My heart just jumped out of my chest!  I just posted an entry on here about searching for chores named in a pirate way, that stemmed from a cartoon the boys were watching. I discovered a You Tube video created by a man Tim Bete, the same man who wrote the thing I shared in my previous post about raising your kids as pirates.  I was exstatic to see the man created a video with the song lyrics to my FAVORITE christian band Third Day, to their "Creed" song.  It is one of my favorite songs!  I couldn't sit still in my chair while the song played and raised my hands to God in worship.  The Holy spirit filled my heart overflowing into rejoice.  The music was playing so loud that it masked the sound of the t.v.   When the song ended, the Little Einstiens cartoon was playing a PIRATE theme episode!!!  I was blown away at the timing of everything and I feel like I've been touched by God himself!  I imagine He's laughing at the reaction I displayed, in the way the events occurred beginning with the pirate cartoon, sparking an interest in finding pirate named chores, finding humor in Tim Bete's book, which lead me to find his You Tube site and God used his video of Third Day to lead me to worship, and lastly God blew me out of the water when He linked the second cartoon the boys were watching with the pirate subject that sparked from the first cartoon.  God truly does use the simplest things to touch us and I am thrilled the simplest things can be used to glorify Him.


 "I love you Father, thank you for your presence in our home today.  I feel your embrace!"


The links of events in order that amazed me, in plain terms : )
1. The lyric "swob the deck" from the cartoon Jake & the Neverland Pirates
2. Sparked my interest in searching for other chores named in a pirate way
3. Found a humorous book Ahoy there, parents! Raise yer kids as pirates! by Tim Bete
4. Found Tim Betes video he created with the lyrics to Third Day's "Creed" song on You Tube which lead me to rejoice in worship
5. As soon as the song ended on the computer (which masked the volume of the t.v.) the Little Einstiens cartoon came on and the theme was a pirate based episode
6. Shock & delight in the events that occurred in such an awesome order by my Father

This moring while my boys were watching the opening song with Sharky & Bones from the cartoon Jake & the Neverland Pirates, I noticed the part where they sang about "swobbing the deck."  It made me think about using that term around the house to spice up things instead of thinking about how much I don't want to "mop."  It lead me to wonder if there were more chores that I could change into pirate talk to make them sound more fun.  I googled it and came across this awesome site: http://www.cindyvallar.com/pirateparent.html#column  This is what I read that I absolutely adore:

Ahoy there, parents! Raise yer kids as pirates!
by Tim Bete

I'm not sure when the idea to raise my kids as pirates first came to me. It may have been one of those days when I felt like I was on the wrong end of a mutiny. Or it may have been that Saturday morning when I woke up to my kids shouting and fighting and realized that, unknowingly, I had already raised four little buccaneers.
But I soon realized there are many benefits to raising kids as pirates. If your kids are already rotten, it helps you explain their behavior. Say you're in the grocery store and your children are destroying the produce section. All you need to say to the manager is, "Arrgh! Me kids have been at sea for months and are looking for oranges to prevent the scurvy." The produce manager will be apologizing to you, matey.
You want your children to have high self-esteem, don't ye? Pirates have the highest self-esteem of any occupation, except the occupation of "actor." But you don't want your children to be chased by paparazzi everywhere they go. Pirates are never chased by paparazzi...unless the pirate is Johnny Depp at the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean...but that doesn't count because he's not a real pirate.
Raising your children as pirates teaches them discipline, hard work and a colorful vocabulary. Typical household chores become exciting and fun when done in the pirate way. Your children may not want to sweep the kitchen floor but they'll beg for the chance to swab the poop deck, even if it's only because they can say the word "poop" without being flogged for it.
And young pirates are much more likely to listen to their parents. Your son may not obey you when you say, "Stop fighting with your sister," but he'll listen when you bellow, "Avast ye scurvy dog or I'll give ye a taste of me hook!"
But the best part is that pirates are happy, deal well with difficult circumstances and are team players. They're financially independent and rarely live with their parents past age 18. And they love their mothers, as is often indicated by their tattoos. What more could you want for your little urchins?
Besides, when other parents hear you're raising your children as pirates, they'll stop asking you to volunteer at school. And replacing "family night movie" with "family terrorizing the neighbors with cannons night" is a wonderful change of pace. Divvying up booty is good quality time with the kids, and it's fun to watch the emergency room doctor's reaction when you say your son was injured during "a little mishap boarding a merchant vessel that refused to surrender."
So, what are you waiting for, me bucko, a cannon ball through your mizzen mast? Get your kids some eye patches, a few gold teeth and a dagger or two. Before you know it, you'll be one big, happy pirate family, sailing the high seas or suburbs...

So I thought I was saving money, buying a car seat, that was a convertible 3-in-1.  Meaning it would fit an infant rear facing up to 35 lbs, toddler up to 50 lbs forward facing with the 5 point harness, and a child up to 100 lbs using the seat as a booster with the seat belt.  I just learned my car seat rated "NOT RECOMMENDED by IIHS as a booster!  My oldest is 3 weeks away from turning 3 and I now feel like I should research finding a RECOMMENDED one.  I want to have the safety of 5 point harness for as long as possible now that I have seen crash test videos all over You Tube about the various dangers related to child involved crashes.  Upon seeing car seat crash tests, I wondered how my car would actually fair during a front or side impact collision too.  Not bad I'd say, infact it did pretty well from what I saw.  Phew, thankfully replacing a car seat down the road is far less expensive than having to trade in my car.  I wish I drove a tank wrapped inside a magic bubble but I'm a little more content now that I have looked into things a little deeper.  I hope my quest for a good booster results in a well educated, budget friendly, pick.  The only thing I know right now is I want a highback seat for sure.  Any suggestions would be very appreciated ; )

Father give us the guidance and tools to raise our boys under your wing well enough to equip them for this deceitful world.  We only have one shot to do this right!

     I haven't been blogging very much (if you haven't noticed!)  Lately, I have been busy flying homemade paper airplanes, hunting potato bugs, and killing spiders in the back yard with the boys (among the regular cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping).  We spend what time we can, outside.  It is different everyday, but endless entertainment is always provided one way or another!  I will be chasing 2 unstoppable healthy boys now instead of 1.  Tuesday L took 3 solid steps.  Today in front of all 3 of us, he walked across the entire (hahaha, little) living room.  We cheered and clapped so loud he was scared at first.  It took him a moment to put together what he had done, with what we were doing.  But once he figured it out, boy was he up and at it again, trying over and over relentlessly to attain higher stature without wobbling and tumbling repeatedly.  He is so proud of himself and I am proud of him too, but it is hard watching him gain bits of independence already. 
     Time has really flown by.  I can't believe it is June ALREADY!!  In 3 weeks, my boys will have their 1st & 3rd birthday within 2 days of each other.  We will celebrate both at one party with family and friends.  I am happy for the boys that as they get older there will be a number of fun things we look forward to doing with them, however, as  a mom, I will miss these times all too soon.  I truly cherish the time I share with them and soak up as much as I can because I know how QUICKLY it will pass, leaving only memories to bath in.

A Love Letter to My Boys

My dear sweet sons,

     It has been so long since I last wrote you a love letter.  I am so very sorry I have let so much time slip by.  I have been busy making your days full of love and laughter.  The memories I hope to create for you are of time spent together.  For this, I know it will not matter to you that I have not written your letters, but to me it feels like time lost to record the details of our time together with you.  We love you with all of our hearts; I am confident you know it.  As much as we do though your heavenly Father out-loves your mom & dad.  He loves you more than anyone else can and ever will. Stay close to Him always.  One day we won't be able to be with you every minute of the day (and one day you'll want it that way LOL) but He will see everything you do and He'll be there for you anytime you seek Him.  My greatest hope is that you both love the Lord truly in your heart and live your life with His guidance.

I know you two are BOYS and could probably care less that your mushy mother writes you love letters, but someday when you have your own kids remember their mother might do the same thing ; )  It's a mom thing.  I'm not looking to turn you into ballerinas, just trying to express my load of love, you can't begin to measure!


                     Love always & forever truly, 
                                          Mom

Tryin to Stop Time

My little baby L is turning 1 in a month and a half and I find myself digging in my heels, trying to stop time.  It's not that I don't want him to grow up, I'd just like a little longer to hold him and rock him and cuddle closely.  Baby season is nearing an end for us.  Some days (correction...some moments) I get excited to get rid of all the space consuming baby gear (like the portable crib, bouncer, high chair, etc) but other days I wonder if I can ever let go of things we no longer need like the glider rocking chair that I spent so much time nurturing my babies with.  The moments we shared in it felt as if time was suspended.  The minutes that I thought just lingered, were really expiring.  Passing by one by one, never able to return or grasp.  Only memories can take me back to such times now.  I think, no, I KNOW it is why I have so many photos of our family's everyday life.  The moments that surround me, make my life! {Which revolves around my little boys and my other half.} ; ) Just thinking about the other day, comforting my little guy when he was restless, makes my nose run and eyes water : (  He kept waking up throughout the night and for a while I loved it because I got to embrace him and help him through it.  We cuddled in the recliner.  I kept sweeping my lips and cheek across his forhead, sweeping his hair.  I prayed he'd find comfort and hoped we could stay together in the chair all night.  I just couldn't sleep, thinking 'what if he falls off my lap.'  I was disheartened when I became deliriously tired and tried to take him to bed with me.  He just couldn't stay asleep.  I would have held him all night but my body was weak and began to shut down.  (He is a GREAT sleeper every night, so my body was in shock from the unusual trial I was putting it through.)  I have never slept next to my little love because I never have had the ability to.  My husband is kind of a violent sleeper LOL  he thrashes around too much to invite Baby to lay in between us ; ) I love my amazing husband.  I really loved him when he got up to hold L in the living room for a while... I don't remember a thing after they got up because I slept so sound knowing he was being taken care of by Daddy.  He got him to sleep 45 minutes later and L stayed asleep thankfully. 

Counting My Blessings

Back in 2009 when my first son was born, I started writing down (in a pink zebra print composition notebook) all of my blessings I felt during the day.  I loved jotting down the good things in my day, to have a tangible reminder on the days when it seemed everything went wrong that life was still great.  It was like a pick-me-up.  I'd like to say I just got too busy to stick with it, but honestly I think I just took my good days for granted ; )  My commitment to my daily count of blessing drifted off and ceased.  I sporadically made an entry here and there but now I think of how many times I wish I'd written down something to spark a memory for the gap of time between dates.  It wasn't until last night when I stumbled upon a fellow blogger's site and noticed her "1000 gifts" list that I realized I had discarded my journal to the depths of my desk (atleast I still had it though!).  She was inspired by a book she read called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.  It reminded me of this book I used to journal my account of the day's blessings.  So when I went to bed last night, I whipped out the ol' journal and began reading my earliest entries.  I enjoyed recalling those moments and added new ones for the past 3 days.  So much of the time, I get caught up in "what went wrong" with my day and oversee the BLESSINGS that intertwined my day.  Hahahaha, here's one: "I am thankful I stumbled upon Freedom at Home and School's blog to remind me of my daily blessings."

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

April 19, 2012

Uhg, it's 12:30 am and I got hit with blog inspiration.  It developed upon finishing a batch of Buckeyes (chocolate dipped peanut butter balls) for the very first time  ; )  Sporadically, I get inspired to try things that are (in a culinary sense) outside of my comfort zone and I enjoy sharing with you how it ended up going.  So far, I've made pretty much everything I've tried to make, how it's suppose to be made, until tonight... correction, this midnight ; )  My procedure was spot on, however, my technique had a downfall... I burned my chocolate.  I have never melted chocolate and I was fascinated with the idea of using my fondue pot to dip my peanut butter balls in.  I added the edible paraffin to the chocolate at the same time, but I should have melted it first!  I quickly noticed paraffin takes far more time to melt than the chocolate which melts almost immediately.  I heard from others that adding paraffin gives the chocolate a glistening coat. I read several recipes, but chose a standard one from my Better Homes and Garden cookbook.

From the dough, I shaped little balls, chilled them for 30 min. to harden so they wouldn't fall apart when dipped

I melted the chocolate while the balls chilled. When ready, I removed the tray from the fridge and dipped each ball using wooden skewer stick

(the slotted tool I used didn't work like I hoped it would)

I covered the pin hole with a drop of chocolate on the top of these treats to hide the void created by the stick.  I placed the coated balls back on the tray covered with wax paper to set up without sticking permenantly.

When I finished all 43 of them, I divided ones for 3 neighbors and ourselves in covered dishes and returned them to the fridge for safe keeping. 

They are good for 3 weeks but even though my chocolate didn't come out perfect, they'll be gone in 3 days!  ; )

 

Split Pea Soup & Parmesan Cheese Bread

Cook 'em

Mash 'em

Mix 'em

Blend 'em

Heat 'em

Prep 'em

Toast 'em

I have been on a homemade food kick lately.  The other day it was semi-homemade Snickerdoodle cookies (the dry mix kind, out of a box) that I shared with two of our elderly neighbors across the street.  Then I made, for the first time, and from complete scratch, white bread by recipe.  And tonight I mastered Split Pea soup without recipe.  I just had dried peas I needed to use, and a bag of carrots in the fridge to accompany them.  I cooked the peas as directed (3 cups water to 1 cup dry peas), salted & steamed the carrots until fork tender and mashed them after they softened.  I mixed the cooked peas into the seasoned carrots (and also added the water I used to steam the carrots, to hold onto as much of the nutrients as possible) before blending them in my food processor. I incorporated the desired amount of milk needed, to thin it out into a creamy consistancy.  I am aware there are several variations to split pea soup, but I was just starting out with a basic goal of, well, EDIBLE ; )  {Next time I make this, I will play around with adding ham and maybe some garlic.}  Once I was content with the taste & texture of the soup I transferred it to a sauce pan to warm up & serve.  While it was heating up I sliced some of the homemade bread and buttered it so the parmesan cheese I sprinkled over it would stick well, plus it gives the bread succulent flavor.  I broiled the bread for a few minutes just to make it crusty and give it a golden brown finish. 
Dinner... was... served ; )

Messy Monday

Today has been great so far!  N, my nearly 3 year old, has had a day full of kareoke singing, fingerpainting (followed by swimming in the bath to wash off the evidence of fun), while I've been catching up on my 9 month old L's babybook off and on, and of course we've eaten x number of times too.  Hopefully they will nap soon so I can put this house back in order ; )  It's a mess but the boys are happy and I am doing things I don't focus on regularly.  I'll fix this place up in peace, without interruption, while the boys sleep ; )

The Easter Egg

It was Easter day and I was driving with my boys, to spend Easter with their grandparents and great grandparents (while My Love had to work), when it dawned on me how we are like an egg.  We are fragile.  We need God's protection in life so we won't crack under the world's pressure to conform to the mainstream.  We need Him to stay on the straight and narrow.  And the yolk of the egg is similar in appearance to our sun.  Which lead me to the thought that without the Son, we are separated from God.  But through the Son and the price he paid for our sins, we are able to have an intimate relationship with Him daily.  This reflection made me enjoy seeing Easter eggs more and I look forward to refining my idea of them to share with my kids what they can resemble and to use the egg as a teaching tool to glorify God in a world that thinks Easter is all about bunnies and candy ; )

Our 6 Year Anniversary

Phew, it has been forever since I last posted anything.  And the last thing I posted wasn't even that entertaining ; )  My Love & I recently celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary.  It was celebrated by my mom watching the boys while we ENJOYED a nice dinner together.  Just before leaving the house, we learned his sister & husband were going out to eat too.  By the time we met up, they had just finished their meal but we ambushed them as they were exiting their booth, just in time to scoot 'em back in to chat.  Since they had finished eating and we hadn't gone to our restaurant yet, we invited them to have some fondue with us.  In addition to NEVER eating out without the kids, we NEVER get to enjoy the company of others like this too!  We had a GREAT time.  After completing a round of fondue, they continued on with their date and we stayed to finish ours over dinner.  Through general conversation, My Love stated he would give me my card in the morning (since that would be our actual anniversary day).  I tried to act like I forgot to get him one but I CAN'T keep a straight face!  I told him I hid it in the garage and he laughed because he hid his there too.  He shared with me casually that he went a different route this year in shopping for one, choosing a funny one instead of a deeply sentimental one (like we typically exchange).  I laughed with relief because this is the first year I did too.  We never even talked about changing things up, but both felt like we know how much we love each other already ; )  He went on to say that his card made a sound.  I said mine didn't.  I took it as, his card played music.  He meant that his card had an animal on it that would make a sound.  I laughed real loud telling him mine had that too.  He asked what sound mine would make but I told him I didn't want to give away the card too much.  I added that my card MOVED when you opened it and he laughed hysterically (covering his mouth, almost losing his food) trying to say his did too.  We agreed to stop describing our cards for fear we bought the SAME ONE!!!  The hearty cheese & bread appetizer was slightly filling so we split a meal (at the suggestion of his sister) and left feeling full but not overly stuffed. 

On our first anniversary, we got really nice Bulova watches and we each needed batteries replaced.  We decided to try and pass through Fred Meyer on the way home and browse the store after seeing the jeweler.  He had gone home for the day already so we carried on with ourselves, nonchalantly.  We looked at sunglasses for fun and My Love said "no way, I look like a 40 year old man in these" while a lady around that age was standing next to him.  He smiled, embarrassed at what he just said and she grinned and walked away.  He didn't mean anything by it, but felt bad after he blurted it out.  We were going to get Baskin & Robins ice cream on the way to the car in the shopping square but we were having too much fun that we forgot.  By the time we realized it, we were half way home ; )  Our date didn't end when we got home.  We tucked the kids in bed and enjoyed a movie & popcorn night together.

The next morning we anxiously exchanged our cards.  We opened them with great anticipation, discovering (thankfully) that they were VERY similar but DIFFERENT.  It was amusing to us that on this particular year we both, without knowing the other would do the same, picked extremely alike cards that were not what we would habitually buy.  All together, it was an anniversary to remember ; )

My Minuscule Moments

  I tend to over think things so I rely on our Father to guide me in decision making and following through with that in action  ; )  I'm known for trying on 27 pairs of jeans, to only find that I like 3 of them.  But once I find something I like I usually fall deeply in love with it after the dire search is complete.  Then there's those items I buy on a whim that seem  fun at the time but make my stomach ache in knots later, thus resulting in my returning them.  I can't help stewing over buying even little things like pyrex dishes or coffee creamer in an unknown new flavor for the fear of that 'what if I don't like it and can't take it back' feeling.  I regret to say this drives my husband crazy but he loves me enough to deal with my minuscule moments.  When I love something, I LOVE it.  Like a certain brand of makeup, jeans or tennis shoes.  They are well loved and used frequently until their dying day.  This sometimes makes it hard when it does come time to replace the passing product because I compare the new to the old.  Like when I dropped my super duper loved digital camera.  I dropped it outside while enjoying a nice sunny day, with my then 1 year old, on the bare pavement. 

It died right before my eyes and I was stranded.  If anyone knows how many photos I have collected in just the past 6 years, it wouldn't surprise you to feel my loss.  My current count is a little over 30,000 pictures! So began the search for its replacement.  I felt rushed and unprepared.  I wanted to stick with the same brand and style of my lost camera but couldn't buy the exact same Panasonic DMC-LZ7 again since technology is constantly changing.  I also knew I wanted a longer life battery since I bought AA's by the dozens previously.  So with a little list of priority I set foot and began shopping.  My checklist included: Panasonic as the brand, a rechargeable lithium battery, pocket size, video capable, and easy to use point & shoot operation.  I landed on a (not so cheap) Panasonic DMC-ZS5. 

It has features I don't know how to control but I typically stick with the 'sport' setting because I mostly take pictures of my active boys.  I thought then (but don't agree now) that the higher the megapixel the better quality camera you get. A website that reviewed this camera stated the comment
Sharpness: The wide-angle end of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5's zoom produced some moderate blurring in the corners, though the effect doesn't extend very far into the frame. http://www.imagingresource.com/PRODS/ZS5/ZS5A.HTM
I went from  7.2 to 12.1 megapixels, 6x optical to 12x optical zoom, and AA battery to rechargeable Lithium.  I like the HD video feature of my new camera more than my old standard video one but I feel I never get the same quality photo I used to.  The new camera, having a wide screen, seems to leave a 'grainy' look to the background and foreground often.  My old camera had exceptional zoom and bright, clear, up-close abilities.  I always received super shots with it at almost every click of the shutter.  Thus setting my expectation for the newer camera.  I will say I like my new one compared to a lot of others out there, but I don't know if I'd say I like it so much that I would pay double the price I paid for my old one.  I would have just liked to find my old one with a rechargeable lithium battery but like I said I thought the better the technology the more I'd love it... boy was I wrong.  I'm sure you're wondering why I didn't just return it.  This is the expensive lesson I learned on buying something through a discount place.  You may think you are getting a rockin' deal but I really ended up paying for it in the end.  I purchased a camera I COULDN'T RETURN...  I could only exchange it for another camera there.  I thought I could trust this particular store because I bought my LG HDTV that I couldn't be happier with at the same place.  My heart sank the day I brought it home but I have tried to learn how to use it to the best of its ability.  This happened because I was buying it on a whim, in a rush, and without comparing a wide variety before committing myself entirely.  I hope to gain more knowledge about this camera to make it capture the shots I'm looking for.  I think maybe it might just be too advanced for my novice knowledge whereas my old one could have been suited for beginners ; )  So the conclusion I have to come up with is maybe it's not the camera, it's the OPERATOR! LOL

More Than Just a Status Update

I want my blog to be a place where family and friends can have a deeper connection through tales of our day to day life.  Facebook is great but sometimes it feels like it's just a 'surface-level sharing' site.  I intend on sharing deep thoughts, feelings of faith, intimate encounters, fun facts, delicious recipes, and hopefully enjoyable humor.  Basically, I want to share my life in a way that is more than just a status update and with someone other than  my 2 year old  ; )  I am not an expert at anything but I am passionate about my family and what I believe in.  I will also share with you, products, places & things I like or how I do something. I hope hear back from you as well on what you like and why or how you do something... By sharing my thoughts, I anticipate hearing similar & opposing views ; )  I desire feedback, sometimes beyond just a one word quote like cute or cool.  I love reading other blogs and feel a correlation between our lives from strangers simply from deep felt communication.  I would love to have a 'homey' feel when someone reads my blog but I hope I won't stir up controversy simply by difference of opinion ; )  I wish to provide (and gain myself) encouragement on a variety of topics including faith, education, marriage, children, cooking, style, crafts or anything in between ; )

Intro to Playdough

I have been eager to get my almost 3 year old some safety scissors to practice cutting playdough after seeing a preschool demonstrate this activity on You Tube, to build motor skills. I was in Wal-mart and wondered if they sold just the scissors or if I'd have to go to Toys R Us to find them. I was SO excited when I found a kit that came inside a clear plastic bag with a zipper and handles on top. Inside I found 4 playdough cans, an assortment of animal cookie cutter tools, a rolling tool, a noodle making tool, and my favorite, scissors made of plastic that he can get the hang of  but not hurt with ; ) This whole thing can be kept together so nothing gets lost and I was really happy it only cost $10 bucks!

He did perfect and loves everything in this kit

Not 9 Months Already!

     I can't believe it...My baby is turning 9 months in less than a week. (Wipe tear here.)  He started crawling (officially) a couple of days ago.   For quite some time he has struggled to pull himself around the house with just his arms, leaving his legs just dragging behind.  But he has graduated now to 'crawling' on his hands and knees.  He moves slow and steady, studying and critiquing his every move with sheer tenacity.  You can see in his face how hard he is concentrating on achieving this skill.  I have to laugh though because he looks like something you'd buy from Toy's R Us.  His movement is interupted and almost standstill.  He simulates a robot to me.  He is also grasping things to keep himself standing upright.  He walks all over the house while holding my hands well, however, he's confident he can walk all by himself already.  Gravity insists he needs assistance still ; )  which heartwarmingly means...  he still needs MOMMY ; )

    

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF

A BREAK IN THE WEATHER TODAY

Splashin' in the mud puddle

Huntin' fur pinecones ; )

Singin' in the rain while splashin in the puddle

Cropper Hopper Photo Case

                                        I SOOO NEED THIS!!!
TOYS R US
Cropper Hopper Photo Case - Purple
$32.99

Product Description
Organizing photos just got easier with this handy case! Holds over 2000 4x6 photos safely and efficiently. Movable dividers allow you to create sections by theme year family member or photo size. Use the 12 acid free index cards to create reference guides for each section. The opposite side opens to accommodate portraits and over-sized memorabilia as large as 12x13. Also doubles as a storage case to hold an array of tools and supplies for other crafts like rubber stamping. Measures 13-1/4H x 12-3/4W x6D
                                                   AWESOME!!!

I Am Making an Impact in My Particular Position

     I was just thinking the other day about how I could make a little money somehow.  Not because I'm in a bind and need it, simply just to have a little mad money.  But it occurred to me that I already have a job that I love.  It will not be downsized, I will not be replaced, and I am making an impact in my particular position.  I am a MOM.  I have to remind myself, sometimes, why I am making the decision to raise my children, thus being a stay at home mom.  My mind occasionally tries to play tricks on me, leading me to believe I am sacrificing something in order to stay home.  Money, clothes, jewelry can all wait, but my babies won't!  Sometimes I have "want-I-tis"  I think of what I'd like to have instead of thinking how can I GIVE somehow.  My selfish desires try to fool me into thinking there is more to life than what I already have, when in fact, I have it ALL;  I am blessed beyond reason.  I am thankful for the days I am given, the transportation I have, the work my husband is blessed with to provide the roof over our head and for my boys who fulfill the love in our hearts.

How I Chose My Background to This Blog

     I was inspired by the look of the greenery growing.  First it is relevant to cultivating children because they grow like weeds ; )  Hence my need to savor them!  Proverbs 22:6 says "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."  Second, I thought the style of it fit my blog since it's about life with my boys.  And what do boys like to do?  Play.  Where?  In the dirt and grass ; )

First Entry Ever

     Thank you for your interest in Savoring My Sons blog.  This blog has been challenging before it even formed.  I thought long and hard for the perfect name to head up my blog.  I thought about what my blog content would be about and realized my world revolves around my two wonderful sons.  I intend on blogging about "faith, family, food, and fun" so I thought I could make that my blog name.  Taken.  I'm not the only one who liked it.  There are many versions of blogs pertaining to the same topic. I couldn't be more happy with the name I landed on!  I feel like I just gave life to my blog now that I made my first post ; )  It's exciting to think of all the different topics you can explore on here with me.  I hope to hear feedback from you too! Thanks again for stopping by.  Have a day to savor!