Keeping It Simple

Easter Sunday 2011

2011-05-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

Wow, would you look at us! This a very different picture than I thought this family would ever be able to take. Brian even has his Bible in his hand. Thank you father for your grace and power to bring families back together.

2010-11-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Life Changes

2010-11-09T14:01:00.000-08:00

Life can change in the blink of an eye. Some of you have experienced that. Whether it's a car accident, death of a loved one. Sometimes even the worst of situations can end with the most beautiful ending.

I had been praying for awhile now that God would touch my husbands heart and make him see what he was doing to his family. Now, don't get me wrong, he is not abusive in anyway, he just wasn't there for us like he should be. One night God answered my prayers by really injuring my husband. Fortunatly this injuries were not life threatning and he will heal. But it was enough for him to wake up and realize that is was going down the wrong road and his kids and wife were suffering.

My faith in Jesus as grown so deeply during this, my words can't express. All I can keep saying is "Thank you Father" over and over.

Blowing Rock Family Vacation

2010-10-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

We never made reservations for the beach, and couldn't decide on what we really wanted to do this year. So when it was time to go and do SOMETHING, we decided to head for the mountains. It seemed like a refreshing get-away. It's been so hot this year.

This is Grandfather Mountain. It's beautiful and 1500 feet above sea level. It makes you want to pack your backpack and set out on a treck aross the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We stopped at Linville Caves. The kids loved it. Although I think Tyler had more fun throwing rocks in the stream than going into the caves.

Blind fish. They are fresh water trout and live in the dark. And I mean dark. You can't see your hand infront of your face. Very Cool!

It was one of the best vacations we have ever taken.

Racecar Driver

2010-08-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

It's this the most handsome fellow you've every seen?

I’m So Proud

2010-08-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

I took T to school again this morning. We did things a little differently , like switched his booster seat to the other side, so he could get out easier in the drop off line. I could tell he was nervous on the way to school, but he said he was just listening to the music. This time I got to watch him as he walked in, and I could tell he was scared; he started to walk real fast. I don't think he saw anybody he knew so that made him a bit more scared. He has never been without me like that. Alone, without a familiar face. I cried. I love that little boy like nothing else and it's as hard on me to watch him grow in this and let go, as it is for him to learn to be a bit more independent. I'm proud of him, because it is something that he is not worried about and he knows he can do it. I'm watching my little boy grow up and it's a wonderful experience, but I don't want him to get bigger and loose this innocence.

I also know that next week, walking inside from the drop off line will be second nature and he will be a little more confident.

Car Line

2010-08-23T05:37:00.001-07:00

BooHooo, BoooooHoooo! I just dropped my baby off in car line for the first time. AAAhhhhh, booohooo. I knew he was nervous, and I was too a little bit. But I never thought that I would cry. He did great, His teacher was standing right there, Jesus was with us this morning.

They told us in the parent orientation that this year we would see them become more and more independent, and this is the first step. I'm so proud. My little baby is growing up.

The New Challenge

2010-08-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

The new challenge for me these days is ... Saving Money! I have to break out the trusty ole' planner and start preparing the menu for the week. I tried the "Make Ahead Meals" and regrettably, that plan failed miserably. I simply don't have time on the weekends to cook all day Saturday when I'm doing all the other things that I don't have time to get done during the week. All the frugle blogs say that if you plan your meals weekly, then, you don't have the stress of 4:45 "what's for dinner" problem. It seems that it's cheaper too. So we will try this.

Step 1: sit down with planner and weekly sales paper from local market and make a list of things family
will tolerate eating during the week.
Step 2: get grocery list together and go to the grocery (without children!)

Keep in mind that grocery stores are on a 12 week cycle for sales. So stock up on family favorites and necessities to last 12 weeks. ( wow! can you say too many boxes of cereal in my pantry) LOL!

I also need to start looking at consignment cloths for the kids. Time to start scouting- maybe even do some garage sales.

Make Ahead Meals

2010-01-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

In an effort to make my and my family's life more tranquil.... I am attempting to prepare dinners ahead of time and freeze for easy dinners. So far it's been a real riot... who knew I would need freezer to oven containers? and Then you have to go buy them:( But, it's going to save me a 5:30 pm headache, because I can pop something in the oven and then make my children Thier dinner, because as we all know.... they NEVER eat what you eat. I SOOO envy you SAHM,'s. you have the time(but maybe not the patients) to sit your kids at the table and make sure they eat what is on their plate. I have 45 minutes. The scenario go something like this..... T- will you eat the mash potato's please. 10 minutes later. T- will you eat your chicken please. T- will you eat your potato's please..... over and over until bed time. Knowing full well the kid is going to say to me right before I turn out the lights "Mommy, I'm hungry" Damn! T- I told you to eat your dinner.... you will just have to wait till morning. But I can't sleep, my tummy is growling. (cave-in) Peanut butter and crackers. When you know you have to get up at 5:00 am and it's 8:00pm, there is no room for battle. It's PB & crackers.

So maybe if I spend less time cooking and more time on the getting the kids to eat better, then I will have a better feeling about myself. I will have conquered the "picky eating" battle.

Love This..

2010-01-01T20:05:00.000-08:00

I just found this cool little web site. Picnic. I Loovvee it. You can do some cute things with picutes. I just quit using paint.net and started using this web-based site. Check it our Here.

Merry Christmas Santa

2009-12-21T03:07:00.001-08:00

It's a week before Christmas and already my son can't sleep. LOL! Grandma took them to see Santa Clause at the neighborhood clubhouse and it's now official, Santa Clause is coming to town.

I ventured out on Saturday to the Only toy store in town, and along with a ga-zillion other parents playing "bumper -buggy" managed to secure enough stuff to fill the under side of the tree. I have yet to get the stocking stuffers. (I still have time).

I want to take a moment to pray for all those families that will go without this year. So many people have lost their jobs and are even losing their homes. The Lord has blessed us with jobs and even though we are struggling, we still have enough to make it through the Christmas season. I say my prayers everyday of thankfulness.

We must also remember the real reason that we are celebrating, the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Happy Birthday!

How Do We Do It All?

2009-12-10T10:30:00.000-08:00

Just recently, our lives have changed. Hubby and I now have full time jobs and the kids are in school. The days of our laid back -work-work-for-ourselves- are gone.(boo,hoo) I have yet to figure out how people manage their time on a day-to-day basis.

I now realize, that people get up at about 5:00/5:30 AM! in order to get the kids ready and be at work on time. Here is the run-down..... correct me if I forget something....

5:15 am- get up and get Me ready
6:00 am- get the kids up and get them fed, make lunches and fight with both children about what they WILL eat for breakfast instead of the pop-tart they said they wanted
7:00 am - out the door to school (hopfully by no later than 7:10am, because that will cost me time sitting in line at the 4-way stop)
7:30 am- to work I go- eat breakfast in the car.
8:00-8:10 am - arrive at work)hopefully
5:00 pm- promptly, leave work so I don't get caught in too much traffic.
5:25 pm- Home! now it's time to really get busy. Start dinner for kids and then for Hubby and me. Because one kid only eats PB&J sandwiches- honestly- that is ALL he eats.
If we are lucky, dinner and Misc. Stuff is done by 7:00. Bath Time! 30 minutes for boths kids baths to have baby in bed by 7:30pm.
last kid in bed by 8:00pm- me asleep by 8:30pm !

I can't imagine what things will be like when we have homework... Crazy!

I'm on a mission to get dinner under control. As much as I can with an 18 month old holding on to my knees. LOL!

I know, the trick is planning, weekly menus planed and shopped.

Let me know if you have any good suggestions for me. I'm new at being a working mom and could use all the help I can get.

My Little Chef's Baking Brownies

2009-12-06T10:50:00.001-08:00

One night after dinner, I was rummaging through the pantry and I found a box of brownie mix. Hey! Let's make some Brownies! We all love brownies. break out the eggs and oil, and heat up the oven.

Tyler got the big bowl and Lizzy grabbed a chair to stand on and commenced to combining all the ingredients. Lizzy asked"wats dat?" and "wats dat?" and Tyler stirred. It's been so long since we make brownies, I'd forgot how quick and fun it is. The only drawback is that I had to SHARE the bowl and spoon with the kids. HAHA!

Wow, How Things Change

2009-12-05T19:39:00.000-08:00

I used to be Fun! I swear! What has happened to me. At 42 I am no longer interested in going anywere. We had a babysitter tonight and I opted to stay home and clean my bonus room.(ok it was way beyond disaster area) and Big Daddy went to a friends house to watch the Big ball game. I don't talk to anyone anymore. I don't Facebook. I am about tired of this stage in my life. OK enough griping. .........Nope, sorry! Too cranky lately to not gripe.

Ride the storm
Stay Grounded
It will not last forever
We will get through this
WHEN?!

Made In America

2009-12-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

I received a wonderful e-mail the other day and I thought I might share it with you. ...

A physics teacher in high school , once told her class that while a single grasshopper on the railroad track wouldn't slow the train much, a billion of them would.

Keeping that in mind.....read the following, it was obviously written by a good American.

A Good idea.... one light bulb at a time.....

I can verify this because I was in Lowe's the other day for something, and just for the heck of it, I was looking at the hose attachments. They were all made in China. The next day I was in Ace Hardware and just for the heck of it I checked the hose attachments there. They were USA made. Start Looking!

In our current economic situation, every little thing we buy or do affects someone else, - even their jobs. So, after reading this, I think the lady is on the right track. Let's get behind her!

My son loves Hersey's candy. I noticed, though, that it is marked made in Mexico now. I do not buy it anymore. My favorite toothpaste is Colgate and is now made in Mexico. I have switched to Crest. You have to read the labels on everything.

This past weekend I was at Kroger. (This can be true for any store) I needed 60W light bulbs and Bounce dryer sheets. I was in the light bulb aisle, and right next to the GE brand I normally buy was an off brand labeled "Everyday Value". I picked up both types of bulbs and compared the stats. They were the same except for the price. The GE bulbs were more money then the other, but the thing that most surprised me is that GE was made in Mexico and the Every Day Brand was made in USA, Cleveland to be exact.

So throw out the myth that you cannot find product you use everyday that are made right here.

So on to another aisle. Bounce Dryer Sheets.....yep, you guessed it, Bounce cost more money and is made in Canada. The Everyday Value brand was less money and MADE IN THE USA! I have used them and they work just as well as Bounce and are HALF the price!

My challenge to you is to start reading the labels when you shop for everyday things and see what you can find that is made in the USA- the job you save may be your own or your neighbors!

** We should have awakened a decade ago....Let's get with the program.... Help our fellow Americans keep their jobs and create more jobs here in the U.S.A.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

I just want to say for the record that I would love to cook the Big Thanksgiving Diner. I've done it a couple of times, but since there is always something that goes wrong, Brian has refused to let me do it again. That and my kitchen is not big enough anymore.

So now we go out like so many other people do every year on this Thankful day. But none-the- less, we are still very thankful for the blessing that God has given us. Health, Happiness and lots of love.

To be honest eating out is not so bad. Carker Barrel is THE place to go. But they did run out of pecan pie:( bummer! But we ate well and laid around all day and watched the call games.... yes, a typical American Thanksgiving.

2009-11-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

Yea, it's that time of year to start baking again. My little man and I sat down in the floor tonight and when through my cookie mags and I find some really yummy looking ones. But first I must figure just how many we need. Little Man wants to make, like , 30 different kinds... yea, o.k.:) Let's trim that list down just a little bit, ok?

Something that I must also consider this year is the packaging...cute boxes? or cute tins?

I'm getting excited, I have to take stock of my "tools" pastry bags, cookie cutters. Last year I had a real hard time finding nested trees. this year I'm going to try to find nested snowflakes. I've come across some georgous pictures of the "snowflake" cookie and want to try it. (It's late and I'm tired or I would put in a link). But the picture is inspiring.

I've been cruising around looking at some other baking blogs and as much as I love to bake and create, I think I might start doing a bit more- carve out a little bit more time out of the day. I'm not much for "cooking" but I love to bake. Cookies, pies, cakes... what ever. and I love the baking blogs... so cute! and the pictures are so much better and colorful.

Well, Happy Hollidays.... God bless and may He bring you peace.

Don'g Get All Stressed With Coupons

2009-10-26T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have done like most women when they start to coupon. They go full force and non-stop to save their mighty dollar. And just like I have been warned on other blogs, I got burnt-out.

A little insight.... on some of the blogs I frequent, I see some woman buying 12 bottles of shampoo and 12 bottles of conditioner just because they were $.09 each. Well, some of us do not have the storage space and, I would not use 12 bottles of shampoo in 2 or 3 years.

The lesson is... if you don't need it, DON"T BUY IT! Just because you can get $165.00 worth of stuff for 20 bucks, doesn't mean you are obligated to do so. You should use your common sense and make informed decisions on what you are buying. I started with the BOGO stuff and using coupons on those products. Once you get your rhythm, then tackle the CVS Thing...... I'm still learning that one. There again.... lots of stuff on sale that I don't need and I'm not going to buy it just because I can get a "bonus buck" to spend later. That sounds like" the more you spend, the more you save".

Couponing is great if you have to time. I'm a mom of two small children who works full time. I have time to download and bunch of mfg Q's and then check the sale papers. But I don't have the time to go to CVS just because they have milk for $2.99 instead of $3.15 at the grocery. COMMON SENSE!

It is a invigorating feeling when I'm able to save $30.00 - $50.00 at the grocery. The check out lady even says "you did good" and that is very satisfying.

A Coupon-ing We Will Go

2009-10-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

I am so getting into this cupon 101-ing. I have clipped coupons for years, but never put any effort behind it. Now I have reallized that with each coupon there is money saved. Who wouldn't love that. The only thing I'm having a problem with is... do you buy things you don't really use ? I'm going to start a new column of saving sites. For my reference and yours. I have found a great site that is for regional shoping- Southern Savers. It's got some GREAT tips and explained a lot of lingo and how to's.

Playin In The Rain

2009-10-02T10:15:00.001-07:00

My son Loves jumping in the water puddles when it rains. "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, can we go outside and jump in the water?" Who could say no? So we remove any shoes, and grab an umbrella and head outside. If you haven't jumped in a rain puddle in a while- you should.... it's very childish and delightful to the spirit. It will truly make you giggle. One suggestion, don't do it when it's cold outside. This is strickly a summer time ativity. Ha,Ha.

It's About Time

2009-09-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

My son is FINALLY sleeping in his own bed, in his own room, and asleep by 9:00 pm. YEA!!!! It's been about a year now that I have had to go to bed with him and that meant that I was basically going to bed at 8:30 or he was staying up till 10:30 (not good). but now, you moms know what I'm talking about.. FREEDOM. I can now do something in the evening, like watch tv-boring, or I can catch up on my blog- yea cool. Or do anything I want to.

Big Church vs. Smaller Church AAAHHHHHH!

2009-08-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

We haven't been to church in a few weeks. I know, I know... we usually go to a BIG church, you know the kind, 3000 members and you never see the same people twice. I have just not wanted to deal with it lately. It was too much hassle for a Sunday morning and church shouldn't be a hassle.

When it's hard to find a parking place that's not a half a mile away, and trying to get the kids into their Sunday School room has become stressful, it's time to reevaluate. So we are searching for a smaller community of believers. Don't get me wrong, the BIG church has it's merit, I loved the preacher, and they offer SO many classes, 101 classes, regular Bible Study classes, how to study the Bible classes, how to be a leader classes and so forth, and don't let me leave out Starbucks(yes, that's right) but I wasn't really connecting with anyone.

So anyway, I found a new church to visit right around the corner from us and they have a great web site(big plus) so we took the plunge. Now keep in mind I have not been in a few weeks, so I was needing some serious joyful worship time. It was so different and I LOVED IT! Their music was so much more joyful and expressive.Very uplifting! I was feeling the Spirit so strong I shead some tears. The preacher was talking to people in the congragation and calling people by name. He was down on our level where we could see him. It just felf better.

Plus, the people were Soo much more friendly- because they know each other and knew we were new faces. And because they knew we were newcomers, they helped us out so much. Even found us in the sanctuary to let us know the kids were ok. That totally won us over. No more Big Church for me.

They say that the big church is what people are gravitating towards, but I'm not so sure. Maybe the younger generation. But for me, I was raised with a small country church that I went to with my Gandmother, any just about everybody there were relatives, so I like the kinship of the small church. The only drawback- they know when you don't show up on Sunday. LOL!

Character Makeover

2009-08-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

I don't normally RAVE about the books I have read. But since I have started walking a different path and I am trying to improve myself to be the BEST Christian I can possibly be, I have found a book that has helped me do just that.

"Character Makeover", "40 Days with a Life Coach to Create the Best You" by Katie Brazelton and Shelly Leith. Let me just say that every person I know should read this. It's amazing. It's a great tool for women's groups and Bible study groups. Katie also wrote "Pathways to Purpose" and "Praying for Purpose", which I intend on reading soon.

She sets the book up as life coaching sessions at her house or strolling by the lake with a cup of coffee and just chatting. But the point to this is to build your character by examining your Humility, Confidence, Courage, Self Control, Patience and a few other aspects. It give a section for journaling and some self exercises to help dig down deeper. It amazed me what I found out about myself. I put a few pieces to the puzzle together an I had a few "Ah-ha" moments. (I love those)

I'm a changed woman. Thank You Katie and Shelly for helping me truly understand what God wants our character to be like. The kindness, generous-ness, forgiving-ness, humbleness and courageousness and most important, God-Centeredness instead of self-centeredness, that Christianity is based on.

I would highly recommend this read to anyone. Even if your not in the self-help frame of mind, it's always a good time to work on your character.

I'm Done

2009-08-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the day!Something that I have been TRYING to do for a long time(get back into those size 8's) is just too much to KEEP TRYING for. I'm Done, I am no longer trying to get back into my size 6/8's unless we book a cruise for next summer. I'm done. I will be the average size American woman 10/12 and be CONTENT.

That is something that is very hard for me to do, since it's been part of me for so long now....baby weight! ARGH! after 40 it doesn't go away unless you commit to an hour and a half in the gym 4 days a week. So... so long Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. It's been inspiring, but that is about all. All that "good intention" has gotten me no where, so I an simply going to quit fighting it. Now, I will not be eating Twinkies for dinner, but I'm going to let it go, eat healthy and just not worry about it.

That is a load off my shoulders! YEAAAA!!! I feel so much better now that the pressure is off. WOW, you should try this.

Learning A New Path

2009-07-08T07:16:00.001-07:00

I was without my faith for so many years, and now, I'm like a sponge that can't seem to soak up enough. I'm enjoying being fresh in my faith. I literally feel like a newly bloomed flower (I hope that doesn't sound corny). But it's an energizing feeling, where I feel revived from the drudgery of everyday life.

For so many years I was wandering without direction. It seems that every path I went down, I hit a road block. But now, with God leading me, I have NO WORRIES! Yea! I'm lovin' it!

Have a Blessed Day!