The Art of Making a Home Joyful - Daily Ramblings

Children's Devotion - Day 4

2008-07-10T10:03:00.002-04:00

Activity: Creation Day 1 and Creation Day 2 coloring pages

Lesson: Chapter 2 (How the World Began) from The Child's Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos

Below the picture of Creation Day 1:
"Let there be light!"

Q: What did God create on the first day?
A: Light

Q: What did God create on the second day?
A: Sky and Water

Children's Devotion - Day 3

2008-07-07T16:18:00.002-04:00

Activity: Angel coloring page

Lesson: Chapter 1 (God Is and Was...continued) from The Child's Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos

Below the picture of the angel:
Good angels live in heaven with God. They love Him.
Ban angels are demons. They are not in heaven. They hate God.

Q: Where do the good angels live?
A: In heaven with God

Q: Do good angels love God?
A: Yes

Q: What are bad agels calld?
A: Demons

Q: Do demons live in heaven?
A: No

Q: Do demons love God?
A: No, they hate Him

Children's Devotion - Day 2

2008-06-20T09:33:00.000-04:00

Activity: Heaven coloring page, hand drawn heart

Lesson: Chapter 1 (God Is and Was...continued) from The Child's Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos

Below the hand drawn picture of the heart:
God is GOOD! All the time!
God is LOVE!

Q: Who made you?
A: God

Q: Why did God make you?
A: To love me

Q: Where does God live?
A: In heaven

Children's Devotions - Day 1

2008-06-20T09:29:00.001-04:00

Activity: Earth coloring page

Lesson: Chapter 1 (God Is and Was) from The Child's Story Bible by Catherine F. Vos

Q: Where do we live?
A: Earth

Q: Who made the Earth?
A: God

Q: Did anyone make God?
A: No

Q: Where is God?
A: Everywhere

Q: What does God know?
A: Everything

I Just Wanna Cry

2008-02-29T12:41:00.000-05:00

12:30pm couldn't come fast enough today. Both girls are down and I finally have some down time to myself. It's been a really rough morning :( I believe that because DearDaughter2 is still in our room she has gotten into the habit of waking up in the middle of the night for some comfort. I usually wait 10 minutes before getting up to get her, but she is a stubborn one and will stay up until I pick her up and nurse her. So, lately, just because it's easier and less stressful, I've just been getting up and nursing DearDaughter2, and then I lay her back in her cradle awake and she usually puts herself back to sleep. Well, last night, DearDaughter2 woke up at 2am, but didn't go back to sleep after I nursed her. She cried. So, I brought her to bed with me, but after 30 minutes of her kicking me and DearHubby, I decided to try to put her back in her cradle again. Needless to say, I only got 3 hours of sleep and I've been up since 2am. DearDaughter2 finally fell asleep around 4:30ish, but even before I could fall back to sleep, the alarm rang for DearHubby and I to get up. Then, this week, DearDaughter1, who normally sleeps until between 7:30/8am started getting up between 6/6:30am this week. As soon as I got DearHubby off to work, DearDaughter1 was up and yelling "Mommy". She yelled so loud that she woke up her baby sister. So, this morning, our house was filled with a lot of grumpy people and it was not nice; 2 fussy little ones and 1 impatient Mommy.

My heart's really been burning because DearHubby took a day off yesterday just because he felt really tired. He slept until about 1pm. The girls were down for their naps when he got up and that's when I decided to get a haircut. I came back when they woke up so I could give DearDaughter2 a feeding and then I went back out again to run 2 short errands. Well, when I came home, a Veggie Tales video was just ending. DearHubby just turned on a video to babysit while I was out. Then, he went back into the bedroom to take another 1 hour long nap before getting up to go the gym.

When DearDaughter2 wouldn't go back to sleep this morning, I got really upset and I hit my pillow a few times because I was just soooooooooo tired. In response, DearHubby told me to take it easy and just because I was tired I didn't have an excuse to get angry. That just caused me to feel angrier inside because I don't ever have an opportunity to just take a day off from being a Mommy and just stay in bed all day long to catch up on my rest. I'm tired every day and despite how I feel I need to do my job.

When DearHubby asked me if he could stay home from work because he felt like he needed the rest, I asked him when do I ever have the opportunity to take a vacation day. In response he told me that I could take a vacation day anytime I wanted to. I just need to ask him to take a day off and he would. So I asked him why he never offered this option to me before and he told me that I never asked. I didn't know that was even an option available.

Anyway, sometimes I feel like DearHubby has selective tiredness or I wonder if there's truly something wrong with him. He literally is in bed all the time and he complains about being sick all the time too. He'll go one week pushing really hard and then it takes him 2 or more weeks to recover. The reason I feel like he has selective tiredness is because I feel like he uses being tired or being sick to excuse himself from his responsibilities here at home. I feel like he sees bringing home the bacon and working on the house renovations and maintenance as his main job and duty for the family while I carry the main responsibility of child-rearing and house keeping. Therefore, if he's taking a break from work and the house, then he's also taking a break from everything else too.

I've addressed this with DearHubby before and all it brings us to is an argument. I've been struggling because I know I was created to be a helpmate to my husband. I just sometimes feel like I'm so alone, especially in the area of childrearing. I guess I just see childrearing as a responsibility for both parents and that I am to help out in the decision making of how we are to raise our children up. Yet, I feel like I make a majority of the decisions. It makes sense for me to do that because I am home full time, but I am also the main parent who seeks out the resources for childrearing. Most everything I pick up to read involves how to raise our children while DearHubby has rarely picked up one resource yet. It seems like he would rather read a motorcycle forum or magazine before picking up a book on how Fathers should lead their family. What I'm finding is that because I feel like I'm doing this alone, my failures as a parent just glares at me and all that's being revealed is just how horrible a Mommy I am, especially when I'm tired and I'm tired all the time (too). Despite efforts to try different tools, I still find myself yelling a lot. There goes buidling up a positive attitude for DearDaughter1. As a result, DearDaughter1 is growing more and more difficult and I often feel that her behavior is a reflection of how I've raised her. On days like this I often wonder why I became a Mommy and I often wonder if we were meant to have more children if I am having such a difficult time with just 2.

Anyway, I'm probably so downcast right now because I am exhausted. I should get a nap, but DearDaughter2 is on our bed and our futon is not the most comfortable to lay on, in fact it gives me a back ache. So, I'm probably just going to stay up and sulk some more.

Maybe since the sun is out, I'll take a drive with the girls when they get up from their nap. Maybe that'll help me feel better.

If there's anyone out there who reads this blog, any advice on how I am to clearly see my role as a helpmate? Am I wrong for feeling angry and alone and if so, how can I bring my thoughts back in alignment to what Scripture says?

February 5, 2008

2008-02-05T20:43:00.000-05:00

I just got done baking chocolate chip cookies and it took me less than an hour to bake 3 1/2 dozen cookies, clean up from dinner, and after my last batch cools, I'll be done with the evening before 9pm. I am just so amazed how much easier things get done when children are not running around. I guess I just "proved" to myself that having children is not an easy job. I guess I thought it was just me going crazy or getting lazy because I am always running out of time, but having children REALLY is work and needs our time.

Anyway, it wasn't a part of my To Do list this week to make chocolate chip cookies, but we don't have any sort of dessert in the house and I wanted something to treat myself with after such a hard day.

I took the girls, with DearDaughter1's best friend and her mom, to a sports gym for little ones and though we were there for only 2 hours, it was a 2 hours packed full of ACTIVITY. DearDaughter1 was so worn out that she instantly fell asleep as soon as her head hit her car seat on the way home. While at the gym, I carried DearDaughter2 in my carrier on my shoulders and I had to keep up with DearDaughter1. I got a workout too and my back killed me.

DearHubby and I were supposed to go to LA Fitness for our first workout, but I am so glad that when he called the gym, they didn't have any openings for a first workout today. Oh, by the way, DearHubby and I joined a gym. We are both in the worse shape of our lives. DearHubby doesn't make enough money to pay for the monthly fees and so he's been driving around our neighborhood looking for scrap metal and then trading them in at the scrap yard for extra money. He was able to make enough for our membership fee and our 1st and last month payment. That's where he is tonight, driving around, seeing if the Lord will bless us to continue with the desire to get healthy.

DearHubby had knee surgery last year and though he's been completely healed, his knee still hurts. He believes it's from the lack of exercise.

DearHubby and I also want to get pregnant again this year, but I told DearHubby that I really need to get physically strong in order to carry another baby and take care of 2 little ones.

In addition, we believe that it's our responsibility to take care of the body in which the Holy Spirit indwells. So, for these reasons, we desire to establish a good exercise routine again.

I used to belong to Curves and I really loved working out there, so much so, that I worked as a personal trainer there for a time. If I could, I would have actually returned there, but they don't have child care.

We chose LA Fitness because it has childcare. In addition, they have a pool, and I love to swim!!! I am excited for our first workout and the opportunity to get fit again! I'm finding that my energy level has just been so blah since I cancelled my Curves membership and so I'm looking forward to having more energy to keep up with the girls.

Aaaahhh! I'm not quite sure why I'm so chatty tonight...

Well, I think my cookies have cooled down and so I'm going to sign off.

In Pursuit of His Call

January 14, 2008

2008-01-14T13:55:00.001-05:00

I had the mild case of the flu this past weekend and I was feeling quite awful with body aches, chills, and sweats. Last night I thought I was over it as I was feeling quite GOOD. However, after doing some chores this morning and I now have a little down time, I am starting to feel bad again. This illness that I had over the weekend was an all around body illness. It wasn't in my sinuses at all and so my breathing was fine. I think with my immune system being down, I now think I have also caught a cold. My eyes have been tired all day and my nose has been quite itchy and I feel a little post nasal drip in my throat. I don't like being sick at all. I took time away from DearHubby's work so that he could watch the girls while I rested. Is that what I have to do again tonight?

Anyway, I've been trying to catch up with some laundry this morning. I got a load in the washer and dryer.

After I end this post, I will be putting toys away and clearing up the kitchen counter.

When the girls get up, we will go and do some shopping. A friend's birthday is coming up in February and I saw bath towels on sale at Target, 4 for $10, this week. I figured that bath towels are a practical gift because everyone always needs bath towels. I'm trying to be practical and frugal at the same time this year with gift giving. I also need to purchase some bins, also on sale at Target, to put my Christmas decorations away. My accent rug in my kitchen is torn up and has needed replacing for some time now. My mother-in-law bought me this accent rug for $30, it's hand braided. Well, there's a similar looking accent rug at Target on sale this week for $6 and I think that's a good deal not to pass up. Lastly, one of our dining room chairs broke last night and needs to be replaced. That's going to be a difficult item to find for cheap. I'm mulling it over in my head whether to replace it today or shop around first. I'm just not looking forward to dragging the girls to different stores, especially since it's so dreary out.

Well, I'll end this post here. Still got lots to do and like I said, I'm starting to feel bad again.

In Pursuit of His Call

January 3, 2007

2008-01-03T13:24:00.000-05:00

I just put DearDaughter1 down for a nap and DearDaughter2 was already asleep and so I'll get just a few minutes to myself...

Today has been quite a full day of just chores around the house.

I had not been consistent about feeding DearDaughter2 any solids since I first started her on them back around November. Things had just been so busy and my breast milk was sustaining her good enough. However, today, I decided that I would try to get in 3 solid feedings a day from now on. She is almost 6 months old and hasn't tasted anything else besides rice cereal yet. By this time, DearDaughter1 was eating many varieties of food and was even starting on the Gerber Finger Foods. I'm not trying to rush DearDaughter2 out of breast feeding. In fact, if I had my way, I'd just solely breast feed. It's soooo much easier. Yet, I think it's good to start consistently feeding her solids now so that she can be weaned by 1 year old. DearHubby and I desire to have our children close in age and we hope that the Lord will bless us again by the time DearDaughter2 turns 1.

On to other exciting news...We got a Christmas package from my DearSister today. She sent the kids some toys. DearDaughter1 got Leap Frog's Word Whammer. Since DearDaughter2 was down for a nap, we haven't opened her gift yet. I promised DearDaughter1 that she could help open up DearDaughter2's gift after her nap. DearSister also sent me an Apple Bee's gift card and DearHubby a Home Depot gift card. That was very thoughtful of her!

Not much else happening around here...Just your ordinary day of chores...DearDaughter2 got a bath today and I'm in the middle of doing laundry.

Later on this afternoon after the girls are up, we're taking a trip to Target to purchase a wedding gift for a couple whose wedding is this weekend. Unfortunately we're unable to attend because we don't have a baby sitter. Apparently, it is impolite to RSVP your kids on a wedding invitation if the invitation is only made out to the husband and wife couple. I didn't know that and I RSVP'd our whole family...Then, 2 weeks ago I received a phone call from the wife-to-be politely saying that we needed to find a babysitter for the kids or else we would need to cancel. Of course, we were a bit offended by the call, but we understood...I then looked up the proper etiquette for invited wedding guests and it is impolite for a guest to request anyone else to come other than the invitees. It is also a polite gesture to give a gift to the couple even if you aren't able to attend the wedding. So, the girls and I will be purchasing a Carafe that's on clearance at Target (one of the most useful wedding gifts I received) and then our whole family is taking it to the groom-to-be's house tonight.

Well, I just wanted to blab a little, but I must go now...I've got lots on my to do list that I haven't even done yet and DearHubby is taking a break from the house work tonight to spend time with the family, so I'm hoping to get my to do list done before he gets home...

In Pursuit of His Call

December 2-8, 2007

2007-12-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

Miracle of the Week: None this Week

Parable of the Week: Wise and foolish builders
Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
(Luke 6:47-49)

Projects of the Week: Clean DearDaughter1's indoor slide, Store my summer & maternity clothes and take out winter clothes, Review budget & pay due bills, Deep dust Living Room area
Bathroom Area of the Week: Bathtub, Toilets

As I look at my to do list for this week, I haven't changed a thing. I got a UTI last week and then caught a cold. So, after my Wednesday luncheon, my work week was null. I took it easy by not doing much except for the minimum daily maintenance chores.

Sunday: The Lord's Day!
Grocery Day (DearHubby and I are still trying to work out a schedule so that we don't have to do groceries on Sunday. It was getting difficult for me to do the groceries alone and so I needed to employ DearHubby's help.)
Monday: Regular Laundry, Dishes, Change out sheets & towels, Toilets, Paperwork
Tuesday: Budget & Bills, Babysit (10am-4pm), Family Pictures
Wednesday: Regular Laundry, Bathtub, Dusting Project, Paperwork, Clean indoor slide
Thursday: Sister Encouraging Sister X-mas Party Planning (1:30pm)
Friday: Regular Laundry, Prepare Cream of Brocolli Soup, Ladies' lunch
Saturday: Clothes project

November 25 - December 1, 2007

2007-11-26T06:52:00.000-05:00

Miracle of the Week: None this Week

Parable of the Week: Wedding banquet
Matthew 22:2-14 (NIV)
2"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

5"But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

13"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

14"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Projects of the Week: Clean DearDaughter1's indoor slide, Store my summer & maternity clothes and take out winter clothes, Review budget & pay due bills, Deep dust Living Room area
Bathroom Area of the Week: Bathtub, Toilets

Sunday: The Lord's Day!
Grocery Day (DearHubby and I are still trying to work out a schedule so that we don't have to do groceries on Sunday. It was getting difficult for me to do the groceries alone and so I needed to employ DearHubby's help.)
Monday: Bible study lesson, Township, Pictures for Girls, Regular Laundry, Dishes, Pay Geico Bill, Purchase smoked Turkey/special bread/tomato/nursing pads/ibuprofen/8" pan/butter/half & half
Tuesday: Budget & Bills, Clean Bathtub, Prepare Cream of Brocolli Soup/Mocha Pudding Cake
Wednesday: Regular Laundry, Bible study, Ladies' lunch
Thursday: Paper work, Clean Toilets, Clean indoor slide, Deep dust, Prepare Cream of Brocolli Soup/Mocha Pudding Cake
Friday: Regular Laundry, Ladies' lunch
Saturday: Clothes project

November 18-24, 2007

2007-11-19T07:06:00.000-05:00

Miracle of the Week: None this Week

Parable of the Week: Watchful servants
Mark 13:34-37 (NIV)
34It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35"Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' "
(Luke 12:35-40)

Projects of the Week: Clean DearDaughter1's indoor slide, Store my summer & maternity clothes and take out winter clothes, ~~Review budget & pay due bills~~, ~~Deep vacuum Living Room area (behind rest of the entertainment system, behind the futon)~~,
Bathroom Area of the Week: ~~Overall Main & Master Bathroom~~

Sunday: The Lord's Day!
Grocery Day (DearHubby and I are still trying to work out a schedule so that we don't have to do groceries on Sunday. It was getting difficult for me to do the groceries alone and so I needed to employ DearHubby's help.)
Monday: Regular Laundry, Dishes, Vacuum, Master Bathroom Cleaning
Tuesday: Budget & Bills
Wednesday: Update the girls' blog, Clean indoor slide, Change sheets and towels, Main Bathroom Cleaning
Thursday: Paper work
Friday: Start next week's Bible study lesson, Regular Laundry, Errand running day
Saturday: Clothes project

November 11-17, 2007

2007-11-12T00:55:00.000-05:00

Miracle of the Week: None this Week

Parable of the Week: Unmerciful servant
Matthew 18:23-35 (NIV)
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

I'm not sure how last week got away from me, but it did. The issue is that the only time I really have to work on chores is right before the girls wake up and the hour in the afternoon when they're down for their afternoon nap. So, last week, my priority was to sort through all the hand me down clothes the girls have gotten, store them, remove all their summer clothes, wash and store them, and then wash all the fall and winter clothes to replace the summer ones. I don't ever remember such an ordeal growing up, however, I also lived in a much more steady climate and we never got hand-me-downs. It's easy to just get rid of old clothes and replace them with new ones. Anyway, this whole ordeal of sorting, washing, and storing clothes took up all of my free time when the girls were down and the rest of the time was used to just maintain the minimal daily chores I could get away with. I hope the Lord will give me the opportunity to get more caught up in my house work as well as the opportunity to go to Bible study this week. I missed out on our last Bible study because I felt a need to stay home since I was behind again on house work. May the Lord help me serve Him better in my home by getting the feeding I need at church.

Projects of the Week: ~~Sort through DearDaughter1's birthday gifts and find a spot for them~~, Clean DearDaughter1's indoor slide, Store my summer & maternity clothes and take out winter clothes, ~~Review budget & pay due bills~~, ~~September/October/November birthday cards (send Thanksgiving cards)~~, Deep vacuum Living Room area (behind rest of the entertainment system, behind the futon),
Bathroom Area of the Week: Overall Master Bathroom, ~~Toilets~~, ~~Bathtub~~

Sunday: The Lord's Day!
Grocery Day (DearHubby and I are still trying to work out a schedule so that we don't have to do groceries on Sunday. It was getting difficult for me to do the groceries alone and so I needed to employ DearHubby's help.)
Monday: Finish Bible Study Lesson, Regular Laundry, Dishes, Vacuum, Toilets, Pick up Pictures from JC Penny
Tuesday: Budget & Bills, Hair cut
Wednesday: Bible study, lunch with Encouraging Sister, Wal-Mart run to purchase extra items
Thursday: Paper work, DearDaughter1's birthday gift project, Change sheets and towels, Master Bathroom Cleaning
Friday: Regular Laundry, Birthday cards, Deep vaccuum project
Saturday: Bathtub

November 4-10, 2007

2007-11-05T14:16:00.000-05:00

Miracle of the Week: None this Week

Parable of the Week: Unfruitful fig tree
Luke 13:6-9 (NIV)
6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'

8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

Projects of the Week: Sort through DearDaughter1's birthday gifts and find a spot for them, Clean DearDaughter1's indoor slide, ~~Sort through/wash/store DearDaughter1 & 2 clothes~~, Store my summer clothes and take out winter clothes, Review budget & ~~pay due bills~~, September/October/November birthday cards (send Thanksgiving cards), Deep vacuum Living Room area (behind rest of the entertainment system, behind the futon),
Bathroom Area of the Week: Overall Master Bathroom, Toilets

October 28-November 3, 2007

2007-10-29T07:35:00.000-04:00

Miracle of the Week: None this Week

Parable of the Week: Two sons
Matthew 21:28-32 (NIV)
28"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

29" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.

31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered.

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Projects of the Week: ~~Complete Clearing out laundry room~~, ~~Catch up with paperwork~~, Deep vacuum Living Room area (behind rest of the entertainment system, behind the futon), ~~Surface dust Living Room area~~, ~~prepare for DearDaughter1's 2nd birthday party~~
Bathroom Area of the Week: ~~Overall Main Bathroom~~ (surface cleaned only)

October 21-27, 2007

2007-10-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Miracle of the Week: None this Week

Parable of the Week: Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV)
1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Projects of the Week: ~~Clear out laundry room~~, ~~Catch up with paperwork~~, Deep vacuum Living Room area (~~behind the piano~~, ~~under the dining table~~, ~~behind the entertainment system~~, behind the futon)
Bathroom Area of the Week: ~~Bathtub~~, ~~Toilets~~

October 14-20, 2007

2007-10-15T06:39:00.000-04:00

Miracle of the Week: Lazarus
John 11:1-44 (NIV)
1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

7Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

8"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

16Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

Jesus Comforts the Sisters 17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.

35Jesus wept.

36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead 38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

43When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

Parable of the Week: Ten pounds
Luke 19:12-27 (NIV)
12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'

14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'

17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'

19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'

20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'

22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'

25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'

26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me."

Projects of the Week: Clear out laundry room, ~~Catch up with paperwork~~, Deep vacuum Living Room area (behind the piano, under the dining table, behind the entertainment system, behind the futon)
Bathroom Area of the Week: ~~Overall Master Bathroom~~

The Fly Wars Continue...

2007-10-08T06:51:00.000-04:00

So we were gone all day yesterday and when we returned home there was a swarm of flies covering our bay window. I had a roast in the crock pot and I am assuming that's what attracted the flies. Well, I now know that they're getting in through the exposed part of our house from our ongoing construction project. I completely forgot that there is still areas in the house that's not covered yet because DearHubby hasn't work on the siding installation. Well, I killed a few dozen flies and then DearHubby took over. As we got to the end of our killings, the bay window sill was just covered with flies. So, I told DearHubby to vacuum them up. It was then that we discovered a new fly killing weapon, our hand held vacuum cleaner. DearHubby must have sucked up another half dozen with those things. I just hope they die off in there before they produce a fly army. I can't wait until the winter time when all the bugs die off!

October 7-13, 2007

2007-10-08T06:34:00.000-04:00

Miracle of the Week: Widow at Nain's son
Luke 7:11-17 (NIV)
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son 11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."

14Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" 15The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." 17This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

Parable of the Week: Tares and wheat
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (NIV)
24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'

28" 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'

29" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "

36Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."

37He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Projects of the Week: ~~Entry-way~~, Clear out laundry room, ~~Catch up with paperwork~~, ~~Thank You Notes for DearDaughter2's gifts~~
Bathroom Area of the Week: ~~Toilets~~, ~~Overall Main Bathroom~~

Catching Flies...

2007-10-06T07:32:00.000-04:00

I don't know what it is about our house that attracts the flies, but it does. It seems like every time some one walks in and out of the house, a fly or two comes in. Well, I normally don't like catching flies because I can never do it and I feel like I waste time when I attempt the feat and so I usually just leave it to DearHubby to get them for me. This morning, I finally just got so grossed out by them because they kept flying around and landing on ME. YUCK!!! So, I think I discovered the secret to catching flies! You come up to them as slowly and closely as you can. Then, with a quick flick of your wrist, you snap the fly swatter and kill the sucker!!! I think I caught about 5 already this morning and I'm prepared for battled if I see more

July 18, 2007

2007-07-18T20:16:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.” (Psalm 119:7)

July 17, 2007 (Weekend Recap)

2007-07-17T19:56:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)

FRIDAY:
- Completed going through our budget (which took most of the day)
- Picked up construction permit for baby room construction

SATURDAY:
- Mother-Daughter Day
- DearHubby spends day with a DirtBikeBuddy helping him clean and assemble his motor

SUNDAY:
- Church
- Lunch
- Grocery shopping - I usually do my grocery shopping on Monday, but the weather man predicted hot temperatures and high humidity and I didn't want to go through that with DearDaughter at almost 39 weeks into my pregnancy. So, DearHubby took a nap while DearDaughter napped and I ate lunch, made my grocery list, and went shopping.
- Napped
- Prepared dinner - dinner
- Rested

MONDAY:
- Exercise
- Washed Little One's clothes

TUESDAY:
- OB appointment
- Went to Rita's to get me a chocolate-chocolate Misto shake and a soft pretzel

My days have been really slow and I've been able to take more advantage of this time to just spend it with DearDaughter and enjoy these last few days I have with her all to myself!

July 16, 2007

2007-07-16T20:35:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)

July 13, 2007 (Recap of this week thus far)

2007-07-13T06:41:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)

MONDAY:
- Grocery shopping
- Spent the rest of the afternoon outside with DearDaughter

TUESDAY:
- Paperwork day
- Power outage @ 1:30pm...Power returned @ 5:15pm...Got 3 bags of ice & transferred refrigerated food to coolers...

WEDNESDAY:
- Washed hardwood floors
- Meal delivered and a visit by a church friend
- Fetal weight ultrasound...Baby measured 7lbs 11oz
- Wal-Mart trip to purchase 5 boxes of crayons on sale for $0.20/box, stickers for DearDaughter, a medicine dropper for Little One, new straw sippy cup for DearDaughter, & miscellaneous
- It rained while getting ready to swim...I cleand bathroom and laundry room instead
- DearHubby receives a call that the permit for the baby room construction is ready
- Continued working on budget

THURSDAY:
- Dusted living room
- Visit with a DearFriend
- Called another DearFriend to make plans for Saturday childcare if I go into labor then
- Laundry
- Deposited $ my mom sent for our Little One
- Swim

July 12, 2007

2007-07-12T19:53:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:10)

July 11, 2007

2007-07-11T20:22:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

July 10, 2007

2007-07-10T20:09:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

July 9, 2007 (Weekend Recap)

2007-07-09T20:47:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Imagine waking up to a toilet that didn't flush...Then, imagine turning on the sink faucet and no water flows out...

That's what happened to me on Saturday morning and I thought, "great, just one more thing added to our list of concerns, our well has gone dry." We had just spent several hundred dollars certifying our septic system because when it was installed 6 years ago, the installers dropped the ball and didn't get it approved. Then, we had also just spent another couple hundred dollars getting our water filtration system checked out. Lastly, we just spent another several hundred dollars cleaning out our septic tanks. Our last big concern was the pump on our septic system that didn't seem to be pumping our waste into our leech field and if that needed replacing, it would have been another several hundred dollars for that. DearHubby hasn't checked out the pump himself yet, so that's a pending project. So, when no water flowed out of the sink faucet, I just felt very anxious about another issue being added to our growing list of concerns.

We had absolutely no water in the house except for the 1 gallon I saved for an emergency situation and as I thought about all our water needs, I thought, 1 gallon is not going to provide 1 day's worth of water...

Yet, for some reason, though I was anxious on the one hand, I was so at peace on the other hand. Every time DearHubby and I seem like we're in a bind and think we have no way out, our good and gracious God provides a way out for us. Therefore, this peace inside came from knowing just what God is able to do.

Well, the anxious side of me or the concerned side of me just couldn't lay around and do nothing. The least I could do is get us a day's supply of water and when DearHubby got up we could discuss what our plan of action would be if our well really did run dry. It was about 5:30am, I got out of bed, got dressed, and headed to Wal-Mart. I purchased 12 1 gallon jugs of drinking water and 24 20oz bottles of drinking water. I thought that the 15 gallons was enough to at least get us 2 or 3 toilet bowl flushes, a few sponge baths, and all the dishes washed. I also bought a dish tub and got us a 2 Liter Pepsi and a gallon of ice cream for comfort's sake.

So, I got home and decided to start my day. My first task, to attack the dishes that I left undone from the day before. With the exception of camping, I had never done the dishes without running water before. It was quite an experience. I don't have a dishwasher so I'm used to doing the dishes by hand. However, as I wash the dishes, I normally just keep the water running through the whole process and take our running water for granted. Well, I knew I didn't have much water to do the dishes and so I had to be very conservative with it. I used about 1/4 gallon for washing and soaping. I used another gallon for a rinse in the dish tup. I used another 3/4 gallon for a final rinse. So, in total, I was able to do all my dishes with 2 gallons of water. It made me appreciate our running water soooooo much.

Well, right after I got done with the dishes, DearHubby woke up. He immediately went to the basement to check out the pump and found that the switch had just rusted and needed a little cleaning. It turned right back on and we had running water again.

What a test and I praise God that He didn't allow my anxiety get to me. Instead, He poured out His peace over me and allowed me to trust in His immeasurable grace. I was also able to be patient and allow DearHubby the rest he needed while coming up with a solution to help myself get some tasks at home completed. And, although it wasn't necessary for me to get all the water that I did, we decided afterwards that it was still a good idea to have gotten the water because if a real emergency situation ever did occur, we'd already be ready. So all went well and there was no break in marital harmony over this. What a huge accomplishment for DearHubby and I...

Brief recap of Thursday-Sunday:
Thursday:
- Last Chiropractic appointment in the pregnancy...Hooray!!!
- Got a call from OB/GYN office informing me that my fetal weight utra-sound will be on the 17th...I thought that was a little too late
- Went to Wal-Mart to purchase more supplies for baby announcements
- Started my laundry for the week

Friday:
- Called back OB/GYN office and was very firm in getting an ultra-sound appointment earlier...It's scheduled for Wednesday, the 11th
- Took a trip to Target to purchase a gift for a friend's new baby
- DearHubby surprised me by asking me out on a date to Fuddrucker's for dinner
- Transferred money from our Home Equity account to our bank account to make up for the money spent in paying off balloon mortgage

Saturday:
- Mailed off baby gift
- Spent the rest of the day with DearDaughter
- Finished off my laundry for the week

Sunday:
- Sunday School (baby dedication class) & church
- Lunch then nap
- Took DearDaughter for a drive to a gold medal bakery, bought a chocolate cheesecake pie for our family and a couple of pastries for a friend DearDaughter and I planned to visit on the way home...They weren't home, so we saved the trip for Monday
- When DearHubby awoke from his nap he mentioned going to Stewart's for dinner, a drive-in restaurant, but when he discovered I spent some money on dessert, we decided against going out and just had our leftover spaghetti from the evening before

July 6, 2007

2007-07-06T20:08:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 18:30)

July 5, 2007 (July 4th Recap)

2007-07-05T06:27:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“In that day you will say: \"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4)

It was a quiet day at OurHome on July 4th, 2007. The day started and ended as ordinary as ordinary can be.

DearHubby worked on cleaning up the garage. He started that project immediately after breakfast. He got lots accomplished! He cleared out an entire bay in our GarageMahal of a garage and tore down a wall to make his working area bigger. He even had the opportunity to take DearDaughter off my hands for a short time as he had to run out for an errand.

I was able to get many things done too. I exercised in the morning. Then, gave DearDaughter a bath. Throughout the day I was able to complete 2 loads of laundry, clean the bathtub, do the dishes, change the sheets and towels, shop for a set of new towels and sheets for my parents' visit here in a few weeks, and complete 20 baby announcements.

DearDaughter's day was also very ordinary. The only difference was that she got to see and spend time with DaDa a few more times than she normally does on a weekday, which made her happy.

Needless to say, though it was a very ordinary day, it was very productive. We had talked about going to the local high school to watch their fireworks display, but decided to stick to DearDaughter's normal bedtime routine. I cooked dinner as normal and then DearHubby and I were able to just enjoy a quiet time with one another after setting DearDaughter down for bed. I asked DearHubby earlier in the day to be done with his work before dinner so that we could spend some time together after dinner. We watched James Bond's Casino Royale and then headed off to bed. Time together has been quite rare lately and it was nice to just spend an evening together like that.

Well, I briefly saw the news as I turned off the TV and apparently firework displays were cancelled in our area anyway because of heavy rain and/or heavy winds. Therefore, I am glad that DearHubby and I didn't feel like we had to have an "all out" 4th of July celebration. Sometimes plain and ordinary can be just as fun (and less stressful).

Brief recap of Monday and Tuesday:
MONDAY:
- Groceries
- Went to the Post Office to purchase 100 stamps for baby announcements
- Back really in rough shape

TUESDAY:
- Paperwork day
- Followed up with septic company about septic pump. No one answered the phone and I left a voice message.
- Tried to make it into the city to have lunch with DearHubby, but it took so long to get DearDaughter together that on the way to the city I turned around and bought myself and DearDaughter lunch at Wendy's instead
- Purchased envelopes, another roll of ribbon, and other miscellaneous items in preparation for Little One #2's arrival
- Finally submitted applications to the Township for Baby Room construction (this was held up due to waiting for the Board of Health's approval of the addition)
- 37th week OB appointment

July 4, 2007

2007-07-04T20:06:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

July 3, 2007 (Recap of Last Week)

2007-07-03T12:40:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

MONDAY:
- Groceries

TUESDAY:
- Paperwork day
- Registered Wachovia account with NFCU to make external transfers
- Followed up with Spacebag issue
- Mailed off check to Fifth Third to pay off balloon mortgage. Sent it through registered mail, may not make it in time, July 1st. Called Fifth Third and they were not willing to change the good through date and we'll have to pay what ever interest is accrued after July 1st.
- 36th Week OB appointment

WEDNESDAY:
- Exercised
- Septic tank cleaned. Paid twice more than expected because the septic guy dug up the second tank and found that it was 3/4 full. He also said there was an overflow of solids in it. Lastly, he checked out the pump and said that it wasn't working and that nothing has been pumped to our field for a few months now. It could just be a float issue or a pump issue. If the pump needs to be replaced, it could be between $800-$900. DearHubby is willing to go down into the septic tank himself to fix the pump. The reason the septic alarm didn't sound is because it was on "Silent" mode.

WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY:
- Focused on preparing for Little One #2's arrival.

THURSDAY:
- DearHubby went in for his second interview with a company that seemed interested in him. They will be making their decision next Monday and should be informing him soon.
- Went to the mall to pick up DearDaughter's 18th month pictures

FRIDAY:
- Exercised in the morning
- Followed up with Board of Health approval for addition. After the phone call, I found their approval in the mail.
- Followed up with the township about the fence requirement around the swimming pool. DearHubby said that the water in our pool cannot go above 24" and so we should meet the requirements about not needing a fence. Pools above 24" need a fence.

SATURDAY:
- Tried to mail off DearDaughter's 18th month pictures, but got a phone call from a DearFriend and spoke to her while parked in the parking lot of the post office. When I got inside there was a huge line and I decided to just leave and return another day.

SUNDAY:
- Sunday School & Church
- I took a little nap then took a drive with DearDaughter until dinner time

Some time last week I also picked up more pictures that I got printed for DearDaughter's scrapbooking project. Because of financial constraints I am only considering printing up to 3 months old for now. At most, I will print up to 6 months old. I have not actually touched the actual scrapbook since the week before because of preparing for Little One #2's coming.

July 2, 2007

2007-07-02T20:07:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

June 29, 2007

2007-06-29T20:16:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.” (Psalm 138:8)

June 28, 2007

2007-06-28T20:24:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Prayer for DearHubby's Interview

2007-06-28T12:18:00.001-04:00

Dear God,
You are faithful and good! We thank you for this opportunity that DearHubby has for a return interview. We pray that you be with him as he meets with 3 different interviewers today. We ask that DearHubby would represent his abilities well and that the interviewers would have an open mind to DearHubby's experience. We pray for your will to be done with regards to the whole job situation. Give us wisdom to do your will.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

June 27, 2007

2007-06-27T20:03:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)

June 26, 2007

2007-06-26T20:32:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18)

June 25, 2007 (Recap of Last Week)

2007-06-25T06:24:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:24)

MONDAY:
- Groceries in the morning.
- Folded laundry in the afternoon.

TUESDAY:
- Exercised in the morning.
- Paperwork & budget day, nothing too exciting...
- Determined how to attack Picture Challenge.
- DearHubby unclogged sink for me. The clogged sink really stunk up the house. It smells much better

WEDNESDAY:
- Laundry, sheets & towels.
- Chiropractic appointment...New office layout, VISA card machine down, still owe $15.
- Trip to Wal-Mart to purchase food for Thursday's meal delivery.
- Worked on Picture Challenge.

THURSDAY:
- 3 hour glucose tolerance test in the morning.
- Meal delivery in the afternoon.
- Trip to post office to mail miscellaneous cards & letters.
- DearHubby followed up on Balloon Mortgage Payoff letter. Was informed that the letter was sent off, but to call back if not received by Friday.
- Worked on Picture Challenge.

FRIDAY:
- Exercised in the morning.
- Cleaned Main Bathroom.
- Finished up the week's laundry.
- Ultra-sound, 11am.
- Trip to Wal-Mart to purchase food for the weekend. Dropped off DearDaughter's 1st Month pictures for development.
- Baked brownies for the weekend.
- Received Payoff Letter from Fifth Third.
- Worked on Picture Challenge.

SATURDAY:
- A morning at the zoo. Came home after lunch.
- Trip to Michael's to purchase paper for LittleOne2's Welcome party "SAVE the Date", photo box for Picture Challenge, ink pad for baby stamp for announcements, a rubber ducky to replace the one DearDaughter lost.
- Trip to Hometown video to rent Curious George (DearDaughter's first movie rental), Pursuit of Happyness, You Me and Dupree.
- DearHubby worked out in garage the rest of the day until about 9pm.

SUNDAY:
- Sunday school and church.
- Trip to the shore, Ocean City.

June 22, 2007

2007-06-22T20:22:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:7-8)

June 21, 2007

2007-06-21T20:21:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)

June 20, 2007

2007-06-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)

June 19, 2007

2007-06-19T20:18:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,” (Ephesians 5:25-26)

June 18, 2007 (Recap of Last Week)

2007-06-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;” (Psalm 103:13)

MONDAY:
- Did chores in the morning and groceries in the afternoon.
- Back was really in bad shape after doing groceries.

TUESDAY:
- Exercised and did chores in the morning.
- DearDaughter had her 18th month well check-up appointment. She didn't cry at all, even when she got 2 shots.
- Back was again in bad shape after running out.
- DearHubby informed me of job related news that wasn't too good. DearHubby begins looking for job.

WEDNESDAY:
- Paperwork and budget. Called Fifth Third Bank to inquire about Payoff Amount. Was informed that a Payoff letter would be received within 2-3 business days (by the weekend or early the next week).
- Belated and current birthday cards.
- Back not doing too bad.

THURSDAY:
- OB appointment. Need to take 3 hour glucose tolerance test again.
- Ran to Wal-Mart to pick up Father's Day cards.
- Ran to the post office to mail birthday cards, presents, & Father's day cards.
- Back hurting again after runnint errands.
- DearHubby receives phone call for a job interview, but misses the opportunity to set it up.

FRIDAY:
- A last gathering brunch with friends before I deliver DearDaughter2. One DearFriend gave me 2 trash bags full of maternity clothes. Tried them on when I got home. Most of the tops were too big, but there were lots of cute bottoms so I kept most of the bottoms. Will return the rest of clothes.
- DearDaughter1's 18 month old portrait appointment at JC Penny's.
- Back not doing well. Got us some take-out teriyaki chicken for dinner from the mall.
- DearHubby sets up job interview for Tuesday, June 19th @ 3pm.

SATURDAY:
- VBS workday from 8 to noon.
- Haircut after lunch.
- Birthday BBQ in the city.
- Back not doing too bad.

SUNDAY:
- Sunday school, church.
- Lunch.
- Made lasagna, homemade brownies, garlic bread, and salad for DearHubby's Father's Day dinner (he didn't want to do anything fancy).

We have not heard back from the Board of Health concerning our addition application.

June 15, 2007

2007-06-15T20:30:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son delights in him.” (Proverbs 23:24)

June 14, 2007

2007-06-14T20:29:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,” (Philippians 3:20)

June 13, 2007

2007-06-13T20:15:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13)

June 12, 2007

2007-06-12T20:13:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“[For the director of music. A psalm of David.] The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2)

June 11, 2007 (Weekend Recap)

2007-06-11T12:13:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

Have you ever felt like a huge burden has been lifted off your shoulders?

This is my second pregnancy and somehow, the time of it just seemed to really fly by. I am already 33 weeks along and in a couple days will be 34 weeks along. If DearDaughter2 will be arriving the same time as DearDaughter1, I only have 4 weeks before she does so. Well, when I was pregnant with DearDaughter1, I don't remember feeling quite as anxious as I have been feeling with this pregnancy. I remember that I was very focused on taking care of my spiritual and physical self and I even had the opportunity to spend time with DearDaughter1, praising God together, even while she was in the womb. With this pregnancy, I have not had any of the opportunity to do most of the things I did during my first pregnancy, and for the past few weeks, I have been quite overwhelmed with the condition of my home. As I transitioned into Mommyhood this past 1 1/2 years, I let a lot of my household duties slide by the wayside. By about October of last year, I started to feel the burden of these household duties catching up with me, which is why I started this blog. I needed a way to keep myself accountable to my household duties and writing is one way that does that. My first few posts on this blog was all about setting up a routine and as I've posted through the months, I've posted many updates about the condition of my home, especially with organizational projects I've been working on. The biggest projects that put a lot of weight on my shoulders were my laundry room, my master bedroom, and the overall condition of my living room. Well, on Friday, May 8th, I got 99% of all these projects completed! I just have a few minor details to address, but I am relieved to say that I finally feel "ready" for another little one to enter our home. The concept that really helped me the most was Laura's concept, from I'm an Organizing Junkie, of the 30-Day Organizational Challenge. Giving myself 30 days to organize a room/area really helped motivate me to get the job done. The time was long enough to give me the opportunity to plan the project and get it done the way I wanted to, but it was short enough to push me to get the job done. I think the fact that I also knew I only had a short amount of time before DearDaughter2 arrives helped motivate me to meet my deadlines. So, now I feel this huge burden has been lifted off of my shoulders.

My next project I'd like to work on is DearDaughter1's scrapbook. I will start that this week. I started it awhile back, but only got to finishing week 2. My goal is to document the first 4 weeks in detail and then do a page per month. My deadline is to get up to date with this scrap book in 30 days.

Anyway, here's a quick re-cap on this weekend:
THURSDAY:
- The inspector from the Board of Health was pleased with the progress on our pit issue and said that if the pit was filled by the end of the weekend, he would close the case.
- Had a wonderful walk/lunch date with a DearFriend. We met at the beginning of a walking path and walked for 30 minutes. Then, she took me to a local amish farmer's market. It was a lot of fun as they had their annual pig roast. We also strolled around the market, looking at all the neat stuff that was brought down from Lancaster, PA. Then, we had our girls play outside on the swing sets for awhile.
- Drove around a little to give DearDaughter a little nap, then went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few items for my living room project.

FRIDAY:
- Straightened and prepared the house for our laundry room addition by 8:30am. The appointment was set between 8:30am and 1pm and I was glad that the 3 inspectors showed up at 8:39am. We passed the building and plumbing inspection, but failed the electrical. However, the inspector was very nice and gave me his personal phone number so that DearHubby could call him to find out how things need to be fixed to pass the inspection.
- All inspections done by 9am and since the house was already straightened up for the day, I decided to go to the local thrift store, one that I had never been to before. I found 3 new outfits for DearDaughter and 1 cute tank for her friend, all for $5. Then, I found a used Kitchen toy set for $15. Total spent was $20. Great deal!!!
- I spent the rest of the day playing and enjoying time with DearDaughter!!!

SATURDAY:
- Baked raspberry streusel for breakfast and had breakfast with DearHubby.
- Cleaned the bathroom.
- Had lunch with DearHubby and then went to the mall to pick up some items at Michael's for a hand craft birthday gift that I'm making for my mother in law. Also bought a small stamp set for $1 to make birth announcements with. Checked out Old Navy's clearance rack, but no good finds. Headed to Bath & Body Works to grab me a replacement tube of Wild Honeysuckle anti-bacterial lotion. They were having their annual clearance sale and I bought 3 tubes for $10. I saved $0.67/bottle.
- Worked on my birthday craft for my mother in law, had dinner, then cleaned up the house a bit, then rested.

SUNDAY:
- Went to Sunday School and church.
- Stopped by Wal-Mart because we ran out of bread.
- Had lunch with DearHubby.
- Baked my weekly dessert, Rustic Carrot Cake.
- Dinner, read books, then bed.

Good weekend!!!

Not sure why I fretted and was overwhelmed with things. This weekend, with the passing of the pit inspection, the passing of 2 of the 3 inspections for our addition, and the completion of my projects, was just a great reminder of how God knows the burdens in our hearts, and how God helps us address them. Rather than fretting and being overwhelmed, I should have the peace in my heart and to be still in it and KNOW that God is God!!!

June 8, 2007

2007-06-08T20:12:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.” (Habakkuk 3:19)

June 7, 2007

2007-06-07T06:16:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” (Psalm 90:2,4)

It's been a full week. As I mentioned last week, I discovered that sitting causes my back to go out on me and so as much as possible, I've been standing for 95% of the day since last Thursday. The strategy has worked and as much as possible I try to stay active on my feet. Even though my legs get tired it still beats not being able to do anything because of pain down my back and into my legs, which prevents me from walking.

Here's a quick recap:
FRIDAY:
- Went to 32 week OB appointment. It was scheduled for 11:15. I was 15 minutes late. I didn't get out of there until about 2:30pm. Given consent form for VBAC and I was informed that I am not a highly favorable candidate for the procedure. I'm thinking about getting a second opinion from another practice.
- Rushed to the grocery store and then home to prepare a meal to bring over for dinner at a friend's house. While I was gone on Thursday, DearHubby made dinner plans with some friends and "surprised" me with it and told them we'd bring dinner. It made for a rushed and difficult day because I hadn't planned on it. Nonetheless, it was a good visit.

SATURDAY:
- Made semi-homemade cinnamon buns and had them for breakfast with DearHubby.
- Packed up for the day and left to visit a friend 2 hours north. Arrived there around 1pm and stayed there until about 5:30pm. Nice visit, but DearFriend's son kept trying to hug DearDaughter and then kept pushing DearDaughter around. DearDaughter was frightened by him and didn't have as nice of a visit until the end when they started playing nicely with each other. Arrived home about 7pm, rushed home, and picked up Chicken parmesan for dinner. Another late night for DearDaughter and another tiring day for Mommy.

SUNDAY:
- Went to church then rested at home.

MONDAY:
- Changed up routine because it was raining. I caught up with chores that I didn't get done last week and then I asked DearHubby to watch DearDaughter for me when he got home so that I could do groceries. I think I like doing groceries without DearDaughter. It took less time overall and I had help when I got home. What usually takes me about 4 hours only took about 2 1/2.

TUESDAY:
- DearDaughter not feeling very well and was very clingy and fussy all day. I was able to exercise and able to get my chores done and still take a trip to the Township to pick up our permit for the final inspection to our laundry room addition. The final inspections are scheduled for Friday.
- Bad news from the Township...More money, time, and labor needs to be spent on our home. We have one of those inflatable pools that doesn't seem like such a big deal, but as I walked into the Township, there was a huge sign that said "ALL POOLS HIGHER THAN 24" MUST HAVE A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT", meaning a fence needs to be around it.
- While on the road, I picked up some prescriptions for DearHubby and then got me a little treat from Dunkin' Donuts, Decaf Hazelnut Iced Coffee.

WEDNESDAY:
- Had a chiropractic appointment.
- While out, I went to Wal-Mart to purchase some items for my Personal 30 Day Living Room Organizational Project.
- DearDaughter very sick, fever of 100.3 (at least that's all she could sit still for), and very watery eyes, and runny nose. Took 3 naps vs her 1 nap. Overall behavior not too bad though.
- Went out to Target after DearDaughter's main nap to purchase more items for Living Room Project. I'm trying to get the house organized and easy to manage before LittleOne2 arrives so that I don't have to spend much time concerned with household management while I'm learning to deal with 2 little ones. Unfortunately, all this time I'm spending getting the house prepared is taking time away from DearDaughter, which makes me quite sad.

TODAY:
I have a "date" with a DearFriend. We're going for a walk and then to a farmer's market for lunch and to just browse. Later on I will be heading to Wal-Mart to purchase just a few more items for the Living Room Project. Since the Living Room is not too cluttered, I think I can actually finish this project by the end of the week. I think the next project I'd like the concentrate on then is to go as far as I can on DearDaughter's scrap book. I'm only on her 1st month and she's already 18 months. It'll be that much more work once I have 2 little ones' scrapbook to keep up with.

One reason I like recording about my days is because it helps me see how I am evolving and changing as a person. One thing that I have been learning through all this is that I am never in control. This is seen through the surprise plans that my husband has brought on me, the obstacles that we've run into with the Board of Health and Township concerning the baby room, and even the obstacles that I face every day with DearDaughter. I've discovered that I am an angry person, but I don't have to react that way. Through all this, God has shown me just how unworthy I am and yet he was gracious and merciful enough to still give me eternal life with Him through Jesus Christ. I thank God for what He has done. Through all this, it is God changing me, and I trust that it is a change for me to be like his beloved Son, who is eternally God.

June 6, 2007

2007-06-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

June 5, 2007

2007-06-05T20:13:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

June 4, 2007

2007-06-04T20:11:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)

May 31, 2007

2007-05-31T22:09:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

May 30, 2007

2007-05-30T20:35:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:4)

May 29, 2007

2007-05-29T20:05:00.000-04:00

Verse of the Day:
“But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children- with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” (Psalm 103:17-18)