Hold ME Jesus

I just hung up the phone with the gynecologist’s office.

It worked with their schedule to see me in two weeks.  Having to wait and work around their schedule, is a reminder to me that this world does not revolve around me.  I suppose that’s important to know, for you and me both. 

I’ve known I needed to schedule an annual exam for quite a while.  Actually for my 27^th birthday I ended up in Urgent Care with some “lady problems” as my husband calls it, and the doctor found a growth on my cervix that she said I needed to get checked out by my gynecologist.  She calmly assured me it was probably nothing too harmful, but did need to be looked at. 

I ignored it.  Well, not really.  I mean I think about it constantly.  But I didn’t get it “checked out”.

I figured I was fine because I just had a baby in 2012, and I know they were all up in my business then, so if anything was wrong, they would’ve caught it.  Right?

Well, then a few days ago I owned up to the fact that I have a lump in my breast.  It’s something I’ve sort of wondered about, but tried to just block out.  It finally became so obvious and painful that I couldn’t ignore it any more.

Except, I couldn’t do anything about it either.

I was paralyzed by the idea that this could be something serious.  If I think about it, I sob. 

At first I couldn’t even pray about it, because that was acknowledging that it was real, and that I have no control over it. 

I’m still really struggling with it- but as I keep saying with everything:

“We only know, what we know”

So at this point I don’t know if this really is something that will be life changing, or life ending.  I don’t know if it is something that later on I’ll laugh about and be embarrassed about because it was “nothing”.  I just don’t know. 

But what I DO know is this- That I need to get a professional opinion about it, which I’m doing.  And I do know that even if it is something that causes the end of my life here on earth, or a drastic change in the quality of my life, I am still a child of God. I am His. 

Okay, now that I’m to the end of typing this and ready to hit post, the nurse just called back and said she wants to see me in less than a week.  Things just got REAL. 

WITHOUT HOLDING BACK!

Proverbs 12:25 says:
"Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up."

The question to ponder in your heart is: "Where can I offer a kind word today?"

Someone out there needs your compassion and encouragement. 
Share it lovingly and freely, WITHOUT HOLDING BACK!

Learning to Compromise

 

We're working on math. 

 

The boy wants nothing to do with using the supplemental blocks that go with his curriculum.  Although I bet he would happily take a break to build something with them.  I suppose that would be creative, and it would probably make me a fun mom, if I let him.

 

But I won't let him.  Not right now.

 

Today I am in the business of growing grateful kids that are hard workers.  A strong work ethic is important to me.  A joyful attitude is important to me also.  

 

Ugh, I am just frustrated by the amount of whining that has taken place during our school hours this week. We took a spring break and have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things.  Although things are looking up, now. :)

 

So after an hour and only 8 problems answered, I gave in.  

 

I said "Do what works for you, I just need you to answer those questions on the paper.  I want you to understand what you are doing & learn from this!"

 

So he smiled and got out this rusty old tape measure that his granny gave him yesterday.

The relief was evident as he realized he could do it "his way".  

 

What do you know, he actually began to answer the questions without complaining! 

I am learning from this too.  Just because somebody does something different than we do, does not mean that they are doing it wrong.

 

Where do you need to compromise?

#mathusee #dowhatworks #simplejoy #boymom #homeschool

All Are Welcome

 

Last weekend we hosted a birthday party celebrating another year of Mr. Awesome’s life.  We closed off the bedrooms, and opened up every other door in our 1500 sq. ft home.  We swept the garage, moved a few things, and welcomed in over 90 of our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family.  There were even a few people we hadn’t yet met, but were delighted to serve anyway.  Yes, truly delighted.

You see we prayed for this party for weeks.  We prayed hard for clear skies, so we could use our spacious backyard.  That wasn’t in God’s plan.  Early in the afternoon there were massive sheets of rain rolling in, and we learned we’d be hosting this party indoors.  We were away at a volleyball tournament that morning and couldn’t prepare our home fully, but we trusted it would be okay.  Above all we prayed for our home to be a safe gathering place for everyone to come and make connections. 

This party wasn’t about us.  This party was about God.  It was about connecting His people.

It’s so cool to sit back and watch people from all different walks of life, and different social groups come together and converse.  Some of these people we’ve known our entire lives, others we have known far less, not known extremely well, or not known at all. Regardless, they were all so kind to us, and to each other. 

At one point during the party I took a breather in the bathroom, I fell to the floor and thanked God for His marvelous works in orchestrating what was happening.  I’m sure no one even noticed I was missing, and that was perfectly fine with me. 

As I walked around our home Saturday night listening to bits and pieces of the conversations that were happening, I was humbled and my heart was bursting with Joy.  There were so many smiles, and so much laughter.  There were so many good, helpful, deep conversations happening within the walls of our small ranch home, basement and the garage.  I felt a sense of Pure Joy. 

I hadn’t stressed over cleaning for the party (which was evident this morning {4 days later}, as I realized the amount of things I spaced off cleaning- the piles on top of the fridge, the smears on the windows, toys & mail laying around etc.)  It’s not that I’m a bad housekeeper, or a great housekeeper, it’s just that those things didn’t seem important to me at the time.

I didn’t stress over the food.  We did a simple menu of Sub Sandwiches, Chips, and Cake.  Our drink menu was 2 liters of soda, bottled water, and a keg of beer.  All served from simple disposable dinnerware.  I wasn’t sure how many people we’d have (my ball park guess was about 30 short), but somehow the 24 feet of subs that we ordered were almost entirely devoured and we had minimal leftovers, which we were able to disperse and still have enough to enjoy two extra meals from. 

From the time we decided this party needed to happen, until the time we closed the last folding table and put a clip on the final bag of chips, everything just worked out.  I trusted that God would provide, and He did. 

I serve a faithful, loving God who delights in seeing us open our homes to everyone, not just those who will invite us to theirs, or pay us back in some way.

 

What would hold you back from hosting a gathering where All Are Truly Welcome? 

 

 

Sweet Graycie's Baptism Anniversary

Happy 2nd Baptism Anniversary to this little cutie! 2 years ago we dedicated you to the Lord in front of our great big church family. We had no idea that just three days later we'd almost have you taken from us, through an unfortunate series of events following your broken arm. This day reminds me to love you while I can, because even though I say you're mine, you're not. You belong to Him, Our Gracious God, and I am just the lucky one who has gotten to spend my days watching you grow. I love you, Sweet Baby Graycie.

Bible Verse of the Day

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

gal.5.22-24.msg

Scoopy Doos Ice Cream and More



In my last post I talked about making a Summer Bucket List.  If you’re anywhere within driving distance of Forest City, Iowa and you ARE making a summer bucket list, I suggest adding a trip to Scoopy Doos.  There are also have several local parks you could stop at. 



My three enjoy the triple slide found at Pammel Park

If the wind isn’t too strong the day you visit, get your ice cream or lunch to-go, and take it down the block, to the gazebo, located on the beautiful Courthouse Square. 

Photo Credit: http://www.iowacourthouses.org/winnebago.html

 

So, You probably want to know more about this Scoopy Doos place I'm suggesting, huh?  Well, read on. 

 

 From the moment you open the door at our local Ice Cream Shop you’re flooded with cheer and kindness.  The walls are painted a beautiful shade of purple, adorned with colorful polka dots.  The tables are mostly brightly colored picnic tables, and the floor showcases a fun black and white checkered pattern.

The first thing you’ll hear is something like “Helloooo” or “Hello!  Welcome to Scoopy Doos” as the staff literally smiles, makes eye contact with you, and walks to the front of the store to greet you. 

 

You just don’t get that everywhere any more, but you always get that there.  They’re about the people, not the sale.  It’s quite refreshing really.

 Oh and the "staff" are actually called "Scoopologists".  How fun is that?!

It sort of makes me feel like applying, just for the cool title! 

If you’ve heard their radio ads you know they have so much more than just ice cream.  I mean they DO have many sweet treats, but also a full menu to order from, any time of day!

Through these French doors you'll find the PARTY ROOM.  It may be rented out for birthday parties, which we've done before.  But the cool part is that if isn't reserved, you can eat in there any time!

 

I dare you to just look into one of these unique mirrors and walk away.  It can't be done.  Both kids {AND ADULTS} love to make faces in them, and dance in front of them. Something about these just makes you do silly things!

 

 The kids and I stopped in after a local MOPS meeting last month and I took some pictures to share with you all.  Please know their menu has many, many more items than I highlight here.

Rather than going on and on (which you know I could totally do all day), I'll post them below and give you a quick caption for each one. 

Here's a birds eye view of our lunch spread.  Thank you to my patient children, for letting me get a shot of this first.  Even though it smelled delicious, they were starving, and we all just wanted to dig right in!



This is a kids meal, called the Kiddy Doo.  It's a kid-size version of the Sloppy Doo (sloppy jo)



The Toddler's grilled cheese was cut into hearts.  The personalization and detail at this place is great.





I had a wrap, with a side of chili.  I'm working on ordering food slightly outside of my "norm" ie. cheeseburger.  This wrap, filled with: spinach, strawberries, chicken and cheese, was perfect!  It stayed together well and satisfied my hunger.
 

After lunch The Ball Player made basketballs out of our trash and cleared the table for us.  I appreciate that it's totally the type of place you can let your kids be themselves. #kidsplayinglikekids





Then it was treat/spelling time.  The 1st grader read every ice cream out loud, before making his final selection.  There are two cases like this one, filled with a variety of flavors.

 

This trip we learned that any of the hard scoop ice cream can be made into a shake.  The Fashionista chose Monster Cookie, with whipped cream.

 

Mint Chip for the win!

 

 

The toddler usually picks PINK (strawberry) ice cream.  This day however, she chose the one with a YE-YOW (yellow) m&m.



I got my ice cream to go, so I was able to enjoy it during nap time. By far my favorite flavor is the Java Chunk.  It's a perfect blend featuring bold flavored coffee ice cream and generous chunks of shaved chocolate.

 

 

 

PRO TIP:  Save back a few of the homemade kettle chips from your meal for dipping in your ice cream.  Yes, I'm serious. 

You can thank me for this one later.

 

 

 

Like Scoopy Doos Ice Cream and More on Facebook for their complete store hours, deals, and updates. 

 

If you make a stop there this summer, be sure to snap a picture and upload it to my facebook wall!

 

 

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this post. All opinions and photos are my own and copyrighted (unless otherwise noted).   I just love Scoopy Doos, and think you all should too!

Pondering The Summer Bucket List: 2015

 

Do you create a Summer Bucket List? 

I’ve made one, and it almost always includes these crazy elaborate crafts, or far off places to visit.  It’s not reasonable.  I end the summer feeling like a failure when I look at my list.  Of course we’ve usually done many fun little things, but they don’t look so great when you write them down.  Ugh, why do I even care if they’re “share worthy”?  I shouldn’t, really. 

I’ve printed off various versions of bucket lists from Pinterest. 

The problem is I have children ranging from a toddler to a preteen, both girls and a boy.  I have yet to find a version that suits our family perfectly.

So this year, I decided to make it simple. I’m still making a Summer Bucket List, because:

 I think they are fun

I like lists,

and it gives us something to look forward to. 

However I am humbly lowering my expectations and deciding that our summer theme will be PRACTICAL.  We’ll probably base it off of free local events, food (because everyone needs to eat), and things we already have on hand, like scooters, bubbles, bikes, kites, etc.  We’ll just take them to more places than our front yard and the same park we always visit.

Are you making a Summer Bucket List?  If so, what will you add to it?

Siblings Day 2015

My dad sent me an e-mail this morning with this picture attached:

 

He said I could use it for the Siblings Day thing on Facebook.

Crap!  It's Siblings Day? 

Wait...

What exactly is that?

When did this even become a thing?

Naturally, I Googled it.. It’s official.  April 10^th is Siblings Day
Which is why I’m crankin’ out this post during the toddler’s naptime- since I didn’t buy them a card, a BBQ Set, a T-shirt, or anything really.  Don't plan to, either. 

 Wikipedia has some pretty cool info on the history of this day and where it’s celebrated.  Click here to learn more.

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

So here’s my sort of quick story.  I grew up with TWO older brothers that were born a year and 10 days apart from each other.  They’re  4 and 5 years older than me. 

Pretty lucky, right? Only girl, the baby, two big protective brothers.. Well I may not have thought I was so lucky when I was a kid, but I do now.  

You see, I tried to be grateful.  It’s just that I ALWAYS wanted a sister, and never got one.  I only had one really close friend that was like a sister while I was growing up, and we’ve grown apart now.  If we’d been sisters, she would’ve just been stuck with me and maybe we'd still be close.

I joke that by having two brothers, I really got TWO sisters, when they found wives.  Actually they’ve each been married twice, so it’s really like I got 4 sisters.  ;)

 

They’d probably punch me in the face for that comment.. Their wives might too…   Maybe I should delete that?  Nah, I’ll keep it. I’ll call it my pay back for all those times they:

• Made me do the dishes, even though it was their turn.
• Gave me those dreaded noogies when we were riding in the back seat of mom's Lincoln Continental.  Why on Earth was my "spot" in the middle of those two rowdy boys?! 
• Told me to keep a secret (which they knew I couldn’t), just so I’d tell mom or dad and they’d have an excuse to beat me up.

AND mostly for that time I had to chip-in my Christmas money from the grandparents to buy the Super Nintendo, which I wasn’t allowed to touch... because that gaming system belonged to {insert your best whiny little girl tone here -->} “The Boys”.

That's an orginal Nintendo remote in my hand folks, NOT a SUPER Nintendo remote.

 

Oh and for all the cool joint birthday parties they got to have with their friends, some even playing on that Super Nintendo.  I had to quietly stay back in the corner of the room with my dolls while I watched them laugh, play, and eat goodies for like two hours, once a year!

 

My oldest brother (the one on the far left) joined the Army just after high school.  I was still in middle school and didn’t totally comprehend what was going on.  I was upset that he was leaving, because I was pretty sure if he was going into the army it was just because he didn’t like us and wanted to be killed or something. 

Good news, he’s still around, and the army has taken him to some really beautiful, and some really interesting places.  I’m happy to see his pictures and hear his stories.

 

My second oldest brother (the happy blonde-haired guy, celebrating his wedding day) now lives just 2 miles from my house.  I tell you what, that really has its perks: like having a built-in baby sitter, an extra set of hands for heavy lifting, someone else to cook the turkey at Thanksgiving, oh and of course the close friendship!  He has mentored me and taught me about life more than anyone.  Some by just observing him, and some by actually calling me out and correcting my dumb behavior. 

Being his personal taxi back in July of 2004, lead me to meeting my husband and daughter.  He’s the one who told me to “suck it up” and “quit being a baby” each of the half a dozen times Mr. Awesome and I broke up while we were dating.

 

I don’t have any great trials to share that my brothers and I pulled through together.  I don’t have any exciting stories about super fun and memorable moments.  But I have hundreds, possibly thousands, of mundane moments I could share with you about growing up with those two as my brothers. 

As the Paul Tripp quote goes:

“You don’t live life in big moments. You live life in the utterly mundane… The character of a life is set in 10,000 little moments, not big moments...”

I am thankful.          Truly blessed, really.         That my character has been shaped by these two (now) amazing men, that I get to call my brothers. 

 

Feeling Knocked Down? Fear Not, Get Up Again!

Once in a while I go desperately looking for verses to pull me through whatever mess I have going on in my life.  Then I go to Biblegateway.com and I look the verse up in a few different versions, just to get another perspective on it. 

While I didn’t particularly feel like I “needed” it, this verse caught my eye today.  I thought it was a good idea to share it here so I could come back to it when I really DO need it

^"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."

Psalm 56:3King James Version (KJV)

 

Okay, that’s nice, and I get it.  But when I look it up in another version I REALLY get it.

"But when I am afraid, I will put my confidence in you. Yes, I will trust the promises of God. And since I am trusting him, what can mere man do to me?"

Psalm 56:3Living Bible (TLB)

 

And then, just for kicks, I looked it up using “The Message” version.    Oh how I had wished I read this back in High School:

A David Psalm, When He Was Captured by the Philistines in Gath

"Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around,
    stomped on every day.
Not a day goes by
    but somebody beats me up;
They make it their duty
    to beat me up.
When I get really afraid
    I come to you in trust.
I’m proud to praise God;
    fearless now, I trust in God.
    What can mere mortals do?"

Psalm 56:3The Message (MSG)

 

 

Remember, whatever mess you're going through, trust in God to pull you through and turn that mess into a message for his Glory.  It may seem impossible right now, but someday, your story will help someone. 

 I am living proof that your hardships do not define you or destroy you.  They may restore and rebuild you into something better than you ever imagined.  You WILL come out on top of this mess, my dear.

 

 

 

 

 

Grandma Dorothy’s Special K Bars

 

I shared on Facebook that Special K Bars are *the* most loved treat on my husband's side, at extended family gatherings. We've been together almost 11 years, and for the first time ever... I was asked to bring them to one of their big shindigs!  Say what!?

 I was worried they’d be rock hard, or down right inedible, as it was my (our) first time ever making them.  Between my husband and I, we made a pretty good batch!  The toddler approved and there weren’t many left over, so it’s all good! 

Here is my late MIL’s recipe.  Now, like usual, I tried to tweak it a little bit, which didn’t quite work in my favor, but was okay.  Don’t try to add extra cereal like I did, it makes the bottom all crumby.  Also I used light corn syrup-  I think that was fine.  And I used a mixture of chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips for the frosting- because that’s what I had on hand, so I just melted it all in the crock pot and it poured it over the top (still tasted good, but different). 

Grandma Dorothy’s Special K Bars

1 C. Dark Syrup (corn syrup)

1 C. Sugar

1 ½ C. Peanut Butter

6 C. Special K Cereal

2 pkgs Milk Chocolate Chips

 

Bring the Corn Syrup and Sugar just about to a boil, to dissolve the sugar.

DON’T LET IT BOIL, or you’ll need a chisel to cut your bars, and a machine to chew them for you. 

Add the Peanut Butter and stir it well.

Add the Special K.

Press this mixture into a greased pan.

Melt the Chocolate Chips and pour over the top as frosting. 

 

The Joys of Boys: Who Broke The Laminator?

 

Last week I decided to laminate a sign for the church nursery.  It was early morning and I was getting the toddler ready for music class, doing my makeup, and only about 10 other things, all at the same time.  I don't know why I thought running the hot laminator on the kitchen counter {across the house from me} would be some quick easy thing... especially in the midst of the crazy our house was going though that morning. - How many times do you tell a kid to put socks on before you decided it really doesn't matter if they wear socks or not?  For me, it's 5.. 5 times..

 

Long story short- someone decided to laminate a dollar bill... As you can see by the picture, it was a huge fail.

 

  The pouch had been cut so it wrinkled up and melted into a giant mess inside the machine and wouldn't come out.

The big kids acted smart and quickly unplugged the laminator when it started stinking.  They yelled for me and I hauled the thing outside to the middle of the driveway, so it wouldn't melt to the counter top.  Yep, just a typical week day at our house.

The memories I'm keeping from this fiasco are:

• The boy realizing his dollar was ruined: "Man! I should've used a quarter".  Money really means nothing to a 7 year old.  I am thankful for that. 
• My oldest staying calm and handling things well before I got on the scene.  We've been working a lot on the staying calm stuff, and she did fantastic.
• My husband walking in the door from work and having the whole thing took apart, fixed, and back together within 20 minutes (again, thank you YouTube).  He heard what happened earlier in the day and didn't even question why I tried to take on so many things at once. 

 

 

#thejoysofboys

Guard Your Heart, Folks

A few years back I had a blow out with a very good friend.  Well, I thought we were great friends, until I learned they were sneaking into our house, stalking us, and putting our family in an uncomfortable place.  But before that revelation, I wrote this:

When I think about the circumstances and how it happened, it had been a long time coming.
Little things here and there I'd question in my head but not out loud. 
The comments like "oh I don't tell my husband about that" (My husband and I are a strict no-secrets couple, so this bugged me), "I sneak...whatever it was, usually money from the checking account, food, etc.", "I texted with so-so today, he's going to come over when my husband is gone next week.  Don't tell anybody if you see his car here."

That last one put me in a place that I couldn't stay.  Things had to change. 

 

Once we had the monumental argument that ended our friendship, I was upset and I cried often about it. My husband would try to console me and say don't let her get you down. Don't give her that control over you. 

I wish I had known how to be an assertive Christian back then.

I really didn't want to, I was trying very hard not to, as a matter of fact.  Being passive, and non-confrontational is more acceptable and comfortable in some situations.
The truth is that even when we try really hard not to be influenced, we are still affected by other people.  

It's just a fact that people have more control over us than we'd like to admit. Dang it.  It can be something as little as a friend talking about a like or dislike and that plants that little seed in our head that we now like or dislike the same thing.
If we spend too much time around negative influences we eventually take on their attributes and become negative ourselves.
I know this because it's happened to me so many times, and I'm not one who is easily influenced.
I try to be careful about who my kids hang out with and how much time they spend together.

Now that we are homeschooling it's not as big of a deal but it is still something that we try to monitor.  It has nothing to do with how good or bad of a kid they're around, and everything to do with giving them time to explore themselves and really find out who they are.

I know how easily I am affected by others even though I have had years to get over it to learn to cope and to be my own person.
I've learned that this is normal. We really can't do anything about it except moderate the time you spend with others and watch what kind of people we are spending time with.  Watch what type of magazines you read, newsfeeds you frequent, etc. 

 

To put it simply: Listen to your gut, follow your instincts, check yourself often, and please guard your precious heart.

Homeschooling at the Grocery Store

Hello All!
Today I wanted to share with you my Quick Tips for homeschooling at the grocery store.

Toddlers/Preschoolers:
Ask them the colors of the fruits and veggies. 
Ask them to identify various foods. "Do you know what this is?"  When they get it right, praise them AND say back the name of the food.  If they get it wrong, still tell them the name of the food "Close, it's actually a ____"
"This is a B-B-Banana.  What letter does BANANA start with?" "What was the last sound you heard when I said the word banana?"

Elementary:
Read Labels "What brand is THIS yogurt?"  "What flavor is this?"
Read Isle Labels. "What isle number is the cereal in?  Cereal starts with a C-e-r-...Can you find it?"
Simple Math:  "These are 4/$1.  How much would one cost?"

Older Kids:
Pricing-
Have them weigh cantaloupes, melons, bananas, etc.  "This cantaloupe costs 80 cents per pound.  Can you weigh it and let me know how much it will cost?"  If you have one that struggles with two step math facts, work with them.  Bring a notebook and pencil so they can work the problems out right there in the store.
"How many pounds of meat will we need if we are serving XX people and each person eats about half of a pound?"
"I'd like 36 oz. of cereal.  How many of these 18oz boxes would I need to get to equal 36oz?"
Keep these older kids reading too! 
"Hey can you read the ingredient list to me on that jug of orange juice?"
"Can you check to be sure there isn't any Red #40 in this box of crackers?"


I know there are tons of other ways to learn at the grocery store, and I am so thankful that we have a grocery store who gladly accepts our homeschoolers coming in and taking their sweet time to explore and learn.  The manager has even given us an impromptu field trip to the back of the store to see the boiler system and how they heat the store!

I try to take the kids during non-peak hours, so we aren't holding anyone up.  An hour before closing is usually a pretty slow time.  We avoid the hours of 4-7, because it's just swamped then!

Do you have any Schooin' in the Grocery Store tips to share?  Post them in the comments section!