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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Love Challenge - Week #3

Sorry to post this a couple of days late, but here's the link to
Week #3.
 
This is going to be a lot of fun!
 
 
 
 
 
 
I am off to complete my challenge!!!Wink,Wink;pp

Monday, January 28, 2013

Love Challenge #2

So how did the

Love Challenge from Courtney at Women Living Well
go this week?

Was it easy or challenging?
Did you make the time to utter some encouraging words to your husband?
I hope you did!
I was presented with several opportunities throughout the week to let him
know he still makes my heart skip a beat when he walks into a room:)
He actually blushed a couple of times when I praised him!
He is a wonderful and Godly man and he sacrifices quite a bit for our children and myself. I never want to forget how incredibly unselfish and giving he is.

So, now on to Week #2


Love Challenge - Week #2






I plan to do at least a couple of projects for him during the week.
I will let you know what I come up with!
What are you planning to do for your hubby?
Take a minute and share your ideas.
I would love to see what you come up with!

Until next time!

 

Monday, January 21, 2013

Love Is In The Air!

 
 
 
I love my husband!
I am deliriously in love with him and we have a wonderful marriage,
 but there are days that I forget to tell him how important he is to me.
I become a little too consumed with things that don't matter.
He is an incredible husband and a remarkable father and needs to be reminded of it.
I want to offer him words of affirmation and love, instead of criticizing.
I wonder how much more could be accomplished if I took a little extra time to tell him instead of just thinking it?Hmmm....
 
 
 
Courtney over at Women Living Well has issued a :
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I am taking the challenge!
How about you?
What harm could it do?
Seems to me that any time spent investing in your marriage is definitely time well spent.
Take the challenge with me!
Drop me a comment to let me know if you are going to join in the challenge.
 
Love ya!
 
 


Sunday, January 20, 2013

Memory Board

 I shared with you last time that out sweet Bethany turned 12. We enjoyed a fun-filled day with her. The girls of the house went to Panera Bread for breakfast. The guys here aren't too keen on eating there (crazy I know!), so they went to Men's breakfast at our church instead.
Either way, I think everyone was happy.










After breakfast, we went to the zoo. We could not believe how beautiful the weather was!
(It was almost shorts weather. I can't remember ever being able to be outside for Bethany's birthday, because the weather is always yucky or too cold.)
The zoo is always one of our favorite places to go. I thought it was interesting for Bethany to choose to go there. Still part of that inner "little" child conflict, maybe? Hmm, I suspect next year it will not be on the top of her choices for places to celebrate her birthday. Until then, we will continue to enjoy these type of outings.
It was just a nice day to celebrate her.






This year for her birthday, I wanted to find a memory board for her room. She has been putting her pictures up with sticky tack and I desire something a little more orderly.WOW! I was astounded at how expensive these little boards of fabric and ribbon could be.  I even saw one online for $60. Yes, you read that right! I just wanted something simple. At that price it had better be able to snap, print, and put the pictures on the board itself! So, a trip to Hobby Lobby was definitely in order.

I knew that basically the board is like a canvas with fabric and ribbon on it, unless you are wanting to use thumbtacks on it. Then you would need to buy a cork board. Bethany just wanted one for her many photos that she has.

I purchased a canvas and let Bethany choose the fabric and ribbon for it. She chose a beautiful aqua print designed by Brother Sister Studios. Then she chose a brown and white polka dot ribbon and brown buttons for the embellishment.
This project took literally 20 minutes to complete!Certainly my kind of project:)

Supplies you will need:
1 artist canvas - size depends upon your preference, we chose the 16 x 20
fabric of your choice - I bought 1 yard of fabric, because I wanted to double the fabric to give it a
                                    a thicker look. This will also depend upon the size canvas you will use.
 2 rolls of coordinating ribbon - I used the 3/8 in x 15 ft ribbon roll and only used 1/3 of the second
                                                    roll
staple gun
glue gun
embellishments




Begin by ironing your material. If you did purchase extra, go ahead and fold in half.
Place canvas on top of fabric and cut any excess. Just be sure to leave enough to make the corners look neat.
I used the staple gun to secure the fabric in one spot on the frame so that I could get it nice and tight on each long side.
Then begin with the corners. After you are finished with those, then you can move on to the sides. Just check to make sure that your fabric stays taut.






Next comes the ribbon. I did not measure. I know all my perfectionist friends just gasped! I felt like living a little on the edge with this project. I simply stapled one end of the ribbon on the back and crossed it over the front and then stapled it on to the opposite side on the back, cutting as I went.








Then repeat the process going
the other way.





Once I had the ribbon in place, I stapled the ribbon at the cross points to make sure the pictures had a secure place to rest.
Then add your embellishments. Bethany chose some brown buttons that I had and I hot-glued them on. You could mix and match different colors. Whatever makes you happy! There are so many things you could do. Buttons, flowers,wooden letters,etc...

Voila! You now have a fast and inexpensive memory board!






I am thinking these would make great birthday presents. The possibilities are endless.
Oooohhh, I think I even just solved my ever-present problem of coming up with a unique birthday gift.YAY!

So, now I off to make my boys one! I am thinking basketball, football, soccer....

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

How Can This Be????

Today our "baby" turns 12.Where did this "tween" come from? We just brought her home from the hospital, I thought....


    •              We prayed for her constantly before she was even born. 
    •              She was our first and she spoiled us.
    •              We were afraid we would damage her. She was early and so little.
    •              She constantly entertained us (and still does.)
    •              Being the firstborn, she definitely exhibited a take-charge attitude from the very                                            beginning.            
    •              We  always knew she was the smartest child in her class. (We just  didn't have the heart  to inform the other parents of this.:)
    •               She was daddy's girl and mommy's baby.

                          






 Now, I am  noticing little changes that are taking place:


    •              She is becoming a young lady.
    •              She is subtly pushing for independence. 
    •             Trying to reign in her changing emotions.
    •              Taking more time to get ready to go somewhere. She wants to look nice, but is conflicted with that inner "little kid" who doesn't really care how she looks.
    •              Wanting to spend more time with her friends, yet not wanting to miss out with her                     family.                  
    •               People are beginning to see her as a "dependable young person" which makes us     extremely proud.







       I know these are all things that must take place, but it still doesn't make it easier. I look forward
to watch what God has in store for her, but it is still so hard to witness all the changes. She is a beautiful  child/young lady and my heart feels as if it will be burst sometimes when I watch her playing with her brothers and sister. I want to will time to stop so she will stay a child and always want me to act silly with her or need me to kiss her booboos. However, I know it is not to always be this way. One day she will be kissing her baby's booboos. Until that time I will take every opportunity to thank our Heavenly Father that we were the ones chosen to raise this incredible gift from Him.  Happy Birthday my precious girl!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Let's Try This Again!

When I started this blog, my intentions were to post something every day or at least weekly. Well, I have done a bang up job so far haven't I? Gee whiz! This thing called 'life" just kind of took over. I enjoy being busy, but not to the point that I can't catch my breath. Everything around me begins to suffer because of it. Also, you end up not doing the things you enjoy, but more-so the things everyone else enjoys. ( I am really not trying to sound selfish!) This picture of our youngest kind of sums it all up:










So my resolution for 2013 is to just S-L-O-W down. A lot. A whole lot.
  • I don't want to rush through my quiet time with God, because it's something I "have" to do. I want to take the time to  understand and accept what God is showing and teaching me. Work on the areas of my life that I tend to want to keep "off-limits" to Him.
  • Take time to enjoy the incredible husband and wonderful marriage that God has blessed me with. This year for Christmas, I gave my husband a years worth of dates. I told him that this was as much for me as it was for him.I don't want this time in our lives to pass by and we regret not taking more time to invest in "us" First up is dinner out, without children!
  • I want to take time to sit and watch our children grow. It hit me recently, that our oldest is literally one year away from the teens.WHAT?!?!? My husband is old enough to have a child that age, not me.Right?
There are so many other things I could add to that list, but I think you have the idea. So, bare with me as I try to start this journey, again. Hopefully, I have slowed down enough to post more regularly.

Now, onto tastier things. My family has recently battled the flu. We had three out of four children with it and the lone hold out had all the upper respiratory junk that is going around.All of this at Christmas. My close friends just gave a sigh, because they know I didn't get to attend any of the after-Christmas sales. BOO! So, anyway, needless to say we went through a lot of medicine and tried just about every home remedy I came across. I was just short of liquoring them up. JUST KIDDING! (kind of, hehehe.) While going through some of my old recipes, I came upon one for "Russian Friendship Tea". This has always been one of my favorite drinks. So, I thought I would just share the recipe with you and let you try it for yourself. Trust me, it can become a tad addicting. I think I had maybe 3 cups the first night I made it. Enjoy! Or as it is said in Russian "Наслаждайтесь",  I think....


Russian Friendship Tea
2 1/2 C. Instant orange drink mix, such as Tang
1 1/2 C. Instant lemonade mix
1 1/2 C. Instant unsweetened tea
1/2 c.     sugar or equivalent substitute sweetener       
1 tsp.     ground ginger
1 tsp.     ground cinnamon
1 tsp.     ground all-spice
1/2 tsp.  ground cloves

In a large bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until combined. Then place in an airtight container.

This makes A LOT! I have had about 5 mugs full, plus filled 6 little baggies with some for friends. Also, I have filled a half-pint jar full for a neighbor and I still have probably about 3 Cups left to use. Yay me!

When you are ready to drink:

Add 1 tbsp. or more to mug of boiling water.
Stir and add more sugar/sweetener if necessary. (Honey is also a great additive to this.)






I can not give any one person credit for this recipe, as I have drank this ever since I was a child. There are several recipes on Pinterest, but the one I have is pretty much identical to what is shown on those boards. Also, I am unsure where I even got the recipe to begin with. Let me know what you think.