The Truth About Blogging

I just wanted to write an update and see what YOU think. It's no secret I've been away from my blog. I guess it's obvious, especially when my HUSBAND asks if I'm going to blog any more! Wow, I didn't know he cared. He said it's a great way for him to remember what we've been up to, and a great way to get my intake on what we've been up to. He also noticed journaling is a way I relieve stress. No blogging lately=  no stress relief? Well, not really, I have found other outlets, good thing!

Since starting my new position, I have had a LOT less free time. My job is very full time. While I'm at work, I work- ALL DAY. I guess that's pretty much any full time job? I don't know. I just know that it's basically busy, non-stop all day. I guess I should have known that before hand. All of my previous jobs have had some down times, great for browsing and catching up on other people's blogs, but not this one. Not at all.

And when I go home... I'm home, ya know? There's other responsibilities. I love being a mommy to three beautiful growing children. I love the giggles in the home, the warmer weather and playing outside. I love tucking the kids in bed and saying bedtime prayers. And I love being a wife. I love spending time with my hubby after the kids have gone to sleep. I have to admit, I've loved the freedom with not blogging. Well, plus the fact that we don't have home Internet. I have to be intentful when we do have access. The last thing I think about is blogging, usually.

But I do miss it! I miss journaling, my outlet. Getting things out of my head and trying to make some sense of it on paper (kinda). Keeping a journal of our every day life, what our family is up to. I love going back and re-reading. What did we do last year? And I miss making connections with others, and follow friends and family. I feel disconnected.

Then I also feel behind. It's hard to "catch-up" blogging, once I skipped a few months! I have so many precious memories and times that I want to write them down and remember. But where do I start? How do I get un-behind? The less I journal, the more I use facebook. To update pictures. To stay connected with friends and family. But it's not the same. But it is easier to load pictures on facebook. I don't like that google changed the blogging format that you have to have a host for your pictures....grrrr...it seems like a such a long process to load a picture.

Anyway, I know there will be a time and a place where I'll be back to regular blogging. I'm just not sure when. For now, it'll probably still be random and sporadic. Continue to follow if you wish.

Drummer Boys

I've been having a hard time keeping up w/ blogging over the holidays! I can barely keep up with my growing family! I hope to update soon with some holiday pictures, and catch up on what everyone else has been up too as well. But in the mean time, life goes on. So, I had to share this precious video!





And here's one of Caleb about three years ago playing the drums in the bathtub!

Happy New Year!

Quick, Easy Decorating Ideas

Working full time + has really been challenging getting ready for Christmas. I'm so humbled by how God never fails to provide! This year, the kids have really gotten in to buying for others! And they are so eager to help! They've helped me get an early start on wrapping. I also been all into quick and easy ideas for decorating. So I thought I'd share them! We can all use a little tips when it comes to celebrating...
Here's a fun and easy idea we used that was quick and easy and looks great!




My Uncle Jack gave us some balls from his tree that he no longer uses. No one really needed them to decorate and we were just going to toss them until we saw this great idea.


This wreath was sooo easy to make--You just bend the hanger in the shape of a circle and string the balls through--and wa-lah! A homemade beautiful Christmas wreath! He'll be glad they were used for something!



Enjoy!

SMELLS like Christmas

Mistletoe, Christmas trees, cookies, pretzles, pies, yummy, yummy.
Christmas Favorite: Home-made Choclate-dipped Pretzels


My mom and I had fun dipping pretzels together at her house this past weekend. All the good smells of Christmas brought back some good memories.

While we were baking pretzels, the kids played "cowboys and indians" for hours--making more good memories.

Neighbors

Thanksgiving weekend we had a great time spending it with our "extended family." Juli came over and had Thanksgiving leftovers with us and the girls came over for the three-day long weekend. In reflecting on things that we are thankful for, I've noticed how God wants us to be a part of the work he is doing. He could have just as easily chosen to not use us to accomplish his purpose spreading the gospel. How thankful I am that he allows us to take part in his work, simply by being a light in this dark world. And how he grows us in the process! Taking opportunities that we are given can be scary at first, but eventually they become a part of who we are and our identity in Christ.

"For just as God made the light shine out of darkness, He also made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ"
2 Corinthians 4:6

This blog has been so inspiring as how to share God's love with these girls in a real way. The time we spend with them has now become a natural part of how we spend our weekends. Sometimes they call us to pick them up from a party where there are people drinking and they don't feel comfortable. Sometimes they share struggles they face at school and we pray about them. While we can never replace the love of their parents, we want them to know the love of God, and the family of God.

We have had challenges through this process, but many many blessings.  And for this, I am thankful.

These are pictures from a trip (they earned) we took them on to Chuck E Cheese's and spent the night in a hotel. The next day we all filed into a new church with all 5 well-behaved kids! Doing fun things like this is something we enjoy doing with our family anyway. How easy it was for us to include them in the process and give them an experience they won't forget.

Toy Story 3 on Ice

While I was in my job transition, we had a fun surprise planned for the kids. This was totally worth the look on their face!

Half way through the show, they did "The Hoedown". This was one of our favorite parts!

(if you ever do something like this, be prepared: These souvenirs cost almost as much as a ticket!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our family to yours!




We now have a Skype account. We had fun skyping with family over the holidays! Almost as good as being there in person. Now, we just need to get Internet at home =) If we didn't get to talk with you yet, look us up!

Adjusting & Praise

I want to take a few minutes to brag on my family! This new transition in my job has definately been an adjustment. I'm so thankful for the time change and being able to get caught up on my sleep. And thankfully I have been blessed by a supportive loving husband! He really has been holding things together! He goes to work to provide for our family, then he comes home and still works hard! He picks the kids up from school and starts homework when they get home--which has taken lots of patients. Sometimes he even gets a chance to start supper! This has made such a difference in Caleb's school work too! He's getting 100's on almost every spelling tests! And he has become such a fluent reader and has a deepend understanding in math. Yesterday he was reading a library book on his own while I was doing supper. He only asked me how to say 2 words in the whole book! I'm sooo proud of him! Alisia has had to do a lot of her own school work with these changes. We just had teacher conferences for her and all of her teachers are so impressed by her sensitive spirit and orginazition skills. She is a prayer warrior. She always tells me she is praying at school for my new job.

In this adjustment, I have been trying to be intentional about praise. We all love praise. It motivates us. In our job. At home. At school, in the church.We don't want our work to go unnoticed. I've been trying to notice the little things that get done and the love behind each action. Being intentional about priase has also given me more things to be thankful for. I feel like my life is overflowing with blessings! What a great way to go into thanksgiving week!

What about praising the one who is doing great "work in us until the day of completion." He never forgets about us. He is all deserving of our praise.

In the midst of the business, changes and adjusting, He is faithful in giving me reminders of how much he cares for me and loves me. Driving home from work several days this week: this amazing sunset that my camera could not do it justice. The sky was like this for miles...

"I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. "

Psalm 9:1-2

Strength at My Desk

Last week a co-worker of mine was needing some spiritual encouragement. I didn't have exactly the right words to encourage her, so I printed off these verses and was going to give them to her the next time I ran into her. They were on my desk at work all week. I found myself reading them over several times this week as I needed reminded of these truths. I still plan on giving them to my co-worker, but I'll keep these right where they are on my desk and make her another copy!

"Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."
Psalm 105:3-4

"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." Psalm 29:11

"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Psalm 18: 1-3

"O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." Isaiah 33:2

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Is your name in the Bible?

I have shared about both Caleb and Aaron's names and scripture references that we picked with them. Alisia has made a comment that she wishes her name was in the Bible. I told her that her name is all over the Bible, just to look closely for it. Then I found the perfect scripture that fit her and had her name in it: 

I also made this one for a new baby of a friend.

Is your name written in God's book?