Quino-whaaaat?

Hello there.  It's been a while.  Yes, yes.  I know, I know.  Anywho...I'm going to just pretend like y'all know what's going on in my life even though I haven't posted in forever.  As I told a friend somewhat recently, I've been blogging in my head.  I just never seems to actually get it typed in. :)

We are working our way back into healthy eating.  You know, that place we were in several months and 40 pounds between the two of us ago?  I've been poking around Pinterest looking for some new options to try.  A week or so ago we tried a new recipe that uses quinoa.  Don't know what that is?  I didn't either until a few months ago.  If you need info you can look here.

(Here's a pic of some cooked quinoa)

So anyway, I found a recipe for Crispy Black Bean Quinoa Burritos.  HELLO!  SO TASTY!  And the sauce that goes with them is AMAZING!  Great for dipping anything into, really.  I did go unhealthy on the tortillas (flour), but will try a healthier option on that next time.  And there will be a next time.  Many.  It is even Reagan Approved!

Do you have any favorite quinoa recipes?  Please share them if you do!

Hello, Goodbye, Hello

 If you are a Facebook friend, you heard about this:

And you met our new friend, Dorothy.

 And then this morning you saw this post from my husband:

The inevitable occurred sometime during the night...Dorothy has died! Her life was a short one, but she touched the lives of many. She will be remembered most of all for her swimming behind a particular plant for the majority of the day. Indeed Dorothy will be missed, but she has gone to the big fish tank in the sky. RIP Dorothy.

It could have been the toll the fair took on her, the amount of time she spent in the bag, the temperature of the water, the new aquarium not being established, trying to adjust to a new home, or all of these combined that caused her early demise.

Justin was the poor soul that had to tell Reagan about it this morning.  He said, "Who would have ever thought telling a four-year-old her fish died would be so gut wrenching." :(

No worries, though.  This morning Justin took Reagan to a pet shop in a neighboring town and restocked the tank with some new friends.

Meet Rug, a male Platy.  Reagan named him Rug because "he's flat like a rug."  Whatever works, kid.

 Meet his wife, Dark, "because she has dark on her tail."  I pointed out that Rug is actually darker than she is, but four-year-olds don't care much for logic. 

Next we have Yellow (bottom) and Yellow 2 (top).  They are guppies and I think both are females.

 Neon Tetras Zing (top) and Zip (bottom), thusly named because they are so stinkin' fast.  It was hard to get a clear picture.  Zing is a bit smaller and has a more blueish streak, while Zip is larger and has a more turquoise streak.

And, finally, Red the Beta.  Reagan insists that his name is Red, but Justin and I call him Mr. Grumpfish.  Why?

 Here's why.

 He does NOT like any one who comes near his plant and quickly puffs out his head and chases them away.  Rug did get his revenge at one point by smacking Red in the face with his tail.

Reagan was very clear that she did not want more goldfish because she's already had Dorothy.  At first she wanted to name all the new fish Dorothy as well, but then decided there could only ever be one.  But, now we are back in a happy place.   

Is it weird that, after getting the new fishies settled in their new home, we had Tilapia for lunch? 

Also, this has nothing to do with fish, but it's cute. :) 

Kids Are So Mean...Really?

Over the past four years my daughter has taught me many lessons.  Today was another lesson learned.  You always hear adults saying that children are so mean.  They say things they shouldn't, tease one another, become bullies.  I think we could not be more wrong. Do kids magically come up with prejudices?  An idea of what's "weird"?  Do they instinctively know someone is doing something they should make fun of?  I would say no.  I would say WE are so mean.
Today I took Reagan for her four-year-old physical.  In the waiting room there was a little boy that came over and started playing in the same area she was.  Reagan said, "Hi!  My name is Reagan.  What's your name?"
The little boy didn't say anything.  After a minute he started grunting and making noises, but not talking.  He started gesturing at his shirt.  It was obvious that he was on the Autism spectrum and not able to communicate well through speaking.  Reagan has never been around many kids that have trouble communicating and has no idea what Autism is.  I immediately thought, "Please don't say anything wrong, Reagan.  Please don't freak out."
You know what Reagan did?  She said, "Angry Birds?  I like Angry Birds too!"  She then proceeded to play with him and continued to talk to him until they were called back for their appointment.  When he yelled out or got a little rough she just raised her eyebrows and giggled.  She looked at me to make sure everything was fine and, after a smile from me, kept right on playing.
After they left she never said anything about it.  She didn't make fun of him or say he was weird.  She didn't tease him when he tried to communicate with her.  She just kept treating him like she treats everyone else.
Kids get a bad wrap.  They aren't inherently mean, they are just outspoken.  They say exactly what is on their mind.  You know where I think they get these mean ideas?  From us.  Grown ups are the ones that teach children prejudices.  They see how we react to others.  They hear the things we whisper behind other's backs.  They learn to tease and bully from us.  WE are the problem!
Jesus knew what He was talking about.  When the disciples were concerned with who was the best, this happened.
Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-4
And again, in chapter 19 of Matthew children were brought to Jesus so He could pray for them and the disciples tried to turn them away.
But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 19:14
Children have such pure hearts.  We are the ones that ruin that.  Be careful of what you are teaching the precious little ones around you.  Be careful of the things you think and say.  We are shaping the way they think.  Reagan definitely reminded me of that today.

Focus

This week I started a workout program called "Focus T 25."  The premise is that you focus on nothing but working out for 25 minutes a day.  All of the programs last 25 minutes and have a specific focus.  For example, today's workout focused on the core.  Let me just say, ouch.  Core work after a c-section does NOT come easy.  For the past four days I've managed to find the 25 minutes to dedicate to becoming more healthy in between feeding Harrison, changing his diapers, helping Reagan with something, preparing meals, etc, etc.  You want to know something I had not found time for, even once, in the past four days?

Reading my Bible.

Ouch.  I admit that I have a problem with studying my Bible on a regular basis.  After our gospel meeting in July I was determined to get back in the habit, but I have not.

That changes today.

I realized earlier tonight that I have found 25 minutes each of the past four days to work on my physical health.  Surely I can find 25 minutes to work on my spiritual health.  Which is of more importance?  Obviously my spiritual health.  I say God is my number one priority.  I need to act like it.  Tonight, after everyone else was asleep, I turned off facebook, the tv, and my phone, and spent 25 minutes focused on reading the Word of God.  I need to remember my goal: Heaven.


Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:12-14

Thank You, God.

I have been thanking God all night.  Things could have been really bad, but thankfully, they are not.
Justin's family got together today to swim and have a cookout.  We were having a great time.  Reagan and I were swimming in the pool with several others.  She wanted to go down the slide again so I was waiting at the bottom to catch her.  She's still not very fond of going all the way under water.  As she climbed the ladder I thought, "It's kind of slick.  Maybe I should be behind her just in case."  She climbed to the top and then decided she was too scared to go.  This was the second time she'd done this so I told her she had to either slide or climb back down and she wouldn't be going up it again.  As she was trying to climb down she slipped and fell.  I couldn't see it happen because the ladder part is solid and I was down in the pool.  But I heard a sickening thud and then her screaming.  I swam to the side as fast as I could and kept slipping trying to climb out.  I was yelling that I was coming as others were running to her side.  I wasn't sure how far she had fallen, but it was at least a few feet.  When I got to her I expected to see her busted up pretty badly and bleeding a lot or with broken bones.  Thankfully, SO THANKFULLY, that's not what I found.  She was hurting alright, but she only had a small scratch on her ankle, a scrape on her head, a knot starting to form on the back of her head, and said the whole side she landed on and her head were hurting.  She complained later of her hand hurting where we figure she tried to catch herself and it looks like she may have hit her back as well.  The scrape on her head seems to be the only thing still bothering her.  I just sat there on the ground holding her.  I felt so guilty for not standing behind her or having someone else do it while I caught her.  I know I can't blame myself, and kids get hurt all the time, but it was so scary.  I am so, SO thankful to God that she wasn't injured badly.  I was also thankful there was a nurse there to help us check her out, give her Motrin, get ice on her head, and assure us she was fine.  So, again, thank you, God.

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 107:1

Um, What is This Called Again?

I'm hearing a lot of this question these days.  I mentioned in the previous post that we are eating much healthier now.  As a result, we are trying lots of new foods cooked in lots of new ways.  A lot of things Justin and I have never had before and Reagan has never even heard of.  Tonight was one of those nights.  We had Tilapia with Kale and Tomato.  None of us had ever tried kale before.  Listening to Reagan try to pronounce tilapia was fun.  In the end we just called it fish. :)  We all really enjoyed it.  I loved it, in fact.  Even Reagan was eating it.  I'm not sure if she ate all her kale because I had to leave to go to a teachers work night at church, but she had eaten all her tilapia so I consider it a victory.  It will definitely be put into regular rotation.  It is one of the recipes from the Focus T25 nutrition guide.  There have actually been a lot of good ones in there.  It was super easy and quick to fix, always a bonus for a busy mommy (and what mommy isn't busy)!

Here's the recipe for one serving:
8 oz raw tilapia
1 pinch sea salt (optional)
Ground black pepper (to taste, optional)
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 cups chopped fresh kale
3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes, with juice (I actually found organic, no salt added canned tomatoes at Walmart!)

Season both sides of tilapia with salt and pepper if desired; set aside.
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and kale; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
Add tomatoes (with juice); bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.
Place tilapia fillet on top of kale mixture; cook, covered, for 1 minute.  Gently turn tilapia over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tilapia is cooked through and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Remove from heat and serve.

Now I'm hungry again...

A Bad Day for the Better

First off, let me say so sorry I haven't posted in so long.  I was constantly thinking, "I should blog about this," but never getting around to it.  My plan is to make it a habit again.  Like I said, my PLAN. :)

There have been a lot of changes around our house in a short time.  6 weeks ago Harrison was born.  2 weeks ago we did a MAJOR overhaul of our eating habits.  And, as of yesterday, we have drastically cut tv time.

For the most part, Reagan has done really well adjusting to her new little brother.  But there has been an increase in the whining and crying when she doesn't get her way.  We had finally gotten it under control and now I feel like we're staring all over again.

We now eat mostly non-processed, whole foods.  I've even been buying organic when possible.  This isn't a diet, it's a life-style change.  No more fast food 4 times a week (or any times a week for that matter), junk food, or frozen meals.  Now we eat lots of fresh veggies and fruits as well as lean proteins and a few whole grain carbs.  Justin has also started the Focus T25 workouts.  He lost over 10 pounds in just 2 weeks as well as several inches.  I lost about 3 pounds while still drinking lots of Dr. Pepper (which I will be weaning off of).  We want to be healthy and we want our kids to be healthy.  As you can imagine, it's hard taking an almost 4 year old from chicken nuggets, twinkies, and cheese-its to baked chicken with onions and red peppers.  So hard, in fact, that Reagan will be eating said baked chicken for her 5th meal in a row for breakfast.  She refused to eat at all Sunday night and has been getting the same plate of food at every meal since then.  She is one stubborn girl, choosing to take punishments rather than eat the food she doesn't want.  I'm really hoping she will finish it in the morning.  Every meal time she cries and whines about it and takes at least an hour to eat three bites.

Yesterday we implemented a rule of one hour of tv or computer time during the day. It's for myself as well as Reagan.  I want to make an effort to be more present, stay on top of household duties, and spend more time actually doing things with her.  I don't want her spending all day staring at a screen.  We need to be learning about God more.  Learning in general more.  We are going to homeschool so we need to get into the habit of doing some activities related to that.  After a few activities Reagan spent the entire day asking what we can do while we take a break from the tv.  All my suggestions were followed by, "I don't want to."  Even my suggestion to go play outside which she normally loves.  She moped on the couch and whined and cried about it.

Oh yeah, and during all this I was tending to a 6 week old who was screaming if he wasn't being held while cooking and attempting to work on a few other things.

I don't say all this to say "poor me."  I say all this because even though it was a REALLY hard day, I know we are doing what's best for our family.
We want to take care of the bodies God gave us.
We want to grow closer together.
We want our focus to be on God, not this world.
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:15-17 
We are trying to remember what things actually matter, and what things don't.  We want Reagan to grow up knowing that God is first.
" But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 
We need to show her that example of spending time in the Word of God, in prayer, in teaching her about Him.
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NKJV) 
It has eternal importance not only for us, but also for Reagan and Harrison.

 So while this day was a bad day, it was for the better.

Explanation

I didn't want to write a book in my facebook status so I figured I'd put it in a blog post. :)

Most of you know that we had our 20 week ultrasound last week and they found a couple of areas of concern.  Harrison has a fluid cyst on his brain and a "bright spot" on his heart.  These are both relatively common, but because two things were present we needed to go have a more in depth appointment at the perinatal clinic.  At our initial ultrasound they told us the cyst is very common and can go away on it's own.  It's likely spinal fluid that just isn't down in the spine yet.  They also said the spot on his heart is likely a calcification where an extra valve started to form and then stopped.  It will always be there, but won't grow as the heart does so it will be smaller in relation to the size of the heart as Harrison ages and won't cause any issues.
 We went today to the perinatal clinic and the doctor said everything else looks great!  The cyst can be a marker of Trisomy 18 and the bright spot can be a marker of Down's Syndrome, but in our case none of the other signs are there so the chances of him having either is something like 1 in 376 and 1 in 500.  Obviously the doctor can't say absolutely for certain nothing will be wrong, but in our case the chances are tiny.  We could have an amnio to know for sure, but with chances so small he said he definitely wouldn't recommend it and we didn't want to have one because of the chance that you could actually cause a miscarriage.  He said the cyst and the bright spot won't be detrimental to Harrison in any way.  We will stick with my normal prenatal care and won't have to come to him anymore.  During the ultrasound he kept saying Harrison's heart was beautiful. :)  We are so relieved and thankful for everyone who has been praying for us!

So, in case you haven't heard yet...

We're having another baby!

We are so thankful and Reagan is excited for her sister(so she says) to come.  We won't know if it's a boy or girl until the end of January, but Reagan's vote is girl. :)

I know many people have been waiting for/wondering when this would happen.  I decided to share with you our journey for a second child.  Let me say, it has not been easy.  With Reagan we got pregnant quickly and everything went very well.  I've shared this with some, but not this openly or publicly.  We planned to have already had a second child by now.  We found out we were pregnant again this past February.  Less than a week later I miscarried.  Technically it was an ectopic pregnancy that resolved itself.  It took eight weeks for my pregnancy hormones to drop back to normal levels and then several more months for everything to get back on track.  There were lots of issues we dealt with that I won't go into detail about on here.  But some of you know them and I want to say thank you for your prayers and support.  They meant the world to me and helped me so much.  I have to stop writing about this now before I lose it.  Deep breath. 

I wanted to address a couple of things people just don't think about.  Be careful about the questions you ask people about having more children.  Better yet, just don't ask.  We didn't tell a lot of people because I needed to get through it before I could handle all the people coming up and talking about their miscarriages and how it would all be ok and feeling sorry for me.  I needed to deal with it first.  Well meaning people, not knowing what we were going through, would ask, "When are you going to have another baby?!"  "Isn't it about time Reagan had a little brother?"  Ouch.  I don't know when we'll be able to, yes it is.  Of course I didn't say those things, I just smiled and nodded.  I don't write this to make anyone feel bad, I just want people to be aware of how these questions can hurt.  Some people, friends of mine included, have been trying for years with no success.  Imagine how it would make them feel. The statistics today are something like 1 in 4 couples have problems with fertility.  That's a lot of people.  I'm very thankful that this is the only trouble we've had.

Thankfully, conception isn't an issue and the first month it was possible we found out we were pregnant again! Yay!

I am 9 weeks pregnant right now.  I have all day sickness most days.  Blech.  Haven't gained any weight yet because I can't eat much.  I also have bad sinus drainage.  Brushing my teeth normally ends in heaving.  Blech, again.  Definitely getting bigger faster this time around.  Already in maternety jeans.  Tired, sore, all the normal symptoms.  I just feel a lot worse than I did with Reagan.  The good part is, my Certified Nurse Midwife (instead of an OB) says everything looks great and in her words, "We know it's in the uterus this time!" lol

So far, so good!  Keep us in your prayers that everything will continue to go well and hopefully I'll start to feel better soon!

Pinterest Project: Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Warning:  This Pinterest Project post WILL make you hungry.

Source: skinnytaste.com via Micah on Pinterest

Cilantro Lime Shrimp.  MMMMMMmmmmmmmm.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  Definitely Pinworthy!  This was so good and so easy.  It is honestly some of the best shrimp I've ever had.  This is really making me want to make some more. lol  This one is also approved by Justin and Reagan.  If my 3 year-old will eat it, it has to be good.  Here's how mine looked when I finished.

While I was on the Skinny Taste website I also looked at some rice recipes to go with it and found this.

Fiesta Lime Rice

Source: skinnytaste.com via Micah on Pinterest

It too, was yummy and Pinworthy.  I even got Justin to eat the tomatoes!  Victory!!!!!!!  :)

Here's how mine looked.

Oh, and it's healthy too!

Okay, seriously.  After looking at these I'm going to have to make this meal again soon.  I think I could eat this every week...if only shrimp were cheaper. :)

Happy cooking and happy pinning!

Allow Me to Shed a Little Light...

So, last night we went to Lowe's in search of a piece for our light fixtures over one half of our living room.  Our house was built in 1971 and I'm pretty sure the fixtures were put in then.  They were recessed lights.  The glass and metal part on the ceiling were held up by these little springs.  They keep breaking...  We searched all over with the help of an associate and couldn't find any.  He tried to contact a company that carries them for us, but it was past the end of the work day so he would have to wait until Monday and then give us a call to let us know if they could order them for us.  Well, a midst all this looking and calling I was perusing the ceiling mounted fixtures near by.  Justin started looking with me too and finally decided maybe we should just change them out.  The problem was there would be gigantic holes in the ceiling where they were recessed.  There weren't any fixtures we liked that would cover the holes, but we noticed the medallions normally used around fans and chandeliers.  They were big enough to completely cover the holes so we wouldn't have to do any patch work on the ceiling.  One of the fixtures I liked worked perfectly with the medallions  Yippee!  Justin spent half the day today crawling around the attic and installing the lights.  

I love him. :)  

So on to the fun part.  Here is the before with circa 1971 recessed lighting.

The bottom one shows the big hole with the cover off.

And here is what we have now!

I LOVE THEM!!!!!

They are perfect for this house.  They kind of look like they could have come from the 70's but they are still modern.  Bonus:  The drum shades very closely match the shades I have on my lamps.  I love the medallions too.  They are kind of an update on the traditional look they usually have.  Every time I walk into the living room I stop and stare at them.  

Again, I LOVE THEM!!!

And I love my wonderful husband for all his hard work to install them for me.  He'd have been just fine keeping the old ones forever.  But he loves me, so he changed them. :)

What do you think of them?

Pinterest Project: Patriotic Wreath

I love holidays and decorating for them. I don't really have anything for the 4th of July so I checked on Pinterest to see what I could find and I came upon this pin.

                                                               Source: naptimecrafting.blogspot.com via Micah on Pinterest

As you know, I love to crochet, so I always have plenty of yarn around the house.  I got the wreath form at Hobby Lobby and used a 40% off coupon and bought a sheet of sparkly white felt for the stars.  I used a stencil I had to trace the stars onto the felt and then used fabric glue to attach them to the wreath.

The Verdict:  Pin-Worthy

It's as easy as wrapping the yarn around the form!  There's really no specific skill involved.  If you're a little scared of crafting this would be a great one to try out.

Here's how mine turned out!

I liked the bigger stars better than the smaller ones.  I even gave a couple as gifts and they loved them!

Happy Crafting and Happy Pinning!

P.S.-See Kristen, a non-food  post! :)

Crochet Super-hero, To The Rescue!

This HAS to be one of my FAVORITE designs ever!  I came up with this crocheted super-hero doll when some friends were having a baby boy and decorating his room with a super-hero theme.  Once I started work on it my little girl was begging for one of her own. :)  One thing I love the most is that you can customize it to match your child.  Hair color and style, letter on the chest, and the child's favorite colors make it extra-special.  If you like it you can check it out over at Dani Girls Designs.  Let me know what you think of it!

Crochet Bow Ties and Headbands

Hello, friends!  I recently added a new item in my crochet shop that I LOVE!  It's a crochet bow tie/headband.  It works either way!  Check it out over at Dani Girls Designs!

Pinterest Project: Twinkie Cupcakes

Hello friends!  I know it's been so long since I blogged and I do apologize, but I plan to keep it up now.  I've missed it!  I enjoy sharing a little bit of my world.  :)

For my first post back.  I decided to start a series I had an idea for.  I LOVE Pinterest!  I find so many ideas on there.  Sometimes I see something and wonder if it actually works, or if it doesn't.  Do you say, "That was awesome!  I'm so glad I pinned that!" or do you shrug you shoulders and say, "...meh."  I've done many projects from Pinterest.  Some were pin-worthy some were meh.  I figured I could share my experiences so you could try the pin-worthy and save yourself the trouble of a meh. :)

First up:  Twinkie Cupcakes

Source: thedomesticrebel.com via Micah on Pinterest

My wonderful friend Kristen pinned this one and I thought, "Uh-oh, I'm in trouble."  I really like Twinkies.  So much so that I don't keep them in the house because a whole box would disappear within a couple of days.  :)  I tried this one out just yesterday.  We were hosting the Summer Youth Series at church last night and had lots of hungry adolescents (and adults) to feed.  I'd been looking for an excuse to try these out and this seemed like the perfect time.

The Verdict:  Pin-Worthy

The cake tastes just like the cake from a Twinkie.  The filling...ditto.  The icing was good too, but I'm not that much of an icing person.  I'd have been fine without it.  I'm so glad there were only a couple left to bring home.  I'd have been in trouble otherwise.

Here's how they turned out!  Not too shabby for my first experience with piping on icing!

One thing I wasn't sure about was the size of the hole to cut in the middle.  This is how I did mine.  It turned out fine.

I will definitely be using this recipe again.  So yummy!  If you've made this recipe before or give it a try let me know if you think it's Pin-Worthy as well!  Happy Baking and Happy Pinning!

It's Not a Luxury

I try not to get all caught up in political arguments. Rarely do they stay civil or is anyone influenced to change by them. But there has been a lot of talk recently that has gotten me "worked up." I'm referring to the talk about stay-at-home moms (SAHMs). I don't want to get into all the gory details of who said what and my party is better than your party. There are two things I want to address.

1. Being a SAHM is work.

2. It's not a luxury, it's a choice.

People who think being a SAHM is not work have obviously never tried it. Sure it's fun to be home with your kids on your days off work. Sure it's fun to be together on vacations. Try being home with them every single day of every single week of every single month of the year. I'm not saying it's not fun. On the contrary it can be the most precious moments of your life. But it is not ALL fun and games. When you are the one home with your child all day you are the one who deals with every request, whine, fit, grumpy moment, dirty diaper, attempting to potty train, cleaning up the accidents, cleaning bubbles off the floor, fighting with them to eat their lunch, on and on it goes. Of course, you do get the flip side of that as well. My point is, though, you are the one there for every single thing. After a while it can wear you out. You also play, draw, color, teach, snuggle, etc. while also trying to keep a house, cook dinner, shop for groceries, study for Bible class, oh, and be a wife as well. I know women who work outside the home do many of these things also. But think about it this way, if taking care of children is not work, why do people get paid to keep other people's kids?

Staying home with my child is not a luxury, it is a choice. In fact, it is sometimes a sacrifice. My husband makes much less than $162,000 a year, but we make it just fine on one salary. How? We have one nice car instead of two. We have a house that is nice, but not more than we can afford. It is not new. It is not perfect. But it had enough rooms for us to sleep in our own rooms (plus one for future growth) and spend time together, which is the point of all this anyhow. Right? We don't go on lots of vacations (some years we don't go anywhere unless it's to stay with friends). We don't go to the movies every weekend or out to eat every night. We don't have all the gadgets and toys that we'd like to have. We don't get new clothes as often as we'd like. We don't eat steak every night (or every week for that matter). We don't belong to any country club. We don't have fancy jewelry. Reagan doesn't have every toy under the sun (just half of them it seems. :) ) At Christmas we spend less than we'd like. But you know what? We have everything we NEED and more. All of that extra stuff is not worth me not spending the precious time I have with my daughter. We give up the extras for what we feel is more important. Me being home with our child.

Here are a couple of quotes from Dr. Laura Schlessinger's "In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms."

"SAHMs are not SAHMs because they're lucky, stupid, lazy, weak, scared, useless, spoiled, frightened, or any other condescending description. SAHMs are SAHMs because they realize the blessing of the opportunity to make a profound difference in their own lives, their families, their communtiy, and ultimately the world as they coordinate the lives of their family members so that no one feels neglected, unimportant, or unloved because of the limited commitment of their parents."

"Frankly, one of the greatest blessings in life is to learn to be content with and fulfilled by the small, simple things in life; after all, these make up the majority of the human experience."

I don't stay home because I'm too dumb to do anything else. I had a 9.975 gpa in high school. I graduated in the top 10 percent of my class. I made a 28 on my ACT. I have a BS in Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis in Interior Design. I graduated college Cum Laude. Like I said, I'm not too dumb, maybe I'm just too smart. :)

I'm not trying to give myself or my child every thing this life has to offer. I don't want her to think the big house and expensive things are what are important.

I stay home because I want to be there for every important moment in my child's life. I want to be the one who teaches her what's right and what's wrong. I'm trying to raise my daughter in the "nuture and admontion of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) One day I want it to be said that my children "rise up and call her blessed."(Proverbs 31:28) One day I want to be one of the older women that can "admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God my not be blasphemed." (Titus 2:4,5)

To me, being a stay at home mom isn't a luxury. In truth, it's not even a choice. It's a necessity.

Crocheted Monkey

As many of you know (and some don't), I have a page on Facebook featuring some of my crochet.  It's called Dani Girls Deigns.  I named it after Reagan and I.  We both have Danielle as a middle name so we are Dani girls. :)  Most are items from patterns created by others, but recently I've begun experimenting with making my own patterns.  This one I used a pattern for something else and edited and added where necessary to get this cute little monkey!  

I think it turned out pretty well!  Head over to the Facebook page to check out more of my work.  If you are looking for something specific and you don't see it there just let me know.  I can probably come up with something or find a pattern!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Halloween! :)

I've been away a while, I know. Sorry. :)

On to the subject at hand...

I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!! I love the colors, costumes, candy, creepiness, but most of all...the decorations!!! I'm so excited about my mantel this year!

Ta-da!

Mom, Reagan and I went to the Reelfoot Craft Fair a couple of weeks ago and I saw these awesome Halloween apothecary bottles. They were $10 a piece. No thanks. But I took a good look at them and figured I could come up with something similar. Here are some of my results.

Aren't they awesome!?!?!? (And how cool is that skull I got at Big Lots?)

I used bottles and jars my mom and I already had laying around our houses. The covered bottles were made by using some old cut up t-shirts of Justin's. I brewed them in some tea to dirty them up, then wrapped them around the bottles using decoupage glue to hold it on. I covered the tops as well and then wrapped some jute gardening twine I had around them. The colored liquids are just water and food coloring. The moon dust is sugar and iridescent glitter. The only things I had to buy for the bottles were the spiders and gummy eyeballs that filled the jars and some green food coloring. The super awesome labels came from Love Manor. The labels are available here. You can download them from their flickr stream and print them on your own printer. How awesome is that?

I also made the wreath with a sign I already had and a wreath form and floral mesh I bought at the craft fair.

I love my mantle so much!!! I'm really excited at how well it turned out. I wanted it to be spooky, but not too scary. I do have a two year old after all. :) What do you think?

If We Never Meet Again

Earlier tonight my dear sister in Christ, Susan Thomasson, left her earthly body behind. Mrs. Susan was a sweet and kind woman who loved her husband, children, and grandchildren dearly. Most importantly though, she loved her Lord and Savior dearly. Because she loved God, keeping His commands (1 John 2:3-6), I know that I will see her again one day. Mrs. Susan had cancer and knew that the end was nearing. When I found out that she would soon be moving into eternity I could only think of this song. So, I wrote her a message and included these words.

Soon we'll come to the end of life's journey
And perhaps we'll never meet anymore
'Til we gather in heaven's bright city
Far away on that beautiful shore

If we never meet again this side of heaven
As we struggle through this world and its strife
There's another meeting place somewhere in heaven
By the side of the river of life
Where the charming roses bloom forever
And where separations come no more
If we never meet again this side of heaven

I will meet you on that beautiful shore

Oh, they say we shall meet by the river
Where no storm clouds ever darken the sky
And they say we'll be happy in heaven
In the wonderful sweet by and by

If we never meet again this side of heaven
As we struggle through this world and its strife
There's another meeting place somewhere in heaven
By the side of the river of life
Where the charming roses bloom forever
And where separations come no more
If we never meet again this side of heaven

I will meet you on that beautiful shore

Mrs. Susan and Mr. Reggie at a Valentine's banquet in 2010

I once heard a lady say, as she was addressing a group of other Christian women for the last time, "If I don't see you again here on Earth, I'll see you in heaven." How wonderful to be able to say that to someone with confidence. Knowing that you both are living your lives in such a way that God would be pleased (1 John5:13). Earlier I noted 1 John 2:3-6. In case you didn't look it up it says,

"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected, By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."

What are God's commandments to us concerning salvation?

1. We must hear the Word of God--Romans 10:10

2. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God--Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24

3. We must repent of our sins--Acts 17:30

4. We must confess Christ before men--Rom. 10:10; Matthew 10:32-33

5. We must be baptized for the remission of our sins--Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21

6. We must remain faithful--Revelation 2:10

If you haven't done these things I would encourage you to study your Bible, see what it says yourself, and do those things. You don't have to be a preacher or have a special degree to be able to understand the Bible. It was written for YOU. It's not mystical magic, it's practical application. If you have any biblical questions feel free to ask! If I don't know the answer I'll study to find it. I also have a Bible correspondence course I'd be happy to send anyone interested. I would love to be able to think of you as well the next time I sing this song.

Mrs. Susan, I'll meet you on that beautiful shore!

They Should Have Invited Us to the Royal Wedding...

Friday night we had Ladies Night Out. Our hosts asked us to wear hats decorated to match our personalities. It took me a while to figure out what to do, but in my usual crunch time moments of inspiration I got it done. :)

I found a hat that will actually make a really great beach/outside in the sun hat (minus all the junk) at Fred's for $5.00. The things hanging on the hat are little play garden tools, because I like gardening flowers, and crochet hooks. Crochet is probably my favorite hobby right now.

The shells represent my love for the beach. The XBOX controller is for my love of video games.

The flowers are for the aforementioned flower gardening. The jewels because I like shiny things (whether real or fake :) ).

Books because I love to read, glue gun because I love to craft, and a favorite family recipe because I love to cook.

And of course a kind warning that I don't do mornings. :)

When I was explaining all of my hobbies and got the the video games the ladies giggled. I said, "I know I'm a bit all over the place with my hobbies. I'm either an older lady or a teenage boy." lol

Ms. Dorris's hat cracked me up. She used a cut up shoe box, taped pill bottles to the front, and added a bow. She called it her pill box hat. :)

Mrs. Cynthia works at the county clerks office so she borrowed a license plate and turned it into a hat. She and I tied for 2nd place when we voted for our favorite hat.

Mrs. Elaine's hat had battery powered Christmas lights. :) There were lots of good ones I don't have room for, but if we're facebook friends they are on there.

Mrs. Irene won for best hat. It was great.

On the back it says, "Senior Citizens Special, by Senior Citizens, Inc." Good stuff.

We had an AWESOME time. We ate, talked, laughed, planned, prayed, sang, and heard from God's word. The singing was so beautiful. We have a great bunch of ladies at Ripley church of Christ!