my sister and kids

My sister and her kiddos are here! Yipee!! we spent the day together, swam at dads and had a picnic with mom's family - a party for Adam. What a fun time!!!

She's staying over tonight - they leave for London on Thurs. (sigh, sob!) but will return for a few weeks at the end of Aug. I am so thankful for our family.

God is good!

Grace lost...

her glasses, has anyone seen them?

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Time Management

A Time and a Season

Key Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to harvest.A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.A time to cry and a time to laugh.A time to grieve and a time to dance.A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.A time to embrace and a time to turn away.A time to search and a time to lose.A time to keep and a time to throw away.A time to tear and a time to mend.A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.A time to love and a time to hate.A time for war and a time for peace.

Mom’s Reflection

“A time for everything” seems like a simple concept. But it’s not so simple when it comes to the family calendar. It’s amazing how quickly we fill up our time with so many different activities. It is almost as if we believe that we must do everything, and we must do it now! Why do we let ourselves get so busy? Maybe we’re afraid our kids will be left out or fall behind if we don’t sign them up for certain sports or activities. Maybe we commit ourselves to certain things just because we’re asked to, and we don’t like to say no.
Wisdom tells us that we don’t need to do everything right now. There is a time and a season for everything! So instead of automatically signing the kids up for art lessons, T-ball, gymnastics and Scouts, let’s slow down and rethink our schedules. Let’s take a deliberate look at what is necessary and prudent, and learn to say no. Let’s change the pace of life from doing everything all at once to doing the right things at the right time. Let’s ask the Lord what He would have us do this year, and save the rest for another time.

My Prayer

“Wise and loving shepherd of my soul, I praise You for the way You care for me. Thank You for taking an interest in the details of my life and the lives of each of my family members. Please give me wisdom to know what my family and I should do with our time. Help me to recognize the season we are in and the activities that are necessary and appropriate. Guide us in the right direction, so we can glorify You in all that we do. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.”

This week I’m praying for: ____________________

My Choices

This week I will choose to take a deliberate look at my family’s schedule of activities.
This week I will choose to pray for direction in how we use our time.
This week I will choose to use my time wisely each day.
This week I will choose to: ____________________

For Further Reading: Psalm 90

This devotion was taken from the Assembly of God's Moments for MOMs email.

Reprinted from The Power of a Positive Mom Devotional and Journal by Karol Ladd, Howard Publishing Co., Inc., ©2006.

Available through Gospel Publishing House at www.gospelpublishing.com.

If you've enjoyed Moments for Moms, check out the other e-newsletters being offered by Women's Ministries at http://www.womensministries.ag.org/newsletters.

house pics from this week

Proof that my husband is not IDLE!

a few more house pics

HAHA - you can see my pregnant reflection in the door of the first photo - I was preggers with Elliana during the summer of July 2005 - that's when most of the remodel began.

remodel pics

Brian has been working so hard for over three years on our house. Here are a few pics~

Daddy has big shoes to fill!

Ellie turned three yesterday!!

my computer is acting strange, or I'd post more details.

devotion

God’s Glorious Restoration

Key Scripture: Ezra 9:8,9

But now we have been given a brief moment of grace, for the Lord our God has allowed a few of us to survive as a remnant. He has given us security in this holy place. Our God has brightened our eyes and granted us some relief from our slavery. For we were slaves, but in his unfailing love our God did not abandon us in our slavery. Instead, he caused the kings of Persia to treat us favorably. He revived us so that we were able to rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruins. He has given us a protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

Mom’s Reflection

Have you ever lost hope? Have you ever come to a point where you thought the circumstances or relationships in your life were so broken that they could never be restored? Surely that’s how the people of Israel felt when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed in 586 B.C. and they were taken as exiles to Babylon. There seemed to be no hope for restoration of their Temple or their nation. But God made a way. Over a period of many years, He worked in the lives of some of His faithful servants and in the heart of the king of Persia. Eventually, the people were allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple—and their hope was restored in the process.
Our God is a redeeming, restoring God. He may not restore your situation in the exact way or along the same timetable you would have planned, but you can take hope in His mighty power and perfect work. He is able to restore relationships. He is able to restore circumstances. He is able to redeem lives.

Without a doubt, the greatest redemption of all took place when the Lord delivered us from the slavery of sin and restored us to a right relationship with Him through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. I love how Ezra says, “Our God has brightened our eyes.” Let’s rejoice in God’s redemption of our souls. And may our bright eyes reflect the bright hope we have in Him!

My Prayer

“Redeeming Lord and wonderful Father, I praise You, because You have redeemed my life from the pit and crowned me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. Thank You for the hope I have in You! You are the one I trust to bring restoration to my broken circumstances. I know the plan You have for my life is far bigger than I can see. Give me strength and patience to wait for Your perfect work. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.”
This week I’m praying for: ____________________

mYChoices

This week I will choose to place my hope in my loving heavenly Father.
This week I will choose to stop focusing on my problems.
This week I will choose to pray for God’s restoration and redemption in my circumstances.
This week I will choose to: ____________________

For Further Reading: Psalm 103
Jesus came not only to teach but to save, not only to reveal God to mankind, but also to redeem mankind for God.―John R. W. Stott

Hope, child, tomorrow and tomorrow still, and every tomorrow hope; trust while you live. Hope, each time the dawn doth heaven fill, be there to ask as God is there to give.—Victor Hugo

Reprinted from The Power of a Positive Mom Devotional and Journal by Karol Ladd, Howard Publishing Co., Inc., ©2006.

Grace is 7 today!

Oh my! My big girl Grace Isabelle turned 7 today! It's so hard to believe! She also picked up her glasses - she looks so much older all of the sudden! We swam at dad's and had cake (again) tonight - it was nice. The kids REALLY loved swimming! We need to do it more often!

At 7 Grace loves:

• her brothers and Ellie
• riding her bike
• riding her scooter
• eating candy or drinking lemonade and sometimes tea
• playing on the computer - mostly barbie.com or something girlie that is fashionable
• she loves make up and jewels or jewlery
• dressing up
• sidewalk chalk
• swimming
• swinging
• playing piano
• writing songs
• going for walks
• being sneaky - you gotta keep your eye on this one!!!
• crafty things
• play dough
• writing letters to others - mostly "I love Mom" or "I love Dad" - so cute!!!
• picking on her siblings - she is a real instigator!
• laughing - she has the BEST belly laugh!!!
• snuggling
• her iPOD - worship music, Hanna Montana, Jonas Brothers, Aly and AJ
• nintendo DS - Petz game or Hannah Montana
• painting her nails
• she likes her arms rubbed with my finger nails
• or she likes her back rubbed
• she likes to give back rubs - yippeee!!! Brian usually gets them from her

She is a fun girl! Growing too fast for her mom! I always dreamed of being a mom to a fun, smart & beautiful girl - Grace is such fun and a blessing!

pictures later...

blessings

I am thankful for:
Jesus
my husband
my healthy kids
my family - mom, Heather, dad and everyone else
Brian's family - everyone of them
my friends - so many - Tara, Nik, Jen, Cath, I've been so blessed
our church
our home & all of the things Brian has done to make it so pretty
my job with Penn State BKC
my neighbors - Denny and Deanna are super!
internet
blogging
toothbrushes
Brian being so hard working
summer days
MOPs
my sister and her kids
fun in the simple things
all of my senses
being a mom
my bed - sleep # 35 ~ I'm heading there now!

Summer Lovin and thoughts

Happy 4th! Have a safe holiday weekend!

We have fun plans for fire works!! The kids are pumped!! We did a few sparklers tonight - the expressions on their faces was totally priceless. Brian and I were supposed to go out to a movie, but plans changed unexpectedly - a TOTAL blessing! My kids amaze me! They are so much fun! Crazy at times, yet SO MUCH STINKIN fun!!!

I'm thinking about Heather. So much is going on for her. Moving is so big. Especially moving to another country. However, my yummy husband has agreed to start a London fund! Wahoo!!! We are starting to think about our trip there in the spring, any suggestions on what we should do with our four silly kiddos? tickets at $1000 each for air fair doesn't sound like they will be traveling with us! Plus an eight hour flight and the time difference. Yikes, that would be a disaster in the making for them. Please pray for wisdom for all of us. Heather especially, I believe she could use some Godly wisdom and insight. she has a lot of tough choices to make in the next few weeks.

be blessed my dear friends! my faithful blog readers and dear friends - Tina, Nicole, maybe Darlene, maybe Amy Seybert - a long lost friend from high school, Amber, and Carrie! I so appreciate all of your encouragement.

I'm looking forward to next Friday! I'll be away for a MOPs conference - see you there Carrie!!! The ministry will be amazing. Our speakers are powerful women of God. I'm looking forward to the teaching as well as the fellowship. I am in great need of a refreshing of the Lord, I'm so hungry for His word and direction. Praying for revelation of more of Him and for wisdom about relationships in our family and with raising my children.

We watched August Rush tonight. Brian really enjoyed the music. Strange story but enjoyable music.

a funny pic from this morning

Grace pulled Isaac around in the Lego cart today like he was King. She would enter the room and say, "Presenting King Isaac" He loved it!

over full toy boxes

Why is that today we over indulge our children to the point that they do not appreciate ALL that they have? I mean "we" as our American society. I have recently became aware of how much my children have and how little they appreciate anything. Ya know, not just my kids - I am the same way to some extent.

So I have been de-cluttering our home. And weeding out our toy boxes (yes, we have four) I've made a huge dent in all that we own - mostly given away things we do not use on a regular basis - I'm sure my babysitter thinks I'm crazy for giving her bag after bag of toys and clothing. But I know she appreciate and needs all that I have passed along. Some things were yard saled.

I will continue to clear out the stuff I felt I so desperately needed in my twenties. Isn't that funny, "in my twenties sounds wierd." But in talking with some of my friends they all agreed, they accumulated many items during those years.

I so appreciate the way that Nicole and Steve choose to raise Jude, they have said many times it would be so easy to buy him many things but they limit themselves (self control that I need) and set realistic boundaries. and they stick to that! Way to go guys!

I have another friend on the other extreme - she buys her children hundreds of dollars for birthdays, Christmas and even buys each of her kids a gift on the other children's b-days so they do not feel left out. And her kids are very unappreciative to the point the destroy toys and scratch new DVDs. They have no regard for others toys also. it's sad what is happening to so many people - what happended to days past when children played with marbles and inexpensive items for days if not weeks and were never bored?

There has to be a balance. I want to have a balance for my kids. In saying that, Grace and Elliana's birthdays are next week. My flesh wants to go out and buy a bunch of goodies for them. But I am going to respect my husbands request and my conviction and buy one small item for each of them to enjoy. Something they will treasure. Any suggestions?

Anyone need any toys?

enjoying Isaac

my youngest is such a tub of joy to be around! He is so silly and fat! He wakes up so pleasant and laughs out loud often for whatever reason he thinks is funny! Today is is "dancing" to tv commercials and intro's to the cartoons that are on.

I'm so happy God blessed us with Isaac, our unexpected blessing!