Deck Rebuild...Day 3

Progress is happening!
 

 
We are moving right along with this deck rebuild.  You can go back and view demo day 1 and 2 if you like. Building the frame work is very important but a very SLOW process!!!!

Hubby is teaching the kids some serious patience on how somethings take lots of time to plan before you just start building.  Did I mention that it is also been good for me as well?!?!

I am seeing a lot of each personality of the kids come out in this process. The youngest is definitely into all this but completely bored with how long the planning part of it is going.  So he does what he does best... entertains himself!

In case you were wondering, that's a garden for our new deck once it's complete. :)

The middle child did a lot of this and is completely happy just being where she is, doesn't need to be entertained by someone or even by herself.  She just smiles and chills!

The oldest on the other hand has to be put to work! She has never been good at entertaining herself or just chilling. Drives her bananas and in the process can drive the rest of us bananas!  Give her some direction and a somewhat challenging job, she is good to go!

The kids also took turns wearing Daddy's tool belt. They worked together to share and get that heavy thing on and off.

The youngest proved he has A LOT of growing to do before he gets any where near able to wear this belt.

He would walk around holding the handles just to keep it up.  When asked to pass a nail or screw, that was FUNNY! He would have to put the whole belt on the ground, get the nail out and pass it on. Cute I tell ya!

I'll leave you with a picture of my little eager beavers.

 

Thankful Thursday... daily bread.

A reoccurring theme in my life I have recently been seeing is the concept of daily bread from God.

That theme has crossed my path in different ways. It has come through different preachers, different studies, and different words.  Daily quiet time, give us this day our daily bread, manna for each day, step-by-step, lighting one step at a time, for today are just a few,  but they all have the same meaning for me.

If I think back to the beginning of when I saw this theme starting, it was a long time ago.  Man I must be a slow learner.  The first time I noticed it was with encouragement on having a daily study time or some say quite time with the Lord.  I heard it from my pastor, my Sunday school teacher,  my friends and of course my momma.  I felt like it was everywhere and something everyone had but me.

I was unsure of what daily time with the Lord was or what it was even suppose to look like.  I am a visual learner and wanted to so bad be a fly on the wall of a friends quiet time to see what this would actually look like then adapt it to my personal life.  I needed some bones, structure or frame work, if you will, to start with.  When asking people about their personal time with God, I would get the response, "well God speaks to us all in different ways" or "we just have to be quiet and listen for Him," "how he speaks to one he might not speak that way to another." I truly understood those statements but they didn't help with what my time with God would or should look like. What I did learn is that the season of your life can also determine what your walk will look like or how much you are even able to take in from God.

When my desire for a quiet time started, I was up to my neck in dirty diapers, dirty laundry, dirty dishes, dirty house, dirty everything.  I was exhausted, mentally and physically.  Taking care of 3 little toddlers and a traveling husband left little energy, time or desire to invest in someone else or something else for me to have to do.  I didn't have the time or patience to "sit quietly and wait."  That was like telling me to make an appointment with a doctor to get my toe nails pulled off, ain't gonna happen!

I did know that there was something powerful to getting my daily bread from God.  I also knew He knew what I was enduring at the moment and God would honor my efforts during this season. I started with 5 minutes then grew to 10, 15, 30, 45, then an hour or two; which was over the process of YEARS I tell ya!

What I have experienced with my relationship with God really is just like the advise I received above because "The Lord YOUR God" is personal to you. (Exodus 20:2)

I encourage you to just take that first step to spend time with God and receive His daily bread for you.   The more and more you are with Him, I promise, the more and more He will reveal Himself to you in ways that is personal to only you. It will bring a smile to your face to see Him working in your life and working so personal to you because He knows us better then we know ourselves.  How can I say that?  Well He did create every nook and cranny of our personalities, bodies, minds, everything.  "I am the good shepherd.  I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15

No matter what journey you are on and path God has you walking right now, keep in mind He gives us daily bread, manna only for the day and a step by step plan.  It's there waiting for you to take it.  I know about the times when we want the whole picture or idea or want to know the will for our lives right now but keep this in mind,  "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." John 16:12

Priscilla Shirer said "He (God) doesn't withhold information because He doesn't love you but because of His great love for you." Isn't that an amazing statement! Just take a minute and let that sink in cause yes, it's that powerful.

I leave you with encouragement to receive your daily bread from God.  He will give you just what you need for that day, no more no less.  Don't be afraid to ask Him, "Show me Lord my daily bread for today.  What do you want me to learn about You today Oh Lord? Reveal yourself to me today personally."

"The unfolding of your words gives light;  it imparts understanding to the simple."  (Psalm 119:130)

Chew on this...

Let’s pray as a church for “ALL”, every member, to be “All In” His plan, His services, His word, In Him! Not all are called to be in “All” the work of the church, but all are called to be “All In” the work God has called each of us to. Where is God calling you to be “All In”? If you don’t know, pray for God to reveal that to you. Look at areas of service in the church with the smallest group of members. Maybe it is the smallest group because all who are being called are not All In? Where is help needed? The RYDC is an area of service our church use to be all in. It grieves me to look in the prayer box after two or three weeks to see it empty. I talked with the boys this Sunday about the power of prayers, yet had none to give them. Where is God calling you to be “All In”? ~ Frances

Demo Deck - Day2

The boys finished demolishing the deck the other day.   Our son was all over it! It was hilarious!
 

I love seeing him have this much admiration for his father.  He looks up to him a lot, it is adorable.  He thinks his daddy is the strongest man in the world. I am so thankful to God to be able to watch their relationship grow.

Daddy was letting our son give him directions on the best way to knock those stairs down.  He would tell him where to hit next trying to get the stairs to collapse. He was a little off but kept trying!

Next our son told daddy by pointing to "Hit it right there! Don't forget to use your muscles Daddy!" Then ran back.  I thought I was gonna die laughing!

Don't know if you can see in the picture above but our son is grinning from ear to ear cause Daddy hit it in the exact spot he told him to. So proud of himself. :)

He's trying to figure out why that spot didn't work. Why haven't those darn stairs fallen down yet!?

Finally they are down! Now it's our sons turn to show his muscles off and tear the stairs into smaller pieces. What a face!!!!

 

I told our son, " You forgot to use your muscles!" He didn't find that very funny, because he realized this is A LOT harder then he originally thought! Then he said, "Daddy just pick it up with your muscles and move it." Like he gave up. :)

He decided to give it one more shot. Mission accomplished!

Now that the stairs are out of the way time to get that lattice down! Check out our sons face in the next picture.  He was giving it all he had!

Here is a better shot of the sweet face I love so dearly!

Well that's all for this day, "What's next Daddy?"

Searching Etsy

While searching Etsy I found these sweet items!

 

 

DIY warming pillow

A warming pillow makes a wonderful gift for many occasions.  You could make one for a new mom, friend's birthday, or just for yourself.  They are a great way to relax.  You can use this heat therapy to relieve tight muscles, for menstrual cramps, or even sinus congestion. These pillows are perfect because they are heated with your microwave and the best part is there is not an annoying plug or cord to have to worry with.

Materials needed to make your own warming pillow:

Piece of flannel fabric, cut 22 x 10 inches
Piece of muslin fabric, cut 21 x 9 inches
4 cups of rice
1/2 cup dried peppermint leaves, lavender, or other scented herb (optional)
4 inches Velcro
Straight pins
Sewing machine

Instructions:

First, we are making the pillow insert.  Fold the muslim in half length wise and press with iron.

Using 1/4" seam, sew one short side and long side. On the 3rd side leave a 2" opening, then turn inside out and press.

Next fold in half, press, fold again, and press.  Unfold and you will see 3 lines pressed in fabric.

Pour 1 cup of rice and some of scented herbs if using them into the pillow. Then stitch across the first pressed line.  I like to use my triple stitch for this part to reinforce the seams. Continue with each section till the pillow is complete.  You may need to use pins to keep rice from moving too much while you are making your stitches. Then sew across the top to close the opening.  

Your insert is complete!

Now take your flannel fabric piece. On one of the 10" width ends, make a 1/4" fold, wrong side to wrong side, iron, then fold again 1/4", iron. Sew a simple stitch the whole length.

Then fold fabric in half length wise (right sides together) and press with iron. Open fabric back up.

Sew your velcro on the inside of the flannel fabric near the top of the fold from above.

Fold fabric right sides together again, using 1/4" seam, stitch all the way around except the side with the velcro leave open.

Turn fabric right side out and press.

Put your muslim pillow in your cover and your pillow is ready to be used!

To heat your pillow, place muslim pillow in the microwave for a minute or two, and it should stay warm for at least 20 minutes.

Creating the warming pillow with a cover makes it easy to wash when needed.

Enjoy!

Out with the old...in with the new-Day 1

Out with the old...deck for now.  This porch of ours has been in need of repair for sometime but other projects around the house just kept outweighing the priority of it.  Well, its time has come!

The kids and hubby spent one afternoon this weekend with demolition on the deck.

The kids had so much fun tearing the deck down. Nothing like doing some destruction with approval from parents!

The kids worked really hard and did a good job of listening to direction from their daddy and being very careful with how they were working, what they were pulling and pushing.  I was very proud of them all.

The oldest was a work horse.  I was impressed with how well she did.  I think sometimes I forget how old she is now and do not give her enough credit for what she is capable of doing.

The youngest on the other hand really desires to do so much more but just can't at this stage.  So this is what he did some of the time.... stay back and watch. :)

The middle child, well she wants to help but when she starts, her mind changes pretty fast then she just watches.

Man this deck was GROSS!!!!

 

It's always exciting when changes are occurring around the house.  I love it!  I'm already planning the outline of the new deck in my head as I snap each photo.  Heehee! I am sure it is completely different then my hubby's, just because we both think so differently.  We can usually meet in the middle though and both bring great ideas and thoughts to the table that the other just didn't think of.

We stopped with just getting those rails off for this day because we still need to be able to get in and out the door somehow.  The youngest was ready to tear it all down and worked out a plan for us for how we would get in and out of the house.  He's a nut for sure!

The kids thought this was the best "fort" ever.  Daddy said have fun but just watch out for bugs and critters.  Needless to say they weren't under there for very long after that.

I'm not sure why but this is the look my son gives me all the time now for the camera.  He thinks it's hilarious, which it sort of is for shots like this.  Who really cares, but come time for pics in the spring, he is gonna have to work it out.  Hopefully whatever this is will pass by then.

I love this shot of my boys! Both of them have GREAT smiles and it really shows in this pic!

 

My oldest kid took this picture of me.  She did really good!

Then the middle child had to have a turn as well. :)

She did great as well! Who knows maybe they will follow in their momma's footsteps?! HA!

I'll leave you with this picture of my hubby.  I love all that he does for our family and all that God is creating him to be during this time in our lives.  He is such a hard worker and great provider for us.  I am ever so grateful for him.  Love you honey!