THURSDAY THOUGHTS!

Outside my window...it's raining and storming. We've had rain ALL week but today, the forecast is for "severe" storms.
I am thinking...that Caden will not have his football practice tonight but you never know, it is football after all ,and there hasn't been any lightening as of yet.

I am thankful for...that I have a God who promises to take care of our needs. I know that He is with us, every step we take, and that brighter days are ahead!
From the kitchen...I need to go "into" the kitchen and figure that out. I'm behind on this!
I am wearing...black capri's, Green Bay Packer's tshirt and flip flops. Thursday is my day off and so I never dress up!
I am reading...Christianity 101, Chapter 5 for my Life Group. We have stopped at Chapter 5 because one of the pastors from our church is coming to our Life Group this Sunday to let us ask him questions and have a discussion. Our assignment is to lookover the first 5 chapters and then come to our Life Group with at least one question.
I am hoping...that the Lord blesses Kevin with a new job. He was let go this past Friday and so he is frantically trying to find something, anything at this point. Please pray for him and us.

I am creating...a baby quilt! I got the strips cut out this past Tuesday night and today, I hope to start sewing! I found some really cut "girly" prints as well the other day at JoAnn's and so I bought 5 of them so that I can collect them to eventually make a crazy quilt for Isabella. If I start collecting them now, I'll have them for the cold winter days stuck inside come Dec/Jan.
I am hearing...the rain softly coming down and Sid the Science Guy on PBS.

A few plans for the rest of the week...Tonight, football practice for Caden. Friday, we're having our first "official" game night with our family, of which I found 3 children's games 60% off a Kohl's yesterday. Saturday, both boys have football practices & scrimmages and my old roommate from college, Chrissy, is getting married! I'm soooo happy and excited for her. Sunday, early church service and then our Life Group.

Dandelion Bouquet

What do you do when your 5 year old son comes running in with a handful of dandelions? You put them in a "vase" of course and set them in the middle of the table! These were from Caden this afternoon and he even suggested keeping them there for dinner and get candles out for when we eat dinner! Oh how will melt some girl's heart someday!

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have

for you, declares the Lord.

Plans to prosper you and not harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS!

Outside my window...It is a beautiful day! We've had so much rain this past week and from here until Sunday, it's supposed to be warm and sunny! I love that we still have the cool mornings but by evening, warm!

I am thinking...that my laundry will never, ever end! Ha!

I am thankful for...the mulch that Kevin brought home last night. I know it's the little things in life but our current mulch is just about done...it looks literally like bark just laying on the ground. So he got 10 bags of black mulch to put throughout the garden and yard! Can't wait!

From the kitchen...I have chicken thawing for dinner tonight and going to marinate it in teriyaki sauce and bake then I'll saute some mushrooms and put that on top of the chicken along with a piece of swiss cheese! Sooo yummy!

I am wearing...white capri's and a tshirt and of course, my black crocs!

I am reading...Christianity 101, Chapter 5 for my Life Group. We decided to talk about another topic last week and so this week, we hope to get to Chapter 5 and so I'm rereading/skimming the chapter.

I am hoping...that Kevin's work goes well for him today. I have prayed long and hard for him.
I am creating...a baby's rag quilt! I have washed all the fabric and today, hope to start cutting out the strips!

I am hearing...the Sesame Street song on PBS
A few plans for the rest of the week...Saturday, we have the boys first get-together for their flag football teams, Samuel has a birthday party to go to and I have a girl's night get-together to go to that evening...busy day! Sunday, we just have church and our Life Group and it's supposed to be a beautiful day and so we're also looking forward to that!

Fun Pic Friday!

I took this picture this morning of Caden and Pepper and when I looked at it, I just had to chuckle because it looks as though Pepper is saying "chhheeessseee"!

Baby Raq Quilt

Here are the fabric colors for the baby rag quilt that I'm going to make. I went and bought the remaining pieces today in order to start it. I "hope" to get two baby quilts out of the fabric but we'll see how it goes once I get going. I know it's not the "traditional" baby designs but I didn't want it to be...I want it to be more feminine than I do "babyish". I'm excited to get started and hope to get the fabrics washed either tomorrow or this weekend so I can start cutting. I saw a pattern for a raq quilt using pieces cut in strips going horizontally instead of the traditional squares and so I think I'm going to try this for my first quilt and see how I like it. Come back and I'll show you the "in progress" and "finished" pictures!

THURSDAY THOUGHTS!

Outside my window...it's the only "sunny" day we've had so far this week and so it's wonderful to see the sun! Supposed to get in to the 60's today and so we'll definitely be out later this afternoon.
I am thinking...that I now need to concentrate on cleaning the upstairs. I also need to deep clean the living room carpets as well.
I am thankful for...I went to the YMCA last night to sign up the boys for "flag football" and they had 2 spots left for Samuel's age group. I'm so thankful that we were able to get him in because he desperately wanted to play and I know he will love it!
From the kitchen...I have chicken thawing for dinner tonight. Depending on the time Kevin gets home, I'm betting he will want to grill out because of the nice weather!
I am wearing...gray knit capri's and a white long-sleeve tshirt and my black crocs. Yes, crocs are ugly, I agree, but they are soooo comfortable!
I am reading...Christianity 101, Chapter 5 for my Life Group.
I am hoping...that I can finish my project below in time for the birth of my girlfriend's babies! I have two friends who are pregnant, due in June/July.

I am creating...a baby's rag quilt! I went and bought some fabric yesterday because JoAnn's had it on sale 40% off but I need to go back and get some pink flannel for the backing. Yesterday online, I found a really cute pattern for a baby's raq quilt that uses stripes instead of squares and so I need to cut the flannel at the same time.
I am hearing..."Super Why " morning cartoon on PBS.

A few plans for the rest of the week...for Thursday and Friday, just doing some cleaning and running some errands. Saturday, we might go to the YMCA for the kid's day and then on Sunday, I have nursery duty as well as Life Group that afternoon and Samuel has a birthday party to go to for one of his friends.

Homemade Multi Purpose Cleaner

I belong to a web group that promotes making your own household cleaners and detergents and I typically won't post here on my blog until I've tried it or have first-hand knowledge that the cleaner works. But, after seeing this recipe for a Multi-Purpose Cleaner, I thought it was a simple enough recipe and with the ingredients, has to work well:

1/4 cup baking soda
3/4 cup household ammonia
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 gallon (16 cups) warm water

Mix all ingredients and store.
Pour into spray bottle when needed.

National TV Turnoff Week

April 20-26th is National TV-Turnoff Week. The general purpose of the week is to revisit how time is spent in your family household and to turn "on" your life instead of spending so much time in front of the television every night & weekend. All you have to do is "turn off and unplug" your television...it's that simple.

In doing some research to see what this week was about, I was initially thinking that "does my family really need to do this" and after reading the statistics, I'm now more interested in participating. Here's what I learned:

• Number of 30-second commercials seen in a year by an average child: 20,000
  
• Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5
• Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680 (28 hours)
  
• Percentage of children ages 6-17 who have TV's in their bedrooms: 50%
• Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70%
• Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
• Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500 hours
  
• Percentage of Americans that regularly watch television while eating dinner: 66%
  Source: http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/turnoffweek/TV.turnoff.week.html
  

I was astounded as to these statistics! 28 hours of television per week! I was thinking no way do my children watch 28 hours each week! But, if you think about it, and I know I'm guilty, how many of us have the television on as "background" noise as we cook, clean, do homework, etc.? Without even thinking it, our children are unconsciously exposed to this each day and night. A good idea is to track the amount of time the television is on for a week, to see how much time the TV is actually on, whether it's being watched or not.

Before participating in the week, get the kids involved too instead of just announcing that this is what the family will be doing. Involve them in conversation and ask them what their favorite shows are and if they could live without them for a week. Ask them about activities they would like to do instead of watching TV and write these down so that they you can do them and they feel as though they are part of this process!

Simple ideas to fill in the time:

• Have story-time each night
• Take a walk
• Go to the park
• Have a carpet picnic
• Make a craft with the kids
• Cook or bake, having the kids help
• Visit a relative you haven't seen in awhile
  
• Go to the Zoo or a Museum
  

If you and your family would like to participate and need some activity ideas, you can go to: http://www.turnoffyourtv.com or simply google "TV turnoff week" and you will find a slew of websites giving information and activity ideas. Barnes and Noble will be having activities in selected states and with the existing spring temperatures, simply getting outside and taking a walk as a family provides both bonding time as well as exercise.

If you decide that you think you just can't live without a TV for a week, a suggestion would be to maybe make a list of those shows that your family just can't live without and watch only those shows, turning the TV off after it's over with no switching back and forth to other channels.

Goodluck! Come back and comment with your thoughts and if you did participate, how the week went for you and your family!

Happy Easter!

Here's a picture of the kids this morning before church! Such a good photo of the three of them...a rare moment! We've had a wonderful day with Kevin's parents and brother as well as my father, sister and her boyfriend all going to church together and then lunch afterwards. We then came back to the house for an Easter egg hunt with the kids and cake made by Jean, Kevin's mother. It's been a beautiful day outside and just an overall wonderful Easter!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears! Oh My!

The kids have been on spring break this past week and we've had such a fun week with playdates, going to a bounce house center with our good neighbors and then going to the zoo with Jean, my mother-in-law. It was a perfect, beautiful day to go, just cool enough to walk around and enjoy the animals and enjoy the day. Jean, however, got SOAKED when we all went to the dolphin show and decided to sit in the "splash zone" but she was the only one to get "splashed"! The walrus was in rare form, giving quite a show for everyone to stop by and Caden was just enthralled by his antics. The giraffes even came in for the action and came right up to the group of us watching and stood there as though to say "what are you looking at"! We spent about six hours enjoying all the zoo had to offer, the lions, tigers, bears, sharks you can touch, and the petting zoo. We also had lunch and just took our time enjoying the day and being together.

The Meaning of Good Friday

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday, is the date that Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross. All Christians live in the hope of new life after death, just as Jesus was raised from the dead on the first Easter. Holy Week, the week before Easter, is sacred for Christians as a time to seek connection with Jesus' death and resurrection (life after death).

As Jesus faced death literally, he needed God's help to save him from the world. Jesus' words from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" echo the human experience of seeking a reality beyond death (Matthew 27:46).

For Christians, Good Friday is a time to be with Jesus in his time of suffering and wait with him in hope of God's promise, eternal life to all who believe. The "good" in Good Friday reflects the Christian hope of resurrection and new life in Jesus, foreshadowing Easter Sunday, when Christians believe that God resurrected Jesus from the dead.

Good Friday is the day that Christians focus especially on the cross and Jesus' sacrifice for the sins of the world. The cross is a central symbol of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Jesus, son of God, died to save all believers from sin, all that separates human beings from God. The cross reminds Christians of Jesus' death and their salvation, how Jesus saved them from death by dying in their place.

Jesus' crucifixion, death on the cross, is the source of eternal life for all who believe according to Christian teaching. Jesus put himself in the place of every believer's sins as he suffered for the whole world by sacrificing his own life. Atonement, Jesus giving himself for the sins of Christians, saves all Christians from hell and suffering. Good Friday is a time for Chrisitans to remember Jesus' sacrifice and reflect on how the cross has saved them from their sins.

Information above taken from suite101.com.

THURSDAY THOUGHTS!

Outside my window...we had a beautiful spring day in the 60's! I spent the entire day at the zoo with the kids and my mother-in-law and had a wonderful time! The kids had a lot of fun seeing all the animals, being outside and sharing the zoo with their grandmother and they were so well behaved. It is to rain all day tomorrow though!

I am thinking...that I need to use Friday to get things in order around the house: cleaning, laundry, etc.

I am thankful for...my friends and neighbors. I'm so thankful for the dynamics within my neighborhood and the friends I have made...to know I can walk out my door and have women to speak to, laugh with, share stories with makes me feel very thankful and grateful!

From the kitchen...Kevin was home tonight and grilled out steaks, corn and baked potatoes! It was a wonderful dinner.

I am wearing...my pajama's as it is 11:14 pm! As always, comfort!

I am reading...Christianity 101, Chapter 5 for my Life Group.

I am hoping...that my boys will sleep through the thunder I hear rumbling in the distance! My 6 yr. old is still scared of storms, although to ask him, he will deny it!

I am creating...still nothing. Keep talking about making a baby rag quilt with a girlfriend and so I just need to take the time to make a plan and start buying some materials! And, find some time!

I am hearing...the movie "Slumdog Millionaire". The whole house is asleep and I was able to grab this at RedBox this evening on a quick run to the grocery. So far, very interesting movie.
A few plans for the rest of the week...Tomorrow will be a day spent at home, our last day of spring break for the kids. Other than this, we will celebrate our risen Savior on this Easter weekend by going to church on Sunday and then a family lunch after.

Living Frugal ~ CVS Savings

For those of you who know me, I love the savings that you can get at CVS/pharmacy if you take advantage of their Extra Care Bucks (ECB's) program. ECB's are given when you sign up for one of their "store" savings cards and you use your card every time you shop and you buy items that give you back ECB's. I've been using this program for about a year now and primarily use this program to buy the toiletry needs for the family as well as baby items such as diapers, etc.

The first time you use your card to purchase items, it will involve a small investment but my suggestion would be to look through their store circular that comes in each Sunday's newspaper and find a few things that you will USE and that will give you ECB's back after your purchase. This first purchase will cost you the regular/sale price but after this, you're off and running. The ECB's will print right then and there at the bottom of your receipt and you can use them that same day if you so choose.

The idea then is to "roll" your ECB's with purchase of items that give you back ECB's...your whole purchase does NOT need to contain items that give you back ECB's but you want to get a couple in there so that you constantly have some on hand. Another way to save at CVS/pharmacy is to go to their website and sign-up for their emails and you will get coupons for $5 off $25, for example, or even free items. You can also combine manufacturer's coupons with your ECB's to save even more.

So to explain the savings I received on my most recent purchase: On April 1, we received a printout for $17.50 in ECB's (based on prior purchases for the quarter). I also received an email this past week for $5 off a $25 purchase. I looked through their circular that came in today's Sunday's paper and saw that if you purchased $25 in baby products, you get $10 back in ECB's. I had manufacturer's coupons for some of the items in the ad and I knew I could score big. I purchased the items show in the picture above (2 packs of diapers, 2 tubes of Desitan, a package of tampons and shaving cream) and my total was $43.34. After my ECB's, my email coupon and my manufacturer's coupons, my out-of-pocket price was $8.39! I saved $34.95!! And, I received $13.49 back in ECB's to use on a future purchase ($10 for the baby product purchase and with the shaving cream, purchase for $3.49 and get $3.49 back in ECB's).

Some people don't want to bother with looking through coupons, clipping, carrying store savings cards, etc. but the above is a perfect example of how doing these small steps can help save big...$34.95! Who can resist this!

Favorite Things...Easter

We all have our "favorite" things about each holiday and this is one of my favorite Easter decorations...most of everything I have is "kid" related but I found this litte gem on Easter clearance a few years ago and couldn't resist buying it. The photo doesn't show it well but the eggs are painted in spring colors and it makes a nice addition to my shelf!

Jesus, Bring The Rain

I haven't blogged at all this week I realize and it's because we're having to adjust to a new schedule in our home as Kevin started his part-time evening job and the kids and I are having to get used to him not being here. It's not as though we do much during the weekday evenings but the kids have been asking "when will daddy be home" and I miss having him here to be part of the family routine. We have tried to explain a little bit about our situation to the kids and about why daddy has to work so much and we've tried our very best to assure them that all is well with their mommy and daddy but how do explain the economy and job loss to three children under the age of 6?

But, as something to give you all for stopping by and reading, I decided to give you the lyrics to one of my all-time favorite songs. This is one that I come back to time and time again when I'm hurting in life and the words comfort me. Just knowing that usually when you're walking through that storm in life, you can be assured that God is using it to strengthen you and prepare you for something better!

Bring the Rain
by Mercy Me

I can count a million times

People asking me how I

Can praise You with all that I've gone through

The question just amazes me

Can circumstances possibly

Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed

Long before these rainy days

It's never really ever crossed my mind

To turn my back on you, oh Lord

My only shelter from the storm

But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace

Bring the chance to be free

Bring me anything that brings You glory

And I know there'll be days

When this life brings me pain

But if that's what it takes to praise You

Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of

The dark clouds that may loom above

Because You are much greater than my pain

You who made a way for me

By suffering Your destiny

So tell me what's a little rain

So I pray Holy, holy, holy

Is the Lord God Almighty

Here's the link to hear the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU