Heart Matters

My life verse

2011-11-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

Over the past year I had the opportunity to meet with my pastor's wife as I was seeking some encouragement and direction in my life. Sometimes the busyness of it all can become so overwhelming and I had lost my focus on the One who should be receiving my all. So, she encouraged me to pick a life goal and to pair it with a verse or verses which I did for a main goal, a goal for motherhood, being a wife and friendships. Today I just wanted to share what I selected for my life verse/goal.

Philippians 1:9-11 - And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

My goal: I want to be authentic, to know the truth. I want people to see Jesus in me, my actions, my speech to the glory of God, to further His kingdom here on earth.

My action steps: First to spend more time in the Word and in prayer to be open to the Lord's leading as I seek His will for my life.

Sarah-style

2011-11-08T09:48:00.002-05:00

The Michael Jackson

High heels and make-up

Apple picking in style

It's 30 degrees outside and I still want to be a princess.......with boots.

Victory is Won

2011-10-31T15:02:00.000-04:00

My thoughts today....

2011-10-26T16:33:00.000-04:00

Last week my friend Kathy asked her readers, what has helped you choose joy in your life? My response was centered on our two miscarriages and how that brought me a deeper appreciation for the children that I have. October is infant loss awareness month and on days like today the loss seems so recent, the pain still stings, and the remembrance of the days that felt like they went on forever seem so fresh in my mind. And I am learning that days like today are good. Days when I remember the pain and fear and frustration. A time in my life when I would cry out to the Lord in desperation for another child. And after the second loss, running home to squeeze Emily so tight and feeling so blessed to even be able to have this one child, the only one (i thought at the time) that I may ever be able to have.

You see, yesterday afternoon 'mean mommy' came out to rear her ugly head. Tired, head cold, overwhelmed mommy snipped at every little request and I'm quite sure I squashed some eager hearts just wanting to play. How quickly I forget just how privileged I am to have these three blessings! How quickly I can lose focus and become overwhelmed and lose my JOY!

Days like today I have learned to treasure. It may hurt a little to remember the loss but thank you Lord for bringing me back to my knees, for bringing me back to the pain, for the remembrance of what a JOY this life is. Thank you for allowing the trial in my life to bring me a greater appreciation and love for the children I have.

Lessons Learned

2011-10-17T20:58:00.000-04:00

As many of you know Hurricane Irene hit this area a little over a month and a half ago. We actually made out great compared to what could have happened, but what we did have to deal with was the power outages. Our power went out first thing Sunday morning and we did not get it restored until Saturday evening. I took some time (in the day light) to write down some lessons learned through this ordeal:

~ First, one bathtub full of water will only provide enough water to flush toilets for a family of five for 2 days. Should have filled up that second tub.

~Second, cleaning dishes outside in the fresh air is kind of refreshing!

~Third, the cell phone with data plan that we just purchased turned out to be a nice luxury, along with the battery operated iHome.

~ The time I spend on the internet on a daily basis really is way too much. Life felt more full in the days without it.

~ The amount of water we use on a daily basis truly is wasteful.

~The stars are BREATHTAKING when all lights are out. Praise be to the Creator.

~The people in this area do not stop or slow down. The big corporations had all their employees expected back at work first thing in the morning, just hours after the storm calmed down. No one with power, traffic lights down, trees blocking many of the roads, some families with structural damage to their homes, etc. Would it have killed them to close for the day to allow ONE DAY for the state workers to have safe roads to clear things up or allow families to be together to asses the damage done or help those around them who may be in need? I don't know, call me old fashioned, but it just seemed that they could have placed more value on community and the family rather than $$.

~In all seriousness I gained a great appreciation for some of the things I take for granted on a daily basis, like WATER for instance. So many families around the globe do not even have access to water, or if they do it is unsafe to drink. The worst I had it was 7 days without, and that's not even entirely true! My parents live 15 minutes away (and only lost power for a few hours) & we drove their every day for water/bathing/cooking/etc. Some of the worlds poorest have to walk hours away just to fetch basket full of water, many children do this task and because of that can not participate in schooling.

A new school year

2011-10-14T14:17:00.001-04:00

Last year at this time we were preparing to homeschool for kindergarten and this year we prepared to send Emily off to our local school for first grade.

As with last year we started the day with a nicely set table and a hearty breakfast.

Stewart stayed home from work in the morning to watch Emily get on the bus for the first time.

That's Sarah and Sam pressed up against the back window watching for Emily if you can make that out.

Here comes the bus!

And there she goes! We are so proud of you Emily!

2010-10-21T15:42:00.002-04:00

A quote that has been challenging me lately:

"Mature Christians aren't learners, always depending on somebody else to bail them out and carry them through. Instead, they are leaders who trust Christ to give them the encouragement and enablement they need for the demands of life. Through Jesus Christ, they can face life courageously and make it work for them, not against them. For mature Christians, life isn't a playground in which babies fight over toys; it's a battle ground where great moral issues must be defended."

~taken from Pause for Power by Warren W. Wiersbe

My glass jar

2010-09-27T07:00:00.001-04:00

I stumbled across this great post a few days ago and thought I'd share it. I found the words written to be such an encouragement to me.

For my own part, my big rocks are:

~Daily prayer and devotions

~Showering/dressed before 8:00am

~Spending 30 minutes every day on major chores (laundry, dishes, bathroom clean up, sweeping, vacuum, tackling the clutter, etc.)

~Having enough energy left over to focus on my husband (which means not overextending myself)

1st week of school

2010-09-24T21:10:00.000-04:00

We started school after labor day and it has been such a blessing! Here are a few pictures of our days and a breakdown of our daily schedule:

We start our day with devotions, the pledge of allegiance, prayer, song time, calendar and attendance. We go over the rules and talk about the goals for the day. Then we move over to the office room where their desks are set up and we begin lessons for the day. Here is what our rough schedule is:

9:20-10:00 Language Arts

10:00-10:15 Bible Lesson

10:15-10:30 Snack and Stretch

10:30-11:15 Math

11:15-11:45 Science/History/Manners/Sign Language/Piano (we rotate one a week)

11:45-12:00 Song time, end of our school day

12:00 Lunch

12:20-1:00 Free Play

1:00-3:00 Naps

We use Lifepac by Alpha and Omega Publications for Math and Language Arts. I am loving it so far. It is SO simple to follow yet has ALL the extras you could ever think to include in a lesson. So yea, I guess that's the summary of the first week. I'll try to have a weekly summary posted every Friday so you can see what else we get into. Have a great weekend everyone!

Why Homeschool

2010-09-08T21:00:00.003-04:00

As most of you know by now we have decided to home school our daughter Emily for kindergarten this year. While some received the news with enthusiasm and great words of encouragement there were still many others who were less than pleased to hear about our choice. It shouldn't have surprised me the opposition that we faced from some, and honestly it shouldn't have made me skip a beat, but it did. It's hard to watch others' negative reactions to a choice we made in the best interest of our daughter. I wrestled for a long time about even writing this post because I feel like I really don't need to explain my reasons to anyone. Family and friends who love us should understand we want what is best for our children and that should be enough. And that's just it. That's what finally convinced me to put this to paper.

~Why are we homeschooling?

~ The answer: beyond a shadow of a doubt we are convinced that this is the best choice for our daughter Emily this year. It's that simple.

Are there a whole bunch of reasons behind our big decision? Absolutely. But you know, none of those really matter. What does matter is that we have been entrusted a beautiful little life (three now to be exact!) and we believe we are making well informed decisions in the best interest of our children to allow them to grow to their fullest potential.

~Pictures of our classroom and our full first week coming on Friday~

Words from the heart

2010-06-05T13:20:00.003-04:00

Oh little neglected blog. You just don't fall high on the priority list right now. :-(

I sure do love this little place of my own. I love connecting with other women. I love sharing about what is going on in our lives and I love how with the click of a mouse our relatives don't seem so far away. I love being able to write book reviews and share what is on my heart. I love that everything is all organized in one spot. I love the fact that these stories I share of our day to day lives and that the things I share from my heart are my life's scrapbook. I hope our children will cherish this some day long after they are grown and I am gone.

I sure do have a lot of projects I am working on and a lot of things on my heart that I feel that the Lord is teaching me right now. A lot of things that I want to share and want to post pictures of. The problem is that it seems in this stage of our lives, there are a lot of things to be done, a lot of things going on, but not a lot of things finished. And when things do get finished it's usually at a pretty slow rate. So, that being said, I'm excited for the time when I can get back to regular blogging. I do have a lot to share, but for now posts are just going to have to be more sporadic until I can get more finished.

Side note: anyone check out the spelling bee last night!? I just spelled like 5 simple words wrong in this post and they were blowing by words like rhytidome and engysseismology and infundibuliform. Whoa. I am not smarter than a fifth grader.

Emily graduates

2010-05-26T19:44:00.001-04:00

We started the morning off with fresh cut flowers from our garden and a nicely set table for breakfast.

I cooked one of Emily's favorite meals for breakfast : waffles, strawberries, cool whip and warmed syrup.

Then we got ready for the mother goose parade to end the 2010 year of preschool.

Emily and her friend Vienna have known each other since infancy and we've been blessed that they have her attended the same school for the last two years. What a special friend she has been to Emily. I hope they can continue their friendship over the years even though now they will be attending different schools!

Emily was Humpty Dumpty for the parade. I took on the task of making her costume, mainly because I needed some incentive to get myself sewing again! I bought a pattern for children's duck/pumpkin/lady bug costume and just used material to look like an egg.

This is Robin, the director of the preschool, she is AMAZING!

Hubby came from work and helped entertain Samuel with his watch and pen.

My dad and mom were both able to come out to watch the parade. Sorry mom, you didn't make the photo. And really....not a great shot of Sarah, but they can't all be poster worthy right?

The family shot (minus Sam). SO proud of our Emily. She is blossoming into a little lady and it is so wonderful to watch. So congratulations Emily on completing preschool. You have excelled in all that you have put your mind to and have brought such joy to us and to those around you. May you continue to grow in the Lord and continue to fill that growing mind up with all that you set out your heart to know. We love you!

Next on our journey we'll be taking on homeschooling for kindergarten. More of my thoughts on that coming in a later post.

Beauty

2010-05-22T15:03:00.003-04:00

Isn't that double rainbow beautiful?

Look who's movin'

2010-05-12T05:59:00.000-04:00

I may have totally freaked out the other day when I came into the girls room expecting to find Sam where I left him and couldn't find him anywhere. He had scooted underneath Sarah's bed and was quite content.He's not moving forward yet, but he definitely gets to where he is going. He's really starting to develop his personality! We love it! And I think Sarah is loving it too.

The heart of a mother

2010-05-05T05:43:00.000-04:00

I drove by a local church a few nights ago and read this on their sign :

"A mother's heart is a child's schoolroom."

This thought occurred to me:

If I don't show my children the love of God with my words, body language, and service, how else will they know it?

2010-05-03T20:11:00.000-04:00

In the quiet of my soul
In the stillness I hear Your voice call
And I am overwhelmed
And I am lost for words
To describe You

Chorus:
Jesus You're more than a friend
Jesus You're more than my heart could ever express
Your love and Your grace never fail me
Your merciful touch always heals me
You bring joy to my soul

My heart longs to worship You my King
And I long to bring You a pleasing offering
And I am overwhelmed
And I am lost for words
To describe You

Emily turns 5

2010-03-19T13:40:00.000-04:00

On Monday our little Emily turned 5 years old! She's a fantastic big sister and a lover of all things to do with bugs and animals. Not much into princesses or barbies, but loves dinosaurs and digging in the dirt. She's thoughtful and cares deeply for all that are around her. You'd think just looking at her interests that she is a tomboy, but she's actually quite graceful, likes to be clean and neat, and is proper like a lady. She loves plants and is SO looking forward to starting our garden this year. She is intelligent, loves to read, draw pictures, cut, sew, play the piano, work on her math work, do science experiments, etc. Her favorite movie right now is the silly song movie by Veggie Tales. She's growing rapidly, one of the tallest in her class and her hair grown past her shoulder blades and is a beautiful light brown with little curls. We love you Emily, you are such a special blessing from the Lord!

For Emily's birthday this year we took her to the dinosaur museum, went to chuck e cheese with a friend, and had a family Thomas the tank engine birthday party. Emily got some great gifts and had a super time celebrating! Here's a peek into this past week:

Ants, her favorite exhibit.

Triceratops, her favorite dinosaur.

Vienna, her favorite friend.

Minnie Mouse pajamas and the card reading she's going to go on a date with

mom and dad to the dinosaur museum, her favorite gifts.

The family party.

Thomas the tank engine cake, my first attempt at making one on my own.

Our special birthday girl!

2010-03-06T06:31:00.001-05:00

**UPDATED**

Still curious as to what that substance on Sam is?

Sarah, who had just recently been given a vitamin decided to chew it, keep the juices in her mouth, and spit-paint Samuel's head with it. Yes, I know it's gross, but ::sigh:: such is life with strong-willed toddler right now.

Remember this post? I walked out of the room for 5 minutes, no joke!, to talk with my friend and this is what I came back to:

No, it's not blood. Anyone want to take a guess as to what Sarah put on Samuel's head?

Breaker Breaker

2010-03-04T06:06:00.000-05:00

When Sam was still in the play room I let Emily go in and get him a few mornings in a row while I finished getting breakfast ready and this is what I found:

THE Olympics

2010-03-02T06:33:00.000-05:00

To kick off the winter Olympics this year we had an Olympic themed family night. Having themed family nights is definitely something I love to plan (see also here and here) and this one turned out to be a blast. I think it'll only get better as the kids age and can really take part in creating their own games. Anyway, just thought I'd share a peek into that night:

We started out by lighting the 'Olympic' flame, Emily got to do the honors.

And then Sarah wanted to help out as well.

Then we had the girls make posters to cheer the other on.

Then we had dinner. I made pretzels, pretzel wrapped hot dogs and fish sticks.

We even had a medal count.

Next we got into the games. We started things off with snow throwing, who could throw their snow ball the farthest.

You'll get a chance to participate soon enough Samuel! He was great and spent the whole time right there in his boppy with his favorite toys.

We wrestled.

Did sack races.

And blew popcorn across the table through a straw.

We also did the bean bag toss, balanced bean bags on our head, somersault rolls, and the 'luge' (we pushed the girls around in laundry baskets).

When we were all finished we tallied up the score and awarded the medals!

What a lot of fun and a great tradition we've started!

Organizing Challenge Complete

2010-03-01T05:52:00.000-05:00

WOW! 28 days went by just like that! I can not believe that February is gone and now we're full swing into the birthday month of March over here. I really enjoyed being a part of this challenge, it definitely gave me the kick in the rear I needed to get our playroom/guest room organized. I didn't get to finish everything I would have liked to accomplish, BUT I was able to complete the most important tasks that I shot for. I would have liked a fresh coat of paint in this room, a few more things for the walls......and books on the bookshelf, but that will just have to wait for another rainy day. One of the reasons that I wasn't able to finish all of my tasks was that in order to even begin to organize this room we had to make a major, major change for all of our children. Samuel had been sleeping in the playroom and the girls both had rooms of their own upstairs. So, one of the first things that needed to be done was to start sleeping Sarah with Emily in the same room so that we could move Samuel upstairs to his own room. Thankfully the transition went SUPER, but we did have a few semi-long evenings of adjustment with the girls before they learned how to co-exist in one single room. And of course with moving the children around there was organizing to be done in each other their rooms upstairs too, and that took some time away from what I could have used for this project. Anyway. On to the challenge. We were asked to provide before and after photos and to also fill out this questionnaire for the judging:

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?

I would say the hardest part of this challenge was moving Samuel to his new room like I mentioned above because it meant moving Sarah into Emily's room. I was really tentative to make this transition but after some research and reassuring by lots of friends who had been through this before we just decided to go for the plunge. Moving Samuel meant being able to take the pack-n-play and changing table out of that room (which with everything else in there made WAY too much clutter) and being able to let that room function as just a play room and guest room, which is the way we wanted that room to be utilized.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?

A little while ago I posted about habits and how we were trying to implement some new ones into our routine. One of those habits is putting things away right after we are done with them. Well, with the playroom in chaos it made it really hard for the girls to put away their play things because everything didn't have a 'spot' yet. One of my motivations for this challenge was to get those toys organized so that I could teach my children that everything has a place and everything belongs in it's place. So we purchased a closet organizer from Lowe's (see question number 4 for picture and more details) as well as some baskets and made sure that there was a specific place for all of their crafts, toys, games, puzzles, etc. My mother even helped by helping Emily create little labels to go on their craft bin so that she knew where to find things.

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

Some things that just did not belong in this space were just moved to a new space that fit better. For example, there was a large basket of baby toys in the playroom and I just moved it up to Sam's room when we moved him. Other things like games that I know we'll never play or toys that haven't been touched in months that I know the kids don't benefit from we put in a box to go to goodwill. Other toys that were seasonal, like the Little People's Christmas Nativity set or the Thanksgiving set I moved downstairs into storage in the basement.

Question Number 4 is below because I thought it was best to answer with the picture of the product and Question Number 5 is at the end of this post.

Before:

Before:

After:

(The cork board you see in the above photo was purchased so that I could display the kids artwork, but will be covered with fabric for a quick wall hanging when company arrives so this piece serves two purposes)

Before:

After:

(We moved the futon kitty-cornered along this wall and put the side table along side it (the long bin underneath is what I mention in question number 4). Also we purchased new curtains for a total of $14 at Walmart, the old ones didn't even fit the window length. When company comes we'll just turn the futon so that it fits along that back wall, add sheets to the bed and it'll be good to go.)

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

4. What creative storage solutions were you able to introduce in order to create additional space as well as establish some limits and boundaries?

The biggest purchase we made was from Lowe's and it was this closet organizer with baskets and an additional two shelves at the top for extra space (see picture below). I think all together it cost like $75 but it was totally worth it for peace of mind and for teaching my children a valuable habit. I wanted something that would look pleasing to the eye because this is also functioning as a guest room and also wanted something that would containerize and hide some of their smaller toys. We did have a bookshelf in the closet that was trying to function as this item, but it just wasn't working out because well.....it's a bookshelf. So I ended up moving the bookshelf out of the closet and bringing in its matching shelf from another room and putting it along the wall that the crib had been on. You can see that in the picture above. We also put a long bin underneath the futon and it has the kids' play clothes in it. I heart long bins that slide under beds or shelves. Probably my favorite organizing solution for small spaces. It's easily accessible to the kids and it cleans up and out of the way in a jiff if company is coming. Speaking of, check this out to see another use for those long bins.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

5. Why do you think you should win this challenge?

I think I should win because I started about 6 years ago knowing little about organization and upon getting married, having children and living in a one story ranch (although 8 months ago we did move into a larger home) quickly learned how important being organized is, not just for my benefit, but for our whole family. So I feel that this room is a microcosm for the whole of what I have been learning over the last few years (largely from the Organizing Junkie). Also.....I have three children all under the age of five and I was able to accomplish all that is seen above.......enough said! :-D

Thanks to OrgJunkie for hosting this great challenge! What a fun way to get motivated to organize our clutter and to gain ideas from others. Now....if I could just get motivated to tackle our master bedroom closet!

To see my original post that started me on this challenge, go here.

Proof

2010-02-16T19:32:00.002-05:00

Ink stamp and ketchup.

Sarah, you find the fun in everything.

2010-02-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

A little mommy in waiting.

New Habits

2010-02-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

A week or so ago Money Saving Mom advertised on her site about a free e-book, Smooth and Easy Days by Sonja Shafer. I was intrigued so I clicked on the link and downloaded the book. It's 47 pages and it is FULL of wonderful encouragement and information on cultivating good habits in your child. I was so inspired by it I went ahead and ordered Laying Down the Rails by the same author. I'm only a few pages into it but I'm already beginning to apply the lessons I have learned so far. The concept it simple. Pick one habit that you'd like to see instilled in your child and work on that one thing for six to eight weeks and then move on to the next, while keeping an eye on the habit just formed. Instead of getting upset that our children just don't pick up after themselves or leave the bed messy or leave their coat/shoes scattered all over the floor, work on cultivating the good habit one at a time. It also addresses why nagging doesn't work, which I found very insightful. The author points out that nagging just teaches children to do a task only when mom asks. She uses this example :

"Let’s say that you’re trying to teach your child to hang up her coat when she takes it off. In order to make that action a habit, she
needs to repeatedly and consciously think through the hang-upmy-
coat-when-I-take-it-off neuron route.
Now, let’s say you come into the room and trip over her coat.
The easiest thing to do is to call her into the room and say, “I’ve
told you before, hang up your coat when you take it off!” She
obediently picks it up and hangs it in the closet, but . . . and here’s
the key . . . her brain didn’t initiate the idea, so you just reinforced
the wrong neuron route.
You just reinforced the do-what-mom-says-to-do neuron
route. That’s a completely different route from the one you want
her to mentally travel. And that explains why once we start
nagging, we find that we’re always having to nag in order to make
something happen. We are reinforcing the do-what-mom-says-todo
route, which means the child will constantly wait until mom
says what to do!
So, let’s say you just came into the room and tripped over
your daughter’s coat . . . again. You call your child into the room,
and you say something like this: “I promised I would help you
remember.” That’s all. If she still doesn’t understand, you can
pointedly look at the coat on the floor. Little hints might be needed
at first. But you wait until the mental lightbulb goes off in her head
and that will start those neurons traveling the hang-up-my-coatwhen-
I-take-it-off route. Do you see the difference? She thought
of it. She made the mental effort."

I had never thought of it that way before. That nagging is actually hindering the habit from forming. Wow! All this time I thought that by nagging (although I would rather call it 'helpfully reminding') I was helping and it turns out I've just made more work for myself.

And of course another point brought up in this book was that children learn by example as well so mom needs to be on top of these habits too. SO, taking from this book what I have been learning instead of making a new years goal list (I'm a month behind for that anyway) we're going to be tackling new habits little by little.

For the month of February:

Habits for the kids

~Putting shoes away in the shoe bench upon returning home and hanging up their coats on the coat rack

~Returning an object to it's original location as soon as you are done using it

Habits for mommy

~No more nail bitting (this is the year, I can feel it!)

~Morning prayer before the children wake up, every day

~Morning exercise completed by 730

Organization Challenge

2010-02-04T08:35:00.001-05:00

OK, so I am a few days late getting this up, but this month I will be participating in Organizing Junkie's 28 day challenge. We have a room downstairs that has just been out of control since the day we moved in just over 6 months ago and this is just the sort of motivation I need to get moving and get this room organized. Right now it serves multiple purposes and that's the first thing that I will be tackling. In this post, OrgJunkie directed us to a list of questions that you can ask yourself to help organize your space. Number one on the list was: What do I want the purpose of my room or area to be? Right now this room is functioning as play room, guest room, and Samuel's room. We would like it to serve as just a play room/guest room. This month I'll be working on getting Sam into his own room upstairs, which means getting the girls in the same room together. I'll also be tackling the organization in the closet and tackling the toy overflow. Alright, on to the embarrassing before photos:

If you want to join in visit OrgJunkie.

2010-02-03T16:40:00.001-05:00

Sarah's not here to make any friends.

Man of my dreams

2010-01-26T16:09:00.001-05:00

Oh Sam, you certainly are.

Ode to my Sentra

2010-01-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. Last night we finally sold my Nissan Sentra. This morning my husband drove it to work and handed it over to the woman who purchased it. I have to admit, I was a little teary last night standing in the driveway saying goodbye. I know selling it was for the best, and I know we'll be saving a lot more money this way, and I know that it went to a very respectable new owner. But still, the Sentra represented more than just a vehicle. I bought it in 2002 when I was 19, single and working a steady job. I still remember the feeling when I took it for it's first spin at the dealer. The car drove so smooth, accelerated so fast, I loved it. That car was a piece of me from back before I was married or had children. It represented a time when I worked and brought in my own income, and I purchased that Sentra with my own money. As a wife/mom today I have the greatest job in the world and I certainly wouldn't change that for anything. My job does have it's stresses, especially right now when the children need me constantly. There are times when I feel like the real me, Amy, the me outside of MOM, is getting lost. My Sentra provided an escape. Just to take it for a spin, or run an errand, I would get behind the wheel and it just made me feel like ME again. It's the car I drove when I got engaged and then married. It's the car that took us to Michigan when I was pregnant with Emily, through a blizzard and ice storm. AND the car that took a beating from the relatives for not being American made and that backed all the way down Uncle Jeff's driveway through more than a foot of snow to his amazement (one of my favorite memories!). In fact this car took us to Michigan quite a few times. It's the car that took me to the hospital to deliver our first child. It's the car that took us home from the hospital, a brand new family. I know it might be silly to be so attached to a material thing and to be perfectly honest, I know I'll be over it tomorrow, but that car did mean something to me. It represented more than just a piece of metal. It was a part of me. And I'm thankful. I'm thankful for the knowledge that I've gained from this experience that I never would have understood otherwise. My grandmother passed away a few years ago and she suffered from Alzheimer's. When we used to visit they always had her old Toyota parked in the lot, which who knows how old it was, and I never understood why they kept it because she hadn't been able to drive for years. And she was really particular about it and I remember her being so mad when it was gone. And I understand it now. I get it. It was a piece of her, it represented a time when she brought in an income, it represented who she was before she aged, before she fell and broke her hip, before the disease took over her mind. And I believe she knew in her mind that she really would never drive it again. But as long as that car was there, as long as she could still see that piece of her, I think it helped keep that piece of her alive as well. Funny how a car can be packed with so many memories and so much meaning. So goodbye Sentra, you'll be missed. The young-single-sports car-driving chapter of my life is closed, but the young at spirit-child raising-hubby loving-mini-van-driving chapter of my life is just beginning. What a beautiful journey life is.

I'm Baaaaaack!

2010-01-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Hello bloggy world! I finally decided to come out of hibernation! I can not believe that my last post was 6 months ago when our son Samuel was born. Life certainly was chaotic for a bit and I definitely needed my sole focus to be my family and getting us all back onto a routine. Most of you know we moved into a new home in June of last year, so not only were we adjusting to the addition of our third child, but also adjusting to a new home as well. I feel like things are starting to settle and routine is starting to kick in and I've found that I have a little more free time now than I did just a few months ago. So, here I am. To start out the new year, here are some updated photos of our little ones and new home:

He's here!

2009-07-30T13:25:00.004-04:00

Samuel Stewart arrived at 11:07pm on July 16th

weighing in at 7lbs. 7ozs.

and measuring 19 inches long!

Samuel is a remarkably good baby, sleeping during the night for 5 hour shifts some times! He's pretty content throughout the day and it's really made adjusting to three little ones a piece of cake! The girls both absolutely adore him, even Sarah has been so sweet and gentle. It's a wonderful feeling to be a mom of three and it is such a joy to watch the children interact with one another.

And now for the winner of the baby guessing game:

~Kathy was the closest to the time of delivery guessing July 17th at 12am. She also had the inches right on and was the closest on weight. However, she guessed girl on the gender.

~My cousin-in-law Sarah was another contender guessing July 15th at 319am, right on with the inches, right on with gender and close on the weight.

~My Aunt Joan was the last contender guessing July 15th at 515am, right on with gender, and inch off on length, and close on the weight. SO, what I did was write these three ladies names on separate pieces of paper and randomly drew a winner, and the winner is my Aunt Joan. Congrats and good guessing!

Count down

2009-07-15T17:20:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am set to be induced tomorrow at 730AM. SO, we should be welcoming a new member into our family, a SON!, by tomorrow evening! Hooray! Will post info and pictures as soon as we are back from the hospital.

Here are the people still in the running in the baby guessing game (although technically my cousin Rebekah voted girl for the gender):

Rebekah (my cousin) 8 lbs 7 ozs, 21 in, Jul 16, 5:08 am

Joan (my aunt) 8 lbs 2 ozs, 20 in, Jul 15, 5:15 am

Sarah (Stew's cousin)8 lbs 1 ozs, 19 in, Jul 15, 3:19 am

Also, we are all moved into our new home and will have pictures of that coming soon as well. Until then.....

Summer Recess

2009-06-09T15:53:00.002-04:00

Hi all. Just wanted to pop on to let you know that I'm going to take a summer blogging break. There is just TOO much going on right now and I really don't have any extra time to spare for this. I will however post some photos of the new house once we are moved in. We are set to close on June 23rd. And of course I will update when baby boy makes his arrival. Not sure yet if I'll be back after the summer or if I'll just decided to shut it down. I guess I'll have to see what it's like juggling three children before I can make that decision. So happy summer everyone!

On second thought...

2009-05-26T13:46:00.001-04:00

I guess I won't be back this week. I need to cut out the computer for a while. Life is getting pretty overwhelming right now and I need to focus on basics.

A quick hello

2009-05-23T20:08:00.002-04:00

Hello all. I didn't intend on taking a blogging break this past week, but amidst the chaos it just turned out that way. So I just popped in to say I'll be back at it next week. I've got a meal plan ready to post as well as a book review and some great photos of the kids. For now, I'm just going to post a link to a new blog that I found today via The Stay at Home Missionary. It's Divine Calling and she has a great post taken from the book A Woman's Mission that I really enjoyed. If you're looking for a new read, she's a mom of three little ones and shares on topics such as: child training, femininity, frugality, motherhood, being a keeper at home, etc. Anyway, that's about it, hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Thankful Thursday

2009-05-14T13:16:00.002-04:00

~I am so thankful and blessed to be Emily and Sarah's mom. These girls are the most beautiful, brightest children I know (of course I am biased). I just am beyond blessed every day by their presence in my life. This past mother's day I just found myself taking a step back and studying their faces and just enjoying the great privilege it is to be a mom. Sure it comes with great responsibility and sure it comes with great sacrifice some times, but it's the greatest 'job title' I will ever hold and I am SO lucky. Girls, you are the apple of mommy's eye.

~I am so thankful for a husband who seeks after God. I am so blessed to have him to follow after and to serve.
~I'm thankful for being 30 weeks pregnant!

I am so excited to meet our son. Along those lines, I have had no idea what to do for his room. The decor, etc. was just coming up blank in my mind, it was driving me crazy. Until now! The other day while out shopping I browsed through Home Goods and found this lamp (below). I left the store to finish my shopping but just could not get the lamp out of my head. SO, I decided to go back and pick it up and this is what I'll be basing my son's room off of. The colors will be brown, cream and red (that match the lamp) and we'll be doing a football theme (which is just perfect because my husband was captain of his football team in high school AND football pretty much rocks). Hooray!

~Notice the difference between the top photo of the lamp and the bottom one? Yup, that's the clarity difference between my old camera and my new Cannon Rebel! I am so thankful to finally own this camera in which we spent SO much time researching and pricing! Yay!

Cannon Rebel

2009-05-13T08:33:00.004-04:00

Last week we purchased the Cannon Rebel digital camera and oh oh oh how I love it. I just got it up and running yesterday and the clarity is amazing. I still love my little hand-held Kodak digital too, it's definitely better for on the go and capturing video. BUT since I don't scrap book, I really wanted a camera that would take some clear close ups and have the ability to zoom in from far away (I'm thinking kids' soccer/football/etc. games) and also have the ability to take multiple photos quickly. Anyway, so I'm finding so far that the Rebel is VERY easy to use and I just love the quality of the photos. I have a post set to go tomorrow that shows the clarity difference between the two cameras. For now, here's our first shots:

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-05-11T13:39:00.003-04:00

Breakfasts

Cereal and fruit

Eggs and toast

Oatmeal and raisins

Muffins and fruit

Granola and yogurt

French toast w/strawberries

Lunches

Macaroni and cheese w/green pepper

Super Salad

Tuna sandwiches w/salad

PB+J w/apples

Spaghetti w/broccoli

Take-out

Dinners

Impossible cheeseburger pie w/corn

Hamburgers, potato wedges and veggies

Marinated pork ribs, carrots, homemade bread

Chicken on the grill, salad, rice

Pizza

Snacks

Humus and veggies/chips

Breakstone cottage cheese doubles

Pretzels

PB and apple slices

Popsicles

P.S. Last week we tried Ranch Potato Wedges, a recipe from Heavenly Homemaker, and it was unbelievably delicious! A great side dish for grilled meats or fish sticks or pretty much anything, just wanted to pass that recipe along.

For more yummy meal plans, visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

Children's book review

2009-05-08T06:05:00.001-04:00

Anyone who has known me for long probably knows that Elizabeth George is one of my favorite authors. She picks basic life principles to write about and does so in a way that is simply stated and easy to apply. I was SO excited a few years back to learn she had written a children's book applying the Proverbs 31 principles. If you have little girls at home I would highly recommend this book.

I found an excerpt here:

"God's Little Girl is Diligent

Can you think of something that give you delight?

That makes you feel good in your bed at night?

That brings you a feeling compared to none?

The pleasure of knowing a job's been well done!"

It's beautifully illustrated and teaches little girls biblical principles, what could be better? It's also great to build lessons on. We like to chose one page (each page has one principle/verse) to look at per week and seek to apply it.

If you have a little boy, she's also written God's Wisdom for Little Boys, and I am so looking forward to reading it to my son in just a few short months!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-06T06:20:00.001-04:00

(WOW, these were shot way back in October and I guess I forgot to pass them along!)

Entertainment vs. Education

2009-05-05T06:15:00.000-04:00

Recently, I came across a great article entitled Ten Things to Do with Your Child Before Age Ten. I was really encouraged by the section devoted to play and exploration. I've been finding it hard lately to balance what I know is good for my children, and what they might enjoy. Some weeks I look back and it seems like all we did was 'entertain' the children and lost out on the 'training' of our children. The world today is a busy place and there are lots of things that are readily accessible to chose from, but not all of those things are necessarily beneficial to our children's well being. Not to say that trips to the Aquarium, library, parks, watching movies, having computer time, etc. are all bad things, they can be useful and educational in small doses. But, it seems that because there are so many things to chose from every day, it can be easy to overlook the fact that my sole purpose is not to entertain my children. God instructs us in Proverbs to 'train up a child in the way he/she should go'. Many days it seems so much easier to pop in a video or pack up and head to the park, but I need to not lose sight of the precious time I have been given to be with them and train them in the ways of the Lord. It's easy to become overwhelmed in this stage of life, and with so many easy 'fixes' it would be convenient to fall into the pit of entertaining my children rather than educating them. Here's a little excerpt from the article that I thought was right on.

"Give the child plenty of time to explore and play. Do not buy "toystore" toys — they are expensive and are usually forgotten after the newness wears off. Invest in real things. Garage sales and auctions are an unending source for things like sewing machines, small tools for working in the garden, hammers, nails, and things for building, some wooden blocks, and dress-up clothes. Buy tools for exploring (a good microscope, telescope, binoculars, dissecting equipment, basic chemistry equipment, etc.), not toys for adoring. Teach your children how to use them responsibly (safe, neat, and orderly — clean up when you are done), and make them readily available for when they want to use them.

It is not only important that you do some things, it is important that you not do some things. It always seems like there are more do not’s than there are do’s. Do not set your child in front of a television screen. Television is bad. We mean the screen itself. It is unhealthy for the body, and especially for the eyes. Visual strain is the number-one problem of frequent computer users. Studies estimate that anywhere from fifty to ninety percent of regular computer users experience visual deterioration.

The material on the screen is also bad. The entertainment method of learning creates a sort of entertainment addiction — the child wants to be entertained all of the time — he wants his visual and auditory senses stimulated (overstimulated). Every child needs to learn to spell through touch and taste and smell, and through interaction with real human beings who smile and answer back. He needs to learn in submission to the authority of real parents, not the authority of glamorized, always-happy, limitlessly-resourceful, never-tired substitutes who have absolutely no accountability. Need we say more?"

I certainly needed the encouragement this article provided and even the little wrist slap to refocus my energies on where they truly need to be.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-05-04T06:45:00.001-04:00

Breakfasts:
Homemade granola (recipe below)
Oatmeal
Apple Bread (didn't get to this last week)
Waffles/strawberries
Egg sandwiches
Cereal
Lunches:
Chicken nuggets
PB+J
Grilled cheese
Chicken tacos
Macaroni and cheese
Mini pizzas
Dinners:
Tacos
Pork chops, corn, potatoes
Beef stew
Steak, rice-a-roni and veggie
Fish sticks, salad
Eggs, sausage and homemade hash browns

~Homemade granola~
4 cups oats (I use regular, but sometimes I substitute out 2 cups with the quick rolled oats for a different texture)
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1/2 cup craisins
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup brown sugar

Bring oil, honey and sugar to a simmer on the stove. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. (I throw in all sorts of things that I have on hand, so the ingredients I listed above are just a guideline.) Mix the mixture from the stove into the dry ingredients and then pour into a greased 13X9 pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Cut into bars when cooled.

For more yummy meal plans, visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

A new tradition

2009-05-01T13:33:00.005-04:00

Today we decided to participate in May Day and deliver baskets of goodies to our friends, neighbors and family. I LOVE traditions and now that I feel like I'm getting a hold on the basics of being a wife/mom it's been nice to add on little by little and to get some started in our family. We had a really great time putting everything together, we'll definitely be continuing this year after year. It's a great way to teach the girls about serving others and a great way to reach out and get to know your neighbors (if they catch you that is) . Em had such a fun time running up to the houses trying to be sneaky and not get caught. She also helped me decorate the bags this morning and make the cookies last night. Anyway, here are some photos from the day:

Thanks to Kathy, who also participates in May Day with her two girls, I had a tag to put on the baskets.

The bags were filled with flowers, oatmeal craisin cookies, and honey lemon ginseng green tea.

After all the running around was complete, we made a 'fort' in the living room and rewarded ourselves with some tea and crackers and some reading time. We started Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder today. My Nana bought me the series when I was a child and now I get to read them to my girls! Anyway, it was a great day, a new tradition started for sure. :-)

Thankful Thursday

2009-04-30T06:30:00.000-04:00

~I am thankful for my husband's diligence at work and his ability to balance that with his commitment to his family.

~I am thankful that I am almost 30 weeks pregnant and very soon we will be meeting our little one.

~I am thankful for my children and the joy they bring me every day. I am also thankful for their health!

~ I am thankful for the wonderful church that we have and the new women's bible study I am able to be a part of every Tuesday morning. What an encouragement to be surrounded by so many wonderful women all seeking to follow Christ.

~I am thankful for my parents and their willingness to help us out by watching our girls.

~I am thankful that it looks like we have finally sold our home and that we will be purchasing a new one in June.

~ I am thankful that it is finally Spring and we can enjoy the wonderful outdoors and air out our house!

For more Thankful Thursday participants, visit Grace Alone.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-29T06:30:00.001-04:00

For more Wordless Wednesday participants, visit here.

Give me Jesus

2009-04-28T07:35:00.001-04:00

A simple song that's been speaking to me lately:

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone,
When I am alone,
When I am alone,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die,
When I come to die,
When I come to die,
Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus.
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
You can have all this world,
Just give me Jesus.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-04-27T06:28:00.000-04:00

Monday
B: Raisin toast and orange juice
L: Grilled cheese
D: Tacos
Tuesday
B: Yogurt and granola
L: PB+J
D: Steak, salad, broccoli
Wednesday
B: Waffles
L: Chicken nuggets
D: Stir fry
Thursday
B: Cranberry apple muffins
L: Lunch out
D: Fish
Friday
B: Egg sandwich
L: Chicken nuggets
D: Meat loaf and salad
Saturday
B: Pancakes, fruit
L: Chicken tortillas
D: Beef Stew
Sunday
B: Apple bread, scrambled eggs
L: Leftovers
D: Chili

For more yummy meal plans, visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

A new home!

2009-04-23T06:11:00.000-04:00

On Sunday we made our final offer on the property we were hoping to purchase and it was accepted! Hooray! We are set to close on June 22nd (I'm due on July 19th!) and still have the inspections to get through and all of that. Our current home was just inspected today but we don't really expect anything to cause a glitch with that seeing that we've replaced pretty much everything that had caused a major problem over the last few years. It appears as though the current buyers on our house have secured financing so if all still goes according to plan we seem to be free and clear. Below are a few pictures of our new house that I copied from the MLS site. When we actually get moved into the house and what not I'll be posting many more, but for now here's just a peek at our new home! I'm particularly excited about my new kitchen, it's got a window above the sink!! YAY!

Wordless (almost) Wednesday

2009-04-22T06:30:00.000-04:00

(this is Emily's "goon" face, see: Little Bunny Foo Foo)

(yes, those would be my high heels Sarah is playing in)

The Worn out Woman

2009-04-21T06:52:00.000-04:00

For the month of February I completed the book, The Worn out Woman by Dr. Steve Stephens and Alice Gray. First thing I want to mention is the layout of this book. Each chapter is individual so that you don't have to read it from front to back, you can skip around and it doesn't take anything away from it's integrity. I found that very useful since there were some things I knew I was struggling with right now so I jumped ahead to read those specific chapters first. The author offers some good insight into what causes this worn out tendency in women and has some real practical suggestions on how to combat it. The main theme was that positive thinking and planning, and a right relationship with the Lord, really go a long way to peace and tranquility. This book is chalk full of inspirational/uplifting quotes, here are some of my favorite:

"I cannot give you the formula for success,
but I can give you the formula for failure....
which is : Try to please everyone."
- Herbert Bayard Swope (pg 41)

"It's never too late to be what you might have been."
- Mary Ann Evans (pg 65)

"Kind words can be
short and easy to speak,
but their echoes are truly endless."
- Mother Teresa (pg 103)

"He who cannot forgive another
breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself."
- George Herbert (pg 155)

"Worry is like a rocking chair.
It will give you something to do,
but it won't get you anywhere."
- Author Unknown (pg 167)

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardship as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right, if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. "
- Reinhold Niebuhr (pg 171)

"From now on I am going to grab the good times with both arms.
I am going to walk outside and feel the sun on my face and
learn to laugh, really laugh again.
Most of all, I'm going to take the love that comes my way
and hold on to it for dear life. Sometimes we don't need
new scenery, just new eyes."
- Dawn Miller (pg 18)

My favorite chapter is where they address adjusting your focus. If we dwell on the negative, we become negative, which leads us down the road to the worn out syndrome. Here are the strategies they list to combat negative thinking:

~Filter your input. What we watch on TV, read on the Internet, listen to on the radio affect the way that we think and feel
~Feel your feelings, but don't depend on them. Feelings are important, but often inaccurate.
~ Put away negative thoughts. Stop dwelling on those thoughts that pop into our heads.
~Meditate on truth and beauty. Memorize positive scripture.
~Limit your complaining. Continually talking about the negatives just reinforces them in your head.
~Cultivate positive friends. Beware of the tendency to feed your misery by spending too much time with miserable people.

It's so easy as a mom of little ones to get worn out because this job requires a lot of sacrifices and very little thanks at times. I found this book to be tremendously encouraging. We definitely hold the key within ourselves (and with the Lord's help) to break out of the worn out cycle. A recommended read indeed.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-04-20T06:49:00.000-04:00

I made it through the week last week just using up what was in our pantry and fridge. I'm going to challenge myself to get through one more week with just heading out to the store for some bare essentials. Here's what our menu looks like for this week:

Monday
B: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
L: Macaroni and cheese/veggie
D: Ham and cheese pie
Tuesday
B: Waffles and apple slices
L: PB+J w/veggie
D: Flat bread snadwiches
Wednesday
B: Yogurt and granola
L: Sandwiches
D: Burgers and sweet potato fries
Thursday
B: Egg sandwiches
L: Chicken nuggets
D: Homemade macaroni and cheese
Friday
B: Oatmeal and fruit
L: Grilled cheese
D: Italian chicken in the crockpot
Saturday
B: Eggs and Ham
L: leftovers
D: Hot dogs and red potatoes
Sunday
B: Cereal
L: leftovers
D: Freezer meal

For more yummy meal plans, visit www.orgjunkie.com

Encouragement

2009-04-18T12:28:00.002-04:00

I was really encouraged by this post this morning so I thought I would pass it along:

Sober-Minded Women from A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Happy Saturday everyone!

2009-04-16T09:50:00.007-04:00

This past Friday Stew had off from work so we all headed up to the Roger Williams Park Zoo. It was a beautiful day and was such a fun time with the girls. It was nice to relax and have a family day. Here are some photos from our trip:

Sarah's highlights from the zoo were things like wooden displays and climbing stairs.

The girls even got to pet a sheep this visit. It was pretty neat to watch. Good thing their daddy isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

Our all time favorite thing about this zoo: a little enclosure that has a bird that will peck at your fingers when you tap on the glass. Definitely the highlight for our four year old!

Overwhelmed

2009-04-13T20:45:00.001-04:00

Jesus......I am overwhelmed

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
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.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-04-13T06:04:00.000-04:00

I went a little crazy on grocery deals over the last two weeks, so this week I am challenging myself to living off the leftovers in our pantry, fridge, and freezer. I'll be heading out today to get milk, but that's it for the week. I have quite a bit stocked up, so I may even be able to stretch this to another week. We'll see!

Monday
B: Granola w/oranges
L: Chicken Nuggets
D: Left over ham dinner from Easter Sunday
Tuesday
B: Cereal
L: PB+J w/green beans
D: Honey chicken w/rice in the crockpot
Wednesday
B: Waffles
L: Ground beef, rice and gravy
D: Homemade macaroni and cheese
Thursday
B: Oatmeal
L: Grilled cheese
D: Parmesan chicken with veggies
Friday
B: Muffins
L: Ham steaks and veggies
D: Pizza
Saturday
B: Sausage and eggs
L: TBD
D: Hot dogs and sweet potato fries
Sunday
B: Ham steaks and biscuits
L: Left overs
D: Chili

Desserts: Jello jigglers and the left over easter candy

For more menu ideas, visit www.orgjunkie.com.

2009-04-11T13:49:00.004-04:00

On March 31st I got to visit Emily's preschool for the morning because they had a special birthday celebration for her and her friend Vienna. Emily's birthday was on the 15th of March and Vienna's was on the 30th. It was sweet to have them share the special celebration together because they've been friends since they were both about 8 months old. Anyway, they both got a little star necklace and a certificate with a birthday pencil attached to it. For snack time they had their little celebration which included bananas, teddy grahams and frozen yogurt. It was such a wonderful morning. I was so thrilled to be able to see what she does throughout the day. I only wish they had a two way mirror so I could watch her every day all day... although that probably wouldn't be healthy would it?? She was just so lovely. She obeyed so well and followed the rules of the school to a tee. It was also nice to see her engage other children to play (something that had always been a struggle with her until now). We are just so blessed to have her as our firstborn. Some days sure can seem like a struggle at home, butting heads on obedience and what not. But the main thing I took away from this visit was that even on days when it seems like we're battling at home, out in the world, when it really counts for her to be able to apply the lessons that we've been teaching her, she gets it, she really does. She was lovely. Anyway, here are some photos from that day:

Easter celebration

2009-04-10T15:40:00.007-04:00

Last Saturday we did our 'Easter' celebration. We try to do the easter bunny, gifts, colored eggs and such the weekend before the holiday so that we can just focus on the Lord and family when the actually holiday rolls around. The girls each got to open a little gift from mom and dad, and also had a gift from my Nana. She sent the girls the little bunny baskets you'll see in the pictures below. My mother in law as well always sends the girls some Easter goodies which they LOVE to receive. This year Em got a really neat plant kit which we can't wait to try out. Anyway, so back to the Easter activities. Each year my parents do a jelly bean hunt at their house so we began over there in the morning after opening gifts. This year was Sarah Joy's first year participating and she did much better than expected. We thought for sure she wouldn't really get into it and just want to eat the jelly beans. Fortunately she didn't discover until after the fun was over that the beans were actually edible. It definitely made for some cute moments as the girls both searched over the living room for hidden jelly beans. Check it out:

After the hunt was over we headed over to our house so that the men could work on our broken washer (so nice to have a handy husband and a former Sears repair man for a father!). While they replaced the clutch (apparently you need to balance the opposite side of the washer when washing a large rug, oops), anyway, so while they did the repair my mom, the girls and I decorated Easter eggs.

We finished off the day by eating some homemade pizza and these lovely bunny cupcakes that grandma and grandpa made. Yum!

And now, a video for you to enjoy. Sarah's new obsession with transfering objects from one bin to the other:

I love this man

2009-04-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

* Playing ponnies and letting his two girls brush his hair, what a lucky woman I am

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-04-06T13:43:00.003-04:00

Monday
B: Yougurt and granola
L: Chicken nuggets and mixed veggies
D: Sweet potatoes and turkey soup
Tuesday
B: Hard-boiled eggs, sausage
L: PB+J, oranges
D: Chicken fettucini alfredo, salad
Wednesday
B: Brocolli/sausage breakfast bake
L: Grilled cheese, veggie
D: Burgers, potato fries, salad
Thursday
B: Berries, yogurt, oatmeal
L: Hot dogs, veggie
D: Homemade macaroni and cheese, salad
Friday
B: Hot cross buns
L: Out to eat
D: Roast, carrots, potatoes
Saturday
B: Cereal
L: Leftovers
D: Leftovers
Sunday
B: Donuts, coffee, pastries, juice
L: Leftovers
D: Ham dinner

For more menu ideas, visit www.orgjunkie.com.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-03-30T09:05:00.001-04:00

Monday~ Chicken a la king (substituted with cooked turkey)

Tuesday~ Salad, homemade mozzarella sticks, parmesan chicken

Wednesday~ Meat loaf, salad, applesauce

Thursday~ Chicken fettucini alfredo, brocolli

Friday~ Meatball subs, veggies

Saturday~ Hot dogs, hamburgers, potatoes, cole slaw

Sunday~ Left overs

Breakfasts: granola, yogurt, waffles, oatmeal and grapes, cereal

Lunches: sandwiches, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, left overs

Dessert: jello pudding

For more yummy meals plans, visit www.orgjunkie.com.

I'm back

2009-03-27T14:18:00.002-04:00

Hooray, the computer is fixed. We're back up and running and we managed to save all of our important files/pictures in the process. Thank goodness. Now we just have to start loading things back onto the computer a day at a time. It's so nice to have Internet access again! I didn't miss it as much as I thought I would, but man, google sure is a life saver! AND I don't know what I would have done if I had missed out on coupon hunting for more than a week. Did you know that last week at Walgreen's I got $31.00 worth of merchandise for FREE! I even got twelve cents in overage. It was so invigorating! I'm loving finding new ways to save money here and there. Anyway, I'll have more to chat about next week, just wanted to check in and let you all know that our computer is fixed. Have a great weekend everyone!

Un.be.lievable

2009-03-24T14:31:00.003-04:00

So, I've got the computer back for one day today before they go ahead and re-install the operating system to see if that clears things up. What that means is that we have to back up anything important that we want saved so that the re-boot doesn't wipe it all out. Ugh. With the computer moving slower than SLOW we have a loooooong night ahead of us.

In other news, we went out house shopping again on Saturday and found the. perfect. home. Came home, prepared to place a bid on it, and then our realtor called. Have you guessed what happened yet? Yup, that's right, the bid fell through.......again. The woman who placed the bid was pre-approved, but something happened from two weeks ago 'til now which caused her credit to drop and now she is being denied the loan. Seriously. What is going on.

Oh well. It's disappointing, but we still have a roof over our heads and we are content. So, the search for a buyer continues......

See you all in about a week!

Sigh

2009-03-20T08:19:00.001-04:00

Our computer is on the fritz again so I'll be on a break for hopefully no longer than a week until we get the computer repaired. :-( So frustrating, but oh well. See you guys soon.....

AFV finalist?

2009-03-18T19:37:00.004-04:00

Look what our toddler just figured out. Oh dear.

And to boot, I caught her first fall off the ottoman on video.....

*just in case you are wondering, she is fine, no bumps or bruises, she was back up and at it about 30 seconds after the tumble

~Also, I did quite a few posts to catch up today so make sure you scroll down if you want to see news on our house, Emily's birthday photos and our fun on St.Patrick's Day~

St.Patrick's Day

2009-03-18T18:41:00.006-04:00

This year is the first year that we've really 'celebrated' St.Patrick's Day. I made the traditional corned beef and cabbage for the first time as you can see below. It turned out pretty well!

I also decided to make Irish Soda Bread, thanks to the recipe from my mom (see pict. below).

For dessert I served apple crisp with ice cream.

And Stew enjoyed a treat of authentic Irish Whiskey in the evening.

During the day the girls and I made four leaf clovers out of green construction paper and decorated them.

We decorated the house with the clovers, set the table with green place mats and put on some green clothing.

And to end this post, I figured you all would get a kick out of Sarah mixing blue and yellow paint for the first time......and turning into a leprechaun. See video below.

Sold, Again!

2009-03-18T13:02:00.004-04:00

Last night we recieved a bid on our house and this morning we accepted. It was more money than the last offer (that fell through) on the house so we are pretty pleased with how things have worked out! Our closing date is May 21st, so now our house hunt will have to begin again. I suppose that after this weekend we'll probably make our final decision and put a bid in on a home, more news to come.......

Emily's 4th birthday!

2009-03-18T12:09:00.000-04:00

On Sunday Emily turned four years old! The day started with her waking up to her birthday decorations. She's never really had a preference on anything to do with her birthday, but this year she specifically asked for streamers so I set those up the night before. Below is her reaction upon seeing the streamers. Stew stood outside her door for 20 minutes waiting to get this shot. Now that's a father devoted to his children, he's the best.

Isn't her hair wild! I love it!

Next we enjoyed some scrambled eggs and cinnamon buns (upon Emily's request) and headed off to church. After church we took Emily to a concert at the Coast Guard Academy. I found out a few months ago that they offer free concerts once a month and this month it just happened to fall right on Em's birthday. How perfect! For those of you who know Emily, she LOVES music, especially classical, just like her daddy. She was so excited to see all the instruments and bopped around to most of the songs (they were playing Marches, how clever).

Next it was time for her birthday party. Emily asked for a cupcake party this year so that's what we did. My mom bought me that Wilton's cupcake stand seen below and I used spray can frosting for the decoration.

We also served pizza and salad for dinner.

Here are the kids at play before we served dinner.

After dinner we played pin the cherry on the cupcake.

Then we opened presents! I love Emily's reaction in the bottom photo. We bought her a new collar for her stuffed animal puppy (it had recently broke). She looked up at me and said 'Wow! I always wanted a pink one with sparkly diamonds on it!'.

I just love the moment that is captured in this photo.

(Thanks for taking these shots with my camera Bethany!)

Next it was on to singing Happy Birthday and eating cupcakes.

It was a fantastic day, Emily had a lot of fun!

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-03-17T08:33:00.004-04:00

Monday~ Hot dogs, potato fries and brocolli with cheese

Tuesday~ Corned beef and cabage with carrots, potatoes and irish soda bread (see below)

Wednesday~ Chicken terriyaki with rice and carrots

Thursday~ Shepherd's pie

Friday~ Steak, cole slaw and veggie

Saturday~ Turkey dinner

Sunday~ Mom's birthday dinner

For more yummy meal plans, visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup plus 1 tsp all-purpose flour, separated
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup golden raisins
4 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions
~Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325ºF.
~Whisk the buttermilk and oil in a medium bowl; set aside.
~Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole-wheat flour, raisins, caraway seeds, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk mixture with a wooden spoon until thoroughly moistened.
~Dust a clean, dry work surface with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour. Turn the dough out onto work surface and knead for 30 seconds, just until it coheres. Shape into a round loaf about 6 inches in diameter and 1 inch high. Use a sharp knife or a new razor blade to cut an "x" about 1/2 inch deep in the top of the loaf.
~Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, place the loaf on it, and bake until lightly browned and crusty, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Modest Fashion Week

2009-03-10T13:05:00.003-04:00

I'm a day late getting this up, but if you're interested in some great tips on dressing modestly make sure to visit Joy's blog this week. She's posted some great links to some modesty boutiques, some of which are offering a discount by using a coupon code from Joy's blog. She is also hosting a huge giveaway which includes some gift certificates to some of those boutiques. I've already hopped over and checked out what the stores have to offer and there are definitely some adorable skirts and tanks that would look great this spring (well I guess for me they will have to wait until next spring due to my growing belly and all).

On hold

2009-03-09T20:02:00.000-04:00

We just got word from our realtor this morning that apparently the people who bid on our house are having some financing issues on their end. He's listed our house as active again, although there still is a chance that these people could get their act together in the next month or so. Anyway, there's the short of it. So I guess we're just sitting tight and waiting to see what happens next.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-03-09T19:49:00.002-04:00

Monday~ Baked chicken thighs with roasted potatoes and green beans

Tuesday~ Lasagna w/veggie and bread (making triple batch and freezing two)

Wednesday~ Rice and spinach casserole (making triple batch and freezing two)

Thursday~ Chili

Friday~ Chicken teryaki w/rice and broccoli

Saturday~ Steaks, carrots and potatoes

Sunday~ Pizza and a cupcake party to celebrate Emily's 4th birthday!

Breakfasts: Cereal, granola and yogurt, waffles, banana bread, and chocolate chip muffins.

Lunches: Tuna, mac and cheese, left overs, chicken nuggets and chili/corn bread muffins.

For more yummy meal plans, visit www.orgjunkie.com.

Big news!

2009-03-05T10:13:00.006-05:00

We sold our house! Yay! Our home had only been on the market for just over 30 days, we certainly were not expecting things to move this fast. SO, now the big question is where on earth are we moving to!? We have not even begun our search for a new home and have to be out of this house by the end of April!! Talk about stress!! We do have a few houses lined up to view this weekend and some are unoccupied, which would mean we could get in there quick, so we'll see how it goes. Our prayer is that the Lord will just give us clear direction in choosing this next home. It's a big step, but we are so excited to open up this next chapter in our lives!

Emily the artist

2009-03-05T09:51:00.003-05:00

We're back up and running. I'm not sure what happened with blogger last week, but whatever it was is fixed now. SO, I can finally upload the long awaited pictures of my little artist. Most of you know the story by now, but for those of you who haven't heard, here's the short of it. Last week during nap time I went in to check in on Emily and found a black crayola marker mess all over her room. Check it out:

And there you have it! I suppose this is what happens when you allow your preschooler free reign during nap time with all of her art supplies. Lesson learned. lol

Computer issues

2009-03-03T19:33:00.000-05:00

Hi all. Just a quick note to let you know we are having some blogger/computer issues. I can't seem to upload any photos or links or pretty much edit anything. All blogger is allowing me to do right now is type and post. SO, when we figure out what is going on, I'll be back up and running. Hopefully soon....

Emily

2009-02-25T08:26:00.000-05:00

"Mommy, when I'm an adult and I'm up in heaven.......

when I run out of wine,

I'll just go up to Jesus and he will perform a miracle." ~Emily

The BIG reveal

2009-02-23T14:05:00.005-05:00

When Stew came home today, this package was awaiting him (passed off as a late anniversary gift from a relative, but it was really from me):

Underneath the first layer of wrapping paper was this verse:

Underneath the verse and the next layer of wrapping paper was this:

And in that ultrasound photo at the top left was THIS:

WOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!! That's our BOY!!!!

It's a BOY, it's a BOY, it's a BOY!!!!!

Look at how precious our son is!!!! Every time he moved around during the ultrasound I could see his little package flopping around, it was so cute! I can hardly believe it, we are SO excited and I am so proud!! Does it make me psychotic that I'm a bit obsessed right now with my son's little package!?!?!? He's gonna resent me later for that isn't he?

Switching gears: the baby is also 100% healthy. Praise the Lord! Everything measured correctly, the heart looks great, he was even sucking on his little fingers during the ultrasound. I am absolutely overwhelmed today. I can't seem to wrap my head around

the goodness of our Lord. I am such a sinner, I have done nothing to deserve any of the blessing he has sent my way, yet he has still seen fit to give us the desires of our hearts. I am beyond excited for my husband who has desired a son from the start of our pregnancy journeys. For those of you who know the details of his father's passing back in 2002 you also understand how much this means to him and his family. I am overwhelmed, humbled and so grateful.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-02-23T06:01:00.000-05:00

Monday~ Crockpot roast with carrots and potatoes (didn't get to this yesterday)

Tuesday~ Pork chops with cole slaw and applesauce

Wednesday~ Shepherd's Pie

Thursday~ Chicken Terriyaki with rice and mixed veggies

Friday~ TBD

Saturday~ TBD

Sunday~ Ground beef, rice and beef gravy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Breakfasts: smoothies, banana muffins, oatmeal breakfast cookies, scrambled eggs, cereal

Lunches: cold cuts, tuna, macaroni and cheese, left overs, grilled cheese

Desserts: Apple crisp, jello jigglers

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

For more yummy meal plans, visit www.orglunkie.com.

Book Review

2009-02-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

One of my goals for this year is to read one book every month. I decided that along with that I would include a book review here after I have finished the book. So, I just got through with You Can be the Wife of a Happy Husband by Darien B. Cooper. I definitely learned a lot from this book, it's got some real practical advice on how to be a better help mate for your husband. It also has some helpful tips on what attitudes and behaviors to avoid such as disloyalty, selfishness, jealousy and bossiness.

My favorite chapter was definitely chapter 9 where she discusses Timeless Beauty.

In it she states:
"The source of your incorruptible beauty, is the spiritual condition of the heart."

See Psalms 23:7, Matthew 12:34

She also talks about traps that mar your beauty such as anger, fear and depression.

"No kinds of makeup will cover the self-consciousness, doubts and fears reflected on your face."

It became obvious in reading this book that the key to a successful marriage and the key to being beautiful on the inside and out is first having a right relationship with the Lord.

Another quote I really loved:

"Do not let your joy depend on circumstances,

but on your relationship and fellowship with God.

Reacting to conditions around you

produces and unstable existence."

So many times I have fallen into that trap of letting circumstances steal my joy and my countenance has fallen. What a great reminder that we need to have our eyes fixed on Jesus and allow doing His will to be our joy.

All in all, this book is definitely one of the best I have read. It provides a good basis for understanding your role as a help mate, and offers some key tips on how to be the wife of a happy husband. :-)

A small word of caution. The one thing I did not like about this book was that Darien talks a lot about women who came up to her afterwards and figured out that it was their lack of ____ (whatever she was discussing in the chapter) that caused their marriage to falter, or their husband to leave, etc. While I think it is important for us wives to understand we have an important role to play and also understand that what we do certainly can impact our marriages. I think it's important to also note, that those women did not single handedly destroy their marriage because they screwed up in one area. It's takes two, and the husband is the head and he is to answer to the Lord.

And there you have it. I'm about 40 pages from the end of The Worn out Woman so that review should be coming soon.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-02-15T20:05:00.006-05:00

Monday~ Soft tacos

Tuesday~ Chicken nuggets, homemade macaroni and cheese, green beans

Wednesday~ Roasted chicken breast, roasted carrots/red potatoes

Thursday~ Pasta, homemade meat sauce, salad

Friday~ Fish, rice and salad

Saturday~ Ciro's flat bread sandwiches

Sunday~ Roast with veggies

Breakfasts: Granola, Egg bake, oatmeal, cereal
Lunches: Tuna, sandwiches, chef-salad, left overs, soup
Desserts: Sugar cookies, jello jigglers

*For more yummy meal plans, visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

5 years!

2009-02-12T14:31:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, Stewart and I will be celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary! I seriously can not believe how quickly the time has passed. When I think back on the past five years there are plenty of things that I can remember marking our years together. Some very pleasant things have taken place and some not so fun things we have had to endure. Each moutain or valley we have been through has shaped who we are today and who we are together. At just 5 years I know we still have a lot to learn and we cetainly pray that we have many more years together. It is nice to reflect back and to begin to see how our story is coming together. What a wonderful journey marriage is. Some of the things that we thought would break us have just made us stronger. What a tremendous blessing it is to be in this marriage with you Stewart. I love how we can still talk and talk for hours, how you still find that perfect song for me and will take me by the hand and dance even in the midst of chaos. I love that no matter what you are committed to me and our family and I love your drive to continualy improve on anything in our marriage that needs tweaking. I love the man I first met back in 2002 and I love the man that you have become today. When I think of the years ahead, this song below always comes to mind. One of the greatests loves I ever had the priveledge of witnessing was that of my Poppee and Grammee. I know that we're still young and we still have a lot of life to live, but I feel so blessed to have that special love that they shared right now between you and I in our own home. Thanks for loving me like my grandfather loved my grandmother, I look forward to growing old with you by my side. Love you babe.

"Remember when I was young so were you
time stood still love was all we knew
You were the first, so was I
made love and then you cried
Remember when
Remember when we vowed the vows walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when

Remember when old ones died new were born
life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
broke each other's hearts
Remember when

Remember when the sound of little feet was the music
We danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we'd never give it up
Remember when

Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookin' back, it's just a steppin' stone
To where we are, where we've been
Said we'd do it all again
Remember when

Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won't be sad, we'll be glad
For all the life we've had
And we'll remember when

Remember when
Remember when"

Sisters

2009-02-12T13:50:00.001-05:00

2009-02-09T19:57:00.003-05:00

Today I came across a story of a little girl, just 10 months old, who went home to be with the Lord yesterday. Just three weeks ago the family had no idea she had cancer, and now she is home in Heaven. To read more about baby Cora, visit here.

There are so many nights. So many. Where I just can not wait until bed time. Can not wait for a little peace and quite. To do some 'mommy' things, clean up my wrecked house, read a book, spend time with my husband, etc. So many nights I speed up bedtime, hanging on by a thread, so worn out by the day just ready to flop in front of the TV or the computer and veg for a little while.

But not tonight.

Both girls are sleeping, I actually have time to be alone, and I don't want it.

I just want to hold them. Rock them. Cover them with love and kisses. They are so precious. I am so lucky.

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-02-08T19:15:00.006-05:00

Monday~ Bacon-tomato bagel melts and veggie

Tuesday~ Salmon with spaghetti and veggie

Wednesday~ Pork chops, applesauce, and homefries

Thursday~ Burgers, salad and veggie

Friday~ Dinner out with hubby. Feb 14th (tomorrow) is our 5 year anniversary and we will be celebrating tonight by going out to dinner at the same restaurant where we had our rehearsal dinner!

Saturday~ Left over pizza

Sunday~ Roast in crockpot with potatoes and carrots

Desserts: Valentine's Day sugar cookies

For more yummy meals, visit http://www.orgjunkie.com/.

Time to guess

2009-02-06T17:28:00.002-05:00

Alright everyone, the big date is set and it's just about two weeks away before we find out the gender of this little one! So, using the link just to the right of this post, enter a guess for the gender, weight, length, and birth date. The person who guesses the closest will win a $10 Borders gift card! I was going to give away one of my favorite books, but then I decided a gift card would be best to let the winner choose their own literature since we have people guessing from all walks of life. Anyway, so that's that. I'm keeping the actual date of the ultrasound a secret, hoping to surprise my husband and family. However, I will tell you that it will be no later than February the 27th, so keep checking in!

Resolutions

2009-02-04T10:41:00.004-05:00

OK. So, normally I am not big on setting New Year's resolutions but I have been convicted in so many ways this past year that I really felt now would be the time to right down some goals that I am working on and need to work on. We also have our third baby on the way and I am in desperate need to get organized!

~ Wake before my children, get showered and dressed

~ Eat healthy foods, not so much processed or things with added sugars

~ To schedule a time once a month to get out alone

~ Schedule a time to get out once a month alone with Stew

~ Plan dates with my eldest daughter Emily twice a month

~ Plan at least one activity to do with my children once a week

~ Go to the library with the kids once a month

~ Read a new book every month

~ Practice the flute and piano at least once a week

~ Take the kids outside three times a week

~ Commit to Thursday prayer at our church

~ Take care of my hands/nails

~ Wash my make up off every night (I have a bad habit of going to bed with it still on and I don't think it's doing anything good for my face)

~ File paperwork once a month

~ Sort each room once a month (keep, sell, giveaway)

~ Keep up with my hair appointments every 6-8 weeks (I've had a bad habit of not taking the time fore myself and letting my hair slide)

~ Go shopping twice a month, even if it's just to browse

~ Update photos and send them to the grandmas on the 30th of every month

~ Update birthdays and purchase cards for the whole year and send them out on time

~ Put a reminder on our calendar two weeks before each holiday so that I will remember to send out cards/gifts to relatives

~ Read through the old testament

~ Exercise three times a week

~ Switch to Welch's juice and only allow the children to have once glass a day

~ Manage e-mails only at nap time or first thing in the morning

~ Memorize scripture with the girls

~ Schedule time to work on my projects once a week

Sarah's obsession

2009-02-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah has been a little obsessed with sunglasses lately (and of course we have about 6 different pairs all over the house). She'll grab them out of Emily's room or off of the counter and parade around the house. She's really beginning to show her personality which has been so fun to watch develop. She's so spunky, just her facial expressions sometimes are so hilarious. What a little joy she is, 14 months old today!

Below is another video of her spunkiness. Earlier in the day she had been pushing the stroller around the normal way, but as soon as she discovered she could pick it up and carry it around, there was no turning back. So now, this is the norm. :-)

Weekly Meal Plan

2009-02-02T10:40:00.001-05:00

Monday~ Left overs from Superbowl party

Tuesday~ Chili and loaded potatoes

Wednesday~ Chicken Parmesan with salad

Thursday~ Dinner at mom and dad's

Friday~ Hearty meat sauce with spaghetti and salad

Saturday~ Fish with rice and vegetables

Sunday~ Chicken casserole with sweet potatoes

Desserts: Chex Mix Muddy Buddies and Ice cream

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.

Also, if you are looking for a refreshing series on how to balance your time between your children and home, visit The Stay at Home Missionary. Joy is also offering a giveaway until the 6th, a CD, Twenty Four Hours is All You Get by Susan Bradrick. Head on over and leave a comment to enter.

Quote of the day

2009-01-29T13:59:00.004-05:00

'Daddy, the plane turned into a boat,' - 4 year old girl after her

plane crash landed into the Hudson River last week

Fed up with cold season

2009-01-29T13:23:00.004-05:00

Warning. I'm about to get on a soap box people.

Seriously. Keep your children home if they are sick. Keep your children home until every last symptom has disappeared. We've been fighting cold after cold this winter and I have numerous friends who have battled the flu more than once this year. And where does it start? With just one person who is too inconvenienced to keep their child home when they are sick. And you know what is worse. Being one of the good parents! Actually keeping your child home while they get rid of every last symptom, watching them miss all their regular activities, school time, play dates, church time, etc. And THEN bringing them back to school/church/whatever only to have them get sick AGAIN because someone out there is too inconsiderate to keep their sick child home! And you know what else? Children react differently to the same cold strand. Just because your child has just a 'minor cold', doesn't mean that my child will only get a 'minor' cold.

Darcy has a good post about this here, thanks Kathy for posting that link!

Here are some steps you can take to reduce your and your family's chances of becoming infected with a virus that causes colds: (you can find the whole article here)

~Wash your hands often. This is probably the single best measure to prevent transmission of colds. Especially after shopping, going to the gym, or spending time in public places, hand washing is critical. Frequent hand washing can destroy viruses that you have acquired from touching surfaces used by other people. You can also carry a small tube of hand sanitizer or sanitizing hand wipes when visiting public places. Teach your children the importance of hand washing too.
~Avoid touching your face, especially the nose, mouth, and eye areas, if you are around someone with a cold or have been touching surfaces in a public area.
~Don't smoke. Cigarette smoke can irritate the airways and increase susceptibility to colds and other infections. Even exposure to passive smoke can make you (or your children) more vulnerable to colds.
~Use disposable items if someone in your family is infected. Disposable cups can be thrown away after each use and prevent accidental spread of the virus from sharing of cups or glasses. This is particularly important if you have young children who may try to drink from others' cups.
~Keep household surfaces clean. Door knobs, drawer pulls, keyboards, light switches, telephones, remote controls, countertops, and sinks can all harbor viruses for hours after their use by an infected person. Wipe these surfaces frequently with soap and water or a disinfectant solution.
~If your child has a cold, wash his or her toys as well when you are cleaning household surfaces and commonly-used items.
~Use paper towels in the kitchen and bathroom for hand washing. Germs can live for several hours on cloth towels. Alternatively, have separate towels for each family member and provide a clean one for guests.
~Throw tissues away after use. Used tissues are sources of virus that can contaminate any surface where they are left.
~Maintain a healthy lifestyle. While there isn't direct evidence to show that eating well or exercising can prevent colds, maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, with adequate sleep, good nutrition and physical exercise can help ensure that your immune system is in good condition and ready to fight infection if it occurs.
~Control stress. Studies have shown that people experiencing emotional stress have weakened immune systems and are more likely to catch a cold than their calmer counterparts.

Ok, I'm done with my rant.

Looking ahead in 2009

2009-01-22T14:11:00.004-05:00

Wow! I can hardly believe that another year has flown by. It seems like just yesterday Sarah was a newborn and now we have a third little blessing on the way! I remember when we were planning on Sarah's arrival I felt so unprepared. I had heard that the transition from one child to two was the hardest and I certainly did not feel organized enough to keep up with two children. So I took some steps like stocking the refrigerator and trying to get our home on a nice schedule. And for a while it worked. But now after all of the holiday hoopla, sickness filled mornings and the exhaustion I've dealt with over the last few months, I'm feeling rather overwhelmed again. So I took some time to look back on the past year and evaluate how I did and to list some areas that I need to improve. I've come up with a list of some things I need to work on so that I can get our home up and running smoothly again before the addition of our new little one in July.

1. Discipline ~ I am not very good at setting a schedule and sticking to it. Especially in the evenings. I'm a big sucker for a good TV show and truth be told there really isn't anything out there worth watching and it's a complete waste of time, AND it pushes back my bedtime. I need to commit to my daily schedule, especially a set bedtime.

2. Priorities~ Looking back over the past year I noticed that some of my priorities were out of line. I need to make sure that the Lord comes first, then my husband, then my children, then my home, then whatever else, and then things like the Internet/facebook/blogging, etc. There were definitely days where the house went unclean but yet I spent an hour or so on the computer. Definitely not a productive use of time.

3. Organization~ I need to be better at finding a place for everything and putting everything back in it's place. I have a habit of just stashing a new item someplace rather than creating a specific place for a new item. And also, when I do have designated places for items, sometimes I neglect to put that item away once it's been used. I need to personally do better at this and also train my children to do the same.

So, here's my attack plan for number one. I'm going to just get back to basics on our schedule for a while so that I can get back into the habit of a good routine. Biggest thing I'll be working on is making sure I am in bed no later than 10PM and getting up with my alarm at 630AM to do devotions and get showered. I'm also going to take Crystal's advice over at Biblical Womanhood and do my least favorite chore first thing in the morning so that it's out of the way. I'm going to continue to blog about my progress. I have a lot of inner organizing to do and a lot of planning (including meal planning) to do to get ready for baby number three. We've also just put our house up for sale so there will be that adding to the chaos!

Baby # 3 guessing game

2009-01-18T20:34:00.004-05:00

It's that time again! Time for the baby guessing game. Located in the upper right hand corner courtesy of Expectnet.com you will see a link to the guessing game for our newest addition due to arrive on July 20th. You can guess the gender, weight, length and due date of our expected little one. You'll only have 6 more weeks to guess on gender before we find out! I haven't decided what yet, but there will be a prize for the person who guesses the closest to all the information. Happy guessing!

Our Christmas present!

2009-01-08T12:58:00.003-05:00

Surprise! Today we had our 12 week appointment and everything is looking great so we decided to share the news with everyone! We are 12 weeks 4 days along and due on July 20th. We are SO looking forward to meeting our third little one!

Emily's Christmas program (practice)

2008-12-20T10:31:00.012-05:00

On Tuesday we will be traveling to Michigan to visit hubby's family in Luzerne and Brethren. And Tuesday is also the date of Emily's preschool Christmas program. SO, the director was nice enough to let us (my mother and I) come to their practice on Thursday so that we could see her perform. Mrs.Kerwin, the director, read the story of Jesus' birth while the children answered some questions. Then the children did some songs and finger plays for us. It was so cute and I am so thankful for the opportunity to go watch her. Emily was a little out of hand, she normally keeps her body in control pretty good, but I think since just me and my mother were in the audience she decided to ham it up. It was funny, but I think it left the teachers stunned because she's normally so calm at school! Anyway, here are some pictures from the program and some video. Enjoy!

Before this song (above) started Emily spoke up and "told" Mrs. Kerwin that she needed to do it "this way this time" (holding out her pinky and cupping it into her hand).

Haha. That was the second time during the program where Emily "corrected" one of the children sitting next to her. There is an old video of me correcting our entire ballet class on when to go on stage. I present to you my mini me.

Singing and baking

2008-12-19T11:53:00.001-05:00

Last year we built our gingerbread house from scratch, SO this year I decided to buy the kit. For $8.99 it was TOTALLY worth it! When my kids are older maybe we'll try baking from scratch again, but for now, this was is the BEST. Can you tell how I excited I am about it?

Voila! Is it not beautiful?

Here is a picture from our church cantata. This is Emily dressed up in front of our Christmas tree before we left that night. Below is a video of her singing a.k.a dancing. She was SO cute, unfortunately the video just doesn't capture the whole thing. At the very end Emily finally located us in the audience and says "Mrs. Pam! I see my mommy!". I guess Pam had asked the kids to make sure they found their moms out in the audience so that they could go sit with them when they were done singing. It's no surprise then why Emily was so excited to tell Mrs. Pam that she had found us. She's so precious.

1 Corinthians 13 - Christmas edition

2008-12-18T14:05:00.001-05:00

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family. I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, through harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust... but giving the gift of love will endure.

~Author Unknown~

I've seen this on a number of blogs out there and really loved it, so I thought I would pass it along!

Happy Birthday Sarah!

2008-12-03T12:52:00.001-05:00

**Updated: Video of Sarah eating her cake at the bottom**

Over the weekend while my Nana was still in town we had a birthday party for both Sarah and Stewart (even though his isn't until the 25th). We had pizza, cake, ice cream, presents and some games. It was a nice time to share with friends and family. We had two other couples and their children beside my parents and Nana there and we really had a nice time. The star of the show was of course Sarah when she ate her cake. She really dug in, and I had a feeling she would, which is why we undressed her before letting her go at it. Anyway, I can't believe it's been a whole year. She is so appropriately named Sarah Joy, she brings so much joy to our lives. What a true blessing it is to be a mother of two beautiful girls. Happy birthday Sarah, we love you and are so thankful for you!

Here's the main event, the eating of the cake.

And the night ended with Sarah trying to take all of John's toys out of his party bag. Luckily there were no melt downs. The kids played very well together and it was a very nice time.

Sarah's first steps

2008-12-02T10:21:00.004-05:00

Thanksgiving (part 2)

2008-12-02T09:55:00.005-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year we hosted my mom and dad and also my Nana (my dad's mom) traveled up from New Jersey to be with us. We started the day out watching the Macy's day parade as a family and then at 12:oo the relatives came over to watch the Lions/Titans game. We had some light snacks and ate dinner at four o'clock. I didn't snap as many photos as I would have liked, but here are the few that I took:

Pickled beets for Stew of course.

Here is the pumpkin pie that I made. I cut out maple leaves from some extra dough and lined the crust with them.

Here's what the turkey looked like right out of the oven.....unfortunately that's the only photo I took of any of the food I cooked, but there was lots!

Fast forward to desert time, here's Emily waiting eagerly for some cookies and pie.

Great Nana brought some knitting with her and Emily wanted to knit as well so here she is with a left over ball of yarn.

Some family shots.

And this is how the evening ended. Mom, dad, Stew and myself all played some Euchre and Nana fell asleep on the couch. We all thought the photo looked kind of funny.

Thanksgiving (part 1)

2008-12-01T12:45:00.005-05:00

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Emily took part in a Thanksgiving feast at her preschool. The children were able to choose between being a pilgrim or a native american, Emily chose to be a native american. They served turkey soup, jellied cranberry sauce, cornbread muffins, juice and pumpkin pie. It was so nice to be there and to take part in a piece of her schooling. Not to mention that I took part in this same feast at this very school with two of the same teachers when I was 4 years old! This year has already been so special. I can hardly wait for the Christmas program!!

Coming out and seeing all the parents for the first time, most of the kids looked shell shocked. I'm not sure they knew what to think!

They all came out singing a song and took their seats around the feast table.

Here is the whole 2 day class.

Emily waiting patiently for her food. She kept giving me these half smiles. I think she might have been shy at first because of all the adults standing around.

And there is a happy Sarah, she loved taking part in sister's feast. :-)

Emily trying her soup.

Eating up the cranberry, she LOVES cranberries.

Drinking her juice......getting a little bored.

There's my little native american!

Here she is lining up to go back to class. I'm not sure if she was playing with this little boy or trying to get him to turn around and face the teacher. Knowing Em, it was probably the latter.

Here's a little video from the start of the feast:

Quilts!

2008-11-25T14:03:00.004-05:00

After working on this for just about five years of marriage I have finally finished Stewart's t-shirt quilt! Hooray! Just in time for his 30th birthday next month. I did give it to him early, just because Emily saw me working on it and would have snitched on the surprise anyway (she's at that age where she needs to tell everyone everything.....it makes for some comical moments sometimes). Anyway, I finished it one weekend while Stew was at the Penn State/Michigan game. This is my first big sewing project and first quilt that I have ever made. It was a much bigger project than I thought it would be, but it's SO worth it in the end to a) admire the work of my hands and know that I made this, and b) to have gotten rid of all of Stew's old shirts from middle school/high school and college (well, I didn't get rid of them, but he's not wearing them anymore and that's what's important). :-) So, here are the pictures:

And below is a picture of Sarah's quilt that my mom just finished for her. It's hanging up in her room on the wall opposite of her crib (because I realized if I hung it over her crib she would tear it down and try to eat it). It's SO beautiful and it just ties the whole room together. My mom made an ABC quilt for Emily when she was born as well, so they both have quilts from grandma. My mom did a great job and it's so nice that they both have a special gift from grandma. The quilt is actually much more brilliant than this picture shows. For some reason the lighting was dulling the colors.

Our Beauties

2008-11-12T15:32:00.000-05:00