What a gorgeous day!

Has anyone been outside today?? It's absolutey beautiful- the weather is PERFECT, or at least it is in my opinion. Both of my children are sleeping, I've got laundry going (of course), my windows are open, my candle is lit, and I'm just enjoying life right now. I'm about to look up a recipe at allrecipes.com for some simple chicken strips for tonight. With it we'll have some okra and couscous. Sounds like a winner to me. Enjoy your day. O Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever!

Take a look at this beautiful verse I found:
For thou art my hope, O Lord God:
thou art my trust from my youth.
~Psalm 71:5

Can you tell I'm starting to feel better? Yay! :)

Well, it was bound to happen

This evening I burnt supper. Yuck. And we ate it anyway. My Joseph was so sweet about it. He said that it wasn't bad for cooking for him almost 9 years. Now our house stinks. I let Mikayla have some cereal instead being the reasonable (ha!) mother that I am.

Then we drove to Dairy Queen and drowned our supper sorrows with 2 small blizzards; one strawberry cheesequake and the other chocolate xtreme. Yum! Boy, the price of those things has sure gone up!

Looks like we'll be heading to Louisiana in a few days. I'm terribly excited about our stay there. We hope to all be feeling better so we can tackle the trip this weekend.

Has anyone ever watched I Survived? It's on the biography channel. Pretty neat show.

A different direction

What nice comments I've received- thank you! I truly love being a mom. There's nothing quite like it, and there's really nothing to prepare you for the journey.

With Joseph (or as we call him Big'n) I've decided to take weaning a little slower than I thought at first. After reading/thinking about Shaunna's comment, I'm now feeding Joseph in the mornings around 7 and at night around 7 as well. With 2 bottles in-between. Maybe in a few days I'll cut the morning or evening feeding and will probably continue nursing until my milk supply dries up. Here are some things I considered:

*I'm really in no hurry
*As long as I'm producing some, it's good that he gets it
*Quitting cold turkey without a pump HURTS
*There's no "right" or "wrong" way to do it or when to do it

So, that's where I'm at right now. What an exciting revelation, eh? And the good news? It's no longer a fight getting him to take a bottle. I'm so thankful for that!! And today Mikayla fed him. Precious.

In other news, our next passage to memorize is Psalm 103. Some of you know, it's my favorite chapter in the whole Bible. I've memorized it once before, but I've not been good about keeping it refreshed. I'm excited about learning it again! :)

Our whole family is not feeling too well. I'm not sure what it is, but we're definitely feeling it. Lord willing, we'll be over it by the weekend. We plan to go to Louisiana to see my wonderful in-laws for about a week. We're REALLY looking forward to that.

Hope you're all staying warm. It's COLD outside. Brrrrr... Definite hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar on top weather... mmmm...

Will somebody help me pick up the pieces to my broken heart?

My body told me it was time today. For what? To start weaning my son Joseph. My heart feels like it shattered all around me. For the first time in 10 1/2 months, our Joseph had a bottle. It was a battle. I'm serious. He HATED!!! it at first. and we fought for nearly an hour. I was pretty determined to win. We bought 2 different kinds of bottles with different nipples and 2 kinds of formula. We were ready to tackle the project. After much blood, sweat and tears (well, 2 of the 3- no blood!) he's now finished his first bottle and is quietly sleeping.

Why is it so hard on a mommy's heart??? Mikayla weaned herself at 8 months and as some of you remember my heart broke then as well. There's just something about the awesomeness and closeness of your child totally living off your own body. That's the way God so beautifully designed it. I never thought I'd like nursing. My mom would always tell me, Oh, you'll LOVE it! I didn't think so. But, she was absolutely right. I DO love it. I will miss it with my big boy. :(((

Just thinking about it makes me very sad. I love my son so much. My body kinda got to a point where it wasn't producing as much milk and he'd only eat for a little bit. So, the process has begun. Grace, my cheerleader in it all, wanted updates; so, here it is, Grace. I'll keep you posted.

We're planning on giving him formula til he's 1. I just asked Mikayla why she thought Brother was crying tonight and she answered, he didn't want his bottle. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. After he fell asleep in my arms, my tears just fell on him and I thanked the Lord for my boy. What an enormous blessing he is in my life.

ps. how do people stand bangs in their eyes??? I can't do it. Big forehead or not, I can't stand for hair to be in my eyes. oh well. so much for the new hair-do...

A date with Sarah

Yes, that would be me. I had a date with myself, and boy, was it ever enjoyable! My precious husband (who is the object of my affection) so kindly let me have the evening off. Here's what occupied my evening:

*to the mall for a haircut- I was nervous b/c the girl who usually did my hair MOVED. I was so sad, but another lady hopped right in. Boy, she new what she wanted to do with my hair. "you have a big forehead," she told me. Somehow she said it just right and did not offend me. So, she gave me...bangs. well, sorta. They're the kind that go to the side. Her name was Rose, which totally did not match her personality. funny:) I'll be back!

*Chick-Fil-A! where I ordered a #1 with lemonade. Quite delicious. I know, I know it was fried food, but I don't have it too often and it was good. While there I practiced and nailed down! Psalm 8. I'm doing the Bible memorization thing I mentioned before and I've finally got this chapter memorized. Such a blessing it's been! This lady kinda gave me a funny look. I was sitting in the back all by my lonesome with my Bible and I was writing out the chapter and saying it to myself quietly. I probably looked kinda strange. But mainly b/c I'm trying to get used to these bangs, so I was probably tossing my hair a lot. ha!

*Peddlers, JcPenney

I was going to head to Big Lots, but Jody does not like for me to be out at night by myself. So, I just came home an hour early. My little family was happy to see me. I'm so thankful for them!

Next time, maybe somebody can come with me on my date with Sarah. Like MOM or GRACE. Just a thought.

good night, friends.

Miss Cindi's Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

A few weeks ago my Granny gave me a Guideposts magazine. I was a bit confused at first at why she would. The magazine is not my favorite. Sorry, but that's the truth. There are some nice stories, but it's basically fluff and sometimes worse than that.

My point is- I finally figured out why she gave it to me. It was for the recipe for some really yummy muffins. I know, I know, if there's no picture, nobody really wants to make them. BUT, I say- give it a try. My husband really likes them, and these are the only ones that we'll eat the leftovers. I don't know about you, but when we make those blueberry muffins from the box, we rarely will eat any that are left. They're good fresh out of the oven, but after that.... So, if you're in the mood to bake, get after it:) For supper tonight we had these and eggs. A good/cheap/easy meal!

Miss Cindi's Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup mashed bananas
1 cup (or less) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Stir sour cream and baking soda together. Set aside. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating well. Beat in sour cream mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Don't over-mix. Spoon into greased muffin pans and bake for about 18 minutes. Let cool for a few seconds and then ENJOY! Yum:)

Mikayla makes me laugh

I fixed chili tonight and Jody was trying to get Mikayla to take more bites. He said, it has meat! tomatoes! celery! beans!... Out of blue she said, I. don't. like.onions! She made us both laugh:) (I realize to some that might seem, um, spoiled or obnoxious, but it made us laugh nonetheless. Maybe you had to be here...)

And, she was playing in the living room after supper and kinda hit her head on our recliner. She said, I think I need a helmet. I laugh just thinking about it...

Speaking of heads. Mine does NOT feel well. I guess I've got some kind of sinus pressure or something. My head hurts, my ears hurt and it hurts to swallow. Too bad it's not kept me from eating OR talking. My precious husband has helped out SO much. with laundry, the kiddos, the toys, baths, etc! What a man. Oh, how I love him.

We had a fun day of baking at Christy's. It was just the girls. We did pretzels, choc/pbutter candy, peppermint candy, chow mein noodles/peanut/butterscotch chip thingies, and shortbread cookies. Very yummy. Too much sugar. I need to go for a walk. About a 100 mile one. Anyone want to join me?

A quote from William Secker

It is no wonder that Christ should be so much undesired--when He is so much unknown.

Can you SEE IT??

My big boy just turned 10 months old and finally got his very first tooth. :)- (Bottom left as you're looking at the picture)

A few Thanksgiving photos

We're here at McKinney thoroughly enjoying our Thanksgiving vacation with the Risses and Ledbetters. Grace is letting me post on her computer. Oh yeah. I GOT A NEW CAMERA TODAY. I went "blitzing" with my mommy, my sissy, and her mom-in-law.  Wal-Mart was so much "fun" at 4:45 this morning. Not too many nasty customers, but we did spot a few. Thankfully, I got a really good deal on my 10 megapixel Samsung point-and-shoot camera. I was also able to pick up a $4 jogging suit for Mikayla and the much anticipated $4 mini chopper. Now I can make my own applesauce!

Here are a few pics. My mom finally had all her baby grands together in one place. Good times, to be sure. How was YOUR Thanksgiving?

Are you game for a most profitable challenge?

I am! My mom told me this evening that she's taken the challenge to memorize Scripture sponsored by challies.com. I'm very excited about this. When we hide God's Word in our hearts, it's never a wasted thing. Think about how often we (I!) waste our time. The Bible tells us to redeem the time because the days are evil. I know this will be so good for me, and if you take the challenge- for YOU, too! I challenge you to take the time to memorize Scripture even if it's not in this particular way- it's an extremely profitable use of your time and energies. It's amazing to me how the Lord brings to my heart/mind verses I've memorized at such perfect times in my life. Click here to get started!







http://www.challies.com/archives/memorizing-scripture/memorizing-scripture-together---it-begins-today.php

Birdwells' Shoot

Thanksgiving plans

I'm terribly excited about Thanksgiving this year. It's my favorite holiday. To me, it just makes the most sense. That, and my birthday, of course;) I love family being together, the cooler weather, good food, thankful hearts.. ahhhh...

This year we are planning on going to McKinney the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. There will be LOTS of people staying in Grace's new 5 bedroom/3 toilet house. Even Mike and Misty and fam will be coming all the way from South Dakota!!!! I really look forward to spending time with the everyone's children. Paul and Dan are also planning on being there. And my parents. Does it get any better than that?! AND we might be having a raw food "cook"off. I think Mike's going to just slice up some raw hot dogs. (I'd say that's cheating, wouldn't you?:)

Today Grace and I talked on the phone and came up with a menu for the time that we'll be there. Making a menu makes me excited, for some reason:)

Last year we spent Thanksgiving with Jody's side of the family and had a blast. I'd like very much to be with them again this year, but we've decided to go visit them in December when Jody has over 2 weeks off!! It'd be so nice to be in 2 places at one time, but I guess that's not an option. I do hope they have a most blessed time together.

So much to be thankful for: breath, life, babies, husband, strength, friends, salvation, parents, siblings, family, a home, food, pumpkin bread, raw chocolate, bananas.... I could go on and on. really, I could. Answered prayer. so much to list. we should be such a humble people.

Happy Birthday, Mamasita!!!!

What a blessing it is to have such a mother as I do. A most godly, loving, caring, considerate woman she is. She also makes a terrific grandma (Emmie, Ems). I have so much I could write about her, but time does not allow for it all. Suffice it to say, she's a JEWEL. She loves her Lord so passionately and longs to grow in Him and learn more and more of Him. I think that's the most attractive thing about her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRECIOUS MOMMY!!! YOU ARE LOVED!

and she's coming to see me today; does it get any better than that??

Great quote on providence

I'm not really sure what the title of this book is; I feel kinda silly even admitting that, but it's hard to figure out just from looking at the cover. ANYway, part of the book is called The Life of Susannah Spurgeon by Charles Ray. Mrs. Spurgeon wrote:

It is a mercy that our lives are not left for us to plan, but that our Father chooses for us; else might we sometimes turn away from our best blessings, and put from us the choicest and loveliest gifts of his providence.

A peaceful Saturday

First of all I'd like to say THANK YOU, ladies, for your bread suggestions. I will try them all and give you my opinion of the softest bread:).

Are YOU having a good weekend? I've having a most enjoyable one. The weather is pretty cool, but not compared to the temps in the north. (right, Misty?!)

Our 9 1/2 month old son got his first HAIRCUT today from our favorite barber BR. He did so well. I took a pictures with my phone, camera, and our camcorder. Phew! And I don't even have one to post. What's new, eh? He looks like SUCH A BIG BOY!! Oh, how I love him. sigh.

I'm teaching in Jonah 2 tomorrow. That's where one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible is found- "Salvation is of the Lord." (verse 9). How good, how true, how wonderful. Hope you have a most blessed Sunday.

I'm goin' on a bread hunt...

Please help me. I enjoy sandwiches on SOFT bread. Does anybody out there recommend a certain brand of bread (white/wheat/whatever) that continually is soft?? I think sandwiches are pretty blah when the bread is kinda hard. Help!



ps. I've never been "tagged" for anything! Talk about feeling popular... I'll read posts and somebody will say, Now I tag Sharon, Beth, and Christine!!!!! I've NEVER read I tag...SARAH! Am I the only one in this boat??

A picnic with Grandma and Grandpa

What a lovely fall day the Lord has blessed us with! I got between 2 and 3 hours of sleep last night b/c our Mikayla was not feeling well. And Jody went into work at 3 this morning. It's so neat how the Lord will give the right amount of strength and grace for each day.

I decided it'd be a good day for a picnic. So, we packed a lunch and away we went. We went to Coggin Park and sat under the pavillion and ate lunch, which consisted of ham/provolone cheese sandwiches, chips, cookies and white grape peach juice. It was chilly in the shade! When we finished eating, Grandma, Big boy (Joseph) and I spread a blanket in the sun while Grandpa and Mikayla played and played. It was so much fun to watch them together :-). I should've taken pictures, but sometimes it's just nice to enjoy your surrounding without having to worry about a camera.

We've had a most wonderful visit with Jody's parents. They'll be leaving this afternoon to go visit Cisco. I'm sure Mikayla's heart will be broken when she has to say goodbye. We've enjoyed them SO much.

The leaves are changing!!! And they're BEAUTIFUL!
Have you noticed?

A nugget in the night

On Friday we set out to go to Winters to visit my parents. Before we left I checked the mail and what a surprise. My sis-in-law Laura sent us a sovereign grace music cd. How kind! So, we listened to that on the way to Winters to see my mom and dad. I'm too lazy right now to go find the name of the cd, but it's a good one:) We went to my dad's last home football game and had a super time- enjoying the cool weather, yummy treats, and good fellowship. And I got a phone call from Christy asking me where my dad was???? She didn't know I was at the game and I didn't know she was there. So, we met up and enjoyed the rest of the game together. Fun!

That night we went to bed VERY late and my poor (little) Joseph had some very bad gas pains. I was up most of the night with him. Now I know that sounds like a very simple sentence, but to really be up MOST of the night is NOT fun. So, I tried to pray and the Lord put it on my heart to read Psalm 37. I was excited when I did.

Psalm 37:18,19
The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

I highly recommend reading that whole chapter if you have the time. If not, make the time;) Just thinking about our next new president and all the uncertainty that many feel, these verses were shown to me at such a good time. No matter what the future holds, we have a God who is true to his word. And he promises to never leave or forsake us. WOW!

Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

God WILL provide for his own and will give us the strength to meet the day he has prepared for us. And I thank him for that.

So, that was my "nugget in the night."

In other fun news- my in-laws are coming for a visit this week!!!!!! How I love when they come. They are such a joy to be around. :) Better get some housecleaning done and a menu prepared. Hope you all had a good weekend!

What a deal

Arriving at the pharmacy counter to pick up the prescribed cream for my face, the worker asked me if I'd like to pay for it at the front or right there. I said at the front. She said, that will be $83. Yikes! That particular cream was not covered by my insurance, so I told her no, I can't get that right now.

I called the dr and asked if he'd prescribe a cheaper alternative. And he did. I called and asked how much it would be- 60 cents. Yay!!! And it seems to be working. And that's a good thing.

My sister Grace is sick:( I feel so sad for her. She had a kidney stone and thinks that's over, but now she might have the flu. Poor girl. My mom went to be with her for a few days to help out. that's my mom for ya! Hope you feel much better soon, sweet sissy!!

Good night friends. Alas, I'm not able to post pictures on THIS computer either. Rats! I've tried several times. I just don't get it, but oh well.

Can I play favorites?

Laura's blog is my absolute favorite. I highly recommend visiting there. She's a godly, fun, creative, talented, homeschooling mom who has no interest for oatmeal. And a wonderful sister-in-law. Not to mention a super photographer. And unlike me, she posts very neat photos. :) So, check her out!

And got the sticker to prove it

Today my vote counted. I really like the idea of early voting. It gives us moms ample time to cast our vote. Jody and the kiddos waited for me in the car. I felt like a big girl. Mikayla said she voted for daddy. I would've also, but decided not to at the last minute.

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." ~John Quincy Adams

Now... Go vote!

"What happened BEFORE the big bang?"

I'm sitting in the living room watching the Science channel and there's a show on called Engineering Supermax Prisons (don't know why, but that kind of thing interests me). During a commercial this man asks the question, "what happened BEFORE the "Big Bang?" ha ha ha. Like the "Big Bang" is some sort of fact that has been established. Give me a break. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1 and that's a fact.

ANYway, tomorrow I'll be teaching my Sunday School class again. It gets kinda tricky on the Sundays that Jody teaches also b/c I really don't have anyone to watch little Joseph. So, I have to either bring him with me (huge distraction) or "appoint" somebody to watch him. And we don't have many people in our church who are up to the challenge. Hmmm... To top it off, Mikayla has started really being clingy and not wanting to be in her class, which makes it extra crazy. The Lord knows these things. Tomorrow's lesson is on the good Samaritan- beautiful story. We'll also be starting to memorize the books of the Bible. That will be good for me.

Hope you have a wonderful Lord's day. Just a reminder that we need to pray for our pastors and teachers. Good night!

The much awaited appt

Well, I was finally able to get my face looked at about an hour after my appointed time. The dr basically said that I have acne and prescribed some mild cream for my face. I got complimented on my handwriting (thankyouverymuch); he said it looked like an engineer's. How nice. He had me give some blood to rule out lupus (I could do that without a blood test). And the giving of blood just plain HURT. An older nurse who took it asked me if I had arthritis. I told her, No, I'm just trying to find out about my face..." And she said, your face is pretty. That was super sweet and made my morning.

Is it so wrong to want to look nice for my husband??? Ok, I know it's not. But the longer I sat in the dr's office waiting for him to come him, the funnier/crazier it got. I'm here b/c my nose is peeling. And let me tell you- it was on its BEST behaviour today. I woke up and could barely see anything wrong. It comes and goes. Pretty frustrating, but it's part of life. I never want to complain. As Spurgeon so well puts it, "can a living man complain?"

HAPPY 29th Birthday, dearest Christy!! She's the mystery birthday girl. :)

While in the waiting room I was able to read my bible. I came away with the thought "his mercy endureth forever." and I'm so thankful it does:)

The time has (almost) come!

I have an appt scheduled to get this face of mine seen. I'm quite anxious to see what the dr can do for me, if anything. I'll go tomorrow @ 8:45am. My friend Tina has so graciously agreed to watch the kiddos for me. And that's no small chore. She's got a super sweet attitude about it- what a blessing to me. SO, maybe tomorrow I can get some help- yippee!

I miss having my mom live so close. Now she lives VERY far away (well, sorta). I need new tires before I can go visit again. not fun. BUT, I do get more accomplished when I'm not running all over town. Supper has already been made:)

What's on the menu?

Chicken spaghetti
Grillin' beans
Green beans or corn
and...
brownies!

I have a friend who's joining me in the ranks of 29 years old tomorrow.. can you guess who?

After dinner, I think we'll head to the park for some walking and playing. Then it's back home to brownies and the Biggest Loser. All the excitement is too much for me:)

2 things that make me feel "cool"

1) I now am able to park our vehicle IN THE GARAGE. Never been able to do that before. What a novel idea. Totally sheltered from the weather, the sun, the ice on windshield, etc. :)

2) I can pause LIVE TV. Enough said.

Thanks for your comments on what makes a friend. Loved reading them. And we had a first time commenter (Hi, Bro. Audey!) that didn't quite follow the directions. He left more than one word in his comment, but the subject matter was good, so that was excused.

It's interesting to me that my sister Grace put something about fun or laughter or something (right?). My original title for that post was going to be something like, "Can there be a good friendship without laughter?" Anyway, the way my mind works is crazy. I do think it's an important part of a friendship. Y'all were probably thinking I was going to say something profound, but alas...

Hope you have a terrific week.

I have a question for YOU

In your opinion, what makes a good friend?
Leave a comment with ONLY one word, if you please.
Looking forward to hearing from you.

Contentment

I received an email today that linked to this article by JC Ryle on contentment. If you have a few extra minutes, it's totally worth the time it would take to read it. What a blessing it was for me to read it. To be content in this life. sigh. I want this in my life. Here's an exerpt from the article:

"Hear now with what power Paul's direction ought to come to all our consciences: "Be content," he says, "with such things as you have," not with such things as you once used to have—not with such things as you hope to have—but with such things as you have now. With such things, whatever they may be, we are to be content—with such a dwelling, such a position, such health, such income, such work, such circumstances as we have, we are to be content.

Reader, a spirit of this kind is the secret of a light heart and an easy mind. Few, I am afraid, have the least idea what a shortcut to happiness, it is to be content.

To be content is to be rich and well off. He is the rich man who has no wants, and requires no more. I ask not what his income may be. A man may be rich in a cottage and poor in a palace.

To be content is to be independent. He is the independent man who hangs on no created things for comfort, and has God for his portion.

Such a man is the only one who is always happy. Nothing can come amiss or go wrong with such a man. Afflictions will not shake him, and sickness will not disturb his peace. He can gather grapes from thorns, and figs from thistles, for he can get good out of evil. Like Paul and Silas, he will sing in prison, with his feet fast in the stocks. Like Peter, he will sleep quietly in prospect of death, the very night before his execution. Like Job, he will bless the Lord, even when stripped of all his comforts.

Ah! reader, if you would be truly happy (who does not want this?) seek it where alone it can be found. Seek it not in money, seek it not in pleasure, nor in friends, nor in learning. Seek it in having a will in perfect harmony with the will of God. Seek it in studying to be content."

Our (Jody's) pic/k

This is our most recent family photo taken by the wonderful people at Cozart Photography. We ordered an 11x14 of this one. Jody liked it best b/c Mikayla was leaning on his leg. Sweet. :) It's actually framed and up in our house. Yay! I love a new family photo!!

Words have meanings

I half-hesitate to even write this post. I hope and pray my heart is right in this. This subject has been on my mind for quite a while now. I'd like to speak about words and their meanings. The Lord put quite a few verses on my heart once I started looking up words in the dictionary.

I'll start with a personal testimony. Growing up, my parents never allowed us to use words such as gosh, darn, etc. And I'm very thankful for that. About a year ago I started using the word "crikey" in my conversations. My mom so kindly pointed out that I should be aware of the meaning of the word. The word "crikey" means Christ. That humbled me so much. I asked the Lord's forgiveness for my carelessness/ignorance, and He granted it to me. I don't know if I ever thanked my mom for pointing this out to me, but I'm truly thankful for her love in showing me my error. (Thank you, Mom)

Let me share some of the verses the Lord put on my heart:

"Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be accecptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36

"For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain." Psalm 139:20

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2

"Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" James 3:10,11

The words we choose to use, especially as Christians, are extremely important. And they DO matter. Our God hears every single one of them. Here are some words that we may not realize what their meanings truly are. I found these definitions at dictionary.com

darn- to curse; dam*
gosh- used as an exclamation or mild oath: euphemistic alteration of God
dang- dam* (used euphemistically)
shoot- alteration of sh*t
heck- euphemistic alteration of hell
freaking- echoing frigging and f**king
crikey- euphemistic for Christ
and this one really surprised me; I looked it up b/c I was curious where it came from-
jeepers creepers- euphemistic alteration of Jesus

I feel weird even typing those out. I hope this will be a help. Some may say I'm nitpicking (sp?). I've fallen so short, but God is good and merciful and kind. And thankfully, forgiving.

Dishwashers are NOT overrated

I found that out a little over a month ago when we moved in to our new home. I LOVE having a dishwasher. I never thought that I'd like or want one, and when it came with this house, I thought, Oh well. ha! It doesn't take all the work out of doing dishes, but it does make it much easier. And in the mornings, I can just put them away. It's quite therapeutic;)

Have I mentioned that I really enjoy having a potty trained girl? Well, I do. And I have absolutely no advice. Now for her younger brother. Just kidding, of course. He's only (almost) 8 months old. Mikayla never got higher than a size 3 in diapers, and our Joseph will be needing 4s! soon. Yikes! He's such a chunk.

This is the first year that I've not submitted a photo at Pow-wow days in Comanche. I'm seriously pretty sad about it. Life has been just a bit too hectic around here, and it's just not the same if my mom's not joining me in the big contest. So, maybe on Saturday, we'll head that way and see all the awesome photographs. sigh. I LOVE looking at others photos. So cool.

Monday- Wednesday is CARPET and TILE TIME!!! Yay! All the painting is done and after Wednesday we'll be able to get furniture in this house. Our beds are pretty much the only thing we have out. Everything else is in the garage. I'm ready to sit down on a COUCH. Hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining. I'm just ready. Is that so bad?? So, while they're working on our house, I'm snatching up my mom and we're off to see Grace and fam for a few days. YAY! I think we'll have loads of fun- a trip or two to IKEA and whole foods AND we get to see her beautiful brand new 5 bedroom house. Wow! How fun, eh?

Oh yeah. I'm now officially (ha!) the teacher for 10-12 year olds at our church. We have about 5 kiddos in that class. I'm looking forward to teaching them and I pray the Lord will use me in their lives. We'll be starting with the book of Ruth. First things first. I need to make sure they all have a Bible. So, hopefully I can find a few pretty cheap.

Enough. Good night! I really want to post pics- after the carpet and tile and when we can finally get some pics up on the walls.

Elisabeth Elliot writes...

If through losing what this world prizes we are enabled to gain what it despises--treasure in heaven, invisible and incorruptible--isn't it worth any kind of suffering? What is it worth to us to learn a little bit more of what the Cross means--life out of death, the transformation of earth's losses and heartbreaks and tragedies?

Good times in Winters, TX

Here are a few shots of what has happened this week. We're having a lovely time waiting for our house to be finished. I miss my husband!

Abundant Life

12 years ago today the Lord so graciously saved me. Such a short sentence, but it speaks volumes. At the age of 16, I was so lost in my sins, and the Lord opened my eyes and revealed the Lord Jesus Christ to me. Praise His name!

John 10:10 says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

I do have life. Abundantly. Hugely. Eternal life. And it's nothing that I've done to deserve it. Quite the contrary. Jesus died for my sins. What a glorious thing to know. I'll close with a quote I found in a book this morning (how appropriate!):

"Christianity means knowing and trusting Christ as a living Person: it is a relationship which so captures both the mind and the heart of the believer that henceforth to know Christ, to esteem him and his words, becomes the very object of existence."

~Iain H. Murray

my kiddos

Big boy eating big boy food

some before pics of our house

I'm at my parents' house and am able to post some pictures. So, here's a HUGE update (in photos) on what all has transpired at our place. Enjoy:)

well said

While reading in my newest edition of Parenting, I came across this letter to the editor:

"Calling spanking "hitting" is like saying that surgeons stab people with knives- technically correct, but it's misleading. Just as a surgeon skillfully applies the scalpel, a well-applied and well-timed spanking is safe and effective. Any kind of abuse is wrong, but there's a difference between that and wise spanking."

I don't want to put the lady's name who wrote it, but I thought that was good- so I shared.

Celebrate good times, come on!

My dear girl, age 29.5 months old, may be what some might called "potty trained." But, like Grace said, it's kinda like walking. Even when they know how to walk, they'll still stumble. sigh. cry. shout. My girl is growing up. We told her that she's a big girl now and she said, then I'm gonna get married and have a baby. I'm gonna name him Joseph and feed him off my chest. Who knew it? :) I'm feeling a bit sentimental tonight. For the past two days she's worn "big girl pant&&s" and has woken up from both naps DRY. You should see me screaming for joy- it's quite hilarious. but, I don't care. I may never have to buy another princess pullup. (I recently bought a package of them but haven't had to open it yet. So, if we're ever in desperate need of 15 bucks, I can take it back to walmart;)

Update on the house:

The guys will be starting the painting on Monday. YAY.( The kiddos and I will be spending that week with my mom and dad in Winters. I think we'll have tons of fun together. My mom even said she'd prepare plenty of raw food for me AND treat me to Abuelos in Abilene. :))) We got to order the tile and the color grout we want and our carpet today. We payed half down. ouch. So, we're going to have to be frugal for a while around here. I like to think of myself as already that, but I know there are some things I can change.

Enough for now. I'm off to see who's done some posting... Ok, ladies. Don't let me down...

More pics of the wedding...

Can you believe it's working for me to post pics?? I'm on our laptop instead of our desktop. And it worked! Let's see if it will work yet again.

Our little flower girl

Happy 1 month of being married, Christy! Here's a pic of her with her flower girls. I think it's a sweet one:-).

The inevitable

It was bound to happen sooner or later. We went to Mi Familia tonight for some Mexican food and alas, I left little Joseph's favorite "toy." It was his red little plastic teaspoon. I'm just a bit saddened by it. He loved that thing. He'd clutch it in his sweaty hand and even take it to bed with him. I guess we're moving on. I quickly searched through Mikayla's kitchen toys and found him a white spoon. Not the same, but I guess it'll do the trick.

NEVER take a 29 month old girl who didn't get a nap, and a sleepy/hungry 7 month old boy to a restaurant that just opened and is very popular. NOT a good idea. Joseph (the smaller one) threw my tortillas on the floor. I just gave up, so I boxed up the food and ate here. The good news? It's just about a mile from our house. phew!

Have I ever been reading about Palin. One thing I do know I like about her is her first name. ahem. Grace called me last night and the first thing she said was, "so, what do you think of her?" I can't believe that MY sister would talk politics. She's pretty knowlegable (sp??).

Ok, enough small talk. Tomorrow we're going to a birthday bash and we're super excited. So, I'd better get my rest for that. ha!

good night.

Banana bread kind of day

Isn't it? The weather is so gorgeous today. Living in a bit of a newer home allows me to OPEN WINDOWS and let the air blow in. Very lovely. So, I got some ingredients out to make banana bread- after my nap (which I'm pretty sure is not going to happen...).

We hope to have an estimate turned in tomorrow on what we want done to our home. Hopefully the guys will be able to start on Monday.

I think it's a sign. I got an email today from GENGHIS GRILL with a 20% off coupon. Have you ever been there?? The food there is unbelievably good. sigh. Oh yeah. Grace lives really close to one of those restaurants. hmm...

What's new here?

*Mikayla likes to have the pullups with TWO princesses and not just one. Yes, she's still in pullups. Is she EVER going to be trained??????

*I have to pick a new color of paint for the kitchen and a new color for Joseph's room. They're too dark and it will end up costing us hundreds of dollars more (primers and more coats of paint= more labor= more money). I'd wanted "awning red" for the kitchen and "washed navy" for the other.

*I really like those antibacterial/cleaning wipes. They are GREAT. I highly recommend them. I especially enjoy using them to clean my bathroomS. You don't have to worry about a cleaner and a horribly dirty rag. Wipe it down and throw it away. perfect.

*I'm still reading in Genesis with Mikayla and Joseph. For my own reading I'm in the Psalms and in Nehemiah (an awesome book of the Bible!)

*We finally got our carpet shampooed in the Explorer. To put it mildly, it looked HORRENDOUS. Thankfully, it looks much better now.

*It's almost payday!

Enjoy your day, lovely ladies. The Lord has given us a beautiful one!

A place to call home

It finally happened. We closed on both homes. So now we're waiting on carpet and tile and for some guys to come out and give us an estimate on painting this house and doing some outdoor repairs. Phew!

We LOVE it here! It definitely feels like home now. Once we get it all painted, etc., I can hang up things on the walls and arrange furniture just like I want. (Renee, I loved the oreo analogy- pretty accurate!:)

I've got so many things milling around in my mind. So, I'll put a few of them out there:

*My sweet,sweet sister-in-law Misty is expecting another BABY!! :) Praise the Lord for that wonderful news.

*My mother and father-in-law live in Louisiana and are experiencing some bad weather. Right now they have no electricity. (I think it's been since last night)

*Everyone in our family has/will move this year. (CRAZY!)

*Grace and family are BUYING A HOME. Too bad it's in McKinney, but I'm very happy for them.

*Little Joseph is not so little. He's 7 months old and weighs about 5 pounds less than his 29 month old sister. He's a good eater!! and precious to his family.

*Our Mikayla has just started "talking back." Oh, we used to get in so much trouble for that. Now I definitely see why. Grrrrr... She's very loved and is at a hard stage (doesn't it seem like I'm always saying that??). Thankfully, we have the Lord to help us. Without Him, I don't see how people do it.

*I need to get an eye examination and more contacts. How can a mom go when she has 2 kiddos and nobody to watch children? I guess I need to make an afternoon appt. That makes sense.

*My dear married friend Christy had us over for yummy hamburgers tonight. :)

*The Lord is so good to me.

Good night. so much rambling on, but it's something. right? :)

All moved out; partially moved in

First let me say something. Ouch. My sister-in-law Misty mentioned this evening that I was like Grace with blogging. And for those of you who are not familiar with Grace's blog entries, they're pretty much non-existent. But, I guess it's a good thing b/c it's encouraged me to write a bit.

We're all moved out of 123 Autumn Drive and partially moved in to 618 Longhorn Drive. The houses are about half a mile apart. Most of our furniture is in the garage b/c we're hoping to get new carpet/tile. We'll see after we close on both homes (Wednesday) if we will have the funds to do so. It's SOOO nice having 2 bathrooms and of course, 3 bedrooms. Little Joseph is really enjoying having his very own bedroom;) I can't wait (of course I can) to get Joseph's and Mikayla's room decorated!! Have I got plans!

We have no tv(cable) . I'm not a huge fan of watching tv. In fact, I think it's often a waste of good time that could be spent more productively. BUT, I do miss it. I miss seeing actual people walking around or talking to each other. We set aside Mikayla's dvds and AM I EVER TIRED OF WATCHING THOSE! Felix the Cat, DORA, Care Bears, Popeye. Enough already. After we see how much our new house payment will be, we'll then decide what we can comfortably afford as far as internet/phone /cable/satellite are concerned. I'm ready for that.

So, that's the mighty exciting update for now. Oh yeah. My in-laws are coming for a few days to visit us!!! :) How I love them. I look forward to cooking for them and just spending some good times talking and fellowshiping with them. The Lord has blessed us immenselly with the families He's put us in.

Good night. Hope to SOMEDAY get some pics posted of our new home, which will be ours officially, Lord willing, on Wednesday!!!

I had no idea, Laura

Seriously. I didn't know that you checked it so often. Makes me smile:) Ok this one is for you, my faithful checker.

HPU's homecoming is on my birthday. Can you believe that I'll be 29?! Isn't that like almost 30? Deep breath. Just know, Laura, that you can stay with us anytime. Hope it still works out for y'all to come!

The house we're moving into (Lord willing) is right around the corner about half a mile away. Yay! So, we'll still be in Early, which is really important to us b/c of the school here. We feel it's a good one for our children.

Instead of using my time to clean my house, I'm packing. It doesn't look very nice, but I am getting some things accomplished. I have lots of boxes piled up. fun. My mom's coming tomorrow and will be spending the night. Oh, we have lots of fun planned;) We'll even be able to see Grannybear!!

Did I mention that I LOVE my husband?? And my daughter. and my son. yep, I do!

I'll leave you tonight with a most beautiful verse:

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
~Deut. 33:27
Does it get any better than that??!

Aha!

I bet you didn't think I was going to have a new post when you checked my blog. Am I right? I think it's been the longest I've EVER gone without posting. So much is going on in our lives right now- it's unbelievable. The only thing older than my previous post is Grace's most recent one. Hers may even be dated as far back as 2007. Not to try to hint around at anything, Grace. ;)

BOXES, BOXES everywhere! If all goes well, and we REALLY hope it does, we'll be moving into our new home next Saturday. I've been packing throughout the day and slowly but surely, I'm getting things accomplished.

My best friend Christy got married. And she seems to be enjoying it. I don't hear much from her anymore... My parents moved to Winters. And we still only have one vehicle right now. It's been nice though to not be pressured to go anywhere.

PRAISE THE LORD, it RAINED today!!!!!!!! I really love the rain. sigh. It's soooo beautiful and refreshing for our dry land. It did my heart good to watch our Mikayla just dance and run around in the rain.

Ok, enough. I've not been getting enough sleep lately. Too many late nights. Time to put a stop to that. Good night, sweet ladies.

My baby

We're staying the night at my mom's house. She's moving in a week:( She so kindly has allowed me to select from her many pictures to make an album for my dear husband, who has been patiently waiting for his Father's Day gift from me... I saw this picture and LOVED it and had to share. My mom took it many months ago. I cannot put into words the love I feel for my children. God has blessed me immeasurably.

Dearest Abby

Guess what! My niece Abby (Grace's daughter) is now joining the ranks of the "wonderful 2s." She's the most darling little girl you'll ever see. She's doing WAY better than her older cousin Mikayla in the potty training dept. And for that I say, way to go, Abby!! Happy birthday, beautiful girl. We love you sooooooo much! If you don't know Abby, well, Abby's just Abby. If you knew her, you'd know what I mean:)

ps. we have a contract on a house very near ours. it's a 3 bedroom/2 bath brick home. we think it's quite nice. Lord willing, it will be ours soon! We'll see what the Lord has in store for us.

Lovely!