my walk with eden.com

all things inspired: the mission field.

2012-01-27T15:32:00.002-05:00

Today I wanted to share with you three families that are either currently on the foreign mission field or planning to be there very soon. Brandon and I have been on three foreign mission trips, and I can say I left a piece of my heart there each time. These trips were eye opening, life changing, and God breathed. Praying that one day we as a family can share the gospel on foreign soil with those whom have never heard! In the meantime, I am excited about training our children to share God's word and love with those we meet right here in our own backyard.

The Goodfellow Family.

I do not know this family firsthand, but we randomly have a mutual friend, which is how I stumbled across their blog. Their blog tells of their journey as a family of six, living in California, to selling everything they own to move to Lima, Peru one year ago. The Goodfellow family is a part of Krochet Kids Peru, a program that empowers families in poverty and provides employment therein, all while sharing the gospel! The ladies of KKP make awesome hats to sell to benefit the program. To find out more about this family (or to purchase a hat in support of KKP!) visit their blog at goodfellowfamily.blogspot.com

Andy and Jenni Keller.

Andy and Jenni Keller are celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary this year. How awesome is that? But, instead of going on a cruise like they had planned, God had different plans. The Kellers are going to South Africa with their church to minister to to HIV/AIDS orphans through the ministry of Horizon International. They leave at the end of March for 10 days. To help fund their trip, Jenni and my new friend, Aubrey, are making "t-shirt" scarves for purchase:

How adorable are these? I ordered a dark purple one and I LOVE it! To find out more about the Keller family, please visit hotfudgesundaelife.com

Jen McCombs.

There are tons of ways I could describe Jen, but I'll sum it up with the fact that she is awesome in a billion ways and inspires me daily ;) Jen has the opportunity to travel to Haiti with a medical team from Calvary Baptist Church in March. The team will be doing health screenings, first aid, and triaging at medical clinics in orphanages and schools, treating both children and adults. Jen's heart is geared toward Christ with every step she takes! To help support her journey, Jen, along with my fave band on the PLANET, Standing Small, will be performing at Remedy Coffee on Friday, February 3rd, at 8pm. I really wish we could attend!

To find out more about Jen, please visit her blog at onapathtowardhome.blogspot.com

Please remember these missionaries in your prayers!! May we all be more diligent in sharing the gospel with all nations!

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prima ballerina. (daily photo)

2012-01-27T14:52:00.001-05:00

Last night was Eden's first ballet class. When I tucked her into bed last night, I asked her favorite part about the class. She sighed with a sleepy smile, and said "everything".

I know I will pull these pictures out from time to time over the coming years, and every time I do, I will remember that smile and that answer.

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rainbow hands. (daily photo)

2012-01-26T16:25:00.001-05:00

"Mommy! These bath markers have made all my dreams come true. I now have RAINBOW HANDS!!"

If I would've known something so simple would make dreams come true, we would have been coloring during bath time a long time ago!

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a major award.

2012-01-26T15:28:00.001-05:00

Some play sports for the experience. Others? The camaraderie. Most play to showcase their talent.

Why did my four year old play soccer?

For the trophy.

Soccer season ended in October, but their banquet was at the end of November (Go figure.) This is a lifetime to a four year old. Nevertheless, when her name was called, she was beaming with pride:

And here is where she announced to anyone listening: "I'M A STAR!!"

Now, let's go back to that trophy for a second. Notice anything funny?

No? Okay, how about now?

That's right. EDAN. Really? Like Sudan, the country? Maybe I just sounded so countrified every time she was out on the field that all anyone heard was "KICK THE BALL, EDAN!"

Don't worry. We'll get that fixed, EDEN.

Eden comes from a long line of trophy holders. Allow me to present a trophy from the archives:

That's right, folks. My trophy. For PERFECT ATTENDANCE. I rocked West LaFollette Elementary every single day of the 1991-1992 fourth grade school year, with the trophy to prove it. Guess we can't all be soccer stars!

(Photo courtesy of my dad's I Phone. Yes, Dad. Pushing 60. Bi focals. I Phone. Just want to reiterate.)

So, now that the soccer cleats are stashed away for another season, we are trying our hand at something new tonight. Get your tutus ready and stay tuned...

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no matter what.

2012-01-25T14:47:00.001-05:00

Just hopping in and out today. My floor needs to be mopped badly! Just want to share a few verses in Psalms:

Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.

{Psalm 28: 6-7}

He hears our prayers, and even if things do not go how we imagined, we shall thank Him no matter what!

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in the den. (daily photo)

2012-01-25T14:37:00.002-05:00

Like I mentioned the other day, August hops on his toy airplane every morning and goes to "work". Then, he comes back into the room and proudly exclaims "I HOME!". If you ask August where he works, he will tell you, "in the den". If you ask him where his shoes are, where Eden is, what his favorite food is, he will tell you "in the den".

Note: If you are missing a mate to a sock, your eyeglasses, or your W2s, they are probably in our den. Just ask August.

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grocery shopping. (daily photo)

2012-01-24T14:04:00.001-05:00

Step 1: Pack your purse chock full of snacks, juice, and pacis. This is the most critical step in the process. Trust me, you will thank me later.
Step 2: Park next to a cart return.
Step 3: Unload all passengers from vehicle and buckle/place in buggy.
Step 4: Enter into a mass world of chaos commonly known as the grocery store.
Step 5: Run. As fast as you can. Pushing the buggy and smiling the entire time. Grab things from the shelf that look healthy/on sale and drop in cart. Toys R Us Toy Run has nothing on you.
Step 6: Divvy out those snacks. You are halfway through. You can do this!
Step 7: Remember that you have a coupon for Angel Soft, but where?
Step 8: Buggy full=unhappy August. ABORT MISSION. Head to nearest cashier immediately.
Step 9: Pray. As if you haven't the entire trip, right? This is where the rubber meets the road, folks. THE GUM AND CANDY AT THE CHECKOUT.
Step 10: Pay for groceries, be friendly, graciously accept any compliments and ignore any stares, and pat yourself on the back, mama. You made it!

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lucky blessings.

2012-01-24T13:53:00.001-05:00

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow". James 1:17

"Why don't people say that I'm 'lucky', mama?" Eden asked as we returned home from the store today.
"Well", I replied, "because those who believe in luck think that good things just happen. But we know that they don't just happen, that God causes those things to happen! That is called a blessing. Can you name some blessings God has given you lately?"

"Sure!" she replied. "Like food, our house, clothes, toys, paper and colors, like---"
(August interrupts, talking loudly): "HAMMERS, CHEESE, CAMERAS, NIGHT-NIGHTS, PUP-PUP, TINLEY.

No matter the blessing, how big or small, remember to thank God, whom has given all!

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counting down the days. (daily photo)

2012-01-23T15:48:00.003-05:00

"Mommy, when will I be nineteen?"
"A really long time from now. Why do you want to be nineteen?"
"Because I want to be able to hop on one foot without wobbling. And you can only do that when you are nineteen".

Today she is four, so for now we are counting down the days to ballet. Hoping that helps with balance and being a little girl just a short while longer.

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take two teaspoons and call me in the morning.

2012-01-23T15:27:00.001-05:00

"I can't stop coughing, Mommy!" she said as I tucked her into bed that Autumn eve. Wow, she really has been coughing all day, I pondered internally. "No worries, I'll be right back", I replied, and quickly retreated to the kitchen for some children's cough syrup. "Here, open wide!" I encouraged, and squirted the amber liquid down her itchy throat. She smiled. "Thanks, Mommy", she replied. "I have been coughing all day! I love that medicine. It tastes so sweet, and it has a bear on it". Seeing this as a ploy for a 20 minute anti-sleep convo about cough syrup, I quickly replied, "Yes, it is sweet because it has honey in it, and bears love honey. Okay, now time for bed. Cover up and good night!" "Good night!" she smiled, coughed a tad more, and laid her head on the pillow. I closed the door and walked down the hallway to the laundry room.

All of the sudden I froze in the laundry room, amidst unwashed towels and recycle bins. Something's not right, I thought. I just felt it. The need to go back in there. RIGHT. NOW. That's crazy, I thought. I literally just left her room! GO.

The pressing urge to turn right around and go back to her room was too much to ignore, so I quickly paced back down the narrow hallway to open her door. And there she was, out of her bed, the medicine bottle open with the lid tossed to the floor, and a dropper full of cough syrup dangling above her mouth like a carrot to a slow turtle.

I gasped in utter shock. She jerked from the surprise of my presence, then burst into tears. The dropper fell to the floor, the sticky, amber liquid oozing into the cracks of the hardwood. "What are you doing in here?!" she exclaimed. "You're not supposed to be in here!!"

"Why are you out of your bed?! Why are you trying to drink cough syrup?! YOU KNOW BETTER!!"

I rebuked, lectured, and reproved for what seemed an eternity. I finally got her into bed, took the medicine with me this time, and left the room, hands shaking. I have never left medicine in the reach of a child before. Thankfully, this cough syrup was a children's homeopathic liquid, containing honey and other all natural ingredients. If not, who knows what would have happened when I went in to wake her the following morning.

Call it a funny feeling. Call it mother's intuition. Label it however you'd like, but I know that "feeling" was too strong to be just a hunch.

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

He kept us safe that night, despite my negligence.

"But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him". Psalm 4:3

When you pray for your little ones and their safety, He hears. He remembers. Then He causes you to act.

"Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer". Psalm 4:1

He hears our prayers. Now, listen to His voice!

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a good read. (daily photo)

2012-01-20T11:19:00.001-05:00

They say this is the room where a man does his best thinking. And what a better place to research the new Sig Sauer, or BUSHMASTER ACR?! August hopped on his toy airplane with a plastic gun the other day and said "I go to work". Wonder if that cap gun is in this edition...looks like someone's been reading up! Also, is he going to work as a cop or an air marshal? Too many questions for a Friday...

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mama moments: months five and six.

2012-01-20T11:11:00.001-05:00

So, once again, I have waited forever to post Titus' five and six month pictures. But hey, they say the 3rd baby doesn't normally even have pictures, so I'm patting myself on the back for keeping up with our little "crib photo shoots".

Titus was 5 months on November 28th, and 6 months on December 28th. Here are Eden, August, and Titus at 5 months:


Titus @ 5months

August @ 5months

Eden @5months

...and here they are at 6 months!

Titus @ 6months


August @ 6months

Eden @ 6months

I love how Eden and Titus have my giant head, and August has Brandon's tiny head :)

Have a great weekend!

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family pet. (daily photo)

2012-01-19T14:00:00.002-05:00

Yes, there he is, in all his glory. Robie 2.0. The first Robie Eden had lived for over two years when he died around this time last year. However, since I caught August sticking his hand in Robie 2.0's bowl the other day, I would imagine this Robie will have a much shorter life span.

Other family pet suggestions have included a fox and an alpaca. I'm pretty content with a betta fish for now.

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homeschool round up: fall semester

2012-01-19T13:56:00.003-05:00

So, we have tackled our first "semester" of homeschooling, and it has went surprisingly well. I thought I would share what we have been doing from our first week in September 2011 though December 2011:

Week 1: August 15th-21st: The Golden Calf
Week 2: August 22-28th: The Fruit of the Spirit
Week 3: August 29th-September 4th: Cain and Abel
Week 4: September 5th-September 11th: The Tower of Babel
Week 5: September 12th-September 18th: Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet
Week 6: September 19th-September 25th: Review Week (review each of the above lessons a day this week).

Week 7: September 26th-October 2nd: Martha and Mary
Week 8: October 3rd-9th: Martha and Mary Part II
Week 9: October 10th-16th: John the Baptist
Week 10: October 17th-23rd: Noah's Ark
Week 11: October 24th-30th: The Fall of Jericho
Week 12: October 31st-November 6th: Review Week

Week 13: November 7th-13th: God Creates the World Part 1
Week 14: November 14th-20th: God Creates the World Part II
Week 15: November 21st-27th: "Thanksgiving Break"--no homeschool lessons this week
Week 16: November 28th-December 4th: Jesse Tree Lessons Week 1
Week 17: December 5th-December 11th: Jesse Tree Lessons Week 2
Week 18: December 12th-December 18th: Jesse Tree Lessons Week 3
Week 19: December 19th-25th: Jesse Tree Lessons Week 4
Week 20: December 26th-January 1st: "Christmas Break"--no homeschool lessons this week

August's favorite part of home school: the Pledge of Allegiance

Our learning time this semester has included the following (Eden @ 4yrs, August @22months):
Prayer/Scripture Memorization
Pledge of Allegiance
Days of the Week (song and wall calendar)
Weather (changing weather boards, outside weather observation, and watching weather report online)
Colors in Spanish for Eden and English for August
Counting 1-100 in English and 1-10 in Spanish
Addition/Subtraction
Learning to cut with scissors
Shapes for August (Eden "assists" in this area)
Sight words and identifying words in the Bible story book or other "easy reader" book
Writing: sight words, colors, name
Learning to tell time/count money
Art and craft time
Reviewing full name, address, city, state and country, and my cell phone number
Culinary Arts (Eden helps with supper and/or snack times)
Vowels and consonants (Eden) Letter recognition (August)

Science lesson about water, steam, and ice...

I used this lesson to explain the Trinity during our "John the Baptist" week.

We will continue to work on these areas during our "spring semester" as well as continue to add more Spanish words/phrases. Eden really wants to work on Spanish animals ;) We will also be adding sign language to Titus' "learning time". (I begin sign language with each child when they begin solid foods).

Titus ready to work on sign language!

One big way that I have found both a help and hindrance in home school is that you schedule your days each day how you see fit for your family. It is a help in that, if you notice above, we took a "Thanksgiving" and "Christmas" break. August broke his arm the week of Thanksgiving (click here for that story!) so I cut out learning time for that week to focus on him. Then, August had a double ear infection AND a virus the week following Christmas, so I made that our "Christmas" break. It is nice to have that flexibility. But the same flexibility can also be a hindrance if you have "lazy days" like I do at times ;)

We are continuing on, prayerfully, next week after all of this illness has left our home. What are you doing with your little ones that you would like to share?

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

Off Course.

2012-01-18T13:52:00.002-05:00

It's cold. I run out in boots with no socks to crank up the V6 beast of an engine for my mom-mobile while the kids anxiously await indoors. Load them up between the oofs and umps of climbing aboard, seatbelts fastened, kid songs blare. Reach the end of the street and already the questions begin: Where are we going? How long is eighty minutes? Does it take eighty minutes to get where we are going? Why are we focusing on the number eighty...

Drive a little farther and brief the troops of the day's itinerary. Pediatrician, lunch, Target. But in what order? Who is getting shots? Can I get a blue Icee at Target? Which prompts me to blurt out through clenched teeth, How fast does this thing go? Does it have automatic transmission? Does it have four wheel drive? To which I hear a soft reply from the third row passengers, What is four wheel drive?

Not even a Home Alone reference can tame this traveling mobile of inquiry.

If I change the course of the day, at all, it is devastating. If I do Target before lunch instead of after. If the Icee machine is broken on the "blue side" and all they have is lemonade. She has to know, planned, every hour of every day.

Yet, on the way home, He hears, Why does she ask so many questions? What if I fall asleep at the wheel? When will my adult acne finally clear up? When will you answer the one, single prayer we have been praying for everyday for fourteen months now?

Then, in that silent moment between Raccoon Valley Road and Clinton. You know, the moment when they all fall asleep and you decide to take the Clinton exit, and cruise slowly through Norris to add an extra fifteen minutes to the trip. Just for the quiet. Just to gaze at that little, white, one room church house that has stood since your childhood. To search for a deer or two, grazing on what little they can find in the dead of winter. To hit the smooth pavement across Norris Dam, where the water seems to span as far as the eye can see.

It is in these moments you stop asking questions and begin to hear His answers.

It is simply this: stay on course. For He is not the one changing the plans. It is you that is changing. You think you can change the plans when you take your eyes off Him and onto your self. That's when you, like Peter, sink instead of swim.

And the water is so, so cold.

Trust His plans. Follow His word. His word breathes patience. And guidance. And promises of a better tomorrow.

Then, a rustling from the backseat, squinty eyes and damp locks: Are we almost home, Mommy?

Yes, dear. Yes we are.

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MATCH!! (daily photo)

2012-01-18T13:24:00.001-05:00

There is someone following in my Memory Game championship footsteps. Be warned, people. If you put a card with a bear on one end of a table and another hidden, matching card five inches from it, Eden WILL find it before anyone else. Also of note: I love how my Memory Game from childhood has matches of lily pads and roller skates, yet Eden's version of the same game has matches of cell phones and hot dogs. Oh how times have changed...

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Rainy Day Project: Popscicle Picture Puzzles

2012-01-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is raining, and yes we are under quarantine. What a better day to try an easy, fun craft with supplies you already have at home?

Say hello to "Popscicle Picture Puzzles"!

Step 1: Find some adorable pics of family, friends, or pets.


Step 2: Glue popscicle sticks on the back of the picture.

Step 3: Number the sticks, if you so desire :)


Step 4: Slice between the sticks with a box cutter (Tip: I used a cutting board to prevent cutting my countertops!)

Step 5: Enjoy your picture puzzles!

Our kids loved seeing puzzles of themselves, and it was also a plus being able to place the numbers in order if they became "puzzled" putting it together :)

Picture perfect fun for the whole family :)

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one load down...(daily photo)

2012-01-17T17:07:00.001-05:00

Sickness apparently involves many, many changes of clothing throughout the day. I have washed Eden's birdie comforter five times now, and am still finding stains. While I was knee deep in this laundry fiasco this morning, I heard a sick,weak Brandon from the living room say, "Good for you, Judith. You deserved that car. Good job spinning the wheel. Way to go!"

We have GOT to get out of this house...

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pick up sticks. (daily photo)

2012-01-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Since the majority of us have been sick and cooped up in the house for days, I took the kids outside to play in the yard this morning. Yes, in the blustery cold, with only dead leaves and gravels. They had a blast!

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the spit up.

2012-01-16T14:56:00.001-05:00

Yes, we are at it again. Last year, around this very time, a plague of sickness hit our home. And now it is back. WITH A VENGEANCE. As of late, we are three for five. Titus and I have been spared. So far...

But, even with the gallons of Gatorade and scores of bodily fluids resonating through our household, there is never a lack of comedy:

Eden (crying from the bedroom): "Mommy! Moooomy!"
Me (to August): "Oh no! That's Eden. Mommy needs to go check on her. She's crying. She's sick".
August; "No, she mean".

Me (to Eden): "Okay, here's your Gatorade and Angelina Ballerina movie. I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes".
Eden (sarcastically): "Well, if you need me, you know where I'll be!"

Eden: "I can't decide what I want to be when I grow up. There are just so many things to choose from".
Me: "Yes, but you have plenty of time to figure that out!"
Eden: "That's true. I'll just pick something tomorrow. Today I'm just throwing up".

Eden (to August): "See, when you eat food, sometimes it comes back up into your mouth. Then you spit it out in the trash can. That's called 'the throw up'. I used to call it 'the spit up' but that was last year".
August (shaking his head): "Gross".

Praying we see the light at the end of the sick tunnel soon!

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peeping tom. (daily photo)

2012-01-13T18:31:00.001-05:00

We had a little visitor trying to peek in the window of our shower this morning. This was the talk of the house all day long. That's right. A cat in a windowsill is big news around here. And you are probably wondering why we have a window in our shower. And did I mention this window doesn't even open?

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all things inspired: beating the january blues

2012-01-13T18:20:00.001-05:00

Welcome to our first edition of all things inspired! This week, I wanted to share a few finds that will help you get out of that "after-holiday" funk :)

all things baby.

Instead of the traditional shape-sorter or loud, obnoxious toy for Christmas, my brilliant sister in law gave Titus quite possibly the best gift on the planet for a 6 month old:

She simply got a cute box with a snap lid from Target and filled it with goodies that a six month old baby actually needs. Included in this "baby survival kit" were three on the go fruits from Plum Baby Organics and HappyBaby Organics, a small jar of Earth's Best organic baby food, Earth's Best organic teething biscuits, a pair of socks, a small pack of wipes (which I ended up busting open literally as soon as we opened this gift. There were a lot of runny noses on Christmas!) and a sock monkey that I cannot pry out of Titus' hands. Best. Baby. Gift. Ever. You could use the same concept for a 1 year old's birthday party or even a baby shower. Kudos to you, Jami. I am five times cooler just because you are my sister in law.

all things homemade.

This isn't your grandmother's knitting. Enter Ashley Bice and her at-home business entitled Crafty Crochet. Ashley is a stay at home mama to three little ones, and how she finds the time to create such awesomeness, I'll never know:

If you want to see more adorable items, click on the link here, "like" the Crafty Crochet facebook page, and shop around a little!

all things beauty.

Who doesn't love homemade beauty? May I present to you the carrot facial. Made of three ingredients that will pack your skin with some serious goodness. The recipe?

*5T honey.

*2-4 capsules of vitamin E

*2-3 carrots.

1. Steam your carrots.

2. Blend your steamed carrots, honey, and and capsules (clip the top of the capsule and drain the liquid)

3. Your finished product.

4. Apply and enjoy!

The best part of this facial? You’re putting Vitamin E straight on your face, carrots are loaded with vitamin A and C, potassium, and antioxidants, and honey has antibacterial properties. (Thanks to petitelefant.com for the recipe!)

all things music.
If you haven't heard of Gabriel Hudelson, you will. Gabriel is the oldest of seven children and the son of our dear family friends and mentors, Rob and Amy Hudelson. Gabriel began his film-scoring career with the short film "Above All, Stand" in 2009. This short was a semi-finalist in the 2010 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival. Soon after, he scored a short film by Timepiece Family Media entitled "Truth or Security", which can be viewed online.His final score for 2009 was for a documentary by Straightway Productions- "The Journey", and more recently, Timepiece Family Media's feature film "Friday at Noon". Please go to www.resoundingmusic.com to visit his website and hear some of his work. It is truly amazing.

One other thing, did I mention that Gabriel is sixteen?! Sixteen years old and composing music for films. Amazing what God can do with those whom are Kingdom minded. When I was sixteen I was waiting tables at a Chinese restaurant and begging my parents for the keys to their Chevy Blazer :)

all things on the go.
I know most of you are familiar with Thirty One company and their products, but did you know that in addition to their bags, lunchboxes, etc that they now have manicure sets? This may not be the biggest deal to you, but I always have fingernail clippers just thrown in my bag, and since my mom put one of these cute kits both my and Jami's stockings this year, I just had to share the love:

I have many friends who sell Thirty One products, like Stephanie Gentry, Angela Carter, and Valerie Lumpkins. If you sell Thirty One, let me know so I can add your name to the list! My fave part about this company is that it is based around Proverbs 31 :) How awesome is that?

Hope you enjoyed our first edition of all things inspired. Stick with me, I have some neat stuff planned for future posts!

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

pearly whites. (daily photo)

2012-01-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

August is pretty independent when it comes to his oral hygiene. This terrifies me. If any of them ever have a cavity I will freak out, possibly more than I did when he had the "geen arm".

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Explaining the "Bad Guys" to Our Children. (reader question)

2012-01-12T14:50:00.002-05:00

"With Brandon being in law enforcement and knowing the things you do, how do you tell your kids what to watch out for without scaring them? I've been thinking about that for my child but I haven't decided anything yet. I want her to be prepared and aware but not paranoid".

With Brandon being a cop and myself a former social worker, we want our family to be very aware of the world and its dangers. To be "in the world, not of it" (1 John 2:15-17) and to "not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds" (Romans 12:2).

We are really honest with our kids about the sinful nature of people. We explain that we are ALL sinners (Romans 3:23) but that we have the choice to do right or wrong. Eden understands that if people do not follow the law of the land (Romans 13), they will be punished by governing authories (ie:jail) and ultimately God. We apply the same principles in our parenting. Take sharing, for example. If she takes a toy from another child, I explain that this is stealing. Not only is she breaking a commandment, but if she were over 18 and she stole from another person she could face jail time. (I know, harsh, and she is four... ) But I think it stresses the seriousness of our actions and the consequences they bring.

We also educate the children concerning strangers. How not to go with others that we do not know in a store, but rather go to people that work in the store or a police officer if they become separated from us (I describe ID badges, red polos at Target, etc.) Eden also has my cell phone number memorized (My brother's response to this? "Christie, I don't even have your number memorized. I just press 4 and hit send".) We had her call 911 (we know the dispatchers and called first to ask for their help in this training exercise!) a while back and created a scenario where "mommy was hurt" and she had to give them my name, our address, and her name. It worked well.

As far as the paranoia, we explain that God is omnipresent and that He will always protect us, no matter where we are. I love how Psalm 121: 7-8 explains this: "The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever". Eden does not seem to fear "bad people", but rather seems equipped and aware. She understands that when Daddy leaves for work, his job is to "get the bad guys"!

Hoping I haven't missed anything and answered your questions!

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

furthering the Kingdom.

2012-01-11T15:37:00.002-05:00

Not many words today. Just thoughts. Thoughts on how/if I am furthering the Kingdom of God.

If I am, how can I do a better job furthering the Kingdom?

If I am not, why am I allowing my selfishness to hinder its growth?

But, you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

{2 Timothy 4:5}

Wherever God has placed you, fulfill it. Endure it. Be sober and willing to share His word.

I will be thirty this year. Jesus was around thirty-three when He was crucified.

What have I done in my thirty years for the Kingdom?

I have a LOT of catching up to do...

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

play date. (daily photo)

2012-01-11T15:21:00.001-05:00

We had a play date with Cousin Bella today, right before this crazy hailstorm. She is just so gorgeous I couldn't resist posting two photos today. Love that kid.

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

Why I keep Little Caesars on Speed Dial.

2012-01-10T13:59:00.001-05:00

So, trying a new recipe for tonight. It has to cook in the crockpot for, like, eight hours. Which means I began chopping vegetables around 10am this morning. This also means that when Brandon called to check in around 11ish, I was chopping, yelling, crying..you get the idea.

(Side note: Brandon brought me home another surprise cappuccino last night. I know, they are 5000 calories and made from all kind of saturated ingredients and drops of sweat from a horse's brow, but I love them.)

Here's the recipe. And if the neighbor dog seems full tonight and you see Hot and Ready boxes in our recyclables this week, you'll know it was an epic fail. (Well, for us. The dog will be happy, I'm sure).

Lowfat Crockpot Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

2/3 pound lean stewing beef
2 cups chopped sweet potato
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
8 ounces button mushrooms, halved
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 15 ounce can reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1 cup good red wine (I have no wine here, so I used beef broth.)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 8 ounce can no-salt added tomato sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano

Preparation:
Brown beef in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Put to one side. Place vegetables in a 4 or 5 quart crockpot. Add beef, black beans, bay leaves, and broth. Stir herbs and tomato paste into tomato sauce and add to crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serves 4.

I doubled this recipe so we could eat it for two days. I plan to make some corn muffins when we come home from Chi Rho Kids this afternoon. I'm not a fan of beef or chopping things, so not sure why I did this to myself. Stay tuned...

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

tangled. (daily photo)

2012-01-10T13:45:00.001-05:00

While the boys are napping, Eden and I are spending a little "girl time" and watching Tangled and enjoying some oreos and milk. Pretty sure we are probably the last people in the world to watch this! Also guessing this may be in the running for someone's fifth birthday party theme ;)

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

the things I do that drive my husband insane.

2012-01-09T10:39:00.000-05:00

1. Putting him on the spot in public by asking him to tell a funny story (Then, when he only halfway tells it, I stop him, mid story, and say "Brandon! Really tell it. You know, act it out!")
2. Singing. Out loud. Any song.
3. Leaving my hair straightener out hours after it has been used.
4. Leaving my hair that is falling out in the tub drain.
5. Using all of his shaving cream.
6. Using his razor. (I'm sorry. No apologies. Guy razors are just...better.)
7. Beginning any sentence with "Do you remember that time...". Because he does remember that time. And he is tired of me bringing it up. And laughing hysterically.
8. Going even one mile over due for an oil change.
9. Grooming his eyebrows. One day he will thank me for this.
10.Saying that I am taller than he is. Especially in front of other people (Truth be told, I am one inch shorter. ONE. DO NOT let him tell you two. I wore flip flops on our wedding day, remember folks?)

But, you know what? Despite all of these idiosyncrasies, I came home yesterday from the grocery store and he had washed and put away several loads of laundry, loaded and emptied the dishwasher, took some straggling Christmas decorations to the basement, and helped me get the kids ready for church.
(You are thinking two things at this very moment: Number One: Awww! and Number Two: How long were you at the store?) He even brought home Kyotos for supper on Saturday night when I had blazed through a pretty rough day, AND he had a cappuccino for me, too.

I keep mulling over some of the Biblical marriage "greats" in my mind as of late. Thinking about how Rebekah left everything she knew and married Issac, not knowing what he looked like or even anything about him! Or Ruth and Boaz, and how Ruth, a widow, was just meant to be with this man she had just met. These ladies walked with God and knew this was His will. And that's all they needed to know. And that's all I need to know, too. (But the surprise cappuccino and folded onesies are nice. Just sayin'.)

I really hope one day our grandchildren are sitting on a porch somewhere, talking about how amazing their grandparents' love is for each other. Like my grandparents, Bill and Mary Deavours. Like Rebekah and Issac. Like Ross and Rachel...

And I hope I am still using his razors for a really, really long time.

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

monkey feet. (daily photo)

2012-01-09T10:36:00.002-05:00

Someone left their house shoes at the table this morning. Once his bare feet hit that cold hardwood, he'll be looking for these! (Oh, and PS? There is a Chick Fil A cow watch under the table, too. Not only will his feet be cold, he will late, late for a very important date.)

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

he said "mama" today. (daily photo)

2012-01-06T20:31:00.001-05:00

Today was Titus' six month checkup. I was worried a little on the way over, thinking about how he hadn't said "mama" or "dada" yet. He came through, right in the middle of a delicious veggie pizza at Salsarita's.

Hearing "mama" for the first time will never get old :)

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

mama moments: the family portrait.

2012-01-06T18:35:00.003-05:00

The following is Eden's interpretation of a family portrait:

And here is the artist's description:

Eden: "First there's Titus, then August, then Mommy with a ponytail (See the line on my head? That's the ponytail), Daddy kicking his leg, then me".

Me: "What is that next to you?"

Eden: "Oh, that's a monster".

Me: "A monster?! Wow. Why would a monster be in our family picture?"

Eden: "You know what? Never mind. I was, um, just kidding. That's not a monster. Let's just---let's just call that the mailman".

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

flagbearer. (daily photo)

2012-01-05T15:28:00.000-05:00

One of August's "responsibilities" during homeschool time is to be the "flagbearer" during our Pledge of Allegiance. We are always gently reminding him "not to let the flag touch the ground", so I am proud of him that he is holding it high today!

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2011: Weeks3&4 /Christmas 2011

2012-01-05T15:23:00.001-05:00

Jesse Tree weeks 3 and 4, a Christmas related reader question, and Christmas 2011. I decided that cramming all of this into one post would be sufficient since Christmas was two weeks ago and now we are all thinking about summer. Wait. We're not? Oh, guess that's just me.

Jesse Tree Weeks 3 and 4

Day 16: Samson and Delilah: a hairbrush
Day 17: Two Fish and Five Loaves: toy fish
Day 18: Jesus Calls the Disciples: a net
Day 19: Water from the Rock: a stick (used to pierce the rock)
Day 20: The Bronze Snake: rubber snake :)
Day 21: A Time for Everything: toy watch
Day 22: Jesus Walks on Water: cup of water (that lasted all of five seconds!)
Day 23: Little Children and Jesus: toy dolls from dollhouse
Day 24-30: We read the Christmas story each day, and used pieces of the Nativity scene as an example. (Note: We did not put these on the tree. My grandmother hand painted each piece so no one's allowed to ~~breathe~~ on touch them ;) )

Christmas 2011

Remember a few weeks ago when I mentioned hauling a Christmas tree on top of the minivan? Yup, it happened. In years past, we always went to Boshears' Tree Farm to choose our tree. However, since Brandon works so many late hours, the past two years we have had to fore go the trip to the tree farm and buy from a local store. Here's how that panned out:

Just call us the Griswold family...

Hanging ornaments with Daddy :)

Good job, Eden!

Merry Moby wrap!

This happened a few times, too..

And speaking of trees, I have always had a real Christmas tree, ever since I was a little girl. We continued to get one each year that we have been married. This year's tree was horrible. We coughed, had runny noses, watery eyes, until finally our pediatrician said "Do you all have a real Christmas tree? We had to get rid of ours". Sure enough, Titus hasn't coughed or sneezed since that tree has left our house. We may be delving into the artificial tree market next year.

While these may look like typical "tree trimming" pictures, what you cannot see or hear is the conversation we had that day. About how we truly want to impress on our children that yes, Christmas is a great opportunity to love, give, and share the joy of Jesus, but EVERY DAY should be treated that way, not just December 25th, a representation of Christ's birthday. (Note I said representation. December 25th is not actually Jesus' specific date of birth). All days should point to Christ. His birth, His earthly ministry, His death and resurrection. I think that is why I struggle with Christmas so much. People put so much emphasis on this ONE DAY. I guess each one has his own conviction in this matter (Romans 14:5)

I would like to be radical (for our family) and do something different for Christmas. Serve the needy. Do a family retreat, away from the normal, commercial Christmas. As the Lord leads. As long as we can glorify Him in all.

Reader Question:
Here is our first "reader question" of the new year:
Question, how do you 'handle' your children's gifts from grandparents & family members who want to spoil them for Christmas? Do you have a talk with them about not getting them 20 things each year? Just curious.

Answer:
This question was written in response to a post I wrote last year about how our family (and by "family", I am referring to our specific household) "does" Christmas (Link to that post here. ). I will first catch you up to speed on our "three gifts" for Christmas, then answer the question above.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that for birthdays and Christmas we give each child three gifts: something to read, something to wear, and something to play with.

Here were this year's three gifts:
Something to read: Each child received two books (Both on sale at Target!)
Something to wear: Each child received a pair of warm houseshoes (this was surprisingly the favorite gift among all of them!)
Something to play with: Eden received a small doll bed for her "dollies", August received a Thomas the Train "starter" track, and Titus received a Fisher Price pirate ship (These gifts were each in the $20-$30 range. I think we got both boys' gifts on sale.)

In answer to the "grandparent" question, yes. The grandparents LOVE to give. It drives me insane ;) The good thing is that Christmas 2012 will add yet another grandchild to my parents' Christmas, so hopefully that will help balance out things some. I usually ask the grandparents for things the kids NEED first, like clothing, socks, shoes, etc. (My kids ALWAYS need these things!). Then they usually ask what they would like. And then they go crazy :) This year, with three kids, it was really overwhelming. I typically allow the kids to play with a new toy that day, then I put all of the rest in a closet. We slowly pull them out over the course of a few months. I still have unopened toys in Eden's closet from her birthday. (Keep in mind Eden's birthday is in July!). When the kids are tired of/too old for a toy, we usually give it to a child that may also enjoy it, or take it to Open Arms Ministry. I try not to overload our kids (or our house!) with a bunch of stuff at once. They need to learn to appreciate what they have in that moment, and also to share with those who do not have.
Hope this answers your questions!

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

shall not perish.

2012-01-04T13:43:00.003-05:00

We have been working on our December/January memory verse, and despite its length, I went with John 3:16. We have been taking it in segments, and to be honest, I didn't really think Eden was understanding the context of this verse. Until an hour ago.

Eden: "August, do you love God?"
August: "Love God".
Eden: "I love God. People that do not love God go to hell. There is no food or water there, and no drinks. There is a fire there, too. And people are always sick. And mean. If you love God and believe in Him, you go to heaven. God takes care of us there. And I hope there are stars there. If there are stars, I'd pick one out of the sky for God and Daddy."
August: "I LOVE GOD! I LOVE GOD!"

The gospel message is so simple to understand. Yet we complicate it so much. When Jesus called the disciples, He said "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately they left their nets, and followed Him" (Matthew 4:19-20, emphasis mine.) They got up and followed. Immediately. They didn't sit around and think about whether or not it fit into their life plan.

Eden loves God and believes He exists. And she is making disciples over mac and cheese and celery sticks. Whom are you sharing God's love with today?

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

the breakfast club. (daily photo)

2012-01-04T13:43:00.002-05:00

Eden made muffins with me this morning, and had to offer a taste of the batter just before Daddy left for work. August will eat anything put in front of him!

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

snow patrol. (daily photo)

2012-01-03T11:02:00.000-05:00

First snow of the year, and Eden's on snow patrol. My favorite thing about this picture is that she is wearing houseshoes with a princess dress. Even princesses need warm tootsies.

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

big sister, little baby.

2012-01-03T10:58:00.001-05:00

So, I have been dying to share this for weeks but have waited until the eleventh hour to do so. We are excited to share with you that Cousin Bella is going to be a BIG SISTER!! That is right, Uncle Brandon and Auntie Christie are about to have another little Sampieri's cheeks to pinch. (Want to read more about Cousin Bella? Click here and here!)

Steven and Jami are excited and blessed about their newest little one! Jami's due date is August 2nd, which is also Bella's birthday! How exciting! The kiddos will be exactly two years apart. (I am trying to curb my excitement by using the minimal amount of exclamation points in the post, but I simply cannot!!! Sorry!!)

Sampieri Baby #2 will make the running total of grandchildren my parents have to FIVE, and this baby will be what my dad calls "the tiebreaker" between the two grandsons and two granddaughters (Great nickname for a baby, huh? Don't forget what he nicknamed Titus: "The Captain". As in " Captain James T. Elkins of the Starship Enterprise". Join us for dinner sometime. I can assure you that you will not leave disappointed!)

Please keep the Sampieri family in your prayers, that this baby will grow healthy and strong. Praise God for another blessing!

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

happy, happy (daily photo.)

2012-01-02T13:08:00.000-05:00

This is the first face I laid eyes on in 2012. Have you ever met someone who just seems happy all of the time? That's Titus.

(Missed today's blog post? Click here.)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T12:08:00.001-05:00

So, we are back after a small blogging break! I needed that time to rest and reflect on all we had been through as a family in 2011. What I have learned over this past year is that God is refining us, blessing us in abundance, and showering us with grace. Our prayer is that God creates clean hearts and and renews a right spirit within each of us (Psalm 51:10). Despite our trials, God has blessed us with a rock solid marriage, and children that are learning and growing in the Lord daily. He is preparing us for a future greater than our current circumstances. A future with Him. We are excited, anxious, and in awe of what God has planned for our family in 2012.

Since we clearly were not going to allow the kiddos to stay awake until midnight, we staged our own little "countdown" around 8pm, complete with party hats and blowers that sounded like dying cats. Oh, and tons of popcorn to crush into the carpet. All of these elements combined made for a rockin' New Year's Eve.

We rang in the New Year with kids, kisses, and prayer. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Hope you plan to continue to follow our journey as a family this year through mywalkwitheden.com! Here is what you will find on the blog this week:

* daily photos

*reader questions

*an "announcement" I cannot wait to share!

*our first installment of all things inspired

*mama moments

*the remaining Jesse tree ornaments :)

(Missed today's daily photo? Click here.)

mama moments: making "life choices"

2011-12-16T14:45:00.002-05:00

The following is an exact recount of the information Eden decided to convey to all at the lunch table a few days ago. {I felt like after she said this that an NBC logo should pop up, along with a star and jingle that read "The More You Know"...}

"You have 2 choices in life: to be good or to be mean. Mean people go to jail when they grow up. God wants us to be nice. Nice people get stuff. Daddy tells me he will never, ever give me something when I'm crying for it. Why? Because that's being mean. And I don't want to go to jail". ---Eden L. Elkins

Yes, there is much to be learned in the area of grace. But at least the fear of the Lord and the law (and well, her father!) are embedded in her!

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2011: Week 2

2011-12-15T15:18:00.000-05:00

So, we sojourned on last week with our 2011 Week 2 of our Jesse tree (Missed this year's Week 1? Click here). Here are the "ornaments" from Week 2:

Day 8: Noah's Ark: toy bears (two by two ;) )

Day 9: The Fall of Jericho: a kazoo (Eden wanted to put my actual trumpet up there. Pretty sure it is bigger than the tree itself!)

Day 10: Parting of the Red Sea: a horse (that drove the chariots)

Day 11: Manna and Quail in the Desert: two pieces of wooden bread from the play kitchen

Day 12: The Good Samaritan: a bowl that fed the injured man water

Day 13: Moses on Mt Sinai: two wooden cookies representing two tablets (I thought this was a stretch, but Eden insisted it made sense. She is four. Why did I agree that she is the more sensible one?)

Annddd (drum roll please...) my favorite "ornament" of the week:

Day 14: Jonah and the Whale: An "Uncle Jessie" doll from Full House, to represent Jonah. (Eden was looking for this fish teether Titus has, but could not find it. She comes out of her room with Uncle Jessie and Uncle Joey dolls---yes, official from Full House that a friend gave her years ago. I completely forgot about them. Haaaave merrrcy...)

That's all from Week 2. We are currently in Week 3 with some great stories/ornaments we can't wait to share!

two fish sticks and five oreos.

2011-12-13T11:13:00.000-05:00

When Jesus gets in the middle of sibling rivalry, things begin to look a tad different...

First ref call. 11am. Location? August's room. Object in question? A Swiffer broom sans cleaning pad. Go.

"Eden, what do you think Jesus would do if He were here right now? Would he pull and tug on the Swiffer broom? Or would He share it?"
"I guess He would share it", she replied. "Here, August. You can have the broom. Now I can play with that backpack you are holding. I bet Jesus would love that!"

When faced with a lunchtime share opportunity, Jesus is also there, presiding over the fish sticks and corn:

"Alright, guys. I have two fish sticks left. Who wants more?"

"I do! I do!", Eden exclaims, hand flying in the air. "I'll take them both, please".

"Hmm..if Jesus had two fish sticks, and there were two people, what do you think He would do?"

"I think He would give them both to someone else", she replied. "Here August. You can have both fish sticks!"

(I am standing next to oven, holding in my hand two tiny fish sticks, about to cry. Hand them to Eden, who presents them to August, who inhales them).

"You know", I smile, "God rewards us in sweet ways, doesn't He? Since you were so giving toward your brother and placing his needs before your own, I'm going to give you an oreo as a special treat".

"Thank you, Mama!" she squeals. Then, she breaks the oreo in half, and hands a half to August.

"Here you go, Augs!", she smiles. "Your very own oreo". Then, looks at me in a low voice and says, "Did you see me sharing again? Now, can I have a couple more?"

Be sure and share your two fish (sticks) and five ~~loaves~~ oreos today. Jesus would.

ideas and inspiration: the blog in 2012

2011-12-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on some new content for mywalkwitheden.com in 2012, and I need your help! In addition to the usual devotions/testimony of what God is doing in our family, frugal finds, mama moments, homeschool happenings, and all things "growing up Elkins", here are a few things new that you will find in this space in the new year:

1.) New blog header/layout: Yes, sadly, the flip flops must go. Brandon has been on to me for a month to change the header. I may change it this week. Or I may decide to remind you that it is NOT summer a few more weeks. We will see...

2.) Daily Photo: In addition to blog posts, I will have a "daily photo" post each day, Monday-Friday. I was looking through some of my pictures over this year and two things immediately came to mind: I take WAAAAY too many pictures, yet I have so many memories that I would love to share with you all. So, look forward to not only pictures of the kids, but other images that capture what our days look like each day next year.

3.) All Things Inspired: Did you know that I have friends who are composers, luthiers, survivalists, photographers, crafters, musicians? I will be doing a weekly post called All Things Inspired, in which I highlight things that come across my desk that are inspiring, whether it be a spiritual gift one is using in a unique way, a craft I've tried from Pinterest, an encouraging scripture that we are memorizing in our home, or my infinite love for 90s grunge/alternative music (There you go. Cat is officially out of the bag. I heart grunge.)

Now, here is where you come in. What would YOU like to see on this blog in the new year? Is there anything you would like to see MORE or LESS of? (I know, my recipes are not always great. But, be thankful. You are not the ones having to suffer through eating them!)

Leave a comment below or on facebook and give me your best ideas. Thanks for your help!

(Oh, and PS? Who tied a Christmas tree to the top of her minivan this weekend? THIS GIRL. More to come on that fiasco..)

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2011: Week 1

2011-12-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

So, it's that time again! Time to officially break out the Jesse tree for the Advent season.

{Note: If you are unclear on what a "Jesse" tree actually is, I would encourage you to read through the links at the bottom of this post to find out more about how our family uses this tree to celebrate the birth of Christ and educate the children therein...}

This year August is able to help pick out the tree's "ornaments". Keep in mind that many people either make their own ornaments or use store bought ones. As our three children are ages four and under, I still like the challenge of finding regular items around the home to place on the tree. Does our tree look bizarre with a gold medal and a giant grasshopper on it? You bet. But, it is also cool that Eden can say, "This grasshopper is kinda like the locusts that John the Baptist ate, huh? I would never eat bugs! Ewww!"

The following are the first week of "ornaments" for the unofficial Elkins family Jesse tree 2011:

Day 1: Cain and Abel: a rock.

Day 2: The Golden Calf: a toy gold medal

Day 3: Fruit of the Spirit: a toy bowl of bananas (Yes, the very food that feeds that blessed Baby Alive. Sheesh.)

Day 4: Martha and Mary: a wooden spoon (Eden said Martha was using it to cook instead of listening to Jesus like her sister Mary!)

Day 5: The creation story: a painted ceramic fish

Day 6: Tower of Babel: a block

Day 7: Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet: a bowl

Decorating a tree+minimal arguing=happy smiles all around:

Looking forward to sharing each week of Advent with you!

{Our Jesse Tree Links:}

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2009

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2010: Week 1

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2010: Week 2

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2010: Week 3

Elkins Family Jesse Tree 2010: Week 4

mama moments: first bites.

2011-12-02T10:34:00.000-05:00

This week, Titus joined the ranks of many of his infant constituents and had his first bites of solid food. Mama whipped him up a carrot puree, and as you can see, I don't think he was disappointed!

{Click here to read more about how we make our own baby food around these parts!}

Hope you all enjoy a memorable meal around the dinner table this weekend with your family!

it ain't easy being green.

2011-12-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

That's right. It happened. An Elkins kid has a broken limb. And I'll give you three guesses who's sporting the cast:

Yup. It all started last Sunday night. We had our annual church Thanksgiving dinner. August was bumped into by mistake while playing, causing him to fall to the ground. Right in front of me. He only whimpered, I gave him a hug, and he ran off to play. End of story.

The following days I noticed he was super cranky and clingy. I just thought he was teething (which he is, but...). Then he started complaining, saying "hand", "hand". I looked at his hand, pressed on it, moved his limbs, etc. Nothing. It wasn't red, swollen, and he could use both hands equally. Yet, one morning, I pulled his hand through his shirt and he let out a bloodcurdling scream. I called the doctor and described the story and symptoms above. Then I took him in to be examined.

Turns out, it was indeed broken. In two places, his radius and his ulna. I thought I was going to vomit, right there in the room with the dinosaur border. How could I have not known he had a BROKEN WRIST?! What kind of mother am I? (Yes, Catherine O' Hara asked herself the same thing in the 1990 Christmas classic, Home Alone. Her poor kid had to do his own laundry and make his own mac and cheese. Meanwhile, she roamed around in a European airport, only to hitch a ride home with the Polka King of the Midwest, Mr. John Candy himself. Okay, back to reality...)

The pediatrician and the pediatric orthopedic surgeon were both extremely supportive. They reassured me that I had done nothing wrong and the orthopedic surgeon told me an almost identical story that happened to his 19 month old daughter. She had fallen on soft grass, right in front of him. And he had no idea until a few days later that her wrist was broken, in the exact places as August's.

When we took him to have his cast put on, he was able to choose from about ten colors. Anyone want to guess what color he chose??

"Geen", naturally.

August is actually very proud of the cast. He calls it his "geen arm". We refer to him at the Green Goblin, Hulk Smash, "Geen Arm Smash"...you get the idea. It has not been the challenge that I expected on the onset, either, which is a relief in itself. He has trouble eating with one hand at times, and I have to trash bag it up for bathtime, which he hates.

But other than that, life is as normal. The doctor also told me not to limit his physical activity. Hah. Who can?

Please keep our Green Goblin in your prayers. He is scheduled to have the cast removed on December 14th. The doctor expects it to heal beautifully!

And of course, we have all signed the "geen arm". And now it's your turn! Leave a comment below this post to "write" on August's cast. I'll compile the "signatures" and put them in his baby book. You know, the one I'm so diligently working on ;)

giving thanks to Him.

2011-11-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

The following is a video clip of our November "Verse of the Month", Colossians 3:17. My mom gave Eden the pink Caboodle sitting on the table during the clip. It used to be mine, and Eden carries it everywhere. It is heavier than she is, and I'm fairly certain it is bulletproof. At least her dolls and sunglasses will be protected.

Enjoy. Oh, and sorry about the sneeze at the end. Don't worry, she's not contagious. It's just allergies.

{Missed our October verse of the month? Click here!}

who's the fairest of them all?

2011-11-28T09:41:00.000-05:00

"August, do you know what a mirror is? It's something you look into to check and see if you are pretty."

Hope everyone has a "beautiful" day!

mama moments: a diamond in the rough

2011-11-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Excited about a recent frugal purchase spawned this conversation of epic footwear proportions. Now I fully understand where Eden gets her famous one-liners:

Brandon: "Hey! Those are cool shoes! Are they new? Where did you get them?"

Me: "Yeah, I got them at a thrift store in Knoxville for $3. They are truly a diamond in the rough".

Brandon (scratching his bald head): "Um..I don't think that is exactly what that phrase means..."

Me (matter of fact): "Sure it is. The store was rough, and the shoes were a diamond. Diamond in the rough. See how that works?"

Brandon (sighs and walks away.)

Hope you find amazing "diamonds" this Black Friday! Spend wisely, ladies!

'Cause every mama can use a new (or used!) pair of shoes.

the man in the mirror.

2011-11-21T13:58:00.000-05:00

August is a man of few words, but when he talks, his favorite subject is, well...himself.

Me (pointing to pictures on fridge): "Augs, who is this?"

August: "Eden".

Me: "And this?"

August: "Mommy".

Me (pointing to a picture of August from last year): "And who is this?"

August (big smile): "Me! I a baby!!"

Me (after hearing a loud THUD in the den): "AUGUST?!"

August (rubbing his head): "I OKAY! I OKAY!!"

Eden: "August? What are you thinking about right now?"

August (another big grin): "Uh...I dink about ME!"

mama moments: month four.

2011-11-18T13:28:00.000-05:00

Sooo, Titus turned 4 months old on October 28th, and I'm just now getting around to posting these pics. Because I'm awesome like that. When I look at this picture of Titus, I can't help but see my grandfather.

Like the derby hat? Contain your excitement, because he's also wearing it in our family pics we had taken a few weeks ago!

And, of course, Eden and August at four months:

Have a great weekend!

in my head.

2011-11-17T09:49:00.001-05:00

Stop for a second. What are you thinking about right now?

That it's cold in the house and I need to adjust the thermostat.

When I smiled at an old friend in the store the other day, she didn't smile back. Wonder if she's mad at me?

I've GOT to get my oil changed.
Please hear our prayers, Lord. I'm truly trying to be patient. It's just so hard.

When will I have to start dyeing my hair full time to combat the gray?

What was that new song we sang at church the other night? I liked it...

It's too loud in here.

Someday I'll be all alone.

Those ladies in the waiting room wearing the Easy Spirits will be me and Tasha in about 50 years.

Oh God, please protect those children in that home.

Where's my wallet? Where are my keys?

I put on deodorant today...right?

I am so exhausted. Maybe if I just keep smiling, no one will notice.

Why me.

Just when you think no one knows your thoughts, He does.

Here's how I know:

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Psalm 139: 1-10

As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

1 Chronicles 28:9

He hears our prayers.

Our comparisons.

Our envy.

Our joy.

Our ill will and evil intent.

Our true feelings toward our neighbor.

Our internal struggle.

Our worries.

Our hope.

He hears. He listens. He answers.

a beautiful mess.

2011-11-10T13:58:00.001-05:00

Hello. My name is Christie Elkins. And I am a perfectionist.

Allow me to take you on a small tour of my home:

(Not pictured: Overflowing recycle bins, unwashed cloth diapers with unknown contents, and children with PB and J faces. Oh, and don't forget sticky fingerprints on the table).

You would never know a perfectionist lives here, huh? I am totally drowning in this week. I am so far behind on laundry, cleaning, folding, and smiling. That's right. Smiling. I have been a total grouch.

A huge problem for me is comparison. I want to be the BEST. AT. EVERYTHING. The most awesome, attractive wife. The "cool" "fun" mom. The most encouraging friend. I want to have the whitest teeth (No joke. I have an unhealthy obsession with oral hygiene). An inspiring blogger and novice child photographer. I appreciate things like prose void of grammatical error, words spelled correctly, the "good kind" of dental floss, and all the labels of the canned food facing forward. But when I can't be the best, I fall apart. I let everything go, drown in my own self pity, and eat a LOT of chocolate (Note: This post brought to you by Milky Way Simply Caramel).

And in so doing, my house ends up looking like an episode of Hoarders minus the eighteen cats.

But, I take solace in knowing that I am a work in progress. Yes, my kids will whine during church and you will see me getting up. A LOT. Yes, I am behind on my son's baby book (Notice I didn't mention which son. Because I'm behind on both...). Yes, ~~sometimes~~ all the time I wear the same clothing a few days in a row (Mostly jeans. Trying to cut down on that laundry.) And yes, I keep my poor husband awake until well after midnight, crying about petty, stupid things when all I need to do is read and dwell on this:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Guess that makes me a beautiful mess.

But to be His work in progress?

I'll take it.

behind the badge.

2011-11-08T10:49:00.001-05:00

I'll be home late. Keep the door locked and lights on.

Leave the TV on so I can see.

Empty the washer. I have been in a meth lab. Wash the clothes twice, please.

I don't feel so well this morning. There have been several labs this week and I think I've been exposed.

If he comes by again, do not answer the door. They know you are home alone with the kids.

Don't tell them a cop lives here.

I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe. I love you.

Disassemble this Glock and put it back together. Load this magazine. Again. Again. You need to know this.

Daddy will be home when he gets the bad guys. I'm sure he's ok.

I miss him, too.

Please wait on me to open their presents. I'm sorry. I know it's Christmas.

If they call again, don't answer.

Don't post that we will be out of town until we are already home.

Leave the store. Now. Take the kids out to the van. He's a methhead and he's pill shopping. I'm going to arrest him right now.

Pretend you all do not know me. I don't want him to know what my family looks like.

I'll be there, I promise. I just may be a little late...

I'm on call on our anniversary.

Please be with Daddy and keep him safe at work. In Jesus Name, Amen.

There's been a stabbing.

There's been a shooting.

On another meth lab. This one had kids in it.

There's been a murder. Pray.

He was armed. Thank God I was wearing a vest.

I'll be late again tonight. Keep the door locked and the lights on. Tell the kids I love them.

I miss you guys.

May God protect those who serve.

mama moments: like mommy.

2011-11-04T14:50:00.001-04:00

As I was watching Eden and Brandon give hugs and kisses goodnight the other eve, I simply could not take my eyes off of her. I just could not believe how beautiful of a daughter we have. So I told her. And the following is what she said that totally broke my heart.

In the best possible way, that is:

Me (to Eden, as she was playing with Brandon): "Eden, what is it like to be sooo pretty and sooo smart, all at the same time?"

Eden (smiling): "It's like Mommy".

Although I'm fairly certain that with two phones up to her ears, she's a little more like Daddy ;)

(still) november first.

2011-11-01T15:54:00.000-04:00

One year ago, I wrote a post about our family and how we were seeking God's will in a situation in our lives. Exactly one year later, we are still praying that same prayer. God's timing is sufficient. My timing is selfish. May we be as Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-18, and pray with patience and peace in our hearts, and pour our soul out to the Lord. Only He will guide the way.

{Click (here) to read the post from November first of 2010. Please continue to pray that God will reveal His plan for us. And that we can be patient in the meantime. }

life through a different lens.

2011-10-31T15:25:00.001-04:00

As the years progress in our marriage, it becomes increasingly more difficult to take the time to celebrate our anniversary like we did in the beginning (click here for last year's anniversary tale). Gone are the days of Maui, cruises, and road trips. At least, for now. But, never fear. Give us a few hours and we can create new memories and adventures all our own...

...like finding tunes from days gone by in the "very scratched" section of McKays, and bellowing old lyrics in Brandon's jeep...

...with the stroller and infant carseat secure in back.

Going to one of our fave locales for a bite...

...and making it to the theater for only the second time in a year.

Enjoy some of our favorite sites of downtown Tennessee, and rejoice after seven years in September, we are still meant to be.

No more late nights, but early mornings.

No more weekend restaurants, but home cooked meals.

No more car, but minivan.

Yet, more love, more embrace, more commitment, more laughter, more of God

than we have ever known.

Three kids, two parents, one God.

Seven years and counting.

pleasant words are a honeycomb...

2011-10-27T13:43:00.000-04:00

We have been working on Proverbs 16:24 during our homeschool learning time for our October "Verse of the Month". Anytime throughout the day that Brandon or myself call out "Bible Verse Challenge!!!!" Eden gets to opportunity to recite the verse for a candy corn reward. August basically just stands behind her with his hand outstretched saying "Khannie? KHANNIE?!"

So, in honor of this month's verse, here is a short video clip of Proverbs 16:24. And, yes, they wear those costumes everyday during playtime. No joke. Well, minus Titus. August has even come up with his dress up alter ego: "Punky Punkin". Enjoy!

(Note: The bears are courtesy of Cousin Bella's Granny June.The kiddos say thank you Granny! You can read more about Granny June and my Gran over on this post. )

always.

2011-10-25T15:14:00.002-04:00

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
{Philippians 4:4}

Rejoice in the perfect pumpkin shaped PB and J...

...even when you know you'll be wiping it off of the walls in a few minutes.

Rejoice in the mounds (and MOUNDS) of unfolded laundry.

For without clean clothes to wear, you could never do this:

Rejoice in the mopping of many, many puddles of spit up from a certain someone today...

...because that same someone is now sleeping through the night!!!

Rejoice even in the empty driveway...

..for we pray he will be home in time for the bedtime story.

Tired. Weary. Happy. Depressed. Bored. Joyful. Complete. Loved. Worried.

Rejoice, rejoice. And again I say Rejoice.

Bella's Pumpkin Muffins

2011-10-20T15:10:00.000-04:00

So, I walked into church on Sunday and immediately realized that this was an awesome day. Not only were we reading Proverbs 16:24 (our October "verse of the month"), but I was also able to fit back into a pair of pants I wore 4 years ago when I worked at DCS. (Note: DCS-era, people, means "pre-child clothing"). Then, my beautiful and talented sister in law slams me with a bag of pumpkin muffins, complete with recipe. Could this day rock any more? Why yes, yes it could.

You see, I had watched this recipe for pumpkin muffins float around on Pinterest for a few days but had yet to try them (follow me on Pinterest here!). Thankfully, Jami and Bella were my guinea pigs, and they turned out YUMMY.

Here's their version of the Pinterest pumpkin muffins. I like to call them Bella's Pumpkin Muffins. Why? Because they are so easy, even a Bella could make them!

Bella's Pumpkin Muffins

1 box spice cake mix

1 can of pumpkin

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup pecans

(*Note: you do not have to use the egg, oil, etc for the cake mix. It literally only requires the powder. Seriously one of the easiest recipes, right?)

Stir together and spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle top with brown sugar. Bake at 350 for about 23 minutes.


Bella and Jami: the pumpkin muffin beauties

Again, these are awesome for breakfast, for a late night snack, or over tears if you eat your feelings like I do. That being said, I'd better slow down on these if I want to keep wearing those DCS pants...

got milk?

2011-10-17T14:34:00.000-04:00

The following exchange of words took place at lunchtime between my mother and my daughter, both of which shun milk at every turn:

Grammy: "Here, Eden, here's your milk!"
Eden (haughtily): "I. Don't. Like. Milk."
Grammy: "You don't like milk?"
Eden: "No, but my Mommy said that if I don't drink it, that my bones would break when I get old".
Grammy: "Well, yes, I guess she's right".
Eden: "But, Grammy? You're already OLD, soooo"...


{photo credit}

Sticks and stones may break your bones, Grammy. But so will skimping on your daily intake of calcium :)

Elkins Family Frugal Finds: leftovers, homemade coffee creamer, and bye, bye Blackberry

2011-10-14T10:37:00.000-04:00

It's been a few minutes since I've posted an "official" Elkins family frugal find. Not that I'm not always on the hunt for a great deal, 'cause who isn't, but I hadn't found anything "post" worthy. Until now. (And that sentence had a lot of "quotes". I need to chill on that, I think..)

This frugal find is a "mashup" of sorts (See? There we go with the quotes again...). A few things we have done over the past week to put a little meat on the bones of our finances. I'm talking random things. Hold on to your Goodwill pants and here we go!

1. Leftovers vs Cooking

I tried a new "meal plan" this week and it has ROCKED. A beloved mentor of mine, Ms. Angela Roberts, had suggested a similar idea a while back, but she stretched her meals even farther. You go, Angela! Here's what I did: I decided to cook every other night, a slightly larger portion than normal, and then eat the leftovers for the next night's meal. Not mind blowing, I know, but I have picked the "leftover" nights on the stressful nights of the week. So, this week looked like this:

Sunday (cook): Biggest Loser ziti and green beans
Monday (leftovers): soccer practice night

Tuesday (cook): ham with pineapples and greens
Wednesday (leftovers): church night

Thursday (cook): chicken cacciatore with red potatoes
Friday (leftovers): nothing hurried about this day. It just rolled that way!

So far, my evil plan to thwart our ever expanding grocery budget has worked out beautifully. Muhahaha!

2. Homemade Coffee Creamer
No, our grocery budget doesn't suffer because of mass purchases involving all things French vanilla, but I thought it would be fun to try a homemade coffee creamer, since "the good kind" is normally $3.50 a bottle. Snip, snip, here. Snip, snip, there. Every little bit counts. So, here's a good recipe I found online:

French vanilla coffee creamer:

1 1/2 cups milk ( I use 1% or skim)
1 14oz can fat free sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

I put all of the ingredients in a 32 oz container and shake, shake, and shake some more (Make sure the lid is on first. I'm just saying. ) Keep refrigerated and shake each time before use. It will last 2 weeks in the fridge, but is normally gone in about a week in our house :)

Here are some other "flavors" you can try. The only other one I have tried so far is strudel, but the cinnamon didn't mix well for some reason. I even tried heating it on a stovepan first. It was a little weird for me.

Chocolate Almond

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon almond extract

Cappuccino

1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Strudel

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate Raspberry

2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup

(recipes courtesy of frugalvillage.com)

3. Bye-Bye, Blackberry.
I'm sure you all remember THIS STORY about my first ever Blackberry. Brandon was so excited to give it to me. And he was so sad to let it go. But, after an 8 month trial, I finally was able to show him that, while I LOVE IT (and I do, trust me!) it would help immensely with shaving our budget. And, you know what? It got wet, too, by a bottle of water spilling in my purse. Verizon ever so graciously sent me a new one. If you can't act like a big girl, then you can't have big girl things. Bye, bye Blackberry. You will be missed. But your outrageous bill every month will not!

4. One Size Fits All?
We all know I have two in diapers. August is prayerfully on his way out in the next century. And, while we use cloth at home, it is nice to have disposables on hand when they visit with the grandparents, or sometimes at night. What I discovered is while Titus is in a size 2 and August is in a size 4, the size 4 also fit Titus if you roll the front down a tad. I have tried this several times with different brands and have not had a leak yet. It is cheaper (it seems to me, maybe I'm wrong) to buy one box of size 4 dipes to share than a size 2 and size 4. (But please note, it does NOT work the other way around. Trust me, I was stuck in a rut at Duck Duck Goose and had to put a size 2 on my 19 month old son. Ain't happenin'. )

So, that's where we are at in the arena of frugal finds. Stay tuned, because I have a killer story to share next week about how God has blessed our feeble efforts in this area. You will love it!

be real.

2011-10-13T14:22:00.001-04:00

This is a letter to a friend that emailed me a few days ago. Instead of emailing her privately, I thought I would share my struggle with others, too. Because she and I are in the same boat. And I bet you may be as well. Read on.

Dear sister in Christ,

When I read your email the other night, my ears perked up because I felt like you had been at my living room window, watching me for the past three months. But that would be creepy. What you didn't know, is when you asked for prayer that you could "be real"; that you could see through the Lord's lens..well, I need such prayer for this too. My favorite part of your email was this:

Reality is too harsh... I'm always so tired, I don't like to work, I want to just do nothing, I have too many responsibilities, I, I, I... But I don't want to to look at things that way.

Me either, sister. Which brings me to the living room creepiness I was talking about earlier. Here is the passage I had read each day for a whole week when I received your email:

For what I am doing, I do not understand ; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh ; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? {Romans 7:15-24}

Wholly wretched we are. We laze around with a sink full of dishes, piles of paperwork, and a friend that could use some encouragement. We fuss at the children for complaining, then we complain about the children to the husband. We pick up the Bible only to reach for something behind it. WE. KNOW. BETTER.

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. {James 4:17}

My prayer for you, dear sister is this: that we can truly "be real", as you said. That we can conquer this battle of sin within and come clean in confession.

Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. {Matthew 26:41}

Lord, forgive us!! Help us to be strengthened from the inside out.

Hope this makes sense! Love you dearly and praying for you! Please pray for me, too.

Much love, Christie.

prayer requests.

2011-10-12T13:50:00.000-04:00

How family bedtime prayers sounded in our home last night:

Brandon: "Okay, guys. No more pillow fights. Climb out of that cardboard box, August. Now, let's pray and get to bed. Mommy, do you have any prayer requests?"
Me: "Mimi's back and Marie. And Kelsie's dad".
Brandon: "August? Who would you like to pray for?"
August: "Eden. Mommy. Mommy. Eden. Eden."
Brandon: "What about Daddy?"
August: "Daddy."
Brandon: "And Titus?'
August: "Tidee".
Brandon: "Eden, what are your prayer requests?"
Eden: "All my friends. And Larry Slover".
Brandon: "Okay, mine are for my work friends and Mimi."
Eden (with disgust): "Mommy already MENTIONED Mimi".
Brandon: "Oh. Okay, well let's pray. 'Dear God, thank you for our time as a family tonight. We ask prayer for Mimi, Marie, Kelsie's dad. Please also be with Mommy, Daddy, Eden, August, and Titus. And with all of Eden's friends, August's friends, and Titus' friends. In Jesus' name, Amen.'"
Eden (muttering under her breath): "Um, we all have the same friends".

Moral of the story? God hears your prayers. And so does Eden.

goldilocks.

2011-10-11T10:40:00.000-04:00

Eden: "Mommy, does God think I'm pretty when I wear braids?"
Me: "Yes! God thinks you are pretty no matter what your hair looks like. He's the One that made you!"
Eden (breathing a smile of relief): "Good. Then I guess I'm pretty after all!"

You are beautiful. Split ends, scarred skin, postpartum weight. Stained clothes, chipped toenail polish, a slightly larger nose. Braids. You are fearfully and wonderfully made!!

getting everything ready.

2011-10-10T14:52:00.001-04:00

What? What is that sound? Is it one of the neighbor's puppies? Did the TV just "happen" to stay on again during the night? I roll over, fumble the dusty nightstand for a pair of glasses, try and focus, look at the clock: 4am. Grrr.

I unravel my left leg from twisted sheets with the other foot already on the cold hardwood to retrieve a hungry infant from his state of newborn panic. I pace with him briskly down the hallway as to not wake the other three people that are fortunate enough to still be asleep at this hour. As I gather all things necessary for this 4am feast, he is wailing and thrashing about in my arms. Please,Tides! Shhh! It's okay! I'm getting everything ready! But my comforting words seem as nothing but a tease to him, causing him to cry even louder in response. Once he was comforted by a full belly, he surrendered to sleep once more, as if the moment of panic never existed.

How many times have we pitched a fit on our Parent? You know, the one who created the entire world in a week?

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:3

We beg, we cry, we pitch fits. We huddle in the confines of our beds, behind the locked door of a bathroom, underneath the warm spray of a shower, screaming out to God, begging to know what's next. When will life feel "normal". When will my requests be answered? But I didn't like that answer, God. How could you do this to me? Cry. Wail. Buck. Scream. All until we get the answer that we came for.

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—1 Peter 2:2

Should we not desire what He desires? He tells us He goes to prepare a place. He will come again. But we are crying too loudly out of our own desires to hear. Did Titus hear my words of comfort? Do we hear God's Words?

Long for the milk of salvation. Ask God to fill us to the brim with His presence. Listen. Trust. He's preparing us a place. He's getting everything ready. So much so that we can sleep in heavenly peace.

mama moments: month three.

2011-10-07T15:26:00.000-04:00

Titus turned three months on September 28th. Really? Yes, really. But, could he be any cuter? I think not. (Also note the steady stream of spit up on his shirt. Yup. Happened as soon as I sat him down.)

And, here's August and Eden at three months:

the colors of fall.

2011-10-05T13:52:00.000-04:00

Here's probably what you will glean from this post:

A group of kids painting pumpkins on a pleasant fall afternoon at a park. How nice.

Here's what you missed behind the scenes:

Emery holding his own bottle..

Danni smiling and saying "CHEEESE!"

Did someone equate Bella to Jabba the Hut?

And can you explain why my son appears to be naked, please?

Trying to decide which girl has the most teeth...

And Garrett came away with clean pants...I think..

Elijah knows he has a lot of painting to do...

...while Titus slept through most of the fun...

...and Tinley did too!

Teal and black with a little pink glitter, we did them all..

..because for the Chi Rho Kids, those are the colors of fall.

why aunts are awesome.

2011-10-05T10:55:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Aunt Jami. For what, you ask? For starters, sitting in the back of a cramped minivan that smells like feet and old people, sandwiched between your niece and nephew.

By the way, they both pick their noses.

Much love, your sister in law

the grapes of half.

2011-10-03T15:09:00.000-04:00

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. --Philippians 2:3-4

Based off of tears, unkind words, a pumpkin costume, and the toy car in question, this spontaneous lunch lesson was born. I took a grape and set it in the middle of the table, and asked the following:

"Eden, if this were the only grape left, and since there are three people sitting at the table, whom would you give the grape to?"

Eden: "Weeell, I would go to the fridge and get more grapes for everyone!"
Me: "Let's say there were no more in the fridge. What then?"
Eden: "I would go to the store and get more!"
Me: "Let's say the van is torn up and we cannot go to the store".
Eden: "Hmmm. I think I would cut the grape in half".
Me: "Okay. To whom would you give the two pieces of grape? There are three of us sitting here."
Eden: "You and August."
Me: "Why not you?"
Eden: "I'm ok without the grape. You guys should have it first".

She gets it. My four year old gets it. She apologized and asked forgiveness for taking August's car away from him earlier, too, and stated the next time she would find another toy to play with, and let him have first choosing.

Thank you God, for grapes, toy cars, messy kitchen tables, and Philippians 2 on a Monday afternoon. May I put others before myself at the red light, the checkout, and be willing to give my very last dollar. Or last grape.

the fridge files: part 1

2011-09-29T15:23:00.000-04:00

So, I was looking at my fridge this week and realizing I couldn't remember what color it was. Mostly because it is covered in magnets, pictures, schedules, fridge art, and the like. One side of the fridge where we have our homeschool boards posted is neat and clean:

Photo taken from my homeschool post. Yes, I know today is not August 29th.

But, on the other side...

I know, I know. I am so ashamed that I am even posting this for the world to see. And yes, that is an autographed headshot of Dave Canterbury. On my fridge. Right next to a coloring sheet of a princess with purple hair. Something clearly had to be done.

Enter: magnets. I found these super cute labeled magnets in the Target dollar aisle on clearance for $.50. I knew that they would not withstand the weight of paperwork destined to be on my fridge for the duration of its partnership with my home, so I bought two packs of magnetic chip clips for a little over a dollar a pack. I dug out the 'ol hot glue gun and got to work. Here's what I came up with:

I simply hot glued the magnets to the magnetic chip clips. Done. As for the clip "categories":

SHOP: I posted our weekly shopping list so Brandon and I can add "laundry detergent" and "Double Stuf oreos" when we walk by and realize we are out of essentials in our home.

PAY: I have our bills hanging there. I will remove them upon payment and move them over to...
FILE: That's right. I have check stubs, paid medical bills, etc hanging here just dying to dive into our filing cabinet. At least they are not cluttering the kitchen counter.
EAT: Our menu for the week. I like to let the family know when we are having stuff like tilapia or collard greens, so they can sneak a granola bar in before supper. Hey, I'm no fool. Been there. (Remember that green pasta and orange juice chicken, Mom??)
YES/NO: I thought these were kind of random, so I hung up things one would typically say "yes" or "no" to, like soccer game schedule and Operation Christmas child pamphlet (YES) and the CCSO detective on call schedule (NO. As in PLEASE NO, DO NOT CALL MY HUSBAND OUT! Sincerely, wife of a cop.)

Now, for the big reveal...

Before...

After!

So, that's the fun I've been getting into the past few days. Organizing my fridge, along with watching American Pickers with Brandon on Netflix and reading in John 15. Oh, and changing numerous nasty dipes, making my own coffee creamer, and teaching the kids colors in Spanish. You know, the usual.

Now, what to do with that headshot of Dave Canterbury...

fairest of the fair.

2011-09-28T15:14:00.002-04:00

The Tennessee Valley Fair. Making its appearance but once every year, attendance is a must for any East Tennessean. Where else can you find corn dogs, carnies, and cross eyed goats all in one cigarette-smokey, ear piercing locale? Here are some of the bright spots of this year's fair:

Bees, baby feet, and blue ribbons:

...and a "buss" that should have won honorable mention?

A helium-singing Shriner to brighten Bella's day...

...and plenty of livestock, just resting in the hay:

There's nothing like cotton candy and caramel apples for the first time...

...while enjoying the sights with friends in the warm sunshine.

As the sun set on our day at the fair...

...we leave with excitement to return the next year.

thanksgiving expressed.

2011-09-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

{I read this passage first this morning: }

John 15: 1-11

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away;and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches ; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love ; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

{Then skipped over to our family Bible passage and this is what I found: }

Isaiah 12:

Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD ; For although You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, And You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid ; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation. And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples ; Make them remember that His name is exalted. Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things ; Let this be known throughout the earth. Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

May His words be my own today. Prune, abide, worship, fear. Thanksgiving expressed.

with liberty and justice for all.

2011-09-24T23:32:00.000-04:00

I realized with embarrassment the other day that we do not own an American flag. I had begun introducing the Pledge of Allegiance during homeschool learning time, but it had been more like "I pledge allegiance to the flag (on Google images), of the United States of America"...

So, now that we have a small flag of our own, I wanted the kids to understand the importance of this flag and the freedom it represents. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Eden, do you know what this flag represents?"
Eden: "Merica!"
Me: "Yes, America. But, also that we have freedoms here in our country that others do not. Do you know that there are people in other countries that are not allowed to pray? To read their Bible? There are even people who do not even own a Bible!"
Eden: "What? Why? No one can tell me I can't pray! The Bible says I can. I know there are people with no food or toys. But no Bible?"
Me: "I know. How does that make you feel?"
Eden: "Sad. Really sad. I wish I could take them my Bible".
Me: "Eden, if you could use one verse, one idea from the Bible to tell other kids about God, what would you say to them?"

Eden: "How do you say love in Spanish?"

Bible poverty does exist. But it can take only one verse to tell someone how great and deep the love of the Lord is. My four year old chose 1John 4:8. "God is love". What's your one verse?

the view from the window....

2011-09-23T13:58:00.000-04:00

photo credit.

They say that behind every great man is an even greater woman. Man they were right! I am honored to be the “guest blogger” for my wonderfully articulate wife’s 200^th blog. I, however, feel for those dedicated subscribers that will most likely exhaust themselves in their attempt to find a well written, thought out, and passionate post here today. Give up…I’m not as gifted as she.

As I have read the last 200 posts, I have experienced a myriad of emotions and experiences. I have watched as my wife has boasted about me, mocked me, and spared me. I have laughed until I almost passed out, welled with tears, hid my face in embarrassment, and puffed my chest with pride. God has reminded me a lot, as of late, that I have an amazing wife and kids. I praise Him for this online window and access to my family.

As many of Christie’s trusty readers know, I am a detective with a sheriff’s office and I work a LOT of hours. There have been many nights and early mornings spent hovering over my antiquated Blackberry hoping that I have enough signal to be able to read my wife’s newest blog. Those times gave me the hope, encouragement, and drive to press on each day that we were apart. (As a side note, I thank God for our amazing service men and women that don’t have that luxury.) It is so exciting to know that God has given me a remarkable wife that is proud to use her writing skills for Her Savior. My prayer is that her blog provides a sense of encouragement for those seeking, a sense of edification for those that have been found, and a faith history of a family that is truly in love with their sovereign God!

Proverbs 31:11
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

playing catch up.

2011-09-20T14:50:00.001-04:00

It is said that your college years are the best years of your life. I'll readily admit, those four years were definitely some of the best, filled with new friends and the joys of dorm life. One thing I think we all secretly worried about after graduation was keeping in touch. Since most of us were all from different states, college graduation caused us all to scatter once again. But never fear. CC girls know how to stick together. Over the years we have met at restaurants, weddings, basically anywhere we could just to soak in five minutes of time together. Then anxiously await the next get together.

Last week, we were overjoyed to play catch up with one of my college suitemates, Kari, her husband (and fellow CC grad) Shaun, and their adorable children, Logan and Lucy. My college roommate and I met them for lunch on their way to Gatlinburg for a family vacation. Who was my college roomie? Who do you think? They don't call us best friends for nothing.

We discussed everything we could in 60 minutes, including diaper sharks, fighting on the playground, and how Friends is now on Nick at Nite. I think the kids had an even better time:

Danni, Logan, and Eden

This was taken before Danni snagged food off of Logan's plate :)

Eden staying hydrated

Logan watching the big screen behind him!

Danni's first experience with ketchup...

Beautiful Lucy!


...and August sneaking glances at beautiful Lucy!

Try as we might, we tried to get a group shot of the 2nd generation future Cumberland grads. But, even the best laid plans...

No matter the time or place, or even if the kids outnumber the adults, those four years will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Hoping they will be forever friends, just like their mamas.

snap. crackle. pop.

2011-09-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25

Needs versus wants. My constant internal struggle. Do I need new clothes or can I wear the jeans with the stains on them a few weeks longer? Do I need to take the kids out for a special treat or can I be creative today, save the money, and stay at home? Do I really need that pack of double stuff Oreos? (the answer to that question, ladies and gentlemen, is yes. Yes, I need that dark chocolate sandwich cookie).

So, it goes without saying that after a few broken bowls and plates, we were looking pretty grim in the dinnerware department. And many of the plastic bowls and plates I had purchased a while ago were showing their age. And having a husband who breaks several drinking glasses in a row does not help.

(Note: If you were present during the 2006 Paradigm Christmas party when Brandon stabbed a steak knife through a polka dotted plastic plate and shattered it, then you heard me yell "THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!!" echo off of the walls, then this post will mean more to you).

I began praying. That's right. About bowls and plates. Sturdy plastic ones that could withstand drops from the kitchen table, immense heat from the dishwasher, and bald husbands who do not know their own strength.

Needs verses wants. Needs verses wants. I could just go out and buy them, right??

Came home a few days later, and found these beauties on my kitchen counter:

I had not breathed a word of this prayer request to anyone. But Brandon's dad had decided to visit him one night when he was under the weather and brought these super cool cereal bowls. There are six of them, which means we all can eat out of one at the same time with one to spare!

Do not worry about the clothes you wear. Or the food you will eat. Or what you will eat that food out of. God will provide our every need. And sometimes our wants, too.

Now to keep the tablecloth dry....

mama moments: Easy Bake Eden

2011-09-16T15:21:00.000-04:00

I wasn't much for toys when I was little, but the toy I HAD to HAVE one Christmas around the age of, say, six or seven, was the Easy Bake Oven. The classic toy stove that made its return in the late '80s and early '90s, and they are still making them today.


(photo credit)

Looking at this plastic oven brings back that instant smell of a sugary, powder mixture, watching it slide through the oven like a pie at a pizza parlor, then ding! A small cake for your dad on Father's Day. Or for your dad on his birthday. Or for your dad to eat while he's watching UT football, and you are standing right in the view of the console television with a side ponytail, saying, "Made ya another cake, daddy!" (I do not care how good the cake is, you had better not stand in the way of a man and UT football. Lesson learned.)

But poor dad would eat every cake like it was the best thing he had ever put in his mouth. Later on, he tells me that he could have used it as a sponge to wash the 'ol Datsun pickup. What can you expect from something that was cooked BY A LIGHTBULB, DAD?! I still hold my head high contending that it's the thought that counts.

Fast forward to 2011. There's a new sheriff in town:

That's right. Mrs. Fields. That lady's got to have her name on everything. Eden was gifted this Mrs.Fields cookie set for her birthday this year. It's a tad different than the Easy Bake, in that you use a microwave instead of the bulb from your nightlight to cook the treats. But there is still that sweet smell of powder mixed with water. How can a cookie be fully baked in the microwave in only 30 seconds??

Eden didn't care. She was thrilled to be making cookies "all by herself":

I'm not gonna lie. I just couldn't bring myself to try them. Even though I made her wash her hands multiple times during the process. But guess what Brandon heard as soon as he walked through the door:

"Daddy!! I made you some cookies! Please try them!"

He laid down his gun and badge, and rushed in to the kitchen to try these world famous cookies. He smiled and enjoyed every bite. Because it doesn't matter what they are made of or how they are cooked.

It's the love between daddy and daughter that makes them so sweet.

lost in translation.

2011-09-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

Here's how breakfast sounded at our table this morning:

August: "Mooomy. Auuugie. Eeedie".
Eden: "Why is he saying our names?"
Me: "I guess he is just practicing".
August: "E. N. E. E. B. B. E."
Eden: "That's not how you spell my name. It's EDEN".
August: "Eeee. PeePee!"
Me: "Do you need to go potty?"
August: "No no no no. Kha nees?" (translation: candy)
Me: "If you want candy you have to potty first".
August: "Oh no no. GEEN KHA NEES!!" (translation: green candy)
Me: "You have to potty for green candies."
Eden: "Speaking of green candy, can we ice those cookies after nap today?"
August: "COOKIE?! COOKIE?!" (translation: well, you get the idea...)
Me (sigh): "No, Augs, I do not have any cookies. Okay, we already finished our weather, numbers, letters, pledge. Time for the Bible story (I hold up picture Bible and begin to read). Now see, here's Jesus washing the disciples' feet"...
August (pointing): "Ga? Ga?" (translation: God)
Me: "Well, that Jesus!"
August: "Ah kees? AH KEES?" (translation: ice cream)
Eden: "No silly! Not ice cream! Jesus! And the disciples!"
Me (finishing the story): "Okay guys, let's pray then go play. Eden, do you have any prayer requests?"
Eden: "Pray for Emery and Titus' bellies."
Me: "Okay! August, who would you like to pray for?"
August: "Edie".
Me: "Okay, anyone else?"
August: "Edie".
Me: "Okay, do you have any other prayer requests other than Eden?"
August: "Edie".
Me: "Alrighty. Let's pray".

you've got your hands full.

2011-09-13T14:28:00.000-04:00

I had a cute post laid out for today. Pics and prose ready to post. But, upon arriving home from the library this morning, I felt God tugging my heart and typing my hands in another direction. So, here goes.

I know I have my hands full.

You see, I get that a lot. At the store. The mall. The doctor's office (granted, August did run for the well exit..). The library. The picture above was taken on my first outing with all three kids. Fourth of July. Titus was 6 days old. (We needed food, what can I say?). I just wanted to "see" if I could do it. Because you can't keep them confined inside four walls until they are eighteen. (Or can you? Hmmm...)

So, life is much the same as it was when I was pregnant (post on that here). But instead of the "bless your heart" comments, it is usually one of the following:

"You've got your hands full!"

"Are those kids all yours or are you babysitting?"

"Is that a baby in that pouch?"

"How far apart are they? What were you thinking?"

"You have two kids under two and plan to homeschool? Ha!"

"That little one doesn't look like the others. Does he look like the mailman?"

Yes, these are all mine. No, I do not babysit. Yes, this is a baby, not a marsupial, in this "pouch" called a Moby wrap. No, I did not make it. Yes, I am homeschooling with two little boys. No, they do not catch the house on fire during learning time. And our mailman is a woman named Kathy.

Long story short, it is nothing short of obvious that my hands are, indeed, "full". But God has certainly humbled my heart over the past few months in being more accepting of those who sincerely love my children and want to help. I know I try to be "super mom" and tackle it all. I know I am extremely particular about, well, everything. But now I have to pretend sometimes that the dropped paci landed facing up than down. And accept the person that is willing to carry my 45 bags, coolers, and carseats at soccer practice. I had a mother at Earth Fare the other night offer to help me with our food. She had four children of her own with her. She didn't comment that I had my hands full or make a snap judgement on my parenting. She was just there, willing to help.

So, let this be a thanks to all of those who have given me a helping hand over the past two months, and helped me preserve my dignity in public. For fixing my shirt when a small baby has rendered me less than modest. And for encouraging me when I don't seem to "have it all together". I believe God has begun a good work in our family, and I pray I can be real enough and humble enough to embrace all He has to offer. Including many more precious little ones He desires to send our way. No matter if I'm still wearing the spit up jeans from library storytime. I know I have my hands full. Praise God! I am loving it more and more each day.

I think my friend Kate said it best the other night when she stated the following:

"I like the laid back Christie! But, I like the uptight one, too".

Thank you, God, for loving me right where I am in my walk with You. And for blessing me with friends that do, too.

mama moments: month two.

2011-09-09T11:10:00.000-04:00

Mr. Titus turned 2 months on August 28th. He's growing, smiling, and loves his hands! Here are his two month "crib pics":

Yes, someone is grabbing his ankle here..

And here are the other little ones at two months:

a fine specimen.

2011-09-07T10:40:00.000-04:00

The following is how you know your child has been to the doctor one too many times this year. And that your deductible is probably met:

(At pediatrician's office, filling out developmental questionnaire.)

Me: "Eden, I have to ask you a few questions on this form, okay? Just answer exactly as I ask you".

Eden: "Okay!"

Me: "What do you do with a chair?"

Eden: "You sit in it".

Me: "Good! Okay. What do you do with a pencil?"

Eden: "You write with it!"

Me: "That's right! Now, what do you do with a cup?"

Eden (thinking): "You PEE in it!"

fridge art.

2011-09-05T14:50:00.000-04:00

My parents have an old box at their house that once housed my Minnie Mouse roller skates. Now, it is the metaphorical lock box of years of "fridge art". You know, the coloring sheets that once graced our family's gold refrigerator, anchored to the cold unit by a Rainbow Brite magnet.

Now that we are in the heyday of digital cameras and cell phones, I thought it would be easier to keep track of our children's budding artistic ability by taking pictures and posting them here on the 'ol blog. You can find these on the home page of the blog, under the new tab labeled "fridge art".

What pictures and mementos grace your kitchen?

A "monster" (Eden, 3 yrs).

happily ever after.

2011-08-30T13:35:00.000-04:00

Eden LOVES to hear stories from when "mommy was little". Some she has heard so much that she can almost recite them word for word. One of which is the "first day that mommy and daddy met" (for the record, that was the first day of high school, August 1996. I think she left that part out, along with other vital information like the fact that he was wearing a chain wallet.)

Without further ado, here's the story.

(No yellow jackets were harmed in the making of this low quality video clip.)

My Teacher's Name is Mommy

2011-08-29T15:33:00.001-04:00

I have received several questions lately about the hows and whys behind our decision to homeschool our children. I thought that I would address the most common questions I have received in this post. So, hold on to your thinking caps and let's dive right in!

Why Homeschool?
This is a question I am asked a lot. I want to preface this entire post my stating that my intentions regarding the education of our children in the beginning never involved home school. It was not even an option for me. I do not feel like I have a "gift" for teaching, coupled with the fact that I LOVED school, every second of it, led me to believe that public school was the best option for our family.

One day, when Eden was about four months old, I was dealing very much with being a stay at home mom. I had left my job when she was born, so dealing with that plus a newborn was a huge life change for me. To be honest, I still deal with it somedays, even now that we are in our fourth year of this lifestyle change. As I was all "woe is me" one night, sobbing and holding this squirmy newborn Eden in my arms, I asked Brandon why we were doing this. His answer changed my entire course of thinking: "I want you to be able to hold her whenever you want". His answer led me to began praying and thinking about the day when that would no longer be possible. School was the first step to independence. What about teaching her about God whenever I want? I began to dig in the Word for answers, and the following are verses I have found encouraging in home educating our children:

"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead . You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates". (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord". (Ephesians 6:4)

"All your sons will be taught of the LORD ; And the well-being of your sons will be great". (Isaiah 54:13)

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect". (Romans 12:2)

"He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm". (Proverbs 13:20)

"But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea". (Matthew 18:6).

"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20)

"But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, 'Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these'"(Mark 10:14).

After reading these and other passages in the Bible, it became clear to me (against my own will and way of thinking!) that God would bless the teaching and training of my children at home. I can teach them all day, every day, about God and His creation. I can "make disciples" through my little ones, and give them the opportunity to disciple others.

(One final thought: I have a host of family and friends that are public school teachers. These teachers are amazing. Period. I am simply speaking from what God has spoken to me.)

How do you decide what to "teach" each day? (Books, curriculum?)

This is an area I struggled with at first. I have been doing "Bible lessons" with Eden since she was around August's age. The more I prayed and simply thought about it, I really like the way we "do things" around here. So, I stuck with the same idea I have used with Eden (same Bible story each day for a week) and just expanded it to include more facets of education. Here is what our "official" homeschool plan looks like for the next 6 weeks:

Week 1: August 15th-21st: The Golden Calf
Week 2: August 22-28th: The Fruit of the Spirit
Week 3: August 29th-September 4th: Cain and Abel
Week 4: September 5th-September 11th: The Tower of Babel
Week 5: September 12th-September 18th: Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet
Week 6: September 19th-September 25th: Review Week (review each of the above lessons a day this week).
The next six weeks will be structured the same, with a review week after 5 weeks of lessons, to take each lesson once again during that review week to see how much we remember :)

I know some of these lessons I have done before, but what better way to reiterate them and help us further memorize and hide God's word in our hearts?

So, I do not currently use an official curriculum or books other than what I have come up with on my own. This may change as they get older, but it works well for us right now.

Here are some "highlights" from the past two weeks of home schooling:

How we begin each day: Bible story, days of the week, weather, chore chart


Working on telling time!


Visiting the neighbor's cows during "The Golden Calf" lesson week

Eden's "fruit stand" and homemade memory game from "Fruit of the Spirit" lesson week

Vocabulary/spelling words taken from the Bible story, and Eden practicing with scissors (look out!)

How do you include the younger ones in the lessons?

August and Titus are present during most all of the lesson blocks. I do a "breakfast block" while they are finishing their breakfast that includes the Bible story/days of the week/weather/counting in English and Spanish/telling time/music. We do chores after the lesson. "Lunch block" includes reading/writing/shapes and colors (for the little ones)/math, and science/geography/world missions depending on the day. It sounds like a LOT, but I condense the material to about 30 minutes to an hour per block. After nap is when we do "fun stuff" like visiting those cows, going to farmer's markets, crafts, play dough, etc. Basically learning through God's creation :) Take the "Golden Calf" lesson, I may tell the kids to "moo" when they hear the word "calf" in the story, a way to get August involved and help him to learn animal sounds. Titus normally sleeps during this time :)

How do you afford to home school?

I had a girl at the health department ask me this a few weeks ago. She said that she would love to homeschool, but could not afford it. With Brandon's permission, I would love to write a post soon about how we went from two incomes to one and how it IS possible. We said the same thing, we could not afford for me to stay at home. Four years, three kids, and two cars paid off later, we are still chugging along! I buy workbooks, flash cards, craft supplies, etc at the Dollar Tree and the Target dollar aisle. I borrow the big things we need, and make use of our neighborhood and surrounding areas for mini (and free!) "field trips". Living in a small town definitely causes you to be creative!

Ok, I know this post was SUPER long, but wanted to address what each of you have asked. I'm sure there will be a follow up post in the future, as I know I have probably left out info along the way. Below are links to other posts that may be helpful in explaining how we orchestrate our day:

A Peek Inside Our Day: Part 1

A Peek Inside Our Day: Part 2

Chore Cards

Fruit of the Spirit week (2009)

Please pray for our family, as we struggle and try to follow God each step. I seem to be the one that holds our family back from following His will for us. Don't let that be you. If this is an area you feel God leading you in, listen to His voice!

first of many.

2011-08-22T15:41:00.003-04:00

So, I know you all are beyond tired of me going on and on about Eden playing soccer this year. And so are all of the shoppers at Wal Mart (Eden's told many a friend in the canned food aisle). So, I will not turn this into some end of an era/mommy emotional/"my baby's growing up on me so fast that I can remember the day she was born" post. Nope. I will keep it simple. Go ahead and let out that "whew" and wipe the sweat from your brow. Not today, friend. Today I will not talk about...

How her excitement was so sweet before we left the house for her first practice:

How these three have been buds for over three years and are now old enough for organized sports that do not include egg races and water balloons:

How Eden actually ran...

...and liked it!!

I will not talk about how her waist is so tiny she can fit into boys' size 12 month shorts that were on clearance...because that is totally not what she is wearing on her first day of practice...

And I will not mention how I packed her Powerade in a sippy cup...rookie mom mistake:

I will also not add to this post that he will be in this spot before I know it:

Nope. None of that will be mentioned today. The only thing I want to say about this practice is that it will be a first of many. And that when I saw what she packed in her soccer bag, it made me sigh with relief:

As long as treasures like fairy dolls and wind up chickadees are in tow, she is still my little girl.

if a man will not work...

2011-08-22T10:47:00.001-04:00

"If a man will not work, he shall not eat". 2 Thessalonians 3:10

Here's a short clip of August working for his supper!