So much to share...

Just a friend...

This little {BIG} puppy was nearly hit by a car in the intersection last night :(. He's so thin you can see his ribs and is afraid of being alone and very leary of the kids.

We called the humane society as we don't have a fenced back yard and he was afraid to come in the house. They couldn't come until this morning, so he stayed the night! He's a total teddy bear - whined until 1am when I had him baby-gated in the kitchen, so I let him up on my bed where he literally snuggled with Mr. Kinkers (the cat!) and I.

Hopefully *if* someone is actually looking for him he'll get home and if not, he'll be adopted by a family that will nurture his gentle nature!

Ding Dong the Fridge is Dead...

Toast. She died last night - she would have been 5 years old in August! I can't believe a $1200 fridge only lasted 5 years!?!?!?! What is the world comming to, lol?

On the positive side of things: L is thinking that having the food out on the table in iced bins and coolers is pretty handy....

When Bar Hopping becomes Park Hopping!

Wooooo-Hoooooo. Lets be honest, I've never bar hopped in my life - maybe walked into a bar and hopped right back out, but no more than that :). It got your attention though!

But Park Hopping is one of our favorite summer time games. See how many parks you can hit and play at *usually a task such as go down the slide or touch 10 trees and run back to the car* in an hour. The kids totally love it!

So...try it with your little ones, then afterwords go get an icecream cone!

If I can program the sprinkler system I can do just about anything!

I'm quite convinced, lol. The dumb thing was going off THREE times a day until I turned it off a couple weeks back and since manually turning it on every other day. I conqured the machine today, however - I even did the victory dance when the sprinklers came on right at the time I told them to. Beautiful!

What I'm thankful for today...

Aside from the usual (kids, family, shelter, food)...

1) the wind - I hate the wind, lol, but I appreciate the perspective it gives me, for tomorrow will look even better than it would have otherwise.
2) my long to-do list - overwhelming as it may be, getting those daunting and monogomous tasks checked off make me feel as though I've accomplished something, often more than the day previous.
3) my childrens' disobedience - I often get a glimps of the frustrating child I must be to God as I deal with many of the same underlying behaviors from my children. I appreciate the insight it gives me, for it helps me to see that if I'm loved unconditionally regardless, then I should be loving unconditionally regardless (even if they were total boogar butts today, lol)

What are you thankful for today?

Random Thought...

The past is the past until we awaken it and make it the present.

Simple you say. But how many times a day do you bring something from the past back to life? I know I do it far too often.

A spring bouquet!

Of Dandelions. . . there is nothing sweeter!

At least they aren't in my yard anymore (haha).

I think somebody needs one of those freaky interative dolls???

Hehe...poor L! A just wants her to be her baby doll (A put L into the doll cradle if you can't tell from the pic, and she's telling her to NOT get out, lol).

While interactive toys (especially ones with faces!!!...hello Chuckie) totally FREAK me out, for the wellbeing of one child, we may be adopting one. Any suggestions?

:0)

Freezer works!!!

It apparently just needed a break??? Whatever, lol, its working! Yeah!!!

Crazy past 24 hours!

Last night the fridge stopped working. Twice yesterday there was a puddle in front of it, but I just chalked it up to the kids overfilling thier cups using the water dispenser. Around 10pm I came into the kitchen to find a swimming pool. The ice maker *which was full* had melted everywhere :(.

Thank goodness for my mom... she came over to help clean up and stayed with the sleeping kids as I transfered my frozen goods from my 5 year old refridgerator to the 30+ year old freezer at my g-ma's.

To top it off, this morning had another little surprise. Someone had hit my car side mirror shattering it. What the heck!?!?!

How a mom installs a bi-fold door....

My dad and step mom came this weekend! Dad got the fence all fixed for me and inspired me to get my butt in gear and finish some of these 1/2 done projects.

Closet shelves are in!!! L took a great nap today allowing me to get all this work done, tho not with a perfectly happy ending, lol.

Step 1: install pegs in top and bottom of bi-fold door

Step 2: install the header

Step 3: I tied a key to some thread and taped it to the header where the door would be attached, allowing the string/key to drop to the floor to specify exactly where the bottom pivot bracket should be positioned.

**side note: major pet peeve of mine are doors that don't stay open. The stupid laundry room door hits me in the butt the entire time I'm loading/unloading the washer, lol.

Step 4: mark on the bottom of the door where the lower pivot pin is so that you can see where to place the door on the pivot bracket while standing

Step 5: position the door so that the top pins are in the header






Step 6: while supporting the door with one hand, wedge a Lilian Vernon Triangle block (hehe) under the door to put all the weight on the block allowing the screw in the bottom pivot pin to be turned to adjust the door height.

Step 7: step back and take a look at your handiwork

Step 8: try to close the door only to realize that it is really 1/8 of an inch too wide for the opening.... go make another pot of coffee.

My weekend goals!

• Obviously SEW, SEW, SEW what I can get done w/out my serger.



• One on one time with Mr. P Saturday afternoon



• Conquer the pantry. I'm going to get out my little tool kit (no, its not pink!) and get this puppy done! Its been shelves leaning up agains the wall for months and months. My toddler is constantly trying to climb the ladder...yikes.

And reclaim my bath towels for what God intended them to be used for, lol! I'll actually get some real insulation in and if I'm lucky some trim... painting will have to wait until after Easter.

MORE SNOW!?!?!?! Why?

We had three inches yesterday! The kids made a muddy snowman who really only lived until noonish when he toppled over, lol.

I wore my flip flops all day. I refuse to let into this insane weather, lol.

Seriously Funny!

A fellow DS mama shared this in a thread and I thought it was great :).

Tithe Rap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwfMMN71xUw

Just a "praise God!"

I stocked my store today at Naturally Nested Congo. I've really been trying to step up my production...I've so got my heart on not putting my kids in daycare and trying to find an out of the home job. Somehow I've had four days this past week (while I've been sick to boot) where I've completed 8 diapers/day! Just in the 11 hours that my listings have been live, I've sold 31% of my instock items! God is good and He does provide! I just pray that this will keep up.

A need to feel hope

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him."Jeremiah 17:7

This blog is started based on the need for hope; for my own need for hope. For the simple fact that life doesn't always give us flowers, but rather trials and tribulations. That our dreams and desires can, almost instantly, become so far from reality that it feels as though they are unobtainable.

We must all stop and remember that our dreams are obtainable, so long as they are prayerfully dreamed. My dream to be the one to raise my children is slowly becoming off course from reality. The reality in our world is that a single mom cannot financially support her family without struggle. My prayer is that God will show me the way. That He will show me how to train up, guide, encourage, and love my four kiddos while enjoying our lives together.

I do not want to become one of those single moms who hardly knows her children due to working so much, a single mom whose boys feel like they were mislead in life, a single mom who becomes 'friends' with her children rather than being a parent.

I have faith that God will lead me - he will be the head of this household from here on out. This blog will be a testament to that. God can work wonders in our lives if we trust in Him, ask Him for his guiding and loving hand, and believe that in all we suffer through there will be glory to His name.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank you so much for all that you provide my family. For all that you give and for all that you take, for all we are blessed with and may not even realize just yet. God, I ask that you please put your comforting hands upon my children as they go through this hard time. That they will see you love and healing hands, that they will always know you as their Father.

I also pray for my husband, that he will come to know you. That he will only feel comfort in your forgiving and all-loving arms.

Lord, I pray for patience, healing and a quiet tongue ~ goodness knows I need it. Please bless all who are hurting and hopeless tonight. Let them invite you in, get to know you, and let their relationship with you blossom.

God, I am so thankful.

Amen