Please, please, please!

Here is the deal...

Mandi over at Vintage Revivals is having this AMAZING contest:

I mean seriously, who could not use a GIANT push in the right direction! I really do love my house and have put my own touches on most rooms in the house, except one! I am totally lost and have zero vision on where to go or what to do....

I am so not one to "suck up" or plead my case, but I am desperate...

So let the whining, weeping, begging, pleading, acting like a 3 year old, begin...

Now I know that a kitchen might be a big deal and maybe not the most awesome room in the house for you to take over, BUT...

I promise that if you come and have your way with my kitchen you will not be disappointed, I mean it can only go up from here, seriously?

I am open to anything that is different to what it is now... Paint the cabinets, countertops,paint the ceiling, new table,you name it, I'll do it!

It is not that it is just so BLAH, it has so much unused space and lacks any and all character... I don't do so well with that. I day dream about being in a beautiful kitchen enjoying doing the dishes and enjoying cleaning up the constant messes of my three kids under the age of 5, (I can't imagine why I lack any motivation or extra time to accomplish this project or anything?)I mean isn't this what happens to all those blogland people out there with the most amazing white, crisp, welcoming kitchens? (Lie to me please!)

(I would love to figure out how to put some type of island or something? I need more storage, your imagination could go crazy with what you could do!)

I mean, what is not to love... orange, orange and more orange cabinets!

And seriously, who puts 12 by 12 floor tile for a backsplash?????

Awkward eating area that does NOT even hold our entire family...

Florescent lights in the kitchen...AHHHHH! I am starting to freak out just looking at all of these pictures...

Another wonderful lighting fixture crying out for a change!

You would have so much you could do and change and I would just sit there are agree with whatever you say... I can also tell you that if you did pick my house I could probably convince my husband to take care of some of the other projects that need to be done before you get here, like the appliances, and the floor, so...

you could have a truly AMaZING before and after...

ALso, another reason you should totally pick my kitchen is because I know that there are a lot of us out there who are "blessed" to have this same type of kitchen... Therefore , you could inspire all of us out there with what to do!

My husband would be eternally grateful to you, what he wouldn't do to get me to stop talking about how much I do not like our kitchen would be priceless to him...

And, I think I am pretty fun...so a few days down here in New Braunfels, Texas, would be so much fun. I could show you Schlitterbahn, the Guadalupe and Comal rivers, and show you one of the largest outlet malls in the country! BARGAINS GALORE! I mean people pay big bucks to come see "God's Country" as the tourists like to call it! How do you compete with that? Think of all the fun memories!

The Rivers:

Schlitterbahn!

Outlet mall:

Well, now I am going to go and try to scrape what is left of my pride up off the ground and wait for the results!

And to all of you out there who read my blog....I would love you forever and ever if you vote for my kitchen in a couple of weeks! I will for sure let you know when that starts :)

There is HOPE

You know how sometimes you talk and talk to your kids and wonder if anything actually gets absorbed? We strive as parents to continually tell our kids the importance of prayer and the power of prayer, although it is so hard for their minds

to fully grasp the wonder and power of it all ( I mean it is hard for me to grasp it all too).

Anyway, last night we had let the two oldest, Grace and Fisher sleep together. It really is the sweetest thing to hear them giggling and talking to each other. However, it was almost TEN and they were still talking. So I was on my way up there to lay down the law, and when I opened the door I saw that they had gotten Grace's "Jesus Storybook bible" out and were "reading" it. When I sat down they both had tears in their eyes as they started to tell me how they had found a picture of a guy (Namaan from 2 Kings 5) who had spots all over him and how he looked so sad. They then told me that they were praying for him so that God would heal his spots and make him all better...

Ok, well at this point all the anger I had for them still being up so late, quickly disappeared and I was just filled with complete JOY! I ended up reading the rest of the story and telling them how Elisha told him to go wash himself in the river and he was healed!

It was one of those moments in life where God just gives you a little glimpse of hope for your kids. How in the middle of my crazy life and all of my good intentions and all of my failures, he whispers, " Keep going..."

I am constantly in awe of who God is and how his hand is in every part of my life...

If you don't have a "Jesus Storybook Bible", it is such a great resource for kids. Every story points to the cross and is illustrated beautifully. We have very much enjoyed it!

I think you can find them on Amazon for like $15 bucks or so... VERY worth it!

Great gift for Easter... :)

A Mother's Vision...

I am reading the book, A Mother's Heart, by Jean Fleming. If you are a mom or want to be a mom, go and get it! It is the best book on mothering that I have read.

In one of the chapters she is talking about how and what we pray over our children. Do we pray for them to be healthy and and strong, or should our prayers go so much deeper then that? Are we fervently praying over the condition of our child's heart?

Here is a quote from the book, by a man named Forbes Robinson regarding his son:

"I want you to be one the best men that ever lived, to see God and to reveal him to men. this is the burden of my prayers. My whole being goes out in passionate entreaty to God that he will give me what I ask. I am sure he will, for the request is after his own heart.

I do not pray that you may succeed in life, or "get on" in this world. I seldom ever pray that may love me better, or that I may see oftener in this or in any other world, as much as i crave this.

But I ask, I implore, that Christ may be formed in you, that you may be made not in any likeness suggested by my imagination, but in the image of God, that you may realize not my, but his ideal, however much that ideal may bewilder me, however little I may recognize it when it is created.

I hate the thought that out of love for me you should accept my presentation, me feeble ideal, of the Christ. I want God to reveal his Son to you independently of men, to give you a first-hand knowledge of him whom I am only beginning to see.

Sometimes more selfish thoughts will intrude, but this represents the main current of my prayers. And if this is to be won from heaven by importunity, be ceaseless begging, I think I shall get it for you."

All I can say is WOW! Praying for our children's salvation and transformation through Jesus is the single most important thing we can pray for...

God wants his kingdom to be filled with people who are forever changed and who love him above all else, and we as mothers get to be a part of showing our children what that means everyday! What a challenge and a goal worth pursuing and being proud of! I can not imagine a more important role for my life and I praise God for entrusting me with this charge.

Spring Wreaths

My sweet neighbor is about to have her second baby boy anytime

and I decided to make her a diaper wreath.

I had great plans of making a tutorial and all that jazz but in my attempt to get it done

I completely forgot...

So here is the finished product...

It is pretty self explanatory and the possibilities are ENDLESS!

I tend to go towards the more sophisticated ideas, but you could take it anywhere.

All you need is a foam wreath form, some diapers (I used size 2 because the small ones don't quite make it around). Ribbon and any other embellishments you want.

Just wrap the diapers around the wreath and tie with a smaller ribbon until you cover the whole thing and then add bows, letter, rattles, binkies, flowers, really anything...

Make sure you put some ribbon on the top so that it will hang from a door hook

If you are anything like my husband, and are wondering why you would want or need a diaper wreath, well, you don't need a diaper wreath, but it is sweet to get to hang it on your hospital door and then when you

come home you can hang it on your door to celebrate your sweet new baby!

And just for Fun, here is a look at my front door for spring...

I just bought a grapvine wreath from Hobby Lobby and added some of there easter garland to it. I wanted to add some wording somehow, so I just grabbed an extra little chalkboard that we had lying around and put a word from the season..."Rejoice"!

Super easy and super cheap!