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The Last "First"

2012-07-24T22:59:00.000-05:00

Today was a very special day in our house. For the past several days we've been anticipating this very night. Her tooth had been wiggly for almost 2 weeks, but this morning when she woke up it was only dangling by a thread. I touched the tooth to see how loose it was and without any help from me it fell into my hand. Emalee squealed with delight because this would be the night that the Tooth Fairy would finally visit!

In an attempt to get Emalee to clean the toys off of her bedroom floor I said, "Emalee, before you go to bed tonight you need to pick the toys up off your floor and put them away so that the Tooth Fairy doesn't trip on them." Without hesitation my bright little five year old stated very matter-of-factly, "No I don't need too. She has wings. She'll fly over them!" I couldn't argue with that! However, she still cleaned her room for tonight's guest of honor!

I suppose that I've become a bit nostalgic the last few weeks. You see, my baby is starting Kindergarten, my middle child is in middle school and my oldest has been driving for almost a year already. Time keeps ticking by and somehow my babies are growing up! When I first became a mother almost 17 years ago I had a hard time imagining the future, but somehow the future is this present day. Tonight will be the last "first" visit that the Tooth Fairy makes to our home. It kind of makes me sad.

As I reminisced today, I recalled a poem that one of my friends shared with me last year. I thought I'd share it on the blog today.

We said our night time prayers and now Emalee is tucked in bed with her special Tooth Fairy pillow that her grandma made for her. The tooth is tucked inside the pocket and the Tooth Fairy is just waiting for one excited little girl to drift off to sleep so she can exchange the tooth for some money. Tomorrow will be a new day for new memories to be made.

"Long ago you came to me, a miracle of firsts.

First smiles and teeth and baby steps, a sunbeam on the burst.

But one day you will move away and leave to me your past,

And I will be left thinking of a lifetime of your lasts.

The last time that I held a bottle to your baby lips...

Last time that I lifted you and held you on my hip...

Last time when you had a binky stuck inside your mouth...

The last time that you crawled across the floor of this old house.

Last time when you ran to me, still small enough to hold,

Last time when you said you'd marry me when you grew old.

Precious, simple moments and bright flashes from the past,

Would I have held you longer if I'd known they were the last?

Your last few hours of kindergarten, last days of first grade...

Last at bat in Little League, last colored paper made..

Last time that I tucked you in for one last midday nap...

Last time when you wore your beat-up Green Bay Packers cap.

Last time you caught a frog in that old backyard pond...

Last time when you ran barefoot across our fresh-cut lawn,

Silly scattered images to represent your past.

Would I have taken pictures...if I'd known they were the last?

The last dark night you slipped in bed and slept between us two,

When last I read to you of God or Horton Hears a Who!

Last time that I smelled your hair and prayed after your shower...

Last time that we held devotions in the evening hours.

The last time you were M.J. in our games of give-and-go...

Last time that you made an angel in the melting snow.

I never even said good-bye to yesterdays long passed.

Would I have marked the moments...if I'd known they were the last?

Last piano lesson, and last soccer goal you kicked...

The last few weeks of middle school, last flowers that you picked.

Last time that you needed me for rides from here to there...

The last time that you spent the night with that old tattered bear.

Last time that I helped you with a math or spelling test,

Last time when I shouted your room was a mess.

Time and life moved quicker, taking pieces of your past.

Would I have stretched the moments...if I'd known they were the last?

The last time that you needed help with details of a dance...

Last time that you asked me for advice about romance.

Last time that you talked to me about your hopes and dreams.

Last time that you wore a jersey for your high school team.

I watched you grow and never noticed seasons as they passed.

I wish I could've frozen time, to hold on to your lasts.

For come tomorrow morning life will never be the same.

You'll pledge forever to your girl, and she will take your name.

And I will watch you, knowing God has blessed you with this day.

I never would have wanted, Luke, to somehow make you stay.

They say a son's a son until he takes for him a wife.

You're grown-up now; it's time to go and start your brand new life.

One last hug, one last good-bye, one quick and hurried kiss...

One last time to understand just how much you'll be missed.

I'll watch you leave and think how quickly childhood sped past.

Would I have held on longer....if I'd known it was your last?"

Poem was quoted from the book, "Rejoice", by Karen Kingsbury. Pages 209-210.

The Pursuit Of My Heart

2012-06-23T19:39:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything on this blog. Not long ago a friend of mine asked me if I was blogging anymore. That was a good and fair question to ask. I took a break. A much needed break from blogging. It's been good. It gave me time to clear my head and time to refocus.

This past year has been tough. I'll not share the details, but the Lord has been working on me through it and showing me some things about myself that I didn't know were there. Some of it was good and some of it was ugly. Let me just say that the ugly wasn't very easy to take in or deal with, so it's taken a lot of time to deal with and process it all.

I'm so very grateful to serve a God that loves me so much that He shows me the ugly. I'm so very blessed that He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within me to whisper in my ear the hard things, convicting me until I fall to my knees in repentance. I'm so very undeserving of a Father that loves me just as I am! There's no telling what shape this blog will take in the future, but I do know that I'm being shaped and conformed more into my Savior's image.

On that note....
My firstborn, 16 year old, David, left early this morning for his first international mission trip. He was so excited to go. He'll be in the Dominican Republic for 9 days working in a school. He'll be painting the school, going door to door in the area and working a VBS for a few days. He'll get one leisure day where the team that he's with will get to go to the beach and do some shopping. He asked for some words of wisdom late last night from me and my husband. After thinking back to my first international mission trip I reminded him that the trip wasn't about him, but about the people he was going to serve. I assured him that if he went with a mindset to truly serve others with the love of Christ, that the Lord in return would certainly teach him great things as well. The things I learned on my first international mission trip still yield fruit in my life today. I pray that this is the case with David as well as the rest of the team.

I'll leave with a prayer. I was touched by it as it's so similar to what I wrote above (only much more eloquent) and where the Lord has been dealing with me. A huge THANK YOU to my friend, "Cat", for posting this personal prayer on facebook for me to see, copy and paste! :)

Lord, when I get distracted, when I get overwhelmed, when I get lured away, when I hide... I thank You for continuing to pursue my heart, to win it, to make it Your own. Thank You for surprising me with Your mercy. Thank You for whispering Your love in my ear, humming Your grace in my heart, and waiting for me in the secret places day after day after day after day after day after day.......

Emalee's 5th Gotcha Day!

2012-03-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

5th Gotcha Day 3/27/12

Boy does time fly! I knew this day was approaching, but all of the sudden it's here...Emalee's 5th Gotcha Day! I've posted photo's of all her Gotcha Day's so far except her fourth one. She was sick last year on that day. I did snap a photo of her a few days later, but can't seem to find it right now. I'll post it later! Interestingly enough, she's sick this year too, but I at least got her to pose for a photo. She even let me do her hair before taking it! :)

I was reminded today how thankful we are for the opportunity to "live life" with our children today. Each day is precious and should not be taken for granted. For some reason the Lord saw fit to give us fragile pregnancies. I miscarried our first baby at 12 weeks. I went into labor with David at 24 weeks gestation, remained on bed rest with him until he was born at 37 1/2 weeks. Jacob was almost the same story, except bed rest started at 30 weeks and he was born at 32 weeks. Both boys were NICU babies. Emalee's paper pregnancy was supposed to last 6-10 months and instead took 2 1/2 years!
Those days were hard, but I wouldn't trade them for the world! The days of worrying and waiting led me to more praying and relying on the Lord to take care of and hold my babies when I couldn't.

I just want to say again how grateful I am for the brave woman that made a decision to not only carry Emalee, but chose adoption! She is held high in my heart, she is one of my hero's. I pray for you and only hope that one day you'll get to meet and hold the little girl we both call "daughter." Thank you for the sacrifice you made so that I could be her Mommy.

A Simple "Thanks!"

2012-03-05T11:49:00.002-06:00

Six years ago I was driving down one of the roads I travel frequently in our neighborhood heading home from shopping with my son, Jacob. He was 7 years old at the time. As we approached an oncoming intersection we witnessed a terrible accident. One car ran the stop sign at full speed and T-boned another car at full force. They were both going around 30-40 miles per hour. Both cars briefly flew up in the air and made an awful noise somewhat like an explosion!

I was terrified! We were the only other car on the road at the time. I knew that I had to act. I instructed Jacob to stay in the car until I came back. I told him that I MUST check on the people and make sure they are okay. Honestly, the accident was so bad, I truly didn't know what I was dealing with. I was expecting a fatality. My heart was pounding. As soon as I opened my door I heard screaming coming from one of the cars. At that moment I was just thankful that someone had survived and was alive.

I ran to the car closest to me. As I started to look around to check for injuries I first came upon a little girl. She was in a car seat and I guessed her to be around 4 years old. She was sitting right where the other car struck and she received the majority of injuries. Her face was covered in blood and broken glass. She was having a hard time breathing. I was guessing that her nose was broken. Her window was broken out and most of the glass went right in her face. I couldn't make out her face from all the blood. She was crying. Both of her parents were in the car. Her dad was able to get out and was in quite the panic just yelling and screaming. A man that lived in the neighborhood came out of his house and were trying to deal with him. The mom was not doing so well. I went to her side of the car. Her leg was pinned in, she had visible injuries from the impact and then I looked down to see that she was about 7 months pregnant! There was nothing I could do, but wait for an ambulance to arrive. I held the mom's hand, tried to keep her calm and prayed over her. The driver of the other car was able to get out and walk, more neighbors were helping him, so I knew he was fine.

I stayed long enough to see the Jaws Of Life cut open the little girls door so they could get her out and loaded into the ambulance. I made sure that everyone was taken care of before I left. I drove home in a daze. I thought about these people and wondered about them for a long time. My husband was telling the story of what happened to a co-worker a few weeks after the accident and his co-worker happened to know the family. At some point he must have told them my name. I was just glad to hear from him that everyone survived and was fine.

Well, yesterday, six years after the accident I received the following private message via Facebook:

Hi Heather! 6 years ago, you stayed with me and kept me calm after we were in a car accident. I have wanted to say thank you many times, and just didn't for some reason, so I am doing it now! You have no idea how much it means to me that you would do that for a total stranger! ~Melissa

I was so surprised and so glad to hear from the mother that was involved in this accident! It got me to thinking...How many times we miss the opportunity to say a simple "thank you" to those that have touched our lives. (Now, before you think I'm judging this lady, I'm not. I never expected to hear from her again. It's not like I gave her my name and number at the scene of the accident so that she could call and thank me some day!)

The word, THANKS, appears 73 times in the King James version of the Bible. That's not including the words Thankful, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving, or other words such as Grateful, Gratitude, etc. I'm pretty certain the Lord wanted us to have a thankful heart and to be thankful people.

I know that I fail miserably at this sometimes. I take many of my gifts and circumstances for granted without uttering a "thank you" to whom the "thank you" is due...be it God or man.

So, I'm glad that Melissa wrote me yesterday....no, I'm thankful that she wrote me. It's given me something to chew on the next few days as I deliberately work on having a thankful heart.

1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Monday's Menu: Week 2 of Eating From The Pantry

2012-03-05T10:40:00.000-06:00

I wasn't sure if I could pull off another week of eating from the pantry, but after going through my freezer, pantry I'm always amazed by how much food I have. Also, we ate leftovers more than once last week, so I was able to stretch my menu into this week! So, here's the plan is for this week:

Monday:
Turkey Burgers, topped with fresh Avocado's (something else to do with those .19 cent avocado's Aldi has on sale right now.) By the way, I found THIS recipe that I might try some day too!
Broccoli & Cheese Rice
Salad

Tuesday:
Hamburger Soup (didn't make this last week)
Cornbread
Salad

Wednesday:
French's Crunchy Onion Chicken
Flavored Noodles
Salad

Thursday:
Chicken Spaghetti
Guacamole Dip & chips

Friday:
Salisbury Steak
Mashed potatoes/gravy
Frozen Green beans sauteed w/Onions and Brown Sugar

Saturday and Sunday:
Leftovers

Desserts/Snacks:
Sweet Potato Pie (made like Pumpkin Pie, but with sweet potatoes instead (boiled and pureed)
Banana Bread
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Apple sauce
Clementines
Tomatoes
Celery sticks
Carrots
Boiled eggs

Breakfast:
Cereal
Toast with Strawberry jam
Eggs
Leftover pancakes
Oatmeal

Lunch:
PBJ sandwiches
Lunchmeat sandwiches
Leftovers
Ravioli

Monday's Menu: Eating From The Pantry

2012-02-27T10:10:00.001-06:00

We'll be eating from the pantry/freezer this week at my house. This is something I try to do once every few months to make sure that nothing is forgotten about, thrown out and wasted. It's also a very easy way to save money.

There are many ways to be a good steward of our finances. Eating from the pantry is just one of the many ways that we can do that. I'm always amazed at how many meals I can make just by using what I have on hand. Sometimes I have to get pretty creative, especially if I decide to eat from the pantry for an extended period of time, like a month or more, but it can also be very fun and rewarding in the end.

We have a weekly budget for groceries, so when we eat from the pantry that is just money we don't spend. It can go toward something we're saving for, something we need, or we can choose to be givers of what we saved. It's always fun to decide what to do with it.

Now, when I say we eat from the pantry that doesn't mean that we starve to death! I normally have plenty of staples such as rice, pasta and meat in my freezer. Also, I will still shop during that week. I generally make my menu up and see what I still need. For example, I made up my menu for this week and saw that I still needed to buy milk, eggs, bananas and I need some bleach (no, not for eating, but cleaning my sink). So, I'll go out today and get those things and then I WILL NOT enter a grocery store again until next week.

When we eat from the pantry the menu isn't always the greatest, but I don't think mine looks too shabby for this week. However, if I were to continue this next week the meals would probably start looking a little more creative! ;)

Here's what's on the menu:

Desserts/Snacks:
Texas Brownies (for company on Monday)
Banana Bread
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Breakfast:
Cereal
Toast with Strawberry jam
Eggs
Leftover pancakes
Oatmeal

Lunch:
PBJ sandwiches
Lunchmeat sandwiches
Leftovers
Ravioli

Dinners:

Monday~
Slow Cooked Pepper Steak (I'm using ground round instead of steak)
Rice
Salad

Tuesday~
Salisbury Steak (this isn't exactly what I do, but very similar)
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Baked Asparagus
Homemade bread

Wednesday~
Chili Mac
Corn
Deviled Eggs

Thursday~
Chicken 'n Dumplings (I don't have a recipe as I just make mine from scratch. This link is very similar to mine except I leave the veggies in!)
Bread
Fresh Fruit

Friday~
Leftovers

Saturday~
Hamburger Soup
Cornbread
Salad

Sunday~
A good friend of mine has Cereal Night at their house on Sunday's. I've tried, but that isn't working at my house. However, last night my family had "fend for yourself" night and it worked pretty well. Basically, it was a compilation of whatever they could find in the fridge that was leftover from the week. No one complained and everyone ate just fine. They also had the choice of eating breakfast food. We had leftover soup, pancakes, Tater Tot casserole and salad so as you can see nobody starved to death! ;) I'm going to try this again next Sunday! ;) We usually have our bigger meal at lunch time and I haven't planned that out yet!

It's Back: True Moment Tuesdays

2012-02-14T09:42:00.002-06:00

True Moment Tuesday's has been MIA over the last several weeks while I've sat back and took a break from blogging. Today it's back!
What is TMT?
Well, basically it's anything random that I want to share that's happened within the previous week of the post. I want to capture those every day things that happen in life and not take them for granted. I'll try hard to keep things on the positive side, but don't be surprised if I share a struggle or two, or three, etc, etc. If there's an appropriate photo I'll post that too! That's what it's about...the True Moments...the real me.

Why is it that kids say the funniest things in the car? We've had our fair share of funny car moments so I thought I'd share a couple of them.

Several years ago, my then 4 year old son, Jacob, was being babysat by a friend of mine. My friend picked him up from preschool while I was at an appointment. His preschool is just down the street from a graveyard. During previous rides to preschool Jacob and I had talked about the graveyard. He was very interested in the graves, people dying and often asked what happened to the bodies. I wanted Jacob to understand that when we die our bodies stay in the ground, but our souls are eternal and if we're a Christian, go to be with God.
Well, as my friend was rounding the corner by the graveyard with Jacob in tow, she heard from the backseat of the car, "Hey, do you know what that place is? It's where they bury your skin!" :)

Here's another funny thing that my 5 year old, Emalee, said just last week:
We were driving to church last Wednesday night. As my husband drove I was talking to Emalee telling her that she would be going to AWANA. Somewhere in the last several weeks Emalee has learned the phrase, "No way, Jose`" and we've been trying to teach her not to say that. So when I told her she would be going to AWANA she said, "No way, Jose`!" (insert her giggles as she knows she's not supposed to say that) I said, "Emalee, my name is not Jose`...I've told you that several times." There was a brief pause as she thought about what to say next. Then I heard (giggles included), "No way Ho!" We all busted up laughing and she laughed too although she didn't know why it was so funny! I told her she can call me "Jose`" if she wanted too! :)

All kids say funny things. Do you have anything funny you'd like to share? Leave a comment here on the blog or over on the Facebook page and share it with the rest of us!

Have a great Valentine's Day everyone!

~Heather

Prone To Wander

2012-02-06T10:25:00.000-06:00

Photo credit

Most mornings I wake up and within minutes, sometimes seconds, I usually have a song in my heart that I start humming. This morning I woke up humming the tune to an old hymn that I love. It kind of summed up how I spent a good portion of my weekend.

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above."

Saturday morning I was challenged, yet again, to take time to read and fill out a Spiritual Evaluation Form. It had challenging questions where I had to rate myself from 1-10 (1=never and 10= all the time). Here's an example of some of those questions:

I pray daily for an increase of love in my heart, soul and mind for God.
I am aware of and guard against my self-centeredness and the trust I place in myself.
I live the life of a servant.

After taking the time to truly look deep within at myself by rating each one of the several questions honestly, I came to the conclusion that I can not do all these things and will never be able to measure up to this standard! It was right then in the midst of that thought that the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that I was right. It's not possible for me to do all of this. There's no way that I, in and of myself, can live a righteous life on my own. My sinful nature is one that is "prone to wander, prone to leave the God I love." He reminded me that it is in Christ and Christ alone that I have become righteous. This brought me to a place of brokenness and repentance before the Lord. How thankful I am that my God is a God of forgiveness, compassion and restoration. How great is our God! "Rejoice in His Salvation!" Psalm 35:9

Note: One of the best spiritual evaluation forms I've ever read and done myself is located right HERE. If you are a Christian (and even if you're not) I challenge you to print out this form and go through it with an honest, open heart. You'll be amazed at what the Lord reveals to you as you work through it!

Also, there are many other evaluation forms (Potential Pitfalls, Heart Attitudes, Marriage, etc.) located right HERE.


Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Becoming Debt Free...NO MORE CREDIT CARDS!!!

2012-01-30T09:39:00.001-06:00

I was hoping to wrap up this series in 2011, but that just didn't happen! However, I am able to wrap it up now! If you hung in there and read all the posts in this series you understand just how long it's taken us to get to this point.

I'm happy to announce that as of this week we are paying off all of our debt except the mortgage!!! WooHoooo!!! That means anything on credit will be paid in full!!! I would love to throw out numerical figures for all of you too see, but after speaking with my husband he really didn't want the entire world knowing all of our business. He's okay with me sharing our story, just not every aspect of it. ;)

So, that being said....It was around this time last year when I got a message from a friend of mine. We had both adopted children internationally a few years prior and she was informing me of a change the IRS made to the Adoption Tax Credit. Here's a portion of what she wrote:

First of all, have you heard that it's refundable for the first time this year? Read this article and start planning your trip to Disneyworld!

The "article" she referred to is found right HERE.

As you can all imagine, I was beyond thrilled once I understood what this meant for our family. And the fact that this was retroactive back to 2005 meant that our adoption of Emalee was included in this change!

For the first time since we've been married I decided to have a CPA do our taxes. We had to amend 2 prior years and then file for 2010 as well. We got them mailed in April of last year and couldn't wait to get our return!

We didn't hear anything from the IRS until August when we got a letter stating that they were requesting more information about our adoption and we needed to send them "proof" of our adoption (which we did in April). So, I made copies of everything (again) and sent it in.

We waited, and waited and waited some more....I grew impatient. Very, very impatient!!! I continued to get letters from the IRS. In fact, I got a letter EVERY MONTH of 2011 that either said they were still working on our case, or that they needed more "proof" of Emalee's adoption. I sent "proof" of Emalee's adoption to the IRS FOUR times!

This entire process has been a mess from the beginning. The IRS was NOT ready for how many people would take them up on this new Adoption Tax Refund. They were not prepared, didn't have enough staff to review the cases and on top of that had to make sure that the people who applied weren't committing tax fraud (which is on reason we had to send so much proof).

After a few months went by I applied for a Tax Advocate in November. I heard from my Tax Advocate in December and she assured me that they were working on our case and that I would hear from her again in January. Hmmm...I wasn't sure if I believed her at that point.
In fact, by the end of 2011 I figured that if we were going to get the return it would come, and if not...well, we'd just have to swallow that!

Last week, my Tax Advocate called to in form us that our case was finally approved! She told us the amount of the refund and the mail out date. I am so very happy to have this all over with!

Now, to the fun part of this story....

This was something Brian and I never planned on. We knew back in 2007 when we adopted Emalee that there was an Adoption Tax Credit. However, we didn't qualify for it due to the income guidelines. We knew that the Lord wanted us to adopt Emalee, so not getting a tax credit wasn't going to stop us from adopting her. You might recall in a previous post that I shared a few ways that God was providing financially for this adoption. He assured us that if we were to obey Him that He would provide. It seriously was a HUGE leap of faith on our part, because we knew that we didn't have the finances to see this adoption through. But, God saw the bigger picture! (I think we forget that sometimes!) ;)

Half of the amount we needed to adopt Emalee was provided by our church, family, friends and a couple of adoption grants. The other half was on us! We borrowed the money (something I still wouldn't recommend!) and just planned on paying it over the course of the next several years. That was all fine and dandy until my health went South on me! We started accumulating medical bills and found ourselves in a huge financial mess!

With a lot of hard work by cutting costs and saving every little bit we could, we were able to pay off half of what we owed last year. When we saw how much we would be getting back on the Adoption Tax Refund we knew there was a great possibility of paying off all of our credit debt in full with it...and that's exactly what we've been able to do!

It feels so good to be out of bondage to the credit companies. I can't tell you how much pressure is off our shoulders. I can even physically see the change in my husband. It makes me feel all the more happy about this situation just to know that he doesn't have to worry so much about providing. By the way...he's an awesome provider for our family. I couldn't have married a harder working man and am so grateful that the Lord put us together! (Just an extra .02 cents from me!)

I don't want to wrap up this post without acknowledging that we believe this was definitely an act of God. We don't know why he chose to bless us in this way. All we can do is thank Him and do our best to never get in a situation like this again. We've vowed to NEVER put medical bills on our credit cards again! We will NOT be using our credit cards again either! We are thrilled to finally be in a position where we can give more and save more. We thank the Lord for providing for us in a way that we would have never imagined! We're excited to see what the future holds!

If you haven't had a chance to read the many posts that I've written in this series you can find them all right HERE.

One Foot In Front of the Other

2012-01-16T09:41:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit

I did it! I finally did it! I know that for some of you what I'm about to announce that I accomplished this morning isn't on a grand scheme, but it is for me....

I finally took a walk this morning!!! It was glorious!!! I got up, took Emalee to preschool, smelled the fresh air (we're having unseasonably warm weather in the Ozarks) and decided that today would be the day. The day to get out of my horrible, awful morning routine and get outside and walk.

You see, it's really not my goal in life to sit and do nothing. Okay, that might be a bit exaggerated, I do things, but I certainly don't do everything that I used to do. A few years ago I was walking every day. However, I have this ugly disease that sucks bits and pieces of my every day pleasures away from me. The ability to walk and exercise has been one of those things that it's taken.

This morning I made a decision to take that part of me back! So, I put on my comfy clothes, laced up my tennis shoes, went outside and put one foot in front of the other. It wasn't a very long walk...I didn't come close to a 5K, but it sure was nice to smell the fresh air and do some talking with my Savior.

One of my goals for this year is to get more exercise in. This morning was a great day to start that goal!

What are some goals you have this year? How are you doing at accomplishing those so far? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

Picture of my kids

2011-12-06T10:30:00.000-06:00

My kids after decorating the Christmas tree last night. You know what happened to the tree this morning if you read the Facebook page!

Tis the Season!

2011-12-03T12:21:00.000-06:00

Have you headed over to Mom's By Heart to see her 100 Days of Christmas yet? Below are just a few of the cute things she has posted.

The project shown above was by A Personal Touch. She created her bag toppers with rubber stamps, but you can get a free printable HERE or HERE. Many Dollar Stores carry the small bags.

Here’s a free printable to make you smile from my favorite Christmas movie! VisitInviting Printables to get one, then frame it up and show it off!

Laurie Furnell created this free printable Snowman Candy Bar Wrapper. Add a repurposed sock for the hat and a scrap of fleece for the scarf and you have yourself an adorable little gift!

HES Update

2011-12-02T17:18:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted a Hypereosinophilic Syndrome (HES) update in awhile so I thought today would be an appropriate day to do that.

This year has been a roller coaster ride with my HES. The Hematologist that I had been seeing the past 5 years retired and I got a new one in January. It's always hard to transition to a new doctor, but I've found my new doctor to be knowledgeable about HES as well as a very nice person to work with.

I'm presently taking Hydroxyurea (chemo) to control my white blood counts. Unfortunately, as the year has progressed the chemo has lowered my blood counts TOO low causing me to be anemic. Recently, my doctor decided to lower the amount of chemo in order for my blood counts to raise. About 2 weeks into my new dosage of chemo I started having more HES symptoms. I won't go into detail on that, but believe me, I knew that my new dosage wasn't going to work out! So, I called the doctor, they had me come in for another cbc and my blood levels had raised up enough to raise my chemo back to where it had been before.

I know this all sounds horrid to most of you, but this is actually a good thing for me. I'd rather be tired, then in pain. So, now I'm about 3 weeks into my raised dose and I'm feeling much better. Yesterday I went to the doctor again for another cbc and visit. She has decided to not mess with my chemo dosage anymore. She believes that we've found the "happy medium" that keeps most things level.

So, that's where we're at for now and I'm fine with that. I'm feeling pretty good and happy to have some energy back during this time of year. Of course, this will be an on going process, so we'll continue to keep tabs on my blood levels.

I wrote a testimony and it was published through my church newsletter if any of you want to read it. It's about some things that the Lord has taught me through all of this. You can find it right here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T13:16:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'll be away from the computer for the next couple of days! If you're a "deal" shopper I encourage you to take some time away from the computer as well. There are plenty of days in the year to get a good deal on things.

Enjoy spending time with your family as we give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and provision!

I'm also thankful to those of you that read this blog and those of you that have hosted or attended one of our coupon classes. It's been so much fun meeting all of you!

I'll be back with more deals in a few days!

~Heather

PS. For those of you that will be shopping on Black Friday...get some rest, stay safe, drink plenty of water, bring a snack to munch on and good luck! :)

Thankful for Forgiveness

2011-11-21T07:41:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit

I had a hard time sleeping last night. I tossed and turned for what felt like hours! In reality it was about 2 hours and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't go back to sleep. My back was aching so I blamed the lack of sleep on the pain. I contemplated getting up and taking a pain pill, but I had an empty stomach and didn't want medicine on it causing further discomfort. So...I tossed and turned and tossed and turned some more.

Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night the Lord starts bringing prayer requests to my mind and I start praying for specific people that I know are needing His touch. I did that last night, but after I was done praying I still didn't feel like I was at rest. I hate to admit it, but I'm so stubborn sometimes. I'm sure that's no surprise to some of you reading this! ;) It's one of those sins that God keeps chiseling away at in me bit by bit.

Eventually, I heard the sound of the chisel again! He started revealing to me some things (sin) that needed to be dealt with. I must admit that when this happens I don't always like it. I mean, who likes to admit their guilt? But, after the trespasses were revealed, confessed and forgiven I find myself thankful this morning.

Thankful that I have a God who, by His grace, has redeemed me from my sin.

Thankful that I have a God who loves me enough to say, "Hey, Heather...there's some sin over here in your life. Let me show it to you so you don't have to carry it anymore. Give it to me. I'll take it from here on."

Thankful for a God that loves me just as I am, but loves me enough to keep growing me and pushing me to be more like Him.

My sweet 5 year old, Emalee, woke up this morning and came to my bed. The first words out of her mouth were, "What are you thankful for, Mama?" I said, "You, Emalee, I'm thankful for you." Not long after those words left my mouth the Holy Spirit whispered to me...."That's exactly how I feel about you, Heather."

What a way to start this week of Thanksgiving!

Swimming Upstream in a Downstream World

2011-11-14T13:39:00.002-06:00

We have a family motto at our house: "We're swimming upstream in a downstream world." Brian and I came to a point in our marriage in the Fall of 2004 where we decided to be deliberate about changing some things. As I was thinking about our motto this week I started thinking about some personal changes I've made in my life.

One year ago I was given the book, Voices of The True Woman Movement to review. I read it cover to cover and then wound up going to the True Woman 2010 Conference in Ft. Worth, TX. Chapter 2 is all about the True Woman saying "yes" to God....

"She lives intentionally, not just drifting from one meaningless activity to the next, letting the circumstances of life pull her along. She's willing to be like a salmon, swimming upstream, living a counter-cultural life in an unholy world for the glory of God....."

Just those two sentences alone are full of some major food for thought!

I'm an observant person by nature. I believe that the Lord gave me the gift of discernment and with that gift comes a lot of observing. One thing that I've observed not only in the cyber world of Blog Land, but also in a lot of classes that I teach is the "meaningless activity" that was touched on above.

I was challenged to evaluate my own "meaningless activity" several weeks ago. I want to extend that challenge to you. Are you being intentional about the activities that you do or that you're involved in? Are they profitable? Do they please God? Do they further His kingdom? Do they display God's glory?

I found many "meaningless activities" that I needed to deal with. Truth is...I'm still dealing with some of them:

Too much time on the Internet
Not spending enough quality time with my children
Not speaking enough encouraging words to my husband
Slacking on menu planning
Drinking too much soda
and several more....

To take this thought to a spiritual level I wanted to focus on some of the "meaningless activities" that we deal with spiritually. Chapter 2 goes on to list some of those as things we can say "no" to:

"No" to bitterness
"No" to self-centeredness
"No" to whining
"No" to complaining
"No" to pining
"No" to resisting, resenting, running from the will of God

But it means saying "yes" to a whole lot more:

"Yes" to forgiving those who have sinned against us
"Yes" to receiving God's forgiveness for ourselves
"Yes" to repentance
"Yes" to serving
"Yes" to embracing God's choices for our lives
"Yes" to trusting Him with our circumstances
"Yes" to finding and fulfilling His purposes

Swimming upstream in a downstream world is NOT easy. It takes courage, sacrifice and deliberate determination to get to the goal! It means saying "no" to some things and "yes" to other things. It is in saying "yes" to God that we find true meaning and reach our goal in this life!

Philippians 3: 7-14 (NIV)

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

~Heather

Series: Becoming Debt Free...Jan.-Oct. 2011 Light at the End of the Tunnel!

2011-11-07T21:17:00.000-06:00

After going to Cincinnati for a diagnosis of HES in February, 2010 the bills started trickling in one by one. Once again we found ourselves with loads of medical bills. Thankfully, we had some money set back and we were able to pay those bills off! This was the first time in 5 years that we had paid all of our medical bills, on time and on our own! It felt so good and inspired us to stick to our goal of getting out of debt in the time frame that we were wanting to get it paid off.

We wish that money would pop out of the air, but it doesn't. The only choice we have is to plug away at the debt. One by one the debt is getting paid. It's been encouraging to make the final payments on the various bills that we've had. Brian is still working extra side jobs when he can and I work really hard at home lowering the amount of money that we pay for things. One way I do this is by continuing to use coupons combined with sales, stockpiling and menu planning. I also limit my shopping trips. I've found that if I'm not at the store, I don't spend money at the store! We have learned to say no to certain things too.

Some things that we've limited or said "no" to:

Cable T.V. We don't miss it either

Cell phones: We have 1 cell phone on my brother-in-laws plan for $10 per month

Clothing budget: Brian and I have cut back on our clothing budget big time until we get all debt paid. It's very minimal. We mainly get the NEEDS instead of the wants. The kids certainly don't have as many clothes as their friends, but this was something we needed to cut back in order to have margin in our budget.

Pets (We only have 2 African Dwarf Frogs as pets. They cost $35 when we got them 18 month ago and I've maybe spent $6 dollars on their care since we got them! Easy "pets" to have! FYI...the kids are allergic to pet danger so this works good for us!)

Eating out. This is a hard one, but one of the biggest money savers! I try really hard to make a weekly menu plan. When I take the time to sit down and plan out what to make (according to what I already have in my pantry) I save TONS of money. We do eat out, but not nearly what we would if I didn't have a plan!

Frivolous Shopping Trips: I try not to run across town for only one thing. It costs too much $$$ in gas to do that. Instead, I plan my trips and do all my errands on the same day...or I at least try to. For example: when picking Emalee up from preschool I'm close to the bread store and Walgreen's. Today I went all three places in one trip! I was home the rest of the day.

Hair cuts: I cut Brian, David and Emalee's hair. Jacob's is too hard to cut because of his head shape. Me? I don't trust Brian to cut my hair! :) At the most, mine is cut 4 times per year. Luckily, my hair grows very, very slow!

Those are just a few of the ways that we've been able to cut our expenses the past couple of years. There are many more that I did not mention! We did have a few monetary gifts that were given to us (because of the medical expenses) so we took that money and put it in the medical fund knowing that there would be more medical bills to come...and there are! Currently, we're paying 5 more medical bills as with my disease they just never end!

So, where are we at on this "Becoming Debt Free" journey??? As of today we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! *
Exact numbers will be given the next time I post in this series!

What are some ways that you cut expenses? Please share on the Face book page or in the comments section below! I'm sure that your comment can encourage someone else on the financial road to freedom!

My first piece of glazed furniture that I did all by myself!

2011-11-07T15:27:00.001-06:00

Last week I took a couple days and managed to paint and glaze a little end table. I'm fairly pleased with the outcome of the project. My goal is to paint a large jelly cabinet that I have, but I didn't want to take on a large project quite yet, so I decided to do a trial on the little table. I love the outcome and plan on doing the cabinet in the future...when I have a warm day outside to work on it! Oh, and this product confirmed my love for spray paint! :)

This is the finished product! Couldn't find glaze at Walmart, but found various types at Lowe's.

Started with a table we got as newlyweds 17 1/2 years ago. I almost forgot to take a "before" photo so I snapped this one in the middle of priming it.

Primed with spray Kilz

Completely painted. Now ready to be antiqued. (Finished piece is the top photo on the blog)

Used Krylon Blue Ocean Breeze

True Moment Tuesdays: Give Thanks

2011-11-02T14:59:00.004-05:00

1 Thessalonian 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

As the season of Thanksgiving is upon us I've decided to blog about one thing per day up to Thanksgiving Day that I'm thankful for. I'll add to this list daily.

Feel free to join me by leaving a comment here on the blog or on the facebook page.

November:

1. I'm thankful for a new friendship that God has given me!

2. I'm thankful for God's provision of chicken today!

3. I'm thankful that I finally caught up on some much-needed sleep last night!

4. I'm thankful for my husband: Just last night I shared with him how much I appreciate him for always providing without complaint. He's the hardest working man I know and has great respect from his peers for his integrity in his work. He's humble, honest, meek and loves me beyond measure. I'm sick with a chronic autoimmune disorder that takes a great toll on me mentally and physically at times. He is my rock (next to Jesus!) and my shoulder to cry on, my friend to laugh with and the one person I look forward to sharing the rest of my life with. I love that he loves the Lord, teaches our children Biblical truths and demonstrates the love of Christ through his words and actions. I'm so thankful that the Lord put us together!

5. I'm thankful for the much needed nap that I got to take today. I know it sounds a little silly to put that down as a "thankful" thing to have, but it's really true!

6. I'm thankful for the salvation of a loved one this past week. Oh, how He loves us!

True Moment Tuesday's...Elephant Mishap

2011-10-25T11:24:00.001-05:00

One of the funniest things that's happened at our house in a very long time....

We had company over a couple nights ago. They were at our house a long time while Brian worked on their car. The men were in the garage, while the women visited in the living room. My friend, Edie, was sitting in a chair for quite awhile as we visited and then got up to run a quick errand for the guys. While Edie was gone I decided to clean up the dishes and put away the toys in the living room that Emalee had out. I had everything clean and then noticed that something was sitting in a chair next to where Edie had been sitting. Take a look at the photo and you'll see what I saw! I had wondered where it was that morning as I was getting dressed! Not sure what Emalee was thinking, but it sure was funny! I thought Edie was just being nice by not saying anything about it, but after I showed it to her she started laughing because she hadn't noticed it either! Apparently, Emalee did this early on in the day and I never noticed! :)

True Moment Tuesday's (TMT's) are a new feature here on Spot My Eye Savings. Go here to see what TMT's are all about!

Homemade Taco and Chili Seasoning

2011-10-18T11:44:00.000-05:00

I'm cooking Chili for dinner tonight! Have you ever gotten ready to make chili or tacos and discovered that you're out of seasoning packets. Are you a prisoner to the packets? :) I used to be like that until I discovered these easy recipes. If you don't have the spices on hand you will be out of pocket some money, but in the end it will pay for itself!

Homemade Chili Seasoning

yield | about 2/3 cup

Ingredients
4 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoons black pepper

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, oregano, paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.

Notes:
-Stored in an airtight container, this spice blend will keep for up to a year.
-When making chili or tacos using one pound of ground beef, start with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the seasoning blend and adjust according to your tastes.

Homemade Taco Seasoning:

1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. each ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, powdered oregano and sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Makes 3 tablespoons of seasoning mix, which is equal in strength to a 1/4 ounce package of commercial seasoning mix.

True Woman Makeover

2011-10-18T10:46:00.001-05:00

The last few weeks around here have been crazy. I've been very busy keeping up with all the extra-curricular activities that the kids are involved in. It seems that I spend a good portion of my day in the car taking or picking someone up from somewhere. There are so many things on my "to do" list that I desperately want to get done, but I'm having to remind myself that I'm not Super Woman and that those things will have to wait.

Being a woman is hard, but it's such a rewarding job. It's easy to forget to take care of ourselves while we're taking care of so many other people. One year ago I went on a road trip with my friend, Kristin, to the True Woman 2010 Conference. We had so much fun, but the personal revivals that we both experienced topped the "fun" part of the trip by a long shot.
In an effort for me to remember what I learned I signed up today for the 30 Day True Woman Makeover. It looks like this will be a 30 Day study of Proverbs 31, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, and Titus 2:1-5.

Are you interested in joining me? Go over here and sign up today and we'll be reading the same things each day!

Lesson's from Emalee's Plant

2011-10-14T14:17:00.002-05:00

My 4 year old daughter, Emalee, brought a Styrofoam cup home from church a few weeks ago. It was filled with dirt and she had planted a seed of some sort in it. We placed the cup in the window sill above the kitchen sink. We've watered it and have watched it for several days. It finally sprouted! She's so excited to see that her plant is growing. It's been growing rapidly for days. It's a single shoot and about 6 inches tall. Honestly, I'm unsure of what kind of plant it is!

While I was washing dishes today I was looking at Emalee's little plant. It was bending toward the window in an effort to catch some sunlight. I decided to experiment with the plant and found that no matter what way I would turn the cup the plant would eventually find the sun again and eventually bend in its direction. I always found this to be amazing when I was a kid!

The Lord began to speak to me. He showed me that I am very much like that plant. The following is what He showed me:

1. I must be planted.

I have a plaque in my kitchen with the following Scripture:

Joshua 24:15
"Choose you this day whom ye will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Many years ago during my walk with the Lord I came to a cross roads of sorts. On one particular day He made it clear to me that I must choose Him or choose the world. Just as Emalee's plant has now taken root, I made a decision to take root. I planted my feet firmly and decided to trust in the Lord with all my heart and follow His ways.

Over the years life has thrown its arrows at me. I've had some leaves and branches knocked off, but my feet have never wavered as the roots of faith in my Lord have grown deeper and deeper.

2. I must be watered.

Just as we've been watering Emalee's plant to make it grow, my soul must be watered. It's a daily watering of God's Holy Word to keep me growing in the knowledge of His Truth. There have been times in my Christian walk where I have not been in God's Word on a consistent basis. I've noticed that during these times I'm weaker and not as strong as I could be. My prayer is that of the Psalmist....

Psalm 42:1

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God."

Interestingly enough, the above Scripture verse was my very first vocal solo that I nervously sang in front of my church congregation at the age of sixteen. I had no idea then how meaningful those words would be as I grew into adulthood.

3. I must be in the Light

John 8:12

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

When I am in the darkness I cannot grow. A plant needs a healthy dose of sunlight, just as my soul needs the light of the Son...Jesus...in order for me to grow. I'm thankful that even in the days that I turned from the Lord and strayed toward the darkness (like me turning Emalee's cup around) He patiently waited for me to lean toward Him again. It is in the Light of Jesus that I can truly have Life!

I hope that this has encouraged you today.

~Heather

Deep Cleaning Discoveries

2011-10-12T13:57:00.004-05:00

Today I'm multi-tasking. Well, if I think about it I multi-task almost every day! I have two of my crock pots going. One with chicken and the other with beef that I'll be making a roast dinner with. I also have laundry going. While all of that was cooking/washing, I decided that I would find something to clean. I didn't have to look too hard! :)
I cleaned the Master Bath. I didn't just clean it...I (what my mom says) DEEP CLEANED it! I have linoleum (which I despise) in my Master Bathroom. It's hard to get really clean so, yes, I got down on all fours with, believe or not, a toothbrush at one point and got all the nooks and crannies cleaned out. I finally finished the entire bathroom, ceiling to floor!
Then I noticed that I missed something...the vanity! Not the outside, but the inside. It had been months (maybe even a few years) since I've cleaned out the vanity really well. It was interesting to say the least! I found some empty bottles, old hair accessories that I threw away, etc. The funniest thing that I came across was my husband's old dental retainer from when he was a teenager! LOL! He was still wearing his retainer when we were newly weds...17 1/2 years ago! It was still soaking in the old plastic butter container that it was in way back then! Needless to say, I threw it away! I bet he won't even miss it! ;)

While I was DEEP cleaning I started thinking about the spiritual side of what I was discovering as I cleaned. How often times I clean the outside of my heart, but the inside is still really messy. It appears squeaky clean to others, but the Lord sees it differently. Sometimes I've found that I will hold onto a grudge or some other type of sin way too long before I get on my hands and knees and clean it all out! Sometimes I forget that the sin is even there because I keep pushing it to the back of the vanity!

I hope I encourage you today to take a look deep within the recesses or your heart and perhaps get on your hands and knees and do some deep cleaning...

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

Another wreath!

2011-10-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

This is the wreath that I made today! I took 2 photos of it so that you could see it on different colored walls. However, I'm hanging this one in my living room on a mirror. I'm really enjoying this new found hobby as I've found that it's really easy and not very time consuming. I wound the yarn in about 90 minutes while watching a movie a couple nights ago. Today I made the flowers. They took about 30 minutes since I already had an idea in my head of what I wanted to make. I'm not sure if this one is done yet. I'm thinking about doing something with lettering for "Autumn" somewhere on it. We'll see...