The Missionary Mama

at ALL times

2012-02-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

"I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Psalm 34:1

"So when are you going to have more kids?"

2012-01-30T11:39:00.005-05:00

or "Are you wanting/planning more kids?"

or "Don't you think it's time to have another baby?"

These are all questions I've been asked quite a few times these past few months and all asked with good intentions I'm sure. But I'm here to tell you today that these kids of questions just don't need to be asked. For one it really is no ones business but the couples and second you really have no idea what is going on in that couple's lives. These kind of questions can hurt.

Take Chris and Amanda for instance. They adopted a beautiful baby girl this year and Amanda has just stared a blog telling their story. Most people in their lives had no idea the pain Amanda was going through in her journey to become a mother.

Or my friend Brittany. She wanted a baby. She prayed for a baby. We all prayed for a baby and each month when it didn't happen she was terribly disappointed and heartbroken. How do you think she felt when people kept asking her those questions?

Before we got married Geoff and I agreed that we would let the Lord plan our family. We believe that HE is the giver of life and HE is the one to open and close the womb. He knows us better than we know ourselves plus He has the ability to see our future so He would know the best time to give us a baby. Who am I to think I know better than our almighty, loving and gracious God? And that's what I would be doing if I told God "Now is not a good time to have a baby." That's what it's all about really. Control. WE want to be in control. WE think we know what's best.

So when i get asked those questions about having more kids you'll probably get the answer "Yes, when God sends us more kids we'll be happy!" I just don't want to go into the long story of how I've been pregnant five times but we only have two little boys.

Just before Christmas this year we found out we were expecting a baby! We were thrilled! Elijah had been praying for a baby and here was the answer to that prayer! How cool! I even took a gender predictor test and it said it was a girl, confirming what I had already felt. I was looking forward to sharing the news on here and telling you that come August there'd be another little Gill. But even though everything seemed to be going well something held me back. Maybe it was our two past miscarriages that cautioned me to wait till 12 weeks when the risk of miscarriage drops significantly.

At 10 weeks we couldn't hear the babies heart beat which isn't totally abnormal but then last night we lost the baby. We're ok. It's comforting to know that the Lord knew this was coming. He allowed it to pass through His loving hands and onto us for a reason. We can trust Him.

I'm sharing all this to say I think we need to be a little more sensetive about the questions we ask. Just remember we don't know exactly what others are going through.

Oh and while we are on the subject of inaporpriate comments/questions here's a great post from the Tribal Wife about chubby babies. You'll love her blog, she's a wife, mother, missionary and blogger living in Papua New Guinea.

This Week

2012-01-27T11:30:00.001-05:00

Not much going on around here.

If you came to my house this week you'd probably find the boys playing with their new play doh. Usually they get their toy trucks and tractors out along with the play doh and make roads for them but one day Elijah was happy with the cookie cutters...

Elijah made "cookies" and i came to his bakery and bought them! Then he decided that since i didn't have enough money (he told me one cost $80!) that they were all free so i could try them all! That's my kind of bakery!

The boys havn't been feeling 100% this week. Runny noses and coughs and such so there's been some nice naps going on.

Speaking of sleeping children. On Monday after an appointment I was kid free and got to spend a couple special hours with my friend Sherri holding her little Joseph. He fell sleep on my chest and I got to just sit there and hold him as he napped. It was perfect!

Today is gray and rainy. Elijah and I are cleaning and organizing the boys room. As you can tell from the way he set up his play doh bakery he loves to organize!
Enjoy your Friday and have a great weekend!

embrace the camera: jan. 26th

2012-01-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

I'm joining fellow Florida blogger Emily in Embracing the Camera. She's realized that we mom's are so often the ones behind the camera and don't get in many pictures with our kids. So now she's encouraging us to be intentional about turning the camera around and including ourselves in the photos so one day our kids will have those memories that include us. For our kids.

Alana snapped this picture of Geoff and I on Saturday at Blue Springs when we went to see the manatees.

my handsome husband and I

Your turn! Embrace the camera and link up with us!

A Hug from the Lord

2012-01-25T09:39:00.001-05:00

Saturday was special.

We were given the afternoon to spend with this special couple. Grant and Alana were some of our small group leaders during our time in Missouri.

After a nice lunch we drove to Blue Springs to see the manatees.

The manatees come into the warmer spring waters during the winter months.

See the gray blobs on the far side of the springs? Those are the manatees. I was a little disappointed that they weren't closer for Grant and Alana to see them better for the first time. Sometimes they are so close and right under the walkways!

It was still a lovely afternoon and we enjoyed our visit so much.

2012-01-20T10:09:00.000-05:00

Dear Auntie Rachel, Granda Charlie and Nana!

Thanks for my birthday movies !!

Love, Ethan

My Knight is Three!

2012-01-16T10:10:00.002-05:00

Good morning Birthday Boy!

Brothers

Friends

the family

a gift from grandma and grandpa

"I am Ethan, righter of wrongs, defender of the weak, the squisher of all things evil. I raise my legendary sword and shield this day and will do battle as Ethan, God's Mighty Worrior!"
- from a children's book by Sheila Walsh

two against one?

and the littlest takes the rest down! =)

Coming up

2012-01-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

Busy weekend coming up for this family!

Ethan's 3rd birthday is on Sunday! THREE! Can you believe it!?

Today my sister is coming over and we are going to bake cupcakes for his birthday. I thought I'd try these cupcakes. With frosting of course! Do you have any good frosting recipes you could share with me?

Tonight we might get a visit with friends from Missouri! They are on staff at the missionary training center there and were our neighbors for a while. Lucky for us the missions headquarters is not far from here and they are down here for meetings so we get to see them!

Tomorrow it'll be cleaning the house and preparing some sides for a dinner with a couple from church. They invited us over for dinner and then s'mores over their fire. Fun!

Sunday my little guy turns three! We'll go to church. But before that I'll put this in the slow cooker for lunch. A lovely family with three little kids are coming over for lunch after church. Our boys just love their kids and they get along great!

Later on the rest of my family will come over for cupcakes, coffee and ice cream!

See you on Monday with pictures!

Have a great weekend!

My Knight in Shining... Huggies?

2012-01-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd put this classic Ethan photo up for the family not on Facebook. =)

pressies and snuggles

2012-01-09T16:15:00.000-05:00

Most of today has been spent on the couch with a sick little boy who keeps saying "Mommy, i just want you to hold me!"
Over the weekend some gifts arrived from the family over in Northern Ireland. These are for you Gills! Thanks for the smiles you brought to our boys faces! They are thrilled! The binoculars also arrived earlier much to delight of both boys. Before he got sick Elijah was outside spotting all the planes and birds he could find. =)

exactly what they wished for, cars and play dough!

The first thing they wanted to do this morning was play with the new play dough. =)

He loves his kitty

2012-01-06T11:06:00.000-05:00

Pretty in Pink

2012-01-05T14:48:00.001-05:00

The local Farmer's Market! Your place to find fruit and veggies, kettle corn and kittens, cauliflower the size of your head and lots of plants and flowers!

I see these bright pink plants all around Florida but I don't know their name. I just think they are so pretty so one came home with me yesterday from the farmers market. It's sitting in front of our house and it's nice to have some color after the frost the last two nights killed our poor grass.

We sure are enjoying this cooler weather though!

Family Time

2012-01-03T10:14:00.000-05:00

One of my grandma's left on Monday for her home in New York and today my brother flew back to his collage in Chicago. So on Sunday we celebrated my dad's birthday a few days early while the family was together.

My brother Andrew with both Grandmas.

My dad and his mom.

Hmmmm.... =)

Hope you're having a good week!

Happy Birthday, Sherri!

2012-01-02T11:09:00.000-05:00

It's this lovely lady's birthday today!

Last week we got together and took some newborn pictures of her littlest man. He was only two weeks and two days old in these photos.

We needed some brother shots. They looked so cute together in their blue hoodies.

Sherri made his onesie. Sammy had a matching big brother tshirt.

After our photo shoot Brittany came over and we went out to dinner to celebrate our birthdays while we were all together. Brittany's birthday is in December, Sherri's in January and mine is in February.

The daddy's watched the bigger boys while we took Ella and Joseph with us. It was kind of amusing the huge difference of BC (before children) and AC (after children). It was only 7:30 and we were all yawning in the car on the way out to eat. So much for those all night sleep overs we used to enjoy so much! And we used to be so good about getting pictures together but now it's all about the kiddos! I don't even have one picture of the three of us that night!

Not that we would change it at all. These kids have changed our lives and given us even more reasons to celebrate!

130 Points for New Swagbucks Members

2011-12-31T12:33:00.002-05:00

If you have yet to sign up for a Swagbucks account now is the perfect time to go for it! Now through 12/31, new members to Swagbucks can start off with 130 points… just for signing up! Just head on over here and register AND be sure to enter the code HOLIDAYSWAG (may need to type out – do not copy and paste) during sign up and you’ll snag an additional 100 points (in addition to the 30 points you normally get), so a total of 130 points!

My favorite rewards are the Amazon gift cards and the Starbucks giftcards! Before Christmas I as able to get a $50 amazon.com gift card that helped with Christmas this year!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-30T09:10:00.002-05:00

It was after 8:00 on Christmas morning and both boys were still fast asleep!

Any other day I would relish the extra quiet time but this was CHRISTMAS MORNING!

So we put turned up the Christmas music and woke them up.

First we enjoyed some hot cocoa stirred with candy canes...

Then we opened stockings.

My grandma has knit each one of the family stockings with their names on them.

Daddy opening his stocking. He must have said something silly because Elijah is cracking up here. =)

Family picture time!

After reading the Christmas story from Luke chapter 2 we opened gifts.

Ethan brought me mine.

Then it was off to my parents house for our big Christmas dinner!

Too much turkey? =)

So thankful for my boys!

2011-12-28T10:34:00.002-05:00

Christmas Eve

2011-12-27T12:47:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas.

It's been fun to read your blogs see your pictures and hear your stories.

Our church had a service on Christmas Eve and my whole family joined us. This is my beautiful sister and her lovely family. Look how adorable my niece is in her Christmas dress!

After church we all went to my mom and dad's house for our traditional Christmas Eve of Christmas cookies, cheese and crackers.

My little brother who is back from Moody for the holidays (the extra long one stretched out on the couch below) is all into traditions this year. (I think he missed home) =)

It's been special having my grandmother here from out of state. I haven't seen her in three years!

Here she is holding her great granddaughter.

Then the kids got to open their gifts from Great Grandma.

Then it was off to home and beds and dreams of Christmas morning!

my heart is breaking for this family

2011-12-23T07:07:00.003-05:00

There's no easy way to say this but I wanted to ask you all for your prayers for some family friends right now who are facing a terrible heartache. Their nineteen year old son went missing earlier this week. His body was found yesterday on a Tampa beach.

Patrick was finishing his first semester of studying criminal justice at University of South Florida. His memorial service is being held this afternoon.

Would you take a moment to pray for the Freeman family? That they find peace during this difficult time.

Friends + Babies = a great afternoon

2011-12-22T09:05:00.001-05:00

I got to spend the afternoon yesterday with some of my favorite people in the world!

Lots of snuggling with babies and catching up went on.

I FINALLY got to meet Brittany's daughter Ella!

She's the sweetest thing with this mischievous little smile!

Elijah soaked up the time to hold Ella and Joseph who is only one week old.

Elijah's holding Ella while they watched a movie.

Here's Elijah helping Ella to open her gifts.

And giving Sammy his present...

See, he just wanted to hold the babies!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

So far in December...

2011-12-20T09:14:00.000-05:00

We picked out our Christmas tree at a local Christmas tree farm...

Grandpa and Ethan being silly.

We decorated our tree...

Books and cocoa under the lights...

Celebrated Uncle Andrew's birthday...

Decorated gingerbread men...

Said goodbye to Granny...

This is Elijah and Granny back in 2008

Welcomed this precious boy

Spent mornings by the tree...

Added many items to the Etsy shop...

Drove to Bass Pro Shop to see Santa and get a picture then forgot the photo at the store!!!

Thankfully I snapped a photo on my cell phone.

Packages from friends over the ocean...

Thanks RUTH!

And lots and lots of climbing trees!

Think they are going to be tree climbers like their dad?

Are you all ready for Christmas?

Embrace the Camera ~ December 15th

2011-12-15T09:54:00.001-05:00

A family photo from the day we picked out our Christmas tree!

Decorating Ginger Bread Men

2011-12-15T08:04:00.001-05:00

Joseph Caleb

2011-12-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

His name is Joseph Caleb and I don't think it's possible for him to get any cuter!
My friend Sherri had asked me to be at the birth and take pictures. So last night right before dinner I got a call from her husband saying "I hope you're not busy tonight!"
Once my husband got home from work with the van I was on my way when I got another call from Jesse saying "He's here!" Little Joe was born at home and made his appearance in record time. From the first signs of labor to birth was only three hours! The midwife only got there twenty one minuets before he was born!

The family of four.

Joseph has a handsome big brother named Sam.

He's so perfect!

What a gift to be able to hold him at less than an hour old.

Proud Daddy

Sam, Sherri and I

Love you little Joseph! We are so glad you are here!

A December Birthday

2011-12-13T08:53:00.000-05:00

We are all SO excited to have this little lady and her daddy and mommy move close by!
Elijah just LOVES to hold her. He told me once that he's sad because Ethan doesn't let him hold him anymore. So he's just soaking up the times he gets to hold his little cousin.

Last week we celebrated my brother in laws birthday.

We made homemade pizza and garlic bread. Grammy made an apple pie for desert. yum!

Elijah picked out these wacky candles for him.

Decorating and Coco Under the Tree

2011-12-08T08:05:00.000-05:00

The night we set up the tree Geoff made hot coco for the boys and chai for me and we sat by the twinkling lights and read a new Christmas book.

Does anybody (besides Grandma and Crystal =) know what book we are reading? It was one of my favorite Christmas books growing up.

Look at those sweet toes!

Some great news is that my sister and her family are moving here! Yay, yay, yay! Right now they are two hours away but in a couple of weeks they will be only 15 minuets away! I'm so excited to be able to spend more time with her and my sweet niece!

Santa's Christmas Tree Forest

2011-12-07T09:22:00.001-05:00

Petting the animals

Jumping in the hay

Gonna get mommy!

Wagon ride

Picking out our Christmas tree

Super big jumping pillow

Horse rides!

Elijah's horse was named Maddie.

Ethan's pony was named Scooter.

A Winner

2011-12-07T06:56:00.000-05:00

It looks like #4 is our winner for the Lakeshore Learning giveaway! Congratulations Suburban Prep!

Giveaway Ending Tonight and New Etsy Items!

2011-12-06T16:42:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know that the Lakeshore Learning giveaway is ending tonight so be sure to get your entry in. To be entered just follow this link and leave a comment on that post.

We've added quite a few new items to the Etsy shop! Some cute purses and a few new wallets like this one below. This one's my favorite and it matches my purse almost perfectly! These and the coasters would make some great stocking stuffers! Just a thought! Oh, and you'll find a discount code over at the shop!

Hope you all are having a great week.

Decorating Grandma's House

2011-12-06T07:42:00.000-05:00

Our Nativity

2011-11-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

The set has been gifts from my mom and grandma over the last few years. I wasn't able to take them to Northern Ireland when we moved and then when we moved to Missouri it was January and I wasn't thinking about taking our Christmas things. So this is the first Christmas we've been able to set it up in our own home. I love it.

The boys and I unpacked them and set it up on Thanksgiving night.

I remember setting up the nativity set with my mom growing up and it's fun to be able to do it with my own kids now. I think setting up a nativity is a beautiful way to keep the reason for the season in focus.

Some time in the next week or so we'll go to Santa's Christmas Tree Forest and get our tree! We're waiting for a nice cold day to go. This past weekend the temps were up to 90 degrees! For some reason it doesn't seem very Christmas like when you're sweating while setting up your tree. =)

In other news. We had our first sale in our Etsy shop last night!

I hope you're having a nice "chilly" Tuesday!

Mommy and Me Monday

2011-11-28T10:13:00.001-05:00

That's Ethan on the right and me on the left, both at the age of two.

Yup, he's my son! =)

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?
Enter the Lakeshore Learning giveaway here. Low entries!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-25T11:52:00.001-05:00

My parents and grandpartents came to our house for Thanksgiving yesterday.

Elijah was my big helper in the kitchen preparing for our Thanksgiving dinner.

We did as much as we could the day before so we didn't have too much to do the morning of.. Elijah helped by trimming all the green beans for me and mashing the sweet potatoes!

We ate around our table in our cozy little kitchen.

Geoff deep fried the turkey and it was delicious!

We also had mashed potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole, cranberry salad, rolls, a rice dressing and bread dressing, With apple and pumpkin pie for dessert.

After dinner Ethan did was the rest of us were wishing we could do. =)

Elijah thoughtfully covered his brother with a blanket and let him sleep.

Later on the boys had some play time with daddy and we set the camera timer and tried to get some family pictures.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and time with the ones you love.

Did you all snag any good deals this Black Friday?

We're offering free shipping in the Etsy shop this weekend!

Plus you still have time to enter the giveaway to Lakeshore Learning.

Have a great weekend!

Each Unique

2011-11-23T07:57:00.005-05:00

Kay is a friend of mine and all she needs to create something beautiful is some fabric and her sewing machine! She's made quilts, wall hangings, purses, stuffed animals, coasters, wallets and more. When Kay sews an item it's one of a kind. Each piece is different from the last because she used different fabric or style.

The only problem was no body knew about them! I want to change that so I asked her if i could help. Do you want to see what i've been working on?

We now have an Etsy shop set up and running! The first items are in and we will be adding more each day.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Lakeshore Learning $25 giftcard Giveaway! (CLOSED)

2011-11-21T21:52:00.003-05:00

We're all about having toys and activites around here that contribute to learning and growth. That's why I was excited to learn about Lakeshore Learning.

Lakeshore Learning is a website full of educational activities, toys and gifts for kids.
Taken from their website, "Our mission
Lakeshore is dedicated to creating innovative educational materials that spark young imaginations, instill a sense of wonder and foster a lifelong love of learning. With materials for infants & toddlers through the 6th grade, we help children reach developmental milestones and achieve educational goals—while still having fun! We know that each child is unique, and we strive to develop materials that appeal to children of all interests, backgrounds and abilities. And, of course, all of the products we carry must meet stringent quality & safety standards—so they’re strong enough for daily use in the classroom and safe enough for use by babies and children."

You can brows the site by category, price range or narrow your search by age group.

I plan on browsing around some more on the Free Resources page that has lesson plans, activities and printables.

I took a look around online and thought the prices were good. I found a magnetic dart board that I thought the boys would love. I was right, Elijah was so excited to pull it out of the box when it arrived.

It's sturdy but light enough we were able to use just a thumb tack to hang it up on the wall. No assembly required and easy to hang! Perfect!
Of course the boys wanted to play right away.

I was a little disappointed that the darts didn't stick as well as I imagined. We had to get pretty close in order for the darts to stick. But that didn't seem to bother the boys at all they just kept picking them up and trying again.

They still had a lot of fun and are getting better at it as they practice.

Lakeshore Learning has offered our readers 25% off any single non sale item! Use this link.

Plus they are giving away a $25 gift card to one of you to use online or in store!

To Win:Leave a comment below telling me what you'd like to get with the gift card or who it would be for. That's it! Be sure to leave your email so i can contact the winner.

Although I received free product from Lakeshore Learning, the opinions reflected here are my own and was not influenced by the company or free product.

Winner of MyMemories Scrapbook Software

2011-11-21T18:56:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Sarah! You are our winner!

Thanks to all who entered! This is the month for giveaways around here because we have a new giveaway starting today! You can enter to win a gift card to Lakeshore Learning! Enter here!

Our favorite smoothie + secret ingrediant!

2011-11-21T07:25:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite ways to get my boys to eat their fruits is in a smoothie! You can hid so many good for you things in a delicious smoothie and they'll never know!

I'm not a huge fan of avocados. But once I found out how good avocados are for you I really wanted to include them more in our diet. Check out 10 heath benefits of avocados. So i've been putting one in our smoothies! Oh my goodness, i don't think i'll ever want to make a smoothie without an avocado ever again! You can't taste it but it gives the smoothie a smoother creamer texture.

Now I can't take credit for this life changing discovery I read about it on Bite of Life blog. It's our chiropractors wife's blog and she has many other delicious and healthy recipes there.
I also froze some and made freezer pops out of the left over smoothie which the boys enjoyed the next day. Once again getting their cancer fighting, heart healthy avocados!

Our favorite smoothie:

Avocado
Frozen Strawberries
Frozen Blueberries
Vanilla Yogurt

Favorite Photo Friday

2011-11-18T06:41:00.002-05:00

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T09:48:00.001-05:00

Photos taken yesterday at Grandma's house.

PS. Giveaway ends soon! Only 5 entries so far! Enter here.

2011-11-16T12:06:00.001-05:00

I asked Ethan to please put his shoes on so we could go to grandmas and he did although it looked a little different than I was picturing. =) Next time i'll have to ask him to put two matching shoes on! Ha!

Meanwhile Elijah was waiting for us outside and found a fopher tortoise in our yard.

The kittens were not sure what to make of it. They kept their distance.

Chunky Homemade Salsa!

2011-11-15T09:17:00.003-05:00

The average American has 700 industrial chemicals in their bodies!

Geoff and I went to a health seminar on Saturday. One of the things we learned about was glutathione. It's a powerful antioxidant in our bodies that helps remove those chemicals, free radicals and reduces damage to our cells. It can even remove heavy metals from our bodies! It's very important and our bodies produce it naturally. But after the age of 21 our glutathione levels drop. The good news is that we can increase our levels through the food we eat!

Some foods that boost Glutathione are spinach, lemons, okra, asparagus, avocados, onions, squash, garlic, tomatoes, curcumin (yellow curry).

Here's a recipe that includes many of those ingredients for a healthy and delicious snack!
Homemade Salsa!

Measurements don't have to be exact.

4 to 5 medium tomatoes

1 medium onion

1 medium green pepper

as much garlic as you want =)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2 jalapeno peppers (red pepper powder works too)

1/2 tsp salt

sprinkle with lemon juice

Chop it all up and mix it together.
Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

Powerful!

2011-11-12T07:57:00.003-05:00

I Took His Hand and Followed

2011-11-11T10:48:00.001-05:00

I Took His Hand and Followed

Written by Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,

We wandered through a wood...

My kitchen wasn't swept today

But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade

And now my small son knows

How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,

We climbed a sunlit hill...

Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,

We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,

That I didn't brush the stairs,

In twenty years, no one on earth

Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy

To noble manhood grow,

In twenty years, the whole wide world

May look and see and know.

Today

2011-11-10T17:34:00.000-05:00

Photo Night!

2011-11-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

The picture on the right is my Grammy at 18 years old. The one on the left is her as a missionary in Africa.

On the evening before the family when home we met at my mom's. Grammy brought up a box of old family photos and we sat around the table sorting through them and laughing together.

Kyle holding up a family photo of when he was just a baby.

Operation Christmas Child

2011-11-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

Our church is collecting shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Elijah got really excited about it and kept asking to pack more boxes. I love seeing him thinking about others and giving to others. He put one of his favorite toy cars into his first box. We had fun at the store picking out things for the boxes.

Elijah picked out some stickers.

One chose to pack one of the boxes for a little girl and every little girl likes nail polish!

Ethan had fun helping too!

Boxes are packed and ready to go!

Something new this year is that you can track your boxes. You will get an email telling you what country your box was sent to! How cool is that!?

These boxes can have a huge impact on the children who receive them. After they get the boxes some of the kids join a bible study program and get the opportunity to learn more about the Lord.

You can find more information and find a drop off location near you by clicking here.

Fun at the Fair

2011-11-07T10:07:00.001-05:00

We took the boys to the fair Saturday night.

Ethan ran straight to the tractors. The grandpa's would be proud. =)

My favorite part was the petting zoo. These animals were so friendly even with all the little kids running around them.

Ethan and the Lama

There was a bigger fawn that tried to eat Elijah shirt. He thought it was hilarious!

Elijah and the donkey.

The lama came up to Geoff and started a staring contest... Geoff won.

I thought this was a funny sight. These two "kids" trying to break into the food jar. =)

Fair food! Yum!

The last time we were at the fair was before Ethan was born!

How was your weekend?

Aunt Deanna, you have a very good chance of winning the MyMemories Scrapbook software giveaway. You have the only entry so far!

Enter the giveaway here.

At The Beach

2011-11-04T10:16:00.001-04:00

It's been a wonderful week spent with extended family. Praying for safe travels as they all head home today. I'm so thankful for the time we had with them this week.

We spent some time at the beach yesterday.

Enter our giveaway!
Happy Friday! Enjoy your weekend!

My Memories Free Software Giveaway {Closed}

2011-11-03T11:09:00.003-04:00

I used to print out my photos and try to keep up with a scrapbook but I found myself always behind on it and once it was done the book was so heavy it was a pain when trying to pack light for our many moves. Recently i've found myself turning to digital scrapbooking and ordering photo books.
MyMemoires Suite is digital scrapbooking software that allows you to create your scrapbook pages on your computer and share them online or have them printed so you have a hard copy. It is easy and fun to use and have many options to keep you busy for quite awhile! My Memories Suite is highly rated by Amazon and TopTen Reviews.

You can make more than scrapbook pages though! You can also turn your pages into photobooks, cards, calanders and other gifts quite easily.

MyMemories asked me to give their software a try. Plus they are giving away one reader their own scrapbook software, a $40 value!

It only took a few minuets to download the program and get started. When you first open the program it will ask you if you want to use a template or start from scratch and create you own design.

The first page I made I used a preset template. I just had to add the pictures and the words. You can adjust it and play around with the template until it's exactly what you want.

Since it was my first time using something like this it taken me a bit of playing around with it to get used to it and to see all that can be done.

I added pictures of the family from my Grammy's 90th birthday party.

The next one I started with a blank page.
These pictures are of my boys and their cousin from earlier this week. Elijah just loved holding her and touching her cheeks.

In order to save your page so you'll be able to upload it to Facebook or your Blog you go to "Share Album" and "Esport to JPEG". That will save it as a photo image and I saved my pages right with my other photos.
I think this program is great and I'm thankful for the chance to try it and GIVE one to one of YOU!

If you'd like to purchase My Memories Suite you can get $10 off by clicking on the banner to the left of the one at the top of the post.

Win It!

First Entry:
Visit MyMemories look around and come back and leave a comment with your favorite layout, paper or other idea on how you could use the pages.
Or leave a comment telling me what you'd use this program for.

Extra entries:

Follow MyMemories:

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Leave each in a separate comment with your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner.

Giveaway will end in a couple weeks.
Although I received free product from MyMemories, the opinions reflected here are my own and was not influenced by the company or free product.

Surprise!

2011-11-01T11:23:00.000-04:00

Surprise!!!
(Picture ~~stolen~~ borrowed from Creekside Cotttage.)

It's not everyday you have a someone in your family turn 90 years old.

In honor of Grammy the family put together some surprises for her birthday yesterday.

On Friday her daughter and family who live in Missouri surprised her by coming down. When she saw them she said it was the best birthday gift they could give her. Little did she know there was more on the way! =)

She thought she was going to my mom's house for dinner the evening of her birthday (last night) but instead she was taken to a family dinner where she was surprised to see her youngest son and family from Pennsylvania! (the picture above)

The dinner was catered for the 21 of us by friends who did a wonderful job!

I want to go visit them today and see if there's any leftovers, it was SO good!

There were several family members not there and we missed them.

My brother Andrew called to wish Grammy a happy birthday as we were sitting down to eat so he said the prayer before dinner over the phone for us.

The birthday girl in the center.

Elijah and Kyle

Look at these two handsome boys! Kyle is my cousin so according to Aunt Deanna (Kyle's mom) that would make them first cousins once removed. You can read Aunt Deanna's post on the evening on her blog here.

There was one more surprise after the family dinner. We had a open house dessert party where many of her friends came to celebrate with her.

My cousin Lindsay made a slide show for Grammy. The picture up on the screen in the photo above is Grammy on her wedding day.

Before we cut the cake Grammy shared that she was saved at age 10 so she has known the Lord for 80 years. She said "I haven't always been faithful, but He has always been faithful to me!"

I love this picture of my mom with her mom. Also ~~stolen~~ borrowed from Creekside Cottage. =)

Uncle Tim cutting the cake. Notice Ethan keeping a close watch. Over the course of the night Elijah and Ethan were given a new nickname by the Rabes. Aunt Deanna said they reminded her of little hobbits Merry and Pippin. Ethan being Pippin. Fitting since he's always getting into trouble. Not long before this photo was taken he had snuck? sneaked? crept up to the cake and stuck his hand in the icing and messed up the word "birthday". The stinker!

Since i was distracted keeping Ethan hands out of all the sugar my cousin Emily picked up my camera and took most of the pictures in this post. I'm thankful she did! I don't know how she got these 5 to say still for a picture, but she did and it's great! I love this picture!

Sara, Sarah, Anna, Elijah and Ethan

Lindsay and I.

Rachel is a natural with babies. Here she's making my sisters daughter laugh so hard! I wish i could have heard it, they said she was belly laughing.

Well, that was our evening. What did you do last night?

Grammy

2011-10-31T07:46:00.000-04:00

My Grammy turns 90 today.

This lady is such a blessing to all of us with her joyful spirit and contentment in the Lord.

We LOVE you Grammy!
Happy Birthday!

The view from here

2011-10-27T18:48:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-26T08:43:00.000-04:00

Elijah Then and Now

2011-10-25T08:32:00.001-04:00

Elijah came in the house yesterday holding something behind his back and said "Mommy, i have a surprise for you!" You never know what a daring five year old who loves bugs and snakes is going to surprise you with so I was so happy to see him pull out and surprise me with a flower he had found and transplanted into a container. =) I loved it and he brightened my day with his thoughtfulness.

Then when I looked at the picture it reminded me of one from when we were living in Northern Ireland. Geoff had bought me flowers and I caught Elijah peeking through them just like he did yesterday.

Visit from Friends

2011-10-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Sherri and Sam came for a visit this week!

We took bread to the springs so the boys could feed the fish.

But we ended up feeding Sam instead!

Thanks for visiting!

Smiles from the pumpkin patch

2011-10-20T08:10:00.000-04:00

Homemade Sidewalk Paint

2011-10-19T08:39:00.001-04:00

I saw this recipe for sidewalk paint on Pinterest and the boys and i tried it out on Saturday morning.

Homemade Sidewalk Paint:

2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
6-8 drops of food coloring

Elijah had fun measuring everything out and mixing it up.

Our colors!

Everything's more fun when you get to use a paint brush!

I had to tell Ethan not to paint the kittens a time or two. =)

It would also work well on car windows since it washes off so easily.

2011-10-17T07:53:00.003-04:00

Helen Keller on slowing to Really See…

‘I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch.

I feel the delicate symmetry of a leaf.

I pass my hands lovingly about the smooth skin of a silver birch, or the rough shaggy bark of a pine….

I feel the delightful, velvety texture of a flower, and discover its remarkable convolutions; and something of the miracle… is revealed to me.

Occasionally, if I am very fortunate, I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy quiver of a bird in full song….

At times my heart cries out with longing to see these things. If I can get so much pleasure from mere touch, how much more beauty must be revealed by sight.

Yet, those who have eyes apparently see little. The panorama of color and action which fills the world is taken for granted….

It is a great pity that, in the world of light, the gift of sight is used only as a mere convenience rather than as a means of —

adding fullness to life.”

~Helen Keller

credit here

embrace the camera: oct. 13th

2011-10-13T08:40:00.001-04:00

"One! Two! Three! Go!"

"Jump Frog!"

"No Ethan! Don't kiss the frog!"

Two Boys and a Sprinkler

2011-10-12T08:07:00.000-04:00

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2011-10-11T08:54:00.002-04:00

I found this recipe online and the boys and I made these cookies last week on a rainy day and enjoyed them warm out of the oven.

Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy them fresh out of the oven!

So much engery in such a small space...

2011-10-10T09:55:00.000-04:00

We've had a very rainy last few days. The creek beside our house is flowing nicely. We needed the rain, I'm not complaining but it's made for some challenging days keeping the boys entertained and out of trouble in doors.

I got some great activity ideas from you over the weekend on Facebook. Thanks! We made cookies, painted, played board games, Lego's, playdoh, watched movies, took pictures, played in the rain, read books... basically played all day so why do rainy days wear me out?!

Ethan and one of the many masterpieces the boys created

Elijah just checking on the cookies to see if theyre ready yet

So I joined . Not sure what I'm doing yet. =) Maybe those of you who use it can give me some tips?

Be Glad

2011-10-07T08:08:00.000-04:00

"We WILL be glad and rejoice." It's a choice. Make it and it will make a difference in your day today.

Upgrade!

2011-10-06T08:01:00.000-04:00

My cell phone broke back in April.

I just got it replaced this week.

I wasn't procrastinating, i was just waiting till we were eligible for an upgrade.

Anyway, all that to say I bought a mini sd card to get the pictures off of my old phone so now I have a way of sharing them!

the beach the day after Christmas
2009

Elijah fishing with daddy

Ethan Dec. 2009

Disney day with the gang!
January 2010

Ethan and I the day before classes started at the Missionary Training Center in Missouri.
January 2010

Elijah in MO.
Wow, both boys have grown and changed so much since then!

on a trip to the hospital to visit my mom
Summer 2010

Geoff's birthday at the Mexican resturaunt in Camdenton.
April 2011

Splash zone at the zoo in Florida.
September 2011

Pancakes for dinner!
September 2011

Delicious autumn!

2011-10-04T09:59:00.002-04:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

October is here and Florida is starting to cool down. It's 64 degrees this morning and it's mornings like this that make me so happy that I live in Florida. =)

A couple of days ago we took a walk at a park.

The boys ran around chasing rabbits, climbing trees and releasing their abundant energy.

looking at the turtles and fish in the springs

beautiful day

Elijah exploring

Ethan climbing

We came across this old fallen tree that was perfect for climbing on and jumping off of.

Elijah had climbed up but was afraid to climb back down again.

Ethan came over held up his hands and said "Jump 'lijah!"

Elijah wanted to take some pictures. The rest are ones that he took.

I love hugs from my boys! =)

Happy October everyone! What are you looking forward to this month?

underneath are the everlasting arms

2011-09-30T07:37:00.000-04:00

SUPPORT, NOT RELIEF

(None But The Hungry Heart 9-27)

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you"

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Relief from pressure may seem merciful, but support in the pressure produces growth and maturity.
"There is a greater blessing for us than relief; there is the Father's support, for it imparts to you an acquaintance with Himself which relief does not. Relief makes one more satisfied with things here. I have known some who could tell you of a long list of mercies, most touching, truly proof of the tenderness of God.

"Thank God, we all know something of His tenderness. But then there is a greater blessing, namely, that He does not remove the pressure, but raises you above it, so that, though you are not relieved, you are better off than if you were merely relieved, because you know His heart who supports you in the pressure. You have made a deep acquaintance with your Father, and your heart is more attached to Him." -J.B.S.

"It is not getting away from our circumstances, our environment, our associations, that we need, but the Lord Jesus' likeness where we are. The Father placed us there, permitted the trials for a purpose, and He stands ready to bring us out into a life of liberty, if we will stand with Him in trust and endurance while He works it out."
"Have you asked to be made like your Lord; that it might be 'not I, but Christ'? Have you longed for the fruit of the Spirit, and have you prayed for patience and love? Then fear not the stormy tempest that is at this moment sweeping through your life. A blessing is in the storm, and there will be a rich fruitage in the 'afterward.'"

"The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms"

Deuteronomy 33:27.

It's ok Thursday!

2011-09-29T09:11:00.000-04:00

ITS OK....

to light all the candles in the house even if you're the only one there to enjoy them.

to let your kids watch a movie so you can have some quite time.

to start you Christmas shopping now.

to have one more cup of coffee.

to leave a few unpacked boxes in the garage for another time.

to just let it go...

Wordless Wednesday {Bubbles}

2011-09-28T10:16:00.001-04:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Where'd he go?

2011-09-27T07:34:00.000-04:00

Last night I went in to the boys room to check on them before I went to bed.

Elijah was sleeping peacefully on the top bunk. But Ethan's bed on the lower bunk was empty. Not totally strange since some times he gets out of bed to lay on the floor and go to sleep. But the floor was empty too! Where did he go?

I peek under the bed and at first I don't see anything except the mini suitcases holding extra clothes and toys and a stuffed animal between them.

Oh wait, that's Ethan camped out deep under the bed snoozin' away!

Typical

2011-09-26T06:55:00.000-04:00

They're having fun, I promise.

Yay! It's Thursday!

2011-09-22T10:33:00.000-04:00

my kitty baby

The kittens are so fun!

The boys still adore them and the kittens are still so patient with the boys.

We were reading Peter Pan the other night before bed and Elijah decided he wanted to change the kitty's names to Peter Pan and Tiger Lilly. So that that's what they're called now... at least until the next fairy tale we read. =)

Geoff and I

"Daddy home?" Ethan asks me nearly every morning. The boys have missed their daddy. Geoff flies home tonight after being gone for 9 days! I'll be picking him up at the airport after midnight tonight.

He's been over in Northern Ireland visiting his family and Granny. She's been in the hospital but they are talking about sending her home next week if she does OK this week. She's very weak but at least she would be home with the family.

Granny and my beautiful sister in law, Rachel.
Thanks Rachel for the photo!

Our plans for the today fell through so I'm taking the boys to the zoo. They have a water play area that the boys will have fun in. There's been thunderstorms every day so that may shorten our zoo trip.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Good morning from the mini men!

2011-09-20T08:42:00.000-04:00

my little dudes waking up

Fall Nesting

2011-09-18T18:05:00.000-04:00

Welcome!

What a great summer it's been!

Although Autumn is my favorite season I'm not sure I'm ready to let summer go yet.

And even though it may still FEEL like summer around here with temps in the 90's I don't mind if it starts to LOOK a little like Fall.

So this weekend the boys and I dug out some of our decorations from the garage and put them up.

A friend gave me these neat candles when we first moved into this house a few years ago. They sit on my table.

I keep changing my mind about the fire place mantel. Earlier it looked like this...

And for now, at least until tomorrow, it looks like this...

The fabulous portraits of my boys were done by Andrew Topel.

Visit his blog here.

Elijah adopted the pumpkin above from a thrift store this weekend.

My favorite thing is Our Thankful Tree. I cut out a tree and leaves from construction paper and each day we each write something we are thankful for on a leaf and add it to our tree. It was past the boys bed time by the time we got home last night but as soon as we came in the door Elijah saw the tree and said "We HAVE to do our thankful tree!"

Linking up with The Inspired Room.

Frosty Choco-Banana Snacks

2011-09-17T07:58:00.001-04:00

The boys enjoyed helping make these fun snacks yesterday.

Seeing as Florida is still reaching the high 90's during the day we needed something cold and refreshing.

Freezing the bananas with the toothpicks inserted before dipping in the chocolate made the dipping easy and the chocolate almond bark hardened on the cold fruit right away. We barely had them dipped before the boys ate them up!

In God's Heart...

2011-09-16T07:30:00.001-04:00

Getting my kids to eat their veggies

2011-09-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

We're celebrating Breakfast today! The plan is french toast for breakfast, bacon and eggs for lunch, and pancakes for dinner tonight!

The boys love these and what they don't know is that they are eating veggies at the same time! Veggies in French Toast? Yup! I mixed pureed butternut squash in with the eggs, milk. cinnamon. nutmeg and vanilla. I'll can mix a little bit of purred cauliflower in with the scrambled eggs at lunch. It blends right in and you can't taste it! Then tonight for dinner i'll mix canned pumpkin in the pancake batter.

Last night the boys never knew the spaghetti sauce had squash and cauliflower in it and they loved it.

How do you get your kids to eat their vegetables?

Update on Granny. She is still in the hospital and is really sick. She has had three heart attacks so far in the past couple weeks and now has phemonia. Geoff's over visiting with her right now.

This is a picture of our dear Granny, Geoff and Elijah a couple years ago on Geoff's birthday...

"Your kids always look so happy!"

2011-09-09T12:49:00.003-04:00

Well, it's time to debunk that myth! =) Lest any of you should begin to think my children are the most well behaved and well mannered kids alive, I'm here to tell you other wise. They say "A picture is worth a thousand words" and that is true to a point but pictures also leave out quite a bit! You can see the photo but you can't hear what else is going on.

Take last Thanksgiving for instance. Some of you saw this pic.

We were trying to get a decent family photo using our delay on our camera. So after pushing the camera button and scurrying back to my place if you were listening you would have heard a lot of things like, "Elijah stop smashing your brothers face!" "Ow! He scratched me!" "Well, you shouldn't have had your face in his space! "Ethan stop screaming!" and "Smile boys!"
It's also true, i tend to post happy smiling photos of my family on here. And we do have many happy times but that doesn't mean they never fuss, wine or fight with each other. I just don't usually post those. I figure you probably get enough of that in "real life".

Although this one of Ethan did show up on the blog in December 09...

Apparently he's not a fan of Tigger costumes and he let me know it!

Poor kid doesn't like mohawks in the tub either...

We're picking on Ethan today. Here's another.

Then just today, this is the face he gave me when I told him it was nap time...

Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy your weekend!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

Favorite Place in the World

2011-09-05T10:43:00.001-04:00

I'll never get tired of visiting this place.

The blue skies, fluffy clouds, crashing waves...

Knowing the beach would be packed today for Labor Day we decided to go on Friday instead.

We got to Canaveral National Seashore about 4:30. A couple other people were there but left shortly after and we had the beach to ourselves! It was beautiful!

Dad took his fishing rods for a little surf fishing.

Whether your working today or have the day off I hope you have a great Labor Day!

If you could say a prayer for Granny, my husbands grandmother, she's in the hospital and just had her second heart attack this week. Geoff spend a lot of time with her growing up so he is really close to her.

Linking up with:
Blue Monday at Smiling Sally
Mommy and Me Monday at Really, Are You Serious?

Another Beautiful Day

2011-09-05T10:30:00.001-04:00

I'll never get tired of visiting this place.

The blue skies, fluffy clouds, crashing waves...

Knowing the beach would be packed today for Labor Day we decided to go on Friday instead.

We got to Canaveral National Seashore about 4:30. A couple other people were there but left shortly after and we had the beach to ourselves! It was beautiful!

Dad took his fishing rods for a little surf fishing.

Whether your working today or have the day off I hope you have a great Labor Day!

If you could say a prayer for Granny, my husbands grandmother, she's in the hospital and just had her second heart attack this week. Geoff spend a lot of time with her growing up so he is really close to her.

Linking up with:

http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk27/Terrylee5151/BlueMonday.jpg" border="0" alt="Smiling Sally" />

Hello September

2011-09-01T07:15:00.002-04:00

Well, no kittens or other new animals came home with me this week from the Farmer's Market. Just fruit and veggies this time! =)

The grapes were half gone by the time we got them home.

Check out these beans!!!

We seem to have settled in just fine. The boys like their new room and are sleeping in a bunk bed now. The same bunks that my sister and I used to share. Some how they seem more grown up now that they're in such big boy beds.

Geoff's working long days. But we're thankful for a job these days.

It would be so easy to just get comfortable and start relying on a job rather than the Lord to provide for us. Not something I want to forget.

Can you believe it's September 1st!?

August was quite the month.

It found Geoff and I celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary.

Moving from Missouri to Florida.

Elijah starting kindergarten.

I found him the first day then teaching some of his stuffed animals who were set up each with their own paper and colored pencils.

We added two kittens to our family.

The boys have spent time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The huge box of Legos that Uncle Andrew left behind is a favorite activity there.

I'm really enjoying having my own space to plant things. There's so much joy in watching them grow. Do you think that has something to do with God since He placed the first man and women in a beautiful garden.

We've only made it to the beach once so far. But there's plans in the works for some beach time this weekend.

"This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T09:16:00.000-04:00

Zoo

2011-08-30T10:24:00.001-04:00

We took the boys and two of their friends to the zoo on Saturday.

Boys on the move!

Cute Little Leopard

Crazy Joe

I was way out numbered by the boys!

We were all SO HOT and in need of some refreshing.

Enter Snow Cones!

Zachary topping his cone.

That revived us (a little) and helped us enjoy the rest of the zoo.

We all need one of these to decorate our lawns.

Elijah looking at a giant spider in the Bug Zoo.

just a warning if you ever come to visit

2011-08-29T06:55:00.000-04:00

NEVER leave your COFFEE unattended!
If you hope to come back and find some left in your mug that is.

The other day I was sitting on our little front porch enjoying my morning coffee before the boys woke up. Eventually Ethan joined me out side with his sippy cup. For some reason I had to go inside for something and left my coffee cup sitting out there. I came back to see that the little stinker had unscrewed the lid of his cup and poured the entire contents of my coffee mug into his sippy and was trying to screw the lid back on his, now full of MY coffee, sippy cup!

Here he is trying to look all innocent.

"Who ME?"

Kittens and Curls

2011-08-26T06:43:00.000-04:00

There's something so sweet about kittens and curls don't ya think?

"We're going to go exploring." Elijah said to me as he slings his new kitten over his shoulder and heads off to find an adventure.

Earlier he told me "Thanks Mom, for getting a cat. They are easier to hold than a dog." He's a rough and tumble little boy but he also has a big heart. Last night at bed time he got upset and started crying because Ethan was growing up and he doesn't let Elijah hold him like he used to and Elijah was worried about forgetting what it was like when Ethan was little. I told him we had lots of pictures we could look back on to refresh our memories. That seemed to help calm his heart and he rolled over and went to sleep.

2011-08-25T09:00:00.001-04:00

These sweet kitties came home with me yesterday. I went to the Farmer's Market for fruit and veggies. Instead I came home with flowers and kittens!

The boys were so excited! Elijah said "I've never had a pet cat before!" Ethan calls them "cattys".

Elijah immediately chose the lighter kitten and hardly let it out of his sight all afternoon.

They have been so patient and good with the boys and all their ~~man handling~~ loving. =)

We have internet set up at our house now so i'll be able to keep in touch better now!

Geoff started working full time yesterday. We are not taking it forgranted. What a blessing to have a job these days!

Elijah has his first loose tooth! The bottom front two actually. He's very excited about this and tells everyone he meets about it. At church on Sunday when someone would ask him his name he would answer "I'm Elijah, and I have a loose tooth!"

We've visted a couple different churches and are praying that the Lord would lead us to where He wants us to go and where we can get involved and be a help and encouragment.
I've missed visiting and reading your blogs the last couple of weeks. How are you all doing?

How to spend your first day in Florida...

2011-08-18T12:33:00.000-04:00

Where else but at the beach!

Our first day in Florida mom and I took the boys to the beach. It was lovely! We all enjoyed it so much!

Flight to Florida

2011-08-12T20:08:00.000-04:00

Soy Candle Giveaway! (CLOSED)

2011-08-12T19:56:00.001-04:00

Crystal's Health Corner: My 1st giveaway!: "Would you expose yourself, if you were pregnant, or your baby to 2nd hand smoke? Would you burn diesel fuel for your family to inhale? Would you ask your kids to expose themselves to cancer causing chemicals you may have in the house i.e. bleach?

No way. Of course not, but you have done the equivalent to all these things to your family & your body if you've burnt paraffin candles in your home! Yes, I too was shocked! Fumes contain formaldehyde which can lead to nose & throat cancer. So far there are 11 documented toxins from paraffin."

Read about the benefits of soy candles over on my sisters blog and enter her soy candle giveaway!

Last Day in MO

2011-08-08T09:33:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is moving day!
Last minuet packing, cleaning, saying goodbyes in store today.

We are going to be so sad to leave Missouri Ozarks and our friends here. God was so kind to allow us this time here with these amazing folks! They've blessed us so much with their love and input in our lives.

Thanks for all the anniversary wishes here and on Facebook yesterday!

Have a great day!

7 Years

2011-08-07T06:58:00.005-04:00

8~7~11

We're celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary today!

In the past 7 years we've lived in:
2 different counties
3 different states
8 different homes

In two days we are moving again.

We're nearly ready! My Aunt came to help me clean yesterday and we got a ton done. It was so nice to have her help and it gave me the motivation I needed to GET TO IT!

Geoff took me out to eat for lunch yesterday for our anniversary. We ate at a nice restaurant over looking the Lake. Our table was right in the window so we had a wonderful view.

Today is going to be a busy day. It's our last Sunday at church. =( So some goodbyes to be said today. Then I'm taking a friend to one airport and picking up another friend at a different airport.

Have a blessed Sunday my friends!

Linking up with the LEarning Never Stops Photo Challenge {this moment} edition

2011-08-02T18:34:00.002-04:00

"Mommy, it's too hot to play outside" he said.

"Ooo" you answer "It can't be that bad."

Then you get in your vehicle and read the temperature...

And for our Celsius loving friends...

Ouch!

And these were taken at 5:00 in the evening.

I should have known it was bad when my normally outdoor loving child refused to spend longer than 15 minuets out of doors today.

Is your AC working over time this summer? I know we aren't the only ones with these kinds of record highs.

Remember to drink lots of water and stay hydrated!

I'm off to do some cleaning with the hubby and kiddos are out of the house. We had a good packing day. A few more things checked off the to do before we move list. yes!

A week from today we'll be moving to Florida. So ready for this move to be over.

Have a great evening!

Hello August

2011-08-01T20:46:00.002-04:00

...what do you have in store for us?

What's awaiting us around the next bend?

Time for the LEarning Never Stops Photo Challenge!
This week’s theme is: The view from here.

My Favorite Way to Start the Day

2011-07-29T08:37:00.002-04:00

Someone help! I can't stop taking pictures!

2011-07-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

Streams in the Desert

2011-07-27T08:40:00.001-04:00

The July 26th reading of Streams in the Desert kind of hit me square between the eyes.Waiting on God with hope and waiting on God for hope are two different things and i'm learning it's ok to be in the place of waiting for hope. I've been there and i've felt that i must just not have enough faith or maybe i'm not trusting the Lord enough. But it doesn't mean that I've failed. Some time life just hurts and are we going to keep trusting Him even when we feel like there's no hope?

Streams In The Desert - July 26th
"By faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope." -Galatians 5:5

There are times when everything looks very dark to me - so dark that I have to wait before I have hope. Waiting with hope is very difficult, but true patience is expressed when we much even wait for hope. When we see no hint of success yet refuse to despair, when we see nothing but the darkness of night through out window yet keep the shutters open because stars may appear in the sky, and when we have an empty place in our heart yet will not allow it to be filled with anything less than God's best - that is the greatest kind of patience in the universe. It is the story of Job in the midst of the storm, Abraham on the road to Moriah, Moses in the desert of Midian, and the Son of Man in the Garden of Gethsemane. And there is no patience as strong as that which endures because we see "him who is invisible" (Heb. 11:27). It is the kind of patience that waits for hope.

Dear Lord, You have made waiting beautiful and patience divine. You have taught us that Your will should be accepted, simply because it is Your will. You have revealed to us that a person may see nothing but sorrow in his cup yet still be willing to drink it because of a conviction that Your eyes see further than his own.

Father, give me Your divine power - the power of Gethsemane. Give me the strength to wait for hope - to look through the window when there are no stars. Even when my joy is gone, give me the strength to stand victoriously in the darkest night and say, "To my heavenly Father, the sun still shines."

I will have reached the point of greatest strength once I have learned to wait for hope. -George Matheson

The Missionary Mama

at ALL times

"So when are you going to have more kids?"

This Week

embrace the camera: jan. 26th

A Hug from the Lord

My Knight is Three!

Coming up

My Knight in Shining... Huggies?

pressies and snuggles

He loves his kitty

Pretty in Pink

Family Time

Happy Birthday, Sherri!

130 Points for New Swagbucks Members

Christmas Morning

So thankful for my boys!

Christmas Eve

my heart is breaking for this family

Friends + Babies = a great afternoon

Wordless Wednesday

So far in December...

Embrace the Camera ~ December 15th

Decorating Ginger Bread Men

Joseph Caleb

A December Birthday

Decorating and Coco Under the Tree

Santa's Christmas Tree Forest

A Winner

Giveaway Ending Tonight and New Etsy Items!

Decorating Grandma's House

Our Nativity

Mommy and Me Monday

Giving Thanks

Each Unique

Lakeshore Learning $25 giftcard Giveaway! (CLOSED)

Winner of MyMemories Scrapbook Software

Our favorite smoothie + secret ingrediant!

Favorite Photo Friday

Thankful Thursday

Chunky Homemade Salsa!

Powerful!

I Took His Hand and Followed

Today

Photo Night!

Operation Christmas Child

Fun at the Fair

At The Beach

My Memories Free Software Giveaway {Closed}

Surprise!

Grammy

The view from here

Pumpkin Carving

Elijah Then and Now

Visit from Friends

Smiles from the pumpkin patch

Homemade Sidewalk Paint

embrace the camera: oct. 13th

Two Boys and a Sprinkler

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1 egg yolk 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

So much engery in such a small space...

Be Glad

Upgrade!

Delicious autumn!

underneath are the everlasting arms

It's ok Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday {Bubbles}

Where'd he go?

Typical

Yay! It's Thursday!

Good morning from the mini men!

Fall Nesting

Frosty Choco-Banana Snacks

In God's Heart...

Getting my kids to eat their veggies

"Your kids always look so happy!"

Wordless Wednesday

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

"This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it."