Resolutions

I know I am late on this, but I couldn't really put into words what I wanted to set as a New Year's Resolution. Usually my resolutions are the same it's lose weight, get organized, finish reading one of the five books I started this year and read my Bible more. I do still want all of those things, but this year, I wanted to focus on one main thing, that I thought would enrich my life as well as my kids and husband. I have spent some time recently journaling, praying and reading the Bible searching for 'MORE GOD'.

It's always refreshing when I do set this time apart in my day and lay it all out there for God to hear. It's refreshing to know that no matter how much I "throw up" on him my worries, frustrations, desires, confessions, and everything else that it's exactly what he wants from me, from us. He cares to hear it all, even if I said it 100 times before or asked for 1000 times. I know He doesn't roll his eyes with frustration with me because I continue to make the same mistakes or say the same old thing.

As we have made this move to Northfield, I still have this piece in me that isn't able to settle in and think we are staying here. Because of this, I resist investing in starting relationships with people for the fear of having to say good-bye again. I have been resistant to getting fully involved in a church because when I do, I know I will give my all. Leaving past churches has left me to feel great loss and have to grieve for lost relationships-I don't really feel like I can do that again so soon. Now, these are all just worries I have placed on myself. I think one of my biggest downfalls is that I trust people quickl, which means I love people too quickly, BUT once the trust is broken, it sometimes never is restored fully. Maybe I should trust less, so the devastating effects are not so great?

Besides the normal life improvements I hope to make this year, my number one thing is this...
Thanks to Lysa's blog, I have the words to what I desire most in 2008. It comes from Matthew 5:8.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

There have been a number a times that I have "seen" God. As I think of those times, I know that those are the times where I felt the most peace, and usually they are the times when I should feel the most chaos. Those moments when I do see God, are too far in between. For seeing God more this year is what I am aiming for, and I love how Lysa states it:

"It doesn't say, "blessed is the perfect person."
It doesn't say, "blessed is the woman who has perfect Biblical knowledge."
It doesn't say, "blessed is the one who never misplaces library books."
It doesn't say, "blessed is the mom who never messes up with her kids."

Nope. It says blessed is that woman whose heart is pure. In other words, "blessed is that woman who lives in expectation of seeing God- who looks for and acknowledges Him- whose greatest desire is to see God--- for she certainly will."

So whether your scenery today consists of beautiful mountains or mountains of laundry--- look for Him--- make the choice to acknowledge Him- choose to see Him--- and then you will."

There is nothing greater than seeing God, it's a place I wish I could always stay, but for now, I pray for a pure heart so I will see HIM in all I do.

Nutcracker

This was really funny to me last night... watch the video

I like it!

My mother in law recently sent me an email about this blog that she enjoys reading. As I appreciated the entry she had sent me to, I was thinking there is no way I have more time to read any more blogs. Then this morning I went back to it, and starting browsing through it, and I am hooked. I am sure many of you have heard of Lysa TerKeurst, but I had not. Check out the blog, she is someone I would love to hang out with, and I hope to read some of her books (I have tons of time for reading). If you get a chance, watch the Oprah show segments, it's a great way to see into the type of person this woman is. There is a lot of inspiration seeping out of this blog. I will for sure be heading back.

My kind of art project

It's surprising that I was an elementary teacher because when it comes to doing art projects, I love to get them and I love making them, but I despise the cleaning up of the mess that comes from making the projects. On the goodyblog, I found my kind of art project. It's a virtual gingerbread house! I was really wanting to make a real gingerbread house with the kids, but after the mess that occurred from frosting cookies, I don't think we are ready to take on this challenge. But for this year, this will be a great activity for the kids. They can create and recreate new houses all the time, and I don't have to worry about them eating all the candy!

Motherhood

I often times find myself sinking in my chair in social settings knowing that someone will ask what I do for a living. I am not sure why I think being a mom isn't enough, but the world around me sometimes feeds me that message, and weakly I buy into it. Who am I trying to impress? What am I trying to prove?

From my friend Tiffany's blog.
"Motherhood is a gift and a season of life to treasure. If you’re a mom, you can stand with dignity, offer no apology for what you do, and say, "I’m a wife and mother. I love my job.""
~Jill Savage

Boo from the Balvin's

We started our festivities at Chipotle to get our FREE dinner for dressing up like a burrito (put Tin foil somewhere on our bodies). What a delicious start! Then we headed to church for a "Night in the Light". The church is filled with kids, costumes, games, and CANDY! Finally, the kids ventured out with Nana Kris to do a little trick or treating in her neighborhood and add to their mountain of sugar. It was a fun and exhausting few hours. The kids now sleep off all the sugar highs and adrenaline so they can start tomorrow with Snickers for breakfast (just kidding).

Welcome Tiffany!

I wanted to introduce and welcome my friend Tiffany to the blogging world. We taught together in Minneapolis for 2 years. I know I think I am busy with my 3 kids in 3 years, but she has got me beat. She has 4 under 3 with twin 3 month olds- that makes me exhausted just typing it. I don't know how she does it, but I am sure she has plenty to teach me and the rest of us. Sadly, we now live far apart, but I love that she has a blog so I can watch her kids grow up. Check out her blog.

Girls rule, Boys drool

"Girl's Rule, Boy's Drool" or "Second place is the first loser...NO FEAR!" were what the shirts that wore as a girl said, but the goodyblog discovered these, and I believe from Isabelle's personality she will be wearing these; "Doctor, Not Diva" and "President, Not Princess." Can't complain, they have a great self confidence and self esteem message. Check out the website, they have a lot of cute things for babies, toddlers, and kids.

Pits of life

I signed myself up for a bible/book study at our church. It's out of my comfort zone because I don't know many of the women, and this means I would need to be real and vulnerable with strangers about the pits of my life. I thankfully got a good friend of mine to sign up with me. We are reading Beth Moore's new book, Get Out of that Pit. As I sat down this morning and starting thinking about some pits I have been in, gotten out of, and might currently be in, I was thinking about Joseph and the pit he was thrown in by his brothers betraying him. I love what Joseph says in Genesis about the pit he got thrown in.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
~Genesis 50:20

Sometimes we end up in pits because of other people's choices, sometimes because of our own choices, and sometimes because God is trying to teach us something and He puts us there. It's a matter of how we react to being in the pit and "who" we use to get out of that pit that matters. I encourage everyone to read this book. You maybe are not in a pit currently but odds are you have been, or you will be again.

Life sentence in her heart and mind

I feel really sad for this mother. I don't know her whole story, but the consequence of bad judgment will haunt her the rest of her life. She will relive and doubt the choices she made every day that she lives its a life sentence in her mind. I don't necessarily believe she should be sent to jail for it, but I don't know claim to know how the court system works.

An adoption story

Being adopted myself, I always get a warm fuzzy as I read or hear people's stories and journeys of making it through the adoption process. I think adoption is great! I was sent this from a friend of mine today, if you are interested check out their story, I think it's pretty neat.

Home check

Found this on the goodyblog. We delt with ear infections several times with Jacob, but have lucked out with Izzy and Andrew. Maybe this is something your family would benefit from.

Is It An Ear Infection?
If your child is prone to ear infections, you might worry about her ears every time she gets a cold and seems cranky—especially if she's too young to tell you that they hurt. Should you take her to the doctor? I was impressed when I met with the makers of EarCheck ($59), a brand new easy-to-use device that looks like an ear thermometer. You put it in your child's ear and it emits safe sound waves that detect fluid in the middle ear—a key sign of infection. It’s very similar to a device that pediatricians have been using for the last ten years. If it registers in the red zone, you should take your child to the doctor—otherwise, you can relax and assume that her crankiness has nothing to do with her ears.

Craigs list?

I am in the market for a laser printer. However, I do not have the cash flow for a new one. I have heard people talk about listing or purchasing items on Craigslist, but I don't know much about it. I found some really nice printers for great prices, but I am afraid to get scammed. So, I am wondering who has used Craigslist? How does the system work? What are some helpful hints to purchasing something from it? Here is the printer I am inquiring about. Do you know anyone that is selling a laser printer?

Tell all your friends about it!

We had a virtual tour done, check it out, and tell anyone you know that might be thinking about moving to Monticello.

Take a tour

D.E.A.R

When I was a teacher, we had DEAR time in our classroom. It stands for Drop Everything And Read. Last night I was tired and there was work to be done around the house, but I decided to drop it all and read my Parent's magazine that I got over a week ago and haven't gotten around to yet. I've read other parenting magazines, but this one is my favorite for many reasons. Typically I can flip through a magazine in 10 minutes, but after 30 minutes I hadn't even made it through half. There was so much to read. They were not long articles that I was reading, it was a tidbit here and there and some more lengthy articles, but I thought it was all good. I think everyone should check it out. There are barely any adds, lots a great parenting advice, cute stories, party ideas on a budget, receipes that the whole family will love, decorating tips, seasonal ideas, and much much more! Also, I found a new blog that I plan on frequenting often. It's the called the .
I would be willing to say that if you don't like it I would refund your money, but I'm not going to do that for the fact that I might get scammed! Just check it out- let me know if you like it!.

Favorite quote

Rarely do I read or hear a quote that I feel is worthy to hold on to. However, on the Reston blog this quote hit very close to home...

Tell me and I'll forget,
show me and I'll remember,
involve me and I'll understand.

If anyone know where this is in Proverbs, please let me know. I am unsure of who is speaking and to whom, but this is speaking to me and being a mom. I forget everyday that I get to teach and involve my kids into learning and understanding the world around them. I think I have missed many opportunities to involve them so it really sinks in and so that they do understand. In selfishness, busyness, and impatience, I just tell them things and expect them to get it. I need to put this on my bathroom mirror or fridge, so I can be reminded all the time of what it takes to lead and teach a child to a deeper understanding.

Bad Attitude

I am embarrassed to admit that as I read through this article, I thought it was written about me. This is only part of it, to read the whole thing click here.

In one of our recent seminars, a mother complained to Debi, “The children frustrate me so much...

...I tell them to do their school work, and they just piddle around. I tell them to clean up their rooms, and they fuss over who is to clean up what. They are always irritating one another. It frustrates me so much, trying to cause them to maintain a good attitude. They are always complaining and whining about something. I get frustrated and spank them, but it seems to do no good. They just don’t seem to care. They pick on each other continuously. I get so frustrated....” Debi interrupted her mournful complaints to answer, “Yes, it is an attitude problem.” The weary mother hastily agreed, “That’s it! They have bad attitudes.” Debi responded, “No, it’s you that has the bad attitude.” The mother’s widening eyes and gaping mouth expressed her dismay as she stood waiting for the forthcoming explanation.

Are you a frustrated parent? Is your brow drawn tight as if pulled by draw strings? If parenting is not enjoyable, be assured, you have a bad attitude. When your children look into your face what do they see? They are not fooled. They know what you feel toward them. Your face is a graph of approval or rejection. Verbal “positive affirmation” is not enough; in fact, it is worse than nothing if there is not genuine delight in your heart. Children can see through a parent who is made of muddy water. If they see disappointment and criticism they will answer in kind. Discontented parents breed discontented children. Your attitude is the root of the family attitude tree. A bitter root cannot produce sweet fruit.

Parental attitudes are highly contagious, and the children usually come down with a worse case. “More is caught than taught.” And children seem more highly susceptible to catching a bad attitude than of being taught to have a good one. They can catch the disease of bad attitude while being passive. On the other hand, they must exert themselves to have a good attitude.

Your children are playing follow-the-leader. They are deaf to your words, but they “hear” your attitude loud and clear. Example has always been more effective than theory. Where parents are constantly modeling the bad attitude; a good attitude is just a theoretical concept to the child. Try as they may, they can’t quite fathom the meaning of a good attitude—it has been so long since they have seen one. If you dress your children in tight pinching shoes, don’t blame them for having sore feet.

The bad news is that you are responsible for the condition of your children. The good news is that you don’t have to be frustrated over attempting to change them. You only need to change yourself. Since their attitudes are reflections of your own, you need only change your attitude, and the reflections will change.

I know you are only expressing your displeasure over their foolishness. You are using your disapproving scowl as a threat to induce them to shame. They are supposed to so crave your approval that they make great sacrifices to win your smile. It is not working is it? Actually, you are working against the very thing you desire to achieve.

Look out below!

I feel like everytime I turn my back Jacob is jumping off something. Whether it's the couch, bed, table, toy chest, out of the van, or in the puddle he is always jumping. I guess it's a boy thing. I love what James Dobson has to say about raising boys in his very popular book, Bringing Up Boys.

"One of the scariest aspects of raising boys is their tendency to risk life and limb for no good reason. It begins very early. If a toddler can climb on it, he will jump off it. He careens out of control towards tables, tubs, pools, steps, trees, and streets. He will eat anything but food and loves to play in the toilet. He makes "guns" out of cucumbers or toothbrushes and likes digging around in drawers, pill bottles, and Mom's purse. And just hope he doesn't get his grubby hands on a tube of lipstick. A boy harasses grumpy dogs and picks up kitties by their ears, His mom has to watch him every minute to keep him from killing himself."

This book is filled with great advice for parents and grandparents of boys. I have read it a couple times and probably will read it again, because it's a great resource for raising boys. I am so grateful that I have 2 boys! I love Isabelle in her own special way, but there is something sweet and irreplaceable about a mom and son.

State bird

I took Jacob to the Dr. today because his foot and and ankle were swollen, red, and hard and warm to the touch. It turned out to only be a horse fly bite (kind of embarrassing). Poor Jacob must have sweet blood, because he is covered with bites. The Dr. told me to make sure he always has some kind of insect repellent on with only10% DEET. She also showed a real tick and told us to be on the watch for them as they are out in high numbers this summer.


Mosquitoes are so nasty. It's a common joke in MN that it's the state bird. I get the chills just looking at this picture. An article from Club mom offers a creative and cheap way to cure the itch from the bites:
My grandmother's cure was salt — just plain table salt. She would wet her hands and pour salt on them. Then she would place her hand on our bites and rub. Low and behold the itching would stop — it was our miracle cure. To read the rest of the article click the link above.

I will have to try it out and see if it works. I am sure there will be plenty more times this summer cure the itches.

Beach basics

Tricia at the Reston site had this great tip for being at the beach-

If you head to the shore this summer - or any sandy destination - pack a bottle of baby powder. Dust it on to remove wet sticky sand from your feet and your kids. It quickly absorbs the moisture, and the sand and powder will wipe away effortlessly, leaving your car and home free from the mess of that sticky sand you can never quite seem to get rid of.

I always wondered how I would use that giant container of baby powder I have. I can't wait to test it out!