Ready, Ready or Not

So.....it's been a while since I have been here but let me tell you...I've just had so much going on and so many things going through my head it just never felt like the right time. 

School is officially OVER for the summer and I am loving it!  Most of you know that I am a Preschool teacher during the school year, but during the summer I get the awesome opportunity to go work with the school age kids who need daycare in the summer.  This means currently I am teaching/hanging out with 5th and 6th graders.  And we get to go to the pool EVERYDAY!

 

 EVERY.DAY!!!!!!

For those of you who know me well, you know that this is my happy place!!

So I literally get paid to sit by the pool everyday...this is my job people! I'm loving life right now.

But in all seriousness: Honestly  I have really been struggling with my word that God gave to me as few months ago. I blogged about it here.  But this word was once again brought up to me Sunday. 

DOORS

This Sunday we had the privilege of having the Executive Director of Men of Iron, Garret Barbush, speak at our church.  Men of Iron is a men's mentorship program designed to help men sharpen men and the church.

He once again brought up the topic of Doors....

Okay Lord you got my attention! 

I have been Praying about the "door" that God is trying to show me but I don't feel I have any clear answers yet.  Which to me means keep knocking. 

Anyway, he was talking about how if you had to summarize your life in six words what would they say??

Hmmmmm.....

What would my six words say? What legacy did I want to leave behind?  I know in my heart what I want my 6 words to say, but is that really what they would say? Would the word "doors" pop up in those six words somewhere?? 

Next Garret said God Can do 3 things:
1. Open doors for ANYONE
2. Open doors in any circumstance
3. Open doors very quietly
 

Okay God, so what your speaking to me is that, even though I'm not sure how this door is going to open, that it can be done at any moment? 

I knew without a shadow of doubt God was speaking to me; telling me He's got this all under control and I just needed to keep trusting Him.

And then he shared this:

"Most people will never accomplish the long term great because they settle for the short term good." – Reg Saddler

That wrecked me.

Am I just settling for the short term good because frankly it's just easier? I feel for me it's that I'm just not sure where to even begin.  I know what I want, and I feel God wants, the end result to be; but since God hadn't revealed everything to me yet it's just hard.

So, as Garret said, I'm Ready, Ready or Not and now I just need to remember to keep pressing on so I can accomplish the long term great. 

God's going to open this door I just know it and I'm so excited to walk through it in obedience and faith!


 

Here's my 6 words today Lord:

 

Open Door.Here.Ready or Not

 

Moving Forward

Sunday at church we sang a new song at church and I can't get the song out of my head.  I have been singing it all week and just really feel that God is speaking to me through this song.  What song is this you ask??  Israel Houghton's  Moving Forward...I have attached it so you can listen to it.














The bridge is the part that really has been going through my heart all week.

         You make all things new
    And You make all things new
         And I will follow You
                Forward


I just keep singing this over and over to myself.  I have been singing it at work, singing it in my car and even while cooking dinner. This song is so powerful and I feel that no matter what situation you are in that this song can apply to your life.


While I was singing this song I was overwhelmed with emotion and even choked up a few times.  My past is over!!  No matter what that may be for you, with Christ we have a new life in Him.  When we surrender our lives to Christ we are made new in Him!  Sometimes that's hard to believe that He can take our lives and make us new, but He can.  When Christ died on the cross for us, He bore all our sins upon His shoulders and we are healed in Him. 

No matter what you may be going through right now, you need to understand, that with Christ all things are made new!  All you need to do is ask.  It's as easy as that. 


The last time I posted I told you about my word from the Lord... DOORS....and I am still praying about this opportunity that God is showing me.  It's amazing how He is showing me almost daily that He has a plan and I just need to follow Him.  For me, that means, I'm going to continue to press hard into Him and follow Him forward.  I can't wait to see what He is going to show me next. 

Please continue to pray with me that I can Listen to His leading and that doors will be opened for me.  Also,  Let me know how this song has impacted you I would love to find out!!

DOORS AND BEAUTY

So....I have taken the past few weeks to reflect, refresh and listen to what God has been wanting to teach me.  I don't have it all figured out yet, but I need to let you know about what I experienced last night. 

So my church has the BEST Girlfriend's ministry around and we have what we call Breathe nights.  These happen about twice a year.....not enough in my book...but that only makes it all the more special.  You do NOT miss a breathe night......I repeat one does NOT miss one of these!  I am already looking forward to the next one while I'm still chewing on what went on last night.  Each and every Breathe night has been different and Fabulous all in one, the amount of thought that goes into a Breathe night is just awesome!  This makes them all the more exciting and special to be at.

The night  started off with worship led by a local couple, Doug and Christi Krasley, who I had never heard of before.  Let me tell you, I was there while they were practicing, and I couldn't WAIT to start the night. You need to check them out....they are amazing and you could just feel the presence of the Spirit. I was able to let go and Worship not worrying about anyone or anything, just focusing on Him!  Exactly what I needed after a busy couple of weeks.

I had been praying all day yesterday that God would speak to me through Breathe and that I would walk away feeling refreshed and renewed.  God did all that and more.  Our theme for the night centered around Beauty and I was able to hear testimonies from 3 beautiful women how God brought Beauty from Ashes.   Jess, our Girlfriend's ministry pastor, then spoke on beauty and how each and every one of us is BEAUTIFUL!  This is something I struggle with daily....as I'm sure most women do.

There were mirrors-full length I might add- scattered around the sanctuary and Jess encouraged us to go look at ourselves in it.  Then we were asked to take a piece of paper and write one thing that holds us back us from feeling true beauty....whatever that may be.  Then we looked in the mirror and say I'm not _________________ I'm beautiful and God made me that way!  I crumpled the paper up and then we buried them...literally with dirt and a shovel....at the foot of the cross!

What a freeing feeling!!  Am I still going to have days that I struggle with the word on my piece of paper?  Of course I am....I am human!!  And guess what??  That's ok.!  I know I have a smile on my face most of the time, but I'm not as confident as I come across.  God did give me the new name BEAUTY  at our Women's Conference 2 years ago, so I know this was God's way of speaking to my life and reminding me of his faithfulness to me.  We also got these cute little compact mirrors...Leopard print AND Bedazzled too...be still my heart!!  I was out setting up refreshments while Jess was explaining that there was a piece of paper inside with another "word" for each of us.  I didn't realize it was there until I got home. 

DOORS...that was my word.  What the heck was that supposed to mean?  Am I supposed to close some doors?  Open a door?  What?  Then I read the scripture verse attached to it.  Matthew 7:7-8 New International Version says

Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Whoa.......tears filled my eyes and I KNEW that this was for me!  I know exactly what God is speaking to me through this and even though I can't talk about it now....know that I am going to be taking a step of faith....as soon as I figure out how!  Pray with me to know EXACTLY what God is speaking to me. And I'll look forward to the day I can share more!

PS..Let me just tell you, I walked out of  Breathe feeling like a Million Bucks ready to take on the world!  I'm asking Lord....open the Door!

I've got nothin

So....I know it's been a while since I wrote but I just have got nothin to say! SHOCKING I know, but I feel like God is just telling me to take it easy and listen.  Remember that was my "word" God gave me this year. Listening has never been a strong suit of mine.  I mean come on;  I forget people's names as soon as they said them because I'm too busy thinking about what I'm going to say next.

I'm still doing a LOT of talking...just ask my hubby...but I feel like now is just a time of quiet. While singing on Sunday at church, I was standing on stage listening to the audience singing their hearts out to God.  It was so awesome being able to worship together but as we sang "Great I Am" I couldn't help but start to cry:

           Hallelujah Holy Holy
           God almighty Great I am
           Who is worthy, none beside me
           God almighty the Great I am

There is NO ONE greater than MY God.  He is the Great I am.  Those are some good words right there!

So i feel God telling me I just need to be still for a while.  God has been teaching me some things these past several weeks and I'm not sure what to make of them.  So for now I need to just be still, listen and reflect on what He is trying to teach me.

Please pray that I can be obedient to Him in this and listen to what He is teaching me during this season.

Flinging into Spring

So...my house is all decorated for SPRING!!  It's about time..seriously....I'm soooooo ready for Winter to be over.  Yesterday on the radio I heard a commercial that said "Are you so ready for winter to be over you could punch a snowman?"  Hahaha.....yup...that's me!! 

Wreath on the Back Porch

Front Door Wreath

  

Anyway, Spring has come to the Foreman house and here is a little sneak peak from my home.  I just love the bright colors of spring and the beautiful flowers that start to bloom.  I saw some of my hyacinths peeking out of the ground this week....so it is coming!! 

Fireplace Mantle

Look What else I got growing....who knew you could grow bulbs in stones with water like this?!?!  Tulips coming soon!

I SAID NO!

I don't know what has gotten into my son lately, but I'm about done!  Seriously; this boy has been having issues at school since about Christmas.   Almost daily he comes home with a note from one problem or the other.  Is it the age??  I can't handle it, I just can't.

He is talking back to teachers, lying to teachers, arguing with teachers....do you see a pattern?!?!  Don't get me wrong, I'm really thankful that he's not bullying other students or being aggressive towards other kids, but come on....he's got to get better at taming that tongue.

First, we started by taking away privileges when he would come home with a less than stellar report.  Now, we have started giving him extra chores to do as well as still losing those privileges.  I feel like we have talked to him until we're blue in the face...all the while feeling its going in one ear and out the other.  Why the heck can't he just get it through his thick head??  Its really getting draining when its almost everyday.  If this is what 3rd grade is like....I can't WAIT *insert sarcasm here* until Middle school and High school.

The problem is its not only happening at school but at home as well.  I just want to grab his tongue and rip it out.....that and SCREAM SHUT-UP!!  Which I might definitely have done on occasion.  He just doesn't stop.  DOES. NOT. STOP!!

He constantly tries to argue his point, he NEVER takes no for an answer and always has to have the last word.

But then I think, Am I that way with God?  Do I sit back and take HIS "No" for an answer or do I grumble and complain about how my life is not how I wanted it??  How many times have I argued with God over certain situations and said I'm going to do things my way??  Ouch, that stings a little because I think that's more times than I care to admit.

I know that I have gone through some pretty low times and even questioned if God was really there.  I think that's only human that we feel that way.  But I have also come out of this knowing without a shadow of a doubt that HE is REAL and that He loves me more than I can even comprehend.

I'm sure it frustrates God when we "argue" back with Him just as it frustrates me when Garrett talks back about everything.  But it also is a good reminder to me that I need to listen and heed God's ways and trust that He has everything under control. 

So as we continue through this horrible  current stage in our lives, I need to remember that hopefully it's just a phase and that this too shall pass.

On a positive note, I am kinda enjoying the fact that the chores he's getting to do are things that I really don't enjoy doing....can't tell you the last time I cleaned the bathroom......I'll take that!

Even the Little Things

God loves us so much that He even cares about the little things....and that's a fact!





Here's my story:

I had a large braided rug under my kitchen table that my mother-in-law gave me years ago.  It was a beautiful rug and matched my kitchen perfectly!  A few months ago I noticed that it was starting to fall apart....I tried to sew it to no avail. It kept getting worse and worse and alas, I had to throw away my beloved rug.

What a bare kitchen without it!  I decided I would get a new one for Christmas.  Do you know how expensive Braided rugs are???  Whoa they are pricey....even if I would have put all my Christmas money together I still would have had to put more money towards it AND that's all I would have gotten for Christmas.  I knew that tax time was coming and knew I could wait until then.

But, remember how we decided to do a financial makeover??  Well, that meant our tax return was used to pay off debt and meant there was no money left for a rug for me.  I was bummed, but decided I would just get a cheap sisal rug and make do until I could save the money to buy a braided one.

So, you know how its been downright FROZEN this winter??  My kiddos had a two-hour delay on Friday and my normal babysitter wasn't available to put them on the bus.  I asked my mom to do it for me.  After she dropped them off for the bus she decided to swing into the local Re-Uzit shop and look around.  While there she found a huge braided rug for sale.  It was several colors of brown and was in great shape.  She looked at the price and noticed it was $25!!  TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS?!?!?!?! The rug was 11.5x 9.5!!!  That's a Phenomenal deal!! 

My mom bought it and I picked it up later that afternoon....once I got it home I realized it had a few holes, but they were all in the seams and were an easy fix.  It fits perfect in my kitchen and adds a cozy warmth to it!

My New Rug!

It might not have been the color I would have chosen, but it was the next best choice.  It's bigger than I would have bought and for $25, I didn't care.  Plus for that price its not a big loss if it doesn't last long. This story is a God story because my mom doesn't go in to the Re-Uzit shop very much, but she just "happened" to be going by because I needed a sitter that morning.  The rug just "happened" to be there and "happened" to be just what I was looking for and was a great price to boot!

I love sharing and hearing stories like this.  God knows everything about us and He even knows and cares about the small details.  He knew I wanted a rug for my kitchen, but knew that I didn't have the money to go out and buy one.  I feel this gift is God's way of blessing me for being faithful to Him.

We all know He cares about the BIG things...BUT, God cares about the little things too.  He is always there to bless us and provide for the little things. I could have just said thanks to my mom for getting me the rug and not looked any further than that. But I chose to see the blessing it was. God gave it to ME. 

How many times do we miss the blessings because we don't see them?  God has blessed us more than we can even fathom and half the time we take them for granted.  Did you wake up this morning?  Did you have a warm house, a car to drive, and food to eat??  All of these things are things we forget to be thankful for and see the blessings in them.  Your blessing might not be getting a new rug, but it could be finding shoes you need on sale or finding the purse you've been wanting at a yard sale. Take the time today to see God's blessings all around you.  Be thankful for the little things, because He really does Care...even about the little things!

Money Overhaul!

So you know how I posted the other week about planning and trying to have it all figured out?? Well, I still don't, BUT I am trying something new.

After the whole tire debacle the hubs and I decided that it was time to make some changes.  FINANCIAL CHANGES.....ugh....really?!!?

In January our church offered the Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey.  My first initial reaction was we don't have that much debt, we don't use credit cards, we are fine.  But the more I thought about it I realized, that while that might be true, there was something else we didn't have.  SAVINGS....we (like most families) live paycheck to paycheck. Yes we pay our bills on time....I'm a planner remember?!..and have money to buy the things that we need some extras, but does that really mean we have financial peace?

Even though the class had already started and we didn't sign-up; I started doing research online and watching YouTube videos of Dave Ramsey and realized that his methods all made sense to me and were "easy" to put into practice. 

SO....hubs and I sat down and started looking.....really looking at our finances.  Boy was that hard.  Every dollar we made had to be accounted for each month and be designated to a certain place. We budgeted everything out and decided to go for it!

Dave Ramsey uses an envelope system.  This means you use CASH to pay for anything that is not a standing monthly bill.  You make envelopes for all the areas that you would use money throughout the month and decide how much you are going to spend monthly in those areas.  You may use whatever cash is in the envelope but when its gone...its GONE and you have to wait until the next week/month until the money is added again.  So I made envelopes for our 7 designated areas.

           GROCERIES
           PRESENTS/GIFTS
           EATING OUT
           CAR NEEDS- this came so I will have money to replace a tire if needed :)
           ALLOWANCE- x2 (mine and hubs)
           EXTRAS

*I could have put one for GAS but we already only use a set amount per week for gas and its easier to pay at the pump than going inside (especially with 2 kids in tow)*

So this week when I got paid instead of depositing my whole paycheck I figured out how much cash I was going to need to fill my envelopes with our weekly budget.  I then had to figure out how many $20, $10 and $5 I would need so that each envelope got its set amount.  Whew, this was getting time consuming, but I was determined.

I went into the bank and handed the teller my deposit slip, the first thing she said to me was "You always come through the drive-through!"  I smiled and said I'm trying something new!  I was happy to think that I'm taking control of my money and not letting it control me.

Then I proceeded to the grocery store....now here it can become a bit tricky.  I had averaged out what I spent on groceries the past 2 months and went from there.  BUT this time I only had a set amount, I had to stick with my $70 allotment for the week.  I couldn't get $100 worth of groceries one week and $50 the next because I only had $70.  So my calculator in hand, I started out with my list.

I made it through Sharp Shopper and headed to Giant.  I had about $45 left and about half of my list was complete.  I was feeling pretty good.  I got to Giant and noticed that they had Stromboli BOGO FREE....whoohoo...I had Stromboli on my menu for Sunday.  I could buy 2 of those to eat for Sunday lunch and this way I wouldn't have to make one.  The cost was 6.71 for both and that was a good deal for a lunch for my family of 4!  I proceeded to find my chicken breasts on sale and some steak I wanted for Valentine Dinner marked down as well.  Alright, God was blessing me for being smart with my money!!

I went over to get some Chobani Yogurts for the hubs and put them in my cart...my list was almost done.  I added my coffee creamer and needed a few more items...BUT it was then I realized that I was over $45 on my calculator.  Now came the struggle, I needed green beans, hamburger buns, and kidney beans for my chili.  What to do?  What to do???  I decided that since the yogurt was 3.79 I would put it back and then put my steak back as well and it would all work out.  I mean, come-on....3.79 for 4 YOGURTS!!  My husband doesn't really NEED this yogurt does he??  OH and then comes, what am I going to make Saturday night for dinner if I don't get those steaks??  I wanted something special.

For a second fear crept in, could I do this??  But then I felt a gentle reminder that I CAN do this and that He will give me the strength to do it!  I'm not a quitter!!

I then realized if I put Jason's yogurts back that I really should put my coffee creamer back.  Yes, I may NEED coffee creamer, but Jason eats a yogurt EVERY morning for breakfast too.  They were the same price so I decided to keep them both....but now what do I put back???

Remember that Stromboli I was buying for convenience??  The one I thought was a great deal??  Well, I slowly pulled it out of my cart and realized that I had ham, cheese, and pepperoni at home.  I had a good recipe for pizza dough that I could make and while it may take a tad longer, at this time that was my best option.  I didn't NEED that Stromboli when I had all the ingredients to make it at home.  It was a heart change, I CAN do this WITH WHAT I HAD BEEN GIVEN.

I scooped my steak back up, got the rest of my items and headed for the checkout.  It may only be the first week, but you know what??  I came out with $1.72 extra for next week and a realization that this can work.

Will I eventually rob Peter to pay Paul??  Will the envelope system work out and let me put some money in savings and help pay off what little debt we do have?  I don't know, but for now what does it hurt?  The hubs and I are going in full force and being intentional with what we spend our money on and that's all I can really ask for!

Valentine's Day decor

Sorry I have not written lately, BUT I have been a tad busy.  I was recently asked to start teaching preschool again and I have been super busy getting my classroom ready.  I am now 3 days in and things are going great!  I have 10 kiddos in my class-which is really the perfect size.


I'm loving getting to know each child and learning about him or her.  They have such great little personalities already and I'm excited to be teaching them.  Ask me in 2 or 3 weeks if I still feel the same.  Never a dull moment working with kids that's for sure!




Last week I decorated my house for Valentine's Day.  You may think that sounds crazy, but I love to decorate and I have a good excuse.  Years ago my Grandma Nolt started giving me her old Valentines from when she was a kid. 

The Valentine with the little boy holding the flowers with the girl was one of my Great Aunt Anna Mary Martin's Valentines

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't have any of the Valentine's I received as a kid.  My grandma, on the other hand, has a ton.  She was raised in an era that you saved everything; so here it is 60+ years later and she still has them.









So about 15 years ago she started letting me pick a Valentine to keep.  I was able to pick whichever Valentine I wanted but I was only able to pick 1 per year.  I cherished these Valentines because they are so neat to look at and so vintage.




















I realized years later that some were even HER Aunt Anna Mary's Valentines so that made them even more special.  These Valentines range from about 60-90 years old!!









I have proudly been displaying them in my house for many years, adding the new one each year.  They make me think of her when I look at them and I am so glad that she has kept them.

Do you decorate for Valentine's Day??  Do you have any of your Valentine's from when you were a kid??

Trust me!

It's no secret that I'm a planner...I plan a monthly menu so I know what we're having for dinner each night, I plan my grocery list, I usually plan what I'm wearing the night before, and I plan my weekend plans ahead of time.  But most importantly I plan when I'm going to pay each bill so that it gets paid each month.  Sometimes this comes down to a science....you know what I'm talking about??  It's like this...if pay this bill now will I have enough for the rest of the week?  Can I pay a few bills ahead of time so that it doesn't seem so "tight" the rest of the month?  Some months are better than others but why oh why does it seem like we can never have any left over?  I do plan *see I'm a planner* to eat out once a week which our family gets pizza (sometimes wings,) which allots for about $20 a week, but for the most part this is all we eat out.

Money is always tight the week that rent is due and this week is no different.  I had it all planned out. My car registration and inspection were due by the end of the month.  I paid for the registration on Friday and I was getting it inspected today.  I was doing good...I had everything planned out for the rest of the month.  All the bills were paid but my phone bill which is due on the 31st.  Then we got some snow, now I had 2 two-hour delays which means I had to pay my friend  for watching my kiddos both mornings.  Ok Lord, you know I had this all planned out.  Why does it always happen the weeks that you don't have extra money; things unexpectedly pop up??

Okay so I go in to get my car inspected and Jason was pretty sure it wasn't going to need anything.  I was praying that was so.  I go in and hand them my coupon...see I PLANNED ahead and had a coupon!!  They inspect my jeep and tell me it failed because I need a new tire.... a TIRE!  WHAT?!?!??!?  Where the heck is THAT money going to come from?  For real?  Can you put the full-size spare on and pass it then?  NOPE....no such luck, that one failed too.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME LORD!?!?!

I'm faithful to you, I'm frugal with my money (sometimes the hubs says too much) I only use credit cards for emergencies, I AM A PLANNER!!!!!

But then He gently reminds me that He is the ultimate planner and that He's got this.  He knew that my tire wasn't going to pass inspection and He PLANNED it that way.  GASP....WHAT?!?!  Yes, He planned it that way.

Sometimes we go through the motions of this crazy busy life just doing what we have to do to get by and forget to stop and say Thank You to Him for all we have.  I think He uses these situations to show us that He is ultimately in control and that we're not.  I needed to take a step back today and say Lord, okay, I'm giving this to you.  I need to put my planning aside and TRUST that He has it all figured out.  I was so busy planning everything for myself that I forgot to see what HE has planned for me.  After all He does tell us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Talk about a smack in the face....Hello!!! Could it be any more clear??  God doesn't want to harm me, not that I'm never going to get hurt, but He doesn't want that for me.  So here's to me giving my plans to God.  I'm still going to plan stuff, who am I kidding??  BUT I'm going to completely trust Him.  Thanks for the reminder Lord...I was getting a bit "off track"

Gettin my crafty on!

I decided that I need to be more crafty!  I love doing crafts, don't get me wrong, but I barely ever take the time to actually sit down and do them.  I've had stuff to make some things for Reagan's room for years....YEARS!! That's pretty pathetic...by the time I actually get around to finishing them it will be time to change her décor.  I have all these cute bedroom ideas pinned on Pinterest for her, but that's all the further I got. I mean For Pete's sake....how many kids' bedrooms really look like the ones on Pinterest??  I know my kids' rooms look more like a bio-hazard area or like a bomb went off than the picture perfect magazine room!  But I still want it to look nice even if it is for my own satisfaction.  So that being said, I made a wreath for Reagan's wall using burlap and fabric flowers.  I was really happy how it turned out and it was easy to make....once I actually sat down to do it. 


I had bought the things MONTHS ago to make this wreath and all in all it cost me less that $7 to make.  I bought a Styrofoam wreath form at Joanne's fabrics as well as 3 fat quarters of fabric.  If you don't know what fat quarters are they are about 1/4 yard of fabric that they sell for pretty cheap.  These are perfect for making fabric flowers and they were marked 50% off.....SCORE!!!!  I bought 3 coordinating colors and patterns of fabric.  I also needed burlap which I was able to buy at the Flower and Home Marketplace. I had to buy a yard and when I asked the guy if I could buy just a half yard (because I figured that was all that was needed) he said that since there was some writing/markings on the burlap he would give it to me half price since it was somewhat damaged!  So I got it for the price of 1/2 a yard which was like $1.99.  Now I was really happy...AND depending on what I use the leftover burlap for, it will add a touch of character to it!  I could have danced a happy jig right there in the aisle.  I hope I didn't sound too excited when I told him that I would take it. 

3 Fat Quarters

*Side note this is also the day I found the white sticks to stick in my flower pots outside for $1 a piece.  It was a great day!!*

Okay...back on topic....so I took the burlap and cut it into strips.  I did about an inch wide, but honestly I just cut and didn't measure at all.  Then I took my hot glue gun and glued one end of the burlap to the Styrofoam form.  I then started just wrapping the burlap around it.  I covered the white of the form, but there's no need to use more glue until the end of each strip because I wrapped it tight enough.  When I finished the strip I glued it on and then started with another piece until I had covered all around the wreath.  Simple, right?!?!?!  Then I took the fabric and cut that into strips.  Actually I cut a tiny slit in the fabric and then ripped it off....this frayed the fabric, but it adds to the look of the flowers.  For this I made the strips about 1/2 inch thick...here again no need to measure just cut!!  Okay....you still following??!?!?

Strips of burlap

Now comes the harder part....not hard, just harder that wrapping the burlap!  Tie a knot into the one end of the fabric and twist the fabric around to start making the flower.  Dab hot glue every so often to hold the flower in place.  This is something I found that comes easier the more you make.  And honestly they pretty much all look a little different and that's okay....there really is no right or wrong way to do this. If you want to make a bigger flower just add more fabric where the flower ends, until you get the size you want.  I made 10 flowers of different sizes. 3 of the green, 3 of the reddish/pink one and 4 of the pink.  Then I just glued them on the burlap where I wanted them.  You could use more or less flowers depending on what you want the wreath to look like.  That's what is so great about these wreaths...they can all look different depending on how you organize the flowers and how many you use.  I could have stopped at 3 and it still would have looked great!


Voila! That's it......there ya have it....now you're finished.....that wasn't so bad was it??  You can use any color burlap or ribbon to do this and any kind of fabric flowers....the possibilities are endless!!  Now make one, hang it up, stand back and enjoy your craftiness!!

Declutter!!

So....I was bit by the decluttering bug today!  It kind of came out of left field, but I'm glad it bit me.  See I like to have things organized...sometimes I refer to it as Anally Organized, however, with two kids and a hubs around I'm not as organized at home as I would like to be.  At work I'm super organized but at home its easier to get lazy and wait for "another day."  Well.....today was that day!!

Do you have a junk drawer??  Me too....we actually we have 2 possibly 3.  But lets talk about the 2 that are in my kitchen.  Why oh why does everything seem to accumulate there?  I even have a drawer organizer and it still was a disaster.  The kids use the pencils from this drawer for homework, the scissors are located in this drawer, extra envelopes, tape, paper clips, and pretty much all our desk supplies.  However, also found in this drawer were bobby pins, a tape measure, a socket, curtain rod finnials, pictures, junk mail and some bubbles.  Where does all this Crap come from??

Ahhhhhhhhh my clean drawer! 

I usually just shove stuff in this drawer when people are coming over.  It's in the corner of my kitchen and at the perfect spot to throw everything into...out of sight out of mind right?!??!  But when it gets to the point of having to shove papers down to close the drawer we have a problem.

This is how our lives can get if we don't stop to clean up our lives and decrapify all the junk. *Gasp* did I just say that??  Yes! We go through the motions day after day and barely stop to breathe sometimes.  We run from thing to thing and finally collapse into bed at night.  We've all got crap...I know that I would rather look past stuff than to get rid of it or face the junk.  Am I being a good friend?  Am I being a good wife and mother?  Am I being attentive to those around me?  Am I showing Christ to those around me? Or the other "stuff"...how am I going to pay all the bills this month? Why can't I just lose the weight?  Why does life have to be so hard??  And too much else to name.

When we give our lives to Christ he promises to share our burdens and take our load upon Him.  He promises to take all our junk and help to decrapify our lives.  He doesn't promise it will be easy but He does promise to be there along the way.  It might be hard to bring everything to the surface and it might cause pain, but it can also be so freeing to finally release all the Garbage we've been holding onto to Christ.

Starting out this new year is a good time to get rid of the clutter in your lives as well as the clutter in our homes.  I'm glad that I was able to clean out my drawers and organize them again.  In fact, I think its a great time to get rid of the junk I've been carrying around for way too long as well.

This girl!

Hope this finds ya'll staying warm...its a sunny gorgeous day outside. Too bad its only 18 degrees and supposed to feel like 7!!  I'm staying inside in my pajamas today...Course I'm sick with a stomach ache so that's easy to do!

Here are some views from around my house today.....enjoy!!  Never a dull moment here friends!

This girl came downstairs dressed to the nines!!  She loves her dress up clothes and dancing around my house!  She also has enough lotion on for everyone on this block to share!!  Gag!! When you're sick that is the worst smell ever!!  Course when Jason came home from the hardware store he said the same thing!! LOL....must not just be me!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 






She also loves Posing for pictures!!  5 minutes ago she was dancing, lost her balance in those shoes, and slammed into my Fireplace mantel behind her...knocking off half the stuff.  Should have named here Grace!!  Reagan, Go dance in your room!!
















Here's the hubs working on G's Pinewood Derby Car.
They are having father/son time in the basement!


 

How about you friends??  What are you up too on this blustery day??  I was able to do 2 loads of laundry, vacuum the entire house and pay some bills.  I have such exciting Saturdays!!!  We were going to have Life groups here tonight...but had to cancel since I'm sick....boo!!! Spring come quickly!!

Ask me One more Time!!

Soooooo we got Garrett these "I Survived" Books for Christmas...ever heard of them??  He came home from school talking about these books months ago and began asking me questions about Pearl Harbor!  What?!?! I have no idea how to answer these questions!!



Garrett  with his Collector's
Toolbox

So I began looking into these books and apparently they are historical fiction books for kids that are about boys that survived major events in history.   SUPER!  Since he was constantly talking about these books the Hubs and I decided to get him an "I Survived Collector's Toolbox."  It contained 10 books ranging in events from The San Francisco Earthquake in 1906 to the most current The 2011 Japanese Tsunami.  Let me tell you....I am learning more about these events than I ever thought.  At first Jason and I were unsure if we really wanted him learning about some of the tragedies that were happening in these books, but the more we looked at them we realized that they WERE history and did we really want to discourage him from reading books that were written for his age about these events??

OK.....I might have been sorry I asked!!  So this morning, Garrett is getting ready to get in the shower and he starts peppering me with questions about the Titanic!  Now I, like most of you have watched "Titanic" with Kate Winslet and Leonardo Dicaprio  (Okay, I might have watched it multiple times) but I'm not a history professor here: I don't know much about the Titanic!  I tried to answer his questions as best as I could, but I was floundering big time!  I told him that it hit an iceberg and that it sank!  Wow...score one for me...come on even he knew that much.  The ship was going too fast, it couldn't slow down...blah blah blah.  Whew....I dodged that bullet.

Of course though, when he came home from school, he had to read for 15 minutes.  Guess which book he continued reading??!!??  Here came the questions....I think I lost count how many times I told him to EAT at dinner because he kept asking questions.  For the Love.....seriously....what have we gotten ourselves into???  I even went as far as pulling up Youtube so he could watch videos about how the Titanic sank!  He was asking MORE questions the entire time we watched the 500 5 videos...just shut it and watch!! I really wish there was a movie about it that he could watch to learn more about it....but I am NOT going there....Jack might have been drawing Rose as "art";  he's only 8 for crying out loud.  So.....all that to say, if you know of any movies or videos appropriate for an 8 year old that would let him shut up about it learn more about the Titanic send them my way .

Looking forward to what questions I'm asked tomorrow about this book...or the other 8!! -8 he hasn't completed. I'm finished school a long time ago...why should I have to still learn about history?!?  Just kidding....I'm glad he is loving these books, but maybe next time I'll just stick to "Diary of a Wimpy Kid!"

Reading his book Today!

 

Winter Decorating

        The time has come to take down my Christmas decorations....I'm a little sad. Why, you ask?? Because now my house is empty.  But yet, I'm kinda happy with the less clutter.  I left my front porch decorated (for now).  Check out these cool branches I got a few weeks ago!  They were $1.00 a piece and I couldn't pass them up!  I'm loving the way they bring some "winter" to my front and back porch  arrangements.



Close up view of Lantern

On Saturday I made this treescape with a lantern I won at a white elephant gift exchange. Thanks Roseanne!!  I added some fake snow and some trees I had bought a few years ago from the Dollar Tree.  I thought it turned out really cute!  We'll see how long the "snow" lasts....says I can add water to refresh it. I'll keep ya posted.

 

I also left my favorite snowman up since its still winter. He makes his home on my mantle with some pip berries and a barn star.









I even left this tree up because I thought it looked cute for winter as well. 






So that's my house!  Even though Christmas decorations are done for this year I still leave some winter things up through January.

On another note my weather app said that it feels like 9 degrees outside.  Yippee.. *insert sarcasm here*...and 1-3 inches of snow  are predicted for tomorrow... 73 more days til Spring....can't come fast enough!
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Do I Ever Really Just LISTEN?!?!?

First Sunday of the new year! I was up and ready to go to church for Worship Team practice.  First Sunday of a fresh new start, you would think I was ready... 

Let me begin by saying that I was tired this morning.  Not necessarily physically tired like one would think by having to be at church by 7AM.  I was tired of the mouthing back, the not listening and the overall entitlement attitudes my kids were giving me.  These last 2 days have been torture.  Ugh...these kids NEED to go back to school.  I'm so glad that school starts back Tomorrow....PRAISE JESUS!

Ever feel like no matter what you are saying to your kids that nothing seems to be sinking in??  Yesterday, I was trying to put away all my Christmas decorations and my kids were just underfoot driving me nuts.  Why can't they just go play? They are 6 and 8 for crying out loud!! Plus we just had Christmas, go play with your new toys.  Everything was a struggle, they were fighting, they were bored, they wanted to watch TV...which by the way, they had already watched enough of.  I finally told them if they ask to watch TV again that its gone for the rest of the day.  Of course Garrett asked me again....really... do they not get it?  Now I was done...they were grounded from the TV for the rest of the day.  I looked at the clock, it was like 11:30 am. GREAT!   Now the sassiness began.  I cannot stand the way they feel so entitled...that's not how I thought we were raising them.  I was asked how come daddy gets to watch TV but they can't?  Their attitudes were awful and I'm sure I eventually sent them to their rooms because I couldn't stand them talking to me anymore.

So as I headed out to worship team this morning, I prayed for God to speak to me.   It was  rainy outside, cold and 6:45 am.  I'm not sure I had the best attitude as I went in but was willing to give it a shot.  We sang  One Thing Remains which talks about how Christ's love for us never fails and never gives up on us.  I love the line where is says "It overwhelms and satisfies my soul."  I want to feel Christ's love satisfying me everyday and in everything I do. That flowed into a new song  Never Once: at this point I completely lost it and felt like I was smacked upside the head.  The chorus goes "Never once did we ever walk alone. Never once did You leave us on our own.  You are faithful, God You are Faithful."

God has never left my side!!  Of course I knew that...BUT  how many times do I REALLY feel that way?!?!  His love never runs out on me, He is faithful no matter what happens AND He has never left me walking alone??  Whoa, talk about eye opening. 

Suddenly yesterday popped into my head.  What about MY attitude??  How many times do we just go through the motions of our crazy busy schedules just trying to make it til bedtime?  I know I've been there.  How many times do I really think about the fact that GOD is walking with us each step of the way and that He has never left my side??  How many times have I yelled at God or given Him a bad attitude because something wasn't "fair" or because the struggle was just too much??  I was no better at listening than my kids were! 

Pastor Joel spoke this morning about God's faithfulness and he said "When we see God's faithfulness in the past, it gives us courage and hope for the future."  Yes!!  I have seen His faithfulness time and time again.  He has been by my side every step of the way, so why do I still find it so  hard to listen to His voice and hear Him??   One of my 15 for 15 was that I wanted to listen for His voice in my life.  Meanwhile, I have been praying that God would show me a word that would be my "word of the year." All along I thought I knew what that word was going to be, but today hearing Listening over and over again I realized that "LISTEN" is my word.  Pastor Joel also said that "Every step in our spiritual transformation begins with listening."  So that being said....I am stepping out in courage and trusting in His faithfulness as I begin this journey of listening for His voice!

New Year's Resolutions!

Ok....so I'm really not great at keeping New Year's resolutions and I'll be the first to admit it.  I'm not sure why I can't stick to them, but as hard as I might try I just can't do it.  So this year I decided not to even try.  I guess that's a really crappy attitude to have, but why try if I know its not going to happen?!?!  Right?!?!?  So I might not be making a New Year's resolution, BUT there are some things that have been rolling around in my head the past few weeks. So instead I'm going to make a list of 15 things that I would like to DO in 2015 that are actually attainable or things that I am already planning on doing this year.

1. Continue Loving on People...anyone need some lovin'??
2. Dig more into His word and Listen for His voice...do I ever just listen?
3. Plan a Monthly Menu for dinner each month...this is something I already do, but sometimes struggle in the summer and over the holidays. 
4. Go on more Dates with my Hubby...Nuff said!
5. Be a better Wife and Mother....just leave me pee in peace and I'll be fine.
6. Be a better Friend...who's up for a coffee date??
7. Go away for the night/weekend for our Anniversary...has this EVER happened?
8. Go to the Beach with my family...summer can't come soon enough!
9. Get a new Couch!...ours is gross and old!
10. Paint the Downstairs bathroom...mustard yellow
11. Decorate more in the kids' bedrooms...does it really matter?!?!
12. Make more traditions with my family...love me some traditions
13. Be better at cleaning my house...anyone else sooo over the clutter?!?!
14. Not spend money on things I do not need...come on what's one more purse?!?!
15. Be more purposeful in my YES...what's one more thing added to my plate??

Alright folks, I will plan to come back at the end of the year and let you know how it went.  If you see me please feel free to ask me how my 15 for 15 is going!

How about YOU???  Did you make any New Year's Resolutions??  Have you thought about some things you would like to do in 2015??  Let me know....I'll be anxious to see what you come up with.

New Year New Adventure?!?!?

I've been thinking of doing a blog for awhile now.  However, not sure what I would blog about, I never took the leap and tried it. This morning as I was sitting here spending some time with God I felt him telling me to start this new adventure as we begin the New Year. I'm not exactly sure what I will blog about, but I can tell you it will probably be a little of everything!  Now lets get to the good stuff... 

For those who do not know me; I am married to an amazing man who is doing life with me while we raise two awesome kids. (AAAKK)  Actually we are the everyday family just trying to make it through this crazy chaotic thing we call life.   Singing is my PASSION....I have been singing since I was a little girl and am blessed to be able to help lead worship on Worship Team at our church.  (I'm the one who can't stand still and doesn't mind being the center of attention!)

 

I love being with people, but also enjoy spending time with MY people with quiet evenings at home!  (Who am I kidding I have 2 kids...REALLY!!!)  I also love to cook and try new recipes...so you will probably see some food ideas on here.  Crafting and decorating are something I can't get enough of and can never wait to change my décor when a new season/month starts.  Yes, I sometimes decorate monthly...my poor hubs, but at least he doesn't seem to care. Last, but most importantly, I love Jesus with all my heart and hope that people can see Him through me.  I pray this year He can use me in new ways, and it can be the best one yet.

 

Thanks for coming along on this adventure with me and hope to see ya'll soon!