I came across this video of my sweet Abbie. This Christmas was one that I will always remember as a favorite. Honestly, it was such a calm time. I don't remember any of the inevitable squabbles, any financial hardships (although I am sure there were plenty), or any frustrations. I just remember loving my kids, loving the look of the Christmas tree as we walked down the stairs, loving the sweet little baby in my tummy, and loving my Lord.
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Saturday, November 3, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Happiness is...
NOVEMBER 1ST!!!!!
As a kid growning up, we were not allowed to sing Christmas songs until the day after Halloween. I think it was my mom's attempt to keep her sanity. Not sure it worked, but I digress. As an adult, I have not adopted this rule. We sing Christmas songs all year. We watch Christmas movies in the heat of July. I am a rebel. But, no matter how old I get, I still wake up on November 1st with a little bit of extra joy, because deep down in my heart, I know it is the beginning of the Holiday Season! (Meaning: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years---they are all one big and glorious season!)
To kick off my happy day, we watched this video:
I am pretty sure that my eldest daughter has a mega crush on the lead singer. Honestly, there are not alot of good guys out there who I would recommend her looking at for ideas of a future husband, but he is a pretty neat one! lol I think knowing that this band loves the Gospel 100% and lives to tell others, makes this happy Christmas song, even happier!!!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Earth is Yours
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Job 37. I love that in the midst of Job's troubles and trials, he is reminded of the awesome powers of his Lord. So, when I heard this song for the first time, it made my heart smile.
Your voice it thunders
The oaks start twisting
The forest sounds with cedars breaking
The waters see You and start their writhing
From the depths a song is rising
Now its rising from the ground
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours and singing
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours
The earth is Yours
Your voice it thunders
The ground is shaking
The mighty mountains now are trembling
Creation sees You
And starts composing
The fields and trees they start rejoicing.
Now its rising form the ground
Its rising from the ground
Hear us crying out
Hear us crying out
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours and singing
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours
The earth is Yours
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Your voice it thunders
The oaks start twisting
The forest sounds with cedars breaking
The waters see You and start their writhing
From the depths a song is rising
Now its rising from the ground
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours and singing
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours
The earth is Yours
Your voice it thunders
The ground is shaking
The mighty mountains now are trembling
Creation sees You
And starts composing
The fields and trees they start rejoicing.
Now its rising form the ground
Its rising from the ground
Hear us crying out
Hear us crying out
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours and singing
Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy Lord
The earth is Yours
The earth is Yours
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Pretty Pink Princess
I must admit, I never thought having a girly, frilly, fru-fru, princessy girl would make my heart feel such sweet things. My Gracie girl adores all things girl. When I put on my make up, she hollars out, "Me tooooo, I unt sooommmee! PEEAAASSSE". She loves to walk around in my heels. Her favorite girls are "Pin-AHS" (Princess) She naturally chooses pink, snuggles in close, says pretty several times a day, and puckers up for lipstick. She thinks that purses, phones, and sunglasses are items to be treasures. And, while she doesn't like to keep them on, she likes pretty shoes/boots. (Think Cinderella???) Case in point: She just brought me Isaac's GI Joe man and said, "Huuuug", and is now wrapping him in a blanket and rocking him in her nanny-rocker. (Abbie would have been karate chopping him.)
Yes, this girl is a ....girl. And she is mine.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
How to enjoy the ride:
This made me smile...and laugh...and figure out when I can next get to an amusement park.
Keep your Cheery Side Turned. :D
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
To do:
I get a kick out of how type A Abbie is. She has to have EVERYTHING planned to a "T". When she wakes up each day, she has to know exactly what is going to happen in the day. I worry, at times, that Isaac is going to struggle being a leader. Abbie loves to lead. As you can tell...she is not her mother's daughter. lol
Rain on a Pumpkin....
I can add this to the list of things that make me feel....aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.
I don't have a pumpkin outside, but it did rain a lovely, fall rain last night. The world around me seems to be quietly whispering, "Fall is coming!"
Happy Happy!!!!
Forgetfulness...
One really awesome thing about having an ADD like mind, you forget...A LOT! You forget where you put your keys, you forget you have laundry in the wash, you forget that your favorite shoes are air drying outside when it starts to rain, you forget movies were due 10 days ago, you forget to get toilet paper at the grocery store, but best of all: You forget unpleasant circumstances.
I have found myself forgetting what happened 12 months ago. Forgetting the nastiness. While this is certainly a blessing, it is also a sad thing. With the nastiness, I am forgetting some lovely people and some wonderful gifts. Isaac was telling me today, that he never liked the house that we lived in. I reminded him that it was a gift from the Lord, even if there were some very sad things that happened there. Abbie has mentioned that the people are so much nicer at our new church, but then I reminded her that there were some wonderful and amazing people from the old as well. I find myself being in my kids shoes tonight. Thinking of the unmentionable, horrible things of last fall...and not remembering the beautiful blessings. Forgetting.
So, instead, I must remember to think on those things lovely, as the Lord has commanded.
1. Our last ministry was a stepping stone to our present ministry.
2. We learned what it was like to live on a farm.
3. I overcame my fear of working with teens...and now secretly pine for the days of loving on them again.
4. Brian and I gained several new children (alright...they would die if they heard me call them that), who will be in our lives forever.
5. We were able to make a lasting impact on a group of teens...and prayerfully, they will change their worlds.
6. I made a few new dear friends. Specifically my Nicki. (And her family)
7. Brian and I learned what it meant to be prudent. Wise as serpents...harmless as doves.
8. I learned to keep a cleaner house.
9. We had Gracie while we were there.
10. Brian decided fishing was "ok".
11. I learned, once again, that the Lord provides continually! What men mean for evil...He turns to good.
12. I got a collection of Shakamak t-shirts. lol
13. We discovered some great little towns, and lived closer to Indy...which was much needed!
14. Abbie got involved in 4-H.
15. My children learned some valuable lessons of how to deal with extreme hurt and pain caused by others. Though they are young, and still have to be reminded to keep their emotions in check, they will always remember that you must admit where you were wrong, and not allow other people's sin to cause you to stray and sin.
Lord, help me not to be forgetful in the areas that matter most. Help me remember the beautiful things...but also the lessons that we have learned along the way. I definitely never want to have to learn them again!
Continue reading...
I have found myself forgetting what happened 12 months ago. Forgetting the nastiness. While this is certainly a blessing, it is also a sad thing. With the nastiness, I am forgetting some lovely people and some wonderful gifts. Isaac was telling me today, that he never liked the house that we lived in. I reminded him that it was a gift from the Lord, even if there were some very sad things that happened there. Abbie has mentioned that the people are so much nicer at our new church, but then I reminded her that there were some wonderful and amazing people from the old as well. I find myself being in my kids shoes tonight. Thinking of the unmentionable, horrible things of last fall...and not remembering the beautiful blessings. Forgetting.
So, instead, I must remember to think on those things lovely, as the Lord has commanded.
1. Our last ministry was a stepping stone to our present ministry.
2. We learned what it was like to live on a farm.
3. I overcame my fear of working with teens...and now secretly pine for the days of loving on them again.
4. Brian and I gained several new children (alright...they would die if they heard me call them that), who will be in our lives forever.
5. We were able to make a lasting impact on a group of teens...and prayerfully, they will change their worlds.
6. I made a few new dear friends. Specifically my Nicki. (And her family)
7. Brian and I learned what it meant to be prudent. Wise as serpents...harmless as doves.
8. I learned to keep a cleaner house.
9. We had Gracie while we were there.
10. Brian decided fishing was "ok".
11. I learned, once again, that the Lord provides continually! What men mean for evil...He turns to good.
12. I got a collection of Shakamak t-shirts. lol
13. We discovered some great little towns, and lived closer to Indy...which was much needed!
14. Abbie got involved in 4-H.
15. My children learned some valuable lessons of how to deal with extreme hurt and pain caused by others. Though they are young, and still have to be reminded to keep their emotions in check, they will always remember that you must admit where you were wrong, and not allow other people's sin to cause you to stray and sin.
Lord, help me not to be forgetful in the areas that matter most. Help me remember the beautiful things...but also the lessons that we have learned along the way. I definitely never want to have to learn them again!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Sometimes...I feel like this:
Today, I really don't like homeschooling. I am so incredibly tired. The battle of a certain daughter's attitude is waging like a 10 year war. A lovely little one year old is enjoying making a mess of every room she enters. The sound of my children's voices are no longer sweet...they are grating on my ears like a fork on a china plate.
QUIET. I would love just some quiet. I wish I was the mom that drops her kids off at school, then goes and gets groceries and a cup of coffee while smiling dearly at the cashiers. I would love to clean my kitchen and not have to worry that everyone else is ruining the other room I just picked up. I would love to not hear "mom" for just 1 hour. Just 1 hour.
A man at our parenting conference said this weekend, "My wife would love to homeschool, but I won't let her. I want my wife when I come home from work, and I know that she will be a different person to be around if she homeschooled." HOW TRUE! I can not tell you how many women have said to me, "It must be nice to not have to do anything all day, every day." I kinda wanna strap them to a highchair for 10 hours and make them watch a video of "A day in the life of Annie". Yes, that would be nice. And maddening. lol
Ok, so now that my rant is over, I need to get up and get dinner ready and then take a certain young lady to her event tonight. And, I need to start counting. Some blessings that is. After all, every day is not like this. Many days, I find to be downright enjoyable. But, today...it just isn't. Today was the burnt corner of the brownie.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
See...I did learn!
Brian comes home with some crushing news. The kind of news that just kicks all wind out of you and makes you ponder your calling in life. My first thought was to get sick and then start crying. My second thought was, really, what good is that going to do? My third thought: what is the response that God wants from me? My fourth thought:
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Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
My final thought: Go take your allergy medicine, spend some time in prayer. Thank the Lord for the good things in your life. Go to sleep.
See---I did learn!!!
So, after praying...and not being able to sleep, I thought a little more on that verse. I really love the part that says, "will guard your hearts and minds". Do you know how much trouble our hearts and minds can get us into??? I mean, really. We think some horrible things. We allow some horrible things to fester in our hearts. We can be pretty nasty. But, when we allow Christ to envelope our hearts and minds...we are one with Him...which in return gives us peace. Pretty deep thinking for 12:19 am, huh? I think I might be able to sleep now.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Ickies=Ickies
At first, I thought I would write about how horrible it is to have the flu/cold on Labor Day weekend. Then, I realized that there has to be something of charm and grace in the ickies. Right?
1. You get to stay in PJ's and no one cares.
2. You can take a nice long shower and not feel guilty that you are in longer for the normal 5 min. Afterall, you are clearing your sinuses!!!
3. You get caught up on all your favorite tv shows.
4. You now know where everyone was on their weekend, b/c you spied on your friends on facebook all day long.
5. Your hubby buys you taco bell for dinner. (Forget about the fact that he didn't want to cook, and that Abbie ate your bean burrito on the way home...it was still nice.)
6. You can't hear the kids as well as normal, b/c your ears are stopped up, so it kind of makes for a quieter weekend?
7. You remember how much you love Puffs and hate the Dollar Store brand Kleenex.
8. You get an awesome thrill out of finding clearance cold medicine that fits your symptoms. $2.16 for 2 packages.
9. You can light 10 different smelling candles and not care that the scents don't match. You can't smell them, and they look pretty!
10. You can drink all the hot tea and sprite that you want, in the name of a sore throat!
So, who wants me to come over and help you have this awesome of a weekend??? Really, it is lovely!!!
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1. You get to stay in PJ's and no one cares.
2. You can take a nice long shower and not feel guilty that you are in longer for the normal 5 min. Afterall, you are clearing your sinuses!!!
3. You get caught up on all your favorite tv shows.
4. You now know where everyone was on their weekend, b/c you spied on your friends on facebook all day long.
5. Your hubby buys you taco bell for dinner. (Forget about the fact that he didn't want to cook, and that Abbie ate your bean burrito on the way home...it was still nice.)
6. You can't hear the kids as well as normal, b/c your ears are stopped up, so it kind of makes for a quieter weekend?
7. You remember how much you love Puffs and hate the Dollar Store brand Kleenex.
8. You get an awesome thrill out of finding clearance cold medicine that fits your symptoms. $2.16 for 2 packages.
9. You can light 10 different smelling candles and not care that the scents don't match. You can't smell them, and they look pretty!
10. You can drink all the hot tea and sprite that you want, in the name of a sore throat!
So, who wants me to come over and help you have this awesome of a weekend??? Really, it is lovely!!!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Apples Apples Apples
Today, the simple joy of picking apples from our apple tree in the backyard, lightened my heart. Simplicity is beautiful. There was no fee, no getting dressed in special picture taking clothes, no making sure we had the diaper bag packed, no packing a fancy lunch...just picking and singing. Isaac, the monkey of the family, did an awesome job at pulling the apples from the top branches. He got so much pleasure out trying to land them in the basket of the apple picker. Gracie, she thought it was magical that it was "naining appos". (Raining apples in case you don't speak Gracie.) Abbie, she wasn't feeling so hot, but loved sitting under the tree and looked after little Gracie Lou so she wouldn't eat the "ucky" ones.
I suppose that an apple is good for the heart. in more ways than one!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Humans are not my God.
Yup...I just deleted it. I have learned that when I am tired and frustrated...I shouldn't talk or write. I should just keep quiet, pray, and sleep for awhile. Things always look better in the morning. After all, tomorrow is another day! :P
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Another Go
Life has been filled with so many ups and downs over the past year. Honestly, some were just too unbelievable to even post. It has been long enough since I last wrote on my blog, that the format has actually changed. What a nice surprise to come to this fancy page to write!
Some goals for this week:
- Fill out Menu for next week
- Grocery shop
- Pick up house
- Vaccum
- Wash Kitchen Floors
- Pick up sticks in yard
- Clean bedroom
- Organize clothes
- List 15 more items on Ebay
- Write another blog post. (Yes, I kinda chuckled as I wrote this.)
I have astonished myself within the past month, in the fact that I have actually been crossing things off of my lists. I am a list maker...not a list finisher, much to the dismay of my dear husband. I have this amazing way of writing beautiful lists, that somehow make it into the pile of papers that were intended to be gone through and thrown away. (Which, of course, never happens either.) So...there you have it. I will try to come back for more frequent visits. Afterall, this list can not be thrown into the trash, right? Kinda out there in web-lala-land forever.
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Some goals for this week:
- Fill out Menu for next week
- Grocery shop
- Pick up house
- Vaccum
- Wash Kitchen Floors
- Pick up sticks in yard
- Clean bedroom
- Organize clothes
- List 15 more items on Ebay
- Write another blog post. (Yes, I kinda chuckled as I wrote this.)
I have astonished myself within the past month, in the fact that I have actually been crossing things off of my lists. I am a list maker...not a list finisher, much to the dismay of my dear husband. I have this amazing way of writing beautiful lists, that somehow make it into the pile of papers that were intended to be gone through and thrown away. (Which, of course, never happens either.) So...there you have it. I will try to come back for more frequent visits. Afterall, this list can not be thrown into the trash, right? Kinda out there in web-lala-land forever.
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