A Time For Every Season....

Abby on her 2nd Birthday having pancakes on the "special plate!"  January flew by with two birthdays, our 9th anniversary and a lot of family visiting from out of state. It was crazy around here - but oh so fun! Here is our January in pictures, since they tell the tales much better than I  can in  words. Sorry for the blur, my camera settings were of and I was a little busy enjoying my life to spend much time photographing it. When I did download the pictures I noticed a setting on my camera was wrong.... oops! Grandma Patti came to visit! Oh the fun! She watched the kids over our Anniversary so we could escape for a weekend away. Delightful! Thank you Patti! Nana was over a lot with Great Nana. Oh how we miss Great Nana! Uncle Howard and Papa from Seattle spent time with the kiddo's! The boys loved using Papa as a jungle-gym! Lots of time was spent outside getting rid of all that energy! Even Abby keeps up on her bike now! Abby ...

My darling Drew, I can't believe you have turned 7 years old. What an inquisitive boy you have turned into this year. You are always asking the question "Why" with genuine interest. You love to learn new things and are always bounding around the house with fresh energy. It is hard for all of us to keep up with your fast pace most days. I am sure God has great plans for all that energy - I call it your "change the world" energy because that energy will be used to accomplish great things for the Lord someday. You are in 1st grade, you love Science and experiments. You loved Math the first part of the year, but are now not too thrilled with it since the routine doesn't vary too much from day to day. You are learning to read! I'm so proud of all the hard work you are putting in.  You tell me all the time how much you dislike reading because it is "just so hard." Don't worry my son, the very art of reading is teaching you perseverance and ...

Only in Eden will I truly be satisfied. However, I'm not in Eden and I'm called to be "content in all circumstances," so today I spent a lot of time counting my blessings. I have so very many and the more I thanked God the more content I became. Unfortunately, I decided to have the boys clean out the van for me which turned into a 2 hour ordeal of the boys being distracted, not listening, not cleaning, and Abby falling out of the van and hitting her noggin. Poor baby will have a large goose egg in the morning. Daddy came home to the  rescue and miraculously the boys got to work without grumbling or complaining. I headed off for a stress relieving workout, a vegi taco and some quiet time to think and pray and finish a chapter in my book on the subject of praying over relinquishing. I love how God draws me close and renews my spirit when I call on Him. I had a wonderful evening, reflecting on the messages He has been sending me about contentment, allowing and actual...

In an effort to be healthier and know what we're putting in our  bodies, we've been going green. Yes, the crazy coupon queen who always got a thrill with spending less and buying more is singing a different tune. We're going green and spending more money on groceries yet I would like to argue that we are still spending the same, if not less, and have more money set aside for future medical care and are much healthier. How is that possible - you ask? Well, we went from a 375.00 per month grocery budget (2010) for  a family of 5, to a 500.00 per month grocery budget (7/2011-present). That is an increase of 125.00 which allows us to eat primarily organic!  We were spending 200.00 per month on co-pays and medication for the  family. We are now down to no medications. Sing Hallelujah!  I then took the 75.00 savings between grocery increases & medication/co-pays and are putting that, plus an additional 25.00 that I found in the budget due to the pre- tax savi...

Dear Abby, Today you are 2 years old -- our little fire cracker. You are more adventurous and determined that any baby I have  been blessed to care for. You ride this little red hovercraft thing all over the house and yard, flying around corners and moving those little feet as fast as they will kick. You are the most adorable little 24 pounder in the world and I'm a blessed Momma to call you mine. I can't believe you were only 4 lbs 6oz  at birth - you have grown so much! This year 2011 was your year. It was the year you learned to talk and walk and run and keep up with your  brothers. You spent this year healthy and flourished physically and emotionally. You learned to play and talk to us in your own little words - you love the words "shoes" and "Milk" and "Oh No!" A few other favorites are "Thank you" and "Max & Kitty" and of course the dreadful "no" which seems to be your answer to everything! You have master...

So I haven't had the urge to blog and haven't had the urge to come up with a snappy title either. Who needs titles! So far in 2012 we've  celebrated a New year and 9 wonderful years of pure bliss ... wink. Yes, a pure marriage is one that goes through a lot of junk, enjoys the blissful moments of married life and just keeps reafirming the commitment. Joy is experienced along the way. I am so glad that marriage changes me, changes my selfishness into love and respect and kindness. I am glad that 9 years of marriage finds me to be a more soft person - though evidently still strong willed. John and I escaped for a weekend away, thank you Grandma!, and enjoyed hours upon uninterupted hours of talking and sharing and dreaming. It was just what our marriage needed - a little Red Bull! One thing that came out of our time was the fact that I am a strong willed wife. I was made that way by God and it provides us a lot of benefits, but it also produces some negative draws that I ne...