SIMPLE BLESSINGS

Free Christmas Printables

2011-12-11T21:09:00.005-05:00

I love the creativity that is out there on the internet. This is the second year that I have found cute, free printables to put in my regular 8x10 picture frames to display during the Christmas season. Here are two I am using for sure:

The first is from Today's Creative Blog and it features a print by SissyPrint. I love that it displays that Christ was born as this is central to our Christmas celebration!

The second comes from Little Birdie Secrets created by Sister Secrets

Of course their frames are way cuter than mine but I am trying to just keep my regular frames I use all year and update them with new photos and free printables throughout the year.

Happy Printing!!

Happy 7th birthday Will!!

2011-11-01T14:24:00.005-04:00

My son Will just turned 7 this past friday. So to say that October is busy with two bday parties in two weeks would be an understatement. Yet what a great gift to be able to celebrate my two healthy children. For Will's party we decided at the last minute to have it Magic Mountain. They had this great special going if you had your party this past weekend, which of course worked out perfectly for us.

Will invited 12 boys and 7 were able to come. They had fun playing laser tag and running around in the huge play gym there. Mike helped out so much as we tried to keep track of everyone. The boys were all sweaty with red cheeks by the end of the party which in my book means they had a great time and hopefully burned off the sugar they had at the beginning of the party.

Will is so enthusiastic about life. He will talk your head off if you let him and he has a tender spirit that I think is contagious. Mike and I feel so blessed to have Will as our son and we know he will do great things.

The best birthday gift was this Sunday in church Will prayed the prayer and asked Jesus into his heart. While he as done this with Mike and I before it was so encouraging to know that when they were presented with the opportunity to do it at church he went up and told his teacher that he prayed that prayer. Thank you for this gift Lord!

Here are a few pics from his birthday

Here is Will reading the book all his classmates made for him on his birthday. They each made a page of the book and said where they would take Will on his birthday. His teacher is so awesome!

Here is Will standing on his chair at school while they listen to a special birthday song. It is the one time they are allowed to stand on their chair!

Happy 9th Birthday Abby!

2011-10-16T22:46:00.007-04:00

Abby turned nine this past friday October 14th. It hard to believe that the baby girl born 5 weeks early is now one year away from the double digits, dare I say she is approaching the "tween" age!! For her birthday she wanted a fancy dinner at home with a few girls. She wanted her dad and brother to wear suits to serve her and her friends. Then the girls slept over and enjoyed a pancake breakfast. It was fun, they laughed, got silly, played games, got silly some more and then managed to wind down and go to sleep.
Happy Birthday Abby! Mommy and Daddy love you to pieces!!

Here is the birthday girl and me before the party got started.

Here she is as her friends and family sing her happy birthday, notice her little brother Will is the blur in the background.

Our lovely waiters for the evening.

Here is how the dining room looked before the girls arrived. I brought out the fine china and all things pink!

For party favors I found these adorable zipper pouches from RKEM designs Etsy and placed a lip gloss in each. The girls also got monogramed zebra print tissues from Michaels to take home as well. It was a fun way to celebrate my special girl.

I feel truly blessed to have the family I have. Thank you Lord for creating are little family, we are truly grateful!

Love my kids!

2011-10-11T22:02:00.002-04:00

Well tonight was parent teacher conferences for Abby and Will. I am always amazed at my kids, how God is using them in their classrooms. So much focus is on academics these days and I agree it is important. However tonight the first words from each of my kids teachers was about their hearts and their character. How blessed do I feel. Now am I saying my kids are perfect, no way! Am I saying I am proud and want to give God the glory for the work in their lives, FOR SURE!!!

Both kids are right where they should be for their age and I left feeling confident in their teachers and the school they attend. Most of all I felt confident in my God and how he is shaping their character at such a young age. I am grateful for the positive feedback my kids received, I am grateful for the areas the teacher identified where they can continue to improve. How cool as a parent to witness the transformation of your children. To watch them grow into their own personalities, see them bloom where they are planted. I am excited in what God is doing in their lives and consider it a true privilege to be their mother.

I don't want to be boastful but I want my kids to know how proud of them I am. I tell them often but having it written down for them to look back on when they are older I hope will be very encouraging.

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3

All of creation!!

2011-10-02T20:48:00.005-04:00

My husband has been out of town for the past few days on a golf trip with his dad. I am so glad that he got a few days to relax and hang out with the guys. While he was gone we headed over to Glacier Ridge Park in Dublin for some observing of God's creation. We saw all sorts of bugs, frogs, turtles and my kids favorite... a wooly worm!!

What a beautiful fall day it was here in Ohio. Fall is my absolute favorite season and I am so excited for the changing of the temps and leaves. God is so good to give us so many beautiful things to look at and share with each other.

Teacher/Neighbor Christmas gifts and just a general update

2011-10-01T22:13:00.004-04:00

I love the blogging world, no where else can you find such wonderful people willing to share their creativity with those of us who simply are not gifted with it. I love having unique and personal gift ideas for people and this homemade vanilla extract idea from WhipperBerry is awesome! Check out her fabulous blog for more great ideas, I just ordered my vanilla beans tonight and can't wait for her next post that tells us all about her cute packaging!! Stay tuned for the final product!!

Speaking of gifts, both my kids have birthdays this month. I still have no idea what I am getting them yet, I usually get their Halloween costumes as part of their gift and then something small. We are not having any big parties this year, Abby might have a few girls over for a sleep over and Will might take a few friends to do laser tag. I have been so busy lately filling in at a PT clinic, doing my CAbi job and volunteering at the kids school that I am so happy my kids are totally okay without a big birthday party. Abby is loving the Third grade and has the best teacher, the Math homework is a huge step up from second grade. I don't remember having this hard of homework in third grade, all I remember is playing around the world with our multiplication facts. Will has enjoyed first grade, being gone all day from me has been a little tough on him but he is adjusting well and his teacher is so nice and patient with him. I absolutely adore our kids school.

I am so excited to be studying the book of Acts this year in BSF. I know God has many things to teach me despite this busy season. I will be sharing more about what I learn as I go.

Lots of random thoughts in this post but that is what happens when I wait a month to blog!!

School Days!

2011-08-25T21:12:00.003-04:00

Well school has finally started and I find myself with a first and third grader. It was very weird to have the whole day free today, and I can only imagine how it will feel next week after a whole week away from the kids. I know there will be some adjustment for all of us but in the end I believe it is going to be a great year. I absolutely love both the kids teachers and feel like they are both in the right class.

Abby got her hair cut last night and it looked adorable today for school, she also got two feathers put in her hair which are all the rage in our elementary school. I love that Abby loves to wear a dress on the first day and the past two years Target has really come through with some cute vintage style dresses. How you see Will is probably the most dressed up he will ever get, he loves his sport shorts and tee shirts.

I can't wait to see all that my kids will learn this year and I hope and pray that they represent their God well as they do it.

What's your mood?

2011-08-07T20:51:00.003-04:00

Abby must have been seriously adorable the day I let her not only shop at Justice but purchase blue nail polish that supposedly changes color depending on your mood. Whatever the case I let Abby give me a manicure today and I now have blue nails and so does she. Yes I am that desperate for a manicure that blue nail polish painted by an 8 year old sounded perfectly normal!

I am so glad that I have a daughter to share fun girly stuff with. I am glad that she still wants to hang out with me and enjoys spending time with me. I am glad that she seeks my feedback on her clothing(and nail polish) choices. I pray so hard for this daughter of mine, that she falls in love with her Christ, that she gets her value from him and that he is always at the center of her life.

So right now my mood is happy, content and grateful no matter the fact that my nails are still blue!

Hello blog, remember me!

2011-07-31T21:49:00.004-04:00

Wow have I neglected the blog for a while. Once summer hit we have been super, crazy, fun busy and I have had a hard time documenting it. I also got an Iphone recently and with that came the app Instagram which has been great for taking pictures and posting them directly to facebook and twitter but not so good about posting them here.

We had a great time in July at Ruggles beach as always. We feel so blessed to have such great friends and family there and the memories created are so special.

ABBY TUBING FOR THE FIRST TIME

MOM AND WILL GIVING IT A TRY

MY MEN!

I also have started a new job which has consumed a lot of my time. I am now an independent CAbi consultant, a great clothing line and company that sells designer clothes in the home. Mike and I have prayed about this decision and I know that God is leading me to try something completely outside my comfort zone. Yet I know that when I stretch myself or even fail(of course I hope I don't) that it keeps me dependent on God and that is always where I want to be. I got to to travel to California for the first time for training which was fun, exciting and tiring, i flew my first Red eye!

So now we have a month or so before the kids go back to school, my little Will is going to be in first grade and my beautiful Abby in third. I will have both kids in school all day for the first time ever, that is going to be an interesting transition I am sure.
I hope that once the kids get in school I can focus more on keeping up on the blog and putting in writing the simple blessings that God places in my life daily. I never want to stop recognizing them or thanking him for them.

Will's Kindergarten graduation!

2011-06-10T00:08:00.003-04:00

Well my Will graduated from Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago. I am so proud of how much he has grown throughout his kindergarten year and what a joy it was to spend the extra one on one time with him each afternoon. I know his teacher has prepared him well for first grade but it will be interesting being away from both my kids all day long next year. It is a natural progression but not always an easy transition. I am excited to see what God has in store for all of us next fall. Right now we are enjoying our summer to the fullest. I hope to post some video of Will and his class singing soon,

Will with his proud parents

My Graduate

Will receiving his diploma

My mom and Will

A Jedi battle like no other!

2011-05-17T14:02:00.003-04:00

Gotta love that I took this picture of Will after he had eaten a juicy drop pop, hence the lovely glowing green mouth. Yes I have the gift for photography, NOT!!

Will has had a loose top front tooth for the past week. He had tried to wiggle it out with no luck. So enter super dad last night to get the job done. As Mike and Will were having a great Jedi battle, light sabers and all, Mike accidentally hit Will in the mouth with his sword and oops....out came Will's tooth. Luckily there was no crying and just a little blood. What a great story Will now has to tell.

I just had to take a picture of his mouth while his top tooth is gone, I am a sucker for his toothless grin. I also know it is one of those milestones that tells me my little boy is growing up. So I will snuggle with him while I can, listen attentively while he wants to chat a mile a minute and enjoy watching him as he sleeps(because it is the only time he is still). For I know the day will come when those days will pass and new and different memories with be created. Yet for now I will enjoy the blessing of Will, truly a gift that only our creator could give. Love you buddy!!

The Royal Wedding!!

2011-05-02T22:04:00.005-04:00

This past Friday my daughter Abby and I got up at 515am and headed over to our good friends house to watch the royal wedding with them. Abby's best friend was there and they giggled and danced and watched all the festivities. It really was a special moment for us mom's to spend with our girls.

Here is Abby at our house before we left, the TV is on in the background as we watch Prince William head to the church.

The night before, around 11pm, I got inspired to make some scones. I have never made scones before so I used google and looked for a recipe with one egg as that is all I had left. I made chocolate chip and butterscotch chips scones and they were super yummy!!

I loved Kate's dress and I love this side by side picture of Grace Kelly and Kate with their Princes. I never was a lace girl myself but when I see these dresses I think I could be.

I of course would be remiss if I didn't mention that I know there is only one true King, one lineage that I am concerned with and that is Jesus Christ. As much as enjoy weddings, especially of a young woman becoming every girl's dream of being a real princess, I know that the my joy will be overflowing when I meet my heavenly father and everlasting King.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:15-17

Teacher Appreciation Week

2011-04-26T17:29:00.005-04:00

Next Monday(May 2nd) kicks off Teacher Appreciation Week. This year I have been wondering what to give the teachers that is simple, thoughtful and above all else, practical. Luckily there are a lot of talented, uber creative folks out there in the blogging world so I thought I would pass on a few of their ideas, which I may totally use.

First head over to Skip to my Lou and check out all the cute craft ideas they have. What I love about their site is they have very easy projects for the less crafty like me and some more adventurous projects for the crafting queens. I especially like this idea called Appreciation 7 days a week using a pill box and filling it with cute sayings and teacher friendly items. I also just discovered this one today called Upcycled Containers with Printable Labels where she uses old crystal light containers to hold whoopie pies. Yummy!

Another great idea came from Eighteen25 that also features cute crafts and adorable printables. I love their idea called Quick and Cheesy Teacher Appreciation gifts where she makes a cute printable for swedish fish saying "Your are o'fishally the best".

So give these blogs some love and check them out. I just discovered them both over the past few months and have such fun checking out all their creativeness. I also wanted to document the links for myself as I usually forget where I saw something and I definitely want to remember these ideas. Good Luck with your teacher appreciation ideas!!

Perseverance

2011-04-25T22:46:00.004-04:00

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
-James 1:12

The past two weeks my little Abby has had to persevere a little. It is hard as a mom to watch but I know it builds character and confidence. If she can persevere with small things I know she can be strong and persevere in bigger things. I am only talking about swim team tryouts, nothing earth shattering or life altering but it did have an impact on who Abby is becoming.

Abby tried out for our community swim team, according to the swim guidelines she seemed to qualify. At her swim test she did as she was asked and was told "not this year" by the young lady running the test. There was little encouragement on how to improve or to try out again. Abby was devastated, she loves swimming, she wants to do this and she has several little friends who have done it and loved it. I came home defeated as well, did I misinterpret the requirements, should I have not had her tryout in the first place?

After discussing it with Mike and two friends whose daughters were on swim team I was encouraged to call the head coach and discuss the lack of feedback received and my disappointment with the whole process. Both of these women noted having to take their kids back 2 times in order to make the team. If Abby was clearly not ready that is fine, I don't want to be a "helicopter parent" but to not give much reason or guidance was not fine. She swims just as well as these two girls already on the team, it is 6-8 year old kids and I just wanted to be able to provide some info or instruction to Abby as to why she didn't make it. I am not a confrontational person, you could butt in front of me in line and I wouldn't utter a peep, so calling him was definitely out of my comfort zone. After speaking with the head coach he did provide feedback and welcomed her back for a second try. So Abby and I spent some quality time in the pool over the next two days and worked on all that he suggested. Abby really wanted to make the team and was diligent in her practice.

So about a week after her original tryout she passed the test with flying colors. We are officially registered for swim team and tomorrow morning I will find out which of the three teams she will be on. I am so grateful to those mom's for encouraging me to be an advocate for my child. I can only imaging how much she will improve after spending 6 weeks in the pool five days a week. I would have robbed Abby of the ability to persevere and overcome an obstacle and the opportunity to do something that will really benefit her in so many ways. Now had she not made the team after the second time we would have learned another lesson, that sometimes you don't get what you want but God always has a plan. I also know that that lesson will come all too soon, but for now we are enjoying Abby's accomplishment

So may I learn from my little Abby to persevere, in the small and big things. May we always persevere for Christ and our faith remain unshaken in the one who is unshakeable. Abby's reward for her current perseverance will be a medal or ribbon but our reward for standing up for Christ will be "the crown of life" . How awesome that will be!!

Too Cute!

2011-04-14T22:45:00.002-04:00

My eight year old daughter Abby is really coming into her own style. She and I went shopping recently and I noticed how her clothing choices have started to branch out a little. She has always loved skirts and dresses and anything girly but recently she has been exploring the whole leggings with shorts or leggings with skirts thing. She picked out this hat too and I thought it looked adorable on her. I always want Abby to feel confident in her choice of style. I love that she still wants my help picking out clothes but that she is also becoming a little more independent in so many ways.

Abby has always been fearful to to do things by herself. She never wanted or desired to go to the bathroom by herself in a restaurant, she didn't want to be dropped off for any practice at the door but always wanted me to walk her in. Lately she has started to show signs of confidence and maturity that are really a treat to watch. I love the balance she displays of being independent when appropriate but not trying to be more mature or older than she is. I think second grade has been a great confidence building year and I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Thank you Abby for being the sweetest daughter I could ever ask for. The joy and pride I feel in being bestowed the honor of being your mom is immeasurable. Our God knew how much we needed each other and I am forever grateful. I love you!!

Spring is coming finally!!

2011-04-07T21:46:00.003-04:00

So with the warmer weather finally here in Columbus I decided to go to my favorite Hobby Lobby and buy some spring accents to update my mantle and apothecary jars. For some reason I am on a bird theme, which is not like me at all, but I will roll with it.

This cute birdhouse matches the Yellow on my family room walls perfectly. I think it says spring with out saying I'm country. It is also the perfect height to fit under my mirror on the mantle.

I found some moss at Hobby Lobby as well and then they sold these two little bird's nests and little eggs so I placed them in the two apothecary jars I have in each of my bathrooms.

Now I just need to find some springlike picture frames for my mantle an I am good to go.

I also downloaded this free subway art to put on my living room, here is the link if you want to print out your own. http://todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com/2011/03/spring-subway-art-prints.html

God is in control

2011-03-20T08:34:00.003-04:00

To say last week was a rough week is an understatement. However, what seemed an overwhelming emotional week for our family is a drop in the bucket compared to what the Maloney family experienced. On Saturday March 12th their lives changed forever as their sweet son Noah died unexpectedly in a freak accident on a neighbor's slide. In an instant, Noah was gone and their family will never ever be the same. Noah was Will's age and attended kindergarten at our school. Noah's older sister is in Abby's second grade class, we had her over for a play date just a week before the accident. These situations are when Satan loves to pop those faith shaking questions in your mind. How is this good? Why did he choose Noah and not my child? I am so grateful that our faith, our God is bigger than any circumstance, that he allows us to know that he has suffered all things in order to be able to comfort us. I am so grateful this family has a faith to cling to and I pray that they continue to see God's faithfulness in the coming weeks, months, years.

There was a candlelight memorial on Wed night and it was so touching to see the communtiy come and show their support. To hear the words of our Lord offered as a comfort. I thought this poem they read was very touching.

I'll lend you for a little while a child of mine God said
For you to love the while he lives and mourn for when he's dead
It may be six or seven years or forty two or three
But will you 'til I call him back take care of him for Me
He'll bring his ways to gladden you and should his stay be brief
You'll always have his memories as a solace for your grief
I cannot promise he will stay as all from earth return
But there are lessons taught below that I want you all to learn
I've looked this whole world over in My search for students true
And from the folks that crown life's lane I have chosen you
Now will you give him all your love nor think labour vain
Nor hate Me when I come to take this lent child back again?
I fancied that I heard them say Dear Lord Thy Will be done
For all the joys Thy child will bring the risk of grief we'll run
We'll shelter him with tenderness we'll love him while we may
And just for having loved him forever grateful stay.
Author unknown at this time.

So please pray for the Maloney family as they try to process life without their sweet little boy. Pray for the family whose house the accident happened at, they are devastated as well. Pray for the families at Bailey elementary as their hearts are broken as well and that we may all reach out and be able to comfort and serve them as they try to get back to their new normal. Pray that we enjoy every moment with them and learn from their innocence and sweet laughter. May I always remember that all good gifts come from God, including my children. May we all be able to say "Dear Lord Thy Will be Done" and hear "Well Done Good and Faithful Servant".

Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright

2011-03-04T14:17:00.003-05:00

I am a history buff, I think where we have come from is a fascinating story and can provide much information into our future. So when I decided to read this book about "The biblical roots of the inevitable crisis in the mideast" I knew I was in for an amazing story. I have always been intrigued by Israel and the special place it has in God's plan, but this book really sheds light on how Israel formed and how and why she is hated by so many. I will say that this book is not a one or two day read, it took me a few months to finish it but it was never boring. I find this is typical for me with historical books to take my time and soak it in.

The book starts out by stating that the decision made by Abraham to disobey God has lead to what we see now in the Middle East. Abraham decided that he and his wife knew better about when and how their promised son was going to be born, so they took matters into their own hands. What unfolds is the birth of Ishmael thru Sarah's(Abrahams wife) servant Hagar and then years later the promised birth of Isaac via Sarah. I love on page 39 when Bryant writes " When we take matters into our own hands and try to manipulate God's will to get what we want, sometimes He allows it. Misery can result." Bryant does a great job of explaining the sibling rivalry between Ishmael and Isaac and how this transforms into a bitterness between two nations.

Bryant also discusses the sibling rivalry between Isaac's two sons Jacob and Esau. What I found fascinating was that even though at the end of their lives Jacob and Esau reconciled, the heirs of Esau(the Edomites, now present day Jordan) did not forgive and hence the bitter history between nations unfolds.

The first part of this book also focuses on the struggle of Israel to become a nation and up to present day as they struggle to remain a nation despite heavy opposition. Then in part two of the book it discusses the conflicting perspectives of the Jews, Islam nations and Christians. On page 137 Bryant states " Christianity originated between these two influential faiths(meaning Judaism and Islam), and it has been caught in the middle between the two to this very day."

I highly recommend this book as it provided great biblical perspective, is applicable to today's currents events and also discusses the eternal consequences of this history. I found it very interesting that at the time I decided to read this I came across the history of Egypt and it mentioned Mubarak. I would not have given a second thought to this but at the time the news was covering how Mubarak had just been overthrown by his people. I have discovered so many interesting truths, facts and life application by reading this book and am looking forward to exploring more from this author.

NOTE: Words in italics are my own explanation/words to provide context to the quotes from the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

John 3:16

2011-02-21T20:12:00.004-05:00

"FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE." JOHN 3:16

About two weeks ago was Will's last wrestling tourney. Mike took Will there for warmups and Abby and i joined them later. When I saw Will he was pale as a ghost and on the verge of tears. HE WAS SUPER NERVOUS!! This was the league championship and there were so many people there. I felt sick to my stomach, I didn't want my baby boy to be scared about wrestling or competition, I wanted him to have fun. I start thinking in my head, how do I handle this. Then I look down and I see this written on his hand.

In wrestling the kids get put in brackets and this was Will's for the day. So I told him the importance of that Bible verse and how God loves him so much. I was so grateful for the opportunity to share scripture with Will as comfort. His first match ended in a forfeit and he lost the next two. However he wrestled great despite the fact he had to wrestle the #1 and #2 wrestlers.

Mike got to coach a few of the kids because they were short coaches. Mike is on one knee by the table and Will is on his knees looking a little bored.

Here Will is sitting on Mike's lap as they await his next match. What great Daddy/son bonding:)

Lastly this was God again letting his presence and comfort be known. Abby and I attended church before we headed to the mat. I saw that she got a red heart ornament but I did not read what it said. When we got home after the tourney I looked at it and wouldn't you know it said GOD LOVES YOU on one side and JOHN 3:16 on the other side. Only God could orchestrate the events of that day and how gracious of him to reveal his love to my family.

Valentine's Party 2nd grade

2011-02-16T20:41:00.005-05:00

This year I was a co party planner for my daughter Abby's Valentine's Day Party. I thought I would blog about what we did as I am always searching for ideas. Also I am always forgetting what I did in year's past so I thought I would document it hear.

For goodie bags, we filled 4x6 dollar store valentine bags with a few goodies(my co planner scored cute bubbles from target super cheap). We then wrapped an individual microwave popcorn bag in wrapping paper, whole punched the top of the popcorn and bag and tied a ribbon to keep it together. I found these cute free owl valentine printable from living locurto and inserted them in the bags

Here is my own sweet valentine dressed in all pink and red for her party day.

For games we split the class in two and did relays. One relay was putting a balloon between your knees and walking to/from the start/finish lines. The second relay was to race to these index cards with candy taped on them. Each card had a task to perfrom and then the team that performed fastest won, but everyone got to keep the chocolate. We then did a cupcake walk by numbering construction paper hearts and playing music until your number was called. Then you were allowed to go claim your cupcake and get some of the other snacks provided. Lastly we bought large conversation hearts and had teams build the tallest tower they could in two minutes. The kids seemed to have fun. I saw another class do the relay where you try and sit on a balloon and pop it and the team that gets all their balloons popped first wins. I remember doing this as a kid and because I didn't weigh that much I was always the slowest at this task. I had forgotten about that game until I saw another class doing it.

In my son's kindergarten class they did this really cute game where each child pulled a piece of paper out of a bag and it had a picture of an animal on it. Then you had to go around making the noise your animal makes and find your partner. We have also played bingo in the past.

Hope you all had a great Valentine's day. My hubby surprised us each with a small gift when we got home from soccer practice. We typically don't celebrate Valentine's day so this was a very nice thing for him to do.

This makes me happy

2011-02-15T23:45:00.007-05:00

I have been reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, it really is an amazing, perspective altering book. I just finished Chapter 4 and am getting ready to start my list of 1000 things that bring me joy so I can recognize the gifts that God is giving me every day. There are so many great points in this book so I encourage you to check the book out for yourself or head over to (in)courage and get caught up. You will be blessed.

So as I start tonight thinking about what brings me joy, I remembered this photo I took on my cell phone last May. I was driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood and I see this cute older couple out for a walk and they are holding hands. It just warmed my heart to see their affection and so I snapped a picture in my sideview mirror. This is what I want Mike and I to be like when we are 80+ and out for a walk. Thank you Lord for the blessing of companionship.

Hobby Lobby

2011-02-14T21:39:00.004-05:00

Like I need another reason to shop at and love Hobby Lobby. I picked up this cute canvas for Abby over the weekend at the beautiful new Polaris store.

This is what I want Abby to know every day. That her Heavenly Father thinks she is all these things and sent his son to die for her. I love that I can shop at Hobby Lobby and hear Christian music piped in, score a great deal and be affirmed by Christ all in one visit. Way to go Hobby Lobby

Howdy Partner

2011-02-10T23:08:00.003-05:00

This past week the theme at church for the kids was Western. Abby created her own outfit, I love the brownie vest. We borrowed cowboy hats from Mike's cousins and I helped Will with his outfit. He has been dying to wear ripped jeans so this was a highlight for him. Abby actually won best cowgirl and she was very excited about that. I love that Abby wanted to dress up and took ownership of her outfit. I love that Will still lets me help him and that simple things make his day. I am thankful for God's blessing of children, that he would honor me with being a parent. Feeling very fortunate to be called Mommy.

Boys in Action

2011-02-04T12:22:00.003-05:00

I came across this blog Link up at Home with the Boys asking bloggers to blog their boys in action. I came across this great picture of my son Will playing the Wii in his pj's, and sporting his ultra cool head band. Will rarely sits still, rarely has a shirt on, let alone matching pj's and is always up for an adventure. So glad I had a reason to dig through some photos and capture him in action.

Hearts Melting!!

2011-02-03T21:57:00.007-05:00

Today is just one of those days where you take the time to realize how blessed you really are and how much I absolutely adore my kids. Here our a few pictures of my favorite little people.

Here is Abby eating her chinese with her fancy chopsticks. She is so easy going, so thoughtful and so caring. I love her to pieces and she could not be a better daughter or big sister. Her cheerleading is coming along great, she is throwing her back handspring by herself with a little encouragement. Hopefully she will be completely ready to go when competition starts in one month.

Here is Will last night as he crashed on the couch. What a sweetie. Mike has been out of town(he is on his way home as I type:) so Will has been my little bed buddy, he loves to be with his Momma.

Lastly this picture brought tears to my eyes. Will brought this home from Kindergarten today. They just celebrated their 100th day at school and this is what Will thought he would be doing at 100 years old. God is so good. I am so glad Will's tender little heart gets it.

In case you can't read it, Will's answer is: up in hevin with my savyor

Our Sunday

2011-02-01T18:51:00.003-05:00

This Sunday was great. We had a great sermon at church about parenting our kids, which I touched on in yesterday's post. We headed to Will's wrestling match and then out to dinner at the Rusty Bucket. We usually head to the Rusty Bucket in Dublin but since the wrestling tourney was in Upper Arlington we went to the one there. The have this great patio with a fire pit, the kids checked it out before we left and thought it was uber cool. Will has decided to resurrect his peace signs I guess in his pictures, we will see.

Today has been crazy with the ice that came over night. The kids were out of school and the driveways and sidewalks are crazy icy not to mention our cul de sac is like an ice rink. We are in for some additional winter weather tonight and tomorrow so we will see what tomorrow brings. Hope everyone stays safe!!

Abby's Future?

2011-01-30T21:25:00.005-05:00

Yesterday Abby got to cheer and dance at Halftime of the Dublin Coffman basketball game. She had so much fun and got to wear a snazzy hot pink shirt. The lovely Coffman Cheerleaders offered an after school camp where they taught the girls a cheer, chant and dance. Then all the girls, over a 100, met on the court at halftime and performed. It was so fun to see Abby out there on the floor, I can only imagine if that might be part of her future. She loves cheerleading and I am so glad that she got to do this. Last year she did this as well but Mike was out of town and didn't get to see it. This year she showed off for many family and friends. I have some video but I am not sure how to work imovie yet to get it uploaded and edited.

It is crazy to think about who are kids will become. Today our pastor talked about how important it is to set boundaries with your kids as you parent and how those boundaries should be based on a target. The target for his children is that their kids would have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is our target as well and Mike and I are really having some great conversations lately on how we can better accomplish this. One other point our Pastor made was that we need to make sure we are not preventing our kids from being who God created them to be. I loved the verses he used today:

Psalm 139:13-14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made....."

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

I am so glad that God has known my kids before even Mike and I did. He so wants them to succeed at what he created them to do. I know we serve an amazing God and I am so excited to see what amazing thing he will have my little Abby and Will doing to serve him.

Get your Nerd on!!

2011-01-27T20:45:00.004-05:00

Abby and Will love attending our all church small groups on Wednesday nights. They always have a fun theme as well as a story from the Bible. This week's theme was nerd night. Now some may think this is making fun of people who are "nerds" but really it is quite the opposite. They are learning so many of God's truths each week that I was not worried that they would come out of the night thinking that being a nerd is something to be teased about. They actually learned that we are all individulas, with different talents and gifts and we are all loved by God. So here are my cute little nerds, it was fun to hear them come up with ideas. They both wore their snow boots and Abby wore a pair of my old glasses with tape between the lenses. Will looks scared stiff for some reason, probably because he has only worn a tie one other time in his life.

I feel so blessed to have a church that is so interested in all the children that attend there. They really go the extra mile to capture the children's attentions and their hearts for God.

Grandpa Update

2011-01-24T19:26:00.003-05:00

Well I was fortunate to get to go visit my Grandpa this morning at the skilled nursing home in Dayton. He just moved there on Friday and so far things have been going well. He seemed in good spirits and had already had some PT this morning. It was great sitting and talking with him about life in general. So much is to be learned from his generation, if only we took the time to engage and listen. We talked about how kids today expect much without much effort on their own part, how people in my generation and younger do not understand basic finances and how to be secure in their future. In striving to give our kids a "better" lifestyle then our own, have we really done them any favors. Lots of food for thought from our chat today. So I am once again grateful for the opportunity to visit with my Grandpa and create more memories with him. He has seen a lot in his 84 years and I look forward to many more conversations with him. Get well soon Grandpa!

Hedbanz

2011-01-20T21:49:00.002-05:00

Will got the game Hedbanz for Christmas so we decided to play it the other night. It really is a cute game and was fun for ages 6-adult. It was fun seeing the kids have to really think about the questions they need to ask to discover what object they were. It was also nice to see them helping each other out when they needed a little hint. I love that we can have fun together as a family and that the kids crave spending time with us. I know someday I won't be cool enough to hang out with according to them, but right now I am going to savor every last bit of it. I am so blessed to have the family I have.

Are you a good man(or woman)?

2011-01-19T22:54:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday our Pastor played the following video at our church. It is of Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller and a proclaimed atheist. This video was also played for us hours before the Golden Globes where the host closed the show by saying "Thank God I am an Atheist". I encourage you to watch this video, it has a slow start but there is a part where he talks about how much do you have to hate someone not to share what you truly believe will save their life. It was very convicting. What if we all lived out each day being bold for our Christ, what message is our lack of a message saying to someone? Lots of food for thought this week about this video.

Here is a link to the youtube video via blog I found that offers some good thoughts on the video as well.

http://www.michealfelker.com/2010/05/15/penn-gets-a-bible/

Raising a Little Man

2011-01-16T21:07:00.004-05:00

Last weekend at his first wrestling tourney, Will won 2 out of 3 matches and came away with a first place ribbon. We were so happy for Will to have a successful weekend without any crying. I have always said this was going to be a great opportunity for Will to learn some important life lessons.

Well he learned several life lessons at this weekend's tourney. He lost his first match by one point and he was doing okay but as he walked off the mat he stepped in vomit that must have just happened. He slipped and landed hard on his back. So Mike brings me a crying, sad and vomit covered kiddo to take care of. I felt horrible for him as I tried to clean him up as best I could with napkins someone brought me. He had a tough time calming down, which is understandable. I was so torn, how could he wrestle in these clothes, should I force him to wrestle anyways, what was a momma to do?

Luckily a mom from the team had an extra singlet for Will to change into. He was able to calm himself down and within 15 minutes took off on his own will to go sit mat side and wait for his next match. I was so proud of him. He ended up losing the second match and held off the tears. He lost the third match to a kid who had a good 6 inches on him by one point and came off saying, that was my best match ever. I am so proud of the little man Will is shaping up to be, he overcame and he persevered and came out better on the other side. I am so grateful for this special little boy. It is so hard to let him tough it out, the mom in me wants to rescue him from all hurt, disappointment and loss but I know that is not my job. My job is to expose him to Jesus Christ so that he learns that no matter the circumstance his faith in Christ will bring him out better on the other side.

I am hoping though that this was enough of a lesson in perseverance to not warrant anymore slipping on vomit. That was way gross.

***On a side note, this morning I had two moms come up to me at church who worked with Will this morning. They told me that after they had played a relay game they sat down for circle time. Will immediately raised his hand and asked " Can I go get a drink of water because I am smoking hot!!!" ***

Darn You Perkins!!

2011-01-15T21:24:00.003-05:00

Well this morning my grandparents were headed out the door as it was the last day for 20% off at their Perkins in Springfield. As my grandpa stepped off the porch he hit a patch of ice and slipped, falling to the ground. He ended up breaking his L hip and will have surgery bright and early tomorrow morning. Tonight I headed over to visit him in the hospital and am so glad I got to spend time taking care of him and just talking.

As I have gotten older it has been harder and harder to see my grandparents as my own family's schedule has gotten busier. We just saw them two weeks ago but barely got to visit as the house was full of people. I am so lucky to have three living grandparents at my age and really need to get better about making time to see them more often. Life is such a balance, I feel like you are pulled in so many directions, trying to please your family, your parents, your in-laws and carve time out for yourself as well.

Even though I am fortunate to have family that really does not put pressure on me, I continue to stress about pleasing everyone. I am sure God would love for me to spend less time stressing out about pleasing others and more time pleasing Him. So even though I would much rather have my Grandpa walking around right now and this to have never happened, I am so grateful for the blessing of spending time with him tonight. Only God can provide a blessing in such unwelcome circumstances. I am grateful to have a husband who so willing let me drop our plans today and go spend time with him. I am praying tonight for peace for my Grandparents, for the surgeon to be well rested and have no difficulties during the surgery tomorrow, as well as a full recovery.

What if funny about this story is when my grandma got the chance to step out of the hospital today to get a bite to eat, guess where she went....PERKINS!!!

Praying for strangers

2011-01-13T21:50:00.002-05:00

I am amazed at the blogging world. In a moment you come across a blog, a story, a prayer request and you feel instantly connected to them and they have no idea that you even exist. I have been blessed to pray for so many strangers through facebook, twitter and blogging. I consider it pure joy to pray for others and even more joy that sometimes I get to see the fruits of those prayers because of the internet. Here are a few blogs that I have been following and praying for, some for awhile and some just recently.

Kellys Korner Blog- Kelly's little girl Harper was born two years ago. She was born they thought without complications and then within minutes things turned for the worse. Harper is now healthy and expecting to be a big sister very soon.

Our Journey to Love- Adrienne has three adopted children and after many losses finally became pregnant with Bennett. He was born very early and has had quite a struggle but is now days away from heading home to be with his family. The strength of this family and their faith in God is definitely worth checking out.

Little Did I Know- I just started following this blog this past week and the story of the how the blogging world spread word so that this boy named Davids from Latvia could be adopted here in the US is amazing.

I know social media has it's drawbacks and can be all consuming, even become an idol. I however feel like it can also be such a blessing. I am grateful that I see God's handiwork all around me, including in the interesting world of the internet.

Winter Mantel Linky Party

2011-01-11T23:20:00.002-05:00

I am in the process of updating my mantle for its winter look. This post Winter Mantel Linky Party provided the inspiration and I hope to have some luck over the next few weeks updating my mantle a little bit. I wish I was as creative as some of these ladies. They are so original with their ideas and they also take the time to make tutorials for people like me to try and follow. I love the blogging world for this very reason and the website ETSY is equally as wonderful. Happy looking:)

We Need Him

2011-01-10T12:14:00.002-05:00

As the news is still covering all the tragic events in Arizona this past weekend, I heard this song today and it really seemed to express how I am feeling in regards to all the chaos that surrounds us in this world. It is scary to be raising kids in a world where tragedy can impact anyone of us at any given moment. May we all find peace in the only true source, Jesus Christ.

My little Wrestler

2011-01-09T23:26:00.002-05:00

Will had his first ever wrestling tournament today at the young age of 6. He is in the picture above shaking his first opponents hand, Will is the boy to the left of the guy in the orange shirt. What a great program the Dublin Little Irish program has been. Will goes for an hour two nights a week to Dublin Scioto High School and gets to burn a lot of energy and wrestle. My husband Mike wrestled in high school so this has been a great bonding experience for them.

In today's tournament Will lost his first match and won the next two. He actually came from behind in his third match and escaped an almost pin and won in overtime. Will is very competitive and I worried that he might cry if he lost, but he had so much fun hanging out with the other kids on his team that he was fine. I am so glad Will has a safe environment to learn the important lessons in life such as winning, losing, sportsmanship and persistence. I had to miss this tourney because Abby was recovering from strep throat but he has three more tournaments and I am so excited to go support him.

I am thankful for the excitement I heard from Will today before and after the tournament. I am grateful to have discovered this program for Will and it is so rewarding to see your child doing something they are very interested and excited about. It is also great that Mike and Will have this special bond over something of interest to both of them.

I do expect tears sometime during one of the next tournaments but I know that this is giving us opportunities to teach him some important lessons. How fun it will be if he decides to wrestle in High School and I can come back to my blog and relive where it all started.

The Homeless

2011-01-07T20:10:00.002-05:00

There has been alot of buzz lately here in Columbus Ohio about the "Golden Voice" Ted Williams being discovered. It has really made me think about how we can truly help the homeless. I pray for them, I try and give money to those who are standing at the intersection with a sign but what else should I be doing. What is God calling me to specifically do or my church to do. I know we all have a role to play but it seems like I am content with what seems easy or acceptable or dare I say COMFORTABLE. I came across this blog post about a woman who invited a homeless man to her Christmas Dinner. It was very timely that I happened across this post as I am following closely what will happen to Ted Williams. I hope that I take this inspiration, pray fervently for God to reveal his will for me on this subject and then actually do what he calls me to do.

The Meditative Mom: A dinner date with Alistair

The Meditative Mom: A dinner date with Alistair: "Before I left for my break, I told you about my new friend Alistair, a homeless man who I invited over for Christmas dinner. I promise..."

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T21:34:00.006-05:00

Well Christmas this year for the McGraw family was a month long celebration. We of course remembered the reason for the season all month long and are so grateful that God sent his son to be our savior. It started by celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with Mike's side of the family and ended with Christmas with my side of the family. It was great having most of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving and it was nice for the kids to have all their presents spread out so they could appreciate them more. Here are a few pictures from our Christmas celebrations.

Abby and her new lap desk

Our family after Christmas Eve Service as my parent's house

Will is a little excited about his new metal detector

What a great time of family fun we had. I got a huge surprise from Mike as he got me a new MacBook. I needed a new laptop badly but we decided, or so I thought, to hold off. I am so grateful that Mike wanted to do something special for me this Christmas.

We are looking forward to 2011 and all the God has in store for us. We have been so blessed.

Thanksgiving Program

2010-12-03T11:49:00.002-05:00

Will's kindergarten class did an amazing Thanksgiving Program. I never knew so many songs existed about Thanksgiving. Abby did the same program two years ago and it was just as cute the second time around. Here is a video of my little Indian.

We had a great Thanksgiving up at Lake Erie this year. Also for the first time we celebrated Christmas as well. This made it more hectic in November in terms of getting my shopping done, but now I am so far ahead. We love spending time with our families over the Holidays. Abby and Will had a blast with their cousins and of course we had an amazing Thanksgiving meal. We have so much to be thankful for and I want to keep that spirt of thanksgiving going all year long in our family. Now onto CHRISTmas!

One nation under God

2010-11-22T11:56:00.003-05:00

Last week, Will and his kindergarten class said the Pledge on our local Christian radio station. Will and another classmate actually introduced the class and if you would like to hear them head over to 1049theriver.com/say-the-pledge/ and scroll down to Bailey Elementary Mrs Fisher's class. Will was very excited to participate let alone get to introduce his class on the radio.

I find it timely that this past few weeks in our study of Isaiah in BSF we are looking at the judgement of the "nations". We saw how God has a plan and will use nations to accomplish that plan, whether in victory or defeat. I find it so comforting that even when it feels sometimes that our country is not abiding "under God", I know he is in complete control of all things. "For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? Isaiah 14:27

I am thankful during this week of Thanksgiving for the freedom I have in this country and even more thankful for the freedom and security I have in Christ. It was just icing on the cake to hear my little one echo these freedoms on the radio.

American Girl Madness!!!

2010-11-09T18:56:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago myself, Abby and my mother and mother-in-law headed to Chicago to visit The American Girl Store. Abby has had a few of their things and has always wanted the Kit doll. So for here birthday we all flew over to Chicago for a few days to celebrate.

Here Abby is thinking "Seriously Mom, another picture". We ate lunch there and the table settings were so cute. They had trivia cards for us to answer while we waited and each of Abby's dolls had their own high chair and cup/saucer. It is really over the top but was super cute and the food was actually good.

After a full day at the store we were all a little tired but it was so worth it. They really help create an amazing experience and memory there. Abby got to get her picture on the front of a magazine to take home and also got her picture placed up on the big screen. We were able to gets lots of American Girl accessories as Christmas gifts for her and just enjoy the wonder of a store completely filled with dolls and every accesory ever known.

Abby really is a special and sweet girl and I know we all cherished the time we got to spend with her on this adventure. The memories made were precious for sure and I am so blessed to have such a loving circle of women to call family. Thanks to Donna and my mom for helping me guide Abby to be the wonderful little lady God has designed and longs for her to be.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T10:52:00.004-04:00

We had a great but busy Halloween this year. Abby was Padme Amidala from Star Wars and Will was Captain Rex from Star Wars the Clone Wars. Of course Will did not like the helmet that came with the costume and did not wear it but at least we got to see his cute little face. Fortunately for his birthday he just got a Captain Rex helmet that talks that he will wear so I expect to get alot of playtime out of his costume.

The kids had Harvest Parties and a Halloween parade at school on Thursday and the Trick or treat was that night as well. Then the next evening Will had his first birthday party ever with friends. He and about 12 other 5-6 year old boys ran around PumP it Up for two hours, they had a blast.

I never thought that a movie Mike and I watched as kids would be something we would have in common with our own kids. It has been fun to watch the movies as a family.

My little man is Six!!!

2010-10-28T12:58:00.004-04:00

Today my youngest is turning six, where has the time gone. Will keep us laughing around this house. He is the perfect mix of silly and sweet, tough and sensitive. He loves his family, friends, sports and any toy imaginable. Will was born on beggars night and will be sharing his birthday today with beggars night again. He is going to have his first ever birthday party with friends. He and about 12 other 5and 6 year old boys will be tearing up Pump it Up tomorrow night. October is a busy month with both Abby and Will having birthdays two weeks apart. I am so grateful for this little boy!

Here is my Will around 6 months old. It is amazing how God has shaped this unique little boy over the past six years. I pray that the tenderheartedness that God has so blessed him with will continue to be a mainstay of his character as he gets older.

Abby is Eight!!

2010-10-15T10:20:00.006-04:00

Yesterday by little girl turned 8. I can not even begin to write what a blessing she has been and continues to be in my life. She is sensitive, caring, beautiful, thoughtful, silly, cautious at times but full of adventure at times. For her birthday this year she had her first sleepover at our house. She invited her best friend Regan over and they had a ball.

Here is Regan and Abby the morning after the sleepover!!

Here is Abby just under age two her first night in her big girl bed!!

Also this year for her birthday Abby, me and both her her grandmothers are heading to Chicago next week to go to the American Girl store. I am so excited to spend this special time celebrating a very special girl. Most of all I am so happy that she is first a child of God and she knows it. She knows that Christ is her Saviour and that is the best gift a child can give to their parents. Thank you dear Lord for this little girl.

Out Live Your Life

2010-09-10T12:00:00.004-04:00

I just recently read this book by Max Lucado. It is only my second book to read by him but I am of course very familiar with his name and impact. I can say that this book was convicting, inspiring, heart felt and practical. The main purpose of this book I think is found on page 68 "Works done in God's name long outlive our earthly lives". Each chapter guides you on how to make a difference in this world now and have a lasting impact for Christ after we are gone. I enjoyed the short chapters as it kept me on task and allowed me to read small bits at a time without getting lost or off track. It also offered a scripture verse and prayer at the end of each chapter which I found useful in summarizing the key points. The prayer will also serve as a great reference to help me as I strive to make the changes I know God wants me to make. There was also a great balance of biblical examples(Moses,Paul and Stephen) as well as personal stories from Max and others.

Some of my favorite parts of the book are as follows:
Chapter 6 OPEN YOUR DOOR: OPEN YOUR HEART- Call us a fast society, an efficient society, but don't call us a personal society. Our society is set up for isolation. We wear ear buds when we exercise. We communicate via e-mail and text messages. We enter and exit our houses with gates and garage-door openers. Our mantra: "I leave you alone. You leave me alone."

How I long for the days of front porches and kids running in and out of yards as the parents gather and discuss the events of the day. I love the convenience of technology but I need to make sure I don't let people become inconvenient.

Chapter 13 DON'T WRITE OFF ANYONE- God used Paul to touch the world. But first he used Ananias to touch Paul. Has god given you a similar assignment? Has God given you a Saul?

This gave me hope for those I know that do not know the love of Christ or have turned away from him. I am encouraged that God may choose to place someone on my heart that I need to reach out to when no one else will. I can only hope that I am willing to listen and respond to God's prompting on this.

Chapter 15 PRAY FIRST; PRAY MOST- Grant me the grace to treat everyone I meet as someone for whom Jesus died and rose again. Let there be no unwholesome or unholy distinctions in my eyes and no unworthy favoritism in my actions. Rather, make me into a vessel through whom Jesus shines.
I love that, a vessel through whom Jesus shines. What a great mental image of what I should be striving for and can achieve through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We are privileged to be able to serve along with our Lord and this book is just the tool to help us show that to others.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It's that time of year!!!

2010-09-02T15:02:00.004-04:00

I love College football but more importantly I love the Buckeyes. Tonight is the beginning of a great season and my whole house is pumped. Abby and Will went to school wearing their buckeye gear today and we will definitely be watching tonight. It is funny how weekends become more exciting or planned around Buckeye games in the fall. We are planning on going to the OSU vs Ohio game and are fired up to watch all the games we can from our home. So I am grateful for the simple blessing of college football but also that I get to live in Ohio and be an Ohio State Buckeye fan. GO BUCKS!!!

Will is in Kindergarten!!

2010-08-30T12:47:00.005-04:00

Will is in Kindergarten, he was very happy his first day and very talkative. In Dublin they only go half days and so Will goes in the AM. He went Tuesday, Thursday and Friday last week so this week will be the first five day week.

Mike came on Thurday to wish Will the best and of course that was a great bonus for Will. I did not have a hard time sending him to kindergarten as he was actually gone longer for preschool then he will be for kindergarten. I am going to enjoy these half days with my little man. He is so full of energy and I am excited to see what fun adventures the afternoon will bring us.

Abby is in Second Grade!!

2010-08-25T10:27:00.004-04:00

Abby started school on Monday, she is a big second grader. The summer was fun and fast but I can honestly say I am ready to get back into a routine. Here she is with her brother outside the school. I love that I have documented proof of their love for each other so that when they are fighting I can show them this picture to remind them.

Here is my Abby and me before she headed into school. One of the moms at the school offered to take a picture of us together, which was so nice. I love this girl.

Here is Abby as she poses outside our house, she looks so adorable. She looks like Kit Kittredge but with longer hair. We got this dress at target and I love the retro look with the socks and flats. I love that Abby is still in love with dresses and all things girly.

Abby has her first male teacher this year and he is super nice. Abby has a great group of kids in her class and I am excited to hear all the fun stories.

Jasper

2010-08-25T10:02:00.007-04:00

Our trip to Jasper was too beautiful not to put some pictures up. We stayed in a lovely cabin at the Fairmont Jasper. It was spacious and beautiful and so rustic.

Here is the beautiful lake we got to look at every morning. It was so cute in the early mornings as Papa would head down to the deck with some of the grandchildren with his coffee.

One morning we took a 45 minute bus ride to see Maligne Lake. Then we went on a boat tour and saw God's beauty up close. I know the picture doesn't fully capture the color of the water but it is the most beautiful aqua/teal color.

Another day we rode a tram up Mt. Whistler which is @7500 feet. We had great views of the mountains. The tram ride was beautiful but also a little scary being suspended mid air, but the end result was worth it.

We had such an amazing trip, our travel was safe and smooth. We got to experience so many new things together as a family, I am so grateful for the wonderful memories.

Lake Louise

2010-08-16T11:04:00.005-04:00

We were blessed this past week to travel to Canada with Mike's family to celebrate his parents 40th wedding anniversary. What a blessing to witness Mike's parents commitment to God and each other and of course an added bonus to visit Canada. We started our journey by spending one night in Lake Louise. To say God has made some beautiful things is an understatement. When you read about God's creation in Genesis you can not even fathom what he really created until you get out there and see it. What a blessing to show my kids what our God has created for us to enjoy.

As we were driving to Lake Louise we say a rainbow, what an assurance of God's promise and that his presence was with us.

Here is Abby and Will with their two cousins Libby and Marie as we wait at Calgary airport to get our rental cars.

The view of Lake Louise from our hotel room

On Lake Louise cayaking with our family, it was a crisp and clear day.

More pictures of our stay at Jasper to come, the pictures do not capture all that we saw but they are pretty close.

Lake Erie 2010

2010-07-23T13:56:00.003-04:00

Well we have been home from our annual Lake Erie trip for almost two weeks and I am now just getting around to posting pictures. It was hot but the water was not as cold as usual which made me more than happy to play in it with the kids each day. This year I was a single parent for most of the trip as Mike had to save his vacation time for our Canada trip that is coming up. The lake is full of great friends and family who always make it special. Here are a few of the bazillion pictures I took.

We are so fortunate that we get to spend so much time up at Lake Erie. Thankyou Lord for your beauty that was so wonderfully showcased each night at sunset. Thanks for the friends and brothers/sisters in Christ that we have up there as well. See you over Labor Day!!

Every Season - Nichole Nordeman

2010-06-30T16:15:00.001-04:00

I rediscoverd this song by Nichole Nordeman and it gives me goose bumps every time. As we have just entered a new season take time to remember all that God is teaching us. I love the lyrics and they inspire me to think how God is always recreating mefor his good and his Glory. I hope everyone has a blessed fourth of July and God Bless.

Fun Summer Weekend

2010-06-28T10:10:00.002-04:00

We had a great family weekend. We started off the weekend by seeing Toy Story 3 with our two kids. It was an adorable movie, full of laughter and touching moments. I cried like a baby at the end as my 5 year old son sat on my lap and you watch Andy head off to college. I know I have several years before that day comes but you can't help feel her sadness as her boy leaves the nest.

On Saturday we headed to Will's wiffleball game. It was super hot and Mike is the coach thus I became the co coach that day. The kids did well and Will hit his first home run of the season. We were proud and he was super pumped. After the game we watched the USA play their world cup game, although they lost I was proud that they got this far and that I actually watched all their games this World Cup. Soccer may be gaining some momentum in the US now. Then we took the kids over to Locker Soccer in Powell for Parents Night Out. Our typical babysitter was out of town so we snatched up the opportunity for babysitting at the place where our son plays soccer. So we headed to a new restaurant called Luce in Powell and enjoyed a wonderful meal together. We picked the kids up two hours later and were so happy that they had a blast!

On Sunday we headed to church and Will was very excited because he had been promoted to the big kid room with his sister, his exact words were "Hallelujah!". Then we headed home and Mike and I started staining our 5 year old playset, it was long overdue.

I love the balance of activity and down time we had this weekend. I loved hearing our Pastor speak as we have been out of town or in nursery for the past few weeks and missed his sermons. He preached on having the right perspective in our circumstances and that we should choose joy as Paul did while in prison. So I hope that this week will be filled with joy no matter what the circumstances. How can I not make that choice when I have the God of the universe beside me.

"AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE." ROMANS 8:28

Will's Pre-K Graduation

2010-06-14T21:48:00.004-04:00

Here is Will and his proud parents on graduation from Pre-k. We are so proud of the little boy Will has become and we know he will do super in kindergarten.

Here is my Mom with Will. We are fortunate that she is able to come up and celebrate these special moments with us.

Here was Will during his ceremony, don't you just love the hands in his pockets. They sang Psalm 100. They worked really hard over the past few weeks to memorize it and it was precious to see them sing it. I feel so blessed that both Will and Abby attended a Christian based pre-school. What a great foundation it has laid for the rest of their walk with Christ as well as their future education. I have been apart of NPCA for almost 6 years so I will be sad not to go there anymore. I can't believe both of my kiddos will be in elementary school this fall. Abby will do great in second grade for sure and I know she will show her little brother the ropes.

Thankyou Lord for the gift of my children, they are a blessing each and everyday. Sometimes I might have to search harder then others for it but it is there because they are a gift from you.

Show us your China Pattern

2010-06-11T10:31:00.005-04:00

Over at Kellys Korner she is asking about china patterns. I picked mine out 12 years ago and am still using both. I did pick a fine and everday china. Early in our marriage I thought maybe I should have just picked an everyday china. Now that I am finally starting to host more family occasions I am grateful for the fine china I recieved as a wedding gift and continue to slowly add to it. I consider fine china as an investment, I didn't see much return those first few years but now I am truly grateful.

I chose a traditional fine china called Federal Platinum by Lenox. I love that this classic pattern will be in style for years to come. I can also change up the look down the road by adding some more colorful accent plates.

For my everyday I chose Mikasa Aztec Blue. I really had no idea what my colors were going to be in my kitchen so I chose this setting with its blue and somewhat brown undertones. I do like it still but I do hope to get a new set soon. Now that I know my style better and I love my kitchen, I think it will be easier to choose a pattern this time around.

Right now I really like this Ballard Designs antique white set. I figure if I get something neutral I can still use all my cool serving bowls and do not have to worry about everything coordinating. We will see, after looking at everyone else's patterns I am sure I will change my mind.

New York New York New York!!

2010-06-07T23:47:00.003-04:00

I love that song by Alicia Keyes and jay z but it is not the reason behind the title of my latest blog post. In May Mike was blessed with a new position at JP Morgan Chase. We had been praying for a new opportunity for a while and he was contacted by a division in Chase about a new role in New York. Mike interviewed and was offered the job which he started about three weeks ago. Luckily he does not have to move to New York but he has been traveling there. Here are some NY style gifts he brought the kids after his last trip:

Although we are die hard Cincinnati Reds fans, Will is really into all sports and loves his Yankees jersey. He is allowed to wear it whenever but he must always stay true to his Reds

Abby just finished a unit at school about US symbols so she was super excited about having her own little Statue of Liberty. It is so neat how each child has different personalities and that gifts that Mike chose were perfect for each one.

We feel blessed that Mike was chosen for this new position. We know it will require some additional travel initially but we really feel like this is where God wants him to be. Thankyou Lord for the peace you have provided our family regarding Mike's new job. We are so grateful for answered prayers and we appreciate what you have taught us as we waited for your perfect timing.

May was Crazy

2010-06-02T09:58:00.005-04:00

Wow did May fly by. I have so many things to talk about and can't believe it is over. I am going to post little bits at a time and hopefully I can cover everything. I will first start with Abby's first grade program. They practiced really hard in Music class for weeks to give a performance and it did not disappoint.

Here is Abby, back row fifth from the left, as they get ready to start. Abby, Will and Mommy after the program. They also gave us Mother's Day gifts, a cute handpainted pot with a flower. It is still alive one month later, YEAH!! Proud Daddy and his little ones! Grandma is here to enjoy the fun. Notice Will decided to do the peace sign in each photo. He has been into this for about a month. I am not going to be picky though because he looks happy in all the photos.

You Can Be Everything God Wants You To Be

2010-05-10T11:19:00.003-04:00

I recently finished reading this book by Max Lucado. In a short 127 pages he helps you discover the "sweet spot" that God specifically designed you for. It is marketed on the cover as the "Perfect gift for the Graduate" but I found it very helpful as a stay at home mom who graduated years ago.

I like that it is broken down into very small chapters that flow seamlessly into one another. I found that I could read small sections at a time and not feel disconnected by not completing it all in one read. When I was done with the book I at first felt slightly disappointed that their wasn't this immediate moment of clarity, shouldn't there be some sort of checklist/quiz to point me towards my unique gift? Then as I flipped back through all that I had underlined this stuck out "So make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that"(Gal. 6:4 MSG).

This book is just part of my exploration, a tool in my navigation to be everything God designed me to be. As Max says "Consult you Designer" and no quiz can give me the answers to the plan that God specifically created for me. So use this book as a stepping stone towards discovering your uniqueness, I have.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Happy Mother's day

2010-05-09T22:17:00.003-04:00

I am so blessed to be the mama to to these two kids. I took them to the zoo on Thursday as the new polar bear exhibit opened. I had a wonderful Mother's day with my family. We went to church, had brunch and then planted some flowers and then I got a great gift from my hubby-a gift card to Pottery Barn to buy some things for our home. As joyful as I am that I get to be a mommy I can't imagine the loss others feel today as they wait for their chance or they mourn the loss of a child. I pray that they felt God holding them close today and I pray that they will soon recieve the gift they have been so longing for.

I am so grateful for my Mom and MIL as well. I have a wonderful relationship with each and they are so helpful to me as I raise their grandkids. I would also be remiss if I didn't give my wonderful hubby a shout out. He really is such a great partner in this journey of parenthood. Thank you Lord for the privilege of motherhood!!

Show us your life-Baby Names

2010-05-08T22:59:00.003-04:00

Over at Kelly's Korner she is asking fellow bloggers to share their baby name choices. I think choosing the names of your child is so exciting yet can be very challenging. Mike and I agreed on girl names much easier then boy names. I wanted some newer/trendier names and Mike was really not on the same page, he wanted really traditional names. So when we found out we were having a girl we named her:

ABIGAIL REBECCA

I loved the idea of a strong old fashioned name with the ability to shorten it to Abby, which is what she goes by. Rebecca is my moms first name and I really wanted to use that in my daughter's name. My mom is very special to me and I am so glad that my daughter can share in that. For our son we chose:

WILLIAM DAVID

We chose William because it was Mike's dad's name and because we wanted to call him Will. We chose David because it was a strong name and of course very biblical. We had thought of naming our boy Blake but now that I have a Will I couldn't imagine him with any other name, it is perfect.

If we are blessed with any more children I am toying with keeping the A and W theme going. For a girl I really like AMELIA KATE and for a boy I like WESTIN MICHAEL. I also like the name Wyatt for a boy but I don't think Mike will go for it. I know some people take their maiden name and use it as a middle name but my maiden name is Vogel, which doesn't seem to flow very well as a middle name.

I am looking forward to checking out some of the other names out there as well as the reason they were chosen for that particular child. Head on over to Kelly's blog and you might just find he perfect name for your future little one.

Plan B

2010-05-04T22:11:00.003-04:00

Well Plan B by Pete Wilson has finally been released!! I was fortunate enough to win an advanced reader's copy almost two months ago and have been so eager to post a review. I posted a review on Amazon last week but thought I would give it a little review over here on my blog.

What is amazing about the release of this book is the timing. Pete Wilson is the senior pastor of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN. If you have been following the news you know that Nashville experienced the worse flooding on record this past weekend. I have been following youtube videos posted by those in the area and the devastation is heartbreaking. Pete Wilson's church has been organizing relief efforts this week and has even set up a fund. Talk about the ultimate Plan B, many of these homeowners have no flood insurance.

This book is great because we all have unmet expectations or dreams that failed to come true, the key is what do we do about it. How can we see/feel God's presence in our life when it seems like everything is going wrong. Pete helps you work through the confusion to come out stronger and closer to God. He reminds us of the hope that is in Jesus Christ during and inspite of all circumstances. One of my favorite chapters is Chapter 6 Whiplash. On page 93 he offers this advice "In this life, many of your questions will simply no have answers. But through it all, God himself will never change. This is why our faith must rest on his identity and not necessarily his activity."

Probably my favorite lines of the book are found on page 199 "...God has a perspective on life we don't have.... If you had been at the cross on the day Christ was crucified, you would have sworn that was the worst thing that could ever happen. We don't see it that way today, do we?"

I already have two people in mind that I am going to purchase this book for. I am hopeful that this book will be a blessing to those who are currently struggling in their Plan B and a great resource for those who have yet to experience one.

Soccer and Family

2010-04-24T21:05:00.002-04:00

This Saturday my mom and dad came up to watch the kids soccer games. We were so lucky that we only got a little wet even though the forecast predicted rain all day. Here abby is snuggling with grandma during Will's game. Will was on fire today and scored like a bazillion goals. It is so fun to watch the kids his age, all the boys kept falling on the ball or trying to grab it with their hands, it was quite entertaining.

The above pictures were taken at their first spring soccer game when it was sunny, Abby always has a cute little pose now when we take her picture. Then after the soccer games my sister in law came over with my nephew Colton. Colton is three months old and a pure joy to be around. My kids loved him, acutally Abby smothered him.

I am so grateful that my extended family lives only a little over an hour away. It is so nice to have them just pop in for the day.

Miracles!!!

2010-04-20T15:50:00.003-04:00

I wrote a post over a week ago about the little boy who nearly drowned while we were on vacation in Sanibel at the end of March. I am so happy to update that he is having a recovery that only God could orchestrate. The little boys name is Cal and he is from Minnesota. He left Florida with the prognosis that he needed to be taken off life support because he was brain dead. I am happy to report that he is now breathing on his own, talking some, moving his arms/legs and is to start rehab in the next week. While the extent of his brain injury is still yet to be determined I can only imagine the hope this family is experiencing after weeks of despair. Thank you Lord that Cal's recovery was part of your plan all along. I pray that you continue to be with him and his family as they navigate this new lease on life that he has been given. You are truly an amazing God and I am so glad his parents had faith in you when the world told them otherwise.

Show us your Life- Teacher Gifts

2010-04-16T13:58:00.003-04:00

Over at Kellys Korner she is doing a great post on teacher gift ideas. I struggle with these every year(actually twice a year). There are some great ideas from other bloggers and I have a few that have worked well for me.

Gift cards/Visa cards- I think if you talk to alot of teachers they love all the thoughtful gifts, but how many bottles of lotion from bath and body works do they really need. Luckily our kids classes usually groups money together to give them a good size gift card to Target or a visa gift card to use anywhere. Then I usually add a little something personalized as well.

Christmas Ornaments- I have found a cute Christmas ornament for teachers at Bon Bon Charms. She has alot of cute jewelry as well but the teacher ornament is so cute. You can personalize it with your teacher's name and your child's name. Another site I use is Exposures for personalized ornaments. Last year I took a class photo and had it scanned on the following ornament.

I also think that if you really had a great experience with a teacher you should let her boss know. Last year I loved Abby's kindergarten teacher Mrs. Fisher. I wrote her principal a letter letting him know how great she was. I know that she really appreciated me taking the time to actually pen a letter rather then just telling her that she was doing a great job.

Make sure you pop over to Kelly's blog, I am so excited about all the teacher gift possibilities.

Sanibel 2010

2010-04-11T21:53:00.004-04:00

HERE IS HOW OUR VACATION IN SANIBEL STARTED, WE HAD A THREE HOUR DRIVE TO GET TO SANIBEL FROM THE AIRPORT SO THE KIDS SLEPT THRU THE ARRIVAL.

THE KIDS ARE CHEESING IT BIG TIME FOR MOMMY AT THE BEAUTIFUL CAPTIVA. WE HEADED THEIR FOR LUNCH AT MUCKY DUCK AND A WALK ON THE BEACH, THE WATER IS ALWAYS PRETTIER THERE FOR SOME REASON

NO VACATION WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A PICTURE OF SANIBEL'S BEAUTIFUL SUNSET. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A BIT COOLER THAN MOST YEARS WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUT ALMOST EVERY DAY AND LAY ON THE BEACH AND BY THE POOL.

HERE IS A FAMILY PHOTO, I ALWAYS HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WIND AT SANIBEL. NO MATTER HOW NICE MY HAIR LOOKED UP IN THE CONDO IT ALWAYS TURNS OUT BAD IN THE BEACH PHOTOS.

WE TAKE A PICTURE OF THE KIDS IN THIS CHAIR ON CAPTIVA PRETTY MUCH EVERY YEAR, WE STARTED WHEN ABBY WAS ABOUT 18 MONTHS. IT IS FUN TO COMPARE HOW BIG THE KIDDOS HAVE GOTTEN

ONE OF THE MORNINGS WE HEADED TO FORT MYERS BECAUSE THE MORNING WAS COOL AND RAINY. WE HEADED TO THE IMAGINARIUM WHERE WILL ABOUT DOVE INTO THE PETTING POOL WITH THE BABY STINGRAYS

WE ARE ALWAYS SO GRATEFUL FOR MIKE'S COUSINS. THEY LOVE OUR KIDS AND PLAYED A FUN GAME OF CHICKEN IN THE POOL

WHAT CAN BE MORE FUN THEN A BIG HOLE ON THE BEACH!!

WILL GETTING SOME SERIOUS AIR TIME THANKS TO HIS PAPA

MY TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, HOW I LOVE THEM SO!

WE REALLY HAD A FABULOUS TIME AGAIN IN SANIBEL. WE HAVE MANY FUNNY AND PRECIOUS MEMORIES WITH OUR FAMILY. I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE A FAMILY VACATION TO SANIBEL EACH YEAR, THERE IS SUCH COMFORT IN GOING SOMEWHERE YOU'VE ALWAYS GONE.

WE OF COURSE ARE STILL HEALING FROM THE NEAR DROWNING WE SAW AND CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THAT LITTLE BOY. I HAVE LEARNED HIS NAME IS CAL AND HE HAS RETURNED TO MINNESOTA WITH HIS FAMILY. HIS FAMILY WAS EXPECTED TO TAKE HIM OFF LIFE SUPPORT BUT I AM NOT SURE IF THAT HAS HAPPENED YET. TODAY MIKE SAID SOMETIMES I WISH WE HAD GONE TO THE POOL AT THAT TIME SO THAT WE MAYBE COULD HAVE SEEN HIM STRUGGLING AND HELPED OUT. I KNOW IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE FOR US TO RESCUE HIM AND GOD'S PLAN FOR THAT LITTLE BOY IS GREATER THAN I WILL EVER UNDERSTAND. PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS AS WELL AS THOSE WHO MIGHT BE STRUGGLING WITH WHAT THEY SAW THAT DAY.

So Sad

2010-04-07T16:57:00.003-04:00

This past week we enjoyed a wonderful spring break in Sanibel with my husbands extended family. I am going to include some pictures in an upcoming post but my heart is heavy with how our vacation ended. We unfortunately witnessed the aftermath of a near drowning at the pool at our condo. I can not describe the images that my husband and I saw/felt that Wed evening. According to the surveillance cameras at the condo the little boy was holding onto a beach ball and slipped off the ball and into the water where he sank under. We have no idea how long he was under but he was discovered by a brave boy. There are so many questions regarding how this could happen but they really don't matter now. This six year old boy is now brain dead and to be taken off life support soon. I feel so deeply for this family. I wish I knew their names so I could let them know how much we have been praying for them during these difficult days.

It hits so close to home as I have a 5 and 7 year old. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers, pray that they feel God's presence during this time. I also continue to pray for a miracle, one that we know God(not medicine) can only provide. I pray that if they are believers that they will draw closer to God and closer to each other, may these circumstance not be a wedge between them. I pray that they have the comfort and support of loved ones and friends who will share God's love with them. If they do not know Christ I pray that he will be revealed to them thru this. I pray that people do not judge them, we all make mistakes and they will be dealing with enough pain/loss without the added burden of condemnation by others.

We did have a wonderful vacation and I want to post about that but as I learned last evening of this little boys fate I felt the need to send out this prayer request first. Hug your kids tonight even tighter then before, they are a treasure to behold each day.

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T20:36:00.004-04:00

Happy Resurrection Sunday as my pastor would love to rename it. I hope you all had a wonderful time of celebrating our Savior's death and resurrection as well as time with loved ones.

Here are a few pictures from our Easter, here the kids are dressed in their Sunday best for Easter. It is a big deal that Will is in a collared shirt and wearing Sandals.

Here are the kids before an Easter Egg hunt at my parents. We had a great lunch made by my mom and I contributed my first ever apple crisp, it was all delicious.

These next two pictures are kind of an inside joke. When my kids always ask my mom what's for lunch or dinner she usually says broccoli to tease them. So she placed carrots and broccoli in two of their eggs, as you can see Will was less than thrilled.

I would be remiss if I also didn't include what happened the night before Easter. Will lost his first tooth, it was so loose that I just gave it one little twist and it came right out. Will knocked this tooth loose over a year ago so I wasn't surprised that it finally wiggled it's way out. He will probably have a toothless grin for a while.

Daddy/Daughter Dance

2010-03-22T16:54:00.003-04:00

Well Abby joined Girl Scouts for the first time this year, actually she is a Daisy soon to be Brownie. One of the perks, other than the fabulous cookies, is a Daddy/Daughter dance. This past Saturday, Abby and Mike got to dress up, eat dinner together and dance the night away.

The Theme was Hollywood Nights and they had a red carpet entrance and people snapping pictures like Paparazzi. They had a great time hanging out together. Will and I rented a Transformer movie and he got his favorite meal(McDonalds of course). It was a very fun night for all of us. I let Abby wear make-up, which she was thrilled about and she wore the flower girl dress from my brother's wedding. I love our whole family time but it is nice when we get to focas one on one with the kids as well.

Show us your life- Your typical day

2010-03-05T14:29:00.003-05:00

Check out Kelly's Korner where lots of mommies are sharing their typical day. It is kind of fun to compare days and maybe get some great ideas to shake up the normal routine. My schedule varies from day to day, with Abby being in first grade all day and Will attending preschool most days. My mornings are pretty much the same, the kids are my alarm clock and get up around 7am. The kids play around and watch a little tv(they love trading spaces kids that comes on at 7 or 730 in the morning. They eat breakfast around 8 am and then we are off to school by 855 for Abby and Will by 930am.

Depending on the morning I have BSF or women's prayer group, some mornings I meet a friend to walk, schedule my Md appts/hair appts or head to the grocery. I feel blessed at this stage of my life to have some much treasured free time in the morning. As a stay at home mom I know the pains of not having any free time to schedule appts or run errands. Will is home at 1pm and Abby by 345 pm. We play around, eat a snack and then wait for daddy to get home around 6-630pm for dinner. The kids wrestle with daddy after dinner or we all play a game. Then bath, bedtime and prayers around 8pm.

We try to keep our evenings mostly free but on Mondays Abby has gymnastics at 630(which is kind of nice because daddy actually gets to come and see her perform) and on Wednesdays we have small groups at the church. I really have two great kids and enjoy the time I get to spend with them. I can't believe in two years both kids will be in school all day, that seems really weird.

Thanks for looking at my day, I am looking forward to checking out all the other mom's days.

Mini Mani!!!

2010-03-01T20:37:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday my husband and my little boy were invited to the Ohio State vs Michigan Basketball game. So while the boys were out I wanted to do something fun with Abby. I decided to head over to the Polaris mall and take her to Sweet and Sassy for a mini manicure. This was our first time their and Abby had a wonderful time. You can have birthday parties there, get your hair done, have pedicures/manicures as well as make your own glitter lotion or lip gloss. It is definitely a great place for mothers/daughters to hang out.

Abby chose hot pink nail polish, she got a pink butterfly ring and had tiny flower stickers put on one of her nails.

She got to put her hands under a nail dryer and they put two glitter stars on her cheek. It was alot of fun and I look forward to taking her back soon for a pedicure. Then we went to eat at California Pizza kitchen and had a yummy meal. The highlight of the whole trip was this picture:

Abby saw her first real typewriter and flipped out. She loves the American Girl movie Kit Kittridge and was amazed she saw a real typewriter. She was giddy the rest of the afternoon. I am thinking about getting her a vintage one for her birthday or Christmas, Etsy had a couple cute ones for sale.

It was a fun day for the girls and for the boys. This one on one time is so important for each child and I am grateful that our kids still treasure hanging out with us. Thankyou for this opportunity Lord.

Smart Girl, Smart Phone

2010-02-23T21:09:00.004-05:00

Well I have finally moved into the techno world of 2010, I got a smartphone. My lame cell phone broke so I had to get a new phone. I of course did not have to get a smartphone but I just couldn't resist the internet capability. I have wanted an iphone for a while but we are die hard verizon fans, so I got the Droid.

I just got it today so I have alot to learn but I think it will be a phone the whole family will benefit from. I have already downloaded two apps for the kids: Connect the Dots(which my son loves) and Tic Tac Toe(you can play the computer or another person). My kids can also watch kid safe youtube videos if I get in a pinch somewhere and need some entertainment. We will see how it goes. I hope to find some great biblical apps as well, I am sure there are some that download the bible or provide scriptures.

Sunday Song

2010-02-21T19:25:00.003-05:00

Last night Mike and I were fortunate enough to go out to dinner sans kids. Our neighbor(who is Mike's cousin) offered to babysit our kids so we could have a date night. We had a wonderful time at the Bonefish Grill and the kids got to see The Fantastic Mr. Fox and eat Mcdonalds. When we picked the kids up we found out that the kids had wanted to write songs. Here is what Abby wrote:

My teacher's name is Miss Perry. She is pretty and likes hot pink. I really like my teacher Miss Perry.

She performed this while stroking keys on the piano.

Here is what Will wrote:

No one has seen God, but he is in our hearts, Yeah! He is so sweet to us. Thankyou for dying on the cross for us God, but he is in our hearts, Yeah! Oh Yeah, thankyou for dying on the cross for us God, Yeah!

He peformed this song will banging a pencil on the piano to keep the beat.

I am so grateful for the songs Will learns at BSF and Church. I know this song he made was a combination of all the biblical truths he has learned because people were willing to give of their time and teach him. There is no greater gift then knowing that your children have chosen to love God, and I know that both Abby and Will love God.

I wanted to preserve this memory for my kids to look at when they are older but also as a reminder of God's promise. Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Remembering

2010-02-17T21:27:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I forget all the cute/funny things my kids do or say. My parents or in-laws will ask "Did the kids do anything funny lately?" and I'll think yeah they did but I forget. So part of recognizing the simple blessings in my life is taking the time to remember these funny/special sayings or doings of my kids. I hope that I can be better at recording these things in my blog for the enjoyment of my family, myself and for my kids when they are older.

This past weekend Abby and Will did at Valentine scavenger hunt at Mike's cousins. For the last clue they had to go to the bathtub. Abby yells down that they couldn't find the clue(post-it note) in the tub. We asked her if there was anything in the tub and she said yeah there are presents. We laughed so hard, she was so focased on the clues that she didn't realize the prize at the end. I am so glad that Abby is often grateful for the adventure rather than the prize. Will however is all about the presents.

This weekend also Will was laying in my bed with me in the morning. He looks at me and says "Mom, I love you so much. I will never break your heart." I hugged and kissed that kid to pieces. I know that that will probably not be true but now I at least have this written down so I can remind him of his promise.

Thank you Lord for these special moments with my children. They say so much about who they are and who I pray they will become. Please help me be a model of your character Lord so they might model it in their own lives. Today at my church's prayer group for moms we talked about how hard it is to be Christ like for our children but that it is such an important thing to do. Grant me your strength to be the mom you designed me to be so that my kids might know more of you each day.

Baby be Blessed

2010-02-15T15:37:00.003-05:00

I first heard of Baby be Blessed Dolls from Angie's blog. I had wanted to get one for Abby last year but they were so busy they couldn't take on any new orders. The dolls are hand-made by two women so obviously the production time takes a while. Last fall I became a facebook fan and found out that they were taking orders and then fufilling as they could. I was so pumped because I knew I was gaurenteed a doll but it might take a while. So after 3-4 months I recieved Abby's perfect doll. This is no ordinary doll though, it was made with love and prayed over. When you lift up her little skirt she has this on her tummy.

You can pick any inscription you would like. I picked this verse because my mom told it to me as a child and it has really been my life verse. I am so grateful for the opportunity to purchase one of these dolls. The women behind this company are so generous to others as well, please check out their site to see what they are up to. I feel so blessed.

Let it Snow!!

2010-02-09T18:49:00.008-05:00

Well we have had our share of snow here in Ohio for the past 5 days. We have had close to 15 inces of snow. Abby got out of school early on Friday and today they had no school. Here our some pictures of the winter fun.

Here is Daddy and his little girl trying to make a snowman

Across the cul de sac is Abby,Will and cousin Maggie shoveling driveways and wiping off snow from cars.

We decided to try snow icecream for the first time

Add some vanilla

Then some sugar

Here comes the Milk and then stir!

Will added some chocolate syrup

Abby was happy with plain vanilla

It was pretty good ice cream. We have had fun in the snow but I would be happy for a little break. Not sure if we will have school tommorrow or not.

Beauty Finds- Kelly's Korner

2010-02-05T15:40:00.006-05:00

Today at Kelly's Korner she is asking for beauty finds. I know I have wasted too much money on finding the perfect hairspray, face primer or lip gloss. Check out her blog for all the great beauty finds. Her are a few of my favorites.

This is Carmindy's(What not to Wear) primer for Sally Hanson. It goes on very smooth and has a little bit of shimmer. Some don't like the glitter but I think it gives a dewey effect not a "I'm trying to be a tween" look. I also like Smashbox face primer as well and Laura Mercier. The only negative about Carmindy's and Smashbox is problems with the pump, so alot of times I just unscrew the top and get it that way, if not you will waste alot of product.

I love, love this creme blush by Nars. It is called Cactus flower and is perfect. I am pale in complexion but this does not overpower me. They describe it as poppy and it gives you that, I was just outside in the freezing cold, rosy cheeks look.

Last is my favorite lip shines by Philosophy. They are not as tacky as a lip gloss and they have great flavors/shades. The Kiss Me Red is my favorite, it is clear with a slight tint of red. It is like Carmex for me.

Hope you all enjoyed and I can't wait to check out all the other finds.

Cheering with the Rocks!!

2010-02-03T20:44:00.004-05:00

This past Friday Abby got to cheer at halftime of the Varsity Men's Basketball game at Dublin Coffman High School. She had two after school cheer camp practices and then performed along with 150 other dublin elementary girls at the big game. They did a dance, cheer and chant. The best part was that my husband's cousin is a Varsity Basketball cheerleader, so Abby got to do the camp practices and hang out with her before the game. We are so grateful to have some family nearby, they are so helpful and truly love and care for our children. I have video but blogger won't let me upload it for some reason. Enjoy!!

Here is Abby with all the other girls,she is on the far left, second row from the back and the sixth girl over.

Here is Maggie with Abby and Will before the big performance

Here is Abby looking up to Maggie as she stretches out before the game.

Kellys Korner- Show us where you shop

2010-01-25T16:02:00.004-05:00

I love to shop. Over on Kellys Korner blog she wants to know where everyone loves to shop. What a great way to pass on some great shopping advice.

For my kids I love shopping at Target and Old Navy for basics that I don't care if they are ruined in 2-3 months. I have also had some good luck with Gap Kids,Landsend and bodenusa. I occassionally buy from Garnet Hill as well. For great tennis shoes I always go to Stride Rite and then fill in the rest of our needs with Kohls,Target etc.

For myself I am a Banana Republic girl, they have the best jeans.

I also like Martin and Osa for tops because they come in longer lengths.

I shop anthropologie for special things like a cute sweater or top that I plan on wearing for a while. For Shoes I like DSW,Marshalls and Zappos. I still peak my head in Jcrew from time to time and Abercrombie has the softest tshirts. One of my favorite brands of clothing is CABI, it stands for Carol Anderson by invitation. It is a home clothing party line and some of my favorite pieces are from there. The sizes are consistent,flattering and there really is something for all women. It is a little pricey but I find that I wear the pieces so much that it is totally worth it. I can't wait to read through all the other posts and discover some new places to shop.

Welcom Colton!!

2010-01-25T15:46:00.003-05:00

Well just over a week ago my nephew Colton Michael Vogel was born. I was blessed to arrive at the hospital 10 minutes after he was born and got to hold him right then. It was so special to be apart of my brother and sister in laws special day. Erika was a champ, she had no epidural and had her baby was born in about 10 hours. Here are some pictures at the hospital and a few days later at their house. Abby and Will were so excited to meet their new cousin and are already asking when they can see him again. Thank you Lord for this blessing to our family.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-12T22:11:00.005-05:00

Here are some long time coming Christmas pictures. I posted some on Facebook right after Christmas but haven't gotten to post them on the blog yet. Christmas this past year was with Mike's family but we got to host part of it. It was so nice because the three of us who live in Dublin each took one of the meals. I had brunch on Christmas morning and this worked out perfect for our kids to get to stay in their jammies and play with their Santa gifts. I had fun decorating this year, we decorated a little more than usual since we were hosting.

Here is the whole family on Christmas morning at our house opening tons of presents.

A picture of all four cousins together on Christmas Eve. This can be a hard task so I am glad that we got physical proof that all the cousins were together for Christmas for the first time.

Here is my dining room. I didn't have table cloths for my tables and I wasn't ready to commit to buying a nice tablecloth for the holidays yet. So I found this really cool wrapping paper at Target that coordinated with the plates I was using and I used it as a runner. I think it turned out pretty cute. I also hung ornaments from the chandelier as I had seen on other blogs.

My favorite new decoration was these candles from dayspring. I really wanted people to know that Christ was the reason for the season so I placed these candles with the nativity scene on my kitchen island.

It was a great Christmas. The kids were happy with all their toys. Abby and Will both got a Zhu Zhu pet, Abby got a Barbie hair salon and a new bike. Will got more trains/tracks for his imaginetex train and a cool dragon castle from his Uncle Bri Bri. I got a lovely Cole Haan purse from Mike and Mike got some shoes that he has been wanting. We feel so blessed to have family near us for the Holidays. The only thing better would have been if my family could have been there to celebrate as well. We did have Christmas with my family on new years day and it the best gift was a Buckeye Victory.

Polar Express

2009-12-27T14:57:00.004-05:00

So many fun things have happened this December and I am really behind on updating the blog about them. This post is about the Nona/Papa adventure weekend the kids took the first weekend in December. They did their traditional Gingerbread House making and then went on a fabulous trip to the Polar Express.

Here they are with Santa on the Train. Abby and Will each got a very special Santa Sleigh bell and only those who believe in Santa can hear it, it was very cute. They also got to eat hot chocolate and get their tickets punched just like the movie.

Here is Will with his Papa!

Abby with her Nona!

I think I have more picture of the kids with their grandparents then I do of all four of us. One of my goals over the next year is to get better about taking family photos of all of us together.

Mike and I are so grateful for the free time we were able to have while the kids were away. We got some much needed Christmas shopping done, slept in and had a great meal out.

More December fun to come!!!

Be the Match!!

2009-12-15T22:09:00.003-05:00

A little over a week ago our church hosted a bone marrow donor drive. It was very powerful as 70+ people from our church signed up. I have always toyed with the idea of being a donor, I know from several blogs I follow how critical the need is but I never felt that "God Moment" telling me to pursue it or maybe I did but I chose to brush it aside. It was interesting when our pastor first mentioned it to the congregation, as he had become aware of a mother who knew someone in our congregation who was in need of a bone marrow transplant. I prayed about the choice God would have me make that day and then relaxed down to watch Extreme Home Makeover that night. Wouldn't you know that on that very episode a woman who was cured by a bone marrow transplant was featured and they brought her donor to help rebuild their house. It was truly a moving moment and a prod in the right direction.

Later when they announced the date of the actual sign up it happened to be the Sunday our kids were with the grandparents, allowing us to take the 15 minutes or so to fill out the paperwork and do the cheek swabs without two kids begging us to go. So I anxiously await to see how God uses our church to literally save a life. Thankyou God for the clear signs pointing me to your character and your desire for me to give something that isn't really mine to give. I pray that more people will pray about the decision to be a bone marrow donor. I pray for those who continue to battle bravely severe illness and those heroes who give of their time, energy to help them fight that battle. Thank you for your son Jesus Christ and the ultimate gift and sacrifice he made for all.

Greatest Gift

2009-12-01T22:16:00.002-05:00

Today I received one of the greatest gifts a mom can get. It was presented to me in a conversation with my 5 year old son today.

Me: Will, what is the true reason for Christmas?

Will: Jesus was born

Me: Why is it important that Jesus was born?

Will: So Jesus could die on the cross

Me: What does Jesus death on the cross mean for us?

Will: That we are able to live

Yeah God, thank you for all the people placed in Will's life who have taught and modeled a life of Christ for him. There is no greater gift than the gift of Christ, and a close second is being able to witness that someone accept Christ and his message. I am truly blessed.

FYI: I asked Abby these same questions this evening and she got it as well, the comfort in knowing that the seed has been planted. In BSF we talked about God enabling people to understand his word, thank you for enabling my children to understand the most important truth of your precious word

If at first you don't succeed.......

2009-11-24T22:57:00.004-05:00

This past friday I attemped to get a signed copy of Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue". I started my morning by taking Abby to school, then raced like a mad woman to buy 2 of her books at the Kenny Rd Borders, because Borders website said they were out at their Dublin Location. I then dropped Will off at preschool and zoomed over to the Borders on Sawmill to wait in line for a wristband. Originally they were going to give out 1000 wristbands that would allow you to come back in the evening for the book signing.
When I showed up the line was all the way down the front and back of the shopping center. I heard from someone in line that now they were only giving away 500 wristbands as Palin's crew had requested this. I enjoyed chatting with the nice people in line with me, it was comforting to be with those who appreciated the same conservative values that I believe in. After over two hours of waiting we were told that they were out of wristbands. I was disappointed but I knew in the big scheme of life it wasn't the end of the world. I went on with my day but I just couldn't let go that I felt like I really wanted to get those two books signed.
I called Borders at 530 that night to inquire about the line for those without a wristband and the worker said not to come because I wouldn't be able to get them signed. I felt defeated, Mike came home and I told him I knew I was being a baby about this but I really wanted to see her. So Mike said just go anyways and see what happens. So I went back out and waited in line and 2 and 1/2 hours later I had two signed copies of her book. I got to shake her hand, she asked me my name and I said Thank you so much. I was super pumped after that. I got one book for me and one for my father in law for Christmas.
So in this case persistence paid off. I had prayed about this a few days before because I didn't want to spend God's time doing something that might be frivalous. I feel like God ordained my schedule so that I might go. So that I might be encouraged by others who share similar values and that I might share my faith in Christ with others. I know that 4.5 hours is a long time to wait to meet one person, but I also see it as a reminder that if I am willing to do this to meet Sarah Palin I should be able to commit that amount of time and more in serving Christ.

Will's Fifth Birthday!!

2009-11-14T10:38:00.004-05:00

Wow, Have I been taking a major blogging hiatus. I meant to post more on our Disney trip but life has been very busy at our house. Will was very lucky to get to spend his fifth birthday at Disney World. He wore a special shirt, got a button, got into the park for free and of course got a birthday dinner. We were at Hollywood Studios on Will's birthday and had a wonderful time there.

Will got to see the Power rangers, which was way cool. He dressed up as the Blue Power Ranger for Halloween so it was great to get a picture with him and his autograph.

Will got to wear a special Birthday Chef hat at dinner. We ate at Mama Melrose's and it was very good. Will got a special birthday sundae and he loved it. They also gave Abby a chef hat since her birthday was only two weeks past.

I can't believe my baby is 5 years old, he is such a big boy in so many ways, yet very tender still. He is super excited that now he is five he can do the climbing wall at the workout place now. I am so grateful for this silly little boy who keeps me laughing all the time. He is great at soccer, wrestling with his daddy and has become quite good at is Batman leapster game. I feel so blessed to call this little boy my son. Thank you Lord for the blessing of being a mother, or as Will calls me, Mama.

Magic Kingdom

2009-11-04T22:06:00.008-05:00

We spent most of our time at Disney World at the Magic Kingdom. We spent all day Monday at the Kingdom, including a special Princess Lunch for Abby. It was really a special event. Abby got her picture with almost all the Disney princesses, a special meal and a magic wishing star complete with wand. She was over the moon.

Abby was the first girl that each princess visited which made her feel super special. It was fun to eat lunch with my precious daughter, my mom and my sister-in-law. The boys had a character lunch at the Crystal palace and got to meet Pooh and friends.

The first ride we rode was the Dumbo ride. Will rode with his mama and it was fun to get to ride this classic ride with my little boy. The funny thing about this ride is I think we waited longer for this ride than any other ride in the park that day. Will still loves the movie Dumbo so it was neat that this was our first ride of the day

On Tuesday evening we headed back to Magic Kingdom for a special Halloween Party and Parade. The kids dressed up and got to go trick or treating at the Park. They also had fireworks, a parade and a little dance party. I got to try out the fireworks setting on my camera, I still need to learn how to use my camera more but the portability of it was awesome.

More pictures from our big Disney adventure soon. Including Will's birthday.

Disney World

2009-11-02T14:20:00.004-05:00

Pictured above are my lovely parents and the reason we were able to go to Disney World last week. My mom and dad took my family, my older brother, my younger brother,his wife and son all to WDW last week. It was amazing!! It was the first time for my kids and their cousin Colin. We had great weather, although a bit on the hot side and everyone was healthy. I prayed before and during our trip that we would remain healthy. With the swine flu, strep throat and colds making the rounds I feel so blessed that our family was protected for this past week.

We had a 6am flight on Sunday morning so we left for the airport at 4am!! We arrived at our hotel around 1pm and ate some lunch and walked around before we could check in. That night we went to Downtown Disney and ate at a great restaurant called Rainforest Cafe. They have simulated thunder storms every 20 minutes and we celebrated all three kids October birthdays with an awesome brownie dessert.

Also in Downtown Disney they have a design-a-tee store by Hanes. Abby and Will each designed a tee on the computer and then an hour later we went back to pick it up. Abby chose a purple tee with all the princesses on it. Will chose blue shirt with the Incredibles on it and we wrote "I was at Disney World on my birthday" on it. My brother Brian bought Abby and Will the famous mickey and minnie mouse ears with their names embroidered on the back. We had a great first day to our trip. Despite the long travel it was so nice to relax and have a meal together. We all went to bed early so we could be up and ready to go for the Magic Kingdom the next day.

I'll update on that tommorrow.

She's Seven!!

2009-10-14T22:54:00.006-04:00

Well my little girl turned 7 today. She was so excited this morning for her special day. Daddy took in special cookies that I made and he stayed and ate lunch with her too.

Abby got to pick what she wanted to do for dinner and she chose Boston Market. She loves to eat there but her little brother is not a big fan so this was a big treat for her.

Here I am lighting her candles. Notice Will the multi tasker in the background. He can manage to pick his nose and provide me with instruction at the same time, my kids are truly gifted.

Here Mike tried to take a picture of the birthday girl but Will wanted to make his presence known. Abby got a pink snuggie, a custom made CD from her cousin, an invitation to make cupcakes with her other cousin and a vera bradley sunglass case. I know that last one seems strange but when she saw it in a store she was obsessed with it. It was a great day for all. On Saturday we will take 4 of her friends to CiCi's pizza followed by attending Dublin Coffman's version of HSM 2. It should be a blast.

Thankyou Lord for this precious girl. She is so tender hearted and such a friend to all. I am so grateful for how she is growing up and know I will be amazed by the plans you have for her.

What we've been up to

2009-10-12T20:52:00.004-04:00

Well we have had a busy week. Here are some pictures of Abby at gymnastics and when we went out to get a blizzard treat while Will was with our babysitter.

This was the first time she had done a handstand on the beam, it is so fun seeing her get to try so many different things at gymnastics. She has made real improvements over the past 7 weeks

We love Blizzards and they were buy one get one free!!

This past friday was a tailgate at Abby's school. We took the whole family for pizza, cheers and some face painting. It was crowded because the weather did not cooperate but it was still fun. On Saturday the kids had soccer games and my parents and Mike's sister came over for them. Will was a soccer maniac, he was scoring goals like crazy and even dived once to block a shot on goal. Abby did a really good job of hustling up and down the field all game, no goals but she still did great. After the soccer game my in-laws picked up the kids for a fall adventure weekend. They went to a corn maze and decorated pumkins, they also got their birthday gifts from them. They were totally wiped out on Sunday.

Abby will turn 7 this wednesday. I am making some sugar cookies to take in and I think we are going to take her out to Boston Market. She always begs to go here but we usually don't as Will is not a fan. I hope to post pictures of her birthday and a birthday outing we have planned for the weekend.

Thank you Lord for a full life. Thank you for my extended family who loves to be so involved in my kids lives. I am truly blessed.

AMEN!!

2009-10-05T10:33:00.003-04:00

**Remember to pause the music at the bottom left, then enjoy**

One of my facebook friends posted this today. You will be blessed by listening to it. What a great way to start off your week. Thank you Lord for this country and thank you that you will not abandon us despite the world rejecting you.

Proud

2009-10-04T21:57:00.008-04:00

Well I took Will to get his haircut at Great Clips(where his daddy goes) and I was so proud of him. He sat so still, asked the stylist lots of questions and of course came home looking very handsome. We walked next door to subway and he sat quietly while I ordered. On the way out the cashier gave him a free cookie. I almost teared up when he was getting his haircut because he looked like such a big boy. It was a fun afternoon with my little guy.

Abby scored the first goal of the soccer game this saturday. She was so excited that she scored a goal and that she was the first one on both teams to do so. She is getting better each game, adjusting to the bigger fields has been a little tough on her but she is getting the hang of it slowly but surely.

I am also proud of my big brother Brian who completed the 60 mile walk in San Francisco this weekend for Breast Cancer awareness. It was rough on his body but he said it was a life changing experience. I can't wait to hear more about the amazing people he met.

I am proud of Abby and Will and how well they got along this weekend. Here they are watching Scooby Doo together while Mom and Dad watch the Buckeye Victory. It is so fun to capture these tender moments.

Lastly I am proud of my little fireman. Today was an open house at the dublin fire stations so Mike took Will over while Abby was at a birthday party. He looks so cute!!!

Thankyou Lord for a fun family weekend. Thank you for allowing me to focus on the good my children did this weekend rather than the frustrating parts. They truly are a blessing to me.

Crazy Love Ch. 2

2009-09-28T22:55:00.004-04:00

Here are just a few quotes I highlighted from reading Ch. 2 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan.

*On the average day, we forget that our life truly is a vapor.(James 4:13-14)

*When I am consumed with my problems...I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a "right" to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.

*The point of your life is to point to him.

*A.W. Tozer once said "A man by his sin may waste himself, which is to waste that which on earth is most like God. This is man's greatest tragedy and God's heaviest grief."

***So who are you pointing to? What direction is your life pointing at? Are you consumed with things that reveal the glory of God or only things that complete your own agenda? I know I need daily reminders to stop being selfish and living a life that is all about me. What a great chapter to remind me of how easy I can lose my focus. I pray Lord that my thoughts,actions,words and time would be guided by you, that your will is done and not just squeezed into my check off list. Help me to be, as Francis Chan's book says "Overwhelmed by a relentless God" every day.

**For more discussion on Crazy Love check out this website http://bloomcommunity.ning.com/

I love it when a plan comes together!

2009-09-23T23:19:00.003-04:00

Any A-team fans out there? Well I am not talking about my plan but of God's. I had mentioned earlier this week about studying the book of John for BSF and how my pastor taught on the same book at church on Sunday. Little did I know after that post that God was not done re-affirming the importance of the book of John in my life.

Today I went to the bookstore to pick up two books. I have recently re-discovered the joy of reading books again, that is books that aren't geared towards a 5 and 7 year old. I had heard about a bible study going on at Angie's blog called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I had wanted to participate in it but thought with BSF starting I would not have time. So I didn't get the book but I have watched bits of the video portion Angie and her friend have posted on the first two chapters. So today as I am looking for the book "What Difference do it Make?" by Ron Hall,I came across what else but Crazy Love. I thought to myself, God must want me to read this book so I might as well get it.

Fast forward to tonight, I decide to go ahead and read the first chapter of this book. First of all, if you think you are in awe of our God now, please go to the crazy love website and watch the video called "Awe Factor". If you thought God was big, you haven't even scratched the surface. As I read the first chapter I came across this verse, Colossians 1:16 "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him." While the verse is amazing itself, even more amazing is that I just studied this verse this morning as part of my BSF homework. This was not a coincidence or chance, it was a total God thing. How great of him to confirm to me that I am inside of his will. Being in God's word is blessing enough but that he would take the time to guide me to the passages he wants me to be in is simply breath taking.

I can't wait to see what God is going to reveal to me over the next few months. I am only two weeks into BSF and 1 Chapter into Crazy Love and I feel like shouting from my rooftop all that God has taught me. God is good, all the time, all the time he is good. Thanks God for being ever present in my journey to know more of you.

Perfect Timing?

2009-09-22T22:45:00.005-04:00

Well today Abby had school pictures. Normally this is a very exciting today, but since last night Abby had a crash on her scooter and caught herself with her face, not so much.

This is how Abby's face looked last night after we cleaned her up.

This is how she looked today for pictures. Luckily they have retakes and class pictures do not take place until the Spring. It really could have been alot worse so we are so grateful that a few scabs is all she ended up with.

Abby was a real sport about it. She was worried about her pictures and I told her that she would have a chance to have them redone. She scuffed up her knee pretty good as well and she had already had scabs on her knees from a fall last week. Needless to say she is not allowed to play chasing games with the neighbors any more to ensure we do not have any more incidents for a while. I will be grateful for pants weather, her poor little legs are all scabbed up.

In other news I have found a great new salad kit by Dole. It is called Southwest salad and comes with dressing, cheese and seasoned wonton strips. I add fritos to it and some additional cheese and it is perfect. Tonight I made taco meat with it and we had a great taco salad. So if you are looking for something easy with a little zing then I definitely recommend it.

I guess some things don't go together

2009-09-20T22:53:00.002-04:00

My kids love brownies. My kids love peanut butter chips. I get great idea to bake brownies with peanut butter chips in them. My kids decide that baked peanut chips in their brownies is not a good thing. So much for trying to combine the best of both worlds. Luckily Mommy thinks they go together great and will be eating the rest of the brownies by herself this week.

This weekend we had alot of fun. On Friday night we went out to The Montgomery Inn and had a fabulous dinner. Mike ate way more barbecued meat then should be allowed. After dinner we walked over to the toy store. Mike decided that purchasing a whoopie cushion would be great fun. We brought it home, each kid tried it once. Then Will thought it would be fun to jump on it, whoopie cushion busts completely to threads. Abby starts crying because she no longer has hours of entertainment before her. Will starts crying because he feels bad that he busted it. Mike and I are laughing that a whoopie cushion could cause such extreme emotions in our children.

Saturday Abby and Will had their soccer games. Abby scored two goals, she was super excited. During the second half of the game, Abby was lolli-gagging around and I told her she needed to pick it up. She tells me "Mom, I already scored two goals". We had a little talk afterwards about what it means to be on a team. Later we all headed to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was very cute and very short. It had a nice message about being who you are and about telling your kids you love them and are proud of the them. It was well done and we were so happy to have a family friendly movie to see.

We were all happy that the Buckeyes won, USC lost and the Bengals won. Will and Mike played football today and Mike taught Will how to fake. Abby and I went shoe shopping and got her some cute black dress shoes as well as some skecher twinkle toes that she just had to have. How could I resist purchasing tennis shoes with rhinestone studded toes and charms hanging from the laces.

Our weekend wouldn't be complete without attending church today. Our pastor is teaching from John, the same book we are studying in BSF. I love it when God does things like this. I know I am supposed to be paying attention to what God is revealing to me about Jesus Christ through the book of John. Now I will be sure to get it. Thankyou Lord for allowing me to worship you today, thanks for always being present in our lives. Thanks for the blessing of being able to call your son my savior!!!

BSF the Gospel of John

2009-09-16T22:24:00.003-04:00

So BSF(Bible Study Fellowship) started this week and we will be studying John. I am so excited to be learning more about this particular Gospel and to have the structure I need to really be in God's word daily. I have heard that John is an excellent place to start for those who are not familiar with God and his son Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that this year many women who have never known the love of Christ will acknowledge it and recieve it. I pray for myself that I will see what God wants to reveal to me about himself. So if you haven't yet found a bible study please check out the BSF website for a class near you. I can't wait to see what God reveals to me about his son Jesus Christ thru John.

Stationary Giveaway

2009-09-14T21:57:00.002-04:00

I am already thinking about what my Christmas Cards will look like this year. Over at Polka Dot Mom there is a giveaway for some great stationary by Pea Pod. Even if you don't win the giveaway they have some really cute stuff. Also you might want to follow Polka Dot Mom as well, she always finds the neatest things.

Hoping to blog about Mike's recent trip to India soon. He should have some great pictures from the trip but we are waiting for his co-worker to email them. He was there for two weeks and got home this past Friday night. We then went to the OSU vs USC game. What an exciting place to be until the last minute of the game. I took some pictures with my phone but I am not sure how they turned out.

Will is a monkey!!

2009-09-09T22:51:00.006-04:00

Today was Will's first day of Pre-K. He is in the Monkey class at school. His sister was in the frog class when she attended pre-k so it will be fun to see what the monkey's do. Will was a little nervous for school so we prayed about it last night and this morning. He was perfect!!! He let me take pictures, which he did not want to do last year and he walked right into class without any hesitation. I even had to pull him back to give him a good luck hug.

Unlike his sister, Will could care less about a back to school outfit, so I let him pick out what he wanted to wear.

Here is a close up of my little man outside his classroom. His teacher was so cute, before they could enter class they could give her a handshake, high five or hug. Of course my boy chose the leaping high five.

Abby has had alot of fun with dress up lately. She was a flower girl last May and so she decided to try it on again for size. She decided to add a little Indian flare by wearing the jacket her daddy brought home from India. Does she have the modeling pose down or what.

I am so blessed to have these lovely little children to keep my life full of so much joy. What a gift God has given me in motherhood.

Labor Day 2009

2009-09-08T09:24:00.006-04:00

We spent Labor Day weekend at the lake again this year. The weather couldn't have been better. We were able to play in the lake on both a calm and wavy day as well as get in a great boat ride. Abby and Will played with their cousins of all ages and had a blast.

Abby and Will played really well with each other. It was nice to be able to actually sit a little on the beach and watch them entertain each other.

There was tons of bird poop on the pier so some of the adults started the process of washing it all off. Will decided he wanted to help so he went and got a bucket of water from the lake and walked it over. I am not sure how much water was actually still in the bucket by the time he got it there but it was really sweet to see him wanting to help with out my prompting. Abby decided she wanted to help too and brought over a bucket as well.

We feel so grateful to get to spend several weekends up at the Lake. It is a beautiful and relaxing place with lots of family and good friends. I know we are making such precious memories for our children.

We drove home early from the Lake on Monday to meet my side of the family for a special lunch. My grandparents have been married for 60 years, what an amazing milestone. It was nice to see everyone get together to honor them and their commitment.

We are back to school today for Abby and tommorrow Will starts preschool. Looking forward to all that the approaching fall season has to offer.