A lesson on heart attitude.

Today our youngest A was home from school with a fever and summer cold. She was such a chatty little thing but one thing that stuck out to me was she kept saying "Jack and the Bean Stalk" at the weirdest times. I dismissed it as just little girl silliness. Our oldest A took her back to do homework and then comes to me to share with me that littlest A was using "Jack and the Bean Stalk" as a stand in for a naughty phrase she is not allowed to say. While I was preparing my mom speech and praying about how to approach this with her, God promptly convicted my heart. How many times does He call me to refrain from something but I just replace it with something that I feel is more acceptable but equally as damaging? God cares about our heart attitude. When littlest A was replacing her naughty phrase with the more acceptable phrase her heart was still repeating the naughty phrase. Her heart attitude had not changed, sin was still present, just covered.

 O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You. —Psalm 69:5

Daniel 9:3 - And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

We are to set our faces unto the Lord, or focus on Him and spend time with Him to truly change our heart attitude. When we spend time with the Lord and His word and let it flood our home and hearts this will dictate our heart attitude and keep us focused on what is right.

 Proverbs 14:34 - Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin [is] a reproach to any people.

Counting down to birthdays 6 and 7!!!

The Birthday Girls!

We had to cancel the pool party idea since our August weather has been so crazy. So I had to come up with something just as fun but frugal. That is a tall order, but I did it. They are having a Spa Themed Birthday. I went to the Dollar Tree and bought several different scents of lotions and bottles of nail polish (ours had the 2 packs for 1.00). We will be setting up different stations for the different services offered. Our oldest has graciously offered to be our resident nail tech. I am the facialist (is that even a word?) And we will be offering hand and foot massages before the mani/pedis.  After all the pampering we will have kid friendly "fancy" foods and cupcakes. Our male guests will be treated to a Lego table with games and Lego Blocks for building. The girls are so excited to be having what they call a big girl birthday to share with their friends.

...and more love notes.

As I was working on our Journey to Joy blog I found 2 more notes under my keyboard from our littlest one. It seems that she wrote out her weekly schedule so I would know how to dress her and left me a love note too! Have I mentioned how much I love being a mom?

Love notes in the morning.

The mornings this school year are a lot more peaceful than last year. However they are still rushed with 5 children to feed, get dressed and usher out the door (well 3 go out the door, the other 2 stay home and homeschool). I often wonder if they know how much I love them, that I pray for them throughout the day and I miss them terribly when they are not here. Well this morning as I was putting on coffee and our oldest was tidying up, she turned to me with a small purple square of paper in her hand and asked if I had seen it? My heart soared. It was a love note from our youngest, what a blessing, I felt loved, needed and cherished. Take the time today to let your family know that you love them and take the time to pray for them. What a beautiful legacy it will build!

Choosing Joy

But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace and Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith 

~Galatians 5:22

It is so easy to forget why we should serve with joy. In today's world we are bombarded with the message "Take care of number 1".  Where is the concern for others? Where does compassion fit in? And if we don't watch out we will come to resent the roles others have in our lives. As a stay at home mom this is an easy trap to fall into. With homeschooling, laundry, dishes, cooking, etc there is much to do and I can soon forget that there are little people who depend on me for encouragement, spiritual guidance and love. Or that I have a husband who needs to see a smiling face after a long day at work. This is when God's Word usually whispers it's words across my heart. 

Ephesians 6:7 - With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

One of the greatest gifts we can give those we love is service with JOY. How different the attitude in my house is when I have my priorities lined up with the word of God. Jesus, Others, Yourself.

RIP Nina

Nina napping in her favorite corner after playing with Tinka.

Today is a very sad day in the little house. Our 1 1/2 yr old dwarf robo hamster Nina passed away. These little pets have brought so much unexpected joy into our home. They live(d) in a glass aquarium in our dining room where we have spent countless hours watching them run on their little wheel together and wrestle each other. One of the cutest things they do is jump up and down to get our attention when they run out of their favorite treats. Nina is survived by her sister Tinka and her humans. She will be greatly missed.

Frugal Find for our OCC Shoeboxes!

When you step out in faith God always provides!

We have started getting things ready for our Christmas Shoeboxes early this year, these were our first find! We snagged these adorable Beanie Babies at our local thrift store for .25 a piece. Just imagine what a blessing these will be to some little boy or girl!

Weekly Menu for the week of August 19.

 

Our 5 yr. old's beautiful cupcakes!

Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal topped with butter, stevia and milk, Tea
Lunch: Veggie Noodle Soup, PB&J Sandwich, Water
Dinner: Hamburgers & Fries, Sweet Tea

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast, Orange Slices Milk or Tea
Lunch: Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Cucumber Slices, Juice
Dinner: Pork Chops, Steamed Broccoli, Baked Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday
Breakfast: Grits and Eggs, Milk
Lunch: PB&J Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Fun Size Butterfinger, Sweet Tea
Dinner: Homemade Pizza Pasta, Green Beans and Garlic Bread, Green Peach Tea

Thursday
Breakfast: Cheese Toast, Sweet Tea
Lunch: Bologna Sandwiches, Chips, Apple Slices, Milk
Dinner: Chicken, Rice, Steamed Cabbage, Sweet Tea


Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Hot Tea
Lunch: Noodle Soup, Orange Slices, 1/2 PB&J Sandwich, Water
Dinner: Country Style Ribs, Cauliflower, Hot Buttered Noodles, Sweet Tea

Faux Dessert, handmade birthday surprises.

Petit Fours for 18" Dolls

I made these petit fours using small wood blocks from Michael's, white flower buttons hot glued on top then I filled in the recess with hot glue and painted the centers with light green gloss paint to look like candy. The little plate came with a food set from the Dollar Tree.

 

Petit Fours and a glass of milk.


The faux milk was made using a small disposable shot glass. I found a large pack at the Dollar Tree. You fill to desired level with Tacky Glue and let it sit and dry for 3-4 days. Mine of course are still drying but I couldn't resist sharing.

My wonderful birthday find!

Our 2 little princesses will be turning 6 and 7 here in a few weeks. It is a tall order to get everyone ready for school and celebrate 2 birthdays in the same month. So I was scrambling looking for a frugal idea. Then I found these adorable dolls online at the Target website. They were a little out of our budget at $22.99 a piece. I didn't have enough time to build up my swagbucks to help so what was I to do? I looked at other gifts but they just weren't doing it for me or for the girls. So last night while the teens and hubby were at an activity we loaded up and took off to K-Mart who also has a version of these dolls. I wanted to see if they were less expensive or possibly on sale. We get to K-Mart and they have 0 dolls in stock. So we got the wild notion to drive to Target and just look. I am so glad we did. This week Target has these beautiful dolls on sale for $18.99 putting them under my $20.00 budget. So I bought them. They also have the outfits and small playsets on sale. And I love that they are made so much like the American Girl dolls but at a much more affordable price. In fact when the girls saw them they didn't know that they weren't the AG dolls. In fact they call Kendra (the redhead) Saige. So I am one happy Mama! They are going to love their birthday gifts, not to mention all the fun we will have collecting their accessories each holiday and birthday! Remember it pays to window shop!

Weekly Menu for Week of August 19

Our Oldest Sharing Dessert with her Cousin.

 

Since I am a Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) patient I am including what I eat daily color coded in purple. I hope this helps those of you on a journey to a healthier you!


Monday
Breakfast: Cereal and Toast (my breakfast Protein Shake w/ unsweetened Almond Milk)
Lunch: Peasant Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (just eat the peasant soup)
which is 1 can of veggie beef soup, 1 can Bean and Bacon Soup with 2 Cans Beef Broth or water.
Dinner: Sloppy Joes, Pan Fried Potatoes (sloppy joe filling and bake a sweet potato)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Buttered Grits and Juice ( Breakfast Protein Oatmeal)
Lunch: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Chips and Apple Slices (Apple Slices w/ Light and Fit Greek Yogurt)
Dinner: BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters, Mac n Cheese, Steamed Broccoli  (Chicken Leg, Steamed Broccoli w/cheese)

 Wednesday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Sugar Oatmeal and Sausage (Old Fashioned Oats, Pecans cooked in unsweetened almond milk*)
Lunch: Ramen Noodles and Orange Slices (2 slices Deli Meat, One slice cheese and 3 cucumber slices with seasoning)
Dinner: Beanie Weenies and Corn Muffins (just the beans topped with a little sauteed onion)

*A neat recipe I got from my doc is to blend 1 part old fashioned oats to 1 part unsweetened almond milk. Cook in the Microwave then add sweetner of choice and a few nuts, yummy.

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal and Toast (Protein Shake & Unsweetened Almond Milk)
Lunch: Ham and Cheese Rollups, Cucumber Slices with Hummus
Dinner: Tangy Meatballs, Buttered Rice and Peas

Friday
Breakfast: Cheese Toast and Juice (Cottage Cheese)
Lunch: Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Chips and 1/2 Banana (Leftover Meatballs)
Dinner: Stuffed Pork Roast, Sauteed Green Beans and Onions

Saturday
Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs and Drop Biscuits
Dinner: Green Beans with Ham and Onions and Fruit for dessert
Snack: Glazed Yellow Cake

Sunday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast and Milk (Scrambled Eggs with Sauteed Onions)
Dinner: Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Snack: Stuffed Celery Sticks

With school starting back we are trying to reign in our grocery budget so some of these meals are super simple. On the weekends we make a large breakfast so we don't do lunch but serve a snack that evening before bedtime, we do the same on Sundays. This helps the budget and gives our bodies a break from heavy eating.

Honoring my first love, My Daddy!

My Dad, Mom, little sister, little brother and me.

I haven't posted in a very long time. My mind has been a big huge blank since my dad went home to be with the Lord in January, so I have not really attempted to write anything. Tonight I am ready to share what my dad meant to me. I think it would be a great way to honor him and to get me back on track.

They say that most of the time children view God in light of their earthly Father. I have to say that in my experience that is quite true. My dad was the most fun loving, kind, caring generous man I know. There were three of us kids and he loved us in our love language before the Christian world had "The 5 Love Languages". For me that meant small gifts and notes left spontaneously. My dad worked shift work and it was nothing for me to either wake up or go to bed with a little note from him or a picture or story, he was never too busy for us. We were never shooed away, he always made time for us. I remember when I was trying to decide on whether or not I should go to Bible College, my dad was working on our car and he worked silently and let me pour out my heart. When I was through he gave me his advice, but he had listened to every bit of reasoning I had, because he knew it was important to me. When I was in elementary school I was going through a rough time and felt like I had no friends and this was so painful to me. One day after school I came home and while I was doing my homework my dad brought me a present. It was a story he had written and illustrated just for me, to show me how special and important I was to God. I will never forget that.

I was not the easiest child to raise. I was born with a strong sense of the way I thought the world should run and I vehemently pitched fits to make it so, from a very small age. My poor parents....Mama did all she could to reign in my strong willed temper and still love me but I of course fought her tooth and nail. Daddy allowed me a little more freedom, later when I was grown and we were adopting and struggling to keep our sanity Daddy stopped by for lunch and told me that he always knew my strong willed nature would come in handy, God had prepared me for this. He understood me as no one else could.

Now that my daddy is at home in heaven I don't know how to really feel. He was the person I would go to (before Donald) when the world was turned upside down and didn't make sense and at the time I need His strength the most he is not here. Then God reminds me that He is my Father and He is always with me and I lean on Him.  Some days there is a gaping whole in my heart when I think of the lifetime stretching before me without my daddy and thankfully there are other days that make it seem possible that he could just pop over for lunch as he so often did, these days are strangely comforting because it brings to mind all the visits we shared through the years. I also remind myself when there is pain this isn't a bad thing it just means he was a part of my life, that he meant some thing to us and that he had a very big place in our lives. I rejoice because I know that we will see each other again and I have wonderful memories of our days together.