daisies 'n dump trucks

Worship with Sadie

2012-02-07T08:34:00.000-06:00

This last weekend, Sadie and I were in church singing. It was a week like any other. I have her stand on the chairs so she can see the worship leader and the words on the screen. She loves to sing, so normally she is belting out whatever song is being sung. Usually I put my arm around her so I can make sure she is safe, but this past week she put her sweet little arms around my neck.

We sang the first couple worship songs and then moved into the old hymn, "I Surrender All." I'm not sure the last time we have sung that song at our campus, but Sadie picked up on the chorus ever so quickly. Her sweet voice softly sung the melody and as we sung, God brought me back to a moment that took place about 7 years ago. Eric and I had been married a couple of years and we were wanting a baby, but were having difficulty conceiving and then once we would become pregnant, my body had difficulties staying pregnant. In this particular moment, I was sitting at our kitchen table in our very first home. It was early in the morning before I needed to be at work and I had my Bible open, but wasn't reading it. Instead I was resting on it and crying. I was in a moment where I was struggling with life as I thought it should be and surrendering life at the feet of Christ. It was a very raw time in my life.

As we continued to sing, I was overcome with the blessings God has given me in our children. He indeed heard my cries. I was thankful, but I was also challenged.... to keep that hand open. To not hold to tightly. To surrender my life... their lives... Eric's life to Christ daily. We are His first. He is capable of the ins and outs of each of our lives. He is trustworthy.

Awkward Silence

2012-01-24T08:37:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since my last post! In fact, if you were a regular follower, you probably thought that Kindergarten killed me! Surprise... I survived. I'm not going to lie... it was a HUGE transition for this mama that likes everyone home, but it has given us opportunities to be a blessing and to be blessed. I needed some time away to process and journal through that season... some time away just to do life. I'll share about that in the next few days... some pictures... and randomness, I'm sure! Thanks for waiting on me!

Great Finger Paint...

2011-08-27T09:32:00.000-05:00

We love to craft and make messes around here! Recently I found a recipe for finger paint from Easie Peasie and we gave it a try! It turned out faboulously finger painty!

Homemade Finger Paints
3T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup corn starch
2 cups water

Combine ingredients in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until mixture thickens... I stood there contemplating whether it was done or not, but you'll know it when it's done for sure, all of a sudden it turns into the perfect consistency. Put into containers and mix in food coloring! Wah-lah!

Happy Painting!

Trying not to hold her too tightly...

2011-08-24T09:35:00.001-05:00

1st Day of Kindergarten

The August 23rd entry in my Jesus Calling book by Sarah Young really resonated yesterday....

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 your loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one - as well as yourself.

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

This was timely

2011-08-17T21:58:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is our big day! Sadie starts Kindergarten... I know everyone says it, but it's true - I can hardly believe this day is here. Tonight I was reading from my Jesus Calling book and today's passage came at a good moment...

Accept each day just as it comes to you. Do not waste your time and energy wishing for a different set of circumstances. Instead, trust Me enough to yield to My design and purposes. Remember that nothing can separate you (or Sadie) from My loving Presence; you (and Sadie) are Mine. (italics mine... but wouldn't that have been over the top cool if Sadie's name had been in my book tonight!?)

Part of this excerpt is from Isaiah 43:1... I'm going to work on memorizing this week!
Isaiah 43:1
"But now, this is what the Lord says - he who created you, he who formed you: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine."

Back to School Count Down!

2011-08-10T17:40:00.000-05:00

We count down events around here based on how many sleeps we have until the big day. School is just 8 sleeps away! Today I made a count down chain to help us get ready for the 1st day of School!

Count Down!

Every night we will tear off a piece of the chain. I have put a verse on the back of each one for us to read and talk about how it relates to school. Here are the verses I am using, if you'd like to do the same!

8 - Psalm 56:3 - When I'm afraid I will trust in God.
7 - Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times.
6 - Romans 15:13a - May God fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him.
5 - Psalm 73:22 - I am always with you. You hold me by your right hand.
4 - Philippians 2:14 - Do everything without complaining or grumbling.
3 - Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything. Pray about everything and the peace of God will guard your hearts.
2 - Philippians 4:8 - Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.
1 - Psalm 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God.

Note: Many of theses verses are NIV or ESV... If you see one that doesn't line up with that, it's a KF (Kristen Franklin) summary to better help our little ones with some of the wordiness or terminology. :)

Stop and take it all in...

2011-08-09T08:36:00.000-05:00

On the way home from church the other day, Sadie spotted a group of ants working together to carry something... I never could figure out what it was. They both stopped for awhile to watch them. I love how kids can spot the simplest things and enjoy their wonder... makes me want to do the same!

Ant watching!

Romans 15:13a

2011-08-08T13:18:00.000-05:00

I've still been working on memorizing two verses of scripture every month. I think so far I have memorized 12 since January, which means I've missed a couple here and there... but I'm rejoicing over the words I've memorized and am so excited when they come to mind in different circumstances.

I recently shared that I've been teaching Sadie Psalm 56:3 as she prepares for school - "When I'm afraid I will trust in God."

Truth be told, as I've been teaching her those words and reviewing them with her, I have been desperately praying that God would help me to trust Him with her. It's so hard for me to start new seasons of life in parenting (really anything new freaks me out), but I'm constantly reminded that He knows our children's deepest needs before we ever get a glimpse of them. The last few days I have been working on memorizing Romans 15:13a - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him."

God has proven faithful time and time again and more than trustworthy. It is my prayer that in this new season, called Kindergarten, that He would indeed fill me with joy and peace as I trust in Him with Sadie.

Thoughts on going back to school....

2011-07-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

Every year about this time I start getting the jitters... the back to school jitters. There's just something about the smell of a 24 pack of Crayolas that gets me all nervous and excited at the same time. This year the feeling is more intense as we are getting ready to send our oldest to Kindergarten.

Sadie's 1st day of Preschool

I've been asked by multiple people over the last few months, "You mean, you're not homeschooling?" Apparently I look to fit the mold of a homeschooler... and I will take that as a compliment because it takes a lot of motivation, enthusiasm and discipline to take on that role! ;)

I am not opposed to homeschooling, especially if it is done well... and there may be a season of life God calls us to that, but for now, our family feels extremely called to and passionate about the Public School. It's been a passion Eric and I have shared for a long time. There are so many needs in our local schools. Right now, our schedules allow us to be at the school, be a part of what is going on, and a help to meet the unique needs that are there. I am so excited to see how God is going to use our whole family as we begin this adventure.

With anything new, there are adjustments that need made and things to think on before sending your kiddo to school. I am no expert on this, but there have been things I have noted as a mom and a teacher that are helpful in getting your little ones (and you) ready for their first week at school.

Take time during the summer to go up to the school and play on the playground. Give them a chance to try out all the equipment and teach them how to use it correctly. While you are there peek in the window to their classroom so they can get an idea of what it looks like. It also gives them a chance to see that their teacher is getting ready for them!
Have your child draw a picture of how they will get to school. Will they walk, ride their bike, ride the bus or will you take them? Use this as an opportunity to talk about safety and appropriate behavior while walking, biking, bus riding etc.
Model what it looks like to be a good friend. Teach them how to talk to kids they have never met before... for some kids this is very natural, for others it is very nerve racking. Teach them how to introduce themselves to someone and ask them to play or be their partner for an activity. While this seems very simple, we cannot assume that they already know how to do this.
Sadie recently shared that she is feeling a little nervous about going to school. Instead of telling them not to be (which can tend to be our default because we don't want them to have uneasy feelings), let kids know that it's okay to feel nervous! Sometimes it's good to know that it's okay to feel that way and once they are used to going, they will become more comfortable.
Replace anxious thoughts with the truth. When Sadie shared about being nervous, we found a Bible verse that would help her with that feeling. We chose Psalm 56:3 - "When I'm afraid I will trust in God." We have spent a lot of time over the last couple weeks reciting that and talking about what it means. I'm trusting that God will bring that verse to her memory when she is away from me and is feeling anxious. As the school year progresses, teach them verses that will deal more with their character - being a good friend (Proverbs 17:17) or doing all things without complaining or grumbling (Philippians 2:14). We constantly need to be looking at our kids and thinking about what the deepest need of their heart may be and how we can help develop them and nurture them into what God desires them to be.
Buy and label school supplies together. Talk about what they might do with each one. Also talk about the supplies they are taking that will be for their personal use and what will be for the class to share.
Pray together for their new teacher and friends!
Share some of your favorite school memories with them. We want our kids to love learning... they are going to be in school for at least 13 years (and will hopefully have the desire to be lifelong learners after that!)... talk positively about going to school and learning.

What other things can you think of to help get your kiddos ready for school? We have about 3 more weeks to prep them! The big day is coming soon!

Sometimes Silly Is In Order

2011-07-29T15:15:00.000-05:00

Feelin's get hurt

2011-07-28T20:27:00.001-05:00

Tonight Cole was throwing a huge fit about getting in the bathtub. That boy is particular. He likes to do stuff how he wants, when he wants. If it is not on his schedule, it turns into a super whine-fest.

As I was talking him through his wailing and coaching him on getting undressed to get into the tub he belts out, "Owwwwwwww!"

Thinking he had somehow hurt himself, I begin to sympathize, "Oh, Cole... are you okay? What happened?"

He replied, "YOU hurt my feelin's."

Yes. Feelings do sometimes hurt, little buddy.

Growing...

2011-07-20T12:04:00.001-05:00

Back in May we planted these guys....

Garden in May.

When you plant it's so difficult to envision those little plants growing into monsters. But they do....

Garden in July.

More happy garden... last year's compost rocked the garden this year!

I think I need more space next year! We have had so much fun this year keeping our eye out for new fruits.

Cole checking on the pumpkin.

I may or may not go out to check on my garden 2-3 times a day. I mean, you never know what can pop up in a few hours... and it's just.so.exciting. to find something new! And this guy....

I sleep outside at night protecting him from any melon thieves that may be in the area.

Memorizing James 3:17

2011-07-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

I was getting ready to post my scripture memory for the next couple weeks and came across this post from the Girl Talk Blog on spending time with Jesus. Good stuff... He, indeed, is our portion. His Word will never come back void and will penetrate to our deepest parts.

James 3:17 ESV
"But wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

Go figure

2011-06-27T09:05:00.001-05:00

For five years I have been getting up between 7:00 and 7:30 with Sadie.

Recently she began sleeping in until 9:00.

She starts kindergarten in 53 days (yes... I just counted and it made me feel sick.).

School starts at 8:15.

Go figure.

Menu Plan - Lovin' Summer

2011-06-13T14:49:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday, Everyone!!! It's a beautifully hot June day... love! There are about three months out of the year where I am not cold, and this is one of them! I also like that Iced Tea and Water sound better than soda (or at least that's what I'm telling myself)... and this blue polish makes me want to spin cartwheels across the lawn.

Feet are funny, BUT June really is wonderful!

Here is what we'll be eating this week!

MONDAY
Pizza Noodle Bake, Salad, Fruit

TUESDAY
Baked Chimichangas, Carrots/Dip, Fruit

WEDNESDAY
Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Fruit

THURSDAY
Shrimp Skewers over rice, Fruit

FRIDAY
Taco Squares, Chips/Guac, Fruit

SATURDAY
Pasta Salad, Fruit

SUNDAY
Biscuit Pizza, Salad, Fruit

Hope you're having a lovely day! Off to blow up a whale pool and then spending the afternoon tanning this white girl up! :)

A beautiful day...

2011-06-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

Today was more than lovely. I turned 30. Spent time with great friends. Was spoiled by my husband and kids. AND was reminded for the gazillionth time how truly blessed I am.

If the next 30 years go as quickly as the first, I'm going to be sixty before I know it! :)

**For those of you wondering about my 30 B4 30 list, I have a few things left to check off, most that require reading and quiet... I'll try to update soon!**

JJ Heller 2nite...

2011-06-04T09:12:00.000-05:00

AND I CAN'T WAIT!

14 summers...

2011-06-01T22:40:00.000-05:00

Earlier today I was thinking about how much I'm enjoying the summer routine... or lack-there-of. The kids have been getting along particularly well this week. We've had fun outside. We've painted. Been to the park. The library. I really love summer break.

As I was pondering all this, I suddenly had one of my weird mom moments. I try not to be the weird mom, but let's be honest - sometimes, I just am. Anyway... in my weird mom moment, I realized that I only have 14 summers left with Sadie. 14. Seriously. I kinda wanted to cry. More like I really wanted to cry. So, I quickly had a discussion with myself and decided to get a grip.

Fast forward to tonight. I've been clicking around checking in on the blogs I love to read and came across this. Really?! What are the odds that The Nester would actually count up how many summers she has left with her kids and blog about it today??? So now, I want to cry again. I would like to personally thank The Nester for thinking like me. You may be my long lost sister. AND, as The Nester so eloquently put it, "May this summer be slow and full of wonder."

I think my break is over...

2011-05-31T21:51:00.000-05:00

Wow! It's been 21 days since I last posted... May always does me in. Life in May seems to overtake me... and just when I think it is getting back to normal... we.go.several.unplanned. days.without.any.internet. Insane. It's been crazy for me to be without internet... but a good lesson that many days I need to turn this thing off for a bit and tune into life... real.life.

Anyway... hopefully I can establish a healthy routine again and get back on here...

In 29 days...

2011-05-10T10:34:00.001-05:00

I will be 30!!! I have been working on my 30 B4 30 Project for the last few months. I want so badly to finish strong! HOWEVER, I am one of those people that makes a list every day thinking that I can accomplish everything on the list, when in reality, it is only humanly possible to finish 6 of the 9. I am coming to my senses that everything may not be finished by the 8th... but I'm going to work to make a significant dent in it.

Here's what's left...
1. Learn to make homemade lemonade.
2. Teach Sadie to tie her shoes. Still practicing!!!
3. Complete reading through the Bible. Continued progress... This is one that is not going to be completely done by then. I will be really close, though!
4. Hike a new park we've discovered and Coronado Heights.
5. Take the kids fishing.
6. Take Eric on a surprise date.
7. Get photo albums updated - this could take an eternity. (I have almost updated the past year... this is another one that won't be completely done by June!)
8. Bake cinnamon rolls like Cooke. (I'm not sure it's the exact recipe, but it's pretty darn close, and I could eat the entire pan.)
9. Save for my 30th Birthday cruise getaway with Eric. - We are officially completely saved... however, we are thinking about something other than a cruise now... we might be doing a spontaneous getaway. I'll keep you up to date.
10. Get pictures secured in Cole's baby book.
11. Invite 30 people to CrossPoint.
13. Get 6 hours of college credit to renew my teaching certificate. I'm in my last class session now and am filling out my paperwork today!
14. Read 5 books every season. I need to post my spring book list!!!
15. Plant annuals at our new home - Lord let us be in our new home by the time I'm 30! Praise the Lord we are here!!!
16. Get a good picture of a Kansas sunset.
17. Participate in Beth Moore Scripture Memory Challenge. Doing good here!
18. Make plans to travel to CO to be with Brady, Janelle and Katelyn in December or January.
19. Take 20 minutes every month to just be still. (This is probably going to be the hardest thing on my list.) - I stink at this... I told you so!
20. Learn to make homemade bread without using the bread machine.
21. Take cookies to our neighbors.
22. Play a board game I've never played before.
23. Search Goodwill for a glass cake cover for my cake plate. My friend, Shauna, actually gifted me with one from a garage sale!!!
24. Find the address of where my grandpa grew up and then find the house.
25. Take treats to the fire station and police station.
26. Research photography and picture editing.
27. Build a snowman with the kids (normally I make Eric do this because I HATE the cold).
28. Have family pictures taken.
29. Get a good photo of a church I've been wanting to take pictures of off of the highway.
30. Send two packages to our World Vision child, Vilma, this year. (Sent one off for Christmas!)

The purpose of all this isn't to say, "Hey! Look at everything I've done in the last year." It's more for me to be more intentional in living. It's easy for me to just get in the routine of caring for my family, cooking, cleaning etc. and forgetting to take time to add other stuff I enjoy. I'm not planning to make a list for the next year, but I am thinking I will choose one thing a month to accomplish... whether it be a new recipe, extra time with a friend, finish the photo albums or just relax. It's good to live intentionally.

Menu Plan - Time to chill...

2011-05-09T18:57:00.001-05:00

What a week...

After a couple days of this...

a weekend of school events, birthday's and services...

it's time to start a new week!

Here's what we'll be eating...

MONDAY
Spaghetti, Corn and Fruit

TUESDAY
Small Group... What to bring, what to bring???

WEDNESDAY
Hamburgers, Ranch Fries, Fruit

THURSDAY
Burrito Bowls, Chips/Guac, Fruit

FRIDAY
Pizza Bake, Salad, Fruit

SATURDAY
Mexi Mac, Green Beans, Fruit

SUNDAY
Angel Chicken (bumped from last week), sauteed zucchini and mushrooms, fruit

AND... one last thing... check out what I found on Mother's Day... is this not crazy beautiful. I have never seen such huge blooms in my life... LOVE.

Our roses are fixin' to do their thing, also!

Still memorizing....

2011-05-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

I love when I am working on memorizing a certain segment of scripture and then all of a sudden you hear someone quote a portion of it as your visiting with them. It's like a little nudge from the Lord that this is where your supposed to be... this is what He wants you to know. That happened to me this week!

For the beginning of May, I am working on, Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV):

Thus says the Lord: stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it; and find rest for your souls.

Rest for your souls.... I love that. How many of us are looking for that today!? It's found in following the Lord... it's not the easy-nothing-bad-will-ever-happen-to-me-life... but a life of rest and peace in the midst of our days of greatest joy and our days of chaos. Praise Him!

Menu Plan - Garage Sale Week

2011-05-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

Garage sale week is upon us!!! We try to have a garage sale about this time every year... to get rid of excess and make a little $$$... after all, it is tags and taxes month! ;) With garage sale prep going on, my goal is to try to keep life mostly in order around here and keep up with making meals for the week. I think I can, I think I can...

Here's what we'll be eating this week...
MONDAY
Alice Springs Chicken, Salad, & Fruit (we are craving some Outback around here... busting out the copy cat)

TUESDAY
Sandwiches, Chips & Fruit

WEDNESDAY
Beef with Snow Peas, Rice, & Fruit

THURSDAY
Angel Crockpot Chicken, Noodels, Green Beans, & Fruit

FRIDAY
B-day party celebration for my nephew

SATURDAY
Pizza or something super easy

SUNDAY
Mexican Flatbread Pizza, Chips/Guac

So there you have it. A happy week planned... now to go do the grocery shopping!

I really am hoping to see you back here this week... I have a list of stuff to unload... and a few pics. Have a great week!

Menu Plan - and other ramblings

2011-04-19T15:20:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! With the exception of what I'm memorizing for the last part of April and maybe a new recipe, this will probably be all you hear from me this week! Can we say CRAZY??? This is a very busy week at CrossPoint as we prepare for the weekend and I decided that a quick out of town trip for the kids and I would somehow fit nicely into the end of week schedule. :) To keep myself in line and on task lately I have been brain dumping (doesn't that sound lovely) everything I need to do in a notebook... instead of having 10 million lists laying all around, I keep everything in one place. See how dirty and wrinkled it is... that is a sign of production. Glorious.

Here's what we are eating this week -

MONDAY
Burrito Bowls, Chips/Guac, Fruit

TUESDAY
Small Group - I'm bringing cheese, meat and crackers

WEDNESDAY (eating together at lunch)
Hot Dogs, Mac & Cheese, Carrots, Pineapple

THURSDAY
Eat Whatever, Whenever!

FRIDAY
Salad Bar - lettuce, cheese, boiled eggs, grilled chicken, carrot, cucumber, tomato

SATURDAY
BLT's, chips, fruit

SUNDAY
Easter with the Family

One last thing before I go, have you tried these???

They are so yummy... Coconut M&Ms. Eric would totally tell you they taste like suntan lotion... since he's tried it and all.... but I must say they are a little piece of heaven here on earth. Plus, they make me feel like I'm on the beach somewhere instead of 40 degree weather. Have a wonderful week! AND Happy Easter....

He is risen, indeed!

Menu Plan - 5 days only

2011-04-11T16:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! :) I am only going to share my next 5 days worth of menu plan. I haven't yet planned the last part of the month food wise... plus, I just got the Taste of Home mag and want to flip through there before I get too carried away with plans. Who knows, maybe there'll be something there that I can't live without trying in the next couple weeks!

So, here goes...

MONDAY
Cheeseburger Macaroni, Green Beans, Apples

TUESDAY
Small Group - I think I'll either take Fruit/Dip or a Fruit Pizza

WEDNESDAY
Steak, Grilled Veggies, Fruit

THURSDAY
Tacos, Chips/Guac., Fruit

FRIDAY
Chicken Tetrazzini, Honey Carrots, Fruit

Five 4 Friday

2011-04-08T19:48:00.000-05:00

Who knew Coronado Heights was in the middle of Kansas??? Pretty amazing... we went on a family outing there last weekend before some crazy winds picked up.

There were ladybugs all over this place... Sadie loved having them crawl all over her... are we related??!!

Eric is outside putting together a play set for the kids (the kids are "helping"). They are so excited! It's good to be in a place where I feel God is going to plant us for a while!
Tonight is pizza and movie night... wonderful wonderment... I so enjoy having us all together and snuggled up. I am truly blessed.
I've been working with 8th graders at a local school for the past couple weeks presenting the Abstinence Program... it's been so much fun just being with them and sharing about making healthy life choices. Wish I could be part of their support system more regularly.
I really need to get on my Spring Book List. My 30 B4 30 is fixing to wrap up and I still need to finish 2 winter books (along with multiple other things on my list). Thirty's a comin'!

Enjoy your weekend!

By special request...

2011-04-06T10:08:00.001-05:00

After my post about putting your Crock Pot on a timer, someone requested the recipe for Crock Pot Enchiladas that was pictured in the CP. This is a recipe that I got from my friend Julie... it is very yummy and approved by my not-so-in-love-with-the-crock-pot husband!

Slow Cooker Enchiladas
1 lb ground beef (I used 1/2 lb that was leftover from tacos... it still was beefy enough for us)
1 cup chopped onion (we aren't big fans of chopped onion, so I used onion powder)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I did both green and red pepper)
1 can pinto or kidney or chili beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10 ounces) Rotel
1/3 cup water
1 t chili powder
1/2 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
6 flour tortillas

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper until beef is browned and veggies are tender; drain. Add the next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cheeses.

In a slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through. Slice like a pie and enjoy!

This is a lot of food for my family right now, so I freeze half of it after it's cooked and then warm it in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes... tastes just as good the second time around!

One Thing Remains - Jesus Culture

2011-04-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

Can't get enough of the song that we rocked at CrossPoint this weekend...

Still memorizing...

2011-04-04T09:05:00.000-05:00

I must say that this is the easiest season of memorizing I've had in awhile. The verses seem to be coming easily to me and I seem to be retaining them... that's important, because I know there will be moments when I need that recall for encouragement.

For the next couple weeks I will be working on Lamentations 3:22-24...
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait on him.'"

I love that we can find peace in whatever we are up against because it does not have the power to consume us and through it God will be our portion. He, indeed, is enough!

Menu Plan - So long soups... it's grillin' time! :)

2011-04-03T13:51:00.000-05:00

It's officially that time of year when soups are no longer an option at supper time... I mean, who really wants to eat a bowl of chili on an 80 degree day??? No.thank.you. I'm happy to say hello to my grill again!

Here's what's on the menu for the week...

MONDAY
BBQ Chicken, Grilled Veggies, Fruit

TUESDAY
Spaghetti with Meatballs, Corn, Fruit

WEDNESDAY
Southwestern Sloppy Joes, Sweet Potato Fries, Fruit

THURSDAY
Tilapia, Roasted Asparagus, Fruit

FRIDAY
Baked Chicken Parm. with Zucchini, Fruit

SATURDAY
Leftovers

SUNDAY
Hamburgers, Grilled Potatoes, Fruit

I hope all of you are enjoying this beautiful day! We are going to find sometime ridiculously fun to do later this afternoon! Have a great week!

Our week

2011-04-02T08:27:00.004-05:00

I haven't been around this last week! Sorry to those of you who check back daily for all kinds of fun and excitement... I just didn't have it in me!

Last weekend I got to have a quick visit with my sister-in-law and my niece, Katelyn. My brother is one lucky guy to have these precious girls in his life. I love them and I love time with them... rich conversation and sweet cuddles (with the baby girl, of course)... doesn't get much better. Here are Sadie and Cole with their cousin...

Two of the greatest jobs in the world are getting to be a Mommy and an Aunt... love, love love.

After our visit this weekend, we launched Operation Potty Training. We trudged through the first day and a half and then finally started making progress. Let's just say I've had ALL my laundry caught up ALL week trying to keep 9 pairs of undies clean. :) He is getting there... even woke up in the night to go potty.

Potty training a cowboy is hard work! :)

Thursday night Eric and I went to a fund-raising banquet for a place we volunteer... we had our friend, Lauren, come over to watch Sadie and Cole. I found several pics of them on my camera this morning... so fun! I'm not sure what they were up to, but the kids look happy! :) We are blessed to have such great friendships in this city.

I hope you had a good week! I'm going to try to jump back on the bandwagon this next week... if it's not moving too fast, that is! Thanks for checking in!

Shamrock Plant

2011-03-22T09:38:00.003-05:00

I like plants. One of the places where I volunteer gave me this Shamrock Plant last week (the sassy red vase was a Wedding Shower gift... still love it, Melinda). Isn't that shamrock cute... in a plant sort of way???

This is how she looks at night...

she folds her leaves of three in for a nice sleep. Smart plant.

Something that makes life easier... Crock Pot on a Timer Edition

2011-03-21T12:14:00.004-05:00

Every now and then I post a picture of something that makes life a little easier around here. It's no rocket science, just some things that I've picked up along the way. :)

A few years ago I was at my friends house and noticed her crock pot. It was really fancy. It had low heat, high heat, keep warm options AND it had a timer. I thought that was incredible and would have loved to have had one, but couldn't see a reason to spend the money when my 2 function (3 if you include - OFF) pot worked just fine. The timer on that crock pot was what really got me excited. I loved the thought of leaving the house in the morning and having my supper turn itself on and/or off, if needed.

Last year I was planning a lunch where I needed my crock pot to come on at 3 or 4 or in the morning. I am not a big fan of getting up in the night so I was trying to figure a way out of that... then I thought of our lamp timer.... you know, the thing you plug into your lamp when your on vacation so it gives the illusion that you are home when you're really not???!! I got it out to test it with my crock pot and sure enough, it worked.

Here's what it looks like (It's actually plugged in upside down in this outlet. Go ahead, tilt your head so you can get a good look.)...

All you have to do is set the approximate time on the turn dial in the middle. Set your blue peg to what time you want your crock pot to turn on and the red one to when you want it to turn off (I didn't set the red one here for the right time because I was going to be home to turn it off). Then load your crock pot (Crock Pot Enchilada's pictured here)...

And turn the crock pot dial to your desired setting...

Works like a charm! :) Give it a try!

Menu Plan - Spring Break Week!

2011-03-20T14:55:00.000-05:00

It feels like spring out there!!! Just in time for spring break week! :) We are looking forward to a break from our schedule. Here's what we'll be eating...

MONDAY
Meatloaf, Green Beans, Grilled Potatoes, Fruit

TUESDAY
Small Group Night - Bring BBQ Meatballs

WEDNESDAY
Chicken Salad on Deli Thins, Chips, Fruit

THURSDAY
Dillon's Salad Bar Night

FRIDAY
Grilled Pizza (with chicken, bacon, tomato & basil)

SATURDAY
Chicken Fried Steak, Roasted Carrots & Potatoes, Fruit

SUNDAY
Angel Chicken with Noodles, Green Beans, Fruit

Five 4 Friday

2011-03-18T16:03:00.002-05:00

1. TP Update... In regards to my Facebook status earlier in the week...

Aldi's TP (had to get some in a pinch today) is no substitute for Cottonelle ... but one step up from the Walgreens Big Roll that I grew up with.

After using the same roll for 3 days and still having at least another 3 days left on the roll, I must say I'm quite impressed with its longevity despite the raw buns around here. Eric would die if he knew I were considering such a change... better get back to Cottonelle for our marriage! :)

2. When you think something positive about your spouse, say it!

3. My favorite water cup right now.

Do you all have a favorite drinking cup??? I switch between this one and a glass green one.

4. I really want to get Cole potty trained soon. I need motivation... maybe I should reward myself with a prize for completing such a daunting task. After all, I should have a few bucks from not buying diapers every couple weeks. Yep, I think a prize is in order.

5. It's about time for the great seasonal drawer/closet shift for the kiddos. Bring it, Spring!

Ease Up Ladies...

2011-03-16T16:25:00.001-05:00

I do life with a journal in one hand and a black pen in the other. My pen of choice right now is one my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas... the green uni JETSREAM 1.0.... doesn't it just sound amazing???

I love to write.

Most of what I write is for myself. It's how I process through whatever my thoughts and my circumstances may be. I have stacks of journals that I'm sure someday, after I'm long gone my children will have a desire to flip through... because of that, I find myself scribbling little notes to them along the way. For instance, this past January I was having an "intense" season of parenting. Those of you with children know what I'm talking about... I was journaling about it like crazy when I got to thinking that Sadie and Cole might someday read those words... so I quickly penned...

Sadie & Cole
Just in case you are reading this someday, these difficult days of training and raising you are worth it! I love you both deeply and am so thankful that God has entrusted you to my care for these years. I'm proud of you. Love you forever -
Mommy

Recently I journaled on a topic that I've been considering for several years (one I want Sadie to grasp long before she gets where I'm at today), but haven't managed to get from my head and my heart onto paper. It's something I feel deeply about for women and something I didn't notice until I became a mother, but I know the issue was a reality even in my teen years, just on a different "level." I'm just going to throw my journal entry on here... it's far from perfect or organized, but it's raw... and I think that's what God sometimes uses the most.

I started noticing something about women shortly after I began staying home with Sadie. I'm not sure if I was too naive to notice it before or if the season of motherhood thrust me into this realization. Women are hard on each other. Really hard. We should totally be in the same corner with each other, but all too often we are entertaining judgmental thoughts about each other. It has to stem back to our own insecurities. We all fight the urge to be better at something than someone else. We can't stand the competition... and if we can't be better, we get bitter and bad mouth...

On ridiculous issues....
- how their children behave
- how their money is spent
- to cloth diaper or use Pampers
- what foods they feed their families
- how she treats her husband/how her husband treats her
- her appearance - Can you believe she is wearing that???
Etc. Etc. Etc... I could make other lists on women in the career world, for girls in middle school/high school. It's a real issue for women/girls everywhere you turn.

We've gotta get over ourselves and our own insecurities and onto what Jesus has called us to! It's high time we find ourselves in the same corner as one another genuinely encouraging, supporting and praying for each other.

It's time we dealt with our junk... lay it down in it's entirety at the feet of Jesus.
It's time we found contentment in who God made us to be... in our own uniqueness.
It's time for our measuring stick to only be measuring ourselves.

Galatians 5:26 says - We will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

We are robbing ourselves of some of the deepest relationships that God wants to give us because of our rotten, judgmental attitudes toward one another. It's time to let it go and really live.

Got it memorized - onto the next... Galatians 5:26

2011-03-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

I have really been struggling with memorizing the March 1st verse I chose... even in it's shortness. Finally I made some motions for it this morning (I am such an early childhood teacher)... usually if I can get motions for the first couple words, I'm golden. Here it is from memory....

Job 42:2
I know that you can do all things, no plan of yours can be thwarted. :) (emphasis mine)

I'm going to be working on Galatians 5:26 for the next couple weeks. Normally I memorize from NIV... no particular reason other than that's what I'm used to, but I'm going to memorize this from The Message. I really like the wording and I'll probably refer back to this verse in a future post. Galatians 5:26 says...

We will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us in an original.

Menu Plan - My Kitchen's a Mess

2011-03-13T16:29:00.001-05:00

I may try to keep up on my Menu Plan, but I sure don't have it all together! This is what happens when you ignore your dishes for nearly 24 hours.

Dishes, anyone???

I don't want to ever paint a picture around here that everything is perfect. Far.from.it! :) We have messes that we are constantly after - toy messes - kitchen messes - table messes - relationship messes. Life is always about picking up (get it... picking up... heehee:) where you are, living in grace, adjusting life and moving ahead.

Speaking of grace... do you know that I managed to go a whole week without a menu plan. I'm not sure what we ate - we didn't eat out but a couple times - and we all seemed to live! Miracles never cease. With that being said, here's this week's menu (I'm gonna try to do better.... really.).

MONDAY
Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup, Corn Bread, Fruit

TUESDAY
Small Group - I'm making Bean & Cheese Quesadillas

WEDNESDAY
Tacos, Chips with Guac, Fruit

THURSDAY
Tomato Bisque Soup, Grilled Cheese on Homemade Bread, Fruit

FRIDAY
Grilled Pizza, Fruit

SATURDAY
Pasta Salad with Chicken

SUNDAY
Slow Cooker Enchiladas, Chips with Salsa

I did manage to plan my menu for the next couple weeks so I can do my BIG grocery shopping on Tuesday. I haven't managed to plan two weeks at a time since before Christmas and I think I need to get back in that habit. I seem to do better keeping to the grocery budget when I do big shopping twice a month instead of weekly.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! And if you have a mess to deal with... take it moment by moment! :) Jesus bless you!

Where's Waldo... or Sadie

2011-03-10T21:34:00.003-06:00

Sadie loves stuffed animals. Every now and then I go through and ask her to pick a couple of them that could go to a new kiddo... this is painful for her. She has names for most of them and attachments to them... there are a few that I seem to be attached to also. Weird how we get attached to things like that even as adults (or maybe I have more issues than I thought).

Usually these critters are stored in her baby cradle, but a couple days this week she insisted on lining them up on her bed after making it. :) She wanted me to take a picture of them... and of course, it wouldn't complete without her in the mix!

Where's Sadie?

Emotion Results & Reflections

2011-03-09T09:16:00.002-06:00

Thought it would be fun to share the colors Sadie and I chose for the emotions from this post.

Here are my colors (you may need to click on the picture to read the emotion).... I colored them when she wasn't near me so that she wouldn't be swayed by what I chose.


Kristen's colors.

Sadie and I only had a couple colors that matched, but many of the shades were similar. Here are her colors...

Sadie's colors.

This was a good exercise for us... the scared, sad and nervous colors gave us a chance to talk a little bit about school. We talked about how it's normal to feel that way when you are away from mommy and daddy sometimes, and reinforced that she is safe and we will be back to get her!

I like how she colored happy, sleepy and peaceful all the same color... that made sense to me. :)

My favorite quote as she was painting peaceful blue... "I feel peaceful right now." Paintbrush in hand. One on one time with momma... peace. :)

Job 42:2

2011-03-07T21:36:00.000-06:00

Could someone please tell me how March happened??? I am dumbfounded. Tomorrow is my husband's 32nd Birthday and I am not nearly as prepared as I should be! Must get myself together!

Since I'm realizing that it is March, I better post what I'm working to memorize right now.

I thought I was going to be working on Ephesians 3:20, but I think I'm going to memorize Job 42:2, instead. Pastor Andy shared this verse this past weekend as we kicked off our series on the Trinity, specifically focusing on God the Father. The point was that God is omnipotent, or all powerful. Job 42:2 reads...

I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

I love knowing that on my best and worst of days I can trust the heart of God. He sees. He knows. He can.

Do your pants hang low???

2011-03-03T19:44:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when your buns aren't big enough for your britches...

One would think he would at least try to pull them up every now and then, BUT he doesn't seem to care... why pull up your pants when you can be playing outside???

Dirt and stuff...

2011-03-01T18:08:00.000-06:00

Today is the first day in 2011 that I have dirt under my fingernails... and it won't be the last!!! I am so excited!!!

I spent the afternoon digging in the dirt and cleaning off mulch looking to see what kind of perennials we have inherited. I found some green hiding under there!!! One of my 30 B4 30 goals was to plant perennials at our new house, but I'm not sure that I will need to plant much, if any. The woman who lived here before did a lot of landscaping and I'm excited to see what grows in the next few months.

Last fall (before we moved) I made a list of vegetables I wanted to grow this year and a plan for a sunflower hut for the kids to play in... doesn't that sound wonderfully fun??? Earlier in the week I drew my picture of where everything would go. I also checked my compost for the first time since fall... it's ready! I'm ready. Bring it spring.

Menu Plan - Sun & Warm Weather Ahead!

2011-02-28T14:28:00.000-06:00

There is SUNSHINE today!!! The weather in the last week has put me in a funky mood... I like a rainy day every now and then, but I love warmth and sunshine! We'll get Sadie from school in a little bit (she wanted me to make sure you all knew that she and Eric were going on a field trip to the Police Station today!) and then I think we will enjoy some time outside!

Menu Plan for the Week:
MONDAY
Steak, Mixed Veggies, Peaches

TUESDAY
Small group - Bring Veggie Pizza

WEDNESDAY
Pizza Noodle Bake, Corn, Pineapple

THURSDAY
Chicken & Stuffing Casserole, Carrots/Dip, Fruit

FRIDAY
Ranch Tilapia, Salad, Fruit

SATURDAY
Baked Potato Bar

SUNDAY
Marinated Grilled Chicken, Grilled Potatoes, Salad and Fruit

Five 4 Friday

2011-02-25T13:51:00.000-06:00

I've been on the quiet side around here this week.... trying to get back in routine after being away for a few days is difficult for me. Even now I'm still sitting in my workout clothes needing to take my first shower of the day. Here's 5 random thoughts for you on this Friday!

I was at Target this morning getting a gift for my nephews 1st Birthday and saw that the Reese's Easter Eggs are out... I also spotted the Cadbury Chocolate Eggs with the hard candy coating. My two favorite Easter Candies. I didn't buy them today mainly because I can't believe what they want to charge for holiday candy, but next pay check, I'm on it.
Sadie has had a much better week going to school! The first thing out of her mouth in the morning is always, "Is it a school day???" and if it is, she frets until time to go (which unfortunately isn't until 12:30), but drop off is much better! I'm not sure what's changed other than a lot of prayer... I also told her on her way Wednesday that she isn't going to be afraid to go to school forever, which seemed to calm her... sometimes you just need to know that some of your struggles are only for a season.
I was looking at Cole's head this last week, enjoying how perfectly round it is and the nice ridge he has. So thankful yet again for his helmet therapy and for the people who so graciously gave to help meet that need for our family
I recently read that on average, a stay-at-home mom only spends 15 extra intentional minutes a day with their child than a working mom. That stat stopped me dead in my tracks. It's easy to just let the kids play, watch a show, whatever... while you clean, do dishes, check Facebook, do laundry, check Facebook, blog etc. Sure thinking about how I spend my time and working to be more intentional to just sit and play with my kids.
We got another snow here yesterday. Can I just say I am so over the snow??? I should have known it would happen because yesterday morning I mopped all the wood floors, getting the grit off from the last snow. No more mopping until I see green on the trees. Just kidding... kinda.

Emotions

2011-02-21T16:36:00.000-06:00

When we moved into our house we inherited an extremely large mirror on our bedroom door. I really kind of like it, but it can scare to poo out of you if you catch your reflection in it at the wrong time. The kids also like it. The other day we were sitting on the floor making faces at each other in the mirror... one thing led to another and then we decided to turn it into a game. I would tell them an emotion and then they would have to make the face to match. Then we would talk about what things made us feel that way. They thought the face making was hil-ar-i-ous... and some of their faces were too! My favorite was their surprised face. Cole's was especially oh-so-cute. There's something about being two that makes you that way... as long as you aren't throwing a fit.

Anyway, a couple days after that I found this painting activity dealing with emotions. It sounds really awesome. I am hoping to do it with the kids later this week... you know how we love painting. Excited to see what colors they choose for each emotion. Just wanted to pass it along to my parent/teacher readers! Hope it makes you HAPPY! :)

Menu Plan - ANOTHER crazy week

2011-02-20T14:22:00.000-06:00

Last week, Eric and I were able to go to the C3 Conference at Fellowship Church in Texas. We went with 40 other CrossPoint leaders from all of our campuses. It was a great week... refreshing, motivating, challenging... one of those weeks that plants the desire in you to bring your ministry to a whole new level. Excited to see how God is going to move through CP in the next few months!

This week is another crazy week filled will all sorts of stuff... some day travel events, some just crazy in town stuff. It stresses me out to be busy, so I'm trying to take deep breaths just to get through the next few days! Here's what we will be eating this week...

MONDAY
Mini Pigs in a Blanket, Mac & Cheese, Salad, Fruit

TUESDAY
Dinner with Small Group - Fresh Fruit & Chocolate Chip Cookies

WEDNESDAY
Eric & Sadie are going to a WSU game with Eric's Dad - Cole and I will probably just have a snacky supper

THURSDAY
Turkey Burgers, Roasted Potatoes, Salad, Fruit

FRIDAY
Sack Lunch Supper in the car

SATURDAY
Grilled Stuffed Burritos, Chips & Guac, Fruit

SUNDAY
Turkey Joes, Mixed Veggies, Fruit

For those of us that struggle with change...

2011-02-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

"The truth is, God uses change to change us. He doesn't use it to destroy us, but to coax us to the next level of character, experience, compassion, and destiny."
-Beth Moore, So Long Insecurity

You'll never believe this...

2011-02-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

but... I played in the snow again this winter! Sadie and I spent some time outside this last week making this Mr. Potato Head snowman. Accessorizing her snow people may be one of her favorite things. Meet Smiley. I think he's cute.

Sadie with Smiley.

We can now bring on spring.

Psalm 40:5

2011-02-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it would appear that I am breaking the verse 17 pattern... over the next couple weeks, I will be working to memorize Psalm 40:5 which says...

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.

Our God is good!

Prayer

2011-02-14T19:22:00.001-06:00

Last week I mentioned that Sadie is struggling with separation anxiety. This is new territory for us. Neither one of our children did the "normal" separation anxiety around the age of 18 months. As long as they were with someone they loved and trusted, they were always happy to go wherever without Eric or me.

I did the separation anxiety bit at about the same time in my development. It lasted into the 9th week of Kindergarten. My teacher gave me an award for coming to school for the first time without crying and needing to be peeled off of whomever was delivering me for the day. I remember those days vividly. They may be some of my first memories, actually. Exhausting. For everyone.

This is probably one of the most difficult times I've had in my 4 years of parenting (I sound so seasoned, don't I??!!). I can't fix it. There seems to be nothing I can do to ease the pain... I've tried. It's one of those seasons, when you have to sit back, do the hard things and pray - pray - pray.

I'm learning that there are times in your children's lives when you will have no other choice but to pray them through. Yes... you can encourage them and support them... but you have to release them to let the ONE who is more capable handle them, love them and strengthen them. I know that God is going to use this in Sadie's life for His good. I think it may even be part of her journey that draws her to Himself. Praying for Sadie and sitting back to do the hard stuff - wait & trust.

Cole, I'm gonna keep you....

2011-02-11T15:49:00.001-06:00

When we move, it takes me awhile to sort through stuff and figure out where I'm going to put everything. Sometimes I like to switch things up from our last place... sometimes I like it the same... and sometimes I pull things out of storage that have been there for 5 years and use them in some new way.

Since our last house was a rental and we knew it would be temporary, I didn't hang much on the walls... just enough to make it feel homey. As I've been unpacking in our new place, I've realized that this is the first time that Cole has really taken time to look at a lot of pictures. Today as I was hanging things on our bedroom wall I unwrapped our wedding picture.

Don't we look so young??? Eric and I got a good laugh out of this!

Sweet little Cole looked at it, pointed to Eric and said, "Daddy," and pointed to me and said, "Mommy." He looked at it a little longer as I was unwrapping other pictures and said, "Mommy, you were a princess." Melt my heart. I needed that after this week! ;)

Teacher Face

2011-02-09T23:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had to put on my teacher face. I am a pretty patient person... but there are times when the teacher face is necessary. Eric says he's glad he's not a child anymore because my teacher face scares him. I am pretty intimidating, you know.

I needed to jump in the shower yesterday morning. Before I hopped in I did my famous, "Does anyone need anything before I get in the shower," speech. There were no takers, so I went ahead and gathered my things and went to clean up.

About 5 minutes in, Sadie comes to me telling me she wants a hot dog. Where was she when I did the speech??? I told her she would need to wait... it was not safe for her to try to warm a hot dog herself (she's tried the microwave by herself before... not.good!).

She moseyed off to do who-knows-what... what really takes place when mom's in the shower, anyway??? Apparently all things exciting because next thing I know she's back telling me I need to come quick. With conditioner in my hair I jump out of the shower, grab a towel and run through the dining room into the kitchen to find the dog snarfing down hot dogs as quickly as he can... expensive all-beef Hebrew National dogs... they are not hot dogs suited for a canine. Dripping wet, I quickly start snatching hot dogs (did I mention I bought the family size pack of 24???) off the floor in attempt to rescue them.

Apparently Sadie went ahead with her hot dog warming (after all, she only needed to press 2-0-start... so she says) and in the process Cole decided to help. He was the poor soul who ended up dumping the dogs on the floor and Boston-the-Wonder-Dog was just an innocent bystander willing to help clean up the mess.

Insert teacher face. Mama wasn't happy. Wanna come over for a hot dog???

Keeping it real

2011-02-07T20:51:00.001-06:00

Guess what!!??

Things aren't always sunshine and roses around here. Today has been one of THOSE days.

Between Sadie going through a stage of separation anxiety and Cole going through a super-whiny-and-whimpering stage I am exhausted...this is why we only have two children. I spent a majority of my morning trying to get a very weepy Sadie excited about a 2 hour afternoon at preschool and redirecting Cole for the 500 kazillionth to "tell me again using his big boy voice." At 4 o'clock this evening I finally got to folding my 3 loads of laundry that had been dumped on the bed, the dishwasher loaded and the bills paid.

Some days I just want to sit in the corner, cry and pray that Dr. Pepper would come and rescue me. I would just like to say that I am so thankful that tomorrow is a new day...

My favorite pics from the last week...

2011-02-04T06:00:00.002-06:00

Snow days bring out the best in people... creativity tends to blossom when you are stuck in the same space for multiple days. Here's what happened around here this week besides movie watching, tent building and jammie snuggling...

Cole found my glasses and decided to wear them. He thought this was h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.

Sadie is starting to really be interested in writing all sorts of things. I love this message she wrote next her plate of freshly baked cookies.

This is what happens when two children are left unattended. Incidentally, Sadie looked the same.

Balloons are just all around fun...

Togetherness

2011-02-03T06:00:00.005-06:00

I love to watch Sadie and Cole play together these days. I know it must be similar to how my brother and I played as children. I am 2 years and 5 days older than my brother... Sadie is 2 years and 18 days older than Cole. Because of her age, Sadie is the ring leader of a lot of their play, but Cole is just happy to be with her. Don't get me wrong, they have their tiffs, but for the most part, they enjoy each other.

In the last few months they have begun...

playing house together
playing school together
building blocks and legos together
chasing each other like crazy all through the house
building tents
crafting together

They fetch each other books, snacks and Bandaids and sometimes they even do this....

Sadie and Cole chillin' in front of the TV.

and eventually there will be a day when they do this...

Me with my Brother last July celebrating the birth of his baby girl, Kate.

And that's good stuff. I'm glad they're friends... because being friends with your siblings is one of the best gifts in the world.

Zephaniah 3:17

2011-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have finally decided what Scripture I want to memorize during the 1st couple weeks of February. Normally I will read something and immediately know... that's it... I gotta memorize it. This month, not so much... but today I found a verse in Zephaniah that I love. As I wrote it in my notebook, I realized that all the verses I've learned this year are verse 17... James 1:17, Psalm 90:17... and now Zephaniah 3:17. Isn't that crazy weird???

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
"The Lord your God is with you,
He is might to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."

Is that not beautiful??!! These words take me right to my happy place. We've just got to know and believe that the God of the Universe cares so deeply for each of us... He delights over us... He quiets us... He sings over us...

So Thankful

2011-02-01T15:32:00.000-06:00

Sadie was was having trouble resting today, so in attempt to get her to sit still a little bit longer, I went in on the couch and cuddled her up. As we watched the blizzard outside and the bare trees sway in the breeze, I listened to her thoughts on heaven, heater vents and snowflakes. Yes, we are that deep. ;) Eventually she snuggled into my arms a little more and fell asleep.

I couldn't help but be thankful for the moments that I get to spend just talking and loving on my kids. A lot of times I take that for granted... I get so wrapped up in the day to day nitty gritty that I forget. I've mentioned here before that I can't hold them forever, but I'm so glad that God has entrusted them to my care for these days. I pray that Eric and I would make this time count as we raise them to love Jesus with all of their heart, soul and strength.

Deck the Halls with a Valentine!

2011-01-31T06:00:00.003-06:00

The month of February seems to bring out my inner teacher... we've been tracing, cutting and crafting around here to get ready for a month filled with X's, O's & chocolate!

Our heart garland made out of old, bent up gift bags (we seem to have an abundance of recycled gift bags around here)... the lacing string is made out of the gift bag handles... just tied together. :)

Heart streamers hung from the chandelier...

And our hutch on Valentine steroids... there's a little bit of everything hanging out here! :)

Bringing the valentine spirit around here! :)

Menu Plan - Back in the groove

2011-01-30T21:44:00.000-06:00

Last week was a weird week... we deviated from the Meal Plan quite a bit. We ended up using a gift card and free kid's meal coupons to Chili's one night AND THEN we had a 24 hour period where the city was working on our water lines, which colored our water yellow. I just wasn't that into drinking and cooking with yellow water, so we ate out a couple more meals. My kids probably think this was the most exciting week of their lives. :) I'm not a big eater outer (is that a term?), but everyone else in my family thinks it's the bee's knees. This week, we've gotta get back into the routine.

MONDAY
Potato & Ham Soup, Crescent Rolls, Fruit

TUESDAY
Not sure yet... have some scheduling issues...

WEDNESDAY
Mexicali Meatloaf, Corn, Salad, Fruit

THURSDAY
Salmon, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad, Fruit

FRIDAY
Orange Chicken & Rice, Snap Peas, Fruit

SATURDAY
Popcorn, Cheese & Apples

SUNDAY
Angel Crock Pot Chicken, Green Beans, Fruit

My future fashion consultant...

2011-01-28T08:00:00.002-06:00

I love Sadie's style... and honestly I wish I could look as cute as she does even in a mismatched concoction, such as this.

This girl's got soul when it comes to clothes and that makes me smile.

PS... Don't you love the boots on the wrong feet??? How do children tolerate that?!

Soul Candy

2011-01-27T15:11:00.000-06:00

The past couple weeks I've been participating in our churches B90X reading plan... it's a read through the New Testament in 90 days. As I was reading along last week, something stood out to me that I had never noticed before (Eric had never noticed it either... and I love teaching him a thing or two about Scripture! ;) Usually it's the other way around.)

Anyway, I was reading through Matthew 27:15-26... these verses lead up to Jesus' crucifixion -

15 Now it was the governor's custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Barabbas.17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21 "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor.
"Barabbas," they answered.
22 "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
25 All the people answered, "His blood is on us and on our children!"
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Intense. I can't begin to imagine being in that moment. Because of the crowds uproar, Jesus took the place of Barabbas who was guilty of the crime which Jesus was accused.

Here's the part that got me all excited... in my commentary it explained that the name "Barabbas" means "son of the father," which was exactly who Jesus was to God... the "son of the Father." I don't think it was by accident that Barabbas' mother chose that name for him... it was divine... God knew where Barabbas would be all those years later. He knew that the true "son of the Father" would take Barabbas' place on the cross... along with yours and mine.

So thankful for the "son of the Father," Jesus, and His deep love for each of us... His willingness to go to the cross so that we might know of His redeeming love.

Socks

2011-01-26T08:50:00.000-06:00

Cole: (holding up a sock) Whose sock this, Daddy?

Eric: That's Sadie's sock.

Cole: Where my socks?

Eric: I don't know, what color are they?

Cole: White, white, daddy.

Eric: White?

Cole: They have witing (writing) on them.

Eric: Really, what do they say?

Cole: They don't talk.

Winter Book List

2011-01-25T09:06:00.001-06:00

Oh, how I love a stack of books! I've officially borrowed and collected everything I'm planning to read over the next few weeks until the groundhog decides that spring is here (Oh, Lord, may it come quickly!). :)

Here's the run down:
Yesterday's Embers by Deborah Raney
So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore
Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
Do You Know Who I am? by Angela Thomas
Each New Day by Corrie Ten Boom

How do you like your chocolate???

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Those that know me well, know that I love me some chocolate... with a Dr. Pepper on the side, of course. It is truly my guilty pleasure. Chocolate may even be my love language. Maybe Gary Chapman needs to add an extra chapter to his book for me. :) Anyway... I used to be a lover of all things milk chocolate... I especially loved Milk Chocolate Bliss Squares. Heaven in a wrapper.

Something weird has been happening to me lately, though... maybe it has to do with me becoming more grown up... I mean, I am just a few months shy of 30... maybe my taste buds are just maturing a few weeks before the big day.... for-whatever-reason I recently made the switch from milk chocolate to dark chocolate (something I never thought I would do). My chocolate change of heart happened overnight (imagine that, a girl changing her mind overnight... we'll leave that for another post). Come to find out, Dark Chocolate Bliss Squares are my new heaven in a wrapper. Who knew???

So, what do you prefer, milk or dark???

Hey! It's what's for dinner...

2011-01-23T14:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday to everyone! :) It is super cloudy and cold here today... I'm thinking a great day for a nap! Let's hope everyone is supportive of that idea and we can get a few moments of peace quiet around here!

Here's what's for supper this week...
MONDAY
Beef Stew, Homemade bread, Fruit

TUESDAY
Small Group Appetizer Night... I'm bringing a fruit pizza

WEDNESDAY
Cheese It Chicken, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Green Beans, Fruit

THURSDAY
Quesadilla Burgers, French Fries, Fruit

FRIDAY
California Club Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit

SATURDAY
Popcorn, Cheese, Apples

SUNDAY
Waffles, Bacon & Eggs

Our lunches this week are the usual, but I am going to try something all wild and crazy... thinking about making grilled peanut better and jelly sandwiches... for some reason the warm melted peanut butter sounds too yummy for words. I'll let you know if it's any good. :) Have a wonderful week... last week of January! Can you believe it!?

Something that makes life easier... while painting

2011-01-21T09:10:00.000-06:00

Every now and then I post a picture of something that makes life a little easier around here. It's no rocket science, just some things that I've picked up along the way. :)

We do a lot of painting and crafting around here. Originally we started off with the Crayola paint set with 10 colors and screw tops... the idea was to put a brush right into the paint and then pop the lid back on when you were done. But, we were wasting so.much.paint.... it was gloppy and always super messy. And then there was the mixing of colors... well, let's just say that the teacher in me knows this is a good process for a preschooler but this OCD mama couldn't handle multiple colors in each paint cup.

We needed a change... so at Christmas, I purchased squeezable tubes of Crayola's Washable Poster Paint in 5 colors and painter pallets for Sadie and Cole. I set them up with a cup of about 20 brushes (collected from old water color sets) a cup of water (for dirty brushes), paper and their pallets.

We fill five holes up with color and then they can mix new colors in the empty spots. It works beautifully and clean up is a snap... everything goes right to the dishwasher... the dishwasher is my BFF.

Happy Painting!

Middle names are funny...

2011-01-20T00:22:00.000-06:00

Tonight at supper Eric had this great idea for all of us to call each other by our middle names... so, we had a Marie, a Noel and two William's. Having two people with the same name became difficult, so we decided to shorten Cole's name to Bill... I couldn't help but laugh myself silly calling my two year old son, Bill. I mean, seriously, does this little face look like a Bill to you???

Proof that I indeed DID play in the snow...

2011-01-18T18:00:00.000-06:00

Cold weather makes me miserable.... but I had to stay true to my 30 B4 30 plan to build a snowman with the kids. We had a beautiful snow (if those two words can be written together) last week and when we went outside to play.

The snow was too fluffy to build an upright snowman, so we constructed a snow angel.

We also celebrated because this is the first snow that Cole was able to walk in!!! He enjoyed it very much... and was thankful that it wasn't too cold because he's as wimpy as I am when it comes to unpleasant weather.

Our morning was finished off with a ride on the sleigh through the neighborhood. Good times... hopefully memories that they will remember!

Scripture Memory

2011-01-15T15:12:00.001-06:00

I am a little slow at getting here on this Monday (and didn't have the chance to blog yesterday)... I was able to spend today with my friends again. This is a rarity... twice in one month... lately we've been on the 3-4 times a year plan. Super blessed.

Anyway, in my last post I said that I would post the scripture that I am memorizing or have memorized this month and I also wanted to show you how I keep track of what I memorize. Sometimes if you can see what others are doing, it's just inspiring to get out there and do the same thing!

A few years ago I began using spiral notepads for memory.
I like that everything stays together in one place instead of having notes here and there with random verses... but sometimes you just need a change... so this time around, Eric shared one of his Moleskines with me. Isn't that a weird name for a little black notebook?
Anyway... I like it, and it makes me happy and motivated to pull it out and review my verses. Here's what I memorized at the top of the month...

James 1:17NIV
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
(I actually chose this verse to memorize around Christmas... doesn't it sound all festive with gifts and lights?! ;)

And the new one I'm working on...
Psalm 90:17NIV
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.
(God's favor upon our family and ministry has been something I've been praying over us for the last 6-8 months... I also like that this verse adds for the Lord to establish our work - to show us what to do!!!)

Hope this is encouragement for you to grab your Bible and begin the journey... or continue the journey of hiding God's Word in your heart... His Word is living and active and will never come back void.

30 B4 30 Update Edition 2 + a change

2011-01-15T14:16:00.001-06:00

I didn't really make any New Year's Resolutions this year because I've been working hard at completing my 30 B4 30 list... it has really been A LOT of fun and caused me to be more focused in different areas than normal (apart from cleaning, cooking and keeping kids alive). I'm considering making a similar list at every Birthday in the years to come. Here is the list of some simple things (and not so simple things) I want to accomplish before my 30th Birthday. In case you're wondering... what I have done so far is in gray scale!!!

1. Learn to make homemade lemonade.
2. Teach Sadie to tie her shoes. (We have been working on this... slow going, though... her kindergarten teacher will be so happy next year when she can do this!)
3. Complete reading through the Bible. Continued progress... changing my reading schedule up a bit since our Church is doing B90X (a 90 day read through the New Testament.
4. Hike a new park we've discovered and Coronado Heights.
5. Take the kids fishing. I did find a fishing pole on sale for Cole this week at Target... won't be doing any fishing in the Midwest for a while, though!
6. Take Eric on a surprise date.
7. Get photo albums updated - this could take an eternity.
8. Bake cinnamon rolls like Cooke. (I'm not sure it's the exact recipe, but it's pretty darn close, and I could eat the entire pan.)
9. Save for my 30th Birthday cruise getaway with Eric. On our way and getting passports this week! Woot!
10. Get pictures secured in Cole's baby book.
11. Invite 30 people to CrossPoint. Making progress, but I'm afraid I've lost count on where I'm at!
12. Take a trip to the Great Wolf Lodge.
13. Get 6 hours of college credit to renew my teaching certificate. 3 are complete!
14. Read 5 books every season. (Summer season DONE and Fall season with 20 more pages to go! Will post new books this next week!)
15. Plant annuals at our new home - Lord let us be in our new home by the time I'm 30! Praise the Lord we are here!!!
16. Get a good picture of a Kansas sunset.
17. Meditate/Memorize 5 segments of scripture: This is the one I'm editing! :)
Daniel 2:20-23
Psalm 131
Deuteronomy 10:12-13
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Isaiah 30:18
18. Make plans to travel to CO to be with Brady, Janelle and Katelyn in December or January.
19. Take 20 minutes every month to just be still. (This is probably going to be the hardest thing on my list.) - I stink at this... I told you so!
20. Learn to make homemade bread without using the bread machine.
21. Take cookies to our neighbors.
22. Play a board game I've never played before.
23. Search Goodwill for a glass cake cover for my cake plate. My friend, Shauna, actually gifted me with one from a garage sale!!!
24. Find the address of where my grandpa grew up and then find the house.
25. Take treats to the fire station and police station.
26. Research photography and picture editing.
27. Build a snowman with the kids (normally I make Eric do this because I HATE the cold).
28. Have family pictures taken.
29. Get a good photo of a church I've been wanting to take pictures of off of the highway.
30. Send two packages to our World Vision child, Vilma, this year. (Sent one off for Christmas!)

_________________________________________________

Okay... so about #17... I have issues with changing things up. For some reason I feel like every little thing must be set in stone... but I think I need to get over that. I am loosing motivation on the verses here for a couple reasons - I feel defeated by their length AND while at one point these were verses I was passionate over, I have now moved into a new season of life with new scripture that is meaningful. I feel the more meaningful a certain verse is, the more apt you are to take it to heart through memory... so, maybe it's better to choose a verse right before you are ready to memorize??!!

Anyway, all that to say... I love reading Beth Moore's blog and this year she is doing a Scripture Memory Challenge, so I've decided to take part. Basically it's memorizing 2 verses every month... they are sharing them on the Living Proof Ministry Blog on the 1st and 15th every month, but it's better accountability for me to post them here every month. I have already memorized one and have selected my second for January... I will share them with you on Monday!

So... #17 will now read: Participate in Beth Moore's Scripture Memory Challenge! :)

Soul Candy

2011-01-13T09:05:00.000-06:00

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."
Deuteronomy 6:7-8

Praying today I that would have a heart that loves the Lord deeply, that I would walk in His ways and that I would look to Him in all things as I spend my days with my children. So thankful to serve a God who directs our path (and some days the path requires mud boots instead of your fancy ones)... this parenting thing isn't for the weak!

Giveaway Winner!

2011-01-12T09:01:00.000-06:00

My brain is in somewhat of a fog today... maybe the cheers from a giveaway will clear things up! :)

From www.random.org

List Randomizer

There were 7 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Andrea

Yay, Andrea! :) I'll be getting with you to grab your address and will send you some hair clips in the next week! :) Thanks for you comments, everyone! Happy Wednesday!

Something that makes life easier... during game time.

2011-01-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

Every now and then I post a picture of something that makes life a little easier around here. It's no rocket science, just some things that I've picked up along the way. :)

Sadie loves playing card games right now... actually games of any sort are on her radar these days. The problem... it's difficult for her to hold several cards in her little hand at a time... here's our solution... Egg Carton Card Holder...

To make your own Egg Carton Card Holder...

Turn an empty egg carton upside down.
Using a knife, cut small 1 inch slits on the top of each compartment.
Pass out the game cards, insert cards into slits and play away!
We store our carton up in the game closet so it's out of the way. :)

Simple and fun...

Worth Sharing...

2011-01-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

I read these two blogs this week and thought they were worth sharing with those who are in the midst of raising children and those raising children in ministry...

This one on patience in mothering....
Be patient... from Making Home

And the other on raising "pastor's kids" aka PK's...
The PK Life: The Teen Perspective from Leading and Loving It

Both of them challenged me and made me think! Enjoy!

Menu Plan - Clean Out the Freezer Week

2011-01-09T16:56:00.000-06:00

We have done quite a bit of traveling over the past couple weeks, so I thought saving a little money on groceries this week would counter some of our traveling expenses. I am in the habit of throwing odds and ends in the freezer... here's what I found today as I cleaned out... it's difficult to take a good picture of baggies of miscellaneous food, but you'll get the idea. :)

In this picture: crushed tomatoes, extra ricotta/spinach filling for shells, extra spaghetti sauce, 2 ripe bananas, potato puffs - aka tater tots, Italian bread loaf (hiding in the back)
4 whole wheat rolls, leftover roast beef, berry smoothie in the jar, apple pie ready for a crust, chicken breasts, ground turkey, shredded cabbage

There was quite a bit in there! I was able to incorporate this stuff into 6 meals for the next week, making my grocery list oh.so.short.

Here's what we're having this week:
Lunches include: leftovers, egg sandwiches, muffin tin lunches, PBJ tortillas, and tostadas, hot dogs

MONDAY
Bierocks, Honey Carrots, Fruit (we had some yummy blueberries this week... and I've been hungry for raspberries... maybe I can find some this week!?)

TUESDAY
Supper/Snack night @ small group - don't know what I'm bringing yet!

WEDNESDAY
BBQ Beef Sandwiches, Corn on the Cob, Fruit, Rolls

THURSDAY
Laughing Cow Chicken, Snap Peas, Fruit

FRIDAY
Spaghetti & Stuffed Shells, Italian Bread, Green Beans, Fruit

SATURDAY
Tater Tot Casserole, Salad, Raw Carrots, Fruit

SUNDAY
Beef Stroganoff, Green Beans, Fruit

For snacks this week, I'm going to make an apple pie and some banana chip muffins... maybe some PB Kiss Cookies because I've been hungry for those! :)

I hope you had a relaxing weekend! Looking forward to a great week together!

Don't forget that there's a giveaway opportunity this week! :)

A couple things...

2011-01-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's the weekend! Can I get an Yippee!? I've got a couple things in the works for this next week and wanted to invite you to join me if you are interested!!!

Menu Plan - This week I'm doing a freezer clean out! My goal is to see how many meals I can create with what's in my freezer! Tomorrow I'll be back with pictures of what I've found and share how many meals I can make with my freezer finds... doesn't that just sound invigorating??? The life of a homemaker... it really is the little things that are oh.so.thrilling.

So... if you want to partake in the excitement, get your little buns to your freezer and see what you can find... then comment tomorrow on the Menu Plan post sharing what you found and how many meals you can make! :)
GIVEAWAY DAY! I am busy making some of these.... to give to you!!!

I became addicted to making these cute little snap hair clips before Christmas. Since Sadie can only wear so many barrettes in a day, I thought I'd make some to share with you! To enter the drawing for the hair clips, leave a comment on this post. Comments will close on Wednesday at 9AM Central Time.

Little boys and their toys...

2011-01-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite pictures from Christmas this year... our nephew, Corban, and Cole playing on the iPad... for a long time we wondered if these little boys would every play together, let alone snuggle together. Technology brings us together on multiple levels! :)

Back in the saddle...

2011-01-06T14:34:00.000-06:00

Ahhhhhhh... the tree is down, the laundry's nearly caught up and the dishwasher is doin' it's thing... I'm home. And it's good.

We were able to get away and spend some time with both sides of our family. It's always fun to get away from the normal every day routine. One of the highlights of the trip... squeezing in some baby therapy with my brother's little one...

Vacations can't last forever... so here we are!!! I have so much to share in the next week or so... I made a list so I don't forget. I love me a good list. :)

Speaking of lists, here's my menu plan for the rest of this week!

THURSDAY
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Blueberries, Yogurt
Supper: Pancakes with Strawberries and Scrambled Eggs

FRIDAY
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrots, Fruit
Supper: Something quick...

SATURDAY
Lunch: Mini Pizzas on English Muffins
Supper: White Chicken Chili

SUNDAY
Lunch: Ranch Tilapia, Salad and Fruit
Supper: Popcorn, Cheese, Apples

Make sure to check back later this week because we are going to have a giveaway!!! I've never done that before, but it's going to be so fun... especially if you have a little girl or know one that you can spoil! :)

Thanks for reading! Happy Thursday!

I'll be back soon...

2010-12-28T20:40:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Just wanted to let you know that I'm still eating ridiculous amounts of food and just now getting a chance to be with my extended family... I'll be back in a few days with new posts... but for now, I gotta get back to the chocolate. Happy New Year to you and yours! :)

Cookies & Milk with Santa

2010-12-24T09:32:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick post of the kids at Cookies & Milk with Santa sponsored by the Library... I like this picture. It fits Cole's eating personality perfectly... he is eating the frosting straight out of the frosting cup....

And here they are with their visit to Santa...

Also I wanted to link you to an excellent audio Christmas Story for Kids over on the girltalk blog. I'm going to have my kiddos listen today while they eat their lunch. It's about 10 minutes long and really great! Merry Christmas, friends!

My heart is full...

2010-12-22T08:43:00.000-06:00

I love these girls... great day with my besties! Aren't they beautiful!?

We spent the day talking, eating, laughing and making these...

The three of us became friends back when Sadie was born... they both had baby girls that were a year older than Sadie and we learned to do life together. There is something to be said about friendships that are made when your children are young... there is authenticity in those relationships... I mean, after all, you get no sleep and spend most of the days in your pj's... you need people that love you for you! We have so many good memories together... and I'm thankful that although there are now miles between us, we can still pick up where we left off!

Oh... and here's our kiddos, too...

4 boys... 4 girls... even steven. Great day... great friends.

I'm so glad, you're in my family...

2010-12-21T08:52:00.000-06:00

One of our friends took our family pics a few weeks ago... and some with just Eric and I... love them. Thought I'd share... after all, family pics was on my 30 B4 30 list.

Just a bunch of random thoughts...

2010-12-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

Here are a bunch of random thoughts that aren't nearly beefy enough for a post of their own. :) Welcome to my brain.

When we were a double income family, I had a method of Christmas shopping that would drive Dave Ramsey crazy. It was the BOGO approach and went something like this... buy a gift for my mom, buy something for me, buy a gift for Eric, buy something for me, buy a gift for my brother, buy something for me... this method kept me motivated through the mall. Now my motivation is to stick to the list, use as many coupons as possible and try to get most of my shopping done online.
Oak Ridge Boys is my all time favorite Christmas Album. I have not listened to it once this season. That needs to change.
When we were doing advent last night, we were reviewing all the alphabet. We were on the letter P and were reviewing that Jesus was the only perfect person to walk the earth. Cole strongly disagreed with, "No! I perfect, I perfect." We tried to explain otherwise, but gave up to avoid a major meltdown.
Today is Sadie's first school program. I nearly booked myself to substitute today... that would have been terrible. Can't wait to see the adorableness that oozes from her little class. So thankful for her incredible teacher.
My favorite dessert right now - s'mores... I make them in the oven and they are oh.so.good.... with a Dr. Pepper, of course.
Today I need to clean my bathroom, dust the floors, vacuum and wrap packages... I wonder how much of that will be accomplished??!! Bathroom must be done - hands down.
Tomorrow two of my besties are coming for a visit!!! I can hardly wait! They are each bringing their three kids... how did I get so far behind on the child production??? Hmmm... anyway, I am praying that all of us wake up healthy in the morning so our wonderful day together can actually happen!!!

Menu Plan - Christmas Week!

2010-12-19T20:04:00.000-06:00

Christmas week is upon us!!! Can you believe it!? I am so excited... this is the first year in awhile were we have not been overbooked and in a hurry. I intentionally blocked off weekends this month to keep things a little more low key... I feel like I've been able to really soak in the season, and that is refreshing.

Last week I planned our menu for two weeks and did two weeks of grocery shopping at once (trying to see if I can knock a few bucks off the grocery bill this way)... that means this week I will only need to stop for produce and milk... and that my friends, is a beautiful thing.

Speaking of milk... I think we either need to take out stock in Braum's or purchase our own dairy cow... just sayin'.

Okay... onto what we are eating...

MONDAY
Lunch: Chicken Tetrazzini, Snap Peas, Fruit
Supper: Christmas Party - I am bringing Peanut Butter Chocolate Treats

TUESDAY
Lunch: Egg Sandwiches, Carrots/Dip
Supper: Hamburger Noodle Soup, Corn Bread

WEDNESDAY
Lunch: Grilled Ham and Cheese, Chips, Fruit
Supper: Penne w/mushrooms, Italian Sausage and Broccoli, Salad, Fruit

THURSDAY
Lunch: Leftovers
Supper: Taco Squares, Carrots/Dip, Fruit

FRIDAY
Late Lunch: Pizza
Supper: Snacks - tortilla rolls, rye bread & dill dip, carrots, celery, apple slices

SATURDAY
Breakfast: Sweet Sausage Rolls, Breakfast Bake
Late Lunch/Snacking - BBQ Meatballs, Cheese Ball with Crackers, Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Fruit

SUNDAY
Celebrating Christmas with Family... not sure what I'm making yet. :)

I'm not sure how much I'll be around here this week... we'll just kind of see how things go! If I'm not back too often, have a very Merry Christmas!

Something that makes life easier... at lunch.

2010-12-17T09:22:00.000-06:00

Every now and then I'm going to start posting a picture of something that makes life a little easier around here. It's no rocket science, just some things that I've picked up along the way. :)

So for the first edition (Doesn't that sound so professional??? HA!) I am presenting (drum roll please) Muffin Tin Lunches. This is an idea I stole from someone along they way, but I love it. Basically it's just a bunch of odds and ends thrown into a muffin tin and served to your children for lunch. They.love.it. AND in case your wondering, I secretly like to eat out of a muffin tin, also.

Usually we eat right out of the tin, but last week I gave everyone a plate... Eric was not home for lunch on this particular day, but this tray fed all three of us. Sadie wanted me to take a picture of her "circle of food." She was quite pleased with herself.

Whoever it was that I stole this idea from used 6 cup tins and each person ate out of their own tin instead of sharing. That would be kind of fun, too... I should start looking for 6 cup tins at Goodwill! Happy Munching!

Spreading A Little Christmas Cheer

2010-12-15T19:34:00.000-06:00

Last week our house was an M-E-double S. Something had to be done before I needed admitted to the crazy house.

I decided to turn on Relient K's Christmas CD to help us get in the cleaning/organizing spirit. Within the first two notes Cole was throwin' up his rock fist. We caught a couple minutes on Flip... this ought to warm your heart with Christmas cheer (or at least make you smile)... ignore the spastic dancer on the right. I don't know her, but I'm pretty sure it's where this little boy picked up his best moves. :)

Coley Dance from Eric Franklin on Vimeo.

Menu Plan - Better Late Than Never!

2010-12-13T21:46:00.000-06:00

Sunday's are normally my uber relaxing day of the week.... but yesterday, not.so.much. It was a fun day, but busy, which kept me from getting my menu done until today! Here's what we're having this week...

MONDAY
Lunch: Leftovers
Supper: Eric & I - DATE NIGHT and Christmas Shopping & Sadie and Cole Scrambled Eggs and Biscuits

TUESDAY
Lunch: Muffin Tin Lunches
Supper: Just the kids & me - eating my leftovers from Date Night @ Logan's - The meatloaf meal from there will literally feed me one meal and then all 4 of us at another meal. It's so yummy, too.

WEDNESDAY
Lunch: Egg Sandwiches, Carrots, Fruit
Supper: Laughing Cow Chicken, Green Beans, Fruit

THURSDAY
Lunch: Mac & Cheese with Hot Dogs
Supper: Savory Steaks & Sauce, Baked Potatoes, Fruit

FRIDAY
Lunch: Leftovers
Supper: Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Fruit

SATURDAY
Lunch: Chicken Chili
Supper: Popcorn, Cheese, Apples

SUNDAY
Lunch: Sloppy Joes, Snap Peas, Fruit
Supper: Pancakes with Berries, Eggs

Hope you week is off to a good start!

Gingerbread Baby

2010-12-10T20:03:00.000-06:00

Sorry I'm a little late in getting here today! We actually did the activity I'm going to share with you tonight.... and then went out to look at Christmas Lights... and then we went to Walmart to get toilet paper (somehow we've run out)... and I might have thrown in some Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream along the way... I've heard that Blue Bunny's Peppermint Ice Cream is heavenly, but haven't found any around here, yet. That very well could have been the longest sentence I've ever written... but I digress.

Anyway... the last book for the Preschool Christmas Play Party is Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett. This is a story about a little boy who opens the oven door too early while baking cookies. Expecting to check on his baking Gingerbread Boy, the boy is surprised to have a Gingerbread Baby jump right out of the oven. The whole town works to catch the Gingerbread Baby, but he is too fast and clever for everyone. The little boy finally captures him by luring him into a Gingerbread House and then shutting the doors up tight... and that is where the Baby stays.

I'm sure you can tell where the activity for this book is heading... you guessed it... decorate a Gingerbread House. Normally when we craft around here the expense is minimal, but sometimes you just have to splurge. I had considered constructing our own Gingerbread House out of graham crackers and candies, but when I found a kit at Aldi for $6.99 we went that route. It was a lot of fun, but I think more candy went into the kids' mouths than onto the house. They loved it...

I hope you've enjoyed this week's mini series... more than anything, I hope you find time to just be with your family this season teaching them of the wonderful gift we have in Jesus. Many Christmas Blessings to you and yours!

The Mitten

2010-12-09T14:59:00.001-06:00

Today's post is going to be quick and pictureless... this was an activity we did last week and I failed to photograph the fun.

The books that will be featured today and tomorrow are both Jan Brett Books. Jan Brett has a great website that has many resources that go along with her books... you outta check it out.

Today's book is called The Mitten. This is a story about a little boy who looses his mitten in the snow... while it is lost a group of animals squeeze in the mitten to find warmth until finally a little mouse follows a bear inside. The only spot left inside the mitten for the mouse is on the bears nose... this tickles the bears nose, he sneezes, all the animals in the mitten come flying out and the little boy finds his mitten drifting in the air. It's really a very sweet story.

On Jan Brett's site, Brett provides a printable mitten and the animals in the story. Have your children assemble the mitten (glue together like a pocket), color the animals and cut them out... they will all store snugly inside the mitten. This is fun to use as you read the story together or for your child to retell the story!

Zoo Flakes - ABC

2010-12-08T14:19:00.000-06:00

Happy Wednesday! Welcome back to the Christmas Play Activities for Preschoolers Par-tay! I hope you are having a lovely week!

Today's book and activity is centered around the book, Zoo Flakes - ABC by Will C. Howell. This is a book that we checked out at the library this past week. Zoo Flakes is a very creative ABC book. Each letter of the alphabet features a zoo animal that is cut into a snowflake shape. Some snowflakes are really quite incredible! I was hoping that Amazon would have the "choose a page" feature for this book so you could actually see the inside because it really is quite impressive.

If you have older kids, you could actually make animal shaped snowflakes... it would be a fun after dinner activity for everyone to do together! Here's one that I made... I must admit, it took some thinking! :) Here is what I could use for "L is for Lizard." Sadie was quite impressed with my skills... I was too, actually.

Since our scissor skills aren't as refined here, we made snowflakes out of Popsicle sticks, buttons, sequins and star beads... you could really stick anything on that you have around the house... noodles, pony beads, pom-poms (I totally would have used pom-poms, but we are out... I love those brightly colored poms... they take me right to my happy crafty place.).

I pre-glued the sticks together....

...and then let the kids glue on the bling.

They turned out pretty cute and with a little ribbon attached to the back, they will make a nice, cheerful decoration! :)

The Animals' Christmas Eve

2010-12-07T10:25:00.000-06:00

I hope you all enjoyed the fingerplays and songs that were posted yesterday! Sadie and Cole loved the Santa's Chimney fingerplay and found it to be a novelty that I would actually draw a face on their little thumbkin. I also wanted to mention that last year I posted an advent idea on my blog... the link for it is right here if you are interested... it's had a lot of hits this season, so I'm hoping that families are able to use this or adapt it for their family worship times!

The story I want to share with you today is called, The Animals' Christmas Eve. It's actually a Little Golden book that I found at a second hand store a few years back... I might have a small obsession with children's books.

I think the first page of the book sums up what this sweet story is all about...

In the barn on Christmas Eve,
After all the people leave,
The animals, in voices low,
Remember Christmas long ago.

After sharing this book with your kiddos, take some time to make a paper bag barn. Here is a picture of ours.

We used a full size brown paper bag and cut open doors. The kids and I colored some animals (Cole made a sheep out of his hand print), a star, Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus.

I contemplated just printing off animals for them to color... I'm glad I didn't... have you ever seen such a sweetly drawn camel or Baby Jesus?

(Sadie shining her flashlight in so you can have a closer look.)

Lastly, we glued some of our nativity creations to the outside and some of them to the inside. Sadie wanted to leave some of them loose so she could walk them in and out of the barn... some days I just have to put my OCD ways aside... I mean, who really cares if all the animals are glued perfectly in place. :) It never needs to be perfect to be a blessing.

Christmas Play for Preschoolers...

2010-12-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

Before Miss Sadie came along, I spent my days teaching 1st grade. I loved teaching. I loved the kids. I loved celebrating the holidays with my class and all the special things we were able to do together. Now that both of my kiddos are getting a little older, we are able to do some of those same things together... and it satisfies my teaching itch for this season of life. :) This Tuesday-Friday, I am going to feature a Christmas Story with an activity for you to do at home with your kiddos. Hopefully it will encourage you to slow down, snuggle with your little ones and read, and just have fun together.

For today.... I thought I would post a few songs or fingerplays that I have picked up along the way! Enjoy!

Reindeer Pokey
You put your antlers in,
You put your antlers out.
You put your antlers in,
And you shake them all about.
You do the Reindeer Pokey and you turn yourself around,
That's what it's all about!
(repeat with hooves, red nose, fluffy tail)

Ring the Bells - Use with instruments
(to the tune of "London Bridges")
Ring the bells it's Christmas time,
Christmas time,
Christmas time
Ring the bells it's Christmas time,
Merry Christmas time!
(Play the drums, Pat the sticks, Clap your hands)

Here is the Chimney
Here is the chimney (make fist hiding your thumb)
Here is the top (put your other hand over the "chimney")
Open the lid (take off your hand)
And out Santa will pop (pop up your thumb... you can even draw a face on your thumb:)

Wise Men & Baby Jesus
Wise Men traveled from afar, (walk with your fingers)
Following the Christmas Star. (make a diamond with your fingers and move it through the air)
When it stopped they jumped for joy, (jump up and down)
And worshiped baby Jesus boy. (pretend to cradle a baby in your arms)

Menu Plan - Plans Bumped

2010-12-05T18:14:00.000-06:00

Last week we ate a lot of leftovers! I am not sure how we got away with so much extra food, but it worked out great. Even my not-so-crazy-about-leftovers husband went along with the plan! That being said, this week, we have a few items bumped from last week's menu...

MONDAY
Lunch: Grilled Cheese, Carrots with Dip, Applesauce
Supper: Spicy Orange Chicken, Brown Rice, Snap Peas, Grapes

TUESDAY
Lunch: Bean Tostadas with the fixings
Supper: Chicken Noodle Casserole, Salad, Apples

WEDNESDAY
Lunch: Leftovers
Supper: BBQ Meatballs, Sweet Potato Fries, Fruit

THURSDAY
Lunch: Muffin Tin Lunches
Supper: Turkey Burgers, Grilled Zucchini, Apples

FRIDAY
Lunch: Leftovers
Supper: Mexicali Meatloaf, Green Beans, Oranges

SATURDAY
Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas
Supper: Popcorn, Cheese, Apples

SUNDAY
Lunch: Out to Eat
Supper: Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes, Fruit

Hope you all are off to a lovely start this month! Remember to slow down and just enjoy the season!

Save the Silly Bands

2010-12-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

First off, I would like to say that if I had known shaped rubber bands were going to be the hottest trend in 2010, I would have invented them myself. They remind me of the POG craze of the 90's... they have no purpose AND they cause a lot of clutter.

As I was tidying up today I was terribly annoyed to see that we have Silly Bands all over the place. I found 2 by the coffee pot, some on the living room floor, a generous handful of them hiding in the corner of the doll house and about 6 or 7 in our bedroom (for the record, Eric and I do not wear Silly Bands). They are just the right size to be overlooked as you clean and before you know it, Silly Band's begin to take over the house.

I understand that the Silly Band clutter is partially my fault because I have not given the Silly Bands a "home." Honestly, how does one store Silly Bands??? Please, share how you organize your Silly Bands because my children's are about to find storage in File 13.

I think I'm maturing... or getting old and sentimental.

2010-12-01T19:08:00.001-06:00

I used to have this thing with Christmas trees. In order for a tree to be beautiful they had to have white lights, coordinating bulbs and the garland hung just right. Also... they had to be without a corny angel tree topper that flashed enough to send someone into a light induced seizure.

Things have changed. I now have a 4 year old and a 2 year old who love crafting gluey and glittered ornaments that they are oh-so-proud-of. I've inherited some ornaments from our childhood and a few from my grandparents personal collection. There are memories attached to each ornament and they seem to run deep. So, this year, our tree has all the garb on it that I used to love (and still do) and old memories strewn throughout... and it's beautifully perfect.

Here's my Baby's First Christmas Ornament from 1981. I did have a white little dog like that but lacked in the hair department until about 1983... I was one bald little critter for the longest time. Maybe someday I will show you my baby pictures... wouldn't that be fun?! Back to Christmas...

This was the Mr. and Mrs. Clause that hung on my grandparents tree for as long as I can remember. I loved taking them out of their wrapping this year. I couldn't help but think that maybe my grandpa was the last one to hold Mr. and Mrs. Clause as they were wrapped up for me.

You know that I'm loosening up when Raphael makes a Christmas appearance...

Doesn't get any better than a hero in a half shell on your tree. He's hanging low getting ready to guard my gifts from sneaky little fingers.... good thing Eric picked this one out as a little guy.... hey... maybe I'll show baby pics of him too! *insert evil laugh*

Wishing you the most wonderful Christmas season yet! May we truly embrace the deep love that God has for each of us in His precious Son, Jesus.

Been thinking on this a couple weeks...

2010-11-30T13:18:00.000-06:00

1 Kings 3:9 (Message)

"Here's what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?"

What's your shopping style???

2010-11-29T16:36:00.001-06:00

I haven't ever been big on Black Friday sales. There is nothing appealing to me about getting up at the crack of dawn and fighting millions of people in order to save a couple bucks. PLUS... I have never even really seen anything in the ads that I just can't live without.

Since we've moved to our new city, there aren't many options for shopping, so I've started doing a majority of my Christmas shopping online. Cyber Monday... now that's what I'm talking about. I had a lovely morning shopping online in my PJ's snuggled in my big chair. I got several items checked off my list in less than a half hour and saved me a lot of $$$... bliss.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! What's your shopping flavor???

Menu Plan - Must Restock

2010-11-28T16:20:00.000-06:00

*Sigh*

Well, I hadn't intended on taking a break from blogging last week, it just kinda happened. We did a little traveling last week and our trip was cut short by the stomach flu. I started feeling terrible at the end of the week and we ended up heading home so I could be in my own bed with my own bathroom... there's something therapeutic about being in your own home. I am on day number 3 of feeling crumby... but so far, no one else has come down with the ickyness. Eric has done a great job taking care of me and keeping the children alive and well while I've just laid around with my sad face.

Here's something to make us smile, though! There's nothing like a friendly game of preschool chess...

So... it's Sunday, and it's Menu Day! Quite frankly I am ready for a new start and a new week! I am also hungry... but my tummy hasn't jumped on board with that yet... at least it was easy to pick out what sounded good for the week! :)

MONDAY
Lunch - Leftovers
Supper - Pizza Noodle Bake, whatever veggie I can scrounge up before grocery day on Tuesday, Fruit

TUESDAY
Lunch - PBJ on Tortillas, Applesauce
Supper - Spicy Orange Chicken with Brown Rice, Sugar Snap Peas, Fruit

WEDNESDAY
Lunch - Leftovers
Supper - Chili & Cinnamon Rolls (if I'm operating at full speed)

THURSDAY
Lunch - Mac N Cheese with Hot Dogs, Carrots
Supper - Chicken Noodle Casserole, Salad, Fruit

FRIDAY
Lunch - Spaghetti, Salad
Supper - Penne with Mushrooms, Italian Sausage & Broccoli (don't be fooled... my kids will totally only eat the noodles out of this), Fruit

SATURDAY
Lunch - Tacos
Supper - Popcorn, Cheese, Apples

SUNDAY
Lunch- Out to Eat with Friends
Supper - Mystery Meal (that means I'm not sure what we'll be eating! ;)

This is going to be an expensive week at the grocery store! Not only is our pantry bare, but I also need household items... shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent AND fabric softener... oh, happy day... I'm afraid I'll go over budget this week on groceries... will have to tighten up next week.

*Double Sigh*

Run, Run, As fast as you can! You can't catch me...

2010-11-23T17:00:00.000-06:00

Oh, who am I kidding, you probably could catch me, but at least I'm running! :)

My friend Lauren and I started running a month or so ago. Up until this stretch of running, I used to really hate to move so quickly. I loved to exercise, but running was not on my list of most wonderful options. Step aerobics, now that's what I'm talkin' about... I can step with the best of 'em. But I digress...

So... Lauren invites me to run a few weeks ago and I accept because, well.. I have a hard time telling people no... and I thought it would be beneficial for my health and for the wonderful moods that I experience (please don't misunderstand... I did not say that I was MOODY... just that I experience different moods:).

Anyway... I think the reason that I've enjoyed running this time around is because of the way we have gone about it. We didn't go outside on our first day and try to plow through our first couple miles, go home exhausted and then never run again (I may have done that before). Instead we've been gradual and it has made such a huge difference! We've been using a program called From Couch to 5k... it's awesome! Check it out... their program can even help train you train for a marathon if you are crazy like that.

So, once you get all trained and in shape... come on down and we'll race! ;)