Saturday, January 28, 2012

guess what?




i've got some really, really good news for you today.

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christmas gift art print church god jesus love child nursery - JUST BELIEVE (deluxe edition)





not that you didn't already know that, but sometimes it's good to be reminded.

never, ever, forget.

you are loved.

xo,

mary


Thursday, January 26, 2012

we're sharing...

...and for once, i'm totally against it.

i'm usually all for sharing.
after all, refereeing children in the midst of battle is my forte, but not this time.
go ahead...
share the cat.
share your toys.
share the remote.
share your gum.
by all means share the love for goodness sake!
but please, please, please don't share your germs!



it all started on the tragic night that the broncos and tim tebow lost to the patriots.
that was a stinky game and i'm still not over it.   hrrrmmmph.
we sat dazed at my sisters house trying to ignore the fact that they were getting absolutely whooped.
i kept grabbing for more jalepeno poppers to ease the pain.
ok, not really.
but that's when it hit.
elly had a headache and wasn't feeling well.

since then, this 'thing' has made it's way through every. single. one. of the kids.

it starts off like this,

"mom, i have a really bad headache."
it's baaaaad, you guys.

then it's like this,

"mom{or dad}, my stomach hurts, can you get me a garbage can?"  *insert throwing up*

followed by,

"my neck and blood vessels in my head hurt really bad!  they won't stop pounding!"
for like, at least, two full days.  *insert mom panic*

with a side of,

majorly swollen glands making it sound like they have severe strep throat.

lethargic.

annnnnd drumroll please.......................

a massive head cold with lots o' draining snot.
you can hear me telling the boys to get their finger out of their noses{and get a tissue!}on a minute by minute basis.
no joke.

thank the Lord right now that you do not have this in your house!  really, do it.   :)
i have no idea where it came from, but it can go home right now.

while jack suffered  the most yesterday, he was still feeling the effects today.
he even thought it was necessary to take extra precautions.
he's always prepared.



isn't that precious?  this kid cracks. me. up.
he wasn't to keen on me photographing him, but i'm so glad i did so i'll have it to remember.
:)


this morning since everyone was still recovering{or just starting to get sick}, i did what every good mom would do.
i let the kids have the day off from school.  ahhh...the beauty of home school.  :).
elly, my oldest, is the only one fully recovered, so she spent the day crafting and sewing away.
she and maddie make pins, banners, cozies, pot holders, etc...and sell them in a local shop.
isn't that sweet?  the lady who owns the shop is such a blessing to us.
in this post, you can read about some of their creations.
maddie sold every single one of her flower pins, and made $45.00!!!
that's a lot of money for a 10 year old!
she has a whole new batch made, just waiting to be dropped off.


elly's bird coffee cozy.


i tried my hand at a camera on the cozy{with ric rac for the camera strap}...you see it?!?
henry{my most wonderful and youngest son}, told me it looked like a window with a little kids head in it, with no eye balls or face.
awesome...exactly what i was going for!


all in all, it was a wonderful day.
the kids got lots of rest.
we ate mini tacos and e.l. fudge chocolate filled buttery cookies for lunch{mother of the year, i know}.
we prayed for friends and those we know that need it.
we sang songs together.
we thanked the Lord for His goodness, even in sickness.
really, we did.
 :)

so...
...you must listen to this song!
i love it.  a. lot.


                                       


i am truly thankful to have my kids at home with me, and while the sickness isn't fun,
we still made lots of great memories.
how was your day?  


now i have one favor to ask...
please, please pray that my husband and i don't. get. sick.
thank you!
:)

xo,

mary 








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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

virtual coffee:::the good news and the bad news

hello. hello. hello!
i'm having coffee with amy this afternoon today, because a.m. blogging just aint happenin' over here, friends. 
i have lots of news to share over my dunkin' donuts hazelnut flavored coffee{black, of course}, given to me from some of my sweet  friends at church.
it's funny how God takes care of even our littlest wants in this world.
it's like He thought,
"oh, you don't have any more coffee left?  i think i'll send some for you at church tonight from some super thoughtful and loving friends.  just because i love you."
yes, the Lord blesses us with our wants, too.
how cool is that?

and speaking of love, and coffee...
check this little number out.
it is very good news.
you must speed click over here right now to check out sweet alicia's amazing creations.
be warned...they sell out faster than the speed of light.
adorable, right?   oh, yes.
i will definitely be the girl who carries the cutest coffee cozy at the co-op now!
in fact, i bought two.  because two are better than one.
and my daughter and i won't have to fight over it.  ;)
soon i will post about my other goodies from her shop.  
be warned...my pictures don't do them justice.





ok, more good news: a 10 p.m. cereal date with my little guy.
the bad news: we were awake and eating cereal at 10 p.m. because he was sick.  again. or still.  not sure which one.
boo. 
notice the sicky pink cheeks and half hearted smile?  
he is such a trooper for momma.
and speaking of momma/bad news...can i just say boo to zits, too?  i am 32 now...i think i have earned clear skin. 
my favorite feature on the soon to be closing {RUDE!} picnik  is the blemish fix.
man i'm gonna miss that.
deleted!





the good news:  the girls and i have been crafting, sewing, and knitting up a storm.  well, i don't knit, but...
the bad news:  we would rather be crafting, sewing, and knitting rather than doing school books, BUT!  i do believe home-economics to be a very necessary course in life.  especially for two little girls.
eleanor sewed her very first zipper in today and it looks a.m.a.z.i.n.g!
their talents never cease to amaze me!



the good news:  my daughter has been very diligent to read her Bible and do her own devotions every day.
absolutely precious.   i snuck in on her the other morning...
the bad news:  i know i need to be a better example of this diligence to my children.  i lack in so many areas.
so, really, this is good news in both aspects.  she spends time with the Lord, and encourages us[yes, me, her mother} to do the same.  faithfully.



the good news:  i got to take TWO naps in the last two days AND cuddle with this little guy before everyone woke up the other morning.
the bad news:  the naps i took were because we have this terrible virus going around our house!  ack!
it starts off with a blasting headache with a side of the stomach flu{for some}, and finishes off with massively swollen glands and what sounds like a full sore throat.  for like FIVE days.
yeah.
you don't want it.
i can sense that you want to go wash your hands now and so do i.
it's nasty.
go ahead, sanitize away!


and lastly, just for kicks...
the good news:  we love love love our kitty!
he is such a sweet kitty and  i think he loves us, too.
the bad news:  said kitty likes to climb up my slipcovered dining room chairs, scratch at my cowhide ottoman, and he has ruined 2 cranes from this mobile that i ordered from etsy this past fall for my boys' room.
more good news: the owner of the shop is going to repair it for free!  she is my hero! ;)




well, that's all i got for today, friends.
i hope your life has been filled with lots off good things so far this week.
i'm off to go fill up my cup and snuggle with the sick boy.

later gator.

xo,

mary

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Monday, January 23, 2012

:::for you:::

happy monday, friends!
i hope you all had a wonderful weekend. :)

between reading this at church last night, and this with the kids for devotions this morning,
i think He's made Himself very clear.

He wanted me to pass it along to you, too...






val·iant

[val-yuhnt] 

adjective
1.
boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted: a valiant soldier.
2.
marked by or showing bravery or valor; heroic: to make avaliant effort.
3.
worthy; excellent.


i couldn't think of a better way to start the week. 

claim it, friends.   :)

xo,

mary 

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Miscellany Monday @ lowercase letters




Saturday, January 21, 2012

have you heard?

have you heard the news?
can you even believe that picnik is closing?
who is going to fix my blemishes?
who is going to airbrush me smooth?
who is going to sharpen my blurriness?
who is going to edit my photos so that they look vintage on purpose because my camera is so old it takes dark, grainy photos?

all these questions have{obviously} been running through my head.
but i'm seriously kidding, mostly.
but kinda not.
maybe it's time for a new camera.
maybe God wants us to upgrade...
who knows!
any suggestions?
what editing software do you use?
what kind of camera should we look into{if any at all}!
should we just get new phones and use apps?
photoshop makes me want to vomit just thinking about it.
i seriously hope they come out with a user friendly version on google+ or
what ever company decided to shut it down.
such. a. bummer.
but definitely not life altering.
i'm mostly being goofy, but i really did send my husband a frantic text when i found out.
so...if you have ANY suggestions, let me know, k?

i am totally sleep deprived today, which may be encouraging the exaggeration above.
poor little henry got a major headache yesterday afternoon and it turned into the flu.
again.
no worries though, kitcat kept him plenty company and he is much better today. :)


have you heard?
my sweet hubby brought me a treat from the co-op the other night.
he called me from the store and asked for my requests.
i told him i wanted cheetos, but the non-chemical neon food coloring kind.
and oh boy, did he deliver!
spritzer, cheetos, and a mint brownie all for me.
so you know what i was doing yesterday when all the kids disappeared for a while and henry was sleeping.
mommy time! :)
isn't it nice to have a treat of your own sometimes?
i did, of course, share the cheetos when they were discovered by child radar.
they have it, you know.


have you heard?
all goofiness aside, i wanted to remind you that tomorrow we observe 
national sanctity of human life day.
a day that we remember the tragic legalization of abortion in our country since 1973.
if you were born after 1973, you should seriously thank your parents for choosing life.
because they had the option to kill you.
the roe vs wade case forever changed the morality of our nation and it's stand on defending human life.
God doesn't take this lightly, friends.
He specifically warns us against the shedding of innocent blood.
to date, we have allowed{legally} the murdering of over 50 million innocent babies in america.
that's over 4,000 innocent humans a day.
so, so tragic.
the good news is...we can make a difference! :)

i believe that life is a gift from God.
He knows us all before we were ever born.
He loves each and every one of us and died on the cross for you, me, and all of the babies, too.
even the ones that never saw the light of day.
thank you, Lord, that they are in Heaven with you today.
my prayer is to help others understand the damage that abortion does, not only to the obvious, the baby, but to the mother as well.
so, so many women are deceived into thinking that they are not really carrying a baby.
just a mass of tissue. a fetus. an embryo.
call it what you will, but it doesn't change what it is.
when does that mass turn into a human?
when it's heart stars beating at 22 days after conception?
or when the eyes, ears and several other organs rapidly develop into the fourth week?
i could go on and on, but...
my goal is to help others realize that each life is sacred, no matter what stage it is in.
every. single. stage. of life is necessary to sustain the next.
from conception to birth, because God designed it that way.
i also want to show love and compassion to those who have had abortions or are considering it.
God loves them so much, and i hope that His love can shine through me and be a light to all those i meet.




                                                          :::please take the time to watch this amazing testimony:::                                                                             
                        



I'm never going to apologize for being 100000% PRO-LIFE. Protect the innocent. ♥ Promote adoption. ♥ Inform mothers of what is happening in their womb. ♥ Protect the unborn.




have you heard?
it's the weekend, and i hope your is wonderful!


xo, 
mary


want to read a sweet story?
hop on over to my friend, stephanies blog to see God's amazing work in her family's life! 

Friday, January 20, 2012

my baby


i'm sitting here in my flannel lined jeans from a dear friend, a huge gray wool cardigan, and super thick warmy socks.  sans make-up.  with frizzy, unkept hair.
yes, i just said warmy.
i love being warm, especially on days like today when the snow is falling {again} and i have no where to go or be, but home.
in between grading overdue school papers, teaching my son how to count minutes on the clock, and sipping my second cup of coffee, i am totally just enjoying being home and warm.
oh, so warm.  {i think i might even feel a craft coming on}.
i am truly thankful for the heat we have in our home and for our home itself.
only two years ago, we were 'homeless', so to speak, and we really didn't know where we were going to go.
we lost everything financially, due to sudden job loss, but the faith we 'learned' and the lessons God taught are worth far more than any amount of money we could ever have.
that experience made me appreciate so many of the things i used to take for granted.
someday i will tell you the whole story, because it is amazing how the Lord works things out.
i've been without heat{for short amounts of time}, so when the furnace blankets me in it's warmth and the fuel oil tank is full, i feel grateful, really grateful.
i know not everyone has this, and i feel for them.

did you know that it was henry's birthday last saturday?
of course you didn't!
i haven't blogged about it yet!  :)
shame. on. me.

well, i just have to show you a few pictures of my precious baby boy.
i can't believe that he is six already!
we all say that, don't we?
he is a source of pure joy to our family with a little mischievous mixed in.
ok, a lot.  :)
but his crazy, fun personality balances it all out and we love him so.
i forgave him a long time ago for weighing almost ten pounds when he was born, and for surprising me with the news of...him.
i was a tad shocked when i found out he was coming, but the selfish feelings evaporated shortly thereafter and turned into excitedness{?} for the gift that he truly is.
children are such  precious treasures.

i recently started working with him in writing.
we don't do a whole lot of writing in kindergarten, but he picked up some very special words over the holiday season.

exhibit A:

you can always tell where henry has been.  yep.
if you see the words 'HO' or 'NOEL' written in any dust, window frost, or taped up on the wall with half a roll of scotch, you know who was there.
i found the above yesterday.
i just laughed.
maybe i should be a little more OCD about dusting around my computer.  :)
oops.

he has also created a special 'code' between him and i when he has to go 'number 2'{or 17, as he stubbornly calls it}.
after one too many times of him telling me he had to go P**P in front of people, i decided that number 2 was the better option.
is it weird that i'm talking about number 2?
anyway!
when he has to go, he comes up to me with two fingers in the air, and...i know.
wait, it gets better.
when he's done, he tweets.
yes, tweets like a little birdie, because yelling, 'i'm dooooooone!', in the presence of company just wasn't working for me.
the tweeting is all henry though.
he has no shame, i tell ya!
apparently i don't either since i'm revealing our 'secret' bathroom code.
whoa.
this may or may not seem very odd to you{no judging, k?}, but it is something that makes our family giggle, and it is a memory of henry that i will always cherish taunt him with when he gets older.
and now it's in writing!!!  
:)

so! enough potty talk!  onto some pics of the big SIX year old!

:::love you:::
:::birthday boy:::
 :::goodies:::
 ::::henry loves animals and especially this owl:::
 :::brothers:::
 :::new slippers:::
 :::homemade ice cream cake with TWO monster trucks on top:::
 :::my baby:::
:::special boy:::


i hope that you are all having a wonderful, warmy day!
it doesn't look like it's going to stop snowing any time soon.
yay!

xo,

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

warm wishes


TODAY IS MY MOMMA'S BIRTHDAY!


i love you so much, mom!
you are a constant source of encouragement and love to me.
you are a giver.
you are tenderhearted.
you love the Lord and i am so very thankful for that.
you are one of my best friends.
i'm so glad that we talk or text almost everyday.
thank you for "T2T".
{my mom used to send me a message every night that said "it's T2T", meaning it was TIME TO TEXT.
she taught herself how to text so we could communicate through the crazy days that we both have}
it was the sweetest EVER. 
i love you mom.

you encourage me daily.
i admire your faithfulness to the Lord{she just completed reading her Bible in a year}!
how awesome is that?!

you inspire me, too.
i am so proud of you for taking control of you health and shedding 50 lbs this past year!
i have really enjoyed watching your transformation.
seeing you feel so much better and have so much more energy makes me very happy.
{she goes to the gym, friends}
awesome.

you have been a wonderful example of sticking with it when times get tough, 
because you don't break your promises.
that is a rare quality these days, and i am blessed to have that example set before me.
thank you for honoring God in doing this and pressing forward for Him!


and as if that isn't exciting enough, 

TODAY IS MY PARENTS ANNIVERSARY, too!


how adorable is that?!
it's hard to believe that my parents have been married for 43 years!!!
it's quite the accomplishment, if you ask me.
to God be the glory.
 we live in a world of throw away relationships where people give up so easily.
i'm so blessed to have parents that took their vows seriously.
parents, who, when the times got tough, looked Above and sought reconciliation, 
redemption and healing from Him.

you didn't give up. 
 neither does HE.
you kept your promises.  
so does HE.
you are in it for the long haul.
HE is, too.

that is definitely something to celebrate!
:)


i am horrible at verbally expressing my love and appreciation 
for all that you both have done for me and my family,
but...
i hope that you know how much i love you both.
i know that you sacrificed a lot to take care of your family.
i know it wasn't always easy.

thank you. thank you. thank you.
from the bottom of my heart.

 you have prayed to Him for help in times of need, 
praised Him in times of joy, 
and trusted Him through the valleys.

may the Lord bless you both with many more happy years together serving Him!
i can't wait!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!

and

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE BEST PARENTS EVER!

i love you.

xo,



Thursday, January 12, 2012

oh, yes it did!

guess what? 
it finally snowed.
it is wisconsin, after all.
now henry can stop asking me when he can use his 
ThirtyNineInchInflatableSnowTubeThatHeGotForChristmasFromGrandma!
said just like Ralphie in the movie A Christmas Story,
remember?
 IWantAnOfficialRedRyderCarbine-ActionTwo-Hundred-ShotRangeModelAirRifle! 


the only difference is, i couldn't tell him that he would 
"shoot his eye out!"
:)

moving on....




 {snow tubes=HAPPY!}








 {deflated snow tubes=SAD!}





{luigi :::aka kitcat::: even wanted to go out}






you knew it would end this way, right?

and for good measure,
here is my favorite song about snow.




happy snow day!
:)

xo,