Well, Hello!!

It's been a while and I apologize. Last week, I was busy getting ready for our REFRESH event and since then I've been recovering from the REFRESH event. I'm kidding. I am exhausted but it is a good exhaustion and I thought I'd give myself a couple more days of bloggy vacation. I hope you don't mind.

So, let's recap ...

REFRESH was awesome!! It was an amazing day and I could see God's hand over the whole event. It would have never worked out so well if it had been just my event. It was God's day and He did not disappoint us. The group of women that came on Saturday was perfect. Everyone got along and opened up to each other and created an environment of safety and security. The older moms all took a part in mentoring the younger moms and it was beautiful to watch.

For those of you who weren't able to come, let me give you an idea of our day ...

The ladies were welcomed at the door and received their gift bags. Inside the bags were: a journal, pen, chocolate!, recipe cards with the recipe for Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (yum), a schedule of the day, slips for the giveaways, and a card for questions for our Q & A panel.





Once inside the cafe, we ate the yummiest muffins and fruit, entered the giveaways, wrote down our questions, and drank coffee and hot chocolate. After that, we made our way into the sanctuary for worship. Lisa and the whole worship team did an excellent job of leading worship. It was a refreshing way to start our day.



After worship, it was my turn ... I knew from the beginning this was something I was supposed to do but dreaded it something fierce. God was gracious. He gave me exactly what to say. My only job was to drag my body on stage and stay upright while talking. I think I succeeded in that. I know I wasn't eloquent but God used that time to touch women. I had SO many women come up to me afterward and just hug me and tell me that they could relate and they thanked me for having the guts to do what I did. So was it all worth it? Definitely! Would I want to do it again any time soon? Probably not but if God decided He wanted me to, I would obey.



Next came our skit called "Doubly Blessed." Each of the women did such an awesome job!! It's like the parts were written just for them and the message was so powerful. The skit was about the Holy Spirit guiding 4 women to do things they normally wouldn't do but ended up being a blessing and being blessed at the same time by doing them.



After the skit, our speaker, Kristina Hill, led a great talk/discussion on behavior management. She had such wise advice and included all of the women in a group discussion. We all left with some great handouts, as well.



We all broke up into our different craft workshops after this. Each of our workshop leaders did a super job with their groups! The crafts that were created were really awesome and everyone had fun making them.



Next up was lunch!! It was delicious! The soup, salad, rolls, and homemade dessert were all a delight. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch and I know the others did as well. We announced half of our wonderful giveaways at the end of lunch and the winners were thrilled!



After lunch, was our Q & A panel with 4 older, wiser moms. It was such an excellent time! The questions were great and the answers were very helpful. These women did such an amazing job and were such a blessing! Then we split up into small groups. Each of the panel moms took a group of women into another room. We discussed more, introduced ourselves, prayed, and made connections.



We ended the day with an individual quiet time for the ladies to just be still before the Lord. We sort of ran out of time, so it was a shortened version of what we were hoping for. I pray that God's will was done through it, though.

At the very end of the day, Charlotte told us of all the exciting things coming up and finished announcing the awesome giveaways.

It was such a fun day! There were so many people involved in this day and I can't thank them enough for their help! Before the day was even over, everyone was talking about next year's event. Even Pastor Todd made mention to next year from the pulpit. So, if you missed out this year, there will always be next year!! :)



And if you haven't heard yet ... a big announcement was made later in the day! God has decided to bless our family with baby #5! This month has been wild to say the least! I'm looking forward to what God has in store for the rest of the year!

Thank you for praying!! Everyone felt your prayers and it was a blessed day!


*Photos courtesy of Michelle Pope
**I took these pictures from my sister's blog. She made these awesome photo montages because she's cool like that. Thanks, Kelly! ;) If you want to check out her recap of REFRESH and see where I stole the pictures from, visit her blog here.

Pray for REFRESH

This Saturday is the REFRESH event! We are so excited and have been working very hard to make this a special day.

Please take some time to pray for REFRESH! Whether you are able to come or not, we would appreciate your prayers for moms to be refreshed, lives to be touched, and connections to be made.

God has had His hand on this event from the beginning and I know He is going to be there until completion. Your prayers will help ward off the attacks of the enemy and the ways he uses to stop God's work.

Thank you for praying! To God be the Glory!

Ice Skating Coloring Sheet

http://funschool.kaboose.com/images/printables/skating_coloring.pdf

Lemon Bars

I'm always trying to concoct new dessert recipes. They aren't always the BEST tasting but since they are also healthier, I think they make a pretty good substitute.

My mom was recently having a craving for something lemony. I figured I was up for the challenge. Here is what I came up with. My daughter loves them, by the way! (Bonus point :)

Lemon bars 

1 pkg lemon cake mix
1/4 cup light butter, softened
2 egg whites 

Mix together. Press into bottom of ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake 350 degrees for about 12 min. until they are slightly browned and puffy. Cool.  

2 pkg. Instant sugar free lemon pudding
2 3/4 cup skim milk

Whisk together for 2 min. Pour over cooled crust. Refrigerate to set. Top with Cool Whip free. 

Makes 24 bars. 1 bar = 3 pp

Trust

Ideas To Make Life Easier

I received an email with the following "ideas to make life easier." I thought some of them were pretty clever! I'm all about making my life easier. :)


Hull strawberries easily using a straw.




Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture
will disguise dings and scrapes.




Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or
computer screen with WD40.




Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box
by securing with a rubber band.




Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets
inside one of their own pillowcases and there will
be no more hunting through piles for a match.




Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod
in a bowl. The concave shape amplifies the music.




Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.




Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder
gets sand off your skin easily, who knew?!




Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.




Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls
against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the
floor.




Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a
stocking over the vacuum hose.




Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting
crosses into a box lid.




For those who can’t stand the scrunching and
bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet.




Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use
magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers
and clippers, behind a vanity door.




Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty
soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can
find them in just about every hotel.




A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets
hold the plastic cups down to make them
tip-resistant.




Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.




Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so
much more fun and easier for kids to eat.




Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper
bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet
stuff.




Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.




Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough
over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit
or ice-cream.




Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing
sunburn relief.




Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.




Use egg cartons to separate and store your
Christmas decorations.






­­

Snowman Coloring Sheet

http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/making-a-snowman-coloring-page/


**Sorry about the sideways picture. I couldn't figure out how to turn it. :)

What I Ate

Well, how was your week? Are you back to your normal routine and eating with the holidays behind us? I hope it was an easy transition back for you.

I don't have much for you this week but I do have one tip for you.

**Before I continue, let me say I am not a Dr. (duh) or healthcare professional in the least. This is my opinion and I have NO scientific evidence to prove what I have to say.**

Now that that's out of the way - I find taking a vitamin D supplement really helps me. I think it boosts my metabolism and helps me lose weight faster. I don't know this for a fact but I'm pretty convinced. Besides that, vitamin D boosts your immune system, prevents things like diabetes and cancer, and helps beat the winter blahs. Living in Wisconsin, most of us do not get adequate amounts of vitamin D which is naturally given to us by the sun.

Check it out. Talk to your doctor. Don't do anything crazy but try seeing if a supplement helps you to feel better overall. And if it boosts your metabolism, all the better.

If you take too much vitamin D, you can make yourself sick. Be smart and be careful.

Have a super-Duper week!

Kool-aid Playdough

This morning we had our playdate at Sarah's home. She showed each of the kids how to make Kool-aid playdough. It was very fun and smelled yummy! :) I thought I would share the recipe with you in case you'd like to try it.

Thanks, Sarah, for the fun time and recipe!

Kool-aid Playdough

10 oz. Flour
1/3 cup salt
1 pkg Kool-aid
1 Tbl vegetable oil
1/2 cup warm water

Mix all together. Knead the dough until it is the right consistency.

Have fun playing!

Brownie Cookies

These are the yummiest, easiest cookies that I've had in a long while!

Brownie Cookies

1 box Pillsbury Dark Chocolate Chunk cookie mix
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 T water
1 egg

Mix all together. It takes a little bit to mix in all of the dry mix but it will all turn into a soft dough.

The box says to form cookies with a teaspoon but I say Bah! Double it! It made 18 slightly larger cookies.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 mins. I slightly undercooked mine and they turned out fudgy delicious! I left them on the hot pan for several minutes until they were completely set.

These cookies tasted just like fudge brownies - so good! I didn't try it but I bet you could spread the dough in an 8 or 9 inch pan and bake them like brownies. Next time I will try that!

1 cookie (1/18th of recipe) = 3 points plus

Just A Friendly Reminder ...

This Sunday, January 15 is the last day to turn in your registration forms for REFRESH!!

Just don't want you to forget! ;)

See you there!

Speak, Lord, We Are Listening

I have been consistently starting my day with a devotional, prayer, and quiet time like I talked about last week. It amazes me how, so much of the time, each devotional feels like it was written just for me. Do you experience this, too? I'm sure you do.

Isn't it SO awesome how God is able to speak to us? Even when we are dealing with things that no one else knows about, God knows. He cares about us and wants to help us through it.

God has used so many different things to speak to me throughout my life. I love how He is able to communicate with us even though we aren't able to audibly hear His voice. He uses the Bible, the tuggings and nudgings in our heart, and even that still, small voice we feel/hear within ourselves.

I know that I've heard from many people who say that they've never heard from God.

Be still.

Wait.

Listen.

Most likely, you will not hear an audible voice but pay attention to the things I listed above. I've even had what felt like bells or alarms ringing in my head as a "wake up and pay attention" kind of message.

I don't think God only speaks to certain "special" people. He speaks to us all. We just need to recognize that it is God speaking and trying to get our attention.

We also need to slow down and listen.

Sometimes, I am guilty of being busy and not hearing one of my kids when they are talking to me. I'm not ignoring them, I just truly don't hear them because I am thinking about other things and trying to rush around and accomplish my plans. They are talking but I just don't hear them.

It's the same thing with hearing God speak to us. He talks but we just don't hear Him because we are thinking about other things and trying to rush around and accomplish our plans.

I urge you to take time to listen. I know that it is hard in the world we live in today. There is not a lot of "quiet" time to be had but if nothing else, quiet your soul and think on the Lord. We don't need to be in actual quiet to hear Him.

Just be listening ...

God has SO much to tell us. He wants to help us through this crazy life. He WILL help us if we let Him.

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

January Calendar Coloring Sheet

http://familycrafts.about.com/library/spdays/caljan12col1.pdf

What I Ate ... and Ate ... and Ate

I struggled the week between Christmas and New Year's. I really thought I'd do ok but it was HARD!! The worst part was the mindless, nervous eating. I didn't anticipate that but I should have. Eating has long been my biggest coping mechanism. I thought I had conquered that but I realized that, most likely, this will be something I will struggle with forever.  

Thankfully, though, this past Tuesday we went back to real life and I went right back to sticking tightly to my points. 

I was disappointed that I was unable to resist snacking on all of the yummy goodness that the holidays bring but I realized that I did WAY better than I have in year's past. So even though I slipped a little, I made better choices this year than I did last year. I hope that next year I make better choices than this year. 

Weight loss is a journey. A long, slow journey full of ups and downs. As long as you ultimately head downward, you are doing great. Even if you stay horizontal for a while, you are doing a good job of keeping yourself from climbing back up. 

This year is going to be an exciting year!  Commit to making good choices. Set mini goals for yourself. I concentrate on 10 lbs at a time. That's all I can handle thinking about. :) Even if you don't meet your goals or things don't go as you want them to, be happy knowing that you have tried your hardest and have made healthy choices. 

I'm so excited for all this year is going to bring. Get excited about your journey, too. Don't just focus on the goal, enjoy the journey as well. Be proud of your accomplishments and hard work. Celebrate (in a non-food way) each loss! 

You deserve to be healthy, happy, and whole! Keep on keepin' on!!! It's all worth it!!

My Life As a Mom of a Teenager

I am tickled to introduce you to my friend, Deb, as this month's guest blogger. Deb is an outstanding teacher and mom. She is raising a teenager and is still alive to tell us about it. ;)

***********************************************

FOOTPRINTS OF THE HEART

When I close my eyes, I can still feel the gentle weight of my newborn son, wrapped in a white fuzzy blanket and nestled in my protective arms. How I loved to hold him close and smell his baby soft skin, rocking back and forth, back and forth. I think I will forever remember the wonder I felt as I looked at his tiny hands and feet. I recall stooping over again and again to pick up the doll-sized socks that kept slipping off his little feet, proof of just how small he was. The fierce sense of love that I felt was overwhelming, my joy undeniable.

Fast forward fourteen and a half years, those little feet have ballooned into man-sized feet, complete with hairy toes and a stench that'll make even the brave gag! That sweet baby smell and those gurgling coos are replaced with Axe cologne spray and a deep voice that complains and argues over whose turn it is to empty the dishwasher or take the garbage out. Gone is the obedient little boy who would willingly go to bed after a bedtime story and a good night snuggle. In that little boy's place is a defense lawyer in the making, ready at every turn to give a logical argument as to why he should be able to stay up as long as he likes or why a C- in Spanish class is really no big deal.

Just as I was amazed by all the simple abundance in my life all those years ago, so too am I amazed by all the change! The old cliché of time slipping by couldn't be truer. As desperately as I cling to those precious memories, hoping time will stand still, my son determinedly strives forward eager to get his driver's license and first job.

I often shake my head and rub my eyes certain that I will be back in that rocking chair, only to discover that I gave in to that bone weary exhaustion. But no, try as I may, the dirty socks and well worn tennis shoes littering my doorway are real.

I know that in the not-so-distant future, I will even miss those socks and shoes that I trip over each day. I may complain about the sassy attitude, the sloppy job he did of cleaning up the once-tidy bathroom, or of how he drinks milk not by the glass but by the gallon, and yet I wouldn't trade any of it because this season of motherhood is just as priceless as any other- maybe not so sweet smelling, but precious nonetheless!

Savor each moment and try not to stand in the way as that little baby takes a step forth, making a lasting footprint for all to admire.

*********************************************

Thank you for sharing, Deb! You even make it sound not so bad to have a teenager. :)


~ If you would like to share your story of motherhood with us, please let me know. We'd love to hear it! ~

Meatloaf

Around this time of year I start to crave home-cooked, comfort foods. It's cold outside and I want to sit down to a hot meal. I'm sure it also has nothing to do with the fact that in our busyness, for the last month or so, our meals have consisted of fast, convenience foods and way too much snacking on junky food during the holidays. :)

Today's recipe is for my mom's meatloaf. It always hits the spot and the points aren't too bad. I can even sometimes get my kids to eat this. ;)


Meatloaf

1 lb (93/7) ground beef
1/2 lb reduced fat ground pork
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Minced onion

Mix all together. (I like to use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment to mix my meatloaf.) Form into a meat loaf. Place in a roast pan.

Top with a layer of ketchup and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over that. I always add lots of carrots in the pan, also. 

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. 

1/8 serving = 7 points plus  

Roo Mag

There is a new on-line magazine/website started by Candace Cameron Bure for women called RooMag.com!



This is a really neat website with topics on fitness, food, decorating, fashion, and being a wife and mother! Check it out!

Today's post was written by Kelly Stamps (from Kelly's Korner) about what to do with all your Christmas cards.

I love finding new, fun websites! What are your favorites?

Simplify

Today is the first day back to "real life" for me. The girls are back at school, my hubby is back at work, and I am "working" as well. To be honest, I'm glad we are back to our normal routine. I've never been a routine kind of person. But after a week of willy-nilly, I can honestly say that I enjoy the routine of daily life - at least as long as I have young children.

I always mistakenly think "Oh good, we're on vacation!" As in I think "I'm" on vacation. Ha, ha! Anyone with young children knows how foolish that thought is. As moms we are never on vacation. We are constantly caring for others and doing things. I think this is why I no longer enjoy Christmas vacation. I try my hardest to rest and relax and all that really happens is I fall further behind - in housework, in laundry, in everything. And I'm really not even getting the real kind of rest I am so desperately seeking.

I don't make New Year's resolutions but this next year I resolve not to let myself get into the mindset of being on Christmas vacation. It only depresses me, stresses me, and makes me miserable. I'll have to come up with my own little vacation somehow, someway - even if it is only for a couple of hours alone. :) Hmmmm ... maybe something like REFRESH? ;)


So, with that being said, here we are in January. The start of 2012. It is time for me to reorganize, to simplify, to re-figure things out. Do you feel that way, too, at this time of year? I need to clean things up and make things simpler. Sadly, I always try do it all at once ... Clean the cupboards, reorganize our schedules, re-figure our finances, straighten out my kids :), re-establish good devotional habits for myself and my family, the list goes on ...

Trying to revamp your entire life to make things simpler is NOT simple. It is stressful and most always ends up ruining any bit of progress I make. This year I am going to strive to simplify my life in a simpler way. Each month I will work on a different area of my life. I will spend that month re-organizing, working out a plan and putting that plan into motion.

The first three months I plan to work on the most important things in my life - my relationship with God, my hubby, and my kids (in that order). After these things are taken care of, everything else tends to fall into place and don't seem all that important.

So this January, I am going to start each day in the Word and spending time with God. I know this is what I need to do. I try multiple times every year to set up a routine but I always fail. I'm not a morning person and so waking up early is never at the top of my list of things I like to do. I get lazy, I get busy, I just don't do it. This year I hope to do differently. I think I'll start out slow but consistent. I think I can wake up 10 minutes earlier to start with. Eventually, I'll work my way into it. I know that once I see and feel the benefit, it will get easier. (Just like weight loss ;)

I am also going to encourage my girls to start their day in the same way. If they can establish this habit at a young age then they will not struggle as much when they are older. They make some great devotionasl for kids. Now that they can read on their own, this is something they should be able to do on their own. Will it be hard to encourage this behavior in them? Oh, I'm sure it will be. They still are unclear with the fact that they need to brush their teeth and hair every morning. Sigh ... But someday it will all sink in and they will realize how important it is to spend time with God ... and hopefully to have nice hair and teeth. ;)

Lastly, I am going to start having a devotional time with my boys. It may just be reading Bible stories or portions of their children's Bibles. But I want them to learn and love the Bible so that when they are old enough to read, they, too, will start their day with God.

Don't think that we live in a heathen household because we don't. We talk about God and the Bible. I try to make God a part of every area of our lives - because, well, He is. I just want to establish really good, solid habits in myself and my kids. I want them to see the benefit of starting their day with God and to see how important it is to have a relationship with Him. It's great to know about Him but I want them to know Him.

I challenge you also to start some new changes with your (and your family's) walk with God. Maybe a consistent devotional time is not something you struggle with but I know there is always some area that we can improve on in our relationship with God. Take inventory. Figure out what the next step is and do it. Bring your family along, too.

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

I hope to encourage you to start your year with God. What a great way to start!!

Happy New Year Coloring Sheet

http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/crafttemp/newyeartwohats.pdf