finding joy in the journey

a new month.

2012-02-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

A new month already!!

We have been busy it seems like.

Braxton started basketball again.

He is having lots of fun playing with his buddy Ayden this year.

Kyle and Craig are coaching their team.

Mayce is having fun playing dress up these days and playing with her babies.

{her face has evidence of something....i don't remember what she had}

Braxton has lost his two front teeth!! He was so excited. And now he will be able to eat some sweet corn this summer;) I can't wait for summer food again!!

Carter is getting ready to go to preschool for a few months to get ready for kindergarten! I can't believe it. He will have to go full day next year so we thought a couple days per week of preschool might prepare him a little.

I have started school again. That has been keeping me very busy. It is all online, but it is a lot of reading!

well...hopefully I will be much better this month about updating.

We are having a beautifully mild winter so far. The sun is shining and the temperatures are pretty warm for this time of year. Yay!! Except I feel like we are going to pay for it later.

You Lead

2012-01-28T00:23:00.000-05:00

I know that I have been missing here.

I have been a little busy lately.

Thought I would share this song until I have time to upload some pictures.

Really good song!!

After a pretty rough year, God has lead me to this point in life.

You lead, and I will follow.

Good place to be;)

He holds all my tomorrows.

a good christmas break.

2012-01-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

we had a really good christmas break!

to pass the time we built a snowman,

finally made it to the children's museum,

watched lots of movies and played the wii, ds and kindle,

lots of puzzle making,

the boys made cardboard ski's {really funny to watch},

and trying to finish up project life 2011!

we really took it easy and just enjoyed each other's company.

christmas in pictures.

2011-12-31T17:54:00.000-05:00

birthday cake for jesus.

kyle being santa at my grandma's house on christmas eve.

grandma opening her loot;)

carter wearing his gift.

ed & margaret with all the grandkids on christmas eve at their house.

the family.

our tree after santa left.

cute.

mayce seeing the tree on christmas morning {bed head and all}.

daddy's special gift to mayce.

after opening all the gifts.

mayce playing with her jewelry box from papa and meme on christmas night.

everyone watching a movie with the glow of the tree.

i hope everyone had a very merry christmas.

we sure did.

traditions.

2011-12-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

it is a tradition for dad to do gingerbread houses with the kiddos every christmas. this was mayce's first year to participate;) she liked it!

braxton's house. he gets really creative.

mayce's house {with help from papa}.

carter & papa.

carter's house. he will probably eat it within days;) he already asked this morning.

carter using the icing!

the countdown is on!

2011.

2011-12-20T22:03:00.000-05:00

as i look back on the year, i find that it has been one of the most difficult i can remember. lots of changes going on in my heart and God teaching me so many things. i was looking through my prayer journal to see how God answered prayer and how i have changed this past year. on April 11th {a monday} i read Zechariah and Malachi. i always write a verse or two that i take notice of, prayers and praises. my grandpa was diagnosed with cancer the friday before. the verse i chose was Zechariah 13:9-10 "this third i will bring into the fire, i will refine them like silver and test them like gold. they will call on my name and i will answer them; i will say, "they are my people; and they will say, "the Lord is our God."" grandpa passed away that evening. the fire process started before that, but that definitely added to it. i feel like God has been refining me, i have called on his name and He has answered me. and after this long difficult year i can say without a doubt the Lord is my God.

the things He has shown me...

life is short,

make the most of every moment,

my time is not His time,

His time is better,

if you trust...He will take care of everything,

there are ALWAYS blessings to count,

He can use anyone that is willing,

God is faithful,

family is a blessing in every way,

and

He has plans for all of us!

i know this isn't everything, but these were hard lessons for me to learn. i knew them in my head, but now i know them in my heart:)

this song, set the world on fire by britt nicole, has been my heart for this year. i want to set the world on fire for Him. my life, my love Lord, use me.

joshua 1:9

"be strong and courageous...do not be terrified for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

everything for His glory...the good and the bad.

thankful for the lessons He has taught me this year. thankful for His love. thankful for a year full of blessings to count.

preparing...

2011-12-19T09:51:00.000-05:00

we are preparing for christmas...

cookies,

ornaments for packages,

finding a tree,

and decorating our tree.

i really do love this time of year.

trying to prepare our hearts for the coming of the King {for His birth and His return}.

hopefully we will be over the flu bug that has a hold on us and ready to celebrate this weekend!!

merry christmas.

may you have a great week preparing too:)

operation christmas child.

2011-12-14T08:28:00.000-05:00

our church collects boxes for operation christmas child every year. we let each of the kiddos fill a box full of goodies that they would like to send to a child their age.

i try to save stuff all year like extra mcdonalds toys, washclothes, toothpaste, pencils, crayons, etc...

then we put a picture and a merry christmas note and they are ready.

it is truly better to give than recieve!!

some of my favorites...

2011-12-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

here are some of my favorite things right now...

1. this new planner i have been wanting for a long time. i came across this about a year ago, but couldn't part with $50. i recently found a coupon that made it $25!! i was really excited to get this in the mail. i love it and use it daily!!

http://www.erincondren.com/

2. this date night idea from http://www.shannonbrown.typepad.com/

it is a great christmas gift idea!!

12 months worth of planned out dates;)

3. kisses from katie. i just finished reading this book and it was amazing!!

http://www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

it will make you think how you want to serve Him better and appreciate what you have!

we hopefully get to pick out a christmas tree this evening!!

pictures to follow...

excited for the christmas decorations to come out.

family pictures.

2011-12-01T13:35:00.000-05:00

{unedited family pictures for 2011}

gratitude quotes.

2011-11-23T12:13:00.000-05:00

i have a slight love of quotes right now.

i found these gratitude quotes that are for sale in pdf format. you can get 15 of them for $2.50!

you just have to print them out and display.

what a great deal!

http://www.crystalwilkerson.com/blog

i will get back to blogging soon....just a really busy month:)

gifts.

2011-11-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

151. birthdays:)

152. cupcakes with buttercream icing!

153. trunk or treat. we passed out candy instead of getting a ton!! our church does it every year. this was the first year we participated. we had a camp out theme. the kids did extremely well for two hours and cold temperatures.

154. pumpkin carving halloween night.

155. funny pictures.

156. the last days of beautiful weather!!

157. the colors of fall.

158. carter turning 5!

159. sibling love. this is how i found them watching cartoons when i got out of the shower.

160. mayce with icing covered fingers wearing her fairy costume she got on her birthday.

turning five.

2011-11-02T16:35:00.000-04:00

i think carter lee had a very good birthday.

we let them decide what we are doing all day on there special day and this is what he picked...

take dad lunch (mcdonalds happy meals of course),

cartoon watching during nap,

and hacienda for supper!

i think he did well.

the next day papa and nana took him to town to let him pick out some gifts and eat mcdonalds again:)

he was SO excited.

he is one lucky little boy!

gifts included:

super mario bros. ds game,

lincoln logs,

transformer,

t-rex,

candy,

mario vs. luigi ds game,

ds case,

clothes,

and legos!!

{and we are having a big joint party for he and mayce this weekend}

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T16:10:00.000-04:00

October has brought us:

two birthdays at this house,

cold temperatures,

kyle two 5k's,

beautiful scenery,

sickness,

pumpkins (courtesy of uncle ryan...he calls miss mayce m&m),

rough days,

grateful days,

busy days,

and the holidays are right around the corner.

she is growing so fast.

i feel like i am missing it already....she turned three yesterday!! my baby is 3:)

smile.

2011-10-26T17:06:00.000-04:00

ok...everyone look this way.

now try to act like this is fun:)

not that much fun!

seriously....

they did not cooperate this time.

i am not sure what i was thinking.

it was late.

i have been sick.

i am not even suppose to be talking and i am yelling at them to smile, hold still, look at the camera:)

this is last years picture.

i love it.

wish i could pause time.

happy birthday.

2011-10-17T08:20:00.000-04:00

happy birthday sweet boy!

five things we love about carter lee.

1. sweet...really sweet.

2. loves his brother and sister.

3. loves to talk. he could ask questions all day:)

4. giving...he would share most anything.

5. eager to always know more about jesus.

right now he likes anything sweet, the color green, wearing only shorts and no shirt, barefoot...always barefoot, DS, mario bros., lincoln logs, apple cider & bike rides.

number five came way too fast.

we love you:)

photo from september 2008

he was almost 2.

where i belong

2011-10-12T12:20:00.000-04:00

this song just kind of describes life right now.

life might be rough...but this isn't where i belong.

take this world and give me jesus!

sometimes it feels like i'm watching from the outside

sometimes it feels like i'm breathing but am i alive
i will keep searching for answers that aren't here to find

all i know is i'm not home yet
this is not where i belong
take this world and give me jesus
this is not where i belong

so when the walls come falling down on me
and when i'm lost in the current of a raging sea
i have this blessed assurance holding me.

all i know is i'm not home yet
this is not where i belong
take this world and give me jesus
this is not where i belong

when the earth shakes i wanna be found in you
when the lights fade i wanna be found in you

all i know is i'm not home yet
this is not where i belong
take this world and give me jesus
this is not where i belong

[x2]

where i belong, where i belong
where i belong, where i belong

a happy heart.

2011-10-11T22:56:00.000-04:00

Gifts....

141. enjoying the last days of warm weather.

142. smelling, remembering, watching harvest.

143. the last flowers of summer.

144. kissing on my kiddos.

145. watching brax learn so much at school.

146. sweet tea!! yum!

147. Pinterest

148. actually using an idea i found on pinterest!

149. taking pictures...

150. of loved ones that are laughing at carter lee:)

a grateful heart is a happy heart.

weekend fun.

2011-09-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

the big bridge going over the new river.

i am feeling much better here. i had survived and i was dry:)

about to leave in a bus (for 1 hour) to be taken to the gauley.

zip lining the plunge! oh my!

overlooking the new river. really pretty views!!

really pretty:)

risk.

2011-09-26T22:23:00.000-04:00

marriage monday:

the word on my mind after this weekend is risk.

i do not view myself as a risk taker. i like to be safe. i am the person that thinks about every possible worst case scenario! there are lots of risks when we are talking about marriage. the risk of loving one person for the rest of our lives. the risk of getting hurt. the risk of not knowing what will happen in life. and sometimes losing that loved one. but what if we never took the risk? would life really be worth living? does anything ever come from playing it safe and not risking anything? i am thinking life would be pretty boring.

kyle and his family have been talking about a white water rafting trip for a long time. i was very hesitant...to say the least! i was worried about leaving the kids. i was worried about dying in the river. i did not want to go. i told kyle that he could go by himself. he said that he didn't want to go without me. bummer. well, i really wanted kyle to get to experience it and finally decided that God ultimately had my life in His hands no matter where i was. so friday we left for west Virginia to raft the lower gauley. i am so glad to say that it was actually a lot of fun! we rafted on saturday and did a zip line on sunday.

i only came close to death once....just kidding. it was well worth the risk.

another thing that i realized is just how blessed i am. i was able to leave my kiddos with mom. i didn't have to worry if they were safe or taken care of. i know my mom loves them just as much as i do and that is so comforting!! i am so thankful for her. i am also thankful for kyle's family. we went with his brother and sister and their spouses. it was SO much fun hanging out with them for the weekend. i just feel overwhelmed with blessings tonight.

**********************

some marriage resources.

i think i have had this on my blog before, but it is worth revisiting. two wives started making one date night a month that was at home after the kids go to bed. really cute ideas. this months theme: takeout for two.

dinner at eight

this company has the cutest apparel for husbands and wives. i would like to get some of these:)

Union 28

my husband rocks.

marriage is worth the risk.

labor day camping.

2011-09-21T09:16:00.000-04:00

labor day this year we went camping with ed and margaret. papa ed made a skiing board for braxton and mayce was trying it out.

braxton skiing. carter tried it too, but he about drowned because he couldn't stand up!

miss mayce hanging out in the boat eating her lunch. it was so hot!!

kyle and carter.

papa ed playing with the girls. mayce goes over backwards in about 2 seconds. she cried!

mayce and i on a trail.

the trail had a swinging vine that the kids loved!

it was a fun weekend even though we had extreme temperatures. saturday was 100 degrees and by monday it was a cool 60 with a pretty good breeze. brrrr.

the kids certainly like to camp!!

marriage mondays.

2011-09-19T15:18:00.000-04:00

marriage mondays.

i thought that as i collect great marriage resources i would pass them on to you. this week a friend sent me information for a message titled, serial dating. don't let the title mislead you though...this message is for anyone! i learned a lot from watching it. great message. the purpose of marriage is to draw closer to christ:) our purpose in marriage to cause each other to become more like Him. he stressed the importance of reading the bible and praying. if 1,000 married couples did this, either together or atleast both of them individually, only 1 of those 1,000 would end in divorce. unlike the statistic of 6 in 10 marriages ending in divorce! that is huge!!

"true love is an acceptance of all that is, all that has been, and all that will not be."

http://vimeo.com/28936528

this video is from another friends blog i look at and found this song encouraging.

i am not sure how marriage is becoming my ministry, but for right now this is where God is leading me. hopefully i can pass on what God is teaching me to you every monday:)

my hope is that i can love my spouse the way God intended and we can both become more like Him!

have a great week.

anniversary #9.

2011-09-13T09:55:00.000-04:00

last month kyle and i celebrated our 9th anniversary!

it is hard to believe that it has been that long.

kyle brought home some roses and i added some flowers from the backyard. they looked so pretty:)

we decided to eat our dinner once the kids were in bed. it was very peaceful!

although steak at almost 9pm was just a little too filling!!

very good time. so happy that we have had the last 9 years together. it has been all that i imagined and so much more. marriage is such a transforming thing. it has changed me for sure, but hopefully it brings out the best in both of us.

***********************************

marriage has been on my mind a lot lately. earlier this year, i felt God calling my heart to start a ministry. since then kyle and i have started a marriage mentoring ministry at our church. i have been excited, nervous, sick and anxious about what God is doing through us. i am praying that God uses it for His glory and that married couples will connect with others to know how special marriage is. it was created to fulfill God's purpose of family and to shine His light in a brighter way together.

7 years old.

2011-09-08T13:08:00.000-04:00

i can't believe that Braxton has been blessing us for the last 7 years!! it seems impossible that time has flown by that fast. he is growing so fast. this year has brought baseball, 1st grade, reading, finishing kindergarten, camp invention, skiing, learning to save money for the things he wants, and being responsible for chickens.

he had a fun day at school. we took him cupcakes in to share with his class. they sang "happy birthday" and embarrassed him:)

the grandparents stopped by for dinner and to give him gifts.

hopefully it will be a memorable golden birthday. {7 on the 7th of September}

we love him alot.

we pray for many, many more years.

*******************************

there is a great webcast you can watch if you have some spare time. well worth it!!

it is about saying "yes" to God.

great insight.

she tells a story that helped me to see that i need to linger for a little while in the stage i am in. i need to enjoy it so that i don't miss it!

she says,

"do not miss THIS....right NOW!"

http://lysaterkeurst.com/

mayce and her babies

2011-09-06T11:05:00.000-04:00

mayce definitely has baby love.

she has for quite a while.

she loves to carry them around all day.

a few weeks ago she decided to give one a bath.

she had so much fun.

i can see that God has given her a mothering spirit:)

mr. particular and 1st grade

2011-08-30T13:54:00.000-04:00

braxton all ready for his first day of 1st grade!

he was so excited:)

he thinks that he is already getting bored with all day. he is funny. too bad he will have to go everyday for the next 12 years. i didn't mention that:)

he is so particular. he has his bedroom all organized, but at the same time he has to keep everything!

i call it an organized mess. don't you just love mcdonalds happy meals? there are blue smurfs hiding all over the house.

blessings.

2011-08-22T14:53:00.000-04:00

blessings...gifts...they come in the most unexpected ways. happiness is hard to find in all circumstances, but joy is always there in the little things!!

131. fresh eggs:) we are getting around 5 per day!

132. the kids loving on each other. always sweet.

133. first bag of candy corn...yum! {thanks mom}

134. braxton's first day of 1st grade.

135. cooper's 1st birthday party.

136. double yolk eggs. such a cool surprise.

137. beautiful end of summer days.

138. church family.

139. having a great weekend getting quiet with God. oh how he talks when it is silent.

140. after being gone for a weekend i have realized how alive this house is with children laughing, playing, yelling, crying and just being LOUD!

lessons on life.

2011-08-19T11:33:00.000-04:00

Lessons on life.
courtesy of onward christian church bulletin:
There was a man who had 4 sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral:
Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

have a great weekend:)

someone worth dying for.

2011-08-15T14:36:00.002-04:00

our chicken coop.

2011-08-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

our new little adventure for this summer was a chicken coop. kyle is still finishing it up, but it looks really good. we have one chicken laying already.

the inside of their little house.

the sole rooster out of the bunch. we bought 10 thinking they would all be hens. he was a surprise:)

the kiddos love going out there to give them scraps and check for eggs. wonder how long the excitement will last?

fourth of july.

2011-08-02T20:05:00.000-04:00

i am really late on posting these pictures. fourth of july was fun this year:)

braxton learned to ski on a ski board!!

they finally got me in that gross water to tube. last time i will do that in a while. not the definition of fun for me!!

eating dinner at mom and dads.

watching fireworks. the kids loved them:)

miss mayce. she is just cute doing about anything!

how great thou art!

2011-07-24T23:04:00.000-04:00

tonight...

i am thinking of my grandpa.

feeling pain for yet another family that has lost a loved one.

i am grateful for my family.

grateful that life is not about the years we live, but the life we have in the years He gives us.

praising God for how great He is!

pondering this verse this week,

Ephesians 3:20 "now to Him who is ABLE to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine by the power that is at work within us."

random summer photos.

2011-07-21T10:23:00.000-04:00

Braxton spent a week at camp invention. He really liked it. This was his invention.

a random picture of mayce.

look how happy they are all together:)

probably the only picture i have that is so good of all of them!

sparklers. fun.

carter rockin the harley gear.

sand & sun.

2011-07-14T15:21:00.000-04:00

i finally downloaded my moms pictures.

our crazy family in the sand:)

watching dolphins. they got SO close!

hilarious.

he is going to kill me for putting it on here:}

SO happy mom went with us. the kiddos were thrilled to have their meme there.

sweet miss mayce.

we had such a good time. i miss it already. what a relaxing way to spend a week.

vacation pictures.

2011-06-30T11:28:00.000-04:00

rest stop on the 15 hour trip to north carolina.

went to just look when we got there at 8:00 in the evening.

our beach house. it was really nice!!

hams.

braxton enjoying surfing!! he loves it:)

carter and that wink.

mayce with her comfort....thumb sucking and looking for her belly.

that was part 1.

mom has the rest on her camera. i will try to get those on here soon.

a little rest.

2011-06-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

we have been busy resting:)

hopefully i will get lots of pictures posted this week!!

oh, i already miss the sand.

When It Storms

2011-06-06T13:36:00.000-04:00

When It Storms
ever wonder why it is always storming? i do all of the time. especially right now. It is all for Him! Shine His light so all can see it:)

last day.

2011-06-03T10:18:00.000-04:00

today is braxton's last day of kindergarten!! i cannot hardly believe it. he has changed so much:)

i am so proud of braxton. he did a really good job this year with kindergarten & i am so excited for him:)

we are really excited for summer around here...

cookouts,

campfires,

the sprinkler,

sleeping in,

evening walks,

playing in the backyard,

and just hanging out without much of a schedule.

right now...

2011-05-27T15:58:00.001-04:00

right now...

braxton is loving baseball season!

mayce is sick...again.

we are excited for summer break to begin.

we are eagerly anticipating a beach vacation soon:)

i am trying to organize the house before warmer days come again.

carter finally got a much needed hair cut. he was starting to look like a rock star:)

backyard days:)

2011-05-19T23:16:00.000-04:00

123. flowers from the yard.

124. chickens getting bigger.

125. my niece is getting baptized on sunday:)

126. buttercream icing on french vanilla cake...yum!! mayce was sticking her finger in it as i was taking the picture.

127. longer days.

128. backyard meals.

129. starting a ministry at church.

130. summer break for braxton is quickly approaching!!

i have got to be better about listing my blessings or it will take forever to get to 1,000!!

stand out!

2011-05-18T09:53:00.000-04:00

Mayce and I were dancing to this song this morning. Thought it might encourage someone like it did us:)

{mothers day}

one life.

2011-05-16T12:22:00.000-04:00

Only one life, will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

we only get one life.

our youth pastor preached yesterday. he did really good. if you want to listen to it go to http://www.upperdeercreek.com/.

he talked about the legacy that we leave.

how are you living this one life?

don't blend in...God wants us to stand up and out for Him.

***********************

marriage.

2011-05-08T22:58:00.000-04:00

i have been deep in thought the last couple of months on the topic of marriage. God has really been laying some stuff on my heart. i am not sure if this is the place to share or not. i suppose if even one person is encouraged by my quest for a great marriage than it would be worth it.

i also want this to be a place that my children can look at years down the road and have a little window into what life was like for me as a young mom. i want them to know that i love their dad and really want a marriage that reflects God and honors Him in a way that only a couple can. He created me to have a partner and i am so glad. i am trying to be intentional about making our marriage move from good to great!

{i found this cute picture on another blog. i think that this is so true and pray kyle and i get to grow old with each other.}

i also found a cool idea on another blog.

dinner at eight

two girlfriends have what they call "dinner at eight" for their husbands. after the kids are in bed, they have a late "date" night with their husbands. i really want to try this. it sounds fun and a pretty inexpensive way to have date night. as i am reading lots of marriage books, i am finding that couples should have at least two date nights a month. we have a hard time doing that most of the time!

{looks like this would be a cozy place. great idea for the kids too! i think they would play in it all day!!}

daily praises.

2011-05-02T22:25:00.000-04:00

i haven't forgotten that i am counting to 1,000 gifts. i was still counting the whole time, i just didn't take time to put them here. i left off at 100...tonight i am just going to write what has been in my daily praises for the last month. {not all of them...i do about 5 a day in my prayer time}

101.new bedroom

102.www.edyoung.com

103.God has everything in his hand:)

104.the things carter will say.

105.elizabeth

106.jackson family

107.mom being here, the ability to talk with her daily.

108.grandpa gets to be in Gods presence today.

109.memories of grandpa.

110.beautiful days.

111.kids playing.

112.braxton enjoying baseball.

113.sleep!

114.a meal brought to us:)

115.turning 28.

116.sunshine.

117.flowering trees.

118.Easter.

119.mayce's voice.

120.our marriage.

121.new life; cotton jeffery merrell. {proud parents are grant and megan merrell}

122.kyle turning 32 tomorrow.

i have so much to be grateful for.

april in pictures.

2011-04-27T13:58:00.000-04:00

this is april according to my camera:)

enjoy.

celebrate.

2011-04-24T22:18:00.000-04:00

church was such a celebration today. christ had victory over the grave! that is what sets christ apart from all others....the grave could not hold him. he is alive and is waiting for us to be with Him. how amazing:) so much to praise Him for.

today.

2011-04-20T23:09:00.000-04:00

today i turned 28.

today i was surrounded by beautiful noisy children:)

today i went on a date with my husband!

today i wish i would've had a slice of this cake!

today i felt content.

today i felt grateful for the many blessings i am counting.

today i heard many voices sing, "happy birthday!"

today i received the sweetest email from my mom.

today my sister brought me flowers and brownies!

today i got new pj's and a purse from my kiddos.

today was a great day:)

stronger.

2011-04-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

this last week has been a blur really. not everything was sinking in because it was such a busy week. the viewing for my grandpa was on friday and the funeral saturday. the one thing that i kept thinking was that i am so thankful that i have hope that i will one day see him again. if i don't believe that, then what is the point of this life. if we are only born to die and there is nothing more....what is the purpose in that? the second thought was that the only thing that truly matters in this life are the relationships that we make. we take nothing with us when we leave and the legacy that we leave behind has nothing to do with money or possessions!! my grandpa was invested in lives. a lasting legacy.

i strongly believe that he was a man of God and that He went to be with our Lord. the hard part is the separation from him. i am sure that my grandma is going to miss him terribly.

over the past few months a song called "stronger" has been a great encourager to me. the words are still encouraging me through this. God is making me stronger!!

Stronger my Mandisa

Hey, heard you were up all night

thinking about how your world ain't right

And you wonder if things will ever get better

And you're asking why is it always raining on you

When all you want is just a little good news

Instead of standing there stuck out in the weather

Oh, don't hang your head

It's gonna end

Gods right there

Even if its hard to see Him

I promise you that He still cares

When the waves are taking you under

Hold on just a little bit longer

He knows that this is gonna make you stronger, stronger

The pain ain't gonna last forever

And things can only get better

Believe me

This is gonna make you stronger, stronger

Try and do the best you can

Hold on and let Him hold your hand

And go on & fall into the arms of Jesus

Oh, lift your head its' gonna end

Gods right there

Even when you can't feel Him

I promise you that He still cares

Cause if He started this work in your life

He will be faithful to complete it

If only you believe it

He knows how much it hurts

And i'm sure that He's gonna help you get through this

{i realize that i have been putting a ton of songs on here...sorry. that is the only way i can really cope right now. i promise the next post will be uplifting and full of pictures of the kids:))

blessings.

2011-04-14T12:44:00.000-04:00

my grandpa went to be with jesus on monday evening. i left just an hour before he was escorted home. words are not really there right now. songs will have to explain how i feel for the time. i was so blessed to have him in my life. i am feeling blessed even though it hurts so bad. thanks for the prayers.

one thousand things.

2011-04-09T23:41:00.000-04:00

found this song tonight by christa wells. we never know what is going to come out of our pain. encouraging to me right now.

prayer request.

2011-04-09T00:21:00.000-04:00

i know that there are some prayer warriors out there...so i was wondering if you could pray for my grandparents. my grandpa learned this week that he has lung cancer. it is not treatable. my love for them is beyond any words.

Isaiah 41:10

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, I will help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

praise the Lord that he is in the palm of His hand.

empty.

2011-04-04T21:59:00.000-04:00

God is teaching me so much right now. i am learning that i have to come to Him, empty of myself so that He can fill me all the way up. the last couple of months have been difficult ones...i am finding myself inadequate, helpless, unable to understand and at the same time God is showing me that it is the best place to be. in those times, God can work like He is suppose to. I am leaning on Him to get me through. I am trying to soak up as much of Him as I possibly can and in doing so He is filling me up more than I could have ever imagined! i just finished the book, One Thousand Gifts, and i feel like i could read it again. it was really good. it is definitely helping me to see every little thing as a gift from God. amazing how the act of giving thanks can change my perspective on everything.

91. carter; barefoot.

92. rain showers that will bring flowers!!

93. my 400th blog post!! oh my goodness.

94. family night at church.

95. mayce's joy....all the time:)

96. fresh coat of paint.

97. braxton's excitement about school.

98. finishing a book.

99. movie night with my husband.

100. the kids prayers.

God's promise.

2011-03-27T22:52:00.000-04:00

Genesis 15: 1-6

" After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 'do not be afraid, Abram. i am your shield, your very great reward.' but Abram said, 'O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?' and Abram said, 'you have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.'

Then the word of the Lord came to him; 'This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.' He took him outside and said, 'look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them." then he said to him, 'so shall your offspring be.'

Abram believed the lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness."

sometimes we only need to believe what the Lord has told us. He has things planned for us larger than we can imagine!!

i count it all joy...

2011-03-25T14:35:00.000-04:00

85. the life God has planned for me.

86. waiting for it.

87. cooper trying to crawl. he is so cute:)

88. baby chicks.

89. road trips.

90. the kids getting excited about hotel swimming!

we went on a little vacation to Cincinnati. we went to the creation museum. it was really good. the kids really liked it!! i even learned a lot! {we also watched the movie rango while we were there. i would not recommend this movie. very disappointing!!}

we are now trying to recover from lots of illnesses. hopefully we will be all ready for brax to start school again on monday. we are on the home stretch to summer:)

sick...again.

2011-03-16T09:37:00.000-04:00

we cannot seem to shake the sick bug around here. we have bought more sprite, tissues, laundry soap and Motrin that i care to! i think we have had nearly every bug. i am ready to air the house out. i feel like a petri dish.

~~~~~~~~~~

i finally bought the book, one thousand gifts, and it is great!! i really like the book and can see myself reading it over and over. so far i am understanding that giving thanks is always what preceded a miracle in the bible. Jesus even broke bread and gave thanks at the last supper. he gave thanks in His most difficult time. giving thanks allows us to slow time a little. while we are enjoying the thing we are giving thanks for, we capture that moment...hold it still for a time.

like..

81. my babies chest moving up and down while they sleep

82. the way mayce sucks her thumb and rubs her belly button at the same time

83. the sun shining on the hardwood floors

84. braxton being quirky

time stands still while i count it a gift.

braxton had crazy days at school last week.

crazy hat...crazy socks.

he is so quirky and i love him:)

prayers.laughter.breathe.

2011-03-11T14:17:00.001-05:00

reflecting on the weeks blessings:

{i never want to paint a picture that my life is without problems. we have many ups and downs in our day. i try not to dwell on them...i try to look for the blessings in even the hard stuff. finding joy on the good journey is easy:) finding joy in the days that you spend in prayer all day just trying to breathe is another. just a thought as i start on #71!!}

71. music. it can minister to be in any situation. if i am having a really bad day i can usually worship my way to being okay.

72. this blog. great place to document life and learn from others!

73. silliness.

74. laughter. i think i might have already said this, but it truly is a blessing in so many ways:)

75. the living word. as i continue to plow through the bible verse by verse, it amazes me how He speaks to me every day through it.

76. mail. braxton received cookies in the mail from a dear friend at church the week he was sick. it made his day.

77. 2 boys and a little girl. perfect mix. God knew what He was doing. they might have come quicker than i thought and in a different order than imagined, but i am excited to see what He has in store for them! i love them:)

78. the kids prayers. mayce...thank you for this food, mommy's food, daddy's food, bubbie's food, cartie's food. amen. carter...thank you that dad is a good citizen. amen. carter is the funniest kid:)

79. the ability to breathe. brax was having a really hard time breathing when he was sick. {like i was ready to take him to the ER} so thankful for every breath.

80. the beach. hopefully we will be heading there soon. ahh...the waves. the warmth. the sand. {i better come back to reality now}

praying you are seeing blessings no matter where you are in life right now.

just thinking.

2011-03-08T23:04:00.000-05:00

tonight i am thinking about lent. what does that mean to me? we have never really celebrated lent or done anything with that time. as i am reading in blog land i think i am understanding it a little better.

i am realizing that it is a time to reflect on my relationship that matters most. God wants all of me and i need to keep that in check. for the next 40 days i am going to try and strip some of the "extras" away from my life. things that i give a higher priority than i ought to. because really they are idols. we don't have golden calfs that we worship or sun gods....but we do have stuff, internet, electronics, a million activities, food...the list could go on and on.

so, until easter time i will be working on a few things. i am not expecting perfection...just growth.

#1. i will be working on getting rid of stuff laying around this house. i have felt convicted to do this for a long time. i do not want my children to think that all i have time for is cleaning. the less stuff...the less cleaning. i will only keep the things we need or really love.

#2. internet time. ouch. this one is going to hurt. i spend way too much time on this thing. i get some really good ideas and this is a definite quiet time for me, but i need to give it a time limit. i get so carried away.

#3. move the kids away from spending so much time with electronic devices {t.v., computer, wii, ds}. they serve very little purpose when i look at it in light of eternity. i think it is fine to have some time doing things we love, but it should not consume the majority of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

well, if i accomplish any of those things even a little it would be a great start! i am not trying to set myself up for failure, so i am not expecting to be perfect in all of those areas in 40 days. i just need to be aware of my problem areas and try to fix them:)

i will let you know how it goes.

Temporary Home

2011-03-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

i am not a country listener normally, but i heard this song this morning. must be what i needed. no matter what is going on in our lives....we don't have to worry because this is not our home. it is only temporary:)

praise the Lord!!

2011-03-04T15:28:00.000-05:00

gifts

56. ed, my father-in-law. a Godly man. i am so happy he is retired! he helps out so much with the kiddos.

57. margaret, my mother-in-law. she really is the best. she is giving, understanding and she loves the kids!! she would drop everything to help out. i am so grateful for both of them:)

58. max. he is so sweet. i can spoil him because he is my sisters child:) it is fun. he loves his B.

59. cooper mark. he still has that baby smell i love. so easy going.

60. maryn grace. she is so full of life. she is a spunky one:) funny girl.

61. have i mentioned mcdonalds sweet tea yet? saving grace some days. {like today....trying to get through kroger with mayce screaming at the top of her lungs because she wanted to run all over the store. i just held her...which made her extremely mad! i was so tired after that...sweet tea stop was a must:)}

62. rain. it means beauty is coming.

63. medicine to make my kiddos feel better.

64. healthcare. even though we might have to wait a couple hours to get what we need...atleast we have access to it:)

65. cute faces.

66. big brown eyes.

67. hope.

68. memory of grandma holt. braxton mentions her often:)

69. books.

70. blankets.

the sick bug has arrived.

2011-02-28T21:57:00.000-05:00

we were doing so good. i thought we might get through the entire winter without a major sick bug. boy was i wrong. brax came down with a cough last week and it has now turned into tonsillitis. he is miserable! meme and papa sent balloons today. that sure made their afternoon. this is one of the few smiles he has had for several days:) then nana and papa brought over cinnamon rolls for him to have in the morning. {cinnamon rolls are the only thing he has had to eat since thursday.. and that was this morning} all of them are looking foward to breakfast!

**********

if you have a chance visit Karie's site and say a prayer for her. she is doing great during a really tough time and i just know God is going to carry her through on prayer.

gifts.

2011-02-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

this week i am trying to enjoy every moment. sometimes i am so worried about what i have to do that i miss right now. time is such a precious thing.

Ephesians 5:16

making the most of every opportunity

40. snow days

41. biscuits and gravy that the neighbor brought over:)

42. my dear friend elizabeth, she is the best...i am not sure what i would do without her...she is always there for me:)

43. inspiration from blogs. found this print at beckyhiggins.com.

44. home.

45. birthdays;)

46. sunshine.

47. hugs...especially from my kiddos. the kind of hug that wraps you all up {and miss mayce will even pat your back}.

48. reading books.

49. a comfy sweatshirt.

50. bedtime talks with carter. sweet.

51. singing to mayce at night.

52. my marriage. words can't really describe this gift.

53. health.

54. motherhood.

55. sunsets. the house that i grew up in had the best spot to watch the sunset!

hope you have a good weekend:)

all wrapped up with gifts

random thoughts.

2011-02-22T20:26:00.000-05:00

Braxton has made it through 100 days of kindergarten already!! it is going extremely fast. he really likes school. he is learning to read pretty good. making friends. playing basketball now. having fun.

carter lee is getting along pretty good without his bubba for half of the day. he sometimes finds braxtons DS, snuggles down in kyle's chair and gets lost in a game. his personality is coming out finally....i think because he has some alone time;)

miss mayce is crazier than ever. she is so full of personality. she does something new everyday. she is starting to speak a little english!

***********

i am ready for the snow to go away. the spring temperatures were great last week. it is always a tease when that happens so early.

***************

kyle is starting to take advocare products. i will share more later, but i am going to try and put a link on the side of my blog. {they are vitamins and athletic enhancing products. weight loss, energy, i will forget a bunch if i try to list all of them. he has been taking them for a while. his brother and dad have lost a lot of weight. they have been using them for about 2 years now.}

************

how is that for random??

gifts.

2011-02-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

21. busyness of three little ones. i will miss this one day. {picture is a little out of focus, but it captures our craziness. the kids like to be swung by kyle in their towels after bath time. they beg to do it again and again.}

22. naps. oh...i love a good nap.

23. the smell of a newborn baby. i imagine heaven might smell like it:)

24. carter lee's 4 year old voice. i know it will change soon. i love it.

25. grey's anatomy. {that is dumb....i know.}

26. pictures

27. a hot shower. first thing in the morning. it is how i wake up.

28. quilts.

29. the windows open.

30. road trips.

31. praise and worship time during church.

32. magazines. {better homes and gardens, country living}

33. my kindle.

34. kyle's love for the kids.

35. sweet tea.

36. a home cooked meal.

37. cards delivered in the mail.

38. simplicity.

39. kyle walking in the door for the night:)

#21-39

valentines.

2011-02-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

valentines day around here was simple.

a candlelit dinner for 5.

steak.

sweet potato.

rolls.

cupcakes.

heart suckers.

just dance for the wii. {so much fun}

chocolate m&ms.

braxton commented, "this is the best night ever."

the little things can shout love the loudest.

one thousand gifts.

2011-02-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

gifts #11-20.

11. my new bible that dad gave me at christmas. still trying to read through it entirely. i am in lamentations today. goodness....god's wrath is fierce!

12. dad, for all he has done and sacrificed for us.

13. mom, strength {incredible strength}, introducing us to the love of christ, best friend, praying for me and my family....lots of gifts wrapped up in her:)

14. my camera. love it.

15. summertime. warmth!

16. my in-laws, the armstrong family. i really do have the best:)

17.laughter. i love to laugh. it is kind of ridiculous.

18. my sis, best friend. what would i do without her? so glad i had someone to boss around. ha ha. i really do love her.

19. miss Delaney, my niece. i was able to watch her for a little while when she was a baby. it was a gift i won't forget.

20. the snow when sun is shining on it. looks like a yard full of glitter:)

*********************************

on my way to 1,000!!

comfy spots.

2011-02-10T10:12:00.000-05:00

my kiddos have a few comfy spots they like to lounge right now.

carter refuses naps most days, but he can only do that for so long. then i find him curled up with a good blanket fast asleep on the couch:)

miss mayce has claimed my side of the bed! she wants to sit there and watch tinker bell on tv {her new favorite} and normally has a snack.

silly kids;)

february 2011.

2011-02-07T16:50:00.000-05:00

i finally changed the banner to february. goodness...i feel like it is almost halfway over.

*******

the first picture is from last week. while we were snowed in i built the kids a teepee with lights in it. something has happened to my camera where it will not focus automatically anymore. so that means that a lot of times it is out of focus. this particular time it was good. i love the look lights give when out of focus.

second picture was of the ice we got last week. i have never really seen it come down like that.

third picture is miss mayce out in the snow on saturday. it is a winter wonderland around here.:)

one thousand gifts.

2011-02-04T15:19:00.003-05:00

i have recently downloaded a free preview of the book...one thousand gifts on my kindle.

i really liked the first chapter. i will be buying the book soon:) on the authors website

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

she challenges everyone to write out their gifts...1,000 of them.

i am not sure how long it will take me, but it sounds like a great challenge. we have so many gifts around us each day. big and small:)

i am going to document them here in my blog space. hopefully i can always go back and look at the amazing blessings God has so graciously given to me. i do not want to take that forgranted!

gifts #1-10

{these first ones will kind of be the obvious ones, but i definitely can't do this without counting them:)}

1. kyle, truly a gift. best friend. partner. can't imagine getting through life without him. i have dated him since i was 15 years old! almost half of my life. crazy amazing.

2. braxton, so much like his daddy. a perfectionist. freckle face. skinny little man. loves school. hard worker. first born.

3. carter lee, my sweetheart. big heart. dimples. a smile that can melt stress away:) giver. goes with the flow.

4. miss mayce, finally a little girl. cute. love her language. her curls. her dancing. her big hugs.

5. sunshine.

6. chocolate.

7. our home.

8. freedom.

9. salvation. huge.

10. mom & dad's marriage. it is their 22nd anniversary today! it has been a gift to watch them grow and change as a couple.

so many gifts....

...i could just keep on going, but i will save a few for next time:)

christmas cards

2011-01-31T09:12:00.000-05:00

christmas cards....what to do with them after christmas?!

i always have this problem. i hate to throw them away, but why keep them?

kyle was listening to our local christian radio station and they were asking for ideas. one person said that he keeps them for the year and picks one to pray for each day! what a great idea.

so i have taken them down, they are in a small baking dish, and the kids will randomly select one card each night. that family will be prayed for!! i am really excited about this. hopefully the kids will be too. we are starting this week...i just now took them down:)

a cold, snowy winter.

2011-01-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

this winter is definitely proving itself to be cold and snowy!! i am not a huge fan of coldness. snow is great on christmas, then it can wait for another year;)

it is pretty though.

the kiddos wanted to get bundled up and go play in it. it takes FOREVER to bundle three kids up for 15 minutes of play!! it is almost exhausting. well...they had fun anyway.

even miss chloe {the pup} wanted in on the fun.

found a quote on another blog today. http://www.susiedavis.org/

thought someone might need it like i did.

"Love people. Endlessly. Extravagantly. Relentless. With all of your energy, every day of your life."

i try so hard:)

lately...

2011-01-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

lately we have been

cooking homemade pizza,

playing the wii,

playing in the snow {once...it's cold!},

working on another quilt,

watching redbox movies,

reading books {brax is doing a lot of the reading},

braxton is going to basketball practice,

carter finally found his missing twilight turtle {one of his most favorite christmas gifts},

mayce is potty training {hurray},

reading my new kindle,

those are just a few of the things that we have done in january.

my mom had surgery yesterday. she did great. she got really good news and hopefully will start feeling better;) God is always there to take care of the situations that come up. they surprise us, but he already knows them and works them out in the end! it always amazes me. {it doesn't always work out like we want it, but he really has our best interest in mind.} while staying at the hospital, i was able to see God light up the sky as usual. he is everywhere. the nurses, the doctors, relationships, conversations....if you just take time to look...he is there!!

praying you see him somewhere today:)

diy: new twin size beds.

2011-01-13T15:42:00.005-05:00

kyle has been busy again. we decided about a month ago that the bunk beds were getting dangerous for miss mayce. she can now climb the ladder and i would find her up there a lot. brax also wanted his own room, so kyle went to buy lumber for new beds.

he made two platform style beds on new year's day.

braxton and carter were both very excited!!

brax is feeling very big now that he has his own room:)

{we plan on putting a headboard and footboard on them soon....and maybe a little paint. they are pretty rustic looking right now.}

a bright spot.

2011-01-11T15:06:00.000-05:00

these two boys are bright spots in my week.

mr. cooper is so cute;) those chubby little cheeks are so kissable!! mayce adores him. {so do the boys really}

mr. max has such a good time over here. he always says, "at home at B's." {i think he would live here....if it weren't for his mommy & daddy:)}

i think i have the cutest nephews ever!!

**********

my bible reading is in Isaiah right now. i am working my way through the bible slowly, but surely! i have found lots of encouraging scripture there. great truths that i need to memorize.

Isaiah 43 {parts}

"Fear not, for i have redeemed you, O Israel;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, i will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord you God, the Holy one of Israel, your savior.

You are precious in my eyes, and honored and I love you."

praying you have a blessed day;)

i heart this quilt.

2011-01-06T20:03:00.000-05:00

in november i started to make a quilt for my niece, maryn grace. as i was putting it together i kind of fell in love. i kept thinking that it would match my living room so good. i haven't really ever made myself a quilt before.

well, after a lot of thinking i decided to keep it. turns out the maryn's room will be pink and purple...so it worked out better anyway. :)

i really, really like it and it was pretty easy to put together. i will definitely use this pattern again.

{i found it on ebay. a vintage trip by yoyo mama designs}

a few of my favorites.

2011-01-04T16:57:00.001-05:00

i thought i would share a few of my favorites from blogland with you.

**********************

i found a yummy site not too long ago.

i would love to eat this cake!

www.sweetapolita.com/blog

*****************

i am wanting to learn more about my camera this year and found this "manual". i would love to buy it, but it cost too much for right now.

www.momtog.com/store

*************************

if i ever have another baby i would want pictures like these:

http://blog.emilymurdock.com/?p=526

you should check out the rest of the pictures. i wish i would've had someone take pictures when i gave birth to my kiddos. i don't hardly remember anything about their actual birth. i just remember being tired:)

*****************************

if you want to be inspired by one little family visit here:

http://www.allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/

**********************

this site inspired my giving month a little:

http://www.dandeedesigns.blogspot.com/

************

i get so inspired by looking at other blogs.

most that i find are uplifting and encouraging. i think we all could use a little of that:)

2011.

2011-01-01T12:32:00.000-05:00

Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible.
–Cadet Maxim

Excited to see what God has in store for us in 2011.
My hopes for the year:
*that our family can shine His love in all we do!
*live with less, so that we can give more. {our giving month was so much fun...truly giving is better than receiving!}
*getting rid of stuff and organizing so that "housecleaning" isn't the main thing we do.
*playing with the kids and watching them grow...loving them as they spread their wings more everyday.

as i am writing i am thinking back over the years of our marriage....
2002: wedding. moving into a home. honeymoon in Tennessee.
2003: delaney was born. trips to las vegas & North Carolina. found out we were expecting braxton.
2004: trips to las vegas again & Alabama. had braxton.
2005: kyle was hired at square D. trip to kentucky. enjoyed figuring out parenting.
2006: found out we were expecting carter lee. trip to minnesota with my family. had carter lee:)
2007: maryn grace was born. mom found out she had cancer. kelsey and tyler were married. trip to tennessee.
2008: found out we were expecting mayce. max was born. trip to tennessee. mayce was born.
2009: kyle was laid off of work for 6 months! trip to north carolina with the jernagans.
2010: trip to tennessee with my family. greg and alicia were married. cooper was born. grandma holt went to be with jesus. braxton started kindergarten.
2011: ??

these are just things that stand out to me. i am sure that i am forgetting something.
amazing how time flies!

God always has surprises waiting for us. can't wait to see what 2011 will be.

christmas in pictures.

2010-12-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

our christmas in pictures....

lots of cleaning up...

baking...

partying..

making santa cookies...

having fun...

anticipating...

being with family...

lots of family:)....

waiting for santa...

making yummy gifts...

passing out from too much fun....

dad's annual christmas dinner...

jesus birthday cake...

eating dad's delicious dinner {did i say how yummy it was}...

playing games...

laughing, lots of laughing....

holding sweet babes....

loving family...

watching two sweet boys be dedicated to the Lord. because that is what it is all about. living like Christ...dedicating our lives to Him so that our light shines so brightly that others can't help but see Him!!

This Christmas we celebrated His birth and rejoiced that love came down to us over 2000 years ago. so thankful for so many things this season. i pray you had a very blessed and magical christmas as well.

merry christmas!

2010-12-27T08:55:00.000-05:00

merry christmas

from the armstrong

family!

childrens museum.

2010-12-21T22:47:00.000-05:00

our annual christmas trip to the childrens museum.

the kids love it and get so excited!!

that is about as close as mayce would get to santa. she had a death grip on kyle!

carter is always the one doing his own thing....the other two are hams:)

racing down the yule slide!

{not very good pictures. it is so hard to catch them doing anything there...they are so busy!}

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day #20: leave a gift on a strangers doorstep.

{i really want to do this...i will let you know when i do it.}

day #21: send a box of goodies to someone. it is so nice to get packages in the mail.

invite.

2010-12-19T23:15:00.001-05:00

Day #19: invite someone over for a meal. we actually do this a lot. i love to have company over and i love to cook:) i have found some yummy holiday recipes i would like to try. i think we are having some friends come next week!!

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only 5 days until christmas....oh my goodness.
kyle and i wrapped some gifts tonight. i am so excited for this christmas. the kids are at an exciting age and i am focused on the true meaning. that brings peace and simplicity to our christmas this year. it has been a very good month.

squeeze someone.

2010-12-19T23:09:00.001-05:00

Day #18: give someone a squeeze. sometimes a hug can cure anything:) {especially one from mr. carter lee....he loves to give big bear hugs}

visit

2010-12-19T23:05:00.001-05:00

Day #17: visit someone. i try to make a point to do this once a month. we visit grandparents or neighbors and just take some time to chat.

catching up.

2010-12-16T22:51:00.001-05:00

days of giving.
since i missed so many days in a row, i am just going to sum up the last couple days.
day #12: leave a treat in the mailbox for the postman. {haven't done this yet, but we made cookies today for it:)}
day #13: take flowers to someone.
day #14: make breakfast for a loved one.
day #15: leave a little note for someone.
day #16: asking God to allow me to see needs that i wouldn't normally see and then pray for them.
{it is amazing how much i miss if i am not looking for it!!}
prayer can move mountains...i am convinced.

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it is so cold and snowy here.

do you think the kiddos are frozen.....they were acting like it! :)

a favor.

2010-12-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

i found a new site through money saving mom. it is "no more rack", a discount online store. if i have 35 friends that would just sign up i can win an ipod shuffle!! you do not need to buy anything....just sign up. i think you even get a $10 credit. it is just for advertisement. the promotion ends tomorrow!
please use this link:
http://www.nomorerack.com/?cr=72151

if you want to win one too...just go through the link and there is a button for "apple products." if you are lucky enough to have 400 friends you can win an ipad!! i would love one of those:)

thanks so much:)

the sick bug.

2010-12-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

we have the sick bug around here.

we have been doing a lot of nothing.

mario cart.

cards.

lounging on the couch.

i will get back to blogging soon.

the reason.

2010-12-12T00:07:00.002-05:00

Day #11: the reason i give.

i am not doing it just to be good. i am not doing it to get things in return. i don't care about being noticed.

i give because God gave the ultimate gift over 2000 years ago. a babe lying in a manger. coming to save the world. to show us love.

that is what i want to do. show the world His love. if only to 25 people this december....that is at least a start.

by giving i pray they see the heart of my savior. by giving i pray my children see the heart of their Father.

"Love came down at christmas time!!"

help others.

2010-12-11T23:57:00.001-05:00

Day #10: lend a helping hand. today {actually yesterday} i was in the gas station picking up a drink {for a dear friend} and the lady in front of me needed help out to her car. she had an arm full and she was walking with a cane. so...i grabbed her coffee and followed her to her car. i am trying to be diligent in looking for opportunities to help others.

the picture is of our christmas tree experience this year!! we didn't actually cut one down, but the one we bought is beautiful:) i love this time of year.

make time.

2010-12-09T22:27:00.001-05:00

Day #9: make time for the most important things in life. i have been trying to really focus on giving the kiddos some much needed attention. we cuddled up and watched a movie yesterday {Ramona and Beezus...the cutest movie i have seen in a long time!} the housework will be there forever...the kids won't be. i want to be remembered as an awesome mom, not an amazing house keeper:)

Mayce had the flu bug last night, so we didn't do too much today. are the days of december just flying or what!?

share.

2010-12-08T22:19:00.000-05:00

Day #8: share those gently used things you have around the house that you no longer use. for us....it would be toys! our children have so many that we keep them in boxes in the attic. i am not exaggerating when i say around 10 plastic tubs full of toys!! that is just insane. so with christmas coming i decided that we need to get rid of some. most are actually in very good condition because they can't play with all of them! so i found a church that could use some new nursery toys, a cute nephew that would love some and maybe some families that could get some good use out of them. shhh...i kindof kept the kids in the dark as to how many! i told them to pick one:)

i just had to add a picture after all of those posts without one!!

be generous.

2010-12-07T22:51:00.001-05:00

Day #7: give a generous tip. we ate at pizza hut on our way home tonight. we decided before the meal that we would leave a very generous tip {good experience or not.}
just think if everyone passed on a little generosity!

listen.

2010-12-06T22:43:00.001-05:00

day #6: the gift of listening. it is easy to talk, but to truly listen to someone is a gift. silence can sometimes speak louder than words!!

donate.

2010-12-05T21:56:00.000-05:00

day #5: donate.....giving your money to a cause...going above your tithe.
http://www.compassion.com/ .....a great place to give:) i am praying about sponsoring a second child. my hope is that each of our children will have a pen pal their age. i think it would be so cool for them to one day get to meet them!!
there are so many good organizations out there that need monetary donations. trust me.....God will bless each and every gift. there have been times that it is painful for our budget to give {like sponsoring a child while kyle was laid off of work for 6 months} but, God always provides if He has given you a leading to give!!
i found the video below the other day. it moved me....hope it moves you to give to something.

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference

2010-12-05T21:53:00.000-05:00

give your time.

2010-12-04T23:09:00.000-05:00

Day #4: give your time.
today we took a trip with braxton and carter's church class to sing to people living in an assisted living place. i think they really enjoyed it. most of them will not be able to get out this christmas to fellowship and sing....so we brought it to them:)

hug someone.

2010-12-04T23:03:00.002-05:00

Day #3: Hug someone.
i mean a big sqeeze:) it is amazing what a hug can do for a person!!

send a card.

2010-12-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

Day #2 of my christmas countdown:
send a card in the mail....snail mail:)
no one ever does this anymore. i think that it is so nice to know someone took time out of their day to sit and write a note. i wrote out my christmas cards today:) i don't know why i love sending christmas cards, but i do every year!!!
i will try to add pictures sometime soon. there is just not enough time for everything!

christmas countdown:)

2010-12-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

For our Christmas countdown this year, we are doing something a little different. I am calling it "25 days of giving." i am excited about it....hoping that my children will learn that giving is so much better than receiving!! So for our first day we surprised someone with a warm meal:) potato soup for a very cold day here. it snowed nearly all day!!

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{If you can think of some unique ways to give...i would love to hear them. i have thought up 14 things to do, but i need 25!!}

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praying your days leading up to Christmas are merry & bright!!

i will be back tomorrow with day #2.

brax lost a tooth!

2010-11-30T23:47:00.000-05:00

Braxton lost his first tooth tonight!!

time....please slow down.

my firstborn is getting too big.

You light up the sky!

2010-11-23T23:19:00.000-05:00

i just watched this video on another blog.
i really like listening to this song.
it is amazing the moments the God uses to light up my sky. lately he has shown me His light through the passing of grandma holt, my children, kyle's many jobs he has been doing....very unexpected places sometimes, but He truely is always with me.
amazing:)

an update.

2010-11-19T15:49:00.000-05:00

november is just flying by. at the beginning of the month i was so impressed with the fact that we had nothing scheduled!! wow....so much can change in just a few short weeks.

::upcoming posts::

*kyle's grandma holt was in the hospital for about a week and passed away on saturday. i hope to post soon about the wonderful women she was!

*i am working on a quilt that is almost done. i really like it:)

*kyle made mayce a kitchen set for her birthday.

*great christmas ideas {i have been searching for handmade christmas ideas}

*we went to columbus to visit my grandma last weekend.

*family photos:)

i just needed a little break from posting. i would like to write about all of those things before the christmas countdown begins.

hope everyone is having an enjoyable november:)