Happy Mother's Day!

Alright, I know I am a day late....lol =) We had an active weekend though.....we added a new member to the family (Brownley), rounding up bus kids, ladies banquet....and the usual chasing after 4 little ones! I wanted to write something about mother's day though =)

Here is my mom and I 1988 ish. I love my mom so much and it breaks my heart that she will not move next door to us in Missouri =(

On Saturday our pastor's wife headed up the Mother Daughter Banquet. It was so beautiful the theme was "Under His Wings" hence the egg basket in the photo =). It was catered by KFC and also some yummy home cooked sides by the pastor's family) I got to bring my sweet neighbor and her daughter as well as 2 bus kid girls =)

 Rachel was extra photogenic with my friend Jessica getting her to smile and look at the camera =)

Jessica helping put up the vinyl letters. "Under His Wings". I love the analogy found in the bible in how that God calls everyone to come under His protection but he does not force anyone.

Matthew 23:37

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

I got some sweet cards and some $ =)

I heart my baby Girl! So blessed to have a daughter to take to the Mother Daughter banquet...love my boys too though =)

Yard Sale Jackpot!

 Yesterday Morning I went out for my 2 mile run (slow jog) but then I only made it .25 miles before I found a fatabulous yard sale! I found classic books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Corduroy, How Much I Love You and Berenstein Bears for $0.10 each! 

 Then there were brand new hand crafted cars $3 each.

 I got Rachel the baby doll with the hooded towel on for $1.

 Then I looked at the clothes rack and found a Calvin Klein dress in my size (10). I tried it on over my running clothes and a perfect fit!

 I love it =)

 A Banana Republic jacket for $1.00!

The jean jacket works nice to cover up my flabby arms....lol =) 

 It is getting a little hot for a jean jacket though, so i put on this light sweater over the dress, which will work too =)

 A pretty brown dress for $2.00!

 I like the empire waist a lot! I will have to find a little sweater to put over my arms though =)

 2 highcut t shirts that were Anne Klein and Charter Club. High cut shirts are hard to find these days so $1.00 each was a great find to me!

Finally I found some wooden yo-yo's with our home team on them! We are from Alexandria, VA and so the Redskins are "our" team. I don't really care much for football though =) I like to tease my mom and call them the Dead Skins....lol =)

Thinking Outside the Bank Part 2: How to Give Without Spending Money

While we still wait on the Lord with establishing a self employed income God is showing me so many ways to give and be a blessing without spending a single cent! Chris' whole military career we supported children through Compassion International. After Chris voluntarily separated from Active Duty last October without a job lined up we knew we had to cut our monthly expenses by as much as possible. Yet there are children in our very own neighborhood that are in need of support! 

 This is Hailey, her dad is in the Army National Guard, her mother is 3 hours away. They are not members of a church and so her father has no family or support system here in Springfield. He works long hours and has various heath problems so Hailey is seen wandering the neighborhood most days.  I know she is not my child or my responsibly but God has not only made us stewards of money but also of our time. I find that I can be a help to this family and point them to Christ and still steward my time with my own family. She had a science project to do and didn't have any construction paper, a computer or printer at home so I know if I didn't help her get started she most likely in her own words would have, "waited til' the last minute and just made something up."

This is her project that we helped her get started on. It is due tomorrow and Lord willing her father will have helped her fill in the data and conclusion part of it to get an A + =)

I know the economy is tough right now and there are tons of families just like mine with not much financially to give yet have a burden to give but don't know how with a small back account balance! Here is a list of things God has shown me I can do =)

1)Babysit without a charge to a family having a hard time as we did last weekend.
2)Meet the children wandering around your town and pray for them.
3)Help them with homework, when their parents are working overtime or refuse to help.
4)Take them to the playground with you or play a board game.

You must create a balance though and not take away from your own children. That is something I am learning as I reach out into our community. Yesterday I even instituted a day of rest for me and the children from the rest of the neighborhood where we just spend time at home with each other with no where to go and no one else coming in and it was relaxing =) I think I still got about 10 door knocks though and it breaks my heart not to take them all in yet I know that my family comes first =)

Money Saving Mom's 4 Weeks to Fill Your Freezer Day 6: Chicken pasta

 I am not much of a chef as you can probably tell...lol. This was just some noodles, a can of pasta sauce, some chicken and mozzarella cheese on top!

I think I put more into decorating the foil than putting this meal together =)

I am starting to like the freezer cooking and knowing there are things I can pull out easily and warm up without buying microwavable meals! I haven't bought a microwavable meal in years though =)

Money Saving Mom's 4 Weeks to Fill your Freezer: Day 5

We make homemade waffles almost every Sunday after church!

Chris usually makes the batter so I can nurse Rachel and put her down for a nap. Then I take over towards the end.

 We froze 3 waffles. This will make a perfect breakfast for my 3 boys some morning in the future!

This is our favorite Waffle Recipe
from our Better Homes Cookbook


1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Just mix the dry ingredients first and then mix in the rest and pour into your waffle iron =)

Goals the Week of May 7, 2012

Goals for Week of May 7, 2012

1.Complete Bible Reading Plan

2.Read Chapters 2 and 3 of Absolute Surrender

3.Complete Home Binder

4.Update Tax Binder

5.Complete Chore Check Sheet

6.Complete Homeschool Lessons

7.Run 10 Miles

8.Taebo X 2

9.Cut and Freeze Onions and Peppers

10.       Cut Letters for Mother Daughter Banquet

11.              Follow Freezer Cooking on MSM

12.              Call a Good Friend

I Met Money Saving Mom!

 I was so excited to see that Money Saving Mom would be an hour from our house while checking her blog Wednesday night. It must have been the Lord because we usually are fully committed every Saturday to go on Church Visitation, yet this Saturday it was cancelled! Also she mentioned that the meeting was supposed to be for a Wednesday morning but she penciled it in wrong on her calender. Chris and the kids came too , also our neighbor who needed last minute childcare. Money Saving Mom had her kids there too and they are even cuter in real life. Noah is such a social butterfly he just went right over to hang out with the Payne Children.

 She spoke on  "I'd throw in the Towel if I Could Find a Clean One. Highlighting 15 Key Points including keeping God first, Marriage second, getting up before your children, having a routine, setting goals, keeping your health a priority, having a quiet time, setting goals, Stop comparing yourself, changing habits, making time for things that you love, considering hiring help and to choose contentment =) Chris especially liked the part about flirting with your husband.

 Crystal is so generous and had donuts, coffee, tea, lip balm and even some of her books to give away! There were giveaways too.

 I am so thankful for the opportunity to have met Money Saving Mom in real life =). I got my book back from my friend who was reading it to take in for an Autograph =)

Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

 She met with all the ladies who were there one on one and really has a compassionate heart for all her readers =). I wish I could have stayed there the whole day to talk with her and her family =) Well the best part is that Crystal has accepted Christ as her own personal savior and somewhere in glory land we shall meet again =)

Titus 2:³ The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

⁴ That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵ To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.