How does your garden grow....

     So a few days ago I really felt the need to teach Catie about giving. Two summers ago our neighbor from across the street lost her husband to Cancer. One of the sweetest men I've ever met! He was a retired vet and just absolutely adored his family! I knew this time of year is especially hard for Elsie so I decided that she would be the one we blessed during this lesson.The idea came into my head that we should give Elsie the first rose off of Catie's bush.Being that God loves the first fruit and all it seemed appropriate. Well we were too late the sun had gotten too it and it was wilted as can be. So we brought her a head off her snapdragon instead. Oh and a cupcake:) I explained to Catie that it makes God smile when we give to others. I told her that God blesses us when we give of what we have to help someone who may be sad or lonely. I then said that I would be willing to bet that her garden would grow big and strong if she gave with a happy heart. She was reluctant at first,but the she became very excited and was excited to make Elsie's day.I think she believed that once you pick a flower that that's it for that plant. We went and sat with Elsie and just chatted for about 30mins or so. She loved talking to my quirky little girl and I loved seeing a smile on her face!

The large head to the right is the one we cut off for Elsie! There are 4 new large heads about to burst with blooms!

 

     So here it is 4 days later and bam!! God has truly blessed her garden! Roses that had no growth on them have 4 buds near to blooming and plants that were dieing have been revived.  And the very snapdragon we had snipped a head off of is going crazy!! Catie was so excited to see how big everything is getting! I should also mention that with this heat and mommy forgetting to water for those 4 days the garden should not be doing this great lol!! I love that God gives us promises we can stand on! His word is as true today as it was the day it written! It was an easy example for my daughter that she enjoyed and it was a great way to share a little practical application of God's word! I love her desire to know more about God and her friend Jesus! She is especially interested in the story of Jesus dieing on the cross for us! She takes it very personal and that warms my heart. I may fail miserably as a mom some days,but God's grace is filling in my gaps in a big way with this girl! Now if only we can get the boy talking instead of growling ;)

Pastlife Poetry!

    So was looking for a book in the garage and after digging through 3 boxes I found my old journal instead. I read a few of the poems I had written before God brought Raymond back into my life and decided to share. These poems truly show how dark life can be. No I am not a poet, but these are a perfect example of the pain I was feeling at the time. I never thought they would be worth anything so I never named them. Well now they are a priceless reminder of the pain God has delivered me from! Praise God for His Faithful love!

Poem 1:
Anger sweeps through my veins,
Almost as necessary as the blood itself,
That anger keeps me safe,
It keeps my delicate heart from shattering,
It keeps my balance in check,
It gives me something to feel,
It keeps me from realizing where I've failed,
I just want to be happy again.

Poem 2:
What is it about me,
That makes me so easily replaced,

Is it the way I smile,
Or the way I laugh,

Is it the way I kiss,
Or maybe the way I touch,

Is it the way I care,
And strive for love,

Maybe it's my awkward nature,
Or the way my thoughts take me over,

Maybe I was made wrong,
Maybe I was God's one mistake.

Poem 3:(At the turning point but a long way from whole)
Where were you,
When my childhood was stripped away,

Where were you,
When I was crying everyday,

Where were you,
When I married the wrong man,

Where were you, 
When I ran out of plans,

The true question is,
Where was I,

My heart knew no love,
Like that of your truth,

My mind knew no wisdom,
Like that in your book,

My life knew no meaning,
Like that which you give, 

My world without you,
Was no place to live,

My life was forever changed,
When I finally got out of my own way.


I was gonna post a couple more, but well they were a bit graphic. Still these get the point across I think. Praise God I know longer have to feel this way!!

 


    
 

A Blessing in the Night!

     Now normally when your child wakes up at 3 am it's not considered a blessing. Tonight(well this morning) was different! Catie woke up at 3am crying so hard. Raymond went in first and I went to get here some water. At first she was very inconsolable,and she kept saying,"I pee,I pee." Yep she had peed the bed through her diaper and was so upset and embarrassed. We got her changed and put new sheets on the bed. While we were laying her down she was still crying. She then put her hands together and simply said,"Pray."

     Now,because I don't want you to miss it...YES THAT WAS THE BLESSING!!! I said,"You wanna pray sweetie." She nodded yes and smiled. After daddy prayed for her she stopped crying and gave us her ritual kiss,then big hug,and a high five to top it all off. Now, again this may not seem like anything big to you,but for a mom whose greatest desire is for her children to come to know and love God and His Son Jesus. Well, this is just AWESOME!!! When your kid wants to pray you jump all over that! I'm so proud of my sweet,sweet girl. Even in a time when she was so upset she new that she would feel better after a chat with,"God and Cheesus(Jesus)!" That she already finds comfort in prayer is such an amazing feeling! If I never touch another persons life(I totally intend too though) God intrusted us with these beautiful little goofballs! They will have every opportunity to know God and His Son. I can't wait for Nathan to get older so he starts to get what's going on. I love that we can ask Catie who we pray to and she says"God," with absolutely no hesitation!! I am just in awe of God's love for our family and the many blessings He gives us daily! Thank You,Thank You,Thank You Lord!!!

Yes I'm THAT Mom...

     There are many things that I guess I wasn't clued in on when I became a mom. So now I'm THAT mom who does or doesn't do the things I am clearly "Supposed" to do!  Here is a few "Good Mommy Rules" I've broken A LOT!! (Disclaimer: My kids are alive and happy so no these RULES hold no weight with me.They work for some moms and not for others.This is strictly for humor:)

1. When your child falls you must snatch them up as quick as they fall and shower them with kisses and the mommy chant,"Shh it's okay sweetie,it's okay." My response almost always is "You're okay" or "Nice Landing Catie." My daughter jumps off of everything I'd never say anything else if i just showered her in the mommy chant every time she fell. Also she might lose her super awesome daredevil fearlessness and secretly I love that!!! Now don't get me wrong if my kid is in fact hurt I will do all the gooshy kisses and comforting! But here case in point: My daughter jumps of a piece of playground equipment 2ft off the ground hits the ground and rolls! I say,"Nice landing Catie.Now next time see if you can get 3 rolls instead of just two(I chuckle a bit)." Now mommy in blue as you cut me your most disgusted look ,remember... your kid is still crying 10 min after falling on their butt. And he just lost his balance walking,oh and he's atleast 2 yrs older than Catie. My daughter just flew through the air hit the ground and rolled two times and is back up playing 20 seconds later!! Just saying.....There are different kinds of moms don't hate on my methods Girrll lol!

2.You must freak out when your kid draws on the wall or themselves. My response to this is removing the drawing utensil from Picasso Jr and take pictures of the artwork. Hey it's my fault I left it where she could get it and atleast she's doing something creative! I want my kids to grow up to do something they love! Support the Arts y'all!! Guess what it washes off,Pick your battles lol!

3. You must feed your kids the most healthy organic food you can find! Okay so my kid is on a chicken kick so she eats that like crazy,but my kid also is quite fond of her carbs. I do what I can to give her healthy carbs like sweet potatoes,beans,and corn. But a little Mac&cheese never hurt anyone!! I love my kids and care about there health but my daughter literally ran around the living room for a half an hour before her nap (I timed her for fun 32min y'all)! And when I mean non stop I mean NONSTOP!! I think she'll burn it off :)

Well that's all of them for now. Now remember I am not talking down anyone else's parenting skills and I'm not bragging on mine by any means. But this is what works for mine. I wish mom's could just accept that not everyone parents like them,and just relax I have! My kids are enough to handle I'll leave the parenting of other kids up to there mom's and offer advice when it's wanted lol. All I know is what works for my little loves,and I figure out new stuff daily!

    

Back in the Saddle!

      Alright so since my last entry a lot has happen. Mostly life has been happening and mostly it's been great!! God has been blessing us like crazy. Nathan is all over the place and Catie is talking and really stepping up her big sister game. She loves her brother,especially during photo ops. She's kinda ridiculous about pictures right now!

    Small groups at Harvest have been life changers for us from the start! Whether it's been meeting my besties at my own group in Sept '11,or Anna's group helping my husband grow tremendously! This time around though we've been able to attend one together. For the last couple months we've been joining the Stewarts in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, and it's been Legen(Wait for it....)Dary, LEGENDARY!! It has helped us to become more financially savvy and become much greater support systems for one another. We've always had each others backs but we are truly on the same page now and it ROCKS!! It's so nice to have an end in sight to the stress attached to being in debt.We are so glad that we will be leaving the little ones with an inheritance and not a big bill. 

     In this all God has shown us how much He is faithful to bless you when you tithe! No we don't have a large random chunk of money that has just fallen into our laps,but we have truly been cared for by a loving Father:) He blows my mind daily. He knows exactly what we need when we need and is always faithful to provide. Not just monetarily,but emotionally and spiritually as well. When I'm having a rough day he always puts someone in my path to remind me how blessed I am. It's funny how it's usually Catie. I think God gave me Catie so I never forget to laugh daily. And for someone with a pretty hardcore history of depression that's huge. What can I say my God is AWESOME <3

    

The De-Fluffing Divas: Going from Fluffy Yet Fine to Fit and Foxy: More Pics from the Sticks

The De-Fluffing Divas: Going from Fluffy Yet Fine to Fit and Foxy: More Pics from the Sticks: Before I start, I just wanted to thank a most fabu person, Liz Mulcahy, for making me feel totally normal.  That is shockingly hard to do.  ...

Queen For A Day!!!

     Women of all ages struggle with their looks. We always seem to be too fat,too short,our nose is too big,and so on. The struggle with that goes so much deeper when the people who are supposed to love you are pointing out your every flaw the entire time you are growing up! It takes so long for those strongholds that The Enemy has placed in your mind to disappear. But luckily God gave me a wonderful support group that has been helping tear them down little by little! Especially my wonderful husband!

     Jan.28th,2012 Some amazing,beautiful,kind,funny,and faithful women made me queen for a day. I had never had so many people surrounding me with love and kindness. It is a day I will never forget! It was definitely something I had never experienced. People watching me showcase different outfits,painting my nails,doing my hair and makeup!! It was absolutely incredible. 

     The best part was the fellowship. I met some strong Christian women that I hope are always gonna be part of my life. I never realized until then how much fun it could be to be surrounded by such awesome women. But even more than fun it was so encouraging. I didn't even know how to handle all the compliments. That's something I've always struggled with. I've never felt worthy of that much attention. 

     I can honestly say that I have made friends for life with these women(Whether they like it or not hehe ;)! I am looking forward to any time I get around these encouraging and i hope to be part of their next makeover. I can't wait to help make someone feel as special as they made me feel!!

Like Mother Like Daughter...So Pretty!

Girl Talk

Look at those contagious smiles!

Before...Love this shirt!

What's a ladies night without a glass of wine?!

Beautiful Anna w/Sweet LuLu!

So Sweet!

Pickin a Nail Color..settled on Passion Fruit

Overwhelmed in the best of ways!!

Look at those Chatty Cathy's!

Gorgeous Aren't They!

What a Pretty Family!

Uh Oh! 1st Time with curlers in!

Wicked Witch lol!

Now That's A Friend!

Work in Progress!!

Curlers Out!

Finished product!

I love Me some LULU!

Look How Handsome My Husband Looks!!