Goals for 2010

I have been thinking about my goals for 2010, there are so my area's in my life where I feel like I need so much improvement.

• My walk: I hunger for Jesus. I struggle in so many area's, I need HIM so wash away my sin, purify my heart. I know true joy doesn't come from our circumstances in life and that it is gift from God that must be chosen to walk in. In 2010 I want to make myself less known and Christ known more.
  

The Lord looks upon your heart because it is the fountain of your life. Your heart is the core of your personality consisting of will, emotions, mind, and affections. It is the seat of government. What reigns there rules you. What fills your heart flows from your life. Transformation of your heart must take place for your life to change. How does this happen? It happens by the operation of the Holy Spirit using the Word of God. With a wholly yielded life you give yourself to meditating on the Word of God, praying for its truth to be revealed to your inner man, and obeying it in faith through all the circumstances of life. It is a process that sometimes seems painfully slow, but it is certain if you do your part because your Heavenly Father wants it for you more than you want it.

• My Marriage: Gosh I fall short here so much. I am blessed with an amazing husband, who loves the Lord and leads his family so well. And so much of my selfishness pours out. This year my goal is to make sure I am the wife of his dreams. What that means would look different in every ones marriage.

• Children: For as long as I have been a Mom I have set goal's in my mothering every New Year. And not because I am failing in an area but more as reminders that they are still important.
  Things I have planned are books we will read together, places I want to go with them,
  dates, tea parties....

• Health: In November 2009 I made some big changes to my health and in the way I take care of my body. I have lost 20lbs now and will continue in the New Year on the road to healthy living.

Our yesterdays present irreparable things to us; it is true that we have lost opportunities which will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ.

Baby's First Christmas

Let the stable still astonish:
Straw—dirt floor, dull eyes,
Dusty flanks of donkeys, oxen;
Crumbling, crooked walls;
No bed to carry that pain,
And then, the child,
Rag-wrapped, laid to cry
In a trough.
Who would have chosen this?
Who would have said, “Yes,
Let the God of all the heavens
And earth
Be born here, in this place?”
Who but the same God
Who stands in the darker, fouler rooms
Of our hearts and says, “Yes, let the God
Of Heaven and Earth be born here—
In this place.”

Leslie Leyland Fields

Merry Christmas

All of us with my two "little" brothers.

Happy 9th Birthday Zachary

Let me tell you about my boy Zachary...

He is the strong quiet type. He is wise beyond his years but to get to know him on a deeper level you have to be invited into his heart.

His birth was a flurry of activity, it started December 18Th at 9:00am I woke with cramps nothing that would convince me we were close or even that it was real. I went to have a shower and get ready for my day. As the morning crept on I was have to slow down and focus a bit more on the contractions.

Now you see my mom was to be at the birth and as I was getting into the shower I heard her and my dad leave to go do some last min shopping. This was before everyone and their dog had cell phones.

Anyways,

Chris convinced me to at least go to our family doctor to get checked out rather than head up to L&D. I agreed so we pulled his sister out of school to baby sit Austin. I got to my doctor's at 11:30am where I was checked to see how much I was dilating. And then the fun started my doctor looked at me and asked " are you in any pain?" and I assured him they were getting stronger but manageable. He then told me not to move that I was 10cm with head crown but bag of waters still in tact. WOW! Needless to say I got escorted to the hospital by ambulance. LOL

The strange thing about his birth is I had no urge to push with the contractions so waited and let my body do the pushing. And at 1:23pm my baby boy slipped into my arms on that snowy afternoon.

Zachary was the cutest little toddler, he had this long blond surfer hair and this dark little tan.

He got his first paper route at 7 years old and has only spent his money on his siblings. He spoils them rotten on their birthdays and Christmas. Zach is an amazing painter. He started painting when he was 6 with oil and I have two of his framed in my living room. Those are the two above.

Well that's it for now I will post more tonight after the party.

Tis the season to be busy...

Advent day 14 was skating on the lake.

Even though it was -5 F the kids skated for hours! Coming in for hot chocolate warm ups and then back out. We are very blessed to have like minded friends whom our families love to be together. Their is something special when you truly love your friends children.

This is Abby, Rachael loves to be doted on by her.

I can't believe how fast the days are flying by. I go to bed every night thinking of what I need to get done. And really so much of it is just basic household stuff.

So I have some changes coming to my morning. A very dear friend that the Lord has placed in my life at the perfect timing has really encouraged me to get up early before my children and soak in the Word. I read this quote and it's SO TRUE " What would bread be without flour? nothing but a pile of mushy goo.- What is mothering with out God and the Word? nothing but a pile of emotional mess!"

I have been really discouraged lately in my walk and really pondering the verse "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." I am seeing so many Christians that are walking on a wide road and it scares me. I feel like I have come to this spot with some Christian friends in my life where I am waving "Good-Bye" I am not content to stay in this place. It's not all about fun, fellowship, silliness to me. I need Jesus! and I need him DAILY! I need to keep moving forward and I'm sad but I'm afraid it means leaving somethings behind.

Days of Advent

Cold nights with hot coco.

Christmas music being played at home.

Day four of Advent was to make Meringue Mice we then read The night before Christmas..

Our littlemice didn't turn out like the picture but they did taste very good.

Day Five was a trip to go see Santa. I was surprised to have Jude cry but I guess I never have anyone I don't know hold him. Poor guy..

Rachael was so funny she was really unsure of this guy, but once she saw all the other children getting candy canes she decided to would be brave and stand there. LOL

Day 6 was make sugar cookies. We did this at my Mother in Laws house, the had so much fun and WAY too much sugar. Everything was iced in a bunch of festive colors... chairs, tables, clothes, hair LOL

And tonight brings us to Day 7 already. Tonight is our homeschool Christmas presentation night and they all are looking forward to that. The older two are singing in a Choir and Natalie is playing Silent Night on her violin. I've been enjoying this busy time of year. Even with the busyness of my days and daily chores it's being home with my husband and children that keeps me. My heart overflows with love that I could never possess on my own. I ask Him to take more of me dying to self so that He alone would increase in my life.

Jesus I want to be led by Your gentleness!

Advent Day 2 & 3

Day 2 of Advent was salt dough handprints.
This was great! It was really cold out and kept all 5 busy for at least 2 hours.

½ cup salt
1 cup flour
½ cup water
Rolling pin ... See More
Cookie sheet
Toothpick

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. ( did mine more at 175 and will just bake for longer.
Mix together, salt, flour, and water until dough is formed.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour, continue to do so until stickiness is gone. Do not add too much flour, this will dry out the dough and will cause it to crack before you get a chance to bake it.
Roll out the dough to about ¼” thick with a rolling pin that has been dusted with flour.

Day 3

Today was read a story about Christmas and sing songs. We do this all the time but I had to make somedays a little easy... LOL

The handprints all done. They did a really great job.

And Baby Jude's 1st Christmas hand. ;)

Oh we have been having so much fun!

The Count Down...

Jude's been loving his evening sink baths.

Today my 4 year old asked me with wide eye's " how many more sleeps?" I said "24" and then to my surprise he said " and then 23, 22, 21, 20, 19 ,18 ,17 ,16 , five teen, 14, three teen, second teen, 11, 10..... I though that was pretty cute and really good!

A friend gave me the idea to make an Advent calander. The chocolate ones never made it in our home. So we have 25 tubes and everyday there is some thing fun to do. But I also added that each member of our family including Mom and Dad have a slip of paper saying something they have to do for whom ever it says. Things like.... Natalie warm up Rachael's bath towel in the dryer for when she gets out. Or Mom unload dishwasher tonight for Austin.
I'm really excited. On the 18Th is Zachary's birthday so Zach's says RELAX ALL DAY. And then every one's says to do something for Zach that day.