Hope does NOT disappoint

I know it's been a while. I'm not even sure I'm ever going to blog again....BUT....just in case you were lead here because you are facing infertility or sadly, a miscarriage....I want you to have HOPE. A lot of my past posts were written while I was waiting on God to bless me with a baby and some even while I faced a miscarriage. So to make it easier for those of you who are wanting to just read my "Hope" posts I've made a label called "Hope does NOT disappoint". You can find it on the right hand column under "Labels" or you can click this link here. After you go to that label you'll need to scroll to the bottom and click older posts so you can start from the very beginning of my journey of hope. If you would like to contact me for prayers or just some encouraging words, I'd LOVE to talk with you and pray with you. You can contact me at tonya_tab@yahoo.com.

Praying God’s Word, One Week at a Time

Today, as I was reading my friend Shelley’s blog, she shared a blog she was following. She follows The Poe Family. The writer of that blog, Brittney, came up with an idea to help her pray the Word this year. I think it is a fabulous idea. I firmly believe God leads us (our eyes, feet, etc.) to things He wants us to witness. I have mentioned that I am praying for a change in my family. That we all grow closer to God and together…by prayer, in the Word, in our actions, etc. I am so excited to have found this idea (Thanks Shelley and Brittney!).
Brittney began by sitting down and writing out some topics that she wanted to pray about. She then found scriptures to go along with each topic and made a note of that scripture beside each topic. At the beginning of each month she chooses 4 – 5 topics (depending on the number of weeks in that particular month). If you would like to see Brittney’s topics and learn more about this idea you can go here to her blog.


I am choosing to use Brittney’s topics as examples but I really want this to be personal for me so I am going to pray and come up with what God wants ME to pray for specifically. All of us are different and what I may really want God to do in a certain area, you may need help in another. I think it is exciting to think about how God will reveal himself to me in different ways throughout the year.

My favorite scripture right now is Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

If we are not asking, how can we receive? If we are not seeking, then how in the World are we going to find? Too often we pray, but do we believe that prayer is really going to be answered? Do we make ANY effort to dig into the Word and find THE answer we are looking for? I am preaching to myself! Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” How can we have direction if we don’t look for it in His Word?

Running behind

It seems like I have been running behind on things since Christmas. Brady's been sick with a cold for what seems 2 months now. He's finally kicking it, thank goodness. I'm hoping he doesn't catch anything else for a while now. He was about over one cold when I gave him another so it's been awful lately. I've been behind on my blogging, reading other blogs, participating in Wake Up Wednesday (I've REALLY been missing out on that), housework. It's just all a mess around here. But I'm hoping things will start to get better this month.

Oh, another thing I've been behind on is uploading pictures of Brady on here. Sorry guys. He's growing so much. He has 2 bottom teeth now. I am trying not to compare him with other babies around me but sometimes it's hard. I know he'll do things on his own time and I'm enjoying him as much as I can right now. He will be running around destroying the house before I know it. Here's one picture of my little sweet Brady Bug. He LOVES the dishwasher. I just hope his love for the dishwasher continues when he's older.



Well, my fasting is over. If you are just now reading about this, I fasted with my church for 21 days this month. I gave up some things in my life to spend more time with God. I needed Him to direct me in some decisions I needed to make. I really feel like God is leading me to change churches so we can go as a family. I have not announced it officially, but this coming Sunday will be my last Sunday at Word of Grace. That is, unless God answers my prayers and Wes decides to start going there with me, Brady, and Logan. If you would, please pray with me that happens or God will direct our paths to the perfect church for us. I'm really praying that miracle happens. It's hard leaving this church. I'm going to miss everyone so much. But it's not always easy obeying God. So, I'm going to obey and trust that our family will be turned around this year and draw closer to God.

Well, I better get off here. I'm behind enough as it is. Thanks in advance for your prayers. I also hope that you guys aren't as behind as I am. I thought this being a stay-at-home mom thing would be easier. I thought I'd have a clean house and laundry done all the time. Boy was I wrong. I need some motivation!

21 Days of Fasting, Part 1

This week is the first week of my 21 days of fasting. I shared some personal stuff about it here. I must say, I thought I would be in prayer for direction on the possible church change all 21 days but God has really been doing some work elsewhere. I mean, I’ve been praying about the direction on the possible church change; but I’ve also been praying for other things in my life that God has placed on my heart.
I have decided to keep a journal (in the form of blog posts) about my fasting. I think it will be awesome to take a look back here in a month, a year, or however long and see what amazing things God has done because of my fasting. When I write, I write what comes to mind as if I were speaking. Sometimes, I don’t think before I talk/write so some things may sound differently than how I really feel or what I really meant to say. In no way am I trying to take credit for anything that happens. I give ALL the credit and glory to God. I also believe that prayers are answered regardless if you fast or not, but fasting certainly shows God you are committed to see change and are serious.
Day 4 of 21 Update:
A friend of mine shared with me a book that she had done as a Bible Study. It’s called Becoming the Woman of His Dreams by Sharon Jaynes. I quickly ordered this from Amazon and decided to start on another book while I waited for Becoming the Woman of His Dreams to arrive in the mail. (Side note: I got this book in the mail today and have started it. It is AWESOME and look forward to sharing some things about it later. Perhaps, after the fast. I’m not sure.) The book I have started is The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian. I have to admit that I started this book a long time ago but never finished it. I really want to finish it this time because I feel like I need to learn some things when it comes to prayer. I have learned that praying needs to start with ME. I need to really take a look at myself and cleanse myself of all sins and ask God to show me places that I need to change. This includes forgiveness. I will not go into details, but last year I faced some really hurtful times with a couple of my family members. I wrote a letter to them and asked for forgiveness and had never heard back from them. It has been around 8 months since this happened. Since that time I had prayed for them and for Him to help mend the relationship. Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes. But we should always be quick to forgive. I had peace that I had forgiven and had moved on….waiting for God to help them to forgive ME. Well, on day 3 of my fast (just before reading the chapter of forgiveness in POAPW) I received a letter from one of the people I had hurt and forgiven. She apologized and has forgiven me as well. Praise God!
So my fasting has taken a different path than I thought it would originally. I know that there are going to be obstacles in the way during these 21 days but I also know that God has already done great things and will continue to do so. I really feel refreshed and closer to God. I pray that I continue to be committed to Him and will keep these prayer and reading habits even after the 21 days are over.

Wake Up Wednesday, Week 2

If you’re wondering what is Wake Up Wednesday, you need to head on over to I Am Momma, Hear Me Roar. She has started this weekly challenge and I’m loving it. We’ve only done it for one week but I can’t wait to continue this every week. I hope it lasts all year and I can participate that long. I’m sure some weeks will be really challenging on the pride and imagination but I look forward to it. I MUST tell you that this is not to be showy or to brag but to just be examples of ways we can be good to those around us. So please do not take this negatively.

Our first challenge was given to us last Wednesday and we had all week to fulfill it. We were to choose one person we knew but not very well and make something for them. I prayed and thought about it and really felt like I chose the right person and made the right gifts. I chose a young woman who I go to church with. I know her but not very well. She seems to be pretty quiet and reserved (shy). Her husband is deployed and she is pregnant with their first child (a girl). I know she loves turquoise and pink so I chose to give her one of the necklaces I made that had those colors.

But to do a little something extra I gave her a bonus gift. I made her a cake that is so yummy it should be a sin to eat it. Seriously. It’s called a Honeybun Cake and I found the recipe here at Tasty Kitchen. I made this for Christmas and it got GREAT reviews so I decided to make it for Jiny. And what pregnant girl doesn’t LOVE cake?! I mean, really?!

Ok, looking at that picture makes me want to whip me a cake up real fast. I could eat the whole thing it is so good. So I better not go to the store tonight.

Our challenge this week is to give at least 5 people, or more, a compliment. I think this sounds really fun. Who doesn’t love a compliment?

I really hope you will consider joining us for Wake Up Wednesday. It can be a humbling experience. I think this is a great way to start out my year. If you do join us, I would love for you to leave me a comment and share your experiences (if you don’t blog about it).

Wake Up Wednesday

I am SO excited about the future Wednesday’s this year. Do you want to know why? Well…..it’s because Cheri over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar (yeah, I love her and have mentioned her many times before) has started a new Wednesday challenge. It’s called Wake Up Wednesday and you can read about her idea and why she chose to get this started HERE. So today is the very first Wake Up Wednesday and I am so excited! Those that are participating are supposed to make something this week (food, crafts, etc) for someone we know but not that well. I can’t wait to pray about this and see who God has in mind for me and what I should make. We will be linking up next Wednesday and sharing our story. What a great way to start out the year. I hope you will head on over to Cheri’s blog and read all about this great idea….then join us!

Lead Me, My Next Journey of Hope

I wrote this post, as you can see, last month. I feel it is time to post it. If you don't like posts without pictures, then this is not the post for you. I take this topic I'm posting about very seriously.

It’s 1:00 in the morning (12/9/10) and I just can’t sleep. As I was in bed contemplating whether to get up or not, God gave me this blog post. I’m starting it but I’m not sure when I’ll post it. Maybe today, maybe in a few weeks. Please know that I’m about to share personal stuff and if you’re not comfortable, then please read no further. Oh, and this will be lengthy with no pictures.
If you listen to KLOVE on the radio or any other Christian radio station in your area, you have heard Lead Me by Sanctus Real. (If you click on that link you can hear the song, watch the video, hear the story behind the song, and read a prayer.) The words are powerful.

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They’re just children from the outside
I’m working hard, I tell myself they’ll be fine
They’re independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying…

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I’m called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won’t You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can’t
Don’t want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I’ll show them I’m willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone

Father, lead me, ’cause I can’t do this alone

So this brings me to my next Journey of Hope. I have been on the fence about sharing this with any of you readers, but like I said I felt God wants me to write this post. For the last 2 years I have been going to church alone. Well, I’ll take Logan and Brady with me but my husband stays home. To protect his privacy I will not go into why he chose to quit going to the church I go to. I realize that you can go to church all you want and not be a follower of Christ. I also realize you can not go to church at all and be the most faithful follower of Christ. I personally believe for myself that I HAVE to go to church. I NEED it, desperately. It helps me to stay on the right track. It feeds my soul. I love my church and church family. They have been so supportive of me. When I need prayer, they’re there. When I lost my first baby, they were there praying for me, comforting me, “feeding” me. I would say, for the first year after my husband quit going, I thought he’d come back. But this last year I have been feeling torn. Do I leave so we can go to church somewhere else as a family? Or…. Do I stay here because I feel comfortable here and enjoy my church? I feel God is giving me an answer. I feel like it’s almost time to move on. But where?!!! And is it really time for me to make a change?

Every January our church has done a 21 day fast. If you’re not familiar with fasting, you can click this link to get a description. I discussed with Wes that I will stay at my current church till the end of January. When the fast is over. I will be fasting for direction on where we should go and to be sure that I should leave my current church for sure. I just need peace about my decision. I don’t want to do anything or go anywhere where God is not in the decision.

My husband has never pressured me to quit going BUT has stated that he is willing to try any other church. So, this is my prayer….That God will LEAD ME and my family to the best church for OUR family. I pray God leads us to the church where Brady will be safe and loved in the nursery, where Logan will make friends easily and enjoy his classes, where Wes will feel comfortable and want to be involved, and where I can eventually join the choir or help with Praise and Worship.

My desire is for our family to be changed. My desire is to be a family that prays together, reads the Word together, and lives the Word together. If me leaving my church is the first step, then I am willing. I’ll go wherever God wants me to go. I need to quit being selfish. At times I felt it was my husband that was the selfish one. But now, I’m not so sure. I want to open my ears and listen to God. I want to be still for once….and listen. And then….

I’ll say Yes, Lord, yes, to Your will and to Your way

Yes, Lord, yes, I will trust You and obey

When Your Spirit speaks to me, with my whole heart I'll agree

And my answer will be yes, Lord, yes!

 

So I ask you, if you are a follower of Christ, please pray with me. Pray for my family and the direction God wants us to go. Pray that He will lead us to the perfect church for our family.
If any of my current church family is reading this, please do not get sad or hurt. My final decision has not been made. I’m waiting on God for that. Just pray that God Leads US.

Today:
I'm STILL feeling torn about this decision. I spoke to my pastor VERY briefly Sunday morning and after we spoke I just felt so confused. I KNOW without a doubt God will give me the direction and answers but I hope that I'm still and quiet enough to hear Him. Please pray with me. I will start our church fast this coming Sunday, January 10th. I pray that during these 21 days God will give me the directions I'm seeking...whether to stay or to go...and if GO....then WHERE?!

New Year's Resolutions? Not for me.

No, I'm not into New Year's Resolutions. But this year I want to really try to have a laid back attitude. Brady is already almost 7 months old and it has FLOWN by. I want to enjoy every minute of every day with him and not worry about if he doesn't take a nap that day, or if he's throwing a fit in the middle of a store, or if he's keeping me up at night. I want to try and not sweat the small things and really enjoy these moments I have with him. I want to make sure I take the time to teach him about Jesus. I want to be an example to him. God trusted me with HIS child. I want to be the mommy that God wants me to be to Brady. I pray God helps me with that and to try and forget the other "stuff".

2010...Changes

Many bloggers are doing a "2010 in review" type posts. I guess I'm doing something similar. I'm feeling a bit emotional at the moment. Maybe not the BEST time to write, but here goes.....

This time last year I was expecting my 2nd child. But unlike the first, this child I would get to hold and love and see grow. The first child is up in Heaven waiting for me and the rest of his/her family. When I look back at the person I was on December 31, 2009, I see a pregnant woman who had no idea what was in store for her. As the song goes...a baby changes everything! A year ago I was working full time and enjoyed the freedom of not having a baby on the hip. I was able to come and go...here or there. I enjoyed the extra cash to go and spend as I pleased. And yes, I tithed also. I had the pleasure of having the extra money to give to those in need or to gift to those that needed a little something special because they were having a hard time. Now, December 31, 2010, I am changed. I won't deny that is has been challenging...these changes. Having Brady in my life is wonderful. There are no GOOD words, really, to explain how being a mommy feels. On June 10, 2010 my life was forever changed. God knew the perfect time to bring that special little guy into my life. I would soon find out that God had an even greater plan for my life than expected.

Several weeks later I was given the option to quit my job and stay home with my son. It's hard for me to explain how big of a deal that just was. I had worked at the same job for 9 years. NINE years! I started at the Oil Company when I was 20 years old, single, going to college, and living in an apartment....oh and let me just add, no grey hairs. NOW, I quit when I'm 29 years old, married, with a son and a stepson, graduated from college and living in a nice little home.....and LOTS of grey hair. But, God had the PERFECT plan for my life. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Adjustments had to be made and still are. God is working on me, still. Thank goodness. Adjusting to not having the money to go get what I want is hard. What's that saying "money is the root of all evils"? Yeah, I hate it. I wish I didn't like having money so much. Just being honest. I think the internet plays a horrible part in my "wishing for this and that".

Ok, so I think I'm starting to lose myself here. Anyways, changes and adjustments are hard at times but God knows the perfect plans and He is changing me little by little. He is so wonderful and I could never thank Him enough for all He has done in my life, especially this year.

There are many around me who have not been as blessed as myself. They are struggling. My heart hurts for them. I want so badly to make everything better. But, it's not my job. If I were to make everything better then I would be interfering with God's plans. He is the one in control and He knows that these struggles and hard times are only allowing that person to grow and become....changed.

So to end this babbling blog post....I am going to say a prayer for all of you who read this. 2011 may be a wonderful, joyful year for you...OR it may bring hard times. But I want you to know that God is in control and He will always be there with you, in the good times and bad.

Happy New Year!

A Blessed Christmas

Well, Christmas is over and it’s time to pack the tree away. I thought I’d share some of our Christmas day with you.
The week started with a baby boy getting a pearly white tooth. You can barely see it but I placed an arrow so you could try. Poor baby. This was the making of a grouchy Christmas day.

Christmas Eve night we loaded up Logan and Brady to go see Christmas lights. Driving around to see Christmas lights has always been one of my favorite activities during the holiday season. Wes even took us to Starbucks so we could get some coffee and hot chocolate for Logan. So much fun! I can’t wait till Brady is old enough to enjoy the lights.
Christmas morning was so much fun watching the boys open their gifts. Since I am a stay at home mom, there were not as many gifts but as Logan said “It’s not about the presents…..but their a nice touch.” Ha! Gotta love him. We decided to get him one expensive gift. He is really into LEGO’s this year. He loved his gift. He wanted to go in his room right away to put it together. Of course, he had to wait till little brother opened his. Logan is at the stage where he loves to put on these goofy smiles for the camera. Lord, help me.

Here is Brady opening his gifts. He needed some help but he did rip into some of the paper.


And here he is with all his toys.

For lunch we headed over to my inlaws. That is when Brady decided to be a grumpy grump. I think it’s because of his tooth and also the lack of sleep he and I got the night before. Here is a picture we took as he was opening gifts right before he FINALLY decided to take a nap.

Haha! I can laugh about it now.
We had a great Christmas, despite the teething baby situation. I really feel so blessed this year to have him in my life. No, we may not be wealthy and can afford all the nice gifts for everyone but we have each other and we’re all healthy. That’s what matters. AND we have Jesus to thank!

I hope you all had a blessed Merry Christmas! It’s time for me to get off here and start taking the tree down.

From us to you, Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you all remember the reason we have Christmas…..Jesus!

Santa, baby

I must have been a really good girl this year because Santa brought my gift early this year!!! Remember when I made a post about my Christmas Wish List? If not, here’s the post. Well….Santa brought me this on Sunday….

YES!! Seriously!!!! Wooohooo! I’m so excited. I love it. Poor little Brady is probably about blind from the flash. I love how I can put the setting on “sports” and it takes several fast pictures. It doesn’t miss anything. Last night, Wes was behind me playing peek-a-boo making Brady laugh. Brady was seriously laughing out loud. I love when he does that. We were all three cracking up. Here are 3 pictures right in a row. I’m laughing at his expressions right now. First picture, Wes was hiding behind me. 2nd picture, Wes is jumping out from behind me. 3rd picture, Brady is cracking up.

I love my camera but not NEARLY as much as this little boy.

I’m sure you can only imagine how many pictures you will be seeing from now on. Get ready for picture overload. Ha! Thank you Santa….no really….thank you honey! I love you so much.

The Stockings Were Hung

A couple of weeks ago I wrote this post. Click here if you missed it. I was talking about Christmas decorations and how I had to make a new way to hang our stockings this year since we have a new addition to our family. I got the idea from Char over at Crap I’ve Made. She made her stocking hanger using a cabinet door she got really cheap at a home improvement store. Well, I knew I didn’t have any old cabinet doors left from our kitchen remodel. (Darn it! I knew I should have kept those for something!) And I didn’t want have time to go to Home Depot or Lowes. Then it hit me. I remembered Nicky over at Momma Gets Real had turned this….

into this! It’s an advent calendar.

Well, I tried to link you to her post. For some reason blogger won't let me link the specific post. If you want to see Nicky's post. Go to her blog and find her post called Operation Christmas DIY: Take 2.

Well, I looked all over the house wondering if there was something I could refurbish. Then I remembered I had bought a wall hanging at Ross that I had never hung. So here is my transformation! I’m so excited.

BEFORE

It had red hearts on it before I took a picture. I took those off. Sanded it. Spray painted it. Added some vinyl lettering. Bought green polka dotted knobs at Hobby Lobby. Wes screwed those in for me. Here is the finished product!

AFTER

And here it is hung up on the wall with our stockings. I love it!

So thank you Char and Nicky for inspiring me. I’m so happy with the final product. What do you think?

Christmas Cards

I was looking over at OhDeeDoh and found this post. They asked if you/I liked to send out Christmas Cards. My answer was definitely yes! I love Christmas cards. Last year I sent out a card announcing my pregnancy to some of my family and friends. It was SO fun! That was my way of telling everyone at the “same” time. Here’s the card I mailed. Some people didn’t even get what I was trying to tell them at first. Hilarious! I wrote a special message on the inside telling them how thankful to God I was. I kept one for Brady’s baby book.

The previous years I sent out picture cards. My FAVORITE! I love getting picture cards. I love to look at my family and friends and see how they might have changed….or what they’re wearing. I love to look at what people are wearing. So much fun. I hope they like getting my cards as much as I enjoy getting theirs.

BUT

This year I don’t think I’ll be sending out Christmas cards. I know! SOOOO sad! I was going to have Brady’s 6 month pictures taken this weekend and was hoping to get a good picture of him to make Christmas cards. Well, we’ve both come down with a cold so the pictures are postponed. AND I didn’t want to bug the photographer friend to hurry and send me a good picture to use. It’s just too last minute. I had our his outfit all picked out too. So cute!  We He was going to wear purple and gray. Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe I can come up with something. Really, I wanted the whole family to get our picture taken for the card. This is the first year with Brady and it was going to mean a whole lot to me. Wes was not going for it. He’s such a scrooge on stuff sometimes. He didn’t like he was going to have to wear gray and purple. Purple was the killer. So macho! Anyways, I can dream about our Christmas cards I guess. Here is one I liked on Etsy.

Isn’t it cute?! I love the little birdy. This card is courtesy of SweetLifeDesigns. Click on the name and you’ll go straight to her Etsy shop.

So how do you feel about Christmas cards? Are you sending them out? Are you a procrastinator like me, this year?

Emmanuel

One of my favorite songs is this one by Francesca Battistelli. She is singing as if she were Mary and had just given birth to Jesus. Wow! Can you imagine how it would have been to Mary. I sit and look at Brady and his little hands and wonder what God has in store for him. Will he be athletic? Will he be compassionate and gentle? Will he be tall? Will he worship Jesus? All these things are great and wonderful. God knows the plans! God knows who Brady will become. For Mary it was all planned out as well. Jesus would heal. Jesus would save us from all our sins. It was such a wonderful, amazing, blessed time when I gave birth to Brady but could you imagine being Mary and giving birth to Emmanuel! She gave birth to a son who changed the world!

I Want to Make New Traditions

Now that I have Brady, I really want to start having some new traditions around the holidays. I love this time of year and having a son just makes it even more exciting. Yes, Logan is my son also but it’s different when we only have him the 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekends of the month. I would like to do things with him as well so I need to come up with some ideas for the weekends during the month of December with him. (I know I’m a little late since it’s Dec. 5th.) We need to have traditions with him as well. Maybe something special so he doesn’t feel like he’s on the back burner. I asked him last night if they have traditions at his other house. He said no. But I can’t really take his answer for all the truth….not because he’s lying, but because an 8 year old boy doesn’t always take the time to think about his answer. In fact, he may not recognize that they actually do the same thing every year at his other home and that IS a tradition. Anyways, I love traditions. Growing up, our family had a tradition of getting together with my Dad’s side of family on Christmas Eve night. Now that we’re all grown up and have our own families, that has changed.

I think the most important part of these new traditions is to incorporate Christ as much as possible. To teach our boys that Christmas is not just about all the lights, GETTING instead of giving, Santa (that’s another post), etc. but it’s about Jesus’ birth. So here are a few ideas I have for new traditions around our home. If I don’t start them this year, I will have plenty of time to get all the materials ready and the ideas made before next Christmas.

I think I mentioned last week about some of the CHRISTmas posts over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. THIS idea she posted is by far my #1 tradition I want to start this year with my family. It was actually a guest post done by Delia. You can find her blog here.

Then Cheri (I Am Momma Hear Me Roar) came up with a Service Advent Calendar with the help of Christie (a Lemon Squeezy Home). I LOVE this also. I want an Advent Calendar in my home but I think I may try to come up with something besides the silver bucket one that Cheri did. Either way, I love the idea. I think giving to others is SO important and I think it’s great to teach this at a young age.

Some of the services listed were:

• Visit someone elderly.
• Make an ornament for grandma.
• Call an Aunt and tell her you love her.
• Leave kind notes for Daddy all over the house.
• Leave change in the vending machine for the next person.

To go along with the idea of a Service Advent Calendar, I thought what Christie mentioned over at her blog (a Lemon Squeezy Home) about a book called The Last Straw. (Found here at Amazon.) was also sweet. I would like to get a book or two, if not this one, to read with our boys. I need to go to the book store to actually read and select what is best for our family but here are a few I’ve been looking at via Amazon.

Are there any children’s books about Jesus’ birth that you enjoy?

To go along with the above ideas, I think it would be nice to pick one weekend out of the month to go get some coffee (hot chocolate for Logan) and look at Christmas lights. I would also like to find a kid friendly craft to do with Logan (and Brady when he’s older) to make for the grandparents. I think it would be fun for the boys and I to work on these crafts together and then hand deliver them. I know the grandparents would love that!

So those are a few ideas I have as far as new traditions go. I would love to hear some of your traditions! Maybe I’ll get some new ideas.

My Christmas Wish List…Santa are you looking?

I'm going to look a bit selfish for a moment. I realize these are materialistic things and I'm very grateful for everything I have already. But…a girl can dream, can’t she? These are some of the things I’d LOVE to get from Santa. Big and small. Also, these are in no particular order.

I’m really loving Lisa Leonard’s necklaces. I think if I got ANY necklace, I’d be a happy girl. But these are a couple of my favorites. I’d love to see my guys’ names on there. Wes, Brady, & Logan.

Next, if you haven’t ever heard of The Pioneer Woman then you MUST go check this woman out. She’s an amazing cook, wife, mother, rancher, photographer, etc. Well, she has written a book. I can’t wait for it to come out because I’d love to finally read this book she started writing on her blog. I already have her cookbook. I haven’t cooked much from it but what I have….the food is amazing.

Since having Brady I feel like I “need” a better camera. I have a couple of friends who are photographers; but I’m not going to be able to afford pictures of Brady as much as I would like. I think it would be a great investment. Don’t you agree?!

I really love jewelry. Before Brady came along I was really getting into Silpada jewelry. It is wonderful quality jewelry. I love it all and I’d be happy with anything. I couldn’t get a picture from their site here….but I copied this picture from a seller on ebay. I love this ring. I love it all. Did I say that already? In fact, I love it so much I would love to be a representative but I don’t know that many people who would allow me to host parties in their home.

For about 10 years I have had a CHI flat iron and have used it almost every day. Seriously. I loved it. Well, just last week it died. I relied on that thing so much. Before the CHI, I had tried a couple of cheaper versions and they just didn’t do the job. So I’m in desperate need of a new flat iron. My hairstylist has recommended another brand. I trust her. So I’m going to request Santa bring me this one by HairArt. This is probably on the top of my list because I NEED it so bad. I know, I know. The word “need” is so overrated. It’s not necessarily something I like having to put on my wish list….but again, I feel I need it. Just in case Santa is looking, I would like the 1” flat iron. Thank you. Oh, and if you need help with it, just contact Kara at Tangles. Thanks again!

A new watch would be nice. I’m behind the times but white watches are really popular now as well. Everywhere I look I see a wrist with a white watch. I would like one with a little bling around it. I love bling. I think this watch from Dillards is pretty.

I’d like to have this DVD to get me caught up with this series. I LOVE this series. It reminds me of Little House on the Prairie. Just good, wholesome television. I really wish they made more shows/movies like this today.

Finally, I’m wishing for lots of wonderful memories to be made with my little family. I want us to make new traditions and new memories together. I wish for a healthy, happy Christmas with the ones I love. I can’t think of any better gift than that. If I don’t get ANY of the materialistic gifts above, I’ll still be the happy, grateful woman I am today. If all I get for Christmas is time, love, hugs, or kisses with my family and friends then I will be so blessed! I’ve already gotten the BEST gift God or anyone could have given me this year. And that’s this little guy….

Christmas Décor Ideas

It's December 1st and it's TIME to get Christmas up in my home. I thought I was running behind but then I got to thinking that it was the same time last year that I put the tree up. Wes doesn't like me to get too ahead of myself on putting the tree up. He hates that people forget about Thanksgiving and goes straight to Christmas. He wants to enjoy Thanksgiving. I think he's so right. Well, Thanksgiving is over and now it's time for Christmas.

I'm SO enjoying some of my fellow bloggers posts about Christmas and their ideas about sprucing up their home. But my favorite blog lately has been Cheri over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. Cheri has been doing these WONDERFUL posts about ways to incorporate Christ in Christmas. She has 2 small boys and wanted to teach them it's not ALL about the presents. I have been wanting to begin some new traditions this year, now that Brady has come along. I thank God that he has been showing me some wonderful ideas thru Cheri and her guest bloggers. So head on over there and check out some fabulous ways to show what CHRISTmas is all about.

Next, are Christmas wreaths. Oh my goodness. There are some great wreaths out there that can be made for a fraction of the cost and look fabulous! For instance, this one was made by one of my top favorite bloggers, Lindsey, over at The Pleated Poppy. I’m hoping to steal her idea and make one of these as well. Maybe not in the same colors…but very similar. Yarn wreaths are VERY popular this year.

I’m going to have to work on a new project to hang our stockings. I don’t like to hang our stockings on the mantle because if/when we use the fireplace they get in the way. So a couple of years ago I bought wooden letters and made these. Click here to see post.

But now that we have a new addition to our family, (YAY! Praise God!) I have to do something new. So thanks to Char, from Crap I’ve Made, I’m going to make this. I’m SO excited. I can’t wait to find the time to work on it. I better hurry! Christmas will be here before I know it! Instead of using an old cabinet door, I’m going to use a little something I found around the house that is not being used. I can’t wait to show you!

These are just a few things I want to do around my house. Hopefully, I will get some time to get it accomplished. Now, will you please say a prayer that I can talk Wes into climbing into the attic to grab our tree? I’m thinking it’s going to take a lot of prayers and some sweet talking. Wish me luck! What are some of your ideas for decorating for Christmas? Is your tree and décor up already?

Stay tuned, because there are more Christmas themed post(s) coming.

I hope you’re all having a blessed day!

P.S. I didn't participate in WIWW this week because of Thanksgiving.

Thankful

I know this is very common today. You know, everyone telling you WHY they’re thankful. But, I can’t pass this day up without expressing why I am thankful. I’m not only thankful for all of the following today but E.V.E.R.Y. day.

• My faith. I don’t know where I would be today or the kind of woman I would be. God has been SO good to me. I mean, really REALLY good. I love Him. I love Him more and more every day. He is my everything.
• My husband. Today we are celebrating our 9th Thanksgiving together. He gets me. He gets annoyed at me. He laughs at me. He laughs with me. He loves me. He takes care of me. He is my peace when I get panicky. He is the one God planned for me. I am so thankful that he works hard so I can stay home and be a full time mommy to Brady. I love how he does sweet things to help me when he knows I’ve had a stressful mommy day.
• My family. I feel so blessed that my sister and mom were able to come spend Thanksgiving lunch with us today. I especially enjoyed my mom’s homemade chocolate pie. Yummm.
• My friends. I have some REALLY awesome friends. Friends that will pray for me whenever I ask them to. Friends that do not stab me in the back. Friends that love at all times. Friends that give me a good laugh when I’m feeling down. I can ALWAYS count on my best friend Summer for that.
• My stepson, Logan. I love him so much. I think he is growing up to be such a nice young man. I can’t believe he is 8 1/2. They really grow up fast. He is a sweet, sweet boy. He loves to be goofy, but he also loves to be very helpful.
• My hope. I’m so glad that I can always trust in God and that He will never let me down. I’m so glad I never gave up on Him. I’m so glad that I can have dreams and desires and know that if I put my hope and trust in Him….all things are possible.
• Brady. Oh my goodness. He is my joy. He is my life. He is my love. He is the sweetest, cutest, most precious baby. I just adore him. I’m pretty sure he adores me as well. I love to go in his room when he wakes up. He will see me or even hear my voice and he gets so excited. I just want to bottle that joy up. It is the best! I pray that any woman that desires to have a child gets to. I pray they get to experience what this joy feels like. There are not enough words to express what being a mother means to me. I thank God every day for my son. I love him.

These were just a few things. I really could go on and on. My health, my home, my church…..but these were the ones I wanted to share. I pray you all have a blessed Thanksgiving.

What I Wore Wednesday–4th Week

I just have to say I am testing out Windows Live Writer right now so I hope that this works ok. I think this is AWESOME already. I dreaded posting with a lot of pictures because blogger made it so difficult. Anyways, I did pretty good this week. Well, one day I didn’t take a picture and another day (as you will see) I wore slouchy clothes….but that’s ok. I’m not expecting myself, as a stay at home mom, to dress up EVERY day. I think that would be expecting too much of me. ha!

Wednesday

Brady and I have music class every Wednesday morning. It’s so fun! He really enjoys it and it wears him out so much. So he normally has great naps on Wednesday.

Black Cardigan -Target

Turquoise & Black pin striped and ruffled tank – NY&Co. (I realize you can’t see the stripes. Sorry.)

White tank - Target

Jeans – !iT Jeans from Buckle but thrifted from Upscale Resale

Black flats – Nine West but bought from Ross

Thursday

As you can see it was a slouchy day. I was cleaning house.

Live United T-shirt – free for volunteering last year as a Loan Executive for the United Way

Black with white striped workout pants – JCPenney’s

Black socks – don’t remember

Friday

Brady and I went consignment shopping for him some winter clothes and we went to visit our friends Jody and little Maycie….oh and my ex-boss’ John and Tom Schalk. Fun day!

Pink tank – American Eagle several years ago

White sweater – Target (last year)

Jeans – BKE from Buckle

Flowered flats – Target (last year)

Saturday

I FINALLY got my eyebrows waxed. Whew! They were needing them bad. Then I got to go consignment shopping for myself. I had taken some things there and had made $30 so I got to shop and spend it. Ha! Afterwards, I met Wes and Logan for some yummy On The Border. Nanna was getting to babysit Brady. Don’t you just LOVE Brady’s onesie?! My best friend, Summer, made her son and Brady matching shirts for Thanksgiving. Precious! This is the best picture I got of me on Saturday. I never took the time to get a full length shot.

Red Cardigan – Gap

White t-shirt – Target

Jeans – !iT Jeans from Buckle thrifted (same as above)

Black flats – Nine West but from Ross (same as above)

Necklace – Silpada

Diamond hoop earrings – Christmas present from Wes years ago

Sunday - church

Dress – Thrifted from Upscale Resale

Boots – JCPenney’s

Tuesday

Aunt Ashley went with Brady and I grocery shopping. Then later that day I had to make a run to the post office to mail off some Ebay items I sold. Yay! I LOVE me some Ebay. I have to say I don’t think I look all that great in hats….BUT….it was one of those days where I didn’t want have time to wash my hair.

Gray hat – Target (last year)

Gray, white, & fuchsia shirt – Thrifted from Upscale Resale

Jeans – Vigoss from Maurices

Gray boots – Target (this year)

So there you have it. My third week of What I Wore Wednesday. Thanks for stopping by. As always, I love all your comments.

Can someone that uses Windows Live Writer please help me. I don't want so much space between the lines after I've posted a picture. See above...when I describe what I'm wearing I would like to hit enter and not have so much space between each piece of clothing. I hope I've made sense. AND I hope someone can help. Thanks!

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