Fall fun with my little Guys.

Going to the local pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkin.

Our adventure carving our pumpkin. Fun and messy (mostly for mommy)! Ian decided the pumpkin should be called Mr. Chubby. Very appropriate =)

My life is geting away from me...oops!?!

So.....

I have come to the realization that...(drum roll please)....I think I have too many interests, and not enough time/energy to spare for them all.

I am interested, or distracted by many things throughout my day. I get so caught up that by the time I finally resurface, my day is gone. And more often than not, I have nothing to show for it but my grumpiness.

I think it is important to evaluate how I spend my time. Because, let's face it, time is precious. We only have one life to live. 24 hours each day (give or take how much sleep you can squeeze in at night).

I want those hours to be spent to the best of my ability living to the fullest, and less on the things that distract me from living my life and being there for those around me.

So now the real questions would be, what are the most important things that I believe I should focus on? And what are the things that I need to focus less or none of my energy on?
 
Some of these are easy, like: my relationship with God, my husband, my children, my ministries.

But, when I think of what I should spend less time on, I get this feeling inside of myself. Kind of like an angry child who is being denied something they desire.

Why shouldn't I do this? What's wrong with doing that? That other mom gets to do it. It's not fair!

The answers usually go:

Why shouldn't I do this?
Because there are even better things that you can focus your time on.

What's wrong with doing that?
There may be nothing wrong with it, except it is drawing my attention away from what is more important for my life.

That other mom gets to do it.
I am NOT that other mom who seems to have it all together. And that is ok! I don't know what she goes through, or what she wishes she could do but can't. 

It's not fair!
No, sometimes it's not fair...but that is how life seems sometimes. Especially if I am already in a state of mind where it is all about me and what I want. Life isn't about me, but rather what I can do to help those around me. When I focus less on myself and more on others, I don't tend to miss all those things that used to be so important.


So now here comes the hard part, putting this into action. Trying to focus my day on what I feel really matters. And being ready for when I mess up to forgive myself and try again.

So, if I'm not on here as much as I used to be, it's because I'm out trying to make my hours count. And if I am here, hopefully it's for something that matters =)


What do you thing you should focus your time on?



 

Fall Vignette

Vignette

A vignette is a brief but powerful scene. A good vignette leaves you wanting more.

 

To get myself excited about fall (aside from spraying the house like crazy with cinnamon apple spray), I was inspired to make a vignette in my dining room.

From watching all those fun design shows on hgtv, I was reminded that a beautiful vignette does not have to be super matchy matchy. In fact, it is better to find things that are complimentary.

So I had a goal, and only a small window of time to do it (it was nap time, yay!).

As fast (and quietly) as I could, I went around the house grabbing all kinds of things that might work. Looking in closets and drawers. Paintings, candles, little toys, vases, and leaves rounded out some of the things I grabbed.

Once I had my loot, I started to play around with what should go where.

I tried not to only use the typical fall colors. So I found some pretty blue items to tie into the sky of the mountain painting that became sort of the focus along with the lovely round fall plate.

 

 

 

Overall I'm happy with how it turned out. I look at it and it reminds me of lovely memories. 

 

 

But if I get tired of a particular item, I can always switch it out for something else  (which I have).

 

The best compliment came from my four year old son. He was sitting at the dining room table eating, and looked over and asked if I had made that. I said yes. He said it was beautiful. Then he enthusiastically told his daddy all about it.

 

Moments like that melt my heart.

 

I hope you are inspired this Fall, and create something beautiful!

 

Helicopter Mom (with a dash of bubble wrap)

I'm that mom you see when you leave the house.

The one with the panicked look on her face. Watching her kid's every move.

Worried that they are going to get hurt, break something, or hurt someone else's kid.

Helicopter mom. Hovering, always trying to anticipate what my (as I've affectionately nicknamed them) little tornadoes are going to do next.

It's exhausting. I exhaust myself silly trying to box them in.

It drives them nuts, which drives me nuts. The circle continues.

It's so bad most days, that the mental struggle to leave the house and go out where people can see us (and what I think is going to be choas), is almost crippling.

Before we had children, I had this thought in my mind that I would be that free spirited mom because I'm so artsy. The one who was okay with her kid's getting messy while having fun. The calm mom who didn't flip over little things.

The reality became clear quickly. I'm more of a bubble wrap mom.

I hate it.

This new me and her fear and desire for control has got to go!

I know actions speak louder than words, so I've been praying that God will help me to let go of this fear and desire for control that I didn't realize I had until now. To release this stress to Him and let Him carry some of my burden. So I can be the best mom that He created me to be.

To allow my kids the chance to try things out and make mistakes along the way. So they can learn through these moments. To become adults who can take care of themselves, and know how to rely on God when life gets tough.

Some days are better than others. Those are the days that are filled with the most laughter (and dirty hugs and kisses).

But other days are still a struggle back into the fearful me I don't want to be.

I pray so hard that my children will see Jesus in me, despite me micromanaging them. And that He will continue to strengthen me to take one little step forward at a time. Give control to Him, and trust Him to lead my family.

One day at a time. One step at a time. One mess at a time. One moment at a time.

Giving my all to my heavenly Daddy, so that my children can have the best of me.

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

For I am the Lord your God

    who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear;

    I will help you.

Grateful vs. Overwhelmed

I'm tired.

My energy level is close to nonexistent.

But there are things to do. Kids to entertain and take care of. Chores piling up. Ministries we are apart of. Meals to fix (and hope the vegetables are eaten). Throw in some schooling, and these are just some of the things floating at the top of my head.

What has to be done, verses what can be pushed back for a little bit?

Life can be overwhelming.

But it doesn't have to be.

For me to not start the slippery slope of complaining, it seems to help to have things in perspective.

What am I grateful for on this day?

(Takes a few moments to jot some things down)

Just writing down some things I am grateful for, puts things into perspective a little bit and reminds me of how blessed I am.

I don't want to get so caught up in trivial things trying to fit the mold of this world that I lose focus on what is important.

Faith. Family. Friends.

I have a God who loves me. My family is taken care of and happy. We have what we need, and sometimes a little extra. We are blessed. I am blessed.

Today I choose to be grateful.
But if I do get overwhelmed (which I will, because I'm human and just sometimes life can be hard), I trust that God will hold me in His arms and give me some of His strength.

Prayer to start my morning:

Heavenly Daddy,

Thank you for another day to serve you.

Thank you for my family.
Please help me to be the wife and mom you want me to be.
Help me when I can't.

Thank you for providing for us.
Help us to bless others.

Thank you for all the wonderful people in our lives.
Help us to love those no one wil.

Thank you for protecting my heart.
Please help me and my family to stay focused on you.

I love you.
Amen.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

Isaiah 40:27-31 (msg)

Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying, “ God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me”?

Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?

God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.

He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.

For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.

They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

7th Anniversary October 4th!

Here are some oldies but goodies of Will and I these past 7 years.

I love this man dearly, and cherish the days I've had, and will hopefully have, with him.

I am so thankful and blessed that God brought us together, and for the crazy-fun family we have ♡

First Date Valentine's Day 2008

Married October 4, 2008

Ian born March 7, 2011 

Lea joined our family ♡

Her bday February 15, 1990 ♡

Isaac born November 25, 2013

Just lazing about in 2015

Sneaky Broccoli Alfredo

 

So my little guys don't enjoy veggies (big surprise I know).

So I decided to try out the tried and sometimes true method of sneaking them in. In this case it worked. Yay!

 

 



Here is the quick and easy way I managed this oh so hard meal (note the sarcasm).

 

What you need:

 

And a blender of some kind.

 

 

While water is heating up to cook pasta, I like to put my broccoli in the microwave in my veggie steamer (but steaming on stove works too).

 

I gather a mixing bowl, whisk, alfredo sauce, sour cream, and any other spices I feel like using.

 

Then I break up the mini dispute the boys have invariably started.

 

Take steamed broccoli and puree smooth.

 

Combine: broccoli, alfredo sauce, sour cream, and spices. Whisk smooth. If needed add some milk to thin out.

 

Add to pasta. And test out on the critics.

 

 

 

And it's a hit! They don't suspect a thing.

Whoohoo!!!

 

Hopefully there will be more sneaky food items to come  =)

 

 

*Side note: We do try to have boys eat veggies on their own, without tricking them. This is to make up for the times when they won't eat them.

Remembering

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

Praying comfort, strength, and healing today.

My heart is heavy.

My heart is heavy.
Like lead in my chest.
Everywhere I look is pain.
I can't find any rest.

I'm scared for my children.
I don't know what to do.
This world is so evil.
Please Lord, we desperately need you!

Too long I've hid in my room.
Pretending all was well.
The world is fine...
I wouldn't acknowledge how far it had fell.

Lord open my eyes.
I need to see.
See the truth of this place.
And why I need to look to your face.

I hurt because you hurt.
These people you have created,
We cause you so much pain.
But...you love us inspite of our shame.

God...daddy...please hold us close.
A portion of your grace
To get us through this night.
And give us the strength if you need us to fight.

Yes, I'm scared...but you defend me.
Yes, I'm selfish.. but you love through me.
Yes, I'm weak...but you strengthen me.
Through you I want to see!

Let me be unashamed.
A light used by you.
A candle pointing to your son.
For this beautiful race I will run.

For someday soon,
I'm going to see the King.
On a day unknown.
I will see Him on His throne.

This will be a beautiful day.
A day of rejoicing.
No tears to be shed.
For no longer shall my torment of sin be fed.

Strengthen me oh Lord til then.
Sing to my soul sweet words of calm.
Holy Spirit guide me.
All in Jesus name I plead.

Amen.

♡The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 28:7 (niv)

What mom's think about themselves.

Here is a very neat video I watched today.

 

 

It helped me to realize even when I think I might be doing horribly as a mom,  my kiddos love me and think the best of me.

 

Just a wonderful reminder of how I view myself is not what I really am.

 

This completely relates to how God sees me. I see trash. He sees treasure.

 

I struggle to love myself. He loves me completely faults and all.

 

I just daily pray, that the way He love's me, could be the way I love my kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With His help always....♡

 

 

 

 

Cubbie/Children's Church Room Makeover!

This past week has been a busy one at our church!

 

Some of our Children's Ministries are starting back tomorrow, so we had to get ready. FAST! 

The one's we focused on, was the room shared by the Cubbie's (AWANA) and Children's Church. This idea popped in my head awhile ago, in part because our oldest son Ian is in Cubbie's, but also because Will and I are the Children's Church leaders. This room as you can tell really needed the makeover it received. 

 

 ♡ We had a great bunch of people come and help ♡

 

  -Pastor Paul (painter extradonair),

  -Will (my silly hubby),

  -Susan S.(lovely lady incharge of Cubbie's ),

  -Deborah and Kimberly (Susan's sweet daughters),

  -Jane (a another sweet lady), 

  -Joan (a nice friend of Will's), 

  -Hannah (coolest babysitter ever, not possible without her),

  -and myself (tired momma). 

    (Forgive me if someone else participated and I didn't mention them.)

 

 

 

 

It was a tiring process, and a bit challenging with my two little guys getting cranky, plus somehow over booking our weekend not once but 5 times in one day! Thank goodness we can now enjoy the end product.
!
!
!
V

 

Praying that God uses this room for His Glory, and that the kids enjoy it as well ♡

Worship notes for church

Lately on Pinterest I have seen a variety of pins about printable notes for church.

 

I think this is a great idea for kids who stay in the service. This would help keep them focused on what they are hearing.

 

I thought I would share the links to my favorite ones:
Worship notes for kids
Kids sermon notes
Kids sermon note pack
My worship notes
Older kids worship notes

 

 

I even tried my hand at making an adult one.

Feel free to use it if you like :)

 

 

 

Comfort Food: Banana Pancakes

Sometimes, you just want to have breakfast for dinner.

And when that happen, at our house, pancakes are the way to go!

 

Whether it's regular banana pancakes or gluten free (or even no flour),

we've got you covered!

 

 

I am what you would call a "wing it and see what happens" cook.

Why not "spice" up your cooking?

And when it comes to pancakes, this is definitely true.

I am always adding new things and seeing what works.

But what I would consider a regular around my house, is banana pancakes!

 

Usually for my little guys and hubby, I make regular pancakes using a

just add water pancake mix to start with. And for me I use a gluten free baking mix.

Then the fun starts!

 

What you will need:

-Pancake mix, just add water kind (4 serv.)

-A ripe banana

-sugar (to taste)

-vanilla extract (1 tsp.)

-water (pour to desired consistency)

-mixing bowl

-whisk

-a small measuring spoon (to scoop onto griddle)

-griddle (mine was set to 300)



What you will need:

-Gluten free all purpose baking mix (1 serv.)

-A ripe banana

-1 egg

-sugar (to taste)

-vanilla extract (1 tsp.)

-baking soda (1 tsp.)

-water (pour to desired consistency)

-mixing bowl

-whisk

-a small measuring spoon (to scoop onto griddle)

-griddle (mine was set to 300)

 

And for my friends who can't have any type of grain (gluten free included):

 

What you will need:

-A ripe banana (or 2 depending on how much you need)

-1 egg

-sugar (to taste)

-vanilla extract (1 tsp.)

-water (pour to desired consistency)

-mixing bowl

-whisk

-a small measuring spoon (to scoop onto griddle)

-griddle (mine was set to 300)

 

For this post I made regular banana pancakes for the boys for dinner.

I like to "wing it" when I make pancakes. I pour the mix in a bowl until it looks good.

Add a ripe banana. Add some sugar (I did learn that the mix to sugar ratio does need to be: more mix to less sugar. Or you will make cookies instead. Maybe we will make some Banana cookies some time. Yum). Add vanilla extract. With whisk, gently mash banana. Add a little water at a time, and slowly whisk together until you reach your desired consistency.

 

Since this is comfort food night, I was a bit unhealthy and used butter on the griddle.

You don't usually have to with griddles (they are supposed to be non-stick). It makes it tastier though.

 =)

 

To Do:

-let griddle heat up for a bit

-use little measuring scoop to pour batter onto buttered (or unbuttered) griddle.

-wait to flip until the pancake starts to "bubble up"

-after flipping, wait a minute, then take off

 

 



Now to have them critiqued.

 

 

 

Yay, it was a success!

 

*posts about making pancakes are intended to be silly. hey, everyone has an off night and needs an easy meal, and an easy post  =)