perspective.

i hope you don't ever feel like my blog is a place that you get depressed because it's so filled with fakeness. filled with good things, and no bad things. i can't think that anyone would think that, with some of the stories that i tell, and my hope is that that is just not the case. i want this blog to be a place of realness. no matter what...i would like to keep my life "real". i don't want to hide things, i don't want to be fake. i want to be raw. and show my feelings and emotions, and hope this blog is somewhat of an encouragement for young moms out there in the roller coaster of life raising kids in this day and age. so...this post is showcasing another real moment(s) in my life.

So...i got this e-mail last night, and had to crack up...AFTER I was mortified... I mean. :)

[Oh my goodness, I'm dying laughing right now! We were eating dinner and Sophie said, "Little Kaycee's mom bites her children." I said What? and she said "yeah Campbell bites Kaycee so her mommy bites her back." I just started dying! The things we learn at the dinner table.]

So...just to clarify...I have NOT biten Campbell...EVER.
{but must say that I have been tempted too. :) }
We have had the conversation, which I guess Kaycee overheard...you know...that really hurts people, how would you like it if mommy bit you...i thought i was driving my point home and that it would make a difference...the jury is still out on that one. What primitive thinking i know...i guess i was at my wits end that day, and now it's biting me in the butt. :)

She doesn't bite often, and it has only been Kaden and Kaycee, which that right there, makes me wonder a bit...but...now I wonder what Kaycee's preschool teachers heard. [nevermind that...i just asked her, and she said she didn't tell "Sophie" that, she told her teachers...] ugh. can i win here at life? at being a GOOD mom...really...

 Enjoy the chuckle. and here's to making more jelly, and watching my precious nephew and neice tOdaY. Super fUn. They loVe the farm, and have been playing outside all morning. Hopefully we'll keep it safe today. smiles......

and from the biting mom...

"Those who look to HIM are RADIANT; their faces are never covered with shame. Those who look to Jesus are RADIANT. Their countenence is that of a thousand stars."                                                 
                                                       Psalm 34:5.

p.s. it's now 4:30 pm and i just had a really bad, total crappy day. unbelievable.i really was feeling radiant this morning when i quoted that verse...funny how fast things can change. my day went from good and sunny to totally not. i would like a re-do. Lord...can i do this over? i really wish. enough. got to get dinner on the table, laundry put away, house cleaned and vacumed before we leave. hmmm.  :0) 

 hope this trip to the mountains with my hubs and kids will do the trick. Here's to having a Blessed Memorial Day holiday.

the coolest things ever.

do you see this? yeah...it's a deer in my yard. 

yesterday i took some food scraps outside, to dump over the fence ,and casually said to the kids, "hey...there's a big bunny lunging in the sun over there by the grain bin." and continued walking into the house...

kaden came running over, and said, "how'd ya like the deer?" "what?" I said..."you heard me...didn't you see the deer over there?"...and sure enough...i had missed him. granted i was making jelly and busy, but HOW could i REALLY miss this deer in the drive?

now...he was pretty tame...and kaden insisted that he had an ear-tag in...but i surely couldn't see one...

later on in the evening, we heard he had escaped from the fenced in pasture along rt. 41...but he was long gone til then.

i stopped by this morning to get some home-grown lettuce off the dollar table, at the Amish stand where the deer escaped... and asked if they found their deer (as some Amish were stomping thru Matt's newly planted corn field last night...looking for lost bambi). And she said the deer came back last night, but as they were trying to get that deer in, another got out...so...we are still on the lookout. :)

******************************************************

on another note...i got these awesomely cool markers at the store today...for ME...don't tell the kids...but they are specifically made to write on windows, or glass...

so...now i can write my bible verses on my big patio door, ( and leave secretive notes behind on all the mirrors in the house), and be all artsy. it is so fabulous...

must be off to get some real work done. outside. in the hot.

smiles.

strawberries anyone?

my first big bowl of strawberries i picked out of my OWN garden... strawberries are pretty resilient...i don't think you "can't" grow them
 lucky for us. :) i can TASTE the jelly this winter. mmmmm. as fast as i was picking them...calli was eating them...guess this shirt will never be quite the same again, eigh?

and yes...i finally gave in. we got out our little froggy pool today, and the kids were running around in their bathing suits playing in the hose...they were literally wearing their suits until they hopped in the bath tonight. two of the things my children would never do... look dirty and un-taken-care-of (like the above picture) and let them run around in bathing suits all day long. oh well.

Admonish the young women...to be homemakers.  Titus 2:5.

submission.

another few concepts from: Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney. and now i am officially moving onto my next book on the pile. :)

The whole idea of submission was a real challenge for me. I knew what Scripture said in Titus, Ephesians, and 1 Peter-I just didn't like those parts very much! You see, I was raised to be very independent. I was strong and self-sufficient. I thought I was capable of taking care of myself and doing a pretty good job of it. I didn't like being led. I liked leading. This was especially true when it came to my schedule and how I spent money. (hmmm. this did spike my interest. :)) And because I wanted to make decisions about these things on my own, Kevin and I had some heated conflicts! I made it very difficult for my husband to lead.

Scripture sheds light on this struggle to submit- for Marianne and for the rest of us. One of the consequences of the Fall for women, it says in Genesis 3:16, is that their "desire shall be for [their] husband[s]."

The form  and context of the word desire actually has a negative connotation-an urge to manipulate, control, or have a mastery over. Because of the curse, we now have a sinful tendency to want our own way and resist our husband's authority. This evil desire poses the greatest opposition to our submission.

So we see that the submissive wife-far from being the weak-willed woman our culture portrays-is actually a model of inner-strength. By God's grace, she has conquered this opposition within her own heart. It is actually weakness on display when a wife is not submissive; she is only caving in to her natural inclination to usurp authority and demand her own way. That doesn't take any effort at all...

...The requirement to submit to our husbands comes straight from God, to us as wives. And we are answerable to Him for our obedience. We cannot blame our husbands for our lack of submission. The responsibility is entirely ours!..

....Submission, in its simplest form, is trust in God, who is completely trustworthy. He is our loving Father who controls every detail of our lives-past, present, and future. He lavishes us with goodness and blessing, and He measures our pain and adversity-all for our good and His glory...

...the question we must answer, then, is: Am I prepared to trust God to lead my husband, to lead me?" As Susan Hunt says: The true woman is not afraid to place herself in a position of submission. She does not have to grasp; she does not have to control. Her fear dissolves in the light of God's covenant promise to be her God and to live within her. Submission is simply a demonstration of her confidence in the sovereign power of the Lord God...

it's me here again...so...the bold is totally what struck me. how i was gently reminded it's a me and God thing...it's totally not a "my husband shouldn't be treating me like that thing, or i can't believe he just did that kind of thing", it's an all or nothing me and God thing. Totally. That's all. Wow.

go phillies?

it would have been fun to have the kids there, only for a quick minute...when the phanatic came so close...they would have been amazed... :)

so...if you were actually watching the game...we were actually sitting right across the aisle from these druken idiots who kept holding up these signs when a batter came up to the box...i mean...i hate what alcohol does to people, but they were really being rediculously stupid...matt and i were just sitting there cracking up more than a few times. ugh.

so matt and i were tickled to be able to go to the phillies game with friends of ours...scott and ang. it was a bummer of a game...as they lost 5-0...but there is something special about eating good market food and heading into the city, dodging traffic jams, and trying to "beat it" out of the stadium all the while laughing at all the funniness, well...and sadness, going on around you.

thanks for the stimulating conversation guys...and for the entire evening. :) you know that the ONLY time we get good seats like that, is when we get the priviledge of going with you. we love it!

can a toilet be DEVISIVE in a marriage?

yes. it can.

{this is actually the toilet upstairs...but it was the only picture i had...to get the point across. }

my sweet girl campbell, is 3, and trying very desperately to be extremely independent. which in my book, is a great thing. a great thing! however, yesterday in her attempts to do so...clogged the toilet. oops.

however, i didn't find out about it until several hours later, over dinner time, when kaycee went in to use the potty. she was horrified the potty wasn't flushed, :) , flushed it, and came out to me when the toilet water was overflowing onto our new bathroom floor, which intern went down thru our new basement ceiling. {all a half hour before heading out to do a service project with small group.}

oh...and i forgot to mention matt was working at the office.

for all my dear married female friends, make sure you know WHAT to do when this happens BEFORE it happens. (hence how a toilet and a 3 year olds choices can become devisive in a marriage).  have a great day.

oh, and p.s. to my dear hubs...this incident just makes me nervous for when i get a flat tire...because i don't know how to fix that either.  :|

life.

a glimpse of our week or two...

i can hardly believe it. today was kaycee's last day of preschool. which means next year i will have a big 1st grader and a big kindergartner. it's so funny...people see me out and about, ask how old my kids are (you never really know if that's a good thing...either they are behaving very nicely for people to be so curious, or bouncing off the walls, and these people notice mommy has no control over them) oh well. i say 6 1/2, 5, 3 and 1 1/2. they smile, and say you must be busy. yes, i chuckle. i feel like i am. smiles. and they tell me to enjoy it because it goes so fast...and i TOTALLY believe them. i TOTALLY get that life is just going to move faster and faster, and here i am just trying to hold on...

here's to holding on and loving it as we go!

frances drost.

i am excited to announce that Frances Drost will be at Maple Grove next Friday night, May 21, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. for a Ladies Night Out. If you are my friend or family, or read this blog, and you are a female, count yourself invited. I would LOVE to have you. I am emceeing the event...more reason for you to come!! and I promise it is going to be a night full of chatter, WAY good desserts and coffee, and just fun girl time. please let me know if you can come, so i can make sure to save you a seat at MY table. :) check out her website for more info. http://www.francesdrost.com/.

Frances is from York, PA and comes highly recommended to us. She is a concert artist and inspirational speaker who combines music and teaching to encourage people on their journey through life. She seems like a sweet, fun, down to earth lady...i can't WAIT to meet her. She was the winner of the 2009 Momentum Award for "Female artist of the Year" and was also nominated for "Inspirational Artist of the Year" at the 2009 Momentum Awards ceremony in Nashville, TN. (i don't know what all that means, but thought it sounded pretty impressive.) get me your name so i can save you a seat...

another give-away.

check out http://www.cutecovered.com/ again to register to win a kidz skinny belt. they are cute, and if i "advertise it" here, i get two entries. :) good luck.

us.

so...now i am going to quote lines out of  Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother by Carolyn Mahaney. (great heads up Naomi...love it.) there is SO much GOOD stuff in this book. so much is striking me. it might not strike you...but it's my blog...and you don't have to read it if you don't want too. :)
so, as a reminder to all my married friends...here i go.

your husband comes home from work, heads to the nearest comfy chair, and pulls the newspaper up in front of his face. (now...this used to happen when he worked construction, and we actually got a newspaper...now...today...it would be more equivalent to him coming in from a hard day on the farm, he's stinky dirty, and heads to the shower...where some days i only L.O.N.G to see the shower...and dinner is ready N.O.W. not later. :) get my drift?) What sort of thoughts run through your mind? Are they kind thoughts? Loving thoughts? Or thoughts you dare not reveal?

We frequently face situations where we are tempted to think harsh and critical thoughts. Sometimes as wives we are more inclined to concentrate on what our husbands are doing wrong than what they are doing right. We are more aware of their deficiencies than areas where they excel. But if we submit to these temptations, they will only lead to the demise of warm affection.

Rather, we must choose to focus on our husbands' many commendable qualities. As we do this, we will be amazed. We'll start to discover more and more good qualities that we were failing to see because we were blinded by our critical thoughts...

As Shirley Rice writes:

Are you in love with your husband? Not, Do you love him? I know you do. He has been around a long time, and you're used to him. He is the father of your children. But are you in love with him? How long has it been since your heart really squeezed when you looked at him?...Why is it you have forgotton the things that attracted you to him in the first place?...Your husband needs to be told that you love him, that he is attractive to you. By the grace of God, I want you to start changing your thought pattern. Tomorrow morning, get your eyes off the DIRTY BATHROOM...(love you honey), or the baby bottles long enough to LOOK at him. Don't you see the way his coat fits his shoulders? Look at his hands. Do you remember when just to look at his strong hands made your heart lift? Well, LOOK at him and remember. Then loose your tongue and tell him you love him. Will you ask the Lord to give you a sentimental, romantic, physical, in-love kind of love for your husband? He will do this.

Michelle had ceased to "prize" her husband. There was a time when Peter was the most important person in her life, but over time her children and friends had become more significant. However, according to scriptures, these are faulty priorities. (Specifically Genesis 2:18 and 1 Corinthians 11:8-9).

Notice from the aforementioned verses that we were created to be our husband's helper, not our children's mother. (OUCH). Certainly, we are to love, care for, and nurture our children, but this love is to flow out of a lifestyle that is first and foremost committed to helping our husbands. Our husbands should ALWAYS remain first in our hearts and in our care...

All that being said Matt and i are extremely excited to be taking a motorcycle ride to CA in about a month. I am planning my wardrobe already. May i remind you it will have to consist of about 3 outfits only...plus my leather coat and pants. yikes. it all has to fit in the motorcycle hard bag. ugh. so...as nervous as i am leaving our children behind, thankfully with family, for 10 days while we run around the country, i am so excited to be with my man. alone. just us. i can't wait. love you so much matt.

the amazing cucumber.

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.


1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.



2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.


3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.



4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.


5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!



6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!



7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.



8.. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.


9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!



10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.


11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.


12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.


13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!



Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems. 


 My friend sent this to me last week, and i thought it was too fabulous NOT to share. :) thanks kendra. can't wait to try some, like...cleaning my faucets and cleaning marker off the wall, and then getting a new piece and sticking it in my mouth to kill my bad breath. who would know? have a great one. mis.

Happy Mother's Day.

(please scroll down to see my Mother's Day tribute[posted on 5/6]...I started it early, and finished it yesterday, but couldn't figure out how to "publish" it on today's date. oh well.

free swimsuit.

yes...i kid you not. check out: http://www.cutecovered.com/ and leave a comment to win a cute FREE swimsuit. i do not know this girl...but she is a friend of a friend, so...have fun. Happy Mother's Day again. :)

riding on coat tails.

those of you who know my family, might know that i usually am riding on the coat-tails of my siblings or parents...here in Lancaster/Chester county for sure. With both of my parents growing up in the area, and my dad working in the church arena, people usually "know" them...people usually "know" my brothers and sister...but NOT me. hmmm. i just try to assume it's because i am quiet and keep to myself. ha. ha. :) here's the latest "episode" of me trying to "catch" some of my brothers "fame"... (oh yes, and pause my music if you want to watch this little video). :)

obviously you saw my brother matt in this clip. and my nephew ezra, if you noticed him whizzing by in one of the hallway shots. my 2 oldest nephews get to go to school here. wow, right? (i did get to visit the school last summer, but nicholas wasn't there for me to rub shoulders with...)  :(

i did get a "signed" copy of nicholas sparks' "the wedding" for christmas. now...if i could just meet them...or go over to their house for dinner or something? maybe you could work on that matt and naomi. :)

matt and i are going on a motorcycle trip out west in a few weeks. kidless. can you believe it. celebrating 10 yrs. of marriage. fabulous. but...i have never been to california, and always wanted to get there...i hope to go to hollywood and sit beside someone famous eating lunch...you know...all those girls hiding behind those big fat sunglasses. i think it would be a scream. we are going to do a lot of visiting friends and family too, but there's something about famous people that intrigues me. hmmmm. sure it goes back to "family systems", right Bill?

ballet anyone?

kaycee had her ballet "performance" last week. they got to wear tutu's.    ;)

she's "thinking" about continuing next year. next week is their last class, and then summer break. yea!

p.s. doing some blog "construction" so it might be a little bit messy for awhile until i figure out what i am doing. i only have little tidbits of time to fool around today, so...just keep checking back, until it's "fixed". :)

happy mother's day.

             Happy Mother's Day...

                         {especially to all the mother's who have  profoundly impacted my life...
                        you will find a lot of their pictures here. to all the moms out there...thank you.}

                                                     my mom. debbie.

For this God is our God for ever and ever;

he will be our guide even to the end.      Psalm 48:14

me.

For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.  Isaiah 41;13

my mom and sister, megan.

You can learn many things from children. How much patience you  have, for instance. :)      - Franklin P. Jones.                                                                 

matt's mom. judy.

                  my grandma. Arlene.                matt's grandma.   Agnes.               

                                                  

arlene...my grandma.                                 sara...my grandma.                        

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you- guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.   2 Timothy 1:13-14.

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

                                  Deuteronomy 4:9

judy and her mom, pauline.

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother and in your mother and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

                                                   2 Timothy 1:5

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.     Joshua 24:15