intermission

Stay tuned in....

...in the next couple days (hopefully)...

this blog will be getting a makeover

I played with the top photo tonight, that was fun...
but big changes are coming (again, hopefully)!

Thankful catchup

My poor sad neglected blog. There there (pat pat pat). I really had great intentions with this thankful project, however, it is flat impossible to get on the computer some days for longer than a hover facebook posting update. And by hover, I mean, hovering over the desk, without pulling out the chair, or sometimes typing one handed because my small child doesn't want to be put down but I just.have.to.update.facebook! I don't have a fancy internet phone so I can't just update facebook where ever I am. I can only do this task from the desk computer-- isn't it so funny how we've turned into this updating status society?

Anyhow, I'd like to post a big update. I sort of feel I owe it to myself and to the blog and the blog world. I mean I said I'd post daily and say what I'm thankful for each day. But in truth, I find myself having to really think hard about "what else" I'm thankful for ... the big ones, the ones I'm most thankful for, I am thankful for those things every single minute of every single day...

My God.
My Jesus
My Family
My Parents
My Husband
My Children
My Sister
My Husband
My Jesus
My Best Friend
My Mentor
My Church
My God
My Savoir
My Maker
My Father
My Boys.....

Catch a theme here?

So it's funny to sit and think "what else am I thankful for?"

There just is so much.
-I'm thankful for my house.
-I am thankful that my husband doesn't really mind with whatever I want to do to the house.
-I'm thankful for my husband working from our home.
-I'm thankful for the new office he has.
-I'm thankful for his job.
-I'm thankful for his parents being close by and desiring to be part of our lives.
-I'm thankful for my Thursday morning Bible Study and that my mother in law goes with me!
-I'm thankful for the scriptures I have all over our homes.
-I'm thankful no one has told me to my face they think I'm crazy with all the scriptures painted and pinned up all over our home.
-I'm thankful for our garden, as small as it may be, and the desire I have to learn how to grow things. I look forward to enlarging it next year!
-I'm thankful that Mark goes to a preschool that teaches about Jesus!
-I'm thankful that Matthew has a solid foundation and is taking his Jesus to his school.
-I'm thankful that both the boys desire to learn the Word of God and memorize it. I'm praying that they hold to that for all their lives. (Ps 119:11)
-I'm so thankful for the sweet kisses and snotty noses and hugs and tickles and diapers to change. How empty my life would feel without my children. They are my world. I am thankful for each day God lends them to me.
-I'm thankful for the ability to stay home with my kids, even though things are tight and there doesn't ever seem to be enough money, God continues to provide for us and bless us day in and day out.
-I'm thankful for the things we take for granted until something breaks: working heat, running water, working washing machine, etc...
-I'm thankful for my camera to be able to capture all the moments of my kids' changing and growing up that I can possibly can. (I'm not thankful that Micah threw it on the floor the other day and it's in pieces right now--but I am thankful for duct tape!)
-I'm thankful for so much. God is so good.

God is so good.
God is so good.
God is so good.
He's so good to me.

Life is hard. Days can be long. There are many tasks to do each day. I told a friend recently in an email message that I am tired and worn... there are always socks to fold, phone calls and emails to return, dinner to make, a toilet to clean, etc... and I long for a day when I will be able to just sit at Jesus feet and sing praises to Him. This side of Heaven though, I'll be singing while I fold socks, pants and underwear. I'll be singing while I clean that toilet. I'll be singing as I do the dishes or make the dinner or drive to and from carpool.  I'm so thankful for the gift God gave me of the desire to sing. Nothing makes me happier than singing sweet praises to my Savoir... well, maybe besides hearing one of my children do that very thing. God is so good to His children. (Rom 8:28).  So we press on.  We fight the good fight. We make mistakes. We cry. We learn. We try again. We apologize. We hug.  We forgive. We sing. We pray. We keep going. I think of Dori in Finding Nemo a lot with her "just keep swimming. just keep swimming."  I mean seriously, what else have we to do, but just keep swimming?!

So I will keep swimming and keep being thankful.

Thankful 16- mom

  

Today I'm thankful for my mom. I'm so glad that she's in my corner, on my side, cheering me on in all I do. We haven't always had the best of relationship. For that, I regret deeply, but we have mended so much over the years. I'm blessed that she's my mom. I'm blessed that God loved me enough to pick out the mother I'd have all the days of my life. She loves me so much and I know it. I'm grateful for her sacrifices for me. I'm grateful for all she does and all she has done. I'm thankful that when my world is spinning out of control on all sides, I can pick up the phone and ask "are you busy?" My guess is 92 times out of 100 she really is when she says she is not. She listens to my woes. She rejoices in my victories. She is such an example of love and loveliness. She knows Jesus and she is in her Bible daily. When I grow up... I want to be like my mom. I want to sit at the foot of Jesus daily with my coffee and give Him the proper time I should. I want to be nice when it's painful and to be generous with all I have. I want to love the way she does. Today I'm so thankful for the mother I was given. I'm thankful for all the times she's come to my rescue and for the times she's loved me from afar. Our hearts will never be as far as our bodies are from one another. It is so painful, achingly painful to be so far from my mom. But God is faithful. I'm grateful for every precious moment I have with her. I'm thankful for every precious moment my boys have with their Grammy. I'm blessed we talk daily. I'm blessed she makes time for me. I'm blessed because she loves me. Today I'm thankful for my Mom and for the Grammy she is.

Thankful 15 -- Laughter

I sit here at the (still messy) computer desk and pause. I am able to reflect on my day... on my life... on my family. I'm so thankful.  How could I not be?  I have a randomly yummy mixture of smells filling the kitchen currently of spaghetti sauce and freshly baked cupcakes. I can hear snoring out of the baby monitor. I'm blessed to know my child is breathing. And thankful he's asleep. I have two boys on the couch watching a funny movie and their laughter is contagious. When Matthew laughs, I can't help but to smile. His laughter is music to my ears. I'm thankful that I can feed my children tonight and that my house is filled with laughter.  I wrote a post about yelling a while back.  You can read it here if you'd like. I've been have more and more days like that day. I am trying hard to raise these boys in a non-hostile environment.  I'm trying to raise these boys surrounded with love and tenderness. As I tell them daily to be kind to one another (Eph 4:32) and gentle and tender, I am also striving to follow my own advice. It's easy to be stressed all the time. It's easy to be angry. It takes work to be patient. To do patience. To show love and mercy and compassion. It takes effort to be kind and gentle and humble... And I'm so blessed and thankful for days like today, when there is happiness. The kitchen is cleaned, the laundry isn't towering over me, the house isn't spotless but it's not stressful either. The children are happy. The mommy is pleased.  I'm thankful today for laughter.

Thankful 11-14

It is just hard to get my blogging shoes on sometimes. I have very real well meaning intentions to get my "write on" instead of the fast and easy facebook quickie, but as I sit down someone spills milk or just when I think everyone is asleep someone wakes up or when I think all are playing nicely in the playroom and I open up a new page, I hear "uh-oh". My head hands. My blog is neglected and my Mommy-drive kicks in. Sometimes you can't even see to the keyboard on my desk. There are water bottles, piles of jackets and change of clothes for fill in the blank. There are stacks and stacks and I mean stacks of art work these people bring home daily. Currently there is a basket I just don't know where else to put, a make up bag that hasn't found it's way back to the bathroom since Sunday, there is the remains of Mark's halloween costume, and a stack of books I keep meaning to read and a blue sock. Hmmm wonder where the mate of said sock is... hmmm...

Anyhow, I regress...

Thankfuls.
Oh mercy am I full of thankfuls today. I shall start back with the 11th: I was (and still am) thankful for God's mercy and protection. I was able to allow the Lord to lead me in a very real spiritual and physical battle. I am certain of the Father's protection and I am blessed for His mercy towards my children and myself and my friends. God is faithful.

The 12th I thanked the Father for his provision. Jamie and I were scooping out (Jamie was scooping, I was watching) pumpkin gunk and separating the seeds and we googled "how to" preserve them for planting next year and now to roast them for eating this year. We're gifting the rinds and stumps and yuck to a friend with pigs and I'm making a pie from the meat of the pumpkin... we're actually using all of our pumpkins this year instead of throwing them out. I'm thrilled with the idea of having "green" pumpkins this year and for what treasures planting these seeds will bring in the spring.  Yum.  (though I will say it's a lot of work-- makes you also thankful for a can of Libbys!)

The 13th, yesterday I was thankful for my sweet Markie-bug. Oh this man. He makes me melt. Yesterday morning, I was making his lunch and he was at the table coloring a picture, all the while singing "Oh how I love Jesus." I just stopped and listened to him, praising the Savior without hindrance or embarrassment or confusion.  May he always be able to approach the throne of the Father in such a manner. May he seek the Lord with all his whole heart and lean only on the Lord's understanding all the days of his life (Prov 3:5-6). Maybe trust in Jesus Christ as his Savior and ask the Lord into his heart and follow in believer's baptism as his big brother has done. May God guide his footsteps. May God continue to shower him with spunk. He is a blessing to me. My rain after the storm in my life. He is my joy in the morning. He is light in my life. Mr. Personality. I'm so thankful for my middle child, my Markie-bug, my doodle, my batman.


Today, the 14th.. I find myself thankful for coffee. That's what you're thankful for see, after you've stayed up until 2am the night before. I enjoyed some time with a friend last night and I'm also thankful for her in my life. May the Lord guide the relationship and lead me in it. I'm blessed to have her as a friend.

Today though I'm also reminded how precious every moment is and how I never want to take any of it for granted. I find myself thankful thankful thankful for so many things. I'm so blessed. I am so blessed.

Cake Batter Pancakes

November 10 thankful: coupons and breakfast time!

So today is a toss up, I'm thankful for coupons (you'll see why)! And I'm also thankful for family breakfasts time-- which only happens on Saturday mornings. Usually it's french toast, waffles or pancakes. Sometimes biscuits and gravy makes an appearance. Usually there is sausage or bacon or both for the meat eaters. I love Saturday morning cooking. Jamie and I dance in the kitchen together around a "can you get the milk?" and "I need the eggs" chorus. Everyone is still in pajamas. No one needs to be reminded to "get your shoes on fast because we're running late!" It's just slow. Breakfast might be at 8 or at 10, it doesn't matter. We all sit and enjoy together unrushed for a change. (Of course this doesn't apply during soccer season. We had some 9am games!) Anyhow, I thought today that I'd like to do something fun. Something different. Something fluffy. Jamie's been wanting fluffy pancakes... and I thought "what's more fluffy than cake?" Soooo (can you see where this is going?) I am thankful that Betty Crocker rocked a sale a couple weeks ago at Kroger and I am stocked up on cake mixes. And I mean stocked. So, I examined the choices and went with a box of white cake mix. I did a little google work and saw several options of making pancakes with cake batter. Some said to use a cup of that and mix with X amount of flour. Some said to make as directed on the box for the cake. Some were in between. I decided I'd invent my own recipe. Jamie was concerned for his Saturday breakfast at this point. I was giddy!  I felt very inspired  by my Coupon Goddess' new blog A Beautiful Bite, even though her blog states that she wont be using mixes in the recipes there, she'll be doing everything from scratch. I am excited to see all the yummmmmy foods she posts about from scratch! I also think she would have been proud of my creativeness with my stockpile today!

I ended up using the whole box of cake mix. (Why not?) 

I also added flour, salt and baking soda. Mixed well. 

In separate bowl mixed milk with eggs and vanilla and poured into the dry ingredients very very slowly, stirring with wooden spoon lightly trying to incorporating the wet into dry fully by the time I was done pouring the wet... (I read this on the Pioneer Woman's Recipe, very important.  I didn't follow her recipe at all, just liked her tips. Though I do like her site and aim to try some of her things soon). So, then after it was all mixed together, but not over-mixed,  I followed her last part of her recipe. And melted some butter, and poured that slowly into the batter. I figured again "Why not?"! So then this, folks, is what I ended up with... 

Batter ready to make yummy pancakes

bubbles to tell me it's time to flip them

Lovely golden pancakes and LOOK... 

they are FLUFFY!

After I made a row of  plain ones for the kids, 

I added some tasty blueberries for Jamie and me

mmmm! 

waiting for something so yummy is so hard!

Micah didn't like waiting either. He was banging his cup, and the spatula I'd given him to stay quiet, loudly on the tray as if to say "I want cake! I want cake!"  er.. "I want pancakes! I want pancakes!"

with the pancakes, I made eggs

and sausage links to complete the Saturday morning yum-fest for my boys.

Before I knew it they had inhaled their pancakes, 

Matthew asking for another!

Would you just look at these happy people!

I had only just made my own plate

Micah thought they were wonderful. 

He also inhaled his first one and then tore a second one apart.

Thank you for the cake, Mom

Thank you for breakfast, Mom

Review: 

2 thumbs up from the kids.

Matthew said they were awesome and tasted like chocolate. 

I don't know how, I used white cake batter. Mark also said they were awesome.

I thought they were pancakes from Heaven.

Jamie thought they were too sweet though. I will try again... 

maybe with more flour, less vanilla and half the cake mix... mmmm!

Recipe:

Dry: large bowl (mix well)

1 box white cake mix

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Wet: separate medium bowl (mix well)

three eggs beaten well

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

pour into the dry ingredients very very slowly, stirring with wooden spoon lightly to incorporate the wet into dry fully by the time done pouring the wet

Next:

3 tablespoons of melted butter

pour in slowly to batter, stir lightly

Last:

Pour batter onto hot griddle 

Flip

Eat!

Also, A Beautiful Bite is giving away a kitchen aid mixer! Head over there now and enter to win! 

Thankful 9

Today I'm thankful for my boys.  I know that's a maybe little bit of a cop-out maybe since yesterday I was thankful for my family--which is all boys, but seriously... I am so blessed to be a Momma. I'm so thankful that my boys have brothers to play with and some day protect each other. I pray that they will remain close later in life. I pray they will develop good strong relationship with each other and depend on one another. I'm blessed to have these boys and I am so thankful that they have each other...

Matthew meeting baby Mark 

Matthew age 3, Mark 6 months

Matthew age 4 and Mark age 2

Matthew and Mark and baby Micah

Matthew age 4, Mark age 2.5, Micah age 2 months

Matthew 5, Mark almost 3, Micah 8 months

Matthew 5, Mark 3, Micah 1

Matthew 6, Mark almost 4, Micah 20 months

Thankful 8

November 8th... today I'm thankful for family. I have a sweet and gorgeous family that I adore and that I'm blessed to be a part of. I always dreamed I'd be a mom to a little girl. Though I don't like pink or bows... I saw ruffles in my future. I saw painted nails and braided hair. I saw Cinderella ball wearing slippers. I saw sleepovers and lip gloss. I am however surrounded by boys. Even the silly fish is a boy. (and the cat before him was a boy!) But let me tell you... I love it. I love every moment of being the Queen of this house of boys. I'm blessed with laughter and with snuggles and with extra kisses. I'm blessed with hugs and high fives and no tangles to brush out. I'm blessed with sweet voices telling me I look pretty and sweet hands holding mine. Micah, my sweet baby, sat in my lap today and allowed me to read him a book in total for the first time. Oh those moments are worth living for. Mark told me he liked my pony tail today. He usually tells me he likes my dress any time I wear one. He always asks for extra snuggles and reminds me that he'll come snuggle me in the morning each night. Matthew always asks for extra kisses. I counted 100 kisses tonight all over his sweet face. Laughing the whole time.  He enjoys running at me and jumping up for a hug, knowing I'm there to catch him.  ... and Jamie. My Jamie. God gave me the best earthly gift a gal could ask for with that man as my husband. Linked arm in arm with him, I know I can survive anything if the Lord tarries. I'm thankful for him every single day. He continues to amaze me with his paitence and kindness and thoughtfulness and love. He's gentle and kind. What girl wouldn't want to be in this house, filled with all these men?! 

Here's some of the sweet pictures we took from the weekend shoot with my 

most favoritest photographer out there.  I'm giddy over some of these. 

I love capturing some moments in time with her at the lens, peering into my life. 

 Just the boys

                  Charming Mark                                                              Sweet Micah

 Mighty Matthew

 One more of Micah just for the cuteness... 

 Life just doesn't get any sweeter... 

 Thank you, Lord Jesus, for all you've given us.

Thankful 2-7

It seems that posting daily on my facebook status was easier than sitting down to blog each day. I had such high hopes too. And it's been almost a week, oh well. I'll do a recap...


Nov 2-- So thankful for sweet friends to come and take care of my boys while Jamie and I took some much needed "us" time. So thankful for my husband. For the selfless, patient, caring man that he is. Sometimes it's hard to imagine God picked him out for me, that God made me for him. I'm so blessed to be his wife.

 Nov 3-- Thankful for our photographer. She continues to amaze me! She takes fantastic pictures of my boys... I'll post more later but look at them!!! I'm telling you if you don't have a local photographer you love, you need her number!

Nov 4-- I am thankful for the church we have. I'm thankful that we can openly and freely go to church. I'm so thankful for our pastor, determined to preach the Word of God without watering it down or sugar-coating the message for us. A pastor who is on fire to reach the world and is Kingdom-focused!

Nov 5-- I am beyond humbled by a group of women, reaching to help another. I'm thankful to be a part of that group. I'm blessed to see ladies desiring to be Hands and Feet to Jesus in times of need.

Nov 6--I have two thankfuls for this date... I am thankful for the sacrifices of the women long ago so that I could vote. I am thankful I have a right to vote. ... that's all I'll say about that though.  ... I was also thankful for our produce to come! I'm in a produce group and I LOVE IT! Every other Tuesday is just so fun to get our produce and wonder what's in the bag and decide what yummy foods to make with our new groceries delivered right to my door!

Nov 7-- today-- Today I'm thankful for the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  I'm so thankful that GOD is still GOD and will be GOD and no matter what happens in Washington, Jesus Christ is still King of Kings and Lord of Lords. May we desire to be a people that would please Him. May we desire to find His favor and His blessing. And today, I'm so thankful that I know my Savior.


"I have a Risen Savoir, He's in the World today... I know that He is with me, whatever comes my way"...

Thankful 1

As I start off the monthly thankful postings, I sit here and my mind is filled with all kind of things I'm thankful for... my kids playing nicely together, Matthew being so helpful, my husband taking time off, our house, our family... there is just so much. I'm blessed and I'm so thankful to even be alive.

However officially, I'll start of the month being thankful for my weekly Bible Study.  Interestingly enough, (or not!) the topic seemed to be directed straight at me today. Funny how that happens huh? If I was the only person who showed up today, J's lesson would have been exactly what was needed. She was talking about sin. Sin is sin. All sin is the same to God. We list and categorize sin. That sin isn't so bad as this sin. She asked us to come up with some large ones... "big" sins. Of course, we can all think of murder as a top sin. Adultry ranks high up there. Rape. Child abuse. Pornography. Blasphemy. Suicide. What about hatred? Lust? Envy? Greed? Jealousy? Alcoholism? Idolatry? The list continued... 

Okay that wasn't too hard. Making a big list of "big" sins. Got it. "Don't do those" I thought to myself. Some worse than others in my mind of course, some I can be sure to not do. I thought "this is easy, check!" Then she said for us to rank them. Huh? Our mouths stood open... Errrr... Right. Okay. I put a #1 by murder.  Then shook my head and put a #1 by child abuse. Then shook my head and put a #1 by blasphemy.  So now I have three #1s. I did try to list the rest but I was shaking my head all the time thinking, "I can't rank these. Who am I to say which is more or less bigger than the next sin down the line?"

Then she said for us to list some "small" sins.... you can see where this is going.  Speeding. Cursing. Gossip. Jealousy. Anger. Lying. White lies. Omission. Impatience. Greed. Theft. Laziness. Critical spirit. Yelling. Gluttony. ... These are some of the examples as a group we came up with for "small" sins. Then, you guessed it. She said "rank them." Oy. I don't know. I again sat there with my mouth hanging open, trying to decide what would be worse: gossip or laziness. yelling or lying. jealousy or over-eating.... sigh. I don't know. 

And that's exactly the point she was going for. She showed us four examples in the Bible where what seemed like small acts of disobedience resulted in large and harsh consequences. Looking on the Arc of the Covenant caused 50,000 people to perish. Touching the Arc caused a man to fall down dead. Moses striking the rock for water instead of speaking to it resulted in him not being allowed to the promise land.... The bottom line is that sin is sin. And while stealing a phone may not be the same in weight of our human minds as stealing $100,000,000 dollars, it's still theft. Telling a little white lie shouldn't weigh the same as out right lying, but it's still a lie. A lie is a lie. A sin is a sin. All sin is SIN to God. There is no big or small about it. 

The best news though is that there is no sin too big for Jesus. His blood can cover all our sins. Jesus is able to cover the smallest of sin and the largest of sin. Jesus already paid the price. He died on the cross to suffer at our own hands for all that we may do, for all we have done... Jesus loves us regardless.

I'm so thankful for this Bible Study each week to dive into the Word and study the instructions God has left for us while we are here on the earth. What a good lesson to remind us that we're to obey God. Bottom line. And regardless of whatever we do... Jesus already covered our sins, if we just ask for forgiveness from them, He will forgive us.  (1 John 1:9)