question of the day....

so my question of the day and probably the year is this:   why clean if it will just get messy in half a day?  I wonder if everyone struggles with this?  It is so tiring! I feel like I need a class on how to keep up!

Today was fairly busy again... we got garland, tools for staining, and tried to clean up. and 3 loads of laundry. I got half of the cleaning done late last night while the girls were sleeping, and by the time naps came, I couldn't tell that I had done anything the night before.  Oh well.  I also decorated my window boxes outside, which meant I had to take all the fall decor down and start over. I spent about an hour and a half outside. It was actually refreshing! I played with Maddy because she had gotten up from her nap and then I showered and got ready for my brother in law's birthday celebration.  We came home, gave the girls a snack and got them to bed, and I looked around the house in disbelief and plopped myself on the couch to pout about a messy house :)   I am learning more and more to not care so much about keeping up, but it is still nice every once in a while to keep a clean house, clean. I think being busy the last 4 days has really caught up with me because tonight I could hardly keep my eyes open.  I remembered I had to pack Christmas cards for church tomorrow so I got up and did that, and decided to have a snack... so here I am, at my dining room table, eating an english muffin and blogging. 

The next two weeks are going to be jam packed with events and short hotel trips and parties, etc.  It is almost overwhelming because I know that Christmas will come and go, and that makes me so sad! Mostly because I am loving Christmas music..... I haven't even started baking yet, which I have found that I am really not a baker. I like making cheesecakes and ice cream, and festive desserts, but when it comes to baking cookies I just don't have a huge interest (unless I have help). I suppose I should start though, so I have some goodies for visitors. I am hosting a Christmas party on the 15th and I haven't yet decided what I will make. While in Fargo this last couple days, I found a ravioli stamp that I am dying to try. Not sure what I will fill them with but I have a really good recipe for the pasta and I would love to try a squash filling.or pumpkin. cheese would be good.  and spinach.  Maybe this week I will experiment.  At least I would be able to make them ahead of time and just refrigerate them - pasta is always so good, and so easy. Well I am just blabbing on - my bed is calling my name!  I know church will come early tomorrow.

Nite.

God answers... big!!

The last three days have been quite unique. Wednesday I spent the day praying hard for Haiti, asking for all sorts of miracles.... practically demanding God that he give them hope. In the past bible studies or the radio, I've learned it's okay to wrestle with God; to cry out to Him, to be aggressive in our prayers. To be specific in our prayers. That's just what I did on Wednesday. I have been struggling hard with why I am feeling so sensitive and so compassionate for the Haitians. It's nothing I've ever experienced before... and for me, I feel like there is something more to it than just feeling "bad" for those who are suffering.  Why has God laid this on my heart?  I want to do something BIG! But, sometimes it's not all about me. Maybe for now, God is just using me to pray diligently and fervently. And I need to be okay with that. I can't help but feel helpless, like I am not contributing at all. But I really am. I never really knew how important prayer was, especially when I am totally surrendered.  Like many others who prayed Wednesday, we didn't know that God would answer big.  Wednesday night someone had written in to match up to $1,000 given to Haiti for families that are struggling to feed their children. Children who are so malnourished their skin is rotting.  I was hopeful that there'd be at good amount and was excited for my chance to donate to make it to $1,000. (for a total of $2,000).  

Thursday we were blessed enough to go Christmas shopping by ourselves in Fargo for about 24 hours, including an over-night stay.  So when we arrived in our hotel, I could hardly wait to see how much was left to donate. I opened up the website to Haiti Rescue Center, and I see over $9,000 has been donated!! I was totally prepared to donate to them, and I still will, but not at this time. That specific need was met. So far, the last three opportunities to serve and financially donate somewhere, either someone has already fulfilled the need or it never worked out. For me, this means a door has been closed and this is not what God wants us to do at this time. Last year we donated to an Infant Formula Food Program in Nigeria, and I feel this is where God wants us to give again.  It is so comforting to know that God is directing us and will literally close doors if it is not the right decision, or better yet, if it is to work out, it will work out perfectly. 

This Christmas season, for sure, has been such a blessing to give. I hope you can experience it too!

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!