The Smith Family Journey

Monday Mania

2012-02-27T21:40:00.000-06:00

I have once again been a bad blogger. Between starting my new job (yay!!) last week and half our family having the stomach flu this weekend into today (boo!!)...I feel like we are just treading water to make it through!!

The job is still going good. I am learning new things every day and today I even answered the phone. YIKES! Is it crazy that my biggest fear about the job is having to possibly answer the phones?! I am not a huge talk-on-the-phone lover, I won't call and order a pizza and I always feel like I sound like a goober. So getting used to a new name and way to answer and phone system has me a little nervous...but it will come!

I feel like I haven't shared a lot here recently...no good pictures, stories etc. I will try and get better about that. I love having the memories stored some where for my family and don't want to give that up.

But for now some random thoughts from our home....

Isaac got his braces off today and then got the stomach flu so I don't have a good picture of him yet to post. He looks awesome and SO much older! I did a before picture on Sunday night so when he is feeling better I will get the after shot and post it!

Gabriel sat down on Saturday (when Dominic and I were both sick) and read his whole Bible front to back. Granted it was a kids Bible...but none the less I am proud of him! He is such a good kid!

Elijah is at that stage where I wish I could record everything he says. He is so darn cute. The way he says "ohhh thanks mom" melts my heart. And is he learning how to go potty on his own more and more lately and is SOOO proud of himself when he does it. Now we just have to teach him how to get redressed so he doesn't come half naked out of the bathroom when we have company. (Yes this happened!)

Karlena is just such a sweet "miss". She probably thinks that is her name because Dominic and I call her that all the time! :) She isn't a baby anymore and it makes me just a little bit sad. She likes to go up the stairs by herself and play alone in the toy room. She is just such a good little girl!

I sold my first item on Ebay this week and made $70!! WOOHOO. I am totally exited and am looking around for other things we can live without! ;)

We are making some very big decisions right now as a family. I can't share the details at this point...but I can say that God has been closing some doors and leaving open others. We are trying to seek out His will in our decisions and are praying that He blesses this new road. It is scary and unknown but Dominic continues to remind me/us that God is right there with us and this too will be for His glory!

Please pray for us as we walk this unchartered territory.

I guess that's all I have for now....we were supposed to be getting this HUGE storm starting tomorrow and I was honestly looking forward to a good ol' blizzard...but now it apparently has changed and we are only expected to get an inch or two. Normally I wouldn't be about the snow...but since we have had none this winter I was just a tiny bit excited about the possibility!

So now that I have shared some of my randomness...please share some of yours! :)

Job Update

2012-02-22T20:44:00.000-06:00

Well today I joined the ranks of the employed once again! I started a job with a local Ameriprise office here in Marshall as a planning assistant.

The small group of people that I am working with are all wonderful - very welcoming and helpful and I feel like it will be a good fit.

Of course I am a bit intimidated about all that I need/want to learn to be successful. I always put big expectations on myself and I need to remember that I am now learning new programs, schedules etc and it will take time.

And you know one awesome perk about this job? I live so close that I can run home for lunch and relax a little and get back and it just takes minutes. I haven't had something like that for YEARS. I made it to pick up the kids by 5:05pm and was home and getting dinner ready by 5:30. I don't miss the commuting that we did for so long at all!

Overall I am so encouraged by today and will continue to work hard and learn and hopefully grow from this experience as well! I am very grateful that God provided this job for me and I hope that I can be a light to those I work with!

Dayspring Giveaway Winners!!

2012-02-20T20:25:00.000-06:00

We have the winners picked for the Dayspring giveaways!! I wish that I was able to send each of you something special...but please know that I am praying for all of you and hope that God will bless each of you in a special way this week!

I tried and tried to get the Random.org generator html code to transfer to the blog so that I could "prove" who the winners were...but it kept leaving me a box saying "page not found". Not being a computer wiz I wasn't able to figure out what I was doing wrong. Please trust that the numbers picked were the 1st two samples generated!

The winner of the $20 Dayspring gift code is.....

#15 Madeline Brubaker! Congrats I will be sending the $20 code to your e-mail! I hope you are able to find something fun for yourself!!

And the winner of the Dayspring gift set that I was sent to review is .....

#4 Sal B! Can you please email me at kasmith03(at)gmail(dot)com?! Send me your mailing address and I will get the gift set out to you this week!!

Yay - this was so much fun - thank you all for participating! Have a wonderful week!!

Friday Funnies!

2012-02-17T17:22:00.000-06:00

At school Gabriel's class works on writing with these problem and solution organizers.

This is what he brought home the other day. It cracks me up that of all the problems/solutions...he thought of this.....something that happened over a year ago.

Ahhh yes...the old cat peed on my couch so dad cleaned it up with a garbage bag and a towel story. Who doesn't have that one to tell??

Just the story that I had hoped he would share with his class! :) It made me laugh though and so not wanting to keep all the fun for myself I thought I would share it here!

Have your kids ever shared a funny at school that you wished they hadn't??

Dayspring - Blessed and Loved AND a Giveaway!!

2012-02-16T12:31:00.000-06:00

I LOVE being able to partner with Dayspring. They have so many beautiful products and who doesn't like getting a little something for free to review every once and awhile?!

This month I was sent the "Blessed and Loved" Collection to review.

Included in this set was a gift bag, a yearly "daybrightener", a hard cover journal and a tea cup set.

I got the set on February 3rd and the verse in the daybrightener for that day was so fitting for me. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Perfect timing!!

This would be a wonderful set to give a friend. (And I may just be doing that below...so keep on reading!!)

The journal is hard cover and so beautiful.

And many of the pages inside have a scripture verse on them at the bottom.

I can invision myself drinking my hot chocolate in the tea cup and writing in the journal!

And I love that it has its own coaster as well!

But now its my turn to share the love a little!! Dayspring has given me a code to give away to one lucky reader for $20 off your next Dayspring order. Regular shipping rates will apply and a minimum purchase of $20 is required.

There are lots of great items on sale right now - so I know one of you will really enjoy finding something special!

AND just because I love my readers so much and want to share the blessings that have been given to us recently I am also going to give away the set that I received to review!

For one chance to win just leave a comment sharing how someone has blessed you recently and you will be entered!!

For 3 additional entries you may:

Share this blog post on Facebook - leave a comment saying you did so.

Tweet about the giveaway - leave a comment saying you did!

Become a follower of my blog/or comment you are already a follower!

So that's 2 great prizes and 4 chances to win! I will pick the winners on Monday February 20th!

**Dayspring provided me this set to review at no cost to me but the opinions expressed here are absolutely my own!**

Meeting (in) Real Life?

2012-02-15T16:32:00.000-06:00

One of the greatest gifts I have received from blogging is the friendships I have made with other bloggers. I know there are skeptics out there that think those of us behind the computer screen must be a bunch of crazies :) and how could you meet people from online and form friendships?

But it has happened and I have MANY friends that have encouraged me and walked with me through both good and difficult times. Friends that leave comments or send e-mails and texts. Some of these beautiful women I have met in real life and others we haven't had the chance yet.

My friends over at (in)courage have seen how so many of us have connected online and want to encourage us to get together on a set weekend and have (in)RL meetups!

In their words:

Yup, we're bringing the beach house to you with the goal of connecting women beyond the blog post! How? Well, with a day of (in)courage meetups - think mini beach house parties - all around the country and globe and a webcast for everyone to tune into. A local meetup on a global scale; friends will gather to watch live webcasts of (in)courage contributors and community, connect with one another, and discover new friendships they didn't know were right around the corner!

There will be something for everyone - walking, talking, laughing, hugging blog content - right in the comfort of your living room. The webcast kicks off on Friday, April 27 and (in)RL beach house parties follow on Saturday, April 28 with more live (in)courage content to tune into together. Just imagine thousands of (in)courage women all over the world getting together in homes, coffee shops, restaurants, or churches - you name it- to connect in real life!

Watch the video below to learn a little more!

How fun right?

This is a chance for us to finally step out from behind the comfort of the computer and get to know each other on a deeper level.

To sign up for a "meetup" in your area just click here. The cost is just $10 and you get a t-shirt and a pack of cards from DaySpring and access to the web event.

I have signed up and am willing to have a group meet here for the day on Saturday April 28th...if anyone is interested?! I would love to spend the day encouraging one another and being encouraged as well!

For more details and questions answered check out this page over at (in)courage!

And if not this "event" - please consider finding a way to reach out and "meet" someone new in your area - you never know what friendships you might make if you do!!

Valentine's Dinner

2012-02-15T09:31:00.000-06:00

We wanted to do something special for the kids yesterday to celebrate Valentine's Day. So we went to our local Dollar Store to find some goodies.

I love that they have balloons for a dollar. All of the kids love getting balloons and this was a cheap and easy way to decorate up the table. We just tied a balloon to the backs of each of their chairs.

The I cut out some paper hearts and hung them from the light fixture above the table. Karlena couldn't stop looking at them...I think we may have to leave those up for awhile! And I am going to save them in a bag so that we can do this again next year!

And we got each of the kids a few fun things from the dollar store, like glow sticks, Valentine's suckers, a magic trick kit for Gabriel and a stuffed flower for Karlena.

They were all pretty excited to see the table all dressed up and the balloons and gifts kept them busy for a majority of the evening!!

How did you celebrate Valentine's Day?

A Covenant Kind of Love

2012-02-14T15:46:00.000-06:00

When I married Dominic waaaaay back in 1996 I had many dreams for what our life would be. I knew that we would have a house and a family, good jobs and maybe a dog. We would work hard and see the benefits of that hard work.

Life would be easy and fun and full of love.

Isn't that what every bride and groom think? That love will get them through anything? And troubles??? What troubles - surely we wouldn't have any of those!

And then reality hits, life happens..it gets hard and sometimes it isn't easy to love.

So what then?

I think too many people - me included initially - thought that love was all we needed. But then when things did get tough and the lovey-dovey feelings weren't flowing very much....didn't know what to do next.

Over the years Dominic has reminded me about the covenant commitment we made to each other when we said our vows. It wasn't that we would love each other as long as it "felt" good. No, it was that we committed ourselves to each other in good times and bad, in sickness and in health for better and for worse, till death parts us.

We made that covenant with God in front of our family and our friends. And that means that we must love and encourage one another, be respectful and kind in ALL things.

Regardless of how we are "feeling".

I have been a bit of an emotional wreck lately. I feel overwhelmed and depressed and scared about the changes that our family might be facing. Since I can't see the future (although I wish like heck I could!!) I can only guess...but I am just plain scared about the future and what it holds for us.

I typically am very positive about God's plan and trusting Him in the good and bad times. But the past several days have been bad and I have been negative and isolating.

This is one of those times where I am making it ~~just a little~~ VERY hard for Dominic to "love" me. If it were all about the feelings we would probably be in a tough place.

But Dominic loves me with a covenant kind of love. The kind of love that says I am going to give 110% right now even if you can't, I am going to support you and love you and encourage you...even if it isn't returned.

Dominic has modeled such love and grace to me and I am such a lucky woman. Although we don't exchange big, fancy, expensive gifts on Valentine's Day - I wouldn't want things any other way.

My heart is full because God placed a wonderful man in my life and I am so grateful that on a day when we celebrate love that I am gifted with so much more than that.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

-1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Our Little Sweetie

2012-02-12T14:49:00.000-06:00

Warning: Picture Overload!

Karlena looked so cute after church this morning that I had to take just a couple of photos to share. This is just a handful of the ones I took!

Five Minute Fridays - TRUST

2012-02-10T08:22:00.000-06:00

Today I am linking up with Lisa Jo of The Gypsy Mama for Five Minute Fridays. The premise is simple - 5 minutes of writing, unedited, no back tracking, no overthinking!

Today's topic is TRUST.

Our family is being stretched in ways I can't even wrap my arms around right now. There are really only a few responses I can have....

Lay down and die or Trust.

I think it is interesting that the verse that I have been memorizing recently is Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Right now at this moment this is all I can do.

Trust.

Trust that even though we can't see it....what will happen...that God has brought us to this place and He will walk us through it.

Trust that if nothing else we will come out of this time as a stronger family, couple...united.

Trust that we just have to deal with and live through today, and tomorrow will be taken care of tomorrow.

I don't need to spend endless hours wasted in worry.

All I have to do is trust.

Easy words to say when life is easy-peasy...

Difficult to walk through when life is not.

But this is my choice, it has to be. If not now then all of the words I ever expressed before about God's love and faithfulness mean nothing.

I am trusting you God - I don't understand, I don't agree but I trust.

I have to.

STOP

An Anonymous Gift

2012-02-07T18:43:00.000-06:00

"All the things in this world are gifts and signs of God's love to us. The whole world is a love letter from God" ~ Peter Kreeft

It is in my nature to be a giver I think. I enjoy being able to give gifts to others, or help out a person(s) in need, to give without expecting anything in return. It is not as easy though for me to receive.

I am sure it is my pride. I want to be able to say that I can take care of it and I didn't have to ask for help. It is a lesson that God has been teaching me the past few weeks. Teaching me how to be humble and grateful and willing to accept a "gift" when it has been given to me.

Today was another one of those times.

When I went to get the kids from daycare I was talking with Markel and before I left she says to me that someone paid for the next 2 weeks of our daycare costs.

Excuse me?!

So she says it again....and I start to cry (of course!!) She says someone contacted her and asked what we pay for a weeks worth of child care and said they would be sending her a check. And she has promised to keep the donor anonymous.

I am just overwhelmed here. I don't know that I can find the right words to express the depth of my gratitude that someone would do this for our family. I don't understand it and the prideful part of my heart is frustrated that we would even need it in the first place.

But overall I am feeling so humbled and amazed at God's faithfulness.

You see the past week has been especially tough for me. I have allowed my mind to focus on the negative and I had stopped believing that God's faithfulness could extend to our family. I was upset about our circumstances and tired of trying to act positive. I was certain that things would not be ok.

Boy does it take a lot of energy to be mad at God! I knew the truth but because I couldn't see it or tangibly feel it in MY time, I fought against it.

But in spite of me and my pride and anger God showed up in the form of this beautiful anonymous giver. The Body of Christ in its truest sense.

I don't know who you are...or if you even read here and I wish that I could say thank you in person...but since I can't I hope that you know that this means more than you could possibly know.

And when we are in the position again we will pay the gift forward - until then I am praising God for His Body of believers.

THANK YOU

Raising Honest Children

2012-02-07T09:32:00.000-06:00

I know it will be hard to believe, based on the sweet and innocent picture here of our 2 1/2 year old.....

But our son is a liar.

And a BAD one!!

I am not talking about the kind of lies that show he has an active imagination...like a little girl at our daycare who said she stole honey from a bear and the bear followed her to daycare that day.

That is cute, active play.

I am talking about the kind of lies that you wonder where they came from. How did he learn to respond that way without hesitation?!

I would like to believe that we are modeling honesty in our home and that this is some trait he was born with....

Here is an example of how this behavior has been presenting itself with Elijah.

Yesterday I gave the kids each a cupcake as a snack. No frosting...just a plain cupcake. Gabriel ate his over the garbage can so as not to spill all over the floor. I watched him do it. I put Elijah in his chair at the table, gave him his cupcake and then went off to do something else. (Mistake on my part!!)

He knows that he isn't supposed to eat food away from the table, but a little while later I notice that there are cupcake crumbs all over the floor in the living room.

So I ask Elijah who made the mess and without even taking a moment to think about it he says "Gabriel!" Gabriel is sitting at the table doing his homework. So I ask Elijah again and he gives me the same response. I ask Gabriel - did you make this mess and he says "No mom!" (And I know he didn't) Asking Elijah a third time after he has heard Gabriel's response and telling him that he needs to tell mama the truth he says, and with conviction I might add, "GABRIEL"!

Oh what's a mama to do?!

Later that evening I find an empty wrapper on the floor and ask again who's it is...knowing full well it was Elijah's and he says "Karlena's".

We have a problem on our hands here folks!!

So I started thinking about how we as parents can raise honest kids...

I think it starts first by modeling the behavior ourselves to our kids. Making sure that the things that Dominic and I say are a good example of honesty. And I think that for the most part I can say we do a good job at this.

It is tough, when you have a child that is so young, to help them understand what being honest is all about. I tried talking with Elijah a little about how God wants us to tell the truth and when we don't it makes God sad. I asked him if he wanted God to be sad, and in another proud parenting moment he said "Yes!" (Shaking my head....)

But I think that just like teaching them to share their toys, or using their hands for hugs and waves and NOT hitting....teaching them about honesty will just be another thing that we will have to be looking for those moments like I had last night to reinforce the positive behavior. At some point he will get it.

But now I want to hear from you!! What has worked with your children? I don't know that punishments/time outs etc are going to be a positive reinforcement and make the point I want to make. But maybe you have a different experience? I'd love to hear about it!!

Pink Swap!!

2012-02-04T12:32:00.000-06:00

I LOVE the ideas of swaps. I participated in an ornament swap the past few years and in early January I heard about a "Pink Swap" happening over at Monograms and Manicures. The idea was that you would be paired with another blogger and had a price limit and would purchase items that were pink to send to your partner!

Not only is it fun to shop for someone else, but it comes with the anticipation that you will be getting something fun yourself. And even better it gives bloggers the chance to connect with other bloggers that they might not otherwise "meet".

I was paired with Valerie over at This Cosmic Life of Mine. Of course I had to check out her blog for some ideas about what she might like - and she actually did the same thing for me! We discovered through tweets that our packages arrived on the same day too!

I was overwhelmed with what I received and am pretty sure she spent over the budget amount! :) Here are The amazing and thoughtful things that I got!!

First of all Valerie sent everything in this pink and white basket. I have always wanted one of these because they are collapsible - so I was thrilled to finally get one!

Every morning I have a big cup of hot chocolate and I can't wait to have it in this beautiful mug. The detailing on the mug is so pretty.

We both sent each other pink journals! And this one is fun with the words "Be Happy" on the front!

And what does a working mother of four need most? Nice treats for a spa day at home!! I got everything I might need to treat myself to a spa at home! Relaxation time here I come!!

I was so blessed by your gifts Valerie - thank you so much!!

Have you ever participated in a swap with other bloggers?? Know of any good annual swaps out there that I might need to know about?! :) Please share if you do!

Easy Breakfast Idea

2012-02-04T08:35:00.000-06:00

On most mornings the kids have a variety of things to choose from for breakfast - pop tarts, cereal, toast, muffins or frozen waffles. It is what is fast and easy on our already rushed school mornings.

But on the weekends we like to have either pancakes or yummy breakfast burritos. The "recipe" that I use is really simple and feeds our large family well.

First I will cut up some Kielbasa sausage into a large fry pan.

Then I will put a brown on the sausage a bit before I add the eggs.

Then just to keep things simple I crack my eggs right into the pan. Our family can eat up to 15 eggs in a sitting. I know it is a lot, but eggs are fairly affordable and with 6 people in the home we eat a lot!!

My dad taught us the trick to add just a little bit of water to the mix and it helps make the eggs fluffy.

Scramble up the eggs as best you can in the pan and cook on medium heat. I use a rubber spatula and just stir constantly.

The sausage just cooks into the eggs and as you stir the mixtures gets cooked through and fluffy. All in one pan - I love how easy that is!!

I will just eat my egg/sausage mix plain with some toast, but the boys all make burritos out of it.

Put the eggs on the tortilla shell of your choice, add shredded cheese...

And you have one happy customer!!

What are some easy breakfast ideas that your family likes? Please share them here because I am always looking for new things to try!!

A Reminder.....And Many Thanks

2012-01-31T14:29:00.000-06:00

I have been a bit of a lump the past few days....in fact writing this post today is probably the only structured thing I have done besides getting the kids up and ready for the day! :)

I guess we need days like this every once and awhile. Ones that we just sit and read a book or watch a movie and let the housework and chores sit for one day.

Speaking of reading I just won an e-book copy of Jen Hatmaker's "7". It is about eliminating excess in 7 areas of your life. It is scary and I almost don't want to keep reading because I know it will challenge me to change and that is frightening....but not why I am writing this today.

I am not someone who likes to ask for or accept help. When people ask if I need help with anything I will probably say no. I don't want to admit if we are struggling with something and can't handle it on our own.

I want to be self-sufficient.

But in my quest to handle it all I have lost a little bit of my reliance on God...because I know better than He right? He isn't here dealing with my job loss or fears....so I should suck it up and handle it on my own. I don't need help from anyone.

But in the past few weeks I have been humbled by the support we have received from family and friends. Financial help, prayers, words of encouragement and unexpected birthday gifts have graced our path and I feel so grateful.

Not expected, and at times difficult to accept...but none the less appreciated so much.

Today I received a birthday card and gift and a letter with a reminder about some of the biggest blessings in my life. I have 4 amazing kids. 4 kids who just light up my life with their words and their smiles and their hearts.

Such gifts.

And I have my sweet husband. A man that works so hard to provide for our family and supports me in so many ways. A man that makes me laugh and encourages me to "take a nap" because I can right now. A man that reminds me over and over that it will all be ok.

No matter what happens....

I am learning that it is ok to not be completely self-sufficient. That I need to rely on God in the good and bad times. That I can accept help and when I am in the position once again - we will pass along the blessing to someone else who needs it.

For today I am giving thanks for all of you...and you know who you are. Your prayers, your support, your ideas and gifts, your encouragement and your love.

It is felt, it is appreciated and it has healed a broken part of my spirit. Thank YOU for being the body of Christ to our family.

For the Mother of a "Spirited" Toddler

2012-01-30T16:38:00.000-06:00

Whenever people ask how many kids we have and I list their names and ages people often say "Wow - you must be busy with a 2 1/2 yr old and a 1 yr old!"

And for the most part they are right. We are busy. But who isn't these days right?!

Until we had Karlena I didn't know what it was like to have a calm, quiet child. Sorry boys...but that was just never the case with you! :) And until Karlena came we had a pretty hefty "space" between the ages of the kids too.

So having a potty training toddler and then an infant at the same time was new to me. And I will be honest I was in NO WAY prepared for it.

Elijah is, shall we say, sprirted in every sense of the word. But he is a joy to have around....most of the time! ;) There are those occasional and oh so rare moments that he decides that he is not going to behave.

Some days those moments come in waves and I find myself scolding him or putting him in time out more often than I am encouraging him and rewarding him. And those days I feel like such a failure. What parent enjoys being upset with their child?? Not me!!

And if I am honest I am probably more worried about what others will think about me and my failings as a mom than I am about his actual 2 yr old behavior.

I came across this post today from Lysa TerKeurst and I just had to share it. Because I know there are other mothers (and maybe even fathers) out there that have a hard time raising a sprirted son or daughter.

We just want them to behave and stay within our little "box" of rules. But sometimes that spirit grows in them to adulthood and some more than amazing things come out of it. So today I am joining Lysa and praying not for a "good child"...but for a "God-following" adult.

Please jump over and read Lysa's post here and be encouraged and then join with me in praying for our children that they desire to follow God with all their hearts...even if it means they break a rule every once and awhile!

Happy Monday to you all!!

When Life Isn't Easy and "That Part"

2012-01-28T11:39:00.001-06:00

I have to be honest with you...the past few days have not been good for me. I am feeling depressed and defeated and angry. Most of my anger has been directed at God and what I perceive as the "it's not fair" situation we are in.

While I typically try and talk myself into believing that everything will be ok, I had stopped doing that and had fully embraced the negative.

It is ugly and it isn't a place I can stay.

I think that it is normal to be angry with God in difficult situations. If you believe in the God I do you may also believe that He has the power to change a circumstance. I believe that God can heal cancer or other terminal illnesses, I believe that He could provide the perfect job for me, I believe he could stop earthquakes and tornados from happening....insert any tradgedy here and I believe that God could stop it.

I believe God has all power....but just because He has the power to change things doesn't mean that he does.

And that is difficult for me to understand right now.

It is that question that I think believers ask time and time again...why do bad things happen to good people? And when they do what should our response be??

Well my response the past couple of days has been sinful. In my anger with God I have cursed His name, said that I was "done with all of it" and not been a good example of living out faith in front of my kids.

Because it is easy to have faith and talk the talk when life is good. But it is MUCH harder to really live it out when things are bad.

Dominic and I were talking last night and I said "For once, I just want it to be easy"..."just once I want our dream(whatever that is) to fall in our laps without having to try so hard to get there, I want to not worry about tomorrow...I just want it to be easy."

And Dominic said "Maybe it isn't about life being easy...but it is about being able to walk through the difficulities with grace." "That is how we need to live out our faith, to be an example to others of the grace that was already given freely to us."

How easily I forget that part of God's story....

You know that part when God sent His only Son to live on earth...to experience all the trials, temptations and difficulities that we experience, and then to suffer an unimaginable death on a cross so that we have a way to life everlasting with Him for eternity.

That part that I blocked out when I was stomping my feet in anger about what God was allowing to happen to our family again.

That part that I wouldn't consider when I was telling God that I was giving up on Him. That I didn't believe He wanted good for me and my family.

That part....

Romans 5:1-8

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but wealso glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow or the next day. And truth be told I am convinced that things for us are going to get worse before they get better. I don't mean to be a downer here but I just think that we live in a sinful world and bad things happen all around us and to us. And just because we believe in God and are working at being faithful doesn't mean we are exempt from these things.

And so I don't hold hope in the things of this world but only in the hope of Heaven. I will do my best to continue to trust in God during my time here and be an example of living faithfully during that time. And I will work at being an example of grace because so much more has already been given to me.

An Adventure in Faith

2012-01-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

I am not the kind of person that you might describe as adventurous. I like the "normal", the routine and often times mundane.

I would rather stay in than go out, I get to know a certain group of friends, co-workers etc and I don't feel the need to really expand my horizons. Because putting myself out there for someone or something new is scary. And I don't do scary.

I like the comfortable.

Perhaps this is why God is stretching me a bit. Because even in my faith I have become comfortable. I believe in God - I will pray for people and tell them that He is in control, I will share how He has worked in my life...but do I really believe it for my life?

When everything feels like it is out of control - do I believe He has a plan?

People who know us, our close family and friends who have walked through the past 15 years of our marriage, know that life has never been "easy" for Dominic and I.

We have walked through some very dark and difficult times, we have fought - with God's help - for restoration and renewal - and we have seen the fruits of that labor. But it has never been easy. It seems that we are often taking a step forward and then two steps back. Whether it is job related, or cars that break down, finances...you name it, it seems a struggle.

When our family starts saying "When will you ever catch a break"...we know it isn't just us and our perspective...but others can see it too.

And yet Lord I still believe in something better....

Dominic and I were talking the other night about all of this and he said that maybe, for us, it just won't ever be "easy street". Maybe we need the struggle so that we can step outside of ourselves, seek God's help and direction and then someday be there for someone else going through the very same thing.

And yet, if I am honest, my heart cries for our silver lining...our break...our dream.

But would that really make me happy?

Last week I blogged about Joy. I had no idea when I wrote that post that a few hours later I would be getting my walking papers from my 13 yr job. But as I read the post again I still feel what I wrote. I can still find the joy in the midst of the uncertainty that is my day today.

God has called me to an adventure in faith with Him.

A journey that is uncertain and sometimes scary. A journey that requires me to step out of my comfortable and trust in Him completly. And right now I have to do this....I can't imagine any other way to deal with everything....but to have faith that this too shall be ok.

I am memorizing Proverbs 3:5-6 right now and it is so appropriate for this time in my life.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; and in all things acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

As I adventure out in faith I trust in my God with ALL my heart - not just the comfortable part...but the uncomfortable too. I stop trying to figure out the "whys" with my small amount of understanding and I will bring ALL things to God, acknowledging that He knows better than I and give Him the control back to place me on the best path for my life.

Lord I admit that I wasn't ready for this adventure with You...but now that I am "in" I am all Yours!

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My Cowboy...and his brother

2012-01-25T21:20:00.000-06:00

Tonight was "Cowboy" night at Awana.

Of course we didn't remember until this morning but thankfully I was able to find a few things that Isaac had worn as a costume in years past and put something together for him.

The only thing we didn't have was cowboy boots. And the vest was super huge but he looked great regardless!

Of course Elijah wanted to be in the picture with Gabriel. But he had just finished his dinner and had gotten a tootsie roll and when I took the picture it looked like he had a piece of chew in his cheek!

This was making all of us laugh....

I was trying and trying to get a good shot of the two of them but it wasn't working.

I LOVE the above shot because it is so who are kids are...no poised and proper kids in this household! :)

But after a few tries we were able to get a pretty good one....

I love that our boys love eachother and want to have pictures together. Happy Wednesday to all of you!!

Couponing

2012-01-24T10:14:00.000-06:00

How many of you have watched that show on TLC - Extreme Couponing? I admit I have, and while I think some of those people are a little...shall we say off their rocker, you can't deny the fact that they are getting thousands of dollars of products each year for almost free.

I honestly don't know how they do it - but I have started to coupon a bit myself. If you have been following my blog you have already heard that last week I lost my job. So now, even more than before it is important that I find a way to cut some of our expenses until I am able to find a job again!

My favorite site for coupons so far is Coupons.com. All you need to register is a valid e-mail address and then e-mails are sent to you when there are new deals etc available. You are allowed to print 2 each month and new coupons are added throughout the month too.

The coupons are mostly for brand name items so you do have to compare the value of the brand vs. store name in price with the coupon. Sometimes the store brand is still a better deal and I just go that route.

On these extreme shows the talk about "stacking" coupons...using a manufactures coupon with an Internet coupon for the same item. I tried this at Walmart and they wouldn't let me do it. If you have had luck with this let me know how/where would you please?!

I also have become more of an "ad" shopper. I used to do all of my shopping at Walmart - one stop was easy. But I have found that I can get some great deals from our local Hy-Vee if I watch their ads. About a month ago we bought LOTS of cans of beans for chili because they were so cheap. We have them stored in our basement "pantry" and won't have to buy beans for a LONG time.

We do this with other items as well like cake mixes and spaghetti sauce and noodles. Another thing I like to do is buy a bunch of hamburger when it is a great sale and brown it up and freeze meal-sized portions. This helps make meal planning easier when I just have to thaw a container of meat instead of thawing AND cooking it.

Also some stores have special days where they will double your coupons value up to a certain amount. Kmart does this on Wednesdays here and they will double up to 5 coupons with a $25 purchase. So you have to watch the ads and make sure you are getting your value out of the coupon. Last week I got a couple of items BOGO 1/2 off plus I had a $1 off coupon that was doubled. That made the prices much less than I would have paid for store brand at Walmart.

I haven't ventured out yet to coupon clipping sites, or dumpster diving for ads! :) But if you get a Sunday paper and don't use your coupons and would like to send them my way from time to time I would really appreciate it!

These days when I leave a store and don't have an amount off for coupons I feel like I have lost a little! Last week we saved $16 at Walmart and $8 at Hy -Vee just from taking the time to clip/print a few coupons.

I would LOVE to hear if you coupon, how it works for you and what other money saving tips you may have!!

Who's the adult here?

2012-01-23T15:21:00.000-06:00

I don't want to forget this little conversation I just had with Gabriel...

I picked Gabriel up from school and we were headed back home. I always ask him about his day, what he had for lunch, if he has homework etc.

When we pulled into the garage I asked him if he was going to have one of the brownies I made yesterday as a snack.

He said "yes" and then I said "or should I just eat them all"? (teasing)

Then he said "Mom if you eat them all you will get a stomach ache!" And I responded "Oh I will? hmmm"

As we walked into the house he said "Mom when you talk like that sometimes I feel like I am the adult and you are the child!"

So I asked what he meant by that and he said "You should know that eating all the brownies would give you a stomach ache - adults know that stuff....and when I have to remind you it feels like I am the adult and you are the child!"

Ahh yes....that's my Gabriel! He just cracks me up at times!!

What are some of the funny things your kids have said to you?

When a "boy" daddy finally has a girl

2012-01-20T14:14:00.000-06:00

Having a girl after 3 boys was a shock to both of us. Dominic really was surprised...said he didn't think he had it in him.

All of our boys looked the same at birth - so he was just a tad worried about how she would look. He didn't want a "manly" looking daughter! :)

But she is every bit sweet and girly and petite and it is so much fun to dress her up in pretty dresses.

So this week Dominic was out on the road for work and he and his boss had some downtime between appointments and they ran into a TJ Maxx.

And when he came home he had this for our girl - his "miss" as he calls her...

A beautiful dress - maybe for Easter? And it was only $10! It has a matching headband and these beautiful rhinestones for buttons on the back....see?!

The most special part to me was when he said "This is the first thing that I have ever bought for her on my own". (Insert tear)

And I couldn't help but think that one day he will buy her another dress....and that one will be white and I will always remember the day that my man brought his "miss" home her first dress from daddy.

I am so blessed to have such a caring and tender hearted man! And my girl is going to be beautiful in her little pink dress this spring!

For those "what now Lord" moments

2012-01-19T20:11:00.000-06:00

If you are friends with me on Facebook you may have already heard the news that today I was told that the position I had with a company I had worked at for 13 years was being outsourced, and that as of today I no longer had a job.

And just like that everything that I knew about my world stopped for just a moment. I was in shock really - not much to say, words failed me and I tried to reassure the HR person that had to tell me the news that I was going to be ok.

God has a plan in everything right?

I say that all the time to other people...but could I really believe it for myself?

This has been quite the past 18 months or so. First Dominic taking a leap of faith and moving to another state to start a job we felt he had been led to, to losing a best friend, to having our daughter and then finally after 8 months taking another leap of faith and moving to Marshall.

We finally felt like we were where we were supposed to be and that things would start looking up for our family. But Dominic's job was difficult to say the least. A tough and negative environment and it was wearing on us all.

Right before Thanksgiving Dominic's employment with the firm we had moved here for ended....for the better really - but here we were right before the holidays and he was without a job.

God has a plan in everything right? You do right? I mean what now Lord??

And He did have a plan - one that we didn't see unfolding and the very next day Dominic had a new job, a company car and a fantastic group of people to work with. I heard him laugh, genuinely laugh for the first time in months that first week. And although he has had to "start over" in a sense....he is happy and we feel very blessed by his new employer.

And we started feeling like finally now maybe things would start looking up...again.

And then, out of the blue, I get the news I got today.

God has a plan in everything right? You do right? I mean what now Lord??

And although I have NO IDEA what is in store around the corner for me. I don't know when or where I might find a new job. I don't know if I can/will stay in banking or if I should be doing something different.

There is so much unknown right now and it could feel really scary. But I feel strangely at peace.

I don't know how God is working but I KNOW THAT HE IS!!

So in these "what now Lord" moments where do we turn??

I have to turn to His word and the truths found there....

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand"

God knew about what would happen today before we moved to Marshall, God knows what my next job will be (I am hoping He clues me in sooner than later) and I trust fully in His timing.

I can't explain the peace I feel about all of this - but it is there. Do I wish this were different - absolutely!! But because this is now my new path I move forward in faith.

So what now Lord I ask??

Fear not my daughter, fear not! - Those words whisper to me tonight, a soothing balm to my soul and I find rest in Him. Thank you Jesus for your provisions....I walk forward in faith - lead on!!

Joy

2012-01-19T05:26:00.000-06:00

I am linking up today with Bonnie over at Faith Jam to talk about Joy.

When I looked up the definition of Joy I was surprised to see what the first description was.

"The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires"

Interesting I think because I don't think that is how I would describe the things that bring me joy in this life.

If my joy was defined by my well-being, or success or good fortune - things defined of this world - I would probably find myself disappointed and unhappy. Because we won't always have a perfect, successful, fortunate life.

There will be tough times and can I find joy in those times too?

I think that we have and we do.

Here are just a few of the things that bring me joy lately....

The toothy grin that Karlena gives me in the morning.

Hearing Elijah say his prayers.

Asking Gabriel to tell me about his day when I am picking him up from school.

Having conversations with Isaac and feeling blessed that he still talks to me! ;)

Phone calls with my husband when he is away for work and sharing our day with each other.

By the world's standards these may not be things that should bring me joy, but they do.

And I am grateful.

I have found that seeing joy is really about about my perspective. And when I choose to see the joy in the little things, I am blessed.

So how about you? Where do you find joy in your days? Please share - I would love to hear!

Prayers With Our Kids

2012-01-17T21:45:00.000-06:00

We are definitely a praying family. Saying prayers together is something that we really started to do about 5 years ago.

In the mornings the kids and I say prayers as I am taking them to school/daycare. We pray for their day and for their dad's day at work and recently have been praying for sweet Isaac that I shared about last week. He can still use our prayers so please keep him at the top of your list!!

And we pray at night before bed as well -thanking God for the day and asking for protection as we sleep.

When we eat we say a few "common" prayers and one that I have only ever heard in our immediate family. It is called "Happy Hearts".

We thank you Lord for happy hearts

For rain and sunny weather

We thank you for the food we eat

And that we are together.

Amen

What makes this prayer fun is that we will replace "rain and sunny" with different words. So if it is a birthday and it is snowing out we would say snowy and birthday weather....you get the point right?

Recently this prayer has become Elijah's favorite and being 2 1/2 and not always able to share - he is often the picker of our words.

His favorites right now are Magic Wands and Praise Jesus weather. LOVE this!

And because this is now his favorite prayer he wants to say it for every prayer. So we say it at bedtime and in the morning and at meals! :)

But he is so adorable because he has learned it and even though he doesn't realize it now he is learning to bring his requests to God and hopefully he will carry that with him for life!

So how about you - do you have a favorite family prayer? Please share it here with me because it would be fun to learn something new!

A Day at Home

2012-01-12T16:10:00.000-06:00

Today was a change from my normal schedule a little because I had the day off with Elijah and Karlena. I wanted to think of something fun to do with them - but in all reality with a 1 yr old and a 2 1/2 yr old it can be tough to get anything accomplished.

My biggest problem is that things seem to happen in a matter of seconds and I can't do much but roll with it - and maybe even take a few pictures for some laughs.

So here is a look into my day with the 2 kids.

I found some blank paper for Elijah and some crayons. I thought he was sitting at the table coloring....instead he apparently thought it would be fun to color a large area of the wall in our kitchen.

So I got a Magic Eraser and put him to work cleaning it up...can you see the joy on his face?! (This was 1 of 4-5 areas that needed to be scrubbed!)

The reality was that you had to scrub pretty hard to get the crayon off so I knew I would be doing most of the work, but I let him spend a few minutes on it. And then I had him sit and watch me take care of the rest.

Elijah is potty trained and recently has taught himself how to "go" standing up. We have this little stool and he has a few times, gone in and taken care of his business and come out. No problem.

No problem that is unless he comes out to have me help him get his pants on and leaves the bathroom door open and the toilet seat up.

Cue a wondering Karlena....

By the time I got in there she was quite pleased with herself and it was honestly hilarious....so yes I did let her keep playing so that I could go and get my camera and capture the moment. (Shameless I know! But won't she love to see these pictures when she is a teenager?!)

But she was having so much fun....

I don't know that any of our other children have made a mess like she did this morning.

Of course she was soaked and needed a bath - so at 10am she and Elijah were in the bath once again!

She was loving the water. Normally everyone takes showers so this was extra fun today!

Elijah was pretty content to play too.

I had the opportunity to re-wash my floor after they were done - there was a lot of splashing going on!!

I knew that I needed a plan if I was going to keep them contained while I made lunch so I decided it was time for the "pen"....

We haven't really ever used this - they had one at the old daycare center we went to and they would put the babies inside to play so the older kids could play in the same space but not potentially hurt them. I bought one and then we moved and it never really came back out again.

Elijah wasn't happy though and asked to get out so I told him he had to sit on the rocker and watch his Little Einstein movie. And a few minutes later I found him like this. Sweet boy!

While he was sleeping and Karlena was playing peacefully I went into the other room and found this....

Elijah had found my secret stash of Dove chocolates at some point in the morning, eaten them all and stashed the wrappers somewhat hidden behind a cushion on our couch. No wonder why he was so crazy hyper and then crashed before lunch....his chocolate buzz wore off!

Karlena on the other hand was really hungry at lunch time and ate more mashed potatoes than I can believe!

She likes to feed herself right now so I just put a big scoop on her tray and let her go at it.

It was a mess and there were potatoes everywhere - even in her 2nd-washed clean hair! :)

Once she was done Elijah woke up so I put her back in the "pen" so that I could feed Elijah.

I went to check on her and found her like this....

She had climbed inside the basket of toys that was in there with her and was just playing away!

She is all about climbing right now so I wasn't that surprised to find her this way!

And before you know it we had to leave to get Gabriel from school.

Elijah cried the whole time we waited for Gabriel. It was glorious...his little chocolate-come-down nap was obviously not enough and he is resting now in his room.

The other fun thing I did today was to dye some white hankies for Gabriel to use in some of the magic tricks he does. We tried to find them online but they were pretty spendy so I found 10 white ones and thought we could dye them! He is pretty excited about it!

Now I think I am going to go to Walmart for a few things and let Isaac take the helm for a few minutes. I don't know how SAH moms do this every day!! Just chasing after 2 little ones for a few hours and I am tired and got nothing else accomplished!

How about you - how is parenting different in reality than you imagined it might be? I'd love to hear your stories! :)

What Every Mom Wants....

2012-01-11T17:45:00.000-06:00

Well at least this mom was touched by it...

When Isaac called me from the Miami airport to say that they were safe back in the US from Haiti, he could hear in my voice - or lack there of - that I was sick.

When he and my dad showed up the next day Isaac handed me these. He said they were because he felt bad I was sick and because he was bringing me a ton of laundry to do from his trip!

Isn't that sweet?!

He is such a thoughtful kid and I am so blessed to be able to be his mom!

If you didn't see it earlier - please check out this link about another Isaac I know who is very sick and in need of prayer. There is a prayer meeting at our old church happening tonight at 6:30pm. Will you please join me at that time in lifting another mom's son up?

Thank you friends!

URGENT Prayer Needed!!!

2012-01-11T08:04:00.004-06:00

Dear friends, family I coming to you this morning with an urgent prayer request. I believe in the power of prayer and am asking that you join with me in praying for a very sick little boy.

Isaac is 3 and is a little boy from our former home church in SD. Two days before Christmas Isaac was diagnosed with JMML, a very rare form of Leukemia.

The only form of treatment is a bone marrow transplant. Isaac's sister has been tested and was found to be a match! Praise the Lord.

But right now Isaac is fighting for his life. He developed pnuemonia in both of his lungs and right now is sedated and on a ventilator. His mom Jennifer posted last night that the doctors are not optimistic that he will recover from this so that he can even try the bone marrow transplant as an option.

I am seriously just aching for his parents. And because there isn't much else I can do I am praying fervently for a miracle.

Will you join me?

At 6:30pm (CST) tonight our church is holding a prayer service to lift up Isaac. I won't be able to be there in person but I will be joining them in prayer.

Will you join me?

Praying that God would heal his little lungs and remove the pnuemonia from his body so that he can be healthy enough to receive the bone marrow transplant.

I know that God hears our prayers of healing for little Isaac - so please ask others to join us in praying for him.

The other request I am going to make is that if you are not already a donor on the Be The Match registry - would you please consider joining today?

The testing process is simple - fill out a form on their website and they will send you a kit in the mail. Swab your cheek with the 4 Qtips and send them back in a postage-paid envelope. They will test you and put you on their registry as a pontential donor.

I sent mine in last week - Will you join me?

Thank you for your prayers for little Isaac.

I Don't Want to Forget

2012-01-10T12:39:00.000-06:00

Our Elijah - or "My Elijah" as he likes to call himself is just a little more than 4 months away from turning 3.

He is in that phase that is so challenging for many of us parents. I struggle daily with getting him to listen to me..the first or even second time I ask him something.

When I ask him if he is going to behave he often tells me "No!" - and he usually holds true to his word! ;)

He is spirited to say the least and often when I am telling Dominic about how he was I will say "He was being Elijah" and that explains it all!

I have tried the Love and Logic Parenting with him recently and it works....some of the time. It is all about empowering your kids to make choices and encouraging and praising the good ones.

This morning when I asked him to put his shoes on he said no. When I then asked if he wanted his right or his left on first he chose the left and they went on no problem. Once he had them on I told him what a GOOD choice he made and thanked him for being a good boy.

Every child loves to hear praise and Elijah is no exception. So when he does something good I try to really make a big deal out of it.

But it can still be a struggle and I lose my patience with him way too easily. I forget that he is still only 2 and he does have a lot of maturing left to do!

Last night I had all the kids in bed and sat down just to relax and watch a few episodes of House Hunter before I went to bed and I heard "My Elijah's" little foot steps across the kitchen floor.

He came to where I was and said "I wanted to see you mom". I told him that it was bedtime and he needed to go back up to bed but he asked if he could sit with me.

So I pulled him up on my lap and he snuggled in and as he was falling asleep he was rubbing his chin and his neck...just the way I used to when he was a small baby and we would relax on that same recliner together.

And in that moment I saw him as that little baby again. Beautiful and peaceful and every bit "My Elijah".

And I knew that I didn't want to forget him like that.

In the craziness of our mornings and evenings together I am seeking order and quietness and you just don't get that with a 2 yr old and a 1 yr old in the house!

But I am the one that need to change my focus....my expectations.

I need to see their sweet precious faces and be grateful for the chaos, because there is always a time of peace and quiet that follows. Last night I got some one on one time to just love on my boy. To help him go from awake to dreamland and I am so glad that I didn't just force him back to his room - so that I could have the wind-down time I thought I needed.

God continues to bless me with these moments with my kids and I am so very grateful for each of them.

My Little Helper

2012-01-09T21:05:00.000-06:00

Karlena decided that she wanted to be my helper tonight!

I brought the laundry basket out into the front room and walked away for a minute and when I came back she had climbed inside.

I just adore this girls personality - she is such a sweet pea.

Even when she is sick and not feeling 100%, she still has smiles for her mommy!

This chair is her favorite thing to climb on right now. She climbs up, rocks herself and climbs back down. Over and over again!

I love this picture of her holding one of her computers. She actually got 2 for Christmas but it was a good thing because Elijah really likes it too and so they can both have one to play with and they don't have to share! :)

This picture is blurry because she was running at me but I had to post it because I just love her toothy grin.

Hope you are having a good start to your week! It is my mom's birthday today and she is in Greece - awesome way to spend your birthday huh? So wish my mom a Happy Birthday along with me!!

Without A Voice

2012-01-06T12:54:00.000-06:00

It has been a couple of tough days here in the Smith household.

It started with Elijah feeling under the weather all weekend. We spent the New Years inside because he was not in any condition to go anywhere. By Tuesday he seemed to be doing better and they went to school/daycare while I went to work.

By Tuesday afternoon he was really coughing badly and so I brought him into the doctor. He had an ear infection so once we got him on meds he seemed to quickly improve.

Wednesday afternoon Karlena started to get sick and I have been home with her the past two days. I took her in this morning after a very rough night with little sleep and the poor girl has croup and an ear infection.

To top it all off I have had a cold and now have lost my voice. Any talking of any length causes me to cough - so I am trying to avoid it as much as possible.

It is a strange place to be without a voice. Especially when you have a very "spirited" 2 1/2 year old at home! ;) Who really has a hard time listening to mom when she can't raise her voice!

And with that I have no energy. I have had 2 days to take down the Christmas tree (I know yikes that it is still up!) and instead I have just been relaxing. Probably what I need now - but I annoy myself just a little. I like to be more productive than that!

Hopefully we are turning the corner with all of this though and no one else gets sick! I would appreciate any prayers for health and energy to return to our family!

Purposeful

2012-01-02T20:17:00.000-06:00

Purposeful:

having a purpose, meaningful, intentional, full of determination

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions.

When I was in Jr High I would make these silly resolutions like "I will have a boyfriend this year", or "I will be more popular"....

I will be honest - they never turned out as I hoped and I usually felt like I let myself down.

I don't like setting goals for myself that I know I won't really care about in a week or two. I don't buy into the "lose weight now with the newest exercise fad" and although I know it is good for me....setting a resolution to floss more will be left by the wayside in very quick order.

By February I have forgotten what it was that was so important to me on January 1st and I usually won't think about it until the end of the year and I realize that I once again I haven't met my resolution.

But this year I heard about "One Word 365".

The premise is simple. Decide on a word that you want to define your year.

This I think I can handle....and so for the past few days I have been thinking about what word best describes what I would like to see for myself in 2012.

And this is what I have come up with....

Purposeful.

I want to be more purposeful in my marriage. To really spend time strengthening the relationship I have with Dominic. He is my best friend and I often take him for granted. I want to be more purposeful about showing him respect and supporting him in all that he does.

I want to be more purposeful with my kids. So often in the business of the week I get caught up with what needs to be done and get frustrated when I don't feel the kids are cooperating. I want to make sure that they know how important they are, to encourage conversations and to just plain have fun with them.

I need to be more purposeful about my relationship with God. I don't want God to be a "phone a friend" when I need something kind of relationship. I need to be more purposeful about getting into His Word and asking for His guidance and direction in ALL things.

I also want to be more purposeful in my prayer life. I pray all the time, but I want to start praying specifically each day for people in my life. I believe that God answers prayers and so I am going to start keeping track of the prayer requests I receive and watching as God answers those prayers throughout the year.

And finally I want to be more purposeful about my time. Admitedlly I spend more time than I probably should on the computer. And while I love blogging, I have to make sure that it isn't cutting into time that should be spent on one of the things listed above.

So as I go through 2012 I hope to share with you where I am being more purposeful and hopefully how it is changing who I am.

How about you? What word would you chose to define your 2012??

Favorite Posts From 2011

2011-12-29T17:40:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that this year is so quickly coming to a close. It has been a good year and a tough year. One filled with challenges and changes and unexpected blessings.

Yes God continues to be faithful.

Last night I was looking through some of the blog posts that I wrote last year and it was fun to walk down "memory lane" a little. So I have composed a list of 10(11 if you count the link above) of my favorite posts/memories and am sharing them with you! Just click on each of the titles and it should open up a link to the original post!

1) The Day We Almost Lost Him

2) Karlena's Dedication

3) Our Home and the Details

4) Saying Goodbye

5) Weathering the Storm

6) Typical or Not?

7) Four Blessings

8) God Knows What We Need

9) Celebrating a Life Well Lived - Karlena Marie Cahalan

10) A Heart Like Mary

What are some of your favorite memories from 2011 and what do you do to keep a record of them??

In Which I Give Up Control

2011-12-28T21:18:00.000-06:00

In a few very short hours (3am to be exact) Isaac will be getting up and getting ready for his second trip to Haiti. I am so very excited for this opportunity for him and so proud of him that he has a heart to go in the first place.

But this mama's heart is also feeling scared.

If you haven't guessed it yet I am kind of one of those people who likes to have control of their environment. (Just a little) ;)

When my kids are close, I have the illusion of being able to control what happens to them. But when they get on a plane and fly to 3 airports, across a body of water and into a foreign country(even if he is with family)...well my ability to control goes out the window.

And so I must offer him back to the One who gave him to me in the first place.

And trust....

I truly hope this is an amazing experience for Isaac. I want God to reach in and move his heart in a BIG way. Trips like these can provide such perspective and I hope that he comes back changed.

Just come back safely....there I said it.

That is probably the biggest fear that I have - even when I travel away myself....

But I know that I can't be living in fear - not for me or for Isaac. That isn't what God calls me to do.

Matthew 6:27 "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

So tonight I physically open my hands...and once again give up control. The act of actually holding open my hands reminds me that I don't have the reins anymore. That I am offering them up to God and asking that He take control.

So tonight and for the next week I covet your prayers. Prayers for Isaac and my dad and the rest of the team travelling together. Prayers for the people of Haiti that they will have an opportunity to spend time with. Prayers that their hearts will be open to God's leading and that they all may feel His presence in all they have before them. And prayers for safe travels during their entire trip.

Communication will be sparce througout the week but as I get updates I will share them here. Thank you for loving my family and supporting them in prayer. It means so much to me!!

Karlena's Birthday Bash

2011-12-28T08:50:00.000-06:00

Or smash may be a better description! On Monday we celebrated Karlena's birthday with my family. I didn't want anything real big - but my mom went and got this little cake and a cupcake so she could have one of her own!

It didn't take her long to realize what she had in front of her...

She started out a little lady-like but I promise you that didn't last long!

Oh yeah - that's my girl! :)

So she started with the frosting first - of course, she is her mama's daughter!!

I LOVE this picture because she almost looks "clownish" with her big red mouth!

Then it was time to tackle the cupcake...I didn't think she would eat much of that but again I was wrong!!

She went right ahead and attacked that with the same fervor she did the frosting.

It was, if I must say, the cutest thing I have ever seen!

And when it was all said and done she ate the whole thing! I don't know where she puts it because she is our smallest child yet!

Happy Birthday again Karlena! It was so much fun celebrating with you and I can't wait to see what this next year brings you!

Happy 1st Birthday Karlena!

2011-12-22T10:50:00.001-06:00

I almost can't believe that my girl turned 1 on Tuesday! How is it that this year has gone by so quickly?! I wrote about her birth here last year.

Karlena you are a delight to have in our family. I can't imagine not having you here and how we went so long without some girl sweetness in our midst!

You are loving the decorations all over and find many things that you like to get into and play with!

You learned how to walk earlier than your brothers did - probably because you have to keep up with them!! :) But you have been walking strong for almost a month now.

You have such a funny personality -you are sweet and loving but also have a twinkle in your eye when you are doing something you know is naughty!

You weighed only 20.2lbs at your appointment this morning and were 30 inches long! You are in the 35% for weight and 79% for height. But you are perfectly healthy and we are so thankful for that!

I found this child's rocker at a garage sale this summer for $2 and Karlena loves it. She is just starting to try and climb on it herself...such a brave girl!

It is so cute because you will rock yourself once you are on and just smile away!

If you can reach it - it will go in your mouth!!

You have 8 teeth now - 4 tops and 4 bottoms. And you love to show off your smile!

You LOVE to eat and especially love feeding yourself. You make quite a mess each day but it is fun watching you enjoy the new things you try!

Veggies like carrots and beans are 2 of your favorites and of course you enjoy potatoes too!

Karlena girl you are such a blessing. I look back at some of the posts I wrote about you and you were so small. Now you are growing and changing and I almost wish I could keep you at this stage it is so much fun!

But I can't wait to see what this next year will bring for you. I am so honored to be your mom!

Happy Happy Birthday!

Ugly Christmas Sweater and a "Praise Jesus"

2011-12-22T05:33:00.000-06:00

Today at youth group the kids had an ugly sweater party and a white elephant exchange. I am sure Isaac thought he would get away with going in his "normal" clothes...but not when he has me as his mother! ;)

So I got a men's sweater from the thrift store and went to work! I made the Christmas tree from another old sweater vest, used a saltine cracker for the trunk, added marshmallows as ornaments - topped with candy sprinkles, cotton balls for snow and made little presents! Gabriel even drew the star for me!!

Then I realized that it was missing just 1 thing....sound! :) So I went and got a bag of jingle bells and attached them so when he walked he jingled!!

And yes - he won first prize for ugliest sweater!! YAY!!

In other "news", Dominic has been making homemade crosses for each of the boys. They are all a little different and Elijah's is finished.

He calls it his "Praise Jesus"!!

Don't you love that?!

He was so excited that it was finished that he carried it around with him all night! I think he even took it to bed with him!

And it is perfect for this time of year because although we celebrate the birth of a Saviour - it inevitably points us to the cross, and the reason Jesus was sent here at Christmas in the first place. Hopefully as we all get busy these last few days we can stop and remember the sacrifice made for us so many years ago!

Merry Christmas!

A Heart Like Mary

2011-12-13T20:30:00.000-06:00

Luke 1: 26-38 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

I am the Lord's servant. Five amazing words from a young girl.

Do you ever sit and think about Mary during this Christmas season? Our focus - as it should be - is usually on the Christ-child. But today as I was driving to work I heard the song "Mary Did You Know"...and it got me thinking about this young mother and what it would be like to have a heart like hers.

We don't know for certain how old Mary was, but we do know that she was of "marrying age" - which could have been as young as 12-13 years old. In addition to being very young she was a virgin - it was expected of her actually. In fact not being a virgin could mean that she wasn't "marriable" - is that a word?? And when her betrothed Joseph found out that she was pregnant he wasn't obligated to marry her. But we know that God intervened in that part of the story as well.

Now I don't have a 12-13 year old girl (yet) but I know how selfish and immature I was at that age. Certainly not ready for marriage and definitely not ready to be the mother of the Son of God.

But let's look at Mary's response again. "I am the Lord's servant."

Now knowing me I would have had a thousand questions. I probably would have protested and argued and asked that someone else be chosen instead. But not Mary. Yes she questions the angel a little, but not much and then gives herself over fully to the plan that God has for her.

"I am the Lord's servant."

Do you think she had any idea what was in store for her? That her husband Joseph would put her on a donkey when she was 9 months pregnant and travel with her many many miles, that she would have to give birth in a stable surrounded by animals because there wasn't any other place for her to be, and flee to Egypt to protect her child, and that she would have to stand in a crowd years later and watch her son be beaten and crucified.

Oh Mary did you know?.....

And yet somehow I think even if she did fully know she would have still answered the way that she did.

"I am the Lord's servant."

I feel challenged by this sweet girl from our Christmas story. Challenged to give myself fully to God as she did. To be the Lord's servant. Whatever that may cost me.

And yet I hold back a little at times because I am afraid of what I may be asked to do. I don't want to ride hundreds of miles on a donkey while 9 months pregnant (metaphorically speaking), I don't want to have to hide or flee for my safety and I don't want to be asked to make a difficult sacrifice - like losing a child.

But I want to be able to give myself to God - to live my faith life without regret, to be a servant. Really truly have a servant's heart. A heart like Mary's.

So that is my prayer during this season. That my heart may be a heart like Marys. That in all things I will say "I am the Lord's servant" - and then walk forward in complete faith of His plan for my life.

How about you? What is your focus this Christmas season? Will you join me in praying for a servant's heart....a heart like Mary's?

Holiday Decorating

2011-12-08T08:55:00.000-06:00

I am linking up with Gussy as a part of her {Inspiration Workshop - Holiday Decorating} today. I shared here some of the decorating I had done, including our 2 big Christmas trees.

What I love about this time of year though is that my decorating doesn't have to end with the standard tree. In fact I have collected so many things over the years that I have little bits of Christmas cheer sprinkled throughout the house!

Since 1996 when Dominic and I were married I have been collecting these Biedermann Ornaments. They are very delicate and beautiful and handmade and I have them all hanging on an ornament tree. I may have to find a larger tree though because I have run out of room! Suggestions?!

I read about making an ornament wreath online - one example can be found here. One of the sites specifically recommended that before you start stringing the ornaments that you hot glue the tops on. DO THIS!! It was a mess when I tried to skip that step with the first few. Also find the skinniest wire hanger you can - Dominic had to twist it together for me because I didn't have the strength!

One of my favorite "fun" decorations is our purple fiber optic tree. Although it doesn't "match" our red and gold theme on our other trees - it is beautiful just the same and sits in the corner by my work desk adding some sparkle to my day!

These homemade items I got at a craft fair a few years ago that my friend Leigh from our old church made. "O Holy Night" is my favorite Christmas hymn so the picture frame was a must-have. And I love having little signs/sayings to put out throughout this time reminding me that this is a season of JOY.

Years ago I watched a decorating episode on Martha and she talked about "layering" your tree. This starts with putting something in the center of the tree and working your way out. So I have some poinsettia flowers that I put in all the holes deep in my trees and work my way out from there!

I made a pair of these little trees to sit on either side of our mantle. Nothing fancy but so fun!

And finally just another look at one of our trees at night. I LOVE the look of the trees at night and will miss that most when it is time to take them down! :)

Do you have some decorations you want to share? Jump over to Gussy's site and join the fun!

Our Christmas Letter

2011-12-07T14:42:00.000-06:00

Well the cards have been mailed - for the most part...still working on a few - but I thought I would share some of our families Christmas letter with you here!

Merry Christmas from the new Smith home in Marshall, Minnesota! 2011 has been a year of many changes including our big move. If you are ever in the area we would love to have you come for a visit!! We are so blessed to be here in a wonderful neighborhood and community and really feel God has led us here.

Isaac, fifteen, is in the 9th grade! Marshall has a much bigger High School than Beresford, so it has been an adjustment for him. He is settling in and becoming more at home here. Isaac is involved with the Knowledge Bowl at MHS and they won their first competition last week! He will be traveling with his Grandpa Johnson to Haiti again after Christmas and is very excited to go back.

Gabriel, now eight, is in Mrs. Deutz’s 2nd grade class at Parkside Elementary. He loves math, reading and spelling the most and is doing well in school. He has made several friends in our new neighborhood and it has been fun having kids his age living so close. He loves learning new magic tricks and wants to be a magician!

Elijah has matured so much this past year and we see it most in his vocabulary. He talks all the time and enjoys exploring the world around him. He loves playing with tools and helping his daddy with projects. He has adjusted well in his new daycare and Markel has become like a member of our family. We feel so blessed to have someone so wonderful to love on our kids while we work.

Karlena joined our family on December 20th, 2010, and has been such a wonderful addition to our home. She is happy, calm and content and every bit adorable. She is in a race to keep up with her brothers and has recently started walking. She has an irresistible smile and brings that much needed “pink” into our “blue” home!

We are very thankful this year for all of God’s blessings in our family even when the changes are scary and things haven’t gone as we hoped or expected. We continue to look for ways to be examples of His grace and love to others. We pray that you will also find comfort in His presence and draw to Him in all things.

God Bless and Merry Christmas!
Dominic, Kristin, Isaac, Gabriel, Elijah and Karlena

Helping Others and Giving Back

2011-12-01T16:49:00.000-06:00

I wanted to take a little time today and introduce (or re-introduce) you to a couple of organizations that I believe strongly in.

Helping Hands For Haiti and Kids Against Hunger Sioux Falls.

On December 29th Isaac will be travelling with his grandpa(my dad) and a group of people from dad's church on a mission trip to Haiti. This isn't Isaac's first trip and you may remember that he was there 2 Christmas's ago a week before the earthquake that hit Haiti.

I will be honest - it is a little scary letting him go again. But I also know that we can't let fear stop us from doing what God has planned for us! So we trust and we pray and we let go at times.

They will be traveling as a part of the Helping Hands for Haiti organization. I met the directors Dave and Tammy Oswald when Isaac travelled last time. They are wonderful, down-to-earth, giving people who have a passion for the people of Haiti.

photo credit: HH4H site

In their own words:
"Welcome to Helping Hands for Haiti. We're a non-profit organization with a focus on three main areas of mission - Sharing the gospel of Jesus, loving His Children, and tangibly building strong communities. Because we are made up of everyday people just like you who understand it is our responsibility to give of ourselves, we encourage you to spend some time on our website to see how you can become more involved."

One way specifically you can help in supporting HH4H is by prayerfully considering a monthly $25 donation.

"The Haitians realize that the best way for their children to have a chance is to give them an education. That’s why the Helping Hands for Haiti team is committed to the education of the Haitian children. In 2006 the construction of the new 6 room school in Jumelle was completed. This new school will help keep hope alive for this small community. We continue to support many children who's family is unable to afford their child's education expense thru our scholarship program ($25.00 per month or $300.00 per year per child). This program helps us pay for the teachers, provide school lunch, books, shoes, and uniforms."

When Isaac and the group goes at the end of this month they will be spending time at one of these schools helping with building improvements etc.

In addition HH4H has partnered with Kids Against Hunger SF to provide meals for the students attending their schools. Often times the meal provided at school is the only nutritious meal the kids get all day. (Can you imagine?)

via KAHSF site

Yep - that's my dad there with some kiddos who are getting their own bag of KAH food.

via KAHSF site

Look at that smile! And I love how he has a bag that has names signed all over it. Often times when groups come in to pack they will sign the bags or the boxes so that the kids in Haiti can see that someone from South Dakota loved them.

In KAH's own words:
"Our revolutionary food package has been developed by some of the world's leading food scientists at Cargill, Pillsbury, General Mills and ADM. This one package provides six nutritionally-complete servings for only 25 cents per serving."

Isn't that amazing?! Please stop over at their site and read for yourself how this simple product is making HUGE changes in the lives of these children.

If you haven't ever been involved with a pack before consider getting a group together, raising the funds and doing it - it will be a blast I promise!!

I know that especially now in this economy it is difficult to give if you are in need yourself. I have been there…worried about how we will pay our bills and amazed when God provided…but my kids always went to school with warm clothes and fully bellies. I can’t think of the last time that I experienced true hunger and couldn’t do something about it.

Can you?

So even if you can’t give financially at this time please lift up these organizations and their volunteers in your prayers. Dave and Tammy…my parents – these are people that do the work as volunteers themselves - they are not paid "employees".
My parents doesn’t do it to get rich – they do it because God has provided for our family over the years and they wants to give back to others. They saw a need and they acted on it. The Sioux Falls KAH site is doing amazingly and it is thanks to the many, many people that volunteer their time and money to make sure that hungry kids are fed.

So whether it is for HH4H, KAH or some other organization consider taking sometime this Holiday season and give back. We have been given so much…haven't we?

** I was not asked by either organization to do this post...I just believe strongly in who they are and what they do that I had to share it here**

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas.....

2011-12-01T07:12:00.000-06:00

Just a view of some of my favorite Christmas decorations...This is the artificial tree we have in our front room. I have always wanted a house where we could have a tree in the front window - so I am loving this!

I love my Willow Tree nativity set

And this nativity is one that my dad made - isn't it awesome?!

I got these Hurricane Nativity candle holders from Dayspring last year after Christmas - they are beautiful when it is dark and the candles are glowing. And today only (Dec 1st) Dayspring is offering a 40% off coupon code on this item - just use the code INDAY1.

This is our real tree. We love the way it smells so fresh and piney, but dang those needles are SHARP! Dominic had on long sleeves and gloves when he helped me by finishing the lights.

A better view of the decorations. It is missing its topper - I haven't quite gotten to that yet!

Dominic built this amazing stocking holder for above our mantle. It turned out very beautiful and although I didn't see his vision when he started I am eating my words because I couldn't ask for anything nicer!

And of course Tinker - this morning he found a place in this bowl full of ornaments.

What are some of your favorite Christmas decorations?

When You Give A Girl a Cupcake....

2011-11-30T22:01:00.000-06:00

She's bound to make a mess....

But she will laugh and giggle and enjoy every minute of it!

She will try and share with you...

And she will shove a few more bites in.

She will show you all the teeth she has....

She will enjoy that cupcake, each and every bite.

She will make a HUGE mess all over her tray.

But in the end she will make you glad that you let her have so much cupcake fun!!

The Winds of Change....

2011-11-30T06:05:00.000-06:00

As I sit here the wind outside is blowing. First one way and then another. The leaves can’t seem to find a solid place to land. It has been like this for a few days now. One moment our lawn is filled with leaves from the neighbor’s trees and when I look out again our lawn is surprisingly clear.

Such is my life at times.

Times when it seems like everything around me is blowing and changing and I just want to find a solid place to land.

It can start from the moment that I wake – so many things I think there is to do. And although I am up much earlier than I should need to be, I find myself blowing around until the door closes behind us.

And I am missing the opportunities to see and hear the sounds and beauty around me. I am so busy flying from one spot to another, looking for that solid place to land that I miss what is right in front of me......

To read more of this post please head over to (in)courage!

**I wrote this piece earlier this fall and submitted it and was given the honor of posting on the (in)courage site. If you haven't checked out the (in)courage site before...you should take a while and look around!!**

A Visit to the Farm...Christmas Tree Farm!

2011-11-28T18:56:00.000-06:00

So I LOVE decorating for Christmas. It is a little over the top but when I was a little girl my mom and grandparents etc bought each of us kids an ornament for Christmas. I have carried this tradition onto my family and as a result we have a massive amount of ornaments.

One tree just won't cover it. We have an artificial tree in our front room but I have always loved real trees and heard about a cut-your-own tree farm about 30 miles from our home.

So right after church yesterday we headed out to Belview MN and Iverson's Tree Farm! Apparently they have some 40,000 trees. I think we saw 38,000 of them! :)

The kids enjoyed looking at all the trees while we tried to figure out what we wanted.

We came to a conclusion pretty early on that we liked the Blue Spruce tree. It just had that unique color.

Isn't it pretty?!

The problem was that we saw about 100 trees that we thought were "pretty good" and we just couldn't figure out which one was perfect for our space.

At about hour 2 (I am seriously not kidding - we really had a hard time deciding) Elijah had to go potty. Because he is potty trained, and we had no toilet, we first tried the "natural" pee outside way which he was NOT having. So we put a diaper on him and pleaded with him that he use that. He wasn't about it...not our best parenting moment that is for sure!!

But we finally decided on the right tree and Dominic and Isaac went to the task of cutting it down.

I guess judging the height of Isaac and the height of the tree should have given us an indication that we maybe went a little large here.

Dominic hard at work trimming the branches off the bottom.

And somehow they were able to get it tied up on top of the van. As we went back to pay for the tree the guy helping there says to Dominic... "I always wonder when I see a tree that size how the people are going to get it in the house"

Hmmm...good question!! :)

But of course my guys won't let a little thing like the size of an entryway stop them. And once they had it in and set up it we realized just how big this tree was....

It is enormous!! But we love it! And hopefully by tomorrow we will have all the lights on it so that we can decorate it. I started with the lights last night and got tired so I stopped. Dominic said he will finish it for me! I will share pics when we are done!

Even though it was a lot harder to choose than we thought we had a good time. Next year (if we do this again) we will pack a lunch, a portable toilet and borrow a truck from someone to make the experience even better! :)

So do you do a real tree or an artificial tree or both?!

Happy Birthday Isaac!

2011-11-19T07:53:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that my firstborn son is 15 already!! Where did the time go and how can he possibly be that old when I haven't aged a bit! ;)

Isaac is a great kid. He is kind and considerate.

He studies hard and does great in school.

He has always been a great big brother. All of the kids adore him.

He is funny and inquisitive.

When we had Isaac we had no idea what being a parent would be like. We weren't prepared for our roles. But in spite of the downfalls we have had as parents - Isaac has exceeded our expectations.

He has grown and matured so much these past few years and I love looking at these older photos of him.

Dominic jokes now about where this other man in the house has come from....he certainly doesn't look like this innocent young man anymore! :)

Isaac we have been blessed by the past 15 years. You are an amazing son and we consider it an honor to be your parents! I can't wait to see what this year will bring for you!

Happy Birthday!

My Hero

2011-11-17T15:06:00.000-06:00

The other day another blogger friend, Sarah, wrote a post about her hero husband. I loved this and know that I share pics of the kids here all the time but I don't often share my husband with you. Dominic is really my best friend. I can't imagine going through life with anyone else.

We don't really spend much time apart - except for work and such. But our weekends are spent as a family. Sometimes we are working on projects or watching movies or just being lazy -but we find ways to have fun together and I love that!

Dominic takes his role of husband and father very seriously. He is always concerned about our well-being and is continuously looking for ways to strengthen our relationships. He has taught us a spirit of gratitude in all things and reminds us that "we don't have to do anything in this life...we get to do these things". Reminding us that our circumstances are often shaped by our perspective. If we have the right perspective we can get through anything.

We have been through a LOT of changes this past year. From him taking a new job, moving to another state, commuting back and forth on weekends for 10 months, selling a home, buying a home etc. It has been a year of transitions and stress. It hasn't always been easy and there are - even still - times of uncertainty.

But when I look at Dominic I know that it has been worth it - all of it because we have done it together. We have grown and matured, faced challenges that we shouldn't have to face....but we have walked it together and I am SO proud of the man that he is.

It doesn't matter if the seas are raging around us or if they are still - we are grateful for the opportunity to journey together. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dominic - you are a hero in my eyes. You work hard, forgive graciously, laugh with your whole body, love with abandon and fight for what is right. You have always been my confidant and I am so glad that I can share the good, bad and sometimes even the ugly with you. Thank you for loving me and for giving me this family of ours. I am grateful beyond words that I get to share each day with you by my side. <3 K

Dear Virus....

2011-11-14T17:41:00.000-06:00

Dr Mr. Virus,
I can see that you have mistakenly felt yourself welcome in our home the past 5 days. I need to be clear that your stay has extended well past any acceptable length. It has been LONG ENOUGH!

My sweet dears who have found themselves unwelcome participants in your reign of havoc would like to have their healthy bodies back. They are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I am afraid that you might think this would be a nice place for you to cozy up for the winter but do not be mistaken - I am ready and willing to take some drastic measures to make sure that you understand just how NOT welcome you are.

The Clorox wipes are out and every surface will be wiped. Toilets will be scrubbed and sheets and blankets will be washed. Any place that you once found a place to snuggle in will soon become a war zone - this I promise you!

You have reduced my sweet girl to tears for one to many nights and my potty-trained, happy son has been forced back into diapers because of the damage you have done to his tummy.

This mama is NOT HAPPY and I am putting my proverbial foot down and demanding that you leave this house at once!

Oh and please feel free to stay away from the rest of my family. We don't want to be repeating this letter in 5-7 days. Thank you very much!

Sincerely,
One tired mama

History

2011-11-08T18:22:00.000-06:00

Recently I was given a very special piece of family history. It is a love seat that belonged to my great-great grandmother Mathilda.

Isn't it pretty? It just happened to "match" our decor in the new house and I am so excited to have it.

It was handmade and has beautiful, intricate details. Much like we are made - it was made with care, designed to be special and unique.

As you can see it is also worn and some of the edges have taken a little beating over the years. But those marks are a sign of the pieces' character. Reminding us that no two pieces are alike. Each worn in a different way and each reflecting its own beauty.

And so are we aren't we? Each of us have had our own life experiences and many of those things have made us who we are today.

I am grateful for all of the things - good and bad - that have shaped me and created the woman I am today. I am not perfect by any means and I too have some rough edges.

But God has been faithful to me - reminding me that I am a thing of beauty - His beauty. I tend to forget that at times and focus on the rough edges instead of the "whole" of who I am becoming.

Hopefully as I walk with Him and seek to know Him more I will continue to reflect Him in all areas of my life. That is my life's goal. It won't always be easy and there are times that I question God and ask Him "why" bad things have to happen. And although I won't always get an answer to those questions I do know that He continues to use those times in my life to refine my character.

For that I am grateful. This piece of my families history is a reminder to me that this refinement process helps me build a heritage of faith and trust in God that I can pass on to my children.

So how about you - is there an important piece of your history that reminds you of God's refinement in your life?

Halloween

2011-11-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

We do take our kids out trick-or-treating every year. I know that the roots of Halloween are "dark" and I don't want to get into a big discussion here about whether or not it is ok to participate in the "holiday". I think that every parent needs to make that choice for themselves and I am not here to judge what you choose.

I do know that as Christians we can take the opportunity to be light in these types of situations. Jesus didn't close his door, shut off his light and hide from sin in this world. Instead he walked with sinners, ate with them and found ways to encourage them with His light. As a sinner myself I am grateful that others have done this with me in my life!

We try to use that as our example. Find ways to reach out to others - talk with strangers who are out with their kids. Greet and thank those handing out candy. One year a family was handing out Milky Way bars and they had a sticker on them that said "Jesus is the Way". It was clever and a nice way to spread a little light.

Our kids don't see anything "evil" in the evening - for them it is all about dressing up in fun clothes and getting free candy! This year I found this adorable lion costume at Once Upon a Child for Elijah.

He hated the hood though and would rather have been wearing his cowboy hat!

I had so much fun watching him this year. He would say "Mom, I'll be right back - I go to door to do trick-or-treating". And then he would say thank you and Happy Halloween. I laughed and laughed until my sides hurt at how precious he was.

Gabriel wore his Iron man costume again - but yesterday for Awana they had Pirate Night so he had this on for that.

It was great seeing all the kids at Awana having pirate fun! And Gabriel recited all the books of the New Testament and got his "jewel" and was really excited.

We put Karlena in her $2.50 garage-sale-find costume for just a little bit,

She hated the hat but we put her in the stroller and pushed her around our block and she seemed to enjoy that.

She is our little pumpkin!

I can't believe it is already November. We have a busy month ahead and hopefully will find some time to reflect on all of the things that we have to be thankful for this month. The list is LONG and our hearts are greatful for all that God continues to do in our family.

Have a blessed day!

Celebrating a Life Lived Well - Karlena Marie Cahalan

2011-11-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

How is it possible sweet friend that we said goodbye to you a year ago today?

I wrote this post last year when I heard the news. I knew some day I would get that call but even today it is still a shock to me that you weren't here to meet our girl in December.

I know that Karlena wouldn't want today to be one of sadness. She has been praising Jesus in person for a year now! But I think that days like today - those "milestones" if you will - are just a reminder once again of what is missing.

This was taken on one of the Women of Faith weekends that we attended in Denver. She had just started using a cane. It was a big deal for her to give in that she needed some assistance. But she was the same person I had known - using a cane or a wheelchair didn't change that. I know that some people had a hard time with her deteriorating condition - but I just saw her light.

How do you live well when you know that "living" will become harder and harder? How do you wake up every morning and smile that you have been given another day to honor God?

Karlena found the secret to those questions. She never complained that it "wasn't fair"....even though it wasn't. When she was really sick last June and we almost lost her but she pulled through she said "God must have had something more planned for me because he let me live."

And for the next 3 months after that time she continued to be a light and a strength to those around her. Her church family adored her, her neighbors were inspired by her smile and positive attitude. She loved hard and well each and every day.

She had a special place in her heart for Elijah. She was SO excited to hold him. We thought that maybe he would be our last and when we were surprised to find out I was pregnant again Karlena was probably more excited than I was.

When I went to see her after her hospital stay that June I still didn't know what we were having. I remember the morning that I had to leave and go say goodbye to her. She was too weak to travel with us to the airport and so we had to say our goodbyes at the house. She hugged me hard and said "It's a girl - I know it's a girl."

And she was right. It was such an honor to tell her that we were naming our girl after her. That even though someday she would be gone, her namesake, her legacy could live on. I just didn't think we would be facing that day so quickly after that news was shared.

Oh friend how I miss you....I praise God for the times we had to spend together. For the e-mails and encouragement we gave one another. For every conversation and those moments when I was able to be of help to you. It was always a blessing to spend time with you and you are missed more than I can express. But I celebrate you today - a life lived well friend.

Well done good and faithful servant. Well done.

I am sharing the link to the tribute I was honored to share at Karlena's Celebration of Life service. If you don't know my sweet friend I invite you to read it and be encouraged by the legacy that remains today.

I love you friend....always. Thank you for loving me and giving me courage to be a woman of faith.

So behind - lots of updates and an invitation!

2011-10-31T09:59:00.000-05:00

I feel so behind in blogging lately. I have a review to complete, a post about Gabriel's new pen pal and pics of the kids from this weekend that I want to share and other news. But honestly I just don't have the time lately to post like I would like to...so I am going to throw a mis-mash together here.

I apologize in advance for the randomness of it all!

1) My sister Beth is pregnant again and I am SOOOO excited for them! She is due on the same date she was due with Isabel (May 8th) - only 3 years later! Can you believe that? So very cool. Please help me in praying for a healthy baby and pregnancy as the months progress. The only sad thing is that we don't live as close anymore so I won't be able to love on this sweet one as much as I would like. :( We will just have to make a few extra trips to SD this summer I think!

2) Yesterday I tried a lasagna recipe in the crock-pot. It was delicious and SO very easy.I found the recipe here at the Kraft website. I doctored it up a little, used 2 different kinds of cheese, some zesty tomato sauce and a sausage/hamburger combo. But I put it together before church and it was done when we got home. YUM!

via

3) Gabriel has a new pen-pal! One of the blogs I follow was having a pen-pal exchange. He was paired with Reagan from TX! The idea is to send a little something each month. Gabriel LOVES getting mail so we thought this was a fun way to give and get something in return.

Here is Gabriel filling out his pen pal sheet and the things we sent off to Reagan...

And here is what he got in return! He was really excited about everything he got - thanks so much Reagan!! :)

4) I went on Friday to Gabriel's school to help with his Halloween party. I volunteered to make cupcakes to bring and decided on these...

They turned out pretty cute and the kids seemed to like them!

5) Then on Saturday after haircuts in the morning and a lazy afternoon, there was this trick-or-treating deal over at SMSU in the residence halls. Dominic took the boys over and Karlena and I stayed at home and then did some shopping at Wal-mart!

Here are Elijah and Gabriel in their costumes. Elijah has a different costume that he will probably wear tonight that is much warmer. Gabriel wasn't loving the mask - he said he couldn't breathe so we will know better to get a costume without a mask next year!

6) Karlena (who I don't have any recent pics of - after tonight I promise!) finally got her 2nd top tooth. She also took 3 steps before falling down a few days ago. She can stand alone without holding anything for a pretty long time now...so any day she will be walking everywhere!

7) Wow - have you stuck with me to the end here?! If you have THANK YOU - you are appreciated! I want to end this post by throwing out an invitation. We have decided to have Thanksgiving at our house this year. We are traveling home to SD the weekend before and decided it might be nice to cook a meal here and just relax and enjoy the long weekend.

But we want to open our home to you! So if you are in the area and don't have anyone to spend Thanksgiving with - please let me know. We would love to have you over and be a part of our family. Seriously!

Have a wonderful week friends!

Wacky Hair Night!

2011-10-26T19:34:00.000-05:00

Tonight was "Wacky Hair Night" at Awana.

Gabriel was a little uncertain about all of it.

He wasn't sure that it should be so spiky.

But once I convinced him that he looked AWESOME then he was pretty excited to go tonight!

Too bad I completely forgot what time it started and got him there almost 25 minutes late. Big time parenting fail! Thank goodness Gabriel is so forgiving!!

How are you spending your Wednesday evening?

WOF, Bloggy Friends and Michael Jackson!

2011-10-23T15:59:00.000-05:00

We just got home from our weekend at Women of Faith!! And what a weekend it was!

This was both a difficult and yet blessing-filled weekend for me. Over the past several years Karlena and I attended WOF in Denver together. Last year when she was too sick to travel we bought the DVD's and had a conference in her home together. That weekend together was the last time I saw her alive.

And while her absence was felt strongly for me this weekend - God is so good to me that he took a time of what could have been felt as great loss and filled it with new friends! I have made several friendships through blogging and this weekend I got to meet and spend time with a few of those beautiful women and my mom! Mom, Kami, Trish, Jess, Tonya, Sharon and Angela....you helped make this weekend extra special for me and I am SO grateful! (Proof that good relationships can be formed through the www.)

Oh and to top off the fun - Kami got a call from WOF about a week before the conference and they said that they were moving us from our really high up seats to some AWESOME seats on the floor! God is SO good!

After being led in worship by the talented worship team and singing "You Are God Alone"...one of my favorites..and then to sing with 10,000 other women - AWESOME!!.....

Dr Henry Cloud and Shiela Walsh started the weekend off for us.

Sheila reminded us that there are over 3000 promises in the Bible and one of my favorite things that Sheila said was "One place where peace is always available is at the feet of Jesus." Then Dr Henry talked about "pruining" and that "to get to the Promised Land there is ALWAYS a death before the resurrection."

Lisa Harper talked about having a "colander heart" when any good that came in always leaked out. But that we can fill that hole with Jesus and that "God Sees You".

One of the things that Luci talked about was when she took a trip with World Vision. She shared that she had already decided she was NOT going to sponsor a child....but now after her first WV trip so many years ago she is sponsoring 14 children!

14!!

Pretty inspiring to find a way to go out and give back or as she said "Live Every Moment Fully"!!

Angie Smith was the highlight of the conference for me. I have been reading Angie's blog and praying for her since she started blogging 4 yrs ago. Her books are God-breathed and she has such an amazing testimony.

She was talking about her Audrey and when she said that after 2 1/2 hrs she went to be with Jesus I heard this audible gasp throughout the audience. And I was shocked. I guess I assumed that everyone "knew" about Angie's story.

And then what I realized was that there in that moment Angie, in your brokenness and transparency, fear-filled or not - an arena full of women were brought to the feet of "Kyrios"...Divine Son of God, Lord Jesus the One to whom I belong.

I didn't take any pictures of her because I was bawling the "ugly cry" during pretty much the entire time she was speaking.

I had one of her books with me and planned on staying afer the conference to have her sign it. When I raced up to get in line when it was done I was told that her line was closed and I was out of luck. I felt like I had been punched in the gut - I was SO hoping to hug her in person and just tell her thank you for all she has meant to my walk over the past few years. Let's just say some tears were shed at the end :( Next time I know better to skip the end and get in line early!

And finally one of the coolest things I have ever seen at WOF in the past 12 years. Oh but if you are reading this and will be attending another conference you MUST stop reading now because we all promised we wouldn't tell....right Mary?! :)

Little Elliott...I mean Michael Jackson did a performance for us to the song "I'm Bad". I have never seen a 5 yr old dance like that. I am not even sure how he got his legs and hips moving that fast...but I am telling you it was so great and he had the crowd on their feet! I got a picture but it is a lot blurry and pretty dark...those quick moving legs were amazing!

He has a future in music for sure! :)

Except for the book signing disappointment, this weekend was so wonderful. I left filled and refreshed and focused. God is SO good and He does so many amazing things in my life. Truly more than I can imagine.

Thank you WOF for all the work you do in putting these weekends together. It is something that I look forward to every year!

A Brand New Look!!

2011-10-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

So I am so excited to share my new blog design with you!! I was looking into changing things up a bit and asked around at who I should use. And I was told to check out Jenn at Munchkin Land Designs.

Jenn gave me some great direction and helped me figure out what look I should go with. She was patient and is still working to get a few more changes made (Thanks Jenn!!) - but overall the "look" is complete and I am really excited about it!

We had been "brown and tan" since I started the blog almost 4 years ago and when we got our new family pictures and we were all wearing black, white and pink it was the motivation I needed to make a change!

There are some new links at the top where you can read a little bit more about me and our family. And soon there will be a tab where I am going to post some of my favorite books. I have been on a reading frenzy and want to share some of them with you!

I also have a fancy new blog button - yay! I would be more than honored if you wanted to add my button to your site!

Other than that the "content" will stay the same. I will still be blogging about my family and my faith and everything in between. I am so grateful for everyone who chooses to stop here and be a part of our family.

And if you are new here Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell me a little about yourself! I love meeting new people and finding ways to encourage others as we navigate our way through life.

If you are in the market for a new look to your blog - hop on over and check out all that Jenn has to offer!

Have a wonderful evening!!

My Sweet Girl - almost 10 months!

2011-10-17T20:51:00.000-05:00

I don't know that I have posted any pictures of my sweet girl recently. Karlena will be 10 months in a few days but the end of this week is really busy for us so I thought I would try and get this out there now.

Tonight for the first time I heard her say "mama" more than 1 time. She has been saying "dada" and "baba" and "mmm" for a long time but just wouldn't say "mama". It made my heart smile!

Karlena is the best tempered girl. Maybe there is a difference between boys and girls...or maybe God just finally said it was my turn to have a child who was easily content, slept in her crib, and only cried for very specific reasons. Whatever it is I am loving this phase!

Karlena has her 2 bottom teeth and one tooth on top and another close on its way. I think maybe a small portion popped through today. She won't let me in there to see for sure!

I LOVE this expression. She was trying to get my camera and just had the funniest face!

She is starting to eat a few more things that we eat. She really likes rice and gravy. She likes to be able to feed herself and sometimes gets tired of us giving her baby food. She watches how we do it and wants to follow suit!

Karlena wants to walk so bad and in the past couple of days has taken an "almost" step. She can stand unassisted for several seconds and then instead of stepping forward will just fall forward. She always trusts that someone will catch her! I will be surprised if she isn't walking before she is one!

Karlena you are so joyful to be around. You are sweet and happy and love to watch your brothers. You also love to chase me around when I am using the Swiffer! It is hillarious!

We are so very blessed to have you as a part of our family! Happy 10 months!

I also have a fun surprise coming up in the next week or so...so stay tuned!! I am so very excited about it and can't wait to share it with you! Happy Monday friends!

Gabriel is 8!!

2011-10-16T21:27:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that Gabriel is 8. How can it possibly be that he is that grown up already?!

Gabriel got 3 birthday celebrations this year! On Friday I surprised him at school and took him to Perkins for lunch. He had no idea I was coming and the look on his face when I showed up was priceless!

Then on Saturday we drove out to Parker to see Dominic's parents. Gabriel was pretty excited about his new Angry Birds stocking hat!

Then he started opening up his presents from his grandparents and ended up with a bunch of cash!

I just love the expression on his face here...he was just laughing at the fact that he was getting cash!

So excited! He LOVES birthdays!

Gabriel holding his new Angry Bird "pet".

Gabriel collects Pokemon cards and I bought this huge used set of cards from someone on Craigslist. he probably has 500+ cards for MUCH cheaper than I would have paid in the stores.

Then we spent Saturday night and Sunday in Sioux Falls with my parents and my sister and her family. Gabriel was getting tired of me taking his picture here...but he was so happy to get some more cash!

All his cash and his Target gift card from my brother and his wife made Gabriel pretty pumped! He can't wait to buy himself a Nintendo DS! :)

My parents got Gabriel some more magic tricks to add to his collection! Gabriel loves learning magic tricks!

This magic set even came with a DVD so he can watch how the trick is done and learn it that way! He is pretty excited to show the neighbor girls!

Gabriel we are so blessed by you and can't believe that we have had the privilege to be your parents for the past 8 years. We are so proud of you!!

Potty Training by a Non Expert

2011-10-12T22:13:00.000-05:00

I want to start this post by letting you all know that I am NO expert in the area of potty training. I am just going to share our experience - the good, the bad and the ugly :)

Potty training is one of the areas of parenting that I dread. My experience hasn't been the best and when it didn't happen as fast or as easy as I saw it did for other parents I felt inadequate.

Because Isaac is a teenager I am going to spare him the embarrassment of sharing how it was with him. I don't really remember the specifics but I know he was over 3 before he was interested or willing to try.

I had read that girls were easier than boys so I used that as my comfort when it took a long time. Then we had Gabriel. From the start he hated the toilet. Would scream if we even thought about putting him on it. It was rough. Then we had this huge snowstorm and were stuck indoors for several days so I decided it was happening that weekend and wouldn't let him wear anything but underwear. The first few days were bad and with lots of accidents - but after the weekend he had it figured out and we were good to go!

With both Isaac and Gabriel we used pull-ups to help "train"....and it seemed like we were in that phase for a long time before we made the switch to underwear which isn't terribly cost effective because they are pretty expensive too!

When we moved and changed daycare providers Markel told us that she was somewhat of an "expert" at working with kids who are potty training. I was skeptical but thought we would see when the time came. Markel told me a few weeks ago that she thought Elijah might be ready to start, he was asking to go when some of the other kids did. She told us that when we were ready to go forward she only asked that we spend the weekend before with him in only underwear while he is awake.

So we decided that this weekend was "it" and after showers on Saturday made a big deal about wearing his "big-boy" underwear.

Saturday was a pretty big fail! He went through several pairs of underwear that day and even peed while sitting on Dominic's lap. It seemed like he just wasn't getting it.

On Monday I brought him to Markel's with his spare pants and underwear but wearing a diaper. I told her that the weekend was a flop and if she wanted to try with him she could - but I wasn't expecting miracles.

Boy was I wrong!!

The first day Markel took him to the bathroom every 15-20 minutes (a saint I know!!) But she said that he needed to start getting used to how it felt to need to go. He was given a "reward" of 1 skittle each time he went. Elijah was liking the treats and was motivated. He had 1 accident in the morning but was dry until bedtime that night.

Day two was even better and he stayed dry from 6am to 7pm!! And by day 3 (today) he was starting to tell us all that "I need go potty now". He is starting to get it and I am so very proud of him. Of course none of this would be possible if Markel hadn't been willing to work with him.

So what have I learned from these 3 very different experiences?

Well for starters no child is the same. You have to train them when they are interested. If you try and force it on your time you will get major resistence like we did with Gabriel.

I am a believer now that pull-ups may not be the best way to go. It really is a glorified diaper and the underwear give them that wet, uncomfortable feeling if they do have an accident. This is working with Elijah but it means that you have to really watch them esp. if they are on furniture! :)

During the first few days you will need to devote your time to taking them to the bathroom every 20 minutes or so. (Thanks Markel!) They start to understand how they are feeling when they have to go and this is the first step in recognizing the urge to go on their own.

There is no "right" or "wrong" time. I really believe that it is different for each child. And don't compare your child to other children of a similar age. My dad used to say that they wouldn't likely go to kindergarten in a diaper....so stressing about it now wasn't worth it!

And finally - relax and don't let this be a stressful process for you or your child. Before you know it they will be teenagers and potty training will be a distant memory...unless you keep having kids like we did and then you will be repeating this time and time again! :)

Wouldn't have it any other way!! Happy Wednesday!!

Recordable Storybook and a Giveaway!

2011-10-11T08:24:00.000-05:00

I LOVE books. Recently I have been reading every day while I am waiting for Gabriel to come out of school. I have read some great books - but none quite as interesting and unique as this.

There is something extra special about a book that reads TO you don't you think?

This is one of four recordable storybooks from Dayspring. I had the opportunity to review one of my choosing and decided on the Christmas Story book.

This is a hardcover book with beautiful pictures. And even better it has this recorder/speaker in it so that you can record the reading of the book and give it to a special someone!!

The book comes with a sample recording and detailed instructions - even I could figure it out!! :) Dominic and I read every other page and it will be something that our children will enjoy reading and hearing every year at Christmas-time!

This would be a perfect gift for a grandparent to give a grandchild, or for a military family to record and have for the kids to hear mom or dad's voice while they are away. I can think of many people that might love to have this in their book collection.

What is even better is that the folks over at Dayspring want to give one of my readers a certificate for their very own recordable storybook! Isn't that awesome?

The winner will get a certificate to use to and can choose the book of their liking - just pay S&H. So how about it - are you interested?! The winner will be chosen on Friday October 14th!

There are several ways you can qualify for the drawing. Please leave a comment for each entry.

1) Visit the Dayspring site and come back here and tell me which of the 4 books you would choose. (Mandatory)

For additional chances to win do any/or all of the following - leave a comment for each additional entry:

2) Become a follower of The Smith Family Journey - or comment if you already are.

3) Share this post on Facebook.

4) Share this giveaway on Twitter.

Disclosure: Dayspring sent me this book for free in exchange for a review of the product. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Home Improvement Projects

2011-10-09T16:25:00.000-05:00

Dominic and I must just have a thing for home improvement projects. That or there is something seriously wrong with us. We don't have the best luck when we start these. Things don't go as planned and they usually require several trips back and forth to Menards....but we had to tackle another this weekend.

Our bathroom vent fan has been busted pretty much since day one. It ran for the first few weeks, very loudly and then the fan just quit working all together. Of course it must have been the original fan to the house because it appeared to have been installed and then sheet rocked around.

So we first tried to look into a replacement motor and it was clear that wasn't the best option for us. So Dominic ripped the old one out and was left with this big hole.

We went and found a new model - the only one that would be big enough to cover the old hole - and said a prayer it would go in ok. Dominic and Isaac worked for quite awhile getting the new one in - but it works and we shouldn't have to do this again for a long time!

Yay for new vent fans...with heat and light! :)

I also noticed a crack in our front door and mentioned it to Dominic so that we could get some caulk and seal it up. While we were buying that he said we should paint the door red. We had a whole gallon of paint left from the accent walls from Isaac's room and decided to try it.

Here is the door before. This project was my baby.

Here is how it looked after one coat of the Valspar premium one coat paint/primer. Not quite the desired look I was going for. (We had the same problem with Isaac's walls...not sure I will ever paint with this dark of a color again as one coat is clearly NOT enough!!)

But after about 4 coats it finally looked like I wanted it to. It is more of a burgundy than a red but we love it. My only regret is that Dominic thought of the idea before I did! :) HaHa!

And Isaac spent some time with our new power tool - a leaf blower/vacuum. That seems to be the "it" power tool in these parts - seriously everyone has one!! And with the volume of leaves that have already fallen and the many, many more that are left to come down we thought it would be a wise investment.

This thing is a beast and hopefully will make our taking-care-of-the-leaves job much easier and maybe even a little fun!

What kind of home improvement projects have you tackled lately?!

A Few Fall Pictures

2011-10-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

I found a dealy-thing (yes that is a word..well at least for today) for my camera so that I could download my pics and post them here. The laptop is back but it still needs some systems restore stuff put on so using the old PC until then!

This is our front porch. I love that we have a front porch and even love more that we have pillars to decorate during certain season. I am telling you Christmas is going to be so much fun here this year!!

The wind has been super strong here the past few days and so at any moment our yard can be either full of leaves or completely bare.

Usually we go and get a bunch of pumpkins but they are so expensive this year that we opted for just 1 in front of each pillar.

This squirrel comes to play on the corn stalk every morning. It is pretty funny to watch actually! Yesterday it broke on of the stalks with all it running and jumping. It REALLY wants that corn!! :)

It is supposed to be rainy here this weekend so we will probably spend most of the days indoors and relaxing. What is on your agenda for the weekend?!

With the fall comes changes....

2011-10-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

The leaves are falling here (and blowing into our neighbors yard - sorry guys!!!) The pumpkins are out on the porches and thanks to some clients of Dominic's we have corn stalks gracing our porch pillars!

I almost can't believe that it is already October. What a year it has been....so many changes.

Dominic just reached his 1 yr mark with his current employer. And while the job isn't always perfect (what job is right?!) he works hard and has learned so much. It is hard when you come from a job where you have been an "expert" in a sense and you start something completly foreign. There will be a learning curve and at times I try and remind Dominic of that. After 1 year at Advocacy he did not know what he knew after 9 years. This is no different and so although it can be discouraging to start at ground zero, I have confidence that he will continue to grow and achieve his goals in this job as well.

What I have seen most in Dominic this past year is that regardless of his circumstances he chooses to find the positive in all things. He teaches our children that we can't focus on the "where" we are to make us happy - but we need to be grateful for all of the things that God has given to us - even the struggles and find joy in Him.

We have been in Marshall for almost 4 months now and at times it feels like we have always been here. This house, our neighborhood has felt like home from the moment we got here. The kids are adjusting even more to school and doing well. I have the review of my 90 days coming up in the next week or so....there is still uncertainty. But what I do know is that God knows the end result and I am confident that whatever that is - we will be ok.

And in less than a month will mark the anniversary of losing Karlena. I still just sometimes can't believe she is gone. Grief has a funny way of sneaking up on me and I find at the strangest times she will come to mind and I feel that loss all over again. I think the hardest is that today I don't have a friend like I had in her. Not that she could be replaced....but a part of me longs to have that spiritual connection with another Christian woman again. I grew more in my walk as Karlena and I walked life together and I miss that so much. :(

But as the leaves fall and winter looms I am reminded that after the "cold" season new life develops once again. It always does. Things today look different than they did a year ago and will likely look different next fall as well. I am grateful that there is a constant and consistent presence of God with me in each new season. He continues to remain faithful and once again I am so very grateful.

Family Photos

2011-09-29T17:20:00.000-05:00

I posted some of these on Facebook - but since not all of my family/friends connect with us that way I thought I would share a few here as well!! I don't want to share everything because I haven't decided yet what we will do for our Christmas cards this year!

Me and my handsome husband

Does it strike you that Elijah and Karlena have the same face in the above photo?! :)

My favorite part about the picture above is Elijah's pouty lip! He just cracks me up!!

Me and my favorite girl!!

Gabriel was supposed to give me a kiss and he DIDN'T want to! So he was laughing about it and I love it!

Daddy and Elijah touching the waterfall.

Thank you so much Anna with Studio W for taking our photos again!! We love them!!

My Soapbox

2011-09-29T07:41:00.000-05:00

If the title of this post isn't warning enough let me give another one here....

I have been writing this post in my head for weeks now. I hope that I can share my point without sounding like a "know-it-all". And I must also clarify that I am NOT perfect...yes I know shocker!! :) And so although I will be sharing my point of view on a particular subject it doesn't mean that in MANY other areas I fail myself.

That being said....let me tell you a little about a particular "situation" at Gabriel's school.

The school over the summer constructed this BIG parking lot in front of the school. It has lots of spaces available for parking and then there is a curb along the entire lot that is designated for drop off and pick up.

When school started they sent out a memo AND made those school-wide parent alert phone calls. They said that IF your child was being dropped off or picked up - from the side of the car closest to the curb that you could use that method. The curb is for parents that DON'T need to get out of the car and get their child.

If your intent was to walk your child to the door etc then you were to park in the parking lot and bring your child over that way. NOT park your car on the curb and block the line of traffic.

For the most part the parents get it. You know "the rules"...."drop off etiquette". BUT there are those parent that just won't follow the "rules". They won't pull ahead so all curb space is maximized. They park their car at the drop off curb, get out and walk to the building.

Every day I see this happening and I will be honest.....it irritates me to no end! Didn't they get the memo? The phone calls?

sigh.....

Boy if they would just do things the way that I do the whole world would run better right?! :)

In other soapbox relate-able news...

While waiting for Gabriel to come out of school yesterday I was watching the kids that were lining up for the bus. These are younger kids than Gabriel so either 1st graders or even kindergartners.

There were 2 kids in line next to each other and they were talking (I couldn't hear them) and then all of a sudden the bigger boy hauled off and punched the smaller boy right in the eye!!

I am not kidding you I almost jumped out of the car to give that kid some parenting "direction". I think one of the teachers saw at least some part of it and she seperated the kids and it looked like the puncher was repremanded....

But a moment later he was allowed to get on the bus.

Fighting on the bus is NOT allowed. We have to sign something at the beginning of the year acknowledging it and the consequences of it.

In MY opinion (and maybe I am off base) but I think the puncher should have been pulled out of line and his parent's called. I don't think he should have been allowed to get on the bus as though nothing happened.

But what do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts on this because I am not always right in my thinking.

If the puncher's parents had been called and had to make a special trip to pick him up....maybe the whole "it's ok to punch someone in the eye if I am upset" thing would have been squashed then and there.

But has this kid learned his lesson? My fear is that if he is being given the message that being a bully is "ok" - by not having any serious consequences at age 5 or 6...what will it be like when he is 12 and MUCH bigger?

Anyways....I have to go and brave the school traffic once again so I am stepping off my soapbox for now!!

Happy Thursday! :)

Worst Case Scenario?

2011-09-26T14:17:00.000-05:00

What kind of person are you? Are you the kind that can see the positive in everything or are you the type that often considers the "worst case scenario"?

If you are anything like me, in some situations....you may revert to the "worst case" side of things. I don't love that side of me and I think that it is usually the result of fear in my life.

The fear of what exactly?? I think for me some of my biggest fears are that I won't measure up...I won't be enough. My kids won't fit in and they will struggle.

But don't you love the saying below??

The idea that if we are bringing those fears to God that we will find courage...a strength in Him that we aren't capable of ourselves.

I have seen how something that I had great fear about has been transformed through prayer and trusting God with my children.

I wrote this post about how I felt when we got a diagnosis for Gabriel 4 years ago. I was terrified for him. I just wanted him to have friends, to be like every other kid his age.

I would read about the characteristics of kids on the Spectrum and it would talk about kids that are "loners" and lack empathy. Knowing how hard school can be anyways I worried that Gabriel would really struggle. That he wouldn't have friends and would be seen as "aloof"

There wasn't much that I could do to "control" the situation and I just had to pray for him and support and encourage him where I could and trust the team that was put into place to work with him...and trust God with all the details after that.

Someone started working with Gabriel when he was 3. He had speech therapy and also worked one "social skills" with a few other kids in his class.

For the first year there wasn't a huge change. He continued to play alone, but his speech improved and we started understanding more and more of what he was trying to communicate.

Today though you wouldn't recognize him from the Gabriel we feared for 4 years ago.

Last week I completely forgot to study his spelling words with him and he got 100% plus 4 out of 5 bonus words correct! This mama was proud!! :)

And today I went over to the school and had lunch with him because he is the Star Student for the week. We had to fill out a sheet and answer some questions about what he likes etc and his favorite class is math! He wants to be a pilot when he grows up but he also wants to be a magician too! :)

When I met him in the hall some of the kids asked if they could sit with him at lunch. He showed me where to go and told me how to get my tray. And after lunch he was getting in line for recess and I was getting ready to go when this boy a few in front of him in line pushed this girl really hard and she fell back into Gabriel and onto the floor. The first thing Gabriel did was immediately ask her "Are you ok?!"

And I could tell that he was genuinely concerned about her.

The memories of my fears from 4 years ago came rushing back to me as I walked to the parking lot. So much that I thought wasn't possible for him....and so much that he has already overcome.

Gabriel is a joy to me. Simply a joy.

I could have spent the last 4 years sick with worry. Afraid of his future and all of the obstacles that might stand in his way. At some point though I knew that I had to turn him over to God and trust that His path for Gabriel....for all of my childten, was better than my own.

Fear binds us, it holds us captive. It lies to us and tells us that we will never be enough, we will never measure up, that we will always struggle.

Today I am trying to choose life instead of fear. To trust in God with all areas of my life and to watch in wonder as His beauty unfolds in front of me.

Is fear in any area of your life holding you hostage? Join me and others as we read "What Women Fear" with the Bloom Book Club at (in)Courage. I am so excited to go through the book again and then connect with other people on the journey of freedom from fear. Will you join us?

What we've been up to and a look back

2011-09-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

It seems like it has been a busy week. Do you feel that way also?

Honestly every week goes by so quickly because we seem to have so many things going on during the week and on weekends. So I thought I would share a few things about our week and also wanted to share a couple of "old" photos with you.

Karlena turned 9 mos old a few days ago and today we had her well-baby visit with the doctor. She is healthy and happy and growing like a weed! She has decided that she would like to start trying to walk already.... something this mama is NOT excited about!

She weighed 19lbs 6oz (60%) and is 28 1/2 in long (81%)!! She is going to be tall and skinny like her brothers!

I would post a recent picture of her but earlier this week our laptop died and so we are using the old computer and I can't for the life of me find the cord to the camera to transfer pictures. (Thus the reason I will be sharing some older, stored photos with you!)

But speaking of Karlena.....

This was taken at Christmas in 2009. Missing her so much these days!!!

Our laptop died the day before the 1 yr warranty expired. We called Best Buy and were told to bring it in by 9pm the next day (the day the warranty expired) and they would fix it.

Dominic drove 2 hrs to Sioux Falls to drop it off only to be told that the manufacturer doesn't accept items on the day that the warranty expires. (Not happy Bob!!)

But he held his cool - good thing I wasn't along!! - and due to the fact he was driving 4 hrs round trip and relied on what the guy the night before said they are going to fix it. Sounds like it is the motherboard and we won't have a computer for at least 3 weeks.

I am going to have to find that camera cord for sure!

Gabriel started Awana with our church last week and is LOVING it!! He memorized his first bible verse immediately (John 3:16) and once he remembered that it was "perish" and not "puurshish" he was good to go! He got his new book last night and his teacher told me that it is great having him in class because he is so enthusiastic!!

Speaking of Gabriel.....

This was taken in 2006 - he looks SO much like Elijah it is nuts!!

I had conferences for Isaac this week and he is doing great. I am never worried about his grades but it is nice to hear his teachers say what a great kid he is!

Speaking of Isaac....

This was taken in 2007. Can you believe how much he has matured?! Crazy!!

Last night while I was taking Gabriel to Awana, Elijah found a scissors and cut his own bangs. Isaac is NOT getting paid for that babysitting time! :):)

And speaking of Elijah....

Here he was on Sept 23rd 2008. Just a little bambino starting to grow!

Dominic has an extra long day at work today and tomorrow and my mom is coming up to stay here tomorrow so that I can go to Sioux Falls for work. Saturday is the SMSU Homecoming and there is a big parade happening that again runs right by our block! So we will be praying for nice weather so we can all go out and enjoy that together!

Hope that the end of your week is blessed!!

Guest Post at Kingdom Twindom +1!!

2011-09-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!! I had the privledge of writing a guest post for one of the blogs that I follow -

Kingdom Twindom +1!

Sarah has such an amazing story of God's faithfulness and it has been fun seeing how God has taken what was once broken and started to make it whole again.

That is one of the reasons that I love blogging so much. Although we spend time behind computer screens we have an opportunity to build a community with people that we may not have the chance to meet in person, in real life.

So hop on over to Sarah's blog and see what I had to say. And then while you are there take some time to see for yourself what an amazing heart she has and leave her a little encouragement as well!!

Blessings friends!

Women of Faith - Imagine!!!

2011-09-20T20:29:00.000-05:00

In just 1 month my mom and I are heading up to St Paul, MN so that we can attend the Women of Faith Imagine conference!

To say that I am excited is an understatement. My mom started this tradition with me probably during one of the very first WOF events. I think we went down to Omaha, NE and it was a weekend of shopping and conferences.

I remember being amazed at the women speaking from the porch. And to be honest I secretly wished that I could do that some day. To be a strong women of God and be able to touch the hearts of people just felt like it was something that was making a difference.

What is funny about this is that I am terrified about speaking in front of groups and so why that thought crossed my mind so many years ago I don't know....and I don't know that I ever shared that with anyone before.

Almost 4 years ago I heard about a woman named Angie. She had a heart-wrenching story and I started following her blog. Before this time I didn't even know what a blog was!! And shortly thereafter I decided to start my own blog. This was my first post...

I used to journal when I was younger and I loved being able to document my life like this and it was a way for my family to see pics of the kids from time to time as well.

Well this year Angie is speaking at WOF in St Paul and I am over the top excited to hear her in person. If you haven't read her books, "I Will Carry You" and "What Women Fear" ** you must pick up a copy today and read them. They are transforming.

Seriously -trust me on this one!!

Anyways. Not only do I get to hear and hopefully meet Angie, I get to spend some time with a couple of other blogger friends.

Because of this blog, and so many others, I have come to know an amazing community of women and some of those women I have gotten to know on a more personal level. And the WOF weekend is the perfect place to turn an online community into a IRL community.

Kami and Jess are 2 beautiful Christian women who have already had a chance to connect IRL and I have come to know both of them and we will all be meeting in October!! In fact we get to also meet Kami's good friend (and room with them!! :) ) and her mom and sister!!

I am telling you this is going to be one weekend to remember. Is anyone else out there joining us in St Paul? If so please let me know because we could make this one BIG party friends!!

I know this weekend will be bittersweet in a few ways too...it will be my first conference without Karlena. It had become our tradition for so many years to attend in Denver once she got sick and so I know her loss will be felt - but isn't it great how God uses times like these to gift us with new friends to share the experience with?!

In all things He is good. Until then I will be spending some time trying to "Imagine" what amazing things God will reveal to me and I can't wait to share them with you!!

**Disclosure: Affiliate link used**

Multitude Mondays

2011-09-19T07:23:00.000-05:00

So very many things to be grateful for today...but I am especially fond of this little one.

This sweet girl is almost 9 months old!!

She hates to sit still and is desperate to learn how to walk!

But she is a joy, and although blurry, this picture captures her joy!!

In Honor of Gitzen Girl, this Monday I am counting some of my many blessings and choosing in ALL things to have Joy!

#169 - Sweet smiles from my only daughter

#170 - Garage sale finds and black and red dresses!

#171 - Cameras that capture life - even if slightly blurred

#172 - The sounds of kids laughing outdoors

#173 - Pumpkins and leaves changing colors

#174 - The smell of stew cooking in the crockpot

#175 - New friends and new opportunities for growth

And how about you?

What gifts can you count today? How are you choosing Joy? Please share them here - I would love to know some of the items on your "list".

Happy Monday!!

http://www.aholyexperience.com" target="_blank">http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff162/annvoskamp/multitudesonmondaysbutton2-1.jpg" >

Choose Joy

2011-09-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

I have spent the past couple of days reading through post after post after post about sweet Sara - aka "Gitzen Girl". Who is now on her journey homeward to meet her Maker.

Her mantra was to "Choose Joy".

Although I didn't know Sara on a personal level like so many did, I had an opportunity to read some of her posts and what struck me the most was that in spite of her battling a debilitating disease, she had found a way to intentionally "Choose Joy" regardless of her condition.

She reminds me so much of Karlena. Who also made a decision to "Choose Joy" in all things. The 2 of them would have made great friends I think! And oh what a party they will have together in Heaven soon...both girls and their dads.

The bigger challenge here for me and for all of us is how do we carry on a legacy like Sara's...like Karlena's?

Sara made it look pretty simple didn't she?

Just "Choose Joy".

Write it on the wall if you need a reminder each morning.

Make the choice - be intentional and "Choose Joy" in ALL things.

Such a simple idea - so will you join me in a new way of thinking....a better way of living?

And if you would please pray for those closest to Sara right now who are feeling her loss at an even deeper level....her family, her friends...Jess, Matthew, Candy, Shannon and so many countless others ...my prayers are with you as you say goodbye - for now.

May you feel Joy even amongst moments of sadness.

Working From Home a Q&A!

2011-09-15T18:10:00.000-05:00

Many of you have asked what it is like for me to be working from home since we moved to Marshall.....alright strike that - none of you have really asked...but I imagine if you did you may have asked me some of the questions below. So sit back and enjoy a little peak into my day!!

1) So what does a typical day look like for you?
         I am up at 5:15am, get myself and the kids ready to go to school and daycare - with Dominic's help of course!!!, leave the house around 7:40am, drop Gabriel, drop Elijah and Karlena and back at home ready to work by 8am. I eat a quick lunch when I think about it at my desk and then take my "lunch break" when it is time to go and get the boys from school. We come home and I work for another hour or so until it is time to go get the little ones from daycare at 5.

         When my (then) boss and I started talking about this transition he had said that he didn't care when I got my work done...just that I got it done. But with his "exit" and my conditional 90 days it is clear that I needed to be available between the traditional 8-5 hours(understandable). Most days I am logged onto my computer and have read e-mails before the kids even get up and some evenings I have Isaac watch the little ones so that I can finish up a few things...but for the most part I am working here 8-5.

2) So let's be honest here - do you work in your pj's every day because if it were me I would!
        Actually no! I am one of those people that needs to take a shower first thing when I get up in the morning or I just feel gross. So I shower right away and get ready just like I would if I were going into an office...except I get to wear jeans every day instead of dress pants!

3) What is the best thing about working from home?
         I think the best thing is the access I have to a few of the "little things". Every morning before I leave to take the kids to daycare and school I start a load of laundry. Before it would have sit wet all day long in the washer but now I can run and throw it into the dryer when I get back home from dropping them off. Also in the summer Gabriel, Isaac and I would sometimes run out to garage sales over my lunch hour. That's something I couldn't have done before and we had fun on our little hour long outings! I also love working in the same community as my kids go to school/daycare. If there were ever an emergency I could be available immediately and not have a commute to worry about!

4) What is the worst part about working from home?
          I think the hardest part is the isolation from all of the people I used to see and talk with on a daily basis. I talk with my co-workers by phone throughout the week but it is nothing like seeing them in person every day or sharing a cubicle wall with them. I think that I miss that most of all.

5) What surprises you most about your new situation?
          Surprisingly enough that I don't eat more! I did worry that being at home, always having access to food, snacks etc. that I would be eating non stop. But I probably snack less than I did when I was in an office. Some days I have to remember to go and grab something to eat quick for lunch!

6) What, in your opinion, is the biggest misconception that others have about people who are working from home?
           This is interesting because I probably had these misconceptions before as well...until I was able to be in that situation myself. I would say first that my kids don't actually go to daycare and that I spend my day working a little and mostly playing with them. The truth is that I wouldn't get anything done if they were here so they HAVE to be at daycare. The second would be that I only work a few hours a day and the rest of the time I am watching tv...or whatever else. The truth here is that my work space is in an area completly separate from our family room and so our tv is probably on less than it ever was when we lived in Beresford. And I just don't allow myself to do "other things" because I do feel the pressure to prove that I can do this and be of benefit to my company.

7) So you have mentioned before about a "trial period"....when is that done and what happens then?
            I was given 90 days to try this and to see how it worked for my company and I am grateful for that. That 90 days is up October 1st. So what then? I am not really sure. I am praying that they want to continue to keep me on and trusting that if they don't, God has the details of that already figured out. The stress of the "what-ifs" were really hurting me so I have really had to let all of that go and just trust God with the outcome. Time will soon tell I guess! I will keep you posted!

So there you have it....is there anything I didn't ask and answer that you'd like to ask? Leave me a comment and I will try to address it!! Looking forward to Friday tomorrow! :)

Dayspring (in)spired Deals Review!

2011-09-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

I love getting mail and I love sending mail. I especially love sending cards and finding a way to bless someone else.

I used to buy boxes of cards and store them at my desk at work so if I happened to think about someone that day, I saw it as a "sign" perhaps that I should send them a little encouragement.

Well a few weeks ago I was on the (in)courage website and saw that they were looking for some bloggers to do a review of some great new products they have available. I, always loving the "free" stuff, was in!

So one day last week these arrived on my doorstep!!

These beautiful cards are part of the "God's Heart For You" collection.

Perfect cards for a special woman in your life. A bestie that you want to encourage or a mentor that needs a lifting up or a neighbor down the street that doesn't get out much anymore. Who do you have in your circle of friends that could use a little boost?!

I can't wait to send these out and share them...even though I would love to keep them for myself. :)

Here is one of my favorites....

You are Loved....Just as you are (Ephesians 3:17-19)....

Do you feel loved "just as you are"?

I am afraid that in this world...by its standards I would have to answer "no" some days. I feel less than perfect, I see all of my failures and I am so critical of myself.

But I love the reminder that in God's Heart -

I am perfect.

I am loved.

I am redeemed.

Thank God for those truths today!!

So how do you answer the question "In God's Heart I am...."?

If you are interested in checking out the other products that Blessings Unlimited has to offer click here.

Disclosure: Dayspring sent me this pack of cards for free in exchange for a review of the product. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A host of things to be grateful for....

2011-09-12T10:53:00.000-05:00

So often I get so caught up in "me" that I forget to see...

In the darkness of my self-focus, I shut out the light.

But then I am reminded of the counting of gifts....

And soon the host of good gifts is so very evident. This friends is where my focus will be today.

How about you? Can you count the many, many reasons we have to be thankful?

#127 - Red barn paint and helping when we are needed

#128 - The giggle of a boy who never sleeps past 6:30am

#129 - The sound of the dryer spinning clean clothes

#130 - Beautiful birch trees outside the front window

#131 - Rides to school from a helpful neighbor

#132 - Fresh baked banana bread

#133 - Grace...always grace

Have you counted today? Counted the gifts in your life...your day? Join me won't you?