I am Shyla...hear me Rohrer!

Giving from grateful hearts.

2011-11-22T23:11:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things that we can all be thankful for. Basic things, like food, water and shelter. Since I have had my children I have had a great feeling of urgency to make sure that they understand how much we have been blessed with by God and how we need to be giving to others.
We know three guys who have started a group called 58ten and have been moved by God to start an orphanage in Kenya.

Their name comes from Isaiah 58:10 “if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.“

image source: 58ten.com

As we have tried to find ways to show our kids how to love others and show kindness to them, we couldn’t think of a better way than to sponsor one of these children and as a family pray for “our” Mutua. Over the last few days since sponsoring Mutua, my kids have asked while we are eating “momma, does Mutua have food for lunch right now?”. While hugging me the other day one of them said “momma, it’s really sad that Mutua’s mommy died and he can’t hug her, isn’t it?” I am thankful as I listen to the wheels turning in their little minds about how much they really do have to be thankful for and wanting to help Mutua.
I love what the Lord, through 58ten, has allowed us to be a part of and how it’s already affecting the thinking of our kids.
It’s for this reason that for the rest of this Thanksgiving week Brown Eyed Girlies will be donating 100% of the profits from my sales to help get Mutua’s orphanage up and running.
They need new roofs, mattresses, blankets, spoons, paint, sponsors for the children. $40 helps to purchase a “Start up kit” for the orphans that includes many of the basic items that they will need as they move in (blanket, bowl, spoon, mattress).
I look at how little it costs to help these children and wonder if you will join with me in helping to support this new orphanage in Kenya, and to help little ones like Mutua and hundreds of others get care and nourishment that we have been so blessed with having ourselves.
So, while you’re Christmas shopping this week for the ones you love, why not purchase something and know that you are having a direct influence over the lives of struggling children in Kenya.
I thank you, 58ten thanks you and Mutua would thank you too!

**Please enter code “58ten” at checkout **

The day I have dreaded for 8 years...

2011-09-06T15:53:00.000-04:00

As we sat in Nate's Jeep that afternoon, I remember it being a cool fall day. Everything was just perfect. It was my favorite time of year. I loved Fall and everything about it. As an added bonus, we had started dating Oct.1st and that gave me even more reason to love this season! We were sitting together and after only dating for a few weeks, we knew we were going to get married. In fact, two weeks after we began dating, we planned our entire wedding on the way home from him meeting my family in Canada. So many things just seemed to come naturally and we were so thankful to the Lord for arranging our lives in such a way that we were like minded in most ways...all of the ways that were important...until this afternoon.

This afternoon we were talking about really important things lots of couples need to talk about before they get married. You know, how we thought we'd handle situations, how many kids did we imagine we'd have, what we thought about certain topics - all those things that are important to talk through but you can't really understand how you will handle them until you go through them.

That leads me to this one thing that threw me for a GIANT loop that day.

In the course of talking about children, Nathan naturally moved to how they would be schooled. Well, I didn't really ever think about that. I mean, what's to talk about? They'd go to school just like I had. My mind wandered quickly about how they'd go with me to pick out all of their new school supplies just as my mom had taken me. We'd shop for their new "back to school" outfit - that was a favorite tradition that we did every year and then I'd wait for them as they waited for the bus to come and take them to school. It made me smile to think about doing the same things with them that my mom did with me. But I was shaken quickly out of this dream by one word. One word came out of his lips that for some reason I thought I'd never have to hear in my lifetime (related to my life anyway...).

Homeschool.

I am chuckling as I type this because I remember this day so vividly.

He said "Well, of course we'll homeschool..."

Of course?!?! Was he just not able to see the amazing walk down memory lane I had just had in my head? Did he not see the satisfying smile on my face at the thought of putting my little ones on a bus and watching them wave at me as they drove away? Was this a test?! Nate was good at giving me an occasional test. Perhaps this was one.

So, I responded in the only way that I could muster... I began to cry. The tears rolled down my cheeks and I looked out the window (classic). Nate asked me what was wrong with a smile in his voice. And then there was no holding back. I told him exactly what I was thinking.

I sobbed,(it all seemed to come out as one long run on sentence)...
"Homeschooling?! I don't want my kids to be socially retarded, I don't want to have big bible bangs and wear jean jumpers and bobby socks, I don't want to drive a 15 passenger van!!"

And there it was. Everything that I was thinking at that exact moment. Nathan, who I am sure was taken aback by my emotional response, replied "Is that what my mom looks like?" and all I could say was, "NOT ANYMORE!!!"

Poor Nate! For the next half hour he sweetly tried to talk me off of the ledge and assure me that the kids would be just fine. They would function well in society because we would teach them how to do so. They would relate well with others because we'd try to raise them to be compassionate, caring people. My mind drifted off as he spoke and I remember thinking that even though he was making valid points, this was the one thing that I am sure he'd change his thinking on. Yup! I am one of those dumb saps that went into marriage thinking I would be able to change his mind on something. I accepted everything about Nate. I was thrilled to marry him - but this one thing....it would eventually disappear as we began living our life together and he'd see that "normal schooling" was the best thing for our family.

Silly Shyla.

God had other plans.

Nathan had been working construction and after we were engaged he was offered a position with a company that sells curriculum and educational/administrative tools to Christian Schools and Home Schooling families.

A coincedence? I think not. God continued to order our steps.

Soon after we were married, Nathan asked me to accompany him to a Homeschool Convention. REALLY!? These people have conventions? I had no desire to sit around and watch kids with clothes that were dated stand around and pick their noses while their mom breastfed her twins while looking over books. But, I loved Nate and I wanted to support him and help him out. So I went.

I won't lie to you. There were a few of those families there...but I was surprised at the amount of families that were the complete antithesis to my stereotype. Pleasantly surprised. Nate could tell and we drove home talking about it a little bit, but all the while I knew my heart had not budged a bit in that direction.

Fast forward two years....
We were expecting our first child.

Fast forward 15 months....

We were expecting our second child.

Fast forward 19 months...
We were expecting our 3rd child.

Get the idea? I'll spare you the thoughts and emotions that came during those years (they weren't all bad! :) I love my munchkins!!) But I could quickly see my idea of homeschooling getting closer to a reality instead of farther away. And I still wished it away.

Enter baby #4.

Enter baby #1 becoming a 5 yr. old and a soon to be Kindergartener.

Enter a summer of dreading the inevitable.

Enter my loving Savior patiently softening my hardened heart and allowing me to choose to submit happily to my sweet, patient husband who only wants what's best for the family he's been entrusted with...not to make my life 'miserable'.

I am sure there are those of you who are asking "Why not Christian School?" - I'll give you another one word answer - Money. "Why not Public School?" - For us, we desire that our kids receive biblical teaching and so that left us with the best option for our family...homeschooling. It's not a last resort. It's intentional.

Welcome to the day I have dreaded for 8 years.

I am a homeschooling mom.

There. I said it! :) But seriously, I am happy to be able to work through life issues with my kids. I am excited to be the one to live the Gospel for them and show them Jesus (pray for me). I am pumped to continued to see them progress developmentally and read, and write etc... What a fulfilling life God has created me to be apart of. It's not my own. It belongs to Him and as long as I keep this in focus, I will be able to accomplish anything for Him.

I am thankful for the opportunity to school my kids at home.

Now let me leave you with a few pics from our morning.

Jackson Chase - 5 yrs. old.

Owen Samuel - 4yrs. old.

Olivia Adeline - 2.5 yrs.old

homemade donuts! yummy treat!


Starting my day with smooches from these kiddos?! Yes, please!

LOVE!

Judah pie. 6 months

Where does the time go?

2011-08-29T16:23:00.000-04:00

Well, I can tell you that it's been spent at the pool, doing laundry (or at least watching Nate do that one and then joining him at the folding stage) taking care of a baby and his fun filled siblings, preparing for our first full year of homeschooling (Jackson starts kindergarten! talk about 'where does the time go!', Owen turned 4, and on and on it goes. Someday I will take time to fill you in on all of the details but for now - a new picture of our family. So blessed!

Motherhood as a Mission Field.

2011-06-16T14:50:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share what I read today over at desiringgod.org. What a great reminder!

Motherhood as a Mission Field
June 16, 2011 | by: Rachel Jankovic | Category: Commentary

There is a good old saying, perhaps only said by my Grandfather, that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true — just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they draw near become less mystical and more, well, real.

This same principle certainly applies to mission fields too. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As someone once said, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, there is not any kind of awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People are not pressing you for needs you might have, how they can pray for you. It does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because it is as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.

Home: The Headwaters of Mission

If you are a Christian woman who loves the Lord, the gospel is important to you. It is easy to become discouraged, thinking that the work you are doing does not matter much. If you were really doing something for Christ you would be out there, somewhere else, doing it. Even if you have a great perspective on your role in the kingdom, it is easy to lose sight of it in the mismatched socks, in the morning sickness, in the dirty dishes. It is easy to confuse intrigue with value, and begin viewing yourself as the least valuable part of the Church.

There are a number of ways in which mothers need to study their own roles, and begin to see them, not as boring and inconsequential, but as home, the headwaters of missions.

At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.

Faith Makes the Small Offering Great

If you are like me, then you may be thinking “What did I ever give up for them? A desk job? Time at the gym? Extra spending money? My twenty- year- old figure? Some sleep?” Doesn’t seem like much when you put it next to the work of some of the great missionaries, people who gave their lives for the gospel.

Think about the feeding of the five thousand when the disciples went out and rounded up the food that was available. It wasn’t much. Some loaves. Some fish. Think of some woman pulling her fish out and handing it to one of the disciples. That had to have felt like a small offering. But the important thing about those loaves and those fishes was not how big they were when they were given, it was about whose hands they were given into. In the hands of the Lord, that offering was sufficient. It was more than sufficient. There were leftovers. Given in faith, even a small offering becomes great.

Look at your children in faith, and see how many people will be ministered to by your ministering to them. How many people will your children know in their lives? How many grandchildren are represented in the faces around your table now?

Gain What You Cannot Lose in Them

So, if mothers are strategically situated to impact missions so greatly, why do we see so little coming from it? I think the answer to this is quite simple: sin. Discontent, pettiness, selfishness, resentment. Christians often feel like the right thing to do is to be ashamed about what we have. We hear that quote of Jim Elliot’s and think that we ought to sell our homes and move to some place where they need the gospel.

But I’d like to challenge you to look at it differently. Giving up what you cannot keep does not mean giving up your home, or your job so you can go serve somewhere else. It is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.

It is easy to think you have a heart for orphans on the other side of the world, but if you spend your time at home resenting the imposition your children are on you, you do not. You cannot have a heart for the gospel and a fussiness about your life at the same time. You will never make any difference there if you cannot be at peace here. You cannot have a heart for missions, but not for the people around you. A true love of the gospel overflows and overpowers. It will be in everything you do, however drab, however simple, however repetitive.

God loves the little offerings. Given in faith, that plate of PB&J’s will feed thousands. Given in faith, those presents on Christmas morning will bring delight to more children than you can count. Offered with thankfulness, your work at home is only the beginning. Your laundry pile, selflessly tackled daily, will be used in the hands of God to clothe many. Do not think that your work does not matter. In God’s hands, it will be broken, and broken, and broken again, until all who have need of it have eaten and are satisfied. And even then, there will be leftovers.

Thank you, Jesus.

2011-04-22T02:24:00.000-04:00

House Updates....

2010-12-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

I can't be bothered with fixing the formatting tonight! the post starts with the kitchen in the middle - the rest are just updates of the house that a couple of friends have asked to see...

mostly just b/c it's clean. :)

Hutch from kitchen moved to living room from kitchen

still desperately looking for a dresser to replace the sofa table.

my blessing - FREE and PRETTY piano!!

my kitchen curtains...not done but you can see the fabric etc...

So...remember WAAAY back when we started our kitchen project....it's been so long - here's a refresher. I am not even sure how many days we are on now - but the good news is that it's ALMOST DONE!!!! So, I will spare you the details and throw in the pics....

my sweet nate got the baseboard and trim done!

woot! woot! wood floors!!

i *heart* my plate wall!

Christmasing....

2010-12-02T09:44:00.000-05:00

I have had a lot on my mind lately. Various things - nothing earth shattering - but some involving priority changes.

I have been thinking for several days about how to write this post without sounding "scroogish" and without being misunderstood - and let's face it, I was waiting for TIME to sit and type it all out and then read it over a million times making sure that it communicated what I was trying to express. Then I came across this post that shared pretty well (and prettily!) how I am feeling about this one aspect of this season for us this year. It doesn't mean it won't change next year, but for this year I am truly feeling the less is more feeling.

Then I saw this video:

and felt like my priorities needed to be rearranged again. I am not a "save the whales", "we are the world", "go green" kind of girl - but i'd like to hope that i am a care for the fatherless, widows, and those in need kind of Christian. Which made me think - in the busyness of this life, what am I REALLY doing for others? What am I teaching my kids about helping and meeting the needs of others. I am constantly telling them to prefer one another when it comes to sharing with each other and not being selfish - but is that REALLY teaching them to meet the needs of others?

I have toyed with the idea of no gifts this year and just giving that money to ?...or going back to basics and just giving handmade gifts - which would be fun for me but perhaps not so much for Nate when I sew him a new shirt! LOL :)

I want my kids to see Christ this Christmas. Not STUFF. I told Nathan that I was struggling to find a meaningful gift to give the boys this year and then it hit me - the most meaningful things that I can give them this year are my time and the Gift of sharing Christ with them.

I love presents like the next person - but my birthday was in November. Maybe this year we would be more happy with the right focus on the Perfect Gift and not the perfect present!

50 FREE Shutterfly cards? Count me in - please! :)

2010-12-02T09:02:00.002-05:00

This post is about Shutterfly's holiday cards. I've been trying to find a good deal on Christmas Cards this year and 50 free ones is just the ticket!

I really like Shutterfly's cards - they are printed on premium card stock, have a nice thick feel to them. Their site is really easy to navigate - so it's easy to personalize your cards. I have used Shutterfly to make baby books for the kids, and they each enjoy looking at them! We are due with our 4th little one on February and I am planning on using Shutterfly for the birth announcements!

As many of you know I have a small business and have recently used Shutterfly to print out pictures of the little girls modeling my items! They were a big part in helping me have great sales b/c people could see what my items looked like when they are worn.

If you are a blogger, you can get 50 free holiday cards by blogging about the company - see here
I can’t think of a better deal than FREE!!!

I didn't see them before, but I think maybe I will do this one this year. It's been a busy year and I am not sure I have time to write out a whole letter this year - so this seems like a great option for me! It's called a Tell a Story Card. LOVE IT! Short, sweet and to the point! This 5x7 stationary card, printed on premium card stock is colorful and playful.

So, Hopefully Shutterfly sees this and sends me a code! :)
Where do y'all get your Christmas Cards?

Check out this giveaway at Spend Freely!

2010-11-10T16:33:00.001-05:00

Head on over to Spend Freely ! Trisha is hosting a giveaway for Brown Eyed Girlies there!! If you've never heard of Brown Eyed Girlies - stop in and check it out!

Spend Freely is a great resource blog to find all sorts of sales/giveaways nationwide to help stretch your dollar and find great deals! I have taken advantage of her findings and saved our family hundred of dollars! I have Spend Freely in my Reader so that I don't miss a single deal!

So, what are you waiting for?! Head on over to Spend Freely, enter the giveaway for my shop and then scour her site for all sorts of great deals!!

Giveaway closes Nov. 16th at 10pm - so spread the word!

Confirmation that my belly SHOULD look like a soccer ball...

2010-11-05T10:35:00.000-04:00

Confirmation from my in box this AM :)

How your baby's growing at 24 weeks:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

How your life's changing:

In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.

Phew!! I feel better! :)

Put your gloves on?

2010-10-18T09:10:00.000-04:00

We have plenty of "growth opportunities"

and attitude adjustments that need to be addressed everyday.

I was reading this this morning and have been challenged with yet another way to be helping to guide my kids to godliness. If you are raising siblings...check it out!

Owen Says,,,

2010-10-15T19:11:00.001-04:00

Well, as promised - Here are my "Owenisms" for the month...

- Owen's two favorite things...plastic shorts (gym shorts) and jiggy jog pants (sweatpants.)

‎- "mom, i'm gonna get dressed now, but I am NOT going to wear underwear today - b/c it's not sunday."

‎- "mommy! i just burped in my pants! that's funny!"

- after passing an obscene amount of gas out of his hiney - i look at Owen with a bewildered look on my face to which he replies "it's ok mommy, that just means I had A LOT of pressure in my belly just now!"

‎"Livvie, daddy's gonna go see Mrs. Sippy this week" (nathan went to Mississippi)

"mom, are you downstairs, pocahontamus?"

‎"mommy...when i drink soda it's so so so spicy! It makes my eyes sparkly!"

"owen, you don't say no to mommy, that's disrespectful" ..."well, actually mom, sometimes I do say no, like i just did to you." :)

sorry to bore you...

2010-10-14T15:53:00.000-04:00

but I got nothing'.

i think often about blog posts to write and then they are usually reduced to FB statuses instead - b/c honestly, that's all I have time for.

a sentence that encapsulates the goings on of the moment or day. it's a busy/lazy person's dream!

i have been enjoying the things that my kids have been coming up with lately.

jackson (4.5yrs old) has given us some real laughs lately:

- I haven't had a chance to share this with you all yet but when I was 10 wks pregnant, the following exchange happened between Jackson and I...
"hey mom, can you come in here - we need to have a little talk."
(curious, i oblige) "ok Bud, what's up?"
(he motions for me to come and sit beside him on the couch - I roll my eyes and walk towards the couch)
he says, "mom, we need to have a talk about the size of your belly."
(GREAT! I knew this day was coming! If only i'd stuck with a work out regime... I swallow hard) "ok...what about it?"
"i think i know why your belly's getting bigger mommy. I think that you have a baby in your belly."
(sigh of relief!) "Oh really? That's what you think?"
"Yes. So, DO you? Do you have a baby in your belly mommy?"
(Since we weren't telling anyone yet...) "Well, we'll have to wait and see."

And as easy as that, the conversation was over! Until he turned around and said, "Oh! I have just one more question - 'when you push a baby out of your belly, does it rip a huge hole in your shirt?!"

WHERE DO THEY COME UP WITH THIS STUFF!!?
- "hey mom, wouldn't it be fun if you had a dinosaur in your belly?"

- "hey mom, i went ahead and pulled out the cleaning chemicals in the bathroom if you decide you should clean it today..."

- "daddy, was stonewall jackson made out of stones?"

jackson split his lip open something fierce one afternoon. after much blood and milk...he was happily eating his lunch - by request...peanut butter on a spoon "b/c it's smooth and doesn't hurt my lip mama. i think it's protein too."

well, i could probably think of 100 more, but I will save my energy for "Owen Says..." tomorrow!

Summer Catch Up in Pictures...

2010-09-23T16:22:00.001-04:00

Eenie, Meenie, Miney and MO...due Feb.22nd

Sweet Little Owen turned 3!!

Pin the Tail on the Doggie

Kelsey gave him a baseball hat...and his first kiss! :)

The boys played in a fountain with some friends from Charlotte after church...we stripped them down and this was Nate's ghetto solution for drying their pants at 80 MPH

Handsome Lads if I do say so myself!


Went to the Greenville Zoo with friends... Our kids are the same ages.

Just.Can't. Stand. It.

Has it really been this long??

2010-09-22T09:50:00.002-04:00

I don't have time right now to write a post about all that has been going on here - however, I do have a few seconds to give you a couple of point form notes about it! :)

- Well, we are expecting baby #4 in February! I am 18wks and just crawling out of nasty/exhausted stage. More accurately, Nasty is basically gone - exhausted is here to stay!

- Jackson received Christ this summer!!

- Olivia got her thumbnail smashed in Owen's school desk and will be losing it soon i assume. poor girl!

- Owen is 3 lbs and 1" bigger than Jxn....Jxn is catching on to this. :(

- Nathan has been traveling a lot but we got to go to greenville with him for a week!

- OH! Owen turned 3!! Pics to come!

- The kitchen is nearing the end...plate wall is almost finished, curtains have been made since march - just waiting for a break in the travel schedule to get them put on boards and hung. Still need to save for counter tops - although I think I may have enough for the floors soon!! i *heart* brown eyed girlies!!

- Be careful what you wish for on FB! When we left for G-Vegas last week i knew my house wouldn't be tip top shape by the time we left and sarcastically put as my status if anyone wanted to come and clean my house while I was gone, they were more than welcomed to it! well, some wonderful friend knew where my house key was, came into my house while we were gone and cleaned for me. True Story! BLESSED!! I actually walked around in a state of panic for a few minutes as I saw things in places that i didn't put them and things cleaned out that i hadn't touched for months and then Nate said "babe, i am sure whoever was in here was a friend not a foe if they left it in better shape than we did!" LOL Good point!

Happy First Day of Fall Everyone! I love love love this time of year! it's when i met Nate after all :)

HOOPITY DOO! THE WINNER IS....

2010-08-04T08:46:00.003-04:00

YOU!!! Congratulations Beth! Here's what she plans to do with her prize...

Busch family said...: Hi Shyla!
Love your blog! :) I need to thank you for sharing your knowledge of the makeitandloveit blog as well! Wow, you girls are CREATIVE!! :)
Anyway, I'm not much of a scrapper either, but my mom has a 50th birthday coming up and we are making a scrapbook for her. This one would be perfect!
Thank you!! :)
Beth

Thanks so much to all who entered! Stay tuned - this giveaway stuff was fun! I'm itching to do another! Have a wonderful day!

A little glimpse of the kitchen....

2010-08-03T08:42:00.003-04:00

So, I stole this image (is it really stealing when I am the one who took the pic?) from Nate's FB page so you could see a little glimpse of the kitchen!
- New Table and chairs from craigslist that I redid from this post.
- Here's what this little part of the kitchen looked like before.
- There is a little glimpse of the vintage plate wall and bead board along with the color.

This pic was intended to show our very first watermelon from our garden! The kids were so excited to eat it!

That beautiful hydrangea bloom is the only bloom we've had on our bush in 2 yrs! LOL I don't et it, but it makes me so happy when he shows up!

Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY for FREE Scrap booking stuff worth $60!! We'll be drawing the lucky winner's name on Wednesday!!

Kitchen Transformation Day 147

2010-08-02T11:18:00.004-04:00

For real. That's how many days our kitchen has been in limbo. It's been in working order for most of that time - but we have been taking our sweet time getting it done. In our defense - painting with oil based paint in 100% humidity is less than ideal and attributes to most of our summer this year.

While I was in Canada, Nathan put up the bead board. While he was in Honduras, I painted the bead board and the top half of the wall a light green color.

I have since thrifted to find all of the plates for my vintage plate wall (that replaces the beloved "r" monogram) I have most of the plates hung but 4 of them are too small and I need to find the right hangers to put them up - alas - another roadblock. I found a great wrought iron piece for the wall at Hobby Lobby (I *HEART* Hobby lobby!!) it was $60 marked down to $10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I scooped her up, brought her home, spray painted her white and she's just as pretty as I imagined she would be!

I was hoping that the curtain I made out of scrap fabric would have been enough to cover under my sink, but it's just not full enough, so I will be making a proper curtain soon to fit there.

I added some wooden decal to one of my drawers and painted it to pretty up the cabinet.

What's left?
- butcher block counter tops
- wood floors (both need to save for...so don't hold your breath perhaps next year!) Just imagine it with me :)
- Painting a clock on the hood of my stove to replace the retro one that was there
- sewing a new curtain for my cabinet
- hanging the kitchen curtains i made in MARCH!
- accessorizing
- getting it clean enough to take pics of it! :)

My First Giveaway!

2010-07-31T14:57:00.003-04:00

I have been mulling over in my mind about having a giveaway on my blog for a while - and frankly - it hasn't happened b/c I am too busy to do a post about it or I miss the date I was planning on doing it (an anniversary, making it 12 months without being pregnant - you know! :). Lame, but true! :)

So, here it is - all of you scrap booking ladies out there! A little giveaway just for you! Not a scrapper - enter so you can give it away for a present!

Up for grabs to one lucky scrapper are:
- Brand New Black Natural Bonded Leather Scrapbook with White Stitching
- valued at $32.00
- 30 page 12x12
- expandable spine included

- Creative Memories Power Sort Box: - 1 Power sort Box (Cute Green and Light Blue)
- 12 compartment Boxes
- 12 Power Sort Dividers
- valued at $28.50

That's $60 worth of stuff I am giving away to a lucky reader!

So, What do you need to do to win it?

One entry - Just become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment about what you'll do with the giveaway!
Two entries - Put a link to this giveaway on your own blog or FB page and then let me know you did.

On Wednesday the 4th I will have one of my kiddos pick your name from a jar (technical, I know!) and then announce the lucky winner!

Thanks for stopping by and may the best scrapper win! :)

Fun in the Sun

2010-07-26T11:27:00.002-04:00

Please go ahead and laugh and laugh at this picture! Fro-woman and N-Ro went tubing this passed weekend and it was really fun! I am pretty sure that my fingers are the only part of my upper body that is not sore - yes, nathan has informed me that it's time to ~~kick into high gear~~ start some real muscle building...i fear he may be right! LOL

DO IT!!!

2010-07-21T12:31:00.002-04:00

I am always looking for ways to use up the zucchini in our garden in different ways. My MIL made this for us and it was so good!

If you know someone who says that they hate Zucchini, invite them over for this yummy dessert! We LOVE it and you will NEVER know that it's not apple cobbler!!

Zucchini Cobbler

Ingredients

8 cups chopped seeded peeled zucchini (about 3 pounds)
2/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Crust:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice for 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; simmer 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; set aside.
For crust, combine the flour and sugar in a bowl; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup into zucchini mixture. Press half of remaining crust mixture into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Spread zucchini over top; crumble remaining crust mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Yield: 16-20 servings.

If I hadn't been too busy eating ours, I would have taken a pic of the one I made last night! :)

Link love - to the 7th power.

2010-07-20T10:04:00.000-04:00

So, I was reading this post the other day and thought that this would make for an interesting post (humor me :). The idea was to link within your own blog to the post that applies best in these categories:

Your first post
A post you enjoyed writing the most
A post which had a great discussion
A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written
Your most helpful post
A post with a title that you are proud of
A post that you wish more people had read

Then, you can either tell about why you chose the post you did or else just link to it.

So, we will see how much commenting my little brood allows, but I will do my best! :)

My First Post - I am cracking up b/c it's nothing but pics of our new house! LOL. In my defense, I did post a little bit more about myself the same day in another post. I have been blogging since September 2005! Wow! Time flies when you're having fun!

A post you enjoyed writing the most - I don't really know if this is THE one - but I read it, remembered the experience and laughed! Here's another.

A post which had a great discussion - this really is second only to the announcements of pregnancies and births :)

A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written - Emily is so very talented and I have enjoyed reading her blog.

Your most helpful post - well, I don't really know, but several people emailed me after this one.

A post with a title that you are proud of - Laundry Room - drop your pants here. Genuis - i know.

A post that you wish more people had read - I don't have a link for this one. I guess I feel like any time there are no comments I have either failed my audience :) or no one has read it. And since I don't really think that either are true - a post that shows lots of traffic with no comments says, lots of people stopped by - but no one wanted to say hi! :)

So, that was fun. I actually took time reading through my blog from the beginning to the end. A real chronicling of our lives thus far.

I can't leave you without a shameless link for Brown Eyed Girlies! :)

Great Expectations?

2010-07-19T18:56:00.003-04:00

I am learning (sloooowly) that what I expect from my kids and what they think they ought to deliver are not often on the same page.

Now, before I have tons of comments (a girl can dream can't she?) about how they are only 4, 3 and 15 months old - please know that I realize this and I am not asking them to roof our home.

Back to the title: Great Expectations...We have been training our kids to be responsible adults, who Lord willing, will one day Love and serve Him, be hard workers, loyal and respectful. We tend not to baby them, or let excessive nonsense flow from their mouths throughout the day.

They have had little chores or jobs that they do throughout the day to help keep our busy home in order. They are fully capable of doing the jobs - and frankly, I can't do it all by myself.

So, they make their beds (to the best of their little abilities), they put away their laundry, wipe up their own messes on the bathroom floor - even Liv at 15months knows how to walk her diaper to the trash and throw it away when I am done changing her. I am reasonable with them.

What I am STRUGGLING with, is giving them a job (IE; today it was picking up their junk on the floor in the kitchen) and expecting that they will go upstairs, unsupervised and get it done. I mean, it's only picking up their t-shirts and torn up pieces of paper off of the floor. Not hard. But, I expect that if i tell them to do it ,they will obey and get the job done right away.

i think i am crazy.

And then i get frustrated when they are upstairs comparing the size of boogers that they can pick out of their noses, or who can step in the sticky spots on the floor - instead of just picking their junk up so that I CAN clean the floor.

Is it too much to expect that when I tell them to pick up their cars, that they would actually do it? Right away, without me hounding them and pointing to every car on the floor that they are supposed to be picking up? I am trying to train them to be hard working adults - of which do NOT have their employers pointing out every task that needs to be completed.

i know they are little. i know that maybe i am asking more out of them then most parents with kids this age. But I respect them and know that they are capable and that's why I think it's not too much to ask for them to pick up their toys without asking over and over and that the job would be completed as best as they can.

because our kids are so close in age, perhaps i do ask more out of them since there is more going on here on a daily basis. *sigh*

so, let the litany of comments come. go ahead. tell me i am crazy. tell me that i have "great expectations" but they're not realistic. I may or may not agree with you - but I am willing to be talked off the ledge today.they sure are sweet, though!

Family VBS

2010-07-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

When I was little, VBS was in someone's backyard and you'd listen to bible stories, play a game, have a snack and go home. For us, it was always at someone's house that we knew from church - since we were church kids - but for most of the neighborhood kids that came, their parents just sent them down the street on their own to participate.

Fast forward 20 yrs. I am a mother of 3 living in this world and would be hard pressed to send my little one to a stranger's house for them to hear bible stories. It's sad, but I just don't feel like I have the luxury that parents before me had to trust people I don't know with my kids.

All of that being said, this year our church did a FAMILY VBS. You heard me! Family! Mom, dad, kids, grandparents - everyone! It was a great switch from the usual b/c we got to be involved in walking through "Egypt" with our kids and watching them learn about Joseph. each family was divided up in groups. You stayed with that group for the whole VBS week and did games, there was a group time of singing and they made a market place for everyone to walk through with activities for the kids like a salon, bead shop, hieroglyphics name tags, toy shop, brick making etc... It was a really fun time. Then there was a game time where you competed against other family groups. One of the games that we liked was the mummy wrap! They even had a "bakery" where you could get a little nibble of something and a drink! Then we went into a room that on the first night was Joseph in his jail cell and listened to him give us a narrative on what life was like for him in there. The next night it was in front of Pharoah etc... It was a wonderful time! Perhaps the best VBS experience that I have ever had!

Here are a TON of pics from the week!

getting my Egyptian makeup done at the salon!

The boys making their head pieces

Owen refused to wear his - so, I did.
I am dying! i just realized he is picking his nose! LOL
classic.

A little basket weaving 101

The mummy wrap game

Our team working hard to wrap up Jackson!

Our little mummy with his mommy!

Joseph

Hieroglyphic Name tags

Brick Making time!!

Jackson ready for a "shave" at the salon!
relax! it was a spatula! :)

Multipurpose room transformed into an Egyptian Marketplace

One night was dress up night - here are our little Pharaohs! :)

Thank you so much to our church family who worked so hard to put this all together! We thoroughly enjoyed the week!

Have any of you done this at your church before - a family VBS time? What did you do?

Treats from Honduras

2010-07-16T07:10:00.003-04:00

In June, Nathan flew to Honduras on business. He returned with fun presents for the kids .....

Liv received this lovely hand embroidered ensemble
with handmade leather sandals (a little too big perhaps? :)

She was excited to see her daddy the next morning!

The boys sporting their new Team Honduras Futbol Jersey
World Cup was a big deal down there.

..... but we were the most happy to have him safely back home with us!

What an amazingly busy summer!

2010-07-14T10:14:00.003-04:00

Well, life is finally settling back into "normal" here. Between Nathan and I we have been traveling since the 2nd week of May and have been everywhere from SC to KY, Atlantic City, Canada, Honduras and back again! Attending weddings, hanging with family and flying on business. It was been busy!

I have greatly enjoyed spending almost a month with my mom and sister - which hasn't happened in 10 yrs?! Or at least close to that!

The kids and I stayed in Canada for 2 weeks and then my mom came back to PA with us for 2 wks. and then My sister Jenny came for a week!

The kids have slept in the same room together for the last 5 weeks and have done a great job!

When my mom left Jackson said "i am glad you came gramma, but i am VERY glad to have my room back!"

When Jenny left, Jackson said "mom, aunt Jenny's leaving today - that's the sad part, but the good thing is, we get to be a family again!" LOL

I guess they are ready for things to go back to normal too! :)

So, hopefully blogging will get back to normal. There are always things swirling in my head that I could write about during my day! :)

Here are a few pics from the last month...

Today I am baking (if you know me - i would rather cook all day than bake!) but I am happily using up our bounty of zucchini from our garden!

Took mom to Red Robin for the first time!
So happy Liv's got pig tails! :)

Celebrated 6 years together!

Got a backstage tour at Sight and SoundMet our new little Nephew/Cousin Levi!
So happy to meet him!

Greenview Aviaries

2010-06-14T14:34:00.003-04:00

When I was little, my favorite place to go on a field trip was Greenview Aviaries. There was a great place ground (made of metal of course) - that at the time consisted of a HUGE (to me then) slide, teeter totter, swingset and a FANTASTIC zip line! There was also a wonderful petting zoo and the most beautiful peacocks. Yup, those are the things that I remember the most.

Fast forward 20 years. I got to take my kids there this past week and it was more fun then I ever remembered! It was such a fun time watching my little ones explore and enjoy all of my old favorites and then being able to make new memories together on all of their

NEW, SUPER COOL Upgrades!

Here are some pics! We enjoyed the splash pad and outdoor ball pit the best! If you are ever in South Western Ontario for any reason - you need to spend the day at Greenview!

to see the rest of the pics you can go to my FB album HERE and HERE.

seriously...one month since my last post?

2010-06-12T21:39:00.003-04:00

sheesh. i read TONS of blogs everyday and somehow that makes me feel like i write in my own everyday. guess not :)

so, here I am, with a second (or two) to blog. I HAVE HAVE HAVE to show you this!

If you are in FB - this will be a bit of a repeat since you've seen my pics already - but if you care for the story behind this sweet little dress - Here it goes!

I was all prepared to write a tutorial for the dress and my camera

battery died. I took that as a sign! :)

So, I have loved this pillow case for a long time. (my grandma calls them pillow slips - and i LOVE that!)

Anyway, it was such a pretty vintage looking pillowcase. Creamy background with light blue and yellow periwinkles all dreamily scattered around - and a ruffle -

OH THE RUFFLE! That's what made my mind start whirling about 4 yrs. ago that this would make a beautiful dress for my little girl...but we kept having boys :)

So, while I have been here in Canada, I saw the pillowcase and got so excited and asked if i could turn it into a dress!

I enjoy sewing interiors. My sister Jenny has been making her own clothes and refashioning pieces for years so with my plan in mind,we worked together, drew out a pattern, measured one of Liv's dresses and went to town!

It took us a few hours - but we had a blast designing it together and seeing it realized (AND SEEING IT FIT HER PERFECTLY!! That was awfully satisfying!)

So, here she is in her little dress made with love by mommy and aunt j-mo.

Would you pray today...

2010-05-18T08:56:00.003-04:00

I have not written on my blog about my Father-in-Law, Sam Rohrer's, race for Governor of PA. There are lots of reasons why - but today, I wanted to ask you to pray.

Today is Voting Primary day in PA.

If you have friends in PA - send this information to them - perhaps it will change, or open their minds.

We are so excited to see what God's plan is - only a few short hours until we know. I imagine this is going to be a LONG day! :) Thank you for praying!

If it's stuck in my head.....

2010-05-17T09:57:00.002-04:00

It may as well be stuck in yours too!

wishful sigh

2010-05-17T09:13:00.002-04:00

I am sooooooo looking forward to life slowing down a little so that i can make THIS!
Downloaded my pattern and contemplating skipping laundry day today...hmmmm....what will my priorities be today...

Alright, alright! I will print the pattern, grab my fabric and do the laundry! :)

It is not death to die.

2010-05-14T14:38:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, we celebrated the short life of Carlie Maia James.

It was an overcast morning as I headed to the cemetery. Maria, Carlie's mom, had asked me the night before to specifically pray that it would not rain while they said good bye to Carlie that morning. God was so sweet to answer this small prayer that morning. The rain held off until they said good bye to Carlie and as they got into their car, it began to lightly drizzle.

There must have been a hundred cars in the processional for Carlie. As I drove away from the casket I began to sob and called Nate. We talked for a little while and then the Lord began to minister to my heart through songs that came over the radio - Blessed be Your Name, For God so loved the World, I'll praise you in this storm etc....over and over song after song and I couldn't help but praise God for His generous love for each one of us.

The ceremony for Carlie was beautiful. The gospel was so wonderfully presented and Christ was so supremely exalted. The songs were beautiful, the testimonies touching, the room was filled with joy in the midst of our sorrow that Carlie, our little sister in Christ, would be waiting to see us again.

Wil and Maria and the girls were deeply hurting that day, but God's strength and grace was so evident in their life that you couldn't help leaving them encouraged yourself.

It was a beautiful celebration of Carlie's life. I am thankful that I was able to be there and experience the impact such a short life had on so many people.

This was just one of the songs sung at Carlie's Memorial.

Please continue to pray for the James Family.

Blessed be Your Name

2010-05-07T18:47:00.005-04:00

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Carlie is dancing at the feet of her creator tonight.
Thank you for all of the prayers that you have offered
for sweet Carlie and her family.

Carlie has 4 sisters who will miss her terribly.
Will you pray for these sweet girls as they come to your mind?

Carlie has a mom and a dad who love her dearly and will miss her deeply.
Would you pray for Wil and Maria as they begin the journey to this new 'normal' in their lives?
Would you pray that God would use this to only bring them closer to Him and to each other?

Please pray for the Salvation of their entire extended family.
Carlie's life, nor her death are a waste.
God is glorified.

Carlie is now whole with her Savior!!

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Please Pray for Carlie!!!

2010-05-06T15:16:00.005-04:00

This has been an extremely difficult week for the James Family. They are dear people from our church who kissed their sweet Carlie as they put her to bed Sunday night - only to find that during the night she had seizures and stopped breathing for an unknown amount of time.

I can only imagine that the following trying days that followed this week have been filled with a host of emotions for them. They placed Carlie in a medication induced coma and have been unable to stop the seizures and the swelling of her brain has continued. She has had a brain herniation.

I feel like my eyes have no more tears left. Carlie is a special girl to me. 6 years ago Carlie walked down the aisle for Nathan and I as our flower girl. She has been so sweet to my boys and always so happy to say hello to us whenever she sees us.

Her parents need your prayer. They continue to get life altering updates are going to have to make difficult decisions - have conversations with Carlie's 4 sisters that no parent ever imagines that they will have to have with their children. I know I don't.

Please lift this family up in your prayers. God makes no mistakes - and I believe that- it's easy to say when you are not going through it.

Pray for the Salvation of the grandparents that the girls are staying with. This is no accident. The Lord thought of Carlie, formed Carlie, gave life to Carlie - He alone can chose to spare her young life.

Busy, busy, dreadfully busy....

2010-05-05T15:59:00.003-04:00

To say that life is busy seems like a gross understatement! I am not complaining - that's just the way it is. I can't think of very many nights when we are not involved in something or have something going on.

We're all busy right?

I often wonder if our mother's or grandmother's were this busy. I am not at all implying that they weren't busy during the day - but I wonder if they took on all of the extra-curricular things that we involve (i involve) ourselves in.

I have been wondering lately what it is about my generation of mom's that makes us so busy? Are we more involved at church, in our communities, in politics, in social circles, than our mother's were? Are things just busier nowadays or more things going on?

Why weren't we being bustled off to play dates, and parties, and outings, and activities? Sure, our parents took us to our games and recitals - but don't you think that we are involving ourselves in so much more?

We are creative, and crafty (as in crafts...not behavior!), social, entrepreneurs, etc....

I am not saying that our mom's were lazy for not doing all of these things - i am suggesting that maybe they had the right idea. Maybe LESS is MORE.

Are we focusing on what is MOST important? Are our MOTIVES right in all of our activities? Do we really need everyone in the world to know that we are great homemakers - or are we truly being keepers of our homes?

I know that I have been guilty of jealousy of other mom's who get accolades and recognition for things that I think I deserve. "I'm creative, I can decorate, I am thrifty, I have good ideas, I like those sorts of things too, I can sew ruffles onto my shirt too! (LOL)!!" What a shame to be more concerned with what the World thinks of me than being concerned about how I am taking care of my family before God.

It is what's most important. It is most important that my Husband and Children "rise up and call me blessed" than it is if any of you ever do (sorry.). It is MOST important that I hear "Well done though good and FAITHFUL servant" from my Lord.

I want to live out this life with God's best in mind. I want to do/be the woman who mirrors her life after the Prov. 31 woman. Not for the praises of men - but for the Glory of God.

Proverbs 31:10-31 (The Message)

A good woman is hard to find,
and worth far more than diamonds.

Her husband trusts her without reserve,
and never has reason to regret it.

Never spiteful, she treats him generously
all her life long.

She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
and enjoys knitting and sewing.

She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
and brings back exotic surprises.

She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast
for her family and organizing her day.

She looks over a field and buys it,
then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.

She senses the worth of her work,
is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
diligent in homemaking.

She's quick to assist anyone in need,
reaches out to help the poor.

She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.

She makes her own clothing,
and dresses in colorful linens and silks.

Her husband is greatly respected
when he deliberates with the city fathers.

She designs gowns and sells them,
brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.

Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.

When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
and she always says it kindly.

She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
and keeps them all busy and productive.

Her children respect and bless her;
her husband joins in with words of praise:

"Many women have done wonderful things,
but you've outclassed them all!"

Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.

The woman to be admired and praised
is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.

Give her everything she deserves!
Festoon her life with praises!

Are you too busy? Maybe we need to take some time to reevaluate what is the most important so that we, like our moms, can be women who ARE busy...but mostly in the things that matter the most.

i HEART my homemade powdered laundry soap!

2010-04-30T12:02:00.003-04:00

After 3 loads (one of those VERY smelly, leftover wet sheets that I forgot about *sigh*) I am pleased to report that I am definitely in like with this recipe! You should try it! It smells so clean too!

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

2010-04-29T15:09:00.007-04:00

Well, after reading my friend Megan's post about making her own laundry detergent - i thought "well, why not try it?"

I wasn't interested in the goopy mess of the liquid since I also wasn't sure if I was going to continue with it or not. So, I searched for a powdered option (it was EASY and no cooking, stirring etc...) and found this one and then adapted it.

So, Here's what I did....

Gathered my supplies:

Borax

Fels Naptha Soap

Washing Soda

Grate 1 Bar of Fels Naptha Soap (yields 3 Cups grated)

Add:
1.5 C Washing Soda

1.5 C BoraxAnd you're done!
Use 2 TBSP for one full load!

I'll let you know what I think!
Comes to $0.01/LOAD! LOL
Not bad. not bad at all.

I may put it through the food processor to make it all fine.

Happy Little Pin Cushion Tutorial

2010-04-28T22:57:00.003-04:00

I should have known that the text on these pics would be too small...ah well! Just click on the picture to make it bigger!

I have been looking around for a Cute Pin Cushion (since it matters :) I just didn't want to settle for the red tomato kind. There was a part of me that would get nostalgic and almost cave for one of those red tomato cushions - my gramma had one - but let's be honest...it wouldn't match my sewing space :).
So, I was trolling around online and found this little cutie and knew I had to make one of my own. Here's how I did it!

So...what do you think? :)

This is gonna be a long one.

2010-04-23T12:46:00.003-04:00

So, there has been a reason that I have not blogged in 13 days. I have read other blogs faithfully during that time. I have had lots to talk about myself these past few days. But, i have been in a funk. Yup. The good 'ol-stinky-feeling.sorry.for.myself- woe.is.me-if.i.don't.go.on.a.vaca.soon- does.anyone.know.my.real.name.is.not.mom- Funk.

Nothing better than starting off a time away with a 'Keepin' it real' post.

April is the busiest month of my life so far this year. Every month is busy, which I normally welcome. I enjoy being involved in church, in activities, in things with my kids. Being busy generally keeps me on task and gives me greater motivation for staying on top of things.

April is busy b/c I have made it this way. I will spare you most of the details, but the two biggest things for me this month has been:

We have our Women's Conference at the end of the month. I am in charge of the craft (which I love doing) with some girlfriends - and all that is involved with making it the most efficient and enjoyable time possible for the ladies that attend. I am also making flower pins for the hostesses to wear which has been labor intensive - but so fun!

There is a HUGE consignment sale here this next week (same as WC Week). I have been gathering clothes, toys, shoes, etc...etc... to sell. Then, there is tagging, and hanging and pressing and string clipping....my house is being taken over by consignment items that it's become a bot overwhelming. I keep telling myself that it will be over soon - but who likes to live surrounded by clutter in a little house? I submit: Not I.

This week has been sort of the hair that broke the camel's back.

All 3 kids have had a fever on varying days this week, lasting the entire week. (read: generally pleasant with bouts of real crankiness, whining, fighting, and neediness.) The neediness makes it VEEERRRRRRY difficult to get things done. I can get stuff done with one ball and chain attached to my ankle, but it is nearly impossible with 3! :)

Today, I swallowed my pride and called a friend for help. She came, rescued me and my kids and has them for the afternoon so that I can crawl out from the week. The Lord blessed me yet again and I am so thankful for her willingness to be an encouragement to me today.

I am not really resolving this post. I don't have time. You'll have to take my point form thoughts and know the God is working on me and teaching me important lessons, encouraging and strengthening my heart. Sorry for the sporadic post. I'll get better in May :)

i have a lot more to talk about - but I wanted to leave you with this version of Prov. 31 - i'll expand on how it ministered/challenged me later.

A Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰ ^b]">[b]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
¹⁴ She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
¹⁸ She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.

¹⁹ Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
²⁰ She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
²¹ She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm^c]">[c] clothes.

²² She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
²³ Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
²⁴ She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
²⁷ She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

²⁸ Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
²⁹ “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
³¹ Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

new living translation

I waited until she was one.

2010-04-10T21:56:00.000-04:00

It's on!! :)

Easter 2010 - warning: indulgent photos of cuteness to follow.

2010-04-09T22:04:00.005-04:00

The Overview (click to enlarge if you care :)

i love owen. what other kid pokes himself in the eye for pics?

fall 2009

It was over 80 degrees!

Concentration face!

Daddy's girl.

And my favorites:

this was a four wheeling accident. his forehead lost. thankfully that's all! :)

Kitchen Transformation Day 21- LOL

2010-04-09T21:38:00.004-04:00

I seriously don't even know how many days we've been working on it. I supposed I could go back in the archives and see what the date of day one was...too much work.

So, are the pics of the painted cabinets! They are LOVELY! Smooth, wipe-able, creamy white - yum!!

sorry the pics are so dark. my eyes are bleeding - i am THAT tired.

I debated on spray painting the hardware, but in the end, I decided to keep the original hardware color.

I have had this adorable plate rack across the top of my kitchen and never used it - Now I get to play with the idea of beautiful plates actually being displayed on the plate rack - genius!

Here's a sneak peek at the curtains. This is not what they will look like completely - just a teaser on the fabric etc... still need to mount on boards but have to wait for the bead board , chair rail and paint to go up on the walls. Mmmm! Curtains! You could say I made the icing before the cake :)

So, here's what we have so far. I will paint the clock face back on in roman numerals.

And that's day 21...or whatever day we are on.

I heart craigslist!

2010-04-09T20:35:00.011-04:00

I *Heart* Craigslist! I am on it every day. Seriously.It goes like this...

Free section first - Scored this vintage lingerie (turned Jewelry) chest
BEFORE AFTER
(yes, i still need to put on the last knobs.)

Furniture Section Next - Seriously...how does anyone afford furnishing their home without craigslist? Yard sales, hand me downs and craigslist. LOVE.

Got these little beauties last weekend. She was asking for $40 for the pair - I asked her if I could pay $30 - and Voila! There they are - in my kitchen and waiting to be painted the green my walls will be!

Then I peruse the Garage sale section to see if i can find there what i couldn't find in the sections above.

As time permits (and it usually doesn't) I look in general, household, material and baby in that order.) :)

SOOOOO....

I realize that I have been neglectful in posting kitchen transformation pics (sorry fans :) but I have been busy actually working on it! :) Stay tuned.

I have been looking on CL for a kitchen table that has 6 chairs. Ours was generously given to us as a wedding present, but hasn't really been big enough and we have outgrown the set.
Wouldn't you know that a kitchen table with more than 4 chairs is practically unheard of? *GASP* And wouldn't you know that no one sells them second hand (I submit b/c they are so rare and people actually NEED them!!) and to buy them new ...don't even get me started! I found a set that I LOVED each peace was priced separately at a furniture OUTLET (rolling eyes)- table - $149 Chairs $125 (EACH!!!!!!!) Are you kidding me??
Here is an example:

So, I hopped on CL one morning and found THIS:

I squealed, called Nate, scheduled pick up and WAHOOOO!!! I got to pick my table (wanted - didn't need both!) and take all 6 chairs for $100!! And the best part...I was able to sell other stuff we didn't need to pay for it!!

Look familiar??!!
Can't wait to paint it!

Do you *heart* craigslist like I do? What fun things have you scored?

Warning!! Picture overload!

2010-04-01T21:57:00.003-04:00

Me and my little birthday girl!

She's big stuff now that she's one! I found her eating an apple!

Olivia with her bear from Grandma Chase

Standing!

Smiling b/c Gramma sent her a birthday package full of pretty dresses!!

My, how time flies!

Feeling a little sentimental.

2010-03-28T21:43:00.004-04:00

As I sit here tonight, I am remembering what I was doing a year ago today.

I was 5 days late with our third baby (in 3 years:). I chose to tell the Dr. after a long afternoon of labor that I hadn't really felt the baby move very much that day (b/c I really couldn't remember if I had - though not really worried about it) so that I could get in to the hospital. You see, I couldn't call the Dr. until my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. This was my problem. They had been getting worse, but never closer than 10 min. apart. I knew something was happening - I just needed to get into the hospital so they could tell me that I wasn't really losing my mind!

So, at 8:30 I arrived at the hospital. They checked me in, hooked me up to a monitor to see how the baby and my contractions were doing. the midwife checked me and told me I was only 2cm. Now i KNEW i was losing my mind!! This was my 3rd baby! Surely I knew my own body better than this!?! I had chosen not to use medicine again with this delivery, but when she said that i was only 2 cm - i looked at Nate and said "i am going to need A LOT of drugs for this one!!"

I sat on the monitor for 2 hrs. and the nurse and midwife said that my contractions didn't seem strong (!@#$%^) and that I was still only 2cm. I knew they were crazy! The Dr. came in and must have been able to see the exhaustion on my face b/c instead of sending me home like the nurse and midwife suggested, he ordered that I be taken up stairs to L/D, and given medicine to rest so that they could see if I had made any progress the next day.

I got out of bed (during a contraction) and sat in the wheelchair to get taken upstairs. They kept asking me questions and I couldn't talk through the contractions. it's funny....i remember apologizing b/c I didn't want them to think that i was being rude~ LOL! The sweet older nurse that was with me patted my back and said "it won't be long now dear" and i remember thinking that that was how my body felt - but it didn't match what they were saying!

I got to my room around 11:45pm. Nathan and I had brought our gear to the hospital but left it in the car. We got signed in, and swayed back and forth and paced during the worst contractions yet and kept saying "how can i only be 2cm!!?"

At midnight, Nathan went down to get our things since I was only 2cm and it would be a while until the baby came. After nathan left and I had a very difficult contraction, the nurse asked me to get in bed so that they could check me and mark on my chart how far along I was before they gave me meds to sleep.

At 12:05am, the nurse laughed out loud and with big eyes said "honey, you're not going to sleep! you're 10 cm - it's time to have a baby!!"

"I KNEW IT!!!" (i may have thought "morons" as well! :) I said!!

They bustled out of the room to go find the Dr.

Meanwhile, the sweet older nurse that was with me in triage stayed with me and i told her that i needed to get out of the bed to walk through the contraction. She suggested i lay on my side.

***as a side note: my girlfriend the year before had her baby in a quick hurry after laying on her side. Her baby came flying out and the nurse held the baby's head in until the dr. got
there!!!

I looked at her and said "NO WAY! My girlfriend did that and her baby came flying out!!"

"No dear, your baby will not come flying out! It will just give you some relief."

Famous last words!

At 12:10am I laid on my side (Nathan's still getting our things from the car) against my better judgment and wouldn't you know it! My water broke and the baby's head came flying out!

The nurses eyes got as big as saucers! I will never forget it! She kept telling me to blow out hard and not to push! I remember blowing out but wanting to laugh b/c I couldn't believe it was happening so fast!

At 12:15am, our sweet girl Olivia Adeline was born. The Dr. told me it was a girl! I heard her say it, but couldn't stop crying and apologizing to Nate (who still hadn't made it back yet!) that he had missed his baby girl being born! The dr. interrupted me again and said "Did you hear me!? You got your girl!!"

It was then that Nathan came quickly through the door and I started to cry! :) He was able to cut her cord and everything was wonderful! She was healthy!

I remember thinking that since Owen was 8lbs 9oz. that since this baby was 5 days late it was going to be 10 lbs! When they handed her to me and said that she was 6lbs, 14 oz I was glad that she'd stayed in longer! I said" where's the rest of her! She's so tiny!!" I kept her swaddled for a while so I felt like I had something to hold! :)

Fast forward one year.

The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful and happy baby girl. She is dearly loved my her big brothers and has brought so much joy to our lives!

As I laid her down in her crib tonight and kissed her on her cheek, i couldn't help but hold her a little tighter and thank God for the wonderful blessing our children have been to us, and how grateful I am to have been entrusted with her care.

So, with a big happy lump in my throat, I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday Olivia Adeline! You are a bright spot in our day and we pray that you will grow up to be the Lady that God created you to be!

Love,
Mommy!

A little plug...

2010-03-22T13:36:00.003-04:00

Gift sets are coming to Brown Eyed Girlies!
Check out the newest addition HERE!
Need a gift for a new mommy?
It's a great starter kit!

Several different kinds will be posted over the next few weeks!

Kitchen Transformation Day 4

2010-03-18T19:46:00.002-04:00

All of the drawers and cabinet doors are sanded, primed, wiped and ready for FINISH COAT!!!

*and the angels rejoiced!*

There was a little girl, who had a little curl...

2010-03-18T19:41:00.003-04:00

PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME HER NAME IS OLIVIA ADELINE ROHRER!!!

Her hair has been curling up after bath time...could it be? A curly creature to match me??

Sunshine + dirt = 3 happy little chillins!

2010-03-18T19:38:00.004-04:00

No lie. This is how Jackson dressed himself today. It was puzzling and funny to me all at the same time. My boy who is concerned about my hair and all things matching came up with this ensemble?! H-O-T!This is Owen. Owen is happy if he's dirty, naked and has boots on.

And Liv, well, she tried her hands (and knees and feet) at gravel driveways and grass today! She loved it! A girl with grass stains! Who knew! :)

If the sun's shinin' - i'm paintin'!

2010-03-18T19:27:00.003-04:00

it was 70 degrees today!!! Although several loads of laundry beckon me...I HAD to be outside today. But don't think that I just sunned myself all day! I got a few big projects done and out of the way!!

i bought these matching end tables off of craigslist. I thought they'd match my living room - but, they didn't. So, in lieu of my dreamy French Provincial bedside tables I have been searching and searching for -I decided to paint them to match our black and creme toile bedroom.

See Nate - I sanded and sanded first! :) MWAH!
I decided to modge podge (i do prefer to use that as a verb :) the fabric that matches our comforter on top. Trying to make these straight lined "character-less" tables have a little charm.

I'll be adding a little glass knob to the center of the fronts of the tables. It will mimic my dressers and look like a faux drawer.

It just dawned on me i could have posted a pic of them back in our room...alas - another post. :)

Kitchen transformation- day 3

2010-03-18T19:21:00.000-04:00

The beginnings of priming

Nate's brother David came to help us ALLLLLLL day!
(it was a solid 12 hr. day.)

Looking good!! We're getting closer! :)

Spring has sprung!

2010-03-15T16:01:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you - but this warm weather is making me excited for all of the beautiful flowers that come with Spring! So, I thought - Why wait for Spring!?! Visit Brown Eyed Girlies and grab yourself a little bit of spring today!

Cupcake Shirt Tutorial

2010-03-11T22:12:00.009-05:00

So, I have been thinking for a couple of days (read: since Olivia was born) about what I wanted to do for Liv's 1st birthday. After finally settling on a cupcake "theme" (i am not much into the princess mentality) it was time to start planning.

I made Jackson and Owen a shirt to wear on their first birthday.

So, I wanted to carry on that tradition with Liv. However, I kept seeing these ADORABLE Shirts (don't get me started on the pettiskirt! They are so ridiculously pricey and I am so mad at myself that I don't have time to make one (especially after reading a tutorial over and over for an hour and a half!!).
I. WANT. ONE! (realizing it's not all about ME, i am getting over it!) Whoa! Sorry about that!

Anyway, I decided that as much as we cherish little Liv, she was NOT getting a $50 shirt that would inevitably be stained by icing and worn once. BESIDES! I don't even have a $50 shirt!! So, tonight i whipped up one of my own! And trust me! It was NOT $50!

Here's a lame tutorial for you - lame b/c i started writing this with energy and now i am tired. :) And b/c i forgot to change the size of my pics to make them larger. Sorry.

I can't wait to show you pics of her in it in a couple of weeks!

Need a baby shower gift idea?

2010-03-11T12:32:00.002-05:00

Brown Eyed Girlies' Itty Bitty Bows make great baby shower gifts for new mommies!

They are a great solution for having a bow when your little one doesn't have any hair, or very little hair.

They are unique because they don't require a clip to stay in the hair. Just apply a drop of surgilube, ky jelly, Karo Syrup to the little bow or to your baby's head and gently press the bow into place! Your bow will hold all day! Seriously! :)

To remove the bow use a little warm water or a damp cloth and the bow will come right off. You can use a little baby wash to gently clean the bow, let it air dry and it will be ready to use again, if you feel you need to.

Each of my bows are hand tied and glued to make sure they don't come undone. All ends are treated to prevent fraying.

They are about 1" from loop to loop and 1 1/2" wide total.

Kitchen Transformation Day 2

2010-03-10T15:47:00.003-05:00

I keep getting these comments like,
"i don't know how you do it with 3 little ones, shyla"
"you must be wonder woman!"
"i only have one kid. i wish i was that organized"

Let's start a new series here on "I am shyla, hear me rohrer"
It's called:
KEEPIN' IT REAL
(clever, i know.)

This is me, keepin' it real for all of you...
Yes, I am a mom of 3 little ones.
No, i am not wonder woman
(you would not want to see me in that outfit)
I am not the organizational pro of the world.

Just keepin' it real.
Let me give you a little embarrassing look
into how i have been getting this project done
with 3 little ones while my husband has been gone all week...

The children run like wild in the sunshine
and hijack my phone.

The clutter fairy pukes all sorts of stuff
on surfaces meant for cooking or general food prep.

This was a happy little surprise while I was sanding, wiping, repeat
(look close, it's a little hand print. made me *smile*)

Jackson, assessing the damage with all the doors off.
it's amazing how much the cupboard doors hide.

Why not leave the microwave door open!
Everything else is.
(was i playing "how-much-junk-could-i-possibly-fit-in-my-cupboards?)

More destruction.

But, it all ends up tidied up at the end of the day.
(that is mount dishes that got finished. they are drying :)

Always nice to wake up to some semblance of order.
I am sure going to miss that monogram on the wall!!

So, that's me keepin' it real.
It's not always pretty here - even though i wish it was! :)

So, tell me - how are you keeping it real?

Post on your blog about it and link back here with a commentso we can all see
that everyone wants to show the best in our lives,
but sometimes it's even more encouraging to know
that you're not the only one with a toddler
running around with his underwear on his head
instead of his hindquarters!

Kitchen Transformation Day 1

2010-03-09T20:39:00.005-05:00

You'll have to excuse the briefness of this post. My eyes are bleeding - i am so tired!

This was the original color of our kitchen cabinets. Honestly, if the space wasn't so teeny, I wouldn't mind the color of the cabinets.

This is the adorable (read: tacky, yet charming) clock on the hood of my stove
I have plans for this!!

The sand man.

Shyla's starting to get excited so she's snapping pics of cabinet doors in a row!

So happy to prime
(then sand, then wipe, then prime then repeat*sigh*)

PROGRESS!!

Where does time go?

2010-03-09T13:02:00.002-05:00

This week has been soooo very busy (yes! i know it's only Tuesday!) Yesterday, Nathan left at the crack of dawn to catch a flight in Philly. He'll be gone for the week. I have been (in this particular order) sanding, wiping, priming, sanding, wiping, priming, sanding, wiping AND TODAY I FINALLY GET TO PAINT!!! (these are the man of the house rules. He is meticulous - i am a little less then meticulous. I want him to be happy with the cabinets so he will trust me with other projects! LOL)

So, It's been a glorious 55-60 degree day week so far, so i am taking advantage of the weather and trying to get them painted - since it's oil based paint (P-U!) and i can have all of the windows opened up.

My house is a wreck b/c of the weather. Just have to be outside on these days. No problem! I just close the laundry room door - suddenly - no laundry! And the kitchen is in as much order as it can be with drawers being emptied out and tucked away in various spots until they can go back in their rightful places (i sure hope i can find my can opener when this is all over!)

The kids have been good - why wouldn't they be! They can run amuck all day outside while mommy sands, wipes, primes repeat, they are covered in MUCK and couldn't be happier (except when they are squabbling, of course!)

I work feverishly while Liv naps like a champ. My basement looks like the ribbon fairy came and puked all over my basement. But I don't mind. It's progress. So, just checking in. I will post pics during nap time of my progress (maybe :) but i have been chronicling it all b/c i know you all care :)

Happy Tuesday!

Do I ever have stuff to talk about....

2010-03-04T13:23:00.004-05:00

...but it will have to wait for laundry and orders. ( i am not complaining...about the orders that is! :)

Stop by to see what's new!
Or let me know if you need anything
to match your cute Easter Dresses!!

Here's a sneak peek

What's your style?

2010-03-01T14:47:00.004-05:00

Take this quiz HERE and let me know what your results are.

My style was "Villa" - here is its description:

"Villa is romance reinvented. A high-end “decorator” look. Refined without fuss. Serene yet strong. Pedigreed while also modern. Inspired by French and Scandinavian design. A mingling of carved woods. handcrafted artisanship, and the dressmaker detail. This online portfolio shows your style. Brought to life in rooms. A subtle mix of furniture, accessories, and attitude. Different “looks.” "

Here are a few pics - I'd say this was a pretty accurate quiz to show some of the styling I appreciate.

I love the vintage bedding

Love the hall table and chairs - the detailing is so pretty!

I love furniture with character -
the claw feet, the scroll detail, the mismatched fabrics and patterns

I think I'd get a lot done in a chair that looked like this!

I love the furniture in this picture
(minus the metal table)

I'd love all of this stuff even more if I found it at a yard sale and could paint it up on my own!!
Sometimes the hunt, and the deal are more exciting than just buying it and having it delivered!
(although, if I could just have it delivered....) :)

Tell me if you took the quiz.
Do you agree with what the outcome was?

I have been busy!

2010-02-26T11:53:00.004-05:00

Nathan has been gone this week on a business trip. The second one in 2 wks. I was dreading this part of the month - but it never fails - God always blesses with strength, and sometimes with unexpected surprises!

My girlfriend Erin flew up from Greenville with her daughter Mia to hang out with us for the week while Nate was gone! SOOOO fun! We filled our days with bow making, girl chats, watching our kids play and visiting with friends! I am so thankful for a friend who could come and spend this time with me and the kids! Last night we piled the kids in the car in their jammies, in the snow"storm" and drove to DQ and had ice cream cones, went and rented a movie and watched it after the kids went to bed. It was such a fun way to pass the time.

Nathan was supposed to be home on Thurs. but his flight was cancelled, so Lord willing he will be back with us tonight. I really miss having him around when he's gone.

But, in the mean time - this has kept me very busy...

You can check it all out at my shop HERE

How Ironic.

2010-02-23T10:18:00.003-05:00

I had to laugh this morning.

After my laundry post from last night - THIS showed up in my Reader this morning!

Too funny! Check this lady out - I commend someone who can say they love laundry - I just don't get it!

Wouldn't it be nice if clothes were truly disposable!!

Don't steal my idea! I may try to market it! :)

do real people live here??

What are your laundry secrets?

Laundry Room - Drop your pants here.

2010-02-22T22:08:00.003-05:00

These pictures will not be impressive to many of you - that's fine. I, however, am very happy with this laundry room. When Nathan sees these pictures - he will be VERY happy with it! :)

Our laundry room has been a crazy hodge-podge-malodge of clothes, serving dishes, cleaning supplies, pantry items, dryer lint, paint brushes and pretty much anything else you can imagine.

With company coming for the week - it is inevitable that this room would no longer be able to hide behind a lovely, white paneled door.

So, this morning I went to town. I cleaned. I threw away. I vacuumed. I wiped. I did 5 loads of laundry so I could find the floor.

Love this! May paint it on the cupboard door above - or else the first one up top.... thoughts?

Here is my happy little laundry room. This humble little room has made me so happy today that I walked into it several times just to smile.

Lord willing we will be "re-decorating" our kitchen soon and this fabric is what is in my current kitchen. I love that I am able to reuse it down here. I was about to make a ruffled skirt for the wash tub from the fabric you see draped over it - but I decided i didn't care that much. So tomorrow I will hang it up with velcro! This will definitely make Nathan happy not to see ruffles *hater :)* and that he will easily be able to access his hidden bleach collection. The "curtain" is just napkins draped over a rod until I can transfer the curtains from the kitchen down here.

Just keepin' it real folks - this is what else i had to tackle today!

That's just the kind of good clean fun i have here everyday! :) *yawn*

A dream is a wish....

2010-02-18T22:25:00.003-05:00

Ok.

There are lots of little gadgets out there that i feel would make my etsy business more efficient - not to mention i just want :). One of these is a Serger. I have wanted one since last year when I just my mother in laws to make the boy's quilts for their room! We made 2 quilts in 1 day!! HELLO!!!

So, since nate's not home i sat on the computer into the wee hours of the night researching and pricing them. Coming to the conclusion that I need to sell A LOT of bracelets and bows to get one of these puppies!

I hopped on FB to check out if anyone had left me a msg. in the last 5 min (you can roll your eyes...it's warranted) and i entered the status "shyla is dreaming about a serger."

that's all.

then i went to bed. and didn't dream of one.

woke up and checked my email and there was a comment to my status from a friend that said "i have a serger i bought, and never use. i will sell it to you!"

and so after hearing her price and then remembering the prices i saw last night - talking to my MIL about what she thought about the price etc. - and then talking to the head honcho - i have a pretty little SERGER in my livingroom!!

Praise God!

Who said Dreams don't come true!

catchin' up

2010-02-18T22:01:00.002-05:00

I know it's only been 2 days since I have blogged, but it seems like so much has happened!

Nate's been in Orlando all week. (enter story to explain the next one...) Nate's co-workers were appalled to hear that he had never seen Star Wars. So, they sent him home from work with the first one and we had to watch it :) Nathan fell asleep half way through the movie so he missed the best part. He was sort of nodding in and out of consciousness the whole time. So, he may not have caught everyone's character names etc... (here's the rest of the story....) I have to tell you this story because it had me in tears I was laughing so hard! He went to Universal Studios yesterday and texted me a pic of r2d2 and the caption was "look babe - a star wars guy!" It just made me think that he was so proud of himself for recognizing that it was from Star Wars and then made me laugh b/c pretty much those of us walking around on the earth (even those who could care less about Star Wars - me included) would know that it was R2d2!

ok -well - it was funny to me! :)

When he left for his trip, he gave the boys each a dollar for each day that he'd be gone. They were to help them obey and so that they could keep them at the end of the week and go shopping with them. It was a little over their heads - but i could mention the $ to Jxn off and on during the day and he'd remember and shape up if need be.

So, tonight we went to Target (and the angels rejoice!) and the boys were soooo excited to shop! The first thing jxn wanted to buy was a slurpee (bleh!) but, he picked dr. pepper and i was surprised by his sophisticated choice - especially when neon blue nastiness was one of them! He was pumped! He asks me for one of those every time we walk out of Target (I won't tell you how often that is. *blush*)

Then it was onto the dollar aisles. Here were their choices - mind you, they had $4:

Jxn -

cloud umbrella

banana slippers
tutu (for Livz)
lucky charm chapstick
flying wheel
scooby doo coloring book (who he didn't even know until i told him tonight)
recorder

Owen

Purple floral embroidered notebook (story to follow)
elmo stickers
elmo book
bouncy balls
coloring book
echo microphone

So, now it was time to teach them the value of a dollar. You should have seen their little heads spinning trying to figure out what to keep and what to put away. If this trip hadn't have been specifically for this purpose, i would have been sooooo annoyed! :) We stood there F-O-R-E-V-E-R as they hemmed and hawed over their little choices. I tried so hard to get owen to put the purple notebook back. I think that he was so excited by the long leather strap that wrapped around it to close it! He dragged that thing ALL AROUND TARGET!! I tried to show him how dirty it was getting - he didn't want to put it back! I tried to reason with him that maybe he'd like the bouncy balls better - but he just loved it! Then i turned around to hear his sweet little voice calling it his "purple puppy"! "c'mon little puppy! we have to keep up with mommy!" He won. The filthy book is in my house and I could care less! He is happy - and it only took a little imagination and a dollar!

So, the final verdict - Jxn came home with the recorder and the flying helicopter thingy and Owen came home with the "purple puppy", elmo stickers and the microphone.

I love those little guys! They are getting so big and so fun! It was great watching them play with their new toys and the excitement on their faces!

i had a smile on my face too as i listened to the recorder being played - they will probably be broken soon enough! LOL

a day in my life...

2010-02-16T17:15:00.002-05:00

fell asleep at 1:30am. i was alone. therefore i was cold. perhaps that coffee at 3:30pm helped.

hear the first pitter patters at 6:45am

sigh

liv begins to cry b/c her brother wanted to see her - before she was awake.

owen crawls in bed with me and instead of snuggling - whips the covers off me and tells me it's time to get up

boys get themselves breakfast

nate texts me from FL and tells me not to worry about getting up to make him breakfast, he's "eating at the hotel this morning"

i smile and miss him

roll out of bed, grab liv and make sure the troops are still eating. i nurse liv.

finish and eat a bowl of cereal b/c nate's not here - so why make eggs?

realize that i have truly poked around this morning and am now running late for bible study.

go into a panic when i see the disrepair my hair is in.

turn on the curling and straight irons.

get liv dressed. put her down and listen to her cry.

tell the boys to get dressed. throw their clothes at them and run into the bathroom to get ready.

come out to find that they are still not dressed and are now watching TV.

scold them for disobeying. liv's still crying. get her a bottle.

get the boys dressed. raging mad inside b/c they can totally dress themselves.

it's 845am i need to leave no later than 915am to get to bible study on time.

i hear olivia splashing something. curiously i peek my head into the kitchen b/c cheerios don't make splashing noises to find that somehow she managed to push the nipple into the bottle and is drenched in milk.

strip her, bathe her, re-dress her, re-brush her hair. insert bow.

9am.

holler at the boys to go and get their coats and shoes on.

make my coffee

realize that i am dressed but my hair is still scattered to the four winds.

frantically, straighten, straighten, straighten, curl, curl, curl and then sigh and put it in a ponytail.

fly downstairs, put on their shoes and coats b/c somehow they have amnesia today. how convenient - NOT

go out to start the car and wipe off the windows. open the van door and hear my van beep and think to myself that i must have hit the clicker while i threw my stuff in the car.

start the car.

shut the door.

try to open the van door. it won't open.

at all.

car is running. little chicken are emerging from the house the get in the van and i am shooing them back inside.

it's 920am.

i am not going to make it to bible study.

change the kids into their boots. take off my cute flats and put on boots.

make the trek up the HIIIILLLL to my neighbors house to use her phone.

pray all the way up the HIIILLL that she's home.

thankful when she answers the door. call nate.

wait for an hour for him to call back.

of course! it was the morning of his big presentation. i have perfect timing.

he calls back with AAA info.

call AAA. wait one hour.

run and almost fall down the hill when i see the tow truck come.

get scolded my the 70 yr. old man that gets off of the truck about locking my keys in the car.

he was joking around.

i was not laughing.

car unlocked! praise the Lord!

It's 1145am.

Head to Chik-fil-a for lunch.

momma needs it.

order our food. settle in.

talk to friends that are there. glad to see them.

boys are playing. all is well again.

a mother comes racing out of the play area and asks if i am the mom of the little boy with the elephant shirt on.

i run over to find owen holding his face with blood coming out between his fingers.

i scoop him up - take him to my table - realize i have blood all over my new sweater.

thankfully it's black.

finally get bleeding to stop.

manager brings over piles of napkins and offers owen ice cream and a balloon.

screaming turns to sad little cries and by the time the manager comes back - he's cleaned up

oh the fat lip to follow!

both boys made out with free ice cream and balloons. jackson picked green b/c it's his favorite color (today) owen got purple. liv got a purple one too.

we clean up the carnage and leave. thankful to be in one piece and happy.

the green balloon blows away.

enter the end of the world.

nap time.

for everyone.

Somehow the Lord allowed me to laugh this day off. It was so out of the ordinary.
I was able to spend time with my unsaved neighbor and talk to her more about my church.
I was able to be encouraged my the two friends I met up with at Chik-Fil-A as they told me about their ministry in Chile. And I got to eat Chik-Fil-A for lunch!
He truly is good. All of the time.
I made all of the appointments i was supposed to get to today.

A little Valentine Fun!

2010-02-11T09:06:00.002-05:00

Nate's Dad is running for Governor of Pennsylvania. For Valentine's Day, they thought it would be a fun little way to raise money for the cause by offering Mom's Special Cookie recipe (incidentally one of dad's favorite) for a small donation. The boys were so excited to see this video, so I am sharing it with you all!

Hil-arious!

2010-02-10T13:39:00.003-05:00

You can check out the article HERE.

Something from nothing.

2010-02-09T21:06:00.003-05:00

I have wanted to share this for over a week - but, it was a baby shower gift and couldn't reveal it for fear they would see it! :)

I found this plain pink little sweater at Target and as soon as I saw it, my mind began whirl with all of the possibilities that could take this cute little sweater and make it a special little sweater.

So, I sewed on some ribbon, created the embellishments that cascade down the front and added sweet little black buttons to cover the snaps - and voila!

That's what I have been keeping a secret from you! :)

I am constantly looking for potential in things. What about you? Furniture, clothes, fabric, a room in your home? I would have to say for me - it's all of the above! :)

I love a good project...

2010-02-06T22:14:00.002-05:00

When we heard that we were getting lots of snow this weekend, I decided that I was going to get some things accomplished - outside of housework - this weekend.

I had several new items that I wanted to work on to build up my shop - Check. I spent several hours crafting and designing. It was truly relaxing and an enjoyable afternoon.

Nathan made supper - TOASTED PB&J! A true chef! I was happy - I didn't have to cook!

As I sat in my kitchen working on my projects, I got VERY happy thinking about the changes that were coming to my kitchen.

You see, when we bought our home we painted the bottom of the kitchen "cherry cobbler" and the top was a hazelnut toffee color in a failed stripe pattern.

I wanted to make curtains but just hung up what I had from our apartment until I bought fabric...here we are FIVE YEARS later...*sigh*

I was happy with the red but desperately wanted the kitchen finished - curtains, wall hangings etc... Then, when inquiring about what to do in the kitchen with Nathan, he informed me that the red was starting to remind him of a girl with too much make-up on who was trying too hard to get noticed! (LOL - seriously! Where do they come up with this stuff! LOL)

So, that conversations changed the WHOLE kitchen in a new (and i must say exciting) direction.

It involves bead board (dance of joy!), painting my cabinets, wallpaper (the angels rejoice!) and beautiful floral patterned curtains (that i have yet to find...) I love vintage, shabby chic, cottage style decorating and this kitchen is headed from my dreams to reality!

Now - all that said - we just have to keep our fingers crossed that my reality happens in the NEAR future! :)

Tax return - don't fail me now!

snow, Snow, SNow, SNOw, SNOW!!

2010-02-06T12:36:00.003-05:00

"It won't be long before we'll all be there with SNOW!" Can't you just here Bing singing?

Anyway, we got a solid wallop of snow last night and we were OH SO HAPPY! We measured 17" but while shoveling, the drifts came above my knees!

I feel badly for all those whining today about the snow. Buck up, grab a sled, grab your kiddos and have a ball! We are!

Oh Sweet Betty!

2010-02-05T10:34:00.005-05:00

Dear Ms. Betty (Lukens) -

You came to our home a year ago! I was so excited to have you come. I asked for you for Jackson's birthday, but secretly I wanted you for myself. I have such fond memories of you from my childhood and wanted to share them with my little ones.

Then I opened your package and a huge labored sigh came over me. You were going to be so. much. work. So I hid you. Hoping you wouldn't be found until I had the time to tackle you.

But, this AM you were found. (sneaky little chillin's.) And with puppy dog eyes they asked if I would tell them bible stories from this "fabric story". (right, like i'm gonna say no to that - again :P)

So, as 2 anxious little boys sat patiently,

I cut, and i cut, and i cut...

Aren't they pretty though! Such vibrant colors. The more I cut, the happier I got!

So, Ms. Lukens, my only suggestion would be to make a set that comes PRE-CUT!

Here's to a snowy weekend and some flannel graph wonderfulness!

Design Dazzle

2010-02-04T23:26:00.005-05:00

Stop on over to Design Dazzle. This is such a fun site with ideas for decorating kids rooms, planning showers, and all sorts of creative party ideas! I love looking at other people's creativity!

She's also having a great giveaway for Lisa Leonard Designs! Check out the giveaway HERE!

I love the Thin Sterling Cuff and the Heartstring Necklace!

What about you?

OH! I love crafty things!

2010-02-03T11:48:00.003-05:00

Stop over to my OTHER BLOG!
I was a busy sewing bee last night and cooked up these little cuties!

Here's a little sneak peek!

Leave me a comment over there and let me know what you think!

Christmas in January??

2010-01-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

I know! Completely lame! I haven't chronicled our christmas yet. So - a collage! :) (this will get old for me soon...*finger's crossed*)
Also, i realized that i haven't chronicled TWO major events - Owen's 1st birthday *gasp*! and the BIRTH of our baby GIRL! *triple gasp* Man, am I behind! (read: no surprise here.) So, stay tuned for those!

My! How they've grown!

2010-01-30T21:27:00.004-05:00

Owen

2 1/2 yrs. old
35 lbs
33.5" tall

Olivia

10 months old
17.5 lbs
28.5 " long

Jackson

3 1/2 yrs. old
32 lbs
34" tall

No wonder everyone thinks the boys are twins. (except, I don't think that they look a like - do you?)

Face lift anyone?

2010-01-30T18:37:00.002-05:00

We acquired this little vintage table from Nate's parents. This table belonged to Nate's mom when she was a little girl. I believe she said that it had hard plastic seats on it. When she got married, it became the table for her six little kids (including my nate). Since I have been around, that table was used for Nate's little brothers and now that we have kids, we're using it. I asked Nate's mom if I could have it for our little guys, and if I could give it a face lift.

Before I could get started, Nate decided that he wanted to do the makeover (I think he was feeling a little nostalgic :). So, he sanded it, filled holes, sanded some more and voila! A brand new (looking) table and chairs! It actually took much longer than that, and he made new seats for the chairs that were more sturdy.

Enter me. This is the part that I was waiting for! I got to recover the chairs. Now, what fabric to use? Denim? No. Corduroy? Maybe...but it may get worn and squashed. Hmmmm....

And that was about it until today. I was scouring our local Wal-Mart and saw that all of their fabric was 50% the lowest price! Oh, how I wished I had a project list in my bag with specs and yardage needed for each! AH! Who needs lists! I looked anyway, and that's when I found the perfect fabric for the chairs! Nothing like the Lord dropping great stuff in your way to stumble up on!

So, here's the face lift! (please don't curse me for getting rid of the ADORABLE little vintage decal. It hurt me to see it go - I loved it! But, alas, the Sand Man of the house rules...)

wasn't he an adorable rodent?

After Nate refinished...

with new seat - waiting to be un-naked.

my apprentice points out how to position seat in the center of batting.

admiring the fabric before we flip it over.

all three stacked together - and then i cut the batting to about an inch to just wrap around the edge of the seat.

good thing we weren't on staple rations here! :)

voila!
the mottled faux suede compliments our couches!

figuring out my corners better the second time around

made for a tighter, neater seat.

And there it is folks!
Here's to 50 more years!

Fun with Collages!

2010-01-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

My friend Rebecca turned me onto adorable collages on her blog. And now, I am hooked. I'll let this be my last one for the day though! Too much of a good thing....y'know!

E-I-E-I-OOO

2010-01-29T09:07:00.003-05:00

Every year there is a Farm Show is held here in Harrisburg,PA. There are tons of things to see and do. There is a rodeo, exhibits, vendors and animals GALORE! This was the first year we had all 3 kids there and the boys were old enough to be excited about most of the things that they saw! We went on opening day and it was PACKED - probably the most packed I have ever experienced in 5 yrs (read: miserably packed!) But, the kids didn't know any better and enjoyed themselves in spite of it all! Here are a few snippets of the day.

The highlight of the day was the Merry-go-round. When they got on they said "We're just like Mary Poppins, Mommy!!"

Now, if I could just get them to snap their fingers....maybe their toys would put themselves away! :) hmmmmm.

Oooh Happy Day!!

2010-01-28T16:56:00.002-05:00

I have wanted a cute header for my blog for FOR-EVER!! I see all these other blogs around the blogosphere and wonder "how do they do that? i wonder if they pay for that? surely I can do that!"

So, finally i put out a facebook plea and my friend Jaime came to my rescue!! I don't have Photoshop (*gasp*) but, I do have Gimp and asked her if there was some way that I could do it in there.

Jaime came up with SEVERAL adorable mock ups for me (which you may or may not have seen over the past few days as I have tried them out). She also pointed me to a free digital scrapbook download site found HERE.

I finally figured out how to use Gimp a little bit this afternoon and tweek'd it some more and I think this may become an addicting little hobby :)

So, what do you think?

I am totally making these!!

2010-01-26T18:36:00.002-05:00

Hopefully THESE will get me plenty of Kisses for Valentine's Day!
I love the challenge of making things sugar-free for Nathan!

Enabling my kids.

2010-01-26T10:37:00.006-05:00

Nathan and I talked before we had kids about how we would raise them. There is only so much you can decide before the curve balls of life are thrown at you, but there were a few things we - and I mean "he" - (I jumped on board, reluctantly at first) decided that we wanted to focus on.

One of those ways was to talk to our kids in a manner that made them come up to our level. (aka - No Baby Talk). This one was very hard for me. Not because I was walking around saying "coochie coo" to little kids when they passed me by, or asking them if they had to take a "p**py" - but there were some words like "boo boo" that seemed completely normal to me.

***Enter disclamer - I don't think less of anyone who uses any of the words we choose not to use, nor do I think that you are ruining your kids. Kapeech? Kapeech!*****

OK, now that that is settled...

My husband suggested that we call things what they really were. Like a cut = a cut. He offered that perhaps it was a disservice to our kids (maybe condescending) to assume that they could not understand what the real term meant. As we talked it started to make sense to me. Did I really want my 13 yr. old walking into the house after crashing his bike crying that he had a "booboo"? LOL Guess not!

I have found that this needs to be tempered. There are certain words that we don't use, but say a Sunday School teacher, or another adult may use (again, not wrong - just different from what we do).

When Jackson was 2 1/2 his SS teacher took him to the bathroom, told him to"take down his panties..." (*gasp*) "...and make sure he pushed his w*e*e* down to avoid any accidents." To which Jackson quickly replied "they are underwear and that is my p*n*s"

OH MY! We certainly don't want our kids correcting other adults! So, on the way home we had a little chat about how different people say different things and that you need to respect authority. Thankfully she thought the whole thing was funny! (and frankly, so did we!)

Another thing that has worked for me is having my kids involved with helping around our home.
"How can a 3 1/2 and a 2 1/2 year old possibly help out around the house?" OH! The possibilities are endless!

Laundry - Jackson can fold tea towels and washcloths. He has also taught himself how to fold his t-shirts.
- Owen helps by putting his clothes away.(with supervision and pointing to the correct drawer.) He's getting it!

Dishes - Most times I would love to just stand there on my own in peace and just get the job done. However, they BEG to help - so they rinse and put things in the drying rack. Later they put away their bowls (in a drawer that they can reach) and the silverware.

Dusting - This one I always have to redo - but at least they help.

Cleaning their Room - They have to make their own beds (right now i am not striving for perfection but for habit, and willingness to do a job they are asked to do that they feel is too difficult to do. Then they feel the satisfaction of trying to do something hard and actually being able to do it!)

They dress themselves. Owen still needs my assistance to get a sock on, or pull his jeans up all of the way - but he tries. And that's all we ask.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
(I can see my husband smiling right now!)

I was having a little "trouble" getting Owen to put his clothes away, or even be able to find his clothes in his drawer to get ready in the morning (don't worry - i know he's 2!). So, before I paint their dressers this summer and won't want anything taped to them - I made these for his dresser.
Owen has been doing really well the past few days!

I hope you don't think FOR A SECOND that everything is together in this household! There are many days where I would be frightened to have a drop in visitor!! My kids have their points throughout the day that they are disrespectful, disobedient, ugly and fight with each other. We are sinners!

But, if this post can help a mom out there with their little ones - or even big ones - that is why I wrote it! :)

Now, If you'll excuse me...these pics are for the grandparents! :)

Have a great day enabling your kids to be valuable adults!

My 6 week Challenge!

2010-01-21T22:19:00.008-05:00

So, here is one of the things that I wanted to try on this "quest" for deliberateness. I have seen other people on various blogs try it and when i have begun it in the past it seemed to daunting. But, today, I sucked it up - went through my pantry/freezer and sev-er-al hours later, I emerged with what I hope will be a money saving venture!

Now, perhaps you've done this and you have some handy tips - or maybe I am just OCD and want everything to look organized (on paper anyway :) but i rewrote my lists a few times.

The first time I went through my pantry, I wrote down everything as I found it. I generally try to keep like items together, but i knew the freezer was going to be interesting. I wrote down the item with a circle beside it representing how many of that item i had. Then i rewrote the entire list again in categories so that I could see everything more clearly for planning purposes later.
Then, began going through my list and actually coming up with meals. Time.Con.Suming!! I enjoy cooking and making healthful meals for my family - I don't typically use recipes - or i search through them to get the gist of a recipe and then do my own thing. So, this part took considerable time since I needed to figure out everything i was making in advance instead of flying by the seat of my pants. I think this is where i may end up running to the grocery store and spending $$ last minute on something i need to make my concoction work. I am looking forward to seeing the savings.

Have you ever tried to come up with 42 meals at once? My. brain. is . fried. For me it was figuring out the meals, paying attention to what days they were on and if leftovers typically are available after that meal. PHEW!

Tell me. Am I making this hard? I don't mind at the end of it...but i got little else done this afternoon.

Then I made up my calendar for the meals and simultaneously created my shopping list for the corresponding week. Pretty slim lists. ME LIKEY!

So, here's to the next 6 weeks! I'd type out my menu for you, but i think i've rewritten them enough today! :)

And now, I shall enjoy this cup of happiness!

Have you heard of the Eat from the Pantry Challenge? Have you done it? How did it effect your family?

How He Loves!

2010-01-21T12:13:00.001-05:00

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

"excerpt from How He Loves by David Crowder Band"

Living this life Deliberately

2010-01-20T15:18:00.011-05:00

Nathan came downstairs a few weeks ago and suggested to me that we needed to be doing things more deliberately. Waking up early in the morning (*sigh*), carving out schedules to maximize our time during the day, basically ruling our day and not just letting it pass by without having accomplished something significant.

This. scared. me.

What exactly did this mean for me? No more sleeping in after having someone need you during the night? No extended time on the computer needing to know to next status update to pop up on my screen? No more blaming _______ (add whatever i didn't get accomplished for the day) on the kids? This was sounding like an extremely daunting goal to me. However, I knew I needed to get on board.

My husband has disciplined himself to get up everyday at 5:45am.
To me, this has never made sense b/c I feel like if I know I need to be somewhere at 8am - I should get up at 7am b/c it only takes me an hour or less to get out the door.

Nathan has his quiet time every morning - while i struggle to fit mine in amidst the unfolded laundry, dirty dishes and 3 little darlings that beckon me.

He is able to sit and read some articles online or answer emails in peace - while i try to do it when i ought to be spending my time engaging my kids and not shooing them away b/c they are distracting me from this all too important task.

He has a solid hour and a half to himself each day - while i hit the ground running, rolling out of bed when the kids wake up - immediately hopping into mom mode and not having a second to think about giving God my day and asking for His strength. (this normally comes mid-morning when i am at the end of my rope (because of all of the distractions calling me) and call out in desperation to God to change my situation.

As much as I hate to admit it sometimes (most times :) Nate is usually right. :)

The Lord knew that I needed this man in my life. I am thankful for his direction and am ashamed at the pride that I have let control so much of my life these past 3 years.

Pride? Yes. For instance:

- I don't have to get up early. I need my sleep and can get it all done no matter what time i crawl out of bed. (check out Prov. 6. I can't do it on my own and that thinking is described as laziness - OUCH!)

- I don't have to work out first thing in the AM - I can fit it in during nap time. (let me introduce you to the 30 lb. problem protruding from my frame and attest that this is wrong.)

oh too many to type!! but you get the idea.

so - here I am. Deciding that I need to be living deliberately. How can I teach my kids "you must eat healthy, pick up your clothes and put them away, exercise for good health, be in God's word b/c it's so vital to your existence, etc..." if i am not living this in my own life?? What a great weight I have felt (no pun intended) . The Lord tells us to cast our cares on HIM. So, with open hands of surrender, I have asked Him to help me with living this life He has given me deliberately.

Far too long i have done what I have wanted and now it's time to stop wasting these days that He's so graciously given.

How?

Well, I am still fleshing it all out- but here are a few...

1. Waking up @ 6am (that was REALLY hard to type!! :) to spend time in God's word

2. Beginning The Cash Envelope System- although I feel as though i run our family of 5 on little - I am interested to see if there is any place that I am wasting money. And I would like to help towards setting a savings goal and meeting it.

3. Setting a daily schedule for myself each day. (i did this today for the first time and I actually have TIME to sit here and type this b/c I have taken care of so many things already today. seriously...when's the last time you have read a post like this!!?)

4. Eat from our pantry for the next 4 weeks (minus dairy, bread, and fresh produce)

5. Stay home more in order not to be tempted to impulsively spend on a good deal :)

6. Lose this pesky mass that keeps me from looking and feeling the way that I want.

And there I will stop for now! :)

If you have made it this far, you may now be treated with pictures of the darling little envelopes that I made for my wallet. Get the tutorial and free template download HERE.

If you hung in there until the end...give yourself a high five!

Are YOU living a life that is DELIBERATE? I am going to do it!

Followers

2010-01-20T12:29:00.002-05:00

What makes you follow or not follow a blog? As you can see - i have 6 followers - but have had (my visitor widget isn't loading for me - but it's more than 6 :)visitors in the last week. i follow in my reader about 100 or more blogs on varying topics but admittedly have not clicked "follow". So, what's your excuse? Are you a follower or not? What makes you choose to follow one blog and not another? Won't you let me know if you stop by! :) I'll put the coffee on and wait to hear from you!

Soup's On!!

2010-01-19T21:11:00.003-05:00

Kale and Smoked Sausage Soup (I made MANY CHANGES i noted in ALL CAPS)

2lbs Kale Greens (BOUGHT A BAG OF IT @WALMART FOR $3.98)
14 0z. Beef Broth (32 OZ box i had on hand)
3 C. water
1 c. lentils washed (NO LENTILS ON HAND...USED KIDNEY BEANS)
1/2 c. turkey sausage diced (CHOSE TO CUT MEATBALLS I HAD ON HAND)
2/3 c. diced yellow onion (WHOLE ONION)
1/2 c chopped celery (NO CELERY IN THE HOUSE)
1-2 garlic cloves chopped (ESTIMATED)
2 t. olive oil (SKIPPED)
1 T flour
2T water

Bring broth and water to boil in large stock pot. Add lentils and sausage. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 min.

(I SKIPPED THE SKILLET PART AND JUST PUT IT ALL TOGETHER AT ONCE IN THE POT - EXCEPT FOR THE KALE.)In a skillet - saute onions, celery and garlic in Olive Oil. Mix flour and water together until smooth and then add to mix. in skillet. pour skillet mix into the broth. Add kale and bring to a low boil. Cover and cook for 30 min.

serves 10-12.

IT. WAS. SO. GOOD. Who knew Kale was good for anything other than decorating and garnishing!? :)

I also paired it with these delicious muffins!

Honey Applesauce Muffins

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola or corn oil
1/4 cup honey
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup raisins

In a large bowl, beat together the applesauce, egg, oil and honey. Sift in the dry ingredients; stirring just to moisten. Stir in the raisins and divide the batter among 12 muffin cups coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. 12 servings.

Let me know if you try it and what you think.

Hallelujah!

2010-01-15T22:11:00.005-05:00

Hold onto your hats folks! This week I went shopping! It is so hard for me to wait until the end of the season to purchase clothes for next year, but from the pics above - you can certainly see that it is worth it!

Just because this is fun for me - here are the stats...

Shoes - 6 pairs
Pj's - 3 pairs
Pants - 20 pair (mind you this is for 3 kids for the next 3 years!)
Hoodies - 3
Sweaters - 8
Vests - 2
Onesies - 1
Shirts - 7
Shorts - 1 pair
Dresses - 3
Polos - 4
Coat - 1

Here is the grand total from Old Navy - $555.50!!!!
Guess how much I spent!! C'mon!! Guess!!!

OK!OK!! It came to $79!!! I couldn't make that up!

The stuff that I got from Target totaled $275.94 before the sale....AND $45.44 AFTER!!

Gymboree was $152 reg. and after sales and $25 gymbucks i paid $30!!!!

I am giddy! Can you tell!!?

(why can't our clothes cost $1.48?? Oh what a wardrobe this mommy would have!)

So thankful to the Lord for providing the means and the sales to tuck stuff away for a couple years for the kids!

Where do you find your deals?

Just one (of many) reasons...

2010-01-15T15:14:00.002-05:00

I love my Nate.
God knew I was gonna need this man.
He is hands down THE most patient man on the planet.
He's hard working, diligent, and wise.
Ok, so you really expect me to keep it to just ONE thing?
C'mon!
I love you, babe!

Just one (of many) reasons...

2010-01-14T22:11:00.005-05:00

I love my little Jackalope.
This child is resourceful.
After making cookies he dashes out of the kitchen.
I decided to follow.
He jumps up on the toilet,
sticks his head under the sink,
and quenches his thirst!
A fantastic boy, indeed!

Just one (of many) reasons...

2010-01-13T14:30:00.001-05:00

I love this little Owen.
He wears boxers briefs.
It's the cutest.
He doesn't wear diapers.
In fact...
He doesn't like diapers.
LOVE HIM!

Just one (of many) reasons...

2010-01-12T20:52:00.002-05:00

I love this little girl
because she sucks her thumb
and tucks in her
little "chicken wings"
(aka - little arms)
when she's tired and
wants to go to her bed.
She is delicious.
Period.

Come Visit me....

2010-01-06T16:03:00.004-05:00

Click on the banner above

I started a NEW BLOG for my Etsy shop! I'd love it if you'd stop by and follow me in your reader so you can see new items and what I'm up to over at Brown Eyed Girlies!

Let me know what you think!

BANG!

2009-12-21T14:15:00.002-05:00

I did it. I took the plunge from my forever side-sweeping bangs to the full frontal coverage of regular bangs. Wha'dya think?

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-16T15:12:00.004-05:00

As we look back over the past year, we are truly grateful for all the Lord has done for us.

In March we welcomed Olivia Adeline to our family. She is now 8 months old and has proved to be a bright spot in our family! Liv spends the majority of her days smiling. We are sure that she must go to bed at night with sore cheeks from all of her smiling! She is crawling, climbing stairs and feeding herself Cheerios. Olivia is a joyful addition to our family.

Owen turned 2 in August. He is a great little boy. Although Shyla wondered how Owen would do with a new baby, he has welcomed his baby sister with open arms! He loves her so much and enjoys helping to take care of her. He has even renamed his favorite sock monkey “Adeline” and takes care of it as if it’s his own baby. Owen is all boy. He enjoys playing hard outside and being dirty. He started Puggles (a club in AWANAs at church) this year and has enjoyed learning more about God and interacting with his friends. Owen has a tender heart and we pray that the Lord will use that in a mighty way someday.

Jackson turned 3 in May. He had his first birthday party with just his friends. He wanted a Thomas the Train theme and enjoyed a fun time eating a train cake, decorating hats and jumping in a bounce house his friend brought to the party. Jackson loves learning. In September, Shyla began doing preschool with both of the boys and Jackson loves it. He is in Cubbies at church and really enjoys learning his bible verses and doing the activities in his Cubbies book. He is playful and active and a big helper to Shyla. You will often find Jackson working on a “project” and keeping himself busy pretending he’s at his office, riding his bike or working in the yard outside like his daddy.

As you can imagine, Shyla is busy with three little ones 3 and under. She enjoys being a mommy to these little ones and is grateful to God for the happiness they bring to her life and for the responsibility she has been entrusted with in raising them to be godly adults. She is involved in many aspects in her church and has recently started a young mom’s group. In her spare time J Shyla enjoys all things girly! With the entrance to another pink member of the household, she has enjoyed expanding her creativity to making hair bows, baby bracelets, and accessories for her online store www.browneyedgirlies.etsy.com.

The Lord allowed Nathan to move into a new position at Precept Marketing Group where he has worked for the last 5 years. This has been a wonderful new position for him that has challenged him and allowed him to be at the head office everyday and travel less. This year Nathan, along with his brother Jason, built our family a raised garden that we were all able to enjoy all summer long. He has been able to be involved in our church in various ways from working with the youth Group, ushering and being a deacon. This year has also brought the opportunity for Nathan to be involved in his dad’s campaign for Governor of Pennsylvania. Will you join us in praying for Sam Rohrer as he seeks to bring integrity back to Government?

Let us leave you with a quote that we feel summarizes this time of year so well:

“If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words,
these would be the words: ‘God with us.’ We tend to focus our attention at Christmas on the infancy of Christ. The greater truth of the holiday is His deity. More astonishing than a baby in the manger is the truth that this promised baby is the omnipotent Creator of the heavens and the earth!” ~ John MacArthur

May God Bless You and Your Family,

The Rohrer Family

Nathan, Shyla, Jackson, Owen and Olivia

Brown Eyed Girlies

2009-12-10T15:29:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to share with you some of the goodies I just posted in my Etsy Shop!

If you like them...would you mind telling a friend to check it out?
It has been SO fun doing something "girlie" for a change! :)
Enjoy!

The Big 3-0!

2009-11-24T09:10:00.003-05:00

WHO WOULD ASK FOR A CAKE LIKE THIS?? OXYMORON??

So, today I turn 30! I was in bed last night and realized I had forgot to have a birthday party on my blog! My brain is mush these days - not necessarily attributed to my age however! :)

I am looking forward to using my Starbucks gift card to indulge in a Peppermint Mocha Latte, then sliding over to Target to see if I can find anything to use my gift card on there.

How about 30 things I am thankful for. That seems appropriate!

1. My relationship with God. Without Him, I am nothing. With Him, I can do the other 29 things on this list!!

2. Nathan. I am so thankful to God for not giving to me what I thought I wanted! I am thankful to have a strong husband who challenges me and makes me want to be a better person!

3. Jackson Chase. What a wonderfully cheerful little boy! I am grateful that the Lord blessed me with a firstborn son who is a learner, a helper and a playful little guy!

4. Owen Samuel. My little cuddler. I have a very special place in my heart for this little boy! I am so thankful for his desire to care for others and his goofiness!

5. Olivia Adeline. The Lord blessed me this year with the most cheerful, smiley, pleasant, DELIGHTFUL baby GIRL!! I am so happy to have a real little dolly to play with now!

6. A new washer and dryer!

7. The beautiful weather we have had this fall.

8. My mom. She has lost over 100lbs this past year and she is an inspiration to me! I am so proud of her!

9. My In Laws. They are such an encouragement to me and I am so thankful to have them as family and friends!

10. My mini-van! LOL Man, I am old! I am thankful that I have a reliable vehicle though!

11. The health that the Lord has blessed us with.

12. That I am 30 and have never had a cavity.

13. Chocolate.

14. My home.

15. That I can wear my hair straight or curly.

16. The new Target that was just built 2 miles from my house!!

17. My grandparents! I love them so much and miss them terribly. I am thankful for the love they have given me and for the hard working ethic they have demonstrated to me.

18. Freedom.

19. My church.

20. My friends - Old and New. I miss you and I am thankful for you!

21. Hot water and an indoor toilet. Seriously - aren't you thankful for that?

22. Clothes - even though I complain that I don't have any - I have plenty. I don't have to walk around in a loin cloth....aren't you happy about that too!? :)

23. My family - My sister Jenny, My brothers Joel and Ryan and My sister-in-law Lena and my dad.

24. I am an aunt!! I miss you Avery - and can't wait to meet you baby Rohrer.

25. I am thankful for a beautiful yard.

26. I am thankful for the opportunity to teach my children.

27. Chilly air, warm sweaters and starbucks gift cards.

28. Great finds on SALE!!

29. The ability to read.

30. For one more year the Lord has given me to live!

I am truly blessed!

Owen's First Sunday School Party

2009-11-19T18:54:00.005-05:00

"running over, running over, my cup is full and running over..."

Healthy nose pick.

I love this sweet boy!

Blessings

2009-11-19T17:24:00.003-05:00

So, our beloved dryer died the first week of Sept. I have to admit that doing laundry is one of my least favorite chores (chore being the accurate word) around the house. I can normally get it washed and dried - even folded, it's the putting it away part that gets me hiccuped.

But, since our dryer has broken I have enjoyed hanging it out on the line (don't tell nate!). There is something so happy about seeing little Liv's clothes hanging in a row. (i mean seriously - i never imagined I'd be taking pics of laundry! :)

I began to think about it. We're in November now. We have been without a dryer for 3 and a half months. The Lord has not given us a "new" dryer yet, but He HAS given us delicious weather that has allowed us to dry our clothes outside. Isn't He good!? Even when we think he's not answering our prayers (that truthfully I haven't been praying about enough) He is still taking care of us!

I love it! I love that He cares about little 'ol me in birdsboro, pa. I love this beautiful fall that He's given us, and I LOVE looking at His provisions hanging out on the line.

Family Photoshoot

2009-11-16T09:35:00.006-05:00

Can't you just hear her laughing??

LOVE HIM!!!

They are the best. Really.

I love this pic.I don't know why. Maybe because he seems so big to me here.

This was so fun playing peekaboo with them!

I love this picture!!

I have no words....

It has been FOR-EVER since we all had our pics taken as a family. I wanted to get a family picture done to decorate our basement and also to do our Christmas cards (and take advantage of this AMAZING deal!) So, here are a few of the results! I am quite pleased!

What do you think? Do you send out Photocards? Do you include a letter?

These are a few of my Favorite things....

2009-11-10T09:06:00.003-05:00

Can't you just hear Fraulein Maria singing??

Here are some of my favorite things lately.

Let's start out at the beginning of my day (let's not kid ourselves! sometimes it's noon!!) But I LOVE LOVE LOVE this. It saves me 10 minutes after I get out of the shower. It is an indulgence for me - and SO worth it!!

I love seasonal drinks. Pumpkin lattes, hot apple cider, peppermint mochas - love them all - but i do not like to pay for them. So, i like to experiment and make my own versions of my favorites. The last few weeks it's been Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider! A wonderful little cup of joy!

Here's how I've made it - Hot Apple cider, a small (i mean small) shot of sugar free caramel coffee syrup, homemade whipped cream (heavy whipping cream, a little honey and vanilla) and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. YUMMY!!

I love this website!!! I love all things handmade. I love the creativity and whimsy of so many of the items on this site. I especially love making things for my store (shameless...I know!) Let me know if I can make anything for you!

I love tights and flat shoes. These are my favorites so far this year. Doesn't hurt that they came from another one of my favorite things - TARGET!!

I am also enjoying this book again, along with this VERY helpful aid.

What is something that you are enjoying right now?

I am Shyla...hear me Rohrer!

Giving from grateful hearts.

The day I have dreaded for 8 years...

Where does the time go?

Motherhood as a Mission Field.

Thank you, Jesus.

House Updates....

Christmasing....

50 FREE Shutterfly cards? Count me in - please! :)

Check out this giveaway at Spend Freely!

Confirmation that my belly SHOULD look like a soccer ball...

Confirmation from my in box this AM :)

How your baby's growing at 24 weeks:

How your life's changing:

Put your gloves on?

Owen Says,,,

- Owen's two favorite things...plastic shorts (gym shorts) and jiggy jog pants (sweatpants.)

‎- "mom, i'm gonna get dressed now, but I am NOT going to wear underwear today - b/c it's not sunday."

‎- "mommy! i just burped in my pants! that's funny!"

- after passing an obscene amount of gas out of his hiney - i look at Owen with a bewildered look on my face to which he replies "it's ok mommy, that just means I had A LOT of pressure in my belly just now!"

‎"Livvie, daddy's gonna go see Mrs. Sippy this week" (nathan went to Mississippi)

"mom, are you downstairs, pocahontamus?"

‎"mommy...when i drink soda it's so so so spicy! It makes my eyes sparkly!"

"owen, you don't say no to mommy, that's disrespectful" ..."well, actually mom, sometimes I do say no, like i just did to you." :)

sorry to bore you...

- "hey mom, i went ahead and pulled out the cleaning chemicals in the bathroom if you decide you should clean it today..."

- "daddy, was stonewall jackson made out of stones?"

jackson split his lip open something fierce one afternoon. after much blood and milk...he was happily eating his lunch - by request...peanut butter on a spoon "b/c it's smooth and doesn't hurt my lip mama. i think it's protein too."

well, i could probably think of 100 more, but I will save my energy for "Owen Says..." tomorrow!

Summer Catch Up in Pictures...

Has it really been this long??

HOOPITY DOO! THE WINNER IS....

A little glimpse of the kitchen....

Kitchen Transformation Day 147

My First Giveaway!

Fun in the Sun

DO IT!!!

I am always looking for ways to use up the zucchini in our garden in different ways. My MIL made this for us and it was so good!

If you know someone who says that they hate Zucchini, invite them over for this yummy dessert! We LOVE it and you will NEVER know that it's not apple cobbler!!

Directions:

Link love - to the 7th power.

Great Expectations?

Family VBS

Treats from Honduras

What an amazingly busy summer!

Greenview Aviaries

seriously...one month since my last post?

Would you pray today...

If it's stuck in my head.....

*wishful sigh*

It is not death to die.

Blessed be Your Name

Please Pray for Carlie!!!

Busy, busy, dreadfully busy....

i *HEART* my homemade powdered laundry soap!

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

Happy Little Pin Cushion Tutorial

This is gonna be a long one.

A Wife of Noble Character

I waited until she was one.

Easter 2010 - warning: indulgent photos of cuteness to follow.

Kitchen Transformation Day 21- LOL

I *heart* craigslist!

Warning!! Picture overload!

Feeling a little sentimental.

A little plug...

Kitchen Transformation Day 4

There was a little girl, who had a little curl...

Sunshine + dirt = 3 happy little chillins!

If the sun's shinin' - i'm paintin'!

Kitchen transformation- day 3

Spring has sprung!

Cupcake Shirt Tutorial

Need a baby shower gift idea?

Kitchen Transformation Day 2

Kitchen Transformation Day 1

Where does time go?

Do I ever have stuff to talk about....

What's your style?

I have been busy!

wishful sigh

i HEART my homemade powdered laundry soap!

I heart craigslist!