I'm Moving - HappyYoungWife.blogspot.com

It's official! I have a new blog address!

When I first started a blog, I was thinking mainly to use it to promote sales and new products at Fashionably Modest Patterns. I soon discovered though, how much I loved blogging and my blog quickly turned into something totally different than I had expected. I love posting pictures. I love posting updates on our life. And I love posting about what God is teaching me as I journey through this thing called life.

After much prayer and advice from my wonderful husband, I have decided to move my blog to HappyYoungWife.blogspot.com. This new "home" will give me the freedom to post all about my life and things I am learning on the journey.**

I will still be doing the weekly Page from My Journal series every week. I also will be starting the weekly polls back up (yay!), although I'm considering changing them to "bi-monthly" polls instead of weekly polls. And I have a whole lot more planned as time goes on as well.

I love my faithful readers - those of you that have been reading here from the beginning (almost a year) and those of you who are brand new followers - and so I'm hoping this transition won't throw you off. :)

I'm having a celebration giveaway all this week over on my new blog, HappyYoungWife.blogspot.com, so come on over and enter for a chance to win a $35 gift certificate!

Click here to hop on over to my new blog, HappyYoungWife.blogspot.com.

**My old blog will still be up and running with a post every great once in a while to inform you about sales or events at Fashionably Modest Patterns.

Winner of Our Sale Giveaway

I'm sorry I'm just now getting the winner of our Sale Giveaway posted. We had my two nieces staying with us this weekend which kept me quite busy. :)

The random winner (picked using random.org) is:

Patchwork Jen

Congratulations, Jen! You should have received an email from me with further information.

Thanks to all who entered and helped pass the word along about our sale. Stay tuned for some exciting news (and another giveaway) that should be coming today or tomorrow!

He Cares for Me

Earlier this week I was struggling. Struggling with fear. Fear about the future.

I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I find it difficult to be content with my circumstances…

I grew up never having to think twice about whether or not I’d have food for dinner. Now I pinch pennies and live on a $25-a-week grocery budget.

I grew up in a huge house, on over 50 acres of land, out in the beautiful country. Now I live in a tiny apartment, where we have difficulty finding a parking spot, and I hear sirens, cars and people all day long.

I grew up never worrying about having access to a car. Now I’ve had to learn how to get by with one car for the two of us. (Except for the weeks my Dad graciously allows me to “borrow” a car…)

I grew up being able to go shopping wherever I wanted and buy whatever clothes I needed. Now I have slowly learned that new clothes aren’t a necessity; hand-me-downs from my sisters can be beautiful; and shopping the clearance racks at the end of summer can lend a whole new wardrobe for only a few dollars.

I grew up never thinking about how much gasoline my car used when I drove over 30 minutes to go somewhere. Now I try and stretch a gallon of gasoline in our car as far as it will go.

Don’t get me wrong. I love being married. I love my life. I love seeing how far we can stretch a dollar.

But sometimes I struggle with great fear about the future. Will I live like this for the rest of my life? Am I always going to have to pinch pennies and live on a very tight budget?

It’s so easy for me to look around at so many other people I know and wish I could be in their shoes. But you know what, when I really think about it, I realize that I don’t want that.

Because I’ve never known and experienced God like I have in the year I’ve been married. Knowing that ultimately it is only by God’s care and love that we live from month to month gives me a reason to pray like I’ve never prayed before. It seems that every time I begin to doubt and fear, God gives me an overwhelming sense of His love and care for us and I am ashamed that I ever doubted Him.

That happened again this week. Some unexpected expenses had come up, my husband’s car quit working, and I was feeling so claustrophobic in our tiny one-bedroom home. I began to worry again. From past experiences, I’ve learned that the best thing is just to take it to the Lord. So that’s what I did.

A simple prayer of asking God to provide for our needs. To watch over us and care for us.

God never lets me down. He always surrounds me with peace and comfort and reminds me of all the times He’s provided in unexpected ways. That alone is enough.

But this week, it seemed that God poured buckets and buckets of love upon me. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on his children.” (Ps. 103:13) Again and again, I felt His whisper in my ear, “This is for you, My child. I love you. I will never leave you. I’ll always take care of you.”

We sold Joe’s car that the car shop said was hopeless (for $50 more than the amount for which I was specifically praying).

God provided 9 lbs of frozen chicken breasts for a little over $15 (and it was the brand I like to buy).

I happened to stop in at Target today and saw that a skirt I had been eyeing for weeks was amazingly on clearance plus I had a coupon (who ever heard of coupons for skirts – well, God gave me one!).

God unexpectedly provided a way to earn extra income this week.

The weather turned beautiful this week…in fact, it was my favorite type of weather: 70’s, sunny, and slightly breezy.

God used several people to be a huge encouragement to me this week.

And the list goes on and on…really, it does!

I am so thankful to be God’s child. My Father owns the entire world and everything in it, so why should I ever doubt that He can and will take care of me?

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills
The wealth in every mine,
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine,
Wonderful riches more than tongue can tell
He is my Father so they’re mine as well.
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills
I know that He will care for me.

How Great Is Our God!

"He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in." (Isaiah 40:22)

Fashionably Modest Patterns - HUGE End of Summer Sale & Giveaway!

I know I haven't posted much about Fashionably Modest Patterns as this blog has turned more into a personal blog than a business blog. But, I did want to let you know that we are having a HUGE End of Summer Sale this week over at Fashionably Modest Patterns! You won't want to miss out on these great prices on ALL our patterns and books...

Our Modest Swimwear patterns are on sale at the lowest price you will ever see them! Prices start at only $6.97. This is a great time to buy a pattern as most fabric stores are having great sales on their swimwear fabric as well. Then spend some time this winter sewing up a couple of new swimsuits so you'll be ready to hit the water next summer!
All of our skirt patterns are also on sale. Our Simple Skirt pattern (which includes directions for three different options of skirts) is only $6.97! This happens a favorite among our customers as it is a super easy design and can quickly be made in just an afternoon
.On top of those great deals, our Classy Flared Pullover Blouse pattern is also priced at only $6.97! And be sure to check out the great prices on all our apron patterns, dress patterns and our other skirt patterns.

Our "I Can Sew" series e-books and booklets are a part of the sale as well. We have lowered the price on our e-book package to only $4.47 (normally priced at $10.97)! This is a HUGE savings and it includes all three levels of the "I Can Sew" e-books. And if you homeschool, this might just be the perfect thing for your daughter this school year for a home economics course.

The End of Summer Sale starts today and will end this Friday evening, August 27, 2010.

Of course, I saved the best news for last! Post about this sale on your blog, facebook, or twitter anytime before this Friday, and you'll be entered to win a pattern of your choice from our store. Yes, that's right, one free pattern sent straight to your home! If you post about the sale, be sure and leave me a comment on this post and include your email address and link to your post (if you can). Please note: This contest/giveaway will end Thursday evening at 11:59PM CST and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader

Hi there, Internet! It's me, Sarah-Anne, but some people call me SA, and since you readers are my friends too, you can call me either one. I'm a 15 year old Christian home-schooled sophomore, living in a small town where borrowing a cup of sugar is no small feat; you have to walk across a field or two to get to the neighbor's house! My family is made up of two loving, and hilarious parents, Mama and Dad, along with a equally hilarious little brother, Clark (11). Not a day goes by that we don't tell each other what so-and-so said, then laugh so hard we cry, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

8:20am: After dozing for twenty minutes, I roll over, grab my Bible out of the my nightstand drawer and start digging into the Word. I love to have my quiet time with God early in the morning because I feel that it shows I put Him first in my life. I'm reading Acts & Psalms in preparation for my Bible studies I'm going to this fall.

8:50am: With a refreshing time in the Word finished, it's off to shower and get ready for the day. Showering in the morning gives me a chance to get up and going without having to talk to anybody. As you can tell, I'm not a morning person but more of a night owl.

9:15am: Out of the shower. Since I'm dressed and my makeup is on, I'm off to greet my family and find some food to stop the rumbles in my stomach.

9:45am: A breakfast of cereal and a quick check of my school email, along with my Gmail one, have improved my outlook on the day, so I decide to start school, which is no small task. I have 8 subjects this year, so I can't afford to fall behind, thus the fact I'm doing school before Sept.

12:45pm: Three subjects (Bible, Geometry & Latin) are under my belt, so I'm off to hang out with my cousin, Sam, who has stopped by to visit for awhile before heading back to her house. She and I both go to the same college, although she's a full time student while I'm just a high-schooler taking free, online classes and earning credit hours.

1:15pm: Sam runs me into our little town to pick up lunch for me and Mama from Subway. We come home to find the house all locked up and no house key to get in! Insert crazy laughter on my part while trying to climb in the garage window and get a ladder for whatever reason. Sam's the cool one, calling Mama to tell her we're locked out. She suggests we try a credit card to pick the lock and it (thankfully!) works, but not before the flies attack my sandwich. As soon as we get in the house, though, some people who are buying our old piano knock on the door. Busy, busy day for me.

2:50pm: Since the buyers of the piano and Sam have left, it's back to school for me. Thankfully, I save the reading for last, so I don't feel pressured to hurry through anything.

4:30pm: I'm finally done with school for the day! It's time to do some chores, like putting on a load or two of laundry. We're also working in the yard this afternoon, prepping for the company we have coming tomorrow afternoon, so I put on my yard work clothes in preparation for taking my turn on the riding mower. I also get on the computer for a quick check of my blog/blogging friends before I start my work.

4:50pm: It's still not quite time for my shift, so I start one of the many loads of laundry and help with the supper prep for Mama.

5:25pm: With the supper preparation done, a load of laundry switched out and sheets hung up on the clothesline outside, it's finally my turn on the mower.


6:20pm: Ahhh, air conditioning never felt so good. Long grass + a strong breeze = one very dirty girl, so I hop into the shower for the second time of the day. Such is the life of a country girl! :)

6:50pm: I feel so much more refreshed after a nice, cool shower, so I take the opportunity to write in my journal(s) while the house is quiet. I recently started to write in a journal, and keep up with them/write in them everyday, and I often wonder why I didn't make an effort to work on writing and sticking with it.

7:00pm: Dinner's ready, so I put away the journal's and head downstairs to grab some chow and eat with the family!

7:30pm: Dinner is over and since everyone helped clean up the kitchen instead of just me and Clark, the kitchen's already clean also. On it's on to my favorite time of the day: Blogging! I seriously love to spend my evening writing emails, chatting with my friends on GChat, working on Scrapblog, and writing out blog posts for the week.

8:15pm: A quick break from my precious blogging time to work on a assignment for my college classes with Mama...

9:45pm: Wow, that took longer than anyone expected, but I'm glad to have it out of the way and not have to worry about it over the weekend. Although it look longer than I wanted the assignment to, I still am able to upload pictures and publish a post for the day.

10:15pm: After a quick few minutes playing around and working on my blog button, it's time for my bedtime routine. Brushing my teeth, grabbing a book to read and saying goodnight to the guys is all in the cards, and I kiss Mama goodnight, heading off to read for awhile.

11:00pm: It's lights out for me! I usually don't go to bed this late, but since it's the weekend, it's justifiable, right? :) I fall asleep thinking about sleeping in and the fun plans I have for the weekend.

Is this something you would like to be a part of? I'd love to hear from you. We are in need of people who are willing to chronicle a day in their life to post on this blog. If you are interested, please email me: modestpatterns @ sbcglobal.net (remove spaces)

Today...

I have a lot to do. Yesterday was my birthday, so I took a break from everything and spent an entire day doing fun things. Girly things. Aside from one 5-minute time to look up directions to a hair salon, I didn't get on my computer once. Nor did I do any cleaning or picking up of my house.

So today, I have a lot to do. And I don't know about you, but days like this are the kind of days I seem to get nothing done. You see, I have little "problem". And it goes like this: I start one project (like cleaning the bathroom), and before I finish it, I get thinking about how the trashes need to be emptied. Before I know it, I'm in the process of emptying the trashes. While emptying the trashes, I remember that I have to water my plants outside before it gets too hot. So I leave the trash where I am, grab a water pitcher and head outside. While I'm out watering the plants, I see the porch hasn't been swept in a while and begin working on that... And on and on the day goes.

At the end of the day, I seem to have accomplished nothing because, while I was working the entire day, not many jobs actually got completed.

But there's a solution to my problem. And on busy days like today, when it seems there are an endless amount of jobs needing to be taken care of, I resort to my list.

My trusty To Do List. Because if I can actually see in writing what needs to be done, and know that when the job is completed I can cross it off my list, then I'm much more motivated to stick with one job until it's finished.

So today, I'm sticking to my To Do List.

What about you? Do you make a list? What is on your to-do list this week?

Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader

(I apologize for posting this late - yesterday was my birthday so I took a break from computer work. Thank you all for your patience with me!)

Sarah "Taleia" Landmann is a 23 year old daughter and older sister to five, enjoying her years of singleness in preparing to be a helpmeet and mother. After being homeschooled her whole life, she earned a degree in English from the College of Southern Maryland, and enjoys teaching English and literature classes to homeschoolers, as well as schooling her youngest three siblings. Currently Sarah is a full-time nanny (and loving every minute of it!) and continues to indulge her love of words. She blogs about her life at www.taleia.blogspot.com.

5:51 AM - My alarm goes off. I hit snooze once but, sadly, eventually I have to get up. :) I'm not much of a morning person - left to my own devices, I tend to be a night owl - and I've been staying up late all weekend using my night-time creative juices to get different projects done, so my schedule is completely upside down. Oh, well! I get up and get dressed (I always lay out an outfit the night before to streamline my morning routine), pack my purse for the day, and head out to work by 6:30am.

7:00 AM - I arrive at my Uncle Chris and Aunt Natalie's house. My aunt went back to work in January and I became a full-time nanny to my cousin, Abigail. I love it! I can honestly say that I've loved every day of my job since I started! Abigail and I are "best buddies" - I even miss her on weekends!

Today Abigail is still sleeping when I arrive, so her daddy hangs around to get her dressed and say goodbye. After we wave goodbye, I feed Abby a breakfast of yogurt, granola, and milk, then we read books on the sofa. Abby loves Dr. Seuss; some of our favorites are "One Fish, Two Fish," "The Cat In The Hat," and "There's A Wocket In My Pocket." In fact, I've memorized "One Fish, Two Fish" from repeated readings! :)

Over the next couple of hours we play with Play-Doh, color, watch "Pooh Bear's Grand Adventure," and play with her toys.

9:00 AM - I load Abby into the car and we drive over to my house.

Several years ago, my sister Maggie (then 14) developed some problems with her arms/hands, which eventually grew so bad that she was unable to use her arms/hands for more than a year for even simple tasks (writing, cutting food, etc). Praise the Lord, after six years of different therapies and treatments she is making improvements - I especially love that she is able to play the piano a little, as she was an accomplished musician before her injuries! However, for several years most of my mom's time was spend taking Maggie to doctor's appointments, therapy sessions, etc, so last year I took over the homeschooling of twins Elizabeth and Allen (now 14). This year, I'll be schooling Ruth (1 year old) as well!

Today is the first day back to school for us. Abby and I arrive around 9:30 am to a kitchen filled with smoke and burnt toast - oops! :) Apparently our toaster has given up the ghost! We unplug it and take it outside to the porch to cool off.

Everyone is still getting their day started when we arrive (hence the burnt toast), so we hang out while everyone finishes eating breakfast, getting dressed, etc. My sister Anna (17) plays downstairs with Abby while I go upstairs to print out today's lesson plans, then around 10:00 am Allen and Elizabeth and I assemble at the kitchen table to start school (Ruth is at a doctor's appointment with my parents in Annapolis, several hours away). Since today is our first day, we spend some time going over the expectations for the year (neatness counts, read the instructions before beginning, show your work, etc) and choosing our first literature book (they both decide on Huckleberry Finn, to my great delight!).

Today we do language arts, math, science, history/geography, and literature. The twins are very independent and have learned to work really well on their own (which is awesome since I'm only at the house a few mornings a week, at best), so after getting them started, I color with Abby in a toddler workbook, play some more Play-Doh, and then she and I go upstairs to hang out with Maggie (20) in her room. We tickle on her bed, feed Maggie's fish, Boeing, and set up an air mattress in my room (I'm hoping the softer surface will help my poor bad back).
1:00 PM - Maggie has a therapy appointment in town, so Abigail and I take her to lunch before dropping her off. We have an incredible Asian cafe in town called Teariffic that has a great dim sum menu and fresh fruit-flavored green tea (Maggie's favorite is the strawberry, and mine is kiwi!). We share our food (and our tea!) with Abby, who also loves Teariffic. :)

2:00 PM - After dropping Maggie off in town, Abigail and I head home - someone needs a nap! After a change of clothes and diaper and some snuggles, Abigail falls asleep in her crib and I have some quiet time to myself. I check my email, and exchange text messages with a young lady in our church who is helping me direct the church's teen drama program for the summer. We decide to get together tomorrow afternoon to work on some costumes and props, and make a list of materials we'll need.

3:45 PM - Chris gets home early, which is a nice surprise! I drive to an out-of-town friend's house to feed her dogs; Anna drops Maggie off there, and we go put gas in the car and get smoothies from Starbucks on our way home.

4:45 PM - We arrive at home. I get changed and jump on the computer to read blogs, check my email again, and write this account of my day. :)

5:30 PM - I head downstairs where dinner - steak, onions, and peppers over rice - is ready. My family almost always sits down together to eat dinner, but tonight several members of my family aren't feeling well, so only my dad, Allen, Ruth, and I sit down together to eat. I enjoy getting to talk with my dad since he's been in California on a business trip for the last two weeks, and the week before that I was in Alabama for a week with my best friend.

After dinner I go back to my room. I try to make up my bed and discover that none of the sheets from my old mattress will fit my new air mattress - they're both queen-size, but I guess air mattresses are a little wider at the sides. I finally get it made up and test it out for awhile. :) I'm wishing I'd gotten some coffee earlier! While I'm relaxing, I spend some time trading text messages with my best friend, who lives in Alabama, and in February gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy in the world! It's tough being so far away, especially during this exciting time in her life, but I'm so thankful for emails, text messages, and Facebook that helps us stay connected!

7:00 PM - I get up after awhile and take some bags of clothes downstairs to take to the thrift store tomorrow. While I'm downstairs I see my overstuffed purse and spread out on the mudroom floor for awhile with my Fuze, listening to music and cleaning out my purse. While I'm there, I figure I might as well clean out my make-up case, too. :)

I relax on my bed and do devotions now that I'm fully awake. :) I'm working through a book called "Looking Inward" that I received at my church's ladies conference. It examines the lives of many biblical women and their character traits or flaws.

8:00 PM - I get up to get ready for bed. After a shower and some PJ's, I' watch the second half of a movie I started last night and was too sleepy to finish. By 9:00 PM, I'm dreaming. :)

A Week at the Lake

Last week, we enjoyed a wonderful vacation with my entire family. Every year, my family travels to Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas and spends a week skiing, tubing, snorkeling, swimming, jumping off cliffs, talking and laughing, and lots more. This year, we included in a couple of trips to the bowling alley, as well as a couple of trips to the ice cream shop in town.

No, this jeep doesn't belong to me or anyone in my family, but it made a great subject. :) Not to mention the fact that I absolutely love jeeps.

A highlight of the week for me - All 4 of us sisters attempting hang on to the ski ropes (on our swimming mats) while Dad pulled us in the boat. We love being crazy together! (Thanks to my hubby for the picture!)

The view from our cabin (and yes the boat in the picture happens to be family skiing). I was having a terrible time with my camera fogging up because it was so humid there. Nevertheless, I finally got this picture. :)

As of today, all of the laundry has finally been washed and put away, the suitcases are back in the closet, and the house is clean (well, picked up at least). Even though I haven't been home much at all since we arrived home from the vacation, I'm grateful for the 15-minute-slot today in which I was able to finish cleaning everything up. It's amazing what you can get accomplished in 15 minutes if you know that's all you have. And it's also an amazing feeling to bring your husband home to a clean house and hear him say how much it blessed him. (We are back to one car right now, which means I have been taking Joe into work - and picking him up from work - several days a week.)

After being away for a week, then coming home and being gone some more, then working and running errands all day, plus driving across town 4 times today, I'm just plain worn out. In fact, I've done some pretty ridiculous things today because I'm so tired (including getting all twisted up in my computer cords while trying to answer the phone...). 

So I'm hoping for some good sleep tonight as the daily cycle will start again. Tomorrow morning.

And by the way, there are some exciting changes coming to my blog in the very near future! So stay tuned; you won't want to miss them.

Let Your Light Shine

 

 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 5:14-16

 I’ve been meditating on these verses the past couple of days. Specifically in ways of how I can be a light that is shining brightly. You see, I’m just a wife. My job is all via the Internet so I work from home. The people I spend most my time with are my family and my husband.

I’ve been pondering how this could apply to a person like me. Can those of us that aren’t rubbing shoulders with lost people every day still find ways to be a brightly shining light?

Actually, yes! I believe that God not only desires us to be a light to those who don’t know Him, but also to those who do. There are hundreds of little (and big!) opportunities God gives us each and every day.

In fact, I think the biggest opportunity comes the second we wake up. The attitude I demonstrate will instantly build my husband up or tear him down. A sweet smile to a sleepy child (or husband!) can be a way to light up their day. A word of encouragement or blessing as my husband leaves for work is a way I can shine.

If you are alert to God’s promptings, you will see many little ways each day in which you can be a light. You hear about a friend who is hurting…write them a small note to let them know you’re praying. A new neighbor moves into your neighborhood…bake a batch of cookies for them. Your husband seems tired from work…spend time rubbing his shoulders. Make something a little extra special for dinner. Read a book to your child. Ask a family member how you can be praying for them today.

There are so many ways we can be a light to those we around and show God’s love to them. It reminds me of a song my Mom used to sing to me when I was little:

Jesus bids us shine

With a pure, clear light,

Like a little candle

Burning in the night.

In this world of darkness

So let us shine—

You in your small corner,

And I in mine.

Jesus bids us shine,

First of all for Him;

Well He sees and knows it,

If our light grows dim.

He looks down from Heaven

To see us shine—

You in your small corner,

And I in mine.

Jesus bids us shine,

Then, for all around;

Many kinds of darkness

In the world are found—

Sin and want and sorrow;

So we must shine—

You in your small corner,

And I in mine.

Is your light shining brightly today?

Anniversary Trip

Our destination was a quaint little Swedish town

I ended up being super sick (not too surprising as I was really sick our entire honeymoon as well!) with a fever, cold chills, headache, sore throat, and the sniffles so we didn't do much "exploring" of the little town. We did eat our cake and watch the wedding video, though, along with doing a lot of talking and reminiscing.

Our beautiful cake topper -- a year later -- and it really did still taste yummy. :)

We spent Sunday morning driving to Coronado Heights. The view was spectacular! There is something beautiful about flat open plains.

Enjoying the view - you could see for miles

Another view of Coronado Heights

A year of marriage and more in love than ever!

It was a lovely vacation (even though I was sick). I love spending time with my husband.

Page from My Journal: Chronicling A Day in the Life of A Reader

Jessica has been married for almost five years to her wonderful husband. She has 3 little ones, Jack who is newly 3, Anna who will be 2 at the end of the month, and Lily who is almost 6 months. She is blessed to be a stay at home mom. In her spare time she blogs at Ramblings of A Mommy-SAHM about her life, managing her littles, and what God is teaching her.

I want to say that my day began at 6:30am, but I suppose technically last Tuesday my day began in the wee hours of the morning, around 2 o'clock. Such is life with a nursing infant, though!

2:00am - Lily wakes up, wanting to eat. I feed her as quickly as I can(even though I don't really have any control over that!) and put her back to bed.

5:30am - Lily is awake again. She is going through a phase where she consistently wakes up at 5:30am. I feed her, lay her back down, and debate whether or not I should go back to bed or not since my alarm is set to go off in less than a half hour. I opt to go back to bed, hoping I won't be too tired to get up.

6:30am - My alarm goes off and I get up. I don't always want to get up before everyone else, but it's the only way to ensure that I get to spend time with the Lord. I am currently going through Proverbs. After I fix my cup of coffee and get a bowl of oatmeal, I sit down to do my Bible study. Today I am on chapter 28, and the verse I spend the most time meditating on says, "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." I spend some time praying over this verse, and ask God to help Erik and I make wise decisions that will glorify Him, and not to be hasty and do what we think is right, but to seek the Lord.

8:00-9:00am - I take a quick shower, feed Lily, and get Jack and Anna up to start the day. Jack goes potty, and then I feed them breakfast. Cheerios, bananas, and yogurt is the breakfast of choice around here. Jack practically thinks it's a special treat. He even goes as far as calling yogurt ice cream. Whatever he wants to think, I guess.

During this time my husband, Erik, also gets up. He is in his last year of college right now, and today he doesn't have to be at school. He is taking online classes this summer to save gas, and is helping people get yard work done over the summer. The kids always get so excited when their daddy comes downstairs in the morning. Today Anna applauds when she first sees him.

9:00am -12:00pm - Mornings at my house are pretty crazy. There is always house work that needs done, and the children are almost constantly needing something. If it's a day where errands need ran, mornings are even more hectic. Today is no exception. I get the kids dressed, Erik has to leave to help some people, and I try to start a load of laundry. Lily goes down for her morning nap, and Jack, Anna, and I read a couple of books and look at letters on Starfall. As we are doing this I am trying really hard not to stress too much that the house is a mess and desperately needs cleaned. It's a constant battle for me to sit and enjoy my children, and not make housework my first priority. I, of course, do housework while they are awake it's just hard for me to find a balance. I'm always reminding myself that time is short, and they won't be little forever!

As with most days, there is always times of training going on at my house. At one point Jack was trying to take a toy away from Anna, and I had to have a talk with him. Though, I must admit it is very hard to keep a straight face disciplining when you say, "Tell Anna that you're sorry for being selfish." And Jack says,"Anna, I'm sorry for being shell fish."

After awhile, we go outside and play. It is miserably hot, but the kids don't seem to mind. Erik calls to let me know he is heading home for lunch, so I bring everyone inside to start preparing lunch.

12:00-1:00pm - I fix the kids peanut butter and jelly, and give them some grapes and strawberries for lunch. I fix Erik some Eggs and toast, and then it's time to feed Lily. Generally, I don't eat lunch with the kids because it seems every time I sit down someone needs something! Usually I just wait until they go down for their nap, and I enjoy a quiet lunch. While they are eating we go through our memory verse, which is Colossians 3:20. That says, "Children obey your parents in all things for this pleasing to the Lord." Hmm, can't imagine why we'd be teaching them that verse!

Since Erik is home, I'm able to run to the store to pick up some milk. It's Anna's turn to come with me this time, so we enjoy some time alone. Erik and I try really hard to give one on one time to each child. When we get home, it's time for Erik to run back out and time for the children to take naps. They usually go down really well, which is such a blessing!

1:00-3:00pm - I eat some lunch finally, and read a couple of blogs. I'm really tired today so I take a little nap, and then try to work up some energy to exercise. I still have about 12 more pounds of baby weight that I need to lose, so I try to exercise and eat healthy.

3:00-4:00pm - I run/ walk on the treadmill for awhile, and then eat a small snack. Finally I tackle some housework. Tuesday night is the night my husband and some of his friends get together for a Bible study, so I focus on getting our front room deep cleaned.

4:00-5:00pm - Erik is home by now, and we sit and talk for awhile. Lily is awake too, so we play, and enjoy her sweet personality.

5:00-6:00pm - It's Vacation Bible School week at church, so Erik has to run up and help with the music for an hour. Jack and Anna are awake by now, and it's time for me to make dinner. I decide to make chicken enchiladas. While I boil the chicken, the kids and I ice some leftover cupcakes from Jack's third birthday. During the time I make dinner, the kids are always running around and sometimes getting into things they shouldn't be. Today I have them sit at the table to color and look at books. Jack could color all day long if I let him. Anna isn't as excited about having to sit down after a long nap, but she finally settles down and enjoys looking at pictures of Courdroy and Curious George.

6:00-8:00pm - Erik is home, and we sit down and have dinner. Anna eats all her dinner quickly and Jack picks at the chicken. We try to pick our battles when it comes to food, so we don't make Jack eat the chicken, he just isn't allowed to have desert.

After, dinner I clean up the dishes and Erik takes the kids outside. After awhile I join them. Before long it's time to go inside and get ready for bed. We give them their baths, brush their teeth(which can be a big battle!), and tuck them in. Bed time is also Bible time with Daddy. He reads to them from our Jesus Storybook Bible and prays with them before saying goodnight.

8:00-11:00pm - Erik's Bible study group comes over, and I head to our bedroom. Tuesday nights while they have their small group is usually a good time for me to write on my blog or read. Tonight I decide to listen to a sermon by Mark Driscoll on the book of Ruth. I also read some blogs and check my email. Around 10:30 I feed Lily and Erik comes upstairs. We talk about the day, and discuss the book we are both reading, Radical by David Platt. It is a very interesting book and we are enjoying some really good discussion as a result! We turn out the light a little after eleven and I go straight to sleep.