13 Going on...

Today I have the privilege of celebrating one of my favorite young men!!  13 years ago today our easy-going, flexible, low-key, witty Nathaniel was born!  I really did want him born on the 4th of July but there was just no way to wait any longer, we were just about 2 hours away for the 4th, close enough!

Nate has been such an amazing kid, always surprising us with his quick humor or his naturally laid-back attitude.  I know with him, I have had it easy!!  I believe he is an "old soul", way mature beyond his mere 13 years. 

He is growing up to be a young man of character and integrity, which any parent will tell you is more important than accomplishments or awards.  At least in my estimation any way! We are looking forward to the many years we have with this fine young man, to watch the journey God has Nate on, cheering and encouraging him along the way. 
He has been a true blessing to our family, a great joy to watch grow.  I cannot wait to see where the next 13 years will take him.

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANIEL DAVID!!

How can 15 years fly by?

I know we hear the saying, "time fly's" but it really has.  15 years ago today, my little family of 3 grew to 4. Our amazing, adventurous, curious Hailey was born.  She came in at mach 10 speed with her hair on fire that is for sure.  She wasn't waiting for anyone, so the nurse in charge delivered her.  The doctor showed up later!!
I remember thinking about what life would be like with the addition of a second child.  I had all the same concerns any young parent has, about whether we would be able to love our second child as much as the first. The minute she entered our world, the answer was so clear! YES!! Words cannot express the joy she has brought to our family. It is so amazing how one little person can light up a room.  Her older sister Annie adored her from the moment she met her.  They continue to have a very close relationship and I pray it lasts their entire life.

Not only has she brought us great joy, but she is growing to be a lady of great character and conviction and more than any other prayer that we prayed, this one had been our greatest desire for Hailey.  It has been so much fun to watch her grow physically but more importantly, spiritually.  She has a natural desire to learn and research. Looking for the answers to the questions that she comes up with.  We feel so blessed that God in his infinite wisdom chose to place Hailey in our family. I am in awe of God and how he thought so highly of us to give us such an amazing gift. Dave and I will continue to take care of our gift (all three) to the best of our ability.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAILEY!!!

 

Just in Time...

I don't believe in coincidences. You may disagree with me and that is perfectly fine. But I really don't believe in coincidences because I don't believe that anything on this earth just happened by chance. I believe that everything we see or experience is on purpose and with a plan.  This morning I FINALLY picked up my bible, it has been a while and I am working on consistency.  Wouldn't you know it, two different verses just popped out as I was reading and smacked me right in the face!! I love God's gentle ways!!
Here is the first verse and my realizations with it:
1 Kings 15:11&14 (Stick with me on this one, ok?)  11-Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. 14-Asa's heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.
Now normally I am not a huge fan of the Old Testament but I love the bible and I know God speaks to me personally through every word. What struck me as I was reading this passage was how Asa had to clean out some things and get rid of the garbage that his ancestors had been collecting.  What dawned on me is that I have been collecting garbage in my own heart that I need to fully clean out and start fresh and when I do that, I make room for the new, good things God has for me. Asa then was able to fully commit to God all his life, because he made room for God. I want that!! 

The second verse which is in the New Testament (I chose the Amplified version) is a very familiar verse, but I thought it went along with the above verse, kind of a reminder then a promise for me. The second verse is:
Philippians 4:19 (Amp) - And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 
What was so encouraging to me here are the words I underlined, MY GOD, what a possessive and powerful statement, God is Ours!! And then that He promises to supply EVERY NEED.  Does that mean He is promising me we will win the lottery, NO.  But He is promising to take care of all that I NEED.  And what I do know about God is that He never breaks His promises!!

That's my thoughts on this beautiful morning, be encouraged!!
 

Another clever craft...

with the school year winding down, I love to look for a few crafts to keep my creative juices flowing. I look for opportunities to slip in some "Me time", when we don't have something going on in our house. Granted, I always think I will accomplish a lot more each summer than I actually do, but that's okay.
So here are some magnets my friend and I made last summer and I meant to post them. I love these because they are super quick to put together and can make a great addition to any present. I had made a magnetic recipe/photo holder so these magnets went along with that craft, but magnets are useful any where and these are way cuter than some of the store bought, generic kind.
The supplies you will need are simple and can be found in most craft stores. I used 2 sizes of the clear glass decorative beads, they are round on one side and flat on the other. I also used scrabble tiles and large buttons. I punched circles with a circle punch from a variety of scrapbook paper, then just started putting smaller buttons on the large button, linking the scrabble tiles together to make words and placing the printed paper circles under the glass beads. Get creative and mess around until you find what you like. I used a hot glue gun to adhere the smaller buttons onto the larger button, but used a product called Diamond Glaze to fix the paper circles to the glass beads, it dries very quickly, but clear. To fix the magnet onto the back of each creation, I used something called E-6000, it is pretty powerful, but will make sure the magnet doesn't come off the back of your project, EVER!
So that's my craft project for the week...give it a try with the items you may have just lying around, it's quick and easy and they are darn cute!

Not my favorite subject, but necessary...

I know this topic really isn't favored by many of us, but I just wanted to put this out there for any of you who are reading this or even care.
This past month and a half has been a very real reminder to me that Dave and I need to make sure we have "all our affairs in order" so to speak. The subject of dying isn't a popular one that's for sure, but since the death of my sweet friend Jenna and now her husband Eric, it has left me reeling. Jenna had been battling cancer for almost 4 years, so her death wasn't necessarily a surprise. Eric passed away just a few days ago, a little less than a month after Jeanna from an apparent heart attack, that was very unexpected. Now the family is scrambling because they did not prepare a will or give specific directions as to where they would want their two boys to live in the event they both passed away. No one could have imagined this scenario, no one ever does.
So, my post is merely to remind you, if you have not prepared something that is legally binding, directions about where your kids will go, who you want them to live with and other important information, please do something NOW!! Do not hesitate or put it off any longer. There are even online resources that aren't super expensive to get your will drawn up fairly quickly and painlessly!
I realize this post isn't super reflective, spiritual or encouraging, but I do believe with all my heart that it is important and that's why I am writing this. I promise the next time I post, I will write something light or enlightened!! (I can't guarantee it, but I will try)