B R E A K !!

I finally did it.

I did something for myself that was well needed and long over due.

I took a break.

A really.long.break - to regain my sanity!

I have been off Twitter since December, haven't blogged since January, took a 3-week break from Facebook and quit all my iPhone games!

You know what was really strange? Life went on without missing a beat. Nothing major happened that rocked my world and I not only survived the sabbatical, I enjoyed it!

I have returned to Facebook but I do not post half as often as I used to. I am still not back with the twitter gang but now play a few people on ONE phone game only.

So why did I do this? Certainly there was a purpose, right? In very simple terms, I let the electronic world take over my life and it was time to regain control! When I find something I truly enjoy, it totally takes over; Facebook, Twitter, phone games, couponing, writing or reading blogs, etc. Though I love to do ALL of these things and more, I had to put the brakes on.

My newest addiction has been Pinterest...if you haven't discovered it, you really must! I fought it off as long as I could and then finally signed up in January and have loved every minute of it. I spent 12 hours reorganizing my pantry because of Pinterest and, oh, the craft and home decorating ideas, gardening tips and recipes are nothing short of sweet apple pie! It truly has changed a vast amount of things over here in our abode!

You can make Carmelita's like this:or cute chicks...And even learn how to grow onions from cut onions!!And make healthy cream mixes and save money to boot!As Pinterest says..."I pin because it makes me happy!"

Unlike phone games, Twitter and Facebook, I see Pinterest as beneficial to my entire family. I truly have acquired an overwhelming amount of knowledge from my hours of surfing and my family has immensely enjoyed my new recipes!

There you have it. I feel like a new woman. Inspired. Rejuvenated. Refreshed.

Since this is Spring Break and my kids are at camp for the first time EVER, I am off to clutter my dining room table with 100's of recipes that need to be organized into my recipe binder. This is a project I have been putting off for two years now - I am just dying to tackle this fun endeavor during my solitude time.

Enjoy your week and for goodness sake, take a guilt-free break when you need to! If you don't take care of you, who will?

Encouragement from the Winter Summit

I know I am rather tardy in sharing this news, but February is always blazin' crazy for my family! The Homeschool Moms Winter Summit I attended a few weeks ago was beyond amazing - the classes, the table talk time, the intimate fellowship, the skits, the speakers and oh, the worship! The worship was divinely spiritual and somehow reached into the depths of my hurting heart and brought me to tears within the first ten minutes of being there.

I am always in awe of the wisdom and experience that so many ladies have AND that are willing to freely share to the rest of us who may possibly be struggling in similar areas. I was reminded, encouraged, strengthened, relieved and convicted .... so many emotions to deal with in two short days yet perfectly timed by the Holy Spirit. I attended the Summit last year but often wonder why my arrogant pride kept me from attending the prior two years thinking that I didn't "need" what they had to offer. I can attest to the validity of this weekend and shout loud and strong that your sanity may depend on this short, little getaway! It truly is one of the best things I do for myself, which in turn, benefits my family.

At the end of the Summit, all the moms that had graduated at least one child was called to the front where they received a standing ovation from the hundred's of moms still making the journey. I felt very honored and humbled to be a part of this receiving line but was even more honored when this command was given: "We want each of you to pass the baton onto these ladies by giving them this "scroll" that must accompany a hug and the words, "I believe in you and I know you can do it!" With a handful of these beautiful paper scrolls, we launched into the crowd grabbing the necks of these ladies that so desperately needed to be told that someone believed in them and whispered an encouraging word in their ears. Here are the life-changing words that caused my eyes to flood:



I BELIEVE....

...that homeschooling has led me to the foot of the cross - which is the very best place for me to be.

...that since He called me, He will equip me. It will not be by my own strength or power, but by His Holy Spirit.

...that homeschooling has done and is doing a work of sanctification in my life. God wants me to intimately need Him more and more every day.

...that despite my weaknesses, I serve a God who supernaturally will bring to fruition all the He has purposed for my children.

...that a remnant is being called to radiate God's truth and the love of Jesus to the world.

...that Homeschooling is the most difficult thing that I have ever loved to do!

...that God hears the quiet yet desperate cries of homeschool moms as they "call out" for His strength and guidance.

...that homeschooling has taught me more about MYSELF than any subject I have ever taught.

Even if you don't home school, I hope you can substitute a different word for homeschooling (like parenting!) and still gleam some golden nuggets from this list.

Very thankful, I am, to the ladies who gave almost an entire year planning for an event that I'm positive was meant just for me!

Progressing Upward!

After being on a monotonous plateau for weeks on end, I can excitedly say that we have achieved some forward progression.

With a twinkle in my eyes and goose bumps on my arms, I am elated to report that my daughter can definitely hear better! I have had nothing monumental or even note worthy to share about her implant journey for 5 or 6 weeks. However, I am now busting at the seems to give God the glory on three specific happenings within the past few weeks.

Just two weeks ago, Adam was in his room making some boy noises while playing with his Legos. Victoria was reading in the family room, which is approximately 25 feet from his room. After a few moments, she asked what the noise was. I had to stop and listen and then commented that it was probably the humming from the ceiling fans. She seemed puzzled but went on reading. She then insisted that it couldn't be the fans and asked where Adam was. When I told her he was in his room playing, she stated that she heard him making noises! I was shocked considering the distance to his room. When Adam came out of his room, she asked him if he was making noises with his mouth. He sheepishly answered yes and wanted to know how she knew that. SHE HEARD HIM!!

Episode number two...Victoria was at home alone while I was with Adam at guitar lessons on Tuesday. In a panic, she began texting me to tell me that she heard a very loud popping sound. It eventually frightened her since she had no idea what the sound was or where it was coming from. The texting went on for 5-10 minutes as I tried to assure her that it was probably the freezer or the ice maker. She even called me asking if I could hear it through the phone. Finally, with much glee in her words, she texted me to say she had found the sound - it was my crockpot lid "popping" since it had moisture around the edges! I was flabbergasted when I walked into the kitchen and heard the sound myself. Why, you ask? Because it wasn't loud or irritating or scary. I just cannot believe she heard that from her bedroom and considered it loud!

She is also more aware of environmental sounds and actually asking me what they are - a definite positive step in the right direction!

Okay - are you ready?

Here we go for the grand finale. Sit down for this one because you'll want to stand and scream "GLORY" after you read this!

We were at a friend's house in the kitchen while Victoria was in their family room watching a movie. She could not see me at all. I wanted to ask her a question, so I called her name. I expected her to answer me and then, like normal, she would have to come into the kitchen to see what I wanted. However, this time proved to be different. I called her name and she answered, "What?" Then I asked, "Are you crocheting?" She responded with a no. Then I said, "Well, you need to crochet that white flower for the headband so that it will be ready for tomorrow." In case you didn't catch that last sentence - that was a LOT of words for a deaf person to hear AND understand. Remember, she can't even see my body much less read my lips. Bear in mind that this has never, ever happened before. Here comes the GLORY part - not only did she hear me AND understand me, but she answered me with, "Ok, I will make it when this movie is over." ARE YOUR GRASPING THIS???

The four of us at the table just sat there for a second in disbelief and complete amazement - I just had a two-person dialog with my deaf daughter from another room! The goose bumps were huge on my arms and then I realized...she has finally accepted the implants. She is embracing them and utilizing them to their fullest capacity.

It was worth it.

Patience and perseverance did shine through - and with vibrant colors!I am so very proud of my little princess. So hard to imagine that God loves her more than I do!

Traditions!!

I absolutely LOVE traditions.

I love old ones.

I love flexible ones.

I love new ones.

I love the ones shared with friends and family

And I love the ones with just our family of five.

A very special lady in our life, whom the kids reverently call Nap Nanny, gave us this tiny tree with 12 little boxes and 12 miniature ornaments as a means for a countdown to Christmas about 10 years ago. It holds a very special place in our heart - not only because of whom the giver was, but also, the memories that have taken place because of this little tree.

With a creative mindset, my husband and I began to think of ideas to make the implementation of this new tradition fun filled and memorable. Over the past 10 years, we have tweaked it so much that you never know what to expect from year to year (which is part of the fun as well!) One year, we took the paper chain idea and wrote activities on every piece of paper. Each night a child ripped off a chain and read what the activity was. Sometimes it was as simple as watching a movie at home with the lights out while eating popcorn. As the kids got older, the activities began to change to bowling, ice skating, driving around to look at Christmas lights, watching a Christmas musical or play at another church, playing a newly bought game, etc. When we were home together, we also ate dinner by candlelight - no matter what was served! Such fun memories we have made over the years. Last year I added a new twist to our countdown. I made sure each stocking had 12 small items in them (always $5 or under) and each night after dinner or our family festivities, the kids were allowed to reach into their stocking and try to guess what they felt before pulling it out! Although they highly enjoyed the 12 nights of surprises, everyone agreed that they didn't want this tradition to continue since their stockings were completely empty on Christmas morning!

A new tradition I started last year which I will continue is something I found on Pinterest (which I will blog about my addiction to this new craze later!) It's very simple that will bring lots of smiles. Every time something memorable, exciting or just plain note worthy happens, write it down on a small piece of paper with the date. Fold it and then drop it in a glass jar. That's about it - I told you it was too simple! Do this all year long and then on December 31st (or whatever end of the year date you pick), grab the family with some Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice and take turns pulling out a piece of paper and reading what it says. I took our little tradition to Ohio this year so that we could do it with the grandparents - what better way to reminiscence about the wonderful things that happened during the year while catching them all up to speed. We spent almost 2 hours and had a lot of "oh, I forgot about that" and "remember how funny that was!" The kids are already saying, "Did you write that down for the jar?" Big clue that the activity was a hit!

I could write a 5-page blog on traditions that have come and gone and ones that will never leave us. I believe it's what keeps the family together. What better way to make your heart smile than to pass something so special from your childhood onto your children.

Just remember - when first starting a tradition, be flexible. If no one is enjoying it, then be ready to make changes or ditch the idea completely! You certainly don't want any bad family traditions!

I would love to hear from each of you - what are some of your favorite family traditions? Ones that you grew up with or some that you have started with your family. I absolutely adore stealing ideas, so please do share!

Do You Know Your Expiration Dates?

I found this on Simple Saving Savvy and found it to be very helpful. You can find the entire list here:


With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple compiled a guide to specific product expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf life of most products depends upon how you treat them.

Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.

Here are a few of the most common household items that coupon users tend to stockpile and guidelines for how long they can be stored and consumed.

Dried pasta – 12 months
Frozen vegetables – Unopened: 18 to 24 months (Opened: 1 month)
Ketchup – Unopened: 1 year (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Marshmallows – Unopened: 40 weeks (Opened: 3 months)
Mayonnaise – Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Mustard – 2 years (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Olive oil – 2 years from manufacture date (After this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume.)
Peanut butter, natural – 9 months
Peanut butter, processed – Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months
Rice, white – 2 years from date on box or date of purchase
Salad dressing, bottled – Unopened: 12 months after “best by” date (Opened: 9 months refrigerated)
Tea bags – Use within 2 years of opening the package
Air freshener, aerosol – 2 years
Bleach – 3 to 6 months
Dish detergent, liquid or powdered – 1 year
Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered – Unopened: 9 months to 1 year (Opened: 6 months)
Bar soap – 18 months to 3 years
Bath gel, body wash – 3 years
Body lotion – 3 years
Hair Care Products – 2 to 3 years
Deodorant – Unopened: 2 years (Used: 1 to 2 years)
For antiperspirants, see expiration date
Foundation, oil-based – 2 years
Foundation, water-based – 3 years
Lip balm – Unopened: 5 years (Opened: 1 to 5 years)
Mascara – Unopened: 2 years (Opened: 3 to 4 months)
Mouthwash – Three years from manufacture date
Nail polish – 1 year
Nail-polish remover – Lasts indefinitely
Perfume – About two years. To get more mileage out of a perfume, resist the temptation to display a pretty bottle on your vanity. Instead, stash it away in a cool, dark place.
Facial Moisturizer – 12 months after first use

Do You Know the Cookie Rules?

A friend sent this to me a few days ago, so I just had to share...if only I were this clever to think of all these rules!!

Christmas Cookie Rules:

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year!

Merry Christmas & Happy New year

One Incredible Moment

If you have not discovered author Max Lucado, I simply cannot begin to explain how much you are missing. He is truly one of my favorite authors. Introducing him to my children brings me such joy. This is our second Christmas book we have begun reading aloud. I knew it would happen, but I certainly didn't think I would break in the very first chapter.

A massive, golf-sized lump stuck in the middle of my esophagus . . . and then the tears flowed. I finally finished that chapter and decided I had to share it with you all. I could tell you that you must buy this book, but unless I give you ample reason to, you probably won't. I'm typing out the entire chapter for you in hopes that it will stir your soul to purchase this book and read it to your children.

From One Father to Another


"This isn't the way I planned it God. Not at all. My child being born in a stable? This isn't the way I thought it would be. A cave with sheep and donkeys, hay and straw? My wife giving birth with only the stars to hear her pain?

This isn't at all what I imagined. No, I imagined family. I imagined grandmothers. I imagined neighbors clustered outside the door and friends standing at my side. I imagined the house erupting with the first cry of the infant. Slaps on the back. Loud laughter. Jubilation.

That's how I thought it would be...

But now...Who will celebrate with us? The sheep? The shepherds? The stars?

This doesn't seem right. What kind of husband am I? I provide no midwife to aid my wife. No bed to rest her back. Her pillow is a blanket from my donkey...

Did I miss something? Did I, God?

When you sent the angel and spoke of the son being born - this isn't what I pictured. I envisioned Jerusalem the temple, the priest and the people gathered to watch. A pageant perhaps. A parade...I mean, this is the Messiah!

Or, if not born in Jerusalem how about Nazareth? Wouldn't Nazareth have been better? At least there I have my house and my business. Our here, what do I have? A weary mule, a stack of firewood, a a pot of warm water. this is not the way I wanted is to be!....Forgive me for asking but...is this how God enters the world? The coming of the angel, I've accepted. The questions people asked about the pregnancy, I can tolerate. The trip to Bethlehem, fine. But why a birth in a stable, God?

Any minute now Mary will give birth. Not to a child, but to the Messiah. Not to an infant, but to God. That's what the angel said. That's what Mary believes. And God, my God, that's what I want to believe. But surely you can understand; it's not easy. It seems so...so...so...bizarre.

I'm unaccustomed to such strangeness, God. I'm a carpenter. I make things fit. I square off the edges. I follow the plumb line. I measure twice before I cut once. Surprises are not the friend of a builder. I like to know the plan. I like to see the plan before I begin.

But this time I'm not the builder, am I? This time I'm a tool. A hammer in your grip. A chisel in your hands. This project is yours not mine.

I guess it's foolish of me to question you. Forgive my struggling. Trust doesn't come easy to me, God. But you never said it would be easy, did you?

One final thing, Father. The angel you sent? Any chance you could send another? If not an angel, maybe a person? I don't know anyone around here and some company would be nice. Maybe the innkeeper or a traveler? Even a shepherd would do..."


Oh, how I love the way he writes!