Worry is such a beast isn't it? Too many times in my life I have been CONSUMED by it. Try as I may, it always seems to find a way to creep into my life. It can be anything from worrying when my children get a fever or as worrying about whether we will make our bills each month. Try as I may, I am faced with situations on a daily basis that, if not kept in check, can literally slip into every avenue of my mind and break down the faith I have worked so hard to build.
This month has thrown a curve ball our way that has really tested my faith and made me think about the nature of worrying. It came to me today that worry and faith have absolutely nothing in common. With one you can't have the other. When it all comes down to it, to be free of worry you have to give in to your faith and surrender worry. What's ironic is that even when you think you have surrendered worry, then you begin to worry that surrendering it somehow makes you loose control which in turn dooms you to an awful fate. Man that Satan is a crafty little fellow. Sneaking in worry about surrendering worry. Are you still following me?
There is a truth though to the thought that surrendering your worry to Christ does make you loose control. When you surrender, you are letting Christ control the situation. You are agreeing to let go and let him work through that burden. You are putting your trust and faith in his provision and love. His desire to make you happy and to work all things out to his glory. How awesome and healing is that?
Today I am holding fast to these scriptures:
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22
" Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
It is a weird feeling not knowing what the future holds for us. I usually struggle with this to the point of wanting to have a mental breakdown, but not today. In light of recent knews we got about an increasing mortgage payment, I should be freaking out right now....but I have this weird sense of peace that everything will work out, which I can only explain as supernatural. A faith like this has been built by looking upon my past knowing that he ALWAYS comes through for us. I know me, and it's not like me to NOT freak out. It's like I woke up and just said, "I can't do it Lord. I can't worry about this kind of stuff anymore. I choose not to accept this stress into my life. It's all on you!" And the best part....he wants me to cast my burdens on him. What a wonderful gift. How free this makes me feel. I know I will continue to worry here and there. I'm human and Satan is a persistent fellow. But not today. Today I'm free.
Won't you join me in letting go of it all? You'll feel much better and you'll surely make God smile. Promise! Now is the part where you can sigh because it's all going to be OK. What will be will be and you're going to be OK.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving 2010
What a blessed holiday weekend we had! I know I told you all our plans in the last post, so this is just a quick little post with pics and a few reflections. Wednesday night our holiday began. We were supposed to go see the group SIX perform that night (free tickets), but the weather changed our plans, so we watched a Christmas movie with the girls.
Thursday morning we woke up, ate sweet potatoe muffins, and watched the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade. Kadyn really got into that this year. I remember watching the parade with my Dad each year. After the parade was over, the girls colored while Mama and Dada cooked.
Our Mexican fiesta was AWESOME! Jeff and I got started on lunch in the kitchen about 11:00. I caved and ate pork because I couldn't stand the sad puppy dog look on Jeff's face when he asked if the chile sauce would have meat. It wasn't much meat, so I don't feel too bad about it. The pumpkin pie I made later was the best pumpkin pie I ever ate in my life. Here is the recipe if you're interested. It doesn't have nutmeg, which is why I think I liked it so much.
Friday afternoon Christmas exploded in our house. Kadyn really got into it. Bren tried to help a little but was too distracted by the wiener dog ornaments and just wanted to play with those.
That evening our good friends Tami and Bo came over and helped the girls and I make Christmas cookies. Both girls LOVED this! I had trouble getting them to stop eating the cookies before we were done decorating all of them. At one point Bren just dipped her spoon in the frosting and started licking the spoon. That officially became her bowl only! Later we made homemade pizza and had our Friday Pizza Family Movie Night ritual. We decided to have our annual viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation that night.
Saturday was a lazy day, but that evening we got to go to "Trail of The Lights. We hadn't been to this light display before. It was 2.5 miles long complete with a TON of lighted plexiglass boxes displayed with all kinds of scenes which included: santa's workshop, christmas carolers, the nativity scene, snowman, polar bears, polar express, and many, many more. All the little characters in these boxes were mechanical and moved which totally fascinated Kadyn. She cracked us up the whole time with her excitement, curiosity and wonder. There was a sign that read "Wise men still seek him." Kadyn's reply was "He's at the North Pole!" Brennan was just very quiet and observant, but I think she enjoyed it too.
There was different music at different displays and, of course, tons of lights to look at too. It took about an hour to get through the drive. At the end we were able to go up into a 10 story tower called "Inspiration Tower." It overlooks the entire city. It was neat to see the lighted displays from up high. The girls were in their footy pajamas because we didn't expect to be getting out of the van. They loved it. Kadyn asked before we got on the elevator, "Are there any mechanical people on the elevator?"
After the tower viewing, we were able to go pick up some free apple cider and hot cocoa. It really was a neat experience. Wish they had things like that where we lived when I was a kid. Our girls are LUCKY! Unfortunately we didn't have the camera, but maybe we can snap some photos next year.
Sunday was lazy football day. Not much to report there.
Overall, it was a a great holiday. We are truly blessed and VERY thankful!
Our Mexican fiesta was AWESOME! Jeff and I got started on lunch in the kitchen about 11:00. I caved and ate pork because I couldn't stand the sad puppy dog look on Jeff's face when he asked if the chile sauce would have meat. It wasn't much meat, so I don't feel too bad about it. The pumpkin pie I made later was the best pumpkin pie I ever ate in my life. Here is the recipe if you're interested. It doesn't have nutmeg, which is why I think I liked it so much.
Friday afternoon Christmas exploded in our house. Kadyn really got into it. Bren tried to help a little but was too distracted by the wiener dog ornaments and just wanted to play with those.
Saturday was a lazy day, but that evening we got to go to "Trail of The Lights. We hadn't been to this light display before. It was 2.5 miles long complete with a TON of lighted plexiglass boxes displayed with all kinds of scenes which included: santa's workshop, christmas carolers, the nativity scene, snowman, polar bears, polar express, and many, many more. All the little characters in these boxes were mechanical and moved which totally fascinated Kadyn. She cracked us up the whole time with her excitement, curiosity and wonder. There was a sign that read "Wise men still seek him." Kadyn's reply was "He's at the North Pole!" Brennan was just very quiet and observant, but I think she enjoyed it too.
There was different music at different displays and, of course, tons of lights to look at too. It took about an hour to get through the drive. At the end we were able to go up into a 10 story tower called "Inspiration Tower." It overlooks the entire city. It was neat to see the lighted displays from up high. The girls were in their footy pajamas because we didn't expect to be getting out of the van. They loved it. Kadyn asked before we got on the elevator, "Are there any mechanical people on the elevator?"
After the tower viewing, we were able to go pick up some free apple cider and hot cocoa. It really was a neat experience. Wish they had things like that where we lived when I was a kid. Our girls are LUCKY! Unfortunately we didn't have the camera, but maybe we can snap some photos next year.
Sunday was lazy football day. Not much to report there.
Overall, it was a a great holiday. We are truly blessed and VERY thankful!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thankful for....
Everybody's making them. Their thankful lists for this holiday season. Here's mine:
1. My wonderful savior who always provides for me and blesses me beyond imagination
2. My BEAUTFIUL girls who fulfill me in ways I didn't know possible
2. My wonderful, adoring husband who takes good care of me and makes me happy
3. My family who makes me feel supported everyday even though their miles away
4. Email, Facebook, Skype, cell phones anything that helps me stay in touch with my loved ones and gives me connections outside my own little world
5. Running vehicles no matter how old
6. A new beautiful home that fits our family
7. Wonderful, wonderful, neighbors who look out for us and us for them
8. New friends who love our girls as much as we do and provide us new companionship
9. The ability to do whatever I put my mind to physically
10. Living more naturally and green
11. Contentment with what I've been given (most of the time)
12. A fun community that lets me live life without going anywhere
13. Free tickets
14. A job that allows me to stay at home and raise my babies the way I want to
15. A husband that allows me to stay at home and raise my babies the way I want to
16. Aldi and other huge discount grocers
17. Laughter
18. Pizza family movie night
19. Guacamole Sunday
20. New and fun traditions
21. Beautiful weather
22. Successful gardening
23. Good health
24. Date nights
25. Storage in the basement
26. Garage that fits both vehicles
27. Girl's nights
28. Smores and anything chocolate
29. Jammie runs
30 Trips to get icecream treats on a whim
31. Christmas lights
32. Seeing my children grasp the concept of a loving savior, praying to him, and praising him
33. Children who are smart, funny, witty, loving, developmentally normal, polite, and ADORABLE
34. Old friends who give us an excuse to go on vacation and enjoy each other's company
35. A job that my husband enjoys and provides
36. Opportunities
37. Small gifts in the mail from family just because
38. Incredible inlaws
39. Watching my children experience things for the first time and the wonder and aw that comes along with it
40. Free or dirt cheap clothing
41. Healthy and yummy food
42. Achieving goals with my weight
43. Watching my girls play with their father
44. Seeing my girls light up when their father comes home
45. Watching my husband adore his girls
46. Having a husband who gives his girls individual Daddy time
47. Having a husband who let's Mommy get Mommy time
48. Making food that everyone likes
49. Being able to live on a budget
50. Living a beautiful part of the world
51. Music
52. Getting through toddler antics and living to tell about it
53. Cheap fall produce
54. A husband who is willing to try my crazy concotion
55. Fall mums
56. carving pumpkins
57. crafts with the kids
58. Productive days
59. A clean house
60. Good fall TV programs
62. Watching your kid get into Santa and the mystery behind that
63. Knowing your kid understands the true meaning of the holidays
64. Having a mother who listens, provides friendship, encourages, supports, and gives good advice.
65. Having a father who adores his grandkids
66. My pressure cooker
67. My food processor
68. Being able to fix my dishwasher all by myself
69. Kids who sleep through the night
70. Educational cartoons
71. Snuggling with my kids
72. Seeing my friends have blessed lives
73. Admiting my failures and working with God to fix them and become better
74. Greek seasoning
75. Netflix
76. A comfy bed
77. Not having an animal ruin my carpets
78. Living on the end of a culdesac
79. Having a fulfilling 4th of July in our culdesac
80. Good coffee in the morning
81. This blog
82. God's word
83. Sewing tutorials
84. A sewing machine I love
85. thrift store shopping
88. A good purse
89. Our new window films (and hopefully cheaper utility bills during the winter)
90. An extra play area in the basement with room to grow
91. Veggie muffins
92. That there are a gazillion different types of beans to eat for this newly vegetarian Mama
93. Premade vegetarian imitations
94. Picnics in the spring and summer
95. Good parks for the kids to play at
96. We have health care....even if it is super expensive
97. Bibs
98. Quiet time
99. Kids on a schedule
100. Having a town 45 min from here that has everything we need that's not in Branson
1. My wonderful savior who always provides for me and blesses me beyond imagination
2. My BEAUTFIUL girls who fulfill me in ways I didn't know possible
2. My wonderful, adoring husband who takes good care of me and makes me happy
3. My family who makes me feel supported everyday even though their miles away
4. Email, Facebook, Skype, cell phones anything that helps me stay in touch with my loved ones and gives me connections outside my own little world
5. Running vehicles no matter how old
6. A new beautiful home that fits our family
7. Wonderful, wonderful, neighbors who look out for us and us for them
8. New friends who love our girls as much as we do and provide us new companionship
9. The ability to do whatever I put my mind to physically
10. Living more naturally and green
11. Contentment with what I've been given (most of the time)
12. A fun community that lets me live life without going anywhere
13. Free tickets
14. A job that allows me to stay at home and raise my babies the way I want to
15. A husband that allows me to stay at home and raise my babies the way I want to
16. Aldi and other huge discount grocers
17. Laughter
18. Pizza family movie night
19. Guacamole Sunday
20. New and fun traditions
21. Beautiful weather
22. Successful gardening
23. Good health
24. Date nights
25. Storage in the basement
26. Garage that fits both vehicles
27. Girl's nights
28. Smores and anything chocolate
29. Jammie runs
30 Trips to get icecream treats on a whim
31. Christmas lights
32. Seeing my children grasp the concept of a loving savior, praying to him, and praising him
33. Children who are smart, funny, witty, loving, developmentally normal, polite, and ADORABLE
34. Old friends who give us an excuse to go on vacation and enjoy each other's company
35. A job that my husband enjoys and provides
36. Opportunities
37. Small gifts in the mail from family just because
38. Incredible inlaws
39. Watching my children experience things for the first time and the wonder and aw that comes along with it
40. Free or dirt cheap clothing
41. Healthy and yummy food
42. Achieving goals with my weight
43. Watching my girls play with their father
44. Seeing my girls light up when their father comes home
45. Watching my husband adore his girls
46. Having a husband who gives his girls individual Daddy time
47. Having a husband who let's Mommy get Mommy time
48. Making food that everyone likes
49. Being able to live on a budget
50. Living a beautiful part of the world
51. Music
52. Getting through toddler antics and living to tell about it
53. Cheap fall produce
54. A husband who is willing to try my crazy concotion
55. Fall mums
56. carving pumpkins
57. crafts with the kids
58. Productive days
59. A clean house
60. Good fall TV programs
62. Watching your kid get into Santa and the mystery behind that
63. Knowing your kid understands the true meaning of the holidays
64. Having a mother who listens, provides friendship, encourages, supports, and gives good advice.
65. Having a father who adores his grandkids
66. My pressure cooker
67. My food processor
68. Being able to fix my dishwasher all by myself
69. Kids who sleep through the night
70. Educational cartoons
71. Snuggling with my kids
72. Seeing my friends have blessed lives
73. Admiting my failures and working with God to fix them and become better
74. Greek seasoning
75. Netflix
76. A comfy bed
77. Not having an animal ruin my carpets
78. Living on the end of a culdesac
79. Having a fulfilling 4th of July in our culdesac
80. Good coffee in the morning
81. This blog
82. God's word
83. Sewing tutorials
84. A sewing machine I love
85. thrift store shopping
88. A good purse
89. Our new window films (and hopefully cheaper utility bills during the winter)
90. An extra play area in the basement with room to grow
91. Veggie muffins
92. That there are a gazillion different types of beans to eat for this newly vegetarian Mama
93. Premade vegetarian imitations
94. Picnics in the spring and summer
95. Good parks for the kids to play at
96. We have health care....even if it is super expensive
97. Bibs
98. Quiet time
99. Kids on a schedule
100. Having a town 45 min from here that has everything we need that's not in Branson
T-day plans
This year we are all staying home. No family is coming, just the 4 of us. I think we've gotten to the point where we would rather visit our family on days that are not holidays. Travel during those times can be iffy depending on the weather, and we want to start or own family traditions. Turns out there is some bad weather coming our way, so perhaps it was meant to be this way.
Thanksgiving morning I'm going to make iced sweet potatoe muffins for breakfast. That afternoon Jeff and I will make chile renos, spanish rice, and pumpkin pie for lunch (I don't eat meat and Jeff doesn't like turkey). Then that afternoon we will erect the Christmas Tree with Christmas music and our special hot chocolate. There may be snow on the ground so depending a little snow play may be in order. That evening we may head out to see the Christmas light display.
Friday morning Jeff may do a little shopping while I hang out with the girls. That afternoon some new friends of ours will be coming over the help us make Christmas cookies. After that is done we will start making homemade pizzas for 'Pizza family movie night." We will be watching National Lampoon's Christmas vacation. I am so excited! Family traditions are the best!
Thanksgiving morning I'm going to make iced sweet potatoe muffins for breakfast. That afternoon Jeff and I will make chile renos, spanish rice, and pumpkin pie for lunch (I don't eat meat and Jeff doesn't like turkey). Then that afternoon we will erect the Christmas Tree with Christmas music and our special hot chocolate. There may be snow on the ground so depending a little snow play may be in order. That evening we may head out to see the Christmas light display.
Friday morning Jeff may do a little shopping while I hang out with the girls. That afternoon some new friends of ours will be coming over the help us make Christmas cookies. After that is done we will start making homemade pizzas for 'Pizza family movie night." We will be watching National Lampoon's Christmas vacation. I am so excited! Family traditions are the best!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Changing it up
Wanting to continue running. Not wanting to run in the cold. Not liking that my knee hurts when I run. Not minding running in circles on an indoor track but....I might have a better idea. Pulled out my mini tramp from downstairs and drug it upstairs by the T.V. Did a little research. Running on a tramp is much lower impact and can burn quite a few calories.
We got this tramp last Christmas for the whole family. Kadyn loved it. I loved the idea of it, BUT my bladder did not. So, when I pulled this out it was more experiemental. Did my bladder perhaps strengthen from all the pounding on the pavement? Perhaps running on the tramp would be lower impact than jumping and it won't be as big of a deal for my good ol' bladder. Let the experiment begin.
The results....still feel like I'm going to pee my pants when I jump with two feet (even with an empty bladder) BUT....running isn't a problem. Heart rate seems to go up nicely and quickly, especially when I move knees up to my chest and go fast.
So....this could be a nice change of pace for awhile. Keep my stamina up in the comfort of my own home. Maybe I'll get bored of it quickly, maybe not. One thing is for sure, I'll stay warm. I can stay at home and watch the kids if I need to. Heck I could even slip in a workout during nap times. It's free, and best of all, my knee won't hurt. For now, it's a go!
We got this tramp last Christmas for the whole family. Kadyn loved it. I loved the idea of it, BUT my bladder did not. So, when I pulled this out it was more experiemental. Did my bladder perhaps strengthen from all the pounding on the pavement? Perhaps running on the tramp would be lower impact than jumping and it won't be as big of a deal for my good ol' bladder. Let the experiment begin.
The results....still feel like I'm going to pee my pants when I jump with two feet (even with an empty bladder) BUT....running isn't a problem. Heart rate seems to go up nicely and quickly, especially when I move knees up to my chest and go fast.
So....this could be a nice change of pace for awhile. Keep my stamina up in the comfort of my own home. Maybe I'll get bored of it quickly, maybe not. One thing is for sure, I'll stay warm. I can stay at home and watch the kids if I need to. Heck I could even slip in a workout during nap times. It's free, and best of all, my knee won't hurt. For now, it's a go!
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Promised Land Zoo
Sunday we headed to Arkansas to visit the Promised Land zoo about 1.5 hours from here. If you'll remember one of my birthday presents last year was a gift certificate to this zoo. Jeff got a great deal on this certificate. I think our whole experience costed 15 dollars. The normal rates would've been close to fifty. Anyways, it was unlike any zoo I've ever been in. You drive through it with a big bag of food. You get to feed just about any animal you see. Just roll down the windows and start tossing the food. The animals know what to expect so they come over as soon as they see your vehicle. We got nose to nose with some animals. LITERALLY! They left nose prints (or beak prints) on our windows. It was SOOOOO neat! At times it was hard to get moving to the next part of the park as the animals were standing in front of our van waiting for more food.
At the end of the park is a petting zoo were we were able to feed and pet a lot more animals. It was my first time touching and feeding a zebra and a deer. Brennan almost kissed a pygmy goat. I looked down and she was all puckered up with the goat's lips headed right for hers. She loved feeding the animals. She was constantly asking for more food although she got a little nervous when their mouths starting coming at her. Kadyn was nervous as well and finally mustered the courage to let a deer eat from her hand. My favorite animal was the llama. Those buck teeth just made him so cute! The rest of the family loved the parrots. They talked and bopped up and down. We joined them bopping up and down and desparately trying to get them to talk. All we could get out of them was a "Hello!" Supposedly they also said, I love you, Hi, Grandpa, Sam, and I'm a cockatoo. It was such a good time and we will definitely go back some day.
At the end of the park is a petting zoo were we were able to feed and pet a lot more animals. It was my first time touching and feeding a zebra and a deer. Brennan almost kissed a pygmy goat. I looked down and she was all puckered up with the goat's lips headed right for hers. She loved feeding the animals. She was constantly asking for more food although she got a little nervous when their mouths starting coming at her. Kadyn was nervous as well and finally mustered the courage to let a deer eat from her hand. My favorite animal was the llama. Those buck teeth just made him so cute! The rest of the family loved the parrots. They talked and bopped up and down. We joined them bopping up and down and desparately trying to get them to talk. All we could get out of them was a "Hello!" Supposedly they also said, I love you, Hi, Grandpa, Sam, and I'm a cockatoo. It was such a good time and we will definitely go back some day.
Fall fun
Jeff decided it was time to rake some leaves. He had planted some grass in our bare spots, and all of neighbor's leaves seeemed to enjoy settling on those spots. Kadyn and him headed out to the front yard to get started on Saturday late morning. Next thing I know, Jeff heads out with the camera; Bren joined later. This is what came back. I really missed out living in SW Kansas. What I would've given to had an experience like this. We had a few trees, but nothing that produced this much fun.
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