Mom-in-training

Happy 10 year Anniversary

2011-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

I would think that 10 years of marriage makes me a professional. If not, at least I'm educated. The past 10 years of marriage have been fantastic. Brian and I have always gotten along and typically have the same vision for our family and when we don't, we work it out.

In the beginning we had a good marriage. But that's it. Just good. Brian left me to my own decisions and sins in order to avoid conflict and hurting my feelings. After attending Step Studies, our relationship evolved. Brian would confront me over my sins. Now, this has never been pleasant for either of us, still isn't, but I have to take what he says, weigh it, find the truth, and repent. I know he doesn't enjoy this part of the marriage, but I must say I welcome it. It grows us in our faith. We are rooted in Christ. We both have our hope in Him alone. We both seek to do his will and pray for ours to be changed where they don't align.

Our marriage has always been good, but I can say now that with the help of Christ through sanctification, it's great.

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.-Proverbs 27:17

My 4 Hour Body Workout

2011-06-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is what I have chosen as my 4 Hour Body Workout. Quick. Easy. Has proved effective thus far too. It's kind of a nice change too since it's way too hot in my opinion to run.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday

Do it before breakfast and since you're "suppose" to eat within 30 minutes, I roll out of bed and workout.

Flying Dog This shows how to do it--do 15 reps

Glute Raises This video is terrible, but all I could find. Bend your knees when you do it and push from the heel, not balls of feet.

Hip Flexor stretch 30 seconds each side

50 Kettle Ball Swings

Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday

10 burpees I go down into plank position and don't jump at the end, however, maybe I need to for now on. Nah. I squat, jump into plank (then I do a jumping jack with my legs while in plank), jump back, stand up, repeat.

Scroll down on both of these links to see how to do them. He calls the myotatic crunch: Cat Vomit Exercise

Myotatic Crunch

Plank and Side Plank

There you go. Your morning workout. Now go eat protein.

4 Hour Body Recipes

2011-06-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Here are the 4 Hour Body Recipes we use. Since you do Slow Carb for 6 days, we have 6 recipes and are putting them on repeat.

Steak Stir Fry (no rice-we served on fresh spinach)

Chicken Stir Fry (no rice-served on spinach and made the sauce from previous recipe because this one didn't have any)

White Bean Chicken Chili

3-4 Chicken breasts cooked: shredded

16 oz Picante Sauce

1 can chicken broth

3 cans Great Northern White Beans (do not drain beans)

¼ tsp Cumin

Cook 2-3 hours in crock pot on low

Bachelor Stew

1 lb ground beef

1 can Ranch Style Beans

1 Can vegetable soup

Cook beef, drain. Add beans and veggie soup and simmer for 30 minutes.

Another option:

1 lb ground beef

Frozen Mixed Veggies

Beef Broth

1 Can Ranch Style Beans

Follow same recipe as above

Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken with Grilled Asparagus

Yes, I used honey. It was good :)

Salad-think Chipotle

Black beans, hot sauce, grilled chicken, stir fry green bell peppers/onions/jalapenos, cilantro

God and Tornadoes

2011-05-25T04:31:00.000-07:00

Abbie sat crying from pure fear about the tornado that "might" come. I consoled her reminding her God is in charge of everything, even the storm. I promised her I would take care of her and protect her and that we had to trust God. She wanted to know what would happen if our house was gone. I reminded her again that God would provide. All truths that were just too tough for my 5 year old to grasp and feel peace about. As I put them to bed I prayed over her; that God would remove the fear and give her peace and this his protection would cover us. Then tucked them in only to have Brian come in a few minutes later yelling, "Get the girls! Something's coming." We gathered out littles in the bathroom where we sat waiting this "something" to come when Brian yelled for me to come look. This is what I saw:

Brian and I chanted please go away. I sat in wonder at this amazing weather. It was hard to take my eyes off it, while contemplating it's ability to totally destroy. The tail spun up into the cloud and it was gone. God was in charge. He did protect. He answered our prayer.

Not only that, but I believe this is a glimpse of the glory of God. Something so amazing. Powerful. Just like he is. A speck inside his ability to have all power. To do as he pleases. I am not only praising God for his protection, but also for getting to see something that actually leaves you speechless. When the words return, it's all about Him.

For Now

2011-05-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Bullying seems to be making the news more and more but part of me wonders if this is media's way of finding something else for parents to worry about. I am sure bullying truly is an issue and does need to addressed, but I think there are boundaries that need to be considered and observations need to be made on part of the bully and the bullied.

Bullying is a learned behavior. For those who bully, have counselors etc looked at the home life of the bully? Are there two parents? Is there divorce? Is the home stable? Is there a positive adult influence in the home? Are the bullies left to TV, movies, video games, or older influences? I think that is key in starting the process into the bullies mind. Kiddos will act out, even in the most horrendous ways, for attention. Are we paying attention?

For the bullied. Parents, it is your job to protect your child. Are you willing to do whatever it takes? I get so frustrated with parents who blame the teacher, administration, anyone but themselves. Stop deferring the safety of your child to someone else. Stand in the gap for your kid. What would that mean? Transfer to a new school, home school, or yes, even move. Are you willing to sacrifice for your child? I don't think you, or them, would ever regret that. Times are tough, I get that. Downsize, make sacrifices, but don't be idle waiting for someone else to intervene. You start the process: eat dinner together, make family time a priority, no matter the cost, make sure your own kiddos treat their siblings with respect and speak kindly to each other, and make sure they know they are loved, valued, and of worth.

Unfortunately, there are folks who don't hold Jesus as Lord and make the gospel central. Heap burning coals on their head, turn the other cheek, a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger; these truths seem "old" and therefore irrelevant for our time. But I think if it's in the bible, we need to think upon, dwell upon, and apply. If more folks held these principles to be true in their life, there would be radical change among our kids.

As adults, what messages are we sending our kiddos? Do spouses bully one another? Make them do something they don't want to or berate them? Do you use your status or strength on the game field or intellectual "superiority" in dealing with others? Have you ever lost your temper with your own kiddos and used fear as a means to obedience (guilty as charged)? Perhaps on further introspection, it would be wise to evaluate our own lives to see patterns/habits that might set our kiddos up to be a bully.

Perhaps even in my own life, there is a little bit of a bully in me. By the grace of God he will squash it, conforming me to his image, that I might have soft answers for my kiddos in times of trial. Continual confession, repentance, and making amends will be a constant. And hopefully by doing this continually, my girls will see first hand Godly sanctification.

*this is my opinion as of today and am free to change it on a whim depending on how I feel or if my child is being bullied or I learn they are bullies

(failed) Detox

2011-02-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

I took the Cinch 5 day fast forward challenge to shed the rest of the baby weight. I went into this thinking it was the answer to all my problems only to find my heart revealed.

Spinach, eggs, almonds, raspberries, and almonds are good to eat, right? I like them individually but found on day 2 that I would actually begin gagging at the thought of eating these items and finally chose hunger over eating. Yup, lasted two days. I just couldn't do it. I wasn't happy with the way I was so detox was the answer only to find I wasn't happy with that either. Now, those two days were successful and I am back in my pre-maternity clothes (yay!) and to think if I had stayed on the full 5 days, I might have seen even better results.

The deal is, I am trying to fix my self image problem and failing. This past weekend's message was about as humans we try to fix things only to make another problem instead of trusting God. Convicted. I am not fully trusting God. I do with my mouth, but not my heart. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, a woman who fears the Lord-she is to be praised, my imperishable beauty should be a gentle and quiet spirit. Praying that these verses aren't just knowledge, but belief.

I will say that good or bad, the Lord will let me know, it did make me feel a bit better about myself but my identity can't come from a number on scale or on my pants.

My focus should be to be a good steward with the food I eat and the body I've been given and to thank God that he provides.

I might be a loser for quitting, but I am a 4 lbs lighter loser :) And that is something I can live with.

Linguini with Meat Sauce

2011-01-17T14:12:00.000-08:00

This recipe is AMAZING. It makes a heap so you might bake and freeze, have friends over, or I used it to make our family a serving and took the other half to a mom who had a baby. It is oh-so good!

Linguini with Meat Sauce (Southern Living Magazine)

2 jars of spagehtti sauce (I just use Ragu)

2lbs lean ground beef

1/2 onion- chopped

2-4 cloves of garlic (I did three large ones)

~Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic until completely cooked and then add both jars of sauce

16oz package linguini cooked, rinsed, and drained

1 handful of chopped green onions

1 pkg cream cheese (I used light)

16oz sour cream (I used light)

~When noodles are done add cream cheese, sour cream and green onions and stir until everything is melted.

Spread noodle mixture in the bottom of greased pan then pour meat sauce on top. Top with (a bunch of) mozzarella or cheddar cheese and bake at 350 uncovered for 30-45 mins or until cheese is bubbly.

Happy Eating for real! :)

Misconception

2010-11-19T04:32:00.000-08:00

I have had my husband ask, "Do you still like being a SAHM?" My answer is a resounding, "YES!" I could not imagine getting three littles up in the morning to get them to daycare then off to work for me then pick them up, cook dinner, do laundry, clean house, homework, spend quality time with them, put them to bed only to start over again. I just can't imagine.
Three has proven more challenging than I had anticipated. There are parts that are super easy then there are parts that are super hard. Mostly like the hard is because I am super type-A without being OCD (I think) so any little glitch sends me off my schedule which in turns makes me stress out. Now, I am quite aware of this fault of mine and perhaps even need to pray for transformation in this area a bit more but it doesn't excuse my behavior of of, "Where did the vacuum lines go and why are there toys hanging from the ceiling fan? What were you thinking?" I need to give that up-they're littles.
I have in my head this "idea" of this mom I want to be and I am awesome, but then reality kicks in and Brynlie is crying, Ellie and Abbie are fighting, dinner needs to get started and that awesome idea flies out the window.
Perhaps what I need to do is dump this idea of awesome mom and just be the mom my kids need me to be. Perhaps it's not about being this person but being who I am and just loving my kids, extending mercy, giving praise, encouraging them, and perhaps even let vacuum lines go.

Why Not?

2010-11-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since I have been able to sit and blog. Can't imagine with three kiddos needing me, cooking, cleaning, running errands, changing diapers, cleaning, working, cleaning (apparently we're dirty or I have high standards).
Brynlie is growing like crazy-length wise for sure. I have estimated that I have not had a full night's rest in approximately 5 months. I started sleeping terribly as I got towards the end of pregnancy and well, newborns aren't concerned with how little sleep you get either. I am constantly exhausted and literally go to bed at 8:30 just so I can function during the day. I keep telling myself it's a season. I know it is.
To add to change (new baby, one in kinder, and a 2 year old-enough said) we are looking to move. We have put an offer in a house and have had it accepted and are just now waiting to get our house sold. That means being ready at given moment to have a clean house and leave for them to come see it. We have had 9 folks come see it but no offers.
I pray that the home and location we choose would be exactly where God wants us and where we can do the most for Him and the same must be true of those who buy our house-that our house would be the perfect home and location where God can use them or others around us can lead them to Christ. Until then, I sit. And wait. And decorate the new house in my head. I'm becoming mentally attached.
This weekend we take our first road trip as a family of 5 to Austin to see the Laurie Berkner concert. The best part, Bryn loves to cry in the car seat. So I say, why not?

Darkness

2010-10-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in a season of your life where you just feel...darkness? Everything seems to be going wrong (in other words, not how you want it)? No matter what you can't seem to get ahead? I am there. My soul is so tired. And so is my mind. I mean just worn out, nothing left to give tired. I go to bed at 8:30 at night and crash. I can barely make it till then. It's up during the night to take care of Brynlie then up at 6 to start the day which doesn't stop.
I struggle with trying to find time to workout (which isn't working out), work, and dinner. If it's not frozen these days we most likely won't be eating. I miss cooking. Juggling my own self destructive thoughts and allowing bitterness and anger to seep in which is just resulting in a defeated heart. Just an overwhelming sense of....restlessness?
Our Gospel in Life study this week has been idols and boy do I have a few that I need to contend with and ask God to give me victory in. I think Satan knows this too and is just throwing these idols in my face and warring against my soul. Thank goodness Jesus can conquer.
I know this is a season. I know Jesus is Lord and has given me these trials for my sanctification which means for my good and his Glory. I am praying for victory over idols that have long needed to die and that I might have true victory over them through Him. I am praying for my soul to not be downcast but to put my hope in God. I am praying that the things I "know" about God would become my "beliefs" and that I would be unwavering. I need the true gospel, not this religious thing I've created, to sink into my heart.

Heart Behind Nursing

2010-10-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Brynlie is now 9 weeks old. I am not a fan of nursing and not because of her but me. I began the quitting process only to find I'm back on. Why? Because God got a hold of my heart. You see the whole plan was to stop nursing to get a prescription from my doctor that aides in weight loss. All so I can fit in a pair of jeans to feel better about myself. Here's the problem though, I will still dislike myself, size 4 and all. I didn't like myself then and I don't now. I can always find flaws and things that need to be fixed. To try to find my security in my weight and looking to a medicine to be my savior is all idolatry. The Village Church is working through a study church wide called Gospel in Life. The upcoming lesson is on idolatry and yes, when you care about how you look or how much you weigh it becomes your idol. I also revisited J R Vassar's sermon about fear of man and find myself there as well involving my weight and how I look. No matter what people say or how many compliments I get, until God changes my heart I am doomed to this sin cycle. I am praying for God to break me of this selfishness that exists and may my weight no longer own me but Christ would be sufficient.
I am now nursing again after God clearly put these circumstances in front of me to lead to me to obedience which is never easy especially when I would choose another path which could become destructive. I would love to love myself and truly have eyes to see how he's created me to be. Until then maybe it's time to go shopping and get new pair of favorite jeans until my others fit.

Stresses

2010-09-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I blogged. Can't imagine why! Things are going well with a 7 week old baby and two other kiddos. Better than I ever expected. One thing that is lacking is sleep and I am ready for Brynlie to get on a better schedule. It makes me tired but I know God has been gracious to give me the energy to take care of my family. Then crash when they go down!
I would classify this as a season of stress, which as I write makes me realize I am missing his blessings in the process. New baby, little sleep, Brian is traveling a lot leaving me to get everyone up in the mornings and down at night including cooking dinner, cleaning up, showers, pj's...the whole deal. To top it off, we have decided to put our house on the market to move closer to Brian's work since his commute is gradually getting longer with traffic which means vacuum lines, clean counters, and putting shower towels in hiding.
These are stresses that are going on right now. But only if I let them stress me out. Which is hard for someone who is not a "go with the flow" person. I like answers such as: When will the house sale? Where in the world are we going? When will you sleep all night Brynlie? I am looking for these things to be answered, to be my security instead of trusting God and his sovereignty to reveal, show, open up and give when it's time.
My prayer is that until then, that I will focus on the cross and it's saving grace, that God's mercies are new every morning, he will never give me more than I can handle, therefore I am right where he wants me. Dependent. And that is something I must learn.

Letting Go

2010-08-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is from my sweet friend Patti who the Lord used to speak truth into my life and peace. May it speak to your heart as well as we leave out little ones in, but not of, this world (school).

It is from Jesus is Calling by Sarah Young and is written as though Christ was writing to you!

“Entrust your loved ones to me; release them into my protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart; you endanger that one-as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measure I used with Abraham and Isaac. I tool Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from son-worship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father’s undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love.

When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust other into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presences will go with them wherever they go and I will give them rest. This same Presences stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do. “ Jesus Is Calling, Sarah Young

Tight Rope

2010-08-20T12:21:00.001-07:00

These days I feel like I am on a tight rope. Not a place I like to be because I like to be centered, stable, balanced, and being a tight rope requires me to fully focus on everything around and not lean towards one way or another. I am finding that balancing 3 kiddos is a bit challenging in the "attention" area. I focus mainly on Brynlie because, well, she needs me the most. I then have Abbie who helps me so we communicate, but then there is Ellie who seems to be transitioning a bit slower to a new sister. If I don't pay attention, she gets upset, and in the process Brynlie is crying too and Abbie needs me to "watch" her again. It's a never ending pull that I can't seem to balance because someone is always left out.
I know this will be, that each kid will not have individualized attention at all times, but how does a mom balance quality time with each kiddo when each kiddo feels like they need you all the time? This has been one of the biggest challenges I've noticed. Then to top it off, Abs starts kinder on Monday and this is Ellie's playmate. I can only pray over what will happen when Abs starts school and it's Brynlie, me, and....Ellie.

Lunch Box Ideas

2010-08-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some ideas for packed lunches.

Main Dishes
Mini Ham and Cheese Quiches
Soft Chicken Tacos w/ Cheese and sour cream
Pizza
Sandwich
Annie's Stars (Think Organic Chef Boyardee-buy at Target)
Meat, Cheese, Crackers (homemade lunchable)
Crunchy Baked Mozzarella Cheesesticks
Corn Dog Muffins
Pizza Muffin (Recommend sending side of pizza sauce for dipping)
Grilled Cheese put into warmed thermos
Hot Dog (put wienie in warmed thermos and have sides for them to put together)

Another website with ideas:
Easy Lunch Boxes

Sides
String Cheese
Grapes (try freezing them too)
Strawberries
Oranges
Goldfish
Pretzels
Pirate's Booty
Apple
Raisins
Bananas
Banana Chips
Yogurt
Carrots
Ritz Crackers
Popcorn
Pineapple
Pickle Spears
Nuts
Trail Mix
Annie's Organic Fruit Chews
Archer Farms Organic Strawberry Fruit Strips

Maybe this will help with, "What's for lunch?"

Pride Comes Before the Fall?

2010-08-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have to admit. I am prideful. Not in a good way, but in a selfish way. I don't ask for help and I don't like for people to help me because after all, I can do it and if I can't, something must be wrong with my perfectionism and if I ask for help then I am weak. I know what I write is foolish and my brain knows it too, but my deceitful heart tells me otherwise. Anyone else?
These past couple of days have been good but evening comes and I am one tired mama! I know Brian has been busy at work and it's hard for him to balance work and home and I understand that so when last night rolled around and I was tired, sick, and had a headache, and short tempered, I knew I had reached the end of my rope, I had to relinquish the household to him which he absolutely did with a servant's heart, however, my heart was defeated because I should have been able to "hang in" there and his day had been just as long as mine.
So, as a new mom again, who has a Type A personality, who likes to be able to do it, come to a place where they realize they can't and that God created marriage so that we can help each other? For me, this is revealing a weakness, but I think in hindsight God had to get me to a place, gently, where I have to realize I am not superwoman and that Brian wants to help and is very good at it. I can't say enough about how much he has done and there is nothing I could ever do or give him to show my appreciation and that he sees that I need a break and is willing to step in and tell me to rest. Which is exactly what I needed. Thank goodness I finally submitted and did what he said.

1 Week Done

2010-08-07T13:13:00.001-07:00

It has been 1 week since Brynlie was born. It has gone much better than I could have ever anticipated. Brian has been instrumental in helping out during this transition. Abbie has taken a liking to her "favorite" sister and Ellie tells me, "You hold it." She'll get there. Sleep has been off and on but better than anticipated but ready to get a good solid sleep, in my own bed. Me and the chair have become too good of friends over the past week. Today we bought a Sleep Sack Swaddle. I am hoping that this will enable Itty Bitty to sleep a bit better during the early/late part of the night.She's great at sleeping in the very early morn hours.
Challenges are coming. Brian will be traveling soon for 2 days then for a week also Abbie will start Kinder the day before he leaves. That leaves me with 3 little ones trying to get one to Kinder-on time and balancing everything else. I'm already praying up over this!
God has been good and gracious--nothing I deserve and I know this full well. I can only thank him for what he has given, continue to ask for what I need, and wait on Him.

Epidural Now! Please

2010-08-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 29th was the birth of our third little girl: Brynlie Hope. And she's a cutie weighing in at a full 5 lbs 12 oz and 18 1/2 inches long. When they handed her to me I couldn't believe how little she was. (Abs was 5 lbs 13 oz and apparently Ellie was our chunker at 7 lbs 11 oz). But how she got here was not part of the birthing plan. Mine had full use of drugs in mind, but God, well, he had another plan.

10am: Doctor appointment and was dilated to a 3 when the good doc stripped the membranes which he said would cause labor in 24-48 hrs and if not, come back Monday.

11am-ish: The girls and I picked up lunch and came home just waiting for the water to break or contractions to start. Absolutely nothing happened. All day. No pain. No twinges. Nothing. Even after researching about stripping of the membranes I realized it most likely was not going to work because of the overwhelming replies I could find of women who said it had been ineffective. (Later Dr. Wilson told me it works with women who have had children prior and are dilated to at least a 2) Brian and I talked about him going to work on Friday because she wasn't coming-even though I had my heart set on it.

6:30pm: Headed to the park with the girls to "walk" her out :) When I walked quickly, I felt pressure but when I slowed or stopped, so did the pressure. We came home, bathed, watched a bit of TV with the girls, read them bedtime stories and tucked them in around 8.30.

After 8:30 pm: I worked "just in case" and did laundry and began to feel cramps but figured they were Braxton-Hicks as I have had before and continued on with our evening. The cramping did get a bit worse but I thought "real" labor pains were in the back because that is what I had with Abbie. I did begin to time them around 9:30 and they were about 5 minutes apart.

10 pm: Our insurance has a nurse hotline where you can ask questions. She informed me they don't have to go the back and that if they are 5 minutes apart for an hour, head in and we were closing in on an hour. (At this point, I was just embarrassed I'd show up at the hospital and it would not be real).

10:15 pm: Called my mom to come over because we were going to check it out. The pain was intensifying. Told Brian to not call Dr. Wilson till we got there just in case it was false. (You would think I would have understood the "realness" by now). I figured we would get to the hospital and see what they said.

10:30 pm: Jumped in the van to head to hospital. Told Brian that we needed to page Dr. Wilson. Along our drive Brian made a funny little comment about needing to get gas. Um, not funny in the middle of a contraction. Maybe I can snicker a bit now.

10:45 pm: Entered the hospital in quite a bit of pain with contractions and managed to shuffle to L&D. Brian signed us in and off to room 7 we went. Got all the hospital stuff on and the nurse guessed I was at an 8. She was wrong. She said, "No, you're at a 9. No, you're complete. The only thing that kept you from having that baby at home was that you're water didn't break."
I requested an epidural. Several times. Was denied every time. No tylenol. Not even baby tylenol. It was going to be natural. This was not part of the plan.
There were nurses everywhere. Taking blood, putting in IV's, asking me questions. They were getting ready for the very soon to be birth.
What I remember was pain. Just a constant amount of pain. I now know why women on TV scream. It hurts.
By this time, Dr. Wilson had been called and must have drove 100mph to make it. He came in, put on his gear, popped the water and said, "Push." And I did. Boy, those contractions hurt but I did what I was told to do then I heard something that almost panicked me. The cord was around her neck and her heart rate was dropping. Dr. Wilson had them put NICU on standby "just in case". He told me to focus and that we needed her out now. I just prayed God would protect her. (Unbeknownst to me at the time, he had to cut me in order to his finger in to unwrap the cord from her neck.)

11:31 pm: Brynlie was born. Safe and sound, a bit banged up. They did have a NICU nurse come in and check her. During this time I could see her, but not hold her. They wanted to make sure she was OK and that was fine by me. They took her away to check her breathing and then brought my little girl back where I thanked God she was OK.

All in all, labor was about 2 hrs. All natural. At the time I would not have chosen this route, but now that it is over, I am glad that I got to experience a natural birth. So now, Brian owes me a bumper sticker...or a badge.

Change is A'coming

2010-07-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Brynlie will be arriving soon. First off, I hope it's still a Brynlie! That alone would bring more change that I can comprehend right now! I am very excited about having another little one and so are the girls. Ellie tries to pick up my tummy, "Heavy." Abbie likes to talk to her through the belly button. It's been fun to see their excitement and they are ready to meet her too. It will be nice to begin to be "back to normal" or whatever that new normal will look like on me.
There are also many apprehensions I have. 3. Nonetheless, 3 girls. No longer will Brynlie be in utero and easy to tote around, she'll be in a carrier. No longer jumping up to run to the store or go out because baby in tow is weighty. Sleepless nights are inevitable. I am dreading that the most. I have been praying for God to give the gift of sleeping at night to her. I just don't know how to handle two active little girls with no sleep and Abbie will start Kinder and we have to be at school everyday by 8. My job doesn't offer maternity leave, however, it does offer me the ability to work whenever I can and I will have to adjust not having a "block" of time to sit and knock it out. It will be hard to adjust to that.
There are so many positives and even what I consider negative, I must see as sanctification!
Another sadness is that I feel true peace about this being the last pregnancy. Part of me thinks wow, this is it? No more moving tummy or kicks? No more big belly where I don't have to suck in for a bathing suit? So many women would love to be in my position and I must see this is a true blessing from above and cherish these fleeting moments. Part of me is sad about that, but the other part is ready for nurture our kiddos and see what God has in store for the trio.
Thursday is around the corner. I just pray I'm ready!

Mind Control

2010-07-16T11:31:00.001-07:00

Do you have an over-active mind? I do. I can have Brian dead in an instant (sorry honey), me, a widow with three kids to raise, selling a home to move into an apartment, wondering how to provide financially. My other favorite (sarcasm) is to have the house broken into when Brian is gone and what my plan of action would be. I have it all figured out.
The problem with these thoughts is that they are well, not good for one, and unholy for another I'm pretty sure. These thoughts are not thinking on things above.
I have been watching Joyce Meyer in the mornings to get my day going and am having to yet be reminded of the mind. That I am to think about what I am thinking about, that I can control my thoughts, and that the devil will plant little misconceptions in my mind to make me think upon them. I must be vigilant and put up walls around my mind, to take captive every thought and make them obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). As Romans 12:2 states, I am to have my mind renewed. This means I am transformed from the inside out, to think upon his glory, his ways, his truth, and to allow the spirit to change me and to begin to think with the spirit and not the flesh. This is something that I cannot do on my own, for I have tried, but must rely on the spirit to change me. I think it's time for me to be vigilant about this area of my life.

Financial Trust

2010-07-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

I find myself in a difficult situation. Mainly because my trust in God is lacking in a particular area. Finances. When I quit working two years ago to be a full time SAHM, I knew there would be sacrifices. We never lived luxurious lives, but we were never without want or need. In the beginning it was hard to say no to many things we use to say yes to but as time progressed, the "living more simply" has become easier, not easy. The finer clothing lines are no longer appealing, perhaps because I have no longer can afford them? We have never been late on a bill or not had food to feed our kiddos. Looking back at the past nine years of our marriage, God has always, and I do mean always, provided. So why do I struggle still?
I feel much like an Israelite out in the desert who is on the right track for a time then falls off when I don't "see" God working and then begin to look within my own heart to figure out how to make things work. God has me in a job that is totally dependent on him. No new candidates=no paycheck. And this is smack dab where he has me. No candidates are available this month and that means no paycheck which means we are stretched thin right now.
My head knows the past faithfulness of God but my idol-making-deceitful-lying heart is telling me otherwise. How do I get what I know to be true about his faithful provisions to drop into my heart so that I no longer let the flesh live but instead, feed the spirit? This has been a question that I have asked God for a long time. Perhaps now he has me in a place where I have to focus on him to provide completely, totally, fully and to at last, trust.

Hand Raising Worship

2010-07-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have been in church for almost 25 years. Wow, that's a long time now that I look at it. I know that we were created for worship and either our worship will be on target, the creator, or misguided on the created things. In church, particularly the music, is a time to sing (or make a joyful noise as Psalm states) to God and praise him. So often in my head I let "loose" and could see myself dancing around and having a good 'ole time praising God but alas, my introverted self would never ever do that: bust a move in church. In my head though, I'm having a good time. Now, this is not with every song but sometimes, I feel the urge.
Recently I began to think about eternity and how I will be praising God and worshiping him forever and I am quite sure that hands raised in the air will be something that I can't resist but will join with all the saints and sing my heart out. Maybe even bust a groove. Maybe.
I had to finally get over my self consciousness in church and raise my hand. I have found this posture of worship very uncomfortable for me but thinking ahead to eternity, I thought I would give it a shot. There are times I still feel uncomfortable and that is when I have think on things above. Then I think, should I raise my right hand, or my left? Maybe both? I quickly respond no to both. Then a verse comes to mind:

Isaiah 44:20: He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

This verse leads me to raise my right hand for the sole sake of opening any lies I hold dear to me and giving them to God, releasing what I hold dear that is not of God, but of man.
How about you? Do you worship with hands raised? Do you determine which hand to raise during which chorus or verse? Perhaps I still have a ways to go on this hand-raising thing, but hopefully one day, with abandon, I won't think through the motions but rather just celebrate with the spirit.

Not Really a Marriage Expert, Just Have Experience

2010-07-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated 9 yrs of marriage and it was fun to sit with Brian (on a date, no kids!) and think about our wedding day and what we remembered.
In the beginning of our marriage, I would have to say that Brian did whatever it took to keep the peace and let me do pretty much whatever I wanted because confrontation would resort to temper tantrums and one angry wife who can give the best cold shoulder. If there were arguements Brian would pursue me to solve the situation whereas I would shut down emotionally and be done and "deal" with it. This has been pretty much how things would go--when it came to pointing out my faults. Please don't misread this--this happened on occasion and has not been an every day issue. Just pointing out a few incidents over the past 9 years to get to my point.
We went through Step Studies at The Village in fall of 2008 to learn how to confront sin, repent, and make amends. This in turn has began the process of an ongoing process for life in general and to really look at the heart and why we respond the way we do and what sins we tend to lean towards.
Brian is still the peacemaker and I still find myself selfish way more than often that I want to be and am constantly struggling to put death this earthly flesh and to clothe myself in righteousness. Brian now will confront my issues openly and honestly and I know that my response is not always pleasant for him, but when I get with the Lord, search my heart, I know where my fault lies and where I need to repent and ask for transformation. I know Brian does this because marriage is sanctification. A reflection of Christ loving his bride, the church. Brian's job is to love me, correct/rebuke when needed in love, and I am to submit to him and his authority.
Brian has grown so much in his walk with Christ and what it means for a man to lead his home in a Godly way. God has given him a huge task to undergo, especially dealing with me and soon to be 3 girls! When I sit back and think about the call on a man's life to lead his family, it makes me glad to be a girl.
Marriage is to be a reflection of the gospel for those who are perishing and hope for those who know Christ personally. Brian and my marriage is a reflection of the gospel for our girls and that is something that can't be done without help of the spirit daily.
I have been blessed by a man who loves me, knows my every fault probably more than I know my own, he knows my tendencies, what "triggers" certain emotions, what I love the most, and who would do anything in the world for me. Kinda reminds me of what Jesus has done for me and that is a picture of what Christ intended marriage to be.
I have much to live up to with Brian as my husband but must rest in Proverbs 31 and the characteristics of a virtuous woman. I am to bring honor to my husband every day, to serve my family, be wise with what have, and to fear the Lord, and that Brian might be respected at the city gate.
My goal in marriage is to have my heart be transformed (quickly please Jesus) to "be" more than I "do" and to find community within my own family, digging into the life and thoughts of my husband and children and seeing this process as a blessing and to not make light of it. "Being" around the house is not sufficient. Engaging is.
Brian, I love you and what you do for this family and your heart that is so passionate to see Jesus glorified not only in our marriage, but in the lives of our children, in your work, and in the giftedness you have been given.

To Spank or Not to Spank...

2010-07-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

I was watching GMA this morning and the great spank debate was on. My palms got sweaty and my heart racing because I feel passionate about this subject. I am sure each parent does and therefore, takes their stance. I will give you mine first and then tell my reasons why, biblically. We spank. There. Said it, now you know.
On GMA the grandparents spanked their grandchildren, not the parents, that is where I differ on the subject. Only parents should be the ones spanking because they are the ones responsible for training the children. Grandparents, or any other adult in the child's life, should not do this and should consider an alternative, like timeout, and then allow the parent to decide at a later time if a spanking should occur. Spanking should not be placed in the hands of any adult, except for mom and dad. Period.
Proverbs 13:24 comes to mind for most: Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. Biblically-balanced discipline never physically endangers a child. (pg. 109 Shepherding a Child's Heart)
What does this mean? Spanking shows love. BUT, spanking has boundaries.

What spanking is:

Parental Exercise: Goes to what I said before, parents only!
Act of Faith: God has mandated its use.
Act of Faithfulness: In discipline, there is hope, expression of love and commitment.
A Responsibility: It's not to punish but the parent should obey God's word and what God has called the parent to do.
A Physical Punishment: It is careful, timely, measured and controlled, never for venting. The child knows how many swats are coming.
A Rescue Mission: The child has become distanced from parents through disobedience and the spanking rescues the child from continuing in foolishness. The only reason for a child to obey mom and dad is that God commands it. The child has failed to obey God, not you {the parent}.

What is NOT:
Not the right to unbridled temper: You can't throw temper fits!
No the right to hit our children whenever we wish: Spankings are used in context of correction and discipline, not whenever you want.
Not venting of frustration: Spanking should not be used to vent frustration.
Not retribution: The parent does not exchange retribution for the child's wrong. It is not punitive. The goal is restoration, not to have them pay for their sins (Christ already did that).
Not associated with vindictive anger: If you spank because the child has dishonored God, this is righteous anger, but, if you spank because if it's because they have done something against you or you want to make them pay, unrighteous anger.

How do you spank?
1. Take them to a person place.
2. Tell them what they did.
3. Make sure they understand.
4. Remind them you are restoring them to the place of promised blessings from God.
5. Tell them how many they will get.
6. Spank.
7. Tell them you love them and hug them, tightly.

All controlled. All to restore them back to the place of promise.

What I personally do (right now with Abbie) is to to get down and ask what happened and why she's getting a spanking. Tell her how many and spank her (usually a wooden spoon, sometimes my hand), then she must tell me, "I am sorry for ______" and not just say sorry, she must take ownership of what she did. Then, she must say, "Jesus, I am sorry for _____." This is to let her know that she has sinned against God and his command to obey and honor.

I dare say that even Dr. James Dobson would agree with the use of spanking in controlled situations where the parent is not acting out of anger, but again, is in control of themselves (and if you're not, please step away from your child and compose yourself!).

This is not an excerpt to say I have never sinned in my own spanking for I have and have repented of where I have been wrong. Nothing more humbling than to tell your 4 year old that mommy got angry and sinned against them and then to ask for forgiveness. Rather, it might give you a biblical perspective of what spanking is and how it can be used to bring glory to God.

Hebrews 12:6-11
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Blessings

2010-06-28T19:08:00.001-07:00

I think most people have in their mind what blessing means to them (or, at least I assume). What automatically pops into my head tend to be financial blessings or that of health, perhaps even in general, answered prayers.
I am someone who always wonders, ok, perhaps sometimes even stresses, about how things are going to get taken care of. Like when the toilets needed repair along with the A/C and the sprinkler system, all at the same time and of course none of that was included in the budget. And what happened? We were provided for only by the hand of God. It happens every month. For the past 9 years (well, July 7 with be 9 years!). One would think that I would get it through my thick head that I can trust God (completely, totally, all out, without a doubt) and his providential hand by looking at his past faithfulness when I have been so much less. Why would I feel or think anything less?
Which leads me to baby #3 and wondering how in the world we can make it all work. I can become so wrapped up in my thoughts of everything a baby needs, which I have become more practical as time has progressed, but some things are non-negotiable such as: diapers and wipes. My sweet friend Jenny stepped in to answer this prayer by giving me a diaper/wipe shower along with my other dear hostesses: Beckie, Staci, and Patti. There was a need that needed filling and these sweet ladies loved me enough to help out. It was small, intimate, and perfect. And I must say, the gift of diapers and wipes, that will last at 3-4 months I am sure, is to me, a blessing.

And The Middle Name Is...

2010-06-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ellie came into this world on June 5. On June 6 it was time to fill out the birth certificate where Brian and I had a strong civil conversation on how to spell her name, one l or two? We knew her name all along but apparently had forgotten to discuss spelling. Thus, Ellison it is--2 l's.
Abbie had been easy and we named her from Abigail, David's wife in the bible, and Ellie was a spin-off of Brian's grandma, Nellie.
Keeping with the "-ie" trend and realizing this is our last child, and a girl, we needed to have Brian honored somehow and that is how Brynlie was born. Part Brian, part -ie. Learning from our "hospital discussion", I knew we needed to discuss spelling of her name prior to birth and that is when the voting began and we now agree on the spelling.
The second hard part is the middle name. Trying to agree is like trying to tell a skunk not to stink. Not happening. Then some things came to mind. Instead of trying to find that perfect middle name that flows, what if we chose a name with meaning and depth? Is it ok that her name doesn't flow as well as I would intend it to? Yes, because her meaning is more important that the way it sounds.
Brian and I began to talk and my New Year's Resolution (remember yours??) was simple: Hope in God. Brian has been drawn to the verse: Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 43:5). One day our hope will no longer be hope because we will know as we are fully known.
Catch the theme?? So, soon enough, we shall bring forth a baby girl, who I hope will know God and find her security in him, hope that God will be faithful to save, hope in something bigger than us, hope that we have a future with the sovereign Lord, Brynlie Hope, we can't wait to meet you.

Water Park Insecurities

2010-06-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

I have spent a lot of time at the water park over the past few weeks and there is an issue that keeps coming to my soul. Insecurity. Could it be that I just read Beth Moore's So Long Insecurity? While there, I see many women in bikinis and granted, some wear them nice, others, well, let's just say sometimes more is better. My judgmental mind and heart take over and I compare myself to these woman and how I look. Now, some of you are thinking, "But you're pregnant!" Yes, I know, but in my head, I'm not. This thinking alone is damaging to my soul and who God created me to be. I am to compare myself to him and his acceptance alone-not other women. We are made in the image of God and should be image bearers. Does that mean that bikinis are the best way to reflect this image? Now, to those who own a bikini (as do I, but it gets worn in the backyard with a wooden fence around me, however, woe to the neighbors with 2-story houses), this is my insecurity coming through and what God is laying on my heart. May God deal gently with each of us for what we choose to wear, or not to wear.

What message is being sent in these tiny pieces of clothing? I personally opt for the tankini and skirted bottom because I have yet to come to peace with my thighs. What message is sent when women wear these bathing suits to young, impressionable girls? If I struggle, will my own girls? Will they begin the cyclical sin cycle of thinking, "But I don't look like that." What message does it send to young boys, single men, and dare I say, married?

What about younger girls? Teenage girls who wear tiny bathing suits and go to water parks with prepubescent boys who most likely aren't following your behind because they think you're smart. Does this begin to foster respect for the opposite sex or further drive young hormonal boys to "be boys?" Does this type of clothing take away the dignity of women of all ages and make us part of the ever pervasive hypersexualization? To be sensual is to be sexy?

I am a sinner who struggles with self-image (obviously, right?) trying to raise 2, soon to be 3 girls in a culture where less is more and demanding dignity and respect is counter-cultural. I am to raise them to respect themselves, their bodies, and who Christ created them to be, in Him, to have others not look or judge them for their bodies, but their soul.

Which leads me to this, now what? Now that I have put this out there, what do I do about this situation? How do I teach my own girls--who wear two pieces that cover or a 1 piece--that we are to respect ourselves and demand respect from others? How do I teach them that they are fearfully and wonderfully made and that culture will always tell them otherwise? Perhaps as women we should consider what we wear, water park or no water park, and think about the message we are sending to future generations of young girls. I want my girls to be wives of noble character, who open their mouths with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on their tongue, and who brings praise to their husbands at the city gate because, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Week 2 Menu

2010-04-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some recipe ideas, recipes, and a rough grocery list. It might help the week go a bit smoother knowing what to cook.
Week 2

Monday
Skillet Burrito
Corn

Tuesday
Fettucine Alfredo
Garlic Bread
Salad

Wednesday
Calzones
Salad

Thursday
Honey Lime Chicken
Rice
Egg Rolls

Friday
Hot Dogs
Chips

Grocery List:
Black beans
1 lb ground beef
hot sauce
ground cumin
corn tortillas (the big pack!)
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream (optional)
Lettuce (optional)
Tomato (optional)
Corn in freezer section that you steam in microwave
2 jars alfredo sauce
egg noodles
frozen chicken (for 2 meals)
parmesan cheese
swiss cheese (optional)
pizza dough
spaghetti sauce
provolone cheese
salad
pepperoni
garlic salt
oregeno
honey
soy sauce
lime juice
egg rolls
rice
chips
hot dog buns
hot dog weinies

Skillet Burrito
Black beans, rinsed, drained
1 lb ground beef
1 C hot sauce
2 tsp ground cumin
salt/pepper
4 corn (flour) tortillas-cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 C Shredded cheddar cheese
Corn
Garnish: tomato. Lettuce, sour cream, guacamole (if you want)

Cook corn to directions. Serve as side.
Cook meat and drain. Add salt/pepper/beans/salsa/sumin/1/2 C of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 5-10 minutes.

Stir in tortilla strips, top w/ cheese. Remove from heat, cover, let it set to allow cheese to melt. Serve w/ garnishes.

Fettuccine Alfredo
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
• 2 (16 ounce) jars Alfredo pasta sauce
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. In the crock of a slow cooker, stir together the chicken cubes and Alfredo sauce. Cover, and cook on Low for 2 hours. Add Parmesan cheese and Swiss cheese; cover and cook for another 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper and stir in cheeses before serving.
2. I add cooked egg noodles in the end. I skip the swiss cheese.

Calzones
You can make your own dough or buy pizza dough.
Flatten out, cut into long rectangles. Top with pizza sauce, provolone cheese, and pepperonis. Roll up. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and oregeno. Cook in oven according to the pizza dough directions.

Honey Lime Chicken
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 4 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Directions
1. In a resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container, combine the honey, soy sauce and lime juice; mix well. Add chicken and turn to coat. Seal or cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, uncovered, over medium heat for 6-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Menu Week 1

2010-04-18T12:20:00.001-07:00

I created this for a friend who typically doesn't write our their menu for the week then create their grocery list based off the menu, which is how I operate otherwise we wouldn't be eating anything but Cheerios. Here is a menu for this week including all the recipes and grocery list. The grocery list is simply that, a list of what you would need. Check your pantry and fridge to see what you have and what you don't. Also, it is possible I have forgotten to add something. I have three more weeks worth I will post over the next 3 weeks. Happy eating!

Monday

Mashed potatoes

London Broil

Tuesday

Macaroni and Cheese

Eckrich Sausage

Wednesday

Red Potatoes

15 Minute Marinade Chicken

Thursday

Hamburgers on grill

Chips

Friday

Homemade pizza dough and sauce

Grocery List:
London Broil-2 pounds

Cream mushroom

Tomato soup

Dry onion mix soup

Mashed potatoes (freezer section)

Mac n cheese

Eckrich sausage

BBQ sauce

Dijon mustard

Lemon juice

Dried tarragon

Frozen chicken

Pepper

Red potatoes

Honey

Cheddar cheese

Parmesan cheese

Hamburger buns

Bacon

Worcestershire sauce

Ketchup

Onion

Egg

1 ½ lbs ground beef

olive oil

flour

whole wheat flour

active dry yeast

Italian seasoning

15 oz can tomato sauce

dried oregeno

basil

garlic powder

onion powder

mozerella cheese

pepperoni

London Broil

2 pounds flank steak---I like to use the London Broil cut of meat bc Kroger sometimes has it cheaper.
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

Directions

Place meat in the bottom of the slow cooker; if necessary, slice meat to make it fit!
In a medium bowl, mix together mushroom and tomato soup. Pour mixture over beef. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over top.
Cover, and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours.

Mashed Potatoes

I buy the mashed potatoes in the freezer section next to the fries. Cook in microwave for 10 minutes and add what you want to them.

Mac-n-Cheese

I use Kraft out of a box!

Eckrich Sausage
I cook according to package.

When done, I cut into medallions, put back in skillet to cook thoroughly on each side.

Take out again, clean out pan w/ paper towels, but sausage back in w/ BBQ sauce and heat through.

15-minute Marinade

¼ C Dijon mustard

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tsp dried tarragon

¼ tsp pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken halves (I use chicken tenders)

Combine ingredients in a gallon bag with chicken and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (or fridge if hours). Cook on stove (or grill) till done.

Red Potatoes

Clean and rinse pack of red potatoes. Cut into ¼.

Drizzle olive oil in pan, Put red potatoes in and season with salt and pepper and I drizzle honey all over. Put lid on and cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir 3 times during the cooking process.

Bacon Wrapped Cheeseburgers

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pound ground beef
6 slices bacon
6 hamburger buns, split

Directions

Preheat a grill for high heat.
In a large bowl, mix together the Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Crumble in the ground beef, and mix together by hand. Form into 6 patties, and wrap a slice of bacon around each one. Secure bacon with toothpicks.
Place patties on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Remove toothpicks before serving on hamburger buns.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 cup lukewarm water 1 packet active dry yeast

1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 C whole wheat flour 2 tbsp parmesan cheese

2 C white flour 1 tsp salt

Mix lukewarm water and 1 C of white flour. Add yeast, sugar, salt and oil. Whisk to make “spongey” dough. Sit for 10-15 minutes.

Add remaining 2 C of flour and stir with wooden spoon. (I often have to add more water during this process to get the right consistency. Add just a bit a time.) When it becomes thick enough to knead, knead by hand for 6-8 minutes on floured surface. Knead seasoning and Parmesan cheese into dough. Place in floured or greased bowl for 45 min-1 hour.

Once risen and doubled in size, place on lightly floured surface. Sprinkle flour on dough and rolling pin and roll out to desired sizes.

Brush edges of dough w/ olive oil. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Remove. Add desired toppings. Bake for 8-10 more minutes.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

1 tsp dried oregeno

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp olive oil

Put in sauce pan, combine, whisk, simmer for 6-8 minutes.

Magazine Deals

2009-11-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

This is the only way I knew to get you some good deals on magazines. I have used them to order another magazine for super cheap! Tanga has good deals and I have had good luck. Just click on what you're interested in!

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Crazy Love and Me

2009-11-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

I finished the book Crazy Love. Super easy reading, super convicting on the soul. I read the bible and I know about God and I know he loves me and his promises, but to truly believe them, that is where I struggle. Crazy Love is about loving everyone more than yousrelf, even the unlovable. Who do you avoid? Love them. Who has hurt you? Love them. Who do you need to forgive? Forgive and love them. These are not easy things for me to do.
I am called to follow Jesus fully, trust completely in him in such a way that it may look crazy. I am to give more than I have, help the poor, feed the needy. After all, it's not about this life, but the life to come. I am not to put my hope in this world but the one to come.
So, how do I love God more? How do I do this thing? First off, asking God to help me. Realizing its the cross alone that saves me and enables me. It is me constantly repenting of my selfishness and asking God to give me heart of flesh that doesn't look to the law to be the point (where grace, mercy, love, compassion, kindness will be void), but leads others to the point, Christ. I must pray for humility and ask him to help me with this.
I don't want this to be just another book I read and am inspired for a few days or weeks, but something that I allow God to use a tool to transform me.

I Suck. Thank Goodness for the Cross

2009-11-19T18:23:00.001-08:00

I have began reading a book called Crazy Love. Got it from my parents and I have finished the first 4 chapters and already feel like I suck (thank goodness for the cross!). Chapter 4 is about being lukewarm and the characteristics of a lukewarm Christian and abomination it is to the Lord. After reading the descriptions, I found myself in many of them. After finishing the chapter, I had to go back and look at the descriptions of each, confess my sin in them, repent, and ask the Lord to help me.
Just a couple of the lukewarm descriptions I found myself in are:
I don't want to be saved from my sin, just from the penalty of it.
Rarely share my faith with neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
Think about life much more on earth than eternity in heaven.
Continually concerned with playing it safe; I am a slave to the god of control.

Jesus asks for everything, but we (I) try to give him less. Luke talks about being salt. Salt was used to help manure be good fertilizer. Salt that loses its saltiness is not even beneficial to manure. In same way, my lukewarm faith is useless.

If this is only chapter 4, I can't imagine what is in store. As I go through this book, I want to really understand the nature and character of God (in addition to the bible) and have a heart that declares: "The greatest good on this earth is God." Heaven help me.

Don't Call CPS, Seriously

2009-11-17T18:57:00.001-08:00

My sweet Abbie was turning circles in her tent with Ellie and both were full of laughter until Abbie fell down, hit her head on her fan, began bleeding every where, carpet included. I hustled her into the bathroom, grabbed a rag and tried to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible while calling Brian to see if she would need stitches but he deferred to his mom, a nurse, who said as long as the bleeding stopped, she was ok. Thankfully, the bleeding did stop and stitches were averted.
Tonight my sweet Ellie was playing on the bleachers at gymnastics when her little wobbly feet slipped and she fell, hitting her head busting her temple, scraping her forehead, and scratching her cheek. She cried a cry that told me she was in pain (obviously). The puncture didn't bleed much so I took her downstairs and got some ice where the nice lady also gave her little a little icy treat which calmed her down.
Now my two sweet girls have indentions in their head, cute to match, but this is taking it too far!

Idols

2009-11-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season approaches, it seems I always find myself in a funk of my own doing. Almost a year out of step studies, I am able to better view my life, its sin, the root of it, confess and repent. God has brought to my heart my idol of comfort/security and my distrust of his providing hand. I look at our budget and think, "How are we going to make it? What else can we cut?" With that, I trim the budget again getting rid of what we don't need in hopes to be more wise and more dependent on Him.
I think God knew I would be in this funk at this moment and has provided ways of helping me deal. The sermon Matt preached over money hit home. I am not an owner, merely a steward to what he has given and does my budget reflect more of an owner, or steward? Ouch. I'm an owner. Do we live beneath our means in order to bless others? Ouch. I don't.
Beau preached on anxiety that is rooted in pride or distrust. I can honestly say I don't trust God to provide so I search the budget for things to cut, things to sell, or things to do to make money instead of resting in his character that has provided for our family each and every month, each and every year. We have never gone without. Never. Shouldn't that be enough for me to believe in the power of God? One would think. But I find myself thinking with head in the flesh instead of my soul in the spirit.
Today's verse on twitter? Out of Philippians 4 to think on true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, things worthy of praise. I went back a few verses where it tells me not to be anxious about anything, but in everything to present my requests to God.
So, here is my web confession that I am seeking comfort, making it my idol, instead of trusting the ever giving, all sufficient grace of God to provide. My worrying to does not add to my day, nor does it solve any problems. When I bring myself before the throne, confess my sin, that is when the power of God is able to move in my life. Comfort can not be my end goal, but seeking the face of God.

Cereal Deal

2009-11-05T08:15:00.001-08:00

At Target, they have buy 3 get 1 FREE on Kellogg's Cereal. Here is a deal for you.

I bought: Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, Apple Jacks, and Honey Smacks.
My cereal prices were:
$2.99
$2.99
$3.29
$2.69

I got the $2.69 cereal for FREE. Sweeten the deal with the following coupons.

A Full Cup has Target generator coupons. Choose $1 off Kellogg's and print it 4 times.
Go to coupons.com to print out various Kellogg's coupons depending on the cereal you eat.
Go here to get $1 off 3 boxes plus additional coupons on other cereals to add in.

Here are my coupon totals
$4 from afullcup
$1 from Kellogg's website
$.75 for Honey Smacks
$.75 for Rice Krispies
Total coupons: $6.50

Average out the price for all 4 boxes of cereal: $.69 each

Now I just a few gallons of milk!!

Point of View

2009-09-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had something happen, or not happen, and you immediately became upset, angry, or frustrated? Then you found out the back story of it and felt like a heel? How much more kind and compassionate would we be if we, especially myself, saw things from a point of view other than our own? I know that I might be a bit more hesitant to kick my feet and throw an all out tantrum for not getting my way or having others agree with me.
Acts 10 tells a story about God revealing animals to Peter in a vision and telling him to kill and eat. Peter refuses because they are unclean. Acts 10:15: "What God has made clean, do not call common." This was to prepare Peter for a visit to Cornelius, someone who a Jew would not associate with, ended up being saved and having the spirit fall on him. No, Cornelius didn't have to be circumsized or convert to Judaism, he only had to believe. This was how God intended it to be. No rules to follow in order to be accepted, but a heart that thirsted after him.
Acts 11 continues the story where the Jews could not believe that Peter had went and ate with these "other" people. So, Peter told the story and how God showed him nothing was unclean or common. When the people heard this point of view, they "fell silent" which led them to glorify God.
All it took was to hear another point of view to make them silent and realize who are they to stand in God's way?
The lesson I have learned is that maybe I need to not be so quick to jump to conclusions and make my mind up about people and situations, but to hear their point of view, be silent, then glorify God.

Memories

2009-08-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday I loaded up the girls and we headed down to Glen Rose, TX where my grandparents live. I have not seen them in years and my girls have never met their great-grandparents so I figured it was time. The girls did great in the car and thank Jesus for answering that prayer. The house looked the same, my grandparents looked the same, and the house smelled the same. It brought back so many good memories of spending time with them playing outside, riding go-carts in the field across the street, and playing in the workshop. I was so happy to see the girls running around under the huge trees. We headed out to lunch with Granny and ate Dairy Queen. You know you are small town when that is about your only option! We headed out to the park where Abbie kept telling Granny to watch and it was so fun to watch Granny push Abs in the swing. I think she enjoyed it too! After wearing Granny and me out, we headed back to the house where Abbie played catch in the living room with Pa and Ellie just ran around getting into stuff.
I am filled joy that we were able to go and see them and spend time with them. It was so cool to have my girls meet their great-grandparents and for them to meet their precious legacy. I secretly think they were thrilled we had come too! I am eager to go back and share more precious memories.

Proverbs 17:6: Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.

30 and Fab

2009-08-17T18:49:00.001-07:00

My new motto is, well, I don't really have one. I will say I now know my age when asked. For a while when I was 27, 28, and 29, I would just forget how old I was when asked. Seriously. I would have to figure out the year I was born then do some mental math which alone should be avoided. But I have arrived. I must admit I had put much fear into turning 30. I typically make things way worse they should be. I had tons of fun hanging with friends and getting a break from parenting for a night. I think parents should do that more often, especially moms. For those about to be 30, it really isn't that bad. Now 40...that will be another story!

Good Night 20-something

2009-08-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight I will go to bed and say good-night to my twenties. I have wrestled with this and there is no going back, right? When I wake up tomorrow, I will be 30. An age that seemed so far away is lurking. I must admit, I have accomplished much in my twenties as noted in my other post, but now it is time to move on to a different decade with new challenges, growth, trial, heartaches, and joy. I am praying to embrace my birthday with joy and excitement. To allow others to shower me with love and presents---I mean praises. To be ok with this moment in history because God wrote the book. This is how he intended life to be until all things are restored. I am reminded of Psalm 139 each and every birthday because the LORD formed me, he is always there, he knows me, he loves me, he created me to be uniquely, individually his. To this I must say, thank you God for birthdays. Thank you that I can celebrate with friends and family and thank you for blessing me with another year of life. So, Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear meeeeeee, happy birthday to me!

Virtuous Woman. Me?

2009-08-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 31 is by far one of my favorite books in the bible. This world is well, worldly, so I have to step back and see who God says who I am to be. I can't let the world define me by telling me how to look, how to dress, what to drive, or where to live. I can't let the world define me as a mother on what my kids are enrolled in, how advanced are they, and how you working to overcome their weaknesses? I can't let the world define my marriage by doing whatever I feel is right and usurping the God given call on my husband and being his holy spirit. I go back to the scripture and let it define me. This is a very slow process and much against the world's view for a woman. After all, we are to be achievers and go getters and balance work, kids, marriage, extra curricular activities, bake homemade cupcakes, throw together a Martha Stuart dinner while planning classroom parties without batting an eye. This is not me. Never has been. Never will.

The bible tells me clearly I am more precious than jewels (even the $66 million heist in Britain) and my husband trusts me. The virtuous woman works, takes care of her servants, her children, she is business savvy. She speaks with wisdom (in other words, knows when to keep her mouth shut!) and when she does speak, it's kind. It is not about my looks (praise God!), but about fearing the LORD.

What I have been thinking upon today is Proverbs 31:12: She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.

Wow, no matter what Brian does or says, the bible clearly lays out that I am to bring him good. Every day. Which led me to think, how do I bring Brian good? Is it what I think he needs or what HE needs? In turn, wives, how are you bringing your husband good? What areas do we need to surrender to the LORD so that he can manifest himself in our marriages?

When I get to heaven, I would like to meet this Virtuous Woman and thank her for setting an example of what can be done when I completely lay my life before God. I may never be able to do all the things she does, but I can focus on those I am good at and ask God's grace on what I am weak at all the while, bringing my husband good and honoring God. After all, that is what it is all about.

Tick Tock

2009-08-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

I can hear the clock ticking till my birthday. I had a great lunch today with Heather. Probably the last time we will dine in our 20's together. She will be 30 before me, well, 3 days before me. We are both trying to have good attitudes about this landmark in our lives. I am praying to accept this with dignity and grace. I will be 30 and that's that. Her motto, "30 is the new 20." I like that.
What have I accomplished in 30 years?
Skipping through my happy childhood, which it really was, I have graduated high school, completed college in 4 1/2 years with a teaching degree. I was married at 21 (just celebrated 8 years together), first job soon following our marriage, first baby at 25, second baby at 28, quit teaching after 7 years to raise those sweet babies, and am now entering my Jesus years.
All in all, these 30 years the Lord has given me have been a time of change and growth otherwise known as sanctification. I am definitely more chill than I use to be (can you believe that?). I care less about what others think and more about what God thinks. I am learning that Jesus is better than things and I truly can live without the trinkets, even though I must admit, I still really like. I have walked alongside my husband who has been caring, loving, supportive, unselfish beyond degree, amazing, kind, generous, humble, servant-hearted, and has a faith that can't be shaken. Who puts his own needs aside and is willing to sacrifice whatever to keep me home to raise our children in the Lord and to teach them about his love and commandments.
As the time ticks closer to 30, I have to see what the bible says about age. Proverbs 16:31 says, "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life." Now, don't misread here, I don't yet have gray hair but I will most likely cover it up, but then would I cover up the righteousness I have found in Christ? I digress. Gray hair is linked to aging, and the bible says it is from a righteous life. That is what I want, a righteous life, even if it means gray hair--and the Lord helps me accept that humbly!

Pick Me! Pick Me!

2009-08-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

Some think I am crazy and turning a bit nerdy and that might be the case, but when I win a new Sienna, you won't think that. I worked as hard as possible to enter as much as possible, but I do know that others entered more than me. I did pray for God to show favor and allow me to win. Honestly, I did. But there is probably someone else more deserving than me, but I prayed any way. I am taking part of Huggies Enjoy the Rides Reward. Totally free. You earn points, you spend them. All free. You can enter sweepstakes or Instant Win. The new set of points and prizes are out starting today. Now I will try to win a gym set for the backyard!

$1.85!!

2009-07-30T13:21:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about my shopping trip to Target. Here is what I bought:

1 Cheez It Whole grain $2. 99 $.75 coupon off Total: $2.24
5-8 count of poptarts $1.52 a box $.75 off coupons (I printed 5) Total per box: $.77
4 boxes of Raisin Bran $2.19 a box $1.50 off 2 boxes coupon Total per box: $1.44

Total Bill: $19.35
Coupon Total: $7.50
Final Payment: $11.85
Mail in rebate: $10.00
In the end, total paid: $1.85

Needless to say, you don't have to ask what's for breakfast :)

P&G esaver

2009-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

This only works for Kroger and Tom Thumb. Sign up here. Choose the coupons you want and voila! It's automatically loaded onto your preferred customer card!

Kellogg's Buy 10 get $10

2009-07-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

I have done the dirty work to the best of my ability to get you the fastest way to $10! I go tomorrow to see how it pans it out but until then, here is what I have done.

Kellogg's is doing a Fuel for School where you buy any 10 Kellogg's product, and get a $10 rebate. Go here to get your rebate. It's on the bottom right. Click on it, and it prints your rebate and list of qualifying purchases.

How about some coupons?
This is one of the best places for coupons. A Full Cup. You need to sign up. Once you do, on the home page, there is a tab on the right: Target Coupon Generator. This will pull up any coupons for Target at this time. Best part is, you can type in how many of each coupon you want. So I chose the poptarts to get $.75 off and I had it print me 5!!
On a side note, on the website click on the tab at the top Coupons, choose printable coupons, and you get about 38 pages of coupons and there are tons of ways to search for what you are looking for!

Raisin Bran is on sale at Target for $2.19. Here is a coupon for $1.50 off 2 boxes. Make them $1.44 a box!

Cheez It for $.75 off Whole Grain only. (Scroll through this link for other coupons including Kellogg's)

The 100 Calorie coupon has reached its limit. Sorry.

You can also go to google and type in the search what you are looking for such as: Cheez It coupon. This will help out tons. But again, A Full Cup so far is the best!

I will write tomorrow how the deal goes!

Sinned Against

2009-07-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

I can say in my life that I can't recall a time that I have been sinned against where I didn't contribute to the situation. Until this week. I can't explain the pain my soul felt and the tears that were shed. It was something that I hope you never feel, but if you do or have, we can rejoice that we are suffering like Jesus. This pales in comparison to what he felt on the cross when the weight of sin was on his sinless shoulders.
I find the timing a bit ironic since Beau, the campus pastor, was teaching out of Philemon where Paul urges Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a brother and to forgive this runaway slave who stole from him. Corresponding to the prodigal son where each of us were runaways and have been received by the father. Here are two things I have learned in the past couple days.

1. Atonement: Christ paid the debt. The end. It is not my job to make this person pay for their sin. Christ did it on the cross and for me to "make them pay for this" defeats the purpose of the sacrifice. I think it would be a slap in God's face for me to try to take the place of Jesus.

2. Forgiveness: Just like Philemon was urged to forgive, God tells us to forgive our brothers so that we might be forgiven. If I don't forgive, I am not forgiven. I must never forget that I have been received into the hands of God and am under his authority now. I must believe and apply the gospel of forgiveness with his help as to avoid bitterness, anger, self righteous pride and so on.

This was not an easy process but was quick I must say. I went straight to the throne and asked God to help me and I poured over the bible as to how I was to respond to the situation. Amazing how when you press into Jesus, you can truly forgive, no bitterness, no anger, no remorse, no sorrow, no guilt, no more pain, replaced by acceptance, joy, peace, grace, and mercy. This is not me who accomplished this process, but only the work of Jesus who was able to mend my heart and bring glory to him. Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Even when we are sinned against.

Pain and Suffering

2009-07-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just get a breath of how painful life is. I sit back and know that God is control and wonder how he chooses to intervene or not. I read emails about our friends whose son is trying to recuperate from a heart transplant to a family in Ohio (I am assuming) whose in the hospital with their baby boy and the doctors are telling the family, "it doesn't look good."
I gripe and complain that my house is a mess, there is yet another load of laundry to do, another meal to cook, but my kids are healthy. They are safe.
My heart goes out to the these parents who deal on a constant basis with hospital visits and life changing decisions that must be made. I can't even imagine what it feels like to do kangaroo care with your baby in hopes that he might have his temperature rise. Is there any length that you wouldn't go to?
Oh how that is the heart of Christ. That he sees our pain and suffering, and as a gentle parent he wants to kangaroo with us, to draw us to hear his heartbeat alone, to rest in his arms and to trust him. Really trust him in all circumstances that the God who spoke the world and put in motion, took time to create us in his image, knows our hearts and minds, and pain and suffering is used for our sanctification and his glory. On this side of heaven we may never know why God chooses as he does, but we must rest in the unchangeable, unwavering, always consistent God of the universe.

Rare Day

2009-07-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a rare day for me. I took the girls to go hang with Courtnee then went grocery shopping. I came home and cleaned the house, worked, worked out, and then was done. With a couple of hours to spare. That is a rarity for me! I decided to go get my sweet tea at McAlister's since it was free and got a BLT minus the T and ate there. By myself. Now, there would have been a day I would not have been caught dead eating lunch out by myself. I am super self conscious and the whole time I would have been wondering what others were thinking or saying about me when in reality, they probably didn't realize I even existed. Not today, I sat down, sighed, and just enjoyed. Then heard the screaming kids next to me which made me glad I was alone! Is that what kids do to you? Make you come out of your comfort zone and relish the quiet moments anywhere you can find them even if it means eating by yourself? For that, thanks girls for helping this momma very slowly learn how to not care what others think and just enjoy.

Well...

2009-07-18T06:59:00.001-07:00

Last night Brian came out to the conference to have dinner with me and hear the speaker all which was good. Then we I showed him my room and I began to get sad because I would have to stay there by myself without him or the girls around. After 30 minutes of debate, pros/cons, I came home to sleep in my house, my bed, with my family. So, I just can't be away from my loved ones. Maybe one day. Just not today.
I will head back to the conference this afternoon to finish it up. Until then, I get to be with my family.

Conference Time

2009-07-16T18:39:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I will leave and head out to Ft. Worth for a conference for my company. Now, I have NEVER been to a real conference before where you go and stay, even in all my 7 years of teaching. So, there are questions that I have that are pretty dumb like, do they foot the hotel bill? If not, I'm sleeping in the car and taking bath in the pool. Well, I will more than likely come home instead, however, the other might prove to be more cost effective. Also, do I have a room? If so, do I share? How do I feel about sharing a room with a stranger? Now, I poke fun, but really, I have no clue what to expect, what is going on, and I don't know anyone. Except Courtnee. And I think she might be busy working.
To top it off, I have to leave my family. I love my family so much that it would be an idol for me. (I am working the steps folks, just takes time). Not that Brian won't do a great job and have tons of fun, but because I might miss out on something and I don't like being left out. Kinda like that one episode on In the Motherhood. Ever seen that show? I like our times together as a family. I relish them.
I have also come to sense a bit of guilt for my hidden excitement to get out of the house and be real adult around other real adults. The only problem is that I don't have any kids to blame the food stain on my shirt on.

New Heart

2009-07-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

Our friends precious boy (age 11) had a heart transplant on Friday night that they have been waiting on. He is doing good now but not out of the woods. I can't imagine as a parent what that must feel like to go through that. The other night he coded and was out gone for 15 minutes before the heart started again. I am not sure if there is anything more helpless than knowing there is absolutely nothing you can do but trust in the sovereign Lord that his way is best.
I began to think of how something like this is what God desires for each of us. New hearts. Where we take out the old that is broken, beat up, and not functioning to full capacity, and he wants to sew his heart within us that brings about the fullness of life that he intended. I can't help but be reminded of what Ezekiel 36:25-27 says:
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Just as Austin received a new heart physically, the Lord desires to give us a new heart spiritually. I continue to pray for Austin, his parents, and the doctors but more than that, that lives would be transformed by the power of prayer and the worship of believers that God can transform the old into the new.

Finding Balance

2009-06-08T11:41:00.001-07:00

Now that Ellie is mobile and into everything, I often find myself telling Abbie to share, even if Ellie has forced herself to play. I find myself telling Abbie that Ellie is just a baby and doesn't understand. Then I began to realize that I was letting Ellie get away with almost anything! I have to find balance between both sides. Where Ellie learning and part of that is telling her NOW that Abbie is playing and will share and having Abbie share when appropriate. Boy, raising two kids has more challenges than just one!

Ellie is 1

2009-06-04T18:58:00.001-07:00

My sweet little Ellie turns 1 tomorrow and I can't help but look back over this long, hard, fun, challenging year. So much has happened during this past year that I thought I might actually have something to say about it.
1. Ellie started off life rough. She was a colic, reflux baby who threw up on anything, anyone, everywhere, all the time with perpetual heartburn. She also had thrush that settled into her esophagus. The bonus: she slept through the night at an early age and PRAISE JESUS for that!
2. She loves her momma! She wanted me to play with her while standing her up, facing me, and nothing else would do. That alone was exhausting! She started to crawl finally at 10 months and our lives have forever been happier!
3. I quit my job and trusted God. He was faithful to give me a part time job at CDO then eventually to work at iteachTexas from home. It has been so hard to trust that we would be provided for. If you were to lay the budget out on paper, it does not work. We should be greatly in debt each month. Yet, somehow, we are not. I have no clue how God works that out each month!
4. I have learned that having 2 kids is way harder than 1! Abbie needs time, love, and attention while Ellie demands time, love, and attention. I have had to try my best to find a balance to top of my strong Type A, selfish personality who likes to get things done, NOW, and be a mom. I have to pray daily for God to help me engage my children. That is my job.
5. I am a better wife (I think) and a better cook (quite sure about that) than I use to be because I now have time to do that.
6. Abbie has grown up this past year as well and has adjusted perfectly to having another sibling in the house and kudos to her! She has been a great help to me and loves her sister so much that I pray for God to allow that to continue throughout life.
7. I have learned that when I trust God, am obedient, confess my doubts and fears, he instills peace that can only be from him and he gives me strength, mercy, and grace for today.
8. I appreciate the cool mornings and warm days, the stormy mornings drinking coffee eating breakfast with the girls, the park nearby, the zoo passes, and friends way more than I use to. I use to sit in my classroom thinking, I would love to go ______ with Abbie. Now I can.
9. I am where I know I am suppose to be. No matter what we have had sacrifice, I have seen Ellie each and every day of the first year of her life. I have seen each victory and trial. I have been her mommy and that, is something I can say I will never regret.

To you Ellison Noell, I love you and thank you for teaching me to be a better leader, lover, encourager, helper, friend, and mother.
Happy Birthday Little Bit!

Menu #3

2009-05-06T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here is what we are having this week.

Spaghetti w/ Meat and a good ole can of spaghetti sauce. I do add red wine after the meat cooks then let the alcohol cook off before adding the sauce.

Taco Salad We just do meat, fritos, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, hot sauce, catalina dressing.

Tomato Chicken Parmesan This is going to be new.

Breakfast Casserole For Mother's Day breakfast.

Steak and potatoes for Mother's Day dinner (per my request!) Kroger has their meat on sale for a great deal! And 4 baked potatoes for $1.99.

Crockpot Fajitas If it uses a crockpot, I will try it! My tortillas were on sale at Kroger for .99.

Happy Eating.

Menu #2

2009-04-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

Some recipes we have had this week.

Creamy Tortellini This meal was really good. Next time I might consider adding more bacon :) I made a side of asparagus as noted below.

Cheese (or Beef) Enchiladas For this one, I used beef and a can of enchilada sauce. It was kind of bland. I think next time I will try the homemade sauce. Also, Brian loaded up his with hot sauce and sour cream and liked it. I served it with just corn and chips and hot sauce.

Asparagus I used to not like asparagus but I love it now. This is really yummy.

Bacon Wrapped Hamburgers We are not eating this this week, but I wanted to put them up because this hamburger is to die for (in my opinion). I absolutely love this recipe!

If you want to leave a short note if this is beneficial through Twitter or Facebook, that would be great!

Happy Cooking!

Installment 1

2009-04-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some dinner ideas to get you going. I linked what I cooked to the website and wrote any changes that I made. Enjoy!

Quick Fix Beef Burrito Skillet I substituted the dry kidney beans for a can of black beans that I drained. We also just had corn for a side.

Slow Cooker Enchiladas One of my all time favorites! Plus you can use the mass amount of corn tortillas you buy for this recipe and the one above.

Oven Fried Chicken This is amazing chicken! I buy the mashed potatoes in the frozen section (with the fries) that cook in the microwave for 10 minutes and doctor them up and buy frozen rolls that take about 5 minutes to cook to make a full meal. Abbie loved this too.

Bachelor Stew This actually mine!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can vegetable soup
1 can ranch style bean

1. Cook meat in a large pan then drain.
2. Put the vegetable soup and beans in and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. We like to top with cheese and tabasco sauce and Brian smashes saltines in his too.

We do a side of corn bread too.

That's all I have for now! But more to come as I try them out.

Quietness

2009-02-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

I got to thinking the other night but just now have time to write. Have you investigated the quietness of the soul? I think there are 3 places we (I) run. Either I drown out the soul with busyness or TV or anything other than facing my heart. Sometimes in the quietness of the soul I think of things and begin to worry and be anxious and fear begins to resonate until I am beside myself. Then there are times where all is well and I can face it. Where I just am and it's good.

When the site is down...

2009-01-31T12:57:00.001-08:00

...you don't have to work!
What a fun fun day! We hung out at Fuzzy's for lunch with the Hipp's then headed over to the square for candy and proceeded over to the square for some hanging time where people struck a mini band and played and sang. Only in Denton would that happen. Later tonight we head off to Mr. Chopstick s for Brian's birthday dinner with his parents.

Going Good

2009-01-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a long time friend of mine of just how God has been so amazing to us and that I needed to blog about it. As you may have read, I have a new job that is amazing and has allowed me to stay home and not go back to teaching. I am very excited about this. We are at a place in life where we went 6 months with nothing extra and barely making it to having an excess. The one thing Brian and I are praying for is protection over not falling back into old habits where we go back to charging whatever we want, but to realize we have been given a gift by God and we are to use it wisely. We want to be generous givers. Brian is natural at that. Me, not so much. I am greedy and stingy and don't like giving because, after all, the money is mine, right?! Now, you might say, "That sounds cold." Well, I must speak the truth of my heart and bring it into the light so that I can't hide in darkness and be given over to sin of greed. I have been praying for a few months now that God would give me heart of flesh. This will be his under taking and him alone who can do that.
Brian and I are wondering who can we help? Are there friends in need? Who could use a happy present? How can we go beyond ourselves and instead of having things terminate on us, let it terminate onto God? He has done something amazing and for me to be prideful, selfish, or greedy would be to deny my God the glory of what he has done. And that is a place I don't want to ever go.

Waterfall

2009-01-16T13:20:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about my new job. I started grading yesterday. I have been praying for wisdom and fairness in my grading as to bring glory to God in this endeavor and benefit the candidates.
I began to think about this amazing job that seems too good to be true. Matt Chandler has been talking about going deeper this year and having hearts transformed and pressing into God. We can't just sit and wait for it to happen, but must put ourselves under the waterfall of God's grace for it to wash over us.
I have to say that I think this is how my job came to be. By putting myself under God, I went through Step Studies and have a better understanding of how to do life and deal with sin. Through obedience and devotion that has been hard for me, he has washed over me. Praise him for that. Now, I have to learn to stay here and not move.

I Have A New Job!

2009-01-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't hear, I have a new job! I am so excited about it because I was probably going to have to go back to work teaching. I will be a grader for iteachtexas and I am so excited because it is still tethered to teaching and I can work from home a few hours a day. With this new opportunity, I will be able to stay home with my girls and Abbie is excited too because she told me she wanted me to stay home with her then was excited that I would get too. Ellie didn't have much to say on the matter. Diann, who founded the business, is responsible for hiring me. After praying much for God to get and keep me home, he has used this wonderful woman who was obedient and kind hearted to extend me this position. I thank God, through a humble obedience and a step of faith back in July, that this is where he has brought our family. I would have never in my wildest dreams would have thought this would be the road, but it proves once again that God knows more than me and certainly has things better laid out than I could. Praise his name. It's all about him, for him, and by him.

Car

2008-12-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

Poor Brian has been trying to sell our car for 4 months now. We can't even give the thing away. By selling the car, we will get out from under a car payment that will hopefully help us keep me home. Lots of people call and never call back or say they are interested and disappear. I know he is frustrated with the whole thing. We are willing to take a hit to sell it. In fact, we are in order to get the price as low as possible. I won't beg or plead for it to be sold or grovel. But it that is what it takes, I will!
To you the reader (I think the only one who reads this is Erin--thanks Erin! ) please buy our car.

Framed

2008-12-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I am going frame shopping at the Dollar Tree. I am a big spender huh? Step Studies class will officially be over on Saturday. Such a bitter sweet day. I have walked with about 11 other ladies over the past 16 weeks who have opened their lives and struggles and have gotten to see healing and restoration and a good sort of pain that keeps us the feet of Jesus. It will be sad to leave them. It won't be sad to have our Saturdays back! Yahoo!

To commemorate this experience, I am going to buy frames---hopefully---and put what I would consider the Step Studies Verse in the frame to remind us of where we have been and where we need to be. Then each person will sign the back of the frame that will forever remind us of our knitted hearts. How precious this time has been and I thank God for landing me smack dab in the middle of this.

Thus says the LORD:"Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the LORD.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose trust is the LORD.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."

Jeremiah 17:5-8

Step Studies Update

2008-12-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

So here I am about 14 weeks into step studies and it's a 16 week course. It is based off the AA 12 step model but biblical truths that lie behind each one. I am so grateful to have done this and see how God has been working on transforming my heart into who he wants me to be and not what I have created myself to be. I have been praying for my heart of stone to be replaced w/ a heart of flesh and for God's spirit to sustain me and lead me on his path. That is a slow process that is taking time. I shared my inventory with my sponsor and it was very freeing. That is my Ebeneezer. Which makes me think. How come in the church we don't begin to teach children at a very young age to recognize sin and sin patterns in their life, teach them to confess, then repent? How much easier would it be if we grew up with this way of thinking? It's kinda like I had to do catch up for the past 29 years of sin. From here on out though I can recognize my sin and deal with it immediately instead of stockpiling! I think going through this process will help me be a better parent in that aspect but I have to pray for God to protect me from being critical of others who don't do the "steps" and protection from self-righteousness but instead to lead a life of humility. Ahh, the call of a follower of Christ. Thank goodness for grace!

Satan's Getting Evicted

2008-10-14T10:16:00.001-07:00

I have been feeling this oppression lately and darkness over me. I thought I was pregnant (no, I'm not, praise God!). I have been irritable, short tempered, and just not me. It is all coming together now. I know spiritual warfare is real and I am getting a taste of it personally. In step studies, we are now the part of our inventory. This is where we look at our lives and and find all the sin and write it out and how it affects us and others. This is when we shine light on the darkness of our heart and the wickedness that resides in us. It is not much fun to find out all the things that are wrong with you, much less have to confess it openly with a sponsor and pray repentance for each sin. Satan is getting angry because if I expose the lies that he has told me and believed, he no longer has any power. He's getting the boot. Fired. With this process, however, comes pain. I am praying for perseverance.
I sat down and began to write out part of my inventory today pouring out my sins, beginning the repentant process, and there was a weight lifted. There is something about shining the light.
The next step is true repentance. Turning from my sin. Completely away from it.
I pray that once these steps are taken (and will continually have to be revisited), that I can walk in true freedom under the cross of Christ who has already paid my debt to sin and that satan can no longer have a hold me because I am holding on so tightly to Christ.

Pay Day

2008-09-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

Most people are excited about pay day. Today was my first CDO check. It was something less than desirable. Almost a little sad. I began to work on the budget for the upcoming month and I am scared. My heart just sank and I am worried. (I know that worry is not biblical!) I am now beginning to wonder for real how we are going to make it. This month marks a "real" month since I no longer pull in a teacher salary. I know God has called us to this point in our life. I know he has us exactly where he wants me---totally dependent on him. I have to pray for protection against doubt and fear and that I would completely trust him to take care of us. I know he can. I have to be willing to let go of the control I hold, and allow him to be God. Frightening for me. He is going to teach me so much during this time and I think humility might just be the first step!

Step Studies

2008-09-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today I embarked upon Step Studies at our church. It is a 12 week process where you deal with the "junk" in your life. Perhaps you might have some sort of addiction, or co-dependency, or have life issues. This is where you shine the light in the dark places of the soul and reveal yourself to others and come clean. My friend Beckie is doing it with me and I think Brian might join in too. Nothing like unloading a lot of baggage! My prayer through this process is that Satan would have no reign at all and that I would be humble, open to change and transformation, that my eyes would totally be open to who I really am and who Christ really is and experience true freedom. I pray to not walk away defeated and beat down, but that I can lay all my sin on the cross. After all, He has already died for all my sin---past, present, and future.

Thanks Honey

2008-08-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight at dinner, Abs and I were eating her all time favorite-pizza. Third time in 2 days we have had pizza. We were sitting there and this is how it went:
Abbie: I love you very much
Me: Ahhh, thank you. I love you too.
Abbie: That was very sweet.

Yes, yes it was sweet of you to notice you were sweet.

That's Mr. Mister Manager

2008-08-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

I am proud of my husband who has been promoted in his job to be a manager. He will be over the reporting team and in addition to that, he gets to travel (his passion) to churches to find how to better serve them with the reports that exist or need to exist. I am proud of his hard work. He started in support three years ago, no degree, and no computer knowledge. God has blessed him in his ability to learn through hands on and books and a sponge for a brain. I am proud of my hubby! Congrats honey! With a humble heart and servant's attitude, may your skills be used to further the kindgom of God.

Work? Been off for 3 months!

2008-08-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today I reported to work for CDO and I am stressed. There are lesson plans to be made, things to be cut, items to be pulled from shelves, and little 4 year olds to teach. I am use to 4th graders. Slight difference. I hope it all falls into place! Thursday we have meet the teacher and school officially starts next week.
It was nice though to see Abbie so happy that mommy was going to school with her and she wanted me to go in with her. Of course dear, I work here. It was nice to have Ellie with us too and able to take peaks in to her room.

What's Your Motive?

2008-08-24T12:16:00.001-07:00

Today's sermon was one of those, "Got me. That's me" sermons. It was out of Luke where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. To sum it up, prayer should be about God, to God, for God, to glorify God. His prayer was all about God--hallowing his name, asking for just enough strength, mercy, and grace for the day, forgiving others, and needing help in this life. Then the question came: What is the motive behind your prayer? Ouch. That stung. Most of my prayers are self-centered. An example of one of mine is: Jesus, please fix Ellie to be happy. What is the driving motive: to make life easier for me. Does that glorify God or does that become and idol in my life where I want that more than God? I pray for the spirit to keep this sermon fresh on my heart, to begin to pray prayers that are God-centered, and to be mindful and repent when they are selfish.

Goodbye

2008-08-20T19:29:00.001-07:00

Today marks an important day. It is my last day to receive a paycheck from work. Now, we will really see what this faith thing is about. I am worried, scared, number crunching, and just don't see how it is going to work. I know we are where God wants us and I am home because he has called me here. This coming month will definitely begin to put things in perspective as we live off Brian's check and my CDO.

Back To Work

2008-08-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wait, I don't have to go back to work. I don't have to get early and try to get everything done before the house awakes. I don't have to get children ready for day care. I don't have to have someone else take care of my kids while I work. I don't have to be out the door by a certain time. I don't have to worry about team members and meetings or lesson plans. Wow, for the first time in my life, I won't be teaching (I don't really count CDO). This is going to be weird...

Thrush

2008-08-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

We went Tuesday for our checkups for the girls. Abs for her 3 year and Ellie for her 2 month. Everyone is doing great. We have a few things to work on with Abbie and Ellie still has thrush. This is basically a yeast infection in the mouth. Hers will not go away so she is on Diflucan. Come to find out, thrush can settle in the esophagus and cause irritability. Hmmmm.....she has been on it 3 days now and we have already seen a huge difference. She is smiling more and cooing and is almost, dare I say, happy? So, was it thrush and the meds that have helped? shots? just being 2 months? She has even gone to bed by 8:30 the past three nights too! Things are finally looking up and praise God alone for that one!

Have you Wii'ed Lately??

2008-08-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Brian bought us a Wii Fit and I love it. I have thoroughly enjoyed the yoga and strength training. I love how it uses the board to see if you are doing everything correctly and you get immediate feedback. When I logged in and set up my Wii, it was a bit depressing when it did the BMI because my Wii got fat. That's encouraging. I have about 15 pounds to lose to get back to pre-pregnancy weight. I am hoping this new game helps. There are a few things though I would like to change.
1. Compete with each other without having to log out then back in.
2. Create a workout that flows instead of having to choose each one separately and waiting for top scores.
3. When it gives you an idea to do another workout, why not be able to click on it as a link instead of going to find it.
Those are things I would like for it to do differently. Other than that, I love it! You should definintely Wii.

Affair

2008-08-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am having an affair and I told Brian. It's with my slowcooker. I am in LOVE with it! We invested in the slow cooker liners by Reynolds that you place in the slow cooker then throw your stuff in and cook away. When you are done, pull the liner out, and voila! No mess (very little--maybe a rinse). I have found this has saved me much time and headache. Melt down is usually around dinner time so during naps, I put the slow cooker on and come dinner time, it's done. I just love it. I am looking for good slow cooker recipes and Allrecipes is where I have been but just can't find too much. I did find a chicken alfredo recipe. I used the Classico brand and in the end we added egg noodles. It was yummy and Abbie loved it! I recommend that one for sure! If you have a good slow cooker recipes, please share!

10:15 pm

2008-07-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here it is, 10:15 and Brian now has assumed Ellie duty. She has been crying/fussing since 8:15 tonight. She is tired but won't sleep and when she falls asleep and you move, she wakes up screaming. I do mean screaming. We have the door shut to try to keep Abbie from hearing her. Today marks her 8 weeks in this world with 6 of them with terrible evenings. Tonight takes the top prize though. I have never seen her like this. I have been on her behalf before the throne asking for mercy, relief, and peace over Ellie and this house. That anything evil would be dismissed and for the angels to minister. It is sad when an 8 week old baby cries and has real tears from pain. What is a mother/father to do? How do you help them? The only thing I can say is that she won't remember this (the rest of us and the neighbors will!). Thank goodness.

Tired

2008-07-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was a rough night. Ellie actually played on her play gym and smiled. It was sweet. Abs was at grandparents so that was nice too. Then, 10:00 rolled around and from there till midnight, Ellie was another creature. Screaming, not sleeping till finally we curled up on the couch together and slept. This morning, still crying, not sleeping. Of course she is right now :) The sling works wonders but that doesn't help me at night. We bought Gripe Water and that tends to be the best remedy thus far. Brian has a call to the doctor to see if I need to begin to weed out things I eat to help her. Is she colic? Milk sensitive? Is it her personality? Is she angry?? There are so many questions right now and no answers in sight. I have to turn to God to help me. I pray a lot for help. That my heart would be in the right position to help Ellie and not be frustrated. To love on Abs when I can and often. I have to totally lean on him for help. Even with all that happened last night, I am not too tired. That is Him giving me strength. Abbie being at grandparents when Ellie had meltdowns I believe was him too so that Abbie wouldn't be disturbed. He works in ways we don't think of.

Party Fun

2008-07-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Today was Abbie's birthday party and it was so much fun. We had our trampoline, swing set, small bounce house, pool, and slip and slide. We ordered pizza and had cupcakes and all kiddos got to decorate their own cupcake to take home in a cute cupcake holder. We had lots of kids and friends over and it was so much fun opening our home to everyone. We are going to try something new today too--formula. As you know, Ellie is a bit grouchy and maybe formula might do the trick because it could be something I eat that just sends her tummy off. I am not thrilled about this because it makes me feel, well, like I have failed in some way. Those magazines are right---if you don't nurse, you feel like you are not mom of the year. I will try formula though and if it helps Ellie, that is all that matters! I hope this helps. Any suggestions? Anyone?

Moved to Tears

2008-07-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Things have been very crazy. As most moms know, your day is full of things to do and when two kids don't nap at the same time limits your ability to get things done. Throw on doing a load of laundry a day because your small one spits all the time and colic in the evening (and fussy mornings) can make your nerves shot and a three year old who needs your attention and is dying to play a game with mommy. How do you balance it all? I have not figured it out yet. Tonight though was different. Ellie was pleasant with very few fussy moments and my husband drew my attention to this and said, "Praise God." Yes, praise God. At that moment I began to tear up (and am now as I write) because it has been so hard. Brian is a huge help and even with two of us, it is still tough. I don't know if this was just a good night or if God is allowing the prayer of healing upon our child, but praise his name either way--for healing Ellie or teaching me some character building.

Colic Anyone?

2008-07-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Ellie has colic. Let's just say it is not fun. She spends most evenings screaming and crying whether holding her not. It is pretty crazy around here during this time and most of us can't have a conversation over her cries and Abbie will say, "I can't hear." Me too honey. There is not much we can do except hold her and that takes up a lot of time. So, anyone had a colic baby with some ideas?? We could use some help. The upside is that the doctor said it should be done 6-8 weeks. She's 6 weeks old. Then to top it off, she has reflux. Lots of it! The upside is that she will out grow it in 4-6 months. Needless to say, there is something I am suppose to learn from this experience so I have to be open to that whole sifting thing I mentioned to get out what is in me that needs to be gone. I hope I figure it out soon. Until then, scream on Ellie, scream on!

Sifting

2008-07-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

I believe I am about to enter into a time of sifting, just as Satan had asked to sift Peter. Now, I don't know if the devil has asked but I do believe God has some stuff to sift out of me. With me not working, we are taking a huge pay cut and in order to do that, we are forfeiting some things in our life--both good and neutrally moral. We are giving up our Compassion Kid and sponsoring our friends on The Traveling Team. Those are good, but we have to. Hopefully God will make it possible for us to sponsor them again. Neutrally moral things are just the fun things we enjoy doing. So, He will be sifting out of me liking creation more than the creator, aspiring for stuff, eating out just because I don't want to cook, going and doing just to go and do. He will be instilling into me a heart of contentment, gratitude that I can be home, and a humble heart that seeks him more than anything else in this world and turning me toward worship and a faith that he will provide even when I don't see how. Well, at least that is what I hope to get on the flipside, if not more. With a prayerful heart I enter into this season and ask for strength to be broken and built up in his image.

Transform

2008-07-12T14:31:00.001-07:00

Today was Transform with our church. This is where we choose a place/location where we can help clean things up by painting, repairing, etc whatever needs to be done. Our location for Denton was Calhoun Middle School. This school is older and needs to have much done to it. Our goal today was tape and paint classrooms. We took Abbie and Ellie with us. Needless to say, I didn't do much. Brian was a taping fool though. It is cool to see so many folks give up their Saturday mornings (and for others, the whole day) to help out. Many were painting, taping, and working in the flower beds, and making stone paths. All to love on these kids, teachers, and administrators with no expectations. Very cool to love like Jesus.

HR Anyone?

2008-07-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

After 3 days of trying to get hold of HR, I was finally successful. On Wednesday, I took my letter to HR to ask for a "nurturing leave of absence." I am waiting to hear if it is approved. I don't think it hurt that I had my two kids in tow! They thought were super cute (so do I) and wished me the best. I have to decide by February 1 if I will be returning because a leave is only good for one year. This will at least give us time to see if this whole stay at home thing works out! God has already provided one way by offering Brian a drum gig on Sunday at another church--and he gets paid! Who would have thought. God sure does work through ways we (I) don't ever think of. How creative of Him.
Oh, and last night I ran for the for the first time in 9 months. I ran 1 1/2 miles and it felt GREAT!!!! I can't wait to go again. Tomorrow. I am a little sore today :)

New Beginning

2008-07-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

June 5 we were blessed with the arrival of our 2nd child, a girl. Her name is Ellison Noell and we call her Ellie. We have another daughter Abbie who is almost 3. I have prayed for 3 years now to be a stay at home mom and we haven't been able to afford it. I will be quitting my job and we still can't afford it but we are stepping on faith that God is going to provide. I am scared, frightened, and excited because this faith thing is hard for me. It will be a test of daily sacrifice to my wants and dying to the world. It will be realizing the only thing we get is Jesus and that is what matters most in this world. I am eager as to what God will teach us during this process and how he will provide. I will get to be with my girls and know their hearts and nurture them. I am excited about that! My goal is to keep up with this blog thing (as you can see it's not my strength) to mark the path of being home and no longer working (well, a job that pays) and trusting God more than I have ever had to. I step out in faith knowing the God who fashioned the world and knit this desire to mother in my heart will be glorified beyond anything I can imagine. Praise be his name.

Healing

2007-12-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Over the past three weeks or so, Abbie has had something of some sorts. We went to the doctor with a cough and fever and ended up getting x-rayed for pneumonia which was really bronchiolitis. Yeah, we are better. The fever came back and back to the doctor we went and it was the beginning of a sinus infection. Antibiotics take care of everything. Right? No. She wakes up today holding her right hear and crying in pain. Now, she has tubes so there should be nothing wrong. Right? No. They get us into the doctor thankfully about 4:15 and the doctor checks out her ear and says it must be her right one. Yes, doctor, it is. The tube she has in that ear is not draining the puss like it should so it is getting backed up causing pressure. Lovely. He gave us some antibiotics for the ear and a higher dose orally to try to knock all this out. If the ear drops don't work, we will have to go back to the ENT and possibly have the tube removed and another put in. She has spent most of the evening in a horrid mood, crying, fussing, and not wanting anything except to "rest mama" but even that can send her off screaming again. Now she is down to sleep. Hopefully all night. Oh Jesus, I know this is least of what it could be but we need that little girl completely healed! Please pray that these medicines do the job for her and the pain is subsided very quickly.

Doctor Visit

2007-12-03T18:17:00.001-08:00

After waiting at my doctor's office for an hour and a half I had a lot of time to think. Sitting mindlessly I brainstormed an idea for doctor offices. They need little games for you to play like Cracker Barrel does. Those type of things to get you through the wait. Even have some Sudoku puzzles available. When I finally got back they weighed me (everyone's favorite),took my blood pressure and asked how I was feeling and I was able to hear the heartbeat (even at 10 weeks and having to hold my breath). She said all was good and then I left. This all took about 7 minutes. As I was leaving all the lights were being shut off or already off. Fighting traffic during Denton rush hour I was finally reunited with my family where my wonderful husband had cooked dinner and had it on the table ready to eat. I guess waiting isn't too bad when you don't have to cook!

Early Christmas

2007-11-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

Today I got an email from the principal about our Christmas gift...which is a good one. Now some you say, "You already get two weeks off. What more do you want?" Jeans for a month. Yes! Jeans every day for a whole month! Now that is a Christmas present I can use.

Holiday Break

2007-11-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

I must say this has been a great holiday season. It has been so relaxing and easy! We haven't done much and just enjoyed. The weather has been cold and now it's cold, rainy, and cloudy. The house is decorated for Christmas and it is just so much fun. I love it at night when the house is quiet and the tree is lit and Christmas music is playing. That just quiets the soul. Abbie is taking long naps which helps me get tons done so that when she is up we can just play. Then I keep thinking how weird it is to be our last Christmas together...just the 3 of us and how my time alone with her is passing by daily. Now I know the new baby will bring much joy but it has to do with change and now it not only effects us, but another little one as well who might not understand why her world is turned upside down. That is why I am already praying for her now. Next year we will be a family of four...:)

June 28, 2008

2007-11-19T18:15:00.001-08:00

That is the official due date of Baby Vinson. Yeah!

It Did

2007-11-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

She was up at 6. Her normal 7. Hopefully the nap will sort her out now...

Backfire

2007-11-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

I hope my plan doesn't backfire. I let Abbie take a LONG nap today. 3 1/2 hours. She finally woke up at 4:45. Now, I would have normally already had her up and going but my thought was there is a time change so technically, this is 3:45. Then, I will let her stay up till about 8:45-9:00 so she will sleep late. Now, I am not sure if this plan will work. If not, she will be up with the birds! Thus, meaning I will too. Now, you are thinking that I will be use to the time I get up with her but there is something about that clock saying 6:00, and not 7:00. Cross my fingers, all 8, and my legs that this works!

Sickness

2007-10-19T14:01:00.001-07:00

Abbie has been sick for the past week. From throwing up to diarrhea (more than you wanted to know!) to a bite on her arm that looked horrid and top it off with fever. The doctor did a flu check but it wasn't. Everything she has is like the flu, without being the flu. So I stayed home with her today to make sure she gets completely well. And she is. No fever, no need for any medicines, except that bite on her arm. She has been running and playing and is now starting to eat again, even if it is only Cheez-Its she likes. It is a beautiful day outside so we have enjoyed hanging out together and playing. I am glad to be home and certainly glad she is not sick (for the past 26 hours)!

Good

2007-09-09T16:34:00.001-07:00

Things for the most part are going good. Abbie has begun school and she loves it. She also loves to go to Judi's and play with all her friends. Tonight we are baking muffins for her to take in the morning so they can all have breakfast. We are making big blueberry ones and mini-strawberry ones. The house smells lovely. Ahh...
Today there is rain but non around us. There have been flash flood warnings and we have enjoyed blue skies. This morning though I was mowing and it began to pour down. I kept trucking because I wanted it done. I didn't get to the backyard though. It was just too wet and I was soaked.
My class is very good at school. They actually say yes ma'am and no ma'am. I just want to fall over. They do what is asked and I couldn't be happier at this point.
My daughter calls...or whines is more like it. I must attend to her now.

Back to School

2007-08-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

I am back to school. With no kids actually attending at this time and I feel like I have been hit by a Mack truck. We have a new principal and our school is so over crowded that bathrooms may soon be classrooms to make room. All in all it's good and our emphasis is to be exemplary. I will do my best in my classroom and teach my hardest...even if that means I don't always look like the rest of my team. I am exhausted and my mind is always going a 100mph and there just doesn't seem to be enough time to get it all done. God says that is mercy is new every morning. Praise Jesus he gave me enough for today and will again tomorrow. Oh, and it's Meet the Teacher Night. Always a nervous occasion!

Happy Birthday

2007-08-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

It is a bit late but I had a super birthday! I think this one tops most of them. It all began on the morning on the 16th when I had to do a scavenger hunt in the house to find my presents. I ended up with 3 gift cards to go shopping, get my hair done, and get some new make up. But that wasn't all. I also got to go out on Friday and get my hair done, go shopping, and enjoy the day...by myself! Brian took the day off to spend with Abbie and I got a few hours to enjoy. It was a great birthday with great new clothes and super sassy haircut that I love. Thank you to my sweet husband for noticing me and honoring me and to my wonderful parents who chipped in to make my day of luxury a possibility. It was amazing. :)

Free Coffee

2007-08-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

If you are not in a rush to brew some coffee this morning, check out Folger's link to get a free sample of their new coffee. 4-6 six weeks so you might want to wait to put the water in. It could be yucky by then. :) I have chosen the Vanilla Biscotti for kicks. Can't wait to try it.

Harry Potter

2007-08-03T11:56:00.001-07:00

Are you a Harry Potter fan? Now, some say we shouldn't read these books because they teach us about witchcraft and wizardry and how to do spells and such. As my friend jokingly put it, They are of the devil. My response: have you actually read them your self? Probably not. I have found these books to be one the best written series ever. I have read all the books including book 7 which I just set down...finally! Over the past week to week and and a half I have devoured book 5, 6, and 7. I highly recommend these books. Even to children. I get to so wrapped up and my brain creates these wonderful settings where all these stories take place and I become to engrossed into this world I have created. The imagery and elaboration that J.K. Rowling uses is just amazing and vivid descriptions don't leave you guessing. I am a bit sad now that I am done because the life of Harry has ended...is that figuratively or literally? Guess you'll have to read to find out!

Friends

2007-07-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

My friend Judi has 4 children and she wanted to go on her church's mission trip so I volunteered to watch her younger two and she would take the older two. I watched Hannah who is 20 months and Sarah who is about 9 months on Thursday and they spent the night and left Friday evening. Let's just say I was exhausted! They are terrific kids but with three in the house I was going non-stop. Certainly made me appreciate mothers who have more than one kid! Thursday night we went out in the backyard and swam and got on the swing. It was a great time. Abbie loved having Hannah to play with.

July 4th

2007-07-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

I know it's a bit late but at least I am writing. This year we let little Abs stay up for fireworks. She loved them! That night she didn't get in bed till 11! and of course was up bright and early. We had friends come over and we cooked out, played games, then loaded up to enjoy a great night in Texas!