Organizing

Awhile ago I decided it would be convenient to have all our product manuals in these handy little files (pardon the dust). First of all, if you are ever feeling like you don't have enough stuff, go look thru your product manuals! We have so many for things like our camera, video camera, the trampoline, sweeper, blenders, laptop, desktop, every appliance we have bought and I could go on). Anyway, it didn't take me long to realize these big, bulky expandable files are not east to store. So I saw something on pinterest I thought I would try.

I took all those goofy manuals and put them in page protectors which went into a notebook. My only annoyances were getting those huge manuals into the page protectors and the flimsy notebooks I got at the dollar tree do not support 16 of them in one book very well.

My finished product. There are extra page protectors ready to be filled as well. And now to do something with those expandable files because they are in the same place they were while they were being used.
P.S. I know I put my pages in the book upside down. Once I peel those stickers off, no one will ever know.

If only I could get the whole house this neat and organized. Sigh, maybe one day...

Worth it

You should know by now that in Bible Club we are going straight thru the Bible, learning the "stories" of Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, Noah, etc. But what I love about our lessons is that those stories are just the backdrop to the most amazing story of God's never ending love for us and his plan to save man from their sin since the very beginning.
You should also know that I am taking 4 neighbor kids with us every week and I have just recently started bringing them to Sunday School.
What you don't know is the background of these kids. They all have pretty rough lives compared to us. There are sister who live with their grandparents because their parents are not fit to raise them. The other girl has 2 younger sisters and they all have different dads. One of them doesn't even know who her dad is. Their mom has been in jail recently. I'm sure their are lots of different men in their lives and drugs.
The boy, I think his life is pretty normal. There are no drugs in the house, that I know of. Tonight he asked if he could eat dinner with us after we got home. I told him we already ate, he said he hadn't eaten anything. They are all always hungry when I see them.
So tonight we were very deep into the fact that God had to destroy everyone because of their wickedness. They understood that no one but Noah and his family loved God and wanted to obey Him. One of the sisters started crying because she misses her dad. He lied to their mamaw so she wasn't letting him sleep there tonight. Awhile later one of the other girls started crying because she misses her dad and won't get to see him until this summer. I really didn't know what to say to these kids. They crave attention and love. I just explained to them that people on earth will let us down. Not everyone loves us or will always be there for us but that there is one person who always will. They seemed to recover pretty quickly.
Tonight I realized that I am not only bringing all these kids with me because they spend a lot of time with my kids. I want to be the solid in these kids' lives. I want to show them the unconditional love of someone who will never leave them for drugs or anything. I want them to know that someone cares. I want them to remember these years when they are older and find themselves falling into the same situations their parents have fallen into.
It isn't easy. I never leave church on Wed nights feeling like I have just made a difference. My throat and head usually hurt. I am generally frustrated at their misbehaving. But getting to tell these kids every single week that God's plan from the beginning of time has been to save us from our sins, it makes everything worth it.

Backroads

Do you know what I love? I love that Brad and I have almost been together half of our lives. We are getting ready to celebrate our 14 year dating anniversary, which is the day before Brad turns the big 3-0! All the amazing memories I have are with him. No one else. Yes I have great memories from childhood and friendships but my AMAZING memories...they are with him and him alone.
Rewind at least 12 years. We are young, dating, have no kids and no worries. We went four-wheeler riding a lot back then. This night in particular, there were 3 or 4 four-wheelers in our group. We were planning on going on a longer than usual ride but not to unfamiliar places. There was nothing fishy going on; just a bunch of kids out riding around, seriously causing no trouble. Somewhere along the way, the leader, which was not Brad this time, took a wrong turn. Now, I don't know how many of you have spent much time driving back roads, gravel roads, no lined roads but everything kinda looks the same. So it took awhile, a loooong while, to realize we didn't know where we were. The options were to back track the hour we had already gone or just keep riding til we came out somewhere. If there is one thing that never changes about the back roads, it's that they all come out somewhere! Eventually the gravel road we were on turned into a paved road, then a paved road with lines, then the main road! We had rode our four-wheelers a good 50 miles into a town that takes well over half an hour to get to by car, on the main road. Obviously we had to go back home so we had to find our way back on the same roads we had just traveled. Let's just say it was way past my curfew when we finally got back home!
Fast-forward to tonight...We went to a stranger's house out in the country to pick up a pool table/ping pong table/ air hockey table for the church. On the way home, Brad decided to take a different road home. An hour later, we had no idea where we were, it was dark as could be outside and we had no cell service. Since all back roads come out somewhere, against my better judgement, he kept on driving until we came out! Guess where we ended up? The same place we ended up on those four-wheelers over 10 years ago! By the time we knew where we were, I was sick to my stomach from the twists, turns, ups and downs of those roads! And to make it worse, since Brad knew we had another half an hour trip ahead of us, he did not go slow that part of the trip. I had to close my eyes and lean my head back because I just knew we were going into the hillside, over the embankment or something! But we made it. It only took us 3 hours to do something that should have taken max an hour and a half!
Memories! I love making them with him but I am done with the country roads for awhile!

Mr. Fix it

By now all of you should know that we went nearly 2 weeks without of range thinking we just needed a new range. During that time Brad was super busy at work and didn't have much time to stop and buy a new one but he was also racking his brain as to why all the sudden our less than 5 yr old stove would quit working.
Today we finally went and bought a new one! It was on clearance because it was the last display model from last year. But $600 is still a lot, however good for this specific range.
Fast forward a couple hours to Brad hooking up....nothing happened. It didn't work! Just like the other one. Brad was so irritated that he just couldn't figure out the problem. He works with wiring and electricity stuff all the time, with elevators.
Fast forward another 4 hours, Brad finally has it narrowed down to the wiring that goes from the breaker box to the stove.
I'm saying all that to say that I love having a husband that can fix just about anything! I couldn't even name all the things he has fixed or built around here. But the thing I love most; he always takes Ryan along with him and teaches him.
Brad and a friend are in the process of tearing down the parsonage. Ryan was begging to go with him last weekend when they were working on taking the shingles off the roof but Brad kept saying, "no, it is too dangerous and you won't have anything to do." Well, eventually he decided to let Ryan go with him. A couple hours later I took a case of water to the working men and there was Ryan, up on the roof with them! My first instinct was to freak out and tell Brad to get him down immediately. But I know Brad would never put him in a situation that is truly dangerous. I know, I know, being on the roof is dangerous but he was only allowed on the carport roof, which has very little slant to it.
Last night Brad needed to get under the house for something. As he stood by the door putting his bibs on (snow clothes as Ryan says), there was little old Ryan, suiting up. Putting his work boots on. I love it! He was so excited to get under there with daddy, even if his job was to hold the light. Brad loves being able to teach him little things. And Brad had plans of them getting back under there today and also getting in the roof to fix a leak. The whole stove situation took all day tho and Ryan is bummed they didn't get to do anything they planned.
Brad never had a real father figure growing up. I'm so glad he isn't following in the footsteps he had before him. It is only by God's grace. I love to see his interaction with the kids. I am so proud of the man I married. He didn't grow up like anyone reading this did. Just goes to show that you don't always turn out bad with you have a bad upbringing. And I wouldn't say he had a bad upbringing, just not as great as mine. =)

Motherload

I have been finding crazy good deals on kids' clothes the past few times I have been out shopping. Yesterday and today I hit the $1 jean motherload for Hannah! I try to stop at Goodwill at least once a week. It seems that I either find tons of deals or absolutely nothing. Here is what I got yesterday:

Look at all those pretty embellished jeans! I am pretty sure most of them are new but only the pair of capris on the very end have the tags still. I paid $1 for each of these!

Then today I wanted to make a quick trip to aldi, just for a few things. Ha!! Seems like when I say that I am guaranteed to spend more money than I planned on. I had to walk by the clearance Christmas gifts to get to the rest of the food so I ended up with a few gifts that I will give to the kids at their brithdays this year (if I can keep all these goodies hidden) if I can contain my excitement!

Playdoh for $1.99! I bought 2 of these.

Hannah's friend, Taylor, got a keyboard for Christmas and Hannah had so much fun playing on it so when I saw this on clearance for $9.99, I had to get it! I texted Brad a picture of it to make sure he didn't care if I bought it.

Hotwheels wall track for $4.99! I really wanted to get Ryan this for Christmas but they were $25. You actually stick the track to the wall. I think he will like it.

When Brad texted me back and said he didn't care if I bought the keyboard, he also asked me to get him some soap while I was out. That involved an impromptu trip to walmart. It is right down the street but I hadn't planned on going there.

Of course, I had to walk by their clearance racks to get to the soap, in a round about way. =) I found more $1 jeans and yoga pants for Hannah! The 2 smaller pairs are for Abigail, but I don't think they will fit until next year.

Nothing like finding a good deal!

Worship

Last night Brad and I and a couple from church went to Winter Jam 2013. It is a concert with 10 of the lasted christian artists. Charleston is the first stop of the tour and I think they said they make 44 stops in 3 months. It was my first concert since 1997 when the school music teacher took a bunch of us to a Michael W Smith concert so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Overall it was really good, When the music wasn't head banging stuff and you could understand what was being said. It was great to be with a community of people who have the same goal as you; to worship God. There were small devotions and bible verses read throughout. It was great to hear songs that I hear on the radio but maybe don't pay much attention to and really listen to the words and focus on praising God. While it will take my ear drums several years to recover, I do want to take the kids when they are older.


Here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs of the night. "live like that" by Sidewalk Prophets. If you want to see the actual video, which has more affect than just reading the words, look it up on You Tube.

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I'm only just a memory
When I'm home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true

People pass
And even if they don't know my name
Is there evidence that I've been changed
When they see me, do they see You

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that


I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I'm longing for the world to know the glory of the King

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

dreams

I can't believe another year is upon us. Whenever I think about a new year, my mind instantly goes to the year Y2K. Brad and I were only dating then and I remember sitting in his car in a neighboring town, watching fireworks that night. All the while, wondering if anything was going to happen when the clock struck 12. We were so young, full of life and had so many dreams for ourselves. Brad didn't want to have kids until we had been married 10 years. I guess he was dreaming of traveling the world and enjoying our 20's, just the 2 of us....Boring! We both have always wanted to live out in the country, have a few acres and farm animals. I always imagine us when we are 60, sitting in our rocking chairs on the front porch, holding hands and watching our grandkids in the yard. But most of all we just dreamed to be together. And now here we are 13 years later.

Right now I'm really sad that our plans are not always God's plans. Tell me I'm not the only one who has ever thought my ideas might be better!! Of course, I am so happy with my family and the life I have been blessed with. I'm actually really thankful for the hardships I have endured. The big ones involved moving. I still will never understand but I'm so thankful to serve a big God who cares about each of his children and only wants the best for us. I know all those things.

Will I ever get to have a sheep and a duck on lots of acres where there are no noisy railroad tracks or tons of neighbors? I don't know. I hope God has that in my plans somewhere...sooner rather than later would be nice. =) Will Brad be able to retire when he's 60 and hang out on the front porch with me? Probably not the way the economy is looking right now but I hope God wants that for him!

So this year I want to focus more on being truly thankful. Thankful for my blessings, whether they are good or bad in my eyes.

He holds the future in His hands and for that I am thankful! I hope you are too. Our own dreams will let us down. GOd's dreams for us will never let us down. I'm feeling better already!