Growing up too fast

Check out this link to a Focus on the Family article I got via email this afternoon. At first I was just gonna skim over it but I am glad I took the 2 minutes (literally) to read it through. Good stuff. While my girl is not in her teens or preteens YET {thank the Lord!} I can start taking measures now to prepare, teach and train her. What a challenge! As our culture continues to change and aim more and more at our little ones we need to be ready and on gaurd! Teaching our children to be IN the world but not OF it. If we don't teach them - someone else will, and it may not be how we would want it taught.

This topic has been on my heart the last few days and it seems that every day its impressed a little more. Yesterday I got a FREE book in the mail, "Passionate Housewives desperate for God", and while I haven't started reading it yet - just checking out the blog of one of the writers has got me thinking. Note: These ladies come from Reformed backgrounds and are on the more "conservative" side of life. So, it may not be for everyone. But, I do like their ideas and advice on many things mothering and homemaking. :)

Anyway, check out the article and tell me what you think.

I'm going nuts...wanna come along?

The sun is out...

The kitchen is 55% painted...

I had time to really sit and read the Word and meditate on it...

I had time to read my bible study chapter (in advance instead of Sunday nite prior)...

So I shouldn't feel so frazzled, right?

But, I do. I feel agitated and irritated and bothered.

The $10 worth of steak I bought for our "fancy" family night dinner went bad in the fridge...

Ava is cutting TWO molars at the same time...TWO!

It's freezing.

I'm exhausted from waking up almost every 2 hours with Ava lastnight...

And, I was cranky with my husband this morning during breakfast. {sigh}

So, now, I'll go and try to set my mind back on truth {AGAIN} ... but, I really do feel like I'm on a trip. I'm going nuts...wanna come along?!

R.I.P Mary Kay

My 14 month old loves watching me put makeup on. She loves to sit right on my lap and pretend she is also "doing makeup". I've caught her on more then one occasion stealing one of my brushes or eyelash curler and pretending in front of the mirror. It's cute...and I can't help but giggle when I see her imitating me. It's actually totally endearing. ;)

But... you know what's NOT endearing? Finding this... your favorite MARY KAY color smashed into your furniture. And not just on your furniture....but, on your darling 14 month old.

Arriving upon the scene... I didn't even have to discipline - tho she did get a stern "talking to" - Ava was already hard on herself. (and I'm pretty sure the taste was not pleasant)

{sigh} RIP overpriced, fancy, Mary Kay makeup... you were so good to me.

In the beginning...

In the beginning we had this lovely (ahem) white kitchen.

(Don't mind the mess... I am painting, afterall)

This is our back door and breakfast table to the right. Very, very, dull. And one of our most special places in the house because we share meals here daily.

This afternoon I started with my Antique Red paint.

At first, I had to take deep breaths.
I'm not so much afraid of color as...well...my skill in painting it.

But, 2 hours later we have this.
One completed wall, one wall where I decided to clean off my brushes,
and... one very satisfied momma.
I love this color!

But as it goes for most moms of little ones...

nap time has ended, and so must the painting. So, the kitchen will wait and we'll be back with more hopefully tomorrow.

Whole lotta paintin' goin' on

I did it.
I bought the paint for our kitchen...and I will start tomorrow afternoon.
We are doing antique red and wild honey as our two colors... and I love them both!

I have visions and dreams of how this could turn out. We shall see.




In other news - INSIDE OUT BIBLE STUDY starts this week with our teens! Pray for me, my husband, Cody and Lisa who will all be leading this exciting experience. We'll be going through the book - "Crazy Love" by Frances Chan. We have 9 teens who have committed to going deeper with us in this study and I'm pumped to see some lives changed! Woot Woot! There's my "holy holler" for the night.

"Well, hello there officer"

So I'm singing "In Christ alone" crusing down the street on my way to good ol' Kohls... just like any other normal day. Ava is happily singing with me in the backseat all strapped in looking like an overstuffed yellow marshmallow, of course. What a good day. Good weather, good tunes, good destination.

We pass a State Patrol car, so I turn to smile at him - that is what good citizens do, am I right? Then I look in the rear view mirror... "oh, the patrol car pulled into my lane", interesting. In my mind I'm thinking, "oh I bet that guy behind me was speeding, ouch!". I notice as the patrol car passes "that guy" and then speeds up behind me - lights turn on... {gulp}. In my mind I'm thinking something is hanging off of my car - its super snowy and chunks everywhere...maybe my headlight is out (er...its daytime...can't be that) or perhaps a tire is in bad shape and I don't know it. I was 5 under the speed limit and have no idea why I'm getting pulled over.

The officer approaches my car and of course my window is broken so I have to open the door. HUMILIATING! "Ma'am, today is safety (something er other) day and I noticed you didn't have your seat belt on, {note: at this point in time I DID have it on... seeing the officer reminded me those few minutes prior} are you in the habit of not wearing your seat belt?" And so we chatted back and forth, me being honest and even confessing that as soon as I saw him I buckled up because he reminded me. (yes, I do confess things when I'm nervous) He took my info and walked back to his car. Lovely. And on pay day too... I've never gotten a ticket.

5 Minutes later he returned and let me know it was going to be a warning, but... "wear your seatbelt". I thanked him profusely and drove away. Inside my head I'm thinking, "Oh thank you Lord that I buckled Ava in FULLY today". Her seat has a ton of clips and buckles and sometimes we skimp on one of them... I know, I know... horrible mother award. But, I've learned my lesson and I'm pretty sure I would be sitting in Jail had I not taken the time to do that this morning!

Don't hate me cuz I'm ugly

Obviously my blog is having issues...

to say the very least... technology is winning.

Please bear with me as I test the waters on a few things...

hopefully a day will come when I have time to sit down and get it right.

until then...

don't hate me cuz I'm ugly.

:)