Just a Peek...

Proud Parent moment

2012-02-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

Candice was baptized today at our new church, Emmanuel Baptist Church! We are thrilled to see her following the Spirit's prompting in her life. She was very excited also. After she was finished, I wrapped a towel around her and she said "Can I sing up in front now?" I am excited that she is excited to serve the Lord!
Can you believe i forgot my camera!? I asked a lady to take pictures with her Blackberry, I figured it was better than nothing! oye! (On another note, Cameron has been talking alot about being saved. She understands the parts of it, but can't piece it all together yet. The Lord is working on her heart! Please pray for her!)

Is this Gross?

2012-02-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

You see that white mark WAY DOWN under her tongue? yeah that's an adult tooth! Candice is the BIGGEST drama queen, so completing the task of getting the baby tooth loose is not exactly a cup of tea! The Dentist is seeing her next week to yank it if she hasn't pulled it by then. Good Grief! This should be interesting, huh?! I really feel bad for her though, its rubbing a sore on the bottom of her tongue. I just never knew that your tooth could grow in THAT far back. Its right on the edge of the soft tissue. YUCK! The top tooth that is gone just fell out about 2 weeks ago. its her 3rd one gone. She cried when it fell out because she was SO happy! HA! She is funny!

I hope you LOVE garlic!

2012-02-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

Simple and Tasty and ECONOMICAL...that's what I love in a recipe, and here is one at its finest! The great thing about this recipe is that you can tailor it very easily to your family's tastes! My kids loved this as much as my husband and I did! (That makes it an A+)

PORK CHOPS:
Crockpot: 4-5 lean pork chops (bone in or out, doesn't matter they FALL apart!)
Give it a good coating of basil, garlic, oregano, pepper, and a dash of salt.
about 1/2 cup water (pour along sides so you don't wash away spices)
1/2 of onion chopped
1-2 tomatoes chopped up, or use cherry tomatoes
Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.

**While your hands are dirty and you are prepping, go ahead and cut veggies for dinner and save some time later! This means when you are ready to eat, dinner will be started and finished within 15 minutes!!**

(Note: Did you know every time you lift the lid on your crock to stir or get a good sniff, it takes 25 minutes for the temp to return! So leave that lid alone!)

PASTA with Broccoli & Garlic:
1 good head of broccoli, cut into bite size
1 medium onion, chopped
*Blanch broccoli and onion together* Remove from water and set aside, reserving liquid to use later.
1 -14oz can diced tomato, no salt
3+ cloves fresh garlic, diced very small, or put through a press
1/4 c. Olive oil
~1lb pasta, cooked and drained.

Boil water for noodles. (I used penne pasta, try the whole wheat!)
When boiling cook noodles according to directions. (1 box was a little too much for our family, adjust accordingly)

In large sauce pan, saute' garlic in olive oil, til the garlic smell is WONDERFUL. DON'T BROWN GARLIC, it will get bitter!
Add broccoli, onion, tomatoes and about 1/2-1 cup of reserved liquid. Simmer about 15 minutes, adding more liquid if it starts getting dry!
When pasta is al dente', toss into sauce pan meshing all flavors together. I turn off the heat and put a lid on it while I set the table.

What grade would you give it? Enjoy!!

Not original ideas, but inspired!

2012-02-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

This wreath cost me under $7 to make! I love it because there is NO glue holding any of it together! My front door takes a beating from the sun in the afternoon. The sun melts any glue i have tried to use. So why not try knots instead! Clearance fabric (a cotton liner from Hancock Fabrics), a "grapevine" wreath from the dollar tree, and 1 favorite floral stem 1/2 price at Hobby Lobby! My inspiration came from here, Thanks Kristy!

This project cost me less than $2.00! That's right, Folks, $2.00!!! It is 2 feet long by 1 foot wide. I got the piece of wood from a friend (free), 2 pieces of scrapbook paper for $0.59 total, Elmer's glue mixed with water (Had it), 1 piece music scrap paper $0.26, and 1 cocoa colored piece of card stock for $0.49. I used a friend's Xyron to cut the letters. Decoupaged everything on and stained around the edges with some stain i found in my husband's stash! I love it! Its hanging in my bathroom! A great quote to start the day! My inspiration came from a pin on Pinterest! See what the original looks like here.

That's Candice!!

2012-02-01T19:02:00.000-08:00

That’s Candice!!

Head full of hair
Big blue eyes
Tiny hands and feet
Humming~
That’s Candice!!

Baby steps, one by one
Littlest clothes
Tightly holding a hand
Curious~
That’s Candice!!

Words by the dozen
Never being quiet
Peaceful and pleasant
Playful~
That’s Candice!!

Running around parks
Swinging higher
Shouting to Brother
Giggling~
That’s Candice!!

Going to church
Memorizing Scripture
Daughter of the King
Praying~
That’s Candice!!

Twirling in circles
The happiest singer
A porch her stage
Performing~
That’s Candice!!

Fun tights and leggings
Glittery shirts, all fancy
Hates to wear jeans
Fashionista~
That’s Candice!!

Smart, kind and polite
A heart of gold
Loves her friends,
Miss Bumgarner and Motley
Kindergartener~
That’s Candice!!

I love you, Candice Michele Metcalf!!
Love,
Mom
Xo
(2012)

Something FUN!! (Vintage inspired!)

2012-01-31T14:34:00.000-08:00

I read this blog and it always has some fun things, time wasters and interesting fabrics and lots more! Today the writer shared some computer wallpapers from Fossil that you can get here! And they are FREE! But just as important they are super cute! I downloaded the camera heart! Check it out, and let me know which one you picked!

He's a Little Man

2012-01-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

OK, get past the funny part of Cameron sneaking herself into this picture! HAHA!! I only see these things after the fact! Makes me smile!
I haven't talked about Clayton much, and thought it due time. He is growing up so fast! I LOVE spending time with him. His favorite thing right now is scaring me! It drives me nuts! His stealth and quietness come behind me whenever I am glued to some task that has my complete attention...then the next thing you know my heart is in my foot!, and he is laughing hysterically! Stinker! He played football this fall and hated it all the while loving it. He can't wait to play again. He is in T&T and absolutely LOVES it! He said its way better than Sparks ever was! He is getting high A's in every subject, except Language Arts in which he carries a B+. He loves to ride his bike and try to do tricks on it. He can pop a good wheelie! He is VERY strong! He can cradle carry Candice around the house for a long period of time. He takes pride in that! He is starting to notice girls noticing him. He likes to fix his hair with gel and spikes! He wants me to color the tips of his hair blonde (not gonna happen and time soon!). He LOVES Legos! He hates that Corbett seems to find all his Legos and ruin his creations. He is sensitive more than he lets on to people. Reminds me of me. He looks up to his dad SO much. He wants to be JUST like him! He only likes to wear collared shirts unbuttoned over a T-shirt. He only likes dark blue jeans. He will not wear shorts or any kind of lounge pants unless it is the last resort. He likes to break things. He watches out for his sisters. He watches out for me too. I am SO proud of who he is and who he is becoming! HE has much growing to do in lots of ways, but God is showing Himself faithful in every area!

Quick Easy Recipe

2012-01-30T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favorites! Super easy and economical, 2 great qualities....and its YUMMY!
If you give it a try, let me know how you liked it!

1lb ground meat (we use turkey or venison)
1 large can Bush's baked beans (your favorite flavor-the grill mate ones are really good too!)
2 cans Progresso Minestrone soup.

Brown meat, drain if needed. Add all other ingredients. Let simmer for about 15 minutes.
Tastes best with homemade corn bread, or other favorite breads!

OPTIONAL: you can add more noodles or other veggies as your family likes. Total cost per serving is approximately $1.10 Servings size 1cup, makes 9 servings.

Its "Potty TIME!"...RSVP

2012-01-20T04:51:00.000-08:00

So i was reading a blog and came across this. and i am VERY curious to see what you guys think of this. Please check this out! Would you have a Potty party for your kid? have you ever thought of doing that? how far is TOO far to go? What other kinds of ridiculous events do people have big parties for? I have so many thoguhts on this, but i will leave them to myself for now. I have too many things to do. I REALLY want to post pictures of a few important events here....but alas, my computer internet and such is just too slow to upload things right now. I know the world will stop...haha...who cares anyway!?

Mini-Gift in a jar!

2011-12-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

How does a single serving of your very own, you don't have to share it, chocolate chip cheesecake sound?!! Yummy, right!? Check these out! I made these for my kids' Teacher gifts this year. (They also got some glass necklace and earrings set)

Here is how you can make them too!

Purchase 5 (1/2 pint) ball canning jars.

Purchase 1 box No Bake Cheesecake (any flavor)

Make the crust of cheesecake as directed, except split the crust up into the 5 jars.

Make the cheesecake mixture and split that up 5 ways also.

Seal with lids. (these are not actually can sealed, so they will need to be eaten in a decent amount of time!)

Decorate jar as you choose!

For my decor, I chose plain fabric cut to fit slightly overlapping edge. Red ribbon. Black buttons. CTMH small Christmas tree stamp. 0.5 tip journaling pen and a yellow marker. I already had most supplies. I only needed to purchase the jars and the Cheesecake. Total cost per gift came to $1.20! What do you think?

Loss of Life

2011-12-19T05:50:00.000-08:00

I am outraged and so saddened by the media coverage of the miscarriage by Michelle Dugger. While I might not want to give birth to 20+ children, and there are alot of things I don't necessarily agree with in their thinking, they are entitled to do what they choose to do in their home. Everyone has an opinion about everything; I am fully aware. I realize they have put themselves out there to be loved, hated, and followed by millions of people. But MY WORD, can there be no sympathy? Do people have to judge at a time of loss of a child? Where is the compassion on this family? The loss of a child is so devastating! I have 3 children in heaven waiting for me. I think about them every single day. People act like "well since they weren't born, its not like you really bonded with them or anything." or my favorite.."Its not the same as if one of your live children died". You're right, I don't have a clue what its like for one of my LIVE children to die, because the one growing inside me wasn't alive? was id dead and growing? hmm, wonder how that works. A mother bonds with her children before they are born. From my perspective, except when mentally ill, I loved my children from day 1 of knowing about them. I cared for them, about them, and took care of them. The same thing I do with my children who are running around my house right now. Michelle Dugger is no different just because she has more than the "perfect" 3.2 household full. (What does the ".2" mean anyway..is there a family with a .2 kid?) My heart breaks for this woman. Furthermore, why is is controversial to take photos of a stillborn child? That child is STILL your child. Read the article here, and see for yourself the lack of compassion and judgemental nature of journalists.
I WISH I had pictures of my 4th child. The story goes like this. We found out we were pregnant. Unexpectedly. One of those phone calls that comes from the Dr.'s office saying, "Mrs. Metcalf we ran your blood work and everything seems good. There was one thing we noticed with your hormone levels so we ran that and Congratulations you are positively pregnant!" WHAT!? WOW, news! I still remember where I was sitting when the news came. I was so shocked and happy at the same time. This was not planned, but most of the best things that happen are not! I attended my OB appointment like a good patient. They told me I was 9.3 weeks pregnant. Everything looked OK, but small. Much smaller than "normal". The Dr. warned me that if i started feeling "off" I should call. It was one of those conversations you have in the desk office, not the normal office. I knew something was not right. Something looked weird to them. That Mother's Gut kicked in. They told me 1 in 3 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Most women who suffer them never even knew they were pregnant! HOW SAD, and is this supposed to make me feel better? I was handed a bunch of pamphlets on healthy pregnancy as well as 1 on miscarriage. They told me that this pregnancy looks like it might not go as planned. I thought surely this will change. Two days later I started feeling like complete crap. My whole body felt like it was shutting down. I was cramping. I knew that this was not going to end well. I did not want to just lay on the couch awaiting this little funeral. So we decided to go walk around Kohl's. We were there for a little while when I starting having some pretty bad pain and thought I really should just go home. We went home. I went to the bathroom and discovered that I'd given birth to this teeny tiny little person. I was holding her in my hand. She was as tiny as the top joint on my pointer finger. I could count her toes and her fingers. I could see her elbows. I could see the features of her face. There she lay in my hand lifeless. In the midst of all this, I was in awe of what I was looking at. Jacob called the Doctor. We took the baby in a tiny Cottonelle coffin to the hospital, where I had to hand her over to them. I wanted to bury her, but Jacob objected for fear of some animal coming to dig her up. So, I planted roses in her stead. They are still blooming even today, December 19, 2011 there are bloomed roses out there. She died February 2007. She waits with 2 of her other siblings in heaven. She is there praising Jesus. My 4 living children know about their siblings in heaven and they as lots of questions about them. What do they look like? Why did they have to die? Will they know who we are some day? These are all questions I have peace answering. I know Michelle Dugger does too. I am a mother of 7. She is a mother of 21. There is no difference in the word MOTHER, no matter which sentence it is in. Everyday I think of ALL my children. Everyday, even on the days I want to rip out my hair, I am thankful for them all. I know that God has a plan. I know that one day I will see my children again. Losing a child is not easy, whether they have only spent 9.5 weeks with you or 9.5 years. I have not lost a child at 9.5 years, so I don't know THAT hurt, but they are still your child either way. There is nothing that can bring them back; there is nothing that you can do to make the pain of loss go away. You just learn to live with it and the hope of a future. In those moments of losing a child I realized so many things. First, I didn't care how many children God would want to give to me. I had a new thinking process. (My mental health would later make that choice much different, but that is another blog post) Jacob and I both had such grief in our hearts. I realized in those moments that this was hard for the Dad too. It wasn't JUST ME who lost a child, though people often treat it that way. I realized that there are some statistics you can't beat. There was nothing I could have done differently to make this outcome different. God was in control. Up until this point i always said, My children belong to God, its His choice to do what he wants with them. In that moment, I knew what it felt like. I always meant it, but i never FELT it before. In that moment, I realized even more so how much I loved Clayton and Candice. I WISH I had a picture of the baby I held. This picture is a stock photo and is VERY accurate, but holding this tiny being in your hands is so much different than looking at this picture. There was once life there. And you as a mom, sit there holding this Baby, weeping over her death even though you never saw her before. She stole my heart and took part of it with her. I will never forget her.

Stock photo of a 9 week fetus.

Duggers, my heart goes out to you. But even more so my heart goes out to those who are so judgemental and unsympathetic to human life loss. I pray they never have to experience such loss and somehow come to know the peace we both know! God bless you and your family!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

We went trick or treating for about 45 minutes this year. Not as long as in years past, but long enough for a school night! The kids always have fun, and I must admit I do too. Halloween was always fun as a kid for me. My mom would help us design our own costumes. We NEVER bought 1 costume EVER! I am amazed at how many people don't come up with their own costumes anymore; everyone buys one. I guess its convenient and quite possibly cheaper for some when found on great deals...but for me, we just do whatever is available. I do love making their costumes. As a kid I remember being a Cowboy, an old fat man, an old lady, Pippi Longstocking (my favorite!), Mertle Erckle (my friend was Steve Erckle that year!), a pregnant lady....there were so many more, but I won't bore you!

So this year my kids (except Corbett) decided on their own what they were going to be. They didn't want my help thinking up something. Which is fine..and this year kind of a blessing, because I have had a lot on my plate!

If you are wondering what Candice is watch this!

This Week's Meal Plan

2011-11-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

You asked, so here it is!

Starting in the freezer is:
2 lbs ground chuck
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1pkg chicken thighs
1pkg split chicken breast
Hot dogs

Here is what I am making or have made already.

Split Chicken breast in crockpot with 1 can each cream of mushroom soup & cream of celery (for these recipes I purchase the cheapest soup) with a side of rice. (the soups make a sauce similar to Cracker Barrels chicken and rice dish) A canned or frozen vegetable side.
Hot Dog/Mac & cheese casserole. 3 boxes mac & cheese, 2 cans cream of mushroom soup, 6-8 hot dogs. Prepare mac & cheese as directed. Stir in soups. Using cans to measure, add approximately 2 cans more milk. Cut up hot dogs and throw them in. Add some frozen broccoli. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs. bake 350* for 20-30 minutes, or til hot and bubbly.
Boneless chicken breast in crockpot. I had a can of Basil tomato soup in the cupboard. Pour that on top. cook on Low for 6 hours. Eat over spaghetti noodles or rice for a simple variation on Chicken Cacciatore!
Big pot of chili will last several meals. We bulk it up by eating it over rice.
Chicken thighs and Dutch dumpling. (Dutch Dumplings are more like Spaztel...)

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1 egg - beaten
2 to 3 T. milk

Mix together and drop by spoonfuls into a rolling boiling water. When the float they are done. Drain off water.

Cook Chicken thighs in chicken broth over Md/High heat til browned well, then turn down heat to Med. Add Dumplings and let simmer together, stirring often until chicken is cooked through. Keep covered while cooking.

6. Potato soup. I have several variation of this soup that I make. All are equally good! You can find one here. And this one is a cheaper yet. ---> Hungry Jack Potato soup

1pkg Scalloped potatoes

3 c. water

2 T. butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 c. milk

In large sauce pan combine whole box of scalloped potato, water, butter, and onion. Mix well. Heat until mixture comes to a boil. Stir frequently. Cover and simmer over LOW heat til tender. ~30 minutes. Stir in milk, heat to serving temperature.

(you can jazz this up a bit by throwing in some corn or celery or even adding bacon on top! It is a cheesy soup flavor, warm and hearty!)

These recipes/meal plan ideas should get you started. All questions and comments welcomed! Hope you try out some of these, and find a way to tweak them to your family's palate!

Dinner on the Cheap (Part 1)

2011-11-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you, it is not easy to feed a family of 6 cheap. And then on top of that, its really hard to get good veggies and fruits and not spend a fortune! I am positive that my meals are not as healthy as I would like them to be on some nights; however, at least they are not all processed foods. Some nights, yes, there are processed foods in there, but they are the nights that are definitely more filling and last longer. Kinda sad if you ask me...I am sure its because our bodies cannot process the food as our bodies were designed to do so. I will save that soap box for another day. LOL.

A few things I do to stretch our budget are listed below. Our grocery budget is typically $150 every 2 weeks.

1x a month I go to Sam's Club and buy chicken in bulk. I usually pay around 73cents a pound. I am able to get leg quarters, drumsticks and whole fryers averaging that price. Every other month I purchase a 10lb roll of ground hamburger. I separate all the meat into individual meals. Each meal I cook has enough food for that meal plus some for lunch the next day. For soups and stews, I make enough to last 2 suppers and 2 lunches.

I also shop at Save-a-Lot and Aldi. These stores have just as good food for a fraction of the cost. The meat sometimes is not as good a deal as you can get in the clearance bin at the local chain grocery store, but the frozen meat is good quality and much cheaper. Vegetables and fruit are also bargain prices.

Learn to make your own bread (or get a bread machine at Goodwill) and several of your own sauces. Stock up on spices so you can quit buying those "McCormick" packets. Though they are "only $1" most of the time, you will get much more out of that $1 by buying the spices in the jars.

Here is one easy and cheap recipe that our family LOVES! and this is one of those "poor man" recipes!

Hungry Man's Stew

1lb ground beef or turkey, browned

2 cans minestrone soup

1 large can baked beans

Drain the browned meat. Dump other ingredients in. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to let flavors meld. Serve hot.

Alot of times, I throw corn bread in the oven while this simmers; it makes a fabulous side.

~oo~Boo Bags~oo~

2011-11-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to make the treat bags for Candice's Kindergarten class this year. It was somewhat time consuming for my schedule, but the end result was so worth it! They turned out SO cute! What do you think?

These are my starting materials:

Enough white cotton fabric to make 22 6x8 bags. (The teacher purchased more than enough materials!)
Thin black ribbon
a sewing machine
scissors
white felt for hands
white thread
black fabric paint

The task itself is fairly simple.

Cut the material 2x as long as you would like the bag to be when finished.
Cut out felt hands for each Boo Bag.
Fold in half inside out placing the "hands" on the inside of your bag securing with pins. (this is the most confusing part. lay them so when you turn your bag RIGHT SIDE OUT they are on the outside of the bag.)
Sew up 2 long sides of the bag.
Then hem the top with enough room to thread ribbon through.
Turn right side out.
Cut a 1/2 inch hole in hem for ribbon. (I used a Bobbkin to thread my Ribbon; it's much faster than many alternatives!)
Paint eyes and nose on the front for the face. (Get creative with those eyes, it's more fun that way!)

Here is the end result!

What a great way to hand out treats to your party guests!

Wish I thought of this!

2011-10-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

I love this blog for its creative flare!! I found it through this decorating blog...which btw, is a FABULOUS find! (I actually went to my prom with this chic's brother in law, funny how things come full circle sometimes!)

ANYWAY, I don't decorate for anything except Christmas, because I own NO decor...but if I was going to decorate at all for Halloween, this is PERFECT! and it would have cost me what? like 4cents?! I sometimes wish we lived in a neighborhood so we could hand out candy to Trick-or-Treaters.

So, if you decorate, here is a great idea for you! Thanks How About Orange!

How About Orange

~Independence~

2011-10-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

She dresses herself. I have fought with it tooth and nail, but I have decided its just not worth it. God made her who she is with this sparkling personality, and I need to embrace it; however that may be! So she dresses herself for school even though she doesn't match, she has her head held SO high and she is confident in herself. Who cares if noone else thinks it matches!!? She doesn't.

Let's make a deal!

2011-10-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

For a while now ..like months upon months... I have been wanting to get a new console for our TV. Really I wanted to get rid of the TV, but I was overruled. (side story) Jacob has been wanting to get a flat screen panel TV. I am not into all that stuff, but its the one thing he enjoys so who am I to complain!? We frequently go to our local electronics store looking for open box items that Jacob can talk them down on even more. He never leaves there paying what the sticker says. He has done this with all our kitchen appliances, clock radio, TV, and anything else we have ever bought from there over the last 6.5 years! So one day we go in there, Jacob finally had the money to buy this TV he wanted. Well he talked them down on that price even though it was on clearance already and he got them to almost give him all the cables if you want it to be able to hook up to Wifi, and mount and a Blue-Ray player. It was a sweet deal. and once it was hung, it did look pretty good. EXCEPT for the eyesore sitting under it...which brings me back to the story. So I wanted a new console. one that was not as deep as our living room is quite small. We had gone to every store we could think of looking for something int he dimensions i wanted. And let me tell you , they were kind of odd dimensions! We found this BEAUTIFUL piece with a granite top on it, brow and black marbled color with a solid black wood bottom. It was PERFECT! But the price was just ridiculous at "we will give you a deal at $1600"...GULP, I don't think so! So on a random day I went into our Goodwill to see if they had any outdoor toys. I scored a metal red radio flyer trike, a hot wheels Big wheel, and a Fisher Price Car all for $11.00!! A STEAL! Then I decide to walk around a little "just to see what they have". And lo and behold there sits this piece of furniture. It was tall and black and beat up and needed some TLC so badly, but all I could think was "this would work for under my TV, I bet its sold!" I walked over and looked at the tag on it...NOT SOLD! and even better..$55! So I called Jacob to OK my purchase. He went and picked it up. We spent about $20 on new hardware and a little elbow grease... and WALLA!

Corbett's 2nd Birthday!

2011-10-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe its been 2 years already....then again some days I think its ONLY been 2 years! LOL. I was so happy to get this on video. Its short, but so precious to me. And one day to my kids, I am sure. Listen to this. Mom and Dad, this is especially for you guys! This is a video of Corbett and his siblings on his birthday playing in the Living Room with his new T-Ball set that Baba and Grampop sent him!

WOW!

2011-10-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Time has certainly made an escape here! End of summer, 1st days of school, football season, birthdays, new jobs, new classes... there is SO much going on in this house its crazy! And I am not only talking of the good CRAZY! I am going to catch everyone up REALLY fast! so pay attention.
First Day of school for Candice and Clayton. One starting Kindergarten, the other in 3rd grade! Candice loves school, Clayton knows its a necessity. Candice's personality is RADIATING out of her! She is definitely her own person. I am so glad for that! If there is something I want my kids to be it is true to themselves, REAL! Here are a few pictures from the first day!

I entered a contest for our area Christian radio station 106.9 The Light. My favorite radio station because it has GREAT preaching all morning long by fantastic preachers, such as Greg Laurie, Chip Ingram, Chuck Swindoll, David Jeremiah, etc. and the afternoon is filled with uplifting music! Anyway, they had a FB contest for 1st day of school pictures. I entered the above picture of Clayton and Candice together and I WON!! And not only did I win, but I won some great prizes! In the mail I received a T-shirt, some pens, paper with logo, a book from Extraordinary Women AND a Francesca Battistelli CD! It was a nice surprise!

Jacob and I are taking Financial Peace University! We want to live like noone else so we can LIVE like noone else! So far we are learning so much. Dave Ramsey is 100% against all social standards when it comes to money, BUT he has been at the bottom and now at the top and is teaching how you can have HOPE with your finances and NOT owe ANYONE a dime in the process. Right now we are 3 debts away from owing anyone a dime! How sweet is that!? The debts we have left are our van, which has the potential of being paid off in the next 6 months if we can sell our car, Jacob's school loan, and our house. And in that order they will be snowballed out of our lives. After that I hope to save enough money to put an addition on our house and pay cash and not refinance our house. If you don't know about this Financial Peace program, check it out. Look for it in your area by clicking on CLASSES and go and then put it into practice. BEST decision money wise....EVER!

We took our kids on a field trip to Hiddenite Gem Mines. If you ever visit our area this is something worth doing with your family! Lots of fun, and very rewarding! We found lots of different gems, Hiddenite, Jasper, Agate, Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby. ANYTHING you find you are allowed to keep! Some of them are of a significant size, but getting them cut costs some money so we just have them here for now. We panned in the creek instead of down underground as that would not be practical with small kids. I would like to go back and try that sometime with Jacob though! Looks like fun! I only got a few pictures since (BIG SURPRISE) stupid camera battery died on me!

To Be Continued...kids are gonna wake up soon! :)

I gave her back.

2011-08-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

When my kids were born, we were asked numerous times if we were having them dedicated or have already had them dedicated at church. We decided against it, because frankly we didn't see the point. The day each of our children were born, I prayed over them thanking God for their precious life. I prayed I would be the mom they needed me to be and the one God would have me to be. I prayed for their health. I prayed for their hearts to be turned to God early on in life. I prayed for their safety. And I prayed that God would use them however He saw fit, that they would seek out His will, and that we, as parents, would accept that will also.

Right now, we don't know what God has in store for them later in life; but it would not surprise us in the least if Candice does not become a missionary. (Granted we are all missionaries in one way or another-but I am speaking of the "on the mission field missionary!)

She prayed to be saved when she was 2 and still speaks of it frequently, rejoicing in her salvation. She cries that her friends do not know Christ. She cries because she wants to see Jesus NOW. She asks strangers if they are saved or know Jesus. She prays for others consistently without prompting. She teaches her teachers at church with her boldness. She can clearly explain the plan of salvation.

She often surprises us with her intellect and profound statements of understanding the call of the Holy Spirit in her heart. Sometimes simplifying concepts adults have a hard time with.

Yesterday, we went to get haircuts and when getting out of the van I reprimanded one of the kids for the way they were stepping on some things and said "we need to take care of Blue because we need her!" (The van's name is Blue.)

Candice says in the most humble voice

"Mama, we don't need the van. We only need God. We can walk places."

How often do we think we NEED something. We really don't need things....we really do "just" need God.

When I prayed that I would give my children back to God to use them however He saw fit, I really didn't think that I would be seeing fruit this early in their lives. But I am so grateful for it, and I continue to pray that they will keep a soft heart to God's call for them!

My birthday Present...to you!

2011-08-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

OK, so my computer was out for a few days, which was stinky and delayed my giveaway prize winner announcement. Friday was a decent day, though I still hate my birthday. Last year I resolved I wouldn't anymore, but that didn't work I guess. For my birthday, I went and got a massage and facial on Wednesday, because Jacob had off that day. It was very nice! Friday, I did nothing. Such a change of pace for me...I mean I didn't even do a load of laundry! That night we went to a local restaurant for some supper-where we were able to all eat and tip for under $20-what a great treat for us!
So, I told you that I love being a mom, but there is something that I just LOATHE cleaning! Toys are a pain to clean up. And i must confess that if I end up cleaning up toys too many times, I actually DO take a trash bag and throw them away or give them away. My kids toys, my kids responsibility. Toys with tiny pieces... I haven't had much experience with that since I still have a child who puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. So pretty much anything with the tiny pieces is still on the ban list. Rice Krispy treats... close, but no. I can't even remember the last time we had those. Soggy cereal... I would have picked that as the winning answer if my sister had not made an even more specific guess. Soggy Rice Krispies. I hate the food stage with kids. Its gross. Its messy. And yes I would rather potty train than teach a kid to eat. That is how much I hate it! So at least we are past that stage in this house. However, we are NOT past the stage where bowls of cereal accidentally get knocked off the table while the child is reaching for a cup just 2 minutes before we HAVE to leave to be somewhere! With rice and noodles, I find it easier to clean up once they have dried. So typically i will go give baths or do a load of laundry or do something with the kids for 20 minutes while the food kinda dries so i can sweep or vacuum it up. One a specific day, just as we were walking out the door the sound of the cereal bowl crash hit the floor! I was in a hurry and as I tried to clean up the spilled bowl of Rice Krispies, they would just smear across the floor. So I thought I would let them dry and then clean them up when I got back. (Gross I know!) Well that was easier because they didn't smear, but dried they are GLUED to any surface. I now LOATHE Rice Krispies except when they are in tact in bowl or mixed with marshmallow! So Tara, you win it with your specificness. Tia, it was a close second!
I will be mailing Tara a pink reusable grocery bag that has Proverbs 31: 10 printed on it. Congratulations to Tara! (and just so everyone knows, I have never told her what I hate cleaning, other than the hair out of the drain! LOL!)
Proverbs 31:10 NIV: She is far more valuable than rubies.
Blessed day to everyone!

3...2..1.. Blastoff!!

2011-08-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

Science Experiments for the summer kinda got put on hold; because I, for the life of me, cannot find Root Beer extract here! I can order it, I guess- if I would remember. I also wanted to do some paper mache' with the kids. Summer's not over yet, but I have a few ideas for Fall with that! Clayton was able to get his rocket out one day while Jacob had some time to do it with him. they took it over to the Elementary School and shot it off 2x. Clayton LOVES it. He has loved rockets for as long as I can remember! And this is a great pastime he and his dad can enjoy together and build memories! Maybe a future scientist?....Maybe not. Clayton keeps saying he is going to own a donut shop called Dad's Delicious Donuts! He has the logo all planned out already and what the T-shirts will look like. He is always askingme to help him make donuts. So we bought him a donut pan. (Though the GOOD donuts are made in hot oil--> not the safest thing for an 8 year old entrepreneur! So we settled for the baked ones. Check these out! He was very proud of himself. He really made them by himself except putting them in the oven. They tasted very good as well!

I am an....Apple? Pear? Nut? Chocolate Fudge Brownie?

2011-08-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

The One Minute Writer has prompted today... "What food perfectly represents who you are?"
There is NO WAY possible I could answer that in 60 seconds, so I linked up my response so I can take as long as I would like to! What a question though, really!
I can think of a few foods I am definitely NOT! I know I am not an asparagus--they are long and skinny, which I am not. However, they have a quality about them that maybe we have in common... People either love it or hate it...Its just one of those veggies! Brussel sprouts are the same way...although they smell worse when cooking. But when given a try with the right treatment they are WONDERFUL!
I know I am not oatmeal! Oatmeal has nothing interesting about it. When its cooked, its still blah til you add a bunch of stuff-sorta covering up its identity. I definitely don't cover who I am.
I know I am not chocolate. Chocolate has many forms. It can me sweet or bitter. It can melt or stand firm. Most people adore chocolate while they eat it and then loathe themselves later for eating it. Don't think that fits me either.
Nuts...now there is one that is a good descriptive word. That might fit me, but overall, not a good fit.
Fruits... as a category, I think I could fit into that! Most are fairly tough skinned but their heart bruises easily. They take the abuse and the handling and most times there are no seen effects that look no more than superficial marks. But then you cut it open and find that it is severely damaged, sometimes to the point of being thrown away. Some people eating it will do the good thing and just ignore the bruises, or cut them away and savor what is good and left over. - or better yet re-purpose it from its raw state.
Cereal: There is an idea... its nice and crunchy in the box, yet has been shuffled around like a house in a tornado. You pour the cereal in the bowl and pour milk on top. The cereal is still crunchy, tastes good. But then you get side tracked-go answer the phone, or pay attention to something else, and the cereal is neglected. It starts to get mushy. Eventually it gets so mushy and gross that its worthless to the eater-at least the adult eater. Its not the cereal's fault you walked away, and yet we get mad that it "turned" on us. The kids are much more forgiving eaters....they just take it how it is and love it anyway even when the SNAP, Crackle, Pop has long been silenced.
Then there is coffee! Does that even count as food? LOL... well, I guess I can't relate to coffee, but it is the most comforting drink to me. I would rather drink my coffee in peace and quiet than eat for comfort. (Confession: I have drank coffee more than once in place of meals. ah well.)

So I suppose I can't just pick ONE food I can say "perfectly represents me". there are too many to choose from... I do know this. I seem tough on the outside, but everything sinks in. EVERYTHING. It all effects me differently. I take it all in and some of the negativity people project goes in and makes me push back and get stronger, some just bruises me to my core. I have learned to expect people to be cruel and mean, and I have learned that just because someone claims to be your friend doesn't mean jack squat. I have learned that friends are people who talk to you, not at you. They care about you when you are at your worst and at your best. They love you even if you have nothing to offer them and take anything you can offer, not materially speaking. They are the ones you trust with your heart when everyone else is making assumptions about you. They are the ones who in crisis are there to just be there. They are the ones who when you are stranded will help you out. They are the ones who come along side you when your husband is gone for what seems like FOREVER! These people are far and few between. And are cherished. They don't care that I look like a pear and sometimes act like a nut, and feel like a marshmallow. ;) They only see you through their Chocolate covered cherry eyes! Good through and through!

2 down...

2011-08-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

This summer before Jacob even got home, Candice lost 1 of her bottom teeth. then 2 weeks later another one. I keep forgetting that she will be among the oldest in Kindergarten so it makes sense when the teeth are falling out already before she even steps foot in the classroom. My little girl is getting so big! Maybe her body will catch up with her intellect soon! Both of the teeth were dangling by a thread of tissue and were both messed with at the dentist office and fell out there. She was excited, because they gave here a little plastic tooth each time that opens that you can use to put under your pillow at night. She now has 2 more loose teeth, not ready to be pulled yet, but I know it won't be too long before they are ready! (Notice the nail polish in her hand in the first picture?... yeah lets just say after about 15 minutes and some painting, our front porch has a nice coat of red in a 1 foot diameter spot. Not that big a deal since i wasn't even going to attempt cleaning it up--at least i didn't step in it and feel that soggy gooey feeling stuck to my feet!)

Being a Mom...

2011-08-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Being a Mom brings lots of jobs; we all know that! There are all kinds of jobs...teaching, analyzing, fixing, taxi-ing, comforting, the list could go on for miles of paper! But one of the most ongoing, never-ending, tedious tasks as a mom is cleaning up after little ones. Now that Clayton and Candice are much older, thankfully, there is not much cleaning up after them as they are responsible to clean up after themselves. (and for the most part they do well at it) The younger two on the other hand - WOW! The mess tornado follows them everywhere. Cameron's biggest mess these days is taking MY books off my bookshelf and using them to teach her babies. This in and of itself is not a bad thing per se; however, when my books are strewn about with the toys, they do get somewhat abused and lost at times. Neither of those things is on my "favorites" list. Corbett's biggest messes are EVERYTHING. I am going through clothes and toys and they are packed away in a closet til i am finished...or shall I say they were packed away in the closet. Currently as I type this they are scattered all over their bedroom floor in complete disarray... to be managed shortly after naps! I can live with it. After all, the 2year old stage should only last about a year right?!
Here's the thing...there is something that eats at me constantly when I have to clean it up. I am not going to tell you what it is. I will let you guess. I will post a clue each day until Friday-my birthday! You who feel like playing along and guessing what it is that I really LOATHE cleaning up can post in the comments section and whoever guesses it right will win a prize. If there are more than 1 winners, I will have to randomly draw from the correct responses! I already have the prize in hand, and I am sure you will like it! (hint: there is already a clue int his post!)
School starts in 17 days. Then I will be back to just 2 at home. though i am interviewing with a lady and may be taking a child in a few days a week. I am looking forward to this time with the little ones. There is so much to do with them that has been put off the last few years! First task: finish potty training Corbett!