What's that smell?

We were at JoAnn's today....Molly and I. Right when you walk in there is this wonderful waif of cinnamon that fills your nostrils. A huge vat of cinnamon pinecones.... on sale, of course. Molly looked at me and said, "I smell something." I said, "yes, I do too." "I smell play-doh," says Molly. Play-doh? I laughed. Our play-doh at home I make and add cinnamon extract to it so that it smells better. She relates cinnamon to play-doh.... :)

Scott or Jack which one?

Another How to....

Ok, let your kids watch this one and refresh their memory on the proper way to open presents this holiday season! Copy and paste this....

http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/article%7C10001%7C10051%7C/HallmarkSite/hoops_yoyohome/Animations/Manners/HYY_MANNERS_LESSON_7

How to....

"asking to go outside and play"

Hmmm....I have heard similar conversations before....just copy and paste in new window.....hilarious!

http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/article%7C10001%7C10051%7C/HallmarkSite/hoops_yoyohome/Animations/Manners/HYY_MANNERS_LESSON_4

5 Worst Drinks in America

According to MSN Health & Fitness....
*By the way, I don't really care...if I want a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, I am gonna have one:)
WORST HOT COFFEE
Starbucks Venti 2% Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha= 660 calories, 22g fat (14g sat.), 95 g sugar

WORST BEER
Sierra Nevada Stout(12oz bottle)=210 calories, 20g carbs

WORST ENERGY DRINK
Rockstar Original (16oz. can)=280 calories, 62g sugar

WORST CHAI TEA LATTE
Caribou Coffee Large Chai Tea Latte =420 calories, 47g sugar
(I must interject a sales pitch :) Tastefully Simple Chai Tea Latte=110 calories, 15g sugar....double those numbers to equal the large Caribou...oh, and TS is cheaper too:)

WORST DRINK IN AMERICA
Baskin-Robbins Large Heath Bar Shake =2,310 calories, 108g fat (64g sat), 266g sugar

MORE FACTS ON THE WORST DRINK IN AMERICA....you know the Baskin Robbins one: It takes 73 ingredients to make; 66 tsps. of sugar are in it; You would have to eat 11 Heath Bars to equal the number of calories found in one of those drinks; It only takes you 12 minutes on average to consume it; and it would take 240 minutes running at a moderate pace on a treadmill to burn it off.

Arlo and Lisa's Address

With the Christmas card season here....If you wish to know Arlo and Lisa's mailing address for those of you who know them. It is:
Arlo and Lisa Kipfer
1901 60th Place E.
Suite L1501
Bradenton, Florida 34203

Turtles

At our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, we were served some yummy desserts. Drew loves desserts and was having a hard time deciding between Pumpkin Praline and Turtle Ice Cream Dessert. Finally he chose the Pumpkin Praline. Jack said he wants Turtle Ice Cream dessert. Drew then changes his mind (they often like to have the same thing)and decides on the turtle ice cream dessert. However, he says, "Can I just have the ice cream and no turtles on mine?"

Parenting

I just had to laugh at this exerpt from a book I was reading on parenting. How many times do we yell at the kids trying to get them to do something? Oh, maybe you are the perfect parent, but I am not.
Anyway listen to this....

"Consider your own motivational system. Suppose you are driving home from work one afternoon, exceeding the speed limit by forty miles per hour. A police officer is standing on the corner, but there isn't much he can do in response. He has no car, no motorcycle, no badge, no gun, and no authority to write tickets. All he can do is scream insults at you and shake his fist as you pass. Would that cause you to slow down? Of course not! You might smile and wave as you hurry by. The officer's anger only emphasizes his impotence.

On the other hand, imagine yourself tearing thorugh a school zone one morning on the way to the office. You suddenly look in the rearview mirror and see a black-and-white squad car bearing down on you from behind. Eight red lights are flashing and the siren is screaming. The officer uses his loudspeaker to tell you to pull over to the curb. When you have stopped, he opens his door and approaches your window. He is six foot nine, has a voice like the Lone Ranger's, and wears a big gun on his hip. His badge is gleaming in the light. He is carrying a little leather bound book of citations that you have see before-last month. The officer speaks politely but firmly, "Sir I ahve you on radar traveling sixty five miles per hour in a twenty mile per hour zone. May I see your driver's license please? The officer doesn't scream, cry or criticize you. He doesn't have to. You become putty behind the wheel....Why are you so breathless? It is because the course of action that the police officer is about to take is notoriously unpleasant. It will dramatically affect your future driving habits....

Six weeks later you go before a judge to learn your fate. He is wearing a black robe and sits high above the courtroom. Again, you are a nervous wreck. Not because the judge yells at you or calls you names-but because he has the power to make your day a little more unpleasant.

Neither the police officer nor the judge need to rely on anger to influence your behavior. They have far mor effective methods of getting your attention. Their serenity and confidence are part of the aura of authority that creates respect. But what if they fail to understand that and begin to cry and complain? What if one of them says, "I don't know why you won't drive right. We've told you over and over that you can't break the law like this. You just continue to disobey no matter what we do." Then getting red-faced, he adds," Well, I'll tell you this, young man, we're not going to take this anymore. Do you hear? Believe me, you're going to regret this...."

I thought this was a great example of commanding authority over a kids in a kind non-nagging way. Sometimes I give my kids way to many chances to obey, when in reality they aren't obeying if they don't do it WITHOUT CHALLENGE,WITHOUT EXCUSE, AND WITHOUT DELAY.

So we all train our children to obey....but how? Are we training our children to obey only after I have yelled, pleaded or threatened? Are you/I training our children to obey only when they wish to? or not to obey at all?

Well, I could go on and on....parenting is so hard!

Reminisce

In a completely random order.....

Rubik Cubes....and moving the stickers so I could actually finish the puzzle
Reebok Princess shoes....mine a dusty rose color
Leg warmers
pegged jeans
2 or 3 pairs of socks layered
colored hose....are those coming back? yikes!
Aqua Net....or Rave.....
How high can I get my hair?
"Material Girl"
"Don't Worry Be Happy"
"Red Red Wine"
"Parents Just Don't Understand"
My Smurf glasses
Tie Dye
Shirts with big tails
big hair bows
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Kirk Cameron
Air Hawk (ok, I had a bro. and he picked what to watch)
The A-Team.....Mr. T
Saved by the Bell
The Cosby Show
Family Ties
Gimmie a Break
Knight Rider
Who's the Boss?
21 Jump Street
Alf
Miami Vice
Moonlighting
(Did I watch to much tv?)
MTV
"Sledge Hammer"
MC Hammer
"I just Died in your Arms Tonight"
"Missing You"
Whitney Houston
Bon Jovi
Crimped Hair
Side Pony tails
Frosted lip stick
Colored mascara....dare I say Green?
Blue eyeshadow
Rolled sleeves
tying your big xxlarge tshirt in a knot on the side
tight stonewashed jeans with snaps on the side
scrunchies
spandex
ripped jeans
body shirts
parachute pants
mc hammer pants
friendship bracelets
friendship pins (you know with the beads and the safety pin and you trade them?)
Jelly bracelets (I think I had enough to go up my whole arm)
fake retainers (with a bent paper clip) I know, I am a loser
Jelly shoes
oooooo! How about puff paint?
Trapper Keepers
Break Dancing....I remember watching the 8th grade boys break dance at recess. They would bring their boom boxes and card board. I think I was in 6th grade.
Cabbage Patch Dolls
Strawberry Shortcake
Barbie Head Hairdresser thing a ma jig

The End

Oh, what a wonderful, wonderful day....

.....day I will never forget...

I had the most beautiful day the other day. Laura's Birthday and Malakai's due date.

I was in Texas with Caleb and Laura and had a wonderful few days with them. I spent Saturday with their Life Group and enjoyed the time with their friends. We went to a Pumpkin Patch and then surprised Laura (kinda) with a little birthday party. I was flying out on Sunday afternoon from San Antonio. I didn't realize at the time that we wouldn't be able to make it to church that Sunday because of my flight. So once there, Laura said we would have church at their house. As I met their Life Group and realized their Life Group's church was in San An., and only 10min from the airport we decided to go there. It was a last min. decision to go and it worked out perfectly....we were truly meant to be there that day!

The morning was a beautiful crisp fall morning with warm sunshine bursting thru the coolness in that bright blue Texas sky. On the way to San An. Caleb stopped and got some fresh lilies for Malakai, as his grave was on the way. We stopped and the tears immediately started welling inside of me as I thought about this precious little one that could have been in the backseat as we were headed to church that morning. I am a pretty emotional person and do cry very easily, and so the tears were flowing even before I stepped out of the car. We had some quiet time there at the grave, reflecting on him and Him. I guess none of us were prepared for tears as I only had a half used kleenex and there were no others in the car.

After some time of reflecting, we headed on to CrossBridge. It was refreshing to be welcomed so warmly by the "welcoming committee" that stood near the door. Being a visitor in a church can sometimes be lonely, but not there.

Anyway, jumping a head to the service.....the last two songs before the service were perfect for the day. First we sang "Blessed be the Name of the Lord". These words trigged those tears again: "He gives and takes away, He gives and takes away. But I will choose to say, Blessed be His Name". As soon as I hit the words takes away, I lost it. We were sitting near the front so I felt like everyone could see me sobbing.

Then on to the next song. It was a hymn....."It is well with my Soul". Again the sobbing continued....well I held it in, which always hurts, but then my face was all scrunched up as I was letting the tears roll, and only having one half of a kleenex. I remember Laura saying that the whole church came alive with that song. The band stopped and it was just the sweet sound of four part harmony and Oh, what beautiful words. I think I was more crying FOR them because they have dealt with the whole experience so beautifully and honestly. I don't think I could have done it and I am sure they thought they couldn't have gone thru it before. But they did and are stronger and more beautiful because of it.

Then there was the sermon on the Good Samaritian and topic was "Giving Away My Life". The main focus was not focusing on your problems but focusing on helping others go thru their problems and then in turn would help in your healing. We are so focused sometines on our own "wounds" that we can't focus on others' wounds. Who do I know that needs love, God's healing? Am I too busy to listen?

The speaker said this, "If you want to commit to those who are hurting to prayer, than don't commit. If you want to commit, then go all the way. Help those who are hurting, don't just pray."
Ecc 7:3-4
3 Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

Isaiah 40:28-31
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

What was great is that they also focused on the homless in San An....which, if you know Caleb, is one of his passions. I guess he is kinda like a "good San Antonian", you know instead of samaritian. He is not afraid to share the gospel. I have no idea why I am afraid....but I am.

So a great sermon for the day. At the end of the sermon, they had a time during singing that you could go up and pray with someone if you needed to. I was thinking that since I was in the front where the leaders could see me and sobbing most of the morning that they were probably thinking,"that lady needs some prayer, she better come down..."

Anyway, a great day! A perfect day! We were supposed to go to that church that day and sing those songs and listen to that sermon.

We left church and got to hang out with Josh and Heather for lunch before heading off to the airport. Caleb and Laura are blessed with some great friends. I am so glad that they found a group of friends that are so fun and loving.

So that was my beautiful day. With some beautiful people.

Grumbling

We have been reading about the Israelites in Exodus 15:22-17:16. There is a lot of grumbling and complaining! Only 3 days after they left Egypt and they start complaining about the water, the lack of food, and once again the lack of water. And they have the nerve to tell Mo & Aaron that they had it better in Egypt eating all the good food. Duh? Did they forget that they were in slavery in Egypt?

As a family, we then talked about what we complain about and how we can help each other to not complain. The kids came up with common grumblings....i.e. wanting more toys, not getting what they want when mom or dad say no...etc...

What do I grumble about? Hmm...it's easier to come up with the kids' grumbling! And it's humbling to reflect on my grumbling! I think I grumble the most about the clutter that seems to accumulate everyday, uh, minute!

Anyway, it has been a great little study because the kids are reminding each other that they are grumbling and that it is a sin and it leads to a sinful habit.

Be Nice

I have been focusing with Molly on being nice A LOT....and less on the "pretty" stuff. Well, the other day, Molly commanded me (her tone was very commanding) to take her potty (and no "please"). I said, "Molly, you don't talk to Mommy like that. You need to be nice and use your manners and say please." So I took her potty after our little talk. The next morning she came down stairs and said, "Mommy, will you help me go potty, please?" Wow, she said please!

I didn't say anything, but just took her hand and headed toward the bathroom. As we are walking down the hall she looks up at me and says, "I so proud of you! I love you Mommy!"

Hmm...I think I was supposed to say that.

Prized Art For Sale

Ha! Made you look! But, anyway it's prized to us! I love seeing my kids draw and so I turned our dining room table into a drawing table...with lots of drawing utencils and big rolls of paper and they are always there.....drawing! Love it! Oh, and cutting too! Molly loves to take a big piece of paper and make confetti out of it! As long as the scissors stay away from the hair, right Denise?

Aren't they Sweet?

The pond in our backyard has provided us- a beautiful scenery, the kids-jumping fish (drew loves to fish...especially since these fish are soooo hungry all the time), croaking frogs, and rock throwing.

Brothers and Buddies

ok, and more...

and more....

More Pics

New Portraits of Molly

Mowing

This kind of mower is great exercise for the kids....Jack did a great job mowing.

Popcorn for sale!

So dear bloggers....I now have a Cub Scout, Drew...and he wants to let everyone know that he is selling popcorn.

So if you are interested in microwave popcorn (light and butter flavors), Carmel corn (Light, and reg, and chocolate covered, and with nuts), or how about Kettle Corn, or just plain popping corn, please let me know ASAP.

I thought this would be easy way for him to "advertise"


"Thanks for any orders. My goal is to earn my first pocket knife!" -Drew

So I am Tagged?????!!

I am not sure what that means....but my sister "tagged" me and she wrote 7 things about her and then I followed up on Julie B's 7 things and then I suppose that means I am supposed to write 7 things about me. Since I am not sure, I will just do that and suppose that that's what I am to do....
1. I love massages and will almost always accept one:)
2. I love to dress up and have somewhere to go.
3. I find bugs interesting as long as they are outside. If they attempt to catch me off guard in the house then they will be very dead! No bug is allowed to enter our house without permission...hee hee
4. I have a shopping weakness....love to shop....clothes, decorating items, shoes, purses...the list could go on.
5. I love to cook....if that surprises you then you don't know me too well :)
6. I absolutely do not like to clean one bit, but I have too because that's part of my job (housewife/mother of 3).
7. I love to eat....try ethnic foods....gourmet foods...and sadly it shows....off to the gym I go!

Reading Level

TV Reviews

Voting...

Thought this was good.... a little test to see who you support....

http://abcnews.go.com/politics/MatchoMatic/fullpage?id=5542139

Busy as a Bee!

Not a great pic...took with my phone, but fits the term, "Busy as a Bee!" I just laughed when I saw her in a costume, sweeping up crumbs in the kitchen.

Transform

So, I am sitting at the table helping Molly with her breakfast when I hear these weird sounds coming from Jack (quich, quich,quich) something like that...anyway he keeps repeating and moving around really fast on the floor. I finally ask what he's doing and he said he's transforming. You see, they have been suddenly fasinated with Transformers and so I DVR'd Transformers Animated a couple of times and now Jack thinks he is a transformer (not really). But he literally "transformed" all morning before school and then after school he had to show me how they exercise....in case you are wondering...they practice transforming over and over again....so that's what I heard after school. It really is pretty funny. Especially if you have no idea what he's doing on the floor....like Scott did after work. Once I told him we just started laughing.
I wonder what their next toy facination will be? Hmmm, maybe I should think back to our childhood. That's what they usually bring back...you know, the stuff the parents used to play with.

This is Fun playing in the creek!

I love this picture...all glowy and cute!

She Loves Me!

I gave Molly a hug after church today and she said, "I love you Mom. You're nice." She said it FIRST....it made feel so special! The first time she said it first!

Why?

Many of you can relate to the whys...
Conversation today:
(At Paradise Bakery with friends ....leaving....)
Molly: Where Tricia go?
Mom: She went back to work.
Molly: Why?
Mom: Because....
Molly: Why?
Mom: Because she is working today. We need to leave.
Molly: Why?
Mom: Because we need to go.
Molly: Why need to go?
Mom: Because you are going to Nichole's house.
Molly: Why Nichole's house?
Mom: Because Mommy has to go to the doctor.
Molly: Why mommy go to doctor?
Mom: Because mommy has an owie.
Molly: Where is your owie?
Mom: Right here? Pointing to my lower back and "cheeks"
Molly: Can I kiss it?
Mom: No.
Molly: Why?
Mom: Because you don't need to
Molly: Why?
Mom: pulling out hair :)

The many "why"s of a two year old....

My Great Aunt's yearbook pic

Doesn't this sooo look like me?

Yearbook Photos

Laura's great aunt.... Scott's uncle....

Lisa's Aunt....

Caleb's dad....

Arlo's uncle...

I wanted to share some old family yearbook photos...it's amazing how much they look like myself or my siblings/inlaws. What do you think?

Tattoo's-Part 2

Part one was awhile ago.....you can read about that one if you dig in my archives....Picture may come later....anyway I get Molly up from her nap a couple weeks ago and she never napped but played, which is fine because she played quietly in her bed. Well, it just so happens that she had a marker in her bed...a green one. Anyway her arms and her legs were all green when I went in to get her.

So I asked her, why did you do this and she finally answered that she was like Emma's mom. Molly had payed attention to me talking to our neighbor about her new tatoo and Molly wanted to have drawings on her too.

Can we go? now?

So I sent Drew off to school yesterday. It was weird to put him on the bus and watch it drive away. I avoided that last year by doing afternoon kindergarten and dropping him off at the door (no bus to drop off pm Kindergarteners.)

Well, Jack is very lost with out Drew. He insists on waking up at 7:50 to see Drew get on the bus....normally he sleeps til at least 8:30 mostly 9am. Then he stands at the door with his back pack on waiting for me to take him to Kindergarten....which isn't for hours yet. He asks me can we go now? I said after lunch....now he is begging to eat lunch because he is starving...I think he thinks that if we eat now then we can leave for school. Oh, I hope he learns to play without Drew soon.
Here is a mom's first day of school prayer some had sent me, which has the perfect words or thoughts:

Here we are again, Lord. Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full.

And I know you'll walk with them, Lord. You always do. But a mom still has to ask.

Will You walk with them? Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it?

Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away?

Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn? Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them?

Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and more patience? Will You bless them for their efforts?

Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone?

Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them? Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can?

Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care.

Amen.

I Scream....

you scream, we all scream for bright blue cotton candy ice cream with a mix in of chocolate or gummy bears!
We cooled down at Maggie Moo's after a fun day at the park!

At the Park

It's always fun to meet friends at the park! This park had a creek that the boys discovered and was the highlight of the day!

I said, "No!"

No, it wasn't me that said, "I said No!"

We went to the Touch a Truck event in Carmel and the kids had a lot of fun climbing on all kinds of trucks and honking horns! and more horns! Oh, and the very loud air horn on the snow plow! Plus we came home with lots of free things that will probably end up in the trash...except the beach balls from St V's...they may last a little longer.

One of the trucks the kids got to climb in to, was an Army truck. The boys climb up and I ask Molly if she wants to get in too. She looks at the Army guy and says no ( her face says "I don't want that man to get close to me, he looks scary). I think well, she's probably just saying that and tell the Army man, that sure she'd go up there, so he helps her into the truck.

She smiles for a picture with her brothers and sits for a little bit and then they all venture back down and out. When Molly gets down besides me, she looks up at me and says, "I said No!"

Molly and Lola

It was interesting to watch Molly as she played with Lola. By the way, Lola is Caleb and Laura's dog who Molly attached to right away. Molly loved, absolutely LOVED being in charge of Lola. She loved to tell Lola to sit. She would yell in a firm voice, "SIT!" and then point her finger firmly. She has never had authority over another and enjoyed it....especially since Lola listened to her. Molly sees this picture and says she wants to do it again...."I do again"...." I go there"....

The Pool

Ok, so I am trying to journal more and I had one of those experiences that scare a mother to death and I can't erase it from my memory
....we were at the pool (you probably know what's coming).... and I changed Molly out of her swimsuit into her coverup and putting my coverup on. I have my coverup half on when I look up and say, "Where is Molly?" Hmm, she's not by my chair, I scan the cement looking for her bright blue coverup....can't find her......can't find her....I CAN'T seem to locate her with my "Mom Radar". Drew and Jack are all spread out, Jack has the gate open, did she escape (that's typically not like Molly) she usually stays with me and/or the boys. I didn't even look in the pool because the whistle had been blown and no kids are allowed in the pool without a lifeguard....
...so OF COURSE she wouldn't be there....right? So I glance in the pool and see a little girl swimming (yes swimming underwater) to the side of the pool with a little football in her hand. I reached down and grabbed her out and prayed in thanks to God that her little angel was holding her up and guiding her to the edge of the pool. She said she dropped the football in and jumped in to get it and "I was scared" she said. She kept saying how she was scared. The wonderful thing is she was swimming underwater and didn't even breathe one bit of water. She had held her breathe.
I think she thought she still had her lifejacket on....anyway I keep replaying the event over and over and over in my head....and am just sooooo thankful. I know that in an instant she could have drown. And it literally was probably a second from when I saw her to when she was in the pool...well it seemed that way.

Tattoos

Jack and Drew have been very quiz-a-tive about tattoos lately because some of our new neighbors have them and they have been very curious about them and how they get there, etc....and Jack decided that he wanted one when he grew up. So I asked him what he would want it to be because it would be there forever and he said that we would put "I love my Mom". It was sweet and it just made me laugh....

Family Camp

A fun time at family camp once again! Ron B was nice enough to ask the boys to act in Proverbs Theater. They had so much fun being soldiers and wearing "armor of God" that Ron gave them for the show. I really can't remember the Proverb they acted out, but it was something about how it is easier to win against a fortified city then to win back an offended friend....

We also played family games on Saturday and Drew and Jack enjoyed the water fight!

Friends

Hanging out at the park with friends is soooo much fun. We went to a free Kids Koncert in Carmel and that was a lot of fun!

IronKid

Drew and Jack ran in the Iron Kid in July and placed 5th and 10th respectively. It was a fun experience. I did have to go find Jack during his last leg (running) and run with him (Molly on my shoulders) to the finish line.

Little Pencils in God's Hands

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.”-Mother Theresa

Who has been a ‘pencil of God’ in your life? Think back to the times someone had supported you; encouraged you; been kind, loving or caring; someone who saw the best in you and helped to bring it out; of a person who believed in you ¯ that you would succeed at what you put your mind to. Have you thanked them? Do they know how much they helped you? Have you returned the ‘love letter’ they wrote to you on behalf of God? If not ¯ now is the time to take action. Your thank you note or conversation expressing your gratitude will be a love letter to them from God through you!

What kind of a letter are you writing as the pencil in Gods hand? Are you writing ‘love letters’ to others or little ‘discouragement notes’? Are you critical, envious, jealous or defensive? Do you put others down because you don’t feel good about yourself or because you can?

We are happy, and quick to judge, criticize and evaluate our colleagues, bosses, customers and others with whom we work, but how often do we try to be sending a ‘love letter’ to others on behalf of God? Especially in a work context.

We know we are supposed to love our families and friends, and we are often more successful at ‘writing’ them love letters, although we may not ‘write’ them, or show them our love often enough. We rarely attach this kind of thinking to our workplace.

Do you acknowledge people and what they do? Are you encouraging, enthusiastically supporting and helping others grow and succeed? Do you serve the best you can? Are you grateful for having a job, do your absolute best and give 100%? Even if ‘they’ (everyone else at work) don’t seem to be pencils in God’s hands! Even if they seem to be big black marker pens grading you? If you are surrounded by those who are into ‘discouragement’ notes, or marker pens, be the first to show them how God can use you to write love letters in the face of difficulty, disharmony and struggle.

Are you caring about people, sending love to everyone you meet, everyone in your life and especially your family. Do you give life to situations or suck them and people dry? Are you optimistic, grateful, generous, forgiving and cheerfully enthusiastic with everyone at work. Do you inspire hope, laughter, and spread joy? All these are the messages you can write.

We are all ‘little pencils in Gods hands’ - we choose what we write!

What will you choose to send out in God’s love letter today?

(exerpt from Amanda Gore, "Monthly Endorphin Injection")

Isn't this a great idea?

I came across this blog called goods4girls and I really thought it was a great idea. I think this would be a great service project for those who can sew.....

More catching up...

Drew and Jack on our Kansas trip in the cargo area of the charter.

Teryn and Molly.


Emmy

Dress up time....which reminds me....that bear costume Jack wore that a long time ago (not that long ago, but it sure seems like it). When Jack put it on for the first time and looked in the mirror he was so scared of himself he just cried....and cried.