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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

What Would Your Child Say?! Wednesday


i love the sweet nothings that come out of the mouths of my babes... sometimes its a whining, screeching, crying nothing, but that is neither here nor there, i love hearing the voices and giggles of my children. i have those days, i'm sure you've had them as well, when every request or question simply grades on my nerves and i want to say "please leave me alone for 10 seconds!", it is then i have to remind myself that there will be a day not so far away that the bickering voices will be grown and not with me every day, those sweet ramblings of the school day's events will be a phone call every couple of days.... those thoughts occur to me often and humble me to kneel down to my babe's level and look them in the eye more and listen intently to their stories and requests and questions, because i do truly love the things my splendid Posse of Kiddos say!




so in celebration of the scruptious words of my babes, i wanted to play in the What Would Your Child Say! Wednesday carnival so graciously hosted by Family American Style, and if you would love to play along you should visit Marianne and link up your post too!!


it started with baby 'P', as a toddler he began the cutest thing: when in need of some mama-cuddling he would waddle over to me, lift his arms up to me and say "mommy, hole jew..hole jew" what?... oh!!! hold you!! i realized instead of saying 'hold me' he was rightly repeating what he heard me keep saying to him which was "what mommy to hold you?" so this sweet saying of my babes wanting to hold me has continued with lil' Lou-Woo and on to big 'K' and it does bring a smile to me face each day still when i hear 'K' behind me, gently yanking on my shirt pleading for the chance to "hole jew!!" (this pic is one of those moments we want to hold mama..)


this week at lil' Lou-Woo's school it is Red Ribbon Week, in celebration of living drug free!! so each day has it's own special theme and yesterday was Fancy Day!! well that is so right up my girlie's league!! she loves everything girlie & fancy, and we had a brand new dress she got as a birthday gift; so all is going to be perfection, right?

i don't know what happens to my precious daughter when she wakes in the morning, but the bad mood bug bites her the minute i ask her to put clothes on... why is that?! but you would have thought i asked her to stand on her head and juggle cats with her feet, when all i said was "please put your tights on so then we can get your gorgeous dress on!!" after much stomping and explaining to me ever so sweetly whining to me in the most annoying way ever that the tights were itchy and uncomfortable, they're ugly and stupid, we did get the dress on along with our shoes... oh i haven't even gotten to the fun part yet: fixing her hair!! and her new hair cut is so marvelous!! i love it!! Lou-Woo and i joke that i'm jealous of her hair, and she thinks her new cut is wonderful (i'm so glad, you never know!).

well i did fix her hair, but as you will see in the photo it is without decoration, but i don't even want to replay the drama that came with the big red bow that was adorning her shiny locks. but as i took her picture before we darted out the door she did make me giggle with her remarks...

me: please give me a smile for one of these photos, sis. it is not the end of the world even if you think so now. you look seriously ticked off in...

sis: (interupting me)well, it's because i kinda am, geez...

well i did try to hide my smile and giggle because she was being a little snide, but my giggle made her giggle and we forgot very quickly that we were irritated and hugged and then jetted to school to waltz around all day in her magnificent gown!!

and i would be remiss if i didn't brag a little a lot about my girlie's award she received this week at school as this month's Caring Kid!!! and the following is not what my sweet girl said but what was said about her:

she follows the rules even when no one is watching; she is kind to everyone; she is kind; she is a hard worker and helps others in class with their work; she is a good leader; she goes above and beyond to help others and her school. i could go on, i was given a paper that was filled front and back with comments from her teachers and her classmates about all the qualities that make her an absolutely outstanding student and friend. she truly hates to be the center of attention, but she was very humble and did enjoy getting to put up her handprint on the Caring Kid banner...

and i do know that i have three kiddos, and i have not forgotten my eldest babe, 'P'. and what he said almost in passing this week meant so much to me. as we were finishing dinner one evening this last week, we, for some reason, were talking about be daddy's girls or mama's boys and daddy and i were giving 'P' a little teasin' about how much he was a mama's boy when he as a little boy. and as i got up to clear the plates he came up to me, hugged me tight and said "i'm still a mama's boy." aaaawwwww!!! i know!!! i could have cried big tears of joy right there but i held back and kissed his head, hugged him back and memorized that moment in my permanent files...

what did your kiddos say this week that you filed in the 'Remember this moment forever' file?

Monday, October 26, 2009

Not Me! Monday


did you plop the kiddos down in front of a movie for what was supposed to be only 15 minutes and it turned into an hour and a half? or maybe your breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted of coffee, some peanut butter m&ms and a handful of cheerios and you're feeling guilty... don't!!! Not Me! Monday is a chance for us to come together and chat about our minor imperfections (hee hee) and offer each other theraputic relief!! this most fun blog carnival is the creation of MckMama, and if you wanna play head over to MckMama's blog and link up....
i met one of my most favorite friends for lunch this week and to dish about life & work, and we did not eat 2 bowls of chips with endless amounts of salsa and cheese dip... nope, i make smart dining choices and would not just stuff myself silly with corn chips and salsa, and nothing else.... if i had done that would the salsa count as a vegetable?
and while i'm on a roll of always eating 100% healthy and organic, my little Lou-Woo and i had a girlie night on friday evening in which she cut 10 inches off her beautiful brown hair (oh my goodness, she is even more stinkin' cute than she was the 20 minutes before it was cute, if that is at all possible!!) and then we most certainly did not follow that up with andy's frozen custard for dinner. i love being totally responsible and teaching my little girl about eating veggies first and never scarfing down andy's pumpkin pie concretes as a meal!!
and because i never just leave people hanging and i am the greatest of communicators, i did not procrastinate creating and painting the book fair decorations for girlie's school, due to being sick and completely fatigued... and then even after getting the scene's painted, maps drawn and flags laminated i would never leave before it was done with the intentions to complete it later in the week and then go back up to school to see that someone else had already finished it. no i am most definitely not that loser mom that just had too much on her plate and a pesky sickness to boot that dropped the ball....
okay that this week's session is up, it is your turn on the couch!!! write up your own week's events and link up so i can see what you've been up to (or not up to).
if you'd like to win a Bonnots Mill hand-poured candle, scroll down & read my last post, leave your 2 cents worth and you'll be entered to win!!! i'll do my best to close the comments tonight and then choose my favorite and hopefully announce it in a late night post....
so glad you stopped by, leave your prayer requests in my BlogFrog community and sign up to follow me on Twitter!! it will be fun, you know you want to :)

Saturday, October 24, 2009

treatment or prevention?

UPDATE: okay all you pretty people out there.... since you decided to obviously wait until the last minute, again, to enter to win your own Bonnots Mill candle, then i'll leave the comments open through tomorrow evening at 6pm CST, so leave your comment now!! smiles!!!
ORIGINAL:
okay, so i have promised for awhile now my thoughts and insight on natural medicine, and you're so blessed that today i will deliver!! now i'm of course not a doctor (but i do play one in real life!! dr.mama is my official title) but i have spent many, many hours researching, reading, working with other natropath researchers/believers and lots of conversations learning from my natropathic physican, Dr.D (who is brillant!!). so while i truly believe in all the stuff i'm going to chat with you about today, you should always contact your physcian, do your own research or find a natropath/homeopath doctor near you to answer your questions and create a protocol specific to your needs, okay? great!



remember when i wrote part #1 and part #2 concerning the medical issues i have been experiencing since march of 2008, and how i let you in on how i absolutely had my world turned upside down and around!! and in the midst of all the turmoil, i was lead to Dr.D and the world of organic eating and using alternative & natural medicines. and whoa!!! what an eye-opening experience! i never had really considered using vitamins, herbs and plants to heals disease, even though i was not big on traditional prescriptions with all the potential side effects, i had not seen the flip-side of natural alternatives.




so now i have become quite the natural medicine researcher, reading PubMed reports on what vitamins and herbs can do for cancer treatments (see a real life miracle in sweet Jaymun's life with natural cancer treatments), or how to treat 'P's allergies with an herb or give my Man more energy with the right combinations of vitamins and minerals, and bring some healing to my own body with the use of vitamins, herbs and food.



personally to keep myself going each day:


-MultiMedica for women, i love this vitamin!! weird thing to say, i know but when i feel healthy and strong and energized because of all the great stuff in these capsules then i can't help but shout it from the roof tops!! okay, maybe that's over the top, but with tons of vitamin A, all the B's, chromium, milk thistle, i could keep going but love it and how it keeps my body functioning at the highest levels possible.

-Micellized D3, now you might be thinking that there is probably some vitamin D in my amazing multivitamin and you would be correct; however do you know all the astounding benefits of D3 for your body? well you can click on the D3 link to learn tons more than i will ramble on about, but D3 increases your body's ability to absorb calcuim which buffers the acidity of your body, which is incredibly important, but more about that later...D3 stimulates your immune system and so much more. to help get the most out of the D3 i also take vitamin K with it.
-to keep my body's pH in check, and this is by far one of the most vital things i check each few days (of course in my opinion), and one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to keep a neutral pH is baking soda... i know crazy, huh?! check out this article from Dr.D about the importance of pH and how you can fix it!!
-you might be thinking: "what else you do take each day? geez!" but don't leave me now... one other supplement i'll share with you is my secret... ready for it? alright, it's not that big of a secret but it has made a huge difference for me, digestive enzymes. and what the heck are enzymes? so glad you asked!!! there are specific enzymes that are in our food that assist our digestive system, particularly your liver, in breaking down food and absorbing the nutrients necessary for optimum health and with colon health (i know it's your favorite thing to talk about!!), well when we cook our food the heat destroys much of the enzymes needed by our body and you're probably not getting a lot of raw or all natural foods these days. read this article as well from Dr.D about enzymes and just give it a try, if you so choose!!
alrighty!!! i won't bore you a further.... i could talk about natural medicine all day and night, i find it amazing that there are so many ways to treat our illnesses with everyday herbs and supplements. and by making some simple changes to our diets and adding a few extra supplements we can prevent illness instead of treating it. this is my new motto (hey! what's a motto with you?!! hee hee), the main reason for the complete turn around in our family is to be a great steward of these bodies God gave us. we only get one ya know!! so thus why you won't find any Double-Stuffed chocolate cookies at our home, well i do buy the all natural ones and they are super delicious, my Man didn't even know the diff!! i know that if i can form my Posse of Kiddos now into healthy eating habits & a crunchy-granola lifestyle then i am helping to prevent some sickness later.
here's a snipet of an article Dr.D wrote for me regarding keeping our kiddos well from all the pig flu (hee hee) infecting our nation:
How to protect yourself
As the 'flu is a viral infection, it will not respond to any antibiotic. Antibiotics are only effective in treating secondary bacterial infections sometimes associated with influenza.
Here are some of the best steps you can take to speed up your recovery:
*Stay in bed for a few days to rest.
*Increase your intake of vitamin A to 10,000 IUs a day. A liquid micellized form is recommended. The micellization process—a technique that may enhance absorption by producing extremely tiny droplets (micelles) that are easily assimilated by the body. Vitamin A may increase resistance to the Common Cold and may exert direct anti-viral effects against the Viruses that cause the Common Cold.
*Increase your intake of vitamin D to 2,000 IU’s a day. A liquid micellized form is recommended. Vitamin D may improve the function of the Lungs and prevent Respiratory Tract Infections.
*Take 1000-2000mg of vitamin C a day. Vitamin C may reduce the severity and duration of symptoms. Vitamin C may help to prevent Respiratory Tract Infections, reduces the severity of Respiratory Tract Infections and may accelerate the recovery from Respiratory Tract Infections.
*Use zinc lozenges to soothe a sore throat and Olive Leaf nasal spray for a runny nose.
*Chicken soup may soothe a sore throat, clear clogged passageways, and hydrate a thirsty body.
Watch out for 'flu in children
A toddler younger than two years is particularly vulnerable to highly infectious diseases like 'flu. In fact, all children younger than 12 years are susceptible to the 'flu virus. A temperature raised or lowered any degree from normal in a baby less than three months, above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit in a child of three to six months, and a temperature above 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit in an older child would be reason to get medical advice.
Tip: Do not exercise if you have 'flu! It may lead to inflammation of the heart muscle. You should generally not exercise for at least seven days after recovering from the 'flu, after which you can gradually return to exercise.
so there's my two cents for the time being regarding alternative/natural medicine... what do you think?



everyone who leaves me their two cents in the comments will be entered to win my last Bonnots Mill Candle from Flame & Flair that i have lying around.... okay i actually went out and bought it just for you!!!



so get to commentin'!!! i'll leave the comments open on this until tomorrow night at 10pm CST. i can't wait to hear what you've got to say!!

p.s. you shoud also check out my community on the right side bar about whether you are giving you kiddos the H1N1 vaccine...

Monday, October 19, 2009

Not Me! Monday... with a little sumthin' extra!


so what if you didn't get around to shower today (or yesterday), a ponytail counts right?! and so what if you're toddler threw a fit all throughout the trip to wal-mart, happens to every mom, and no need to feel bad for bribing them with a happy meal if they'll just please stop screaming!!! we all have those days, and Not Me! Monday was born of MckMama's idea to share our not so shining moments and not hide in shame!!
so what did i not do this week....
i did not forget that my cute girlie Lou-Woo had a piano lesson, just like she does every single week, nope!! and so for the second or third week in a row i certainly did not have to text our most amazing teacher and plead for an alternate time later in the week. i am so totally on top of everything... at least 'P' made it to his orthodontist appointment and to basketball practice, of course, because i never forget anything :)
and for the second week in a row, i did not "forget" it was tuesday and so i did not go to Lou-Woo's classroom to help her teacher with bulletin boards and what not. why would a person forget what day it was?!! i am so glad that i have it all together.
in an effort to get the dishes done and not have a sweet toddler hanging off of my hip,
i would never ever use a movie to hypnotize enlighten my baby 'K' for 30 minutes... okay maybe if i had done such a horrendous thing it might have been for an hour, but i didn't so i'm not panicking.
and i love my affectionate mammoth puppy, so i would not make my Man bathe him outside instead of the bathtub. i would never ask such a thing...especially since Magnus just loves to get a bath (not!) and it would be next to impossible to keep him in one place. i totally love cleaning dog hair out of the bath so it would be silly to have him bathed outside...in the semi-cold weather, that would be wrong...
i feel better, don't you?! i would love it if you'd join in, so click here to head over to MckMama's blog to link yours up!
and for all amazing readers who like free stuff, i have another Bonnots Mill candle giveaway (i have few extra of these lying around) for you tomorrow night, so swing back by for your sumthin' extra!!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

and the winner is...and football stuff

i am so excited to announce who the winner of my very first blog giveaway is!!! i wish i had dramatic background music blaring in through the speakers with trumpets blasting.... oh, is that too much?! okay then the blessed recipent of an awesome, hand poured Bonnots Mill candle from my fav boutique, Flame and Flair, is brandi!!! i got a chance to head over to your blog and learn a little about you last night, cute family... thanks for playing, promise me you'll stick around awhile, okay?! shoot me an email (floodedbygrace@gmail.com) and let me know where to send the candle.



if you're bummed that random.org didn't choose you to win the sweet candle, then click over to Flame and Flair and pick yourself out a scentous candle, a sparkling piece of jewelry and a posh handbag. you'll feel all better, guaranteed.


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i love football!! with a hardcore passion, i most assuredly love football!! i get all painted up and decked out before 'P's games, make banners for his team to crash through as they storm the field to dominate the game as i clang my cowbell hootin' and hollerin' for my boy! and i don't have some weak excuse for a cowbell but a real heavy iron-right from the cow's neck-out in my family's pasture-cowbell; it's loud and i like it!! you might be giggling to yourself, embarassed for me, but don't be i love it, but more importantly my son loves it. it is completely normal to him that his mama gets all decked out for him to support and cheer for him during the game. and his friends and teammates love it! if i show up without crazy things in my hair they wonder what happened?!! fun, huh?


i will have a picture taken of me and 'P' after his last game this week but for now enjoy this stud-ly photo of my future hall of famer in his stance before the snap. he is the starting tight end on the left side and the back-up quarterback, and the d-lineman on defense. if you don't understand any of that, no big, just know that he has an awesome God-given talent that he works diligently to hone and polish.









and speaking of football, i had previously touched on the fact that my Man and i took the big kiddos to the KC Chiefs game on sunday against my the Dallas Cowboys. now i am forever & always a cowboys fanatic, but i will cheer on the chiefs all day because i just love my Man that much, however i had to stand by my team in this first meeting of the cowboys and chiefs.



so my babes were all decked out in chiefs attire, looking awesome in their red!! and i was sporting my cowboys colors, and yes they still allowed mama to walk with them. it was an incredibly fun and memorable day, especially for daddy and 'P' as this was another in a long line of bonding experiences. and 'Lou-Who' had a good time as well sitting on mama's lap and secretly cheering not only for the chiefs but along with me too!! sssshhhhh... keep it on the down-low...






there were friends and family that seemed worried about this game: my Man is kinda touchy about his team but he has grown a lot over the years and a loss doesn't ruin his whole day now. but we stood by the fact that we can cheer for our teams, talk a little friendly smack about the competition and not cross any lines. it is just a game, and i am going to be married to this splendid Man for another 60 years (by God's grace) and why choose this as one of my battles; that's just dumb!! i love him more than i care about rubbing it in that my team won (and they did win, but just barely).


i feel like this principle applies to all married couples: we should be careful about the battles we choose, cautious about drawing that 'line in the sand' because we can create an atmosphere of tension and animosity that is unneccesary. i have definitely been guilty of "standing my ground" on some things that in hindsight were simply stupid! i'm a big girl, i'll say i have made many a mistake and hopefully fewer and fewer as time goes on. it's our blasted tongues that get us into trouble and it is only relenting my stubborness to the Lord and letting Him transform my thoughts and my heart that the things that come out will be loving, humble and life-giving.

when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. Proverbs 10.19 how true, if i would simply listen more and talk less the Lord can speak to me first before i open my mouth, if it should be opened at all. can you relate?

whoever guards his mouth preserves his life, he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. Proverbs 13.3 i want to edify those around me with my words, not destroy them, which i'll be honest has always been a bit of an issue for me. we all have, myself most certainly included, the ability to make someone feel about an inch tall. i am able to think on my feet, serves me well in my advertising n' sales career but have sadly used it too many times in my life to make others feel less than they should. what a terrible witness to Christ's love in me and proof that significant parts of my heart and mind were not transformed. i'm forgiven: yea!!! but no excuse to not pray for that part of me to be completely redeemed, and by the Lord's amazing grace flooding my heart and soul i have had much victory in this area of my life over the last two or three years, thank you Jesus!! :) have you been here? cut someone down, felt good for a second, make you feel sick later?

here's proof that no one's tongues got the better of us sunday.... a picture of a happy family after the game. sweet, huh..

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and just because i didn't have any scrumptious pictures of my little babe since he didn't go on the road trip to KC, here's a new fav photo of 'K' and mama just playing with the camera in the car!!

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if you get the chance swing over to the right sidebar and see what's going on in my community. we can talk and debate issues, we get a chance to interact more, so let's do life together!!

new post coming tomorrow about natural medicine and keeping healthy this winter the natural way!!

p.s. please continue to keep my dear friends, the Kaat family, in your prayers.

i need warriors!

UPDATE: i want to thank every person who has faithfully offered up their prayers on Jaymun's behalf, our God is mighty and powerful and i love Him!! sweet little Jaymun took his first breath in Heaven late this morning and is now fully jumping and playing trains (his favorite!!) with the King. he has received his full healing and not crying in pain any longer. me on the other hand is crying as i type this... not out of a disappointment or bitterness but the void of his physical life and i can't fathom the pain that my friends, Dave and Jennifer, are experiencing right now. their faith has not waivered but please pray for the Lord's extravagent love to flow over them, that the Lord would carry them and their four other children through this grieving.
if you'd like to take a peak at some super cute pictures and videos of cute boy Jaymun click here to visit them.
ORIGINAL POST:
i have posted about sweet Jaymun before, but as i write this i have gotten word that the doctors have told my friends, Dave and Jennifer (his dad and mom), that his kidneys are no longer working and this will begin all other organs to go into failure....


i serve a God miracles!! and i am praying and believing without a doubt for Jaymun's complete healing, and while i'm am unsure how the Lord will manifest that, i do trust him completely.





pray for the Kaat family often today, pray with faith abounding that the Lord would save Jaymun, pray that the peace beyond understanding would rest upon them, pray that the doctors would know how best to treat baby Jaymun.
nothing is impossible for my God...nothing!!!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Not Me! Monday with a giveaway!



so the kids wore their pajamas all day and ate cereal for breakfast and lunch.... you got halfway through your day at work and realized you were wearing two completely different color shoes or maybe the dishes have been sitting in the sink for 2 days and you are just using paper plates until you have the time to wash them... no big!! Not Me! Monday was created by friend and blogger MckMama as a way to air our dirty laundry and realize we're not the only super mom having an off week!!



would you like to see what i've most definitly not been up to this week? great!!!



while my cutie baby 'K' sat at the bar in the kitchen coloring and the big kids were reading, i did not plop down on the couch for the first time all day and eat a very large piece of rainbow cake for dinner. why would i do that? i had made a perfectly healthy dinner for the family and so i would never just put away the leftovers and devour a hefty piece of cake. i am way too concerned about being healthly 100% of the time to do that!



last monday was my sweet girl's birthday, so i did absolutely no work and just focused on home and birthday stuff!! so when tuesday rolled around i certainly did not go through my entire day, well until about 4p, truly believing that it was monday. nope!!! i did not forget about a meeting with a client or miss a pta meeting, i am so on top of everything all the time. if i had done this i would not be thinking i might need some serious help..wow...



to continue the birthday celebration my lil' Lou-Who invited just a few girls to stay the night friday. our theme (cause ya gotta have a theme!!) was dance party!! once the babe was asleep and all the boys out of our home, the lights went out, the disco ball on and i did not, no way, dance up a storm with the girls for about an hour to high school musical 2 and 3 soundtracks!! and if i had done that i was not able to sing along to each song without missing a word!!



we had a great family weekend and went on a road trip sunday (except we did leave 'K' to play with his awesome uncle E and auntie M, and they all had an awesome time!!) to the KC Chiefs game... i am a chiefs fan by marriage and a cowboys fan by choice, so it was going to be fun! i was not the only one in my Posse decked out in blue and stars with the other 3 in all red, yellow and black. i would not ever cause such division on purpose...and if i had sported my cowboys attire i certainly did not have to explain over and over that "yes, of course, i'm with them and yes they do still love me all the same!" it was a quieter ride home than on the way there (cowboys won..sorry sweet family i really did want the chiefs to win just for you my Man!!) but a great time all the same; moments that we'll always remember that you just can't recreate...



and finally i did not host an awesome hand-poured candle giveaway and only have 2 of my peeps come out and play!!! (love you both ms.tonia and melissa)... so on the off chance you didn't see the giveaway, didn't know how to comment, or any other excuse and because i just love you all so much i am going to leave the comments open until 10p tonight CST for you to enter!!! just scroll down to the post below, read through and then leave your comment; simple huh? and ms.s, if you don't leave a comment then you're are so in for it!!! mwah!!



have questions about leaving a comment? well if you don't have a google, aim, or whatever ID then choose 'anonymous' but be sure to leave your name in your comment so i can enter your name.



if you would like to play in this fun Not Me! Monday blog carnival, then you should!! head over to read MckMama's instructions on linking up your post and i hope to read all the stuff you did not do!!



now keeping reading the next post about the giveaway, leave a comment, then feel free to hang out and read any of my other ponderings!! i'll announce the winner tomorrow afternoon!!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

it's giveaway time!!!!

UPDATE: i have now closed the comments on this post... i will happily announce the winner of the giveaway tomorrow evening, so stay tuned!!!
ORIGINAL POST:
who doesn't love the light of a flickering candle in a dim living room in the evening as you lounge around reading a book....wow that sounds great and maybe if you're up to taking my kiddos for the evening i might be able to enjoy some embiance like that.

but even with the constant chatter of a toddler, the clicking of my mammoth puppy running through the house with the white noise of a random television show i still so love the atmosphere that having candles lit in my house brings. along with the aromatic scents that create a yummy, cozy feeling that i just treasure.




i told you guys to stay tuned for a giveaway/contest, my first here on my blog!!! i'm really excited to share with you all!! and you will love the prize...

many of the candles throughout my home are from a fabulous little boutique,
Flame and Flair, that i frequent often to find my choice candles & scents, beautiful jewelry, hard to find gifts and amazing clothing!! so if you live here in Fly Over Country along with me you can shop in the store itself, but if you can't just visit their website by clicking here...

so like i said, these Bonnots Mill Candles are wonderful, spectacular candles and i am totally in love with the pumpkin spice and the autumn spice!!! pumpkin spice is the one pictured here and it fills every square inch of my home with the scents of autumn!!

so do you want one? great!!! i would love to send one to you! one blessed reader will get the candle scent of their choice (i absolutely adore the lilac scent too) and there are a million choices! the owner and i are good friends at this point (she's great!! wonderful sister in Christ) and she even created a scent for a customer that smelled like dirt... yes i said dirt. 'P' thinks it is the best, but no i have not purchased that one. hee hee :)
so all you have to do is leave a comment telling me what your favorite season is and why and you're entered to win!! easy, huh?! would you like to get your name in the drawing twice? of course you do!! well sign up to follow me on Twitter and you're in two times to win a superb candle! i promise i don't give you 15 tweet updates in one day, unless you'd like me to... and if you're not into getting updates via text message on your phone you don't have to, no biggie!! just check your Twitter page once day to see what i've been up to in between posts and find all the other people in Twitter that you'd like to stalk check in on too!! just check out my updates here on the right side bar and click on the link to get sign up!! just be sure if you sign up on Twitter that you tell me that in your comment so you're entered twice.

so invite some your of other friends to come over and play as well and i can't wait to hear from you!! i'll leave the comments open through Sunday evening and i'll announce the winner in my Not Me! Monday post....

be blessed!!

p.s. flame and flair boutique isn't paying or endorsing this giveaway/contest, i just love her shop and want to bless one of you readers with an awesome gift :) just in case any one was wondering..

Thursday, October 8, 2009

seeing orange




have i said that i just love fall? well, i do!!! i love that my home smells like spice & pumpkins right this very minute, yum-o. i just feel all comfortable and cozy with cinnamon scented pine cones arranged ever so neatly on the dining room table and on the buffet in the kitchen. 'K' is amazingly good about not touching mama's stuff, he is constantly walking around and pointing at my decor and saying "that mama's pretty, no no for baby". how cute?! and yes, he calls himself baby most of the time, it's pretty stinkin' sweet!!




so in the spirit of autumn.... the Posse and i went hunting for our pumpkins!!




we made the trip to pick out our pumpkins on lil' Lou-Who's birthday, and it was ever so much fun!! no, we didn't make it out to the patch itself (maybe next week) but we were still surrounded by a zillion pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, the many shades of orange were making us dizzy, thankfully there were bales of hay to rest upon and several small gourds to trip over as i pulled the wagon.




my personal favorite when it comes to choosing a pumpkin are the fairy tale pumpkins... it is right out of a storybook, and 'P' was trying to simply find the biggest one he could find that was in the 2 for $5.00 category, and Lou-Who decided that she didn't care as long as i let her pull the wagon!!! seeing how it was her birthday i relented and she was thrilled... until we took out a pile of gourds, then mama got to take over. oh well, nothing cracked or exploded so we called it good!




and needless to say 'K' was content to ride along and let me snap pictures of him in the wagon until he was seeing spots but eventually he did escape and throw himself into the fun of pumpkin hunting!!




do you love the change in seasons as much as me? would you like your home to smell yummy and pumpkin spicey? how would you like me to send you an amazing, high quality autumn spice candle from a fabulous boutique for your home? you would be ever so honored to have the same type of extraordinary candle burning in your home sweet home?!! well then you'll need to stay tuned this weekend, and invite your other friends to join in on the fun, 'cause a giveaway is just around the corner...

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

What Would Your Child Say?! Wednesday

my Posse of Kiddos are always on the go and there are very, very few quiet moments around our home, which is really quite alright with me, when it's quiet i know that someone is doing something they probably should not be doing!!


so in the spirit of What Would Your Child Say!? Wednesday so wonderfully hosted by Family American Style let me fill you in on just a few of the conversations circulating around our home these days:


me: so 'P' did you go to library open check-out today to get new book? you know that next week is the deadline for AR (reading points system) and you need about 200 more pages..

'P': uh.. no i didn't have time to go.

me: so is there a plan? you have a goal to achieve so..

'P': reading for a grade is stupid and lame. we don't get graded on it the first quarter, so it's not a biggie.

me: yes it is a "biggie" (and yes i did the air quotes to emphasize the dumbness of that to my sweet child!!). i'm not concerned whether you get graded this quarter or not. you have a goal set by your teacher and you will accomplish it. so... again let's pick out a book today that you are commited to finishing by next wednesday.

'P': (after 20 seconds of no response, because this child is able to tune out others better that any other human being that walks the earth!!! ..ahem.. sorry) oh, yeah, i'm going to finish that basketball book i started a couple weeks ago because it is enough pages and is in my AR system. it will be no big deal, i'm already like 40 pages in.

me: (dumbfounded now) if you did have an idea then why didn't you just say that at the beginning of all of this instead of leading me to think you were blowing it off?! (just so confused because, well i'm the mama and know nothing, obviously...)

'P': i don't know... didn't think about it.


O MY GOODNESS!!! i love this boy, more than you could ever know, however he leaves out the details most of the time, like all tween boys, and i am expected to read the gray matter between his cute ears!?!! can you feel the frustration seeping out of the screen?


and my sweet girl (who is now 8 if you haven't heard!!!) is in meltdown mode everytime even the slightest thing doesn't go her way. she's a lot, overflowing smidge on the type A side of the spectrum.

me: okay, sis time to practice your piano. let me get 'K' situated with some toys and stuff so i can help you.

Loo-Who: (walking down the stairs, dragging her feet, with a definite whine in her voice that tells me drama is coming..) why do you make me play the piano? i didn't ask to play the piano, and i'm not that great at it, and i can't get me left hand to play as well as my right, and i don't want to practice for 30 minutes..(tears are falling in between each complaint) please don't make me do this now.

me: wow that was impressive to turn it on so quick this time without me having to say much at all. bravo! now sit please and let's do this..

i don't want to bore you with 5 more minutes of whining before she decides to suck it up and practice and play very well in fact. i simply remind myself that she will enjoy playing someday. i hope so because the whining is hurting my ears.

and finally cutie 'K' is so the talker!! he says "tank you, ma!!" everytime i hand him food or drink or his beloved binkie!! it is oober cute!! while outside yesterday he was edging himself too close to the road:

me: hey!! get your hiney back up the driveway. it's danger, right?!

'K': huh?

me: i said now!! move your hiney away from the road! do you need to go to the naughty spot?!!

'K': NO WAY!!! (as he scooted himself back up the drive!!)

these snipets brought to you by the most Blessed Mama to the greatest Posse of Kiddos ever!!! everyday is an adventure, Lord help me :)

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

if i only knew then...

some things i wish someone had told me when i first became a mama:

  • the fact that you will unexpectedly break out in tears for no apparent reason is totally normal, and by letting yourself have a good cry you'll feel better!! who knew?!
  • that it will infact take you close to forever to get out the door to just go to the grocery store for a couple of things. and even though the trip is short, you'll still feel compelled to pack everything the baby owns!!
  • every older women you meet or that is related to you in some form will feel it their eternal obligation to give you advice and rules for raising this new little person... and doing it any other way is obviously showing your complete inexperience. (this was a biggie for me and would have liked the heads up so i could have simply run away with my cute little baby boy in towe!)
  • to sleep when the babe is sleeping. okay people did actually tell me this but what do they know... oh how i wish i had listened, 'cause by the time #2 baby came it wasn't possible to sleep due to the cute 3 year old running around and i didn't even attempt to nap when #3 arrived, which would explain why i've been walking around in a sleep-deprived state for close to 12 years now...
  • you can not spoil a baby!! don't believe the hype that holding them when they cry or are tired with spoil them. hello?!! the baby is just that a baby and needs much love and caring and it totally irks me when i hear people say to just let a 1 month old "cry it out". sorry, i guess i'm kinda touchy on that one and didn't even realize it!!
  • take care of yourself, really. even if it is just to take a long shower, run to get coffee and sit in your car and read, by yourself, but a few moments alone each day or week will keep you sane and contribute to you being the absolute bestest mama for your babe. these moments sponsored by daddy, grandparents, friends, siblings, whoever loves your babe and you so you can relax for 30 minutes!!
  • never stop growing and learning. you are a mother and it has just begun so pick up books on how to care for colds & sickness with natural medicines, learn how to make homemade babyfood, practice sewing (this will so come in handy later), how to make a point in 30 seconds (this is a great book and will also be useful in dealing with your kiddos later on!!), whatever will make you be best for your family. it is unfortunate, in my humble but biased, opinion that as moms/wives we can find a grove that works, which is great, but we always stay there unwilling to try and best ourselves or dig in and learn more. i personally want to always be growing and trying new things, i.e. foods, music, paint colors, projects, parenting strategies, etc., because if i know better then i will do better for my husband and kids. ahem... sorry, another lengthy rant explanation of myself. smiles :)
  • take moments to write down those cute expressions the baby did on his 33rd day of life!! or write it down when their 8 years old, you'll never remember all the memorable stuff later on... remember sleep-deprivation?! blogs are great for this, as well as cute baby books!!
  • the biggest, most important piece of this mothering puzzle that i look back and wish someone had talked with me about: none of this matters if Jesus isn't the Lord of your heart!! i'm not talking about just believing there is a God in Heaven, serving Him when it's convenient for us busy moms, going to church just to get out of it what you need, but i'm talking about totally selling out, surrendered to the Lord.

i have grown and learned much since i first gave birth to Masta 'P' (i still giggle when i write his alias!!) and i pray that i never stop!! how in this lifetime could i ever know all there is to know about my God and Savior?! but this one aspect is crucial in experiencing all that the Lord designed for us as His daughters raising up a generation! if we as moms are not fully surrendered to living out our salvation and love for Christ in our marriage and parenting, then the trials that come (and they will come!! girls are calling my house now and asking for my son!!! i think i'm going to cry...) will take hold and steer your mothering in directions you don't want to go. if i knew then how awesome it was to be in the Lord's house serving and worshipping, how spending time with the Lord praying and seeking Him would fill me with joy unspeakable and wisdom not of my own, if...if.. if... i could if all day, it would have made my first couple years of parenting even more enjoyable than they already were. but then of course i wouldn't have this post for God to use me to speak about His love and plan for you today, would i?!

love you much!! spend time loving on God today and see how He uses that to speak His word of Life into you today!!

Monday, October 5, 2009

happy birthday to my beautiful girlie!!

it was 4:48am in a very cold, frigid is what my Man says, delivery room after 12 hours and 48 minutes of labor that my beautiful gift was born on Friday, October 5th in 2001.




i am absolutely in love my little girlie! she was such a blessing sent straight to me from the Lord above and i was so excited when she was finally delivered to be holding a piece of Heaven. she was so beautiful and tiny, only 17.5 inches long and a delicate 6 lbs 2oz. she was rather quiet and didn't cry much at all, except when they separated her from her mama. and when i held her for the first time, all swaddled in warm blankets with a cute pink hat on her head of full black hair, she looked at me and we were instantly in love with each other.




this must have been what it was like for my Man when 'P' was born and then with 'K', but i felt like i had this little mini-me that would want to be just like her mama, and the excitement and anticipation and weight of that hit me right off the bat.




it is funny how kids take on the attributes of their parents, and in our house that does ring true, lil' Lou-Who has lots of spunk, a voice that sounds like smurfette but with attitude and she can talk for hours about anything!!! i love that!! the boys in our happy home are usually content to give one and two word answers, grunt a little and move on: how boring! i ask lil' girlie how was school and we could be talking for the next hour. she has been this way since she was able to string together a few sounds. when she was only about 1 1/2 years old and i'd get on to her about something she would round on me and start pointing her finger and jabbering at me with baby attitude, and my response was she was blessed that i didn't know what she was saying 'cause it probably lead to a pop on the hiney!

(side note: this was want she wanted to do after school today, go pick out pumpkins!! so fun)





my girl has gotten much more shy as she grows, worried about being the center of attention but still wants to be involved, an absolute heart of gold, a deep inner desire to be the best at everything but not at the expense of others, she will help anyone, play with everyone, she is so amazingly beautiful and gorgeous on the outside like a mini supermodel but her heart is like sunshine and glitter with a love of Jesus and a soul that longs to just play in her room singing worship and reading books. no my sweet girlie isn't super athletic, unlike her mama, but to amuse me she plays basketball, well at least she runs the right direction which is all i was truly wanting :) !!!





what a privlege i have been given to raise a women after God's own heart. i am to show her how to live for God with all your heart, mind, body & soul, teach and show her what a Godly wife is all about, instill the Word deep in her heart, live out what a mama is to be and act and do. thankfully i have a huge, ever-present Savior to guide me and her.





everyone jokes that the hard years will be ahead: the arguments about clothes, boys, friends, curfew, i could go on but i don't want to, all those issues are a potential bomb zone. i mean, we already have battles over clothes, extra tv time, cleaning her room and more of the usual mom & daughter stuff. but i choose to savor the moments laying on her bed reading together, going on walks and playing at the park, painting our nails and her telling me about the 'kitty' game she played at recess and she got to be the mama kitty (giggle), watching her play on the swingset with her baby brother as she gently mothers him, or as she follows around her big brother like he's the best guy in the whole place, and as she dances on the feet of her daddy in the living room looking to him as the man she loves more than anything in the entire universe.





i love to remember how her hair looked when she was just 6 months with little pigtails sticking out the top of her head; that she used to crawl into bed with me in the middle of the night just to lay on my chest so she could "hear your heart beeping mama" and fall back asleep; cuddling her during one of her many, endless ear infections, singing gently to sooth her back to sleep; letting her put makeup on me and fix my hair and let me tell you over the years she's definitely progressed and her creative flair gives her the upper hand!


my lil' girlie, i love you so much my heart aches! God created you just for me and me just for you, forever and ever!!



happy birthday my sweet babe!!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

prayer and 21 days of fasting!

i'm not sure if you've ever fasted before or even know what fasting is, well i'm guessing you know what it is to fast a.k.a. go without food, but fasting & prayer: does that ring a bell? well even if you're all up to speed on fasting & prayer, let me guide you to some parts of the Bible that speak of fasting & prayer:


Ezra 8.21 : Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.

Psalm 69.10 : When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,it became my reproach.

Daniel 9:3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Acts 14:23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

there are many more verses i could pull out for you, but i pray that you see the repeated importance of prayer and offering the sacrifice of fasting before the Lord. i had the awesome experience during the month of september to be apart of a Daniel fast that many other leaders and members were participating in as we wanted favor and wisdom and insight for the opening of a new campus for our church, but this was also an opportunity to lay other situations at the Lord's feet and wait and pray for His perfect leading and wisdom. and while i am rather organic and natural in my diet, i do love a glass of lemonade or a couple peanut butter m&m's from time to time, which was not on the list of approved foods.

while praying for the Lord to bless and guide us in opening the new campus, that He would bring those that are lost and needing a church home to the new campus, i was also laying out a few things of my own... curious? okay, i'll share just a little...

i have longed to be a stay-at-home mama since Master 'P' was very little, and then it naturally got stronger after lil'Lou-Who entered the scene and my cutie Baby 'K' causes my heart to ache as he plays with his nanny as i run off to save the world of advertising for a few hours a day. while i don't have to work as much as many other mamas out there and have wonderful flexibility with my career (this is such a God thing to have) it still doesn't take the place of being able to be at home with the Posse on my terms 100%. so you can gather that i have prayed for God to bring this to reality for a long time, since i know it is a desire He placed in my heart, so He will of course provide, right?

and provide He most certainly will, yes indeed!! but it was never quite like i thought He would when i began praying and seeking for this many years ago (and wow!! it has been many, 'P' is 11 1/2 years old, Lou-Who will be 8 tomorrow!! geez i'm getting old). in the beginning i wanted God to somehow just make it all work out, like magic. that's great except God doesn't partner with david copperfield on tricks of illusion, nope! He's God, the Beginning and the End. so after much revelation and the Lord speaking into me, some talking with my Man about it, i began to change my prayers accordingly and prayed for a career i could do from home 90% of the time that would provide for my shopping habit our financial needs. and God, being ever so faithful to His child, did speak into my heart that He was going to release me from that company, and i was thrilled!! so you know what i did? i just knew that the Lord would provide so i talked with all of my clients in a 2 day period, walked into my boss's office and resigned, full of hope and relief, excited by what God would do!!! the end, they all lived happily ever after...

wait... the pages on my fairy tale got stuck together... oh that's not it, there was still trials and struggles?!! what kind of story is this?!!

so i resigned, i got handfuls of job offers and i was feeling oh so blessed. but none of those paths worked out like i thought they would and then i started to become irritated and annoyed that i had obeyed and all i got was this!?! in hindsight and after even more revelation, the word from God was good and He had a great plan to get me home, but i had not waited for the Lord's timing. and knowing the will of God is simply not enough, but also knowing and waiting for the Lord's time is almost more important that the plan itself!

so i took an amazing career opportunity after much crying, pounding of feet, and whining that i didn't want to have to work outside the home again. but with the pesky habit of eating that our family has become accustomed to, i took the job and that's the career i have currently. and 90% of the time it is great gig and God has been faithful in assisting and guiding me and teaching me many things.

but i had been praying all wrong, come to find out, sometimes i'm a little slow. instead of thinking God would just do some magic trick, or jumping the gun or being annoyed that my Man wasn't more 'on board' with the whole SAHM* i had to be shone a few things about me as a wife and mama first.

*stay-at-home mama

Titus 2.3-5 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

that while i am a great wife (per my Man, i need consistent Heavenly work), i did many times step in front of my Man regarding household decisions, financial investment, etc. instead of standing next to him allowing him to lead me. remember the little bit i wrote on submission, well this goes right along with that. being a submissive wife doesn't come naturally to me, or anyone i'd venture, but it is God's plan. at the beginning of my engagement and marriage i thought i needed to be rather outspoken and loud, and i'm not talking about yelling or arguing because honestly we have only had 2-3 really argumentative moments in our almost 14 years together, but i am talking about not allowing my husband to be the leader and head of our marriage and household. i have been shown that working on having a quiet spirit, a submissive heart, a controlled tongue, an attitude of love and respect at all times goes a long way in God being able to be the head of our marriage and family and allowing my Man to grow and lead our awesome bunch!!

i also had to make sure that my Man understood that i wanted to more than anything to stay at home to be able to take care of him even better, because i loved him so much and our Posse of Kiddos so much that i am ever devoted to being at home, in any home. my Man has the same problem many men have: i need to give my wife a super-big expensive house and car and blah, blah, blah. and you know what, i fear that i made him feel that way, like maybe he couldn't really 'be on board' with me being at home because i had certain expectations of how i needed to live that on one income maybe he wouldn't be able to provide. so i apologized for that, and stressed to him, that i am ready to be at home, in any home. you have no idea how God used that to speak to my Man..

because then i stopped praying "God please make a way for me to find a way to be home..." to something like "Lord it is your will that i be home without distractions to serve my husband and raise my kids to honor You. please give my husband the faith to believe that You will lead him and show us Your plan to work out Your will in our family". it is so not about me! obeying God is never about me or about you, sorry to burst your bubble! but if i want to experience all God has for me and be and invincible warrior-chic for Christ, then my desires have to be centered and focused on Him, not lil' ole me!!

my beloved Man, while praying at the beginning of this year got a word from God that we were supposed to have me at home, full-time. we were preparing and planning on that happening by the end of the year but now is looking more like spring. but regardless, see how God is working?! we will be putting our home on the market soon and thus looking for another home we can renovate and work on that is oober-cheap more cost effective for a single income budget.

so during my time of fasting i really pressed in for more of the plan to be revealed in regards to where the Lord would have us move, or if jobs will change sooner, or this or that will happen now or later, etc. and i am excited for how the Lord will honor and go before us to give favor on this life change in response to my prayer & fasting.

i'd love your thoughts and comments on being a SAHM, maybe how your family does it.