Childhood Memories

What's your favorite childhood memory?

If you asked me, it would depend on your definition of childhood. When I was 6 and under it was spending time with my grandpa. All my memories with him are great ones. He would take us to the corner store and buy us ice cream and bubble gum. We would visit him at his meat locker and have coffee break with him (you know, 80% milk, 10% sugar, and 10% coffee). We would ride bikes around the town square - him on his adult tricycle and me with my training wheels side-by-side. He was an artist, so we would paint pictures together (or he would make me think I was helping anyways) and watch Bob Ross. He was constantly spouting off this one poem that annoyed me to no end at the time - but I would give anything to remember the words now.

Fast forward to my high school years, my favorite memory would actually be the summer before my junior year in high school. I had the best friend a girl could dream of, we did everything together. She lived 30 miles away, but I would pick her up for Sunday night church and youth group on Wednesdays and we spent a ton of time together. We went swimming in her pond, got my car stuck in the mud on a dirt road, and stayed up all night talking about everything - including my dislike of peas. We were like two peas in a pod - only I liked it.

So all of this reminiscing has made me wonder what my children will remember when they grow up. Will they remember grandparents that would travel any distance just to spend time with them? Family camping trips? The hikes that we use to go on in Colorado? Will their favorite memory be Wednesday night youth group? Reading books together before bed? Or the times when they are free from their parents as I have heard from so many others I've talked to?

I know that I can't control their favorite memories, but I can do my best to make sure that they grow up with good memories. I'm far from the perfect mother, but one of the things I love most about my family is that we know we love each other and God. And that reminds me of a YouTube video by Voddie Baucham called "Creating A Godly Legacy" apparently in the 3 years since I last watched it it has been removed from YouTube - sad - but I was able to pull up the outline in an online search. You can download it here. And then I found the DVD and went ahead and bought it too (I love tax return time).

No Church on Sunday

What do Sunday's look like at your house? For most Christians, it consists of getting up early, eating a nice breakfast, and heading off to Sunday morning serviced. This is of course followed by a nice lunch, family fun, and then possibly evening services. While my church has yet to begin Sunday evening services, that's what our Sunday's use to look like too. That is, until Mr. Amazing got transferred to a new store. He told his boss that he wanted Sunday's off for church, but in the entire 2 1/2 months that he has been working there, he has yet to have a Sunday off.

While I am all for taking the kids to church even on days that daddy works, we have probably had every variation of the cold and flu possible during that time. Instead of leaving the sickly at home with dad or mom and the rest of the family attending, we are all stuck at home. It's been a sad time, and I am missing my church family deeply. We would have been at church this morning, but 3 of our children got immunizations on Wednesday and are now running fevers, have very runny noses and watery eyes. I was so excited mid-last week when it appeared that we were all healthy, only to have my hopes dashed by the bad reaction to their shots. (Can anyone tell me the point of getting immunizations to keep you from getting sick, if they themselves make you sick?)

So here we sit, at home again on a Sunday. Over the past several weeks I have been thinking of Church alternatives. You know, things you can do on Sunday to worship God, without attending the Church building. I know some families actually do church at home on those days. But my kids aren't old enough for that. However we do play worship music all day. Here are some options if you are ever get stuck with no church on Sunday:

Family Bible Reading- Sit down and read the Bible together. We actually do this every evening, so I haven't done this one yet, but it's always a great starting point.

Bible lesson/craft- A quick online search will pull up tons of free resources for Sunday school teachers that are easily adapted for use at home. We did tons of these when homeschooling, so we have several books and such with ideas as well.

Listen to an online sermon- Most churches have their sermons available online, so pulling up one to listen to even though you aren't in a church is easier than ever. I am not a big fan of Tele-evangelists, and it's unlikely that I would ever recommend watching a sermon on T.V., some churches even have videos of their sermons available on their website.

Watch a Christian movie- Something simple for the kids like watching a Bible story movie can help remind you and the kids that this is a day set apart for worshiping God, even if you are still at home.

Puppet shows- Put together a puppet show of one of your kid's favorite Bible stories. This is a great family activity, that helps teach Bible principles, but also gets the kids involved.

Pray together- Hopefully you do this anyway, but set apart a special time on Sunday's when your at home to pray as a family. Pray for your church family, and for anyone else that might have had to miss church that week. Pray for your pastor, worship team, and anyone else that God lays on your heart.

Those are just a few examples of ways that you can worship God on Sunday's even when you can't make it to church. Do you have any other ideas that you can share with me? I would love to hear about them!

Have a blessed Sunday.

Servant, Wife, Mother

It's funny how easily priorities get mixed up. As a mom of young kids, it's essential to take care of your children. However, I have also found, that if you put your children first in your life, life seems to get completely out of hand, and quick. It seems like every time I look around and see my life in utter chaos, it's because my priorities are mixed up. I'm either thinking about myself too much, or trying to be the perfect parent.

On day's like that, it's good to come back to my target priorities. First and foremost, I need to be a servant of Christ. If my walk with God isn't right, nothing will be. I can't be a good mother, or a good wife, or even a good person if I'm neglecting my heavenly Father.

Likewise, I can't be a good mother to my children if I'm not being a good wife to my husband. My children see the way that my husband and I interact, they see the way that we treat one another. Not only do they mimic that behavior towards each, and us, they will also mimic that behavior in their own marriages years down the road.

Next comes my children. I have no business volunteering for ministry work, if I have not taken care of my children. Someone once said that the biggest mission field you can ever serve in, is your own home. Think about it. If I raise my children to love and honor Christ, then they will go out into the world and share that with others. I can reach more people by properly raising the four of them, then I ever could on my own.

After those three things are in there proper places, then I can use what is left to serve Christ outside of my home. I can use the love that God has given me to serve my community. You might have noticed that I left myself out of that equation. I did that on purpose. The Bible says that we are to die to ourselves. Everything that I do should be for the glory of Christ. Not for myself. The best thing I can do for myself, is to grow closer to God. To give more of myself up, to live for Him.

Diligence

A while back I was reading this fabulous book that contained a quote from Mary Fish's father, that has really just stuck with me. "Are you idle, my child?" he would ask her. I must admit that I am idle much more than I wish I was. Lately, I have been learning how to be more diligent with my time. I want to take each moment captive for Christ's work. This has drastically changed the way that I live. I'm only using the computer in the evenings (if at all) each day. This has freed up my time to get more cleaning done. I have spent more time being a mom (and less time being an author/editor). My priorities were mixed up. I've got them straighter now, although I am still working on it. This has helped me learn to do everything better. I have been able to focus on the task at hand, instead of feeling torn in a million directions. I actually feel like I'm getting more done then before, just not as frequently, if that makes since.

While I don't always get to check my e-mail everyday, no one has died because they had to weight over 24 hours to hear back from me. I have also put a t.v. in my office so that if the kids need to be near me while I'm working, they can sit quietly and watch a movie (I have headphones so I can listen to something if I need to, or turn on some music to drown out the t.v. so I can concentrate).

We have started a more set routine for school. While we still don't have access to our school room, we are working on being more diligent anyway (instead of making excuses). We don't play until the school day is done, and then I make sure that I spend some time with the kids doing non-school things each day. Even if I just force myself to sit down and watch a movie with them, it makes them happy. Yesterday we rearranged the boys room, and made it easier for them to keep clean (and set consequences for if they didn't). The girls room is next, but probably not until late next week. :)

I know we still have a long way to go before I can say that my life is back in order, but for now the kids are happier, I am happier, and my house is cleaner. It's great! I love moving in the right direction!

Winter, oh how I miss thee

Here in Colorado, August is the hottest month of the year. This is when we get all of our over 100 degree days. It's so hot that the kids don't want to play outside. I don't want to clean, we just sit around and sweat :( ugh! So I have been looking ahead toward winter. Here are a few of the things that I am looking forward to:

Sweaters!
I love sweaters! I would wear them year round if it wasn't so hot!

Blankets!
I love cuddling up in a blanket to stay warm and cozy. I try to do it in the summer, but then I just end up all sweaty :(

I miss how pretty it is when it snows, and how much fun the kids have in it (although, I don't miss driving in it...)

Baking!
I miss baking. It's been far too hot in my house to risk heating it up by baking. Even just regular cooking makes it hot. So while I love baking and cooking, I haven't loved it lately. And I miss it.

Hot tea!
I miss drinking hot tea. It's just one of those things that you really can't drink during the summer as your body temperature is already too high. The kids have been missing hot chocolate too. They have asked for it twice already this month! Craziness, I tell you!

Snuggling!
I miss snuggling with Mr. Amazing and the kids. During the summer if we try to snuggle we end up sticking together, and that just takes the fun out of it!

It's hard to believe that I'm saying this, but I actually miss wearing my boots... I am a year round flip-flop girl, but I do wear boots in the winter on occasion, and I really do miss them. I looked at them in my closet the other day and thought about wearing them to church, but it was far too hot to cover up my feet, so I stuck with with sandals.

What about you? Is there anything that you miss about winter?

One time only

I mentioned last Thursday that I was hired on to do some more work from home, and I knew before I signed up that I couldn't use this blog for anything related to that. I promise that I will not fill my posts full of work from home ads, or push the products that I promote on you. However, I feel that it would be wrong to not at least fill you in on what I'm doing, and why I'm doing it. I know that there are many other moms out there just like me, that would love to be able to have another income without leaving the home, but are afraid of getting scammed. So, here is my one time only post about working from home.

I have been volunteering for Shelley Hitz for years. I started out volunteering as a prayer partner and mentor for teen girls on her website FindYourTrueBeauty.com, then I started writing and editing devotions for that site. When she started up her new website (Self-publishing-coach.com) earlier this year, she asked me to do some freelance work for her, so I did. She recently asked me to come on as the affiliate manager for that website. I spent a lot time in prayer over this decision. I spoke with my husband and analyzed our finances, and rearranged my schedule. You see, I already have a ton of things I'm doing (I'm sure you can imagine as a homeschooling mom with 4 children, that I am very busy!). I didn't want to commit to the hourly requirement that she asked of me without making sure that it was doable, and that it was what God wanted. After much prayer, God lead me to accept on the condition that I step down from one of the other websites that I have been volunteering for for 3 1/2 years. It was a hard decision to make, but it's what was right for our family. God provided the right replacement for me and really just worked every aspect of me stepping down in a way that made me (and the others involved) know it was from God.

To tell you a little about Shelley's website, she started it because she has self-published several books for her and her husbands ministry (including our devotional book), and she wanted to help others do the same thing. On her website she provides tons of free information, videos, and even free resources. However, she has also published several fabulous products to help authors succeed. The income from this website has allowed her to quit her job as a physical therapist and go into ministry full time. Her and her husband actually just bought an RV that they are planning on living in while they travel around the country for speaking engagements. For me, helping Shelley with this website is just another way to support her ministry.

So this is why I am telling you. If you would like to help support Shelley and her husband C.J., and earn money at the same time, you can check out the affiliate page at her website here.

As I said, I will not be using this blog to promote products, or working from home, but if you are interested in following me on this journey, I will be posting more about it at my other blog:

Answered prayers

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." ~Titus 2:3-5

I am so happy to be able to report that I now have a mentor! I asked the pastor's wife at my church a couple of months ago if she would be willing to help me find one, and she did! It has worked out so perfectly. The area I need help in the most is being self-controlled and busy at home, basically, homemaking. The woman that she asked to meet with me has those areas as one of the things I admire most about her, she is an amazing homemaker! I didn't specify when I asked the pastor's wife, so I know this is totally from God! Moreover, the woman that I am going to be meeting with is such a sweet woman that I will look forward to seeing. She is already a friend, not just some face from the congregation. Her wonderful daughter babysits for us, and her son is almost the same age as my oldest boy. She is a fellow homeschooling mom, and just all around wonderful!

We are hoping to meet together tomorrow morning. We actually got together last week for a play date (which is when she told me that the pastor's wife had spoken with her). We discussed what I was looking for and decided she was the perfect match. Tomorrow we will be able to discuss things in more detail. I am really looking forward to it.

I must admit I was extremely nervous when I asked for this, worried that I would be paired with someone who expected too much, or was condescending, I didn't trust God. I was secretly hoping (and praying) that it was this kind woman, while trying to remember that God's will is better than my own. But I wasn't fearlessly trusting.

I am very thankful for this opportunity. I am thankful that God worked it out so wonderfully, and I'm thankful for this wonderful woman! This is something that I have been praying for for a long time, and it is just so awesome to see this prayer, and Scripture, fulfilled.



This week I'm linking up with both Thankful Thursday at Grace Alone, and The Imperfect Housewife's Thursday's Homemaking Link-up.

Dress #2

Well, I think my sewing is getting worse instead of better... But it might just be that after 10 hours of sewing my hands are totally cramping up...

Usually once I get a pattern figured out the second time I do it, it is so much faster! Well, not today. But it wasn't my fault. I am running out of material! AAHHH! I'm going to have to go to the store and get some more. But I was able to piece together enough to finish dress #2 for the girls:

The boys thought I was making a quilt! I have decided that it really doesn't matter how shabby my sewing is. As long as I put it on adorable children no one will notice anyway!

Now I just have some mending to do and then I can put my sewing stuff away until my patterns for the kids civil war clothing shows up! :D

The Princess Dress

I am planning on sewing civil war outfits for a homeschooling endeavor next fall for the whole family this summer. I am waiting for the first of those patterns to arrive, so I thought that I would practice my sewing skills while I waited (I'm not exactly what one would classify a 'good' sewer). So today, I made the girls a dress:

They absolutely loved the many 'fittings' that I had them do. They call it their princess dress (which is code for I need to make another one so that they both have one). It turned out pretty well! I'm happy, they're happy, we're all happy :D

This dress holds a couple of firsts for me. It was the first button hole I have ever done, as well as the first time I have done a blind hem (I think that's what it's called). I'm so thankful that I got to watch my mom do the hidden hem stitch thingy at Christmas so I knew what I was doing! And I'm also thankful that my sewing machine has excellent directions for button hole sewing :) Oh the joys of automatic stitching ;)

I did get the button hole a little further over then I wanted... but considering it was my first one, I'm more than happy with it!

Domestic skills

Lately the subject of domestic skills has been lingering on my mind. It is more than evident that I am lacking in this area. It's apparent when I want to cook supper, but first I have to clean off the stove. It's apparent when I want to serve supper, but first I have to wash the dishes. It's apparent when I trip over toys or shoes trying to walk across my living room. And it's apparent at midnight when everyone else is sleeping and I'm downstairs doing the laundry so my husband has clean clothes to wear to work when he wakes up.

What am I good at? I'm great at making schedules. I am a good planner. I can schedule when chores need to be done to ensure a smoothly running home and still have time to play with the kids and get all the other stuff in that I want to do. My problem is with follow through. No matter how committed I am to sticking to a schedule and really being the domestic housewife that I want my husband to have, I lack the self-discipline. I find myself distracted in the pursuits of the moment. Thus, my home is like a city with broken down walls (Proverbs 25:28).

My biggest issue as God has been pressing this conviction deeper into my heart is that I know HOW to fix the problem. I know HOW to accomplish everything that needs to be done, and have a clean, presentable, FUNCTIONAL home. That isn't the issue. My issue is the follow through. I can plan and make commitments all I want, but they mean nothing. I have told my husband on numerous occasions that I am finally going to keep the house clean.. so many times that he no long believes me. His response has become, "You mean for the next week". That hurts, but it's true. My resolve has never lasted for more than a week. It doesn't matter what I do, I never follow through. I can make a schedule, set alarms for every hour so I switch to the next task, but I just don't! It's so frustrating that I want to scream!

I am so thankful that God has been convicting me of this, and I know that the answer lies with Him alone. I'm also grateful that He is helping me to see my faults, one at a time, and then not leaving me alone in my sin, but helping me to overcome. I know that self-control and self-discipline are things that I can't accomplish on my own. I need the help of my Savior, to save me from this habitual sin.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. ~ Titus 2:11-14

Do you struggle with self-control? What has helped you become more self-disciplined?

Confessions of a housewife wannabe

The first thing I should tell you is that I am a housewife. 
Or in more modern terms I am a full-time stay at home, work at home, homeschooling mom. 
So why couldn't I be considered a "real" housewife? 
I think it comes down to the picture that word brings into my head. When someone says they are a housewife, I instantly think of something like the Brady Bunch. A mom who puts all she is into her family and the keeping of their home, and does it perfectly. So with that picture now firmly planted in your head, the only reason that I'm not a real housewife is because I don't have a maid named Alice. I'm sure that would solve the problem...
Okay, probably not. 

All joking aside, I have to look to the Proverbs 31 woman. She is the PERFECT woman, the perfect housewife. Pondering on her character (okay, and a little bit on the Brady Bunch) here are my ten reasons I could not be considered a "real" housewife.

10 Reasons I Could Not Be Considered a "Real" Housewife

Reason #1: I am far from perfect. 

Housekeeping is not my forte.

My house is usually a mess, despite my never ending efforts to keep it clean, I don't have a maid named Alice... Even the Proverbs 31 woman had help keeping her home clean. 

Which leads me to reason #2...

Reason #2: I cook pre-made meals. 

GASP! I know, it's horrible, but true. 

I would love to cook nothing but homemade, healthy food for my family. However, as I already mentioned, my house is rarely ever clean, and that includes my kitchen. 

I mean, have you ever tried to cook a four course meal in a messy kitchen? Yeah, it doesn't work to well. It goes back to not having a maid named Alice. I need her here to clean my kitchen and cook for the family at least twice a day. I do enjoy cooking, I just have four kids that I am trying to teach and work that needs to be done, and of course a blog that needs to be written... Thus, as I write this in my messy kitchen, I am cooking a frozen pizza. So you see, I could never be a real housewife.

Thinking about food brings me to reason #3...

Reason #3: My children are always a mess. 

I have no idea how anyone can keep clean, presentable clothing on 4 small children! If I can actually get my children to keep their clothes on, they insist on either playing in the dirt or spilling food or drink all over themselves. And just the thought of them having clean faces, hands and hair brushed or pulled up makes me want to laugh (you know that laugh that turns into a cry, because it's something that you would love to happen, but know never will... yeah, that laugh. ).

Reason #4: I always picture real housewives smiling and laughing with their perfect children... 

My children aren't perfect, and I'm not always smiling at them... I love them, that isn't the issue. But faithful instruction isn't always on my tongue and my words are not always words of wisdom. I'm sure any other stay at home, work at home, homeschooling moms can understand this. And any of you who can't, don't judge me, I'm not proud of it, but it's honesty that counts, right?

Let's talk mom guilt ladies.

Reason #5: I'm not a perfect wife.

After the first four reasons, I'm sure it will come to no surprise to you that I am not a perfect wife. While my husband 100% supports me in all I do, and has confidence in me, I wouldn't say I get anything right. I often forget to do something that he asks me to do. Like watering the plants, or feeding the fish... And on occasion, I even sleep in and he has to get his own breakfast and put together his own lunch to take with him to work. He doesn't complain, but they are things that I think that a real housewife would always do (or at least assign to her maid named Alice).

Reason #6: I don't always get up before the sun comes up... 

I blame this on my children not sleeping through the night, and of course my dog who is old and insists on being let out 3 times each night... When I don't get to sleep at night, I have to sleep sometime, but of course, a real housewife would be able to function on 3 hours of sleep. Me, I need more.

Reason #7: While I know how to sew, I buy clothing, bedding, and other cloth items from the store. 

I could probably sew my own if I had time (and maybe a few formal lessons as I'm not very good). Maybe if I had a maid named Alice, I could take some classes on sewing more complex things while she cooked and cleaned and herded the children...

Reason #8: My children don't wake up and tell me how wonderfully blessed I am. 

Usually their first words in the morning are "I'm hungry". 

They don't think I'm blessed at all, they just think I'm their servant. A real housewife would have children that at least respected her, and probably listened to her as well... Maybe even cared about her feelings??? But then, that might be pushing it a little...

Reason #9: I really think that real housewives are always ready for company. 

If someone knocked on the door at 6am or 10pm, I think that real housewives would be ready to answer, fully dress, hair done, and smiling. I don't always get dressed before noon, and I'm often in my p.j.'s at 7pm with the kids. 

Not only is my house not always ready for company (see reason #1), but I'm not either. I would love company, and I would never turn anyone away, but they might find me in pajamas or clothes that are only worn for cleaning the house.

And last but not least is reason #10: I eat the bread of idleness. 

I don't always set about my tasks vigorously, and there are even times when I am just worn out and need to do nothing for a minute or 30. Of course a real housewife wouldn't need to stop and rest. Real housewives are like little energizer bunnies! They just keep going and going and going...

Thus, I could never be a "real" housewife

So it's quite obvious that I could never be a real housewife... well, at least not without a maid named Alice.

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls.

She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

~Proverbs 31:10-31

Mr. Monday

Mr. Amazing just left for work. Today was his day off, so we have been enjoying it. This morning while the boys finished up their school work, Mr. Amazing was outside working on his 4Runner. He installed fog lights and replaced one of the head lights that burnt out over the weekend. He also assigned me the task of making him a new cloth top for the summer. His hard top comes off and he loves driving without it. He has been asking me to do this for weeks, but I have been putting it off. Today I finally gave in and got to work. I obviously don't have pictures of the new one (it's still in the making), but I thought I would share a photo of last years (almost?) cloth top:

The girls LOVE riding with daddy! Well, to be fair, all the kids do, but it's so cute to see the girls in their car seats with smiles from ear to ear! Anyway, back to the subject at hand... Last year I broke my sewing machine trying to sew the top for his 4Runner. It wasn't the tops fault, more of an operator error... but that's not important. We ended up stapling a blue tarp to some tarp straps. Personally, I thought it was awesome. I loved how it let the sunlight through, but kept out all of the rain. However, the wind took it's toll on the tarp and it wouldn't have made it another year. So this year instead of using a tarp, we are using ... okay, I'm not going to tell you yet! But it's turning out pretty good. It's about half way done, and my new sewing machine is holding together great! (It came with an instruction manual, and I actually read it... no repeat mistakes!)

What kind of fun or helpful things have you done for your Mr. recently?

Appealing to the senses

Just to let you know, this is not a well thought out post. I just needed to get my thoughts out of my head and hopefully get some input or feedback from my blogging friends (if I still have any after my long absence...)



A few weeks ago I was meeting with one of the ladies from our church and she mentioned that her mother always taught her growing up that wives were suppose to make their homes appealing to all of their husbands senses. For those of you who don't know, I grew up in a single parent home. No one ever taught me how to be a good wife, so while I didn't side track our meeting to have her go into details, the comment has stuck with me. She said that it needed to appeal to his taste, his site, smell, touch, and ears.

Now I must say that the smell thing I have covered. Mr. Amazing loves candle warmers, so as long as I keep a fresh candle on most of them our home smells pretty nice. And surprisingly Mr. Amazing thinks I'm a wonderful cook, and I really do enjoy cooking and baking so I think I have the taste thing down as well. However, my talent stops there. I grew up in a messy house. I have tried every tactic in the world (okay, probably an exaggeration) to keep my home clean, but it just doesn't seem to stick. I can get it clean...but in my family of 6 it doesn't last more than a few days. I'm working on it though...

I do play music quite often in our home. Usually classical or praise and worship, however it's often drowned out by the noise that our precious children are making (whether that noise is a toy, the t.v., or with their mouths varies minute by minute). And then I really have no clue how to have our home appeal to his sense of touch???? Any thoughts, suggestions or ideas?????

I would absolutely love feed back on this. Anyone?

Lately

I have been thinking a lot lately about modesty… It all started when I read this blog by my dear friend Robin. It made me think about things I never thought about before. God has always had this way of working in me, where He doesn’t always allow me to process what He is doing, before He informs me that we have arrived at our new destination, so less than a week later I was no longer wearing pants. I can’t really explain to you 100% right now why I’m not wearing pants...as I said, God doesn’t always wait for me to catch up to Him before implementing things in my life. But I can assure you that I will be posting a lot more about modesty in the near future.

Since I am not wearing jeans, I was thinking of turning my jeans into really cool denim skirts! An idea I also got from Robins blog. However, my sewing machine isn’t working… I’m hoping I just missed something last time I cleaned it (my mom’s suggestion)? So, I am hoping to look at that sometime soon!

I have also been working on ways to try to reduce our household budget. I am looking at making our own cleaning supplies, and also trying to formulate a meal plan that will allow me to make a shopping list that will cut costs when grocery shopping, but also make my life easier both at home and at the store. However, that will take a ton of work to get it to a finished, working point…

So there you have what’s been going on around my house and in my head. Hopefully I will be back to blogging on a regular basis soon!

Bananas!

My family LOVES bananas! I just can't keep them in the house! We can buy two big bundles at the store and they will be gone in just a few days. Well, that is normally the case. My two beautiful boys are visiting their grandparents in Iowa, to compensate for this I only bought one bundle of banana's. However, they still didn't get eaten. So I have this bundle of overly ripe banana's that no one will eat!

So today I decided to find a recipe for banana bread, and use them up!! The recipe I found was for Banana Peanut Butter Bread. It sounded delicious, and more importantly I had all of the necessary ingredients on hand!So I made some Banana Peanut Butter Bread, mind you I have never made home made bread before... the batter tasted great! It looked great in the oven, and even after coming out of the oven, but the center did fall eventually... :(

Anyway, my adventure with the banana's really made me think about a few things, far to many for this one post.I love it when God does that, when He can take something as simple as an overly ripe bunch of banana's and turn it into so much more. Imagine how wonderful life would be if we would let more things be learning opportunities instead of mood changers... Just a thought to ponder, I might write about some of my own thoughts later, but for now, I will just leave you with that.

And now, I'm going to go enjoy my Banana Peanut Butter Bread!