Bugs and Links

It's as if the whole world around me is breathing a sigh of relief as we woke up to COOL air {that wasn't from our AC}. We are finally going to be back down into the 80's this week. Our poor area is burnt to a crisp from weeks of 100's and blazing hot sun. My Ava took full advantage of the cool morning and headed outside just as soon as she could. Her excitement was contagious and before I knew it - we were fully into an early morning bug hunt. Jammies and all!

And let me tell you...we had great success! Two whole Cicadas {dead} and lots of "bug shells". There is something so special and wonderful about reliving childhood with your own children. I've said this before, but, I remember doing this very thing when I was her age. Peeking around every tree in our yard looking for "bug shells". We had a great bug hunt and after it was over she went on to play in the yard just enjoying life like 3 year old girls do. Only, mine is always barefoot and still in PJ's. :) 

While Ava was busy playing I brewed some coffee and set up my camping chair in the shade. It was a perfect morning for some outdoor devotions. {finally!} Daddy and Augs were napping so it was calm and quiet. My heart has been bound up with some fears and anxiety the last few days and I know that's a losing battle. I needed quiet time with the Lord and what a gift this perfect morning was just for that very thing. 

I will thank the Lord at all times.

    My mouth will always praise him.

² 

My soul will boast about the Lord.

    Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.

³ 

Praise the Lord’s greatness with me.

Let us highly honor his name together.

⁴ 

I went to the Lord for help.

    He answered me and rescued me from all my fears.

Psalm 34. One of my favorites. Sitting in the cool of the morning and just crying out to God was just exactly what I needed - what my heart was craving. The Word of God is powerful and it changes you. I've asked the Lord to cover my heart in peace today... and I know He will take care of us. He always does.

In other news - have you seen that The Gospel Coalition for Women has their audio links up??? Yay! I want to encourage you to take some time and listen to them. These speakers are so gifted at preaching and teaching God's Word. What a blessing to be able to "sit" under such teaching - what a cool tech world we live in today, eh? My heart has been heavy for women lately - as I keep reading about this "Fifty shades" and "Magic Mike" stuff. The world {and prince of this world - Satan!} wants so badly to lure us away from truth...and fill our minds with garbage that robs the soul. For our husbands, for our children, for our SAVIOR we need to pursue truth and wisdom and purity. No wonder so many women are caught up in dispair and false hope - look at what we are filling our brains with!!
Can I beg you to take a listen to truth today? :)
My friend Kristi posted a super helpful link to some of the main speakers and I can't wait to digest them all. Have a peek here and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Have a wonderful weekend! We are heading out for some splash park fun this morning and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us. :)

.:Kids these days:.

Here we are at 3 1/2 years and 14 months...
Some of the most exhausting and yet fulfilling days of my life.

Our days consist of toys, messes, giggles, hugs n' kisses, time outs and LOTS of learning - both for the girls, and for Momma.

They are growing up and learning so much!
I am so thankful for them both!

It's in THOSE moments

Yesterday was my 1 year follow up appointment with my physician. I was to fast overnight and get some blood drawn to make sure I was back up and running at 100%. After a weigh in {ugh}, height measurement, and routine check up type stuff we got into details. I'm tired. Always tired. I confessed to my Doc that even on the night when I get 9+ hours of sleep I still feel drowsy the WHOLE next day. Then she asks that annoying question, "Are you exercising?" Cough.Cough. "Um, well, you see... I just....no." And I go on to ramble about WW and how I lost 10 pounds right away and now I just can't seem to budge the scales and honestly I'm too tired to keep keeping track of every morsel I eat... and, the excuses just fell out. And her eyes glazed over listening. Ok, I'm being dramatic, but, mine would have if I were the listener. EXCUSES! 

So, we chatted about some ideas and she mentioned she'd like to test my thyroid, vitamin D, calcium and liver enzymes "just in case" something was wrong. But, current prescription is 30 minutes of exercise every day...and, to get more sun. Now, because it's been in the 100's here - I'll admit - we aren't getting our Vitamin D from the sun. No way. Other then that - I'm healthy. My stats are good and while I do still have extra weight I'm not out of the ball park. 

But let me back up to around 7am -ish the morning of that appointment.

I wake up early to make myself presentable, and, that takes time. I come downstairs with the 3 year old and get her started on a bowl of corn Chex. {her current fave because it's daddy's fave} As I walk by our glass front door I notice the neighbors across from us have put some kind of work out equipment near their curb. "hmmm...interesting" I think but then almost dismiss it totally because normally in our neck o' the woods "nice" items aren't put out - normally we see broken, beat up or junky items. But, since I'm reworking our basement into a work out room I take another peek, or, a stare actually - like a hawk, out our front door. We can't afford brand new items so it'll be up to finding used pieces to fill our space. Really, I'm fine with that! Add to the fact that I know next to nothing about work out equipment... it was going to be a gamble anyway. 

Hubby comes down with baby. I casually mention that he should go grab that machine. Hubby does not like "junking" or taking anything off of any curb. It makes him very uncomfortable. I don't blame him and will confess I have raised my eyebrows at people digging in others trash before... {blush}. So, I march over and check it out. It's still early and our street has no movement yet. I'm thankful for this. I turn it on and it seems to work fine - and, it seems fairly unused and it seems PERFECT for what I'm looking for. And it seems to be FREE. I march back and give the positive report to my still cautious hubby and I understand his point of view. Their trash would become our trash the moment it leaves their curb and comes to our home. You can't return trash. But, we decide it's worth the risk - and he goes to claim our new machine. 

The story ends like this.

Not only was this machine FREE for our taking. 

It's in perfect condition, clean, and hardly used. It's a small sized elliptical, which is exactly what I had been slightly praying for. And, it has safety features to protect nosey little girls who want to climb all over it. 

I was not surprised, though, I was so thankful. God always provides - why would I be shocked over this provision. He knows my need, my heart, my hopes. It's in THOSE moments when I creep another notch in my sanctification - glorying in Christ and His perfect plan for my family. We are blown away that the exact item we WANTED just sat for free directly across from our home on the exact morning that my Doctor would later look in my eyes and say, "You need to exercise". 

I hope to convince hubby to do a guest post on here later... about his side of this story. Seems he learned a great deal through this little early morning experience, too. 

Today I'm living with eyes wide open for those God-moments, they are everywhere if we just keep ourselves aware and awake. 

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

This has been a great Monday, so far. I had dr's appointments and I just love both of the ones I saw. {nothing is wrong... just those once every year kinda deals} I was able to say "thank you" to Renee, one of the nurse practitioners who I credit with saving my life. She was the one who called and urged me to head to the ER last year after seeing my blood count come back SUPER low. Crazy. If it weren't for her urging... I would have probably just kept on "napping" with my 104 fever in my semi-asleep state. 

It's crazy, crazy HOT here. Last night our neighbors yard caught on fire. The whole front of her yard is now a toasty, black, burnt, mess.  Apparently a piece of smoldering charcoal from her grill (from the night before) was still hot and fell through onto the crispy ground. Weird. My 3 year old kept coming to me and saying, "mommy, Vicki's  yard is on fire" and I would shoo her away. Lesson learned - listen to your children outlandish tales...because they MIGHT be true!

The Weather:::

AWFUL. We haven't had rain or shade or coolness in FOREVER. We are in a drought and now farmers say food prices will go up, up, up - since corn and soybean yield is WAY down.
But...the Lord knows.  And, He has a plan!

On my reading pile:::

Going to start, "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wormbrandt this week. Intense story {that's true} about a Romanian missionary tortured because of His faith in Christ!

On my tv:::

Gonna finish Pride & Prejudice tonight...Keira Knightly version.

On the menu for this week:::

Ugh. It's so hot - food doesn't even sound good. And, with a tight budget - neither does looking for food! I found a frozen ham in the freezer and turned it into a couple pounds of ground ham, and a bag full of ham cubes. Hoping to use those up the next few weeks! But as for right now this second... no menu plan.

On my to do list:::

General tidying.
Clean out fridge {and make up meals from that}
Continue turning basement into workout space
unload and reload dishwasher

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Ah, nothing. TOO HOT PEOPLE. :)  

Homemaking Tips:::

Small children are GREAT for dusting baseboards, cupboard doors, and anything low. Yesterday I gave my 1 year old a small piece of fleece material and she WENT TO TOWN "dusting" any and everything she could reach. Actually, she did a great job! This also trains my little girls on how to be homemakers and take care of their space.

Looking around the house:::

All the condiments are left out from our cookout last night. 3 year old pulling 1 year old around in her princess chair while watching "My Little Ponies". Baseboards look lovely, though :) 

From the camera:::

Well, this morning we found an elliptical on our neighbors front curb. It's in great shape and still works - found this pic online! LOVE IT!  This is a pic I found online.

 

On my prayer list:::

Got some blood work done today - praying it all turns out "ok".

Bible verse, Devotional:::

 2 Kings... stories about Elisha's life and miracles are AMAZING!

From where I sit...

This morning my husband got up (early) with our children. Our eldest had been up multiple times with the random screaming...again. I was wiped out. Anyway, when I rolled over at 7:50am to a half empty bed and the chatter of girls downstairs - I was thankful. They had been fed, changed, and were happily playing with toys. It was lovely. We had a nice and relaxing morning of nothing. Hubs took a nap on the floor while girls played and I watched "I Love Lucy" episodes. That woman cracks me up!

When the baby went down for her morning nap I got to sit on our back steps and enjoy a cup of coffee with my husband. We need to do that more often. Connecting is so important. 

After a while we set to work doing some odd and end jobs that needed done. Our winter clothes finally got moved to the basement {grin} and I set to work sorting through toys. We have so many random toys... that really never even get a second look. I'm working on bagging them up for our event at church.

There was a lot of this...playing in the background.  :) THANK YOU Spotify! My big girl loved hearing some of the familiar songs she knows... and the other 100 she didn't. Ha :)

 

We had 7 grain pancakes for lunch - made by chef hubs! He is so wonderful in taking over those tasks that I usually do day in and day out. They were delish and we enjoyed our "lunch" around the dining room table. Special day!

I did a little Christmas shopping this week. TJ Maxx and Target has had awesome clearance deals on random items. Because everything seems to be going up, up, up in price... gifting will probably be scaled waaay down this year. And you know what, I'm excited about that. I was thinking of doing an "all natural" theme in the house this year - use lots of pine, ribbon and dried fruit as decor. Simple gifting would be wonderful :) The older my children get the more this phrase is making sense to me:

 

It's a good day today. I love my family and I'm so thankful for this laid back Saturday. :)

My Gifts :)

My children are such a blessing from the Lord. I had the opportunity last week to lead a devotional at a baby shower at church. The gal is due with her first baby next month and it was just a great reminder to me of how quickly time flies, and what treasures babies and children are. The Word of God speaks over and over again of the importance and reward of children - something our society is very quickly trying to glaze over. Just today in a "parenting" magazine that I get {because it's free}I saw an ad for a permanent birth control new-whatever-thing. The pitch was how more children just add such a load to life - and, "you don't need more things to worry about". Sad. Disappointing. While I'm not here to debate #'s of children, political whatever-ness, or even birth control... I was able to look away and just PRAISE GOD for my babies.WHAT A GIFT!

The girls and I headed to Target this morning. I had a few things I needed to pick up, and, for some reason this is the ONE store my children don't seem to fuss at. I blame all the hanging banners, "tester" toys, and fun kids carts to ride in. :) Anywhoo... as we were moseying along I kept thinking of that "If you give a Mouse a cookie" book. You know,

"If you give a mouse a cookie,

He's going to want a glass of milk."

Only, it was more like...

"If you give a Mommy a few minutes at Target,

She is going to want to walk down every aisle.

If you let her walk down every aisle,

She will start to find things she didn't even know she needed.

When she finds things she didn't even know she needed,

she'll start planning for those events, fun times, and coming dates."

While I do work very diligently about NOT spending money on things we don't need {junk}- today I found some items {for cheap!} that will be so helpful and beneficial for my fam. And some unexpected treasures, a long the way, too. :) 

The Dollar Zone... seriously. What a HUGE help this will be as we begin some preschool at home this year! I already sat down and filled out our plans for week 1, because it felt like Christmas leafing through the thing!!! 

Yep, Thai-style soup for $1.74!!! I have been wanting to check this out for awhile, but it's usually in the $4 range. However, now that I've tried it - I can totally see why it was clearanced down... it.is.gross! Well, unless you like ginger-tasting water. Which, is exactly what it tasted like. :/ Wha-wha. 

After Target we made a run through the Starbucks drive through. I have gift card money left over from my birthday and two girls who LOVE the cake pops! Such a treat :) 

We ended our fun "girls morning out" with a pit stop at our local library. Ava has recently gotten very into the  "Charlie and Lola" books and TV show. It's adorable, I think, too. Her eyes got as big as saucers when she saw me find 4 of them today that we could take home! 

And, this one...
she doesn't quite understand that value of QUIET in the library. But, she sure is cute. I think I'll keep her.

I am a blessed woman to have these gifts in my life. They make each day special and challenging for the good and the bad. I'm constantly learning and always thankful! 

Oh this girl.

 

This little one steals my heart every day. 

She is...

walking, jabbering, pointing, laughing, playing, kissing, whining, smiling, eating, singing, and pretend reading all the time. 

Auggie Hope, you are precious to your momma.

I love watching you grow and learn new things.

Your first word was "Beast", which is Grammy and Poppa's dog. And now, everything is "Beast" - cats, dogs, old women....yea, we gotta work on that.

You love your blankeys - A LOT.

You love snacking and sippy cups.

Your favorite word right now is, "Momma" and you use it often. I love hearing that little voice walk into a room and say, "Momma, Momma, Momma". 

We love you. You are gift, a blessing!

And...it's a lazy Saturday

Around 10:30 last night I popped two Sinex pills. You know, the blue kind... basically Nyquil, only a different brand - I think Vicks puts this one out. I was super congested and had this weird tickle in the the throat...going on a few days. Needed a full nights rest so daddy's day off could be a fun filled one. So, meds down and off to bed I went.

My 3 year old woke up twice in the night in pain and after a Dr appointment this morning, it's confirmed, from an ear infection. I remember the first time feeling like I couldn't even open my eyes and somehow winding my way around our bed, down the hall and to girlies bed all with eyes basically shut. It's those amazing mom skills, I tell ya. Needless to say - the body didn't get the rest and it's almost in freak out mode because of how little sleep I got combined with those powerful pills meant to help me sleep. I tried to function normally when the kids woke up - but ended up sitting down on the couch with a spinning head - and falling asleep for a loooong time off and on. Brad just took care of everything while I dozed off and on. Crazy how out of control I felt. Could NOT wake up! I remember coming to for just a second and peeking out to see Daddy playing Polly Pocket with Ava... bless that man. :) But the point of this story is - wow, Sinex! you sneaky, sneaky, drug! Let's just assume I won't be going near those blue liqui-caps for quite some time. Clearly going to bed earlier and some nose spray would work 10x's better. Ahem.

It's around 2:30 Iowa time and the day has been just as snooze-ful and lazy feeling as it started. Brad and Ava had a Daddy/Daughter date to the pediatrician and Panera for lunch. Hubs brought home some Iowa sweet corn and stuff to grill later - bless him, again! I was even treated to a yummy Panera salad and a FREE Starbucks Refresher drink. Did you get yours? They are free from 12-3 today! Both girls are now napping and hubs and I are just enjoying the sectional in the quiet...with a little real-estate television on the tube. Million Dollar Listing just captures the imagination - we cannot believe the amount of $$ people spend on these HUGE houses!

Anywhoo, looks like the relaxation and calm will just carry us through the rest of this day. The house is tidy and a nice little rain came through earlier (I think) making it a leetle cooler. I'm thinking of busting down to the basement again later and continue turning it into a workout room. I got a lot cleared out a few weeks ago but still so far to go. I found a few more ideas on Pinterest that I'd like to use down there to make it more "pleasant".

 

 

Floor painting, carpet remnant, and storage...those are the main ideas.

 

Def looking to hang up an old ladder for clothes drying! 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Hopefully you can get some {non-meds induced} rest this weekend! 

Discovery

I'm not a big heat girl.
I like my crisp, cool, fall days.
I love my rainy, gray, days perfect for baking and reading and all things calm and quiet. Brew the coffee, light the scented candle, turn on the soft tunes and the day is made for me.

One thing is holding true this summer - it's HOT. The only cool, crisp, anything, are freeze pops. And our occasional rain never lasts longer then 10 minutes and then it seems to be hotter and stickier afterwards. But, it's summer and such a great season to enjoy. I'm learning this. The rest of my family seems to be head over heels about the sweat-down-your-back weather, sometimes its contagious. Like today as I followed my littles around in the backyard watching them dig into life {and dirt, and dead bugs, and piles of rocks}. Sometimes I forget how much fun a simple back yard can be. No playground or fancy whatevers - just good ol' creation at its best, and driest, might I add. So...maybe there is more crisp after all :)

This morning we headed outdoors and spent most of the morning discovering the back yard. That wanna-be photographer in me came out as I kept finding pretty things on the "up close" feature of my dinky little camera. :)

Ava loves finding these. Takes my mind back to being her age and collecting them in a shoebox the WHOLE summer. Bless my mother for letting me keep the things. Not one will enter our home here :) 

Hide n' Go seek! I found her! 

The only "pretty" growing in our yard right now. But, we'll take it! 

Some serious Ant investigation going on right here. Augs gets really excited about bugs. 

Always wants to be like her big sister...

maybe in a few years, Augs. :) 

What a joy and blessing to be home with these precious girls and experience childhood all over again with them. I am so thankful today to be their Momma.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Good morning from Iowa! This morning I woke up wanting to turn on Christmas music... :) 

Instead, we had french toast while my children watched me sing and dance like a crazy lady at the stove.
It's Monday, after all, gotta celebrate the chance for a new week! 

Let's hop to it! 

The Weather:: 

High of 89 today - then we'll get two days of 86! I'm excited for the break in the HEAT. 

On my Reading Pile::

 "Julia's Last Hope" by Janette Oke 

"Strong Women Soft Hearts" by Paula Rinehardt

On my TV:: 

Some Disney Jr here for a bit. Then, it's going to be an "off" day. :)

On the Menu this week::

Monday - Beef & Ramen Noodle bowls

Tuesday - chicken enchilada bake & mexicorn

Wednesday - left overs day

Thursday - Chicken Chile stromboli

Friday -Penne with Zucchini & ricotta

Saturday - Taco baked potatoes

Sunday -Red beans and rice :)

On my to-do list:: 

-Continuing on with cleaning out and sorting the basement to turn into a workout room.
-clean the kitchen

-Laundry day!

What I am sewing, knitting, crocheting, or creating:: 

Creating this workout space in my basement is turning out to be WAY more work then I thought. We have so much random down there... sorting is taking an eternity. Looking to create some storage solutions and maybe painting one of the walls. 

But, something that IS keeping me excited... I started cleaning and wiping down the antique buffet I was given last fall. Murphys wood soap wasn't exactly cutting it - so, looking for some good options to clean this old thing and get it in paintable condition. My first furniture redo project!

Homemaking tips:: 

Saw an idea on Pinterest last week that I think we might incorporate... involving recycling. Our area provides HUGE blue bins to put everything in, which is great for outside. But we need something indoors so I don't have to go out every single time I have one can to toss. And, as much as I love the target bag hanging on teh door handle look...  I think THIS would be ideal to keep in a basement, entry space, etc. Now...how to create on our budget :) How to you keep your recycling tidy?

 

Looking around the house::

Ava is playing Polly Pocket in the dining room, August is attempting to reach my dishwasher tablets under the sink {again}, living room looks...lived in. Blankets and toys and coffee cups prove we are alive and kicking around here. I'm loving my coffee table decorations of simple spanish moss and onion grass in a jar, tied with sisal. :) 

From the camera::

 Hubby serving the Lord in Haiti! In the words of one of our team members that went... "Impoverished people, powerful worship!"

On my prayer list::

Leading a devo tomorrow...feeling a bit "not good enough". Which is true - I'm not! But, the Lord sure can use us!

Bible Verse, Devotional::

Today I continued reading on through 1 Kings - now on the story of Elijah and Ahab. I love the portion of the story where the altar to the TRUE God is completely burnt up - and all the false prophets of Baal are executed! Justice! Do you believe we serve a REAL, TRUE, ACTIVE God? If not... go back to 1 Kings and remind yourself! :) 

On the night we aren't roasting.

It has literally been like a boiling pot around here lately. The temps have climbed in the 100's several days in a row with humidity to match - crazy, crazy, hot! I fear my cooling bill that should be arriving here any day. But, tonight... it's "only" 87. {sigh} It's wonderful. The air hasn't kicked on in at least 10 minutes.

It seems we are transitioning back to "normal" with daddy home now. The girls both have colds, which, is not my favorite thing, but, nothing a little Vicks and time on the couch can't handle. :) Tomorrow we'll start into a new week full of ministry, summer time fun, and cooler weather. I have a few things on my plate this week - presenting my first baby shower devotional on Tuesday night {eeek!}, church playgroup Wednesday, and then pedicures with a friend maybe this weekend! Whooo hooo! It's been a very long time.

I'm trying some new snacks with the girls this week that I'm pretty excited about. I found these little beauties in one of those super-healthy-organic magazines over the weekend - and, we are going to give them a shot! They were actually super affordable on Amazon. :)

 

 

Anyone try them? What did your kids think? I'm by no means ready or able to jump fully onto the super-healthy-all the time-snacks train...but, I think this will be a yummy start. :) 

All this rambling... must be a Sunday night where we actually had nothing to do. Ah, summer, it can be so wonderful.

Remember that one time I was in the hospital?

A year ago this week I was hospitalized. While no one knew exactly for sure what was going on... it was clear I was one sick momma. After being poked and prodded, plugged in, picc lined, and drugged, undrugged and redrugged again... I was sent home. 6 long days of hospital stay.

Right now this moment only one mark on my body reminds me of that time - my picc line scar. Just a small horizontal line on the inside of my right arm - where they placed the tube that went directly to my heart. I'm drug free, pain free, issue free and have been since the end of last summer. Always praising God for that!

While I haven't been dwelling on the past. It does come to mind. And sometimes the flood of emotion is almost too much. Tuesday night I sat with my little family under a black sky watching fireworks. With each pop and whizz I would tear up. This time last year I was watching fireworks on PBS in a hospital bed with a swollen face, void of my children and spouse. Alone. So this week I squeezed my three year old a little tighter as we "oooohed" and "aaaaahed" at the pretty lights above us. I marveled at my now walking, toddling, silly 1 year old - who at this time last year was a helpless 6 week old. Crazy fast.

I have to know and trust that the Lord will use that time for His glory...

This year I felt I had several reasons to give thanks and celebrate! Another year older, wiser, and hopefully another year to really enjoy this abundant life that God has given.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Around 11ish last night my knight in shining armor got home! I was waiting for him on our front porch steps - fighting off every type of moth, bug, and creepy crawly whatever in the 90 degree mugginess. Aren't I romantic? All for that first glimpse and wave!  He's home. This Monday is going to be a good one. :) 

The Weather:: 

The heat wave continues and we'll be in the mid to high 90's all week. Some days there is so much humidity I can barely breath. We've spend LOTS of time inside with the AC on. :)

On my Reading Pile::

 "Julia's Last Hope" by Janette Oke 

Just started it last night! I'm flying through these old Oke books!

On my TV:: 

3 year old is laying on Daddy's lap watching, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving"...In July. Hey, they are her favorite, so, it's ok.

On the Menu this week::

Monday - Chili slaw dogs and fruit kebabs

Tuesday - Chicken veggie salad

Wednesday - Grilling out! HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

Thursday - Philly meatball subs and sweet potato chips

Friday - Nothing planned, might use my Olive Garden gift card I got for my bday. :)

Saturday - Caesar chicken wraps and grapes

Sunday - Beef n' bean tostadas

Can you tell I'm cooking for adults again? :) YAY!

On my to-do list:: 

Oh, we are keeping it low key today and just connecting. I have some laundry to do {it is monday!} and I need to get to work on my "exercise room". :)

What I am sewing, knitting, crocheting, or creating:: 

Might pick back up on the baby blanket I started... a year ago. Otherwise, I'm currently sorting through all my decor and looking how I can transform them into "new" looking things!

Homemaking tips:: 

Unfinished basement? Me too. Our home was built in 1914 and since that time no one has finished the basement. It's a great open space {minus the bugs, random BLUE toilet, and heater right smack in the middle of the room} and I'm hoping to turn it into an exercise room. I guess you can paint cement floors and walls with special paint to keep moisture out! News to me! I guess my tip is... use what you got. :) I have an unfinished basement that would make a great room to work out. We can't afford the gym, we CAN afford doing dvd workouts in our super cool {temp wise} basement.

Looking around the house:: 

Hubs is sacked out on the couch despite a 3 year old sitting on top of him. Little toys here and here. Daddy's gifts from Haiti scattered around us. A few blankets thrown across the floor. My stack of magazines and finished Oke books piled on the coffee table. Kids books on the floor... we surely do LIVE here.

From the camera::

The girls are THRILLED to have Daddy home at last. It was all hugs and wrestles and kisses this morning. I don't think we even noticed it was WELL before 7am. :) And, another one from the camera - 

This beauty. So so happy daddy is home. She is acting completely silly and I'm so glad to see that in her again - I think she was really struggling towards the end of the week.

On my prayer list::

Continued growth post-missions trip for the team, hubs health - not feeling 100% upon arriving home, power outages in Ohio where my family is, weight loss for me {sigh}.

Bible Verse, Devotional::

Continuing on in 1 Kings - now reading about Rehoboam and the line of David in continuation. Amazing to me how the Lord uses such weak, sinful, vessels - just like me! For his glory!