Beautiful Mess
First off let me say that back in the “day” I was a huge Diamond Rio fan. As a matter of fact I told my DH when we started dating that if Diamond Rio ever came to
I started reading the book as soon as I got it from the mail. Honestly, I found it hard to put down. I was amazed at the lives of these great guys. Most of them come from Christian backgrounds and have returned to those roots so to speak. I loved reading about the closeness they share as a band and “family”. From their lowest depths to their highest moments, the guys share their life stories with honesty. You see the good, bad and the ugly. Yet through all the struggles they still found that God is God and He has a plan. I really enjoyed this book and I’m sure you will too. Check it out here:http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/
God Bless ~ Nikki
40 Loaves Breaking Bread With Our Father Each Day By C.D. Baker
“Why don’t I have more faith?”
“Why am I so bored with Jesus?”
“Why are Christians so hard for me to like?”
There are many questions we’re not supposed to ask when playing by the religious rules. It makes people uncomfortable. So why is it that Jesus invited questions and even asked some of them himself? What is it that you’re afraid to ask God? It’s a risky prospect to begin asking–but far riskier to continue simply trying to get by without knowing. Author C. D. Baker asked himself 40 soul-searching questions which started a conversation in his heart and ultimately showed him more about God than He ever expected.
Can we become more honest with who we really are and find who God says He really is at the same time? Come indulge yourself in daily readings with an honest exploration of your secret fears and thoughts, and know that you will always be welcomed in God’s unconditional love.
God Bless! ~ Nikki
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
Some of you have written asking for some ideas at little or no cost for The 12 Days of Christmas. I understand COMPLETELY what it's like to be "strapped for cash", especially this time of year as gift giving is in full swing.
Here are some FREE ideas for you to love on your hubby...
- Massages are a great gift to give! You could even make a coupon to give to him in the morning (so he would be looking forward to it all day) or mail it to him at work. To take it a step further, you could even make this a gift for the entire 12 days, picking a different body part to focus on each night (uh... I don't have to tell you what to save for last right?) A good massage is at least 30 minutes. Sometimes it may seem longer to you than it really is, so be sure to look at the clock by your bed before you begin so you don't cut your sweet husband short!
- Breakfast in bed with a smile (and nothing else but a smile).
- Making coffee every morning and greeting your hubby with a cheerful "good morning". How we start our husband's mornings have a HUGE effect on the rest of their day, as well as how eager they are to come back. (I know that I wouldn't want to come home to me some days!) Make it your goal to be cheerful each day for the 12 days. Start his morning with a happy wife. If you work outside of the home and leave before him, then having the coffee pot with coffee and a sweet note would be a thought too.
- Pray for him each day. You could use The Power of a Praying Wife for this as well. Whatever you choose, and regardless if your husband prays with you or not, get out of bed each day with your knees hitting the floor before your feet do. Pray for the man God has blessed you with. Thank Him for your husband. Even if you're struggling in your marriage, ask God to give you the strength to get through the 12 days with love and compassion and to renew your marriage. You might be surprised what happens when he finds out that you're praying for him every day. Cover your husband in prayer each day... it may seem crazy, but YOU will become a better woman for it.
- Hmmm... this next one... well, it's REALLY simple and may get one of the biggest reactions from your sweetie... but if you can't afford to get some "blessings" to wear... you can always do what God intended from the beginning! That's right... NO panties. Be sure to whisper it in his ear at the grocery store, church, or before he leaves for work.
- One of my personal favorites (and my Beloved's)... Clean Lovin'.
- Take a marker and write SHMILY somewhere on your body for him to search for.
- Find out what he really likes by having him fill out the "I Feel Loved by You When You..." sheet... and then do it!
- Ice cream in bed together naked... one spoon. For the ice cream lover, you could get the pints of ice cream and have ice cream in bed every night. Don't worry about the diet... this is only 12 days... get fat on each other's love!
- Some "Christmas socks" you wear... and that's it!
- 12 pair of sexy panties... one for each day.
- Mistletoe (need I say more?) You could used this throughout the 12 days as well by having it show up in various places in the house... or various times... and it could mean more than just kissing. Write up a note and let your hubby know... you may want to even make it a "treasure hunt" by hiding it in various (obvious) places... and then follow through when he finds it!
- Three bows (or other wrapping ribbons for all over your body and hair) and place strategically on your body for him to "unwrap".
Check out this giveaway at The Mennobrarian!
http://www.themennobrarian.com/2009/12/giveaway.html
Blessings! ~ Nikki
A friend made these cookies at our ladies tea last night and cut them out with tiny Christmas cookie cutters and decorated with icing and sprinkles, they were adorable and delicious! I can't wait to try them with the boys.
The original recipe is for Santa's Whiskers cookies but she simply used the dough from that recipe to make her own cut out cookies to decorate.Best of all, the raw dough is safe to eat because they have no Egg! My chunky monkey can eat them and the boys can eat the raw dough! (the best part)
Easy kid-friendly recipe for slice & bake refrigerator cookies.
1 1/4 cups butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
In a large mixing bowl, preferably with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add milk and vanilla, beat again and scrape bowl. With mixer on low speed, add flour one cup at a time and beat after each addition. Shape into logs approximately 2" in diameter. Roll the logs in parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat liner and give them a light spray with vegetable shortening. Unwrap logs and slice into 1/4" thick slices or roll out to cut out shapes. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until very light brown and the sides are slightly firm.
Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack. Cool completely before storing in air tight containers.
We are sharing and discussing Christmas Cookies at The Forum on The Homeschool Lounge... come join us!
In tough times discover…99 Ways (times six) to thrive!
Colorado Springs, CO— The Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group introduces 99…times six…practical and up-to-date ways to help families flourish despite present economic challenges, priced at just $5.99 per book (WaterBrook Press, July 21, 2009). These books are not only timely, but also inexpensive enough to fit into everyone’s tightening budget.
- 99 Ways to Increase Your Income (ISBN-13:978-0-307-45839-1)
I got to review 99 Ways to Increase Your Income by Frank Martin.This book has some wonderfully easy tips on how to raise your income and stretch the cash you already have. Each chapter is filled with ideas that are simple yet effective. Some of these ideas utilize websites that we already enjoy like Ebay and Craigslist. I know in this economy many of us can use some new ideas on earning more money or stretching our dollar. I have gleaned lots of ideas from this great book that I plan on using to help our family. I highly recommend buying this book. It would also make a great gift for a friend or loved one.
Don’t Let Relationships Suffer Because of the Economy
Colorado Springs, CO— Just because the economy is suffering doesn’t mean relationships have to suffer, too. The Value Non-Fiction Line (September 15, 2009) offers insightful books on love, marriage, relationships and personal growth. At just $6.99, WaterBrook Press is offering readers on the most limited budgets, valuable resources to help them grow and succeed in their personal lives. Titles include:
More Than A Match (ISBN: 978-1-4000-7489-1) by relationship experts, Michael & Amy Smalley, marriage and family counselors who demystify the science behind compatibility tests to help singles in search of love recognize when the right relationship comes along. They also reveal the specific skills that can transform an ideal match into a lasting love.
I got to review More Than A Match by Michael and Amy Smalley
This is a great book for engaged Christian (and non Christian) couples. The Smalleys walk you step by step through the dating and engagement process. They cover issues from making sure you are compatible enough to date each other to handling conflicts and on through to the first night together as man and wife. They cover these issues with their own personal insight and lots of humor. Do be advised though that they do cover the subject of s*x. Even this subject is covered with Christian insight though so no worries. I think this book would make a good gift for engaged couples.
You can purchase these books online at:
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
These books were provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.
Want to blog for books?
WaterBrook Multnomah Blogging for Books site page at http://www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook/bloggingforbooks/.
QUESTION: "Amy, how do you maintain excitement for 12 days of Christmas Shmily time? I tried it last year and frankly it was hard! Hubby was feeling special but honestly I just wanted to be left alone and sleep. Help me get mentally straightened out to try again!" - JessicaI have to be honest... I struggle EVERY year with this whole thing, to some extent. Now, don't get me wrong, it's so much better than it used to be BEFORE I started the "12 days of Christmas" with my hubby... but that doesn't mean it doesn't go off without some trials, and I honestly believe that the more women that I tell about the 12 days of Christmas in order to bless their marriages... well, do you think that satan is just gonna sit back and watch my marriage flourish? Absolutely not!
I honestly hesitated this year when I realized when THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS was going to be and when the baby was due... I am literally due the day before I normally start this whole thing (which is my hubby's birthday) and so not only did I realize I was going to have the "normal" struggles of prior years... but having a baby at some point before the 12 days is up certainly means I'm gonna need to get a LITTLE... uh... creative... Not only will hormones be in full swing... but I will have a new little one "sucking the life out of me" (I nurse my babies) and that can be draining as well.
But the more I thought about "canceling" the whole thing... the more I knew I needed to do it... not just for my sweet Beloved... but because I needed to look forward to it as well. I needed to remind myself of all those reasons I fell in love with my husband... and the many more that I've fallen in love with since then.
I think we all know that by doing this... we certainly are blessing our husbands and our marriages... but I realized how I've really taken the whole thing for granted by thinking that I'm doing my husband some great big favor... when, in reality... I am equally blessed by these very special 12 days each year. By focusing on the good things about my husband, I "fall in love" all over again with the man I married... but there is still more...
I GET to serve my husband more intentionally then I normally do. Sure, I wash his clothes, make meals for him (although I don't know if he'd say that's a blessing or not considering the cook HE is), make sure his closet is full of clothing that fits and shoes to wear... but I can so easily fall into the routine of being his wife, that I forget the privilege of being so much more... a servant who acts out of love, expecting nothing in return... THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS makes me focus on my husband's wants, needs, and desires more than ever before and I find myself truly loving making him smile. It's no longer about what he's done for me... what I might get in return... or why he isn't do this or that... my focus is not on ME... and honestly women, that's right where God wants me as a wife all the time.
So, while I know 12 days IS hard to keep the excitement alive... I want to challenge you to really focus on your husband and not yourself... push yourself to go a little further when you feel like throwing in the towel... go the distance because in the end... it will not only be your husband that will be blessed... but you as well.
FYI: I made a booklet to encourage your husband for 30 weeks... in it there are a few things that might help you to stay focused on your hubby as you prepare for the 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... and to help you stay that way throughout. You can find the booklet by clicking the following link: 30-week Husband Encouragement Challenge.
Yesterday we didn't have time for schoolwork because it SNOWED here ALL DAY!!! Earliest snow on record for Houston! This was Isaac's first real snow ever. Cameron vaguely remembers when it snowed about 5 years ago.
Today we're off to run errands:
*Haircut for Cameron
*Shipping a package off to Kyra
*Picking up dry cleaning
*Picking up printer ink
*Picking up dog food
*Grocery shopping
Then later on tonight we'll go to Mass where Cameron will sing in the Children's Choir. We've really enjoyed the music the children sing!
Before bedtime we'll read an Advent book and light the 2nd candle on our Advent wreath...and so begins the 2nd week of Advent...the week of Preparation.....
This is our first post for the Autumn Challenge hosted by the Outdoor Hour at the Handbook of Nature blog. We don’t have the Handbook of Nature book since we had to downgrade back to dialup until Toodles gets another job; we are using some great resource books we bought at our library book sale. The ABC’s of Nature and North American Wildlife, both by Readers Digest. All information in these posts comes from one or both of these books unless otherwise stated.
Oaks And Acorns
Oaks are the most wide spread broadleaf tree in
There are two groups of oaks; red and white. Red oaks have tiny bristles on the tips of the leaves and/or lobes. Red oak trees have bitter acorns that take two years to mature and do not fall off the tree during winter. The acorn caps are lined with woolly hairs. White oak trees have rounded lobes without bristles. White oak tree acorns are sweet and mature in six months. The acorns fall off the tree in winter.
Individual species of oak trees can identified by leaf shape and sometimes leaf color. Many birds and mammals eat the acorns of oak trees. These include squirrels, raccoons, deer, bear, turkey, woodpeckers, jays and many more. These animals help spread the oak by storing the acorns and not reclaiming them. Sprouting acorns will grow full sized leaves and unusually long roots.
We have a red oak tree in our yard. We identified it by the leaf shape and the bristles on the end of the lobes.
There are also many other types of oaks in our area. We have identified and English oak leaf but have yet to identify the other oak leaves in this picture.
We have seen some that come close but we hesitate to say they are “that” type of oak. Do any of you in blogland care to see if you can ID them? Blessings! ~ Nikki
On the 1st, Cameron read the story "White Snow, Bright Snow" by Alvin Tresselt to Isaac. We have a possibility to see some snow on Friday. Isaac has never seen snow so we are trying to "prepare" him a little.
Last night, I read "Snow Family'" by Daniel Kirk~it's about all the little snow children that kids make that run rampant until one little boy decides they need "snow parents" to love them and take care of them. Adorable story!
As part of our Christmas Mosaic, I also read "Clown of God" by Tomie dePaola. In this story, poor Giovanni represents each one of us. We really have nothing to offer Christ but our talents and our love. Each of us is but a little ball, a play thing, in His hands. He can do with us what He wills. Like Giovanni, sometimes our cares in the world make us lose sight of our real purpose in life. Giovanni teaches us that we should seek to make those around us happy because, by doing so, we make Christ happy~and Christ is our our ultimate audience!
Cameron will be doing coursework in Religion, Math, Science, Latin, History, Geography, Literature, Spelling, Grammar, P.E., Phonics and Composition today. I'm hoping to get in some Christmas Mosaic time with him as well....keeping my fingers crossed! We are also keeping in the Advent spirit by making purple dye from red cabbage (like the Phonecians...but less smelly than snails). Then we will talk about how purple was called the "color of kings" and how Christ is OUR King! Then we will hopefully be able to dye some macaroni and beads to make Advent necklaces!
Tomorrow is our annual trip to Brookwood Community. It is a Christian educational, residential, and entrepreneurial community for adults with functional disabilities. The residents make all kinds of pottery and grow the most beautiful pointsettias! Each year at Christmas, they hold an Open House where you can tour the facility and watch the residents at work. They also put on a beautiful Christmas pageant/show. We take our family each year to not only tour and shop, but to instill in our children the importance that EVERYONE has a gift or talent and purpose in life....not just those people whom society would tell us are "normal". My sister-in-law has Down's Syndrome and this is a great way for my children to see how important people like their Aunt Ana are to our communities and our lives!!
Tomorrow night we take Alex and his friend Christopher to their Archdiocesan Youth Council retreat. This will be Alex's last retreat with them, since he is a senior and will not be going to the discernment retreat in the spring. He is really sad about this. This group has been like a second community/family for him over the past few years.
Saturday evening, Cameron sings with the Children's Choir at Mass. They have been learning the most beautiful Advent songs! At their rehersal last night, you could just close your eyes and hear the angels singing with them! Signing Cameron up for this activity was a wonderful thing.....I thank God daily for Mrs. Sabine and Mrs. Kiera!!! They truly have the patience of Job and the love of Christ in them!!!