Our Goodwin Journey

Marriage

2012-02-24T09:33:00.001-05:00

I've had this post about marriage bouncing around in my head for a few weeks now.

I wanted to post it around Valentine's Day, but, well... time just got away from me this month.

It is almost March. Amazing...

Anyway, can we all just agree with each other that marriage is hard?

The joining of two lives is not an easy task. Even after 10 years, marriage is still something that Jeremy and I must work on daily.

Every. single. day. we need to intentionally work on our marriage to each other.

If we don't, it is way too easy to drift into living separate lives in the same house.

I'm not writing this post because Jeremy and I are having problems or anything like that.

I'm writing this post because we are normal. I can be annoying, Jeremy can be annoying. I can get hurt, Jeremy can get hurt. I can be insensitive, Jeremy can be insensitive.

We still have misunderstandings and forget to communicate. We act before we think. We speak before we think.

We are two sinful, human people creating a home together.

In being married, we've learned that even just one day of miscommunication or insensitivity or disagreement often leads to one more day. Which leads to one more day... not a fun cycle to be on.

Being disconnected in marriage takes just one hurtful word or one mean action. Even the smallest things can work against your desire to stay connected.

Sometimes, you cause disconnect and you don't even know you've done it.

And, once you feel disconnected, it can be hard to reconnect. One of you has to decide to take the uncomfortable step toward the other.

Reconnecting in marriage takes heart-felt conversation, humbleness, honesty, brokenness, forgiveness and time.

I remember one particular time... I was really upset with Jeremy. I don't even remember what it was about. But, I was upset and hurt. I looked at him and thought, "Oh, I really just want to stomp off to bed and ignore him." I knew that was the wrong approach even though it would have been the easier thing to do.

Instead, I looked at him and said, "I'm really upset with you right now so we need to spend some time together and talk it out."

Not what I wanted to do, but what I needed to do.

You see, marriage has this "cleaning up your character" aspect to it. If you let it, being married will make you a better person. It will cause you to grow in your relationship with God. It will be a tool that God uses to purify your character from the inside out. Gary Thomas says that your spouse is like a mirror for your sin. God will use that mirror to show you areas in your own life that need to be worked on. Marriage will show you areas and bring out flaws that no one else sees.

How true is that?

Marriage challenges you to work hard everyday, allow yourself to grow and change, allow God to dictate your actions and encourage you to become the kind of spouse that He wants you to be.

Staying connected in marriage is an every day job. It is the most rewarding job. It is a blessing to your family and well worth every hard conversation, every humble confession and every step of forgiveness.

Connect with your spouse. Take the step towards them in some way.

Make an effort to stay connected every. single. day.

My Birthday

2012-02-22T09:30:00.002-05:00

I don't think that I can remember the last time my mom was with me on my birthday. I think maybe when Annalise was a baby?

It was a treat to have her here. She made me gluten free birthday cake and let the girls help. Well, I think the girls just licked the spoons and the bowl, but they said they helped...

They carried the cake in to me with the candles lit, singing happy birthday.

I blew them all out at the same time... and the cake was super yummy.

My mom gave me some money for K-cups... love.

And, Jeremy gave me an Amazon box.

This is my "oh, what did he buy?" face.

Yeah! A leather cover for my tablet.

It fit perfectly and I love it! It works as a cover and a stand.

"Mommy, now it will be even easier to play Angry Birds!" Annalise said. To the girls, the tablet = games.

"Well, Baby, now it will be even easier for Mommy to read!"

Turning a year older...

Entering a new decade...

Blessed by facebook messages, cards, phone calls, voicemail songs (Thanks, Monica :) and texts.

Thankful for the wonderful support of friends.

(don't forget to enter my current Sew Fun Design giveaway!)

Sewing with Grandma

2012-02-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

My mom has been here since last Thursday night and it has been wonderful!

She came to babysit the girls, take care of me while I've been sick and get her Etsy shop/blog up and running.

Aren't her sites cute? Hannah from Hannah Nicole Designs created them for her and she did a great job!

We got started first thing on Friday by running to the fabric store, getting lunch at Olive Garden (yum!) and then coming home. The girls were going to design their own Crazy Creature, a present from Grandma and one of the items to be sold in the Etsy shop.

Elayna and Annalise were excited about the process of designing... Abby was infatuated with my mom's pin cushion. Each pin had a place. It was so fun to watch Abby with that pin cushion because it is the same pin cushion my mom had when I was a little girl and I remember doing the same thing with it.

After cutting out the design, they moved to the sewing machine. Our schoolroom became a sewing room for the weekend. (Yes, this activity made my homeschool planner!)

The girls watched with deep, serious faces while my mom showed them how the machine works and how you put together the pieces to make something with fabric. From ironing, to sewing, to filling with stuffing... the girls got a wonderful sewing class that day!

Here are their Crazy Creature creations!

On Sunday, Elayna got her first lesson in sewing. She made a pillow, which I didn't get a picture of because as soon as it was done, she was off playing with it!

The Crazy Creatures played dress up... we learned that Build-A-Bear clothes fit them perfectly...

And, we modeled the aprons and doll clothes for my mom's new Etsy shop.

Seriously adorable stuff!

I know I would cook better and look cuter wearing this apron in the kitchen, right?

Well, maybe not cook better but I would save my clothes from getting dirty anyway!

Because I love Sew Fun Design and what my mom is trying to do by sharing her love of sewing, I am pleased to offer a giveaway to her shop!

She is giving one of you a $25.00 gift certificate!

Just in time for Easter gifts, Mother's Day presents and bright summer colors, you can find something new in her Etsy shop.

How can you win?

Just hop over to her shop and come back to comment how you would use your gift certificate.

Other ways to win (leave a comment for each):

Like Sew Fun Design on facebook
Follow Sew Fun Design on twitter
Favorite Sew Fun Design on Etsy
Like Our Goodwin Journey on facebook
Tweet the giveaway "Sewing with Grandma... a #giveaway for a GC to @SewFunDesign #etsy shop on @jenilee220 's blog! http://tinyurl.com/7nwqnol come enter! RT"

I will choose a winner on Sunday, February 26th! Please make sure I have an email for you for contacting purposes.

Enjoy looking around the Sew Fun Design Etsy shop... I'm sure you will find something you love!

Family Night

2012-02-18T20:23:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday, we had a family night.

Jeremy wanted to make some elaborate recipe that I didn't have the ingredients for so we settled on omelets. Well, we can't have eggs in this house without fried potatoes of some kind.

A year or so ago, Jeremy bought a mandolin slicer. He has been wanting to figure out how to make good hash browns. The last few times that he has made them, well... they've been gross!

He decided to give it a try again and he did a great job!

Abby was so interested in the slicer. She sat right with him the whole time, scaring me that she would stick her tiny fingers where they weren't supposed to be!

(Do you see Abby's sweet apron? Well, my mom's Etsy shop is OPEN and I'll be hosting a Sew Fun Design giveaway right here on my blog Monday morning!!)

After we ate omelets and yummy hash browns, the girls had set up a family party for us.

Abby put together a spa section.

And a bear's den...

They had a bunch of other stuffed animal areas set up... birds were on the spa table.

I took advantage of the spa with a hand massage by Elayna.

*linking these sweet pictures up with Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious

Annalise was having a blast at the family party.

Abby took Daddy around to see all the other animals.

The quilt was set up like a tent with a reading area underneath complete with a small flashlight to read by!

The party ended with a tea party.

and fruit snacks. Daddy and Abby were sharing their snacks.

I snapped this last picture of Abby's tiny feet standing on one of Jeremy's hands.

I think I'm desperately in love with this picture.

Actually, I think I'm desperately in love with my precious family!

Sweet Valentine's for Daddy

2012-02-15T14:32:00.000-05:00

For Valentine's this year, we by-passed the whole "grilling in the kitchen" thing and decided to take the girls to Build-A-Bear.

Jeremy had found an incredible deal online so he had the bears shipped to the house back in December. We saved them, gave them to the girls on Monday and then went to Build-A-Bear to use a gift card. The girls got to pick out something small for their new friends. So much fun!

Then, we went to the food court and had Chick-Fil-A (another gift card). Abby's messy hair was cracking me up! She holds her eyes closed like this when she prays.

Annalise doesn't like french fries. I know... really. So, she was super excited to find out that Chick-Fil-A now has APPLESAUCE!

Elayna was a little bit leery about these "baby" applesauce things. But, Abby and Annalise didn't mind at all. They drank that stuff down! Totally wishing they had that when my girls were babies!

After we ate, I grabbed a Starbucks (another gift card)...

While the girls played in the play place.

Then, on Tuesday, the girls started their Valentine's Day at the dentist. Goodwin girls passed with flying colors... woo hoo!

So we went home to eat candy. Literally.

I stopped at the store on our way home to get candy hearts. I had a little Valentine craft idea for Daddy.

Annalise was having such a good time... and her toothy grin just makes me laugh!

The girls wrote short Valentine sentences using the words on the candy hearts as part of their sentences.

Things like "Daddy is my SOUL MATE" and "Call me BABY DOLL" and "I love when ME AND YOU talk" and "You WINK WINK at me" were some of their cute sentences.

This is Abby's (she had some Mommy help)

And, Annalise's Valentine for Daddy...

And, Elayna's... she did such a great job!

I think Daddy was pleasantly surprised by the girls' cute cards.

He laughed and played right along as he read them.

I think we will have to do that again next year!

A Valentine for You!

2012-02-14T07:34:00.001-05:00

If you have been following the blog lately, you know that I've been sick. I have a nasty cold and an ear infection and I can't hear out of my left ear.

So frustrating.

I'm on two antibiotics (drops and oral) and neither are working.

The other night, my throat was hurting and I sent a tweet out about I wanted ice cream to help my throat feel better.

Within a few minutes, a sweet homeschooling mom, September, sent me a tweet back.

She asked me if I'd tried Kefir yet

Well, I didn't know what that was...

So, last night, I made an evening run (not literally... I'm in no condition to actually run. unfortunately.) to Aldi. We needed milk, cheese, bread... the basics.

I was walking down the last isle and saw this on the shelf!

Right there in the store, I thought, "I think this is what September was asking me about! And, it is probiotics! I need some of that because of the antibiotics I'm on."

So, I snapped a pic with my phone and tweeted it out to September, asking her if that was what she mentioned.

She tweeted me back and I was good to go!

That right there, friends, is just one single, simple example of how you all are a blessing to me!

From your sweet comments on facebook, to connecting through blogs or twitter... I am continually blessed by the women I have met here.

You all post ideas, crafts, printables... you share your heart and your vision.

I see your daily tweets about the real in's and out's of being with your kids all day long...

I am encouraged by your shared verses and quotes and comments.

For all of that, for the sweet connection we have and the opportunity we have to help one another in this online community...

I say, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

I wish I could give you these in real life...

"Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship." - Cicero

"No lapse of time or distance of place can lessen the friendship of those who are truly persuaded of each other's worth." - Unknown

Have a very blessed day!

With Much Love,

Girls in Braids

2012-02-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

Elayna has been all about braids lately.

She looks adorable with her "Laura Ingalls" hair.

She has been asking me to braid my hair, so the other night I did!

She loved it. She kept saying, "Mommy, you should always wear braids like that!"

Such a fun mommy and me moment.

Linking up with Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious who is just about to pop with her third baby and she posted the cutest baby belly photo today... can't wait for news, Krystyn!

Sharing Life...

2012-02-12T09:50:00.001-05:00

Sharing the reminder that after winter, comes spring...

after evening comes morning...

after sadness comes joy...

Sharing the splendor of life around us, no matter what we face or what we feel or what people say...

There is beauty coming.

There is joy and peace.

How do we know?

Because we serve a God who brings life, gives life, sustains life, redeems life, heals life...

Sharing life with you today.

Isaiah 62:2-4

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

*also sharing my birthday tulips with you. These are sitting in my kitchen reminding me of life... Thanks, Amy. What a sweet gift!

Thankful for Favorite Moments

2012-02-10T08:29:00.001-05:00

I don't have any pictures today...

just words.

I'm thankful for so many things today.

Because God is good, even in the midst of struggle... He is good.

And, the things that I'm thankful for are my favorite things right now. They are the things that matter most.

Thankful for favorite moments...

I'm thankful for laughter during a difficult day.

I'm thankful to be living the dream. Thankful that the dream doesn't have to be perfect. Thankful that life itself is precious.

I'm thankful for Valentine's crafts from the girls that say, "I love Mommy and Daddy!"

I'm thankful for praying friends. For the family of God that is lifting us up, consistently, fervently, patiently and lovingly. Thankful that God speaks words of direction, peace and love through those who pray. Feeling blessed and undeserving of their gift of time. Knowing God is using this to bring His people together.

I'm thankful for opportunities to preach the word. Thankful that the presence of God remains strong even when I am physically very weak. Thankful that I can stand on the promises of the very Word God has called me to proclaim.

I'm thankful for a husband who supports and encourages me to keep going even when I feel like staying home. Thankful to hear him say, "You can do it... God will get the glory." I'm thankful for the reminder that everything we do is for Him and He can work through a willing heart.

I'm thankful for a husband who sent a sweet early Valentine's Day card to me in the mail. on a day I really needed it.

so many favorite moments, things to be thankful for...

Feeling blessed and loved.

When a Goodwin Goes to the Doctor

2012-02-08T22:30:00.001-05:00

When a Goodwin goes to the doctor, it is always an adventure.

Really, when a Goodwin does anything... it is an adventure.

But the doctors office is a place to explore, experiment and enjoy.

My last Cleveland Clinic day was no exception.

Jeremy's aunt and uncle live in Cleveland. We met up with them for lunch at Chipotle and then his Aunt Christa went with us to my MRI and doctor's appointment.

I don't know how much I've shared on my blog about Christa but she is a female Jeremy. Or Jeremy is a male Christa. They are a lot alike. Same sense of humor, same thought process, same almost everything.

Christa's maiden name is Christa Goodwin. That should explain alot.

Now, put Jeremy and Christa together at the doctor's office.

Mmm hmmm. Yeah.

Well, we parked the van and then walked to the main hospital building for my MRI.

We passed a doctor who walked with his arms swinging like crazy so the two people with me, who shall remain nameless, started swinging their arms like crazy. I slowly walked away from said people.

We sat down to wait for my MRI and these two get talking...

Christa was telling Jeremy a really funny story and they started laughing and laughing and snorting and crying and, well... Christa can tell a really good story.

I was glad I was sitting on the other side of the isle because they were out of control.

Seriously look at those grins. Trouble.

I finished my paperwork and then sat down by Christa so she could tell me what was so funny.

She just gets started telling me her story, which is FUNNY all by itself, when someone in the waiting room loudly released a bodily noise.

If there is one thing that Goodwins find funny, it's that.

They started howling. I was laughing out of pure, pure embarrassment that these two were laughing like 13 year olds. I had tears running down my cheeks. We were trying very unsuccessfully to contain ourselves when the nurse stood behind me and called my name.

"You guys look like you are having a good time." she said.

I'm wiping tears off my face as I handed her my paper and followed her to the back. I was walking away, leaving two laughing, crying, snorting Goodwins in the waiting room.

I changed into the hospital clothes and then got put in another waiting room.

Much to my embarrassment, one of the other people from the main waiting room walked in soon after me.

I smiled and said, "Did those two ever calm down?"

He laughed and said, "Uh... kind of."

The fact that he knew who I was talking about made me start laughing all over again. Oh, those two!

After having one of my veins blow when the nurse put in the IV and getting an IV put in the other arm, I was led back to the MRI. It took about 45 minutes and then I was done.

I found Jeremy and Christa being very good and playing with my tablet when I got back to the waiting room. We made the walk back to the Mellen Center for MS. Picture more arm swinging...

Not long after sitting down, we were called back to meet with my neurologist.

We talked with her for a few minutes and then she began looking at my MRI. Everything looked good but she had one spot that she wanted to show another neurologist in the building.

Which meant the doctor left the exam room.

There is one thing a doctor should never do when the Goodwins are at the doctor: leave them alone in the room.

The doctor was not gone 5 seconds when Jeremy and Christa were up out of their seats looking in each others ears with the light thingy, dropping the ear covers on the floor, testing their reflexes and hitting themselves with tools.

All I could think of was that doctor coming back and finding these two playing with her stuff.

"Come on, guys. Put it up. What if she comes back?"

"This stuff is here for us to try!" they said.

Jeremy looked at Christa, "I always get curious at the doctors office. When I was growing up, we looked at everything... in the drawers, on the table... I thought everybody did this in the doctors office. But, not Jen."

Nope, not Jen.

They had everything put away by the time my doctor came back. All was good.

With a few other funny moments, we finished our day in Cleveland.

Well, today, I had to take Abby to the ENT to have her ears checked.

She had a hearing test, which she passed with flying colors, and then we were put back in an exam room to wait for the doctor.

Abby climbed up on this big chair...

And it did not take her long to follow in her Daddy and her great-aunt's foot steps.

She was up and on that chair pretty fast to look at the big ear poster.

She said, "Mommy, I just have to stand up to see the top."

Can we say "flashback to yesterday at Cleveland Clinic?"

I told her to get down so she slipped down off the chair and said, "Now, I have to look for shots. Do you think they have shots here?"

"No, baby, you aren't getting a shot today."

"Oh, I just have to look anyway." Abby said as she stood on tip toes to peek in a slightly open drawer.

Yeah, that's what happens when a Goodwin goes to the doctor.

Some randomness...

2012-02-06T09:28:00.003-05:00

I feel like I can't think until tomorrow is over. That is a frustrating feeling. I have things to do, things to study for, things to get ready for, things to prepare... but I've got nothing. I am learning anew to trust God in the midst of waiting... and waiting...

Jeremy did not get a deer this year. He is an unhappy hunter. But... all is not lost. He came in from his very last night to hunt yesterday saying, "Well, I guess I'll go buy my fishing license."

One outdoorsman season to the next, right?

Our church website posted the spoof video my husband made while he was sporting his amish beard. too funny.

It feels like spring outside and I'm really enjoying that. But, my heart still wants a good snow storm before winter is officially over... not sure it is going to happen though.

Homeschooling is so relaxed this year but it is going well. I love the days we can stay on schedule and I love the days that we fly by the seat of our pants. The girls are reading and learning and loving home.

I'm staying up-to-date with my #B90Days reading... that is an incredible miracle. So glad I took this challenge!

I'll share a quote with you before I go...

Patience in our lives springs from God's power based upon our willingness to learn it. - Billy Graham

Just Bein' Real

2012-02-03T09:50:00.000-05:00

I'm jumping in to a new link up today. The challenge is to write for 5 minutes on the topic "Real."

Real.

Well, life is rushing ahead. Things are busy as always, the calendar as full as I ever remember it being. One event plows into another and there isn't much time to stop and think.

I make time. Sometimes. Like on my retreat in January. I need that time. Away from life, from home, from responsibility... time to focus solely on my relationship with God and where He is leading me. But, stopping time is rare and that is okay. Because I LOVE our life. our family. ministry. the busy, crazy schedule. I love it.

I'm needing some stopping time more than normal right now though.

Why?

Just bein' real here...

I have my next neurologist appointment on Tuesday. MRI and a visit with the doctor.

I have gone once a year in the past. This time she wanted to see me in 6 months.

When I've gone in the past, I haven't been really worried about it because my symptoms hadn't changed and things had remained steady.

This time the symptoms have changed. Things are different. I have to tell the doctor about all of it and see the results of the MRI.

MS is a real option here. That is scary.

MS is something that is crazy hard to diagnose and I might walk away with the same symptoms and no answers.

But, I might walk away with answers. Answers I don't want. Not at all.

Answers that mean big, huge life changes for us. Answers that mean tests and medicines and... stuff I'm sure I can't really understand yet.

How did this happen? How did I get so sick?

But, in being real, I have to say that God's peace is REAL through it all. He is walking this with me and although from my view, this wasn't in the plan... for God, well, He isn't surprised at all. He has a plan.

A plan that I will gladly walk, knowing that I'm being held in the palm of His hand.

Real.

A Kalahari Vacay

2012-02-02T18:20:00.000-05:00

This past week, we had the opportunity to visit Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio.

We were there as part of our Ohio Ministry Network's Minister's Retreat, a relaxing and fun retreat for pastors and their families.

Our family joined up with the Lazy Family from imalazymom.com and we all shared a Village Suite. Can we say, "NICE!"

I had a little bit of kitchen envy going on... seriously, the kitchen was nicer than mine. *sigh

In our homeschool, we have been studying the continent of Africa over the past few weeks. Going to Kalahari was the perfect ending to our study! This homeschooling mom fully appreciated the artwork, the pictures, the information, and the culture of Africa that was displayed around the resort. Not to mention real-live animals in the lobby!

The view of the sunset from our balcony was just gorgeous. We had the perfect spot to enjoy it!

I met up with my friends: Stacey, the Lazy Mom, Julieann, the Ministry Momma and Heather, Proud Mommy 3! We all met up with some other women in ministry for a yummy breakfast.

Speaking of food, Kalahari ROCKS in the gluten free food department! That right there friends is a GLUTEN FREE WAFFLE. to. die. for. Check out their allergy menu. The staff was helpful, knowledgeable and downright agreeable about gluten free food. For a large resort, that is a HUGE thing. Great job, Kalahari!

My girls had a blast running around the resort. With animals everywhere, my little monkeys were enjoying themselves at every turn.

You can't go to Kalahari and not visit the indoor waterpark. They can boast to being America's largest indoor waterpark and it is large and FUN! The girls spent hours with Daddy riding rides and then going in the wave pool and then warming up in the hot tub. Kalahari is clean and spacious and a great place for a family vacation.

If you want to just stop and chat with friends, which we often did, there are some gorgeous places to sit around the resort.

You really do feel like you have slipped to a world away... which is just what the doctor ordered for this ministry family. Well, the doctor really didn't order it, but I know he would have if I'd thought to suggest it to him. And I'm sure that Kalahari would have been on the prescription!

After our fun retreat had ended, we hit the arcade for an hour or so before heading home. We needed MORE time in the arcade. The girls (and Daddy) were having just too much fun playing games and winning tickets.

If you followed along on twitter, you saw Stacey, Julieann, Heather and a few other friends chatting away about our amazing getaway. From the conference center to the gluten free food, Kalahari shined in service, cleanliness and funness (is that a word?).

This Goodwin family had a wonderful time!

And, if I'm not mistaken, Kalahari had a lot of fun with us as guests too! At least this tweet says so! (I think they like us :)

Before I go, I would be remiss if I didn't share this last Kalahari moment with you.

There was a talent show during our minister's retreat and our husbands decided to join in.

Take a listen... I know they will make you laugh!

Are they not just toooo funny?

I hope you enjoyed reading about our Kalahari adventure! We can't wait to go back. This is a resort that you want to put on your family's calendar... soon!

Thank you to Kalahari for providing a room upgrade and a night's stay to us for our honest review. We truly did have a GREAT time away.

Mommy and Me and Pictures of Daddy

2012-01-30T08:30:00.001-05:00

I have been really bad a catching a picture of myself with the girls lately.

But, when we were playing a family game the other night, I made sure that Daddy caught a couple pictures for me.

So for my Mommy and Me today, here are two sweet pictures of my precious girls with Mommy.

Now, in other Goodwin news...

In the past 4 days, Jeremy went from this...

to this... Yes, he went to work and to church like this, people!

Here he is sitting in his office at the church. He stopped at the thrift store on the way so that he could get a hat and suspenders. Yeah. Wow.

Finally... to this...

I was pretty happy. Can you tell?

One happy wife...

*sorry, those last pics were with my cellphone

And if you aren't already, be following twitter for the next few days. The Lazy Mom and I will be tweeting live from Kalahari!

Posts and possibly a vlog coming soon!

Winter School Days

2012-01-29T15:51:00.001-05:00

As a homeschool mom, winter days can be really tough. In the fall and spring, the kids can play outside for "recess" break. But, in the winter, especially this very odd, rainy winter, the kids are generally stuck inside.

Tough to be inside, tough to find enough things to do, tough to keep the TV off, tough to hear more sibling squabbles, tough to keep the house clean...

Tough, but fun and I wouldn't change a thing.

Other than library trips, cheer practice, piano and church, we tend to hang out at home to get in as much school as we can fit into these home bound days.

Abby has it the easiest being in kindergarten. This last week, she sat on the floor showing me her smiley face while the other two girls worked on lessons. She was also very attached to the magnifying glass, examining everything in our house.

Stuffed animals are good friends when doing school. Annalise is even known to pretend that her animals are in school and she is the teacher.

Abby is learning to write and read using sight words and easy-to-sound-out words. It is not easy to come up with new simple sentences for her... I laugh at my attempts but she thinks the sentences are wonderful which makes her more likely to want to read and write them.

Elayna loves to snuggle on the couch for her school work. I would have loved that as a kid. Mom, why wasn't I homeschooled? I think I seriously missed out! (Just kidding, Mom :)

I spend much of my time sharpening pencils, colored and regular. My girls blow through them with all of their pictures and projects. Can we say "I love my electric pencil sharpener?"

I also love newly sharpened pencils. Aren't they gorgeous?

My lesson plan book that isn't as filled in as it should be... I need to go back in and add the other school things we've been doing.

Yes, Liberty Kids makes the school lesson plan book.

I won't tell you that I also added "Chuck E Cheese" to the lesson plan for Friday. Shhh... don't tell.

I have been using dice with Abby. She is going to be good at math. I can tell already that it clicks in her head.

She was having a blast counting the dots on these big, clear dice.

What do your winter school days looks like?

Birthday Girl and a Winner!

2012-01-27T09:51:00.000-05:00

Annalise had a great birthday. She really wanted to celebrate her birthday on her exact birthday. This year, her birthday fell on a Wednesday which is a very busy day for us. So, we had a birthday lunch instead of a birthday dinner.

Because we were having a birthday lunch, we needed to get started early!

Around 9am, I began making her birthday cake. She wanted chocolate cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles.

Still in her jammies, here she is with a messy, cake batter face!

We made a fun birthday poster...

and she wore her favorite purple dress because she wanted to look like Repunzel in Tangled.

Her cake was ready and waiting for after lunch. Annalise got up close to inspect it and practice her candled blowing skills.

Daddy came home and we had BBQ chicken sandwiches (her request :), chips, veggies and raspberry punch.

After lunch, she opened her presents.

We had cake together and enjoyed celebrating our little Lisi!

She got many phone calls from family and friends that day, which was really special for her.

Another year older!

And, before I go... Here is the Starbucks Card giveaway winner!

Chrissy said...: This made me laugh out loud and I needed it today!! Thanks for the laugh and a chance to win Starbucks...; January 25, 2012 10:26 PM

Yeah! Chrissy, please send me your address so I can get that right out to you!

Thanks for joining in my Starbucks fun.

Now, I'm off for Chuck E Cheese with the girls and then a class on the book of Corinthians in Columbus...

Have a great weekend!

Family Game Night

2012-01-26T09:35:00.002-05:00

Once and awhile, we pull out a game and have family game night.

This time, the girls chose Apples to Apples Jr. It is one of our favorite games because it gets some great discussion and funny sayings out of our girls.

It helps with their vocabulary and thinking skills and teaches them about words in a fun way.

Abby needs help reading her cards, but most of the time we tell her to just pick one and throw it down.

Once everyone's cards are down, Abby will say, "I wonder which one is mine!"

Annalise is very funny when she plays this game. She has such a funny way of thinking!

Elayna totally gets wrapped up in the competition going on between Mommy and Daddy.

We laugh and think and get all worked up over our cards.

Annalise kept choosing my cards. And her reasons were hilarious. Once on her turn, her green card was "painful" so I threw down "ice". As she read all the choices, she said, "I'm choosing ICE!"

To which I grinned because it was another card for me and to which Jeremy asked, "WHAT? Ice? Why?"

"Because it hurts when you put your tongue on it, of course!!" said Annalise.

Of course! Why didn't we think of that! We laughed so hard.

On Lisi's last turn, she again chose my card (which was fairies and I totally knew she would pick fairies) and I won the game.

Yes. I beat Jeremy at a game.

(insert choir singing)

I had to have a picture of the moment so I gave the camera to Jeremy so he could take a picture of me with my winning green cards.

When he handed the camera back, with a smirk on his face, this is what I saw.

He purposefully put me OUT of focus.

Stinker.

Annalise Moments

2012-01-25T08:03:00.000-05:00

Today is Annalise's 7th birthday.

My sweet middlest (her word for herself) daughter is 7! I can't believe it...

Oh, I love her!

For her birthday, I'm going to link to some of my favorite Annalise posts.

A REALLY Smart Nurse
How We Do Birthdays
Not Me - Labor Edition
Annalise - Part 1
Annalise - Part 2
Annalise and the Swing
Lisi Lou Turns 6
A Day with Annalise
Bubble Gum

I hope you have fun bouncing around and reading some very funny and silly and goofy things about our birthday girl! She will have you smiling for sure...

Happy Birthday, Annalise!

Top Ten Weight Loss Tips

2012-01-24T10:47:00.001-05:00

After I had Abby, I had about 30 lbs to loose. It took me about 8 months after having Abby to decide that it was time to do something about it.

Between this picture (2006)

and this picture (2011)

I did actually loose the baby weight. Even though, according to the actual weight charts, I am still at the top weight amount for my 5'6 height. I suppose I could loose more, but I really am okay where I'm at.

For me, it is a constant struggle to keep the weight off. Because I love to eat. And I love desserts. And chocolate. And high calorie coffee drinks. And Ice Cream. And, sometimes it is really easy to just not care about my weight and just eat whatever sounds good.

I have to say that being gluten free does help. This new way of eating made me loose the last little bit of baby weight, allowing me to fit into my wedding dress for our 10th anniversary. But, being gluten free is not just a diet fad, it is a healthier way of life for my body.

And that is the key to loosing weight, really... be healthy. Don't diet or starve. Just be healthy. Make healthy choices.

There are some great plans out there to help you. Weight Watchers was a huge help to me when I first started looking at portion sizes and changing my bad eating habits after having babies. My good friend Stacy, aka The Lazy Mom, is a part of Slim Fast's new Women of Wow program and it really sounds like a great way to loose some weight. (click her blog link real fast and go watch her Slim Fast announcement video. FUNNY.) I'm sure there are other wonderful plans out there, but once the plan is over, how do you keep the weight off?

I've learned that it takes every day, real life changes. Changes you can keep for the rest of your life.

Here are my Top Ten things that I do to maintain my weight.

1. My least favorite thing - exercise. Do you see me with that bike up there? Sometimes Jeremy gets me out riding my bike kicking and screaming. Well, maybe not quite that bad, but I don't always go out willingly or with a good attitude. But, it is important. And we all know the reasons why it is important. We just have to make ourselves get out and do something.

2. Cut out extra calories. I realized one day, early on in my weight loss journey, that the orange juice I was having for breakfast was 120 calories a glass. Over 1 week, that was 840 calories. for JUICE. that I didn't need. Just cutting out that alone was going to be a big calorie savings over the long haul. And that is just juice! Think about candy, ice cream... yeah, lots of calories that can be cut out.

3. Brush your teeth after eating. The taste of toothpaste will keep me from wanting to eat anything. It really works.

4. Save dessert for weekends. This one is really hard for me because I could eat dessert every day, at every meal. But again, calories saved.

5. No Diet Pop. Really? Yes, really. Diet pop is not good for you, friends. And for me, I didn't want the extra calories of real pop, so I quit drinking pop almost completely. Which is a good thing. And, I drink more water now.

6. Read other weight loss journeys or fitness/health tips. It helps to motivate you and keep you going! This is a 40 day challenge blog set up specifically for fitness and weight loss written by a pastor friend of ours. You will find a lot of great information on his site!

7. Put a picture of you at your goal weight or another motivating picture in your kitchen. Literally seeing a picture of me in my wedding dress stopped me from snacking many times.

8. Follow the eating rules I have for the girls. If they are eating fruit and veggies, than I should be modeling that and eating it too. When I limit pop, candy, treats and other unhealthy things for them, I try my best to limit myself too. It is easy to say, "You already had one cookie today... no more." to my girls but VERY hard to tell that to myself.

9. If you are eating gluten free, don't replace every gluten thing you miss with the gluten free version. Gluten free is not calorie free! I save gluten free breads, cookies, brownies and other treats for special occasions and the rest of the time, I go without rolls, buns, breaded desserts, cakes... it does trim off a lot of calories! Even if you don't have to eat gluten free, cutting out most breads/baked goods will really help you loose weight.

10. Sleep. If I get enough sleep, I am more ready to exercise and more motivated to keep moving. Sleepy days are lazy days and lazy days mean very little calorie burning is going on in my body.

Oh, and one more...

11. Don't snack at night. This is almost as hard as exercising. I LOVE to snack at night. But cutting out snacks before bed is a great weight loss tip that helped me a lot on my journey of loosing weight.

I hope some of those things help you as much as they've helped me. I still struggle in many of these areas but having a concrete list of tips to go back to is a great resource to utilize when I'm having a hard time staying on track.

What are your best weight loss tips?

Oh, and before you go... make sure to enter my Starbucks gift card giveaway going on now! You know, so you can go get some black coffee with no cream or sugar or caramel sauce. *wink

I'll take a decaf skinny vanilla latte, please!

Not Me and A Starbucks Card

2012-01-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

Well... it's been awhile since I posted Not Me style...

are you ready for a Not Me post?

I have to start with this weather... we are not having the crazy winter ever!

I am not still praying for a good snow storm. Nope, not this sun-loving mommy. I would not love a cozy, snowed in day at home.

I did not get all excited that it was haircut day for my outdoorsman. I did not tweet out this on Saturday completely sure that his fuzzy face was going to be baby face once again.

I did not get his hair cut only to have him say, "Nope. I like it. Why would I shave it today?"

I did not concede that he does have 2 weeks left of hunting and wintery outdoorsy activities.

Because of my tweet, we both did not get a lot of hair cut type questions at church the next day. Nope, not us!

I did not, in the middle of a 21 day church fast, exclaim to my friend in a parking lot that I was coming back to this same parking lot next week for a Gluten Free Gigi's Cupcake, a hair trim and a Starbucks. Those are not three of my favorite places in one spot.

I did not, immediately after exclaiming such a thing, slip on black ice. I was not seriously close to falling on my backside.

And, in honor of my parking lot moment, I did not decide to giveaway a $10 Starbucks card on my blog this week. Nope, why would we all want to have fun like that?

Oh, you do want to have fun like that?

Just leave a comment to enter!

For some extra shots at the gift card, you can like our facebook page, follow our blog, find me on twitter, tweet or facebook the giveaway or find me on pinterest. Just leave a separate comment for each one that you do!

And, make sure you have a connected email so that I can contact the winner.

I'll draw a winner on Friday!

You know, so we can have some Not Me winter fun!

A Foundation

2012-01-22T14:11:00.003-05:00

Last night, at our mom's Girl's Night Out, we ended our fun with some talk time at Starbucks.

We talked and laughed about all kinds of things from Weight Watchers to books to kids.

But my friend, Julie, asked us a great question.

"What is your kid's bedtime routine?"

It was so very interesting to see the differences and similarities between the homes represented in our small circle.

I loved hearing from each one and getting a sneak peak into their homes during bedtime.

We had a great conversation about tucking the kids in, funny things the kids say or do, things they need to go to sleep, systems that help the whole ordeal run smoother, how long the routine takes, and the many discussions that take place at bedtime.

In our house, bedtime is one of my favorite times of the day.

Oh, I still have those nights that I dread the long routine and wish they could just put themselves to bed with no fuss or fights or problems.

But, I quickly remind myself that this routine is part of being a mom! I have to encourage myself to not wish it away... to cherish the special time with my girls each and every day. To thank God that I have the ability to put my girls to bed in a safe and warm home.

I push myself up the steps each night because this the bedtime craziness will last in my girls' childhood memories.

They will remember Daddy disrupting everything by singing loudly or messing up their blankets. They will remember Mommy asking Daddy to stop getting everyone all rowdy again. They will remember getting in trouble for getting out of bed... for the 5th time. They will look back on those snuggly nights with happiness and remember the feeling of being loved.

How do I know? Well, I remember my Mom and Dad putting me to bed. I can still hear my Mom saying, "Ben! Do not get those girls worked up again! Stop! It is bed time, not play time!"

And, I remembered that phrase because I caught myself saying the exact same thing to Jeremy not too long ago.

Bedtime is a vitally important part of our parenting. We have chosen to make it a priority in our home. Even on the nights that I am tempted to skip devotions because it is too late and the girls are tired, I choose to give God the last moments of the day.

You see, I know the girls will remember the silliness, the routine, the rush to get everyone cleaned, brushed, changed and tucked in before the hour gets too late.

But, I'm hoping that they will also remember the most important part of our routine.

The time that we take each night to focus on Christ. To read the word and to talk about it together. I see this as different from school Bible study because this is time that we take out of a very busy part of the day to focus on Jesus right before bed.

A moment of the day when my girls hearts are quiet and ready to hear from the Holy Spirit about their day.

Teaching them to not let the sun go down on their anger or reminding them to ask Jesus to show them areas to work on the next day. Holding them close and speaking Jesus' love into their minds each and every day. Building faithfulness to Bible Study and time spent in prayer before bed.

Anyway... all that was running through my mind last night as I got ready for bed.

Because I was out, I missed the routine... Daddy got to put the girls to bed last night.

I walked into the bathroom and saw this on the counter.

This was my book when I was a little girl. My Mom and Dad gave it to me on my 7th birthday.

It is a book that we pull out often... A book that is getting used 23 years later... with another generation of girls learning to read about God at bedtime.

I am so thankful for the foundation, the heritage that I have to build on as I go through the bedtime routine with my girls.

Even on the nights that I don't feel like getting into a big discussion about why Saul wanted to kill David or why we have to forgive our sister when she annoys us or how we know there won't be tears in heaven or why God heals some people but not other people or if there is electricity in heaven or what color Jesus' beard was or if Nicodemus had a mustache...

Even on those nights when I don't have answers and I want to just slip them quickly in bed, I remember that I'm using my foundation to build new foundations that will one day be drawn upon for my grandchildren.

A foundation that is lasting and true, giving me strength when I don't feel like following through or taking the time.

So, what is your bedtime routine and how do you incorporate God into your nightly crazy time? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Homeschool Days

2012-01-19T10:16:00.004-05:00

I've been wanting to put a post up about our homeschool days.

We've settled into a nice groove since coming off Christmas vacation and I like how things are going.

9:00 - Breakfast, JBQ and Bible at the dining room table

I love this time of the day. It is precious time to talk with my girls, to teach them about God and to learn His Word together

9:30 - Science, History and Geography

These three subjects really go together this year. Right now we are studying the continent of Africa. We are studying historical things that happened there, missionaries who worked in those countries, what the culture is like, languages of the people, animals, jungles, deserts, savannahs, grasslands... Yeah, it all goes together which is SO nice because all the girls are learning together.

10:00 - Break for the younger girls to color or do a puzzle. Elayna - Piano

10:15 - Math

10:45 - English/Spelling/Cursive for Elayna, Reading/Writing for Annalise and Sight Words/Reading/Writing for Abby. The older girls work independently while I help Abby.

Noon - Lunch and Break

1:00 - Book Time where the girls read library books and look at animal, geography and history books about the continent we are studying.

Around 2:00 the girls are free to play and enjoy the rest of their day!

I love when our schedule works out just like this but quite often, we are rushing from one thing to the next and our school work gets done in between the busyness.

I counted up our school days and we are currently on day 94 or week 19.

Elayna is reading everything in sight. She loves to read and can finish a small chapter book (like a Mandie book) very quickly. She loves the missionary books we have been reading and she devours information about animals and places. Math still is not her favorite, but she is working hard at it.

We have turned a corner with Annalise and she no longer throws a fit about school. Last fall, it was a daily battle but now, I'm not sure what happened other than she grew up a little, we don't have any fits! Well, ok, SOME fits about certain things but not every day and certainly not about every subject! I am so impressed with how well she is doing!

Abby makes me laugh. She is very smart but, how do I say it... she wants to learn but she doesn't want to work to learn. She is seriously funny when it comes to school. She floats from topic to topic and thought to thought. She cares about what she is wearing to school and if she put on chapstick but could care less if she remembered her sight words for the day. She wants me to read to her but doesn't want to read herself. She has a ditsy, baby voice that she pulls out when she doesn't know something she should know. She will color like crazy, do a full word search (an adult one!) or picture find puzzle on her own time but doesn't have any interest sitting for her schoolwork. Do any of you have a student like this at home?

I'll end this homeschool update with a few pictures of Annalise and Abby with their dolls and matching outfits. This was the same day as our shoe-tying races. Aren't they cute?

And thanks to all of you who have stopped by our facebook page! It has been fun to interact with many of you there!

Enjoy your Thursday!

Ten Things I Miss

2012-01-17T09:34:00.002-05:00

Since going gluten free in October 2010, I have adjusted pretty well to my new health and diet restrictions.

But, just being real here... gluten free things can't always replace the things I miss.

I used to be a bread girl.

A REAL bread girl.

Although I am incredibly thankful for all the wonderful gluten free things out there, Pamela's and Udi's being some of my favorites, there are certain things that I still miss about the world of gluten.

I think I miss it the most when I'm eating out because I can't eat many of my favorites.

This list is just a few of the things I miss...

1. Papa John's Pizza Crust. I miss all real pizza but Papa Johns tops the list.

2. Cinnamon Rolls. from anywhere. seriously.

3. Biscuits/Rolls. I love having bread with a meal. Butter and honey on a biscuit or piece of hot bread. Mmmm... I miss being able to eat the bread that is put on your table at a restaurant. I always feel like I'm missing something when I can't eat the yummy goodness of a yeasty roll.

4. Chick-fil-a Chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets. They have the best breading on their chicken and sometimes it is so hard not to eat one! (I did see that they are coming out with grilled nuggets!!!! But, again, I'll miss the breading, I'm sure.)

5. Mcgriddles. I know, I know... you didn't know I used to eat all that stuff did you? I did. I love McDonald's breakfast sandwiches.

6. Panera bagels, cookies, bread bowls... Panera just isn't the same when you have to eat gluten free.

7. Hamburgers. I miss being able to sit down and order a burger and fries. Not having to worry about the bun or if the fries were fried with something else or if the sauce on the burger is ok or not.

8. Soft shell tacos. I love soft, flour shells. Especially from Chipotle. Now, I get a burrito bowl but I do miss that delicious shell!

9. Chinese buffets. I haven't eaten at a chinese buffet since I went gluten free because I have no idea how to tell if things are gluten free or not and all of my favorite things (sweet and sour chicken, crab rangoons...) are not gluten free.

10. Desserts. Cheesecake, brownies and ice cream, apple pie... not available anymore.

There are more things that I miss but as I look at this list, I know I am SO MUCH better off NOT eating these things. The calories saved are enormous. But, I still miss being able to eat them once in awhile. Eating out just isn't as much fun as it used to be when I could eat gluten.

I do replace these things with gluten free options when I'm at home. Also, I've found some wonderful restaurants that do offer gluten free menus, for which I am very thankful.

I am healthier for being gluten free, but that doesn't always make it easier.

Sometimes, I just miss gluten!

*linking up with Amanda for Top Ten Tuesday

How We Tie Shoes

2012-01-16T13:18:00.001-05:00

It has been a long standing joke between Jeremy and I that I can't tie shoes.

Well, I CAN tie shoes, but I don't tie shoes with the normal "around the tree" kind of way.

I am almost 30 and I still tie my shoes with bunny ears.

Really. I do. And, I'm totally fine with that.

Jeremy laughs his head off at me because I do it the little-kid way.

Oh well.

So, this morning, when I heard, "Daddy, will you tie my doll's ice skates for me?", I knew that we were in for another shoe-tying discussion.

"Annalise, don't you know how to tie shoes?"

"Yes, I can!" Annalise said.

I yelled down the stairs. "She needs help because the laces are really small and hard to do on those skates."

Whew. In the clear... discussion averted.

Then Abby pipes up. "I don't know how to tie shoes, Daddy."

Uh oh. Here we go.

"Okay, Abs, go get some shoes."

Annalise did it first to show Abby and Daddy that she could do it.

Elayna sat beside Jeremy with another shoe.

"Elayna, do you tie shoes like your mom?" Jeremy asked. "That is not how you tie shoes."

To which I said, "Elayna, stand tall and proud. There is no reason we can't use bunny ears."

Jeremy laughs and said, "Well, Abby, you are learning the right way."

So, Abby did!

They worked and worked, all while Elayna and I kept up our side of the shoe tying debate.

Then Jeremy said, "Well, my way is faster. Want to race?"

They raced and surprise, surprise... Jeremy won. He always wins.

"Now, Mommy and I are going to race. Jen, come on!"

So, we sat down and raced.

Of course, he won again, but by a split, teeny second, mind you.

After all that, Abby did learn to tie her shoes. Daddy's way.

Right now we have 3 "around the tree" tyers and 2 "bunny ears" tyers.

That's how we tie shoes.

A Quick Post with Links!

2012-01-12T08:50:00.000-05:00

Ok...

A few quick things today with links!

I am blogging over at Seeds of Faith today... come say hello!
I have a giveaway going on at my book review page for The Uncommon Life devotional... just comment to enter. Giveaway ends on Friday!
My mom is getting ready to launch her Etsy shop "Sew Fun Design" in February. Do you remember the cute aprons my girls and their dolls were wearing at Christmas? Adorable. Her shop will have all kinds of fun things for women and for girls and for 18 inch dolls. You can find her now on facebook and twitter. Her blog/website is in the works and I can't wait to see it! Will you go give her some like/follow love?
The Lazy Mom has a great giveaway right now for a SurfShelf. Ever seen one? Go check it out!
I'm a new writer over at The Homeschool Village... how fun!

I think that is it.

For now.

For links anyway...