The Duty Chronicles

Big Apple Adventures

2012-01-31T17:17:00.002-06:00

I have missed NYC almost everyday that I haven't been there. Seriously the coolest city I have ever been to. And to be able to explore it with my best friend, I can't even explain the fun, the bonding, and the memories that we made.

In November, the two of us were supposed to go to Seattle together to do an Acts 29 Boot Camp and Assessment to benefit the A29 Network, of which New Life is affiliated. We bought our tickets and hadn't yet reserved our hotel room. In September, the whole boot camp got cancelled. The NEXT day, we got an email saying that we needed to confirm our flights because the time changed by 10 minutes OR we could get a full refund if that didn't work out for us. Really? Wow, thanks God, for an out.

The only thing about it was that it was supposed to be in conjunction with my 30th birthday and we were extending the time to spend there. So...Allen mentioned maybe going to NYC instead since it has long been a dream of mine. I was off and running with the planning and we had a free weekend in January, which also coincided with Allen's 30th. What a fun commemoration of our birthdays together!

Since several people were asking for the rundown, I am excited to share. I think we packed a lot into 3 days, but by God's grace, it did not seem rushed or hurried. We thoroughly enjoyed all of it!

We got there on Thursday night, dropped luggage at the hotel and rode the subway to Times Square. The way it all happened was so surreal. I walked up the steps from the subway (was looking down the whole time), noticed that the steps were glittery and the moment I looked up, I saw this. You look around and its crazy to see how bright it is at night. How it really is the "city that never sleeps." It can be 11 P.M. and there are still tons of kids, strollers, people, lights...it feels just like the afternoon there.

We ate at Junior's, which claims to have the world's best cheesecake. Funny thing is, we didn't order cheesecake, we got carrot cake, which was also very good. I am not a cheesecake girl. :(

The next day we woke up and headed to ABC Studios to be in the live studio audience at Live With Kelly (the former Live with Regis and Kelly, since he retired in November). The co-host on the day that we went was Apolo Ohno, the Olympian gold medalist. Here I am waiting in line to go inside.

Here are all the women waiting to go inside the studio. Allen was literally one of very few men there.

Kelly was so sweet and personable! She came down just to talk to the audience at every commercial break, with the producer literally pulling her back to her seat with seconds until she was back on air. She is so adorable!

Lana Parilla from Once Upon a Time was a guest on the show, as well as Common, for the musical guest. Common performed the song, Celebrate, and Allen downloaded it as his favorite souvenir of the trip (I should mention that he downloaded the "clean" version). It was so fun to be in the audience while he performed. Kelly danced all around the studio, claiming she was going to be his backup dancer.

After the show, we went to see the 9/11 Memorial, which just opened at the 10th Anniversary and was beautiful. The two "pools" were the North and South Pool, located just where the North and South Twin Towers were. All around the outside were names etched into the sides as a tribute.

We couldn't go without trying out some NY style pizza.

I opted for a broccoli and chicken version and Allen went all out with a Meat Lovers'. He was very hungry, I suppose. Either that, or he was just being himself ;)

After that, we headed to the Ferry to go on our Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ride. It was the coldest and windiest day!

Here we are at Ellis Island at the Immigration Museum. It was so interesting to see the history here. We were also glad to get inside. My goodness it was like a typhoon out there.

We got some pretty pictures on the ride.

We met Erin and Kelli at Rubirosa, an amazing Italian restaurant in Little Italy. It was all family style, so we ordered salad, lasagna and tortellini. All of it was SO yummy! And so lovely to see some familiar faces in NYC!

After our dinner, we made our way to the Winter Garden Theater to see Mamma Mia. The show was so lively and fun! I think Allen would have preferred about 10 less songs (he's not a musical kind of guy), but he indulged me and I was a happy girl!

The next morning we had breakfast at Ellen's Stardust Diner, famous for the singing waiters and waitresses. Some say they are so good they could be on Broadway, a goal which most of them are working towards. We had Challah French Toast and it was amazing.

I need to figure out how to make that!

Heading down towards Rockefeller Center, we stopped at Radio City Music Hall to take some pictures. For some reason, all I could think about was Lucille Ball and her adventures there from I Love Lucy.

Rockefeller Center...we decided against skating on this particular day, but it sure did look like fun!

Our NBC Studio Tour started here.

It was truly interesting, but I'm not sure if we would do this tour again.

Next, we went to Top of the Rock Observation Deck. We had heard it was a better view than the Empire State Building so we did that instead. It's where this famous picture was taken while it was being built.

View of Central Park from the Top of the Rock

I think this is the top of St. Peter's...

Out toward the Hudson Bay...

Toward the Empire State Building and Ellis Island

Next up: Shopping on 5th and Madison Ave! (Maybe my favorite part of the trip!)

Allen doing his best "You're fired!" in front of the Trump Tower

Then, off for a night at the Met...wish we could have spent more time in there. I think we saw *maybe* 1/4 of what it had to offer...

Last Day! We went straight to Redeemer to hear from Tim Keller and spent the rest of the morning walking (quickly, since it was so cold) around Central Park and then camping at the local Starbucks for a bit to read and talk. I also locked eyes with Elisabeth Hasselbeck and her precious kids. I have to be honest, I feel a connection with her now. We have kids the same ages/genders (girl, boy, boy) and she was sitting in church near me. I have been praying for her influence on The View ever since!

Yes, you read that right on that CNN sign! It was 15 degrees outside!

I couldn't have asked for a better trip!

Thanks for caring enough to make it to the end of this super-long post!

Craft Pegboard

2012-01-23T12:31:00.002-06:00

The pegboard for my craft desk is one of my favorite things about my craft corner. Seriously, the fact that I don't have to go digging for items all around the house is a huge benefit and has simplified my craft time. This pegboard was made so cheaply, and since several of you have asked how I made the supply containers, here's how!

They were made out of metal cans... so the kind with Rotel and Cream of Chicken or crushed tomatoes. The can size is pretty standard, but make sure that they are all the same and completely cleaned out with lots of soap and let to air dry. Have hubby punch a hole in the back of them near the top so they can hang from your peg hooks.

Then, you will want to get some spray adhesive, cardstock and the fabric that you want to use. You could easily substitute scrapbook paper here too! I cut out my fabric and cardstock to the correct size to wrap and sprayed the cardstock, laying the fabric on top of it. Make sure you do it this way instead of the reverse, it will make the fabric all sticky and hard to control. The double layer is important since the cans are "ribbed" and could make a single layer of fabric or paper look kind of messy.

Once they are dry, you are ready to attach them to your cans. Get the hot glue out with lots of extra sticks and go to town. you want these to be stuck good. Starting at one end and wrapping all the way to the back. Don't worry about covering the hole. We'll fix that in a minute.

Keep going until you've done them all and successfully used a whole bag of hot glue sticks!

I used a sharp object to punch through the paper/fabric and into the hole in the can. Don't worry, it won't show if it isn't a neat hole, the hook will be in there to round out the hole and your items will be inside of the cans.

Your completed project! Time to get your craft on!

Craft Desk

2012-01-20T13:17:00.000-06:00

My dear, sweet and thoughtful husband really blessed me a couple of weeks ago by making me a super cute craft corner, complete with a custom craft desk and organizational peg board to hang over it.

Seriously, I never thought I would see the day where I would have this. I figured the kids would have to be out of the house for us to have the space (and time to craft, honestly!). But here I am, with my own little space and I am one happy girl!

We had a framed picture above our couch in the family room that I just recently replaced and so I decided I wanted to use it for the frame around my pegboard, to make the pegboard look a little nicer. Allen painted the pegboard and we bought a little peg hanging kit with all of the hooks and shelf hangers from Lowe's. The rest of it Allen made by hand, including the spool organizer. I made the cup organizers from metal cans and leftover fabric, so all of that was completely free.

The ribbon is hanging from a dowel rod that Allen already had in the garage. Such a huge improvement from how I stored my ribbon before (just a huge basket of spools with ribbons flying everywhere!).

I used the glass from the frame and put it on the desk with fabric and a measuring tape underneath for a quick measurement now and then. So far it has worked out perfectly and it brightens up the desk a bit.

The baskets that were in my craft closet fit perfectly in the spaces under the shelves. Allen says he knew that, that's why he did it. ;)

We also attached the power strip to the top of the desk so that there weren't a bunch of cords hanging around on the ground (one thing I can't stand!). And he made me a cord keeper to put all the cords in that hangs from the top of the desk.

Now the only thing missing are 3 little chairs for the little people who always want to help with whatever I am making!

Beaded Serving Spoons

2012-01-10T15:01:00.000-06:00

Let me start by saying, anyone can make these. I taught my MOPS group how to make them and even self-proclaimed craft rookies cranked these out to perfection. So tune back in if you are one of those who tunes out every time there is a post about crafting.

I LOVE THESE! Not only are they beautiful, we have lots of people in our house every week, and I will get to show them off on a weekly (or maybe daily with how busy we are this spring) basis to serve up dinners and desserts.

I believe they would also make an adorable hostess gift, Christmas gift, Mother's Day gift...you name it! I actually gave out many of them this Christmas, along with etched dishes, like these, for a lovely package deal.

Let's get started!

What you need:

Glass or crystal beads of all sizes
20-24 gauge stainless steel wire (20 is super sturdy, 22 and 24 are less thick/sturdy), approximately 30 inches per spoon
Stainless steel serving spoons
Pliers
Tape measure

1. Start wire going up the spoon about half an inch, loop long piece of wire around spoon and back through the half inch piece where you started. Use pliers to loop the small piece around the other piece several times until the end is not showing anymore. It may still feel loose at this point, but it will begin to be very secure once you get to the top with your beads. I left about ½ “ at the bottom because if you get lower than that, it can slip off.

2. Begin to put beads on, beginning with the smaller beads and leading up to the larger beads since it starts narrow, gets larger and then is narrow again. For each row that you bead, circle the wire around very tightly and then start with your next row of beads.

3. Once you get to the top, loop your wire around to the back and loop it through the other wire a few times like you did at the bottom until it’s not showing anymore. Use your pliers to help!

Enjoy serving with these! It's the little things, isn't it?

Mother/Daughter Cookie Swap

2012-01-03T15:55:00.000-06:00

For Christmas, New life hosted a sweet Mother and Daughter Cookie Swap at my friend Ashley's house a few weeks ago. The gist of it being: take some time to bake some yummy cookies with your daughter, bring them to the event and enjoy sampling all the cookies that the other girls brought. Also, fill up a bag of them to take home to share with your family and neighbors.

The girls had a great time on all counts. My girlie greatly enjoyed baking with me. I gave her a few options for types of cookie to make, and she selected the Cake Batter Blondies. I figured she would pick the one that was the brightest and prettiest. (Rolo cookies were on my list to try and that got nixed -- no fear, I made them later and they were fabulous, as I suspected).

After the girls played princesses for a little while, we quickly grabbed our hot chocolate, cider and plates full of deliciousness. Taylor and I shared a plate so that we could sample all of the cookies without getting sick to our stomachs...definitely not the goal here.

I should also mention that there were wonderful prizes donated by some local businesses that included:

Best Tasting Cookie - Kids' and Adult Meal Coupons, donated by Chick-fil-A (Texas Avenue)

Most Beautiful Cookie - a bag of yummy Christmas blend coffee, donated by Starbucks (Holleman)

Best All-Around Cookie - a beautiful basket of mother/daughter fun (cake/cookie mixes, Christmas book, recipe book, magazines, sprinkles, icing, cookie cutters, mugs, hot chocolate, etc!) donated by our HEB (Tower Point)

All of the girls and moms tasted and then voted on their favorite cookies. So many to choose from!

But ultimately, someone has to win those wonderful prizes...the winners are:

Most Beautiful Cookie

Rachel & Kindle Kerbel

Best Tasting Cookie

Kendra & Taylor Joy Duty

Best All-Around Cookie

Ashley & Rylee Kinnard

Then came the games...oh the games! We modified some Minute to Win it games to make them more Christmas-y and it was quite a riot.

Wreath Relay:
Carry the wreath across the room (to a specified place) in under a minute using only your shoulders and up. (exception: we allowed the girls to use their elbows and up and make it a team effort)

Ornament Kissing:
Using only you face and your partner's face, work together to get as many ornaments to hang on the line as you can in 60 seconds.

The girls loved the game so much that they played it with each other for the rest of the night and were actually pretty good at it!

We also spent some time talking about how we could be women clothed in good deeds and spurred one another on toward love and good deeds. We were reminded that we are His workmanship, created to good works which He prepared in advance for us to do, encouraging the girls to continue to shine brightly for Him in all the areas of life that God is using them to influence others (school, dance, neighborhood, church, family, sports). We ended with praying that our girls would be women of influence because of the work that Christ is doing in their hearts and for Jesus to shine brightly through them and use them for His glory!

What a sweet night it was for these mothers and daughters!

Bible Reading Plans for the New Year

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Here is a re-post of what I have recommended the past few years:

Bible Reading Plans for the New Year!

Allen and I read through one together last year and it blessed our socks off! Doing it together was fun, and always gave us something to talk about as well. Once I heard a few other people were doing it, it was great because we could discuss what we were learning through the scriptures, too.

Justin Taylor had this blog post last year with many different Bible reading plans to choose from. Last year we read the ESV Bible Reading Plan and this year we are going to try the Discipleship Journal Plan (with catch-up days), which will work nicely if you fall behind or if you want to research something more fully on the "off" days. Reading through chronologically could also be very interesting!

So, don't delay! Go choose yours! I highly recommend it.

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Graham Cracker Houses 2011

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

We completed our graham cracker houses for this year and here is the round up!

(if you are wondering what kind of "glue" we used, click here for the recipe)

Taylor Joy's M&M Outhouse

Meredith's Tabernacle of Praise

Allen's (perfectly symmetrical) Cottage

Kendra's Farmhouse

Beckett's Candy Land

Lindsay's Christmas Whataburger

Elizabeth's Gorgeous Garage

Easton had a good time watching and catching crumbs...

While we perfected our graham cracker village...

Such a fun tradition...

Ice Cream Party

2011-12-19T15:24:00.001-06:00

When pondering what kind of party to have for Beckett, it was pretty simple. One of his favorite places in the world is Spoons (a frozen yogurt place in town) and he pretty much talks about it everyday, so our thought was to re-create Spoons for his party!

My mom had given me her ice cream maker to use and since Beckett usually opts for some sort of Cake Batter/Birthday Cake ice cream, I made this one, which turned out oh-so-yummy.

We came up with lots of different toppings to enjoy such as: crushed oreos, snickers, andes mints, cookie dough, marshmallows, coconut, granola, m&ms, nerds, gummy bears, red hots, strawberries, blackberries, and bananas. Plus many syrups, whipping cream, icing and sprinkles to put on top. Our little boy's paradise!

After we filled our tummies with pizza and ice cream goodness, we let the kids play some games. We put together some fun themed games, such as:

1. Pin the cherry on top of the ice cream
Spin the kiddos around with a bandana covering their eyes and then once you get them confused enough, get them going in the right direction and let them place the cherry on the paper. Whoever gets closest to the top and center wins!

2. Ice cream bean bag toss
Each scoop of ice cream had a different point value, with cherry having the most value. Person with the highest score wins!

I also used some ice cream coloring and learning sheets that I found here.

Beckett loved opening his gifts.

His favorite gift was made especially for him by his sweet daddy. A new sand table to play at. I knew they would love to play in sand but didn't particularly want a "box" for them to sit in so Allen made this one. It's perfect for them and the boys adore it.

Such a fun day celebrating our big boy.

Thanks to Aunt B for taking all the pictures and to Mom for all your help!

Happy Birthday, Beckett!

2011-12-15T07:15:00.000-06:00

My sweet Beckett is 4 years old today! What a blessing he is to our family. The Lord really knew what He was doing giving me a brunette in between these red heads! (Ha! Kidding...sort of) :)

Beckett has always been a mama's boy, but this year I would say that it has changed.

Sadly. Oh so sadly.

Beckett and I have a special relationship but I see him clinging more to Allen like he used to cling to me. I am glad that he and Allen are having some sweet guy times together and bonding well. It is wonderful to behold that relationship taking shape like I know it will even more so in the future. I am so enjoying watching our family grow up and grow together.

Some things that I want to remember about Beckett's 4th year:

- He pretty much wore his Buzz Light Year costume every day this year. It is in tatters.

- He has grown into such a good big brother to Easton. Helping him, sharing with him and playing with him. Good buddies. Mostly.

-He really blossomed in his coloring abilities this year. He draws people, trains, rainbows, houses, and all sorts of other things that need interpretation, but I really am proud of him (and no, I don't feel bad about that pride ;)

-He's such a strong swimmer! So pleased with his progress this summer.

-This kid LOVES to paint.

-His favorite places in the world are Spoons and Nanny and Papa's Lakehouse

-Cars and Toy Story are movies that never get old to him

- He has such a great imagination. Without prompting he takes bites out of his sandwich and makes them into cars or people or objects and then proceeds to make a plot out of that, his fruit and his pretzels interacting in some way.

- He is doing so great in school. He gets bored and goes and plays many times, but when he is doing school, he blows through his handwriting and reading like a pro. Just sitting with us in school (or being nearby) has made a great difference in his abilities.

-He is still the most lovable kid I have ever known. The more I am around him, the more I love him. Such a special kid.

Happy 4th Birthday! It has been a wonderful year with you, my sweet one. Looking forward to this next year and soaking it all in. I love you!

Another Use for Stockings

2011-12-05T14:28:00.001-06:00

My family had never had stockings before this year. I guess I just hadn't gotten around to incorporating that into our holiday. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE stockings and the way my mom filled them was amazing, but I wanted the stockings to be special

                                                                                                 and beautiful

                                                                                                       and matching and...

we have been adding members to our family for the 3 years up until now.

So...all that to say - I finally made some!

And with the idea of continuing our thankfulness - this time towards each other instead of at Thanksgiving when it could be anything or any person- throughout the month of December we will write notes of thankfulness or making creative pictures for each other and put them in each others' stockings.

I encouraged the kids to think of something that they loved in one of our family members and write it down, letting them know. Or giving them the option of writing a note and making a gift for Jesus. These cards for Jesus will go under the tree in Jesus' manger for when he arrives on Christmas Day (yes, He will really arrive in a basket under our tree thanks to one of Taylor's old baby dolls).

The other cards that are in the stockings will be read by all on Christmas Day. This is the first year to do this, but I am praying that its a sweet time of reflecting on the blessings the Lord has given us in our family and in Himself and overflowing with thankfulness for those things.

His grace is so evident in the gifts that He gives, particularly in giving of Himself. I want my kids to connect those dots.

I will probably also throw some other fun items into their stockings as well. It's just too hard for me to see things in the dollar bin that I know they would love and pass them up!

I really hope this will be a meaningful tradition that bonds our family and points us toward our Savior.

Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-30T07:28:00.001-06:00

I asked Allen to help me with the giveaway drawing last night (since the kids has already gone to bed), and he lovingly obliged. See his video below.

Yay! Congratulations Allison Jensen! I will be contacting you in the next few days to get you hooked up! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Last Chance!

2011-11-28T09:15:00.001-06:00

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

The U-Printing label giveaway will be closing tomorrow night! They are a $40 value and would be an awesome addition to Christmas gifts, Christmas cards, anytime gifts, jelly jars or any other item that you make and give away. Since these are specifically for Duty Chronicles readers, your chances at winning are very good!

They could be used in so many different, creative ways. Use their logo tools to create something or upload your own photoshop creation.

Would you like to win 250 FREE personalized stickers? UPrinting.com is offering 250 Personalized Stickers for One (1) Winner from Duty Chronicles.

GIVEAWAY Prize Details:

- 250pcs Customizable Stickers for one winner

- 2x3.5" 70lb Label Matte, Front only printing

- 4 Business Days Turnaround time

- Free US shipping only

There are several ways to gain entries into this giveaway:

1st entry: "Like" U Printing on facebook by clicking the button below and leave me a comment letting me know you did.

2nd entry: Give UPrinting a "plus" on Google Plus using the button below and then leave me a comment letting me know that you did.

*Additional entries can be gained by becoming a follower of the Duty Chronicles and leaving me a comment letting me know you did so. Also, let me know what you plan to do with the stickers!

One winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, November 29th at 8 PM CST. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 30th.

UPrinting is an online printing company. Visit their website and find various printing services like canvas printing and more. They offer 1 Business Day Turnaround.

Disclaimer: This post and giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting. Please take a moment to view the products that Uprinting has to offer. Stickers are one of so many different products you can have printed through their website. Business cards, letterhead, calendars and greeting cards are just a few more.

This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting and no monetary compensation was given. Contest ends on November 29th. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be selected. Prize shipped direct from sponsor. Contest limited to US residents 18 years old and older.

Dutyisms

2011-11-21T08:00:00.014-06:00

Taylor Joyisms:

My throat hurts bad...badder than earlier. I have a guess: last time when Beckett was sick (months before), I think I touched his hand and it made my throat hurt.

One day I was telling her the story of creation and mentioned that when a man and woman leave their own families, they join together in marriage and instead of being two people, God sees them as one. Taylor Joy said,
"oh yeah, it's because they get close to each other and they have to stand next to each other." (she also mentioned a certain couple in our church who couldn't stop kissing each other during their wedding...cough, cough).

While doing our volcano experiment, she said, "Hurry Beckett! The volcano's going to interrupt!" (erupt...sweet girl. Please stay 5).

Beckett -isms:

At school one day, Taylor Joy shifted in her chair and passed some gas. She very politely said, "oh, excuse me!" Beckett responded with this:

"Sissy, just stop tooting and focus!"

Easton - isms:

I go a moon! (running toward the moon). Mommy come a moon wif me?

Wabas comin' out da ball-cano! (lava is coming out of the volcano - while doing an experiment with the kids)

An interaction between me and Easton during family worship:
M- Easton, only God can change your heart.
E- No! Only God change my diaper!

Easton and I were eating lunch in the treehouse one day when we saw a squirrel. Easton shrieked and the squirrel looked around. Easton said, "I scare a squirrel!" Although, apparently the squirrel liked it, he ended up coming right over to us (like within a foot). When he left, Easton said, "you save me, Mommy?

While riding on Daddy (all 3 on his back), he grabs fist-fulls of Allen's hair and yells, "I got you hair!"

Homeschool Update

2011-11-16T16:40:00.000-06:00

Homeschooling is going so well. I haven't updated until now, but all of 12 weeks so far have been so fruitful. I, also, am learning so much as their teacher. Isn't this how it always goes? There is so much out there that I either forgot or never had the opportunity to learn. So, here's to filling in the gaps of my childhood and school days! I hope to update at least a couple times a semester so that I can make a scrapbook of all that Taylor Joy learned this year and let it be a reminder to her in the future.

Science has been a fun subject and our "exploration days" generally fall on Fridays, so Dad is charge of most of the experiments that we do. We have learned much on the topics of:

seasons
the parts of a plant
trees
different types of seeds
ants
thunder and lightning
rain
rivers
volcanoes
oceans
the sun and
the planets!

Here is a picture of the water filter we made one week:

Allen put pieces of an old t-shirt on the bottom and gravel on the top. Beckett had the job of making the water all muddy (a job he was way too excited about!).

We punched holes in the bottom and then poured in the muddy water

to see if our filter would actually work.

Waiting...

Yay! It worked. Slowly, but surely the clean (ish) water poured out of the bottom of the carton.

We have also been learning the books of the Old Testament and both Beckett and Taylor Joy know almost all of them. We have made a timeline starting at the beginning of creation and adding in each story from the Bible that we learn about. Taylor Joy has been illustrating her Bible Notebook, as displayed below:

We've learned the geography of the Bible lands map and
even copied the Greek alphabet (Allen was so proud!)

She is also learning how to draw animals. Here is a page from her Art Spiral:

As we talked about the days of creation, we had a Feast Day to represent our Sabbath Day, which included fine china, candles lit, a blessing from Dad on all the family members, authentic Challah, and grape juice all around. Such a fun family night.

One of the things I wrote on my thankful leaf last night was:

that I get to be the one who teaches my kids.

Truly, what an awesome privilege.

Lord, help me to see the blessing even when it's hard, even when my 2 year old is eating playdoh, even when its just one thing on my long list of things to get done.

( a video of our volcano experiment)

*yes, the kids are in their pajamas. don't judge ;)

U Printing {Giveaway}

2011-11-14T07:40:00.005-06:00

UPDATE! This giveaway is now closed.

Winner: Allison Jensen

I have been seeing these personalized stickers at cute parties, used for favor bags, wrapped around water bottles, and used on blank note cards that say things like, "thank you for making my birthday so special!".

I've also seen them used as address labels and return labels, of course.

Slap them on the back of your Christmas card or envelope this holiday season with an invitation to view your blog, email address or just a special greeting or scripture.

They could be used in so many different, creative ways. Use their logo tools to create something or upload your own photoshop creation.

Would you like to win 250 FREE personalized stickers? UPrinting.com is offering 250 Personalized Stickers for One (1) Winner from Duty Chronicles.

GIVEAWAY Prize Details:

- 250pcs Customizable Stickers for one winner

- 2x3.5" 70lb Label Matte, Front only printing

- 4 Business Days Turnaround time

- Free US shipping only

There are several ways to gain entries into this giveaway:

1st entry: "Like" U Printing on facebook by clicking the button below and leave me a comment letting me know you did.

Cook Up Some Fun with Your Kids!

2011-11-10T08:00:00.003-06:00

Emily Patterson has some wonderful insights about cooking with kids that she wanted to share with us. I thought it appropriate since the season of baking is upon us.

Cooking with your kids should be fun, but let's be honest, sometimes it can get kind of stressful - flour is flying, somebody is screaming and 30 minutes just got added to your dinner prep. I read a helpful book that gracefully pointed out that our kids are not trying to be overwhelming. They are kids and they are curious and it could be a wonderful learning opportunity if we could relax about stepping in flour and about it not turning out perfect. She also, thankfully, pointed out that there are times to have them help and there are times when you say, "today isn't a good day, sweetie." I have to remember all of this in the moment and I hope you will too. I think the Emily's tips could prove helpful to us as we are cooking up some fun in the kitchen with our kids this holiday season!

Cooking Up Fun with Your Kids!

Submitted on behalf of Primrose Preschools by Emily Patterson (@epatt1062)

The kitchen is a true source of wonder for young children. Unfortunately, it’s also a source of great danger. There are ways to let your child safely help you in the kitchen. It’s a fantastic way to bond with your little ones while imparting lessons about math and science while creating memories that will be cherished the rest of their lives.

1. Let your child help to his or her full extent. Simply stirring the pancake mix is fine for a five-year old, but older children can easily handle flipping the pancakes as they cook. A three-year may require more assistance when cutting cookies, but you can allow a seven-year old to be more creative with the process. Consider your own child’s physical abilities and willingness to follow directions when deciding how much responsibility they can handle in the kitchen.

2. Rules are necessary, especially in the kitchen. Let your child know what is off-limits for her own safety. Teach children of all ages to always wash their hands before handling the food and remind them throughout the experience not to touch their hair or face when cooking. Talk about cleaning up the kitchen as you go. Encourage your child to help with this necessary aspect of cooking any meal.

3. Safety is vital when little ones are helping in the kitchen. Turn all handles on pots so they are turned in towards the back wall. Pay attention to the burners and temperature settings to ensure they aren’t accidentally adjusted. Take care when pouring hot liquids, opening the stove or moving pans around. Talk to your child about the importance of hot pads and trivets for protecting yourself and the kitchen counter.

4. Build on the skills as your child grows. As your child learns to read numbers, let her measure out water. As he discovers fractions, let him handle measuring out other ingredients. Allow your child to read the recipe to you and teach them about math in the process. Let your older children help with cutting soft items and allow them to work their way up to cutting harder foods. If an electric mixer will be used, let your older child try his hand at running the mixer to achieve the proper consistency.

5. Above all, keep the process fun. The point of this experiment is to enjoy the time with your child and impart some cooking skills in the process. Offer guidance throughout the process, but let your son handle the tasks he is capable of. Remember that it won’t be perfect and it probably won’t be to your standards, but if they are trying hard they should still be complimented and encouraged.

Once the meal is finished, thank your child for her help. Let him know that he made a big difference in getting this important task done. Allow your little one to have the first taste of the finished product. Invite them to help you again so you can instill a love of cooking at an early age.

And I'll leave you with a fun kids' recipe to try with your little ones:

Blueberry Pancake Triangles
Pampered Chef

1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
1 C. all-purpose baking mix
1/2 C. milk
1 egg
1/2 C. blueberries
Powdered sugar
Maple syrup

With adult help, set oven to 425 degrees. Put butter in small pan and spread using a paper towel.
Put baking mix in mixing bowl. Add milk and the egg. Whisk just until the large lumps disappear. Pour the batter into the pan and then sprinkle the blueberries over the batter.
With adult help, bake the pancake for 13-15 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Carefully remove pan from the oven.
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the pancake and cut into 6 squares. Cut each square in half from corner to corner to make 12 triangles. Serve with syrup to dip. Enjoy!

Apple of My Eye {Mother/Daughter Event}

2011-11-02T14:48:00.001-05:00

What a sweet blessing this was to be a part of and to see mothers pouring into their relationships with their daughters! Several moms got together and planned this adorable event, appropriately named,

Apple of My Eye.

We asked moms to take their daughters out to eat on a "mommy date" and then bring them to the church to do fun activities together and to enjoy each others' company. We put everything together so all they had to do was show up to enjoy quality time with their little princess (or princesses).

We started off with prayer and then explaining what the night would entail...a main part of the night being that they would get to make an Apple Brown Betty with their moms! So what better way for them to get an idea of what they are making than to eat some? With ice cream on top, of course!

Then we gave them a demonstration on how to peel, core and chop the apples
and let the girls go to work on their apples.

Then we went to assembling the betties with layers of bread crumbs, apples,

brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Mmmm...can't go wrong there!

There might have been some taste testers...

The mothers and daughters laughed, smiled and maybe even cried watching the video that we put together. Having videoed them earlier in the week, they were able to hear each others' responses about how God made them special. And after that, a fun devotional about how we are the apple of God's eye, the finale of His creation and how we can live in light of that. The moms were able to discuss at their tables and pray over their girls. To seal the night with perfection, we had a beautiful song that was sung over us (Beloved, By the Tree).

We gave the girls these sweet apple patches, in hopes that we can give the girls a patch for each Mother/Daughter event that we have and give them a special embroidered bag or apron to sew them onto so they can remember the sweet times and the special skills that they learned.

Some fun questions we asked each other:

Daughters:

1. What is your favorite outfit your Mom wears? What is your favorite way she fixes her hair?

2. Would you rather see your Mom dance, hear her sing, or look at something she crafted/ drew/ or painted? Give an example.

3. What is your favorite “girl time” thing you do with your Mom?

4. If you could go on a trip with your Mom ANYWHERE you wanted, where would you go and what would you do?

Mothers:

1. Use your best adjectives to describe the things you love about your daughter’s personality.

2. If you could go on a trip with your daughter ANYWHERE you wanted, where would you go, and what would you do?

3. What is one of your sweetest, first memories of your daughter?

4. What unique and wonderful things do you see in how God has created your daughter? What gifts have you noticed that God has given her?

Special thanks goes to:

Sarah Ezell for the wonderful pictures.

Sarah Saunders, Taylor Walling, Kelsey Roberts and Beth Cloutier for setting everything up for us and cleaning up our mess. What servants they were to us!

Lindsay Bickham and her amazing, God-given voice that she used to sing God's truth over us.

Lynsey Kramer, Kirby Apel, Jenn Bacak and Ashley Kinnard for their help in the planning and in making it actually happen.

Thank you, all of you!

What a special night that will always be remembered!

Apple Betty Recipe Cards

30 Advent Ideas

2011-11-01T08:00:00.004-05:00

I hope to do many of these activities during Advent, but I have to admit that in the past, we have skipped over a plenty due to our already busy schedule or not being prepared with the right materials that we needed. Or, imagine this, a crazy day in the house and needing to adjust the schedule! It's perfectly fine to use these kinds of lists as guidelines instead of your actual schedule. You have to go with the time you are given in a day, the materials you have on hand, and the current attitudes of your little ones. All of that plays into what will actually be included in a day. So, I hope these can be helpful ideas for you as you plan a wonderful Advent with your family!

1. A night of Tree Trimming, complete with egg nog and A Muppet Christmas Carol (or a traditional movie that you always watch with your family).

2. Write a family Advent prayer. (include hopes that you have for the next year together. Put it in a special place ~ we have an ornament that houses ours).

3. Make a Christmas banner (or some other decoration for the house that everyone can help with).

4. Do an Advent devotional with your family. Here is a simple one to get started.

5. Make salt dough ornaments. Add beads on them to make them super cute!

6. Make string snowballs.

7. Bake egg nog pancakes together.

8. Make cardboard carolers with you family's pictures.

9. Make gift coupon books for family members.

10. Nativity Lapbook and other tot printables.

11. Make gifts for the grandparents...photo block ornaments or a wooden photo block to display precious little pictures.

12. Participate in a canned food drive.

13. Host an ugly Christmas sweater party and give silly awards to the ugliest.

13. Make gingerbread houses, really graham cracker houses, which are perfect for little ones (or big ones!) to decorate and display. And homemade cinnamon hot chocolate to give you sustenance while you are working. PIC

14. Read Christmas storybooks aloud. Our favorites include: Who is Coming to our House? By Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff, One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Rick Osborne, The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg, Jacob’s Gift by Max Lucado, My Merry Christmas and the Real Reason for Christmas Joy by Sally Lloyd Jones and Annika's Secret Wish by Beverly Lewis.

15. Have a Christmas Cookie Exchange with some girlfriends.

16. Sing Christmas songs together around the fire. Pick a new song to sing each week.

17. Living Nativity (if you live in College Station). They take the kids back to the time that Jesus was born with animals in a petting zoo, camels, and a manger scene.

18. Go caroling at a local nursing home. This is such a delight to them!

19. Neighborhood party. We make sugar cookies to let the kids decorate at the party, have some sort of ornament craft and a kids' Christmas movie (our favorite is Boz Christmas) projected onto our garage door. We invite all the neighbors and are able to meet some new ones.

20. Make Cinnamon Cider to enjoy and fill your home with yumminess.

21. Wrap Christmas presents together. Messy or not, let the kids help out with this and as you wrap, pray that this will be a blessing to the recipient. The kids love to pick out paper, ribbons, and gift tags.

22. Make and decorate cookies together. Have prizes for most creative, most detailed, most unique, most festive.

23. Select gifts from Gospel For Asia together. We love this tradition and love that the kids are enjoying it too. We let the kids pick out one to two items and we also pick out several items from the catalog. After you select the items, they will send your children a card saying that they have given the "Gift of Love" and thanking them.

24. Make Christmas handprints. We love to do this each year and keep them so we can compare year to year.
25. Deliver gifts together. Great way to get kids involved in the process is to take them with you as you deliver and let them what great joy it brings to your heart to give!

26. Make Christmas placecards. Just have your kids write names in the blank spaces. If you have very little kids. Make dots and let them fill in the lines.

27. Make glitter glue stars and tell your children how the wise men followed the star.

28. Christmas Eve Pajamas and surprise jammy ride with hot chocolate to look at Christmas lights.

29. Act out the Christmas story. Improvise with fabric, rope, dish towels and headbands. It's more fun that way.

30. Celebrate Jesus' birth! Bake a cake, sing "Happy Birthday", blow out candles, and give Him gifts. Rejoice!

Elements Classes

2011-10-28T13:50:00.001-05:00

Just a friendly reminder and announcement that New Life is having 3-week classes starting this Tuesday, Nov. 1st on a variety of helpful topics, including: dating, marriage, the Gospel, missional living and finance. They should be really fruitful and we would love for you to join us! Childcare is available, but be sure to sign up online to make sure that there are enough workers.

New Life Fall 2011 Elements Classes

Just In Case You Ever Wonder

2011-10-26T14:33:00.000-05:00

Just in Case You Ever Wonder, written by Max Lucado, is sweet bedtime book that I received to read to my children and review. It definitely has a tender message:

"I'll always love you.
I'll always hug you.
I'll always be on your side.
And I want you to know that...
just in case you ever wonder."

I am so thankful to be able to cuddle my children, pile them all in my lap and read a sweet book like this to them. I do want them to be confident in my love toward them, to know that I will always be there. The book starts with the truth that God made them everything, including them and He made them in a special way, like no one else. He goes on to confirm in their little minds that God put them in just the right family and we are so glad that He did. And that as our children grow and change, we will continue to love and hug them and always be there for them and then it goes through the different stages of doubt they may go through.

As it mentions heaven, I was disappointed to see that there was no mention of Jesus, just as so many of these books that I have found. A definite disappointment, but as the mom who reads these books to her children, I can adapt and add where I want to. That is a great advantage to critically reading our childrens' books and being willing to take the time to talk it through with them. Asking questions like, "What did you like about the book?

What didn't you like about the book?

What do you think the book said about (blank)?

What does the Bible say about that?

Why is this a wrong/right thing to do?

Was that honoring to God? Why/why not?"

Be willing to open up the Bible and sit with them in discussion. I have enjoyed doing this with Taylor Joy and it leads to many great, Gospel conversations between us. I am thankful for this book opening the doors to chat with my precious kids.

{ I received this book free from the publisher, Tommy Nelson, in exchange for an honest book review. }

On Turning 30

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

{picture courtesy worshipmatters.com}

I am turning 30 tomorrow and I'm totally okay with it. As I look back on the past 10 years, it seems that I have managed to cover lots of ground: spiritually, emotionally, actually...I am hopeful that the thirties will be just as full and even more overflowing than my twenties have been.

I am even hopeful for more - more stretching, more growth, more opportunities to pour into the people I love, like my sweet husband, my beautiful children and the women God has placed in my life. Thinking about the past ten years and then fast forwarding to think about the next ten years makes me well up with hope and thanksgiving for this blessed life that I have. It makes me so grateful for the grace I have been shown.

Even in the trials that were scattered about the last ten years {mostly the last 3 years} I still have so many reasons to rejoice. God has always been faithful to me and I have no doubt that the next decade He will continue to be faithful, whether through great joys, surprises or trials, may He always give me grace to see His hand and praise His great name, even when things don't make sense. May He continue to captivate me with His love in the decade to come.

Dutyisms

2011-10-10T08:00:00.002-05:00

Taylor Joy:

T- "Mommy, you are the specialist mommy ever."
B- "Yeah! You are a special mommy too." (trying to say that he thought so too. So cute and completely melted my heart. We are finally at a stage where things in our relationship are reciprocated. Thankful, oh so thankful for that!)

T- "Dad, the United States looks like an elephant, and the northeast looks like his trunk."
Allen: "That's a very good imagination, Sweetie."
T- "You mean 'observation,' Dad."

Some of Taylor Joy's stories that she has written:

Wun culd day Paradis Ilind wint to pla she wunid too play the end (One cold day, Paradise Island--a little pony--- went to play. She wanted to play. The end.)

Dora wunid too play and hr daddy sed no. (Dora wanted to play and her daddy said no.)

Wun day Sindrrelu wunid too go awtsid and hr daddy sed yes but the men stepmuthr was rawt thar the ind. (One day Cinderella wanted to go outside and her daddy said yes, but the mean stepmother was right there. The end.)

Beckett:

"My poop made me full!" (Mommy translation: referring to the fact that he was full, therefore needing to go to the potty, therefore being done with dinner. A roundabout way of saying that! And of course he yelled it from the bathroom when company was over!)

T- "Look! My teeth are shiny like gold!"
B- "Yeah! Kinda wike a dime!"

M- "Did Easton push you?"
B- "No. He just, wike, attacked me."

"Watermewon is so good for you. It won't make you die I don't think. "

"Sissy, wet me wisten to your heart beep." (while playing doctor together)

Easton:

"Watch Baby no one!" (Mommy translation: Watch Baby Noah, a Baby Einstein movie)

E - "Mommy, pease have gogurt!"
M- "Oh, you want yogurt?"
E- "OKAY!" (like it was my suggestion, he does this with all things)

Supermom or Abiding Mom?

2011-10-03T15:34:00.000-05:00

This week I was able to give another devotional at my MOPS group, one that the Lord has placed on my heart for awhile. There are a few others I have typed up: here, here and here. Honestly, as much as it impacted anyone, the Lord used my thinking through it, meditating on it and evaluating my own motives to impact me. I told the ladies in the room that I was preaching to myself, and they were just there to listen in! I was encouraged to hear that it struck a cord with other ladies there, as well. (Phew!)

The social networks (facebook, twitter, blogs…) are all the rage these days. I got on facebook the year after I graduated college and had NO idea it would take off like it has. All of social media is a mixed bag to me. It can be used for good, but many times is not...the evil is lurking, especially in the area of self-promotion.

Social networking makes it super easy to gain glory for ourselves. There’s even a phenomena known as the “SUPERMOM”. Have you heard of her? Well, anyone can be one.

Simply:

keep the home like Martha Stewart, perfect and beautiful
but don’t spend any time doing it because that time should be spent doing learning activities with your children constantly (so that they are baby geniuses, of course)
be a dating diva who plans thoughtful dates for your hot hubby
be the ultimate do-it-yourselfer. As a matter of fact, don’t pay for anything. Make it all (but just make sure it doesn’t look like you made it)
oh, and you should be looking fabulous while you do all this (?!)

Do you know this woman or are you this woman? The first thing one of them said to me was, "that's you!" I don't doubt that I have tried to be this woman, but I have fallen short or I have given up the most important things if I have succeeded. I tend to DO a lot of things, just like Supermom, but I certainly don't want to be Supermom. I want to be an Abiding Mom. The Abiding Mom IS.

Click for a chart put together by Confessions of a Homeschooler, called Abiding Mom. I laminated this chart and put it on my fridge to remember the truth of abiding in Christ rather than the things that I do.

Our true character is who we are, it’s NOT the things we do, NOT who we appear to be and NOT the way we are perceived by others. Dave Kraft puts it this way, "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are."
Here are some truths that we can cling to daily:

I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of the universe
I am known by Him (He searches me, He knows me, He discerns my thoughts, and there is nowhere I can go from His presence).
I am created with purpose, fulfilling the calling He has given to me
I am loved and treasured by God
I am of great worth in God’s eyes

Why is it so hard to rest in this truth though? Why do we feel the need to gain worth through others' acclaim and praise for something we've done? It's tangible, that's for sure. You can post something funny or awesome and a few hours and 28 comments or tweets later, you feel pretty sure of yourself. What are your motives in getting that praise? And what about the day-to-day HARD work of mothering that often doesn’t result in much praise? I know I don't feel very thanked during diaper changes when I am kicked, screamed at and flung poo at. Nonetheless, I can rest in the fact that I am being faithful to God's call for me as a mother.

Some may struggle with the other side of the spectrum, not feeling valued and of worth no matter what you have done. Either way, we are failing to rest in the truth of the Word, reminding ourselves of the truth often. Instead, we let the lies of the enemy or the lure of the world drown out His truth. If we have a right view of God, hold fast to scripture and train our minds in truth we will be ready when those temptations come. I am asking God to help us as women to be confident in who we are in Christ, recognizing the amazing grace we have been shown (especially when we fail) and practicing that grace not only with ourselves, but with others (the goal here being to determine your motives, not someone else's, recognizing our own need for a Savior).

In Jesus’ life, he healed many and there is something to be said for the state of those that he healed: they knew their desperate need and they put all their hope in Jesus. The world teaches us all too well how to masquerade as if we have everything under control and aren’t broken, aren’t in need of healing…we pretend to be strong, pretend we don’t need to be redeemed.

Jesus wasn’t just a good teacher who had wise sayings that we can read about every now and then, He wasn’t even just a healer of physical afflictions. He was and is God who came to the earth to redeem us once and for all. God wanted to restore the relationship with us that had been broken by sin because He loves us and wants to commune with us. We separated ourselves by our sin and made that impossible. So, he made a way. It was painful, sacrificial, excruciating... It was the ONLY way. He sent His Son, Jesus to die on the cross on our behalf. Jesus didn’t stay there for long though. After three days, He showed His power over death by rising from the dead and defeating the power of sin in our lives. Those who believe in Him, He says He clothes in robes of righteousness all His own, having nothing to do with us.

Romans 10:9-10 says that all who confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and all who believe in their heart that God raised them from the dead will be saved.

To paraphrase Mike Wilkerson: Imagine your worst moment of guilt and shame. The memory that would haunt you to the grave if you let it. In light of that sin you can’t imagine that God would forgive you. Let me let you in on something. It was at that moment that Christ died for you. At your worst, God gave you His best. If you’ve not done what the scripture says up to this point, don’t delay. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved.

2 Cor. 5:17 puts it this way, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old (sinful self) has passed away, behold! The new (pure, spotless, blameless) has come!

If we know Christ in this way, there is no reason not to see ourselves in this light. The new has come! Amen! We don’t have to earn anything to add to who we are. We don’t have to “measure up”. Christ measured up perfectly on our behalf. We don’t have to impress others because we serve Christ (not man, not woman, not supermom). And if we serve Christ, we make it our goal to please Him in our calling (as a wife, as a mom, as whatever else He has called you to), being aware of His amazing grace towards us when we fail (which happens all too often!).

Your self-worth and confidence is based on the righteousness of Christ on your behalf. When God looks upon His children, He doesn’t see supermoms or superchristians, baby Christians or baby mamas, He sees Christ. We forget that and instead try to measure up, hiding our imperfections and finding our worth in the things we do or how we are seen.

Mike Wilkerson has a great analogy in his awesome book, Redemption, he says this:

“Imagine you were to fix a theater spotlight on a stage actor and then point a toy flashlight at a blemish on the actor’s face. What happens? Nothing. Why? Because the spotlight is so bright that the flashlight has no effect. It’s not that the flashlight isn’t shining, it’s just that it doesn’t make any difference. The glory of God in the face of Jesus – his grace, mercy, forgiveness, cleansing and healing – simply outshines any of the blemishes that haven’t faded yet; but they are fading and in the end, they’ll all be gone.”

Who are you in your Father’s eyes? Are you confident in His spotlight (the radiant child who points back to Him) OR are you desperately seeking a flicker or glimmer of your own goodness and deeds to be noticed in order to feel worth?

In one of my favorite books, Loving the Little Years, she mentions fruit-bearing trees and says this regarding them, “God told them to make something, and they do it enthusiastically. They don’t care what happens to the fruit. They do not measure their efforts or fuss when no one appreciates it.”

Oh that we could be like those trees! Confident in our purpose and confident of the results or lack of results, knowing that we are simply doing what God has called us to do. In many ways we have let our cultural admiration for efficiency find its way into our parenting…but there are times when digging in the dirt with our kids and making mud pies (completely throwing our selves into an otherwise useless activity) is the best kind of fruit we can bear in growing our relationship with our children.

There is something freeing about laughing at yourself, knowing that amidst a fallen world, God is calling YOU to live victoriously in all things, including mud pies.

So, how is God calling you to forsake the calling of a supermom and simply be the abiding mom?

2011 Books (so far...)

2011-08-24T14:32:00.001-05:00

I have read many books this year, mostly due to the Kindle I received from a dear friend as a gift. I am so grateful! For some reason I read exponentially faster on a Kindle than a physical book. Call me crazy, but Allen says the same thing! I hope the ratings and blurbs help you as you decide what to add to your reading list. Here are some other reviews you might also want to check. If you also have a Kindle and want me to "loan" you a book, just let me know! I will do so gladly!

10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, Don Whitney ****1/2
A wonderful book that I highly recommend to all...greatly challenged by it!

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna Weaver ***
Good book during a specific season in my life...many women would gain encouragement reading this book!

The Scarlet Thread, Francine Rivers ***Trying to get into a bit of fiction this year and started here...recommended for those who are looking to add some fiction into their lives. Francine Rivers is a gifted writer.

Boundaries, Henry Cloud & John Townsend *
Read this book after hearing about it from several "fall-outs" (marriage, mother/daughter, etc.) based on the information received in this book. I was highly discouraged to see that it comes from a psychological/science worldview rather than a biblical worldview, therefore, much of what is recommended is faulty and is leading to relationship "fall-out." I would not recommend this to anyone (except maybe one chapter to a really mature believer who struggles with being walked on, even then, there are probably better books for that).

When Helping Hurts, ***I enjoyed this book and it opened up my eyes to some things I hadn't thought of before in regards to missions and giving.

Calm My Anxious Heart, Linda Dillow **** 1/2
Ironically, I read this book while Allen was gone for a week and I was feeling anxious about being home alone. I loved the book and how it spoke to my heart. Very well written and includes study questions at the end. I can see this being a good small group women's study.

Gospel-Centered Life Bible Study, Bob Thune *****
I went through this study with some ladies this spring and it was phenomenal. We went to a deeper level with the Gospel and being able to articulate it well among each other, hopefully translating to lives that express it openly. The Gospel is applied to many aspects of life that it isn't often applied to. It was very helpful and stretching if you truly make yourself answer the study questions!

A Book You'll Actually Read (NT and Church Leadership), Mark Driscoll *****
I would HIGHLY recommend this to a new believer. Very good read for someone who is new to the faith. And very short and readable.

To Train Up a Child, Michael and Debi Pearl **1/2
I have been hearing about this book ever since having kids and I finally sat down to read it after it was given to me. I don't think I ever encountered the Gospel while reading this book. Some training techniques may be useful and practical, but I would be remiss to use these techniques unless the Gospel is incorporated and expressed as well, which they give no indications of in the book. They also made the training so cut and dry. Do "x" 3 times then "y" will happen. I can imagine many parents getting discouraged when it doesn't actually work this way in their homes.

Created To Be His Helpmeet, Debi Pearl **1/2
It took me awhile to make it through this large handbook about marriage. I truly appreciate a lot of truth that she offered as well as challenges that I needed to hear about being a helpmate to my husband. There were a few examples that she took too far, blaming the wife when her children are sinned against and a particular one that made me want to throw the book across the room. I think the rest of my experience and the rating was colored by that. ;) In many ways it seemed like a rant against the particular people that she ministers to.

Surprised By Grace, Tullian Tchividijian ***
I actually read this book while Allen was going through a sermon series on Jonah in the Spring. It was helpful to read through the passage that Allen was going to preach before I heard the sermon. I do believe it gave me greater understanding into the book of Jonah.

My Husband Wants to be a Church Planter, So What Does That Make Me?, NAMB **1/2
A book that the SBC gives out to new church planter's wives when they preparing to plant the church. Although the format of the book wasn't preferable and many topics weren't brought up, I was pleasantly surprised that even some of the topics that usually are avoided were actually addressed in this book. If they could format this book in a way that makes sense and add some more useful content, this could be a great read for church planting wives.

Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church, Michael Lawrence ****1/2
Allen took a group of us at New Life through this book as a class in the Spring. I really learned how to read, study and interpret the Bible in a way that is true to the text. It didn't get 5 stars because it is a bit academic, but if you truly want to learn about biblical theology, this is your book!

Leaders Who Last, Dave Kraft *****

Amazing book! Even if you aren't a leader in name, everyone leads someone, whether it be your children, other women who come to you for counsel, or as a leader in your community or example in church. This is intensely practical and requires you to sit down and examine your life. Allen used many quotes from this book in his new book, Good Soldiers.

Six Ways to Keep the "Little" in Your Girl, Dannah Gresh ***
As I think about Taylor coming up on the tween years, my stomach basically curls up into knots and I have to pray and ask God for mercy. This book was helpful but would have been more helpful if Taylor Joy were older (think 7-12). I may re-read it in a couple of years...

Give Them Grace, Elyse Fitzpatrick ***
I was beyond excited about this book and the acclaim it was receiving around blogland. All in all, it is a Gospel-saturated book that truly made me think through the reasons why I parent the way that I do and I came away as a deeper thinker in regards to parenting. But it wasn't exactly the book's purpose. It was mainly because I would read certain things, question them and have to think through it biblically. I was glad to have a group of ladies to discuss it with and I enjoyed the discussion much more than the book itself.

A Meal with Jesus, Tim Chester *****
Everyone should read this! Amazing book about the impact of the sit down meal on relationships, including discipleship, outreach, friendships, and the poor. I loved this book and found myself nodding and highlighting much of it! I'm sure I will read it again at some point.

Prodigal God, Tim Keller *****
I basically devoured this book while we were on vacation this Summer. I really hope I have saturated all of the great truth that Keller so skillfully conveys. Excellent book!

Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, Noel Piper ***
I was challenged and convicted hearing the life stories of these women. If I feel I have sacrificed or pity for myself about something I am dealing with, this is certainly the cure for that. I am beyond grateful for the way these women advanced the Gospel.

Leota's Garden, Francine Rivers **
I got this free on my Kindle and I love Francine Rivers. Yet, I didn't particularly love this book. The ending was abrupt and it didn't end the way I wanted it to. So, two stars.

Note to Self, Joe Thorn ***
I had heard that this was comparable to A Gospel Primer (GP), which I love. It was very good and filled with Gospel truth, but it didn't hold the same power as GP for me personally. It's longer and more wordy, whereas GP is almost straight scripture and cuts to the heart. Still, I consider it a great daily devotional if you are looking for one.

The Duty Chronicles

Big Apple Adventures

Craft Pegboard

Craft Desk

Beaded Serving Spoons

Mother/Daughter Cookie Swap

Bible Reading Plans for the New Year

Graham Cracker Houses 2011

Ice Cream Party

Happy Birthday, Beckett!

Another Use for Stockings

Giveaway Winner!

Last Chance!

Dutyisms

Homeschool Update

U Printing {Giveaway}

Cook Up Some Fun with Your Kids!

Apple of My Eye {Mother/Daughter Event}

30 Advent Ideas

Elements Classes

Just In Case You Ever Wonder

On Turning 30

Dutyisms

T- "Dad, the United States looks like an elephant, and the northeast looks like his trunk." Allen: "That's a very good imagination, Sweetie." T- "You mean 'observation,' Dad."

Some of Taylor Joy's stories that she has written:

Wun culd day Paradis Ilind wint to pla she wunid too play the end (One cold day, Paradise Island--a little pony--- went to play. She wanted to play. The end.)

Dora wunid too play and hr daddy sed no. (Dora wanted to play and her daddy said no.)

Wun day Sindrrelu wunid too go awtsid and hr daddy sed yes but the men stepmuthr was rawt thar the ind. (One day Cinderella wanted to go outside and her daddy said yes, but the mean stepmother was right there. The end.)

Supermom or Abiding Mom?

2011 Books (so far...)

T- "Dad, the United States looks like an elephant, and the northeast looks like his trunk."
Allen: "That's a very good imagination, Sweetie."
T- "You mean 'observation,' Dad."