Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Silly Summer Days

Our Science lesson involved talking about God's beautiful creation.



Best Buddies.





Just one last picture that will hopefully make you smile. I think this is the reason my momma always said, "if you make that face for too much longer it will get stuck like that." lol. Let's hope not!


We have been enjoying playing outside on these hot summer days. What have you been up to this week?

Friday, May 20, 2011

DIY: Laundry Soap

I received this mason jar of home-made laundry soap from a sweet friend of mine as a gift. I was skeptical at first because we use Tide and I was unsure of how well it would clean our clothes. Oh well, I thought,what's it gonna hurt? I will give it a try. I did and it worked. Our clothes have that clean clothes smell to them as well. I am very excited to make this and use it for our clothes (mine and the children's). Joel's clothes get super dirty because of his occupation so I will use this plus a little tide. At a little over $3.00 a bucket to make why not! :) So here is the recipe to the do it yourself laundry soap. You will be quite the little laundress! :)

Ingredients:
1 bar Fels-Naptha (heavy duty laundry bar soap)
1 cup Borax (natural bounty) (box)
1 cup of Arm & Hammer (super washing soda) (box)

Directions:
1. Grate the bar of Fels-Naptha
2. In a pan 1 qt or more water- to dissolve the grated bar- boil until dissolved.
3. Pour mixture into 5 gallon bucket.
4. Add the powder ingredients (i.e. 1 cup borax, 1 cup arm & hammer)
5. Stir
6. Add watter to fill the 5 gal bucket full. Stir well.
7. Let set for 24 hours.
8. Stir when ready to use.
9. Make sure to shake each time you use, as mixture will become thick.

Yields: 5 gallons of Laundry Soap

Enjoy your weekend.



Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Happy Birthday Amanda


My baby sister turns 24 today. I called her an old fart yesterday, and she told me that she wasn't over 25 so that didn't apply. lol. I am so thankful that God gave me such a wonderful sister. She is funny, kind, loving, beautiful, and very thoughtful. She can always make me laugh no matter what kind of mood I am in. Her stories are always long and drawn out but that's why I love her. We can always talk for hours. We have been through so much together and I am so thankful to have such a wonderful friend.

I hope you have a wonderful birthday today. I love you and wish I was there with you celebrating. Oh yeah, watch out for the U.P.S. man the cane I bought you should be delivered today. xoxo

p.s. Joel, Kaden, and David say Happy Birthday  too! :)

Monday, May 16, 2011

A quaint little place and a fun date.

A few days ago I took K on a date. We went to "A Step In Time" here in North Judson. What a cute little place. I loved the atmosphere there. I also swoon over any place jam packed with antiques as I try and find new/old favorites regularly. Well as soon as we walk into the establishment I start looking around a immediately spot two things I can not live without ( a little dramatic? Not I. lol.  ). I look down at K to ask for his approval and I realize he does not have any shoes on??? "Where are your shoes?", I probe kindly. "I took my shoes off in the house mom.", he replies. And then it hits me. This does look like a house and he is just being polite. He is taking his shoes off at the door like he would when entering any home. I just love his heart. And take a mind picture to remember this sweet event. I love how polite my boy is!

 I get his shoes back on and buy him a big delish ice cream cone and we talk. And I listen. I just sit there and live in the moment. Much of what I have been trying to do lately is be there present in each moment with my children. To stop the thinking about the next thing I need to get done in the day, the dishes, the laundry, and all of the other things that occupy my time and thoughts. And I just am. I am there with him. Paying attention only to him, the place, the icecream. I realize I haven't done this enough in my life. Its raining outside and I have an umbrella. I decide that we will not use it on the way back to the car we will run in the rain and splash in the puddles and I will be ok with the dirt, the wet, and the spontaneity. I laugh and K chuckles and there we are experiencing true joy together! Thank you God.

*image from weheartit.com

Saturday, May 7, 2011

I get to. I get to LIVE.

" I wake wildly wanting to live. Physically feeling it in the veins trembling, the hard pant of the lungs, seeing it in the steady stars, how much I really want to really live. How I don't want to die. Is that the message of nightmares or dreams? To live either fully alive...or in empty nothingness?
It is the in between that drives us mad.
It's the life in between, the days of walking lifeless, the years calloused and simply going through the hollow motions, the self-protecting by self-distracting, the body never waking, that's lost all capacity to fully feel-this is the life in between that makes us the wild walking dead.
The sun climbs the horizon. I throw back the covers, take another breath, and begin. I get to. I get to live." -Ann Voskamp from "One Thousand Gifts"

I have been reading this book and I can't put it down. I am so thankful of this reminder today that life is a gift from God. Sometimes with all of the business and things going on around me I think life is something that I'm owed. Oh how easily we forget that God allows us to live here in this very moment and wants us to live our lives abundantly. I pray that we are not the wild walking dead. I pray that our family is always fully alive in Christ. Thank you Lord for this day.

*image from weheartit.com
*Thank you to a wonderfully sweet lady for this book. I can not express how thankful I am to have you in my life.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

An Apple A Day...
















I bought apples from the grocery today and got a little inspired. I know I just posted Easter pictures of my kids not too long ago, but the grass was just too green to pass up! :) . I just love the fact that summer is on it's way. I can't wait to start that garden I've been talking about. I also am starting to plan little D's party. He will be one next month. No way. And since I usually go all out for 1st birthdays I should have started two months prior to yesterday! :) Anyone want to sign up to be on the party planning/implementation committee? lol. I know you wanna.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Keep Calm And Drink Coffee



It's Monday. Oh Joy (insert sarcasm). I just love weekends and spending time with my family but Mondays seem to come ever so fast. I am sitting here in silence, which is a rare occurrence in this house, drinking a cup of hot coffee. Cinnamon vanilla is my very favorite, and unlike Joel who likes his coffee black, I enjoy the more foo-foo coffee drinks. I am pretty sure coffee is liquid energy! And who couldn't use some of that. :) I also think it makes or house smell delicious. If we had a Starbucks in Judson I'd be in trouble. We have such a busy week ahead and so many things to thank God for. Hope you have an energized Monday as well and get lots of great things accomplished!
P.S. Please pray for Joel as it is his first day back to work after his shoulder injury.

*image from simplyvintagegirl.com

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