The Vision

A simple, private, safe place for me to unload and reflect my thoughts.



Spiritual Food for the Day

Friday, April 8, 2011

Stronger


Lots of stuff going on lately and lots going thru my head but this has been my motto!  With God's help, I will be stronger!!!!!!!


Thursday, March 31, 2011

Train up your child....

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

This scripture has brought on a whole new meaning recently to me.  I have really been reflecting on how we are raising our children.  If I am doing everything I know to do to teach them about Christ and the plan of salvation that they too one day might take that step for themselves and walk in all Truth...  We recently started evening devotions with our children and it is wonderful!  We are letting Corbyn do the reading and involving him in the discussion.  What does the scripture mean to him?  How can it change his life?  And so on... Love it!  The other night when we said our prayers before bed, he prayed that God would give him the Holy Ghost one day and help him to do good!  I had to fight back tears!  It is amazing the things they pick up on and pay attention to that we don't even realize!  Today I had to take him to an ortho appt before lunch and on the way we got into a conversation about God and what it means to make heaven our home, what our part is to make sure we make it there.  I brought up the scripture about "...to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin".  And he knew that it means if he knows he is supposed to do something or not do something and does the opposite, he is sinning.  There was so much more to the conversation but it was awesome!  I love and cherish those moments!  Like light bulbs are going off and I am telling myself, "see, what you are doing does matter and he does get it!"  Just a wonderful and proud Mom moment!

Catching up


Whew, where has March went!!!!!!!!!!  It seemed to just have flown right on by!  But I am so enjoying the lovely sunny weather today!  It is beautiful out! 

There really hasn’t been much to post about lately…  Let me try and recount this past month’s events.    So the first weekend as I mentioned previously, we got away for the night/day for our anniversary.  It was wonderful!  Once you are married with children, you really cherish the time you and your spouse has together, just the two of you.  The next weekend we were at my mom’s the whole weekend.  On Thursday my husband bought an older pickup truck from someone his mom works with.  They had bought it brand new 18 years ago and then approx 3-4 years ago it started giving them some trouble so they parked it and hadn’t touched it since.  Don’t get me wrong, there is some rust and rough spots but for the most part it is a very decent truck for that old!  So that weekend hubby and bro in law went thru it.  Spark plugs, oil change, new tire, new brakes and lines,etc and got it running!  He was so happy!  Corbyn was too.  He thinks it is cool his dad has a truck now, he just isn’t fond of the rust but Andy is hoping to paint it later this year.  His parents paint and restore classic cars so all he would need to do is buy the paint.  So we will see!  The weekend of the 19th we had no plans!  Yeah!  I kept my 7 mos old niece Friday night and Saturday, we had breakfast at Steak and Shake and ended up running into some of my husband’s family that lives in the area that we had never met!  That was neat!  Then we were just home!  The weather was awesome that weekend as well!  Last weekend we had a fellowship meeting at one of our church’s in Ohio.  We had a great service and fellowship!   (Hubby preached a good message on being “Fully Persuaded” in our walk with Jesus Christ.)  This weekend, once again we are doing NOTHING!!!!!!  I am so siked.  I am actually wanting to tear into the house and do some mega cleaning if possible.  Hopefully I can check some things off my list! 

So there you have it!  Our eventful March that went by way too quickly!  Next looking into April…

  1. Shipshewana day with my dad and step-mom next weekend
  2. Flying to Washington the next weekend to visit my sister and brother that lives out there
  3. No plans as of now for the 23rd
  4. Fellowship meeting at our home church on the 30th .  I take care of the kitchen so that means, delegating dishes and making sure everything runs smoothly.

My big concern and the thing I am stressing over right now is the Washington trip!  I am so excited but at the same time so nervous.  Neither the children or I have ever flown!  We are flying at night and our first layover is 28 min!!!!  Yikes!  Also, I am traveling with 2 children so it is a little more work than if it was just me.  Thankfully Jocelyn is not 2 yet so we didn’t have to purchase a ticket for her but that means she is in my lap the whole flight!  Ugh!  I know how church services go and that isn’t even sitting the whole time!  Oh well,… I am sure it will all be fine and go smooth. (I pray!)  I am just excited to see my sister and brother and their families!  If any of you have advise as far as the flying for the first time thing, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!  I am taking any and all suggestions!

Hope everyone had a wonderful March and God Bless!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

ABC ME

Age: 28
Bed Size: King
Chore You Hate: folding and putting away laundry
Dogs: Siberian Husky named Joey
Essential Start of Your Day: Shower (despretly want to make reading and praying a must instead of when it works)
Favorite Color: toss up between Purple and John Deere Green (yes I am a farm girl!)
Gold or Silver: Silver (or white gold)
Height: 5'2"
Instruments I Play: None but always thought the violin looked interesting
Job Title: HR Admin Assistant (Mother and Wife too!)
Kids: 2
Live: Indiana
Mom's Name: Nelda Jane
Nicknames: Steph
Overnight Hospital
Stays: only to have babies

Pet Peeve: toilet seat up
Quote From a Movie: “Baby, baby, baby….” or  "You think you can do these things ______ but you just can't!" (Any guesses?)
Right or Left Handed: right handed
Siblings: 2 sisters and 2 brothers
Time You Wake Up: 5 am
Underwear: Cotton bikinis
Veggie You Dislike: Steamed/cooked spinach
What Makes You Run Late: Pushing snooze, kids that won’t MOVE
X-Rays You Have Had: Teeth, Ultrasounds
Yummy Food You Make: hmmmm…. Not really sure.  Everyone loves my Tater Tot Casserole
Zoo Animal You Like Best: Dolphins

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Heavy Hearts

Kind of how I am feeling this week.  First I hear of the horrible devastations that Japan is going thru since last Friday.  Horrible.  It is so hard to see the pictures and videos.  My heart aches and goes out to all of them.  But then my mind goes back to the Bible.  Prophesy is being fulfilled.

  1. Matthew 24:7
    For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
  2. Mark 13:8  
    For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
  3. Luke 21:11  
    And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.


 
Don’t get me wrong, reading this and seeing what is going on in the world today, scares the flesh.  Scared I am not doing everything I know to do to make Heaven my home.  Like I have pointed out in previous posts, James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.  Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  If we are in sin, we are not spotless, therefore will not make it.  Am I doing everything God is calling me to do?  Am I reading, praying, and fasting enough?  Am I being a light in this dark and dying world? Am I doing all I know to do to lead the lost to Christ?    To be honest, I think I have a lot of room for improvement.  I am not perfect, obviously.  I make mistakes, we all do.  Jesus Christ doesn’t ask us to be perfect, He just wants us to take up our cross and follow Him.  To die out to sin and the old flesh by repentance and water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.  To rebuke the devil daily and live our lives for Him according to the scriptures.  Paul said in I Corinthians 15, I die daily.  We must choose daily to die out to sin, to rebuke it and to follow Him.
This might be overwhelming and I apologize, I am just very passionate at the moment and don’t mean to be confusing.  If you need clarification of anything or our beliefs, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I am no Bible scholar and have learned everything I know in the recent years.  I just know time is short, He is coming quickly and if we are not ready to meet Him we will not make it.  There are no second chances on the Judgment day.
The second thing that has me feeling gloomy is I found out today that one of my coworkers lost their battle to cancer today.  It is a very somber day here at work and has me thinking on my walk that much more.  We don’t know the day or hour that the Lord is coming for HIS CHURCH.  Nor do we know when our final breath here on earth will be.  But I know the ONE who does, do you KNOW him?
God Bless each and every one of you!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Menu Plan

Tuesday – Baked Potato Bar (we didn’t get to this last week)
Wednesday –
            Breakfast: french toast bake, bacon, yogurt
            Dinner: Chicken n rice in the crock-pot
Thursday-Saturday – will be at mom’s while Andy works on his “new” truck there.  But I am planning on helping with some of the meals.  Thinking of Straw-Hats one of the days.  Let me know if you need clarification on that one!  Ha-ha!
Sunday –
Lunch: Tatar Tot Casserole, bread
Dinner: Leftovers, whatever…
Monday – White Chicken Chili, corn bread
Tuesday – brats, salad

Weekend Recap

We had a really good weekend!  Right before I left work on Friday, my sister called and wanted to meet us for lunch.  Since we had no deadlines, we decided to take her up on it!  If was really nice to just sit and chat awhile!  Then we went home grabbed our bags and the kids stuff, dropped Jocelyn off at my wonderful sister-in-law’s and chatted there for awhile!  It was equally nice!  Then off to Ft. Wayne we went!  First we went thru the Botanical Gardens.  It was neat.  There was a lot that wasn’t in bloom but there was still quite a bit that was blooming.  Very refreshing to see color and life! J After that we were hungry for ice cream so we headed to Stone Cold Creamery.  OMG!!!!!!  That stuff is awesome and I am sure so bad for you!  But we just sat there and talked.  Might I add that we did a lot of that this weekend and it was wonderful?  While I love my children dearly, it is so nice to be able to finish my sentence with out pausing to correct someone or getting interrupted, etc…  After ice cream we went to Family Christian Bookstore!  Hubby and I could live in that store!  We love it!  We got each of us a book and the children each a book plus a couple other items.  Then we headed to Wal-Mart to grab some snacks and drinks for the room.  Finally we were on our way to the room!  It was so nice!  We ended up getting a whirlpool suite and it was beautiful!  They had chocolates in champagne flutes and sparkling apple cider in the fridge waiting on us!  It was so peaceful!  Also we didn’t grab dinner before because the room service for our hotel was Applebee’s so we just ordered room service, a first for me!!!!!!  And we relaxed!!!!!!!  Wonderful!!!!  Something I think every married couple needs to do once in awhile, especially if you have children!  It is almost like recharging a battery!!!!!!  Anyway, we slept in the next morning and then went down to the lobby for our “free” breakfast that was included in our package.  They had a little restaurant and we ordered omelets and had biscuits and gravy, yogurt, pastries, oatmeal bar, etc….  It was really nice, especially being free!  Then we went back to the room, finished getting ready and packed up and headed out.  From there we stopped by Goodwill and I got some pants and shorts to make 4 toddler skirts out of for Jocelyn and her friends at camp.  I will post pics to let you know how I do it.  Then we headed to Burlington’s where we got the kids new church clothes and hubby new shoes and shirts.  Then we were off to the Home and Garden show!  It was really cool.  I remember going when I was a kid but haven’t been there since.  The only complaint I had was they have now started walking around with beer carts!  L  We don’t drink or go to places that serve it so it was quite a surprise to us!  I was really disappointed.  I guess since I don’t drink, I just don’t understand why you need to have beer at a home and garden show?  Especially for the price they were selling it at?  I don’t know, I guess it was just a big turn off but we both still had fun looking at all the cool things that we could do, both inside and outside our home!  Lots of dreaming!!!!!!! LOL!  After that we went to Don Hall’s Prime Rib House.  Yummmmm!!!!!!  It had been a long time since I had Prime Rib.  It was very good.  And then it was off to get the kiddos!  (Whom I missed very much!)

Needless to say, it was a much needed restful weekend!  Hope everyone else enjoyed theirs as well!  This week hubby is getting a “new” old truck to fix up and tinker with!  He is so pumped and excited!  Corbyn is equally excited.  So that will be our weekend but it should be enjoyable!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

This week’s menu and rambles…

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  To be honest, I have had little motivation.  I usually have some time in the evening at bedtime to sit down and blog some but at that point I am in my bed with my daughter, snuggling and getting her to sleep.  After being on a computer all day at work, I have had little motivation to get on and update other than an occasional glance at Facebook.

But with the sun out and knowing spring is less than a month away, I feel that excitement building up inside.  Things I start thinking about:  warm sunshine, windows open, spring cleaning and getting rid of junk, bike rides and walks, being able to watch my daughter run around and enjoy the outdoors (this time last year she was barely crawling!), cleaning out flower beds, planting fresh flowers and a few veggies (scaling back this year due to busy schedule and remodeling projects on our plate.  I am hoping to still put up some from others leftovers but other than that we will just have a few things to eat fresh), occasional trips to the park, eating ice cream and popsicles outside, garage sales, and the list goes on.  Needless to say I get excited!  AND….. my latest news….. me and the kids are going to WA in April with my mom, sister and neice!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited for several reasons.  1. Me or the kids have never flown before 2. My sister just moved out there when she got married, so I get to see her and my niece for the 1st time in 4 mos. 3. My brother, girlfriend and son are in the process of moving so it will be nice to see them again 4. A VACATION!!!!!!  I am so siked!  I honestly didn’t think it would happen but the tickets are booked so no backing out now!

Still very much looking forward to time away with the hubby this weekend for our 9yr anniversary.  We are going to a hotel that has a Jacuzzi in the room and to the botanical gardens Friday.  Then Saturday we are sleeping in and then meeting my mom and her boyfriend at the Home and Garden Show.  I can’t wait.  I haven’t been to one since I was a kid and it will be wonderful to get ideas without trying to keep track of kids!

As for our menu this week :

Monday : Taco Salad, Open Faced Sandwiches
Tuesday : Shepherds Pie, Homemade Wheat Dinner rolls
Wednesday: Breakfast: Sausage and Egg scramble, yogurt, OJ
                     Dinner: French Bread Pizza’s, side salad
Thursday: Chicken Alfredo dish, peas
The rest of the weekend we will be in Ft. Wayne.  I haven’t decided on Sunday yet…. Any ideas, let me know!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Random Updates

Not much to say but will give some updates as to what has been happening this week

Ugh…. The last couple of weeks have literally drug!!!!!!!  I have no motivation, hence the lack of posts.  I have no desire to do anything.  My house always seems like it is in shambles anymore and I don’t even care!  I will get this urge to clean and get it cleaned up but the min it starts getting messy, I have no desire or energy to stay on top of it!!!!!!!  Isn’t that horrible!!!!!  I am hoping it will pass soon and I will regain some energy.  If anyone out there knows some simple tricks for a working mom, let me know!
Jocelyn was diagnosed with bronchitis on Monday this week.  So it was back to breathing treatments and the Z-pack!  I was actually amazed at how quickly she cleared up (Full nights sleep the last 2 nights!) but the doc did say she was in the early stages.  It hadn’t fully settled in her chest yet.
Corbyn has had only one day of school this week!!!!!  At this rate we are already going till June 9th I think.  It is actually ridiculous.  They have closed a lot this winter when there was no reason but oh well, out of my hands!  We have had some nasty weather this week.  A bunch of snow earlier this week then ice in the middle of the week and then got another 4-6” last night.  Definitely ready for spring around here!
On a happy note, I finally made up my mind and took the plunge with ordering my very first OWN laptop!  I am so happy and excited to play with it this weekend!  I got a really good deal on it; it is a lot of hard drive and memory for the same price as the smaller machines.  I am very happy that I held out, did my homework and shopped around!
Been looking into some different ideas on budgeting lately.  We have been doing so well lately and I am very proud of us but would like to work towards being debt free and building up a savings.  I know this is a personal topic and don’t want to get into numbers but if anyone has any tips that are helping you or suggestions, I am all ears.  If you would rather not, I completely understand!
Trying to figure out some menus for this weekend, I really just want a day to just be at home in jammies all day tomorrow but have a feeling, unless I can talk hubby into doing it after our plans tonight, I will be getting out to get some groceries.  Some things on the mind: potato soup, loaded baked potatoes, French bread pizza, ham and homemade mac and cheese, nachos, hot fudge pudding…. IDK, I will see what I come up with!  Hope everyone has a good weekend and maybe I will get on to load some pics with my new computer this weekend ;) J

Monday, February 21, 2011

Weekend Recap and Laptop Shopping

Wow, it has been awhile since my last post!  Nothing major going on here.  The last few weeks seem to have DRUG so bad!!!!!!  I hate weeks like that, I have no motivation, it seems like the weekend never gets here and then it is gone just like that, basically just a blah feeling.  Oh well, Spring is just around the corner and I know everything will kick into overdrive at that point so might as well enjoy the down time, which I do love btw!

This weekend was a good weekend!  We had dinner with some friends from church Friday evening and then Saturday Andy and the kids got up and I slept in for a little.  They left the house and did some running and I took a shower and got ready and then did up the dishes, swept floors, cleaned the bathroom, etc…  It was so nice to do all of that in peace and quiet!  Then my mom and her boyfriend came and picked me up and we headed to Ft. Wayne to do some belated birthday shopping!  It was a really good day!!!!!  I got some new shoes (1st pair of Pumas ever!), a few new shirts, a starbucks, lunch and then bought some material at JoAnn Fabrics to make Jocelyn and her friends some skirts out of jeans.  All in all it was a good day! 

Yesterday we went to church and had a really good service!!!!  Then went to Golden Corral for lunch.  Came home and Jocelyn and I laid down to watch a movie and took naps then went back to church last night and had another really good service!  Hubby preached a really good message on how important having faith and trust Jesus Christ is.  Afterwards we went to the store and got a few things.  Came home and Andy and Corbyn made some hot ham sandwiches before bed and Jocelyn and I had popcorn and orange floats!  Yum!

Then the coughing starts….. ugh, I feel so bad for Jocelyn. She has had this cold/cough for a week now and it just won’t go away!  We ended up giving her a breathing treatment at 3 am cause she was really starting to wheeze and rattle.  Hubby decided to take at least the morning off and take her to the Dr. to see if there is anything more we can do for her.  She isn’t running a temp but she is drinking a lot and doesn’t hardly eat anything of substance anymore….  Hopefully we can get it solved!

Now my big challenge I am dealing with…..buying myself a laptop!!!!!!!  Ugh, there are so many brands and kinds.  So many options and prices.  I am so afraid of making the wrong decision.  Oh well, I will keep shopping I guess.  If you have any suggestions or if you have a laptop and want to give advice about it, I am open to anything!  Thanks and have a good week!

Friday, February 11, 2011

I Refuse <------ CLICK FOR VIDEO

I woke up with this song on my heart this morning and thought I would share.  It is by Josh Wilson and is a very powerful song with a powerful message!  Enjoy!


Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes
And act like everyone's alright
When I know they're not
This world needs God, but it's easier to stand and watch
I could pray a prayer and just move on
Like nothing's wrong

But I Refuse


I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
I could choose not to move
But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately
And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God
So if You say move, it's time for me to follow through
And do what I was made to do
And show them who You are

I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
I could choose not to move
But I refuse

I refuse to stand and watch the weary and lost cry out for help
I refuse to turn my back and try and act like all is well
I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day to die to myself
I refuse to make one more excuse

I don't want to live like I don't care
I don't want to say another empty prayer
Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else
To do what God has called me to do myself
I could choose not to move
But I refuse

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Valentines Weekend and Anniversary Plans

Can’t believe it is Valentines already!  Seems like we just celebrated Christmas!  Anyway,  just curious what, if any, are your plans for Valentines?  Do you do something special every year or is it hit and miss?  We used to never really do anything major, especially since our Anniversary is in the beginning of March but a couple of years ago, we found that a semi-local Christian radio-station puts on a Valentines banquet every year.  It is really neat, lots of people dress up like prom dressing up, tux or suit and tie and very nice dresses!  Some even arrive in limos!  They have appitizers and punch fountains in the lobby and kinda like a social hour.  You can also get your pic professionally take for free!  The backdrop is all done up for Valentines, etc….  Then when they open the doors, you go into the ballroom which is decked out, lights dim, tule draped everywhere, black and red décor,  you find your table number that you were assigned on your tickets (135.00 per couple but well worth it).  The tables are round with seating for 4-5 couples.  Everything is set fancy down to the butter for the rolls which is little heart shaped molds, almost looks like mints!  You first start out with rolls and salad and tea or water.  After that the main course is either chicken and rice or beef and red potatoes (your choice when you purchase tickets) and then they give you some fancy veggie. And finally  the dessert is some kind of cheesecake or a yummy choc cake!  The whole evening takes approx  5 hours.  The whole time you are eating all your courses, there is either a concert and/or comedian show going on on stage.  It is so nice to be able to dress up and do this , just you and your spouse!  And the best part for us…. There is no alcohol!!!!!!!!  We do not drink nor do we go places that serve so our nice eating out places are very limited which is fine but once in awhile it is nice to have a luxeray feeling meal! 

This year, we however, are not going.  We didn’t really know the singer and comedian that was going to be there and some other things ended up coming up when we needed to purchase the tickets so we decided to skip this year which I am a little bummed but it is ok!  We are going out for a Valentines breakfast Saturday in Valpo with some people from our church in the Portage area.   We may hang around for a little afterwards and then that eveing we are coming home and my sis and her family may come up for games and munchies.  Sunday we will be getting up pretty early b/c my husband is going to be preaching at a church we have in MI which is about a 2 hour drive so we will be there on Sunday.  Monday, back to work!  Corbyn is having a party at school however so that should be fun for him!

One thing I am looking forward to is our Anniversary getaway this year!  It isn’t much, we are just going to Ft. Wayne on Friday for the afternoon/eve/night and then the next day we are meeting up with my mom and her bf to go to the Home and Garden show!  Yes I am very excited about it!  Next year will be our 10 year so we are planning something really special!  When we got married we couldn’t afford a big Honeymoon at the time so we just went to a small town around here that has a resort in it that is on a lake.  B/c we got married practically in the winter, no one was there so we ended up basically having it to ourselves!  The rooms are either 1 or 2 bedroom, we had the 2 bedroom.  The second bedroom is in the loft with a big Jacuzzi in it and it also has a living room, fireplace, kitchen, the works!!!!!  We loved it!  Were there for 2 days.  On our 5 year we ended up going back and fell in love with it again!  So I don’t know if we are going to do that for our 10 year as well or not.  We know for sure that we are getting new rings.  Hubby hasn’t been able to wear his since our first year of marriage.  He put a nail thru his finger and they had to cut the ring and bend it in the ER so it was destroyed…. He doesn’t want just some plain cheap one so decided to wait till we could get new sets!  I am so siked.  I am getting a princess cut on silver or white gold which is what I have wanted for years!  His will have diamonds on it, ‘cause that is just him but other than that, he really isn’t sure of the design.  We also talked about taking a trip to Maine or Denver, CO, those are places we both would like to go, so we will see!

Well I think I have bent your ears long enough!  Lol!  Love is in the air!  J

What are your plans?  Do you plan something special for Anniversaries?

God bless!

Monday, February 7, 2011

A good weekend and a Packers win!

Hard to believe it is Monday already!  Seems like it was just Friday.  We had a really good weekend though!  Friday I picked up my daughter then went to Aldies to get a few necessity items then I met my husband at home who and picked up our son and went and got my youngest brother (17) for the weekend.  We headed back into Warsaw for their Fire and Ice show and to eat at a really good Pizzeria!  The ice show was really neat!  It was a bunch of huge ice sculptures randomly placed throughout downtown on the sidewalks.  Some of them were hooked up to propane to where the tops of the sculptures were lit.  It was really neat!  The pizza place was PACKED but it was so good!  After that we came home and just relaxed the rest of the night.  Saturday we slept in, had breakfast and then I took a pair of cute jeans I had gotten at goodwill for Jocelyn and split them and made a cute long jean skirt (we don’t wear pants).  It turned out really cute!  I am thinking I might make some more in the future when I can find jeans on sale or at Goodwill.  I even thought about cutting the legs off the pants and attaching a skirt to the bottom.  Idk, I will just play around and see what I come up with.  It is so hard to find long enough skirts anymore for her.  For the winter that is fine, I just put leggings or tights on her but once warmer weather comes, I want her to have modest length clothes that don’t consist of all dresses (even that is hard to find long enough anymore).

Anyway, Saturday afternoon we had a birthday party to go to for my niece that turned 7 last week.  (hard to believe, I babysat her when she was first born till she was 1.5 and it seems like just yesterday!  I miss the cute little baby crawling after me calling, “Mama”.  No she wasn’t confused, She knew who her mom was, I was just Mama Steph.  Too cute!)  But she has grown into a beautiful, smart , admirable young lady!  I am so proud of her!  Our gift to her was the box set of the full color Laura Ingalls Wilder books!  I think I was just as excited for her to get them as she was when she opened them!  It brought back a lot of memories.  I used to have them growing up and read them several times over.  She has grown to love the TV show that they have now and so thought it would be fitting to get her the books.

After the party we came home and just relaxed.  Hubby did some major rearranging with his fish aquariums.  (We are getting ready to do some major remodeling and moving our bathroom and so there is a lot of rearranging stuff that needs to happen over the next few weeks).  I took the kids upstairs and went thru and cleaned out their dressers and put a bunch of laundry away.  I was trying to keep my daughter preoccupied since she has grown into quite the “daddy’s girl” and it is hard for him to do big stuff like that with her around getting into everything.  The kids played very well!  It is so cute to just sit and watch them sometimes!

Yesterday we ended up have one mid-day service due to the weather that we got Saturday and the weather that they were calling for last night.  So we were able to lay around a little in the morning and then after church, an elderly couple that Andy helped them put up a shed last fall, took us out to eat as a Thank You gift.  So nice and generous of them!  (It is not cheap for a family of four to go out to eat anymore!  So when we are able to, it is a special treat!  That is the way it was growing up!)  Last night we once again came home and were lazy.  I did some dishes from the weekend (sometimes I sure do miss having a dishwasher) and Andy played with his digital pic frame I got him for Christmas, loading it up with pics so he can take it to work.  And then I think I did a first!  I sat down and watched a whole entire football game from beginning to end!!!!!!  It was sweet too!  I was rooting for the Pack and they pulled it off!  Very exciting!  Even my son who I had to send to bed at the end of the 3rd quarter was happy!  I promised him I would wake him if the Pack won and when I did, he was still sleeping but mumbled “Go Pack Go!”  Too cute! 

Hope everyone has a good week and God Bless!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Snow Days

That is exactly what we have had the last couple of days!  Until this morning, I had not been out of the house since I got home Monday night from my mom’s.  It actually was kinda nice.  Tuesday they closed school, I am assuming in anticipation of the big storm.  No one was available to watch my son (babysitter had dr. appt and back up babysitter had to work.  Tried a couple others but nothing seemed ideal.) so I decided to take the day and stay home.  Almost like that was what I was supposed to do, you know?  Anyway, it turned out to be a really good day!  Since me and my son were up and ready to go before we decided that is what we were going to do, I started my day then and he started his!  Here is what I got accomplished for the day:

Washed dishes and cleaned kitchen (3X)
Started fire in wood stove
Brought wood in (2X)
Swept all the floors
Did several loads of laundry and folded
Spot cleaned the bathroom
Layed down with my daughter for naps
Read a some chapters of the book I am reading
Put a roast and potatoes in the oven
Made a garden salad
Gave Jocelyn a bath (she had ravioli for lunch and it was quite a sight!)
Cleaned my spice cabinet

Then yesterday there was no getting out of our drive for me (didn’t plow our road till about noon!) so I was home again with the kiddos.  Didn’t accomplish as much but here is a list of what I did do:

Started a fire again in the stove
Brought wood in again
Made Choc Chip brownies (sugar free and with whole wheat flour)
Made 2 loaves of wheat bread
Swept kitchen, dining and fire place room
Did a couple loads of laundry
Gave Jocelyn another bath (scalloped potatoes this time)
Took a nap with Jocelyn
Did dished and cleaned kitchen (3X)
Made chicken fajitas for supper
Oh and shoveled the walk to the garage!   What a job!

I have actually enjoyed the last couple of days but it was nice to be able to leave the house today.  I don’t like getting too used to being at home like that when I know it isn’t possible for me to do full time just yet.  Maybe one day!  But I cherish the time I am able to be at home and be the one that cares for my children, build memories and take care of my home, able to put a hot meal on the table at a decent hour.  Very special.
They cancelled school again today so hubby said he would stay home and then go into work for a few hours this evening after I get home.  So, we will see what his accomplishments are for the day!  HaHa!  No really, I am sure the kids will enjoy their time with their dad today.

God Bless and Stay Warm!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Monday's frustrations and blues

I was very leery to write this morning but then was thinking, I created this so I could have a place to write my thoughts and feelings, good or bad, so decided to write some things down.  I am just very hesitant to write negative thoughts and feelings cause I don’t want anyone to get the impression I am not grateful or unappreciative.  Just woke up not feeling the best, nothing in particular just normal blues that I am sure everyone wakes up feeling every once in awhile.  Today just happens to be my day I guess.

First of all, I am so tired of the “Me, Me, Me” attitude.  It seems that anymore people only care for themselves.  They don’t go the extra mile of anyone unless it benefits them somehow.  Constantly asking or taking but never giving or offering.  I am one of those people that constantly get taken advantage of b/c I love to give and do for others (without expecting something in return).  And while I love it and can’t imagine turning my back or not doing when I know someone needs it or it would make their day, it gets tiring when you feel like nothing is appreciated.  Don’t get me wrong, that is not why I do for others, I don’t need the recognition but when you feel like they expect it from you and are upset if you can’t do for some reason, it gets old and tiring. 

Second, I am so tired of feeling like I have to defend myself when it comes to they mother/wife/housekeeper that I am.  I am not saying that people do it on purpose or with the intention of making me feel that way but anymore I feel like I am constantly justifying my actions or my children’s actions.  I hate that!  My children are who they are, no they are not perfect, but who is?  They have their moments, they fight, they are disobedient, they cause scenes, act ungrateful, and the list goes on…  But they are also sweet, loving, cute, and smart and the best kids I could ever ask for!  I love them so much and feel so blessed!  So why do I feel like I have to justify them?  I am not a perfect person either.  I have many flaws.  But I feel like I am the best mom I can possibly be to my children.  I think given the fact that I work full time and lead a busy life outside of work (family/church/etc...) I don’t do too badly.  No I don’t get everything done, not everything is in its place, my kids don’t have everything, I am not able to go to every school function, I can’t just sit and play when we get home, and the list goes on.  I can’t be superwoman!  I feel like I am constantly trying and never measuring up.  It is so tiring and frustrating.  And then the times I do mess up or don’t handle a situation the best, I feel horrible, like I just failed a huge test and have a big red X next to my name.  I am so tired of that feeling.  Never measuring up.  The problem is, I don’t know how to get rid of it.  How do I get to a place where I am happy with what I do for others regardless of their response, that I am happy with the wife/mother/housekeeper that I am and know that my kids are well cared for and know I love them without feeling like I have to justify and defend every move I or they make?

Ugh…. So sorry for my rambles and complaining.  Hopefully it didn’t depress anyone too bad!  I just wanted to get it down on paper and somewhat off my chest.  Tomorrow is a new day and I am sure will feel so much better!  Sometimes life just gets the better of us but no matter what, GOD is still GOD and He is very much still on the Throne!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Birthday Celebrations

Well, it’s official; I am now the big 28!  Still seems crazy to me!  I remember when my aunts and mom were 28 and thought of them as so grown up but yet I feel like I am still so young, as far as knowledge that is.  In body, I can definitely tell I am getting older!  But when I look back over the last several years, I am amazed at how much I have grown as a person and where I am today.

Yesterday was a pretty normal day.  Jocelyn had her 18 mo check up yesterday morning so I took her to that and then went into work a little later.  She is 35% in weight and 80% height!  She has not really gained anything since her 12 mo checkup!  Probably since she is so active.  And she eats like a bird!  She is a good eater, loves fruits, veggies and most main dishes I fix but she is done after about 4-5 bites and breakfast is a hit and miss…. Oh well, Dr. said she is healthy and right on track!  Just tall and skinny for her age group J 
Last night Andy made me supper.  We had a yummy Mexican casserole, Spanish rice, chips and salsa and then had Chocolate Cake with Choc. Frosting (had to celebrate national chocolate cake day too!) and ice cream for dessert!  It was yummy and so nice to not have to cook and clean up!

Tonight kids are staying with my aunt and sister and hubby and I are going to Ft. Wayne for the evening.  Not sure yet where we are going to eat but I want to got to Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, Once upon a Child and now Kohl’s!  Today at work my coworkers made me breakfast for our weekly meeting and gave me a 60.00 Kohl’s gift card!  So nice of them!  I am just looking forward to a relaxing evening.  No deadlines, whining children (although I love them very much and don’t leave Jocelyn over night very often!)or daily junk to deal with.  I am ready to get a coffee and bury my nose in a book for awhile!  Maybe I can talk hubby into a massage later J  My muscles in my back, especially in my shoulders are so tight anymore, a nice relaxing massage sounds wonderful!

The rest of my weekend is pretty care free which I am looking forward to very much!

God Bless and have an awesome weekend!

Monday, January 24, 2011

God’s Goodness and Weekend Rattles


When I think of the Goodness of Jesus
And all He has done for me
My soul cries out Hallelujah!
Praise God for saving me!

This chorus was recited during testimony service yesterday and it holds so true for me!  God truly is a Good God!  He has richly blessed me in so many ways, I could never repay Him!

We had a really good weekend this weekend!  It was busy but a good one!  Friday I picked up both kids from child care, (hubby went to Ft. Wayne with a friend from church so it was just me and the kiddos!) went home and got busy!  I did up all the straggler dishes from the week.  (Never fails, I have a sink full by Friday of ones I didn’t get done thru the week)  Earlier in the day I had ordered Dish Network and they were coming Saturday morning to get us hooked up so I did some cleaning and rearranging in Corbyn and our room’s.  I switched some TV’s around and I rearranged our bedroom.  My what a job!  We have a king size bed so moving that is a beast in itself but then the boards underneath are broken so we have stacks of old books that we don’t use to help support the pressure points.  Needless to say it is a big job for one person in a small bedroom!  But I got it done and it felt so good to have all the dust bunnies swept and everything dusted and fresh sheets!  Jocelyn had a blast while I was tackling that job!  She was crawling under the mattress where it was propped against the bed, I think she thought it was a tent!  She was also playing in her room so nice!  I think where I am working full time now, by the weekend she is usually very cranky and clingy but that night she played so nice! 

Saturday I had a baby shower to not only go to but to fix all the food (approx 45-50 ppl)  Thankfully I had some help from some wonderful sisters in another church in our Organization.  Still, I started cooking around 10 am and the food was ready to be served by 2pm!  Long day but it was fun!  This is the menu I came up with, we were going with an Italian theme:

Italian Beef Sandwiches
Italian Meatballs
Pasta Salad
Grape Salad
Crackers and Hummus
Pickle Rolls
Toasted Ravioli
Dill Cucumber sandwiches on Rye

It was a lot of fun but I was not hungry by the time I was done!

Sunday we of course had church in the morning and then came home, changed ate quick and went to my Aunt’s to celebrate my cousins 15th and my 28th birthday!  It was a lot of fun and good food.  We had to eat quick and get changed again and left from there to go to Church again at 6.  We got out around 8, came home, had a snack and went to bed (after a quick peek at the Steelers/Jets game).

Like I said, busy but good weekend!  Currently I am chewing on some new budget and weight loss strategies.  Will be posting more later about those!

God Bless and have a good week!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Troubled thoughts and broken hearts….

I am writing this with so many thoughts and emotions going thru me right now…. It is very hard to explain how I feel therefore the lack of posts.  I read other posts and find myself experiencing some of the same things as them but yet it is so hard for me to get out on paper! 

On one hand I am saddened; it seems there is so much terminal sickness going on around me.  People close to me battling cancer, children battling cancer that I knew their parents years ago, cancer scares to close family members and the list goes on.  I can’t even turn on the news anymore without being sickened.  Our country is in so much turmoil.  So much violence and hatred.  All you read about is murder, vandalism, rape, abuse, etc… and it seems to be the kids!  Not that those situations happening to adults is right, I don’t think that at all but it seems all I am hearing is kids.  I heard something this past weekend that in my opinion I had no business hearing but I can’t change the fact that I heard it.  It sickened me deeply and ever since I have been battling it.  I will have images, thoughts, etc… pop up in my head all day long.  I know this is sounding really bad and I am sorry, I don’t know how else to write about it and I don’t want to go into detail.  I just need to get rid of it and figured I would release here.  I know it is the devil beating me up and I rebuke him everyday in THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!  But then I got to thinking today, maybe there is a message in all of this. 

I was listening to a Christian radio station earlier this week when I was in the car and they had the wife of a singer on the group Selah on there talking about their familie’s experience recently with loosing their newborn.  They had 3 other children and sometime in the middle of her pregnancy the ultrasound detected major problems.  While others would have terminated the pregnancy right then and there, they chose for her to carry the baby to term.  I did not catch what the problems were but the baby died 2 hours after she was born.  This woman had created a blog during that time, from the time they found out thru the whole ordeal.  That way friends and family could stay updated without them having to repeat everything so much.  During this broadcast, the DJ read a blurp from the book this lady wrote titled I Will Carry You; The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy.  It was quoted from the blog that she had wrote and in it she was saying that basically while we go thru trials and such here on this earth, we are disappointed, hurt, scared, etc and that during this difficult time she clung to God and His Scriptures, not because they took the pain and hurt away, not because it made the trials easier but because they gave her comfort and peace.  And then she went on to say that GOD IS ENOUGH.  That phrase has stuck with me all week.  When I just stop and think about it, it is so true!  He truly is enough, but we have to let Him be which is where we as humans mess up so much!  The scripture reads in Psalm 46:10-11, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, and I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah”  This speaks volumes to me right now.

I was also reading the blog of the little 5 year old boy I know (used to go to church with his father) that is battling a horrible cancer in the last stage.  The mother wrote the blog entry for today and here is a little blurp from it that made me think.

“One of the things that was grieving me the most was time wasted.  Guilt plagued me, I wish I would've spent more time playing with him, reading to him, riding bikes, getting dirty, and I could go on and on.  I know all you busy mom's know what I mean.  There's always so much on the "to do" list every day, and life seems to rush by.  Now I have a gift, its called "Time Redemption".  God is helping me redeem the time with my son.  He is connected to an IV 24/7 except for shower time, which I help him with, so I am there, hardly 2 feet away from him most of the day and all of the night.  Thanking God for this precious gift.”

Do I put having a neat house, dished done, TV, gardening, etc... in place of cherishing time with my children?  I know there are parts of our day that we need to do but speaking for myself, I am sure I could rearrange some things to spend a little more time with my precious gifts!  Just something to think and chew on.

I know He truly is God and He is very much on the Throne.  I know He is in complete control (if I let Him).  If there is a message for me in all of this, I pray that I heed His call and listen.  I just know right now, my heart is breaking.  The thought of anyone, let alone children, hurting deeply upsets me.  And the fact that there is so much of it in this world every day is overwhelming.

God Bless.

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Weekend and Dessert

Yay!!!!!!!  Its Friday! And the best part?????  I have a 3 day weekend!  Can't wait even though it will be busy, Monday I have no plans though and hopefully will stay that way!

I have decided on a dessert for tonights menu, I think I am going to make Hot Fudge/ Chocolate Lava Cake with Ice Cream.  It just sounds really good to me and I grew up with Grandma making it.  Haven't had it in a long time and it is perfect for the cold nights!  I am excited about tonight.  We haven't had company in a while so it was fun cleaning the house this week getting it "spotless" as Corbyn put it when asked how clean his room was.... LOL, that kid cracks me up but I must say, his room was impressive!

I also am excited b/c I went to Walmart at lunch today and got a new area rug for the living room.  I was getting a few things and saw a display in the middle of the isle for $20.00!  It is 5X8 feet and is purple an gray striped.  It is beautiful!  And will go perfect in our living room, our exact colors of that room!  I can't wait to get home and get it laid down.  When we get our camera back (left it at our in-laws) I will get a picture and try and post.  I am having trouble uploading pics to this blog for some reason but we will see.

Anyway, that is about it!  My 28th birthday is approaching later this month and have been thinking a lot about what I really want for my birthday.  True, there is a lot of "material" things that would be nice to have but if I could have anything, what do I want?  I haven't completly decided but a day to myself sounds heavenly!  Or even a day/evening with just me and the hubby.... The last couple months have been such caos that a day of "down" time sounds perfect.  So we will see, if my birthday wish comes true.....   :)  

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Random Thoughts…

I don’t have an actual topic today, just some random thoughts I thought I would share.  I want to post at least once a week to keep me in the groove but this week nothing is coming to mind. So here is a sneak peak to what is going thru my mind   J

This morning was the 2nd day that we woke up and did breakfast together as a family!  As mentioned in my previous post, we are doing this every week on Wednesday to increase our “family” time.  It has been lovely!  Great way to start the day!  This morning I made from scratch, Butterscotch Oatmeal.  Yum!  The recipie is as follows:

2 eggs beaten
3.5 cups of milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt

Stir constantly until it starts to boil.

Add 2 cups of quick oats and stir again till it starts to boil again.

Turn heat off, add 1/3 cup of butter, put lid on pot and let sit 5 min.  Serve warm with milk.  Yum!!!!!  This is such a treat on a cold snowy morning like we had today.

I also put some homemade beef vegetable soup in the crock pot last night while I was waiting for our yummy supper (pork chops, herbed potatoes, corn) to get done.  This morning I put it on low and we should have a hot yummy meal when we get home tonight!  Tomorrow is our designated “family game” night.  I am hoping we get to play at least one game but we are also having company Friday night for supper and the evening and there will be lots of clean up and preparing that needs done by all tomorrow as well.  Here is my mental list:

Corbyn clean his room (currently not too bad, just some pick up)
Sweep stairs and all hardwood floors (our whole main level!)
Sweep living room rug and straighten up toys
Dust
Clean bathroom
Clean Kitchen (will sweep but not mop.  With all the snow we have, it is pointless since this is the first room you walk into from outside)
Prepare Meal:
            Chicken Alfredo
            Olive Garden Salad
            Yankee Bread Sticks
            Dessert – haven’t decided what…. Will accept suggestions!!!!!
I wanted to keep the meal simple since we both work Friday, but company is not coming till 7ish so I think this is doable!

This Saturday we have our Final Christmas for 2010!!!!!!!!  Yay!  I am looking forward to it b/c we didn’t have this gathering last year but I am also ready to put the holidays behind me!

Lastly, This has been a really good week!  My Monday was an awesome day and it has been a long time since I have been able to say that about a Monday!  I won’t go into details but I found out I was able to be a “tool” to accomplish something big.  I didn’t realize that is what I was doing at the time and am not saying this to lift me up but for God’s Glory only!!!!!  I know He is God and He is on the Throne but He still seems to amaze me the way He works things out sometimes!  He truly is an ON TIME GOD, EVERY TIME!  There was also another situation that happened Monday that gave me Hope.  I know things are not happening right this second the way I want them to but I can see God is doing an awesome work and it is exciting to me to see how everything will work out in the end!  Yesterday was a good day as well!  I got both kids after work and went home, we did homework without fussing, fed Joey (our dog) without fussing, piano practice without fussing (these are normally things we complain about every evening, even though we know we do them every day!).  I was able to sweep some floors, help with homework and reading, watch my son practice piano (it amazes me that a 7 year old knows so much already!) and got the fire going before hubby came home.  I also was able to get the kitchen cleaned up before bed which is a rare occasion anymore with everything else we have before bed.

Whew!  So sorry for the long post!  Just a look at what has been going on inside my world recently!  God Bless and hope you all have good week!  As always, comments are welcome!
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