SLACKARD!

I am such a slackard.....I'm not even sure if I qualify as that! I haven't posted on my blog in over a YEAR.....a YEAR.....seriously! Well, on the good side, I guess no one can ever blame me of being sidetracked by blogging! OK so I guess I should give an update:
I'll start with Katie - she had a quick season with Cross Country this past fall and after 3 pretty severe injuries ended up pulling out.....not the sport for her! She's getting very into fashion design and is quite the budding photographer too. She's more of an "artsy" soul so that's the route we are encouraging her to explore. She's not a jock - never has been, never will be - why fight that? She's a huge social butterfly and loves to "hang" with her friends.....I've been informed that she does not "play" with her friends - that's so 6th grade aparently!
Kissa just finished up cheerleading and is looking forward to softball this spring. She is also ver social and her Aunt Holly invested in a walkie-talkie for her for Christmas which has been a life-saver. She loves to disappear all over the neighborhood so now we just call her and she runs home! She has been working hard on her badges in scouting and is very excited to tackle her equine badge next.....anything animals and she is all over it! This past winter the dog killed and ate a bunny....true story - don't ask...and Karissa insisted on keeping the poor things tail and foot......it disgusted me but she'll probably be a vet someday and will choose my nursing home so I'm fine with it for now!
Ryan was devestated to learn that he was 1 month too young to play soccer this spring and will have to wait until fall but is participating in a Little Kickers Program with Daddy this summer. The kid is amazing at any sport he tries! He has his preschool screening next week which will determine if he will be going to the LB Preschool next fall. I have mixed emotions. I know it will be so good for him but at the same time, I am NOT ready for my baby to start school!
Bill is still at K W Distributing managing all women - except 1! It's a great company and God has blessed them even in the down economy! The 1 downside is the over 1 hour drive. Several times this winter in bad weather, it took him 2+ hours to get there.....yuck! He's still busy teaching the Jr High class at church and helping with the youth program as a mentor.
I'm still doing my daycare and am anticipating continuing until Ryan is in Kindergarten but am open to anything God might bring my way now......would have to be a perfect fit...but you never know! Still plugging away on my masters. Sometimes it's a struggle but I started it and one thing I am not is a quitter. Eventually I'll get there! Still busy with church activities and my Premier business is still very busy. I won a trip to San Diego for Bill and I the end of April so we are very excited about being able to go enjoy a week away! I have some fun things planned for him that he has NO CLUE about but I know he's going to LOVE every minute of it! I really love pulling suprises over on him!
Am hoping to update more often as I have time......I know family and friends like to keep up on us this way......will post some picts of the kids soon!

We SURVIVED!

We survived another round of Ohio winter weather! So glad it's Spring! I am really in the cleaning mode - reorgainizing and cleaning out stuff that hasn't seen the light of day in a loooong time.......I just love this time of year. Seeing the trees get little buds on them, the grass turn from yucky brown to beautiful greem and little flowers starting to pop out......reminds me so strongly of our new life in Christ and how beautiful that is......maybe that's what it means when it says that if we don't praise him the rocks and trees will cry out......I can just hear them singing out His praise as they wake up again this year!

He Provides.....

Ok, so I'll admit that paying our tithe has, at times, been difficult. Deep down inside, I always know God will give back more than what I give him......but when you're looking at the numbers on paper and they just don't add up.....that's when it gets tough. So, this past week was one of those tough weeks......extra bills that we hadn't really planned on......kids out sick from my daycare so I don't get paid when they don't come.....the list goes on. As I was sitting in church it was time for the offering and I reached my hand over to my purse for the checkbook but then the fear took over and all those extra things came rushing into my mind. Then, as I'm sitting there, I honestly felt almost a real, physical nudge. I reached back over, wrote the check and said, "Ok God, I hear you and I'm stepping out here and I'm doing it.....but you know the situation this week and if you don't help us, this is probably going to bounce......"
Therein......the miracle! I did a jewelry show on Tuesday, not sure how it was going to go - it was in the middle of nowhere in the country and the lady had no idea how many were going to come. 18 ended up coming.....over $1,000 in sales and 3 more girls scheduled, and 2 are very interested in joining my team.....CRAZY GOOD! He provided the money we needed for the tithe PLUS more! WOW! If this is a struggle you are having.......just trust Him. He will be faithful and He will provide.

Esther Study

I decided to carve out Wednesday Nights when I don't have a jewelry show to do a ladies Bible Study at church. And I love it so much that I have blocked out Wednesday Nights on my work calendar so I can make it every week going forward. We are doing the Beth Moore Study on Esther. Now, I've taken courses on this book before.....but all taught by men. Not to knock the males BUT, I have already gotten so much out of it this time around with it being taught from a woman's perspective!!!!
So this was week 2 in the study.....here are some AWESOME thoughts that JUMPED out at me.... God knows you're a girl! Yea! He made me this way ON PURPOSE!!! He wants to use me AS a woman in the unique way He has planned for me!
You can't amputate your history from your destiny.......and Lord knows there are things I would love to cut out of my life's story. BUT He doesn't want that. My history is what makes me, me and it ALL plays a part in my destiny!
So, am I fulfilling my destiny that He has planned for me? Am I doing all I can to walk the path He has for me? Am I truly willing to be used the way He wants to use me?........like Beth Moore said.....God sees our weaknesses and says, "You know, I can do that - you can't - but I can"!

We Survived!

I "jokingly" put on my facebook to pray for us as we headed out on our longest camping vacation to date - 9 days. But I wasn't really kidding. Camping is hard work for the mamma and isn't much of a vacation. You either learn to love each other a while lot more (living in a 27 foot camper) or you come home divorced and with a few less children! LOL!
We ended up going to the Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan and we had a great time. The kids were really cooperative and aside from Bill completely burning one meal on the fire - it was an uneventful trip. We took it pretty easy and went to an amusement park one day, did the Dune Rides, and did go-cart racing with the kids. It was a pretty cheap vacation all in all and one we may repeat again. :)

Praying For Jonah

I have been following this blog for over a month and would like to share it with you. Baby Jonah was born with a very rare and serious disorder. I've been praying for this little guy even though I don't know his family personally. Check out his blog and join me in praying for healing for this sweet little man http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com

Too Hot For Anything. . .

Up until this week the summer here has been very pleasant and then......it turned into an inferno. My air conditioner has been ticking away literally non stop. Last night, it was a low of 68...at night?!?! What in the world.....Today with the humidity it feels like 100 - literally.
We had told the kids that we were not going to put up their big pool this year because last year they only used it a handful of times. We live outside city limits so our water is psycho-expensive...... But up it went 2 days ago and today I got so hot that I got in too! What a sight, I am sure but it's too hot for anything but the pool or staying inside. Some day we do want to put in a in-ground pool with the works........now, just to find the extra money to pay for it..... :)