Still here...

Just way overwhelmed and way too busy!  Believe it or not, I am still kicking.  I have been down for the past week due to a dry socket, but I am on the road to recovery!

I have had many awesome things going on.  Mainly- tons of photo shoots!  You can slide on over to my photography blog and see some that I have completed!  www.qrsphotography.wordpress.com .  That's been my main reason for lack of blogging.

Another reason is Ruthie has been attending swim practice.  This is something I was super excited about!  She started off not really enjoying it too much.  I felt like a bad mom b/c I made her continue going.  She said it was soooo hard.  However, she didn't realize how much work it would be and she wouldn't pace herself.  She was giving it her all and totally wearing herself out!  She starting enjoying it around the third practice, but still would say it was hard.  She didn't want to quit though.  Today is our last practice.  I am a bit sad, but a bit happy b/c I am ready to come straight home after work instead of rushing!
Here she is learning how to float.

Here she is swimming on her back!  I was shocked at how fast she learned!  I don't know how to rotate the video...sorry!


Last weekend I had a very amazing opportunity to work with the Both Hands Project. My dear friend and her family has answered the call to adopt a sweet, precious soul from Honduras.  This little one has brown eyes that will MELT your heart!  With this project, we went in and helped a widow, in return for donations for the adopting family.  All proceeds go to the adopting family.  I pray that they raise some good money to help.  I was shocked to find out how much it cost.  With that being said, a child IS worth it.  They need them.  We worked all day and got quite a bit accomplished.  The family went back and finished what we started.  It was amazing seeing this kind widow, and giving to her something she may have never received   The project goes on the verse James 1:27 where God instructs us to look after widows and orphans. It was an awesome opportunity and I am so blessed to have helped alongside my friend, her family, my husband, my niece, and a great group of teens and adults!

Randall also had the chance to preach Sunday morning and night a sister-church in a nearby town.  I love seeing my man up there delivering God's Word.  He is doing amazing too.  It's awesome to see the Lord work through him.  I am blessed to be his wife!

Everything else is going well around here.  Super busy, but who isn't.  I am ready for the holidays b/c I missed out on some family time last weekend.  I am ready to see all my nieces and nephews.  I pray it doesn't take me this long to get back on, but if it does, I apologize.

Ruthie {my girl}

I knew I wanted to do a Ruthie post as well, so I thought now is as good of a time as ever.  Let's just say this little girl was a big surprise for me all around.  I didn't think she would be a girl, she was.  I thought she would be like me, a tomboy, she is FAR from it.  The thing is, I wouldn't change it for the world.  She has taught me how to play barbies, made me learn to mess with hair, and learn to like shopping for cute clothes for her.  (I still think dinosaurs are easier!)  Let's just say having a girl has been a big learning experience for me and I LOVE IT!  She is my first born, but will always be my baby!  I love this sweet girl.  She's my snuggle bunny, my Georgia Peach, my Sister Bear.  She teaches me so much about motherhood.  God knew what He was doing when He blessed me with her. 

 

She has taught me so much.  I love you sweetheart!

Bit late, but still deserves a post

My baby girl graduated Kindergarten.  :(  This means she is leaving our small little kindergarten building and headed off to the big lower elementary....  This mamma is heart-broken.  She is all grown up and such a blessing in our lives.  Her heart is so big.  She was smiling the ENTIRE graduation.  No joke.

Not only did our baby girl graduate, but our little boy was in a program put on by his daycare.  Let's just say, this was PURE ENTERTAINMENT.  These pics will not do it justice, but I have to share anyways.  

Raising children...

This post has been on my mind for quite some time.  Today in Sunday School, God laid it on my heart to share.
We have been participating in a study by Chip Ingram called "Effective Parenting in a Defective World."  The title itself is perfect.  I was so excited to just begin.  I normally teach Sunday School for ages 8-10, but I asked to take some time off to study along with the adult SS class.
I am going to open my heart here.  It's a very difficult thing for me to talk about....
I have expressed my feelings here to be a stay-at-home-mom.  It's what I wish for.  But, God has made me aware that it is not possible at this time.  Who knows if it ever will be.  One reason I want to be a SAHM is so I can home-school Ruthie and Randy.  I absolutely hate the fact that I can't shield Ruthie's ears from the awful things she hears at school. I also hate the fact that she rides the bus with older kids and who even knows what they say.  It scares me to death.  I feel as though the moment Ruthie walked into Kindergarten, her innocence was lost in a way.  She has heard things that just bothered her, which in turn, bothered me.
With all that being said, the other day we were driving to school.  She brought up how her cousin goes to a Christian school.  She asked why she can't and I had to explain to her that it's just not something we can do at the time.  I told her I would love for her to go to school and have God be in her lessons and be surrounded by people who love God.  She cried and cried, which of course made me cry feeling like a failure.  Then, our great God laid it upon my heart to share with her something that I learned last summer from a dear family member of mine.    If we took all God loving Christian kids out of public school and put them into private school, who would teach the others about God?  Isn't that OUR job as Christians to spread His word?  I told her that school is her mission field.  I explained to her that there are kids that don't know God and who need someone to teach them.  I also told her that it's not the teachers job to teach her about God, but it's mine and Randall's job to teach her.  The amazing thing??  She remembered.  She was telling my sister that she wants to go to a Christian school, and she told her that she also needs to stay at her school and tell the kids about Jesus.  She WAS listening!!!
I am NOT saying that Christian private school is bad.  Not by any means.  Like my aunt told me last year- it all depends on the child.  If the child is a leader- they will probably succeed in public school.  If they are a follower, they will probably do better in private school.  Is Ruthie a leader or follower?  That I don't know just yet.  I would probably say right in the middle.  Am I still scared she is going to hear all kinds of things?  Yes.  We pray every morning before school and I pray as soon as I drop her off that God will protect her ears, hold her hands in the halls, and that angels will surround her.  I also pray that she always remembers that HE is the one who matters.
Raising children today is so hard b/c the world makes it so much easier to do things the worldy ways and not God's ways.  He doesn't want us to just shelter them to where they don't see it, but to allow them to see some, and teach them to be strong in their faith so when their tests come, they can stand firm in His ways.
It's my prayer that soon, Ruthie will ask Jesus into her heart.  She knows what it means to be saved.  She knows that He died on the cross for her, and that we are sinners, yet He loves us.  We just told her that soon Jesus will be knocking on her heart asking her to let Him come in.  I pray that she realizes it and that she opens her hear to Him.  He's worth everything.

Wordless Wednesday

I know it isn't "Wordless" but I wanted to share a few beginning pics and a some now pics.  This was one of the FIRST shots I took in Manual with my Nikon D90.

Ruthie:

Now:

Randy 1st time in manual:

Now:

Purity and Standards

This weekend, my friend and I had the privilege to take four teenagers to a purity conference.  It was a loooong drive.  Four.five hours to be exact.  Was it worth it?  YOU BET!  See, I LOVE the youth.  The youth is where my heart is.  It was such an honor to take these girls and pray with them and see God working in their lives.

Bro. Travis Plumlee was the speaker.  If you read my blog often, you know that I love listening to him preach the Word of God.  This man can deliver.  He knows how to make it funny for teens, but serious enough to where they actually listen.  Our preacher has the same gift!  I would say there was about 100 girls there all together.  I wanted to share some of the notes that I took.  Some of this may be a bit harsh, as in NOT what you want to hear, but it's the truth, and God says to speak the truth.

We are called to be Ladies of Honor.  1 Peter 3:3,4  "3-Do not let your adornment be merely outward-- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- 4-Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."
Does this mean we aren't to fix our hair or wear nice clothes....NO.  This means that what is truly important is what is INSIDE your heart.  Jesus.  In order to let Jesus shine, you have to show it.  He doesn't shine through your designer clothes and your perfectly-in-place hair.  He shines through your spirit.

A man on your arm adds NOTHING to your relationship with Christ.  Stop looking for a man and look UP to HIM!  Girls are an ornament on His tree.

When we worry more about what we wear and how we look than what our spirit looks like, we are letting the world shine through us.  Let God be the inner part of your body shining through.

Be a unique woman.  Feminine does NOT equal weak.  A strong woman is one who can make a decision, has beliefs, character, and shows action.  Set a new path of society for women today.

Dating in the American society is soooooo messed up.  Think about it.  Do we say to our little ones, "oh you have a crush on so and so!  hahahaha!"  This is something I have done in the past, but not anymore.  I don't want my daughter to get her heart broken over and over and over. We are going to set standards for her.  Elementary, middle school, and junior high is way too young to think about boyfriends and girlfriends.  

Before you court or date anyone- PRAY about it.  Guard your heart.  It's God's treasure, not yours.  It's not yours to give out to a million boys.  Guard your heart through prayer.

Did you know that flirting produces lust?  Yes!  I see so many young girls flirting.  They are doing nothing but making it so much harder on young men to keep thoughts away.

The world says there is pleasure and joy in sexual impurity.  Strengthen your purity.  Memorize scripture.  If a boy asks you to go out- ask him to come to church.  If he wants to sit by you, have him sit by your parents.  If he truly is interested in you, he will come and pay attention to what you enjoy.

Those are just a few of the notes.  The main thing I wanted to talk about was standards.  This is something that I think is HIGHLY important for ALL young teens today.  Set standards in your house as to what you expect from them when it comes to boys/girls.
Courting is something I didn't hear about until recently.  Will I have Ruthie and Randy court before dating- YES.  This is something God has laid upon my heart and has taught me about.  Courting is saying, "hey, I like you, and think you are cute.  Let's get to know each other better through friendship and fellowship, supervised everywhere we go."  Dating will come later on in their teens, *maybe* around 18.  Standards will be set.  NOTHING should be done in courtship.  No hand holding, no kissing.  Hugging is ok.  Kissing can happen in dating, but in MODERATION.  A LOT of young teens at the purity conference want to save their kiss for marriage.  I think this is amazing.  They want to stay pure!  There will be no riding together in the same car.  Date in public places for at least 6 months.  Courting and dating is to make sure this person is the one you want to spend your life with.  Don't give your heart away to tons of boys.  You are giving bits and pieces of your heart away and that heart belongs to God.  Stay pure.  At the end of the conference, they were given the choice to sign a purity covenant. They didn't have to, but all of our girls did.  I wrote it down to remember when the time comes for Ruthie.  Here is what it said:

I promise my God, parents, my future mate, and myself to keep my mind and body morally clean and pure so that when I enter the marriage covenant, I will be able to give myself with a completely clean conscience to my mate.

I was SO grateful to have the chance to attend this conference.  I learned so much that will help me in my walk in motherhood with Ruthie.  Thank you Jesus for your awesome Word!  Thank you for giving me the knowledge to share this with my daughter when the time comes.  She is SO precious to me.

Precious Words from a 5 Year Old

We had to make a pit stop at Dollar General today to pick up a few things.  Here in our large town, (actually teeny-tiny) it's all we have.  We are walking the aisles b/c we don't have much to do.  Ruthie tells me she wants to buy a birthday card for Jesus.  How in the world could I say no to that!?  So, we walk down the card aisle and I read a few to her.  This is the one she picks out:

On the ride home, she tells me, "Mommy after I ate lunch I prayed a prayer and I told God that I will do what He tells me to do and I know that He is always with me.  I kissed my bracelet and said "thank You for walking with me!"  (Her bracelet says "Walking with Jesus")

This touched my heart.  She is at the young age of 5 and she already knows and understands God more than I could ever imagine.  She blesses my heart and soul.  I pray that she always remembers this and continues to love God and grow with Him.  

Lord, thank you so much for the precious daughter you have allowed me to raise.  I pray that Randall and I can continue to raise her in your Word and follow Your will for her life.  She is a gift from You and we are so blessed to have her.  Thank You for Your kind words, and always being with her.  I pray that she grows to know You more and more.  Thank You God.  Happy Birthday sweet Jesus!  

A First!

Ruthie has a LOOSE TOOTH!!!  She's so excited.  It's almost there!

Five....yes, five....

That's right...my baby girl is five years old. Where in the world has the time gone? Seriously, this is rough stuff right here. Being a mom of a five year old makes me feel OLD, even though I am only 26. She's my baby, she can't be five....

I guess I have to deal with it right? We celebrated her fifth birthday at our house. I like to have it at the church so I don't have to clean, but it was booked, so.....I cleaned like a mad woman. Ruthie was super excited about being five and having her party. She's so easy to please. I don't go all out for decorations. We bought Hello Kitty napkins and made homemade cakes and she was thrilled!

Anywho....here's some photos of her celebrating. This post is very bittersweet for me.

Wondering and hoping

The future. I find myself thinking about the future a lot lately. Mainly b/c I look into my daughters eyes and know that time is going by so fast, it will never slow down. I do find myself worrying quite often b/c of things happening around here, bad things. I worry for her. But, what's most important is what is happening with her NOW. We have to teach her right, show her the way, and let her know that God is always with her. I can honestly say she loves the Lord. She is always talking about Him and she loves to pray for others. She has such a soft, soft heart.

Here's an awesome example: (this may seem silly to you, but if you would have seen her face....)
The other night, we had my niece, H. Ruthie totally adores H. She was very upset when she had to leave. Apparently H told Ruthie she would leave a note for her at our house. When we got home, I found the note. When I showed it to Ruthie, she teared up and said, "H didn't forget to leave me a note!" Se was so excited, she just cried. It made me cry. A simple note made her night. She loves to be loved!

I often find myself wondering what will our relationship be like. Will she trust me as a teenager? Will she keep secrets from me? Will she talk bad about me, and not want to be near me? Will she still love hugs in front of her friends? Will she want to be with me?

I find this age hard right now b/c she isn't sure if she wants to be grown-up, or if she wants to be a baby. It's hard. I hate admitting it, but it's rough. But, I know that in order to have a great relationship with my daughter, I have to understand this age.

What I mean is I really want a good relationship with Ruthie. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the world today, and not spend that quality time with your children. I worry that I will let other things get in the way. I just pray that she will lean on me through everything. That's what I meant.

I realize this is an odd post, but it's weighing on my mind. I love Ruthie so much. I know Randy is growing up fast too, but it's harder on me to watch Ruthie. She's my baby, and always will be. I adore her.

So, for this loooooonnnnngggg post, I added some of my most recent favorite pics of my sweet, precious, baby girl.

Yes, I am still alive and kicking!

It's been a loooooong time since I have updated this blog. I suck big time. I have tried to keep up with everyone, but I am not doing too well at that either. It's just been a struggle finding time to do anything. My house was suffering from it too. Holy cow was it a mess. But, I think it's okay now. It's not perfectly clean, but clean enough.

So, life is good. My job is great, still enjoying it. Randall is still hard at work. Ruthie is growing like a weed and letting us know all about everything. Lil Randy is growing well too, and we only have 8 days left, YES 8 DAYS!!! Where did the time go???

We had an amazing month of March. It's Marching for the Master at our church, and we got to hear some amazing sermons from different pastors. We all really enjoyed that. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE our pastor, it was just nice to hear others preach the Word, and watch them get all worked up! Also in the month of March, was the 1 year passing of my beloved Grandma. It was hard, but there's also peace inside me knowing she's happy and loving every minute of everyday where she's at.

Everything at home is great. Ruthie got settled into a new room. She transitioned so well. I was completely amazed. The room we moved her into was in DESPERATE need of re-modeling. So, we did it all as fast as we could b/c it was for her b-day. I ordered her some new bedding (which I got an awesome deal on!), moved her into a bigger bed, painted the walls, laid down new flooring, and made over the closet. The pics I am posting are from that day, so it looks better now. ;) The room looks and feels so much better than it ever did. I can't get over it. It's smaller than her old room, but we knew we would want Randy closer to us, so that's why we moved her. Plus, we thought she'd enjoy it.

We received so many gifts for Randy; we feel so blessed. We got 3 baby showers: one at school, one at church, and a family one. They were all amazing and packing up took forever! I couldn't get over how much stuff we received! I have some amazing people in my life, that's for sure. I just can't wait to meet this little man. He's moving so much and reminding me that he's in there. I can't wait to hold him in my arms!

I do have a favor to ask of all of you. Randall is heading out on a mission trip to Honduras in June/July. Honestly, I am scared. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Lil Randy will be about 8 weeks old or so. It's going to be a hard time for all of us. We were so worried about money, but the Lord has blessed us greatly, and I am so thankful we are able to go. Money will still be an issue b/c I will be off work for 6 weeks, but I know He will help us. Randall is super excited to help others learn about God. This will be his first time in an airplane too. Just please keep our family, and this mission trip in your prayers!

Ok, now for pics!



Lil Randy's crib. We used Ruthie's old bedding, so it was bittersweet putting it all back together.
Just one of my favorite pics of her. She's such a goof!
Another one of my favorite pics. Can you tell she loves her Daddy? Randall is in the green kayak, and she is yelling, "GO DADDY GO!" I LOVE this pick! Look at her little pigtails!
Me at 33 weeks....I know....huge.
On her b-day just as happy as can be!

Ruthie on her b-day. She really wanted to be a ballerina. Crazy to me b/c I wanted nothing to do with anything girly, even at her age!

Waking up after her first night in her new room!

After pic!
My old bed and her new bed set!
Randall and I being goofy re-modeling!

Where do I even begin?

I will start with pics! I haven't shared anything in a LONG time, so here it goes! Be prepared!

Halloween-


Cousins-

Belly pic- Ruthie couldn't help but get in the pic!

Thanksgiving-

Ruthie riding the horse at Thanksgiving-


On to updates!

Things are going really good here. Randall is working hard. His plant has left off quite a few people, mostly temporary employees, and thankfully he is full-time. His department can't let anyone off b/c it's only a one man job per shift, so there is nothing they can do. Even though they cut out all the overtime, he still gets it. He's such a wonderful husband & father to work as hard as he does. He amazes me at how sweet and kind he is.

Ruthie is learning so much. She loves to play her little computer and she is doing so well with her numbers and letters. I haven't worked with her on her letters much, but she knows the letters that are in her name. She only goes to daycare 1/2 time, so I am very happy to hear she is learning a lot even though she's hardly there. She's really excited about this baby still. She's been super cuddly lately, and I have heard she may do this. I am enjoying every moment of it! She still hasn't made up her mind if it's a boy or girl yet. It changes by the hour. Today it's a baby sister though. She's excited about Christmas too. I think this year will be so much fun b/c she's learning about Santa. She tells me she's going to sit on his lap, but I doubt it.

The baby and I are doing great. My job is still going good. I am bored a lot, but it's easy and fun, so that's worth it for me. We are finding out the gender on Tuesday! We are so excited and ready. I still think it's a girl, but I would say 90% of people think it's a boy. Guess we will find out Tuesday....if he/she cooperates.

Thanksgiving was nice, but it was really hard. We were missing 4 people, 3 who we lost this year. We did have 2 extra people that we haven't had in a long time, so I tried really hard to look at the positive side. It was rough, but we made it through. We all enjoyed ourselves. At Randall's Thanksgiving, we laughed a lot. Skeeter (my BIL) always puts a smile on my face. As for my SIL, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She is having a really hard time carrying babies. They think she lost another. This is about her 4th or 5th miscarriage in about 2 years. It's heartbreaking. I don't know how much more she can handle.

Well, that's about it for now. I will do my best to update the gender, but I can't make any promises. I have a lot on my plate right now. I make a yearly scrapbook that I give to Randall on New Year's Eve. Last year, I had about 60+ pages. This year, I am slacking big time. I think I have completed 15 or so. I need to get on the ball, and that's where a lot of my time will be spent!

Hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving!