Take a deep breath and start over!

Yesterday turned out to be a rough day. Tabi wanted to be held all day and cried furiously if I set her down. Evie was into everything!

1. A new day!
2. The knowledge that God has already forgiven me for the things I have done and have yet to do.
3. My daughters joy in her grandparents.
4. Our rosebushes are still producing and I can have fresh roses on my table.
5. The freedom to plan out my day and not feel pressured to get things done before I leave for work!

Evie: "Turtlebay," she loves that place.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. -Palm 95: 2-3

Alright so Sunday got skipped! Big surprise, like most Church-going families Sunday can be interesting especially with two little bugs like Evie and Tabi! We recently instituted a rule banning electronic devices until Sunday afternoon (the one exception being appropriate music as we get ready for Church.) We needed to find a way to make Sunday more pleasant and God honoring and realized we were getting glued to our 3DS, Kindle, smartphone, internet instead of preparing ourselves and our girls for the day. And once we get home we usually head for naps and letting our minds relax. However Sunday is probably the morning when I most need to reflect on God's blessings, I did and will include what I came up with today.

Sunday, November 3rd:
1. An extra hour to get ready, yay!
2. Living in a country with the freedom to go to church.
3. Family to spend Sunday afternoons with.
4. Sunday afternoon naps.
5. YouTube, to help me learn to sew on the machine I am borrowing from my Mother-In-Law (there was an interesting episode figuring out how to lock the bobbin into the machine.)

Evie's thanks: seeing cousin Kayla at church

Monday, November 4th:
1. Tabi's grins and giggles when she sees me at the side of her crib
2. Opening Evie's door in the morning to a big smile and a "good morning!"
3. Warm blankets
4. Being able to text with my husband throughout the day
5. God's daily provision for our family

Evie's thanks: "movies!"

So now for the rest of my day, my big project today will be organizing my desk into a craft/ sewing desk. I also plan on making some Morning Glory mini muffins for Evie's breakfast for the week, enchilada's for dinner tonight, continuing the never-ending cycle of laundry, exercise video during nap time, cleaning Evie's room and of course fitting in some cuddle and play time with my sweet girls. Oh the lazy life of a stay-at-home mom!

Thankful list

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. - James 1:17

1. Baby puke- because it means we have a baby
2. Tabi slept through the night for the first time!!!!
3. Hot chocolate
4. Thyroid medicine
5. No one is sick today!

Evie is happy for: "all done playing games." This means When mommy is all done (with whatever I am doing) we will play a game. She is learning Hi-Ho Cherry-O.

Thankful November

    "People radiate what is in their minds and in their hearts." -Eleanor Porter

 I recently read Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter. If you have only seen the movie you have seen a very diluted version of the story. This is another one of those books that have a very strong gospel message that gets dropped or twisted by the movie industry. I was deeply impressed by Pollyanna's attitude of thankfulness. Since it is November I thought it would be the perfect time to "count my blessings.' I am going to try to start each day with a list of 5 things I am thankful for. I am also going to list one thing Evelyn is happy about. 

My list:
1. God's Grace 
2. I can stay home with our girls
3. Chris' unexpected promotion and raise
4. Tabitha's smiles
5. Evelyn insisting on hugs from Daddy, Mommy and sister before she goes to sleep.

Evelyn is happy for: "happy Jesus church." I am not entirely sure what that means but that is what you get from a 2 year old!

Anniversary trip!

While our anniversary is not till Tuesday we took our trip on the 4th. Chris decided to surprise me with a trip to Sacramento! We walked around Old Town then over to the downtown mall. We had gyros at the greek resteraunt. We drove over to the IMAX theater and watched "Dinosaurs Alive!" then walked across the street to look at the capitol building. The IMAX was pricey but very cool. I found myself reaching out to touch the dino skeleton! It really did look as if you were there and not watching a flat screen. The screen is 6 stories high and 80 feet wide!!!
It was still early so we checked out the zoo, which was pretty small but still fun! Chris loved the reptile house which also had amphibians. We had alot of fun just spending time together without a schedule. We had nothing that had to get done.
On our way home we stopped for ice cream and later for olives. We visited the Olive Pit in Corning and tasted different olives and bread dips. On returning to Redding we stopped at a friends for a barbecue then headed home to bed. We really had an enjoyable day. We don't get to do this kind of thing very often but when we do it is special.

Being Single

My husband is leaving me.... for four days. I drop him off early tomorrow morning at Redding's airport. As he heads to an all expenses paid conference in Washington D.C. I make my way to work and the daily grind. I am very excited for him and a little, no alot, jealous. He is staying in a super nice hotel on Capitol Hill, the Capitol building is very very very close. Chris will have tons of fun and I get to remember singleness for a brief period. It took a reminder from Chris that I don't have to stay home Saturday! I could go do something by myself!!!! I did arrange to spend some time with a dear dear friend on Thursday which I am very excited about. And Wednesday is Youth Group night so the lonliness should not be too bad till after my friend leaves Thursday! Time to rent some movies my husband has no interest in!!!

Caeser dressing

Yuck! Too much vinegar and mustard however, Chris likes it! So he can have it while I look for a different recipe.
On a compleately different subject, my dear sister just got back from a mission trip in Uganda! She had various adventures but the one I must share is this:
She lost her cell phone....in the Nile!!! What better place to lose it?