Freaka Deeka Spica's

Book Review: Behind the Veils of Yemen

2011-11-07T14:59:00.002-05:00

Living in a nation that is filled with hate, anger, bitterness, and fear about the Middle East and the Muslim world I was drawn to this book about an American Missionary family who travelled to Yemen to bring light and hope to a dark and hidden world. Behind the Veils of Yemen takes you behind the scenes of ground breaking, counter culture, and transformational movements in the Middle East. The author, Audra Shelby tells the story of how her heart and spiritual journey was transformed during the time leading to and during their ministry in Yemen. The story starts with Audra and Kevin as they embark on their missionary journey by joining up with a local ministry conference in the US for their evaluations. In a tragic turn of events, Audra finds that God is already at work in their lives, preparing them both for the journey that lay ahead. A majority of this book focuses on their first year in Yemen, spent in language study in the capital of Saan'a, and Audra's introduction into the Muslim culture of the women. Their lives spent cloaked in veils to the public are much different in private. Their devotion to Mohammad and his teachings seemingly unshakable, yet in any other area of life and they tremble and shake with no confidence. Getting a glimpse into the lives of these women was so powerful- and it made my heart break for some of the ways they are so lost spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. Though silent, you can hear their cries for a Redeemer, for a Abba-Father through Audra's narrative of simple, straightforward explanations of her experiences. Shelby was not trying to convince me in this book with the idea of reaching a Muslim nation for Jesus- but her stories did their own talking. This book surprised me in that it wasn't really about the transformation of the women that she encountered, but how the Holy Spirit encountered her during events and experiences in Yemen. Shelby was open and honest about her spiritual journey during this time and her willingness to allow God to not stop working in her even though she was already what most people would say an A+ christian for being a missionary (to the Muslims no less!). But Shelby was not content with remaining status quo as she attempted to share Jesus with others, but continued pursuit of her own intimacy with Christ. I loved this book for the first 2/3. After that, i felt the storyline became unfocused and moved too fast- it lost me along the way as I didn't really understand what was happening. I would have also loved to hear any resolution on the stories or people that she told in the book. I yearned for more of what she experienced, how the women of Yemen were transformed by the Gospel message, and even more background of why her and her husband chose a Muslim nation (post 9/11) on purpose. Overall, a great read that will challenge you to seek out growth in your walk with Abba God.

I received a free copy of this book in return for a review from Bethany House Publishers, but my opinions are my own.

Book Review: Three Cups

2011-10-27T12:46:00.001-04:00

Looking for a practical, long term teachable moment and implementation guide for money management in your children? Three Cups by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain should be part of that solution. Beautifully illustrated by April Willy, you are immediately captivated by a story of a young boy who receives an unexpected gift for his 5th birthday- 3 cups from the kitchen cupboard. The story continues as the boy's parents introduce the idea of his allowance and how each cup serves a purpose. The allowance would be divided into three cups a 'give' cup for giving to charity or back to God. A 'save' cup for long term investing of sorts. And the third cup is for 'spend'- money free to be spent as the child dictates. The story follows the boy as he discovers putting the proceeds of the 'save' cup into the bank, accumulating the spend jar so he can buy the new baseball glove he's wanted, and how he uses the 'give' jar to buy food to participate in a charity cause. The boy grows and continues to use his cups and then on his son's 5th birthday the cycle of the "great adventure" begins again.

What I loved: The illustrations are outstanding, calm, and engaging. I like the look and feel of the book- it has an antique feel which makes it seem more important than a typical fiction children's book. I love the basic cup concept and how it is a great visual application of money management. It is simple, direct, and productive. While not a new idea to the world of money management for kids- this book does a great job at presenting the idea. There is also a great parent's guide in the back.

What I didn't care for: Being of a christian publisher, I was disappointed that the concepts of giving, saving, and spending were not backed up with the idea that these are Biblical principles and we do them out of obedience as God's Stewards and of his commands in scripture. Beyond being a wise idea to give, save, and spend- it is also a spiritual issue and I feel this book would have been so much better and set itself apart from other books like it if it had included this. I also wish they had shown less of the allowance aspect, and more on earning money to put in the jars. I for the most part do not agree with allowances and would rather see kids see the value of work (another biblical concept) by earning money to put in their jars. This book fell short in this area.

Overall this is a great tool to teach your kids about money, but it doesn't scratch the surface of what it means to be a wise steward.

I received this book to review from Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson publishers, but my opinions are all my own.

Book Review: The Doctor's Lady

2011-10-10T08:49:00.000-04:00

I had the chance to review a new novel by debut Christian novelist Jody Hedlund called The Doctor's Lady. Set in the 1830's, America is still fresh off its independence win over the British and is now stretching it's wings as they expand west. The Christian community at the time is mission minded, though with little understanding of the harsh realities of foreign fields. Priscilla is a young, rich, but independent minded lady from a prominent family in New York. Medical woes have left her, in her mind, decidedly unmarried and suitable for the mission front. Her mind is set on India- until an unexpected visitor and and an unexpected letter from the mission board throw her plans upside down. With this visitor, a doctor named Eli, and her thrown by a decision out of their hands, they 'make do' and decide to attempt a marriage of convenience so they both can pursue their dream of missionary life- this time to the Nez Perce Indians on the uncharted West Coast of America.

Hedlund tells a gripping tale which she gleans right from history- and diaries- from the real character Narcissa Whitman. Historical accuracies down to the detail make this story even more engaging and heart wrenching. As the story unfolds you find two people in an unexpected situation facing uncertain times and situations as they make their way across the plains, rivers, and mountains of a land only inhabited by the unknown and unpredictable Indian tribes.

I found this novel to be a welcome twist on the traditional romance novel especially given its true origins and Hedlund's attempt at making it as accurate to the true story as possible. I am not one to get emotional while reading, but found myself nearly laughing or tearing it up as I read the story of characters I came to love unfold. The only downside of the novel was that I failed to understand and believe the Squire's character. His actions and intentions didn't seem to add up given the background and information given. Especially in the early parts of the journey west. Hedlund would do well doing a part two of this novel as I am eager to find out how this 'fresh' pair do in the Nez Perce society in the hard west.

A thanks to Bethany House publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was given a copy of the novel in return for my review, but thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Book Review: The Love & Respect Experience

2011-10-06T15:31:00.000-04:00

I am a huge fan of Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. It has been a great tool to enhance and improve my marriage. It shed light on areas of communication and actions that I hadn't thought of before. That is why I chose to receive the latest installment of the Love & Respect products from Book Sneeze and Thomas Nelson: The Love & Respect Experience: A husband friendly devotional that wives truly love. I was given this book in return for a review, without pretense.

I was quite disappointed as I worked through the first few 'lessons' in the Love & Respect Experience. I was hoping for a great in-depth BIBLE study on relationships, love, respect, holy matrimony, etc. Much to my dismay this source falls into the category of 'thought for the day'. Each chapter (there are 52 intended to be once a week) is maybe 1-2 pages with only 1 verse as its base. The verse seems to be more of an 'add on' to make it qualify as a devotional. The verse is followed by thoughts from Eggerichs(which I found essentially to be 52 concise portions of the book Love & Respect. These thoughts were followed by a suggested prayer and an action point. I felt let down for the lack of scripture in the devotional. I felt as though I was reading just another version of his book (which I do love).

The saving grace are the discussion questions that are tucked back annoyingly in the back of the devotional as some sort of appendix. Why not include the questions right in the weekly study? It encourages discussion rather than make it more difficult! If you have a short attention span or limited time- this devotional will work quite well as the 'lessons' are no more than a few minutes long. I could see it working as a couple shared a cup of coffee in the morning.

If someone is interested in Dr. Emerson's works I would point to the original hit- Love & Respect and not this devotional. It is simply not deep enough, challenging enough, or scriptural enough to be worth the extra dime and time.

Book Review: Gabby God's Little Angel

2011-08-31T08:22:00.001-04:00

Thomas Nelson Publishers via Book Sneeze provides bloggers with books to read in exchange for unbiased reviews. I am happy to present my review of Gabby God's Little Angel by Sheila Walsh.

With pony's, pretty girls in frilly dresses, angels, rainbows- this story is sure to grab the attention of any girl in your family. Sophie is an adventurous little girl who has a precocious little angel named Gabby put in charge of her protection. Gabby learns her responsibilities as on of God's Angels and helps to protect Sophie from falling off a horse. At the same time Sophie learns of God's great love for her and how he has sent angels to protect her from the incident.

As with her other products, Walsh does an excellent job presenting her work with things that naturally attract little girls. The illustrations by Marina Fedotova are wonderful and engaging. I appreciated the voice and tone of the book. Compared to Walsh's God's Little Princess series, the characters were more appropriate (I find the little girl in that series to be a rude brat at times and don't like my daughters picking up on that tone and language).

I think the presentation of the fluffy white cloud heaven with wings and halos is a little ridiculous. I want to present a more realistic view of heaven- which I don't think scripturally is fluffy white cloud place. I found at times the wording of the book to not roll of the tongue well- the same was true when my husband read it aloud to my girls. There was a lack of rhythm that made this difficult to read whether silent or aloud. It seemed as though the book was rushed through editing and publishing- more like a rough draft in its overall read.

Overall this was a cute little story with a cute little message. It is a simple way to not only introduce the idea of angels and how they guard and protect us, but also that God cares about even the little things like riding a horse. Adorable and lovable characters with tremendous illustrations help this story along despite some of the downsides.

Book Review: Thunder Dog

2011-08-17T13:08:00.000-04:00

I love a good biography. Inspirational stories of men and women brought the brink, tested to the limits, or just living life as best as they can. Probably one reason I like to 'stalk' blogs :) Real life is so full of drama, intrigue, and resolve. With my love of biography's and my interest in understanding more of what happened on 9/11 is what drew me to Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory. I almost feel fortunate to be able to share 'where I was' on that fateful day. I see my nieces, nephews, and own children who simply have no idea of what happened. I was a new college freshman, living three hours from home, trying to settle into a new independent normal. I was in class that Tuesday morning when it began, and watched teary eyed in my dorm- desperate to just want to be home again. The story of Thunder Dog is not just a survival story, it isn't just about what happened- but a story of teamwork, love, and discipline. As stated early in the book it isn't about how Michael survived with his guide dog Roselle from the Twin Towers, but how he even got there in the first place. His parents helped him chose a life of independence, freedom, and experiences. Michael was not held back by what most would consider a hindering disability- complete blindness. In Thunder Dog the story of what unfolded for Michael and Roselle on 9/11/01 is intertwined beautifully with stories of his past, stories of how got where he was, and how life experiences all helped him keep going in his descent from the 78th floor of the north tower. His story is beautifully told in a humble and respective manner. You are gripped by the scenes that unfold through this blind man's eyes and his dog's faithfulness. While the connections to life, God, relationships, character are all available, I found it disappointing that faith in God was not more apparent in this book, considering Thomas Nelson is publishing. I felt as though it was cookie cutter 'spirituality' that was offered (sparingly) with no real connection to a relationship with Jesus Christ and His faithfulness. Michael Hingson has a wonderful story to share and does so exceedingly well with Susy Flory's help- but don't expect to be offered a direct spiritual element in the process.

Book Review: Spritual Warfare for Women

2011-08-16T08:28:00.000-04:00

As a Bethany House Publishers Book Reviewer, I am given the opportunity to read new books and write online reviews of them in exchange I get to keep the books! Its a great set up and I love having something to motivate me to read more. Especially books that aren't always the first you want to pick up at the end of a long day. This was one of them.

I'll admit, if I'm going to read, I like to enjoy something more along the lines of fiction, adventure, historical intrigue, or delve into lives of different cultures and places and times. Christian development and discipleship are just 'hard' books to read. They make you think more. They challenge you. And sometimes its just hard to want to read them after chasing around a preschooler and toddler all day. But I felt challenged and led to give this one a try. Little did I know the events that were about to unfold in our extended family nor did I anticipate the attack that Satan would hold just for reading such material. My first word of this book: be warned. The author- the brutally honest, sincere, and funny lady Leighann McCoy (I don't know her but I love her!) does the same warning at the beginning. One of the things Satan hates most is a growing intimacy with Christ in order to fight him off. He will go gang busters to try and keep you from reading how the victory has already been won and here are tools to defeat his conniving schemes.

One of my favorite parts in McCoy's book is the chapters on Satan. Who he is. Where he came from. I love learning how because Satan was once an angel, he and the other fallen have the same powers and knowledge that Godly angels do. He just 'exists in the opposite direction of his original purpose' (p. 90). Understanding Satan's schemes and his subtleties was also very helpful and empowering. Knowing the enemy prepares you for battle.

While many chapters and stories that highlight her recent journeys through cancer, child waywardness, and a devastating flood I was most convicted by her example of the 5 smooth stones. For me, the visual reminder (taken from the 5 stones David took to fight Goliath) of 5 ways to daily combat our fallen enemy will be the most helpful. They apply to all areas of our walk that Satan loves to destroy: marriage, children, relationships, and health.

Thank you Leighann McCoy for finishing your book despite life's challenges. Thank you for your example. I highly recommend this book to any woman at any stage in her walk with Christ.

Book Review: It's Not About Me

2011-07-11T17:14:00.000-04:00

As a member of book sneeze for Thomas Nelson Publisher's I have the opportunity to review books on my blog. In return, I'm given the book as a thank you gift. Most recently, I finished reading Max Lucado's latest book It's Not About Me.

Selfishness has infiltrated our society in so many ways. Not only in the business and educational realms- but in our parenting, stewardship, relationships, goals, and even worship. Lucado's book sheds light on why this is such a sad way to live in light of who God is and what He has done for us. Focusing on worship, the characteristics of God, and then the issues that are most often attributed to self are given with the perspective of God's love and we are his mirrors.

The idea of a mirror not only reflecting but also beholding. With every aspect of our life- including struggles, salvation, and worship- we should not only reflect God's love and promises to others, but also use the opportunity to take the lens off our self and soak in and behold God's glory in the situation.

Whether it is a 'success' or 'failure', God's glory is shone. It is about Him after all. Our worries are so small, and finite compared the plans He has. It is not about us.

This book makes an excellent, easy beach read that will allow more spiritual transformation than say a fiction novel, but reads easier than most development books. I believe that this would also make a great short term bible study. It comes with group questions in the back- but also lends itself well to further exploration- looking up specific verses and stories he mentions will lead to further discussion on this great topic.

We can all use that swift, but gentle swat to remind us of our true place in this world and I believe Lucado's book does an excellent job of that.

Equally Flexed

2011-06-08T15:19:00.001-04:00

So I was kept awake by the storms the other night and this thought popped into my head and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I was thinking about the message John Dickson (who is seriously an amazing speaker and you need to hear his story!) spoke at our church a few weeks ago about equally flexing the muscles of moral conviction and compassion. That the best way to win people to Jesus is by being able to equally flex both. If one muscle is flexed over the other you either get hard headed and hard hearted Christians who take out the 'love' component. Or, you get a bunch of people that are so flippant that the message of sin and its redemption gets lost.

That got me thinking. What about in children's and youth programming? After lots of processing, I came up with: The goal of a children's/youth program should be able to equally flex the muscles of message and experience. When these two work together in equal flex- it will be hitting the 'sweet spot' of reaching these little hearts for Christ, teaching them that God loves them, that they can trust Him. If you look at churches not only in recent history but today as well, you will find that often a church is really awesome at one of these, but it is so easy to lack in the other. That equal flexing is very hard to do. What does it look like when these muscles are flexed and how can the two together make for a powerful ministry for children?

When a program or church focuses on the message the Word of God is evidently displayed. There is no question that the story or activity comes from a biblical source. There is no doubt of its origin. It is clear and simple truth with clear and applicable lifelines. However, when the message muscle is out-flexing itself, the experience can become stale, lifeless, and boring. Even with good intentions, the heart and spirit of God's message gets lost in translation. It can become redundant. I can sometimes fail to connect with the energy and life of young people- the story and content is there, but the message can be quickly forgotten. It is rote. I've been here. My childhood Sunday school memories are of environments like this. I memorized verses and the books of the bible. I stared at the flannel Jesus and learned about his miracles. I learned the stories. But, I was not excited to be there. Nor did I discover the true emotion and excitement that are in these stories and learn how they can apply to my third grade self.

When a program or church focuses on the experience muscle- man is it an exciting place to be! The music rocks. The room is welcoming- no sterile cinder-block walls in this joint! The activities bounce from one to another. It draws out the fun, exciting races, projects, crafts and points to hit every child in a way that they learn best. It knows that not all kids will learn and apply God's word simply by hearing it- but they have to experience it physically, emotionally, musically, creatively. Kids want to be there! Its memorable. But, as memorable as it can be, when the experience muscle is over-flexed- students can walk away remembering more about what they did rather than the why they did it. The message gets lost in the shuffle. The races and projects are remembered- but the reasons for doing them gets interrupted by the fast paced, exciting lifestyle of the room. Entertaining the minds rather than transforming the hearts becomes the end result. I've experienced these rooms too. And I have seen how something can be so awesome and so fun- but you walk away wondering 'what did i learn?, who is this Jesus guy anyways?' Sure these flashy graphics and cool stage get ups are cool- but where is the story, where is the application? What does this mean to me?

As I think about what I would want for my kids when I drop them off at their respective rooms- I hope that they have a blast. I want them to be on fire in their experience with other Jesus followers that worship day. But, I want them to get the point. I want them to not be distracted by the lights and sounds and races and projects but for them to be able to be challenged with a point to take home. I hope that as a storyteller and coach (my roles at church on Sunday Morning) that I can adequately flex both muscles. I want to help bring an awesome experience for each and every kid on Sunday morning. I want them to have fun and want to be there. I want fire and heart. But I also want to clearly communicate the message. I prayed with my small group leaders before asking God to help us focus on the message, not the activities. But this idea of flexing equal muscles for the entire mission, purpose, vision, and morning got me thinking. How can we next year bring about this balance to the Kentwood campus? Is our environment fun? Is it inviting? Are kids walking away with a great take home application? My hope is yes. My fear is that we will get too focused on attracting the minds but failing to engage the hearts. Its a hard balance- but in order to provide the best possible environment with the greatest potential for reaching these kids for Christ- we must try to equally flex the muscles of MESSAGE and EXPERIENCE.

Book Review: The Sweetest Thing

2011-06-07T13:55:00.001-04:00

This month I was sent The Sweetest Thing by Elizabeth Musser from Bethany House Publishing. A fantastic novel set in mid depression 1930's Atlanta, The Sweetest Thing not only provides a cultural glimpse into the southern aristocracy but also the ways in which the depression ended up affecting the highest of highs and lowest of lows in society. It painted a picture that showed that while the affects were quite different- the emotional story and end results almost leveled the playing field. The characters were of diverse backgrounds- but were all high school age girls that came together through situations. "Dobbs" tries to defy her new high society environment by clinging to her poor, pastoral roots of the family she left in Chicago. "Perri" is a girl shaken from her high society and thrown into a downward spiral of emotions, finance, and relationships. Both uncover secrets and mystery as they unveil their true passions and identity in a time of crisis and survival.

I loved the way this book read- broken up very so often by a character change allows the reader to feel as they really know the heart of these two main characters. You feel led to cheer them both on, instead of siding with a single voice. The pace of the novel is a bit slow, but the mystery aspect kept me intrigued. I loved that this wasn't simply a romantic, historical, or mystery novel- but had all of those components into a well connected and seamless story.

This will make a great beach read this summer- a definite two thumbs up!

I love being a Bethany House Publishing book reviewer. They send me free books as long as I read them and write an unbiased review of them on my blog! Sweet deal I'd say. I love to read. I love to share my opinion- its a win win.

Book Review: A Reluctant Queen

2011-05-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

I was thrilled when I saw a fictionalized version of the story of Esther come up as an option to choose from as a Thomas Nelson Publisher book reviewer. I have enjoyed the story as it comes from scripture and also its many versions (One night with King, Veggie Tales to name a couple). A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf is a novel based on the book of Esther, but focusing on the love story hidden between the lines of scripture. Wolf exposes traditional Persian practices as a Jewish girl unexpectedly wins the coveted crown of her country.

The start of the novel brings a glimpse into the simple life Esther held before her story 'begins' in Scripture. The thought of her having an idea of a future husband, her coming of age story, her relationship with Mordecai, and the basic principles and practices of her faith. This helps bring the shock and awe aspect as to what it may have been like to suddenly be thrust into the contrast of the Persian culture, rituals, and diet. I appreciated a different take on Esther's arrival at the palace- being a volunteer, perhaps sacrificial lamb of hope to her people as opposed to a victim snatched of the streets of Susa. Scripture does not really say how it occurred, and this was a nontraditional way of looking at it. I don't think it is fully accurate given the response in Esther 4 of Mordecai's revelation that perhaps she had become queen for 'such a time as this.'

The unfolding love story was a magnificent read. I was entranced, eager to find how the love of two very different people could blossom. The side plots of the relationships Esther had with her servants and eunuchs were also intriguing. I feel as though with Wolf's writing I was able to place myself in a time and place and culture of the mighty Persians. Its almost as if you can feel the silk and breathe the air and taste the food. Her writing is clear, concise, and creative. You will not want to put this novel down.

As much as I loved this novel, there were a few issues I had on an academic/Biblical sense. I was utterly confused by the use of Xerxes other name Ahasuerus (different language branch I believe). Once I remembered that in the Bible Ahasuerus and Xerxes were one in the same, it was better. However, for some odd reason the other thought it best to name Ahasuerus' brother Xerxes- which is the traditional name for the king in the Book of Esther. How confusing! While Wolf notably took liberties to fill in the gaps and make the novel a better plot- I feel there were too many taken to make a good story. It is one thing to add details, it is another to change them! First, the idea that once she was taken to the harem, Esther had little to no exposure to her uncle Mordecai in the novel and his seeming unknowing of what was going on. In scripture (Esther 2:11) it states that Mordecai visited her daily, walking back and forth checking on how Esther was and what she was doing. The relationship they had in the beginning of the novel did not continue through the end, and I feel this was a mistake. Also, Mordecai was rewarded instantly for his exposure of the plot to kill the King (he was the one who presented it to the king) in the novel. This happens quite differently in scripture and would not have taken away from the plot or story that Wolf was trying to tell. The honorable reward he receives in scripture was also not mentioned in the novel- and I feel this was a key element in the anger and resentment felt by Haman. Other important items from scripture noticeably missing or changed was the fasting, sackcloth mourning by Mordecai, lack of second banquet, Xerxes very much willful and awareness of the Jewish slaughter, and the way in which Mordecai was promoted.

If this had been an ordinary novel with a love story twisted with intrigue and politics- I would give it 5 stars. But because of its claim to be based on scripture I must only give it 3 for its disregard of true biblical fact.

Book Review: Worship CD from Women of Faith

2011-05-16T07:49:00.000-04:00

As a Thomas Nelson Publisher's book reviewer, I was given a copy of the Women of Faith Worship team's CD "Rejoice". Worship and Christian music is a staple in our home with the entire family enjoying the genre. I was pleased to hear a few renditions of old classics like "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and "Come as You are". In total there are 10 songs on this worship CD. Most vocals were done by one female lead with a small chorus as background vocals. Here is a quick break down of the pro's and con's of this product:

Pros: Variety of song choice featuring old classics and new favorites, sweet sounding lead vocal (very calming and soothing voice), words to the songs are included in the front cover packet. I'm sure this would be a great take home token if one attended the "Women of Faith" conference.

Cons: The background vocals were not prominent enough and the instrumentals in the background did not shine through. Therefore, much of the time I felt like I was listening to a half finished demo CD. I would have liked a little more depth in musicality and instrumentation. This made a lot of the songs run together because they sounded a lot alike. I did not find the connection with the songs and singer as much as I would have liked to, perhaps because I have not attended this conference.

Overall this is a nice CD and would be a great purchase for someone who has a connection with the conference and remembers worshiping with this musicians live. However, for the general public there are better worship CD's out there with more variety in musicality and song to choose from to have this make my "top 5". The beats and style of worship was a little slow for my personal taste. I would have liked to hear something a little more upbeat and fun on the CD to round out the selections.

Book Review: Daddy Dates

2011-04-24T13:28:00.000-04:00

I know what you're thinking, how come the 'mom' of the house is reading a book aptly titled towards the 'dad'. Well, when I chose this book as part of Thomas Nelson's blogger reviewers, I was hoping to glean not only ideas for my husband but to also read how I can adapt some of the writer's concepts and ideas into my own relationship with my daughters. My husband already dates our two girls (4.5 and 15 months). He makes it a priority. This book was a helpful insight into why and how to continue this habit we have started early. I was encouraged as a parent to continue the sometimes uphill battle of getting to know my daughters.

The author, Greg Wright, while may not have experience in book writing, offers the experience behind raising 4 teenage daughters. His humor, insight, and honesty was refreshing and challenging. Wright has an easy reading style of writing and I was able to breeze through the book, but yet take away important tools to apply Daddy Dates to our family. I was particularly pleased with his interpretation and application of personality style tests taken by his daughters. We have found certain activities and 'dates' that our 4.5 year old likes, but to take it to the next level and find out why and how we can engage her heart even further will be a tremendous tool in our belt as she gets older. I loved hearing the highs and the lows of the daddy dating process. The chapter on his girls turning 13 and making it not only an extra special date but also to take the opportunity for presenting a purity type ring was heartwarming and also made me think of how important the dates are leading up to that point. I wonder if his daughters would have been less receptive if the prior years of dating daddy hadn't been there.

Two things I would have loved to read in this book (or would like in a sequel of sorts) would have been to hear from the author's wife on her perspective on daddy dates and what she did to encourage or help in them. Hearing from the girls themselves would be interesting too, especially as then enter into real dating and marriage situations. What dates meant the most? What would you have liked to see done differently? Hearing some of the 'end results' would be a great sequel.

Reading this book open up my heart and mind to pursing my daughters and to encourage and help my husband do the same. No, its not a deep read or theologically astounding, but the potential life changes it could bring to the princesses in your home are endless! I don't think I will be able to read enough books to feel prepared to raise teenage girls, but Daddy Dates certainly will be by my bedside as a great tool. And...will now be on my husband's reading list :)

Book Review: Paradise Valley

2011-04-15T08:03:00.000-04:00

I was fortunate enough to receive Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer from Bethany House Publishers as part of their blog reviewer's program. Paradise Valley joins the ever popular Amish Fiction genre in the Christian publishing world. I am a huge fan of this type of novel and really hoped this piece lived up to the stories of books past.

I am so pleased to say that it not only lived up to, but exceeded my expectations of an Amish Fiction novel. I was hooked to the storyline, feeling immediately connected to the characters, and intrigued at the twist in the plot line. While most Amish fiction novels feature strong characters and their inner (and sometimes outer) struggle with the world vs. the old ways of their faith and culture, this book removes an entire Amish family from its comfort zone and transplants them in the harsh, rural wonderlands of Mexico. I was enthralled at the way Amish life and faith was adapted and changed to fit the needs of the new world, but yet how consistent the family's values remained. Interactions with others beyond "Englishers" was refreshing. I really enjoyed the change of scenery and pace that Cramer's book provided while maintaining the integretiy of the Amish fiction storyline. I feel a good book always leaves you wanting more, as if you want to hear the full story of where the characters go. While the ending wasn't a full cliffhanger, I am desperate to find out what happens to my beloved characters and how they manage their new lives.

Thank you Bethany House for allowing me to review this novel and a huge 'well done' to Dale Cramer for a an excellent and exciting read.

Ahhh. Spring!

2011-04-07T14:49:00.001-04:00

Book Review: The Fight of our Lives

2011-04-07T13:14:00.000-04:00

I was given a copy of The Fight of our Lives by William J. Bennett and Seth Leibsohn to review by Thomas Nelson Publishers. I felt this book was an appropriate and fair analysis of the current debates, battles, and news of the situation with the Islamic faith and it's radical spectrum. News sources, where ever they come are filled with propoganda, agendas, and false sources. Bennett and Leibsohn have done their best to accumulate a wide variety of sources, most often direct quotes from world political and religious leaders. Nothing speaks truth louder and more clear than words directly out of the mouths of those we debate.

This book gives extensive research and anaylsis to the wars (physical and psychological and philisophical) being fought over freedom, religion, and the rights of the human race. This book left me more educated on the fundamentals of Islam and its spectrum of belief matrix's. I feel more prepared to defend not only my religious and political stances, but to also analyze sources and information being presented on the state of Islam in the world. Confused about where our country should stand on this issue? While not an end all solution, this book helped clarify many ideals. The Fight of our Lives also showed the powerful unawareness and even deceptiveness our country (particularly in the political realm) is to the power radical Islamists have on our current events. I had no idea (and I would venture to say that most don't given news stories) the complete and documented history of Nidal Hasan and his beliefs and actions leading up to the Fort Hood Massacre. To think that our nation's leaders would go to such drastic and knowing steps to deny linking this tragedy to Hasan's radical Islamic beliefs is frustrating. It is the truth- documented- and covered up in order to maintain 'policitcal correctness'.

I felt that the epligue about the importance of teaching American History and its founding ideals was powerful, convicting, and an important tool for preparing the future leaders of this country to know how to stand our ground. Linking Washington's beliefs in who was a friend or a foe of the American way was also powerful to me in being able to decifer our current friends or enemies.

Overall, this book is an excellent tool for filtering today's news events and processing them into my own political and religious stances.

Feeling like Nehemiah

2011-04-03T07:26:00.000-04:00

As Nehemiah was building the wall around Jerusalem, rumors began flying that the Jews were headed for revolt and Nehemiah was stepping in as a new King. Trying to tame these fanatics Nehemiah declared: ⁸ I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” (Nehemiah 6:8, NIV).

I can say I feel a little like Nehemiah right now. Nothing that this "health care" law is supposed to be happening is happening. The things were were explicitly told won't happen ('no insurance premiums will go up' according to Obama) are. It's like our President and congressmen are making it up out of their heads to get THEIR agenda's passed, not the will of the people they represent.

I had written earlier for my disdain for the new health care law. But I'm writing again because over the past 6 months we have experiences TWO premium increases for a total of a 23% increase. So, instead of just complaining, I did the good citizen and constiuent thing to do and wrote my state senators, my representative, and the President. Here is what I wrote:

Mr. Levin- I am writing to you to share my concern with the new health care law and to show you how it has affected our family personally. My husband is a self employed real estate agent and I am a stay at home mom to our two daughters ages 1 and 4. We make it a priority in our life to pay for health insurance and do so out of our own pocket because of the self employment status. With our first child I had a medically emergent c-section. We soon after discovered in our search for more affordable premiums that a c-section is considered a 'pre-existing condition' and most companies will not cover a maternity rider on me- which is our main health cost to date as we are all healthy. As you can see we fit the 'ideal candidate' that this new health care law was suppose to help. But, Mr. Levin it is hurting us. Despite the promise by our President that premiums will not go up- we have seen our premiums go up TWICE in the past 6 months with a letter directly indicating it was due to the new services that were required to be provided under this new law. A 23% increase may not seem like a lot to most, but for us, this $1300 a year increase is taking money out of our pocket that could be put into our savings, college funds, our giving fund, or back into the economy with 'stimulated spending'. In fact, this increase could potentially put us into the category this health care law was trying to avoid- the under or non- insured! Because of this law, we may become one of those it was written to protect! My husband may have to start charging higher fees to cover our new cost of living which will then lead to a trickle down affect to home buyers, commercial companies, and consumers. Please, Mr. Levin change or repeal this law immediately, before it is too late and thousands of families like ours face the consequences.

I urge you all if you have problems with any new law or bill to write your representatives. The will of the people was ignored the first time this law was passed, it must be heard now- loud and clear!

Making Bread

2011-03-19T10:48:00.000-04:00

I have discovered the joy of making my own bread. It is amazing to think I know exactly what ingredients go into it (aka no weird words I can't pronounce) and it is fun to try new recipes for fun. I love my mom's recipe for a sweet wheat oatmeal bread. Slice it into toast with a little butter and cinnamon sugar- mmmm....yeah, that bread is usually gone within a day! I enjoy making an italian style loaf for our everyday sandwich, grilled cheese, french toast, garlic bread sort of thing.

Anyone else make their own bread? Care to share a recipe? Use a breadmaker? Get me drooling people!

Here is mine:
I use a breadmaker for the dough and then bake in the oven for this recipe:

Italian Bread:

1 1/3 cup of water
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of oil or shortening
3 2/3 cups bread flour (I used high gluten or add 2 T of gluten in replace of 2 T of flour)
1 1/4 teaspoon yeast

put all ingredients in this order in the breadmaker (or what order is suggested by yours) push dough cycle.
after dough is finished let rest on slightly floured counter for 10-15 minutes
divide in half and form two loaves about 10x4x2 in size, slightly flattened on top
sprinkle with corn meal
Let rise for 45-60 minutes
Slice the top
bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes

You can also do an egg wash right before baking which gives it a glossy look and tougher crust.

Enjoy!

Book Review: The Story of the Bible

2011-03-17T09:03:00.000-04:00

Thomas Nelson was kind enough to send me a copy of The Story of the Bible by Larry Stone, a vice president of the company. The large, 96 page book is glossy paged and full of photographs and art both ancient and modern. Included with this hardcover book are numerous 'poster' style pull outs of copies of the ancient texts, documents, and Biblical translations.

I believe the highest and best use for this book would be as a textbook for highschool and college level 'Bible 101' type classes. It is a great historical overview, and would allow a professor to go into further depth when necessary. My favorite parts of the book were on the reformation and after Bible translators: the work of Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther, and the like. The stories of the men who risked their lives to make the scripture accessible to all people are amazing and make me hold the Bibles I own even dearer. It is because of their bravery and unfailing commitment to sharing the gospel that I have three different translations of scipture sitting on my desk right now. Stone does an excellent job in highlighting these stories as well explaining the background of modern day translations, interpretations, and work to take the Bible to every language in every nation.

I felt the first 5 chapters to be long, boring, and hard to read. The paragraphs did not connect well, it was choppy and scattered. It was painstaking to try and read through. The information, while critical to understanding the authority and history of our Scripture, can be found in much easier forms and in more concise ways.

I was hoping this would be a great 'coffee table' book to bring on conversation or to be a great resource in my bible studies. I'm afraid it falls in neither category. It is too long and wordy for a book to glance through and the pockets in which the extra documents are held are a nuisance and hard to get and return out of the pcokets. I would have rather them be included into the pages of the book. The book does not offer enough organization for bible study purposes. Therefore, I qualify this as an excellent textbook and not designed well for the general reading public.

Book Review: Regreat Free Parenting

2011-02-28T07:50:00.000-05:00

As a Thomas Nelson Blogger, I am given books to read and review. This month I read Regret Free Parenting by Catherin Hickem. Hickem is the founder of Intentional Moms and is a licensed psychotherapist and is a mom herself. her insights into not only personal experiences with her children, but also those that she has counseled were the main highlights of the book.

I appreciated Hickem's honesty and integrity as she wove through delicate topics on parenting and child behaviors. I was encouraged by the angle on how to fix ourselves as mothers and understand ourselves before we can truly be intentional moms to our children. Children are very complex and it takes great intentionality to raise them in the way they should go.

This book would work really well in a small group setting. I feel moms could lean and glean from each other as they read the books and also do the questions at the end of each chapter. If a mom desires to read this book I would encourage her to do so with great intentionality of evaluating herself and parenting styles and having a person she can talk to through it. There are many sensitive issues that could arise. The one thing I wish would have been added was encouragement to moms who suffer from issues like PPD and how that can affect early parenting and connections.
Overall I was encouraged as a mom and felt more confidence with one main idea: that God created ME to be the mom to these kids. He didn't choose someone else, he chose me. I will know them best and teach them best- but I have to be intentional.

Guess what I learned to make?

2011-02-07T21:28:00.001-05:00

Book Review: The Jesus Inquest

2011-02-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

I recently finished reading Charles Foster's book "The Jesus Inquest". I was intrigued with its law based argument set up- with two 'characters' that the author created to present the case for and against the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I appreciated Foster's forthcoming of the difficulty it was to adequately present both sides, but his willingness to try. I feel as though the author did a decent job of present the arguments equally and effectively even though he was one in the same. Foster did an excellent job documenting and citing his resources as he fought the case for "X"- a person who doubts the death and Resurrection of Jesus as stated in the Gospels and "Y"- the person who believes in the truth of synoptic Gospels and that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again before ascending into heaven.

Overall, the 'proof' presented on both sides of the argument were interesting, but lacked polish and finality. I found that the many arguments for "X" were so scattered and numbered that it was hard to take "X" seriously. There were probably 3 or 4 different 'proofs' mentioned for simply where Jesus was buried after he 'survived' the crucifixion or failed to raise from the dead. The lack of consistent argument against the truth of Christ was always present and made it hard for me to follow because there were so many different sides to the story. "Y's" defense often amounted to this fact and provided only a few statistical proofs that backed up the case.

While Foster did a very thorough job of 'prooving' each side of the case, I have enjoyed books of a similar topic that address the arguments in a more concise way. The author also assumes the reader has fair knowledge of the Catholic traditions and churches. For a non-Catholic, bible believing protestant this created some confusion as I was having to educated myself on those traditions before I could fully understand the argument being presented. I appreciated the epilogues in the back that included more in depth proof and explanation of some of the arguments.

In the end, while there could be some items in history that point to the proof of Jesus death and Resurrection, the cornerstone for our relationship with Jesus is not that we can prove him, but that we have faith in the Truth. Faith super cedes most arguments and I trust that my Lord did give himself for me. One of the points 'X' mentioned was that in the case of Joseph of Arimethia: that no one would sacrifice their tomb because it was too costly monetarily and socially...that only fictional characters act in that way. I wish 'Y' would have pointed out that people do act this way- its called unconditional love. It is a faith and trust in Jesus that we can love others, and there is no concrete evidence that will ever make that go away.

Thank goodness for part 2

2011-01-25T11:46:00.000-05:00

I love hearing what Isabelle is learning in her class at church each Sunday morning. Two weeks ago, she learned about the parable of the prodigal son. Or at least that is what I was deciphering. You see, sometimes story lines get a little jumbled and details mixed around. We've had a blind Jesus, friends that couldn't play over at his house, and many other interesting versions of scripture! After this week though, I was concerned. You see, she told me in full detail the story of the prodigal son, how he wanted to do things 'his way' and how he ended up feeding the pigs and he was so hungry he wanted to eat their food. In earnest to hear what she got out of the story I asked, "So what did the dad say when the son came back home?"...the response was unexpected, "He didn't come home mom!". She was adamant. The son did not come home. For all she knew he was still stuck in the mud with the pigs. Paul and I spent all week trying to tell her otherwise, but she was convinced that the son did not come home.

Thank goodness for part 2. You see, our church sends out a newsletter to parents letting them know what their child will be learning that week. I had failed to read the first email. On Thursday...I opened up the email to the title "Prodigal Son, Part 2". Light bulb! Poor girl hadn't even gotten to the part where the son comes home! When we picked her up from class on Sunday we asked her, "so, what did you learn Izzy?". Her response? "You were right!" And she got the rest of the story.

This little incident made me so grateful that there was even a part 2 to this parable. How sad and heartbreaking it would be if we had a God who did not want us back, who did not celebrate when we return to His loving arms, who did not forgive without hesitation, a God who does not stop looking and waiting for us to come home. I'm so thankful there is a part 2. So thankful that I serve a Lord who loves me no matter what, and is always waiting with a full heavenly party to welcome me back to his care when I mess up.

"Sky, Sea, Sky, Sea!"

2011-01-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

My husband has been on a "Top Gear" kick. For those of you unaware, it is a car fanatics show from the BBC. There has been a recent American version, but Paul has been hitting back to the original classics he's never seen via streaming Netflix (love that!). Anyways, on an episode recently watched the three guys were challenged to create an amphibious car...and then challenged to drive the car 40 miles to the English Channel...and then make their "boat cars" go across the choppy and dangerous channel. It was a hoot.

One of the guys basically put a little fishing boat on top of a truck...unfortunately the steering for the boat aspect was in the back...and he was a rather short gentleman. So, as he inched across the choppy waters of the channel all he could see (in a panicked voice) was "Sky! Sea! Sky! Sea!" Now while this was completely hilarious it was also a scary predicament. The channel is one of the busiest shipping yards in the world. There were massive ships everywhere...and here he was in a makeshift, homemade, barely sea worthy vessel. To not be able to see? Yikes.

It made me think though about how often we try to face life in this way. As we cross our 'channel' of life in hopes of getting to the other side- often we feel like we are losing our grips, we are losing the battle, all we can see is up and down. No longer in control, no wits about us. So what goes wrong?

First- we have a vessel problem. Just like this chap did. In order to cross the English Channel you have to have the proper vessel, one that can withstand the environment and get you safely across. How could a car turned boat expect to cross? How can we expect to face life in an unfit vessel? We are a broken, sinful people. We can't help but want to do things on our own, look out for our own selves. We can't expect to cross unscathed with a broken vessel, with a broken heart and spirit. Thank goodness for a CAPTAIN!

Second- you need a good guide. These guys attempting to do the seemingly impossible needed expertise on their side. A captain of their ship to help them out. Sometimes, other people can help us across. The one vehicle/vessel that did manage to float and make it across ended up towing and rescuing the other two. People were there to receive the vessel on the other side. In our lives, we can definitely receive help from others...but we will never feel fully satisfied and protected unless we have the ultimate Captain....the Head of our Vessel. Jesus Christ can fix what is wrong with our vessel. He can repair the damage. He will create a new self giving us the Holy Spirit to help us live with Christ as the head.

Third- In order to survive those sky,sea moments in life you have to trust. You cannot anticipate every challenge life will throw. Even with the Captain heading your newly fixed vessel, there are still old habits to break. There are still old behaviors that will need to change. There will still be choppy waters that need to be navigated. Who can control the conditions? Only God can. Not only do the mountains and sea call out His name, but He also knows all that did, is, and will happen to us. He promises to not give us more than we can handle. We cannot expect each wave and big ship that crosses our path. We can only trust and hang on that our God will protect and guide us as we go through the ups and downs.

There are many days I feel like I'm in a "sky! sea! sky! sea!" cycle. The kids are going nuts, dinner is not coming together, the house is a disaster, I've failed to do basic errands or write a friend an email, the bible study sits unfinished, and all I want to do is watch Project Runway or some fluff show on TLC. It hit me at about 3 am one morning as my 12 month old cried in the room down the hall struggling to put herself back to sleep that these thoughts came to me. I haven't taken the time to fully edit them or find the scripture that matches up. I just felt like writing down my 3am jumbled thoughts and work on the details later.

Just another day...

2011-01-15T12:41:00.001-05:00

Showing off the pony tail and tutu.

Things I Love Thursday: Chicco Caddy Chair

2011-01-13T11:54:00.006-05:00

High chairs are a pain. They are necessary, but they are a pain. Especially when you have moved into a home that has shaggy carpeting in the dining area (seriously, who does that?). My old basic graco high chair was just not working on the carpet, it was big, and I was getting annoyed. So I looked for answers. I thought about a space saver high chair...but it was too similar to the booster I already had and just wasn't what I was looking for. And then I found it:

The Chicco Caddy Chair

Its a kickback to the highchairs of old (I totally remember old school versions in the church gym at potlucks!). its in an awesome red color. It attaches to almost any table. It is completely washable in the washing machine. It takes up no extra space in my house. Its awesome! To finish off my 'child eating area' (which someone should invent built in vacuums to baby clothes or something) I put a plastic mat on the floor to catch spills...which then gets dragged immediately out the slider door to feed the birds any leftovers (and apparently a possum is enjoying the tastes too..). On the table I got one of these silicone trays to put on top. It catches any missed bites by the self feeding toddler and makes for a quick and easy clean up. Once or twice a week I quickly (it takes about 3 minutes) dismantle the chair and throw the red seat in the wash with my other dishtowels. It has been amazing. We started putting our daughter in it at 6 months but she was a confident sitter. This would be the only downside to this chair if it is replacing a high chair in that you really cannot put a non sitter in it. It can hold up to 35 pounds, so technically speaking my lightweight of a 4 year old could sit in it :) It has travelled with us to various parties and functions and works great.

Amazon currently has it on sale for just over $30 with free shipping- what a deal! I wish I had originally purchased this instead of the big bulky high chair long ago!

See it works:

For more Things I Love...check out The Diaper Diaries

Happy Birthday Liliana Hope!

2010-12-31T20:49:00.004-05:00

A little late, but she'll forgive me I'm sure.

Happy Birthday to our sweet Lili. She is a treasured member of our family. Life is busy and exciting because of her! At 12 months...

She is walking, getting to standing from any position, climbing, getting into everything, self feeding, fully weaned, and the permant shadow of her big sister. She can say ball, book, baby, all done, what's that?, mama, dada, hot, hi. She can sign more, please, thank you, and all done. She loves to eat- anything. She loves her baby dolls and balls. She is a little monkey but the sweetest person you'll ever meet. Fully of life and energy Lili loves to take risks and explore her world. Happy birthday dear one. My how time flies.

Christmas Presents for Kids

2010-12-13T09:59:00.002-05:00

If your kids are anything like mine- they have lots of loving family- which means that lots of loving family loves to love on them at Christmas time. I'm not complaining. I love to give gifts too. But sometimes, it can be overwhelming. I love to give gifts to my kids. Its one way I like to show my love too. But I have wondered many times how to approach this at Christmas time- when I don't want a house overflowing with gifts and I want to maintain the focus on Jesus- the birth of our Savior (you know, the whole reason for the season thing!). I want my kids to first think of Christmas as a time to be joyful and thankful that God gave us the best gift ever in Jesus- and secondly to show our love like God did by giving gifts to others. After much debate my husband and I have (hopefully) come up with a 'tradition' that will allow us to maintain that focus, allow me to express my love by giving gifts, and to avoid over gifting.

I don't remember where I heard the idea in the first place, but there is gobs of stories online about this same topic- Giving the Gifts Jesus Got. Jesus got three special gifts to celebrate his birth (Christmas). Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. The idea is to give each child three gifts based on what Jesus was given.

The Gold Gift- Gold is something valuable and treasured. This is a great way to give a gift of something the child wants, treasures, and desires more than anything else. The item they keep circling in the catalogs or eyeing in the store.

Frankincense- this is an incense that was burned and the smoke would billow up into the heavens. It often represents our prayers going up to God. So this gift should be something that would bring the child closer to God. Maybe a bible, book, dvd, or christian summer camp. Our kids will be getting the fisher price nativity set this year- a way for them to interact and get to know God's story better.

Myrrh- this is a precious oil that was rubbed on the body (often after death, but ewe, leave that part out!). So the Myrrh gift is an item that goes on the body. Ideas include clothing, shoes, coats, lotions.

What I love about this set-up is that there isn't a dollar amount affixed so I can go big or little depending on the year and our ability to give or it leaves room for the really really special 'gold' years of the 'wow' item. It is also meaningful and gives us a chance to reflect the whole experience and holiday right back on Christ. I still get to give, they get to receive, but it is not an overwhelming amount.

And after our sharing of gifts, we're hoping to throw Jesus a birthday party :) Cake and all.

So, if you are struggling with the idea of getting your kids presents this Christmas without overwhelming them- consider giving them the same as Jesus received!

Things I Love Thursday: Freegal Music

2010-12-09T07:44:00.002-05:00

Ok, so this is more for those in the Kent County, Michigan zone, but maybe if you check your local library system, they will have something like it. Did you know that if you have a library card with KDL (Kent District Library) you can receive free mp3 downloads?

Its called Freegal Music. The library has its own 'library' of online mp3 downloadable music featuring artists from pop, r&b, gospel, holiday, children's, and more! Go to http://www.kdl.org/ and go to the freegal page (under ebooks/downloads). Log in with your library card number and go! The search system is a little weak, so I end up browsing or going to find the song/artist I want manually. A library card holder receives 3 free downloads a week! I find that very cool. All you have to do is save it to your computer- and then drag and drop into itunes if you have an ipod. Its that simple- and it really is free! I have found some great learning songs by leapfrog for my 4 year old to learn days of the week. I also just got a couple holiday songs by Kenny G to put me in the Christmas mood while wrapping gifts. Did I mention this is free music? Really- if you think about it that is 12 free songs a month- 144 a year!

I heart our library :)

Drop on in to The Diaper Diaries for more Things people love this Thursday!

You're Welcome- a recipe to enjoy

2010-12-04T13:38:00.006-05:00

I have found my new favorite holiday- ok anytime- sweet treat recipe. Love the mall cinnamon roasted almonds? Um, yes! Not exactly diet friendly, but at least it has more substance that cookies right?

So here is the homemade version (I had no idea it would be so easy, yummy- like where has this been all my life!)

You'll need:
16 oz bag of whole almonds
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Mix egg white and vanilla until frothy. Add almonds and mix until they are all coated.

In a separate dish mix rest of ingredients. Add almonds and toss to coat.

Place in one layer in a jelly roll or baking pan (you may want to use parchment as these kind of leave a sticky mess, but my color glazed 9x13 did great, easy clean up!). Place in a preheated oven at 250 degrees. Bake for one hour, fifteen minutes. Every 20 minutes mix around and rearrange back into one layer. Let rest outside of stove for 5 minutes before eating. Store in an airtight container. Make great goody giveaways to friends/teachers/family etc.

You're welcome.

Book Review: Jungle Warfare

2010-12-01T06:30:00.003-05:00

So, I'm not a salesperson, but I'm the wife of one. So, in efforts to help my husband with his business and to be (hopefully) an encouragement to him, I decided to read Jungle Warfare: A Basic Field Manual for Christians in Sales by Christopher Cunningham.

Adapted from his Grandfather's World War II era military issued "basic field manual on jungle warfare," Cunningham connects the strategies and thoughts demanded for combat in an unknown jungle land with the jungle that is life as a Christian, especially in the sales industry. With God as the ultimate Guide, the Christian salesperson is asked to prepare for battle on two fronts- spiritually and in the business realm. But really, they are connected. Cunningham's underlying tone is that when a person is spiritually growing, with God on the throne of his/her life, and eager to serve Him in whatever facet- then business success (though not always the way our earthly minds imagine it) will follow.

This 22 battle plan book was set up as a small devotional for the reader; with sections on part of the original war manual, a verse from our 'manual', thoughts from the author, then a series of questions and a prayer. I found the set up to be quick, simple, but choppy. I rarely found the connection between all of the components, and more often than not I found the material lacking cohesion or stretching the material to 'make it fit'. Following the 22 day plan were a list of popular questions that I believe a lot of business people, particularly men, ask with verses and a thought from the author as an answer. For example- does God care about my sales numbers or what do I do about success?

I found this book to be reminiscent of a 1 minute radio spot. The quick one line thoughts are good, but not very deep. The one minute radio spot may get you thinking, but often quickly move on to the next item at hand. With some further study, I believe Cunningham's thoughts on integrity in the business world, trusting God with our whole life- including our sales, learning to rest and be still, and the connection between being a person after God's heart first with the sales coming after are all good ideas, but I left feeling empty and wanting more. I felt as though I had heard the 'token devotional' before my Christian college classes. I did appreciate the sales person's creed based off of the American soldier's creed.

This book would work very well for quick devotionals in the business world or with a small group of men. It would allow for more open discussion and lead into further research in scripture of what God says about each the subjects. I give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

Out of The Fog part 2

2010-10-20T16:09:00.004-04:00

Back in 2009 I wrote about the journey of 'my fog' This time in my life was tough, and now with the help of a great doctor, can probably point to post partum depression. Well, now that Liliana is 9 months old, I thought I would share My Fog part 2. Thankfully, this story went a little better, but not without its struggles. I hope that for other women out there can see two stories of birth, life, hormones, and the unexpected and see that there were two different approaches, with similar but yet different outcomes.

Liliana was a 'planned' addition, she was prayerfully considered and prayerfully anticipated. We started praying for my emotions very specifically from the moment we began thinking about 'adding on' to the family. I discussed with my new (and wonderful!) doctor about my past experiences and from her understanding it was most definitely PPD. I was given surveys periodically to test my emotions and anytime an emotion moved from the 'never had' or 'seldom have' category to something more frequent, it would raise a red flag. In October, so about the 6 month mark in pregnancy my emotions went bonkers. I was having anxious thoughts, couldn't put together sentences at times, I was easily overwhelmed, all of the symptoms from Izzy's post birth came flooding back. Little did I know that once you have experienced PPD you are more likely to experience it prenatally as well! While we were fervently praying for this to not be the case, Paul and I realized this was yet another way for Satan to attack and we needed to face it on a spiritual and physical level, therefore we made the choice to go on an anti-depressant, in my case it was a low dose Zoloft.

While this drug took a few weeks to take effect, it did help tremendously. It was only in extreme circumstances that I would have the spikes in emotions. Towards the end of the pregnancy things got worse and we changed the dosage and spread it out throughout the day. Due to the circumstances of Izzy's birth, we opted for a planned c-section with Liliana which went very smoothly. Thankfully, we made the right decision for her birth due to some other findings. Everything was peaceful, calm, and went great! I was able to enjoy having a baby.

With the help of modern medicine and the power of prayer we were able to keep the PPD at bay for the most part. Unless I was in extreme situations such as large parties or extra tired, I felt in control of the PPD emotional roller coaster. It was freeing. At about the 6 month mark we began to (slowly) wean off of the zoloft. This was a tedious process as I was not prepared for the withdrawal effects I would face. While this was not pleasant, I still wouldn't have changed the decision to go on the drugs in the first place. What I wish now is that I had stayed on the medicine longer. I still have terrible days, but they are outnumbered by the good days. For some, PPD is short and sweet, some it is intense, some it is long and drawn out...and for some it changes with each baby and pregnancy. I apparently hang onto this hormonal nightmare longer than average. I hope that as we near the 1 year birthday of our Lili-Monkey I will again get out of the fog of PPD.

I am so thankful for great family, a wonderful husband, a faith that keeps me going, a great doctor to help guide through the medical side of things, and a Savior who loves me even on my bad days. That's my story- well God's story. If you had told me 5 years ago that I would go on this journey I would have told you you were nuts. Oh how God changes us and brings us through deserts to draw us closer to him. I am thankful for my journey- but ever so glad it is turning towards the next one!

Book Review: Really Woolly Bible Stories

2010-10-20T15:25:00.003-04:00

I love finding Biblical resources for my little girls. I long to make the Bible relevant, meaningful, and applicable to their little lives. I was given the opportunity through Thomas Nelson Publishers and BookSneeze to review Really Woolly Bible Stories by Bonnie Rickner Jensen.

This hardcover and cardboard page book tells some of the most well known Bible stories (Creation, Noah, Jonah, Daniel, Jesus, Good Samaritan, etc) in simple rhyme format. With a 4-8 sentence rhyme and adorable picture, the basic lesson of these bible stories is told. In many ways it reminds me of classical nursery rhyme books with the ethereal drawings. While child-like and quaint, these stories still tell Biblical truths and some even provide a command of application- such as the conclusion of the Good Samaritan which asks the child "will you help out today?"

I found this Bible adaptation to be wonderfully thought out, creative, and appropriate. I would start reading this with my babes as soon as possible. I feel the ideal age for retention and application would be for ages 1.5-3 years. My four year old daughter enjoyed 'reading' the book to herself and liked some of the poetry. One of my favorite parts was also the scripture reference after each story so the parent could find the source of each story.

With a market filled with Biblical adaptations for every age and need, I found the Really Woolly Bible Stories a fresh, fun book to have for young children. Two thumbs up!

Book Review: The King's Christmas List

2010-10-05T11:31:00.004-04:00

We are born in sin, with a selfish nature. It is at its basic level seen in children- why is it so hard to share and give? While especially appropriate around Christmas time, the book The King's Christmas List by Eldon Johnson is a wonderful story to share with children (and even adults!) what it means to truly give.

Following Emma's journey as she gives her favorite, her best, and her new items to other people in need- she comes to find out that when she gave her gifts she was like she was giving to the King- Jesus. While at His birthday party (Christmas celebration) she finds that what Jesus enjoys most of all is seeing others give to one another- because it is like giving to him.

I find this story hits on two main levels. One- that is is good to give and share. It is important to give our best, our favorite, our new things - not just what is left over or what we don't want anymore. By giving our best, we are really giving God our best. By giving to others in need, you are really giving to God and fulfilling the commandment to 'love our neighbors.'

Secondly, this book does an excellent job of explaining to children why it is custom to give gifts on Christmas. The holiday can quickly become commercialized and gift focused. The King's Christmas List shares how giving is an expression of God's gift to us in Jesus.

I thought this book did an excellent job of sharing the concept of biblical giving to a child geared for ages I'd say 4-10. My four year daughter did great with the concepts. The only downsides to the book are that I feel it is a little 'wordy' and uses a lot of extra phrases that are unnecessary and make it more difficult to read. An example: the continuous validation of the 'pretend aspect' with the letter, voices, and talking dog. Kids will take a story at face value and don't need the constant validation that it is pretend. Also, I felt the illustrations were not very captivating. Overall, I give this 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers and BookSneeze for giving me the book to review and enjoy!

Book Review: Storm Warning

2010-09-19T20:24:00.004-04:00

As a Thomas Nelson book reviewer, I recently had the chance to read Billy Graham's updated version of Storm Warning. Originally written in 1992, Graham has taken the same concepts and applied current events (current economic crisis, 9/11, Iran, and more) to the equation.

If you are looking for a play by play direct correlation to current events to Revelation and the end times, this is not the book for you. Most of those books are mere speculation anyways. What Graham has done is used the moments that seem 'end times' in our current or even recent past and shown the importance of being prepared as Christ Followers. Graham focuses his writing on what Christians can do to be prepared for Jesus' second coming, how they can protect themselves from the dangers of this world (such as cults and other spiritual movements), and instilling a sense of peace and joy knowing that as Christ followers we serve the ultimate king, the winner of it all. We don't need to worry about what is 'about to happen', but can find peace knowing that on the other side of the storm, there is great peace.

As Christians, we also have the opportunity to be powerful influences during these storms. Rather than sit and wait in fear of Revelation to come to fruition, we should be eagerly searching out ways to possibly 'slow it' as Elijah did and to find moments to share Christ with others. One of my favorite passages of the book was on page 267, "May we not miss His (Jesus) presence. May we not be found with our lamps dimmed. May we be found waiting, watching, and working for His glory." Whether Revelation has, is, or is going to soon reveal itself, my job is to focus on serving my Lord and be ready during these storm warnings so that I can withstand the wind and rain and enjoy the after-storm glory of eternity.

While a rather quick read, Graham's writing style is rather dry and hard to sometimes get motivated about. I did find the book picking up and more enjoyable about 2/3 of the way through. While not a poolside read, I think this would be an appropriate book for any believer who is using private study and devotional time focusing on the future and current events and how they relate.

Things I Love Thursday: Baby Mum Mum's

2010-07-29T09:26:00.005-04:00

This Thursday I am sharing my love for my new favorite baby teething cookie. There is a certain brand that has the popular teething biscuit to date but it is a mess. Like bath worthy mess after every use. Not what I call a nice little snack while mommy gets dinner ready for hungry munchkins. I've tried an organic kind that was a little less messy (not much) and didn't fall apart as easily.

Along came an accidental gold mine find. I originally stumbled on these at Walmart- but there are a few other retailers that have them (though not many! get with the program Meijer/Target!) They are Baby Mum-Mum rice husks for teething babies.

What do I like?

Limited mess. These don't make nearly the mess the other competitors do. No pasty bath worthy mess. Its wonderful. A little sticky, but so much more manageable!

3 flavors- Rice, vegetable, and carrot. Recently they've added organic and organic banana as well!

Individually packaged. No more stale biscuits! Also easy for on the go. Come in individual packages of 2 husks, 12 packages in a box.

Price was great! It was basically the same as the other biscuits out there, maybe even a little cheaper!

What others might like (this is cool, but wasn't a deciding factor for me)

Gluten, nut, and egg free

Cholesterol free

No artificial colors or flavors

No preservatives

The great (and hilarious) gal over at The Diaper Diaries is giving away coupons for ice cream. I don't turn down the chance for cheap/free ice cream indulgence...especially when it comes to Breyer's. So head on over there and see what she has going on and maybe you can win too!

No time for blogging...

2010-06-22T20:32:00.002-04:00

We're too busy enjoying our new home with a great yard during summertime!

I 'heart'....

2010-05-04T21:35:00.002-04:00

Sisters in their matching P.J.'s!

Thomas Nelson Book Review: The Language of Love and Respect

2010-05-01T13:43:00.002-04:00

The book Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is a phenomenal book about the relationship between a man and a woman, particularly in a marital relationship. It clearly defines (whether we really realized it or not) a woman's need to be loved and cherished above all other things and a husband's need to be respected above all. If either love or respect is compromised or questioned, the marital relationship begins a crazy cycle that further destructs.

This book takes the original version the additional step by discussing how we can communicate love and respect to our husbands and wives respectively.

I found the clear, simple explanations of communication refreshing, easy to understand and apply, and eager to follow. Nothing is that new- (think Dave Ramsey: nothing new, just easy to understand principles and clear direction)- but it is all true and applicable.

One concept that really hit me was to 'assume my partner means goodwill'. I found myself applying this communication idea to other relationships as well. If I always assume that a person means no harm, but my well being and good, then I will avoid a lot less stress, strife, and broken down communication.

I found that this book was quite repetitive not only of the concepts taught in the previous Love and Respect book, but also within itself. I would have enjoyed it more had it been a little more precise and condensed.

Communication is one of the top reasons marriages and other relationships suffer. Learning how to communicate Love and Respect to one another is a crucial survival skill for these relationships. The Language of Love and Respect does a fine job of breaking down the details and giving clear and constructive ideas to enhance or improve this communication and I would recommend this to any married or premarital couple.

SOLD!

2010-03-30T08:21:00.001-04:00

We sold the condo this weekend! Only 39 days on the market- we are so blessed.

Now comes the task of finding something new before April 30th....easier said than done :)

Selling our house

2010-02-22T14:17:00.001-05:00

Its been an insane couple of weeks. The main reason? Getting our condo ready to sell. Its amazing how to do lists that go unnoticed suddenly must get scratched out overnight. We have been working hard and are now ready to sell and find a new home! Its a great condo if you know of anyone interested- we just need more space!

For Sale: 3BR/3+1BA Condo in Byron Center, MI, $149,900

Things I Love: Moby Wrap

2010-01-27T18:26:00.005-05:00

This week I am sharing my love for my Moby Wrap. I had a baby 4 weeks ago via c-section, so I've really only been using it for about 2 weeks, but I LOVE it! The moby wrap is basically one long piece of fabric you wrap around your body a certain way and then place the baby in the folds created. The same wrap can carry a baby up to 35 pounds (yikes, don't know why I would do that!) and in different positions. My little peanut is only big enough for basically a cradle type carry as seen below.

Now Liliana has not been a fan of swaddling, so I was unsure if she would enjoy this womb like environment (she loves to stretch!). But, given a fussy baby who just doesn't know what to do with herself and she is dry and fed, I place her in this thing and she is out like a light! This allows me to get some typing done, some light cleaning, and simply play two handed with my 3.5 year old. So often I would think of holding and bouncing a fussy baby and be unable to play, but this allows me to be free handed, while at the same time enjoy the cuddly goodness of holding her close. I also used this as the local children's museum so 1) no grimy germs from other people got near her 2)I was free to play 3) I wasn't pushing a stroller around. It worked wonders. I'm hoping my baby will continue to love her moby wrap.

For those perhaps shopping around for a carrier, the main downfall is simply the length of the fabric. The long length makes it somewhat difficult to put on in public (fabric tends to drag on the floor as you are putting it on, either that or I still don't know what I'm doing). It is washable, so I just make sure and wash it if I use it out. It can be a little tricky getting the wrapping just right in the beginning, but there are lots of resources out there to help.

For other things people love, check out The Diaper Diaries!

My thoughts exactly...

2010-01-26T13:25:00.002-05:00

Things I Love Thursday- Preschool Printables

2010-01-21T12:48:00.004-05:00

My daughter loves to color, craft, and glue- which is fun for me too. She is 3 1/2 and we are planning on doing some 'home school' preschool at this point. I'm always looking for fun activities that not only peak her interest, but also help her develop fine motor skills. Lately, she has been into tracing- thinking the dotted line pictures. I'm wanting to start some basic letter writing (she can already form an I, L, T, H, and O).

What I love this Thursday is the preschool printables you can find for free online. Just google what you are looking for and you will find it- and more great ideas! Today I googled letter tracing and found some great resources and printables. I have done this before with color pages for my daughter and for other activity pages when I was teaching. There are even sites you can build your own crossword and word searches for older kids!

I recommend:

worksheetworks.com

printactivities.com

puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com

and pbskids/nickkids for printables related to your kids favorite characters!

Have free printable fun! That's what I love this Thursday- check out The Diaper Diaries for more great ideas!

Oh and another tip- use scrap paper to print on!

Bottle Feeding Success!!

2010-01-19T08:28:00.002-05:00

Isabelle never would take a bottle (pumped or otherwise) and she always refused a pacifier. It made for a long 12 months. Our little bug has caught on quite well to both! I pump a bottle a day and she takes it great! Pacifier works if she is sleepy but full. Its a huge success for us!

Psalm 80

2010-01-12T08:13:00.003-05:00

It has been quite the week. Coming home from the hospital went smoothly and my wonderful mother came to stay with us for a couple days while I continued my surgical recovery and to help with Isabelle. Well, after a few days of not having me around, Izzy would have nothing to do with anyone helping her besides her mommy. Needless to say, it was quite frustrating. She wouldn't play by herself- just want to sit next to me and 'help' me. Poor girl.

Then, a day after my mom left, my child who never gets sick (seriously, she has never had an ear infection, stomach flu, nothing more than a cold!) started running a high fever. For two days it ran between 101-104 with meds. Plus, I was suffering with debilitating headaches since I had left the hospital and even the strong meds I was on wasn't touching it.

I was drained and stretched to the limit. I had hit the 'emotional' crash that almost every woman gets after giving birth, my mom was gone, my husband was insanely busy suddenly, my eldest was sick, I was only 1 week post op, and trying to remember how to care for a newborn. It was one thing after another.

I cried out one morning- "Seriously, can't I catch a break here???" Paul was home and encouraged me to just open up the Bible and ready something while I ate my breakfast. I went to Psalms and I kid you not the first passage I looked at was Psalm 80. I started reading- just to focus on something other than my woes.

Psalm 80 was written as a song to the tune of 'the covenant of the Lilies"- interesting I thought, especially with my brand new daughter sitting in the swing with the same name.

For those of you who don't know (and I would have been one of them), Psalm 80 is a cry out to God. The people knew God's ultimate power and authority and that they were the chosen people. They knew God had a great plan for them, but it seemed as though every corner brought a new challenge. The writer asked in verse 12 after sharing how God had brought his people out of Egypt and into a promised land, "Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?"

Basically, the author is writing a song that asks God, why do you keep sending hardships our way? We know we are your children, we want to follow you, we know we have done wrong- help us!

The chorus repeated throughout the passage is what then hit me:

"Restore us, o God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved!"

Now I'm not usually on the bandwagon of opening up random scripture and having God give you exactly what you need- but man oh man was this God speaking loud and clear (ok, maybe through a megaphone of sorts).

Here I was basically asking God, "how much more do you want me to take right now?" "Can't you give me a break?" Just like his chosen people did.

He reminded me that morning, that He is the source of restoration- physical, spiritual, emotional, relational. He would restore me to a place of healing in all of those areas. And even though things were out of balance, out of wack, and simply hard to handle, He would find joy in me- His face would shine on me, as if it was the largest hug I could receive, a comfort beyond understanding. He would save me. He was the only way to make it through. I certainly couldn't do it on my own. I was physically, emotionally, and spiritually at the edge. In some ways, rightfully so- I couldn't rely on myself to get through it. I had to allow myself to be restored by my Creator, my Abba father. With Him comes true restoration and healing even when it seems as though he has dealt us a bad hand.

Psalm 80- read it, be restored, be saved.

Introducing....

2010-01-04T20:17:00.003-05:00

Liliana Hope Spica
12-30-09
7 lbs 9 oz
20 inches

Twas the day before surgery...

2009-12-29T13:40:00.003-05:00

And all through the house, all the diapers are ready and so are the wipes.

This time tomorrow I'll be chillin' with my new baby girl in my arms. I can't wait. I'm getting more nervous with the impending surgery aspect, but at least I get a little prize at the end. And because I'm sure all of you care, here is a picture of what a 39 week preggo girl looks like the day before giving birth.

I'm sure some of you are like, oh my gosh you are huge! But really, I'm not that bad. I was much bigger and swollen all over last time around- plus I've only gained 12 pounds...woot! I never thought I'd have the basketball look after how miserable I looked with Isabelle!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T14:26:00.004-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. I was so excited for people to open the gifts I bought so long ago (I got all my shopping and wrapping done before december- just in case!). I loved giving my dad this awesome Detroit Tigers mug I had found, a great t-shirt for my brother in law Jason, and a pretend birthday cake set for Izzy (she loves to pretend birthday parties with her dolls and me).

Isabelle got some wonderful gifts, her favorites included:

a 6 week ballet class
a diaper bag for her baby doll
money to buy herself a new baby doll
a tea party set- real china for a big girl!
a pretend hair styling kit with blow dryer, curing iron, etc
matching jammies sewn for her and her baby doll by my mom

Paul and I didn't exchange gifts this year which was kind of a bummer- but we got a few wonderful gifts from other people- including a netflix subscription for 6 months which we are totally geeked about!

What was your favorite gift to give or recieve this year?

For Unto Us...

2009-12-24T15:01:00.002-05:00

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called:

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR,
MIGHTY GOD,
EVERLASTING FATHER,
PRINCE OF PEACE!

Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday Jesus. Thank you God for the most perfect gift ever given- your Son, our Savior JESUS!!!

Date Night Fun

2009-12-22T11:34:00.002-05:00

It was a real treat to get an impromptu date night last night. My mother-in-law stopped by at about 11 am to drop something off and asked if Izzy wanted to run errands with her- sure thing! Izzy loves to shop and loves even more to spend time with her grandma.

So I was anticipating a drop off around early afternoon in time for nap/rest time.

Well, 3pm rolled around and I had an appointment downtown for Liliana so I left, but Paul was home for Izzy.

Well, on my way home, I get a call that Izzy was off to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. Whohoo! Date night! Gotta love it. Plus, we had just received a gift card to Olive Garden so we could go out to eat!!! No cooking + date night = happy girl.

We had a great time (you must, simply must try the new Manicotti formagio with chicken or whatever its called- simply to die for, roasted red pepper alfredo sauce with spinach and chicken and manicotti my oh my- it was so large it fed me for dinner, and Izzy and I finished it for lunch...so three meals!)

Paul and I had a great time together, but what made date night even more fun was the conversation next to us (is it bad we love to eavesdrop on other conversations when we are out?)

Well, it was these two old ladies probably in their 70's or early 80's. The first clue I had that it was going to be a fun evening was the introductory sentence.

"Well, I called ahead. I wanted to make sure they had spaghetti. And they do."

Really? You called an Italian restaraunt to make sure they had pasta? Isn't that like calling a steakhouse to see if they have steak or McD's to see if they have cheeseburgers?

Paul and I tried not to bust out laughing. Let's just say the rest of the evening got even better. One of my favorites was-

"Do your dishes come with bread?"

Olive Garden Virgins perhaps? Do they not know that one of the best features of this place is the all you can eat amazing salad and even more divine breadsticks? I don't know...but it sure gave us plenty of fun on our date night :)

A different kind of holiday...

2009-12-12T08:45:00.003-05:00

Christmas is upon us and I'm still trying to convince myself of it. This year has been so different in many ways- but I think for the better.

I have never been away from 'home' on Christmas. Even after Paul and I were married and had Isabelle, we spent Christmas eve and morning with my parents. This year, we are staying home and they will be visiting us sometime later on Christmas day. While I'll miss some of the 'traditions' of my childhood, we hope to create some new ones as our own little family unit this year.

I will missing seeing and/or participating in the Christmas eve service that my dad always puts on, but this year I'll get to experience our church home- Ada Bible's- Christmas eve service. I will enjoy celebrating Christmas with a community we have grown to love and respect.

I love to decorate for Christmas. I don't have much in the way of decorations, but it makes me feel warm and cozy to put up a few glowing lights and some cute little snowmen. This year, I had to simplify. Due to a slight scrooge of a husband who refuses to take part in any sort of holiday decor, its always up to me to get the job done. Being nearly 9 months pregnant, setting up a 7ft tree seemed a little too overwhelming (as did the thought of taking it down post c-section with a newborn). So, I improvised and set up just the top of the tree and one or two layers underneath it. Its kind of retarded looking- more fat than tall. But it has worked perfectly. I was able to set it up in just an hour or so, it is all at Izzy's height so she enjoys 'redecorating' it everyday. It gives me the feeling I love, without the hassle this year. (I so need to convince my husband to let me get a pre-lit tree one of these days!).

Due to my deep desire to not be fighting crowds while ridiculously pregnant- I finished my shopping about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Its freeing to know its done, and all the presents are wrapped and ready to go- just it case little Lili makes a surprise early appearance. And due to financial issues, Christmas shopping has been simplified significantly. Small budgets=chance to be creative=really taking my time to figure out what I want to give to someone.

I usually love Christmas parties and get-together's. The food. The friends. The fun. Even the families (most of the time!). This year my body is simply not letting me enjoy large groups as I usually do, therefore we are having to say 'no' to more and more things. But, it has been slightly freeing. Sure, I have a great excuse being full term and all, but it is nice to know that the world doesn't end if you say 'no' to something. Sure, some people get disappointed, but it is healthy to just say 'no' sometimes. That doesn't come easily for me.

Simplicity has been good. It has been healthy. I feel calm, collected, and at peace. I feel as though this year more than ever I can focus on the true meaning of Christmas- the gift of a savior. No longer are trips up North, parties, food, decorations, presents taking up my thoughts and activities. I'm focused on simply enjoying the holiday for what it is. A celebration of life. A celebration of a loving God who gave us the best present ever!

It will be a different kind of holiday this year, but I'm looking forward to it.

And, it doesn't hurt that a mere 5 days after we celebrate the birth of a King, we will celebrate the birth of our newest family member :)

Liliana Hope

2009-11-30T08:44:00.002-05:00

Pleased to announce that our girl has a name (finally!).

Liliana Hope will be joining our family on December 30th- a mere 30 days away!!!!

We can't wait to meet you little Lili!

Robert Morgan 1924-2009

2009-11-24T14:04:00.002-05:00

As Izzy said this morning, "the angels are having a party!"

Our loss is his gain. Grandpa Morgan went to be with his Savior this morning, November 24.

After a short, but well fought battle with a terminal, incurable brain tumor he found his way Home.

We will miss you Grandpa.

11-11-09- heavenbound

2009-11-12T08:33:00.003-05:00

Yipee Jesus!!!!

As I have shared before Paul's Grandpa Morgan is not doing well and is not expected to make it much longer- hospice is now saying Thanksgiving, maybe Christmas.

Izzy was told by her older cousin Kyleigh that Grandpa Morgan was going to heaven (I didn't know this at the time). The next morning as we were driving to bible study Izzy out of the blue starts asking questions about heaven, mainly who will be there. She went down the family line asking if so and so would be in heaven and it was almost always a yes. She asked if she would be going to heaven too. I told her that if someday she loved Jesus so much and knew that He took away her sins that she would go to heaven too.

"No! I don't want to go!" she said through some tears, "I want to stay in Michigan!". So sweet. I encouraged her and told her she didn't have to go right now that we just wait for God to ask us to go.

Well that evening she on her own accord asked where heaven was as we were getting ready for bed. We continued to talk about heaven and she asked lots of questions. I could tell she was getting it- and her heart was ripe. She could answer some of the basic understanding questions:

Who died on the cross? Why did he do that? What is sin? Have you done bad things? Do you love Jesus? etc.

So, with her Mommy and Daddy's help Izzy prayed to Jesus and asked Him to forgive her so she could go to heaven!!!! After praying I asked her if there was anything else she wanted to tell Jesus and she said, "I'm so excited to go to Heaven."

Even though she is young, I believe Izzy's heart was ripe for this message. It was spurred not by us, but by a movement of the holy spirit through her cousin and through a situation. She doesn't need to know the full theological understanding- that will come. But she does seem to understand those basic ideas, and more importantly, her little heart desired it!

Its amazing to think a heart was so ready to hear this message. I'm still in shock.

We told her after she prayed that the angels in heaven were having a party becuase Izzy would be coming there someday. She was bummed she couldn't go to the party. So we will celebrate here on earth. Our girl is heavenbound!

Book Review: Redefining Beautiful

2009-11-03T09:02:00.002-05:00

As a Thomas Nelson Publisher Book Reviewer, I choose Redefining Beautiful as my next book to read and review. I choose this book primarily as a mom. It is designed for young women- those in their teens and early twenties written by Jenna Lucado- daughter of Max Lucado. I want to prepare myself as a mom of a daughter how I can begin instilling in her even in the preschool years that she is special, beautiful, and cherished.

Redefining Beautiful encourages young ladies to focus on life accessories that God designed and cherishes in his Girls to be beautiful in His standards. Life accessories such as confidence, joy, self control, value, and love. Intertwined with scripture references are beauty tips, stories from real girls (including Jenna herself), and notes from Max that provide a valuable insight from an earthly father's standpoint.

Ms. Lucado includes some insightful thoughts and strategies to encourage young women to discover who they are, why they are the way they are, and how they can learn to love who they are and realize their unique identity. One of my favorite sections talked about earthly fathers and our Heavenly father. A profound statement I felt was on page 75 "Though our earthly dads will impact who we are, it's only our heavenly Dad's love that can define who we are."

This book would work wonderfully as a small group bible study guide or as individual study. There are many questions posed by the other and include space for writing answers right in the book. I could see this working extremely well as a a group discussion for teens and ladies in their young twenties (college age). Discussing how we are made beautiful in God's sight, lifting one another in prayer, challenging each other to dress and act appropriately, and discovering how our life accessories given to us by God can encourage us would have made my teen and young twenty years more successful and uplifting, as opposed to the constant comparisons and competitiveness that lingers even in Christian circles. If you have a daughter, I would encourage you to get this book for her, and find a mentor or group of girls she can go through it with, or even go through it with her. It will lift her self esteem, give her confidence to face the trials of peer pressure, and when done in a group will build cohesive unity as women of God instead of walls of competitive worldly desires.

The only critique I would have for the book is that the writing lacks some continuity and jumps from topic to topic rather quickly. The extra boxes were helpful, but broke up the text too much and took extra effort in tying the concepts together.

Vacation Recap

2009-10-28T17:51:00.003-04:00

We've been back from vacation for a week and a half. Its always good to be home. Going on vacation and coming home is a lot of work. We had perfect weather- it never rained during waking hours. The heat was a little oppresive. Mid 90's and heat index over 100. All 17 of us seemed to have a blast playing in the pool and digging in the sand. Most stayed healthy. All stayed happy. Our meeting times in the morning were full of great discussion, biblical teaching, fellowship, and personal development. Paul and I were able to have great discussions on where our little family is headed: our relationship, us as parents, Izzy as a woman of God, our baby girl (we're so close to naming her!), Paul's business, housing, etc. Here are some pictures from our week away.

If you are looking for a kid friendly all inclusive resort in the Riviera Maya part of Mexico. You have to check out the Barcelo Maya Colonial. It is where we stayed. The staff and rooms were very accomodating to kids of all ages. They had a great kids club area for activities. Also, there was a large lagoon with about 10 waterslides and fountains and waterfalls. It was only about a foot and half deep so it was the perfect playground for most of the kids. We found a great deal through our travel agent. Round trip flight, transportation from airport, 7 days, 7 nights, food, drinks, activities for $800 an adult. Kids were cheaper, but I don't remember by how much.

Things I Love Thursday- My Toddler's Leash

2009-10-22T15:02:00.003-04:00

Yes, I'm a terrible mother. I put my 3 year old on my leash. So leave all the bad comments you want about what a terrible thing this is. I will simply ignore them. I know what is best for me and my child- you don't- so get over it.

I love my 'toddler leash'. It has rarely gotten use- but as we vacationed last week I found I LOVE this thing.

The leash I'm talking about are those cute little monkey or dog backpacks you can get at pretty much any store that sells kids stuff (I got mine at Tar.get or Mei.jer). Check it out here. Ok, so maybe harness is a better word. I originally purchased the leash/harness last spring as an option for my then 2.5 year old to get around without me worrying about where she was. She was starting to outgrow the idea of being in a stroller all the time- wanting to walk around stores and places like the zoo. I mainly had her wear it when 1) I didn't want to be worried about teaching the lesson of staying close to mommy (like at the zoo) and 2) When the games of hide and seek in the clearance racks got really annoying (and slightly worrisome).

I only used it a few times here at home as we went out and about. For the most part, I tried to just teach Izzy that she needed to stay close to mommy or hold onto the shopping cart or whatever.

Well last week we went on a glorious vacation to Mexico with Paul's immediate family and another family- like 15 people all together. It was great. I had made the decision to not bring a stroller with us. Izzy hardly uses them, especially for short spurts of time. She loves walking around and exploring. It was an annoying bulky thing that I could just leave home (being 29 weeks pregnant and travelling made me very space and bulk conscientious). My only concern was what to do during those unpredictable lines at the ticket counter, security, customs, and immigration. You never know what you are going to find- long lines with crazy amount of jet lagged tourists or short and sweet breeze right through. I decided the monkey would be the best option. I didn't want to take a chance at her disobeying me by not staying close (An international airport is not the time or the place to learn that lesson). I wanted her to be free to move, but only so far. And she wasn't confined to a stroller that we would have to push around and lug everywhere.

I love my little monkey leash.

We hit major long lines in Cancun airport. It took us 2 hours to get through customs and immigration- standing in those long windy zig zag lines. On our way out of the country we had another long 45 minute wait at the ticket counter. Izzy (and all the other kids we brought with us) did phenomenally. She never complained. Never acted out. She had freedom to walk around and visit with her cousins. She could sit and rest on a suitcase or on her daddy's shoulder's when she got tired. But I always knew right where she was. No risk getting lost the tangled web of people.

It was peaceful (as peaceful as 2 hour long waits in a stuffy airport terminal can be). I didn't worry. I didn't have to push a stroller around and through security (do you know the pain that is? you have to fold it all up, discard anything you have in the stroller so it can fit through the x-ray machine, then load it up again...its a pain).

I love my monkey leash. I recommend it to anyone travelling with a kid aged 2-5 or so. No stroller bulk. No worries.

Yeah, you get some weird comments and looks because you do have your child on a leash. But, safety is worth it, right!?

Check out more Things to Love at The Diaper Diaries.

If you need me...

2009-10-09T18:53:00.002-04:00

If you need me in the next week, I will be here....
Enjoying a non-alcoholic one of these....

While home prepares for the first signs of this...

Have a happy week y'all!

The coming week...

2009-10-07T13:57:00.002-04:00

This past week has brought some changes and the coming week has a lot to look forward to. I'm gosh darn tired that I can hardly think straight, but here it goes.

-Grandpa Morgan was back in the hospital with an arterial bleed in the back of his throat. He has now been taken off the blood thinners that were for his heart stints. His condition has downgraded quite a bit in the past week and the family is now looking into some hospice or around the clock nursing care. Cancer is a roller coaster ride- and we are unsure if there will be a climb back up at this point or if we will continue in a descent.

-Bible Study at church is officially underway and I love my group so far! We are large (14 women) but very diverse which brings great discussion. We are studying the book of Matthew.

-Riah (my nephew) had his 5th birthday. So much to celebrate there.

-We are finally flea free!!! No bites for over a week!

-We are still house hunting and it is taking its toll. We are not in a hugely motivated position, so it allows us to be 'picky' about what we want, but I'm beginning to wonder if we'll find it. People are stupid and have their homes so way over priced its not even funny. I know our area has had one of the lowest declines in home values in the state- but that doesn't mean it has appreciated 10 grand in 2 years! Yikes!

-Naptime is back! Izzy only misses 1-2 naps a week now. I'm glad it was a phase. I have needed the extra rest the past week or so.

-God has sent us at least 2 if not 3 purchase agreements in the past week! Go God!

Now what we have in the coming week-

-Hopefully we will be leaving on Saturday morning for a much needed vacation. We are planning on travelling with Paul's immediate family plus another family (like 15 people in all) to Mexico to an all inclusive resort. Plans are still ok, but may change at the last moment with the whole Grandpa factor. Selfishly, I will simply cry if we do not get to go simply because we need this vacation so bad and our window of opportunity is small with baby coming soon. Paul and I need this. Izzy needs her daddy away from work just to play.

-A week from today I will be in my 3rd trimester- where did the first two go? Yikes! 28 weeks- means meeting our yet to be named daughter in 11 weeks. Whoa. Talk about a reality check!

I think that's all. I'm pooped. Izzy's (hopefully) down for a nap. I think I either hear my floors calling for a mop or my pillow. We'll see who cries louder.

Things I Love Thursday: Flexible Cutting Boards

2009-10-01T12:37:00.001-04:00

Today I want to share my love for my flexible cutting boards (also called chopping mats). I happened to stumble across a set of three at our local dollar tree- and fell in love! These cutting boards take up like zero room in a drawer or cupboard, work just as well at preventing scratches and dents on my countertop, and are so much easier to use than a regular old cutting board.

I love that I can scoop up the leftover mess of some cutting (broccoli stems, carrot peels, potato eyes) and send them right to the trash. I can equally scoop up any cut items into a bowl or crock pot or pan with ease as seen in this photo I found online:

I also like to lay these mats out when I'm trimming chicken or seasoning other meat because it keeps the raw meat off my counter or off a more porous board. My chopping mats are dishwasher safe. The chopping mats I got at the dollar store lasted about a year and a half- a pretty decent investment and I used them every day and always put them in the dishwasher (to get all that yucky bacteria off). I replaced my dollar tree ones with a pack of 4 from bed bath and you know where. This set is high quality, a little thicker, fun colors, and still only about $1 a mat. I have been using them for about 6 months now and they are fabulous. I love my flexible cutting boards!

To see other things people love check out the Diaper Diaries and share something you love too! (You can even win free hostess cupcakes today!!!)

Book Review: Read and Share Toddler Bible

2009-09-30T15:59:00.002-04:00

I jumped at the chance to review a toddler bible offered to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers. We are doing some homeschool activities instead of sending our daughter to preschool and have been looking for a great source for Bible learning.

The Read and Share Toddler Bible is great start and introduction to Bible stories, however, it lacks depth that I believe many children would understand if you only try.

Simple, common language is used in the 40 stories presented by this toddler Bible. Incorporated are engaging words and actions to help the story come alive- such as "splish splash" when describing the fish God made. The story selection I feel is appropriate for toddlers- highlighting the major events and characters of the Old and New Testament. My daughter recently turned 3- so we are starting to head out of the 'toddler' stage and into 'preschool' and these stories were too short and simple for her. Her attention span was longer than alloted for in the DVD version and book version of each story. I wished there had been more depth to each story- or perhaps some application type questions.

The colorful illustrations are wonderfully done. I appreciated the attempt at making the characters of the Bible look less caucasion and bring out their natural descents. However, on most occasions- the characters are interepreted in the more traditional "americanized" versions.

The DVD was a nice feature- but the stories moved too quickly for my daughter to even get a handle on them. Even for a younger child I felt they were too short to allow learning to actually take place.

My favorite feature of the Read and Share Toddler Bible are the parent/child activities at the end of each story. These activities were perfect additions if the story was focused on throughout the day. They allowed practical application and family fun to the experience. It allows the child to go beyond an "old Bible story" and begin the process of asking "What does this mean for me?"- a question adults often fail to ask themselves.

Overall, I think this is an average toddler bible with an excellent feature. I would recommend it to children no older than 3 and for use during playtime so the activities can enhance the reading.

3 year pictures, a big birthday, december 30, a new home, and fleas

2009-09-25T15:17:00.004-04:00

How is that for a random title? Well, its because so much is going on- I can't help but be random. Izzy (finally) had her 3 year pictures taken. My awesome friend Nikki is hoping to start a photography business- so we are happy to help build her portfolio and I am sooo glad I'm getting some fun, creative shots taken of my baby girl (well not baby for too much longer!). Here was one she sent me as a teaser/preview. Ah, I'm in love. This picture sums up my daughter's personality to the tea! While izzy is fun loving and does smile and laugh a lot- you can often find her in an serious, observing stance. She is not a risk taker- and would much rather be watching others take the plunge than actually do so herself. She is kind of shy and unsure about change. She is more introverted than extroverted. She is all girl. She can look and act so grown up (especially in the face) but I hope she keeps her tiny, chubby hands forever! I still can't believe she is three!

Its been birthday week in our house. Paul's grandfather (who has been recently diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor) celebrated his 85th birthday. Paul happens to share a birthday with his grandpa so that makes it extra special. We had a huge party that night! My hubby got toys: grown up toys, and not so grown up ones! He got tools and tool storage from both parents and brothers and sisters (the big kid toys!). He got wii resort from me (big boy toy- but he giggles like a little boy while playing). And his favorite gift? A nerf gun that Izzy unprompted picked out for her daddy- yes a little boy toy for my big boy hubby. He couldn't be happier- and he is cute when he is giddy!

Speaking of birthday's. Baby Girl has hers already picked out (unless she decides to make it early!). December 30 at 8:30 am. Yikes. That's not too far off now is it?

We're house hunting. We need more space. Izzy needs a yard (she yearns for her own 'playground' that she could play on every day!). We need to not live where Paul works. We've looked at a few. We put an offer in on one today. We'll wait and see. Lots to look at. Never know what will pop up. We're trying to be patient. It sure would be nice to move before baby girl makes her entrance, but we are on no strict timeline.

One of the houses we looked at was occupied. Not by humans. But by fleas. Said fleas are now in our dwelling (and car). Said fleas are accused of making a midnight snack out of my ankles and feet and a midday snack out of my back and belly. They couldn't get their fill on me, so have started feeding on my daughter. Itchy mommy + itchy preschooler + live bugs in my house = a not so great situation. We have tried the carpet powder. I have washed and washed and washed all of the linens. No such luck. We bug bombed the place today. Fleas be gone or I swear I just might....well never mind. They better move on to a home with pets or else! My parents suggested adopting a cat to help get rid of the fleas- too bad I couldn't convice my hubby (especially since he would be on litter box duty until baby girl is born!).

Thats our life for ya. I can't wait until what next week will bring. It better not be lice.

Dear Mr. President

2009-09-18T14:38:00.002-04:00

Dear Mr. President and Members of Congress,

My name is Jennifer. My husband and I have a 3 year old daughter and another on the way. I’m writing concerning your push for a healthcare plan that would affect me quite personally.

My husband is self-employed. We must find our own health insurance and are responsible for paying its fees in their entirety. We are commission based in the real estate market- a job market which has been impacted substantially in the past months and years due to economic conditions. We have earned $30-50,000 pretax in recent years. Our first daughter was born via an urgent and unplanned c-section. A c-section is considered a ‘pre-existing’ condition under almost any health insurance provider. All but one carrier refused to cover any sort of maternity care in an insurance plan. One carrier offered a ‘maternity coverage’ plan that would have cost us around $250 a month extra, simply for the maternity care. We were then ‘forced’ to accept coverage from the non-profit group Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Blue Cross allows anyone into their health insurance and does not recognize any ‘pre-existing’ conditions. Due to our desire to 1) have more children and 2) not risk not being covered in the case of an unplanned pregnancy we went with this health insurance plan. We have been very happy with our coverage. It is not the ‘Cadillac’ of coverage, but it covers major medical and lab procedures and even some preventative and well child care. We love being able to choose our own doctors and hospitals. We pay for it- we should choose where we want to go. Our monthly premiums went up over 28% this past month due to state of Michigan forcing Blue Cross to make more money.

So you see Mr. President and Congressmen, we are the people you are designing this healthcare plan for:
· We are too rich to receive Medicaid
· We are too young to receive Medicare
· We have a preexisting condition that disqualifies us from most, if not all insurance providers
· We provide and pay for our own healthcare being self-employed
· Our rates have significantly increased (28%) taking us from a monthly premium from $370 a month to $477 a month.

We are the family that has been described by President Obama and other supporters of this plan as their ‘target’ market:

And WE DON’T WANT IT!

We do not want the government to step in a take over our health insurance. We want to choose our doctors. We want to get an MRI if our doctor recommends one (and not have to wait 3-6 months for it!). We are happy with our coverage. Would we like to pay less? Sure. But we have made health insurance a priority. We want to protect our children and ourselves in case of a medical crisis. We do not want to be floundering in mountains of debt because we have not prepared in advance. Could we use the extra $477 a month in our budget? You bet! But, we have placed our health and our children’s health above new TV’s, a new home, the latest car, and trendy gadgets. We are being stewards of the bodies and life God has given us by protecting them.

Please do not take away our right to choose. The government already provides assistance and major medical care for those who are too poor, too old, and too young (MIChild).
I am proud to be an American. I am proud to be free. I wish that our current legislative and executive branches would remember the ideals to which our country was founded: A country in which my voice matters. A country based on capitalism and competitive markets to build our economy- not take over’s which drag it down. A country where the government supports my right to live, parent, and be who I desire to be- not a country who tells me how to live, parent, and what to do.

Healthcare needs reform. I don’t understand how a c-section can be considered a pre-existing condition when over 30% of births are performed this way. I am frustrated when doctors and patients are forced to make care decisions based on financial reasons as opposed to quality of health care. But, forcing insurance companies to accept all will only drive up prices and force more companies to close. Controlling hospitals and care facilities will only denigrate care and prevent lives from being saved (have you ever been a patient in Europe or Canada?). Why not help companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield continue to do the great work they are already doing? Support them- don’t overtake them. And let them help you instead of trying to rework the whole system.

Please, focus your attention on creating jobs, cutting spending waste, and finding creative and capitalist ways to reform healthcare- not socialize it. I plead with you behalf of all of us who do not take advantage of government assistance, who are being affected by health rates skyrocketing and being rejected for conditions that are not really conditions at all. I am an American. I have the right of choice and the freedom to decide what is best for my family- don’t I?

Sensible Stewardship- God's Ownership

2009-09-16T06:09:00.002-04:00

Before one attempts a stewardship life- they must first understand (and agree) with God's complete ownership of EVERYTHING.

One of the most commonly used words in the English language is "mine" or "my". But how accurate is the definition when being used towards anything? Can this be my house, my job, my paycheck, my family, my body, my life?

Take a look at scripture (all NIV):

Psalm 24:1-2: "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters."

Romans 11:35-36: "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

1 Chronicles 29:11-12: "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all."

Looking at these verses- to whom does your job, your house, your family, your life belong to? God.

Why does everything belong to Him? Because He created it.

As simple as the Psalm is- I love this verse the most simply because there are no exclusions.

'the earth is the Lord's' = all of creation, all of its inhabitants, all of its wonder and beauty and majesty
'the world' is the Lord's= any of its substances, all of the world's treasures, things that are in this world that we hold tight to (think of all of our stuff! God owns it all!)
'all who live in it (the world)' are the Lord's= you, me, your spouse, your family, your kids. You live here? You belong to God. You gave birth to that sweet face that smiles at you every morning, that's wonderful, but that little darling is not yours, but God's!

If you understand and agree with scripture that everything is owned by God, how does/will this affect the way you treat 'your' stuff? I often remind myself of how I treat something that I'm being loaned. Whether its a sweater, a cooking pan, even a car. When I am using something that doesn't belong to me- I treat it better! It's how I was taught. You return something better than how you received it. You wash the car. You scrub the pan or include a tasty meal inside of it.

So, if none of the stuff I have is mine, maybe I'll treat it better? Maybe I'll take a little better care of it? My home is on loan from God- maybe I should be more thankful for it and keep it more tidy. My body and life is not even mine- how should I take better care of His temple? My daughters (eek I love saying that!) are on loan from God. Oh how I should love on them more and take better care of them for His sake.

Understanding God's ownership can help you face trials as things happen to you and your stuff. Isn't it frustrating to have to take a car into the repair shop, to replace an appliance, to continually buy shoes for your ever growing child? How will your reactions change in the situation if you face it knowing you are taking care of someone else's stuff? From experience- I can tell you that when I have to take our car in for yet another fix up- my attitude is a whole lot better and I deal with the situation with a more grateful heart when I realize I'm just doing what I need to do to take care of someone else's belonging. Being a manager (aka steward) of God's stuff helps ease the 'woe is me' factor that so easily creeps into my life. Not that I don't complain, it still happens. But it happens a lot less frequently and with much less intensity.

So what's next? How do you apply the concept of God's Ownership of ALL things (and people) to your sensibly stewardship life? Some ideas for you (and your kids!):

Write "God's" on a bunch of sticky notes and place them on items in your home and office to remind you that the item (car, tv, fridge, computer, toy) does not belong to you, but God.
Write 3 ways you will use one of 'your' possessions for God's glory- it is His after all!
Write a thank you note to God. He has so graciously shared with us- thank Him!
Teach your kids "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"- (good ole' Sunday School classic). You'll have a different perspective singing it once you realize its deep truth!
Get out and enjoy God's creation and the things He has made and owns at a local park, zoo, or exhibit.

Still need one more idea? Memorize Psalm 24:1. It can be a great mantra!

6 Months

2009-09-14T16:38:00.004-04:00

Ok, so here is baby girl at 6 months along...well more like me 6 months along...you get the picture!

I think this dress makes me look bigger than I really am- but its super comfy and was perfect for the outdoor wedding we went to.

So at 6 months aka 24 weeks along....

I've only gained 5 pounds!!! (so thankful for that- but I'll gain anything if that makes my baby healthy)

She is about 12 inches long

Weighs about a pound and a half

Is an excellent riverdancer on my bladder

Loves to wake up and kick me around 10:00-10:30 when I'm trying to fall asleep

She would have about a 60% chance of making it outside the womb

Eyes and ears are done

She is proportionate to what she will be like at birth- just basically needs to fatten up!

All major organs are basically completed

Baby craves orange pop- so I oblige

Still doesn't have a name...we really need to get working on this one!

Has a very impatient Big Sister who is dying for her to come out

Things I Love Thursday- Joovy Ultralight Caboose

2009-09-10T09:13:00.007-04:00

I am so excited to share this new thing I just simply LOVE!!!

I got my double stroller- and it is as wonderful as I hoped (and I got a great deal on ebay!).

May I present.....

The Joovy Ultralight Caboose!

What did I want in a double stroller?

Easy Manueverability- my sister in laws and other friends have these massive double strollers that don't turn, that are beasts to push, and are simply just too huge! I wanted something I could easily and quickly move around clothing racks, that wasn't going to kill my back pushing or loading back up into my car.
Compact- I know double stroller and compact are two words that don't often combine (especially at an affordable price point). But I wanted something I could fold up and not have it take up my entire back of my pacifica. For what I use a stroller for- I wanted it as streamlined as possible.
Sit n Stand- My three year old likes to walk around next the shopping cart and out of her stroller now. I couldn't see the point in having a double seated stroller with it so hard to get her in and out of it. I wanted her to have freedom to be able to walk around- but with the ability to sit and rest for the longer trips (or to be able to have a place to keep her in a busy environment!).
Economical- I didn't want to spend more than $200. I have not purchased much as far as baby gear in the past (thanks to gifts and hand me downs). I know that you get what you pay for a lot of times with strollers. But, we simply cannot afford any more, and didn't want to spend more on a stroller than any other piece of furniture in our house!
Fun Color- I know its a silly thing. But I thought it would be fun to have a great bright color that would make the stroller stand out among the crowd of black (think having a fun suitcase!).

I did my research. I googled. I ebayed. I read reviews. I read blogs. I fell in love with the joovy ultralight caboose (not to be confused with it's heavier predecessor the joovy caboose). Ultralight was the key word here. At only 21 pounds, and streamlined, this stroller folds smaller and is lighter than my Graco Quattro Tour I received when Izzy was born. I can carry this baby around with one hand! It's also significantly shorter than all the other double strollers. Check out the specs at Joovy's website.

It came in fun colors. I ended up with the "sage" green. Its more of a cross between lime and sage. Its perfect.

My favorite features of the Joovy ultralight caboose are:

Pushes like a breeze. I had my 5 year old nephew and 3 year old on this at the mall yesterday. I felt as though I were pushing nothing. It was amazing. I think part of it is due to the great sealed ball bearing wheels (think inline rollerblades).
Its quality. Everything about this stroller feels nice. When I was assembling it- I couldn't help but notice how the frame and fabrics felt 10x better than my graco. It is well made.
Great cup/snack holders. The parent organizer is this awesome neoprene wrap around the handle bar. Not obtrusive. Holds waterbottles and cups perfectly, has a great zipper pouch for my keys. There is an awesome net organizer on the back of the seat for Izzy's cup and snacks so she can help herself and I don't have to share my cupholders!
Did I mention this thing only weighs 21 pounds? It is seriously light and compact and still has all the room we need! Great basket underneath. (I know some people complain that their 'big kid' has to get up to get into the basket- but seriously- is it that big of a deal? )
Amazing sunshade. This will easily shade both of my girls, or completely block out the front passenger in case they fall asleep. Plus, its easily removable when I don't need it, like the mall.

Some things missing that you may or may not miss (to me, these were not deal breakers considering how I use the stroller)

The front seat does not fully recline back. It does recline- but not flat. I still think that a 9 month old would fall asleep and be ok with a blanket or something.
The infant car seat attachment does not allow you to just 'click in' the seat. There is a red safety belt that is conceled in little pockets on the side of the stroller that you brace around the top of the car set (much like if you were to buckle the seat in a car without the base). I have not used this aspect of the stroller yet, but I don't see it as a problem.
Price- I know its not as affordable as the fisher price sit n stand and slightly more than the baby trend- but I am finding it worth every penny. It retails for $239-299 in stores, but I won a brand new on ebay for $190 (there are a couple of stroller depots that sell them each day or week, so there are constantly new ones up for auction).
Small space for back seat passenger. This stroller does have a smaller area and seat for the back seat big kid than others- helps saves on space. I do not find it to be too small however. My 5 year old nephew fit fine. Yeah, he probably wouldn't be comfortable riding around for 2 hours in it, but it works. If I needed a stroller where I would want my preschooler sitting for long periods of time, I would have gotten a tradition two seat double. This is meant to provide a resting, periodic resting place for the child to sit or stand, not crash out and nap!

Who would I recommend the Joovy Ultralight Caboose to? Really anyone with young infants-preschoolers. This stroller would be great to travel with, as it is so much more compact. I also would use it for everyday use. I would not recommend as an option for someone with "2 under 2". The amount of freedom that the 2 year old would have and the lack of possible comfort for long term rides would make this more difficult if I had a child younger than two in the back. I remember Izzy taking short spurts on her cousin's sit n stand last summer when she just turned 2. She did well with it, but I wouldn't have trusted her for long.

So, I just absolutely LOVE my new toy. I highly recommend the Joovy Ultralight Caboose if you are in the market for a sit n stand. Check out more things we love at The Diaper Diaries' blog roll "Things I Love Thursday".

-if you are interested in 'test driving' the caboose ultralight', the only store in the grand rapids area that sells them (to my knoweldge) is USA Baby. Babies R Us carries them only online. And, obviously, since I purchased this stroller, I'm not being asked or provided anything in return for this review.

Dune Babe

2009-09-08T13:53:00.001-04:00

Why do companies do this?

2009-09-02T14:39:00.002-04:00

http://www.myfoxillinois.com/dpp/news/dpgo_Hubby_Hubby_Ice_Cream_Gay_Marriage_fc_20090902_3292119

I just don't know why companies feel as though they must take political stances. Why can't they make the product or do the service they provide and stay out of the political arena?

If they want to support a cause- why can't it be for something less controversial, something every American can stand for?

Why do the people who make such delicous ice cream have to go and dedicate a flavor to support gay marriage?

Well, I guess I'll have to find a new "high end" ice cream to splurge on...because I'm not going to allow my money to support a company that isn't going to remain politically neutral. Rats.

Sensible Stewardship

2009-08-28T16:20:00.002-04:00

I'm starting a new little blog roll called:

Sensible Stewardship

This is something I've had an increased passion for over the past few years. It wasn't until I reached adulthood that I came to understand my command and role as God's steward. That He owns everything, and I am simply a manager of it. I want my children to come to understand and apply this principle much sooner in life. It is an aspect of life that is constantly growing and maturing (like many virtues: faith, peace, love, joy, obedience), but I don't want my kids to start learning it when the leave the house and suddenly have an income or responsiblities. Why? Well that is the topic of the first Sensible Stewardship post!

Who is a steward?
Everyone.

Yep, thats right. Everyone.

You see, know where in scripture does God "excuse" anyone from being His steward for any reason.

Stewardship transends age, gender, socio-economic status, work status, the size of a house, the number of posessions, spiritual age, or location on this planet.

For the Bible clearly states that:
1) Everything is God's- whether you have little, or a lot (Psalm 24:1)
2) Everyone is God's workman, a steward of His resources. (1 Corinthians 4:2, Ephesians 2:10)

So you are barely making it, paycheck to paycheck. You are working as hard as possible to earn an income. Are you a steward? Yep. No excuse there.

You are an eight year old with no income. Are you a steward? You betcha!

You are a multimillionaire with loads of assets. Guess what? You are managing God's resources!

You are a widow, with nothing to your name, in a country or culture that does not honor you. You are a steward too. (see Mark 13).

You are an orphan with nothing but a pair of shoes and the clothes on your back to your name. God can't possibly be calling you to be a steward, can He? Yes, He can, and He does!

Everyone is God's steward. You are steward of all of God's resources: Money, 'Stuff', Time, the Earth, even Yourself!

So be ready. Be ready to become the steward God wants you to be! Be ready to teach your children that they are stewards too!

Join this journey with me. I don't have it all togther. I may not have it all quite right. I want to grow. I want to learn. I want to learn how to teach this to my daughters. Please join me.

Best Week Ever! (Almost!)

2009-08-21T12:31:00.002-04:00

I have had just simply a wonderful week. Some may call it the best week ever! (Well almost!)

I had my 20 week ultrasound. Those are so much fun! There is nothing like seeing your baby in action!
We found out we're having another baby girl! I'm so excited to able to call my kids "my girlies!". There is nothing like having a sister. Izzy is so thrilled.
My mom and dad wanted some Izzy time- so they took her for almost the whole week. From Monday afternoon-Friday afternoon. While I missed my girl tremendously- it was wonderful to get some things done and rest without having a busy three year old around. Between being pregnant and Izzy giving up naps- my ability to keep up house and run errands have been diminished quite a bit.
No Izzy=a working vacation for the hubby and I :) 'nough said.
I have been asked to cowrite and publish a children's curriculum that teaches stewardship. After seeing a curriculum I've been working on the past two years, I was contacted by International Steward who has been asked by Book of Hope to come up with a children's curriculum. I am so excited about the process and working with two other lovely ladies.
Discovery Village (the children's ministry at Ada Bible Church) is starting up again! I love serving there and working with other adults with the same mission and heart for children. I'm also thrilled that Discovery Village will be putting an emphasis on stewardship in their classrooms. They will be taking an offering and talking about stewardship of money, time, and things. Whohoo!!!
My house is clean (for now).
Baby clothes have already been sorted.
Paul has two people interested in the same condo unit that hasn't even been built yet!

It has been (almost) the best week ever!

It's a...

2009-08-19T14:17:00.003-04:00

GIRL!

Our baby girl is perfect and healthy. In celebration of being 20 weeks (thats halfway!)- here she is: her first photos, sorry if they are blurry or confusing, but its the way it is!

Here she is sucking her thumb. This one is my favorite. Its a profile shot- she's on her back looking at the 'sky' and you are looking at her from the side.

The "money shot"

Her first footprint.

Another cute profile picture- see labels if that helps. She's on her back again looking up and you are looking at her from the side.

Overall the ultrasound went wonderfully. Everything looks perfect and right on time for a late December or Early January delivery. I'll be working on a date with the doctor probably at my next appointment.

Isabelle of course is thrilled beyond belief that she is getting a little sister. She proudly pats my tummy and cuddles up and announces to everyone that she has a baby sister in my tummy. Its so cute! I hope they have a great relationship.

Now if we can only decide on a name...any suggestions?

Things I Love Thursday- Asian Sesame Salad from Panera

2009-08-13T14:34:00.004-04:00

Oh my good golly it has been a long time since I have participated in Things I Love Thursday...or any significant blog post for that matter.

Losing my free time due to my 3 year old suddenly giving up naps will do that to you.

I am normally a chocoholic, anything sweet I can get my hands on, a bowl of ice cream is the perfect bedtime snack kind of girl. This pregnancy however, I have been less drawn to the sweets (gasp!). I'm almost ashamed of myself. Lately I am more eager to grab something salty (oh yummy chips and pretzels how I love thee). Salads have been soooo tasty. Give me salad over pasta any day (who am I?). I also have been drawn to like the tangy/sour things like orange pop and vingegrettes.

I also love the oriental salad from Apple.bees. So, on a recent date night (whohoo!) when we ventured to Panera- I decided to try the Asian Sesame Salad. Sounded good and similar.

Oh my dear gracious was I in heaven! This salad is simply amazing! Better than Apple.bees!!! The chicken is baked not deep fried. The dressing is a sweet tangy goodness that is so light and clear you can hardly tell its there. The sliced almonds, greens, on wontons make this perfect!

Oh how does my pregnant self crave this salad. However, my dear pregnant self cannot afford to go out every night of the week to fulfill this craving.

This is where I'm hoping you all come in. Anyone have any recipes that are similar to this? I've tried the dole asian mix with dressing- it was ok...but the dressing was not quite the same.

Is there a dressing that anyone knows of that is similar? A kit? An online recipe? I've tried the recipe I've seen that is suppose to copy it- but it was complicated and didn't taste nearly the same.

Thanks for the tips! And don't forget to check out more posts for Things I Love Thursday hosted by the Diaper Diaries.

Less Than a Week!

2009-08-12T08:54:00.001-04:00

You have less than a week to put in your guess for what our little blessing will be (boy or girl!). Go to expectnet.com and the game name is Sibling4Izzy- or click on the link in the sidebar.

Since our birthdate and relative time will be chosen ahead of time (scheduled c-section) this is the fun part of the guessing!

I cannot wait until the ultrasound to see our little baby!!!!

You Know When Your Kids are Growing Up in a Different World...

2009-08-10T14:11:00.002-04:00

You know your kids are growing up in a different world than you did when...

your 3 year old daughter looks at you funny when you proceed to pretend stamp books while playing library....

And then proceeds to get out her pretend laptop computer and 'scan' them all in....

And then demands a reciept for her books.

This one time at band camp....

2009-08-03T13:01:00.003-04:00

Early August. Hard to believe. Every time August comes upon us, I can't help but think about August's pasts- back to school shopping, scheduling, last days of work, and of course Band Camp!

Yes I was a band geek, and probably always will be.

My senior year band camp was 9 years ago. 9 years ago I was more formally introduced to a guy named Paul who would eventually become my husband 5 years later. Boy was it an introduction!

It started one night in the middle of the week when we were sitting around the campfire. Paul and I were talking and sitting with a group of friends we happened to share. We were being 'set up' by my girlfriends at the time. But, we got to talking and found out we had quite a bit in common. One of my father's rules was that any guy who wanted to date me had to talk to him first (and ask permission!). Well, Paul's dad had the same rule (other guys had balked at this idea). It was great.

For the last night of band camp there was skit night where sections or classes could put on a little skit. For our senior year, my classmates wanted to go big and funny. The concept was is that it would be a skit about all of the funny/naughty things that happen at band camp beyond the eyes and ears of the director and leaders. They thought it would be hilarious to have two of the most innocent, unsuspecting people be caught 'making out' in the woods. So who did they pick? Well me (I was the perfectionaist, 4.0 people pleaser, drum major leader, christian girl) and Paul (the nice christian guy who wouldn't say or do a bad thing to save his life). I was rather mortified of the whole idea (I was worried what my teachers might think!) but played along. So 9 years ago we snuck out of our 'dorms' and into the woods to later come running back- with Paul tucking in his shirt all for the laughs.

Little did I know I would marry the fellow.

It was funny. We made it funnier because we would have never done such a thing. I'm still slightly mortified.

At least I marry the guy in the end right?

So band camp 2000 was a great time. Fire, skit, and a bus ride home next to a boy! Yes, we sat next to each other. A month or less later he became my first boyfriend. 5 years later he became my one and only when I said "I do".

Kind of like a fairy tale don't you think?

This one time at band camp....

A Princess Party

2009-08-01T19:00:00.003-04:00

Wow its been a long time! Life has been so crazy lately- and doesn't show signs of slowing down. Here is a quick recap of our happenings:

Izzy had her 3rd birthday last week with a princess party at the park. The weather was perfect, the company was better! We had 20 family members from both sides join us to celebrate. Even Grandpa and Grandma Morgan were able to join us!

Izzy received some wonderful gifts- lots of princess and dora items.

This is what happens when you put the daddy and the sister in charge of photography...

A princess for sure!

Izzy with her castle cake- it turned out pretty well (word to the wise: don't use extra moist cake mix...it gets really heavy outside and doesn't decorate the easiest!)

Among the birthday celebration we have spent time up at the cottage with the Morgan family, done some shopping and food prep for different get togethers, had a family reunion, and tried (and failed) to keep up with houswork. But, Paul has had two closings in the past week- so we are truly blessed.

In the next week we have:

church
out of town family to meet, greet, and have fun with
meet a new babysitter
move mom and dad spica
go to birch run and a tiger's game
close on mom and dad's house
have a bridal shower
possibly host another out of town cousin
finish moving mom and dad spica

Whew! I'm exhausted thinking about it! I just hope summer weather comes back (was it ever here?) so we get a few more beach days in before its fall.

A Birthday Celebration!

2009-07-23T07:23:00.004-04:00

Today is Isabelle's Princess Birthday Party! (Tomorrow is the actual day). Hopefully we'll be able to hold the festivities as planned at the park- but we'll see if the weather clears up- otherwise we'll be royalty in the garage! I made my first attempt at a fancy cake- I usually leave this up to the Grandma's. It turned out ok- but I think I'll leave it up to them next year. My favorite part is the pink moat made of fund dip and icing.

Shock and Awe

2009-07-20T07:41:00.002-04:00

I remember sitting in my dorm room sophmore year of college with then President Bush ordered the attack on Iraq with the now infamous "shock and awe" approach. It was something to behold. I remember mourning the fact that we were entering a state of war, that lives of those living in that region would forever be changed (in some ways for good, in others for bad). I'm not going to get into whether or not this war was a good choice- its not the point (and any comment left pertaining to such will be deleted).

The point is that with something so sad, yet exciting came exactly what it was named- shock and awe. Shock of the power of our forces. Shock at the power of our weapons. Shock at the humanity that had been lost under such a terrible dictator. Shock that life as we knew as Americans and Iraqi's had changed forever. But at the same time Awe. Awe in the power. Awe in the amazing commitment of our armed forces as a whole and as individuals. Awe in the unity of our country (at the time).

Strangely enough, I approach today with many of the same feelings. Shock. Awe. Life as I have known it has forever changed. Life as my husband's family has known has forever changed.

On Friday, my husband's maternal grandfather- Grandpa Morgan was rushed to the hospital with what appeared to be a stroke. We were all concerned and knew life would change- but knew that there was recovery. Stroke symptoms can be reconciled. Things can get better. Things change- but there is hope.

By Saturday morning, hope seemed to have faded. Grandpa did not have a stroke. Grandpa had a brain tumor. The worst kind of cancer you can have. The tumor is covering half of his brain. This tumor has grown fast. It was not present less than a year ago when he had a cat scan after falling last september. Surgery is not an option. Chemo and Radiation would not extend his life much, if at all, and without much quality. Grandpa has cancer. Grandpa is dying.

Thats the first time I have written or said these words since we found out. Its hard to accept. Its hard to move on.

Shock.

Awe.

Shock at what will now be a hard, uknown road. We don't know how long. None of us know the number of our days- only our God, our Creator knows- but the wisdom and experience of doctors tell us it will be months, and perhaps not many, 3-4 is what I'm hearing often.

Shock as to what is to happen next. How do we cope? How do we function? How do we care for him? How do we care for his wife- dear Grandma? How do we explain to the many little great grandchildren all under the age of 10 or so- most of them 5 and under? Shock as to why this is happening. Cancer. Out of no where. No warning. No symptoms. Shock.

As I lay in bed early this morning, unable to sleep- I suddenly felt a sense of awe. Awe in the fact that we serve an Amazing God!!! A God who is not surprised. A God who is all knowing. A God who is in control. A God we can count on. A God who mourns with us. A God who grieves with us. A God who rejoices with us.

Awe.

God loves us so much that He hurts when we hurt.

God enjoyes us so much as His children that He is glad when we our glad.

A God of emotion.

But yet, a God that is not surprised. As shocked as we are all feeling at this moment, I find comfort in the fact that God is not surprised. God is not shocked. God knew. God cares.

God knows. God cares.

God Loves.

I pray this is the catalyst for something great. This is what was needed to do something big, something unexpected. I'm not sure what it will look like. God does.

Please pray for our family. Pray for Grandpa and Grandma as they face the coming days- that clarity of what is happening comes. Pray for their children. Pray for their grandchildren. Pray for their great grandchildren.

I've lost one grandfather to cancer. I didn't think I would be asked to walk this road again. But I am. Pray for my husband. He has rarely walked the road of loss. Pray for me as I help him on this journey. Pray for us as we try to explain what is going on to our 3 year old. Give us comfort as we come to grips that our grandfather will most likely not meet the little one that is moving inside me at this moment.

Shock. Awe.

Shocked by circumstance. Awed by God.

Craziness

2009-07-17T14:07:00.003-04:00

Life sure is crazy around here!!! To highlight the major points, I am resorting to a bullet list!

We went from $0 account balance to having 3 closings in 3 weeks, with one more scheduled for August- praise the Lord for his provision! Down to the day and dollar!
Paul's parents sold their cottage and house in the same week- one at full price! Their new house is almost done!
Baby is growing and I'm feeling huge- I should really post a picture- but I might just 'put it off' for a while.
Grandpa Morgan (Paul's Mom's dad) has been in and out of the hospital lately. He had a 2 stents put in a few weeks ago (99% blockage and 70% blockage in two places of the same artery!). He mixed up his meds and was taking sleeping pills in the morning plus a dramamine type pill that he takes for another problem at the same time. Now, we have found out he had a major stroke up at the cottage this morning. He is being rushed to GR. Please pray for him. This is so hard on Paul's mom plus she's got two houses to pack up and a move coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Izzy has a new irrational fear of any live creature- screaming ensued at the zoo and when she saw a costumed person of curious george.
Panera's Asian Sesame Chicken Salad may be my new favorite food!! Oh so sweet and yummy. I want one now!
I'm going to my first Tiger's game in August- but I'm more excited about shopping at Birch Run first! (not a huge baseball fan)
I'm so anxious for my best friend Emily to have her baby in mid/late August- its a surprise gender too!!!
I'm so excited for my ultrasound a month from today!! (And, yes we hope to find out what it is!)
Beach days have been too few and far between
Visits to Pentwater have been too few and far between
I miss being able to garage sale...just not in the budget right now
I'm planning Izzy's birthday party- someone turns three next week!!!!

Thats all. Hopefully I'll have something more riveting next time. Thanks to all of you who had such great thoughts and ideas! I'm ebaying/craigslisting for a video monitor at a good price now and will pay more as we get closer to the time. The other stuff will have to wait until a moms2moms sale or something.

Need ideas!

2009-07-13T16:41:00.003-04:00

I'm now nearly 15 weeks along and starting to brainstorm the things we will need for this next baby. I forgot how much stuff a kid requires. Luckily, we have a lot from Isabelle, but I know there are going to be holes to fill. Thus- feel free to reply to any products you would suggest to the following:

-I would love to get a 2nd a monitor, preferrably a video monitor. Which one do you have? Do you like it? Is it worth the $$$? I have a plain old monitor with Iz I got from a garage sale, but know I'll need another one for baby.

-Baby carrier. Never had one for Izzy. Would love to have the hands free option with a 3 year old running around now. Which style/brand do you like? I've been looking at slings and wrap styles (moby, hotsling, etc.). If you had a c-section do you know which one would suit best with the healing that has to take place?

-Winter stuff. Izzy was born in mid July in a 90 degree heatwave. She lived in onesies. I lived in old navy tanks and yoga capris. Any suggestions to what we'll need for a winter baby (brrr...January)? I'm thinking along the lines of carseat covers, sleeping sacks, etc. Or suggestions for a winter postpartum me (c-setion remember).

-Bottles, Pumps, and Paci's. Izzy always refused bottles and pacifiers. I had a collection of a few we tried, but since she never really got into them, they never got good use. Any special brands that you love? I'm also interested in a pump. I will be b*feeding most of the time, but would like the option of pumping and bottle feeding. I had borrowed a nice hospital grade electric pump before, but don't think its available/working anymore. Any cheap, but good options out there for the occasional user?

-Any other suggestions for a new baby. You'd think I remembered what it was like just 3 years ago, but alas, I don't! We have stuff, but would be open to suggestions of things tried and true by other babies- because every baby is different!

Book Review- The Hole in Our Gospel

2009-07-03T14:51:00.003-04:00

As you may remember, I am a Thomas Nelson Publisher book reviewer. Its a great program and I enjoy doing it. The book I recently finished reading was The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. He is the current president of World Vision- an amazing organization that is commited to serving and helping the impoverished around the world.

The Hole in Our Gospel has many angles that I can't really summarize its purpose into one sentence. In masterful seamlessness, Stearns incorporates his own spirtual journey, his personal and career journey (from poor teenager to corporate CEO of Lennox to President of World Vision), his quest to discover God's plan for him at World Vision, and his amazing stories and adventures from the various fields that World Vision supports. Intertwined with these personal stories and testimonies are Biblical truths (stewardship, giving, serving, helping the widows and orphans, verses, teachings of Christ) to challenge the reader in what it means to be a Christian.

The hole that Stearns gets his title from is twofold. There are two camps that dominate the Christian sector of beliefs. Those that believe that are 'works based' (believing our actions are what set us free in eternity) or those that are 'faith based' (believing that only faith is required to enter heaven). The problem that Stearns presents is that both of these belief systems are incomplete- they have a whole.

For it says right in scripture (Ephesians 2:8-10) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

If we leave faith out- it takes away the gift of Grace, and we cannot earn our salvation. However, if we leave out good works, we are taking away one of the primary reasons we were created. We were created to be the hands and feet of God. We were created by God for His purpose to serve His people.

Stearn is an amazing storyteller and has amazing experiences to show the reader what serving God's people could really look like. Stories of impoverished nations. Stories of incredible courage and miracles. Stories that could make your stomach churn. (Did you know that 257,000 children die EVERY DAY due to poverty related issues?). The statistics are stagering- but the faces and individuals that Stearn presents tugs at the heart.

What I loved about Stearn's book is that it wasn't simply a book about all the bad things that are going on in the world- but that there are solutions! (It only takes $1 a year to give a person clean water! If every church gave their true 10% tithe- we could bring the world out of such poverty! Stearns challenges the reader to discover the true definition and meaning of stewardship. We are all stewards- everything we have is God's. Even if we have very little- we are still called to be good managers of it. This book is challenging, thought provoking, and while it had its moments of despair- I felt encouraged that the world's problems are not to big to get a hold of.

As a person with a deep passion for world missions and impoverished nations and orphans (I have done ministry work in Bangladesh, Guatemala, Jamaica, and Grenada), and as someone who is passionate about stewardship and giving, I felt as though this book could have challenged me more. I am already giving, praying, doing- what can I be doing to help save our world? Stearns main focus was to get the church and its members to give their tithes- to get involved with the global community as opposed to the bubble of our own. A step beyond this challenge would have been helpful for me as the reader.

Overall, this was an excellent book and I would quickly recommend to any Christian.

Going with the theme of the book, "Lord, break my heart to what breaks yours."

Dr. Visit Update

2009-07-02T13:57:00.004-04:00

I had my first official Dr. visit today for baby. It went wonderfully. All the labs came back perfect and everything looks great. Heartbeat is at 168 which is 'girl territory' if you follow some of those old wives' tales.

My doctor and I agree that a c-section is going to be the safest and best route for both me and the baby. As long as the due date remains January 6th after the ultrasound, the delivery will be between December 28 and January 6th.

I'm super excited for the ultrasound- scheduled for August 17th. I hope they cooperate so we can find out if Izzy is going to have a little brother or sister. My intution has said boy from the beginning- but who knows?

So at 13 weeks...baby is aobut 3 inches long. They are starting to grow hair on their head and eyebrows. The fingers are separating and good news- the head is becoming less disportionate! Oh- and our baby has their own unique identity in their own fingerprints!

Mini Vacation

2009-06-29T18:40:00.004-04:00

It has been a long time since we were able to get away (January I believe). So, we headed up to the cottage Thursday and stayed up through the big Morgan side reunion/birthday party on Sunday. We had great weather and a wonderful time. Izzy had a great time at the beach- the girl loves her sand and water! She cried when it was time to leave this morning. I didn't get my camera out much (I was having too much fun or I was just resting a lot!). But here are a few fun pics.

This is the glazed over look we'd see every night...she nearly fell asleep in this chair! Enjoying the Sand

Love this shot! Such a genuine smile

Who knew it would be fun to try and slide down with the swim ring

what a beach bum!

Father's

2009-06-21T14:34:00.002-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful daddies out there.

You are our leaders. The heads of our households. Our shoulders to cry on. Our jungle gym in winter. Our fort making friend. You have a way of making us laugh at the simplest things. You unify a family around each other. You are the example to which our sons and daughters look up to. Once a daddy, always a daddy. Its the job title that never goes away. Yes, its job description changes somewhat from diaper duty to playmate to coach to mechanic to wise council. But, you will always be our daddy. Nothing can every change that.

Today I am thankful for a wonderful father and a father-in-love. My father has seen me through the best of times and worst of times. He has pulled me out of a ditch. Let me cry as I made those "this is going to change me life forever (ha!)" moments in high school. My father-in-love has taught me a different side to life that I had never lived before. Even today he showed me the joy that a new water gun can bring (and how cute it is when he squirts his unsuspecting wife!).

I am also thankful for my daughter's father. My husband has evolved as a man and as a father over the past 3 years. I love watching him play with dolls and get on the floor with our daughter. I love how he initiates their bingo games- not always waiting to be asked to play. I love that he dates our daughter.

Don't forget to love on and thank you father's and you children's father for all that they do. They need our respect, our love, our encouragement.

The Strain of Guilt and Power of Repentence

2009-06-20T13:53:00.002-04:00

I was in Meijer this morning, sitting in the waiting area at the pharmacy with my cheerful little Izzy. Waiting for the "5 minutes" to pass before my perscription was ready, I played the familiar 'I Spy' with Izzy.

I spied something red- the red button on the blood pressure machine (ok, so probably not the smartest idea to point out a big red button, because isn't it in human nature to want to press or pull anything big and red?)

As she spied the big red button and I told her, "Please don't press the button"...she looks at me, looks at the button and...PRESS!

While in general the whole incident was not a big deal- the button was not going to hurt anything or anyone. I was tempted to just let it go, I was after all, in Meijer. But I realized that this wasn't a case of doing something that was terrible, but rather it was an action of direct disobedience. I called her over and reviewed what just happened to make sure she knew what I had said (2 year olds have selective hearing sometimes!). She did. She was punished. And, in typical Izzy fashion, was immediately strained with guilt. Izzy has always been the sort of child where you can look at her with the 'mom eye' and she knew she was wrong and correct herself. She cries when she does wrong. She has a strong sense of guilt. I let her sit on that feeling for a few minutes until we returned to the car.

We discussed what she had done. That disobeying was wrong. It made mommy sad. But more importantly it made God sad, because He is the one who told us to obey. She then proceeded to say Sorry to Jesus, and choked down an apology to me. With tears streaming down her face she said she was sorry. Who knew how hard it was to apologize and repent?

I can guide Izzy into dealing with her guilt and then teach her who to apologize to and how to change her ways. Why is it then so hard to sometimes do it myself? Why is it so hard to admit when I've wronged my God or my neighbor and then say I'm sorry? Is the strain of guilt really worth the avoidance of temporary pain? Never, because of the power of forgivness and repentence heals those wounds. If only I approached the throne like a child, with child like faith. With the ability to just say I'm sorry from my heart.

Things I Love Thursday- Miss Pattycake

2009-06-18T14:46:00.002-04:00

I'm back for another round of sharing something I love on this beautiful Thursday. Hosted by the lovely Miss Diaper Diaries :) Visit thediaperdiaries.net for more things that people love!

This week I am going to share my love for Miss Pattycake. Miss Pattycake joined our house by accident. There was a buy one dvd get one free at a local christian bookstore when Izzy was about 1. I was struggling to find an under $10 DVD to throw in when a salesperson showed me a demo of Miss Pattycake that was for sale. Our life has never been the same since!

Miss Pattycake is a character created by Jean and Nancy out of a desire to fill a void in the christian media. They desired to create a music and video experience for preschoolers and their parents. Miss Pattycake started out as a church ministry, but grew quickly into a singing and storytellling extravaganza! Through exciting songs and bible stories and a smile that glows, Miss Pattycake encourages preschoolers to praise the Lord no matter how big or small they are. Firmly planted in Biblical truth, I have been amazed and impressed at every DVD, book, and song I have heard. My daughter (now 2.5) jumps around singing "patty cake praise" "bubbling joy" and some great old Sunday School Song classics. She knows the story of creation, moses, Christ's resurrection, Christ's birth, and has even been taught how to pray for kids like her around the world.

If you have kids of preschool age (or even early elementary) I guarantee they will enjoy listening to this engaging teacher. (my husband finds her slightly annoying and corny, and you may too, but her voice does keeps kids engaged). Check out the Miss Pattycake videos at your local Christian bookstore or library! Or here at http://www.misspattycake.com/

Zoo Adventures

2009-06-08T16:34:00.004-04:00

We've had a few eventful trips to the zoo so far this year!

The first one never actually happened. We were headed out for an atypical afternoon get together not realizing that the zoo was still under 'off season' hours and rates. We arrived to late and were not allowed in the zoo! So sad. Luckily, there was a park right next door that we could go to!

The next trip was a fun Sunday family day for the three of us (yes, we were skipping church because we were in desperate need of some family time due to insane work hours lately- criticize if you must- but it was needed!). Paul hadn't been to the zoo since elementary school- I was eager for him to share in Izzy's joy of seeing the animals. Also, with our recent outing of not being able to go the zoo- we thought it would be a good thing. So we packed a picnic lunch and headed out for a day of fun! We had a great hour at the zoo- Izzy was literally running from animal to animal- so excited about seeing her furry friends. Well, as we came upon the brand spankin' new monkey island exhibit- we started smelling gas (paul joked that the animals were um...farting!) Well, moments later over the loudspeaker we hear the announcement to evacuate the zoo! As we approached the entrance we heard the loud hissing sound- it was quite a gas break! The smell was awful too. It was quite the event- but people were pretty calm. Poor kids were hysterical. How do you explain to kids they have to leave the zoo right after getting there? There were also a lot of extended families there for a memorial weekend activity just standing around wondering what to do next! Luckily Izzy handled the situation great (better than my pregnant emotional self I might add!). We took her to a park and had our lunch there and then stopped by an ice cream window for a little afternoon treat! It ended up being a great day.

Finally, Izzy and I made it through the whole zoo with her cousins and aunts and Grandma a few days later and had a blast. She was however, disappointed that there were no zebras, elephants, or polar bears. We're hoping to get to a big zoo sometime this summer either in BC, Chicago, or Toledo so she can see some of those great creatures in person!

Fun cooking adventure

2009-06-05T15:10:00.003-04:00

I know I've been gone awhile- let's just say I'm so pooped these days, writing a blog is the last thing on my to do list. I try to nap or at least rest when Izzy does- which then takes a lot of my free time away.

But, I thought I'd come back and share a fun, easy little cooking adventure with Izzy. I'm no kitchen pro. No chef wanna be. I'm not nearly brilliant like my friend Sarah (she is amazing, cook, mom, wow! her examples of cooking with her boys will put my post to shame). Alas, this is all I have to offer at the moment. I thought Sarah's idea of cooking with her boys and teaching/sharing with them the joy in the kitchen was a great idea. I've tried coming up with ways Isabelle can help me in the kitchen to 1) Have fun, quality time together (so I'm not constantly saying, mommy's cooking go play!) and 2) Having 'chores' or jobs makes kids feel valuable and a part of the family.

So, a little project we did together yesterday was from my favorite recipe source (Kraft Food Magazine!). Little homemade pudding pops.

Yum. Pretty healthy. Easy Cheap. Quick sweet fix for miss preggo over here. What's not to like?

Grab some little Dixie cups and Popsicle sticks and try it for yourself!

Pudding pops

1 box of instant pudding (any flavor)
2 cups of cold milk
1.5 cups of thawed cool whip
Any desired mix in (marshmallow, crushed cookie, chocolate chips...fruit if you are feeling healthy)

Mix pudding and milk for two minutes. Add cool whip and stir until well blended. Add mix ins. Pour into small Dixie cups and place a Popsicle stick in the middle. Freeze for 5 hours (ours were ready after about 2-3 hours).

To get the pop out of the cup, run under warm water and give it a little squeeze and pull.

These are also the perfect size for small eaters.

Enjoy!

Official!!!

2009-05-26T14:44:00.002-04:00

Not that I was thinking anything different, but I'm officially carrying our second bundle of joy! My due date was confirmed to be January 10, 2010 at the doctor's office this morning. Most likely, I will have a planned c-section earlier than that (It doesn't appear as though I will be a good VBAC candidate).

I had such a great appointment with the nurse. She was reassuring and encouraging. I had some pretty awful experiences with a previous doctor's office and was treated rather poorly. She was shocked at my experience, but not surprised as that office has that kind of history.

I feel much better about the communication and treatment I will receive during this pregnancy. They treat the whole person, not just the belly. They do emotional and stress surveys periodically to jump on any early signs of PPD. I'm just so happy! I will also be sent right to a cardiologist if I have any of the heart problems that I had with Isabelle's pregnancy. My other office refused to refer me, despite my discomfort and pleadings. But, we are praying that this pregnancy will go smoothly without any of those issues.

I'm already feeling so different than I did with Isabelle (so people are saying it must be a boy!). -I have only thrown up once vs. throwing up morning and night for 18 weeks with Izzy.
-I have had no aversions vs. I could not eat anything with red sauce or cereal with milk.
-I am more tired than anything
-This was planned so I'm more happy vs. unplanned pregnancy=a lot of tears with Izzy

We'll see what happens, but other than being tired and a belly seemingly to already be poking through my shirts- I'm feeling great. I love not being so sick! I will not complain of a little nauseousness- at least too much.

I'm just glad its official now. I have my first appointment with my fantastic doctor July 2nd where we will get to hear the heartbeat- ahhh!!! I can't wait!

This past week...

2009-05-23T14:35:00.002-04:00

I have never been so tired in my life. Part of it I'm sure is the pregnancy. It seems as though I have traded terrible morning sickness for extreme fatigue- I won't complain (too much!).

But it also has been quite the week on the home and business front.

Monday- I had a cavity filled in the morning followed by a day of cleaning the parade model.
Tuesday- I watched a friend's daughter in the morning followed by an afternoon of staging the parade model.
Wednesday- Our 4th anniversary! Spent the morning cleaning and staging the rest of the condo so we could enjoy a date night that evening.
Thursday- Guess where I was this morning? The parade model! You got it. Last minute touch ups and clean ups. Little additions to the staging. Finding grout on more trim to clean up. Keeping Izzy from destorying the staged nursery and touching the glass banister. I was past drained by this point. I was running on empty fumes. But, we were out of milk, so I headed to the grocery store. Now I was really done, so, I rested and napped in the afternoon.
Friday- With parade starting there were some last minute errands and touch ups. But, Izzy and I were able to hit the library with fresh books and videos for our long hours at home together. Sick as a dog for the first time during this pregnancy after supper.

Ahh....

It was quite the week- I feel as though I lived like 2 or 3 weeks. But, the parade model is done and looks fantastic. Brian (my brother in law and the builder) did a great job with some awesome upgrades and special touches.

If you live in the West Michigan area check us out. We're #7 on the parade of homes route.

Now for the long couple of weeks of the actual parade. Hours basically ever other day from 1-9pm. Long days and evenings- but hopefully it will be worth it for the word of mouth and branding.

Celebrating...

2009-05-20T13:27:00.002-04:00

4 years with my hunka hunka burnin' love.....

Ah, life is good! 4 years ago today I married the man of my dreams and finally ended the 5 year courtship that was spent 4 years a state apart. The weather was perfect that day. Everything (minus a last minute tux delivery and a needle prick resulting in a nasty blood blister) went perfectly. Surrounded by family and friends we pledged our love for one another. It was one of the best days of my life- I was so happy I bounced.

The last four years haven't been the easiest, or the worst. We have had our ups and downs- but our highs are getting higher and our passion grows as we learn to live with one another- and with the unexpected blessings (like little Izzy) God sends our way.

Happy Anniversary my love. I can't wait to see what God sends us next, because I know we will be facing it together!

Garage Sale Bible pt.2- Selling

2009-05-15T08:09:00.002-04:00

I'm off to hit some (hopefully) great sales this morning- so I thought continuing my post on The Garage Sale Bible would be appropriate. This time- its for sellers. I've only actually done a few sales myself, but from those experiences, and from my experience as a life long shopper- here is what I look for in great sellers:

Price everything clearly. Don't just put signs up that say "make an offer"- it puts both buyer and seller in an akward situation. Put prices or a pricing system on everything. Its annoying to have to ask how much each item is. It puts pressure of buyers and makes your accounting much more simple!
Don't sell crap. I know this is somewhat ambigious and subjective- but there are a lot of sellers out there who think it is perfectly ok to try and sell their stained and ripped clothing, broken vases, and toys without key parts. Don't sell anything you wouldn't put your kids in. Don't try and sell something that is grossly stained. (I'm talking like those nasty formula stains on the front of jammies and those blow out stains from you know what). Put them in a free box, donate them, or turn them into cleaning rags around the house. As a buyer, if I see a stack of stained, rippped clothing- I'm not going to look much further. You may have great stuff- but once I see you trying to sell me that stuff, I will be less motivated to look further. Don't try to sell me a Dora book that requires the special pen, but you misplaced it- or the Thomas book that was magnetic and is missing all of the magnets (especially for more than 25 cents!).
Remember your stuff is worth more to you than it is to someone else. I know that cute frilly dress was a memory for you of when Jane giggled for the first time at her Grandpa, or the throw pillows that came all the way from your Great Aunt Ruth all the way from Alaska mean so much to you. But, I don't really care. I'm not going to pay anymore for it because it meant something to you. Price stuff at a fair market (garage sale market, not retail!) value, intrinsic value aside. Having a friend, who is distant from the memories each of your items hold, help price items can be helpful.
Be willing to wheel and deal- or put a sign up that says otherwise. 98% of the sellers I come into contact with are willing to put together a package deal for lots of items or are willing to be flexible on some of their pricing. If you are staunch on pricing- put up a sign that says "Pricing firm". But, you will get more sales if you are willing to work with buyers. I'm not saying you have to take a bath- but a lot of the time, its just a buck or two- or just to get to a nice round number so you don't have to worry about change. (I had a lady yesterday who nearly had a heart attack when I offered her $7 instead of $7.25 for the pile of clothes I had...I would have paid the $7.25, but I was just trying to make our lives easier by not having to worry about change! This my friends was a fair barter, not unreasonable, and you as a seller should just take it!)
Organize! Keep your sale clean and organized for easy shopping. When you go into a department store- clothes are nicely folded or hung in size order- do the same. If there is an outfit- pin or tape together all the pieces so they don't get lost in the shuffle. Label your tables and racks for easier shopping. Don't pile books- keep them in a box or crate for easy flip through. Think of your garage and yard like a mini store and organize it as such. Make sure you as the seller are easy to find- with a cashier station easy to locate as well.
Have change available- think small bills and quarters. Chances are, inexperienced buyers are going to come along with a $20 for a $1 purchase. You must be prepared to make change.
Forgoe the 10 cent box. Maybe have a quarter box for little trinkets- but for those old mcdonald toys that you are just trying to get rid of - I promise you- you will get rid of them faster and make a harried mom with a whiny child very happy and pleased if you just put a free box out there! (plus, if you are willing to give my daughter that little trinket for free- i'm much more likely to buy something from you)
Greet your shoppers, small talk is ok. In fact, silence is rather akward. But, don't try to oversell your items. Let the buyers ask questions first about the items before offering your two cents of what a wonderful product it is and how you don't know how you can live without it. (think about that- especially for household things- if you are selling it- chances are you didn't like it enough to keep!)
Have batteries in toys or batteries available to test toys. Have an electrical outlet to for buyers to test electronic items. I'm not going to buy it if I don't know if it works or not!
Clearly label your sale at major street corners and then at every turn leading to your sale with the same color/design sign so buyers can easily find you.
Advertising. Want to get the most traffic to your sale? First, advertise on Craigslist (free online classfied website and basically one of the best inventions since the computer itself). If you have a lot of big ticket items and feel as though your sale may be hard to find, go ahead and advertise in a small, local paper (for you GR area people- the advance). There is a fee- but can be a good source for buyers. Finally, if you live near a larger development, find out when their neighborhood sale is and do it at the same time, but open an hour earlier! You will be much more likely to get high traffic if you coordinate sales- people like one stop shopping!
Pricing. Its subjective, I know. But, do some research before pricing your items. Shop around at other sales. See how much things run retail and clearance and price accordingly (aka, not any higher than a clearance price for brand new items). You will not recup your cost for the items. Kids clothing and toys are not an investment- don't expect to get a return on them. I know some of you paid a boatload for the entire Gymboree collection. If you really want to get your money's worth- sell it on ebay or something like that where other gymboree collectors and lovers will pay top buck for it. Yeah, as a buyer I would maybe pay a little more for a name brand (simply because you can tell the quality is high sometimes), but I'm not going to pay a ton more. For example- I won't pay $12 for the gymboree dress, i just won't. Especially if there is a more generic brand dress hanging there for just $4. Garage sale buyers are out for good deals on gently used items. If you want to sell collectors items for top dollar- this is not the avenue for you.
Have fun! Enjoy your day. If you aren't- it shows. I don't like shopping at a sale where I feel like I'm inconviencing the seller. It was your choice to have a sale- be prepared for weather, bordeom, hunger, etc. Bring a friend. Find somewhere for the kids to go for the day.

Any other suggestions out there for buyers?

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T08:26:00.002-04:00

I hope all the mom's out there were blessed by their day. I was gifted with my husband not working! (I've decided I hate Sunday open houses sometimes!) It was nice to relax as a family, go to church, and enjoy a nice meal with his parents and grandparents.

Oh, and if you haven't heard....I have another reason to celebrate mother's day...

Introducing Baby Spica- estimated to arrive sometime early January. No, this isn't actually a picture of our little one, but a representation. Our bundle of joy is now the size of a pea and has a beating heart!

Needless to say, we are thrilled with our newest addition to our family. Izzy is pretty excited- her first question was if there was going to be a party (she loves parties!). She also has declared she wants a baby sister named brother.

Life is good. God is Great.

Garage Sale Bible part 1

2009-05-08T14:29:00.005-04:00

I should really write a Garage sale Bible. There are people who need help with this! I am an avid garage saler, bargain finder, thrift store maniac...whatever you want to call it. I've even been name Queen of the garage sales by my Grandma Spica, which if you knew her, would know that is a huge compliment :)

I was so geeked as garage sale season began- rather early I might add. There is nothing like a crisp spring/summer morning with a stroller, cash, and water bottle. I love finding good deals (like the 80 piece wooden train set for $4!).

I'm noticing a great change in garage sales which I believe is attributed a lot to the current economic conditions (but don't get me on that soap box!) People who have never been garage saling are now shopping and don't know traffic, pricing, and shopping etiquette. People who have never been garage saling are also now trying to sell there stuff at their own sale. This has caused for a domino effect of problems. I wish I could solve them.

But, I can, and I will offer some tidbits, helpful hints, and suggestions to the newbie, wannabe, never really understood it garage salers out there. This may come in a few part series as nap time is slipping away and, well I haven't had my nap yet!

So, for part 1: How to be a Successful, Courteous Garage Sale Shopper

Plan, Plan, Plan: Look in the papers (small local ones you get free on your doorstep are great sources), Craigslist, and even on subdivision websites to see when each sale is. Map it out if you have to.
Lower your expectations. You never know what you are going to find. Other peoples treasure can be your junk, other people's junk can be your treasure. Don't think you are going to always find the best selection, the most up to date, the most modern looking things out there. Sometimes you will :) Sometimes you find a house that has been cleared of all bathroom decor circa 1975.
Bring Cash- in small bills. Unless you buy a huge ticket item ($50+), most sellers will not (and should not) accept checks. Bring small bills as many sellers may not have correct change. Having exact amount in small bills may help you negotiations (don't talk down a price from $15 to $10 to only pull out a $20, its kinda rude).
Bring Snacks. You'll get hungry and want to splurge on the 50 cent cookie the little toddlers are selling (which isn't always bad) or get thirsty and be forced to buy a water bottle off of a smart business woman at $2.
Bring a map or GPS of a subdivision. Its amazing how dizzying cauldesacs can be- its easy to get lost.
Do not block driveways, trash cans, mailboxes, or fire hydrants when parking.
Do not actually park in the driveway of the garage sale, unless that is the only option, park along side the road.
Drive SLOWLY!!! Especially when in subdivision sales. Moms, toddlers, kids on bikes, teens on roller blades are everywhere. Just take it slow, and don't stare at the sales, focus on driving and park to look.
Don't feel as though you have to stop at every sale. It's ok to not go in each garage. Use your time wisely!
Park on the correct side of the road and use common courtesy. Often in subdivision sales, the road that used to be a tight two lane road now has cars parked on both sides and is barely a one way street. Take turns. Use the "holes" around driveways to scootch in to allow other people to pass, but don't park there.
Barter, within reason. A good seller will allow you to make a reasonable offer, especially if you buy more items. This is not some Mexican flea market, so don't drop the price in half, we're talking a few bucks here and there. Remember that even though they are selling this stuff, the sellers have more 'value' in their items than you do, don't offend them by skimping their prices. A good rule of thumb? Furniture- $5-10 less than asking, children's toys- $1 less than asking, clothing- when buying in bulk take the total amount and then subtract $2-5 off. I usually shoot for a nice round number. Say my total bill amounted to 12.75. I see if they will take $10. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't. You have to be prepared with how high you are willing to go to buy the item to make a quick decision.
Know your sizes. Know your products. Know your brands. There is no trying clothes on- so its a risk, but it can be worth it! Sometimes people try to sell products with missing components. Know the product enough to know if something is missing (puzzle pieces, blocks, hinges, etc.) Brand names can be important. I will usually play slightly more for a good brand name than I will otherwise. In kids clothes I will pay more for Gap, Gymboree, Children's Place than I will for Circo (target brand) or Kiks (meijer brand). You should have an general idea of what items go for in store: retail and clearance price. Do not pay more than what the item would have been on a clearance rack. (example: A dress from Children's place may have retailed for $20-25, then eventually clearanced to $5-10. I would pay no more than $5 for the dress in great condition, less than that if there are signs of wear.
If shopping with kids- be prepared. Bring a snack or two. Allow them to pick 1 treat early on (a 25 cent book or something). This will keep them entertained and not begging for each and every toy they see. Or, with older kids, give them a limit of spending money- say $5. They have the freedom to choose what they buy and when. Once its gone, its gone. Keep toddlers in a stroller. It keeps them safe and away from playing with all of the toys for sale. You don't let your child ride a bike around meijer just because its there- use the same etiquette at garage sales. Unless you are thinking of buying, do not let them ride in or on toys.
Be hands free! Put your cash in your pockets, lock the purse in the car. Clip on the cell phone. You'll be hands free to sort through the piles and bins.
Set a limit. You could spend a lot of money very quickly because in small portions, its hard to keep track of how much you have spent. Set a limit for how much you spend and only bring that amount with you.

I'll work on more posts for my Garage Sale Bible. Feel free to add your own suggestions for Garage Sale Shoppers! (stick to the shopping side, I'll do a buyer's side next)

Things I Love Thursday- Betty Crocker Ap.

2009-05-07T14:36:00.003-04:00

When it came time to do all of our traveling last fall, we knew that we would need some sort of music player. We had nothing- not even an 'ancient' cd player! So, we headed out to buy some sort of mp3 player. We ended up buying an Ipod touch 2G. I love it! We have wireless in the house, so I can do a quick check of the email, without loading up the computer. I have a couple little scribble games for Izzy to play when we are waiting in line or at an office. Its been so handy! I also put all of Izzy's music on there. I created playlists for her different favorites- veggie tales, praise songs from church, strawberry shortcake, etc. She tells me what she wants, I press play- no fumbling with CD's!

One of my favorite things with my Ipod touch have been the aps. One favorite of my is the Betty Crocker Ap. Its filled with all sorts of great, easy recipes with things I often have in the cupboard or fridge anyway. This little ap has a couple of great features:

It was free!
Surprise me function allows you to just let it pick random recipes for you to browse- coming up with things you wouldn't have thought of to look for (like a dry chai mix!)
Search by ingredient allows you to find recipes that have 1-2 ingredients you have on hand and want to get rid of.
Save my favorites so I don't have to go looking for that one recipe that sounded oh so good the other day!
Did I mention it was free?

I love my Betty Crocker Ap. Plus, since its on my handy Ipod touch, I don't have to print anything out, just keep it close as I'm cooking!

That's what I love this Thursday. Head on over to The Diaper Diaries for more!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-06T15:49:00.000-04:00

Things I Love Thursday- Crayola

2009-04-30T15:43:00.004-04:00

Time for another round of Things that I Love Thursday hosted by The Diaper Diaries!

The thing I love this Thursday is (insert triumphant horn sound) CRAYOLA!!!

I love Crayola. They are by far the best, most kid friendly, high quality, mom loved coloring utensil suppliers. As a former teacher, a lover of coloring (its so relaxing!), and now a mom, I can vouch for the tremendous quality of the Crayola products. (And no, they are not paying me to say this- I don't even know them- but yes, I would be interested!).

There is nothing like coloring with a crayola crayon. They have the perfect consistency where there is no waxy residue or flakes all over the picture you painstakingly worked on. They do not break nearly as easy as most other crayons. I enjoy their colored pencils too- but its harder to notice a quality difference there in my opinion.

Now, crayola markers are the only markers allowed in our house (well, minus my permanant friend, the sharpie!). They are phenomenal. Smooth coloring. Great colors, very washable.

Well, I was very excited when Tar*et had a great little deal on Crayola makers. It was a 50 pip-squeeks in a handy pastic tower that was collapsible when not in use!

All for only $10!!!

I was thrilled- because as great as Crayola is, it can be a bit pricey!

Well, much to my dissapointment, when my 2.5 year old and I brought our new treasure home for an afternoon of coloring delight, I imediately became frustrated. The tower kept collapsing. The 'lid' kept closing in on our hands. These marker lids were the hardest buggers to get off and on- so most of my time was spent helping Izzy change from color to color rather than actually enjoying the activity myself. Then, I had about 5 colors that were almost completely dry- at opening! Well, I trudged on, hoping I could just figure this out. Well, within 1 week of slight use, I had another 5 markers dry up and nearly bite the dust. I couldn't believe the low quality, the complete dysfunctionality of the contraption, and just was so frustrated. This was not my crayola!

Well, the main reason I love my Crayola, is for their customer service. I gave the hotline a call. Was on hold for less than 3 minutes (amazing feat!). After a little serial number digging, the helpful woman found that my markers were made in 2007 and were nearing their shelf life. Hence, the dry colors. She happily sent me a consumer check for $15 off my next crayola purchase (with the intent of replacing my apprently defective product). I love you Crayola! Thank you for standing by your product enough to let me try again! So, as Izzy and I use up the remaning remnants of the Pip-squeek tower, we are plotting our next Crayola purchase.

Check out The Diaper Diaries for more things we love!

If I were in charge of the national budget...

2009-04-29T15:30:00.002-04:00

I would invest in photo shop and save the taxpayers nearly $328,000, stress, and panic.

Glad to see common sense still reigns - ha!

But seriously- a photo of air force one over the statue of liberty-what were they thinking? Guess photo editing is just too easy.

Who's child is this?

2009-04-28T07:54:00.004-04:00

Ok, I'll keep her. And claim her too.