Where my treasure is

The Enemy of Our Marriage

2012-01-27T15:24:00.006-06:00

Recently, it was made aware that someone whom my husband and I look up to had fallen into infidelity and adultery.

It was a jaw dropping, heartbreaking discovery.

I hurt for this man.
I especially hurt for this man's wife and children.

More than ever--and maybe it's just because I'm older, married and more aware--marriages are being destroyed left and right.

How does that happen, especially to a Christian couple? That's what I always wonder. There's a little fear to that thought. If it could happen to them....

Which is why we MUST. WE MUST be on guard. Our enemy, who is very, very real, wants nothing more than to steal from us. Our joy. Our marriage. Our children. All that we hold dear. And he will kill and destroy if he has to. (John 10:10)

He has no sympathy.
There is no kindness in him.
Age isn't a factor. He targets young and old.

At first, this can all be a scary realization.
But goodness. If God be for us, who can be against us?? (Romans 8:31)
NO ONE.

We have the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord! (1 Cor. 15:57)
We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!! (Romans 8:37)

While we should realize the power of our enemy, we should not cower down. We have no need to lack faith or lose courage.

Let's fight the good fight!
Let's fight for our marriages.

Let's be the woman of God, the wife and the mother the Lord has enabled us to be. Has called us to be.

Women, I know when there are little ones in the house, time alone with God seems impossible.

But it can't be. It just can't.

We must be in the Word and on our knees in prayer.
We must meditate on, and commune daily with our Lord.

We may not be able to sit down in the afternoon with our Bible and some uninterrupted time. But either in the morning before the kids arise, or in the evening after they've gone to bed, we should spend some time with the Lord. We should work to hide His Word in our heart. That way, we can recall those precious and powerful words to our minds during the day. We can be encouraged during days of frustration. We can find a soft answer when we want to speak harshly. We can respect our husbands when we'd rather fight back. We can choose to walk in love and humility when pride says we deserve better.

We can fight the enemy with the power of the Living Word.
We must. We must.
Don't ever let the enemy have a foothoold in our lives. In our marriages.
Because that's just what he's looking for.
And that's what he found in our friend I mentioned earlier.

To end, and to hopefully sum up what I feel are scattered thoughts, I'll share a video that has been floating around Facebook lately. It's short, but quite powerful.

Divine Challenge...

2012-01-25T00:51:00.002-06:00

“The best way to make homemaking a joyous task is to offer it as unto the Lord;

the only way to avoid the drudgery in such mundane tasks

is to bathe the tasks with prayer and catch a vision of the

divine challenge in making and nurturing a home.”

~Dorothy Patterson

Homemakers, are we bathing our tasks in prayer?

I hope to better catch the vision and divine challenge of serving my Lord and my family through the keeping of the home God has so graciously blessed us with!

Back From A Break

2012-01-23T15:21:00.002-06:00

I'm back from an impromptu blogging break.

Honestly, I've been too lazy to upload my recent pictures onto the computer, re-size them, and then choose which ones to post about. ;)

And..I really just enjoy reading other blogs more than I do writing my own. But I don't want to let my blog go by the wayside like I have so many times before.

So, I'll get back in to the swing of things by posting a lovely article from a blog I recently stumbled upon. (Deep Roots At Home)

"How of ten have I said that I long for the 'good ol' days' when life was simpler......instead of a random neighborhood--a community of brethren......instead of the nursing home--family......instead of family movie night--family devotions...instead of running around town all day--staying at home......instead of a Facebook status--a private letter or card......instead of sharing thoughts on the internet--sharing thoughts with the family...We all hold dear the values that strengthened the family as portrayed in these winsome images. But, we can never go back to the former times as we imagined them to be."

You can read the full article here.

What ways do you strive to live a more simple life in the midst of a busy and overstressed culture?

Get Out Of That Pit

2012-01-06T14:10:00.002-06:00

While on Facebook last night, I came across a Youtube clip of Beth Moore that a friend had shared.

I watched it.
It was pretty good.
I didn't see how it applied to me, though.

When it was over, and as usual, all the other similar clips were shown at the end.

And I saw, "Get Out Of That Pit"

"No....I don't need to watch that one.", I thought. [heart tugging]
"It's 49 minutes long! Woah, definitely not going to watch it!" [heart still tugging]

Sigh. "Ok, I'll watch it."

Truth is, I knew I needed to. I've felt for awhile now that I've been stuck in a pit of discouragement--a pit I've lived in for too long. And not just discouragement, but all the other struggles it produces. The lack of trust and faith it can foster. The anger and discontentment it creates.

So, it's time to take the pictures down, to hire a moving truck. I'm so out of this pit! God has been victorious for us! There's no need to remain where we are at. No need at all.

In the video, Beth shares three ways we usually find ourselves in a pit:

A. We are thrown in by others. Remember the story of Joseph? His brothers literally threw him in to a real pit. Maybe you've been thrown into a pit by your spouse's infidelity. Or your business partner's deceit.

B. We slip in. We let sin take a foothold and before we know it, we've slipped in to some type of
bad habit or relationship that we never dreamed we'd find ourselves in.

C. We jump in. Willful, planned sin. Even David asks in Psalm 19:13 for God to keep him from willful sins.

Beth Moore finishes her message by proclaiming the power that Christ has to deliver us from our pits. He is our rescuer.

Are you in a pit today? It may be something as serious as alcohol addiction or something as seemingly minor as laziness and lack of discipline. But they're all pits. Anything that keeps us from the victorious and free life that Jesus has for us, is a pit we must be pulled from.

We can't be completely sinless while on this earth--we'll never really have it all together--but by God's grace, there's no need for us to be overtaken by any sin. As much as satan wants that to be our end--to bury us alive--Christ has conquered Him for us! He is our Victor! And He stands ready and willing to deliver us and give us the abundant life that can only be found in HIM.

If you feel a tugging, please watch the video. It's long, but it's so worth it! Let's Get Out Of That Pit!

Toys. And footholds.

2012-01-05T00:38:00.001-06:00

I was strolling through the toy section at Target with Ethan and Emma and came across these two vampire dolls. I'm especially fond of the guy vampire with that "special dress" (more like lingerie, don't ya think?) for his "goulfriend". What a wonderfully wholesome set of toys. [facepalm]

Actually, when I saw these, my jaw dropped.
And quite frankly, I became angry.

For some unfortunate reason, our culture is totally wrapped up in all of the vampire, witch, werewolf hysteria going on. And it's dangerous.

We as Christians should be extra cautious before we watch any show, read any book, or buy any toy if we know it has this darkness involved. It may seem like a "silly little toy" or "just a fun movie" but "what fellowship hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14)

Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat” (Luke 22:31)

Let's use discernment.
And let us never allow Satan a foothold. He'll sift us like wheat. And he wants only to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)

It's bad enough to be involved in this darkness as an adult, but when we start allowing our children to be involved as well....

Then shame on us.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." Mark 9:42 ESV

All Things New

2012-01-03T00:50:00.003-06:00

The Christmas decorations are packed away for another year (sigh), and memories are tucked safely inside my heart--ones I'll treasure forever.

It was a great few days with family. Bob and I are blessed to have our parents so close. My siblings also live nearby. I'm very thankful for that.

Ethan was incredibly excited this year about all the toys he received. It was adorable to see the spark in his eyes, to hear "Oooh Mommmyyyyyy!" at each new gift he received, and "Daddy, loooook!" as he figured out how each new toy worked.

So. Stinkin. Cute.

It was Emma's first Christmas, which of course, is always a special occasion. She's enjoying the toys she recieved, as well. Although, as it goes with babies, I think she would've been just as happy with the boxes and wrapping paper that housed the toys.

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

Now it's time for birthday planning! Ethan will be three....Threeeeeee! I can't believe it. Completely ridiculous.

That's the 25th of February.

And then my little Emma girl will be ONE whole year on March 4th! It's literally been the fastest year of my life. Pinterest will be my best friend for the next few weeks, I'm sure! =)

Emma's birth was the highlight of the year for me; otherwise, 2011 wasn't the greatest, although I'm incredibly thankful I could be a part of it!

With that said, 2011 has sparked something in me--an intense desire to make 2012 better. To not waste my life (As John Piper's book so aptly encourages)

I want to live with purpose---to be intentional.

I have so many goals for this year. And I actually wrote them down and got specific. I don't believe I've ever done that before.

I've got a lot of changes to make, and with the grace and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, I can make those changes! I'm so excited for a fresh start!

I'm so thankful that He makes all things new! (Rev. 21:5)

A few goals from my list:

*To spend time with God, everyday. To pray without ceasing. I want Him to be my priority. My All.

*To wake up before my family, at least 5 days out of 7. It should probably be all 7 days, but I'm going to start easy on myself as I adjust to a more disciplined schedule. (It's embarrassing for me to admit that I usually rise when my children wake me up--but that's how it was for most of 2011--and I'm ready to change that!)

*To exercise at least 3 times a day. Long enough to break a sweat and get my heart pumping.

I used to be an athlete and was in great shape. But now I think I'll need to get in shape just so I can get in shape!

*To lose 30 lbs. Ahhh!

*To cut waaaaay back on our sugar intake (I love to bake, so this will be super tough!)

I've studied nutrition for several years, so I know what we should be eating. But putting all that into practice is usually easier said than done.

*To be in bed by 11pm. It's currently 12:32am. Needless to say, this is going to be a tough one, too.

*To stop being so distracted by silly things!! I've already deleted my Facebook and Pinterest apps off my phone. I need to spend much less time online, and much more quality time with my Lord, children, and family.

Many women do not have an issue with wasting too much time via the internet, but I do. This is something the Lord has really laid on my heart.

*TIME MANAGEMENT. I am so bad about being late to places. It's embarrassing and incredibly rude. I've struggled with it for as long as I can remember. This is a huge goal for me.

I have other more specific and personal goals, but these are some of the majors.

I have a lot to work on, don't I?

It's a good thing I have the Lord on my side =)

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

Do you set goals each year?

If so, what are some of yours?

Christmas.

2011-12-25T02:33:00.000-06:00

It's hard to imagine it.

Jesus Christ, in human flesh--a small, helpless baby, no less!

One who cried, needed changing, and became sleepy.

A baby who clung to his mommy for comfort and nourishment.

But then He grew.

He grew "in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52)

He grew so He could die.

He died so He could rise.

He rose...

So we could live.

My King, You are wonderful and matchless!!

Thank You for giving Yourself.

Thank You for Christmas.

Free E-Book!!

2011-12-23T02:32:00.010-06:00

Ladies, I am so excited to share a free e-book offer with you!

Written by Courtney Joseph, from WomenLivingWell.org, The Proverbs 31 Woman: One Virtue at a Time, is a priceless tool for women. I read it in one sitting--it's short and to the point. But the author packs a punch with loads of encouragement, wisdom, inspiration and exhortation.

I cannot recommend this enough! What a blessing it was to me, especially considering my struggles with discouragement this year. I've been so down--I've magnified my shortcomings and compared myself with women who seem to have it all together--"I always come up short" is what I've uttered a million times. But you know what? God. Still. LOVES. Me.

Yes, I have a lot of work to do.
Yes, it will be challenging to become more disciplined.
Yes, I'll still have to battle the enemy and fight the feelings of inadequacy.

But... "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me"! (Phil 4:13) emphasis mine

And, oh, how I want to model the Proverbs 31 woman!

*I want to please the Lord with this calling He's graciously given to me.
*I want my children to one day "arise" and call me "blessed"!
*I want my husband to feel secure and confident in my role as wife and mom!

This book will encourage you to find that end! And this E-book is completely free! All you have to do is "like" Women Living Well on Facebook. When you do, there will be a green/white/orange box under the author's profile picture labeled "Free Ebook". Just click on that and read, save or print!

Ladies, ultimately we should strive to imitate our Savior.
To follow hard after Him.

But since He wrote the entire Bible, through men inspired by the Holy Spirit, then the Proverbs 31 Woman is certainly someone we can be excited to model ourselves after!

Happy reading!!

An Invitation Not For Me, But For Me

2011-12-21T00:17:00.006-06:00

Last night, our little family enjoyed "Family Movie Night" with our church. The place was packed.
We watched Polar Express, munched on popcorn, and downed some Christmas cookies. Yes, downed them. We love our sugar much more than we should.

I'm hoping to rid ourselves of that vice after the New Year.

Oh, how easy it was to type that. It's a shame that's not all it takes to say goodbye to sugar. A crying shame.

Anyway....

Halfway through the movie, during intermission, our Pastor came up and spoke. He somehow managed to weave the Gospel into a story centered around Santa Claus, children and a train. Pastors just have that special gift of seeing the spiritual in everything.

As he shared the Gospel, and went through the "pray this prayer" speech, I started to tune him out. After all, I accepted Jesus 18 years ago. I figured it was a prayer that no longer applied to me.

But as I was holding my little girl, staying still in hopes that she would, too, I paused. And I began to listen.
Eyes closed, heart focused.

The recent reminder from Jessica @ Muthering Heights, came to memory. The reminder to receive words in fresh amazement. Words that had been dulled through the years by familiarity.

The words I'd grown numb to were as new as they had been the night I spoke them as a 9 year old girl.
And the words touched my heart. They stirred something in me that had been asleep for far too long.

An invitation not for me, but for me.

An invitation not to receive salvation, for I'd already received it.
But an invitation to worship the King of Glory. To remember the extravagant grace poured upon me. To marvel in wonder at the babe who came to die.

A priceless gift--the person of Jesus Christ.

Oh, the depths He had to stoop!

From glory to gloom.
From splendor to squalor.
Wickedness, hatred, apathy and unbelief is what He came to.

For you.

For me.

To give us an eternity.
With Him.

"This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ." ~Frank McKibben

Have you responded to the invitation?
Have you received the gift of Christ?

[photo credit]

He sees.

2011-12-18T00:11:00.001-06:00

I've struggled with discouragement a lot this year.
Which is why I'm so thankful for the Word of God. Such comfort it brings on those days I feel worthless.

I'm also thankful for the many blogs on the internet written by godly women.

The other day, I read a lovely and reassuring post from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home. I read through misty eyes as I soaked up the encouragement that flowed from her words. Here's an excerpt that greatly resonated with me:

But God sees all.

He sees every hot meal you make, then eat cold. He sees every tear you cry when you are exhausted. He sees every diaper you change and every slow reader you refuse to give up on. He sees you draw close to that unlovable child. He sees you go the extra mile in cleaning that bathroom as you do it as unto Him. He sees you share the gospel daily with your family by the choices you make, the lines in the sand you draw, the life you have chosen.

You are serving Him.

And He will reward you. Maybe in this life, as your children may one day rise up and call you blessed. But certainly in the one to come.

Here's the full article.

If you're struggling in the trenches of motherhood, let this article buoy your heart with hope. You are not alone. Mothers all across this world are struggling in one way or another. Remember that God sees. And He cares. And He's rooting you on.

Afterall, you're the one He handpicked to be "mommy" to your children.

Be encouraged. Take heart. Fight the good fight.

You're doing a great job.

"But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."
Psalm 3:3

Across the Miles...

2011-12-16T11:57:00.002-06:00

Friendships are truly priceless.
Even if they've only ever been from across the miles.

With today's technology, we can feel like we're right there with one another, even if we're really hundreds of miles away. It's a neat time we're living in.

I have one of those long-distance friends. Alicia.

We actually met through the blogland a few years ago.
Our firstborns are one day apart, so that, I think is what drew us together--the common ground we shared.

And almost three years later, our friendship remains.

She's a prayer partner.
Gifted with encouragement.
Very creative (I go to her when my mommy brain is foggy and can't for the life of me come up with anything crafty to do with Ethan)
Compassionate
Funny!
A godly example of what a woman, wife and mother should strive to be.

We chat on Facebook, through texts and sometimes on the phone. But we've never actually met in person.
We keep telling each other that we WILL meet one day! What a blast that would be!

I told you all how great of a gal my friend Alicia is because she started her blog back up after almost a two year break. I'm so excited for her to be back! She's going to have all kinds of great tips to share, and godly encouragement to extend.

So please go check her blog out when you have the chance! Marker Stains and Memory Lanes

Thank God for your friends today!

Cold-Rainy-Day Thoughts

2011-12-14T08:40:00.010-06:00

It's cold, dark and rainy here in my Oklahoma town.

And my bed is calling for me.

The warm blankets and sheets. The cool breeze of the fan. It's a perfect recipe for snuggling back into oblivion.

But I've got things to do.

Dishes to unload.
A baby girl to feed.
A growing boy to awaken.
Meals to prepare...

You wives and mothers know the routine.

It's another day to be thankful for; another opportunity to do something for the Kingdom.

Photo Credit

It could be something as simple as singing joyfully with my children about our Savior and His upcoming birthday celebration!

Or it could be visiting a neighbor and sharing the news proclaimed long ago to some scared shepherds in a field.

"A Savior has been born! He is Christ the Lord!"

This Season is His. This day is His.
How would He have me to live it?
Who would He have me to meet?

What would He have me to say?

Whatever His plans, may I obey them.

And when the day is done, I can crawl back into the bed that beckoned me earlier this morning. And I will sleep sweetly, knowing that the Lord can use the weakest vessels around. The failures, the flaws. The victories. The mundane daily tasks. The simplest moments in life. For His Kingdom purposes.

Amazing.

Discouragement.

2011-12-06T23:17:00.005-06:00

Is there something in your life that you are passionate about? A cause of some sort?

Mine would be the unborn--those who are legally killed in the womb under the banner of "Choice".

And let me tell you, this passion of mine gets me into controversy and debate pretty often.

Pinterest, of all places, has been a recent place of debate. I have a board called, "Passionately Pro-Life" where I posted a picture of people holding a banner which read, "Pray to end abortion". Two women recently decided to make some comments that I felt needed a response.

It's a full blown debate now.
And I'm discouraged.

I'm discouraged that, though they think they are brilliant and have it all correct, they are wrong.
I'm not saying I'm always right. Not saying that. Because many times in discussions, I'm completely uninformed about the topic and should probably just keep my mouth shut.

But I've researched this due to my heart for the unborn. I want to know the truth so that I can share it with others. So many women have believed the lies spread by those like Planned Parenthood and our culture in general. Did you realize some women honestly do not know that they are carrying a child? It's shocking, the ignorance that still abounds.

These women need that truth.
They deserve that truth.
Their unborn babies deserve for their mommies to know that truth.

I'm not posting this so a debate will explode in my comment section. That's about the last thing on earth that I want to happen from this post. I'm tired of the debates. Of feeling like what I do is pointless.

"Why fight it anymore? They aren't going to change their mind."

"This is a waste of time. The enemy has deceived them for too long."

My thoughts, all too often.

Oh, but GOD is bigger than that.
HE is more powerful.
And when we pray and obey, HE ACTS.

I may not immediately see the fruit of trying to be salt and light. Of trying to be a voice for those tiny babies who do not yet have one.

But I cannot become discouraged, although the temptation is always at my doorstep.

My heart hurts for these women, just as it does for their unborn babies.
They need facts, yes.

But I've come to realize that more than anything, many of these women need Jesus.

I know my efforts are not in vain, although it feels that way at times.

As much as I would love to have un-controversial passions, I don't.
As much as I would love to turn a blind eye and pretend the world is doing o.k., I can't.

And I don't think that's the kind of life we've been called to as Christians.

I think God has purposely put this passion in my heart.
And as much as I don't want to at times, I need to follow through.
Maybe my approach could change. And I could better pick my battles.

But I will not be silent.

"If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

If you say, "Behold, we did not know this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?"

-Proverbs 24:10-12

(emphasis mine)

A Rather Needless Explanation of a Giveaway.

2011-12-03T10:45:00.000-06:00

Ever since the earthquakes here in Oklahoma, I took down the heavy framed art that was over our bed.

Paranoid? Yep.

But hey, better safe than sorry.

So....I've been trying to find something else to go above our bed that, God forbid we have another earthquake, won't come crashing down on our head.

I get this paranoia from my mom. I think.

I'll go ahead and blame it on her.

I love you, Mommy =)

Anyway, I was blog browsing and came across a giveaway for some vinyl lettering. It's hosted by Artful Homemaking.

Aha! This could be my solution, because I can never find what I'm looking for in the stores. They're kind of on the cheesy side or totally wrong for a master bedroom...or more than I'm willing to pay because I'm kind of cheap like that.

As much as I would love to win, and your entering the giveaway will decrease my chances of winning, I will go ahead and tell you about it.

Aren't I nice?

(I also need another entry and blogging about it will give me just that!)

I'm still nice, though. I promise.

Unless of course you beat me in the giveaway.

Totally kidding. I'm in a spunky mood today.

Ok, I'll cut to the chase!

Here's the link to the giveaway! Have fun and good luck!

Parental Rights

2011-12-02T13:55:00.005-06:00

Have you noticed a trend here in America lately?

It seems parents are having to fight harder every day just to maintain the right to parent their own children without interference.

And this case is no different. You can also read a longer, more detailed version here.

If you can contact Michigan's elected officials on this family's behalf, it would be greatly appreciated. The article will provide you with the links to do so.

Let us continue to be in prayer for our Nation.

I'm rather fond of the freedoms we've been given under the Constitution.

Especially now that I'm a parent.

Future Spouses.

2011-12-01T00:10:00.002-06:00

I know it's a long way off (or at least I hope it will be. It seems time is flying by way too fast.) but one day, if the Lord tarries, Ethan and Emma will probably get married.

Not to each other of course. That would be gross.

But Ethan to his wife and Emma to her husband. Whomever they may be.

And what a humongous decision marriage is. Momentous. Life-changing. Challenging. Hard.

But amazing.

My parents were very intentional in their prayers for mine and my siblings' spouses. I remember from a very early age hearing their voices lifted up to our Heavenly Father for His direction in our lives; for His hand on our future spouses. As I got older, I realized how special those prayers were. They made me look forward with great anticipation to who my love would be. What he would look like. What his voice would sound like. How great he would be as a daddy.

So I began praying for him as well. Although at the time, I had no idea who he was.

What's really cool is that shortly after Bob and I were married, I told him I had been praying for him for several years. And that the August before we met (we met in September of 2004), I felt a really strong need to pray for my future husband.

His eyes widened and he said, "Really?".

"Yes, why?", I responded curiously.

"Because that was during a particularly challenging time in my life."

Gives me goose bumps when I think about it.

God is so good.

His Providence is perfect.

I'm so incredibly grateful for those years of praying on my parents' part.

I want to continue that heritage. Of parents praying for their children. Praying for all those important decisions they will make in the far off future. It's never too early to begin. They're worth it. And God isn't restrained by time.

So we will pray.

We will pray that Ethan and Emma will find the love of their lives. That they will each find a spouse who loves the Lord FIRST and ABOVE themselves, for that will produce the fruit of a great marriage.

We pray that they and their spouses will remain pure: spiritually, mentally and physically.

We pray that divorce will never be an option. That they will persevere when things get tough.

We pray that their marriages will be a glorious picture of Christ and the church. That they will serve Him together. Always. United.

But we also pray that they will genuinely enjoy each other. That in their home there will be laughter, friendship, loyalty and love.

And we pray this verse over their union, that it will be their goal as a couple:

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Psalm 34:3

Because a spouse who is not first a believer and one who is not fully committed to Christ, could very well lead our children from the God who created them.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:4

Devastating.

Let us pray fervently for our children. For their current needs as well as for their future needs, decisions, desires.

God is a great Father who loves us and hears us.

He is in the future. And already knows the answer.

So let us give Him the request in full trust and faith.

~~~~

"What higher motive could there be for the husband to love his wife? By loving her as Christ loved the church, he honors Christ in the most direct and graphic way. He becomes the embodiment of Christ's love to his own wife, a living example to the rest of his family, a channel of blessing to his entire household, and a powerful testimony to a watching world."

-John MacArthur

Urgent Prayer Request

2011-11-29T01:50:00.006-06:00

I received news last night from a friend of mine, that she's currently trying to counsel a woman out of an abortion. This 24 year old woman is 5 weeks pregnant and went to a local Planned Parenthood on Friday to get a medical abortion (Mifepristone, formerly known as RU-486--VERY dangerous) but thank God, the clinic was closed!

I do not know this woman's name, but PLEASE be in prayer for her and her unborn child. She seems pretty set on the abortion. But God is mightier than our enemy who wants nothing more than to kill, steal and destroy.

Will you please pray with me?

Hard Core Rockers

2011-11-28T13:51:00.008-06:00

My husband, the rocker.

He LOVES music, namely....80's hair metal (barf). How can we be so different? I'm all about the 90's boy bands.

"But it ain't no lie, baby bye, bye, bye..."

Ahem. Where was I?

Oh yeah...

Not too long ago, my hubby had some friends over and inevitably, the Rock Band came out and 80's music filled the air. My husband is actually a very talented musician. He plays in our church's praise band and can play at least three instruments, that I'm aware of.

So, he takes his Rock Band playing pretty seriously (hence the headphones on his head, ha!)

I think Ethan my be headed in that same direction. I do

hope so. I'd love for him to be musically gifted like his daddy is. I also hope he loves sports like his mommy does. The best of both worlds, ya know?

An athletic musician. I can see the swooning girls now.

Ok, scratch that idea.

Maybe he should just be a hermit.

Anyway, I think it's pretty adorable how Ethan wants to do everything his daddy does. He was desperate to be a part of the Rock Band session held in our den that night.

It's also helpful that Bob's friends are dads. They completely understand little kiddos intertwined into the mix. They were totally cool with Ethan's off beat drumming...on a drum that sings the ABC's when it's drummed on, no less.

Will Ethan be a hard core rocker like his daddy? Maybe.

But maybe I'll pull out my old N*Sync or Backstreet Boys CDs and give him some of the good stuff.

On second thought, I think I'll be content to hear the ABCs a little while longer.

Recipients of the Choicest Bounties...

2011-11-21T14:54:00.002-06:00

"We have been recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven.

We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity.

We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown;

but we have forgotten God.

We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace,

and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us;

and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own."

~Abraham Lincoln, from a proclamation issued March 30, 1863

~~~~~~~~~

As we approach Thanksgiving, let us remember that all the blessings we have been given have come from the hand of God. It is not from our own hard work and creative minds, but from the Almighty Himself. So let's give Him the thanks and credit due!

What a great God we serve!

Now I'm off to the kitchen to prep some dishes, and then to finish getting our house ready for Thanksgiving company!

Enjoy your time with family, friends and food!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Heroes

2011-11-19T09:00:00.003-06:00

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons.

And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes,

Even if it's just in your own eyes."

~Walter M. Schirra Sr.

Holiday Tea-Off

2011-11-18T10:25:00.003-06:00

Our city's little Main Street holds an annual Holiday Tea-Off where local shops open up their doors and invite the townspeople to kick-off the holiday season with them.

Most of the shops hold a drawing of some kind and also share a multitude of Christmas goodies to hungry customers.

My mom, myself, my sister and sister-in-law finally joined in on the festivities this year!

Looking South down Main Street.

Trolley rides added to the excitement of the upcoming Christmas season.

~~~

An adorable Christmas store front.

I almost squealed with delight when I saw this!

A Chocolatier. I want to be his best friend.

This store was crammed full of all the holiday treasures a girl could want!

The building itself is well over 100 years old. So neat.

Deco poly mesh Christmas trees

This seems to be the "in" thing this Christmas season.

There were several wreaths made from this material, too.

And then we came across this...thing.

I was nauseated a solid 20 minutes after smelling it.

I was expecting the smell to be pretty bad but in no way was I prepared for the reality of the stench.

Sorry for the very unlady-like discussion.

Moving right along...

"Giggles and snuggles & pudgy little toes make it all worthwhile"

And all the moms said, "Awww!!"

Ok. Let me be honest here. I don't like spending a lot on my merchandise. Call me frugal. You can even call me cheap. But this price right hear caused my jaw to drop. It's cute...but not $70.50 cute. That's just me.

This tree was magnificent!

~~~

After all the shopping, and taste-testing our tummies could handle, we headed to the square where the Farmer's Market is usually held. There we found out who the winners of the drawings were (None of us won. Booo..)

We were also able to go into the city's museum. I'm a history lover so this was one of the highlights of the night for me! Nerd, I know.

However, the best part of the Tea-Off was definitely being able to spend some girl-time with my female family!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I'm a Mess

2011-11-17T12:28:00.003-06:00

Ok, y'all. I'm a mess.

I was looking through some old blog posts and when I came across this one, I just about lost it.

It seems I blinked and Ethan went from baby to boy.

And it hurts my heart a bit.

I know he's supposed to grow. That's how childhood works. But it still hurts.

One day my baby boy will grow up and move on to start a life of his own. Without his mommy.

I think about that often, scared of how fast it might come. My mom has told me over and over how fast our childhood went for her.

Sometimes at night, I peek in on Ethan while he sleeps, and will him to stay a boy--still a baby, really--just awhile longer.

If I could freeze time, I would do it now.

But since I can't, I'll tuck these bittersweet thoughts away and focus on treasuring the moments I have with him while he's still "Mommy's little boy".

I'll hold his little hand awhile longer...

And linger at his bedside when he asks for me to rub his head, awhile longer...

Watch him race his cars over and over, awhile longer...

And even deal with tantrums...awhile longer.

Because one day he'll be someones husband. And daddy.

And I'll be a grandma. And...

Oh my. Stop it, Kari . Just stop it right now.

A tall glass of milk and a cookie (or two...ok, three) are officially in order.

I'm a mess.

Look-alikes

2011-11-16T08:14:00.001-06:00

I never realized I had so much hair as a baby.

Ethan was pretty much bald for the first year of life, so we were completely shocked when Emma was born with a full head of dark hair.

When I found out I was expecting again, my mom jokingly told my husband that because Ethan was the spitting image of Bob as a baby, #2 better look like me!

So here's some proof that that's exactly what happened!

Me. 1984. Emma. 2011.

Thanks, Mom. hehe.

Do you have a look-alike picture of you and a parent?

Gratituesday: My Career

2011-11-15T13:40:00.000-06:00

I tried to hold back the tears as I snuggled up to my husband and thanked him for working so hard for his family. And for believing in my calling to stay home with our children.

I hate that I take my career as a Homemaker for granted at times.

I hate that I get discouraged, lose my temper, fail, and become frustrated. After all, this is the career of my dreams.

But those issues come with the territory of any career.

The Lord has gently reminded me lately of the greatness of my calling. He's reminded me that He's made a way for me to stay home, when really, it sometimes seems impossible. But God has never failed to provide for our needs.

I know some women cannot stay home with their children. Some do not want to and some just aren't able to. This isn't a post to make women who have a career outside the home feel inferior. Because that would be wrong. And it's between God and the woman and her husband. Not me.

But this is a post giving glory to God for His provisions that allow me to be a Homemaker.

He knew my heart's cry even as a young, single gal. He even knew when I was a baby that I would one day want babies of my own with a husband of my own. He heard my prayers and He answered them marvelously.

With all the ups and downs, joys and triumphs, I'm blessed to be a Homemaker.

I'm blessed...

To watch my children reach developmental milestones.

To infuse Biblical truths into everyday situations.

To feel my heart soar as they learn new things.

To dry their tears when they are hurting or afraid.

To "Watch this, Mommy!" a hundred times over.

To help out a friend who needs a babysitter during the day.

To share a simple conversation with an elderly neighbor.

To visit my grandma when she's feeling lonely.

To load the kids up for a lunch date with daddy.

To welcome my husband home with a hug and a kiss.

To spend time throughout the day in the kitchen, cooking and baking.

To decorate my home for each changing season.

And yes, even to clean dirty bathrooms and fold mountains of laundry.

I'm undeserving.

And at times feel completely incapable.

But my God is bigger.

And He's seen fit to grant me my heart's desire.

And for that I'm eternally grateful.

What are you grateful for today?

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Enriched.

2011-11-13T15:37:00.008-06:00

Have you ever received a financial blessing?

A couple of months ago, we did.

A check. Out of the blue.

And it was almost two hundred dollars more than we were praying and hoping for.

WOW.

I'm in awe just thinking about God's generous heart and His miraculous ways.

Or maybe you and your family are well established financially and don't need one of those "money miracle" stories. If so, that's awesome!

But let me ask a question:

When God gives financial blessings, do you ever wonder why?

Why?

Is it so we can live comfortably, enjoying the American Dream?

Is it so we can have a kitchen FULL of food and closets full of clothes?

Is it so we have enough money to take the family on grand vacations?

It could be.

Afterall, He's our Father and He loves to give good gifts (Matthew 7:11). And as a parent, I know how fun it is to give my children things that delight them.

But what if there's a greater purpose for the resources that God gives us?

We live in such a consumer-based society where most of us have way more than we need.

I was driving through my parents neighborhood last week and noticed several garages that were packed full of all kinds of different things.

The nice cars were in the driveway because stuff had taken over.

I'm not against having stuff.

I'm against stuff having us. And I admit, stuff has had me more times than I care to tell.

Consider this promise from God:

"Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. 'For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.' And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (emphasis mine)

Promise #1 - God gives us everything we need.

When we give generously and cheerfully, God says He gives to us generously every need we have. He will always take care of us!

I love that, after the tithe (10% of our earnings), we are given such freedom in what we give to God. He basically just wants us to give from a cheerful heart. Not out of pressure. Not with a hesitant heart. Not a certain dollar amount because "Sister Sally" gave that much. Just cheerfully.

Promise #2 - Not only will God give us everything we need, when we give generously, He will make sure we have plenty of resources left over to share with others!

He gives us blessings to bless us, yes, but I think the most important lesson from our blessings is to cultivate a generous heart from our natural hearts of stone.

But it gets even better:

"As a result of your ministry, they will give glory to God. For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ. And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!" 2 Corinthians 9:13-15 (emphasis mine)

So let's gather these truths:

--God will give us our every need

--He will also leave us plenty of extra resources to share with others

--Our generosity will bring glory to God

--Our generosity will prove that we are obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Do you see how generosity can be one of the greatest tools we have for bringing light into this very dark world?

We say "It is more blessed to give than to receive", but do we really believe it?

I am determined to break out of my consumer mindset and start viewing my blessings--be they home, car, money, health, time--as God's incredible tools for furthering His Kingdom and bringing glory to His name.

If I can trust Him with my eternal salvation, I know I can trust Him with all the earthly blessings He's given me!

And what better time of year than the upcoming Christmas season to generously share those blessings?

Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous.

2 Corinthians 9:11

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

I stumbled across one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes several months back and I've just gotta share it.

I was craving something sweet one night (as usual) but I didn't quite have enough of the ingredients I needed to make the standard Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe.

So I went to my buddy, Allrecipes.com, and found "Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies"

These glorious morsels of sweet, chocolatey goodness take less butter, sugar, flour, eggs and chocolate chips than the recipe I'd always used before. AND the recipe calls for oats and peanut butter which means a little extra protein and fiber (anything to make me feel less guilty about consuming hoards of cookies)

**For those non-oat/peanut butter cookie people, you've gotta give these a chance. I'm pretty sure you'll be outrageously surprised.

My family LOVES this recipe and asks for me to bake them often.

The dough hardly spreads so I'm always able to fit several cookies on one sheet. I'm very impatient, so that fact makes me very happy. I also use a cookie dough scoop to achieve uniformity.

I've messed up a lot of cookie recipes but this one has been perfection every time!

If you try these cookies, I'd love to know what you think!

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (I sometimes switch the sugar measurements. I adore brown sugar)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Happy Baking!

The Sibling Bond

2011-11-11T06:30:00.000-06:00

"To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters.

We know each other as we always were.

(Ethan looking at Emma through

the hall window of the NICU Nursery)

We know each other's hearts.

We share private family jokes.

We remember family feuds and secrets,

family griefs and joys.

We live outside the touch of time."

~Clara Ortega

I treasure these early days in Ethan and Emma's sibling relationship. I'm looking forward to the years ahead; the ups and downs, the inevitable fights, the tears, the cheers, and the deepening of that special bond called Brother and Sister.

That Name

2011-11-10T06:30:00.004-06:00

If you grew up in a good ol' fashioned Baptist church like I did, you were definitely exposed to this song at least 57,543 times....

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know
Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go!

I joke about the number, but we sang the song a lot. And I'm glad we did. It's a cheery song about the God-Man behind the name that evokes peace and comfort. It's permanently seared into my heart.

That song came to mind Tuesday morning when I had to pull out all my mommy arsenal in hopes of soothing a screaming, panicky, on-the-verge-of-throwing-up-from-sobbing-so-hard 2 1/2 year old-boy.

It wasn't my son, though. It was his little buddy, Nate.

His parents both had full schedules that day and needed someone to watch him so I happily volunteered. Ethan loves his buddy, and honestly it's a nice break when the two get together. They keep each other busy for hours.

However, Tuesday morning Nate arrived a lot earlier than our normal playdate time. Ethan was still asleep (I think I technically was, too) so he wasn't there to welcome Nate with toy-filled arms when he arrived.

Oh boy. What a catastrophe the next 20 minutes were.

Screams. Flails. Tears. Snot. Tiny hands banging on the front door.

How my son slept through that noise, I have no idea. But he did.

I was worried the neighbors would think something horrifying was happening in our home.

(Insert wild imagination here) I go outside and all neighbors are standing in their yards with hands on hips, shaking heads, pointing fingers, yelling "child abuser!!" while I'm being whisked away in handcuffs to the local jail.

Yes, I can be pretty dramatic like that.

Finally, a breakthrough occurred. Which is a good thing, because I almost started to join in with the poor little guy.

I talked about Jesus.

And I began singing "Jesus loves me" and he started to calm. I could see his body relax. The tears stopped. And he just laid on his stomach listening to my early-morning voice crack through the song until he was completely soothed and ready to play with the Wolverine figurine I had waiting for him on a little four-wheeler. And away Wolverine went...

I'm telling you, the name of Jesus is a balm. It has soothed many of my fears along the way and it did the same thing for a sad little boy who was dealing with some separation anxiety.

I love that name.
It's the sweetest one I know.

20 and Counting

2011-11-09T00:03:00.003-06:00

Have you heard the latest Duggar news?

They'll be welcoming their 20th child come April 2012.

And I think it's pretty cool.

I get into a dangerous position when I go to a news site and read about the Duggars. I always seem to make my way to the comments section...

Here's what happens: my blood boils at the rude and oftentimes disgusting comments. And I become incredibly defensive. It's not like they're my family, or even my close friends.

But they are a family who seeks to honor the Lord with the way they live and they aren't ashamed to do it publicly, either.

The criticism this family receives is pretty shocking at times.

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised that people are disgusted with large families considering the fact that our nation has continued to uphold the legalized murder of unwanted children via abortion. Too many times, children are seen as a burden, an inconvenience, a drain on our society and environment.

Children are hard work, yes. They are expensive. They require selflessness from the parents.

They can be loud, messy and grumpy. And they're a massive responsibility.

But the benefits of having those children? The blessings we parents receive from nurturing them in our homes? Goodness....that list could go on for miles.

Large Duggar-style families obviously aren't for everyone. Large families aren't a commandment found in the Bible. But we are certainly reminded of the blessings large families can bring.

My prayers go out to Michelle for an easy pregnancy and smooth delivery of a healthy baby. I also pray the Duggars would continue to be obedient to the Lord and shine their lights in this dark world.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. -Psalm 127:3-5

Gratituesday: The Word

2011-11-08T03:00:00.010-06:00

A few weeks ago, my parents treated all of us kids (and our kids) to a trip to Passages, a traveling exhibit celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible.

Not exactly the most exciting trip for the little kiddos (we had our share of tantrums to control), but wow, I left with a great gratitude for the Word of God.

The most poignant moment of the day, for me, was the story of William Tyndale--a man so dedicated to the translation and distribution of the Word of God, that he was willing to be exiled and even martyred for the sake of the Word.

And that's exactly what happened.

After he was exiled from England into Germany, Tyndale was eventually betrayed by someone he had come to trust--Henry Phillips, a fellow Englishman. Tyndale was imprisoned for 500 days and on October 6, 1536, he was strangled and burned at the stake.

It is recorded that his last words were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes."

By God's grace, the King's eyes were opened and the rest is history.

The Bible is still the best selling book of all time.

And I'm so grateful for that.

~I'm grateful for men like William Tyndale who thought of others more than of himself. What sacrifice!

~I'm grateful that I own multiple copies of the Word of God, and do so without fear of threat or punishment.

~I'm grateful that I can find all the comfort, encouragement, exhortation, wisdom and assurance of love that I need in this precious book (and so much more!)

~I'm grateful for godly parents who still, even though we are adults with families of our own, want to instill in their children a love and passion for the Word of God.

I walked out of the exhibit that day with a knot in my throat and this resounding thought: "How dare we ever let dust collect on our Bible(s)!"

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

More so than the book itself, I'm grateful for the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) The Word who died to give us life. Do you know this Word?

What are you grateful for today?

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Shaken

2011-11-07T12:33:00.010-06:00

The recent Oklahoma earthquakes have shaken more than my house.

They've shaken my heart a bit, too.

I feel as though I've been in a spiritual rut for so long. That comfort has taken precedence over the discipline of spending time with the Lord, of sharing His goodness with others, of serving selflessly for His glory.

I've got little ones under foot all day, so I'm a busy little bee. The volume of life simply drowns out what the Holy Spirit might be trying to say to me.

When the volume is lowered and the kids are asleep, I finally feel like I can relax. My hubby and I are big "down time" people. We like the late evenings for hanging out, surfing the web or watching a show on Netflix. It's a way for us to recoup from the craziness of the day.

But my shaken heart asks, "Why is time with the Lord not one of the ways to recoup or find comfort?" Not that those other things are bad, but why do I run there first and more often than the Word of God or prayer?

Now, more than ever, I feel an urgency to draw close to the Lord. To spend my time working for the Kingdom because He just might be coming back soon. And I would hate to be ashamed about what I did with the time He gave me on this earth.

"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming" -1 John 2:28

Just a few ways this busy mom of little ones can draw close and serve...

I can wake up earlier so I have that quiet time alone with Him...(which will enable me to better understand how I can serve Him)

I can serve my children with a sweeter Spirit, knowing that I'm shaping lives for the Kingdom...

I can serve my husband with a selfless heart, knowing ultimately I'm serving my Father...

I can get to know my neighbors who may not know my Savior...

I can cook a meal for a family in need...

I can "live simply so that others might simply live"....

I can spend time on my knees in prayer for the needs of my family, city, nation, and world...

That's a small list. But it's a start.

Let's allow our hearts to be shaken for the Lord.

Because we never know when He may return. (Matt. 24:42)

8 months.

2011-11-04T22:00:00.002-05:00

My little girl is 8 months old.

It doesn't seem possible. I think she's really only supposed to be about 4 months old right now...

Sweet little Emma.
She was my early bird. Tiny little early bird.

5lbs. 6oz.

Not really small compared to many pre-term babies, but I come from a long line of chunks-at-birth.

My dad was almost 11 lbs.

I was 9lbs. 3oz.

Ethan was 8 lbs. 12 oz....

So she was tiny for my family.

But she's growing in to quite the little lady!

She's sitting up so well and loves trying to keep up with her big brother.

She rolls like no one's business.

She has more hair than I honestly know what to do with.

She has two bottom teeth and is currently growing her two top teeth =)

(I'm kind of sad her gummy smile is gone.

That's always such a milestone for me.)

She is one of the loudest babies I've ever been around.

She talks nonstop. (She is a girl, afterall)

But I love her personality.

She's incredibly happy.

And so easy to make smile.

Even easier to make laugh.

(Aren't baby laughs the greatest?)

Oh, and watching my husband interact with his little princess?

*Swoon*

I must say, the growth of a child is so bittersweet.

Don't get me wrong, I love that she's growing and developing.
I just sometimes wince at how fast it's all happening.

Ahem...but I'll get a grip.

Happy 8 months little one.

"The days are long but the years are short"

~Gretchen Rubin

P.S. Happy birthday, Daddy! I love you!!

You're the best.

New Name...Same Blog

2011-11-03T17:50:00.002-05:00

Hey ladies!

It's been quite some time since I blogged last; 8 months tomorrow, to be exact. I had started this blog back up after a year and was excited to get back into the swing of things but then, lo and behold, I went into labor 6 weeks early!

After my daughter's one month stay in the NICU, getting re-adjusted to a baby on an apnea monitor (my son went home on one as well, even though he was 5 days late!) a move to a new house and just the everyday nitty gritty, it's taken awhile to start blogging again.

But I'm going to try. Again. For what seems like the millionth time.

In the midst of a teething and increasingly more mobile baby girl and potty training an almost three year old boy, I'm going to try to make it on here fairly consistently and share my thoughts on all things that interest me: Christianity, Marriage, Motherhood, Pro-Life issues, Food, Health and Wellness.....or just random things when I really don't have anything to say but feel I should still post something =)

So, this is the beginning of an old blog with a new name: My Life...as Mommy and Wife.

I hope you ladies will follow along!

Natural Birth?

2011-03-04T00:01:00.002-06:00

I'm 34 weeks today.

The last few days I've had some fairly strong braxton hicks. Last night a few of them were actually pretty painful and somewhat regular. I don't remember this with Ethan, although I know each pregnancy is different.

I keep hoping Emma is further along than we think. I wouldn't mind not having to wait until the middle of April to see my little girl!

But all in the Lord's timing.

Anyway...

With Ethan, I had planned on a natural birth--no pain meds.

Yeah...that didn't happen.

The contractions were a million times worse than I ever thought possible.

The epidural eventually wore off (why did I not push that button?) and I ended up feeling everything during the pushing phase.

Ouch.

However....

I'm planning on trying for all-natural this go around as well.

But I do have the epidural on stand-by =)

Here is a beautiful and inspiring video (heavily edited--nothing to worry about) of a drug-free birth. I really enjoy reading this woman's blog and seeing the heart she has for children and motherhood. Please watch if you have the time!

Have you had a drug-free birth or are planning on a drug-free birth?

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory..."

Ephesians 3:20-21

It's Like Shoveling Snow

2011-03-02T00:03:00.011-06:00

"Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing is like shoveling snow while it's still snowing."

~Phyllis Diller

Today, I couldn't agree more with that statement. =)

But I love Proverbs 14:4 and how it can relate to children.

(not that our children are animals..hehe)

"Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean..."

If I didn't have Ethan, I wouldn't have had the pillows all strung around and the toys all over the floor.

I let life happen today. And I'm glad I did.

My "manger" certainly wasn't clean...

But I've got the cutest little guy to take care of.

And I'd take him over an empty, spotless house any day.

Bye Bye Broom

2011-02-28T23:31:00.006-06:00

I'm so tired of it.

Sweeping.

Mopping.

..and then stepping on a crumb.

I've affectionately named these renegade crumbs, "Houdini Crumbs".

After my last sweeping episode, I decided I was done with the whole broom thing.

I pretty much think they're worthless.

I'm going to jump into the Swiffer world and try that out for awhile.

What do you use to keep your wood floors from "Houdini Crumbs"?

I'd really love to know.

For the sake of my sanity.

Back For Another Birthday!

2011-02-27T22:50:00.017-06:00

Ahh...it feels good to be back in the blogging world.

I'm about as consistent as the weather here in Oklahoma when it comes to blogging, so I hope I can keep it up this time!

One of the last times I posted on here, we had just celebrated Ethan's 1st birthday.

Well, a few days ago we celebrated his 2nd!!

Wow. Time flies.

I'll share with you some pictures from the little birthday party we had.

I wanted to keep it really simple.

The theme we chose was "Snowmen". Ethan loooves to watch Frosty the Snowman. However, in the last two weeks or so he's become incredibly attached to Elmo!

So, we had a Snowman themed party where he received mostly Elmo themed gifts! Needless to say, he was a happy little two year old. =)

Silly Birthday Boy =)

See? He really is an Elmo fan.

And yes, Ethan is entirely too close to the TV

I wasn't kidding when I said I kept the party simple.

I decided to make Ethan's cake this year.

I wanted to do something like THIS (but boyish..with letter E's and little snowmen) My cousin's wife made them for their daughter's 3rd bday and I thought they looked awesome!

In the end, I decided to go easy. (Although I was completely stressed out decorating this cake. I have a whole new appreciate for cake decorators)

Eagerly waiting to blow the candle out!

Ethan wanted Daddy to feed him his birthday cake.

(He's currently on a self-feeding strike. Not sure what that's about)

One of the many Elmo gifts of the night!

Bubbles are always a favorite with Ethan!

Saying goodnight to "Papaw"

We kept the party small. Bob's parents, my parents, my siblings and their spouses attended. My best friend and her husband and son also came (they're considered family too =)

...and of course my little nephew was in attendance!

I watch him during the week (it's been great practice for how I'll handle having two children in the home when Emma arrives).

He had been sick, so I hadn't seen him all that week.

So glad he came! Cutie pie.

After all the fun and excitement, Ethan was ready for bed!

I'm so thankful for the generosity and love of our family and friends.

Ethan was blessed with all kinds of neat things!

I have a two year old.

Oh my goodnes.

Remember Me???

2010-09-02T01:14:00.006-05:00

Hello, ladies!

It's been a ridiculously long time since I last posted.

I'm here to tell you that I've recently joined forces with a friend I met through the wonderful world of blogging we all enjoy so much!

Please check out our new site: Dirt, Bugs & Mommyhood

I'll be seeing you over there from now on! Stop by, we'd love to have you!

Ethan's Birthday Bash-Part 2: The Party

2010-03-04T22:20:00.014-06:00

Back for another round of party pics! We've already gone over the decorations...so here are some pictures of what went on during the par-tay!

Hangin' with the grandmas beforehand

Daddy's got the camera ready to roll!

Papa, Nana, Grandpa and Grammy
Ethan sure loves his grandparents!

I decided to throw a game in the mix.

Guess the number of the Jelly Beans...

My friend, Kayleigh, writing down her guess...

..but my brother's sweet girlfriend, Shannon, walked away with the prize!
There were 1,114 Jelly Beans. She guessed 1,123.

I assured our guests that I didn't count the JB's with my fingers. I played the part of a pharmacist and used a knife to count them and slide them into the container. ;)

Ethan having fun with Uncle Matt and Aunt Kim

Oh..and by the way...Ethan is going to have a cousin come August 30ish!!
We're so excited for Matt and Kim!

He loves his daddy...

1st crush??

Ah, yes my friends, this is when Ethan's birthday party excitement started dwindling.

Certainly not a flattering picture, but I had to throw it in for the "memories"
=)

Not a happy camper...and his pants were undone...lovely.

But when present time rolled around, he magically perked up!
I'm so thankful for our generous friends and family!

I love this.
It looks like he's reading his card aloud for all to hear. Hehe. So cute.

I'm pretty sure I was more excited about this toy than Ethan was.
But it was actually MADE IN AMERICA!! Gotta love it!

One of the gifts from my parents was a huge, super cute, bath towel. He outgrew his baby towels a long time ago. So I was glad to get a big-kid one for him to use!

Another grandparent gift.
Bob's parent's got Ethan ready for the summer with this cute hat to help protect that soft baby skin of his from the sun!

Woah! He was overly excited about opening more presents!

Ethan and Nathan. Silly little dudes.
=)

All in all it was a great day!
Bob and I made a video montage of Ethan's 1st year, and played it for the guests.
I hope to show it to you gals soon, too!

Coming up next...Birthday Cake!

Ethan's Birthday Bash-Part 1: The Decorations

2010-03-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ethan recently celebrated his 1st birthday! (Feb. 25th)

Saturday, we threw a birthday bash for him at Nana and Papa's house.
It was so much fun to plan. But I gotta tell you, parties STRESS ME OUT! I don't know how professional event planners do it.

Here are the decorations from the celebration!

Stay tuned for the next Birthday Bash installment!

Family Fun

2010-03-01T22:14:00.007-06:00

At the end of January (yes, this is majorly LATE), we took a mini vacation and visited my cousin and his sweet wife Amber. My mom's side of the family wasn't able to get together during Christmas, so this was our time to catch up and visit. It was a fun weekend!

Here are some pictures of the trip...

I was so excited to see Ruthie Jane! I hadn't seen her since May and I knew she'd grown like crazy! She's such a funny little girl!

All the other family members stayed at a nearby hotel. We had the privilege of staying with my Preacher Man cousin, Amber, and Ruthie Jane. It was wonderful! Amber was such a great hostess!

In the guest bedroom, Amber had a cabinet filled with lots of goodies!
She made sure we had everything we needed!

Yesssss...I love magazines.

Ruthie Jane made sure Ethan had a little basket of his own, too!

Excited about his gift!

After we all settled in, we headed over to the church's fellowship hall and had a super yummy dinner. You see that basket of hamburger buns? Amber made those!
And they were oh, so tasty!!

I'm tellin' you what, I could've drank ALL of this Sweet Peach Tea! It was heavenly!

Homemade Pecan Pie....scrumptious!

RJ playing around after dinner. She's so much fun!

My Preacher Man cousin getting a big smile from Ethan =)

He started getting a little sleepy.....crying followed shortly thereafter.

After dinner, we all gathered in the living room and played some Family Feud. And let me tell you, there were some serious feuds going on...but that's the fun of playing games with family! THE GIRLS WON! (Of course!)

Ethan still wasn't in the best of moods....he had a bit of a meltdown, so my cousin volunteered his time with my little cranky boy and gave me a nice break!

Preacher Man read to Ethan, sang to him, played with him. He was a happy little boy by the end of the night!

RJ and Ethan playing a little before bedtime. They're a hoot!

The following Sunday, we went to church with Preacher Man and family. It was a wonderful service, and my cousin sure knows how to proclaim the Word of God!!

I'm so mad that I didn't even get a picture of Amber and myself! I started getting sick on the way there, and by the time we headed home I felt horrible. So, it's probably good I didn't get a picture with me in it...I would've ruined it for sure!

Thank you Preacher Man cousin, Amber and Ruthie Jane! We had a fantastic weekend getaway!!
Love you guys!

If you haven't met Amber yet, make sure you do!
Three Meals & A Baby

Happy Birthday Ethan!

2010-02-25T09:14:00.001-06:00

It's hard to believe it's been a year! But a wonderful year it has been!!

Happy Birthday, Ethan!
You are incredibly precious to mommy and daddy!
You have filled our lives with so much joy!!

One Year Ago Tomorrow...

2010-02-24T16:38:00.010-06:00

I gave birth to our precious son, Ethan!

And one year ago today...Bob and I headed up to the hospital so I could be induced.
I was 5 days late, and oh so ready to have our baby!!

Here we are, right before we walked into the hospital.
I was sooooooo nervous!

Just waiting...
A horrid picture--but this is what I looked like, nonetheless.

Tomorrow morning at 9:14am, all the waiting (and excruciating pain) would be well worth it! We'd finally be holding our little baby boy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just some reminiscing...

It's amazing how the first few weeks, even months, of Ethan being home seemed to drag on, and on, and on.

It's crazy how sleepless nights can affect a person's life.

But now, all of a sudden, our little bundle of joy has grown into a little man! He's just shy of 26 lbs, and loves getting into anything and everything he can get his hands on.

I love how his whimpers and cries have been replaced with smiles, giggles, and "talking".
I love that we can interact with Ethan, teach him things, feel the pride when he learns something new.
I love walking into the nursery every morning, knowing I'm going to get a huge grin from our little sleepy head's face.

He's not perfect. He has his days of fits and tantrums. And this mommy gets frustrated.

But the joy I feel when I look at Ethan, when I pray for Ethan, when I see him figure something out for the first time, when I watch him sleeping peacefully...and when I look ahead and wonder what kind of a great man he's going to be....all that frustration slips away.

I'm trying to treasure every moment I have with him. Because as fast as this first year flew by, I'm afraid he'll be grown and out of the house before I know it.

Thank You, Jesus, for our treasure of a son. You've blessed us richly, and we look forward to many years of teaching him just how great You are.

Library Love

2010-02-04T01:06:00.005-06:00

I have a whole new relationship with the Library these days.

Long gone are the annoying days of walking through the aisles, searching for some weird book I had to do a report over.

I get to choose the books now.

I'm even in the Adult Winter Reading Program (How nerdy is that!?)

I revel in the silence of the Library, because it's a rare commodity these days.

I love how when I check out a book, it kinda gives me the thrill of buying something. We're on a budget, and I need to get my spending "fix" somehow. This is the perfect way!

I totally enjoy crawling into bed with a cold bottle of water and a great novel to read.

I don't, however, enjoy staying up until 4:30am because I just "couldn't put the book down", and still having to wake up when my alarm (aka Ethan) goes off! It makes for one tired mommy.

Yet, I do it all over again the next night.

Library Love.

Homework

2010-02-02T01:59:00.004-06:00

When I was in college, homework was the bane of my existence. I detested the stuff. But after reading the following song, supposedly written in the 1940's, I've found a new love for a totally different kind of homework: Housework!

"Homework"

I'm so tired of working in an office
And it's making me blue
There is work that don't require an office
That I'm anxious to do

Homework, I want to do homework
Instead of an office, I want to work home

Staying at home and crocheting
And meekly obeying
The guy who comes home

A cozy kitchen to be in there pitchin'
Is the thing I'm longing to do
To be there learning when a steak needs turning
And just what goes into a stew

Homework, I want to do homework
A genius who sits and plans with pots and pans at home
A genius who bakes a pie that keeps a guy at home

[2]
Homework, I want to do homework
Instead of an office, I want to work home

Messing around with French dressing
And slightly impressing
The guy who comes home

I long to settle with a steaming kettle
And a frying pan and a pot
And be the keeper of a carpet sweeper
That's the one ambition I've got

Homework, I want to do homework
A genius who has a way that makes him stay at home
A genius who has what takes that makes or breaks a home

[3]
Homework, I want to do homework
Instead of an office, I want to work home

Patching his trousers and matching
The part that keeps scratching
The guy who comes home

A table wiper who can change a diaper
Is the thing I'd like to be best
And be the master of a mustard plaster
When the cold goes down to his chest

Homework, I want to do homework
A genius who does her part so he don't start to roam
A genius who earns her keep that makes him sleep at home

(I found this song on Domestic Felicity, an awesome blog definitely worth checking out!)

The Simple Woman's Day Book

2010-02-01T13:09:00.008-06:00

"The Simple Woman's Daybook" originally started at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ . Check it out!

FOR TODAY...
February 1st, 2010

Outside my window...the ice and snow are melting!

I am thinking...about how I can't believe our son is going to be ONE this month!

I am thankful for...sunshine

From the kitchen...I'm trying to remember the last time I cooked. How terrible is that!?

I am wearing...red pajama pants and a basketball t-shirt. Going fancy today ;)

I am going...to watch the Bachelor tonight.

I am reading...nothing at the moment!

I am hoping...to finalize Ethan's party details soon!

I am hearing...the quiet noise from Ethan's baby monitor.

One of my favorite things...is seeing a good chick flick with girlfriends.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Visits to the library and grocery store.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Bob and I are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary this summer and I would LOVE to get away to this place for that weekend!

Little Lisey's

2010-01-29T15:11:00.007-06:00

Hey ladies!

My sweet friend, Alicia, at Our Little Guy is hosting a giveaway on her blog!

She has created the cutest clothespin dolls that you ever did see! She calls them Little Lisey's. How charming is that!?

Hop on over to her blog for your chance to win!

Butterfingers

2010-01-28T14:01:00.004-06:00

I've always been pretty clumsy; a "butterfinger", if you will. Almost at every dinner growing up, I'd end up reaching over and spilling my glass of milk all over the table, causing a backward scramble of everyone around me. Milk would be dripping off the side, napkins drenched, and my parents trying to stay calm over yet another clumsy moment.

Things haven't changed much over the years. In fact, I think my clumsiness has gotten worse. Sigh.

Here's a great example from today:

You see that?
That, my friends, is almost a whole pot of soup that I had just finished making. I successfully managed to pour it into a freezer bag to store away for future use, but as I was zipping it up, it somehow managed to fling itself out of my hands to its death. Ok, so I'm being dramatic. But I'm upset!!

I just stood there, hot soup burning my toes, trying to stay calm when really I wanted to scream and shout!! I managed to keep my words in check and quietly started to clean the mess of soup up.

It's crazy, but sometimes these insignificant issues threaten to ruin my whole day. They just about do me in!

This time I was determined to get through somewhat gracefully. I decided to think of the good in the situation, hoping to ease my building anger (yes, over a silly pot of spilled soup)
So here's what I came up with:

1. Ethan was napping, so I didn't have to worry about keeping him entertained while I cleaned the mess up.

2. I needed to mop the floor anyway.

3. The soup made it into the bag before I spilled it. If I would've spilled it while it was still in my Dutch Oven, that could've been disastrous!

4. There was still enough left in the bag for one bowl of soup.

5. The soup wasn't all that great, so I didn't miss out on much!

And there you have it, ladies. It really wasn't a big deal after all!

If nothing else, it was a good ol' character building moment!

Weekend Trip!

2010-01-21T19:22:00.006-06:00

I'm so excited!!

This weekend, my family and I are heading out of town to go visit my cousin and his sweet wife, Amber. They have the cutest little girl named Ruthie Jane. Amber's blog is awesome! You should certainly check it out!

It's always nice to get away, even if it's not to a fancy place like New York or London. It's just a few hours away. But it's away. A nice little break from the everyday chores and responsibilities.

Can't wait for some quality family fun!

The Simple Woman's Day Book

2010-01-18T15:16:00.004-06:00

"The Simple Woman's Daybook" originally started at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ . Check it out!

FOR TODAY...
January 18, 2010

Outside my window...it's a GORGEOUS day!!

I am thinking...how it seems impossible that it's been a year since Ethan's baby shower. He'll be one year old before I know it! *sniff...

I am thankful for...God's forgiveness

From the kitchen...umm....I think I just heard it say, "Hey you! Pay me a visit sometime soon!"

I am wearing...jogging pants and a San Antonio, TX shirt.

I am going...to refrain from eating yet another chocolate chip cookie!

I am reading...Beyond This Moment, by Tamera Alexander

I am hoping...to become organized this year...and to STAY organized.

I am hearing...the washer running.

Around the house...Ethan playing with his toys, laundry, and two sleepy cats!

One of my favorite things...is a Sunday nap!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Go see my grandma, actually go to bed at a decent hour!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

Sibling Goofiness.
I loved growing up with these two!

Girl Time

2010-01-15T12:01:00.000-06:00

Last night my BFF and I got all dolled up (I even wore this stuff called makeup!) and went and saw Leap Year. It was super cute!

After swooning over some sweet and overly lovey-dovey moments, we went and grabbed some coffee at Starbucks and just enjoyed some girl talk! Inevitably, the conversation ended up turning toward our little boys. Discussed topics are so much different than they used to be!

Before marriage and motherhood, conversation topics were College classes, frustrating bosses, a favorite new eye shadow, weekend plans, an outfit at the mall, our future spouses.

Now?

Dirty diapers, teething babies, what new things our sons are learning, makeup? Oh, we're supposed to still wear that stuff? Sweatpants, laundry..and lots of it, our husbands, bills, sleep..and the lack thereof.

But it's a good change. We had great years as single ladies. But I know I speak for both of us when I say that we wouldn't go back to those years for nothin'. We love our new lives.

We also love that we can get away for just a few hours and catch up.

But even more so, we love that we get to go home to our husbands and sons.

No Chance...??

2010-01-12T22:40:00.004-06:00

You see this little cutie? Well, when I found out I was expecting him, Bob and I started joking about how the poor baby will have no chance of being tan. Ever. In his life.

Because have you seen me and Bob?

A few of my nicknames throughout Jr. High and High School were, "Ghost", "Casper", and "Albino".

I tried the tanning bed thing for awhile. I think I darkened maybe half a shade. Maybe.

I've also tried the natural outdoors too. I just burn, resemble a crab for a week or so, and then peel. Period. No tan involved.

It's just sad isn't it?

BUT thanks to Picnik.com, I found a way to get a tan without crisping outside or baking in a bed!

It was fun to see what we would possibly look like if we could tan!

Maybe Ethan will have a better relationship with the sun than we do!

X Fingers crossed! X

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2010-01-11T09:00:00.004-06:00

"The Simple Woman's Daybook" originally started at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ . Check it out!

FOR TODAY...
January 11, 2010

Outside my window...Crisp, cold air. SUN!!! ...and some ice...still!!

I am thinking...how I need to hurry and finish this blog so I can get some things done before Ethan wakes up!

I am thankful for...God's healing power.

From the kitchen...not a lot to work with. Dinner will be what we call a "Miracle Meal"

I am wearing...a sweat suit. I could live in sweat suits. Ok, I do live in sweat suits.

I am going...to be productive today!

I am reading...Love finds you in Lonesome Prairie Montana by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss

I am hoping...for warmer weather.

I am hearing...nothing but the clicking of the keys as I type.

Around the house...sleeping baby. And a big pile of laundry to tackle.

One of my favorite things...when the sun shines after several gloomy days!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Go see my grandma, go to the library, go grocery shopping!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

I LOVE this painting. It's called, "The Prairie is My Garden" by Harvey Dunn.

I love the strength she exudes. The more I read about pioneer women, the more amazed I become at how strong they had to be!! And the more thankful I am at how easy I have it!

Just for one day (b/c that's all I could handle, if that!), I would love to see what it would be like to live on a homestead and do the work of a 19th century homemaker.

I'm Tired Of It!

2010-01-08T12:07:00.008-06:00

Does this cartoon hit home for you? It does me!
I'm the girl who sits down and watches The Biggest Loser while eating Oreos!

...and I'm tired of it!

I've studied Health and Nutrition, but just can't seem to apply what I've learned!
But now I think I'm finally ready to!

And here's a blog that's going to help me out...

Heavenly Homemakers is one of my go-to blogs.

She's starting a series called...

I'm so excited to begin!

Let's make 2010 the start of a healthy lifestyle!

Powerful.

2010-01-07T01:11:00.002-06:00

My cousin, who is a Captain in the Army, and currently serving in Iraq, recently shared his heart about some things he's going through right now. It was so powerful I just had to share. Here's what he had to say...

"...After thinking a while, I'll just share what I think God is trying to not only show me, but get me to do. And I find it to be nearly impossible.

There are some things in my life that I've tried to pray away for a long, long time. And some of those things, God has removed; other things, they remain. And I tried for a good long while to approach God with appeals like I'd read in the Old Testament. "Lord, do this SO THAT, people will see how awesome you are and what you can accomplish in a person's life." But in my heart of hearts, my number one priority in that prayer was, what I saw as broken, I wanted fixed, for me.
And I read Luke 9.23 again, like times before. But it hit me a little different this time And I realized this; God is not primarily intersted in making of me a grand spectacle of His power to change, and revolutionize. He does do those things, but making a spectacle of a life is not the primary aim of what God does for and in man when man meets Jesus.

So I studied Jesus, and Luke 9.23 made more sense. " If any man would come AFTER me, let him deny himself." And then this verse.. Hebrews 4.4 "And God rested on the 7th day from all His works."

All His works. Creation, the Cross. And I understood more what it means to deny myself. Jesus invited men to follow after what He had done, and was about to go do on the Cross. It was settled there in His heart, but it was settled before the world began that He would be hated by men, rejected, beaten, carry a literal cross to a hill, and then die there as the sacrifice for my very real and abundant sins that had stored up the wrath of God against me. And Jesus calls men to follow after that. To die, and to settle in their heart that they WILL die.

And if I don't die, it is because I want what I have in my hand more than I want to follow and obey Jesus. And this is where the rubber meets the road I suppose. I think most things are not that hard to die to. The first things to go, I could say. But then there are those things in my life that cling and that make me rich and miserable. Luke 18.23 And it's a hard thing, but it's the point. It IS the following after.

I read John 6 today, and I think the disciples faced something like this.. And Jesus asked them, "Do you want to go away too?" John 6.67 And many left. But Peter said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." I think maybe Peter thought, God what you've just said is impossible. And I've thought about leaving. But there is just no where else to go."

Between the Rock and some hard place.

And so, I've been praying that Jesus would teach me how to die, to decide that I'll die, and then to stand and die when the moments come.

Because He did it."

The Simple Woman's Day Book

2010-01-04T15:28:00.006-06:00

"The Simple Woman's Daybook" originally started at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ . Check it out!

FOR TODAY...
January 4, 2010

Outside my window...the sun is finally shining! Icicles are melting, the snow is slowly slipping away but it's still a cold 23°!

I am thinking... I serve an amazing and faithful God.

I am thankful for...God's mercy.

From the kitchen...I'm going to make homemade applesauce! I've got a lot of new kitchen gadgets to play around with! =)

I am wearing...jeans, white knit sweater

I am going...to put the clothes in the dryer.

I am reading...Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, by Dr. Richard Ferber.
(Thanks for the reference, Alicia!)

I am hoping...that I can stay on track today. Lots to do!

I am hearing...absolutely nothing. And it's wonderful.

Around the house...Christmas stuff to put away =(

One of my favorite things...McAlister's Sweet Tea

A few plans for the rest of the week: Go see my grandma, put out my January decorations, play with my new kitchen gadgets!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

This is ruins from the library of Celsus in Ephesus.

I love ancient history. My dream trip would be to go to Israel and many of the New Testament locations mentioned in the Bible. To walk where Jesus walked. To stand where New Testament apostles may have preached. How incredible that would be!

Happy Birthday!

2010-01-02T13:23:00.012-06:00

Today is my mom's Birthday! (She'll tell you she's 39..again..so we'll just leave it at that!)

My mom has been a lot of things to her family over the years. Creative, Loving, Comforting, Sharing, Silly, Giving...the list could go on. But last night, as I was thinking about mine and my siblings childhood, one word that came to mind more than anything was "Strength".

My mom is one of the strongest women I've ever known. She may not have bulging muscles (b/c that would just be gross) but she has an inner strength about her that I admire greatly.

Proverbs 31:25
"Strength and honor are her clothing..."

I'm so thankful my mom was able to stay home with us kids. She taught us a lot of things. She wasn't perfect, and she'll be the 1st to admit that, but she did A LOT of things right. She's one awesome mommy(and Grammy!)
I have some big shoes to fill!

Happy Birthday, Mom! We love you very much!!!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T12:40:00.002-06:00

Oh, Christmas Tree

2009-12-21T00:20:00.010-06:00

Growing up, mine and Bob's parents made sure we had a new ornament each year.
I'm so glad that they did. It's always a fun trip down memory lane when we decorate our tree. Now, Bob and I enjoy swapping stories about why we received an ornament, or why a certain one is extra special. This year was no different! And to celebrate our first year as parents, I just had to order this cutie!

Bob and I are so excited for our 1st Christmas with Ethan!

This was actually a McDonald's toy.
My mom turned some of my favorite ones into ornaments!

Every time I hang this ornament, I get a massive craving for chocolate
(and an overwhelming urge to bite into this chocolatey Santa!)

Bob is a great golfer, so his parents made sure he had a golfing Santa!

Growing up, Bob loved magic tricks.
It looks like this Santa has a few tricks in his hat!

One year, a friend and I went around to several houses and sang Christmas Carols. I think we were about 10. We came to one house, and for some reason we got so tickled. We tried to sing Silent Night, but couldn't stop laughing!! I remember the mom and daughter staring at us, with a confused look on their face.
I ended up running off and leaving my friend to fend for herself!
I was humiliated!!!

I grew up playing basketball, so any basketball ornament I have (and I have several) is very special!

For some reason, this is my all-time favorite ornament. There's really nothing extra special about it. I guess this one just reminds me the most of my childhood..and I had a great one.
I believe it's from 1993.

Bob and I have many more ornaments. I wish I could show you all of them, but it probably wouldn't be as fun for you as it would be for me! haha.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*~The Reason for the Season~*

"And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
Luke 2:12

Our tree ~ 2009

I love how when Bob gets home, he's excited that the lights are on around the house. It's almost a childlike excitement. There's nothing like relaxing together after a long and hectic day, under the glow of a cozy Christmas home!

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
~Burton Hillis~

Lord, we have so much to be thankful for!
Our home, our health, our family, our friends.
But most importantly, we have You:
Our Savior, Redeemer, the Greatest of Friends;
Our gracious, loving, merciful, all-powerful, risen Heavenly Father.
We praise You!!

Dr. Bob

2009-12-17T15:29:00.008-06:00

I found out today, that the doctor who delivered Ethan passed away.
He had been fighting cancer for quite some time.

Dr. Robert Aikman was his name, but we all called him "Dr. Bob"

Dr. Bob always had a smile on his face at each appointment, and had to duck just to get into the room! He was 7 ft. tall!

While pregnant, me and my paranoid self would constantly search the internet for an answer to a little question I had, or to see if a certain pain I was feeling was normal. Usually, I'd end up diagnosing myself with something weird, or worrying that Ethan was going to come early. I'd relay my fears at each appointment, and every time, Dr. Bob would say, "You've gotta stop searching the internet!" Haha.

Delivering Ethan.
He's holding one of Ethan's little feet.

Dr. Bob was caring, gentle, funny, compassionate, and very good at what he did.

I'm so thankful that he was the Dr. who delivered Ethan.

Dr. Bob is survived by his wonderful wife, 7 children, and 6 grandchildren.
Your prayers for the family would certainly be appreciated.

"I believe in the innate, created wisdom of a woman's body to maintain itself in health, and to restore itself in disease; my role is to assist my patients in achieving that wisdom in every aspect of her life-physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually."
-Dr. Robert "Bob" Aikman
1940-2009

How 'Bout Them Taters

2009-12-15T23:29:00.004-06:00

Ethan recently had his first taste of sweet potatoes!

I'm thinkin' he loved them! (NOT)

Several laughs later (on mine and my mom's part only), Ethan finally swallowed some of them taters!
I'm thinking next time, we'll need to back down a little (or a lot!) so that he won't be freaked every time he sees a spoon coming at him!
Slowly, but surely, he'll have an appetite just as big as his mommy's!

Welcome Josie Duggar!

2009-12-11T21:09:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, via emergency C-Section, the Duggar family welcomed Josie Brooklyn Duggar, the 19th child for the family. She was only 25 weeks, weighing in at 1lb. and 6oz., and 30 cm long! She's currently in stable condition.

Please pray for the Duggars during this time. Especially remember Michelle as she recovers and little Josie as she continues to grow!

The Lord is our healer!

BLB (Blog Land Buddy)

2009-12-10T23:18:00.011-06:00

One of the great things about blogging is that you get to meet all kinds of neat women!

And I've done just that! There are tons of blogs I enjoy reading. I get a lot of great tips, inspiration, and encouragement.

Several months ago, I met a fellow blogger who has a son born the day after Ethan! She's the sweetest gal! You can check her blog out here.

We talk on Facebook several times a week. We swap mommy ideas, talk about marriage, and laugh about our silly antics as women--it's a blast!

I'm so thankful for my new BLB!

What about you? Have you made any new friends via blog land?

Television Schmelevision!

2009-12-08T00:27:00.007-06:00

I'm NEVER letting Ethan watch TV!!

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit here, but sometimes that thought crosses my mind!

I mean, TV these days isn't even fit for adults to watch. And now, most commercials
aren't either!!!

I enjoy a good show (when I can find one), so don't think I'm a TV hatin'-you-should-never-watch-the-thing-kind-of-person. But the older I get, the more angry I become at most of what's put on television for our "entertainment". Puh-leeeeze.

I've become so tolerant of a lot of the junk that's broadcast these days. There are shows I know I shouldn't watch. There's nothing edifying about them. There's no wholesome lesson to learn. But I watch them anyway, b/c afterall, I'm a grown up now! My parents aren't in the room telling me to "turn that thing off!"

But Jesus is in the room. Shouldn't that matter more?

Sometimes I want to throw the TV out the window.

But I know I'd probably miss it.

Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home. -David Frost-

Big Lesson From A Little Girl

2009-12-06T00:34:00.007-06:00

The other night, Bob and I asked one of our friend's little girls what she wanted for her upcoming 5th birthday.

She's the cutest blonde hair, blue eyed little girl.

And in her sweet and innocent voice, this is what she said...

"Well, I already have quite a few toys, so I don't know where I'd put the new ones if I got some! I really don't know what I would ask for."

What?!?!

No Barbies, baby dolls, or play dresses?

Those are things I would've asked for!

I could hear the contentment in her voice though.
It was quite incredible.

A BIG lesson from a little girl.
~~~~~~

"But godliness with contentment is great gain"
1 Timothy 6:6

The Hoary Head

2009-12-04T23:30:00.000-06:00

Sounds kinda weird, I know. But I've come to love this scripture.

"The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." Proverbs 16:31

As a youngster, I had no idea what "hoary" meant. So when I found out it meant gray, the verse started to make sense to me.

And now that I'm older, it makes perfect sense!

Because I have a wonderful, godly, gray-headed grandma!

I hope Ethan can take in as much wisdom from her as possible!

My grandma serves the Lord and is a prayer warrior!
She's giving, caring and loving.
She has a great sense of humor, and a sharp mind.
She always has her Bible by her.
She always prays with us grandkids (and great-grandkids) before we leave.
She likes to send groceries home with us.
She gives the best back rubs!
She's just...awesome.

"It takes a great Grandmother to be a Great Grandmother"

Late Thanks

2009-12-03T00:25:00.007-06:00

I know Thanksgiving has already passed.
But it's always a good time to give thanks, right?!

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

I have been given an incredible family--my parents and my two awesome siblings--we had a blast of a childhood together!
For that, I am thankful.

I have been given a wonderful husband. He's my best friend. He loves me regardless of my many flaws.
For that, I am thankful.

I have been given a beautiful son. I now know how much my parents must love me. For that, I am thankful.

I have been given my dream job. Staying at home with Ethan, trying to keep the house in working order--it's the job I've hoped and prayed for my whole life!
For that, I am thankful.

I have loving in-laws. We have a great relationship.
For that, I am thankful.

I have a cool and relaxing home in the summer and a warm and cozy home in the winter.
For that I am thankful.

I have dishes to wash, clothes to clean, old friends to cherish, new friends to enjoy, a husband to love and respect, a baby to nurture, siblings to reminisce with, parents to listen to and grandparents to take care of.
For all these, I am thankful.

I know I'm leaving out soooooo much. I've often wondered how I could EVER count my blessings and "name them one by one", as the song suggests. It would take an eternity. Oh!! That reminds me...
I have a SAVIOR who died for me. Who lives for me. Who hears me, loves me, forgives me. I have a home in heaven prepared for me.
I am indescribably thankful for all these.

And most recently, the inspiration behind this "Late Thanks" post, my sister had a bit of a health scare, and I was terrified about the results we could possibly get. But GOD IS FAITHFUL. My sister is just fine, and the test came back negative.
For that, I am sooo thankful!!

Now, how about some pictures?
Here are just a few taken throughout Thanksgiving Day. It was a great time of family, fun, food and fellowship! We went to Bob's parents' first, and then in the evening we went over to my parents'! I'm so grateful both sets of parents live close by!

Now it's time for Christmas!!
I'm SUPER excited!!
We've got the decorations out and the tree up, we just need to decorate it!
I'll show pics soon!

Are You Smarter Than...

2009-11-30T11:59:00.014-06:00

No, not a 5th grader.

Well, ok, maybe that could apply to this post.

Because all 5th graders know that in order for lights to work, they have to be plugged in!

The other day, as I was putting up lights around our tree in the front yard, I became so upset when I plugged them in and they didn't work! They were brand new! I tried plugging them in every different way imaginable..and still, nothing!!

I started talking out loud, trying to work myself through the situation. I took a step back, and just stared at the lights on the tree, trying to see where I'd gone wrong. I worked a little more. Unplugged here, plugged in there.

Quickly, my voice rose a few octaves. I started flinging things around and became needlessly annoyed. (I hope my neighbors weren't outside!) I called the lights stupid. I called the lights idiots. But I knew I was really angry when I called them stupid idiots!

So, I decided to go grab my hubby--before I lost all remaining sanity--and see if he could figure out why the stupid idiot lights weren't working!! Because I was about to rip all of them down and throw them away!

Bob came out. Looked at the lights on the tree. Unplugged one connecting set of lights...plugged them back in and said, "Is the extension cord plugged in in the garage?" "Well, yeah!" I said, shocked that he would think me so stupid!

...but just to make sure, I went into the garage to double check.

I plugged the extension cord into the outlet.

And all the lights came on.

It was certainly not my brightest moment
(No pun intended)

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T00:11:00.004-06:00

I hope all you ladies & your sweet families have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration today!

Give Thanks. Live Thanks.

Picture Play

2009-11-25T01:12:00.005-06:00

Last week Bob was out of town on business so I stayed at my parents for half the week and Bob's parents for the other half. It was like a mini-vacation! I have a lot of catching up to do in the blog world..I feel out of the loop! I hope you all are ready for Thanksgiving! I'm sooo excited!

Anyway, a blog friend of mine recently told me about a picture editing website that has a lot of free tools to help "spice up" your pictures. I had so much fun playing around! You can too, at www.picnik.com!

You can click on the pics to enlarge them.

My Little Stud

2009-11-13T17:08:00.007-06:00

Recently, a missionary friend of ours, who also does photography on the side, offered to snap some pictures of my little stud muffin. Ethan did such a great job posing!

I played the part of the paranoid mom very well though, when our friend asked me to put Ethan at the base of a tree with lots of leaves around it. I kinda froze, and then spotted a huge black bug and a spider. No way! I also had to put a bunched up blanket behind him in one of the pics (luckily you can't see it) b/c he was sitting on a bike trail and I was so worried he would fall back a crack his head open! haha.

Thankfully, all went well--no spider bites and no cracked open head. Just some really cute pics of my baby boy!

Thanks

2009-11-12T21:22:00.005-06:00

Veteran's Day has already passed, but I wanted to post a few pics of my cousin, who is a Captain in the US Army. He's currently overseas on his 2nd tour of duty protecting our freedom, along with thousands of other brave men and women. I'm so thankful for our soldiers. I didn't fully understand the risks involved until my cousin was sent overseas. I think about him often..praying. It's hard to watch the news and not worry.

How brave our soldiers are.
I'm so grateful for them.
So very, very grateful.

My cousin is a graduate of West Point.
Here, he's getting ready to shake President Bush's hand after receiving his diploma.

Army buddies

God bless America

My cousin has been asked if it's dusty over where he's stationed.
I think this answers the question..haha

I'm just so darn proud of him!

We love you! Thanks for your service. You're in our prayers everyday.

"The willingness of America's veterans to sacrifice for our country has earned them our lasting gratitude."
- Jeff Miller

Happy Birthday!

2009-11-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Today, my wonderful daddy turns 56!!

I can't adequately express how precious my daddy means to me.

He's one of the strongest men I know--physically and spiritually!

He was always around when we kiddos were growing up--which we LOVED.

He taught us everything we know about sports--he was my basketball coach from 2nd grade thru 12th grade!

He showed us kids what true love is--he and my mom have been married for 32 years.

He's sacrificial, caring, funny, and oh so smart!

God gave me a an amazing earthly Father who follows our Heavenly Father--I couldn't be more blessed.

I love you daddy! I hope you have a great day!!

Now I couldn't end a blog without some pictures--so here's some of my daddy through the years!

What a handsome little boy!

My dad, the athlete!

College days

*~Newlywed~*

Daddy of three
Easter 1986

Daddy to the rescue!
Carrying me after I sprained my ankle in a basketball game

I love that my dad can still be goofy and have a good time!

He looooves being a grandpa!

So sweet

~ Four generations ~
"The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him."
Proverbs 20:7

I've always loved my daddy's hands.
They're the hands of a strong, hardworking man.

This almost seems more like a Father's Day post..haha.
Oh well...I've got a great dad to brag about!

Happy Birthday, Dad (and Grandpa)!!
We love you

Our Halloween

2009-11-03T00:09:00.012-06:00

I haven't dressed up for Halloween in yyeeaarss. Probably because I wasn't raised celebrating Halloween. I think I remember trick or treating once...maybe. I wasn't missing out, though. I always had a blast at the fall festivals our church held each year.

I'm still not a huge Halloween fan. Here's a good explanation why one fellow blogger doesn't celebrate Halloween like many do--she's not pushy and pious about it, but sweet and sincere.

~~~*~*~*~~~

A couple of years ago, my dad purchased a bunch of little 10 cent Bibles. We decided that we might as well put the holiday to good use, so along with yummy candy, we gave each trick or treater one of those little Bibles.

We're still enjoying that same tradition. Before the night begins, we get together and pray for all the children that are going to come to our door--we pray that the little Bibles will somehow make an impact in their lives.

And this year, since we've got a sweet little boy of our own, I figured it would be fun to get back in on the costume action! Ethan was Charlie Brown, I was a '50s Housewife, and Bob was a rocker dude (with fake tattoo sleeves--he just thinks they're so cool! haha)

We started the evening at my in-laws...

Dinner and some candy!
It was a fairly quick stop, but we had fun while we were there!

Papaw with his little buddy, Charlie Brown!

Daddy showing off Ethan's outfit...

Our dressed up little family...

Mom and Dad having some fun!

Silly faces =)

Ethan's 1st Halloween card...

He really liked it!

Later we went back to our house so we could hand out those cute little Bibles! My parents, grandma, sister and brother-in-law came over. We had a great time!

My BFF and her son, Nathan (Charlie Brown, too!) stopped by for a quick visit...

...and then Great-Grandma finally sang Ethan to sleep.
It's hard work being so cute!

My grandma is such a godly woman and an incredible blessing to our family!

Me and my rocker dude!
(He's rarely serious in a picture..especially after eating so much sugar!)

I've made myself sick the past couple of days eating so much candy!

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like they're obligated to eat it all??

The Simple Woman's Day Book

2009-11-02T12:00:00.004-06:00

"The Simple Woman's Daybook" originally started at http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ . Check it out!

FOR TODAY...
November 2, 2009

Outside my window...it's absolutely beautiful!! Clear, blue skies; the sun is shining, and it's 73°!

I am thinking..."Wow. I'm really hungry."

I am thankful for...beautiful days like today =)

From the kitchen...nothing planned. I need to go grocery shopping!

I am wearing...black jogging pants, NBA tshirt

I am going...to eat at McAlister's Deli today. I have a free tea card burning a hole in my pocket!

I am reading...Sweet Deception, by Drs. Mercola and Pearsall

I am hoping...that I can get everything done today that needs to be done!

I am hearing...Ethan playing with toys.

Around the house...more thanksgiving decor to put up!

One of my favorite things...is hearing Ethan laugh! It's one of the best sounds ever!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Visit my Grandma, FPU, go to the park for a playdate!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

I love Norman Rockwell art...and I LOVE Thanksgiving.
I'm so glad it's November! =)

An Autumn Stroll

2009-10-30T11:45:00.011-05:00

The other day I took Ethan for a walk and decided to snap a few pictures along the way. As you can tell in the first picture, Ethan is looking a little sleepy. He had fallen into a cabinet and hit his head--right around naptime, wouldn't ya know--so of course I couldn't let the little guy lay down. The doc. told me to keep him upright for a couple of hours. So the best way, I figured, to make sure Ethan stayed upright was just to go on a walk.

Besides, some fresh air and pretty fall foliage would do us some good!

Random--I know--I'm trying to be all cool and artsy. haha (I, by no means, claim to be a photographer! Far from it!)

This pic just doesn't do justice to what I really saw. I wish you could've been on the walk with me to see this beauty up close and personal!

Just a little red sprinkled throughout the leaves of this tree

Falling leaves caught in the schoolyard's fence!

Ethan loved the leaves just as much as I did!

Ok, I think you can get that nap in now, Kar...uh, I mean, Ethan.

Where my treasure is

The Enemy of Our Marriage

Divine Challenge...

Back From A Break

Get Out Of That Pit

Toys. And footholds.

All Things New

Christmas.

Free E-Book!!

An Invitation Not For Me, But For Me

He sees.

Across the Miles...

Cold-Rainy-Day Thoughts

Discouragement.

A Rather Needless Explanation of a Giveaway.

Parental Rights

Future Spouses.

**Urgent Prayer Request**

Hard Core Rockers

Recipients of the Choicest Bounties...

Heroes

Holiday Tea-Off

I'm a Mess

Look-alikes

Gratituesday: My Career

Enriched.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Directions

The Sibling Bond

That Name

20 and Counting

Gratituesday: The Word

Shaken

8 months.

New Name...Same Blog

Natural Birth?

It's Like Shoveling Snow

Bye Bye Broom

Back For Another Birthday!

Remember Me???

Ethan's Birthday Bash-Part 2: The Party

Ethan's Birthday Bash-Part 1: The Decorations

Family Fun

Happy Birthday Ethan!

One Year Ago Tomorrow...

Library Love

Homework

The Simple Woman's Day Book

Little Lisey's

Butterfingers

Weekend Trip!

The Simple Woman's Day Book

Girl Time

No Chance...??

The Simple Woman's Daybook

I'm Tired Of It!

Powerful.

The Simple Woman's Day Book

Happy Birthday!

Merry Christmas!!

Oh, Christmas Tree

Dr. Bob

How 'Bout Them Taters

Welcome Josie Duggar!

BLB (Blog Land Buddy)

Television Schmelevision!

Big Lesson From A Little Girl

The Hoary Head

Late Thanks

Are You Smarter Than...

Thanksgiving

Picture Play

My Little Stud

Thanks

Happy Birthday!

Our Halloween

The Simple Woman's Day Book

An Autumn Stroll

Urgent Prayer Request