Marvel In The Beauty

I go through life, day to day, running from one thing to another.  I am planning the next day, crossing off my to-do list and racing against the daylight hours to get it all done.  But does it matter if I have a clean house?  Does it matter if I plan the perfect day of school?  Does it matter if my to-do list gets shorter?  Does it all really matter that much?

 I try to do it all.  It's exhausting.  I can't do it.  Not alone.

This new year has been a turning point.  I am searching out God and His word more than ever before.  I am learning the characteristics of God in an entirely new light.  Each day brings me to a new realization about who He is and how true His love is for me.  There is a new spark in my heart.  My soul clings to His promises and looks to Him for answers.  I read more of His word.  I trust in Him more and more.  I take out piece after piece of the worldly me and throw it away.  I'm making room in my heart.  I want to know my God more deeply now than I ever have before.

I am finding Him in the littlest and biggest of things.  A pink rose growing through a fence has a meaning.  It is God's way of telling me He sees me and loves me.  "Here is a rose just for you, your eyes, destined to be at this place, at this very moment."   

Never think He has abandoned you or forgotten about you.  He loves you more than you could ever fathom.  Look around and see how His creation speaks to you about His unending love.  It is written in the stars.  It is sung from the birds.  It is whispered in the wind.  You are His beloved.  He sacrificed his one and only Son so that you could live eternally with Him.  He is waiting with open arms for you to run to Him.  

Start running!

  

Amanda

Hearing His voice when I least expect it

 

Shattered.  Broken.  That is what became of my glass patio table.  We had left the big umbrella up and weren't expecting the wind.  All I heard was a whoosh of the wind, a thud from the umbrella hitting the ground and the crash of the table top shattering.  I didn't want to believe it really happened.  I went outside to look and saw the pieces all over the ground.  What a mess! 

 

I began the tedious and careful process of sweeping, scooping and throwing away the pieces.  All I kept think about was "How am I ever going to pick up all of the pieces?" 

 

That is when I heard Him.  "You can't.  You can only pick up one at a time."  I no longer saw glass, but I saw broken hearts, broken lives, and lost souls.  I saw the brokenness of the world. 

 

It was overwhelming.  Compassion flooded me and I began to pray.  It was all I could do.  I knew God made that table break for a reason.  He wanted me to see, with my own eyes, what He sees when He gazes upon us.

 

As I started to vacuum up pieces embedded in the grass, I knew it would be impossible for me to get all the pieces.  So many pieces had fallen down, lost in the thick grass.  I would have to trust with faith.  Blind faith that my children won't cut their feet playing in the backyard.  Blind faith that He will protect us and pick us up when we need Him.



 

 

 

I can only go so far on my own. 

 

But with Christ, I can do anything.  I can start with one person.  Show one person the love of Christ.  No judgment.  No hatred.  Just love.  That's how I can begin to mend the brokenness.

 

And you can too.

 

Blessings,

 



 

 

Focusing On Him

I am a detail oriented person.  I like the little things and that sometimes keeps me from staying on track.  I get caught up in all the nit-picky things and lose focus on what I'm really trying to do.  It totally comes out when I'm cleaning.  I can get started in one room and remember that there is something else that belongs in that room and go get it.  WELL - that only leads to me spotting other things I can do and get started in this NEW place and leave the first room in disarray.  But this is me.

I have found that recently, when I'm trying to hear God's voice, I lose focus and get distracted.  I let life move in and the little things get in the way.  It is a constant battle, but I know that staying focused is the only way to keeping me on the path to the blessings He has planned for me.  It isn't a question of can I stay focused; it is a question of will I stay focused.

I want to hear Him tell me, "Well done."  That is what keeps me fighting to stay focused.

Blessings,

The Making of A Warrior: Battling for God

I posted this one a while back, Making of A Warrior.  I just read over it again and had to share it once more.  Click here ---> "Making of A Warrior" to go to my post.  I hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me!

Blessings,

Standing Strong

There is a lot going on in the news about Chick-Fil-A these days.  Fox News had an article about the appreciation day on Wednesday.  I experienced it first hand while driving.  There were cars lined up for blocks and police men directing traffic.  It was crazy!

It is sad that Dan Cathy, the CEO of Chick-Fil-A, has been singled out and ridiculed for his personal beliefs.  On the flip side, he has been singled out and supported for his personal beliefs.  I happen to agree with Dan Cathy and believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.  It does not mean that I hate gay people.  I strive to love everyone, no matter what.  I am a Christian and I try to follow Jesus with my whole heart, try to be like Christ and look to Him in all things.  In the Bible stories we read, did Jesus not go to the hurt, the sick, the weary, the outcasts, the sinners and show them compassion, love, grace and mercy?  He did.  And that list of people Jesus loved includes every one of us.

It feels like Christians are under the microscope, being watched and ridiculed.  We need to stand strong in what we believe in.  It can be very hard to speak up sometimes, but our time on earth is short and I want to bring as many people to Christ as I can.  My heart aches for those who do not know Jesus as their Savior.  Staying silent and lukewarm is not part of that plan.  Showing love and kindness, imitating Jesus, is the best way I know how.  Will you join me in standing strong and show kindness to those who don't know Jesus?  We are all children of God and should love one another.  We know it, now let's actually do it.

Blessings,

Getting Back to Healthy

I have had sick kids.  Lulu, my 13 month old, has been breaking in 6 teeth.  She's had a fever, been cranky and of course the runny nose.  She finally started to get over it when the first 2 teeth broke through.  That was the cue for BG to get sick.  He got a fever and strep throat.  The antibiotics he was on made his gums swollen and start to bleed.  It was a miserable few days.  Poor little guy cried every time he chewed, swallowed, flossed or brushed teeth.  We ended up taking him to a dentist, who not only didn't help, but also gave him a fright.  Uff.  On day 2 of BG's fever, Jman ended up getting a fever and vomited.  He was out of sorts for about 2 days and then recovered back to his old self.  BG is on the mend.  His gums have finally stopped bleeding.  He got prescribed a "magic mouthwash" to help with the pain and inflammation.  It has helped immensely.
In these type of days, I lean on God for strength, endurance and perseverance.  It is hard to have patience when I'm tired.  All the more reason to turn to Him!
Blessings,

Amanda

Thankful I'm Not a Hoarder

On Wednesday nights at church, we've been watching a video series called "The Blessed Life."  It is preached by Robert Morris at Gateway Church.  It is a great series about tithing and giving your first fruits to the Lord.  I am enjoying it.

He talks about the importance of giving back a portion of what God has already given to us, our first fruits.  If we give our first fruits, God says we will be blessed.  If we do not, we will be cursed (Malachi 3: 6-12).  It should be easy to decide whether to tithe or not.  Yet, it can be a struggle.  Nate and I have been receivers of God's blessings, in more ways than one.

As I was walking around my house last night, I was upset that it was already a disaster zone.  I had spent the day picking up, vacuuming and mopping the floors.  Yet, my kids had turned it upside down in the matter of minutes.  I looked and Nate and said, "It is ridiculous this place looks like this!  It's awful!  I can't stand it!"  As if on cue, the television commercial that started playing was this man crawling through his house, over mountains of stuff, and then sleeping on his "bed" that was a sleeping bag surrounded by walls of clutter.  It was a preview for "Hoarders."  Nate and I both looked at one another and started laughing.  "It could be worse," was his response.  God knew that at that moment, I needed to see that my house isn't really that bad.  It made me thankful that I have a roof over my head, a comfortable bed to sleep in, and just enough room for our family.  I may think I want a bigger, beautiful home, but we are doing just fine where we are at.  God will provide us with exactly what we need, when we need it.  We just need to be open to hearing his voice and following him.  

There is a lot to be thankful for!  Have you taken the time to thank God for all He has blessed you with?  

Blessings,

The Irish Healer: A Novel by Nancy Herriman

This is a little review I'm writing, just because!  I read this book while driving on all of our recent road trips.  I tried not to spoil the ending.

It is the story of an Irish woman, Rachel Dunne, who flees from Ireland to London in 1832.  She leaves because she was accused of murdering a child she was caring for.  She has turned her back on God, because she thinks he has turned his back on she and her family. London is not home, but she takes refuge with a doctor, James Edmunds.  She is hired as his assistant to help pack for his move to the country.  He is fleeing from his own demons, one being the death of his wife.  James doesn't know if he can trust God anymore.  Rachel ends up helping him by sitting for his patients, the one thing she vowed she would never do again.  When cholera hits London, Rachel and James' lives are flipped upside down.  Rachel has to try and overcome her fear of helping patients again and James has to try and save his daughter's life, whom he has only seen a few times, while she battles cholera.  Can they overcome their fears, trust one another, learn to love and rediscover their faith?

This is a christian historical fiction novel.  I love this genre of books and have read many, so I have a broad knowledge base to go on.  Overall, I would recommend this book to read.  The characters weren't very complex, but were easy to fall in love with.  I did feel like the love connection between Rachel and James suddenly appeared, though.  There was not a lot of interactions or conversations between the two and before you knew it, they had feelings for one another.  It seemed abrupt.  Besides the surprise connection, the book was a good love story and kept you hooked at the end of each chapter.  I would read it again.

Enjoy your summer reading!

Blessings,

Devotions for the Whole Family

Prayer and devotions are an important part of the day.  It is a great way to get your kids introduced to daily time with God.  I feel it gets harder as you get older and busier, to incorporate it into your life if you haven't done so already.  Establish the habit early on.  Why not start young, so your kids center their days around devotions rather than trying to fit it in later?

We have been using The One Year Devotions for Preschoolers.  My kids have loved this one.  It has great pictures to look at.  The daily devotions each share a story, a bible verse and a prayer that we repeat.  Jman and BG spend a lot of time just paging through the book.


We also have God's Mighty Warrior Devotional.  This is a devotional that focuses on boys age 4 - 7.  The Bible verses are a little longer and there are articles that delve further into the verses.  There are also pages to write down prayer requests and answered prayers.  My oldest is 5 and really gets into the stories and activities!

I have personally used a few and have enjoyed them all.

Grace For The Moment by Max Lucado.  This devotional is uplifting and real.  It speaks to one and all.

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  This devotional really makes you think about your character, as well as God's.  It can be transforming, if you want it to be.  

Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts.  This devotional will speak to your heart and encourage you.

Tramp For The Lord by Corrie Ten Boom.  My husband recommends this one.  :)  It isn't a true devotional, but can be read as one.  It is a book with short chapters, each centered around a Bible verse.  It is a powerful book!  My husband has multiple copies and gives them away.  That's how much he enjoys this book.

If you want to read Corrie Ten Boom's personal story, you can find it in the book titled The Hiding Place.

I pray that you find the time for family devotions and that this list may help get you started or give you new ideas for continuing your family time!

Blessings,

Amanda

Feeding Your Soul

Do you have those days where things don't go how you planned?  I'm a mom, of course I have them.  I have lots of them!  At these situations, I'm faced between choosing to proceed with disappointment or adjust and positively go with the flow.  It's easier for me to choose the go with the flow approach if I've been filling myself with Christ.

The world constantly bombards you with smut, temptation and anti-Christianity views.  It will wear on you if you don't armor yourself.  Satan is cunning and will attempt to trip you up anyway he can.  Keep  your soul, mind and heart pure.  I speak out of valiant effort and straight from the battle ground.  It is never ending and yet I press on.

How can you armor yourself?  First and foremost, get into God's word.  You can gain knowledge and truth from it.  God directly speaks about spiritual armor in Ephesians.  This is what Ephesians 6:10-18 says: 

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (www.biblegateway.com)

There is much to do!

Besides God's word, you need to be diligent about what and who you are watching, listening to and interacting with.  You can see lots of things you shouldn't see on television, the Internet, billboards, etc.  Choose wisely.  If you have children, be especially diligent.  They are like sponges.  My boys repeat A LOT of what they hear or see.  It is almost scary how much they remember.

The radio is another place that can hinder your walk with God.  I try to listen to Christian music as much as I can.  There are times that I need to change the channel because I've heard the same song up-teen times.  I usually put the speakers faded to the front and turn it down a little, but I'll turn it up on songs that I know are okay.  I usually listen to country music as the backup, and find that lots of songs cross over with Christian messages.

Focus on the Family is another favorite.  What parent doesn't want to build their knowledge on raising Godly children?  And learning ways to keep your marriage strong is always welcome!  Our oldest son is just getting to the age where he will sit and listen to Adventures in Odyssey.  He really enjoys them and it is filling his little heart with Godly counsel.  My husband loves listening to conservative talk radio, so I get my fair share on road trips.  :)

Books on CD are another option.  You can get the Bible on CD, and other christian authors on CD as well.  Jan Karon's At Home In Mitford is good!!  I really like Lauraine Snelling.  She writes historical fiction books about the lives of Scandinavian settlers in the Dakota Territory.  There are many more books out there you can choose from.

One I feel that is very important, is who you interact with.  Surrounding yourself with firmly grounded Christians is imperative to keep you uplifted, accountable, and growing in your walk with Christ.  A church family, small groups, Bible study groups, etc are the best way to get started and keep connected.

Keep your feet firmly grounded, feed your soul with God's word and stand in God's armor.  God is our rock and we can win the battle with His strength.

Blessings,

Multiple Sclerosis: Bittersweet

I love my mom!  It is her birthday today, June 6, and I had to write a little snippet about her.  She is the strongest lady I know.  She is a firm believer in Christ, always has a positive attitude and rarely complains.  The thing is, she's had MS for over 25 years.  She can't walk, can't move her legs or arms and is confined to a bed most of the time.  I will be honest with you and tell you that I would have a hard time staying positive if I was in that situation.  But she astounds me.  She was diagnosed in 1986, after the birth of my brother.  I don't remember much of the digression, only seeing a cane first come into the picture.  Then came the walker, hand controls in the car for driving, the motorized scooter and now a wheelchair.  It all happened gradually.  I can only remember three times where my mom spoke about feeling sorry for herself.  Three times in 26 years...wow.  I remember feeling sorry for MYSELF because she had MS.  Really Amanda??

I can't say the same today.  When I tell people her story, I always add on that I would not be the woman I am today if it weren't for my mom's battle with MS.  I would not have bore witness to God's amazing grace working in her life.  She has been a light in the darkness, shining God's love and spreading joy wherever she goes.  Her life is a testimony of perseverance and faith.  I truly believe that God has a plan and a purpose for everyone.  We can never understand, but we can follow in faith and watch as His greatness unfolds before us.

For more information on Multiple Sclerosis, visit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website.

Blessings,

4 Generations: My Grandmother, Mother, Me and my little Lulu

Homeschool Planning

Getting Organized: BEFORE

AFTER

Ok, I'll admit it, I am an organizer.  I plan ahead.  I color coordinate my closet (and my husbands!).  But having 3 kids puts a damper on many of my organizing endeavors.  I have accepted that I will always be living in some sort of chaos and that my plans will often get altered.  It's the life of a mom!

With our homeschool year coming to a close, I have started thinking about planning.  I've been reading homeschool blogs and following more homeschooling moms on Twitter.  It has given me a lot of new ideas.

The first of which, is that I'm thinking about making my own curriculum for K.  Scary?  Yes, a little, but I have found a lot of online websites and printables that have given me a pretty good feel for what I will need.  It is going to be work, but planning and organizing get me excited!

Here are a few websites I've found:

The Homeschool Classroom: http://www.hsclassroom.net/2012/02/top-ten-free-online-phonics-resources-for-preschool-kindergarten-and-beyond/

Homeschool Creations: http://www.homeschoolcreations.com/

3 Dinosars: http://3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/free-dinosaur-pack/

Walking by the Way: http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?p=716736

The Better Mom: http://www.thebettermom.com/2012/06/helping-your-child-become-a-better-reader/

Mama Jenn: http://www.mamajennblogs.com

CENTSible Homeschooling: http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com

Our Goodwin Journey: http://www.ourgoodwinjourney.com/search/label/homeschooling

There are so many more out there!  I've only touched the tip of the iceberg.  Regardless, you catch my drift that making your own curriculum is possible.

Secondly, I've come to the conclusion that I would love a Homeschool Planner.  The thought of one makes me smile.  The actual process of planning an entire school year is daunting.  My online searching has eased my anxiety.  There are a lot of free planners and women who share their secrets of what what worked for them, how they planned their school year, how far in advance they planned, etc.  It has been reassuring and uplifting.  I know I'm not the only one out there!

Some websites to check out as well:

Homeschool Creations:  http://homeschoolcreations.com/Homeschool-Planner.html  (You will have to purchase this planner, but there are great ideas and lots of free printables to add to your planner!)

Mama Jenn: http://www.mamajennblogs.com/2010/08/my-homeschool-planning-docs.html

CENTSible Homeschooling: http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com/2012/04/20/free-homeschool-plannersgeneral-homeschooling-centsible-homeschooling/  (Lots of websites to search from here!)

Money Saving Mom: http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/free-printable-and-customizable-homeschool-planners.html

Free Homeschool Deals.com: http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/free-monthly-homeschool-planner/

I did not print worksheets/forms off of all of these websites, but I did get valuable information from looking at them.

What a whirlwind!  It is an exciting journey.  I'll be keeping you up to date as I get more and more accomplished.

My next goal: finding ways to keep a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old engaged while teaching my kindergartner.  Oh boy!  :)  But I have a few ideas and have seen some great ones.  More to come!

Blessings,

Early Morning Blessings

Being a mother of three, one being an infant, I tend to get less sleep than I'd like to.  It is partly my own fault because I stay up too late, but I enjoy my quiet time after they go to bed.  I will stay up usually until 11:30 or midnight, and then wake up around 6 or 6:30 to feed Lulu.  Then, I go back to bed until the kids wake up.  I have been telling myself for a while that I need to start waking up earlier.  I am more of a morning person and had been in the routine of waking up early to workout and do devotions, especially after getting in a routine once BG was born.  I have been slow to getting back in the morning routine since Lulu came along.  I've been keeping up with my workouts and devotions, just not as uninterrupted as I'd like.  I'm usually trying to do push ups or lunges while 2 boys think I'm a tunnel and a little girl tries to climb up.  Let's just say my workout was not a stress reliever!

I've finally started waking up early again.  It is truly rejuvenating.  Beginning a day in God's presence, gets my attitude jump started in the right direction.  Everything seems to fall into place and everyday chores don't seem as tedious.  It is fun to watch the boys' expressions when they find out that I've already worked out, read and had breakfast before they got up.  It really shouldn't be that big of a surprise!

I want to start a good habit, one that leaves an impression on my children.  I want to instill the importance of reading God's word.  If I can also show them that exercising can be fun and keeps them healthy, all the better.  Jman already asks if certain foods are healthy; he knows healthy food makes him grow big and strong.  And all little boys want to be bigger! 

It is such a blessing to be a mother, wife, daughter, sister...but the best blessing is that I am a child of God.  I live each day to glorify Him.  I want to exude Christ in everything I do.  There is nothing sweeter than His love!  

Slowing Down

I am definitely a "Let's get this project going and get it done" type of person.  Lately, that's all we've been doing; little projects.  Between unpacking the last few boxes that have been set aside for an unknown reason, organizing rooms and home school materials, finally cleaning out the garage so Nate could park his car inside, and the everyday hustle and bustle, I had been feeling exhausted.  It's a lot of work!  I realized I wasn't taking time for me - physically or spiritually.  I quickly got that fixed.

Jillian Michaels, welcome to my world (again).  That's all I'm going to say about that!!  :)

We have started attending a new church and really enjoy it.  We are getting connected with a newcomers class and meeting new people.  God really does have His hand in every aspect of our lives.  We have trusted Him every step of the way on our move and are discovering more and more about Him and ourselves.  It is fulfilling and wonderful.  Taking time to slow down, read His word, wonder at His creation and worship Him has been uplifting.  All the stress, work and exhaustion begin to dwindle and I question why I wasn't keeping up with my personal time!!  How often do I need to get something done only to find out it really wasn't that important.  I need to worship God and praise Jesus for his gift of salvation!  Everything else falls into place.  I can do all my working, organizing, cleaning, etc once I take care of my heart first.

Praise God for His mercy, grace and everlasting love!

Norwegians in Texas!!

Nate and I both have Scandinavian heritages, Norwegian to be more precise.  I think it is fair to say that Norwegians are hard headed and don't show a lot of emotions.  It is apparent up North.  (So strange to say up North and not mean the lakes or Fargo!) When you go to a store in Minnesota or North Dakota, I can easily walk through the store and not say a word to anyone until I get to the checkout counter.  Nate concurred.  I don't find it odd or rude, it is just kind of the way it is.  Nate said, "Nine months out of the year, people are always looking down to make sure they don't slip on ice."  Funny, insightful man.  When you come down South, I can honestly say that I have NEVER talked to as many people that I did not know in stores as I have since we moved down here.  And we've only been in the South for 20 days!  It is totally out of my comfort zone, but I am loving it!  I need to be challenged to step out of my box more and I am definitely getting it here.  People are extremely friendly and will stop to talk about anything, though mainly it's to tell me a story about their kids and then tell me how cute my family is.  :)  God has embraced us and shown us His love through so many random interactions.  He has heard the prayers of many and answered them!  Yee-haw!!  (Too soon??)

Seeing Glimpses

This morning was one of revelation for me.  As I was washing dishes, gazing out my kitchen window at the birds in the back yard, I realized that God's plan was unfolding before my eyes and I was beginning to see it in its entirety.  In Minnesota, we knew Nate had to find a new job.  We needed a job that could fully support our family without the worry of what was to come in the future.  Nate searched for over a year before finally getting offered a job.  It was a big decision to make.  We sacrificed everything that was comfortable and familiar to us to follow the doors God had opened for us.  Now that we are here, it is amazing to see how God prepared us for Texas.  We are blessed to be living in a nice neighborhood, driving a new car, and having a few new technology toys.  We were without a working home computer for over 4 years, so having a computer now is very foreign!  Also, we both got new phones.  If you had seen our previous phones, you would say "It's about time!"  Nate's phone was over 6 years old, didn't vibrate, wouldn't take pictures, and had a few keys that didn't always work; texting on that phone was near impossible.  My flip phone was only a couple of years old, but it is now severed at the hinge.  We are not taking anything for granted.  We are now able to support ourselves without any worries.  God really prepared our hearts for this transition and has given us compassion for others in our former shoes.

I know that God has big plans and seeing these small glimpses into the bigger picture are so amazing!  Seeing all of our hardships turn into fruition for His will are reassuring, uplifting and awesome!  God is so good and I trust and love Him more and more as each day passes, through the good and the bad.  He is our rock and I am never alone.  Praise God!

Texas!

Well, we made it to Texas!  As most of you know, Nate got a new job as a software consultant for the college.  He accepted the job sometime in March and we immediately got to work getting our house in Fridley ready to put on the market.  It took about 2 weeks, but we got everything done and put it on the market on Thursday April 5 and we had 2 offers by Saturday the 7th!  We had to leave Fargo earlier than planned on Easter Sunday to get back that night to accept one of the offers.  We knew that this move was part of God's plan.  Everything was falling into place and fast.

The moving company packed us up on April 16 and we left for Fargo again for a few days.  The moving truck wouldn't get to Texarkana until Sunday the 22, which meant we had extra time to spend with family before we left.  Thursday morning was our departure.  I got to drive the Alero all by myself, while Nate drove in the van with the kids.  We made it to Council Bluffs, IA for the night.  Friday we stayed in Springdale, AR.  Missouri and Arkansas are beautiful states to drive through.  Saturday is when we arrived in Texarkana.  I drove by myself the entire time!  It was kind of great.

Our duplex is in a really nice, quiet neighborhood.  The place was not quite ready for us to move in.  The floors were being tiled and were not done.  There was no fridge or washer and dryer either.  We moved in anyways and lived in construction for a little over a week!  It was a bit stressful.  There were a lot of things that needed fixing as well: running toilet, leaky faucets, plugged dishwasher, you get the idea.  It is really a nice place, just had a lot of the normal maintenance that should have been done before we got here.  Now that we are in and getting settled, it is starting to feel like home.  

Another unexpected blip that occurred is that my flip phone broke in half.  I was having to snap it back together to make phone calls and text, but it kept on ticking for 4 more days.  It had had enough and finally went to a completely white screen.  Nate and I lasted 2 more days with one phone until we both gave in and each got a new smart phone.  Nate's phone was older than Jman, wouldn't take pictures and certain buttons were "sticky", as in they would decide when they wanted to work.  It was time for new phones.

We are so thankful for the many blessings God has given us.  It is difficult to leave our family and friends, but we know that we are following His will for us.  I believe that God has big plans for us.  We have been patient and prayerful through Nathan's job search and now our transition to Texas.  We are excited for what the future holds for us!

Many Blessings!

We have so much to be thankful for!  We have 3 healthy children and a God who loves us and died for our salvation.  We don't have much to complain about!!

I've been so caught up in trying to get on a schedule with 3 kids that I've put my daily time with God by the wayside.  It's been wearing on me and I needed to make some changes.  I realized that I need to get myself on track before I can even begin to get the rest of us on track.  Memorizing and reading scripture has been so uplifting and encouraging.  I so often try to do things on my own.  I wish I would remember that it never works out!!  :)  God is full of mercy and grace ~ How awesome is that!  I am so thankful that He sent his son and that I heard about Jesus and chose to have him live in my heart and be my Savior!!  Enjoy your blessings today and everyday!

BG's new bike for his birthday...he's NOT quite big enough to reach the pedals on the down stroke!

Favorite Auntie!!

Little Brother is Off!

My little brother is moving to Washington D.C. for the summer to start a new job!  We got to have him at our house last night for his last night in the Midwest before he flies East.  We made kabobs on the grill, s'mores over a campfire and played outside all day.  The weather was perfect for it!  Jman and BG loved having him here.  "Nicky, look at this!" and "Come find me!"  Jman and Nick also spent some quality time in the top bunk reading books.  BG calls him "Gicky" and wanted to show him everything that goes "Up High!  See it, see it??  Cool!"  :)  Jman's first words this morning after "Hi!" were, "Is Nicky still here??" 

Nick is on his way now and headed out for a new adventure!  I know God will be with him as he walks this new path.  Good luck Nick!

Easter School Week

   

This week was a fun week, short but fun!  Here's the breakdown of our week: 

Monday - We read the story of Palm Sunday and The Last Supper out of our Children's Bible.  We also read "Ollie's Easter Eggs".  We practiced writing the letter "E", which I printed off of Confessions of a Homeschooler blog.  BG worked on matching colors and shapes, while Jman practiced his phonics and letters on his learning computer.  I got the idea for the penguins off of the Everything Preschool website (there are 6 of them in total), while I thought of the ladybugs myself.  I don't remember where I got the shape cutouts from, though I know it found it on the internet about 3 years ago!

Tuesday - We read "The Story of Easter" and out of our children's Bible, the story "Jesus Dies" and "I am the Way".  Jman practiced his letter "E" and "B", while BG did some matching and computer games.  Then, Jman worked on matching the Easter eggs shown below taken from Confessions of a Homeschooler blog.  Then we made Easter bunny heads.  I had left over styrofoam balls from our outer space week, so we painted them, added googly eyes and pipe cleaner ears.  

Wednesday - We didn't have school because I had my 34 week midwife checkup. 

Thursday - We read our stories again.  Jman and BG practiced writing the letters "E" and "B".  Then we read and colored our Easter lap books.  I printed them from www.biblestoryprintables.com.  Jman did some more matching, sorting and counting with the Easter Egg cards.  The boys also did some cutting with scissors!  It's a fun break for them.  They made thank you cards for Dad, just for being Dad!  They're extra special because it was Jman's idea.   

That was our week in an "egg shell".  It is a lot of fun and just thought I'd share a little with you.  God's blessings be with you this Easter weekend as we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us!