Out With The Old, In With The New

My husband is stubborn, practical, frugal, and every other similar word you can think of. 
I just tossed these shoes in the garbage can and I have no doubt in my mind that he's going to see them and give me 10 good reasons why he's keeping them.

Anyone else know someone like that?  Are YOU that someone? 

Whatever is holding you back from achieving greatness or having better- let it go. 

Don't forget the hard work you put in along the way, but throw out the icky old worn out thoughts & keep pressing forward. Work to achieve better for yourself.  Start thinking positive thoughts and keep them flowing!

You are worth it!

No Sorrow. No Pain.

 

It was All Saints' Day on Sunday.  I was sitting in Sunday Service at church, enjoying the view of the packed pews from the balcony.   We had been running a few minutes behind schedule because the parking lot was PACKED.  We ended up parking just down the street and running into church.  We couldn’t snag our usual seat in the front (because if we did that, over a hundred people would know we were late, instead of just the two dozen folks in the balcony).  I was just happy to be there, surrounded by our church family.  I kind of liked the different view.

There were candles lit in memory of those from our church family who passed on to Heaven, this year.  We took a moment of quiet reflection where I of course thought of my high school classmate and friend, Amy.  I prayed for her fiancé and her family, and decided to just shut off my feelings for a minute so I didn’t start tearing up. 

That plan didn’t work.  I read the list of the baptized and started thinking of my friend Heidi, whose children were just baptized right here in our church.  Heidi’s fiancé passed away this year also.

Ugh, I hate when I can’t stop feeling things.  Usually I have better control, but this one was out of my hands.

Before I knew it we were singing the same song we sang at Amy’s Funeral, “In Christ Alone”.

Just like at Amy’s funeral, the tears just poured and poured.  My husband reached over and put his arm around me, just like he did when we sang for Amy.

Sometimes doing real life is just.so.hard.  I wished I had just stayed home and listened to the service on the radio.  At least then I wouldn’t be ugly-crying in front of people.

Trying to cheer me up, he points down to the pews where we see a grandma holding her granddaughter.  The grandma is singing to her and swaying to the music.  The granddaughter is all smiles, full of JOY.

Then we sang this

 “From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.”

I look again at the grandma and her grandbaby.

 YES, God. Now I know why the parking lot was full and the pews packed.  All but these two front rows of the center balcony were just waiting for us.  You knew as I tried to sing that song, how deeply I would need to see the little babies; the older crowd adorned with gray and white hairs, and everyone in between.  .

I remember how these next lyrics impacted me back in February and I’ve thought of them often ever since:

“No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.”

 

Later in the service the choir sang the most beautiful version of “I Will Rise” that I have ever heard.

All day I kept thinking of those lyrics too:

“And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise”

 

No sorrow.  No Pain.  Yes.

We can find our perfect resting place with God.  And once we’re committed, no one can pluck us from His hand.

Okay it is now 1 am, which is really like 2 am because of the time change.  I’m going to finish processing these thoughts in bed as I drift off to sleep, I just wanted to get some of it out there because that's how I operate.  ♥

Officially a Teenager, But Always My Baby

Just like that, I'm the mom of a teenager.  Moms of littles, believe me when I say all the clichés like 'don't sweat the little stuff', 'it's only a season', & 'you're going to miss this'.  It's all true.  Every single word every seasoned mom has muttered to me about enjoying my children while they're young; I now believe it all. 
I couldn't be more excited-nervous for this season of life.  I will graciously accept all prayers for my sanity, my wrinkles, and really for this girl to be guided by God in all that she does.  Here's to 13!

Dear Sweet Fashionista,

This is your extremely young mother writing to you.  I say that because today you became a teenager, and I just might be having a few personal issues with what that means for me. 

Stereotypically young moms have toddlers; there can even be young moms with elementary-age kids.  But the moms of teenagers?  They usually aren’t classified into any certain category, and end up being just another mom.

From the moment I laid my eyes on you though, I have felt like anything but ‘just another mom’. 

You have challenged me so very much.  Thank you for that, it’s been good for me.  Without our struggles, we won’t know our strength, ya know?

You may have been only a year old when we met, but I myself was just a kid!  I was barely 18, working my way through school to become a nurse, and had high hopes of eventually becoming a doctor and curing Alzheimer’s.  I was a success seeking dreamer.  I was a do-er.  I know you may not believe this, but THIS mom stuff I’m doing now, THIS is my dream I never knew of.

You and your father transformed me, and forced me to grow up.  I thought I wanted to, but so many times I still wanted to just be a kid, and not have to be so responsible.  I didn’t have a choice with you though.  I had to grow up, and I had to grow up fast. 

History has proven that from the depths of my soul I am a procrastinator, so had you not forced me to grow up, I may never have.  So thank you for that too. 

You changed me from a teenage drama queen into a MOM; a real true mother.  THAT is my success.  There is no greater gift that I’ve ever been given than to raise up children for God’s glory, to live and walk in His ways.  It all started with you, sweet girl. 

 

Sweetie, you make my heart squeal with delight.    

Here are 13 Fun Facts about you:

1.      You’ve been momma’s helper and daddy’s princess from day one.

2.      You are full of creativity. 

3.      You are what I like to call a low-maintenance fashionista.  You don’t fuss terribly over your outfits, but you do style yourself well, and it comes easy to you.

4.      For as long as I’ve been cooking in this house you have been right by my side, always offering to crack the eggs, stir the batter, set the table, & help with whatever needs done.  You love cooking shows and get inspired by them.

5.      You have a giant heart for children, and love nurturing and playing with little ones. 

6.      You are full of compassion. 

7.      You and I sit on the deck sipping up gallons of sun tea together all summer long. 

8.      From the time you could speak you wanted to be a veterinarian, but for the past two years you’ve talked a lot about your passion for photography.    It makes sense to me; Ever since you were a little girl you have been carrying a camera around, or asking to borrow mine to take pictures.  You’ve gotten so many creative snapshots, some that we’ve even framed.

9.      You love the outdoors just like your dad does.  You’re athletic and strong.  You love anything with wheels: bikes, skateboards, roller skates, etc.

10.  Any night we can work in a family movie night is your favorite night of the week.

11.  You drag blankets all over the house.  You have more than one on your bed, and keep blankets stashed around everywhere.  This drives me crazy, but it makes you uniquely you. 

12.  Your favorite fruit is the pear.  Do you remember the Christmas we bought like 100 pears and ate them for weeks?  I still can’t believe we finished them all!

13.  Your favorite dessert is brownies with caramel.  Guess what we’re having tomorrow night to celebrate your amazing 13 years on this Earth? BROWNIES!

 

Girl, no matter what it is you want to be or what you do in life, I KNOW that with your drive and heart, you will do it, and do it well. 

Your dad and I are so proud of the wonderful way that you are growing up.   We are so crazy blessed to be your parents! 

Love,

Momma

PS.  Today you may officially be a teenager, but it's important that you know you will ALWAYS be my baby!  I've got your back through all the highs and lows that these teen years bring you. 

From Us To YOU, Happy Halloween!

THE FARMER AND HIS WIFE WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU A VERY HAPPPPPPPPY HALLOWEEN!! 

 

 

♥♥♥♥♥♥

 

We hope you creative types are having all sorts of fun decorating, dressing up, and playing with make-up.

We also hope those of you who like scaring people on Halloween are inside just snackin' on candy and totally lose track of time; because we don't like the icky part of Halloween one bit! 

Sweet Girly Scarecrow Make-up for Halloween

Can you believe October is coming to an end already?  I swear it was just September like a week ago! Now we're already being jolted straight into the busy holiday season (which I'm totally looking forward to)! 

Fridays are what we call Fun Friday in our Homeschool.  We focus primarily on Reading, Math, and Art/Crafts.  It's also my day to get caught up on the Social Media posting that I do for local businesses, and plan out our next week of schooling.  We don't do this every Friday, because sometimes we've had other busy days within our week and we really need the catch up, but this week, we've all worked hard, so we're celebrating!

Halloween is tomorrow, and in typical busy-mom style, I still don't know if we're going out trick-or-treating, staying home to hand out treats, or skipping it all together.  I have such conflicting, but passive, thoughts on the whole Halloween thing. But we do know this-  We will spend the night together as a family, and it will be another opportunity to make memories with our kiddos. 

Today my oldest and I decided to try out a Scarecrow make-up pin that I saw HERE

(Sadly I cannot find a source for the original pin, so if this is you, let me know, I'd love to give you a shout out & see what other cool looks you've came up with).

 

Check out our little YouTube video:



 

Would you rather see that in print form?  Here it is:

 

We used just 5 cosmetics that I bet you even have at home:

Blush- Damp for cheeks, dry for eyes

Gold Eye Shadow*- Damp for the nose

Black Eye Liner: For the patchwork

Mascara: For some extra eye poppin'

Lip Balm: For some girly shine

 

*Another light color would work as well if you don't have gold.

 

For clothing we pulled out a plaid shirt and bib overalls from her closet. 
They were both found on clearance at Wal-Mart for just $3 each!

God's Grace and Forgiveness

Winter in Iowa is coming!  Just today we had a little bit of white flurries falling from the sky.  It didn't last long, but it was evident!

Is anyone else out there absolutely thrilled about the beautiful white flurries making their appearance?

EEEK!  They're just so gorgeous! 

I am beyond ready for a fresh blanket of pure white goodness on the ground.  Waking up to a yard covered in pure white reminds me so much of how God's Grace and Forgiveness, can cover a multitude of our sins.

Now don't get me wrong, I'd really appreciate a handful or more of 70+ degree days so we can get some outdoor family pictures done, but I am eager for  the winter season too.  I love snuggling up with my family, sipping hot chocolate, warming my hands by the oven after I've pulled out a frozen pizza casserole and carried it to the table.  There's so much to be thankful for in the winter season. 

For the record, digging for gloves and ending up mismatched is not one of those joys.  Anyone have an amazing glove system for little people and husbands?  I think I've tried it all, but something not working here. 

 

Isaiah 1:18-20 says:
“Let Us Reason”

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord.
“[a]Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.

“If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the best of the land;

But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken

Fair Trade: Coffee and Accessories

Although my husband doesn't like coffee, and I assure you I did not know this before I married him, he buys it for me anyways.  In marriage there is commitment AND compromise, folks. 

 

 

Over the last 11 years that I've been buying coffee (since I can't just drink my parents' for free any more) I've bought it from just about everywhere you can imagine.  I've also bought it in several different brands, forms, and flavors.  This time around I decided to try out the Fair Trade coffee from our church. 

 

There are so many reasons to LOVE this coffee. 

1. I can get it easily.  Which is a plus, because I do NOT like to be out of coffee! I'm not addicted or anything, I just appreciate a hot cup of Joe in the morning, and sometimes even in the evening.  In the afternoon I like it over ice.

2. It's Fair Trade, which according to Google means "trade in which fair prices are paid to producers in developing countries." 

3. It's organic.  I have a terrible time with non-organic coffee giving me headaches when I drink it in bulk, which I pretty much always do.

4. It comes in Decaf and Regular.  Occasionally I like to have choices.   

5. It's delicious!  Truly, the flavor of this coffee is THE BOMB!

 

I've bought so many Fair Trade items from food, to apparel, to Christmas decorations, and always feel good knowing our money is going somewhere worthy and benefiting real people, who really need it.

 

I did away with my coffee pots (yes I had multiples) a few years ago in an effort to clean up the counters.  I use a French Press from Ikea that washes up well and stores nicely in a cupboard. 

 

 

 

If you're looking for a challenge this week try one of these:

 

Watch Where You're Spending Your Money. 

1. Are the purchases you're making necessary?

2. Are they fairly benefiting both you and the person/company that you're buying them from?

 

 

Clean up Your Counters

Unless you've got some mad skills or super powers, I'm sure there is SOMETHING you can do to clean up your counters a bit.  I used to even put the toaster away in the pantry when we weren't using it daily.  Clean Counters=Calm & Order.  It's pure delight to walk into a kitchen with clean counters. 

 

 

Sip Coffee and Relax

If you're in a season where you want a challenge, but the thought of actually taking on one more thing stresses you out to the max, then THIS is the challenge for you! 

Just take time to sip some coffee (OR TEA!) and relax. 

 

 

 

*Note: If you are looking for a way to add some Fair Trade accessories to your wardrobe (like the scarf and earrings I'm wearing in the picture) check out my friend Courtney's Trades of Hope page.  There you will find beautiful scarves, jewelry, handbags and more!  All Fair Trade, All Beautiful!

A Tripod Setup For YouTube and Periscope For Under $35!

This post contains affiliate links to what I purchased to make this set up.

You can read all about my affiliate links through my disclosure tab- but it's basically this:  Amazon pays me a percentage of each sale that is made through clicking my links.  I use that money towards homeschooling my children, running this blog, glorifying God, and hosting giveaways. 
I would never EVER post a link to a product I didn’t believe in- Promise!

 

A camera tripod has been on my Amazon wish list basically ever since I bought my fancy camera back in December 2014.  But for some reason I’ve just kept it there.  I’ve been worried about getting a cheap one and it breaking my camera or something. 

I don’t know people, I am not a camera savvy gal- I’m strictly a wannabe in this area.  I’m researching a ton and learning a lot though; that counts for something, right?

Now that I’ve been taking more pictures, and using the *Periscope app, I finally justified adding a tripod to my cart. 

You should’ve seen me running across the house when my brown boyfriend (the UPS man) dropped the tripod at my door!

Yay for making decisions!  Yay for packages delivered on time! 

Yay for new gadgets!

 

I went with an inexpensive Amazon Basics tripod and also ordered a cell phone adapter, so I could use my phone on the tripod as well (for YouTube and *Periscope videos).

 

After I got the cell phone adapter I quickly realized it’s the same as the top of a selfie stick, which I have a couple of, so I really didn’t need to purchase another one.  oops!  So if you already have a selfie stick, just twist the top portion off (the part that holds the cell phone) and twist it onto the tripod's removable base part (or whatever that piece called).

 

What I love about this tripod:

·         It is super lightweight, 3lbs.
·         Its height is adjustable from 20 inches all the way to 60 inches, which is just perfect for what I need it for.
 

 ·         It has two levels in different positions, so you can get a nice straight shot. 

·         Once you have the little mounting plate screwed into the bottom of your camera (or selfie adapter) you can take the camera off quickly, snap a few shots, and snap it right back into the tripod.

 

·         It comes with a quality carrying case.  Oh & it also has a nice handle on the tripod!

  

 

*Have you heard of Periscope? It’s basically like the next big thing in social media. It’s a live video streaming app that allows you to broadcast from wherever you are, or to see video from anywhere in the world. I’m pretty much in love with it.

Happy 3rd Birthday. Sweet Girl

 

 

Sweet Girl,

Tonight I am going to put you to bed as a 2 year old.  When you wake up (I’m guessing at about 3:30am, and again at 6:30am), you will officially be a 3 year old.  Man, just when you got the hang of admitting you were 2, and not 15 when people asked, you’ve got another age to remember!

This birthday stuff doesn’t mean much to you, other than you want everyone to sing to you.  But hey, that’s nothing new.  Who doesn’t like being serenaded, am I right?

 

You are a firecracker.  Over the past 3 years, your dad has worn out the term “she broke the mold”. 

You really did, baby girl.  You are SO different than your brother and sister, and that’s okay!  You are so much more independent than your older siblings were at your age.  I attribute that to you knowing they are there for you, and trusting that you can always fall back on them.

Being your momma is 97% pure joy, and 3% challenging.  Nap time, bed time, and bath time make up that 3%.  You just like to do things on your own schedule; I’m the same way.  I thought I had the ‘mother of a toddler’ role down, until you taught me otherwise.  You’re clever!

Oh sweetie, I’m just giving you a hard time. I so admire you and appreciate your high energy and spunk.

Your favorite color is purple; I’m sure because you and your daddy are BIG Minnesota Vikings fans.

You love raisins in every form.  When you eat a bowl of raisin bran, you pick out the raisins with your tiny little fingers, drink the milk, and hand me a bowl of soggy bran flakes. every.single.time.

You ask for apple sauce about a hundred or so times a week.   You prefer apple sauce pouches, or a bowl of apple sauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.  I like it that way too. 

 

I joke that SUGAR is your Love Language.  If it is, your grandpa Phil has got to be your favorite, because he spoils you with cupcakes and Tropical Sno every Thursday through the summer. 

When I asked you what you wanted to be when you grow up, you replied “A Grown-up with healthy bones!”  It was cute, but I quickly began to tear up, thinking of your sweet little heart and how hard it has to work to keep up with your heart defect.  I am so thankful for each day we get with you, and I have no doubt you will live to be 100! 

 You tell total strangers that you are going to go to Heaven when you die.  You are excited to meet Jesus.  For the past two weeks you’ve been excitedly asking “Is Jesus coming soon?”  I’ll be honest, that freaks me out, but I am SO glad that you know Jesus and have a passion to meet Him!  I think the world of your curiosity and through you I have finally understood the term “faith like a child”.  You believe with all your heart and that is truly beautiful.   

Everyone raves about your blonde curls.  I am still learning how to brush your hair and style it so you don’t look like a clown.  I’m sorry.  When you are older and look back at your childhood pictures, just know that I tried, okay?  You insist on wearing a bow, but often pull it out when we get in the van, so it’s not totally my fault, right?

Your big brother loves to read to you, and you LOVE being read to.  You want to “do school” like the big kids and have really began to sit well at the table and soak up so much information that we’re talking about.  I am certainly you’ll be ready for some official preschool lessons very soon!

Your big sister has a blast dressing you up in elaborate layers and accessorizing your outfits.  She is The Fashionista, and she’s training you well!  She loves putting pretty things in your hair, and even putting lip balm on your lips!  You have her wrapped around your finger!  You love when you get to hang out in her room and play with her girly Legos.

 

I am proud of the spunky girl that you are, because you remind me so much of ME!  You stand up for yourself, you pave your own path, and you are fierce!  You light up a room with your charm and bright blue eyes.  YOU are happy, you are healthy, you are loved. 

You’ve got it all, girl.

Love,

Momma

Home Art: Creating a Paint Shirt!

We've been taking on quite a few art projects this year, since switching to Home Art Studio.  We are LOVING it!  The kids love it because they're actually getting to do more art, and I love it because the materials are so easy to follow and it mostly uses things we already have at home. I can share more about how it works, if anyone is interested (post a comment to let me know, and I'll work up a post on it).

 

So as a result of these super fun projects happening almost on the daily, we needed to be sure everyone was equipped with a paint shirt!

 

My son graduated to needing a bigger paint shirt than Ikea has to offer (which means his little sister just got his old paint smock and has been joining us at the table- to paint with water). 

 

For this project we used:

• Puffy Paint from Ikea (MÅLA)
• Dad's old white t-shirt (or at least it used to look white, about 5 years ago!)
• How to Draw Cars and Trucks and Other Vehicles Book by Dover Books
• A washable marker to trace the outline.

 

 

 

Tips:

*Line your table with newspaper.  

*Slide a piece of cardboard in the shirt, so the paint doesn't bleed through.

If you aren't an Amazon Addict like me and have TONS of boxes around at all times, just use a cereal box or some cardstock.

*Design what you want the shirt to look like, and draw that on with a marker first.  

 

 

Include the kids, practice patience, and HAVE FUN!!!

 

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

We absolutely LOVE the "How to Draw" series by Dover Books and own at least a dozen of their how-to books.  Their coloring books are fabulous too!  Best of all they are usually under $5- So they make a perfect gift, and are super affordable to add to your home library!

 

 

Here is my affiliate link to the one we used for this project.  You can read all about my affiliate links through my disclosure tab- but it's basically this:  Amazon pays me a percentage of each sale that is made through clicking my links.  I use that money towards homeschooling my children, running this blog, and hosting giveaways.  I would never EVER post a link to a product I don't believe in- Promise!

 

Let Your Heart Wander

Happy Sunday! {Or whatever day you’re reading this; Maybe I should’ve just said Hello?}

Do you ever feel like you’re strictly doing only what you have to do, just to get by?

I’ve been in that mode for a few weeks now.  I’ve been having a hard time saying “no” to the things I’m not super passionate about, because I’ve had the mentality of “yeah, I can squeeze it in”  or “that sounds ‘kind of’ fun”.  Along with that, when I have said “no” people have been having a hard time hearing and accepting it. 

Ordinarily I am a reliable person.  I do all that I can at home, & still show up to put in 110% at whatever I’ve signed up to do. 

Now don’t get me wrong here.  I like that people can count on me.  The problem is, I’m also drowning in my have-to-do list (which is different than a typical 'to-do list').  I'm not kidding you- every square on my calendar is filled in, for as far as thee I can see! 

I’m not getting any time to just let my heart, mind, and even my feet wander.

So this weekend we were supposed to go to a family reunion 3 hours away.  I love my extended family and miss them something terrible, but I had just hit a breaking point and couldn’t do it.  I went to bed thinking we were going, but I woke up with a change of heart (and the girls and I had that silly lingering cough, so I sort of felt justified.  But really we need a family day more than anything, and I needed to not feel guilty about that).

 

 

I described it to my husband like this:  Point A is home.  I’ve been heading everywhere I’ve had to for a few weeks (really months, but the past 3 weeks have been BAD).  Those are straight lines.  I go do what I have to do, and I come back home. 

What my heart REALLY wants is to just wander.  I want the distance between my coordinates to look like pretty, swirly lines once in a while.

So that’s what we did Saturday.  We slept in until 8am and then Mr. Awesome and I cooked a great big breakfast together.  It had been SO long since we had cooked a meal together.  I had really missed it, even though I occasionally whined that he was in my way or spraying water all over the place while he rinsed the dishes (that I believe can go straight into the dishwasher without rinsing, but whatever).  We sat down as a family to eat and we actually took the time to listen to the kids tell stories, talk about conversations they had with their friends, and heard great big belly laughs from each of them at different times.  

 

We took care of several errands, delivered hand-me-down clothes to a friend, returned plumbing pieces to the hardware store, took a van load of things to our favorite 2^nd hand store to donate, and best of all we FINALLY delivered that wedding gift that had been sitting here for 3 months since we missed a wedding back in July.  Now these were “to-do” things, but we didn’t have to do them on anyone’s time but ours.  We didn’t have to show up at a certain time. which hasn’t happened for us in a very long time. 

After that, we just wandered.

When we were headed to look for a new blog planner at Staples (which I didn’t find- so any and all suggestions are welcome!) we decided to take a detour and take the family mini-golfing. 

MINI-GOLFING, People!  Do you know how fun that is?  It’s insanely fun.  Especially with a group of kids as fun as mine and a husband who is a great big goofball!

 Our mini-golf coupons were expired, but we took a chance and they let us use them anyway (Shout out and THANK YOU to North Iowa Golf).  The course was quiet, and we got to take our sweet time.  And believe me, with three kids, one of them being a two year old carrying her own club, we really did take.our.time. 

I left my phone in the van, which was a good thing; because when I got back I realized I would’ve had 7 interruptions while we were out enjoying family time.  They were all things that could wait, but if I had my phone on me, I would’ve felt obligated to respond back or take phone calls that didn’t have to happen right then.   

What I’m saying is:

1.      Are you giving a gentle “no” in areas that you just can’t passionately serve right now? 

2.      Are you taking time to let your heart, mind, and feet wander?

And when I say serve, I want you to know you can serve in absolutely any way, and this will look different for each of us.  Maybe you serve through babysitting for a friend, making meals, sitting on a committee, helping organize an event, etc. 

I personally cannot serve by babysitting your kids right now, but I can be of service by making a meal.  Maybe you’re the other way around right now.  That’s okay!

 

The Answer Key would look like this:  1. YES 2. YES.

If you can’t answer both questions with a firm YES, then I encourage you to take a look at this next week, and see what changes you can make so that you can serve passionately.