Monday Meanderings

Okay, I took my holiday today and now it's time to start thinking about the rest of the week! On with the plans...

Bible Study - Mission of Motherhood

Memory Verse - Isaiah 26:3-4

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal."

Husband Encouragement

* keep up with reading in Love Dare devotional - I've been forgetting about it lately!

* pray for him daily

* ask him to show me how to do some of the house projects that need done so I can help do it myself

* stop complaining about how much I dislike his work schedule. It is what it is, so I NEED to give him my support.

Train Them Up

* Eli - be loving to him and don't discipline in anger, get a new pen so he can actually mark on his responsibility chart, do something with his naptime routine (if he does nap then he ends up being awake til 10 or 11 at night! so I need to either wake him up earlier or just switch to quiet time altogether)

* Hannah - first time obedience

* Carter - may start rice cereal this week at the dinner time hour

Personal Goals

* Get up before the kids

* Read daily marriage devo.

* Start sewing my skirt.

* Be productive with my time this week. Last week was great and it felt AWESOME!

New Habit of the Month (yes, this is ANOTHER one I'm adding to the list! But at the beginning of the month I want to pick a new habit to work on throughout the month)

* Clorox wipe down bathroom counter every night. (I started this last week and it's working great to the keep counter decluttered and clean! I want to continue with this!)

MUST D0!

* schedule eye appointment for next week

* schedule hair cut for next week

* pharmacy

* pack away MOPS stuff for the summer

* mow (arg, why does this need done every single week?! LOL)

* mail cupboards plan for a quote

* paint dining room before the weekend
* bag up all our empty milk jugs

Zone - get completely caught up on laundry and get it put away!

Menu

M - pizza

T - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peaches

W - kids nite - macaroni and cheese w hot dogs, cupcakes

Th - grilled pita pizzas (hopefully this week I can find some pita somewhere!)

F - tender grilled pork chops, angel hair pasta salad,

S - spinach ricotta quiche, fresh fruit

Su - leftovers

FUN Things!

* progress on our dining room! after the final sanding on our drywall we get to start the decorative process with paint, trim, molding, and flooring!

* Kevin's 6-day off starts on Friday!

3 things I'm thankful for today:

1. My best high school friend and her husband came and visited us for the first time here this past weekend!

2. The weather has been GORGEOUS! Sunny and not too hot! I'm LOVING it!

3. My kids. They have been sooo well behaved lately! I've been so proud of them!

What's your week look like?? Join me with your plans, and leave your link below so I can come visit you! Blessings on your week!

Kids Memory Verse Song

I came up with this song in the fall for a MOPS lesson with the kids. We talked about all the things changing around us but how Jesus never changes. This is one of Eli's favorite songs he asks me to sing.

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
(tune: Jesus Loves Me)

Jesus loves me this I know
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Even when things start to change,
Jesus will always stay the same.

Hebrews thirteen eight
Hebrews thirteen eight
Hebrews thirteen eight
Jesus will never change.

He'll forgive me every day
He listens every time I pray
He's always with me wherever I go
For the Bible tells me so.

Hebrews thirteen eight
Hebrews thirteen eight
Hebrews thirteen eight
Jesus will never change.

Find more of my Bible verse songs here, here, and here!

Shaving cream lids

...are a collectors item at this house!

Such a wonderful array of colors makes for bathtime fun!

Hobbies: What inspires you?

I love browsing through fabric {not when I'm with my kids though PLEASE} and often I'll find one or two that immediately give me a vision like ooo, this would look perfect for this style of dress! Several times now I've found a fabric and design/pattern and then handed it over to my mom to make since she loves to sew. So fabric inspires me.

And a few weeks ago I found a little notebook at Dollar General. {Love that store.} I was actually looking for a new, boyish looking small notebook for Eli since he's filled his, and instead I found one for myself {since the boy ones had SKULLS on them!!!}. It's small and clutches nicely in my hand, and it's got a cute butterfly on it. When I got it I was thinking Hannah might use it sometime. But after I brought it home I realized I wanted to keep it for myself. {that's okay to do, right??} And since it's so small I thought it would be just perfect for a little thankful notebook. So every night at the end of the day I've been writing 5 things I'm thankful for about the day. I'm going to try to do this every night for who knows how long. Til I fill the notebook I suppose. Notebooks inspire me. They make me want to write and make thankful lists and blessings lists and goals and prayers.
So what inspires you? What do you look at and immediately think, Ooo, this would be great for THIS! Are you a paper person? Baskets? Decorative things? Fabric? Flowers? Notebooks?

A new yummy secret!

Today at lunch I was having leftover soft taco in which we wrap like an open burrito. Anyway... As I was eating it I was thinking about how much I like Taco Bell's grilled stuff burrito and the yummy sauce they put in it, wondering what it might be made of. I still don't have a clue, but I mixed together some ranch with a little taco sauce mixed in, stirred it in to my burrito stuffing and mmmm, that was GOOD! Definitely going to do that one again!!

And because I love y'all so much, I thought I'd share the goodness! =)

Prayer Clock

I am so excited today because this project has been on my list to do for MONTHS now, and I finally finished it today! Sort of. More on that part in a minute though.

So shortly after we got married, or as a wedding present, I can't remember, we got this photo clock. At first I put all kinds of flower pics in it that I had taken. But in our new house I wanted to repurpose it and I came up with a great idea that got me really excited! I wanted to fill the clock with pictures of people we're praying for regularly. Not everyone but our missionary friends, soldiers, pregnant friends, etc. So on this clock I put... Missionary Friends #1, Missionary Friends #2, Stellan (and other babies that are sick), Missionary Friends #3, Soldiers, Family, Missionary Friends #4, Daddy, Compassion kids, Missionary Friends #5, Pregnant Friends, and Church.


This is going to hang on a wall in the play room, and I'm hoping it will help us be more intentional about praying for our people. I had to find pictures and resize them to fit the frame. I measured the frame spots first but even still the pictures print a little too small, and it's bugging me but it's not worth fixing right now. So for now I'll call it done. I'm happy.

By the way, I'm not sure the actual clock function works anymore, so this whole deal is really for decoration and picture purposes. =) Isn't it GREAT when you can repurpose something old into something new and fun!!

Monday Meanderings

Look, I made a banner! Right click on it and save to your computer to use it for your post or sidebar. I'll probably change it sometime but for now, this will do!

Bible Study
Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

Memory Verse James 3:9-10
"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

Husband Encouragement
* make sure he has lunches for work and even set things together for him in the fridge
* help as much as I can this week with house projects
* have better attitude about bedtime. I've had a bad attitude lately about having to get up all the time in the night when everyone else is sleeping. My saying lately has been, "I am a person too!!" It's been a little ugly.

Train Them Up
* Eli - responsibility chart (I printed it out again but this time laminated it and stuck magnets on the back so 1. Hannah can't rip it apart and 2. we can reuse it and just mark everything off with a dry erase marker and 3. it saves paper and ink)
* Hannah - first time obedience
* Carter - still sleep training, ugh

Personal Goals
* go for some early-morning walks at the pond. With Eli's new bike he can ride a LOT faster now so with him not loading up the stroller, hopefully I can go for a fast walk like I like.
* drink water
* watch snacking - been having bad habits lately and we don't even keep snacks in the house!
* wash the dishes instead of leaving them for the next day.
* stay off the computer during the day
* wipe down the bathroom daily

MUST Do
* get bills out
* mail B-day cards to people
* call Tessie Thursday night
* call about dining room cabinets quote
* call about bathroom quote
* paint 2nd coat on door
* call about electrical quote
* paint the inside side of door
* get suitcases put away

Zone - ALL LAUNDRY PUT AWAY!!

Menu

M - soft tacos
T - kids nite - lunchables, apple
W - breakfast nite - stuffed French toast, strawberries
Th - meat loaf, mashed potatoes, peaches
F - appetizer nite - cheesy spinach and artichoke dip, mini corn dogs
S - grilled pita pizzas
Su - day off

MOPS picnic - star shaped lunch meat and cheese, fruit of some sort
Church picnic - ricotta pepperoni dip, fruit salad

FUN Things!!
* MOPS playdate and potluck on Tuesday
* SIL's birthday on Thursday
* My friend Tessie might have her baby on Friday, depending on her appointment on Thursday
* Potluck picnic after church on Sunday

3 Things I'm Thankful For Today:
1. Sprinkler fun with the kids!
2. Family movie night. Trying to start this. Just have to find good movies the kids won't be scared of. Wish we had more Veggie Tales stuff around here.
3. A talented husband who can fix just about anything!

Join me and link up! Blessings on your week!!

This is what's really going on.

If I'm not around my blog much these days, THIS IS WHY. I am overwhelmed. Going to try to stay focused, less distracted, use the most of my time, and conquer! "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-17

Prayers would be good.

See you tomorrow though with my Meanderings!

Sunday Psalm

Psalm 40:4-8

Blessed is the man
who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come--
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

One more goodie

Ooo, I forgot to mention one of my very favorites of the year yesterday in my post of new recipes!! A really great appetizer/snack to make for parties or for not parties! It's soooo soooooooo good anytime of the day--super yummy to eat the leftovers (if there are any) for breakfast the next morning. You HAVE to try this one!!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

I followed the recipe and fried the cinnamon chips, but next time I'm going to bake them, using this recipe. Should be just as good! And goodness the cinnamon chips are good all by themselves too!