Birthdays and Bedrooms

It has been a busy busy month in our house! My little one, Kenzie, turned 3 on the 21st. I can't believe she is definitely not a baby anymore...as evidenced by the fact that she is also now potty trained. This is the first time in 8 years we have been diaper-free in our house!

We also moved the girls into the same room and decorated it for them. New beds, new paint and new bedding are all done. A re-purposed dresser and re-purposed hope chests are still in the works (hopefully to be finished by next weekend).

It has been wonderful to make a beautiful space for my girls to grow up together in....I am excited for them to start this new season of life!

Being a "Yes" Woman

I have written a couple of posts on submission in the past, and it is definitely something I still struggle with and strive for.

In her book "A Woman After God's Own Heart", Elizabeth George talks about several ways to make submission a constant and consistent theme in our marriage. One of these is to "respond with a single positive word". The word she chose is "Sure!" (the exclamation point is important as the idea is to have a positive attitude as well). My words have varied from "absolutely" to "yes, dear" and "of course". But the idea is to always have a positive response to what your husband asks of you.

WHAT?! Always say yes? Well-I might as well just give up all of my opinions and personality now, right? The image that I get when I think of always saying "yes" to my husband is a scene from the '80s movie "Coming to America" (yes I know, I am seriously dating myself) with Eddie Murphy. He plays an African prince who seeks a wife in America after the woman who was chosen for him does not meet with his approval. In the scene, he is asking her what her likes and dislikes are and her response to everything is "Whatever you like" or "Whatever you want me to like."

This is NOT the idea behind a positive response and submission to your husband!

How often do we tell our children "don't tell me 'no'!"? We expect them to respond positively to what we ask of them because they are to respect our authority. How is that different than a wife's relationship with her husband. Ephesians 5:33 says "Let the wife see that she respects her husband." How can we expect our children to respect us as parents if we are not modeling this basic biblical principle in our marriage?

At the heart of submission is trust. I have to trust that my husband is looking out for the best interest of me and our family. But I have to remember that he is human and makes mistakes, so I also have to trust God. He does not make mistakes and I trust that He will intervene in any poor decisions my husband may make or at least provide a solution to the consequences afterward. I can trust in these things because I am blessed to have a husband that seeks God. However, God does not only call women with godly husbands to submit, He calls ALL women to submit to their husbands. If your husband is not seeking His guidance, you can still trust in the fact that you are a child of the King and He will protect you while you serve Him.

Love & Prayers!

My Kids Ate Broccoli!

Well-I have to be honest, my kids love broccoli....but I am not always the best green veggie eater. So, at my husband's request, I found a yummy and simple recipe for cheese sauce that is great on broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and lots of other things.

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium heat, then whisk in the flour to create a roux. Slowly add the milk until mixture is thoroughly combined and heated through. Add cheese and mustard and stir until melted completely. Add salt & pepper to taste and serve with your meal!

So yummy and easy!

A Peaceful Home

Lately, our lives have gotten more hectic due to the fact that both my husband and I now work full-time during the day. With 3 children in either daycare or school and 2 parents gone all day, mornings and evenings can be rather busy around our house!

While this situation is not ideal, it is the season we are in and God has a purpose in this; so my job, as wife, mother and homemaker, is to make this as smooth as possible for all parties involved.

Some things that I have found helpful:

-always make sure the sink is cleared and cleaned before I go to bed and the dishwasher started.

-set the coffee for delay brew in the morning...there is nothing better than waking up to the smell of fresh coffee brewing on a cold winter morning!

-make sure clothes are out and lunches and book bags packed each night before I go to bed.

-when I work from home, I make an effort to be off my computer and cooking dinner before my husband and children get home. I want them to know that they are the priority by coming home to a warm, aromatic kitchen instead of a cold, quiet house.

-I do not get on the home laptop to check e-mail, blog, or just browse until after the kids are in bed and I have spent some quality time with my husband.

-my husband and I always make and effort to go to bed together.

-I try to make the bed every day, even if it is not until I get home from work (my goal is to get it done in the morning, though). A nice, neat bed is definitely conducive to a good night's sleep.

I certainly have not mastered each of these on a daily basis, but it is what I strive for to maintain a peaceful and happy home in this hectic season of life.

Love & Prayers!

Time For Change

Wow...It has been a long time since I posted anything. I am not sure where this is going to go, so bear with me if I ramble a bit.

A lot has happened since November 2010, holidays, New Year, Rick started a new job, back to school, nursery school for Kenzie....and so on.

I am not big on New Year's resolutions, I think they can be overrated...and I tend to give up easily if a falter a bit, so I prefer to take change 1 day at a time. However, that said, I do have some things that I would like to change in my life, not just because it's a new year, but because NOW is the best time to make positive change-always!

I have joined an online devotion/bible study called "Chaos to Calm" at http://www.proverbs31sisters.com/. Learning to be the wife and mother that God calls me to be and to take my home from well...chaos to calm!

I have decided to change some of my more horrendous eating habits...so far, I have cut out soda. I would also like to see fast food go as well.

I have determined to make God the #1 priority in my life. I probably should have listed this first, as it is clearly the biggest and most important change, but...well, here it is. I want to spend time with my Heavenly Father every day. I want to seek His wisdom and counsel in EVERY decision I make. I want to give Him the respect and honor that He deserves in my life.

So here's to change and a fresh, new start. I am determined not to be derailed by Satan's seeds of doubt. I know that I will have days that I fail and days that I succeed. But I also know that God loves me on all those days, not just the good ones!

Happy New Year to all! I would love to hear about the changes you will have or desire to have in your lives this year!

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."

-Ecclesiastes 3:1