starting anew

2010! Wow! What do you have in store for me and my family?

That is what I have been pondering these past few days. But first, can I share a few of my favorite pics from 2009, these are not the best of smiling kids, but I love these, they are treasures...

Okay, thanks. These 3 are just 3 of many, but they make me smile. I see God in each one, do you see him? I hope so!

So, after some soul searching, some family discussions and some prayer and Bible time I think I have a handle of my plan for this year, on where I want to go in 2010.

My Theme this year is : To Follow & Serve Him

Follow Him : Around the World in 360 OR 10 in 10 – this is a challenge from Manna Church in Fayetteville – to spend 10 minutes in prayer each day and 10 minutes reading the Word each day. I heard someone say how the Bible is like God waiting to reveal something to us, anxiously – but we have to open it and read it to receive it. When we do not open it we do not receive it – not sure about you, but I need all I can get from Him!! I hope to inspire my children to read the Word as well as they see how it radiates from me. I realize that I cannot follow someone who I do not spend a great deal of time with!

I am going to join a blog titled Extravagant Grace for scripture memory – 24 verses in 2010 – 1st and 15th of the month. Who cannot use a little extra scripture memory in their lives, and I can always use a little more encouragement too! So my first verse of 2010 is:

Blessed is the man …[whose] delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

Be Intentional : Less computer time, less unintentional time spent, less distractions when I am “working” (i.e. teaching my children, reading the Word, or working in my home). This means no more Facebook games, no more facebook checking & updating while schooling, no more phone calls during school, and no computer in general until school is over. This is going to be so good for me and my children!!

I want to plan better, my time, my money, my energy. I hope to stay ahead of meals and ahead of my time. So far, I feel like I have a plan to help me stay ahead, but I know it can slip away so quickly!! Be intentional with my words too, with regards to gossiping, but also anything I say – I hope to control my tongue! My children are listening, but more importantly, He is listening to my heart, what is it saying today?

Find moments of peace to ponder and listen. I believe this will lead to new perspectives and new insight that without taking a break and a moment to listen we will miss!

Serve Others : I want this to be a year of Yes! So I hope to say yes more and when I cannot say yes to a certain request, I hope to find something I can say yes to. Thank you to Holy Experience for this idea. Like her, I am a mom of no – and I do not want to be that mom. I hope to use this philosophy as a way to serve my family, but I hope to encourage my friends and family this year too, more.

So I am excited about 2010 – so many great memories and great things lie in front of us! I pray that I learn to be a better follower of my Lord and that I spend this year serving him as I grow closer to him! What are your goals for 2010?

New Year's Eve

Inspired by....

MckMama - that's who!


This post is dedicated to MckMama and her sweet son Stellan (and the others in her brood too)!

She posted directions and deliciously inspiring pics on her blog about her homemade SnowPops. I just had to take her challenge to try them myself. I was certain I would be successful, I mean I love to cook and bake all the time and MckMama claims little skill in the baking area.


False Assumption on my part!! I think, for one, she was using better ingredients and it all counts!! But I still think mine look pretty darn cute - and well my audience was not comparing them to anyone else's blog!

So here is my sweet helper as she cleaned up my spatula - after I was finished using it....




Then she decided to get a little more to clean up.....



but then I caught her - honestly I had not idea when I took the picture above what she was doing, until I took the camera down from my eye....



Anyway, here is our finished project. They were sure fun and easy, just not picture perfect.

Here is the crew with full bellies enjoying Ice Age. The young man in the middle is not a regular part of our family, but he is enjoying his night tonight as a part!



One more thing, if you are bouncing around MckMama's blog make sure to check out THIS post and THIS one too!! Second one is laugh -out-loud FUNNY!!

Post Christmas & Baptism!!

Merry Christmas from our family!!

Here are some pics from Sunday!! A big day for our family!!

This is my sweet boy all dry and getting ready for his "re-birth" of sorts!!

Below he is getting ready to go under! Notice the mouth - he is a little nervous about the crowd - but smiling sweetly because he is excited!!

And finally, here is my brother in Christ as he comes back up a New Creation!!

What a great day!!

Well, Christmas came and went in a flash. or so it seems on many levels! But it was so much fun to watch the kids open presents this year with so much amazement. The mystery of Christmas continues another year in our home. The boys are certain he exists even though we have told them in the past the truth over and over. I think they really want to believe, so we let them!

The paper is clearing, the boxes should be gone tomorrow with the trash, but the gift of Christmas cards still continues, which I love!

We are back to some semblance of reality here though, and I am ready to have it be fully here. Robert is back at work - working nights again this week. So I am back to serving the big meal at lunch and a simple meal at dinner time for just the kids. I seem to not have much appetite when I have such a big lunch - so that is good for me!

Finally, here are some pics from Christmas morning. It was a bit crazy, but if was fun! The kids did such a good job of really keeping their focus on Jesus this year. They enjoy the gifts but if you ask them they will admit the real celebration is about Jesus and what he did for us!!

Here are the kids with full stockings!!

This child chose to dump rather than remove ...never would have expected that would you??

And this little girl loved her scarf and hat! What a cutie!

So as 2010 quickly approached I wonder ~ how do I want this next year to be defined? What do I want to do better and what do I want to weed out.....lots to think about!

For New Years this year we have a friend spending the night - Bryce- and we will celebrate with "make your own" pizza - followed by fondue!! I hope to have some pics of some snow pops to share in my next post, my angel is helping this afternoon with these as the boys have hooked up their IV line to the wii and will need to be torn away if there is an emergency!! Should be a good afternoon!!