Week of Visits

We've had a busy week! I had Amy come last Sunday. Then we had two families from our church come over for games last night, then tonight, my friend Kristie came over for a visit. We had a great time. I got to meet her son, Noah. He is adorable! Big brown eyes and gorgeous skin! He was so good. I think the only time I heard him get fussy was right before they left. It was past his bedtime.
Motherhood is hard. Can I get a holla? Kristie and I were discussing some of the things we have to deal with when we enter motherhood. I guess I had the romantic idea of how things would be before I had kids. I just assumed that my kids would never misbehave. And, if they did, I would immediately catch it and punish them severely.......Can anyone relate? It's so different when they are your children. Emotions cloud your judgement. Everything changes when you have a little person to care for 24 hours a day. I appreciate my down time. I wish I had more of it, sometimes. At first, for me, it seemed like I was giving up so much of my freedom. I now realize it has just made me appreciate it. I took it for granted. Young blog readers, value the time you have before children. It's so precious. Having children is precious, too, but it's a job where you never clock out, and you don't get paid. The time I have with my children is treasured and I don't regret my decision to have them, but I do look forward to a time with more freedom again.

However, I read with Michael tonight, and it's so sweet to just snuggle on the bed with him and listen to him get into the books we read. Those are the moments I will miss when I have my freedom back.

Lauren Rides!

I can't wait to say Lauren rides, again! Yesterday, Amy, a good friend from our church, told me she would be working with her horses and if I wanted to bring Lauren by, she would let her ride. I kept this info from Lauren just in case it rained. I knew it wouldn't go over well if I wasn't able to take her. I have never seen her so comfortable! She was totally in her element. Normally, she is a bit timid with new things, but this, for her, was just like second nature. She even asked Amy if she could go faster. She told her she wanted to gallop! I don't know what it is about her having a passion for something, but it fills my heart with overflowing joy to see her enjoy something sooooo much. I wonder if God feels the same way about us when we are using the gifts He has given us. Just some food for thought.......

Old Friends Reunited

My friend, Amy, who I have known since age four, came for a visit this past weekend. We had a great time. We haven't seen each other since we were nine years old! It's funny how it seemed as though we had never been apart. It was fun to catch up and I hope we can do it again soon. It's been wonderful to be reunited with a friend who is a believer. Our fellowship was sweet and our friendship is one that will carry on into eternity. Isn't that awesome?

Soccer Season

Eric is coaching Michael's soccer team this year. He is so good with the kids. I can't wait until the games start.
We will have good water running to our house very soon! I can't wait. No more staining and iron in the water. It will be nice to be able to drink water right from the tap. I can't wait to take a shower and not come out smelling like metal! I can't wait to be able to run the dishwasher and the clothes washer at the same time! I can even give the kids a bubble bath! Our water doesn't allow soap to lather! It's been very frustrating! Eric is seen here digging the trench to the house to run the water and electric lines. What a chore that was! I know he will be glad when all this is over.

Lightning stinks

Okay, I know it's been a while since my last blog, but I have a good excuse. I've been spoiled by fast internet. Tuesday, we had a really bad thunderstorm and lightning struck and fried our modem. The service guy came out on Wednesday to replace it, but it must have fried something inside our computer, too, because our internet is running really slow. So slow, in fact, that I don't even want to take the time to wait for pages to upload, thus no blogging. I finally caved, and decided to let everyone know why I haven't posted. I know you've been really concerned (not!).

Eric finished Michael's room and it looks really cool! My mom bought Michael a camouflage nightlight that is animated. I think he will like it. My parents are coming today for Emmy's birthday. It's a little belated, but better late than never. Eric's parents weren't able to make it because Eric's mom just had cataract surgery. She is not having very much fun right now. Hopefully after she recovers her vision will improve.

I will post a slide show of Michael's room when we can figure out how to get our computer working properly again.........until later.

Fasting

I was so blessed with our services yesterday. Especially last night. Eric preached on fasting and prayer. He used the scripture from Nehemiah 1 and it was so rich!
Have you ever fasted? I've tried, but I haven't been very successful. I don't believe fasting is just something we should wake up one morning and decide to try. I believe God will impress it on our hearts. My flesh cringes everytime I think of trying to fast. If I do, it will probably not be food. Fasting is giving up anything that is very important to you and using that time to spend in God's Word and prayer. I need to fast from TV and internet. I spend a lot more time doing those things than I do in prayer and reading God's Word. How about you? How do you spend the majority of your time? It's something to really think about. Remember, "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1), but I do believe we need to be convicted and compelled to do good works for Him, who did the ultimate good work for us.

Dress Up Birthday

Tonight we celebrated Emmy's 2nd birthday. I cooked fried shrimp (Publix had a great sale), broccoli and corn. We had chocolate cake for dessert. Emily really didn't want any cake. She was rather cranky for some strange reason.......oh yeah, she's two. Here are some pics from this evening.

My Birthday Girl

I can't believe my baby is turning two! I don't know how it's possible that it's been 2 years since she was born. I feel like I was really just hoping for her to get out of that early, needy, breast-fed baby stage. I never did enjoy the first couple of months. Don't get me wrong, I was totally in love with my kids from the start, but I always looked forward to the sitting up, giggly, happy stage. Emily was the best, sweetest little baby. She rarely cried. My how time changes things! She is in the terrible twos! We've nicknamed her "Destructo" because she is like the Tasmanian Devil. Everywhere her feet take her she leaves destruction in her path. Books, toys, crayons, food. You name it, she makes a mess of it. Emily is also very funny. I believe she will be the one making everyone laugh. She just has a way with words. She is a talker. She has been talking since before her first birthday. The only one of the three that did that.
I'm really thankful God blessed us with our three. We planned for 2 and Emily was a huge surprise. Not in our plan. I can honestly say, I cried for the first 4 months. Not straight, but very often. Eric was out of a job. We were going to lose our insurance. We had to move. The timing seemed rather bad. I'm so glad things seemed bleak. God was our only hope (He always is). He provided in HUGE ways. Eric got a job, we were able to keep our insurance and we found a place to live. We became a part of a church that has become our family. God is so good!!! Jehovah Jireh, my provider....

PAY ATTENTION!!!

I couldn't wait any longer to post this link. I have watch all 3 parts of a series that will get your attention quickly. I believe this is something that should be viewed by anyone who is concerned about their future with respect to what is going on in our world as we speak. These videos discuss things about terrorism, bee colonies diminishing, etc. It's very interesting and also very concerning.
I have shared with my family and friends of my concern for their salvation. I will do it again. I won't give up. Please watch these videos. They will make you think. I pray your heart will be open to what is being said.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Pain In The Neck

I hate it when I wake up and have a crick in my neck. Today was that day. It was so bad I had to ask Eric to stay home from work and take care of the kids. I literally couldn't move! I got up at 11:15 a.m. this morning. Once I started moving around it loosened up a bit. Can I just tell you, it is so frustrating to not be able to turn my neck! It's amazing how much I take my complete mobility for granted.
Eric was so wonderful today. He didn't question or complain once. He just let me relax. I did get up and make lunch for the girls and us. Mrs. Sylvia, Eric's ministry assistant, brought us dinner. I love being a part of a church family. It's so awesome to know people are looking out for you. I feel so blessed to know that people care.
Well, I'm off to bed. I'm praying tomorrow is a better day. No cricks, please Lord!

Lauren's New Do!

Don't know what to talk about today, but I did give Lauren a haircut, that I been wanting to do for quite some time. Actually, since she cut her hair! I took some pics of her to document my talent. I never thought I would be able to cut my children's hair. It may not be perfect, but it was free!
Not much to blog about today.
Church was awesome today. We had a great breakfast for Grandparents day. Probably the largest crowd we've seen for a breakfast! It was really nice.
More tomorrow.........

German Pancakes

I remember, when I was 9 or 10 years old, staying at my friend Tina's house. Her parents were German and her dad would get up on Saturday morning and prepare delicious German Pancakes. I wasn't sure how he made them--I figured it was some secret recipe I would never know. Can you say Google? What would we do without search engines? I found a recipes that looked similar so I thought, "It's worth a try." I tweeked it just a little and Voila! We had German Pancakes for breakfast today. They were delicious. I didn't prepare them with jelly and roll them like we did at the Hoppman's. I spread butter inside, sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar and folded them over and garnished them with powdered sugar. For you fat bloggers who may be thinking, "That certainly doesn't sound very nutritious," I can assure you it was. I used whole wheat flour and sprayed them with butter spray. Here is the recipe:

6 eggs, beaten
1 Cup Flour (Whole Wheat, for the health conscious)
1 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Sugar (Brown Sugar or Raw Sugar would work, too)
Butter

Add Flour, Milk, and Sugar to already beaten eggs. Mix until smooth. Pour like pancakes onto hot, buttered skillet. Flip with large spatula when edges start to dry out.
Spread with jelly and roll up, sprinkle with powdered sugar or butter and sprinkle inside with cinnamon sugar, then fold in half and garnish with powdered sugar. Get creative. There are so many different ways to make them yummy! Enjoy......

Grief Over The Lost

My heart is breaking for the lost today. Let me explain what I mean by that. On the way to school today, Michael asked me if Casey, a 21 year old girl from a family at our church, was saved. See, she was killed earlier this year in a terrible car accident. I told him that, yes, she knew Jesus as her Savior and she is in heaven. Well, this led to Michael asking about other loved ones and their eternal destination. I had to answer, "I don't know" and "Probably not" to quite a few people we love dearly and Michael was so broken hearted. He started weeping. I told him, "Michael we should pray and ask God to open their hearts to recognize their need for Jesus." He couldn't even pray because of his tears. I covet his grief stricken state. As believers in Christ, we should all be deeply saddened by the thought that some of our closest friends and family could spend eternity separated from God. How long is eternity, exactly? I don't want to be where God isn't. Do you? I really don't think people understand what Jesus did for us so that we would not endure the punishment we, so rightfully, deserve. God's prerequisite for heaven is perfection. I'm not perfect. You? "God demonstrated His own love for us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)." See, the payment for our sin is the shedding of blood. Without it, there could be no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). This means, that Jesus, being perfect in every way, offered His life as a perfect blood sacrifice for us. Nothing that we have done or can do will ever match up to His complete sacrifice. It's just like if you owe debt to a creditor and someone comes along and says, "I want to pay for your debt so you don't have to. Can I do that for you?" Let's say, debt collector's are calling day and night to try to get us to pay and we just don't have the money to do it. The debt is too high. Would you take someone up on the offer to pay it? You'd have to be crazy not to. Christ's sacrifice on Calvary's cross paid our debt. Our fine is settled if we accept it. First we have to admit that we even owe a debt. Our sin has separated us from God. That means that unless we take Jesus on his offer to cover our debt, we will never see God.
I pray this makes sense to those of you who have yet to believe. If we call, He WILL answer. "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord, will be saved (Romans 10:13)."
Pause my playlist before viewing the video.


A Salvation Prayer

My Horse Girl

Many of you already know that Lauren, my oldest girl, is obsessed with horses. It's really a fever of sorts. Although, fevers fade over time and this is growing stronger everyday. I have visions that one day we will probably own a horse, though where we will put it remains to be seen. Today I decided to look for some bedding for her online with a horse theme. Little did I know what I would stumble upon. I'm sure if you know anything about horses, you know there is a whole alternate universe, if you will, that exists for horse lovers. There is something in the genetic makeup of an individual that is obsessed with the equine species. If you don't believe me, google the word horses!
I came across a video today about Patches The Horse that Lauren thought was really funny. Click on the name to view it.

I have a feeling this Christmas, most of my shopping for Lauren will be online. It's easier to find horse-themed items on the internet than shopping by foot.

Well, I must trot to the kitchen and and giddyup on dinner.......:)

The Chicken Feed

Eric decided to start saving our bread ends to feed to the chickens. We saved quite a bit and tonight we had a chicken feed. The kids loved it. Lauren was a litte paranoid, considering her last run-in with 2, now dead, roosters. Emily seemed to enjoy it the most. She just liked chasing the chickens. Fluffy is our Cochin Rooster with the white feathers. He is so cool and he always eats last. He waits for his women to be fed and then eats. What a gentleman! Men, take notes from Fluffy. Always putting the lady first!

No Labor Today!

We had a great day at the beach in St. Augustine. I love the beach here. I never used to enjoy going to the beach in Boca. The sand was gritty and very hard to walk on. The sand here is like powder and it's very easy to walk on. There is also a lot more room to run around. The kids really had a great time.

Tonight, Eric took Michael shrimping. They aren't home yet, but are on their way. Eric said Michael had such a great time. He was able to empty the shrimp from the net. I am glad the boys have found something they can really do together. Fishing, well, there's a hook involved. Sports, Michael doesn't really understand yet. Yardwork, well, Michael really tries..... However, they wound up with a couple dozen shrimp and Michael really had a blast.

What a Pit!

I was rather surprised, last night. Eric went to Lowe's yesterday. He was there for over 4 hours! It's pretty normal, considering our vast amount of home improvement projects. We have been renovating our home for almost 2 years! Anywho, I was putting the kids to bed and noticed Eric was up to something outside. To my pleasant discovery, he was installing a retaining wall around our fire pit! It looks really nice. I can't wait to have real grass in our yard. It will look even nicer.

We are going to be painting our bedroom and Michael's bedroom soon. Eric got all the supplies for those projects, the stones for the "firewall", and wood to repair the front porch. It's coming along. I can't wait to see if all our hardwork pays off in the re-appraisal.

Oh, did I mention we have to dig a new well? Yes, please pray for us. We know God is in control and always teaching us something new. I pray Our Provider will grant us clean water to wash with. Right now, our water stains everything, smells like metal, and is down to a trickle. We have to do laundry at friends homes. Thank the Lord for good friends:). Hopefully, the well drilling company will take good care of us. This is totally out of our hands.

Yummy Dinner

Thanks to Robin, who heard about this recipe from Emily, I cooked an Apron Meal from Publix-Pecan-Crusted Tilapia with Seasoned Cheese Grits. It was delicious! I didn't have any pecans, so I substituted almonds and a few chopped walnuts. Nonetheless, fabulous! I thoroughly enjoyed having a slighty fancy meal that didn't take much time to complete. I would definitely cook this for company. Tilapia is a relatively inexpensive fish, but it doesn't have that fishy flavor. It's lite and healthy. I'm very glad I discovered a new meal! Sometimes, you get into a rut with cooking. I hate it when everything is a chicken dish. I love chicken, but I get bored preparing the same things all the time.

Publix has a lot of good meal ideas. They will even give you a list of things you need for each meal. Happy cooking!