It must be hormonal....but please come visit me at http://pinkexplosion.wordpress.com we are moving!
Please bear with me over there....I am still trying to figure wordpress out, I hope I end up liking it because it is a good amount of work to move.
Also look around and see if you notice anything (wink wink)!
Our friends daughter has recently started doing hippotherapy, what an amazing opportunity for her and we are all anxiously awaiting to see results.
I had never heard of hippotherapy (another link) until her mom told me about it and I felt like this newer version of therapy needed a light shined upon it. It is used for occupational therapy, speech therapy, as well as physical therapy. There are locations across the country and the trained licensed therapists are amazing individuals with a true talent and blessing from the Lord.
Here is an excerpt from AHA's website: Equine movement provides multidimensional movement, which is variable, rhythmic and repetitive. The horse provides a dynamic base of support, making it an excellent tool for increasing trunk strength and control, balance, building overall postural strength and endurance, addressing weight bearing, and. motor planning. Equine movement offers well-modulated sensory input to vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile and visual channels.
Most centers have waiting lists because the research has been so promising on hippotherapy and there is such a need for more therapists.
The girls and I have been asked if we wanted to watch a session and we are so excited to see this amazing and invaulable resource in action!
We love spring in this house, we really do. Hubby, Claire and I love getting our hands dirty getting rid of the dead and planting new life. This past weekend we carried out part one of our yard plan, to include re-shaping the garden, laying new sod in some areas, and re-vamping the dog run.
An extra plus was the addition of our new frog and goldfish pond, Claires FAVORITE project! We had trouble deciding where to put it, do we put it in the front for all to see (and risk a child falling in) or do we put it in the back for our own selfish enjoyment. We decided we are selfish people. If you use tap water it takes 7 days to dechlorinate the water, so we will probably wait until after Easter to go buy our new friends. Hubby says that if/when we move and we decide to do another pond we will be using the pre-fabricated ponds as opposed to the kind you shape and make yourself.
We also have made room for our new herb garden. This was hubbies idea because I cook with fresh herbs so much he felt it would be more cost efficient to grow our own. We have never done fruits and veggies either but we are going to give it a whirl this year too. Our fear is that Texas has a drought every other year or so and I don't want to have a high water bill because we have a huge garden. Oh well I guess we will have to wait and see.
Phase two will be carried out in a few weeks since Easter is next weekend and the following weekend we will be helping our friends move here!! Phase two will consist of laying flagstone around the pond (to hide the tarp), adding critters to the pond, and I am thinking of even adding a few water lillies. We will also be adding color to the front yard garden, planting the herb garden, and planting any veggies we decide to go with. Hubby is itching to re-stain the fence (though this project doesn't necessarily suit my fancy). Last year we were given a GIGANTIC picnic table by our friends who moved and hubby would really like to give it away and make a smaller more feasible picnic table. I am hesitent but our friends encouraged us to do so, in turn I guess we will not have a 9 foot table but rather a 6 foot table. I am sure phase two will consist of other odds and ends but I know these are the definites. Pictures will come when everything is finished and looking lovely!
Anyone else doing a garden?
is another persons treasure! Last week as I was leaving to take Claire to class I saw one of our neighbors had a Little Tikes house in pieces out by the road the day before trash day. I immediately called hubby and he said he would check things out on his way home, it turns out they really didn't want it, so he loaded it up into his truck and brought it home. He refused to take it to the back yard until he knew all the pieces were there and that it wasn't a disheveled mess. It went together easily, the phone is missing and the "stove" has some wear on it, but other than that it was all there. I seriously think these people threw it away because it was "dirty" and indeed it is dirty but elbow grease has fixed all of that. You can buy the parts for it, but I don't really think that it is necessary, neither does Claire apparently because she hasn't mention it.
Anyone else find a great find?
The Resurgence has an article written by Wendy Alsup that I think anyone in womens ministry should read because these four things are often done and people are left scratching their heads as to what happened.
1. Make women's ministry your first priority.
I'm not saying to forget your husband and kids. I'm just saying to think of them as less fulfilling than women's ministry. I had a time in my life when I would drive to church praying intently that the Lord would bless my ministry there, guard my words, and guide my responses. Then one day, the Holy Spirit convicted me that I never prayed the same as I drove toward my house. Women's ministry at church had assumed the place of God's Big Thing in my life. And yet I knew that my ministry to my husband and boys was even more important than my ministry at church. Why was I allowing myself to find fulfillment in one and drudgery in the other?
I think this is Satan's big tool in ministry at every level. I hear about it from church planters and pastors all the time. They get their priorities out of order and sacrifice family on the altar of ministry. I want to be used by God to further His kingdom--but I must always remember that my kingdom influence begins in my home. How can I be a help to my husband in his obligations? How can I minister to my boys? And, from there, how can I minister to those outside of my home in a way that is a blessing and not a burden to my family? Whose needs get sacrificed first? I must be willing to say NO to church things if they interfere with my God-given obligations toward my home.
*****I have experienced rule number 1 before, and I vow to never allow that to happen again, thankfully I am blessed with a husband who will tell me no when I discuss doing ___, or when I have over extended myself. ****
2. Become territorial.
If you are approached by church leadership about restructuring your current pet project, take it personally, resent the leader, and stealthily sow discord among your coworkers in the ministry.
This is SUCH a temptation. I've watched it happen in many ministries over the years. I'm thankful that our elders have done a good job of modeling the exact opposite response. I really got a vision for this as I read Pastor Mark's book, Confessions of a Reformission Rev. It showed me that our pastors are serious about reaching those who need Jesus in our city, and they are willing to step out of their comfort zone to do it. They have all had pet projects that have been sacrificed over the years because they simply weren't the best use of our limited resources. But they take it in stride because they love Jesus and value the mission to reach Seattle above their personal interests.
I've had my fair share of opportunities for bitterness in ministry over the years. All were temptations to me to take it personally, wear hurt feelings on my shoulder, and project disunity about the ministry to others. Instead, I needed to respect God's sovereign right to administer such things as He saw fit. We women can be some of the worst at being territorial and tearing at each other when we feel our territory threatened. But be warned--this is how women's ministries are fractured and destroyed. And women who participate in such sowing of disunity, in my humble opinion, need to step aside from leadership until they get a grip on the importance of humility. You cannot lead without it!
3. Resent your God-given authority structure.
Don't seek your elders' input ahead of time for a big decision in ministry and resent their concerns when expressed. And if your husband asks you to pull back from a ministry opportunity because it interferes with family responsibilities, make him feel your disapproval whenever possible.
In reality, our God-given authority and accountability structure is there for all of our good. Each elder, deacon, and lay leader at Mars Hill has an accountability structure in place for their good and God's glory. We all need someone who can tell us when our enthusiasm has run ahead of our good sense. This is hard to take when you have a vision for something big. But if you believe in God's good hand in directing such authority structures, you'll soon see the safety net they provide for each of us in leadership.
4. Ignore life issues or stages of life that you haven't experienced personally.
We tend to identify and empathize with people that share similar backgrounds to us and therefore are burdened to equip people in the areas with which we have struggled. But will your ministry only minister to people like you? Are you even aware of the people in your sphere of influence whose background and struggles are different from yours?
*****This is SO HUGE TO ME! Until now we have never attended a church that really didn't ignore stages and issues and it has been terrible to see! A woman struggling with something needs to be able to work thru her issues!*****
My advice is to surround yourself with counselors at different stages of life from you. Our current women's ministry team has singles and marrieds, with and without kids, including a grandmother. Our team also has ladies from different ministry departments. One is involved with community groups and can speak to the issues raised in this ministry. Another is involved with our addiction recovery/redemption groups and raises issues concerning the struggles these members face. Another represents our counseling ministry and speaks to the issues she sees there. We've only just begun using this system but believe it will help us keep a well-rounded perspective of the needs of our women as a whole. There are women crushed under the weight of raising their kids sitting by women crushed because they just miscarried or can't get pregnant. There's the woman struggling because she feels abandoned by the men in her life, while another is trying to figure out how to deal with a husband she despises. There's the 65-year-old childless widow and the 65-year-old grandmother whose husband was just diagnosed with prostate cancer. Are you aware and responsive to the variety of forms women's suffering and struggles take?
****I feel like another rule should have been gossip and slander. Far to often the leaders are the ones with the most loose tounges telling their sister, mom, daughter, friend just because they felt like they should tell that person to "pray for the other person". People say that, but that isn't what they are trying to do, they are using prayer as masking tape over the true issue....they just want to tell someone.
Proverbs 18:8 "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts." ****
Twice in one day! Whoa!
I was tagged by Heidi for this meme.
What if I could meet someone in the art world to chat with?
Gosh I don't know...can I cheat and change it from art world to music world? If so I would meet Piotr Ilyitch Tschaivosky, something about his music just moves me.
What if I could have one wish granted for the benefit of all mankind?
I would like to say that all would come to know the Lord as their personal savior, but Biblically that wont happen, so I would say that everyone could learn how to be content. Content with their lives, their homes, cars whatever it is that they possess. To end this dog - eat - dog society.
What if I could travel anywhere in the world?
Alaska. Hubby really wants to go here more than anywhere else so I would take him.
What if I could live in a period other than the present, for 24 hours?
I would say several Biblical stories come to mind that I think would be awesome to have witnessed.
What if I could make over one area of my body?
My hair, unfortunately I have thin wispy hair so I can't grow it very long.
What if I could become an animal for 24 hours?
House-cat, hands down. They lead the sweet life, I'm telling you!!
What if I could bring someone back to life for 24 hours?
No
Hubby and I have really been thinking and praying about the upcoming elections lately, our sermon this past Sunday even mentioned them as well and what may end up happening. So I should warn you that I may offend you in this post.
This election regardless of which side of the fence you stand on could seriously change the direction America could go. Everything we have stood and fought for regarding our ethics and morals could be wiped away in 24 hours. Will America quit supporting Jerusalem? Will we no longer be blessed as the nation who has helped protect Jerusalem? Will our right to homeschool taken away nationwide?
I have heard several people say "it is scary to think of what will happen should ____ win." Yes, it will be "scary" but our home sees it thru a different light. The Lord has told us already what will happen in the end times and we know that we will not be around to witness the true "scariness" of it all. I know that the Lord will return one day and when he does he will take us home and we will be secure with him.
Should you vote? ABSOLUTELY! Should you pray? ABSOLUTELY! If you know Jesus as your personal Lord and savior though, you need to trust in him that he will protect you!
Yes, seriously we have been gone again! If you think your sick of reading about us being gone just know we are sick or all the laundry that needs to get done when we come home!
We traveled "home" for a friends wedding that hubby was blessed to be a part of on Thursday. Then we spent the next 48 hours doing wedding events but it was fantastic! The rehearsal dinner was a hoot as it had a Texas theme centered around it (I will try to post pictures later today) with bbq, potato salad, beans, and peach cobbler of course! My husband is the shy, quiet and reserved groomsmen but he was put in charge of the evenings "festivities" that went off without a hitch. The wedding was beautiful and I adored the brides wedding gown. They had done something I have never seen before at a wedding...after they lit the unity candle the wedding party as well as the family gathered around them and prayed for them before they were introduced as a couple. I was moved, though something/anything about weddings moves me! On a side note I would just like to add how great my hubby looked in a tux!
Though our weekend was PACKED full of wedding events we were blessed with a few moments to catch up with our friends who moved back home. In addition to seeing them we were triple blessed by being able to see them, siblings, parents and grandparents for a great BBQ cookout. That was so great for us and hubs and I both agreed that it was a HUGE blessing to us to be able to truly reconnect with them. We are trying to convince them to come visit us here. :)
Another fantastic event was being able to stay with hubbies parents. They too recently moved back "home" and they ironically moved back into the same house that my husband lived in during high school! He loved being back in their house and he said he really felt "at home" which was great to see. And on top of all of this, we were able to attend church where we got married. Being the big cheese that I am, I asked my sister in law to take our picture so I can have a "then" and "now" she was a good sport but hubs thought I was a dork.
It was nice, yet crazy being able to drive around the city seeing how everything has changed yet hasn't changed. We really want to go back again soon and hopefully now with hubbies new job we will be able to visit much more frequently.
We have never had vision insurance I heard the collective gasps across the lands. While hubby was at his last job vision insurance hardly covered anything and it was insanley overpriced so we just nixed it. Fortunetly after we moved here we made friends with some opthamologists and they would swing us "the friend discount" on our exams as well as lenses and contacts so we never had to break our bank.
With hubbies new job we decided to sign up for the insurance because it was pennies a pay check and it covered a good variety of needs (including me getting my eyes re-zapped in a few years).
Hubs just emailed me and informed me that our new insurance is taken by our friends and that our friends even claim that we have great insurance. We are praising the Lord! Hubs is in serious need of new frames so we already scheduled everyones exam and for $40.00 for everyone to get frames and exams...I think we can swing it again!
A while back when I was first introduced to Pampered Chef I wasn't too impressed by anything I saw so I constantly declined parties (yes I was that person). A while later our friends moved here and that woman had EVERYTHING pampered chef, after watching her use it for 18 months my view started to soften, she drug me to my first party where I ordered one thing because hubby had been wanting our friends.
Fast forward to a few months ago and a friend kept begging asking me to host a cooking show and I finally conceeded. I invited some people and just hoped that I would have enough people to "make a show" and my expectations were blown away! Most of the people I invited brought others and we had a full house, it was awesome.
Because I had such a great show I got lots of money to use for my family. Hubby got his pick on things and we are loving our new products. I almost hate to admit it.....but I think I am getting addicted and crossing over to the other side.
Do you do Pampered Chef? Have you been procrastinating on order anything?
An American Flag will be draped over the coffin of a young man,
A brave young solider will be lowered into the ground with grace and dignity,
A 21 gun salute will be given in his honor,
His parents will weep,
His wife will weep,
His daughter of a young age will not understand what is happening,
A flag will be folded with perfection then placed in the arms of his widow,
His family will have an empty chair at Easter,
And our country will have one less warrior standing tall and proud defending her.
I will spare you the mundane details, but I will tell you that the rest of our trip was spent doing this
Even baby got a turn sledding. 
This child LOVED eating the snow. At first I wouldn't let her because I thought it was nasty, and then I decided to give in, she was thrilled.
They all looked like this immediately after we got in the car.
We had a great time, and we thought being gone well over a week would be too long but it flew by. We also had the joy/privilege to go with her to her first ob appointment where we found out she wasn't 8 weeks pregnant but rather 12 weeks!! Even though baby isn't that old I had forgotten how great it is to see your babies picture on the sonogram. We are looking forward to their visit this summer and we may return again when she has the baby, we will see only the Lord knows what is going to happen so why stress about it?!
The girls had fun flying like this, it didn't last too to long but it did last a little while!
We got off the plane and made our way towards baggage claim, we saw our friends and I am not sure who walked quicker the girls or the mommies. For all of us it was as though distance has not been between us, which made me cry of course. Her hubby followed them there so he could leave from there go to work, so we all headed for lunch, since my bags would not arrive for another two hours. Before we left the airport I spoke with the baggage claim representative and he informed me that if luggage goes around more than once they pull it off and keep it behind the counter (which is good to know for future reference). I described my bags to him, and he told me he would go ahead and pull them in case we weren't back in time. Again this airline is VERY helpful!
After lunch we headed back to the airport, where indeed he held my luggage behind the counter. After getting everything loaded we headed for home. The drive was just beautiful and unlike anything Texas has!!
Our day was spent with the girls playing and the mommies talking. It was great seeing the girls interact with each other, and it was amazing to see how big their youngest child had gotten (she was 9 months when they moved 9 months ago).
The next day we decided to venture out and I got to go to my first Fred Mayer, holy smokes can I just say I would shop there daily if we had them here in Texas. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Fred Mayer it is very similar to a Wal Mart with the exception that they sell name brand clothes and furniture, as well as more upscale things. Think Dillards or Macy's combined with an HEB and a Target. My poor friend had to practically drag me out of store when it was time to check out. We also ventured to Costco, which is just like any other Costco except it isn't in Texas! Hehe.
The next day.......
I ended up buying this stroller, it was a good mix of what we both wanted. Here is where I rave about it....I really did love it and I highly recommend it.
I didn't get everything into one suitcase like I had hoped. I had one large one and a smaller one. My carry on items were my diaper bag, bottle bag, snugli, and my backpack with entertainment for Claire.
The first flight was a breeze because both of them took about 30 minute naps in the midst of the 2+ hour flight. The airline was FANTASTIC and gave Claire extra special treatment which was greatly appreciated. We were the first ones on the plane and I was the first one off the plane, when we got off the stroller was there waiting for us.
I exited the runway only to find out that our next terminal we needed to be at was right in front of us, I panicked when I saw the sign saying that it was boarding for the city we were heading to so I made a mad dash for it, handed the lady my ticket and started down the runway. The entire time I was freaking out because I was supposed to have almost a two hour layover yet I was somehow late anyways. I got on the plane put my stuff away and there were people in my seat, the stewardess asked to see my tickets only to inform me I WAS ON THE WRONG PLANE! I wigged out, and told her I was getting off, she told me we had already boarded and they would make it work somehow.
I kept telling her I would happily get off but she insisted that I stay, so we sat down in the isle across from where we were supposed to be and I called my friend and hubby to let them know I was on a earlier flight. She came back and told me it was too late to get my luggage for me and that it would arrive later, I didn't have any other choice than to say okay. After we had taken off I found out they ended up bumping two people for us, which made me feel even worse.
Again the staff was very accommodating to us and they (Frontier) will get my business again and again. When I had told people who I was taking not one single person had anything positive to say about them, which made me really nervous, but other than me getting on the wrong plane which was MY fault everything was terrific. Our second plane landed and.......to be continued.
***On a side note it does amaze me though how the TSA made us take off our shoes and go thru an extensive screening process only for them to allow me to get on the wrong plane without checking.***
We are home from our trip! You didn't even know we were gone did you? That is because my husband did a wonderful job filling in for me while I was gone! I posted Friday but that was it, thanks babe!
I am going to spend today and tomorrow regrouping but come back Tuesday for travel details!!
I love hair bows! I think they are adorable and a must have for all little girls. Hubby agrees but has a hard time with me spending $8 and up for just one hair bow. I decided that it was high time I learn how to make my own, and I have and it has been GREAT! I googled making hair bows and found this website. Praise the Lord for these lovely ladies because they have saved me lots and lots of money. I drove to my local Hobby Lobby and spent $20.00 on fabric and clips, and here are my results so far.
I still have tons of ribbon to use up, but the price difference has been fantastic and my hubby has given me the green light to go back and buy more ribbon if I would like. Next time hopefully the ribbon will be on sale or I can print a 40% off coupon online (this week was for Wilton products). If you have girls I encourage you to go to this website and learn to make them yourself. I have no creative gene in my body, but I can twist, tie, sew, and use a glue gun.
Once you are done making your bows they even give you ideas on how to make bow holders. I made the girls one like this and I am going to make one like this for a friends daughter.
This bow came courtesy of Crate and Barrel, I just cut it down to make it more reasonable for a four year olds head.
