My Profession

I'm so incredibly blessed to be able to stay at home with Ethan. I LOVE IT! It's always been my dream to be a wife and mom and to be able to stay at home.

I know not all women get to be in this situation; some don't want to be, but most do, I would say. I have NOTHING against women that work outside of the home; I know that it is necessary sometimes. And believe me, we could definitely use the extra money right now if I did have an outside job; but my heart is in the home and God made a way for me to be there--even when it seemed impossible.

I'm so thankful.

I do miss the people I worked with at my last job, and sometimes I take being at home for granted. But I would never want any other profession. I hope I'm always a homemaker. Always.

"From the raw material of four walls and a roof, a shelter over our heads, we will have made a home by force of our own personalities.
We will have warmed, cheered, and sustained the head of that house, turned progeny into a family. We will have learned a dozen skills and enjoyed the fruits of such skills. For us the baby will have taken his first step, repeated his first word. We will have heard the schoolchild call "Mommy" as soon as he puts a foot inside the door, not so much to have a reply as to be assured that he is safe, life is ordinary, and that we are there...Free choice, importance, the prizes as well as the perils of a career--they are all ours. What more can one ask of a profession?"
~Phyllis McGinley, Sixpence in Her Shoe

Fun Fact!

According to The Price of Motherhood by Ann Crittenden, "Homemaking, the fundamental task associated with raising the young, is still the largest single occupation in the United States."
Taken from Queen of the Castle, by Lynn Bowen Walker

No More Meme

K, I thought I'd be cool and start my own meme (Sunday Selection) where people could post their favorite quote or scripture passage...b/c I just loovee quotes. I don't know why, but they're cool.
Anyhoo, I'm not doing a very good job of keeping up with it (and I guess not too many people think quotes are as cool as I do haha) so I'm not going have Sunday Selection anymore. I'll probably still post quotes or scripture on Sunday...but no more Sunday Selection.

I posted this scripture on my FB status today. I was a little scared to, but I read it this morning and it struck me hard, considering the current situation in the US today. It's a tough verse to swallow, but it is the Word of God--which is truth--and I shouldn't be ashamed of it. Here's what I posted:

Proverbs 29:2

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."

Ouch. Sounds harsh. But I agree.

Check out this Giveaway!

Hey ladies!!

You've gotta hop on over to Whitney's blog at
My Journey Toward: The Glamorous Life of a Housewife

She's hosting a giveaway...

and you could possibly win these beauties...

Hurry on over or you may miss your chance!
The winner will be announced Thursday.

1/2 a Year?? Already!?

Today, our baby boy is 6 months old! It has gone by incredibly fast!

Ethan, mommy and daddy love you so much and often wonder what we did before you came along! Our lives are so rich with joy now that you are here! Happy 1/2 year! =)


It seems like just yesterday we found out we were expecting...



Little did we know, we had a baby boy on the way! He was so tiny! =)


But became so big!


..this is right before we walked into the hospital! ahh! I was so nervous!

...just waiting for Ethan to come!

...Ta da!!

Exactly 6 months ago today, Ethan Asher arrived!

June 8th...NO MORE APNEA MONITOR!! PRAISE GOD!
(Ethan had some breathing issues after he was born and was in the NICU for 5 days. March 2nd, he was sent home on an apnea monitor. He had to be monitored 24/7 from March 2nd-April 1st. April 1st-June 7th, he was only monitored at bedtime.)

Six months...6 wonderful, wonderful months!!
The fun has just begun!

Movin' On Up!

Ethan is Movin' On Up....into a Big Boy Carseat!
Yes, folks, my baby boy has outgrown his carrier. Waaa!!

It seems like just yesterday we brought Ethan home in it...

Ok, I'm getting emotional now...I better finish this post quickly...ahem...

Babies grow so fast!!
This was Ethan's last picture in his 1st car seat.
Had to have one for the blog! =)

Here's the Big Boy Carseat! Ethan LOVES it!!

This was after a long day of running errands.

You didn't think we could just get rid of the old car seat did you?
No way...I'm VERY sentimental.
Plus, Curious George needed something to ride around in!

Sunday Selection

***If you'd like to join in on Sunday Selection,
click here to read the first post/guidelines!***

"There are Christians who think they can live a Christian life without ever reading their Bibles, but it is impossible. Our memories do not retain and maintain what we need to know. We are built in such a way that we need refreshment and reminder--again and again."

Ray Stedman,
Secrets of the Spirit

I chose this quote because lately I've been struggling to want to read my Bible.
Why I should ever not want to read my Bible is a mystery to me.
It's the best Book EVER.
Other things easily crowd out my time with God when, really, He should get the first part of my day!
I know things seem to run more smoothly when I start the day off in God's Word!

Where Do I Begin?!

What wonderful pictures above, huh? The happy housewife at work.
A spotless home is lovely..and oh so relaxing....
But my confession for today: My house is a wreck!

This weekend we had a garage sale--a last minute decision (but worth it--Praise God, we did great!). I stayed up all night getting things ready, and pretty much tore the house up in the meantime.
Sunday we were at Bob's parents' celebrating his dad's 65th birthday! It was a nice day of relaxation..away from the mess!

Today, I'm ashamed to say, I finished reading a book, surfed the web, and watched the last of my recorded shows,--we're turning the cable box in tomorrow. I did a little bit of laundry and made dinner..but other than that, it was a very lazy day =( Guess what verse kept coming to mind?? Proverbs 31:27: "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness". Ouch.

I just look around the house and think..."Where do I begin?!"

So Long, Old Friend

Bob and I did something drastic today...

We got rid of our digital cable..which means no more TLC, no more Food Network, no more excitement as I sit down to watch my plethora of recorded shows...**Sigh**

BUT it cut our bill by more than half!! Woo hoo!!!

I'm so proud of my husband! He didn't want to do this (I secretly didn't either), but we are trying to save money where we can, and cutting back our cable was one big way to do it. This may seem like a silly sacrifice, but Bob was definitely being selfless and sacrificial by doing this, b/c he loves his recorded shows, too.

I'm hoping this will not only save money, but also allow us more quality family time. The TV can totally become the center of everyone's attention. Not good. I was actually inspired by my cousin after I read a post she did about the Television. Check out her blog--it rocks!

So, I say, " So Long, Old Cable Friend...until we meet again....hopefully not too far down the road...b/c I'll be missing my shows pretty soon...and..." Ok, pull it together, Kari!

Shatter that Platter!

I used to get so annoyed when I'd watch the Food Network and see restaurant chefs serve scant meals leaving tons of "wasted space" on the plate. I like my plates piled high with food so I know I'm getting my money's worth!



But when I recently ran across WebMD's Portion Size Guide, I was reminded that a piled high plate isn't figure friendly (nor health friendly)! It's always astounding to see how little food we really should be eating compared to what actually goes in our mouth. After I read over the portion sizes, I realized the chefs were doing their customers a favor by not serving them the whole kitchen on a plate!

I'll be the first to admit that I can down a platter at one of my favorite restaurants. Yes, I said platter, not plate. Isn't it rather ridiculous that our meals can be served on PLATTERS??? And isn't it even more ridiculous that I can actually finish one? Seriously, that's a lot of food! I'm always sicker than a dog after I'm through eating, and that just shouldn't be the case! Eat to live, Kari, don't live to eat!


Anyhoo, I printed off a Portion Size Guide and hung it on our fridge as a reminder when I serve dinner in the future. I'm bad..er, I guess really good, at serving too much food!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, I'm turning over a new leaf. I've been trying to get back to living a healthier lifestyle, and cutting my portions back is one way I can do that.

If, in the future, I do go to a platter-not-plate-serving restaurant, I'll need to keep in mind a couple of tips so that I don't overeat and end up sick! Here they are:

Eat slooooowwwlyyy....
I'm terrible about eating ridiculously fast. It's such a bad habit. My meal is over before I realize what I just inhaled ate. Eating slowly will make mealtime more pleasant, and will also allow you to realize you're full before you've eaten too much.

Chew, chew chew!
The more you chew your food, the more digestive enzymes you release which in turn helps your body digest the food properly. Also, it allows you to savor the food before you!

It's no fun sitting at the table watching others finish their meal while you sit there with an empty plate feeling like a gluttonous pig! Believe me...I know.

Lastly, here's a quote I find helpful during those emotional eating moments:

If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.
– Anon

Here's to our health!