I-HEART: We're All In This Together - Teaser

I have felt so connected to Haiti this last year. I feel like God is not letting me turn my eyes away from all the pain and hurt that is happening there. I am so so emotional about it. I guess I am praying that you will be too. So many people just turn their heads. We have so much, and they have so little... the amount of left-overs we have would be the amount of food they might get in a week. Really think about this... praying that God will convict your heart the way He did mine.

http://haitirescuecenter.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/how-was-your-tuesday/

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today has been such a good day. It started off rocky with rushing to get everything done before our pictures this morning and then feeling like a fool for underdressing. Thankfully I had a skirt at my mother in laws and borrowed a sweater from my sister in law.. phew!! I just felt so awful, like I had messed up the whole picture. Anyway, it worked out and the kids all were really good. I even got to do a french manicure (help of my SIL too) and i had hoped to get that done for the wedding I am in this weekend!

The girls are taking naps now and I am leaving feedback for my Ebay purchases.   I have come to think it is extremely smart to shop on Ebay.  #1 You save a lot of money, and #2 You can usually find what you're looking for.  Everything is so expensive these days... for example at Gap, there's a cute coat i wanted for kate, but it was $60.  Sorry, I just won't spend that much money on a coat that can only be worn two years at the most. I want to be thrifty and use my money wisely.  I found a matching coat for Kate, and a red pea coat that will look just darling on her, in MINT condition!! soooooooooooooooo excited. 

I got this Christmas journal off of Amazon a few years ago, and i needed another one. They were sold out, or you had to pay an arm and a leg for it, so I hopped on Ebay and found a book store that was selling them, brand new, for $13 plus free shipping.  So, I opened my package today, and there were two extra books included: "Grace For You" by John MacArthur, and "A Read-Aloud Family Christmas, A collection of Classic Christmas Stories".  Wow! Someone is using their business as a ministry. I am so thankful for that. I hope she is a blessing to many.

so glad that's over!

Made my first bread bowl last week some time... it was a bit big, and not that it was a ton of work, but more than i'm willing to make just for soup!  I actually would have preferred just a little bread on the side;  it was too much bread for me.  Anyway, broccoli cheese was awesome.

tea party using Abraham and the three visitors story

Today I went to GF because I was out of diapers and other things... so I went with the kids, and they were surprisingly well. We stopped at michaels first, mostly because I knew if i went to target first, i would not get to the other stores I wanted. Isn't that the truth?!  So i got what i wanted, and then went into Old Navy, and then to Target. We ate lunch there, sadly but most convenient, and then got some stuff. It had started to snow quite a lot and was scared that the wind would pick up, plus i had to drop something off for my MIL, so i got what i needed and went home. I still got home at 2 pm! It's hard work goin by yourself!  Naps were missed, but we played with play dough and i bought chalk, finally, for their easel. I was pretty much ticked the whole day but overall happy how today went. I am totally relaxing right now with a heating pad and an episode of Sarah's House.  Wish I had some hot cocoa!

here to stay

The snow is here to stay.. i'm not sure how i feel about that! Today i sang in church, taught Sunday school, and then peter helped a little after church setting up chairs for our harvest banquet. I am looking forward to going tonight, without the kids!

We had a really good weekend, I think anyway. Friday we just played around and had date night; Saturday i made some muffins and ate breakfast and did some visiting; then in the afternoon during naps I stained most of my picture window!!  I didn't at all think i'd get that far, but thanks to my sister kelsey who helped sand, I finished all but the actual inside of the windows and the grills. Now i have to put another coat of stain b/c it's not as dark as i'd like, and then varnish, sand, repeat. So it will still be a long process but it is not as overwhelming as it seemed even just a couple days ago. I had a bad experience staining a door this summer and it went AWFUL! But this experience was much better!!

This week we're going to try to finish it completely so that we can just be done, and i will try to do some more christmas shopping, online. I am most likely going to GF tomorrow so maybe I can get a couple things done then, too.  Well i am going to rest since it's Sunday... more later!

feels like a saturday

it feels like a saturday today, except peter has been gone all day. Today has been a pretty good day!  The girls have been fighting and hitting eachother a lot more than usual. It is hard not to yell at them... they are starting to really hit hard, push, and tackle. They used to do this a lot before but now it seems just so aggressive and more frequent.

Tonight is date night!  We are watching Faith Like Potatoes. I've heard it was a good movie.  Lately I have been having fun coming up with things I can pack my box for the Joy Swap I am participating in. My partner lives in NC,.  I have been thinking about ideas and my first order came in the mail today. I am so excited! I know i will buy probably a lot from the Warren Pharmacy, they have such cute christmas decorating items!

I have been wrapping a few gifts, and have some in my Que online, ready to be ordered when I get a few more ideas for the girls for christmas.  I've only gotten about 4 fully done, but the others won't take long once i can get to GF by MYSELF!!  I could get so much done, i bet. Anyway, i better go, more later!

in need

I hate to be so depressing, but I am so sad about Haiti. More and more kids are getting sick..as if it wasn't hard for them to stay alive because of poverty, now this.  I feel so helpless, I can only hope God will answer my prayers. I hope you will consider praying for them during this awful time. Visit their link.

I can't remember the last time I wrote on here; it wasn't too long ago but still feels like a while ago.  I haven't been up to very much, Mondays are my days when I try to get all the laundry done and most of the cleaning or straightening up.  Yesterday I spent time trying to do Christmas gifts (ordering what i can online) and then last night I went to bible study. This morning I would normally go to my Beth Moore bible study but I don't have anyone to watch the kids, and then tomorrow morning I am going to my voice lessons.  Today Peter is at a meeting in Crookston all day, so I am sure it will be an extra long day. It always helps when he comes home for lunch to break up the day, but I dont think he will be home until at least 6.

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already next week! Then next weekend I have my friend's wedding. It will be a busy week I think. I wonder if it will ever slow down!!!

catching up

Kate has sure been in the kitchen far more than I ever got to growing up in my own home.  That is good, though. I am happy to give her that experience! Last weekend, before deer hunting, we roasted a pumpkin, made the pumpkin seeds, and then made a home-made cheesecake. It really was good.  Today, I am needing to make another cheesecake for my friends bridal shower tomorrow, and then plan to visit my sister who recently had some work done to her jaw. (Because of braces)  Yesterday we went to Grand Forks for groceries, and the kids did not get naps. Usually that is fine.... but yesterday they were soo cranky!  So we put them to bed right at 8, and as I type this, it's 8:44 a.m., and kate just got up. Boy, did she need her rest.  Maddy did wake up at 6:45 but I scooped her up to sleep with me, and she's still in my bed.    PTL!  I got to sleep in til 8:15, so even I got to enjoy some me time before the kids got up, which is so so nice.  I am looking to redo or, redecorate the upstairs guest bedroom.  I am trying to find some different bedding, and then curtains, and then wall color.  I can't do much about the carpet or the slanted ceilings, but I do want to improve. If you have any good sites on shabby chic, or french country, that is the look I am going for. 

gone

Today has been bittersweet. I spent my time at two bible studies today, and that is always rewarding. The bitter part, is that two girls died at the rescue center. For whatever reason, that is so hard for me. In the same way I feel sadness, I feel thankful to get such a reminder of how precious life is and all that I have to be thankful for. I spent a lot of time in prayer today, though I don't think it was remotely as much as God wanted me to be, but I am learning. I tried to do a media fast too, but I couldn't go on without checking to see how the girls were doing. When I logged on, I had found out one had died the night before, and the other just minutes before. That helped me to be able to pray this afternoon, but I was mad at myself that i could not just forget about the internet. I am curious to see how those who do fast, whether from food or other things, spend their time fully. I was in prayer in and out through out the day but when the girls napped, i was silent for a while to listen to God and so that the holy spirit would intercede because let's face it, we don't always know what we should pray about. But then after 20 or so minutes, I got tired and took a nap.   Ugh.  I guess i am just in a sad mood so I don't feel like talking about anything... below is a link to the website i follow whenever there's updates.  Just pray for them.

Rescue Center

Organized this week!

It's been a little while since I last wrote... It has been a fun weekend.  I went to my husband's cousin's home in Fargo for less than 24 hours.  I didn't stop anywhere, which was so nice. I went to get away, and it ended up being tons of fun! I got to take some pictures of Olivia, her 1 year old sweetie.  I don't ever remember my kids being that smiley!

Yesterday I had tons of laundry to do, being it is laundry day, I got all of it done and even put away! I was trying to be super efficient. I chose easy meals to make so I could keep trucking along and we even got to play outside for a tish. It is my goal this week to de-clutter and throw things out. Yesterday I worked on the front living room. Though Peter could not tell I spent all of nap time working on it, I did make a dent. I dusted, I went through old cds, filed things, cleaned out the summer shoes, the hosier cabinet, and the closet. I also threw away tons of old catalogs. I am hoping that both Peter and I can start staining our window this week.  My goal is to have most things organized and cleaned so that when I do have company, it doesn't take all day to clean. I am hopeful that closets will get deeply cleaned, and corners will have no junk in them. My craft room needs at least two hours of attention! 

Well better go start my day!

Finally!

 "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God? GOOD! Even the demons believe that--and shudder"   -James 2: 18-19

Last night when I was doing my beth moore bible study, I came across a paragraph she wrote that really hit the tail on the donkey for me.  I had been wanting to explain this theory in my head, but could never figure out the right words, or scripture references, to do it.   It is sad to me that so many people think they're saved. Saved, meaning, going to heaven.  They think, I believe in God, so I am going to heaven.  That's not 100%  true.  Here is what Beth Moore had to say about that:

(This bible study is on Paul, and Paul was wholeheartedly for persecuting Christians. One day, while on his way to imprison more believers, God struck down through a blazing, bright light in mid-day.  God  took away his sight,  and asked him "Saul, why do you persecute Me?" ) Read Acts 9: 1-31 for the full story.  Saul was converted. So, Saul began to preach of the Good News, instead of cheering on the murders of Christians)

 How did the Greeks respond to hte good news?  Answer: Many believed. Many turned to the lord.

The two responses above are crucial to the understanding of true conversion. The people did not simply believe. James 2:19 tells us even the demons believe.  We can believe Christ is the Son of God, be convinced He died and rose again for the sins of mankind, but still be lost. That's head knowledge. When I personalize Christ's gift of grace on the cross, I am saved. That's heart knowledge. Look back at Acts 11:21. One difference between the head and the heart lies in the word turned. Head knowledge doesn't always change a thing. Heart knowledge does. Life turns at that moment. We can't just go back to living as if nothing happened. The externals may evolve more slowly as we break habits and alter lifestyles, but the internals change instantaneously. Life takes an inevitable turn.

 So i just had to share that.

study

I am about to go to my beth moore bible study. Luckily my husband brought the kids to my mother in laws so i don't have to drive out there to drop them off, drive back into stephen, and drive to our church. I usually am on the road for at least 35 minutes.  I always look forward to Wednesdays. It seems being at church or at bible studies is the only way my heart fully feels whole and full. I can't explain it, but when I come home to what the world has, i feel empty. The only thing that gets me through the day is my children and husband.  And sometimes that isn't even enough.  I remember yesterday feeling like I had an empty day... so last night when I was reading my B. Study, i felt whole again.  The void was filled and I love that feeling.  I wish more and more that I had the discipline to right away in the morning start off with my material - though i'd have to wake up at at least 6 am. 

Yesterday I read Genesis 11 to the girls. It was the story of the Tower to God, and I told them how God was not happy with that.  Then we built our own tower with blocks and replicated it, and then played with counting and patterns of colors. It was a good theme. Then last night, we worked on some letters. Big A and little a.  She is getting pretty good.  Well, I better go,  God bless!

crafts this week