Parris Ponderings

To Shop or Not To Shop…..

2012-02-08T00:09:00.000-06:00

…at Walmart…that is the question…

October 12, 2009 was our last day to set foot into Walmart and our last day to purchase anything from there.

I'll share another time our reasons for choosing not to shop there but I would love to share today a little bit about how we do it. I certainly don't claim to have a perfect plan or to have all the answers, just what works best for our family.

Do I think it's possible for everyone? I would say "Yes" but I know that there could be extenuating circumstances that play into your family life and not ours.

Please know this about us before I start:

I am willing to pay more for some items in favor of quality. I am not always seeking the best bargain if it means an inferior product/food for my family.
We have become patient about needing to buy some things. I used to walk into Walmart and buy whatever happened to pop in my head that I thought we needed. Now we have to wait and plan on where to purchase certain items since we are not shopping at Walmart. It makes you really consider each purchase and to give it some thought…do we really need this?

Forgive my randomness….I thought I would start by answering some common questions that friends often ask and go from there.

Where do you shop?

We buy most of our groceries at our local Winn Dixie, meat when we can from Edwards Grocery on Highway 204 and I love to shop at Aldi when I am already making a trip to Gadsden. Lucky for me, we already go to Gadsden once a week for ballet, so that works out nicely. :-) We also pick up paper products from time to time at Dollar General.

Winn Dixie seems so expensive, how can you afford to buy groceries there?

A couple of things:

Winn Dixie's sale prices, believe it or not, are very comparable to Walmart's regular prices. We try our best to stock up on our favorites when they go on sale. There are times we go without something because it's not on sale.
I have also learned not to be brand loyal. I will buy the product that is on sale as long as I find it suitable of course. There are few items I am a brand snob about.
Shopping at Winn Dixie removes all the extras that I normally used to purchase all the time at Walmart. I would go into Walmart for groceries and come out with printer ink, new halloween t-shirts for each of the kids and a kit to grow herbs that I never planted. Winn Dixie has very little on the extras front and the ones they do are outrageously priced so I would never even consider them.
For me, the customer service and friendly atmosphere in the store are worth their weight in gold. I NEVER got good service at Walmart. I always left that store aggravated and ticked at the world by the time I was done. I remember once asking if someone could help me out to my car at Walmart with my purchases. I had Ellie, Ethan was a baby, Bryan was working late and I had one buggy full of babies and one buggy full of purchases. The cashier was beyond irritated, she called for a 99 (maybe) and no one ever came. I finally left by myself. Winn Dixie almost always offers to help me to my car.
I see so many posts on Facebook about my friends that are frustrated with their Walmart experiences….why continue to complain…why not do something about it? Don't give them your business. If you keep doing what you're doing and keep getting the same result, why are you surprised?

Do you shop at other big box stores like Target?

We do! But not often. I have no beef with Target. We don't shop there as often as we might normally because the closest one is about thirty minutes away. We try to just keep an ongoing list of things we need in the Oxford area and we might make a trip every couple of months.

It's a great place for us to get dog food, paper goods, things for the house, toys, etc.

How do you shop for CHRISTMAS without Walmart?

When we started this journey, it was just a few months before Christmas. We thought if we could make it through the Christmas season without Walmart then we could conquer the world! Ha! We did a lot of our shopping online, utilized lots of free shipping deals and survived the biggest gift giving season without Walmart! One thing that cuts down on our gift giving tremendously, is that we only buy three gifts for each of our children. Certainly saves us from chasing down the perfect gift all over town. You may think us strange, but the last couple of years we have even forgone gift wrap! Before you think me insane, we did wrap them…we just used newspaper! Good gracious at the money I saved! Beautiful black and white packages with colorful bows. This year we'll switch to kraft paper to avoid the black smudgy fingers! On a side note, we also wrap birthday gifts that the kids give in comics. Everyone always knows which gift is from us!

A few more things…. I told you this would be random. :-)

One important thing is that we try to shop local whenever we can. I would rather support my local Warren ACE Hardware than a big box store any day. Walmart has set a precedent of coming into a town and basically forcing mom and pop stores to close up shop. It makes me so sad. Some of those families have spent generations building their business and livelihood. I would rather pick up a gift for Ellie to take to a birthday party at My Two Girls on the square than buy from Walmart.
Cleaning supplies were always a large expense for us as I expect they are for you as well. So we started making our own laundry detergent and as many household cleaners as we can. This has saved us tremendously. We get all those supplies for our recipes at our local ACE Hardware.
Another place we used to spend a lot of money was on diapers. Which you can probably get the best deal on at Walmart, truth be told. We switched to cloth diapers and cloth wipes when Ruby Kate was 4 months old and have saved a fortune. But if you are mom of a little one then you know actual disposable wipes are indispensable! We have to have some of those around for various mishaps that occur throughout the day! I buy our wipes at www.diapers.com. I love that they offer free shipping and their Kirkland wipes are my favorite!

Since my eyelids are starting to droop, I think I'll wrap up this post for the evening. Feel free to leave additional questions in the comments below. I'd be glad to answer anything I might have skipped.

I'll post more as my pregnant brain remembers!

Until next time,

Catalog Party!

2012-01-19T13:03:00.001-06:00

Ok…

I think I have just realized I might not be good at catalog parties…..

Why, you ask?I'm too much of an extrovert!! I love to have people over for a good party but when it comes to just handing out catalogs and taking orders I don't think I am a success…. :-(

Maybe everyone would rather just come over! I'll remember that next time!

So, what catalog party, you ask??

BLESSINGS UNLIMITED!!!!!!!! Man do I love this company! I can't remember where I first heard of this awesome company, but when we went to .Mom in Birmingham, I got to see so many of their beautiful products and I just fell in love all over again!

One of the things I love most about this company is the focus on Scripture. I love that every product has a Scripture referenced and that these can be around my home to be visible to my family. I have read several posts recently about "decorating"your home with Scripture and just love it!

Recently my friend Sonja became a Consultant for them and I am so excited for her! Hence the catalog party…..

I just wanted to show you some of favorite items and let you know that I have catalogs to share! Please let me know if you'd like one! I am turning in all my orders to Sonja on Wednesday.

You could also take a look around Sonja's website and call or email me with your order!

A Few of My Favorites

I just adore this Lazy Susan! Sonja won this on our .Mom trip and needless to say I am so jealous! This would look fabulous on my dining room table! After I clean all the junk off…..

This is perfect for my girls' room!

I would love for them to read this inscription every morning when they look in the mirror….

"This is the face of someone Jesus loves."

"I have loved you with an everlasting Love." Jeremiah 31:3

I really, really, really want to paint both my exterior doors a beautiful shade of RED before the new baby arrives! I have put it off for years and they are both looking rough!

When I do, I would LOVE to add this to our back door that everyone uses. It says:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!!!!

Blessings Unlimited also has tons of beautiful Christian cards for you to send, home decor items and great gifts! Mother's Day will be here before you know it! Order a special gift for your Mom or shoot, order one for yourself from the kids! Ha!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,

Happy 2012!!

2012-01-03T00:43:00.000-06:00

Why in the world we continue to decide on New Year's resolutions, I will never know!

I fail miserably each year….ugghhhhh…

First, let's take a look at last year's…items in BLUE mean I made SOME sort of headway in this area….areas still in black, you ask? Let's don't talk about those...

PERSONAL….

I'd like to take a look at the new Weight Watchers plan...yikes! I love Weight Watchers but am terrible about sticking with ANYTHING! I just started reading Made To Crave and I feel like it's really going to make a difference in whatever weight loss plan I choose.
I plan to start walking....maybe 5 times a week....maybe once a week...maybe twice before the year is over. I am not setting my self up for failure by saying how often…I am planning to walk S-O-M-E.
I plan to take a shower everyday and attempt to do something with my mop of a head of hair and face. Now before you say "Ewwwwww....who doesn't take a shower everyday?" Cut me some slack...I have two preschoolers and a kindergartner that I homeschool....showering doesn't always make the list. Don't judge.
Go to bed EARLIER! Obviously not starting off well with this one because it's January 1st at 11pm and I am on the computer! ACK!! Tomorrow is another day…

FAMILY…

Read more to all three of my little ones...David too, if he's up for it, but at 17 he's probably got that covered himself....just saying….
Try to answer "Yes" more to my children. Before you think that I mean to spoil them and do whatever they ask, here's what I mean. When they ask me for simple things, I am so quick to answer "No" out of habit. "Mommy will you play a game with me?" "In a minute" I say..."Mommy will you hold me?" "After I start another load of laundry..." "Mommy can we go outside and play?" "Not right now, maybe later".... I plan to answer yes as often as I can...to be intentional about it.
To make more time for Bryan and I. To be intentional about not putting the kids, church commitments and my plans before my relationship with my husband.

FINANCIAL…

To be better organized. I do a terrible job of keeping up with what I am spending. Once a week on "office day" I plan to clean out my purse of all receipts and make sure our checkbook is balanced!
To ask myself more questions...instead of spending this money on a new sweater what else could I do with that money? How could I use it to help someone else?Give more. I want to be quick to give and know that God is going to provide for me all the things that I need. I don't want to hold back in giving to help someone else because I am worried about myself.
To work with the kids on some sort of money coaching. Whether that's through an allowance or some other method...helping them be more aware of where our money goes and ways that we could help others instead of spending money on ourselves.

HOME…

Get rid of stuff! What if I went through only one room a month and just went through every drawer, cabinet, closet and generously pulled things I don't use and don't need? By this time next year, I would be junk FREE! Kitchen is first up in January....be afraid kitchen...be very afraid.
Get a handle on my scrapbooking! Put a date on my calendar once a month where I can get some time to myself and get organized and catch up. Poor Ruby Kate has nothing in her album but her sonogram pictures...GASP!!
Be a better homemaker. Put a loose plan in writing for what I plan to do everyday, every week, every month. I want my house to not be a complete embarrassment if someone where to pop in. I'm tired of suffering from C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome).

Ok….. so here's to THIS year…

I'm keeping it simple…new baby coming helps with that!

PERSONAL - Read my Bible through this year for the first time. So inspired by my friends Kristin and Lisa! So proud of you both!

HOME - Get JUNK out of this HOUSE!!

FAMILY - less computer/social media….more hubby and little ones!

FINANCIAL - give…give…give!

Happy New Year!

The Kids' Rooms/Playroom…Dungeons of Despair

2011-12-16T10:16:00.001-06:00

What do your kids rooms look like? Mine, you ask?

A D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R with a capital D!!!!

And to be honest my kids need some help….it is past the point of them being able to really CLEAN and ORGANIZE it them selves….Mommy needs to get involved but Mommy is tired…..

My ideal situation would be for Bryan to take all three kids out of the house for an entire DAY and let me work on them in peace…..throw away in peace….give away in peace….organize in peace….

But then, Bryan might lose his mind too and what would our kids do with TWO crazy parents? So, no outing for Bryan.

So, I walk into their rooms this morning with my cell phone camera ready and Ellie says, " What are you DOING???"

I informed her that I was going to take photographic evidence of this terribleness and that way we could look and see how far we had come when we were all organized and clean. That seemed to satisfy her as long as I was taking pictures of the playroom and Ethan's room.

Then I went into her room…..

She begged me not to snap any pics but alas she did not prevail….

Evidence Photo #1: Ellie's bedside….how does she even get out of bed in the morning?

Evidence Photo #2: The Playroom…enough said

Evidence Photo #3: Ellie's room…looks like the dress-up box threw up...

Evidence Photo #4: The Playroom from another angle….

Evidence Photo #5: Notice the almost BARE shelves in Ethan's room….yeah…..you thinking what I'm thinking? TOYS could go there!!! W-O-W………what an idea!

Evidence Photo #6: Ellie's so called "desk" area….let's rename it "disaster" area….

Ok, so where do we go from here? Well I have been researching "toy rotation", "toy storage", etc…..

I ran across a few blog articles with lots of great info that I wanted to share! We'll begin to tackle this SOON and I thought you might be interested as well if you knew someone with this same sort of toy/organization DRAMA…

I know none of MY FRIENDS have this problem but feel free to pass it along to another bad/unorganized mother of preschoolers….

I loved this blog post about toy and book rotation and knowing when to DOWNSIZE….

I loved this blog post about spring cleaning and thought I could apply a lot of it to our reorganization….

I loved this blog post about her toy rotation bins and ONLY keeping what fit in the bins….

I loved this blog post and her ideas about what really happens with our kids and their playtime when there is CHAOS in their play area and with their toys...

In my search, I also discovered the book Simplicity Parenting which will soon be on my night stand. Once I saw the subtitle of "Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More secure Kids", I said "yes, please". Can't wait to read it! Here's a few more details:

Today’s busier, faster society is waging an undeclared war on childhood. With too much stuff, too many choices, and too little time, children can become anxious, have trouble with friends and school, or even be diagnosed with behavioral problems. Now internationally renowned family consultant Kim John Payne helps parents reclaim for their children the space and freedom that all kids need for their attention to deepen and their individuality to flourish. Simplicity Parenting offers inspiration, ideas, and a blueprint for change:

• Streamline your home environment. Reduce the amount of toys, books, and clutter—as well as the lights, sounds, and general sensory overload.
• Establish rhythms and rituals. Discover ways to ease daily tensions, create battle-free mealtimes and bedtimes, and tell if your child is overwhelmed.
• Schedule a break in the schedule. Establish intervals of calm and connection in your child’s daily torrent of constant doing.
• Scale back on media and parental involvement. Manage your children’s “screen time” to limit the endless deluge of information and stimulation.

A manifesto for protecting the grace of childhood, Simplicity Parenting is an eloquent guide to bringing new rhythms to bear on the lifelong art of raising children.

So who's ready to come and help me clean and organize? Anyone? Anyone?

Until next time,

P.S. If I am never heard from again dear friends, please send a search party to the playroom...

Letter to my 16 year old self…..

2011-10-21T23:00:00.001-05:00

Recently I ran across a book that looked like a good read….

"Dear Me, A Letter To My Sixteen Year Old Self"

www.tinyurl.com/16yearoldself

In Dear Me, 75 celebrities, writers, musicians, athletes, and actors have written letters to their younger selves that give words of comfort, warning, humor, and advice. These letters present intimate, moving, and witty insights into some of the world’s most intriguing and admired individuals. By turns funny, surprising, raw, and uplifting, this singular collection captures the universal conditions that are youth, life, and growing up.

What a cool concept! Boy do I wish I could go back and talk to my 16 year old self….would I have some wisdom to share with her….

Dear 16 year old Jenifer,

First of all know that all your dreams come true. You are married to the most wonderful husband and father. He's not perfect, and surprisingly, neither are you…but you are perfect for each other.

Love your friends for who they are…don't judge them. Reach out to those that no one wants to be friends with….you never know what another person is going through. Maybe all they need is for you to reach out to them, be a friend, listen…you might make all the difference in their life.

Seek out role models and mentors on your own. Ask a Godly woman that you know to be a prayer partner, spend time under the influence of strong Christian women who have walked in your shoes before. They have great wisdom to share, listen to them.

If you have a Dad who doesn't want to be involved in your life, find someone else. Reach out to an uncle, maybe your youth pastor, someone who cares enough about you to pray for you/with you….someone who is willing to stand up and show you what a Godly man looks like, someone who understands the important of this relationship. Don't spend your life wishing your Dad was someone different….you can't change him…move on….it's not worth you spending your life wishing your relationship was different.

Realize that this relationship with your Dad will affect your relationship with boys. His lack of love and affection and interest towards you will make you seek it from any boy who will give you the time of day. Don't try to make up for your lack of relationship with your Dad….finding some boy to "love" you will not fill this void in your life. Spend your time trying to find a boy who loves Jesus more than he loves you. He's what you're looking for.

Study hard but remember that school/education is not everything (gasp!)….hundreds of years from now it will not matter that you made an A+ on your algebra quiz….but that kid that sits next to you in math class could spend an eternity in heaven because you were willing to share Jesus with them…

Being perfect is not possible… Jesus is the only perfect one. It's ok to try things even if you know you might fail. Your friends and family will still love you if you don't do everything perfectly. It's ok to give yourself a break….

Wear less makeup! :-) More is not better! With your hair….simple is classic…do not get a perm the day before school pictures…not a good idea! You'll regret it for years to come.

Appreciate what you have…even if it's not everything you think you "need". You really actually need very little to get by in life…."wants" do not constitute "needs".

Try to help your Mom more….pay attention to how hard she works around the house and regardless of your current feelings towards her, try to be a productive family member. Do things just because you are a part of your family, because it's the right thing to do….not because someone is paying you.

Spend more time with your grandparents…they won't always be around. The Lord might even take them home before you even marry or have children. Ask them questions, learn about how things were when they were growing up…soak up everything they share. They have great wisdom. Tell them you love them every time you talk to them. Show them that you love them.

Spend time with your siblings…even if they drive you crazy, even if you'd rather be somewhere else. Invest in them, tell them you love them, you'll appreciate being close to them when you are adults and regret it if you aren't.

Don't get married as a quick fix to a problem….not.a.good.idea.trust.me.

You need to find your own faith and not depend on the faith of your family….just because you go to church every Sunday, does not mean that you have a relationship with the Lord. You have to spend time with the Lord to grow your relationship….read your Bible, spend time in prayer (not only talking, but listening).

Be bold about your faith. Don't be ashamed, or hesitant to talk about the Lord, who He is, what He has done in your life….don't just talk to your "church friends" about Jesus…He came for everyone.

Jenifer, know that Jesus loves you! Live your life like a daughter of the King! When you feel alone, like you have no one else, know that God is there….always….

Until next time,

Ready For Christmas……?

2011-10-19T12:04:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is approaching so quickly!! I have done NOTHING to get ready, how about you?

The only thing that is keeping me sane is the fact that we only buy three gifts for our little ones….this certainly makes shopping easier! Now I just need to get together with Bryan and have a gift idea pow wow….maybe one evening soon we can discuss our ideas and get some things ordered online! Ha!

Have you made your shopping list yet?

Let me suggest a few items from our Punky Noodle Shop on Etsy!

Our soaps and hard lotion bars, would make great teacher gifts, stocking stuffers or maybe even a treat for you!

Our Shea Butter Soap! One of my favorites…

Our Hard Lotion Bar is a treat for dry skin…

Have you made plans for your Christmas card yet this year? I would love to help you design a unique original card to share with your family and friends!

Soon we'll have our Christmas Samples up on our Digital Pigeon Etsy Shop but my FAVORITE is to design a custom one just for you!

You can print these cards out at your favorite photo developer…..Walgreens is my favorite or we are happy to print them for you on quality photo paper stock or linen! Email me at jmparris@cableone.net for more information or to get on our wait list!

Until next time,

What's A Mom To Do……?

2011-10-15T17:16:00.002-05:00

Am I the only one who feels guilty about my family scrapbooking situation?

I did so well when the boys were little…..we both worked all the time, didn't take tons of pictures and the boys were only with us half the month so I found that the pictures I did take were very manageable to scrapbook.

Fast forward a few years and I have Ellie, Ethan and Ruby Kate….there went my efficient scrapbooking method.

I am embarrassed to admit how behind I am on all of my albums….you would not believe…..I almost see no end in sight.

I have always used Creative Memories that I just love….I was even a consultant for them at one time. But just thinking about their way of scrapbooking during this season of my life overwhelms me….and my pocket book. I so want to be a good steward of the resources God has blessed us with and wisely spend the money my husband works hard for. But how do I do that and scrapbook?

Enter Project Life…..

Once I saw this video from Becky Higgins, I think I found my answer!

Here's a Project Life Review that I found helpful from another busy mom like me.

And here's Becky Higgins with the HOW TO…..good grief amighty this is easy! And reasonably priced!!! Even better!

Sign me up! Just watch and see how easy!

My goal is to purchase the Amber set to complete one album and catch up first on Ruby Kate's life…poor thing…her album only has her first sonogram picture in it….no I am not joking. I wish I were.

I am so excited about the scrapbooking retreat I am planning in February. Did you want to go but had no idea where to even start? How about with Project Life? You could get your memories in albums to cherish in NO TIME!!! Let me know if you are interested in going!

You can purchase these products directly from Becky's website at www.beckyhiggins.com or I even found some of them available on Amazon!

Until next time,

.Mom (dotMom)………….

2011-09-25T19:09:00.000-05:00

Can I just say……"wow"…….

Man, did God ever show up at .Mom this weekend in Birmingham! I loved every little stinkin' bit of it!

What a blessing! It is often impossible for Moms to take time for themselves and get away, recharge their mommy/wife batteries and spend any amount of time away from home. Truth be told, I wasn't anxious to be away from my family, but I was looking forward to being able to connect with my heavenly Father…you know, without having to wipe a nose or hinney while I was doing it….

E.A.R.L.Y. Friday morning, Kristin, Becca and I started our trek to Birmingham to help with registration and will-call. We met such fun, sweet ladies from Lifeway that made our time together a real treat! Thanks Amy and Mickie (hey Mickie you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind….)!

We had four large main sessions with Angela Thomas, Angie Smith, Vicki Courtney and Priscilla Shirer. Then we had a WEALTH of smaller breakout sessions to choose from! So many I could barely decide! Some of the most talked about breakouts were those with David Thomas, Sissy Goff and Melissa Trevathan from Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville. I had the privilege of hearing them speak several years ago and have read their books….I learned so much! I am so thankful that so many moms got to hear from them this weekend. Be sure to check out my two most favorite books of theirs:

Wild Things: the art of nurturing boys

All You Need To Know About Raising Girls

The first session I landed at was none other than, "In the Middle of the Muddle: What Matters and What Doesn't" with Linda Anderson!!!!!! Love me some Linda Anderson!!

As promised to my Mom To Mom friends, here is my picture with the lovely Linda! She looked just like she does in all our videos! She was so sweet and precious!

She spoke on Hebrews 12:1-3 and asked us moms:

What are you looking at?
What are you carrying with you?
Who are your running buddies and mentors?

Just great wisdom from a seasoned mom! Ask me about it, I'd love to tell you more!

I also hit a homeschooling breakout that was quite funny with Karen Costello. I didn't learn lots of NEW things but it was a humorous look at homeschool and would have been a great encouragement to someone wondering if they could homeschool with their children. I really want to get a copy of her book, "Go Fly a Kite."

I was also excited to check out Angela Cottrell's breakout "Easy Ideas for Teaching God's Word to Your Children and Grandchildren." My friend Laurel went first and said it was AWESOME!! Angela did not disappoint! She shared lots of really great, practical and easy ways to incorporate scripture into everyday life. One thing I loved was that she took a Slim Jim can, decorated it and wrote scripture on index cards and placed in the can. Each morning while she was preparing breakfast she had one child pull out a verse and read it to everyone. They would talk about it as a family, pray for God to bring that verse about in their lives that day and then she would mention it throughout the day. Love that quick idea! She also shared some great resources that I look forward to purchasing for our little ones. I'll share those in another post!

Last but not least I was really excited about attending a breakout on foster care called, "A Story Starring You……a Foster Parent?" Before I even remember, my grandparents were foster parents and I have always known that was something God was calling me to later in life. Then I began to think that we would have to have the perfect life, the perfect house, the perfect biological kids before we could even entertain the thought of welcoming our home to foster children. I left this session feeling encouraged and empowered to begin the process. I have had all the paperwork sitting on my desk for months….I'm digging it out! =)

We also had to opportunity to learn about some great organizations. I'll let you take a look!

www.iMOM.com

www.freesetusa.com

www.sweetsleep.org

www.intentionalmoms.org

www.lifelineadoption.org

Another great surprise this weekend was getting to see the Duggars!! Yes, THE Duggars!!! All but Michelle and Josie who was sick. =( What a treat! They even sang a song for us! They were in town doing some recovery work from the tornadoes. What a blessing they are to so many. I think Michelle needs to speak at .Mom next year!!!!

Thanks Kristin, Becca, Laurel, Sonja and Deborah for taking the .Mom adventure with me! I had a blast and am soooooo looking forward to next year! Check out www.lifeway.com/dotmom to register for next year at a discounted rate!!

Until next time,

Great Day............

2011-09-16T17:29:00.001-05:00

::The Simple Woman's...Daybook::

~FOR TODAY~

Outside My Window...

beautiful day....

I am thinking...

that I am so going to enjoy a relaxing weekend....

I am thankful for...

wonderful friends...

From the learning rooms...

have gotten out of my homeschooling groove but am going to reclaim my groove on Monday....

From the kitchen...

about to make a batch of hard lotion bars....

I am wearing...

jeans, flip flops and my Team Megan t-shirt...I sure do miss that sweet smile of hers...

I am creating...

just finished Ellie's birthday invitation, now on to our Disney autograph books...EEK!

I am going...

to get organized....

I am reading...

No Passengers Beyond this Point...

On my mind...

Mom To Mom....

Around the house...

glad our fire issue the other day resulted in no fire....

One of my favorite things...

playing play-doh with my little ones today...

A Few Plans For The Weekend:

first soccer game of the year for Ellie and Ethan and TOT soccer for Ruby Kate!

Small window into my life...

Until next time,

Boy, do I love them......

2011-09-09T20:04:00.001-05:00

This is the Life....

2011-08-11T00:07:00.000-05:00

::The Simple Woman's...Daybook::
~FOR TODAY~

Outside My Window...
I can hear crickets chirping and frogs down by the pond...

I am thinking...
that I don't understand why some people make the decisions they make...

I am thankful for...
healthy, happy children...

From the learning rooms...
looking forward to starting first grade next week with Ellie and preschool with Ethan...

From the kitchen...
I have GOT to get my dishes loaded in the dishwasher....both sinks are full and I am losing counter space rapidly....EEK!

I am wearing...
black sweatshorts (is that a word?) and and old scrapbooking retreat t-shirt...Amy Hardy we SOOOOO need to hit another retreat one of these days!

I am creating...
Becca Ulrich's and Isaac Bice's birthday invitations

I am going...

to not worry about what others might think and prayerfully do what is best for my family...

I am reading...
"Family Fragrance" for the second time...love this book!

On my mind...
Awana....

Around the house...
we need to tackle our Sanford and Son yard issues...

One of my favorite things...
Peter Pan Honey Roast Crunchy Peanut Butter...thank you Jesus for creating.....

A Few Plans For The Weekend:
making cupcakes, Women's Ministry Planning event on Friday night, last minute preparations for little ones joint pool birthday party on Saturday night!!! CAN NOT wait!!

Small window into my life...

sure am going to miss this girl come Friday...

First Grade Here We Come....

2011-06-30T23:46:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to kick off first grade this fall! Last year we had a very loose and fun kindergarten year but of course we'll have to buckle down a bit more for first grade! =)

One of the funnest parts to me is searching for and deciding on curriculum! There are so many options out there it's crazy!

We'll spend the first half of first grade concentrating mostly on language arts and math. Probably after Christmas we might add in some health, science and social studies. We'll just see how it goes!

For handwriting, we'll be using A Reason For Handwriting.

For math, we'll be using Singapore Math.

For reading and phonics, we'll be using Rod & Staff's curriculum.

For science and history, if we do it at all, I'm still looking at Abeka but haven't decided completely.

I can't decide if I want to do an art curriculum formally, but I have looked at the Art With A Purpose from Rod & Staff as well.

We'll include Ellie's piano lessons with the fabulous Miss Ashley as her music for the year and daily practice of course during school time!

We won't be doing a formal Bible curriculum but will use Ellie's Awana materials for Scripture memorization.

Can't wait to get all of her materials in and get the calendar planned out....especially can't wait to go out for our 2nd annual school supply shopping and dinner!!!!

Until next time,

I Want To Do Better....

2011-06-28T14:14:00.002-05:00

Don't you just LOVE to get a card in the mail? I do! One that's been chosen just for you, signed with a real pen, has a real stamp on the outside and your handwritten address....

As much as I love to receive cards, I don't know why I don't send more!

Just lazy probably, I THINK about it and then just never get around to it. I am vowing to do better! I may not hit every birthday and anniversary but when God brings someone to my mind, I am going to stop what I am doing and send them a quick card!

I have all my card writing stuff in one spot so it should be pretty easy to pull together!

I'm going to get started with these great cards I got from Dayspring! Man, how I love their cards!

Recently I got this set of Sassy & Sophisticated Greeting Cards and they are just too cute! Looking forward to sharing them with friends!

This particular set includes:

4 Birthday Cards

2 Encouragement Cards

2 Praying for You Cards

2 Friendship Cards

What a great way to brighten a friend's day! Send one of these Sassy & Sophisticated cards from Dayspring!

DaySpring gave me this product in exchange for my honest review.

Until next time,

When You Know It's Time....

2011-06-24T13:39:00.001-05:00

Has God ever called you away from something that you really love? Something that you have a passion for and something that you could NEVER imagine NOT doing?

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt......

I have been praying for a long time about where God wants me to serve within the church body. I want to always make sure I am serving where God wants me and not where I want to be. Sometimes it's hard for me to know.

Sometimes when I look around and notice that something needs to be done and no one has stepped up to serve in that area, I feel like it should be me. I can do it, right? Sure I can! God has given me the gifts of leadership and administration and I might as well use them, right?

Slowly I am learning that just because I am doing many GOOD things, it doesn't mean that it is what God called me to do.

I have served in Awana for six years. The first year I was the Sparks Director and I started that year not even knowing what a "Spark" was! Ha! The last five I have served as the Awana Commander. Over a year ago, I started to feel really overwhelmed with all that I had going on in my life.

I convinced myself that I was doing a bad job handling all my responsibilities because I was being a poor steward of my time. I started to read books on organizing your schedule, managing your household, how to manage your time more wisely......

God continued to show me over and over that while I was using my gifts in Awana, what He really wanted me to do during this season in my life was to use those gifts at home.

That was not what I wanted to hear.

I LOVE Awana...I mean really LOVE it. I love the background and mission of this ministry. I love being around children, I love the adults I get to serve with. I did not want God to move me from this ministry. I kept praying....

He continued to confirm for me over and over what He was calling me to do.

Early in the spring, I stepped down from this ministry. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

I shed many tears....

I had lots of ugly cries...

At the same time, the devil has used this time to cast doubt at every turn about my decision.

At the times I have doubted, God has almost instantly confirmed this decision for me.

In amazing ways....

For those of you who don't even know how God used you, thank you.

Thank you for speaking a word from the Lord right when I needed to hear it.

Thank you to my mentors for sharing their wisdom from years of experience with trying to be a mother and serve the Lord at the same time.

Thank you to a church staff member, who not even knowing what I was struggling with, walked up to me and told me exactly what I needed to hear, whether I wanted to hear it or not. God used you my sweet friend to confirm what He had been telling me all along. I Love You for speaking your mind at just the right time.

Will I miss being our church's Awana Commander?

In a word...yes.

Maybe God will never call me back to this....

Maybe God will call me back when my children are older or grown...

But I will rejoice at being in the center of God's will for my life during this season.

God is good, all the time.

Until next time,

Mommy and Son Trip!

2011-06-17T17:03:00.004-05:00

Before Bryan's work schedule got really busy this summer, we decided that I could take a trip with Ethan and Ellie separately.

I'll post soon about Ellie's but for know I'd love to show you about Ethan's! We decided to go check out the aquarium in Atlanta! We had not ever been so I thought this would be a good way to scope it out for a family trip later.

Ethan had not been to an aquarium since he could remember and I knew he would love it. The funny thing is, he kept asking to go home over and over....even though he was having a great time. He said he missed his family. Such a sweet boy and a HOMEBODY!!!!

I might have been most excited about eating dinner at the Panda Express on day 1!

Yum Yum!!! It's one of Daddy's favorites...bet he was jealous!

I don't put faith in fortune cookies but I found ours humorous this time around....

Ethans....

Mommy's...

We checked into our hotel, took an awesome bubble bath and got into our pj's! Notice Spot's new pj's that we picked up at Build-A-Bear before dinner.

Here are a few shots from our fabulous day at the aquarium on day 2!

Ethan LOVED to press the button on this display and watch Deepo's eyes move! We pushed that button no telling how many times!

My favorite...the penguins....if only I could pet one....

Ethan REFUSED to touch any kind of creature but he would touch just the water...

Lunch at the aquarium!

OUCH!!!

This fish was a bit smitten with Ethan...it stared at him through the glass for a LONG TIME....

Sure did have a wonderful time with this sweet boy! Can't wait to do it again!

Until next time,

Pinterest...yes, it's addictive....

2011-06-10T08:00:00.001-05:00

Ok...the truth is, I have lots of crafty friends....

Some of you are not so crafty but I won't name any names....

But whether you are crafty or not you are going to LOVE Pinterest!!

It's fairly new and it's like having bulletin boards of all your favorites things, ideas, dreams, etc. online for your viewing pleasure....AND you can share it with friends....AND you can check out other people's boards that share the same interests as you....AND it's as easy as "pinning" websites and "repinning" other people's pins that you like!

When I decided to switch to a Mac, I was concerned about all the sites that I had marked as "favorites" on my old computer. Then I found Pinterest!! WooHoo!!! I just opened all those sites, "pinned" them to my Pinterest boards and now I can view them online from any computer anywhere!!

Too make it SUPER EASY, you can just download their button for your toolbar. When you see something online you like and want to remember just click the pin! Click HERE to learn how!

Just getting my boards organized! Check out my Pinterest page HERE!

Until next time,

"Return to the Secret Garden"

2011-06-09T23:23:00.000-05:00

The first Saturday in June was Ellie's ballet performance! This was her second one and she was so excited! I think I might have been more excited than she was.

Ellie's class were the "Pretty Maids in a Row" from Mary, Mary Quite Contrary's Garden! She loved her pretty costume and mommy loved her in it!

We are so blessed to have the Downtown Dance Conservatory so close by. I love our director Linze and all of the hard work and dedication she puts into each yearly performance. She writes each ballet and gives each class a special part. I am so thankful we don't have to sit through a typical "recital".

These performances always mesmerize me and I look forward to it all year! Can't wait to start back in the fall!

Congratulations my sweet ballerina on a beautiful performance!

Until next time,

David's Blessing

2011-05-22T21:23:00.047-05:00

I can't believe that we are only days away from David's graduation....

Seems like I just met that sweet little boy of 4 years old....

We've had a crazy ride in this time that I've known him but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I don't just love him like my own....I consider him my own. What a blessing he has been in my life, even on the days that I wanted to snatch a knot in his head....

Years ago, I did several book studies at church in a series of books called Heritage Builders. Great books for parents! One of the books was called Spiritual Milestones by Jim and Janet Weidmann. It was full of suggestions on ways to celebrate the spiritual milestones in the lives of your children starting with their salvation. By the time we read the book, we had already missed many of the specific milestones with David and Will.

But fortunately we had not hit graduation yet! The book actually suggests doing a blessing ceremony around age 15, I think but we thought it would be a great fit for graduation and David's 18th birthday.

We planned a lunch for after church and asked five men to come and pray a blessing over 6 different areas in David's life.

Jim Roberts - David and the world

Lamar Pettit - David and family life

Jay Monroe - David and ministry

Jason Borders - David and relationships

Bryan - David and marriage

Dr. Derek Staples - David and his God

It was such a special time in the life of our family. It was such an honor to have these godly men pray over our sweet boy. We are eternally grateful to them for speaking a blessing over David and for their continued prayers over his life.

Each gave David their blessing in print and I am excited about putting them in David's scrapbook for him to be able to cherish.

I am so thankful for God's promises in His Word. Thankful that we can claim them for our children and ourselves.

God is good!

Until next time,

Jenifer

Soccer Days....

2011-04-30T15:16:00.032-05:00

We've been so excited about Ellie's soccer days this spring! I love that she loves to play and we love to watch her. Bonus for moms is that soccer makes little ones TIRED.....

L-O-V-E I-T!

Last week Ellie scored TWO goals and this week scored ONE!! WooHoo Ellie!! We were so excited and I think she was a little embarrassed by all the attention when she scores. Too sweet!

Ethan having a great time at the game but at the same time, OBLIVIOUS to the game...

Peyton not too happy after being taken out of the game for a water break and rest....

Glad Heather got to come watch the game but I'm not convinced that she and David were very awake for our early morning game...HA!

On the move, chasing after that ball! Ellie even scored a goal in this game!!!

Coach Aimee and Ellie kicking in the ball...loving those pigtails!

I love that Ellie gets right in there with those BOYS!!

Little Nick stays right with that ball...he is such a hoot!!

Peyton "talking" to Houston after the other team scored on him...

Peyton setting the official straight, I think...

In she goes again....love it!!

Until next time,

Jenifer

Daybook....

2011-04-26T23:12:00.000-05:00

::The Simple Woman's...Daybook::
~FOR TODAY~

Outside My Window...
dark and cool...freshly cut grass (thank you David)

I am thinking...
that I have so many things to be doing but I do see an end in sight....just need to get through May...

I am thankful for...
a husband that loves me...

From the learning rooms...
looking forward to choosing curriculum for Ellie for first grade...hoping to hit a curriculum fair...

From the kitchen...
I have GOT to get a menu plan going in this house...

I am wearing...
black sweatshorts (is that a word?) and my Living Proof pink tshirt....

I am creating...
numerous graduation announcements....LOVING IT...

I am going...

to get myself organized....soon....

I am reading...
"The Help"....sample on my Kindle....thinking it will be mine soon....

On my mind...
all the things we have to do to get David started out on the right foot for college...football...

Around the house...
trying to spring clean...really spring PURGE....

One of my favorite things...
our new french press....makes a great cup of coffee...

A Few Plans For The Weekend:
organizing my new scrapbook/craft room...that is if David gets it painted and Bryan and David get the flooring put down this week...GO David and Bryan!!! =)

Small window into my life...

Until next time.

It's Friday......But Sunday's Coming!!!

2011-04-22T00:26:00.000-05:00

Click here for video if you are a subscriber.

It was a simple sermon, starting softly, building in volume and intensity until the entire congregation was completely involved, repeating the phrases in unison. The sermon went something like this.

It’s Friday. Jesus is arrested in the garden where He was praying. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. The disciples are hiding and Peter’s denying that he knows the Lord. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. Jesus is standing before the high priest of Israel, silent as a lamb before the slaughter. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and spit upon. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. Those Roman soldiers are flogging our Lord with a leather scourge that has bits of bones and glass and metal, tearing at his flesh. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. The Son of man stands firm as they press the crown of thorns down into his brow. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. See Him walking to Calvary, the blood dripping from His body. See the cross crashing down on His back as He stumbles beneath the load. It’s Friday; but Sunday’s a coming.

It’s Friday. See those Roman soldiers driving the nails into the feet and hands of my Lord. Hear my Jesus cry, “Father, forgive them.” It’s Friday; but Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, bloody and dying. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. The sky grows dark, the earth begins to tremble, and He who knew no sin became sin for us. Holy God who will not abide with sin pours out His wrath on that perfect sacrificial lamb who cries out, “My God, My God. Why hast thou forsaken me?” What a horrible cry. But Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. And at the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of the Temple that separates sinful man from Holy God was torn from the top to the bottom because Sunday’s coming.

It’s Friday. Jesus is hanging on the cross, heaven is weeping and hell is partying. But that’s because it’s Friday, and they don’t know it, but Sunday’s a coming.

And on that horrible day 2000 years ago, Jesus the Christ, the Lord of glory, the only begotten Son of God, the only perfect man died on the cross of Calvary. Satan thought that he had won the victory. Surely he had destroyed the Son of God. Finally he had disproved the prophecy God had uttered in the Garden and the one who was to crush his head had been destroyed. But that was Friday.

Now it’s Sunday. And just about dawn on that first day of the week, there was a great earthquake. But that wasn’t the only thing that was shaking because now it’s Sunday. And the angel of the Lord is coming down out of heaven and rolling the stone away from the door of the tomb. Yes, it’s Sunday, and the angel of the Lord is sitting on that stone and the guards posted at the tomb to keep the body from disappearing were shaking in their boots because it’s Sunday, and the lamb that was silent before the slaughter is now the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah, for He is not here, the angel says. He is risen indeed.

It’s Sunday, and the crucified and resurrected Christ has defeated death, hell, sin and the grave. It’s Sunday. And now everything has changed. It’s the age of grace, God’s grace poured out on all who would look to that crucified lamb of Calvary. Grace freely given to all who would believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary was buried and rose again. All because it’s Sunday.

At the end of the message the pastor shouts out:

It’s Friiidaaaay!

And the whole congregation responds:

But Sunday’s Coming!

Waiting for Sunday,

Life Interrupted…Part 1

2011-04-02T16:36:00.001-05:00

Amazed….

Amazed at how God continues to speak to me through the counsel of Godly women….

I don’t know why I am amazed…God can do anything….maybe I just don’t give Him enough credit.

This weekend was the Priscilla Shirer “Life Interrupted” simulcast. If you couldn’t make it, boy did you miss a blessing…

I loved that at the beginning of this simulcast, she had an extended prayer time for those in the audience. Not a time where SHE prayed but a time where WE prayed and spent time with God privately. For a busy momma that was such a blessing. She suggested among other things, that we pray about God’s plan for us for the weekend, confess any unconfessed sin….

One of the sins I felt most convicted to confess was one of the topics she touched on again and again during our time together. God you are so good! He knew I needed to hear that message!

I’ll share in two posts about what God taught me during this weekend and the first thing I want to capture, even if just for myself, is the way God pulls things together in my life…just when I need to hear it.

A couple of years ago, I bought a Bible study that I felt drawn to dive into. I thought at first that I would try to lead it at our church but God never confirmed that for me. But the sense that God was calling me to pursue it never waivered.

I have put it on the back burner over and over again because I just felt like I didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. Now, I have done many Bible studies during that time but this one never made it to my to do list.

Then in December, I went to Deeper Still in Birmingham and heard Priscilla Shirer bring a powerful message from the Lord just for me. She talked about our quiver full of arrows that we call on to do things for the Lord. Often time we feel as if we need a quiver full of arrows to accomplish what God has called us to do. We neglect to just lay down the arrows we DO HAVE at the feet of God and depend on Him to supply the rest.

She asked us what was something that we weren’t doing that God had called us to do…maybe something we didn’t think we had the resources to do, maybe something that we thought we didn’t have the time for?

Immediately this Bible study came to mind. I left with a determination that weekend to get started on that study!!! I even felt led to ask someone to partner with me and we could do it together. I called a friend the next week and asked her to take a look at it and to consider taking that journey with me. Then the holidays happened, tragedy struck her family and I never mentioned it to her again.

Back to the back burner…

Ugggggghhhh……

Why is it so hard for me to do what God calls me to do?

Then came this weekend. Priscilla starts to share about a plan for us to use to be able to really study God’s Word. She starts to talk and asks us to turn to a certain page in our booklet and as soon as I see the outline, I know….

This is the same outline from her Bible study book that I have been delaying…over and over….

Then she proceeds to hold up the actual book….

Yep…

Got it God…

I’m starting this study…

Until next time,

Jenifer

A Day In the Life

2011-03-29T10:30:00.001-05:00

My little man is such a big boy at the barber shop.....

Girls' Night Out

2011-03-28T19:26:00.001-05:00

Jealous?

My Sweet Girl

2011-03-26T17:22:00.001-05:00

This sweet girl held up the back of her hand to my mouth and said "Do it Mommy."

I asked "Do what?"

She replied, "Kiss."

So I kissed the back of her hand.

Then she said , "Thank you."

You're very welcome my sweet girl.....

Daybook

2011-03-25T14:18:00.002-05:00

Ever feel as if you read someone’s blog post and it is only the part of their life that they WANT you to see?
Not really the real them?
I blog mainly for myself and my children. I would love to be able to go back and read what daily life was like for my Mom and Grandmothers while they were raising children at home. Imagine what I could learn!
Hence my blogging adventure….
Although I don’t capture our days near as often as I’d like, I have a true desire to be real…not to show only the pretty parts of our life together. I also don’t want to overlook the simple parts either.
Hence the Daybook concept…give it a try, I think you’ll like it….

::The Simple Woman's...Daybook::
~FOR TODAY~

Outside My Window...
ten little puppies happily rolling around…headed to new homes though they don’t know it yet…

I am thinking...
that I have so many things to be doing I don’t even know where to start…

I am thankful for...
the blessing of being able to stay at home and experience life with my children…

From the learning rooms...
no homeschooling today…I think I’ll blame it on my allergies…

From the kitchen...
chicken in the fridge that I MUST cook today but first I have to clean the kitchen so I CAN cook…

I am wearing...
hot pink penguin flannel PJ pants and the same pink t-shirt I had on yesterday…don’t ask…

I am creating...
a plan to get rid of clutter…

I am going...
to spend the weekend at the ball field and tackling every HOT SPOT in this house….

I am reading...
too many things…all at once…I can’t help myself…

On my mind...
wishing that I had a place for everything and everything in it’s place…

Around the house...
everyone is a little grumpy because of all this pollen….man do I despise pollen…does Alaska have pollen? Bryan can we move there?

One of my favorite things...
chocolate dusted almonds recommended by my Made To Crave friends…

A Few Plans For The Weekend:
baseball game, David is hopefully pitching…organizing the kids clothes…getting clothes tagged for the consignment sale…rest

Small window into my life...

Am I the only one whose dining room table looks like this? As soon as I clean it off, it just fills back up….uggggghhhhh….

Until next time.

Jenifer

A Trail of Ink

2011-03-16T23:23:00.001-05:00

Do you like a good mystery as much as I do? I have always loved mysteries and whodunits. For years I was hooked on any bestselling fiction of this sort. I loved the intrigue, not figuring things out until the very end, guessing what was going to happen.

Check out the latest whodunit, A Trail of Ink by Mel Starr.

The author was born and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After graduating with a MA in history from Western Michigan University in 1970, he taught history in Michigan public schools for thirty-nine years, thirty-five of those in Portage, MI, where he retired in 2003 as chairman of the social studies department of Portage Northern High School. Mel and his wife, Susan, have two daughters and seven grandchildren. www.melstarr.org

A Trail of Ink is the third chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon.

Some valuable books have been stolen from Master John Wyclif, the well known scholar and Bible translator. He calls upon his friend and former pupil, Hugh de Singleton, to investigate. Hugh's investigation leads him to Oxford where he again encounters Kate, the only woman who has tempted him to leave bachelor life behind, but Kate has another serious suitor. As Hugh's pursuit of Kate becomes more successful, mysterious accidents begin to occur. Are these accidents tied to the missing books, or to his pursuit of Kate?
One of the stolen books turns up alongside the drowned body of a poor Oxford scholar. Another accident? Hugh certainly doesn’t think so, but it will take all of his surgeon’s skills to prove.
So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval village of Bampton. Masterfully researched by medieval scholar Mel Starr, the setting of the novel can be visited and recognized in modern-day England. Enjoy more of Hugh’s dry wit, romantic interests, evolving faith, and dogged determination as he pursues his third case as bailiff of Bampton.

This book is a medieval whodunit and just in case you’re thinking this time period might not be for you, check out the glossary in the book! I love that the author has included this so that in case you don’t know what “braes” are, you can check the glossary to find out they’re medieval UNDERPANTS! Ha!

Be sure to check out A Trail of Ink…and for all my Kindle buddies, you can get it in under a minute HERE.

Also, check out the first two books in the series:

The Unquiet Bones: The first chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon

A Corpse at St. Andrew’s Chapel: The second chronicle of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon

Until next time,

Jenifer

This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

The Life Ready Woman

2011-03-07T10:44:00.001-06:00

Do you ever feel like you’re drowning trying to do it all? I do!

Things are so different for women living today. The world tells us we can “have it all” but is that really possible?

God has a special plan for each of our lives…the question is, are you following that plan?

How do you manage a career AND being a mother if God has called you to do BOTH?

How do you focus on being the wife God has called you to be while being the mother He has called you to be at the same time?

How do you focus on your career, your family AND using your gifts to serve the Lord?

I don’t have the answers…I have struggled with each of those questions at different times in my life.

How would you like to be “ready” for a life that leads to peace and enjoyment rather than stress and regret?

Have I got a book for you!

“The Life Ready Woman" by Shaunti Feldhahn and Robert Lewis

Most of us know Shaunti from her bestselling book “For Women Only” and Robert Lewis is one of Bryan’s FAVORITE authors!!! He’s the founder of Men’s Fraternity and his insight in this book is beyond valuable!

Whether a stay at home; or working mom, an airplane-hopping executive, an empty-nester caring for multiple generations or a single juggling high demands of career and personal life, today's fast-paced modern world leaves women gasping for balance. We as modern Christian women want to look to the Bible for guidance on how to manage our lives -- but because the world of women looks so different today than it did when the Bible was written, it is hard to find chapter and verse that seems to apply to our situation today.
Thankfully, God has given us exactly that timeless, unchanging guidance for how to find peace, clarity, and God's best for our lives once we know where to look! The Life Ready Woman: Thriving in a Do-It-All World, reveals a profound biblical roadmap for how each of us can find the abundant life we are longing for, rather than the stressful, torn, how-do-I-balance-it-all life we often feel like we are trying to keep up with today. Actually being a LifeReady Woman means that you are clear about your life, bold in your faith, and able to find God’s best for you, and the end result will be that you not only survive but thrive in our do-it-all world.

I am so excited for you to read this!! And just to prove it to you, I’m giving away a copy! Woo Hoo!!

Just leave me a comment telling me what problems you struggle with the most.

Maybe for some it’s time management…maybe for others it’s really trusting God…maybe it’s really loving your husband….maybe it’s what to do with the rest of your life now that your children have left the nest…or maybe you feel like a failure as a mother and a woman of God.

What ever your struggle may be, this book covers it all. Don’t forget to leave a comment on this blog post (not on FB) to be entered to win. Drawing will be Wednesday night at 10:00pm (CST).

Want to snag this book right away? Purchase HERE. It’s even available on Kindle…BONUS!

Until next time,

Jenifer

Two copies of this book were provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderful Weekend…..

2011-02-20T15:32:00.001-06:00

Well...I sure am enjoying this 3 day weekend...nothing better than being surrounded by my family with a light schedule!

Saturday we enjoyed David having friends over and got several things marked off our to-do list! We even were sure to get lots of outside time with this gorgeous weather!!! Loving it!

Ellie of course, insisted on dressing as if it were still cold weather….

Ethan enjoyed playing on our playset and was not ready to come inside!!

Ruby Kate had to warm up to the idea of being outside so she enjoyed riding on the tractor with her Daddy….

Then she was DETERMINED to get on the tractor HERSELF…about scared me half to death! Glad it wasn’t cranked!

Who would Ruby Kate be if she wasn’t shouting “UP! UP!” to David…

She’s trying to politely get him to pick her up….

And eventually, as always…she gets her way!

I spent some of my time playing with my camera and having the MOST uncooperative subjects…I eventually gave up…thanks Ethan…

Many thanks to David and Jacob…oh and Daddy for putting together our other playset (finally)….where is Daddy by the way? Probably supervising!

Oh, and Jacob found us some sort of newt, salamander thingy….

GACK!!!!!

Glad to have this boy back….praising the Lord for restoring families!

Until next time,

Jenifer

Made To Crave……

2011-02-18T17:11:00.003-06:00

Ready for another “I S-W-E-A-R by this diet” kind of diet?

Yeah…me neither…

They ALL claim to work, and lots do…for a TIME….

Then we go back to our old habits and the weight comes right back.

What if we decided that actually the act of CRAVING itself wasn’t a bad thing….

What if we realized that God created us to crave…WHAT we crave is the problem. Instead of craving God, we crave food. Searching for it to satisfy our craving like only God can do.

Enter “Made To Crave” by Lysa TerKeurst……

Lysa wrote the book Made to Crave from the perspective of a woman who has never craved a carrot stick in her whole life. Having struggled with her weight her whole adult life, Lysa knows what it feels like to be in the vicious cycle of gaining and losing, but never feeling at peace in her struggle. Everything changed when Lysa decided to have her deepest desire met by God not food. Now, armed with the spiritual motivation she gained in her own journey, she is inspiring others to find lasting victory.

I knew after the first page that this book was just what I had been looking for.

A typical book on healthy lifestyle choices should contain lots of talk on vegetables, calories, colon cleanses, and phrases like "you must,” “you should,” “or else.”

I have a problem with all of that talk. I know most of it. It’s not the “how to” I’m missing. It’s the “want to”…really wanting to make changes and deciding that the results of those changes are worth the sacrifice.

Yep….that’s me….I know all the right answers, know WHAT to do to lose weight and get healthy but don’t have the “want to” to actually do it…

How about let’s change that together…me and you…you and I…(never can remember which is right)…

Starting March 22nd, let’s start the journey to “satisfying our deepest desire with God, not food.”
In this six week study, you’ll:

Break the “I’ll start again Monday cycle” and start feeling good about yourself today
Stop beating yourself up over the numbers on the scale and make peace with the body you’ve been given
Discover how weight loss struggles aren’t a curse but, rather a blessing in the making
Replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory
Eat healthy without feeling deprived
Reach a healthy weight goal while growing closer to God through the process

You’ll need to have:

Your Bible
“Made To Crave” either in trade paper or on your e-reader
“Made To Crave” Participant Guide

We’ll meet each Tuesday night from 8pm to 9pm at Java Jolt on the Square.

Until then be sure to check out Lysa’s blog at www.LysaTerKeurst.com , the “Made To Crave” website, and you’ll definitely want to download her “Craving God: A 21-Day Devotional Challenge”. It’s FREE for download right now on Amazon!

Be sure to let me know on my blog that you’re planning to come so I can save you a seat!

Check out the video trailer HERE.

Until next time,
Jenifer

Outside at last!!!

2011-02-14T11:43:00.001-06:00

So thankful for beautiful weather today! We've braved the outdoors and now I don't know if I'll ever get them inside!!

Notice the flip flops?

So thankful for all my babies....even the big ones that aren't here....

I have the sweetest Valentines....

Until next time,
Jenifer

Aaaaahhhhh, technology.......

2011-02-12T00:32:00.001-06:00

Well, it's way past my bedtime....David's last ballgame, dinner out with the family, little ones tucked in, one of favorite shows successfully watched and removed from the DVR, and my "big" little one in bed now too....

Then I remembered a friend using "Blog Press" to blog from her cell phone and I just HAD to try it out...

So here I am snuggled up in my pjs and blogging on my phone.

I might be in love......

Until next time,
Jenifer

Your Prayers are Needed….

2011-02-02T00:13:00.001-06:00

A long time ago, I asked for your prayers on behalf of a beautiful little girl named Kate HERE.

After battling this dreaded monster called cancer for so long, a new MRI revealed spots on the other side of Kate’s brain.

Friends, I urge you to storm the gates of heaven on Kate’s behalf.

Please visit Kate’s Caringbridge to learn how to best pray for them and to follow her in this fight.

I Stink at Homeschooling….

2011-02-01T22:56:00.001-06:00

I’ve decided that after 5 months of homeschooling, I stink….

Should I quit? Not on your life! I am loving it! And so is Ellie!

What I stink at is trying to make our home school look just like our local public school. I guess that’s all I’ve ever known…public education.

I knew from the start that we would not function just like a regular school environment but there was still a part of me that sees a flashing FAILURE sign when my homeschooling day doesn’t go exactly as I imagined it should.

The last few weeks I’ve really been taking a hard look at what we’ve learned not only this year but in the previous 5 years PRIOR to official kindergarten.

I am beginning to embrace the fact that we are constantly in a school environment in our everyday lives. It’s not always a “sit-down-at-the-desk” kind of day. Sometimes it’s helping mommy cook and talking about measurements…sometimes it’s reading at random times during the day…sometimes it’s helping mommy sort and organize.

Homeschooling is not something that we do only Monday through Friday, September through May….

It’s something that we do all day, everyday…it’s the way we raise our little ones….we don’t know any different.

I’ll definitely have to buckle down for first grade though…our kindergarten curriculum is a breeze for Ellie…there are days we do several days in one day and then there are days that we just play and do no organized school. First grade officially starts the beginning of having to count attendance….

I have learned a few things that hinder us from “doing school” some days.

1) Scheduling appointments first thing in the morning messes up our entire day….from now on, we’ll schedule appointments after nap if at all possible.

2) Not going to bed prepared…when I wake up to dirty dishes in the sink, and laundry piles everywhere….I end up so busy with housework that school can take a back burner.

3) Poor school planning on my part…if I have taken the time to get our weekly school things in order then it is easy to get started every morning. If I have not taken the time to get organized then it’s near impossible to get started quickly….then it just gets put off.

I love teaching Ellie….she is reading and sounding out every word she sees. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to teach her to read!!!! Wow! It is amazing!

And I love what God is teaching me! Patience, which is not one of my strengths…perseverance to get the job at hand done…and the confirmation that homeschooling is the right choice for our little family.

Last but not least…this sweet little girl, hinders quite a few productive homeschooling mornings….

Until next time,

Jenifer

“The Search” Giveaway

2011-01-25T16:37:00.001-06:00

It’s out! Book number three in the “Lancaster County Secrets” series by Suzanne Woods Fisher!

Wondering if it’s for you? Well of course if you read “The Choice” and “The Waiting” then it will be at the top of your list…but if not, check it out:

Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many.
Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.
Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.
Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

Would you like to take a sneak peak? Check out an excerpt for a limited time here.

How would you like to win a copy of your own? Leave a comment below to be entered to win…any old comment will do! Giveaway runs through Thursday night 10:00pm CST.

How about an iPad? Who wouldn’t like to win one of those!?!?! Check out the author’s giveaway here. If you win the iPad, I’ll be happy to babysit for you anytime!

Until next time.

Jenifer

Punky Noodle Hard Lotion Bar Giveaway!!

2011-01-23T15:25:00.003-06:00

UPDATE: Congrats to Kristin for winning our Hard Lotion Bar giveaway!!!

Ellie and I have been so excited about our new hard lotion bars! We think they are great and they are really helping my dry “always in the water” hands.
To celebrate, Ellie and I would like to giveaway one of our Hard Lotion Bars!

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment below and let us know whether or not you struggle with dry skin….hands? elbows? feet? What can you just NOT seem to keep moisturized no matter how hard you try?
Giveaway runs through Monday at 10:00pm (CST).
Until next time,
Jenifer

Check out our new Hard Lotion Bars by Punky Noodle

2011-01-13T15:24:00.000-06:00

Insert Witty Post Title Here…

2011-01-11T15:29:00.002-06:00

Well, I had grand plans of doing a fabulous “Snow Day 2011” post until my camera and computer apparently had a falling out…
Took me FO-EVA to get them both to cooperate!
So instead of pictures with witty comments, I’m settling for just pictures….I’ll let you add your own commentary along the way…

Until next time,
Jenifer

2011 DIY Projects

2011-01-03T23:08:00.001-06:00

I always have all these great plans to work on all these DIY projects. Some craft related, some cooking, some organization. I save them into a nice little favorites folder and then never go back to them…like ever…
I hope to change that this year! I opened up every singe project I had bookmarked and chose my favorite ones to accomplish this year.
Here goes nothing….
JANUARY…
Ok….not to start off on the wrong foot but I am going to try to squeeze two projects into January. First, the “Elsie Dress”…so excited to be getting together with some other sewing mommas very soon to work on this!

Photo credit Sew Sweet Patterns

Next up is this too cute t-shirt! Hoping to get together with those same sewing mommas and make this as well.

Photo credit Marie – Madeline Studio

I found this on Marie – Madeline Studio’s blog and fell in love! I think I’ll do one first for Ellie.
FEBRUARY…
Ever since I got my Kindle, I thought I wanted a cover to keep it safe. After using it for a while I have decided that I like to hold it just by itself while I read so I’d rather have a case to just keep it in while I’m not using it.
I found this great tutorial over at Junie Moon! Now I just have to choose my fabric!

Photo credit Junie Moon

MARCH…
I have seen several of these cute camera straps on different blogs and Etsy shops and I thought they might be easy to make. I found an easy tutorial on KevinandAmanda.com.
Can’t wait to make this one for my camera!

Photo credit KevinandAmanda.com

APRIL…
Ever thought about using cloth napkins? I do all the time but just haven’t gotten around to making them. I have lots of extra fabric and even some older dress shirts that would be great to use!

Photo credit Skip To My Lou

So excited to use this tutorial and save some trees while I’m at it!
MAY…
I have wanted an easy pattern for a baby blanket that I could make and give as gifts…even make them for my own little ones.

Photo credit Handmade Mommy

I love this one that I found at Handmade Mommy. Can’t wait to choose some cutesy baby fabric for this project!
JUNE…
Who doesn’t need a cute comfortable skirt for summer? This one is on my list! Check out this easy tutorial at Cluck Cluck Sew.

Photo credit Cluck Cluck Sew

JULY…
Trying to get a jump on the holidays, I plan to make this table runner in Christmas fabrics. I wanted to make myself one but never got around to it this year.

Photo credit Diary of a Quilter

If all goes well, maybe I’ll even make a spring one just like this! I love those fabrics! Check out the tutorial here.
AUGUST…
Can’t wait to make some strawberry jam! I saw Money Saving Mom’s post about learning to make it this year as well. The freezer jam recipe she linked to looked right up my alley!
Check out the tutorial here at Pinch My Salt. (After some good advice from GREAT friends, thanks Mrs. Suzi and Megan...I'll be moving this one to April!) =)

Photo credit Pinch My Salt

SEPTEMBER…
I am so excited about this month’s project from Chica and Jo! I absolutely fell in love with this wreath when I ran across it and knew my little ones would love it.

Photo credit Chica and Jo

OCTOBER…

Thinking I might make some bread as gifts for the holidays in 2011. I’ll try out this recipe in October and see what I think.

Photo credit Make It Do

NOVEMBER…
I saw this really neat idea on Make It Do as well and thought this would be great for my little ones! What a great way to encourage them to be kind to each other and who doesn’t love to decorate the tree? Take a look at these ornaments here.

Photo credit Make It Do

DECEMBER…
Don’t you just love the Pioneer Woman? I have been meaning to make her Cinnamon Rolls and just haven’t gotten around to it. And since January is probably not the best time of year to be indulging in extra calories….hence the move of this DIY project to December!

Photo credit Pioneer Woman

Check out the recipe here. If any extra pounds are gained in the making of these rolls…don’t blame me! =)
Until next time,
Jenifer

Hello 2011!!!

2011-01-01T23:25:00.002-06:00

Gosh I can't believe it's already 2011! I remember thinking as a child that once we hit the year 2000, we'd be riding around in space ships, living on the moon and wearing space suits....Ha! Not even close are we?

How about new year's resolutions? Do you make them? I have in the past and end up breaking them by the end of January...ugggghhhh....

I LOVE how Jessica over at Life As Mom made a list of her goals for the year and broke it into different areas of her life. You can see Jessica's list here.

Another new year's goal type list was from Money Saving Mom here. She made a list of 12 DIY projects she plans to do this year...one each month.

I think I'll do a combination of both! We'll see how it turns out....here goes!

PERSONAL....

I'd like to take a look at the new Weight Watchers plan...yikes! I love Weight Watchers but am terrible about sticking with ANYTHING! I just started reading Made To Crave and I feel like it's really going to make a difference in whatever weight loss plan I choose.
I plan to start walking....maybe 5 times a week....maybe once a week...maybe twice before the year is over. I am not setting my self up for failure by saying how often...I am planning to walk S-O-M-E.
I plan to take a shower everyday and attempt to do something with my mop of a head of hair and face. Now before you say "Ewwwwww....who doesn't take a shower everyday?" Cut me some slack...I have two preschoolers and a kindergartner that I homeschool....showering doesn't always make the list. Don't judge.
Go to bed EARLIER! Obviously not starting off well with this one because it's January 1st at 11pm and I am on the computer! ACK!! Tomorrow is another day...

FAMILY...

Read more to all three of my little ones...David too, if he's up for it, but at 17 he's probably got that covered himself....just saying....
Try to answer "Yes" more to my children. Before you think that I mean to spoil them and do whatever they ask, here's what I mean. When they ask me for simple things, I am so quick to answer "No" out of habit. "Mommy will you play a game with me?" "In a minute" I say..."Mommy will you hold me?" "After I start another load of laundry..." "Mommy can we go outside and play?" "Not right now, maybe later".... I plan to answer yes as often as I can...to be intentional about it.
To make more time for Bryan and I. To be intentional about not putting the kids, church commitments and my plans before my relationship with my husband.

FINANCIAL...

To be better organized. I do a terrible job of keeping up with what I am spending. Once a week on "office day" I plan to clean out my purse of all receipts and make sure our checkbook is balanced!To ask myself more questions...instead of spending this money on a new sweater what else could I do with that money? How could I use it to help someone else?
Give more. I want to be quick to give and know that God is going to provide for me all the things that I need. I don't want to hold back in giving to help someone else because I am worried about myself.
To work with the kids on some sort of money coaching. Whether that's through an allowance or some other method...helping them be more aware of where our money goes and ways that we could help others instead of spending money on ourselves.

HOME...

Get rid of stuff! What if I went through only one room a month and just went through every drawer, cabinet, closet and generously pulled things I don't use and don't need? By this time next year, I would be junk FREE! Kitchen is first up in January....be afraid kitchen...be very afraid.
Get a handle on my scrapbooking! Put a date on my calendar once a month where I can get some time to myself and get organized and catch up. Poor Ruby Kate has nothing in her album but her sonogram pictures...GASP!!
Be a better homemaker. Put a loose plan in writing for what I plan to do everyday, every week, every month. I want my house to not be a complete embarrassment if someone where to pop in. I'm tired of suffering from C.H.A.O.S. (can't have anyone over syndrome).

Lord have mercy, this took longer than I thought! And I have so much more I'd like to do but I had to keep it simple! Coming tomorrow....my 12 DIY projects I'd like to attempt in 2011!

Until next time,

You Never Know....

2010-12-28T23:40:00.001-06:00

....you know how when you wake up in the morning to a normal day you have no idea that a simple phone call can change things so drastically. I started off this morning fixing breakfast for my little family...planning to do laundry, maybe take down a few Christmas decorations and then I answered the phone....

On the other end was my dear friend Shannon. She woke up this morning to find that her sweet husband Eric had gone to be with the Lord. Didn't see that one coming....

I can't even begin to wrap my mind around the fact that God took Eric...a young father and husband that had just turned 30 years old. I don't know how it looks on your end, but thirty is a spring chicken to me. I just still can't believe it. Shannon had looked so long to find who God had chosen for her...life was good for them. Work was good, life with their two year old Ava was good...they wanted to grow their family. They were just living life...and then in an instant God took him home.

Makes me wonder what would happen if that were Bryan and I. It could happen anytime. It could happen before we lay our heads on our pillow tonight. God has set aside a time for us. What am I doing between now and then to make a difference in His Kingdom? Sometimes I feel as if I love my life only for what I can see right here in front of me. I live this life like it's all there is. I know that's not true...that there's so much more...but do I show it with my life?

Eric did. He loved his life, loved his family but also loved his Savior. He knew exactly where he was going when his time came and was not afraid. Do I worry more about what I would miss once God takes me home? I have often found myself hoping that I see all of my children grow up, get married and bless me with grandchildren. Do I desire that more than I desire an eternity with my precious Savior? Some days....yes. I think of all the things I would miss by going home to heaven before I am ready. Good thing God doesn't leave that up to me.

God, help me to have a heavenward focus...to not let the things of this world be more important to me than an eternity spent with you. Help me to live everyday as if I could meet you at any time. Help me be bold in sharing my faith, just as my friend Eric was. Help me to not assume I'll have another chance to share the Gospel with a friend or a stranger. Help me to make the most of each opportunity you give me.

God wrap your arms around my dear friend Shannon. Make your peace feel real to her. God give her wisdom as she makes decisions in the coming days and give her the words to say to sweet Ava when the time comes.

God help me as Shannon's friend to know the words to say and to not say. Help me to share Godly counsel with my friend and to be the friend she needs. I Love You. Amen.

Until next time,

Christmas Letter 2010

2010-12-25T19:33:00.001-06:00

Well , Jenifer tells me it is time to put together the Christmas letter for 2010. It seems that she has permanently delegated this task to me, and with all the things she does throughout the year and especially at Christmas for our family and any others that she hears are in need, I have decided I shouldn’t really complain. I have started the last couple of letters with a statement about how quickly the year has passed us by…and it seems that gets more accurate each year. Where does the time go? It has been a busy year, but we have been blessed way more than we deserve. Where to start?

Well, I guess we can start with the low points and go on from there. We lost Mother in February after an extended battle with cancer. It was tough to see her decline over the last few months and she will surely be missed. She loved Christmas and always made sure that we (as children) and her grandchildren had a wonderful time. It is comforting to know she is in a better place, and her and Dad have been reunited.

So, onto the blessings! All my wonderful children and my beautiful wife. We always start with the youngest and that would be Ruby Kate, she turned one in August and just gets cuter every day. She is possibly the sweetest baby we have had, and that is saying a lot. She is also a little more adventurous than her sister and may even rival Ethan before long. She has really taken a liking to her daddy of late, and is always waiting at the back door for me, waving her little arms and saying “Up, Up, Up,Up!” I have even had to learn to shave while holding a one year old in one arm. Interesting experience, to say the least. She will really be a hoot at Christmas this year. She has really started talking and is very vocal when someone gets her spot, especially when that spot was her Daddy’s lap. I have spent quite a few evenings “relaxing” in my recliner with the three little ones in my lap. Well, to be accurate, one in my lap, then two, then three, then two, then three, then two, then three…you get the idea. None of our children seem to be able to sit still for very long.

Ethan, ahh, Ethan, what a wonderful sweet child, always with something witty to say. He loves everybody and isn’t afraid to tell them. He has unending energy and a wonderful spirit. He has recently learned to sign “I Love You” and will just call your name (read “Yell”!) at random times just to get you to look at him so he can give you the “I Love You” sign. He is also a big fan of the “thumbs up” and if something is really pleasing the double ”thumbs up”, and he is not afraid to give you the “thumbs down” if he is not happy. We can tell he is going to be a challenge as he gets older. Just the other night when Jenifer & Ellie returned from the AWANA Christmas party with a treat bag full of candy for him, he settles down on the couch and rapidly starts to consume it. His Mother tells him, “You’re not going to sit there and eat all that candy, Ethan.” His response, he stands up and says “OK, I will just stand here.” He’s only three, where does he get this stuff. It took Jenifer & I a minute to realize just what he meant, but he is certainly a young expert at finding the loop holes. If you follow Jenifer on Twitter you have certainly seen several of his witty comments throughout the past year, it’s worth the effort to go back and look through all her Beth Moore tweets just to see those.

Ellie continues to take ballet lessons and was in her first play this year. She is certainly more talented and graceful than her Mother, I mean her parents. She also began kindergarten this year and piano lessons. She is tireless in her pursuit for knowledge and full of questions that make you actually think to give her an answer. She has certainly been a challenge for Jenifer homeschooling this year, she just doesn’t want to stop. I think she would do “school” all day long if Jenifer didn’t have two other little ones and the house to take care of as well. She is still daddy’s little princess and celebrated her sixth birthday this year with a cupcake party, everyone had the chance to decorate their own cupcake and had a wonderful time. She continues to be a great big sister and “Momma’s” little helper. Ellie loves to go to church and Sparks and is just a wonderful blessing to everyone she meets ( I left this in here from last year, only because it’s true).

Can’t forget about the older boys, Will is fourteen and graces us with his presence occasionally, and David is seventeen and in his senior year of high school. Yes, for anybody that is keeping track, we have a senior in high school, a kindergartner, and a one year old all at the same time. Are we crazy, yes, but very blessed as well. David has recently moved in with us and we have been adjusting to having an active teenager in the house. Can I just ask, how many basketball practices and games can you really fit into one week? David had a very successful football season this year, making it to the playoffs for the first time in JCA history. We are working to figure out the whole college thing and get him to decide what he wants to do next year after graduation.

Jenifer, well I thought I said it pretty well last year, but she wouldn’t let me use the same thing this year. She continues to be very busy wife, mother, homemaker, AWANA Commander, Bible study leader, et al. She has the most caring and giving heart of anyone I know, with a special little spot for children that are suffering with illnesses and diseases that shouldn’t even be visited on us as adults. She follows the stories of several children on their mother’s blogs and seems to suffer for them hoping it will take some of the pain from them. I am constantly reminded of how blessed we are to have five healthy children and wish I had the heart to listen when she wants to share about how one of “her” children are going through a rough spot or getting better, She seems tireless in her efforts to help families in need. Truly a very caring and giving person, she continues to amaze me with her spirit for others.

I would like to thank everyone reading this letter for being a part of our lives. It doesn’t take long to look around at all the wonderful people that God has placed in our lives to know that we’re all blessed well beyond what we deserve. I would like to thank my wonderful family for continuing to support me and give me a reason to strive to continue to improve myself as a Christian, father, husband, brother and nephew. I am truly grateful for the many blessing that the Lord has provided for me and my family and am reminded especially this time of year as we celebrate the Birth of our Savior how blessed we are to live in this country where we are still able to celebrate our religion openly and freely.

Merry Christmas,

Bryan

Where have you been all my life....

2010-12-13T14:51:00.000-06:00

Well.............hello to my favorite little blog....I've missed you! Life here has been cuh-razy! I don't even know where to begin....

I would love to tell you that I have been so busy because I have been decorating my house for Christmas, finishing up my Christmas shopping and putting three square meals a day on the table, but alas that is not so.....

I DO have my tree up (thanks Jared) but not decorated....

I have SOME shopping under my belt but not all....

And there have been several days of PB&J and canned soup in our recent past....

Uggggg...tomorrow is another day!

While we were busy plugging along at daily life with three preschoolers (ok, really two and a kindergartner but preschoolers is just faster to say/type)....we suddenly were thrust back into life with a teenager after a 17 month absence. I seem to have forgotten how much driving and cooking is involved in the job of parenting a teenage son. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Coming soon....grocery budget makeover....

I see no light at the end of the busy tunnel in the near future. To save my sanity, I have ordered a new planner to use along with my home management binder. I can't wait for it to arrive. I need to get myself a night at the local Hampton Inn and lay all my cards on the table and get organized. I'll let you know if that happens...

We've been busy with basketball...sometimes three games a week.....grrrrr......makes me miss football....thank you football for only one game a week. If I could kiss you, I would. I am hanging onto my sanity by reminding myself that this is David's senior year and it will be a few years before we are in the mad craziness that is high school athletics. David's doing well as a starting senior and it makes it worth the restless children, fortune spent on tickets and concessions, late bedtimes.....GO THUNDER!

We are looking forward to Ethan's appointment with the allergist this Thursday...ok, maybe just I am looking forward to it, to be honest. I have thought for some time that Ethan was allergic to milk...nothing concrete though. So Ethan will have the skin tests this week to nail down some possible allergies. Going to pray that Ethan doesn't go blooming B-A-N-A-N-A-S when they get started pricking him....maybe I should start praying now....

This Christmas seems especially reflective to me this year...

We've had several opportunities to be able to minister to families in our community this holiday season. I wondered the other day about how good we feel when we help someone this time of year. We are always looking for a family to adopt, some needy child to buy gifts for, someone hungry that needs a Christmas meal.

Do we do it to make ourselves feel better? To relieve ourselves of the guilt in our subconscious over all the money we blow on ourselves and families during the holidays? What if we spent the rest of the year looking for people to help? I want us to be a family that looks for opportunities all year...praying for God to open our eyes to needs around us.

Also fresh on my mind is the loss affecting the dear Coleman family....yesterday they lost Britt's father, Ronnie. I can imagine the things that we get all worked up about this time of year, seem irrelevant and unimportant to them. Whether or not we have all our decorations up exactly right, gifts we have to buy for relatives we hardly even know, getting that "must have" toy for your child who has everything they could ever wish for already, making all those goodies that we think are a must have at Christmas time.

Irrelevant and unimportant....

What's important?

Jesus....your relationship with Him....all the other things that we stress so much about?

Irrelevant.

Praying that each of you have a relevant Christmas, celebrating our Savior's birth....

Until next time,

Inspired design

2010-12-01T23:00:00.000-06:00

Ok....let me be honest...design, decorating, throwing fabulous parties....those are not my strengths. I can be real and admit it. I wish they were. For some people it comes as naturally as breathing...for folks like me it's a struggle.

That's why I was so excited to get my hands on a new copy of Inspired Design by Roxanne Hughes Packham and Hannah Packham.

This book is not only a great resource to learn more about the ins and outs of entertaining and decorating, it is a glimpse into the family and history of this beautiful family. I love the ideas for gathering things, starting your collection for entertaining from scratch and even Hannah's point of view. Once I saw the Scripture sprinkled throughout, I knew this would be a book I would love. This book is a resource you would look to again and again as well as a beautiful addition to your collection. A guest picking up this book from your coffee table, will definitely want to have their own copy. A great gift this holiday season! I also LOVE that 100% of the proceeds from this book go to Heart of Hope which benefits orphans in Romania, and Inspired 31, a Mother-teenage girl ministry.

Check out the interview below with Roxanne!

What is Inspired Design?

A book about three aspects of the home and how it's power to touch the souls of those within. Those three aspects are Designing for warmth and beauty to nurture others, meaningful touches and gestures to celebrate and honor your loved ones on special occasions and ordinary days, and lastly that it is not what we have or do not have that blesses others, and changes lives, but how we use what we have. It is about incorporating YOUR family heritage, and your unique gifts, into making a beautiful, family home.

I know that a mother-daughter ministry, "Inspired 31", has begun along side of Inspired Design, why do you think it has resonated so powerfully?

Especially in this economic climate so many women are more resolute than ever that their families are the most important thing in their lives and their daughters, or close friends, should be celebrated and cherished. Without exception our gatherings (3 so far, in it's first 3 months) have attracted hundreds of mother/daughter/sister/friend combinations wanting to come, for 2 hours, and celebrate what is good, pure, worthy of praise especially each other. Inspired 31's mission is to teach girls (and now even woman of all ages) to find and follow God's unique path for their lives. We have inspiring speakers, and a wonderful positive/uplifting program. We have people inquiring about beginning a chapter in their area, in many cities.

Where can we purchase a copy of Inspired Design? Also, we heard this book is helping orphans and teenage girls as well.

Inspired Design makes a perfect gift with so many ideas for making Christmas, or any holiday, more special with all kinds of thoughtful little details.100% of the profits go to Heart of Hope, which benefits orphans in Romania, and Inspired 31, a Mother-teenage girl ministry. With each purchase you are helping all kinds of different children. Please visit my web site at http://inspireddesignpublications.com/.

Until next time,
Jenifer

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by Inspired Design Publications in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

Ready for Christmas?

2010-11-10T23:58:00.000-06:00

Yikes! Christmas is right around the corner!!! I am SOOOOO not ready! I have a general idea of what I need to do, things I need to buy but have yet to really start. Last year, I did most of my shopping online and it was fabulous! Internet, here I come!

One thing that has made Christmas really simple for us the last few years is that we purchase the kids only 3 gifts. Just like baby Jesus got. In our case we do:

one educational gift
something they want
something they need (usually a clothing item)

There are always dozens of things we want to buy for them but this helps us focus on our favorite things and keep the real focus on our Savior's birth.

All year long, as I run across things I think the kids would love, I just bookmark them and then now is the time of year I sit down, open up all those windows and decide what makes the cut!

Here are some favorites:

I LOVE this "My First Christmas Onesie" but I don't have anyone in my house having their first Christmas! Would make a great gift though! Especially at only $6.........!

I am so in love with these hairpins!

How precious would they be in Ellie's hair?

Somebody in my house just might find these in her stocking this year!

Oooohhhhhh, or THESE!! I can't decide! Too cute!

Then of course, these are cute too!

Ack, I've bookmarked too many cute things!

Her stocking may be overflowing!

Now, little man would look adorable in this hat!

It just might make it onto his Christmas list!

Or maybe this one.....

I bought this tutorial with great plans to make one for myself and

several for gifts.....um, yeah, maybe not this year.....

but I love it none the less! I WILL make this!!!

Ok....I saved the best for last!

Last year we got some of these wooden animals

for Ethan for Christmas.

I loved that they were simple, non-commercial,

didn't need batteries and Ethan LOVES them....

You know who else loves them?

You guessed it, Ruby Kate!

She can count on some of these making their

way under the tree for her this year!

Maybe the alligator perhaps.....

Or my favorite the cuddly sheep....

I love that these toys are made by a Dad that longed to get back to simpler toys with his kids too. As we have slowly cut back on the toys we buy the kids, we have seen a real difference in how they play. Ellie and Ethan would rather make a tent and play make believe than play with all their cool, expensive gadgets.

Is this momma learning a lesson? Yep!

Having the latest, coolest, most expensive toy....not all it's cracked up to be.

Back to basics....join us!

I bet your little one would love a few of these animals for Christmas!

Off to work on my Christmas list...right after my Thanksgiving grocery shopping list!

Until next time,

Show Us Your Life - What Do You Make????????

2010-11-04T15:04:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to link up with other creative women on Kelly's Korner today! She is hosting a "Show Us Your Life" that features lots of items made by Moms! What a great way to support other Moms and maybe even get some of your Christmas shopping done! I can't wait to start looking myself!

It has been so much fun spending time the last year or so creating invitations and announcements for friends and family and even new friends I've met on Etsy! It is so much fun to hear your ideas and be able to work with you to create something you love!

I can't believe it's time to start working on Christmas card designs....my how the year has flown by! I would love to help you create something unique for your family to share this Christmas.I am busy working on lots of brand new designs for Christmas and holiday cards. You'll be able to choose from my pre-designed options or I can create one from scratch just for you! Anything you can dream...I can create!

A few of my favorites through the year....

Be sure to check out my shop, The Digital Pigeon at Etsy.com.

Special! Contact me about your
Custom designed Christmas Card
before Thanksgiving and you'll get the
special price of $12 instead of $16!

Can't wait to start designing your family's card!

Until next time,

"Red Ink" Book Giveaway

2010-11-03T07:00:00.040-05:00

UPDATE: Congrats to Brittany Casey on winning her very own copy of "Red Ink"!!

China seems to be on my mind alot lately. What connection do I have with China you ask? You didn't know I was half Chinese??? Just kidding. China seems to be all around me lately though I am not that familiar with it as a country. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law are definitely the experts!

My most important connections to China are my beautiful niece and nephew from China. James and Xiaoli joined our family through adoption and are such a blessing to our family, not to mention beautiful and handsome like their Aunt Jenifer And Uncle Bryan! Ha!

I just finished reading Mary Beth Chapman's new book "Choosing to SEE" where she shares about her journey through adopting her three little girls from China.

Yesterday I watched a documentary about the impact that China's one child policy is having and will have on their country. Very interesting....learned things I'd never thought of before. After reading Mary Beth's book and watching this film, I was ready to call Beth and get all the details about starting the adoption process!!!

I'm excited to share with you an interview with the author of Red Ink, Kathi Macias. Be sure to check out the other three books in this series and leave a comment below to be entered to win your very own copy of "Red Ink"!

Red Ink is the third book in your four-book Extreme Devotion series. Each book is set in a different country, with the theme of first devotion and commitment to Christ above all else running through all four. How is Red Ink different, and who/what inspired you to write this book?
Red Ink is the only one of the four books that actually deals with someone being arrested and suffering specifically for her faith in Christ. The story is loosely based on my own personal heroine, Li Ying, who is currently serving a ten-year sentence in China for printing/distributing Christian materials, particularly to children. I pray for Li Ying daily, and I remind myself how very blessed I am to have the freedom to do what she did—without paying the price she now pays.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of this story?
A young Chinese woman, Zhen-Li—raised to observe the party line, including its one-child-per-family doctrine—falls in love with and marries a Christian, and adopts his faith. Though the couple downplays their Christianity in an effort to survive, Zhen-Li’s family is appalled, and she and her husband are ostracized. When she becomes pregnant for the second time and refuses to have an abortion, the persecution begins in earnest. Zhen-Li’s parents, under pressure from the government, pay to have Zhen-Li kidnapped and the baby aborted.

It is then Zhen-Li decides she must live up to her name—"Truth"—and take a firm stand for her faith, regardless of the consequences, and so she begins to regularly teach children about Zhu Yesu ("Lord Jesus") and to distribute Christian literature every chance she gets. Based loosely on the life of Christian magazine editor Li Ying, currently serving a ten-year prison sentence in China, the story of Yang Zhen-Li tells the desperate tale of her incarceration and separation from her family, as she continues to minister to other prisoners, and even to her guards, leading to a surprising conclusion that will both stun and challenge readers.

In addition to writing, you are a popular speaker at women’s event, writers’ conferences, and various venues around the country. How can people find out more about you, your writing and speaking, sign up for your weekly devotional newsletter (in English or Spanish), and/or just view your many book videos, etc.?
They can find me at my website (http://www.kathimacias.com) or blog (http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com). There is a “contact” button on my website if they’d like to send me a message. I always respond to all my emails!

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered to win!! Just click on "Comments" below.......

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by New Hope Publishers in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

Until next time,

EB Awareness Week

2010-10-29T23:24:00.000-05:00

Let me just say that I enjoy reading the blogs of other moms like myself. I learn new ways to do things, gain encouragement, strengthen my faith and "meet" lots of moms that I would SO be friends with if I knew them in real life.

Some of the moms I have "met" have really touched my heart. They have extraordinary circumstances surrounding their life and the lives of their children. It is an honor to join other moms across the nation, even the world, in praying for these families.

The first little one I ran across was baby Jonah. His parents have a life I can not even imagine. Their little boy suffers from a terrible disease that I had never even heard of before reading their blog. Jonah has EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa). Jonah's mom, Patrice, shares openly and honestly about the joys and struggles of life with Jonah's EB.

After never having heard of EB, I was surprised at how quickly I ran across other families with a child suffering from this same horrible disease. There was Payton, who actual lives just a few minutes away from me right here in Alabama! And I think the most precious little boy ever, whose life I follow is Tripp. Ooohhh, he reminds me so much of Ethan when he was little, pudgy little cheeks, round little head....I could just eat him up!

Tripp's mom, Courtney, is such an inspiration to me. I am so quick to whine and complain about things I have to do as a mom sometimes and then I read of her daily struggles and am so convicted. My children are healthy and yet I stress when we have a stomach virus or the common cold.

This week was EB Awareness Week. I wanted to share about these families with you so you could come alongside me in praying for them. Pray for good health for their little ones, no infections and quick healing. Pray as well for these parents and caregivers...for patience, for rest and for wisdom in making the hard decisions that they must make everyday. Ultimately lets pray for a cure!!!!!

Want to learn a little more about EB? Take a look below at "Garrett: The Boy Beneath the Bandages"

If you are a subscriber, click here for video....

Until next time,

I miss my kids…..

2010-10-25T00:54:00.001-05:00

Where are they you ask?

Well, Ruby Kate and Ethan are in their beds sleeping soundly….

Ellie is snuggled up on the couch with her Daddy….both snoring softly…..

How do I miss them you ask?

I don’t miss them because they are asleep. I miss them because they are growing up.

Right before my very eyes….

I miss them and I feel as though I’m missing out and so are they….

There are many days that my obligations come first before them.

Days I need them to play quietly and keep each other occupied so that I can send out some important email….

Days that I say “Not now, Mommy has got to get this done!”

Days that I say no when I should be saying yes.

Days when I tuck them into bed in a hurry because I have a list of things waiting to get done.

Days when I actually avoid making that to do list because it is just too overwhelming.

I am living my life in survival mode now. Moving from commitment to commitment….

Hurriedly finishing one thing so I can get to the next.

Hiring a sitter (love you Taylor!) not so Bryan and I can have a much needed date night but so that I can go to a meeting…

Frustrated because I can’t discern if my current state of mind is Satan attacking me because I am right in the center of God’s will

or…..

If God is making things clear to me to cause me to change….step back and gain some perspective….I am leaning towards this….

All the things that I do….they will be here ten years from now.

But my sweet six year old won’t…she’ll be 16….driving and dating…

My three year old will be entering his teen years….

My Ruby Kate will be 11 and right in the middle of the difficult tween years….

I don’t want to miss these years…when the things I teach them and time I spend with them will forever shape their world view….

I don’t want them to grow up and say “My Mom was so active and involved at church but never had time for me.”

I don’t know how to balance serving my Savior with what should be my number one ministry….my family. Being the wife God has called me to be to Bryan and the Mommy God has called me to be to my little ones.

I feel guilty when I am not serving….

And guilty when I do serve….

I am not a quitter…ok except for knitting…I am a quitter when it comes to knitting…..never quite got the hang of it….

But sometimes I want to quit….and stay in my house with my babies and my husband and have no outside responsibilities….

No one needing my time, no one asking and expecting something of me that I am stretched too thin to give.

I want my husband to come home to a hot meal every night instead of a frustrated mommy….

I want to go to bed with a shiny, sparkling sink

I want my commitments to not stand in the way of time I spend with my husband….nurturing what God has so richly blessed us with…

I want to finish Ellie’s potholder with her that we started months ago…

I want to go outside and run with my little boy and not worry about where I have to be that day…

I want to read to Ruby Kate like I used to read to Ellie…

I want to wisely discern all the messages I am receiving…

…the wisdom from a mentor recently

….this article that I ran across tonight

….what God has taught be about my own children through reading this book

I want to be present….with my family first…..

Until next time,

Jenifer

"The Waiting" by Suzanne Woods Fisher and Giveaway!

2010-10-19T22:09:00.000-05:00

Looking for another great fiction author? Well here you go! Suzanne Woods Fisher's latest book "The Waiting" is just what you're looking for!

Jorie King has been waiting for Benjamin Zook to return home to Lancaster County so they can marry. When news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie finds comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. That friendship ripens into love, and it seems that they are meant to be together. But when the unexpected happens, their worlds are turned upside down once more. Will Jorie trust God to lead her into the arms of a new man?

Want to read an excerpt? Click here. Hooked yet? Would you like to have a copy in your hands by this weekend? Leave a comment at the end of this post, any old comment and you'll be entered to win your very own copy!

Any interest in winning your very own Kindle? Check out the author's giveaway.

The Waiting is in stores now and to celebrate Suzanne is hosting The Waiting KINDLE Giveaway.

One Grand Prize winner will receive a Kindle preloaded with Suzanne Woods Fisher titles and a Amazon.com gift certificate! The Prize Pack (valued at over $185.00) includes:

* A brand new KINDLE, Free 3G, 6", Latest Generation

* The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher

* The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

* A $15 dollar Amazon.com Gift Certificate

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on October 28th at Suzanne's Lancaster Secrets Book Club Party.

Join Suzanne for the Lancaster Secrets Book Club Party on October 28th! She’ll be announcing the winner of the The Waiting KINDLE Giveaway, hosting a book club discussion of The Waiting and The Choice, and giving away copies of both books and HEAPs of readerly prizes! Be sure to join us on Thursday, October 28th at 5:00 PM PST (6:00 MST, 7:00 CST & 8 EST) at Suzanne’s Author Page.

Don't forget to leave a comment below! "The Waiting" could be yours!

Until next time,

Off to the pumpkin patch…..

2010-10-12T22:34:00.002-05:00

Today we headed to Oxford to check out the new pumpkin patch with our new playgroup. The kids loved it! I could have put in an order for cooler weather but all in all it was a great day!
I must say that trying to take a picture of my three together is like trying to nail earthworms to a two by four…it ain’t happening! Here’s the closest I got!

My sweet Ruby Kate….our visit was during her normal naptime, so she spent the morning in a sleepy haze…

Here’s my six year old with her newly found teenager face…aggravated at her brother….

…..who kept walking in front of her pictures….

He really is a sweetheart, even if he is a rascal 99% of the time!

Couldn’t you just kiss this sweet little face?

Ellie was so glad that she had someone her age finally at playgroup! Tyler Grace was out of school and got to go with us!

Ellie and Ethan loved “riding” the bull…we need daddy to make us one!

The “pumpkin express” was also a big hit. Ellie did want to know why I didn’t ride…..how ‘bout I didn’t want to get my big ole hinney stuck…or worse….slow down the train!

Ethan was so proud of his pumpkin. He went into the field, chose it himself and of course Mommy had to “harvest” it. Who knew that the stem on fresh pumpkins were so prickly! OUCH! Next time we’re taking Daddy and his KNIFE!

Here’s my final attempt at taking a picture of Ellie and Ethan…yeah…thanks Ethan for your cooperation…. =)

Until next time,

Jenifer

A Year Without Wal-Mart...........

2010-10-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

I can't believe we did it! A year with no Wal-Mart! Last year on October 12th, was our last visit to Wal-Mart. Bryan had stopped by to pick up a few things we needed, spent a fortune of course for just a few things.....somehow at Wal-Mart you always end up with more in your cart than you intended.

Why no Wal-Mart you ask?

Well, a year ago I watched a documentary film called "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price". The film really irritated me concerning some of Wal-Mart's business practices...how they treat their employees, how they treat their vendors...how local businesses suffer when Wal-Mart comes to town. They are so BIG that we are forced to just deal with the way they treat everyone. Wal-Mart has become just an American way of life. Everyone of us thinks we can't live without Wal-Mart so we are just at their mercy.

Don't get me wrong, I would agree that they almost always have the lowest prices, stay open 24 hours for our convenience, offer everything all in one place....

But at what cost do you think those things come?

To be honest, it wasn't something I had ever really thought about. What price do Wal-Mart employees, local small businesses and other companies pay for my "low-price"?

Someone pays the price.......

Do I really think that our not shopping at Wal-Mart will have an impact on them? No, they don't even notice on their P and L that the Parris family hasn't been by lately. But what if more families felt like we did? Could we make an impact then?

As I watched the documentary, something Rev. Altagracia Perez said made me really stop and think. I don't remember word for word what she said but the impression I was left with was how could I as a Christian, know about Wal-Mart's practices and still continue to shop there? I decided right then and there that I couldn't.

Bryan came home from his last Wal-Mart trip and we talked about how things in our life would change by changing our shopping habits. Would it be hard? Yes, at first...Wal-Mart is such a habit. But you know what?

We did it and so can you.........

Coming soon: How we do it....a life without Wal-Mart

Until next time,

Ethan’s HUGE on Twitter….

2010-10-04T00:17:00.003-05:00

Ok…maybe he’s only huge to me but when I saw this printed on a t-shirt, I knew he had to have it….

Missed Ethan on Twitter? Here’s a recap…..

Did someone slip Ethan a "stay awake" pill and not tell me? 1:25 PM Sep 30th

Woke this morning to find Ethan asleep on the couch with his trains, Cranky the crane,oh yeah AND my external hard drive. 8:14 AM Sep 29th

Got Ethan new diapers made by #EarthsBest. When he saw them he said "Look, rice cereal diapers!" 5:03 PM Sep 28th

Power is out at our house, much to Ethan's dismay. He looks out the window and says "Power's on out THERE!" #thankyouGodforthesun 9:33 AM Sep 21st

Ellie just said the pledge. Ethan said, "What about God loved us and sent His Son?" Uh, yeah...Ethan that's from the Bible.... 5:41 PM Sep 10th

Ethan is playing and singing to himself, "A-W-A-N-A, I wanna live my life God's way!" ~Man how I love having my kids in #Awana ! 9:44 AM Aug 17th

Dogs barking. Ethan says " I wonder who dat is, I fhank we need some pizza, I'm hungry. ". Rest assured little man it is not Papa John's. 7:38 AM Aug 17th

Two year old boys can NOT tip - toe quietly........... 7:11 AM Aug 16th

Ethan said while snuggling with me this morning " HOLD ME! I don't have no more mommas!!!!". 6:57 AM Aug 16th

Ethan just said it was too hot to pick up toys! 5:37 PM Aug 12th

Toy trucks with trailers that attach to the back that can not POSSIBLY be put together by a 2 year old are going to be the death of me. 8:43 AM Aug 9th

Reading "Beezus and Ramona" to Ellie and Ethan is like reading to Ellie and Ramona.... 10:09 AM Jul 29th

Ethan found a favorite toy today that had been lots for MONTHS! Promptly lost it again after about 30 minutes and is devastated.....again. 4:33 PM Jul 16th

Ethan is singing "weegeewongha, weegeewongha, de amaging chongateer" - can you name that tune? 8:17 PM Jul 6th

Asked Ethan what his favorite thing on his plate was (after cooking large 4th spread). His answer? Tea. Uh........thanks. 6:23 PM Jul 4th

Ethan came in carrying the tortilla chips he was eating for b'fast. After a strange look from Mommy he said "they have CORN in them"!!!! 8:17 AM Jul 4th

Ethan said "Can I hide while you change my diaper?" I said "How's that supposed to work?" He said "Good!" 7:20 AM Jun 29th via UberTwitter

Holding Ethan and RK. He says "We have little noses and you have a big nose"- Ummmmm, thanks Ethan.... 8:26 PM Jun 17th

Ethan discussing how old each of us is. Determines Bryan is oldest. Says "Dats ok Mommy, you da biggest!". Yeah, thanks Ethan............ 10:37 AM Jun 2nd

Ellie pinched Ethan HARD on the cheek; asked why she did that. She said Ethan licked her leg. Asked why he did that. He said "I'm a dog." 4:19 PM Jun 1st

Asked Ethan what kind of bagel he wanted for breakfast, plain or cinnamon raisin. He said "Plain, it's my favorite color." 8:53 AM May 31st via UberTwitter

Ethan playing w/Bryan's #StarWars figure. He said "R2 Doo Doo hit me in the head!".....the nerve of some toys! 8:45 PM May 30th

Headed to a night on the town. I asked Ethan where he wanted to go. He said, "Awana". That boy knows what he likes! 5:23 PM May 28th

E wants mmallows 4 bfast.Since I won't let him have it, he crosses arms, makes mean face says "Well, then I don't want no breakthast". 7:06 AM May 21st

Ethan has ankle weights on his wrists. When ask why, he said "So I can tell what time it is. " Well, there you have it.... 8:24 AM May 20th

Ethan has ankle weights on his wrists. When ask why, he said "So I can tell what time it is. " Well, there you have it.... 8:24 AM May 20th

Ethan is using his oomi goggles to look for "betch-ta-buls"….AKA vegetables. 11:43 AM May 13th

In conversation I called Ethan "baby". He said, "I'm not a baby. " I asked what he was...he said "I'm a bus". Well, that settles it then. 9:10 PM May 1st

Ethan asked me if I could turn the music on. I told him maybe in a minute. He said "Yes or no, Mommy". 4:15 PM Apr 26th

Driving through a wooded area. Ethan says "these trees are boys." Of course they are....... 12:36 PM Mar 26th

Ethan says "A balloon is a efanant and a penguin is a pig." Oh the wisdom..... 10:05 PM Mar 24th

Ellie asked Ethan what his favorite animal was. His answer?......Oranges. 1:58 PM Mar 21st

LOVE that when Buzz Lightyear asks "have you ever thought about being in the space ranger corp?" Ethan answers "Yeah......" 8:24 AM Mar 5th

I love that my little man says "fweet tea" instead of sweet tea....... 3:32 PM Mar 4th

Ethan wants his carseat moved 2 the back. I told him to ask Daddy to move it. He said "Can you pretend to be Daddy?" 4:26 PM Feb 22nd

Until next time,

Jenifer

Francine Rivers Giveaway!

2010-10-01T09:40:00.006-05:00

UPDATE: Congrats to Kay Bagwell! "Her Daughter's Dream is on it's way to you! Send me your mailing address at jmparris@cableone.net. Congratulations!

Man oh man do I love Francine Rivers!!! I am so excited about her latest book, “Her Daughter’s Dream”. I got hooked after my friend Jennifer introduced me to the Mark of the Lion series and I have never looked back! Once I start reading one, I can’t put it down. They are that good…not to mention, God always teaches me something as I read.
I love to read and for many years, especially because I worked in a bookstore, I would read whatever popular fiction was out there. I shudder to think at all the things I read that were just plain junk by God’s standards. I am so thankful to have been introduced to good CHRISTIAN fiction. It’s out there folks! You’ve just got to look.

Do you ever wonder what an author was thinking as they were writing your favorite book? Check out what Francine Rivers had to say about “Her Daughter’s Dream”.

Mother-daughter relationships are often complicated and fraught with emotional land mines. What was your approach to exploring the complexity of those relationships in a fictional setting?
Questions, lots of questions! Every time I told someone I was working on a book about mother-daughter relationships, people wanted to share their family stories. As I wrote Her Mother’s Hope, I wanted readers to see through each woman’s eyes, and understand how the past shaped each in the way she responded to her mother. Hildemara doesn’t believe her mother loves her, but it is out of Marta’s pain and loss that tough-love techniques were forged. Marta wants to strengthen her daughter for whatever lies ahead. Sometimes what we view as rejection can actually be an act of sacrificial love. We seldom know the experiences that shaped our mothers, the deep hurts, traumatic events, broken relationships. I hope women who read this book will want to share those things with one another.
After readers finish this series what do you want them to remember? What questions and feelings do you want it to provoke on a spiritual and emotional level?
I hope and pray readers who have had difficult relationships with their mothers or daughters will let go of the pain and anger and allow God to work in their lives. God can work all things together for good for those who trust and love Him. Following Jesus’ example changes the way we see people. It changes the way we relate to one another. Even when the chasm is too deep to cross, we can decide to forgive. Some people wear grievances like a dirty coat. With God’s strength, we can strip it off and be free. When people finish reading Her Daughter’s Dream, I hope they will want to extend God’s grace and forgiveness. I hope they will tear down their walls and use their life experiences to begin building a bridge.

Where may we connect with you further or to purchase a copy of HER DAUGHTER'S DREAM?

I would love for you to visit my web site at www.FrancinceRivers.com, browse through the various events and other resources available, as well as sign up for my mailing list. You may also join me on my Facebook page, please click here.

Now for the GIVEAWAY!!!!!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post! Tell me your favorite Francine Rivers’ book if you are already a fan….if her books are new to you, tell me what author you enjoy reading! Who knows maybe I’ll find a new author to check out!

To comment scroll down past the bottom of the post. You'll see a blue box containing others' comments. Type in your comment, type in your name and email (will not show to public) and hit "Submit Comment". If you have a Wordpress or Blogger account, sign in using those.

Random drawing will be Sunday night!

Until next time,
Jenifer
A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by the Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

You Know you’re the 3rd Child…

2010-09-10T15:39:00.002-05:00

God love Ruby Kate…
She just goes with the flow. I love that about her, not high strung, just lovable. Doesn’t notice yet that she is the third child and her mommy is tired…

Is more patient than my other two ever THOUGHT about being…
Waits while mommy prepares food for the others while quietly nibbling on Cheerios and avocado.

Doesn’t seem to notice that while her mommy….

color coordinated her sister’s bib with each outfit
at least made sure her brother’s bibs were blue or at least gender neutral
mommy reached for the nearest dish towel for her bib

Oh, yeah….and a clothespin….

Not to mention, the red and gray “Cars” cup…

Like I said, God love her…
Until next time,
Jenifer

Ellie’s First Day of Kindergarten

2010-09-07T10:48:00.001-05:00

Well our first day of kindergarten is behind us….

I can hardly believe she’s old enough to be going to school. Seems like we just brought her home from the hospital and fought over who got to hold her.

I’m not sure who was more excited…Ellie or me! (Mommy has a weakness for school supplies….)

She was so excited a few weeks ago to pick up all her school supplies and to pick out a new outfit for the first day of school. This sweet little dress has been washed and hanging in her closet….just waiting for today.

She came into our bedroom this morning and said “Mommy, are you ready to do school?” My little girl had BEEN ready!

After eating breakfast, getting dressed, snapping a few pictures, saying the pledge of allegiance, Daddy prayed over us before he went to work and we were ready to start.

She was so excited to do each new thing. As soon as we finished one thing, she was already asking about the next. I was worried that these first few days that are light on material would not satisfy her craving for “school”. When we were done, she was surprised but then promptly ran off to play with her brother and sister. It was just long enough for her attention span! Praise the Lord!

Thank you Lord for a great first day!

Looking forward to a great year!

Wondering where Ethan was while we were getting ready for school?

In the dryer of course!

Until next time,

Jenifer

Life lately……

2010-09-05T20:49:00.001-05:00

Daddy vs. Mommy at the Grocery Store

2010-09-05T18:21:00.001-05:00

Is there really a difference you ask?

Well, let’s see…

Mommy goes to the grocery store and gets the following:

things we are out of
sale items that are too good to pass up
things that are actually used to make MEALS

Daddy goes to the grocery store after church today and gets the following:

78 bottles of Gatorade
37 apples
Swiss Cake Rolls
Nutty Buddy Bars
chips
dip

In Daddy’s defense he DID actually purchase yogurt.

Score…Mommy 1…Daddy 0.

A Win...and a Loss

2010-08-27T09:25:00.000-05:00

So....I haven't posted my Weight Loss Wednesdays for the past two weeks...YIKES! It's been crazy around here kicking off Awana, planning for TWO birthday parties and getting ready to start homeschooling. BUT, I did weigh! Yay me! So here goes...it's ugly but sometimes you got to roll with the punches!

LAST week....

Beginning weight: 201.5
Weight last weigh-in: 198.5

Current weight: 197

Weight loss this week: 1.5 pounds

Ultimate weight goal: 160

First weight loss goal: 20 pounds by October 6th

THIS week....

Beginning weight: 201.5
Weight last weigh-in: 197

Current weight: 199.5

Weight GAIN this week: 2.5 pounds
(Lord have mercy!)

Ultimate weight goal: 160

First weight loss goal: 20 pounds by October 6th

I have been a SLACKER with a capital S! This week is not looking much better considering we have two birthday parties on Sunday and I WILL be having some birthday cake! Ha!

There's always Monday, right?

Until next time,

Weight Watchers Wednesday...uhhh Thursday

2010-08-12T12:27:00.001-05:00

Well, it's Thursday...that means I weighed yesterday morning. Lest you think that I weighed late or not at all, let me reassure you that I did actually weigh on Wednesday. Did I want to? NO! I went out for a fabulous, rich, calorie laden dinner on Tuesday night so I was not looking forward to seeing that number bright and early Wednesday morning.

But I did it anyway, determined to "man up" and get it over with....

Convinced I had probably even gained weight this past week, I stepped on the scale and here's how the numbers stacked up:

Beginning weight: 201.5
Weight last weigh-in: 200

Current weight: 198.5

Weight loss this week: 1.5 pounds

Ultimate weight goal: 160

First weight loss goal: 20 pounds by October 6th

WooHoo! When you thought you might have gained weight, a pound and a half looks fabulous!!!

Until next time,

Weight Watchers Wednesday

2010-08-04T22:45:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Wednesday...that means I weighed in this morning. Let me just say that every time I have gone on a diet, the first week I always have a great weight loss. Like 6 or 7 pounds kind of great....

Yeah, well not this week...maybe it was our big girls' night out last night. Maybe I shouldn't have saved up my points and used them on the night before a weigh in...you think?

Anyway...here's the lowdown...

Starting weight: 201.5

Current weight: 200

Weight loss this week: 1.5 pounds

Ultimate weight goal: 160

First weight loss goal: 20 pounds by October 6th

It's not much but I"LL TAKE IT!!!!

Until next time,

Can I Get a Witness....

2010-07-30T15:34:00.000-05:00

noun, plural -nies.
1. the statement or declaration of a witness under oath or affirmation, usually in court

2. evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof

3. open declaration or profession, as of faith

Well, Kelly is hosting another Show Us Your Life this Friday and this one is about your testimony. Not necessarily a word we use everyday. For me it's usually something I only think of in "church circles".

I was brought up in church and saved as a young child. I believe that Jesus is God's Son, that He died on the cross to take the punishment for my sins. I believe that He was raised from the dead after three days and is alive today!

Fast forward a few years and you'd have found me headed off to college, still the same old church going girl, only with a few mistakes behind me. In college I never made the connection with the "church kids". Oh, now how I wish I had. I wish I had raced right over to the BCM as soon as I got to Auburn. I never turned my back on God, I never changed what I believed, I just made lots of bad choices. Through God's grace, I am forgiven.

As I continued to do life MY way, including a failed marriage, God continued to speak to my heart about the choices I was making in my life. I knew I belonged to Him but just didn't want to give up that control I thought I had over my own life. God has been teaching me to step aside, live my life for Him and to trust Him in every situation. Is it hard? Yep, but I serve a BIG God. A God who is bigger that all my mistakes, all my bad choices, a God who loves me and knows me intimately.

I can share with you the story of my testimony but what about definition number 2 above? What evidence does someone see in my life that supports my statement of faith. Was it a one time event? Yes, my salvation was. But choosing to live a life pleasing to God is something we choose to do everyday.

choosing to try and not have a come apart at the local fast food restaurant when they mess up my order
choosing to try to give my children just a glimpse of the love that their Heavenly Father has for them
choosing to try to seek God's face before I pick up the phone to hash it out with a girlfriend

Those small, everyday choices to live a life pleasing to God...that is our true testimony.

Until next time,

To Eat or Not to Eat....

2010-07-29T09:19:00.000-05:00

I have survived day 1 of Weight Watchers and I have not chewed off my own arm so that must be a good sign. Alas, I am beginning the weight loss journey again...

Seems like every time I get really motivated by the low number of clothing items that fit me, I get pregnant and am allowed to eat to the fullest. When I looked back at all my Weight Watchers materials the last date that I weighed in was October of 2008. Then in December we found out we were pregnant with Ethan. There went that diet....

I have a wonderful friend who has begun her weight loss journey as well and has lost 16 pounds!!!!! I am inspired by you dear friend! I know I can do it too. If I'll just DO it! The good thing is we eat pretty healthy around here...not a lot to change in that area. For me it's portions, portions, portions.....YIKES! Who wants one helping of garlic mashed potatoes when you can have three!

So in an effort of full disclosure I plan to update every Wednesday on my progress. If I don't...then send me a swift kick in the pants...

Here's the lowdown...if these numbers were to shock you...please don't share...I might cry...

Current weight: 201.5 (Lord have mercy!)

Ultimate weight goal: 160

First weight loss goal: 20 pounds by October 6th

...which by the way is Ellie's birthday. I feel the need to celebrate with birthday cake coming on...

Off to count my points!

Until next time,

Comment or Not to Comment.......

2010-07-25T18:10:00.000-05:00

Guilty as charged....I am a blog comment slacker....

I LOVE to get comments so why don't I leave them? I have no clue. I guess because it takes time? I only have a few minutes each day to blog hop so I hop on and off quickly. I know...not a good excuse, right?

Well, I happened to hop over to Jenna's Journey today and she was challenging everyone to be better about commenting. So here is my solemn vow: I promise to actually leave comments on at LEAST 10 of the blogs I visit this week. Just to let you know I was there...that I actually read your post, laughed at your joke, enjoyed the pics of your cute little ones........

And while I'm at it....many thanks to my friend Jessica...who frequently comments on my blog...girl, I love ya'! You and I might be the only ones that read this here blog!

Until next time,

My Sweet Girl....

2010-07-21T10:37:00.000-05:00

Just had to share these sweet photos from Lloyd at Studio One in Anniston.These are some of my favorite pictures of my little ones. I have Ellie's pictures made at the exact same ages and in the exact same dresses although Ruby Kate is quickly outgrowing them. She JUST fits in the twelve month dress so we are keeping our fingers crossed for that picture next month! Slow down growin' Ruby Kate!

Three Months

Six Months

Nine Months

Until next time,

Lucy in the sky.........

2010-07-20T12:04:00.001-05:00

Notice anything funny about this bookcase?

Maybe a hidden visitor?

That goes by the name of Lucy?

Because all of us have had "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" stuck in our heads since the first Saturday in June at Ellie's ballet...

Welcome to Lucy, the newest member of our clan. Part Anatolian, part Great Pyrenees and part "who knows what else". Lucy, may you love us sweet girl, like we will love you.
May you protect us like we will protect you.

Until next time,

Ruby Kate is 11 months!

2010-07-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

I can't believe my sweet Ruby Kathryn was 11 months old on Wednesday! Seems like she just joined our little family. Lots going on today but wanted to share a sweet photo of my girl AND try out my new CoffeeShop Rounded Corners 2 Action! Still working on mastering it, but this is a start!

Until next time,

Who's Ready To Party?

2010-07-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

How has almost a YEAR snuck by me???? Yikes...I have three birthdays to plan and two

are on the same day! I've got to get busy....

Off to party plan....

Until next time,

My Latest Conversation with Ellie....

2010-07-10T10:07:00.000-05:00

Mommy am I skinny because I exercise?

Not really, Ellie...that's just the way God made you.

Then why are you not skinny?

Well, that's just the way God made me.

You mean pudgy?

Yes, I guess so.

Well, I like you pudgy.

Uhhhh, thanks Ellie.

Now...where did I put my Weight Watchers stuff....

Until next time,

My Sweet Boy Malik...

2010-07-04T16:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we said goodbye to our sweet boy Malik.

I think unless you are a dog person, you can never understand the connection people have with their dogs. Sort of like how I do not understand the people that have snakes, rats, mice, etc. (What is up with those people?....Yuck!)

Anyway, Malik was our protector. He loved us fiercely, He was our first introduction to the beautiful Anatolian Shepherd breed. In 2004, we went to check out fainting goats at a farm in north Alabama. When we arrived we saw Malik in the pasture and were mesmerized. Never had we seen an animal so large! And he was just a puppy she told us! The owners had him in a pasture to guard their goats. She let us know quickly that he would kill anything and everything that set foot in that pasture near those goats. She said she awoke often to dead things in her pasture. You were not going to get by Malik, that was for sure.

We left that day more interested in this new found breed of dog than we ever were in the fainting goats. We ended up contacting a breeder near Attalla and bought a male puppy from him.

Shortly afterward, we received a call from Malik's owner. Her tone of voice was very grieved as she told me of how her husband had been diagnosed with Alzheimers. They decided that it would be too much for her to care for her husband as well as all the goats and other animals on their farm. She was looking to sell Malik to a family that would provide him with a good home. We jumped at the chance to add him to our family and within days we brought him home. The owner assured us that he would take right to our goats and guard them well.

Boy was she wrong! That crazy dog would NOT stay in that pasture with our goats for ANYTHING! Every time we put him in, he would climb right back out. Over the fence, over the barbed wire...that boy wanted out! And where did he go? To our house.

He stayed as close to us as he could get. Every time we put him back in the pasture, he was quickly right back at our door. To tell the truth, he never bonded with our goats. He bonded with our family.

When I would arrive home and get out of the car to unlock the door and take my things inside, I would return to the car to get Ellie and he would be standing beside her door. He would stand up against the door and you would have to force him to move so you could get her out of the car. When we went on to have other children, he would stand by their doors as well. Seeming to know which side of the car they were on. When Ellie was a newborn a neighborhood child commented on what a cute baby she was and reached up to touch her while she was in my arms. Malik was standing between us and the little boy and before I could speak, Malik bit the little boy right in the crook of his arm. No one was going to touch his baby.

Once David was playing in the front yard with a friend and they were chasing each other back and forth, screaming and yelling. As soon as David made a sound, Malik was right there. We had to make them stop "playing" for fear that Malik was going to hurt someone while protecting David.

Just the other day, Ellie and Ethan went outside for a swim and I brought Ruby Kate outside in her high chair with some Cheerios. Malik walked right up to her...she was just at the right height to meet his head. He got nose to nose with her and was so gentle. Never licked her. Never made a sound. Never even took one of her Cheerios. She just reached out to pet him in between Cheerios and he was so patient. He eventually laid at her feet and kept her company.

Bryan always said when I would leave the house, Malik would lay where my car was normally parked. I can't tell you how often I came home and had to wait for him to get his big tail up out of my parking spot!

I will miss seeing him there.

I will miss that my two littlest children will probably never remember our sweet boy.

I will miss him waiting for me at the bridge when we had been gone all day.

I will miss the looks on the faces of our delivery men when seeing Malik. Most of them will probably not miss him.

I will miss the way he just pressed up against you as you were walking together. He would almost knock you over, he would press against you so hard.

I will miss that deep, strong bark. A bark that let you know he meant business and that he was NOT playing. That bark often sent people quickly back into their cars and forced them to call our house so we could walk them in!

I will miss the safe feeling I felt, knowing he was right outside watching over us.

Malik's name meant "majestic". And that he was.

I've never really had any thoughts on whether dogs go to heaven or not. Don't know that I have ever really even thought about it. I do know that heaven will be perfect.

What could be more perfect that meeting my Savior face to face and having Malik waiting in my parking spot when I get there.

Until next time,

Sick and Tired....

2010-06-14T13:40:00.001-05:00

You ever just have this feeling that things aren't quite right? That you're sick and tired of something but you just don't know what? I've had that feeling for a while now.

Can't really explain it...can't put my finger on it...can't quite wrap my mind around it....

I'm tired...tired of those that play church, myself included. Tired of being comfortable. Tired of my comfortable church pews, the nice air-conditioned building. Tired of worrying about turnout, budgets, who's painting what class which color. Tired of being bothered when the worship service doesn't exactly fit my forte. Tired of stressing over Bible study attendance, wondering if anyone will come to an event I've helped plan. Tired of putting on a happy face for all the church people. When inside I am sick.

Sick that while we fuss and argue over "church" stuff, people are dying and going to hell. People who will never set foot in our nice air conditioned building. People who aren't concerned with our budget. People who wouldn't know where to begin to find Amos in the Bible.

What am I doing in my everyday life to reach those people? You know...the ones who are headed to hell...yeah, those people.

In my life I have been more worried with the people within the four walls of our church. The people that already know Jesus. Yeah, of course we all need discipleship, we all need to grow in our walk with the Lord and the "church" helps us do that but boy do we get lost in that building. It becomes all that matters to us. It becomes the CHURCH instead of us being the church.

I love my Christian friends, I wouldn't trade them for anything. Their fellowship, their encouragement, their friendship. It's priceless to me. But you know what? They know Jesus....what about those people that I've never met, who don't know Jesus? How will I introduce them to Him if I spend all my time holed up at church?

I don't know what the answer is. Maybe that's why I'm sick. Because I don't yet have clear direction. I'm waiting on God for that.

God really began to work on my heart earlier this year as I read "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. You can not read it and ever be the same.

What is God calling me to do? I don't know. Wish I knew right now. But I am waiting... and getting ready... God has something planned for me.... and I can't wait to see what it is.

God, I'm ready....

Until next time,

How's Your Prayer Life.....

2010-06-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

Yikes!!! That's a question we don't

want someone to ask us, right?

I always think my prayer life should look just like someone else's, wonder why it doesn't and then am disappointed in myself when I perceive that I've failed.

Well, you know what? As long as I'm right with Scripture in my prayer life...it doesn't matter what or who I compare it to. My relationship with God through prayer is mine...and HIS of course! God doesn't compare me to others...He wants to talk to me...all the time...about everything.

Well, He already knows, right? Why should we bother telling Him?

Well, just like when you see your son score a game-winning touchdown...you saw it with your own eyes, you heard the crowd cheer as the crossed into the end zone...

But isn't it just the BEST when you sit down over the kitchen table after the game...warming them up a second supper for the day and THEY tell you all about that touchdown? What it felt like...what they heard...what they saw...

God wants the same from us. He wants to hear about the "touchdowns", and the pains...and the frustrations...and the joys...He wants to hear it straight from us!

I ran across these great prayer calendars for mothers and wives. Be sure to check out Inspired To Action for other great resources.

Prayer Calendar for Mothers

Prayer Calendar for Wives

I know God loves when we pray Scripture over our family...we are speaking His language!

Isaiah 56:7 "...for my house will be called a house of prayer..."

Until next time,

Ethan...OCD?

2010-05-18T08:40:00.001-05:00

What? You don't believe me? You think that just because he's messy means he can't be OCD? I beg to differ...

Exhibit A...

Ethan got new sheets for his new big boy bed yesterday. We just bought the sheets....not the comforter pictured above. The insert on the sheet set, of course, shows the comforter as well. Ethan insisted on keeping the picture.

At bedtime last night, he snuggled into his new sheet set and I covered him up with a plain, white thermal blanket.

This morning he takes said white blanket, wads it up, throws it in the hallway and declares "I don't like it!"

Why you ask?

He brings me the insert from the sheets, points to the above picture and says "It don't look like THIS!"

Do you believe me now?

Until next time,

Remembering a Hero....

2010-05-16T22:23:00.002-05:00

Well tomorrow Jacksonville will lay to rest one of our own. A son, brother, husband, father. Captain Kyle Comfort. I didn't know him...don't know any of his family. But I feel as if I do. Why I wonder? I think Captain Comfort shared many of the same ideals we hold dear in our home. A love of country, a love of family.

Our family was honored to be able to stand along the way as CPT Comfort was brought back home to Jacksonville on Saturday. How fitting that we were at the Fort celebrating Armed Forces Day as he came through.

What a moving sight to see soldiers in uniform lining the roadside. A hero's welcome. He was surrounded by community as he returned home. I pray that his family feels the love and support of that same community tomorrow as they lay him to rest. I am so thankful to live in a small town. Life is different here. We take care of our own. We'll line the streets tomorrow...surround the church...block out the world and pay tribute to our fallen hero. Let the hate-mongers say what they will...we know what CPT Comfort was fighting for...

...and we are grateful.

Thank you Kyle Comfort. May you rest in peace.

Until next time,

Parris Ponderings

To Shop or Not To Shop…..

Catalog Party!

Happy 2012!!

The Kids' Rooms/Playroom…Dungeons of Despair

Letter to my 16 year old self…..

Ready For Christmas……?

What's A Mom To Do……?

.Mom (dotMom)………….

Great Day............

Boy, do I love them......

This is the Life....

First Grade Here We Come....

I Want To Do Better....

When You Know It's Time....

Mommy and Son Trip!

Pinterest...yes, it's addictive....

"Return to the Secret Garden"

David's Blessing

Soccer Days....

Daybook....

It's Friday......But Sunday's Coming!!!

Life Interrupted…Part 1

A Day In the Life

Girls' Night Out

My Sweet Girl

Daybook

A Trail of Ink

The Life Ready Woman

Wonderful Weekend…..

Made To Crave……

Outside at last!!!

Aaaaahhhhh, technology.......

Your Prayers are Needed….

I Stink at Homeschooling….

“The Search” Giveaway

Punky Noodle Hard Lotion Bar Giveaway!!

Check out our new Hard Lotion Bars by Punky Noodle

Insert Witty Post Title Here…

2011 DIY Projects

Hello 2011!!!

You Never Know....

Christmas Letter 2010

Where have you been all my life....

Inspired design

Ready for Christmas?

Show Us Your Life - What Do You Make????????

"Red Ink" Book Giveaway

EB Awareness Week

I miss my kids…..

"The Waiting" by Suzanne Woods Fisher and Giveaway!

Off to the pumpkin patch…..

A Year Without Wal-Mart...........

Ethan’s HUGE on Twitter….

Francine Rivers Giveaway!

You Know you’re the 3rd Child…

Ellie’s First Day of Kindergarten

Life lately……

Daddy vs. Mommy at the Grocery Store

A Win...and a Loss

Weight Watchers Wednesday...uhhh Thursday

Weight Watchers Wednesday

Can I Get a Witness....

tes·ti·mo·ny

To Eat or Not to Eat....

Comment or Not to Comment.......

My Sweet Girl....

Lucy in the sky.........

Ruby Kate is 11 months!

Who's Ready To Party?

My Latest Conversation with Ellie....

My Sweet Boy Malik...

Sick and Tired....

How's Your Prayer Life.....

Ethan...OCD?

Remembering a Hero....