Jens Blurbs

trying to stage a comeback

2012-01-14T18:21:00.002-06:00

Well hello there blogville. I've been gone a while. A long while. I can't promise you anything, but I can tell you that this wanna-be writer is going to try to stage a come-back. I've somehow managed to get some time on my hands since graduation. For those who missed it - I am now a graduate of Liberty University Online. Officially I've graduated though I will still visit the campus in May and walk with my fellow 2012 graduates. I'm told my diploma should arrive at some point in March, unless it's held for mailing until after walking. I'm praying for the earlier date. Something about having the paper in my hands makes it more real. For me and for others. But I'm not worried about the others, lol.

So, since graduation I've found myself with a bit of free time on my hands. I haven't had much to do with it until now. I'm working with our youth group to gain experience for later when God calls us away. At first I felt like that would be right after I graduated but God has settled us in here and I don't feel that urgency anymore. So while we're here and settled in, we might as well serve to the fullest, right? Therefore I'm diving in! Diving into student ministry. Diving into a deeper study of God's Word. Diving into devotions I've put off because "I didn't have time". Diving into my family. Diving into the lives of those God has placed before me. Just diving in.

And yes, that means diving back into writing. Many of you don't know but writing has always been a passion of mine. I don't do it because I feel like I'm no good at it. Like sometimes the words jumble up or sometimes I use them too strangely for anyone to really follow me. But writing here is sort of releasing for me. I can jumble my thoughts here and still "get it" when I read it, and lets face it, blogging is faster than actually writing in by hand, so this is where my thoughts get spilled out. Or was until I didn't have time for it. Hopefully that's going to change :)

So get ready blogville. The crazy, jumbled thought, wanna-be writer is coming back!

Ready or not, here I blog.

confession sometimes takes help

2011-05-30T12:51:00.002-05:00

I've been studying this week about confession and the blessings that come with it. Sometimes though our sin is something we may not recognize. We may not know we are sinning or we've repressed the knowledge of the sin so much so that we don't remember, or we need a reminder. In Psalm 139:23-24 David exemplifies a man who so desired to be clean in the sight of God that he asked God to reveal any unconfessed sin.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

David asked God to search for his sin and then to point them out! It's what some call Gods exploratory surgery on our hearts. We need that revelation sometimes because we can blind ourselves to what sin is by masking it with calling it "good". We lie to someone to spare their feelings. We omit truths because they would cause strife. We forget that even our thoughts are monitored by the Spirit. We live a life of comfort outside of Sunday morning services that keeps us from really having a full relationship with God. The sins that we perceive as small and insignificant block God from certain areas of our heart. In these verses David was desperate for God to break down those walls. He asked God to reveal the sin so that he (David) could repent of it so that he could continue in God's "way everlasting". I for one know I have sin in my life that should be weeded out and am challenging myself to seek out God's "exploratory surgery", His pruning, so that I may continue on in His way. What about you? I challenge you to do the same. Seek God and ask Him to reveal to you any unconfessed sin in your life. I guarantee that when you see His revelation, and when you confess before Him, you will feel a freedom unlike most anything you may ever feel. Because, confession is not simply telling God the things you've done wrong - confession allows us to experience God's amazing act of forgiveness and presents us clean and ready to be used by Him for His glory and purpose. Confession frees us from the bondage and guilt of sin and releases us from its power. Be free my friends!

inspiration

2011-05-24T14:05:00.002-05:00

So, I have been reading my friend Amanda's blog and I love love love all of her sewing projects! She's pretty talented y'all. She made a darling apron that I just love and sparked the idea that I'd like to make my own cute apron but am wrestling with what fabric to use for it. Well today I popped over and she linked to a really cool page that I'm now adding to my list of must read blogs! And guess what else??? They are doing a giveaway! So go check out the cute aprons (and I mean totally cute!!) at CutiePinwheel, and check out the giveaway too :)

he learned to read

2011-05-19T12:28:00.002-05:00

I wasn't afraid of much when we decided to homeschool the boys. I knew it would be difficult and we'd have some pretty awful days that led to my wishing we'd not made this choice. But I also knew we'd have some great days. Days in which the boys would "get it" and we'd be done with time to spare. Days on which we'd just have fun instead of follow the many many charts I made to keep us on target. Breakthrough days in which something we'd been working on forever would come to fruition and understanding. I wasn't afraid, I was ready for the challenge. God led us here, so no matter the difficulty I was ready to get my hands dirty. In all areas but one. I was terrified to teach Daniel to read. I knew I did not know how to teach a child to read and I was so worried that he wouldn't get it. David went to public school until halfway through 1st grade. He learned to read from a really excellent teacher and was reading at a 5th grade level by the end of Kindergarten! See the pressure I put myself under? It was awful! But I knew I'd never get it done by allowing the fear to eat me up interally (because I didn't DARE mention this fear to anyone!) I went straight to the throne of God and poured out the entire fear. I told God about how I didn't want to damage my child's education and how I didn't have the first clue of what to do. I didn't know anything about teaching him to read. Nothing. And I was going to need some supernatural guidance on this one. If God wanted me to teach this child to read, He was going to have to take me by the hand and do it through me. I got up off the floor about an hour later exhausted but less afraid. When I went to check the mail that afternoon, God placed my hand on the answer. It was an advertisement for the Hooked on Phonics Learn to Read progam. Now, yes, I knew this program was out there obviously, but you know how you just know it's God telling you something important? I just knew. God put my hand on His answer. Still slightly timid, I bought the program and began homsechooling Daniel in his Kindergarten year. I am not kidding when I tell you that the boy finished the program by December and was reading those "I can read" books for the rest of the year. Now that we are nearing the end of 1st grade with him, he is reading chapter books and loving them! Here is the part that tells me that I was not the one to teach him to read. Hooked on Phonics is an amazing program to learn how to read - however, it teaches you phonetically. The child does not learn blended sounds or silent letters. Please know I'm not knocking the program - buy it, it works! But Daniel went from reading phonetically written books, to regular books without any additional lessons. He went straight into Harry Potter reading it aloud like he'd just always been a reader and I just didn't know it. The boy can READ y'all. I don't know when the switch flipped, but God really carried this child on His shoulders the whole way. Once I surrendered and let God lead it's like a rocket shot off straight for the reading highway! If only I could do this with more of the fears in my life! How free would I be if I simply poured it out on the thrown of grace and said - if this is to be done right, I need to take the backseat and let God drive for a while? Something to ponder...

debra's photo challenge

2011-01-22T23:16:00.002-06:00

So... I'm back! Well, till I'm gone :) No promises on how long this blogging will be kept up, but hey, I'm here now right? Anyway, so my friend Debra started up her photo challenge again and I loves me some fun photo taking opportunities! Problem is, my camera is broken. Please, may we take a moment of silence for Mr. Kodak Easy Share? ...... I broke him and it has bothered me ever-since. I absolutely hate that I was the one to drop him. I NEVER drop stuff like that :(. And so the photographer "wanna-be" in me has been feeling quite lonely these days. Because well.... she who "never" (did I say never???) drops things, dropped her cell phone one too many times and broke that camera as well. Gah. Right after Christmas though we were albe to upgrade my phone to a handy dandy new LG Rumor Touch. It's *almost* too much phone for me, but I'm making do ;). Anyway, it's got a working camera!! (who know for how long cause I've already dropped it more times than I can count! shhhhh!) Sooooo, when Debra posted her challenge I wanted to jump in! Other problem is that we're in the process of moving (loooong story) so I haven't had much time to see many "greens". Then I looked down. Right there on the front of my History of Christianity textbook there is a mint-green steeple. Now how cool is that. So I whipped out said handy dandy Mr. LG and snapped the pic! So here you go, my green for the weekend! :) (it looks a little more minty in person)

i haven't been here in a while

2010-11-13T21:26:00.002-06:00

I know. I'm sorry. Life. It happens. Lately it's not been fun. It's been hard. It's kept me on my knees in prayer. It taught me to give up things I can't handle. And it handed me a difficult blow that I will try to explain. For years I have been praying for one thing. More like begging. I've spent my life focusing on the "what if" that "might" happen. I've worked my hopes and dreams around this one thing. I've never wanted anything more. It feels impossible to write the words here. Know they are coming with fresh tears. I'm still working out the No answer that I got last week. What is this thing that has my heart so deeply wrapped? A daughter. (ouch. feels like I just got punched.) I dream about her. I window shop for her. I pray for her. I will not have her. You see, I've gotten very frustrated waiting on God to give me MY answer. Get that? I've been waiting for the answer I wanted. Last Sunday God made it abundantly clear to my head, and my heart, what HIS answer is. And you know what? I already knew it. When my heart heard it, my head already knew it. I just wanted to ignore it. I wasn't taking His no. I guess last week I finally accepted it. God spoke straight to me as if I was the only one in the congregation. He carved out some time that was just Him and I and sat me down like a father talking to His daughter about something she just really needed to understand and accept. It hurt. It still hurts. But I get it. I accept it. Sometimes our desires are not His. Sometimes what I want for myself is not what God has planned for my life. Since last week I have not dreamed of her. I have not spent my days in the "what if" mind-mode. I will not say I have not been sad but my life and heart are moving forward. I will take what God has given me and I will move forward knowing that I am more blessed than I deserve. I wish the answer didn't have to hurt so bad, but that's really the only way I would have heard it. So, now what? I honestly have no idea. God is stirring up something in me but I don't know what it is. In the meantime I will keep going to Him. Because even if He says no sometimes, He still loves me and He's still got an incredible plan for my life. That's what I hold on to.

i blog-stalk

2010-10-13T01:39:00.002-05:00

So would you PUH-LEASE update your blog! Lol :) Mamma needs some reading material! I visit blogs when I need a bread from school work. Who do I visit??

Debra - Love her blog because her thoughts are just cool, and she's got some rockin' photo skills!!
Annette - Who wouldn't love Mrs. Annette's blog! It's got everything!
Jenn B - Girl. You are REAL and I love it! I read this blog and feel like I'm sitting across the table from you!
Rachel - I miss you friend! But I love reading your blog and catching up on the goings on with writing. I can't wait to have a copy of your first book on my shelf!
Francesca - Have known Francesca since grade school. Love reading your heart for God. You are inspiring!
Amanda - That button necklace is too cool for words! You are so creative, I love love LOVE seeing your creations!
JoAnn - another blog I read and feel like I'm chatting with a good friend. JoAnn - you are awesome!
JJ Heller - now this girl is just crafty. I love her music, but I think I love her crafty ideas just as much!
Real Hope For Haiti - one of these days God will make a way for me to visit this place in person. Until then, I read and listen to God as He moves my heart for this kids.
Anissa - love love love how you write! I always end up pondering for a good portion of the day after reading something from you!
Melissa N - oh girl. I just love you friend. I love reading your blog. I just love it.

So there ya have it, my reading list :) I love reading about what you all are doing and what God is doing in your lives. I love sharing in praises and prayers, and I love that this crazy thing call Blogspot can connect us in the world of writing! May God bless all of you, and may He press upon you to keep your goofy friend Jen updated!

Until then - read on blog world! :)

i took 10 down.

2010-10-02T12:46:00.002-05:00

So. Today I walked. And walked. And walked. Felt like it was never going to end, lol. Actually the first six miles were great. Then I started the 4th time around the campus. Started out good, but towards the middle I quickly realized that Satan (the little punk) didn't want me finishing. I started to toy with the idea of stopping at 8. No one would blame me. I'm sick and feel like dirt. But then God showed up. He reminded me that yeah I may be tired and wanna quit, but He's THERE. Right there with me. Walking and having my back. Just like we learned in small group, He's the big Papa Bear standing behind the cub sayin "don't you mess with my girl!" So I kicked Satans tail today. That last trek around (the 5th one) was gruesome. I really just wanted to sit down and stop moving. All of those stone benches have never looked so pretty in my life. Did I sit? Did I rest? Shoot no! I knew if I did it'd be all over. Someone would just have to roll me to my car. So I counted in head. 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2.... And I looked at every flag posted on the route, trying to figure out what state/country it went to before I could get close enough for my blind-as-a-bat eyes to read it. I focused on one more tree farther, one more corner to round, one more time to pass by the softball girls gearing up for their game. By the way, they hit 4 balls over the fence and some girl scaled the wall to get them. That kept my mind occupied for a bit. I focused on anything other than the pain in my feet and knee. And guess what??? My last mile was walked just as quickly as mile 6 (the best one)! God was there like wind on my back pushing me to finish! The last two laps on the track (to round off the 10 miles) I barely felt. It was great. I did it. I whipped 10 into shape and reminded it that my God is big enough to push this big gal to the end! Satan did not win the battle. It honestly felt for a while that there was a battle being fought off to the side of me, one side willing me to quit the other reminding me of His strength. Today was a journey. And I won. 10 went down and 13 is next!

this is why I walk

2010-09-22T13:30:00.003-05:00

I am blessed to be able to homschool our boys. I love it. They are two of my favorite people in the entire world and to get to see their faces light up when the understand something. I'm also incredibly blessed to serve in Children's Ministry. I love seeing kids smile, play, and have fun. The joy on their faces is always contagious! Which brings me to the reason I'm walk/jogging in this half marathon. The Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center in Cazale, Haiti do amazing work for the sick and malnourished children in their region. They also help children go to school. $250 is all it takes for one child to attend school for the year. That's it. I'm walking to raise awareness, and hopefully money to send at least two children to school. Below is a link to view the latest children up for sponsorship. Please pray for these kids and also if God lays it on your heart to donate you can either donate on their page or mine. All of the money will go towards sponsoring the children. Above all, please pray for the kids and servants at Real Hope For Haiti. They are doing great things for the people of Haiti in God's name!!

Here is the link.

dude....

2010-09-20T14:47:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't written much in a while. I kind of come here for some "blurb" therapy when I need to just get stuff out of my head and onto the screen. But well... my life is going pretty good right now and there's not much to blurb about. Good problem to have right? Lol. So I'll update y'all in some bullet points - here we go....

*1/2 training is still happening - I haven't been able to do as much as I'd like to over the past few weeks, but I'm doing alright.

*School is kicking my tail. Health class is a LOT of work. Not too difficult, just a LOT. It's piled on and seems to come from every direction.

*I absolutely love my Acts class. I *almost* (I said ALMOST professor!) wish it would last a bit longer than 8 weeks. It's fascinating to me.

*I absolutely dislike my Algebra class. Seems like just when I feel I have the hang of it, they throw in a fraction just to remind my brain of how weak and lacking it is in the Algebra Department. Seriously thinking of doing some Geometry just to remind my brain that we CAN do some higher math!

*I miss my sister. We text a lot, usually daily and we're planning another trip to NM around Thanksgiving, but still... I miss her. Can't wait to see her again!

*I am feeling God stirring a deeper purpose within Children's Ministry in me. I'm not sure what, but it's there waiting for revelation. I'm scared of what it will be, but I am praying for courage to do whatever it is God has for me.

*A friend of mine from Tarleton found out she has breast cancer on Friday. She is my age with two children. No words. Please pray for her.

*I am having some health issues. Not really sure what's going on, but pray for me as well.

*The boys are doing great. David joined the homeschool Cool Runnings track team and loves it. He is convinced the right running shoes have made all the difference. I think he's right. He is also going to start Piano lessons soon. We are all excited about that!

*Daniel is... well, Daniel. We are having some issues with begging and whining so we're trying to combat that. But he's a good kid and so we hope it's just a phase. He's doing great with school. The other day I heard him reading and went in his room and he was reading the Bible. Too cool for words.

*Scott is working a lot but what else is new :) We've learned to adapt to his schedule and are getting in some really good family time and that is really making a difference for the better in our family.

I think that is about it for us. Do you feel updated? Lol :) We are just living life and trying to make it day by day. We focus on the Lord and family and do what we can do for our Lord, our church, and our family/friends. God has blessed us and we are simply in a happy season. I hope this happy season lasts and lasts and lasts :)

i walked with God this morning

2010-08-31T19:38:00.002-05:00

This morning was a great walk. I managed 4 miles. I say managed because old mr. shin pain creeped back in and wouldn't go away for the entire first mile. Ugh. But by mile 2 I was 90% pain free and in my stride. I was tired though. But I didn't want to stop at 2, I wanted to keep going so I pushed. What happened at the start of mile 3 was awesome. The sun peered out from behind a cloud and shone with a bright vigor only God could have poured down and my ipod began the tune of He Is Lord. Oh my soul. Right there at ACU, right in front of the track, my hand flew up and it and my soul did some praising. I don't know what I looked like. I really don't care. That moment was a God moment. I knew I could finish because God was with me and cheering me on. When I had about 5 minutes left, God reminded me that He was with me by playing This Is Our God. It was a great closing to a great walk with God!

I do have to tell you that after I got home and the soreness of the walk began to set in, my mood went sour. It's crazy that I was on such a high moment with God and then one small thing snowballed and the day went south quickly. I didn't understand much of my schoolwork today, the boys picked up my mood and the grumpies set in. It was a rough afternoon that I finished off with an "ugly-cry". Yuck. I hate feeling that way. So, I put the books down and did some house cleaning. 5 loads of laundry later and I began to perk up. Then came the dinner of comforts and everyone's mood is picking up. It's slow, and we're all pretty worn out from the emotional roller coaster of a day, but at least we're not grumpy anymore. It's kind of funny, God took me through the journey of my walk today, and they had to take me through another journey of emotions. I think I went from high to low to okay. And right now I'm okay with okay :)

the right shoes do indeed make all the difference

2010-08-30T08:59:00.003-05:00

Hello blog land! I've been gone for a while I know. Life got BUSY for a whole minute there. Walking got pushed to the side because I didn't have time for it :( That made me very sad. The changes I could feel taking place in my body slipped right back to their norms and I've just felt BLAH the past two weeks. It's been yuck. So today I was able to get back out and walk again! 2 miles around ACU and it was fantastic! I did notice that my legs weren't hurting on the first half mile like they usually do. I then realized it's because I wasn't wearing my knock-off-shape-ups. Don't get me wrong, I love how they make my legs feel, but the fact that I didn't have to spend the first half mile in pain was great! And I still felt just as good at the end in my new shoes as I did in my "shape-ups". So what new shoe you ask? Well, I went to Academy and found me some women's running shoes by New Balance. I really like them! And not just cause they have some pink on them. Though - the pink was the deciding factor in buying them, just sayin. My feet don't sweat nearly as much because they have some kind of air-flow-mesh-stuff (I do believe that IS the technical term, lol), and they don't hurt as much after the walk. I feel pretty good right now! I wish my body had felt like going another two miles. Maybe tomorrow. I'd been told better shoes would produce better results by our half coach (Ruthie is probably smiling at this point :) ) but it didn't really sink in until after my walk this morning that, wow! The right shoes really do make all the difference in how I feel during and after the walk! As does the tying technique! My feet didn't slip in the shoe once! The only time I felt a bit self-conscious during the walk was my wardrobe, lol. But that also is new and not changing so people are just going to have to get used to it. I found a bunch of walking/running clothes on clearance at WM a few weeks back and this morning tested out my jogging crops with walking shorts, and two (yeah two, lol) tops. I gotta tell ya - I did not feel the sweat as much! The clothes are supposed to wick the sweat away and I think they did! I knew I was sweating but didn't feel it as much. Works for me. The only downside is that they are a bit "clingy", not tight, but they do show all my "curves", lol. So when the teeny-bopper blondes come running by I feel a bit elephantile, but oh well. I'm here, I'm big, get used to me, :). I just turned my music up and walked on anyway! And if felt great :) So, please pray that I can continue to work out some walking time. Scott's schedule has been changed a little bit which is good for us, but it takes away my regular walking times. Plus, school has begun - both home and college, and those take priority as well. I'm still in this though. I feel better than I have in a very long time and it's a direct result of walking. I'm doing this half marathon and I'm not going to let Satan block me! Help me fight him off with some powerful prayers will ya? :)

i jiggle when i walk

2010-07-26T15:46:00.002-05:00

** men, be forewarned, this may not be a post you want to read **

Yes, that's an issue for me. I confess it. But my question is... WHAT do you do about it?? Are big girls just bound to jiggle? Ugh. Walking has managed to bring out a whole new list of worries for me, lol. However, I did find that my "shape-up" knock offs do manage to keep the back parts in place, but my goodness. Sometimes it feels like Santa gave ME his bowl-full-of-jelly-belly in my stocking. Take it BACK, Santa!! Despite the wobbles, walking is making a big impact on me! I feel like I have more energy, I'm staying up with the housework, schoolwork, churchwork, kidswork, much better than I had before I started walking. It's been two weeks and already I can feel a difference in my body. Already two things that were health issues before are rectifying themselves, praise the Lord! I think the combination of me time and exercise time is a great thing! I love it :) I also love that this is not just for me. It's for a much greater cause! All children deserve a good education. After what Haiti has been through over the past several months, at least two more children deserve the priviledge of going to school! I see their faces when I walk and I pray for them. There are some days, those thoughts are the ones that keep me pushing through the tired muscles. Please keep the kids and the missionaries at RHFH lifted up in your prayers.

Until next time - I walk on :)

my playlist

2010-07-23T08:34:00.002-05:00

It makes me laugh. You see, I like songs with a good beat. I can't walk to slow music. But I like any type of music with a good beat. I set my ipod to shuffle and go. It's not rare for me to hear Boom Boom Pow and then Live Life Loud :) It makes me laugh, it keeps me walking, and it takes my mind off of any aches I might be feeling. Music keeps me walking at a good pace. What do you walk to? Any good songs you might recommend?

Onto other news, I'm doing pretty well sticking to the training schedule. I'm really beginning to enjoy the walks. During the week I get a good half hour to myself. I listen to my crazy playlist, walk my tooshie off, sweat out all the bad vibes, and come home feeling great about myself and feeling more healthy than I've felt in a long time! There have been a few times when I've come home feeling very tired and yuck, but for the most part walking is making a difference already! As for the shoes, the knock-off "shape-ups" are a revelation. I've not gotten sore and I can tell a big difference between when I walk in them and when I don't. My booty "bounces" when I don't use them, definitely going to use them! Lol :) Big girls don't bounce needs to be my new motto. Anyway, yeah, the walking is going great. I'm sort of at a loss for the cross-training days but I've been utilizing our Wii Fit Plus for that. The obstacle course, boxing, step, and balance games are my favorite. I feel the burn on the "marching band" step game, that thing is LONG!

I've also been trying to watch what I eat. We got a lot of fresh fruit at Sams the other day and that has been my snack throughout the day. Feels good to have some more healthy options in the house :) Scott has been incredible throughout this change. He is very encouraging and supportive. I love that.

Other than that, our summer has been fairly quiet. I'm still working on school stuff, haven't had a break since December so I'm ready for this December, lol :) We haven't started our homeschool back up yet, that will come after VBS this year. We are planning a day trip to Six Flags soon, but we're going to surprise the boys with that :) They will love it. Last time we went they were not really sure about it, but now that they've been they are ready to go back. So, we've had a nice quiet summer, how has your summer been??

Healing Begins - Tenth Avenue North - w/lyrics

2010-07-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite songs right now. God has taken this heart through much healing over the past year and it is beautiful. Healing begins right where you are. Drop the pretense, and let God restore your heart. He's here now. And He's ready for healing to begin.

let's run

2010-07-14T23:54:00.003-05:00

Well friends. It's been a while. But I am *hopefully* back to blog land with a purpose :) For a while now (longer than I care to admit) God has been convicting me of my lack-o-exercise. It's been an inner struggle of, mostly, my own whining. Finally even I have had enough. I need to get up, I need to get out, and I need to move my tushie! But I knew I wouldn't stick with it unless I had some accountability. (sad isn't it!) So I am joining with a group of ladies, and one VERY energetic Coach, and I am going to participate in a half-marathon. Yep, 13.1 miles of sheer craziness! Nah, it won't be that bad, but at this point I do feel a bit crazy. :) BUT, this group has an awesome purpose and is something I am more than happy to be a part of. It's called Marathoning for Missions, you can check it out here. Each runner/walker picks a charitable organization to raise awareness, funds, or both for. I think that is a great way to take the focus off of ME and put it onto someone else. Love this idea. For those that know me, I am all about Children's Ministry. I love working with kids and I have great respect for others that share that passion. It is not easy. There are days I want to come home and cry. But the joy that comes from this job are immeasurable. It is because of my passion for Children's Ministry that I have chosen to walk for an organization that I love - the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center. You can check them out here. Several years ago God placed this organization on my heart. It is my hope to one day visit the Center in person as part of a mission team. You can read about how the Center got started here. Currently they are preparing to raise scholarship funds for children to attend school in Haiti. To send a child to school for a year it cost $250. I would like to raise enough money to send at least two children to school for a year. Anything raised above that will go towards the RHFH Center and their needs. 100% of the money you donate will go towards this goal. I've added a "Donate Here" Paypal button to my blog page. All donations made there will be sent straight to RHFH. You can also make donations in person if you wish, or you can go straight to the RHFH page and click on the "Donate" button on the right side of their page. Above all, please pray for RHFH and the children they serve. What they do is not easy. Together I know we can give at least two children an incredible chance that not all children in Haiti have. We can send them to school! Will you help?

catching you up on recipes I've tried

2010-04-24T16:51:00.002-05:00

Whew, it's been really difficult to catch the blog up lately! I've been keeping up with my goal of trying 5 new recipes a week, just have had no time to post them! So, I'm catching you up from this past week of recipes. I've tried some great new recipes, and one that was kind of a flop. I'd say those are good numbers! :) So far everyone's liked what I've made which is a great encouragement to me! I'm so sick of the same old menu that it's really exciting me to try all these new things! So read on my readers! And hopefully you will be inspired to try something new too!

Recipe – Best Ever Lasagna (5 stars)
From - Goose Berry Patch, Harvest Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1t. Italian Seasoning
8-12 lasagna noodles, uncooked and broken into thirds
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 c. water
15 oz container ricotta cheese
8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Combine ground beef and Italian seasoning. Arrange half the lasagna noodles in a greased slow cooker. Spread half the ground beef mixture over noodles. Top with half each of remaining ingredients. Repeat layering process. Cover and cook for 5 hours on low setting. Serves 10.

My Notes – I also added about ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup per layer, and then sprinkled some on top as well. This is fantastic! Word of caution, don’t forget to spray. I did and my noodles tried to stick to my crock pot. Add a salad and some garlic bread and wah-lah! You have a great meal that didn’t take much effort!

Recipe – Chicken and Dressing Casserole (3 stars)
From – Goose Berry Patch, Harvest Kitchen

Ingredients:
½ c. margarine
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
2 c. cornbread crumbs
2 c. bread crumbs
Dried sage to taste
10 ¾ oz. can cream of chicken soup
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
10 ½ oz. jar chicken gravy

Instructions:
Heat margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook until tender. Combine celery mixture, cornbread crumbs, bread crumbs, sage, and soup. If desires, add water to reach desired consistency. Transfer to a lightly greased 13x9 baking pan. Arrange chicken over top; spread gravy over chicken. Bake, covered, at 375 for one hour. Serves 12.

My Notes – This was okay, but not something we’ll try again. The flavor was a bit “off” for us. You can substitute chicken broth for the water if you want. Also, this took longer than an hour for me.

Recipe – Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake
From – Goose Berry Patch, Church Suppers

Ingredients:
6 T. butter, melted
1c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
8 oz container sour cream
6 oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
Blend together butter and sugar in a medium bowl; add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and set aside. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream; mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9 baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden and toothpick tests clean. Serves 12.

My Notes – This is terrific!!! I used mini chocolate chips and a Bundt pan and it still came out fabulous. You have to add about 5-7 min to the cooking time if you use a Bundt, but it still turns out the same.

Recipe – Shredded Baby Back Ribs Sandwiches
From – Jen Rector

Ingredients:
1 rack Baby Back Ribs
1 bottle Cattleman’s Original BBQ Sauce
8 hamburger buns

Instructions:
Place the ribs in a 13x9 baking dish and lather on ¾ of the bottle of BBQ sauce. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done. Remove the rib meat from the bones and place in food processor. Add remaining BBQ sauce and pan drippings, and shred meat on low. Serve on buns; serves 8.

My Notes – You may want to use a larger size bottle of BBQ sauce. I found that reserving only ¼ of the bottle didn’t leave much sauce to shred the meat with. This is a fantastic recipe that I will be using again for sure! It is super easy!

Recipe – Cashew Beef Stir-fry
From – Best of Taste of Home

Ingredients:
2 T. Cornstarch
2 c. cold water
4 T. soy sauce, divided
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 T. canola oil
3 medium carrots, julienned
1 lb. beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ t. pepper
2 medium green peppers, cut into strips
2 medium sweet red peppers, cut into strips
2 medium onions, halved and sliced
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 ½ c. salted cashews
Hot cooked rice

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, water, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In a very large skillet or wok, stir-fry broccoli and carrots in 1 tablespoon oil until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the beef, garlic, pepper, and remaining soy sauce; stir-fry until meat is no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

In the same pan, stir-fry the green and red peppers, onions, and squash with the remaining oil until crisp-tender. Return beef to the pan.

Stir cornstarch mixture and gradually add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cashews. Serve with rice.

My Notes – This is great! I didn’t add in the cashews but it was still wonderful.

Recipe – Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake
From – Best of Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1 c. all purpose flour
½ c. sugar
¾ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
¼ t. baking soda
1 egg
2/3 c. buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla extract
¼ t. almond extract
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
½ c. sliced almonds
1 T. brown sugar
¼ t. ground cinnamon

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, butter, and extracts until blended. Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in 2/3 cup of blueberries.

Pour into a greased 8 inch square baking dish. Top with remaining blueberries. Combine the almonds, brown sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

My Notes – This is very tasty! I used frozen blueberries and it came out just fine. If you used stoneware to bake this be sure to add about 10 baking time.

cooking challenge week 2

2010-03-22T16:44:00.002-05:00

Alrighty friends, we are headed into week two of my cooking challenge to myself :) I'm excited to try some more new things. Starting with tonight's Scalopped Potatoe recipe. Should be yummy! I can't wait to try it out. Not sure what else I will be trying this week just yet, but I will let you know! I do still have three more recipes to post from last week, but rest assured, I met my goal of 5, yay! Wish me luck!

3 recipes

2010-03-18T21:40:00.002-05:00

So far I have tried three great recipes - Golden Cheddar Biscuits, Mile High Chocolate Meringue Pie, and Scratch Brownies. As I type this the brownies are plumping up in the oven. I've never made brownies from scratch. I realize now what I've been missing! Wow! That batter was out of this world! Below you'll find the recipes that I tried out :)

Golden Cheddar Biscuits - Gooseberry Patch

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening
1t. sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1t. garlic powder
1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Cream shortening and sugar. Mix dry ingredients together; add to shortening and sugar mixture. Blend in egg, milk, and cheese. Divide evenly into a greased muffin pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until golden brown.

*My notes - this is very easy to mix with a spoon, be sure to grease the muffin pan well, and 20 minutes was a bit too long for my oven - try 16-18 minutes but don't go over 20.

Mile High Chocolate Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 t salt

4 egg yolks beaten (save the whites for meringue)
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup flour
2 cup whole milk
9 inch pie crust baked and cooled (from scratch is best, but can be store bought)

Instructions:

Mix sugar, cocoa, salt, and flour in a medium bowl and set aside. Place egg yolks in a medium heavy sauce pan. Whisk in sugar mixture and milk alternately until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in vanilla. Bring to a boil stirring regularly until thick. (about 10-15 min) Remove from heat and beat smooth. Pour into pie crust and spoon meringue over hot filling. Seal to edge of the crust. Bake at 350 degrees until meringue is lightly golden - about 12-15 minutes. Cool completely in fridge before serving. Store in the fridge.

Meringue Recipe:

6 egg whites (at room temperature)

1/4 t cream of tartar

6 T sugar

1/2 t vanilla extract

Beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Reduce speed to low and add tartar. Gradually add sugar one tablespoon at a time. Beat until stiff, glossy, peaks form. Add in vanilla. Beat until vanilla is fully mixed in and peaks are firm. Spoon meringue on top of pie.

*My Notes - I do like this recipe but it makes a dark chocolaty flavor. Instant chocolate pudding might be an easier and better tasting flavor if you don't like that dark chocolate taste.

Scratch Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup melted butter or margarine
2 cup white sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 cup flour

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream margarine/butter and sugar with whisk. Switch to using a spoon to mix the rest. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until smooth. Add in cocoa and flour, again, mixing until smooth. Add in any extras (nuts, chocolate pieces, caramel chunks, etc.), fold in. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. You can use either two 8x8 pans or one 9x9 pan. Using one pan will make brownies thicker, and may take a bit longer to bake.

*My Notes - It did take a bit longer to bake one pan of brownies, but they are amazing! This is a definite MUST try!

a chef is born

2010-03-18T21:33:00.002-05:00

Or so I wish! Lol :) I've always had this urge inside to cook these fabulous things. An inner-chef waiting to burst forth. But she's been quited with a fear of not being able to cook those fabulous pretties in my head. Then along comes the movie "Julie & Julia" and it inspires that inner-chef to break out. And boy do I mean BREAK out! I've been cooking up a storm! I've tried new recipes each day since watching the movie and so far they have all turn out well! So I've decided to challenge myself. At least 5 new recipes a week. I'm not bold enough to do 7 because I know I won't make that and I'll feel defeated. So, 5 is a good # to me. I've always wanted to bake so don't be surprised if I post baked goods recipes more than the rest. I will (hopefully) try to post pics along with the recipes I try out. Some will be my own, most will be from cookbooks that have piled up and collected dust in my cupboard. I'm spending the next week going through them, marking them, and menu planning with them :) I'm totally excited. The boys (and Scott) are a bit more hesitant than I am, but we all need to try new things! Scott keeps cracking up when I am in the kitchen. Apparently I have been humming, giggling, and 'prancing' around the kitchen with a goofy grin on my face. I am having FUN in the kitchen and I love it! So here goes, challenge on! If you go on the journey with me, lemme know! I love comments :)

bullet points

2010-03-08T21:35:00.003-06:00

* I am tired. Very tired. I need sleep. It's only 9:30, sigh.

* We are no longer at Trinity - I have not shared my emotions about that. That is not like me.

* I've endured gossip, lies, and guilt trips over the past few months. I have still kept silent. Again - not like me.

* I want to talk about it. I can't bring myself to. I was asked not to by someone I respect a great deal and so I've not dealt with it verbally. This I have come to realize also means I have not dealt with it emotionally.

* Saying goodbye didn't happen. I thought that was okay. I missed saying goodbye to the one person I really wanted to talk to. I've now realized that's okay.

* I'm going through a plethora of emotions now that I've allowed myself to feel.

* The biggest hurt is the dissapointment. Not with myself.

* The gossip didn't affect me like before. This time I let it roll off. That has been freeing.

* I truly now realize how much I just don't care what others think of our leaving.

* I never really grieved the loss emotionally. I think that is how it was meant to be.

* A huge weight lifted once the final decision was made. It was followed by a cloud of unspoken, unfelt, emotion.

* I vented in my prayer time the other day. That's what woke me up to the clutter within.

* I need to get it all out. I refuse to do that publiclly. The gossip against me was done publiclly. By those I'd thought were better than that. They are the ones who dissapointed me.

* Not sure why/what I'm sharing here. Just trying to unclog the webs...

brothers

2010-02-18T09:42:00.003-06:00

So over the past several months the boys have been putting up boundaries. And they've been warring over them. They fight A.LOT. these days. David is highly bossy and Daniel is a screamer when he is frustrated/mad/sad/irritated - you get the point. So there are days when all I do is say BE NICE or STOP YELLING or SEPARATE ROOMS NOW. It's been frustrating. Why won't my two boys get along? They're brothers for goodness sakes! I've read up and realize this is normal, but at the same time it's irritating. I wish they would get along like those angelic kids you always see. Never calling each other ugly names, never being mean to each other, never taking toys away or saying you can't play with me. I guess it feels like a failure when they don't act nicer to each other.

Fast forward to last night. It was our first night of Awana in our new church. The boys have not been to Awana for about 2 months so they were very excited to be going back. I watched them stick together like glue! At one point even holding hands down the hallway to get to their room. Neither was nervous, they just both wanted brother with them. It was a very sweet moment :) Then Award time comes. Daniel earned a green jewel but it was forgotten when they mentioned awards so when he got it there wasn't clapping. Okay things happen, no biggie. I talked to the leader and she realized she'd forgotten him and went right over to give him his jewel. Then David did something that made this mommas heart soar. He applauded his brother. All by himself, no one prompting, he starting clapping big and loud for Daniel. Talk about one proud momma!

I realized then that I may not have gotten the kind of kids that are crazy obedient and never argue, but I did get some awesome crazy boys that, despite all the boundaries and arguing, love and are proud of each other. I'd take my boys over those others any day. Just reminded me yet again that God sure did know what He was doing when he gave me my boys.

on of my favorite photos

2010-02-09T12:26:00.002-06:00

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic (sp?) after reading Debra's blog today so I dug up some of my all time favorite photos of the boys. :) Enjoy.

Pray Ronel Home!

2010-01-31T19:40:00.003-06:00

For many of you that follow my Facebook page you've read my please. But I want to reach out to those that read this blog too. Ernest and Debra Parker were in the process of adopting Ronel from Haiti before the quake. When the US granted Humanitarian Parole for Haitian adoptees two weeks ago, they got busy doing what needed to be done to bring Ronel home. However because he was missing some paper work, he was not able to come home when several others were. It's been heartbreaking for the Parkers. And for those of us praying, although our heartbreak pales in comparison. Last week Ernest went to Haiti with everything they needed. He's been told every day since that today will be the day they can come home. And then every night he's told maybe tomorow. For whatever reason, Unicef has gotten in the way of adoptees going out of the country. They are going around in circles and causing major problems. Ernest and Ronel have slept on the floor of the embassy for a week. Leaving without Ronel is not an option. So this is a call to arms! Raise up your arms and pray with me and several hundred other prayer warriors. Let's pray without ceasing and pray Ronel home! God is so much bigger than we can ever imagine so let's take this to Him! He is our rescuer. Our protector. Our healer. And yes, OUR SAVIOR! He comes to the rescue when we need Him, and WE NEED HIM! Please get on your knees, your face, stand and shout, raise your arms up high, do whatever you need to do to plead straight to the heart of God. Plead the Parkers case and pray pray pray with all you've got. God has radically changed my prayer life over the past several weeks. Let him change yours too! Go before the trone and stand in the gap for this family. And then watch God work, cause He's got something awesome in mind for this family. I feel it with every fiber in me. God has something BIG in store. Pray my friends. Pray Ronel home!

words fail.

2010-01-14T14:57:00.010-06:00

There are no words. I can't imagine what the people of Haiti are going through. Praying seems like such a small, intangible way to help, but it is all we can do so we do it. I beg you to pray as well. We know of several missionary families there in haiti who are right in the middle of the mess after the quake. Some report the ground is still shaking. Some have gone out in search of friends, workers, and loved ones only to see body after body laid out on the streets. Some have needed to buy supplies and food only to find that prices have doubled, if not more. There is minimal contact, phone lines are down, it is almost impossible to get in touch with anyone there. It seems the only way to hear news right now is through Facebook and Twitter. Through those sites we've been able to hear that everyone we know is safe. Those are only the dozen we know, there are still hundreds of thousands of people that are waiting to get in touch with their family. It is unreal. I can't begin to imagine what these people in Haiti are going through. Nor can I even begin to explain it in a way that would do it justice. What I can do is ask you to pray for these people. Please please pray for them. They will need massive help. This is one situation in which differences need to put aside and people need to come together and just help. Just love on these people and HELP them. We can't jump on a plane and get there ASAP, but we can come together as brothers and sisters in Christ and PRAY. Some can help financially and I'll leave some links to where you can do that, but the biggest way to help right now other than money is prayer. Lift these people up before the throne. The need is massive but so is God. He can take this situation and turn it for His good and I know He will. Please don't passively read this, please actively kneel and pray for these people. God is calling us to Him, stand in the gap and come before Him for these people.

I will be editing below and adding links of where you can find information on Haiti and information on donations.

Real Hope For Haiti - We first heard of the Rescue Center through Debra and our hearts have been captured by them every since then. The work they do in His name is amazing. Currently they are sleeping outdoors because their clinic/center building is cracked. 70 children sleeping outside. Praise God they are all safe and okay! Please follow Licia's blog and pray for them. Please also keep Debra and her family in your prayers as they are adopting a little boy, Ronel, from Haiti who stays at the Rescue Center. You can also mail a check to this address:

RHFH, PO Box 23, Elwood IN 46036

Help Haiti T-Shirts - Aaron and Jamie Ivey are a couple we also found through Debra. Their adoption journey has touched our hearts and we have followed their story and prayed for them for several years. Currently they are adopting a little boy Amos who is at the Rescue Center. Click the link above if you'd like to purchase a Help Haiti t-shirt. All the proceeds will go to Haiti.

The Livesay Family story on CNN.com

Livesay Blog - Troy and Tara are missionaries to Haiti. Over the past few days they have been working non-stop trying to find people in Haiti. You can follow Troy on Twitter and their blog.

The Livesay's also work with two other ministries who need prayers and financial support. They are Heartline Ministries and World Wide Village.

Send Relief $ via Text Messaging - You can send $10 of relief money through your cellular phone by texting, the charge will come on your next cell phone bill - if you have this # please post it in the comments, I am working on finding the right one. ** Edit - I believe you text Haiti to 90999 to donate to the Red Cross. Someone please post the correct # if I am wrong.

Debra and Ernest on their local news channel

The Ivey family on thier local news channel

I am working on more links, will edit as I get them.

i got boots y'all

2009-12-19T14:54:00.003-06:00

okay, I have NO idea where my love of shoes came from. Growing up I didn't really care if I had "fancy" shoes. But as I have grown, so has my crazy passion for a good lookin' pair of shoes. I do know where my crazy NEED for a good pair of brown boots came from. It all started with a brown dress I found at Ross. It's cute, it's stylish, it would go perfect with a good pair of brown boots. So began the hunt. I was okay taking my time, wanted to wait for sales. Then those durn little girls on the Gap commercial got me. Up sparked the hunt for boots! Still wanting a good sale I stayed away from the $75 "me precious" boots. Today was the day. :) I found some adorable boots at Wal Mart AND they were at a price that agreed with my passion. I'm so excited! I now have the full outfit and I can NOT wait to wear it :) Better still is that these pretties will go with jeans, crops, heck they'll go with just about anything :) I might even wear them with my pj's I love them so much :) Here's a pic of the darlings that are now resting on the middle shelf of my packed up closet. The look good there. As if they were made just for that shelf in my closet. :) I love them.

life takes it's toll

2009-12-18T17:27:00.002-06:00

There are some days when I feel like the heaviness of life is sitting on my shoulders. I have felt that for the past several months. Carrying what we've carried, silently giving it up to God, waiting for His response, it's heavy. It's taken it's toll emotionally. We've dealth with things we never expected to. It's draining. I'm tired. There are days I think I could just spend the whole day napping. But, in all of that the way was made clear. We know what God wants us to do and it hurts. But when has God moved us without tugging our heartstrings? It happens. We've got spiritual "stretch marks". God is doing a new work, moving us in a new way, and pulling us from our comfort zone. It happens. We've no choice but to jump on and follow Him. Not to do so would put us outside of His will and that's a place we don't want to be. So yes, while I sit feeling the weight of life sitting heavily, I know that God is taking that weight little by little and moving it. How can I not be happy and excited when I know who is at the helm? We've news to share (possibly, when it's not too shocking to write), but for now we ask that you pray for us. I've dealt with more of the "stuff" because I'm home and can, but it weighs just as heavily on Scott as it does me. Possibly more because he's seeing it's effect on me. We will come out better on the other side. God will carry us through. I have no doubt. For now we hang onto that and ask you to pray for us. God has chosen this time in our lives to move, and while it's uncomfortable, it's also exciting. I may not write again before Christmas so for all that read this before then I want to wish you a Merry Christmas! I hope your holiday is filled with family, fun, and lots of love and smiles. I hope Santa leaves you something special under your tree!

getting ready for the move

2009-12-10T10:14:00.003-06:00

And oh my how God is moving! Good grief He has us caught up in a whirl wind of MOVE. We are moving physically in about three weeks, emotionally all month long, and spiritually like crazy! God is teaching me so much. Not only through school but through life. Wowzers. While I can't share everything with you right now, I can share our thoughts on the physical move. I don't think we've found greater friends than we have in the LeBouf's and the Hernandez's. And both families are moving this month. :( I am more sad because of that than I have ever been. Tomorrow the LeBouf's pull out of town, after Christmas the Hernandez's. The blessing in this is that they are following God's will for their lives and because of this God has blessed them, and us. We are moving into the Hernandez's house. God used all of our situations to bless us all. Now how cool is that? I will not miss this apartment. We've had some really great times here. We've been here for three years now and it seems like it's flown by. David learned to ride his bike here. Dano learned to ride his scooter and make more noise to annoy our neighbors than I thought was humanly possible :) . Scott and I learned that we need storage space. Lots of storage space. At first I thought I might miss the memories we've had here. But they are just memories and we take them with us. We will not miss it here because #1 - we know it's time to move on to something bigger, #2 - our boys need a home with a yard, our halls can't take much more scooter riding, and #3 - we need a safe environment for our family. Crime has increasingly gone up over here, at one point the managers stopped running the background checks and people got in that shouldn't have. It's not a safe place for our kids to play outside, and well - boys just need a yard to run in. What I will miss are the kiddos we're moving away from. I've always loved living so close to kids from our church. We're here to play, listen, and pray with and for them whenever they need it. They know they can knock on our door any time. They also know they can yell from the lawn to our patio any time they just want to say hello. This is the method chosen by most because they like to see me stumble out onto the patio to see who's down there. They are so sweet. And so special to us. I love those kids. But as I said, it's time for us to move on. God's taking us in a new direction and using us to bless our friends. He's using them to bless our socks off! I cannot wait to move into our new home. It is beautiful. We have grand plans which include some paint, flooring, and such. But our biggest plan is to make it our home. Something that is ours. Something that our boys can grow up in. Something that, if we ever had to leave it, I would miss like crazy. God's timing in all of this has been incredible. I know I said it before but I'll say it again - God is just too cool for words. Why He's chosen a crazy girl like me to bless so incredibly, I cannot understand. I do not deserve to be blessed like this. I do find it odd that at this sad time while my two closest friends are preparing to leave I still have reason to smile. God is good to me. :) We have a much bigger bit of news that is just out of our reach right now so I can't share that, but wow. You wanna talk about God blessing you beyond anything you could possibly measure.... yeah, that's what He's doing. His ways are not our ways, and oh how I love that they are not. Had we gone on our own without His guidance we would be in deep loss. Praise God for His still small whisper that leads us each day! Not sure what more to say :)

thanksgiving

2009-11-19T23:58:00.002-06:00

How much do you love Thanksgiving? Take that and multiply it by 20. That's me. I love love LOVE Thanksgiving. It is my favorite time of year. I love all the cooking, I love all the colors, and I love all the family time. When I was growing up we'd always have Thanksgiving at my Dad's Aunt Gerneva's. Oh wow it was fun. All of my cousins would come (I'm sure there were some adults there somewhere) and we had our own table and everything. Back when the "kids table" was cool. We always had the big spread of food - so big in fact that Aunt Gerneva would have to cover her kitchen sink with a giant board to make more room for the food. Moms potatoe salad was (and still is) a big hit, there were always at least 3 pumpkin pies, Beau always made a cherry cheesecake, the rolls always burnt :). It was Thanksgiving and I loved it. I'm trying to instill that same sense of family togetherness and love in my boys. We make sure to spend Thanksgiving together as a family and with our families. We spend lunch with my mom and dad and then it's off to Scott's brother Allen's house for dinner. Both meals are unique, but I love them both. Our families couldn't be more different, but I think that is what makes them so special. I couldn't imagine our Thanksgiving being any different. I get excited just thinking about it! I can't wait! We may have lots of turkey and dressing but it's all good :), we love lots of turkey and dressing. It may not be like it used to be but our Thanksgiving is still full of family, fun, and LOADS of good food. (we've even managed not to burn the rolls the last several years!)

So what about you? How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What traditions have you added/changed over the years?

update

2009-10-29T17:39:00.002-05:00

Well I've just realized it's been almost a month since I've updated y'all. Here's what's been going on in our lives lately:

*We are loving homeschooling. It's a blast. We have the freedom to do it our way and we're loving learning about all types of different things while keeping to a schedule that still allows me time to study. Love that :)

*Friday School is awesome. I've met some great women and the kids are so much fun! I've signed up to teach 3 classes next term, Scrapbooking, Spanish, and Reading Comprehension. I'm really excited about that!

*Sunday School is going great! Scott and I love those kids to pieces. I still can't believe the LET us have this much fun! :) I think we get the biggest blessing by getting to spend Sunday mornings with those awesome kids!

*Liberty is going well too. My A term classes really stressed me OUT. Everything suffered because of that, but my D term classes look to be less of a load so that's really good. God got me through History with, of all things, a B! I couldn't believe it. Totally knocked my socks off!

*Spent the weekend with Mom and Dad a few weeks ago and got all, yes ALL, of my Christmas cards done. Everyone will be getting handmade Christmas cards this year that are just fabulous, I must say. :)

Other than that, let's see.... David caught the flu this week which means no Friday School, no Fall Festivals, and possibly no Trick or Treating. Scott and I have almost decided to just buy candy and put it in their buckets when they're sleeping. Still waiting to see if the fever hangs around or not. Awana is about the funnest thing in the world right now. Again, can't believe I get to lead those crazy/awesome girls! I can't believe about 4 years ago I said I'd never work with kids, that's not where God wanted me... what a challenge to God's will! Now not only do I work with kids 24/7 I LOVE doing it! They never fail to amaze me. I swear I must know the world's smartest, funniest, most amazing kids. It's such a priveledge to work with them.

Our family life is better than ever. Homeschool has created the opportunity for the boys to get to spend more time with Scott and that has made ALL the difference. Scott's schedule is out of our control but we have the flexibility now to spend more family time. By following God's plan for our family, we're finding tremendous blessings! What more could a woman want? Now there are some amazing changes in our horizon and I just can't wait. Before I was afraid of God's will - not any more! Good gracious He's got us on a crazy ride! Friends, you get to a point in your faith where there's no time for fear or stalling. You just have to grab the rails and holler, "YEE-HAW!!!" cause He's going to get you there no matter what. You can either have faith and enjoy the ride, or fight Him tooth and nail. I'd rather jump in that front cart and go with God all the way! That's our current mood I think... Bring it on God, we can't wait!

here we go again...

2009-10-10T12:54:00.002-05:00

Okie-dokie friends. I have held off blogging for a while because I've had news that wasn't mine to share. Blogging makes me feel share-ish and I don't want to spill beans. BUT I can now pass on some of the news and I'm ubber-excited to do so!

So here we go.... *drumroll please.....*

We are on the move. Again. Lol. Some awesome friends of ours are having to move. Hubby is going back to school and so they are leaving at the end of this year to persue God's dream for them. Scary stuff! I wish them all the best and we are going to M.I.S.S. them terribly! I hate losing friends :( . Here's where the move comes in.... we are going to rent their house! How cool is that??? We are both really excited about being able to help each other out. We need a good house with a nice yard for the boys and they will have honest good renters. It is really neat how God worked all of the details out for us! They will move in the last month of our lease! I think that is really neat. They are also open to us painting and all that so we're excited about that. It's bittersweet because for all of this to happen we have to say goodbye to our friends :( . But with God working so much of this out for us, we know it's His will that these moves take place. So there ya go. :) That's all the news I feel like I can share. In a few weeks I believe everyone will know who and where and the other details, but for now my lips are sealed :) We're letting the other couple tell their side of the news when they are ready.

So.... about the house... omg I'm SO excited :) It's a 3 bedroom house with two living room. One will be a sort of "formal" living room, the other a family/homeschool room. It's got a good sized kitchen, plenty of windows, and ... I may faint.... an actual LAUNDRY room!!! I can fit a folding table in there and all! Holy moley Jesus is good to me! :) To top it all off, the front and back yards are amazing! The backyard is big enough for the boys to go crazy in. Scott's planning on putting a little veggie garden in the back and we're going to have a gorgeous flower be in the front. :) So so excited here. :) Oh and, the oven in the kitchen is one of those "in the wall" type ovens, no more bending down and pulling hot heavy stuff out of the oven! Yay! :) It is really a nice house. I am so thankful that God put us on their hearts when they prayed about who would rent their house. We're hoping that within a year or so we'll be able to buy the house from them and make it our very own :) . I would more than love that. :)

So that's what's up with the no updates, lol. I didn't want to spill any beans until we knew this was all for sure and set. Pray for our friends. They are venturing out into the unknown world of God's calling. It is exciting and scary at the same time.

Anyone know of any good decorating ideas for not so much moolah?

no longer moving

2009-08-26T13:43:00.002-05:00

For those of you who don't know yet, we are not moving anymore. Something came up that made it impossible for us to go ahead with our plans. We are dissapointed with how this has turned out, but know that God is in control. We already realize that He's saved us from making what could have a been a disasterous mistake. More to come when my heart is a bit lighter from all the guilt I am feeling. False guilt yes, but guilt none-the-less. I am feeling beat up. I am feeling emotionally "heavy". But I am also feeling a peace that can only come from God. We will move forward in our lives, and we will be better for it. God brought us this far, why question how much further He will take us now?

i need...

2009-08-24T21:28:00.003-05:00

my brain back. It feels very much like mush these days. I'm trying to get ahead on my school work so that while we're moving I can focus mainly on that and getting our new house together. So between packing I'm reading about US History and Sociology. A combination I highly suggest you disuade yourself from. On Thursday of this week our internet and phone will be going down at the apartment and up at the new house. So for much of Thursday if you need to get in touch with us, please use our cell phone #'s. Will drop a note when we're back up.

Also, if you need our new address please e-mail me at dizzy4daizey@yahoo.com and I will be happy to send it to you. Please pray for us as we move. We have a lot of helpers this time around and I am deeply moved by their generosity. Please pray that the move is smooth and that nothing gets broken in the process. Particularly my kitchen stuff, I'm quite fond of it :)

See you on the other side blog land!

moving

2009-08-14T12:51:00.003-05:00

Alrighty friends. While I am not thrilled at the prospect of packing up boxes, hauling them downstairs, and driving them across town - I am excited about the prospect of moving. We are moving into a house. Out of the apartment, and away from the crime. It's simply not safe to keep the boys here. This is not the environment we imagined them growing up in. So we've found a nice rental home and in two weeks we are headed there.

Change. It doesn't sit well with me.

But honestly, these boys need a yard to run in so they can get RID of some of the energy that's pent up and coming out in negative ways.

Here they cannot go outside and run and play whenever they want. There they will be able to.

Here they can't ride their bikes much for fear of being run over by people who refuse to SLOW DOWN for children. There they will be able to ride their bikes.

Here we can't walk the dog because even though we warn them not to, people still try to come up and pet her. Pug does NOT like strangers and tries to bite them. They then look at us like it's our fault, even though we warned them the entire time they keep walking up to her. Sigh. (here's your sign dummy!)

Here we get cussed at and called ugly names. There we won't.

So there is a much better place to be. Will someone just come and pack us up and move us there? Wake me up when you're done :) .

Will post pics of the new house when we get some.

new recipes

2009-08-07T16:34:00.002-05:00

Okay, so we're tired of the same-old same-old at home. For years now I've been making the same stuff for dinner every month. It's old. And boring. And I think that's why I got so tired of cooking. But now I'm challenging myself to try one new recipe a week. So far it's going well. The first thing I made was chicken fettucini with squash and zucchini. It tasted fabulous! I also added Kara's red potatoes as a side and dinner was great! So tonight I'm endevouring to try another new recipe. Well, three new recipes actually. The whole meal will be something I've never tried to make. Yay! Tonight's menu is Honey Ginger Roasted Chicken, Honey Glazed Carrots, and homemade White Dinner Rolls. Fun! The prep was SUPER duper easy on these and this bread recipe only takes about an hour to rise. Very easy! So I'm praying it all tastes fantastic :) I'll post pics and the recipes once it's all cooked and sampled.

As an aside... tomorrow I'm making my homemade Strawberry Jam. It's my own recipe and it's amazing! If you'd like some let me know. If you live out of town, just pay shipping and I'll send you a jar. :)

the doggie quilt

2009-07-31T13:35:00.005-05:00

After my last post I figure you all need a smile :) I made our dog Pug a quilt for her little bed. Not that she needed it, mind you. My need to create something crafty superceeded her needs :) I did make her pose for these pics (she's just too darned cute but doesn't like to stay still when happy!) but she then drug he quilt over to her bed, daddy (scott) fixed it for her, and she's been sleeping on it every night since :) Too cute. Anyway, happy Friday!

ps - yes her tongue normally hangs out like that. She is also blind in her left eye and has a tumor on her hind quarters. She is remarkably very healthy (minus a really bad spot two months ago when we thought we were going to lose her) and very happy! She's playful and has a blast with the boys. She's a "rescue" dog by way of my parents. My mom thought she might be allergic to Pug so we took her in. Best decision we've made! Pug completes our family. Her outward looks reflect our inward goofiness. She fits in perfectly with our goofy little family :)

i have to stop

2009-07-28T16:31:00.002-05:00

I need a break. Not from you, not from blogland. Just a break. From a certain situation in my life. In this situation I can not bee who I am. I can not think how I do. Every move must be calculated. My heart must be saran wrapped. Many times shrink wrapped. In this situation I am not who I want to be. In this circumstance, I am not who God made me. I am fake. I say things I know I shouldn't. I let things be said to me that I would not accept otherwise. I ignore things that cut deep. I allow my shrinkwrapped heart to take a beating. I basically doormat myself and turn into someone I do not recognize. I like to think that who I am in that situation doesn't affect who I am outside of it. I trick myself into thinking that being two people works for me because that one area calls for it. It is a must in my life. Fakeness keeps me safe in that situation. Only God has opened my eyes and I see the black ink stains seeping into other areas of my life. It affects other areas I'd been blind to. God's shown me that because of my attitude and actions in that one area, others are going downhill quickly. So a few weeks ago I stopped. Stopped being who I could no longer be. It hurt. Me and others. It hurt deep. But not as deep as what I'd already been through. This is a necessary hurt. This hurt is a healing hurt. I have stopped being who I'm not and have not allowed myself to go back. It's been tempting to step back in that awful role I'd become so comfortable in. But the blessing has come in realizing what I was doing to myself and then in allowing God to heal me. Things will not be the same. I'm okay with that. I have realized that to not be me does an incredible diservice to God. He made me to be ME at all times, not just in the times it's safe. He made me to be ME and that's all I can do. So goodbye wrapped up, scared, nervous, girl. I have to stop so that I can begin. I am who I was created to be and that is amazingly healing to my heart.

i finished

2009-07-25T17:22:00.005-05:00

And it is gorgeous!! I finished the quilt last month (took me about 6-7 months), but today I made the shams and pillow cases to match it. :) Scott loves it, I love it, the boys have been laying on it for over an hour now. So much fun! The only thing I need now is some sheets to match (bright green I'm thinking) and some curtains with matching material. I love the brightness and the summery feeling of the bold colors. I love to brighten things up, and this bedding set does just that. Plus, it's all handmade and that makes it SO much more special to me. Scott said he's not sure if he can lay on it all. :) He makes me smile. Here are the finished pictures. Tonight, we shall be sleeping very carefully on our new bedding. Yay!

Here's the whole set. The squares on the shams are the same size, the one on the left has an orange bar that blends in with the background :)

Here is one of the shams. I used the last few extra squares from my top to make the top of the shams. :)
And here are the pillow cases. I used the last little bits of fabric I had left to make the little bars. It helped the cases blend in with the quilt top and matched everything up. :)

I am beyond thrilled with this set! I love how it all turned out and I love that it's something I worked really hard on. And I, of course, love that Scott likes the set as much as I do. Somehow that makes it even more special. :)

The Lost Get Found- Britt Nicole

2009-07-18T14:52:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite songs right now. I love it. I love the line "Don't be afraid to stand out". How far did Christ stand out for us? I can only hope to stand out as much for Him in return! Listen to the words, it's a call to witness. Love it. "Don't let the fire burn out! Somebody needs a reason to believe!"

paid in full

2009-07-14T21:58:00.002-05:00

Oh yes. Those are becoming my new favorite words. I love to hear them. Or rather to see them. Pretty little letters in pretty little envelopes. :) They make my day. You see, like many MANY others, our credit is not so great. Early on in our marriage we made so not-too-smart choices and well, here we are. With debt. It stinks. And up until this point we've not been able to do very much at all about it. But, God blessed us with the ability to pay our van off and that started the ball rolling. Along with the van we've been able to pay off two more additional debts and are working toward paying off another. We're not done, won't be for a little while, but we're working on it and it feels good y'all! It feels great to get this "weight" off our backs. If we can stay on track we will have all our debt paid off in a year, aside from my student loans. I can't tell you how free-ing it feels to be done with a few and working on the rest. Feels like we can see light. Like there is a way out. Lol. I know it sounds funny, but oh well. :) I'm sure I'm not the only one to feel this way about debt. So tonight we're praising God. Not only for a great first week of homeschool, but also for a great few weeks of knocking out 3 debts and working toward another. It's a fantastic feeling :)

How's your week going?

homeschool day 1

2009-07-06T12:34:00.002-05:00

Things are going very well today! Minus one thing - I gave David too much work. Didn't realize how much is in a lesson! He got a little overwhelmed with Math so I am planning on cutting back on how much work I give him. He's almost done with all his work for today though so that's good :) Dano READ his first small story in his Hooked On Phonics work book! Oh my stars that was really neat! He was very excited. I think he will do great at homeschool. He just needs constant positive reinforcement. It gets a bit wearing, but if it keeps him excited and moving forward I'm all about it. So today is a good day.

On another note Scott called and found out we've paid off our car! Yay!! We thought we had one more payment left but apparently we do not :) SO excited about that! Neither one of us has ever not had a car payment. It allready feels free-ing to not have to write that check! We should have the title within a week. :) Too cool! We're working on getting ready to buy our first home so this is definatly a step in the right direction! Go us! :)

So how about y'all? What are you up to today?

I think swimming is in our future... our very near future. :) Like... after naptime future. :)

can the blog world fire you?

2009-07-05T18:32:00.003-05:00

Maybe they should write me a reprimand? Goodness friends I didn't realize it had been so long since I blogged. Alot's gone on. We went on a much needed vacation to San Antonio, SO much fun there! Then we had VBS and who has a solid mind to write after a few hours with all that screaming and fun. Then came the tiredness. I'm just tired y'all. All the stinkin time. No amount of naps or resting works. Hopefully it'll pass soon. :) I finished my New Testament class with an A and now it's onto English Lit. Not so excited about that one but hopefully it'll be okay. Loads of reading. We're planning another small mini-vaca for November. Scott's got 3 more days to take so we're taking the boys to the Nascar race in Dallas. I think they'll like that. David is really into racing right now. We put a t.v. and playstation 2 in his room and all he likes to do now is play his Movie Car racing game. He is all for going to see a real race. :) Scott is still working, but now that it's summer he's able to see the boys more. We've been able to do a LOT more as a family now that summer has started. We're going to adjust our home school schedule to allow for more family time as well. Speaking of which we will be starting soon on homeschool. We're going to take advantage of the 100 degree temps and do some school work during the afternoons when the boys can't go out because of heat. Daniel is ready to start learning to read and the fact that he gets to work on the computer makes it even better. :) He's starting on Hooked On Phonics and allready loves all the little books that come with it. Well I have to scoot but here are some photos from our vacation and from our 4th. I hope you all have a GREAT week and I will try to write more often:)

We went to the Rain Forest Cafe on the Riverwalk our first night there. Daniel did NOT like the thunder and lightening show and kept his hands over his ears almost the entire time.

We went to the Alamo and David was thrilled. We'd done a unit study on the Alamo during our last few weeks of homeschool so he was really excited to see it in person. He loved all the statues and artifacts. Especially the ones with Bowie's name on them. He was David's favorite in all the books and stories about the Alamo. It was fun seeing him light up and point out everything he'd read about. :) That's him in the red shirt by the doors.

We went on the Shamu Up Close tour and at lunch, Shamu got CLOSE! The boys were so excited. We were too! It was way cool :)

We spent quite a while trying to get this bird to stand on David and finally it did! Of course it started walking off of him right when I went to snap the picture. :)

The boys after playing in the sprinkler at Nana's house on the fourth. We bought loads of kid friendly fireworks and spent the afternoon out there playing in the water and popping some loud loud fireworks. The boys had a blast! This was their first year to pop their own.

i miss my hubs

2009-05-29T13:42:00.003-05:00

Sigh. Yep, I'm missin' him. because of other stuff going on, I haven't seen him in three days. It stinks. But we should get some family time tonight at David's ball game. A couple of updates:

David's team is tied for first, if they win tonight they move on. Go Indians!

I have signed up to teach Sunday School, 2nd and 3rd grade, and will start on Sunday morning. I'm way excited. David's been helping me decorate the room for the last two days.

Scott is working crazy hours, but these days so am I, lol.

Dano is doing great. He's excited to be promoting to Adventure Bay this Sunday.

Other than that it's loads of blah. We are all READY for our vacation in about a week. Four days away from all the mess as a family. I couldn't ask for anything more! We're taking the boys to Sea World in San Antonio. We're also going to the Zoo, The Alamo, and the River Walk. If we have time (and energy!) we're going to try for Natural Bridge Caverns as well. At Sea World we're going to be having lunch with Shamu, I can not wait! I'm bringing the laptop with me so be watching for pics of our fun time :). Not many cause I fully plan on spending every minute enjoying my family! Hopefully these few more weeks of blah will pass quickly!

Mothers Day

2009-05-10T17:36:00.003-05:00

Wow, I didn't realize it's been 3 weeks since I've posted something. Crazy. A quick update before I tell you about my mothers day...

Homeschool is still going well. We've had a few hiccups but have overcome them with God's grace. Everything is going well and David still loves homeschool. Glory to God! Daniel is also doing well. He is still in pre-school but I see him getting more and more ready for the transition to homeschool. I am very excited to have them both home next term!

College is also going well. With God's provision I was able to do homeschool and college and they are both working out well. My Old Testament class was phenominal. I absolutely loved it and now have a MUCH deeper and better understanding of the Old Testament. I start my summer New Testament class tomorrow. I can barely wait. I've allready read ahead. (nerd alert!)

Scott is doing well. He is working crazy hours and many times I wonder if he's really home or just a figment of my imagination. Much prayer is being said over his work hours. I know God has a plan and a reason for him being at work so much so I'm trusting His plan. It is always so much better than mine!

We are headed for vacation in a few weeks, glory hallelujah! We are going to San Antonio the second week of June and will go to Sea World, the SA Zoo, The Alamo, and of course the Riverwalk. We are super excited for the time away as a family.

I am feeling a sense of eagerness about something. I'm a little too freaked out about it to say exactly what, but it is under intense prayer. Would you pray about it too? God will know exactly what you mean if you simply pray over "Jen's freak-out". :)

Onto Mothers Day - This has been the most amazing Mothers Day ever. Not because of the things I got (potted flowers, hanging baskets, chocolates, and sweet cards) but because of the time I got to spend with Scott and the boys. Everytime I turn around one of the boys is hugging me telling me they love me, it is sweetness at it's best. Scott gave me a sweet card and wrote some very nice things inside (I'm keeping them to myself :) ) We spent this morning together, Scott was able to come to church, and we just had fun as a family. I have never felt more appreaciated and loved, and I've never felt more blessed beyond anything I could ever deserve. God had blessed me with some amazing men in my life, but the three I got to spend this morning with take the cake. My boys are amazing. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to have them in my life. God must really love me.

Here are some pics of my pretties :)

We got a Topsy Turvy. You put the tomatoe plant in upside down and then put in the dirt and hang it. I wanted one to see if it really works and Scott found one at WalMart. Yay!

Pentas. I just love them. They are tiny little flowers but they are so pretty!

Vincas. I think they might be a love language. :)

We get impatiens every year but I've never seen one like this! There are four different colors: lilac, peach, pink, and white, and they look like they've been colored with crayons. Very pretty!

Hibiscus. I love them! Scott got two plants, one red and one yellow. They are blooming like crazy today!

homeschool is going GREAT!

2009-04-14T15:11:00.011-05:00

Much better than I'd anticipated. David is loving it and flourishing! We're working on second grade material and have been able to branch out and try new things. One of which I have now just fallen all kinds of in love with. Lapbooking. Such a cool idea! Whoever thought of it, I am so thankful for you! We are studying Easter after the holiday because we took some time off when my brother was in town. But David doesn't mind so I don't mind. Today we created his lapbook for his study on the book, "The Legend of The Easter Egg". He loves it! He cut and pasted all the pieces while I read him the instructions. This week we will go through the book and learn about it piece by piece so that by the end of the week he will have learned science, math, language arts, history, reading, spelling, and art from this one little book! So cool. Anyway, here are some pics from today.

OH! By the way, if you would like to get your hands on some free lapbook ideas and printouts click here and you will find everything you could imagine! This is where I got the templates and printables for the Easter lapbook.

Cutting out the pieces....

Gluing the pieces onto the book.

Putting it all together.

The front cover.

The folded sides of the finished piece.

The inside of the finished product. :)

the start of a new adventure

2009-03-29T22:39:00.002-05:00

Oh I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. There is so much going through my mind right now! I'm excited and scared at the same time. I think God is saying, "enough already with the scared! we can DO this thang Jennifer!" As most of you know we will be starting homeschool tomorrow with David. Daniel is finishing his year of pre-school and then will start in the fall. We thought it might be better to wait with him. He's not quite ready for the transition. But David was more than eager. Tomorrow we will head to the library for reading time to check out some books on our Texas History unit study, then we'll head to the store to get craft supplies (and alittle math lesson!) for his lap book creating, then we'll head back home and study his sea monkies under the microscope. The should be fully viewable tomorrow. Big day, but a fun day. I can't wait! I'll be up early making a special "first day of school" breakfast of scrambled eggs and pancakes. The boys will be thrilled!

Do me a favor and pray for us this week if you think about it. I am anticipating a great week, but am not underestimating the enemy. I know how much satan hates that we are following God's plan, and I know how much he'd love for us not to. Keep us in your prayers my friends.

And please pray for my brother and his family as they are traveling this coming weekend to Abilene!!! Whoohoo! Please pray for safe travels and a great visit!

One more... please pray for a special friend of ours. We have recently found out he and his family are serving the Lord in a restricted country. Please pray for their safety and for their strenth in service to the Lord. They are my heroes.

Love you all, and thank you to everyone who prayed for our sick kiddos this week. We are claiming health from now on and won't take any more of satan's jerky-ness. He needs to get to steppin' before he gets stepped on! Oh yeah, my Jesus already took care of that didn't he? :) Move on satan. Move on.

the last day

2009-03-27T16:16:00.002-05:00

Last night I prayed that today would be easier on us than I was anticipating. I knew it was going to be hard pulling away from school for the last time and I was prepared for tears. From me, not David. I asked God for a (another) clear sign that homeschool was the right thing. Lo and behold, he came through in an unforseen way. David woke up with a 103 fever this morning. No going to school. I'm claiming this as my clear sign that the boy should be at home. We did go an formally withdraw him at the school office and went by a few special teachers and said our goodbye's. Then we ventured to his classroom to say goodbye to his fellow students and gather his belongings. In the end it was a sweet half hour of closure for us. We both needed to walk through and say goodbye and also to thank God for ending one season while beginning another. David did not cry the whole time, and to my surprise neither did I. We were able to spend some special time with David's kindergarten teacher as well as the librarian. Both have been instrumental in getting David to this point. David was also able to say goodbye to his friend Ryan, although we will for sure be seeing Ryan again in the future. :) It was the moment we needed. The closure we needed.

Now it's time to enter the crazy adventure of homeschooling and I could not be more excited. David either. Right now we've allready started his first science project. We're growing sea monkies for him to look at under his new microscope on Tuesday. Monday will be spent at the library checking out books on the Alamo, then we'll begin our unit on the Alamo and Texas History. We're going to San Antonio on vacatio in June and so David will be learning about all the places we're going to visit. I can't wait to hear him say, "hey, I read about that in my lesson" when we go. :)

So even though it's been a bittersweet day, I'm praising God for the sweet goodbye and for the clarity. It's exactly what my worrysome heart needed.

more of a y than a v

2009-03-25T22:12:00.002-05:00

This has been a funky day for me. Sick kid, high emotions, sadness, second guessing... to much going on to write about. But something happened this morning and I'm just figuring out what God was trying to show me. I think he meant it to happen that way.

This morning I sat out on the patio watching the day wake up. There was a group of birds trying desperately to get across the blustering cloudy sky. What struck me as odd about this group, is that their "v" shaped flying pattern was all out of whack. Out front in a single line flew 4, sometimes 5, lone birds. The back of the "v" was in shambles. One side was straight and ready, the other was quite crooked and pretty much what that guy from Project Runway would call a "hot mess". (without the 'hot' perhaps). I tried my best to figure out what on earth was wrong with those birds. Then it hit me. They didn't know who to follow. The line of birds out front showed an uprising of those who wanted to lead the pack. The lines to the back showed an utter confusion of whom to follow. Their "v" was very much a "y". I wondered if some of them were actually wondering "y" they were following leaders who seemed to want to argue over who was going to be out front than keeping their flock together. And now tonight after the day I've had emotionally, God's giving me a clue as to what on earth I was witnessing this morning. Crazy pack of birds maybe, lesson from God for sure. You see, I've been arguing with God over who was going to lead my life. My pretty "v" is very much a "y" sometimes. And I get my sides all in a hot mess while I'm blinded by all the junk in front of me. In trying to steal the lead from God, I create quite a mess in my wake. Why am I not content to follow God's lead and let him keep the "v" going. I'm terrified of incredible leaps of faith. I'm so afraid I'll make the wrong choice that often times I make God push me before I'll leap. And too often I don't see the mess I've created until it's too late. But how awesome is God that he still comes and straightens my messes up for me? So Lord tonight with all that's on my heart and mind, even as the tears come down, I'm praying for a V in my life. I don't want a tail of fighting for leadership in my life. I want the courage to follow you wherever you take me. I want the courage to live in a V patterned life, rather than the fear of living in a Y life. Help me to step back and follow you more. And help me to stop second guessing my life. Because you are in the lead.

loving the lapbooks

2009-03-24T14:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, I've found a new love. :) Well, new to me. I love the lapbook idea for homeschooling! And I've found a couple of great places to find some free lapbook lessons and ideas! Too cool not to share. Keep looking cause I'll be updating this post as I find more freebies!

Free Presidential Election LapBook - click here to get it!

LOADS of free LapBook ideas/unit studies - click here to get it! *this will take you to the level 3 studies, to find other age ranges click on Unit Studies.

I'll send you more when I find them! Happy Hunting!

yay!

2009-03-23T16:22:00.002-05:00

We finally got in the last big of curriculum for Homeschool! We are still waiting on David's telescope and microscope set but we can start without them. I don't think we'll need to, but we can if shipping is delayed for whatever reason. :) Oh I am so excited! What we're going to do to start out is work on unit studies with David for the rest of the year, and then at some point in August/Sept begin both boys on their full curriculum. Daniel is not to keen on the whole process so we're going to let him finish out the year in Pre-K. David is over the mood excited about starting ASAP. So this is his last week in public school. I'm a bit sad, but more excited to see what God has in store for us. I have been planning out these next few weeks with David. We'll be studying about the Alamo, Zoo Animals, Whales, and Bats to prepare for our trip to San Antonio in June. We're also going to do a few studies on the missionaries that are visiting our church this month and the countries they are serving in. And then we'll do a study on Baseball since that is what he's into right now. I also have a unit study on US Currency because he wants to learn about money. I really think these next few weeks are going to help me learn how he learns. We're going to have a great time exploring and learning from God's world!

Just an aside - while Satan hasn't attacked us yet, I'm not naive enough to think it won't happen. Please keep us in your prayers! You have been so encouraging with your e-mails and letters! Thank you SO much for the support!

taking the plunge...

2009-03-19T15:43:00.004-05:00

*drumroll please...*

We are taking the plunge friends. Into what you ask? Into the vastly scary, wildly exciting, fun filled world of Homeschooling! Yep, that's right, homeschool here we come! I'm so excited about this decision. We've been praying for years about it until a few weeks ago when I realized I was praying more to keep God's will at bay than I was to get a clear decision from him. I allready knew what he wanted me to do, but I was hiding from it. So after hours upon hours, and weeks upon weeks, of researching state laws and the billions of curricula out there, we finally settled on Alpha Omega LifePac for David, and AO Horizons for Daniel. I am in love with both of them and I think each worktext will be good for each child. Several things have happened that have confirmed in my mind that this is God's plan. It's been an interesting week of God proving to me that all I needed to do was listen to him and he would work it out. In our Bible study this morning of Esther, Beth Moore was talking about timing. It really hit me when she said many times we just know when it's time. We won't be led by our emtions, but we'll just know and then we'll go. Two weeks ago I just knew. It wasn't an emotional decision, or a decision out of fear or anything else. I just knew it was time to stop putting God off. And much of that day was spent researching, talking with others who are currently homeschooling, and praying that I would have the strength to carry out God's plan. Last night I was talking some friends of mine and one asked why I had decided to homeschool and the only answer I had was that it was just time. I laughed to myself this morning about how fitting our lesson was with what's happened in the last few weeks. God is always there. He's there, and he's on time. Now it's up to us to be! Are you sitting on the fence waiting for it to be time? What's holding you back? Take advice from a fellow fence sitter. Jump down. If it's just time to get up and go, get up and go. God has worked everything out to where I have not needed to stress out about any part of this decision. Everything has fallen into my lap, including the curriculum and supplements my heart craved for. God has taken every question, every need, and every desire of my heart and fulfilled it. So if it's time, Go. Don't put God off or wait around for a better answer from him. You'll find your watch showing half past some blessings if you do.

PS - if you'd like to find out more about Alpha Omega Homeschooling products you can click here and it will take you to their site. You can also sign up for daily devotions in your e-mail! Check it out. :)

I have been...

2009-03-14T14:08:00.002-05:00

... on this durn computer all day. Literally ALL stinkin day. I have found some terrific deals on Ebay. Deals that if I win, I will have a HUGE jump start on a decision we've made. Not ready to tell that yet. Still letting God reconcile my head to my heart before we jump into telling anyone. It's a secret between God and us and I actually like it like that. For now anyway. (no, before you jump, we are NOT preggers. God's not mean like that, lol!) Anyway, so I've been on the computer all day and I need to get up and DO something but first I wanted to share with you a Kohl's sale. Yep, I love some Kohl's. I won't be shopping because of the above mentioned Ebay deals, BUT you can shop and save an additional 15%, even on clearance items! The sale is online only and begins at 7:00 pm EST tonight! (Sat March 13th) You'll need to enter the code MIDNIGHT 15 when you checkout to get the extra % off. Happy shopping friends!

I need to update you...

2009-03-11T16:07:00.004-05:00

But I'm in a terrible mood. Lol, I know, that's not what you're looking for. I can't help it. I'm bogged down and feeling quite moody. The boys are on my last nerve and I need some peace and quiet. I need an escape. So yesterday Scott and I spent the afternoon working on an "escape place" that's really only 3 feet from the kids, but it's a spot I can relax and feel calm in. I hope. I need peace in my life. I'm stressed. I'm supposed to be on a short break between my courses, but today I made the mistake of looking at my next two classes early and I'm allready over whelmed with the amount of work I'll be doing. Ugh. So, while I was going to update you today, it's hard to be chipper. So I'll show you pics of what we're calling my "escape pod" (thank you Dano for that nickname). It's actually our patio but we've sort of made it into an "eden". We bought several (okay, like 40) pots and found some amazing plants and flowers that I love, and decked out the patio. Take a look...

This is the first half....

This is the second half, and there are more down the side of the patio...

I have always loved Daisies and now I have a giant pot of them!

and of course I had to have some Gerbera Daisies as well...

We have no idea how to say or spell what these are called but they were too gorgeous to pass up! We bought a lilac plant and a pink plant and they are beautiful!

We bought a Yellow rose bush which I believe David is in love with. He keeps saying that it makes the most beautiful flower he's ever seen.
I think he's right.

Hubs cut the first rose for me but couldn't find a vase to put it in. I adore his substitute vase.

The only downside to buying all the plants so soon is that we haven't gotten our last freeze yet. So for now, my "escape pod" is indoors, all over my living room. BUT once the weather perks up, we'll have the prettiest patio ever. :)

check out the little mister

2009-02-19T14:49:00.001-06:00

He received the Star Student award again. Yep, again. :)

i.am.mush.

2009-02-12T17:44:00.002-06:00

Well my brain is anyway. I am feeling VERY overwhelmed with school right now. The fifth week is always the hardest in these 8 week semesters. I'm not sure why, it just works out that way. I have been one busy lady these past few days. I've missed both my Bible studies and Faith last night just to try to stay caught up. I'm only in two classes right now y'all. The work load is stressful to say the least. Praise God for a much lighter 6th week! Not much is new. I just realized it's been a while since I've posted. I guess I've been "miss mushy brain" for a while now. My days feel monotonous. Nothing new, same old junk. I need something new to keep me going. Something fun. Even shopping has lost it's appeal these days. So what now? What will bring th pep back into my attitude? I feel down and smushed most of the time lately. I'm in a funky kind of funk. Lol, it's so bad I can't even explain it properly. Anyway, what do you do when you feel down in the dumps and drained? Any ideas on how to put the pep in my step? (sorry but by now it's a theme, go with it) :) Love me even though I'm nerdy. And pray for me friends. I need it. :)

blahness

2009-01-28T11:52:00.003-06:00

Today I'm feeling rather blah. After having the flu for almost a week, and taking care of two fluish boys for the same week, we're now stuck in the house because we're on the second day of ice ice baby. Yeah, I know, lame. But like I said, I'm feeling blah. :) We will probably get out of the house this afternoon. We've been cooped up for a week and we've all got cabin fever. But I did manage to get my house cleaned today. School is going well. I'm regretting having chosen to take English and Philosophy at the same time. I should have tried a different combination, but hey, I'm making it. Glory to God, I'm making it. Today we did a little "home-school" work because the boys have missed so much school. Including these two weather days, Dano has missed 6 days and David has missed 4. So we sat down for an hour and did some spelling, reading, and math. David was all into it, Daniel kinda tried to wimp out on me after 45 minutes. But we plugged through. Made me feel like we could actually homeschool and it would be okay. I'm still nervous that I wouldn't be patient enough, or that I wouldn't be a good enough teacher. Homeschool is something we pray earnestly about. I feel like it's what God wants, but I have zero confidence in myself as a teacher. I don't want to mess up my children's education. I know several people who homeschool and it works great for them. What is the secret? How does it work so easy? Were you afraid when you took the plunge? What happens if it doesn't work out? How do you know your child will graduate High School? Will all the work you've done at home be negated if you don't use an accredited curriculum? Questions questions. Help me homeschool moms. Help me. Please. I beg of you. I think I'm driving myself crazy here.

So yes, today I'm feeling blah about much. What are you up to today?

stirring a heavy heart

2009-01-18T15:30:00.002-06:00

I am full of joy today. But my heart is also heavy. It's an unexplainable feeling. I can't pinpoint why I feel this way, or when it started. I can't make heads or tails of what's happening in my heart. I feel weighed down today. But I'm also full of joy. How can I feel both at once? I feel a joy for the amazing church family I have and how happy I am to see their smiling faces. I'm weighed down with a love for children I've never met. Does that make any sense at all? There is no doubt in me that God wants me to be a children's minister. No reservations, no doubts. But there is an unyielding weight. I am deeply burdened for these kids. What kids? I have no idea. I see their faces in my mind. I picture them all the time. Their smiles. Their tears. I want to reach out to them. Tell them about Jesus and his love for them. I want to hug them and let them know that even though the world around them thinks they'll never have a chance, God will always believe in them and they can do anything through Him. It's not time yet. I get that. But the more deeply I understand what it is that God wants from me, the more deeply I am burdened with this need to bring Jesus to them. I want them to see themselves through His eyes. To know they ARE loved. To know the ARE worth something. To know they ARE deeply cared for. To know they ARE precious. And yes, to know they ARE princes and princesses. These kids get to me. Straight to my heart. When I meet them face to face... wow. What a day of praise that will be. Until then I wait. Wait for God. Wait for that still small voice to say, "go". The wait is difficult. The prize though, is worth whatever I have to endure to get there. Who are you? When I meet you I'll know. Until then, I pray that God watches over you and that even now he begins to stir your heart like He is stirring mine.

Anyone else out there being stirred up?

update

2009-01-16T10:52:00.003-06:00

Well friend I'm having issues with my camera. :( But I did want to update everyone on my weight loss status. I have not had a soft drink in over two weeks! A few days were really hard to get through, but I haven't given in. And honestly it's so much easier now to just drink water or sprite. And, drumroll please..... I have lost 8 pounds in the last two weeks! Now mind you that's not all from abstaining from soda. I have been walking more and being more active. I've also replaced my snacks with healthier options. I think the main reason this has been fairly easy for me is because God is going along with me. I can't do anything without His strength and I'm overjoyed that He's walking right along with me. :) As soon as I can get my camera to download pics I'll be updating you with pics. For now let's just send some praise upward for the 8 pounds that are no longer weighing me down! And pray with me that more of those little suckers decide to jump ship! :)

confessions from an adict

2009-01-03T21:23:00.002-06:00

This post has been in my head for several days. I meant to post it on the first, but honestly... I was a bit embarassed to post this. For years I've been okay with my weight. I've not really cared that I'm "large" in size. (okay, maybe extra large but whatever) But over several weeks God's been impressing health on me. I need to be healthy. And so, to be healthy I need to lose weight. I've tried several times to do so, but everytime I just give in. I guess because I've been happy where I was. I'm not happy where I am right now. I simply feel fat. Please know, this is not an attempt for people to say "oh, you're not fat" or to feel sorry for me. This is simply me stating the truth. Lol, my truth. I guess I'm feeling the weight of my heaviness and I'm ready to be free of it. So where to start right? I know, eat healthy and excersize. I think that's easier said than done. But, this time around I'm adding a monumental tool to the battle. Prayer. I have been praying about how to do this right, how to keep the weight off, how to maintain a healthy balance. God's first answer... give up sodas. Now, if you know me, you know this is difficult for me. I drink soda like I breathe. And there of course lies the problem. And the addiction. I've tried in the past to give up caffiene but the "de-tox" was aweful. I had constant headaches, my body shook, I couldn't focus, I felt like I was a total mess. After two weeks I gave in and vowed to never try that again. This time has been different. God has really freed me from most of the past effects. It's been 5 days since I've had a coke and I'm not feeling shaky and havne't gotten headaches. I did have a really rough third day, the cravings were relentless. But I didn't give in, and days 4 and 5 have been amazing. I'm praising God for the power I feel over this caffiene addiction. I feel like I can actually do this. Like whatever God gives me during this trial, I can manage. The hardest thing for me to give up in order to lose weight in my mind, was coke. Through prayer and submission, God has granted me a peaceful break from caffiene. This journey is going to be a difficult ride for me. But I'm so encouraged and empowered knowing that God will be there with me holding my hand and strengthening my resolve. And my addictions? Gone. With God's help, nothing will stand in my way! If you'd like to come on this journey with me, (this is where it gets scary!) I'll be posting about this every Monday. And... it will include scale photos. Yes, oh yes. I truly believe that accountability goes a long way when struggling to overcome, and so I will be using my blog as my accountability. Knowing you are all reading this each Monday will keep me focused on watching that scale go down, down, DOWN! So come along with me readers. Monday will be the first official post. Join me on the journey, friends!

goodbye 2008

2008-12-31T19:50:00.002-06:00

Hello 2009! I have major goals for this pretty new year. I'll post them tomorrow. For now I just like remembering this past year. A few major moments stick out. The biggest of which was fully surrendering myself to full time ministry and thus taking the plunge and enrolling in Liberty University Online. It's been an interesting semester, but I finished on top and am deeply encouraged about the upcoming semesters. The other major moment was Scott and I making choices to better our family and marriage. Most are too personal to go into, but all have had the same amazing result. We're a stronger couple, with a stronger family, and more deeply rooted faith in the power of God to heal everything we lay at His feet. Yep, 2008 has been full of happy, difficult, irritating, awesome, ecstatic, sad, heartbreaking, strengthening, encouraging, and dissapointing moments. 2009 holds the promise of the same, but also a deep resounding feeling of hope. God has stirred me with hope this season and I can't wait to see what He's got in store. I know my plans for this upcoming year, I can't wait to find out what His plans are!

What about you friends? (and lurkers, I know you're out there! :) ) What sticks out most about 2008? What are you hoping for most from 2009?

So long 2008!

Happy New Year, friends!

(time to get ready for a *teensy* get together, hope your night is full of friends, food, family, and fun! and of course, a kiss from your sweetie!)

a few Christmas pics

2008-12-30T11:19:00.007-06:00

Thought I'd share some of our Christmas with y'all. :) Enjoy!

Scott's brother Andrew got our family a Wii for Christmas. We have not stopped playing this thing, it is SO cool.

This is Daniel being silly at Scott's oldest brother Allen's house.

Our tree Christmas morning...

Daniel opening his Star Wars: The Clone Wars Transformer. (say that 3 times fast!)

David with his new red Jungle Fury Power Ranger.

Ah yes, Elmo Live. Thank you Bonnie Hunt show!

David opening the Rudolf book I made for him.

Daniel loving on the Power Rangers fleece blanket I made for him. Score!

David got a cool Spiderman Digital Camera from my mom and dad.

Look at his face!! Lol, this is Daniel with his new Hermie book.

The boys in their new clothes. David in "fancy" clothes, Dano in Star Wars.

Oh yes, can't forget Kung Fu Panda. They actually got several vidoes from Santa; this was the most popular because it came with Po the Panda. :)

And last but not least, here is yours truly on Christmas morning. Yes friends, I have no makeup. Love me anyway.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

seven.

2008-12-26T14:49:00.002-06:00

Seven years of laughs.

Seven years of deep blue eyes.

Seven years of that awesome belly laugh.

Seven years of kissing away boo-boo tears.

Seven years of hugs and kisses.

Seven years of birthday wishes.

Seven years of "mommy watch this".

Seven years of milestones.

Seven years of watching you grow.

Seven years of waking you up in the morning.

Seven years of Spiderman, Batman, Ironman, Superman....

Seven years I would not trade for anything in the world.

Seven years of being your mom.

Seven years of first. For you and me.

Seven years of you.

Happy Birthday, my sweet sweet boy.

I love you more than you will ever know.

fudge

2008-12-23T10:49:00.002-06:00

Oh y'all. This girl just made fudge for the very first time. It smells divine! I'm secretly praying that manna tastes like this fudge smells. Wow. I can't wait for it to set so I can try it! Lol. Pics to follow, of course. So tell me... what is your favorite holiday treat? What one thing do you save until Christmas time to make? Any special holiday traditions?

Growing up my parents and Grandmother would have a Christmas Eve get together. There would be fudge, my moms cheese rolls, cookies, and other sweets. It always seemed so magical to me. I think they were probably wrapping all our gifts and maybe putting together a bike or two, but when we were young we had no clue. I love thinking of our childhood Christmases. They were full of family, fun, and food. We hope to bring the same feeling of joy to our kids as they grow up. Above all, we hope to share the joy of Christ with our boys. I love reading the real Christmas story to the boys before they go to bed on Christmas Eve. For our family, that's our tradition. We started it a few years ago and it's quickly become my favorite part of the holiday. We spend so much time going and visiting family, that those few moments when we can slow down, remember Christ, and pray together as a family are the most cherished.

What special moment of Christmas do you cherish?

let them eat jelly!

2008-12-17T10:03:00.005-06:00

I finally got the jelly baskets ready for giving. :) Each of our staff members at church will be receiving one of these. The baskets each contain homemade strawberry and blackberry jam, and a loaf of fresh baked bread. I hope they like it! :) Here's a pic so you can see them.

**I bought the neat neat baskets when we had a ladies shopping trip to Canton for $1 each!

in love with UPS right now

2008-12-11T20:28:00.002-06:00

Okay, let me just preface this by asking that anyone reading this who will come into contact with my children between now and Christmas please not breathe a WORD of this to them. Okay? Okay.

So, if you don't watch The Bonnie Hunt Show, you must. It's cute, it's funny, it's not "racey" like some of the other talk shows. It's just a good show. This week she's doing something called "Give & Get". It's where you Give $10 to Cancer Research through an e-bay charity auction, and in return you Get something really cool. All of the products retail for WELL over the $10 and there is also no shipping charge on the item. We won the first days item but have not been able to win anything since. The items are so phenominal each day they are selling out in 8 seconds flat. No joke. So what was the awesome first day product??? Oh my stars I'm so excited to even be posting this! Monday's item was Fisher Price's Elmo Live! Elmo Live, friends!!! It retails for $60 or more and all our stores have been sold out of them. But for our $10 donation, Fisher Price's amazing freebie, and my quick typing skills, we purchased one for $10 flat and it is now hiding in my room awaiting it's opening on Christmas morning. Of course, I couldn't put him away without testing him. Oh my stars y'all. He is SO stinkin cute! He moves just like the real Elmo. He is just darling. Daniel has almost every Elmo made. He's a major Elmo fan. I mean we're talking, if kids could stalk Elmo, he would. I can not WAIT to see his face when he opens this little guy. Oh the joy! And even better is that the money we sent in will go to research cancer and better ways to combat it. How cool is that? That money will hopefully go to bless someone and in turn it also blessed our boy. God is awesome! Totally awesome.

Siesta Ornament Exchange

2008-12-11T11:27:00.003-06:00

Hello and welcome to my fellow Siestas who stop by here in the next few days! I'm so happy y'all are here! And a special hello and welcome to Siesta Kathy with whom I swaped ornaments. I receive my box yesterday and oh y'all. (feel free to imagine I sould like Paula Deen there :) ) It had the most gorgeous Angel ornament inside a cute cute snowman gift box. And underneath the ornament was a yummy smelling Christmas Cookie candle. I may be in heaven. God must have put in her heart that that is my favorite candle scent ever. My house smells darn good right now! And my tree is looking quite a bit more sparkly with the precious angel hanging on it. Thank you thank you Kathy for the sweet gift. I hope you enjoy your package as well!

my goodies...

my ornament before it went on the tree...

the angel found a nice home nestled next to our "Jesus warms my heart" gingerbread man.

lost a tooth!

2008-12-08T19:19:00.002-06:00

On a completely different tone from my last post....

David lost his first tooth tonight!!!

I am upset today

2008-12-08T18:02:00.002-06:00

On the news for the past several days they've reported a story about a foster mother being arrensted for sexually assaulting her foster son. DNA results have proven her newborn child is the product of the abuse. Where does someone even get the idea that something like this is okay? What happened in her mind to make her think it was allright to do something like this? Many times news stories can be explained away for one reason or another. But this one I can not reconcile with. It's wrong. Flat out, plain wrong. One of my deepest desires is for us to become foster parents. We pray about it, think about it all the time, talk about "someday" often. It's unbelievalbe to me that someone who signed on to protect this child from something like this, ended up being the one to do the worst damage to this child. And why? For what? This child will now be sent to yet another foster home with yet another spotlight shining down on him. Do people not think about children anymore? Do adults forget that the decisions they make affect their children as well? Last weeks news just about sent me over the edge. Three reports in a row about 3 seperate children being abused either sexually or physically. It makes me sick. What is going on in the world that makes attacking young children a "typical day in the news"? What's happening to children in our community is sickening. The forgotten, the hungry, the lonely, the abused - I can not stand it anymore. I can not hear another story about an abused or neglected child and not do something. God's stirring His purpose in me and I'm on fire for it. We have got to stand up for these kids. They are defenseless. What's happening to them is not their fault. It's the fault of adults who've given up their responsibilities for whatever makes the moment for them. I see too many hurting kids every Sunday morning to hold back anymore. These children need love. REAL love. Jesus love.

Turkey Pot Pie

2008-12-03T11:32:00.003-06:00

So, have too much turkey? Need to use it up? Here's a recipe that's great for leftover turkey!

You will need:

leftover turkey
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
Veggies - you can use any kind you like. I used Birdseye mixed veggies because I can steam them in the microwave. If you use canned or fresh veggies you don't have to cook them ahead of time, frozen veggies will need to be heated or cooked.
1 box Pillsbury roll out Pie Crusts - these will need to be room temp to roll correctly so set them out 20 minutes before you plan on preping your pot pie.
1 deep pie plate
1 large mixing spoon
Pre-Heated oven to 350

First you need to shred your leftover turkey; I use my food processor because it's much easier than doing it by hand. If you want chunks instead of shreds, simply dice your leftover turkey.

In a large bowl mix your cooked/canned veggies, one can of Cream of Chicken soup, 1 tsp of powdered chicken bullion, and salt and pepper to taste. Add in shredded turkey and mix well with a large spoon.

Roll out one pie crust into the bottom of your pie pan, smooth it out so there are not bubbles or bumps.

Pour turkey mixture into pie crust, smooth top with spoon.

Roll second pie crust over the top of the dish, vent with a knife and cut off an excess pie crust. I aslo use a fork on the edge to make a "lined" design around the pie.

Place in the oven for about 60 minutes or until the pie crust is golden brown. If you find the inside is not as hot as you like (sometimes it takes a bit long with the deep dish pans) cover the edge of your pie with a pie protector or foil and continue to bake until it's done to your liking. Remember that everything you've put in the pie is pre-cooked, so don't over bake or you'll burn your piecrust.

Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. You can serve it with your leftover sides or a fruit salad will compliment nicely.

Enjoy!

Tips - You can make everything from scratch if you choose for a more "homemade" feel. You can also use non-fat or low-fat ingredients for a more healthy dish.

Another tip for leftover turkey - you can mix up some easy turkey salad using mayo and relish, serve on wheat bread and enjoy!

parade pics

2008-12-02T21:19:00.004-06:00

Abilene's annual Christmas parade was held tonight. The boys LOVED it. This year we decided not to ride on the church float and instead watch the parade as a family. We had a great time. The boys loved getting to see all the floats and getting candy from the Marines, AHS Cheerleaders, Cowboys (HSU students), and many others. Their favorite was, of course, Santa Clause, but the APD and AFD were a very close second. It was really fun to not be in the hustle of kids and float deco and just sit and enjoy the parade. It was an hour long, and jam packed with lights, music, and plenty of Merry Christmases to go around. Here are some pics from tonight. Enjoy! *all of the Trinity pics are of kiddos and adult from our church, aren't they sweet!*

Dano waiting for the parade to begin.

Santa kicked the parade off, and yes, oh yes, he looked straight at my screaming boys and smiled reallllly big and waved. Might have been the hightlight of the night if the AFD hadn't come right behind Santa and wailed on their horn :) .

Your eyes do not deceive you, this is a giant grocery shopping cart done by HEB. Everyone applauded and laughed when this one came down the route. Too cool. :)

The Trinity floats. The first is of our bus that picks kids up on Sunday morning. The second is Charlie Underwoods racecar; he races every other week I believe, but the kids LOVE when he brings the car for them to look at and sit in. The third is a train built by one of our members.

the tree is up

2008-11-29T19:49:00.003-06:00

Yes folks, the Christmas tree went up today. :) I absolutely love putting up the tree. It's one of my favorite traditions. Scott lugs out the box, puts the tree up, and fixes whatever lights might be out. (we have one of those pre-lit trees) and then I get out the ornaments and decorations and decorate to my hearts content. It's the best after Thanksgiving afternoon we have. We have many wood ornaments the boys can help us with so they get to be a part of the tree tradition as well. So here are the fruits of our labor...

Our tree, some of my favorite ornaments, the little guys under our tree, and our shelf sitters...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T13:43:00.003-06:00

Hi friends! I just wanted to take a moment to tell you all Happy Thanksgiving. I'm so blessed and grateful for the friendship we have and I'm even more blessed that you all count me as a friend as well. I hope you all have wonderful days full of family, fun, blessings, and thankfulness. At the top of my list of things I'm thankful for is my salvation and my relationship with Christ. If not for His sacrifice, I'm not sure we'd have much to be thankful for! What are you thankful for?

I'm leaving you with some photos of some of the yummies that will be on our Thanksgiving table.

Pumpkin Bread - made from REAL pumpkins (!!) Cherry Pie, and Apple Pie. :) Wanna come join us for Thanksgiving???

small group

2008-11-16T22:48:00.003-06:00

I love our small group. I normally do not blog about them, and this is no exception. Not blogging about group, just about how much I love our group. Every Sunday night I leave feeling so encouraged. I've never been a part of such amazing people. I know that each of them genuinely cares about my family, and I hope they know I feel the same about theirs. I deeply love my brothers and sisters in Christ. Being part of such an amazing group brings joy to my Sunday nights and is something I am forever grateful to God for. Two years ago I was alone. I was in the middle of a horrible situation that forced me to see, without any doubt, who my true friends were, and who they were not. Sadly, I came out bruised, beat up, and alone. (with the exception of one friend whom I cherish every day!) I felt so incredibly alone. I was depressed and severely hurt. Trust was blown. There was no way I was opening myself up to become close with anyone. If that was what "friendships" did to you, I wanted no part of it. I isolated myself and tried as much as I could to "play" friends but never really have to break the barrier. But praise God, He had a better plan. Through this group I've learned to open up more than I ever have. I still feel myself pulling away sometimes, but God is working it out for me. This group has helped me open my heart in a new way. Fully. We may not always agree, and we always have different opinions, but what makes this group so incredible is that we thrive on each others differences. By everyone having and sharing their own thoughts, we grow closer because we openly share with no repercussions. I feel safe and free here. Free to be who I am with no pretense. As dorky as I can be sometimes, this group still loves me. And safe knowing that everything I say in group, stays in group. I'm shaking my head right now because I've never had friendships like I do now. I feel so unworthy of such friends. In tonight's lesson one of the gentlemen said that when we call on God, He doesn't just do what we need, He goes above and beyond anything we could imagine. I desperately needed a true friend a year ago. God not only gave me a true friend, He gave me more true friends than I can count on both hands. These people have changed my life and I love them more dearly than words can express.

If you're reading this and are part of our group, you are more precious to me than anything I know. I am blessed for knowing you. Thank you for putting up with my dorky ways, and thank you for being there for me. Y'all are something this dorky gal can't live without!

dano

2008-11-12T21:24:00.001-06:00

snagged this pic a few days ago. enjoy.

I have smart children

2008-11-12T20:45:00.002-06:00

Today was report card day. Now, no, before you ask I don't stress report card days. Our boys are in pre-k and 1st grade, not much to stress over. However, David did manage to surprise me. Not by his grades, but by all the rewards his school gives out for each level they achieve. David got straight A's on his report card. I'm so stinkin proud of him! He brought home 4 certificates for free kids meals at various restaurants and got a card for game tokens at THE coveted Mr. Gattis. If I could stress to you the importance of Mr. Gattis in the lives of my little boys, oh my. It was like manna was falling from heaven the way this boy hopped and danced around once I'd read what the cards were for. I have to admit, I actually teared up a bit seeing how great he felt about working so hard and getting such great rewards for his work. Add onto that the $1 he got from his Daddy and I thought the boy might just fall over. He really felt special today and I'm not ashamed to tell you all that I am one PROUD momma today. David has never struggled in school and is actually learning on a 2nd grade level, but to see the fruits of his labor and hear him talk excitedly about what he's accomplished is awesome. I love that he has such a passion for learning and for setting and accomplishing his goals. On his way to bed he asked me if there was something higher than an A. I said, "well sometimes teachers give an A+ for extra good work". He's already planning out how he's going to get a report card full of A+'s next time. :) Oh that boy fills my heart.

Daniel also got very good marks. They grade pre-k differently than elementary so it's not A's and B's but rather where they are improving and by how much. He is right on target and is improving as he should be. He loves going to school. Mostly for his "buddies" (shout out Tristan!), but he also likes all the learning games they play. He didn't get the rewards like David (the don't do the rewards in pre-k) but he did get the $1 from daddy and some M&M's from mommy. After that he didn't care about the "papers" (rofl!) that David got. Silly guys.

I love these guys. And I'm so glad they got my smarts. haha, j/k hubs! I love my family. We've had the amazing blessing of having family nights every Friday night for the past several months. It's something that until August, we'd never been able to experience. Hubs schedule was/is hectic and rarely ever left time for us to spend quality family time. There would be weeks where the boys wouldn't see hubs for 3-4 days because their schedules were opposite. We prayed earnestly for things to change and God blessed us with a schedule much more manageable than before. Hubs is off on Friday nights and we're able to connect as a family like we've never been able to before. We go to the drive in, go out for dinner, and have game/movie nights at home. There is such a difference in our family I can't even begin to explain the things God has done for us. Several months ago we turned our marriage and family fully over to God and the rewards have been astounding to say the least. Our eyes are opened wide to even the smallest victories. Which is why today's report card day was so touching for me. It may be something that sounds silly to you all, but for us it's a family victory. We got to spend 30 minutes cheering, hugging, encouraging, and praising our boys. It was awesome and it reminded me again of the blessed healing road God is taking us down. When I say I love my family it breaks me inside. I am so full of love for my guys. At times it spills out in laughter, sometimes in tears, most times in hugs and kisses. And like today, sometimes in all those forms. I am so proud of all my guys I could just burst. And I'm so grateful to God for getting us to this point. I can't wait to see what's next for us!

** and yes mom, and friends, there will probably be another sappy blog entry next report card day. I can't help it, those boys are too awesome. :) **

my hero

2008-11-06T14:18:00.003-06:00

Yep. Hubs is a hero y'all. In Sunday's paper the K-Mart ad was like a beacon of happiness calling to us. You see, Power Rangers are on sale. And not just any sale my friends, a Buy-One-Get-One-Free sale. Oh yes. And underneath that little pretty line, it said, "on ALL Power Rangers". Gasp. Yeah. We were pumped. Any parent who has a little boy that's into Power Rangers knows what I'm talking about.

Then I got sick and paid a little visit to the ER. Turns out I have Disfunctional Uterine Bleeding. Ew. Anyway, so no shopping for a few days. Okay, I'm thinking, the sales not over for several days, surely I'll have my energy back by then. Down comes more rain. David is sick. Not just any sick. Flu sick. Now for sure I'm out for about a week. David thows the meds up so it takes him longer to get over the flu.

In comes my knight in shining armor. Scott volunteers to go to the store and claim victory over the Power Ranger sale. I make him take the ad with him. (note to all of you who know how K-Mart is, TAKE THE AD with you!) He calls, we figure out the right sets and all that. I wait. And wait. And wait. And finally I call to see if he's doing okay. He's laughing and tells me that the store tried not to honor the ad but when he pulled it out of his back pocket they knew they'd lost. Hubs pulled through in a major way and saved us $53!! I am so darn proud of him! He's usually not confrontational, but these are Christmas toys for the kiddos, and the price was too goo to let go. He stood his ground and brought home 5 giant sacks of Power Ranger Jungle Fury goodness. Can I get an Amen?? :)

We're both quite sure there is now a sign on the aisle of Power Rangers stating there is a misprint in the ad, but that's okay, hubs managed to get ours on sale and I'm so durn proud of him I could jump for joy! But a good Praise the Lord is gonna have to do for now. :) Bedrest stinks.

free starbucks? say it ain't so joe!

2008-11-03T15:58:00.004-06:00

Oh yes friends, free Starbucks on Election Day! I got this in my e-mail just a few sweet minutes ago. Any takers?

why?

2008-10-28T19:13:00.003-05:00

*steps on soap box...*

Why. Why do some parents believe they are above the sick rule at school? Why? Are you so supreme that the sickness that SURROUNDS your child won't pass on to the HEALTHY children by your supreme, germ maintaining, super kid???? I mean honestly. Daniel went to school HEALTHY, and is now running a fever and coughing. TWO kids in his class were sick and were brought anyway by their parents. There was a sub today (don't EVEN get me started on the sub, let's just say I've have several discussions with his normal teachers about how this particular sub treats the kids, anyway...), and she allowed one sick child to stay while telling another to go home. Seriously. The one that got to stay.... oh my goodness. The poor kid was obviously sick and feeling rotten. His eyes were swollen and red, glassy and runny; his nose was runny and he was barely alert. As I'm noticing this, the mother tells the sub, "he woke up with a fever but I gave him Motrin and it worked right away!". Seriously??? DUH. Okay. Just DUH. Of course the medicine you gave your SICK child ONE hour ago is now working. (I'm smacking my forehead here). Does said sub tell this mom to take her child home? NO. She smiles at the woman and says, "well that's a relief" and let's her leave. UGH. Then second sick child comes in. No fever, but had one last night. No, no symptoms of said illness, doing okay, just high fever during the middle of the night. Now, technically, no the kid is not supposed to be in school. You have to be fever free, WITHOUT tylenol or motrin, for a full 24 hours before you can return to school. However, sub let the other sick kid stay so I'm anticipating yet another sick kid in the room. Sub tells mom in not so nice tone that sick kid #2 cannot stay and she has to take him home. So... why follow the policy for one child and not the other? I'm still scratching my head on that one. Anyway, now Daniel is sick. Red eyes, runny nose, cough, and fever. All the same symptoms as sick kid #1 who was brought by mom who doesn't understand the working effects of Motrin; allowed to stay by sub who has many many issues of "favortism" in the classroom. People... these kids are FOUR years old. VERY succeptable to illness, especially when it's staring them in the face. Stay home with your sick children. Follow the rules, isn't that what we teach our kids??? STAY home with your sick child, don't bring them and get my child sick. It will only lead to mean blogging and probably a cross look next time I see said sub and mom. Yes I know, I should be nicer, but my son is sick and it's not his fault. Use the brain God gave you people. Use the brain.

*** and before you all jump on me about working single moms not being able to take time off, this is not that type of situation; this mom stays home like many of the rest of us and could have taken care of her child, she choose not to. ***

spider cake lives

2008-10-25T16:57:00.004-05:00

Yes folks, the spider cake lives again. I attempted to make mini spider cakes this year, but they were not good. Cake was good, decorating them was a nightmare. So I whipped up a simple bundt cake and went to work again. The end result is pretty cute! Much different than last year, but I was working with what I had. :) What do you think? It's all edible. The spider looks "hairy" thanks to my cool cake decorating tips and chocolate sprinkles, the legs are red twizzlers, the head is a mini milky way, and everything else is icing. Some child is going to be a happy camper at the cake walk tomorrow. We're having our annual Fall Festival. If you're in town, come by our church (Trinity Baptist). The festival is from 5 - 7 pm and afterwards, at 8 pm we'll have our opening night of Judgement House. Come have a great Sunday night with us! And who knows, you might win this cake! :)

I voted.

2008-10-20T17:32:00.004-05:00

Have you?

Are you able to vote early in your state?

Whether you're able to vote early or not, make sure you DO vote. Hubs and I voted together this morning. This is the first time we've gone in together and voted at the same time. We both left the booth feeling relieved and as though we'd done our part. So go vote! If you're in Tx, you can vote today in some places, tomorrow for sure! Get out there and do your part!

oh.my.word

2008-10-20T09:56:00.002-05:00

I have lots to update you all on, but not lots time. Just one little blip here... I finally made strawberry jam for the Christmas baskets I'm making for Scott's family (3 types of homemade jam/jelly & freshbaked bread in a smartly dressed new basket, with some new kitchen towels and things... Scott LOVES the idea, yay!) but of course, I have to try anything before giving it out. :). Oh my stars y'all. It's GOOD. And I mean GOOD GOOD. Like, let me lick the jar good. Scott even liked it and he's not a sweets guy. (he's a sweet guy, just not into sweets). Wow. It's better than any store jam. No chunky parts of strawberry, not too runny, not too sweet... it's terrific! So... I don't have enough (yet) to share with all of you, but maybe one of these days. Trust me, I will be making more of this! I'm going to try blueberry jam as well. Each basket will have strawberry, blueberry, and peach jam. Fun times!

OPAM - halfway done!

2008-10-13T11:14:00.003-05:00

So over at Debra's blog she posted a "One Project A Month" Challenge (you can get to her blog by clicking her name link on the right side of the page). My project is to finish some quilted VeggieTales pillows that will be one of Dano's Christmas gifts. I finished the first pillow and wanted to post some pics. Hope you like it! (and yes, the tops of each side were hand stiched to get that "quilty" feel) These pillows are going to be so darn cute on his bed!

lookie lookie!

2008-10-10T13:59:00.003-05:00

I just finished this cute little deco for halloween. The boys are going to flip out when they see it. :) The cost you ask? (well even if you didn't I'm going to tell you, haha) I managed to snag all of it on clearance at Michaels today and made this little cutie for $6! Yep, six bucks. :) Enjoy!

done done done!

2008-10-09T17:21:00.002-05:00

Yes folks, college girl is DONE with her first set of classes! Yessirree! I just finished my last of 3 courses ending this week. Evangelism, English, and the dreaded Biology are now past me! I feel like dancing! hang on....

*** we pause for dancing break ***

*** can hear wiggles music playing..... (I turned the boys movie up, hehe) ***

Okay, I'm back. Can I just tell you how relieved I'm feeling? I got one A and two B's but I'm thinking that's pretty good for a girl who hasn't been in school in over 10 years! Hubs and I are celebrating by having our first date night in almost a year and a half. Maybe more than that.... sheesh. Our schedules have not lined up, and we basically haven't made the time. But Date Night is ON folks! We're going to dinner at Olive Garden and then we're going to see "FireProof". I can not wait! Join me in celebrating and have yourself some chocolate. You deserve it! :)

*** passes out the whoppers..."

Hillsong - From Inside Out

2008-10-08T22:35:00.001-05:00

this song is amazing. it means much to me, i hope it will to you as well.

Sonic Commercials Compilation

2008-10-06T22:15:00.001-05:00

I may be the only person on the planet that loves these commercials but oh my gosh I love them. Lol! Enjoy! :)

One Project A Month

2008-10-02T14:16:00.002-05:00

Check this out over at Debra's site! My project this month will be to quilt some VeggieTales pillows for Mr. Dano. I won't be using the machine, I'll be quilting by hand. I def need a whole month! Lol :) Wanna join? It's easy, pick a project and post some before, during, and after pics. Go get your project on friends!

** pics to follow **

blackboard is down

2008-09-30T16:08:00.002-05:00

I have read over 40 pages of notes and 6 sections of biology today. I have spent 5 hours in front of this durn computer studying and getting ready to pass my test. I go to take the test while all the info is still floating in my brain but guess what?

.... Blackboard is down. grrrrrr. I can't do anything with blackboard down. I can stare at a pretty screen, but that doesn't get me any closer to my test.

I know this sounds like a dorky post but I'm frustrated after half an hour of trying to get blackboard to load so that I don't lose the junk stuffed in my biology-defying brain. :(

This is a difficult week for me. LOTS of homework, several papers, all due by Saturday night. Pray for me friends.

What are you up to today?

do you hear howling?

2008-09-27T16:03:00.004-05:00

If so, it's cause the Wolves put the hurt on! Lol. :) We have become football people. Yes, I fit well into the role of "football mom". David started flag football two weeks ago and today was their first game. The Wolves (our team) - vs - the Bulls. Although there is not an official score, let me assure you, our Wolves and their 6 touchdowns did a mighty fine job! David was unsure of what to do or how to play, but his coach found a job that suited him VERY well. The boy is a snapper. I want you to know, he snapped that ball straight into the hands of the quaterback every time! He is a natural. Each time the team "scored", he was on the snap. We parents were all unsure how the kids would do because this is each childs first year to play, first game, and they'd only had 2 practices. But boy did those kids play their little hearts out! And oh man are they serious about their football now. I see why football is so major in Texas. I'm so stinkin proud of the way David played today! He did everything exactly how his coach asked him to and he delivered when he needed to. He even managed to gain his team 5 yards by running the ball on one play. Friday night football may be huge in this awesome state, but I think I'm really going to enjoy me some Saturday afternoon football for a while. :) Here are some pics from Mr. Snappers first game:

the huddle - David is the short one

lining up - David is on the left

first snap of the game (David is in the white jersey), and oh yes, that's a "play holder" on the boys arm.

have you heard from my friend?

2008-09-16T10:32:00.002-05:00

Debra and her family are in Houston and Ike paid them a visit this weekend. Have you heard from them? I'm putting this out there because I don't have their phone #. Well, lol, I have the cell phone #, just not the area code. Anyway, if you've heard from them, e-mail me please, dizzy4daizey@yahoo.com and let me know what you've heard. Last I knew their power was probably out, but we haven't heard much else. Debra if you reading this drop me an e-mail if you have time/power. We are praying everything is okay and that your house/cars are without damage. Love you guys!

please please pray

2008-09-07T15:34:00.005-05:00

Hurricane Ike hit Cazalle, Haiti hard. This is where the Rescue Center I've mentioned is located. Please please pray for Licia, the workers, and the children. I can't even imagine being in that situation. And please pray for Licia's sister Lori, their home is pretty much a total loss due to the flood waters getting so high. It is a mess. People have died. There has been little rest at the center. They were allready facing a water shortage and damage from Hanah, and now Ike has hit and left much much more destruction and loss. Go here for the full story. And please, please pray for the people of Haiti.

****** UPDATE ******

This is an update from Licia's blog - please continue to pray for the center. Right now there is no water line, no water reserves, and very VERY limited supplies. Please pray for God to move in a mighty way and help keep these children and family safe and healthy.

**It is beginning to rain here again.

**Reports on Haitian radio is 46 dead from the river here.

**They were three men that tired to cross the river up higher than our village and the river washed one of them down, a father of 5 children. They pulled the father out and laid him out front for several hours until the family came to retrieve the dead body. We learned that hurricane Hanna damaged his house this past week. He walked 6 hours down the mountains to try and find some work to feed his family. He knew it rained a lot last night and told his friends he was worried about his wife and kids. He was trying to get to them when he was killed. One of the volenteers here J.L. is going to be working on raising funds for his casket.

**A family here in Cazale was trying to get out of their house last night and the water washed the mother and two children away. They found the mother about 1/2 a mile down the road hanging onto a bananna tree. They have not found the two children.

**The water line is NOT going to be fixed anytime soon.

**The foot bridge washed out, the water line ran across the foot bridge.

**There was a man that got his house washed away that follows in the clinic. He has a catheter in. The water washed away his house and ripped out the catheter. He got here today with a very swollen bladder, no catheter and no clothes. He was raising his hands thanking Jesus when we got it in and relieved his suffering. I got some stuff from Enoch’s closet and we got him dressed.

**We had a child die last night in the middle of everything, Herode. It was a challenge to get him buried today.

**My two volunteer’s were great last night. They helped me out SOOOOO much and I truly do not know what I would have done without them. When someone tells you “give me something to do, no job is to dirty for me” you know they are ready to help.

**I was scared last night, really scared. Some of the ladies were screaming, yelling and crying as they were so worried about their families. We had to calm them and get the children to safety.

**Amos, Henley and Trey did not know what was happening. They just thought it was cool they got to play in the middle of the night with so many babies.

this is too good

2008-09-05T22:55:00.000-05:00

This....

makes me smile.

Sanctus Real - Whatever You're Doing Music Video

2008-09-04T21:31:00.001-05:00

This song is so SO good I just had to post it again. :) Enjoy and let God lead you, wherever, whatever! Just let Him do.

NKOTB - Hanging Tough

2008-09-02T11:09:00.001-05:00

Oh man. I just had to post this one too. How funny! This song meant LOTS to me in Jr. High. :) BF had a jacket JUST LIKE DONNIE'S. Swoon.

NKOTB - Step By Step

2008-09-02T10:59:00.001-05:00

yeah, this is what it's all about!!! Go NKOTB!

oh.my.gosh.

2008-09-02T10:54:00.002-05:00

Okay, if you're a guy, I warn you now - gushy girlie-ness is about to happen.

Did anyone catch the View today??? As in just NOW? Like 5 min ago?? Let me say this so you know how excited I am....

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK WAS JUST ON THE VIEW!!!!!

**** insert excited jumping around and singing at the top of my lungs here ****

Yeah baby!! The sang a new song, "Single", and an oldie, "Step By Step". And you better believe this NKOTB chica was steppin every second of that song! I'm so excited! I even found my old (OLD) cassette and am thinking of popping it in. Am I crazy? Maybe. But "Please Don't Go Girl" is on my mind, and it's about to be on my radio!

C'mon friends, I know there are some closet NKOTB fans out there. Where you at?!?!

hot pepper jelly

2008-09-01T09:48:00.005-05:00

Okay. I tried something new. I found a recipe online for Hot Pepper Jelly that I HAD to try. It is H-O-T!!! I don't like spicy foods so I won't keep any of it, but of course had to taste it last night. Wow. It's good, but durn. Take it in small doses if you're not used to Texas jalepeno hot!

So I'm thinking these will make fabulous Christmas gifts once I get them dressed up with some raffia, ribbons, and fabric, BUT, what I would love to do with this first batch is help out a friend. Licia and her family run a medical clinic and Rescue Center in Haiti. Over this past year God has really burdened us for the children at the center. The men and women that serve there are nothing short of amazing. Currently they are raising funds to ship a semi trailor of supplies to Haiti, as well as raising funds for many of the children there to attend school. I would love to sell these jars of jelly and send the money to Licia for the center. So, here's the deal: I'm selling the jelly for $6 a jar (they are 8oz jars), plus $3 to ship them. $1 from each jar will help cover the supplies to make the jelly, so $5 from each jar will go straight to the Rescue Center. I will sell as many jars as I get orders for, so there's no limit. :) If you'd like a jar please e-mail me at dizzy4daizey@yahoo.com with your complete address and I will send you our PayPal information.

PS - Please note that these are all home-made and may have a slightly different taste than storebought. Most are a bit sweeter. Also, after shipping it helps to put the jelly in the fridge before using it to help it firm up. Sometimes the heat from shipping it causes it to loosen a bit. I haven't had issues with the seals popping though so you can eat it as soon as you get it, just if you want it to thicken, put it in the fridge. :)

hillsong Might To Save

2008-08-28T21:10:00.001-05:00

oh how in love with this song am I right now... He is friends. He is MIGHTY to save!

I WON!

2008-08-27T17:26:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh I never win anything, but this time... I WON!!! I can't believe it! Annette posted about a scrapbook giveaway and I signed up but didn't really think I'd win it... Well I just checked my e-mail and I won it! You wanna talk awesome stuff! These kits have some AMAZING scrapbook goodies in them! I can't wait to see what I get! Go check out the blog I won the giveaway on here. And please please check out Go.Be Creative if you are into scrapbooking. You will LOVE what you see! (just don't drool, computer screens don't like that!) :)

Yay me! Wooot! :)

and he went

2008-08-26T21:09:00.005-05:00

My little Dano braved the first day of Pre-K like a champ! The boy almost forgot to give his mommy a hug. Break my heart! At the last minute he turned and gave me a kiss and hug and said bye. Oh sweet thing. And guess what? Momma didn't cry! No sir, no tears here. I'm not sure if it was that he's got his best friend from church in his class or if it was all the prayers but when I left him I was 100% certain he would have a wonderful day and that all was right with the world. So from one brave momma to another, thank you for your prayers over us this morning! Here are some pics of the big boy on his first day...

here he is ready to head off to school...

and here he is putting away his name tag with one of his teachers, Mrs. Young...

and please do not underestimate the power of new school shoes, the boy thought he was SO cool in these new "Batman" shoes...