MIA for a while

I have been meaning to blog again for some time, but I just don't sit down at my computer much these days, so I was super excited to find out that they made "an app for that"! Yay! I need to go back and see where we left off so I can see what I need to catch you up on! :) I'm thinking it's our move that I last blogged, but there have been 6 Bdays, Christmas, a big family announcement and Easter since then! Well, I have a lot of typing to do! :D
Here's to hoping this app will keep me blogging! :)

Um. 60 posts behind, maybe

Oops! So much for keeping this New Year's Resolution... :) Hahaha! Okay, I'm fine and soooo thankful to be able to say that the reason I have gotten so behind is because we finished up last years school year, started house hunting and then moved. :) So, my last post was in March, that would make me about 60 posts behind... Eek. :0 I think I'm going to just go from here. We have been in the new house for about 3 weeks now and still have not found the silverware, but we are loving the space. This is our first home to own. We are so blessed.
To name a few things:

1. it is over twice the size of our last one! We went from 1,065 sqft to 2180 sqft!
2. We have 2 bathrooms now, not just one. Thank You, Lord! :)
3. I have a DISHWASHER! Yay! I love it!
4. The Homeschool Closet has upgraded to the Homeschool Room!
5. We have gained a fire place, which I have always wanted!
6. There is a wonderful laundry room!
7. A living and family room, plus 2 dining areas. :D
8. I have a green sink, stove top and oven that are original to the house, which I LOVE!
9. All the bedrooms are soooo roomy. :)
10. Oh, and we also got a pool with the house! :) It's been great with the 100+ weather we've been having! Whew!

I wake up and just look around and feel so blessed to live here. I am so grateful that we didn't buy the 3 other houses that we actually made offers on. This is the one that fits our family. It has everything from both of our lists in it and more. I really hope that this blog doesn't come across as bragging. I have actually never lived in a house that my family actually owned, since my family bought their first home after I went to college, so this is all so exciting to me. :) I will post some pics! :)








So, there are a few pics of the house! :) I have many more, but it just seems to take a little bit to get them on and I MUST sleep! :) Happy Saturday! :) Looking forward to this coming week because the hubby is taking off from work to help get things in order! We're having a "staycation" as they say! ;) Yahoo! I can't wait to find the silverware, the Phonics curriculum, and the pet net hooks! :/ Hahaha! Blessings!

No Sugar/Flour

Last week I decided to cut out all sugar, flour and major starches and did so successfully. It was a dedicated week. I did this with my last two pregnancies, but this was the first time to do this diet when I'm not preggo! :) This diet made me realize how much we're addicted to bread, pasta and sugar! Hahaha! Everything seems a little harder to make that the convenient "normal" things we eat, not to mention the grocery trip at Central Market so that I'm not as tempted to cheat... So, I did great! I am glad that I prepared well for it before hand, though, because I was planning to do the same diet the week before and failed because we didn't get to the store for me to do it, so last week it was. :) I started out thinking "what will I eat?". I quickly remembered several meals that I loved when I was preggo, and jotted them down. It went well, and I did lose 2 pounds, so I guess that was the goal, not to mention I felt better this week as well! ;)

One thing I used to get me through was Agave Nectar, and I'm hearing/reading some controversial info on it! If anyone has any info good and bad, I'd love to know! Thanks! Just trying to use it in moderation right now, but I definitely want to be healthy and if it's not that, then I don't want it! ;) Anyway, I thought I'd post a few pics of some of my yummy meals! :)

Plain Yogurt with vanilla extract, agave nectar and sliced apples



Cottage Cheese with fresh sliced pears


Lentil and Sausage Soup with carrots, celery and onion


Fajita Salad with marinated fajita meat from our butcher


Spinach Noodles with meatsauce


Quinoa with tuna, olives, olive oil and green onions



Homemade Frozen Vanilla Yogurt with almonds and dried cherries


Also, wanted to show the little specials that the hubby and I picked up at my first trip to Anthropologie for my sister's bday! She had been wanting me to get there for forever, and when I walked in I was amazed. :) I decided to get something practical, that way I wasn't getting something that would just clutter my house, but something that I can use and actually needed.
So, here are the pics of my new measuring cups and spoons!





And now, last but NOT least, some pics of the crew. ;)








"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
Psalm 34:8

Thankful for
1. My sister doing the diet with me this time, from 1 1/2 away, but together all the same. ;)
2. Encouraging friends and family (including the kids) for this diet
3. Bible time with the family at night before bed.
4. First words, teeth, cruising... spelling words :)
5. Hearing my two year old say "Thank you Mommy" and then getting to teach him "Thank you God"! :)

Photo Op. :)

This will have to count for last week...? I know. I'm making the rules! ;) So, today I'll just post a pic and then another time this week I'll actually blog! :) Here's to posting, though! :)

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE BALLS

This week I'm going to share a great recipe with you! :)

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE BALLS
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. raw oats (or shredded coconut, almond slivers, or anything you like)
2 Tbsp. room temp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. agave nectar (or honey)
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
A friend told me 2 hours in the fridge, but I did 5 min. (hehe) in the freezer and they are AMAZING!!! :) I put mine on some wax paper on top of a paper plate. Soooo good. Mmmmm!

Let me know how you like them! :)

Next, carpet angels, the hubby's completed socks, and his sweet surprise for me!!! :)




Lee had our marriage license and vows framed as a surprise for me! What a super hubby! :) Love! :)

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Dreamer

What do you do with a dream? When a dream has been dreamed for so long you can't even remember when you started dreaming it, what do you do when you are all grown up and still dreaming about it? It's not a bad dream, or even an unreasonable dream, but it is a hard dream. It is a dream that will take hard work and vision and passion and time. And sometimes its a scary dream. Sometimes you don't want to have the dream anymore. It's much easier and safer not having or living the dream. But, this dream keeps coming back. You wonder if it's really your dream, or a romantic notion that's not really for you, but for someone else who is living the dream. You think about all of the hardships that this dream could entail should it come to fruition, and then wonder if you should ignore it altogether. And then you think about all the people you've told about your dream and wonder what they think about the fact that it IS just still a dream... Do you go on dreaming? Do you try and change your dream? Is this being disloyal to your dream? Maybe the dream was something that you only thought you could pull off, but you're just too weak. Or maybe it's okay to still dream? When you are washing dishes and loading the laundry up, does the dream change anything? You would still be doing these things if you were living "the dream". Do you let the dream go? When it's in God's hands to bring things together for this dream to become a reality, is it a dream given by God, or is it something that is conjured and wanted by self? Even if the dream isn't about material things, is it okay to hold on to the dream? Is this dream something that will be easily accomplished in the next "stage" of my life, when my kids are a little older and less dependent on their Momma entirely?

I will give this dream to God. I will let Him work it into being. I will not waste my time thinking about what could be and lose what is already. That's when a dream should be really scrutinized. It doesn't matter what others are seeing about my dreams and the plans that the Father has for our family. The dream may change some. Dreams are hazy, after all, they have not yet created a memory. I pray that my dreams will take a backseat and that I will not live for some day, but for now! We are not promised tomorrow. We are gifted the now. I pray that I can grasp this and RUN with it. I will still dream, but with open eyes of hope, not with closed eyes of disappointment that things are not moving in my timing. My dream is not what is important, but the dream that God is working is. I'm sure I'm not the only one with these thoughts. Maybe it's my stage of life? :)

Proverbs 16:9
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."

And now some pictures! :)







5 Things I'm Thankful for:
1. The finished sock! :)
2. The matching sock started! :)
3. my crockpot
4. our new abacus for math
5. my vacuum cleaner

Philippians 1:6
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

He is Good

I'm blogging a little later than I typically do, and I'm really tired, but I was thinking about what in the world I would blog about tonight, and I was tempted to just do the fun "Wordless Wednesday" thing that people do, since I've always wanted to do that, but I felt that since I'm only blogging once a week right now, I needed something else, and then I had an idea. I guess I'll have to save the Wordless Wednesday for another day or maybe add it a little later? :) Anyway, my hubby and I were talking last week about a song that came on in the car that I just LOVE! I was telling him about how much I love the lyrics in reference to my relationship with God, but I really try to live the message these words convey in my parenting and how I relate to others. The song is called You Are Good by Kari Jobe, and if you're familiar with her music at all you have probably heard the song. I have been known to blare it at our house and sing it at the top of my lungs, and the kiddos love it! :) Here are the lyrics:

You Are Good
by Kari Jobe
Your kindness leads me to repentance
Your goodness draws me to Your side
Your mercy calls me to be like You
Your favor is my delight
Every day I'll awaken my praise
And pour out a song from my heart
You are good, You are good
You are good, and Your mercy is forever
You are good, You are good
You are good, and Your mercy is forever
Your kindness is forever, Your goodness is forever
Your mercy is forever, Forever

The words to this song soften my heart to the Lord, and that is was I want to be like to my children. I want them to be drawn to obedience to the Lord by my kindness, goodness and mercy, and for them to find favor in my delight in them. I know that they are children and that I have to give myself room, considering that these are attributes of God, but we are called to be like Him. I can pray that the Lord will draw them to Himself, because that is what is more important, but I can also do my best to live in "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" as is stated in Galatians 5:22-23. Of course, the reason this song speaks to me is that I am far from being able to keep myself to these Fruits of the Spirit all the time. It is a daily battle of my will, but it is my prayer that my love of the Lord will be lived out in a way that leads them to Him.
I hope it blesses you the way it does me!



And of course the post would not be complete without some pictures of the chickadees and an update on the progression of the sock I'm knitting for Lee! :)









Grace and Peace.