Road Trip… Baseball Tournament

road trip

road trip

 

 

Today we are headed to Bend, Oregon for a baseball tournament…
As you read this we are already on the road (and I’m already missing our dogs).
Our family LOVES road trips and we are excited to be a part of this trip and we’re looking forward to
the fun and memories we are about to experience.

I’m taking along the book
‘What Happens When Women Say Yes To God’
to ready and study while I’m there…  especially on the long drive.  ;)
I already started it last night and it’s going to be powerful!
My soul longs for more of Jesus and what He wants for me…
What Happens When Women Say Yes To God

I’m excited to share stories and photos of the next 5 days…

road trip

Hope all of you have an amazing Memorial Day weekend!
I am hoping to update this weekend but not sure if I’ll have the time…  :)

A Sweet Gift

outfit from Ruthie

I am feeling overwhelmed with joy these past couple of days…
As we prepare for our sweet baby girl, Kenley Grace, we have been showered with love and prayer!

My husband is busy painting the crib white (we are using Camden’s old crib)
and I am so excited to put her pink bedding into it and get it all ready for her!
Three short months and she will finally be in our arms!
Pretty much everyday and every weekend for sure is filled with things we are busy with
and I love it because it’s making the time pass quickly!  :)

Day before yesterday I was soooooooooo blessed by a blog friend, Ruthie,
who is due a few days apart from me, expecting her precious bundle, a little boy!
She sent a sweet gift, addressed perfectly to Kenley Grace (her first mail)
and I cried at her thoughtfulness.

Check out the adorable outfit she got for Kenley,
and look at the back pocket detail on the jeans (little hearts!!
Ahhhhhhhh, they are so precious!
I love the headband she got and must find out where she got it because I haven’t found any that cute, and a pink book!

Ruthie, thank you so much for blessing us like this!
It was unexpected but so very precious to me and I am so thankful for you!
Can’t wait for these babies to meet one day!  :)

outfit from Ruthie

bows & hearts

I figured I’d throw in the picture of the crib also…  Hubs is working it it but it’s coming along nicely!  :)
Love my handy guy!!!

crib

Ok, and a belly pic…  ;)

25 week belly

2013 Reading Corner

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6 Must Reads For 2013 

 

I asked you guys (my Twitter and Blog girls) what your favorite reads are and these were the Top 6 that were repeated over and over!
I am excited to read these this year…
And I’m thinking I need to start NOW since this summer we will have a new wee one taking up my time!  :)
Have you read any of these?  Which is your favorite?
Do any of them appeal to you??
Hope all of you have a very blessed week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Easy Day

No Easy Day

 

I am currently reading  ’No Easy Day’ written by one of the brave Navy Seals who killed Osama Bin Laden!  I just started it on Monday and I’m more than halfway through the book.  Although my schedule leaves me little time to read I find it hard to put this book down.  Every page captures me and I feel like I’m living in another reality and there during these gut wrenching moments!  He takes you onto the battle field and into his head and I love reading about all of these brave men who have served on our behalf to keep us safe!  The sacrifices these men have made are so honorable and I’m awestruck by the courage of them and the risk they have all taken for our country!

I love current events and history and if you do to then I suggest reading this book!  Here is the description from amazon and if you’d like to purchase the book just click on the photo!  :)

 

Description:
For the first time anywhere, the first-person account of the planning and execution of the Bin Laden raid from a Navy Seal who confronted the terrorist mastermind and witnessed his final moments.

From the streets of Iraq to the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean, and from the mountaintops of Afghanistan to the third floor of Osama Bin Laden’s compound, operator Mark Owen of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group–commonly known as SEAL Team Six– has been a part of some of the most memorable special operations in history, as well as countless missions that never made headlines.

No Easy Day puts readers alongside Owen and the other handpicked members of the twenty-four-man team as they train for the biggest mission of their lives. The blow-by-blow narrative of the assault, beginning with the helicopter crash that could have ended Owen’s life straight through to the radio call confirming Bin Laden’s death, is an essential piece of modern history.

In No Easy Day, Owen also takes readers onto the field of battle in America’s ongoing War on Terror and details the selection and training process for one of the most elite units in the military. Owen’s story draws on his youth in Alaska and describes the SEALs’ quest to challenge themselves at the highest levels of physical and mental endurance. With boots-on-the-ground detail, Owen describes numerous previously unreported missions that illustrate the life and work of a SEAL and the evolution of the team after the events of September 11. In telling the true story of the SEALs whose talents, skills, experiences, and exceptional sacrifices led to one of the greatest victories in the War on Terror, Mark Owen honors the men who risk everything for our country, and he leaves readers with a deep understanding of the warriors who keep America safe.

The Husband Project

The Husband Project

 

A few friends and I have started the book The Husband Project By Kathi Lipp.  I’d love it if you’d join us in this journey as we pray for our husbands and encourage each other in our marriages…  We are doing one ‘project’ a week  and checking in with each other for accountability as we daily love our husbands ‘on purpose’ and appreciate our men for who God made them and deeply challenge each other to be better wives.  :)  I’m praying for an awesome marriage revival with a renewed passion and a re-energized love!

 

 

 

Here is what the publisher says about the book:

Keeping a marriage healthy is all about the details–the daily actions and interactions in which husbands and wives lift each other up and offer support, encouragement, and love. In The Husband Project women will discover fun and creative ways to bring back that lovin’ feeling and remind their husbands–and themselves–why they married in the first place.

Using the sense of humor that draws thousands of women a year to hear her speak, Kathi Lipp shows wives through simple daily action plans how they can bring the fun back into their relationship even amidst their busy schedules.

The Husband Project is an indispensable resource for the wife who desires to

  • discover the unique plan God has for her marriage and her role as a wife
  • create a plan to love her husband “on purpose”
  • support and encourage other wives who want to make their marriage a priority
  • experience release from the guilt of “not being enough”

The Husband Project is for every woman who desires to bring more joy into her marriage but just needs a little help setting a plan into action.

Field Trip

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This post is a million years late but my camera dock broke and it took this long for my hubbers to tell me that I didn’t need it to transfer the photos!  LOL Hence the terrible iphone photos of all of my food and recipes…  :-/

I accompanied Camden’s class to see the play ‘If You Give A Mouse A Cookie’ and it was adorable…  We had a blast and it was so fun to see all of the kids so happy and giggling.  I truly cherish these moments with my kids.

Here is a little bit of the fun in photos…  :)

Bakers Bliss

fudge

So in the past couple of days I’ve been a baking machine and I’ve had so much fun in the kitchen with my boys.  They are loving helping mommy and I’ve been doing the easiest recipes…  Perfect for those of you who are short on time like me!  ;)  I made the absolute easiest banana bread ever and it is super moist and delicious!  Here is the recipe…

 

Banana Bread

Ingredients

  • 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed (I used 4)
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe which is even better! Preheat the oven to 350°F . With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

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We also made the easiest fudge I’ve ever made and it is delicious!  You can play around with the ingredients to suit your taste!  :)  It is from one of my favorite cookbooks called 1001 Ways To Cook Southern 
Here is the yummy recipe!
Chocolate Fudge
3 cups milk chocolate chip morsels (I used 2 cups of semi sweet and 1 cup of butterscotch morsels)
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart glass bowl.  Microwave chocolate mixture at MEDIUM for 5 minutes, stirring at 1 1/2 minute intervals.  Pour into greased 8 inch square dish.  Cover and chill 8 hours; cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.  Store in refrigerator.  Enjoy!!
Hope y’all are doing well…  Anybody doing anything fun tomorrow night for New Years Eve?  Happy New Year and be safe!  Looking forward to an amazing year!

Back to the grind!

coop3

Yesterday Cooper’s pediatrician wanted to see him so I took him back in and he put him on new antibiotics…  He was super adorable waiting for the dr…  I swear he has become a little man reading about sports and I just love to stare at him!

I am happy to report that Coop is finally on the mend and feeling so much better (thank you to all who have been praying for us) and he went back to school today and was so excited to finally see all of his friends again after a long Christmas break!  :) I have a very productive day today and am so happy that I had time in the Word, got all of our bags unpacked and everything put away and got all of our laundry done.  I also managed to put away all of the Christmas bins and clean the whole house!  Feels so good to get back to the grind and have our regular schedule going smooth!  I’ve got meals planned out for the rest of the month and I’m happily settled into the Beth Moore David study that was recommended to me (which is fabulous so far and I highly recommend) and I’m also about to start Power of A Praying Wife (AGAIN) by Stormie Omartian because I read it yearly and learn something new from it every time!

Seriously, God is so amazing and He really meets you right where you are!  He knows the ‘season’ you are in and it’s funny how you can read a book or a verse 5 or a hundred times and you get something new from every single time!  You just need to remember to let the Lord guide you continually it says in Isaiah 58:11…  And He will!  He continually directs our steps Proverbs 16:9 says and of course we need to open our hearts and allow Him to move in us.  His work in us never ends and in John 15:5-8 He makes it clear to us when He tells us, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.’  We have been placed on this earth for His purpose and His joy…  So often we get caught up in ourselves when in reality it’s not about us at all…  You have to give up your own plans in order for Jesus to work in your life!  Whenever I fall to my knees at the feet of God and pray, in my brokenness I am complete!  He never fails to make me whole again and that is part of His unfailing, everlasting love!

Sickies! :(

ginger house

So the past week we have been super sick in our house and we have all been in bed and on the couch…  The house is a mess…  well, dishes done, laundry done and tidy but a total mess!  ;) but I have managed, while laying on the couch for days  to skim through a few cookbooks for ideas and read a book called Letting God Meet Your Emotional Needs by Cindi McMenamin.  Its about trusting God with your everyday life and your emotional life.  The Lord is our happily ever after and we can all live a life in intimacy with the Lover of our souls!  With Christ’s all encompassing love we will go hungry again!  No human person be it a spouse, friend or child, can completely satisfy us and they will always let us down because let’s face it, we’re human…  Not the case with Jesus!  We get to experience the joy of being filled and satisfied and nothing in my mind could be better!

God promises us in His word that seeking a future of intimacy with Him is far better than hoping for a happily ever after in anything the world can offer- be it princes, palaces, or pleasures it says in the book!  In Psalm 118:9 He tenderly tells us, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.’  This couldn’t be more right!  :)

Here is amazon.com’s description of the book:

Women long to be loved, to be known, to be understood. But who can meet those needs at their deepest level? Only the One who created women—who knows them by name and who designed them—can bring fulfillment that truly satisfies.

Letting God Meet Your Emotional Needs shows how God desires to help every woman:

  • I need acceptance… God loves, forgives, and accepts
  • I need security… God promises He will never leave
  • I need to feel pretty… Christ sees me as new, spotless
  • I need a companion… He is the perfect friend
  • I need communication… He talks to me intimately through His Word

If you want it you can find it here.  I definitely recommend.

The only other thing we’ve managed to do is a cute, fun gingerbread house with the boys!  They were so excited to put it together and decorate it…  Year after year this never gets old to them and Paul and I absolutely love watching them do it!