The drawers we made for the girls room

Michael had this before we got married, that's almost 8 years ago. Anyways he bought it at the Mill store...so then 7 1/2 years later we need more drawers in the girls room. So we found this color at Lowe's and then found these decals at Michael's craft store. We bought some knobs and voila the girls have a drawers.. much prettier in person I do have to say, but you have the idea.

I am fearfully and wonderfully made?

Lately I have been ranting how I want even need to lose weight..in all honesty I do, but I was starting to become obsessive about it as I used to in the past, which will only lead to behavior I cannot and will not go back to. Last night I decided to read the Bible to calm my head. It's amazing how God speaks to you so gently and corrects you, but you must then be willing to recieve the correction. I am a woman by birth-He has skillfully crafted me to be unique. I am learning from personal experience that I can not function the way I need to as long as shame of how I look begins to rule my life. I am learning what I must and can't do, and that I want things to be according to God's word. I have to allow the Word of God and the Holy spirit to help me change. I have to be very clear with myself that I can not show displeased with my looks for that can then be carried to my daughters. How is it I tell them over and over that they are beautiful and God made them beautiful inside out and yet rip myself apart over gaining weight that I accrued from their birth right in front of them? How can I teach them to be confident in who God says they are, yet not do the same? And if God the creator of all things says that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" then how dare I question the truth of that just over weight that I have gained. Instead of pleasing myself , I will focus on pleasing God first. Allow Him to work in me and change me. He has specifically called me to be and do certain things, And like all seasons I am realizing that I am going through yet another season regarding my weight. So with the help of God and self-control I will return to a healthy weight in due time, and I refuse to worry over it.


"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

Wanted....Dead or Alive

Missing socks...if you see any of these culprits partners please send them my way.....Seriously where do they go?

Note of the day....things I live by

"A good marriage is the union of two good forgivers"

Ruth Bell Graham

Out of request...my cleaning list

I take joy in a clean home and so does my husband...So I am going to share with you my cleaning schedule, since I have gotten a couple of requests.

6 Things I do everyday

1. Make my bed...and help my children make theirs. (With a nicely made up bed makes it harder to be careless and leave clothes around)
2. Manage clutter... If I am in a room and going to another, and see anything out of place so to speak I take it and put it in the correct place...very simple yet so effective and no pile up.
3. Sort mail...throw junk out file needed
4. Clean as I cook.....huge for me. I have the dishwasher open and waiting while I'm cooking. Again a clean sink you are less likely to make more of a mess in the kitchen...same as bed philosophy
5. Wipe up spills while they're fresh...huge also dried spills are a pain to clean after.
6. Sweep the floor..everyday, I have 3 kids yes I need to sweep everyday.

From there I have a weekly checklist I go by.

Kitchen: Wipe surfaces, sink, counter tops, ventilation hood, fridge, cupboard doors, top of fridge, appliance's, shelves on island, and furniture.
Wipe inside of oven, microwave oven
Flush boiling water down drain
Discard any foods and drinks past prime
Dust light fixtures
Wipe trash cans inside and out
Vacuum and mop

Dining Room: Dust furniture, light fixtures
Vacuum

Living Room: Fluff rotate sofa cushions
Dust furniture, lights, electronics
Vacuum sofa's and floor
Windex all glass in the living room, framework, pictures, clocks, and tv

Entryway, Stairs, and Hallway: Dust banister, launder rugs, vacuum stairs( which I hate), wash little prints off my walls

Bedrooms: Change and launder sheets
Dust surfaces and furniture
Empty trashcans
Vacuum floor
Clean fans
Discard any magazines or books
*Kids are responsible for picking up and putting away toys and their clothes daily...trust me they do it.

Bathroom: Clean toilets, bathtub, and sink
Windex mirrors
Launder dirty towels and rugs
Dust light fixtures
Empty trash bins
Vacuum and mop

Throughout the house: Scrub finger prints off walls, doors, and anywhere else I find it.
Vacuum vents

There you go my cleaning schedule...By the end of the week which I use Friday as the end I have everything checked off. Leaving me a clean home to enjoy the weekend with my family. I hope this helps you. Let me know what you do.

Lord I give you everything...but

"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day" 2 Timothy 1:12


What a great verse, I actually just realized it was in the Bible the other day. When my children were born, we dedicated them to the Lord. I thought I had really committed them to God until hearing about the Chapman family accident regarding what happen to their daughter. It honestly shook me, then a couple weeks later another child tragedy happen to a friends friend. It broke my heart and I started to hold on the reigns a little tighter of my own children. I believe it's every mothers greatest fear is to have something happen to our children. I was holding on to this little part as if I was saying "Here God you can take care of everything but my children, I'll just take care of them". How was that faith, how was that trusting God? Well it's not, I trusted God with everything but my most precious possessions my babies. I keep hearing so many horrible children stories, If we can trust God with our children then why are these things happening to the wonderful christian families? God has been speaking to me on this issue, "How was this freedom? How can I trust him with my marriage, finances, my own life and yet not trust him with my children? Has he not been faithful?" No he has been nothing but faithful in my life and proven to me that he is trustworthy. So I got down on my knees and have truly given my children to my God. I prayed "Lord, I've tried to hold on to my children even after I gave them to You when they were born. But now I really commit them, they are in your care." With that prayer a burden has been lifted up, and I have experienced a release, but I will be honest it is sometimes a daily prayer I have to do, and sometimes it doesn't come easy, but I still do it.
Life is and will be full of inevitable adjustments. And I know one of the greatest of these is giving up our hold on our children- even to let them (gulp) go out and face life on their own, to let them experience their own pain and their own joy (Thank God He has plenty of time to keep working on me before all that really happens). But God is faithful and we can commit them to his care, knowing like I have said before he loves them even more then we do.

Okay so Menu Monday...my hubby gets paid every two weeks. Usually at the beginning of the month I make a menu for about 3 weeks, then the last week of the month I have $30. to feed our family of 5. God seriously makes those $ 30. stretch, with either forgotten items I had in the freezer that I bought on sale, and now comes in handy. Any ways with cleaning out the freezer this is what I came out with for the week.

Monday- Chicken Potpie

Tuesday- Homemade macaroni and cheese with bacon

Wednesday-Hotdog and beans (now considering I'm portuguese I never grew up with this, and first had it married and no kidding I love hotdog and baked beans.

Thursday- Bacon wrapped filet mignon (I forgot I had filet in the freezer from a sale) with homemade scalloped potatoes, with green beans

Friday- Swedish meatballs with brown gravy and egg noodles

Saturday- Sheperd's pie

Jenna modeling the hat and scarf I made for my Mom in law

Well here it is. My mother in law has been looking for a hat that would be warm and yet still go with her cool new hair color. With no luck I thought of my beautiful close friend Lea, and copied her hat, and added a scarf for my MIL. I hope she likes it. Here are some pictures of my beanie baby modeling the hat and scarf.

Really be still?

Sometimes I have been so overwhelmed by everything I have to accompish that I feel that I could crack, have you ever felt that way?I understand what it's like to be stressed. It's difficult to find balance in our lives with the mulititude of responsibilities of being a mom.
Fear is a major cause of stress, yet there are many places in the Bible where God tells us to "fear not," we are afraid we will not get done all that we need to when what we need to be able to do is step outside the realm of being panic-stricken by our circumstances. Then we are supposed to "stand still." Have you ever tried to make sense to a person who is running around all stressed out? In contrast, if you will stand still and get into an atmosphere of faith, you will "see the salvation of the Lord"
When I looked up this Scripture in another text, I found it meant , "One who comes from outside to bring help." When you are in the middle of a stressful situation, the problems are often all you can see. So of course, if you are in the middle of the fire. the situation looks really bad to you. But if you were outside the fire of stress, you would be able to handle it more rationally. God deals with your circumstances from outside the stress, so step outside with him. He has the solution we need in times of stress of a life or death situation or just the stress of getting things done for the day.

"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." Exodus 14: 13

Rocky Road Brownies

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup all-purpose flour or unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces (8 squares) semi-sweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch pan. In medium saucepan over low heat, melt margarine. Add sugar, vanilla and eggs; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt; mix well. Add chocolate . Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 mins.

Top with mini marshmallows, melt 6 ounces of milk chocolate and 1 tbsp of shortening then drizzle over marshmallows, allow to cool and enjoy.

I had extra melted chocolate so I made chocolate covered strawberries, those are always a treat.