When a Crisis Happens, What Do You Do?

When something bad happens in your family, what happens to the ones around you? Do they fall apart, panic, and fret over what has happened? Do they cry and wring their hands to the point that they don't know what to do next?

This week my family has been going through a crisis. My sister who is a lot older than me, had to be hospitalized because her body was racked with pain and they could not figure out what was going on. She has been taking care of my father since my mom died almost three years ago. She is his primary care giver when he needs it.

With her being down, many in my family could fall apart, however, we choose not to. It is during these times of crisis that we grow closer together as a family, and everyone pitches in to help where help is needed.

Two of those people are my children. They are still young, but old enough to know that when the going gets tough-the family gets tougher! They have pitched right in there and are helping take up some of the slack by mowing my sister and my dad's yard, just to be helpful. They don't expect anything in return. They just know that their help is needed.

I cannot tell you how proud that makes me that they want to help, that they want to pitch in and make it easier on everybody. I am just blessed with two wonderful kids who are the highlight of my day! I know there will come a time when they will make wrong choices and I will be disappointed, but for the most part, I know who they serve and they serve Jesus well. They strive to make Him happy and proud and that has a lot to do with their attitude about serving and loving their families.

Keep my sister in your prayers that they will get her diagnosis complete (they are saying Chron's disease) and that they will get her pain level to a tolerable point.

To Flat Iron Or Not To Flat Iron. . .That Is the Question

This is me before the flat iron. I wash and dry my hair and it "poofs" all on its own.




Ain't that hair something else?? Now, check this out. After my flat iron has had a chance to get with my hair!


Major difference huh?

The Jealous Type

What happens when you are having a lovey-dovey moment like this one?

Do the "children" go, "awwww, how sweet", or do they get jealous? Well. . . in my home, I have one child who is NEVER happy when my husband and I snuggle.

He is the center of attention and gets very upset with me if he is not the one getting my kisses.

He, of course has to wait his turn! Cause this guy, he is the one that my kisses are meant for!

Happy Birthday Nanny!

Stephen's mom (aka Nanny) had a birthday last week. The cake that Kayla baked was for her and she was SO surprised.

Before we gave her the cake, we took her out to dinner at her favorite restaurant. This lady has just meant the world to me. We have had our ups and downs, but when I think of the word mom--her face is what I see. She taught me to be a wife and a mother, and has been a great friend to have around.

The kids absolutely adore her! They go over to her house and play cards with her and just spend time hanging out with her. She has nothing fancy for them, but what she does have is love and they soak that up like a sponge!

It's great to have relatives who are special and mean so much!

The Artist Within

I love when my daughter draws. She has such a knack for it.

I had her design the cover of my recipe book. I told her to be creative and this is what she came up with:

Don't you just love it? If I ever publish a cookbook, this will be the cover I am sure. It is just so Kayla and I love everything about it!

A Day At the Lake

We went to the lake a couple of weeks ago in the evening and instead of fishing this time I just decided to look around. I came across this really neat sculpture:

A festival happens every August down at Land Between the Lakes called Hot August Blues. I have never been because I am not a fan of blues music. However I found this piece of art intriguing. A closer look. . .

And of course, the beautiful Kayla had to pose for me so I could snap a photo of her!

While we were sightseeing, the boys, of course, were out fishing. It is what they do best!

 Here is one other photo I took of something I thought was really cool!

What kind of sightseeing have you done lately?

Family is Special

I absolutely love this photo of Stephen and Kayla. The look of love and excitement on her face as daddy whispers his special sweet nothings in her ear is priceless.

Then Robert and I had to get in on the fun as well. Here is a picture of the two of us (please disregard my un-made up face. It had been a long day)

I truly am blessed by two wonderful kids who are the light of my life and a husband who goes above and beyond what he has to in order to make our family thrive.

What about you? Is family something that makes you happy?

Slowing Down Time

I love when school gets out in our home. That means slow down time for me and the kids! I look forward to this time every year because this is when I evaluate my schedule for the upcoming year, get some tasks done around here that I need to get done, and just figure out where *I* am at spiritually.

This year we are going to slow it down even more by staying home even more than we did last year. I think we have three or four events all summer long planned. The kids have asked to just kind of hang around the house so that they can play with the neighborhood kids.

Me? I am planning on reading and relaxing. . . and of course blogging about my (cough) lazy summer!

What do you do when your homeschool year is over?

Working With Daddy

Working with daddy doesn't always mean its for the boys!

Stephen teaches both of them how to repair and re-purpose things, and it makes his heart glad when his daughter takes an interest in what he does as well.

Strawberries are SO Fun!

Kayla and I went strawberry picking earlier this week. We had a really good time. In fact, we were the only ones there that day! We got a good bounty of strawberries.

Kayla took some really neat photos of the field--cause she likes to take photos like that!

After we brought our yummy pile of strawberries home, I made my first batch of strawberry freezer jam. It was really easy to make!

I love doing things like this with my kids!

In The Midst of the Storm

I love these pictures of the kids. During a very bad storm last week that knocked out our power for several hours, they both decided to do something productive. Robert was reading the Kingdom Series by Chuck Black (which is a GREAT series if you have boys), and Kayla decided to do some of her math.

I love it when they choose to have peace in the midst of the storm and trust their Savior instead of being frightened by the wind and the rain.

What a lesson I learned that evening.

Training Them To Be. . . .

Yesterday was one of the proudest "mommy moments" I have ever had in my entire life. My son, who just happens to be growing into one of the nicest young men you will ever meet, was looking out our front door and noticed that there was a man trimming a neighbor's hedges. He stood there for a few minutes watching the older gentleman cut down these 8 foot tall shrubs.

All of a sudden, he said to me, "Mom, I am gonna go help that man cut those shrubs down. We've done that before and those bushes can be a lot for one person to handle." I told him, "He probably isn't going to pay you." (thinking that is why he was doing it). He said, "I know. I just want to help someone today."

At that moment, I realized how quickly he is maturing into what Stephen and I have prayed for since the day he was born. He is growing into a wonderful young man. He is always willing to jump in and help someone who has too much work, or someone who is burdened.

It didn't stop there! Later I looked out the door, and because of his willingness to put aside his playtime, he had recruited all of his friends that he usually plays with to help this man cut and pack limbs from those bushes. I was just simply amazed.

As a mother, I don't want him to grow up. I want him to remain my little boy forever. However, there is this part of me that is SO excited to see him mature and grow into what God wants for him. I am excited to watch God unfold new directions in his life. I have to trust that the Lord loves him more than me and will do everything He can to direct his paths.

Just thought I would share with you a little of my special mommy heart!

And Now She's 12

I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with you. I was scared and not ready to be a mother again. But God had other plans. He knew I needed another little special someone in my life.

I remember all the complications I had during my pregnancy with you--the bed rest, the fact that we almost lost you the day you were born, how colicky you were when you finally arrived. But OH--the day you arrived, was the highlight of the whole family. Daddy held you first because he wanted to create that special father daughter bond. Robert made sure that when we got you home, he was the first to sit and hold and feed you. He rocked you back and forth in your swing, watching every move you made.

And me, well, I just sat and stared at this beautiful baby girl who had been given to me to raise. At that moment, I was bound and determined to create with you a special mother daughter relationship that I never had with my mom.

You were a very adorable baby. You always kept everyone laughing.

And nothing could keep you from those Pizza Pringles!

As you grew older, your beauty just became more evident, and your dad and I have always been proud of your accomplishments.

You will always be daddy's little girl and mommy's little chef. I am so thankful that God changed my plans and gave you to us to raise and nurture into a beautiful woman.

As you continue to grow and learn, remember that God loves you more than you will ever know and I am SO glad that you were born!

Happy 12th birthday baby! We are SO proud of you!!

A Momma's Best Blessing

I am just amazed at how God loves us. I mean, you hear all the time "God loves you", but to really and truly experience--there is no other feeling like it in the whole world.


On Sunday, we had our first performance of Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames. The few days before that, my household was in chaos--Stephen and I had been fighting horribly, the kids were at each others' throats, I couldn't get anything done. I mean it was completely frustrating! I am convinced that when something awesome is going to go down for the Kingdom of God, Satan tries his hardest to disrupt your life totally!

Friday evening was setup night for the drama. I love how the directors give us time to reflect on our lives and to seek God earnestly before we participate in any kind of way. I spent a great deal of time pouring out my heart to God and rededicating myself to Him in every way. By Saturday, the burdens of the few days before had all but vanished, and in its place was the peace that I have been missing.

Sunday before the performance we were praying for the show and those that would be watching it. Along with the other cast members and myself we prayed and prayed. My prayer was for my daughter to finally accept Jesus into her heart. We went through the performance and everything turned out wonderful! The altar was flooded that night with people giving their lives to Christ and rededicating themselves to Him. My daughter was not in the mix. I was okay with that because I knew in God's time she would come to know Him.

God has a wonderful sense of humor. Just when you least expect Him to do something, He shows up and shows out! That night at 10:30 as we were getting ready to go to bed, Kayla came into my bedroom and told me she wanted to ask Jesus to come and live in her heart. I WAS LITERALLY STUNNED! After the initial shock wore off, me, my husband, and my son gathered around her as we prayed with her and led her to the Lord. It was such a blessing.

Later as I reflected on that moment, I realized that God loves me SO much that He heard my puny plea for my daughter's salvation. God's word is SO true when it says He hears the cry of the righteous. God humbled me again in that moment with His ability to love me unconditionally regardless of how I have turned from Him in the past and how I have ignored Him. He still loves me and when I am in right standing with Him, blessings are going to come my way.

I told my friends the other night that if I never get another blessing from God, my world is complete because my whole family will be in Heaven one day. I take joy in knowing that God has redeemed my family, He is our Heavenly Father and as long as I have breath in my body, I will praise Him for His mighty works. Even when things are not so good in my life, He will still continue to get my praise. I will still love and serve Him.

God is truly wonderful. If you are not serving Him or praising Him--you should be. He died for YOU just like He died for ME. :)

What I Love

Do you ever have a longing in your heart to be somewhere else other than where you are at? I live in the city, but my heart. . . my heart wants the country. There is just something peaceful about stepping out on your porch in the early morning hours watching the sun come up. Country living to me signifies a more simpler lifestyle, one that doesn't require every technical gadget, or keeping up with the Jones'.

Here are a few things I love about the country. Maybe one of these days, I will get there.

I love a beautiful little farmhouse with a front porch just for me. Simple, yet elegant. The ultimate kind of home. Not fancy brick work, or elaborate wood, but just a simple small farm to enjoy the pleasures of life on.

 

A kitchen to call my own, complete with gingham curtains, apple motif, and my Kitchenaid mixer--all would be right with the world in this one room--and the view is stunning! (by the way, I really like this kitchen Stephen--hint, hint)!

 

A living room meant to be lived in--snuggling on the couch with a good book, watching a movie together while eating popcorn, laying on the floor playing board games--all of those to me are things that I love!

 

A pond of our own to stock with our favorite fish--complete with picnic table of course!

 

Riding four wheelers across our land. Yes--we love all those things! That is why I say one day--hopefully--we will be here. And these photos will be us. But for the time being, I can only dream and pray for God to bless our family with something like this.

What about you? What do you love? Where does your heart long to be?

Photos courtesy of google images.

Grocery Shopping Idiot

The title says it all for me. I am so not a good grocery shopper. I never have been. I can make a mean menu plan, an awesome and detailed grocery list, and clip coupons until I die, but the minute I walk into the grocery store, I forget EVERYTHING I have ever learned about how to save money grocery shopping!

The thing is, is that I KNOW what to do, I just forget to do it. Hopefully today that will not be the case with me. I am going in with a set budget in mind and I refuse to go over that amount. I am going to do my best to use what I have on hand this week to cut down on the food bill, which has grown extremely large (like me) in the last few months. It is time to cut back--seriously!

How do you handle grocery shopping? Do you have ways of saving money when it comes to shopping, or any tips for me that would keep me from freaking out when I hit the stores?

I would love to hear them!

Playing With Dad

Last week we got another snow storm. That is now two in about a 3 week period and as I am typing this we are hunkering down again for the third time!

Stephen got to stay home from work this time because this one had the roads pretty messy. When he is home, the kids get all excited because he takes them out and builds an awesome snowman!

 I let them have all the fun and I get to stand back and take pictures. Sometimes I get carried away though and take too many! LOL (anyone else have that problem?)

 

  

  

  

Making a snowman requires precise rolling and putting together the rolls of snow. I am telling ya, around here there is a certain technique! If you do it right, you will end up with something that looks like this:

 

Of course, Kayla was not satisfied until he looked like the Godfather. . . .

 

This was definitely a fun day!