas by our front door.

I really wanted to get a picture of the girls by these beautiful flowers, but here's why that's not going to happen:

Yep, with these beautiful flowers come a host of great big bumblebees. So maybe we'll take some pictures by all the dandelions. . .

Cutie Pies

2009-04-21T07:11:00.010-05:00

I got a few cute pictures over the weekend. . . .

The girls in their new Princess bedroom at Grandmom's:

Having fun at dinner:

I'm pretty sure that molar back there is the reason we haven't been getting our beauty rest around here:

I never knew Playhousedisney.com could be so exhausting:

Miracle Monday

2009-04-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

Today is the start of something exciting. I was going to start a series today with something funny, but God changed my mind this morning. Because He seems to like throwing me curve balls.

I've been praying about how to use this blog. And I really feel like I want this to be a ministry. So "Miracle Mondays" is born. Mondays are hard days for most of us. Whether you've had a great weekend or a hard weekend, an exceptional worship time on Sunday, or maybe it's rainy; there's just something about Mondays. So I want to use Mondays as an encouragement. 'Cause every day we live for Christ can be miraculous.

So on Mondays I'll be posting miracles. Maybe there will be a link. Or two or three. Maybe I'll ask a friend to share. And in coming Mondays I'll share some of my stories. God is doing miracles today, and they can be such an encouragement to us.

Last night our pastor shared a little bit about what he sees as the future of our church. And it's exciting. And I believe that it can happen. And it will be miraculous if it does. Not in the far-fetched miracle sense, but in the GOD DID THAT sense. But the catch is that we will have to let God use us. You see, God is in the miracle business. He wants to work miracles today, and He wants to use us. But He doesn't have to use us. God can do what He wants to do without us. Don't you want Him to, though? Don't you want to be used of God to help perform a miracle?

And that's my challenge to you today. Be the miracle. Perform a random act of kindness. Write that note to someone to let them know you've been praying for them. Call someone and ask how you can pray for them. Donate your time. Donate your stuff. Ask God for direction. He'll give it to you. You may not see how it can be a miracle, but it may be to that other person. The point is to let God use you. Cast aside what you have going on in your life for a few minutes and let others take center stage.

If you do, I'd love to hear about it. Post a comment and let me know what you did. You'll find that even if you don't find out how it impacted someone else, it will impact you. Let's be a miracle today!

Music Bargain

2009-04-17T08:10:00.000-05:00

This morning I checked on a blog I usually do, Baby Cheapskate. Right now you can get 150 Fun Songs For Kids for .99 at Amazon! We already have some of these songs on our Wee Kids CD's (thanks, sis!), but who can resist three CD's worth of good children's music for .99? I guess those without kids, right? :) Just wanted to pass along the good deal!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T16:58:00.001-05:00

"He is not here; He has risen!"
Luke 24:6

May you truly feel His presence this Easter, for we serve a risen Savior!

2009-04-05T07:26:00.000-05:00

Wow. Our God is amazing!

Theological Lessons From a Four-Year-Old

2009-04-04T08:48:00.001-05:00

I love that my oldest is at the age to ponder the things of God. Her child-like faith continually teaches and challenges me. Yesterday on our way home from the store, "G" asked, "Does God laugh when we do silly things?". I told her I think He does; He likes seeing us having a good time. I told her that God is happy and sad, just the way we are. She was surprised at this, but accepted it and locked it into her little head as something new she knows about God now. Then she asked, "Does God get grumpy?"
"No," I immediately replied. But it made me think, and I've been thinking about it ever since.
As Christians, we are called to be "transformed into His likeness" (2 Cor. 3:18). However, how many times do we, with our sinful nature, express characteristics that are definintely not Christ-like? Grumpy, stressed, mad (in a not so righteous way); I could go on and on. God has freed us of the bonds of our sin, and yet it's so easy for us to slip into those actions and thoughts that are nothing like Him. My challenge to you, and myself, is to push away any of those characteristics that are not like Christ and live a life that reflects that it is being "transformed into His likeness"! It's a much better life.

Here We Go!

2009-04-02T15:04:00.000-05:00

This is my little bloggy place. It was created about two months ago, so I guess it's about time I posted something. This will hopefully be a place to record and share special times, people, places and thoughts. I guess at least my family will visit every so often to see updated pictures!

And now, since my "big girl" just had a birthday, we have a trip through the years in pictures. Don't worry, she's only four. :)

Just home from the hospital:

One Year Old:

Two Years:

Three:

And, Four:

Where, oh where, does the time go? It's amazing to see her turn into a little lady. I'm not quite ready for it, but it's coming regardless. I just pray I cherish every minute.

Hopefully I'll update often. We'll see how often those sweet little darlings let mommy have a break. :)