Thank you God!

Thanksgiving....what a wonderful day! I was a little disappointed that I wasn't going to get to go see family this Thanksgiving but what we did do more than made up for it!! I got to be a BIG GIRL and be the main cook at my Thanksgiving! We invited another family from town that wasn't going anywhere this year and we had a blast! I made all the favorites from my childhood and they came out perfect! The turkey was yummy! The ham was yummy! And the company was yummy! Oops...um well, we didn't eat the company but we did have a great time...and I felt like such a grown up doing all that work and having it come out great.

This year I am thankful for my family, of course...that's a given. But I am most overwhelmed by the great provision that the Lord has bestowed upon our family this year! Health, relationships, finanances...He has provided them all over and abundantly! More that we could ever have asked for! And I don't take credit for any of it...it was ALL God, just loving on us; His children. It is so overwhelming to think about all he's done for us this year. So my heart was overflowing with Thanksgiving yesterday and everyday for what the Lord has done for us!

I pray that all my friends and family had a blessed day in the Lord yesterday! Without Him, we would be nowhere!

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Oh my, life has been soooooo full this last couple of months! I have literally been ALL over the state, ALL month! My birthday trip went great! I had so much fun with so many friends! It was truly a time of refreshing. I have some pictures from my trip but haven't uploaded them yet. We've been having numerous computer problems lately, too. I will probably share them on FB when I get them on the computer.
This summer is already filling up. I'm going to be in my best friend's wedding (wait, isn't that a movie? Good thing I'm already married!) in June, July we have Kids Camp, and August we have VBS which I'm in charge of planning!! Wait a minute!!! We still have to fit some camping trips and a family vacation in there somewhere!! Not to mention church bbq's and picnics!! I know I'm going to enjoy every minute of it but I sure am going to be tired!!! Maybe I should hire a maid? Hmm... Wouldn't it be nice?
Oh, I am on a diet and have lost 8 pounds! I was so excited except for the last few days I have been going back up a pound and back down, up, down, up, down.....very irritating. I wish I had a treadmill or stationary bike to ride to help out. Maybe soon.
I wish I was as good at this blogging thing as my friend Christie is....I will try to be better! I promise!!

Yes! Spring IS here!

Wow, life has been so AMAZING! I am just loving the nicer weather. I can send the boys outside to play and mommy stays slightly sane! LOL We are just having an amazing Spring! We had friends over for Spring Break which was so much fun! My lifelong friend, Traci brought her husband and 6 kiddos over for a visit. We had a blast! I don't get visitors very often so I really enjoy them when they are here :)

Right now I am getting ready for my husband to be gone at a conference in Albany. And then when he gets back I am leaving for my week long birthday trip to the Coast....BY MYSELF! Yes! This is the second year that I have gotten to do this and let me tell you, it is much needed. I actually told Norman that I can really use it twice a year...but that's probably not going to happen! When you are a stay at home mommy and you homeschool your kids...you just need to get away for some "YOU" time. It's not that we don't love our little ones, it's just so easy to loose yourself when everything you do revolves around them. Probably doesn't make a lot of sense but it's true! So I'm super excited. First I get to go to a Conference in Lincoln City with my mom for the weekend, and then I get to spend the rest of the week catching up with friends that live in and around Newport. Yay! Happy Birthday to me!! Ok, obviously I'm a little excited and can't think of anything else, much less blog about anything else! I promise to update my blog with the goings ons while I was gone....after I get back!!!

Spring??? is in the air??? or is it Change???

I've sat so many times and stared at this blank screen in the last couple months. There is so much to say but I don't know how to say it. I'm not sure what I'm feeling lately. On the outside everything looks the same. My boys are growing and doing great in school. I continue with the everyday stuff. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of my family. But something inside me aches and wants more of something. I cry pretty easily right now...and those of you who know me know that I'm not a crier.(no, I'm not pregnant and won't ever be again) I feel like change is in the air and if it doesn't happen soon, I might just burst in the waiting of finding out what it is! I know that this is a bunch of babble but thought you might enjoy hearing where I am right now instead of hearing nothing from me! Maybe the visits from friends that are going to happen this month will pull me out of this funk! I love you guys and enjoy hearing from you.....even if you don't hear from me that often!

Merry Christmas Eve!

This week has been so much LESS hectic than last week. It has been so nice to be able to slow down and focus on the birth of our Savior! I have been enjoying my boys and wrapping presents. Not much else besides the normal day to day stuff! Levi has gotten all his schoolwork done and is enjoying a few days off. Benjamin started reading Levi's Noah Webster's Reading Handbook from his schoolwork last year. He is doing great! I didn't know Ben was so ready to start reading! I am super excited which makes him that much more excited! I think we will have 2 kiddo readers in the family before long!

Anyways, I have been focusing on the reason we celebrate this time of year. Trying to sum it up into one word. The best thing I could come up with is LOVE. It was God's amazing love for us that that compelled Him to send His Son to live among us and eventually die for us. Amazing Love. And then there is the issue of commercialism this time of year. Not getting into the fact that a lot of people overspend and then that makes life stressful. Why did it get so commercialized in the first place? That too comes back to LOVE. No really, bear with me here. Is it not our love for our families that drives us to buy gifts for them that will make them happy? Now, I believe that we should not put ourselves into debt for this love. That is why many years we have given the boys a great Christmas but did handmade things or family pictures for other family. So, whether you are a Christian or not....the emotion behind Christmas will always be LOVE. I am thankful that both scenarios work for me....LOVE for God and His great sacrifice for me and Love for my family. Benjamin was starting to be a normal kid this morning and get into who got the BIGGEST present this morning....all I had to do is say his name and he quickly made this statement. "But I know what the BIGGEST present is mommy, it is Jesus....and do you know how He is wrapped??? He is wrapped up in my heart!" Wow, how do you say it any better?

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family out there reading this. May God Bless your Christmas and your New Year! I am truly blessed to have such dear friends.

I'm still here......

Wow, life has been crazy! I haven't had a moment to slow down! It kind of makes me sad a little bit because I really want to enjoy this time of year. Right now I am having fun despite of how hectic it is. The house is decorated and looks great. The boys love the fact that we went all out this year. We have had lots of fun making all sorts of ornaments! Coffee filter snowflakes, q-tip snowflakes and flour and salt ornaments! So much fun! Usually I am extra stressed this month because there is so much to do that Levi gets behind in his school work. The blessing this year is that Levi has been a self starter and hasn't really gotten behind! Thank you Lord! We have our Monday School Christmas Party and Play at our house Friday night and then Christmas Dinner with the people of our church Sunday afternoon. After that is all over with the only thing I really have to focus on is getting presents wrapped! I finally ordered Norman's main Christmas gift this afternoon! I know! It might not even get here before Christmas! He is sooooo hard to shop for, and I did try to get it done before now but had technical problems....Yeah, like $400.00 worth of charges pending on my account when the transaction didn't even go through! Thankfully the company I was dealing with was very nice and helped me resolve that one.....but I still wasn't able to order from them! Oh well, I found him something pretty cool that I'm not going to name on here just incase he decides to read this :) Anyways, if I don't get to post anything before Christmas I wanted to wish all my friends a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! Forget the happy holidays, I still believe that Christ is the reason for Christmas! Now that I say that I am a little convicted that I have focused on so many other things than Christ so far this season....Please forgive me Lord! I will try harder!

I'm so Thankful!

I don't know why but I chose to take a picture of our table right before we sat down to eat this year. Actually, Norman took the picture! We decided to stay home this year because we have been traveling so much this last month and the weather conditions weren't the best. I felt ok about it because I have seen a lot of my family lately....even though I did miss them when the time came to sit down and eat! We had quite a bit of food for 5 people!! I think I could have actually fed at least 20 more! We had a 20 pound turkey and cranberry stuffing, mashed potatoes, Second best sweet pototoes, Grandma' green jello salad, green bean casserole, homemade rolls, olive and pickle dish, vanilla pumpkin pie, and pecan pie! Whew!! We have been eating leftovers everyday since!

I am so thankful this year! I am thankful for my family and my husband. I am thankful that God has provided for our family every month this year. I am thankful that I get to stay at home with my boys instead of going to work everyday. Been there, done that, don't want the t-shirt! I am thankful that God has taught me what it is like to live without comfort zones concerning Him and what He asks me to do for Him. I have really stretched spiritually this year and hope that it continues....but I also know that THAT is up to me!!

Anyways, I know it's been awhile since you have heard from me....we've been dragging the boys around the state for the last month! I will try and post some pictures soon, but I'm not promising nuthin'! LOL!