Communcation or lack there of

To say the least the last month or say has been crazy! I wasnt too busy just simply too tired and too pregnant too emotional LoL! Lovely hormones! Well 1st let me say my sweet baby K is here and is perfect! I had a sweet shower and was completely overwhelmed by love! I will post more on these later when I can sit down and upload photos to share with them. Hopefully this wont take another month!

My pregnancy went by incredibly fast to me. I was lying on the table getting prepped for my c-section and it hit me just how fast it went by. It didnt seem like it was time to have Keller yet, like some how it all rushed up on me, 9 months are gone and boy #3 was here. This of course lead me to a lot of alone time to rest, but of course with the ever changing hormones it led me to a lot of thinking about a lot of things and probably a lot of over-analyzing as well.

It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I wear my heart on sleeve. If I'm sad, happy, angry, silly, etc etc it's typically not hard to tell. I used to keep all of my feelings locked in side never expressing what I was going through which ultimately led to a lot of depression. Then I went through a stage where I let my emotions control me and that was absolutely ignorant and no good either. So I've had to find a balance and sometimes that's easier said than done.

I try to be a open book. If I'm in a bad mood, I always let my husband, niece, anyone near me know so they dont take my bad attitude personally. Communication has changed so much in the last decade thanks to text messaging, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, blogs, etc. Sometimes it's easier to just shoot someone a text message when you just have a simple question than to call someone and have actual conversation that may last longer than needed. And let's face it, sending someone a birthday card is a thing of the past it seems. It's not official unless you post on Facebook for everyone else to see.

Somehow with all this technological communication has allowed people to keep in touch with more people, but it also seems as if it has driven a wedge and built walls between others. Now Im not saying any of these things are bad. Facebook alone has saved my scrap booking by allowing me to immediately upload pics and things my kids do as they do them. It has also helped my mom who we dont get to see often feel like she's very involved in our lives and can witness all of her grandkids growing up without leaving her home.

Then of course there's the aging process. As we grow and our lives change the things around us change. Our views, morals, beliefs, friends, kids, jobs, and so on. Sometimes it's hard for me personally to let go of things. I like things to be nice, simple, non-confrontational, drama-free, and easy as possible. Especially my relationships with others. But what Ive learned this past year is that they more often than not dont really go that way. People are different. As we each change our relationships change.

So friends come and go whether there is a reason for it or not. I for one, have got to learn to let go try not to take it personally. Maybe in the cycle of change the good Lord will bring those relationships back full circle. He's done it before so I'm certain He'll do it again.

And in the midst of the change He also brings forth new relationships. So in the end it's all good. Everything in life has the ability to make or break us, but we are the determining factors in that. When have to to choose to lean on Him and let Him guide us through, showing us more mercy and grace when we fail, helping us to admit failure and apologize when necessary.

In the midst of all the communication or lack there of, God is always there, just a prayer away. So in hopes to be more like Christ I hope I can be the same for others. That I can be just a phone call, text message, Facebook post or Tweet away when someone wants me :)

Home School Blogs I ♥!!!

So Sunday evening I went to my fave craft site for the kiddos and stumbled upon some awesome blogs of other homeschooling mommies. I havent had a chance to go through all of them, but what I have seen just makes my heart want to dance.

Confessions of a Homeschooler is AMAZING!!! She is so organized!! Has tons of free printables, lesson ideas for lil ones, preschool-2nd grade. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend checking this one out!!!

Here are some others that I havent had a lot of time to explore, but decided to follow cause they seemed a lot like me in one way or another! If you get a chance to explore any of these blogs PLEASE let me know what you think!

Sippy Cup Central
Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Homeschooling in Heels
Homeschool Success
I Can Teach My Child :This is the next one I plan to explore :)
The Mantooth Family Story-Home School & Beyond

Dont forget to let me know what you think of them & if you've found any others you think I may like! Have a blessed day!

No time to worry!

Sometimes I let myself get overwhelmed and worry which isn't very uncommon for any human, but many many times I feel SO silly afterward! Truth of the matter is God says to cast our cares on Him and He WILL take care of us! So why waste precious time and energy worrying instead of praying and giving it over to the Lord?

Our house issueS: Praying they'll pay to fix them, if I cant come straight home from the hospital after Keller is born because they're working on it-NO BIG DEAL! I have a place to go & BONUS; my house will be fixed :) So what's the big deal if baby K doesn't have well painted, glammed up decorated nursery like all my friends' babies? Like one friend told me, he wont even know! Besides he'll be sleeping in the room with us for the first few months anyway. Grand evaluation-NO WORRIES!

Diaper expenses: NONE! No use in stressing having two in diapers, it wont change anything. Instead I'm praying for that too! Rylan has pee peed in the potty some and 2 of my sweet friends decided to throw me a casual baby shower so I can get some diapers & other things I need for baby K. And if I don't get any diapers and some how some way we cant afford any, another friend gave me a HUGE box of cloth diapers to try if I'd like...though I'll admit I'd rather be lazy & have the disposable ones & don't think I'll have to resort to the cloth ones, but my point is my kiddos bottoms will be covered!!! Grand evaluation-NO WORRIES!

Rylan in MMO: DROP OUT :D!! Yes that's right I let my 2 year old drop out of preschool LOL I cant help but laugh at that! I ACTUALLY love having him here!(No real surprise to me!) Even the days when he doesn't want to corporate while I home school Brady, Id still rather have him here than somewhere else he really doesn't want to be. It seems like Brady was just a baby not so long ago & now he's 5 1/2, reading, & becoming such a sweet young boy who loves Jesus, trains, cars, & has an INCREDIBLE memory & imagination! Rylan's already 2 1/2 & now #3 will be here soon! Time goes by too fast to stress about having my child in preschool. Brady loved it, Ry not so much, plus we are now saving $80 a month :) Most days Ry wants to color or draw while I'm working with Brady, he LOVES to read with us & even grabs books on his own to "read." Being the crazy momma I am, I am willing let him paint, draw, & do all the fun messy art & science stuff with us. We sit and play with blocks, Lego's, & puzzles together. He loves to sing along to Brady's Bible verse CD. So I feel incredibly silly for even worrying about taking him out of preschool. It just wasn't for him & he is getting so much from being home with us and getting to participate with the 2 & 3 year olds at our home school co-op. Grand evaluation-NO WORRIES!

I am sure something else will come up that I'll worry about before I really just stop & breathe & lift it up to God, and I'm very sure this will happen more often than not. But it is my hope instead of letting the worries get ahead of me that I get ahead of them & give it all to Jesus to help me through :)

Isn't it AMAZING to have a Savior who cares about all the silly things that make us worry! And it's even more amazing that He completely takes care of us in spite of our silliness.

Good News vs Bad news-Prayers PLZ!!

Good News: After MANY years of frustration with foundation issues we FINALLY have an agent from the Home Owners Warranty coming tomorrow to begin the process of FINALLY getting our foundation fixed!!! PTL!!!

Bad News: Was told we may have to move out for a week while the house is being repaired & Im already 6 1/2 weeks from delivery & I cant even paint the nursery until it's fixed :/

Prayer request: Pray that it all goes smoothly & that the house is fixed BEFORE baby K comes whether the nursery is painted or not! I dont need anymore stress during this pregnancy!


Good News: Gestational diabetes seems to be gone, protein in urine is gone, & blood pressure has been good!

Bad News: starting to swell, experiencing some tingling/numbness in fingers, had some contractions here and there & not Braxton Hicks, the REAL ones! I've had 3 sweet friends in the recent months who had their babies early which meant they had to stay in NICU for a few weeks & another friend who is currently on bed rest & after seeing what these mommas went through with their babies, I REALLY do not want to have Keller early!

Prayer Request: Pray the last of this pregnancy goes just as it needs to without any complications for me and especially my baby!

Thanks!!! I covet ALL prayers!!!

2 months left & NO diapers!

So it really hit me today that in 2 short months I will be a momma of 3 beautiful boys! THREE!!! I didnt freak out at first til I went into the nursery and started assessing the situation: it needs to be painted, I need to bring the baby clothes down from the attic to wash, which led to me realizing he doesnt have very many clothes since his brothers were both born in the opposite season so I really do need to do some shopping, which led to the other things we need to buy before he gets here, OMG!!! DIAPERS!!!

Diapers! Diapers! Diapers! Why havent I been buying diapers??? Oh yes I have been, but for Rylan! He started out doing good with potty training, but things got hectic and I stopped pushing it and now he doesnt't seem very interested at all. So am I doomed to have 2 in diapers!?!???

So from there fell a snowball of things we need that I didnt fully realize we needed and a list of all the things that need to be done which of course led me to the list of things I already have to do and other things that I need to buy....snowball rolling fast and getting BIGGER!!!!

DEEP BREATH!!! Ok, everything will be ok! I know this! I've never freaked out before, not even when I was pregnant with Brady and put on early bed rest and had NOTHING done, not a shower I could attend, or a nursery put together. But my sister-in-law and friends from our old church in Clifton, MS came to my rescue.

They gave me a shower in my house since I couldnt leave and even decorated the nursery for me. Stressing about it never entered my mind because I could only focus on trying to keep Brady in my womb for as long as possible. But now I'm feeling some pressure and a tad bit overwhelmed.

Three boys, two in diapers, won't be cheap! We still have a few things and clothes we need to purchase for Keller, and we are waiting for our Home Warranty folks to send the funds and get the ball rolling so we can FINALLY get our foundation fixed etc etc.

So I'm going to take a BIG DEEP BREATH again :) and trust without a doubt God is going to provide everything we need! I dont cling to Proverbs 3:5 & 6 for nothing! I know it's true & I know I can trust Him!

Freak out over....for now :P

Keller in 3D!

28 weeks 1 day gestation! I love this lil boy SO much! I cant wait to hold him in my arms!



All snuggled up inside
He was smiling a lot just like Rylan did during his 3d sonogram
Hiding behind his arm & leg
Resting

Christianity is a TEAM sport!

Well leave it to God to have me pour out my heart and then reveal His truths (well some of them) to me :) Almost immediately after my friend blog I received a text from a pal I hadnt really talked to in awhile & it was just a simple bit of encouragement. Which reminded me of a saying that I love, "The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention." Her little text gave me such peace that night which led me to praying for her and her family.

The very next day in what would seem to be random, except I dont believe in random things cause God orchestrates everything, I ran into another gal I hadnt seen in a while we just began chatting and she just asked me to pray for her because she had been in a funk lately, not wanting to go to church even though she loved it but everytime she saw certain people she just felt discouraged. She really couldnt explain her feelings but I was able to share with her what God had been working on me in the last few months. That it isnt PEOPLE we wrestle with. That Ephesians 6:12 says For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Even with ourselves, we are constantly in a spiritual war where we constantly have to fight against our own sin nature and others. Satan would love nothing more than to keep this lady from church and from other Christian women. I was INCREDIBLY excited to see her at church last Sunday! :)

I could write about EVERYTHING and EVERYONE God has put before me since I poured out everything on here, but I wont...I'll just say that I see what God needed to do in me.

I used to be a professed loner but had gotten too attached to needing people. It's sometimes easier to call up your best friend and vent or brag about what is going on in your life than to lift it up to God first. I had even began relying on my friends to share my feeling with over my own husband. My thought was, "Well they understand me better cause they are women and he is a man." And I know my gal pals can relate to my feelings better cause they're women too, but my husband should know me better than them. I need to share stuff with him so he can pray for me too and know what's going on in my lil woman universe.

Ephesians 6:12 has really helped me not to take things too personally. Also listening to John Piper talk about making war against your own sin. Yes people say and do things that hurt us, but we have to remember they are also in their own spiritual battle and instead of getting too angry with them, we have got to PRAY for them and the battle they're in. This has also taught me PATIENCE! Slowly and surely anyway ;P

Instead of making an immediate decision as to why certain things happen or don't happen I just have to lift up these things to God, pray for the other person, for myself and for the battle we are in. Satan has already been defeated so there is no need to allow him to sneak in and make me are anyone else stumble.

Bro David said something VERY profound Sunday night, "Christianity is a TEAM sport!"

We are not in this world alone! He has made us apart of ONE body, the body of Christ. HE has blessed us with brothers and sisters to sharpen us, to pray for us, to even be our hero when the time comes. Bro. David spoke about King David and how when he went to kill Goliath he had 5 stones, but he only needed to use one.

Later on descendants of Goliath came to kill David and David being a mighty warrior with 4 stones left could have taken them out! But God had a plan for 4 of David's friends to be his hero and kill these descendants for David instead. This probably strengthened their relationships.

So God began to remind me of some ladies who had been my heroes in the last few months. During the most HORRIBLE time of my pregnancy weeks 7-9 when I couldn't even get our of bed or leave the toilet God sent a sweet neighbor to watch my kids for me, my husband missed work and my niece gave up her personal time @ college to come & help me. Others checked in a lot and sent me texts reminding me they were praying for me. And I must say, it wasn't as bad this round as with my previous pregnancies.

One night I was at church feeling completely alone and down trying to put on a happy face at TeenMops when God would orchestrate this AMAZING lady who I had never met before to be my prayer partner. She was my hero that night! I was able to cry to her & felt completely free to just be open and she has been an incredible prayer warrior for me since and God keeps using her and her husband to encourage me at various times.

God also shown me how I have been able to be a hero to others as well. All the while I think I was fighting one battle, it was something else, and God was bringing new people in my life through various things and teaching me so much more about myself and His Word. And He is still teaching me which is how it should be :)

I am so grateful I am not alone in this battle! God is always there and He has blessed me with some amazing brothers and sisters in Christ. All I have to do is reach up to Him, reach out in prayer for others and keep my armor on when enemy tries to lie to me and make me stumble.

Rylan's 1st day of MMO

Well my lil fella is 2 & getting to go to Mom's Morning Out at our church 2 mornings a week. I'm very excited for him to get to play & learn with other lil kiddos his age. I'm extremely grateful that he has my friend Danielle for a teacher! She's a former elementary teacher & a momma of 2 boys so I know without a doubt he is going to learn a lot from her!

It is a lil bittersweet for me. He never throws a big fit when I leave him somewhere but he always gives me these pouty faces like he's saying, "I'd rather be with you mommy!" But I know he is going to love it and Brady & I need the lil break to focus on homeschooling. Plus when baby K gets here Im going to be even more thankful for those Tuesday & Thursday mornings with one less child to have a little break.

Mrs. Danielle told me he had a good day and was very sweet & even sang the Itsy Bitsy Spider for her. His only glitch was when he saw his cousin Britany who is also teaching MMO, out on the playground. Apparently he threw a big fit when he had to leave her, but otherwise had a great day.

Fading Friendships

So for many many months I have had some struggles with some friendships. I cant say it's anyone's fault, just the way it is. This time last year if you wouldve asked I would have told I had 3 best friends. Each a Godly woman, each different, but yet so incredibly special to me in a different way. Since 2010 has began each of these friendships has pretty much fizzled for different reasons, some I cant even say why because I dont know why. Not that Im by any means enemies with them, just that there isnt much of a relationship at all anymore. Things are always kind and nice, but the relationship has definitely changed.

Ive cried out to God many many many times concerning these friendships plus some others that have faded away for one reason or another. I want to know WHY? WHAT HAPPENED? DID I DO SOMETHING? But God has only told me to not worry or be anxious about them. That He is here.

Of course He is absolutely ALL I need. If everyone, friends, family, my kids, husband etc were to leave me I would be ok. He is ALL I need. And I have to hold on to that.

He's giving me small answers and has shown me different things about these relationships and even more things about myself. Some I like; some I DO NOT :) It's never easy to have my bad stuff about pointed out! But my fervent prayer since February is that He will continue to grow me & change me because my ultimate goal in life is to be more like Him. So maybe the fading of these friendships is apart of it???

In high school I had 3 girl friends and the rest were guys. Guys are much more simpler and less catty. Plus MANY girls in school were very mean to me and did some very hateful things to me, ex pour coke in my back pack, steal books out of my locker, put gross things in my locker, spread awful and VERY hurtful rumors about me and so on. This plus a bad relationship with my mom taught me that females CANNOT be trusted. They may act like your friend but eventually they will just hurt you.

God really worked on me about these issues. I finally had my 1st girl best friend when I was 20, but give her 3 years and a bad boyfriend and she was a completely different person. This pushed me further away from wanting any close female relationships. When I rededicated my life to Christ I was too fearful of telling anyone about my past because I was sure they would hate me and yet that drove a bigger wedge between me and friendships with girls.

Slowly and surely God brought some awesome Christian ladies into my life that I was able to open up to and trust. This wall I had built up against women was surely beginning to fall. That college bff called me out of the blue a few years ago and apologized and completely opened up about the things she had been going through. God has truly mended that relationship and we try to see each other once a year, but we are always a text or call away to check in with and pray for :)

One of those best friends I had a year ago recently sent me a letter of apology and gratitude for something we went through in January. Things had been ok between us because both us being Christian women we knew we couldnt harbor bad feelings against each other, we had to let go and forgive and move on. I had been praying and praying for this friend. That God would just some how help me to let go entirely of everything, because the Bible says we wrestle against spirits and evil forces, NOT against flesh and blood.

As I was cleaning the kitchen one day she was HEAVILY on my heart and as I cleaned I just kept praying for her, for myself, for our relationship. I took a break to check the mail and there was her letter. I just sat down and cried tears of PURE joy! Her letter was everything I had been praying for! God heard my cries and healed me and this relationship. Slowly she and I are talking more and though our friendship wont ever be the same, I know without one doubt it will be MUCH better than before, because I know Christ has grown each of us in the last 8 months in many areas and this rift has brought about some things in myself that I didnt want to see, but needed to be convicted of. So it was all worth it!

Now the other relationships have changed not because of any rift, no argument or disagreement, at least that Im aware of, and to be honest that bugs me the most! It's easier if you can pinpoint a reason, but here again, I truly believe this is God teaching me a lesson and wanting me to draw closer to Him through this loneliness.

And that's right I have been LONELY! I miss having a gal pal that I can call up and vent to, chat with about whatever or just simply sit and have coffee with and talk about nothing in particular. I had finally learned to love and enjoy having female friends and now it's different. I have friends who invite us over for playdates or coffee but the relationships arent like the others were, like family. But maybe that will also change in time. I really hope they do.

Im not all sure what God is trying to do with me in all of this or with these other ladies, but I trust Him and I know He works everything together for the good of those who love Him. And I dont doubt that any of these ladies love Him!

I can put myself out there over and over but as I was recently remind by a Tweet Rev. Run from Run DMC said (yep that's right :) ) He said stop holding on to people who dont want to be held. If someone has a reason to not want to be your friend there's not a thing you can do to change it. And it doesnt do any good to be mad or to keep trying. You just have to let go until they decide they want you in their life again or if at all.

That seems so harsh to me, but I know if I dont just let go and fully give it over to God nothing good will happen. I have to trust Him and His plan for me and these relationships. And I cant put walls back up against future female relationships because it will hinder my walk with Him and I could end up missing out on some other amazing ladies to call friend.

So only time and patience will tell and I SINCERELY look forward to the day I can update this subject with many great things and answered prayers! :)

So if youre reading this and you have a best friend give a call, invite them out for coffee and dinner and most of all, thank God for them!

Matthew 19:14

Each week in Brady's curriculum he has a Scripture to memorize. I was amazed at how fast he learned it :)



"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me & do not forbid them; for such is the Kingdom of Heaven.'" Matthew 19:14

Brady starts Kindergarten!

Well of course he has a GREAT teacher in his mommy ;) We've only been at it a week but I cant be more thankful that God has called our family to homeschooling! I love our new curriculum! It's completely Christ centered and challenges my lil braniac's mind all the while teaching him not just academics but also the Word of God! Here are some pics from our 1st week.

Confession from a former Twilight fan :)

"Much of the allure about Twilight is that it appeals to our heart, or rather the unmet needs and issues of our heart. The driving need for escape, for romance, for the supernatural. We are investing enormous amounts of time, money and emotional resources on a fictitious toxic romance about the supernatural. Because we are not grounded in the truth of God's Word, and are not being transformed, we are easily deceived and drawn away from the truth to fill the empty void in our lives." - from Deborah Collins

I'm not gonna lie-I used to be a Twihard & a HUGE Harry Potter fan. Anytime & every time a Christian had something bad to say I got VERY defensive & had a list of reasons/excuses as to why these books/movies weren't affecting my walk with Christ-I know now that was lie straight from Satan I allowed myself to believe :/

Earlier this year at a ladies' retreat God awakened something deep within me-this complete yearning & longing for Him on such a more intimate level that I had never really thought about before. I tried on MY OWN to do away w these books/movies/ other TV shows etc but kept failing. Finally I realized that I couldn't do it-but I prayed that God would open my eyes to the things that had my heart more than He did & of course these particular books & movies were the first thing He showed me.

I knew it would be only by His grace that could just let it go. It was hard throwing these books away because they had cost a good bit of money over time-but I knew what God had for me on the other side would be worth it.

Now this is my personal testimony & God is still working on me. In fact I had come up w a plan to sneak & see the movie not telling anyone, but luckily with prayer, it faded away. And there are still other things of this world I need to draw away from in order to continue to draw closer to God.

I don't want to settle for an on the surface type Christianity where I fool myself into thinking certain things are OK when I know God is asking more from me. And I DEFINITELY desire to have more of Him!

No one other than God could have really opened my eyes to this revelation so I don't expect anyone to change their opinion because of me but it is my hope that we continue to seek God & see what He would have for us to give up & do away with in order to know Him in a more intimate way-after all Christ gave His life for us so what is it to do away with some sci-fi/fantasy in order to be more like Him & less like the world?

One thing He brought before me was this: how often have I had such an eagerness to read the Bible the way I've been so eager to read these books? Would I wait outside church for hours to make sure I had a good seat? If my church were having service from 12 am-2am would I be that excited to go as I was to see these movies?

My answer to Him was NO to all of them which made me realize He wasn't as much of a priority to me as these things were & thus my journey with Him to remove ALL things that come before Him began & it still continues :)

I only posted my lil testimony about because I have defended myself watching/reading the things before & I knew I needed to share my awakening :).

I don't expect anyone to change their mind because of me & I believe VERY strongly that God probably wouldn't have changed my old thoughts if I hadn't started to seek Him on a different level. You know the verse that says draw close to Him & He will draw close to you? Well I know now in order for us to be closer some things have to be put away, albeit earthly things such as books/movies/TV or other things such as anger, unforgiveness, fear, pride etc etc etc :) I'm just grateful He keeps pursuing me & that He covers me in grace!

Sigrest Boy #3!!!

We are OVERJOYED to announce that Boy#3 is on his way!!! Though we still havent picked a name I am very ready to have one picked so I can call him by name! Brady was disappointed because he wanted a sister SOOOO bad! But he's coming around to it! He loves the name Keller for his new brother but Daddy isnt completely sold just yet ;)

FOR SALE-Homeschool stuff & Workbooks

PLEASE pass this along to anyone who you think may be interested :) Thanks!!

My Father's World Kindergarten Teacher's Manual & flashcards $50 (saves you $13, you'll just have to go on-line & order the additional worksheets)

MFW Textured letters- $8

Cuisenaire Rods- $18 Cuisenaire Rods Alphabet book-$8

Hooked on Writing- $20 (Retails for $64.99, mine is just missing one wb that really isnt needed & the crayon, marker & pencil, but you can use your own)

A Reason for Writing K- $14

The COMPLETE Book of Math Grades 1 & 2- $14

101 Things Every Kindergarten Should Know About Math- $5

Summer Bridge Activities Preschool-K- $5

PK-1st Letters, #s, Colors, & Shapes WB-$5

Parents Magazine Preschool & Kindergarten WBs- $2 each

Look & Learn Counting (Hardcover Book)- $2

****The Following Workbooks are $1 each :)

Fisher Price Preschool Book 2 w/ stickers
FP Kindergarten Books 1 & 2 each w stickers
FP 1st Grade Books 1 & 2 w/stickers
FP 5-in-1 1st grade Book 2 w/flashcards

1st Grade Phonics w/stickers

1st Grade Addition & Subtraction w/stickers

*******The Following Workbooks are $0.50 Each :)

Precious Moments Learn & Color K-1st

Everyday Math Kindergarten Book 1 (not a workbook)

Winnie the Pooh Shapes & Sizes

Scooby Doo Printing Practice
Scooby Doo Adding & Subtracting

Mickey Mouse Alphabet

Tracing Skills for Pre-writing

Spiderman Printing Practice
Spiderman #s & Counting to 100

2 Sesame Street Math Skills (PK-K)
Sesame Street Counting

Learning Line Counting 1-100 (K-1st)

Number Skills (K-1st)

Disney Add & Subtract

Our New Addition

Ive havent been on here in a while due to some MAJOR sickness....though it is ABSOLUTELY miserable....I take it with stride cause the sicker I am the healthier this lil baby is! So hopefully in a bout 3 more wks it will have fully passed and I can enjoy the 2nd trimester!

New Again!

One of my favorite Easter songs! Cannot even begin to imagine what it was like for Mary to see her beloved Lord and darling Son be brutally beaten & crucified on the Cross!

Brady Counting in 2 languages

Who needs Rosetta Stone when you got Dora & Ni Hao Kai-Lan??? :) hehehe



We had also studied the 5 senses that week too...Brady picks up things so easily...Im so glad he loves learning!

My lil frog Prince :)

Not sure how he does this but it sure does make me giggle!

Purged!

That almost doesnt sound like a real word but it happened to me! And hopefully it'll keep on happening! :) For so long I deceived myself thinking that certain books, movies, tv shows, etc werent hurting my relationship with God. I told myself that God hadnt convicted me of them so therefore it was ok. Well I never really felt convicted but as a growing Christian who is seeking God I should have known better anyway.

But the more Christians blasted these things the more I wanted to defend myself...I mean who were they judge me? And it's not like they were coming to me personally in Christ's love to share what they knew, they were posting it all over Facebook as a generalized, vague status which made me angry. So I never even tried to understand where they were coming from because of the way they handled themselves.

Since 2010 began I have had a stirring inside me to know Jesus more personally, as my Bridegroom. To understand what it means to put Him first, to love Him most, to just sit and be with Him. At Bible study a fabulous lady from my church came and talked to us about spirits, good and evil. She talked about how WE control which spirits we operate under and that WE have the authority in Christ to cast down those bad ones and choose to be under the ones Christ has set for us. I had never heard anyone speak on these things before and it made me hungry to know more!

At the Ladies' Retreat I went to, the Holy Spirit tore right through me! I remember standing and praying while singing and then I was just overcome by His presence and began crying and laughing at the same time. I was shocked and happy and so many other emotions because I had never felt the Holy Spirit so much before in such an all consuming way!

From there I knew things, MANY things, were about to change, and I didnt mind at all! I was excited and eager! This past weekend I attended a ministry event that focused on the steps of healing in Christ. We went over so many things that I never really thought about how they affected my and my relationship in Christ. Some were obvious, but God was seriously opening my eyes to others.

I went home that evening threw away many books and things that the Lord had convicted me of and opened my eyes to. It felt so good! But I have to admit, it's not easy because when you are used to something for SO long and you get rid of it there is still a tug to turn back to it. But I am so thankful that God is right beside me walking with me and that He has sent me some AMAZING Christian friends who have prayed for me and will continue to pray for me!

I confessed what I had done to my Sunday school class and a friend came up to me afterward and gave me the BIGGEST hug and told me how happy and proud she was! That she had been praying for me about this issue of what I was reading and watching! She never condemned me personally or vaguely on Facebook. Instead she simply lifted me up in her prayers! How grateful I am to her!

So anyway, I have been purged and it feels FABULOUS! I cant wait to see what's next in the journey I am on with my Bridegroom! He is jealous for me and He loves me so much more than I can truly comprehend! :)

Fall in love w God!

This weekend I went on the Ladies' Retreat my church hosted it it exceeded my expectations greatly :) The theme was to "Come Away w/the Bridegroom" and I must say it felt like a honeymoon with Jesus! Here are some of the notes I got from this weekend:

The 1st and greatest commandment is to love the Lord with ALL that we are and to love Him first above ALL OTHER THINGS! Matthew 22:37-38

Loving God is want He wants the most and it MUST be our core identity. God owns everything, He needs NOTHING, but He desires for us to give Him our hearts and loyalty. Like Martha in the Bible many of us look and seek for what God wants us to do...to serve in some form. But God longs for us to desire Him and be His lover. Luke 10:41-42 Martha Martha youre worried & troubled abt many things. But one thing is NEEDED & Mary has chosen that good part & it WILL NOT be taken away from her.

After all, a LOVER will ALWAYS outwork a SERVANT!

If you want to have an impact of God's heart you HAVE to LOVE HIM! Be obedient. God doesnt define us by our successes and failures...He defines us through Him and His love.Romans 5:5 Now Hope doesnt disappoint bc the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

The 1st commandment of LOVING GOD 1st and most WILL MOST DEFINITELY BE the 1st place in the heart of the Bride when Jesus returns. John 4:19 We love Him bc He 1st loved us!

John 15:9 As the Father loved Me I also have loved you; abide in My love!

God loves us the SAME WAY He loves God (Jesus). It gives EVERY believer the right to view themselves as FAVORITES :) King David knew this.

1. He saw God as a REAL PERSON!
2. David knew God liked, valued, forgave, and LONGED for him.
3. David believed he was DEARLY precious in God's eyes!
4. He knew God LIT UP when He looked at David.
5. David knew GOd loved him and knew his love for God was REAL & AUTHENTIC.

Even though David was weak he truly enjoyed being an authentic lover of God. Psalm 18:19 He delivered me bc He delighted in me.

There's nothing more powerful than knowing God LIKES us! We know He loves us...but He actually and truly, REALLY REALLY likes us!Jesus values our love MORE than everything under His authority. His heart is filled w delight over a new decision of obedience.

Jesus doesnt sit and wish we were MORE-He enjoys us where we ARE-cheering us on! Helping us to grow.

Like the 5 wise virgins we MUST be prepared for when the Bridegroom comes so we come run out to meet Him...how do we do this? By simply LOVING HIM! Delight in Him! He will bring you works to do for Him through His love. Dont seek ministry and serving opportunities before you just FULLY allow yourself to fall so intimately in love with God! When you have the oil for your lamp (the love and desire of loving Him 1st) He will give you the lamp(s) to put it in (ministry).

A lamp is worthless if there isnt and oil in it. SO LOVE God 1st and most and your ministry and opportunities to serve will come.

We must also be attentive to the what is happening in the world, not casual, the END TIMES are VERY NEAR which means the BRIDEGROOM is coming SOON! Have your oil!

LOVE HIM LOVE HIM LOVE HIM!!!!!

He loves us SOOOOOO very much! Fall madly in love with God! KNow that you are His favorite, He delights in you, He sings over you....Love Him back!

Desert Song!

I've been singing this song ALL morning! Thought I'd share! :) I love love love the words! Especially the last line that says "I know I'm filled to be emptied again, the seed I've received I will sow" Isn't that our mission as Christians?!

4th day of Creation

Brady has been learning about the 4th day of Creation and emphasizing on studying the Sun and Moon.




Rylan wanted to paint too (THANK GOODNESS I bought washable paints!)


He traced a circle & cut it out, then Brady colored it w/blue & brown to make it the Earth


Brady's final masterpiece! He cut a small white circle for the Moon & painted silver & gold glitter glue all around for the stars.

Snow Globe Central

We had SO much fun playing in all the snow we got! Had a great snow ball fight, built a snow slide and a snow man...a fabulous day all together!




Fred had a blast in the snow too! :)

Merry Christmas!

So I know I'm late getting these up...but better late than never!

This year I got a Nativity Scene for my yard! Each year I plan on adding to it until I get the WHOLE scene!

Making Christmas cookies!

I was so happy it snowed for the boys! But one day is just enough!

At our homeschool Christmas Party

Christmas Eve Night

My favorite part is watching the boys open their gifts!


Brady got a tent and BEGS to sleep in it almost EVERY night!

Anniversary of Roe vs Wade is 1/22

Go to virtualmarchforlife.com to sign up if you cant be in Washington DC to march. You can also see all of the leaders who have signed up, such as Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, John McCain etc.

Dont forget to be in prayer tomorrow for an end to abortion. Also pray for all the men and women who have already made this choice, pray that they find salvation and healing through Christ and that through their testimony others wouldnt make the same choice of abortion. Pray for the drs, nurses, and the many others who work in these clinics...Jesus died for them too! PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!

Thanksgiving Program Videos

Brady YAWNS a lot in the videos! Poor thing woke up at 5:30 am so we could catch our flight back to MS in time for his program. He was such a trooper!

Fall 09 Pics

OOOOHHHH Ive been a BAD blogger! :) Our old computer messed up awhile back and I just havent got back in the groove of bloggin! So the next few post I'll try and catch up!

The following pics are from October and November...enjoy the sweet faces of my boys!


Brady went through a HUGE dinosaur phase and just HAD to be a terranadon!


We flew to TX to visit my mom for her 60th bday




Rylan's 1st pumpkin