Weekend Reflection

This week has been good for us. John & I both had the the week off and we have not done any major traveling. It has been good to just be at home.

I have had some time for a relaxing bubble bath while the rest of my family slept in.

Some friends of mine from Ohio have been here visiting.

I have had some extra prayer & devotion time. I had a chance to really search my heart and pray for a friend that is really going through some rough times. I was also able to catch up on my Giving Christ First Place Bible Study that my friend Alice is also doing and my blogging friend Cheri recommended.

We have been able to do some fun family activites along with relaxing.

We had our "Dinner for 8" last night. This is a program at our church where they put 4 couples in a group and they meet for dinner once a month for 4 months. It is a chance to get to know different people at church and help new people feel like they belong. We have been enjoying it.

I have been able to get some home projects done. John & I painted the girls bathroom. I finished my organizational challenaged hosted by Organized Junkie (that I started back in November), I got my lein closet organized, and I got the girls bathroom cabinet organized.

This has been a good week! I really don't want to go back to the real world. :(, but I know I have to.

Let me know how your week went.

For more weekend reflections visit Judi

Until Later,

~Betty~

Family Activities

We had such a nice family day yesterday. I took my time getting up and ready then our family along with some friends went to Mayfield Dairy and to Magical Nights of Lights. At the end of the light tour there was an area that had carnaval rides and we let the kids ride and play around. It was such a blessing to see my girls have so much fun. It brought back memories of a kid going to our county fair and having a good time. It made me realize that I need to plan more activities like these to make memories with my kids.

As I posted here before I have been struggling with being a parent and my girl's behavior. As I have been praying about it and searching my heart I am reminded, okay convicted, that I need to continue being who God has created me to be and that includes being a mother. I need to take that role more serious and to get rid of my sefishness and my pride. That is not to say that I won't take my breaks when I need them and to make time for myself, but it's more of a heart issue the Lord is working on in me. My desire is to make a difference in my children's life and to teach them the Lords way and to help them to develop a strong meaningful walk with the Lord. I know I have an important role as a mother and I want to do the best job that I can.

Until Later
~Betty~

Christmas is Over

Well Christmas is over, but I'm still on vacation. Christmas was nice and I received special blessings this year - being with friends (those close enough to be family), special time with my family, making a special meal, making special phone calls with Pat, Ruby, and Heather & the girls, nice gifts, and seeing the excitment of my girls. It was a good time for all.

Now that Christmas is over I have been working around the house cleaning up, organizing, and painting. John & I have painted the girls bathroom with a dolphin theme. They seem to like it. Once I get my pictures back on the computer after our computer crash I will try to remember to post the before and after pictures.

For being on vacation we sure do have a lot planned. John and I are going on a date, we as a family are going swimming, we are touring a dairy factory, going to see christmas lights, having friends over, the girls have an overnight party, and having dinner at another family's home. Friends of mine from Ohio are here visiting (not staying at my house) so we are doing things with them. It is good to go on vacation at home.

I'm being blessed right now. As I am writing this my husband is cleaning up the kitchen - which was my job to do. I am so blessed to have John in my life and I am very thankful.

Until Later,
~Betty~

Merry Christmas

(SINGING)

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone is having a great day! I will enjoy hearing about it next week!
~Betty~

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Catch Up

I have not left the blogging world. We have been having computer problems. John had to wipe clean our computer and we have to start over with it. I was able to save our pictures, but lost all my documents I had saved to the computer - my budget, my resume, John's resume, my child care handbook, and all the blog posts I had saved in Word. This should teach me to save my stuff on disc and not just to the computer.

I have been out shopping late at night two times this week. TuesdayI left my house at 10:30 pm after everyone was in bed. I returned at 1:00am. Then on Wednesday I went shopping after church with my friend Alice - that was fun. I did not return until 2:00am. It was different shopping late and with no kids. I actually enjoyed it and didn't dread it.

Thursday night we had friends over for dinner - they actually are more like my parents than friends - we exchanged gifts and it was a good time. It was a blessing and a special heart moment seeing my girls giving our friends their gifts and seeing our girls receive their gifts and playing with them.

Tonight we have stick ministry practice at church. Then tomorrow we have a party to attend. We will go to church on Christmas Eve and then just have some family time at home. On Christmas we will have our family Christmas and then have been invited over to some friends house and will spend the remainder of the day with them. I am looking forward to that.

This should catch up my week. I wish everyone a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Until Later,
Betty

Friday's Feast

This is my first Friday's Feast. I thought I would give it a try. I hope you enjoy.

Appetizer: What was your very first job with a paycheck?

I can’t remember how old I was. I must have been late elementary school, but I had a paper route. I would deliver the local newspaper to my neighborhood and then would have to go and collect money every Friday. The newspaper company would send a bill to me and whatever I collected over that amount was mine.

My later years in high school I worked at Burger King.

Soup: Did you ever lose something really important to you?

I’m sure I have, but nothing comes to mind right now.

Salad: What is the best Christmas present you ever received?

It would have to be Jesus’ birth. He is the best gift to the world. It brings me great comfort to know that no matter what happens in my life I have the love of Christ and that gets me through everything.

Main Course: Tell about a favorite "hang out" place for you and your friends when you were in high school.

I don’t remember a specific “hang out” place. I remember getting together with my friends at church activities and at each other’s houses. I do remember going to the football games on Friday nights and always having a good time. I also remember being in drama club and after our Friday night performance all the cast would go to the local Pizza Hut. We sure did take over the restaurant.

Dessert: Name something that always brings a smile to your face.

I love it when someone tells me that I have encouraged them or have done something to brighten their day.

Please visit here in order to see more Friday Feasts.

Thursday 13

THURSDAY 13

I have really been trying to keep my house clean and organized. I have found it just doesn't come naturally to me. I have really been working on it and learning what I can - thanks Laura at org junkie. However, I feel so much better when I come into my home (or certain rooms) when it is cleaned and organized. I am consistantly telling my husband "I will get this house organized, if it's one of the last things I do." Therefore for Thusday 13 I have listed 13 Things in my house that I need to Organize in no particular order. This will be my project goal list and I will update as I get things done.

1. Under the bathroom sinks

2. Hall closet

3. Coat closet

4. My bedroom closet

5. My girls bedroom closet

6. Filing cabinet

7. CD’s

8. Purse

9. Van

10. My pictures

11. My bedroom dresser

12. The girls bedroom dresser

13. Kitchen cabinets

As you can tell I have my work cut out for me. I will be visiting Laura the Organize Junkie and Lara the Lazy Organizer quite a bit for ideas.

I am off to finish (start) my projects.

Until Later,
Betty

I QUIT!

I QUIT! I quit! I no longer want to be a mother.

Where do I turn in my resignation?

Why is the Lord not listening to me?

What do you mean this job last forever?

Was that apart of my agreement?

What do you mean a mother’s love never changes? Are you sure?

Why do I have to be so mean?

Why do the attitudes start so early anymore? I wasn’t expecting them until the teen years.

Why do other parents seem to have it all together?

Why do other people’s children seem to listen to their mom?

Why do other moms seem to have this great love for their children that I seem to be missing right now?

What do you mean I should not be comparing myself to others?

Why do I seem to be lacking patience right now?

Why are my children annoying me so much right now?

Is this a phase? Will it pass soon?

Is this a test? Am I failing at it? (I sure do feel like I am).

Are my girls learning God’s ways?

Are they learning respect and just not showing it to me?

Do they know they are loved?

Do they know that love is a choice and not a feeling? Do I know that and am I displaying that?

Are they learning that family can be the greatest blessing we could ask for?

Do they know that this home is a haven from the world?

Do they know that love is not conditional? (Which I did not experience as a child).

Do they know that God has a purpose and a plan for their lives?

Do they know that having a relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important decision they could make?

Do they know that having Jesus in their lives will get them through anything this world throws at them? It will even get you through the feelings of not being a good mother and the fears that you are making the same mistakes that your own mother made.

Do they know that God’s love is comforting at times when this mother feels like giving up?

Do they know that God will give me the strength when I feel like I can’t go on?

Do they know that I trust in Him and am relying on Him to get me through this?

Do they know that mommies don’t have to be perfect to be a good mom?

If I resign who will teach my children these lessons?

Okay! Okay! Okay!

I guess I’m back on the job! I think I will just ask for some time off and then be ready to go again.

Until Later,
~Betty~

Weekend Reflections

This past weekend was so busy I forgot to do my weekend refections, therefore I am going to post today about the good things that happened last week

• John & I were able to have a date night.


• As a family we drove around to look at Christmas lights.


• We decorated our home for Christmas


• John & I have been helping out with our Christmas Celebration at church and it is now over. It all went well.


• Because we live so far from our church and have different activities that go on @ church on Sundays we usually just stay at church all day on Sundays. Yesterday was no different. I had a good time just hanging out with our friends as we were celerbrating one of the kid's birthday. I was able to talk and catch up with Faye, who is like a mom to me, and I had a special moment with my friend Alice sharing my heart and some concerns of mine.


• I am also thankful for my relationship with Jesus and the time I have spent with him this week.

If you would like to see more Weekend Reflections or to post your own please visit my blogging friend Judi at mommy to two

Until Later,

Betty

Christmas Decorating

We put up our Christmas decorations on Monday & Tuesday nights. It was such a nice & peaceful time for our family. I don’t always enjoy putting up the decorations and I feel like I do it just because of the kids. I usually feel time pressed and then have to make sure everything is done and then cleaned up and put away. Not this year.

We had planned to put the tree up on Saturday, but we had a dress rehearsal at our church and when we got home John & I were just not in the mood to put up the Christmas tree. Instead of pressuring ourselves and trying to live up to other’s expectations (which I post about here) we decided to wait. One of our family traditions is each year we each get to pick out a new ornament for the tree. Therefore, we decided that we would go pick out ornaments on Saturday and then on Monday we would put the tree up. On Monday evening John fixed his favorite hot chocolate for all of us and we put the tree up while listening to Christmas music. We did not get all of our decorations done on Monday before it was bedtime. I started thinking about other’s expectations again and this post and decided that there was not a reason why we couldn’t wait and finish our decorating on Tuesday night and that’s what we did. We had a nice family dinner, which John helped prepare and a relaxing evening. We each put our own ornaments on the tree from years past and it was nice remembering certain things that have happened in our lives. We decorated the fireplace, put garland up on the doorways, and decorated the girl’s bathroom, which is more than what I have done in years past. We also had time to sit and look at the lights with music playing and just to enjoy each other. It was a nice and peaceful time and today I have enjoyed having the house decorated for Christmas.

Christmas time is usually kind of sad, emotional, and lonely for me (which I have been feeling blah this week). However, I can rest in the assurance that I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and I can celebrate that He came to this world and am thankful for His love and what He does in my life everyday. This year, just like everyday, I will celebrate Jesus, my family, and enjoy the fun things you can do this time of the year in our community. I am looking forward to seeing some Christmas dramas, Christmas lights, and have relaxing evenings at home enjoying my family.

I hope you each find something special about Christmas this year and enjoy the blessings God gives us no matter what else is going on in our lives, that is my plan.

Until Later,
~Betty~

Blessed & Being a Blessing

Several months ago we were having a lot of car problems and had some unexpected expenses that came up. A good friend of ours was working on our car and bought the parts that he needed to fix it. The agreement was when everything was said and done they would give us a final cost and we would make it right. At the time our finances were so tight and other unexpected expenses came up that I just couldn’t squeeze out the money in our budget for the car repairs. I shared our circumstances with our friends and let them in on what was going on. This is a couple who understands what it like is to live life and are were we are too. At this particular time God was blessing them financially and their response to me was right now we don’t need the money so pay it back when you can afford it. As I was praying about this and confiding with my friend, I prayed that when we were able to pay this back it would be at a time when this couple would need the money and it would be a blessing to them as they were blessing us. God answered that prayer this week. This couple graciously offered to fix the brakes on our van while we were gone on vacation last week. When we got back I was able to give them a check for the cost of the brakes and what we owed them from several months back. I found out it was a time for them that they needed the extra money to cover certain expenses and at this time we had the money to pay them.

God is so good how He just works those things out. I love knowing we can trust Him to take care of things we don’t know are going on. Of course I say this after the fact. It’s not so easy trusting Him before we see what He is doing. I am still learning on this journey and it does strengthen my faith to see God working. I am feeling blessed and loved today.

Until Later,
~Betty~