PhotobucketPhotobucket Photobucket

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

E is for Effort

·        What are some great memories you have of dating or early married years?
Ex. Things you did, places you went…etc.
·        Do you still do those things today, now?

Marriage takes a lot of effort on both parties.  Just like getting good grades at school or good reviews at work do.  We can’t expect to have the perfect marriage if we come home from our day jobs and do nothing but veg out on the couch or put all of our focus on the house and the kids. 
    Everyone has needs, but some are of greater importance to woman than they are men- and vice versa.  I think it's important to TALK to each other and find out what needs are most important to each other.
    Read Ephesians 5:21-33.  Go ahead.  If you don't have a bible, google the passage and read it.

    Focus on 5:33.  What are husbands told to do?  "Each man must love his wife as he loves himself..."  What are wives told to do? "And the wife must respect her husband."  What are some practical ways you can demonstrate these respective attitudes toward your spouse?  Serve them dinner before you sit down;  Listen first instead of spouting off your opinion; Never talk bad about your husband in front of anyone!

        We’ve all discussed how banging pots in the kitchen doesn’t mean we are clumsy, but that we are mad or want help….but we need to learn that marriage doesn’t come with free translators…. 
Instead of taking the time being angry, just talk.  I don't know about you, but I am one tired wife and mom and being angry just sucks more energy and life out of you, so just don't do it.  TALK.
      It’s not all going to be peaches and cream…Remember in school…to get a good grade it took real effort.  I remember passing algebra 1 with a C, because I put little to know effort into it.  It cost me scholarship money in the long run.  We can just get by doing the bare minimum, but then you can only expect to get bare minimum results….an OK marriage.  Who wants to spend the rest of their life with someone who is only putting forth minimum effort??
    What can we do this week to really put forth effort in our marriage and relationship with our spouse?  My challenge to you is to go out of your way this week to do something special for your spouse.  It doesn't have to cost a lot of money.  For example, my husband loves to hunt and needs bow hunting supplies; however those are expensive and I don't know what the heck I would be buying.  SO, instead I will meet another need by making his favorite dinner and dessert or sending a flirty text message, or giving him an extra long hug in the morning before he leaves...
How can we make it a permanent change?  God calls us to put others first.  Make it a priority to think about your husband before you sit down on the couch and get too comfy at night.  You will only benefit from putting others first, especially your husband.  Because, inevitably, he will begin to notice and return the favor.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Easy Apple Dessert = Perfect For the Fall!

My family loves apples....and right now, because of some great deals I'm involved in, I have more apples than I know what to do with!  So, I decided to branch out and try something new!  This really couldn't be easier.  I saw this in one of my Kraft recipe magazines and tweaked it a little. 
 
What you need:
3 thinly sliced apples {with or without skin}
1 refrigerated pie crust
4 oz cream cheese
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbs flour
A slice of butter

Roll out your pie crust and place it in the pie pan.  Spoon the cream cheese all over the bottom of the pie crust. 

Once you slice your apples, mix the cinnamon sugar combination as well as the flour with them. 

Spoon the apple mixture over the cream cheese and neatly and gently press the sides of the pie crust up and around the apples as though it is hugging them!  Sprinkle on a bit more of the cinnamon sugar mixture on the apples and crust and bake for 25 minutes.

 Once it comes out, I usually spread a little butter on the top while it's still very warm to give it a glistening look and yummy buttery, flakey taste!


  Slice it up and serve it with Cool whip and maybe a spoonful of vanilla icecream!


Hope you love it as much as my family did! 
Not only will your belly be full, but your house will smell amazing too!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Someone's garbage...MY treasure!



Who doesn't love to repurpose something?! 
I was at my in-laws house a month or so ago and I saw this old, yucky frame laying around near their barn. It was headed for the dump.  I asked her for it, and {SCORE!}, she said it was all mine, she had no use for it!  I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it, but I knew it would look cute somewhere.  Through the dirt and cracked paint, I could see something awesome...

Here, Noah and Lucy are modeling the frame before I painted it!


Normally, I would sand it to make it nice and smooth and so the paint would adhere better, but I was not only lazy, but too excited to take the extra step.  Plus I liked the idea that the frame would look a little rustic with some bumps and ridges. 

I found some left over spray paint in my garage that happened to be the same EXACT color as my bedroom, {SCORE, again!}  I wiped the frame down and covered it with a few coats of spray paint.  After letting it dry over night, came the task of trying to figure out what the heck it was going to frame :)

I love Etsy.  Who doesn't?  I also have a fairly new obsession with wall decals.  I bought one for Lucy's nursery and have been so pleased with the way it looks. I always knew I wanted another one, but what would it say and where would I put it??  I love Bible verses, Ok, yeah, I'll do a Bible verse.  But then I couldn't pick just {one}. Plus I have more than a half a dozen scripture pictures through-out my home.  So I started searching "marriage wall decals".  And I found {the one}.  I ordered it in brown to match my bedroom decor.  I was giddy with excitement.  So you can imagine how pumped I was when 2 days after I ordered it, I opened my mailbox and it was there!!

It came with great directions on how to apply it to the wall and within about 15 min, my project was complete!   


We hung it right above our bed.
He really is my BEST friend.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Wordle...

Wordle Logo

This has been one of my {favorite} things to do lately.  Late last year, I stumbled across this site in one of my youth leader magazines.  I didn't exactly understand what it was, but it didn't take me long to figure it out.  Wordle.net.  Once you check out the website, you'll figure it out. You type in words and it will create an awesome visual image of them for you...and if you don't like the layout or font, you can keep tweaking it until you find one you do love! 

According to Wordle.net, "Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends."

I had the teens in our youth group write their name on a sheet of paper.  They then passed them around to everyone and each person wrote a positive quality or a word of admiration for them.  Once everyone was finished, I collected them all and surprised them the next week with a Wordle for each of them.  I printed them out and framed them and hung them all over the youth house!  They loved it!

For fathers day this year I made one for Adam as well.  Framed and ready for his new desk at CCMS!  I am also in the process of making one for our living room wall.  Check it out, it becomes a little addicting.
Note to new users {if you type one word in several times, the word will not appear several times in the Wordle, it will just appear larger!}  Practice, you'll get the hang of it in no time!!  Have fun!



Saturday, February 4, 2012

My second love...

God, then Adam. I couldn't survive a day without Adam.  From the moment I wake up, if I work he helps me get out the door.  If I don't, he kisses me goodbye on my forehead and makes sure I know how much he loves me before he heads off to work.  He provides for us.  And I don't just mean he helps pay the bills.  He wants to make sure that we are comfortable and he will forfeit anything that he wants to make sure I have EVERYTHING I want first.  Really. 

The love that he has for our children, well, there is not even another guy that compares to him.  He takes being a father seriously and makes sure that they laugh and feel his love every. single. day.  He goes from being rough outside to rubbing their backs until they fall asleep.  He stares at them for so long each night that I literally have to drag him to bed.  He tears up when we look back at old pictures of them and would snuggle them until they pry themselves away.  Sometimes I even tease him about him loving the kids more than me, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

It sounds absurd.  People think "awe, how sweet", but I sense their doubt when I tell them the story.  But I prayed for Adam.  Well, not specifically for him.  Here's how it went {down}.  Adam had caught my eye several times at church throughout the years, but he was always quiet and never came to any of the church events aside from Sunday morning worship.  I invited him to youth one day and for some crazy reason he came.  I seriously was {love struck!} 

By the beginning of my freshman year of high school, I had a major crush on Adam. But he did not feel the same.  Being the gentlemen he was, he graciously returned my friendship, but I could tell he wasn't interested in anything more.  Especially when he was always interested in one of my friends {annoying!}  Lucky for me, the other girls thought he was cute and would go out with him, but they never progressed to more than a first or second date.  When I turned 15, towards the end of my freshman year, my parents bought me a teen study Bible that I would dive deep into each night.  Over the course of that school year I "dated" (used very lightly) several boys.  I never got incredible feelings for any of them. 

But one night, {and I truly remember it as though it was yesterday} as I was reading my Bible, it was brought to my attention that if I gave it all {my life} to God, He would ultimately give me what was best for me.  I needed to hand over the reigns.  I prayed that night that God would prepare the perfect guy for me.  I remember telling God, 'he doesn't even have to be cute as long as he is the one that YOU pick for me, I know it will be the best'.  And with that a whirlwind started. 

It was then that I decided to stop pursuing guys, especially Adam.  And within weeks, no exaggeration, he was calling me, writing me notes, and even holding my hand {sigh}! 

Now, thinking back 13 years ago, I love how honest I was with God.  I love how my heart was so willing to trust Him, knowing He would choose better than I could.  It's an incredible feeling knowing that I married the man God intended for me.  We are not perfect, we have our share of disagreements, silent treatments, and frustrations, but at the end of the day, my mind doesn't go to 'what if', it goes to God and thanks Him for the man I was given.

I could go on and on about how wonderful he is how he cleans the house, does laundry, and helps with dinners, all without me asking for help.  He really is awesome.  As we celebrate his 30th birthday this weekend, I am so thrilled to be by his side.  I pray that we have many, many more years to come and many more awesome memories to make. Thank you God for {my} Adam.

Last August, celebrating our 7th Anniversary!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Prayer...

So, for the past week or so, I have felt so disconnected to God.  I’ve been longing for the Holy Spirit to fill me with the joy that every believer has.  I figured it out and I’m here to say, that if you don’t spend quality {as in more than just "thanks for the blessings, forgive me when I sin" kinda thing} time in prayer and seeking God, then don’t be surprised if you don’t experience His joy and feel disconnected.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” Revelation 3:20.  Read that again.  Take notice as to who is opening the door.  It’s not our Father in heaven.  It’s you.  How awesome.  He is telling us that all we have to do is open the door to experience Him.

He says that He will come in and eat with us.  How often do you eat with people that you don’t care about or with random people?  The answer is probably rarely if ever.  Eating with someone is a pretty intimate thing.  We share stories, talk about anything and everything.  You don’t do this with people you don’t know. 

We have the opportunity to be intimate with God just by spending some time in prayer with Him.  He tells us to open the door and He will come in.  When is the last time you were listening for His voice and anxiously standing at the door ready to experience His awesomeness.  Within a few minutes of opening up to Him last night I felt his presence and there is {NO} better feeling.  This week, I encourage you to focus on having a deeper prayer life with God. 

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Lucy Pea's BIRTH-day!

 
  So it seems almost common practice to share with everyone your birth story now-a-days!  So, since Lucy just turned 1 a few days ago, I thought it would be appropriate and bittersweet to share. 
  In January of 2010, we decided it was time to try for baby #2.  And, as if all we had to do was snap our fingers, we were pregnant and sharing it with the world in February! Sadly, we lost our baby on March 17th, even after two great ultrasounds with reassuring heartbeats.  We were devastated.  Neither one of us has ever experienced such a loss and we were hurting.  Fortunately we have a relationship with the Creator of the world, Christ, who held our hands and hearts over the weeks and months to come, comforting us and teaching us that He knows best.  And also that we will, one day, hold that baby in our arms. {I can't wait to love on them!}
  My OB informed us that it was best to wait at least one cycle before trying again, and that we did.  During that month or so before trying again we flipped back and forth in regards to a decision of trying again.  One day it was "I never want to go through that again, lets just quit and be happy with one child".  The next day it was "if God wants to bless us with another child, then we will gladly take it!"
   In May, we started trying again and wouldn't you know, we got pregnant!  This time was different.  This time we held our breaths.  This time we weren't jumping up and down and shouting it to the world.  If this baby/pregnancy wasn't going to make it, we wanted to privately deal with it. So, aside from our parents and a very few select friends, we didn't announce it to the world until I was well past 12 weeks and even then, we held our breaths.  Because the pain was still there.  The hole in our hearts had not quite healed.  Even now, almost 2 years later, the thought still breaks my heart.
  Back to Lucy!  My pregnancy was a breeze, a little nausea here and there, some uncomfortable nights, a little bit of heartburn, odd cravings of salad, but not a thing to complain about.  I felt completely and totally blessed to be pregnant.  I was not about to complain about something that is such a blessing and so precious; especially since it could be taken away so easily.
  Unlike my delivery with Noah, when I was induced, I wanted to go into labor on my own this time.  BUT, because I am a little controlling/OCD with certain areas of my life, I asked my doctor to induce me if I  hadn't gone into labor by 40 weeks.  Silly, I know, but I couldn't stand waiting and if I was induced, I would have everything neatly organized and ready for her arrival; as well as childcare arranged for Mr Noah.
  As the date of my induction got closer, the more and more I wanted to go into labor on my own.  My induction was set for Tuesday, January 25th.  On the evening of the 23rd, I told Adam that something needed to happen!  We gotta get this thing going!  After reading several books and talking to several people, we did what we needed to do { :) } to try to help move things along.  {TMI, I know, but its part of the STORY!} 
  We both snuggled into bed around 11pm and to my delight I was awaken by a nice little contration at 1am.  I was thrilled to wake up and monitor them.  In fact, I played scrabble online with my brother until the wee hours of the morning, when he finally crashed.  The contractions were always 4-5 minutes apart.  VERY regular, but no pain involved.  I cleaned the house, played on the computer, anything I could to stay awake, because I was too excited to go back to sleep since they were so regular.  Finally, at 5am, I called my OB and told her it had been 4 hours and there was starting to be a little discomfort.  Since I live an hour from the hospital, she told me to head in and they would check me.
  After kissing Noah good-bye and leaving him with my in-laws, we arrived at Christ Hospital to find that I was 3 cm.  Yay, I was doing something!  However, they were not as impressed or excited as Adam and I were!  They told me to walk around for an hour or two and if I progressed they would keep me, if not, back home I would go. 
  After two hours of pacing, the contractions were MUCH more noticable.  Not "I'm going to kill you if I don't have an epidural now!" painful, but they made themselves known.  A new nurse came to check me and she wasn't impressed.  She said I was still 3cm and that I should come back or call later if they get worse.  This is when I pulled out the whole "I wanna talk to my doc" card.  So after talking to the doctor on the phone, they gave me two options...come back at 5pm when they have time to induce me or go eat breakfast somewhere, walk around, and we'll check you later in our office. 
  By this time my mom was at the hospital and said "Yay, lets go to Frisches, for the breakfast bar!"  So, thats where we went.  During the meal at Frisches, between each bite, I had to walk to the bathroom to gather my wits and breath through each contraction.  They were coming on FULL force.  I was swaying back and forth, moaning, you name it.  In the lobby, in the dining room, and in the bathroom at Frisches.  Thank goodness it was a Monday morning and everyone was at work and night dining in :)  My mom religiously wrote down the times of each contraction and Adam tried to keep the mood light by making us laugh through breackfast.  The contractions were now 3 minutes apart..exactly.  I decided that I wanted to go home and rest, since I hadn't slept all night, but, before we had a chance to get a mile down the road Adam and my mom made the executive decision to turn the car around and have me checked; just because we live a good distance away and because they were much more painful and so close together. 
  When we got to my OB's office, they got me in quickly and he said I was a good 4-5cm!  "Head to the hospital!"  YAY!  He didn't have to tell me twice :)  Upon arrival I told them that I wanted to work through the contractions, but wasn't completely against an epidural.  They drew my blood to make sure my counts were good since I had low platelets throughout the pregnancy. 
  After complaining that I was in much more pain an hour or so later they checked me again.  I had progressed to 5-6cm.  That was it. This was as far as I could go.  I needed that epidural.  I needed that relief, some sleep, a break.  In between each contraction I practiced breathing and imagery.  It helped tremendously.  I felt like a champ making it that far, but was not interested in going any farther!  Still waiting on my lab results, they were hesitant, but went ahead and gave me the epidural.  And thank goodness they did, because my count came back even lower and the anesthesiologist said had they known they were that low, they may have reconsidered.  I was right there on the cusp of "should we let her, should we not."
  It was almost immediate gratification.  Within 10 minutes, my mom and I were playing a lovely game of scrabble, Adam went to grab a bite to eat and we were back to laughing and goofing around.  I decided I needed to catch a nap since I had been up the whole night before, but as I was repositioning myself, POP, and with that I called the nurse to tell her my water had broken!  Whew! Another thing I was hoping would happen on its own.  For some reason I didn't want the doctor doing it, and thankfully, my body kicked into gear and knew what it needed to do.  It wasn't much more than an hour or two later when I was ready to push.
  I was on a mission.  I knew what I needed to do.  I had instructed the anesthesiologist not to give me too much medication through the epidural because I wanted to feel it in order to push more effectively as well as the fact that I wanted to get up and move once it was over!  Well, I felt it alright.  And I think because I felt it, thats why it only took 3 pushes to get her out.  I was {determined} to get her out as quick as I could because I knew that she would be on my chest and the pain would subside. 
  At 4:59 pm, she was in my arms.  My perfect Lucy Pea.  It wasn't until that moment did I realize why God had everything happen the way it did; so that I would have Lucy and Lucy would have me.  The feeling is indescribable, mesmerizing, and breath taking.
  
  Everyone was there to visit and we even had a wonderful photographer come share her talents and snap some shots.  The birth was everything I could've hoped for.  I had incredible support, a wonderful doctor, and a healthy baby girl.  I couldn't stop thanking God for her. 
  And here we are, a year later.  So far, each year of my life has gotten better and better.  I look forward to the blessings that God has in store for us.  And, although I know we don't deserve them, I make sure He knows everyday how thankful I am for each one of them.

I know that was WAY too long, but it was fun and much needed therapy for me. 
Thanks for sticking with it until the end!
Can't wait to hear/read more of your great birth stories!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Mexican done different!

My family LOVES Mexican....from the refried beans to lettuce on top!  One day, as I was shopping for my normal taco shells, I came upon Tostada shells!  These are basically hard, flat, corn tortillas.  And, as the picture on the front suggests, I decided to build my own Mexican pizza!

Here is all you need:

 Box of Tostada shells
1lb of cooked ground sirloin/chicken flavored with taco seasoning
refried beans
tomato
lettuce
cheese
{Of course, add or subtract any ingredients to personalize this Mexican pizza to your taste buds!}


Now to begin....
I start with the shell and cover it with a spoon full of refried beans {YUM!}
(just as you would spread pizza sauce on a pizza!)



 
Add another spoon full of your taco meat of choice
{These would also make a great vegetarian dish...just skip the meat!}



Top with some cheese and place it in the over on 350 for about 5 minutes.
Just long enough to warm the toppings and melt the cheese.


Once you take it out, add the {accessories} as I call them...
tomatoes, lettuce, more cheese, onions, sour cream, whatever else you enjoy on your normal taco!


Top it off with a little taco sauce and {VIOLA!}




Even my 4 year old LOVES it...of course who wouldn't if it has PIZZA in the name!
{ENJOY!}


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Organization is key!

I scored this wonderful idea on pinterest a few months ago and before I had a chance to recreate it, one of my work buddies did, Amy, and she kept telling me how CUTE it turned out! So, after saving a few empty boxes of diapers and grabbing a few yards of burlap from Walmart, I began! I had originally intended on using the boxes in Lucy's room for her shoes and hair bows, etc.  But, while working on the boxes in the living room, I found an area of greater need.....the dvd storage area... {GASP} Warning: What you are about to see is no joke.  I may appear put together, but there are some areas of my house/life that are pure chaos...And believe me, the only reason I am showing you this, is because I am SO pleased with how it turned out in the end =)

{GASP!}
 ---{ What you need }---
Empty boxes - [diaper boxes work the best]
Hot glue gun
1 yard of Burlap per box 
Thick ribbon of any color

Lay the box out in the middle of your yard of burlap. Start with one side of the box and fold the Burlap over after applying hot glue to the inside of the box.  Rub your hand over the burlap to press it evenly into the hot glue.  {NOTE: if you have baby smooth/sensitive hands, use something else to press the burlap into the hot glue.  It didn't bother my hands at all}

{My cute little helper}

Glue each side separately and pull the sides tight before pressing them against the hot glue.
Repeat with as many boxes as you have or need!

And before you know it, {VIOLA!}


I added ribbon and LOVED it even more, unfortunatly, I ran out after the first one, so off to the store I go!

{Word to the wise...paint the end of your boxes with black or white paint prior to wrapping them!  I did not do this and although mine was a faster process, you can just barely see the Diaper print under the burlap.  The pictures make it much more obvious than it really is, and once you add the bow, it will cover it even more.  BUT, to avoid this, just take a few extra minutes and paint them :)}

Love, love, love me some organization!!