Step Into My Chambers

(In) RL conference

2012-02-15T10:37:00.000-06:00

So what exactly does my title mean? It's about a conference sponsored by (in)courage.me. (In)courage is a blog for Christian women and they are hosting a webcast conference from April 27-28. You can find out all the details here.

This conference does not require to travel, pack any bags, find a sitter for a weekend, or spend lots of money! The cost is $10 plus $1.54 service fee. But you'll recieve a t-shirt and a 10 pack of cards from Dayspring for signing up. So in a nutshell, the conference pays for itself.

The purpose of the conference is to incourage community among Christian women. You will watch a webcast by yourself on Friday and then on Saturday you can meet up with a group of girlfriends or new friends for that matter and spend 3 hours together watching a webcast on the topic of community. (In)courage has some great bloggers including Ann Voskamp, author of 1000 Gifts, Lysa Tyrkeurst, and The Nester. I believe some of these women will be part of the webcast so you'll surely be blessed.

If you live in the Montgomery area, you can attend my meet up! I'll have a 3 wk old child by then (unless the baby comes before April 5), so I'm hosting the Saturday meet up at my house. I would love for you to come. If you are outside of Montgomery, you can sign up for a different meet up or even host your own.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up for the (in)RL conference!!

Booking It 2012

2012-01-12T22:55:00.002-06:00

I set a goal to read 2 books a month in addition to my Bible reading. I'm a bit of an overachiever, so I'm reading 3 books right now.

Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham is a book full of wisdom. I'm only on chapter 2, but I have already gleaned some great things. The premise of the book is to pour into your family as the family is a great means God uses to pass on the faith from generation to generation.

I love the author's use of the Scriptures and his view on marriage. "Our marriage serves as a strategic command where we plan and oversee the discipleship of each of our children; it functions as a counseling center where our children come to feel safe in the midst of a frightening world; and it functions as a laboratory where our children watch and learn what marriage is about." (p. 47)

What I find interesting is that Voddie did not grow up in a Christian home. He had a teenage Buddhist mother. However, God stepped in and taught him how to walk with him and raise a godly family. There is hope in the midst of unideal circumstances for anyone to know God and follow his ways.

Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy has been sooo good for me. I struggle greatly with procrastination, so this book is lighting the fire under me that I need to get things done. Crystal from moneysavingmom.com said it was one of the top 7 books she read in 2011 (and she read 60 books). Eating a frog means doing the thing(s) that you least want to do at the start of your day. In so doing, you will be motivated to do other tasks throughout the day because your worst task is already done.

I'm working on putting a new habit in my life every month. My habit for January is to Eat a Frog everyday. So far, so good. I completed our newsletters, edited my husband's paper, did my hair, emptied the laundry baskets, written out our budget, and many other tasks as a result of eating a frog everyday.

I'm taking notes as I work through this book. Rules of frog eating:
1. If you have to eat 2 frogs, eat the ugliest one first.
2. If you have to eat a live frog at all, it doesn't pay to sit and look at it very long.

I have shared lots of principles from this book with friends and I think the author is spot on. If you struggle with procrastination, I highly recommend this book.

Another book along the same lines as Eat that Frog is One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh Oxenreider.   I printed out this e-book and I'm slowly making my way through it. The tasks don't build on each other, so you can start on whatever task would serve you best. You can see a list of the projects here.

I'm working on Project #1- Eat your Frog, #2 Make a debt-free plan, and #3 Establish a morning routine, #19 Dump your brain.   Three of these four projects really go together for me. As part of my morning routine, I dump my brain using this to-do list and write out my frog for the day. I know it's important not to bite off too much at one time, or else I'll burnout and get nothing done. I think the key here is for me to pick just a few things and get them going really well and then start on others. After all, the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

I'm looking forward to finishing these books this month. In February I want to read Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. Eddie picked up a copy of The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller for us to read together.   I'm glad he did that because one of my goals for the year was for he and I to read 2 books together.

I'm linking up this post to lifeasmom.com.   Go here to see what other's are reading.

Have you read anything good lately?

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-06T22:59:00.001-06:00

I always love the new year. Turning the calendar from December to January feels like cleaning a slate, a virtual do-over. I love setting goals. Though I don't always accomplish them, setting them certainly gives me something to shoot for. I am a firm believer that small changes practiced over time make a big impact!

One of the greatest things I accomplished in 2011 was memorizing almost all of Colossians. I started in February and as of today, I have memorized through Ch. 4, verse 8. Only 10 more verses to go. Woohoo. And get this...I kept up with my spiral index card holder for the entire year. Now that's certainly something to be proud of.   It's tattered and worn, but I love it just like that.   The crimps and wrinkles are signs that I have hidden His word in my heart.

I found the plan on Ann Voskamp's site here. By memorizing 2 verses a week, I have come this far. See? Small changes over time make a big impact!! Slow and steady wins the race. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. I'm a firm believer that this stuff works.

The other day, I sat down and wrote my goals for this year. Then I printed them out and laminated the page. By looking at them daily, I'll stay motivated to keep eating that elephant.

I divided the goals ito 6 different categories based on my roles. Eddie and I still have to talk through the details of some of them, so that's why there are blanks. But believe you me, I do plan to fill them in.

Personal
1. Finish memorizing Colossians. Pick another BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) by February.
2. Finish reading through the Bible. (I have attempted this goal many times, but never succeeded). In November, I decided to start by reading the NT first. After all, I've read Genesis many times! So far I have read all the Gospels and Acts. I start Romans tomorrow! You can find a plan like mine here.
3.   Read 2 books a month. I'm currently reading Family Driven Faith and Eat That Frog.
4. Focus on one habit a month. For January I want to eat a a frog everyday. That means I want to do the thing I least want to do 1st everyday. In so doing, I won't procrastinate and will be better able to enjoy my day because I will know I have already done the worst thing...eaten a frog!!
4. Crochet a blanket for Mason and the new baby. I plan to get help from a lady at church to complete this goal. I taught myself how to crochet when I was pregnant with Halley, and now I want to expand my skills.

Marriage
1. Date night ____ times per month.
2. Read 2 books together (marriage/parenting).
3.  Overnight trip without kids ___ times per year.
4. Talk time 4 days a week. (I would like to work up to doing this everyday. We'll see!)

Mother
1. Memorize 2 Scriptures a month. I'm pretty sure they can do more than this, but 2 is a great start.
2. Do 2 1 crafts per ~~week~~ month.  (This will take some planning on my part, but it's certainly doable).
3. Read to kids 3 days per week and increase as it becomes a habit.
4.  Mark chore charts M-F and pay on Saturday using Give/Save/Spend canisters.

Ministry
1. Share my faith once a month.
2. Write 2 cards per month.
3. Write a newsletter by the 5th of every month.  (We completed January's letter and plan to mail them by Monday).
4. Meet with ASU girls every Saturday while school is in.

Financial
1. Monthly budget meeting with Eddie.
2. Keep up with our spending using mint.com.
3. Pay off $_____ towards our debt.

Blogging
1. Blog once a week.
2. Take pictures 3 days per week.

Crystal from moneysavingmom.com really inspired me to write my goals down and break them down into small bites. I'm so encouraged by her life and blog.   Her first book is coming out this Tues, Jan. 10.   It's called The Money Saving Mom's Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year.   Her blog has encouraged me in so many ways. Her series called 21 Days to a more Disciplined Life really put me on track to achieve great things at the end of 2011.

Photo Credit

Discipling Myself for Godliness

2011-11-09T19:29:00.000-06:00

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value both for this life and the life to come. -1 Tim. 4:8

I left this comment on moneysavingmom.com and I thought I'd post it here, as well.

I am reading a book with some collegegirls called Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary Kassian. Ithas been a real blessing to me. Last week the chapter was on habits.The author says that our habits really show what our priorities are. Welike to think that things that sound good are our priorities, but ourhabits really show what takes precedence in our lives. I want being awoman of God’s word and an excellent wife and mother to be mypriorities, but my habits don’t show that I’m working towards thosegoals. So this week, I implemented a new discipline…No Bible, No Blogs(meaning that if I haven’t read the Bible I can’t read any blogs). Thishas helped me so far. Also, if my kitchen isn’t clean, I don’t functionwell or get other cleaning done because I just can’t seem to get a moveon. So the same rule applies for cleaning the kithchen. I like to say,"No clean kitchen, No Pinterest" (kinda works lol), but the point isnot to get on the computer until I have a clean kitchen. I hope tobuild these disciplines in my life. Thanks for this series. As for agoal to complete in the next 24 hours it will be to organize our mastercloset. This has been on my to do list for far too long.

I ~~am addicted to~~ love reading blogs. However, like Facebook they take up too much of my time. I had a friend change my Facebook password to something I don't know, so that I could not get back into my account. This helped my immensely.

I just implemented these rules on Monday, but already I see some changes. I found a great Bible reading plan and have started it. And today, I got the kitchen clean which helped me to move on to other chores. I'm sure that putting these disciplines in my life will continue to benefit me.

How about you? What habits do you need to put in your life to lead a more disciplined life?

photo credit

November Meal Plan

2011-11-09T19:04:00.000-06:00

Meal planning is something I really enjoy doing. Call me quirky if you like...doesn't bother me one bit. I learned lots about freezer cooking and meal planning from Jessica at lifeasmom.com and Crystal aka moneysavingmom.com. Having a meal plan helps me not to look in the fridge at 5 and think, "What in the world are we going to eat."

With four little ones, cooking dinner can be quite the fiasco, but thanks to having a plan and already cooked chicken, processed veggies, shredded cheese, cooked ground beef, and some casseroles sitting in the freezer our meals come together quite quickly and with minimal effort. Cooking dinner is more like assembling a meal than really cooking.

Just the other night I made homemade chicken pockets (adapted from here) and rice with veggies in a jiffy. For the chicken pockets, the chicken was already made (in the crockpot and frozen) and the cheese was shredded. All I had to do was combine the filling and steam the corn and broccoli to add to this delicious entree.

Once it was the oven, I thought we needed rice or something to make the meal more filling. I cooked white rice and in the meantime sauteed onion, mushrooms (pre sauteed and frozen), and broccoli. When the rice was done, I added it to the veggies along with some cheese. It was delicious and simple! What made this meal even better was that I tripled the recipe and made extra chicken pockets to put in the freezer for a quick snack or meal.

Freezer cooking saves me time, energy, and brain cells! Also, I love family traditions so every Wednesday we have leftovers, Friday we have fried fish and every Saturday homemade pizza makes its' way to our table. That only leaves me 4 other meals to plan for the week. See...meal planning isn't that hard at all. Also, I don't necessarily cook what's on the menu for that day. Sometimes, I cook something else planned for later in the month if I would prefer it.

With all that said, here's our menu plan for November (minus Wed, Fri, and Sat). I still have a few more days to fill in with meals or I may just make it a day that we eat what's already cooked in the freezer.

Chicken Enchiladas, rice, corn
Shepherd's Pie
Marinated chicken, rice and gravy, corn, salad
BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, corn
Tacos, beans, rice
Penne Rustica
Sweet and Sour Chicken, rice, vegetable stir-fry
Chicken Parmesan Bake, noodles, green beans, bread
Baked Ziti, Red Lobster Biscuits
Baked chicken nuggets, broccoli, tater tots
Chicken Taquitos, rice, beans
Thanksgiving meal (traditional)
Chicken and Broccoli casserole, rice
Bourbon chicken, rice, green beans

I have adapted many of these recipes over time to our liking. I hope you enjoy them too.

Not Quite What I Had In Mind

2011-10-30T12:59:00.000-05:00

I've been up since 6 this morning ~~corraling children~~ cleaning the house. This is what I have to show for it...

Clean dishes in the sink, but clutter everywhere else

A dirty kitchen floor

Signs that we did indeed eat breakfast

A couple loads of laundry washed, some folded, much more to tackle

~~My husband's office~~ Dining Room table filled with school books

I did accomplish the much needed task of organizing the sippy cup tops drawer.
I consider this as important as balancing the national budget!

And I did manage to organize this cabinet. I wish I had a before picture to show you...it was hideous.

So yea, these two played a large role in helping me get ~~nearly nothing done~~ many cleaning tasks started, but few completed. You just gotta love 2 & 1/2 year olds!

I came across this picture and it gives perspective to my lot in life.

So yes, as much as I would enjoy a spic-n-span home, I'll choose to be grateful for these messes. They are signs that there is life (to the fullest) in these walls.

Who Wants To be Artsy Crafty?

2011-09-23T11:45:00.001-05:00

Last night I sat down in my bed with my journal and wrote out some goals for different areas of my life. I was inspired by this post from Crystal aka moneysavingmom.com. In the area of mothering one of my goals was to get our children unplugged from the TV and Internet by spending time reading to them and playing with them daily.

Confession: I have been letting the TV babysit my children WAY too much this week. TV is ok, but it needs to be in moderation. And when I have them watching it would be beneficial for me to use that time doing something productive instead of just wasting time reading blogs or on Facebook.

I think there are good times for me to unwind and spend time doing leisurely activities. However, ya girl has been WAY too leisurely lately. Get my drift?

So today I set out to do something fun with the kids. I came across this recipe for finger paint and made it in a jiffy. As I type this blog post the kids are still playing with the paint. (I spent some time painting too and then decided to do this post. Don't want you to get the impression that I'm still not spending time with my precious babes. LOL)

Here are some pics of our ~~mess~~ work!

You paint in a yellow tutu, too dontcha?

FYI, don't make comments about my girls hair! That's a goal for next week. LOL!!

P.S. I don't blog a lot because I think it will take too much time. I'm so busy reading other people's blogs (their memories) that I don't take time to write out my own memories. Shame. Today, I set my timer for 15 minutes, typed like a mad woman and got this post done in about 15 minutes. Again, Crystal's post inspired me. I'm so glad!! Look what can be done in 15 minutes...and now I can cherish this finger painting session for years to come.

Mason's 1st Photo Book

2011-09-21T15:12:00.003-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Have you heard of...

2011-08-16T21:11:00.000-05:00

Mel's Kitchen Cafe?
The recipes on her blog are delicious! After making these tonight, I immediately sent the following email to some friends. As I was typing it, I thought I should share this on my blog. How's that for killing 2 birds with 1 stone? I have so many ideas in my head for blog posts, but I don't take the time to blog like I would like. I hope this email will suffice.

Ladies,
This website has delicious and easy recipes. www.melskitchencafe.com. I am always pleased with what I cook from there. Her recipes are easy and have "normal" ingredients. I made baked chicken taquitos tonight. Delish. So much so, that I had to share the link with you.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/05/baked-chicken-taquitos.html

Also, I plan to wrap up extra taquitos and freeze them prior to cooking. That way I have any easy lunch, or snack ready to go. To freeze, just wrap them and place them an inch apart on a cookie sheet in your freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer ziploc bag. FYI, that's called flash freezing. You can do this with just about anything.

I didn't defrost my chicken early enough, so I cooked them from frozen in an oven bag (Nikki taught me that. LOL). I seasoned the breasts with salt and pepper, garlic powder and onion powder and cooked at 275 for about 3.5 hours. I cooked 5 breasts and then shredded them. I used some for this recipe and I'm going to freeze the rest of the chicken. It saves so much time to have cooked and shredded chicken ready to go. You could also do it in your crockpot, but mine is broken. BTW, I only used the oven bag b/c I ran out of foil. And you know ya girl gots to make do with what she has on hand cause it's not easy to run to the store with lil ones on your heels! You know what I'm sayin'!!

Hope you enjoy,

Menu Plan Monday...the Tuesday edition

2011-06-28T20:38:00.000-05:00

We're doing well at eating more fruits and veggies these days. I've kept a good supply of watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, and bananas in the fridge for my little ones' favorite time of the day...SNACK TIME. I believe my kids think they are supposed to have snacks all throughout the day. I don't mind giving them all the fruit they want, so if it's a snack they want, fruit they shall get! Because of the holiday, I won't be cooking as much this week. Here's what we're eating this week:

Breakfast
Pumpkin Muffins, Watermelon
Baked Oatmeal X2, Mandarin Oranges
Pancakes, Turkey Bacon, Watermelon
Homemade Granola, Cantaloupe

Lunch
Tuna X2, Crackers, Fruit
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrots and Ranch
Leftovers
Out to eat Birthday Lunch

Dinner
BBQ Chicken, Mac and Cheese, Broccoli
Baked Ziti, Glazed Carrots, Italian Bread in the Breadmaker
Out to Eat (Kids eat free at Earth Fare on Thursdays)

Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans

Our Newest Family Member

2011-06-22T21:23:00.001-05:00

1999 Chevrolet Suburban

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!

We are now the owners of a car big enough to transport our family of 6 safely together!! Hallelujah! We have been driving 2 cars to get everyone around. On Sunday mornings we drive 2 cars to church.  Throughout the week the kids and I stay home because all 4 of them can't fit in the back of our other cars.  (Note: I didn't have huge dreams of taking everyone to run errands because taking 4 kids to the grocery store is a bit much for even supermom, but hey it would be nice to have that as an option if I ever lost my mind and in an act of pure foolishness decided I wanted to take them all out somewhere.)

We paid off the loans on our Escalade and Pick up truck a few weeks ago and planned to trade them both in at Carmax to get a my dream car...a Honda Odyssey. LOL!! So what, I'm a mom of 4, my dreams have changed. We worked with a guy for about a week to make this deal work and on Saturday it finally happened.  He traded his SUV for our pickup truck.  The value on our pickup truck is about $3600 in good condition (but our truck needed brakes, A/C work,  tires, not to mention who knows what else). The value of the SUV was nearly 2 times that! In the end we paid him an additional $500 and now this is ours.   And get this, we still have our Escalade that we can sell to pay off some other small debts! God is good!

The story is quite dramatic, so I'll save you the details. However, I just have to let you know that getting this car was a real answer to prayer. Eddie went out and hunted for the fish and I cleaned it, cooked it, and set the table.  He and I really worked together to get this done and for that I'm so thankful. I used a tip I learned from a blog that I stalk in negotiating. Hood MamaMel said that when negotiating a deal, after you make your offer, you must be quiet. The first person to talk, loses.  I used this tip to a T- if I do say so myself.

I called the seller several hours after the deal fell through (while sitting at our dining room table filling out the bill of sale of all things. Talk about a nail biter) to see if we could make something happen.   After I asked him if he would take $500, I SHUT UP. The seller just kept talking and talking and I just.remained.silent! Finally, he said, "Yes, $500 will be fine. I don't want to lose the deal over such a small amount." Whew. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and asked him to be here early on Saturday morning so that we could sign the papers.

After he brought the car to us, we took our maiden voyage to Chick-fil-a with a few friends. Then on Sunday we drove to church together. Halley started VBS for the first time this week. It has been such a blessing to put everyone in the car and drop her off at the church.   Here's what I see when I turn around from the front seat.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY - GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!!!

Abide in Me

2011-06-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

I am the vine, you are the brancehs; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

This verse keeps coming to my mind lately. In my interaction with our children, I constantly think about how I'm not abiding in Him. It's so easy to let the pressure of the moment and my impatience rule my life. Yet, if I'm truly abiding in Christ, He promises to give me grace. As a believer, I choose to sin or not (Rom 6:5-7). I have died to sin and therefore have the power to walk in the Spirit. This is so much easier said than done. Regretfully, my flesh often wins and before I know it I am responding in a sinful way to the people that I love most. By God's grace and with His help, I want to walk in the Spirit so that I will not carry out the desire of the flesh (Gal. 5:16).

Menu Plan Monday

2011-06-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

I've been cooking, but not planning our meals like I had been in the past. This lack of planning has my kiddies eating hot dogs and fries far too often. I really want to increase our intake of fruits and veggies, so I took matters into my own hands and sat down to write out a menu. I also went to Sam's and Publix and stocked up on yummy fruits and veggies.

Also, since I'm tired of hearing the little ones say, "I wan sum cannny" (I want some candy), I'm putting us on a candy fast. Though I hate it, I know they get this bad habit from me. To keep us from the sweet stuff I did something super smart...I didn't buy any!! Now how's that for growing a brain?! Candy will only be consumed on Saturdays and Sundays around these parts. However, I reserve the right to sneak the Red Rageous Mike and Ike's in a pinch! (Hey, I'm grown...don't judge me)

I found a nifty menu planner page on 5dollardinners.com. You can print one out here.

Here's what we're eating (along with some random pics because hey...this is my blog):

Breakfast:
Overnight Oatmeal with chocolate chips X 2
Pancakes and bacon
Pumpkin Muffins
Egg Quiche, Turkey Sausage
Oatmeal, Fruit
Cereal

Lunch:
Tuna, crackers, fruit X 2
Leftovers X 3
Grilled cheese, Fruit

Dinner:
Chicken Pockets, Fruit
Chicken Fettucini Alfredo with Broccoli, Salad, Bread
Tacos, Spanish Rice
Eddie's Kung Pao chicken, rice, glazed carrots
Fried Fish, Spinach, Corn Bread
Pizza, Fruit

For more menu plans, check out orgjunkie.com

Happy Baby Momma Day

2011-05-09T21:39:00.000-05:00

God saw fit in His grace to bless me with 4 beautiful, albeit super active children. Thank you, Lord for my precious little ones. They are a gift.

After leaving church yesterday, I felt so heavy burdened regarding my role as a mother. Motherhood comes with great responsibility and I wonder if I am "doing it right". The task of raising these little people is so great. They mirror me in so many ways and the image I project is not always Christ-like.

I'm often impatient, easily irritated, angry, lazy, and the like. All of this shows that I have such a need for the Lord to work in my life. He promises that His grace is sufficient. So when I feel that I am at the end of my rope or about to lose my cool, I need to call out to the Rock that is stronger than I. I need to call out to Him continually and be led by Him in my parenting. There's never a time when I don't need His grace. I am soo very weak and so in need of His wisdom to lead me in the way that I should go. I pray that He can use me in my weaknesses (and they are many)to show my children Himself. It is my desire that they walk with Him and that somehow my life will be a reflection to my babes of His love.

Nighttime feedings

2011-02-21T11:44:00.000-06:00

My son Mason is nearly 5 months old. He usually sleeps through the night, but for the last couple of days he has been waking up (sometimes twice at night). This has been quite difficult, as I have 3 other children ages 4 and under to care for during the day. Mommy needs her rest. The 2nd time he woke up last night, I really struggled to get out of bed. Finally, I thought, “Eucharisteo preceeds the miracle!” As I thanked God for my precious son I jumped out of bed with energy and entered his room. I put my babe to my breast and watched him as God provided his nourishment through me. What an awesome God. As time drifted, I began to meditate on Scripture and review Ps. 19 and Col. 1:1-3. It was such a blessing to think on God’s Word as I sat with my little guy. Eucharisteo preceeds the miracle.

I'm keeping a list in a journal of gifts...not gifts that I want, but gifts that I have. Seeing God in my day is making me joyful...it's changing my perspective. it's drawing me to the Lord. Here are a few other gifts:

1. Seeing Rae in a bathing suit over her pants.

6. Watching Macky Boy party like it's 1999 after he potties.

9. Listening to Halley telling Rae and Macky Boy a story about God.

10. Mason's toothless grin.

25. Eddie cooking dinner.

41. Smooth writing pens.

48. Quiet time while 3/4 of my brood slleps.

50. 1 Peter 1

Won't you join me in counting your gifts? What are you thankful for?

The Twins Turned 2 In Dec...

2011-02-03T13:24:00.000-06:00

...but I didn't make their cake or sing happy b-day to them til Jan. 31!! Good thing they're young enough that they dont know the difference.

Macky Boy knows how to enjoy a piece of cake...

...but Rae Rae really knows how to make it count!!!

5-a-month February Goals

2011-02-03T12:47:00.001-06:00

Jess, an American blogger in Turkey, posts 5 goals for every month. At the beginning of the next month she updates how she did. I've decided to join her since I need the accountability. So, here goes:

1. Read to the kids everyday.

2. Track our spending by using a checkbook register and stay within the budget.

3. Drink 1.5 Juicy Juice bottles of water a day.

4. Read/listen to the Bible or a Christian sermon daily. Also review Scripture daily. I'm working on
1 Thes. 4:16-18 now.

5. Do 20 crunches twice a day. Gradually increase the amount so that by the end of the month I can do 40 twice a day. (This is my effort to lose the belly pooch that I carry as a result of having 4 kids in less than 4 years.)

(This cute little guy contributed to the pooch...shame on him)

7 Quick Takes Friday

2011-01-22T11:43:00.001-06:00

I was supposed to post this on Friday, but today is Saturday and I'm still going to post it (b/c afterall this IS my blog and what I say goes!)

1. I lost my camera charger about 2 months ago. Boo! But while hanging out with a friend she told me she had a universal charger that I could borrow. I was so excited and let the battery charge all night. The next morning I took these pics. Not shortly after I was watching Halley take a picture when suddenly Mariah knocked the camera out of her hand and it crashed to the ground! In less then 2 hours my camera was dead. I was quite upset to say the least. So, if any of you out there have an extra camera feel free to send it my way.

2. Eddie, Mason, and I are headed to BOSTON on Sunday. I'm pretty excited. We will be attending a seminar on support raising. I've never been to Boston, so I'm looking forward to it although the cold weather doesn't exactly excite me. This will be my 1st time traveling with a baby and I hope that it won't be my last on account of the stress. I plan to nurse Mason A LOT in hopes that it will put him to sleep. I get a little nervous thinking about how a crying baby can make the ride difficult for the passengers. But, I'm going to give it a go. Halley, Mariah, and Max are going to my parents.

3. Speaking of my parents, have I told you how wonderful they are? They keep our kids at their home quite often! It's a huge blessing. Now that my brother and his wife have had twins, they help them constantly too. My parents are both retired thanks to God's grace and Dave Ramsey. Their lack of debt is paying off in huge dividends to our family!

4. Max is nearly potty trained!! Woo hoo...can I get an AMEN?! It was hard work but consistency, snacks, bribes, a kitchen timer, persistance, and partying like it was 1999 with every victory, paid off!! Here's the little guy doing his thing!

(yes, that is a pink potty. he has an older sister, what can I say?!!)

5. My goal of only washing clothes that I know I can fold, dry, and put away in the same day is proving quite helpful. Twice this week I got all the clothes washed and that's no small feat considering that we are a family of 6.

6. Anyone have suggestions for what I can do to get the little guy pictured above to stop screaming? He constantly whines and screams at the top of his lungs. I've always enjoyed peace and quiet, but that rarely happens anymore. Ironically, I certainly get the quiet I oh-so-crave when I go to see the gynecologist!!

7. Looking for a good read? Check out When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent.

In this book, Carol, a Chrisitian women chronicles how she finds hope in the Lord after her 28 yo son is charged with the murder of his wife's ex-husband. Sorry, for the very brief synopsis...Mason is screaming, the twins are fighting, Halley is playing dress up, and my house is a WRECK! Now how's that for a dose of reality?!

For more quick takes check out Conversion Diary.

My How The Tables Have Turned

2011-01-20T22:23:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I had to go to the Gynecologist for my yearly exam. Though most women shrink back with anxiety from such an appointment, I looked at it as an opportunity to spend some much needed time alone.  I gear up for the appointment like I'm going to the beach as I pack a good book, snacks, my Ipod, and journal.

After filling out the necessary forms, the nurse put me in the room with the instructions to “put the gown on with the opening in the front and drape the paper across your legs.” Something we’ve all heard before.

After removing my clothing, I hoisted myself onto the exam table and before I knew it, I was asleep! Asleep- at the GYN- is that possible?!! Well, when you have 4 kids it is! Not only was I asleep, I was dreaming!

The Doctor walked in verbalizing his many apologies for running behind.

“No problem,” I said, “I’ve been resting.”

To which he replied, “If you consider resting, laying on the exam table at the Gynecologist office then you are definitely an overtired mom!”

We both laughed. Prior to having kids, I used to get so agitated when I had to wait to be seen. How dare the Doc have to deliver a baby when I’m waiting. Now, I get agitated when he’s in the office when I get there!

My nap was so good that I considered asking him

               if there were any other patients he needed to see,

                        a c-section to perform,

                               kids to pick up from school,

                                    groceries he needed to get

…absolutely anything he needed to do to get me more time on that beloved table so that I could rest!!!

O Picasa, where have you been all my life?

2011-01-20T13:50:00.004-06:00

I've been dying to write a new post for a couple of days. I'm so excited about the blog banner that I made using Picasa. My co-worker, Sarah, has a great blog with a great link to a Picasa tutorial on making a blog header. This tutorial showed me just how to do it. Isn't it lovely?

Since I haven't posted in over 6 months I thought a change in scenery would inspire me. Now if only I could stop playing around with pics and actually do some writing.

Eddie took our laptop into the office for some repairs, so I've only had our desktop to use. I uploaded Picasa to this computer and I'm so glad I did. Looking through these older pics has brought back so many fun memories of the olden days! LOL!

I learned how to add text to pics...

I also learned how to make a collage!

That's all for now. If you need me, I'll just be sitting in front of the computer playing with Picasa. And if you could, please send the memo to my kids!

Hiding His Word in my Heart

2010-06-22T09:46:00.004-05:00

(This post is actually a comment that I left on Brenda's blog. Because it was so long and a bit of an update of where I am, I thought I'd copy it to my blog. How's that for killing 2 birds with one stone?!!!)

A few years ago, you gave the challenge to memorize 1 Peter. I started then just memorizing chunks of 1 Peter, but not the entire book. Then I went through a GREAT trial in my life and this book really helped to guard my mind and give me strength in the battle.

1 Peter is my favorite book (ask my friends...I reference it all the time). I have the Bible on CD and over the years I have listened to 1 Peter sooo many times and continued to read it. I was challenged by a msg on Revive our Hearts (ROH) to begin memorizing large sectiions of scripture or even book. Of course, 1 Peter came to mind. I am also doing a Precept study of this book now. I brought a spiral set of notecards and started working on chapter 1. Without even knowing it, I almost had all of 1 Peter 1 memorzied because I had meditated on it and listened to it so many times. I am so motivated to memorize the entire book...even the saluations at the end!

I called up a friend, and she joined me in memorizing Ps. 19 just about 3 weeks ago. Each Friday we quote the passage that we have decided on to one another. We are currently on the last 3 verses of Ps. 19. The accountability really helps to. Next she is going to start on 1 Peter! What a blesing to hide God's Word in my heart.

You can go here, to listen to the 1st message in the 3 part series from ROH. The woman that Nancy Leigh Demoss (host of ROH) is interviewing has memorized 14 books of the Bible (including Revelation and Ruth) and over 100 chapters! I use this woman's same method...carry my spiral around with me during the day and memorize as I do my daily chores.

By the length of my comment, I guess you can tell that I really value Scripture Memory.

Voices of the True Woman Movement

2010-06-18T21:52:00.010-05:00

So, what could possible motivate to write on my blog after a 4 month hiatus? It's the new book edited by Nancy Leigh Demoss called, Voices of the True Woman Movement. Revive Our Hearts sent the book to me for free with the commitment that I had to write a review of each chapter. I needed some accountability to get back writing on my blog, so I thought this was just the ticket. (Not to mention that I LOVE free stuff!) Without further ado, here goes!

This book is a compilation of all the sermons/talks given at the True Woman '08 conference. I had the privilege to attend the conference in Chicago at that time. My friends, Nicole and Antoinette among others joined me on this trip. It truly left a lasting impression on my life as I can still remember so much of what was said. Pastor John Piper delivered the opening message and it is therefore the 1st chapter in the book.

Pastor John makes the statement that "Wimpy theology makes wimpy women." He gives examples of what the opposite of a wimpy woman looks like. She has courage to bear up under struggles when in the face of opposition, temptation, and fearful circumstances. Her trust in God's sovereignty leads her to glorify Him. I've been memorizing 1 Peter and as I read this chapter I continually thought of 1 Peter 1: 6-7 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The women that he highlighted had suffered great trials, but their faith was proved genuine because they withstood the trail to God's glory. Only He could strengthen and equip them to bear the death of loved ones, sickness, and imprisonment in a way that honored Christ. These women saw the God centered purpose for all things that came into their paths.

Pastor John says that true womanhood is a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of His Son in ways that would not be displayed if there were no womanhood. God knew that womanhood and manhood could display Christ's relationship with the church and therefore, he made me a woman.

So how do I glorify God as a woman? I do this, by living out His Word and living a life that is contrary to the world. To live out His Word, I must know His Word. It is my goal to spend time daily reading and memorizing the Bible. (More on Scripture Memory in the next post). I want to display Christ likeness to my husband and children, as well. As a wife, I seek to honor God by submitting to and honoring my husband. Whoa, that's a mouthful and not an easy task to accomplish. Serving my husband means putting his needs above my own. That can sometimes be very hard to do! It means, trusting God in decisions that Eddie makes and following him. Boy, do I need to meditate on that. But truly, submission should free me up to please God. I can trust that because God set the order of a household, He knows what is best. As I submit to Eddie's decisions, God is honored.

As the mom of 3 under 3 and 1 on the way, I have a home full of little disciples! They are watching to see how I respond to things, and how I use my time. Breezy, my 3 yo mimics nearly everything that I do. O, that I would show her the things of the Lord and she would follow me as I follow Christ.

Further, the Lord has placed other single ladies in my life. It has been my joy to ivite them into our home. "Doing life" around them has hopefully been a representation of the Gospel. I want to spread the aroma of Christ and make them long for Him.

How do you glorify God?

I'm gonna keep on keepin' on!

2010-02-03T07:23:00.004-06:00

As of today, I'm on the reading for Jan. 29. But, I'm not giving up. I still feel motivated to complete this task...on time. I got behind about 2 weeks ago when I went to Atlanta. I left my reading Bible at my mom's house and did not get it back for a week. I picked up another Bible to read and printed out a schedule, but I wasn't doing the entire 12 pages of reading each day. As you know, it doesn't take long to get behind. Each night before bed, I would think about the fact that I was getting more and more behind. (Sad face).

I know that the only way I will catch up is to cut some time stealers out of my life. This week, I've decided to stay off of facebook and Twitter until I have fully caught up. And I am getting back to my commitment of no TV or internet until I've completed the reading for the day. (I'm on the internet now because it's important for me to use the online community for accountablity. When I finish this post, I will get off the net until I've completed my reading for the day.) On Monday, I read 2 days worth and wanted that to be my plan to catch up. However, yesterday I only did a little over 1 days worth of reading. So today, I need to do 3 days of reading. I woke up at 6:30 this morning and have already completed 1 day. My plan is as follows:

Feb. 3- Complete readings for Jan 28, 29, 30 (2 Kings 15-1 Chron 23)
Feb. 4- Complete readings for Jan 31, Feb 1 (1 Chron 24- 2 Chron 23)
Feb. 5- Complete readings for Feb. 2, Feb. 3 (2 Chron 24 - Ez. 11)
Feb. 6- Complete readings for Feb. 4, Feb. 5 (Neh 1 - Job 7)
Feb. 7- Complete readings for Feb. 6, Feb. 7 (Job 8- Job 41)

If I stick to my plan, I'll be caught up on Sunday! Yes, this is a lofty goal, but by God's grace and my hard work I will accomplish this.

The best times for me to read are early in the morning before the kids get up and around 1 pm when they take a nap. If I'm not done by then, I can also do some reading before bed.

Of course I'm not just reading for the sake of reading. God is using his Word to change me. As I'm reading 1st and 2nd Kings now, I'm seeing how so many Kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. I've been thinking about that a lot. When I pray, I pray that Eddie and I and our children would do right in the sight of the Lord. Each time I read that someone did evil in His sight, my heart sinks a little. O, that we would be people who pleased the Lord in all things.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-18T19:41:00.002-06:00

I hadn't really been serious about the pantry challenge so far this month. But, I decided to give it a try for this week. I've made it my goal not to go the grocery store at all this week. We're making do with what we have. I had another menu plan for the week, but I decided to change it. I'm planning to go to Atlanta this weekend for my sister's 30th birthday, and I would like to use the savings to fund this trip. So, here's what's on the menu.

Monday- Stewed Chicken (a friend from St. Lucia came over to show me how to make it), rice, black beans

Tuesday- Roasted Chicken (purchase on sale last week for $0.79 per pound), veggies, salad. I plan to brine the chicken and prep it using an adaptation of Alton Brown's recipe. Eddie will just have to put it in the oven as I'll be working this day.

Wednesday- Chicken Sausage and Pasta with Marinara Sauce

Thursday - Crockpot Beef, Rice, Veggies

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday - Fried Fish, Baked Potatoes

For more menu plans of those eating from the Pantry, check out Life As Mom

Pressing on in the 90 Day Challenge

2010-01-18T13:26:00.004-06:00

Well, so far we've made it through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, and part of Judges...and it's only day 18!!! Thank you, Lord for getting me this far.

Over the past week, I've had a greater desire to retain some of what I've been reading and meditate on it throughout the day. To me, if the Word of God doesn't make a difference in my life and character then I have only read it for reading's sake. But, if I apply it to my life and burn it on the tablet of my heart, then I'm getting the true benefit of God's Holy Word. The Bible teaches that physical training is of some value but godliness has value for this life and the life to come.

I have started memorizing Deut. 5:32-6:9. Unfortunately, I only have the 1st two phrases down. I wrote it on a notecard and placed it above the kitchen sink today b/c frankly that's where I spend a lot of time! Hopefully, I'll get more of it down this week. I also think that if I write down a key phrase or something that sticks out to me from the reading, I'll be more likely to ponder it throughout the day. Too often, I find that I read the Bible in the morning and forget about my reading as the day goes on.

My commitment to keep the TV off and stay away from the internet is working like a charm. However, on Saturday, I broke my commitment saying, "I'll read later." Well, guess what. I had to finish Saturday's reading on Sunday! No surprises there.

From this week's reading, Deuteronomy was my favorite. Reading about the talking donkey and chapters 6-8 were very interesting. The secod half of Joshua was quite a challenge as I didn't enjoy reading where all of the bounderies were for each of the tribes land. Some of the cities were very hard to pronounce.

To find out how others are doing in the 90 day challenge, check out Momstoolbox.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-01-11T22:09:00.002-06:00

One of my goals for the year was to do a menu plan each week. I've been on track ALL year...all 11 days of it! LOL!

Monday- Cynthia's Cheesy Chicken , rice, mixed vegetables, bread (made extra to take to our neighbor whose twins recently came home from the hospital)

Tuesday- Bacon Cheeseburger meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday- Penne with Chicken and Spinach, Italian breadsticks

Thursday- Angel Chicken

Friday- fish and fries

Saturday- Homemade Pizza. I first served this at the twins' 1st birthday. It was a real hit. I'm trying to make it a family tradition to have this Pizza weekly. I just love family tradition.

Publix has boneless, skinless, chicken breasts for $1.99/lb this week...we'll be clucking by the end of the week!

Bible in 90 days- 11 days down, 79 to go!

2010-01-11T21:18:00.006-06:00

Well, it's the 11th of January and I'm still going strong in my Bible reading. So far, I've read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and most of Numbers! I can hardly believe it. I truly look forward to waking up in the morning and reading God's Word. I was one day behind, but yesterday I caught up.

The thing that has helped me most with this challenge is not turning on the TV or the internet until I've completed the reading for the day. It takes me about an hour to do the reading. Like I said before, I can waste an hour easily, so that's one reason I decided to take on this challenge. The early morning (around 6) is the best time for me to do the reading. That's about the only time that the house is super quiet. Once Halley and the tiwns are up, there's no turning back! I try to remember to put the coffeemaker on auto so that my coffee is waiting for me.

Reading so much each day gives me a broad view of the Scriptures. I do see the good that could come out of reading the Bible at a slower pace. If I did, I would have more time to research and find answers to my questions. But doing it this way let's me see the forest instead of focusing on each individual tree. And getting through Leviticus in 3 days was an added bonus. Of course, I know all of God's word is God breathed, but to be honest Leviticus is VERY detailed and I had a hard time focusing.

God is showing me that He means business in dealing with sin. Today, I read that He swallowed an entire family into the earth becuase of their sin. Moses wasn't able to see the promised Land becuase He didn't obey God's word as he had told him. (God told him to speak to the rock and water would come up. Moses struck the rock and thereby struck himself out of the picture for seeing the land that flowed with milk and honey.)

On a funny note, I find myself cringing each time the people begin to grumble to Moses and Aaron. I want to shout out loud, "NO...YOU'LL DIE!" LOL. When will they learn? So many Israelites died because of their grumbling. Even though the Israelites saw God deliver them many times, they always doubted and grumbled. I can't look down at them though, for I see this same thing in my own life.

Reading the Bible in 90 days has brought some much needed discipline to my life. It has been a joy to come to God's Word and learn His Ways. I have enjoyed checking in with others who are reading along, too. Please go to Momstoolbox to read insights from others who are reading the Bible in 90 days.

Macky Boy's 1st Haircut

2010-01-01T20:52:00.001-06:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Year, New Goals

2010-01-01T20:26:00.003-06:00

Ahhh, a fresh start! Oh how I love the new year. I woke up early this morning and started working on my 1st goal to read the Bible cover to cover in 90 days.
My other goals are:

Spiritual
Memorize one long passage from the Bible each month. (I still need to choose a passage for January. I'll pick the passage before each month begins and start working on it.)

Continue to pour my life into the women that God has brought into my life. I want to be intentional in spurring them on to the Lord.

Read 1 book a month. Subjects: spiritual growth, parenting, marriage, fun stuff. January's book is Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

Physical

Work out 3 times a week. I want to get rid of my belly fat!

Limit junk food intake to 1 snack a day. Increase fruit intake. Limit the amount of junk food I buy. If I don't buy it, I can't eat it!

Wife
Focus on Eddie. Daily think of how I can help and encourage him. Ask him what I can do to be a helper suitable to him.

Prioritize our physical relationship. (I started reading Rekindling the Romance by Dennis and Barbara Rainey earlier this week. It has helped a lot with me preparing my mind for action.)

Mother

Start teaching Halley the ABCs (one letter a week). Use Totally Tots.

Use Songs for Saplings to teach her the Scriptures.

Continue working on the Children's Catechism. One per month.

Read to the children daily.

Budget/Stewardship

Sit down with Eddie before the month begins and talk over our budget. Spend every penny on paper before the month begins. Use the envelope system.

In the Kitchen

Plan our meals every week.

Recycle and Reuse where I can.

Bake all of our bread using my new Bread Machine.

Stick to our food budget.

Blog

Update my blog atleast once a week. I've set this goal in the past, but I'm going to try again.

Well, that should be enough to get me started, dontcha think?

A HUGE Challenge!

2010-01-01T08:16:00.005-06:00

Ok, here goes:
By God's grace and with the discipline he supplies and the encouragement of other believers, I'm going to read the entire Bible in 90 days!

(Whew, I said it!)

I've been a Christian for a very long time, but I've never read God's Word from cover to cover. Two years ago, I committed to doing so and got the farthest I ever had, by making it to Isaiah. I bought The Daily Bible In Chronological Order for myself, mom, sister, Joy, and Keisha (a close friend). I told them, "Don't waste my money. Read the whole thing." Guess who fell off the wagon first. ME!

However, I was still proud that I made it that far. I've heard it said that if you aim for nothing, you'll hit it every time. If I hadn't set the goal, I would not have even started. So, I'm thankful for what I did read and the things that I learned of God during those day. That's one of the reasons that I love the new year. I feel like it's a fresh start and that excites me!

So, you might ask: "If she couldn't make it through the Bible in a year, how in the world is she going to make it through in 90 days?" Answer: By God's grace! In December, I started thinking about my goals for the year. I had decided to attempt to read the Bible in a year. But this time I wanted to start with the New Testament. You see, I've tried reading the entire Bible so many times, that I've got Genesis down pat! Lol! I thought that since the NT is shorter, reading it first would give me some much needed momentum. Last night (Dec. 31) I printed off a schedule to read the NT in 90 days.

This morning, I got on the internet (more on that later) and came across this blog for the 2nd time. The challenge was to read the Bible in 90 days. I liked this idea b/c I would be reading along with a community of other online friends. And Lord knows I need the encouragement. Also, last year I read 2- 500 pg Christian fiction books (The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers) in about 1 month each. Some days, I spent well over an hour reading those books. I know if I could spend time reading those, I can read the entire Bible. However, I had lots of reservations (aka discouragement in my own mind).

I went back and forth in my head. What made me take the plunge to spend approximately 1 hour reading the Bible a day is this: I waste lots of time daily. I can spend an hour reading other people's blogs and surfing the internet easily for 1 hour. Shouldn't I be able to read God's Word for an hour a day. After all, it is living and active. It is God's Word! So that's what got me in.

This morning I started reading with Gen. 1 around 7:10 a.m. I finished the reading at 8:07. I may not be able to read it through every morning for a straight hour, but if not, I will read it during the kids' nap time. I am going to make the commitment not to get on the internet or turn on the TV until, I've completed my reading for the day. Like I said, I waste a lot of time on the internet and I really need to make the Bible my priority.

I'm looking forward to the Twitter parties (where we will discuss our reading) on Monday nights and being encouraged by others. There is a specific Bible that you can purchase for this challenge. They say that reading with this Bible with increase the likelihood that you will read the entire Bible. It's divided into 90 days and has some reading tools in it I think. However, last week when we were in Atlanta we went to Fellowship Bible Church. At the entrance to the sanctuary there were paperback ESV Bibles. I had been wanting an ESV Bible and a thin one to use specifically for my Bible reading for the year. I picked one up (hope that's ok). So that's the one I'll be using. I printed off the reading schedule and placed it in the back of my Bible.

You can read more about the challenge at Mom's Toolbox and join in or you can go directly to the Bible in 90 days website.

What about you? Have you made any spiritual goals for the year? Either way, I need your encouragement. Check back here to see my progress! By God's grace, 2010 is going to be the year that I read the Bible cover to cover.

Twins 1st Birthday

2009-12-30T08:47:00.002-06:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Love Books...Check out Paperback Swap

2009-12-30T06:05:00.007-06:00

Have you guys heard about this club? I have been using this site for about a year and I love it. I know some of you guys love books at your house too and I thought you would be interested. I have recieved books on parenting, spiritual growth, cookbooks, fiction, etc. If you decide to sign up pls click the link in this blog or put down my nickname (taychambers) as the referrer...I'll get another book credit!

Some of my Faves!

2009-12-18T23:12:00.002-06:00

I've been spending so much time reading other people's blogs that I haven't taken time to write on my own! Planning our meals and cooking them has brought me so much joy lately. I have a few sites that I browse around daily for inspiration. Here are some of my faves (in no particular order).

Joy In My Kitchen

SnoWhite is the chef of this blog. She has great pictures to go along with her made from scratch recipes. I find that her food is easy to make, tasty, and full of ingredients that normal people use. I have made several of her dishes including Penne with chicken and spinach and Smothered Aussie Chicken I've also tried two of her bread recipes. This whole wheat bread is delicious and I'm sure I won't be trying a new recipe for wheat bread as I've found "the one." This breadstick recipe was fun to make and reminded me of the breadsticks from the Olive Garden.

Life As Mom

Jessica is the Mom of this blog. One of my favorite features is the Ultimate Recipe Swap that's held on Thursdays. Each week, bloggers from around the country join this blogging carnival with their recipes that goes along with the theme for the week. Jessica also has another blog called, "Good and Cheap Eats." This is where she posts all of her recipes and tips for eating on a budget. Jessica has 6 kids, so her meals are very family friendly and full of variety. Recently, she has started a freezer cooking day at the beginning of the month. You can read about it here. Tomorrow is the twins 1st birthday! We're having a party and I'm serving pizza using Jessica's homemade pizza dough. We had it a few weeks ago and it is very good.

Lynn's Kitchen Adventures

I haven't tried any of Lynn's recipes yet, but I've spent a lot of time drooling over her pictures. Her recipes look healthy, tasty, and easy to make. I'm looking forward to trying some of her easy cheesy bread and mexican pizza.

Some websites and blogs that have great recipe indexes are Kraft Foods, Taste Of Home, Food Network (check out Paula Deen, The Neely's and Rachael Ray), Amy's Finer Things, Tammy's Recipes, and The Sister's Cafe.

Those links should keep you busy for awhile! What are your favorite sites for recipes?

An Early Christmas Present

2009-12-01T14:59:00.003-06:00

I have been wanting a breadmaker for a long time. Thanks to my sister, Joy, I now have one! I'm so happy and grateful. I couldn't get a picture of the one that she brought me to post at the top of the page, but here it is. This morning I made my 1st loaf of bread. It was ok...but I'm not giving up. I found another recipe thanks to SnoWhite. This is the one that I'm going to try next. My plan is to start making pizza dough for Family Pizza Night on Saturdays and to make bread for us to eat throughout the week!

Thanks Baby Girl...you've made me a happy woman!

Menu Plan Monday...or Tuesday!

2009-12-01T13:51:00.003-06:00

Well, I've had our menu done for quite some time...I'm just a little late posting it. I tried something new this month and made out our menu for the entire month, instead of just for one week. It's so hard to get to the grocery store, so while my Mom was in town I stocked up for the entire month.

As I'm writing, I have a 10 lb. turkey in the oven! I'm going to use the meat throughout the month for a few meals. I brined it...you can read more about that here. From what I hear, once you brine a turkey, you will never want it any other way. It should be very juicy and flavorful. I'll be sure to let you know!

Here's our meal plan for the week.

Monday- Shepherd's Pie remix (I changed it up a bit)
Tuesday- Turkey, Collard Greens, Mac and Cheese, Homemade Bread (more to come on that!)
Wednesday- Turkey Pockets (kinda like this, but a little different)
Thursday- Turkey Divan (substituting turkey for chicken), Rolls
Friday- Fried Fish, Fries (we've been having fried fish on Fridays for several months. I love family traditions!)
Saturday- Homemade Pizza (trying to start a new tradition of Homemade Pizza with my own dough on Saturdays)

Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans!

My Helper

2009-10-19T18:54:00.004-05:00

Halley continues to be a great helper. She loves all things domestic and is really good at it, as you can see. I just hope she keeps this enthusiasm for cleaning forever!

Macky's Marine Crawl

2009-10-19T18:46:00.002-05:00

My Macky Boy has been doing the marine crawl for several months now. Isn't it cute? When I lay him down at night, there is a huge streak of gray down the front of his onesie! I've been wanting to get it on video for awhile, so I'm so glad I did. As you can see, he's starting to crawl on his hands and knees now. Before I know it, he'll be walking.

Bath Time

2009-10-13T21:38:00.003-05:00

The twins have graduated from the infant tub and now take baths with their big sister. It's quite a feat to keep them from slipping and sliding all over the place, but is such a joy to watch. They enjoy "swimming" in the tub and splashing around. I have to keep my eyes peeled when I bathe them, but the joy that fills my heart as I hear them squeal is more than worth it!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Dr. Seuss for Nursing Moms

2009-08-08T04:41:00.004-05:00

(I'm not sure who wrote this poem)

Would you nurse her in the park?
Would you nurse him in the dark?
Would you nurse him with a Boppy?
And when your boobs are feeling floppy?

I would nurse him in the park,
I would nurse her in the dark.
I'd nurse with or without a Boppy.
Floppy boobs will never stop me.

Can you nurse with your seat belt on?
Can you nurse from dusk till dawn?
Though she may pinch me, bite me, pull,
I will nurse her `till she's full!

Can you nurse and make some soup?
Can you nurse and feed the group?
It makes her healthy strong and smart,
Mommy's milk is the best start!

Would you nurse him at the game?
Would you nurse her in the rain?
In front of those who dare complain?
I would nurse him at the game.
I would nurse her in the rain.

As for those who protest lactation,
I have the perfect explanation.
Mommy's milk is tailor made
It's the perfect food, you need no aid.

Some may scoff and some may wriggle,
Avert their eyes or even giggle.
To those who can be cruel and rude,
Remind them breast's the perfect food!

I would never scoff or giggle,
Roll my eyes or even wiggle!
I would not be so crass or crude,
I KNOW that this milk's the perfect food!

We make the amount we need
The perfect temp for every feed.
There's no compare to milk from breast-
The perfect food, above the rest.

Those nursing smiles are oh so sweet,
Mommy's milk is such a treat.
Human milk just can't be beat.

I will nurse, in any case,
On the street or in your face.
I will not let my baby cry,
I'll meet her needs, I'll always try.
It's not about what's good for you,
It's best for babies, through and through.

I will nurse her in my home,
I will nurse her when I roam.
Leave me be lads and ma'am.
I will nurse her, Mom I am

Nursing our children has been such a joy and a blessing. I wish more people could experience it. I love it for many reasons and some are: b/c it creates such a special bond with the baby, is oh so convenient, and is FREE!!! Before having the twins, I thought that I would nurse and bottlefeed b/c afterall nobody is crazy enough to nurse twins! LOL. I purchased bottles with gift cards from my showers and thought they would be used. I have to say however that the bottles have been used maybe about 4 times. Sounds crazy and unbelievable, I know! With Halley, I pumped milk, but b/c we didn't give her a bottle early on, she never really learned how to use one. My supply of frozen milk was mixed with her cereal and given to her around 9 months when she started on a sippy cup. I pumped a few times when the twins were born, but didn't keep up with it b/c I really don't have time to pump. With the twins it has just been easier to pop my breast in their mouths and keep on truckin'. They are 7 months now and I still nurse them simultaneously sometimes as it saves time. I would love to be a lactation consultant and encourage women to nurse their babies...the benefits are GREAT!!!

Twins - 7 months

2009-08-01T22:10:00.000-05:00

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First Fight

2009-08-01T21:46:00.004-05:00

I'm sure this is the first of many fights to come! And it looks like Rae Rae will be walking in her sister's shoes with all that biting she's doing...Lord, help!

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

2009-08-01T08:07:00.001-05:00

Macky Boy's Thoughts on Girls

2009-08-01T07:44:00.003-05:00

That's My Girl!

2009-08-01T00:53:00.010-05:00

Breezy continues to be such a blessing to our family. She is the greatest helper ever and has such a servant's heart! She LOVES the twins so much and will do anything for them (except share her beloved blanket). I want to fill you in on a few of the cute things she has been doing and saying lately.
1. "Where Daddy are?"
2. She uses Baby Talk with the twins which is oh-so-cute! The only thing is that her speech is already hard to understand, so she could talk in her regular voice and it would sound like Baby Talk!
3. Her dad lets her change the twin's diapers...and she does a pretty good job at it! She even squeezes the diaper beforehand to see if it's wet!
4. She asks to hold hands when we pray over our food. We don't usually hold hands except on Thursday's when we have our Life Group with church members. I guess she likes it, b/c she always asks to hold hands now.
5. She went to Atlanta to stay w/ my parents for a couple of days. My dad let her mop the kitchen floor...and he says he has a video of it.
6. Tonight she told me to leave the bathroom while she did her thing and "close da door...close it hard!"
7. "Mommy, hold you." Translation: "Mommy, hold me." Isn't that cute
8. "Wanna watch hatha birfday." Meaning: She loves to watch the videos of herself on my blog...especially this one of her 2nd birthday and this one where she teaches her baby to use the potty.
9. Everytime I want to take a picture of her with her siblings, she grabs the babies' hands. Why? I don't know...she just does! And here is the proof:

8. I have to admit that I let Breezy feed the babies sometimes, too! She does a pretty good job, dontcha think?

Mama Always Said, "You have not because you ask not!"

2009-05-21T23:59:00.004-05:00

The other day, I decided to go out with the kiddies to cash in on the free KFC. I packed up all the kids up and off we went. When I got to the drive thru, I was told that I had to get a raincheck for the chicken b/c of the "overwhelming response." What did they think was going to happen...after all they advertised on Oprah!

I got the raincheck and had to put it in the mail that day. But alas, I had no stamps! Since the post office was close by, I decided to go. However, there was no way I was going to get the double stroller out, unload Halley, snap in the twins, run inside for 1 stamp, push the stroller back outside while getting Halley to hold onto the stroller, buckle Halley back in, lift the twins back into their seats, put the double stroller away, and get back in the car! Aren't you tired just thinking about how much energy that would take?

So here was my solution: I backed the truck up from where I was parked to get closer to the door and asked a complete stranger something like this, "Excuse me ma'am, I have 3 very cute but hard to transport children in my car. Would you please find it in yourself to help a sista out?" Of course she obliged. I even got express service b/c her son was with her and ran the stamps and my change out to me! Like mama said, "You have not because you ask not!"

Twins - 5 months!

2009-05-19T16:30:00.007-05:00

Dear Rae Rae,
Today you are 5 months old. You are such a sweetheart and full of personality. It seems to me that you are growing out of your nickname of Baby Set It Off. You have mellowed out some and aren't quite as demanding. It's easier to soothe you and meet your demands these days. In the past 2 months you started rolling over (you accomplished this feat about 3 weeks after Max). Most people say it's because you have so much baby fat on you that it's harder for you to roll over! However, you were able to bear weight on your legs before your brother. I attached a mirror to your crib and it keeps you occupied and cooing for good lengths of time. You can clasp your hands together like you are praying and push up on your arms. Your hair is very curly and I adorn it with one or two barrettes to add to your cuteness factor! You are an excellent napper and night time sleeper. At your last Dr's appointment you weighed 13 lbs 1 oz. You had to get 3 shots and you were quite the trooper...barely cried at all. Your skin is still so soft and I love rubbing my face against your cheeks. I wish I could bottle something to keep you a baby forever! However, I know that you will get even sweeter and more precious to me with time...so, I guess I'll let you grow up!
Rae Rae, Mommy loves you!

Macky Boy,
What a sweet little boy you are! It is amazing how much you look like your Daddy. This month, I put a baseball cap on you for the first time and I absolutely love it. You look so cute in it. I think wearing a hat will be your signature look. You are very active and quite a squirmer. You are a very happy baby and full of sweet laughter and cooing sounds. You and Rae Rae both started sucking your thumbs last month. I had vowed not to let anymore of our kids be thumbsuckers b/c Halley's thumb is in terrible shape. However, I let you and Rae Rae have your way! You can bear weight on your legs, push up on your arms, and recognize familiar voices. On Mother's Day, Auntie Erika and Oma gave you your first taste of rice cereal. After about a week, you were keeping most of it in your mouth and not pushing the majority of it out. You are still pretty laid back, but not hesitant to let out your high pitched shrill to let me know how you are really feeling! Most nights you sleep all night and wake up around 6:30. At your last Dr's appointment you weighed 13 lbs. Even though you are only 1 oz. behind Mariah, she is in the 45th percentile and you are in the 15th b/c the boys growth curve is different from the girls. I am really proud of your progress and I think you will be bigger than Mariah in no time! But, oh what I wouldn't do to keep you little forever!
I love you Macky Boy!

There's More Than One Way To Skin A Cat...or Swing a Swing

2009-05-16T08:44:00.005-05:00

Still Saving

2009-05-03T22:20:00.007-05:00

Bruno's had triple coupons up to $0.55 this weekend. That means that all coupons were worth 3X their face value (a coupon for $0.55 was worth $1.65...which is great!). I'm so glad that I was able to go. I had to be careful though, b/c Bruno's is very high! Even w/ triple coupons some of their deals were not as good as I could get w/ BOGO deals at Publix. I had in mind only to buy things that were $2 or less, so that w/ the Q they would cost me less than $0.50 or so. Here is what I purchased:

Regular Price: $36.57
- $20.83 (sales and coupons)
Total OOP: $17.78 (w/ tax)

Total Savings: 52%

To put this shopping trip into perspective, I'll tell you that the Gain Detergent was $13.98 by itself before the sale! I spent about $4 more and recieved everything else! Can you believe that? I'm telling you, couponing is definetly worth it. Yes, it took time to clip the qs and research different blogs for great deals, but in the end it was certainly worth it!

Publix Super Savers

2009-05-03T21:45:00.008-05:00

Wow! I'm back into the savings game! After church (and a much needed nap) Halley and I headed out to Bruno's (I will post about this trip in a separate post) and Publix. My Publix trip was GREAT. Here is what I purchased:

The picture is cloudy, so I will list what I purchased along with the price after the Q
4- 12 pack A&W and 7 Up $5.99
2- Digiorno Pizza $3.75 each
1 - 96 count Huggies $11.50
1- Huggies Soft Skin Wipes - FREE w/ *Publix Promise*
2- Cashew Sandies $1 each
1- Publix Cocoa Butter - FREE
1- Huggies Natural Wipes - FREE
1- Publix Alcohol - FREE
1- Publix Iced Tea - $.01
2- 3 lb bags Fuji Apples - $1.50 each
1- 24 bottles Aquafina $3.99

Regular Price: $86.41
-$11.38 (sales)
-$30.67 (coupons)
Total OOP: $37.39

Total Savings: 57%

*B/C of the Publix Promise I recieved the Huggies wipes for free! They rang up for $6.99 instead of $5.99, so my money was refunded.

I had lots of savings highlights which made me very happy! For instance, the big box of Huggies were on sale for $19.99. I had a Publix Q for $5, a Target Q for $1.50, and a Manufacturer's Q for $2. That means I paid $12 for the Huggies. If you have a child that is under 2, you should definetly sign up for the Publix Baby Club. This week, I recieved several great coupons in the mail for joining the club. I also recieved the cocoa butter, alcohol, small pack of Huggies wipes free with Baby Club Qs. I had a coupon for every item that I purchased except for the Aquafina water, but it was on sale...of course!

Once I got home, I checked over my reciept and found a few mistakes, so I returned to the store and got credit for a few items. I will try to make a practice of checking my reciept before I leave the store.

I really enjoyed my trip to Publix and I'm looking forward to more great deals!

For more Publix deals, check out Publix Super Savers at Fiddledeedee!

CVS Superstars

2009-04-05T20:28:00.005-05:00

Halley was out of pull-ups (she wears them at night, for naps, and for mother's morning out twice a week) so when my parents got in town I went to CVS to buy some. Good thing for me, CVS was offering a great deal. With a purchase of $25 of certain baby items, I could recieve $10 in ECBs. The first night, this is what I purchased:

2- 29 count Pull-ups, reg. price $12.99 on sale for $10

Total:$22

-Qs used:
$3/$15 CVS internet q
$2 Huggies

OOP: $16.50

I would have done the entire deal that night, but I wanted to go home and get another $2 Huggies Q.

On Saturday night, I went back to CVS and completed the deal. Here is what I purchased:

Charmin toilet paper- reg. price 12.99 sale price $9.99
Huggies Pull-ups- reg. price 12.99 sale price $10
2 Colgate toothpaste reg. price 3.29 sale price $2.99

Total: $28.57

-Qs used:
$5/$25 CVS q
2- $0.75 Colgate q
$2 Huggies q
$0.50 ECB

Total OOP: 19.02
ECB recieved $10 for Huggies
$2 Colgate

Since my mom was with me and I need LOTS of diapers for the twins, I had her do the deal too. Here's what she got:

2- 40 ct Huggies diapers reg. price $12.49 sale price $10
2- Johnsons Head to Toe Body Wash reg price $4.49 sale price $3
1- Big Red Gum

Total $29.90

Qs used
2- $1.50 off Huggies
1- $1 off Johnson's
1- Free Big Red

OOP: 24.72
ECB's earned: $10 for Huggies, $0.50- Winter Spending Earnings

Now I have $22.50 in ECB's. What deals will I snatch up next?

Twins- 3 months

2009-03-23T21:51:00.006-05:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

On March 19th, the twins turned 3 months old. I have a goal to write them a letter each month. Here are their letters for this month.

Dear Macky,
You are such a sweet boy! Thinking of how sweet you are really makes me smile. I love seeing your toothless grin and wide smile. Your creamy dark brown skin is so beautiful and I truly love you. This month you have learned to hold your paci in your mouth for much longer periods. I love that because I don't have to rush to your room as often to give you your beloved paci. You have a very high pitched cry and sometimes sound like a squealing pig (albeit a very cute little pig)! You are very easy going and laid back. Nothing really bothers you which is great since your sisters can be a little more demanding. I think you are being a gentleman and letting the ladies go first! When I change your diaper, I sing to you..."Macky Boy, Macky Boy, I love my Macky Wacky Boy! I love my Macky, I love my Macky, I love my Macky Wacky Boy!" When I sing, you shoot me that winning grin that melts my heart! The day before you turned 3 months, you rolled over from your stomach to your back. I was so impressed. I sent text messages to Daddy and close friends and family. You did it two times in a row. I ran to get the camera and when I came back, you wouldn't do it anymore...oh well. You can also push up on your arms to hold your head up and look around. You love the swing and watching the mobile that's attached to it. Halley adores you and enjoys hugging and kissing you. At your last Dr's appointment you were only 1/2 lb behind Mariah. You are catching up to your big sister!
Macky, I love you,
Mommy

Dear Rae Rae,
You are such a delight and joy! Your facial expressions make me laugh. I love your round, puffy cheeks and toothless grin. Your thighs are pleasantly plump with rolls of fat. I like to say that you have 4 rolls of sexy bread on each leg! You are quite demanding and will scream until you get your way. Unlike your brother who takes a paci to go to sleep, you typically cry for 5-7 minutes and then go to sleep. You have been sleeping through the night since you were 8 weeks old. You look like such a big girl laying on your stomach peacefully asleep in your bed. You have started to laugh and coo, and it sounds so cute. Rae Rae, you are a very good nurser and sometimes help Macky at meal times. Macky gets upset when the milk doesn't come down fast enough, so sometimes I put him on the breast that you were on so that he can get what he wants. In that way, you are being a big sister to him and helping him with his meals! What a sweet girl you are. This month I started dressing you in some of Halley's baby clothes. It has brought back so many fond memories of Halley. You look just like her and sometimes I tell you that I had the same child twice. The only difference between the two of you is that your hair is curlier and you don't have a dimple. I hope that you two will be very close to each other. Even as I write this letter, Halley is "reading" to you...how cute!
Rae Rae, I love you,
Mommy

Wheelin' and Dealin' at Walgreen's

2009-03-14T01:22:00.004-05:00

There's a hot new coupon out for $5 off a Huggies gentle care product. The wipes that I bought say gentle care and therefore qualify for the deal even though they are priced at $3. I used 2 coupons and got "paid" to purchase the items. I used the overage to buy some much needed boxes of tissue. I wanted to use the q on diapers, but of course they were out of stock. Anyway, I got all of this stuff for $1.61.

CVS Superstars

2009-03-14T00:58:00.005-05:00

Since having the twins, I've put couponing on the back burner. Since my parents are here for the weekend, I had some time to get back to the savings. Here is what I purchased at CVS.

Huggies Pull-ups on sale for $9.88 reg. price $12.99
4 Johnson's Buddies soaps $4.76

Total $15.81

Qs used:
-$3/$15 CVS q sent via email
-$2 Huggies pull-ups
-2 $2/2 Johnson's Buddies

Total OOP $6.81

Savings of 62%!
What a great trip!

For more CVS deals, check out the Centsible Sawyer's CVS Superstars

Jesus Saves!

2009-03-08T18:53:00.001-05:00

I love this song. The first time I heard it, I shouted...you'll know which part elicited this response when you get there!

My Firstborn

2009-03-05T20:50:00.005-06:00

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Halley is growing so much. It's hard to believe what a big girl she is. Some of her favorite things to do are reading, playing with dolls, pushing her stroller, buckling herself in her carseat, changing her clothes, taking baths, helping with the babies, kissing the babies, wrestling her dad, and helping me with chores around the house. She can be so sweet but also a huge challenge. She is potty trained and uses the phrase, "I gotta hotty (potty)" as an excuse to get out the bed! It's so sweet to see her interact with the babies. In the morning she comes in the babies' room while I'm nursing and gives each of them a hug and a kiss. When I put them in the swing or baby chair she likes to buckle them in. This past weekend she went to a skating birthday party. For fun, I put a pair of skates on her. After helping her skate on the carpet for a little while, she was ready to be on her own. She did really well balancing and walking with the skates on. My baby is really growing up.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Twins - 2 months

2009-02-19T22:09:00.001-06:00

Menu Plan Monday

2009-02-16T14:28:00.003-06:00

Since having the twins, I've really had to focus on time management. I haven't taken the twins out much and we certainly aren't going to the grocery together anytime soon. One baby would have to ride in the front and one in the back and Halley would have to walk beside me while holding on to the cart. With all that going on, where would I put the groceries?!!! The thought of doing that makes me anxious! So, the solution has been going to the commissary with my mom twice a month. I try to plan out our meals and keep a list of things that we have run out of.
Anyway, here's our menu for this week:

Sunday- turkey drumettes (cooked in an oven bag), turnip greens (frozen), and leftover hashbrown casserole

Monday- pork chops, potatos au gratin, corn

Tuesday- Meals on Wheels (a friend is bringing us dinner)

Wednesday- chicken over dried beef, rice, broccoli

Thursday- baked ziti, salad, bread

Friday- fried fish!! spinach, jiffy corn bread

For more menu plans, click here to visit www.orgjunkie.com

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-02-11T12:55:00.008-06:00

The twins have brought on much curiosity from people. Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions:

1. How do you do it?
Well, I just do what I have to do! When I had Halley, I always wondered how people with multiples made it through the day. Now that I have a set myself, I see that it's possible to make it through the day and stay sane! As God promised, He has given me grace for each moment of the day. I didn't need grace to raise 3 children when I only had 1...He gives us what we need as the situation requires.

2. Are you getting any sleep?
Actually, I am. The first 6 weeks were pretty rough. But herein is God's grace again. I did not sleep much during my pregnancy and I think that just prepared me for being up at night with the twins. My body was already used to a small amount of sleep so that helped a lot. For the last week, Mariah has been sleeping 8 hours at night! Wow! Max had a few nights where he did 6 hours, but in the last couple of days he has been getting up once a night after his 11 o clock feeding. He's a fast nurser, so I'm back in bed within 15 minutes.
I used a plan called Baby Wise with Halley and the twins. It teaches parents how to put their babies on a schedule. With this method, most babies are sleeping through the night by 12 weeks of age. This way, I guide their eating and sleeping schedule, instead of the babies ruling me. I highly recommend it.

3. How is Halley handling the babies?
Well, she loves them a lot. She gives lots of hugs and kisses. Sometimes, she is overly eager to help and I have to watch her closely. She calls both of the babies Mac! One day she will learn that each have their own name.
Her behavior has not been so good, so we are having to discipline and instruct her a lot. I'm sure this has to do with not getting as much attention and the fact that she is 2. Being 2 is not an excuse, but we are definetly seeing some behavioral problems. Please pray that she will obey and that God will give us wisdom in training her.

The babies still sleep together. When one cries, it does not wake the other. That's amazing. I don't know how that works, but it does! We pretty much stay in the house, all day, everyday! This past weekend we had great weather, so I took all the kiddies to the park. If you know me, you know I love warm weather and walks at the park. It took me 4 hours (including bathing, eating lunch, and putting the stroller together) to get myself and everyone ready, but we eventually made it out and enjoyed the sunshine! The babies went to the doctor on Feb. 2 for a check up. Mariah weighed 9.5 lbs and Max was 8 lbs. 10 oz.! They have changed so much since birth. I'm trying to soak in the baby days, because they go by way too fast!

I've set a goal to blog atleast once a week. Hold me to it, ok?

25 Random Things

2009-02-11T12:46:00.002-06:00

I posted this list on Facebook, but wanted to share it with you all too!

1. I went to 3 different High Schools (one each for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade)
2. I was not sick for even one day during my pregnancies. No morning sickness, no heartburn, no cravings.
3. I had 3 children in 2 years.
4. I lived in Germany for 8 years.
5. My husband and I are complete opposites (He is a risk taker, I'm cautious. He's an extrovert, I'm an introvert. He likes meat, I'm more into veggies and side items. He's outside the box, I'm a rule follower. I could go on and on!)
6. My mom is one of my best friends. I talk to her at least 3 times a day.
7. When I was in 12th grade, my Freshman sister was much more popular than I was. I was referred to as Joy's sister b/c everyone knew her.
8. I love ice cream (esp. from Bruster's...with a waffle bowl)!
9. I worked as a RN for 3 years before quitting to be a stay at home wife and mom.
10. I had an outtie belly button until I was 9 when I had surgery to repair it.
11. When I was a nurse, I loved drawing blood and starting IV's.
12. I taught myself to crochet when I was pregnant with Halley using a book from Wal Mart.
13. I didn't learn how to swim until I was 23.
14. In college, I made straight A's several times and graduated cum laude.
15. I took piano lessons for 5 years and clarinet for 2.
16. I can only eat cereal if the milk is ice cold…literally. I place a cup of milk in the freezer for an hour to let it get super cold and then I use it in my cereal.
17. If I ever had to go back to work as a nurse I would like to be a lactation consultant.
18. I played soccer in High School and made the all conference team twice.
19. I like to watch Jon and Kate plus 8. However, I think that Kate’s attitude toward her husband is terrible. She talks to him like he’s one of the children.
20. I wish I were not such a procrastinator. For example, I’m writing this list instead of doing something much more productive.
21. I love taking pictures of my children. I only wish I would get them printed out more often.
22. I would love to own a Honda Odyssey…shucks, all of my friend’s drive them and I want to be cool too!
23. I started taking sewing lessons when I was pregnant with Halley. I have made a couple of quilts, curtains, and pillows amongst other things.
24. Macy’s is my favorite store. My sister and mom pick out most of my clothes, because my sense of style is not that great. If I have on something cute, it’s because they helped me put it together!
25. I love nicknames. I think they are very endearing. My dad calls me Candy and has never called me Shaunta’ (when he says Shaunta’ when introducing me to people I think it sounds weird). I call Halley, “Brie Brie” and “Sweet Love”, Max is “Macky Wacky” or “Buddy”, Mariah is “Fat Mama Lucy” or “Rae Rae”, Eddie is “Baby.”

An Inaugural Prayer

2009-01-26T17:48:00.003-06:00

I was so encouraged by Rick Warren's prayer. It was God exalting and glorifying. I am grateful that he prayed in the name of Jesus without apology. He used the words of Jesus in his prayer and in doing so honored our Lord. Thank you, Brother Rick for standing up for truth and not giving in to those who would want you to pray to "the god of our understanding" as this is such nonsense!
Here is the prayer:

Let us pray.

Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you. It all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory.

History is your story. The Scripture tells us, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is One.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.

Now, today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hingepoint of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.

Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.

Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of goodwill today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you. We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.

I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [Spanish pronunciation], Jesus, who taught us to pray:

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

My Sweet Love!

2009-01-25T20:47:00.009-06:00

Halley is quite the character these days. I put her in bed about an hour and a half ago and she has gotten out the bed twice because she "gotta hotty" (that's potty for all of you who don't speak her language!) The second time she got out the bed she had on a totally different pair of pajamas than I put her to bed in...and she had on sandals! Obviously, she had been out of bed playing dress up! I put her back in bed and about 15 minutes later walked past her room to put one of the twins to bed. Guess what, under the crack of her door I could see that the light was on! I opened the door and she was sitting on the floor trying to fix her stepstool. Oh my...am I raising a 2 year old or a teenager?! A couple of months ago we were having trouble with Halley taking off her soiled diaper and throwing it out of her bed onto the floor (and it wasn't always just a #1 diaper). When she would visit my parents, my dad would tape up her diaper with electrical tape! Well, the other day, Halley brought me a stuffed animal the other day to put a diaper on it. I did as she told me. Later on I turned around and saw that she was playing with a roll of tape. I tore the tape off for her and she started putting it on the animal's diaper. Guess where she got that from? Halley, is becoming much more verbal. Sometimes, it still sounds like she's speaking French, but she's trying! I speak her language, so oftentimes I'm asked to translate. Here she is saying her ABC's.

The Twins are One Month Old

2009-01-20T21:17:00.004-06:00

In some ways it's hard to believe that the twins are 30 days old! But when I think about all the sleepless nights, it definetly feels like 30 days have gone by! Our Mariah and Max are such a blessing and have brought joy to our lives. When Halley was born, it was hard for me to tell what her personality was like. I had nothing to compare her too, so I just thought she was a typical baby. This is not the case with the twins. I can see huge differences between them.

Max is VERY laid back and easy going. He loves his paci. Though we were told throughout the entire pregnancy that he was the bigger twin, this was not the case. He is about 7 pounds now, which is great, but he still has some work to do to catch up with his big sister! Max snorts when he cries which can be so funny. We love our sweet Max and are so glad to have him in our family.

Mariah is a typical girl...full of drama! She screams bloody murder to get your attention. As soon as she is picked up, peace comes over her and her emergency is over. Mariah has a double chin and full cheeks. She continues to put on the weight and love, love, loves to eat. She is not into the paci or bottles...she wants the real deal! Mariah looks just like Halley looked as a baby. She likes to swing and definetly wants to be held. Our 2nd born gives us lots to smile about.

The twins are sharing a crib for now. The amazing thing is that they don't wake each other up when they cry. The sleeping twin is not phased by the screams of the other...that just amazes me. We are working on getting them on the same schedule. This is easier said than done. It's only been a month, so I trust that with time things will get better.

Follow up on the Steven Curtis Chapman Family

2009-01-06T13:03:00.002-06:00

Here is a letter written by Mary Beth Chapman. Her daughter, Maria was run over and died in their driveway earlier this year. Mary Beth has a wonderful outlook on suffering. The Chapman's have 3 biological children (Emily, Caleb, and Will)and 3 adopted daughter's (Shaohannah, Stevey Joy, and Maria) from China. Read this and be encouraged.

I have been impressed for quite some time now to write a letter to all of you who have been so present with us in prayer during these last several months as we have grieved and come to terms with the reality that Maria is gone from us, but present with Christ. We honestly don’t like that very much. As we enter this Christmas season and all of the festivities that it brings, it also makes the point even louder that one of us is missing. A stocking that won’t be filled, and less presents under the tree. Maria had a contagious giggle that would fill the room over the wonderment of finding the elf that moves to a different spot every day during the month of December. The reality that the precious laughter of Maria won’t be heard for awhile has been a quiet loudness that screams for Jesus to come quickly…not as a baby in a humble manger, but as the King of all Kings that will wipe all of the confusion and tears from this sad mother’s eyes! I am eagerly anticipating His arrival, but in the meantime, I thought that I would and should update you all on the Chapman family from a mother’s point of view…. in kind of a Merry Christmas fashion!

M – Maria and Stevey asked Jesus into their hearts on February 20th. They wanted to be sure that they were going to SEE God’s BIG BIG House with lots and lots of food!

E – Emily and Tanner were engaged on May 17th - their one-year of dating anniversary. Tanner took Emily to SEE Maine, where his precious grandmother lived. He proposed to her on an airplane…. long story…maybe another day!

R – Ruthy and Will Franklin started dating in March. She is an awesome young woman and has been an unbelievable support to Will during this very difficult time in his life. They are SEEking Christ with their relationship and we love her so much!

R - “Roo”, or Caleb to you all (don’t ask how he got that nickname), graduated from high school in May. He chose to be homeschooled, but CPA (where he attended K-11) invited him to sing at graduation. The Toy Story song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, and a self-penned song titled “Goodbye” were his selections. It was the day after Maria’s funeral and I was so proud of him for following through with his commitment to sing. The funeral was in the exact same sanctuary, and out of respect to our family, the entire graduating class were barefoot in honor of our sweet Maria. You could SEE Christ at work that day!

Y – Yeah Team! GO CPA! Ok, I am a little excited. Will Franklin chose to go back to CPA for his senior year. He decided to play basketball this one last time. For those of you who don’t know, Willy is a talented player who was starting on the team as a sophomore before he decided to homeschool and play drums for Dad. He now starts as a senior, voted a captain, and his team is a state contending team! The best part is that the entire team wear an “M” on their Jersey every game in honor of Maria. They want as many people as possible to SEE Jesus in this story.

C – Caleb and Julia are engaged! November 21st! I tell everyone that Caleb and Julia are elementary sweethearts. They have known each other since elementary school and have been best friends forever. They have only dated each other, and it is about the coolest thing ever! Julia’s family are super close to us and it just doesn’t get much sweeter! Caleb took Julia to Paducah and proposed to her at the exact same spot where Steven proposed to me! I have SEEn God protect and safeguard them. I know He has great plans for their life together!

H – Head em up and move em out! The tour buses that is… Caleb and Will both homeschooled last year so that they could work at what they love! Music! They were hired by a tough boss, SCC, to play in the band. Out they went on the “This Moment” tour. SCC says there is nothing better than to SEE his sons on stage with him. When Will returned to school in the Fall, Caleb continued to play on the “United” tour with SCC and a new boss, affectionately known as Michael W. He enjoyed working with both of these…how should I say it…. Patriarchs!

R – Relationships are all that matter! That is what the Chapmans SEE as one of the main things learned from this year. Things can change so quickly! Do we love well those who are in our circle and out of our circle? Christ put specific people in our path for a specific time and reason. Let’s make sure we SEE every opportunity that comes our way to LOVE WELL!

I – Inspiring. My three oldest children are simply inspiring. Watching first hand and up close my 22, 19, and 17 year olds handle the press as it related to our loss of Maria was simply…. INSPIRING. I watched my children interview with Good Morning America, People Magazine, and Larry King Live. Enough to make a seasoned interviewee struggle with their answers. Not Emily, Caleb, and Will Franklin. The poise and gentleness that they fielded the questions with was simply amazing. They loved well each other, and to watch how they honored their Savior with how they answered the questions was quite humbling. Lots of questions, but the faith they have was definitely displayed for the world to SEE.

S – Stevey and Maria graduated from Pre-school on May 15th. All dressed in caps and gowns! Quite the day to celebrate the upcoming Kindergarten year. They were both presented with diplomas, Bibles, and hugs as they walked across the stage. Stevey said she wanted to be a lifeguard when she grew up. Maria said she wanted to be a ballerina when she grew up. I’d say Maria is dancing right now in the most beautiful of tutus. I only wish I could SEE it!

T – Tanner and Emily were married on October 4th. What a glorious day! Not a cloud in the sky and the weather was perfect. An outdoor ceremony where Stevey Joy released a butterfly in memory of the absent flower girl, Maria. Emily was an absolutely stunning bride, and Tanner was a handsome groom. We celebrated this new family with food and dancing at our barn afterwards. I think it was a picture of what heaven will be like when we are reunited with Christ and the loved ones that we miss so much. Can you imagine what it will be like when we finally get to SEE them again?

M – May 13th Maria turned 5. May 21st Maria left for heaven. We don’t like it at all, and wish with all the wish in us that God would’ve spared us this cross, but for some reason beyond understanding, our family was chosen to walk this journey of suffering out in front of the world. Our only hope is that Christ Himself has been SEEn. Your prayers have been felt. Thanks from the deepest part of our hearts!

A – ASIA. China to be exact! Steven, Caleb, Will, and I went with several others to China for 2 weeks so that Steven could do concerts there! He got to perform at 3 different universities in different parts of China as well as a couple other venues there. We don’t exactly understand why or how (well, God Himself has given favor), but Steven is always welcomed there and is always allowed to sing and perform the exact songs that he would do here in the States. We have huge hearts for China and hope to be spending more time there in the future. You can SEE God at work in the people of China and we feel privileged to be a small part of what He is doing there.

S – Shaohannahs Hope! Continues to be a place where you SEE God himself smile! Emily, Caleb, and Julia have all started to work there this year which is so cool to see your kids loving something so near and dear to your heart. Emily is the International Programs Director and as I write, is meeting with the First Lady of Honduras in Honduras to discuss adoption and orphan care there! Caleb does all the sweet media clips that you SEE about SH! He loves “creating” visual pieces that communicate the SH vision. Julia is the organizational queen administrator! What would we do without someone that is punctual and organized? Maria’s Miracle Fund was established in honor of Maria this year. To date, about $765,000 has been given in her name! Thank you so much for keeping the memory of her full life alive so that others too will live!

As we look to 2009, we have much to be grateful for. Emily and Tanner are praying about Bible College in Ireland, Caleb will marry his lifelong sweetheart, Julia, Will Franklin graduates from high school, Shaoey is going to be double digits (10), and Stevey Joy graduates from Kindergarten! Steven and I will celebrate 25 years of marriage in 2009 as well. I am anticipating a long vacation somewhere warm!

As I anticipate Christmas 2008, I have many thoughts flying through my heart and head. The last several days, my mind has not been able to stop thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Pregnant and scared, knowing that the baby she was carrying eventually would pay the ultimate price of His life. How would I have lived differently if I knew that my time with Maria was going to be this short? Regretfully, I would have lived much differently. I would have purposely hugged and kissed more. I would have tried to memorize and lock away in my heart certain smells and smiles. I would have colored more and worked less. I would have laughed more and fussed less. Bedtime wouldn’t have become a chore to check off the list of things to get done. Instead it would have been more of an opportunity to listen about the day and offer whatever words were needed. The swimming pool wouldn’t have been too cold to swim in. The flowers in the garden would have all been picked, and definitely more ice cream would have been consumed!

I wonder what it was like for Mary after her son’s death. I know she saw him resurrected and was certain of the fact that she would she him again, but she was still his mom. Mary found favor with God; therefore she was chosen to be Jesus’ mom. But because God favored Mary, she was also chosen to suffer. Not just at the crucifixion, but her whole life. She was chosen to carry a baby in her womb, be persecuted and give birth in a dirty stable. Most of the time at Christmas we end the story there…. in the stable, with Mary, Joseph and Jesus receiving their company. Wise men, shepherds, and angels - you get the picture in your head right? The star, the animals, the Nativity! What about the rest of it? Mary, mothering the Son of God! She was human, she had a baby, and she raised that baby with the heaviness that she was to see him suffer and thus she too would suffer. I think when Mary was hiding things in her heart; it was a lot more than the reality of whom she carried in her womb. I am certain that she was hiding away the memories of first smiles and steps, as well as the first tears and tumbles. Knowing what was to come, did Mary have the opportunity to live differently as a mom to her little boy? I believe she did. I am sure that she watched him differently, taught him differently, and prayed differently. I can only imagine the discussions that she and Joseph would have when their son wasn’t listening, how they probably begged God to let the cup pass from them, but in the end yielding up the prayer we all hesitate to pray when it comes to our children…. Your will be done. UGGHH!!!! I don’t want to. I didn’t want to on May 21st, and I still don’t want to now. Yet somehow we did, and somehow we will continue to. I am reminded more than ever this Christmas, that it doesn’t end at the Nativity in Bethlehem in a cozy manger… it is a journey all the way to the cross on the hill in Golgotha on Good Friday.

Christmas for the Chapmans this year represents suffering. For that matter, from here on may we always remember that it represents the ultimate suffering that came. But isn’t it amazing that it is called GOOD Friday? Why is it good if it is full of suffering? Because Easter came on Sunday and what Satan intended for evil, God intended for GOOD! Christmas ultimately ends at Easter and the reality that we will see Maria again! If we are to live as Christ, then we will suffer like Christ. I am thankful this Christmas more than ever for Easter. When all the questions I have will be answered and all the tears I have will be wiped away. Until then, Merry Christmas with the reality that Easter came and all of this suffering will some day be gone in a moment, and all things will become new and right and awesome!
Thanks for your prayers during this journey. It isn’t an easy one and your love and support is continually needed. May you be richly blessed for gracing us with your love.

Longing to be washing dishes in heaven with Maria,
Mary Beth for all the Chapman family

The Twins Are Here!

2008-12-30T22:40:00.003-06:00

Here are some of our first pics taken on our last day at the hospital and when we first arrived home.

Here we go!

2008-12-30T22:03:00.003-06:00

My husband, Eddie really surprised me with how he handled the delivery. During our first daughter's delivery he sat for the entire thing and did not dare look over the sheet. But this time, he was a totally different man. He took lots of video and pictures during the delivery. I'm so glad he did. At one point, the doctor asked him what he thought of the entire process. Eddie replied, "It's got to be the Holy Spirit, because I should have passed out by now!" Here is my favorite video from the delivery. Beware: It's pretty graphic...you will actually see the babies come out.

Happy Birthday

2008-12-27T22:28:00.003-06:00

On Friday, Dec. 19, 2008 our twins entered the world! What an exciting time. Mariah Brielle was born at 1204 p.m. weighing 5 lbs and 13 oz. Maxwell Eddie arrived 2 minutes later weighing 4 lbs and 13 oz. They are PRECIOUS and greatly loved! Here is a slideshow of pics from our hospital stay.

Party of 3...soon to be 5!

2008-12-15T21:50:00.001-06:00

We took these pictures on Saturday at Portrait Innovations. I was very pleased with their service and quality of the prints.

Nesting

2008-12-15T05:39:00.007-06:00

The babies are scheduled to be here in 4 days!!! That's soon, don't ya think? In preparation, I have done a little sewing and LOTS of cleaning. We are also working hard on our budget and getting business stuff in order.
Here are some pics of a few things I have made.

I thought this apron was super cute. Apparently, Halley did not! Here are the directions for this super easy-to-make apron. I taught my friend Nicole how to make one for her daughter, Kaiya.

I made this quilt for Max. I took it to be embroidered and will pick it up today. I also did one for Mariah, but I did not take a picture of it yet.

This is a "hooter hider" aka nursing cover up. You can learn to do anything on the internet. Here are the directions for this item. I changed a few things to make mine a bit nicer. I sewed two fabrics together to make it a little thicker, added a decorative stitch to the outside, and put on a pocket as suggested. I saw this same cover up here on sale for $19.95. Maybe I will go into business making these!

I taught myself how to crochet when I was pregnant with Halley. She has a nice sized blanket now. I decided to do one for the twins. So far, only Max's is done! I learned how to do this "granny square" on the internet. Click here, to learn to do one yourself. I do have one for Mariah, but it looks more like a cape than a blanket! Oops. I am going to start over using this same pattern that I used for Max. My goal is to get hers done in time so that they can come home from the hospital with them. I would love to have them as a keepsake to pass on to their firstborn.

I just went in the nursery and noticed that I need 2 curtains for it. My plan was to make them, but I think I will have to purchase them...time is of the essence. I also need to get something to put on the wall over their cribs. So much to do, so little time.

I have my last MD appointment as a pregnant lady at 815 this morning! If all goes well, we will have the babies Friday. I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself! When I get done with that, I have lots phone calls to make and a few errands to run. I have to get it all done now, because by Friday I will be milk distribution center ONLY! Well, not only...I still have responsibilities as a wife, mother, domestic engineer, accountant, delegator, friend, daughter, sister, organizer, etc, etc, etc!!!

A Tribute to My Parents

2008-12-15T05:13:00.003-06:00

Lately, I have really been thanking the Lord for my parents, James and Cynthia Caine. They have brought lots of joy to my life as my parents and the GRANDparents of our children. By God's grace they have been together for 38 years and married for 34 years! That's unheard of in these days. What a blessing to be their child. Their entire lives were changed in 1980 when they both accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior together at a Sunday church service. God completely turned their lives right side up and changed the course of their lives and their children.

What has most impacted me lately is the love they have shown by caring for our little Halley. I absolutely love that they feel the need to visit her every other weekend (like they have visitation rights) and they faithfully do so. They leave Atlanta on Saturday morning and drive 2 1/2 hours to get here around lunch time. We spend the day together and then they are back on the road by 6:30 a.m. to make it to their church. Now that's dedication...5 hours driving only to spend less than 24 hours with us.

Halley has been with them since last Wednesday afternoon. My dad met me at the stateline to pick her up and take her home with him. This gave me the chance to get my hair braided (it took 11 hours), get some much needed rest (what a joy to have uninterrupted sleep at night), run errands, and spend quality time with Eddie. They all came to visit Saturday. My mom and I went to the commissary while my dad stayed home with Halley. Then Eddie, Halley, and I went to take some family pics. Thankfully, my mom came with us. Halley was not on her best behavior and I know Eddie and I would not have been able to take any pics together if my mom weren't there to take care of Halley. On Sunday morning they packed up to leave and took Halley back with them! We do love and miss her, but are so appreciative of the chance to get stuff done without a 2 year old.

Guess who watches Halley most of the time while she's in Atlanta. My Dad. My mom is still working and my dad is retired due to a medical disability. Because of that, he takes care of her until my mom gets home. Opa, as Halley calls him, is wonderful. He says it brings him great joy to take care of her and is no problem at all. I have been most shocked by this...I never knew this side of my dad, but I'm very thankful for it!

Opa, Oma, and Halley will be back Thursday night for the birth of the twins on Friday! They are going to stay with us through Christmas and New Year's and a little beyond that to help with the babies. My mom says she will be on duty during the day and my dad will be on night duty to help with the feedings. What a huge blessing they are!

Mom and Dad, we love you very much!

23 Days and Counting...Down!

2008-11-26T05:42:00.004-06:00

Have you looked at my baby ticker lately? Take a minute and scroll down...looking to your left for the 2 babies floating in the womb.

Go ahead.

Obey.

I'm waiting.

Did you see that? 23 days (as of Nov. 26) to go! The babies are moving around like crazy. I can look down at my belly and see body parts doing the bump in there! It's hard to believe that by Christmas, Lord willing, we will have 3 children. Boy, did we catch up with some our friends very quickly. Their names are Mariah (she still needs a middle name) and Maxwell Eddie. It has been such a joy and privelege to carry them. I thank God for giving me the joy of bearing children. What a delight and honor.

The other night at our Thanksgiving service a man shared that he delivered their 7th child at home because the midwife did not make it in time! You all know my husband is quite the businessman, right? He got the mic and said, "Scott, they are charging us $10,000 to deliver these babies, can we cut a deal?" The church went into an uproar! Afterwards, someone told me that I gave Eddie the evil eye...oops!

Seriously though, we are having to pay out of pocket for this pregnancy. We have medical insurance (which we pay nearly $400 monthly for) but we did not sign up for maternity benefits when we got the policy. We had just had Halley and weren't "planning" to get pregnant for awhile. Since this pregnancy, our thoughts on "planning" pregnancies has changed. We believe that God is sovereign over the womb. It's not to us to determine how big our small our family will be. God knows what's best. He declares in His Word that children are a blessing from Him and that the fruit of the womb is a reward. We don't think that we should say, "No,God don't give me any more blessings. We are going to use "wisdom" and cut off the blessings that you want to give us." The world sees children as a bother, a hindrance to your career, and anything but a blessing. But as Christians, we know that Christ is opposed to the world (He is on the extreme end of the spectrum to what the world says)..."feed your enemies, bless those who curse you, the first will be last, the greatest among you is your servant, etc." To give control of this area of our lives over to the Lord is a huge step of faith for us. After all, I was just a few days late picking up my pills and we got pregnant...with twins! But we trust that our God truly knows what is best. We want to have an open hand to His will for our lives.

As for Halley's thoughts on the babies...she doesn't have much of a clue what's going on! When asked where are the babies, she does lift up my shirt and point to my belly. And she knows that we have been keeping her out of the nursery, but I don't think she knows why! She is a great helper...really. She carries her stool to the sink to help wash dishes and to the washer and dryer to help with the laundry. She loves to get the clothes out of the dryer and put them on the couch and even tries to help me fold them. When I get the broom, she immediately gets the dustpan. She helps to vaccuum. My parents bought her an iron and ironing board, so she does that as well! What a domestic diva! I hope this continues when the babies come. She is going to the potty on her own these days...#1 and #2!!! Praise the Lord. She wears panties all day and has not had an accident in a couple of days. Even in the church nursery she has used the potty. I am so thankful to the Lord for this! My goal was to have her potty trained before the twins arrived. She has met and exceeded the goal! We are still working on her staying dry at night. She just turned 2 on Nov. 7, so I really believe her progress is excellent. I just hope she won't regress when they get here.

Well, keep praying for us. I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions...especially at night. We are shooting for Dec. 19 to become a party of 5!

Common Ground Montgomery

2008-11-24T23:00:00.005-06:00

My friends, Nicole and Delta serve with an inner city ministry called Common Ground Montgomery. I have witnessed so many great things as a result of God using them and their families in the lives of people living in West Montgomery. It has been a joy to be a small part of joining with them in the Lord's work. Here is a video that someone made about the ministry.

Body Parts

2008-11-24T22:12:00.006-06:00

Being a part of the Body of Christ is such a blessing. I have been so encouraged by my friends in Montgomery. They are like family and make living in BAMA an easier pill to swallow. Last Thursday was a wonderful day surrounded by friends. Here's a snipet of an e-mail that I sent to my friend Keisha telling her about my day:

Yesterday, was a fun day for me. Me and Brie met Sylvia and her boys at the mall. We let the kiddies take a train ride...we thought it would be cute. Of course Brie started crying, so Champ started too! The conductor had to stop the ride and let them off! Next time, I'll keep my $2 in my pocket and we'll just look at the train! We came home and took a nap. Then Brittany Wright came over. She's like you...my single friend who lives around the corner who always comes over. We have become pretty close. Then Nyema and the girls came over before picking up Zuriel from school. Then Delta and Nicole stopped by for a few minutes to bring baby Max some boy clothes. Then Chas and Ashley came over and along with Brittany, they put up my Christmas tree! It's so pretty. I have bronze and gold on it this year. It just puts me in a happy mood to look at the tree. I will take some pics and upload them. Then, I went to dinner with a friend from church. What a day.

What a blessing to have such wonderful friends. My parents comment quite often about the friends that we have here. They are amazed with how we serve and take care of one another.

I want my frineds to know how very thankful I am for them. They are a real blessing and truly exemply love in action!

Honey...It's Time!

2008-11-12T05:36:00.011-06:00

No, not time to have the twins...time to update my blog! Gotcha!! So much has gone on over the last 6 weeks or so. I'll try to give you a quick run down. Let's start with family first... Eddie and I spent the whole week together last week. Just. the. two. of. us. He is working really hard on some new projects (building 3 townhouses, trying to sell houses he built earlier this year, managing rental properties, and looking at a new business venture). He's such an entrepreneur! He also has been teaching Sunday School. He is great at engaging others to join in the discussion. I really enjoy his class.

I was put on bedrest last week because the babies were growing at different rates. The boy was measuring 25% bigger than his sister. Twins should not be more that 20% different in size. Plus, I was having contractions every 3-4 minutes. We sent Brie to my parents in Atlanta, becuase who can really rest with a 2 year old?!! We prayed and prayed for the babies. When I went back this Monday, things were great. The twins are only 8% different in size now. I was taken off of bedrest and declared a low risk patient again! Oh how my heart rejoiced! I believe that the mishap last week was due to operator error on behalf of the U/S tech. She was not as skilled and I think her measurements were way off. However, God is in control (even over "mistakes"). He was testing my faith and all things worked out for His glory and my good.

Brie turned 2 on Friday! Wow! Before I went to bed last night I peeked in her room. She takes up half the toddler bed with her length now. She is becoming more verbal. Her speech is not that good, but she can definetly communicate! Everyday is an adventure with her. She mocks lots of things that we do...which is scary and funny! She loves music...anytime she hears it, she starts to sway to the music and swing her head back and forth. She loves to pray. We sing "God our Father, we thank you..." before meals. It's nothing for her to take a few bites and then say again, "Wan pray." So we do it all over again.

I've had 2 baby showers...one in Atlanta and one in Montgomery! What a blessing. Here are a few pics:

That's enough for now. Please keep us in your prayers. I am 32 1/2 weeks preggo. We are shooting for Dec. 19 for the due date. Pray that our buns stay in the oven on 400 degrees until bubbly and brown!

John Piper on the Election

2008-11-10T19:00:00.002-06:00

My Favorite Things

2008-09-30T20:44:00.006-05:00

This weekend, my husband and I went to see Fireproof for his birthday. It was EXCELLENT! The movie was very God-honoring and Christ focused. I love that the Gospel was shared and not sugar coated at all. We both cried during the movie. I think it was because we understand that marriage is a fight and both people have to be fully committed to the Lord to make it work. We truly enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it yet, you must go. It will definetly give you something to talk about with your spouse as you learn to Fireproof your marriage.

Here is the trailer from the movie.

P.S. In the kissing scene, Kirk Cameron's real wife was flown in to shoot the scene. He was not willing to kiss another woman. I just love that. Now that's commendable and being above reproach. To God be the glory!

For more favorite things, check out Fiddledeedee

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

2008-09-26T23:02:00.005-05:00

I have such wonderful friends here in Montgomery. My friend, Sylvia has watched Halley for us on several occassions. This week, I had the privelege to return the favor. The thing about calling another mom to watch your child is that she understands where you are coming from. I so appreciate this. Now that I have a child of my own, my eyes are opened to the need that we have for one another. I try my best to help my friends whenever I can, because I know what it's like to be in need. Eddie and I could have done so much more to help our friends when we didn't have a child (one of our friends referred to us as single). But, we didn't understand what it was like. I wish we would have volunteered to help more.

Anyway... I was in the kitchen and I heard all this noise coming through the monitor. I went into Brie's room and this is what I saw...

I Gave Brie a Promotion!

2008-09-26T23:00:00.006-05:00

Since Brie can iron, sweep, vaccuum, dust, wipe down the counters, and much more I thought it was time I gave her a promotion. Check out her work!

CVS Superstar

2008-09-26T22:39:00.004-05:00

Sorry I don't have a pic. Please use your imagination. I bought a 54 count pack of Huggies Diapers and a 44 count pack of Huggies Pull-ups. (The last time I bought Pull-ups I thought they would be the last ones I would buy, but maybe these will be it!)

Diapers $15
Pull-ups $15

Total with tax $33
Qs used:
$3/$15 CVS CRT (prints on bottom of reciept)
$2/$10 CVS Q
$2 Pull-ups
$1.50 of Diapers
$7 ECBs

OOP = $16
That's a savings of 50%
Plus I earned $10 in ECBs! That's like paying $6 for $33 worth of stuff! What a deal. If you're not into CVSing, you should give it a try!

Want to see more CVS savings? Visit the "Cents"ible Sawyer's CVS Superstars.

TRUE WOMAN 08

2008-09-26T03:46:00.003-05:00

In less than 2 weeks, I will be in Chicago with 6 of my friends (Nicole, Antoinette, Delta, Monica, Kim, and Aftan)for the True Woman 08conference. I am so excited and can hardly wait! The conference features Nancy Leigh Demoss from Revive our Hearts, Pastor John Piper (my friend, Antoinette's cyber pastor...LOL), Karen Lorritts, Joni Earkson Tada, and many others. 6000 women will attend from the USA and other countries. Now doesn't that sound exciting? Also, Keith and Kristin Getty are the worship leaders. They have written many hymns recently, one titled, The Power of the Cross. They are wonderful.

At the beginning of the year, I heard about the conference and shortly after found out I was pregnant. One of the first questions I asked my OB was whether or not I could go (I will be 7 months preggo when it rolls around!). He said it was too soon to say. Well, by the time he did say it was ok, all the tickets were sold out. I still didn't lose faith. I got on a msg board and posted "Pregnant momma needs a ticket". I was a little discouraged when I saw that there were several other ladies who were looking for tickets and had been looking for one much longer than I had. However, it was in God's plan for me to go! About 2 days after posting, someone contacted me! How great is that. I'm going to insert one of the e-mails that she sent so that you can see God's hand at work. Here it is:

Shaunta',

The mail came today but my stuff did not come yet unfortunately. In the meantime I just really wanted to share how this all came about with you because I feel it really shows God's hand at work.

My girlfriend and I have not seen each other in 3 years, since my wedding. And before that day, it had been a couple years as well. (We are old roommates.) Anyway, we both have moved away and have kids now, and so we haven't been able to keep in touch like we would like to. In fact, we really hadn't talked in several months, but she just had a baby a few months ago and that rekindled our emailing recently. In our emailing she shared with me about this great conference she heard about on the radio and that she really felt like she was called to go to this conference, but she couldn't find anyone to go with her. She had asked everyone she knew in her area, and was then so desperate she even asked her husband if he would go with her. ha! In looking into it, I thought it looked pretty great, so I offered to go with her. At that time I thought my little girl would have weaned herself from nursing by the time the conference came around, and I had saved some money in my personal acct in our budget, so it all seemed like a perfect plan and I would get to reunite with my friend after several years.

Anyway, because we are on a tight budget, I made sure I was going to get the early bird price! I signed up and waited to hear if my friend got hers, but LONG story short, she totally forgot due to some family drama and was not able to get one. She said to still plan on going, because she would just keep trying to get a ticket somehow. In fact she thought she had one because a lady contacted her about selling hers, but then never returned any of my friends calls or emails. With all this going on, I realized there was no way my girl was going to wean and it made me nervous to just up and leave her for 3 days, and my friend said she was trying to figure out what she would do with her newborn as well. Together we made the decision to just cancel it and I would sell my ticket, and we would try to get together some other time.

I then got on the internet to figure out how in the world to sell my ticket and came across the message board on the True Woman website and saw the hundreds of postings of women wanting tickets. My heart sunk as I wondered how in the world could I possibly pick out one person when all of the stories seemed so compelling!!! I just signed off and thought about it for a few days and concluded that I would answer an ad for someone that was only looking for one ticket, because I had more of a chance of working in that one woman's life, than just giving a bible study group one more ticket, when they still need like 5 more. But still, I was so lost for how God was going to make the woman stick out that He wanted to give it to. And then as you know, out of nowhere my girlfriend emailed me with your posting. I honestly think she picked it out because you said you would pay the full price and not just the early bird price, LOL. But regardless of what you said, I took that as God singling you out for me to contact. And I prayed, ok Lord, if this is who you want to go to the conference, you will work out all the details. And you know the rest of the story. ;)

So my girlfriend just actually emailed me today sharing a bunch of stuff that has come crashing down on her family in the past few days and is just feeling overwhelmed by all of it. And in emailing her back, I was telling her not to worry about the conference or feeling bad about how it all turned out, etc. And in doing so, it hit me! She felt so compelled to go, but couldn't find anyone to sign up with her. We rekindled our communications, I say I will go, I sign up, she forgets, now I have a ticket and she doesn't. One could ask, why if she felt so called to go to the conference did it work out this way? - but I fully believe it was for YOU to go. I have NO idea if I would have picked your posting out of the hundreds, but I certainly wasn't looking forward to having to choose someone. And God knew that! So he had her send me your information. Now I truly believe that God used the two of us to get YOU the ticket you need so you can be there. I am totally jealous, because it is going to be so great, but I don't doubt for a moment that you are supposed to be there. Not with how this all played out! So I really want to encourage you to see God's hand in this and to really open your heart to why he wants you there so badly. He obviously has a plan for you and is reaching his heart out to you and it's so beautiful to see all of this happening! I am honored to be used in your life when you are a complete stranger to both of us! But God cannot be limited, right? His ways are not our ways, and his plans are perfect! Since you won't be getting out to any conferences for a while after your babies are born, I know that you need this. And I will have plenty of time to get out to something else in the future.

So sorry for sending you this huge email, when you don't even know me. But when emailing her this morning, I just really felt that it was important for you to see God working in your life so intimately. I hope this touches your heart in some way. And I will be in touch about when my stuff comes in the mail.

Take care,

Were you encouraged? God is in control of all things. He is so good! I recieved the ticket in the mail this week. Thanks Jenna!

Some of you probably think I'm crazy to be flying when I'm 7 months pregant...with TWINS! Let your heart be at rest...I feel wonderful and I am trusting God to keep all of us safe. One friend that's going has 5 kids, so she could deliver my 2 with ease! This will sound even crazier...Eddie is flying to India (yes...the country) next Thursday for a missions trip with our church! He will be gone for 10 days. The plan is for Halley and I to go to Atlanta to spend the week with my family and then I will fly out the following Thursday. He'll be back that Saturday and I'll be back that Sunday. My parents are overjoyed that Halley will get to spend much of October with them. Actually, I haven't told my dad yet. I'm going to surprise him.

So, please pray for us. I will list specific prayer requests in a separate post.

Some Things I'm Most Thankful For

2008-09-21T05:14:00.006-05:00

My blogging friend, Jess, had a post with this title on her blog. I thought I would blog about the same topic.

1. Being a wife and mother. I am thankful that the Lord wrote this in to the story of my life. I absolutely love taking care of my husband, Halley, and soon to be twins! It's not peaches and cream everyday, but I know the Lord is sanctifying me through it all.

2. Having a wonderful family. My parents are celebrating their 34th anniversary today! How cool is that? They have been together since they were 16 or 17! Without them, I wouldn't have such wonderful siblings. I have 2 sisters, Erika and Joy, and a brother, Jason. I've never posted about my family, but I will put up a pic soon and introduce them to you.

3. Great Friends. Oh how I love them. It is so much fun to have Christian friends to walk through life with. My friends here in Montgomery are like family. I love that they point me to the Lord and are willing to challenge me. We have such a great time together.

4. The Bible. It is alive and powerful. It sharpens. It encourages. It is food to my soul. It enables me to know our God. It makes my soul sing! Amen and amen.

What are you most thankful for? You can also go to Jess's blog and read what others are thankful for in the comment section.

Check out my Freebies!

2008-09-05T08:26:00.006-05:00

So, I decided to add a new store to my regulars! I feel like I have the CVS game down and Publix, too. This week, I added Walgreen's. Since CVS and Walgreen's are right across the street from one another and less than 1/4 mile from Publix, I have a savings seizure every time I drive by! Check out this post at Frugal is Fab to learn how to shop at Walgreen's. I did exactly what she said, and made out wonderfully. Here's what I got for FREE after rebate:

1- Excedrin Migrain 24 ct - $1.99
1- Excedrin Gel Caps 20 ct - $3.99
1- Lypsyl Lip Balm - $1.99
1- Crest Pro Health - $2.99
1- Nivea Bodywash for Men - $4.99
1- Revlon Nail Polish - $4.49

Coupons used:
$2/1 Excedrin Migraine (makes it free...actually overage of $.01!)
$1/1 Nivea Bodywash (with rebate of $4.99, they paid me $1 to buy it!)

Rebates I will recieve
$3.99 for Excedrin Gel Caps
$1.99 for Lypsyl Lip Balm
$2.99 for Crest
$4.99 for Nivea
$4.49 for Revlon

OOP $19.48
- 18.45 in Rebates
= $1.03 for all of this stuff!
Plus I recieved a Register Reward (RR) for $1, so I used it to buy some butter for $0.31!!!!

Here's what I got at CVS:

Transaction 1:

4- Suave Body Wash $2 each
2 Colgate Advance $2.99 each

Coupons used
2- BIGI Free for Suave
2- $1.50 off Crest

Total $19.54
- $4.26 in store sales
- $7 in coupons
-$1.30 on Gift Card
= $6.98 oop
ECB's earned = $6 ($4 for Suave and $2 for Crest)

Transaction 2
2 Covergirl Wetslicks (B1G1 50% off) $5.99 and $2.99

Coupons used
1- BOGO any Covergirl item

Total oop = $2.99

Lots of great deals are out there. You can do it, too!

Praise God from whom all blessing flow!

2008-08-25T22:02:00.004-05:00

A blogging friend, Emily and her family, are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to get the child that the Lord has ordained to be in their family. Go here, to see the glory of the Lord! What a mighty God we serve.

U.S. Women Having Fewer Children

2008-08-25T21:42:00.007-05:00

Pls click here and read an article that really is one of my heartbeats.
As Christian women, we have a delight and a duty to raise Godly children. We are told to be fruitful and multiply. Our attitude toward children should be far away from that of the world. The world thinks that children are an interruption, a distraction, a drudgery and not the blessing that God calls them.

Eddie and I waited 4 years to have a child. We thought that we needed to spend time together and focus on one another. The truth about it though, is that Halley has brought us closer to one another. The fruit of our love has strengthened our marriage and given us a common thread. She has brought so much joy to both of us. I just watch with great joy as she runs to him in the morning when she gets up and when he comes to the door in the evening. She adores her father, and he adores her. I have loved seeing this tender side to him, as a result of having her in his life.

Do you have the attitude of the world or the attitude of the Lord concerning children?

CVS Superstar

2008-08-25T15:41:00.007-05:00

Ok, this is the best deal I have ever done at CVS.
Here's what I got.
Transaction 1
2- Advil Children's Fever Syrup ($5.79 each)
Coupons used:
2- $1 off Advil
1- $2/$10 ($2 off $10 purchase)
ECB for $7.58 (I've been holding on to this for about 3 weeks)

OOP $0.20!!!! And I earned $11.58 in ECBs for the Advil. Can you believe it?

Transaction 2
1- Delsym (it's a great cough syrup) $8.99
1 Mr. Goodbar $1
1 M and M's (not pictured...we ate them. I had to get the candy as a filler to use up the entire amount of the ECB) $0.79
1 CVS Toddler wipes $1.49

Coupons used:
$11.58 ECB from preious transaction

OOP $0.76!!!
Total I spent $0.96 for $28.11 in products! Wow! What a great trip. Halley is stocked up on meds. Now, if I could just keep her well!

I could have done even better with Transaction 2 b/c I had another coupon for $2/$10 but I forgot to use it! Oh well. I just took the Q to Publix and used it! I bought my last pack of Pull-ups for Halley. I only bought them b/c she will be going to Mothers Morning Out (MMO) once a week,and may need them there...if they don't put her on the potty. The pull-ups were regular price $15.99 and on sale for $13.99. I used the $2/$10 Q and a $2 Pull-ups Q, making them $9.99. Mmm, mmm, good!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-08-25T15:11:00.007-05:00

Planning a menu is yet another way that I save money and time. Since having Halley, I've learned that having a plan is ever so important. If I don't, I will have to run to the store for 1-2 items. Mind you, just having to get a few items is still not a quick trip. I have to put on her shoes, buckle her in, take her out, put her in a cart, keep her from touching things, etc. etc. Hence, the need for a menu plan. I like to shop on Mondays after going through and picking out our meals and making a list of items that are needed. This saves me so much time. Plus, during the week, I don't have to think about what we are going to eat. I just look at the calendar that I keep on the side of the fridge with our dinner meal written on it. I don't necessarily cook all of the meals on the specific day of the week that's designated, but I do cook something from that week's list of meals. Without further ado, here is our dinner menu:

Monday: Cynthia's Cheesy Chicken (recipe follows), rice, corn
Tuesday: Peasant Pasta
Wednesday: Pizza (Nicole is coming over with some girls from her Bible Study)
Thursday: Maui Chicken (scroll down the linked page for this recipe), rice
Friday: Fried Tilapia, baked potato, spinach

We may go out of town for the weekend, so our weekly Fish Fry may not happen. I'm trying to make this a family tradition. When I was growing up, we usually had Little Caesar's Pizza on Fridays. Oh what a sweet memory.

Cynthia's Cheesy Chicken
(My Mom, Cynthia, always cooks this when company comes over. Its very good, and very easy!)

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
Pepper
4 slices Swiss Cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. milk (to thin out soup)
1 cup bread crumbs (I use Pepperidge Farm. crush them up)
Spray butter

Preheat oven to 375. Pepper the Chicken. Place in glass dish. Top with Swiss Cheese. In a separate bowl, mix soup and milk. Pour over chicken. Top with Bread Crumbs and spray with butter. If you don't have spray butter, use some pats of butter. Cover with foil and cook for 35 minutes. Remove foil and cook for 5 minutes more to allow bread crumbs to brown.

For more Menu Plans, Menu Plan Monday here.

I Won!

2008-08-23T23:43:00.006-05:00

I entered a random drawing at Money Saving Mom and I won. The drawing was for coupons for 4 free packages of Bertolli Premium Pasta Sauce. I was entry #869...forreal! I looked back later in the day and there wer 909 entries. I just entered because it was easy, but didn't think I would win. But, I got an e-mail telling me I had won. So for all you sceptics out there...this stuff really works.

Publix Super Savers

2008-08-23T23:05:00.008-05:00

This is kinda late, but I'm trying to inspire my friends that couponing really does work. These are some great deals, for things that we can use. I'm learning that I don't have to do every deal. I didn't go to Publix since the new sale stared on Wednesday, and I probably won't go until we need milk or eggs or something. We're pretty stocked up for the month.

So this is what I got:
2 Nature Valley Granola Bars (Raincheck BOGO $2.89)
4 Pepperidge Farm Goldfish ($6)
2 Del Monte Frozen Strawberry Chillers(BOGO $2.43)
2 Del Monte Frozen Peach Chillers (BOGO $2.43)
2 Niagara Spray Starch ($1.98)
1 Publix Coffee Filters ($2.59)
2 Lunchables ($2)
4 Shout (BOGO $2.89)
2 Muir Glen Tomato Sauce ($1.58)
2 Apple and Eve Fruit Punch ($2.67)
1 Publix Gallon Milk (One Day Sale 1/2 Price $1.80)
2 Oust ($6)
1 Publix Large Eggs ($1.79)

Coupons used
$5/$30 ($5 off $30 purchase- Publix mailer)
$.60 Nature Valley
4- $.50 Goldfish Target Coupon (Publix does not double competitor's coupons)
2- $1/2 Delmonte Chillers
2 - $.75 Lunchables
2- $2 Shout
2- $1 Muir Glen products
2- $.50 Apple and Eve (coupons were doubled)
2- $1 Oust
1- $2/$10 CVS Q (coupon)

Regular Price $63.97
- $22.69 Sales
- $22.35 Coupons
= $18.93 OOP (out of pocket)
Savings of 70%
What a great day that was at Publix!
You can do it too. Check out Sarah's Publix Posts and Publix Super Savers at Fiddledeedee for more deals. That's what I do! It makes my shopping so much easier, fun, and full of savings!

A Walk in the Neighborhood

2008-08-22T21:45:00.006-05:00

Since it wasn't super hot today, Brie (that's Halley- for those who don't know her by this)and I took a walk in the neighborhood. Here are some little moments with My Sweet Love.

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Older women, teach the younger women to...

2008-08-22T21:40:00.007-05:00

Use the potty!

Now this is discipleship at its best!!!

Another Quilt

2008-08-22T13:13:00.003-05:00

I found the directions for this quilt here. It was so easy to make and complete in about 2 hours. I made it for Halley, but it's too small for her. I may keep it for Twin A or let Halley use it for one of her babies.

Can a 1 year old iron?

2008-08-20T22:29:00.004-05:00

So these pics require some explanation! I was in the kitchen on the phone and when I walked around the corner, this is what my eyes beheld!!!! What in the world?!!! Halley had used her potty seat as a step stool to reach the iron that was sitting on top of the washer. (Don't worry...it had been off for several hours.) It was really cute until I noticed that she had tried unsuccessfully to plug the iron in, too, as evidenced by it hanging out the wall! I would have disciplined her in the past for even reaching for the iron, but this was just too cute!

It's been a long time coming, and finally Halley is potty trained! She is 21 months, so I think this is a great accomplishment. You can read my first post about potty training here. I started potty training her around 14 months when she brought me a diaper and wipes and laid on the floor for me to change her. If that's not a sign of readiness, I don't know what is! She has been wearing panties at home for the last 2 weeks and has not had many accidents. My Sweet Love stayed dry all day yesterday, and had one hiccup today. I went in the playroom where she was playing with a friend. The little girl was looking down her pants and said, "she said she boo-booed." Little did Halley's friend know that that's what Halley says to let us know she has to go pee-pee. She started telling us last week when she has to go. Prior to that I just put her on the potty at intervals. I will still put her in pull-ups when we are in public until I feel more comfortable. But, I'm so proud...and thankful not to have to buy anymore pull-ups. We'll be back to diapers by Christmas when the twins arrive...but atleast we won't have 3 children in diapers.

More from my little helper!

2008-08-14T06:02:00.006-05:00

My friend, Antoinette, came over to visit the other day. She took this video of our little one. At first she said she was going to call Child Protective Services on me b/c this just shouldn't be allowed! I assured her that this was all Halley's idea and that she gets a kick out of it...and I do too!

Now, if she could just be this helpful to me when I'm in the grocery store! I took her with me to Publix today and she absolutely wore me out. This is the 2nd and last time that I wll ever get one of those big car carts. You know...the ones that are hard to steer, take up too much space, and that the kids don't even play with (even though you get them for their entertainment)! Yea, that's the one. Imagine me, with my big belly pushing that monster truck around! Ok, you can stop laughing now!

On top of that we didn't go until about 5 p.m. when the store was most crowded. I got her the free cookie from the bakery b/c I thought that would keep her occupied. Guess what...she finished that before I was out of the produce department. Then I gave her a lunchable to snack on. Mind you, she's in that dirty cart where millions of other children have done who knows what in it. But, I'm just trying to keep her quiet, so I let her have it. About 2 aisles later, she had to use the bathroom. Not to mention my phone kept ringing! So, I pushed the F150 over to the bathroom, took my purse and her bag and took her to the potty. Thankfully, she did use it...on the potty! If this were a false alarm, I think I would have screamed!

Anyway, we finished and went back out to finish our shopping. I decided to go down the dairy aisle. Of course, she needed something else to eat. Foolishly, I opened a fruit cup and poured the juice from it into the lunchable container, so that she could just fish her hands in and not make a mess! But no...sista girl, decided to take the lunchable container and dump it all over herself! Back to the bathroom we went for more papertowels! Oh, I'm getting exhausted all over again just writing about this trip!

Anyway, we finally finished and went to the checkout stand. Oh what I wouldn't give to have someone help me unload the groceries onto the belt! That was a workout...and with the Mack Truck you have to reach down further to get the groceries. Ok, the guy rings me up and there is noone there to bag the groceries. Guess who helped him do that...yes, your's truly who is carrying twins! But I was not going to carry them out on my own. I kindly tapped the bagger in the next aisle and asked him to help me out, which he did! Alas, we made it home.

But if you look down at my Publix Super Savers Post, you will notice I didn't buy any meat. So, we dropped the groceries off and went back out to Sam's! Yes, I know...I'm CRAZY!!!

Can you please leave a comment and tell me how I can train Halley to be better behaved in the store. I'm serious, I need some help. My parents told me that on one of those trips to the bathroom, I should have pulled out The Peacemaker aka the wooden spoon! They told me that as a matter of fact, someone should have spanked me for letting her control me like that! I can see their point. But seriously, what do you do to get your little one to behave in the grocery store. One answer is to leave them at home. But, I seriously believe that children need to learn how to behave in public, so you have to take them out. Let me hear from you...PLEASE!

Publix Super Savers

2008-08-14T04:31:00.008-05:00

Look at all my wonderful deals! If you're not convinced that couponing works...check out these deals. Here's what I got:

6 Birds's eye vegetables (50% off $5.54)
2 Publix Salad Blend (BOGO $2.99)
1 Kraft Swiss Slices ($3)
1 Natural Flakes ($3.49)
1 Smart Balnace Butter ($2.79)
4 Oscar Mayer Luncables ($4)
6 Del Monte Fruit Packages (BOGO $7.29)
1 Sargento Shredded Mozzarella ($3.99)
2 Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread (BOGO $3.39)
1 Cascadian Farm Honey O's ($2.50)
1 Broccoli Bunch ($2)
1 Green Onions ($.50)
1 Green Pepper ($1.33)
1 Ginger Root ($.24)
2 Bic Mechanical Pencils ($2)
1 Edy's Double Vanilla Ice Cream ($3.50)
1 Corn Starch ($1.49)
4 Uncle Ben's Rice ($4)
1 Can Black Beans ($1.19)
1 Publix Cream Cheese ($1.19)
1 Philadelphia Cream Cheese ($2.19)
1 Wesson Oil ($3.50)
1 Pizza Crust ($4.79)
1 Pilsbury Crescent Rolls (2.19)
2 Pilsbury Recipe Creations Rolls ($5.78)
2 Vlasic Pickle Spears (BOGO $2.79)
1 Smuckers Hot Fudge ($1.67)
2 Publix Cream of Chicken ($1.90)

Coupons used
1- $2/$10 CVS Q (I called ahead to see if they take CVS Qs)
1-$0.35 Pilsbury Crescent Rolls
2- $0.75 Lunchables
1 -$1 Bic Pencils
2 -$1 Vlasic Pickles
1- $1 Cascadian Farm
2- $1/3 Birds Eye Veg
1- $0.75 Kraft Slices
2- $1/2 Uncle Ben's Rice

Regular Price Total $130.39
- $41.27 (sales)
-$12.95 (coupons)
$76.17 (oop- out of pocket) Ding! Ding! Ding!
Savings of 58%

When I got home and checked the mail, I had a coupon for $5/$30. Uggh, I could have used that too! But there's always next week. Or I just may give the coupon away to a friend b/c it expires on August 19. I may not go back to Publix before that. Also, I should have printed 2 more of the Pilsbury Qs and I could have saved $1.40 more- don't laugh, it adds up! I'm still learning about all this, so mistakes are going to be made. Also, my lunchables purchase qualifies me for the $10 JCPenney gift card. You can find out how to get your own here.

A big thanks to Sarah at Fiddledeedee for all the coupon match ups. Check out the Publix Super Savers Post on her blog to see the deals that others have found.

Faith prevails in the midst of tragedy

2008-08-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

If you didn't get to watch Steven Curtis Chapman and his family on Larry King last night, here is a snippet. You can go to youtube and search for more of the interview. I love that the Curtis family had a chance to testify of God's grace through this trial. Though I know it was very difficult to lose such a sweet member of the family, the Lord' glory was displayed during this tragedy.

My Favorite Things

2008-08-05T20:15:00.005-05:00

My favorite thing this week is my Zune. It's like an ipod, but not nearly as popular. Have you heard of one? I use it almost daily while I'm cleaning. I like to listen to podcasts from Revive our Hearts with Nancy Leigh Demoss, Family Life Today, Desiring God with John Piper, Truth in Love Podcast with Voddie Baucham, The Bible Experience, and music of course. My Zune seems to help me to keep moving along with my cleaning and helps me to take in the Word of God.

For more favorite things, check out Fiddledeedee!

Publix Super Savers

2008-08-05T18:54:00.004-05:00

Halley and I made a trip to Publix this afternoon. I found some great deals thanks to Sarah at Fiddledeedee. She tells you what's on sale at Publix and also has links to printable coupons that go along with the deals. Besides checking out her blog another tip to saving is to plan your meals before going to the store. There is nothing worse than having to run to the store (with a toddler) for one missing ingrdient. I like to write our meals for the week down on a calendar. Then I look through the recipes to see what I am lacking. I also coordinate our meals around what I already have on hand and what is on sale that week.

The picture above shows what I purchased today. My total before coupons was $77.51. I had store coupons totaling $7.05, vendor coupons totaling $14.65, advertised special savings (mainly buy one, get one bogo deals) totaling $23.47, and advantage buy savings of $.87. After coupons and sales, my total was $55.81 for a savings of 30%. Nearly everything I bought was on sale and/or I had a coupon to go with it.

One other interesting tid bit...I went to the bank and got $60 cash, but I made a stop at Moe's and spent $4, leaving me with $56...do you remember that I told you my total was $55.81. Wow!

For more deals check out Fiddledeedee

Look How I've Grown

2008-07-31T22:16:00.005-05:00

After having Halley, I realized that I didn't have very many pictures of myself from my pregnancy. I'm doing much better this time. Here are some pics of my progress.

Not one of my faves, nevertheless, it is me.

My mom bought me that dress for about $10 at my favorite store in the whole wide world, MACY'S!

This is me about 5 days ago at 18 weeks. I got that shirt for $8 at JCPenney! The regular price was $36. I also got about 5 or 6 other shirts and a pair of capris for $3 each at the same sale! Now that's the way I like to shop.

Because Children Are A Blessing

2008-07-31T21:55:00.004-05:00

I made this diaper cake for a lady at my church who is expecting her 2nd child. Her son is 10. I told a friend about this lady's story and she responded, "Well, why would she go and do that?" I replied, "Because children are a blessing from the Lord and the fruit of the womb is a reward." She said, "Oh, that's a good reason."
Sometimes, we just have to point people to the truth.

More Gardening Fun

2008-07-31T21:32:00.007-05:00

My garden is growing like crazy. It is so amazing to me. I'm a city girl, so I've never seen anything grow before...until this summer. Take a look at what God has done.

We're Having...

2008-07-30T15:02:00.006-05:00

A precious boy and a girl!!! What a blessing. We will have 2 girls (including our sweet Halley) and one boy ages 2 and under by Christmas, if the Lord wills! The ultrsound we had on July 21, was so exciting. The babies were moving around a lot. Our little girl had her legs crossed for awhile, so it took some time to figure out her sex. But alas, it was a girl. Eddie is very thankful to have atleast one boy to share the house with. I'm doing fine and steadily growing. Please continue to pray for ALL of us!