Minne-SNOW-ta

The boys loved the car ride. It was a total of 31 hours of driving. We stopped quite a few times for bathroom breaks, and leg stretching. They were very well behaved.

Scott and his brother Jonathan. They both like the cold, and would wear shorts and no jackets all the time, if they didn't have to set a good example for their sons.

We were lucky enough to get a little bit of snow while we were there. Yes, a rare picture of me on this blog. We had to borrow the snow brush and scraper to clean off our car.

The roads were terrible. If you don't have experience driving in this weather, I don't recommend it. It was rather enjoyable to see the look on people's faces when they saw our Florida license plate. After all, who in their right mind would leave Florida in winter to go to Minnesota?

Jameson and Teagen loved the snow. They were so excited when they saw it.

It is amazing what God has created. We were so blessed to see the beautiful snow covered world. Though we were wishing for warmer temperatures after the first day.

This is the ice that got pushed up on Mille Lacs Lake. It is rather thick, and very safe to walk, or drive on. I wish we had time to do a little ice fishing.

This is one of many beautiful sunsets we enjoyed.

Gavin put his hand on the glass of the fireplace, and got a big blister on his hand. We took him to the ER, and we have to keep his hand bandaged for a few more days.

Jameson and Teagen had a blast seeing their cousins and grandparents. They didn't mind getting a few presents too.

Gavin did a great job opening his first present.

Gavin loves daddy.

We all had a blast on our vacation. We are looking forward to visiting again. However, we are very happy to be back home in Florida.

SNOW

It has been a while since we have seen this much snow in Minnesota. Maybe it's because I didn't see the gradual changing when the snow was falling. Maybe it's because we drove here from Florida, and I was used to the 60-70 degree weather. I am quite cold right now. Scott and his brother wanted to show everyone that it's not really that cold out. Yes, they are wearing short sleeves, and shorts. It was 14 degrees out, and the huge snow pile behind them is almost over their heads. When I took the picture, I ended up taking a few because the first ones were not clear. I was shivering too much. The snow is beautiful, and I am so happy that we are here and able to experience it again. I am however, ready to go back home to Florida and warm up. I will be posting a lot more pictures soon. It might not be until after Christmas, but they are coming.

Packing

I am packing.

I don't like packing.

There is just so much to remember to bring. I even made a list, and I am not usually a list person.

Things to pack for our Christmas vacation.
-Bible (of course)
-clothes
-jackets/winter stuff
-toiletries
-camera
-computer
-food/snacks
-movies
-presents
-toys/books

I am sure there are many things I don't have on this list that will end up in the car, but that's okay.

What I want to make sure is that we have everything we need. I know I will end up halfway there, and think of something that I have forgotten. It never fails. Has this ever happened to you? What will I forget this time? In the past, I have forgotten my toothbrush, or shampoo. I have even worn my sandles, but forgotten to bring shoes. I am really hoping that this time will be different.

I could use some help. If you think of anything else I can add to my list, let me know.

Wind Chill?

Can you believe it? There was a wind chill warning in Florida today. They were saying the temp could get as 30 degrees. The wind chill would make it colder and everyone should make sure they wear hats and gloves when they go outside.

???????????????

I am sorry to say, but that is not a wind chill.

A wind chill is when there are warnings of frostbite on exposed skin after only a few seconds.

A wind chill is 30 degrees below zero.

A wind chill is when it is dangerous to even go outside.

I just laughed when I heard the weather report here.

First, I couldn't believe how cold it was actually going to get. I didn't think we would have to turn the heat on at all, and last night we did. It actually got a little cold in our place.

Second, Floridians don't even know how lucky they are. Driving in snow is not fun. Trying to breath outside when it's 30 degrees below zero is hard and painful. Your nose hairs freeze.

Third, what is up with this cold weather? I live in Florida, and it's like 40 degrees out. Not at all what I expected. Is this normal?

Good thing I was raised in Minnesota. I am used to this kind of weather. Only thing is, I thought I had moved away from it. Oh no, it followed me. Please don't blame me if it starts snowing in Florida.

I'm Thankful

Because of Thanksgiving just passing, I decided to write about the thing I am most thankful for. Of course there are many things I thank God for every day; the food He has provided, the home He has provided, that He keeps us safe, and all the other everyday miracles He performs. Today I would like to thank God for my Family.
I have an amazing husband. He loves me so much. He does so much for me. He takes care of me. I don’t deserve the love that he pours out to me. I am in awe every day just to know how much he cares. He sacrifices his sleep to give me another hour of rest. He will change dirty diapers all weekend long, just to give me a break from it. He does the dishes, laundry, and many other household duties. I love my husband so much, and I thank God for bringing us together.

God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us our oldest son, Jameson. He knew we needed him. Jameson is very strong willed. He wants things done his way, and will complain if he doesn’t get it his way. He will also make sure that he wants the exact opposite of what you want. He is very easily upset. He is also one of the sweetest kids ever. He will sit and hold his baby brothers hand for hours, just because he loves him. He will randomly announce to everyone that he loves them. He will talk to complete strangers at the grocery store or anywhere else, and tell them about Jesus. Everyone should have a daily dose of Jameson.

Teagen, our second son has been quite an adventure in himself. When God gave us another boy, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Teagen likes hugs. He needs to be hugged regularly. If he hurts himself, he won’t stop crying until he has a hug. His laugh is contagious. Just try not to laugh after hearing him chuckle. I don’t think it’s possible. He will actually come up to you and ask to be tickled.

Our third son Gavin, has been such a blessing. He is nothing like the other two. Gavin is happy just sitting on my lap. He will play with his brothers, but is happiest when being held. He is a snuggler. He hugs and holds on so tight. I don’t mind, because I love hugs.

I give thanks to God for blessing me with such an amazing family. Not just my husband and kids, but my parents, siblings, in laws, and my church family as well. I had heard people talk about their church families, but never really understood what it meant, until I experienced it for myself.

You guys are great. After leaving our families, and moving, God gave us an amazing gift.

Update (Finally)

I was sitting here tonight, thinking, "WOW! I have not updated my blog in a long time." You guys were probably wondering what had happened to me. Not that there are that many people that actually read my posts, but I like to think I am that popular and everybody loves me. :-)

Jameson has become quite the little smarty pants. He is very stubborn. I think he gets that from me. Don't you just hate it when your mom is right when she says, "Some day you are going to have a kid just like you." Well, Jameson is just like me. He gets angry and throws things. I remember getting that mad and slamming the door of my bedroom. My parents had to take the door away. They actually took the door off the hinges to prevent me from slamming it anymore. I had to earn it back. Now everytime Jameson throws something, he gets a toy taken away. The only problem is, he doesn't have many more toys left to play with, and either does Teagen. I may have to find a different way to take care of this problem.

Teagen is my little klutz. Gotta love him. He gets this from me. When I was in diving in high school, I was in a competition at an outdoor pool in the summer. I placed on the 3 meter board. I went up and got my medal, and then, (typical Andi move) I fell down the cement stairs and got all scraped up. I was teased for a long time about how I can be so graceful on a diving board, but can't walk on my own two feet. Teagen can't walk either. He is the one that will trip over a blade of grass. He also gets hurt a lot. Minor injuries, like bumping his head on the couch. Soft surface, you may be thinking. Well, Teagen manages to get hurt this way. He will cry until you give him a hug. This part I love. A hug from mommy still fixes everything.

Gavin is my snuggler. I am not sure if he got this from me or not. I know that his is not shy either. He doesn't care who is holding him, as long as he is being held. He likes the attention. He's going to be like me. When I was little, (my mom says) that when we would have to get onto an elevator, I would be the one always breaking the elevator rules. I would talk to people, and walk around. I still don't understand why you always have to turn around and face the door. You might not want to ride on an elevator with me. Gavin recently got his first tooth. One on the bottom broke through. He is drooling like crazy.

Scott and I are doing great. We are planning our trip back to Minnesota for Christmas. We are really excited to see everyone. We have heard a lot of horror stories about the bad weather there. We have had such beautiful weather here. I do miss the snow, but I am glad I will only be around it for a week, then it will be back to sunny Florida. We are currently looking to buy a new used car. We hope to find one before our trip, but we know that might not happen.

God has been showing us some wonderful things recently. We have been amazed at all the work he is doing in our lives.

Angel VS Devil

Have you ever had fight with yourself over what you should do in a particular situation? I have a very visual mind, and always picture that little angel on one of my shoulders, and the little devil on the other shoulder, both telling me what they think I should do. Who do I usually listen to? Do I have to answer that?

I would have to admit, I probably don't listen to the Angel quite as often as I should. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. I am no exception to this! I have sinned as well. I hate to admit it, because I do like to think of myself as perfect.

These little so called cartoon characters are a large part of my decision making process. One of them gives me an idea, and I think, "That would be fun." Then the other says, "No, do this." I of course think, "That would be more fun." When it comes down to my final decision, I would like to say that I always take into account what the Bible says, and I do what is right. That's not always how it works though. I sometimes choose what I know to be wrong.

Like I said, I like to think of myself as perfect. I, however, am not perfect.

Perfect would be God, and God alone.

How do I change this, and make the right decision all the time? Can I just flick that little cartoon devil off my shoulder, and listen only to the beautiful little angel? No! It's an evil world, and that means that I have to face evil in my everyday life. I have to face making decisions that I would rather not make. I have to have these little arguments with myself to figure out what God wants me to do. I also have to make the wrong decisions every once in a while, so God can teach me and mold me into what He wants me to be.

My Boys

Gavin is now crawling. He also is able to pull himself up to standing. He does this at the couch, and just by holding onto my pants. He is very clingy, and never wants to be put down. When I do put him down, which is actually quite often because I am not able to hold him all day, he has a blast playing with his brothers. The like to give him lots of toys, and of course, the give him lots of hugs and kisses too. They are great with helping me take care of him. Gavin has started talking a lot of jibberish. He makes a lot of noise.

Teagen also makes a lot of noise, but with him, it's because he is just really loud. Teagen does not have a volume control. We wish he did sometimes. He has to be reminded to be quiet. He also has to be told to speak up at times. He likes to whisper. I can't win. Either we can't hear him at all, or he's the only thing we can hear. Teagen is having a lot of fun learning things in school. He likes to color, and I don't mean on paper. He usually finds something to color on, like the walls, or his own body. He also likes to tease his older brother. He will do anything possible to make Jameson angry.

Jameson is overly annoyed by his little brother. Jameson gets very upset if things don't go they way they are "supposed to go". What he doesn't realize yet, is that life is like that. We are trying to teach him to "Do everything without complaining or arguing" Philippians 2:14. This is difficult, because Jameson likes to whine. He has learned a lot while we are working on school. He loves school. I am trying to teach him how to read, but it hasn't clicked yet. We are hoping it will soon, because we are planning on getting him his own Bible for Christmas.

Scott is wonderful. He does so much for me that I don't deserve. He is too good to me. I love him more and more each day. It is the slow season at work, so he is able to spend more time at home. We love being able to spend more time with him, and see him more often.

Sick

My boys are sick. They all have runny noses and a cough. I feel so bad, because I know how miserable they must be. I can't stand having a cold.

The sleepless nights without the ability to breathe through my nose,

The endless blowing of my nose,

The raw red nose that you don't want to go into public with,

The hacking and coughing that is embarassing.

I really hope I don't catch it.

Jameson doesn't have it very bad, only a little bit of a runny nose, and not much coughing at all. Teagen, however, was coughing so hard that he threw up. He was up almost all night for two nights in a row. Gavin has a very runny nose, and a little cough.

Now for the talk about meds. What can I give them. There are no medications out there that will dry up their noses. There are only ones that are decongestants. That will make their noses run more. I can't give Gavin anything, because he is only 6 months old. I have given the older two cough medicine, but it doesn't seem to work. They are still hacking.

I don't like medicine, and rarely take any myself. If I can live with the pain, or discomfort, I do. As for my kids, I don't like to watch them suffer, and would rather have them feeling normal, so I give them medicine when it is required.

I would love to get some sleep, but when you have sick kids it's out of the question. I find myself getting up a few times at night just to check on them and make sure they are okay, and still breathing. With these colds, I don't even have to enter their bedroom. I can hear them snoring all the way in my room.

Poor little Gavin is also teething. He is draining fluids from his nose, and mouth. So, not only is he cranky from the pain in his gums, but he also had the cold and cough. I have given him Tylenol, and Orajel as needed.

A mother's job is never over. This is just the beginning.

Happy Reformation Day

I do not celebrate Halloween. I believe it is an evil day. For starters, candy in the amounts that kids usually haul it in this day, isn't good for you. I know, it's tempting. I love candy, chocolate to be specific. But, that's how they draw you in.

You start by telling yourself that you and your kids won't dress up as anything evil.

Then you have your adorable kids, dressed as a princess or maybe a pumpkin, prance around begging for candy.

Then your kids grow up, and want to dress as a monster, or a villian.

Then they are teens, and want to go out with their friend on Halloween. What do they dress like? Do you know? Are they half naked, or appropriately dressed?

Your kids are also being subjected to all the evil that takes place this night.

There are more crimes that take place on Halloween night, than any other. Mostly vandalism, but there are others as well.

I for one am not celebrating or supporting this holiday, if you can call it that.

Instead, I celebrate Reformation Day. On this day 493 years ago, a man named Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of a church. He taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus as redeemer from sin. He challenged the authority of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge. He started to Protestant Movement.

Luther was asked to renounce or reaffirm his beliefs, and said this, "Unless I am convinced by proofs from Scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."

Gavin 6 months

I can't believe I missed it. Gavin turned 6 months old on the 9th of October. He is such a happy little boy. We enjoy his smiles and his giggles. He is now sitting up on his own. He tries to crawl, but hasn't quite got it down yet. He gets up on his hands and knees, and stays there rocking. It's adorable.

Jameson is 5 (yesterday)

Today is your 5th birthday Jameson. I remember the day you were born. You were born 5 weeks early. Your lungs weren't ready yet. God helped you get better earlier than expected, and we took you home when you were 10 days old.

You grew up so fast. You have always been a happy little boy. Your smile and your laugh are contagious. You say things that we can't help but laugh at. You have a great sense of humor. You have grown into a very smart, and very aware big boy. You have grown to love God and Jesus. Our prayer for your future is this...

Dear Lord, please help Jameson to continue to grow in his faith and spirituality. Show him that you are always with him. Lord, protect him from evil, and help him to make the right decisions.

We love you Jameson. Happy Birthday.

Things I Learned

There are certain things I have no control over, and there are other things that depend completely on me. Out of everything that could go wrong in this evil world, my problems are minor ones. Things could be so much worse, and I am thankful to God for teaching me this.




I have had my share of difficulties. My life has by no means been easy. It actually seemed to get worse once I made a commitment to the Lord. I have been under attack. The enemy doesn’t like that I switched sides, and is fighting for my return. Bad news for the enemy. I am completely devoted to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.



We are currently having some money problems. I have been frustrated and confused and outright angry. I don’t understand why we don’t have enough to support our family. We are trying so hard to stretch every penny to make ends meet. For some reason, it doesn’t work. There are more bills than money coming in. The numbers are far from even.



We are also having issues with our transportation. This, I think, has caused more anger and doubt than any other problem I have faced. I think it’s because I have no control. I have no choice but to hand it over to God. This was hard for me. I thought I could handle it myself. God showed me that if I hand it over to Him, things will change. I did, and they did. The van still hasn’t been returned, but I feel a lot better about it. Something changed in the way that I am looking at the entire situation. I no longer have doubt. I know that God will do what is best. I no longer pray for the van to be returned. I pray only that He will give me wisdom, and the strength to accept what happens. He has given me peace. The enemy was using my anger with the situation to gain control of my actions and words. I admit, I did and said things I am not happy about. I was wrong. Now, God has shown me that it isn’t all about me. There is a reason why we have been without this vehicle for four months. There is a reason why we haven’t been able to get it back. I don’t know what it is, but I KNOW it is for God’s Glory. I KNOW God will use this situation to teach us to honor Him.



I am starting to look at my life differently than before. I’m not just talking about from before I was saved, but also from the way I perceived things just a few weeks ago. I have been selfish. I have been wanting God to serve me. I wanted Him to do whatever it took to make me happy. I need to turn things around. I need to do whatever it takes to make Him happy. It doesn’t matter how I feel. I am here to bring Glory to God. It’s not about me, it’s all about Him.

Haircut

We shaved the boys head a couple days ago. Jameson wanted to use the "cutter", as he calls it, on Daddy's hair. Scott actually let him.

Look at that concentration.

He did a pretty good job.

I had to finish up, and make sure there weren't any patches left. After Jameson was done, he asked if he could do Mommy's hair next. I had to draw the line. Mommy's have long hair.

Week Update

My parents just left, and I am alone again. I miss them already. Though we couldn't really go anywhere, we still had fun. The boys are really going to miss them. We will be going back to Minnesota for Christmas though, so we will see them again soon. Here are some pics from our week together.

We celebrated Jameson's Birthday a little early, so Grandma and Grandpa could celebrate with us. Jameson got a bat and some balls to practice with.

He did a pretty good job. He will still need some practice, but he had fun.

Teagen didn't really know how to hold the bat, but tried anyway.

Gavin had lots of fun. There were a few times that he was put down, but otherwise he was in Grandma's arms. She was able to rock him to sleep, and he loved it. I think he may miss them the most. He learned how to sit up by himself while they were here. Grandma and Grandpa loved his smile, and his happy nature.

Jameson got a blue birthday cake.

It was yummy!

Teagen thought so too.

There were quite a few times that we were all in tears, laughing at something the boys had said or done. There was a lot of comparing my boys actions to myself as a child. Teagen trips over everything, just like I did, and still do. He is my little clutz. They really enjoyed listening to Jameson's stories.



Message From Above

Sky Writing

There is a sky writer flying and writing directly above our home.

It has to be God speaking to me, because of all the frustration and trials I have right now.

The first message...

God = : )

The second message...

TRUST JESUS

The third message...

LOVE GOD

There hasn't been a fourth message, but we are sitting outside watching, just in case.

Jameson is outside screaming "TRUST GOD!"

Jameson also said "God is smoking."

Parents

My parents come in today from Minnesota to visit. I am really excited to see them. My boys, I think, are more excited to see them. We don't have anything big planned, but I know we will have fun anyway. Mostly I think we will just hang out and talk.

These are my first visitors from our family, and I am a little nervous. I have been cleaning the apartment all week, to get everything perfect for when they get here. I think that is what I want to talk about the most.

Why do we clean our home so much when we know someone is coming over? If they stopped by unexpectedly, would they be offended by what my home looks like?

I have a major problem with clutter. There are school books and paper all over the kitchen table. I tried really hard to organize them all. There are toys everywhere. That was the boys job for the day. They have been trying to organize them by color. A little extra school activity that accomplishes chores as well. I actually made a significant dent in our laundry pile. It's gone. There are no dishes in our sink, or on the counter.

I can't believe how organized and clean everything is. I just hope we can keep it this way.

Content

My post today is a short one. I was reading some random blogs, and found one that I will now have a link to on my blog. Please check out what this wonderful lady has posted on her blog. She has the right idea. I agree with her whole heartedly. She writes about what she wants for her children. Wow! I don't want my children to be happy either.

http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-dont-want-my-children-to-be-happy.html

Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone lived like this? Can you imagine? Oh how I strive to teach my children that certain things don't matter. What does matter, is the impact they can have on the world, in God's name. What does matter, is how much they strive to do God's will. What does matter, is God.

I love you my boys. You will learn from here on out what it means to be content versus what it means to be happy. I pray for you to be content.

Weather

I find it necessary to compare weather in Minnesota and Florida. I guess it's because of the extreme differences. Let's start with the obvious.

SNOW - Minnesota has it, and Florida doesn't. Actually, snow has fallen in Florida before, but I'm pretty sure it didn't stick around too long.

HUMIDITY - Minnesota has humidity, nobody can doubt that. There are 10,000 lakes there. But, humidity in Minnesota is nothing compared to Florida. Florida has the ocean, need I say more?

TEMPERATURE - There are the obvious temperature differences between Minnesota and Florida. However, Minnesota has the harsh extremes of -30 degrees or more vs. 100+ degrees. The summer here was great, I thought. The temp was consistently in the low 90's. Some days in Minnesota were hotter. I haven't experienced a winter in Florida yet, but look forward to mild temperatures. I am not quite sure what to expect, although I do know that I won't need my heavy winter coat.

RAIN - I never expected to find such a big difference in the rain in Minnesota compared to the rain in Florida. It's the tropics down here, meaning that it rains almost daily. The rain usually lasts for a minute or two, then the sun comes out. I have seen quite a few sun showers, and rainbows. You don't want to be caught on the road when it rains down here, because you will probably end up having to slow down to a crawl, or stop altogether. Many people turn on their emergency flashers just so other cars can see them. The rain drops down here are huge. In Minnesota there are many different words used to describe rain. You can have a drizzle, sprinkle, spitting, pouring, etc. In Florida, it's called a Monsoon. There is no such thing sprinkling here. I would much rather drive in three feet of snow in Minnesota than in the rain in Florida, but I expect I will get used to it.

Right now, we are in a tropical storm. It has been pouring for quite a few hours. We are to expect

We have all gotten our first illness since moving here. We all have mild colds. There are a lot of runny noses around here. We have actually never been healthier. I don't think we have ever gone this long with not having some minor cold or some trip to the doctor for an ear infection. We are very thankful to God for keeping us healthy. Teagen had a mild case of what we call asthma. After using the nebulizer, he was fine. I think it was brought on by his cough and runny nose. However, not having to bring him into the doctor every month for ear infections is great. I don't mind the coughing and snot. Okay, I don't really like the snot, but I deal.

Laws

Are we really following the law? Some people may think that some laws are stupid and ignore them. Is that right? I have always been taught that the laws are in place to keep everyone safe. One law in particular that I am very adament about following, and others could care less about, is speed. There is a speed limit! It's not a suggestion, it's a LIMIT! That means you don't go any faster than the posted number.

There are some out there that would argue that it is not safe to go the speed limit. If you are not going with the flow of traffic, you can cause an accident. My arguement is this; It's not the people following the rules that cause the accidents, it's those that get road rage or swerve to cut someone off that they think is going too slow. Those that drive carelessly, without concern for safety or speed limits, are the ones that cause the accidents.

I have never in my life had more people honk at me, or give me obscene hand gestures, or cut me off and slam on their brakes, than when I started driving in Florida. I guess there is a different set of rules here.

I know this is a subject that I am probably in the minority, or maybe I am the only one that thinks this way. I don't care. I am going to continue to go the speed limit, or less. God will protect me. God will see that I am obeying the authority appointed over me. God will see that I have respect for that authority. God will keep me safe.

I choose to follow the rules. I choose to follow God. I choose to obey.
Comment below on what your thoughts are.

Prayers

Little kids are adorable when they pray. My boys know that they can ask God for anything. Usually their prayers go like this.

Dear Jesus, help God. Help me listen to Mommy and Daddy. Help Daddy get home safe. Help me sleep good. I love you. Bless Mommy, Daddy, Jameson, Teagen, Gavin, all my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandma's and grandpa's. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Tonight, Jameson added a lot more. He asked Jesus to come back soon. He said I love you at least ten times. He elaborated on how much he likes God's stories in the Bible. Then he ended with,

"And all God's people said, Amen!"

It took all that was in me to not start laughing and crying at the same time. It was one of thoose times when what comes out of their mouths amazes me. I love my boys.

I have been working on praying more myself. The boys have picked up on this, and now won't let anyone start eating until they pray. They notice everything, and learn to do what they see being done. I am teaching my boys, not only to read and count, but also to love God, and read His word. It's a lot of fun.

Sleepless Nights

I have had problems with getting enough sleep at night lately, and falling asleep on the couch during the day. I put Jameson and Teagen to bed around eight, and Gavin goes down around nine. Then Gavin is up before ten, and every hour after that. I wasn't getting a restful sleep at all. I started feeding him rice cereal to see if that would help him sleep more, and it didn't. I didn't know what to do, and didn't have enough brain cells that were awake to think about it. My house had become a complete mess. I just couldn't do anything.

Finally I asked some friends for advice.

The solution? Well, I put footsie pj's on him. He slept for about seven hours that night. I was so happy. He still woke up at about three am to eat, but it wasn't as bad as every hour. I still need some advice on getting him to sleep through the night. I think I might try putting him to bed a little later.

My other problem with sleep, is Teagen. Teagen has a built in alarm clock. He wakes up at two am and crawls into bed with Scott and I. He will snuggle in between us, and start sucking his fingers. Not only is it loud, it's wet. He drools. He will also start rubbing my arm or face. He is a very cuddly kid, but keeps me awake. He kicks too. I need to find a way to keep him in his own bed. I am pretty sure this one is my fault. I have let him crawl in bed with us for such a long time, it may be a hard one to break.

I just want some sleep.

On another note, Jameson is doing great with school. I love being able to read him something and ask him questions. His answers are so elaborate. He remembers every detail, and will start acting out whatever story he is currently learning. He once pretended to be Moses and tell the Pharoah to "Let my people go!" I love it. He has an amazing imagination.

My Birthday

Today is my Birthday.

My mom sent me an email today that started with "Happy Birthday Odie!" That's what they used to call me. You know Garfield's old pal, the dog that always had that stupid smile on his face. That was me. My parents gave me the nickname Odie because I was always smiling. I looked back at all my birthday cards from when I was a kid. Yes, I saved them. In every single one of them there was the word smile, and it was underlined by the sender. I was the kid that after having my picture taken, I would still have a smile on my face. I was just that happy. I look at my life now, and I am still that happy. I am so blessed to have the family that I do.

I know I don't smile like that anymore. I am definitely going to work on that. A smile on your face can bring a smile to another face. Just like a childs laugh, smiles are contagious. Have you smiled today?

On my birthday, I usually take a look back at my life and see where I have been, and where I am now. This always includes looking back to a horrible, but very memorable day. My 22nd birthday. September 11th, 2001. My birthday had always been a time of joy, and a time to celebrate. Now, everybody is thinking of those two towers, and the tragic loss of lives. Now when my birthday comes around each year I think about what I can do to save lives. I'm talking about eternity here.

Do you know Jesus?

5 months

Gavin is 5 months old today.

He's full of smiles. Check out the dimples.

He is trying to crawl. He gets up on his hands and knees, then does a face plant, and comes up with a big smile on his face. It's almost like he was saying "I meant to do that." We love him.

Homeschooling

I had a great day at the park yesterday with some of my church family. We went to Sugar Sand Park. It is built out of wood. There is usually a water area, but it was under construction so that part was closed. The rest of the park was great though. It kind of reminded me of my old Elementary school playground. For those of you in MN, do you remember Pinewood? I loved that place. The kids had a blast. We kind of had a little birthday celebration. Lots of fun, we will be bringing the kids back again soon.

Since Scott and I were kind of in the birthday mood, I went to Publix to buy some ice cream. As I was waiting in the check out lane, I started talking to an elderly lady. I asked her if she knew of any parks nearby. She mentioned a few, then asked how old my kid was. I told her I have three boys, ages 4, 2, and 5 months. She asked if my oldest was in school yet. I told her that I was going to homeschool them. After a few seconds of receiving a very weird look from her, she asked WHY?

I have been asked this question by people many times, so it wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise was how she reacted to my explanation.

I told her that I didn't want someone else to teach my kids. I wanted control over what they were learning. If I homeschool, then they will learn what the public school system is not able to teach them. At home I am able to implement the importance of a relationship with Jesus.

Her response was, "Isn't that what church is for?"

This is the problem with the world today. The majority of the people out there do not teach their children anything slightly resembling religion. They expect their church to do that.

This Week

This week starts many new things.

First, we are starting home school tomorrow. This will be a new adventure for all of us. Jameson is starting Preschool, so it is his first time having a somewhat strict school schedule. This will also be my first experience with trying to teach. Pray for us. I am a little nervous. I am told that I shouldn't worry, cuz it's not important to follow the curriculum entirely. I am one for following the instructions to the T. I am going to try to adjust things to fit our family and Jameson. Both Jameson and Teagen are excited to start school. I still don't know what I will do with Teagen. He doesn't like to be left out, so I think he will be doing a lot of coloring.

Second, we are starting our new chore schedule. The boys are old enough to start learning how to do certain things around the house. I now have a schedule set up for all of us. We are actually going to have things written down that need to get done daily. Yes, I have resorted to lists. I never thought I would be the type of person to make lists. I never used to be very organized, but things are going to change.

Third, Gavin is turning 5 months old on Thursday. He is growing up so fast. He is almost sitting up on his own, and he is scooting around on the floor a lot. With how often he attempts to speak, I wouldn't be surprised if he spoke his first words this week. I know, it's probably still a little too soon. Oh well, I still have some great conversations with him.

Fourth, this week starts a new year in my life. That's right, my birthday. There are some people that don't look forward to their birthdays after a certain age. I don't think that day will ever come for me. I love my birthday. I am exactly as old as I feel. The number doesn't matter. I'll be 31 on Saturday if you were wondering. After still being able to play on a playground with my kids, I don't feel like 31. Though, I may be sore tomorrow.

Camera

I got my camera back. I am so excited. I am going to take so many pictures and that might be all that you see in my posts for a while. The boys are excited too. Jameson wants to take some pictures of me. That might not happen, but we'll see. I decided to let Jameson use my old camera that is already broken. It doesn't take very good pictures, but it will work for him. I know he'll enjoy it.

I am really excited for this long weekend. I probably won't post again for a few days. Scott has three days off work. I get to see him for three whole days. I don't know what we're going to do, but it doesn't matter. We get three whole days together.

Prayer

There is this song that I think explains it best.

What A Friend We Have in Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Words: Joseph Scriven (1857)

I love this song. I admit, I struggle with prayer. I do not meet with my Lord nearly as often as I should. I am working on this. I am going to pray all day long. I am not going to say "AMEN", my prayers are going to be never ending. Continuous time spent in prayer with God is what I crave. I long for Him, my best friend.

Jameson

I was talking to my mom on the phone today, and Jameson and Teagen wanted to talk too. I gave them the phone, each with their own turn. They talked to Grandma for a few minutes each. They have always enjoyed talking on the phone. It's cute too. They think they are important.

Teagen didn't talk too much, but he did tell Grandma that he was watching a movie. Then he told her that he was reading a book that was Jameson's. If you ever talk to him on the phone, don't believe a word he says. He seems to make most of it up.

Jameson was adorable on the phone. He was telling Grandma about a movie that he loves. He watches "Night At The Museum 2". He calls it the scary movie. Grandma told him that she doesn't like scary movies. Jameson told her it was okay because God would protect her. He proceeded to tell her that Jesus died on the cross and then 3 days later he came back alive. He also told her that Jesus is going to come back again.

In just a short time, he has learned so much. He has been asking so many questions, and I have been trying to answer them in a way appropriate for his age. He totally understands it. I don't need to embellish the stories with anything. He gets it. He picks up bits and pieces of things he hears and then comes to ask me any questions he has. I am amazed at his knowledge so far. I now know where our next steps will lead us. He is my little sponge. I am going to start reading my Bible aloud to him for both of our daily devotions. We can both get something out of God word together.

Jameson will be five years old in less than two months. He is growing up so fast. I love you Jameson. Thank you Lord for lightening up my life with this little boy.

Sorry, no pics

I sent my camera in to get fixed. Teagen got a hold of it and now it won't take pictures, so I had to send it in to the manufacturer. Thankfully it is still under warranty. The problem now is, I don't get to take pictures of things that I want to. I do have another camera, but it recently broke as well. It will zoom in, but not out. This means I am walking backwards, tripping over things as I go, trying to get farther away from what I am taking a picture of. It is not a pretty sight. I know you are probably picturing me falling on my rear, but it's not funny, it really hurts. Okay, maybe it is a little funny.

I wish I could have gotten a picture of my fruit bouquet I made last night. I used grapes, canteloupe, strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple. I had these long skewers and just started stabbing fruit and strategically placing it together in a pot. It actually looked pretty cool. There are lots of pictures online of fruit bouquets if you want to see what a professional one looks like. Mine was in no way as good as those, but it was pretty good for what it was.

Wanted to take a picture of Teagen and Gavin looking at each other this morning. They were engaged in an intense conversation. It was adorable, but no camera.

I wanted to take a picture of the frogs that we raised from tadpoles. They are tiny little tree frogs. They climb the walls of their aquarium. Cute and gross at the same time. No camera.

It will only be a couple weeks though. They said that their turn around time for getting the camera back to me would be approx. three weeks. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

In the meantime, please take the time to still read my posts on here. I know it is more fun to look at my amazing photos. I do have some dazzling skills with a camera. Please consider the possibility that I have a skill with words as well.

I love you all, and God Bless.

Will It Ever End?

I can't believe it. It happened again. I am tired of everything. Seriously, what else can go wrong? There have been too many things going wrong in my life right now. I am extremely stressed.

It all started with the big move. My husband's job got transferred. He got a promotion. We were uprooted and moved across the country, from Minnesota to Florida. To make matters worse, cuz we all know that moving in itself is stressful let alone moving across the country, I was pregnant. Our third baby boy was born on April 9th, 2010. Scott left for Florida on April 12th, leaving me alone with a 4yr old, a 2yr old, and a newborn. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that our newborn had a broken arm. Scott returned to Minnesota to bring us to Florida on May 17th. On May 20th we arrived at our new home.

After about a month living here, we really started to feel at home. My stress levels were starting to go down. I still didn't see Scott much, due to his job. He has some very irresponsible employees. Then the car problems started. First our minivan. It needed a new transmission. Not a cheap job. In come the money problems. Then problems start with our other vehicle. I'm not good with cars. They all apparently break down when I am driving them. Twice, I was stuck on the side of the road in a car that wouldn't start.

The transmission is still not fixed, and the car has had multiple problems. First it was the timing belt, then the alternator, than the AC belt. Now the AC doesn't work at all. I am really hoping it's just a fuse, but with my luck, it may just be that the car needs to be junked.

These fixes on our cars are pretty expensive. The cost of living here is also more expensive than MN. We are finding ourselves on an extremely tight budget. We are trying in every way possible to save money.

Now with all the problems that I have already had, you would think that God would say "Okay, she's had enough." Nope, God keeps on throwing things at me. The AC in our apartment decided to start leaking and soak the floor. I ended up with the carpet guys and the maintenance guys here for a couple hours tonight. Finally they say there was a clog in a hose or something. I guess it's fixed. It is actually kind of cold in here now.

All I want to know is, when am I gonna start to see some good things happen in my life. I know I have a lot to be thankful for, but what's up with all the problems. Scott told me to just remember Job. I remember him. God knows that I am not Job. I am not that strong.

Dear Lord I beg of you to make it stop. Take everything and make it better. Help me to remain calm. Lord, please show me your love. In Your Name, Amen.

Bible Verses

These are some Bible verses that I can relate to right now. I have copied them from the NKJV. I hope you enjoy reading them. They have given me so much encouragement.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--


Ecclesiastes 7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

Pslam 62:5-7 My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength and my refuge, is in God.

Psalm 68:19-20 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Our God is the God of salvation; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

Psalm 138:3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.

Psalm 50:15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proberbs 4:23 Keep you heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.



God is my strength.

Lies

Have you ever told a lie?
Have you ever been in a situation where you don't want to tell someone something and you feel you are forced to lie?

What do you do?

Is it polite to refuse to answer a question?

I know that lies are of the devil. I know that truth is in the Lord.

John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

What is a White Lie?

Is one lie worse than another?

I teach my boys that the consequences for not telling the truth are worse than if they just tell me what they did that was wrong. We learn that the act of telling a lie is wrong, yet when someone asks for you to enter your age and/or weight on your drivers license you lie. Some lie when asked "Do I look fat in this?" I know there are those that will not lie about those things, but what would they lie about?

Why can't we all just tell the truth all the time?

Answer: Because we are afraid. Because we have the fear of hurting others or ourselves.

Shopping

I still have a hard time believing how much I get for so little. Yesterday, Scott stopped at Publix for me. The retail amount was $80.88. I spent $30.44. I saved $50.44, or about 62%. This is amazing. I have changed my mind. I actually enjoy grocery shopping now.

Update

I know you really wanted to know, but the tadpoles have sprouted legs. Some of them still don't have them, but quite a few of them do. I guess I should have expected to have a few late bloomers when we have fifteen of them. I know I must be crazy to let my kids have them. We are going to get rid of them as soon as they are fully sprouted.

On a more interesting note, I have been trying to train Gavin on his sleeping habits. He has been waking up a couple times a night for a little while now. I have tried to let him just cry himself back to sleep, but with Scott's work schedule, it doesn't always work. Maybe that's why he's waking up too. Well, we started giving him cereal and he wakes up less often, but it's still an issue. I was really hoping this baby would sleep through the night sooner than the other two. I have fallen back on the old "don't let him fall asleep yet" method.

The other boys are so extremely active, and have so much energy, that I need to drink a pot of coffee every hour just to be able to catch them. If I want to keep up with them, we are talking some major changes in my caffeine intake. I should probably stop drinking so much coffee, but life requires it right now.

Jameson has learned the 23rd Psalm. He knows the whole thing, and only needs a little prompting. Teagen knows the first couple verses with prompting, but it's still adorable. Just picture a 2 1/2 yr old reciting the 23rd Psalm. We will continue to work on it. Next, is the Ten Commandments.

We are working on getting rid of a lot of toys. There is no need for my boys to have as many toys as they do. The have a really hard time picking them all up. If there are less, they may just get them picked up every day. We are keeping the legos to play with only at certain times. We're keeping the blocks, cars, trains, dinosaurs, and army guys. There will be no more toys from kids meals at fast food restaurants in my house.

We are working on potty training Teagen. Any hints or tricks you want to share would be helpful. He is perfectly content to be wet. I can't afford to buy diapers for two kids anymore, so this has to happen.

We just found out that a good friend of Scott's will be staying with us for a couple days at the end of the month. He is Scott's friend, not mine. Pray that we will all be able to get along.

We really like living in Florida. We have decided that we don't know if we would leave here. The only downfall is family. We would really like our families to be closer. I really miss all of you.

My boys

Yes, it's that time. My baby turned 4 months old a few days ago. Gavin tried his first taste of rice cereal. He spit a lot of it out, but in all I think he liked it. I decided to start him on cereal at 4 months because he stopped sleeping through the night. He does know what to do with the spoon, which is a good sign.

My happy middle boy. Teagen loves to laugh. He will crawl up into your lap and tickle your arms or face or neck, ever so gently. It really does tickle. When you laugh or push his arms away, he starts his giggling. It is so contagious. Once you start you can't stop. Don't ever start tickling him, cause you will have him asking "Again?" for the rest of the day.  

My oldest. Jameson is so energetic. I know you can't tell from this picture, but this is the only way I could get a picture that wasn't blurry. He is always moving. If you want to take a picture of him and ask him to say "Cheese" he will, but he does it while jumping or some other elaborate movement. He is the one that is always asking me to come play with him, or if he can help with whatever I am doing. He's my big boy.

My three sons. They are all growing up so fast.

Swagbucks

I am really into saving money, if you couldn't tell from some of my Shopping posts. I am also into making money for doing something I do already. If you haven't yet, you need to check out Swagbucks. It's this really cool idea. You sign up on their website, or you can click on the link that I have here on my blog. After signing up you download their toolbar. A must, because it helps you earn more bucks. You use the toolbar to do any searches you want. Sometimes those searches will earn you swagbucks. You can also get swagbucks by doing the daily poll, taking surveys and many more. You trade in your swagbucks for gift cards. This is the cool part. For just 450 swagbucks you can get a $5 giftcard for Amazon. There are many more places to get giftcards from and other things you can get instead of giftcards. I have only been a member for a few weeks and almost have enough for that Amazon card. It's really easy, and the bucks add up pretty fast. At least they add up faster than any other thing I've tried. I am also a member of Inbox Dollars, and My Points. These are also great, but it takes more time to get anything. Definitely join Swagbucks, and if you are interested in the others as well, I will send you out an email, just let me know.

I'm going to.....

I always start something, but never finish it. Have you ever been there? There are a couple new things I would like to start. I really hope I actually keep up with these.

First, I want to start keeping a journal. You would think that I already do that. It's called a blog. Well my blog is a little different. There are quite a few things that I wouldn't mention here. Let's face it folks, if you can read this, then it's not really a journal. My journal will be private. I decided to put it in a letter format. I am going to write letters to God. I am a little excited to get started. Should I write in a notebook, or start a new file on my computer and type.

Second, I am really interested in getting into the whole runnin thing. I am always hearing about people talking about the marathon's and tri's they are going to run. It's like the new "IN" thing. I am interested in starting. I need to get a new pair of running shoes. I need to get used to the heat, and sweating a lot. I need to get used to pain. I hope I don't get discouraged and never start this. I would love for this to get me in shape, and make me feel better about myself.

Third, I am going to start following a schedule. You know, get up before the kids and start my day. Have specific thing to get done on specific days. This will help me to get things done. I usually forget what needs to be done, and then it never gets done. If I have a list of things that I need to do each day, and I follow that list, I believe things will be a little less hectic around here.

I will let you know how things are going with each of these in a week or two. It may take me a while to start the whole running thing. I want to wait until I get a decent pair of running shoes. I don't really have anything that would be in that category right now, and I don't want to get injured because of not having the right equipment. I need to have the money to buy the shoes first, and we are a little short on cash right now. I would like to buy so many things, that I am trying to patiently wait for.

My sister had her baby yesterday. I wish I was there to hold her. Congratulations little sis on your new addition! Give her a kiss for me.

Update

It is amazing how fast kids grow up. I have been sitting here working on my coupon stuff and my screen saver came on my computer. I have it set up to go through my pictures. Not only can I not tell my kids apart when I look at pictures of them when they were all about 3-4 months, but I have a hard time remembering the older two being that little.

Jameson is so eager to learn. He is asking me every day now, "Is it time for school?" I love his enthusiasm. I hope it continues throughout the year. We are working on teaching him how to read. I have decided that he will receive a gift when he learns how to read. He wants his own Bible really bad. My sister had this idea, and I am going to use it with my kids too. Jameson is so close to learning to read. He knows all the sounds of the letters, it just hasn't clicked that when you put the sounds together they make a word.

Teagen is a little shadow. He follows Jameson around all day and does what he does and says what he says. Jameson likes telling him what to do as well. Teagen is also a huge tease. He will sit there with his finger milimeters away from Jameson saying in his own mumbly words, "I'm not touching you." Jameson will start whining and complaining about this. My mom was right. I used to do that to my sisters and my mom always said, "Just wait until your kids do that." Teagen has such a great sense of humor.

Gavin is great. He is smiling so much now. He is scooting along on his tummy on the floor. Mostly his scooting consists of him just spinning in a circle. He also rolls from front to back to front. If I put him on the floor while I go make lunch, when I come back he is sometimes across the room. He is getting to be a little spoiled. He really likes to be held. He will stop crying immediately when you pick him up. I hope he grows out of it. I really hope he learns how to sit up soon.

Bad Days

The last few days have been a little difficult for me. Thursday started out great. We woke up and did our normal everyday activities. The boys were very well behaved. Then we set out to drive about an hour away for my women's Bible study. I was so excited. I have really been enjoying this book, and I couldn't wait to hear what all the other women thought of it. The discussion was great. We all had different views on the chapters we had read. We talked about the views each of us had. With everyone coming from a different past, it was really interesting and a great learning experience. When the discussion was over, I left to go pick up the boys and go home. Lauren Diaz was watching Jameson and Teagen. They had a lot of fun. My difficult time starts when I was pulling out of their driveway. There was a flapping noise coming from my car. I almost started to cry. I couldn't believe it, more car problems. Glenn, God Bless Him, came out and looked at my car. It was about 11pm. It was only the AC belt. I was able to drive home, but with no AC. I am so thankful for Glenn. We got home and the kids were obviously sleeping. I carried each one of them inside and put them in bed. I didn't get to sleep much, because I just don't anymore. The boys woke up at 6am.

I haven't been getting much sleep at all lately. Maybe because Gavin started waking up in the middle of the night. He used to sleep all night long. It could also be because Scott has been working at night so often lately, that I am going to bed by myself. I just don't sleep well when he's not next to me. I usually stay up until about 11pm. Then I go lay in bed. Lately, even when Scott is there, I haven't been falling asleep until about 1am or 2am. I could go to the doctor and see if their's a problem, but we don't have insurance.

Other than having no sleep, and one more thing going wrong with the car, everything was going fine. That is, until I just crashed. I don't see Scott much because of his job. He has been really busy with hiring and covering the shifts that have to be covered until he hires someone to cover them. Then he has to train people because they don't know how to do their jobs. He needs to learn how to delegate. He thinks he has to do everything. If he leaves something for someone else to do, it doesn't get done. Therefore, Scott ends up working more than he should. We don't see him. This, mixed with my feeling of already being lonely because of being 2000 miles away from my extended family and friends, has taken its toll. I have been feeling a little sorry for myself.

I think I need a vacation. My dream vacations used to involve Palm Trees. Now that my everyday life includes Palm Trees, where do I go for vacation? The answer is somewhere where there is snow. The problem is, I like the Palm Trees. I don't like the snow and cold.

Lord, please help me to realize that I am not alone. You have given me so many great friends down here, and I thank you for that. Please bring me peace through sleep. Please heal my cars. In Your Name I Pray. Amen.

My studies

I have a thirst, or maybe a craving, for knowledge. I am finding that I want to learn. Can you imagine. I went through all those years in school, not doing my homework, and trying in any way possible to not learn. Now, I can't get enough. I want to know everything. I am in the process of reading about 5 books right now. I know that seems like a lot, but I am looking for more.

I am reading and studying the Bible. I am thinking about looking at the book of Romans. I am going to find out everything I can about this book. Everybody, let me know what your favorite verse is in Romans, and why.

I am reading "The New Eve" by Robert M. Lewis and Jeremy Howard. We are studying this book in the women's study group at my church. It is pretty good. I especially like how they have the questions for each chapter. It is a true book to study. I also find myself referencing the Bible. Which, I believe, should be done with any book you read.

I am reading "Bring Up Boys" by James Dobson. This book is a must if you have boys. I now have three of them, so I was a little behind in reading this one. There are a lot of facts and statistics in this book, and all of them are eye opening. I always thought I was alone in the world of being a mommy of wild, out of control boys. Now I know that if you have three boys, God will give you the energy to keep up with them. Instead of trying to stop them from bouncing off the walls, which I always thought was just a saying, but my boys really do run into walls and bounce back, I join in the chaos and we all have a blast. I try to redirect their energy into constructive activities.

I have been really getting into apologetics right now. My pastor gave me a book called "Creative Defense: Evidence Against Evolution". I have only read a few pages, but so far it is really good.

The last book, is called "Prayers of an Excellent Wife" by Andrew Case. I am really excited about this one. I just got it and can't wait to start reading it.

Here are some more that I would like to start reading soon.
The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
The Love Dare by Kendrick?
Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr Kevin Leman
Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham
Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay
How To Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur
What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst

I could probaby go on for quite a while, but I will stop here. I don't know that I will have a chance to read any of these. I am thinking that Jesus will come back before I have a chance to get through even half of them.

Shopping

The total retail was $81.42. After discounts and coupons, I spent $31.18.

I saved a total of about 62%

Crochet

This is the blanket I made for Gavin. It was my first attemp with the Bobble stitch. It was really fun to make, but took quite a while. I am making one now for Jameson. It will also have the Bobble stitch, except it will have just stripes instead of diamonds. I really enjoy crocheting. The only problem I have now is that it is kind of hard to find things to crochet in Florida. There is no point in making blakets down here. You won't get any use out of it. There is a reason to have a nice warm crocheted blanket when you live in Minnesota. Oh well, I still made this Ripple pattern blanket for a member of our church. She is having a baby, and I thought a blanket would be a good idea. I hope she can still use it in this heat. I may just have to make some booties to go with the blanket. I had so much fun making both of these.

I will keep posting my crochet accomplishments here. If anyone has any questions about what pattern I may have used or how to do a certain stitch or maybe you just want to start crocheting. You can ask my anything, and I will help with what I can. Welcome to my world of balls of knotted yarn.