Blessings from Heaven

Wow, it has been a whole month since my last post and I hope I haven't lost all of my blogging friends forever?!

I won't bore you with the details of my life over the last month, but I will update you with a praise report.

As you all know we have been through a lot of life changes over the last two years and now we are in yet another season. I am confident that despite the cooler temperatures and the changing of the leaves, our family is living in the season of spring.

I have known since Rick left his job that I would be returning to work. (Something I have dreaded since before Jaedan was born.) With a half hearted effort I looked through the paper looking for jobs with flexible schedules and couldn't find anything I was even remotely interested in. And as always God opened a door!

My last employer was for a non-profit organization that had not received funding since before I had left. They had struggled for the last three years and after many let downs from government funding they received a huge grant for the next 5 years.

I am waiting for them to negotiate the details with their partners so we can determine whether I will fit in a position they have available or if they will create a position for me. The most important thing is that I will work around Rick's schedule and possibly work from home part time. That of course means income for my family without putting Jaedan in daycare!!

God is so good. He knows our needs and has prepared our path. All we have to do is pray for his will, listen when he speaks and respond when he commands. Of course this is much easier said than done.

We are not in great shape just yet, but we are confident that we are walking in his will and these blessings are just the beginning!

Manic Monday

Today started out s very typical day, until...

Jaedan got a bead stuck up his nose.

Rick was offered a job for 1/2 of what he's making.

My mother-in-law had a seizure.

The outcome...

I tried to get Jaedan to sneeze with pepper. He sneezed alright, but the bead didn't move. Then he blew on the pepper and got it in his eyes. I flushed his eyes and in the process the bead went down his throat. It was very tiny. Smaller than a bite of food so there was no threat of choking. Thank you Lord that his is okay and there was no trip to the ER needed.

Rick interviewed for a job at a department store. Currently he is working 70 hours a week including an hour commute. He is stressed and tired exactly the reason why he left Rent A Center in Oklahoma. We have been praying about this and agree that putting our family first is God's will not making more money. Of course this means I will have to make some steady income! Please pray for me.

Rick left work and headed straight over to his Mom's house when he found out she had a seizure. I am afraid this will be something we will all have to learn to live with. I'm sure the tumor is continuing to put pressure on her brain which caused the seizure. Please pray for her as well.

It's not even 3PM here in Colorado. I hope our day slows down so we can sort everything out and set a decent pace for the rest of the week!

Luke 12

29"And seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubting mind.
30For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.
31But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fresh Paint

I just love a new coat of paint. It can make something old look new and bring new life to a room. I don't have much patience when it comes to painting (God only gave me patience for people), so it isn't something I take great pleasure in. Although, I do love the reward of enjoying the fresh coat after the work is done.

Today as I was painting Shay's closet doors I started thinking that this must be what it's like for God when we are covered by the blood of the lamb. We are worn, old and sometimes ugly. But after a fresh coat we are made new. His creation made beautiful and new.

Here are a couple of pictures of the closet doors. Nothing special. Just a few doors painted white from a boring shade of blue.

Forgot to take a before shot so here it is half way through.

Much better!

As you can see I need to finish the trim with new wood and put on the hardware. Just like me, a work in progress! Have a blessed day!

Before and After

I have been inspired to decorate my house after seeing so many wonderful blogs. I have always been afraid to decorate because everything is so expensive and I am afraid to commit.

After seeing so many of you buy and redo thrift and garage sale items, I am truly excited to redecorate my house!

Here is my first (very, very) small project. I am going to slowly, one item at a time, redecorate Shay's bathroom. When you see the sad sight it is you will understand why I started there. Here is the art work for the walls. I am working my way to new towels, mirror, cabinet and sink.

Two 5x7 black frames $4

A can of white spray paint .96

Two digital prints blown up to 5x7 $2

(These were pictures of tropical fish we took in Hawaii)

Total project cost $7

Thank you all for your inspiration! I am so excited about my new hobby! Plenty more to come...

Someone Special Sunday

Grandma Sophie with a few of her

great-grandchildren

I love how some of the blogs I visit have a day dedicated to a specific topic. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and once a week post a tribute to someone who has inspired or influenced me.

So my very first tribute will be my Grandma Sophie (my dad's mom).

Grandma Sophie was born and raised on a ranch in New Mexico. She had a brother and sister who both died very early to childhood illnesses. Her Dad followed soon after and at 12 she lost her mother too. After her parents were gone, she was raised by her grandparents who were catholic.

My grandma always dreamed of having a large family. She never wanted to feel alone and knew having lots of children would keep her fulfilled. After being married for several years and having a few small children she found an Assemblies of God church and began her relationship with Christ. For thirty years she went to church alone praying for my grandfathers salvation. Church was not optional for her children. They were all involved in the children's programs and youth group. That is where my mom and dad met.

Grandma Sophie with a few granddaughters

My grandma is the true meaning of the word faithful. She has truly dedicated her life to serving and following Christ. She prays for each one of her 7 children and their spouses, 15 grandchildren and their spouses and 12 great-grandchildren (so far). Every morning she dedicates hours of prayer and specifically prays for each individual and their needs. And of course that is only her family. She also has freinds calling her to pray for them.

She is a blessing to everyone who meets her and has overcome some incredible tragedy. My grandfather was sick for many years and she was his care taker both physically and spiritually. After battling diabetes, heart disease, losing both legs and a stroke my grandfather went to be with the Lord. If it had not been for her fervent praying he may not have grown to know the Lord.

I am blessed to still have my grandma. She is an inspiration and a great role model.

I love you grandma! I am so grateful to have you.

Glad to be Home

I am so glad to be back home. It has taken a while for me to get past not being near my Mom and sisters, but I am truly happy to be near family again. Ok, ok, I may never get past being near my Mom, but I am happy to be near my Dad and his family again.

They have been keeping me so busy I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be home on a weekend again. Last Saturday we celebrated my cousin graduating from nursing school. On Monday (Labor Day), we all met at my dad's farm and picked the harvest of the 1/2 acre family garden. Yummy sweet corn, yellow squash, calabasita, bell peppers and cucumbers. My freezer is filling up fast! And then we had a barbecue at my cousins house.

Last night we set up the semi-annual family garage sale. What a task! First we have to haul everything to Grandma Sophie's house, unload, set up and price. Then we have to get up before the crack of dawn to finish setting up, hang signs and get ready for the doors to open. As the day rolls on their is bargaining, rearranging, helping customers load their cars and of course finding our own treasures.

This particular sale was to help pay for the water pump that had to be replaced for the family garden. We had a great sale with beautiful weather and made a whopping $650. Not bad for things we don't want anymore.

So now that I am home and completely exhausted I ask is it worth it? And the answer is an overwhelming yes. Not because of the money, but because of the fellowship. I am more grateful than ever to have my family near. And on Wednesday we will be back at the farm picking more vegetables. Good thing we like each other!!!

Discouraged

For the last two days I have given Jaedan and potty training my full 100% attention. I did not cook or clean or talk on the phone while he was awake. We watched potty training videos (which he loved), read potty books and talked about being a big boy in big boy underwear.

We started out using the methods in the book I previously blogged about, Toilet Training in less than a Day. I showed him how to use the potty with a doll that wets and then he taught the doll how to use the potty. I gave him a treat every time he went in the potty and that is where it all went down hill. He would barely put one or two drops in and tell me "there's no more pee". He would collect his award and then go wet his pants. After going through 4 pair of underwear before nap, I collected myself and geared up for round two when he woke up.

I decided that getting a reward for going was not the answer. So, I set the kitchen timer and if he was dry when it went off he got a treat. That worked really well for about 4 hours and then he got bored. Daddy came home, grandma called to tell him he was a big boy and he lost interest. So this morning I was determined not to give up. I started with the timer but it just made him cry. He did not want to get on the potty and he did not want to wait for a reward. After several times of carrying him to the potty crying and telling me he didn't want to go, I put a diaper on and thought I would try again after nap. After nap it was no better. I took him to the potty and he cried and cried. I put him in his high chair for a snack and guess what I found? A puddle underneath his chair!

So after a lot of frustration and underwear changes I am putting it off. I do not want to bribe him to go potty and I do not want to lose my mind. I have heard that when they are ready it will go smoothly (notice I did not say easily), but if you push them it will be a battle. So, I am throwing in the towel. Jaedan wins this battle, but the potty will win the war ;)