crafternoon

DIY Christmas Card Holder

{i think all the supplies cost around $10 and it's pretty cute}

step 1. paint clothespins in a christmasy look

(if i had a canon rebel the pictures wouldn't be blurry like this p.o.s one)
{grin}

step 2. hot glue buttons on them

step 3. hang a ribbon somewhere in your house

step 4. attach the cute clothespins to the ribbon

step 5. attach christmas grams when they come in the mail

t - 43 days people
go get your christmas on!

whispers

You know the way your wrist feels when you were bound-and-determined to carry all the groceries into the house making only one trip from the car? The way you feel literally weighed down by the canvas bags filled with cereal, the plastic shiny ones filled with fruits, veggies and let's-be-honest-candy. I once had so many bags on my wrist I thought I might witness my own hand being amuputated by grocery bags, right there in the comfort of my own garage. I can picture the headlines already.

"Women in hurry, bound and determind to only make one trip to take groceries in pays unfortunate price with loosing her hand."

A different time I thought the indent that was left in my wrist may just be permanent. If you're lucky and no bags burst on the way, you make it to the inside door and have to try to shimmy and shake it open. Then cue half of your body entering (bags first) while using your ass to hold the door open while balancing orange juice under your chin to see the 'holy grail' (counter) to heave all your items on. Oh yes, and don't smoosh the bread.

The Mr. does not like smooshed bread.

Exhale.

But wait - don't forget about the 24 lb baby still strapped in his 5 point harness patiently waiting and grinning from ear to ear after witnessing what appeared to him as possible insanity.

Am I alone in feeling somewhat similar to what's described above in my everyday life at times? I doubt it. But if I am and you have it all figured out, you can stop reading. Hope you were humored or cracked a smile thinking about your own grocery adventures.

Here's the thing. I feel God working in my life lately and whispering things to my heart that I didn't think He ever would. Whispers that deserve to be prayed about, saught after, and hopefully one day revealed.

Here's the other thing. The culture and day we live in doesn't exactly promote quiet time spent with the Lord. Quite the opposite actually, there's work, family responsibilities, laundry, cooking, Bible study, couples club, fill in the blank with whatever you like. Sometimes I wonder if it's possible to live a life that's pleasing to God if we are so busy running constantly. Can we hear His spirit whispering? Are we listening for it? Because in all honesty I have missed the whispering on occasion and paid some heavy consequences.

I am blessed to have a friend that knows the scriptures better than I do. I text her last night and asked "what are some good verses about God leading people" I woke up to an email this morning plump full of verses. Thank God for your friends.

Psalm 37:23 "The steps of good men are directed by the Lord. He delights in each step they take."

Got me to thinking, does God delight in the steps I'm currently taking in my walk with Him? Do I trust Him enough to listen to those whispers He is placing in my heart or will I just ignore them and continue running with everyday life.

{Because running and business sometimes is easier}

Isaiah 58:11 "The Lord will continually guide you."

I love to meditate on the fact that God knew everything about me before I was born. He knew all my funny quirks (there are many) He had work set aside for me before I was even formed. He willed me to be. I am His. I am a child of God. You are His child too.

I love reflecting on how this amazing and powerful God I serve knows everything and I can climb right under his arms and find solace. Now that I am a mother I reflect on the love I have for my own son and I think, there cannot be a love that is greater but there is... God loves for us is greater. That's huge. Praise God for that.

Praise God that we can lay down all our bags, canvas or plastic, heavy or light, filled with good things or filled with junk on Him. He gladly takes away our burdens.

He loves us that much.

Psalm 32:8 " I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you."

What is God whispering to you today?

bliss...

times five

Last year was so exciting when we found out that all 5 of us girl cousins on my Mom's side were expecting and all due around the same time. Now here we are with 5 beautiful, healthy, and NOISY babies. God is so good!

Meet the littles

{Left to right}

Carter (Lee & Alissa) 8 months old 2/23/11

Gavin (Brady & Tina)8 months old 3/5/11

Kinley (Matt & Erin) 7 months old 3/12/11

Liv (Clint & Lara) 7 months old 3/30/11

Kennedy (Jeremy and Mandy) 5.5 months old 4/15/11

my-almost-8-month-old

I'm not sure where the time has flown off to again but Gavin is almost 8 months old. In an effort to remember these fyling by times, I am blogging them.

mr. personality: Gavin is very smiley (especially with people he knows) and those dimples I dreamed about for 9 months never fail to pierce right through to my heart. I swear the world stops when he grins. If you are lucky and get a really big grin you will even get to see the "nose crinkle".


mr. chatterbox: Gavin is very noisy lately and says "Daa-Daa", screams at the top of his lungs and giggles a lot


mr. mover: Gavin would prefer to either sit or stand and thinks the whole crawling thing is not for him....yet. My Mom says he reminds her of me when I was little - just content to sit and play and not in a hurry to move. That is definately fine with Brady and I as we are in no hurry to enter the mobile phase.

Look at those thighs, my favorite is the roll on the knees :) Topping the growth chart at around 23lb. Adorable.

mr. hungry: His latest thing? Holding his own bottle. He still eats 6 oz at a time and has 5 bottles a day. Mix that in with some baby food for breakfast, dinner, and supper and we have one happy baby!



mr. smarty: He now reaches when he wants to be picked up. His little mind is learning and he knows hes got Mamma and Daddy wrapped around his finger.



mr. sleepy: He is not much for cuddling these days, as he prefers to just be layed down in his crib and will talk himself right to sleep as night. He sleeps from about 9:00pm to 6:30 or 7:00 am. He's still an awesome napper as well.

Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17

when the snow flies

Today I'm dreaming about a day when I look outside to a blanket of white. A day where those bare-brown branches gleam with a frosty glaze.

Today I'm dreaming about winter.

Yes, winter.

I realize most people dread winter. I embrace it. Maybe it's because I know that when the thermometer reads in the single digits it means family traditions centered around holidays are right around the corner. Maybe it's because I'm finally not sweating the entire day long. Maybe it's because I love a slower pace of life centered around togetherness. Maybe it's because of my love for comfort food. Or maybe it's because I'm still dreaming that canon rebel will be wrapped up under my very own Christmas tree.

You see... the reasons for my love are many.

Last Christmas brought with it anticipation and joy of new life within my very own belly. This Christmas marks the celebration of babies first Christmas as well as our first Christmas as a family of three. Gavin already loves to play with paper so I'm thinking he's gonna be all over the whole unwrapping thing. Oh, and bright shiny things? They are on the top of his list of things to gaze at, the tree will be mesmerizing. My parents always let me decorate our Christmas tree with mis-matched ornaments and in the end it sort of looked like Christmas itself had thrown up right there on that poor tree. But you see, an important lesson was taught and learned. I learned I mattered and so did all my ornaments, and to them the tree always looked beautiful. So this year we continue the tradition and say "good-bye" to our martha-stewart tree and hello to our tree that will proudly sport a new and improved ecclectic look. Change is good. I can't wait to find the perfect 'babies first Christmas ornament' for Gavin. I will be a sentimental mess.

What am amazing priveledge it is to be a parent. God gives us the gift and responsibility of imprinting the lives of our children in such an influencial way.

My wheels are already churning and smoke's about to come out of my stack with ideas of new family traditions I want to start. Traditions that include new Christmas jammies, circle count down wreaths, and decorating the tree (perhaps a real live tree?) Traditions including decorating cut out cookines with holiday jingles serenading in the background. I can already picture a new playlist on the 'ol i-pod... we shall name her "sounds of heaven Christmas" This year also marks the first year our entryway table will display the entire willow tree nativity set (minus the creche, which by the way what on earth is a creche?!) I choose to call it a stable.

Nostalgic? Maybe.

It's a big deal people. It's the birth of our Saviour. It only comes once a year and I plan to enjoy the heck out of it. I hope you do to.

What are some family traditions you enjoy? Do share!

crazy love

Today I shared, laughed, and learned with a group of woman from my church. Our time together was focused around the book 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan.

My thoughts after meeting together today:

powerful

worth going to

sure am glad Gavin did so well in nursery, thank you for such an easy-going loving little boy God!

learned a lot already

really should get that recipe for the butterscotch coffee cake with caramel on top {grin}

Chan writes:
"When I am consumed by my problems, stressed out about my life, my family, and my job - I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important that God's command to always rejoice. In other words I have a "right" to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities"

We live in a world that over-emphasizes "me, myself & I" but the things is... it's not about us.

It's about God and what He has done for us. He is the author of every story and He loves us with a depth we cannot comprehend. We need to do more than just realize this, we need to believe it enough that it changes the way we live.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again Rejoice!" Phil. 4:4

Pinterest

Ran across this on my latest obsession, pinterest. Thought it was worth sharing.

Happy Weekend All!